《I created my own system》 Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Mission failed successfully The whole empire was shaken upon the discovery of one of the empire''s legends, Akashic Records. From the weakest to the strongest personnel are all set up to find the whereabouts of the mystical collection of knowledge. It is said that the records rest in a separate dimension which holds all the information about the universe. The umted knowledge generated a power that transcends even space and now finding it was not a mere myth. Which turned the world upside down. "It''s all that man''s fault" A child-like voice echoed through the dark halls of a library. His lone shadow cast the big shelves of the library. Silently he walked around the secret library. Three weeks ago a group of schrs and wizards excavated the resting ce of a famous alchemist and wizard. There in his journal speaks about how he was able to briefly ess the Akashic records unfortunately he wasn''t able to take them with him. ording to the ancient wizard, the records don''t have a permanent ce they move from one space to another making it even harder to locate. He was only able to ess it two times but it was enough to put his knowledge and power to another level. In hisst message, he told how someone could ess the records but even with this method it still depended on the person if he would be sessful. "Well it was already good enough that I have this ce for myself" "Them leaving is also an opportunity for me" Standing in the middle of the secret library the little boy took out hundreds of scrolls and using the mana stones he had he activated them one by one. "Why should I go and search for uncertainties when I can go for a more certain route" He continued his dialogue while taking out a beast core its size as big as a child''s head. Inside the sapphire core is the image of the beast who previously owned it, a dragon. "Now I shall make my own Akashic using all the knowledge in this library" he breath slowly then he said "Let''s start now" Using the power of the beast core all the magic circles inside the hundredid scrolls glow brightly igniting the tranquil library. The boy without hesitation started chanting a spell he had devised himself. Slowly each and every book on every shelf inside the library glows, and letters from differentnguages emerge from it. Then as if it was being sucked by a strong force the texts, images and equations found within the library all flew towards a certain ce, towards the boy''s forehead. On the boy''s forehead, a five-colored magic circle was embedded absorbing all the magical knowledge the library has. Inside the boy''s mind, a space was created to store all the knowledge that came from the library. This space looks just like an orb that constantly moves inside his head. "Hmmm..." The orb wasn''t stable enough so the boy decided to use the little mana he had. Like mending an unstable house his mana flow gently turning the shaking orb steady. "More" he spoke then he took out another beast core this time it came from a desert Arachne like the previous beast core the power within it was used. The process just continued until the boy took another scroll. Inside the vast amount of knowledge, the boy decided to put the finishing touches. "Just like any ce of knowledge, someone had to oversee it" Beforeing to this stage the boy had used a spell to analyze his way of thinking. How he solves problems and how he tackles his research. All of his skills in creating magical equations to building magical machinery were analyzed by the spell he had created. The result of this analysis was the being who will assist him in using his Akashic records. He had created an artificial intelligence using himself as the blueprint. Using the magical scroll in his hand the boy made sure to fully install this but then he was suddenly taken aback when a sudden force made him roll in pain. The ancient magical books and forbidden text began radiating trying to resist the pull from taking them. "This is not going to be easy" Wiping his sweat the boy took out hundreds of mana crystals trying to create a power to restrain the stubborn ancient artifacts. "BLING!" All the ancient grimoire to the magical totems all joined forces to fight. These ancient magical artifacts have existed for a long time thus the magic inside them is immense. "These things are what I needed" He then decided that it was time to take risks. He closed his eyes and from his body, an astral projection of himself came out. An image of a little boy appeared floating in the middle of the resisting relic and his body. Using the sheer weight of his consciousness the battle turns into two against one. The boy''s body and mind were split into two making it hard for the ancient magical artifacts to fight back. "Just obey me!" Using his will he put more pressure but these relics can''t be deemed powerful for nothing they start attacking which the boy had anticipated. The moment they attack his body also attack using the spell he had prepared in advance a binding spell was cast. These took them off guard and without warning the boy''s overpowering mind suppressed them. "Nowe to me" Without any options, they finally surrendered the magic within them and were taken inside his body. Seeing this the boy immediately returned afraid that something would go wrong. After that small obstacle, everything just went well. After thest book was taken the boy finally heard what he wanted to hear. [Ding] [Congrattions creator you seed!] A voice suddenly echoed inside his head strangely this voice was quite the resemnce to his. The boy sighs feeling tired but his job is not done yet he must first clean the mess he made. "Okay we are almost there" Feeling his mind was almost on the brink of copse the boy just ordered his familiar to clean the mess he made. "I''m sorry Gale but please clean it for me" Gale his wind spirit just smiled while using her magic to make sure no one could know what her master had done. While the boy lets his mind and body rest the magic circle on his forehead is still active. The orb that contains the umted knowledge began operating on its own. [Ding!] [Insufficient amount of energy.... recalibrating...] [Archive is being established....] [Data sequencing....] [Gathering data and analysis.....] [Recalibrationplete..... energy sufficient] [Archive is fully established] [Data sequencingplete] [Data gathering and analysispleted] [Waiting for the creator''smand] Without the boy''s knowledge the thing he had created started evolving on its own. The orb bes even more stable as it finally settles inside the mind of its creator. Gale felt worried about her master looking at his dishevelled appearance the wind spirit decided to summon a bit of breeze to help him rest although he was sleeping on the floor. The little spirit pped her tiny wings and started removing the scattered scrolls. ... "I would have been happier if that child never existed!" "You know I keep wondering if you are indeed our brother" "You are an eyesore so please leave immediately" All sorts of voices came haunting him down without mercy. The little boy with his tiny body just stood where he was receiving nothing but hurtful words from the people who should be loving him. "That child is he really the son of the duke?" "My family name has been tainted!" More words echoed in his mind until a voice devoid of any emotion came in. [Waiting for the creator''smand] [Ding!] [Please give yourmand!] Confused he finally opened his eyes and saw a rectangr floating ss right in front of him. This made him confused until he saw texts written inside it. [Creator I have used illusion magic to create this hologram] "Yes I do understand that" He slowly tried to get up beside him was a tiny little winged fairy, it was Gale his wind spirit. It seems after finishing the tasks given to her she decided to sleep next to her master. The boy decided not to wake her up and just let her sleep on hisp. "Let''s see it seems like I failed but not at the same time" [Forming conclusion....] [Ding!] [ording to the analysis creator did indeed fail to create Akashic. More magic and phenomenal knowledge is required to create it] "Yes I knew that but it''s not bad to create your power outlet...sigh then what should I call you" The boy thought deeply since the one that oversaw the thing he had created was based on him he wanted a human name for it. "Well then I''ll call you Jeremiah" [Jeremiah is grateful for the creator''s kindness] "Now then what is this I made?" He never really believed he could create Akashic but he believed that whatever the result of his experiment could lead to the result he wanted. And that is to grow stronger, stronger than anyone in his family. "Jeremiah give me a brief introduction of the things you can do" [Analysing....] [Jeremiah could ess all the knowledge taken from the underground library and use it to the creator''smand] [Jeremiah could also synthesize, create new spells and ess the skills that came from the creator] "Well I anticipated that" The boy thought long enough then a thought shed in his mind. "Give me my statistics ording to the study of Lenard Agustin" [Data gathering and analysis....] [Statisticsplete] [Statistical report Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Excited Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Apprentice Level: 15 Strength: 30 Agility: 40 Dexterity: 50 Endurance: 40 Stamina: 30 Intelligence: 52 Mana: 50 Vitality: 100 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank A) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank A) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank A) {Passive} ADVANCED STATISTICS {LOCKED}] "Locked huh?.... Jeremiah unlocked the advanced statistics" [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: {Unawakened} Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution:{Unawakened}] "Unawakened that''s interesting..." Apollo was about to order Jeremiah when someone suddenly barged inside the secret library. Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Mission After copsing inside the secret library he didn''t notice that his mother and the head of the wizard tower had finally returned from their journey. "Sir Nichs where is my son" she immediately asked finding it odd how her adorable child didn''t wee her. "High mage your son went off to the underground library and told us not to enter. It seems he was still upset that he wasn''t allowed toe with you" A senior mage said looking a bit worried about the child. "Alright I''ll be there I should probably talk to him" White luxurious hair and purple eyes a dazzling woman made her way towards the underground library of the tower. It was a ce that used to be essible only to the upper echelon of the tower but now her son, a mere researcher went back and forth on the secret library and no one had everined. Seeing the youngest high mage looking anxious made the head of the wizard tower smirk. "Nicks do remember when the secret library was called the forbidden library because of the atrocious knowledge hidden in there?" "Yes sir well time flies and now a boy doesn''t even recognize the danger of the things he created using the knowledge down there" "Let''s make a bet my old friend that boy made something again" "That''s interesting alright I''m in" Unbeknownst to the woman her son is being subjected to a childish game. Nevertheless, she hurriedly passed all the security measures of the secret library and after so many switches and turns she finally arrived at a giant ck door. "Open" Shemanded and the door opened on its own. As soon as the door opens she immediately uses a spell to locate her son. "Apollo!" She said as she saw her child sitting in the middle of the library. "Mom!" The child''s attitude turns 360 as soon as he sees his mother immediately he goes towards her. "How is my cute Apollo" "Mom I''m already thirteen I don''t think cute is still a word applicable to me" His mother Isabe lovingly hugged her son in return Apollo did the same he hugged her the way he could show his love but then his mother began interrogating him. "What are you doing here?" "I was studying but I got tired and ended up sleeping here" "Well it''s already midnight way past your bedtime" She sternly said while slightly pitching her son''s cheeks. "Let''s go I''m sure you are curious about our journey" "Let me guess Mother you failed right?" Apollo jokingly said making Isabe pitch her son''s cheeks again. "Although we indeed failed shouldn''t I at least receive somefort from my son?" "Well, should I sleep with Mom tonight as a form offort?" He added mischievously while they walked out of the secret library. Hand in hand the mother and son went up from the lowest point of the tower towards the great hall there the owner of the wizard tower and Nichs were waiting for them. "Grandpa Alger!" Seeing the old wizard Apollo looked at his mother asking if he could go to him. "Go on just be quick" "Okay!" Running towards the old wizard Apollo hugged him. "Oh look at you it''s only been just a week yet it looks like you grow a bit" "Grandpa stop making fun of me" [Creator did indeed grow for about 2 centimeters while creating me in the library. The excessive mana turns the creator''s body better from your height to the tiniest hair in your body was enhanced] This knowledge made Apollo chuckle a bit then Alger slightly lowered his head to whisper something to him. "So did you make something again?" Nichs who was beside Alger waited for the boy''s reply but then a mischievous smile escaped from the boy''s face. Then instead of answering Apollo merely winked before running towards her mother. "Hohoho... I wonder what that boy made this time" Alger imagined seeing another doomsday missile while Nichs thought of another miracle medicine. "We can just ask him in the morning" "Indeed" ..... Inside Apollo''s room, Isabe prepared the bed for him. "Come on let''s sleep now" Patting the bed Isabe urges her son to sleep beside her. "Okay Mom" Putting himself to bed he could feel the warmth of his mother. "This is nice," he thought while spreading his arm to hug her. "You must have missed me a lot" "It''s just your imagination mom let''s sleep" Isabe just nodded holding her son in her warm embrace but unbeknownst to her Apollo wasn''t sleeping, well his body was resting but his mind was actively talking with someone. It is just like how he could separate his consciousness from his body but this time he merely created a space in his consciousness where he could talk with Jeremiah. "Jeremiah is there a way to increase my statistics?" He started to ask upon his inquiry an emotionless voice began to sound. [Initiating research.....] Apollo was quite sceptical if this thing he had created could really be helpful or not. "Why is it taking this long?" The boy doesn''t know if he is merely impatient or Jeremiah is just inefficient. "Maybe it''s just me" [Ding!] [Researchpleted! Jeremiah found 3 ways to aplish what the creator wants. The first is to either get an inheritance or blessings. Here are the possible locations of either of these two...] Apollo stared at the map marked with at least ten ces. "These are allplicated ces...I can''t possibly go there I''ll die before I can even step there" He began contemting but decided to let Jeremiah continue. [Second is for the creator to awaken his hidden bloodline and body constitution. Here are the possible solutions... 1, Complete one of the spells of Smander Ridman, a famous wizard studying the hidden bloodline and body constitution of wizards. 2, Use the alchemic form of Segundo Alfonso, which is known to awaken a wizard''s hidden bloodline and constitution. 3, Awakened it on your own by creating a scenario where the hidden bloodline could awaken. Possible scenario: Get yourself killed.... almost killed...I mean..] "I don''t think the third one could work since I already experienced a near-death situation and no bloodline nor body constitution work" [Then we shall erase number 3 The second option has these two 1, Complete one of the spells of Smander Ridman, a famous wizard studying the hidden bloodline and body constitution of wizards. 2, Use the alchemic form of Segundo Alfonso, which is known to awaken a wizard''s hidden bloodline and constitution.] "I think it''s good enough then what''s thest?" [Thest is one of the most optimistic option creator] "Oh?...now I''m even more expectant" [It''s ck magic...] "....." "Come again?" [It''s ck magic creator...it''s a type of magic..] "Yeah I know I know but I have to look at it up before and using ck magic to grow stronger would affect the mind of the user" [It still depends on what type of ck magic, creator. Jeremiah had analyzed thousands of types of ck magic spells and out of it Jeremiah had synthesized dozens and came up with this option] Apollo now was very silent for the first time he felt stupid. Obviously, there are thousands of spells under ck magic and only 40% of those are considered harmful. He studied them thinking it could be helpful but realizing the consequences of using this method he gave up. "But Jeremiah is different if I failed it doesn''t mean he would too" A smirk escaped from his lips regaining his confidence. "Okay tell me how will it help me" Again a voice devoid of emotions rang across Apollo''s consciousness. [Jeremiah shall extract the essence from the dead its range is currently small due to the creator''s level. Each time a being dies in your proximity you will get the essence from them] "Do I have to be the one to kill them?" [It doesn''t need to be creator] "So the essence you were talking about was the one in Alexander Lorenz''s theories?" [Yes, but not exactly because ording to the grimoire of shadows it is not exactly a soul that expels from a deceased body but the residual mana their body has. As the body dposes the mana inside their body slowly leaves and blends in nature that residual mana is what we are going to take] "And since it is not a tainted energy but mana instead it won''t cause any negative effects on me" [Indeed creator but mana is not the only thing we could benefit from the dead. We could also use the core of magical beasts. ording to a theory beast''s core is not just the materialization of a beast''s magical power but it also contains their soul. ording to Jeremiah''s hypothesis if we could safely absorb a beast core. Creator could harness the skills of the killed beast] Apollo began contemting something was missing yet he couldn''t tell what that was. "Oh... right I forgot Jeremiah I don''t think just mana could help me increase my statistics" [Mana is the energy that flows in every living being it is also the most flexible energy that could be used in any kind of way. After modifying one of the ancient spells ''Conversion'' Jeremiah would convert mana into another type of energy that shall enhance any of the categories inside the creator''s statistics] This time Apollo smiled feeling extremely satisfied he had expected the exnation but it still felt different hearing it being possible. "Alright let''s list down our objectives then" [ OBJECTIVES ?First I''ll be awakening my hidden bloodline and body constitution" ?Second I need to grow stronger and increase my statistics ? and that would lead to Third, with enough stats venturing any of the ces on the map will be easy, I hope so] "When I grow strong enough I should go at least one of these ces having a blessing or inheritance would definitely be helpful to me" Looking at the list in front of him he couldn''t help but be satisfied. "Alright let''s call this Mission: Grow stronger" Chapter 3: Chapter 3: How to kill Morning came and Apollo was happier than any morning he ever had. "You seem very happy all of a sudden" Isabe couldn''t help but say as she looked at her extra energetic son. "I had a good dream mom" Then Apollo energetically hums while preparing himself for breakfast. Inside the huge dining hall where usually wizards and witches of the tower took their meal, Isabe and Apollo happily ate their breakfast there. "I should start testing the third option" The boy thought while putting more slices of bacon in his mouth. Then as fast as he could he finished his breakfast and went towards the ce where magical beasts often die. The magic examination and testing area. "Be careful son" "I will mom" Looking at Apollo''s back Isabe was happy looking at her son who looked more lively than before. "Have you told the boy?" Beside her eating was one of the senior mages in the tower Arthur Linais. "You know how he hates going home" "I don''t think that kid considers that ce a home" She knows he was right the Lionheart duchy was never kind to her son. Her husband and two other children never consider Apollo as one of them either. Isabe can''t help but lower her head letting her white hair flow down like a waterfall. "Just say that Apollo is busy doing research stuff for the head of the tower" "I already used thatst year" "How about him being hospitalized" "Already used as well" "He is being appointed as your substitute inside the tower" "I already used it as well" "Just tell them he is dead" "Arthur!" "Sorry I was just kidding " "Then it isn''t funny" While Isabe used every fiber of her brain to think of an excuse for her precious son not to be brought back into the main house. Apollo was happily running towards the bloodiest ce in the wizard tower, the magic examination and testing area. Arriving in front of a tall tower, Apollo went straight towards the ce where wizards put their experiments to the test. The testing zone was quite simr to a small arena with seats at the side and a wide open area in the middle. At the four corners of the testing zone are four station offices that shall examine the experiment in four different directions. Right on time the researcher in Blue Moon Tower is currently conducting their experiment. "Okay everyone clear and ready?" "Ready!" "This is Project Soldier, 78th test attempt of an artificial warrior, day 134" A robotic machine suddenly walked, each of its steps was slow and steady mainly due to its weight being way too heavy. Its body looks like an ancient samurai warrior equipped with his armour, sword and bow and arrow. The artificial warrior was made of steel with thebination of golem machinery and alchemy for it to move. Wizards of Blue Moon Tower believe that this project would be the solution to the currentck of manpower in the empire. "Jeremiah can you analyze that artificial warrior for me" [Affirmative creator but it may take a while for me to aplish the task. Since currently Jeremiah still has a limited strength] Apollo nodded his head not really caring how long can it take since he would be staying for a while. In front of the artificial warrior is a beast Apollo has never seen before. "That''s a demon beast" He couldn''t help but muttered. Demon beasts are quite different from the typical magical beasts found in the forest since demon beasts came from thend of the Demon realm. The appearance as well are widely different. Demon beast has a blueish-ck to red color while a magical beast''s size and colours have to be depended on their element. "It''s a hellhound" he said finally identifying the beast he once saw in books. It''s a type of demon beast that resembles a dog or a wolf. This beast has jet ck fur from its foot to its leg while its upper body has a dark colour with a shade of red up until its head. It has a thick coat surrounding it, especially its head. His mane-like coat would make people mistake him as a lion. "I wonder how you can win" The hellhound lunged trying to bite the head of the artificial warrior. But instead of the head, a sword intercepted the bite of the beast. The machine then throws the beast but being very nimble the hound was able to maneuver his position mid-air andnded swiftly on the ground. "I wonder what level this guy has" [Scanning....Analyzing... Completed!] [STATISTICS Type: Hellhound Status: Distress Rank: Warrior Level: 20 Strength: 70 Agility: 65 Dexterity: 60 Endurance: 70 Stamina: 70 Intelligence: 30 Mana: 60 Vitality: 150 "Oh?...you can also do this huh" This time the artificial warrior carried his heavy body to attack. "It''s too slow" Due to its heavy weight, it was too slow to hit a nimble hellhound. "Jeremiah if the scan is finished give me the statistics of that warrior" [Affirmative..... Scanning....datapleted Statistics Type: Artificial warrior Rank: Warrior Level: 20 Damage: 30 Hitpoints: 200 Target: Air and ground Movement speed: 25 Agility: 40 Dexterity: 70 Strength: 50 Endurance:50] "Wait is this urate?.." Apollo doubted in his mind but he didn''t voice it out. "If 30 is the damage then it only takes 5 strikes to kill the hound" [Not exactly creator] "Oh I am curious why that is the case" The battle stillmenced while Jeremiah and Apollo continued talking to each other. After attacking the hellhound and failing multiple times the artificial warrior switches weapons to a bow and arrow. "Hmmm?.." Apollo was confused, will arrows work against such a fast enemy? Well, the answer is yes the artificial warrior may be slow but the way he handles his weapon is really different. "He is fast too fast" He mumbled as he saw a rain of arrows chasing a single shadow of the hellhound. "Will it hit?" And as if answering his question an arrow did hit the beast. "Now that''s strange" Instead of being wounded, it didn''t even scratch him and the hound grew even faster despite the rain or arrows. Then Apollo realized that he had forgotten something. The coat or pelt that surrounds the hellhound is very sturdy at the same time he remembered something more interesting about hellhounds. "They have a damage reduction skill" Though it could only work twice every fifteen minutes it is still a good life-saving skill. "It''s ending" The area is almost covered with arrows and although the beast tries to move closer towards the artificial warrior a spear would wee him. The way the artificial warrior switches from one weapon to another made it hard for that hound to fight. The sound of arrows being released reverberated around the area. Apollo stared as he noticed that the arrows only hit one specific spot on the hound''s body. "I see it is ending" One more arrow was released and hit the back of the head of the beast. Apollo heard a cracking sound and saw how the arrow prated the head of the beast. "Is my range okay Jeremiah?" [Yes creator....mencing absorption] As the experiment ended Apollo jumped down from the bleachers and went towards the fallen hound. "Wait Apollo it''s dangerous!" Coming out of the four-station office, are wizards from the Blue Moon tower. "Child approaching a beast recklessly is dangerous " A senior mage said as he arrived right in front of Apollo. "Sir Gavin your warrior is overheating" The boy just said which made the wizard named Gavin fly towards the machine. As soon as he arrived huge ck smoke emerged from it making all the wizards that were supposed to go to Apollo switch and go towards the artificial warrior. The boy just chuckled seeing how panicky they were. This machinery is almost perfect the problem is it overheats they should have used a much slower beast than a fast beast like a hellhound. "And here I thought it could have worked" One of the wizards said looking worried at the charcoal body of the warrior. "They must have tested it to multiple types of beast and its only problem is its overheating every time it fights. One-time use weapons are not particrly good" [Ding essence absorption is now Completed] "How much did we get" [25, creator... newly killed beast is much easier to absorb, so I suggest that we find ways to harvest them] Now Apollo began to think he had never killed before though there are circumstances where he almost did but it never happened. "I wonder if I should ask my mother" He decided to look for his mother when Gavin called him. "Apollo, will it be alright if we ask for your help here?" Reluctantly he agreed. He thought that he could finish everything but it took them an entire day to review the artificial warrior. "So much for helping" He couldn''t help but sigh that his free time was only limited since their tower''s next project would start next week. "I will be busy again" While walking the boy tries to ease his tired mind though he doesn''t know if he can. Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Conversion He thought that he could finish everything but it took them an entire day to review the artificial warrior. "So much for helping" He couldn''t help but sigh that his free time was only limited since their tower''s next project would start next week. "I will be busy again" [Creator while we stayed inside The magic examination and testing area. I have gathered the essence of the dying beast there] "Good at least our trip wasn''t a waste so how much did we get?" [45] "I think that''s a good start so shall we start the conversion?" [I shall start although the process might take me at least up until tomorrow] "Go ahead I won''t mind" [Jeremiah won''t be able to speak to the creator for a while so if you may have any questions please wait for me tomorrow] "I will" [Then I shall start!] While walking towards the ck tower Apollo stared at the setting sun. His smile disappeared and was reced by a cold stoic face. He hated the colour of the sky whenever it was about to get dark. The colour of red and orange mixed together as darkness began toe, and he hated it. And he hated how he had the same colour in his hair. The color of the setting sun was a mark he wanted to erase after all members of the Lionheart family had this same zing hair colour. "I wish I had my mom''s hair color instead" He suddenly felt his chest hurting but he decided to ignore it. "It''s no use feeling pain" He breathed slowly then his eyes grew even colder. "Once you have the power you can erase that pain" He walked with even more conviction until he arrived inside the ck tower. "Hey Apollo" Greeted the man who was at the front desk he was the head of the administration office. "Evening Grandpa Jer" The old man just smiled before giving Apollo a poach. "Here I got you some beast core y with them" Receiving the heavy poach of beast core the previous cold expression of the boy turned into a child who just received a toy. "You like it?" Apollo just nodded enthusiastically seeing his reaction the Oldman urged him to head inside. "By the way your mother still has a meeting until this morning" he added before letting the child leave. "Got it Grandpa Jer" He used the tower''s teleporter to get to the residential floor of the tower. Arriving on his floor he ran excitedly towards his room. "Unfortunately, I couldn''t talk to Jeremiah right now but I should first check on this" Opening the poach he was amazed with the beautiful beast core he received. "Hmmm?" Amongst all the beast cores something is really different, unlike the others. Typically beast cores have colors that correspond to the beast''s element. Sometimes some beasts have multiple elements so their beast cores also have multiple colors. Air is green, blue for water, red for fire, yellow for earth, purple for thunder and ck for dark elements. "I have never seen a grey before" He paid more attention to it than the other ones, like the other core it has a color although it''s grey and the image of the beast it came from. "Hmmm..." Studying it he realizes where it belonged. "This is a demon beast core" He mumbled feeling happy with the gift he received. "I should wait for tomorrow Jeremiah should have good news for me" Happily, the boy left for dinner wanting to sleep early so that he could see tomorrow fast. Arriving inside the dining hall he immediately picked the food he liked then he ran towards a vacant table. "Slow down a bit Apollo" One of the mages eating there said. "Sorry big sis I was just in a hurry" "You might choke if you eat like that, here have some water you might need it more than me" "Thank you" "You are wee" Then the young mage left as she finished her meal leaving Apollo alone to finish his. ... While Apollo happily takes his meal the people inside the conference hall still debate whether or not they should search for Akashic. "It''s only been weeks we shouldn''t give up easily" "Can''t we just focus on other things, not this myth" "We all know that Akashic is no longer a myth" "But we have tried but we still can''t find the gate towards the enlightenment" "Not even the most intellectual being in this tower can ess that ce and just like what the journal said the gate will only appear once someone reaches enlightenment" "The question is how and what kind of enlightenment " "It was never specified what kind of enlightenment would trigger the gate to Akashic" "Let us all remember that there is another thing that the journal said ''Akashic won''t appear to those who seek for it, just like magic it will choose who and where to appear" "So are we giving up?" "Can''t we just reach enlightenment?" "Yeah how about you try it then since you make it sound so easy" "We can''t fake it! enlightenment shoulde naturally" While the other senior mage and high mage argue the archmage and the head of the wizard tower was silent. "Isabe, how is your son?" Out of all the topics Alger the head of the wizard tower started with this question. "Sir why suddenly?" Flustered due to the situation she can''t help but ask. "Well because if I ask you about your son surely there is an answer but if I ask about the Akashic no one could give me a proper answer" "Here''s my decision we will put the search for Akashic on hold. This doesn''t mean we are giving up but we shall focus on the things that we have control over" "We will focus on further developing our knowledge about magic. If Akashic wanted enlightenment we shall give it to him" With those final words from Alger, the meeting was finally ended. "Isabe" Called Alger. "Yes sir?" "Have you told the boy about the imperial banquet?" A sigh escaped from her lips making Nichs worried as well. The imperial banquet is celebrated once every 5 years to celebrate the reign of the imperial family. Every aristocratic family under the empire is obligated toe. Since the Lionheart is a ducal family every member is required toe. "I''m going to prepare Apollo for this" "How about letting the boy stay here until the day of the banquet then we will escort him once wee to greet the emperor. After that, we will bring him back here not letting him meet any single member of your family" "Can I really do that?" "Of course Isabe I insist since every time he goes to that ce his expression is often cold and murderous" "Thank you very much sir I would tell this to Apollo" "Alright you may leave" After leaving the conference room she went straight to her son''s room where she saw his peaceful and happy expression. "It seems my son decided to sleep early" Gazing at the sleeping boy she thought about how her son used to look at her indifferently. Isabe wasn''t the best mother but she tried her best despite being extremely busy due to her duties inside the tower. When Apollo was born she had taken care of him for two years before returning to the tower. Every once in a while she would return to visit her children. She gave the attention she could give and gave the love she had, thinking it was enough. At first, her boy was treated the same way as the others not until the duke decided to test Apollo''s attributes. That''s when he realized his son had an ordinary talent. The duke thought it was uneptable thus from a loving father he switched to an abusive father who only knew how to hurt his son. Isabe didn''t know any of that not until she saw how broken of a boy Apollo had be. "My sweet little sun I hope you forgive Mommy for not being able to protect you" She whispered while gently caressing her son''s face. She still remembers how he used to treat her indifferently, how he never recognized her as his mother and how his eyes told her he was nning to kill her. The way those orange eyes looked at her, was never how a son should look at his mother. It was more like a killer towards his victim. "What on earth did your father do to you and you turn like that" She continues to say. Then she decided to sleep beside her son making sure no nightmares would follow the child. "Sweet dreams Apollo" In her hand is a magic spell that can make beautiful dreams, she hopes that by doing this it could stop the traumas that haunt in his dreams. As the hours pass stars slowly disappear and the sun begins to rise. Apollo woke up feeling refreshed as he tried to get up he felt a weight around his body. Confused he looked up and saw his mother sleeping peacefully. "Mom?" Looking at his mother who still wore her ck robe Apollo realized she must have gone to him as soon as the meeting ended. He was thinking of letting his mom sleep more when a voice rang inside his mind. [Creator conversion is finished you have 22 stat points that can enhance all of the attributes in your statistics] Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Upgrade [Creator the conversion is finished you have 22 stat points that can enhance all of the attributes in your statistics] Hearing those sweet words almost made the boy jump on his bed but unfortunately, his mother was sleeping soundly on it so he decided to cheer in his mind. "Okay show me my statistics" Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Excited Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Apprentice Level: 15 Strength: 30 Agility: 40 Dexterity: 50 Endurance: 40 Stamina: 30 Intelligence: 52 Mana: 50 Vitality: 100] "Now this is what you call attribute imbnce.....well maybe not so imbnced" Then he looks at the 22-start point he has, a smirk escaping from his lips. "Let''s make the imbnce, bnce" Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Excited Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Apprentice Level: 15 Strength: 30 Agility: 40 Dexterity: 50 Endurance: 45 Stamina: 45 Intelligence: 52 Mana: 52 Vitality: 100 "Well it seems like I still need more points to upgrade all of my attributes" "The attribute number for level 15 is 52 so if I want to bnce them all I still need 50 stat points...that''s at least a hundred essences" [Creator we need to work hard] "Yes Jeremiah it seems so" Right now what he needs to do is to hunt more beasts and take their essence. However, that will be put on hold since he can''t move unless he wakes his mother. "Well let''s just continue to rest up" Giving up he decided to close his eyes and sleep again. A few minutes after that his mother finally woke up and they headed out to have their breakfast. "Good morning little sun" Some of the mages there greeted Apollo which he dly reciprocated. "Mom I would like to visit the outeryer of the Afra forest" "When?" "Later after I assist Sir Gavin with his artificial soldier " "Okay but be sure to return before dinner okay?" "I will Mom!" Apollo returns to the magic examination and testing area there the wizards and witches of the Blue Moon tower wee him. "Morning little sun" "Morning sir Gavin" As he helped them lessen the overheating of the machinery Apollo had a hard time understanding the blueprint. Most of Apollo''s assistance is through alchemic study and a bit of weapon knowledge. Although he had experience creating a missile before an artificial soldier was a different type of weapon building. "This is a bit difficult" The weapons Apollo had created before are enchanted and magical weapons however the ones Gavin and the Blue Moon tower are making are made of most of the mechanics and technology, no magic included. Looking through the machine''s blueprint Apollo tried hard to understand it. "Maybe using a different type of metal or steel would help to lessen the overheating...or maybe using a different type of fire?" [You have gained a skill machinery Engineer] "What?" "Did you say something Apollo?" "No, sorry sir Gavin I was just thinking of something" "Jeremiah, what did you just say?" [Creator, Jeremiah has synthesized most of your skills and thus after throughout analysis I have created a way which will create skills whenever Creator shows potential for it] "This skill just now how can it help me?" [The skill Machinery Engineer will help the Creator understand machinery blueprints and if upgraded well enough it will help the Creator create one himself] "Question what''s the difference between the skills that I acquired through hard work and the skills you created?" [It doesn''t have much of a difference I only created and enhanced the skills that the Creator has potential with, though the process with mine would be quicker and easier] Hearing it Apollo can''t help but sigh thinking, "This feels like cheating" But he pushes those thoughts away wanting to test if what Jeremiah did was indeed something that can be called cheating. "Oh?" The confusing drawings and lines somehow became a bit clearer to him. "I could somehow understand the blueprint" He stares at the rectangr panel in front of him looking at his skills current level. "Machinery Engineer (rank E)" Apollo chuckled looking at his rank, "Well considering it''s newly acquired the ranking is decent" he thought. Due to his newly acquired skill, the little boy became energetic to help until the clock struck noon. "I have forgotten I need to go to the forest today" "For a hunt?" Gavin asked and Apollo nodded. "If you are going there take this with you" Taking a huge suitcase Gavin shows Apollo, a hunting armor. "What''s this?...it''s not a magical armor" "It''s Nano armor Apollo" "A what?" "It''s an armor made out of micro machines tightly assembled to create this armor" he exined. "Micro machines" Apollo mumbled touching the smooth surface of the armor. "Wear it" "dly " Pulling the armor out of the suit case Apollo felt free wearing the Nano armor. "The micro machines make the armor light but sturdy" Gavin exins while looking at Apollo''s appearance. "It''s also very thin" Apollo added. "It doesn''t hinder the wearer''s movements withoutpromising their safety" "Thank you by the way" "It''s okay little sun just be safe " "I will!" "Take your lunch before hunting okay" "I will" Taking his stuff Apollo ran out of the magic examination and testing area then Jeremiah spoke. [Creator after staying there we had gathered 20 essences] "That''s good but there is a slight problem here" [And that is?] "Your speed, is there a way to hasten the conversion?" [Creator The main reason why the conversion is too slow is due to Jeremiah''s deficiency. Conversion requires energy and since my energy and storage are still low I need to take my time to do the conversion] "I see so I was the one at fault in that.... after all, I made you. So how should we hasten the process" [By upgrading me Creator if I can erge my storage my energy will also improve that way the conversion will be done quicker] "So do we have to use the essence as well to upgrade you?..or should I use some of my resources" [Resources?] While they were conversing Apollo already arrived at his room. Immediately he grabbed a bread and munched it after that he took out something from an iron chest box. It was one meter in length and two feet in height, its surface is adorned with magical symbols indicating it was enchanted. Lightly touching the keyhole made the enchantment of the chest unlocked. Slowly it opens and cold energyes out. Familiar with this feeling Apollo took out something from the chestbox it was a luminous blueish crystal with a very smooth to tough surface. [Crystal mana] High concentrations of mana would often solidify turning into crystals. Wizards and witches of the tower have many types of equipment in order for the mana to be safely extracted from its crystal form. "I think this should be enough" He took out three high-density crystals and said, "Knowing you can absorb essence I don''t think you can''t extract mana from a Crystal right?" [Do not worry Creator I can handle this] Apollo just held the three crystals in his hand then suddenly he felt a magic circle appear on his forehead. It was the same magic circle he used to create Jeremiah. A cooling sensation soon covered the boy as he felt the steady absorption of the crystal mana. The absorption was done steadily though some excess mana would be taken by the boy enhancing his physique. Soon three high-density crystal mana were absorbed. "Now that was nice" The previous precious and beautiful crystal became dust since the mana it contained waspletely absorbed. [Energy absorption has beenpleted..... recalibrating....data sequencing.... Calcting expansion..... recalibrating...] Apollo felt his consciousness flicker as he felt the turbulent waves of energying from a glowing orb, that orb was Jeremiah. "Let''s eat more before hunting" Taking another bread he quickly put it in his mouth before gulping it down with a ss of milk. "Right let''s head to the forest now!" Excited for his future development he equipped himself with his hunting attire. However, that attire was merely a full Nano armor with one chanting bracelet for each of his wrists. "Right we are good to go" His gray full armor made out of nano machines felt incredibly light and strong hopefully he wouldn''t encounter any strong beasts. "Since we are heading towards a forest a goodpanion who knows the should apany me" Apollo activated a wolf head insignia on his neck using it as a way to summon his spirit. "BLING!" The insignia which serves as the connection between Apollo and his spirit wolf Bn spread out from his neck before extending to the boy''s arm. "Summon!" Extending his hand the insignia transforms into a magic circle which is the gate towards the world of spirits. "AWOO!" Howl the spirit beast as hended swiftly from the portal to Apollo. "Wee Bn we will go for a hunt today" "I shall aid master as much as I can" "Alright let''s go" Hopping on the wolf''s back Apollo urges the spirit wolf to head towards the Afra forest. Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Hunting "Master, Apollo already left the tower''s territory and has now entered the outeryer of the Afra forest " A deep enigmatic voice echoes through the quiet research office. Inside the office full of research materials and a stack of papers three figures can be seen talking, two spirits and one woman. "Ifrit follow my son to the forest, make sure nothing dangerous happens" The fire spirit nodded his head before disappearing right in front of his master. Isabe remained sitting on her chair staring at the pile of papers on her table. "Amihan go to the duchy and tell me everything that''s been going on in there" The wind spirit Amihan nodded, slowly she strides towards the window letting her sensual curves and unworldly beauty blend into the wind''s calm breeze. Seeing her white hair spirit finally left Isabe could only sigh feeling nervous whenever her son went on a trip to the forest. "Isabe calm down for sure nothing will happen" she said to herself. While Isabe continued to worry Apollo had started to venture the outeryer of the forest. "It''s as big as I remember" He smiled looking at the abundant life inside the forest. "Master we have to be careful here" "I know Bn we will be careful" Soon Apollo unmounted his spirit wolf deciding to walk beside him. While walking they found many kinds of flora which made the boy excited soon he began collecting them. [Expansion is nowpleted will the Creator like to see the new features of Jeremiah?] A voice devoid of emotion rang in his head. "And here I thought I needed to wait for tomorrow" Apollo was about to ask Jeremiah when Bn suddenly spoke. "Master a pack of Ivory wolves are on their way here" "That''s strange we shouldn''t encounter them here...unless.." He suddenly looked at the floras he had picked up and suddenly it dawned on him. "Shit!" He could only say. Ivory wolves are a type of magical beast that has the element of wind. They often hunt smaller magical beasts or human hunters that stumble upon their territory. One of the smaller beasts they hunt is called the purple haze rabbit. This small rabbit is poisonous however it wasn''t life-threatening for ivory wolves but it could still cause some pain so they would eat a certain nt to negate the effects. And unfortunately, Apollo had just plucked that specific nt. "They didn''t mark the nt right?" [They did, unfortunately] "That sucks" He had no choice since if he left the nt there it would leave his scent those wolves could still track him down. "Since my purpose ofing here is to hunt then I should just start" The boy started cracking his knuckles feeling motivated then he began setting up traps. "How many areing here?" "7" [7] "Alright the number is fine" Typically a magical beast such as an ivory wolf would have at least a hundred pack members depending on the alpha''s rank. Magical wolves have this certain ability to track their pack members. If one were to kill them they would be marked and hunted by the alpha but it was only the case if a huge amount of wolf blood was shed. "I won''t kill many so it should be fine" Killing some of them won''t attract the alpha unless their den is close by. "Master they are approaching fast" "Alright I''ll finish setting up the traps" Traps vary from who made it for hunters foothold traps aremon but for a mage like Apollo he would often use magical scrolls for traps. Some mages may use spells to create traps but for the boy conserving his energy is more essential. Taking out the scroll he made himself, he spreads it out toy out his trap. A few minutes pass and the seven mid-size wolves came. "It seems like we have young wolves here" Standing behind his traps the boy held the herb that the wolves were searching for. "GRRR!" The wolves began to growl but instead of attacking immediately, they began to surround him not leaving any room for escape. "They assessing me clever.. let''s see the level of the first wolf" [Scanning ..... Statisticsplete Type: Ivory wolf Status: Poison Rank: Warrior Level: 15 Strength: 50(-5) Agility: 52-5) Dexterity: 50(-5) Endurance: 45(-5) Stamina: 52(-5) Defense: 50 (-5) Intelligence: 52 Mana: 50(-5) Mana regeneration: 0.5 per second Vitality: 100 Skills/Abilities Damage reduction (Active) (Rank D-)- Can be used once every five minutes. Wind Howl(Active) (Rank D-)- Creates a power wind attack whenever you howl Iron Pelt (Active) (Rank D-) - Turns the hide or fur into iron for defense Noise and scent tracking (Passive) (Rank C-)] Apollo was quite surprised by the added attributes however he doesn''t have time to inquire about it. More floating screens appeared above the other six wolves all have simrities with the first one. "So the poison from the purple haze rabbit can cause debuff effects on the wolf''s attributes but their stat are still deadly" While Apollo had his dialogue three of the wolves already lunged forward each targeting his vital parts. "Activate!" His voice was the activation and the trap triggered. Four magical circles appeared which created a synchronized attack. The first magic circle was a gravity spell dragging the three wolves on the ground. The secondes after it was a spell called earth spike just like the name said it is a spell that turns the ground into spikes. However the ivory wolves activated their skills, damage reduction and iron pelt making the effects of the earth spike useless. Apollo already anticipated such a thing based on how he saw the hellhound defend. The third spell activated as the wolves tried to dash towards Apollo. A freezing spell froze the legs of the three wolves then the fourth andst spell activated. It was a fire spell called birnen it could create a strong me that could suddenly burst like a bomb. Due to the small explosion, the three wolves were blown away still alive but their legs were useless. "Done for the first phase" Apollo said then he felt the two remaining wolves were two feet away from him. One on the back and one in front the problem was the remaining two. "Impressive they use the smoke to mask themselves" The boymented as he saw two beasts opening their mouths to attack he was about to cast a spell when Bn and Jeremiah alerted him. "Master on your Left!" [Creator on your Left!] His body tensed up when he heard that then he saw a wind attack ravaging its way towards him. Since his front and back have two wolves already ready to kill while his left side has a wind spell alreadying towards him naturally he should dodge to his right. However, he won''t do that because he doesn''t have to. "The fourth wolf should be on my right side" he said while looking at the teeth of the wolf ready to bite him down. "Your breath stinks" he only said before another trap triggered. The entire area was covered in a magic circle the trap was triggered due to the wolves using one of their skills. Another gravity spell struck down making the four wolves hit the ground then Apollo finally cast a spell. "Let me show you one of my favorite spells" His hand suddenly sparks and the heat intensifies. The four wolves used their skills iron pelt and damage reduction ready to tank the spell Apollo was preparing. "Thunderp!" A thundering roar echoed throughout the forest as lightning struck from Apollo''s hand. Surrounding the boy is a burned ground with four wolves dead. "The smell of burnt flesh is really revolting" He said while covering his nose then he felt somethinge out of his shadow it was his spirit wolf Bn. "Master what should we do with their bodies?" "Eat them if you want I don''t mind" "How about their cores master?" "Hmmm?.....well leave them to me if I don''t need them I''ll feed them to you" After careful consideration, he said that. After all, he needs to see how he could get a skill by extracting a magical beast core. "I should test it as soon as I return home" [Creator please don''t leave the area since I am not done yet] "It''s okay Jeremiah I am not really in a rush" he replied then he looked at his trembling hand. "It''s not perfect yet" Thunderp is a higher-tier spell but Apollo changes the spell in a way it could suit him. He minimized the mana consumption but the process of casting the spell was prolonged. As soon as the fight started the boy was already casting the thunderp spell fortunately everything went ording to his n. "I still can''t use the spell properly" The mana consumption was still high for him even though he had minimized it. "Never mind Jeremiah are you done?" He asked but before Jeremiah could answer a howl made the boy tremble. "Argh!" The strength alone of the howl made Apollo and Bn kneel. Every lower-level beast inside the outer and inneryers of the forest felt the pressure of howling making them cower in fear. [Run Creator!] Jeremiah''s voice rang in Apollo''s head and immediately he ordered Bn to take him out of the forest. Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Run "Never mind Jeremiah are you done?" He asked but before Jeremiah could answer a howl made the boy tremble. "Argh!" The strength alone of the howl made Apollo and Bn kneel. The air tightened and Apollo gasped for air. The howl made his body shake his instincts telling him to run. Every lower-level beast inside the outer and inneryers of the forest felt the pressure of howl making them cower in fear. [Run Creator!] Jeremiah''s voice rang in Apollo''s head and immediately he ordered Bn to take him out of the forest. From afar you can see birds and other magical beasts fleeing against something. Due to their size and number, the dust began to cover the surroundings blocking the view of the forest. Whereas some trees weren''t able to survive from being stepped on by dozens of beasts. A beast full of rage began running across the inneryer to the outsideyer of the forest. "What the hell is going on...I only killed seven why is he here already!" Apollo grimaced while holding onto Bn afraid that he might fall. "Jeremiah is there a way to remove my scent?" He frantically asked after he forgot to erase his scene when they took off. [Creator doesn''t need to worry as I already erased all of our traces] "That''s good to hear then" He was about to feel relief when he felt a presence following them. "Could it be!?" The boy was quite frightened if push came to shove he might need to summon his mother''s spirit which he didn''t want to do. And that is why he bravely looked back and saw a horde of magical beasts trying to flee like him. "Just what kind of trouble did I get myself into" He could only say while trying to take out a scroll. "Master please tighten your hold" Bn reminded Apollo just nodded and tried to cast a spell instead. "Enchant!" Suddenly Bn''s body became lighter as his master Apollo cast an enchantment so he could run much faster. "Just how far are we?" [Near the boundary of the outer and outmostyer of the forest Creator] Jeremiah answered then Apollo felt even more nervous as he saw how other magical beasts outrun them. "Jeremiah tell me how many points did you get?" [Currently, I am in the process of converting and thus can''t give you a proper answer] "Damn it!..then can you absorb this from me?" In his hand is a pouch filled with magic beast cores the ones he got from his grandpa Jer. [I can but the absorption would take a while since converting and absorbing at the same time can cause some energy... would Creator still proceed?"] "Yeah just do it!" "Master I will be increasing my speed please hold on tight!" "Alright!" The little boy holds on his wolf''s back wishing that he won''t make a mistake such as attracting the attention of the alpha. "GRRRR!!" Unfortunately, luck wasn''t on his side since they were outrun by some more faster beast the first thing the alpha ivory wolf saw was him. "Not good!" He suddenly wanted to call his mother''s spirit when he saw the level of the alpha. [Status Type: Ivory wolf Status: Berserk Rank: General Level: 15 Strength: 130 Agility: 120 Dexterity: 100 Endurance: 125 Stamina: 127 Defense: 130 Intelligence: 120 Mana: 130 Mana regeneration: 2 per second Vitality: 200 Skills/Abilities Damage reduction (Active) (Rank A)- Can be used once every two minutes. Wind Howl(Active) (Rank A)- Creates a powerful wind attack whenever you howl Iron Pelt (Active) (Rank A) - Turns the hide or fur into iron for defense. Commander Pack (Active) (Rank A)- Canmand a legion of wolves under his pack. Noise and scent tracking (Passive) (Rank A) - Can track anyone based on scent and sound] "We are doomed Bn" The alpha''s body is covered with his mane-like ivory fur and a body that is at least two meters tall. The alpha was way faster than any beast inside the outeryer and soon he was right behind Apollo and Bn. While his spirit wolf tried his best to outrun a ranked General beast Apollo already started casting. "Jeremiah how about giving me good news" Before Apollo could even hear Jeremiah reply, a powerful wind attack began to hit them fortunately he had set up a barrier in advance thus they were able to survive. "That barrier has thirteenyers yet he broke easily!" While agitated Bn suddenly made a sudden turn surprising Apollo. "Please hold on tight master" The boy nodded and tightened his grip however he began sneakily dropping capsule scrolls. Capsule scrolls are scrolls sealed inside tiny capsules and will activated once the spell inside the scrolls is activated which is through Apollo''s words. Apollo wasn''t mindlessly ordering his spirit to run he was trying to set up a trap. Hopefully, the berserk state of the alpha will help so that the traps won''t be noticed. "Hold on tight master!" Suddenly Bn sprang up right behind them is the jaw of the ivory wolf alpha. "Enchant!" Apollo adds a buff to Bn increasing the spirit wolf''s speed but the General rank beast is many times faster than them so he naturally catches up. As the jaws near the body of the spirit wolf Apollo heard a voice. [Creator congrattions you have received 156 stat points] [Creator you gain 5 skills from the ten beast cores and one demon core] [What would like to do] "First things first bnce my attributes!" [Affirmative] [Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Anxious Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Apprentice Level: 16 Strength: 55 Agility: 55 Dexterity: 55 Endurance: 55 Stamina: 55 Intelligence: 55 Mana: 55 Mana regeneration: 5 per minute Vitality: 130] Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank A) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank A) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank A) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank D) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank D) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Lightning Call (Rank D) {Passive} - Increases any lightning-based spells or attacks. Reflecto mirror (Rank D) {Active} - Return the attacks of opponents it may be a spell or physical attack. Tenfold (Rank D) {Active}- Return Ten to thirty percent of the received attack. Demonification (Rank ??) {Active}- Rank General is required to open this skill. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: {Unawakened} Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution:{Unawakened}] "Jeremiah put the remaining points to increase my skills now!" Apollo then waved his hand and a scroll came out of his hand bing the only thing that separated between the boy and the alpha wolf. "ACTIVATE!" Ten magical scrolls glow and begin activating these scrolls contain a ck magic called nigrum tentac. ck thick tentacles emerge from the ten scrolls Apollo spread out all aiming at a single being the Ivory wolf alpha. This ck magic aims to eat any life forms it sees specifically strong prey. The more powerful the prey the more they get attracted to it. And that is why Apollo specifically chose this spell to counter him then he heard Jeremiah''s voice. Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Anxious Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Apprentice Level: 16 Strength: 55 Agility: 55 Dexterity: 55 Endurance: 55 Stamina: 55 Intelligence: 55 Mana: 55 Mana regeneration: 5 per minute Vitality: 130] Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank A) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank A) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank A) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank C) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank C) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Lightning Call (Rank C) {Passive} - Increases any lightning-based spells or attacks. Reflecto mirror (Rank C) {Active} - Return the attacks of opponents it may be a spell or physical attack. Tenfold (Rank C) {Active}- Return Ten to thirty percent of the received attack. Demonification (Rank ??) {Active}- Rank General is required to open this skill. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: {Unawakened} Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution:{Unawakened}] Light began to appear in his hand as he summoned another lightning spell. "Thunderp!" Lightning struck the General rank alpha however Apollo knew it wasn''t enough to injure him his damage reduction skill would block the attack he made. What he wanted was to momentarily paralyse him by pulling huge amounts of bolts hopefully it worked cause if not then hisst resort would be relying on his mother''s spirit. "Bn!" "On it master!" Apollo''s mana is down to ten which is a bit dangerous although his mana would only regenerate at 5 every minute. "We have to get out of here!" "Jeremiah where''s the alpha!" [Currently, he is still unable to move due to the tentacles binding him] "Good!" His eyes became a bit blurry but it was still okay although Bn became much slower due to the fatigue. "Don''t worry Bn we are about to get out of here" And just like what he said the two were able to leave the forest nice and safe. "Hoo...I wanna eat" he could only say as he looked at himself. Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Low sense of danger "Hoo...I wanna eat" he could only say as he looked at himself. His hair is dishevelled but surprisingly he didn''t receive any physical injury. He was only pale due to losing too much mana but other than that he was fine. "Hmm?" Then he remembered his nano armor no scratch could be seen on its smooth ck surface. "I should have tested the effects of this" He muttered then he checked his chanting bracelets. Chanting bracelets are simr to wands and staff they exist to help witches and wizards chant spells and minimize their mana consumption. "It seems like it isn''t broken yet" he said feeling relieved then he spoke to Jeremiah. "How many scrolls do I have left?" [Currently, you have 20 remaining scrolls creator] "Hmm?..." He pondered then he spoke. "I wonder if I can go back and fight the General rank alpha" "Master I don''t rmend that the sheer power of his attack shattered the barrier you created for three months" "Oh right he did that" "Master seriously " Bn exasperatedly said fearing that his master might return to the forest. "Jeremiah, is there a way for you to mask our scent?" [I can Creator but I could only do so for a couple of minutes] "That''s good enough" "Master I don''t like what you are about to do" "Trust me Bn as long we prepared enough even a General rank beast will definitely fall" Bn has no choice he has to obey his master even though he knows it''s a suicide decision. The boy merely snapped his fingers and twenty scrolls appeared from his space ring. "Let''s see how should utilize these twenty scrolls" "Jeremiah, where''s the alpha?" [He is back to his den inside the inneryer of the forest] "I see well I should set up the n to kill him...hmm...if I am not mistaken his mana should be at 130 .. he is worth killing" Apollo pondered then he looked through the twenty scrolls floating in front of him. "Right I should use this instead" he grinned feeling excited. While this transpires a spirit quietly observes them, Ifrit the fire demon spirit. "Should I stop him or report this to Master?" The spirit began to think nevertheless he continued to watch over the boy. "Alright, Bn since we have fully recovered let''s go back then!" The spirit wolf could only sigh he really couldn''t say no to his master. "Should I amend some parts of our contract to stop his suicidal action?" He thought while looking at Apollo''s excited face. Seeing that refreshing he could just think "Nah it''s rare to see that smile let''s just leave it as it is" Apollo like what he did before came inside the forest with Bn. "Master we have been marked by the alpha as soon as we enter the outeryer he will feel sense us" warned Bn but his master wasn''t the slightest bothered by it. "Don''t worry he won''t sense anything" The spirit wolf doesn''t know what his master is up to but he still goes along with it. Entering the forest they came across the corpse of other magical beasts that weren''t able to flee them. "Jeremiah could get their essence?" [Unfortunately, no Creator they had been dead for quite some time now their mana already returned to the world] "That''s unfortunate" Then he urged Bn to travel more he had to pick a perfect ce to execute his n. "We need a perfect area to set up the traps" [Creator you only have 5 minutes before the alpha sense you] "Thank you Jeremiah thanks for the update" "By the way, I would like you to do something for me" [What is it, Creator] "Well let''s see..." Deep inside the inneryer of the forest lies the den of the ivory wolves and among all the wolves their alpha stood at the peak. As the afternoon breeze lightly touches his fur he lets himself bask in the warm light from the sun just then he smells the blood of his children. Anger filled the eyes of the alpha as he felt the scent was familiar. "The human cub" he thought in his mind as he growled loudly scaring most of his children. "I will make sure that human cub learns his lesson" He said as he ran towards the source of the scent. Dust kicked off due to the alpha''s speed however he wasn''t paying attention to that instead, his instincts were telling him to go back. "Me?.. running away from a kid?.. nonsense!" He arrogantly thought increasing his speed. Soon he reached the outeryer of the forest and there following his scent he saw the same child that run away just a few hours ago. "Mischievous human cub" He began to howl releasing a powerful wind attack. Typically he would scare his prey with a powerful growl however his instincts are telling him to run away. However, his pride as an alpha keeps him from doing so. The wind attack devastated everything it ran into until it hit the body of a child. For a moment the alpha ivory wolf thought that it was all over however the boy was safe. A smirked escape from the boy''s lips gaining the wrath of the beast. This time he incorporated his wind element to gain a speed that will kill his prey immediately. "Grr!? Before the alpha could reach the boy something painful suddenly hit him making him kneel. "Activate" the beast heard the speak and then the ground lit up. Utilizing the wind he tried to get out of the range of the magic circle however something suddenly hit him. "What was that!?" On the boy''s hand was a gun that his too big for his body strangely he could lift it. "Damn it!" Due to him being distracted, he was caught up with the magic circle beneath him. At that moment he felt so weak his body went down extremely fast. "What''s this?" "ck magic" The boy spoke as if reading his mind. It was a spell Apollo once saw inside the forbidden library. The spell Ut detraham te, a ck magic spell Apollo modify. This spell creates a massive field that weakens the enemy for a couple of minutes. "Jeremiah his stats" [Status Type: Ivory wolf Status: Confused Rank: General Level: 15 Strength: 130 (-50 Agility: 120 (-50) Dexterity: 100 (-50) Endurance: 125(-50) Stamina: 127(-50) Defense: 130(-50) Intelligence: 120-(50) Mana: 130(-50) Mana regeneration: 2 (-1) per second Vitality: 200(-50) Skills/Abilities Damage reduction (Active) (Rank B)- Can be used once every two minutes. Wind Howl(Active) (Rank B)- Creates a powerful wind attack whenever you howl Iron Pelt (Active) (Rank B) - Turns the hide or fur into iron for defense. Commander Pack (Active) (Rank B)- Canmand a legion of wolves under his pack. Noise and scent tracking (Passive) (Rank B) - Can track anyone based on scent and sound] "It''s high his lowest stats are at least at 70 while mine is at 55" [You are still at a disadvantage Creator you might die] Jeremiah warns him however Apollo is dead serious about killing the alpha of the ivory wolf pack. "After I killed this beast the bnce of power inside the forest will be shifted" he thought. "GRRR!" The alpha growls loudly before releasing another powerful wind attack. "Iing!" Apollo yfully said as he took out his giant gun. "BOOM!" Dust kicked off and smoke filled the air as the two attacks smashed into each other creating a strong impact. "Are you all right master?" Asked Bn using his body as a shield from the impact. "Yeah we''re good" the boy could only reply like that. "GRRR!" The smoke suddenly blew away revealing the alpha right in front of them however the boy in front of him just smugly said. "Down boy!" The ground lit again and a strong gravity magic made him slow down. "You are indeed an alpha" Typically if a normal wolf were hit by this spell they would directly hit the ground unable to move Bn moved away as his master cast his spell. "Wind barrage!" Apollo can multicast he can cast two different spells at the same time. He cast a wind spell on his left hand while fire at the right. "Combination spell Firestorm!" As he put his hand together the two spells blend creating a huge Fire stormy field sting the face of the beast. However, the beast activated his damage reduction and iron pelt skill causing no damage to him. "Alright Bn assist me I''m going melee" "Yes, master!...wait melee you are a wiz.." Bn wasn''t able to finish what he wanted to say because his master alrighty jumped in front of the enemy. "Master!" He could only shout while running towards him. "Since I am here to test the effects of this nano armor let''s go mano mano!" His fist started to spark indicating his lightning spell was about to finish. "Foolish human cub!" To Apollo''s surprise, the alpha''s speed suddenly increases making him unable to dodge when he dashes towards him. "Master!" Bn shouted as he saw how the two-meter beast opened his mouth to bite Apollo''s shoulder. "No!" The spirit wolf went mad as he enforced himself with his wind however something halted his movements. "Hahahahahaha!" It was his master Apollo hystericallyughing. "I see this armor is good" The boy only smiled while looking at the beast in front of him. Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Scolded "Master!" Bn shouted as he saw how the two-meter beast opened his mouth to bite Apollo''s shoulder. "No!" The spirit wolf went mad as he enforced himself with his wind however something halted his movements. "Hahahahahaha!" It was his master Apollo hystericallyughing. "I see this armor is good" The boy only smiled while looking at the beast in front of him. The alpha''s instincts kicked him telling him to let go however he couldn''t as soon as he tried to move he suddenly felt a massive pain, and this distracted him for a moment. That brief second was all the boy needed lightning spark from his hand as he stuck the front legs of the beast. "Argh!" Instead of the alpha, it was Apollo who winced in pain. He felt as if he punched a sturdy wall he wasn''t even sure if he heard something crack in his fist or maybe somewhere in his back. "I already packed an attribute increase for that punch yet it still hurts," he thought while stepping back to the side. The surge of electricity was enough to momentarily paralyse the beast and Bn took it as his signal to attack. Mana reinforces the fur of the spirit wolf aiding strength with his defense with this he won''t feel pain once he strikes the beast, unlike Apollo who almost broke his hand. "Enchant!" Apollo added a buff on Bn increasing both his speed and strength. Raising his long and reinforced sharp ws the spirit wolf aimed at the beast''s leg, it was the same leg Apollo had struck before. "PANG!" The sound resembles metals being hit together. As soon as the attack happened Apollo recalled Bn he knew that after that one strike, the alpha would be about to move again. "BOOM!" The ground shook and Apollo was d he recalled Bn to his side if not he would be struck by that skill Wind Howl. [Warning Creator the alpha is about to activate his bloodline ability] "Wait he has one?" [Apologies Creator I was only able to sense it now when he was about to use it.] [Warning Creator you must retreat for now I am currently scanning a massive energy simr to a level 20 General rank] "Calm down....." He wasn''t able to finish what he was about to say when an energy struck him. "Hear ites" he smiled feeling the massive energy from the Ivory wolf alpha. A yellow aura began to envelop the beast while his eyes glowed with amber light. "I am real unlucky" The boy could only say not looking nervous or scared. "Jeremiah give me his stats" [Status Type: Ivory wolf Status: Awakened Rank: General Level: 15 Strength: 130 Agility: 120 (+50) Dexterity: 100 (+50) Endurance: 125(+50) Stamina: 127(+50) Defense: 130(+50) Intelligence: 120 (+50) Mana: 130(+50) Mana regeneration: 2 (+1) per second Vitality: 200((50) Skills/Abilities Damage reduction (Active) (Rank AA)- Can be used once every two minutes. Wind Howl(Active) (Rank AA)- Creates a powerful wind attack whenever you howl Iron Pelt (Active) (Rank AA) - Turns the hide or fur into iron for defense. Commander Pack (Active) (Rank AA)- Canmand a legion of wolves under his pack. Noise and scent tracking (Passive) (Rank AA) - Can track anyone based on scent and sound] "Wow, he cancels the debuff and uses it to increase his stats... I am impressed" "GRRRR!" The boy''s nonchnt reaction was agitating the alpha of the ivory wolf pack. For a tiny human he was bold he was just smiling without care. Even with him releasing the power of his bloodline it wasn''t enough to make the boy scared. "Aren''t you going to attack?" The boy asked. This question irritated the beast he was an alpha, beast even humans felt scared just thinking of entering his territory but this boy dared to mock him. "You will regret this!" He howls releasing a powerful wind attack. Unlike his previous attacks, this one looks like a tornado ravaging everything in its way. Dust kicked off while the ground became misshaped. "Activate!" The boy just said and a tri-colored magic circle emerged. No more debuff and buffing spells what was inside those scrolls were defensive spells. A huge barricading barrier emerges from the ground shielding Apollo from the attack. However "CRACK!" The shield is breaking bit by bit the fissures on its surface are expanding looking like a web made by a spider. However, Apollo wasn''t worried about his body the armor he was wearing started to glow. "So they added a mechanism that automatically empowers the armor... impressive" "Master!" "I know.." "CRACK!" Soon enough cracks became bigger eventually leading to the barrier''s destruction. "BOOM!" The powerful wind attack went straight to the boy, however, as soon as it hit him the surrounding mana turned into a barrier blocking the attack. The skill the Light of Aegis takes effects making the surrounding mana solidify. However, this skill is still a level C against an AA skill, "CRACK!" The mana solidified shield broke much faster than the one from the scroll. Apollo then directly received the attack. Gold patterns suddenly emerge from the nano armor indicating its activation, with its force it was able to decrease the amount of power from the attack. However just like the previous defense Apollo had put up it didn''t stand a chance against an attack from a General rank beast. The boy smirked as he felt his body break from the tornado-like attack. For him, physical pain is better than an emotional one, because physical pain can be seen and heals after time however an emotional one stays and is sometimes impossible to forget. "Jeremiah do it" he whispered his body battered with wounds. [On it Creator] Suddenly the seemingly endless barrage of wind ended. "Ahh...that was painful" Apollo merely said walking towards the beast who was currently lying on the ground. "How does it feel receiving your attack ten times the strength" Before the fight began Apollo ordered Jeremiah to synthesize his two skills, Reflecto mirror and Tenfold. Since the two skills have simrities Apollo decided tobine them, and two rank C skills turn into rank B. Mirror Tenfold (Rank B) {Active} - Return ten times the attacks of opponents it may be a spell or physical attack. "I used other resources to turn a percent into times... conversion really is energy consuming" he added. "Bn finished him" The spirit wolf who disappeared reappeared again. Surprisingly he has been gathering his strength since the time the alpha wolf began fixating towards the boy. "GRRR" The alpha growls trying to stand up but can''t his legs are wounded. The bite he did on Apollo came back to him ten times more now he can''t move. "Bn don''t waste any more time....we need to leave" They have caused quite a ruckus and he was certain a more powerful beast might arrive. His wind spirit wolf Bn obeyed, and he immediately reinforced his ws using them to dig into the flesh of the alpha. Huge screams echo throughout the forest making all nearby beasts escape. The body of the Ivory wolf alpha, tried to resist as his body began twitching however soon enough he drew hisst breath. [Congrattions Creator you have killed a General rank beast] "Enough just absorb already" he had no time to joke as his body was covered with wounds. "Master we must leave immediately" "Right let''s bring the body first" Apollo approached the body and thought of something. "Bn can you find where the beast core is?" "The core? I am sorry master I can''t sense whether or not this beast has one" Apollo was about to be disappointed, [Creator at the head] Happy the boy took a knife and eagerly tried to open the head of the wolf. "Bn could you do it I just couldn''t muster any strength right now" Realizing he could not even hold the knife properly Apollo just asked Bn exasperatedly the spirit wolfplied. "Master we really should leave I could sense danger ising" After digging through the head of the beast Bn finally suggested. "Okay let''s go!" Hopping at Bn''s back the spirit wolf immediately took off. "Jeremiah our traces" [On it Creator] "Master, may I ask why did you have to make that kind of a risky move? You could have taken a much safer tactic to eliminate the enemy" "Bn didn''t I tell you, we came back so I could test the limits of this armor" "However that was dangerous master you can''t just risk your life to test one of your curiosities" "Alright I won''t do that again" While lying at the back of the wolf Apollo stares nkly at the core. "It''s beautiful" he could only say. [ Creator please fix yourself we are about to get inside the wizard tower''s territory] "Right I forgot" With Jeremiah''s warning, Apollo took a spare hunting armor he had then he took a potion to lightly elevate his pale-looking face. "How do I look?" "It''s okay master" [It''s decent] "Right maybe Mom won''t really mind what I did" He said however as soon as he arrived at the tower''s gate he saw his mother Isabe. "Mom?" However, instead of being happy, the boy knew he should run because, in her mother''s hand, a long stick was already aiming for him. "Master it seems we have a more scarier enemy than a general rank beast" "Yeah I agree" Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Banquet "Right maybe Mom won''t really mind what I did" He said however as soon as he arrived at the tower''s gate he saw his mother Isabe. "Mom?" However, instead of being happy, the boy knew he should run because, in her mother''s hand, a long stick was already aiming for him. "Master it seems we have a more scarier enemy than a general rank beast" "Yeah, I agree" Apollo can''t help but agree as he saw his mother looking like an erupting volcano. For a moment the boy wants to tell Bn to slow down however he knows he can''t, he won''t be able to seeing his mother Isabe pin her gaze on him. "Hey Mom I came back before dinner" He said as soon as he reached the gate. "Apollo" "Yes Mom" he couldn''t look at her he was afraid he might cry if he did so. Isabe rarely scolded him when she did it always ended with Apollo crying. "What did you do in the forest?" Under the setting sun, Isabe interrogated her son however the boy couldn''t even look up his head still down looking at the ground. "Get inside we will talk" The boy nodded then he told Bn to travel back to the word of spirit which the spirit wolfplied. "I am doomed," he thought while asking Jeremiah to think of a solution to help him out. [Unfortunately Creator I couldn''t find any solution you may deal with this yourself] "What!?... Hey Jeremiah?... Buddy?..hey?" With no reaction to him, Apollo quietly sat on one of the chairs in her mother''s office. Strangely one of the documents stated an exploration of the endless ocean which made the boy frown. No one has ever gone beyond the continent not even the most powerful wizards and swordsmen dare to. The reason is the body of water that surrounds the continent contains many ferocious beasts. It''s not like they are weak however an underwater battle isn''t easy to do after all who could best a sea beast in a fight underwater? "Are they nning for an expedition?" He questioned then he heard the door creak. "Apollo" Isabe''s call made the boy stand up straight from his seat. "Ifrit already told me what you did....do you have any excuses, my dear son?" She said as she sat on one of the chairs in front of Apollo''s seat. "I told you no dangerous acts haven''t I?" The child just nodded with his head still sticking to the ground. "So tell me what is it you are trying to test this time?...thest time you did this you wanted to test an air cannon" "Ummm..." "I can''t hear you, Apollo" "Well I just wanted to test my new level you see Mom I advance" he said softly trying to appease his mother''s anger. "That''s not a good reason to disobey me, Apollo" "Ummm...sorry mom" "Do you want me to ban you from the forest?" "No" "Then make sure I won''t be able to receive any news of your suicide-like attempts...do you hear me, son?" "Yes Mom" Isabe could only sigh looking at her pale-looking child with him looking like this she couldn''t bring herself to punish him. "You are forbidden to leave the tower''s territory unless I told you so...understood?" "Yes Mom" "Go ahead and rest we will talkter" Apollo nodded before leaving the room and as soon as he closed the door he spoke, "Ifrit " The previous boy who looks like a dying rat now looks domineering and powerful. "You ratted me out didn''t you?" He questioned. The temperature suddenly rose at that moment Apollo felt his body sweat. From the ground, a faint magic circle emerged revealing a torrent of red mes. That pir of mes suddenly molds into a humanoid shape. Finally, his appearance was shown two horns seemingly carved from the mouth of a volcano. The body seemingly made out ofva created more images of a demon while his back was adorned with two bat-like wings. The fire demon spirit finally emerges. "Apologies young master however you knew our contract forbids us from lying to our master " "I know...sigh.." He massaged his forehead feeling stressed. "Young master" "Yes Ifrit" "You fought well a while ago I and others admire how you fought a general rank beast" The fire demon spirit said while genuinely admiring Apollo for his feat. "Thank you well I should go I think I need some rest" the boy was about to leave when Ifrit stopped him. "Wait, young master" "What is it Ifrit " "As I said before other spirits under your mother admire your battle so we decided to give you a gift" The boy was a bit confused since he never heard of spirits giving gifts. From the hand of the spirit raises a crystal Apollo thinks it is crystal mana however he was wrong. The crystal has a luminous light while the color can bepared to the star-filled night sky. It is as if stars exist inside the crystal glowing and reflecting the light that went through it. "Here young master" From Ifrit the crystal floated right in front of Apollo. The boy extended his hand taking the crystal from Ifrit still amazed at''s exquisite appearance. "It''s beautiful" he could only say while holding the crystal. "It''s a spirit crystal young master" "Spirit crystal wasn''t this extremely rare" "The crystal was made through the power of all the spirits of your mother.... initially we wanted to give it when your birthday arrived but seeing how you fought we thought you deserve to have it now" "Whoah! thank you Ifrit" Apollo smiled while hugging the crystal. He had never been this happy when he received a gift. It was a gift given because he performed well for the first time he felt validated. His efforts weren''t in vain people were paying attention to it not just him. "Thank you" he said again giving them a hug. "Master I might burn you," Ifrit said feeling worried. "Nah your heat can''tpare to the warmth I am currently feeling" Then Apollo finally lets go knowing that the spirit won''t want to hurt him. "Tell the other spirits that I am thankful for their gift" "Dont worry young master I shall send your word" "Alright then I''ll go ahead" The spirit just nodded before disappearing again. [Creator congrattions] "Shut up you left me when I needed you the most" [Apologies however your mother isn''t someone I can go against] "Sigh... forget it" Jeremiah was based on Apollo thus if Apollo can''t go against his mother so will Jeremiah. "Let''s go back to sir Gavin first I need to give him something" Running across the halls of the ck Tower Apollo came across a discussion among the senior mages. "So have the delegates for the banquet been finalized?" "I don''t know but from what I heard we were told to wait for the memo" "When will this banquet happen?" "A month from now we should prepare since for sure we will have to exhibit some of our powers again" "Every damn time we were told to showcase our strength but I feel like we are being treated like clowns" "No choice after all it''s the emperor''smand " "Tsk!" [Will you go as well, Creator?] "Yes after all I am a member of that damn duchy" He said as he entered inside the teleporter. Inside the Blue Moon tower, Gavin was surprised as he saw the nano armor he worked hard for turn into a ragged piece of metal. "I''m sorry about the armor but I brought something you might like " He then handed a folder to the dumbfounded wizard, as he received it the boy waited for his reaction. "!?" He smirked seeing his surprised reaction. "You listed the specs of the armor and also their strength and weakness" "Yes I also recorded the capacity of the nano armor I hope it can help you" "Oh boy, it will thank you!" Gavin smiled and began ruffling Apollo''s hair making it messy. "Since you brought something for me let me give you something in return " The mage from the tower Blue Moon walked towards one of the shelves of his office. "This should do it" he said before taking out a long sealed item from a secretpartment. "Here take it" He said as he put two items on the table a long item wrapped tightly and a thick book. "This one is a prototype nano weapon while this one is a journal whichpiles some of our achievements working on the artificial warrior and nanotech. You can have it Apollo just be sure no one will know okay" "Yes sir Gavin no one will" "Well I am sure you will, now run along dinner will be served an hour from now" The boy nodded before thanking him again. "Jeremiah" [Yes] "Analyze this journal and see if this can help me raise my rank in machinery Engineer" [On it Creator] Gazing at the now dark sky he saw how stars began to appear slowly lightning the sky. "The banquet huh..." A smile escaped from his lips feeling excited "I still have one month...I wonder how my monster brother and sister are doing" Just remembering how he used to run after them trying to gain their approval until that longing turned into hatred. What kind of family would hurt their member just because of talent? Do you need to have value for you to be treated like a family? Or do you need to give something just so they can find worth in you? Without him knowing a shade of blue mana escaped from his body coating as if it became a shield. "Haaa..." He breathes again releasing all his frustration leaving only bloodlust. Chapter 11: Chapter 11:Weapon Returning to his room Apollo washed and changed his clothes. "A month from now I will see the emperor...I wonder if he knows that I was one of the people who made Doomsday" Suddenly Apollo remembered what happened two years ago. A massive breakout of demon beast happened on one of the coasts of Evaristo, the edge of the empire thus a huge amount of personnel were poured on it. Even the wizard tower was affected after all they needed to send assistance under the orders of the emperor. If the situation can''t be controlled the breakout will spread and kill more people. "Adhara message from the subjugation army arrived" Gavin said his face was full of sweat from all the running. Adhara was one of the senior mages of Blue Moon tower and at that time she was tasked to do research for any weapon that could kill the overflowing amount of demons. "What message is it?" Adhara asked but Gavin just handed her the letter. Somehow the young senior mages felt like crying. Her hand began to shake even though she hadn''t opened the letter. Looking at the ck envelope with the seal of the subjugation army Adhara steeled her heart and opened the envelope. Immediately she read the usual greetings until her eyes read the next section of the letter. "No..." She weakly said as she lost strength in her hand which made the letter drop on the ground. "Big sis Hara I alreadypiled the rted topics about the material called uranium" Unexpectedly Apollo arrived holding a pile of books and folders. "Hmm?..what''s this?" Confused the kid curiously put down what he was holding and took the letter on the ground. "Apollo it''s okay don''t read that" Adhara said while beingforted by the other senior mage. However, her words were toote Apollo already read the entire letter before her words could even be finished. "I see...." Just like Adhara the child''s voice became weak. While holding the letter the child''s body began to shake as if trying to suppress something within him. Seeing the tiny figure of the child turn sad Adhara embraced the young Apollo while slowly patting his head. "It''s okay let it out Apollo" she softly said trying tofort him. Then fromforting Adhara all the mages at present switch to the kid who was with them. The content of the letter was a notice that Adhara''s older brother Astro died valiantly at the coast of Evaristo. He died fighting against a Marquis rank demon beast. "Waaah..." Has the pent-up emotions burst out the kid finally cries clutching the clothes of Adhara. The mages present felt even more broken as they saw their little sun cry. "It''s okay everything will be fine it''s okay" Adhara said however she didn''t know if those words were for Apollo or for her. Starting from that day more letters arrived from the subjugation army informing either the head of the tower about a mage''s death or to inform about the death of their loved one. In the end, everyone felt hatred and miserable about the ongoing breakout. "Just what on earth are they doing this battle has been going on for months when will it end once the mages of this tower die!" Alger roared as he spoke of one of the high-ranking officials of the subjugation army. "This is an order from the emperor, mage" the officer said sternly reminding Alger of his position. "Mage?..." "BOOM" The ground started to shake Alger released the pressure of his mana making the officer kneel. "May I remind you I am the owner of this god-damned tower!" His voice made the four giant towers shake. "Soldier asked your emperor to send some of his men if he does maybe I will as well" The officer slowly stood up while trying to maintain his dignity however that was long gone the moment he had angered the owner of the wizard tower. "Nichs" "Yes" "Call the master of each tower here" As soon as the officer was gone the old mage weakling sat down looking at the pile of letters he had received. "If it weren''t for that damn oath my hands wouldn''t be shackled like this" he added as he used his tired hands to cover his face. "It will be alright my old friend" Nichs tried tofort Alger until the three masters of the three towers arrived and stood right in front of Alger. "It seems like you are in pain Alger" The master of the Blue Moon tower said as she sat down on the couch. "Alger, what do you n to do?" Red Sun tower Master said cing another pile of letters. "This just came in today" he added. "How many of us have to die?..." Maya the master of the Ocean Tower sps her hand to stop it from trembling then she continues. "I just received news from the army if these continue they might start recruiting every capable person from the civilians" "Head I know you are in pain but the wizard tower is not the only one who is experiencing this every sector of the empire is experiencing this heart-wrenching situation" The master of Ocean Tower then looked at Alger waiting for his decision however an order from the emperor arrived. "Mom, where are you going?" Apollo asked while Isabe prepared her bags for travelling. "Well you see Mommy needs to go there as well" She said trying to sound like it was nothing serious however she felt her voice crack while speaking. This made the child in front of her teary whoever that child tried to stop his tears from falling. The little Apollo tried to look brave in front of his mother. "I will return my little sun" she managed to say trying to suppress her unwanted sadness. "I will definitely return" she added as she spread her arms to embrace her child. "Wait for me okay?" "Yes I will Mom" That day Isabe and some senior mages were sent to the battlefield. "Apollo the carriage has been long gone" Gavin said as he put his umbre above the child''s head. "Little sun the snow will be stronger we must return now" he added however Apollo remained standing in front of the gate acting as if he was waiting for someone. "Apollo it''s getting cold now....." Still no reaction so he added "Your mother will be mad if she finds out" Finally, the kid made a reaction he looked at Gavin his eyes deprived with emotions. "Sir Gavin " "Yes?" "How do you stop this battle?" He asked wanting everyone to return. "Big brother Astro hadn''t returned yet" Gavin suddenly choked he was about to speak when Apollo said something about Astro. "Everyone who left hasn''t returned yet....they promised they would...." Gavin became silent not knowing what to say. "Big brother...." Apollo then looked at Gavin his eyes now filled with tears. "Will mom be like them?" "Promising to return but nevering back?" "Little sun your mom will return" "I have heard that countless times big brother....yet now no one from the people who left managed to return" The senior mage wanted to say something but he didn''t know what it was. He just stood right beside Apollo protecting him from the heavy fall of snow. The next morning Apollo appeared in the Blue Moon tower suggesting a weapon. "A missile?" "It''s a bomb to be specific but this time we will use a different one from the ones we have used so far" "Big sis Hara once studied the material called uranium" The little Apollo then revealed the thick books and files he oncepiled for her. "Uranium is highly hazardous to handle little sun are you certain?" "Yes, I am...I had already talked about this to big sis Hara before she left with Mom. I think we have a chance with this" Then he took out old blueprints of bullets, guns, cannons and rockets. "We will use this to create the perfect weapon of mass destruction" the little Apollo said without a hint of hesitation. The bomb was made using enchantment magic and reinforced magic with also a little involvement of machinery. "Apollo is that!?" "Yes it is" In Apollo''s hand was a floating material known as uranium and plutonium. Surrounding these two materials are magical enchantments used to seal them both. "Alright we are nearing the final phase" The reinforced case was already prepared while the missile-like body was already finished using machinery. "Slow down if you drop that we are all dead" Gavin warns one of the researchers with them. After many ups and downs, they were able to create doomsday. Because they were in a rush only three doomsday were made however those missiles wiped out all the enemy demon beasts. After that one by one, the mages came back from the battle giving their friends and family the warmest hug. Amongst the crowd of new arrivals, Isabe''s white hair made it easy for Apollo to see her. "Mom!" He shouted happily running towards her. "Wee back" he greeted with a bright smile on his face making Isabe happy as well. Embracing her youngest child she said "I am back" Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Avenge Night falls amidst the noise of crickets and the slow night breeze. As darkness consumes the forest a lone figure can be seen. Her breath was ragged as if she had run from a very far ce while her head would go left and right as if trying to find something. Finally, this figure approaches a corpse whose body is damaged heavily. A fur with a mixture of white and brown was dredged in blood apanied by marks from a tough battle. The head was squashed and dug up. Marks of ws and knives can be seen that went through the head and skull of the said corpse. "GRRR!" A growl escapes from her seeing the corpse, unrivalled fury escape from her. The wind suddenly became intense kicking the dust around while the trees began to sway as if dancing. The ground shook as mana began to surround her creating a yellow aura around her. "AWOO!" A painful howl was heard as the figure grieved. "SNIFF!" "!!!" She circles around the area not smelling any scent from the preparator. All she could identify were the corpse''s scent and some insignificant beast. This causes the figure to be in more pain nothing could make her feel better. She couldn''t protect him nor could she avenge him. However, she won''t give up easily in this vast forest there has to be something that could tell her what happened. And so this figure ran using all her might she went towards the innermostyer of the forest hoping for an answer to her questions. Inside one of the caves of Afra forest lies a den full of bats among these giant wing creatures was a Baron rank beast. The figure arrived there risking her own safety. "Hmm?...you are?" A voice echoes on the walls of the cave making the voice more mysterious. "It is I" the figure replies telepathically. "Hmmm?... It seems you are here for the hunter" The voice rang again. "A hunter!...so it''s a human.....I know you can hear everything that''s been going on inside the forest so I''m sure you have identified the hunter" "I did I heard everything.....and based on the sounds I have heard ...the hunter is a boy" "Impossible how can my.." "It is what I heard....you must be careful that Hunter has dozens of spirits guarding him. You won''t be able to approach him my suggestion is for you to give up. Start another pack one that can hunt every hunter" "GRRR!" The figure growls loudly scarring the lower-rank Ink bats this makes the voice hostile. "I answer your question yet you dare do this....wolf do you wish for a fight " The figure which is hooded by darkness slowly steps into the light from the moon. White fur with a shade of brown while scarlet red eyes that seem to reject everything. The female alpha of the ivory wolf pack revealed herself from the shadows not looking intimidating from a Baron rank Ink bat. "Revealed to me the voice of the hunter and I shall leave" Instead of answering a light thud can be heard then from the mouth of the cave a small pitch ck bat flew out. This bat was strangely domineering and despite its size its mighty attitude can be seen. From the bat''s body, a light came out. This light began to morph transforming into a humanoid figure. Jet ck hair with ruby-like eyes the king of the Ink bats assumes his human form. "Let me reveal to you what I heard" ck from head to toe the humanoid bat approaches the female alpha. Gently he raised his hand to touch her head, however. "Hmmm?... I can''t reach you" he could only say trying to reach the head of a 10-meter beast. With an exasperated expression the wolf had no choice but to assume her human form. A glowing light started to envelop the alpha. That light eventually disappeared revealing a slim figure of a woman. This woman has a pair of wolf-like ears light brown hair and scarlet red eyes. "Now I can reach you" he extended his hand again and touched her forehead. A purple magic circle emerged from his fingertips it was small however if you look closer you will see multiple rings inside the magic circle. ~"GRRR!?" A bewildered growl escaped from her alpha. For a moment she felt pain hearing his growl like this. ~"Activate" a childish voice echoed in her mind. At first, she couldn''t believe how could her alpha die from being a kid. Then sounds of magic being cast and gunshots erupted making her wince in pain. The sounds were too unbreakable for her. "Ugh!" The female alpha couldn''t help but step back then more voices and sounds came to her. ~"What was that!?" ~"Damn it!" ~"What''s this?" ~"ck magic" She frowns trying to focus her senses. Slowly she tries to form a picture from the sounds she is hearing until a sound when her weak. ~"Foolish human cub!" Then a sound of lightning strikes in her mind apanied by a low painful growl. ~"Enchant!" The female alpha began to feel dreadful she could feel how the ending was nearing. ~"PANG!" ~"BOOM!" The ground shook and she heard the usage of the skill Wind Howl. ~"Hear ites" ~"I am really unlucky" The boy could only say not sounding nervous or scared. ~"Wow he cancels the debuff and uses it to increase his stats... I am impressed" ~"GRRRR!" ~"You will regret this!" A howl was released unlike the previous attacks this one looked like a tornado ravaging everything in its way. Using the sound she could picture how dust kicked off while the ground became misshaped. ~"Activate!" ~"How does it feel about receiving your attack ten times the strength" "!?" She was shaken hearing those words now she realized how the male alpha died. ~"GRRR" The alpha growls trying to stand up but his legs can''t move due to his wounds ~"Bn don''t waste any more time....we need to leave" "NO!" She shouted however huge screams echoed throughout the forest making all nearby beasts escape. The body of the Ivory wolf alpha tried to resist as his body began twitching however soon enough he drew hisst breath. "My mate" she mumbled Her body trembles hearing everything. How he fought and how he struggled to survive, everything she heard including hisst breath. "Argh!" His painful cry made her heart bleed. It was thest thing she could hear no more sound no more breaths. He died and she wasn''t able to do anything what angered her most was the state his body was left with. "That boy I will find him" she whispered while clenching her fist. "You better be careful, that boy has an army of spirits ready to protect him at any moment" "I''ll remember that... thank you" Soon she disappeared through the darkness, the silent breeze became her mask while the moon became her guide. Calmly she walked out of the forest setting her goal in sight. While the forest began to be engulfed with tension the territory of the wizards was still the same as before, calm before the storm. "Apollo there is something I need to tell you" Isabe said while she and Apollo walked towards her room. "Is it about the banquet" "So you know about it" "The other wizards and witches have been talking about it so it''s almost impossible for me not to learn it" "I see so it was like that" "Do I have to go back?" "No, you won''t I am the only one who will return to the duchy. You will stay here and be one of the wizards representing the tower" Apollo stopped for a bit and looked at her a bit confused. "I will?" He said while keeping his expression controlled. The truth is he doesn''t really mind going back however if he gets agitated he might identally create a bomb and blow up the mansion again. And that''s what his mother fears the most. She knows what kind of wound the Lionheart duchy let on him. The result of that wound created the current Apollo. "Yes, you will stay here until the banquet begins and don''t worry I won''t ask for you toe and mingle around. Just talk to the people you findfortable with" Apollo couldn''t help but smile knowing how concerned his mother to him. He doesn''t mind meeting his family however it will be better if he doesn''t. After all, he wasn''t particrly sure if he could control himself if ever he saw them. "Before I leave I will give you something" His mother said entering her room. "Sit here Apollo" His mother''s room can be said big since other than a bedroom there is also a living room, dining room, kitchen and a smallb. Apollo sat down on the couch just like his mother said quietly he waited. "Maybe I should have taken the dessert Uncle Thomas wants to give me" Apollomented while remembering the dishes served inside the dining hall. While the boy thinks about what kind of dessert he should ask for breakfast a door suddenly clicks causing him to look towards his mother''s room. "I wanted to give this to you as a gift" She gave him a wooden box littered with beautiful inscriptions. "Hmmmm?" Apollo was confused but still took the box from his mother''s hand. Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Formula Morning came and Isabe bid farewell to Apollo although he felt sad he knew she would be back soon after the banquet. "Now then should I go back and hunt" he thought happily however a voice suddenly rang in his mind. "You better not hunt Apollo I know what you are thinking so I put a spell around the forest forbidding you from entering. I still remember what you did so until I said so you aren''t allowed to hunt" "And don''t think about looking for other ces to hunt because I left one of my spirits to watch over you, that''s all I love you, son" Right after he heard that voice Apollo felt all his ns crash into pieces. "Mom seriously" he gasps his face whilementing. "What should I do now?" In his confused state, a voice rang inside his head. [ OBJECTIVES ?First I''ll be awakening my hidden bloodline and body constitution" ?Second I need to grow stronger and increase my statistics ?Third venturing any of the ces on the map] As the voice said this a rectangr screen suddenly appeared containing the words the voice just said. "Right I forgot about this I should go and do some research about this" [Creator Jeremiah already did some digging and brought out several rted research about the spells of Smander Ridman and the alchemic form of Segundo Alfonso those are the following The study of Anton ton about the anatomy of the body. Theory of development of the anatomical and physiological The theory of Alexis about the hidden bloodline and the history of the evolution of bloodlines] "I already heard of those topics however I haven''t dived deeper into them" [Jeremiah already took the important parts from each study I will be showing them now] The series of letters and images appeared inside Apollo''s head. All the information gathered by Jeremiah was very detailed and important making the Apollo happy. "These are all impressive Jeremiah thank you" [You are wee Creator] While walking towards the ck Tower Apollo examine all information and find them easy to understand. "The form is iplete that''s all I could conclude from studying this alchemic form" As he examined the alchemic form of Segundo Alfonso he noticed one problem. There is a missing ingredient that creates the reaction needed so that awakening bloodlines can ur. "It seems like I need to understand first what reaction that is" Apollo headed towards the alchemicb and tried doing the alchemic form. "It looks good well let''s see it says it should be purplish color" Apollo said while trying to examine the alchemic potion he had made. "Jeremiah scan this" Immediately he heard a voice devoid of emotion. [Scanning] [Scanningplete attempt 1 has a 23% of sess rate] "So without the missing ingredient, the sess rate only sums up to 23% it not bad however I need something higher" [Would Creator try the effects now?] "Yes of course I need to know what kind of reaction it needs so what else I can do other than testing it" Then without any hesitation, he took the potion and gulped it down. [!?] Jeremiah thought that his Creator would test it using a magical beast it didn''t ur to him that Apollo would try the potion on himself. [Initiating total body scan.... waiting for any serious reaction... Preparing for nullification of toxic in case of any negative effects....] While Jeremiah began to prepare for any possible situation Apollo began to feel unexinable heat. It started with his stomach and now spread across his chest. [An anomaly has been detected... Proceed to nullification..] "No Jeremiah don''t just ....let it be" [...] [Understood] The heat was bearable however Apollo felt ufortable with the sudden heat he was feeling. "Just think you are sunbathing... it''s nothing serious..hoo" He tried tofort himself until the heat was gone immediately he called Jeremiah. "Give me my body scan and how the potion reacted inside my body" [Affirmative.... Scanning... Data sequencing.....] While Jeremiah began to scan his body Apollo tried to stand up. Without him knowing he suddenly copsed on the floor. "I should build my tolerance to heat ...hoo" Out of all the seasons, Apollo hated the summer. The sun is too hot and he often gets sticky due to sweat thus he often hides in his room during sunny days. Slowly he approached the table and took a ss of water. "There that was better" he sighed in relief after drinking five sses of water. "So what happened what did you get" [The alchemic form modifies the cells inside the blood to awaken the hidden power inside it. The problem is the form is too weak to create the adequate reaction for the power to awaken] "Showe how the process happens" After he said that a rectangr screen appeared before him. Inside the screen is the video of how his cells were supposed to be modified however the process was weak and soon the potion was overpowered by Apollo''s antibodies. "I need all the materials and forms rted to dark elixirs" [Affirmative] As he waited for an answer Apollo decided to try all sorts of herbal nts that might lead to the right reaction he needs. "No this not what I need" He felt like he was missing something, he needed to know what reaction was needed. Having a vague idea of what he needs won''t lead him to the correct answer. Then he returned to the footage of his cells slowly changing towards the potion. "Let''s go back again" Then he proceeds to look through the form and remind himself of each of the ingredient''s capabilities. If he could connect the effects of each material to the one missing then he could pinpoint the nt he was looking for. "If you add these two together it could create this..." He continued to study until Jeremiah showed him all the herbal nts and materials rted to dark elixir. Dark elixirs are a branch of alchemy that ventures the path of darkness it is not necessarily evil but if used in that way it will be one. Dark magic or ck magic falls under the elements of darkness which are sometimes associated with experimentation of the human body. Born from the element of darkness are vampire mutation magic, ghoul creation magic and lich evolution magic. There are more atrocities found in ck magic that will be soon used by Apollo but for now, dark elixir will be his focus. "There should be one here that tackles about the mutation of the bloodline...." As he took another sk Jeremiah finally spoke bringing the materials Apollo needed. "Let''s see all of these are about...wait Jeremiah why did you add the form for aphrodisiac here?...wait even a love potion?" [Creator there is a certain part of each two forms that may help you] "And what is that?.. controlling people?" [No, Creator but its capacity to manipte the hormones inside the body to a certain extent, without doing too much damage to the user''s body may be important for your research] "Yes I know however prolonged use of the two can cause addiction I heard people were sent to an asylum due to it" While Apollo said this he didn''t stop scanning the forms of each dark elixir. Each of the forms has instructions and why each of the ingredients is important this makes Apollo''s work easier. "Let''s test it again using this ingredient" Apollo wrote down another version of Segundo Alfonso''s form which him adding one ingredient. As he started calcting the proper amount of the ingredient he chose Apollo asked Jeremiah to recite to him the important parts of the theory of Alexis and the history of the evolution of bloodlines. He must know which part of history bloodline awakening began rampant and at the same time connect it to the different nts and herbals that were sought after at that specific time. "Alright we should test this first" After adding the finishing calctions Apollo began to conduct the creation of the alchemic form. He first grinds and extracts the juices of each herb then uses the specific measurement he only needs. Heat, boil and distill he did all sorts of stuff in order to get the substances into their purest form. As he did so he didn''t notice how day already became night. "Psst!...hey Markoni do you know what our little sun is doing?" A senior mage said as he worriedly looked at Apollo. "I don''t know he never said anything and I was too worried to distract him so I never asked," another senior mage said while holding a pile of documents. "Should we leave or tell him to at least eat?" "Let''s ask Sir Arthur he might know what to do" The two senior mages left theboratory and headed towards the tower''s dining hall. "I think I used the wrong ratio" Taking out the test tube Apollo did think he did right seeing the supposedly purplish color turn gold. "Jeremiah scan" [Initiating... Scanning.....] Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Test it used it "Jeremiah scan" [Initiating... Scanning.....] "Let''s see if this one failed then I would use this one..or maybe I''ll use this method instead" As he contemted his option his peripheral vision caught something. "Wait is this?" Right beside the table he was using was a cart full of snacks and meals. From cookies and fruits to soups and grilled meat the cart was filled with foods he likes. With a baffled expression, he approached the cart and saw a sticky note. "It''s okay to work hard but do not forget your meal...good luck little sun - Tower mages" Apollo couldn''t help butugh knowing how every mage inside the tower cherished him. Some mages inside the tower didn''t have a chance to have a family of their own. Their entire life was dedicated to magic and no space was included for a family however all of it changed the moment he appeared. A little boy who had a trauma from his family became the center of affection for every mage inside the tower. They knew his pain and thus they became the family he couldn''t have. The family, the real ones couldn''t give, the mages of the four towers filled that position. "I''ll probably eat first before continuing my research" Taking a chair he sat down and ate the still warm meal. "So they put magic on the cart to keep the food warm" The warmth brought by the meal couldn''t bepared to the warmth the boy is currently feeling. "It''s delicious" he could only say as he sipped more of the soup. [Creator scanning is finished] "So the percentage?" [Only 10% it seems the one you used isn''t the one we are looking for] "I see then we will use another one" Night fell into the wizard tower however a single figure stood still no matter how calming the night breeze was. "Good morning!" Greeted by Apollo when he saw five mages entering. "Hey Apollo it seems like you didn''t sleep" It was 3 in the morning some stars could still be seen in the sky however the mages of the tower were already awake and ready to start their day. "I didn''t realise the time sorry" "Nah it''s okay don''t apologize...here we brought breakfast since we knew you hadn''t eaten yet" It was the same cart he had seenst night the only difference was the food it contained. "Thanks" "Eat as much as you want you can just start what you are doing after you take your breakfast" Apollo nodded to their advice and ate quietly and quickly. Currently, Apollo made 200 attempts to create the right form however he still failed. He tried recing or adding more ingredients however it only lowered the sess percentage. "23 is still the highest" He thought while munching a newly baked bread. "Hmm?... little sun isn''t this Segundo Alfonso''s alchemic form?" "Yes sir Carlo" "Wait Carlo let me see what little sun is doing" Soon the five mages studied the forms Apollo had created and an expression full of astonishment filled their faces. "Amazing you did this overnight" "I think you should lower the ratio of this one and increase the ratio for this" "I rmend adjusting the heat like this" Soon they began to point out the stuff they found fault and give him methods that can make the process faster. Apollo on the other hand listened to every word they said while he ate the bread in his hand. "Alright we will leave you to what you are doing since we have to submit these potions by noon" "By the way sir Carlo, what are you guys even making?" Apollo asked looking at theyer of sk on the Senior mage''s table. "What we are making are health potions, detox pills potions and agility potions....all of which will be used for the yearly hunts managed by the imperial family" "The yearly Wild Hunters Festival so it will be held after the banquet " "It will be little Sun although the imperial banquet only happens every 5 years the hunting festival happens every year" "Well isn''t the reason it was called yearly?" Carlo couldn''t but chuckle looking at how the four senior mages argue. "Well like we said we will leave now tell us if you need anything" "Thanks, seniors" Apollo bowed a bit as he said this then when they all went towards their respective tables. They didn''t mind each other and focused on the task they had. "Let''s see ording to them I should separate these two while separating this one" He began doing the same process he did before. Grind, extract, boil, heat and distilled then repeat. A couple of times he did this until he came up with the same results as before. [15% sess rate] "I need a reactant capable of modifying the cells in the blood...just what herb is it!" Then it urred to him what if the missing ingredient isn''t a type of nt but instead an already finished potion? [A mixture or a chemical reaction?] "Whatever will fulfil what I wanted will do" There is also the part where he could just drink both potions instead of doing a mixture or he couldbine the building chemical reaction of the two substances so he could create a new type of drug. "Drinking two drugs together can either cause a synergistic or an antagonistic effect" [An borate calction should suffice Creator] "Then I should first make the reactant using all my previous attempts then I''llbine them with the dark elixir forms I studied a while ago" Apollo''s hand began to move across his notebook writing and modifying the things he found needed. Then from calcting he proceeds to make the drug. With another round of alchemic process, he finally made the finished product. "I should test this shouldn''t I?" [Creator if you are thinking of using it on yourself you better not] Jeremiah made a warning however Apollo wasn''t listening. He just attainably stared at his creation of potion trying to analyze it then he took the previous failed attempts and began to mix them. "Analysis Jeremiah" [Analyzing..... ... Analysisplete... Creator, I congratte you ...you gain a percentage of 95%] Hearing those words made Apollo jump in happiness making the five senior mages look at him. "Sorry seniors I just made a breakthrough" "That''s okay but don''t forget to eat those" Carlo said as he pointed towards the cart full of food. "It''s past lunch little sun" he reminded the boy. "I didn''t notice the time" The boy with the sunset hair couldn''t help but scratch the back of his head as he felt embarrassed. "Eat up it''s almost close to dusk" "I will, senior thank you" He momentarily took a sk and put the contents of the test tube there. "I''ll test thister" He said as he ran towards the cart full of snacks and food. "Another note hahaha" He chuckled while reading another note from the mages of the tower. "I''ll eat all of this" he excitedly said gulping down the soup then he switched to munching the bread he always liked. [Creator it seems like the effects of the drug would fade the longer it stays] "Wait let me see" Apollo still holding his favourite bread approach his table and use an analyzing spell. "You are right...this is a good discovery nice one Jeremiah" [You are wee Creator] Apollo became suddenly excited and ate as fast as he could when he finished his meal he proceeded to redo what he did. [Congrattions Creator you have a 98% sess rate] "Nice then let''s test it" The test tube was still hot from all the process Apollo did however the boy didn''t mind and gulped it all down. [!?] [Initiating Total body scan.... Preparing for nullification of toxin...] Just like what he felt before an unexinable heat spread across his body however this time the intensity is way more intense. "Hooo..." He exhaled loudly fortunately Carlo and the rest of the senior mages were out to take their dinner so Apollo was left inside theboratory. "Calm down keep calm" he eximed while seeing the live progress using Jeremiah''s analysis. "It''s still not enough!" He saw the process suddenly slow down which made the boy take the potion he did first. [An anomaly has been detected... Unknown energy has been detected... A foreign energy has been detected starting nullification...] Apollo stares wide open at the screen seeing a foreign mana interrupting his awakening. "So that anomaly was this" It turns out the thing Jeremiah was trying to prevent was an unknown mana residing inside his body. This energy slowly tries to eliminate the effects of the modification. "This won''t do!" He took the sk and although its percentage level decreased to 80% it''s better than nothing. "Argh!" He groaned in pain feeling the sh of foreign two energy inside his body. "Jeremiah start the nullification" [The process already started Creator rest assured] To Apollo''s surprise, he saw a magic circle embedded in his chest. "What the!?" This magic circle began to seal his mana making the boy suffocate. [Nullification in process] With Jeremiah''s voice, Apollo took out a scroll and activated it. "Jeremiah push through the nullification!" With blood dripping from his mouth, the boy sat down and endured the pain of being burned and stabbed. Chapter 15: Chapter 15: A seal The pain of being stabbed by hundreds of burning needles prated the boy''s body. The sensation akin to being burned alive began piercing through his skin which sends sharp, prickling waves throughout the boy''s body. Each wave of seconds feels like a tiny, burning relentless assault, creating an intense and almost overwhelming difort. The simultaneous stabs and burns create a pervasive and acute experience of pain, leaving asting impression of both despair and vulnerability however Apollo remains sitting cross-legged, not letting the pain defeat him. On the boy''sp is a scroll containing a very powerful magic circle. "Seal breaker!" With his voice, the scroll activated revealing an intricate magic circle. This magic circle began to create a halo that shot up towards the seal on Apollo''s body. "Ugh!" The magic seal, lying unyielding and unbreakable on the boy''s chest begins to tear apart like threadsing undone. With the power of the scroll, an energy weakly seeps through the weakening barrier of the magic seal. Faint cracks appeared tracing an intricate pattern of decay, as the seal began to yield against the force of the magic circle. The air vibrates with the beats of each release of magic, signalling the imminent breach of the magical seal. The boy agonized with each passing second however he didn''t let it overwhelm him. Despite the pain he remained seated until he felt a bit lighter it seemed like the spell breaker was working. The more exposure the seal is to the seal breaker the weaker it bes making Apollo slowly proceed to his first n. "I''ll tackle this sealter" he groaned as he thought of this. The feeling of being stabbed was lessening however the sensation of being burned didn''t disappear but instead, it intensified. Without Apollo''s knowledge, his skin already went red while his clothes were soaked with his sweat but no one could ever break his concentration. [Bloodline awakening 50%] [70% breakage of the seal] Apollo almost became bewildered by what he heard, just what on earth happened to him to acquire such a seal. "I''ll deal with youter" He said putting his focus back on his bloodline awakening. [Bloodline awakening progress 60%] The scroll in his hand still shines brightly not letting the seal take a moment of rest. "It''s so hot" Apollo could only say as his body turned red and sweat-soaked his clothes. "I wanna strip" [That won''t help you feel better Creator] "Tsk!" Apollo clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Whoever put this thing on me will suffer a pain a thousand times much worse than what I am feeling right now," he thought while clenching his fist. He hated the heat the most and currently, he felt like someone was roasting him alive. It was ufortable and annoying however if he couldn''t endure it then he wouldn''t be able to awaken his bloodline. [Bloodline awakening progress 70%] [60% breakage of the seal] "Just a little bit more" Each passing second felt like an eternity for the boy however all his patience paid off when he heard a notification. [Bloodline awakening 100% Initiating recalibration..... Detecting any abnormalities... Scanning.....] "Nice finally the pains are over" As soon as Apollo put his mind at ease he unintentionally lost consciousness slowly his head fell to the ground. "I wonder if the little sun will like this" "Sir Carlo should we assist him as well we are about to finish our quota after all" Without the boy''s knowledge as soon as he loses consciousness the five senior mages return to bring him his dinner however as soon as they arrive Apollo''s appearance makes them panic. "Little sun?" "Apollo!" Immediately they approach the unconscious boy checking everything part of his body. "What''s this?..why does he have this thing!" One of the senior mages said holding the scroll Apollo used. "It''s a spell breaker if I am not mistaken sir Arthur gave it to Apollo before entering the forest the other day" A sense of foreboding suddenly crept in making him shout at the mage who stands beside him. "Liam hurry call a mage from the Ocean Tower we need their help!" Carlo''s expression made the senior mage named Liam hurriedly leave. The remaining senior mages notice something glowing inside Apollo''s robe. This made Carlos worried so he approached Apollo then hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt. "Sir Carlos isn''t that!" Across the boy''s chest was an ancient magical seal. This seal spreads throughout Apollo''s body, ck ink-like symbols are embedded on the boy''s skin looking like an unbreakable curse. Carlo just lifted the boy while taking the sk and test tube Apollo had used. Then he gave it to one of the remaining mages. "Sam follow Liam and take this with you, see if you can still get anything from it" "I will sir" And so Carlo and the remaining senior mages all hurried towards the Ocean Tower. ..... Inside the Ocean Tower Apolloy unconscious in one tower''s recovery room. Surrounding his bed were the tower masters and Carlo. "What did the boy do Carlo?" The master of the Ocean Tower asked looking at the boy whose body was being engulfed by a powerful magic seal. "Apollo tried toplete one of the Segundo Alfonso''s alchemic forms," the senior mage said before looking at the unconscious boy. "Did he seed?" The master of the Ocean Tower asked again however the Red Sun tower master didn''t seem to like his question. "I don''t think that''s what you should worry about, look at the boy someone put a magic seal on him" "And not just any normal magic seal but an ancient one" The master of the Blue Moon Tower said as she used her magic to scan the boy''s body. "It''s good that Arthur''s spell breaker manages to damage the seal or else Apollo would be put in much bigger trouble" she added as she studied the seal. "By the way Ocean Tower master have you recognized what the seal could do?" "Yes I did" she answered taking out something from her robe however before she could even begin her exnation a mage suddenly barged inside the room. "Master Apollo''s statistical report and body scan have arrived" he said holding a brown envelope. "We should read the results first before I exin the magic seal" The other tower masters nodded while Carlo quietly took a chair to sit on. As they read the contents of the report the master of the Blue Moon Tower couldn''t help but ask. "It''s missing" she begins to say as she looks worriedly at Apollo. "Don''t tell me this seal was meant to.." her voice trailed off suppressing her fury. "Yes the seal was meant to seal a person''s talent, it also includes the sealing Apollo''s Ki and mana" "But Apollo was still able to use magic, tower master" Carlo was a bit confused. "It''s because his mana reserves were so massive that the seal was only able to seal a big portion of it. That is why he could still utilize his mana even though more than half of it was sealed" "Does it also include magical hereditary traits?" Carlo added another question which the Ocean Tower mages answered " Yes" "Now I understand why Apollo can''t use one of the Lionheart family''s hereditary traits. It''s because he can''t but he just couldn''t" They all look at Apollo''s tired expression as if the boy went on a hellish experience. However, amidst their worried expression, another senior mage barged in and it was Liam and Sam. "Apollo! He did it!" They both excitedly said handing the analysis report of the remaining contents of the sk and test tube. "Wait he was able to reach such a high sess rate" The red tower master said as his expression turned joyous feeling proud of the boy''s discovery. "What a brilliant mind" he could only say handing it over to the two tower master "It''s not perfect however it was enough to achieve sess" Blue Moon Tower mastermented while feeling amazed at Apollo''s skills "So Apollo used the form to awaken his bloodline however he unknowingly woke up a seal inside him" "At least he was able to get two great discoveries, Segundo Alfonso''s form and this seal" "Red Sun Tower master that isn''t funny" Carlos couldn''t help but say seeing his nonchnt words. "So should we break it now or wait for the boy to wake up" Ocean Tower master asked seeing the seal trying to seal Apollo''s newly awakened bloodline. "I suggest we let him wake up first, knowing the boy he won''t like it if we make the decision" Blue Moon tower master suggested. "By the way how long do you n to stand there" Maya said looking at the corner of the room. "I am waiting for the young master to wake up" On one of the corners of the room stands one of Isabe''s contractual spirits, Ifrit the fire demon spirit. "For a powerful being, you look like an abandoned child" Ocean Tower master said. Ifrit didn''t mind her words instead his gaze remained on the sleeping boy. Seeing the spirit''s silence the Ocean Tower master just sighs however their peaceful atmosphere suddenly shifts when an aura of death seeps within the room. "What''s that!" Red tower master pulled out his staff ready to engage inbat. Soon a thick amount of killing intent filled the room making Carlos and the rest of the senior mages pass out. "Wait I think I know this intent" Despite the intense atmosphere Maya the Ocean Tower master looked at the door and said "Head? Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Leave it to me All the mages inside the room look intensely at the door and sure enough, a familiar sound of footsteps soon enters their ears. "I see it is indeed the head" Victor the Red Sun tower master said retracting his staff. "Ocean Tower master can you please wake up theseds," Silvia the Blue Moon tower master said as she pointed to the four unconscious senior mages. "Right but if I wake them up they might copse again, look at this thick amount of killing intent they won''t be able to handle this" Maya said as she examined Tim, Sam, Liam and Carlo. "Sigh...your right" Soon the sound of footsteps grew louder indicating that Alger was approaching fast however as he drew closer to them the thicker the killing intent became. Worried about Apollo and the unconscious senior mages Maya erected a barrier to protect them against the pressure brought by the intense killing intent. "Should I do something about this?" Victor began to ask seeing the killing intent materializing into red fog, that wasn''t a good sign. "Let me handle that for you," a voice said from one of the corners of the room, then a sudden force suddenly pulled the murderous pressure towards a single spot. That corner was the corner where Ifrit was standing. The fiery spirit opens its mouth and eats the intense amount of killing intent leaving nothing behind. "So demon spirits can do that," Victor said looking intrigued with Isabe''s spirit since all his spirits were normal ones with high levels. "With this, I suppose I can wake these four now" Maya then waved her hand a spell was created making the four unconscious senior mages wake up. "What just happened?" Liam asked holding his aching head. "All four of you copsed a while ago" Maya answered letting the three slowly recover. "Why did we copse tower masters" Carlo could finally ask as he was finally able to handle the sheer amount of pain. "You copse because of him" Victor said as he pointed to the door to which all senior mages follow On the doorway was a figure of a man they all respected and feared. The most powerful mage inside the tower, Alger walks inside the room bringing with him an overwhelming pressure. "Head please control yourself this pressure might cost Apollo his life," Silvia said while Maya constructed a barrier to protect Apollo and the senior mages. With Silvia''s words, Alger''s gaze then switched to Apollo the young one was still unconscious but the pain he had experienced can be seen throughout his body. The scars made by countless whips can be traced on his arms and back while a series of untreated wounds left a mark on the boy''s chest and thighs. Then the head of the wizard tower couldn''t help but clench his teeth seeing an ancient magic seal embedded on the boy''s chest it was like another scar the boy had to bear. For six years they didn''t notice the existence of it, he felt like someone had pped him, as a wizard he was proud of his skills and yet he and the rest of them couldn''t find out what was happening to Apollo. It was infuriating and at the same time challenging him. "Why haven''t you all removed the seal yet" he asked instead. "We want to leave the decision to the boy, knowing him, head, he doesn''t like people sticking their nose to his discovery" "Silvia is right head unless the boy lets us help him we shouldn''t interfere" Maya could only say as she knew Apollo as well. Alger hearing their opinions could only sigh, indeed it was true their little sun liked to do things on his own. He knew they could help him however, being in solitude was something Apollo had been ustomed to. He was always alone in the duchy before he was brought here in the tower. He still can''t pass his trauma and can only see himself alone. The old mage thought that six years was enough to erase his bad early childhood, or maybe he was wrong, perhaps staying inside the tower had increased his past trauma. This way of thinking made the head of the tower sigh again. "Yes indeed the boy is like that" he could only say as he looked at the boy sleeping on the bed. "Hmm?.." Now looking at the boy up close the head of the tower notices something. Upon his realization, his face who bore a painful expression turned exasperated. "Apollo, you are awake aren''t you?" He asked making the surrounding mages surprised. "Apollo you can''t fool this old man I know you are awake" Alger added seeing him not bulging in his bed. Then for a couple of seconds, a deep sigh escaped from the boy surprising the mages who were with him first. "I seriously cannot fool Grandpa" a mischievous grin then painted on his face making every relieved. "Hey everyone did I scare you guys there" "You little I almost had a heart attack because of you" Carlo said pulling Apollo into his arms. "Sorry... hahaha" "Little sun since when did you regain your conscientiousness?" Maya asked because she was the one examining him. "Since the talk of breaking the seal Auntie" "I see so you immediately woke at that time" Silvia suddenly chuckled making Apollo embarrassed. "So since you are awake what do you wish to do?" Victor expectantly asked as his gaze pinned on the boy. His question however caused Apollo to grin an unspeakable air of confidence surrounding him. "Leave it to me" His words were already within their expectations however seeing him smile like that made them relieved. "Alright since it is your decision we will leave it to you" Maya could only agree knowing full well that the little kid in front of them is a walking cmity. "It should be fine" she thought then she walked close to the door and said "I have stayed here for too long, I must return now and since Apollo is fine it should be alright to leave" "I think I need to go as well" "Same here I still need to prepare for the hunting festival" The two other tower masters said as they stood up and approached the door. "Thank you for always taking care of me," Apollo said before the three tower masters left. "You are always wee little sun" they said before leaving. "Apollo we should also leave we still need to finish our quota for this year''s hunting festival" "It''s okay sir Carlo I am well already" Soon the only ones left inside the room are Alger and Apollo. "Where''s Uncle Nichs?" He asked seeing Alger''s best friend not with him. "That old fool doesn''t want toe without bringing anything so he went to his room first, he should also be arriving now" After those words, Alger stares at Apollo examining his facial expressions. "So is there anything you want to tell me?" He asked seeing Apollo''s meaningful grin. "Grandpa I think you know something about this seal right" he began to say this first then he followed "Only a handful of wizards and witches can cast such a powerful ancient spell. "Signare inimicum is the seal that currently eating your talent away" The Alger saw Apollo''s reaction and he could tell he already knew about the spell. "He is indeed a brilliant child" he had thought. "Looking at your face it seems like you have a rough idea whom you should look out for" Apollo nodded before handing a note to Alger eagerly the old mage took the piece of paper. "If possible Grandpa can you give me any information regarding all the mages on the list? Anything even their past activities and connection to the Lionheart family" With these words, the head of the wizard tower formed something in his mind. "I see I understand now" he only says looking at the list of people. "Should I kill them all?" He asked. "No grandpa we aren''t even sure if those people are the ones I am looking for, we need to be certain before making a move" "If that is what you want then I will respect that" As the two continue their conversation sound of footsteps draws closer to them. "Oh you are indeed awake I am d" Nichs appeared and entered the room. "Hi Grandpa Nick" "Yes, here I brought you something" On his arm is a basket full of a bunch of Apollo''s favorite fruit, drinks and bread. "Wow," the boy could only say looking at the big basket being handed to him. "So what do you n to do little sun" he asked as he sat down beside Apollo''s bed. Apollo began pondering, the seal could definitely be handled easily. Breaking it was simple but after that what? He was left thinking of the benefit he would gain right after breaking the seal. As he analyze what benefits him the most he decided to ask them to break his seal, however as soon as he was about to speak one of the names on the list suddenly stop him from speaking. If his instincts was right then he could definitely use the seal for his advantage. Ancient spells are not only powerful, it is also dangerous to it''s caster. Granted that a ck magic was nted on Apollo he could only imagine the consequences of the spell. "Jeremiah tell me, this spell is a double edge sword right?" [It is Creator, the seal is connected to it''s caster''s life. If you remove it, it will kill the wizard who had given you the seal] "Then what if I slowly remove it what will happen?" [Then it will cause unimaginable pain to it''s caster] "Ah, then that settles it! I was tormented in that house I think it is only natural to return the favor right?" As he solidified his resolve he finally gave his answer. "Leave it to me" Nichs nodded as he listened on the other hand Alger just looked at the list wondering what to do with them. "I knew you would say that that is why I brought this" In Nichs''s hand is a grimoire, it was a thick magical book which shows signs of ageing and how well it was used by its owner. "Use the contents and trace the caster" With a knowing gaze Nichs let those words inspire Apollo. Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Tracing Apollo, upon losing consciousness saw Jeremiah''s big notification popping in front of his face. "Wait so I am inside my consciousness?" The boy was about taken aback however he soon looked at the rectangr screen in front of him, and a smile suddenly formed on his face. [Congrattions Creator you have awakened your hidden bloodline. Hidden bloodline: Blood of the Summoner Skills: Enables the mage to form contacts on spirits no matter the level or number. Grants the mage the capacity to make an infinite amount of contracted spirits. It''s the bloodline of your mother, Isabe, Creator congrattions] "Thank you, Jeremiah" [It''s my pleasure to help you, Creator, now we still have a problem at hand] Apollo sighs knowing what he is referring to. "That damn seal" [I already analyzed the seal and it was an ancient magic, a spell called Signare inimicum. It was a magical seal that could seal all opponents'' abilities and skills for a duration of 100 years] "So how long I have been sealed" [Analyzing.....] Apollo waited until he heard a ding sound. [It is approximately ten years ago Creator] "What so I got this seal when I was just three years old?" Anger suddenly crept in making Apollo''s gxy-looking consciousness turn dim and dark. "So it was in Lionheart duchy" he finally calms down returning his mind to its previous state. "So it''s either a family enemy or.." he stopped for a moment thinking everyone inside the duchy. "Or one of my siblings" [It must have been them, they were pretty jealous of the attention to have when you were younger] "Yes and soon that attention turns into hatred when they saw my falling statistics" he chuckled a bit as he continued "It turns out the reason why it failed was because of this damn seal" For a moment he thought if no one put this seal on him would he be loved? Will he be epted? However soon enough he erased such thoughts. "A love based on you being useful is not something I should think of" "Jeremiah since it is an ancient spell only a handful of mages could only use it" [That''s true] "If I am not mistaken the secret library has records of wizards who have mastery over ancient spells, look through it" [Affirmative Creator] [I have found fifteen names of mages who were all experts in ancient magic] Apollo looked at their names and saw abel saying expert in alchemy or expert in ck magic. Apollo didn''t find it weird since mages known for ck magic could also be good at sealing magic. They can''t rule out possible candidates based just on the things they were written as good at. Apollo needed more than that so he ordered again. "Look through the archives and see if they have authored any published book on any ancient sealing magic or anything rted to it" [Searching through archive] [Searchpleted!] The rectangr screen in front of Apollo changes and switches to the book titles and their authors. "Let''s put a mark on the people we find suspicious... there done" The boy felt contented as he saw the fifteen names marked by a star. "Next Jeremiah show me their addresses if I am not mistaken the Record keeper''s book kept the addresses and the family of these mages" [On it Creator] "If only I had a record of their past movements it would be easier to guess who made contact with Lionheart Duchy" As he contemted his options Jeremiah showed Apollo what he was looking for. "Hmmm...I see we five here who live near the territory of the duchy" Then he put another star over their names. [Creator how do we get back to them all these mages are on the same level as a Tower master] "Jeremiah anyone can be killed you just need to find the proper timing and preparation to be sessful" "However what we need to do is meet them one by one so that I can do my next n" [And that is?] "Tracing" "The banquet would be a great ce I guess since, they should at least show their respect towards the imperial family" Spells cast have something they all have inmon and that is mana signature. The mana of the caster will remain on the spell which is why it was called mana signature. If Apollo can harvest the remaining mana signature on the seal he could somehow trace its caster. There are just two problems Apollo is currently a novice when ites to tracing and how much signature mana remains. Some spells over time lose their caster''s signature especially if the spear is lower level. "Hopefully I could learn how to do tracing" He was still in the process of thinking when a voice interrupted him. ~"So should we break it now or wait for the boy to wake up" Wait this voice isn''t this Auntie Maya''s voice? Then another came in. ~"I suggest we let him wake up first, knowing the boy he won''t like it if we make the decision" This time it was Silvia''s voice curious about the situation Apollo decided to see what was going on. As his consciousness resurfaced he could somehow feel all his senses return, now he could hear their conversation much more clearly. While they talked Apollo heard a sudden warning making him nervous. [Warning an immense amount of murderous pressure is about to arrive.... Proceed to erect mind barriers..] As soon as he heard those words an unspeakable amount of killing intent filled the room if Jeremiah hadn''t put barriers around him he would have lost his consciousness again. "What now" he could only think while the killing intent morphed into a fog. .... Back into the present Apollo entered a viinous chat with Alger. His words were all things Apollo could do to make his enemy suffer. However, Nicks appears to bring all of Apollo''s favourite snacks. "I knew you would say that that is why I brought this" In Nichs''s hand is a grimoire, it was a thick magical book which shows signs of ageing and how well it was used by its owner. "Use the contents and trace the caster" With a knowing gaze Nichs let those words inspire Apollo. Happily, he epted the magic journal of the old wizard and said in his mind. "This is what I need the most... Jeremiah scan now" [Scanning..... Data stored... Updating archive... Updateplete] Apollo smiled even more as he heard those words. "Well then I''ll leave these all to you and, Alger, we need to return to the ck Tower" "Wait we do?" "Yes the mountain of documents needs to be settled dear Head, now let''s go" Nichs bid his farewell as he dragged the reluctant old wizard. "Man, they sure are funny" Apollo could only say as he looked at the two old mages arguing outside his room. "Now then Jeremiah have an analysis over the seal while I form a research about Grandpa Nick''s grimoire" As soon as Apollo sorted out his next move he looked at the one direction of the room, it was where Ifrit was standing. "Young master" the demon spirit said waiting for Apollo to speak. "Have you reported this to Mother?" "I haven''t Young master since I was waiting for you to recover" "Now I am better so bring a message to my mother " "Yes, I will and what message is it?" "My n will never change, say that to her, that''s all you may go" The fire demon spirit bowed down before disappearing into sparks of mes. "Jeremiah give me the status of the seal" [Status: Spell name: Signare inimicum Type: Ancient ck Sealing magic Duration: 90 years Current stability: 50% Affected areas: 75% of the Creator''s mana Body Constitution in an unawakened state 100% of the Creator''s Ki Total Statistics Debuff] Apollo couldn''t help but clench his fist. "I should have known, the fact that I don''t have ki is already a giveaway that something is off with my body" He was always being told that he was trash thus he thought that he wascking or a disfigured individual that is why when he found out he didn''t have ki, he thought it was natural that he didn''t. The boy always thought that he was a defective child which is why if he finds something is wrong with him it will only be natural that he has one. He soon stood up from his bed then he approached the basket full of his favorites. He was all smiles until he saw a note. "Dear little Sun I know you are a workaholic kid that is why I put a sealing magic on the door blocking you from leaving. For now, you are also banned from theboratory and aren''t allowed to sleepte. Just give yourself a week and rest don''t worry about the ck Tower''s projects, just take a break. Always reminding Grandpa Nick" Apollo suddenly felt baffled he was okay it was just a seal he could handle it. "A week of ban from theboratory" he suddenly began to sulk, first he wasn''t allowed to hunt and now he wasn''t allowed to theboratory. "If they found out I made Jeremiah inside the library will they ban me there as well?" Suddenly Apollo felt scared he began to vow that nobody would find out about Jeremiah. "I absolutely can''t tell anyone about this!" He could only say this in his mind as he hid using the nket of his bed. Chapter 18: Chapter 18: One week {8:24:36} That''s the time floating right above the door. "I still need to wait 8 hours to get out of this room" "Then I need to wait for an entire week to be able to enter theb" he continues to sulk as he rolls across his bed. "What should I do for one week?" [Study?] "Maybe however maybe I should also train" [Train?] "Mana is the cultivation of the mind while ki is the cultivation of the body. The more someone trains his mind the more mana it can sustain on the other hand Ki can be achieved by rigorous training of the body" [So you are thinking of training your body?] "Yes if I can achieve a breakthrough maybe I can chip away some percentage on the stability of the spell" So without further ado, Apollo ordered Jeremiah to look for any basic training manuals for him. "I should train a bit before awakening my constitution that way my body won''t receive a shock simr to what I experience with my bloodline awakening" [If that''s what you wish then I suppose I can only help] Apollo first did a warm-up then after a brief cool down he looked at the basic training manual and tried doing what it said. [Error has been made by the Creator, I suggest raising your arms a bit] Soon enough Jeremiah began correcting the mistakes Apollo made from his stance to the force of his punch. [Try again, put more strength!] Apollo controls his breathing before releasing another punch. "Haaa!" [Your arms are leaning towards the wrong side move them to this ce] He shouted before pulling another punch. "Haa!... I am tired!" The boy could no longer handle the tiredness and could only sit on the floor. {1:20:35} "Just one more hour and I am good to go" [Creator you should rest and take some food you have consumed too much energy] "Did I?... I" Slowly Apollo''s vision began to blur "Oh I am indeed tired" He realized. Deep within his mind, a sigh could be heard from Jeremiah. Apollo then eats the rest of the food in the basket Nicks brought. "Now for the important part" From his storage ring, a small bottle came out. This bottle contains a light greenish liquid with a slight yellow colour. Apollo gulps it down without hesitation. "Hoo..now that felt good" What Apollo drank was a special tonic he and the Ocean Tower mages made for the soldiers of the subjugation army. The tonic can nourish the body and improve the cirction of ki, It also helps to absorb all the food taken. This tonic as well were distributed during the breakout thus it was widely known to the soldiers how effective the tonic was. The tonic made by Apollo was especially for swordsmen and people who focused on improving their ki. So for now Apollo will try to train his body to reproduce his ki. As he analyzes the seal he finds out that he could take advantage of its unstable state to train his ki. Reproducing ki and mana shoulde naturally however the seal not only made Apollo unable to wield ki but also to also reproduce it. Moving on the boy began to do what the manual said to train as rigorously as possible. The current remaining time is {00:00:10} "Now everything seems good" Ten seconds before the magic Nicks put on the door disappears, Apollo walks towards the door his clothes and stature are better than before. [10] [9] "The tonic helps me feel full of energy" This was the first time Apollo tried the tonic and never anticipated the effects would be this good now he understood why it was still in demand despite the breakout ending. [5] [4] Jeremiah continues to count as if waiting for the time to leave the room as well. [3] [2] [1] {00:00:00} As the timer struck zero an invisible energy started to wear off the magic circle embedded in the door frame dissipated leaving the door free for Apollo to pass through. "Finally!" He smirked finally leaving the room so he could finally start what he wanted to do. When Apollo left the Ocean Tower he noticed the sun already high up in the sky. "Is it close to lunch already?" He thought then he switched his gaze to the giant stone clocktower. "8:15 am It''s still early I supposed I should continue my training" He then went straight to his room to his surprise outside his room were gifts from other mages who found out about Apollo copsing. "This seriously" he felt touch as he brought the towering gifts inside his room For an entire week, Apollo would train inside his room early in the morning while at noon he would pass by the magic examination and testing area so that he could grab some points to increase his stats. Without him knowing the week is over, he is allowed to go back to theb. "Yes, I am back!" He shouted as he arrived at the spacious room full of equipment. The scent of wood and herbs weed Apollo while the shelves on the side were adorned with big notebooks and files. In the middle of theb were an assorted kind of alchemical tools, such as burners and filters, which were meticulously arranged on sturdy wooden tables. It was only a week however it was enough to make him miss the ce. "Now then I should move forward to my next n" As he went towards his table a folder was there resting as if it was waiting for him. "What''s this?" He picks it up and sees a list of people with addresses and their current movements. Reading the contents of the folder Apollo figured out that Alger was the one who gave it to him. "Thank you, Grandpa" his voice softened as he said his name. "Only three names" As he studied the list he finalised three names that could be the ones who put the seal on him. "I will be meeting them soon once the banquet begins" A smirk emerges on his face as he thinks of the spell he hade up with. "Let''s forget about them ....for now I should focus on the tonic I need for my training" A mischievous glee can be seen on Apollo for a moment Ifrit who was watching him gets scared. For the rest of the month the boy with a sun set hair created a tonic that increases a person''s ki and mana however the other stuff he did is for his enemy to find out. .... [Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Excited Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Apprentice Level: 17 Strength: 58 Agility: 56 Dexterity: 55 Endurance: 58 Stamina: 58 Intelligence: 58 Mana: 58 Ki: 20 Mana regeneration: 5 per minute Ki regeneration: 1 per minute Vitality: 130 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank A) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank A) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank A) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank C) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank C) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Lightning Call (Rank C) {Passive} - Increases any lightning-based spells or attacks. Novice fighter (Rank A) {Passive} -Beginner skills in terms of hand-to-handbat (next level Practitioner fighter Rank D) Master Weaponist (Rank D) {Passive} - abination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah Mirror Tenfold (Rank B) {Active} - Return ten times the attacks of opponents it may be a spell or physical attack Demonification (Rank ??) {Active}- Rank General is required to open this skill. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution:{Unawakened} Current stat point: 100] "It looks good, I think it looks decent" [Creator why haven''t you added up your current stat point?] "I am thinking of saving them up " [For what?] "For a surprise" He said as he prepared himself for the banquet, he first wore a white in shirt then a white vest. From that, he wore his knee-length white robe which had a light blue lining at the hems. At the left chest area of the robe, the insignia of the wizard tower was attached, it was a single tower standing with a vermilion bird coiling around it. Apollo''s pants and shoes were all white after all it was one of the tower''s ceremonial robes, an all-white outfit. "Now for the final piece" From his cab, he took out a wooden box littered with a beautiful inscription. With a grin, he opened it and a beautiful sapphire brooch was quietly resting inside. Carefully he took it out of the box and happily pins it on thepel of his robe. "I guess I am all set" he smiles seeing his reflection however the mirror he uses strangely blurry his face but the boy didn''t mind it at all. Feeling confident he finally heads down to join the rest of the tower''s representatives. "Sir Gavin!" He waves seeing the senior mages of the Blue Moon tower. "Hey, little sun are you ready?" "Of course sir" "Be sure to execute the proper greeting and only speak when questioned" "Yes I will sir Gavin" "Good! Now we should join the others" he urged taking the young boy''s hand towards the group of people. Apollo stood in line like the others in front of them were the three tower masters and Alger the head of the wizard tower, beside these four individuals was Nicks who calmly waved at Apollo as soon as he saw him. "Alright everyone I only have a couple of words to say. If the emperor doesn''t say anything then don''t speak if you think the conversation isn''t for you leave, or if someone forces any of you to do something ignore it they are not worth our time. If the person speaking to you is not someone you want to associate with then don''t speak to them we value our mental health more than anyone else. We already have dozens of problems here we don''t want them to add more of it" "Now are we clear about what I said?" Like a choir, all of them simultaneously said "Yes Head!" Chapter 19: Chapter19: Banquet "Alright everyone I only have a couple of words to say. If the emperor doesn''t say anything then don''t speak, if you think the conversation isn''t for you leave, or if someone forces any of you to do something ignore it they are not worth our time. If the person speaking to you is not someone you want to associate with then don''t speak to them we value our mental health more than anyone else. We already have dozens of problems here we don''t want them to add more of it" His words are sharp as if going to the banquet is a battlefield rather than a party. "Now are clear about what I said?" Like a choir, all of them simultaneously said "Yes sir!" Alger was satisfied with their answer however his eyes glided on the group of mages in front of him. His eyes scan every individual until they stop towards a certain boy, Apollo. "He looks confident I wonder what he ns to do" the old mage thought as he looked at him. Apollo on the other felt his intense gaze so he decided to give the old man a cheerful wave. Alger seeing this nodded in acknowledgement. "Alright since everything is settled we will go straight to the pce" Victor the Red Sun tower master said as he waved his hand to summon a powerful magic circle. "Everyone brace yourself I don''t want anyone feeling sick after the travel, you all hear me!" "Yes Tower master!" A bright light envelopes the group before a slight sh of energy sends them off to the pce. ..... Meanwhile... The Imperial banquet unfolded with great splendor magnifying the glory it has for years. The blend of soft candlelight and the shimmering glow of chandeliers add an elegant ambience. Guests exchanged polite pleasantries and engaged in hushed conversations, smiles andughter but beneath forced smiles, subtle nces conveyed the weight of unresolved political agendas. The air despite the asion bore a heavy and ufortable ambience, with unspoken disagreement filled with carefully chosen words and hidden motivations. The faces of each noble and elite wore masks of unrecognizable speech and expression making the imperial pce a battle of calction. The atmosphere, though seemingly festive, bore the quiet strain of a banquet overshadowed by hidden political intrigue. However, amidst this heavy atmosphere names of the four ducal families pierce like a powerful de breaking the tension. Schemes and lies won''t work on the four families as they only exist for one reason, to serve the great imperial family. Intentions were kept as they switched to a different type of mask, that hopefully won''t be ripped apart by the four ducal families. The four ducal families that correspond to the four cardinal directions are Arcanebane the Ducal house in the south, Lionheart at the east, Obsidianvale at the west and Silvercrest in the north. The four main duties of these families were to guard the four ginormous regions that inhibited dozens of Celestial-rank beasts. They are the walls that block magical and demon beasts to prevent any breakout from urring. The first family to grace the ballroom of the imperial pce was the ducal family of Arcanebane, as they entered the room it began to be filled with their presence. A calm and confident demeanour that reflects the personality of the family. After the house of Arcanebane entered the next to arrive was the house of Obsidianvale. d in their all-ck outfit the family walk with the air ofmand. It is as if they are born to rule over others. From the east bearing the color of the sunset in their hair, the ducal family of Lionheart made their way through the ballroom all eyes focused as the air of arrogance filled the air. The duke and duchess made their way wearing a couple of outfits while their two children walked behind them. "Look at them Isabe I am certain one of them is thinking of leeching on us" Duke Lionheart said as he leaned closer to Isabe''s ears. "Put your tongue on hold Helios we are at the imperial pce" Isabe retorted back to him. "Hahaha right, we are at the pce" Hearing his wife''s words Duke Helios just gave a soft chuckle. "It seems like father and mother are still doing great," said the young man who walks right behind the Duke. "Eros, have you been listening to those rumors again?" This one that spoke is the second child of the Lionheart family. "Athena rumors or not our family name shouldn''t blemish we are after all a ducal family" "I think the one you think of is not our parents but a certain sibling or ours" "Apollo?" "Who else" Athena exasperatedly said to her older brother however Eros didn''t see Apollo as threatening as Athena thought. "I am sure that fool won''t cause trouble since he is with the tower mages" They continued to talk until the final ducal house was announced to arrive. The ducal family of Silvercrest walk across the isle creating a domineering atmosphere. If the Lionheart has the air of superiority the northern ducal family excludes a suppressive energy. Duke Helios stopped speaking to Isabe as his focus became pin on the Duke of the North, Abraham Silvercrest. "And the king of the north arrives" said Duke Lionheart not looking nervous, unlike the other guests. Hair that was as ck as a night while their eyes bore the color of white, almost looking like a fine crystal. Like the other ducal families the northern duke brought his three children, Isaac, Cain and Esther. "I greet the Duke of the North" Helios initiated the conversation as he saw the family settle on their table. Seeing the eastern duke greeting he returned the greeting. "Did the kings of other nations already arrive?" He began to ask to which Helios answered by nodding. "How about the archduke?" He asked again. "He has arrived already Abraham" the western Duke answered him instead. "So if all of us are here why hasn''t the ceremony started?" "Actually there is onest guest who hasn''t arrived yet" the southern duke said making the three other dukes curious. However, before he could even give an answer a magic circle suddenly appeared on the ground. The sudden appearance of said magic created panic among the guests. "What the!" "Who dares to use magic inside the Imperial pce!" "How can they bypass the barrier surrounding the pce!" "Guards!" While some nobles became agitated the higher-rank nobles just stared at the situation finding it interesting. A single magic circle bearing fifteen rings crafted together. Each ring is adorned with beautifully arranged symbols and runes creating an intricate set of spells. "It''s a darkness element, void magic" Isabe said as her eyes widened when she saw ten figures emerging from the magic circle. "It was void magic mass teleportation" This realization made Isabe look at the figure of a boy, its body is strangely simr to a certain someone. "Apollo" she silently mumbled. Everyone was silent since nobody anticipated that the tower mages would enter like that. Ten figures all in white stood right in the middle of the ballroom their faces were hidden by the hood they wore. An air of mystery envelopes them however one thing is certain they are one of the major forces of the empire, the tower mages. Their insignia shines on their chest as they stride forward. Without any more greetings, they made their way towards an empty table and settled themselves there. It was then followed by silence nobody tried to speak since their arrival quite shocked them. "An entrance worth remembering," Helios said as he returned to his table where his wife and children were located. "Isabe, is that child there?" He whispered to her ears as soon as he got near her. "Yes see that boy over there" Isabe pointed to a figure of a little boy and Helios just nodded in acknowledgement. He just asks to make sure all of his children will greet the imperial family, with or without standing by his side. A few moments pass by until a sound of trumpets erupts immediately all of them fix their stature and focus on the elevated tform. Located at the highest position in the ballroom three chairs can seen. Each of these chairs is adorned with borate patterns of gold and gems signifying the power of the imperial family. From the three chairs above one step lower than them was five chairs quite simr to the first three however the five are decorated less than the three above. One step lower than those five chairs was another set of chairs but with a different type of decorations and sigils signifying the owner to be the archduke of the empire. In the middle of the great tform was a beautiful step running up and down. As the sound of trumpets sounded everywhere the ruler of the empire graced the massive ballroom. Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Greet As the sound of trumpets sounded everywhere the rulers of the empire graced the massive ballroom with their presence. "Salute! Hail the ruler of the continent! His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Augustus, and Her Gracious Highness, Empress Valeria are entering! Hail the ruler of the empire!" A voice pierces right through the glorious sound of trumpets leaving the sound of the serene tune of the violin. The low mellow sound created the ambience for the entrance of the imperial couple. No ambitious tune or a triumphant sound was given only a melodious and mellow sound paved the way for the two figures to sit on their throne. As soon as the emperor and empress settle on their throne a loud sound made up of apuse fills the entire ballroom. A smirk suddenly painted on the emperor''s face as he felt the wee of his subjects. However the powerful cheer stops when he raises his hand and immediately all the kings and aristocrats all across the continent bow down towards the ruler of the continent, the emperor. With the main character''s arrival, the banquet finally began. Unlike any other banquet hosted by the imperial family the emperor and empress didn''t bother giving any opening speech instead they went straight to the greeting and gifts of each kingdom''s leaders. The seats and tables of guests are decided based on their ranks and position inside the empire. The ducal families of the empire are located right in front so they immediately reached the front of the tform''s stairs. Behind the position of the ducal families is the table of the kings and aristocrats of other nations. Next to them are seats for powerful organizations such as the Mages Association and Tower Mages. Behind them are the elite families of the empire apanied by marquis and below noble ranks. After the seats of the baron, elite soldiers and retired generals can be seen seated behind them. As the event started each representative gave their utmost respect and gifts to please the emperor. After some dukes, Princes and princesses of different Kingdoms, the nobles of the empire soon came giving their ruler their utmost respect and loyalty. "Hail the ruler of the continent, I salute you, your majesty, the emperor" Bending on one knee the leader of the mage association showed his respect while his subordinates did the same thing. "This young man beside me is Johan Aaren, my son" "Hmm?...your child has grown up, thest time I saw him was when he was seven years old" the emperor said looking at the child in front of him. "Hail the ruler of the continent I salute and pay respect to you" With a resolute voice the boy said as he paid his greeting to the emperor. "Thank you, young man, I will be expecting more from you especially since you are at the age of entering the academy right?" "Yes your majesty I shall do my best to bring honor to the empire" "With those words, I shall be expecting more then" The leader of the mage association Jonathan Aaren gave a onest bow before leaving. After them was the tower mages'' turn, ten cloaked figures stood right in front of the emperor before bending on one knee. Their right hand was ced on their chest as they all simultaneously said. "Hail the ruler of the continent!" "The mages of the tower paid respect to the ruler of the empire!" Everyone was surprised as the humongous ballroom was filled with the sheer voices of the ten mages. The power of their greeting was simr to a soldier and with their face hidden with their cloak, a sense of mystery soon emerged in the guest''s minds. "I am happy you all came however, isn''t a bit disrespectful greeting me like this with your faces hidden" his sharp words made Jonathan smirk. "That''s what you get for being a show-off," he said to his mind. However, the tower mages instead of removing their hoods switched their gaze towards the figure of a boy kneeling beside Alger. This sudden action piqued the interest of the emperor he wondered "Who are you to make even the great cmity tame?" The wind rustled in as the boy slowly removed his hood. The chandelier''s shimmering light directly reflects the boy''s hair. The color of the setting sun and eyes seemingly a ring sun soon emerge from the deep of the hood. As soon as this mage put down his hood the mages behind and beside him did the same. The emperor was silently amazed while a sudden smile came from the empress as she recognized which family the boy belonged to. "This humble mage greets the ruler of the continent, may the power of the world tree bless you" his voice was soft but determined it wasn''t shaky which shows his strong temperament. "Are you a Lionheart?" The emperor questioned which Apollo answered "Yes your majesty" "From what I remember you were suffering from an incurable illness but looking at you" he stops before looking at the eastern duke''s table. "I do not see a weak child" he continued "Instead my eyes recognize a monster who seems ready for ughter" This part was magically muted from the ears of others and only the tower mages were able to hear it. "Isn''t that a bit harsh my emperor?" the empress said seemingly controlling herughter. "I couldn''t help butpliment your eyes your majesty he is indeed our little monster" Alger jokingly said which made Apollo pout. "Your words made the boy upset" the empress continued to say seeing Apollo pouting beside Alger. "I apologize for that" However hisughing expression seized as soon as he saw the people he still needed to see. "We should continue thister as the banquet barely began however I thank all of you foring" All the tower mages gave their final greeting before leaving. As soon as they leave the southern duke and his family are called. However, Duke Arcanebane was a bit distracted when he saw the little boy who looked exactly like a certain someone. "He is like a mini version of Helios" he could only think but the emperor''s voice interrupted his thoughts. "Are you done daydreaming Gilgamesh?" The duke was quite startled but immediatelyposed himself. "This humble soldier greets the great ruler of the empire" "It seems like your head still floats here and there Gil" Gilgamesh just remained kneeling not daring to look at Augustus,he embarrassed with his childish act however the emperor just sighed knowing full well what kind of a person Gilgamesh is. Then after Arcanebane, Obsidianvale duchy came for a greeting and unlike Gilgamesh, Duke Harald Obsidianvale did his greeting spendedly. "I suppose it is our turn now" Eros said as he stood in his seat however as soon as he did so something caught his attention. A hair simr to his but strikingly more prominent, there sitting amongst thene of mages Apollo had his eyes closed as if he was sleeping. Eros stared at him, his eyes filled with unrecognizable glint however with his staring he soon gained the attention of the tower mages. All eyes set on Eros as if telling him to shut the fuck off. "What the hell is up with that re" he could only think as he followed his father and mother. "Are checking on our foolish younger brother?" "Athena, were you able to see how their greeting went?" He asked instead of paying attention to her words. "No, I wasn''t able to since I was talking to Freya about our return to the academy" Eros pursed his lips thinking something was off however something was blocking him from pinpointing what he was thinking of. As the Lionheart duchy bends on one knee to show their respect the emperor looks at Helios as if he wants to ask something. "Hail the ruler of the empire I salute you" Helios calmly said his face was clear without any emotions. However, the emperor just nodded his head seemingly contemting something. "Your boy why is he with the mages of the tower instead of joining you?" He questioned, immediately Helios answered. "Your majesty the boy was chosen from many candidates to be one of the representatives of the tower. This was a great achievement considering his frail body so we let him join them" With those words from Helios Isabe couldn''t help but twitch which the empress immediately noticed. "It seems like your son is doing well despite having a frail body, I believe he is ready to enter the academy" As she said this her eyes remained on the Lionheart family waiting for their reaction. "Since the new school year is starting I will be expecting a lot once he enrols" The words from the empress were like poison to Eros, he never liked when his brother was the center of attention. Be it good or bad he never like anyone paying attention to his younger brother. He gritted his teeth but tried to seal his lips after all he wasn''t allowed to speak unless the emperor or empress addressed him. "Your majesty about the boy''s schooling my wife and I will talk about it" "I see then I will be looking forward to it" Their turn soon ended making the Duke of Silvercrest and his family enter. Chapter 21: Chapter 21: motivation Apollo''s Pov. As the sh of light signals the activation of the mass teleportation Apollo reaches out on his hood and uses it to hide his face. He wants to hide his appearance because he doesn''t want to be seen as ''him''. "That''s right I am not him" he mumbled. However, as the magic enveloped them the mages of the tower saw Apollo hiding his face so they did the same thing. Before the mass teleportation magic fully activated all mages took their hoods and hid their faces. They did this because they knew Apollo might attract attention for being the only one keeping his appearance. However, if ten mages take their hoods on nobody will notice him and everyone will look at them as a whole instead of focusing on a single person. As the magic bends down the space the entire group bypass the powerful barrier of the pce and directly emerges into the humongous ballroom. From the simple breeze of wind of the tower grounds a sudden change of tune happens when they arrive inside the ballroom. Calm and mellow music filled the mages'' ears however the sudden gasp and voices of people ruined the ambience. Apollo and the rest of the mages waited for Alger''s next movement. And so when the old mage nonchntly walked towards their table everyone followed. "Finally we are here," Apollo thought now he could execute his n. Despite the attention they gain the young mage just closes his eyes and begins to chant the spell he work on. However, how can he do so when a powerful barrier suppresses and forbids anyone from using magic? The moment a drop of Mana is used the barrier will immediately detect it and it''s not like Apollo can do what Alger did. He doesn''t have enough power to bypass the barrier. A smirk emerges from his lips as he prepares to give his spell a go. He might not have the same amount of power as Alger but he has one thing that the head of the wizard tower doesn''t have. "Jeremiah cast the spell now" [On it Creator] Inside Apollo''s consciousness, a floating orb began releasing a subtle amount of energy. This energy swiftly weaves aplicated magic circle casting a spell only Apollo knows. He was confident in Jeremiah since he had tested it inside the tower and the barrier did not activate. "The barrier in the tower and the imperial pce shouldn''t be too different from each other" With that thought in mind he continued. Fully casting the spell it began to release a type of energy which slowly covered the entire ballroom. The tracing spell Apollo created can bepared to how echolocation works. By emitting a wave of energy it would bounce off in any object and people, then as it returns it would provide the information about the type of mana and their signature. If the one who cast the spell on Apollo is here he would immediately identify them through his tracing spell. His eyes remained closed even when the event started. Jeremiah''s task is only to cast the spell, analyzing the information has to be done by Apollo. At least thousands of people are here, so the two need to coordinate to fully identify everyone. However, Apollo''s focus soon seizes when someone lightly taps his shoulder. "It''s our turn now," said Gavin. The young mage couldn''t help but groan when he felt a sharp pain in his head, breaking his connection abruptly didn''t feel good. With a bit of dizziness, Apollo stood up and went with them. Just like the others they greet the emperor but a little mishap happens because they put their hoods on. Greeting the most powerful being in the continent with your face hidden might seem disrespectful and so since Apollo was the reason their entire group was hooded, he also became the reason why they removed it. Apollo reached out to his hood and immediately put it down and there he saw how the expression of the emperor and empress changed. They immediately knew he was one of the Lionheart and Apollo hated it. "This humble mage greets the ruler of the continent, may the power of the world tree bless you" he greeted which the imperial couple epted. However, the emperor''s next words seem to carry something, a meaning that only the emperor himself might know. "What did he mean by that and why did the emperor have to block others from hearing it" he wondered however the emperor''s thoughts were not of his current concerns. "I need to find out if that guy is the culprit" In front of Apollo are two rectangr screens, the first one shows the names of the mages he suspected while the other is the list of guest mages. Each time he finished analyzing the given information from Jeremiah, names would immediately vanish from the list. He doesn''t want to skip any names, he wants to make sure he has looked into everything before jumping to conclusions. More names disappeared as Apollo continued analyzing however a sudden mana made him halt. It was a man he was most familiar with. "Mom''s and" he then opened his eyes and saw the duke and his children. "And my siblings" a sinister smile emerged from his lips he was so busy analyzing the mana of others that he didn''t notice the people with the same blood as him were here. He was about to return to what he was doing when he felt his body tremble, it was in a way he had no control over. His breath became ragged as his heart beat faster, and beads of sweat dropped on his forehead as he felt agitated. With his body''s uncontrolled response, a sudden sh of memory appeared in his mind. The sound of whipped rang in his ears apanied by cries of grief. Apollo felt his back sting as blood dripped from it, across the boy''s back was a blood-stained shirt ripped by the might of a whip. "Ugh!" He felt suffocated as the whip in his brother''s hand waved another turbulent of pain across his bleeding back. "Brother... please.." the boy began to plead his tiny arms and legs chained to restrict his movements. However, instead of stopping the assault became even faster and nastier. Eachsh struck deeper into his skin forcing more blood toe out. The frail body of the young Apollo slowly sumbs to pain and loses consciousness. .... "Apollo?...you okay..." A light tap became a trigger for the boy to panic his vision began to return snapping him from his trauma. However, Gavin''s voice couldn''tpletely bring him back as his voice can''t reach Apollo''s ears. A sudden ringing blocks the sound of Gavin''s voice. With no other options, Gavin transferred some of his mana to disrupt whatever thoughts Apollo was having. "Are you back now?" He asked while Apollo began gasping for air finally recovering. Gavin didn''t say anything he knew traumas are not something you can recover from easily, especially if you saw the people who inflicted that pain on you, you are bound to experience a rpse. After a few more breaths Apollo finally stabilised his breathing surrounding him were ten mages that blocked the view of others. "Are you finally fine?" Gavin worriedly said and Apollo just nodded. "What''s happening already?" "While you rpse the Duke Silvercrest ended his greeting and now the archduke is greeting the emperor. Hearing those words Apollo switched his gaze and saw Duke Abraham leading his three children but his eyes didn''t linger and returned to the Lionheart duchy''s table. "Just wait brother I will pay the amount of whips I received from you" he lightly touched his arm which was well hidden by his long sleeve. "Not just physical scars won''t do I would break them so badly they wouldn''t be able to feel happiness" Apollo clutches his robe trying to stabilize his breathing. "I thought I had recovered" he clenched his teeth in frustration as he said, "But I still tremble at the sight of them" The pain, frustration and despair he felt would be erased by removing the very people who caused it. In the end, no matter how much Apollo said he would kill them, his body and mind still remember how much pain they inflicted. "I am still too far" he mumbled while looking at a screen with symbols he was very familiar with. [Name: Eros Lionheart Status: Intrigue upation: Magic swordsman Rank: Surpaser Level: 18 Strength: 240 Agility: 237 Dexterity: 235 Endurance: 240 Stamina: 240 Intelligence: 240 Mana: 240 Ki: 240 Mana regeneration: 10 per minute Ki regeneration: 10 per minute Vitality: 200 Skills/Abilities: God Seraphine''s war de dance (Rank A) {Passive} Aura maniption (Rank A) {Passive} Instant incantation (Rank A){Passive} Weapon master (Rank A) {Passive} [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner -Enables the mage to form contacts on spirits no matter the level or number. Grants the mage the capacity to make an infinite amount of contracted spirits. Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution: Battle God''s Physique - A Constitution that allows for both mana and ki to synchronize, a capacity to bnce aspects of attributes] Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Academy [Name: Eros Lionheart Status: Intrigue Position: Magic swordsman Rank: Surpaser Level: 18 Strength: 240 Agility: 237 Dexterity: 235 Endurance: 240 Stamina: 240 Intelligence: 240 Mana: 240 Ki: 240 Mana regeneration: 10 per minute Ki regeneration: 10 per minute Vitality: 200 Skills/Abilities: God Seraphine''s war de dance (Rank A) {Passive} Aura maniption (Rank A) {Passive} Instant incantation (Rank A){Passive} Weapon master (Rank A) {Passive} [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner -Enables the mage to form contacts on spirits no matter the level or number. Grants the mage the capacity to make an infinite amount of contracted spirits. Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution: Battle God''s Physique - A Constitution that allows for both mana and ki to synchronize, a capacity to bnce aspects of attributes] "Almost all his stats are max out for level 18....he will soon level up" he had thought. [Creator are you stable now?] "Yes I am let''s continue now" He dismissed any more disruptions and proceeded to what he was doing. "Hmm?" "This person is" [One of the three people you have in your list Creator] Immediately Apollo analysed his mana and could only sigh. "It''s not him" then his name vanished from the list. With his name finally out Apollo asks Jeremiah to stop casting the spell. "I think we could conclude that either of these two surely put the seal on me" Thest two names were Isagani Estre while the other was Edmund Tower, one was the Lionheart duchy''s butler and the other was Eros'' teacher. "Right we have our two remaining names" he could finally feel in relief. With this new discovery of his, he could use it to attack Eros. If he can prove that his older brother is the culprit, he will have another reason to resent him and Isabe will have a hard time justifying her eldest action. "Putting a seal on your little brother then whipping him you are truly wicked" He was already happy since his belief in killing his two siblings solidified he just needed to find more so that he could justify it to his mother. "All my suffering will be paid a hundredfold" Then the sound of trumpets sound across the huge ballroom. All attention became focused on the man who holds the entire continent. "To my loyal subjects and esteemed guests, this day is such a blessing as I see the unwavering allegiance you all have, and I am grateful for that. Today just like every 5 years we all sit here to celebrate the might of the Celestria Empire and just like every 5 years we shall bask in the ambience and enjoy the night" The emperor''s voice resonated throughout the area leaving a sense ofmanding. "The night has just begun so please enjoy yourselves" Without adding any ttering words the ruler of the continent signals the start of the after-banquet ball. The banquet that started early in the morning finally ended at dusk. Now the night is open for the after-event toe. The clinking of silverware apanied by subtle melodies yed by skilled musicians added to the refined symphony of the evening. The melodies created an atmosphere meant for couples to dance. The air carried the fragrance of exotic spices and scents as if asking for the guest to dip in. Violins and other instruments created a blending that made the guests savor the delectable cuisine. The ambiance exuded an enchanting atmosphere with the candlelight floating in the air, creating a night of romance and refined splendor. However, this festive environment bes the new battleground for connections and social standing, which Apollo doesn''t want to be dragged into. Few people tried to approach him only to be blocked by a flock of mages. The friends and associates of the mage tower were introduced to Apollo, and dly the boy greeted them and Alger dragged the boy to meet more of his friends. Amidst this situation, Isabe was actually watching, she silently observed how the boy reacted once he saw his siblings. "It seems like he is doing good," she thought. She was about to head towards Helios when she noticed something then she switched her gaze and looked at her two other children. Eros and Athena are both surrounded by the sessors of many different nobles and elite families. On the other hand, his youngest son was busy talking to hermits and living fossils of the continent. Those mages were ten times older than his son. It''s not like Isabe had a problem with them she just felt like her youngest was missing something, after all thepany your peers can give you is still different from thepany your elders can give. She wanted her son to have a friend he could rely on. Isab finds this a bit problematic and as she thinks deeply about it, she ends up mindlessly heading back to her husband''s only to be rained with questions and fake praises. Used to this kind of environment the senior mage just handled it well however a question from one of the guests made her and Helios surprise. "I am sure your son will do great in the academy just like Eros and Athena" This person was one of the professors of the academy Martin Dorn but unlike the others, he is genuinely excited to see what kind of talent Apollo has. "I am a bit worried about that since that boy has been frail since he was little" Helios exined but Isab seemed to have a different opinion as she said "My son would enrol professor" These words made the Duke of the East surprise since it was rare for his wife to dive into conversation excluding talks about magic. "Splendid! I shall be waiting, for generations the Lionhearts never disappointed the academy" "Yes you are right" Helios said with a smile however Isab saw how her husband looked constipated which made her chuckle. She just wants her youngest son to experience the happiness of having friends and learning with them. "Eros I saw your little brother a while and he looks exactly like your father" Samuel Sorel said as he joined in the conversation. "He might have my father''s looks but his skills.." Eros scoffs as he continues his words "He is nothing but a weakling" "Hmmm...you said that but why do I feel like you are insecure," Matilda the first daughter of Archduke Australia said. Eros scoffs as if he is hearing something funny. "I won''t feel anything against a weakling" "Really? Why don''t we approach him" Matilda began to challenge him to which Eros answered "Sure I don''t mind" "I think this will be exciting," Athena said as he licked her lips in anticipation. And that is why he and the rest of the sessors and heiresses went towards the group of mages. "Excuse me," Eros said as he tried to pass the flock of mages surrounding Apollo. "Hmmm?..you are?" One of the old mages said feeling someone bumping into him. "I am the older brother of the boy over there" he pointed then he continued to say "Sir would it be possible to let us through?" the young Lionheart said as he slightly bowed to gesture his apology for bumping into him. "Suree...hey Alger the boy''s older brother is here!" He said slightly raising his voice. "See I told you I am not.." Eros unconsciously stopped speaking when he heard a familiar sound of footsteps. Gently it made its way to them with a four senior makes with him. "A brother..right I suppose" The rest of the heirs feel the pressure brought by a small frame body, they are all taken aback by this. "Not again!" Eros screamed in his mind trying to break free from the pressure he was feeling. However, Eros wasn''t the only one feeling fearful Apollo was shaking deep inside. The moment he heard his elder brother''s voice he started rpsing again. Just the fact he was still standing was already a feat since he could still hear theshes of whips and burn off each wound. No matter what he did he couldn''t erase his trauma with his brother. "Maybe once I kill you this memory will stop appearing again" With these thoughts his previous agitated state turns murderous. "Greetings to the sessors of the empire''s lineage" Apollo put his right hand on his chest as he said this. "Greetings as well to the youngest of the Lionheart duchy" Matilda said as she gave Apollo a slight bow. "Little brother why don''t you join us, when we were little you used to follow us around" Athena butt in looking at Apollo smugly. "Sorry I am not really interested" he said deadpanned. The veins in Athena''s face seemed to pop when she saw how Apollo turned his back on her. "Little one isn''t that too rude we just want to see you" A frown appeared on Apollo''s face as he saw how Eros used such disgusting words. Matilda couldn''t help butugh at the strained interaction between the three. "Why are youughing" asked Lina a daughter of a marquis. "See I told you they are not perfect like what the public sees them" she silently said. "Brat it''s been a long time and you finally grew some balls?" Edgar also a son of a marquis walked towards Apollo who was walking away. "Hey, I said wait!" Edgar grabbed him with the intention of breaking his shoulder, however. "What!?" Eros and the others became dumbfounded as they saw Edgar thrown in the air. Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Beating Apollo didn''t mean to cause a scene however seeing and hearing them made his past trauma open especially meeting his sibling''s friends. .. "Argh!" The five-year-old Apollo rolls on the ground as Edgar kicks him. However instead of crying he gave the one who assaulted him a re which made thetter flinch. "What are you looking at!" he tried to mask his fear with anger as he continued to kick Apollo. "Just what are you!" he screamed internally, deep inside he was scared of the little boy he was kicking. His gaze would often times paralyze him while his mere aura sent chills whenever he felt it. He doesn''t know why a weakling has the aura of a beast. "Edgar enough with that we will bete if you continue to do that" Eros shouted, reluctantly Edgar finally left the boy alone. "Seriously what a weakling" Amina said as she stepped on the coil-up body of Apollo. She could say those words however just like Edgar she would paralyzed the moment the little boy res at them. .... "What!?" Eros and the others became dumbfounded as they saw Edgar thrown in the air. Unlike their surprised expression, the mages surrounding them just put a barrier to separate their group from the others. Whatever happens, no one will know not even the emperor. So if Apollo wants to, no one will know if he kills his siblings. "Damn it!" Edgar finally gained his senses andnded perfectly on the ground. "That brat!" "Edgar!" Eros was about to stop his friend when Matilda stopped him. "Come on you are ruining the fun" she said happily. "You are stupid this is the Imperial Pce!" "Chill the emperor is my cousin" Her words made Eros speechless but his attention shifted when he saw Edgar fly in the air again and thennded perfectly on the ground. Fist pierced through the air as Edgar began to fill the space with his fist. But Apollo''s eyes are not upied by his attacks but his stats instead. [Name: Edgar Williams Status: Humiliated Position: Swordsman Rank: Practitioner Level: 20 Strength: 150 Agility: 145 Dexterity: 140 Endurance: 150 Stamina: 145 Intelligence: 100 Mana: 30 Ki: 150 Mana regeneration: 5 per minute Ki regeneration: 10 per minute Vitality: 200 Skills/Abilities: God of destruction''s iron fist (Rank A) {Passive} Aura maniption (Rank A) {Passive} Weapon master (Rank B) {Passive} [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: {None} Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution: Demigod Asura''s Physique - A Constitution that allows mana to assist the growth of ki resulted in the body having higher ki than mana] "How can you dodge this!" he shouted feeling frustrated. Every time he threw his fist his opponent would dodge beforehand, it was as if he knew what his next move was. With his failed attempts tond a hit, Edgar became frustrated not knowing why his opponent was like this. The answer to his question was that Apollo already calcted his next move. Jeremiah was the result of his way of thinking being analysed, if he could do it to himself it doesn''t mean he can''t do it to others. With Jeremiah''s help, he could analyze and calcte Edgar''s next movements. Although it wasn''t at the level of what he did to Jeremiah however it was enough to predict Edgar''s moves. In his eyes arrows would appear indicating his opponent''s attack direction and despite their difference in stats, he could effectively dodge them. Edgar throws a straight punch but Apollo sessfully dodges it. "What the!?" After dodging a sweep was executed making his opponent lose his footing. A thud was heard as Edgar hit the floor, swiftly Apollo added a spell and lifted his opponent into the air. "What is he even doing!" Eros clenched his teeth as he thought of this. Edgar threw in the air again and tried to maneuver his position but he soon felt something suddenly pull him down fast. A loud falling sound was heard and then the sound of something hitting heavily on the ground reverberated through the sealed space. Everyone was shocked except the mages who were watching. "Apollo!" Eros shouted, for a moment Apollo was taken aback but immediatelyposed himself. Calmly he raises his hand and with its gesture, Edgar''s body is lifted from the ground. "Let go of me!" he shouted however his voice soon muffled with the sound of himself falling and hitting the ground again. "Enough!" Eros dash forward trying to stop Apollo however a massive bloodlust locked him in ce. "What the?!" he felt his body trembling and screaming, it kept telling him to run away. "I''ll leave now, please I suggest none of you follow us" his voice was cold and murderous making Matilda shut her mouth. "Scary," she thought. The group of mages soon left removing the barrier they made. "You okay Edgar?" Amina asked worried about her friend''s condition. "Get away from me!" instead of being thankful the young man shoved thedy away before lifting himself. "What the hell is up with your brother Eros" he said as he checked himself strangely he couldn''t feel any pain. "Wait don''t tell me" he checks himself thoroughly and he can tell that they healed him before leaving. "Even the floor is fixed" Matilda added. "It''s as if they are telling us to shut our mouths," Lina said feeling scared. From the beginning, she never liked the situation especially since she felt like something forcefully removed them from the other guests. "Let''s not talk to your brother again Eros I am afraid of him" she added. However, Eros just clicked his tongue feeling annoyed. "Let''s go back!" he shouted leading his friends back to their table. Other guests on the other hand took their partners on the dance floor trying to take advantage of the sweet tune of the music. But no matter how sweet the ambience Eros and Athena felt bitter seeing how Apollo was able to beat one of their friends. "That little pest!" Athena clenched her fist as she said this. However no matter how much they whine they won''t be able to forget about what happened that night. .... The banquet ended and the guests lounged inside the pce because the hunting festival would start tomorrow. Apollo stared at the window looking at the quiet night. "Tomorrow is the hunting festival" he mumbles then he looks at his stats quietly calcting his next move. "Jeremiah show me my inventory" [Affirmative Creator] A screen appeared presenting the items he had stored. From elixirs and weapons to the spell book he finds interesting, all of it inside, apanied by their quantity, quality and attributes. Each item is put together on a grid-based method for easy ess to each item. "Let''s see" He sat down on the bed looking at the two items he found interesting to use. "Hmm....why not" Morning came and everyone was transported towards a spacious field near a forest. Every season different types of beasts would begin to increase, overpopting the habitat they live in. To address this situation nobles from all across the empire would issue a hunting event to trim down their numbers. If by any chance they fail to decrease their numbers, a breakout will ur. Later on, this hunting event became a sport among the aristocracy and elite families. "Well, this kind of event tends to have one or two incidents" Apollo silently thought as he walked beside Alger. "Do you want to hunt little sun?" the old mage asked seeing the boy curiously looking around. "Yes Grandpa I want to hunt" he smiled cheerfully as he said this. The sound of ceremonial cannons was heard signalling the start of the hunting event and all swordsmen, mages and even fighters confidently entered the Olgami forest. Before entering the forest hunters are given a list of specific magical beasts they need to hunt. The said beasts are those who popte at a fast rate and their numbers could obstruct the bnce of the habitat they live in. The beasts they need to hunt are the following: Silvanhowl Willowlynx Hazelgleam rabbit Red Moonlit Vixen Snout river hog Five species of beasts ranging from basic to baron rank but, if you are unlucky you might meet a duke-rank beast deep within the woods. "Eros we should hunt a snout river hog, from what I have heard the heart of that beast increases your affinity to water element" Edgar suggested as he in a small hazelgleam rabbit. However, as they walk deeper into the forest a horde of beast rush in. "Axion be our Vanguard, Elena focus on assist, Athena st a path for us while Edgar and I cover you" As soon as the threat appeared Eros immediately gave hismand turning the frantic situation calm. As they tried to create a path to retreat they didn''t notice how the horde of beast began separating them. "Edgar back me up here!" Eros shouted as he tried to y another Silvanhowl beast. "Ed?" Not receiving any response, dread trails down his back as he slowly turns back. "Damn it!" He could only say seeing he was all alone while being surrounded by a horde of beast. Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Gonna grab some popcorn The night before the hunt, Apollo quietly sat on his bed, taking two items from his inventory. It was a bullet and sniper rifle made specifically by the Blue Moon tower mages and him. "These pair were unreleased weapons during breakout... I and the rest of the Blue Moon mages couldn''t figure out the solution for this overheating rifle" He said holding the silver casting of the riffle. [What do you n to do Creator?] "Enchantment weapons" he started off [You will be caught your mana signature will be traced through the bullet] "Maybe if they can see the bullet" Apollo chuckled as he said this. Jeremiah was a bit skeptical of whatever his Creator was doing but continued to observe. [Notification Alert Congrattions creator you gained a skill called Automatic Weaponry] "Finally it appeared" Apollo said putting down the bullet he was enchanting [What just happened?] Jeremiah questioned feeling something was off with Apollo''s reaction. "There is one more thing I need to make sure my n is wless" [And I suppose that would be me] "Correct, spells and skills made by you can strangely escape any sort of detection and irvoyance spells" [So you pretended to make a weapon to acquire a skill?] "Yes and no I didn''t pretend to make a weapon, I was really in the process of making one" he defended himself as he raised the bullet in his hand seemingly asking for Jeremiah to look at it. Deep within Apollo''s consciousness, a sigh could be heard from Jeremiah. "Let me see the contents of the skill" [dly Automatic Weaponry (Rank D) {Active} - Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, rmended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon w: Materials are needed for this skill: chances of failure 60%] "Jeremiah use half of my stat points to increase the rank of my skill" [On it Creator] [Automatic Weaponry (Rank S) {Active} - Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, rmended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon w: Materials are needed for this skill] "Looks good now" He looks at the bullet in his hand a notification appears as he does so. [Material acquired proceed to creation?] "Yes" The bullet in his hand glows as the previous enchantment begins to be rewritten by a different type of spell. After the bullet he went for the rifle and with repeated scanning and analysis, he was finally satisfied. "Time for a live target" ..... "Grandpa" "Yes I know I know" The old mage waved his hand and the spirit who was following them was sent flying. "Sorry Ifrit I''ll make it up to youter" the boy thought as he saw Ifrit''s figure turn into a shining dot. "I''ll wait for you here" "Yes thank you, Grandpa" "Happy hunting Apollo" With those words, Alger saw how Apollo disappeared and left no traces for him to track. "Impressive as always" he could only say while creating a chair for him to sit on. "Jeremiah show me that bastard''s location" Immediately as he ordered a rectangr screen appeared indicating the location of a certain someone. "Edgar" Apollo snickers feeling happy at the fact that an idiot like Edgar attacked him back at the banquet. Last night while he dodged each strike from him he swiftly left a tracking spell on his arms to locate him once the hunting began. "If the dog is here" Apollonded on a branch looking down at the group of young hunters. "There it is the master" He checks the time and silently counts down. "3" "2" "1" The ground began to shake as a horde of beasts appeared everywhere. "Jeremiah was right learning the form of aphrodisiac and love potion can really be useful" Aphrodisiac and love potions are two dark potions that can manipte the hormones and emotions of those who consume them. Certain hormones in the body can make a person act in certain ways since it is a chemical substance that causes physical changes in the body or a reaction of the body. They also help control how other organs and cells do their work. Back to the situation Apollo created a form to make certain species of magical beasts wild. To make the situation better he added a stimnt that made some beasts horny. "Pfft!" He could no longer contain hisughter when a snout river hog licked Athena''s legs causing the young maiden to scream. Seeing the horny state of the magical beast made the group even more nervous and eager to escape, but the question is will they? A more chaotic scenario happens when Edgar feels the genitals of the wild earth boar he is fighting. "This piece of disgusting shit!" Whereas Apollo still sitting on the branch continue tough. "That''s it I am done with this!" Athena gathered a huge chunk of Mana, her staff glow signifying that the incantation was in progress. "Now is my turn I guess" He positioned his rifle and pointed it at Athena, as her sister cast her spell Apollo pulled the trigger and shot her. "What!" Shock filled Athena''s face as the spell she cast was weak from what she had in mind. "What''s going on?" She question however her mind had no time to think when a horny snout river hog began to chase her. "Don''t approach me" she squealed letting a spell pierce the raging hog. "Athena cast that spell now!" Eros shouted. "I can''t it''s too long to cast!" She shouted back. "I''ll cover you!" "You said that but you can''t even deal with a horny pig!" They began to argue while Apollo took another bullet. This time it was for Axion, smoke emerged from the rifle''s nuzzle while the bullet hurled through the air piercing the vanguard''s arm. "What just happened!" The young man felt his control over his mana became terrible making him lose focus. "Axion!" Amina shouted she was stationed right beside Elena protecting her from attacks, and from her position she saw how her friend flew away due to a beast attack. With her voice, Athena finally snapped at her antics and Eros reced Axion''s position while Elena gave a healing spell to their friend. "It''s getting boring" Apollo who was watching the situation said as he took another bullet. "Nope sorry you can''t summon spirits" Apollo pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the ground making the mana surrounding the party haywire. "What''s going on!" Amina panicked when she felt her connection broke. "Don''t summon Amina you''ll consume too much mana" Elena said as she continued to heal Axion. More beast began to arrive making Amina and Athena panicked. "Cast something!" "I am trying" Due to the pressure Athena''s spells were either misfired or too weak to do damage. "What is wrong with me!" She shouted. Apollo on the other hand justughed as he loaded another bullet. This time he shot Eros who was about to unleash a powerful attack. "Argh!" He felt a slight pain in his back as if something hit him, this moment of distraction was enough for his attack to fail. The young man was baffled, this never happened to him, with all his hunts he never failed to deliver an attack but now he does. With panic enveloping them, unknowingly they began to be separated. They tried their best to y as much of the beast as possible however they didn''t notice that the horde of beasts were being led by something or someone. And just like that Apollo achieved his n. "Edgar back me up here!" Eros shouted as try to y another Silvanhowl beast. "Ed?" Not receiving any response, dread trails down his back as he slowly turns back. "Damn it!" He could only say seeing he was all alone while being surrounded by a horde of beast. Eros controlled his breathing trying to lessen the burden he had been feeling. His arms felt heavy not knowing how many times he had swung it. He couldn''t use aura since his ki was almost depleted. "Damn it!" He clenched his fist as he finally summons his spirit. Apollo just watches not intending to take a shot. He was curious about what type of spirit his brother had. The more information he got the better. From his brother''s hand an insignia depicting a winged lion glow. "HUM!" Mana began to fluctuate indicating the high level of the spirit being summoned, Apollo watched with great anticipation. From the hand of Eros, the insignia spreads before turning into a magic circle. Apollo felt goosebumps when a giant golden-winged lion emerges from the magic circle. "Click!" He loaded another and tested a shot. "BOOM!" The air suddenly vibrates as the lion spirit uses his wings to block the invisible bullets. "Impressive" he could only say. "What''s going Kaze?" "I sense an attack master" the spirit spoke his voice almost made Apollo surprised because of how deep it sounded. "Wow cool" he could only say. "Hmph!" A grumpy groan sounded in his shoulders and Apollo knew who that was. "Don''t be jealous Gale of course you are cool as well" However it didn''t help when the tiny wing spirit continued to pout. "Never mind that lend me some of your wind," he said handing a powder to Gale. "It''s time to call our champion" As Gale uses her wind to spread whatever powder Apollo gave to her, the spirit of Eros begins to trim down the beast that blocks them. "Almost there buddy" Eros who was sitting on his spirit''s back almost believed he could finally escape however he felt the ground shook again. He felt dread, it was just like how the magical beast appeared. "Just what the hell is going on" he could only say as the shadow of a Duke rank beast graced the hunting festival. "Now let''s see how far your spirit can go," Apollo said as he took some popcorn andfortably sat on a nearby rock. Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Prey to kill "Now let''s see how far your spirit can go," Apollo said as he took some popcorn andfortably sat on a nearby rock. The intense amount of Mana began to sh as Kaze the wing lion spirit of Eros began to fight against a Duke rank Snout river hog. "Why the hell is that pig looking at me like that" Eros felt disgusted as he noticed how the Snout river hog looked at him. "He really likes you big brother" Apollo said as he continued to eat but as he took another bite a wave of mana made him stumble a bit. "That surprised me" He fixed his position and saw the sh between the two. The magical beast releases a water cannon from his mouth when the winged lion takes Eros into the air. A fast high-pressure water went through the air trying to hit a fast-moving silhouette. The Snout river hog runs to follow his target not letting it leave its sight and with another st of his water cannon he is able to hit the left wing of the lion. "Something is falling down fast" Apollo said holding his binocrs. Then with a loud thud Kaze somehow safelynded on the ground however one of his wings broke. With great desperation, Eros took out an elixir inside his space ring, he has been saving it up since it was very hard to get but with this current situation, he has no other option. "A booster potion lets see, Jeremiah" [Booster current duration 5:00] "Should I interfere?" He wondered looking at the struggling spirit and master. "Total boost!" Eros chanted. With the spell cast by Eros the winged lion''s body glow, as the enchantment took effect. Eros cast a spell and assisted his spirit surprisingly they are holding up well however time is ticking and soon the booster Eros uses will wear off. Eros was merely a surpasser which is equivalent to a Baron in beast ranks, from the beginning he had no chance of winning from a Duke. "Armament!" His eldest brother shouted and the dense amount of ki inside his body turned into a powerful aura. From it, the aura transforms into armour protecting him and Kaze. "Buddy I''ll cast a sh bomb on this pig then make a run okay?" The winged lion nodded knowing they couldn''t escape easily. "I already sent a distress signal but they might take a while to get here so we need to fend off for a while" However, before he could even start a series of water cannons and ram attempts were given to them by their enemy. Despite this Eros tried his best to focus and cast the spell he had in mind. Eros has instant incantation the moment he thinks of a spell it automatically casts upon his will. This skill was something he worked hard to gain back when he was still a child, Apollo was one of the people of witnessed it. However, Apollo merely loaded a bullet and shot at the winged lion who was trying to dodge an attack from the magical beast. "Kaze!?" Eros felt something weird and before he knew it the snout river hog ram into them. "Argh!" The two were sent flying due to the force of impact, eagerly the magical beast approached Eros, its appearance disying an urge to mate. "No!" Eros cried trying to escape however a water cannon sted his path. "Damn it!" Looking at the saliva dripping from the beast''s mouth the young Lionheart wanted to kill himself instead of being humiliated. Apollo smiled as he saw his next move. "Go on use your mana to kill yourself" he said however something came in between Eros and the horny magical beast. "Kaze" Eros felt pain when he saw his spirit''s battered appearance even with its injuries it went as far as to crawl to reach him. And here he was trying to kill himself while his spirit was putting his life on the line to save him. "What a shameful act" he clenched his fist so badly it started bleeding. From the depths of the body of Eros, a massive build-up of Mana and Ki can be felt. "An enlightenment" with his binocrs still on the youngest son of the Lionheart family saw how his eldest brother slowly achieved enlightenment. From the burning determination, his mana and ki red up forcing his body to undergo a breakthrough. Enlightenment is a state where a person reaches a newfound realization or knowledge. The benefits of enlightenment can either be seen spiritually or physically. Apollo just watched ready to load another bullet but something stopped him from shooting. From the sky, three figures came instantly killing the snout river hog. Apollo just sighed and said "Jeremiah thanks for the heads up" Right in front of Apollo, a rectangr screen shows these words: [Notification Alert! Three entities are heading this way Alert! please stop any possible moves and assess the situation] He looks at three individuals and one of them speaks. "What''s this?" "Did this boy just achieve a breakthrough while almost dying?" A man d in military uniform said with him were two soldiers under hismand. "Sir, he is a Lionheart" "A Lionheart ?" Then he stared at the red-orange-haired boy in front of him. "Well it''s no wonder he has such a talent" Currently, Eros was still in the process of enlightenment if the three hadn''t arrived on time he would have died if someone interfered with the process of his enlightenment. "We should report this" One of the soldiers then flew away heading straight to the tents. Apollo couldn''t help but sigh but eventually said "Well that was fun to watch" He stored his binocrs and rifle back in his inventory however before leaving he took onest nce at his brother. "Brother live more as you can, after all the hunt will never be fun if the prey is too easy to kill" His words were soon muffled by the rustle of the wind as his figure soon disappeared. The hunting festival was turned upside down when an unexpected amount of beast began attacking the hunters. It seems like the roles switch with the sudden increase of the beast''s numbers, the prey bes the hunter while the hunter bes the prey. Apollo made it this way to make sure his main motive wouldn''t be seen. If he only attacks Eros and his group the focus will be on his brother making it hard for him to attack again. The main cause of this incident was all due to the powder he spread that could make magical beast wild. It is odorless and harmless to humans but for some beasts, it''s intoxicating and at the same time making them insane. As he spreads it around the forest he specifically increases the amount around his brother''s party causing a horde of in-heat beasts to ambush them. "Jonathan weren''t you the one who assured me the number of magical beasts here" the emperor''s words were sharp making the kneeling mage scared. "I can assure you your majesty I did all the required procedures and came up with the results I presented to you" The emperor leans on his chair not liking how the event turns into chaos. "Could be the monastery?" The empress said as she worriedly looked at the emperor. "Maybe they have been active sincest year" He gasped his forehead as he said this. "None died right?" This time his voice contains a massive amount of pressure making everyone except the empress scared. "None, my emperor, as soon as the anomaly started the mage association and the imperial soldiers immediately took action" The emperor sighed and then remembered something. "Where is Alger?" Jonathan couldn''t but look up and ask "Why?" ..... "What is the meaning of this?" The emperor asked as he watched the tower mages have a tea party in the middle of Olgami forest. "Your majesty why don''t you join us" Alger said as he lifted his teacup. "No thanks Mage Alger, I don''t feel like drinking when my surroundings are like this" The emperor then looks at the pile of dead bodies that already form a circle around them. "How many did they kill?" He thought then his eyes caught the dead bodies of Duke to king-level beasts. "We took care of the high-rank beast and left the weak ones to your soldiers and mages" "It seems so...but Mage Alger I think I need answers" This time the emperor''s voice was cold seemingly threatening the people who were listening to him. "Answer?... well as my mages began to investigate it seemed like the mating season arrived too early for some species of beast" Then he looked at Jonathan and said "You may check them if you want" he pointed to the pile of bodies behind and continued "You will see that all of them are preparing for mating" Jonathan looks at the pile of corpses and nods his head "I''ll make a study about this" Amidst this chaotic scenario, the culprit calmly sips his tea. He wasn''t a bit concerned if the leader of the mage association found anything inside the corpses. "It''ll be fine, the chemicals inside the powder have limited time and will disappear along the bloodstream so no one will find it off since hormones are already inside everyone''s body, be it a beast or humans," he thought while munching a bread. "Well although I wasn''t able to cripple my brother I did harvest a lot, isn''t that right Jeremiah?" [Yes creator] Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Satisfied Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Apprentice Level: 17 Strength: 58 Agility: 56 Dexterity: 55 Endurance: 58 Stamina: 58 Intelligence: 58 Mana: 58 Ki: 20 Mana regeneration: 5 per minute Ki regeneration: 1 per minute Vitality: 130 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank A) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank A) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank A) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank C) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank C) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Lightning Call (Rank C) {Passive} - Increases any lightning-based spells or attacks. Novice fighter (Rank A) {Passive} -Beginner skills in terms of hand-to-handbat (next level Practitioner fighter Rank D) Master Weaponist (Rank D) {Passive} - abination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah Mirror Tenfold (Rank B) {Active} - Return ten times the attacks of opponents it may be a spell or physical attack Automatic Weaponry (Rank S) {Active} Demonification (Rank ??) {Active}- Rank General is required to open this skill. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution:{Unawakened} Current stat point: 1500 Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Returning Due to the unexpected incident during the hunting festival, the emperor announced that the event would be stopped. Some felt dissatisfied while the other guests felt relieved since they could still vividly remember the crazy appearance of the magical beast they encountered. Inside one of the rooms of the pce, Apollo and the rest of the tower mages were taking their leisure time. "So what''s gonna happen now?" Apollo asked as he looked at Alger. "We will stay at the imperial pce until the investigation ends" Then the old mage looked at Apollo then said, "You made sure no evidence can be found right?" The boy just nodded reassuring Alger. "If you are certain there is nothing to worry about then we can just wait until this investigation ends" Three days passed and the only thing Apollo could hear were the praises for the heroic guests who protected theirpanions during the hunt. The other thing that is repeatedly being talked about is how Eros gains enlightenment while fighting a Duke rank magical beast. A series of praises and envious remarks were given to his brother. [Creator it seems like your attempt for his life caused him more good than bad] "Really? But I don''t really care" [Creator may I ask you something?] "I am listening" [Why did you even make me?] [And what am I to begin with] Apollo closed his eyes and put his focus on the glowing orb inside his consciousness. "The reason for making you" he stopped speaking and took a deep breath and said "I want to be happy" This time his voice oozed an amount of sadness that Jeremiah first time seeing. [Is making you happy mean killing your siblings?] "I don''t know" This time his voice is strained as if something is blocking his voice. "I thought maybe removing the people who hurt me would make me happy" The orb then slowly sway left and right seemingly showing him that he is attentively listening. "I also thought maybe if I saw them suffer would make me satisfied.....and guess what Jeremiah...." "It did" he now became mischievous as if his previous disy of sadness didn''t happen. "However I am still wondering what it truly means to be happy" [I suppose all I could do is support you] Apollo chuckled a bit before speaking again. "As for the question of what you are, I think the only thing I can say is that you are a copy of me" [A copy?] "Yes, you are based on me, Jeremiah. You came from the analysis of how I think and react. How I solve problems and how I create my research. All of my skills in creating and formting magical equations, to building magical machinery were all analyzed by the spell I had created. And the result of the entire analysis was you, Jeremiah" [Is that all I am?] "Nope, I think of you as apanion or a partner someone I can rely on and trust. You were an artificial intelligence however I could sense you are more than that, you are an evolving creature, Jeremiah" [Can I ask you another thing again?] "Go I will answer it" [If I am the analysis of your thinking then what is this?] "Hmm?" At first, he was confused about what Jeremiah was referring to but soon he realized what it was. "Are you referring to your body?" [I don''t know if I can say it''s my body but I felt like it is my vessel instead] "A home perhaps?" [Maybe?] Apollo frowns trying to think, indeed just what did he even make? He was so happy he had Jeremiah that he had forgotten about it. Jeremiah was supposed to be a librarian to his own Akashic record although he knew it was impossible. "A library...no..you are more than that" he said shaking his head. For a while, he tried to think until he felt someone was trying to pull him out of the space of his consciousness. [Someone is waking you up, Creator] "It seems so" So with reluctance, Apollo opens his eyes only to see his mother Isabe. "Mom?" "Everything went well with you right?" She asked immediately. Apollo thought her mother would ask why he did what he did however the first thing she did was ask if everything went well. "Yes everything went well" His response made Isabe''s emotionsplicated, all she could do was embrace her son. She knew she couldn''t change his n, he was dead set on killing his two older siblings and neither could she heal him nor stop him. It was already toote the damage as been done and a broken ss was impossible to mend. Cracks already appear and they won''t disappear no matter how long you try to heal them. In the end, she needs to make a choice. To protect Apollo means risking the lives of Eros and Athena however, leaving Apollo means that her two older children were right about hurting their own younger sibling. Isabe wants her two children to take ountability but not at the expense of taking their life. All she could do was embrace her son, Apollo then hug his mother back, knowing one day they might be enemies based on the decision they were going to make but for now, they could enjoy this moment. After their warm embrace, Apollo finally notices that the only ones who remain inside the tearoom are the two of them. "They left when I arrived to fetch you let''s go son let me take you to your room" Apollo was confused but still followed. "Aren''t I too old for this?" He asked wondering why his mother suddenly acted this way. "Apollo I was wondering about sending you off to the academy" As they walked she started to speak "Why Mom? I think the things I learn inside the tower are more than enough for me" However Apollo''s answer seems disappointing for Isabe. "You can make friends there" "I already have those Mom all the mages inside the tower were my friends and family" "You can learn magic there" "I am already learning magic mother" Isabe''s shoulders slump seemingly giving up on her son''s stubborn reasoning however, she can''t me Apollo since the mage tower was a great ce to cultivate mages. Seeing his mother''s dejected appearance Apollo could only sigh before saying "Alright Mom I''ll go" "You will?" Her previous sad appearance turned happy when she heard what her son said. "Yes Mom if you think it will be helpful to me then I think I really should go" "Absolutely son you won''t regret it" Finally, the two arrived at Apollo''s room before leaving, Isabe gave her son something. "Here is the schedule for enrollment don''t bete okay" Apollo just nodded as his mother gave him a folder and a book wrapped in ck leather. "Open this once you enter the academy you will love to use it there" Apollo just nodded finding it exciting since he received a gift from his mom. "I won''t bother you for long good night son" "Good night Mom" Happily, Isabe runs across the hall returning to her room. "You can finally appear now everyone" From the wall and ceiling nine mages covered in white robes appear. "It seems like little sun will be leaving for a bit" Gavin jokingly said as he looked at the two things Apollo received from his mother. "We should tag along once little Sun enrols" one of the senior mages said which made the rest of them agree. "If all of you go won''t the streets be flooded with mages?" Apollo thought however there is still something he doesn''t know right now. "What did I really make" However he decided to think about it in the morning and look forward to his academy life. "Let''s tackle this in the morning" [Sure Creator] Morning came and the result of the investigation came. "On behalf of the emperor I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience we have caused and thus topensate for such a tragic incident the emperor will give gifts for everyone to use. We hope through this we may heal the heart of those who were extremely hurt during the hunting festival" One of the emperor''s aid said as he gave the message from the emperor. "Why is he speaking like there is a soldier who died in the war," Apollo said finding the words a bit cheesy. "We shall end the hunt for this year and wait for another year toe, one that won''t be disturbed by such unwanted incidents" "Please safe travels for all of you" he cut off his message there and left the elevated tform. "Well it seems like we all need to go home" "Let''s go!" One by one guests would leave the pce heading straight to their home. As everyone began to leave Apollo caught a certain someone''s silhouette. It was his family walking brilliantly among the crown of people. "Well maybe the academy won''t be so cruel to me after all" He then took his hood and went beside the other tower mages. "Let''s all head back mages!" Victor''s voice rang and everyone shouted "Yes Tower master!" the ground then glowed with bright light as the magic circle began to teleport them away. Chapter 27: Chapter 27: way to the Academy Today is the 23rd day of the fourth month of the year, aperi¨­. Inside the lively city of Sidus, the crowd began to fill the streets as the empire''srgest sanctuary for learning opened. Aster Academy opens its gates to wee the future learners they will nourish. I Apollo Lionheart was about to enter the registration area for the uing entrance exam however a certain someone blocked my path. It was a tall handsome man(ording to big sister Adhara) wearing a ck uniform symbolizing the darkness of the night while its hem was covered in fine golden linings. A high cor jacket adorned with silver buttons and the crest of the imperial army. This cold-looking man stood like a tower in front of me. It made me wonder does he think I''ll be intimidated because of this? "Address what you want soldier," I said feeling annoyed since the line for registration was getting longer. "His majesty the emperor would like to speak with you" He finally speaks, just what the hell was he doing looking at me like that? [Creator that man was using a spell to scan you, he even went through your space ring] "I see I did notice it since his eyes would scan me from head to toe" [What should we do?] "Let''s just follow him" And so I nodded my head showing that I was obeying hismand however he said something suspicious. "His majesty only asks for the boy as for all of you" He looked at the six dozen tower mages with me and said "You may all stay here and wait for our return" "Wait" Uncle Arthur said stepping forward and his aura immediately overwhelms the soldier. "How can you assure us that you are taking Apollo to the emperor" "Are you.." "I am not insulting you soldier nor the emperor, I just couldn''t trust a random guy suddenly appearing out of nowhere and taking our kid" Arthur''s voices were very sharp like des that can cut you down however the soldier in front of him didn''t want to be defeated. "I need an oath" Arthur continues not letting the soldier speak. "If you can''t provide that then let us all go with you" I looked at the guy in front of me and his ck uniform highlighted the emblem of the imperial army on his chest. I thought for a moment, will he agree or not? then all my thoughts stopped when he nodded. "Alright I don''t mind" And so the senior mage Arthur and the imperial soldier both went through the process of an oath before letting Apollo leave with him. Quietly the boy followed until they arrived at a small cafe. Neither of the two spoke only the sound of their footsteps can be heard as they stride across the city. Strangely as I move closer to the establishment it looks detached as if no one can see it other than them. "We are here" The imperial soldier spoke cutting off my thoughts slowly he went forward and opened the door for me. "The emperor is waiting inside" I nodded and as I entered a simple yet cozy atmosphere weed me along with the cafe''s wooden furniture. While a soft touch of light and a few potted nts on each table can be seen. The menu is written on a chalkboard offering a variety of brewed coffee and pastries for the customers to choose from. The fresh scent of brewed coffee bes an enticing aroma as if telling you to take a cup. It was simple yet weing at the same time. On one of the wooden tables, a man sits leisurely as he calmly drinks his coffee. A striking blonde hair with emerald green eyes, slowly I approach and greet him. "Hail the ruler of the continent I salute you" I humbly bend on one knee while putting my right hand on my chest. "Raise Lionheart I called you here for a task" I was a bit confused and wondered "What kind of task is it your majesty and why me?" However, my thoughts are not needed. What the emperor needs is my attention and focus not my thoughts. And just like what I was ordered to do I stood up and waited for hismand. "You may sit here so you canfortably listen" I nodded and sat right in front of the seat of the emperor. "I know you are here for the entrance exam and I am already certain you can seed" He started off then he took a file from his space ring and put it right in front of me. I frown confused with the namespiled inside the file. "Those students are sure to be admitted however they are anticipated to enter the lower ss" I took each paper inside the file while I waited for the emperor to finish. "Apollo" I suddenly froze when he called my name for a moment a feeling of rejection rose to my chest. It wasn''t because I hated the emperor it was because I had gotten used to only the mages of the tower calling my name. However, hearing it from a person I am not close with feels too foreign and it''s as if my mind won''t ept someone calling me. "Yes your majesty" I managed to say. "I want you to lower your performance and enter the lower-ss department" "No," I said deadpanned if I did what the emperor said my n to antagonize my siblings would be ruined. I can''t pass the part where they clench their teeth and curse my name repeatedly in their heads. The angrier they be the happier I will be. "I will enter with the highest rank and.... " The emperor remained quiet as if waiting for me to finish. "And as for entering the lower ss, I will still obey his majesty''s order" I only want to break their entrance exam record and their grades in their time as first year. The ss cement doesn''t really matter to me. "I knew you would say that" The emperor smiled as if everything I said was predetermined. "Your majesty, may I ask why you want me to enter the lower ss?" "Hmmm... it''s because I want you to take care of the students of the lower ss" "Me? Taking care of whom?" The emperor then pointed the files in front of me as if urging me to take a keen look over the students. "They seem ordinary" However soon enough I realized something. "Monastery," I said making the emperor nod. "Protect them until the end of this school year" "I will, your majesty" I said bing interested in the students'' background. "Well then run along and score higher than any uing student" "Will do your majesty" Protecting these students will be a good pass time before I ruin my sibling''s school life. First-year students are basically isted from other upper-year students for the first three months of their time in the academy. This was set so the first-year students would get used to each other and the school''s environment before being introduced to older students. "Just for three months" I grin as I leave the cafe. After I went back to Sir Arthur and the rest of the tower mages. I was shocked to see a long line at the registration office. "What the" I couldn''t help but say. The sky was barely lit but the crowd was already there. I sighed but still went to the line as I left, I waved to the tower mages who immediately waved back to me. "Let''s get this over" The registration was the first filter the students needed to pass, there your background and status would be judged. Although the Aster Academy epts different students from different backgrounds and statuses they would remain strict in their selection. For example, people who fake their age and background would immediately be sent back for interrogation. It is also a way to identify spies and potential geniuses that got mixed in the crowd. After a couple of hours of waiting, I finally finished going through the registration and was led to a separate room. It was a room filled with a pedestal containing a series of different floating orbs. "Please answer every question you encounter inside the orbs," one of the staff said, dly I approached one of the orbs and put my hand on top of it. "As expected at the academy the questions are very decent" Quickly I answered every question and went to another separate room. As I walked I saw the hidden magic embedded on the door. The function of each spell was to strip any disguise or illusion and even hypnosis that could threaten the Academy. I passed through the door and saw a spacious room simr to an amphitheatre. Rising tiers of seats ranged around an elevated stage while curtains and lights were hung up above the ceiling. Through thene of the seat, I pick one which not too close and not far from the stage. That way I would feelfortable watching whatever the academy wants us to see. Another couple of minutes passed by and I waited patiently. And in a strange way, the room was filled with students. [Notification Alert! Time magic is being used inside the room! The creator is advised to be cautious Time inside the amphitheatre is much slower than the time outside! Be cautious!] "I see, so in order to amodate the massive flow of enrollees they had someone cast a time spell here" I muttered and immediately studied the spell through Jeremiah. Without me knowing all the seats were filled. Then a man slowly appears on the stage. That man wore an ivory long-sleeve shirt with a ck necktie fixed on his cor, on top of it was a ck waistcoat with a ck overcoat resting on his shoulder. His lower body is clothed with dark charcoal grey pants, andced up on his feet are a pair of men''s shoes with low heels. As soon as he arrived in the middle of the stage he finally spoke. "Wee to the Academy aspiring students" Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Duel to enter "Wee to the Academy aspiring students" He started off. "My name is Adolfo Emberfall your test examiner" His husky baritone voice sounded very pleasant to the ears as he continued speaking. "The moment you all entered the first room means the entrance exam has already begun. I am certain that some of you have noticed that" He said while his thin round sses reflected the light on the ceiling. "For this stage of the exam, you are all tasked to fight amongst yourselves and through each match we will decide the winner, the results shall be added to your score, which will be revealed at the end of the exam" Whispers began to fill the vast room however Apollo''s eyes and ears were glued to something. [Notification Alert! The space and time around the amphitheatre has shifted! A time eleration spell has been cast Creator is advised to be cautious!] This made Apollo happy and immediately began studying the spell through Jeremiah. And so while he basked himself in the mysterious magic of time the stage began to be covered with a barrier to protect those who will watch. Spells from different elements were cast however the boy''s attention remained on the magic surrounding the amphitheater. Time magic was aplicated branch of void magic and Apollo hadn''t perfected his skills in terms of it. However, his euphoria ended when one of the names he read inside the files was called. "Next Niko Fernandez and Samuel Lucas" the examiner called and Apollo immediately regained his focus in front. [Stats Name:Niko Fernandez Status: Nervous upation: Pdin of the Goddes of time Rank: Apprentice Level: 10 Strength: 36 Agility: 30 Dexterity: 37 Endurance: 36 Stamina: 37 Intelligence: 37 Mana: 37 Ki: 30 Mana regeneration: 5 per minute Ki regeneration: 3 per minute Vitality: 100 Skill/ABILITIES Keeper''s warcraft de(Rank A) {Passive} - A type of swordsmanship that showcases the power gifted by the time goddess. Time sword (Rank A){Active} - A gift bestowed by the time goddess to the protector of her chosen child. Ability to cut through someone''s time, resulting in a decrease in their life span. Keeper of the time saint (Rank A) {Active} - A shield that can elerate or slow the time and space of any physical or spiritual attacks.] "Not bad however" he looked at his opponent who was at level 16 and couldn''t help but shake his head. "The gap between their attributes is too wide" "SWOOSH!" Wind suddenly hustled and Apollo was surprised. In terms of attributes, Niko would lose but in terms of experience and skills. "BOOM!" Another fireballnded on the ground and Niko sessfully read his opponent''s attacks. "Skill and ability wise this guy is far above" Samuel became irritated with his constant failure to hit his opponent. His attacks started to be fiery and aggressive making it readable but dangerous. Soon with the barrage of spells, Niko''s movements began to tter signifying his weakening stamina. He tried to approach but the rain of fire spells prevented him from getting closer. Niko regted his breathing trying to maximize his limited energy. Apollo closes his eyes knowing whates next and soon the sound of someone falling can be heard. A fireball slipped through Niko''s defense and directly smashed itself on his chest. The boy clenched his teeth he was so close to the range of his wooden sword just one swing and he could win but a fireball hit him before he could even strike. "Winner Samuel!" the examiner''s voice rang however the victor, Samuel wasn''t quite satisfied with his victory. He wasn''t satisfied that he almost got defeated by an individual way weaker than him. To quench the humiliation he suddenly dashed forward to the injured Niko using an artifact he was forbidden to use. A staff wielding a level 5 spell was taken out, it glows crimson signifying that the spell was a fire element. If Niko were to get hit by this, his body would be scorchedpletely. Apollo felt pity towards Samuel his image quite resemnce his brother. "How foolish" Before the spell could even be released a force suddenly flung Samuel out of the stage, sending the boy to the back of the seats. "The match already ended so I suggest you stop" Adolfo merely said as he raked his pure ck hair. His sudden movement made his shoulder-length hair messy. "I hate unruly kids" he mumbled then he flicked his finger making Samuel''s body appear on the stage again. "Someone get this thing out of here," he said loudly as if Samuel was a mere trash he needed to throw. Hurriedly the Academy staff rush forward taking the poor boy out of the stage. "Niko was it?..you may go to the next door" Adolfo said urging the boy to enter the door. Happily, the boy nodded but before he entered the door he took onest nce towards a certain someone among the crowd of people, a girl to be exact. His subtle nce was caught by Apollo and curiously he looked at the direction he was looking at. "Another one from the list" In the sea of people, a petite girl with purple hair and sapphire eyes can be seen watching the match nervously. [Stats Name: Agnes Von Elysium Status: Nervous upation: Saint of the Goddes of time Rank: Apprentice Level: 9 Strength: 20 Agility: 26 Dexterity: 37 Endurance: 18 Stamina: 19 Intelligence: 34 Mana: 34 Ki: 27 Mana regeneration: 3 per minute Ki regeneration: 2 per minute Vitality: 100 Skill/ABILITIES Magic Nova (Rank???) {Passive}- A hereditary trait of the Elysium household. ?Can hold a vast amount of mana ?Turn ki into mana ?A massive amount of mana sealed and only essible once reach adulthood Mind of a Witch (Rank D) {Passive} - Knowledge about spells and magic. [Authority of the goddess of time (Rank??) {Active}] -Locked! Practitioner rank is required!- Time maniptor (Rank???) {Active} - Partially essible due to the favorability of the goddess time. Ability to manipte the time in a short period of time.] Apollo doesn''t know whether tough or cry with their stats. It was amazing at the same time disappointing, Apollo suddenly felt that he should help them cultivate their skills and abilities. [Is that a genuine feeling or do you just want to study them] Jeremiah said when he heard Apollo''s thoughts. "Both I guess....hoo...." He breathed, and for a moment all sorts of ns popped into his head, he even thought of giving them a doomsday as a means of protection. "Calm down those are the only two, you have to wait for the thirteen more students," he said to himself. Unknowingly he began to think of the things he should do to help his future ssmate but a voice destroyed all his daydreaming. "Apollo Lionheart and Edmond Williams!" Apollo snapped out of his thoughts and went to the stage where he saw a boy who strangely resembled someone "Williams?... I see" Apollo smiled softly as he realized who the boy was. "It''s Edgar''s younger brother" "You two may start now" With Adolfo''s neutral voice announcing the start of the match. Edmond immediately lunges forward, Apollo frowns when he sees how his opponent''s sword changes direction executing a strike from below. It was very fast considering his stats, which means that his mastery of the technique was better than his brother''s. The wooden sword in his hand reaches Apollo''s stomach however it stops midway. "CLAP!" Apollo put his hand together and produced a sharppercussivenoise, a crisp sound can be heard along with the sound of a falling body. "THUD!" Edmond''s body falls head first on the stage, the sound of it made everyone surprise. "What just happened?" "I don''t know I only saw someone fall" Different theories wereid out since they couldn''t believe someone could be defeated with just a mere p. "Match ends victor Apollo!" The examiner announced, he then beckoned the boy to go through the door. "That was a superb spell young Lionheart" he added before letting him go. Apollo just nodded however as he walked passed the professor he caught a glimpse of blood dripping from his ears. It wasn''t really noticeable due to the examiner''s hair but since Apollo was close to him he was able to notice it. "It seems like I overdid it" the boy had thought as he walked through the door. At first, Apollo wanted to show off some of his prized lightning spells but as the match started he felt it was unnecessary. "What he received is enough I suppose" Passing through the door a ce simr to a maze appeared before him. "Kill as many golems as you can, each rank of golem corresponds to the points allotted to them" Then the screen shows different types of golem however a type of golem attracted his attention. "A mechanical golem" Apollo smirked as he saw a familiar creation of the tower mages. A body made of metal while the structure was highly simr to a normal stone golem. "You may first sit here until the other examinees arrive" dly Apollo nodded his head and went into the waiting area Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Scoring high As the staff guided him to a spacious room. A cozy and warm atmosphere wees him. "Are they trying to calm the examinees?" [Perhaps Creator] A spacious room with small circr tables and sofas ced at the side, while in the middle of the room are long tables with ane of chairs with it. Small potted nts were also ced on top of each table. While biding his time inside the waiting room, Apollo skimmed through the information about the golems. The information was inside a t rectangr ss that Apollo liked to swipe up and down. From attributes to the number of points allocated to each golem, it was all well listed with images inside the transparent ss tablet. The golems are the following: yguard - 10pts Stonecolosus - 20pts Earthforged - 50pts steelWarden - 100pts Titanium Avatar- 200pts Magma Guardian - 300pts Mechanical golem - 500pts [Notification alert! Time magic has been detected! The time inside is slower than the time outside!] "Another time magic" He closed the tablet and decided to study time magic again. Within five minutes students filled the waiting room and prepared for the start of the next part of the exam. For a couple of minutes only a couple of whispers and breaths could be heard until the sound of trumpets echoed across the waiting room. "All examinees prepare forbat!" A feminine neutral voice suddenly sounded from all across the room. Causing confusion among some since they can''t find its source. "All students must gather as many points as possible. The points that will be gathered in this stage shall be added to your final score" Then the floor lit up and a different set of weapons emerged. "Take any weapons that you all mostfortable with and score as high as you can" Immediately each aspiring academy student took the weapon they felt mostfortable with and prepared for the next stage of the exam. "That is all, now to finally start the final exam" The ground suddenly vibrated surprising some of the students. Then the wall began to split in half before breaking away. With all the walls removed all that is left are the pieces of furniture of the waiting room. "You may all begin" With those words the ground shook again but for a different kind of reason. "Are those golems?" "Wait why are they so big and tall!" "Wait I didn''t sign up for this!" Some kids began to panic while some hurriedly dashed forward to gain as many points as possible. "Jeremiah scan the vicinity" [Affirmative!] [Scanningplete 1000 golems are found throughout the maze. 500 yguard, 200 Stonecolosus, 100 Earthforged, 50 steelWarden, Magmaguardian, Mechanical golem and titanium avatar] Apollo frowned a bit, the first three golems were fine since they were still manageable however thest three which were magmaguardian, mechanical golem and titanium avatar, seemed to be too hard for 13-year-old students. Especially the bodies of titanium avatars and magma guardians were extremely hard to destroy and approach. "Jeremiah mark all the magma guardians, mechanical golem and titanium avatars, I''ll take care of those fes" [Will do, Creator] As Jeremiah began to mark all the targets Apollo began to cast, he wanted to find out where are the other thirteen that were on the list. "I need to make sure they can at least make it" 1000 golems against three thousand aspiring academy students. "The golems won''t be enough for everyone and one more problem" Apollo leans back dodging a sword sh, ultimately a wall receives the might of the attack. Small pieces of the wall fall as he looks at the person who released the strike. "You attack too loudly Edmond Williams" "Tsk!" Some examinees began attacking each other in order to trim down thepetition, after all, no rules say it wasn''t allowed. "Sorry, but I don''t have time with you" Apollo started to say as he formed his stance. The young Lionheart nted his feet on the ground, weight-centred. Then he slightly bent his knees making his muscles tense. One of his hands was raised forming a guard while the other was drawn back ready to attack. Edmond reacted upon seeing this so he lowered his de to try and intercept it. Positioning his sword vertically, he tried to create a barrier that would protect his upper body and face from the upward strike. However, Apollo suddenly changed his stance, swiftly transitioning he shifted his weight and began to lower his upper body. One of his legs steps forward creating distance from the other. In fluid movement, he raises his leg and releases a nuclear kick. Catching Edmond off guard, his opponent''s sword which was in a vertically low position was useless as his opponent''s legs aimed at his temple. He expected an uppercut however he received a kick, and his focus was mainly on Apollo''s fist which made it impossible for him to catch his kick. "Damn it" he could only say before losing his consciousness. Edmond fell on the ground before being identally stepped on by Apollo. "Gotta hurry" [Notification alert! With such skill execution the Practitioner fighter skill is elevated to Amateur fighter (Rank D) ] "That''s a good thing...now where are my future ssmates" He already receives the information about the type of their mana and background so all he needs to do is to locate them. Apollo released the same spell he used in the banquet, that way he could find their mana signature and the type he saw from the file. "Find them!..wait" Suddenly Apollo halted when he noticed something "All of them are together?" On one of the corners of the maze, fifteen students were together, hunting golems in order to gain enough points. "Hmm..this won''t do" Still skeptical about their ability, Apollo decided to send some golems on their way. "Maybe it''s okay to send some steel warden" So he went towards a steel warden who was about to attack a student and decided to throw the giant golem towards the direction of his future ssmates. "They are at least 10 more steel warden it seems like more students are joining together" However, it didn''t really bother him instead he approached another golem before kicking it away. The poor golem flew into the air towards the direction of fifteen 13-year-old kids. "BOOM!" An explosion could be heard along with a painful cry from the golem. "That should be enough" [Creator someone just defeated a titanium avatar] [Creator someone just defeated a Mechanical golem] [Creator someone just defeated a Magma Guardian] "Oh what''s this seems like we have some monsters here" He said as he threw another golem into the air. "Alright Jeremiah show it to me" Immediately upon hismand, Jeremiah shows the map of the maze. "I see now then let''s end this" Seeing all the marks Apollo closed his eyes as he made the space he was standing his territory. Mana rose up on the ground while Apollo began casting his newly created spell. Sparks of fire began to gather on his palms and soonpressed into tiny dots. Soon tiny, pulsating shes of light, resembling tiny yellow or red dots appeared. Those dots turn blue before dancing freely in the air. It was one of Apollo''s newly created spells. It was a spell called. "Firefly" Soon these fireflies flew all across the maze surprising those who were initially busy gaining points. "What are these?" "Don''t touch them you lunatic can''t you see, it''s a spell!" "They kind of calming to see isn''t it?" "Yeah" All sorts of words were thrown towards the sea of dots. [All targets have been located you may proceed Creator] The sea of floating blue dots floated and attached themselves around the target golems, Apollo took a look at the vicinity of the golems. "It seems like the coast is clear," Apollo said then he snapped his fingers. BOOM! Hundreds of different explosions simultaneously happen shaking the entire maze. Dark clusters of smoke can be seen in different ces and some aspiring students fainted due to thebined sound of the explosion. Not only the students but also the teachers who were watching the exam were surprised. They felt the abnormal intensity of the attack and couldn''t help but be amazed and worried. "What the hell is up with that spell" he shakingly said as he tried to drink water. "I could still feel the tremor brought by the simultaneous explosion" another teacher said massaging his head. "Another Lionheart," a female teacher said looking at Apollo with her cold eyes. [It seems like you overdid it, Creator] "Well did I?" Apollo confusingly said as he looked at the now dark sky and almost wrecked maze. Seeing the devastation the boy finally realized the severity of his action. "Well....at least nobody died right?" [You hope nobody did] Apollo couldn''t help but sigh. "Yeah it''s my fault" he said weakly then he suddenly noticed something glowing on his wrist. "What''s this?" He began to inspect it only to see a couple of numbers. "76,000" [ It seems like that''s the points you got from the golems] "Yeah I think so too" Chapter 30: Chapter 30: End of the exam The exam took longer than anticipated since some examinees took longer to recover from the shock, which was caused by the explosion. Those who were close to the site were brought down to the infirmary. "Should we hold that boy ountable for causing such a ruckus?" one of the older teachers said as he looked at the line of students currently ced on infirmary beds. "Then does that mean we should also punish the examinees who instead of attacking golems end up attacking other examinees?" Rudwick looks at Adolfo not liking his words however the person who receives his gaze remains nonchnt. "So whom should we punish the aspiring students who started attacking other students, or a boy who just did what the rules say" the female professor said who was apparently the examiner of this part of the exam. "Shane, are you just going to let that boy run havoc on the exam? I think Professor Rudwick is right we must punish him" A professor named Gabriel said. "If we are going to punish Apollo Lionheart we should not exclude those who excessively injured and attack others. If we are making a decision we should not make any exemptions" "But those two are different things!" Professor Rudwick kept insisting however some professors were skeptical about his reasons. "Professor are you sure you just want to punish an unruly child or is it because Edmond got knocked out twice by the same person on the same day" Adolfo said making the old professor look at him in disdain. "Whether we are punishing or rewarding an examinee" a cold feminine voice began to shut the mouths of the other professors. "That will all be mine to decide, after all, I am the examiner" She then looked at Rudwick and Gabriel as if telling them to shut their mouths. Amidst the fight among the professors Apollo and the rest of the aspiring students continue to venture the maze. "I suddenly recognize the pattern of the maze" Apollo said as he walked across the passage. There are 200 passages that will connect to the end of the maze, each passage will have golems waiting to attack. The first half of the maze has the first three golems in the list however as you draw near the end you will meet the remaining golems in the list. In short, the golems were put to the weakest to strongest. Also, the reason for the existence of strong golems was to force the other examinees to work together, gradually creating friendship andpanionship among them. [You destroy that sequence Creator] "Shut up and how am I supposed to know that" He said trying to defend himself. However, due to Apollo, the ns put up by the professors were destroyed. "Let''s just get out of here" He walked through the moving passage and trap-bound corners. "This is getting boring" he groaned looking at the map of the huge maze. [What do you n to do then?] "I''m going fast" Then he crouches down, with his one foot set forward while the other position back. His arms are extended forward and ced on the ground. Slowly his hair began to rise as lightning currents surged up to his entire body. Sparks of white light ignited. Soon his entire body was engulfed with white lightning. "Hoo!" Apollo gathered his breath and with the increasing build of power inside him, his senses began to heighten. The floor and walls began to melt due to the increasing heat brought by the lightning. Apollo using its power pushes his feet forward elerating at speed that yet again shocks everyone. A fast-moving white ghost crosses the passage of the maze. This causes a slight panic among the other examinees because they can feel the heat even though Apollo is meters away from them. "What kind of spell is that!" Rudwick eximed seeing the might of a spell that seemed unrealistic for a 13-year-old kid. "Professor Rudwick look!" Gabriel pointed which made Rudwick follow his finger, as the old professor shifted his gaze back to the maze he went immediately pale. "What is this!" From the walls to the floor, everything suddenly melted, turning the mighty maze into a withering candle. The towering walls turned into a melting wax while the floor was filled with burn marks and still burning holes. "How can he melt a wall like that!" A professor eximed. However, despite their previous surprise expression Adolfo, Shane and some newly hired professors find the situation quite normal. Each generation has different breeds of monsters and unfortunately for the others, Apollo is one of those kinds of monsters. What he did was only the tip of the iceberg, some genius prodigies would do excessive stuff to show off. And that is why some professors are expecting many things from Apollo. "Another dead end" Niko eximed when their team bumped into another wall again. "I think we should have taken the other route," Samael said however while the two boys discussed their next move a shout surprised them. "You two get over here!" shouted one of them. Immediately the two boys ran back to their team however as they ran, sweat began to slide down their faces as the intense heat came to them. "Hurry!" as soon as the two boys arrive seven mages raise their staffs to cast a defensive spell. A burning sensation seeped through their skin as the figure of a beast appeared before them. "Reinforce the barrier!" "Everyone hold on!" Fifteen students began to run as soon as the barrier was erected, however, no matter how long they ran they couldn''t escape the scorching heat, that began to melt the walls around them. Then it came, a sh of white light trail passing through the other side of the wall, behind it were the melted walls and burned floors of the maze. "What just happened?" It happened so fast that they couldn''t tell if it was just a strong gust of wind or if someone really did pass by through the other side of the wall. "No matter what that is we should hurry towards the end" a ck hair boy said trying to walk out of the barrier. However, as soon as he did so a burning sensation prated him. "Hey Alicia look!" said a boy with sapphire hair and brown eyes. The rest of the team stared at the direction he was pointing and there they saw the wall slowly melt like butter, which created another path for them to take. "We should follow the trail he left behind perhaps following him would lead us to the end of the maze" "Why not I think" And so when they all agreed to such a suggestion they continued to walk forward however they couldn''t get out of the barrier yet since the heat persisted. Back to Apollo who was suddenly hit by a dilemma. "Damn it! I forgot how to stop myself from this speed" [Haven''t I told you to revise the spell more] Apollo groaned as he heard Jeremiah''s scolding. However, to Apollo''s surprise, the end of the maze was already there, unfortunately, he didn''t know how to stop the spell not even slow it down. "Nah never mind" Instead of stopping he poured mana onto the spell and made his speed escte. [I hope you don''t n on killing someone with this] "Nah it should be fine" Apollo zoomed in and went straight to the exit causing a loud boom sound. ..... On the other side of the exit, another room was located there. It was a huge hall filled with tables and chairs, the scene is simr to a school cafeteria with three more floors simr to the other. The only difference it has from a normal cafeteria is that it doesn''t have a roof. Each floor has an open space in the middle that starts from the ground to the fourth floor. That is why if you look up you will see the clear sky reflecting the time of the day. "It''s been three minutes no one other than us finished the maze immediately" a blonde-haired boy said as he continued to y the flower pot on top of the table. "That is to be expected your highness after all defeating a magma guardian must have been heavy for some of the students" "Indeed your highness and it''s not like anyone can single-handedly defeat those three types of golems" Three individuals with high standings within the empire have their harmonious conversation however a sudden change happens when a massive heat strikes them. From all the corners of the room, fighter mages came out and set up a barrier, putting up a defensive formation against the unknown entity. "BOOM!'' Along the scorching heat was a gaping speed of an unknown being. They didn''t see what it was, all they could know was a silhouette of a white ghost-like being. Whatever it was, they found someone to look out for, that speed after all was frightening. "Your Highness are you alright?" asked one of the professors who was also a secret guard of the prince. "Yes thank you sir I am okay " However, their conversation halted when a huge storm hit the vast city of Sidus. "ZAP!" Lightning pierce the sky as dark clouds envelop the city. This phenomenon made three strong individuals grow more interested towards the culprit of this situation. "Apollo" An old man sitting on a wooden chair said as he looked at the sky filled with lightning. Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Apollo Lionheart The imperial 3rd prince Caesar Von Celestio gazes up, there he sees a figure of a boy covered in white light, striking the sky apart. "Incredible" he mumbled. Lighting spreads turning into cracks that seemingly break the sky. In the middle of it all Apollo floats releasing the might of his spell. [So this is your n, to exhaust your mana to forcefully stop the spell] "I don''t have any choice right?..just prepare the backup energy bank we made" Apollo heard a deep sigh within his mind knowing it was Jeremiah who must have felt exasperated with his action. The lightning spell Apollo cast was named Thunder Aura, its function is to d your body in lightning and use it to propel your speed. The problem is the spell is like raging water once cast it can''t be stopped unless Apollo were to fix it. The lighting state of the body will remain as long as his mana can sustain it and since he still didn''t have a turn-off switch for the spell he needs to empty his mana storage. Finally, after a few seconds of a storm, his mana is depleted. [Mana depletion has been detected! Proceed to emergency energy reserve!] "Hoo!" Apollo couldn''t help but breathe deeply as he felt strength return to him. "Now we have another problem" [You don''t know how to fly] "Yep" In a very fast motion, he started falling from the sky. [5 seconds before you die, Creator] "What a very warm warning" As he approached the ground fast Apollo felt his body slow down a bit before safely being guided by the wind. The wolf insignia on his neck and the fairy insignia on his waist began to glow, signifying that he was borrowing the power of his two wind spirits. As his body slows down and safelynds on top of a table, he notices two boys and one girl ring at him. "What''s up with them" [Maybe because you suddenly zoom in out of nowhere and cause a storm in the sky] Apollo just frowns until his gaze locks on a boy who has strikingly familiar blonde hair and emerald eyes. "An imperial prince" he recognizes him. The four people were locked in a staring match neither of them was trying to break free. [Creator why not speak] "I am trying but I don''t know what to say!" [.....] [Is that why you are only looking at them?] Instead of answering Apollo just pouts. "Finally we''re out" The tension suddenly broke when fifteen new people came in. Their sudden appearance put an end to the staring battle. "Let''s get down now" He jumped down from the table and went towards an empty seat. [Won''t you greet the imperial prince?] "We are inside the academy, status is useless here, so it''s okay even if I don''t greet him" he reasoned however Jeremiah spoke again [It won''t hurt to at least say hi] "Give it a rest Jeremiah I still need to refill my energy reserves" [And whose fault was it that you exhaust it] "Me obviously" Then he slumped his back on the chair trying to refill his exhausted reserves. Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Focused Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Mage Level: 8 Strength: 183 Agility: 181 Dexterity: 183 Endurance: 183 Stamina: 183 Intelligence: 183 Mana: 183 Ki: 145 Mana regeneration: 7 per minute Ki regeneration: 5 per minute Vitality: 180 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank AA) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank AA) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank AA) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank AA) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank AA) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Lightning Call (Rank AA) {Passive} - Increases any lightning-based spells or attacks. Amateur fighter (Rank D) {Passive} -A little bit higher skills from beginner level in terms of hand-to-handbat (next level Skilled fighter Rank D) Master Weaponist (Rank C) {Passive} - abination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah Mirror Tenfold (Rank A) {Active} - Return ten times the attacks of opponents it may be a spell or physical attack Automatic Weaponry (Rank SS) {Active} - Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, rmended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon w: Materials are needed for this skill Strength: 20% more powerful than regr weapons of the same grade Energy bank (Rank AA) {Active} - a space that stores mana and ki, only essible when energy reaches 0 Demonification (Rank S) {Active}- Demonification is a state where the body turns into a demon beast. Upon transformation, all stats go up to 3 times. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution:{Unawakened} Current stat point: 0 Curse stability: 45%] 1000 stat points were used to increase his attributes while the remaining 500 were divided between Jeremiah''s upgrade and his skills upgrade. "It seems like I need to kill to gain more stat points" [Are you going for a hunt?] Instead of answering Apollo began to scan the arriving people as if he were picking a prey to kill. "Jeremiah" [Yes creator?] "It seems like I have found the perfect hunting ground for me" he said while his eyes as a glint of murderous intent. 15 minutes came by and every aspiring academy student settled themselves on their chosen seats. However, unlike the other tables, a certain ce was devoid of any people except one. [Creator it seems like they are avoiding you] "Well I did cause a greatmotion so it''ll be natural if they avoid me" [You indeed cause trouble but aside from almost melting the entire maze you also traumatized some students due to the explosion you made] "Sigh" Apollo can''t refute it after all he knows what he did. "I just hope no one got PTSD from the disastrous things I did" [You better hope that it was the case if not you might need to hold yourself ountable for what you did] "Yup, I know" he felt defeated against Jeremiah. .... "What the hell is that guy doing?" Odysseus Arcanebane said seeing Apollo just sitting down while his eyes arepletely closed. "He must be sleeping Seus" Astrid Obsidianvale reasoned seeing Apollo dozing off. "Astrid, Seus I wanna befriend him" the imperial prince said as he stood up indicating he wanted to approach Apollo. "I aming with you" Astrid also stood up while Odysseus followed. "Since the two of you are going I don''t have a choice I need to tag along" Those words from Odysseus caused Caesar and Astrid tough. However, before they could even get close a triumphant sound of trumpets echoed throughout the area. "Greetings my aspiring students" Suddenly someone appears out of nowhere surprising most of the examinees. "My name is Acke Williams the vice headmaster of this academy, and I am here to show you the results!" Then a loud booming sound happens showcasing a huge rectangr screen. Listed on that screen are the names and the rankings of the examinees. "Those who reach the umted score of 10,000 may deemed worthy of entering the Academy, while those who didn''t pass the marker score will have to leave in these portals" He then made a hand motion and hundreds of portals came out urging those who didn''t pass to leave. "For those fortunate ones, I congratte you, while those who can''t make it, try your best to achieve greatness even if it means going to another school" Then as the Academy staff assisted those who failed the exams his eyes went straight towards a boy who had a hair simr to a setting sun. "The boy who beat my nephew twice today" he then smirked as he gazed at his nonchnt reaction. "Others are celebrating their sess but this boy decided to sleep" he then looked at the screen and focused his gaze on the name that stood at the top of others. "Apollo Lionheart" then he suddenly chuckled as he said his name "It''s as if your name was naturally ced to stand above others" Then he gazes back to the boy and speaks again "I''ll be looking forward to the things you will do young lion" [Emergency energy reserves as been refilled] Apollo smiled finally he was done with fixing his energy bank. As he opens his eyes he sees the crowd cheering and crying over something. "What''s going on?" he was confused and looked up. "Oh I see no wonder" He saw the list and understood the situation, immediately he looked for the fifteen names who would be his future ssmates. He felt relieved when he finally found their names. "It''s good that they all pass" As the names were listed so did their overall score. 1. Apollo Lionheart - 537,893 points 2. Caesar Von Celestio - 58,546 points 3. Astrid Obsidianvale- 54,356 points 4. Odysseus Arcanebane - 53,456 points . . "Hey, what with the big gap between one and two?" "Is this score even possible?" Some students were sceptical of the results but there were those who immediately epted and one of them is Caesar. "It seems like I am too far from him" "Your Highness why don''t we approach him now?" Astrid suggested wondering what kind of person Apollo was. However, another sound of triumphant trumpets interrupted them. "What now?" Odysseus said as he halted his movements. They were about to walk towards Apollo but the sudden sound made them stop. "This announcement is for the top 5 rankers that we have" Everyone became interested, they were curious about what sort of announcement it was. "That announcement!" He stops trying to build up anticipation from his audience and to his relief they did. Then he purses his lips to speak. "That announcement shall be announced on the first day of the academy, that is all I have to say, good day" Then he disappeared leaving the students disappointed. "Just what the hell was that" Apollo couldn''t help but say. Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Hunting "When you build up a hype before trashing it down the drain" Apollo sighed thinking he could get a reward. [It might be the case Creator, you just need to wait until the start of the ss] "The start of the ss is on the tenth day of the sixth month, I¨±nius" [We still have a month to prepare] "Yes that is correct" After the announcement of those who passed the entrance exam Apollo immediately disappeared among the crowd. "We lost him" Odysseus said as he stood up on top of a table. "That''s unfortunate, your Highness should we visit the Lionheart duchy to meet him?" "No need for that Astrid, from what I''ve heard the youngest son of the Lionheart duchy currently resides at the mage tower" Odysseus sighed knowing that the ce was located in the middle of four dangerous forests. "Let''s just talk to him once sses start. Since the top 20 students tend to be ced in the high ss" "Seus is right Your Highness we don''t need to rush" Caesar nodded agreeing to their words however he couldn''t shake the feeling that once he let go of Apollo now, he wouldn''t be able to talk to him again. Outside the academy a huge crowd of people waited for their children toe out, however, the one that truly stands out among the crowd is 72 mages all lined up neatly as if a war is about toe. Some thought they were sent by the academy to secure the peace but the truth is they too were waiting for their kid, Apollo. "I wonder how little sun handles the exam," Gavin said as he continued to fiddle with his fingers. "What are you so nervous our boy can handle it" "Sam that''s not what I meant" "Then what is it then?" "It''s Apollo''s understanding of people that''s the problem!" "I still don''t get it, he understands us pretty well" "Yes and how old are we? We are crazy old wizards that have been secluded inside a tower for years! All we know is magic!" "Still don''t get it," Sam said as he took another pack of chips from his space ring. Gavin on the other hand just sighs. "I just worry that he won''t understand the difference between mages from the tower and mages that are the same age as him" he hopes what he feared won''t happen while looking at therge gates of the academy. "BOOM!" Suddenly the clouds turned dark while lightning began hitting the sky. White lightning evaporated the air causing a roaring sound among the dark clouds in the sky. All the tower mages stare and focus towards the source of the storm. "Is that?" "Apollo!" Gavin couldn''t help but face palm seeing the power Apollo was exuding. "Do you understand me now Sam?" Sam who was looking at the sky with an aghast expression finally spoke "Nope still don''t get it" Then his face turned nonchnt. "Sigh seriously" Another booming sound echoed before ending the lightning storm. "Where''s the little sun?" "He is falling down fast!" "What!" To the surprise of the people, 72 mages suddenly flew up and covered the sky. "Wait what''s going!" "Did something happen!" "Are we being attacked!" Their sudden action caused panic among the popce however before those 72 mages could even move, a single being stopped them. "At ease my mages, no need to worry," Alger said as he appeared out of nowhere, putting brakes towards the speeding mages of the tower. "The boy is safe take a look" he waved his hand and a mirror appeared. All heads suddenly went towards a mirror. "Oh he didnd safely" "That was scary!" They all felt relieved when they saw a red-orange-haired boy standing on top of a table. "Now all of you settle down" Alger''s calm voice soon set the minds of the mages at ease. "We should just wait" "Yeah," They all said. And so all the mages went back to their waiting mode, just patiently waiting for their kid. ..... Back at Apollo who began to blend among the crowd, his simple and nimble movements made it hard for him to be spotted. His action seemingly deceiving soon began to tail someone. Two giant gates open up for the students to finally see their families, who eagerly waited for them. Emotions suddenly rise as soon as the kids see their parents. As they take the exams series of scary things happen to them. Aside from the pressure of passing the exam their experience of being blown away by an explosion, and almost getting melted by a bolt of white lightning made the reunion even more emotional. Even though they are older than kids they are still younger than adults, so it was still hard for them to handle such events. "Mom!" "Dad I did it!" "Grandpa, can I enrol to a different school?" While some students gave some heartfelt words to their parents, Apollo walked around them tailing down a certain individual. Then at a certain ce in the city, a boy who seems to be the same as Apollo walks through the dark corridors of an alley. For a moment that boy stops walking, and a sense of unease creeps in making his chest tighten, something is wrong he could feel it. Then he instinctually nces over his shoulder trying to assure himself that his instincts were wrong. Nervously he looked back and saw a man d in a ck cloak. "I suppose you seeded Dino" The boy nodded in answer. "No need to worry brother the task you put on me will be aplished" "By the way, I noticed you were nervous a while ago did something happen" "No brother I thought someone was following me but it turns out it was just you" The man d in a ck cloak chuckled then he said "Oh Dino it wasn''t just me actually" More people came out from the corners of the alley all d in all-ck clothing. Their attire consists of a ck robe tied with a cord around their waist. Underneath the robe is a magical tunic which neutralizes magical attacks, while on their heads a hood covers their faces. It''s as if they are friars from a monastery, if it weren''t for the eerie aura they exclude anyone would mistake for missionaries spreading the words of God. "This sacrifice you make will be acknowledged by the great Nirvana, so be patient dear brother" "I will be," the boy said with great determination as if the safety of the world rested on his shoulders. "All will be ced under the great Nirvana," the people wearing monastery clothes said. "Yes indeed all will be ced under Nirvana''s will" Suddenly an unfamiliar voice sounded making them alert. "Who''s there!" The boy eximed. "I am a bit hurt I am also an examinee yet you didn''t remember me" the voice sounded again. "It''s better to leave and pretend you didn''t see anything here or die because of your interference," one of the people wearing monastery clothes said. "Wow, that''s a very generous offer, however...." Suddenly the voice turned cold and sharp as if it was a de that could cut. Then that voice spoke again "You see I prefer a third option" The boy named Dino chuckled as if hearing something ridiculous "There won''t be any other options for you" The unknown voice suddenly snickered and said "Oh? but there is" From the darkest part of the alley the owner of the voice finally appears. "Your deaths" he smiled as he said this. However opposite to his smiling greetings the seven people who gathered around him had a frantic reaction. "You are Apollo Lionheart!" Dino eximed finally recognizing him. "What!" Simultaneously all six individuals dash forward to attack. They don''t have time to underestimate him what they need is his head. "You guys like going straight to the point no?" Suddenly electric charge surges up to his body until it transforms into a bolt of white lightning. [Not this again] "No worries I can just use the energy bank again" Apollo heard a groan inside his mind however he didn''t have much time to speak to Jeremiah since six people were up for his head. [That boy is casting a buffing spell] "Deal with him" [Affirmative] As Apollo activated thunder aura the alley suddenly began to melt. This event made the six attacking individuals halt. They never anticipated such a spell from a 13-year-old boy. However, their sudden hesitation was all Apollo needed to attack. "Thunder aura, positive lightning" a huge discharge of lightning shaped like a spear began to dance in the air, making a series of beautiful light disys. It all happened in a snap they couldn''t even react, before they knew it their heads were all over the melted ground. "What" Dino suddenly pukes a mouthful of blood when his spell backfires. "Why did I fail!?" He said as his knees met the ground. "Jeremiah you didn''t finish him" [Master we need him for information] "Right, I forgot" he then approached the kneeling boy and ced his hand on his trembling body. "Let''s see Grandpa once gave me a spell for interrogation" he smiled making Dino cry in pain. "Please...I am begging you" he began to say. However, Apollo doesn''t focus on his words but on the spell he is casting. Dark smoke began to rise from the ground and slowly creep into the head of the boy. "Argh!" He shouted. However, despite his painful cry, Apollo continued casting his spell. "Darkness element Necromancy magic, Veritas" Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Monastery Apollo''s Pov So what is the monastery and what lunacy do they do, I''ll tell you. The monastery is a big cult that started 200 years ago, pretty old right? However, for people who harness arge quantity of mana and ki, living at least 200 years is possible. To start off, let me cut the difference between a religion and a cult. We had a rough discussion about this when I was in the tower so I would like to define the two first. A cult is a secretive group or organization which focuses its devotion towards a certain individual or figure. For those in the monastery that would be Nirvana. He was the figure of their devotion, their God and saviour. For religion, there are many definitions of it but we will focus on a simple one. A religion is a group or organization that has a belief and practices regarding spirituality, living and moral values. It is also a collection of faith and culture. So what''s the difference? Both are organizations, both are worshipping a certain figure or individual. It''s not really about the structure but the purpose and how they are being run. I remember having an argument with one of the mages of the tower when he told me a cult, like the monastery didn''t be a religion because it wasn''t famous enough to be one. I said the two were different so let me tell you some stuff about them. First, in a cult information is controlled, they would only feed you the things that will make it easier for them to control you. Oftentimes they would also iste their members making them view society as an enemy, or people wouldn''t understand them. In religion, you know what you are getting into. There is a lot of information about them and they are known by the public. If mishaps happen the public eye would surely look into it. Cults is like a one-way trip, you can only enter but never return or leave. Members who enter are unable to leave at some point since they have no ce to return to. Either everything they have has been sold or if they leave unavoidable consequences will happen. In religion you can stop whenever you want, heck you can even leave and get yourself converted. You have total freedom to choose which is the opposite of a cult. [Creator what''s the point of this?] Suddenly Apollo''s dialogue halted with Jeremiah''s interruption. "I was just exining" he pouted as he said this. [It''s not needed, just exin who is Nirvana and what the monastery wants] Sigh okay, The monastery believes that the world should be united. It includes races such as devils, demons and humans. They believe that they should all unite under the same kingdom, his. The problem is the three races have been in conflict with each other for hundreds of years. [I don''t think they''re bad, Creator] I couldn''t help but chuckle with Jeremiah''s words. "Jeremiah if they can''t give such enticing belief no prey will take the bait" As I said this my focus returned to the boy whoy unconscious beside my foot. "I pity him" [Are you perhaps hesitating?] "I am" I took a peek at his memories and there I saw how he befriends a magical beast and how they need to depart because of how the people of his town felt towards her. I felt his emotion, it was too vivid and pure. He loved her even when he was just a small child, he recognized how important that beast was to him. Even when the world saw her as a monster he saw how kind she could be. "A magical beast that can transform into a human, it''s no wonder he felt something for her" So he joined the monastery believing that a world where everyone can be united cane true. That way they could be together again. "Sigh" Apollo raked his hair as he thought of possible things he could do but time wasn''t really on his side. "Apollo?" Soon 72 mages surround me apanied by some guards of the city. "Are those people from the monastery?" Tim asked recognizing the ck outfits of the beheaded priest. "Little sun care to exin?" Sir Gavin approaches me as if urging me to calm down. "I am okay" Then I looked at the boy who was still unconscious. "Can I make a request?" I said looking at one of the guards. "Can you give him to me?" All six guards look at each other before letting their leader decide. "We will investigate first young master, so please cooperate with us" I nodded not finding it a hassle. "Apollo, are you alright?" Sir Gavin asked again. He must have thought that I would receive some shock upon doing my first kill. However, I was fine, strangely I was. Perhaps it''s because I am not too foreign to death and blood. Back at the tower, experimentation with humans was conducted and even with my mother''s disapproval I still participated in those types of experiments. Those experiments are done not because we discard human life and put more importance on knowledge and magic. We did it because of thew, there is a certain punishment on the empire''sw that strips the human status of a person,belling them as objects. It was a punishment known as ''A res'' And since they were deemed as objects, ording to the empire''sw they would be sent to five magicalboratories to be used as objects for experimentation. "It will be his fate too" I could only say. Crimes that are punishable by A res are treason, armed rebellion and rioting. Initiating separatism, colluding with the enemy and spying or espionage. There is also selling important secrets and providing material support to the enemy, especially at war. Currently, that boy will be put to trial. If he doesn''t snap from the monastery''s teaching and is deemed dangerous despite his age he will be punished. "Apollo" I looked back and saw Grandpa Alger it seemed he was able to make it. "It seems like a task has been given to you" I could only nod not daring to speak, my mind was still upied with how to save that boy, but as my thoughts drifted away so did the bodies and blood that I caused. "It''s raining," I noticed. More drops of water fell from the sky drowning my thoughts away. The boy''s memories caused me to remember things that I tried to forget. His pain and suffering made me sympathize with him. "Apollo" "Yes Grandpa" "I am just going to remind you of your duty," he said softly while tapping my shoulders. "I will" I closed my eyes and erased any more thoughts that could jeopardize my n. After all that boy was one of the examinees that I found suspicious. "Jeremiah" [Yes creator] "Show me their location" A map presented itself to me and all the marked individuals appeared with their current location. Ten red glowing dots can be seen on the map unfortunately four of them already left the city. "Should I chase them?" Looking at the 72 mages with me it''s possible however it will be a different story if more people from the monastery appeared. An unnned attack often ends in bloody endings. I can''t attack without any information about my enemy. "I should wait until the ss finally starts" Then I took two chanting bracelets from my space ring. "Sir Gavin can I ask for a favor" "What is it little sun" "I would like you to go to this certain ce and guard the people inside it" I gave a parchment containing the addresses of my future ssmates. Sir Gavin took the paper and nodded. "Leave this to me" Then his figure immediately disappeared along the increasing fall of the rain. Then I shifted my gaze towards the other mages, then I said "Would it be okay if someone were to cast irvoyance magic here" "What are you trying to find little sun" they asked. "A rat" I answered. The mages look at each other confused. The school year hasn''t started yet I can already see how many headaches I need to deal with. There is no such thing as absolutel in this world. That is why anyone can find loopholes in objects and people as long as they look around. However, the academy''s barriers are as strong as the imperial pce, so who could break it up? "It''s either someone tampered with the Academy''s magical barrier or they have a master when ites to magical barriers" But l could feel it, something was weird as if I was missing something. Then suddenly it hit me. I wasn''t able to see the method of how that boy was able to escape from the academy''s defence and detection mechanism. "Someone manipted their memories or..they didn''t use anything to deceive the detection. They were eligible to enter and thus no rm sounded" Meaning to say, some respectable households actually allied themselves with the monastery, because the academy wouldn''t just ept kids without a good background. Of course there all always exceptions to that rule. "A genius" That boy was really good, too good for his age then I began to think if it weren''t for a fact his up against me then he wouldn''t lose so easily. The monastery''s reach is very deep now. This is messed up no wonder I was given this task, other families can''t be trusted. The only families the imperial family canpletely trust are the four ducal families, which makes me involved. And instead of letting those fifteen stay inside the imperial pce, the decision was to let them enter the academy where the emperor''s control is minimal. "That only means the imperial pce is no longer safe" Thest option now is to send them to the second most protective ce in the empire, the academy. The imperial family can''t directly involve themselves with the matters of the Academy due to the oath. That is why they need someone who can move freely inside of the academy, me. "Those kids might be in danger" I worriedly ran through the streets of the city, behind me were dozens of mages, all eager to see my next move. Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Connection Those fifteen students had one thing inmon when I saw their backgrounds. Their characteristics were that of a key, so what exactly is a key, let me tell you. 50 years ago Nirvana was sealed away, by certain five individuals, and in order to free him the monastery needed to find the key. Keys are no objects instead they are people, more specifically the descendants of the original five who made the seal. Since it was their power that created the seal, it was also their power that could remove it. "Now everything makes sense, from the massacre of Hexzon Vige to the destruction of the Elysium kingdom" "They were hunting the descendants in order to free Nirvana" [It makes all the reason why they are so desperate to get those kids] "Yes because once they enter the academy it will be more difficult to get them" [Even with their spies] "Yes even with spies" "Jeremiah refill the energy bank, I am going fast" [On it] Suddenly my body began to be energized with blue lightning and with its strength I zoomed through the city surprising the mages behind me. "This spell is different from the one he used before" Tim said as he used a spell to increase his speed. "It''s no use our little sun is too fast we can''t keep up" Sam said realizing any type of eleration spell wouldn''t be able to keep up with Apollo''s speed. "There is only one person who can keep up with Apollo" Then a speeding figure almost blew the 71 mages away. "Was that?!" "Yup it''s the strongest mage inside the tower, the head, Alger Thornvale" A dense amount of blue mana coats around Alger''s body as he tries to keep up with Apollo. "What a troublesome spell" the old wizard could only say. .... [30 seconds before the spell wore off] I nodded knowing the duration of the spell was connected to my mana. Once the spell stops means my mana is dropped to zero. However, I had no choice I don''t have any spells in my arsenal that can give this much boost in speed. Soon I arrive at a small manor west of the city. It was deste with no other houses near it. As I drew closer I saw Sir Gavin fighting with twenty people, their outfits were the same as the ones I fought before. "Why didn''t he ask for help" [Creator a jamming spell was cast around the manor, so no telepathic transmission can be sent] "Tsk make sense" [There is a barrier up ahead we need to break it before we can enter] "Yeah I''m on it" I put my hands together creating a dense amount of lightning thenpressed it into a single point. "Thunder aura, sh point" A tiny dot ofpressed lightning flew towards the invisible barrier making it tremble. With the sudden tremor caused by the attack, all those inside the manor couldn''t help but look and see a sh of light thatpletely destroyed the barrier. "What''s going on?" Alicia said as she used her body as a shield to protect the rest of her ssmates from their assants. "Impossible!" Amitar one of the high priests of the monastery shouted as he saw how a barrier made by ten senior mages shattered like a fragile ss. "Lady Alicia please fall back we will protect you," a battered knight said while ten more knights stood with him. Behind their back was a room that the little girl tried to protect. "Alicia" a girl began to sob from the inside of the room but the little girl named Alicia kept the door shut. "Don''t worry I won''t die" As she said those words lightning struck causing a loud roaring sound. ... "Thunder aura, negative lightning" Several strokes of lightning sh and every strike made bodies fall on the ground. [20 seconds before the spell wore off] Hearing those words made my body even lighter and zoomed across thewn of the manor, there I saw Sir Gavin surrounded by twenty senior mages. "Thunder aura, negative lightning" A roaring sound echoed as lightning struck attacking twenty enemies. "Apollo!" "Yeah!" Sir Gavin and I began tobine our attack, putting our hands together, fire and lightning began to mix. "st up firebolt!" A zing inferno with charges of lightning sts the twenty enemies. The subtle colors of red and orange soon devoured the enemy, while a series of crackling noises made by the lightning buried their screams. All that is left is the sound of thunder and falling rain. [10 seconds before the spell wore off] "Tsk!" I clicked my tongue and gave Sir Gavin a wicked smile before flying away. Since I was in a hurry, without hesitation I blew one of the manor''s walls to easily get inside. However, the first thing I saw was a group of ck-hooded priests. "Great more enemies" I felt annoyed but I needed to deal with them. "Thunder aura, negative lightning" Three strokes of lightning dance across the manor while leaving ck charcoal corpses. The scent of something burning lingers as I leave but it doesn''t really matter. A mix of fishy scent of blood and burns prated my nose as I sted my way to the upper floors. Finally, after so many turns, I saw a group of knights against a group of priests. "Another one" [Be careful creator your ssmates are behind the door] "Got it" Facing the back of the enemy I made my move. "Thunder aura, positive lightning!" My presence soon was noticed making those priests look at me in horror but it was toote. I raised my fist and smashed the ground causing it to fall apart. "Fall back!" The knights upon realizing my intention immediately entered the room saving themselves from death. Although some priests tried to follow, I wouldn''t let them be saved. A blue lightning began to swallow the floor taking the enemies who were standing with it. Like thorns, the lightning began to bind my enemies. "Damn it! I shouldn''t die like this!" Amitar tried to cast a spell however the surging bolts made him paralyzed and soon burned him alive. His screams were soon reced by the crackling sound of lightning. Then my nose yet again smells the scent of flesh being burned and the rusty fish-like scent of blood. I shook my head a bit trying to push any distractive thoughts away. Floating mid-air I looked around and saw that I blew up half of the manor. "I was just nning on destroying the floor" A huge gap was made between the room and the ruined part of the manor. "I should check on them" I knocked and immediately the knight that I had seen a while ago opened it. "Everyone is okay right?" I asked, immediately the knight nodded I was about to sigh in relief when I heard a notification. [3 seconds before the spell wore off] [2] "Wait!" I panicked trying to hold onto something. [1] [0] "POFF!" My thunder aura disappeared along with my ability to fly. "Don''t let go of me!" I said holding on to the knight''s arms. "Wait!" He panicked as well surprised by turns of events. "Hey, your hand is slipping!" "It''s because of the rain!" While I shouted at the knight my eyes caught a glimpse of Grandpa he was standing in front of the manor while bodiesy beneath his feet. It turns out I wasn''t the only one who was hunting. "Hey, I need help!" the knight shouted again. My attention returned to him when I felt his grip on me began to loosen. "Not good" I could only say "If I fall I''ll drag you with me" I threatened the knight. By the way Jeremiah where''s the energy bank? Hey! Buddy? Why aren''t you speaking? "What''s going on Hamir!" Ady suddenly came out of the door despite the other knight''s warning. "Lady Alicia" "Enough!" she shouted at them before approaching me. "We kind of needed a hand" I tried to smile as I said this. "Yean I noticed" Then she grabbed my hand and pulled me up. "!?" [She''s strong] "Where were you, Jeremiah?" [I was fixing something I''ll show it to youter] I clicked my tongue in disapproval but I soonposed myself when I was taken inside the room. There, all eyes were on me. "Your Apollo Lionheart right?" a brown-haired boy asked me. Instead of an answer a massive headache hit me. "Ugh!" I groaned feeling the effects of mana depletion. "I think he is tired" A purple-haired girl spoke this time however, my vision was getting blurry so I wasn''t able to see her clearly. "I''m gonna sleep wake meter" I managed to say before sumbing to the tiredness I was feeling. ... Outside the city, the forest of Vain. The clouds light up due to the lighting while a roaring sound woulde after it. The rain intensifies as if covering the bodies that cover the muddy ground of the forest. While the storm continues a single individual can be seen sitting on top of a mountain of bodies. He sitsfortably as if it were his throne however beside him, there is another person who was there. Wearing a ck friar-like robe and hood his body floated motionless. "It seems like your temple has be too desperate, Oswald. To think you would attack Sidus" "Let''s see the monastery has 12 temples no?" "Since I captured you, the archbishop of the sixth temple that would at least cripple the monastery right?" That individual chucked as he gazed at the paralyzed man floating in front of him. "We...will...win" "Nirvana...will.....return...emperor" Lightning struck again and with its light, the individual''s features began to be seen. A glimpse of a pair of emerald eyes and soaked blonde hair. Augustus did not speak instead his eyes remained looking at his prey. "Send more people if want to" He made a hand motion and the man named Oswald drew closer to him. "Because no matter the number, I will kill them all" Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Tower "Send more people if you want to" He made a hand motion and the man named Oswald drew closer to him. "Because no matter the number, I will kill them all" Then he snapped his finger and with that action, an inhumane scream echoed in the dark rainy forest. Even the constant roar of thunder couldn''t hide the painful cry of Oswald. "Crack!" The snapping of bones can be heard as the monastery priest sees his arms bend disturbingly. "ARGH!!" He screamed even further however it wasn''t enough to stop the emperor from tormenting him. His leg began to bend back while ribs ruptured from the insides. Oswald agonized each time his limps were bent in a different direction however his screams were like a melody to the emperor''s ears. The more his enemy suffered the more he became satisfied. "JUST...KILL...ME!" He managed to say his bones began snapping again. "I know it''s painful after all I used a spell to amplify the pain you are suffering with" Emerald-green eyes calmly looked at him his expression was too hard to read due to his vacant expression. "I still remember the massacre of Hexzon vige" This time his voice changes making Oswald finch. A red blood-like fog slowly emerges from the emperor, it''s as if he was a beast that was trying to control himself. "Even the kingdom of Elysium" he added Now almost the entire area is covered with red fog. That fog wasn''t a spell or natural phenomenon, it was actually massive killing intent that materialized into a form of fog. "Your Majesty please stop now, the forest might die if this continues" The man who spoke was the same soldier that came to pick up Apollo. Despite the suffocating killing intent he remains standing and waits for his emperor''smand. Augustus looks at his soldier before retracting his murderous intent. Slowly the red fog dispersed as if it never appeared from the beginning. "How''s the kids" "They were fine and just as you predicted your majesty the boy came, armed with 73 mages including the legendary mage Alger" "I see do we have casualties?" "None, however..." "However?" "It will be best if his majesty were to see it himself" "Alright," Then he looks at Oswald before smiling widely. "I''ll grant your wish now" Then Oswald felt something was wrong, he started to panic when he felt something from his insides begin to eat him. "Wait....I...argh!" He shouted again as maggots crept in from his skin. As his body began to break down due to maggots, it led to his skin turning pulpy and discolored. A greenish or brownish hue skin color. Then areas of the body began to develop a mottled or blotchy appearance as wiggling worms infested it. "Argh!" he shouted again. He felt the sheer pain of thousands of mouths devouring his skin. He tried to move, he tried to scream but with his body being bent in an irregr way all he could do was endure the pain. Maggots wiggle and move across Oswald''s body leaving behind irregr cavities as they consume the flesh of their victim. This resulted in an overall disintegration of the flesh, and every process of dposition was all felt by Oswald. "Just...kill...me" However, his plea did reach the emperor''s ears. Rain continues to pour devouring the previously clear sky. Augustus flew on top of the city and up there he saw some parts of the streets with burns and melted roads. "Did a fight happen here?" "No, your majesty" "Then what happened?" "That kid from the Lionheart duchy unleashed a spell that caused this damage" The emperor was a bit taken aback and to make sure he wasn''t hallucinating he went closer to a back alley. "It''s as if there weren''t any walls here but wax instead" The degree of burns and meltdown made the emperor wonder if the alley was made with wax and not concrete. "Tell the marquis to fix everything in the city" "I will, your majesty" Then the emperor and his soldier went west of the city, which was the location of the fifteen students Apollo was tasked to protect. "It''s broken" he could only say. "A manor made from bull oak and high-durability steel was reduced to this?" "If I am not also mistaken this manor was made from a new type of concrete" the soldier added while he and the emperornd. As soon as they arrived the stench of burned flesh and shattered blood weed him. In front of the manor was also a pile of dead bodies. "Their numbers are quite high no wonder that Oswald was so confident" As the emperor walked he saw a man d in a ck wizard robe. The man''s features were hidden at first until they recognized the approaching man. "Hail the ruler of the continent, I greet his majesty emperor, Augustus," Alger said those words as he bent on one knee while his right hand were ced on his left chest. "Thank you for protecting this ce" "Your majesty no need to thank me, the wizards and witches within the mage tower did what we needed to do" The emperor just nodded with his words then his gazended on thest remaining structure of the manor. "I should take the kids somewhere before the start of the ss" "If it is a ce for temporary lodging may I suggest something, your majesty?" Alger then stood up from his previous kneeling position and whispered something in the emperor''s ears. "The tower?" Alger nodded "I don''t think they will have the guts to enter, well even if they try to enter the battle won''t be in their favor" "This is a big risk Alger are you certain?" "I am Your Majesty" "Alright but my soldiers will also be deployed I hope you don''t mind that" "I definitely wouldn''t mind it, your majesty" "Then if that is settled I''ll talk to the kids now" Augustus then flew towards the remaining room of the manor but before he could even enter he could hear some arguments happening inside. "What''s going on?" He entered and saw a boy sleeping on the ground surrounded by fifteen people the same age as him. "Children what''s going on?" the emperor asked and finally recognized Apollo. "Lady Alicia, what happened?" This time the emperor ran closer and confirmed it was indeed Apollo. "He is okay Your Majesty however his mana ispletely depleted" "Mana depletion?" "Yes but not severed he should recover once he took a rest" "That''s good to hear but why are you all circling around him" "Your majesty it''s because Matilda kept insisting she should do CPR" "What?" The emperor was taken aback and never anticipated the reason to be that. Then he looked around and saw the knights that he had assigned to protect the kids. "Why are you all standing there?" he asked seeing all the knights standing on the corner. "We were letting the kids decide what to do with the boy" "Deciding or betting?" The knights suddenly jolted and immediately hid the small pouches of coins. "These knights seriously" He couldn''t help but shake his head when he heard another noise from the group. "Alicia why don''t you give him CPR" one of them jokingly said. "He doesn''t need CPR Niko" "Come on just try it" they began to tease however Alicia wasn''t really into the joke they were making. "Come on Ali what if he dies?" "He didn''t drown his unconscious due to mana depletion" "What if his body can''t produce mana will he die?" this time it''s Agnes who asked. "If you are really worried then we should feed him with this" Alicia then took out a powder from her pouch and gently put it in Apollo''s mouth. "This should help him out" Slowly upon the boy''s consumption of the said powder, hisplexion soon recovered. "It seems like his doing okay" a red spiky-haired boy named Gelo said. "By the way kids" The emperor spoke gaining the attention of all people inside the room. "We will take you somewhere safer not this one that the marquis provided" "What kind of ce is it, your majesty" Then Agnes asked however a different voice answered her "It''s my tower children" Alger appeared holding Apollo in his arms. His sudden appearance brought silence from the children the first to react was Niko. "Hey, how did he get him!?" Then fifteen heads simultaneously look at the ce where they left Apollo then shifting their gaze back at Alger''s arms. "Children this man in front of you is the head of the Mage tower, he will be the one who will take charge of your protection before the ss starts" "The head of the Mage tower" Alicia mumbled as she looked at Alger. "When do we n to leave?" "Oh my child we will now" "!?" "Oh don''t be shocked outside this broken manor are 72 mages from the tower" As he said those words the room they are currently in suddenly breaks into pieces. "What''s going on!?" "Are we being attacked!" Some of the kids panic but Alicia immediately calms them down. Then as the room''s walls and ceiling disappeared a breathtaking view of the setting sun emerged from the sky. "Oh what you look at that we have one beautiful view" Alger eximed as 72 mages floated beside him. Most of them look at the red and orange hue that painted the sky but the girl named Alicia looks at the unconscious boy who bore the same color as the sky they were looking at. Chapter 36: Chapter 36: A month before that start The azure sky was filled with the vibrant colours of sunrise, and clusters of clouds floated while the warm hues of oranges painted the sky. The gentle light of sunlight would cast shadows across thend. Among the clouds, suspended in the air a humongous vessel that is usually found on water can be seen. A ship sailed among the clouds while the wind began to guide it to its destination. Inside the ship are 73 mages Alger included, 11 towering knights and 16 13-year-old kids. "Wow look at the sky!" one of the boys said as he closed his eyes to feel the refreshing touch of the morning breeze. "Braiden watch out you might fall" Alicia said while pointing at her friend Braiden However, instead of paying attention to her words, Braiden began to run across the ship''s deck. His brown hair began to bounce as the wind gently apanied him as he ran. "That little" "Miss Alicia I think you should let him have some fun" Apollo said as came from the navigation room. "He might appear rxed but look carefully" he said approaching Alicia and simply letting her observe Braiden. "Even though he is smiling you can see how he trembles, he is so tense that the only thing he could do to hide his nervousness is by acting all active" "Cut him some ckst night was something no 13-year-old can ever forget" After saying those words he approached Braiden and gave him a drink. "Last night was something no 13-year-old can ever forget....you said that but you didn''t even flinch when killing someone" Alicia then sips the drink Apollo gave to her. "Hmm? This tastes good" While Alicia savors her drink Apollo decides to talk to Braiden. "Where are the others?" "Oh, the boys are inside ying billiards while the girls are having their breakfast. I want to feel refreshed so I decided to go out" "Well, looking at the rising sun really is beautiful. The way the light pierces through the darkness and splits thend between night and day, it''s truly rxing" Braiden chuckles after hearing what Apollo said, then he takes a sip of his drink before being surprised by its taste. "By the way what''s this it tastes so good" "Oh, that? it''s one of the unreleased rations we made during the breakout" "Pfft!?" To Apollo''s surprise, Braiden suddenly choked on his drink. "Hey, you okay?" "You mean this is supposed to be military rations" "Yup but it wasn''t able to make it since food rations were switched to the House of An" "House of An you mean the alchemic guild?" "Yes they were given license by his majesty to take charge of food and medicine ration, while the tower was tasked to deploy their mages" "But from what I heard the ones that were truly helpful during the breakout were the tonics made from the tower" "That is also true I still remember when some of the alchemists of An came here to buy the form" "Wait they did!?" "They sure did" Apollo looked at Braiden and saw dark circles beneath his tired-looking eyes. No matter how he tried to act he was okay, the person he was talking to could see he wasn''t. Braiden on the other hand could also see that although Apollo looks okay his body looks battered from excessive use of mana. However neither of themmented about it, they just enjoyed the view and their conversation. Whereas Alicia just stood where she was eating the pastries and beverage Apollo brought for her. As the two boys continued their talk bit by bit more of their friends came out of the cabin joining the three who were busy with their own business. "I wonder when will we arrive?" the girl named Agnes said so Apollo answered. "Maybe at noon, I think?" "Wait but we started travellingst night and it''s already dawn" The blue hair boy named ir said. "ir is right and besides the speed of the aerial ship is immense and yet we would still arrive at noon?" "By the way I wanted to ask you about this Mr Apollo but why did we use an aerial ship when we can just teleport?" "Mr. Apollo?..pffft may I remind you I am also the same as you" Aside from Matilda''s and Niko''s bombarding questions Apollo was surprised at being called mister. "Sorry about it''s just that you act more mature than most of us, just like Alicia," Samael said as he tried to look at Apollo. Thetter on the other just shook his head feeling he was still too far from theirfort zone. "Let''s y a game it might quench your boredom until we arrive" "Sure!" "I am in" They all run towards their cabin ying games and sharing stories they find interesting. As much as possible Apollo tried to make them feelfortable. He never asked about their past or how they got into this situation instead he spoke more about his experiences inside the tower. He picked the most things they might take an interest in, like when he first tried riding on a broomstick and even feeding a magical beast. The conversation grew more as they asked how he invented the spell he used on the exam. "Look at our little sun he seems to be having fun" Sam said as he continued to observe. "Yes this is the first time he had this kind of rtionship with someone who is the same age as him" "We should celebrate tomemorate this day!" "Yes!" All 72 mages said then they began to n for the party. ..... A few hourster... A sudden knock can be heard which makes Apollo and the rest focus on the door. "Who is it?" "It''s me little sun we have arrived" "Nice!" Immediately Apollo opens the door and sees Gavin. "Let''s go kids we are here" All of them went outside and saw the pristine walls of the four towers. "Man that''s one hell of a tower" Niko eximed. However aside from the enormous structures they find impossible to construct, the gazes of the children went towards a huge banner bearing the words "WELCOME!" "Is this a weing party?" Alicia began to ask seeing some giant balloons and cakes prepared outside. "Yes, children wee to the tower!" Sam said happily as he cast a spell to create a beautiful set of fireworks. "Wow!" "I never knew having fireworks in the daytime could be this wonderful" "Now folks let''s go down!" At Sam''smand, the ship suddenly rushes down as if it''s falling. "This is!" Even Apollo was taken aback by this sudden action and couldn''t help but hold on to the edge of the ship. "What kind of shit is this!?" All he could hear was the sound of them falling fast, even their screams were muffled by it. Desperately they started holding on to each other, afraid that if they let go would be the cause of their death. Then as if by some miracle the ship stops abruptly causing them to be dizzy. "I can''t do this anymore I''m getting dizzy" Except for Alicia and Apollo the rest of the kids were either unconscious or trying hard not to puke. "This is a bit unfair..ugh!.." Niko who tries to stop himself from vomiting said, when he saw that the two were all alright. "Now I know the reason why you acted like that on the exams" Alicia managed to say as she held her head, it seemed she had a headache at the sudden fall and stop of the ship. "I am sorry about that" Apollo could only say as he tried to assist her. "Oh dear I am sorry about that, it seems like we have a little miscalction there" Sam said as hended with some of the other tower mages with him. The supposedly weing party halted a bit due to some mishaps however, eventually everyone became excited to participate. Apollo couldn''t help but smile as if he was seeing himself when he first arrived at the tower. The warm wee and love he received here healed the wounds he got from his family. Now it seems like his ssmates will experience the same thing too. "I really hope for that" That day all research was cancelled and every mage inside the tower set aside their unfinished work to wee their guests. They took extra care of them to make them feel at home and to the happiness of the mages the kids epted them immediately. And so as the party ends and dayse by, the day they need to leave arrives. "Here bring this!" "You need to take this with you it''s a charm for ghosts!" "Use the gun I gave you okay?" Before they could even board the ship the mages began to nag them about the things they needed to bring to the academy. "Alright Mom I am okay now, I have brought everything" "You sure?" "Sure!" And so they boarded the ship, its destination was set to the city of Sidus. The aerial ship began to rise on the ground making the people below look tiny. "Come back during the holidays okay!" "Call us if something happens!" Even when the ship began to leave their voices filled with concern can still be heard. This made the hearts of the people who boarded the ship happy. "We will be back!" Agnes shouted back trying to stop her tears from falling. After the fall of her kingdom, this was the first time she felt genuine happiness and couldn''t help but yearn for more of them. The mages of the tower were satisfied and so they happily let the ship fly away. "Sir Arthur, what''s that?" One of the mages asked when he saw a suspicious cluster of clouds which began to approach the ship. "Not good Apollo!" Arthur flew up his body d in yellow mana. As he shot through the sky hundreds of mages followed bearing the might of the Mage tower. Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Dungeon Summon Thunder erupted while clouds turned dark. "What''s going on?" the girl beside me spoke, her brown curly hair sways as she ran towards the knights and mages who were assigned to protect us. "Arab, what is it?" "Sir Hansen the sky look!" she urgently said while holding onto Hansen, the captain of the imperial knights. "Apollo what''s going on" Alicia and the rest arrive, they all stare at the same dark sky as me. However, their thoughts and mine must be different. "It''s dungeon magic," I said and immediately the ship''s defensive barrier activated. Dungeon magic is thebination of earth and darkness elements. Earth is utilized to create the maze-like structure of the dungeon while darkness is added to create illusions and trap monsters inside. Those monsters are either magical beasts or demon beasts ced under the dungeon creator''smand. From the sky, the dark clouds turn into walls that seem to divide the entire region. I felt the mana howl like a raging monster until that mana transformed the wall of clouds into solid earth. From the beautiful sky they calmly sailed in, it turned into an underground stone wall structure. The floors and ceiling suddenly emerge while the dimly lit corridor contains traps and torches, which cast eerie shadows on the corners of the dungeon. The sounds of rusty iron bars and chains made the kids behind me scared. It was a very distinct sound and for a moment a certain memory of mine emerged. Starting from the four huge forests to the territory of the tower mages three dungeons were cast. Each task is to trap the beings within it. One is for the four forests, one for the mage tower and the remaining is for the ship we currently in "How do we break this dungeon" Braiden said, I answered. "For us to get out of here we need to defeat the final boss of the dungeon" "That boss should be located at the deepest part of the dungeon" "Are dungeon bosses strong?" Agnes asked while holding onto Niko''s sleeve. "Yeah but unfortunately we are stronger" "GARAGHHHH!" an inhumane voice suddenly roared and made the walls surrounding us shake. I felt nervous gazes behind my back but still, they remain strong. The ship remains suspended in the air near the dungeon''s ceiling, for a moment I have the urge to explore but knowing it was made to capture us I immediately stop myself. "Little sun what do think we should do?" Sir Sam asked however I can see that his question was a mere test for me. "Jeremiah scan the area" [Affirmative ] Then a map appeared before me containing the location of the boss and the dungeon creator''s room. "It''s located right behind the room of the boss" "So Apollo what do n to do" "Sigh...seriously senior mage Sam why are testing me when we need to protect people here" I felt exasperated due to his words but what I needed to do was break this dungeon. "All targets have been acquired right?" [Yes creator] "Alright" My mana suddenly surges creating sparks that soon transform into tiny blue mes. "Wait this spell" Samael said as he recognized the spell Apollo was casting. "Firefly" A sea of blue glowing dots flew across the floors and corridors of the dungeon. "Oh shit I need to take cover!" Niko eximed as he ran towards the cabin with his friends in tow. "What''s up with those kids" Hansen questioned not knowing why they panic. Since the only ones who knew my spell were those who witnessed it during the entrance exam it''s no wonder they are unaware of it. [All target acquire] Hearing Jeremiah''s notification Apollo snapped his fingers and immediately an ear-piercing noise echoed as explosions swallowed the dungeon. The floors shook while the walls began falling over but I was not done yet. I took out something from my inventory and set it up towards the location of the boss. "Is that a cannon?" Sam asked but I just nodded. A metallic body with a smooth ck surface, my cannon named Orion came out andnded perfectly on the deck. "Jeremiah enemy status" [Panicking, they scatter on the underground tunnel they made, only the dungeon creator remains] "Great to hear" I held the cannon''s trigger which was simr to a gun''s and eagerly pulled it. "BOOM!" A pir of light went straight towards the location of the boss breaking every single defensive barrier it had. [Creator the boss is still alive] "That''s okay" I wave my hand and a cluster of blue dots emerge. It was a beautiful sight to behold, a sea of blue flying lights simr to a firefly, giving a calm and sense of assurance to those who can see it. However opposite to its appearance this spell caused 500 aspiring students straight to the infirmary The spell firefly calmly flew and went towards a certain location, the location of the boss. "GRRR" Inside the wrecked space which was previously adorned with vintage furniture, A being with a body simr to a man but humongous and muscr while its head is that of a bull. This beast stands upright on two legs while two muscr arms hold two giant axes. His back although a human, a ck mane-like fur would be seen on it, on its head arerge horns curved, protruding from the sides of its head. I stared at the injured beast with its eyes still remain fierce and murderous. "What a typical dungeon beast" Then I flick my finger and just like what happened before a full st-off happened. "GARAAHHH" However instead of dying the beast remains fierce and keeps swinging his two axes like a lunatic, it''s all it can do because they are bound to their rooms and can''t leave no matter what they do. Well unless the dungeon creator dispels the dungeon magic but that is close to impossible. "GARAGHHHHH!!" [Creator the other priests from the monastery are retreating] "Why?" [The dungeon surrounding the tower had been broken and the priests located there are all dead] "I see so the others are arriving now" [Yes they are] "Sigh why would they choose dungeon magic out of all spells there" I shook my head in frustration, if I were them I would cast an anti-magic circle and make an ambush consisting of assassins, after all, that''s the bane of wizards and witches. "GARAGHHHHH!!" that beast roared like a lunatic again making my ears pain. I changed gears and instead used a sniper rifle. Dungeon beasts are strong if you fight them head-on but if you remain at a distance with good weapons in your hand. A beast like a minotaur is just an oversized stationary target. "CLICK!" A bullet was loaded and with just a slight pull from a hand, a silent killer made its way to my target. "THUD!" The sound of a falling body echoed across the dungeon and the great beast met the ground with its head blown up into pieces. "There you go" "CLAP!" The 72 mages with us p their hands at my execution of weapons and magic. "That was good!" Sir Sam told me as he used his arm to pull me into his arms. "You hanging out with the Blue Moon tower mages was worth it" he added making some mages from the Blue Moon towerugh. I only shook my head however I noticed something. "Where are the knights?" Then all of us from the tower looked across the deck however we couldn''t see any of them. "Hey down here!" I heard Hansen''s voice and saw him and his knights dangling from the edge of the ship. "Why have you guys ended up there?" "Ask yourself kid!" he shouted at me. "Your spell blew us up!" "Eh?" confused I looked at the other mages around me and they all shook their heads. Unlike the tower mages who were prepared for the impact the knights weren''t, so after the spell was cast the overpowering impact sent them flying out of the ship. They tried to shout for help but the continuous explosions masked their voices. "Sorry" I said genuinely sorry for the situation. However, as we spoke the entire dungeon shook. "It seems like the others have arrived" And just like what I said the space around us tore apart like fragile ss, and from the torn space certain people came inside. "Apollo!" A familiar voice made my head look up in delight. "Mom! Over here!" There up in the air was a woman who made the knights shut up. She was a beauty through and through and adding the fact she looked like a flying goddess, made the people around me mesmerize. "Captain Hansen" I spoke making sure my voice woke them up from their daydreaming. "That''s my mom okay...she is Duchess Lionheart the wife of Duke Lionheart" "We are clear right?" Surprisingly they all nod their head while they still remain dangling at the edge of the ship. "Sir Sam please help them" Sam nodded and cast a spell to make the 11 knights float towards the deck of the ship. "Apollo" A worried voice made me look back and saw my mom alreadynded on the deck. "We are all fine" I said but as soon as she got close to me my mother pulled me into her arms and embraced me. I didn''t say anything and instead let her continue, her warmth was something that calmed me down whenever I felt murderous. "It''s done, Apollo" A voice sounded from above me and so I looked up. "Sir Arthur" He smiled at me as hended on the deck. "We should get out of here since this dungeon will soon crumble" All 72 mages on board and 1000 mages from the tower cast a spell. "Darkness element void magic, mass teleportation" My vision was filled with bright light as we all teleported above the city of Sidus. "Everyone we have arrived!" Tim shouted enthusiastically. Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Entrada The tenth day of the sixth month, I¨±nius, marks the day when the academy opens its gate to its new students. "Look at that Eros we have new toys to y with" Edgar said while tucking the elbow of Eros. "Edgar" However to his surprise Eros looked at him with contempt. "People are no toys" he said while dosing his words with his aura, making his remark more powerful. His friend gulped as he felt the overwhelming aura of Eros, but since his ego was much higher than his height he tried to fight back. "People are no toys?" his voice became ragged as he tried to fight off the aura. "You said that...but didn''t you used to whip your brother? and treat him like a dog?" his tone was very sarcastic as if telling Eros that he was no better than him. His words made Eros retract his aura, he knew well what he did and he hated remembering it. "What? Go on speak!" with the aura''s disappearance it made Edgar more confident to speak however Eros just looked at him. This time his silent re made Edgar shut. "This is a warning Edgar" he went closer to him, then as he extended his arm he grabbed Edgar''s cor before releasing his killing intent. "You may be my friend but I won''t tolerate anything that can taint my name" Eros then let go of Edgar''s cor, letting him fall to the ground. He then left leaving his friend sitting on the cold hard floor. "Damn it" Edgar could only say those words while trying to calm his trembling legs. More students entered the gates gaining the attention of the entire city or even the empire. Aster Academy is known for being the sanctuary for talents and that is why being eligible to enter was already a great honour. However, talents are not the only ones being honed inside the academy but also connections. Every child from the noble bloodline is tasked to enrol. This way the younger generation can form friendships among their peers. The more friends you have the better the connection. "Look is that Prince Caesar!" "Wait let me see....damn it''s a prince" "I can''t believe this! please someone check if I am dreaming" Then her friend proceeds to push her onto a nearby pond. "Argh!" She gasps when the cold water from the pond touches her skin. "Do you need me to check it again if you''re dreaming or not?" her friend said while remaining nonchnt. "This is not what I meant" she began toin then a group of people approached her idol. "Who is that guy how dare he approach my prince!" "Violet calm down that guy is not some nobody, his the son of the leader of the mage association, Johan Aaren" "I don''t care," she said while putting down the frog that jumped on top of her head. "Greetings noble prince of the empire" Johan Aaren immediately said as soon as he saw Caeser enter. "Greetings as well but you know the academy forbids any aristocrats from dering their status, so please treat me just like any other student here" "I don''t think I can do that, your Highness" "Johan Aaren it''s better to follow rules" "Sigh if you put it that way then I suppose I have no choice but to follow" Caesar nodded liking his answer however there was something that worried him. "I wonder why am I feeling nervous" he could only say to himself. "Your Highness!" Soon enough Astrid Obsidianvale and Odysseus Arcanebane arrived with their respective escorts. Those escorts were students as well who were trained to protect the respective people they were assigned to. Usually, aristocratic families have them in order to secure their child''s safety. Beside Astrid was ady with the same age as her, with ck hair and brown eyes Leona ckvel stood tall beside herdy. Odysseus on the other hand had a male escort with him. His name is Logan ckstone he has light brown hair and light green eyes. "It seems like Johan will be his highness'' escort " "Indeed the emperor gave such an important task to me and I shall do my best to fulfil it" Caesar only shook his head while he listened to him. Silently he continued to walk across the academy''s corridors. "The general assembly will start tomorrow morning right?" "Yes since it''s tomorrow, we still have plenty of time to explore the high-ss dormitory and facilities" Odysseus said while taking out a map from his storage ring. "Man I am excited" "Lady Astrid maybe we should also visit this ce" This group of high-rank nobles gathered the attention of the masses but they didn''t pay any attention to them. Outside the academy, thend basked into the light of the day. But suddenly the warm sunlight turns dark as the magic takes over. A ck magic circle containing 15 magical rings along with intricate patterns and symbols, summon a huge ship along with a thousand mages. "What the!" everyone''s mouth remained gaping when they saw such an unexpected sight. "Wait your Highness look" Astrid noticed first and immediately notified Caesar. "Are those mages?" Odysseus asked while feeling dumbfounded. "Seus those are not just mages, they are mages that came from the tower" Caesar said as he recognized the insignia embedded on the body of the ship. "A ship from the tower" Johan mumbled feeling a bit bitter. ..... However opposite to themotion below the ship along with the tower mages were quite exhausted due to the sudden teleport. "Ugh!" one of the knights said while covering his mouth. "Knight I''ll give you a warning, if you throw up I''ll throw up as well. So you better know how to fly before doing the unthinkable" Sam warned while looking threatening towards the knight. "Everyone we have arrived!" while Sam continued giving his warning Tim happily announced their arrival. "Well that was a rough ride, I''ll just call the others" Apollo nonchntly said before running towards the cabin. .... "Did it end? Are we allowed to go now?" Niko asked fearing that if they came out, Apollo would cast another terrifying spell. "The shaking stopped I think we shoulde out now?" Samael suggested but Arabe kept clinging to him. It seems what happened at the entrance exam still haunts her. "Come on guys I think by now we are already used to this type of drama. I mean it''s been a year since we started being chased. Danger is no longer foreign to us" Braiden said trying to cheer them up. "Everyone we are here!" "!?" Due to the tense atmosphere, Apollo''s sudden entrance made them jump in fright. "That scared me!" Agnes shouted while lightly hitting Apollo. "Sorry I didn''t mean it," he said pretending to be hurt. More than a month spent inside the Mage tower was enough for Apollo to get to know them. Their trauma and even the people they lost on the way here were all told to him. They didn''t hide anything and freely revealed everything. Somehow Apollo felt that they could sense that like them he too had a rough journey in life and because of that, them opening up was very easy. However, knowing their past made it even harder for Apollo to quench his thirst for blood. He knows what it felt like to be hurt repeatedly, and what it felt like walking through an endless pit. The sense of hopelessness and insatiable anger for feeling useless eats you up, he knows it very well. He had been there and no matter how many times he tried to tell himself he was okay,but he was aware he wasn''t. "How about we stay here for a while before going inside" Apollo suggested while his gaze subtly touched two staggering girls. One of them was Alya a girl with yellow-gold hair and orange eyes, and Vesta a little girl with dark brown hair and golden eyes. Apollo could see how these two tried to walk however their legs were trembling so hard that they could barely walk. Apollo could recognize their state, it was a rpse, because of the sudden attack of the monastery unpleasant memories started surfacing. Those memories brought past emotions and scars that they tried so hard to fight. But traumas are not easy to cure it takes a lot of time and courage to do so. That is why despite being repeatedly being reminded of their horrific experience, they remain strong and hopeful. Their perseverance made Apollo respect them, it made the boy even more eager to protect them. Now despite his initial thoughts of using them as a mere pastime, before dooming his sibling''s life, he began to change after meeting them. Now Apollo can never let them be, he knows that deep down those 15 students became important to him. "Let''s stay here for a little longer since there is still a huge crowd below" The others nodded feeling that they still needed time to recover. Chapter 39: Chapter 39: General Assembly In the end, we decided to leave tomorrow morning because it''ll be a little less crowded, since some students are already inside the Academy grounds. If we entered yesterday then one of the staff would led us to our dormitory and have a tour around the campus. But seeing everyone''s state I couldn''t bring it up. Though I tried to calm them down but it didn''t really work. But thankfully everything went well as we enjoyed our day yesterday. "Are you guys ready?" "Yes!" Then I jumped off the ship with the rest following me. [You don''t know how to fly Creator] "Yeah I am aware" Then two spirit insignia glows as I borrow the power of my spirits. A gentle hustle of wind slowly envelops us until it guides ournding. "Wow, that was fun!" "Let''s do that again!" "Yeah, but we better run it''s 7:45 already!" With Alicia''s words Niko and Casper who were still caught up with a short-term flight experience immediately ran. "You know we can definitely arrive faster if you let me use Thunder aura" I suggested however their response surprised me. "No!" "Harsh" I eximed "I actually improved the spell so it won''t cause much damage now, it''s more controlled and bnced than to my previous use of it" "Students are not allowed to do magic unless they are inside the authorized building. Do you want to take a trip to the disciplinary office on your first day of school?" "Maybe" The girls red at me as if telling me to behave while the boys found my words funny. "Rx it''s not like Apollo will definitely do that," Niko said while trying his best to run even faster. "Just where the hell is the Assembly hall" eximed Samael. "Turn left on that corner!" I said while looking at the map Jeremiah got for me. "Almost there" With another turn, we finally saw the assembly hall. "Not good they are closing the door!" "Wait!" "If we end up not entering it''s all your fault Niko! You woke upte!" Agnes shouted while straining her legs to move even faster. "Don''t me me how could I sleep when you kept clinging to mest night!" "Shut up!" "Please less talk and more running" Arabe suggested while trying to keep her speed. "Wait don''t close the door" I speed up even more pumping my mana on my foot before making it burst. A sudden propelling power empowers my legs before zooming straight to the door. "Whoah!" Casper gasped when I suddenly went wild with my speed. As the door closes I used myself to block it. "Hey I kept telling you not to close the door," I said feeling a bit irritated. It is close to impossible not to hear us when we are shouting like a lunatic. "Jeremiah the time" [7:58 am Creator] "We still have a few minutes left can you not close the door, please? My friends are on their way here" But instead of hearing me out the staff adamantly pushed the door despite me being stuck there. "Does this idiot want to die?" Use of spells and duels isn''t allowed outside of the academy''s designated fighting arenas. So if I use a spell here, for sure my destination won''t be the assembly hall but instead the disciplinary office. However, I don''t really need to cast a spell to beat this guy. A ck ominous aura suddenly emerges from my body. It forms like a tainted smoke that immediatelytches towards the guy who is holding the door. But the Academy staff just scoffed pushing my intent with his aura. I smirked since his strength was within my expectation, after all the academy won''t hire anyone who can''t defend for themselves. However, what he doesn''t know, is that what he is trying to block isn''t some intent made by some novice mages. My intent isposed of my intense hatred and desire for destruction, it is not something an aura can block. "SHAA!" The massive bloodlust soon corrupted the man and within a second he had no choice but to kneel in front of me. dly I lightly kicked him out of the way and opened the door widely. "Apollo!" "Right on time guys let''s go" We all went inside and guess what we were right on time, it was exactly 8 am when we entered. "Um...is that guy okay?" Arabe said as she pointed towards something. "Is that a person?" Alya asked meanwhile Alicia looked at me suspiciously. "Did you?..." "He deserves it" I could only say. On one of the walls of the assembly hall, a man was embedded in it. The gaping hole made by the impact of Apollo''s kick made a wide spread of cracks on the wall''s surface. "So where is our seat?" Vesta asked seeing all seats were upied. "You are right we have nothing to sit on" "Why do I feel like we are being neglected" Niko''s words were a bit sarcastic however I could feel he didn''t like our situation. No one in the academy staff approached us, they just stood where they were as if we weren''t there. "Sigh...I''ll talk to them" I am a Lionheart after all so they should at least give me some face. "Excuse me sir but do you know where we could find the seats for the lower ss?" The academy staff who was first smiling at me immediately changed expression, it''s as if he heard something he didn''t want to hear. "Dear student, are you part of the lower ss?" I nodded I wasn''t supposed to be since I rank first but I never really intended to follow the rules here. From the three thousand aspiring students only 200 hundred were able to pass. From those 200 a ss division will be decided. The Academy has eight different sses that students are allowed to enrol in. Those eight are the High ss, Middle ss, Military ss, Combat ss, Sword ss, Magic ss, Auxiliary magic ss and Low ss. These sses are avable for eligible students with exceptional talent to enter. The top 20 on the ranking list are expected to be the students for High ss. The 21 below are expected to enrol or to be enrolled towards the other seven sses. Usually, students have the opportunity to enrol on the ss they want to except of course in High sses, but there is another exception to that rule. The lower ss which are the students who were listed at the bottom 15 are not given the chance to enroll on the ss they want. The moment you ce at the bottom 15 you are automatically set to enter there. You are not allowed to enter other sses once you be a student of lower ss. "So we are getting discriminated" I left the staff and went back to my friends. "Looking at your face tells me we won''t be able to sit" Alicia said as soon as she saw my expression. "Then where should we sit?" "Maybe we could just stand I don''t really mind" I frown at Mckenzie and ir''s suggestion. "Hey spiky red and straight blue, I don''t like standing for two or whatever hour since we are here we need something to sit on" "Seriously when did my name be spiky red," Mckenzie said while inspecting his red hair. "Straight blue when my hair is not even straight" ir was a bit exasperated but still knew Apollo was in a foul mood. [Now what Creator?] "Open the inventory we need something to sit" [Affirmative ] Apollo pulled something and to everyone''s surprise, ane of chairs suddenly appeared. "Let''s go guys we are going to rest here" "Here? You sure Apollo?" Casper was a bit perplexed about this sudden move. "Yeah just sit" Then as we settled on our seats the vice headmaster began to give his opening speech. I wasn''t really paying attention to his words since I was busy finding any suspicious people. Using the spell Echo, the one I used at the banquet, I could rule out some suspicious people. That way I could lessen my time looking for people to kill. When I fought with those priests from the monastery I noticed how abnormal their mana was. I don''t know why their mana is like that but it made everything easier. "Hmmm?....there are even teachers in league with the monastery, that was a bit surprising" [It seems like we can''t even trust teachers] "Yes it seems so" I continued to scan the area until a voice suddenly broke my concentration. "What now?" I groaned feeling annoyed. When I opened my eyes I saw some academy staff looking at me, their displeased expression made me frown. Somehow their faces remind me of how people look at me in the Lionheart duchy. Suddenly I felt my chest hurt I felt my palms sweating as anxiety washes me over. "May I ask what''s the matter?" "Student this area isn''t designated for putting these chairs. Please remove it immediately" His words suddenly erased the anxiety I was feeling instead it was reced by an intense amount of discontent. "Apollo?" Alicia asked noticing the amount of attention we were gaining. I could only smirk then I spoke. "If they can''t give us a seat then no one will sitfortably" Then a mysterious energy turned everyone''s chair into dust. Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Just a chair From the beginning what''s the matter with chairs? It''s just a simple request yet it turns into a dilemma. "Student we ask you to remove this since it might cause blockage once the flock of students flow towards the door" he insisted while keeping his ring eyes at me. Blockage? How can we do that when we are practically beside the wall and the freaking ce is huge! "I will remove this once you take us to our seats" "Student no seats were given to the lower ss" he told deadpanned. "Oh dear someone is gonna get hurt" Niko whispered to Samael while thetter just felt nervous. "Why?" I asked but he didn''t answer me instead he pointed to the seat I made for my friends and said. "Remove it or I''ll destroy it with my own two hands" This guy tries to threaten me? "Does the Academy have insufficient funds that they can''t provide a proper weing for their students?" "Student it''s just a chair will you die if you can''t sit" "No, but I might kill someone if we don''t" I answer while trying to suppress my anger. It wasn''t really about the chair that I was angry about. It''s the fact that they treat us based on our worth measured by the Academy. That was unfair, these people behind me have received too much pain yet they try to fight and live. But in the end, we are still treated like this. "You all can just stand and keep quiet. This is just a simple matter yet you make it bigger" This guy''s voice is too loud. "You know sir sometimes the simplest things are the ones that truly matter. How can we trust you with bigger stuff when you can''t even handle the simplest ones? This chair arrangement was simple as you said yet the academy can''t even afford to amodate all of their students" "If that was the case they should stop calling themselves a sanctum of power, if they can''t handle 200 new students then they should never open their gates" "Student I require you to stop, don''t try crossing the line" He looks at me with his eyes embedded with mana. You wanna attack me with magic? Unfortunately, I have other ns He and I stood right in front of each other not breaking eye contact. The tense atmosphere soon spread attracting the other student''s attention. "I''ll remove it" My answer made the academy staff smirked. Does this idiot feel he won or something? I shook my head trying to shake off their disgusting faces. "And here I thought that kid is gonna rebel," one of the staff said while the one I talked to just snickered and said "No matter what, lower ss will remain low. I should have expected that none of them would fight back" They continue to talk shit but I wasn''t interested. I waved my hand and the sixteen chairs disappeared like bubbles. "That was sad it was veryfortable to sit on," Matilda said feeling a bit discontent. I could only smirk then I spoke. "If they can''t give us a seat then no one will sitfortably" "Jeremiah" [Affirmative!] [initiating skill Disintegrate!] As the skill activated the seats of every student became dust. Every student was then forced to stand up. "What just happened!?" "They just turn into dust!" "Hey someone exin what''s going on!" "Damn it my butt" "You are sitting on me, buddy!" With these sudden events, the academy staff immediately went over to help out. Amongst their panic cries the headmaster began his speech. Whatever was going on I wasn''t paying attention. "Student!" "Apollo he came back!" Mckenzie said while urging Alicia to speak to me. "Apollo let us not do anything that will attract attention" Alicia said but it was toote the academy staff I spoke to before returned. "Are you the one who did this!?" "That''s is none of your business" With my answer, I saw a person turn into an erupting volcano. His face turns red as if he is going to explode any minute. "Now let me call out our top 5 rankers!" Then the screen switches to show the top five 1. Apollo Lionheart - 537,893 points 2. Caesar Von Celestio - 58,546 points 3. Astrid Obsidianvale- 54,356 points 4. Odysseus Arcanebane - 53,456 points 5. Johan Aaren - 50,274 points When our names were shown a spotlight was immediately given to us. "Wait what''s going on" The staff who was about to hold my cor immediately backed out when everyone''s attention was shifted to us. "You are a top ranker?" he started trembling as if he heard something scary. "Yeah got a problem with that" I no longer paid any attention to him but I won''t let him go easily, so when I walk past him I lightly bump his shoulder with mine. "Argh!" I heard him wince. Yes I know it''s immature but he deserves it. "Well, I saw thating," ir said while looking at a man who was so arrogant before now coiling on the ground. "Just what I said these five will receive a reward for their extraordinary achievements during the exam" "Student Johan Aaren step forward" The students pped despite their initial surprise when their seats disappeared, they acted as if nothing really happened. The headmaster spoke again saying stuff I didn''t wanna hear my eyes only glued towards the fifteen students who were isted among the crowd. Even when they said it was fine, I just couldn''t ept it. No matter how simple it may be people shouldn''t let themselves be stepped on or be humiliated. Because once you let it slide the same treatment will keep repeating until it''ll be a habit. "Now for our rank 1 please step forward Apollo Lionheart" I snapped away from my thoughts and immediately went forward. "For your extraordinary talent, we shall reward this artifact" I look at the headmaster, his features are strangely familiar to someone. Faded violet hair while his eyes had a shade of blue, however, that''s not all as soon as I saw his stats I became vignt. Name: Emilio Von Elysium Status: Curious upation: Magic swordsman Rank: Emperor Level: 20 Strength: 10000 Agility: 10000 Dexterity: 10000 Endurance: 10000 Stamina: 10000 Intelligence: 10000 Mana: 10000 Ki: 10000 Mana regeneration: 2000 per minute Ki regeneration: 2000 per minute Vitality: 5000 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesiser(Rank SSS+) {Passive} Alchemic master (Rank SSS+) {Passive} Weapon inventor (Rank SSS+) {Passive} Instant incantation (Rank SSS+) {Passive}- Keeper''s warcraft de(Rank SSS+) {Passive} - A type of swordsmanship that showcases the power gifted by the time goddess. Time sword (Rank SSS+){Active} - A gift bestowed by the time goddess to the protector of her chosen child. Ability to cut through someone''s time, resulting in a decrease in their life span. Keeper of the time saint (Rank SSS+) {Active} - A shield that can elerate or slow the time and space of any physical or spiritual attacks. [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Blood of the time goddess Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution: Void physique] "A peak Emperor rank," I thought "Student?" "I am sorry I was just nervous" "It''s okay please receive this" He then extended his hand and a staff appeared. Apollo gasped as he realised its qualities. "This is!" "A mithril staff this is your reward as top ranker" One surprise to another this is a very unexpected reward for me. He then beckoned me to return to where I was standing before which I immediatelyplied. "Now I won''t hold this speech any longer, I''ll be letting all of you go. May you all enrol on the ss you wanted" A p immediately resounded as soon as he ended his speech. And the professors of different sses went towards the students to help them enrol. "Finally done" I turn my back and run towards my friends, we should all enrol and head to our dormitory and ssroom. "Oh, he didn''t hear me" Unknowingly Apollo didn''t hear how the prince called him out. "That''s a bit disrespectful" "Maybe his mind is just upied" "That''s okay your highness let''s just wait for him in our ssroom" "You are right Seus" ... While walking dozens of professor approached me and asked me to enrol on their ss however I rejected them all. "Please professor let''s just wait for our friend he will enrol in our ss" I heard Alya''s voice despite the noise and crowd I was currently in. Did something happen? Are they being harassed? I ran and panicked for a moment thankfully I saw a familiar spiky red-haired boy. "Mckenzie!" I called and thank god he saw me. "Hey guys Apollo is here!" All eyes went to me as I got out of the densely pack people. "Hello professor I am Apollo Lionheart and I want to enrol in the lower ss" "A top ranker entering the lower ss that''s a first" "Huh?" Right in front of me is the same professor in the entrance exam. "Professor Adolfo?" "Yes I will be your ss professor from now on" I sighed in relief since his stats were clear of suspicion. "I have one less worry now" "Since everyone is here let me show you, your dorms" I felt excited as I heard his words, it was my first time living in dorms and not living with the rest of the tower mages. I didn''t know that this foreign event would cause me excitement. Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Tour The tour started and we arrived at a simple-looking building. "Each dormitory has security barriers that prevent other people from entering. Only the students within this ss can enter. However, there''s always an exception, other students from other dormitories can only be allowed inside, if one of the dormitory''s residents would allow them in" We walked closer and arrived at a huge steel gate. "This gate is also part of the security of the dormitory. Please touch the gate" We did as we were told to do and to my surprise, the gate began scanning. I felt a rush of foreign mana enters my body, strangely no negative reaction happened. My body epted that foreign energy making me feel weird. However, after a second I understood what was going on. [The scan wasn''t meant for harm Creator rest assured] I nodded agreeing to his words. "So the security code was our mana signature" "Mana signature isn''t something you can change, that is why the defensive barrier was a program to recognize the mana signature of those who residence in this building" Professor Adolfo exined. "So those who weren''t recognized by the gate won''t be able to go inside" "Not just that Alicia but it could also detect ill intention, and once it did its defensive protocols will activate eliminating the threat" "Now then since all of you have been scanned let''s head inside" The building is shaped like a T, with long open corridors at the front and both sides. Thewn was perfectly maintained while flowers can be seen making the garden beautiful. The structure of the dormitory was made of sturdy stones and timbers. Looking much closer I could see the thick walls made with different kinds of stones. "It seems like they use eggs as an adhesive and supplementary cement" [It seems like this dormitory is quite old Creator" "It''s okay Jeremiah, it doesn''t really bother me" With Professor Adolfo''s guidance, we venture inside the dimly lit corridors. "Themps here are powered by mana stones so every month the maintenance team wille and rece the used one" "Professor, can we use crystal mana instead of Mana stones?" Then at that moment all of them looked at me as if I said something wrong. "Sigh I forgot you came from the tower" Then Professor Adolfo shows a piece of Mana stone. "Tell me student what is the prize for a piece of Mana stone" I was silent since I never really knew about it. Mana stones and crystal mana are all avable inside the tower. To be more specific the mage tower owns countless mines of them. "I really don''t know professor" He just nodded at my answer and began to exin. "Let''s see where do I start.. right first mana stones are objects which absorb an abundant amount of mana from nature. They can be normally found in bodies of water and mountains since those ces have rich amounts of mana. Whereas crystal mana is the materialization of mana, it is mana itself in solid form. Unlike mana stones, crystal mana has a densely packed mana that is sometimes a hundred times betterpared to mana stones" "With all of those aspects, what do you think is the price between those two?" I gulp not knowing what to say. I really thought it wasmon to have them since the tower has countless mines of crystal mana and mana stones. I was too naive to think that. "Do some research about those two" he chuckled as he said those words. "Just like I said I while ago those lights are needed to be reced every month" "Professor, can we have a list of the maintenance team?" "Of course, I''ll send them to youter" I sigh in relief since the maintenance team is the loopholes with the security system here. If they can enter meaning to say that their mana signature was scanned by the gate. This might cause some rats to enter, and I hate rats. "I have to check them outter" [It seems like your first day at the Academy will be bloody Creator] "I hope not I want a peaceful first day" We walked even further in the corridors then we finally arrived at the main door. It was made of copper and bronze, and carved at its surface are patterns I am familiar with. "Another set of magical barriers" I mumbled. Then Professor Adolfo held the doorknob and dly opened it. The first floor was very neat it was not overcrowded with furniture, and everything was set. In the middle of the room were split stairs that seemed to be dividing the room into two. "Boys the left side is your rooms girls yours at the right" "Can''t we all just share the same room?" Agnes asked to which our professor answered "No" "Girls and boys rooms are separated and don''t think about crossing over, there is a magical barrier that forbids the entry of opposite gender" Simultaneously sigh of disappointment ran after it making Apollo chuckle. To be clear their lives were always endangered that they often slept in the same room for protection. It was also their coping mechanism not to feel alone and reassure themselves that they would be fine. "There is a library here on the ground floor you can check that outter" Then we head towards another area which turns out the kitchen. "Aside from the maintenance team, your ss will also have your own designated cooks and staff. They will be responsible for cleaning and maintaining your diet" Then we went to the back of the building, where we saw a spacious space with wooden swords and other gear for sparring. "There is also a small gym there that you can all use, it has shower and emergency tools in case one of you gets injured" We nodded feeling excited will all the stuff we had. "That is all for the tour of your dorms, you can discover the rest by yourselves. Now let us head to your ssroom" Another round of walking happened and we soon arrived at a building that seemed to be isted from others. "Wow what a very encouraging sight" I could hear Aaron being sarcastic whereas Jillian began telling him to behave. I just shook my head not feeling dejected at the sight of our ss building. There are at least ten towering buildings here, well except ours but I''ll include it in the number as well. Each ss has their own building, which is designed to amodate all the subjects they have to take. A three-storey building for us with a simr length to the other buildings. Strangely our ss building was made of the same material as our dorms. "A little bit more and we will have a haunted building right here" Niko tried to joke while we walked inside our ss building. "The rooms here are made to amodate the needs of your lesson. For example, this room has a magical beast simtion for your hunter lesson" He then pointed to a very spacious room and beside it, I realized it was simr to a workshop. "You have a subject regarding runes and scroll making so we have this room for it" The professor''s words made everything clear to me. "I think I''ll be liking this room" After inspecting all the rooms on the ground floor we head to the second. "This is the lecture room before proceeding to actual activities you will first be oriented here" Then the professor gave us the subject we were about to take. "Hmmm I don''t really think this will be beneficial to you...oh well I''ll just adjust your training" I chuckled at the professor''s reaction to me, I was after all supposed to be in high ss. A rectangr card was given to us to listen are the subjects we will encounter throughout the year. "Survival lesson 1" out of all the subjects this one made me interested in. "You can always do an advanced study if you want, the library is always open" He then pointed to the room right next to the lecture room. "Now let us head straight to the third floor" To my surprise, the entire floor was upied by a single room. "This is the Duel room, at first it was supposed to be located on the ground floor but scroll-making and chemical subjects often caused explosions so we all decided to put them on the ground floor" For a moment I heard a series of nervous breaths it seemed like they became nervous with our professor''s unconcerned remark. "Apollo" I heard someone call and when I looked back I saw Alicia. "Do you know how to make scrolls?" "Yup why?" "Thank goodness we might need someone regarding that subject" "Rest assured I will help" Then my attention shifted when our professor pped his hand to gain our attention. "That''s all for the tour for now you may all take your lunch" He snapped his finger and to my surprise, he teleported us right at the academy''s cafeteria. "Other than your dorm''s dinner hall you may also use this ce to eat. It''s located in the middle of the first year''s section" He told us before disappearing. Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Trouble at the Cafeteria With our stomachs rumbling already we made our way to the cafeteria. Inside the spacious building is a ce where students go to eat or hang out with their friends. Filled with long rows of tables, benches and chairs to amodate the influx of students. Theyout was organized to facilitate traffic flow, with designated areas for different food stations such as hot meals, sd bars, and beverage stations. My eyes also found different cuisines which originated from different Kingdoms in the empire. The serving counters are usually long and well-stocked with various food options, vegetables and fruits included. On the walls are some decorative designs that highlight the history of the academy. "It''s huge" "Wasn''t this the same ce we ended up with when we finished the entrance exam?" "Yeah I think it''s the same" "But" All of us looked up and saw no sky but a ceiling instead. "What happened?" "Did they renovate it?" "Must be" While Niko, ir and Jillian talk about the ceiling Alicia look at me as if I did something wrong. "Apollo" "Yes?" "Did you perhaps destroy something here before?" I jolted remembering how I broke the magic barrier covering the open ceiling of the cafeteria. It was supposed to protect the students inside from the heat and cold but because I identally melted it they had to renovate the entire ce. "It seems like I broke a very important barrier" Considering it''s the academy they should be able to rece it immediately but seeing they didn''t it only means it''s a barrier that''s very hard to redo. [Creator you destroy a barrier made by a retired professor of this academy] "How did you know that?" [I spread my scanner a while ago and found out about it. It turns out the barrier was the final gift Professor Oscar gave before retiring] "Oh" suddenly felt disappointed in myself. [It was very important Creator] "I know" [You broke it] "I know" While Jeremiah continued agonizing my conscience, all of us stopped when we felt a sudden hostile gaze. I don''t know why but all eyes suddenly went towards us, It''s as if we weren''t wee, an outcast. "These people aren''t even hiding their hostility" Casper said, feeling the ominous way people looked at us. "You are right we better shut those eyes" I said as I released a dose of my hatred and my desire to destroy everything. Soon that will turn into a ck tainted matter that slowly upied the entire area. The manifestation of my bloodlust began to suffocate the people around us. "Apollo" Alicia began to warn, holding my arms she tried to tell me to stop. However, instead of stopping, I spoke instead. "Alicia you know for people to stop pestering you, it is either they adore you or fear you" Without my knowledge, the bloodlust began to increase making some of the students run outside the cafeteria. "Unfortunately for them, I''d rather be feared than loved" Because when you are feared you will never worry when the affection they show you will change, you will have no expectation. And when you have no expectations, there are no feelings hurt. I won''t be disappointed. "Thud!" The sound of something hitting the floor echoes across the spacious area. Someone had copsed, well I hope he is still alive. "Apollo!" Alicia''s grip on my arm tightened I knew what she wanted, then my eyes shifted towards my friends, their eyes all telling me to stop. "Sigh it can''t be helped" I retract my bloodlust leaving a couple of unconscious students on the ground. "Those who fell means they aren''t strong enough to endure me" I said trying to warn them even more. "For those who can still barely stand" I shifted my gaze towards the stronger-willed student, they kept holding themselves firm despite being weakened by my will. "Keep it up I hope next time you all survive" Then I led my ssmate towards the counter who was unaware of what was happening. After all, I set a barrier to prevent anyone besides the students from feeling the bloodlust I was excluding. "You can put down the barrier now Jeremiah" [Affirmative] Many people believe that the world is led by the principles of survival of the fittest. Competition would be intense and dominant across all aspects of life. The real world would prioritize those associated with strength, intelligence, and adaptability. Those who demonstrate superiority in these areas would wield power and influence, while those deemed weaker or less capable may struggle to survive or thrive. And as soon as we entered we were deemed as prey, a lower ss. But now, I can''t hide my smile as I walk to an empty table with fear evident on the other student''s faces. The tables have been turned and the prey became the predator, and the predator became the fearful prey. "Next time please do nothing to gain attention" Alicia started to say as soon as we sat down. "Alicia we are from the lower ss and we are bound to catch attention" I argued. I could only see her sigh perhaps my actions were causing her a headache. "Apollo, Alicia is right we can''t cause any moremotion our priority is to be safe, it doesn''t really matter whether everyone epts or not" Agnes tried to reason however I had my own thoughts. "Tell me" As I spoke all the attention was on me so I continued. "What is the definition of safe?" "Safe doesn''t mean you all need to be physically fine and healthy but it also includes the mind. How can you say you are safe when everyone thinks of you as trash? Your mind will never be okay if that was the case" "For me, the word safe means feeling at home or peaceful towards a certain ce or person, however right now I can''t say if we are Safe in this situation" "Even when I broke that guy there is still a hint of gaze that doesn''t go well with me. We are still being cast aside, I can feel it. However, it doesn''t really matter" (Because I''ll make them kneel) What they think doesn''t matter to me, it is what they will do that will cause me to take action. I look around and notice some still brave enough to give me a look, I don''t have an intimidating appearance but my previous act of showing my bloodlust had blown any chance of me having a new friend. Everyone present here has grown to fear me. "Apollo I know you want the best of us but we don''t really want attention we just want peace" Casper managed to say after a long deliberation. "That''s the problem Cas we don''t want attention but it''s attention that''sing for us" "What?" he said a bit confused about what I said. But he will realize what I meant. Sounds of heavy footsteps soon entered the quiet cafeteria. The ce which only has the sounds of utensils and tableware clicking, soon filled withughter as neers entered. "Hey, what is this the lower ss is here?" one of them brazenly said. Well, I forgot to tell you, each ss as well have colour-coded uniforms. That''s the main reason this person was able to identify us. Our uniform is coloured ck well to be more specific our uniform is simr to a military coat however ours has an orange part at the shoulders, while the ck part starts from the sleeve length to the wrist. While golden buttons were perfectly sewn on my cuff and chest area. "Hey fes how''s life going need some help?" he asked sarcastically. Then I felt his eyes linger on Alya and Matilda a sudden lust for blood washed over me. I know that look, the way he scans my friend from head to toe before licking his lips, I know damn well what type of guy is this. "A pervert" Alicia said boldly while her calm eyes a while ago became violet and vengeful. "This table is exclusive for the lower ss only, so please you can leave" "Come on let''s just have fun the first day is free for every new student soe on" He then extended his arm to grab Alicia while I just stared watching the entire scenario. "3" "2" "1" "ARGH!" A loud scream made us wince in pain, it was my first time hearing a guy scream with such a pitch. "My hand!" The scent of something burning went straight to my face making me move a bit further. "My arm please!" I couldn''t help but shake my head "Well you mess with the wrong girl boy" The student that wanted to pull Alicia couldn''t get his arm back. Alicia had a firm grip on it however that''s not the scary part, the fact that her hand could generate this much heat without even casting meant that her affinity to fire element was high. "ARGH!" This guy shouted again with no other option I could only turn to Alicia and tell her to stop the roasting. "I think that''s enough, please Alicia we can''t roast a living pig here" Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Sleep "Argh!" An ear-piercing scream made my ears agonize in pain. His voice which has a higher pitch than normal girls makes me want to slice his head off. [That is murder] I groaned prompting Alicia to finally let go of his arm, reluctantly she did. "Ahh....my arm" I held his shoulder and a trace of mana healed him. "What?...wait....did...but you didn''t cast a spell!" He keeps stepping back before falling over to his friends. "Piss off," I said slightly pushing him back. "Ye-s!" He ran frantically along with his friends and disappeared before us, finally, we could have a decent time. "Finally" After that incident, no one dared to approach us again. The day passed and we realized a slight problem. "I don''t know if I can sleep alone" Agnes said holding onto Niko. "Same here," Casper said while looking at Matilda. "None of us can sleep by ourselves" Alya said feeling a bit down about the situation. "Should we get used to sleeping by ourselves?" Arab worries however I have another n for that. "Apollo, where are you going?" Alicia saw me leave and so everyone followed me. "Where is Apollo going?" "Don''t know" ir and Mckenzie ask each other while walking alongside everyone. "Is this?" I confidently open a door and a spacious room enough for us appears. "Wee to the tea room" I said happily. As I turned on the lights a room adorned with beautiful paintings and artworks made all of us gasped in amazement. At the center of the room, a grand firece made from a ck mysterious stone rests as if waiting for us to start a light. Around the firece, plush armchairs and sofas are neatly arranged. From the walls of the room, tall bookshelves and beautiful cups are all set up inside a cab. "I never seen a tea room as big as this" Aaron said as he slowly enters the room. "We should remove the tables and chairs to create more space" "Why Apollo?" I smirked and said "Because we are going to sleep here" My words made them happy. "What are you all doing let''s arrange the ce we have to sleep here" "Okay I''ll get some mattresses and pillows" "Let me help you with that Alicia" While the girls went up to their rooms us boys began lifting the chairs and sofas outside the room. "Where are we supposed to put these pieces of furniture?" Braiden asked me. "Just put it outside" "Okay" Everything went smoothly and fun, I never knew setting up quilts would be this exciting. Amidst our peaceful teamwork, Samael suddenly took a pillow and threw it right on my face. "Right" I also took a pillow and skillfully aimed it towards him. "Hey, Mael don''t run!" I said as he tried to hide behind Vesta, unfortunately. "Ow!" I missed my aim and ended up throwing the pillow right in Vesta''s face. [Bulls eye] "Not good, hey Vesta you okay" I tried to approach her but before I could another pillow hurled through the air and hit my face. "What the!?" I looked at Vesta who had a wide smirk on her face. "I see, so that''s it no?" I took another pillow and she did the same as we both threw our pillows towards each other, identally we hit Agnes and Niko. "..." "..." The two of us stopped as we saw the two of them look at us with a slight glint of anger. [Run Creator] As soon as Jeremiah said those words a rain of pillows came for me and Vesta. "Run!" I shouted as I moved my legs to dodge. "What''s going on?" "Hey don''t run!" "Alicia where should I put these sheets" "Apollo why are you run-" I closed my eyes as soon as I heard a continuous sound of something being hit. When I opened my eyes again I saw Alicia, Jillian, ir and Matilda gasp their faces when an unexpected pillow hit them. "That hurts" Matilda suddenly grabbed a pillow and threw it to Casper. "Ahh...why me!" All of a sudden we entered a pillow fight with foam mattresses and bed sheets as our battleground. .... Morning came and I suddenly realized the uneven way of our sleeping. Agnes is sleeping on Niko''s shoulder, and Matilda is with Casper. ir''s knees on Mckenzie''s face, Vesta sleeping soundly while using Aaron as a pillow. Keith and Samael hugging each other, and then Jillian and Arabe used the two as their pillow. While Alya has her arm on Braiden''s face. I massage my head thinking about how we ended up sleeping like this. I remember ying with them but I couldn''t remember if we were able to finish fixing the sheets and mattresses, I don''t even remember what time we slept. "Huh?" suddenly I felt a calm sound of breathing beside me. There on my left arm, Alicia was sleeping soundly. "Jeremiah time" [It''s 6:17 Creator you still have enough time before your ss starts] "And what time that is?" [8:30 Creator] "Damn" I realized we had to move now, I looked at the girl who silently slept on my arm and slowly woke her. "Alicia....Alicia" I gently tap her forehead trying to get her consciousness to surface. "Hey...Alicia" I continued to say until I heard a soft groan apanied by a slight frown forming on her smooth face. I chuckle at her reaction so I continue to poke her. Observing her up close I saw how tiny strands of ck hair would fall on her face making her frown even more. I tap her forehead making me feel her soft skin. Then my eyes went towards her long eyshes moving every time I tried to wake her up. It''s as if she is fighting whether to sleep or to wake up. "Alicia...wake up" This time I touched her cheek, poking it more made her frown, it seems like she is annoyed with me. "Hey wake up" "Ye-s" she finally spoke making meugh a bit. "Finallye on fix yourself" I slowly moved her head from my shoulder so that I could freely wake everyone. "Guys it''s close to 6:25 already our ss starts at 8:30" I wake up each of them and every time I do so, a series of groans and yawns can be heard. "Wait....five more minutes please" A red spiky-haired boy grabbed me as he said this. "Gelo Mckenzie I don''t have time for this stand-up already" "No please I am close to being with the princess" "The what?" I was having a hard time waking them up when a delicious scent of food made us hungry. "Is that food!" To my surprise, Mckenzie suddenly stood up and immediately ran towards the dining hall. "That was unexpected" ..... Inside the dining hall was a table full of delicious food. From a soft loaf of bread to warm soup and chocte, everything was cooked to apany our taste buds. Even though it was a light meal it seems it''ll be enough to fill us for an entire day. "Good morning dear students" a slightly aged woman wees us with twodies and men with her. "Are you guys the cooking staff the professor told us about?" "Yes although cooking is not our only task, student Lionheart. To start my name is Martha and I am the one in charge of your meals and this dormitory" "Now please sit down and take your breakfast" We all nodded to her, and as we ate she began to speak about the rules that we have to follow. "This dormitory has a curfew until 9 pm....." She continues to speak even though my thoughts keep flying from here and there. The truth is I was scanning the four other staff. I want to make sure they have no connection to the people I was worried about. "All clear thank goodness" I felt relieved seeing nothing particrly suspicious with them. "And that is all for the rules please be mindful to follow them" We finished our meal before heading to the bathrooms. "About the tea room" "We will handle that student Lionheart please just hurry to ss" I nodded liking her words so I immediately zoomed away inside our rooms to finally prepare. As soon as I entered I went straight to the bathroom and made a quick shower. When I came out that''s when I finally saw the overall view of my room. My room features a high ceiling, andrge windows letting plenty of sunlight to enter. Besides from a bed and closet, there is also a study table with a small bookshelf for my books. The area was designed to have multiple areas of activity like studying and rxing without upying too much space. Overall my room is quite spacious for a single person only. I went to my closet and saw my clothes all neatly arranged. "Right let''s get it done" I put on my underwear then my pants next was a white long-sleeve shirt. After buttoning it up I grab my military-style jacket and proceed to wear it. "Now we are good to go" Chapter 44: Chapter 44: A little world building At exactly 8:00 am sixteen students arrived inside a ssroom, all of them gasping for air because they ran all the way there. "Wait let me breathe...hoo" ir drew air inside his lungs as he dragged his body towards his seat. The ssroom they entered has tier rows of seats and tables simr to those found in auditoriums. Since the seats are elevated they provide a good visibility of the instructor and the board in front. "We still have 30 minutes before the ss officially starts we should take this time to recover" While everyone looks exhausted from running from their dormitory to the ss building, Apollo looks so fresh his ssmates look at him strangely. "This is unfair howe you don''t look tired" "It''s because I am not" "But we did run from our dorm to here" "It doesn''t really exhaust me" "I have been meaning to ask this to you Apollo what is your rank?" Matilda said looking curious at her friend''s rank but Apollo just shook his head before approaching a seat at the back. They tried to nag him, but it didn''t work, he remained silent making his ssmates give up. A few minutes passed and their professor arrived. "Good morning students my name is Gelda Mayors, and I will be your professor for History and Geography. I hope this year you''ll learn something about my subject" Everyone became quiet and Apollo too looked at her however for a different reason. He was scanning her to see if she had any connection with the monastery. "She''s clear," he thought while leaning back to his seat. "Since it is my first time meeting you all I would like to hear you introduce yourselves" Everyone nodded even though they already knew each other, they didn''t mind introducing themselves to their professor. "You start first" she pointed towards a spiky red-haired boy, dly he stood up and looked at his ssmates. "Good morning professor Gelda and good morning to you my ssmates, my name is Gelo Mckenzie 13 years old. My favorite color is orange and one of my hobbies is eating that''s all, thank you" he then makes a slight bow before taking his seat again. After Mckenzie, the blue-haired boy beside him stood up and made an introduction. "My name is ir Longfalls I am turning 13 next month I hope I get along with everyone" He did a bow like Mckenzie while his friends were chuckling at his previous words. Beside the two were a boy with green hair and the other boy with brown hair. The one with hair simr to a forest stood and said "My name is Keith Frostfang it''s my pleasure to meet you" "Samael Juanfonso 13 years old" Professor Gelda nodded her head whenever someone introduced themselves however deep down she was shocked. The names of themoners are actually based on where they came from. So in any vige or town, there is only one surname being used except for baron or higher noble title and household. And to the professor''s surprise the ces she heard from their names no longer exist as of this day. She clenched the magic pen she was holding trying hard not to ask them out of curiosity. First was the city of Mckenzie which disappeared four years ago then the destruction Frostfang tribe of the north. Gelda felt weird as she heard more names from now-destroyed cities and viges. "My name is Jillian Frostfang 13 years old" "Arabe Juanfonso also 13 years old" After the two girls introduced themselves another student stood up, her violet hair made the professor surprised. "My name is Agnes von Elysium" This time Gelda almost had a heart attack when she heard the name Elysium. "Are perhaps a princess from the fallen kingdom of Elysium?" "Yes I am" Gelda just nodded trying hard to control her expression. The next student beside Agnes also stood up. "Niko Fernandez I too came from the fallen kingdom of Elysium" "Yes, you are from the house of Fernandez, the family of knights right?" "Yes professor our house was given the noble task of serving the royal family of Elysium" "I see you may sit down" From the second row of seats a boy stood up his scarlet hair was exceptionally striking and somehow familiar. "My name is Casper Santiago it''s my pleasure to learn with you all" "Are you perhaps from Santiago Fort" "Yes professor" "Alright you may sit" Gelda massaged her head as she remembered the breakout at Santiago Fort three years ago. "As far as I heard no one managed to survive from that breakout," she thought but immediately shook her head and said "Next student" Then a girl with long silver hair who was seated right beside Casper stood up. "My name is Matilda Santiago, like Carper I too used to live in Santiago Fort" After Casper and Matilda, a girl with yellow-gold hair and orange eyes stood up. "My name is Alya Timberfalls also 13 years old, my hobbies are reading and writing books" If it weren''t for the girl''s soft and timid voice Gelda would have a hard attack from the word Timberfalls. Up until now she still remembers the team she led to investigate the events that transpire in that vige. How the vigers were used for experimentation and sacrifice for rituals, still horrified her to this day. For a moment she almost lost herposure as a professor. "Next student" She managed to say. "I''m Braiden Timberfalls 13 years old my hobbies are singing and nting" Two seats away from Braiden was a girl with dark brown hair and golden eyes. "Hello my name is Vesta Hexzon" She sat down immediately after saying that. Right after her was a ck hair boy with dark blue eyes. "Good morning my name is Aaron Hexzon 13, I hope we continue to get along" he did a bow before sitting down. Fourteen students had introduced themselves, by now Gelda had ustomed to the surprising origin of her students. "Two more to go" On the top left of the back seat was a girl with ck hair and ruby eyes. Unlike the others, she sat alone in the top corner. However, her aura was strangely different from the other fourteen students. "Good Morning professor my name is Alicia von Nyx, and my hobbies are reading and magic" Professor Gelda thought that she wouldn''t be surprised anymore however it turns out she was surprised beyond relief. "Was there something wrong with what Alicia said?" [It must be due to her surname] "Why what''s wrong with it?" [ Nothing is wrong Creator it''s just that thest name von Nyx was thest name used by the strongest empress of the Deveilkind. She was thest being ever to use that name] Upon hearing those words Apollo couldn''t help but look at Alicia wondering what truly is behind her mysterious name. "You at the back how about introducing yourself" Apollo snapped from his thoughts and stood up like the others. "I am Apollo Lionheart 13 years old my hobbies are magic research and weapon creation" "Wait weren''t you rank first?" "Yes professor" "Then why are you enrolled here?" "Well because I want to" Professor Gelda almost copsed hearing his reason. "I don''t think I''ll be able to give a regr lecture here" She massaged her head trying to rx her tense nerves. "Alright let us start our lesson" Without knowing what to say she decided to start the lecture. Their first subject was History and Geography, some of the boys didn''t like the subject since they had never been interested in the lives of old and dead people. "I will first give all of you an overview of the topic we will tackle this entire school year. First the history of the Empire. The empire of Celestia was established roughly 2000 years ago by the greatest hero of that time, Julius von Celestio, 20 kingdoms set the throne and gave the crown to emperor Julius at that time. They believed he was the one that could continue to protect the entire continent" "Under our subject, we will also tackle the following: ? Age of extinction ? Age of heroes ?The treaty of Abyss ? The creation of the empire and the ? War of Faith" "Estimated three thousand years ago a massive breakout urred devasting the entire continent of Brynar and the ck continent of Devilkind. Then the Age of Heroes emerged which was led by the greatest hero of that time Julius von Celestio. Then under the treaty of Abyss, we will learn how the devils on the ck continent reach an agreement with the hero Julius" "Andstly the creation of the empire after the great war of extinction and how the war of faith started" Mckenzie clenches his head trying to understand the wordsing out of their professor''s mouth however history was something he never liked to begin with. "Damn my head" After one long hour of lecture professor Gelda finally ended the lesson as the second professor was about to enter. "Good morning my name is Professor Timothy Aislestone and I will be your professor for beastmology" "For now I shall give you an overview of our subject" Without waiting for the students to adjust and absorb the previous lecture another professor came and started writing on the board. ? Magical beast ? Demon beast ? Metamorphosis ? Corruption Then he went and wrote to the next board. ? Devil kind "Now can anyone exin to me the difference between a magical beast, a demon beast and a Devil" Chapter 45: Chapter 45: My brain is not braining "Now can anyone exin to me the difference between a magical beast, a demon beast and a Devil" "Once you exin this to me, I need to hear the word Metamorphosis and corruption in your exnation" Professor Timothy started off. "No one?...alright I''ll call someone then" He took the ss list and was about to call someone when both Alicia and Apollo stood up. "I can answer the question professor" "I''ll do it" "Oh?...well that surprised me" He slowly tapped his magic pen seemingly thinking about whom to choose. "You, the boy with red-orange hair stand up and answer my question" Apollo stood up like what the professor said then he spoke. "First I''ll differentiate a magical beast from a demon beast" he started off. "A magical beast is a type of beast that harnesses the mana from nature, they can''t handle ki like humans but their proficiency when ites to magic is top-notch. They have innate abilities that are born from their species'' countless evolution. Through the life of a magic beast, they experience countless phases of ranking. Once a magical beast reaches the rank of baron metamorphosis urs. Metamorphosis is when a magical beast begins to change their appearance and morph their body into a different structure. Sometimes they can achieve a human-like body or achieve a new appearance" "Then what happens when a magical beast fails to achieve their ranking? The answer is demonification or corruption. There are many theories about the cause of corruption but we can start off with the first theory and the most logical one. The theory of mana, it is said that the abuse or misuse of magic can lead to corruption. Magical beasts that fail toplete their ranking would be consumed by their mana, ultimately leading to an alteration of the body''s structure. Once corruption has devoured their body, the little amount of consciousness inside them will disappear turning them into a beast that knows nothing other than devouring and destroying. Then herees devils, just like magical beasts, humans are also prone to corruption. However unlike magical beasts, corruption doesn''t cause humans to run wild, it only changes them biologically making them look and live differently from humans. Humans'' abuse of magic and usage of iplete magic can lead to corruption making mana change their bodies into devils" Apollo then breathes trying to regte his breath from speaking for long. "Good job student....." the professor said then he went through the ss list and to his surprise he looked at Apollo strangely. "Why is rank one here?" "Because I want to professor" his simple answer made the professor chuckle before shaking his head a bit. "Alright that''s enough you may sit down" "The reason I asked someone to exin the difference was to make sure none of you mistakes the three together. Especially a devil and a demon beast, they are different from each other, understood?" ... The ss continued until the clock struck at 11:30. "That''s the sound of the bell you may all take your lunch" "Yes professor" "Ugh!" Aaron suddenly jumped when he heard a zombie-like moaning. As he looked back he saw Mckenzie walking sluggish. "Hey you okay?" he asked worried about his friend''s state. "I am okay my brain is just not braining" "Huh?..your what?" he was confused so he looked at ir. "Just leave him be he just lost 5 years of his life span while listening to Professor Gelda" They went to the cafeteria afterwards and unlike their previous entrance that garnered hostile gazes this time, no one dared to look at them. "I don''t like this kind of treatment either" Casper said as he looked at the other student''s fearful nces. "Apollo should be more friendly from now on" "Why do I need to do that" He grumpily said while putting a breath in his mouth. "Let''s just try being nice it''ll won''t really hurt no?" Alicia suggested so reluctantly Apollo agreed. Their lunch ended without a hitch and so when the clock struck 1:00 pm they dly returned to their ssroom. "Good afternoon students I believe you already know me but I will still introduce myself again. My name is Professor Adolfo Emberfall your ss professor. My subject is advancement and physical training" Apollo was a bit concerned with the excessive grin of the professor however he decided to observe first. "Since we are doing physical activity let us head to the third floor" He urged the ss who immediately followed him. "Now then please wear this" As soon as they settled themselves inside the Duel room their professor immediately put ck bracelets on both of their wrists. [Warning! These bracelets can seal all your attributes Warning! Creator the bracelets have sealing property Proceed to cancel the effects of the bracelets?] Before Apollo could give amand Adolfo finally exined what was going to happen. "Those things on your wrist are called sealers they seal a part of your attributes" "The subject advancement and physical training is only exclusive to your ss, no other sses offer this subject so be happy" Then his eyes survey the confused students who seem not used about the turn of events. "The sealers will only seal one or two attributes that are higher than the rest. Then we will train the attribute that needs advancement the most" He then took a folder which summarized the status of each student. "For Agnes, I''ll seal your mana" he then waved the pen he was holding making the sealers activate. His words continued to takemand until they went to Apollo. This time his smile made the kid in front of him suspicious. "For you Apollo Lionheart" He raises his pen making the two sealers on each wrist of the child glow. "All attributes sealed" "!?" "Wait wh-.." He wasn''t able to finish what he was about to say when gravity magic suddenly activated from the sealers. "Ha....ha..ha" Apollo was forced to gather his breath as he felt the increased weight of his hands. [Proceed to cancel the effects of the bracelets?] "It''s okay I am fine" He tried to walk but failed. "Now then let''s get the lecture started" he waved the pen again and the Duel room became a maze. Walls suddenly emerge from the ground dividing the room into different spaces. "We are going to have a game called hide and seek if I catch any of you..." his voice became strange as the students failed to trace its source. However, as they tried to find their professor they felt a subtle sound of breathing behind them. As they looked back a man wearing his usual ck waistcoat and shirt outfit came smiling at them. "You are dead" hepleted his words making all fifteen students run across the maze. "Hmmm?... What happened to you student Apollo?" "Please wait...hooo" He tried to walk however his hunchback and slow phase of walking made it look like he was an old man trying to find his cane. "Pfft" "Please don''tugh you made me walk like this" "Oh right I am sorry I''ll give you five minutes before I start the game" While walking slowly Apollo kept hearing the same messages over and over again. [Proceed to cancel the effects of the bracelets?] [Proceed to cancel the effects of the bracelets?] [Proceed to cancel the effects of the bracelets?] "Shut up and let me think" He pulled his feet again before nting it down on the ground. Apollo closed his eyes and immediately tried to activate his mana. "I can''t use it" But the boy didn''t stop there he closed his eyes again and noticed his ki being free for him to use. However, there is a slight problem Apollo''s use of ki is not even close to average since he had barely tried upgrading his skills in it. But still, the boy tried his best to his ki to elevate his current situation. "Good you are doing great Apollo, your use of mana is superb but when ites to ki you are still a novice, this training may help you out a bit" Then he waved his pen again and a series of screams echoed when the lower ss found themselves falling into traps. "This will be a good warm-up for them" For an entire one and half hour, all the students did was run and hide. When they got caught by their professor their sealers would activate its gravity spell making it hard for them to move. "I am tired...." Sixteen studentsy on the ground exhausted even Apollo himself was surprised to be tired. "That is all for this lesson you may proceed to your next ss" Professor Adolfo said before waving his own again to retrieve the sealers. "Damn, we still have another ss... I am tired" Nikoined while massaging his sore legs. "Apollo you okay?" Alicia asked since it was her first time seeing him tire like this. "Yeah I am fine" He manages to say before taking out a potion from his space ring. "Let''s go back to the lecture room our professor might be waiting for us" As soon as the effects of the potion activated he immediately stood up and urged his ssmates toe with him. "Man, I seriously want that potion as well" Samael thought while trying to move his body. Then for the following weeks, the ss was tormented by Adolfo''s unique way of teaching Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Attack "Run!" Samael shouted while being chased by a horde of stone golems. "I swear I didn''t sign up for this!" "Just run ir!" Behind these fifteen staggering students is a boy who has five sealers on his body, Apollo. "Damn it!" he clench his teeth as he tried to regte his breathing. "What''s this Apollo? why so slow" Professor Adolfo sarcastically said while leisurely walking beside the struggling student. "Shut up" "You still have some energy no?" The professor raised his pen and made a waving motion then Apollo''s speed went even slower causing some golems to finally reach him. [Creator your endurance has been sealed current speed can''t be retained for too long] "Shut up!" He was a bit pissed but never forgot the thing that trying to reach his back. He briefly turned back and made a decision to remove one annoying fe. "First let me give you some of my loving care and patience" he nted his feet on the ground, weight-centred. Then he slightly bent his knees making his muscles tense. One of his hands was raised forming a guard while the other was moving in a fast straight motion. His target was the golem that was about to touch him. "Taste some of my stress!" His fist went through the body of the stone golem making Adolfo amazed at how high Apollo''s stats were. "His strength is currently sealed yet he could still pull off such a strike. It only means his base power is on a much higher level than a stone golem" he deducted while observing his student. After destroying one golem Apollo made a sharp turn transferring the weight of his body to make a run. "That''s a very swift transition, I am impressed" He then waved his pen again activating one of the sealer''s gravity spells. "Argh!" The sudden increase in weight made the young Lionheart stumble. [Does the Creator wish to use the skill Disintegrate on the professor?] "No" he ordered as he pulled himself together to stand. "And don''t tempt me I beg you" The ground continued to shake due to the sheer amount of hundreds of moving golems. Their subject Advancement and Physical training had an allocated time from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm. During this time the sun was scorching, burning their skin in the process. The reason was that instead of using one of the academy''s facilities they made the training on one of the secluded sides of the academy, which have a vast spacious field that can be useful for training. "I think this is enough for today" The professor said while his studentsy t on the ground. Some of them have footprints on their back and chests the reason was due to the golems stepping over them. On the other hand, Apollo and Alicia have wounded arms and fists from punching some of the golems that tried to reach them. Unfortunately, some of them weren''t able to defend for themselves and ended up being flung from the ground by the enemies. "I''ll be seeing you guys on Wednesday, well then use your remaining time to change your gears and fix yourselves" He then flicked his finger teleporting his students back to their ss building. ..... "Good afternoon students" greeted Professor Alejo however. "Students, should I call for help?" The professor asked seeing all his students lying on their desks and chairs. "Wait... professor give us a minute, please" Mckenzie manages to say as he lifts his head to speak. "That damn professor how could he let me fly in the air...I fell on a pond you know!" Mckenzie broke down remembering how a giant frog tried to swallow him. "I don''t wanna go back there" he added. "Um..ss should I call for help now?" "No professor," they said in unison. Their subject Survival Lesson 1 went by quickly since their professor, Alejo didn''t want to even more tire his students. "I''ll end the lecture here, rest up everyone" "Yes professor" .... "We are lucky we have professors like him if everyone is like Professor Adolfo I might die early" "I agree" While they happily talk Apollo who is as tired as them suddenly jolted causing his friends to look at him. "Apollo?" ir who was nearest to him reached out seeing that his expression looked like someone who witnessed a horrifying event. "I think we should leave Apollo for a bit I think he needs some air" Alicia suggested. "You guys go first I''ll stay with him until he recovers, what do you think buddy?" ir tapped Apollo finally snapping him from his thoughts. "ir, Alicia is right you guys go on without me" His words especially thest few words on his sentences made his friend even more nervous. Without them knowing a single sentence from Apollo brought dozens of unpleasant memories. "Hurry" Apollo added finallypleting the thing they feared the most. "Let''s go everyone" Alicia urged, reluctantly they agreed. As they walked Alicia stopped for a bit and looked back. "See you at dinner Apollo" With her unexpected words, Apollo couldn''t help but smile "Yes please wait for me" Rain began to pour as if masking the sound of impending danger, however. As lighting creates fine lines across the dark sky, dozens of figures begin to move. "For five weeks I eliminated anyone that could pose a threat yet..." His hand which has been drenched by the blood of his enemies continue to tremble. He doesn''t know whether he is excited about the idea of killing and gaining more essence or he is perhaps getting tired of the repeated cycle of killing. In the end, he doesn''t know at all, his heart is too calm for someone who is about to enter a fight, and this makes him conflicted. "These thoughts are not needed" he realized then he looked at the empty space which his friends left behind, for some reason it left a deep void in his heart. "Stop" Suddenly the drops of rain halted their fall obeying hismand. It remains suspended in the air as Apollo looks at the area devoid of people. "No matter how you guys try the barrier I made won''t be broken" Invisible to the naked eye are five hooded figures that have been following them sinceing out of the ss building. "You guys are scouters right?...someone must have sent you here to snoop around, are you perhaps trying to find ways to attack" He then began to approach them, his body despite being a child made five fully grown adults scared. "What is this?" "How can someone exhibit this aura" Coating around the boy''s body is abination of his bloodlust and mana. The mixture of ck and blue aura made an image of an approaching beast. "This kid knows how to utilize intent and mana pressure" "Not just use he isbining them!" One of the hooded figures said while stepping back. "This is not included in the report!" "Damn it! I won''t die here!" All five took out a vial and drank the contents of it. A pressure simr to a rank Viscount beast envelopes the five. Apollo let them be not because he doesn''t care but because he''s having a hard time containing himself. [Creator proceed to transform?] A voice devoid of any emotion began to speak causing the kid to shake his head. "Not now Jeremiah" he said while halting his movements. While they converse five nimble shadows begin to move trying to find a blind spot. "Howe I can''t see any weakness!" Apollo stood where he was however his eyes would follow the blurry figures of his enemy. "Forget about a weakness let''s all attack!" "If we can''t find it we will just create the blind spot we are looking for" The five shadows change direction and aim at different vitals of the boy. "elerate" the boy suddenly spoke and suddenly the fall of rain began to speed up turning the raindrops into a thousand falling des. "Argh!" "Is he using magic!" "Use a magic artifact now" The boy remained standing from where he was making the five scouters even more afraid. "What kind of monster is this!" Even with a defensive magical artifact protecting them, it was still hard to move. The sheer pressure of the falling des can make anyone kneel. Scouters are known for their speed and stealth, tricks and ns to catch an enemy off guard are one of their strength however no matter the trick or nning it won''t work against an enemy who is unexpectedly stronger than you. No cheap tricks could work since he is an expected variable that appeared. "I am happy to hear that none of you has discovered me, it only means no one manages to survive to tell the tale about me" "And I''d like to keep it that way" he then began to approach them, causing panic to his enemies. "Tsk!" Despite the pressure, the five scouters tried to defend even as far as using a temporary anti-magic circle. "It won''t work I am not using magic" "What!?" Their faces bore an expression of disbelief. "An authority is not magic" Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Copy paste A few days upon their arrival inside the tower Apollo decided to give them some training. Since he could see their stats he knows which areas they should focus on and which should not. "You are doing many unnecessary moves Niko" Apollo said as he raised his wooden sword to counter Niko. By now he had seen his techniques countless times and he had memorized them. However, for some reason, a thought shes in his mind while he performs his counter technique, and then he swiftly changes the direction of his wooden sword and mimics a specific stance from Niko''s technique. This sudden action took Niko by surprise making Apollo''s strike sessful. "Ugh!" With his sword flying away and being knocked to the ground, he couldn''t help but look at his opponent who unexpectedly copied his technique. "That was good Apollo" However, the person he was talking to had his eyes on a certain floating screen in front of him. [Notification Alert! Congrattions! Due to the potential the Creator exhibits you have gained a skill called Copy&Paste] "A skill?...show me the contents of it" [Affirmative Copy&Paste - enables the Creator to copy any skill or technique once fully scanned or analyze w: Any skill or technique has to be scanned or analyzed first before being copied] "Interesting" "Apollo?" Seeing Apollo just standing where he was Niko decided to approach him. "What''s wrong buddy?" he asked again. "Nothing something just came to my mind when I tried copying your moves" "You surprised me there Apollo I never knew you could pull that off" "It''s because I have memorized your technique from seeing it hundreds of times" "Still I am amazed, I have never seen anyone execute that sword technique other than a pdin" "Hmmm..." Suddenly Apollo thought of something, if he could use this skill well then their problem may be solved without endangering his friends. "Niko" "Yes?" "Call everyone here let''s all train together" Apollo smiled as he took one step closer towards his bold n. Back at the present time, Apollo continues to look at his enemy, his cold stare devoid of any emotion creates an image of a merciless killer, making his enemy tremble. "Hmmm...let''s see when did I have this skill.." He suddenly began to think then he spoke finally remembering "Right it was when we were at the tower, a month before the start of the ss" Then his eyes shifted towards the ground. "Jeremiah" [Yes?] "Break the anti-magic circle" [Affirmative] Fine cracks began to spread across the five colored magic circles making its effects dim. "What''s going on!?" A wave of disbelief washes over them as they witness a spell that can hinder magic turn into fragile shards of ss. "Damn it!" Desperation took over and even with the constant pressure brought by Apollo''s previous attack they still dashed to attack. "It''s no use" He could read their every move so no matter how fast they tried to hide themselves he could still follow them. "Darkness element, ck magic" With the anti-magic gone, he could finally cast a spell. Dark clusters of clouds gathered while the ground began to be swallowed by an ominous spell. "Manus maledicta" Burn charcoal hands suddenly spawn on the tainted ground, grabbing the bodies of the five scouters. "Argh!" "Let go!" They tried to cast a spell however the hand that caught them would absorb the mana inside their body, rendering them useless. "Nooo!....please!...I can''t die here!" "I have a family young one I am begging you!'' "Youngd the emperor is lying to you! You must listen!" All sorts of words were thrown however Apollo had one objective. Dark smoke began to rise up from the ground and slowly creep into the head of the five. "Darkness element Necromancy magic, Veritas" "Arghhh!" He needs information more than anything else. If he could locate the other temples of the monastery then it''ll be easier to eliminate them. "12 temples of the monastery one destroyed by the emperor while the remaining still remained hidden" "I need to know where the remaining eleven" Cries of grief continued to echo while the rain began to fall normally again. "I see, a man named Elijah" After reading their memories he found the man who instigated their invasion inside the Academy ground. "I''ll deal with himter but first" he switched his gaze towards the five, unexpectedly they remained awake despite the pain brought by the spell. "Ha...ha...the great Nirvana wi-..." His head fell off before he could continue his words. The dark burn-like hands turn themselves into harp objects that cut through the head of one of the five scouters. "I don''t have time for all of you so I will have to go" Then sparks of lighting surge from his body. "I need to deal with that mole then I''ll extract his memories" He said while activating his spell. "Thunder aura!" "Boom!" He flew away leaving the four remaining scouters stuck with his spell. "This is our chance we need to move now!" One of the scouters said while trying to pull his de to cut through the ck hands. "Hey, can you hear me?" He looked at hisrade realizing they had be dried corpses. "No....this can''t be...." He put more strength to break free however he could feel his power fading away as he moved. "NOOO!" he shouted while being engulfed by the cursed hands. .... "Are you sure we should leave him?" Niko asked while gripping the hilt of his sword. "We will only be a hindrance if we stay there" Alicia argues as she runs like the rest of the lower ss. "How many enemies does he need to confront Alicia?" Samael asked while holding onto Arabe. "Five" "Will he be fine?" Agnes worriedly said to which Alicia confidently answered. "Yes so don''t worry" While they run through the rain a figure of a man suddenly emerges. Strangely his clothes were soaked with blood instead of the pouring rain. Then this man suddenly spoke making the students in front of him worried. "It''s good to see that you kids are doing well" his husky baritone voice somehow added mystery to his sudden appearance. ... "A teacher in league with the monastery" He gritted his teeth while travelling through the air. "I thought I had eliminated any spies inside the academy, to think I missed one" "However how? I scanned every teacher and eliminated those with a contaminated mana" [It''s either they did a good job hiding or they did not receive anything that could contaminate their mana] "Did they perhaps figure it out that they had been caught because of it" [Possible Creator] He stops speaking any more when he arrives inside the Professor''s dormitory. "Are sure he is inside?" [He is I have scanned the entire first-year section and was sure he is here] "Alright let us go" Apollo''s body suddenly loses its lightning form and turns into air. "Rearrange the barrier, Jeremiah" [On it Creator] The barrier known for its security was soon rearranged by Jeremiah. "It''s funny how this could be done in our dorms to" He couldn''t help but say as he entered the Professor''s dormitory. Unlike the old building, which they called the lower-ss dormitory the ce Apollo invaded looks amazing with its new architectural style. With Apollo''s air form, he flew like wind across the corridor until arriving inside an office. "Found ya" There inside an ordinary-looking office Apollo''s target remains sitting in his seat. He was about to finish his job when he heard the professor taking a call. "Hello?...yes I let your pets enter here why?" Suddenly he sprang from his seat then he eximed "What!" This stopped Apollo and decided to stay where he was. "What do you mean all your scouters are dead!....you told me they are skilled" He began to mumble as if hearing something horrifying. "Shut up! You told me none of them would be caught...I am telling you if one of them snitches on me!" "Ha!...are you still boasting on your oath again for security!" "You can''t count on the oath since I didn''t interrogate them" Suddenly a voice pierces through the professor''s hysterical words on themunicator making him look at the direction of his coach. There sitting without a care was Apollo his sunset-colored hair bounced as a small breeze of wind touched him. "Hi professor" Apollo smiled as he looked at the cold expression of the professor. The air suddenly tightened while the aura of the two shed. "You are?" the professor asked while moving sneakily towards his staff. "Ah right I forgot this appearance isn''t very recognizable" The mask Apollo decided to wear before transforming turned into dust revealing his face in the process. "Hi, professor Apollo Lionheart is here!" He said while his smile almost scared the professor. It was a smile devoid of any emotion making you feel like it wasn''t a human smiling but instead a doll Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Boy Who Kills Martha and their POV Every year me and my team would be assigned to cook and manage the lower-ss dormitory however this year of lower lower-ss students were different from the rest. "Miss Martha, what do you think about the new students?" Gil asked while he and Jerome carried the supplies. "I hope they don''t lose hope like what happened tost year''s lower ss" "You said it right Jenny I still remember how those students lost their hope to study" Jerome couldn''t but speak as he remembered the gloomy atmosphere ofst year''s lower ss. "The pressure and bullying must be too hard for them to endure" Nadia said while carrying the kitchen utensils. "Hmm?..what is that Miss Martha" Jenny asked when they noticed the shadows of certain things outside a certain room. "It''s too dark to see...wait aren''t those the furniture in the tea room?" Gil finally realizes this as they walk closer. Then the more they move closer the more they can hear voicesing from a certain room. They all looked at each other when they realized those voices and unconsciously they looked at the door. "It''sing from the room" "Wait let me open it" With the small gap made by Jerome, they sneakily look inside. "Hold Apollo down!" "Wait why are you ganging up on me!" "This is my revenge for tricking me into eating a fart cookie in the tower Apollo!" "It''s all your fault Mckenzie because you are a glutton!" "Shut up! hold him tight now!" "Piss off!" Sixteen kids began pulling pillows and hitting each other with it. Laughter and continuous teasing can be heard making the five people outside look at each other. "It seems like we don''t need to worry" "Yes it really seems so Miss Martha" "Let''s head inside and prepare for tomorrow''s breakfast" "Yes Miss Martha" they said in unison. All of us thought that the new lower ss would be more sessful than thest however they were more unique than we initially thought. "Gil can you pick up the vegetables at the back door" "Yes Miss Martha" Gil with Martha''s orders immediately went to the back door however as soon as the sound of the door being closed a scream could be heard after. "What is it, Gil!" Martha ran to his side and saw three dead bodies lying t on the ground. "These people are from the maintenance team!" Gil gasped as he realized this. "Hmm?... I thought none of you woulde out at this time" A childish voice can be heard making Martha and Gil look for its source. "I am actually here" From the ground, the figure of a boy soon took shape making Gil almost copse. "What''s that!?" However, the pile of dirt soon turns into a person they are familiar with. "Apollo?" "Hello Miss Martha and mr Gil" Apollos smiled while holding a head in his right hand however he quickly dismissed it and acted as normally as he could. "What are you doing young one?" "Cleaning Miss Martha I found some rats snooping around so I decided to trap them down" Despite his calm expression, the two could see his hand trembling. The two couldn''t help but look at each other and immediatelypose themselves. It seems their appearance made the child worry. "Is he perhaps worried we would be scared of him?" Martha thought while looking at the child in front of her. "Let''s head inside I think we still have a few bowls of soup" "Right Apollo lets head inside" Gil approaches him and as he moves closer he sees how distressed Apollo''s expression is. "It''s okay we understand" despite not understanding what was really happening Gil tried to say as he tried tofort the child. "Wait I should clean the bodies first" "Nah forget about those Jerome can handle them" "Really?" "Yes now let''s head inside" With Gil''s urging Apollo manages to head inside and head towards the kitchen. "Here eat up" Martha gave a bowl of soup and freshly baked bread to Apollo making the child surprised. "Here eat up" The child''s expression still looksplex as if he is afraid of something. "Go on take a sip" With Martha''s calm urging Apollo finally took a dip and tasted the warm meal in front of him. "How was it?" Gil asked while putting the baskets of vegetables on the side. "Apollo?" There was no answer making Gil look at Martha. "Are you alright student Lionheart?" Martha asked seeing no further reaction from the child. "Can I ask a question?" unexpectedly the boy spoke to which Martha answered "Yes" "You won''t change right?" This question made the two look at each other a bit taken aback. "No need to worry about something like that.." "People''s perception can easily change so..." "Apollo" Martha''s voice made the boy snap from his dark thoughts. "People don''t easily change especially those with firm will" "Little one no matter what happened" She calmly said while wiping the bread crumbs on the boy''s cheeks. "We will always remember the little kid we saw on the first day. The kid that freely enjoys his friend''spany and smiles like nothing needs to worry" she continues to say making Apollo look down. "Gulp!" A big spoonful of soup and a chunk of bread were immediately devoured by the kid as if he wanted to divert his attention to a different thing. "Thanks" he suddenly voices out while showing his clean bowl of soup. "Your words mean a lot to me" He then smiles happily at Gil and Martha. "I''ll be going then" Apollo left leaving the two still in a daze. "In the end what really is happening" Gil couldn''t help but say. "I should probably ask the headmaster" "Okay Miss Martha I''ll just clean this up" While Gil remained inside the kitchen he suddenly remembered something. "Why do I feel like I am forgetting something important?" he questioned however he quickly dismissed the idea. "It might be just me," he thought while cleaning the stack of vegetables. Unbeknownst to him a friend of his was stuck outside not knowing what to do. "Just what am I supposed to do with these bodies" Jerome grimaced as he thought of possible ways to eliminate the bodies. ... Teaching in the Academy was something I never dreamed of, but since the emperor gave me an order to change my duties and instead of being a soldier, I became an undercover professor. My task is to protect a couple of students and those students are these sixteen staggering students. "What''s this Apollo? why so slow" I spoke looking at the kid that I think I don''t need to protect. He was strong beyond his age and his usage of his skills may have been attributed to his life inside the tower. I was witnessing the growth of a monster and it made me both excited and scared. This past week more and more people disappeared within the academy. From the maintenance team to the newly hired and old professor, they began disappearing and appearing as dead bodies. Surprisingly their bodies have something simr. An irregr construction of Mana, it was different and ckened to the point of corruption but for some reason they didn''t. It made me wonder why we didn''t notice such a detail, I have killed hundreds of members of the monastery yet I didn''t notice such a thing. Somehow I felt like someone was aiding us. My gaze thennded on the boy who I suspected to be that person. "That''s a very swift transition, I am impressed" I waved my pen again activating one of the sealer''s gravity spells. "Argh!" I chuckled seeing his reaction and at that moment he became an ordinary-looking child in front of me. "I hope you kids remain this way" Despite the hellish experience the students are experiencing the professor remains happy seeing them struggle. Chapter 49: Chapter 49: The Boy Who Kills 2 Apollo and the mysterious professor are locked in a strange staringpetition, if one were to blink away or move even an inch it would be the signal of an all-out battle. "I believe this is the first time we met professor" Apollo''s voice pierces through the tense atmosphere, his tune makes it sound like he and the professor are good friends. "Why is a student like you doing here" "That''s a very harsh words I came here since I was supposed to be in your ss" "You?... I don''t think so, you chose to be in the lower ss it wasn''t my fault you are in such a situation right now" The professor said trying to hide his motives with their conversation. "Right if I wanted to be in your ss I should have approached you the ss professor of High ss, Gideon ster" Then a magic circle envelops the office putting the two under itsmand. "An anti-magic circle" Gideon gasped as he realized the magic circle underneath them. "I picked up a useful artifact on my way here, so I thought about using it" "Forget about my staff I can handle you even without it!" He lunged forward brandishing his sword however Apollo also prepared like him. Normally if you are dealing with an armed opponent and you are not, it''s best to keep your distance and pay close attention towards your opponent''s attacks. However, in Apollo''s case, he can calcte Gideon''s movements. Using Jeremiah''s upgraded sensor even a tiny muscle contraction could be analyzed and calcted. This way he could predict his opponent''s uing attacks. [Creator the sword is aiming for your neck] "Yeah I can see it" Apollo moves side step away from his opponent''s lunge then he puts more ki in his fist. With ki boosting his stats his movements be even more fast which took his opponent by surprise. However, the professor is still a good fighter and he immediatelyposes himself before sending his de towards Apollo. [Your head Creator] Apollo just nodded and with his ki-enforced arm, he redirected the strike away. Then with a swift transfer of weight, he used his other hand to counterattack. He first gathers his ki at the tip of his finger beforepressing it into a tiny dot. "Energy bomb" The tiny dot flew fast in front of Gideon before exploding. "Argh!" Apollo wasn''t done yet as he put his hellish training with Adolfo into use. The sound of something grinding can be heard, Gideon opens his eyes and sees how Apollo skilfully uses his ki into a sword. "Vibrating sword" Thepressed ki started to vibrate ording to Apollo''s will. "Tsk! You think you are the only one who can do that" Gideon waves his sword making his ki coat on it and just like what Apollo did he also tried vibrating his ki however it proves harder than he thought. "What!?" "Now that was embarrassing" Although he already anticipated that move he was still disappointed that a professor couldn''t do what he did. "Professor Adolfo treated this technique like a giveaway candy yet it seems like it is not exactly easy to do" As he thought of this his hand already moved towards his opponent''s legs. [He is going to block it] In Apollo''s eyes, arrows would appear indicating his opponent''s next move. Knowing Gideon is going for a block Apollo changes his sword''s direction aiming for his torso. "Argh!" He sessfully made the attack but he wasn''t done yet using his momentum he made a quick transition, pivoted and redirected the strike further, he aimed towards the back of his opponent. Gideon could only feel his back and torso being wounded and he couldn''t defend himself from the fast transition of attacks. At the same time, the magic circle beneath them grew dim. "This is my chance!" Gideon thought wanting to use magic the moment the anti-magic circle disappeared. "Apologies but I won''t let you do anything unnecessary" Before he could even make his move Apollo spoke as if knowing his intention. Then a terrible scent suffocated him drawing his consciousness into oblivion. "Mission aplished now time to bring this guy to a safe ce" He said but then he realized something. "Right this ce looks ragged even though we only made a quick exchange" The boy notices as he looks across the half-destroyed office. "Rewind" His voice became an authority that can''t be disobeyed and immediately the office became how it was before Apollo arrived. "Jeremiah put this guy inside the inventory" [Affirmative] With Jeremiah''s current upgrade, he could now store even living beings, because of that Apollo would store people he wanted to interrogate without worrying about being caught. [Creator] "Yes?" [There is something in his table] Moving closer Apollo found hismunicator. A little blue orb that can fit perfectly in his palms. "I told you to disable themunicator''s signal right?" [I did Creator and no need to worry I did my job perfectly] "Then what do you want to do?" [If I can utilize some of Creator''s skills I think I''ll be able to trace the person Professor Gideon was talking to] "Interesting let''s test itter" Then he looked around thinking that he might find another thing inside the ce. "Wait what''s this" Then he saw a file of students, and as soon as he did Apollo couldn''t help but realized something. "This bastard is recruiting students for the monastery!" He clenches the file seeing more than half of the targeted students have already been marked. "I''m gonna break that guy so badly he would wish he was dead" Then Apollo released his bloodlust making the newly fixed office destroy again. "I''ll let the other professors discover this" He said before turning into air again. A few seconds upon his departure dozens of professors dash towards the office. "Professor Gideon what is happening!" However, as soon as they arrived all they could see was a destroyed office. "What''s this?" Scattered on the ground were documents and even evidence of Gideon''s corrupt teaching. "That bastard find him!" The people who initially came to help became the people who began to hunt him but unfortunately, Apollo had the man they were looking for captured. Chapter 50: Chapter 50: The rain has ended "Professor?" Alicia asked seeing professor Adolfo in front of the dorm''s gate. "I am fine, you guys need to head inside, looking at the clouds the rain might be heavier" He opens the gate urging for them to enter. "Professor what''s really hape-..." "Not now Arab just head inside please" With the professor''s urging they all obeyed, the wind raging on while the rain continued to pour. "You are one stubborn enemy you know" Behind his back a man wearing a ck cloak emerges, his body is covered with wounds and his cloak is littered with holes. "I finally found the five" Instead of looking at Adolfo the scouter was looking at the fifteen running students. "You won''t be able to go inside" "Oh?..am I?" To Adolfo''s surprise, his body changed and morphed into a figure he was familiar with. "Is that me?" The scouter turns into Adolfo but the professor just stares at him as if he sees something indecent. "What kind of expression is that?... Forget about his expression I need to focus on my duty" the scouter thought while looking at Adolfo''s disgusted face. He approached the gate without looking at his opponent. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you" He didn''t mind Adolfo''s warning and without hesitation, he touched the gate''s handle. "Argh!" A power enough to paralyze someone surged from the gate making the scouter unable to move. "What...is t..this!?" "I told you not to touch it, how stupid" "Bu...argh!!...I copied even your....mana signature" "Ah..pfft!.. seriously if copying mana signatures is so easy to do, many people could have invaded the academy" The professor then calmly approaches the dying man in front of the lower-ss dormitory gate. "Why?..I...." he tried to speak however the spell from the gate began taking effect. "I didn''t even need to lift a finger" Professor Adolfo said while looking at the eyes of the dead scouter. "What happened here?" The professor almost had a heart attack when he heard a voiceing from his back. "I didn''t even notice his presence," he thought as he turned back to see the source of the voice. "Apollo?" his initial cautious expression rxes when he realizes who it is. "Hey, professor what''s with the ragged get-up?" His usual ivory long-sleeve shirt with a ck necktie fixed on his cor has stains of blood and dirt, on top of his shirt is a ck waistcoat while a ck overcoat rests on his shoulder, but it is also littered with holes and burns. Then his lower body is clothed with dark charcoal grey pants which have little dirt and scratches on them. Laced up on his feet are a pair of men''s shoes with low heels but it was stained with blood as if he walked on them. "Oh this I just ran around the academy cleaning up some stuff" "I see" "Oh you should head inside the rain looks getting worse" "Okay professor" While Apollo entered he caught a glimpse of a body lying t in front of the gate. "So I wasn''t the only one" he thought when he realized the familiar get up of the dead man. ... "Children I think I remember reminding all of you to bring an umbre" Miss Martha began scolding them as soon as she saw them all soak from head to toe. "Hurry take a quick shower then head to the dining hall" As soon as she tended to them Apollo suddenly arrived his demeanor was the same when Gil and Martha witnessed him disposing of three dead bodies. "Hey Miss Martha" greeted Apollo however a towel was the thing that Miss Martha answered. "Quick shower now" "Yes madam" Apollo went up just as he was told to and quickly took a bath. "That was refreshing! I felt like all my fatigue disappeared" Apollo couldn''t help but say, feeling like his pent-up stress was washed away. "Huh?" Somehow theplex emotion he was having while confronting those five scouters disappeared. "What was it then?" He began to think "I was sure I wasn''t afraid of them but there was this feeling I can''t tell" While he contemted his previous emotion he began dressing up. Just a light brown loose sweater and gray jogging pants. "Yup let''s just wear this" Coming down the stairs a weing scent made the boy eager to enter the dining hall. "Apollo!" "Hey buddy you okay right?" "Should we go to the infirmary?" "Did you get injured!" As soon as they saw Apollo they immediately rain him with questions about his wellbeing. "Easy guys he is safe" Alicia tried to convince them while helping Jenny and Nadia set up the table. "Sit down Apollo!" ir urged him while Mckenzie pulled a chair for him. "Thanks" "Let me get your food" "I''ll get some water then" "Hey, do guys want a hot chocte? this cold rainy weather could be paired up with a warm beverage" "Let''s have one I want a big mug" "I know Mckenzie" While they continue to help out Apollo suddenly realizes the feeling he was experiencing a while ago. "So I wasn''t really scared, the battle wasn''t the cause of it" he sighed in relief. "I was merely afraid" then he couldn''t help but look at them. "I was merely afraid of losing them" he scratched the back of his head feeling embarrassed "What a feeling" he couldn''t help but say. The night fell even though the rain still continued. "Wow" The kids couldn''t help but say when they finally used the firece in the tea room. There was magic embedded in the firece making the fire turn into different colors and shapes. They just watch the mes transform into flowers before exploding like fireworks. "It''s pretty" "Yeah...Alicia" "Yes, Apollo?" "I need to leave tonight so make sure none of them will notice my absence" "Alright just be careful" "I will" .... A couple of hours went by and Apollo moved when he noticed all of them were asleep. He sneakily went towards his room and made sure to double-lock it. A barrier was then erected making sure that nothing would go wrong with his interrogation. "Now then let''s wee our guest" A man suddenly emerged, his body was full of injuries. "You bastard!" Gideon braces the pain of his wounds and casts a spell. "Stop!" However, the time surrounding him suddenly halted deeming his spell useless. "Let me put this on first" An anti-magic handcuff was put on his hand while his neck got a ve cor. "Done" He ps his hand making the time flow again. "Ahhh!...huh?" He had thought he had a chance but his body suddenly couldn''t produce mana. "Why I was just fine a while ago?" he questioned feeling bitter. However Apollo was not in the mood for exnation, he immediately went on business. "Darkness element Necromancy magic, Veritas" Dark tainted smoke appeared on the ground before entering Gideon''s head. "No....NO!!!....ARGH!!!" He started to coil in pain rolling on the ground as if trying to endure it. "Hmmm?" All sorts of memories invaded Apollo''s mind fortunately he had Jeremiah to sort out the useless and useful information. "Did I just see a beast''s egg in his secret vault?" [You did Creator] "Interesting I also saw a book from the monastery, that''s our priority" [Are you going to transform now Creator?] "Why are you so excited to use that skill" [Because It''s a very unique skill Creator] "I will think about it but for now I will deal with this guy first" He then approaches Gideon who is still on the ground. "Darkness element ck magic, Vorax pestis" An acidic scent suddenly fills Gideon''s nose making him dizzy. Dark tainted smoke began to devour him, he tried to scream however the ck smoke blocked his airway suffocating him in the process. "Let''s leave we don''t have time for this" [Agreed] As they turn their back on Gideon, his body begins to burn as if something is eating his skin away. He couldn''t scream all he could do was endure the pain. From a renowned professor he then into dust as the spell took over. "Jeremiah proceed to use the skill" [affirmative Creator] A barrier was created to protect him from the academy''s defence mechanism. He was after all going to use another spell. [Skill Demonification....proceed to activation Creator?] "Yes go on with it" Apollo suddenly felt his body being taken over by a certain force. He didn''t try to fight he let it be and so the corruption began eating the boy away. Slowly as he walked he could feel his skin peeling off however he didn''t feel any ounce of pain. A mysterious energy had an envelope his body. [Skill activation sess! How do you feel Creator?] "Me? I feel weird" He was already out of the dormitory and already walked to the academy''s Park. "What the hell" he couldn''t help by eximed when he saw his reflection on a pond. Chapter 51: Chapter 51: The boy is no more "I look like an undead knight...wasn''t I supposed to be a demonized human?" [But you are, Creator] Apollo felt strange as he tried to move, his skin was no longer there, instead, an exoskeleton was covering his body serving as an armor of protection. Each gap of his armor-like body had a blue-hue color glow. On his back are two tattered wings, big and ancient-looking. "What the" he tried moving them and to his surprise it did. Seeing his reflection in the pond the boy couldn''t help but touch his face and he felt the smooth yet sturdy surface of the exoskeleton that covers his face. "I don''t have a mouth but I can speak" [You have a mouth Creator] "I can''t really call it a mouth since it''s just a small opening simr to a visored barbuta helmet, but it doesn''t flip like the real one" [At least you can talk] "I look weird...wait are these horns?" Looking deeper into his reflection Apollo realized that aside from his helmet-like head there were two protruding horns in it. Those horns weren''t too big nor too small but Apollo felt weird as he touched them. "At least I don''t have a tail right?" [Yes don''t have one] "Just what kind of demon beast used to own this beast core" He said while trying to test his reflexes. Now he regretted not asking about the source of the beast cores. "Oh, this feels nice...hmmm?" Then the boy realized something. "Why do I feel like my surroundings shrink?" [It didn''t Creator, you just grew taller] "I see no wonder" [We should head out now] "Right" The boy no longer looked like the one he used to be, as he stood like an undead knight ready to purge those who had wronged him. He moves his two wings trying to fly using them. [Will you be fine? It''s your first time flying] "It should be fine no? I think it''s simr to how I fly with my thunder aura" [I don''t really rmend this] "You should trace the signal from themunicator so we won''t waste any time while I practice" [Sure] While Jeremiah began to check the previously gathered data Apollo began to practice. "Let''s see first let''s gather enough lift force" He began pping his wings like a young bird practicing how to fly. "Maybe I should go even faster" Apollo continued his practice while Jeremiah felt relieved about the data he had gathered. [It''s good I was able to scan the signal while that professor was having his call] Jeremiah thought while synthesizing a tracking spell. He needed one that could trace the source of the signal however the conversation was too short for him to have a clear data to trace. [This is why themunicator was essential] Then a slight tremor suddenly shook his thinking. [Hmm?] The vessel Jeremiah is currently in is inside Apollo''s consciousness, anything that can affect Apollo''s mind can affect Jeremiah too. [Creator did you fall?] "Yeah" Apollo was a bit embarrassed as he said this. [You fell on a pond] "Yeah" A deep sigh could be heard deep within his mind, knowing the source of it Apollo stood up again trying to fly once again. "I''ll try again" [Sure] Then the two became concentrated on their own respective objectives, however, the other one couldn''t concentrate due to a certain someone. [Creator] "Yeah I know I know I fell" "Arghh!" [You fell again?] "Yes sorry" [I am done with the tracing will you be alright?] "Yeah I think I got the hang of it" Even with all the mud and branches all over his body he confidently p his wings again. The wind began to rustle with every movement of his wings. "BOOM!" He shot through the air and used his wings to glide among the wind. "Where is our target" [Go straight to the forest outside the city of Sidus] He just nodded while looking at the map with a red x mark on it. The clock struck midnight urging the moon to light the dark sky. ..... {Bishop I presume your n is going smoothly} "There was a little mishap but the n is still on set, archbishop" {You better make sure Elijah we can''t fail} "Yes, all for the sake of Nirvana" {Yes, all will fall ording to his will} Apollo felt bored while listening to them but Jeremiah needed time to fully gather enough data for tracing. "Are they finally done?" [It seems so since the signal already weakened] "Let''s move then" From a corner of a room, a shadow suddenly emerges. The quiet room suddenly began to feel uneasy, Elijah could feel something growing within him, it was fear. With his heightened awareness he looks behind him only to find an empty space. His heartbeat began to quicken while his instincts began telling him to run. It was supposed to be a normal day but it transformed into a tense experience. "I need to leave" he sumbed to his senses and ran to the exit. Each step he took was fuel with his growing sense of danger, he dashed towards the door but before he could even touch it he felt a presence behind him. "Good evening" It was a voice which undoubtedly belonged to a monster, not a human. Elijah immediately released his mana creating a domain of his own. A thick aggressive mana hit the mysterious being, however, all it took for him to wash the mana pressure was a mere flick of his finger. "What!" Dread climbs to his heart when his mana pressure is easily cancelled. The Bishop knew he could not win so he immediately fled. "He blinks away" [You knew what he was going to do, why didn''t you stop him?] "It''s because I don''t want to get bored" ck-tainted mana surges from his body before being used to recreate a spell. [Thunder aura?] "Yes but demon version" The corrupted mana transforms into blue lighting which begins to pulsate and empower Apollo. "Demon thunder aura" "BOOM!" The entire mansion turned into a rumble the moment Apollo took flight. The residual lightning went underground destroying everything it went, and the ground cracked and burned. "Where are those guards when you needed them the most!" Elijah eximed after blinking away. "!?" His question was soon answered when he saw the pile of bodies thaty t on their headquarters. "Howe I didn''t notice!" The severity of the situation soon made the bishop panic he immediately cast a teleportation spell while activating hundreds of magical scrolls. "I can''t die here!" He ran as he cast his spell but before he could evenplete it a magic circle made his heart break. "Anti-magic circle!" Elijah no longer knew what to do he tried to run but he couldn''t all he could see was a bright light from the moon. Soon that light was swallowed by a cluster of dark clouds. Lightning soon strucknding right in front of him. Smokes and fire were created but it was the least of his concern. A tall knight wearing jet ck armor which strangely glows with a blue hue, at his back a pair of wings while his head has a pair of horns. "Why is a devil roaming thends of humans....it shouldn''t be possible for you to continue living here!" "Oh really?" Apollo began to approach making Elijah take a step back. "And here I thought you could give me a decent fight" [He is a mage and you used an anti-magic circle, what do you expect] "Right I forgot" "The air here is poison for devils how can you survive" While Elijah said those words Apollo can see him using his fingers to activate the magical scrolls he released. "Jeremiah" [Yes?"] "Cancel the activation of those scrolls" [Affirmative] "Wait why?" "Enchanted objects are not under the effects of an anti-magic circle, since it could only affect living beings" Apollo''s monster-like voice made Elijah even more scared. "I am impressed you still try to fight" Blue lightning began dancing around his body and with hismand, it transformed into ance. Thosences went through the air beforending towards five spirits. "Jeremiah your jamming run out of power" [Apologies Creator but those spirits tore through space just to get here] "I am impressed, the moment they felt their master being endangered they immediately came here" Five spirits surround Apollo however he isn''t afraid. "Yes, I am safe!" Elijah looked happy but he didn''t remain idle, he took out a bottle from his pouch then without hesitation he drank it. [He drank a potion that temporarily increased his ki Potion duration: 5 minutes] "I am still waiting for a powerful attack" Apollo is not doing this for fun instead he is studying the fighting style of the Bishops from the monastery. He patiently waits for any technique he can scan and study that could somehow help him understand his enemy. "Will I finally see something?" Apollo asked himself while looking at Elijah who turned into a green man with huge muscles. Chapter 52: Chapter 52: An unexpected enemy [Is this the technique you are waiting for?] "No, absolutely not," Apollo said deadpanned while dodging the endless barrage of punches. Each time Elijah''s fist hit the empty space a huge shockwave would be produced. However no matter how powerful of an attack may be, if it can''t reach your opponent then it''s useless. "His moves are too predictable" [What do you expect from a mage Creator, he is doing way better than any mage whom you had put in the same situation as him] Suddenly memories of the people he had killed flooded his mind. From the maintenance team to the professors he had trapped and killed them. "For the past five weeks, I didn''t get any useful information, I just hoped this guy could give the answer I needed" While he continues to think his opponent already going crazy since he still can''t touch his opponent. Elijah then took some distance and used a stance that immediately made Apollo frown. An enormous amount of ki was gathered. [This doesn''t look good] "Yup his duke rank spirits are on their way here it seems like my thundernce didn''t hold off like I initially thought" [I advise you to get serious that guy is about to use aura explosion] "I can see that" Ki is an energy any human can have like mana, its quality and quantity might be different from other people but it is still an essential construction of a human''s energy. In using ki an individual had to go through three stages. Hardening or physical reinforcement is the first stage, it is a way to prevent any external damage and strengthen the body. The second is quite advanced it''s called Release, it is the way an individual can discharge his ki outside his body and mold it into anything he wants. An example of this is when Apollo manipted his ki and turned it into a sword. The final stage is called Aura, this is an above realm of controlling your ki, it could only be achieved if your senses and mastery of techniques are on a different dimension. Currently, Apollo could only do the second stage and aura was still far from his reach. "How can a mage do an aura bomb?" His usage of technique was simr to Niko''s so how can someone like him pull off a higher realm of technique? An aura is super advanced yet Elijah is pulling it off making Apollo surprised. [Iing attacks] "I know" While Elijah''s aura began to form Apollo began to make his move, his speed was many folds faster than his opponent. How fast is a bolt of lightning? Some say it''s 1/3 of the speed of light however it doesn''t really matter. Apollo''s thunder aura might be slower than natural lightning but it is still fast, half a second is all Apollo needs to finish the fight. Lightning began to dance while the temperature soared so high it began to melt the ground. The melted ground bears the traces of the lightning path. Thunder roared as if swallowing the area and a creature d in armor slowly made his way towards his enemy''s attacks. The blue streaks of light blinded the enemy and when they opened their eyes that''s when they realize their severed limbs. Their vision was filled with blood while their arms and legs were lying on the ground. "Argh!!!!" Scream of agony escaped from his lips while his spirits who were about to attack crashed to the ground, their bodies began to disappear due to the damage they received from Apollo''s attack. "That one spirit was troublesome" [The stag spirit was able to manipte space, if it weren''t for the skill you copied from Aaron you would have a hard time decapitating them] "You are right, it seems like I can no longer prolong this fight" With no legs nor arms, Elijah tried onest attack that would surely damage his opponent. [He is self-destructing] "Yes he is" Elijah began to gather his remaining ki and focus them in his chest but before he could even get the proper amount of energy needed to self-destruct he felt his consciousness waver. "No!" He could only say before sumbing to the embrace of darkness. Apollo caught his falling body, d that he brought the sleeping powder he made before. "Store him away, Jeremiah" [Are you disappointed you didn''t see the thing you were anticipating?] "Of course, Grandpa Alger told me there is a special grade of spell the monastery was using. I was hoping to see some of them tonight so that I could create a countermeasure spell towards the higher level type because I am sure I will encounter them in the future" he couldn''t help but say still disappointed with the green giant man he fought. Elijah was being taken inside the inventory when Apollo felt an impending danger. His lightning spread out creating a barricade from a specific direction. A second after he built his defense a ck firended on it. An intense wave of heat crashed on the ground when the mysterious attack hit Apollo''s lightning barrier. [I didn''t detect that!] "It''s okay because I did" Apollo said trying to calm Jeremiah''s frantic exims. "I am impressed with that block, I personally thought I had you there" A voice sounded from the void untraceable even for a specific individual. [I can''t find him!] "Calm down Jeremiah switch your gears and use a soul-based sensor" [I will Creator] "You are calm despite not seeing me" "It''s fine I don''t really need to see you" The sky darkened hiding the moon while the thunder roared as if following Apollo''s will. "You are a demon yet you are not?.... I thought for a moment you are a devil but no" He looked at Apollo from head to toe before saying "Devils don''t have this crazy aura surrounding them, their aura are very tame, unlike demons. You canpare them to a quiet storm, you can''t be a devil since devils can''t have this extremely corrupted power" "You are such a mysterious creature" he added. Soon enough the space began to crack, and from its opening, a man came out wearing the same priest outfit as the one Apollo had confronted before. "A priest from the monastery" "Indeed I am one of the few chosen people to carry out the will of Nirvana. My name is Sergio Monte the fifth bishop of the tenth monastery" [Creator I think you have found the person you are looking for] "Yes maybe" However, his eyes were fixated on his stat and his opponent''s. Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: demonized Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Archduke Level: 20 Strength: 1000 Agility: 1000 Dexterity: 1000 Endurance: 1000 Stamina: 1000 Intelligence: 1000 Mana: 1000 Ki: 1000 Mana regeneration: 50 per second Ki regeneration: 50 per second Vitality: 800 Skills/Abilities: Evil sorceress (Rank SS) {Passive} - Every spell or technique is in its corrupted or darkened form. Any dark spell is boosted by 50% Corrupted apaniment (Rank SS) {Active} - a cursed energy that can kill anyone at a given range Shadow st (Rank SS) {Active}- apressed amount of corrupted mana and ki Shadow run (Rank SS) {Active} - can turn into a shadow as a means of transportation Damage reduction (Rank SS) {Active} - reduces any damage upon contact. essible every one minute Wings of night (Rank SS) {Active} - the wings would temporarily transform into des Retriever (Rank SS) {Active} - can temporarily ess the non-demon skills for a short period of time All of Apollo''s stats and skills change the moment he takes the form of a demon. His rank went up as well as his attributes. However, his previous skills can only be used by taking the skill Retriever other than that he had no way of using his other skills. The moment he used the skill Demonification the skills of the previous demon who owned the beast core became Apollo''s current skill set. "He is aplicated enemy" Name: Sergio Monte: Status: Curious Position: Fifth Bishop of the tenth Tempe of the monastery Rank: Warlord Level: 20 Strength: 1000 Agility: 1000 Dexterity: 1000 Endurance: 1000 Stamina: 1000 Intelligence: 1000 Mana: 1000 Ki: 1000 Skills/Abilities INACCESSIBLE "Now just what the hell is going on" [I can''t pry on his skills, I felt like there is a nket covering his stats] "Alright I''ll get serious this enemy might actually detect my speed" [Possible Creator seeing his skills and ability are hidden from us] "Are you done with your thoughts?" [!?] "!?" At that moment Apollo and Jeremiah became confused. No, they might have been surprised or even alerted by the situation. Sergio was d in blue lightning and phased at the same speed as him. "Third gospel of the holy book. Don''t do to others what you don''t want to be done to you" Seeing him take out an old grimoire made Apollo remember the spells Alger was referring to. "Their spells are best on religious context from different beliefs" Lightning began to dance as Apollo and Sergio entered a battle of speed and power. Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Darkness Sparkles of light apanied by an intense heat began to dance on the evening night. Two streaks of blue light began moving and destroying the area without holding back. It was a beautiful sight yet destructive at the same time. Apollo was calcting his and his opponent''s moves, making sure he was one step ahead of the flow of the battle. "I still haven''tnded a single hit" Sergio thought while copying one of Apollo''s earlier spells. Ance made up of lightning was formed however that move was within Apollo''s calction. It was a bluish-white light, brilliant and jagged mass of electricity, extending from the sky to the ground. Apollo saw how the clouds generated a bolt of lightning and went towards thence Sergio was making. A grin emerges on his face, thinking hisnce has be more powerful than the one Apollo used before. An intense yet dazzling light sends tendrils of heat, spreading out from the main bolt, resembling a spear that pierces through the sky. Sergio was up in the air while holding ance made of lightning. "Let''s see if you can dodge this" [Ining Creator] Thence hurls through the air, burning fast and effortlessly. A mass explosion of electricity burst as thence hit something. A pile of rubble and dirt was pushed off the ground causing a smoke of dust to cover the area. Sergio thought he had his opponent however once the dust was kicked off he saw Apollopletely dodge the strike. He doesn''t understand how someone could bepletely unharmed after all the attacks he did. He would never expect that the creature in front of him had read his every possible movement and had acted before he could evenmit the act. Thence was something Apollo had read and thus he had already positioned himself in a ce where the strike wouldn''t affect him. "It''s as if he knows every action I was nning to do" the monastery Bishop thought. A wave of anxiety slowly crept into his body. "No, I wouldn''t be defeated!" The old grimoire appeared once again floating ominously in front of the priest, its pages began to move as if finding a specific page. "Fourth gospel of the holy book, the empire of heavens is with you" Apollo just watches him as he summons a spell based on another religious text. "So they go around copying others then iming it as their own" [Notification Alert! A powerful conquering spell is about to be cast The effects of the spell are a wide range of debuffing spells and a dome of protection for the enemy] [Proceed to break the spell?] "No, I want to test something" [Why do I suddenly feel worried about this] Apollo chuckled before being hit by an overbearing pressure. His body and instincts scream telling him to escape but Apollo remains standing not wanting to seem weak. Even with his heavy body and clouded mind he was still able to read the next attack on Sergio. "Lean right" his body moved ording to his will, and with every passing second the heaviness he had been experiencing was bing worse. The attackunched by Sergio still failed to hit its target. "Why!" he couldn''t help but shout in frustration. He had removed all of Apollo''s senses yet he was still able to move and dodge the strike he made. He can''t see yet it seems like he has seen where the attack is going. He can''t feel yet his body feels the vibration of the attack. He can''t hear yet and can tell where to stand for safety. Even with the spell in effect, it doesn''t do much since the creature in front of him doesn''t rely on his senses to read his opponent''s attack. [Analysisplete! The spell has been recorded and analyzed! ] [Notification Alert! For the potential you have shown a skill has been created! The skill''s name is Unbreakable! A mind and will that cannot be broken by any situation, that is unbreakable!] [Spell form has been hypothesized proceed to use the spell?] "Yes let us proceed" Casting a newly crafted spell requires a bit of time and currently, he doesn''t have that. As he and Jeremiah converse more spells were being sent to Apollo. "Howe you can fly when you can''t even see!" the bishop shouted feeling dumbfounded and aghast upon the situation. "Jeremiah let''s do this" [Affirmative!] As Sergio was about to cast a fire spell he suddenly felt a sudden chill. "What is this" Then right in front of him an old grimoire suddenly born out of the corrupt mana Apollo has. "This...this can''t be!" He began to feel frantic and started to attack continuously however a field of lightning became Apollo''s protective defence, making his attack useless. Then right before his eyes, he witnessed a scene he never thought possible. Apollo''s inhuman voice sounded clear and proud as the spell flowed smoothly out of his non-existent mouth. "Third gospel of the holy book. Don''t do to others what you don''t want to be done to you" Sergio froze when his demonic opponent copied the spell he spent years of mastering. "This can''t be!" His hand gathered more mana however an overbearing pressure suddenly hit him. "So it really works like that" Apollo tried to sound carefree but with his current voice, he sounded like he was trying to eat someone. The third gospel is a spell simr to one of Apollo''s skills, Copy&Paste or even Mirror tenfold. Once the spell is cast any spell or technique made by the enemy will be copied. If it''s an attack spell then it is copied first before bouncing back to the one who cast it. If it''s a boost type of spell like Apollo''s then the same spell will be applied to the priest who cast the gospel. However, if it''s a debuff spell or a conquering spell then the gospel will copy it first before returning it to the caster. "Argh!" he began to feel the pressure and inescapable loss of senses. He began to cry due to the pain but his body wouldn''t allow him to flee. He can''t hear, feel and see, all that is left on him is an endless pit of darkness. With Sergio''s current state, the fourth gospel soon loses its effect finally freeing Apollo. "Finally I can see" He stretched his arms and neck since the fourth gospel made his body stiff. [Creator iing attack] "Yes I can feel it" Apollo just waved his hand and ayer of lightning became his shield. "You look crazy priest" his screech-like voice made Sergio shake his head. The priest''s hair is messy while his clothes are damaged due to being continuously pulled. It seems like the priest utilised one important artifact to get out the effects of the third gospel. Apollo wasn''t really surprised, they have existed for hundreds of years so it''ll be no wonder if they have one to two important tools and artifacts. His sudden recovery of his senses unexpectedly shocked his body causing his senses to go haywire. His head was flooded with all sorts of light while his ears were busted with the crinkling sound of the night. "My head!" In his confused state Apollo decided to end the pointless fight. His wish to experience their ways of fighting and style of spells was already satiated, now he needed information. "Let me knock you out" Lightning danced as Apollo appeared right in front of Sergio. "Thunder aura, Lightning shock" His hand were already one inch away from his target when a notification emerged. [Notification Alert!" An army had been detected to approach the area] "Enemies?" [Based on my scanner it seems like they are the aplices of the bishops in this area] "Who were they" [One of the famous families in this region, Stannis from the city of Ashcliff, northeast of the City of Sidus] "Hmm...if I am not mistaken one of the kids from the High ss was a Stannis right?" [Yes, it''s the kid you''d been wanting to abduct but because he is in High ss you couldn''t touch him] "Right with the people I killed this past week, the academy became too protective of its students. I need to cool down a bit before making a move again" [Creator they are approaching fast] "Yes I can feel their mana" Apollo shifts his gaze at Sergio before smashing to him the spell he had cast before. A discharge of electricity courses through the priest''s veins, putting his nerves in chaos resulting in him being paralyzed. "Done now Jeremiah store him away" [I will] "Let''s see I still have a couple of mana I should use it well" A gloomy, dim and overcastyer of dark clouds swallows the sky causing more darkness than the regr night. The light from the moon could no longer prate the might of the darkness. The clouds appeared heavy and thick, hinting at an impending storm that was about toe. Chapter 54: Chapter 54: A demon and an army "How many soldiers does this army have?" [300 Creator, 200 tactical assault soldiers consisting of brawlers, magical swordsmen and heavy knights, and 100 mages] Apollo sighed in relief, for a moment he thought he was up against an army of thousands of personnel. "And their ranks?" [It''s a bitplicated Creator but the one with the highest rank is at Duke rank while the lowest is at General level] "This is a bit problematic" Thunder began to roar among the clouds, while Apollo cancelled his thunder aura spell. Thunder aura consumes too much mana, prolonged use of it will deplete his mana storage. So Apollo will switch spells and use his skills in weapons. "Jeremiah showed me my stats" [Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: demonized Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Archduke Level: 20 Strength: 1000 Agility: 1000 Dexterity: 1000 Endurance: 1000 Stamina: 1000 Intelligence: 1000 The energy bank has been activated Mana: 1000 Ki: 1000 Mana regeneration: 50 per second Ki regeneration: 50 per second Vitality: 800 Skills/Abilities: Evil sorceress (Rank SS) {Passive} - Every spell or technique is in its corrupted or darkened form. Any dark spell is boosted by 50% Corrupted apaniment (Rank SS) {Active} - a cursed energy that can kill anyone at a given range Shadow st (Rank SS) {Active}- apressed amount of corrupted mana and ki Shadow run (Rank SS) {Active} - can turn into a shadow as a means of transportation Damage reduction (Rank SS) {Active} - reduces any damage upon contact. essible every one minute Wings of the night (Rank SS) {Active} - the wings would temporarily transform into des Retriever (Rank SS) {Active} - can temporarily ess the non-demon skills for a short period of time] A smirk appeared on his face while ncing at his stats. "Wait how can I smirk when I don''t have a mouth" he suddenly realized but he quickly switched subjects. [Somehow I feel you are about to do something reckless] "Yes I am, Jeremiah activate the skill Retriever and get Automatic Weaponry for me" [What are you going to do?] Apollo looked at his body and said "I''m gonna do some upgrades" ... "My lord this is too reckless we might alert the city at this rate" Hawk one of Stannis strongest knights said. "Lord Stannis Hawk is right we need to retreat" "Enough Eagle I received an order from Bishop Sergio that they needed reinforcements and we shall do what he says" "But my lord" "If you are worried about being noticed fear not we have been given blessings from the archbishop, so there is no way they''ll find us" The two knights could only nod their heads helplessly at their master''smand. While three hundred armed soldiers match forward a looming danger began to envelop them. "Halt!" Falconmanded. "What''s going on?" Eagle asked however falcon only pointed towards the sky. "What is this" "Lord Stannis!" "Order the mage to cast a barrier around us!" Hawk and Eagle wanted to suggest a retreat but hearing their master''smand they had no choice but to stay. They have no clue why a sudden chill crept into their body making them nervous and panic. "It''s as if a mysterious pressure is limiting our thinking" Hawk couldn''t help but say. "What do you mean?" Eagle questioned. "Can''t you feel it, it''s as if there is something pushing us to make mistakes. Just the fact we are just standing here acting like live targets is already evidence" With Hawk''s words, it made Eagle realize their situation. "You are right, that really makes sense" However, that realization was toote as the mass of light pierced through their defensive barrier. "What is that!" From the cluster of light, a knight d in ck armor emerges. Each step he takes creates a sense of fear towards the soldiers of the house of Stannis. Unconsciously they began to step back. [Notification Alert! For the potential you have shown a skill has been created! The skill name is Oppressor This skill allows the Creator to put pressure upon his enemies without doing anything. This pressure may cause confusion and errors in judgments causing for their low battle awareness. The skill may activate without the Creator''s authorization depending on the situation] A notification appeared making Apollo baffled at his sudden gain of skill. The tension began to rise when the mysterious knight remained standing. And since he remains stationary they felt like if any of them move, will surely cause their death. However unbeknownst to them their enemy was just a 13-year-old kid transforming into a demon. "What are you doing? ...the enemy is right in front of you! Attack now!" Theodore Stannis shouted while pointing towards the mysterious knight that appeared out of nowhere. However before the knights could even move and before the mage could even cast a spell, a ck miasma began to spread. This miasma spread so fast that even the fastest knight and mage failed to defend. That''s when their horror began, one by one, those people who were exposed to the miasma soon screamed in agony. Their skin peels off to the extent of showing their muscles and even their bones. "What is this!" "Run!" Panic spread when the soldiers saw how theirrades turned into skeletons. "What are you all doing attack!" Some were able to snap from their frantic thoughts and retreat to a safe distance but unfortunately, the majority of the soldiers began escaping from the battle. The knight finally made his move he raised his hand and spoke with his inhuman voice "Fall" Thunder roars while lightning strikes, and each bolt ughters soldiers however this time the army bes moreposed to fight back. Spells were formed while heavy knights were positioned to tank everying attack of the ck knight. "Jeremiah proceed to activate three skills" [So this is your n] Apollo never tried using three skills at the same time, he wanted to test if his body would receive some penalties. Despite his situation, he still wants to take this chance to test himself even though he is surrounded by enemies. [Initiating skill activation] While this transpired spells were already cast and swords were already drawn all aiming towards the same target. "Make sure to cast a protective charm to protect the knights!" "Hurry cast buffing and debuffing spells!" It was as if the earth and the sky were at war with each other. Lightning continued to crash creating piles of bodies while the soldiers tried to disperse the cloud. Mages tried to contain the miasma while thebat soldiers waved their weapons to attack. With all this chaos the culprit of this event merely spread his wings however as he did so, his entire body began to change. His wings then turn into sharp des while Apollo'' armor-like body bes sharper and more fierce. With his new transformation, his dark silhouette soon disappeared. [What did you do? Your appearance change?] "I put some stuff at my armor-like skin and turn it into a real armor" He said while diving right into the enemy. "Hising!" "Point all forces to stop him" "Mages put some protection on us this monster is releasing another deadly miasma!" "Heavy knights help us the lightning keeps striking us!" With all the attacksing from a single entity the army consists of 300 personnel find themselves overly upied. The mysterious enemy was like a god of death killing those around him without mercy. "Argh!" "Help me!" "His wings are -..." Blood dyed the ground because Apollo''s ded wings turned the soldiers into pigs for ughter. "Why can''t you hit him!" "I just couldn''t!" "He is turning into a shadow!" Apollo would use his wings for offense while turning into a shadow for defence. "Use a different spell!" "You think I haven''t done that!" The answer is the liquid armor Apollo put on himself. [You did great with this armor, it''s actually absorbing all the spells impressive] "I''ll tell you about this armorter" He ps his wings again causing another life to perish. [Creator look to the right] Apollo turned into a shadow travelling through the air and there he saw twenty mages all gather for a joint spell. [Magic swordsmen and heavy knights are on the way] "I can tell what they want to do but I won''t let them" A magic circle was crafted before turning into a ray of ck beam. "Lord Stannis retreat!" Eagle tried to warn but it was toote. A bright light of darkness envelopes their sight turning the area into a sea of inferno. [Creator a couple of humans are still alive what should we do?] "It''s okay we don''t really need to deal with them" Jeremiah was a bit confused but soon his sensors detected something. [The soldiers from Sidus] "Correct and that''s our signal to go" Dark shadows then devoured his body turning him into a being of the night. ..... "Where are you Apollo" Alicia wondered while sitting right on top of their dormitory''s roof. At first, she was going to patiently wait for him to return but with every passing second, she began to worry about him. In the end, she decided to sit on the roof for a better view of the academy. "I never anticipated that you like high ces, Alicia" "!?" Apollo never expected to see her, especially on top of their roof however he was happy that someone was actually worried about him. Under the now clear sky Apollo saw the beauty of the girl in front of him. Unconsciously a smile forms on his lips. Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Time for information The sun rose from the east signalling the start of the day however a problem suddenly arose for the students of the lower ss. "Run faster!" "I can''t believe none of us woke up early! Not even Miss Martha" Unfortunately due to Alicia and Apollo, the entire dormitory was enveloped by a sleeping spell. "Jeremiah why didn''t you wake me!" [Your body was tired from using too many skills that is why I didn''t bother waking you up] Alicia on the other hand was embarrassed at the fact she woke upte like the others. "You know guys I suddenly became thankful for Professor Adolfo''s training" "Don''t be I am currently dying from overwork because of him!" Sixteen students rush inside the building before going straight for the stairs. Finally, they arrive inside the ssroom seeing no one but them. "Hooo....and here I thought we werete" "Good morning students" "Ah!!" "!?" All eyes went on the door and their Tuesday morning teacher arrived. Missis Agatha Sidus is a resident of this city. "Good morning professor" "Good morning it seems like the lower ss did a little work out beforeing here" "Ah yes we did, we wanted to feel more active for your lessons, professor," ir said while catching his breath. "That''s good now all of you take your seats I will be giving a new lesson for today" Agatha Sidus is the lower ss'' professor for Magic and Creation 1 subject. She mainly teaches spells and willter on teach about scroll making. "Alright let us have a short recap before we tackle our next lesson. Tell me what is the difference between element, magic and spell" She said while writing those words on the board. Three hands were raised and the professor pointed to a green-haired boy among the students. "Keith you may stand" The young man stood up and began to answer. "Elements are the fundamental foundations that consist our nature. Fire, lightning, water, air and earth and their sub-elements represent the world''s forces. There are two types of definitions of magic. One is Magic or mana and the other is magic or magic study. Magic or magic study is a mystical study of every branch of magic brought from the elements. For example, from the element of darkness, a study of magic in which the caster used the undead and curses can be ssified as necromancy magic and ck magic. Magic or mana, on the other hand, is the mystical force that exists within the world, allowing individuals to manipte these elements and perform extraordinary feats Then spells are incantation, rituals or even forms that are used to harness or channel mana to achieve desired results" "That is amazing Keith you may sit" The boy sat down and felt quite relieved he had answered well. Apollo looks at him satisfied with how his fighting his quiet side. "Let me simplify Keith''s answer, elements are the raw materials, magic is the power or the study of the power, and spells are the means by which that power is wielded" She then wrote on the board before writing another set of words. Levels of magic Levels of spells "This past week we have studied the levels of magic and spells. Those levels are the following" Levels of magic 1. Novice Arcana 2. Adept Enchantment 3. Archmage Dominion 4. Celestial Ascendancy Then she wrote an example for each magic. Levels of magic 1. Novice Arcana - Elemental magic 2. Adept Enchantment - Enchantment magic (Buffing or debuffing spells) ck magic (curses and gue) 3. Dominion invocation - Conquering magic, Necromancy magic, ck magic 4. Celestial Ascendance - Heavenly magic "Each level of magic is associated with the difficulty of how to wield it. One example is scroll making and potion making they arebelled as Adept Enchantment. Some people consider it weak because of its lowbat strength however the difficulty of learning these two types of magic is excessive. Well you all will realize that once you start your lessons about scroll making" She did the same thing when she wrote the examples of the levels of spells. Level spells numeric strength Basic - 0-1 (Novice fireball) Starter - 2-4 (re) Central - 5-8 (Ice spike) Magister - 9-11 (Firestorm & tornado fire) Celestial - 12-15 (ntery warfare) "Levels of spells start from Basic, Starter, Central, Magister and Celestial. Each time a spell is cast a magic circle will appear and each magic circle has rings, those rings indicate what level the spell is. Example spells under basic level have 0-1 spells. Meaning it has a single magic circle with a single ring inside" Agatha then let her students recall their past lesson by asking simple questions right after that she proceeded to introduce their new topic. Which is called spell proficiency, so Professor Agatha proceeded to challenge the ss. "We will now do some target shooting, to test out every spell we tackledst week. Are you all ready?" "Yes, professor!" That day the entire ss was exhausted from all the practical examinations they had. With their tired bodies, they dragged themselves towards the kitchen. "My what a sluggish movement" Miss Marthamented seeing the students enter the kitchen. "Hello Miss Martha" "Hello Apollo it seems like you are more awake than your ssmates" "It''s a bit unfair how he looks so fresh yet we look like zombies" "Train more and you might reach my level, Mckenzie" "Shhuuuuttt uupppp" ..... After some snacks and homework dinner arrived which all of them enjoyed. "Keith you should speak more frequently, my ears gonna burst because all I could hear is ir and Mckenzie" "Yeah Samael is right these two talk so much I am going crazy" "Shut up, don''t you know my voice is the most unique voice on this continent" "Yes uniquely unpleasant" Niko argued while Samael dly agreed. The dinner started and ended with some bickering but it was still enjoyable for everyone. "Where are you going, Apollo?" Alicia asked seeing him heading upstairs. "Ah I will just change my clothes since I feel pretty ufortable with the one I am currently wearing" "Okaye down when you are done" "Yes I will" However, as soon as he arrived a soundproof barrier was created. "Right let us start extracting information" [Alright] First to be released was Elijah, his battered body was the first thing Apollo noticed before theck of limbs. "Let''s get on with this" he raised his hand and activated the spell Veritas. A ck smoke began to appear on the floor then it crawled towards Elijah. With the spell''s activation, Apollo saw how the body of his target began repulsing and moving unevenly. A flood of memories surged through Apollo''s mind but fortunately, Jeremiah was there to sort out and remove the unnecessary memories. "This is interesting" [Indeed] "So the 12 temples of the monastery are fighting amongst themselves" [It''s a blessing that they are not united as we thought] "That''s true imagine if all the 12 temples forces were to pour here" [That would be disastrous] "We have to keep them fighting among themselves" [How?] "Hmmm....I wonder" [The reason for their fight is their greed for more power and the honor of reviving Nirvana] "I wanted to praise them because instead of joining together they decided to make Nirvana''s return a race" [We need to keep them in that state before slowly eliminating them] "Right and I think we got someone who could help us" His hand made a waving gesture and a man d in tattered priest clothing appeared. [Segio?] "Correct" Another magic circle appeared beneath Apollo''s feet shifting the mana inside the room. "If I''m gonna use someone, this guy could be a perfect pawn for this job" A wide grin was on the boy''s face as he cast one of the forbidden spells of ck magic. "Lost magic, Ad me obedire" Like a flowing river Apollo''s mana gushed out activating the spell he had in mind. The lost magic is a level of magic that belongs to Celestial Ascendancy. The reason for it to be called lost was due to it being destroyed or banned because of the chaotic things it could cause. Even though it used to belong to ck magic its difficulty soared high as time passed. Ancientnguage became required topose the spell while the technique of the mana control was too old to be remembered. However, Apollo''s case is different because he lived in a ce where lost and forbidden magic can be found everywhere. While the spell activated Sergio slowly regains his consciousness. The ck ominous magic slowly turned into a red miasma, it began to attach itself to the body of its target resulting in Sergio''s body moving in a horrifying way. But no scream escapes from his lips instead only a nk expression remains. Apollo saw his enemy''s eyes begin to have rity signalling he was about to gain consciousness. "I think I need to show off a bit" He then walked closer and held Sergio''s neck, as the man opened his eyes, a person he never expected emerge in his view. Chapter 56: Chapter 56: I am With a bit of difficulty, Sergio opens his eyes and the sight of the being in front of him makes the priest scream in fear. "I can''t...you are!" "Indeed wee my child" Sergio''s focus was on the man in front of him, thus he hadn''t noticed the hand that almost suffocated him. "My lord Nirvana!" The man slowly removes his hand from Sergio''s neck letting the man kneel in front of him. "I save you from a great danger my child, how are you?" Upon hearing those words the priest kneels even more showing his great devotion towards his god. Just like what the scriptures said Nirvana was a very tall man with iron like body. His skin was blue while his eyes were red, their god''s hair was a bit long but it only highlighted his masculinity. "This humble servant doesn''t deserve such kindness!" "Nonsense all of you who follow my will deserve my kindness" [This is a bit cringe] "Shut up can''t you see I am God!" [A God my foot] Jeremiah''s words were immediately blocked from Apollo''s mind, he needs to stay in character after all. "My lord what happened to that creature" "Him? I chased him away however with my limited strength because of the seal I could only appear in this form" "You don''t have to worry my lord your faithful servants will immediately free you! Just give us another time my lord!" Apollo felt amused with his reaction however his face remained gentle yet authoritative. "I shall be waiting for the one to free me" His voice began to bear the power of his mana making Sergio amazed at the same time fearful. "Only the one who will free shall receive my grace. It''s like a race my child and I hope it will be your temple that will aplish it" Sergio''s eyes watered as if receiving the most precious gift he ever had. "We will! the tenth monastery shall aplish this holy task!" A grin emerges from Apollo''s face making the priest grateful for his expression. "Then I shall be waiting for that time toe" Then he went closer to his ears, and a voice full of malice escaped in Apollo''s lips. "Tell everyone my message only the one who can free me shall receive my blessings" His voice made Sergio tremble however he didn''t let it show, he wanted to show his utmost strength towards the being he puts his faith to. "Rest assured my lord your will shall be followed!" He eagerly said making the man in front of him smile. However it wasn''t the priest''s words that made him smile, it was the red paint-like stains that spread around his body that made him smile. "Yes I know you will obey me" .... [That was a superb job Creator] "Thanks but I am more thankful for the info inside Elijah''s memories. To think there are records of Nirvana''s personality and appearance" [You are surely good, by the way Creator] "Yes?" [What to do with these two bodies] Jeremiah said referring to Elijah and Sergio who are both unconscious on the ground. "Ah right...I was thinking of getting these two back at their headquarters but that ce would be ravaged by the soldiers of Sidus" Apollo needs to think of something since any more dy could lead to suspicion. "Nah I think I got this" [It''s rare for you to be thisx when ites to your ssmate''s lives] Apollo knew what Jeremiah meant if he made a mistake his n might fail. "All we had to do is have faith in this man''s fanatic belief towards Nirvana" [Will it be enough?] He didn''t answer but his eyes remained on Sergio, without any words he activated his mana, and a blue light began to surround him until it became part of his skin. A blue coat-like energy enveloped him then he spoke. "Jeremiah" [Yes?] "Use Demonification now" [Affirmative] The pure ocean-like energy turned corrupted, and ckened, it became a dark and eerie energy that could devour those around him. Wings and horns spurted from his back and head while his body began to be eaten by an impure energy. This energy then merges into his skin turning into ck armor. .... Deep within the forest of Luther, a temple lies secretly. From afar you can see priests walking in and out of this temple causing a sense of calm and peaceful environment. It''s only been a day since the attack happened and despite the distance between the base near Sidus and the tenth temple, the news arrived as soon as the fight ended. Inside a specific room, a half-naked man came out of a secluded chamber quietly he approached a wardrobe to dress. He first wore a long white garment to represent his pure devotion to his belief, then he took a long, rope-like cord with tasselled or knotted ends, and tied it around his waist. After that, he took a conical or bell-shaped cloak that fell below the knee. It was pure white with golden embroidery at the hems. The cloak was made from a semicircr piece of cloth while the middle had an opening for the head to pass through. The man looks proud as he gazes at his reflection in the mirror. However, his time alone was interrupted when a voice sounded outside his door. "Archbishop may I speak with you" "Yes you may enter" The door creaks open revealing a man who wears ck armor. The man inside the room on the other hand walked towards an altar. It was an altar filled with hundreds of candles, some had lights while the others didn''t. He took two of the said candles while the man outside entered and spoke. "Greetings Archbishop" "What happened?" The archbishop immediately asked while looking at the two candles in front of him. "Archbishop, all the station soldiers at the base were killed while bishop Elijah and Sergio are still missing" "Did they manage to flee?" "Currently we don''t have any information regarding that. The entire forest is under themand of the soldiers of Sidus and even the Emperor went to see the investigation" "That is a bitplicated" "We are waiting for your order archbishop, the two bishops may be hiding and waiting for help" The archbishop looked at the two flickering lights before saying "Look for them" The soldier kneels before saying "dly Archbishop" That day three stealth-poweredered individuals left the dense forest of Luther heading straight to the city of Sidus. A few days pass while travelling through the rough woods these three individuals found the two people they sought to find. "Is that you Ziggy?" A hoarse voice sounded behind an aged tree. "I figured this would be the ce you would go, how are you, Sergio" Finally, a man full of deep wounds and bloodied clothes came out from the trunk of the tree. "!?" "What happened to you!?" They rushed to approach however when they did so they became even more mad. "Elijah!" "Hey Dn" The assassin named Dn held a man who had lost his arms and legs. "What kind of!" His hand began to shake while holding his friend''s butchered body. "I am still alive Dn" "Don''t smile like this damn it!" "Who did this Sergio" the third assassin spoke while taking out a potion to feed them. "I don''t know Lorenz we don''t know what creature it was, all I know is it looks like a demon but has a consciousness and mind to think" "He can even use spells which is impossible for demons" Elijah added even though he was having a hard time speaking. "Enough we should head back since we are not sure if no one was able to follow you" Dn insisted as he helped the two to walk. "I''ll carry you, Elijah" "Thanks, Lorenz" Eventually, they managed to get away without alerting anybody. However, deep into the sky, a figure can be seen floating among the clouds. [It seems like no one was able to notice] "We will find that out once they arrive inside their base" Apollo said while he was in Demon form. "Let us head back we did what we had to today" [Affirmative Creator] For theing days, Apollo nted a seed ofpetition and conflict among the hearts of the devotees of Nirvana. The very thing that keeps them together is also the very thing that causes them to be divided. ... Inside one of the most secure temples of the monastery. A archbishop stood tall in front of a stone statue of a mysterious man. "Hahaha" A loudughter can be heard instead of a prayer and instead of a man d in holiness, the priest looks obsessive and intoxicated. "I knew you would return...HAHAHA!" "That''s right 200 years ago you promised!" His body shakes in excitement as he says those words. "You wanted a race!... yes, I will give it to you and when you return I shall be the pope of your church!" His voice was ragged but full of craziness and excitement. Apollo didn''t know that the words he spoke not only caused conflict amongst the temples but also gave them a newfound motivation. Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Not that it matters Apollo sat quietly inside a library, it''s been a while since he got some time alone and he felt a bit freeing, like a kid that temporarily escaped from the gaze of his unruly friends. Oftentimes he is with his ssmates serving as a shield from enemies. However, the emperor called them probably because of the incident he caused with one of the monastery''s bases. Hopefully, none of them will connect the culprit to him. From sitting Apollo decided to walk, observing the beauty of the sacrednd for a bookworm like him. The academy library was known to have an abundance of knowledge and now Apollo knows it was real. The towering shelves that seemed to stretch endlessly, were filled with books that varied in size and shape. The light was gentle as if encouraging the readers to read. Then the soft glide of the breeze makes the corners of the library cozy inviting visitors toe to read. "Many things have already happened after this past month right?" [Yes, so much that you already forgot about one thing] "And that is?" [Me! You still don''t know what you made!] "Didn''t I already answer that you are a copy of me...an intelligence crafted from using me as a blueprint" [I know that I mean my vessel and this whole thing that you made?] "That is why we are here in the library we might find something here" [I doubt that you came here because you want to find out the cost between mana stones and crystal mana] "We can also check yours you know" Apollo could hear a deep sigh within his consciousness, though he knew it was Jeremiah. "Let me see their difference then will go to your problem" [Hpmh!] The boy couldn''t help but shake his head, ever since he upgraded Jeremiah by 3000 stat points he became more human-like. Speaking of which hisst harvest was so good that he might reach emperor rank immediately. However, Apollo didn''t want to rush his advancement, since he nned to spend his stat points on upgrading Jeremiah and the skills he might gain in the future. "Skill upgrades and synthesis are quite expensive after all" Soon Apollo took some books and stacked them on a vacant table. Hefortably took a seat and began to read. "Let''s see it says mana stones and crystal mana have a..." [Have a what?] Apollo didn''t say anything and went on to close the book. Then he took a pen and paper from his space ring and began scribbling. Jeremiah wondered what it was but he couldn''t pry on Apollo''s thoughts unless he allowed it. "Oh dear" his creator mumbled making Jeremiah even more curious. [Can you share it with me?] "Yes, at first I was just curious about the differences between mana stone and crystals but when I saw their prices it got me wondering..." he stopped a bit as if thinking about his next choice of words. "I was wondering how much I spent to make you and the vessel you are currently in" [So what''s the total cost?] "Let''s see...." he began to write the materials and the things he made to build everything Jeremiah was using. "Back then I studied Akashic and found out that a space has to be created for all the knowledge to be stored. So I studied how space ring was crafted it took me years to do that" [How long?] "I started thinking of Akashic when I was eight then I mastered the space magic when I was eleven" [3 years I don''t know if you are a genius or space magic is just easy to learn] "I don''t have the means to harness the magic needed to create you so I mainly rely on scrolls" he sighed before continuing "And that to consume some resources, the higher the spell being crafted inside the scroll the more quality of papyrus is needed. Jeremiah, do you know how many scrolls did I need to make at that time?" [How many Creator?" "500 scrolls all of which harness a Celestial Ascendance leveled magic" [You were able to do that? ] "Of course who do think I am" [But you are only 13 years old] "Age has nothing to do with intelligence, I even meet people more stupid than 7-year-old kids" [And that is?] "My brother" Then he wrote something on the scroll again. "While I was studying space magic I began engraving some spells I was familiar with. An example of that is recycling magic or circle magic" [It''s a theory of magic that is being used for the continued supply of energy of Bunag right?] "It''s not theory magic since the tower already made a spell out of it" [The tower really does hoard knowledge] "It''s like they don''t want to they just don''t care. Magic for the tower mages is their life for that reason they can''t let their life be seen by someone else. Their life''s work shall remain inside their home where it all began and ended" [And that home is the tower right?] "Yes" "I used recycling magic so you can reuse the energy you consume and be able to recover from exhausting them" [So you already thought of making me from the start] "Yes when I saw the analysis spell I thought about making something out of a human''s way of thinking, an artificial intelligence" "Then I thought about a series of mechanisms that could somehow help me aplish things. The main thing I needed to master at that time was space magic and I did it in 3 years. After that, I began preparing an abundant amount of high-quality papyrus, mana stone, crystals and especially a beast core" [You even use one?] "Two to be exact, two celestial rank beast cores" [Just where did you get all of those?] "Have you forgotten? I am the beloved child of the Mage tower, everything I asked was immediately granted to me" Jeremiah could see that his Creator was a bit smug about it. "Now let''s calcte everything.....back then I used high-quality mana stones...*sigh*...it cost 500 imperial dors but since I used 1000 of them, that will be 500,000 imperial dors. Then for the crystal mana, it cost 10,000 imperial dors each but since I used high-quality ones it went up to 1 million each" [That is expensive!] "Yes the energy inside was immense that is why it went up that high. A single high-quality crystal mana can power up a city for a year, that is how huge the energy inside a crystal mana is" [How many did you use?] "Ten" In short, Apollo used a crystal that could supply energy to a city for ten years. He suddenly felt like he was spending resources like royalty. "10,500,000 imperial dors now, then I should add the high-quality papyrus and two celestial beast cores. A papyrus is made with a special kind of wood, Trese, it''s a type of tree that can absorb an abundant amount of mana and thus was a prime material for papyrus. And since growing this tree is difficult the price for a papyrus is no different from crystal mana" "750,000 each for a small piece of papyrus and I use 500" [375,000,000 imperial dors] "Yes and finally the two beast cores, celestial rank cores are rare and extremely difficult to get...the cause is 500 million each and it still depends on which beast it belongs to. Considering it was from a blue dragon and a dessert Arachne its price should escte to 1.5 billion imperial dors" [...] "Should I calcte everything?" [No Creator I am satisfied now] Apollo was a bit silent, the thing is he thought it wasn''t much of a value since the people of the tower would give it to him like candy, so naturally the young him thought it wasn''t expensive or important. It was just an ordinary tool in front of his eyes it turns out it wasn''t ordinary. "Now let go and see the final question the two of us need to find out" [Right finally] With their previous expensive conversation Apollo and Jeremiah decided to shift their conversation. With newfound motivation, the boy stood up from his seat and went towards the bookshelves. "I wonder what book should I go to" While walking through the big shelves of the library, he found something that might help him. "Mechanism and theory of modern machinery... I get this one as well" [Types of barrier defensive mechanism and theory of technology as a new type of magic?] "Yup and by the way go scan every book and grimoires here I want them in our archive" [Affirmative ] Apollo went back to his seat and began reading as he did so time seemed to slow down while he felt the words on every page. Mechanism and theory of modern machinery were a bit familiar to Apollo so he decided to read them first. "Hmm?" Later as he read a word caught his attention. "System?" Holding a thick book full of machinery blueprints and systematic equations, the young boy was confused all of a sudden. Chapter 58: Chapter 58: System Apollo read the first section of the book which made him immediately hooked. The meaning of mechanism and machinery was introduced including the notable people who contributed to its study. While flipping the pages early stages of machinery were listed then certain philosophers were added. As he read a word suddenly made him interested. ''A machine can bepared to a human body, each part has its own role and function to fulfil and for those parts to fully work a systematic order needs to be made. Forplex machinery, a system is set to make, so that the output can be properly produced. A system is an interconnected and organizedponent or mechanism that is designed to fulfil a particr function. It might be to store, transport, analyze or control materials for a particr purpose'' Both Jeremiah and Apollo were a bit silent and earnestly read that part once again. "I think we have our answer here" [Really a system?] "Yes, what else could it be? The vessel you are currently in is made out of differentponents set to achieve a specific function, and Jeremiah you are part of that system" [Hmmm...] "You are still skeptical no?" [Can we walk through those books first then we can decideter on] "Sure I don''t mind" He closed the book he was holding and switched to a different book, Types of Barrier Defensive Mechanism. However, as he read the word system appeared once again. ''System magic or systematic magic is a study of which multipleyers of magic circles are being put together, in order for a specific function to be achieved'' "Oh it''s about the system again" [So since I and some parts were built in together we are what you call a system?] "I think it is more like a set of procedures built in ording to a specific task or an organized framework, and method forming a unified object as a whole, I think that is what you call a system" [Creator you just use the definition you read in the book to construct the sentence you just said] "At least I am still correct" [No your words were disorganized] "No, it''s not" He argued inside his head but before Jeremiah could respond a sudden tap from Apollo''s shoulder surprised the two. "I didn''t even notice her presence" [Neither my sensor, I have been scanning the vicinity but I failed to notice her] Apollo looked at the person who tapped him and still wondered what she was. "The holder of the name Nyx," he thought while his face bore a sublime smile. "Alicia did the meeting go well?" he asked however he began to notice her strange expression. Something was definitely bothering her though Apollo had no way to know it. "If I analyze her will I understand what she is feeling right now?" [Better not Creator we must respect her] "Apollo, did I scare you?" Unexpectedly her voice sounded weak making Apollo wonder what was going on. "What''s going on what happened to your voice?" However instead of answering she just shook her head. "Nothing let us go everyone is waiting for us" Apollo nodded but as he did so a realization soon enveloped him. "Jeremiah" [Yes] "Did we tell anyone we are going here?" [No Creator] "Then how did she find out we are here?" [That is beyond my capacity Creator since many factors may be attributed to it, for example, she must have known you well enough to figure out where you went] "Possibly" he could only think while following the girl right in front of him. .... "Look Apollo is here" Samael said while Keith was standing by his side holding a bunch of snacks. "Where did you get all of that" "Oh, this I went to the cafeteria and bought some snacks for us" Keith''s calm and mellow voice sounded but knowing his voice was really like that Apollo could rest assured that he hadn''t hidden anything from him. [Keith''s heartbeat is normal and I don''t detect any negative emotions in him] "I thought scanning people is disrespectful" [Alicia is a girl Keith isn''t] "Aren''t you being biased?" [Your mother told you to be kinder and gentler when handling girls, I am just following it] "Right" While the two converse Alicia keeps her eyes on him, her thoughts are something Apollo is curious about but can''t pry because he doesn''t want her to feel ufortable. "I''ll ask herter" While they walk Apollo begins to talk to Keith and Samael while Alicia remains quiet still being devoured by her thoughts. "So how did the meeting go?" he could finally ask after talking some nonsensical things with the two. However, instead of an answer the two just look at a certain someone. "Alicia?" Samael and Keith just nodded it seems they can''t talk about the contents of the meeting without Alicia''s consent. "Alright I won''t ask anymore" Apollo changed the topic to alter their dampened mood and thankfully it worked. "Hey everyone we brought snacks!" Samael said while Apollo and Keith brought it over. "Say, are we allowed to eat here in the library?" Arab asked as she was concerned about being scolded. "It should be fine since it is our dorm''s library" Agnes replied while flipping through the pages of her book. "What is this?" she suddenly said when saw something peculiar on one of the pages of the book. "What is it, Agnes?" Niko came forward leaning closer to her. "Hmmm?...hey guyse over here" With Niko''s words, everyone approaches the book, Agnes was holding. "Is this?" "It''s a map!" "Is it a treasure map?" "Let me see!" Alya, Casper, Vesta and even Jillian suddenly became excited towards the map, inside the book Agnes was holding. "Can you let me take a look" Apollo said finding a map a bit suspicious. "Jeremiah scan" [Scanning... Scanplete! It is indeed a map but it was made by one of the previous tenants of this dorm. "A previous student?" Curious he looked at the front cover of the book and realized something. "It''s a grimoire" "It is?" "Yes look Alicia it was written by a student named Ada" "Ada of Silvon" "It seems this grimoire came from the time thatmoners don''t have a surname" "Yes you are right" "Let us follow the map!" Mckenzie suggested. "We cannot do that Gelo it is too dangerous for us to leave" Alicia reminded them so Mckenzie looked at the next person who could allow them, Apollo. "Please e on it will be fine, we are just going for treasure hunting!" The rest of them looked at Apollo expectantly. [What a pressure Creator] With all expectations resting on his shoulder, the boy couldn''t help but sigh "Alright let''s go follow that map" "Yes!" Everyone eximed immediately then scramming away to grab the stuff they wanted to bring. "I''ll prepare the supplies!" Aaron said while dragging Vesta with him. "Bring some shlights, ir!" Mckenzie said while copying the map from the book. "On it!" "I''ll store these leftover snacks in case we get hungry" Keith said while eagerly putting the snacks inside his space ring. "Are you sure about this Apollo" Alicia spoke as if scolding Apollo. "It''ll be okay don''t worry," he said coaxing her. "I''ll protect them" But his words made Alicia''s expression worsen. "The monastery willunch an all-out attack right?" "!?" "Don''t be too surprised, your face gave it all away" "I never anticipated that my expression is too readable" "Hahaha" He merelyughs but the truth is he was the one who tipped them off. "Having your own eyes and ears among the priest of the monastery was really worth it" [It seems the attack will happen either this week or the next] "It might even happen now, Jeremiah" [Is that why you want them to get distracted] "You could think of that" ..... "Alright, we are all set let us go!" Mckenzie excitedly said while holding the map. "By the way, children be careful on these treasure hunting of yours" Miss Martha said while giving them a basket full of treats. "We will miss Martha!" The rest of the staff wave goodbye to the sixteen students of the lower ss. "I wonder what the map is all about it" Jerome said who is also curious about the treasure the map holds. "Hmmm, I wonder," Miss Martha hums while moving towards the kitchen. "I think Miss Martha knew about the map" Gil concluded. "Really?" Jenny asked. "That might be true since Miss Martha worked here longer than we are" Nadia reasoned. "What are you all standing there hurry and help me here" Martha''s voice sounded from the kitchen making the four crew run towards her. The sun was about to set but the academy was still lively, the lights were still on while the students came walking towards their dorm''s training facilities. Apollo who lively talks to his friends was actually looking at his stats. "Another hunting may begin," the boy thought while walking leisurely on the academy grounds. Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Treasure hunting The Aster Academy can be said to be as big as a city which is why it''s called a city inside a city. Everything that is essential for a student''s learning was already prepared inside. "The map said we should head straight towards the....wait this ce is!" "What? What ce McKenzie?" ir asked while taking a peek at the map. "Wait it says Mndis steps" There was a silence among them, they were too excited a while ago but suddenly felt discouraged to continue. "So does this mean we will go back?" Alicia asked but immediately Mckenzie interrupted her "No we will continue!..right guys?" "Y-eah! Of course!" "Sure it''s just some old stairs" "We will be fine so it''s okay!" Apollo felt amused seeing their frightened reaction. The four excited fellows now began to stutter as they spoke. So what are the Mndis steps? It''s a long stairs found in a secluded forest inside the academy, the said steps lead towards an old shrine which is believed to be haunted. "What do you think about the ce Jeremiah?" [I sense some spiritual entities here] "Ghost?" [Yes but they are harmless Creator] "I see that''s good to hear" They were harmless so the boy felt assured however when a floating whitedy walked in front of them, a series of screams could be heard within the secluded part of the academy. "The temperatures dropping" [It''s because of the ghost Creator their presence causes the temperature to drop] "I see...hmm?" As he continued to walk he realized that it was only him and Alicia that continued walking, their ssmates ended up getting stuck because the whitedy kept floating in front of them. "Help" Arab almost screamed as she said those words. "Apollo bro help us out" The boys shouted while trying to hide their shaking bodies. "They are hopeless" Alicia voiced out before using her aura to scare the ghost away. [She can use aura?] Apollo too was surprised but he maintained his expression. With Alicia''s devilish aura, the ghost flees in fright. "I never expected that I''d be able to witness how a ghost can get scared" Apollo spoke feeling that Alicia was doing something she usually doesn''t do. [She is revealing too much of her abilities which she usually hides] "What is she up to" he wondered but remained observing. "Are you all okay" he spoke not minding Alicia''s previous action. "Sorry, my body froze when that whitedy suddenly stopped right in front of us" Aaron couldn''t help but say while the previously excited people Casper, Vesta, Alya and especially Mckenzie were silent due to shock. "Come on it''s not like we haven''t experienced more scary stuff... it''s just a ghost we can handle that" Matilda tried to cheer them up but stopped when she felt a presence behind her. Dreading the worst she looked at Apollo, her face asking if something was indeed behind her. [Should we tell her?] "Don''t or she won''t be able to sleep tonight" Right behind Matilda was a ghost with a missing head. "Should I turn around?" she began to ask, her body shaking uncontrobly. "It''s best if you don''t look back Matilda" Casper advice while the rest of the ss already went behind Apollo and Alicia. "When I said run....run okay?" "Okay" "1..2...3..RUN!" As soon as Matilda and Casper began to sprint so did their ssmates. "Wait why are we running too?" Apollo asked confused by the sudden turn of events. "I don''t know either," Alicia said while running alongside them. "Go faster!" Casper shouted making Apollo even more confused. [Look back Creator] Jeremiah''s words made him look back and when he did he realized why they ran. The headless man was actually chasing Casper and Matilda. Apollo could definitely understand why they were running. The thing about this ghost is that his features are incredibly distinct even the blood and his missing head look so realistic, as if his head was just cut off. "My Goodness," he could only say while increasing his speed. Mckenzie who was in front kept holding onto the map following it earnestly. And with their speedy ascent, they came across an abandoned shrine. "We are here!" the boy happily exims however his sess is short-lived as Casper and Matilda arrive with a headless ghost in tow. "Kept running!" Casper shouted resulting for everyone to run inside the shrine. Mackenzie kept holding the map not letting his ssmate make a single error in their route. "It''s a dead end!" Jillian noticed from afar. "It''s not!" Apollo came forward before touching the wall in front, as he did so a magic circle emerged revealing a path. "Let''s go!" he shouted making Mckenzie and the rest to rush forward. The walk was dark but it did notst long, each step they took created a dazzling light that illuminated their path. "What magic is this?" "Don''t ask just run" Sixteen students all run until they arrive towards a spacious room. "Whoah" they all eximed. The ce was something they hadn''t seen before. Many descriptions filled their head, was it a ruin? A cave or a secret base, they will wonder how such a beautiful ce can be hidden. "How can I describe this ce? A ruined temple?" Apollo said as he touched a pir. The way the ce was built is highly simr to a temple. The way the pirs are designed and the architecture can still be seen despite the ruined state it has. Following a specific path they witness ake with the clearest water they have ever seen. Even with some parts of the temple being submerged underneath, it didn''t degrade its beauty but instead highlighted it. There were trees and some exotic nts that they first time seeing. "Are those crystal mana?" Braiden asked when he traced the source of light in the ce. "It is" Apollo replied "The mana here is quite potent than the mana outside" "It''s because of the crystal mana Alicia" They kept walking until they arrived at the only decent room. When they entered, a room full of books weed them. The ce was like the Academy library but besides books, you could also see food and training equipment. "This is a very calming ce" Vestamended while sitting on one of the futons lying on the ground. "It seems we aren''t the first one to arrive here" Apollo removed some dust on an aged wall and noticed some letters being engraved there. "Wee lower ss students, this ce was discovered and maintained for the sake of finding sce in this chaotic ce" "We may be pressured and get swept by the strong force of this academy but this ce is made to escape those judging eyes, so please keep this ce as it is" Apollo read the passage feeling a bit sad about how the previous lower ss were being treated. "On the noisy and unsafe ground may you find peace here" Apollo read thest sentence. They stood where they were looking through the things that the previous ss brought. They found books, diaries and even grimoires written by previous students, who wanted to help the future lower-ss students. "Lower ss year 300-301 of the imperial calendar" Alicia read one of the engraved words on a bookshelf. "Look at these guys" Mackenzie called out gaining his ssmates'' attention. On one of the dusty walls of the room lies the engravings of each year of the lower ss. Every time they discovered this ce and sessfully passed the entire year they would leave their ss year, letting the future generation see them. "Something is missing on this wall," Apollo noticed. "Really?" There were too many writings that they didn''t notice what was missing. "Thest year''s lower ss, their ss year is not here" Mckenzie said as he realized what Apollo meant. "Does that mean they weren''t able to make it?" Alya asked feeling a wave of sadness. "I heard they gave up due to the pressure of the Higher ss" Braiden said while looking at another wall which bore the messages of thest year''s lower ss and the previous years. "We are sorry" that was one of the messages said. A gloomy atmosphere envelopes them as they read each word from their messages. "After we safely escape the Monastery" Suddenly Keith began to speak surprising his ssmates. He is usually quiet often observing and writing the things he wants to say. "After all the problems we have right now disappeared, let''s make sure those who look down on our ss will pay the price for it" His voice was resolute earning respect from his ssmates. "We will do that but for now" Apollo took one of the perfectly arranged pillows and recklessly threw it to Alicia. "For now let us loosen up!" he happily said while raising another pillow. Just for now Apollo wanted to make them happy because he knew tomorrow might bring them the greatest grief they ever experienced. Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Sleep well The clock struck midnight and unexpectedly the crowd of children fooling around all fell asleep. "Where are you going?" despite the tranquillity? that permeated the room, a soft voice could be heard. "I should have known that my sleeping spell wouldn''t work on you" he coldly said as he looked at the person who just spoke. "Alicia" "I''ll ask you again where are you going" [She ismanding you, Creator] "You should sleep" "Wha-..." her voice got cut off as the ws of the spell began to spread. Her eyes began to feel heavy causing her head to feel drowsy. "How can I be...I" she seems in disbelief finding herself captive by Apollo''s spell. "Sleep" he said again but this time his voice mellowed down. "Apollo what are you up to?" her eyes began to re causing some of her mana to leak out. [She is using her innate affinity to the element of fire to burn the effects of your spell] "I can see that" The spell intensifies causing Alicia to kneel. [Creator I suggest you stop] Apollo looked at the faces of his sleeping friends finally canceling his spell. "Stay here" "You are up to something" A smirked form on Apollo''s lips finding her mendling irritating. "Let me do my duty, and I let you do yours" He finally said however Alicia spoke once again. "I am just worried about you" Apollo halted his steps letting her finish her message. "I know you might find this situation irritating but please bear in mind that I am only concerned about your well-being" The boy couldn''t help but sigh "You know it was me right?" "Who else could it be, you are the only one I know who can use lightning spells like that" "I highly doubt that" he replies while feeling amused about their conversation. "I''ll stay here just like you wanted" As she spoke her feet began to move towards him, Apollo merely waited for the things she might say. "You are not exining anything to me because you know I am hiding something as well" "You won''t break your walls unless I break mine first" [She got you, Creator] Apollo just chuckled, while waiting for her to continue. "You have no obligation to say anything to me but let me just remind you that being in this ss made you extremely important to me" "So before you do something reckless remember to be careful" "I never expected you''d act like a nagging mother Alicia" "Get serious, please" "Alright I will" "They areing right?" "Yes, but everyone is prepared" "I know the emperor already briefed us" "Since that is the case I am allowed to go now right?" "Yes just be careful" The boy could tell that this situation was stressing her out but there was no alternative. They need to fight even if it means bringing the battle inside the Academy. It might sound strange that the empire has no means of sending spies but the monastery has its own ways of extracting moles inside their territory. Whereas the monastery had every means to send spies without alerting their enemy. That is also the reason why the situation escted like this. No matter how they hide the children, no matter what identity, names and appearance they used, somehow it will always be leaked to the enemy. The downfall of the sixth temple was all due to the Mage Tower''s interference and the emperor''s appearance. [It''s a very dangerous move that we are using your ssmates as bait] "We don''t have any option after all" [What do you n to do?] "I''ll capture some Bishops then turn them into my spies as well" [Then shall I scan the area] "I appreciate that" Apollo walked outside the shrine excluding a suffocating amount of bloodlust. Ghosts and other spiritual entities flee as soon as they feel such a murderous will. [Notification Alert! Creator Demon beast has been detected at the west of the city! They are being concealed by a powerful spell] "Can you identify the spell?" [No but I can identify the level of the magic the spell belongs to] "And that is?" [It is a Celestial Ascendance leveled magic Creator] "That is problematic" A ck glow envelops his body as he speaks turning his voice inhumane. "We should wake up the Academy" Sharp des reced the ragged wings while the ck armor became fiercer. Apollo''s demonized de form took over his body eating his humanity away. "Let''s go" After upgrading the skill demonification Apollo''s form turns more demonized. His voice sounded like a noisy, screeching sound as if it were two metals being hit continuously. It was definitely not a voice belonging to a human. Dust kicked off while the wind rustled as the ded wings of Apollo moved to soar in the sky. The night was calm but it won''tst for long when a figure suddenly released an overpowering blood lust. The already alert personnel of the academy jolted when they sensed such a thick amount of murderous will. "Where did thate from!" "Call the general!" "Report this to the emperor now!" All sorts of voices can be heard while their rampant footsteps signify the severity of the situation. "Your majesty we must evacuate the entire city!" One of the soldiers reported to the emperor which he immediately agreed to. "How big is the scale of this breakout?" Augustus asked which the soldier immediately replied. "ording to our mages, the scale is almost simr to the breakout of Evaristo" The emperor felt his heart tightened as he heard this. The breakout on the coast of Evaristo caused so much damage that until now still affects them. "Your majesty we are prepared so it''s fine" his soldier spoke still remaining at his emperor''s side. "Right we are prepared" he stood up from his seat calming his raging heart. "Let''s go then, my nameless soldier" he said bringing the same man Apollo saw before. The empire''s soldiers discovered the hidden breakout of demon beast due to Apollo''s leaking bloodlust. [They areing, Creator] "I know" He shifted his body and flew even faster. "Where are the ones that caused this?" [My sensors couldn''t find anything] "Did they leave?" [We don''t know yet, Creator....wait!] Jeremiah''s voice made Apollo''s flight stop. "What?" [They really left Creator, I just found a teleportation pad at the end of the forest. They must have left the moment the demonic beast started to break out] "And they will return once the siege has begun" [Once the city is in chaos they could easily sneak inside the Academy] "Keep an eye on the pad and if you can, trace the other end of it" [Will do Creator] The entire city was enveloped by a powerful barrier while the people were transported to different cities. "Your majesty the entire space surrounding the city is under a restriction spell" Restriction spells are under conquering magic thus the level of magic is at Dominion invocation. It wasn''t that hard to dispel but it''s also not easy to do. "Bring the spell breaker mages here!" "Your majesty all spell breakers have a suspicious curse attached to their bodies. They can''t use a single ounce of their mana" "Your majesty, what should we do?" The emperor massages his forehead, he thinks they have prepared enough but it turns out their enemies prepared more. There is one way to exin their current situation, a spy had leaked their preparation. "I''ll find that spyter for now focus on evacuating the people" "Yes, Your Majesty!" While the chaos slowly seeps through the corners of the city the targets of the attack remain asleep inside a hidden ruin temple. [Creator something strange is going on] "What is it?" [None of the city''s citizens nor students of the academy are being teleported away] Apollo who just arrived at his destination looked up and saw a wide-range spell enveloping the sky. "A restriction spell" he realized. [Should I break it?] "Yes you should" As he said those words cracks emerge of the clear sky while the spell finally reveals itself. "That was fast" [It wasn''t me Creator] "What? Then who did it?" [Don''t know probably one of the emperor''s soldiers] "Maybe" Apollo replied but strangely he felt a sense of deja vu as he looked up at the dimly lit sky. "That should assist them" Alicia said while retracting his hand which holds an ancient type of spell. The sky was free and the space was no longer restricted, the spell Alicia cast was something Apollo wasn''t aware of but in the current situation hunting is his top priority. [Iing horde of demon beasts] "Jeremiah mark all the targets I''ll cast a spell" [Affirmative] Apollo had realized something when he cast spells in his demonized form. It was too ufortable and burdening as if a weight was pressuring his body. "It''s best to cast darkness-based spells" [And I suppose you are prepared for that] "Of course what do you think the tower I came from" A ck ominous spell began to eat the ground while the beast kept running forward. "Let us start with an area-based spell" Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Bishop The Mage Tower sometimes called as Wizard Tower has four giant towers which correspond to the study they focus on. Blue Moon Tower studies mechanisms and weapons. Red Sun Tower studies offensive and defensive spells. Ocean Tower studies medicine and alchemy. Lastly, the ck Tower which studies ck magic and researches other elemental spells. The three first towers are stations in a triangle position while the ck tower stands in the middle of the triangle. The ck tower was the ce where the head of the Mage tower Alger was residing. It is also the ce where the secret library was being kept. However, Apollo did not just learn ck magic there but also other types of Darkness element spells. Darkness elements are one of the elements with plenty of sub-elements and one of them is the spell he is about to use. A branch of magic he had studied for years. "Darkness element, Void and space magic" The space fluctuates while the element of darkness begins to corrupt the atmosphere. Thebination of two magic is what you call fusion magic. The level of difficulty of this rivals that of heavenly magic, a Celestial Ascendance level. Ten rings emerge signifying the level of Apollo''s spell but against an endless amount of demon beast will it be enough? Mana began to pull crafting the spell even more and soon a ck dot was born out of the spell. An intense gravitational pull began to disrupt the force that keeps everything in ce. The space distorts while from a distance a dark, seemingly empty spot upies the center of the horde. "Devour everything, Nigrum foramen" Chaos began to fall when the demon beast began to be pulled inside a dark circle dot. The more demon beast being devoured the bigger the hole bes. [Creator we won''t be able to get their essence if they die inside your spell] "It''s fine we don''t really need them right now" "And besides, looking at my current situation I don''t think I''ll end up not having enough stat points" He said while looking at the advancing beast. The middle was being devoured by a ck hole halting the movement of those on the back then here''s Apollo striking in the front. [You are still outnumbered Creator, you might exhaust yourself if you fight them head-on] "I know but I won''t really exhaust myself" Then Apollo essed his inventory taking out the weapon he made this past month. "Five weeks of studying here did you think I wouldn''t be prepared" [Don''t tell me you are going to use Doomsday here!] "Nope that would be annihting the entire city so I can''t do that" [Right it''s too destructive] "Yes that is why I won''t use it" Then from the inventory, a spear emerges, like Apollo''s current state his body strangely matches his weapon. A ck iron shaft mark with blue intricate symbols, while the de is shaped like a leaf with a blue glowing light at the edge. Apollo with his upgraded skills swings the spear with great proficiency. "Now then let us start" The symbols attached to the spear glow signifying its activation. "Strike!" One swing immediately wipes out the rushing beasts. [!?] "Don''t be too surprised I lost lots of resources just to make this" [Is this the reason why you rob those soldiers you killed?] "Yup their weapons were the finishing touches my weapon needs" He swings his weapon again and a blue light instantly kills every enemy that tries to approach. [Notification Alert! The space began to be distorted by the Creator''s spell! The ck hole had begun to erge!] With those rming notifications, Apollo suddenly felt the sudden pull. As he looked at the source of it, a ck hole was indeed there. "My spell really is powerful" Void and space are the same but somehow can be different depending on the mage who handles them. Different theories with just one ending and source that is void and space. However, Apollobines the two and creates a spell which greatly harms everyone if it remains uncontrolled. Beasts are being swept inside an endless pit but Apollo has no ns to stop it yet. Despite the growing power of the ck hole the amount of enemies was still there. Apollo merely made a scratch towards a huge enemy and the big guns haven''t even entered yet. [Do you have more weapons with you?] "Yes but no worries I am just getting started" The ck hole intensifies even affecting the beast that is about to attack Apollo. [This is not good Creator! Your spell is distorting the space] "It''s because of the intense gravitational pull that creates an intense warping effect" [Won''t the space copse?] "Don''t worry it won''t" Some beasts began to be grind by the intense beat of gravity while Apollo raised his spear to release another one of its ability The symbols on the weapon intensify weaving into a spell. [Wait isn''t this?] Three colors signify three elements while ten rings show the level and strength of the spell. "Fusion magic, death eater" Water, earth and darknessbine into a spell that soon breaks the ground. While Jeremiah was busy doing skill synthesis he didn''t expect his Creator to enchant such a powerful weapon. Giant ck roots sprouted from the fissures before trapping the beast it could reach. The thick outeryer of the roots made it impossible for the demon beasts to break it and so the ughter continued while Apollo watched everything unfold. "I need to conserve my energy but first how did the tracing go?" [I already track them Creator, we can also use the pad since I have configured the security code for it] "Good I think we already did well, we should let the soldiers take the rest" His wings stretch out before flying into the sky, there while he floats midair he takes onest nce at the ck hole, chanting onestmand on the spell. "Ten seconds," he said before flying towards the end of the forest. [Here it is Creator] The teleportation pad glows signifying its activation. "Will the enemy be alerted if wee through this pad" [It''s fine Creator I make sure they don''t] "Alright I''ll leave the rest to you" He calmly steps on the pad and lets it guide him towards its designed destination. ... "Where did that creature go?" a man asked while his body was being guarded by white armour. "Sir pdin we lost track of him went he flew up" "Damn it! Find that beast immediately we can''t report this to the archbishop!" "Yes sir pdin" A series of frantic steps reverberated on a temporary barracks. All priests and pdins hurried to amend the situation they thought they had full control. "What happened you told me no one can break your spell!" "And you also told me you have taken care of the spell breakers!" The pressure soon made their temper worse and ming others became apparent. "You shouldn''t be med you did your job well" "He must have lied about his abilities to get the blessing from the lord Nirvana" "He is ming you for his ipetence" "You must stop that person at all costs!" "Right! It''s not my fault but yours!" Soon the ming intensified until it became physical, first was thrown while spells injured others. Soon the barracks became engulfed with violence as blood covered the ground. "What nonsense is this!" The brawl came to a halt when a presence empowered the intense hatred in their eyes. "What are you all doing? How can we achieve our holy task if none of you are capable of remaining calm in a situation like this?" "We are sorry bishop we didn''t think things through the situation" "We are sorry Bishop" "Good now back to your work we must make sure that the siege will be sessful" "Yes bishop" The Bishop nodded feeling proud of how he handled the situation. Then when he saw everything running smoothly again he decided to leave. "Bishop Les, what happened?" "Nothing Bishop Sil I just handled some misunderstanding among the pdins and some younger priests" "That is good to hear after all everyone is an essential part of this n" "I just worry about one thing" A third bishop said while observing the current situation of the breakout from an orb. "I just worry that someone from the other temple leaked the information about our attack" "What do you mean?" "Think about we have no spies but somehow the city was able to prepare for our attack. I am sure someone deliberately leaked information in order to screw us" "Well could it be the first temple they been adamant about attacking first" "Those bastards don''t they know how many resources we lose just to prepare for this moment" "If we fail I''ll definitely have a talk with the priest of that temple" "Right the seventh temple won''t let this despicable act continue" While their talk continues the third bishop excuses himself. As he leaves in a secluded area his body morphing into an unknown creature. "We are done here Jeremiah" he said before disappearing. Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Leading to Destruction The monastery needs to fight amongst themselves so Apollo needs to nt even more distrust among the temple. "For that, we must make sure this attack fails" [Notification Alert! Another force has been detected east of the city!] "They are approaching the academy" he realized when he tracked the enemy''s movements who were heading straight to the school. He needs to hurry back and eliminate them. The teleportation pad glows revealing a dark figure, it is a tall demon covered in ck armor. [I suppose you are going all out now] "Yes I am" Apollo wanted to use his thunder aura but decided not to. "Alicia might not be the only one who can link the current me to my normal self" [It still makes me wonder how did she know about you using your thunder aura. I made sure no evidence can be left behind] "That is actually the reason why they ask for a seer" [Aren''t seers supposed to look into the future?] "Seers can see both the past and future and because they couldn''t find anything at the base we destroyed they decided to use them. That is why Alicia and others were about to see how the attack transpire" [So next time I should leave at least a few clues in order to fool them?] Apollo tried to smile feeling Jeremiah was learning more and more however remembered that he didn''t have a mouth and this made him shake his head. "Let''s go and eliminate those rats" .... When the emperor once saw the image of that mysterious creature hebelled him as an enigma, a being hard to exin and understand. He was like a riddle that seemed to surpass their level of reasoning. The being that currently swept the battlefield was like a demon but not at the same time. Demons can''t cast spells they only have skills and abilities, they can''t use weapons since it surpass their level of intelligence. It is also impossible to be a devil since they don''t have an aura like his, that aura of destruction and total madness never belong to a devil. Then yet again as he observes his action inside the city, he couldn''tprehend his existence. "Could he be one of the fallen children of Nirvana?" he wondered however thest of them died two hundred years ago and now became a spirit. "I''ll put this topic aside, first we need to evacuate everyone" "Your majesty!" While the emperor continues watching the situation through an orb, a soldier hurriedly runs to him. "What is it?" Despite his ragged breath the soldier still tried to speak. "The kids we can''t find them!" Augustus didn''t panic instead he looked at orb again. "Don''t look for them instead evacuate the students" The soldier was a bit surprised but still obeyed hismand. "It seems Lady Alicia hid the kids," the nameless soldier said. "Yes it does seem so" "Sir the ck knight suddenly disappeared" "Your majesty" the nameless soldier spoke inquiring about the emperor''smand. "We should take care of the rest" An army led by a magic swordsman named Kiel march through the forest in order to confront the horde of demonic beasts. However, as soon as they arrived a wave of fear crept inside their hearts. "GARRGH!" An inhumane voice echoed when a demonic bear tried to fight a giant root-like monster but before the bear could even move a heavy hit smashed him to pieces. What was left of a ten-meter-tall beast was a mere puddle of blood. This sight made the soldiers frightened, they had no idea if the root-like monster was an ally or foe, thus all they could do was remain stationary in their position. Another roar echoes and a ck hole mercilessly pulls anything around itself. All sorts of things were being pulled away and it included the horde of demonic beast. The tide of ck-tainted monsters that almost covered the entire forest could be seen decreasing at every passing second. "Commander what should we do?" a fighter mage asked, looking at the scene as he became confused at the current situation. "We should-...!?" Before he could even answer the ground shook tremendously making their mounts frantic. "Commander look!" A knight pointed and all eyes focused on the direction he pointed. "Wait isn''t that!?" As the earth trembles and splits open, a mass of tangled colossal roots and ckened vines emerges. The soldiers trembled when the owner of the giant roots finally made an appearance. A towering figure sprouted shadowing the light from the moon. "Commander" "Don''t move..." Kielmanded not daring to antagonize the botanical behemoth. The vines and roots writhe and twist while man-sized thorns begin to spurt, pulsating with an eerie ck glow. A roar was then heard confused they all looked up to see a giant flower bud being protected by enormousyers of leaves. Then as the flower unfolds, grotesque petals, revealed a gaping maw lined up with rows of razor-sharp teeth. They became certain that one bite and dozens of them would die. More roots came from the ground before killing their target beast. In the end, the soldiers don''t know if they should attack or not. They wanted to do their duty but the monster nt made them hesitant. "We should go and assist that nt..." "BOOM!" His words halted when the humongous flower shot aser beam. The ground melted while the bodies turned into ashes. The scent of burning flesh hits their noses fortunately these soldiers have already used this scent. "...or maybe not" With a rampaging nt monster, Kiel couldn''t help but mutter those words. ... "Legan where our the five targets, don''t tell me they managed to flee" "No sir I scan every teleported student and I am certain none of them holds the bloodline of the five children of the heavens" "Then where are they?" "Sleeping" "!?" "Whos there!?" However, instead of an answer the mysterious creature began to speak again. "Let''s see I have 1...2....3...4...5....and...6..little rats" A scratching-like voice counted. Then from the darkness of the night a tall figure emerges, his body is covered with jet-ck armor while a pair of wings is on his back. "So you are the creature from the report" "Oh I didn''t know I became famous" "Sir ording to Elija and Sergio''s tales this creature can not be underestimated" "Stop" Time froze and the three priests and three pdins stopped, only Apollo could move as he stopped the time around the six. A ck-tainted spell gathers in his palm before being released it. "ck magic, Moris Cor" The frozen hearts of the four enemies are crushed as Apollo casts his spell. They remained standing but their heart was already in pieces. "Thank you for your good evaluation" "!?" "!?" They didn''t blink even though they spoke to each other their eyes remained focused however how did he manage to appear right in front of them? "By the way you two are the only ones left" "What!?" Legan looks at hisrades and just like what the demon told them they are already dead. "How can this be," the priest said feeling his legs weak. He wasn''t ustomed to fighting since his forte was tracking and magic circle, but with the arrival of their enemy, he might die with hisck of skills and strength. "Damn it what now?" he asked to himself while cautiously stepping back. "Now I need more..!?" Apollo''s voice got cut off when he felt something was flying towards his head so in response he merely moved his head to dodge it. His swift motion made the mysterious projectile hit a nearby tree. And right in Apollo''s eyes that tree turns to dust. "Whoa I could have been in big trouble if that his me, Jeremiah track whatever that is" [Affirmative Creator] However, when he returned his focus to the two remaining hoodlums all he could see were their aghast faces. "You just dodged a bullet!" One of them said while trying to maintain his posture. "Bullet? Ah that flying thing I didn''t notice" [Notification Alert! More bullets areing this way, Creator] "I see let me take care of them" Arrows filled his eyes as the bullet''s trajectory was already calcted. All the boy did was move his body to dodge the fast-approaching projectiles. This small window of distraction was all the two priests needed to flee. "Jeremiah have you found the sniper I am getting annoyed now," he said while moving his body to dodge another round of bullets. [Creator I have tracked ten snipers that have been shooting you] "Ten? Then the number of bullets makes sense now" He then makes a sharp turn before waving his spear. From the tip of the spear''s de, an energy began to form. "I''ll st them out" The attack was released striking the far distance. From a single stream of energy, it split and became ten. Ten huge explosions happen shaking the ground while a cluster of smoke touches the sky. After handling some unnecessary stuff Apollo''s body disappeared chasing after his two targets. "I can''t let you two be," he said while utilizing his two huge ded wings. Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The power of the five children of the heavens Apollo flew to chase two hooded figures, as he soared against the wind, the trees swayed to follow due to his insane speed. "Legan order Nox to teleport us back!" "Yes sir!" However, a massive pressure nts them in their position seizing their movement. "Gravity" Blood soon drips from their bodies since small torger wounds begin to appear. "Attraction" From an intense gravitational pull, a force then pulled them towards a certain figure, a monster to be specific. "Legan cancel this spell!" "Sir this isn''t a spell!" "What!" The pdin knew something was off and so he activated the holy ne the archbishop gave him. The force that keeps pulling him weakens and with this he is able to change his position, using the momentum he tried to strike instead. "Repulsion" When the priest Legan and the pdin brace themselves for the impact another force pushes them away. "What the hell!" Legan eximed while the pdin with him remained calm. "This creature uses one of the blessings of the five gods!" "That''s impossible!" "It''s possible" A deep ear-splitting voice interrupted scarring the two believers of Nirvana. "Inertia" From the pushing force a sudden stop made their bodies suffer a shock. "Argh!" "This damn monster!" Apollo lifted his fist to immobilize his captives however an energy st came towards him. Instead of being surprised Apollo merely waved his hand and right in front of his two captives the energy st went in another direction. "This is!" Legan finally realized that the words from hisrade were right. The ck demon knight in front of them is really using one of the blessings from the five gods. By alternating the fundamentalws of physics Apollo was able to repel the hurling attack, redirecting it towards another direction. "Where did thate from" [An airship has been detected from a distance Be prepared multiple cannons are being directed here] "Annoying" He waved his spear sending an equal amount of force to counter their cannons. [I suggest you do what you must Creator, they are preparing to do an Ignition st] "Can you cancel it then" [It is too far Creator I won''t be able to jam the firing system of it] An ignition st is a cannon thates from the power of lighting and fire elements. Apollo felt annoyed and decided to eliminate the ship first. "Locked" hemanded and the space surrounding their position got sealed, everything now is within hismand. Legan and the pdin priest Josei looked at the monster in front of them convinced that he had used a blessing. "We must stay alive Legan" he said telepathically. "I will sir Josei" "Don''t worry you two won''t die" "!?" "!?" Their thoughts halted when they heard such an ominous voice. Chill runs through their spines while their heartbeat went reckless. Anxiety washes them over as the looming danger swallows them. A demon had crept into their minds without them knowing, their fear escted until only darkness remained. [Locked had been terminated prepare for a total st off] An annoying notification made Apollo click his tongue, to think there was a person within the ship who could cancel his skill. Even the counter he made was useless. "They have some useful people there," he thought when Jeremiah''s voice rang inside his mind. [30% corruption rate.... Creator, it might take a while before you can control these two] "Alright" He flexed his wings trying to fly however a bullet came flying towards him. Swiftly he uses his weapon to deflect it before flying towards the ship. "They are too far damn it" He sped up using the might of wind and as he drew closer the better his view of the airship. [Iing!] A series of arrows flooded his view indicating the directions of the attack. "Time to use some spells" From the start of the fight Apollo only uses a couple of spells which didn''t really deplete his reserves but now he ns to fight a little seriously. "Fire and Darkness element" he began to say as he visualized the spell in his mind. The air suddenly vibrated causing the mana to freeze this caused the cannons to malfunction. "That demon! he is using mana domain!" Mana domain or domain is a technique in which a mage uses his mana to influence the mana of the surroundings. The greater mana an individual has the greater effect it has in his/her surroundings. "Everyone use a shield!" "Commander we can''t something is jamming the barrier system!" "What! Then call all priests we need them on deck!" "Yesmander" A sudden pressure burdens the heart and mind of themander making his judgement clouded. "What is happening to me?" He questioned while looking at the figure floating in front of them. ck mes emerge from the spear turning into a fiery ball of mes. [20 mages are about to strike] Apollo didn''t mind it instead his mana red up boosting the power of the spell. "Burn! ck sun!" The sphere of ck mes turns bigger as if a sun really descended from space. The heat burns the trees even affecting the ground. The airship was in no good shape either because they received the spell''s full power. "Go full speed now!" themander ordered pushing all priests and pdins to work. However, their enemy had no ns to let them go. "elerate" he merely said making the giant floating sun chase after the fleeing enemy. "Inertia" he added. The airship halted despite its initial speed before being hit by Apollo''s spell. As the ck mes engulf the ship, the mechanism that causes the ship to float ignited causing another powerful explosion. The sail and the entire framework of the ship were sted off as the rapid speed of the spell escted. The passengers and crew all brace themselves for the extreme heat and smoke from the st. The overall structure of the ship soon became devoured by mes before being fragmented and plummeting towards the ground. [There are still some people alive Creator] "Really? That is surprising" The spell was supposed to burn everything however somehow they still survived. This made Apollo curious and so he flew towards the site where the airship crashed. Hended perfectly at the crash site and despite the raging heat and burning mes, he calmly walked across it to see if anyone really survived. "Let''s see....!?" His instinct went haywire when a sharp object suddenly popped out of nowhere. It was fast way too fast as if the attack teleported right in front of his face fortunately he was able to dodge. [It was a poison dagger Creator] Jeremiah reported. "Where did that daggere from, Jeremiah traced the mana signature of the spell just now" [It wasn''t a spell Creator] "It wasn''t?" Apollo felt his blood tense up feeling a little excited. His past fights never gave him much trouble he doesn''t know why but every time he faces an enemy their minds seem to be clouded with something. [It''s actually your skill Creator] However, Apollo wasn''t able to hear it because his focus was upied with something. All possible routes were drawn inside his mind serving as a map to each dagger that appeared in front of him. As he got used to the patterns he became more efficient in blocking and dodging them. While he upies himself defending a notification made him look at his back. [Behind you Creator] As soon as he turned a de was already ced on his chest while ten more daggers were ced in his vitals. "Locked" The space became under hismand but that did not mean the des ced on his body would disappear but he had ns for that. ck mes soon took over his jet-ck armor bing a protection he needed. "Fire and darkness, Inferno" The des melted but the demon was not done yet, utilizing his spear he used it to amplify his spell. The space is within hismand and thus no more des appeared out of nowhere. "Finally I found the rats" The ck mes became focused at the tip of the spear Apollo d in the power of space teleported right in front of the enemy. Five injured people all of which seemingly have a high position inside their temple. "Should I turn to be my spy?" However, those thoughts were immediately removed when he saw a fire spell sting its way towards him. Apollomanded the space and instead of being hit, the spell went to one of the five remaining enemies. "I''ll end this" He waved his spear and released the spell Inferno causing a huge hole on the ground. [Creator none of them survive] "That is good to hear now" His body became a blur and reappeared again in the ce where he left his two captives. "They are gone" [No need to worry Creator your spell works, as soon as the corruption ended they were able to leave] "That is good to hear, any more signs of attack?" [None to this moment however the breakout hasn''t ended] "With that quantity, I highly doubt it could end easily" So he took off and as he moved the mes from the burning ship followed him. Chapter 64: Chapter 64: The trouble is done [Creator An enormous amount of deaths has been detected The system''s capacity for storing essence has been full] "Hmmm...should I upgrade you or just directly convert it" [Even if we upgrade me and the system it won''t be enough for the fast influx of essence] "What if I upgrade all my stats?" [That will make you either reach King rank or even emperor rank] "Right I forgot" Apollo ponders before having a reckless idea. "Jeremiah can you gather those essences and transfer them to my spear" [For what?] "Essence is still mana, it''s pure and flexible so as long as I can utilize it in the way I want it won''t be wasted" Sharp and metallic, Apollo moves his wings and the wind vibrates with his strength. With all the chaos that''s been happening, no one was able to notice a ck-winged figure in the sky. "Jeremiah" [Yes, Creator] now Jeremiah knew what to do so he prepared what needed to be done. Through the use of the system, Apollo was able to handle the huge influx of energy. "Hoo.. let us do this" Guiding the energy he moved it towards his spear using it as a medium for the spell he was about to cast. He needs a spell that will remove all enemies in one swoop but shouldn''t kill anyone from the army. "Open the archive" [Archive open.... Initiating data search... Waiting for the Creator''smand] "Initiate spell search and spell synthesis" There is a spell he had in mind but he needs tons of other spells to use as data. [Memory link established... Initiating search... Searchplete!] Apollo thinks fast and removes the spells he doesn''t need and takes the ones he finds essential. "Synthesize them now" [Synthsis in process...] While Jeremiah carried themand given to him, the one who created him put his focus on the spear in his hold. The symbols that were engraved on the ck surface of the spear''s shaft began to shine making the scene ethereal. With the insane amount of power being gathered Apollo''s presence was immediately known. "It''s that demon again!" Kiel exims before shing a beast''s head. Some demon beasts also noticed his presence deeming the creature above as dangerous. With their instincts taking over they began to gather their strength to attack. With both Apollo and Jeremiah being upied they didn''t notice the hurling attack. "BOOM!" A huge explosion happens above, smoke turns into a big mass that covers the night sky while a wave of air hits the ground. "Interesting," the demon above said while looking at the clear ss orb that transformed from the umted essence from his spear. A ss orb became an imprable shield surrounding a ck demonic figure. More lights crept in across the dark spear until it started to break apart. Pure white energy became the shaft while ck-tainted symbols remained connecting the weapon together. The ck de at the top of the weapon turns pristine white. The corrupted demonic knight soon became the embodiment of light and with its power, a spell was cast. "Darkness element" As the spell formed inside his mind, the sky became even dimmer sensing the grim spell that was about toe. The priest from the monastery that sneakily went closer towards the city, when they mistakenly thought that Apollo got injured, their movements halted when light and darkness became one. The light from the spear created a dazzling pir of light while the thick eerie clouds dominated the night sky. A voice resembling a scratching sound began to speak. "ck magic, Death" Light and darkness became one manifesting the will of the spell Apollo cast. When the two contrasting lightsnded on the ground the monastery priest immediately asked to be teleported away while the army from the empire just watched. Somehow they knew they wouldn''t die regardless of what the spell wanted to do. A gray light swept the battlefield and every demonic beast that the light touches die immediately. Wind hustle as if following the will of the light spreading across the blooded ground. The soldiers were at first scared but when the light passed through and nothing negative happened they all felt relief. "Wait my wounds heal!" "I don''t feel my sore arms anymore!" "I can walk again!" Aside from the sound of falling bodies, cheers and grateful exim can be heard, it is as if the battle has truly ended. Well truly it does, the light kills all the remaining demons causing the real enemy to flee however Apollo already nted the spies he needs. "I can''t believe this" A soldier said when he looked at the bodies that piled in the forest. The amount of demon beast that almost blocks every ce you rest your eyes with finally defeated. [Creator you have lost too much stamina... The skill demonification had caused your stamina to be depleted... The extreme use of calction, prediction, magic synthesis and casting causes exhaustion of intelligence... Rmending for Creator to take a rest] Apollo just heard such words and couldn''t help but agree, thest spell Death made his mind heavy. "Yes I''ll rest but take me back now" [Will do Creator] The silhouette that caused such a feat soon disappeared from everyone''s view. ... Back at the ruined temple, Alicia felt someone''s presence, immediately she spread her mana to check the intruder''s identity. "!?" The man was very familiar to her and without knowing she began to run towards the entrance of the secret temple. There lying unconscious on the ground is the boy she was very familiar with. "Apollo!?" she rushed towards him, once she arrived at his side she immediately cast a spell to find whatever was wrong with his body. "Oh....he is just tired" she couldn''t help but say when she saw the results of the spell. "What a relief" she added while stroking the messy hair of the boy. "In the end just what are you" If she wanted to she could have found the answer but she wanted to respect the boy who risked his life to protect others. "I''ll wait until you tell me the truth, for now, rest" Her hand made a motion making Apollo''s body float. "Let me take you with the others" Two hours before the sun rose the battle ended without much life being spent. Morning came and fortunately, it was Saturday so the kids slept more than they usually do. "So what should we eat?" Mckenzie asked immediately as soon as he saw his friends wake up. "Seriously not even a good morning?" Samael retorted while fixing his hair. "I still have some bread and milk here I should warm it up for breakfast" Keith suggested which made the girls assist him. "Wait where is Apollo?" Casper asked since he was the one sleeping beside him. "Alicia is not here either," Jillian said while removing the quilt. "Where are those two?" they asked each other. "Hey guys I found them" Vesta said pointing to the corner of their makeshift giant bed. In the corner piles of pillows and quilts are piled up, but two people are being swallowed by these bed sheets, and these two just quietly andfortably snuggle in together. Nobody spoke and instead just looked at them. "Um...we should probably let them be" Jillian suggested which they all agreed to. Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Mapping "So what should we do?" asked Agnes as she made a quick nce over her two ssmates. "If I am not mistaken Apollo slept beside mest night" "Same, I remember Alicia sleeping next to me too," Agnes said to Casper. "Come on guys let those two be, they seem tired," Mckenzie said while looking concerned at Apollo''splexion. "Apollo looks a bit pale" he thought then he asked his friends to tune down their voices. "Hussh down everyone okay" "Here is breakfast everyone" Alya said while holding a basket full of warm bread. "And here! We also brought drinks" Arabe and Keith said while the rest of the girls were behind them holding more baskets of all sorts of breads. "Alright, we should eat first" Niko suggested as he put the soft loaf of bread in his mouth. "This hot chocte is good" Samaelmented which everyone agreed on. Despite their peaceful morning, the entire city was in chaos. Some students had nightmares while others found themselves sleeping in weird ces. The confused citizen who woke up in their houses like usual but felt something was strange. The night the attack happened the emperor''s mages cast a sleeping spell on everyone before teleporting them outside the city. As for the devastated forest, the emperor single-handedly restored it. And so when the sun rose from the east no one outside the emperor''s army knew of what happened. However, some people found their situation suspicious but no matter how hard they tried to think they couldn''t pinpoint what it was. "Your majesty we sent someone to check on the lower ss dormitory and the kids weren''t there" a soldier reported but the emperor remained calm as if he had already anticipated it. "It is fine no need to make a fuss" "But Your Majesty.." "I already said it was fine..." his eyes turn cold as he gazes towards his soldier. "Soldier don''t make me repeat myself," he said making the kneeling soldier flee. "It seems like one of us is overly concerned," the nameless soldier said as he remained standing at the emperor''s side. "You find it suspicious right, your majesty" he added. "Just shut up" The nameless soldier just chuckled and dly followed the emperor as he walked. ..... Back at the ruined temple after some time Apollo and Alicia finally woke up. "You two okay?" Samael immediately said while he brought some warm bread and chocte. "Eat up" After saying those words he left and let the two have their meal. Like two zombies Apollo and Alicia groan before slowly getting up. "When did I arrive here?" Apollo asked since hisst memory was when he asked Jeremiah to teleport him. "I actually found you at the entrance so I brought you here" Alicia answered while massaging her head. "Thanks" "You are wee" "Yeah by the way can I ask you something?" "What is it" "Why are we sleeping like this?" Alicia frowns since she doesn''t understand it however once her eyes be clear she sees how she and Apollo closely hold each other. "Oh....I didn''t know either" she said nonchntly. Apollo and Alicia became silent before getting up to eat. "After this, we should head back" Aaron spoke when he noticed the time on his watch. "It''s still a bit early can''t we stay a little longer" Braiden requested however Apollo denied it. "I think it''s best to return, any longer we stay here might worry Miss Martha and the others" With those words, they couldn''t help but agree. "We still have a whole school year toe back here, so don''t make such a face" Alicia said trying to lighten up the mood, she then took a sip of her warm cup of chocte feeling satisfied. While they talk and read some of theic books written by their predecessors, Apollo quietly eats as he looks at the map made by Jeremiah. Last night''s attack was a sess since he was able to corrupt two priests and nt a marker towards all the people in the barracks. Now he had marked three temples on the map. "Three down eight to go" he thought while trying to form a pattern on the temple''s location. "I think I need a different map" [I''ll scan all avable maps andpare them to our current map] "Do that and we might find a connection towards the three temples we have found" [Affirmative] "It is still too slow" he impatiently thought resulting in a frown on his face. "Just what kind of thought are you having that your face is frowning like that" Aliciamented seeing Apollo''s face. "I am just getting impatient" "Calm down you won''t gain anything being rushed" "Sigh.... you are right " "Just what in god''s presence are you two mumbling about?" Samael said seeing Alicia and Apollo talking secretly. "Nothing" "It''s nothing" "Yeah sure it''s nothing" Samael sarcastically answered to Apollo and Alicia''s words. "Jeremiah, is it possible to modify a spell when you already cast it?" [I don''t think that''s possible but maybe Creator should recast the modified spell] "But my targets are the priest that I corrupted, they are too far already" [Maybe we could, if we synthesize your skills properly] "Should I make my own skill and then upgrade it?" [We could Creator] "Right we should" While Apollo was still drowned in his thoughts Alicia shoved a bread in his mouth. "We are eating so just eat don''t do anything else" With his mouth full all he could do was nod his head. ..... After a few hours, they all moved back to their dormitory and Apollo went straight to his room surprising his ssmates. "What is he up to" Niko asked but since they somehow knew Apollo they didn''t inquire any further. He is not the type of person to make a mess he can''t solve. "Alright I should be able to do what I had in mind" With a little uncertainty, Apollo pulled out a paper and pen and began researching spells. Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Success So what is exactly the thing I wanted to do? Simple you remember the people I marked right? You see I want those people that I mark to spread the marker I put on them. Since ording to Sergio''s memories there is an annual meeting, that all archbishops of each temple have to attend. It''s the perfect opportunity to spread the marker and discover the other eight locations of the remaining temple. The only problem is I have no idea how to make the current marker spread since an already cast spell can''t be modified unless I recast the modified one to my target. "I think I can use the connection I have with the spell to somehow alter it" [The problem is you are too far and the only thing you can do is monitor the signal being sent by the marker] "That is also right" [As for the corruption spell not only you can manipte the decision of your target you can also hear and know their thoughts] Both of those spells are very useful and suddenly I thought of something. "Should I synthesize those two spells?" [We could but I suggest adding other spells to achieve the result you wanted] "And here I thought we need to make a skill to make it happen" [Maybe we really do not need to] "I just need to utilize the connection I have with my spells" Hoping for the better Apollo ordered Jeremiah to bring every spell that has a simrity with Apollo''s corruption spell and marker spell. A few hours went by and Apollo could somehow say he was sessful. "I am stressed" [Because you are too impatient this is very unlike you] Usually in every study, he made, he wasn''t the type to rush, no matter how long it took as long as he achieved his goal the time didn''t really matter. However this time the boy seemed to be impatient as if the time was pressing on him. [Is it because you wanted to finish this issue before the three-month istion ends?] "No that isn''t the reason" I gasped my head feeling a bit pressured, and as the sweep of anxiety crept into my heart, I could finally say the words that were shearing within my mind. "I am just afraid" my voice cracked signifying my troubled mind but I immediatelyposed myself no longer letting my emotions get the better of me. "After the three-month istion of the first year from the seniors the quarterly examination will begin. Examination tend to have idents and if by any chance those bastards from the monastery crawl their way inside the Academy like they usually do.." I stop for a bit just thinking of that fact hurts me. "Also the start of the second quarter is mainly done outside the Academy so it will be the perfect opportunity for those rats to strike" [So you put the three months as a deadline to finish this mission] "Yes and to do that I need all the locations of the 12 temples" [For that one n you have in mind you need all twelve of them] "I already know the location of the sixth, it was destroyed by the emperor of course while the remaining eleven remain hidden. That is why I was a bit happy finding down three" [However, it isn''t enough] "It has been one month and two weeks since the academy started and my progress is beginning to slow down" [Your speed is astonishingpared to the Empire, Creator. No one in the records has ever discovered three monastery temples other than you] "Thanks but I need more" [And we will aplish that my Creator] "You are right" A sigh escaped from my lips until a knock drew my attention towards the door. "Who''s there?" I asked despite knowing who it was. "It''s me, Alicia" "Oh how can that be when there is a magic barrier separating boys from girls" Instead of an answer a magic circle appeared on my door, emerging from it was a girl with back hair and ruby eyes. It was one of my ssmates Alicia von Nyx. "I alter the barrier to exclude myself from the separation" she immediately said as soon as she emerged from the door. "What?" Alicia asked when she saw my exasperated expression. "It''s nothing I just felt weird seeing youing out of my closed door" "Should I have waited for you to open it?" A couldn''t help but chuckle seeing her nonchnt reaction. This girl really is one of the mysteries I want to know. However for now I will focus on the thing I had in mind. "Can I help?" "Shouldn''t you be with the kids?" "They are with Miss Martha so it''s fine" "I don''t really need anything but if you insist I would like to hear some information" "I don''t mind" So for a couple of hours, they stay inside the room until the sun goes down and the moon arrives. "Hey, have you seen Apollo?" Niko asked while resting his tired body on the bench. "Come to think of it I haven''t seen him ever since he went to his room" ir realized as well however due to him being distracted he wasn''t able to notice Mckenzie''s iing attack. The wooden sword went straight to his abdomen causing him to step back, fortunately, his protective gear absorbed all the damage. "Sorry about that I didn''t mean it" "It''s okay it doesn''t really hurt" Mckenzie was still worried so he suggested for them to rest. Located in the backyard of the dormitory an open space is located meant for training. It was a rectangr tform built to prevent any damage to the surroundings. This tform is also imbedded with safety spells to prevent injuries while sparring. At its side is a set of protective equipment, sparring gears and wooden weapons. Then aside from the open space meant for training, there is also a small gym room meant for storing equipment and facilitating exercise. While all the boys sat down on the benchers they couldn''t help but vent out their frustration. "We have been practicing since the moment we are being hunted but I still can''t see us beating up any of the priests of the monastery" "Same" They don''t want to die but they also don''t want to keep relying on others for protection. They want to fight and defend for themselves and avenge those who died protecting them. However fate was not kind to them, they had the potential to be strong as long as they trained they should be able to be powerful, but their enemy would never wait for them to be ready they would strike at their weakest beforepletely devouring them. All the boys look at the dark sky feeling how the sky looks so different from how it used to be. ... Dinner arrived and everyone went to the dining hall despite the things they were busy doing. "So Apollo care to share about the thing you have been doing?" Mckenzie initiated. I was a bit surprised I didn''t expect such words, usually, Mckezie would talk about nonsensical things during dinner but now he is asking me intensely. Alicia looked at me beckoning me to tell them my n. I gulp feeling a bit nervous since I used to do things alone I am not used to other people''s assistance aside from the people of the tower, I haven''t had the chance to receive other assistance. "Well, you see I n to...um" My confidence suddenly hit the bottom while the hesitation in my heart soared. But the first thing I did was put a sound barrier around us. "On one of these days, I was thinking of sneaking inside the monastery temple" Finally, I said the thing I was nning to do however an intense silence came after my words. I hurriedly look at Alicia asking her what is happening but her eyes tell me to wait for everyone to digest everything I said. And so I properly look at my friends their faces covered with despair and fear. "Hey..." I tried to say something however the first thing I noticed was Matilda''s hand holding onto my sleeve. "Don''t go please...." her hands shook and so did her body as if she was remembering a certain memory. "We can just stay here you know and forget about those lunatic bastards" Samael sounded carefree like Mckenzie however he failed to do so. "Why do you even want to do something so dangerous?" Niko inquired with his face full of worry. "I had a n and to achieve it I need to go inside the temple of the monastery" "Can we go with you?" "No" Alicia and I simultaneously said with Keith''s suggestion. "Apollo do expect us to let you leave after hearing you say such a suicidal action" Agnes finally spoke her voice sounding cold as if scolding me. "Agnes is right Apollo you should just let the Emperor''s men do that" "I can''t at this moment Arabe" "Why? What is it that makes you hesitant to report this to his majesty?" "The emperor''s side is filled with spies from the monastery that is why his majesty gave me full authority to take any action without reporting to him" Their reaction tells me that they are already aware of such a situation which makes me even sadder. "This mission will be done by me alone because Alicia needs to remain here in case something happens" "So if Alicia doesn''t worry about our safety she can go with you?" Jillian asked I could feel she had a bold n. Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Plan to sneak in "So if Alicia doesn''t worry about our safety she can go with you?" Jillian asked I could feel she had a bold n. "Jillian that''s.." Alicia was about to say something but Alya began to speak. "We will be fine here so go with Apollo" "You can''t be sure of that" "We will be fine" This time Keith spoke resolutely as if no more words were needed. "The gang and I will stay at the hidden temple I am certain no one can find us there" Braiden suggested. "I''ll agree with him since only a member of the lower ss can see the map on the book" Casper agreed while Vesta looked at me with her eyes filled with mixed emotions. There was fear, anxiety, anger and even sadness. All those emotions made her expressionplicated but despite her situation, she still spoke. "We will be fine" She looked at me her eyes reflecting the dozens of deaths she had witnessed. Her fear that it will happen again creates this circle of emotion that influences everyone. Somehow all of us fear losing each other but that fear doesn''t prevent us from doing the things we need to do. "Alright," I could only say feeling defeated. "I''ll take Alicia with me" Everyone felt relieved though Alicia and I felt sceptical. "So in the end just what do you want to find inside the monastery" Aaron could finally ask the question that is been bugging him. "Oh yeah we forgot the most important one, what do you want to see there" Mckenzie was the one who spoke this time. "I have three things I want to know once I am there though I don''t know if I can aplish them" "And those are?" "Temple locations, treasures and spells information" They all looked at me exasperatedly as if questioning my decisions. Why? Who wouldn''t want treasures? Three days went by and the preparation was done. Alicia and I n to enter the ce secretly and gather enough information while the meeting starts. ording to Sergio, the meeting will be held at the first temple so while the big shots are out we will enter the tenth temple and then proceed to the other two temples. After we finished our meal we immediately cleaned the dishes andid a few pieces of paper and pen. One of the things we need is a map and so with the help of everyone we began drawing the map I got from the memories of the priests I corrupted. "I still can''t believe how you extract a map from a priest''s memories" Alicia said while she frowned. "Why Alicia is it hard to do that?" Vesta asked while sorting out the maps made from Apollo''s instruction. "Memory search spells are very dangerous because the caster can''t control the flow of memories that flood their mind. Worst scenario after a mage cast such a spell they would swept by the flood of memories causing a rift in their sanity. The ending is either they die or survive and go mad" Vesta looked worried went she heard such words but Alicia immediately assured her. "No worries Apollo came from the tower I am certain their memory search spell is different from the ones I knew" I heard their conversation which made me think about my spell Veritas. The spell I used was only slightly different from the regr ones used by the empire mages. My spell Veritas which is under necromancy, absorbed all memories a soul contains that way no mind-strengthening barriers or spells could distort the flow of memories. There was no protection against the influx of information it was only because of Jeremiah that I could stay sane. [Yes, after all, I am good at sorting out] I chuckled as I heard his voice inside my head, the previous emotionless voice had be a little human, though that is only my own perspective. "So the n is to sneak inside their archive and all look for any documents or maps about the location of all twelve temples," ir said while looking at the blueprint harvested from Sergio''s memories. "Yup that''s the gist of it," Mckenzie said while double-checking the map he just drew. "If by any chance you and Alicia retrieve what you wanted what happens next? Will you tell the emperor about the temple''s location?" this time ir''s question was directed to me and so I answered truthfully. "I am actually hesitant to do that" "Again with the spies right?" Keith interrupted while bringing a tray full of snacks and drinks. It was true though it is also the reason why the emperor approached me and gave me this task. Because he couldn''t trust anyone other than a member of the the four-ducal house. "Spies are real trouble, hey Alya can you give me some cookies?" Braiden asked feeling frustrated at their situation. "Here freshen up" Alya said then she gave him a tter of cookies and a ss of fresh lemonade. The scent of freshly baked cookies hits my nose making me want to try some of them. "I also like cookies please hand me some" Alya dly gave me a tter of cookies and lemonade making me smile. As we dab into the mood of eating ir suddenly blurted out something. "Wait let''s go back to the thing I ask for!" Oh, what was it the thing he was asking for? I asked myself then Jeremiah answered. [His question is what you n to do if you found all twelve temples] Ah right, it was that, I forgot since I got into the mood of eating, strangely food is one of my weaknesses. "Right about your question... let us see" I began to think, should tell them? My eyes unconsciously darted towards a girl who frequently scolded me for being secretive and...perhaps being a troublemaker as well. Alicia was talking with the girls when her eyes went towards mine and strangely it somehow told me to continue. Is she a mind reader or something? [Perhaps her senses are much sharper than a normal human] I frowned thinking how it was possible since her body was too thin for someone who has advanced senses. Typically those who have such skills are a martial artist who have fully mastered their art. However, if Alicia was truly capable of that then it makes her even more dangerous. Women are truly scary. "Apollo? You okay?" Braiden asked it seems my silence caused them to worry. "Nothing about ir''s question the truth is.." I beckon them to lean closer before whispering my answer. "What!" "That dangerous!" "Apollo won''t that cause more catastrophic events than the monastery itself!" Braiden, ir and Mckenzie eximed causing everyone to look at us. "Apollo, isn''t your method too extreme?" Keith spoke hesitantly. "I understand that your method is the safest and the fastest but it is still too dangerous" Casper who was silent the whole time finally spoke. "Then what should I do?" It was my time to ask and all of them went silent. "I still don''t agree with you there must be something else right?" "How about poison or curses?" "I think the priests of the monastery are almost immune to that didn''t we already see first-hand how they merely tank those spells" ir said denying Mckenzie''s suggestion. ir, Mckenzie, Braiden even Keith and Casper wore serious expressions on their faces as if they were thinking about the biggest decision of their lives. "Boys, what''s happening did something happen?" Matilda and Arabe who was busy in the kitchen finally arrived holding baskets of muffins. "About that..." Casper approached her and whispered something in her ears. "Doomsday?" she mumbles not understanding anything. ..... Sergio was a devoted priest of his lord Nirvana however ever since his failure and destruction of his base in Sidus. He became a little impatient and angry at the other temples. It was supposed to be them that will inherit the will of Nirvana unfortunately he wasn''t the only one who thinks that way. Apollo''s cursed words became the spark that ignited the heated battle among the temples. None of them was able to notice the cracks that began to spread among them. No, perhaps some of them have noticed but decided not to interfere due to their extreme will to be the chosen pope of the monastery of Nirvana. The little boy who knew the absence of such a figure took advantage of it, to make sure none of them would take leadership and step up and fix the current situation. As the meeting began the previous and somewhat harmonious rtionship among the temples began to strain. And just as Apollo wanted none of them wish to lose the race of freeing Nirvana. Everyone wanted power, glory and acknowledgement and to achieve those they would do anything even killing their ownrades. Their faith became greed which became the catalyst for a curse that they can''t ever remove. "Sigh...it seems it already started" With a body d in armor, a wickedugh echoes in a room full of books. In his hand was a ck orb containing a ck mist, that stirred the hearts of those has been marked and corrupted. This mist spreads and attaches itself to its target making the map in the demon''s hands light. Chapter 68: Chapter 68: A demon and a devil Right at the ce where students fear being chased by hundreds of ghosts, sixteen students made a makeshift barracks there. And so the ruined temple was once again lively. "Okay, so you two should take on a disguise in case you guys got busted" Aaron suggested while holding a checklist of the stuff Alicia and Apollo needed to bring. "No worries I think we got that covered" Alicia assured her worried friend. "Shouldmence now?" "Wait hold on I am nervous" Arabe held on to Aaron''s sleeve stopping him from moving. "Why are you the one who is nervous You''re not the one who is leaving you know" "Shut up what if you make a mistake" "I won''t so let go of me" Arabe and Aaron began to argue while they began pulling each other. "Come on Ara that''s enough" Samael said as he pulled Arabe from Aaron. "Have faith, you know about Aaron''s blessings so it should be fine, and besides he is also the reason why we always escape our pursuers" Samael calmly coaxed her since her anxiety had been going haywire since the start of the preparation. "Alright everyone is set right?" ir asked while Mckenzie nervously sat beside him. "We are ready" Apollo calmly said making his friends feel more assured. "Let us start with your disguise, we want to see what you two will look like," Casper said while ir stood beside him holding a checklist. Apollo looks closely at himself though his eyes actually look at a certain floating screen in front of him. [Proceed to use the skill Demonize?] The skill Demonize was something Apollo and Jeremiah made by overhauling the skill Demonification andbining them into some of Apollo''s current skills. Jeremiah''stest upgrade enables him to copy a skill and manipte it in the way they wanted. So they first made a copy of Demonification and started changing it into another skill called Demonize. Apollo thought of this method to cause confusion among the people of the monastery. They already identify his demon knight form as an enemy so he decides to create another identity that could steer fear among his enemies. It could also cause another effect however he wants to show his enemies that they have another terrifying enemy. "Alright activate it" [Command received... Initiating skill activation...] A ck aura covers Apollo before turning into ck armor however its design is a bit different. The tainted aura turns into a padded defensive jacket, on top of it is a chest te that rests on his torso providing protection for his vital organs. Then sturdy shoulder guards rest on his shoulders ensuring protection during battle. The ck aura intensifies transforming into a ck iron overcoat that adds protection on his arms, then gauntlets for his hands, greaves andbat boots for his legs and feet. Then two horns emerge from each side of his head before being protected by a helmet. Unlike his exoskeleton body which looks like full armor this time his skin is being protected by lightweight armor. Also, there were more clothes than armor in this transformation. Apollo got this design to bnce his demonic presence with his human side. In short, his newly demonized form is a half-demon and a half-human form. Though, unlike his previous form, this one doesn''t have a distinctive inhumane voice. "So how was it?" he asked truthfully wanting to hear their opinions. "I win" Niko immediately as soon as he saw Apollo making thetter confused. "I also won! I put my bet on it as well" Jillian exims causing more confusion for the boy. "Niko this isn''t sufficient evidence!" Braiden wanted to argue while Keith brought a notebook containing their names and the amount of money they bet on. "It''s already plenty for me" Niko argued back to Braiden. "Wait everyone I am a bit lost here" Apollo said feeling baffled whereas Alicia couldn''t help but giggle. "Hey enoughughing and fill me, because I have no idea what''s happening" he nudged her making thedy beside him shake her head. "Let me exin what''s going on" Vesta started since Apollo''s expression looked like a lost child. "We actually have a bet if you are the ck knight who destroys the monastery base here in Sidus. Some bet it wasn''t you while some believed the opposite" "In the end, it was my win!" Niko happily dered while Braiden didn''t want to lose easily. "If I am not mistaken this form is a variation of the transformation spell you used in Sidus right?" Agnes asked not finding her ssmate''s appearance suspicious. "Well yes, you could say that" Apollo didn''t try to hide it and could only admit it was him. "So how did you know it was me?" he asked curious how he got busted. "It''s because of the spell thunder aura Apollo, we have seen that spell so many times in the tower that we immediately recognize it as soon as the seer shows us the past" "Oh it was that" "By the way you don''t look too surprised when they caught you" Alicia noticed so Apollo answered. "You were able to figure it out it was me so I had thought the same with the others" Alicia couldn''t help but shake her head then a light began to devour her body. Her previous ck hair turned white her eyes turned blue. The girl beside Apollo turns into aplete woman that could make any man wild. From the curves to face it was a woman any man would want. Toplete her get up a ck mask covered her face hindering the vision of those who look at her. "She became.. " [Extremely hot Creator] "Yeah wait are those horns?" Simr to Apollo two protruding horns rest at each side of her head making her look like a beautiful subus. [Her presence is simr to a devil Creator] "Really?" [Yes] "You okay Apollo I saw your mouth drooling a while ago" ir joked making Apollo re at him. "Alright everyone is ready now I should set the two of you go" Aaron stretched out his arm and golden patterns began to glow across it. The space seemed to be vibrating as he used his blessings. "Go" he said then Apollo and Alicia disappeared. As soon as they did so all remaining students of the lower ss rushed towards Mckenzie. The reason was because Apollo created magical equipment that could monitor their position inside the tenth temple. The map inside the orb was actually being manipted by Jeremiah. Through him, they could all see whatever happens to Apollo and Alicia. .... "So tell me where should we head now?" Alicia asked when they got teleported towards an unknown forest. "Aaron! You punk theynded in the wrong area!" Casper shouted in panic when they all realized the situation. "Sorry....it might be because I still haven''t perfected my use of blessings" Aaron felt down since he had thought their training at the tower and the one they did in the academy, made his skills stronger however it seems like he still needs some time topletely master it. {It is okay Aaron no need to feel down since wended pretty near the temple so we could just travel} Apollo''s voice came out of the orb trying to cheer Aaron. "Thanks, Apollo just be careful" "We will" The distance wasn''t really a problem with them since Apollo and Alicia both turned into shadows and ran across the forest. "Wow," the viewers could only say when they realized the real powers of the two. Then as they crossed, a temple hidden by a powerful barrier entered their view. Alicia and Apollo immediately went inside disregarding any defensive mechanism that tried to harm them. "You guys are at the prayer room right now, head straight to the right then go up to the highest and biggest room. That is the location of the archbishop''s room" "Noted," the two said in unison. Although Apollo has Jeremiah to tell him that he felt satisfied hearing Mckenzie. "There is a powerful barrier covering the room if we aren''t careful we might identally trigger it" Alicia made a warning though Apollo already noticed. "Jeremiah" [On it Creator] Theyers of protective enchantment began to reconstruct themselves before opening on their own. "You overhaul the barrier''s defensive system" "Yes now let''s head inside" "Right" The ce was pretty normal like those found in regr houses. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until Apollo noticed something when he approached the desk of the archbishop. On top of the desk was a broken sword that the boy had once seen when he was a kid. "Is this the broken Excalibur" he questioned making his partner Alicia confused as well. "Is this the real Excalibur?" "I don''t know Alicia but if I am not mistaken Excalibur was the sword that was once used by the first emperor Julius von Celestio" Chapter 69 The sword of the first Apollo''s Pov As we walked towards the archbishop''s office I ordered Jeremiah to change the structure of the barrier. And so theyers of protective enchantment began to reconstruct themselves before opening on their own. "You overhaul the barrier''s defensive system" "Yes now let''s head inside" "Right" The ce was pretty normal like those found in regr houses. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I noticed something on top of a desk, I approached it and realized it was the archbishop''s desk. On top of the desk was a broken sword that I had once seen when he was a kid. Though it was only a picture it was truly something breathtaking to see. It was supposed to have a long ck sharp de covered with white beautiful patterns, while its hilt was white and silvery and had a sapphire stone embedded in it. The legendary sword that once devastated the battlefield during the worst breakout in history. "Is this the broken Excalibur" I questioned making my partner Alicia confused as well. "How? This wasn''t supposed to be here" I agree with her since this weapon was a relic of the past and was a part of the rich history of the empire. The Excalibur was a weapon which was made from a very unique material. Though this material was unknown, the sword was recorded to be the most powerful weapon especially since it was the weapon of the first emperor. The first emperor Julius von Celestio the man who wiped out the demons during the Age of Extinction, and was the one who could only wield such a weapon. Then here is the question. So what should we do? I was confused as to why the tenth temple had such an artifact that was treasured by the imperial family. For an unknown reason, anger ignited inside me. It was confusing but there is something influencing my emotion to the degree I can no longer control. "Thief" My voice was ragged with rage making Alicia alerted. "Hey what''s happening with Apollo," Keith noticed. "Why? What''s wrong? Everyone asked however they couldn''t seem to notice the sudden change in my behaviour. "Apollo you okay?" they asked through the orb but I couldn''t answer [Warning an external force has been detected!] [A force known as Eternal oath had taken effect] [Your emotions are being influence by the oath] "Nullified it, Jeremiah" [Initiating nullification.... ] [Nullification FAILED!... The system''s current level is too low to nullify the oath] "What?" I felt dumbfounded while trying to calm my raging heart. [Skill Unbreakable had been activated] Slowly my heart turned calm while my head became clearer. "Are you okay now?" Alicia asked, without me knowing her arms were already wrapped around me. "Did I do something for you to hold me like this?" I asked, however, it wasn''t her who answered. "Apollo, you almost smash the table if it weren''t for Alicia stopping you" ir said making me feel disappointed in myself. "Sorry" "It''s okay what happened by the way?" "I don''t know I just felt something was taking over me" Feeling a bit nauseous I remove my helmet. "Oh" I heard some reaction making me question them. "What is it?" "You look good Apollo" "Thanks, Mckenzie" My previous red-orange hair simr to the sun falling at dusk turned ck with a light reddish hue, while my eyes which were simr to the sun at noon became red like rubbies. On my neck were ck veins looking like a curse that slowly spread up to my chin. Then my head has two hornspletely disying my inhumane appearance. "Hoo" I breathed trying to calm my heart then my eyes went back to the broken sword. "It is indeed Excalibur" [It was recorded as missing since the War of Faith, Creator] "Yes I remember" I said to Jeremiah while caressing the broken de. "We can''t bring it with us," Alicia told me and I know she was right but the feeling of anger still remains inside my heart. I needed to quench this feeling and so I made a bold move. "Jeremiah analyze the weapon" [Initiatingmand... Weapon Analyzed Complete!] A set of information appeared in my head before being constructed into a weapon design. "Proceed to activate Automatic Weaponry" [Command received... Initiating skill activation] My inventory was immediately open and all the materials there were poured in towards the weapon I had in mind. "What are you doing Apollo" Right in front of their eyes, a ball of light transforms into a sword that is strikingly simr to Excalibur. "!?" "Impossible!?" I could hear their disbelief eximed about this situation but I was not done yet. The replica of Excalibur began to shake before breaking to pieces the same way as the original Excalibur. "You are nning on " "Yes Alicia I''ll take Excalibur with me while leaving the replica here" "Are you sure? They find out about it" "Why don''t you inspect the two and see if you can tell the difference" Alicia looks at the two identical broken swords and based on her expression she is having a hard time discerning the two. "You are good if it weren''t for the fact I am familiar with the sword I wouldn''t notice its slight difference," she said though it left with a slight dissatisfaction. I raised my hand above the replica and chanted "Modify" The broken de began to glow putting the remaining finishing touches on this replica. "This is amazing" Alicia could only say when the final piece was done. "I think no one could ever see the difference between the two" I could proudly say. "You are right this should be the thing you need" I nodded before storing the real Excalibur inside my inventory. Then since we were at the archbishop''s office we started looking through the files and envelopes we found inside the desk and cabs. Then from a hiddenpartment found on the desk, a file was neatly sealed. Alicia brought it to me before breaking the seal. "Are these?" "A list?" "Wait Apollo we can''t see it properly move the file a bit closer" My friends who were observing the events through my orb demanded. "Sure no problem" I move the papers in my hand and move them closer to my head. "So can you see it?" "Yes!" Mckenzie and the others move their faces closer trying to read the contents of the file. "Wait aren''t this?" they couldn''t help but say, though I don''t me them even though I was surprised as well. The file contains the names of every family that is affiliated towards the monastery. And right among the names, there was one they never expected to see. "Celestio?" They felt weak when they read thest name of the person they saw on the list. I also felt confused and frustrated when I read the name but that''s not the only thing we found. All throughout the empire, we found the location of their bases and the people handling them. Although it wasn''tplete since it was only a fraction of the force that only belonged to the tenth temple it was still enough. "We should move out" I concluded and so we moved out heading to the archive. As we walked across the quiet corridor we saw some passing priests however none of them noticed our presence, even though we were walking right beside them. We walked like any normal people inside the temple until we arrived inside another office, though this ce holds different records about the tenth temple and the monastery itself. "We finally arrive" I smirked, finally, we arrived at the ce I wanted to get to. "Jeremiah analyze every single file here" [Affirmative Creator] Alicia and I began rummaging through the ce looking for any information regarding the location of the other temples. However, there is another thing that I wanted to find. Yes, other than the location of the remaining temple there is a certain ce that could solve the problem we have. "It should be here" I searched throughout the ce until I found an old book. "Scan this Jeremiah" [I will Creator] However, when I was about to read it a notification startled me and the rest of my ssmates. The orb was filled with words from Jeremiah while I and Alicia heard and saw a floating screen right in front of us. [An unknown energy is about to arrive requesting for the mission to be aborted] [Notification alert! The priests from the meeting are returning! Proceed to retreat, Creator] "This is not good" I couldn''t help but say. "Apollo, Alicia head back now!" Casper shouted and immediately me and Alicia fixed the entire office and made sure to remove any traces of us. "Jeremiah please fix the area for us" [Affirmative Creator] While we ran outside I suddenly felt a powerpared to Grandpa Alger. "What is this" I could only say before running outside the temple. "Aaron hurry up!" "Yeah, I know stop shouting!" Golden markings appeared on his arm before two individuals appeared. "Hey guys we are back" I greeted while Alicia warmly waved at them. Chapter 70 Troubles after troubles My pov again So I can say I did well but I felt more frustrated than before. First the name Celestio on the list and...second the broken Excalibur. "Could that guy sneaked the sword and brought it to the monastery as a symbol of loyalty?" [My Creator the War of Faith happened 200 years ago, and this man is only simr in age to the current emperor] "Could it be someone else inside the pce? since we can''t connect them just because he is part of the imperial family" [Possibly] "So the main reason they could invade the pce was due to someone from the inside helping them out" But this person should have existed since the time of the War of Faith. [It''s bing more troublesome Creator, you can''t touch anyone from the imperial family. It is against the creed of the Lionheart family] My heart began to beat recklessly wrapping my head with thoughts that seemed unnecessary right now. "Should I convey this to him?" [The duke?] "Yes I can''t say this to Mother she might asked the emperor to cancel my mission" [And you can''t let her do that since you became attached ] I sigh it seems I am still too young for missions like this. I could easily get attached resulting in my emotions invading my decision. "My head hurts a bit" [It''s because your thoughts aren''t aligned with your emotions] All I could do was sigh "Jeremiah" [Yes Creator] "Use your sensor and find any information about him" [I will] "I''ll call that man" I think the issue became much bigger since a member of the imperial family was involved. I don''t know if I can report this to his majesty but someone has to know about it. I took out mymunication bracelet and dial themunication code of that man. As the device glows a static soundes after, and from a jamming of unknown sounds it turns into a clear deep voice of a man. {Boy is that you?} "Yes it''s me, old man" The person whose main contribution to my life is creating me and marrying my mother. The Duke of Lionheart Duchy, Helios Lionheart. {Are you sure about what you discover} "Yes I''ll send you the files I have a copy" {Anything else? Are there any more things I need to know?} His question got me thinking, should I tell him about Excalibur? A series of thoughts jam my head but in the end, I should still tell him. After all, he might have a piece of information I have no knowledge of. "Old man listen carefully there is another thing that I discovered from the tenth temple" {I am listening} "Excalibur, I found a broken Excalibur in the archbishop''s office" There was silence and I could not hear a single word from him. {Alright} I could feel the anger in his voice it seemed that the oath was taking effect, now I know it wasn''t only me. I''ll study the oathter, my focus should be the sword Excalibur and that guy from the imperial family. {Can you say it again? The name of the guy from the imperial family?} "It''s Nero, Nero von Celestio" {I''ll remember that....about Excalibur do you have it with you?} "Yes, should I give it to you?" {No, the sword shall remain with you} For a moment I think his contemting about something. {Boy I will send you every file about Nero, for now, your discovery shall remain only between us and the people who were with you when you trespassed the tenth temple. Under any circumstances, you shall not disclose to others, especially towards the imperial soldiers. You understand boy?} "Yes, I understand" {Good, I''ll locate that guy, hisst appearance was when he was betrothed towards the princess of the kingdom of Nadezhda} "So he is a king now" {Yes he is} I massage my head feeling more irritated, then suddenly I remembered something. "That Nero guy who is he again besides being a member of the imperial family?" {Nero was actually the older brother of our current emperor} "If he is, why did he not be the emperor?" {It is a very long story I believe that is not our current objective} "Okay please do send his information to me" {I will, by the way, does your mother know about this?} Not good herees the question I dreaded to hear. "No" I said intensely waiting for his reply. However, he didn''t speak. Hey, old man why not try to say something? {So you called me without telling your mother?} "Yes" {Are you trying to get me beat up?} "Yes" {If she found out I tolerated this dangerous act. Your mother might actually kill me} "And I pray for that," I said nkly staring at his image which was generated by my bracelet. {Alright, I suppose you called knowing you would get scolded after epting such a dangerous job. You wanted someone to get all the me so you approached me} "Well yes but you are also the only person that could help me" {Let us move on from your mission, since this is the first time you called after such a long while, you should at least tell me about your current n} "What n?" I heard a chuckleing from him which soon resulted in a smirk. {Your revenge n, I believe you have been dying it} "I''ll finish this mission first then I''ll deal with my brother.... And also with you" I saw a smirk reigning over his face as if he was confident about himself. {Do that and I will wee your hatred with open arms. Well then since I heard everything I must hear I should end this call now} "Yes maybe we should, good night Duke Lionheart" {Yes, thank you, boy} His voice then disappeared along with his holographic projection. "It is done" I went to my bed letting the soft mattress encase my body. "I am tired" [Is there anything you wish to do?] "If possible I want to find the oath and analyze it" [I shall do my best though it might be very difficult to do so] "It''s okay just do what you can" [Affirmative] Maybe I should update the system first that way analyzing the oath could be done easier. [Are you sure you want to put all the remaining stat points in the system upgrade?] "Yes, that way you will be able to analyze the oath properly. Also, I think analytical skills and spell hypothesis could help us out in copying their techniques" [Then I shallmence with the upgrade] After such words, Jeremiah focuses on upgrades. "Now then I should also upgrade myself" I stood up from my bed and walked my way to the backyard of the dormitory. The night made the sky dark, I breathed slowly feeling the fresh chilly breeze with the sound of crickets touching my ears. "I should train harder" At this rate not just elite families but a king had allied towards the monastery. For how long did this alliance start? As I swung the wooden sword in my hand my entire body suddenly became heavier. "What brought you here, professor" "I was patrolling the area when I noticed you, you are working hard despite being strong already" "Me strong? I believe that word is still too far for me" "Really? I don''t think so" Then without me knowing a wooden sword began to dance right in front of me. "Move your weapon I''ll teach you since I have free time" His attack went in, it was fast and each move continued to numb me. The gears in my head began to move, calcting every possible step he was about to take. With the fast pace of attacks, I found myself bleeding but my mind remained focused until I could finally keep up with my professor''s attack. "Good you are reading me well but..." He crouches low, and his wooden sword dives in below before swiftly rising, angling it upwards aiming for my chin. It was a strike I didn''t notice, however as I put on my guard the supposedly sh turned into a stab. Professor Adolfo changed the movement of his sword and aimed it at my abdomen. With his sudden change of attack, I didn''t perceive it well so it wentpletely to my stomach. "Impressive" the professormented seeing how I manipted my ki to protect myself. "At this rate, I might actually teach you a sword technique" "Whatever you say" I move a bit to put some distance which he immediately crosses, his movements move so fast as if he is teleporting. [However, he doesn''t teleport] "Yes," All I could do was agree with him as arrows began to flood my eyes. "Hmmm?" My sudden improvement made my professor increase his speed causing me to step back. Although I seem to be losing I was able to deflect all his attacks. I moved my weapon initiating an attack when I felt my body sluggish. "That''s off" [It''s the sword technique of professor Adolfo Creator. Each strike takes out energy from his opponent] "I see no wonder I feel heavy" "I am really impressed, student Apollo did you know how many strikes it took to make you tired like that?" I frown because I never really counted each attack I received, so all I can do is shake my head. "It is ten thousand....little boy it took me ten thousand strikes to make kneel like that" Chapter 71 A Sword Technique It''s my POV again get used to it With my body being pressured my movements began to falter. Each trike can extract some of my energy so the thing I should do is avoid direct contact. However, it was hard, even with my fast analytical skills it wasn''t enough to keep up with my professor''s insane speed. "What''s this are you tired already?" Professor Adolfo sarcastically said. I breathe trying to calm my raging heart however my opponent wouldn''t let me do so. With the evening breeze touching our bodies, our wooded weapons danced across the air. Then as I moved back to create some distance I saw the professor preparing to strike. His wooden sword aimed at my chest so I tried to dodge it by sidestepping but as soon as I did the sword moved and changed its direction, darting fast towards me. Unprepared I hastily bend down to dodge causing my lower body to ache. I move again changing my stance since I can''t afford toe in contact with him. I need to strike, a clean shot that could stop my opponent''s movements. However how? I attentively looked at my professor''s swordy and I was confident enough to analyze it but somehow even with current stats, it was still hard. "Can you see it now?" he started to ask me. But I couldn''t figure out what he was saying, so all I could do was shake my head. "You are strong, your speed, strength and brains are above those of your peers, however..." Suddenly I felt a sudden chill and unknowingly I moved back. "HUM!" Apressed air pressure is generated from a simple wave of a wooden sword. I looked back and saw the leaves of all the nearby trees at my back gone. I gasped feeling the intense amount of intent put on a simple wave of weapon. "No matter how high your speed, strength and mana if you can''t use proper skills to utilize it, all of those will only be useless. No matter how much water ake has, if you are scooping the water using your hands it will still leak out" Then he showed me a bit of his strength. To my surprise, his mana and ki didn''t even drop while he fought me. My stats were almost the same as his but strangely I got tired easily, while his energy didn''t change much. I know it might be attributed to his technique since it extracts some of my ki and mana but still with our close stats the fight shouldn''t be this one-sided. "A proper control and precision can harness great results without consuming too much energy" he confidently told me then he made another sh. This time it was different, it has the same strength as thest one, however, I could see from his stats that it consumes quite a lot of ki. "I know you can feel the difference between the two attacks. I just show it to you to set an example of what I was saying before" "Not because you are better in almost all aspects doesn''t mean you can win a fight. There is a limitation of what brute strength and power can do against someone skilled and experienced" "The saying absolute strength is invicible and no trickery will work doesn''t always happen, it depends whose and what kind of tricks are you facing" "Sometimes even the most mighty gods can fall for a trap" I stood where I was, looking at my stats and my professor''s, it was almost the same yet a small sparring didn''t even give me any room to fight back. Attributes don''t always decide a fight, I learned that now. It was different when I fought with spells. I only need a clear calction and a set of appropriate spells and I could win a fight. However what if I can''t use spells anymore, a fight against someone capable of using an anti-magic circle will be my end. Abination of fighters and an anti-magic will be troublesome to confront. I need something to counter that. "I hope you learn something tonight" I unconsciously nodded still in awe of how a fight can change based on someone''s mastery of skills. My reaction seems to elevate his mood making him smile. I have never seen this guy smile like this, the smile I typically see was the annoying face he had whenever he saw us suffer. Maybe because of that, I fell chilly looking at him. "You should head inside since ss will start early" I could only nod before picking up the wooded sword I dropped. "Good night professor" "Good night as well student" I stride inside walking straight to my room. "Apollo?" I looked back and saw my ssmates all cuddling up together. The boys are at the front holding a shlight while the girls are at the back. "What are you guys doing?" I asked feeling their set-up goofy. "The girls wanted to go to the bathroom but they are too afraid to go by themselves" I chuckle finally realizing why they are like this. "I''ll join you guyster I''ll just take a quick bath" "Next time you train let us join" the boys told me before heading to the bathroom. I could only shake my head and went to my room. "Now time for a quick bath" The water runs through my body taking my fatigue away. As I try to feel the refreshing touch that''s cleansing my body, that''s when I notice something. "Hmm?..is this my body?" I remember looking like a shrimp before but now I look pretty good. There is a fine line of muscle in my arms and legs suitable for my age, while my abdomen seems to be growing with muscles as well. After the bath, I fixed myself then went straight to where my friends were. As I moved closer to the tea room I could hear their loud chattering. "It''s alreadyte why are you guys still awake?" "Hey Apolloe join us we are thinking about how to celebrate birthdays" I frown that most of their birthdays are from the eighth month to the first. Did I forget someone''s birthday without knowing? "It is none of us Apollo" They said knowing how confused my expression was. "It''s Miss Martha, Apollo her birthday will happen next month," Mckenzie told me while holding a banner saying happy birthday although there were a few missing letters. "We were thinking of having a surprise party since she is such a good person to us" Arabe said while finishing the handkerchief she was making. "What should I do then?" "We have thought of dividing the work, Mckenzie, ir, Casper and Aaron for the decoration. Keith, Vesta, Alya and Jillian for the drinks and snacks while me, Arabe, Matilda and Samael are for the meals. Then Niko and Agness are thinking of ying instruments for entertainment. "So I am the only one who doesn''t have a designated work yet" "It''s fine you might want to join brother Jerome and Gin since they are the ones gathering the supplies for us" "So they are in this too?" "Yes even sisters Jenny and Nadia are on it as well" "So Apollo which ce do you want to be assigned?" Alicia asked making me think of something. "I think I already have an idea" I grin as I think about the thing I want to do. I soon joined them in trying to make a handmade gift for the woman who took care of us. ... "So what do you think Gil?" Helios asked while looking at his friend. The Duke of Arcanebane thoroughly looks at the files arranged by Apollo and his expression isn''t good. "We need to eliminate Nero" "Can we?" the Duke Lionheart was a bit confused however his thoughts were simr to his friend''s. An enemy must be eliminated before it causes any more damage, but there is a problem. A member of an imperial family can''t be touched unless his majesty gives his order. Even though the four families can make decisions before reporting it to the emperor, this time it''s different since it involves the members of the imperial family. They need to report it first but Helios doesn''t want to. "Your son is involved here that is why you are hesitating" "If his majesty finds out how capable that boy is, he might give more missions to him" "Are you worried?" "No, I am not worried since I know he is capable of protecting himself, but it is not the life I want him to have. I want him to have a life where he doesn''t need to run like something is chasing him. One that is peaceful and no more pain haunting him" "Helios" Gilgamesh looks at his friend before continuing his words. "What we want doesn''t always happen, you know better than anyone else that the pain the boy has already haunts him. You should know since you are part of that pain, you are one of the people who contributed to it. The reason why he runs like that was because you let the past chase after your son" Helios clenched his fist knowing full well what he meant. "I will pay for that sin" His face became determined as if it was thest thing he could do. "So for now let me protect that boy" Chapter 72 Ill train My pov again I decided to stop upgrading my skills and stats. Instead, I like to train my proficiency in them. I believe what that professor told me was right. And in my current situation, it is the best I could do. Soon my opponent will be more experienced and have higher stats than me. I might have won against my previous opponent due to being superior in overall stats. However, if I encounter someone with a higher or the same stats as me, the battle might end up the same as the one I have with professor Adolfo. "We should work hard" [Yes We will Creator] I am back in the backyard again training before the sun sets. I stretched my body and I could feel the bruises I received from my favorite professor''s hell deluxe training. [Swimming with weights pulling you weren''t really that bad] It wasn''t that bad? I had sealers that sealed all my stats I can''t even use ki or mana because it was sealed as well. [Aren''t you at least happy you survived? Typical humans would have died from something like that] "Should I really be d because of that?" [Not all people can survive with their abilities and skills taken away. The Creator was impressive since he was able to utilize the little things he had at that time] "Are you telling me that I am impressive for floating away instead of naturally swimming " [Yes, since floating while wearing weights, depends on the buoyancy of the weights and the swimmer''s bodyposition. The added weight may affect buoyancy, making it more challenging to stay afloatpared to swimming without weights. However, with the Creator''s proper breathing techniques and body positioning, you were able to maintain buoyancy while floating with weights on] "Thanks I suddenly felt happy that someone wasplimenting my actions" [I will always appreciate whatever you do Creator] "Thanks" I suddenly felt happy, I never anticipated that an artificial intelligence made from me could be this sentimental. Wait since he is based on me does this mean I am talking to myself? I shake my head putting those thoughts away. My swordy and martial arts should be properly trained. "Alright Jeremiah run the shadow opponent now" I said finally forming my stance. [Initiating Shadow opponent... Prepare for contact...] In my eyes, a ck entity forms in the shape of a man holding a sword. However this shadow is only visible to me, others can only see me moving as if I was really fighting someone. "Okay stay calm" I lunged forward using my speed to my advantage but to my surprise, an equivalent speed intercepted my attack. I put more precision into my attacks. Maximize my strikes without consuming much energy. However... "Argh!" I was pushed back, and my hand went numb barely holding the wooden sword. Even though it was a mere shadow it was capable of executing the exact same attacks and power as the original. If you guys are wondering to whom the shadow came from it''s none other than my lunatic professor, professor Adolfo. During our little sparring session, I was able to use the data I had gathered from my calctions during the fight. From the first sh of weapons to the ending strike all were well recorded. That is why I am using my professor''s shadow as my sparring buddy. [It''s unfortunate that the data is insufficient to fully copy his sword technique] "He only showed me a fraction of the technique that is why we couldn''t fully implement the copy" I said while I sat down. The shadow disappeared since I cancelled it since I found my problem. "I need to change my approach, it is not working" [I have scanned your professor''s body while he was sparring with you, should I implement the flow of his energy inside your body?] "Wait you scan him?" [You program me in order to assist you in your every fight, that is why I only did my job] "Impressive, okay let us try" I stood up and let Jeremiah do the thing he needed to do. A warm sensation circted through my veins and without me knowing, I started moving my body the same way as professor Adolfo did. My sword although made out of wood began to cut through the air. Apressed air pressure was made through my weapon. I gasp feeling the sensation. Every drop was controlled, and not a single energy was wasted. A concentrated type of energy that could fuel an attack, a strike capable of turning the tables of a fight. "Hoo.." I stopped, trying to remember the sensation that previously prated my body. I need to remember how it felt, the way my energy moved and how my body went with it. I want to instil all of those in my memory. "Focused" I said to myself. "DRIP!" I tried to imagine a water flowing, from the fast gushing falls to a controlled drop. I then visualize that drop as my energy, sometimes even a drop suffices and can fuel my attacks. "DRIP!" It was a drop, I told to myself. I tried to meditate not letting any sound hinder my concentration. And soon only the flow of energy fills my senses. "Okay," I said finally opening my eyes. Let''s try it again, I stood and fixed my stance. I wave my wooden sword and let my skill Master weaponist take over. I wanted to adapt the way of control that my professor used on my own skills. "It is stillcking" [But you have improved a bit] "I suppose so" I changed my weapon and used a spear instead. Master Weaponist is abination of weapon arts made by Jeremiah. It is not a sword technique or any weapon art simr to those used by experts. It was just a gathering of basic techniques from different weapon styles. The skill Master weaponist only enables me to handle multiple weapons. It doesn''t include theplicated structure of ki and mana maniption like the one used by experts. Since I was a mage I only added this skill to strengthen my body. It was just a mere exercise but now, maybe I should take this skill seriously. "Jeremiah let''s overhaul Master Weaponist and add the necessary format for it to be considered a weapon art" [Affirmative Creator] And so I began testing weapon by weapon, trying toe up with the style that suited me. [Congrattions Creator the overhaul ispleted! Proceed to skill test drive?] "Yes" I closed my eyes and remained focused. My ears are filled with the drifting air and rustling leaves. Then as the sound of their fall reaches my ears I finally move. My ki elerated going full course through my veins. From my heart to my limps it began to travel. "DRIP!" I visualize my ki being a drop of water. Then I made the strike, dust was kicked away while the wind followed the path of my de. "Change weapon" [Affirmative] My inventory is open and a spear reces my sword. From a sword that strikes like a lion, it delivers powerful, agile and precise blows, then to a spear that seems like a raging eagle. A spear that is known for its ability to strike from a distance with uracy and speed, mimicking the way an eagle dives down to catch its prey. A fast thrust through defenses with force and great momentum. I move trying to handle the weapon with mastery. A spear is designed to prate an opponent''s defenses. So each thrust I made, made the air break. "Change weapon" Again my weapon disappeared and my hand began to hold a bow. A different kind of flow of energy made its way through my body. My eyes became clearer while my fingers tensed. The ki was drawn on my fingers drawing the bowstring and the hand that holds the bow. As I pulled the arrow I quickly shifted the weight of my body as well as the ki that I used. The arrow was released, and the energy stored in the drawn bowstring propels the arrow forward. At this moment, the weight on my fingers decreases rapidly, transferring to the arrow itself as it elerates. "Bullseye," I said when I saw my arrow hit my target. [Are we going for a change of weapon again?] "No, for now, let''s rest" As soon as I release that arrow the tension in my body elerates making me more tired than usual. [This technique forces too much pressure on your body] Hearing that made me tempted to increase my stats but I immediately pulled those thoughts away. "My body should quickly adapt if I constantly trained" [We should also study or revise how your ki travels, that way the transition of how your ki moves in using a sword and spear could run smoothly. That way your body won''t receive too much stress] "Right we should do that" [For now, we could say that the test drive was sessful] "Yes I can conclude it was sessful" Chapter 73 Down to the last temple Inside a temple which none of the eleven archbishops are allowed to upy. The temple of Ghan is the meeting ce of all archbishops. However, instead of a peaceful meeting they usually have, a rough tension could be felt. "So what should we first tackle?" The archbishop of the first temple said. "May I speak about an rming issue right now?" the second Archbishop volunteered while raising his hand. "Go on we will hear you out" "I believe it is time we put our differences aside and join forces to reach the goal we all wanted to achieve. Our holy objective is to free our lord Nirvana from the treacherous seal made by the five blessed children" "Doing that means disobeying the order our lord has previously given to us, Dos" The third archbishopmended but the fourth had a different opinion. "How can we be sure that the vision was real? What if it is just a pigmentation of some wild imagination that priests have" "BAM!" Someone suddenly ms the long table they are currently on. "Those words are an insult to us!" the archbishop of the tenth temple said, not liking how the fourth archbishop doubted their words. "I just find it suspicious, out of all the priests from each temple, why is it your temple that receives the oracle" "I see where this is going, you aren''t just doubting us, you are even jealous! You didn''t like that our humble temple was chosen to be guided by our great lord!" "Nonsense! I don''t feel anything like that! I just wanted to tell you that we should be more observant!" "Cuatro, if I am not mistaken you sneakily sent your people while my demonic beast army was attacking the city!" The seven archbishop used the fourth, creating a more chaotic scene. "Enough!" a cold and emotionless voice pierces through the shouting people. "I believe we aren''t making any sense here" The first began to speak making all of those present focused on him. "It doesn''t matter which temple received the oracle, what matters is we achieve what we need to do. The holy task was already received and we servants only need to follow" His calm yet cold voice made the atmosphere smooth, removing the agitating words that made the conversation cold. "Let uspete in this race without using others. I am sure the great Nirvana will be pleased if we do that" All the remaining archbishops look at the first. They all tried to contemte his words until they came to an agreement. "Alright I suppose that was correct" "I agree let us leave all these conspiracy theories and focus on the matter at hand" "Yes I want to apologize for my words" "So? What now?" "That is simple Otso, we n who will attack next" The ninth archbishop said sounding carefree. "To make sure the attacks don''t ovep with each other, let us decide through a lottery the order on who will attack" "Agreed" "Let''s do that" The meeting ended after some stumbles and an agreement was established, although it was something Apollo didn''t anticipate. ..... Apollo''s Pov Aside from training, I didn''t neglect the files I copied from the tenth temple. "Hmm..." [It seems we still didn''t get the entire data] I sat down looking at every file I got but the thing I wanted to see wasn''t in there. "At least I got the location of the other temples, though it was only the other six remaining temples" However it wasn''t really that bad aside from the locations, the archbishop has a list of people in every temple that need to be monitored. It turns out the six temples that were listed, are actually the temples the archbishop thinks to be the strongest. So from the six, he monitored the people there to see if they made any movements that would hinder his ns. [The rift you created, made the archbishops wary of each other] "Isn''t it good? At least I got more info....look even the spells they specialize in were well listed" Suddenly something hit me. How did he acquire such information? I closed my eyes and a smirk unknowingly formed. They are nting spies on each other sides. It seems like the rift I made is more effective than I thought. While fixing the files I made my thoughts caught on something. "Hmm?..that is interesting" Sergio''s thoughts and memories finally came to me. [Sorry it took quite some time to sort out their thoughts] "It''s fine since we are still on the schedule" I looked through Sergio''s memories and thought about the unexpected oue. "So the one to attack next...is the Ninth temple" I began to think, after this, the second temple wille then the third and so on. "I felt like they are turning this into a game" [Isn''t that what you are hoping for? As long as they aren''t taking the situation seriously they won''t be able to see what is truly happening] "This makes me wonder what attack they would do" I wonder so I open the map which shows the people who have my marker. Those who bear a white dot are those marked while the red are corrupted. Because of the meeting, the marker I put to those priests spread out to the other temples. "Now look at that, we have spread them quite fast isn''t it?" [What do n to do?] "I n to send a little spy to see what will be the attack" [And what spy?] I open my palm and a little ck spider crawls out of it. "I''ll send this little guy to help us out" I wave my hand activating the blessings I copy from Aaron. Gold patterns appeared in my arms before turning into a mystical power that sent the little spider away. As soon as the spider disappeared a green dot emerged from the map, indicating its location. "Okay go now little spidey" The green dot moved and to my surprise, it was a bit too fast. "Was that spider supposed to have that kind of speed?" In the forest where the ninth temple was located, a little spider ran nimbly. Behind the creature was a giant lizard that made the tiny spider its prey, though Apollo had no idea of what was happening. "Soon enough he will arrive inside the temple" [It is good that the Ninth temple was one of the six locations listed on the file, that you have stolen inside the tenth archbishop''s office] "I guess we are pretty lucky" I''ll wait for the spider to return the information it gathered. "I am tired I''ll be resting a bit" .... It was already afternoon and their ss had long ended. His ssmates have gathered in the backyard to do some extra training. They wanted to ask Apollo to join them but they knew that something was keeping him upied. The sun began to set turning the sky colorful and serene. The violet hue color with thebination of blue and ck painted the upper part of the sky. While close to the sun, three colors dance and blend together. Red, orange and yellowbine making the farewell of the day grand. Apollo closed his eyes to rest, letting his dreams guide him to rest. Another week passed and it was thest week of the eighth month of the year. Apollo quietly sat down with the rest of his ssmates. While some students kept looking at them, some maliciously while others were those who looked, out of curiosity. The lower ss were currently eating at the cafeteria, since all they did was train and study from the start of the sses, they all decided to eat and breathe some different types of air. "Finally some fresh air" Mckenzie said while resting his head on top of the long table. "Hey Apollo we gotta eat but I am too hurt to move" Niko said while struggling to get up from his seat. "I''ll get it no worries" Apollo said while Alicia went along with him. "It hurts" ir cried as he tried to move but with his aching but he decided to remain seated. "What''s this? What''s the lower ss doing here?" a sarcastic voice made its way towards the lower ss ears making it twitch. "Hey, whatcha doing lower ss" Another guy came trying to start trouble, however... With their aching bodies and stressed mind, they don''t have the capacity to be understanding. Since people are asking for trouble why not give it to them? "Samael" Arabe spoke though her voice could barely be heard. "On it" Samael looked at the now group of people that began to surround them. "It''s bing troublesome" he added as his breath began to heat up. "Wait why do I feel like I am on fire?" "I am burning!" "No calm down you aren''t!" "But it hurts! It burns!" "Calm down you aren''t on fire" With their noise increasing Aaron used his blessing to seal the space around them. With the space locked on no sound was able to prate it. "Finally at peace" Agnes mumbles while letting her head rest on Niko''s shoulder. Chapter 74 Should I attack Apollo''s pov I was wondering, what I should do? I wondered if I should go to my first n, using doomsday on the eleven temples once I found the thing I was looking for. That way I can eliminate them all easily and without risking any lives. However, my friends are a bit worried about this n. They believe that using eleven doomsday would cause disparity over the climate and the environment. The monastery might be eliminated but the destruction I brought might be permanent. "What if I contain the st inside a fortified barrier" [You still insist on using a fission bomb despite your friends'' warning] "I don''t know any weapon that could easily break through their defensive barrier besides a fission bomb" [Your friends are right about the effects it will have, we should think of a way to deal with them. Remember the effects of the three bombs are still being mended by the imperial family. Imagine what will happen if eleven of such bombs strike the empire] "That is why I am thinking of using a barrier to contain the st. That way the damage will remain in a single area" [You are not backing down no?] "It''s the only way I could think of, you see they are immune to curses and poison, if I use magic it would work since their defensive barrier keeps them safe. And I can''t attack them directly since thousands of mages and pdins filled each temple" [But you already did a massacre before] "Do you mean the fight happened on the day of the entrance exam?" [Yes] "I was only able to do that because I took them on while they least expected it. They never knew that more mages woulde" [So you are not confident that you can solo them all] Solo? That got me thinking. "Why not" [Hmm? Did I perhaps make you think something reckless] "Nah, you just made me inspired" [You being inspired means trouble] "Jeremiah show me all the darkness spell on our arsenal" [Affirmative] "After this, I''ll increase my skills, upgrade them then my stats, after that I''ll train them up so that I can use them proficiently" [What do n to do?] "I''ll tell you once I am done, for now we should increase stat points" [I still have some stocks of essence from thest fight I''ll convert them so Creator can upgrade his attributes] "Okay for now I''ll do some research" Moments came by until I felt a presence on my door. "You guys cane in" As soon as I said those words collective hush voice could be heard. It seems like they are pushing each other on who will open the door. "That''s it I am opening it!" I chuckle knowing the owner of the voice. "I am entering Apollo" Mckenzie finally opens my door while the other boys remain standing at his back. "Hey buddy what are doing?" he immediately asked as soon as he saw me. "I was researching a spell that could help me minimize the damages once I attack the monastery" "Ah....you see Apollo, me and the others want to ask for a request" I frown since Mckenzie isn''t the type of person to speak this way. [His way of speaking is like water from falls, it rushes down without stopping] For him to hold back like that means it is something important. "Tell me don''t worry I will hear you out" Mckenzie sighs as if finding his situation troublesome. "Apollo the thing is we wanted toe with you once you attack the monastery" I looked into his eyes and knew he was determined, the only thing he was concerned about was my decision. "What exactly do want to do once I let go with me" I asked probing what they truly wished to do. "We want revenge!" My expression didn''t change. No, I think it''s more urate to say I didn''t have time to react, when I felt a killing intent and bloodlust oozing on my friend''s body. "Amazing" I could only think seeing how their expression and attitude could change suddenly. "We want to kill them Apollo with our own hands" Niko said with determination. "Let us join the ns you have in mind. We wanted to be included in it" This time it was Aaron who spoke. "We had enough of running, this time we want to see them run for their lives. We have enough fearing them and now we want them to fear us!" Keith''s voice sounded hurt but bloodthirsty. "Add us up Apollo, like you, we used to have someone we wanted to protect, however, the difference between us is that you still have them while wepletely lose ours" I felt something within me hurt as I heard those words from Samael. The Church of Juanfonso was ravaged to dust when the monastery priest and pdin attacked the ce. I am certain he saw how the people who raised him died painfully. Sometimes time can''t heal wounds, and no words can provide sce to those who have been hurt. Forgiveness is not an option because they choose violence. They started a fight with blood and they would end it with blood as well. "Alright, I''ll let you all in" I stood up and then stored all my research materials. "Let''s all meet inside the tea room" They all nodded agreeing to me and as soon as we walked down the stairs I saw the girls waiting for us. "So, did you agree?" Alicia asked when I stood beside her. "I did" "Really?" she sounded surprised but it can''t be help since I used to be overprotective. "I will share my idea but first let us head to the tea room" It was saturday and we didn''t have any sses so the entire weekend was ours to spend. As we sat down I took the papers with rough calctions and forms for the spell I had in mind. "This spell is!?" Alicia looks at the papers and immediately realizes what I was trying to make. "Is this possible?" she asked me finding my idea hard to aplish. "If I am able to do what I want to aplish it might be possible" "And how long will it take for you to finish this research?" "I don''t know but it won''t be for long" "You are confident" "Of course I am" So I began to exin my n some of them found it funny while the others found it dangerous. "I think this army you are thinking of is a good thing" Matildamented making me happy. "By the way where did you get the idea of mechanized soldiers?" Vesta asked me. "It is actually from the tower, the Blue Moon tower was experimenting with an artificial warrior that could solve the escting causality during demon subjugation. I just modified it a little" "Now it makes sense that the n is almostplete" "Yeah that''s right ir" "But Apollo what is this other thing?" Arabe asks taking out another pile of papers. "That is the other thing I am researching on" "It is a necromancy magic?" "Actually I am nning tobine Necromancy and ck magic" "You are developing a different type of spell based on an old one, it''s like a rendition" "Well you can put it like that Casper since it is just a little modification" "But still look at thisplicated stuff you put in" Aaron began to say whileparing the rough blueprint for the mecha soldier and the one I made for the new spell. "Apollo I presume you alreadypleted the map since you are already nning this" Alicia asked making everyone look at me. "Wait for real? How!?" "It''s only been a few days and you already found all the temples?" "You are not nning on using doomsday right?" I was rained with questions which made me baffled. The thing is my spider spy was sessful in gathering information so I sent more to locate the remaining missing temples. After a couple of days, I was able to finish the map. "Wait hold on people, first yes, I am already found all the temple, second I am still considering using doomsday" "WHAT!" they all eximed making me surprised. "It''s just a consideration" "Completely erase that please, Apollo" Agnes requested but I still thought it was the best option. "Why not I was nning on using a fortified barrier to confine the damage! It will work I am sure!" "If you use that what is the use of using with you!" I could only sigh not knowing what to argue. "Okay! I''ll scram the idea of using fission bombs, we will go with the army assault attack" I said feeling defeated. "So when will try to attack?" Alya asked while holding a tter of cookies. "My n was next month right after the Ninth temple mobilized their assault force" "Wait..." A sudden realization hit the lower-ss students. "THE NINTH TEMPLE IS GONNA ATTACK!" They all shouted making my ears hurt. "Why? Did I forget to mention that?" "YOU DID!" "Okay, sorry" And so with me not having much option I decided to craft the spell I needed for our assault n to work. "The spell Clone doppelganger" Chapter 75 The attack My Pov again The tenth day of the eighth month, Augustus, exactly two months after the start of the academy. Me and my friends set off to kill some insects. "Alright let us do some briefing!" "Here are all the locations of all the temples, and I already assigned your locations based on what you guys wanted. So the list goes like this: Twelve - only the army here Eleven Temple - ir and Mckenzie (with the prepared Army) Tenth temple - Alya, Braiden, Vesta and Aaron (with the prepared Army) Ninth temple - Arabe, Samael, Casper and Matilda (with the prepared Army) Eight Temple - Niko and Agnes (with the prepared Army) Seventh temple - only the prepared army will attack The sixth temple - already abandoned but will be investigated Fifth temple - only the prepared army will attack Fourth temple - only the prepared army will attack The third temple - only the prepared army will attack Second temple - Jillian and Keith (with the prepared Army) First temple - Alicia and Apollo (with the prepared Army) That''s all, do you guys want to change the set-up?" "No," they said in unison. "Okay, since everything is settled we should head out now" I said which everyone answered with a nod. It was saturday so no sses, with clear nice weather we began to walk. "Man, what a perfect day to kill someone" ..... "We are heading out now!" Mckenzie happily waves at the dormitory staff, telling them we are going for a night camp. "Stay safe okay" "Yes Miss Martha" We went towards the old shrine and from there I prepared the teleportation circle. So, are you all wondering how I will bring an army? Simple I''ll teleport them. "Ready?" I asked. "Ready!" they all simultaneously said making my heart skip a beat. "Commence teleportation!" Our figures disappear as we get transported towards our assigned destination. Before we get to the good part shall I exin how we could teleport there? For a couple of days, I have sent a massive amount of insect spies. Though I call it massive it is still within its natural amount, that can be found in the forest in which the temple is located. Using those insects, I was able to create a two-way teleportation circle which I learned from scroll-making. So in summary I made the monastery temples a massive magical scroll. I didn''t just put one spell, I put many. Then as soon as we arrived at our own respective location, the hunt was set to start. "Let us start" I move my hand and from the sky, an army of ck metallic knights emerge. The first temple was immediately turned upside down. "Let''s keep going" I pour my mana into a spell and my will soon manifested. "Clonis" My body suddenly began to blur until my shadow multiplied. "No matter how much I see this spell, it is still scary" Alicia said while observing me. From a single boy, it turned into an army, but I wasn''t done yet. My body is soon enveloped by a dark matter until it turns into armor. One hundred demonized me soon flew up joining the rally of mechanized knights. "Prepare to attack!" Imanded and all the knights whose bodies were d with shields moved to take out a cannon. Their shield was there because they were being attacked but since I was there, time to attack. "Fire!" A rain of white pirs turns into dazzling lights as it descends from the sky. "What are you doing attack!" "Put on a barrier!" "How did they get inside?" "I don''t know?" "Just put the damn shield already!" "Sir the shield doesn''t work!" "What!" With their protection being a collective set of magical barriers of hundreds of mages, the pdin started to make a move wanting to destroy the mechanized knights. However, I won''t let it happen. With me being multiplied into one hundred it was fun to test a fusion spell. ... Apollo is teleported inside the enemy line causing them to look at him warily. "It''s a devil!" "How did hee here!" "Attack now!" The pdin and mages began to prepare but before they could even get closer a ck-tainted mass started to spread out. "Arhh!!" "Don''t get closer it''s deadly!" My demonized form has all my demonic skills from demonification and it also retains my other human skills. The other Apollos alsonded perfectly beside the charging pdins. As soon as theynded they didn''t hesitate to attack. "Strike!" Lightning crackled as Apollo bathed himself in a sea of electricity. "Thunder aura, positive lightning" The sky darkens while the ground is bathed with light. From the sky was an army of robotic knights firing hundreds of canons every second. While on thend were a hundred demons using various skills to dominate the battle. "Formation everyone listen to me!" "Pull back and wait for mymand why are you attacking recklessly!" "I''ll run instead of getting to fight this monster!" "Hurry run to the bishops!" [Notification Alert the skill Oppressor is currently in effect! The opponent''s ability to think is limited by 50%! The opponent''s morale is down to 70%!] "Good" A single thought emerges despite having hundreds of bodies. The spell Clonis took effect resulting in a multiple Apollo. It wasn''t a typical type of cloning spell or doppelganger spell, because it was Apollo. All of the one hundred him was him, thoughts, knowledge even memories they all have it. [Iing trouble Creator the upper echelon is finally here!] Lightning spark because fifty ck demonized people were d in blue lighting. "Strike!" A massive amount of electricity coarse through thend and air causing the temperature to rise significantly. "Fusion magic, Wrath of the thunder God!" An amount of electricity that can swallow a mansion soon hurls away towards the enemy. And with a speed that is a third of the speed of light, the spell went straight at the bishops. While the air became the conductor of heat it caused a loud booming sound increasing the nervousness of his enemy. "Fifth gospel" A clear and passionate voice soon entered the boy''s ear making the other fifty Apollo cast a spell. They began to chant. "Third gospel of the holy book. Don''t do to others what you don''t want to be done to you" The world felt like crushing down when they heard such a spell. "How can that thing a cast such spell" "Could he be one of us?" However, despite their panic expression they soon calm down. "That wasmendable," another Apollo said while lifting his staff. "Now then let me use more spells" ... Inside the Eleventh Temple, a group of pdins were quietly sleeping together. However, their rest halted when a massive blood lust got them. "Ah, you noticed me immediately, I knew you werepetent" The pdins look at me vignt while drawing their swords. "Well sorry the fight isn''t really between you and me" A loud massive sound of marching erupted then the boy continued to speak. "Well you see these guys are the ones who will fight" Right behind Mckenzie was an army of mechanized soldiers while one hundred demonized knights were already behind him. Gelo''s Pov I keep on thinking where did this tragedy start? To begin with, I wasn''t meant to be included in this bloodshed. However fate was cruel, they add me to this mess without asking for my damn opinion. Three years ago on the third month of the year, I found a group of people in the woods. All with injuries that seem capable of taking their lives. I was an orphaned boy taken by the young baron of a little city located at the west of the Neron Kingdom, a ce which is under the empire. "Master look!" The young me didn''t know, I just pointed my finger towards a group of injured people. Maybe that horrible event wouldn''t have happened if I hadn''t let them in. If I turned a blind eye and pretended I didn''t see their weakened body and ran away from seeing them. Would everything change? Will my family return? The answer that kept popping into my head was. No In the end, we will get swept in the mighty struggle for power. The five seals hold a monster, that is what my master told me, so if they gather all the five it''s the end game. "Master, I saw people in the woods!" "Gelo stop running like that I keep telling you not to get close to the forest" "But master look!" Grego Delvin the young baron of Devin district looks at the little boy in front of him. The city of Mckenzie was one of the small cities his territory had. The Delvin district has two cities and three small viges under its territory, and the young man Grego manages this fief. "Come master you gotta see this!" "Gelo if we keep doing this the scheduled days for patrolling the territories might dyed" "Come on master!" As we arrived we saw five people all covered with life-threatening wounds. "This is!?" The me back then thought the reason why you looked so worried when you saw these people was because they were hurt. It turns out you saw the insignia pin on the boy''s chests making your expression panic. That day was the starting point of a long journey for me. "Hey! My name is Gelo Mckenzie a resident of this city! What''s your name? Where are you from? Why are you injured? Did you get attacked by some monster?" However, instead of answering the boy in front of me looked ragged and scared. "Please just hand me over" he cried to me desperately. Chapter 76 Why he is with them Gelo''s pov "Please just hand me over! Everyone will die if you don''t, just surrender me!" Desperation was evident in his voice while his trembling arms held my shoulders. "Please I am begging you, just leave me with them.... I am too tired of this, please! They all die because I am the reason!" His voice became ragged while his breathing became desperate. I tried to calm him down but he wouldn''t listen to me. "You mustn''t tell anyone we are here! No one not even the emperor!" He continues to say making my heart skip a bit. "Why?" I asked to which he answered. "They have many eyes and ears, they spread it everywhere!" His grip on me tightened as he continued to warn me. "Go and tell them not to tell anyone about us" His voice finally calmed down and I immediately ran outside. "Master!" I shouted running outside the room. "Master!" I entered an office and there I saw Master Grego by his side are his aid. "Master the boy woke up he told-.." "It''s okay Gelo I already know he is awake" "But he told me something!" This time his expression was more serious than before. "Don''t worry we already asked for help" "What?" My heart started to beat fast while I felt suffocated as if someone was taking a grip on my breath. "To whom did the master ask for help?" "To his majesty the emperor" I felt a sudden chill as if a de was pointed at my neck. "Gelo?" My expression wasn''t good and soon everyone noticed it. "He told me to stop master from reporting it to the emperor" "What?" The young baron ran towards the little boy and calmly asked. "Why?" "Because they wille" "What?" Grego Delvin immediately realized what the boy meant and urgently he began to give orders. "Evacuate everyone now!" His aids move as soon as they receive the order leaving the baron with Gelo. "Return to that boy and help him pack up, we need to get them out of here" I nodded and ran to return to the infirmary but as I did so a feeling of danger crept into my chest. I ran even harder and went straight to the boy. "We need to leave now!" "Yes, I figured that would be the case" I was a bit surprised that he was calmerpared to when he first woke up. "I am all dressed up now!" he said while flexing his clothes that the master picked up for him. "Good then let us call those two guys who were with you" I reach the other side of the infirmary which is being divided by a thin wall. These two had a different level of wounds which is why they were separated. "Excuse me, are you guys awake now?" I softly said while gently walking towards them. "We are awake" a voice simr to master''s echoes across the room. "I see let''s go now!" I then heard a soft chuckle, I saw the other guy move, his chest and arms were all wrapped with white bandages. "You are such a hyper kid" he said though his face still linger with pain. "Where should we go?" They asked while changing clothes. "I know a route that could take us outside the kingdom" "!?" They were surprised. "Wait hold on outside the kingdom?" "Is that even possible?" "Of course, since master told me to take you guys, it means he wants me to take you to that ce. After all other than Master the only one who knows about it is me" "Understood, we are done changing let''s go" the older guy said while the younger one brought their luggage. "I''ll be taking some supplies here where can I get them?" "It is here behind this door, then for medical supplies go to the door beside it" "Okay I''ll just restock wait for me" I nodded and approached the older one helping him to move. "Uncle? Are you and brother done changing?" "Yes ir just wait for us" A few secondster the younger one who turned out to be his brother came out of the room holding a ring. "I''m done let''s go" He immediately carried the older guy who was their uncle while I ran towards the boy who seemed to be the same age as me. "I know a short cut" I ran with them and stopped at a statue that could be found at the end of the hallway. "This is it" It was a statue of a griffin, without hesitation I pushed its two eyes at the same time, causing a loud creaking sound. The statue then moves revealing a path downward. "This way!" I pull the boy with me along with his brother and uncle. "It''s dark!" "It''s okay just run," I said while activating an artifact that the master gave me. A light emerged out of the dark path, and the ne in my hand became our guide to find the way out. "Almost there" But before we could go out a powerful blow shook the entire city. "What was that?" I said getting confused My thoughts were still in shambles when the boy beside me dragged me towards the exit. "They are here" "Already?" "Teleportation is very easy to use" His brother told me and as soon as we went outside a chaotic city weed me. "What is going on" The sky has cracks probably due to the barrier being broken while the soldiers of the city are fighting some mysterious hooded people. "They already invaded we must leave now!" They urged and I immediately dragged the boy with me to the back gate of the city. Fortunately, the passage we took, took us directly in front of the gate. However, as we run towards it five hooded men arrive. "Damn it!" I heard someone say. I felt really scared because they like someone who will definitely not spare us. What do we do? I began to panic while holding the hand that kept me from leaving. They began to walk closer while taking out their weapons. "Let''s go this way!" I immediately said. Out of all of us, I am the only one who knows the routes of the city, so I must get them out. We run while the soldiers remain at our back serving as shields from the enemy. "Go!" That''s the word I kept hearing before the sound of iron crashing through the skin echoed to my ears. "Keep running!" Yes, I run even when tears run to my eyes I keep on running. "Gelo!" "Master!" Amidst the chaotic city, I saw the young baron, wearing armor while a group of mages and swordsmen stood by his side. "Protect the boy!" Hemanded making his soldiers march forward. "I knew this is the second ce you''ll take them in case the back gate is blocked" I chuckled a bit happy that we were safe. "Let''s go I''ll escort all of you outside the city" And so we ran towards the alley where a passage was lying in secret. "Master, why are the people still here?" "The space is locked we can''t use teleportation, so you must take them there personally" I nodded tightening my grip towards the boy''s hand. "What the" "Keep running!" I saw bodies along the alleys most were fleeing citizens and defending soldiers. All of them were dead. I felt even more scared as I witnessed their state. Finally, after some turns, we arrived at a tavern where the owner immediately took us inside the cer. "Master" I spoke feeling that this moment would be thest time I''d see him. "It''s okay," he said while locking me into his embrace. "Here take this ring with you, be very careful okay?" "Yes" "Now go never turn back!" "I will!" We went inside the huge barrel which was actually a path connecting to the forest of the Delvin district. "We are almost there!" I can see the light and as soon we are out I see the grim fate of my city. From afar I could see the city being burned down while the people were escaping from all the paths they could take. "We must hurry boy" I heard the uncle''s voice causing my grief to halt down. "I''ll take you there" With my body still trembling I led them towards the path where the space locked is useless. ... Back at the present time, I looked at the bodies lying on the ground but I couldn''t feel anything. I thought killing those who killed my city would cause my heart to feel something. However, I couldn''t sense anything, only a deep void. "McKenzie?" I heard Apollo''s voice when I looked back I saw one hundred him making me shocked. "I will never get used to this" I could only say. "Mckenzie" I heard another voice making me shift my sight. "I saw him" The person in front of me was strangely simr to the boy whom I ran away with, though his features were much older. "ir which ce did you see him?" I asked and suddenly a wave of rage seeped through my body. "There, at thergest building, I saw him run there" "Ah, looks like it''s heavily guarded" "Don''t worry I can break it" Apollo confidently said before fifty of him dashed forward. "Mckenzie" "Yes?" "Let''s not make an enemy out of him" Chapter 77 The Anger Inside Back at the present time, I looked at the bodies lying on the ground but I couldn''t feel anything. I thought killing those who destroyed my city would cause my heart to feel something. However, I couldn''t sense anything, only a deep void. "McKenzie?" I heard Apollo''s voice when I looked back, I saw one hundred him making me shocked. "I will never get used to this" I could only say. "Mckenzie" I heard a voice making me shift my vision. "I saw him" The person in front of me was strangely simr to the boy whom I ran away with though his features are much older. "ir which ce did you see him?" I asked and suddenly a wave of rage seeped through my body. "There at thergest building, I saw him run there" "Ah, looks like it''s heavily guarded" "Don''t worry I can break it" Apollo confidently said before fifty of him dashed forward. "Mackenzie" "Yes?" "Let''s not make an enemy out of him" ir could only nod his head clearly understanding what his friend meant. The eleventh temple was heavily guarded with shields, and the mighty strength of pdins and the gospels of priests. However, fifty Apollos rush forward turning into human lightning. "Thunder aura" The temperature began to soar high while the ground melted. White pure light dances while a series of thunder echoes. And from the vast amount of electricity a dragon was formed. Crafted from the bolts of lightning, the dragon''s body crackles with energy. Its form creates a crazy yet fluid figure, with arcs of electricity pulsating along its wings and razor-sharp talons. As it moves the people behind the barrier be scarred. "Lightning Dragon" The colorful barrier meets the might of a dragon and to the horror of those priests, the shield begins to melt away. And that''s when the real fight began. [Notification Alert! A unison of gospel is about to be cast Proceed to cancel it?] Jeremiah''s capacity had long gone increased due to Apollo insisting on a system upgrade. And now he can do more other than spell jamming. By analyzing an iing spell you can send an equivalent amount of mana to cancel the casting process. It might sound easy but analyzing a spell you just saw is too hard to do. From memorizing data to interfering with the process of casting will need talent and strength. For Jeremiah that is all under his capabilities. "Hear mymand!" The priest began to visualize the spell while using their mana and faith to strengthen the spell. "Hoy book bless us the gospel of light! One that shall wash the evil away!" One hundred priests began to be bathed with light as the spell began to take effect. "A different type of chant" The boy just thought before ordering "Break it" The gospel that is about to be cast broke down, and the holy book shattered like dust while a hundred priests fell on the ground. Jeremiah overloaded their mana causing the spell to backfire, this immediately killed them. Some priest have weak bodies thus such a backfire caused their life. [Notification Alert! One hundred men are recorded dead! Total kill tally: 500 Remaining enemies: 2400] "They are still many" The boy thought whilemanding an army of mechanized soldiers. Lasers and cannons were immediately taken out before continuously shooting. "SHAAA!" The shield finally melted away causing the dragon to break in. "Form a guard now!" Pdins move while the priest remains at the back. Apollo remains standing thinking why the archbishop and other bishops refrain from making an appearance. "Jeremiah scan the area" [Affirmative!] "McKenzie, which one is the one you are looking for?" The boy asked despite looking more like a demon than a human boy. "He must be inside Apollo" His friend merely told him. It was okay since there was no way they could escape. The entire temple has been locked by Apollo, no one shall leave withouting through him first. [Notification Alert! A soldier has been destroyed! Current total amount: 1999] "Someone actually destroyed them I am impressed" The temple was built shaped like a sphere so all Apollo did was surround them from all directions, seizing their chance to escape. This set-up saves him a lot of time. "I bet they are regretting making such a design" The design made it easy for Apollo to secure all routes at the same time acquire fast scanning. The priests tried to cast a gospel only to be cancelled by Jeremiah while the pdins got roasted alive by the raging lightning dragon. Bodies pile up and the boy could feel a presence that is strangely familiar to him. [Notification Alert! The Archbishops and bishop areing! Bishop quantity: 5 Archbishop quantity: 1 Rank Celestial] "Now that is problematic" Then it happened so fast, that a wave of energy turned into the spell and annihted all mechanized soldiers. "What the!" "It can''t not be!" Mckenzie and ir eximed, witnessing how all the soldiers all destroyed. "That was close" By the side of the two are five Apollo, all have a barrier that surrounds them. [Apologies Creator I wasn''t able to sense that] "That is fine, I wasn''t expecting it either" Despite losing his army the boy wasn''t the least concerned instead his smile widened. Because he was still active, the gospel didn''t work on him. Originally it was a spell that would eliminate all enemies. Apollo read it on one of the stolen files he got from the temple so he knows about it. "Rewind" he merely said. Amand was given and to everyone''s horror, all the destroyed soldiers began to pull back to each other. A force began to bring every piece together until the soldiers came back, finally returning to their previous state. "That was!?" The enemies exim not expecting such a thing to happen. "Aze!" While the army of 1999 mechanized soldiers fought the outer lower echelon, despite being low in strength their numbers were immense. The one hundred Apollo on the other hand was with ir and Mckenzie taking on the upper echelons. "Argh!" "Hold them on!" The fifty Apollo took care of the one thousand high priests and high-ranking pdins while the other fifty took care of the archbishop and the remaining bishops. "What kind of monster is this!" Themand Aze made the enemies feel like they were being burned alive. This sensation soon turned to reality when they began to burst into mes. "Argh!" "Put it out!" "I can''t water doesn''t work on it!" ir and Mckenzie looked at each other, there was only a single thought on them. "Holy mes?" Golden sacred mes burst forth burning everyone it touches. "Holy book of light appear before me!" Yet another gospel was being cast. "Jeremiah" [This one is tooplicated to be analyzed I won''t be able to cancel it] The boy understood it was a gospel from a Celestial, however, howe he still couldn''t feel the pressure of facing one? "Being way too quiet is making me wary" he thought before casting another spell. Then the sh of the gospel of Nirvana and Apollo''s spell happened. His two friends were immediately d in a barrier because five Apollos fell back to protect them. A white lightning rose while a white sword appeared and those two entities shed forward. A burst of energy wiped out the entire area making Apollo realise why the archbishop was staying quiet. His power was too destructive. The entire temple was destroyed with its inhabitants included. In short, he killed his own allies. While they sh happened spirits begin to defend Apollo. It was the spirits of all mages inside the tower, their appearance made the boy surprised. It was then Apollo saw in his stats that his bloodline was activating, the blood of the summoner. The blood of the summoner is just a term used by schrs, to address the mysterious bloodline that made a certain family famous, the Lancaster family. They were the first to create a new branch of study that crafted the possibility of contracting spirits, bybining all the elements in a single magic, summoning was then realized. Lennon Lancaster was the mage who made the magic of summoning along with his wife Leticia Lancaster. And to everyone''s horror and marvel the Lancaster family was capable of forming an infinite amount of contracts. No limitations regardless of the rank of spirits and the level of a mage''s mana. As long as they get the spirit''s recognition a contract can be achieved. "What is this?" The voice spoke a hint of sarcasm can be heard from his voice. "A child of Lennon is here" "Who?" "Nothing, I am Eleven the archbishop of this temple" This time a pressure had enclosed the area making ir and Mckenzie suffocate. [Creator there are still a couple of enemies hiding underneath the temple] "A secret passage?" [Perhaps] "ir, Mckenzie they are still enemies left, do you want to run after them?" The two looked at each other before nodding. "Yeah we will" Apollo felt satisfied with their answer and with a wave of his hand, his two friends disappeared along with five of him. "There, no more distraction, shall we" He said while summoning a spear. Chapter 78 Celestial There are ny-five Apollos currently ready to pounce on a single enemy. But despite their numbers, the archbishop remained quiet until he finally broke the ice. "This is interesting, I can see it is a cloning spell but I strangely can''t see the original, wait.... no....." His eyes lingered on each enemy as if he were scanning them. "I can see that every singe one of you is the real, and no one is a mere copy or clone..... interesting" he concluded but his calmness made the situation even more intense. Apollo looks at his opponent, and an underlying sense of dread covers him. "This is the first time I''ve felt something like this" He could only say while bracing himself for a fight. Mana and ki began to radiate in his body before they emerged out of his skin. A subtle thin coating covers his armored body. His demonized form gave a contrast to his blue mana. This level of mastery may not be in the level of Aura users but it was enough, because this state signifies the growth he achieved after all the training he received and the training he did by himself. The archbishop Eleven looked at him apathetically. "A perfect synergy of ki and mana, you are a different breed of demon, because demons don''t have ki, they can only harness mana. This only means you are a half demon and half human....pfft...HAHAHAHAHA" Apollo was taken aback when his opponent suddenly made such a burst ofughter. "I am fighting a mentally challenged individual" [Better be careful we don''t know what this guy can do] "I agree-..!?" It was only a split second but this man came so close to him that he never anticipated his next action. Apollo stood face to face with his opponent still confused about his motive. "Calm down demon I am only curious about your heritage" "My heritage?" "Demons are known to be creatures of destruction and madness, they don''t have any sense of reasoning only the will to devour makes them keep moving forward. However, you are different, not only you canmunicate but your scent is a mix of a human, and you are maybe a hybrid between a human and a demon. One that shouldn''t exist in this world" "This guy thinks I am the real deal" [Essentially demons can''t reproduce with humans since they have a tainted mana and they are biologically different from humans. Devils on the other hand are different since they are humans to begin with, they just undergo metamorphosis] "I do know that" While me and Jeremiah converse Eleven spoke again. "Tell me, creature, what do you think will happen if a demon that is known for its destruction, suddenly gains sanity? What if they begin to think? What power do you think such a being may gain?" Apollo was getting confused on which direction their conversation is heading. However he still answered him in a way that might excite him. "If such a being exists he might be the strongest" This answer wasn''t something he didn''t think through, the thing is a simr problem arose in the tower once before. The possibility of high-ranking demons gaining intelligence became a source of debate. It was dangerous because the higher the rank of a demon beast, the more powerful skills it has. Imagine such a being having the capacity to think and n for every attack it would do. That possibility created chaos among the schrs of the empire and even Apollo felt that such a thing could pose a threat to everyone. Eleven smirked as he heard the answer from Apollo. It was a proud smile as if he won a fight. "What''s the point of this question?" However, instead of an answer crazyughter escapes from the deranged priest. "Many believe Celestial was the threshold of power but..." The air began to vibrate when Eleven finally summoned a fraction of his mana. "But our lord Nirvana reach beyond such a level and gain Enlightenment!" "So what is the connection with demonic beast talk earlier?" the boy just thought while letting his opponent spill out his absurd thoughts. "I''m bored" he concluded when the priest continued tough. [Why don''t you just kill him?] "I need to know first about the connection between the monastery and the demon beast. I still remember how everyone told me they could summon and even manipte those beasts based on their wishes" [But how long can you endure his chattering?] "I''ll try my best" [Can''t you just extract his memory?] "Oh right I can do that" But then Eleven stopped his craziness and turned to look at Apollo, who only stood a few meters away from him. "Nirvana was a demon beast" "!?" [That is new] "He was just a normal savage monster that once roamed the dark continent, not until he received an Enlightenment! From there his thoughts formed,his sanity was given and became an entirely new species that emerged from a line of savages!" Eleven made such a boastful remark while spreading his arms widely. "My initial curiosity is turning into bloodlust because of his crazy way of talking" [It is best to kill him before he even spouts any more nonsense] "Agreed, we will just extract his memories" Ny-five Apollos no longer waited any longer they began to attack. This action led to the archbishop''s change in behaviour. "I see you no longer wanted to hear my words, even though you may be one of his children" [So that is what he believes] "What a load of crap" Lighting crackles while the sky turns dark. "Fusion magic, Wrath of the Lightning God" A spell made by ny-five mages turns the entire forest hellish. The ground melted while the trees were blown away, as the ground broke apart a cloud of dust hid the the silhouette of the deranged priest. Then from the cloud of smoke a voice can be heard signifying that the enemy is still alive. "Third gospel of the holy book. Don''t do to others what you don''t want to be done to you" The gospel that copied Apollo''s Thunder aura spell made an appearance again. "Your spell truly is extraordinary" the archbishop said while the clouds of dustpletely disappeared. Right before Apollo''s eyes, Eleven multiplied into one hundred. [You are short of Five] "Nah my numbers are enough" Mana began to shake the earth hinting that a spell was about to be cast. "Hear me book of Nirvana" Mana domain was established putting the entire area within his control. [Notification Alert! Mana domain is fully established! The mana of the surroundings is frozen Proceed to cancel it?] If Apollo failed to destroy the mana domain it could hinder one of his skills, Light of Aegis which heavily relies on the surrounding mana. "Now one of my cards for defence is gone" "Break it, Jere-..." However Eleven''s spell overpowered Apollo''s thoughts. "I will not be afraid, for my lord shall be with me" The gospel was fully cast and from the sky a giant light came down. One hundred huge towering lights turn into one. "Behold demon, the avatar of light! This gospel is the highest tier out of all the gospels of the book, because it summons a fragment of our lord Nirvana!" [The skill Unbreakable has been activated! The effects of the gospel have been nullified!] The huge burden that had been pressuring him was finally lifted. This made him see the entity that his enemy summoned. A ginormous being with a body being protected by a pristine white exoskeleton. Its head was simr to an ant with two giant antennas attached to each side of its head. Clear transparent wings simr to a dragonfly were attached to its back while two legs and armspleted his limps. This being was too big that it upied half of the forest. [It''s huge!] "Scan it!" The boy with his demon-like appearance spread his ck wings and flew to dodge the fasting attacks of the avatar. "HAHAHAHAH!!...do you now see demon! This is just a fragment of our lord Nirvana!" "Don''t worry I can handle this fragment" A crack suddenly appeared on the avatar''s face surprising the priest. "How? One hundred celestials had cast this gospel howe it''s breaking apart!" "Ah about that, it''s because you didn''t fully copy my spell, Eleven" "What?" "I already learned my lesson from fighting Sergio so I took some protective measures so my spells won''t be copied easily" "CRACK!" The sound of breaking reaches Eleven''s ears making him look at the army of himself. The other him began to crumble scarring the remaining ones. "What is going on?" Dread coursed through his body when he felt a sudden cold aura seeping through him. "No!" Fissures began to spread making him look at the monster right in front of him. "What have you done!" "Ah, I just put a curse on the spell" Eleven made a painful expression causing Apollo to further exin the concept of his spell. "A curse willtch out on anyone who used my spell without my permission. And since you used my spell without my consent, a curse immediately activated" "No damn it!" He summoned the holy book trying to ess the gospel that could help him but then time suddenly hit slowly. The book moves in slow motion while his body begins to disappear at a frightening speed. "How!?" It was all the thoughts of the remaining Eleven because all of them were experiencing the same thing. They all look at the source of it. A demon with pitch ck armor, his wings were as back as him. Apollo feeling their gaze only spoke two words. "Time Dtion" Chapter 79 It is you [For a celestial this battle is too underwhelming] "Really?" Apollo looked at his surroundings and saw that the enormous forest that served as their arena no longer existed. The ground was scorched and broken resulting for all the trees to turn to dust. While the sky has a huge hole as if someone stabs on it. "This is underwhelming?" They only exchanged a few spells but this was already the result. "I am lucky he is stupid if he isn''t I might be dead right now" [Not really you haven''t used any of your trump cards] "Ah, those? I am nning to use it against a bigger threat" [I haven''t detected his presence yet] "Of course, you won''t he was sealed, after all, now I only wonder when will Mckenzie end his opponent" [We should let him since they caused such trauma to ir and Mckenzie] Apollo just nodded while he looked at Mckenzie who is currently covered with blood. ... Gelo''s Pov "Hurry! ..." My voice was hoarse due to my throat hurting, if I knew I would end up like this I wouldn''t have cried while we fled. However, as we strode through the forest the earth began to shake ruining our bnce. "Damn it, they are doing this again!" "Brother what should we do?" the boy with me asked. I was confused and scared at the current situation but immediately gained the strength to stand up. My master gave me his orders and I must follow thempletely. But it turns out my thoughts are too optimistic. A flock of birds scatter in the sky beckoning the disaster that is about toe. A series of heavy footsteps came after urging us to run. "Can you walk?" I asked looking at the boy''s uncle whose wounds had reopened. "No little boy....it seems like this will be my final stop" I felt like someone punched me in my chest, it was heavy and painful. Then my aching throat felt even more painful, as if something was stuck on it. "Damn it! They are doing this again! .....they also did the same thing in our vige!" "Brother calm down!" Time wasn''t on our side we could feel the horde of monsters due to the heavy vibrations on the ground. We must run as soon as possible but how? "I can no longer move, go on without me" "Uncle!" "Enough ir uncle is right!" "But brother we can''t leave uncle alone" "Yes, we won''t that is why I am staying behind as well" "What!" we both eximed. "We need someone who will hold back those demon beasts so that the two of you can have enough time to flee" "But brother..." "We don''t have enough time, here boy take this ring" I took it with my shaking hand then he proceeded to exin. "That ring contains supplies like clothing, food and medicine, take it and run away with my brother" His voice was calm contrast to the situation we are currently in. "It''s time, take my brother and go" His hands were resolute while his hands were firm making my nervous heart warm. "Go" I nodded and brought my hand to ir''s hand forcing the crying boy to run with me. "No! I won''t go!" He begged while clinging to his uncle''s clothes. "I already lose everyone! Please!" He cried even more insisting to stay behind. "Just kill me and everything will end. The seal will no longer be broken since the holder of the blessings is gone, no one will ever die!" "Enough! Listen boy you must live you hear me!" Even though his voice was harsh I could feel his concern over him. "Live, please live....my nephew, live and achieve all the dreams you told me about....do all that even....even if we aren''t there to see you...please" His plea reached even me, I don''t know them but somehow I felt the extreme pain of losing someone important to me. "Master," I thought, however, my thoughts were cut off by the intense shake of the ground. "We don''t have much time" ir''s brother kneeled before us his eyes were calm as if he had epted his fate. "Let me hug you before you go" They both hug us, and despite the nearing danger they keep their embrace warm. "It might bete but my name is ze Longfalls," he said as he finally let go. "And this uncle is named Brent Longfalls" They gave us one final smile before saying "Run and live" I couldn''t even say my name we just turned our back and made a quick escape. I looked back onest time and saw two figures standing firmly with swords in their hands. Then I shouted with all my heart "My name is Gelo Mckenzie please live too!" I keep my heart strong and proceed to run even faster. "Jeez what a noisy brat" "At this rate, our enemy might hear that cry" They both chuckle not knowing whatever things they should say. "I missed my wife" Brent couldn''t but say when the horde of beasts finally entered their view. "Maybe we can meet them after this" "I hope we could" Their grip on the de hardens while summoning thest bit of their strength. "Let us die together, uncle" "Yes same brat" The ground continues to be dominated by the sounds of moving until a different kind of sound reigns inside the forest. "Don''t let go of me and we are almost there!" I said until an old tree appeared in my view. "Yes let''s go!" We entered inside through a big hole hidden by some tangled roots. "Go inside" I told him which he immediately obeyed, inside the tree is a small pond which will take us outside of the kingdom. "What do we do?" "We will jump, let''s go!" Without much thought, we both jump into the water before being transported towards a different ce. "....." "Are they....sir!" e quick!" I could hear voices but my head was so painful they barely registered to me. Darkness took over and I soon fell into the arms of dreams. ... The sound of creaking woke my sleep and a massive headache weed me immediately. With a few shakes and a massage, I could finally think straight. "Boy, are you okay?" A familiar voice came to me which immediately brought my awareness to the surface. "Sir?" "Yes, it''s me!" I felt an embrace, it seemed he was hugging me. "Are really fine now, you look pale?" "I am...wait..!?" I suddenly remember the boy with me. "It''s fine he is still resting" "Are we inside a carriage?" "Yes we are heading towards the kingdom of Temar" "Sir, what happened to Master?" He suddenly became quiet as if thinking whether to answer me or not. "Sir the more you dy your answer the more I worry" "I am sorry Gelo, about my cousin he...." I felt sick while waiting for his answer, my hands and feet were all shaking. "He is gone, Gelo" And the answer I fear came to me. I suddenly felt guilty because I survived yet he couldn''t. I was the one who found those people if I... "Gelo" His voice was deep andmanding, and my attention directly went to him. "Yes?" "My cousin contacted me as soon as the city was attacked, so he told me to wait at that ce. That''s when I found you there with your young friend" "Sir he is.." "I know my cousin told me everything" The man in front of me is Justus yborn a knight of the empire. "Wait how did you get here" "I used the teleportation pad here in Temar, and we will do the same thing for you two. I will send you guys to the imperial pce" "!?" I was shocked and at the same time relieved because the empire hadn''t abandoned us. At first, I hated them because I thought they were the ones that caused the attack. "They have many spies" that thought made me hesitant to trust including my master''s cousin. But I also realized how stupid that idea is. "Is there something wrong?" "Nothing is wrong sir its just..." My thoughts went haywire when a horde of demon-beasts came behind us. "What! How did they get here!" I questioned then the words ir told me when we first met surfaces. {"They have many eyes and ears, they spread it everywhere!"} "Oh dear" Fear suddenly crept into my heart shaking my entire body. Sir Justus took out his sword and put me right beside him. "We must find ir!" "Yes we will boy" Then he stormed out of the carriage making my face gape. The carriage was hit by a spell sending it to pieces. "What the!?" Wended perfectly on the ground while a group of imperial soldiers stood right in front of us ready to attack. "Loris" "Yes, captain!" I was surprised when a man appeared behind us. "Wait is that!" My eyes went wild when I saw ir being held by Sir Loris like a sack of rice. "Is that the right way to hold a child?" "Don''t know I just lifted him" Then the traitors spoke. "I am sorry captain but please hand that kid to us" "Tsk that won''t happen!" My eyes look straight at the traitors instilling their faces in my mind. .... "It is you.....finally we found you" I looked at the man in front of me and knew he was the same man that led that ambush. Chapter 80 Blood "It is you.....finally we found you" I looked at the man in front of me and knew he was the same man who led that ambush. "I am really thankful for Apollo, if it weren''t for the fact he has a list of every believer on each temple, I won''t be able to find you" Inside the underground passage, I saw a group of people that strangely resembled the one who led the attack that day. "Since we are here, how about we try to reminisce that day" ir suddenly came forward, his sword already drawn. "Let me at least kill the other guys" "Sure ir just leave that guy to me" Ten pdins and five priests stood at the other side of the path. They were trapped since two Apollos blocked the path they were supposed to take while ir and Mckenzie with the remaining Apollo stood at the opposite end. It was a one-way tunnel so there was no other path to take. "Apollo, give us a bit of leverage" "Sure Mckenzie" The ground was touched by a light when a conquering spell was cast. "Debuff" With the power of the spell, a wide range area was covered in a debuffing effect while Apollo and his two friends were protected by a dome of protection. "I brought their level close to yours so feel free to fight" "Thanks, Apollo" McKenzie and ir came forward before making a fast lunge. They have fifteen enemies while it was only the two of them. Apollo won''t interfere unless they ask so the fight will be decided by ir and Mckenzie. The battle starts and Mckenzie takes the strongest pdin, the one that leads a group of traitors against his master''s cousin. "Hello Theon" the boy greeted while his de was blocked by his opponent. "Don''t get ahead of yourself brat!" "Really? I wonder? what about the scar on your face, it says a lot " The boy retorted referring to the pdin''s right cheek. "You!" Anger by his words he recklessly put more strength on his grip, then he pushed Mckenzie''s de trying to create a chance to put another attack. However, the boy used Theon''s pushing force to provide an ample distance between the two of them. "What? Is that it?" "You brat!" An enemy who loses his cool during a match will lose his capacity to hide his intention and think carefully about his next move. Sparks ignited when two des collided with each other. Splendidly Mckenzie was able to redirect the attacks while keeping his stance steady. He did this in order to conserve energy since blocking requires a significant amount of energy to execute. The boy continues his tactic trying to control the flow of the fight but soon after Theon notices this pattern and immediately changes his approach. A sword bathed with light made its appearance. It was a green dense light that coated the pdin''s body and weapon. Apollo frowned and became worried for a moment. "An aura," he thought while forcing himself to calm down. "Finally bringing in the big guns no?" He was still confident, though Apollo debuffs their stats, their use of Aura won''t be affected since this technique requires the wielder''s mastery and experience not just attributes. A violet color light escapes from Mckenzie''s body surprising even Apollo. "He is a violet?" [Yes did I perhaps forget to tell you, Creator?] "Yes you did" [Apologies next time I shall add the mana type when revealing the stats] "Good" They resume watching the fight and notice how violent Mckenzie''s mana is. "An innate destruction that doesn''t need any energy to execute" Dust rustles while an aggressive energy envelops the boy''s body. "You think a normal technique such as a Release can handle my Aura" "Nah I have a technique better than aura" The mana that coats McKenzie''s de suddenly made a noise and Theon couldn''t help but question what he was seeing. "What is that?" "By continuously moving my ki up and down I can create a force that could match up to your Aura" "Let me introduce to you, my professor''s mighty technique, the vibration de" He moved his ki and channelled its energy in his foot, then he made them explode. This tiny reaction resulted in a sudden burst of speed directly delivering Mckenzie in front of his enemy. "Isn''t that my technique?" [Creator it seems you aren''t the only one capable of copying techniques] Apollo observed more and realized that Mckenzie''s fighting style was all based on their sword technique and martial arts. His eyes then switch to ir and notices his sword is moving simrly to his. "Whoah" He was surprised for a second until he saw his friend create a bloodbath. Apollo became dumbfounded. "Kill yourself" ir ordered "What?" the priest was confused until they noticed theirrade stabbing their heart with a dagger. "What is he doing!" "Wait don''t tell me" One of the priests looked at the boy in front of him and immediately realize something. "He is the boy who has the blessings of the God of Mystics!" "Shut your mouth" irmanded and the priest was unable to speak" "Four remaining priests, I should be able to finish this fast" he thought but then his mind picked on something. He looked to the side and saw a pdin still able to move. "That''s strange I thought you all died when I told you to stop breathing but it seems like I missed one" Then while he was distracted a fireball was about to hit him, calmly he just said "Protect me" And a priest begins to run and unwillingly jumps to protect ir. "No!" The one who cast the fireball shouted when he saw hisrade jump in to protect their enemy. "No!!" While the priest begins to break down due to the mistake of killing his friend, ir moves toward the dying pdin and sees his determined eyes. "Alright I''ll give you a decent death" He moves his sword and swiftly stabs the pdin''s heart. "May you rest in peace" he added letting the man fall to the ground. "Now I wonder if those three have calmed down, I can''t really interfere with their thoughts if they are getting this crazy" The boy thought while looking at the two priests who were trying to calm their ally. "Are all of you okay?" ir asked, his voice sounding excessively concerned resulting in the two priests ring at him. "You bastard!" "I''ll skin you alive!" They both position themselves to cast a gospel but a voice halted their movements. "Don''t cast" Then he pointed his temple before continuing "Point your attacks here" And just like what he said the two priests cast their gospel and attacked their own brains killing themselves in the process. "Then I am done" "I am really impressed how those pdins and priests struggle to keep their minds intact" [Creator it seems like his proficiency over the blessing is quite better now] "Yes but it still puts too much burden on his mind" ir''s blessing came from the God of Mystics which has the power of interfering with the thoughts and actions of someone. This blessing relies heavily on mental powers which is why ir''s mind should remain calm during a fight. Since ir''s fight ended Apollo looked at Mckenzie and saw how he deflected all his opponent''s attacks. Theon will try to feign attacks but Mckenzie doesn''t follow how his opponent tried to lead the fight. He would rather retreat than head-on fight an enemy with much higher experience. "Brat is that all you got!" Theon tried to provoke Mckenzie but instead of an answer, an aggressive energy hit him. "What is going on" "Sorry you see my mana doesn''t like you, so instead of talking you should focus on surviving" He waved his de and Theon''s aura-coated sword intercepted it. "Argh!" With Mckenzie''s attack, Theon felt his arms go numb from the force. "How is this possible" he questioned while controlling more ki to his arms, he aimed to push his opponent''s sword but unfortunately it wouldn''t move. "Damn debuff!" he cursed if it weren''t for that then he could pull off a better technique. However, he has to endure it to survive. "I can''t believe it, so the main reason Professor Adolfo taught us that technique was to prepare us in case we were to fight someone who can use Aura" [He must have predicted that one day you and your ssmates will meet an opponent like him, an aura user] "Yes he knows the path we are taking is dangerous, that must be the reason for all those training" [Must be] Jeremiah and Apollo talked amongst themselves until Mckenziended a solid hit to Theon. "Argh!" Blood spurted from his shoulder because Mckenzie just cut it. "That is for sir Justus!" His voice draws more unpleasant feelings before pinning down his opponent. "Because of you, he won''t be able to hold a sword again! Chapter 81 : 81: Ill kill you! Continuing Gelo''s POV with a bit of Apollo''s My eyes red with anger, images of a broken smile and bloodied face almost clouded my judgment, until his voice returned to me. "Listen Gelo one of the things you shouldn''t lose during a fight is yourposure, always remain calm so that you can always assess the situation" "Yes!" I eagerly answered while holding a wooden sword. I opened my eyes again and red at my opponent. Aura is very flexible and can be used in close and long-range fights, though it all depends on what the wielder can do. Fortunately, his opponent can only make regr use of aura. Shielding, is the use of aura as a shield and coating that could boost offence and defensive manoeuvre. It is also one of the basic uses of aura. "It''s still good, I just need to finish this fight fast!" He elerated his attacks which Theon blocked efficiently. Feigns couldn''t be executed because Mckenzie wouldn''t let it happen. "What the!?" A continuous barrage of strikes left Theon no choice but to defend. "This wasn''t supposed to happen!" He had thought that using his Aura would turn the table to his side, but far from his expectations Mckenzie switched sides from defensive form to offensive. Apollo watched carefully realizing what his friend was doing. "That reckless idiot" [He was able to perform the technique professor Adolfo was trying to teach your ss] "Yeah he seriously did" Apollo observed keenly and saw how the movement of his ki rapidly supplies every part of his movement. It was the martial arts exercise made by the professor for them. "A rapid supply of energy without the risk of exhaustion, it was supposed to be a boxing technique but he implemented it to his sword style" Due to the fast motion of Mckenzie''s de, a crisp sound could be heard due to the air pressure his sword produced. Steadly Theon notices how he is being pushed back. This made him even more angry resulting in him aggressively blocking each of the strikes. "It seems like he will exhaust himself before Mckenzie" [Won''t your friend get tired first since he is moving like that?] "Not really, there is a trick in this technique that the professor put great emphasis on. Remember how I would use a tiny bit of my ki and make them burst to have a sudden explosion speed? This technique is simr to it. Using a small amount of ki, a rapid cirction will happen. This cirction would cause an increase in speed and agility" [So where''s the part simr to your footstep technique?] Apollo merely chuckled before continuing. "Because Mckenzie would make such a move whenever his speed wasn''t enough to surprise Theon. He would use it on his foot like what I do, but sometimes he would do it on his wrist or even in his arms" [That is indeed reckless] "Yes because one mistake on your control and your body may receive irreversible consequences" [I would agree since exploding any kind of energy inside your body is dangerous] His words earn anotherugh from Apollo. "Well the words explode and burst are just words I figuratively said, they don''t really explode like bombs but the reaction was quite simr" [I understand, Creator] In answer to those words Apollo merely nodded. The fight continues with the two engaging in closebat. Mckenzie still didn''t let Theon have a chance to breathe and rapidly rain him with strikes. An unconventional strike from below was about to hit Theon and the pdin who was already used to the speed and pattern of Mckenzie confidently raised his sword to counterattack. However, the de that was supposed to hit his face changed direction and went on his midsection, so he put up a guard on it but yet again the strike changed direction. In Theon''s perspective, his opponent smoothly transitions the motion mid-strike, redirecting the trajectory towards his midsection. Then he attempts to block the strike with his sword or Aura, but then his opponent utilizes the momentum to pivot and redirect the strike further, aiming towards his back. This takes him off guard. [Wait that style] Jeremiahmented seeing the same pattern of attack as Apollo. McKenzie used his previous momentum and made a sudden twist redirecting his attack to the back. [Is it just me or is he really copying your moves] "Maybe" He nonchntly said while finally witnessing the end of the battle. "Now I wonder when will Mckenzie end his opponent" [We should let him since they caused such trauma to ir and Mckenzie] Apollo just nodded while he looked at Mckenzie who is currently covered with blood. Theon''s back was cleaved open blood sprang up painting the ground red. A red spring showers me, while a scream of agony reverberates on the tight walls of the tunnel, causing an echo to happen. My mind would fly back to when Theon''s traitorous group attacked us It started shing on me as if going back to that time, it made me remember what happened that day. "I am sorry captain but please hand that kid to us" "Tsk that won''t happen!" Only Sir Loris we''re on our side while the rest of the soldiers were either dead or aiming to kill us. "Captain we won''t touch your cousin''s favourite student but please hand that child to us" the traitor added. I am angry that I couldn''t exin the things that going on inside my head. Though my eyes look straight at the traitors instilling their faces in my mind. "This is pointless I will never disobey the emperor" "That''s too bad captain and here I thought I would spare you and your boy for old times'' sake" His words triggered something in Sir Loris'' and his body disappeared in just a blink of an eye. I just felt a gentle wind that touched me, then I saw ir drop to the ground causing him to wake up. "Um...you okay?" I couldn''t help but ask seeing his confused face. "Where are we?" he asked but before I could even answer a massive wave of energy hit us. Our eyes went wide and look at its source. "Whoah!" We both said in unison when Sir Loris single-handedly fought against ten people. His strikes were solid and broke the defence of the enemies. "I better help him" Sir Justus puts me down and hurriedly joins the fight. "Won''t we get attacked?" ir asked again while quietly sitting right beside me. "Nope not really" "!?" "!?" Suddenly a voice spoke behind us, hurriedly we looked back. "Hey Gelo" A man wearing the same uniform as the imperial soldiers smiles at us. "Sir Nate?" I realized seeing the familiar beard and cowboy hat. "Yes, I''ll make sure you two are safe so-.." His words were interrupted when he disappeared and reappeared in front of us. It happened so fast that all we could hear was the sound of something falling. Curious by the sound me and ir froze when we realized the sound we heard was the sound of a falling body. "It seems I need to keep a close eye on you two" He looked at us straight up, before switching his gaze to the remaining eight enemies which were currently being entangled with sir Loris and Justus. They should be able to win I thought but then I saw sir Natee forward and move his hand in a blurring motion. My eyes weren''t able to keep up but I knew that hundreds of arrow pieces were currently falling on the ground. Someone from afar is aiming at us. The winds rustled and more arrows were sent making it hard for sir Nate to fend it off. "Damn it" I could hear him say that making me more nervous. "Should we move?" I suggested this since we are bing a live target. "Good suggestion let''s move" A blue Aura condensed into a shield blocking all iing arrows. "Let''s go!" He lifted us both before making a speedy run. "Hey after him!" That bastard Theon ordered noticing our quick escape. Three traitorous soldiers came after us causing our loyal knight to increase his speed. My eyes felt watery due to the wind while my mouth felt weird due to our speed. "Hang on tight kids we are close to Temar kingdom" I just nodded but a sound made my spine shiver. It was the sound of arrows, the wind would make a familiar sound whenever those arrows arrived. Hearing it again made me look at Sir Nate worriedly. "Don''t give me that look I know" He moves swiftly, dodging every arrow that aims to strike his knee. But then the intensity increases making it hard for him to protect himself and us. "Those arrows have Aura infused on them, I can''t let it touch me" He thought to himself while his body was boosted by Aura. "Stop right there!" "Come back here!" "It''s time to surrender" From afar we heard voices from our pursuers making it even harder for us to escape. However, the ground began to shake and three streaks of light emerged from the sky striking the enemies. "Hey, you guys okay?" Sir Justus appeared with Sir Loris making me and ir excited. "What happened to the traitors?" "They run off" But then more arrows came luckily they block it all. I thought everything was running smoothly but then. "Argh!" An arrow hit Sir Justus and Sir Loris. Chapter 82 : 82: Ill cut you Gelo''s Pov An arrow hit Sir Justus and Sir Loris. It was an arrow that hurled at a blind spot and shot on Sir Justus'' and Loris''s shoulder. "No!" I shouted seeing all the blood flow from their shoulders. "Keep running Nate!" "Yes, captain!" What? But they are injured we need to do something! My thoughts were getting wild while my body tried to break away but Sir Nate''s grip wasn''t something a ten-year-old like me can break. So all I could do was watch while he repelled the arrows but then a de sneakily shed. My heart beat fast while my body felt cold as if a bucket of cold water was sshing on me. "Sir!" A nging sound came after and to my relief despite his wounded shoulder he was able to block it. "And here I thought you run away, Theon" "I am sorry captain but I adhered to one of your teachings that a soldier must always aplish his mission no matter the circumstances" Augh of mockery escaped from the captain''s lip making Theon frown. "You are a disgrace, Theon" Aura burst forth transforming into a green protective barrier. Shielding is one of the regr uses of Aura, as for the advanced type we have. "Armament!" The sword in Justus'' hand turns into pure green energy while the remaining green aura molds into armor. "Let''s start" He waves his sword and the iing arrows turn to pieces. "CLANG!" Theon tried to attack as soon as he saw Justus destroy the arrows however his sword was blocked by an invisible force. "Aura armament, invisible shield" Theon looked pale when the numbness spread across his body. What he felt was like punching an unbreakable wall. He put so much power into that strike but when he attacked and the invisible wall emerged, the force of impact caused pressure on his skin and tissues beneath it. The force isn''t strong enough to break the wall, the energy then transfers into his body, stimting pain and numbness. "Argh!" He jolted back causing an opening on his guard, this split-second opening was well taken by Sir Justus. His de crashes into Theon''s Aura causing thetter''s to break down. He was about to finish the fight, when a whistling sound came to Justus'' ears beckoning the arrival of more arrows. I didn''t know how but invisible walls would block all the arrows causing my raging heart to calm down. "You know we are still in danger so stop spectating like that" Sir Nate expresses his disbelief seeing me and ir watching the fight as if we are at a theater. "This is not some game kids" he added before making a quick dodge to the right. "We still have our arrow guy" "It only means we have more than one Archer" "That''s problematic" Sir Loris and Sir Nate continue to talk while dodging arrows. Things were heading for the better until the arrows became different. "Not good" "What is going on?" I ask feeling nervous. However, the air began to move differently. ir and I looked at each other and saw an arrow made out of wind. "What the hell is that" I couldn''t help but eximed. "It''s thebination of magic and weapon arts" Sir Loris said while moving to the back. "Go ahead, Nate" "Yeah!" I stared at his back nkly, but then a body came flying out of nowhere. "Who was that!" From the pit of the rubble, a man stood up strangely his stature was familiar. "Sir Justus?" I asked, quite confused about the scenario. He was supposedly fighting against Theon so why was he here? The answer to my question soon arrives, from the back, a horde of demon beasts manages to catch up to us. Their weight shook the earth while their numbers created a cloud of dust that would obstruct one''s view. A horde of beasts and a giant wind arrow are about to reach us and the kingdom of Temar is still out of our reach. "Keep running!" The captain ordered before charging his body with more Aura. I watch attentively wanting to see them survive this dangerous situation. They will get through this, I prayed until my eyes saw the arrow twist its destination. Its flying went straight to us, and my body jerked causing Sir Nate to make a throwing stance. Does this jerk n to throw us? I hope not. As the arrow gathers more wind to elerate the more speed it gains. "Get down!" Sir Loris arrived and the first thing he did was summon his Aura and use it to destroy the arrow. "This...thing is a bit too strong for me" He realized when his foot made a long deep mark on the ground. Since he can''tpletely block the arrow he decided to redirect the attack. He adjusted his body to try to use the force of the arrow but as he did so the extreme gust of wind caused his body to grinded. The air rustles more violently making it even bigger and harder to redirect. Loris immediately adjusted his Aura and manipted the arrow to fly towards the mountains. "Oh no!" ir gasped when he saw Sir Loris''s face, curious why I looked up and there I saw his face. His left eye seems to have taken more damage while the other is safe. "No" ir couldn''t help but say seeing the soldier''s face. "It''s okay I am fine" Sir Loris justughed. "Don''t worry I am really fine" Despite his previous injury he still smiles. His right arm was shot a while ago now his left eye was also ruined. "Let''s go keep running!" His voice was still the same but I know how much pain he was feeling. Every step he took would send shivers and pain across his body. I thought at that time everything was settled until I saw Sir Justus being maw alive by a demonic beast. Sir Loris took a gun and started shooting from afar. Even when he had one functional eye he was able to keep those monsters at bay. "You okay captain" "Yeah" Then the ground shook again I suddenly felt fear that another horde of beast woulde. But contrary to my thoughts nothing like that happened. It turns out the reason why Sir Justus was keeping his distance from us was because he was trying to use an Aura bomb. "Wow" My mouth was wide open as I saw how the explosion engulfed the entire horde of beasts. Then from the sky, something suddenly dropped near us. "Heyya kids" Sir Justus was safe and not even a scratch injured him, well beside the arrow. "I think we are far enough from the range of the arrow guy" The captain said while retracting his Aura. "Were you scared?" he asked me, all I could do at that time was nod my head. No more arrows arrived so we thought we were safe until ir shouted "Watch out!" All of us looked back but it was toote. Theon was there about to hit Sir Nate with his sword. Reacting fast to this attack was not other than the captain he moved to intercept the attack but as he did so he noticed something. "You drugged yourself? Your lifespan will shorten" "It is a small price to pay to reach your level" Then Aura was activated on the de of Theon causing Sir Justus''s sword to break. It happened too fast we don''t have time to react. An arm fell then blood and screams echo through the forest. Sir Loris went and assisted Sir Justus while Theon grabbed the opportunity to snatch ir. "Not a fucking chance" Sir Nate positioned ir farther from his reach while drawing me closer. I''m pretty sure he wouldn''t expect the next scene. An enchanted dagger danced across his face forming a line of blood. "Argh!" It was his turn to scream while holding his bleeding face. "And that is our signal to run, Loris!" "Yeah on it!" Sir Loris lifted Sir Justus and to my relief, the bleeding stopped it seemed like they used something to heal it. "You won''t get away!" Theon shouted trying to chase us. "Sorry little guy you won''t win this time" As soon as we enter the border of the kingdom of Temar a teleportation circle wee us. "Bye bye" Sir Loris mockingly said as his body disappeared and reappeared at the Imperial pce. I breathe and look at Theon again, this time his back is bleeding heavily instead of his face. "An arm and eye" I said while aiming with my sword. "Leave the eye to me" ir requested which I answered with a nod. "Go ahead" He came forward surveying his opponent''s body. "Take your left eye" "Argh!" he began to resist but because of his current state he soon sumbed to ir''s blessing. His hand shook but still, he raised it and did what he wasmanded. An ear-piercing cry made my ear hurt, then it became quiet and only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard. "Now then since you are done" I walked forward and saw fear in his eyes, those eyes were the same as mine when everything was taken from me. My city, my teacher and almost the new family I made. "Let me cut you Theon" Chapter 83 Free "Let me cut you Theon" I walked slowly and every step I took made my victim crawl to escape from me. Though I don''t have any ns to let him leave. A trail of blood was made, his back wounded to the point of seeing his bones while his eye was taken out by his own hands. He dragged his dying body away from me, which got me thinking if he was unwilling to die or if he was just unwilling to die by my hands. "This is futile" I raised my sword which was still coated with my ki. One swing from it and my ki was released. A violet color sh made its way towards my target. It causes marks on the ground as it hits my traitorous target. "Argh!" He made a controlled scream, I think he was trying to look strong until the very end. "If you have such a mentality then you shouldn''t have let ir control you" I raised my de again and made another sh. Another scream came out of his mouth but I was still not done yet. You took something important to me, other than my loved ones there is something within me that is lost. The day it all began, the monastery attacked the city, and I lost my teacher and also my childhood, my innocence when ites to life, it all died along with them. I can no longer see things the same way as I do. The world is not as bright as I remember. My ways of thinking have changed along with my decision. My experience opened my eyes but also blinded me beyond recovery, so I decided. Someone has to pay for it, after all, all fruits have trees, unfortunately mines need to be cut. It''s a tree that aside from being ugly also contains poison. It won''t do anything good so it has to be destroyed before more life is lost. I moved closer to my prey and I made sure my steps would be heard by him. So he would crawl to save himself or maybe it is his pride, not his life. I will trample it all and let him bear this burden I have inside me. The first is pain then fear, afterwards anxiety.... My steps halted when the crawling worm finally stopped and rolled his body over to look at me. Finally, I saw thest thing I wanted, eptance. Someone has to take responsibility for what I have be. Sir Theon please be that person, I could no longer be the same old me but removing you meant cutting the shackles that bind me for three years. I could finally be free, so please die. An aggressive mana coated my body as well as my sword. "Die" Theon closed his eyes and his face no longer had any struggles as my sword cut through his heart. Finally, the boy can smile again though his hand and soul be tainted with blood that can''t be washed again. "Hey!" Mckenzie shouted towards a kid who was sitting in a dark room alone. "I said hey!" Only a cry could be heard along with low guilty whispers. "It''s all my fault!" His childish voice cracked while he used his fist to hit himself. "Hey, I said hey! " McKenzie looked at the boy a gentle smile escaped from his face. "Let''s go" he extended his hand urging for the boy to take it. "Where are we going?" The boy asked instead of taking the hand. "Out here, you know it''s pretty dark in this ce" "It is" "I know right so why note with me?" The boy looked hesitant so Mckenzie spoke again. "You know it wasn''t really your fault" "Really?" With his gentle words, the boy immediately looked up so Mckenzie continued. "Yes so let''s go" Finally, the boy nodded and took the hand that urged him to leave the dark ce. "By the way brother, what''s your name?" "Oh it''s Mckenzie" "It''s nice, by the way, my name is Gelo" The kid and the boy walk leaving the dark and lonely ce behind. ..... ir''s Pov. I kept ming myself for all the deaths that had been happening. If they didn''t try to protect me or if they could, killing me could stop the seal. I was living but I can no longer be called myself alive. I only breathe for the sake of the people who die for me. I only eat for the sake of not wasting the food that they work hard to prepare. It wasn''t because I wanted to but because I needed to. The guilt of surviving kills me every day but because I respect their death I keep on living. A promise is a promise, I''ll live because I was told to live. As long as I breathe, eat and sleep that should be counted as living right? "Hey!" A voice knocked my consciousness grabbing my attention as a result. "I said hey you kid" "Huh?" A man with one eye lifted me up and looked at me from head to toe. "I am bored so I will y with you" he told me which made me confused. "Oy, what is with that look?" His hand lightly shook me causing me to look at him questionably. "Don''t you wanna kill them?" "What?" "Don''t you wanna pay them back? They hurt you so they deserve to die" My thoughts are getting mixed up with this mister''s words. "Look at him" He raised me quite high making me see the boy who helped me and the man who lost his arm protecting us. "They are training" "For what?" "To protect themselves and to p those who hurt them" Then he switched his gaze to me and said "And those who hurt you" My heart felt warm while my eyes felt watery I wanna say stop but knowing someone is still there for me brings mefort and happiness. "You must grow stronger and make those who hurt you pay" His confidence is infectious making me filled with desire. So with a bit of anxiety, I spoke. "So what happens next?" "Next?" "I mean if I am able to beat them what should I do next?" "Ah..that? That''s very simple, be happy" "Happy?" "Yes, what else? Go out and y, meet some people then make them your friends. When you grow old go fool around with some girls then make them your wife and fuck away, make some babies and have a family" "A family" I repeated those words filling me with a different kind of desire. "I see I get it thank you" "That''s good you are smiling, then let me help you with the first part" He finally puts me down before continuing. "First let''s get stronger" I nodded determined to get the happiness I deserved. And so I looked down at my enemies even though it was all Apollo who made it possible, I still felt I finally achieved something. "With this, the first part is finished" I proudly imed while wiping the blood on my face. It seems some of them got on me. ... Tenth temple - Alya, Braiden, Vesta and Aaron (with the prepared Army) Aaron''s pov So I realised something while we were assigning the temples we would attack. The lower the number of the temple the further it gets. So since Apollo and Alicia assigned themselves to the first temple their location was the farthest, they were almost near the border of the northern wall. "I hope they don''t freeze to death there" "They will be fine, Apollo told us that the temple is well protected by a powerful barrier. No snow or cold weather can enter there" Braiden said trying to die down Aaron''s worry. "It''s rare for you to be this worried Aaron what''s gotten to you" "Shut up Vesta can''t you see I am nervous" "Aaron if you are worried why don''t you ask him personally" Alya teasingly said pointing towards a man who wore jet ck armor, Apollo. "I am not cold Aaron so don''t worry" He just said while walking ahead of us. I couldn''t help but release a sigh. This ssmate of ours Apollo Lionheart was no ordinary person. Not only is he a member of the noble household he is also a mage from the tower. The way he treated us was also better than we expected. He treated us like family which made us morefortable with him. It was all happy happy at first until we realized how dangerous Apollo''s duty was. We all thought it wasn''t real but it turns out it was really true. The boy who was the same age as me was assigned to protect us, and it was an order from the emperor himself. As we know more of him we all realized why the emperor gave such an order. "He is incredibly strong" The ground shook as one hundred Apollo spread their wings to attack. "What an overkill" I don''t really think he needs to go this far to destroy the temple. I think he can handle this fight alone but his overly protective side came up making him make this choice. Since we areing he decided to create an army of himself to make sure we are safe. It turns out he only trusts himself and some machines for our safety. The thing about spies made him extra careful with people and so he decided to put all the burden to his shoulder. The air vibrated while the ground began to break apart this marks the signal that the fight is about to start. "Well it''s finally our turn" I said while my arms began to be encased by a golden light. Chapter 84 Change Pov. Aaron summons the power that was given to him by his ancestor, the God of space and passage. His family gained the blessings that came from him. Although he simply adores his human descendants, that is why he gave them a fragment of his power. The authority of space and passage. Though to use such authority they must be within their capabilities and favouritism of God. Fortunately, all the five Gods favor their descendants and that is why when they saw such a ughter, they wanted to make their own move despite the rules that hindered them. It was still their children, their kin to the human they fell in love with. Seeing them dying one by one almost made the Gods berserk. They watched them from when they were born, until they became adults, and had a family and grandchildren. That is why they can''t exin the rage they felt. If it weren''t for the rules that bound them not to interfere with the world and the other Gods'' warning, they would have manifested inside the mortal realm and ravaged the monastery. However rules are rules, they must adhere to them and keep the bnce together. But they wouldn''t sit still they must do something in order to ensure their revenge. And so all the Gods gathered to address such a situation. If they wouldn''t help then they should prepare to stop the five Gods whose madness has escted throughout the years. The heavens agree to help and so a chosen one must be decided. That person will bear the will of the Gods and protect their descendants however as they look for possible candidates the Gods meet a wall. They have too many candidates that they can''te to terms with whom they will choose, and they couldn''t choose all of them either. And so the Gods got stuck inside the meeting for three years, until... A presence made its way to them. All twelve Gods look down on Bunag wondering what is going on. The world spins slowly while mana bes focused in a certain ce. They look at the source of it but strangely they can''t. This filled them with unparalleled curiosity. "He is back" They all concluded. However his return won''t change their current situation, it''s not like He wille to aid them. That being is an outsider, an outworlder, one whose origin came from another universe. They can''t rely on such a being, and so the meeting continues with the Gods fighting over the candidate they wanted. It was a mess and the ones whose disappointment is scaling high are the five Gods whose children are dying at the moment. They wanted to end the damn meeting but they couldn''te up with a proper ending. Bunag made another weird movement and for the second time, they all focused on the tiny blue. "An authority" They noticed, and it wasn''t one but five. Five authorities of five different Gods. "Those were yours" "Indeed," the five said in unison. Their thoughts moved and the world obeyed. The clouds parted and an unknown creature revealed itself. Its body is being protected by a ck exoskeleton, sharp des wings at the back and horns at its head. "Demon" The Gods concluded. "A demon who can think....no..." They could see that its soul was a human but its body was that of a demon. "Interesting" A sudden power was summoned making the Gods even more interested. This creature has the five authorities but the Gods who own those authorities doesn''t know that such a being is using their power. It was threatening but at the same time funny. How can someone steal the power of God? Based on how he handles such a power this creature must have been using the authorities for quite some time now. Yet they just discovered it now. "How amusing," they all thought. Then a sudden decision was made. "This being shall be our representative, our chosen one" Twelve streaks of light gathered and turned into gray matter, flying straight to the mortal realm. The meeting was finally concluded and the heavens lightened, as the twelve Gods left to sleep again. They will only wake up if the universe were to be in danger. ... Aaron''s Pov My arms were coated with a warm embrace of golden light while the space punctured. My will must be obeyed and the space vibrated while small fissures began to appear. This is the best I can do, the pressure from the small cracks would soon halt the movements and attacks of my enemies. "I hope I did well" I looked up and saw Apollo who is currently flying towards the army of pdins and priests. "Be careful don''t go closer to them!" "I know" His weapon ignited, and the blue markings in his spear spread turning into pure energy. Then this energy turns into smaller bits resembling a glowing luminous insect. These tiny dot-shaped lights flow freely on the frozen enemies while those who can move try to defend against the mysterious light. One hundred Apollos released the same attack creating a sea of blue lights. This caused panic among thene of the enemies because none of them could destroy the lights. [All targets have been acquired proceed to attack?] "Yes let us proceed" I saw from below how my friend snapped his finger and made his spell Firefly explode. Hundreds of explosions sounded from afar by now the space as returned to normal. My eyes felt a bit burnt due to the intense light from the burst of explosion. This brought me to remember the catastrophic entrance exam. Apollo''s spells were off the scale, too high-powered for people of his age. However, after having a trip to the tower it made me realize why he became like that. Spells like Firefly are pretty normal there, so it made sense for him to think that he could use it freely at the entrance exam. He must have thought that the students at his age were capable of such an act. Ten mechanized soldiers were standing beside me and Vesta making sure we wouldn''t get swept by the strong force of impact. "I wonder how''s Braiden and Alya doing" "Don''t worry I am sure those two are safe" Vesta''s words made me feel relieved but deep inside an emotion was deeply embedded in my heart and mind. "A little bit more and I will able to meet that person again" An image of a hooded woman came to my mind making me wince in pain. "Calm down" I ced my hand over my chest trying to calm my raging heart. "She won''t be able to reach you now," I said trying tofort myself. ..... Alya''s Pov. ording to Apollo, there should be a tunnel beneath each temple so we should look for it. However, I don''t know how he got such information since he adamantly told us all he knew. "Well except the thing he was looking for" I shook my head and decided to just focus on the task he gave to us. With high-powered soldiers with us, it should be fine. Outside of the temple me and Braiden began searching for it. "I think we finally found it" My senses told me it should be here so it should really be here. I have a good radar when ites to looking for things so Apollo gave me this task. "Are you sure this is it?" "Of course" I moved a stone from the ground and the ordinary-looking tree moved and revealed a path. Braiden looked at me, dumbfounded at the current situation. "You should have gotten used to this by now" I said feeling a bit grumpy it''s not like it''s the first time I demonstrated this skill of mine. "Sorry my fault" After saying those words Brai brought amunicator bracelet and spoke. "Apollo we found the tunnel" {Good I''ll be there in a bit} A few seconds went by and three Apollos came down. "Let''s head inside" He told us and dly we entered the dark room without hesitation. Contrary to the disturbing battle at the surface the tunnel was strangely quiet. "It seems they had put something to protect this tunnel" "Because they wanted this ce to remain hidden and protected" "I actually found its existence when I was helping ir and Mckenzie at the other temple. However, this temple was built differently making it hard for me to locate it" "So that''s why you asked me to scout the area" "Yes you have been good in using your instinct when ites to finding things, so I let you find this ce" "Since we are here I guess Alya needs to find another thing right Apollo" I kept on listening wanting to know what I needed to do next. "I want Alya to find certain people for me" "As long as they are here I think I could" "Good then we should continue walking" Chapter 85 Anguish "Hurry! We just need to leave this ce" Ten hooded figures began to speed up in a tight space, brick-walled tunnel. Their steps haunt the ground while the surface vibrates furiously. Breathing became short and their heart kept pounding up and down. Anxiety washes them over while their abilities are almost down to zero. It is all due to a massive conquering spell that Apollo castes beforehand. Because of that their desire to flee increases with each passing second. They needed to get away from the temple''s impending destruction and this tunnel was only their only way out. More hidden paths and tunnels used to be essible inside the tenth temple, however right now when they badly needed them they couldn''t use any. Someone invaded them and managed to find all the life-saving paths they made, only the one their taking was left. "Hurry!" A female priest urged. "What''s with the rush?" A deep enigmatic voice suddenly crept into their ears making them look back. "Hey" He simply said while slowly making his way towards them. "Damn it! Go I''ll hold him off" "That is very admirable I never expected to hear such words from people like you" Another voice was heard but this time it came from the other end of the tunnel. "No," the person hidden well by her dark cloak said. Their only path was blocked by the people who were hunting them, a dead end, a literal end. "I''ll call dibs on that guy" Braiden bravely came forward and pointed to one of the hooded people. "That guy killed my mother" he added while taking out a saber from his storage ring. Alya just watched while but her eyes lingered towards the person who was standing in the middle of the enemy group. "Alya?" Apollo asked seeing her expression worsening. "Can you handle this?" Worried about her situation Apollo thought that facing their past trauma must have woken some unpleasant memories. Traumatic experiences are very hard to ovee especially if the scar it made is too hard to erase. It keepsing back no matter how hard you hide it. And it keeps reminding you leaving you no choice but to endure. Sometimes physiological battles are harder to defeat than physical ones because oftentimes your enemy is yourself and not someone else. And fighting your inner demons means facing your greatest and darkest past. "It''s okay" Apollo tried tofort her though it seemed she wasn''t the only one who was rpsing. "Aaron?" Vesta could only shake her head while her friend stood where he was, tears dripping from his eyes. Apollo panicked at this moment and beganforting the two, however for a person who only thinks about killing his brother and creating destructive spells, it wasn''t really helping. He tried to sound calm and gentle but with his current appearance, it looked like he was threatening them. [This is not gonna work] Jeremiah bluntly said while scanning the two. [Their heart rate is rapidly increasing while their blood is focusing on their brain and muscles, preparing for a fast physical response. Their entire body is on high alert and seems to be preparing for an attack or to flee] [Diagnostic report: an anxiety attack, Creator] Sweat falls over his demonized face not knowing how to mend the situation. "Apollo" Braiden and Vesta called making Apollo look at them. "I''ll leave him to you" "Take care of Alya while I mess with those guys" As the two moved so did the mechanized soldiers. "This tunnel is too small for a group" Braiden began to say while confidently walking. "Shall we trim down the numbers to make some space?" his carefree voice earned some negative response from the opposing side. "I think you should switch to being aedian child you have a talent for it" Theyughed after such remarks though their weapons were already out, ready for the impending fight. "Rightedian? I suppose so since I have a fair share of entertaining people" his voice suddenly became coated with hatred and killing intent. This is something a 13-year-old kid can''t possibly have. The mockingughter stops as they feel the oozing red matter from the boy. "First things first" Braiden raised his hand and three mechanized soldiers opened their cannons. "What!?" "A magic cannon in a tight space like this!?" "!?" They move their bodies to dodge but due to the limited space even if they move the st could still harm them. "Tsk! It''s no use evading go on guard!" Five hooded figures came forward revealing the heavy shields they had. As it shines to fend off the st some of the priests from the back began preparing a spell. However, something was hindering their casting. "What is going on I can''t concentrate" "My head is ringing!" "Damn it" They are already being debuffed by an extreme conquering yet now another mysterious thing was hindering their casting. "My head!" The five priests all held their heads until one of them finally discovered the reasons for their headache. A light yellow light began dancing across the air making the atmosphere confusing. It was a type of hypnotic spell in the form of sound, the yellow light they saw came from the spell gaining a physical form due to inexperienced usage. Their current state prevented them from immediately discovering the spell though the caster left them in confusion. Holding a ck flute a little girl gracefully ys it. Each beat of sound that came from the instrument made a ringing effect for those who heard it. "That girl!" Vesta held the flute calmly and continued ying despite being discovered. "You little!" One of the priests tried to attack her by using a crossbow but the cannons began firing continuously leaving them no choice but to defend. The music continues causing the pdins to be affected as well. Their body felt sluggish causing their shields to loosen. With their unstable guard the moment another wave of cannons came to blow the pdins away. With the enemies being in such a situation Vesta and Braiden made another move. The girl''s flute turns into a sword while Braiden''s saber shes the neck of the first pdin he approaches. "CLANG!" Despite the perfect opportunity they made it wasn''t enough to easily beat an experienced pdin. They have fought countless battles and yed many lives, their body had gained an instinct to move when dangers arrived. "And here I wanted to trim down the numbers" "You are too arrogant boy" "Thanks at least that is what you call me now" "What?" Braiden loosened his engagement with his enemy''s de and retreated as he did so five shots of anti-magic bullets went flying at them. Shields was once again pulled up though the bullets punctured it. This caused them a great deal of nightmare since no one had ever destroyed a shield or any weapons made by the Monastery. "What kind of weapon is that!?" Although the bullets poke a hole on their shields it wasn''t enough to kill them. Their physical enhancement prevented them from being injured....for now. Vesta on the other hand engages in closebat with the priest though their fight seems to be in stalemate. "If only I could use all of my power!" A voice which resembles a woman irritatingly said while moving her staff to dodge. The little girl Vesta utilizes the assistance of the mechanized soldiers to disrupt any attacks made by the other priest, that way she can switch and focus on any opponent she likes. "BANG!" Another bullet was shot directly hitting the chest of one of the priests. "Argh!" The barrier that protects the priest broke off before sending him flying due to the impact. "So magical barriers can explode like that" Vesta concluded before dodging again. Although the priest wasn''t dead leaving him in such a dire spot would be fatal to him. A loud cry echoes as Braiden finally takes one life. The priest who was shot a while ago was dead as soon as his body hit the ground. Paralysed by the bullet Braiden took that chance to kill him. This was the method Braiden and Vesta used to slowly trim down thene of enemies until only two people were remaining. "It really hurts that none of you was able to able to recognize us" the boy said while retreating. Braiden and Vesta finally stop attacking and let the remaining enemies catch their breath. "What?" "How could we possibly...!?.." "It seems like you are finally recalling us" Vesta then transformed her sword into a flute. This time she is preparing for another hypnotic spell. "Now then let me take you back to that time" she said while cing her lips near the instrument. The fine marking on the instrument glows releasing a very pleasant sound. Braiden stood where he was taking the opportunity to gaze at his enemies. As the sound influences the mind of its target series of images appear inside their head. The female priest couldn''t help but kneel when the spell fully knocked her defences. "It''s no use defending when you are basically being stomped down" Braiden looked cold as he said those words. He no longer cares what happens for his innocence had been long taken. Chapter 86 Anguish part II The fine marking on the instrument glows releasing a very pleasant sound. Braiden stood where he was taking the opportunity to gaze at his enemies. As the sound influences the mind of its target series of images appear inside their head. The female priest couldn''t help but kneel when the spell fully knocked her defences. "It''s no use defending when you are basically being stomped down" Braiden looked cold as he said those words. He no longer cares what happens for his innocence had been long taken. As the sound of the flute takes over, memories begin pouring over. The woman whose appearance is hidden by a veil slowly sumbs to the hypnotic spell. "Argh!" The remaining pdin tried to fight back but a shot from Braiden''s handgun finally put the nail in. His body falls to the ground as the paralytic bullet numbs his senses. While his body was weakened their mind was slowly being devoured by Vesta''s spell. Shouts reverberated in their minds while images of wooden cages emerged. Their senses are filled with noises and images until a revolting scent suffocates them. From giant wooden cages, their vision changed to burning houses and plundered viges. The scent of blood and burning flesh drills into their nose as if the illusion were reality. What they were experiencing was too real to be a mere fragment of a spell. As time passes, the spell slowly dilutes their minds and alters their perception of reality, though that doesn''t really matter. The visions continue showcasing moving silhouettes inside the ongoing massacre. Among the scorching corpse, a group of children could be seen struggling to survive the dire situation. Their home was destroyed while the people they love all died horribly. So with great desperation, they run as far as they can, however dark shadowy hands begin pulling them, trying to devour the little life they have left. Before the children knew it their life began to revolve around the four corners of the prison. Their breakfast are curses from the guards while their lunch is beatings by the passing priests. Finally, at night they became the dinner for a hungry group of hyenas. Their eyes re with greed while their mouths salivate in desire. The fragile bodies of the pure ones soon became tainted and broken, no longer shining the same way they used to be. However, the dark days didn''tst long, on the day that new visitors came to the lonely prison, the once pure and innocent disappeared along with their entire existence. The prison was turned upside down due to their disappearance, the dark gloomy room never saw the pure ones again. ..... "We don''t have much time Alya, we have to get out of here!" A little boy urges while dragging a skinny girl with him. "But I heard the priest say that the one being prison here can be the monastery''s destruction. We should still take a look and see what is inside" "And what if we got attacked? May I remind you, we are only children we won''t win no matter what" "Don''t worry trust my instinct" The little girl despite being warned continues to walk towards a heavily locked door. "Ara" She said confidently while the person named Ara came forward. Ara was the best lock picker in the group and so the responsibility of opening the door became hers. A few clicks began to be heard as Ara continued to pick on the locks. Finally, thest lock was picked and the door opened. "Wow" The kids eximed when the door finally opened. "Is that?" "Yeah" Right in the middle of the room, a little boy with dark color hair quietly sat there. "You okay?" Alya asked while surveying the kid. The group of kids look at the boy in front of them. His body is as skinny as them though his clothes are almost nonexistent. His exposed skin has bruises and red marks that came from the abuse he experienced. "Hey?" Braiden asked feeling that the boy was no longer breathing. "Hmm?" Finally, they heard a response giving them an unexinable delight. "You okay?" They excitedly asked despite their current situation. The ck hair boy nodded his head making Alya ask. "Your name?" she then waited to get a response. "Aaron" "Yes?" "My name is Aaron" His voice was devoid of any emotion while his eyes filled with endless void. "We need to go!" Jamie one of the older kids said while his ears were ced on the ground. "I can feel them" he added. Using the vibration produced from the priests'' steps the young boy Jamie could conclude how many and how far their enemies were. "They are approaching fast" he warned again causing the kids to look towards their supposed leader. "Rowan, what now?" Alya asked the oldest kid among them, Rowan. The situation wasn''t good though the boy looked confident as he said "We proceed as nned" He then pulled Aaron by his shoulder and lifted him up. "Let''s go Alya lead the way!" "Yes!" They ran as far as they could until the shadows became less and the light was finally there. "Captain! We found something!" Wearing a ck military uniform a soldier shouted. Heavy marching steps went after that and the camp went aghast as they saw the state the children were in. "Get away from us!" Rowan lifted a blood-filled saber while Jamie used his body as a shield against the trembling kids behind him. "Easy boy we aren''t bad-.." "Shut up!" Even with his trembling hands, his grip on his weapon remains still. "I don''t believe any of you!" His voice was filled with resentment while his saber became the witness of his horrific journey. "We are from the empire-.." "To hell with you!" The imperial soldiers lookedplicated they wanted to help but looking at the situation they wouldn''t be able to. "Calm down we are here to help" A mockingughter escaped from the boy''s lips before being reced by a sneer. "How can we trust you when your home is littered with moles!" "Trusting you will be the death of us!" "Just leave us be and pretend that you never saw anything" Jamie said then he urged the kids to follow him. "Wait listen I know what you are feeling right now" "That''s bullshit!" Sol who was the second oldest retorted the soldier''s words. "Our vige was plundered and our families were killed right in front of us! So spare me yourforting words because we don''t need it!" The soldiers became dumbfounded while the vice-captain who wanted to speak became muted. With Sol''s words, the group continue their walk. However, someone blocked their path. "Captain" the imperial soldiers felt delighted to see their captain, thinking they could stop the kids from leaving. "You" The captain pointed to the boy who was leading the group, looking at him he could see his eyes filled with hatred. "Are you leading them?" "So what if I am" The captain smirks causing the boy to be cautious. "I am not here tofort any of you" He started to say before continuing. "But I am here to give you the hard truth" Rowan looks at him before deciding to stop. "Spill what you want to say" "You and your friends won''tst another day at this state, especially her" Rowan followed his finger and saw the little girl in Sol''s embrace. "Vesta," the boy thought while clenching his fist. "You can''t trust us but it is a better gamble than staying in this dangerous forest, especially since the monastery is hunting all of you" His words create a fierce staring contest with Rowan but soon the boy finally yields. "You are right" His shoulder began to rx while his hand abandoned his weapon. "How can we be assured that we will be safe" The captain felt really interested in the boy''s reaction and so he gave the trump card he had to gain his trust. "We can have an oath" .... The vision ended with Vesta stopping her flute and Braiden lifting his saber again. "Since you are all aware now" A cold voice devoid of any emotion escaped from the boy''s lips. This made the two remaining enemies afraid. "The archbishop won''t let you get away from this!" "Really" Braiden looked at Apollo and saw his rxed expression. "Well it seems everything is still good on our part" He then waved his saber while his eyes remained on the bleeding pdin. "I''ll kill you slowly as you did to my mother and I will make sure even in hell you will remember the pain I will inflict on you" Vesta just stood where she was though her eyes remained unrecognizable. There was pain, sadness and hatred mixed in an unknown void in her. Then her eyes move and went towards the boy who finally calms down. "Aaron" she slowly called. She wants to hear him and know if his heart is no longer bound the same way as before. The dark past has to be cut down now or it will keep haunting them in the future. "Come here" Chapter 87 Sometimes forgiving is not the answer "Aaron" she slowly called She wants to hear him and know if his heart is no longer bound the same way as before. The dark past has to be cut down now or it will keep haunting them in the future. "Come here" Vesta urged though Aaron hesitated. "Is this right?" Apollo question, trauma should be treated slowly and patiently not something like this. "You throwing him like that causes more damage than healing, I know you only wanted him to move on but is this the only way? Pushing a person with trauma into situations that trigger them under the guise of helping them cope, it''s not only ineffective but potentially harmful" Apollo clenched his fist before saying "I am really worried" He wants to help but curing traumas isn''t his speciality. He can''t even cure himself with his own traumas so he is uncertain what to do. "It''s now or never Aaron" Braiden added before approaching Alya. "Are you calm now?" The girl nodded though her arms still trembled. "Hold on to me" Apollo looked at them and finally realized something. "They are the same as me" For them removing the source of their pain will free them from all the wounds they receive. The boy realized that he had the same perception. That is why he wants to kill his brother. He also believes that eliminating them could mean healing the scars he receives. Their regret and anguish will fill the pain they once felt. After all a debt has to be paid. However, was that the correct answer? Will killing them really help them heal? Apollo shakes his head and looks at the current situation. It doesn''t really matter if it was right or wrong, what really matters is to get what they wanted. After all those people who hurt them didn''t think twice to inflict pain on others so why would they hesitate? It doesn''t matter if they be the same as the one who hurt them. What truly matters is that they made them realize that they made a monster through their action. A monster that wille to hunt them down. A truly fitting end for these people is to experience the things they have done. Aaron walked forward his steps were slow as if he was thinking about his next actions. "It''s okay" Apollo finally said his thoughts causing Aaron to look at him. "Do what you think will make you feelfortable" His words serve as encouragement for his friend and so the unsure boy steps forward towards the being who once filled his head with nightmares. "Hello, do you remember me?" Aaron asked as soon as he arrived. The hooded woman looked at the person who was speaking to her though her eyes were still hazy from the spell. "I don''t really hate you" "!?" "What?" "Hmm?" The three were quite surprised while Alya was a bit more calm. "Looking back at the past I truly never hated anyone of you. What I hated back then was myself. If I was strong enough to fight back then I wouldn''t be able to experience the things I did" "Rowan also felt the same way. He hated himself more than anyone else" "However I think now is the time to settle these things, I want to move on and live my life without shackles. So today I shall forgive myself and also you" Aaron then bowed and added "If it weren''t for you I wouldn''t be able to meet all the people who are with me now, even though I lose many people along the way. It''s time for me to ept they are gone now" Truth be told Apollo thought that Aaron would immediately torture or kill his perpetrator however he instead forgave them. "I''m done now," he said feeling refreshed. "That was really nice" In contrast to Aaron, Braiden''s emotionless voice sends a bone-chilling aura to those who hear it. "I am sorry but sometimes forgiving is not always the answer" He lifted his saber and started cutting the limps of the pdin. "My mom was the only thing I had..." Tears began to fall from his eyes as he continued "And you took her away from me" Aaron stood where he waspletely understanding the situation. They might have simr experiences but people have their own way of coping. This was probably Braiden''s way of healing, making his perpetrator taste his own medicine. While the pdin was being tortured the hooded woman slowly crawled away though there was no room for escape. "Don''t worry you won''t die like that" Vesta said, appearing right behind her. The woman became scared though Vesta hadn''t done anything yet. "Close your eyes" As she said those words she took her flute again and began ying. The hypnotic melody sounded again taking the nameless female priest to an eternal slumber. "In the end, we never get to hear her name" Alya said seeing her lifeless body on the ground. "You don''t really need to know their names, what truly matters is that you know what they did to you, and now they have paid for it" Apollo said though his focus was on something else. "I hope this helps you all" he added. "Thanks, Apollo" "You are wee" ........ On the surface of the tenth temple Apollo currently confronts his enemies. "Hmm...it seems like everything below has been settled...now then" His eyes moved and fell over the man in front of him. "I wonder how long will you be able to keep this up" His voice was neutral as if nothing could attract his attention. This reaction made his opponent mad, being treated like an insignificant fool made his pride crumble. However, there is nothing he can do since he can''t remove the spell that currently binds him. "You will die in 10 seconds" Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e-NovelBin Apollo said before turning his back on one thousand pdins of the tenth temple. The spell Manus maledicta bounded the army of pdins while slowly draining their lives. The more strength you put in, the faster the spells eat you. The burned charcoal hands that suddenly spawn on the tainted ground continue to bind their target. No matter the spell or technique they used everything was directly absorbed by the spell. [Notification Alert! One thousand men are recorded dead! Total kill tally: 3000 Remaining enemies: 10,000] Currently, the main forces force of the temple is divided in two. One on the outer temple, fighting one hundred mechanical soldiers and Apollo while the remaining was inside the inner temple. The outer temple nned to buy time for the inner to temple finish casting their spells. However, their opponent was capable of disrupting it while trying to destroy their barrier. "There are more people here than the one in the eleventh temple" [The eleventh lost quite a lot of people from theirst attack on the city] "When did they attack?" [The day of the entrance exam it was actually a joint attack between the sixth and eleventh however due to your intervention, the tower''s and especially the emperor''s, their numbers were trimmed down more than half, while the sixth waspletely obliterated] "I see thank you" He then summons his spear and flies up like the rest of him. "The barrier is still strong" [It''s a spell cast by the Archbishop and the rest of the remaining bishops of the temple] "Hmmm...Those priests are also trying to break the lock I put on the space. Though I don''t know if there is a spell that can cancel a God''s authority" [It''s good we upgraded them before the fight] "I am d as well" While they converse the remaining Apollos continuously rain the barrier with a spell though it doesn''t seem effective, until... A crack finally emerged though it didn''t give any satisfaction because of how tiny it was. Apollo felt the mana freeze signifying a mana domain had been established. "Should I sh mine with theirs?" [You may since the enemies'' joint release their Mana domain which created a resonance and now became one] "A resonance of Mana domain however you can just break it, I don''t even need to release mine" [I can though will that satisfy you? You have been thinking of finding an opponent who can test the limitations of your new level] "It''s okay I''ll probably do thatter, since we still have plenty of opponents to fight, I can have more choices on how to fight them" Jeremiah made a mental nod trying to show that he agreed with his Creator. But then the barrier changes making Apollo frown. "This is the sixth time the barrier changed" [Because you already broke the barrier six times as well] "Hmm, this barrier seems different" [I shall scan it] "Okay" Then Apollo ordered a mechanical soldier to stop killing the priest it was fighting and switch towards the barrier. "Attack it" he ordered and obediently the soldier obeyed. A cannon transforms from the mechanical soldier''s arms, and this cannon releases a powerful st going fast at the barrier. A loud noise reverberated and to Apollo''s surprise, it was his soldier that received the damage. "Interesting" He could only say while yfully ying with his spear. Chapter 88 I dont need this "That force" Right after the mechanical soldier attacked, the barrier returned an equivalent force to counter it. [The barrier is creating stunning,damaging, orshattering feedback, that is why the harder you hit it the harder it hits back] "Anything else you get while scanning the barrier?" [The barrier also focuses its energy at the point of attack, moves faster than the barrier''s capacity and Creator might achieve a breakthrough] "On it" Blue lightning dances across the sky as Apollo transforms into a blue lightning meteor. Twenty blue lights fell on top of a colourful dome before a series of sparks lit up the barrennd. The forest is no more and all the magical beasts with it. Apollo no longer holds back and doesn''t mind the damage he might cause. Apollo moved much faster than before and began attacking the barrier. "This is actually painful" [It''s fortunate you have the skill Light of Aegis or else you would receive the full brunt of the feedback] Lightning was fast too fast for the barrier to keep up and soon a crack was produced. "Damn that monster" The archbishop said while wiping the blood on his lips. "If it weren''t for this damn conquering spell I wouldn''t be this weak" He clench his fist not knowing what to do. He was a celestial mage though only in level 1, it was still a rank highest above the others. Yet a conquering spell will be the cause of his demise. "A spell that even I can''t break" Then he looks up and feels the presence of the being who will cause the destruction of the tenth temple. He must have nned everything for a long time, seeing how the magic was cast seconds after those mechanical soldiers arrived. The priest doesn''t know how and why he didn''t notice such a spell was embedded on the very floor they walk every day. He was a celestial mage yet he didn''t understand why a trap like that was blocked from his senses. "Greetings archbishop" his thoughts halted when the mysterious being began to speak. "A creature from the dark continent, why are here destroying this holynd" His voice is resolute despite the current situation. "I am no creature of the dark continent" Apollo replies while slowly descending. "A being whose consciousness inhabits thousands of bodies, where else should I ssify you" Apollo only stared at him while feeling a bit interested. Out of all the people inside the monastery that Apollo met, this man was the first decent one. Discover more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin "I think this guy isn''t as crazy as the ones we met before" [I wouldn''t be so sure of that if I were you] Jeremiah''s scepticism made Apollo frown causing his look to be even more menacing. His expression although hidden by his helmet can still be felt as a maddening knight. "This is my first time meeting a hive mind. A collective consciousness, a single being controlling multiple bodies. I am interested why are you attacking us" Apollo who initially wanted to kill the archbishop as soon as he located him felt that it shouldn''t be rushed. "This is really rare" he had thought. "Are you perhaps been kidnapped?" "Pardon?" "Nothing forget what I said" He finallynded on the ground and stood a few feet away from the priest. "So should we fight?" "Truth be told I don''t want to because it won''t change anything" "Oh so you are surrendering" "It is more like epting than surrendering. I know fighting is futile against someone who already nned everything" "You are overestimating me" A softughter escaped from the priest''s lips before he spoke again "I am not, I can feel a subtle amount of spells being embedded at the very floor we currently standing" "You wrote such a spell inside the temple did you perhaps mistake it as scroll parchment paper" "Nah I wouldn''t dare" The scenario was a bit different from what Apollo had pictured. He had thought a fight would break out as soon as he faced him but he is speaking casually with his enemy. "So what exactly do what to achieve by attacking us?" "Revenge" "I see so the time of our judgment has finally arrived" He fixes his stance while taking his staff. "I thought you said fighting is futile" "Yes but my people are still fighting I at least wanted to give my onest struggle to win" A smile emerged from Apollo''s lips liking every word he said. "Alright please give me a fight worth the determination you are showing me" To show his respect towards his opponent Apollo''s spear glows signifying its activation. "Give me your best shot" "Will do" The inner temple soon crumbles while two silhouettes can be seen shing against each other. "No archbishop!" "It''s best to stop" Apollo said to Elijah as he blocked his path. "Tsk!" The bishop looked tired due to his participation in building the barrier. "If it weren''t for the conquering spell I could have used an offensive spell" "Don''t get too high up even if all of you can cast a gospel, you won''t be able to win against me" "Shut up!" Elijah using his newly built arms tried to do a straight punch. "Too obvious" However when he was about to move he could sense danger from somewhere so he moved to the left. A hurling sound brushes past Apollo making him follow its source. "An arrow" But Elijah didn''t let Apollo think and he dashed to attack. In answer to this the boy tried to finish the fight immediately however his instinct yet again warned him. And so he moves again to dodge another arrow. "Annoying" Someone is disrupting his movements causing his attacks to be cancelled. "I need to finish this" He releases his mana causing the ground to be crushed. This is not a simple mana pressure Apollo recklessly let his mana flow causing the area to be swept by it. "Damn it!" Elijah could only say while being cruel to a pir. A few meters away from him are his friends. "Ziggy? Lorenz? Dn? Can you three hear me?" His voice although strained can still be heard. "They are okay" The sweep of mana finally halted when another presence arrived. Sergio arrive leading fifteen bishops circling Apollo, though the demonized boy just looks at them. "Alright this will be fun" A spell was cast while gospels were prayed, a demon against a group of priests began to sh as the night neared its end. On one of the hundreds of tunnels, Apollo walks while stepping over the bodies of the fleeing priest. Among the pile of corpses, a fully guarded pdin bravely protected a ck and gold ornament bag. "Finally I found you," he said while taking out the broken pieces of the fake Excalibur he once made. Inside the bag was also a ledger one that he was unable to copy when he once sneaked inside the temple. Then he took out hismunication bracelet and dialled themunication code of his father. "Old man I got the ledger" "{How? Did you sneak inside again?} "No, I raid the temple" {What!} "Rx I got all covered, besides I brought some mechanical soldiers with me. Back to what I was saying before I''ll be sending this to you. How about that Nero guy did you think he would send help to the monastery once he found out about its destruction" {I highly doubt that this bastard only approached the people he could use. Once they are unable to do what he asks for he abandons them without hesitation} "Then it''s all good" He then cut the call and resumed his venture on the dark passage. Another Apollo who was also venturing the tunnels found a treasury filled with insane treasures. "To think a 200-year-old organization can amass this type of wealth" [I am also surprised Creator this one looks like one of the vaults of the tower] "Yes, Jeremiah open the inventory we can''t leave all of these alone" [Affirmative] Aside from treasures Apollo was able to find an underground prison which contains dozens of experimental studies and equipment. "What''s this?" A thick folder which isbelled as Gemini project attracts Apollo''s attention so he picks up the folder and immediately regrets it. "...." He solemnly closed the folder before burning all the other files with it. "I don''t need this" He wanted to get some useful spells though what he saw just horrified him. mes spread while Apollo continues to walk deeper into the prison. He painfully looked at the mangled corpses, which are chained and mutted on the tables and the corners of a room. "I''ll take you all with you me" He lifted them one by one until all the abandoned bodies disappeared from the dark gloomy prison. . . . . A bit of an exnation about the spell clonis. Clonis can be said a type of hive mind of collective consciousness because the consciousness is unified across all the bodies, sharing thoughts, perceptions, and experiences. So even though there''s only one consciousness, it manifests itself collectively through multiple bodies. The bodies also have 100 percent of the power Apollo has before he cast the spell. It is all him from the power and other aspects. Chapter 89 One on one Apollo''s Pov. ~Among the scorching corpse, a group of children could be seen struggling to survive the dire situation. Their home was destroyed while the people they loved all died horribly. So with great desperation, they run as far as they can, however dark shadowy hands begin pulling them, trying to devour the little life they have left. Before the children knew it their life began to revolve around the four corners of the prison. Their breakfast are curses from the guards while their lunch is beatings by the passing priest. Finally, at night they became dinner for a hungry group of hyenas. Their eyes re with greed while their mouths salivate in desire. The fragile bodies of the pure ones soon became tainted and broken, no longer shining the same way they used to be~. ~However, the dark days didn''tst long, on the day that new visitors came to the lonely prison, the once pure and innocent disappeared along with their entire existence. The prison was turned upside down due to their disappearance, the dark gloomy room never saw the pure ones again~ This was a story on one of the books Alya once wrote for us. I never thought I''d see the day that a simr ce written in the book would be found here. Wait could it be? My foot suddenly halted and a horrifying realization suddenly dawned on me. "The ce where the story happened is here?" Then the characters in the story were... I stopped my thoughts and decided to wander the depths of the underground tunnels and maze underneath the temple and found all surprising things. There was a treasury, gemstones and some maps of mana stones and crystal mines. Of course, I took them all, it''s a waste to ignore such treasure. I felt really entertained even though the surface didn''t look that good. (Since I am currently destroying it) Aside from treasures I was able to find an underground prison which contains dozens of experimental studies and equipment. I suddenly felt nervous while I walked inside the empty room. It was an office which contained all sorts of stuff. "What''s this?" A thick folder which isbelled as Gemini project attracted my attention so I picked it up and immediately regretted my action. "...." A wave of disgust and anguish fills my heart. To think such a study was inflicted on others. I solemnly closed the folder before burning all the other files with it. What am I even pondering with, I am no better than them since I also execute human experimentation punishment of the empire. With the mes devouring all the materials and results of the study a wave of sadness washes me over. "I don''t need this" I wanted to get some useful spells though what I saw just horrified me. The Gemini projects were meant to make a copy of the abilities of Gods and spread the blessings towards other people. Aaron was locked up and experimented with the desire to exploit his blessings. That is also the reason why Alya and the others who escape have unique abilities which are rare to find. They were the failed experiments from the Gemini project. mes spread while Apollo continues to walk deeper into the prison. I needed to see more, so I decided to walk deeper towards the dark gloomy ce. My emotions escted once I saw all the mangled corpses which were chained and mutted on the tables and the corners of the room. Their bodies were too small indicating their tender age. I clench my teeth while I slowly approach them. "I''ll take you all with me" This ce is not where all of you belong. I lifted them one by one until all the abandoned bodies disappeared from the dark gloomy prison. As I walk a new spark of motivation zes in me to destroy this ursed ce. "I will make sure none of the people in this damn monastery lives" Mana fluctuated while bloodlust erupted. ... [Notification Alert! The twelfth, eleventh and tenth temples have been destroyed! Total kill count: 30,000] Apollo felt his head spin as soon as he saw such a notification. "The storage is full, Jeremiah upgrade the system to increase its storing capacity" [On it Creator] Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin Currently, we are at the Ninth temple and it seems Arabe, Samael, Casper and Matilda are busy torturing someone. "Argh!" I heard another painful scream but my friends'' reaction didn''t change. "Tell us where that person is" Samael calmly asked however the pdin they were trying to interrogate remained silent. "Should I make you cry this time?" Samael raised his hand and the pdin''s temperature began to soar. As the pdin''s temperature rises, his body undergoes several physiological changes. Eyes be bloodshot and watery due to the dtion of blood vessels in response to the increased temperature. However, Samael shows no signs of stopping. The body of the pdin also starts sweating to cool down, the heart rate increases, and I could see signs of fatigue or difort. [Additionally, the person may experience symptoms like headache, muscle aches, and a general feeling of being unwell] "I don''t really need that info." [Since you are observing I thought I could dump some info] I could only sigh with Jeremiah''s words before my eyesnded on the four again. "I wish I could help" However, they told me to leave the matter of revenge to their hands. "I should clean up the big shots" I finally moved from my position where the army of mechanized soldiers waited for mymand. "Hmm?" I haven''t fully attacked and only destroyed at least half of the Ninth temple, should I continue? [Creator as of now, no movements are being made by the enemy forces] "I still wonder why they didn''t take the opportunity to attack when we stopped moving" [I also don''t know] "Never mind I should just do what I need to do" From the dark sky, ny-nine Apollo came out and calmly floated in front of the temr knights and priests. "Are we finally going to fight?" I asked myself,ing face to face with thene of enemies. I thought we would immediately start the fight but all we do is stare at each other. "This is weird, are they perhaps preparing something?" [I haven''t detected anything Creator so I am also confused with their silence] "Should we wait or attack?" [Maybe we should observe?] I was about to agree when both of our attention switched back to the army. "Someone is approaching" [A very strong individual] My heart suddenly gets excited while my mind makes a series of scenarios on how our fight will turn. The army of pdin parted as they made a path for their leader. The archbishop of the Ninth Temple finally emerges. "A level 1 Celestial mage" [Most of the archbishops we met are all level 1 Celestial mage rank] "Yes and all of them have a skill called equalizer" [A skill that bnces the stats of all attributes] "I don''t know if having that skill is beneficial or not" [Perhaps it is] This priest wears a ck cassock, a full-length garment with button closure, has long sleeves and fits the body closely. [That clothing is made from mythril and I also scan several protective enchantments] "So this is his armor, Jeremiah put the spell Devorator on my spear" [You n to use that ck spell to eat away the enchantment] "Yes this way I can cut through his armor" I walked in front of my army waiting for my opponent to speak. "I supposed you are the leader" "Yes I am" A unison of voices was heard resulting in a creepier atmosphere. "What was that!" "Look up!" The pdins and priests bore witness to one hundred demon-like beings, one standing among an army of armoured soldiers while the ny-nine floated above. "You are a hive mind" the archbishop realized. "You could say that" An answer from one hundred beings was heard, their united voices created an eerie moment that the enemies felt ufortable. They felt scared and more afraid to fight back. "I have a proposal for you" A proposal? Is it a trap? A smirk unintentionally came out of my mouth then I answered. "Go ahead and say it" "I would like to propose a fight between us and the defeated shall obey whatever the victor decides" [Perhaps he really ns to trap you] "I don''t know if he cares for his people or he just ns to fight me" [If you fight him you might find out] "Indeed" My feet move closer to the archbishop causing the army behind him to be alerted. "At ease my men" "But your excellency" "I said calm down" "I''ll agree with you, we shall fight and if I win..." A ck-tainted substance spreads out causing everyone to feel suffocated. "What an intense bloodlust" Then as the suffocating feeling envelops everyone a bone-chilling voice whispers to their ears. "...I shall kill every living being in this ce" Chapter 90 One on one part II Apollo''s Pov. It was a duel at the expense of ourrades'' lives. However, I don''t see any sort of defiance nor any negative reaction from the army of pdins and priests. "What a faith" [We should be more cautious then, their expression means they are confident with their leader''s abilities] "Right" Although I am almost immortal right now, being cautious won''t really hurt. So I cast three defensive spells, an earth, water and wind spells. A resonance happens once the three spells are cast creating an array-like defensive formation. After casting those defensive spells I enhance the armor I have before casting another round of spells. A buffing spell to be exact. Increase Speed Increase agility Increase control Increase foresight Increase weapon sharpness Increase stunning effect Increase confuse effect Increase stealth Increase.... [Creator you are packing too much buff] "Didn''t you tell me to be cautious?" [Yes I did] "So let me add more then" I lifted my spear and saw my opponent taking out a book. A gospel will surely be cast. I raise my spear and a defensive spell emerges from the tip of it. "Come to me kingdom of God raise your gates and show your might!" Mana began to freeze meaning that a mana domain was made. I couldn''t breathe properly, my body felt restricted. "So this is the power of a Celestial Mana domain" It was a different type of pressure from the ones I felt before. "How exciting" The chanting continues making the pressure intensify. I could have broken through the pressure using brute force but that would be ruining the fun. [I thought you want to be cautious] "Don''t worry I am" And the gospel continues. "Purgatory!" The archbishop''s mana poured out turning into something that made Apollo amazed. It was a dreadful spell for the enemies while a protection for its allies. A halo of white light came for the temr army while a gate of hell for Apollo. "Cast a dome Jeremiah" Apollo''s blue mana emerges from his body before transforming into a dome of red light. The fire element, light magic Dome of Protection was cast. "Well let us face this spell" A ck iron gate towers above the clouds, its door is decorated with ancient symbols. "Magical runic symbols" The forest was reduced to mere dirt due to the force made by the appearance of the gate, while Apollo remained standing still. "Open!" With themand of the archbishop the mighty gate truly opened. The symbols glow red almost looking magmatic and fiery then a linees down dividing the gate into two. This line parted revealing the secret inside the gate. [Notifications alert! A mass of energy is about toe prepared for impact] A burning sensation soon prated me, my skin felt a sudden itch and difort. The temperature escted fast until my eyes felt burned and watery. [Initiating shield] Jeremiah immediately made a move and put up a shield to intercept the attack. "That shield will soon melt" Then from the giant doors of the gate, a huge st came out. The gate was already ginormous that''s why the st that came out of it was enough to wipe out the entire forest and leave a giant burning hole in it. "Jeremiah" [Yes?] "You teleport them right?" [Yes Creator you can proceed to show your true strength] I sigh of relief escape from me. That''s good to hear. Mana began to fluctuate while the gate prepared another round of sts. "Come to me book of God.." While I prepared to block the st I heard another gospel being cast. "This guy truly wants to kill me" [How about attacking then?] While Jeremiah talks another st escapes from the jaws of the gate. The sky parted due to the power while the ground burned even hotter turning the air too hot to breathe. I saw the fiery sting to me however I wasn''t the least worried. I raised my spear and waved the weapon in my hand. A ck energy came out before slicing the st into two. "What!" "Did he just sh through that attack!" "Impossible!" The enemies eximed though the archbishop continued casting. "Chains of Cain!" The words from the priest echo while the heaven and earth are enveloped by a powerful light. Those lights gained physical form and turned into chains that began to bind me down. As the bindings tightened the gate sted another attack. "I can''t move" [What do you expect when you are chained down] I tried to move and break the chains but to my surprise, I couldn''t summon an ounce of my energy to move. [The chains are meant to seal all your energy so you won''t be able to move] "Interesting" I wasn''t the least worried since I prepared enough. My weapon glows absorbing the essence of those who have died. The blue glowing symbols expanded until the spear turned into pure energy. It happened in the blink of an eye, a blue energy shape like a spear pierced through the chainspletely breaking them. Once I gained freedom Imanded the spear to return to me before using it to break the st. Smoke filled the area blocking the onlooker''s vision though once it disappeared they saw the chains broken and the gate crumbling. "Ahh I swing too hard" [You gathered so much essence that it almost broke the gate] "And I really wanted to see it''s a final st" [The gate should produce a st 5 times the power from the previous st but since you almost destroy it, its performance might decrease] "That''s not good I was thinking of replicating the spell. If I can''t see its full capacity I won''t be able to gather enough data required to copy the spell" [I already scanned the gospel however there are still some holes in the form] "Never mind that just give some spells from our arsenal, and I''ll just synthesize them" [Affirmative] While this conversation transpires the archbishop already cast another gospel which summons a white holy sword from the sky. However, one swing from my spearpletely broke the sword. "What kind of weapon is that!" "Could he be a powerful swordsman that can cut through the gospels like butter" "If he is then he would have used an aura to efficiently cut the spell, this guy merely used brute force to cut everything. There was no technique or tactic just pure force" One of the high-ranking pdins said. The situation doesn''t seem good for my enemies however the fight isn''t over yet. He should have more gospels prepared to sh with me. "Hmmm?" The demeanor of the archbishop changed and so did his mana. "Oh so this is it" The tainted mana I always felt and saw was actually the fragmented mana of their lord, Nirvana. That fragmented mana would boost their overall stats and abilities. "Then that skill equalizer must be from Nirvana" [Possible] "!?" [!?] It happened so fast that the moment I blinked I found myself buried deep in the ground while my barrier was being pierced. [The skill Light of Aegis is activated] My thoughts went haywire while my spear moved ording to mymand. "Come down from heaven Fafnir!" Another gospelnded and the heavens once again opened. I looked up and saw the magic circle that activated the spell and for a moment I was mesmerized. It was a type of magic circle I had seen before. It was a magic circle meant to borrow a power from someone. So they are borrowing their power from Nirvana. This realization caused a smirk to emerge from my face. "I see no wonder you are worshipped" This type of borrowed power is something a minor god can''t achieve, it is simply too powerful. Perhaps a mid-rank? No maybe lower than mid-rank but higher than lower-rank. "Face the judgment of the holy dragon!" The dragon manifested from the spell caught onto my spear and furiously pinned it on the ground. "What kind of barrier is this!" The archbishop said while trying to stab me with his sword. Sparks begin to generate due to the friction between my barrier and his weapon. "That sword..." I began to speak while still being pinned on the ground. "Oh, what of it? Do you recognize this de?" His voice was mocking as if he was trying to anger me. Well lucky for him I am angry. [Notification Alert! The Eternal oath is activated! Your emotion shall be influenced by the oath and shall be fueled by its power] "No, I am really angry" [Be alert the Oath is affecting your emotions and thoughts!! Creator is advised to...] I wasn''t about to hear Jeremiah because my eyes became focused on one person. "How dare you hold Excalibur!" My voice became ragged while my eyes red with darkness. The oath has taken over and now all I can hear is these two words. {Destroy him} Jeremiah''s words could no longer reach me as the voice of the oath reigned supreme within my mind Chapter 91 The Power of the Oath My body felt warm, no, I actually felt it was burning. A loud thud came after and the holy army felt aghast when they saw their archbishop flying into the air. "ROAR!" The dragon Fafnir finally abandons my spear and flies straight to his master. "I won''t let you get away!" I said growling like a beast. The light on my spear intensifies due to its continuous absorption of the essence, then as soon as Fafnir catches the archbishop I release one of my spear''s abilities. The spear is endowed with various enchantments that I put and one of them is an ancient spell used for making spell books. It was meant to store spells and use them to let beginner mages cast spells. However, I made my spear into a storage kit for my spells. The spell activation brought my weapon is simr to instant incantation and scrolls. It was an instant spell embedded in my weapon, one swing from me and that spell was released. The blue light that is generated from the spear turns into a spark until it transforms into lighting. Three hundred million volts paralyze the two while fifty thousand decrease Fahrenheit heat burn them. Their barrier wasn''t able to protect them because Jeremiah''s spell jamming broke their protective shield. With that attack Fafnirpletely disintegrate. The beast generated from a gospel took the full blunt of my attack and died down. [They are falling fast] "I know and I am not done yet" I can still see their heart pulsating through Jeremiah''s scanner. For a moment I saw it stop but it immediately resumed its beating. I didn''t like it so I moved and let my wings guide me to my target. "Hey" I said as I appeared before him however he seemed to be prepared because a magic circle spread out and produced a spell right before my face. It was another gospel. It was chantless I didn''t hear any sound of incantation so either it was an instant spell or a dyed spell. Instant spells are spells produced by instant incantation, this skill skips the process of casting spells and proceeds to activation. Dyed spells org spells on the other hand are spells that have dyed activation. Some dyed spells activated ten minutes after being cast while the longest is an hour. Well back to my situation the spell already sted in front of me. "Annoying!" Then my eyes saw how the mana on the surroundings became solid and turned into a shield. The exchange was done fast since I could predict that my opponent''s next move is another powerful gospel. I swung my spear and used its force to break the iing gospel like I previously did. "!?" However, to my surprise my attack didn''t work and the spell directly went to my face. "That''s strange" It was a very different gospel from the first and the most notable part is. "His spell is eating my barrier" My skill Light of Aegis is being nullified by eating the solidify mana and now the spell will directly hit me. Though it was rming my eyes caught the archbishop gathering another round of attack. "Stop" My voicemanded the time and it obeyed dly. The time surrounding the spell stopped while my opponent felt horrified, he had never anticipated that a blessing would be used by a demon. "Just what are you!" he shouted so I gave him an appropriate answer. "A monster" A united voice spoke simultaneously. I was doing fine until a notification pop up. [The Oath is charging the Creator''s emotion Shall I try to nullify it?] "What...is t...the...percentage of...sess.." Jeremiah''s voice made my head a bit clearer though the unexined anger was still there. I tried to fight back, tried to gain control however the force soon drowned me. I lost my senses until a punch knocked me over. "What are you doing you retarded airhead" Alicia''s voice crept in and the darkness disappeared. "Huh?" Her eyes looked annoyed making me feel uncertain. "Sorry" I could only say before returning my focus to my opponent in the Ninth temple. "???" What''s going on? [You release the skill disintegrate and wipe out the entire region] "I did?" [Yes Creator, by umting the essence of the deceased you were able to amplify the range of the skill] "I see no wonder the ce bes barren so I really destroyed the ce" The entire region was reduced to pieces, my skill Disintegrate can turn anything into a state of decay. Amplified with an abundant amount of essence it turns the already burned forest into wastnd. However, despite the severity of the ce, a single light could be seen shining. A white holy dome spreads wide to protect its people. There the archbishop stood still using his most powerful defensive gospel to protect his men. He tried his best but his strength was limited. "What happened to him?" [The archbishop saw some of his men turn into ashes before being swept by a huge gust of wind] "No wonder he is like that" I just don''t know why I feel this way There was no remorse Strangely I feel nothing As if someone had taken them [The Oath is still in effect Creator your emotions are currently locked because of it] "No wonder I can''t feel anything" [At least you can think properly a while ago I couldn''t even speak to you. All you did was use your skills and spells to attack the archbishop] "And it seems my attacks are all useless" [Not true at all, you were able to force the archbishop to use all of his hidden and precious artifacts] "Really?" [Yes and that dome is thest one] "I see" I couldn''t help but sigh, I desired to analyze spells and techniques from them but due to some strange Oath''s interference, my n was spoiled. I have been drawing things, and prolonging this fight making the situation undesirable. I should end this So I raised my hand and prepared to attack. From a certain distance, I saw how the injured priest forced his body to move. "Your grace!" "Archbishop!" "Let us help you!" Their desperate cries break through the will of the strongest priest and so with his heart full of doubt, he gave hismand. "Give me your prayers!" I release my spell no longer holding back. The energy of the deceased amplified my spell as the mes of hell gathered. It was one of the spells I learned from staying inside The Red Sun tower. The spell form formted inside my head, then it transformed my thoughts into imaging. A spell that was derived from the abyss. My mind calcted the distance and speed of which the spell would take and so the spell took its physical form and came out from a magic circle. Combustion took ce while my mana became the fuel that kept the mes burning. By manipting my mana''s quantity I could control my spells size and speed. This casting onlysted a second before being sted towards my opponent. ck obsidian mes turn into a dragon flying straight towards my enemy. [The spell''s overall power has been strengthen due to the power of the Oath] "So that damn thing had such a thing" The Eternal Oath that popped out of nowhere inside me. As far as I remember I made no such Oath to anyone. So why do I have it? And why does my father seem to have it as well? Such thoughts were running inside my head until a voice stopped my thoughts. {Apollo don''t kill them yet} Samael''s voice made me confused however my spell was already on its way to the remaining group of priests. "Now this is confusing" Typical spells can''t be controlled once the caster fires it however my spells are different, I can control and manipte it at will. My hand made a motion trying to divert my spell''s direction, however... "Damn it!'' I can''t move my body as if chains are bounding me. {Apollo?} "Yeah I am fine" [Notification Alert! The Oath is interfering with the Creator''s will You won''t be able to stop the spell without the Oath''s permission] "Non-...sense!" I gathered my will and tried to break free. What a load of crap, I will break this shit I raised my hand and with all my strength, I was able to move the spell for a few inches, notpletely on the target but it still hit. A huge explosion happened and to my surprise, it seemed my interference wasn''t needed. "They survived" Even though I moved the spell to save them it wasn''t enough to fully remove the impact of my attack. "But for some reason, they are all fine" My eyes scanned the dome and saw a being calmly flying above the group of priests. It was a being with white pure wings and a hazy halo at its head. His body is d in golden full armour while his hand holds a ming sword. My eyes red with anger when I recognised it was Excalibur. "How dare they" Chapter 92 The angel and the demon The demon scanned the dome and saw a being calmly flying above the group of priests. It was a being with white pure wings and a hazy halo at its head. His body is d in golden full armour while his hand holds a ming sword. Red ring eyes could be seen in the gaps in the demon''s helmet signifying his anger. He definitely recognised it was Excalibur, although it was a fake one. "How dare they" he spoke sending shivers in the remaining priest and pdins. "I can''t understand why on earth can they duplicate a sword like Excalibur. It was to the degree that made me think if it was really the original that I had taken out. It made me doubtful. It looks and works like the real one although they can''t fully harness its power because they are not from the imperial family. This situation was truly questionable" He said to himself while clenching his teeth, his eyes looking straight at the being who triggered his wrath. A figure d in white flew confidently in the wind, while a being born from the darkens waited patiently for him. "Sparing us will be the death of you" The archbishop''s voice was filled with confidence however a bone-chilling voice answered him. "It wasn''t me who spared you" A voice made by hundreds of voices spoke causing the enemies to feel discouraged. "I am the will of the Ninth temple and I shall punish you for all the deaths you have caused to my people!" The demon did not speak and only one of his dozens of bodies came to fight. "I only need one to kill all of you" His arrogant statement made the archbishop scared and doubtful. "I know," he said while lifting his sword. "Tell me, why do you hold Excalibur, I know it is not the real one but why does it hold such power as the original" The archbishop looked at the demon and shook his head before answering. "If youe to such a conclusion then you haven''t seen the real Excalibur" The demon looked confused however his expression remained hidden by his helmet. "The real sword wields a power greater than anyone could imagine" Then mes began to gather around the sword making Apollo conflicted. "Then shall we start again demon" "Yes" The demon looked determined while his spear floated beside him. Apollo no longer needs to use his mana to attack, all he needs is to use his skills and use the essence of the deceased as fuel, it is also the same with his spells and techniques. As long as someone died he could use them as a source of energy. ..... Apollo''s Pov The area was oozing with death and thus it was easier to increase the strength of my spell. My head went on and visualize the form and a spark of electricity came to hand. The imaging continues until I gain the required essence for my casting. My original weapon spun in my hand while absorbing the spell I was casting. My spear shines brighter than ever transforming into pure energy. Then the manifestation of my spell came. Lightning and me gathered up until it became one with my spear. "Try blocking this" I challenge while fixing my stance in the air. The fusion magic, me Lightning Lance howled in the air before flying straight towards the archbishop. [The effects of the Oath is slowly subsiding] "Yes I know I can feel it" The chains that bound me tightly loosen up making my breathing light. While thence breaks through theyer of lights a wave of golden light hits me. Then it became solid until it turned into fine golden wings. It stopped thence until another ray of lightpletely swallowed my attack. The spell I cast was perfectly blocked, the light was too powerful to be destroyed, and so I had no choice but to retract my spear. "This is a bit interesting" I said as my eyes gazed at an ethereal-winged man. The gathered prayers from the remaining priests and pdins created a symphony of magic. "To think a person''s faith can make something like this" "Indeed this is the power of our joint belief in our faith, behold one of the greatest gospels of the holy book!" "Miracle!" Unknowingly a smirk emerged from my face. "I wonder what could have happened if there is more faith, will it be more than just this?" [Are you regretting killing more than half of them?] "Maybe just seeing this potential made me want to turn back time and stop myself from killing them" In that moment Jeremiah felt he needed to stop that thinking since his Creator do have the ability to harness the power of time. Going back to the past or even the future might be possible as long as he tries it. This fact made Jeremiah an artificial intelligence worried. If his Creator thinks of going back to the past or even the future he might cause chaos. [Creator what do n to do?] Instead of answering him, I send a message to Samael. {What are you nning Mael} {Just don''t kill all of them, I need to meet a certain man among them} {Are you certain he isn''t fleeing inside the underground tunnels?} {We already checked them with some of your soldiers and we didn''t find him} I couldn''t help but sigh Just who is that man that makes those four this serious? [He must be one of the people who initiated the attacks on their viges] "Might be the case" If that really was the case then it makes sense that they are this desperate. I know more than anyone else the feeling of wanting revenge on the people who hurt you. So who am I to question them? As we talked I saw the archbishop finish his casting and was ready to fire his spell at me. A white angel manifested through the gospel was made. Its body was d in golden armor while four wings were attached to its ck. The weapon in the angel''s hand is a golden sword resembling Excalibur. "Go gospel of faith, Archangel Behemoth!" "Let''s see how to defeat this man" His defense is top notch and I am certain it was the same with his offense. I already said only one me can handle them so I should uphold that. [Is it pride?] "Pride? Maybe, it''s because I already broke one rule of our deal by killing his men so this is the least I could do" [His gospel is about toe] Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin "I know" I focused my will on the tip of my spear using the power it had to boost themand I was about to make. "Repulsion" And themand was given, an unexined force suddenly pulled the angel away sending it back to the one who cast it. "What!" the archbishop eximed seeing his attack flying back at him. "Repulsion and attraction" One of the blessings I copied from my friends. "The fundamental forces of nature" Although I haven''t fully mastered all the forces yet it''s still better than nothing. So let''s go back to my opponent who was taken aback by the sudden turn of the situation but still fast enough to put up a guard to defend. He was too surprised to realise his own spell won''t really hurt him. {Samael I''ll give you fifteen minutes to find that man because I can no longer contain myself} {Is it because of that mysterious oath} {Yes} {Okay I''ll bring some of your soldiers it will be done in fifteen} {Thanks} I took a breath and finally felt more relieved, I might look like I was fine but the Oath constantly interfered with my movements. "I should finish this" My body then disappeared and reappeared behind my opponent. The archbishop who was busy casting his defensive barrier didn''t even notice me, well he was in a state of panic. [It''s because your skill Oppressor is active] "Really? Now it makes sense" Sparks ignited my spear which finally gained his attention. "Let''s go fast" As my spear turned into energy my body became engulfed with electricity, until it turned into lighting. "Thunder aura, positive lightning" White sparks of lightning made a huge line across the sky. The temperature increases while an unpleasant odor can be smelled. The archbishop who was yet again surprised with the sudden attack made a quick gospel to defend himself. It''s not like it was his first time getting hit by my spell so by now he should have known how to at least handle a couple of thousand volts and heat. Smoke was produced from the collision although it wasn''t enough to hinder my vision. And just like I predicted he was able to block my strike. "More" My speed drew a line while my opponent made a globe-shaped shield to cover all angles. Since he can''t keep up with my speed he decided to set a defence that protects him from all directions. However, I have a n for that. I charge myself with more electricity causing some of the volts toy waste on the ground and air. The scent of burning permeated through the air while the humidity increased. While I cast the archbishop wasn''t staying idle either, I could see he was casting something inside his defensive dome. Without wasting any more seconds I released my spell and went head-to-head with his. Chapter 93 The Church of Juanfonso While the battle continues four little figures struggle to keep themselves intact. "What the hell is Apollo doing!" Casper shouted while hiding behind dozens of mechanized soldiers. "We must move he told us we only have fifteen minutes to finish this" "How can we move when the ce is like this!" Matilda felt aghast while Arab kept holding the arms of the soldiers, afraid she might blown away due to the storm-like situation in the area. The wind is howling as if a monster was guiding it and the ground is scorching hot, each step feels like being burned alive. The impact of the fight between Apollo and the archbishop made the area inhabitable, the air wasn''t even safe for breathing. "Let''s go we have this barrier so we should be fine" However, even with a barrier strong shocks could still be felt causing the four to cling for their dear life. The three felt tired but still followed Samael''s lead. A few more moments went by and they barely made distance. "Samael!" "Just keep moving!" Despite Casper''sint Samael continued to move forward dragging his friends with him. Thinking back then they were always like this, dragging each other in ces the others felt reluctant to go to. However, despite theirint, their ending would always end up the same. "Wait for us!" They would always follow and support the one who takes the lead. "The barrier is up ahead" "Yeah I can see it" Two mechanical soldiers then went ahead of them making sure their barrier kept them hidden and safe. "Are you all ready?" Samael asked while the two soldiers created a hole in the barrier. "Honestly I am not ready to meet that man" Arab said while her body trembled slightly. "The betrayal he caused was something none of us will ever be prepared for" Matilda said while gently stroking Arab''s back. "We must continue moving forward" she added. For the sake of the future, they must cut down the past. While they mentally prepare themselves a distinct sound could be heard from the soldiers that effortlessly cut the barrier. "I wonder what Apollo put on these soldiers that they can cut through things like this" Casper can''t help but inquire. "I heard he used a different type of metal to make them strong and durable" "It thought he used micro machines?" "A micro what?" "Wait we can have this debateter since the hole is near finishing" Casper, Arabe and Matilda''s heated discussion soon came to a halt due to Samael''s voice. After their momentary silence, the sound of something breaking caught their attention. "Finally let us go in!" "How can you be excited!" "Quiet down Casper!" Arabe just shook her head while clinging to the metallic arms of the soldiers. And so they walk stealthily at the enemy''s side looking for the man they wanted to see. "MS 2223 scan the entire area to see if you can locate the man from the picture I gave you" Before their attack started Samael asked Mckenzie to sketch a man he once knew from his memories. He wants to see him and asks why he did what he did. He wanted closure from the incident three years ago, and he must get it. The scanning started and each passing second that went by made the four nervous. At that moment they suddenly remembered the time that incident happened. . . Three years before this event at the ind known for its beautiful falls and waters, the Ind of mes. Opposite to its name the ce was full of water and life and things associated with fire could never be seen there, except for one thing. In the middle of the ind, a breathtaking view can be seen from afar. Far from the distance, you could see the towering structures and spires of the holy home of the residence there. The exterior has a long stained-ss and flying buttress, then its walls are painted with carvings from their beautiful history while the interior isposed of rib vaults and pointed arches. The ambtory and chapels surrounding the apse showcase exquisite altarpieces and religious artwork, while the choir stalls feature intricately carved wooden seats. Behind the beautiful architecture, a peaceful courtyard surrounded by colonnades adorned with sculpted capitals and a tranquil garden at its center can be seen. The grass was perfectly trimmed and the nts were aligned well. The flowers were beautiful while a variety of trees can be seen bearing fruits of different colors and tastes. Hugging this grandeur of sanctuary are high gates, walls and fences that serve as a guard for the residence. This ce is the church of the God of mes, it stood tall in the middle of the ind ever since the end of the Age of Heroes. There are three ages that mark the beginning or early times of Bunag or even the entire universe. The Age of Creation marks the beginning of time and the creation of the universe. No one knows how long it took for everything to be created but what matters is that every nook and cranny was well crafted by all the Gods. After the Age of Creation, the one that came after was the Age of Life. The universe was only created however no life was living inside it. The entire realm was only an empty house with no one living. So a being shares his life to others filling the universe with his breath, however as he depletes the little spark within himself his own life begins to be exhausted, with little time he shares his life with onest being, a human. Thest was the Age of Heroes also known as the Age of Demigods. It was the time when Gods came down and had a family with humans. No one knows the reason for this but everyone felt delighted to know that the beings they worshipped were real. This age closed the moment the Gods left and let their descendants do their own thing. And so the early time of Bunag ended by opening a new era. "Sigh" A child''s voice could be heard sighing in the middle of the library. "That''s deep Samael" "Well I was thinking if the Gods will ever return here in Bunag" "Does it even matter?" "Of course Ara it matters, I am theirst descendant! They should at least see me" "Really?" "Why do act so calm when you should be demanding like me" "Why are suddenly asking me that?" "Well probably because you are thest vassal of the God of me?" "It doesn''t really matter to me since I can''t even harness the power of a vassal" The ten-year-old Mael looked at his friend knowing how she felt. "Maybe because we are still too young, I haven''t even awakened my blessings as well" "You and I are different" She said while trying to keep her voice calm. She might try to act like she is fine but her insecurities and doubts are slowly creeping into her heart. "I know you already awakened yours" she muttered softly making Samael lean closer to her. "I didn''t hear you" "No...I mean we are different because you have God''s favor while I have nothing" "God is fair Ara" "Not for someone like me, I am an illegitimate child" "You are thest of vassals so your origin doesn''t matter" "But-.." "No more nonsense we should be happy since it''s foundation festival!" Samael took the hand of the little girl and dragged her towards the lively and festivend. The church was named after the first descendant of the God of mes, Juanfonso. Since he is the one who established this ce yearly they celebrate to honor him. "Hurry let''s go!" While the two run hand in hand, the church''s za was already filled with people and merchants. "It seems like the foundation festival this year is more lively than the previous" "Yeah it seems so" With the atmosphere being so happy the previous gloomy girl finally felt revitalized. "Should we buy something?" "Sure!" While the two enjoyed their time they suddenly felt a presence behind them. Curiously the two looked behind them and saw two familiar faces. "It''s Casper and Matilda!" "Hi!" Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -NovelBin "It''s been a while!" The four children happily embrace each other before heading straight to the heart of the za. "How is the fort?" Samael initiated the talk as they walked. "It''s the same just peopleing back and forth to defend against some demon beasts" "I suddenly wonder why the inds surrounding this ce are all dangerous" Arabe wondered. "I heard that the mana here is unusual that''s why the magical beast ends up turning into demons" "That''s scary Matilda" "What I am worried about is the coast of Evaristo, my father told me that the fort currently struggles to handle the breakout there" "Cas, wasn''t Evaristo near here?" "Yes Samael it is near but no worries my father can handle it" he sounds confident though his eyes aren''t. While the four have worried expressions on their faces a sudden earthquake halted their conversation. A sky filled with darkness came while the waters were dyed with blood. The church''s bells rang wild causing the people to run away. The dreaded situation arrives driving the festival to a halt. Chapter 94 It is you "Evacuate everyone!" "Knights get the shield!" "Samael where are you!" The festival turns into chaos as the breakout begins. "Call the bishop we need someone who can teleport everyone!" "Sir we are unable to activate any teleportation spells or even a short-distance travel" "The ce is sealed contact the others and tell them we need spell breakers" "Yes sir!" The young priest ran towards the church under the holy knight''s order. "Now where is that kid" The knight said to himself as he spread his senses to locate the boy. "Found him" Upon his discovery, his body was immediately d in a green aura before transforming into a bolt of light. ..... "Samael here!" Casper said dragging his friend towards a secluded corner. With the people running in panic, a stampede soon happened. The forces of the church arrived early but it wasn''t enough to mend the situation. "We should stay here until we can finally move back to the cathedral" "I want to agree with you Mael but what if those beasts came? We need to move now" "How exactly Matilda look at the ground we will be crushed if we try to go there" "It''s okay you two, no need to argue the barrier surrounding the ind is powerful so no need to worry" "Wait Samael look at that" Arabe pointed making the three follow her hand from above they saw a huge crack while a horde of beasts were already behind it, ready to pounce inside the moment the barrier broke. "This is not good Mael" The children began to panic as well not knowing what to do. They had only two options, stay and be killed by those demonic beasts and run and be crushed by the wave of fleeing people. Two choices are given all have one ending, their death. "Perhaps I should use my father''s gun" "No don''t, we can''t waste bullets here" Matilda immediately stops Casper''s suggestion, firmly holding his sleeve. "We should look for alternatives we might find something if we look hard enough" She added finally letting go. "We should head towards the old fountain" Samael suggested. "Why?" "Because there is a secret path behind that fountain we should head there" "How Ara look at them" Casper can''t help but say, seeing how the people flow like a flood. "We will be crushed if we try to get in there" "So what should we do?" Matilda asked not liking the situation. While they contemte their situation the sound of something cracking can be heard. "It''s breaking faster than before" "Should we just run along with the flow of people, our survival might be higher than staying here" Casper said while still feeling impatient, each passing second made his nerves nervous causing his body to tremble. "Okay we should hold each other so we won''t be separated" "Okay!" So the four children held each other''s hand and bravely stood up. "Alright on the count of three..." Casper started to say. "One!..." Their hand tremble as the counting continues but they make sure their grip is secure. "...two....thr-.." "Found you" "!?" A man''s sudden appearance made the four shock then from that reaction their faces began to be filled with relief. "Commander!" Samael immediately recognized him and ran to his arms. "You kids are okay?" "Yes just scared" Themander of the holy Inferno knights smiled seeing how strong the four little kids he had taken care of. "Uncle" "Hey Cas, let''s go" Casper took his hand he wanted to ask about his father but refrained from doing so, he was just too afraid of what answer he would get. "Dad should be fine" the boy strongly thinks so while being lifted by his uncle. The ground felt the power of the knight, dust was blown creating a cloud of smoke while a figure shot towards the sky. "Sir Edmond the shield is breaking what should we do?" "Ara that is something a kid like you shouldn''t worry about" "I think this issue is something all of us should worry about" Matilda pointed out while holding on to the knight''s clothes. "Commander, can''t you slow down?" Stay connected via m-v l|e''-NovelBin Samael who was clinging to Edmond''s back said. "Mael is right uncle please slow down" While Arabe and Matilda are being held by each of Edmond''s arms, Samael and Casper are holding onto his back, fortunately, their position is secure since the knight''s aura holds them in ce. "I can''t slow down, you can see how the shield is breaking away" "Sir wasn''t the shield supposed to heal itself" "It still works that way but the speed in which the shield heals is slower than the damage it took, soon it will break" The kids'' faces made an even more terrible expression making the knight question himself for revealing such information. Despite the wide distance between the za and the cathedral themander of the inferno knights arrives immediately. "Hurry and find the cardinal" "Yes we will" Arab, Matilda and Samael immediately head inside however Casper remains. "Uncle, where is dad?" The knight looked hesitant before answering. "Cas, the thing is brother.." His next words were swallowed by a great roar from above causing the residents of the church to put in anotheryer of defence. "Head inside now!" "But uncle.." "No more questions go now!" Casper was surprised since he had never seen his uncle like this, even when he made mistakes he never raised his voice but knowing the situation the boy could only turn his back and run. The boy''s fleeing figure made it painful for Edmond to speak. "I am sorry" he began to say. "You and Matilda deserve the truth... But not now" Casper''s father and Matilda''s brother, his head is down a little facing the ground. "She wanted to ask me....but knowing the answer she refrained from hearing it" "Because I didn''t say anything she figured it out" With those agonizing thoughts, he returns his focus to the current problem. A seemingly endless horde of beasts break through the ind''s shield and now will go head to head with the church''s. "I wonder what was my brother thinking when facing this catastrophe" He thought while summoning his sword. "I''ll buy more time... it''s the least I can do after all" An army of darkness versus an army of mes, the night came and the light was swallowed not leaving any traces behind it. "Hurry!" Five figures can be seen running on a dark path underneath the cathedral. "Cardinal where is the pope?" "He is staying above fight the beast, to make sure you are all safe!" He said but the person beside him spoke words which immediately stopped their movements. "Your grace someone is following us!" An inferno knight said while taking out his sword. With no other option, the cardinal spoke. "Go on ahead" "But cardinal!" "No more questions hurry!" While the cardinal continues to urge the four to continue a voice grabs their attention "Cardinal Morales it is me" "Jacob?" "Yes your grace" Hiding behind the darkness a man wearing a red priest robe appeared. "I was sent here by the pope to check if you had sessfully evacuated the kids" "Goodness thank God it''s you" Cardinal Morales looked relieved as soon as the young priest revealed himself. "How is the situation above Jacob?" "It is not good Marvin that is why we need to hurry" The cardinal and knight both nodded before lifting the kids. Then they both bolted in the direction of the hidden passage however as they did so a man was already there standing. "Cain?" Jacob recognized the man and immediately came forward, his body acting as a shield between the man and them. "Your grace I was sent here to make sure all of you are safe" He started to say however the priest named Jacob didn''t buy his words. "The only ones who are supposed to know this ce besides the cardinal and the pope, are the vice-captain of the inferno knights which is the man who currently holds his sword there, and me the pope''s camerlengo" As he said those words he suddenly began to be filled with mana showing his intention to fight if needed. However, before he could even move a muscle a sword pierced through his chest. "What!?" "Damn it!" the mysterious man shouted before bolting towards them. "Marvin?" "I am sorry my friend but this is the end" "Damn you traitor!" His friend stabs him in the back with no remorse or hesitation. And so with hisst remaining strength, Jacob snatches the boy who is strangely asleep in Marvin''s arms. "No, you don''t" Knowing his intention he tried to move though a man appeared behind him, it was the cardinal. He didn''t talk instead he went straight for the kill. His hand took Casper while Jacob sessfully retrieved Samael. "Argh!" Marvin who was forced to abandon his target was sent flying on the wall. "That man!" "Soldier forget about him!" The cardinal voiced hismand making the man stop. "I know it was the emperor who sent you, here take the kids with you" "But..cardinal!" The dying priest tried to protest but the old priest looked at him and said. "Take this idiot with you as well" "Argh!" The camerlengo winced in pain but fortunately, Arab and Matilda gently held onto his bleeding body. "Hurry we don''t have much time" The imperial soldier just nodded his head while dragging Jacob with him. Chapter 95 It Is You Part II "Take this idiot with you" The cardinal then pointed the bleeding man to the ground. "Argh!" The camerlengo winced in pain but fortunately, Arab and Matilda gently held onto his bleeding body. Bing the support that prevents him from hitting the ground. "Hurry we don''t have much time" The imperial soldier just nodded his head while dragging Jacob. "Cardinal" Arab felt like crying while Matilda wanted to scream but couldn''t, all they could do was look at the old man in front of them. "Don''t worry everything will be fine" He smiles gently before cing Casper and Samael in the soldier''s vehicle. "Aren''t youing?" "No soldier a priest like me should remain where his faith began, and besides... " His voice trailed off signifying the arrival of some mysterious people. "I need to take care of some pest no need to worry about me" The soldier didn''t speak any longer and proceeded to leave. Seeing the armored power car the cardinal can''t help but sigh. "Why aren''t you not dead yet.." He turned back and saw the man he mmed on the wall back on his feet again. "Marvin" The deranged man smiled hysterically while a few more figures behind him appeared. "Shall we y more cardinal?" He smiled while tilting his head to the side. "What a hassle" the old priest just said before pulling an amber rosary from his sleeve. BEEP! BEEP! A sound consists of short, sharp pulses or tones repeated at regr intervals. It was concise and in pitch and intensity prompting someone to look at it, like a notification or rm urging someone''s attention. The sound itself draws attention without being overly intrusive, not too painful to hear but attracts your ears. "That sound" Four heads followed the sound and saw the screen on the mechanical soldier''s chest. Their minds which were clouded with memories woke up because of the sound. "It found him" Samael realized as he saw a glowing red dot on the t surface of the screen. "He is in the middle of the enemy line, what should we do Mael?" Casper asked since they couldn''t reveal themselves. "Should we ask Apollo''s help?" "Apollo currently confronts the archbishop so we can''t ask him right now, besides this is our business" "It''s dangerous Mael, and Apollo has more than one body so it''s fine" However Samael look conflicted, "Mael, what truly stops you from consulting him?" Matilda''s words made the boy halt. "What if he kills that man before we can get a definite answer?" The three then looked at him stupidly. "I never anticipated you look at Apollo in such a shallow way" "That person has a functional brain so he won''t do that" "I know Apollo does unusual things but he is a reasonable person" "Wait wait calm down that is not what I meant" "Then exin it" They said in unison. "It''s because of the oath, it''s been burdening him since his discovery of it. What if he can''t control himself and kills Jacob immediately" Samael''s answer made a bit of sense knowing that their friend currently struggles to contain himself. "But how can we get him when he is currently positioned in the very middle" "Should we use a mind spell?" Arab suggested since they can''t get to him physically perhaps they could do it mentally. "Not bad I think that will work" Casper said while urging a soldier to approach him. When the mechanized soldier arrived in front of the boy his chest suddenly glowed before revealing a space inside it. That space has dozens of scrolls with different sizes and thicknesses. "Apollo gave us dozens of magical scrolls one of them should have a mental spell....found it" He took out a long and thick scroll which was bonded by a metallic case and was adorned with beautiful symbols. It was silverly cylindrical and glittering when light touched it. In the middle of the case is the name of the spell it contains and its type and level. Seeing the beautiful casing of the scroll the four were suddenly silent. "Why did Apollo use such a case" "For aesthetics?" "It''s pretty" "Forget it let''s just use it" Samael then grabbed the scroll case and began to read the spell description and how to use it. "So all I have to do is say activate" After reading and understanding its use he opens the lid and takes out the weapon that will help them. Afterying the entire scroll on the ground he touches it in the middle before saying "Activate" His words made the scroll animated, the magic circle embedded in the thick papyrus glow until the spell came to life. A blinding light came swallowing the entire area. .... {The situation is dire and we must pray as sincerely as we can} "That''s a very admiring thought" "I wish you had thought us that way" {!?} "Don''t be too surprised we just came here for small talk" The young priest jolted and finally opened his eyes. "Hi, Marvin wait was Marvin really your name?" Four kids emerge in his view causing fear to creep in. {Ara, Matilda, Cas...and Mael?} "It''s been three years right? Marvin, I just came here for a question" Instead of speaking the man named Marvin took his staff from his ring ready to attack if needed. "Oh don''t be like that and besides you won''t be able to harm us here" A mocking tone of voice came from Casper as he walked closely at Marvin. {Do not approach me!} He tried to use a gospel but strangely it didn''t work, no reaction happened. {What''s going on!?} "I told you it won''t work" {!?} Casper suddenly appeared behind Marvin causing thetter to be surprised. Calmly the boy puts his arm around the priest''s shoulder making him tremble. "Don''t be nervous we won''t kill you...yet" It will be much better for the four to cause more pain to their enemy. By doing so his mind would grow weaker causing the questioning to be easy. However, they are already satisfied with this. Just him being terrified of his well-being is enough to put a smile on the kid''s faces. "Now tell me what happened that night, why did you betray us? Where are the cardinal and the pope....the others what happened to them?" Samael asks bullets of question but Marvin doesn''t want to speak. It is not because he doesn''t know the answer or he is reluctant to, it''s just he is afraid that the answer might cost his life. "Speak he is asking you!" Casper tightened his grip on Marvin''s shoulder but his lips were tight shut. "This won''t do we should have used a memory search spell on him" "Matilda I heard from Vesta that memory search spells are dangerous so we should stick to the right way of interrogating" "I said speak!" Samael pulled his cor and despite the height difference, his dominance didn''t waver. "It seems like your tongue is caught with something, did worshipping that blue guy turn you into mute?" Casper began to mock Nirvana causing the terrified priest to finally speak. It seems insulting his lord is his weak spot. "My faith.... " Marvin started to say while his body was undoubtedly shaking. "My loyalty and faith are always with my lord, you have no right to insult him!" The kid smiles seeing him react that way so he continues. "I bet he is weak if not he wouldn''t be sealed and none of you will ever experience this situation. My friend will kill him just like the archbishop of this temple" Marvin gritted his teeth looking beastly. "Our lord Nirvana is powerful and the monastery has been strong enough to survive two hundred years against the empire! Every single one of our enemies had fallen no one survived!" "Really? No one?" Casper retained his mocking tone wanting to hear the answer they have been dreading to hear. "Yes, no one....not even your father!.." Then he looked at Samael and Arabe his face looked crazy, and he continued to speak "...not even the church... " Finally he looked at Matilda "And your brother" A heavy atmosphere enveloped the four until a voice came to wake them up. {Fifteen minutes is done, did you get the answer that you want?} Stay connected through m-v l|e''-NovelBin Apollo''s voice pulled them out of their current dark thoughts, and then Samael spoke. "We are done here" {You guys are too close with the enemies I''ll pull you guys out of there} "Okay," they all said before leaving Marvin alone. "Goodbye" Samael''s voice echoes as the darkness expands swallowing the lone figure inside it. ... Apollo''s Pov. "It seems like the answer they wanted is more painful than they thought" [What should we do then?] "Inflict the most painful thing we can" A magic circle appeared above the sky while the demon lifted his spear. "Jeremiah use the joint essence gathered from the other temples, I want to give them a punishment they won''t forget" [Affirmative Creator] Since Apollo no longer needs to use his mana to attack, all he needs is to let Jeremiah use the essence of the deceased as fuel, and so lightning and me gather causing the clouds to darken. A spell is about to be cast while the light meets the darkness. The gathered prayers from the remaining priests and pdins created a symphony of magic, Apollo felt his heart pounding hard as more prayers came to aid the archbishop. Chapter 96 Last three The archbishop''s spell created a dazzling light that can be seen even from afar. It attracted attention from the nearest human viges causing panic to spread. Opposite to the light is the endless stormy cloud that spreads across the other end of the sky. Thunder roared while lightning made a distinctive line seemingly breaking the sky. A prayer was sung, a gospel was given, and a magic circle filled with fifteen rings was created. The spell came to life and a sphere filled with different types of wings emerged. "Be prepared demon this gospel is the manifestation of our will, it won''t break easily" The demon just raised his hand and summoned a big storm. "If that thing is the manifestation of your faith and will, then this.." The lighting crackles and the clouds be thicker leading it to swallow the light emitted from the archbishop''s gospel. Feeling his attack can''t maintain its power before it could even sh with Apollo''s spell, the archbishop asked for more prayers. "Everyone I need more prayers!" As his words went through their ears they began to chant even more causing another influx of power. This power then fuels the archbishop''s spell. The light grows strong but the thunderclouds remain still. Apollo''s spell wasn''t even finished and barely manifested however it was enough to push the enemy''s gospel away. This situation shows that he is about to cast a high-level spell. ording to the mages in Brynar the higher the level of the spell the longer it takes to cast it. From the form of the spell to theplexity of the imaging, it takes longer than it usually does. However not because it has a prolonged time of casting doesn''t mean someone can actually interrupt its process or even attack the mage while he upied, the spell creates a huge field of pressure pressing down spells lower than its level. If you want to interrupt its process or even attack you must use a much more powerful and higher-tier spell. Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-NovelBin So those who will face such power, could either flee or put out a defensive barrier to block it. However, the archbishop will have to sh with his gospel against Apollo''s spell. He never anticipated his enemy could cast the highest level a spell could reach. "This is the manifestation of all the people that die today.." A voice devoid of any emotion spoke, and then the clouds produced a bolt of lightning and thunder. A blue lightning struck the spear of the demon turning it into a lightning rod. "I want to show you the spell brother Astro taught me" The spear bes one with the spell and without hesitation, the demon throws it at the archbishop. As the spell finally released a different kind of pressure hits the ground and air. "I won''t lose!" The priest from the monastery moves his hand and pushes his gospel forward fighting the lightningnce of his enemy. "Go, Zeus" The spell Zeus was the same spell Astro used when he fought against a Marquis rank demon beast. Unfortunately, the senior mage from the tower was too exhausted after fighting for three months without proper rest and medication, heter died due to mana depletion after the fight. From the handle of the lightningnce, a hand emerge from it. The storm intensifies until it turns into a humanoid shape. As soon as the man emerged mes burst forth on its eyes before spreading across its cloud-like body. A scent of burning permeated across the area as the lightningnce became covered with fire, a blue fire. The appearance of such a spell made the archbishop worried and he asked once again "I need more!" More prayers were given but soon the embodiment of the god of the sky in myths pierced through the spherical wings. The wings tried to defend but no defensive barriers can stop Zeus from stabbing the heart of the gospelpletely shattering it. "No!" The archbishop eximed as he saw his mighty gospel turn into dust. However the fight is still going, he shouldn''t be distracted. The gospel was destroyed and the lightningnce didn''t stop from pushing forward with its speed it went straight towards the archbishop. At that moment Apollo thought the fight ended there but it turns out it didn''t. "He is truly an interesting man" Using thest bit of his mana and life the archbishop uses his body to shield the attack. "Does he know where thatnce is going after killing him?" [Perhaps so, you n to kill everyone after all] "Unfortunately I don''t n on letting anyone leave" The spell was urged by its caster putting more power than before. "Locked the area surrounding the remaining survivors" [Affirmative] Then as soon as he knows his enemy is trapped, he pushes thence even harder until it pierces through the little barrier his enemy managed to put. The mass of electricity went haywire and wreaked havoc inside the priest. Due to the huge influx of electricity, it punctured a hole inside his body until it turned him to pieces. "No!" His voice even though low wanted to tell the others to run however he couldn''t do it because the darkness came and swallowed himpletely. After killing the archbishop the lightningnce flew towards its next target. The remaining priest and pdins of the Ninth Temple. As itnded the ground was left with a huge crater and burned while the surrounding air was difficult to breathe in. It became too hard to breathe because the area is contaminated with the priest and pdin''s mana. "To think they would contaminate the air" [They must thought you would die from it] "Since when do demons die due to air contamination" [It depends on what type of contamination, this one can be lethal to demons but harmless to humans, but since you are both it doesn''t really affect you] "It''s done" Then he flicked his finger causing him and the mechanical soldiers to be teleportated. ... [Notification Alert! The rest of the Monastery''s temple is destroyed! Current temple remaining: 3 Current kill count: 335,563 Current temple status: Twelve - {DESTROYED} Eleven Temple - ir and Mckenzie (with the prepared Army) {DESTROYED} Tenth temple - Alya, Braiden, Vesta and Aaron (with the prepared Army) {DESTROYED} Ninth temple - Arabe, Samael, Casper and Matilda (with the prepared Army) {DESTROYED} Eight Temple - Niko and Agnes (with the prepared Army) Seventh temple - only the prepared army will attack The sixth temple - already abandoned but will be investigated {PLUNDERED} Fifth temple - only the prepared army will attack- {DESTROYED} Fourth temple - only the prepared army will attack{DESTROYED} The third temple - only the prepared army will attack{DESTROYED} Second temple - Jillian and Keith (with the prepared Army) First temple - Alicia and Apollo (with the prepared Army)] "Not bad, by the way, how much money and treasures did we get from them" [ording to my rough estimation it should be around ten billion imperial dors, I still haven''t evaluated the gemstones and the scale of the mines we confiscated] A smile escaped from Apollo''s lips hearing the words that came from Jeremiah. "We should steal more" [Creator are you really a mage or just a random bandit?] "I suppose both? How do think the Mage tower acquired such wealth" [You don''t mean] However, Apollo didn''t answer instead he hummed and happily skipped around. Inside his consciousness, Jeremiah can''t help but sigh. .... Changed Pov. The wielders of the five blessings are those who inherited the power of the five gods. There were many stories about them, some said they were the past lovers of gods that reincarnated so many times. There are also tales saying they were descendants of the said gods. In the end, no one knows the truth other than the chosen holder of the blessing. Up in the heavens, celestial beings who were supposed to protect the universe sat down in a circle. At the centre of their position, a pond can seen which shows the current events. "Hahaha! That''s it you should butcher them alive my kin!" A God eximed while raising his hands in the air. "What is wrong with my child why did he forgive her?" "He is too kind unlike you" "Shut up!" While the other Gods remained asleep five mischievous Gods woke up to watch the fall of the Monastery. While they argue a graceful presence fills the room. The rowdy Gods became silent and gave way to her. "My child seems to be in a lot of pain" She only said causing the rest of the Gods to be silent. "They will be fine" A warm presence then envelops the room as if trying tofort the cold truth. "I hope so" The Goddess of Time sat down her eyes remaining glued to her child, Agnes. .... The Pov. Of Agnes I wonder when did things go wrong. Our kingdom wasn''t as wealthy as the other kingdoms but our citizens were very satisfied. They can have 3 meals a day and have stable jobs for each able person in their household. No one is starving and illiterate, because education is free for everyone. We filled their bodies with food while knowledge for their minds. However, everything changed because of that night. Chapter 97 Their POV The wielders of the five blessings are those who inherited the authority of the five gods. Authorities are the power or influence the Gods have over the mortal realm. Each God have their respective authority which has something to do with their existence and connection over the universe. No power can go beyond the authority of Gods since they are the supreme beings that made the entire universe. Many stories about the blessings spread far and wide during the Age of Heroes, some said they were the past lovers of gods that reincarnated so many times. There are also tales saying they were descendants of the said gods. In the end, no one knows the truth other than the chosen holder of the blessing. The POV of Agnes I wonder when did things go wrong. Our kingdom wasn''t as wealthy as the other kingdoms but our citizens were very satisfied. They can have 3 meals a day and have stable jobs for each able person in their household. No one is starving and illiterate, because education is free for everyone. We filled their bodies with food while knowledge for their minds. However, everything changed because of that night. The sky turns dark while the ground bes red due to blood. For some reason a breakout urs, something that''s impossible to happen. Weekly our soldiers would inspect every forest to make sure no magical beast would turn into demons. But still they came and everything turned upside down. My home my people, my family and everything turned to ashes. "Agnes! Please darling listen to Daddy...this is not the time to be stubborn okay!" "I can fight too, please I can fight as well" With tears falling from my eyes, I tried to plea I wanted to be at least useful, I didn''t want to just stand and watch everyone die. "You can''t please you have to be safe...your daddy can''t risk losing you" My father''s voice became gentle as if coaxing me to agree. "BANG!" The door flung open then a figure drenched in blood appeared. A pungent scent hits my nose, abination of the metallic odor with the smell of sweat and dirt. Then a knight bathed in blood came in, on its hand was a sword covered with blood while its back had a ck ragged cape also dyed with blood. This knight approached me and my father, each step made a rustic armor sound while also leaving a trail of blood. "CLANG!" The helmet was recklessly removed revealing a scarlet long hair. Then a pair of purple eyesid towards me. "Agnes!" "Mom!" The bloody knight was my mother, Larisa Hernandez Santos Von Elysium, a knight and queen who serves our kingdom. "You must go you can''t stay here!" "No, I won''t!" I was stubborn I know but it was the only thing I could do to remain where my parents were. I could feel that if I go I won''t be able to see them again. I struggled to argue but before I could utter a single word my head went dark and I copsed from where I was. ..... Niko''s Pov "Niko!" "My queen I apologize but it''s the only thing I could do" I held the princess''s head afraid that her fall might cause her injuries. "How did youe here?" The King questioned so I turned to look at him and answered "I came through the secret door, my king" "Well then take my daughter I already contacted the emperor he should arrive at the agreed location by now" "But my king why don''t you ask the emperor toe here instead, it shouldn''t take him too much time toe" The King did not answer instead he looked at the girl in my arms, his eyes softened as if he was seeing the love of his life, and then he shifted his gaze at me turning hard and determined. "The emperor is currently busy and will not be avable until midnight so you must take her now!" I felt my body tremble and the hairs on my body stood. Amand is finally given, as a vassal of the Goddess of time I must obey her descendants'' wishes. "I will do what youmand my king" I lifted Agnes and ventured into the path of the castle as I did so the walls vibrated due to the ongoing battle. "Hang in there I''ll get you out of here" My movements didn''t falter despite running for quite some time. I am a vassal I shall never get tired. I vowed to myself and as I did so my body continued moving. The end of the passage is nearing, the closer I be the more nervous I am. "Brother!" I shouted seeing his steady silhouette. "Hurry!" Instead of returning my greeting, he said those words to me before throwing a ring. "Be safe little bother" The events happened so fast that I wasn''t able toprehend it. As soon as Inded my foot on the magic circle a blinding light blinded me until it took my sight away. ... In the middle of the continent, a man d in golden full armour and a red cape calmly walks over a temple. It was a temple no one had seen before except him and the descendants of the five gods. As he entered the deste ce began to be filled with light making the dead area alive. "I Augustus Tolentino Von Celestio greet the celestial Gods!" The mes on the altar ignited signifying that he had woken the Gods. "Your children are dying and that corrupt monster will once again return, please pay heed to my plea and take away your authority. If you take them away those people from the monastery won''t be able to do anything" He kneels and begs to be heard however no one answers his prayer. So the leader of the entire continent kneels even harder trying to gain God''s sympathy. But no one answered him "Please I am begging you they will die" Never in his entire life did he ever beg anyone but because his friend told him this would be the only way of saving the other descendants, he had no other choice, after all, he was also chosen to harness the power of Gods. He bowed and stayed the same way for a couple of hours until he finally heard a response. {My hero, my chosen one you mustn''t have asked something like this} "It is the only way to avoid more deaths please grant my wish" {If we were to do that then we must take all the blessings from the other descendants and chosen ones, including yours} "It doesn''t matter, my power and empire will remain strong even without the power you granted me" There was yet another silence after he said those words. The emperor felt nervous thinking he had offended the creator of this world. {My hero I apologize but the other wielder does not agree with you, they can''t hand their power away} "Damn it!" {But we know what you are worried about, be at ease because we shall help you. The blessings will disappear to the other descendants and chosen ones and will only manifest on their youngest members. This will continue until the threat of the Monastery ends} A bit of hope washes over the emperor causing him to bow even more deeply. "Thank you, thank you so much!" {Now run along your friend is currently in danger} Happiness filled the heart of the ruler as he ran out of the temple. "What is this!" However, as he did so the sky which filled with light when he entered turned dark when he came out. "No this is.. " In his estimation, he only stayed inside for six hours, but as he looked up he could tell the time due to the stars. "It is passed midnight" He came early in the morning but returned at midnight. "Not good" He covered himself with Aura and immediately dashed towards a location. "Damn it! Did you know this? You bastard why didn''t you tell me the time inside the temple is different from the outside!" As he dashed he began tosh out his frustrated mind. "Now I won''t be able to make it!" He went on and eventually flew towards the direction of Elysium kingdom, but as he came closer all he saw was burning houses and dead bodies covering the streets. "NOOO!!" The kingdom of Elysium was thest God descendant''s residence that was destroyed, the others were already burned down, and its people ran away and went to hiding. With still a bit of hope he ran again and went to the castle however what he saw was no better from the outside. "No..." He weakly said while walking towards his friend''s dead body. "You idiot! I could have protected all of you if let me stay here!" As he grieved he suddenly remembered theirst conversation. "That''s right the location" Just what''s in there that his friend explicitly said that must go no matter what. Chapter 98 I am in pain "You idiot! I could have protected all of you if let me stay here!" As he grieved he suddenly remembered theirst conversation. "That''s right the location" With his still grieving heart, he once again covered himself with Aura before shooting towards the sky. He flew fast breaking the sound barrier, and as he did so a booming sound could be heard. "Why did he tell me to go there if he ns to kill himself from the beginning?" His question didn''t take long to be answered. "I see" In an old chapel, three kingdoms away from Elysium two small figures can be seen sleeping soundly on the cold hard floor. It was Niko and Agnes, alive and well. "Ha...hahaha.." He was relieved but still in pain, he thought aboutughing to push his dark thoughts but all he gets are drops of tears from his eyes. "I''m seriously d" he said barely whispering. That night he took the two away and brought them to the imperial pce. They were the first to arrive in the pce even though their kingdom was thest to be attacked. Agnes'' Pov "Agnes?" Niko asked me, he must have noticed how quiet I had be. "What''s wrong?" "I don''t know" I really don''t know at first I thought maybe gaining revenge would make me feel better but now I don''t feel anything, nothing. Even when their blood painted the ground and their screams filled the air, it wasn''t enough to make me feel satisfied. "I just don''t know what to do" Niko looks at me worriedly, I know why he does but I couldn''t think of any reason to make him feel better. So all I could do was look at him. Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin "Are you confused?" An unfamiliar spoke however I know who it belong to. "Apollo" "It''s okay to be confused maybe revenge isn''t the one you truly wanted" His words struck a cord inside me perhaps he was right. Then in the end what do I want? I closed my eyes and kept thinking What did I want? As my thoughts drifted my mind brought me towards a certain memory, my family. It was the time when the foundation of the kingdom was being celebrated. Everyone wasughing and enjoying the festival while my friends and family danced with me at the evening bonfire. "I miss them" My eyes remain down while tears begin to fall. Apollo didn''t speak to me and instead continued his ughter. It seems my tears became the fuel for his desire to kill. "Niko" "Yes, Apollo?" "Take Agnes away from here it seems this ce isn''t the one meant for her" "Where should I take her? Should we return to the shrine?" "No" A magic circle then suddenly appears before me, its brilliance is blinding, burying my previous gloomy thoughts. "Go take her inside the teleportation circle" "Okay" Niko then urged me to stand so I did what he asked, but as I walked my eyes caught a glimpse of a person I used to know. "You?" "Agnes?" Apollo and Niko followed my gaze and saw a woman among the crowd of enemies. "Isn''t that your nanny?" My hand trembled while my mind went nk, and then a voice echoed inside me. {The Monastery is capable of putting spies in every corner of the empire, even inside the imperial pce. So be careful} "She is....why" I thought you died? Why? My mind began to break down but two arms held me closely. "I think we should leave" "Should I kill her?" Niko and Apollo both said making my heart relieved. "Let''s go Niko" "Okay" Apollo removed his arms from mine and then went forward. I don''t need to ask I already know her ending. So I closed my eyes and followed Niko''s guidance. It was painful but the moment my kingdom fell everyone I knew was dead to me. So it doesn''t matter whether she betrayed us or not, my mind already deemed her dead. "Apollo will take care of her" "I know" I don''t know if I should be d or worried that I have a murderous friend like Apollo. Normal people of our age wouldn''t be able to kill this calmly but for him, it was done easily, perhaps it''s all due to his experience and upbringing. Then suddenly a mocking smile emerged from my lips making Niko even more worried. Seriously who am I to question him? I am no different from him, no WE are no different from him. No one in our age can calmly walk across and filled with corpses. Perhaps all of us are broken and just gotten used to this kind of environment. "Hold on" My friend whispered, strongly supporting me with his arms, so I told him. "Let''s go" The light envelops us until it takes us into a ce where we didn''t expect to see. "This is!" The kingdom of Elysium As soon as we arrive the mesmerizing sight of our kingdom''s za wees us. "How...this ce was broken.." My voice was strained due to my emotions escting and going uncontrolled. "Calm down please" I could hear his voice trying tofort but I could tell he was shaken as well. "What was Apollo thinking bringing us here" "No, it''s okay Niko" I took a step forward and saw how they looked the same as I remembered. "This is strange everything was destroyed back then but why does it look...normal?" From the trees to the benches inside the za, everything was the same as it was before. "I''m getting nervous" "I am the same Niko" We walked even more and saw a little girl ying around the bushes. As we walked closer my body felt like a bolt of lightning struck it. The girl''s features were somehow familiar.....extremely familiar. "Wait?.... Is that...me?" Niko wasn''t able to speak either and was as surprised as I was. What''s going on? Wasn''t it a teleportation spell? Why do I see myself right now, how did the younger me end up here? How!? "Princess" "!?" "!?" Suddenly amidst our confused state, another familiar voice can be heard. "It''s me!?" Niko eximed seeing a boy wearing a knight training suit. "Why is the princess here in the middle of the night?" Instead of answering the young Agnes turned her back to Niko and started walking away. "Princess where are going!? You can''t walk like this, you are too far from the pce" Even though his voice was soft and very coaxing the stubborn princess continued to walk. I was dumbfounded watching myself act like a brat and also embarrassed by how Niko patiently persuaded me toe with him. "Um....pardon me but did something like this happen before?" "I...I don''t know I can''t remember either" I stutter a bit but knowing his attention is upied it should be fine. "Princess.....please" The young Niko spoke again and his soft and patient voice was getting me worked up. I don''t remember this happening just what''s going on here. With me and Niko both in deep thought a deep baritone voice caught our attention. "What is my cute little daughter doing here" "What the!?" "That''s...father" My father the king of our kingdom was standing right in front of me again. He was alive and well, his face was just the same as I remembered. "Father!" The young me ran while the young Niko kneeled to show his respect. "I greet the ruler of the kingdom" "Greetings to you my knight, it seems like you are getting upied" "Not at all Your Majesty it''s just that I was worried about the princess" "Thank you for worrying" "It''s my duty sir" My father chuckled before messing with Niko''s hair. "Agnes do what Niko said and go back to the pce" "Yes Father" My heart who was unrest suddenly felt funny seeing this exchange. "Now I really wanted to remember this" Niko said which made meugh "Me too" "Apollo you can take us out now, I don''t know how you did this but putting an illusion like this isn''t funny" "Niko''s right Apollo" We spoke in the air hoping he would take us out but instead of hearing the same unfamiliar voice, we heard Him instead. "And who is this Apollo I am hearing? Do you have a boyfriend already, my daughter?" That voice made me and Niko look at each other before turning our backs towards someone. "I am d to see you can use the Goddess'' powers to this extent. Although it is not a perfect time travel yet, since no one except those with the power of time can see you, still it''s better than nothing" Father then circled us as if assessing our appearance, I felt nervous but then he spoke again. "And seeing you in this unstable form meant you can''t touch anything. You two are only ghosts brought from the future" "So tell me my dear daughter what brought you here?" His face was closed making my heart rise, my father was right in front of me. I haven''t seen you for a while now. "It''s been three years Father" I can''t help it, tears begin to fall and my emotions leak out to the surface. "I missed you!" Chapter 99 I am in pain part II Continuation of Agnes'' POV "I missed you" My voice cracked while my body trembled, I was nervous but still, I wanted to tell him how much I miss him. I hope my mom is here as well. I also want to see her again. "Did something happen in the future?" I wanted to tell him everything but instead, I shook my head. "I...I don''t know what I should say" While I cried my father looked at Niko trying to know what was going on. His expression didn''t look good as he shifted his gaze at me and then back at Niko. "What happened?" "Your majesty....they want him to return" It was only those words but somehow Father figured out what he meant. "Seeing your expression like this means I didn''t make it" I cried, even more trying my best to stay calm but failed to. "It''s okay don''t cry" I felt his embrace which I haven''t been able to feel since the day he died. "Where''s mom?" He chuckled after hearing my question but still, he answered "She is on her way here, no need to worry" Then he slowly patted my back, trying to calm my heart. I didn''t know what happened nor how long we stayed in this position but soon I heard her voice. "What''s going on?" I unconsciously break away from my father''s arms and look eagerly at the person who owns that voice. "Mom!" I was about to rush to her when someone stopped me. "No need to rush, let me help her see you first" Right only those with the power of time can see me and Niko, mom won''t be able to see us unless father does something. "Dear, what is going on?" "Don''t be confusede here" Then as soon as father held mom''s hand a different kind of magic suddenly hit me. {This is not magic dear..} "Who!?" {Its authority} A warm embrace suddenly enveloped me while my eyes caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman. Her smile makes all my worries disappear as if the pain I previously felt didn''t happen. {Smile} I cried, her words were so relieving that my emotions suddenly flooded out like a broken dam. "Agnes?" I cried even harder her touch was something I longed to feel. "Mom!" I ran and went to her, I wanted to feel her warmth, her breath, her life. If this is a dream I don''t want it to end. But then again every time happinesses it has its ending, then I heard his voice, and this time it is really him. [I''m sorry to interrupt you but time is running out, you must return now] It was Apollo, I don''t know what he did but all I can say is..."Thank you" [Thank meter, have a proper goodbye to your parents first] "Yes I will" I looked at my parents and spread my arms for another hug. "I love you, father, mom" "I don''t really like you saying these words in that tone, it feels like I won''t be able to see you again" Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin I chuckled but restrained the tears that threatened to fall. "I love you my beloved daughter" "Be safe and stay healthy okay?" "I will" I finally let go and saw Nikoing from the other side of the za, it seemed he left without me knowing. "I suppose it''s time for you two to go back" "Yes" "Be careful okay" "We will" The pain was gone, it was now reced by hope I felt lighter now as if a huge burden was removed from me. The previous magic circle then emerged blinding my parents. Then I saw how slowly they disappeared before being reced by an empty shrine. "We are back" Then one by one I saw Aaron and the others being transported as well. "It seems that we are right on track" "Yes I hope it continuous" ... Back at the time where they left off, Agnes'' parent was still standing at the ce where their daughter disappeared. "Dear our daughter is gone" "Yes she is" The two were silent until the king spoke to his wife. "What was it you are going to tell me beforeing here?" "Ah that....the thing is your friend sent a message saying that Hexzon vige was destroyed along with the few other viges surrounding it" They became silent again knowing what it meant. "It seems the future is transforming into the one our future daughter came from" "What should we then?" "We do what we can but for now, let''s show her how much we love her" ... Apollo''s Pov [Are you okay Creator?] "Yeah" I held my body each strand of it felt like breaking. [You used a forbidden magic] "Well I just couldn''t let her be like that you know" Jeremiah didn''t answer instead I could feel a warm embrace surrounding my body. [Your body will disappear now] "Yeah the time spell I used consumed the time of its caster" [And here I thought the authority of the time Goddess would nullify the effects of the spell] "Everythinges with a price Jeremiah, you know that" I broke through time so it took mine. A series of cracks emerged from my body and my vision was also affected. [Your body is deteriorating, Creator] "Yes I know" I closed my eyes feeling my body turning into dust. "Well there goes one of my bodies" I opened my eyes again and saw a pile of dust on the ground. So that''s me a few seconds ago Scary, that spell is too scary to use, but I still like it I''ll think of a few more trickster and make it user friendly but for now, let''s stay away from it. "Now where was I again?" [You were in the middle of a fight against the archbishop of this temple] "Right" But then something suddenly popped inside my head a question that I missed. How exactly did the Monastery manage to subjugate all the children with blessings? Obviously, the wielders are more than one and skilled personnel so howe they lost? [Isn''t it because of the demon beast breakout?] "Is that really the reason?" [You are worried about something] "I just neglected that aspect but I should have been prepared in case there is someone or something that can cancel a God''s authority" [That is impossible Creator no being can be above the beings who created this universe] "And yet their descendants were ughtered, I need to be prepared" And so with those thoughts, I began to gather my mana to attack. "Let''s save the essence for bigger enemies" Fifteen rings emerged from the sky summoning a great deal of heat. Then it falls and washes out the entire area. It was a purple magic circle, embedded in it where fifteen magical rings. Celestial level spell, Lightning element, Heaven''s Gate The clouds parted creating a huge hole in the sky, and then bolts of lightning rained down as if ending the world. The enemies put the best defensive spells they can but it wasn''t enough. The heat and speed of my lightning spell were capable of melting any defense. [Creator there is still one remaining living enemy] "It seems the archbishop here is also strong" [No, Creator that man was already dead this one is different] I looked at where that man was and could only see him calmly standing in the middle of the broken inner temple. "Can you get his stats?" [Negative Creator Something is blocking my sensor I can''t evaluate this man''s powers] "Interesting" My spear then hums absorbing an abundant amount of essence. "I should greet him no?" From the shattered lightning strikes it suddenly became focus, to be exact I directed all the lightning at one point. Heaven''s Gate, Fash point The white lightning sparks and generates a mass of volts and heat. The ground was dented like the area was a meteor crash site. With all the mes and burns in the ground, my spell did not stop. It gathered more strength and was about to release another st when.....something struck it instead. A white light shot towards the sky before exploding. The thunderclouds disappear and the gate of lightning disperses. [Why did you not stop it? You saw iting] "I was just wondering what will happen" [And here I thought you would be cautious] "Unfortunately I''m already acting cautious, you just didn''t notice it" While we talked I saw how that man positioned himself to attack again. "Shoot" A rain of bullets flew and my soldiers positioned themselves in a way they could immediately attack the enemy. "He has a very strong physique and mastery over his body" I saw clearly how he utilized his staff to either block or dodge the bullets. A superb reaction and speed capable of dodging a bullet and a stable technique to block it, a goodbination. But what is more interesting is his weapon. "I want to examine it" Never in my entire life have I seen a weapon that is living and made out of flesh. My spearnded on my hand, while my gaze remained on my enemy''s staff. Now then let''s see, should I test how sturdy that flesh weapon is? I form my stance and wielded my spear, lightning sparks while mes ignite the gaps and symbols surrounding my weapon. "Alright let''s do some greeting again" Chapter 100 The One Who Was Promised Continuation of Apollo''s POV And so with all my might, I threw my spear, and just like what happened with my previous strikes the ground was broken yet again until my weaponnded on my target. I saw it all how his mana and ki blended together and transformed the staff into a more grotesque form. The flesh kept on pulsating as if it were alive. Then it expanded transforming into a different kind of weapon. The flesh which is covered with thick ckish blood suddenly opens and gives out a set of different bones. It wriggles in a disgusting way to adjust to its new form. A sinew, bone, and muscle, formed into a jagged de. Its handle was made from sinew wrapped around a bone, it pulsates slightly as if alive. The de itself, hardened muscle fibres interwoven with sharpened bone fragments, exudes a faint warmth and faintly throbs with a slow, rhythmic pulse, almost like a heartbeat. It''s a grotesque yet strangely functional weapon, unnervingly frightening, especially watching it in fast motion. [It''s beating but doesn''t have a heart] "Not everything that beats needs a heart, Jeremiah" Then I felt a sudden wave of energye head to head with my spear. "The power is good, then let''s increase the challenge" My spear then began to spin, its high rotation speed and focus of application force put significant pressure on my mysterious opponent. The concentrated and drilling forcebined with its lightning and fire properties made it hard for my opponent to deflect the attack. My eyes were expecting something from him and sure enough, I wasn''t wrong. The speed at which his mana and ki blended to make a response was impressive. It was fast and efficient and able to give an adequate force to continue blocking my strike. Then after strengthening his arms and weapon, he redirected my spear aiming it at the side. My spear went on and flew past him but since it was being controlled by me it immediately changed its direction and aimed at his head. That''s when I heard a chant, a prayer. "A gospel" Magic emerges surrounding his eerie weapon. As it baths with the gospel''s power my spear was already in its way. Lightning was fast but he went faster, almost at the speed of light. [We should get involved, he is too dangerous] Indeed he is, so I move my spear manoeuvring it faster. [He is keeping up] "I know" I want to save my spells so I thought about using authorities. "Gravity 10x" The pressure surrounding the mysterious man grew heavy however instead of getting slower he went even faster even knocking away my weapon. [Creator!] "I know" I saw it all, through the upgraded sensors of the system I could see how the flow of energies worked for both my opponent and his weapon. Just now that man''s weapon did something I never anticipated. "It ate the authority" It''s like a massive ck hole opens up from the thickyer of flesh and swallows the authority I release. Themand I gave for gravity to obey me turned to nothing as soon as the mangled pile of flesh swallowed and took the authority away. A wave of energy sted the ground, and right in front of me, the jagged bone weapon appeared right in front of my face. It was fast, however... I am faster. The scent of something burning hit my opponent''s nose along with my fist. "Thunder aura, Positive lightning" The clouds then darkened as lightning strikes. Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin [He blocked it] "Yes I can see it" He was sent flying because of the lightning''s impact but he just fixed his stance and charged another gospel, as the light flowed in his entire body he engaged in closebat with me. Every movement he made began to be calcted by me which is why despite his speed I was able to keep up. He was terribly fast and flexible along with his frightening weapon, it made me feel pressured. [On your left!] I felt a strong impact from my left temple and saw the de blocked by my skill Light of Aegis. I can''t help but smirk. [You are reckless!] "Ugh!!" Blood springs out and someone defencelessly falls on the ground. "Ah....you purposely left it open" My opponent spoke while trying to heal his punctured chest. Like I said I already calcted all his future steps and just have to take advantage of it. I know he will attack my head so I let it open and as soon as he moves, my dyed spell activated, striking his chest with another lightning spell. I specifically time the activation of the spell to my opponent''s attack catching him off guard. He must have thought he got me there. "Argh!!" [He is healing fast! Finish him before it''s toote!"] I frowned I want to study him more and his usage of his weapon but he is too dangerous to be left alone. I was about to move when he attacked first, it seemed like he was disregarding his wounds to attack me. [Dodge!] Jeremiah''s voice rang inside my head, well I wouldn''t me him. Who wouldn''t panic when a giant lump of flesh spreads out in front of you, while dozens of mouths and eyes begin to swallow you? I stood where I was not bothering to move, and then it happened. "Arghhhh!!!" A scream of pain along with the sound of rustling electricity came to my ears. White lightning bolts intensify breaking the chain of flesh and blood. "It seems you had forgotten about my spear so it came back to remind you" "Argh!" He tried to move but the massive amount of volts paralyzed his body. A high amount of voltage had a force to break and mangle bodies, but after analyzing my opponent''s body I knew it might take a while to kill him in this method. "Let''s finish this" My spear glows absorbing the essence, the symbols and patterns that adorned its body started to part from each other until the spear became separated and bounded by blue glowing lights. "Jeremiah take care of that weapon" [Affirmative ] I can see it, even when he is being fried alive he is sane enough tomand his weapon. I can''t let you do that "Argh!" He screams even more, I guess being separated from his weapon causes some mental damage but it doesn''t really matter. My spear turned into pure energy and along with my lightning spell itpletely disintegrated the man''s body, finally ending the fight. "And now I have the answer to my question" [You mean the thing you were suspecting?] "Yes, bring me the soul of the archbishop" [Affirmative] "I need to know more about this mysterious weapon" Veritas is a spell under necromancy magic and thus I can still extract memories even though my target is dead. "Hey don''t worry I''ll let join the cycle once I get all the information I need" And at that time a mournful cry escaped from the soul''s core. ... "Very interesting" "What is it this time?" Keith asked me while we walked across the cold and snowy temple. The second temple of the Monastery is located in the northern region at the boundary of Brynar and the continent Nerteros. "I found this while fighting on one of the temples" From my inventory, a staff made of grotesque flesh came out. Each strand of muscle pulsates in a rhythmic tune. "What is that!?" "A weapon forged from the flesh and bones of someone, have you by any chance seen this before?" "No, we haven''t" "Are you sure Keith?" "I am sure Apollo if I have seen something like that I will never forget it" "Keith is right this type of weapon is hard to erase from your mind" Looking at their facial expression I knew they weren''t lying. [If they didn''t encounter it then it''s either they were immediately transported away from the vige during the attack or this weapon wasn''t used against them] "That must be the case" We continued to walk until a high frozen temple appeared in our view. "No one has noticed our presence" Jillian whispered then I spoke. "They won''t be able to sense us since I sealed their senses" [Please thank me for that, I made the seal after all] "Yes thank you" The second temple is different from the rest, from the location and weather to the size of the temple everything is almost unique. The ce was huge and also had more powerful people. The weakest is at rank Marquis while the strongest are at Celestial. That is why our approach here will be different from the others. [You are using the ranking scale of a beast to measure them] "Because they are monsters, they deserve to be treated as a beast" We walked around the empty temple, cing the gifts I made for them. [Notifcation Alert! My sensors have scanned life in the underground tunnels] "No worries we will go thereter" [The life I have scanned is weak, Creator, like a dying candle I suggest we head there now] "Okay" I then looked at my two ssmates and told them we would change location. "Where?" "At the underground tunnels" "But we haven''t covered the entire ce yet" "It''s okay Jillian my soldiers will take care of it" Chapter 101 The One Who Was Promised Part. II The underground tunnel appears dimly lit passage carved through rock or earth. It has rough, uneven walls and a low ceiling. Also supported by beams or pirs to prevent copse. The atmosphere was damp, with moisture seeping through cracks, and the air was cool and musty. The Light is scarce almost non-existent at some part of the tunnel. The walls that are lit by unsteady light from the torches can barely be seen. The tunnel''s length and curvaturebined with the limited light create an eerie sense of istion. "Jeremiah, how long do we need to walk?" [You are already close just pass the iron gate and you will see it] And just like what he said we saw a ck rustic iron gate filled with lock defensive magic. "It''s protected by magic Apollo" "Yes I can see it" I approached the gate and just ordered Jeremiah to break it for me. [Creator I have noticed something at the end of this tunnel] "And that is?" [A library] This piqued my interest, after all, it''s rare for people to put a library in a tunnel. "It''s open we should head inside" "Just what do want to see here?" "Treasures, we might find something here if we look around" Keith and Jillian both sigh probably not understanding why I am quite obsessed with gold and mine. Why? Would you pass on the opportunity of getting rich? Surely you won''t right? Our steps echo as we walk across a dungeon-like ce. The temperature was cold while the space was narrow and oppressive, with low ceilings. The walls were lined with torch sconces that cast flickering, dim light. Same as the walls we previously saw but as we walked more we began to realize its difference. Iron chains rattle asionally, hanging from hooks embedded into the stone, remnants of its past captives. Thick iron bars divide the cells, their surfaces corroded with age and neglect. This cast ominous shadows across the damp floors. The sound of dripping water echoes throughout, adding to the eerie ambience. Each cell door is reinforced with heavy bolts and padlocks. And from its surfaces, we could see scratches from the captive''s futile escape attempts. Just seeing the marks of desperation exudes a sense of despair and confinement on us. These marks are a chilling reminder of its purpose as a ce of captivity and punishment. "This ce looks terrible" "Apollo, are you certain there is treasure here?" "Of course I am" "It''s creepy" "Yeah, Apollo-.." Keith''s voice halted when one of the cells showed signs of someone being imprisoned there. [Thats him] I wonder why Jeremiah asked me to look into this prisoner. "Let''s approach that cell" I told them, Keith followed while I heard something from behind me. "Sigh" Jillian looked conflicted but still followed me and Keith. [She is scared, Creator] "For someone who experienced being hunted, I never expected she would be afraid of something like this" [Perhaps it''s not because she is afraid but maybe this ce is reminding her of something] My steps halted due to his words and unintentionally I looked at Jillian. She looked ufortable but I could still see she was doing well. [Should I scan her?] "No, I think that''s disrespectful" [Okay] "Why did you stop?" "Did you see something, Apollo?" "Ah no let''s continue" I should be careful of my actions from now on because unknowingly I might trigger some bad memories in them. Finally, we reached the cell and the first thing that happened was Keith and Jillian''s reaction. "Chief!" "Father!" It was a man with long dark green hair, his body was neglected to the point that he was left with little fat and more bones. However, despite his condition, I could still see his past glorious state. The battle scars and how loose his skin is, it was evidence of how bulky he used to be. "Father!" Keith hastily approaches the cells making me stop him. "There is a trap don''t touch nor approach it" Then two pairs of eyes looked at me desperately, they were begging for me to help. And I won''t deny that to them. So I raised my hand and ordered "Jeremiah deal with the traps" [!?] "What?" [I thought you gonna do it seeing how dramatic you are] "Just do it" [Alright] Then something melted inside the rustic iron bars of the cell. It begins to smoke until it finally melts and disappears. After that, the entire cell was covered in light as Jeremiah disfigured the magic traps thaty there. "Done you can go in" "Thank you!" They rushed inside and gently freed him from all the chains that bound him. "Father! Can you hear me!" "Chief let me help you" Jillian''s palm was ced on top of the man''s head and to my surprise, a glowing light appeared from her hand. "I don''t sense any magic" [Because she''s not casting] "Don''t tell me it''s a gift?" Gifts are the counterpart of a demon''s skill and my system-made skills. It is something that can be obtained since birth or training and can be activated without the use of any chanting or casting. "I have never seen one before" A gift manifested since birth is very rare to find much rarer than the training method. "Analyze her gift" [Affirmative] Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin While Jeremiah analyzes the gift my eyes went through the man''s condition. "Wai-..." I was about to speak when someone spoke first. "Do-..." his voice was barely a whisper but with the quiet corridors of the dungeon we could still hear him. "Don''t... waste....energy..." His voice was strained probably due to dehydration so Keith with his trembling hand tried to give him water. "Here father! Please drink!" A small bottle appeared from Keith''s ring, then he gently helped his father drink through a straw. I wanted to say something but seeing their desperate attempts to save his life made me hesitant. [You must speak Creator] Can I really do it? I drew my attention back to them and heard that man''s voice again, however, this time his voice was more solid and alive. I heard a softughter from him making my heart hurt. He isughing despite the situation, it hurts me to see a person like this. "Father" Keith''s voice cracked who wouldn''t be right? If I saw anyone from the tower like this I might not just cry....I might run berserk. "It''s okay...I am just happy..." there were gaps in his words because he kept catching his breath, and this caused us to be worried. "No....please no more speaking" The man chuckled again like finding something amusing, but as he did so our hearts were put to the edge. Each breath, each gasp and choke made us worried that it might be hisst. "I...I am happy....son....seeing you are safe....made those three years worth it...myst remaining life is well spent.... " "Your brothers and I....we took as many as we can to ensure you can be safe...." "....when the attack happened.....'' they'' appeared..... A legion of sword men, wielding weapons with questionable appearance....it looked alive...and threatening.... " He began to narrate his story when the attack happened, this drew my attention to listen. ".... we''re desperate...they were many and blessings were useless...." then he moved his head and looked straight at his son''s eyes. "....I thought the Gods had abandoned us...that we are no longer loved.....because no matter how hard I call no one answers..." Then as he continued to speak his eyes softened. "...then I heard his voice...he answered me....he told me....that you will be safe...out of all the deaths that will happen that day....you are the one who was promised to live...." My hand trembled as I realized one thing, they sacrificed themselves to make sure Keith would live. Because of the words of the Gods, it spark fuel for them to make sure Keith will be saved. "...me and your brothers are already old...everyone in the vige is....except you two.....so we took as many as we can so that you two can live....." Tears flowed down from Keith and Jillian''s face but their focus remained still. ".....I want you two to remember....that all of us want to...say these...we love you...live...and be happy..." As soon as he said those words his heart began to beat slowly, his vitals were shutting down while his eyes began to close. "No!" Even with Jillian using her gift of healing it wasn''t enough to save his life. His body was almost dead but his mind remained focused on his goal, to meet his son again. As his life began to vanish, Jillian kept pushing herself, using her gift to save the little life in the man''s body. "Apollo! Please!" Keith began to beg me and I don''t know what to do. I already analyzed his body and knew it was time for him to go. "PLEASEEEEE SAAAVEEE MYY FAATTHHERR!!" His voice echoed, and then an idea popped inside my head. "Okay move Jillian!" [I suddenly have a bad feeling about this] "Won''t worry you are not the only one" Chapter 102 I am Breaking Laws Humans, beasts and other life forms have their own endings. And once their time hase to an end, their soul must flow with the cycle. However what if someone actually breaks that rule? A man who is already close to his death is brought back to life. ... "PLEASEEEEE SAAAVEEE MYY FAATTHHERR!!" His voice echoed, and then an idea popped inside my head. "Okay move Jillian!" [I suddenly have a bad feeling about this] "Don''t worry you are not the only one" I only have one thing that could help us but there are consequences if I do so. Discover hidden stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin "Whatever, what I truly need now is time!" I am doing this again ''Forbidden magic, Darkness element, Time magic'' ''Clock Tower''s Hand'' "Blessing of the Goddess of time heed my call...Rewind!" My usage of authority is barely average so this move is the only thing I can do right now. Using the spell Clock Tower''s Hand I could amplify the power of themand I gave. "REWIND!" That''s right, I will use the time surrounding Keith''s father to turn his body three years from the past. However, doing so will erase the interaction that happened a while ago. That''s why I need the Clock Tower''s Hand, to fully manipte the time the way I wanted it. However this spell takes away the time of the caster. So the more I prolonged this casting the more I subjected myself to death. Well, it''s not like my other body didn''t disappear a while ago. However, although I sound like it wasn''t a big deal the truth is...the feeling that every fiber of my body was being destroyed and disappeared still vividly remains inside my head. And now it will repeat through this spell. "I SAID REWIND!" Mymand was given and so did my spell, the hand of the clock was given to me and the time was modified ording to my will. Light envelopes the entire cell, the brighter the light the more cracks emerge from my body. It hurts....a pain I never felt before break into my skin almost driving me insane but still the process is not done yet, I must continue. More! "CRACK!" My cheeks are falling over while my vision is disappearing. Seriously I really need to change this spell. I might not die but the pain could drive anyone crazy. [But you are already one] "Shut up!" Just a tiny distraction can cause mymand and spell to berserk. When that happens you can imagine a ce where time is irregrly ced. Past, present and future meet, creating a distorting space. I mustn''t let that happen. With all my will I bend the time to do what I wanted. "REWIND!" The space fluctuate and I know time is not enough to do what I wanted. [Your current body won''t be able to use two types of authorities at the same time, have you forgotten Creator the copied blessings can only be used one at a time? Like switching shoes that could fit the battle you need] "Sorry....haha, but I think I need to break that rule" "I COMMAND YOU OBEY TO ME!" Space and time began to mix adjusting to themand I gave, however, as they did so my fissures began to spread out. At this moment my consciousness started to fade. [Notification Alert! Consciousness disconnection has been detected! The Hive Mind is destabilizing....] Jeremiah''s voice began to fade away, my mind seemed to be being swallowed by something. {What''s this? Are you actually dying right now?} "!?" As soon as I heard that voice the authority of Mystics spread out inside my mind. "You won''t die" I said to myself putting my mind under themand. "You won''t die" I repeated and to my surprise, themand not only affected my mind but also my body. [Notification Alert! The Hive Mind is stabilized Activation of the blessing Mystics created resonance and bnce among the two blessings] "Thanks" [Focus] I smirked and put my mind to the thing I was doing. "OBEY ME!" The entire temple shook and I am certain my seal broke off with it. [Don''t worry it didn''t] I breathed a sigh of relief although I could still handle them since I have hundreds of bodies but with my mind like this, I need to be careful. Three coloured lights bind the body of Keith''s father while the entire dungeon is filled with light. "A little bit more," I said to myself until the lightspletely blinded me, when I opened my eyes again, a golden field weed me. "What?" I was mesmerized by its beauty until a voice woke me up. "Father!" It was Keith''s, so I stabilized my vision and looked at them. "Chief" "Jeremiah.." [Yes] "Show me his status" [Affirmative] Then series of numbers emerged in my view until it caught my eye. "STATUS: Normal" [Congrattions Creator you seed!] A smile painted on my face and a wave of relief hit me. "I did...I really did it!" I was jumping for joy with Jillian until a sound brought me back to reality. "CRACK!" The fissures had returned and slowly spread in my body. Everything has its price and now I need to pay it. "I need to go and check the other cells, you two can stay here and rest" "Okay" "Come back once you see a treasure okay" "Yeah I will" I managed to smile despite the pain and walk hastily. Fortunately, their attention was so upied that they didn''t even notice me. "I am going to die again I guess" [Dying twice on the same thing and on the same day is quite a feat Creator] "Shut up" I took a step and my feet broke up and fragmented. The sheer pain of that moment almost made me scream, but I maintained my silence. "You didn''t feel anything" I began to say while using the power of Mystics to blind my senses, however themand wasn''t able to save me from feeling my time disappearing. "It hurts" Both of my feet are already broken so I can''t walk, so I crawl even though my lower half is already gone. It won''t be good to be seen in this way so I went towards one of the empty cells. [It''s time now Creator] "Yeah I know" I blink and the scenery immediately changes. [You should really not use forbidden magic, you might not die but you might go crazy] "I''ll keep that in mind" Then I teleported back to the dungeon and ventured into the dark passage. And as I walked deeper the scarcer the light became. [We are here] "That''s strange" [Why?] "It''s a dead end" [I know.....just break the walls aren''t secret passages normal in a ce like this] "Well that makes sense" So just like what he said I punched a hole in the wall and then punched again until I made a tunnel. [I take back what I said it seems they have no idea about this ce] "Yeah and now I am turning into a mole" [You can do it, it''s just a little dirt] From punching I began to do some digging then I reinforced the tunnel I made with Earth element spells. "Jeremiah turn on night vision" [Gear confirm Gear has been equipped] My eyes got clearer making my digging faster. "How long do I have to do this digging" [Just continue until you hit something] "That''s one clear instruction you have there" And so for about a minute, I think I turn into a mole. "This is giving me a headache" I formed my stance once again and punched a hole in the cold soil but then I suddenly found something. "Hun?" [We find it!] It was a wall? [Yes you found the wall of the library] "The wall...so I have to find the door or window to get inside" [Yes] I sigh, this is turning into a drag as time goes by, however, I soon find the door. "It''s enchanted" [I''ll take care of that] "Before we enter let me take some measure" Whatever was inside has been stuck there for years, so I shouldn''t expect good air quality, though I doubt air could be here. I chanted a spell and put a barrier around me and once I was inside a ce full of darkness surrounded me. "Let''s make a quick lighting" Then I took something from my inventory, a small globe we usually made inside the tower. "Activate" The globes are voice-activated so once they hear a voice it will light up. "There now.....WOW!" Once the light spread I saw big no giant shelves with books filling them. "Jeremiah scan everything" [dy Creator] I don''t know which era these books came from but based on their cover I can tell I hit the jackpot. While still marveling at my discovery my attention began to be pulled by something. "Mymunication bracelet" I turned it on and saw the code was from Keith. {Apollo, father is fine we should proceed to n....by the way did you find the treasure you were looking for?} I couldn''t help by smirk due to his question and happily I answered him "Yes!" Chapter 103 A core Looking at the library I noticed how some books can be dated back in the early ages. "Thenguages are too old after all" I know some of the oldestnguages used before the empire but the ones used in the early ages are too hard for me to understand. [I can do the tranting] "Thank you" I really wanted to stroll around this huge library but I don''t really have the time right now. "Jeremiah gave me the current status of the soldiers" [Calcuting....Analyzing..... Analyzeplete! 80% of the current mark areas have been nted with our token gifts] "Good we should regroup with the others, but first we should take care of this..." I excitedly nced at the ce again after I was satisfied I ordered. "Put them inside the inventory" [Affirmative my Creator] A notification pops in front of me showing the inventory storage. [Done Creator] Due to the absence of the library, a deep hole in the ground was made, fortunately, it didn''t fall on me due to Jeremiah''s Earth spell. "Jeremiah teleport me to Keith''s location" [On it] A magic circle appeared on the ground then as I walked its lightpletely devoured me, taking me to the ce I wanted to. "Hey" "Oh you are done" "Yes" I smile at two then my eyes switch to the person beside them. "Good day sir" "Yes, good day to you too...." He then stood up and to my surprise he was as tall as my demonized form. But looking at us he might look more intimidating with all the muscles and scars he has. My current appearance was the same as when I did the mission with Alicia. A ck helmet encased my face and two horns, and then on my body was a ck coat on top of my ck armor. "You are a peculiar being" "I get that a lot" "I apologize for thete introduction but my name is Lothar, chief of the Frostfang tribe" "Apollo, one of your son''s friends" "Yes I did notice that" "Apollo, should we continue?" "Yeah we should start now" Then I took out a small remote that controls the so-called gifts I made for this temple. "Safety first" A barrier was then forged surrounding the entire dungeon. "Cover your ears" "What''s going on?" "Just do it, father" As they did what I told them I excitedly pushed the button and an ear-shattering sound hit the ceiling of the dungeon. "Was something exploded just now?" "Yes chief and please brace yourself more is about toe" and just like what she said continuous amount of noise began hitting the entire underground tunnel. I am impressed seeing how the ceiling moves and how strong the impact of the explosion is. The entire tunnels in each temple have one thing inmon. They are being protected by a very powerful defensive barrier, which is why no matter how crazy I attacked above no harm was done below. "CLANG!" Chains began to rattle as the dungeon began to shake however instead of panicking I was d. For the impact to reach here means the explosives I used were really powerful. It was strong enough to even prate sturdy defensive measures of the tunnel. [Notification Alert! Current kill count: 89 Explosive left: 203] "It seems we are going to stay here for a while longer" And after I said those words more explosions came. "Jeremiah alert the soldiers" [Affirmative Full gear weapon established] Outside the temple were mechanized soldiers surrounding the entire border of the temple, their bodies were well hidden by the seal given by Apollo. Then as they received themand, their bodies began to glow until a weapon emerged from it. It was a long rifle which was built to shoot speedy enemies from afar. [Inititing Gear mode... Gear mode 1... Annihtion...] The bullets were loaded and when the chaos started they immediately took advantage of it. All the priests and pdins that being distracted by all the falling debris and fire were shot to death. The soldiers were programmed to aim at the head of every target unless someone changed the gear then the ughter would continue. Shoots came from the rifle causing the barrel to smoke and heat up. However, it didn''t end there the bullets continued to be loaded while bodies began to pile up. [Notification Alert! Total kill count: 3647 Explosion left: 57] The bullets used by the mechanical soldiers are the upgraded version of the one I used back on the hunting ground. It was a type of bullet to silently shoots and can make mana haywire. It can also be used to disrupt the surrounding mana and not just living beings. Some of the soldiers would shoot the ground neutralizing the connection of the pdins and priests to their spirits. Then most soldiers would shoot two bullets on the same head, one to destroy their magic barrier and the second to make sure their target died. The upgraded bullets also have another effect other than disrupting mana, once it blend in the surroundings anyone who breathes the disrupted mana would experience mana depletion. So the longer this situation continues the more people will suffer from mana depletion, and that would cost their lives. As time went by some pdins and priests tried to attack their mysterious attacker although they failed to sense their position they could still use other ways, if they could analyze the trajectory of each bullet then they could somehow trace the person or being who continuously shot them. Even the archbishop was forced to step up even though the fight had barely begun. As he observes the flying projectiles he proceeds to cast a gospel, however... "PANG!" A crisp metallic sound that felt like caused by a blunt attack caught the attention of the priest. "Your grace please continue the gospel!" A pdin dered while holding his broken shield. "Your head it''s!?" "It''s okay please proceed-...BANG!" Blood sttered while his head blew up due to a bullet. The archbishop was bbergasted and horrified, the brave pdin who saved him was dead right in front of him. "How brutal!....this....this is inhumane!" "Inhumane? Do you even deserve to be treated like a human?" A unison of voices was heard from being born from darkness. Then suddenly the voices stopped speaking and a man in ck emerged from the dark shadows cast by the cluster of thunderclouds. "A demon?....or a devil?... No, it doesn''t matter, I don''t think a being like you have the right to talk about humanity" The demon couldn''t help but snicker then more ''him'' suddenly emerged at the fallen pir and debris of the temple. "You know when ites to talks about being a human I don''t the two of us had the right to speak....after all.." The ground began to shake while a spear was summoned. "Monsters have no right to speak humanly" Thunder hit the ground causing fire to set the remaining houses. "Oh Lord of Beasts heed my call let the...." The archbishop began to chant and for some reason, he was way slower than the ones I fought before. "Let''s go fast!" My body began to be d with lightning and zoom across the temple going straight at my opponent''s neck. I was confident that my speed would be difficult to block but then... "FEAR ME NOT!" an unknown voice said and gospel was sent out of nowhere but fortunately I dodged it. "THE LORD HAS COME!" Due to some unknown gospel attacking me the archbishop was able to finish his chanting. A shot of ck and white light transforming into a legion of wing beasts came to me. My spear spun and with its body d in the mass amount of electricity, its umted speed was insane. Thunder roars while blue streaks of light zoom across the ruined temple. It only took a second and all those wing beasts fell on the ground before turning into nothing. "What!" He was surprised but by now their reaction to are getting repetitive and it''s getting boring as well. Another gospel was shot out of one of my blind spots but I didn''t bother to block it. The surrounding mana began to solidify and the attack waspletely blocked. I know they must be so surprised by now but I don''t have really time for this. The effects of the bullets were also in full effect. I could see its effects although it seems none of them had noticed it. [Notification Alert! The skill Oppressor has been long inactive! Enemies in a 1 km radius would be subjected to its effects Discover more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin The enemies shall be influenced causing their thinking to be limited and judgement to be clouded] A grin formed on my lips while my hand pulsated with lighting. "Thunder Aura, Negative lightning!" My spear became one of my spells and it turned into streaks of light attacking the priest who''s been sniping me and the archbishop. [He dodges it] Now that is interesting, so Imanded my spell and the branches of lighting turn one. My spear which became one with my spell regained its physical form and chased after the speedy enemy. Chapter 104 A Core Part II [He dodges it] Now that is interesting, so Imanded my spell and the branches of lightning became one. My spear which became one with my spell regained its physical form and chased after the speedy enemy. A sound of thunder and a scent of burning permeated the air while my spear impaled the priest. "Huh?" It seems my target is full of trickery, the man I just impaled slowly disappears leaving a chunk of wood on the cold floor of the temple. I summoned my spear to return to me while I returned my attention to the archbishop. "He is gone" [I think the priest took him away] "This is really interesting to think I can''t even sense him" [Neither do I Creator, so what should we do?] "About that....well let''s just use a spell to track them down" I began to envision my spell then as I solidified its foundation a light began to draw something on the ground, a ck magic circle. Darkness element, Necromancy magic, Chasing souls. Dark shadowy hands crawl out of the magic circle. Its eerie movements crept into the ground before chasing the soul of a certain man. "It''s good that you mark him" [I felt suspicious so I marked their soul it''s good I was right in doing so] The hands travelled the entire temple in a matter of seconds, that''s when the caster felt taken aback when he saw where they went. "Is that a coffin?" [It seems they are so excited to die that they want to be buried immediately] "I don''t really think that''s the answer" A coffin with ancient engravings, I never knew they had something like this. "Trante it, Jeremiah" [Tranting..... Trantion acquired! The one from the night The one from sunrise However, sleeps at dawn Won''t be able to return at dusk Power of night, power of light The day shall end and the night wille] "Is this a riddle or something?" [Dont know] I shook my head I don''t really have time with riddle so I just decided to teleport there. Teleporting was already an easy thing for me since I have been studying space and void before, that is why I was surprised when my teleportation was cancelled. "Argh!" Something blocked my spell and forced me to bump into the door, an iron door. "Wow, if it weren''t for my skill Light of Aegis my face would have been bruised because of this door" [A powerful ancient spell is protecting this ce we can''t enter recklessly] "Whatever" I don''t have time for this [Being impatient is not good my Creator] I know but I have this feeling that whatever is inside needs to be destroyed. "I''ll entire now" My power surge and the authority of space activated. I cast a spell again with the power of the blessings of Space I broke through the thing that''s blocking me. The inside of the room felt like entering a funeral with all the ck and white ornaments. Then in the middle of the room is a ck coffin. "How can you enter!" Ah, so that''s the mysterious nimble enemy he looks light, quite thin and has sharp eyes. Immediately upon his discovery of me, he made a quick movement to attack me. "Interesting" He was really fast however I am faster. Lightning spark while my senses spread out, I could read his movement so my next move would counter his. "CLANG!" My spear met his de, I tried to keep our distance beneficial to me but this man used swift parrying skills to deflect my attack. His goal is to get in close quarters with his agility and deflecting techniques. However, my speed and agility were my main strengths and now just parrying won''t save him. "Thunder Aura, Blue" A fast-moving blue lightning danced across my spear and went straight to my enemy. I smirked when I noticed how he anticipated my attack, the white blinding light bound his body providing a boost to his movements. Sure he dodged but if he did. "Argh!" I will be there to take advantage of it. My spear went through his chest and I could see his bewildered look. I thought he had somehow grasped my fighting style but it seems he didn''t. In my point of view, my attacks are repetitive but hard to survive. You may know my next attack but can you be fully prepared for it? "No!...argh!" He tried to move despite being impaled but I don''t really have any ns to let him live. "Disintegrate" My spear glows, amplifying the power of my skill and despite theyers of artifact for protection his body started to decay. Cracks started appearing until his entire body began falling apart. "No!" He struggles hard holding onto the spear to somehow remove it from his chest, but it does not move, it remains still until the man''s body is reduced to dust. "Finally" The fight ended shortly but our exchange was more than that. It was a fast rain of techniques between my sudden thrust and sweeps and his parrying and agility movements. [The coffin Creator something is odd with it] I took my attention away from my previous opponent and went to the next one. "Hmm?" For a moment I recognized the symbols embedded on the top coffin''s lid, it was different from the ones Jeremiah tranted on the side. "I know this magic circle" As I said those words my body felt a sudden chill. -However, sleeps at dawn Won''t be able to return at dusk- These words made me realize it''s a creature born from darkness, they sleep once the sun goes up andter return at the deepest part of the night not at dusk. However, riddles are not my forte that''s why I want to see the coffin myself and turns out it was a very problematic creature. "Vampire creation magic" [And an ancient one] This one might be too dangerous, especially the quotes from the coffin. [The one from the night then one from sunrise Does this mean something is opposing the power of the power?] "I don''t really care, I''ll break this first" I lifted my spear and put an adequate amount of essence to amplify my strike. As I put all my strength into my attack a magic circle appeared before the coffin serving as protection but I didn''t care and proceeded to break in. A loud sound of impact along with waves of electricity washes over the ce breaking everything and leaving only a ck casket. "That hurt!" I felt like my arms would fall apart while my entire body felt jelly. Since my attack didn''t break the coffin the force I released ended up returning to me numbing my entire body in the process. If the coffin breaks then some of the force would dissipate through the breaking material. However it didn''t, I was only able to break the protective magic around it but not the actual coffin. [To think that a coffin has a strong resistant force] "I felt numb" "[You should think of ways to destroy the casket because ording to my scanner something is brewing inside it] "I know" I stood up weakly since my body went flying when my spear came in contact with the coffin. "It hurts damn it" My vision was hazy but immediately went to normal though my bnce was still a bit off. This is annoying I thought while dusting my clothes. [It''sing Creator] "Yeah I can also see it" The gears on my head are turning as the coffin lid opens a spell out of nowhere is cast. "Lumina" It was a fusion of magic darkness and fire element, Lumina. Light and darkness became one sting the shadow that flew out of the coffin. "Argh!" I heard a scream along with the scent of something burning. Oh, I was right though I never anticipated it''ll work like that. [What did you do Creator] This vampire is a daylight walker fire element spells won''t work on him. [But how did you know that fusion magic of darkness and fire can damage him] I don''t really know but I had a bunch through the riddle, it didn''t say that the day can kill the night or how the night would win against the darkness, it''s just saying how the light and darkness would switch as the day ends and nightes. It never states they will ss but just a cycle that goes on in nature. The light and darkness are both his strengths and also his weakness. Light can''t harm a daylight walker and darkness too. So you mustbine them that is their weakness. The harmony of the bnce they fought to im also came back to bite them down. "Why!...argh it burns!" [I still don''t understand the logic you didn''t exin it well enough] I could only chuckle sometimes I forgot that my AI is only a few months old. "It''s okay I don''t get it either" "I won''t die!" While me and Jeremiah talk the vampire priest casts a gospel to finally attack. I raised my hand a magic circle was drawn. Fusion magic, Fire and Darkness element, Eclipse Chapter 105 Vampire Hunter "I won''t die!" While me and Jeremiah talk the vampire priest casts a gospel to finally attack. A ck-tainted light draws a magic circle while a pool of bloodes into my view. My mind went focused and time seemed to slow down as my spell formed inside my head. I raised my hand a magic circle was drawn. Fusion magic, Fire and Darkness element, Eclipse. Light is a magic which stems from fire. It creates heat from its electromaic radiation and is visually appealing to the eyes. Darkness is the absence of light, its alter ego and counterpart. My spell eclipse absorbed the light on the surroundings leaving darkness in its wake. Mana was also pulled adding power to the spell. I felt the air changes when both light and darkness bypass each other. Then a tiny ck sun was made. Combining the two created the harmony I needed to destroy the gospel. "Argh!" I heard a person''s painful cry but I didn''t stop and continued manipting my spell. The spell was thenpressed into a tiny dot before flying straight to the archbishop. The surrounding mana was parted due to my spell while my enemy proceeded to protect himself. My ears heard the sound of a prayer and my mana suddenly froze. "I can''t breathe" [The temperature is getting low as well] That was unexpected, never knew a gospel that was yet to be fully cast could affect me like this. Which could only mean that the spell he is about to cast is one on the highest level. [The temperature is dropping... Activate the heating system... The heating system failed... Recaliberating....] I tried to regte my breathing but it was no use I could feel the temperature drop. This made me realize that my spell wouldn''t be able to win against whatever my opponent was casting. So using the spell Eclipse as a base I began to modify the spell before it hit the target. The temperature continues to drop even causing my spell to slow down. I took this chance to quickly change whatever the things I wanted to modify in my spell. However, I could feel my mind getting cloudy due to the freezing temperature. I tried to breathe but the frozen air was drying my throat and constricting my airway at this rate I would lose more of my body heat. [Warning temperature has now dropped to a dangerous level! It is advisable to leave the area immediately!.. The current temperature is being regted... Adjustment is being done!...] "Don''t worry I can definitely feel that the temperature is not good for me" I move and readjust my position, in my eyes, time moves slowly but in reality, everything moves normally. It''s just my brain that processes things faster than normal humans, no that''s a bit wrong to say, the correct way to say it, is that mages have a faster mind for processing and casting spells while martial artists rely more on their body and instinct. My mana suddenly spiked up and began to cover my entire body. A thinyer of blue halo became my shield and nket from the prating temperature. [Temperature is stabilizing... The heating system is fully operated! Blue mana property activated!] My mind then became clearer that''s when I saw my modified spell hits on the archbishop''s gospel. I felt the cold wind became even more apparent however it didn''tst long. A ring of mes burst and the gospel''s full power emerged shing with my mine. An icy white crystalline body sculpted in the shape of a wing ant came into my view. It had a crown made of ice while a mysterious wheel of ice kept spinning around his body. "What''s the purpose of that?" [For aesthetic purposes?] I was just being sarcastic you don''t really need to answer. [...] From extreme cold to extreme heat, the spell eclipse was modified and turned into a different one. The light turned into pure fire while the darkness element gave in to its sub-element ck magic. A sizzling sound came to my ears along with the temperature escting fast. Fusion magic, ck sun The wing ant raised its wings and flew towards the ring of ck fire. The wheel made of ice spun so fast creating a snowstorm. It was supposed to affect even the weather however the intense heat from the ck sun cancels this effect. It was a really powerful spell that came from the Head of the Mage tower. It was one of the spells he gifted to me. "CRACKLE!" The colder it bes the more powerful the mes burst. This confused the archbishop however he soonposed himself before disappearing. [Left] "Got it" Vampires are known for their usage of blood magic and dark arts. This is all the result of the vampire creation magic and thus they became quite unpredictable when ites to fighting. "CLANG!" A metallic sound can be heard along with the scent of blood. There he is behind me holding a sword made out of blood. I was unscathed while he was wounded from top to bottom. As soon as he appeared my spear obeyed my will and blocked the archbishop''s attack. It wasn''t just a mere blocking as soon as the sh happened a spell activated on my opponent''s foot frying him up severely. "Argh!" It was a different type of me one that vampires hated the most. Then he moved again his movements were fast and almost unreadable. He effectively uses the ongoing catastrophe made by our spells to hide and ambush me. Well unfortunately my eyes are endowed with lenses that scan and analyze the movements of my opponent. The only way you could escape me is by bing even more fast than my eyes. He appeared again but like what happen before my spear was already there waiting for him. "How did you!" "You are slow" I can see all your movements even the ones you will do in the future. A reddish-ck magic circle suddenly appeared below me but it didn''t even fully manifest because it was immediately cancelled. "I am not done yet" He shouted while being chased by my spear. I could only smirk while still putting up a huge barrier since my spell ck Sun was still shing with the archbishop''s gospel. "It burns" [The heat is already being blocked by the system the one you are feeling right now is the residual heat] "Residual heat?" This? I set my eyes around the prevous funeral-like room and could only recognize a small remaining pir. The rest turned to ashes due to the heat while the clouds created a mushroom-like structure. The sh created a huge explosion that wiped out the entire area. [Iing] Jeremiah warned and my eyes saw a blood magic being widely cast on the ground. "To think he can still cast a spell despite being upied with my spear" I couldn''t help but smirk, he is indeed the strongest priest inside this temple. [Another one ising] A sea of blood surrounds me, it is spontaneous and no casting is needed in its process. "It''s one of a vampire''s skills, blood magic" The sea of red fluid flowed and turned into spikes that began to fly towards me. I could only smile seeing how their speed was something I shouldn''t take lightly. But when I was about to move my attention was snatched by two icicles that grazed my cheek. That was close fortunately I dodged, if I didn''t and waste even a second my head would be impaled right now. Instant death would be my situation. The wind howl and my eyes saw more icicles flying while the bloody spikes were on their way here as well. I didn''t panic but instead summoned something. A burst of ck mes came to me causing the icicles and blood to burn. Well if you think this spell would disappear easily well think again. "Fusion magic, ck sun threefold" This is a new type of upgrade I got from the system. I now can increased the level or even the stats of the spells I cast. Right now I can increase the strength of the spell three times without wasting any mana. All I need to do is order the system to do it for me. But one of it''s requirements is that my spell needs to be already been fire or cast before being upgraded. The mes that were almost destroyed due to the archbishop''s gospel came to life due to my interference. Normal mages can''t change or modify spells upon being cast but due to the system, I could do such a thing. Rings of ck fire intensified while the blood and ice began to mix together. Their speed and power suddenly tripled so I increased my spell''s power. "Fusion magic, ck sun tenfold" The air began to heat up while the ground was scorched badly. Melted rocks are tuned into ava-like state while the entire area turns into a volcano''s mouth due to its current state. Iced blood spikes then came raining at me but the defensive power of the mes prevailed. Chapter 106 Ring of Fire My spell burns brighter and turns the bloody ice spikes into gas. More spikes came down but everything was burned by my spell. "Not good" A cloud of smoke caused by the blood being evaporated blocked my vision. [Right] My mana red and my vision prated the cloud of smoke. And there I saw the vampire archbishop still being chased by my spear, however, it seemed he still had time to release another attack. Blood covered the entire area making my breathing restricted. Then a silent prayer turns into a ray of darkness. A gospel manifested turning into a swarm of random insects. Then from the red field, blood spikes came forward flying at a blinding speed towards me. A swarm of ck insects and bloody spikes surround me in all directions. Leaving me no room for retreat. [You are cornered] "It doesn''t really matter" The me bursts even more, the more adversaries it faces the more heat it produces. The ring of fire became my shield. "Spin" Upon mymand, the mes that calmly encircled me began to move and soon it created a rotational motion. "Expand" I manipted my spell yet again and put anotheryer of modification on top of the current one. The previous ring of fire ascended and turned into a tornado, then it expanded blowing up the entire area. As the mes extinguished after burning everything my eyesnded on the only standing individual, the Archbishop. [Creator that spells ends up killing most of the remaining survivors] "How about the others?" [They are currently being chased by the mechanized soldiers] "That''s good to hear well the underground is being raided by me so it''s okay" [Having dozens of body sure made your work convenient] "Yeah" While we talked I summoned my spear while the archbishop calmlynded a few meters away from me. "You look distressed oh holy priest" "Shut your trap demon" He looked pale like a sick person but my eyes could scan how his mana didn''t even drop. "Perks of being a vampire" Vampires feed on the blood of other creatures and currently, this battlefield is filled with blood, he could easily gather them just like how easily I could gather essence. However how long exactly will it take for him to exhaust himself? Should I test it? Never mind I should finish this, currently, I am fighting multiple people and some of them are extremely powerful like this guy. I can''t fool around. My spearnded in my hand while my mind began formting a spell. "Demon" I was in the middle of casting when this vampire priest spoke. "What is it?" "What are you?" I couldn''t help but sigh Ever since this attack started I keep hearing that from the people I killed. What are you? Are you a monster? Are you a rebel from the other temples? What kind of a monster are you? They kept asking and my ears began to distinguish their question as one. "I don''t really want to entertain such a question" I raised my spear which was already charged with my spell but then the priest spoke yet again. "I don''t know if I am right but seeing what you are, I could only reach this conclusion..." Here we go again... I am guessing his next words. "Are you a child of Nirvana?" Are you a child of Nirvana? [Well in sync] My head is getting numb with all the questions they are throwing at me. So I finally changed the answer I usually gave them. "Why do you ask me that?" Usually, I would either deny being associated with Nirvana and then st the person who asked me but now I will change. I wanted to know why they had such an idea. And the fact that Nirvana has children may pose some problems with me. If I want to erase all possible dangers for my friends, I need to eliminate everything that is rted to the Monastery, especially to Nirvana. "Demons don''t have the mind to think they only a will to kill, however, there is one exception to that rule" "And that is Nirvana?" "Yes, our lord is one of a kind he overcame the destructive instinct of a demon and became a transcendent being. One that surpasses the limits and goes beyond what the natural border has been set" Now I regret asking No, he keeps yapping about how great Nirvana is [You reap what you sow] It always ends up like this Why are they so obsessed with him? [He is being worshipped so of course his followers will always praise him] "When Nirvana reached his peak he began experimenting, seeking knowledge on how to spread intelligence to lower beings. However, not all demonic beasts can reach the same height as our lord, until an ideaes to him. He was the sole demonic beast who didn''t turn berserk, so our lord thought what if he shares his power with other demonic beast? Will they turn like him? However, to our lord''s disappointment, no one can bear the power he has. As soon as they received the power their bodies would explode and disintegrate" "Should I kill him?" [Come on Creator we should hear him out] But I could just extract memories I don''t need to hear it. I don''t really want to keep hearing his babbling rubbish but the archbishop kept on speaking. "Despite plenty of failing attempts our great lord Nirvana strives to achieve perfection" Somehow I think this guy is enjoying his narration, since he is gonna dieter I''ll give him this moment. "Our Lord Nirvana discovers that through his blood he can share his powers, and so he did! He crafted seven piles of flesh from his own and breathed life into them, just like the Gods in legend! As he seeded he began sharing his powers with everyone who decided to follow him! Men, women, children, magical beasts and devilkind all bow down and follow our great lord, Nirvana!" Removing some unnecessary words I can conclude he did say something important. The followers of Nirvana are not just humans, it turns out they also have magical beasts and devilkind in theirne. So my question now is where are they? "Jeremiah check the memories of the other archbishop and see if there is anything about them" [Affirmative] I guess I can kill him now? I was about to move when he continued speaking Continue your journey on m|v-l''e -NovelBin He is not done yet? "So tell me, are you one of the three children of Nirvana that rebel against their own father, their maker? And their creator!" My steps suddenly halted hearing his words, rebel? Wait I think I am missing something. "Children of Nirvana....demons....hmmm" "Speak! Are you one of them? That instead of helping your father you choose to help those bastards!" While I contemte hisst words, he suddenly concludes some delusional spection and randomly attacks me. A sea of blood suddenly flooded in forcing me to fly into the air. "You won''t get away!" He shouted as hemanded the pool of blood to attack me. Spikes were formed and flew in my direction. [Stay alert Creator he is chanting something] "Okay" The spear in my hand waved and the spell that''s been inside it activated. A magic circle emerged at the tip of the spear''s de and a monster born from darkness came out. Its body was ck, and like a human, it could stand on its two feet. Two long ck arms while sharps ws on its hand. Horns like a devil and a mouth full of sharp teeth like a beast. This spell was made in the tower to mimic a demon. I remember all four towers decided to do research regarding the gic build-up andposition of a demon. They wanted to find a way to manipte demons so that the casualties in breakouts would decrease. Unfortunately, the research wasn''t sessful but it wasn''t fruitless since they created this spell. "Darkness element, Hunter" The spell hunter was the result of the tower''s understanding of demons. It was a waste to destroy the research they had made so they put all their materials to create a new type of spell. However, there is a slight difference between the demon from the spell and the actual demons in breakouts. "RAGGHHHH!!" A scream came out of the Hunter''s mouth, resulting in a small wave of energy leaking out of its body. The blood spikes are only an inch apart from his body and mine however their momentum halted. "Here ites" I couldn''t help but say as my eyes witnessed the blood spikes moving backwards. "RAGHH!" I heard another scream and the Hunter opened its mouth to eat the sea of scarlet projectiles. "What is this!" I couldn''t help but smirked with his reaction. Yes, this is the difference, the demon in the spell Hunter eats blood to strengthen itself. The more blood it takes the more powerful it bes. "Go and make yourselffortable" Hunter looked at me, its red eyes and vertical pupils gave a sense of danger to anyone who saw it, however to me it was just ordinary. More blood came and Hunter shifted his attention to the meal in front of him. While my spell took care of the blood my eyes shifted towards the archbishop whose gospel was ready to fire. [Be prepared Creator it''s about toe!] With Jeremiah''s warning, I began putting my guard up. Chapter 107 The First Temple Continuation of Apollo''s POV A sh of light blinded my eyes while my skill Light of Aegis began activating. The surrounding mana began to solidify while the essence began to amplify the length and strength of the skill. My spear flew out of my hand and revealed one of the spells it contained. As the symbols came to life it began to construct a magic circle. This spell was made by one of the previous Head of the Tower, he likes hunting so vampires became his main target. ording to grandpa Alger, the previous Head described vampires as smart, cunning and very tricky to kill, so the previous Head enjoyed hunting them. Later on, he was called the vampire hunter and his spells were well known to be useful against vampires, high-rank or even daylight walkers. "Let''s do this" Upon the magic circle''s creation, the spell came to life. The gospel meets my spell, the ground shook while the air was blown away. "Hoo.." I breath as my spear danced across the air and stabbed the vampire who had his ws a few inches behind my back. "How cunning throwing a shy spell like that in order to sneak behind me" "Ugh!" "Does it hurt?" I asked while blood began to spring from his chest. He tried to move and struggled to remove the spear but he failed to. "Jeremiah activate the skill Disintegrate" [Affirmative] Upon the skill''s activation my spear glow paralyzing the vampire priest, and upon mymand the skill spread into the surrounding area, making everything turn into a state of decay. The vampire archbishop was also the same he turned into dust along with his chilling cry. "Well mission aplish here" I said then my attention shifted when a sudden cry attracted my attention. Its source wasn''t here but instead located on the other side of the north, it was the ce where the first temple resided. ... "Apollo, what are you doing?" My thoughts ran wild as my eyesnded on Alicia''s devil form. It was the same form she used when we sneaked inside the temple before. "What is it?" She asked me although my answer was just a mere shake of my head. "It''s nothing" I added. "Some of the priests have been killed but I haven''t caught a glimpse of that one person, he is still missing" "Right, the archbishop" "I''ve been using a spell to scan the area however I can''t find his location" "He is hiding well" "I suppose he knows he can''t run and can only survive by hiding inside the temple''s main building" I can''t help but agree with Alicia''s words though I have scanned the entire building and I still can''t find any man that has the same length of strength as an archbishop. Where did he go? A man can''t just disappear without traces he must have left something, anything that I can use to find him. "We may find something if we set foot on the inner temple" "You are right" Alicia spoke then I felt her body ascent, it turns out her wings were spread out as if preparing to attack. "I should break the barrier first and kill the remaining priests and pdins, maybe then we can find the archbishop" I can''t help but chuckle at her words, seriously just what kind of 13-year-old kid would say that, waite to think of it, none of the lower-ss students can be said normal. Maybe we all used to but it''s different now, our experiences molds us to be monsters. Now I wonder if everyone is aware of that fact or just me. Sigh, I could never find that out. Experience exclusive tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin "Let mee with you Alicia, I am interested in how strong can the first temple be if they be desperate enough" With those words, Alicia just shook her head. "Is that something a kid like you should say?" "I don''t know but for a cruel demon perhaps I said a fitting statement" She just shook her head before flying away. "And here I said I aming" My wings beat the air creating the force that propel me into the sky. "Jeremiah locate all remaining enemies at the outer temple" [initiating life scanner... initiating mana scan... Scanplete! All targets have been marked] Then in my vision, a map appeared with red dotted marks on it. As I gazed at it I realized something. "To think that even with my mechanized soldiers and multiple bodies my enemies could still be this plenty" [Can''t be helped since some of your bodies end up pairing with each other in order to take down one priest or pdin] "Well I am thankful for the abundant essence cause if it weren''t for them this fight would be almost impossible to win" The other temples can be taken down easily however the first and the second temples can be said a whole new scale than the others. Just the fact that I need to conserve my usage of essence on just one body while letting the others gang up on a single target, says a lot about their strength. "Let''s bury those thoughts and just focus on this spell" A fire magic circle was created, and through it a spell manifested. Tiny traces of light fall like small drops of rain. It began to fill the entire field and gather at the ce marked by the map. And as the red dots turned green I made the scale of the spell bigger. "Then let''s make it big" ..... Under the eyes of thousands of enemies, one hundred ck demons cast a single spell. A rain of blue fire fell as if fireflies had arrived, however, they all knew it wasn''t the case. It was a very deadly spell they concluded, gospels were pulled while weapons were turned however the drops of mes exploded before they could even do anything. A multitude of explosions shook the ground while the cold weather of the north died down as mes burned the icy ground. The people at the inner temple saw the catastrophe and knew they were next. And they weren''t mistaken because the moment the cloud of smoke dispersed, a ray of ck and red magic circle lit the sky before a spell descended on the mighty barrier that protected them. "Pull yourselves together!" "Hear our prayer...." Songs of devotion were heard while eyes filled with determination could still be observed. The followers of the Monastery remain hopeful and signs of giving up cannot be seen. It was impressive their faith was unwavering and on every page of the holy book songs of gospels echo until screams of grief rece it. Their shield was prated and Alicia gracefullynded right in the middle of high-rank priests and pdins. "I am already in Apollo" "Okay let me just go there" Swiftly Inded beside her, and with me are the focused boost of the essence and special features of my skill Demonized. I can still fight the other high-ranking enemy however the archbishop is our top priority. So this me right now is the one with the most boost. "Can you sense the archbishop?" Alicia asked so I used the system''s lens to survey the area. "Nothing? No visual signs that can lead to him" Not getting the information I want I use another gear, the system''s scanner should able to pick something with a Celestial rank being. "This is hard" "You can''t find him" "Yes, I need to look into the inner temple thoroughly. Maybe I am missing something that is why I can''t find him" "Okay then we should clean this up first" "That is fine by me" We look around us and the remaining priest and pdins have their weapons pointed at us. "This is too annoying why they can''t just die" I can''t help butugh at her words then a thought came to me. "Let me handle this" In my half-demon form, I can ess both my demon skills and human skills. Under the skill Demonize, I could use one of the skills under its original skill Demonification. "Jeremiah activate Corrupted apaniment" [Will do my Creator] [Initiating Skill activation... Skill is fully activated!] "Let us do something more, add the essence to boost the skill" A cursed energy that can kill anyone in arge area began to spread. A barrier was put however I have Jeremiah to jam it. They were too weak to create a strong and imprable barrier and so Jeremiah was able to cancel it. "What the!" They gave different reactions however the death energy soon spread until only cold bodies remained on the ground. "Apollo" Inside my barrier, Alicia pointed to a man who desperately stood up among his deadrades. "We won''t fall!" He shouted and took a horn, with his lifeing to an end he blew it and a howling sound echoes. "Hmm?" "What was that?" right after blowing up the horn the man died leaving a weapon with him. "Apollo" "Yes?" "I sense a mass amount of lifeing near the border of the temple" "Ah, was this what he wanted to achieve" "I''ll take care of this" Alicia took off flying straight towards our enemy. I remained standing where I was and saw the weapon he was holding. It was a weapon crafted from flesh although it looked broken. "Now that I remember ording to one of the priest''s memories these weapons are called Devourers" Chapter 108 Her Pov Alicia''s Pov When I first met that boy I felt like I saw a monster in the making. At first, I saw him as a threat, though perhaps I became so sensitive to my duty as guardian of those kids that I didn''t see his heroism. I realized my thoughts were wrong and I pushed myself to get to know him better. Thankfully that opportunity came when we arrived at the tower. There I realized how he became the way he is. I came to understand why he was such a reckless user of magic despite living inside the most prestigious ce for mages. I can''t really me him. The average people inside the tower can cast and formte spells quickly, that is the so-called weakest among them. The environment he was used to, made his standard of magic high which is why he anticipated that the children at the entrance exam could handle his spells. That boy thought that since he was able to do it at such a young age, it would be the same with the others or perhaps he thought they would be better than him. "Just what kind of person put that in his mind" I wonder who it was, who instil in his brain that he is weak and garbage because if it weren''t for that thinking, the kids at the entrance exam wouldn''t be traumatized. "Thankfully he took responsibility for those students though I doubt counselling would be the solution" A sigh escaped from my lips as I remembered how hard we tried to make him think a bit normally. He thinks he is normal but he is not, he is at least the worst out of all the traumatic children inside the lower ss, wait no maybe he is the second worst. My thoughts continued until they stopped at the time we all spent inside the tower. That boy had literally no concept of having fun or ying. We asked what he does when he is free he told us he read books about magic, then we asked how he define the words having fun and he answered by researching about magic. For a moment I want a moment to talk to every single one of the mages there. Just what the hell did you do to this kid? Wait do they even treat him like one? My head hurt so much, but at that time I remember most people inside the tower were single and old fossils who only wanted magic in their lives. What do they know about raising kids? At that time McKenzie even joked about how he wanted to kidnap Apollo and let him experience being a child. That''s when Jillian asked if he did anything when he was a kid but his answer horrified us. He doesn''t even know any bedtime stories or famous rhymes kids sing during their early childhood. He had no knowledge of them, but if you ask any famous wizards and witches in history he will give you a detailed report of it. He was smart, smart enough to rob him of his childhood, no maybe someone forcefully took them. We all felt bad but tried not to show it, so instead we showed him how ''we'' have fun. In a field where the wind was strong, we took some kites and made them fly in the sky. "Come on run with us!" I saw Mckenzie and ir pull his hand and he ran with them. "What is the purpose of this? Are we training?" I could hear his innocent question from afar and the small chuckle from the two boys who were with him. "Silly having fun doesn''t need to have a purpose" "Yeah and what do mean by training? Are you off to war or something?" "But aren''t you guys-..." "Enough with the words, we know our situation better than anyone else, but hey instead of grieving won''t it be more worth to spend it the way you wanted it?" McKenzie spoke with confidence bringing his experience to the surface. "Drop your books and your silly magic obsession because right now we will y as much as we want!" Then they roll at the grassy fields dragging the boy with the sunset hair with them. "Hahaha heh look at the clouds!" ir said while lying down then he added "There''s a kangaroo!" "I see a baby in a cradle" "That''s a wild imagination there" "Shut up at least I don''t see random animals" "Animals are good, especially giraffes" "Girrafes? Hey, how about you Apollo what do you see?" "Me? Mckenzie" "Yes, who else is named Apollo here?" "Ah....well let us see...um....." I continue to observe them and knowing those two he will be fine. "I see a lion" "See Mckenzie Apollo sees an animal" "That''s just some coincidence" Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -NovelBin They continued bickering until I heard Niko and Agnes'' voices. "The kites are done!" Then one by one we came towards those two. "Hey I brought these cockies and drinks" Keith added while he and the other girls brought some baskets. "By the way where is Casper and Samael?" Arabe asked not seeing the two. "Come to think of it Aaron and Braiden aren''t here either" Vesta also noticed. "Wonder where they went" I was only silent, watching them have their own world of stories and then we heard voices. "We are here!" The four boys who are missing came bringing fish. "Where did you get those?" I asked although I already knew the answer. "We saw ake and did some fishing so how about we add this to the menu" "That is a good idea hand them over to me I''ll cook them" Keith said and dly Casper, Samael, Aaron and Braiden gave the catch they made. "Can I request a grill?" McKenzie chipped in while holding some branches he seemed prepared to start a fire. "Sure just help me" "dly!" While they continue to talk Alya approaches holding the kite. "Let''s y first before we eat" "Sure" dly I epted her offer. Chapter 109 : 109: I said one Continuation of Alicia''s POV. That day we stayed in the field until midnight, and we even caught some fireflies, then the mages from the tower joined us before going to bed and waking upte. {Alicia? Are you done there?} Suddenly Appolo''s voice came into my head. "Yes I am done here I killed everyone just as you told me" {Huh? I didn''t say everyone I said one} "One?" {Yeah I said kill the strongest one so the barbarians would retreat, the strongest after all is the leader} "Sorry, I didn''t hear you clearly I thought you said, everyone" {Sigh forget it how many did you kill?} "Well I think around a thousand" {....} {Okay return here I found the archbishop} "Okay" My mind was flying out of nowhere I didn''t quite understand Apollo. But it''s okay at least we have no more problems. I should go back now so I summoned one of the few things that I like to do. Wings appeared at my back before I shot towards the sky. .... Apollo''s Pov. She is truly scary, I was right about her. [Isn''t strange she is distracted? Lady Alicia wasn''t really like this] "You are right she wasn''t the type to not pay attention, perhaps something is bugging her" [You should ask once she is here] "Yeah" "BANG!" The win harshly hit the ground including me, so I looked up to see what caused such a harsh gust of wind. "Did I perhaps hurt you" [That was fast!] "You mean overly fast" "Where is the archbishop?" She asked immediately as soon as she arrived. "There at the hidden passage under the statue" "Let''s go in" "Okay" "Jeremiah open the path" [Affirmative] The stone statue of a winged ant moves out of nowhere making Alicia frown. "I already opened it beforehand" "I see impressive" A hidden stair was revealed to us under the stone statue, and then I hurriedly scanned the steps and found a couple of traps. "Deal with the traps Jeremiah" [ Will do my Creator] We walked at the dark steps however none of us felt ufortable. I have night vision and Alicia was the same. Our eyes flicker at the darkness as we strode down, if one were to see us like this they might probably faint. We looked like monsters lurking in the darkness with our pairs of scary eyes. "Show me the map, Jeremiah" After scanning the area I am certain Jeremiah was able to generate a map, and then a notification popped in my face. "Map sessfully acquire... Map has been applied] A square window emerges in my view before turning into a map. There are two notable setups of this map, first are the two glowing red dots signifying our location and the archbishops, and the second are the little icons of gold and treasures. I felt even more excited and moved even more carefully. "Nice lets go" With a map as our guidance, we venture at the long stairs of the secret path. I already had a clear vision of what I wanted to do, so I ordered. "Clear the traps!" [On it Creator] [Path is clear you may proceed forward] "Thanks" From walking I began to run until the stairs ended and another path appeared. "Where should we go?" "Just follow me" I dashed forward and Alicia followed calmly. After some turns, we finally arrived inside a small room and there I saw the archbishop. He was praying in front of an altar, it was white in colour while rows of candles were lit in front of a giant idol of a blue-winged ant. "I knew it you know where that ce is" I spoke while slowly moving towards the Archbishop. "For what reason do you wish to find the sacrednd?" "That is none of your business archbishop, nowe over here and let me take your memories" I said but this man seems to have another n. My eyes keenly observed him until he went closer to the altar. At the idol''s hand is a scythe, which was made with an unknown material while symbols are embedded at its handle and de. "What an arrogant demon" He ces his hand on the weapon and in that moment I felt a sudden chill. "That weapon..." I could never be mistaken, the aura that weapon gave out was the same as the one with the flesh weapons. "Based on your body''s reaction I can tell you have encountered this weapon. This holy weapon was forged from the blood and skin of our lord. It was blessed by his power and strengthened by his flesh" "I see now I know why it looked disgusting" Then I heard him chuckle it seemed my words didn''t irritate him. "You just don''t understand, sure to you it seems disgusting but for us, it is the most divine weapon" Then he swung the scythe and a pure ck energy shot from it. "CLANG!" I stood where I was while Alicia came forward taking the brunt of the attack. "How strong Alicia?" "It''s decent for a half-hearted attack" Then I heard anotherugh from the archbishop. "Just now did you use your friend to measure my attack?" "Why not? My friend is tough even if I use her as a shield she won''t die that easily" My words earn moreughter from my enemy. "Sigh...I''ll just take your words as apliment" "A devil and a demon how fascinating" The archbishop''s voice was filled with amusement as if he was having fun. "If only you were not an enemy I would have befriended you two" He smiled and I could tell it was genuine. "I state what I said a while ago, you shall not step on our sacred ground" "No worries I don''t really need your permission" Then a pair and ragged wings emerge at my back, using them I propel myself in the air and make a strike. My fist meets the de of his scythe creating sparks in the air. "Thunder Aura, Sky fall" The sky turns dark and from it, a violent rage of lightning falls down as it strikes the depths of the secret altar. Chapter 110 : 110: Autopilot Continuation of Apollo''s POV I thought I got one strike in but suddenly the symbols on the scythe glows and a burst of blood and fleshes out. I felt nauseous from the stinking stench of blood but then a different scent came in, it was the scent of something burning. I felt like everything was moving slowly, and my eyes could see everything clearly. How the dirt from the ceiling above falls on us and how his de and my fist tried to push each other, I can see it all. More dirt fell off from above and the lightning sted the ground and fell right on top of the pile of flesh. Then hundreds of mouths formed under the ckish blood and mangled flesh and absorbed the power of the lightning. That move was simr to how the authorities got devoured however something is different. I can see how the energy didn''t dissipate like what happened at the authorities and instead the energy from the lightning umted in a single ce. [Something ising!] Yes, I can see it so I move, I need to get some distance so I timed my retreat when he moved his scythe to retrieve the flesh. The energy gathered inside it became one with the weapon. A blue light was then generated, a light of blue lightning. I heard the roar of thunder along the sparks of lightning, it brightly shone from the symbols embedded on the scythe. Then a chant from the archbishop echoes along it. "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!" His gospel invokes more power and isbined with the absorbed power of his weapon. It was abination of light and lightning. "Beautiful" I could only say while the nimble scythe came right next to my neck. It was really fast, however... "Hahaha" Iugh as my eyes follow a shadow. ...she was faster... "BANG!" I saw the archbishop flying straight to the ceiling no it didn''t end there, the strike was so strong he burst to the surface. [Creator] "Yes?" [We should not piss her off] "Yeah I agree with you" "Apollo?" "Yes?" "Aren''t youing?" "Ah? Yes yes I will" We both flew and went towards the still-flying priest. It seems Alicia''s punch was so powerful he wasn''t able to neutralize the force and continue to fly into the sky. "He blocked your strike" "I know I did feel it when I punched him" Both of our wings then beat the air causing the wind to fly everywhere. As we flew I breathed feeling the huge influx of essence mixed in nature. It was refreshing and cool then my eyes gazed back at the archbishop and a sudden idea shed inside my head. "Why not" I calcted first the trajectory he was taking and formed an attack in the direction he would fly to. "Come!" I spoke as if I wasmanding, and the scattered essence in the air flew to me. A spell formed inside my head and my vision imagined the construction of the spell. Mana was poured and gathered creating a spark of magic. That magic turned into a violet light and began to draw something in the air. Symbols then emerge along with rings that represent its strength. The spell is now finished and ready to manifest. "Thunder Aura, Cyan ring" A ring of lightning came out of a magic circle then it began to spin. The rotation of the lightning began to generate a maic field due to the moving electrical charges. This influences the nearby maic materials and induces electrical currents in conductive objects within its vicinity. I heard the roar of thunder caused by the rapid heating and expansion of air along the path of a lightning bolt. The circr motion produces thunder with a different acoustic signature, possibly more continuous or varied due to the extended duration of lightning. As the heat continues to expand, brief and localized air movements flow around the path of the lightning. This movement would be on a much smaller scalepared to a tornado and wouldn''t generate the intense winds associated with a tornado''s funnel. However, it is something that cannot be underestimated. The motion spun even more and enhanced the visual appearance of the lightning. The spinning or swirling motion scatter light in different directions, making the lightning appear brighter or more diffuse. As I gazed at my spell I heard Jeremiah''s voice. [Aren''t you afraid it will be absorbed again?] "No worries someone will handle that" The ring of lightning created a sparking lightning tornado. And as the spell gained momentum I saw the scythe glow and a pile of flesh began to spread out. I already know what it wants to do. The archbishop ns to use the flesh as a shield and devour my spell. The pile of blood and bones would turn into a globe protecting the one inside it. However, before this could even happen a magic circle appeared on the walls of the lightning tornado and a shadow came out of it. "PANG!" A crisp sound hits the archbishop''s ears as Alicia draws her fist. The mountain-like flesh was immediately blown away and knocked to bits. A smirk was written on my face while Alicia teleported back to me. The punch was good and as soon as the flesh was gone my spell came forward speeding up to attack my enemy. From the expression on the archbishop''s face, I can tell he was surprised by Alicia''s sudden appearance however he soonposed himself and waved his scythe to cut down my spell. I could see him casting a gospel on his weapon as he brought down the de towards the rotating lightning. I expected it would be hard to break through my spell however I was wrong. A strong gust of wind hit us due to the waves of energy brought by my spell being cut down. [It''sing] "Yes I know" My eyes were suddenly blinded by a sudden light though it wasn''t just normal blindness, it''s the type that makes your eyes feel like burning while your senses disappear. Somehow I think it was a simr gospel I encountered while fighting Sergio. It''s the one that steals your senses while clouding your mind and body. The only difference between the two is that the one the archbishop uses is much more powerful and painful than the one from Sergio. The gears in my head move however before my mind can process what should I do my body moves on its own. I still don''t know what''s happening however I know that somehow my body moves strangely and irregrly. I wanted to cast a spell but without sensing anything I wouldn''t be able to know which direction my spell should go. For me to cast a spell I need proper imaging and information about my surroundings without it my spell wouldn''t function properly. [I can provide the information] My eyes were stolen but it''s not the only way for me to fight back. My mind was then filled with images and I could see that Alicia and my body were fighting closely against the archbishop. "How can my body move like that?" I wondered after witnessing how me and Alicia attacked the archbishop. It wasn''t just fighting our techniques and support to each other are well timed. It''s as if we have been fighting together for years. [To answer your question I put the Creator''s body in autopilot mode and as for Lady Alicia, I have scanned her and it turns out she used a spell to create this perfectly bncedbatpatibility with you] I see so it was a spell, to think she had her own sets of spells but then my mind caught something on Jeremiah''s words. "Autopilot?" I was confused for a moment when I heard an unfamiliar word. Chapter 111 Securing the Scared Land "Autopilot?" I was confused for a moment when I heard an unfamiliar word. [Yes, currently the system has taken over your body and uses a handful of Creator''s skills and spells to defeat the enemy] "So it was the system who reced me" [Yes while the system handles the fight outside I''ll be here with you assisting with any of yourmands] "Then break the gospel he put in me" [Will do my Creator, should I cancel autopilot mode?] "Yes" [Command is received! Initiating spell breaker... Cancelling autopilot mode... Sess! The spell is broken! Autopilot cancelled!] My vision then slowly returns and as soon as my eyes stabilize a de is already on its way to my neck. Adrenaline suddenly pumped in due to the situation and my spear was suddenly summoned. Using my spear''s shaft I blocked the scythe''s de however it wasn''t the end. The symbols on the archbishop''s weapon glow again and a wave of blood came crashing at me. [Light of Aegis is fully activated] The mana of the surroundings suddenly became solid turning into a shield that protects me. That bloody attack was fully taken advantage of when my enemy released a gospel out of nowhere. But then a shot of arrow suddenly flew in and struck the archbishop, taken aback by the sudden appearance of an arrow the archbishop had no choice but to block it. Suddenly the temperature rises, and the arrow begins to burn turning into a ck phoenix that dominates the sky. A Phoenix is a legendary bird that symbolizes immortality and power however mages have their own symbolism for the said creature. Victory, once the ming shows its presence only means that victory is assured. ... It was a very beautiful sight to see, the way a Phoenix against a human. Then the ground shook while the air was being pressed by something, it felt like a powerful pressure was breaking into the air and ground. But the archbishop won''t just stand and let himself be hit so cast a gospel and the flesh devour it. As light glows and the symbolse to life the priest begins to spin in a wide arc creating a barrier between him and the Phoenix. "I am impressed it didn''t try to devour Alicia''s mes" [They must have felt something on Lady Alicia''s spell I already felt a faint enchantment on her Phoenix I can''t just fullyprehend it] I see no wonder he was confident enough to send such an attack without worrying. I should also do something to help out. My body became d in a blue halo. My ki should do the trick for him. Magic and authorities would only be swallowed not physical attacks. So it should do the trick. My head was filled with information and techniques about the [Master Weaponist and Professional Fighter are now being merged] My body felt hot full of energy and full of energy. For some reason, I can see threads around the archbishop''s body. It''s as if he is being bound, I squinted my eyes to look even better but all I see are tangled webs across his movements. Then something caught my eye a thread different from the others. It was a straight line connected to my enemy''s neck, I felt my nerves trembling while my senses became sharper by the second. I took a breath and my body moved. [Weapon is being created... The weapon is finally forged My inventory opened and materials for weapon creation disappeared and returned as a sword. I felt my body and mind be one as I swung my sword forward. My ki red up and became alive, I don''t have any techniques but I still remember the basics from my skills and professor Adolfo''s teachings. The thread was still there and I followed it with my sword. My mana suddenly starts vibrating until it burns. The ming mana grew like a beast and with my sh, it went and followed the thread. ..... His Pov. My attack was working since I could see the Phoenix fading away due to my gospel. My scythe ignited even more since I had been boosting its powers. With another sh, my de finally broke through the fiery bird however as soon as the fire dissipated attack hit me. A warm scarlet liquid sprang from my neck to my lower torso. I wasn''t able to see the attack due to my focus being directed at the Phoenix. "Tch!" It hurts! I tried to heal using my holy artefact however something was blocking its activation. "What the hell!" I tried to heal using my scythe however something suddenly hit me. It was a fisting from a beautiful devil. Her ck wings beat the air adding momentum to her attack. I tried to defend however something hit me. I couldn''t see it but I could feel my mana going haywire, my wounds didn''t help either. I couldn''t control my mana even my ki. "Argh!" I used the shaft of my weapon to block her fist but my arms weren''t strong enough to keep it still and ended up feeling the full brunt of her strike. My body flew even higher through the sky breaking even the height of the clouds. I want to remain calm and summon my spirits but before I can a sudden influx of energy destroys the connection I have with my spirits. "What is this!" I have no other choice but to rely on my only tool, the blood scythe of Nirvana. A humming sound fills my ears as the power of the weapon from our lord activates. A blinding light envelopes me healing my injuries in the process. "That''s it just a little bit more" I should be able to stay alive as long as I heal but a sudden wave of energy made me put my guard again. "Not good" Herees the two creatures of darkness, a demon and a devil. Based on their strength these two should be on the rank of Archduke, so why just why!? Just do they have such power to fight against me? A Celestial mage! {A lower Celestial Mage} "What!" Just now whose voice was it? I don''t know what just happened but I can tell it was that demon who invaded my head. His invasion meant my current status was dire, I was too weak that he was able to peek inside my head. "This doesn''t look good" I clench my teeth forcing my broken mana to obey my will. It was painful but I didn''t have any choice. I don''t have time for a gospel so I could only rely on attacking them physically. With an attack boost by mana, I swing the weapon in my hand to intercept my two enemies however it seems they are prepared to fight me. The demon lunged forward and using his sword he redirected the force that came from my scythe, guiding it in a position which disadvantaged me. It wasn''t good since the she devil was right behind him. I gotta move so I used the momentum of the demon as he guided my weapon to the side, I let my bad eve guide me before making a quick turn. As I seized the opportunity created by the redirection, I adjusted my weapon''s shaft. In a fluid motion, I pivot on my lead foot, using the redirected force to spin around on my axis, turning their initial attack into a rapid follow-up maneuver. "CLANG!" I managed to block the follow-up strike from the devil but immediately the demon readjusted his stance and was about to attack again. So I momentarily put all my mana in my weapon and made a sudden push to force away the devil. As soon as I did so I swiftly hooked the curved tip of their scythe around the de of the opponent''s sword. With a deft twist of my wrists and a surge of strength, the scythe in my hand hooked the de to redirect the swordsman''s momentum. I manage to pull his de away but now the devil returns and I have no choice but to flee to the back. I need distance, these two are both closebatants I better keep an ample meters away from them. However just as I gain distance from them the weapon on the demon''s hands suddenly glows before rearranging itself to turn into a difference weapon. A rifle appeared on the demon''s hand. "Not good" A bullet was loaded at my current state I won''t be able to block bullets nor tank them using my body. I am simply to weak for that. Desprate an pop inside my head. "A potion would do the trick" My ring activated and bottle appeared in front of me. "BANG!" A shot was release directly hitting the bottle, it''s contains spill while I took that opportunity to drink it. "Nice!" My body felt energize though it will onlyst for a brief minutes. "I need to stay alive!" Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-NovelBin For the sake of the sacrednd I must not fall on the enemy''s hand. {I admire that courage} "Get out of head!" Chapter 112 Memories Secured "Not good" A bullet was loaded and in my current state, I won''t be able to block bullets or tank them using my body. I am simply too weak for that. Desperate an idea pops inside my head. "A potion should help me" My ring activated and a bottle appeared in front of me. "BANG!" A shot was released directly hitting the bottle, and its contents spilt while I took that opportunity to drink it. "Nice!" My body felt energized though it would onlyst for a brief minute. "I need to stay alive!" For the sake of the sacrednd, I must not fall on the enemy''s hand. {I admire that courage} "Get out of head!" I shouted and lifted my weapon to attack. The power of the scythe blows up the sky along with my two enemies however it wasn''t what I needed to end the fight. I need something even more powerful. So teleported right in front of them, in a fluid motion, I brought the de of my scythe crashing it down on their exposed nk. "Damn it!" But as soon as I brought down my weapon something caused a resistance, a drag that made my attack slow, until itpletely halted, an invisible shield was there neutralizing my attack. ..... Apollo''s Pov. [Light of Aegis is currently active] Just like what happened to one of the skills Disintegrate, I also boosted the power of Light of Aegis using the essence. The attack was blocked and now it''s my time to attack. It happened the moment his scythe met my invisible shield, my de was drawn and powered by my ki and with all my strength and speed it drilled through his flesh. He tried to fight back but Alicia released a ck energy that kept him in ce. With his remaining life, he tried to erase every memory he had of the sacrednd however it was toote. My spell Veritas runs through his flesh, breaking his will and devouring his soul. "I see this is good" His memories flood in however Jeremiah was there sorting out the valuable information I needed. After all the search a map appeared, a temple found in the sky,pletely secluded in the dark halls of clouds. "He should be there" A wide smile escaped from me "Finally I could end this mission" I already got what I wanted so the archbishop''s life is useless. [Skill activation Distintergrate] As my skill took action the body of the great priest disappeared along with his mournful cry of grief. Continuation of Apollo''s POV Finally, I got the memories of someone who knew about that ce. "Alicia" "Yes?" "We have onest destination, will youe with me?" "Of course so where should we go?" I pointed above which made herugh a bit. "Any higher than this and the oxygen will be extremely thin out, can you handle it?" "Of course, would I ask you toe with me if I can''t" Sheughed at my arrogant answer but then proceeded to nod her head. "Let''s go," she said while her wings began to glow a bit. Is she excited? Yes perhaps she is So what are we waiting for? Let''s start "Okay let''s go" My wings beat the air and let the wind guide me through the upper part of the atmosphere. As I fly into the atmosphere the first thing that hits me is the low density of oxygen that almost knocked me unconscious. I fought hard to maintain the stability of my body and rece oxygen with mana, in that way I could keep myself from losing my mind. After that hurdle, I started to feel that my blood was boiling due to the extremely low pressure. My head spin even more as I felt my body tremble due to the cold temperature. [An anomaly has been detected... Proceed to provide countermeasures... Countermeasures fully established... Current status Normal] I suddenly smirked hearing those words then my eyesnded on the person beside me. "Why does she look so unbothered?" [Her physical stats are probably much higher than yours that is why she can handle the sudden change in the atmosphere] I frown then order Jeremiah to let me see her stats. [Name: Alicia Von Nyx upation: {Sealed} Status: Normal STATS: {UNAVAILABLE}] Here it is again the word unavable that sters her stats. The first time I saw these stats made me suspicious of her but hearing that she is the trusted aid of the emperor I didn''t bother toin. Because at that time only the emperor''smand matters. However, now the mission is about to end it made me curious about her mysterious identity. Just what kind of person did the emperor acquire? She is strong despite her age and to sum it up her appearance right now doesn''t look like a mere transformation magic. Her being an anomaly to me made me want to inspect her further. However, I didn''t want to peek into her because somehow I could feel that she knew what I was doing. Truly she was scary, especially her strength it was enormous. "Are you done staring at me" [!?] [Creator she notices you!] "Shut up and why are you panicking?" I shook my head finding Jeremiah a bit jumpy whenever Alicia was involved. Perhaps the fact that he can''t see through her made the artificial intelligence paranoid. Jeremiah is usually sessful in analyzing and gathering information but with Alicia, he could do nothing. "Where exactly are we going?" she began to ask thus I answered. "Just follow me" My wing glided through the atmosphere and then flew past the clouds. [Current height: Estimated to be 50-60 kilometers above the surface Current Location: Northern section of the empire] "Good just a little bit more" I flew even higher and from 50 kilometres it reached 80. The oxygen was almost nonexistent while the temperature dropped to negative. "Hoo" Finally, my eyesnded towards the sole structure you will find in the middle of the atmosphere. "Now I understand why no one was able to find this ce, to think they put it in here" "A temple above the clouds" "Yes" The height of 80 kilometers above the surface made a beautiful view of Bunag, though the only thing that I could see was thend belonging to the empire, it was still breathtaking. The human structures that were built a hundred years ago can still be seen despite the height I am currently in. Among the Noctilucent clouds, a tform was floating amidst the beautiful northern lights. It was a temple made of gold and gemstones, it glitters and shines just like the stars ands in the sky. We didn''t rush in because we could see the hundredyers of the protective barrier surrounding the building. "I''ll leave those barriers to you" "Yeah let me remove it" My eyes scanned the entire temple and analyzed each barrier that protected the ce. "This is easy, Jeremiah deal with it" [And here I thought you would do it instead of me] "Just do it" Somehow I could feel he was exasperated but still obeyed my orders. With Jeremiah''s spell breaking the barriers I could see dozens of lights breaking into pieces. [There are also shields I will be breaking them as well] "Good" I only remained where I was and saw every defensive measure of the temple turn to dust. "Let''s go it''s all done" With all the hindrance gone, wended on the temple grounds and could finally appreciate the beauty of its architecture. From afar I could see two things, the decorative gateways and the roof. The roof was sloped, with overhanging eaves and decorative cornices while the gateway was carved with gems embedded in it. Then after walking further what first weed us was the temple''s facade, it was the grand entrance that seemed to serve as the main portal into the temple. The entrance was framed by columns and psters and topped with a lintel, a horizontal beam decorated with relief sculptures and inscriptions. Looking even closer to the pirs my eyes caught the decorative columns that help the temple stand. The columns are not the only thing decorated and carved, there were also reliefs and sculptures all depicting tales of the person residing inside the temple. We walked even further inside and each step we took creates echoes that reverberate inside the deste temple. There were traps but Jeremiah had taken care of it. "Just a little further" I said while following the map which came from the archbishop''s memories. "Just what do you want to get here" Alicia finally asked it seemed she already had an idea of what I wanted to do. After all the temple is covered with clues I''d be worried if she doesn''t notice anything. Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -NovelBin "Without the five there is no way you can do this" She added then her eyes began to pierce me as if telling me to hide nothing. "Tell me Apollo how will you open a door without its keys" However instead of answering Iugh, "My dear Alicia, who says I don''t have a key?" Chapter 113 Final Battle We walked even further inside and each step we took creates echoes that reverberate inside the deste temple. There were traps but Jeremiah had taken care of it. "Just a little further" I said while following the map which came from the archbishop''s memories. "Just what do want to get here" Alicia finally asked it seemed she already had an idea of what I wanted to do. After all the temple is covered with clues I''d be worried if she didn''t notice anything. "Without the five there is no way you can do this" She added then her eyes began to pierce me as if telling me to hide nothing. "Tell me Apollo how will you open a door without its keys" However instead of answering Iugh "My dear Alicia, who says I don''t have a key?" I saw how her expression changed it seemed she was bewildered by my words however what she thinks doesn''t really matter. What I need is her strength that''s all that matters. "We are here" I said without even exining the meaning of my previous words. But it seems Alicia was already satisfied from what I said earlier that she didn''t say anything, instead, her eyes showed expectations and curiosity. Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin I don''t know what''s happening inside her head but at least she trusts me. [Creator I have removed all traps you can proceed now] "Thanks" Right in front of me was a steel door covered with inscriptions and I didn''t waste any more time and decoded its password. A faint glowing light suddenlyes and ignites the door. All the symbols, all the magical runes alle to life once I crack the puzzle that protected the door, and then a creaking sound enters my ears. The door finally opens and...!? What''s this? How should I exin this? The ce looks like an altar with all the candles lit, I can tell it was enchanted since there is no way a candle canst like this. In the middle of the room is an iron box covered in runes, behind the said box is a sculpture of the man I was familiar with. [It will be strange if you didn''t, after all, you once disguised yourself as him] Yes, that''s right it was the human sculpture of Nirvana standing high and mighty with his hands holding a scepter. "He is being depicted dramatically" Alicia voiced out the same thing that makes this room weird. "Yeah I agree" I said feeling even more weirded when I saw the tapestry at the walls of the room. "Apollo" "Yes?" "Let''s do what we came for, the longer I stay here the faster my patience will run out" I couldn''t help butugh, yes I definitely understand her. "Then shall we start?" I asked and her expression changed. I know she is preparing. "You may proceed" With those words from her, I walked slowly into the middle of the room and approached the iron box. At the lid of the box are five stars that are carved like constetions in the sky. I put my hand on top of it and ordered. "Jeremiah activate all the copied blessings now" [I will give you a warning Creator, activating all the blessings will take a toll on your body, and even if you increase your stats it can''t help you elevate its effects. A God''s blessing is different from any other skill so I am reminding you, my Creator] "It''s okay I will be fine so go ahead and do what Imand" Then the five stars in the box glow and begin connecting. I felt my body boil until a blinding light devoured me. It''s here finally the final battle is here. From the moment I discovered that I could copy God''s blessings as a skill this n already formed. "RAGHH!" A noise that could be identified as a roar echoes as the box breaks down. An arm came out, it was covered in a blue exoskeleton that was simr to my Archdemon form. After the arms a head popped up, I was a bit surprised but still continued to watch. "Apollo" As I continued watching I felt Alicia suddenly pull me away from the box. "It''s best to keep some distance" she said which I immediately agreed to do. "RAGHH!!" I heard another roar or whatever that noise was, it seemed like he was having a hard timeing out of the box. [This is due to the blessings being only a copy, which is why its power is a little less than the real thing] I see that makes sense While we waited for him toe out, me and Alicia began to prepare. Agility increase Foresight increase Dexterity increase Strength increase Endurance increase As I continued packing some buff, Jeremiah was preparingyers of barriers in case any attack came to me. "Just how long are we gonna wait" I could feel Alicia getting bored what else can we do? We can''t really attack him since half of his body is still stuck inside the box. "Why am I having the urge to help him" "Let''s just cut him off, his body is already exposed after all" I saw Aliciae forward I didn''t really stop her instead I already prepared spells to assist in case something happened. I heard another roar but after that, a different noise entered my ears, a metallic sound as if two shields hit each other. [Oh dear] I couldn''t help but shake my head then my eyesnded on the source of the noise. Alicia had her fistnded on Nirvana''s strong guard. Despite the situation, this monster was able to put up his own defence. However, as my eyes gazed at him something caught my attention. Between his crossed arm a pair of eyes looked extremely murderous. For a moment I felt a chill but soon it was reced by excitement. It was a powerful bloodlust along with killing intent, because of the intensity of the two it began to physically manifest, a mixture of red and ck fog began to corrupt the room but something blew those away. Alicia''s fist rang continuously causing a wave of energy to blow the manifested killing intent and bloodlust. My rifle was ready and the moment Nirvana disappeared from the box a shot suddenly rang. [He dodges it] I immediately reloaded and then ran beside my only ally. "He ising" She whispered causing me to look to my left and sure enough I saw a fiste to my face. It was fast way too fast I had no time to react. "PANG!" A hand caught that fist "Move" Alicia said so I made my attack. My weapon glowed as I made a quick change then I made a shot, another bullet flew and just like before he dodged it. "Return" I spoke and the bullet that just flew returned and went straight to Nirvana. The buff was good I could feel its effects however it won''t be enough. Because Nirvana is at the peak of rank Celestial. "BOOM!" My body flew out of the temple because I was hit but the residual force from Alicia and Nirvana''s slugfest battle. "Jeremiah boost me with essence" [Afirmative] I felt my body being energized causing a grin to form on my lips. I pulled my rifle again reloaded it and immediately pulled the trigger. A shot was released and invisible bullets flew straight to their target. "Argh!" I heard a cry and was sure my target was hit. That was the second bullet that hit him but it was enough to gain a few seconds of distraction. [STATS NAME: NIRVANA STATUS: WEAKENED Rank: CELESTIAL Level: 20 Strength: 20000 (-5000) Agility: 20000 (-5000) Dexterity: 20000 (-5000) Endurance: 20000(-5000) Stamina: 20000(-5000) Intelligence: 20000(-5000) Mana: 20000(-5000) Mana regeneration: 1000 per minute (-5000) Vitality: 20000(-5000) Skills/Abilities: Instinct (Passive)(Rank Z) - Senses any danger up to one kilometer Equalizer (Passive) (Rank Z) - Bnce any attributes and skills Devourer (Active)(Rank Z) - Allows the holder to devour anything and use the devour energy to attack Damage reduction (Active) (Rank Z)- Reduce 100% of any damages every second Call of the king (Active) (Rank Z) - Summons an army of demonic beast Impable (Active) (Rank Z) - A body that heals every damage Blood sharing (Active) (Rank Z) - Allows the holder to share his power through the use of his blood Sacred power (Active) (Rank Z) - An energy that is harvested from the sacred ritual ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Demonic Blood of Blue Bullet Ant Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution: Celestial Shield Constitution] "Should I be thankful for the weakened effect of the seal?" [Yeah you should!] My body began to be d in lightning, since his body nullifies any damage per second I need to be faster than a second. [Please don''t forget the skill Devourer] "Yes I know" A different type of lighting suddenly pulsates in my hand. Instead of the usual blue and white colors, a different color of lightning dwells within my palms. "Thunder Aura, ck Lightning" Chapter 114 Final Battle Part. II "Thunder Aura, ck Lightning" My body sped up and appeared right beside Alicia. Our bodies were in sync and the moment Alicia retracted her fist, my attack came in. In just a second dozens of lightning struck him. [He blocked some of your strikes] "Damn it!" My attack didn''t really work since his skill damage reduction took effect while my other attacks were blocked. "That was a very funny attack" Nirvana suddenly spoke and raised his hand to grab me. "Thunder Aura, Darkness" Another ray of ck lightning came however the being in front of me just waved his hand to p my strike. "I am not doing any damage" [I suggest you deal with his skills first if you can''t then you will lose stamina before you can even inflict real damage] "What about the weakening effect of the seal, how long is the duration of it?" [You still have 10 minutes Creator It seems the previous wielder of the blessings had considered the fact that someone would free him and thus put this weakening effect. However, Nirvana is negating this effect which is why you need to finish this fight before hepletely removes it] "Got it!" Our conversation would seem long however only a second passed in real time. "I''ll be faster!" My body became d in lightning and struck Nirvana. "Pang!" A crisp sound reverberated across the sky as my fistnded on his torso. "You are fast I''ll give you that..." Damn it, he caught my fist "However no matter how fast you are, if you punch like a girl how do you expect to bring down someone..." Nirvana''s arrogant statement wasn''t able to finish when Alicia''s fist went to his face and sent him flying deeper into the atmosphere. [A little bit more and he will be out of the space] "What, you mean that punch..." [Yeah] I felt cold and realized how much of a monster Alicia was. "Hurry" "!?" [!?] "You are nning something right?" "Yeah I am" A ck bolt of lightningnded on my hand before transforming into a spear. "Can you y with him for a bit I just need to do something" "Sure" "BANG!" The air vibrated when Alicia flew up leaving me behind inside this decapitated temple. "Now off you go" Lightning surged while the spear in my hand became transparent. Layers of spells began to formte inside my head, modifying the spell that I already cast. I looked up and my eyes zoomed in, there estimated to be 20 kilometers above me I saw Alicia fighting against Nirvana. Their punches created waves of energy that would knock the surrounding space. I waited and the moment Alicia sent Nirvana flying down towards me, my spear flew up dragging the force of lightning with it. It happened in less than a second my spear reached Nirvana however his reaction was fast enough to form his own guard. He raised his arm to block the strike and the spearnded in his arms. Then a pain he never experienced before pierced through his body. "Argh!" He screamed in pain but my attack wasn''t overt yet. Time seemed to move slowly. My body d with lightning appeared right behind him and struck his exposed back three times. "BANG!" Hended on top of the floating tform, and as he crashed he destroyed the remaining pirs of the temple. A second went by and I saw how his skills went on and healed his body. [His skill Devourer is strangely not working in you, what''s going on?] "Oh, that? I put a mark on my spells, if he tries to absorb them he will explosion" [And somehow he knows that] "That''s just shows how crazy his instincts, I have been waiting for him to make a mistake but I haven''t seen it. Somehow his skills would always kick in to save him" [But you were able to inflict some damage a second ago] "Yeah and now he is healing them" [Well it''s not like you didn''t see it] Jeremiah''s words suddenly made me silent until he spoke again. [It''s all part of the n, right? So how about you let me in] A smirk formed on my lips until it was reced by a triumphant expression. "Argh!" I have copied the blessings in order to face you, the main reason why I decided to study the fighting style and skills of those priests is to see if they have any connection with you. I''m d I did because now I guess my n is working well. "Argh!...why I am not healing?" As the pain coursed through, his body began to change. Nirvana''s skin began to redden and swelling simr to a sunburn. Then it became severe, his skin was covered with blisters, and peel, and became raw. As time goes on, the skin develops areas of hypopigmentation. "What''s going on?" Alicia began to ask as she flew right beside me. "Just watch" I only said then from his previous god-like appearance he turned into a ragged old man. "Wait is this!?" "Well it seems you got a hint" "Exin to me how did you do it" "Remember the bullets I used a while ago" "Those invisible ones? Yes I did it" "Actually those bullets contain micro-machines that are as tiny as red blood cells. The moment he was hit it didn''t just destroy his mana cirction but also his regenerative process. The micro machines were programmed to block Nirvana''s skill to heal himself. Unless he can heal at a speed faster than the micro machines then he may survive this" "I understand that then exin how he became like that" I chucked a bit then proceeded to exin it to her. "I know you already have an idea so I''ll exin it. It''s radiation, my spell ck lightning is actually induced by extremely potent radiation. After being hit countless times by my lightning the radiation seeps through his flesh until his body can no longer take it, and with his current weakened state he won''t be able to use his mana to heal himself" "So is it our win?" "No, not yet" Then the sky vibrated after I said those words. "Something ising" "Yes, now the king is calling his servants" The skill Call of the King can demonize any magical beast at a given radius. His skill is not just calling for a demonic beast, it''s a curse luby that forcefully transforms any magical beast into a demon. A roar echoed and shook the clouds, the sound of his cry travelled so far that the thin amount of clouds parted. "I suppose this is also a part of your n" I honestly don''t know what to say to her since this is a very dangerous act but I just want to see if my theory was right. "So what''s next? What do you n to do, when they areing" "Right sorry about this situation" My spear then appeared, its appearance was still the same until the influx of essence poured into it. "Jeremiah focus on the essence we have gathered and put them in the spear" [Should I put all of it? After all the iing horde of demonic beasts is on a different scale] "Yes pour everything" My spear glows and blue light envelopes the weapon. "The essence of 500,000 thousand people let''s see what can it do" The sky vibrates while the mana hums seemingly excited by the current situation. However as the battle progressed at such speed, the empire below felt the tremor of the sh. "Emperor, what should we do?" One of the Imperial soldiers asked while the sky was covered with flying demonic beasts. "Send a letter to Duke Silvercrest telling him to evaluate the area and send the subjugation army" "Yes, Your Majesty!" As the guard leaves to do his duty an orb emerges in the emperor''s hands. "It''s me go there now" "Yes, Your Majesty!" Four different voices answered making the emperor nod his head. ..... While the empire began to be alerted at the current influx of demonic beasts, the heavens opened feeling delightful at the current situation. "Should we help?" "No, it''s okay I think that demon got it all covered" With God''s approval, the essence increases making Apollo confused. "Did I kill so much I could physically see the essence?" [Probably 500,000 lives is no small amount] "You are right" The spear in my hand grows in size until a pir of light burns in the sky. "Active the skill disintegrate" [Command received Skill Disintegrate activated!] With mymand being obeyed the glowing spear in my hand disappeared and turned into countless fragmented light. It is as if my spell firefly took another form however this skill is different from my spell. A rain of light falls down and each time itnds on a magic beast its body turns to dust. The shower of blue lights continues until only one being remains, Nirvana himself. "How!" He shouted however the shower of lights soon fell on him. "I won''t back down!" His voice created waves of energy, I could tell despite his situation he was still strong. [Creator Nirvana is forcefully cancelling your skill] "He is indeed a monster" Chapter 115 Final Battle Part III I used to be the same as others, crawling like insects on the ground, a beast with no thoughts and only knowing how to hunt for food and mate during seasons. Like any other, I was a fool but then it happened, I gained a mind to think. For mere Sapphire Bullet Ant, it was a big deal. Because at that time I can now leave my own colony and start my own. Magical beasts gain intelligence as they grow stronger however it isn''t the same when they turn into demon beasts. The corruption caused by mana would morph their brain in a way that they can no longer think properly. Demons have only an endless desire to devour, to destroy and to kill. They don''t have any thoughts about life or even pain. They simply don''t feel any of it. When I failed to ascent to rank Archduke my mana fireback at me until it turned me into a demonic beast. So I became the same beast I once feared when I was a magical beast. A monster that only knows how to eat and destroy. However, my days of being a mindless creature ended when that incident happened. "What''s this? What happened to me?" I woke up holding the corpse of someone, a human, somehow his flesh made my mind clear. Despite bing a demon I could still think and process my own thoughts. "Ha..hahaha!" At that moment I know, I am special. ... "This cannot be! I can''t die! I am a god!" His voice created a force that left the floating tform dented. "He is indeed a monster" [His will is forcing the skill Disintegrate to weaken] Apollo observes his opponent and knows if he leaves him breathing for long it might cost him his life. "We should end this" The lights that continue to fall suddenly stop and fly towards it''s owner. As the light joined together it transformed into a spear. Light began to trace the symbols embedded in the weapon, and as the essence flowed into Apollo''s demonized body it began to morph. The traces of blue light from the spear expanded and spread across the demonic body of Apollo. The jet-ck coat that encased the armor of the demon was soon swallowed by light. The ragged wings were reced with ck feathers like those typically seen in ravens, however unlike the normal ravens Apollo''s wings have white patterns on them. His clothing which is mixed with enchanted clothes and armor soon turns white with patterns of ck. "Jeremiah put everything in maximum" Lightning sparked and energized his body however this magic became one with him. So no ounce of lightning came out or leaked out. "Thunder Aura, Holy Lance" It happens in just a blink of an eye the body of the almighty God of the Monastery was cut into thousands of pieces, and due to the temperature of Apollo''s body andnce the remaining pieces of Nirvana melted and turned to nothing. As Nirvana disappeared a spark of light flew into Apollo''s body, however, neither Apollo nor Jeremiah noticed it. "It''s done" "Yes finally our mission is finished" [With this I suppose you truly free your friends, no one will ever harm them] "Yeah I suppose you are right" The stars were alive, shining brilliantly among the other heavenly bodies. As Apollo looks at the beautiful sky his footing suddenly destabilizes. "What''s going on?" "Apollo I think this ce can no longer sustain itself" [Creator this ce is gonna crash down!] An earthquake-like force shook the floating tform and with its uneven state, and wrecked corners it could no longer remain floating at such a high altitude. "It''s going down Apollo" "Yes I know" The demonized boy used his wings to fly escaping the fall of the one''s great temple. The tform speeds up its descent causing its body to ignite. Like a meteor, it came crashing to the ground. With Nirvana gone and all the temples destroyed, the Monastery is now fully extinct. "Now no one will ever try to harm them" Nirvana was the reason his friends were being hunted, his death would be the reason they would be free as well. Apollo had thought before this, that destroying the Monastery wouldn''t be enough to secure their safety. Only if he could eliminate the main root of the problem will everyone be safe. And Nirvana was the main problem he needed to eliminate. "Apollo" "Yes?" "I can feel their presence they will arrive here" The boy''s attention then shifted, as his eyes gazed down and he saw dozens of airships flying towards their position. "Let''s go" "Okay" However, before leaving the boy activates his inventory taking all his soldiers and treasures he found within the temple. Then his other bodies which were on standby in case he couldn''t handle using only one body slowly disappeared. Alicia and Apollo teleported back to the academy where their friends warmly weed them. ... Twelve recordedrge-scale incidents shook the empire. The attackers were unknown however they knew whose doom happened that day. It was the monastery, all the temples were destroyed including the ones that came falling from the sky. The floating temple was huge and could bepared to a mid-size city but despite its size and defensive structure, it wasn''t able to protect itself from the attacks it received. Everyone was perplexed and alerted by the current situation. However, no one could give a definite answer. "So? What did the seer see?" "None, your majesty even the highest-rank mages in ournes couldn''tprehend what happened" "All we could tell is someone or something raided the Monastery on the same day without leaving anyone alive" The imperial soldiers reported however their reports were something the emperor wasn''t content with. "What do you think? What did you all see?" Augustus asked while still sitting on his throne. "It was incredible your majesty" "Incredible? I''ll say dangerously mysterious" Voices came out of nowhere while five figures emerged at the back of the emperor. "Who!?" "At ease, we aren''t enemies" With their sudden appearance, the present soldiers were put into a state of alert. "I don''t think any of you will live if you truly wish to fight us" A striking hair simr to the setting sun entered in the soldiers'' view making all of them gulp. "Soldiers, didn''t I say be at ease?" With a carefree voice apanied by a striking presence, Gilgamesh the Duke of the South made his appearance. "My emperor about what happened in my region I deeply apologize to you" The northern duke despite speaking gently still excludes a suppressive energy. "I''ll stand what I said a while ago, the sight of those demonic beasts turning into dust was a sight to behold" The western duke said while holding an orb. Themanding presence of the Western duke made the soldiers even more pressured. "It may be incredible to you but the being who caused this may be a threat in the future, we must hunt down this mysterious attacker" Archduke Astralia said while appearing annoyed at the situation. "Gulp" The five imperial generals and some of the high-rank soldiers all felt like they should flee. The presence of the four cardinal dukes and the archduke was too overwhelming for them to handle. However, this oppressive atmosphere soon copses due to a strange noise. "What''s that?" Soon they realized what it was, the sound of heels hitting the floor of the pce. "Now who could this guest be" Helios said while taking a seat at the nearby chair. The door of the throne room flung open revealing the figure of a little girl. "Lady Alicia?" Augustus suddenly stood from his seat surprising the present soldiers. "All of you, leave at once" The imperial soldiers looked confused but still obeyed the emperor''s orders. Once they left Alicia moved from where she was. "I hope I didn''t ruin something important" "Not at all mydy" The four dukes including the archduke move away from the throne and stand in line in front of the emperor. "You kids don''t really need to do this, a military greeting is not something you should do" The five strongest assets of the empire justughed while the emperor guided Alicia to his own throne, letting her sit there. "May I ask what brings you here?" The emperor asked as soon as Alicia settled on the throne. "Actually it was me" "Pardon?" The six men had their eyes locked on the little girl in front of them. "Don''t tell me" The archduke muttered while trying to maintain his expression. "Mydy you mean you were the one who.." "Yes the attacks at the temples were my doing, however, I didn''te here for that reason. What I want you to do is deal with the remnant disciples and priests who are still hiding. I know you are aware of the spies the Monastery have so the entirety of the empire should start a clean up" "I understand however may I ask how did you find all the temples'' locations? If it''s okay may I know how?" Alicia contemtes what answer she should give, what Apollo told her was to make sure that his name won''t be dragged into the situation. "I am sorry, Your Majesty but I can''t disclose that" She then stood up from the throne before her body disappeared. As she vanished her voice left a message. "I''ll be staying with those kids I hope you don''t mind that" Chapter 116 A New Hurdle "I''ll be staying with those kids I hope you don''t mind that" The girl said leaving nothing behind the throne room. As she left the six men remained standing, silence was evident because they didn''t know what to say. "Your Majesty" "Yes" "How strong is Lady Alicia?" The archduke could finally ask to which the emperor answered "That my friend is my question too" After Alicia disappeared from the throne room, she reappeared at the ruined temple. "Ali!" Alya immediately grabbed her as soon as she came back. "Hey Alicia how did it go?" Keith asked while guiding her inside. "Wait we are not suspected right?" Arabe was a bit worried so she asked that question. "No worries I already settled everything" "Yes!" Her words made everyone rejoice causing the atmosphere to be warm. A bonfire was ignited and a feast was made by a couple of children. "Where is Apollo?" Despite the happy celebration, Alicia notices his absence. "Apollo is inside the library and he seems to be tired so we leave him be" Mckenzie said while handing her a tray of food. "If you want to see him give him this, he might wake up if you spoke to him" "I see I''ll go then" Holding the tray Alicia walked through the ruined temple and went inside the library. Amongst the shelves and books, there on one of the small corners of the room, you can see a boy covered in bed sheets and pillows. Apollo was there sleepingfortably while embracing a pillow. So Alicia doesn''t know whether to wake him up or just let him sleep. "Well might as well leave this here" She settles the tray beside him, she then puts a preservation spell on it to make the meal warm the same way when she brought it. After putting a spell she got a lid to protect it from any falling objects. "Many things happened I hope you rest well" After saying those words she finally left and let the boy take a rest. "So how did it go?" Mckenzie asked as soon as he saw Alicia return. "Still asleep" "Leave the guy be he must be tired from all the ruckus we did" ir said while handing a barbecue to Alicia then Casper suddenly suggested something. "By the way I was wondering if we could start preparing for the first Quarterly exam" "Oh right, that will happen next week!" "Was the date already announced?" "No, I think they will tell us on Monday" "We still have an entire day to rest so we should spend it nicely" Niko, Alya, Agnes and Samael talk while circling around the fire. Then as they settled on the topic Braiden began to speak as well. "We have all the materials we need since the previous lower ss left their diaries here" "I am really thankful they also left letters of encouragement" Vesta spoke feeling the letters were to lighten up the gloomy first-year lower ss. "Speaking of letters I even saw a one-hundred-year-old letter telling us to never give up" Aaron began to share while holding his half-eaten barbeque. "Wow that''s old" Nino eximed while stealing some grilled corn from ir. "Wait that''s strange I just put my corn here" thetter said before taking another corn to grill. "We should study and put the materials left behind by our predecessor into good use" Jillian encourage feeling excited about their uing exam. "By the way what exactly is our Quarterly exam?" Arabe asked since she was a bitte on the conversation due to her making some juice for everyone. "From what I know the exam consists of two parts, the written and practical exam" Keith answers her while putting a te of well-grilled squids and meat. The aroma of what he cooked filled the nose of his ssmates. "Nice!" McKenzie hurriedly tried to grab the grilled meat but Casper was a second earlier than him. "Hey!" "I got it first" Then he immediately put the meat in his mouth. Not wanting to be defeated the boy looked at the te and grabbed the grilled squid however Samael was way faster than him. "Not again!" Samael can''t help butugh at his friend but seeing his expression he decided to give him the squid. "Here you can have this" "Nah I''ll get another one" He insisted so he went to grab the remaining grilled meat only to be beaten by Braiden. "Hey!" "What?! Did I do something wrong?" Braiden who just returned from the bathroom confused as to why McKenzie was acting like that. He just grabbed food since he was hungry yet somehow he felt he had done something wrong. "Do you want it? Here you can have mine" he offered however Mckenzie''s expression was stillplicated. "Hey, what''s going on here?" Matilda asked as she brought a tray full of meat and squid that Keith had to grill. "Forget about them, just give more of this marinated sauce" "Sure wait for me" Matilda left again and went to make what Keith asked for. The night went on until the sun reced the moon in the sky. "Aaaah!" A yawn can be heard inside the ruined temple. After that series of groans and the sound of rustling sheets can be heard. "Morning" "Morning" "Why is my chest hurt" "Oh sorry man I didn''t know my legs were on top of your chest" "Damn you ir" "Sorry Braiden, peace be with you" "Hey did any of you see me holding a bookst night? I was reading that before I went to sleep" "Matilda you mean that book" Casper pointed which made the girl follow the direction he was pointing. "Wait why is it on the bonfire!" "Sorry Mati I identally kicked your bookst night and it kinda flew into the fire" Niko said apologetically about his mistake, however, Matilda looked murderous and the boy was too stunned to speak. "I''ll rece your book promised" Scared about his fate Niko grovel making Agnesugh. "Hey help me out here" he asked while his friend continuedughing. Since they all talked and atest night they all ended up sleeping around the fire though it didn''t really cause much trouble except that one incident with Matilda. "We should clean up first" Alicia initiated, and then the boys agreed while Keith and some of the girls went to prepare for their breakfast. After cleaning up the mess they made Alicia decided to check on Apollo. "I''ll be back once I check on him" "Sure the breakfast is ready okay" "Okay" As she went inside the library she found Apollo sitting in the corner she hadst seenst night, though she found it weird that he intensively staring at the air. "Apollo?" "!?" "Sorry did I surprise you?" "Oh, since when did you arrive?" "Just now why?" "Ah nothing, I just woke up so I won''t be able to eat this" He pointed to the meal she leftst night, Alicia only nodded then she spoke. "Breakfast is ready, everyone is waiting so we should join them" "Okay I was about to go there as well" "By the way Apollo?" "Yes?" "What were doing a while ago?" "Ah, that? I was checking the items we got from the assault we did at the temples" "So? How much did we get?" "It''s massive just looking at it in my ring makes me feel overwhelmed" It surprised the girl a bit since Apollo was used to the wealth of the tower, so if he felt overwhelmed like he said then she could imagine how much they got from the attack. "We should tell everyone about that" "Yeah" When they arrived a long table was already prepared with sixteen chairs waiting for them to sit on. "Morning Apollo" "Morning" "Since our main character is here let''s eat!" Apollo couldn''t help but shake his head at Mckenzie''s words. Then the boy''s eyes shifted and saw baskets full of freshly baked breath and a warm pot of soup. "Come on dig in!" ir urged and then guided Apollo to sit with them. "Let''s eat!" The breakfast went smoothly, and after that they hurriedly cleaned up before returning to their dorm. "We are back!" Mckenzie announced as soon as he entered the main door. However, his energetic attitude soon dampened when his eyesnded on a certain someone. "Professor Adolfo?" "Yes, what nice weather isn''t it student Mckenzie?" A wide brilliant smile appeared on the professor''s face however his students felt hellish since they somehow felt a bad thing would happen to them. Then Adolfo''s smile grew wider when he saw Apollo walking beside his ssmates. "What''s this? Why is he here?" Apollo wondered but the professor''s appearance made the entire ss nervous. Then finally the professor spoke. "The Quarterly Exam will happen on the 16th day of this month, so theseing days will be filled with reviews of your previous lessons, and also..." he looked at each of his students before continuing. "This Quarterly exam will be held for three days" "What?" "Three days?" "What do they expect to do have a written exam for an entire day?" "Shut up Mckenzie" The kids began discussing though they began to zip their mouths when Adolfo gestured them to quiet down. "The reason for the exam being held for three days is because a tournament will be held there" All the students stare at their professor not understanding why they need to put up a tournament on an exam day. Chapter 117 Preparation for exams Apollo''s Pov How should I say this, I thought destroying the Monastery would give me some free time to n about my brother''s and sister''s wonderful school journey. However right after the problems with the monastery ended our attention got snatched away by the exams, and it''s not even that hard. I am not being arrogant or whatsoever but it''s the truth. My ssmates'' stats might be weaker at first but they have improved a lot since their time in the tower. Those who are afraid to take up a sword soon try to learn the power of the de, while those who are afraid of violence, entered the world of new possibilities. The reason why they are the way they were when I met them, was because fear and trauma were still engraved on their hearts. They might appear fine but I know when I first met them, they were afraid of the things that could remind them of the past. Fortunately, we all did our best to improve, we became close to each other until we let go of our worries and became who we are right now. I am certain we will be fine after all, before the incident with the Monastery, my ssmates were heirs of their own n or were trained for a certain purpose. Examples are Samael in the Church of Juanfonso, Keith in the Frostfang Tribe, Aaron at Hexzon vige, and Casper at the Santiago Fort. Matilda was also the same as her brother since he was a high-ranking soldier. Niko is a member of a knight family while Agnes is a literal princess. Mckenzie is a student of a baron while ir is a child from Longfalls, one that is known for their good use of magic. Also, the others have gained abilities through different means. Although those means are a bit traumatic. "I can''t handle this!" "Calm down Mckenzie" My monologue stopped when I heard Mckenzie''sint. "I can''t handle this! Why do we have to learn history!" Maybe I should take back what I said earlier. Maybe it isn''t as easy as I thought. It might be harder than I initially expected. Most of my ssmates have subjects they excel in and also have those they need more improvements to make, take Mckenzie for example. "I can''t even remember a single capital from the nearby kingdoms, and now we have to mark them on a map?" He continues toin while holding a review book made by our subject professor. "Well, it seems like we are going to be busy" I could only say while lifting my cup of tea. It was Sunday and Professor Adolfo dropping such a bomb on us made us all eager to pass the exam. "However why do they need a tournament" Arabe voiced her question which was something that''s been bugging us. Usually, tournaments are held during the foundation day of the academy, so why do they suddenly have this? "I wanted to know that as well" Alya weakly said while dropping the book in her hand. "And yet our angelic professor didn''t give us any clue and just stormed off after saying about the tournament thingy" If Alya felt weak Matilda on the other hand felt annoyed. "Well at least he gave us all the review books our subject professors wanted to give us" Jillian spoke trying to calm her annoyed friend. "Hey Keith help me out I can''t understand this question" Braiden then approaches Keith''s table holding a worksheet given by one of their professors. "Okay let me see.....its inscriptions, I see you are writing it wrong, this character needs to be written like this" Keith then proceeded to rewrite what Braden did which made thetter follow him. Currently, our subjects only let us practice the basics and not the actual stuff. I kept on wondering if that would really help us. For example one of our subjects Magic and Creation 1, aside from spell casting, it simply taught us to memorize and perfectly write the rune characters that wouldter be used in scroll-making. We barely touched the topic and the same goes with our subject beastmology, they only taught us the background of each beast but never let us use the simtors. [You are worried] "I just fear we are being left behind" [You should trust the process Creator] "I hope so" "Argh!! Who the hell is Artemis!" I heard anotherint from Mckenzie making me approach him. "Artemis is one of the five pirs who help build the empire" "Five pirs?" "Yes, back at the Age of Extinction five people became the pirs of humanity''s survival, namely Thor Obsidianvale, Cedar Arcanebane, Isaac Silvercrest, Artemis Lionheart and Julius Von Celestio" My friend was a bit taken aback by my words, it seems he is really not paying attention to ss. [Maybe he is just bad at history] "Perhaps" "Sorry, Apollo didn''t know your ancestor was her. I didn''t really mean what I said a while ago" "It''s okay you were frustrated so you just randomly rant about what confuses you" Mckenzie was a bit embarrassed knowing what I said was right. "As I was saying a while ago these five pirs made way for humanity to survive after that they reestablished kingdoms andter on made the empire. That is what roughly happened at the Age of Heroes" "Age of Heroes?" Samael suddenly butted in as those words must have triggered something. "Wasn''t the Age of Heroes part of the three early ages of Bunag?" He asked so I quickly answered. "That depends on what book you are looking at other authors name the Age of Heroes as the Age of Gods since it is the time when Godsnded on Bunag" "Wait what do you mean by early ages of Bunag?" Mackenzie now became confused hearing new things that made his memorizing messed up. I couldn''t help but chuckle however his expression wasn''t really good so I exined it to him. "You see what I said a while ago is the recorded history ording to the church. The history of the empire is different from the churches they are separate so you don''t have to confuse yourself with it" "Really?" "Yeah just focus on the empire''s history since that''s what we tackle in the entire Quarter" "Thanks" "Wee" "Hey Apollo, I need a little help about this term, do you know about this?" Vesta suddenly asked while Samael grabbed his books to continue his review. Happily, I entertained her questions and the ones I receivedter. Our weekend was full of work and we didn''t get enough rest, even I who had the highest stats among us got so tired. [It seems you haven''t fully recovered yet] "Yeah it seems so" It was Monday and we slowly dragged our bodies into the lecture room only to see our professor calmly writing something on the board. "Good morning miss Gelda" "Morning" "Professor you are early today" Nikomented while giving a thumbs up to the professor. Agnes on the other hand just drags him in the corner making sure he will be quiet. "Everyone settle down because I will give you all the procedures and mechanics of the exam" "Mechanics?" With just one word I felt like our so-called written exam won''t be that simple. "To tell you all the truth I am a bit confused as to why we are doing this type of exam but I hope it helps everyone" Our professor''s words made me confirm my thoughts. "Now I wonder what gimmick is this" I couldn''t help but grin as our professor began her exnation. "Usually my subject is one of those that are evaluated through written exams but now it will be different, they made a change to make sure the students would truly understand their lessons" Then she wrote something on the broad, a title of something I didn''t understand. Is this a book or something? Do we need to review using this as a reference? I wondered, and then the professor began to exin. The word Empire Fights was written "This my students is the name of your exam" "Huh?" "Exams have names?" "I thought we only need to know the type of exams?" I could hear McKenzie''s bewildered reaction along with some of the boy''sments. "I don''t know who made this name but let''s skip that part" Then her next words made me suddenly excited "Nice, it seems this new type is exam is entertaining" However opposite to my enthusiastic reaction Meckenzie looked pale but at the same time excited. No, it seems he doesn''t know what reaction he should do. After that announcement, the ss ended with our professor giving us a detailed review of our previous lessons, she even highlighted some parts for us. Time went on and the ss ended. "Ahhhhh!" I heard a shout from Mckenzie since he was frustrated and wanted to vent his frustration. "Don''t worry buddy we got you" "Thanks" Currently, we are inside the ruined temple and hopefully, our reviewing will help us pass. Chapter 118 Exam Friday, the 16th day of the month of Augustus. The Aster Academy opens its gate towards the family and guardians of each student. Unfortunately for me, my family wille. I will be happy if they don''te, like what''s the point ofing? But then mymunication bracelet suddenly pulled my attention. "A call?" I checked the caller and it turns out it was Grandpa Alger. Happily, I excitedly answered his call. "Hello? Grandpa?" {Little sun how are you?} His voice entered my ears and my eyesnded on his holographic image. "I am doing great" I genuinely replied but then his reply made me frown. It was augh he usually does when he finds something interesting. {I heard what happened little sun} I suddenly felt chilly and somehow I don''t know what to say. "What do you mean grandpa?" I said pretending to know nothing about the thing he was trying to imply. With that answer, I heard him chuckle again which made my assumption correct. This is not really good Should I lie? But he knows me way too well that lying will only cement his thoughts. {I saw it, you see the emperor asked the tower to investigate, so while we searched under those rubbles and dirt we found something} Oh shit, I thought while knowing his next words. {Do you really think the tower won''t recognize something that is created there? Though honestly, I didn''t think you would fix the problem with the mechanized soldier. You even improve its sheath apparatus} "..." {Why aren''t you speaking?} "Well I am sorry for taking them without saying anything and please tell Brother Gavin I did some stuff inside the soldiers" {Hahahaha....no need to worry and about the traces you amateurishly tried to erase we already took care of it. No one will know you are there with your friends" OPPS, just how much did they get? Did they also find out about my spell Clonis? Hopefully not since it''s the thing I like to keep a secret. "I hope I didn''t cause too much trouble" {Dont worry you didn''t my child} "By the way the way we will start our exam today" {Yes I did hear so me and some selected mages will go there to watch you} "Really!" {Yes so be sure to do your best} "I will!" "{Alright I''ll drop this call...} Find more chapters on m_v l|e-NovelBin Then a sudden bang masked Grandpa''s voice making me worried. "Wait was that an explosion?" {Ah that? We are just having a smallpetition on who will be allowed to go there with me. I''ll call you once we are nearby} "Okay take care" {I will} My call ended but I still felt happy "Gotta make sure I pass" "Apollo!" I heard Arabe''s voice so I answered. "Yes?" "The first exam is starting we should head to the examination room" "Okay" I finally closed the book I was holding and left the library of our dorm. "So what was the first thing we need to take?" Agnes asked while reading the reviewer onest time. "History and Geography" Hearing those words from Niko made Mckenzie groan, it seems he is still not confident about passing this subject. All I could do was tap his shoulder. ir on the other hand kept on muttering something beside me, that I had almost mistaken him for a deranged priest. As we left the dorm building we saw Professor Adolfo waiting for us outside the gate. "Morning student" "Good morning professor" "It seems some of you are still worried well that''s okay, I believe all of you will pass" "Professor, can we ask something?" Jillian came forward before Professor Adolfo could even start walking. "Yes student Jillian" "Ah, it''s about your exam you haven''t told us anything" "No need to worry I will announce it after you take all of your four subjects, for now, focus on your current exams" He kindly told us, though somehow it feels weird when he acts like this [It feels like a calm before the storm Creator] "Don''t say that, don''t raise gs here" After exchanging some other questions our professor leads us to the ce where the exam will take ce. It was one of the open fields inside the Academy and built inside that area are eight mid-size towers. "I am assuming those eight towers are for the eight sses" Agnes concluded finally putting away her reviewer. "Yes, the one at the back is the one assigned to your ss" "You mean the one that I can''t almost see?" Mckenzie said while using his hand as binocrs. "Yes" Professor Adolfo answered again. "Well well if it isn''t the lower ss" "Look everyone we got some..." "BANG!" Before they could even continue what they wanted to say Matilda fired a bullet on their way. "Why do we have to hear them speak every time we go outside" She said while putting back the gun into her ring. "They are just some people who couldn''t handle the pressure and demand of this Academy. So what they do is find people who could be the pot that will receive all their insecurities, that way they will feel a little better about themselves" Alicia just said looking cold like she usually does. It was a bit fortunate that Professor Adolfo teleported us right in front of our designated examination facility. If we walked across the other students we might get into a fight if by any chance they tried to approach us. "Alright, this will be my stop, once all of you enter it will be the signal of the start of the exam. So be sure to prepare yourselves before entering" "Yes, professor!" Then he slowly walks away and starts observing us from afar. "Alright the official start of this exam is 8:00 to 11:00, we will have our lunch after that then return here for our next exam, 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Then thest two will be taken tomorrow with the same time slot" Alicia exined looking quite serious. "Currently it''s 7:30 we are allowed to start the exam early if we want to and it will still end at 11:00 am, so what do you guys think? Should we go inside or wait until 8:00 am?" With Alicia''s words, they began to think while I remained silent since it didn''t really matter to me what time we started. After five minutes they conclude. "Let''s do this!" Mackenzie was strangely active making me relieved, he must have gained some confidence. "Okay we still have 20 or more so let''s go in" Alicia finally smiled as she said those words. We all came forward and calmly opened the door, and nervously entered. A white blinding light began to bind us until a dry and burning air weed us, or more correctly me. I smirked as I felt the intensity of the situation. "Here it is" I said and my eyes looked straight at the words floating above. "To escape this room you mustplete the sequence of events that happened in the Age of Extinction. What you do will conclude its ending which is needed to be the same as the one in the history books, so choose wisely" [It''s finally starting] "Yes" Back in our ss professor Gelda, revealed to us that our examination in her subject would be a simtion of the things we have discussed in her lesson. That includes all the overviews she once discussed at the beginning of the school year. "The first lesson was the age of extinction" A warm air prated my skin while a couple of roars and screams came from a distance. "I need to know first where and who I am" ording to the professor we will take on one of the historical figures in history, and our decision will decide the oue of this scenario. If we choose the correct answers and the ending I make is the same as the one on the books then I will proceed to the next part of the exam. I looked around at my body and found out I was wearing a military uniform. "This style don''t tell me..." [You are Yuan from the Qin kingdom!] "Yes, Yuan the soldier who will die after bombing the ck bridge" [He did but after he did that he was able to save thousands of people!] So the figure I possess is Yuan, but then why is he here? Did I perhaps miss something while reviewingst night? [Creator! Run!] "What?" My body suddenly tensed up as my eyes saw a huge demon salt iron crocodile. It was a swarm of them [Run!] Yes I will definitely run I move my legs and strangely I am way slower than before. "What the hell!" I ran like there was a ton of stuff at my back. Wait was there something like this in history? I searched my mind and an answer came to me. "That''s right he was the one who first discovered the demonic breakout at the northern river marsh. [Creator runs faster!] "I am trying to!" Frustrated I ended up shouting at him. Chapter 119 Yuan Qin kingdom is located in the eastern portion of the continent, unfortunately, they were one of the few kingdoms that were first destroyed during the breakout. Now I am the soldier who first discovered the extreme abundance of demons at the northern river marsh. This marsh had many species of magical beast and for an unknown reason, all of them became a demonic beast. It was a mysterious phenomenon that left the current researcher puzzled. Just what happened in the eastern part of the continent that turns all the magical beasts into demons. That up until now remains a mystery. [Run!] "I am already running!" Why am I so slow? [Could it be that you also possess the skills of the historical figure Yuan not just his appearance?] "That''s possible" While I said that I made a sudden jump dodging a crocodile''s bite. "I need to get used to this body" I made a side step and yet again dodged another bite. [You are doing great despite not being used to this body] "Thanks" I kept running towards the ce where the soldier Yuan ran when he first made his discovery. "There is it! The watch tower!" Qin kingdom had walls that served as the shield against demonic and magical beasts and at the corner of those walls were the watch towers. Seeing those towers I immediately ran towards them while dodging and kicking the demonic crocodiles that relentlessly chased me. [Creator Yuan has superb endurance and stamina!] "Yeah, but he is so damn slow!" I made another jump while three crocodiles bit the air as I lifted off. ... "Hey is that your brother?" A soldier asks seeing a familiar figure in his spyss. "Are you sure?" "Yeah here look through it" The other soldier took the spyss and immediately recognized the person who desperately ran for his life. "It''s Yuan.." Then the spyss moves and zooms into the group of demonic beasts chasing his brother. "Those are!" He panicked and moved his body towards the edge of the observation deck. "Jun what are gonna do?" His friend asked not liking his position. "Wei you call reinforcement it seems we need to defend the wall again" After saying those words he jumped causing his friend to almost have a heart attack. Opposite to Wei''s reaction Jun fearlessly glided to the air beforending perfectly on the ground. "Yuan!" He shouted gaining his brother''s response. However, as he gazed at him he could tell that somehow he was different. "Did my eyes y with me" He said a bit confused about the situation but despite his confusion, he rushed to aid his brother. .... Apollo''s Pov. "Who is that?" [He seems to know you, Creator] "Yuan!" [See he knows you!] I couldn''t help but shake my head but since I didn''t have any other option I ran towards him. "Help me!" I even added. A man d in the same outfit as me rushes to my side before lifting me. [!?] "!?" Yes like a sack of rice, he lifted me and stormed towards the tower. "I need a lift!" I heard him shout then I saw a rope beingid down which he immediately grabbed. Things were getting confusing because I never read about this part in history books. Just who the hell is this guy? My thoughts then halted when the rope suddenly pulled up, it was so fast my head wasn''t prepared for it. Then in just a couple of seconds, we are right on the watch tower''s observation deck. The moment we arrive he gently put me down on the ground before asking me. "You okay little brother?" Brother? Who? [He is referring to you, Creator] "Yuan? Are you okay?" "Ah yes...I am" "Are you sure?" "Yes..." My head went nk with the words brother and the fact that his expression told me he was genuinely worried about me. I felt a sudden difort with the attention he was giving me. "I am okay so um....give some space I just need to breath" I saw how his expression changed but I didn''t feelfortable with how he approached me. [You are just not used to being loved by your brother, that is why you reject the affection he is showing] "Maybe but for now I will just focus on my mission" [And that is?] "To report my discovery and die at the ck bridge" [You think it will be easy] "Of course, it won''t" I concluded that in this world you better be prepared to see your expectations fail, especially in people you love. Jeremiah and I became silent until a group of people appeared on top of the walls and the deck of the watch tower. A woman d in a ck military uniform came with some men behind her back. "And what kind of catastrophe did you bring with you Yuan" She coldly said while looking at me fiercely. [Should we kill her] "We can''t do that, unfortunately" "Soldier why aren''t you answering!" She began to raise her voice making a young man at the corner of the deck worried. "Captain my.." "Shut your mouth Jun, can''t you see your brother brought some demonic beast" "I beg your pardon but I think what my brother did was right" "What?" "Our duty is to make sure the kingdom is safe, if the demons remain unchecked and end up popting then that will seal our fates to heaven. If my brother didn''t lead the demon beasts here then won''t have a chance to eliminate an even bigger threat" I heard the woman scoff at his words but somehow the man named Jun remained unfazed. "You! Yuan what can you say about what you did today!?" Since she can''t seem to win against Jun she puts her anger on me. So dly I answered her. "The beast....all of them...they all became corrupted" I said seemingly frightened at the things I saw. "What do you mean!?" I felt someone grab me and it turns out this strange woman grabbed my cor and lifted me. "What do you mean by that!?" she asked again so I gulped trying to look terrified. "All the beasts at the Northern river marsh....they all turn into demon beasts" After I said those words she suddenly dropped me. Enjoy new adventures from mvl "What?" [It seems she won''t believe you, Creator] "Well that would make my situationplicated" I hope she believes me though the history books didn''t say that he was first doubted. "Where?" She suddenly spoke making me look straight into her eyes. "Right in the bottom of the marsh, I saw all the magical beasts turning into demons" "Was the corruption fast?" "It was different in other species some were slower while the others were faster" "Then I suppose those saltwater iron crocodiles are corrupted fast" All I could do was nod, why? I already said some lines from the books I don''t know what else should I say. And I can''t just give more since I would look suspicious. "Jun" "Yes mam" "Go and inform the king we must report this" "Yes, mam!" "And youe with me and show me where exactly you saw the corruption" I couldn''t help but gulp does she want me to return there? I hope not since my stats are not good enough to survive there. Fortunately, she showed me a map instead. "Where and how big was the radius of the corruption" I did whatever she asked until the nning for evacuation started and finished. Some soldiers were meant to remain to buy time while the others joined the people providing protection along the way. "Yuan!" I heard Jun''s calling so I reluctantly went to him. "Don''t go too far where I can''t see you, stay where I can immediately find you okay?" "Yes" "Are you alright?" "Yes I am" I could see him looking frustrated probably with my behaviour change but there is no way I can act around with him. I don''t even know how to show sibling love. "Held on to me" He said while pulling my arm to hold onto his sleeve. Seriously both of us are members of the military but I am being treated like a kid. And why the hell do they keep looking at me as if this is a normal urrence? [He is treating you way kinder than I expected, how should I say this? He is very gentle. Like a calm breeze] "Yes you are right, a calm and gentle breeze" We walked for a couple of days until the demons caught up to us. That is when the tragedy started, one by one the soldiers and people started dying and sacrificing each other, and that includes him as well. "Argh!" "Jun!" "That should be big brother you know!" My body suddenly trembles while trying to med hiscerated arm. It was roughly removed when he saved me from an iron crocodile''s death roll. "Argh!" "Hurry Yuan! We can''t stay here!" I heard Wei''s voice forcing me to lift my brother on the back before running to join the others. "This is funny" "Don''t speak you are wounded" "You know I used to give piggyback rides on you when we were little, but now look at you, our position has been reversed" I could feel his breath getting weaker making my legs move a lot faster. "Help!" I started to shout, I started to beg because I could feel his life was about to end. "Hey, can somebody please help me!" I beg even more lifting my legs to move even faster. At that moment I forgot about the exam and only focused on saving the little spark of life he had left. Chapter 120 A Brothers Love This is just an exam so why? Why am I in such pain? I am hurt when they die yet I know those people are all illusions, including him. "Help!" I shouted again yet my body was so slow to respond to my will. I wanted to run fast but couldn''t. However, I am thankful for my unique endurance and stamina, despite running for quite some time now I can still go on for a while longer. As I ran I saw a silhouette of someone. I halted trying to see if this person was an ally or foe. As my eyes slowly scanned him, he began to approach me. "Yuan?" "Wei?" Finally, someone is here! I desperately ran towards him however as I did a shadow was already looming behind his back. It was a beast with a towering build, its size was humongous and ck scales became its shield from arrows and blows. Its eyes glisten in hunger as if it hasn''t eaten for days although its mouth and body are covered with blood. "Watch out!" However, before my voice could reach him the demonic beast moved bearing its fang on its victim. Time seemed to move slowly and the beast that was a few centimeters away from Wei suddenly cut down to pieces. "Who did that?" Blood spattered while the beast''s severed body painted the ground red. "You better move Yuan" "Captain!" It was the same ck woman who grabbed my cor a few days ago. What was her name again? [Apologies I wasn''t able to hear it as well] "Yuan!" "Yes!" "Move now!" "Yes ma''am!" I run while Jun still rests on my back. "His arm is severed" Shemended while holding onto her long spear. "Do we have a healer?" "Yes but currently upied with the abundance of patients" I couldn''t help but bite my lip as I heard those words. [You are greatly affected even though you shouldn''t be my Creator] Jeremiah''s words made my expression even moreplicated. "You don''t have to worry the army has a separate healer so your brother should receive treatment" The captain said as if trying to make me feel assured. "Follow me, we have found a ce where demons can''t enter easily. Everyone is there resting so we should regroup with the others" I only nodded knowing that I won''t be able to rest. Our current location is the Fire Phoenix forest, a ce where the Fire Phoenix tree is abundant. Thisnd is one of the ces that can''t be invaded by demons easily. You might ask why, the reason for that is... My thoughts suddenly shifted when I heard something. It was a screech like a cry or warning for something. "Jeremiah can you apply the system''s lenses in my current body" [It can Creator just give me a few seconds to implement it in your body... Implementation is done Creator you may proceed to use it] My eyes slowly changed and my vision improved significantly. Thendscape became clearer to me while a mini-map of the forest was suspended on the side of my vision. I squinted and immediately my vision zoomed in towards the location of the noise. [Is that!?] "Yeah" A ming bird akin to a Phoenix graces the entrance of the forest. The horde of demonic beasts halted due to its appearance. The reason for this was because their instinct was giving a warning not to move forward. This forest is the resting ce of a high-rank spirit, Guardian. This ming bird is a descendant of a real Phoenix however instead of going inside the world tree like any other spirit it remains inside the forest, the ce where it was born. Back to the ming bird, its wings produce golden mes burning a high amount of demonic beast. [It''s defending the forest] "Yes however it won''t be enough" Outside the forest, a sea of darkness can be seen, a darkness created by thousands of demons all marching forward to devour the forest. [This spirit won''tst long] "I know" That night the forest was enveloped with cries and howling making every passing hour eerie. "We have to do something, the entire forest is already being surrounded and the Guardian won''t be able to keep fighting for long, we must move!" I could hear their words from outside the tent, and although I knew what would happen, I still felt nervous. "Yuan" My attention was suddenly snatched when Jun suddenly spoke. "What do you feel? Are there any signs of difort or are you feeling dizzy? You can tell me anything" I heard him chuckle as if finding my words amusing. "It seems you are fine since you canugh like that" "Am I? I am just happy you no longer treat me like a stranger" "Ah...sorry for that" Heughed although his entire face and body were almost covered with bandages. "Rest well" I could only say before leaving the tent, as I left I saw the captain walking towards me. "Cap, good morning" She merely nodded and made her way inside. [That was strange usually she would re at you as if youmitted the greatest crime but now she looks stressed] "Who wouldn''t be with all the chaos that''s been happening" However, I do find her reaction suspicious so I did what I thought was appropriate. I activated one of the system''s gears and made my hearing better. [So the appropriate thing you are telling me is eavesdropping on their conversation] "Why aren''t you curious as well?" [I am] Suddenly I felt my hearing became even better, it began cancelling unnecessary noise and focusing on one point. Jun and the captain''s conversation. "So you are telling me I need to stay here like the rest of the injured soldiers and make sure to kill demons as much as I can" "Yes, I tried to cancel this order believe me, but the council believed that you and the rest of the injured soldiers and civilians are liabilities that will only slow us down. So instead of being a burden they wanted to use you all to buy us enough time to flee" "I see, truth be told I see thising. I know the King, he will neverpromise for the sake of those who have low chances of survival. He will always make a choice for those who have a higher chance of living than for us who are weak and injured" "Jun.." "Captain I won''t go against the king''s orders, I know my body, I know I won''tst for long. So please make sure my brother is safe. He is the only person I have left, so please protect him" It was a faint calm voice however I could feel his determination. "Ha..." I couldn''t help but breathe like that. "How stupid seriously, why? Why do I suddenly miss my brother?" It was confusing at the same time alerting. My mind already settled on killing that person and somehow it began to waver. For the first time after that incident, I suddenly longed to have a brother. ..... A few hours after that conversation I saw the injured soldiers walking towards the edge of the forest. "Yuan" he called me so I looked towards him and asked. "Where are you going?" "Ah, this? The King gave us orders that we should take another route to make sure we would be safer. Don''t worry the healers are with us, they will take care of our injuries so you should hurry and go with the others. We will meet after we pass this hurdle, so keep yourself safe okay?" Seriously, if you are going to lie make sure it''s not obvious you know. I can definitely tell you are lying. Experience more tales on mvl [What are we gonna do Creator, this fact wasn''t included in the books. They never said that the king wanted to sacrifice his injured citizens and soldiers in order to have enough time to flee] "You are right" They never taught us that history can be different and rmingly cruel. [Perhaps it''s because the book you have read vaguely exins this part of history. After all the history of the empire is quite long and they have to summarize it in order for your ssmates to learn it in two months] Was that really the reason? It seems history can be deceiving if you read it from another person''s perspective. This past may be part of someone else''s pov that we never read about. "Yuan? You okay? You don''t look good, is there something that is bothering you?" Ah, my expression is too oblivious it seems I am still not good at hiding them. "Sorry I am just worried" "Don''t be, we can still meet after this" I nodded with his lies although I am not really the brother he is trying to protect. [What do you n to do? I see no bridge here even though the record says Yuan died destroying the ck bridge that connects the Qin kingdom and this forest] "We don''t have a choice but to make sure we can still do the oue that was recorded in history" [Yuan''s death] "Yes" Although I am a bit sceptical if Yuan was truly the man that died. Chapter 121 History Lesson hits different Although I am a bit sceptical if Yuan was truly the man that died. What if it wasn''t really what happened? However I need to stick to my task, the one who will die today is me, Yuan. "Let''s go we need to move now" Burying my distracting thoughts I stealthily made my way towards the other edge of the forest. It was the one where the ming bird was fighting the horde of demons. "Amazing he actually created a wall of fire to prevent the entry of other demon beasts" The walls of golden mes burst and my skin could feel its scorching heat. Then my eyes switch towards the maker of this scenery. A bird with a ming body and an eagle-like appearance wed into the crowd of enemies. Its cry echoes making the demonic beasts retreat. [What do you n to do Creator?] "Nothing I just thought I needed to make friends with him" [Are you serious?] "Yeah, I just thought, maybe this was the only option Yuan had at that time" I walked and soon gained the attention of the high-rank beast. Our eyes met and somehow I felt a connection, he was looking at me and I was the same. He made a war-like cry before gliding through the air towards me. {Human} His voice spoke to my mind making my heart pound in anticipation. {I can see your heart, you are mourning} "And I can see yours as well, you are longing" We both looked at each other and despite the chaos we found peace. "I know what you want and you know what I want" {I see, however, both of our desires have a price} "Does it even matter?" I heard a faintughter inside my head then the ming bird slowly approached. Strangely his mes didn''t hurt me, it doesn''t feel burned or painful, instead, I felt warm like someone was embracing me. No more words were exchanged instead we let our will guide our actions. .... As per the order of the king all injured militants and civilians were tasked to make a path for those who were not injured, and stayed behind in order to buy enough time. However, when they were about to do the task the sky turned red while the temperature rose. A wave of uncertainty sshed into their minds until they heard the cry of the Guardian. All worries disappear as the spirit creates a wave of mes that burn a path for them. Their eyes were surprised by the sudden turn of events until the demonic beast rushed through like a raging tsunami. It wasn''t enough, the power of the Guardian couldn''t keep up with the intense amount of enemies. However, the mes didn''t falter instead they burst even more and started to spread outside the forest. The current barrennd became scorch, while the pile of bodies of other demonic beasts was forged to be a bridge. A ck bridgeposed of a demon carcass. It was eerie at first sight however a voice suddenly came that made everyone even more surprised. {Go} A voice that seemed to be the unison of two entities spoke. "Wait that voice" Opposite to the surprise reaction of others, three people immediately recognize the voice. "Yuan" Jun recognizes while looking at the sky his eyes full of worry. {Hurry} The voice spoke again this time it was pleading. {We can''tst for long} It added and the people snapped from their daze and immediately ran towards the burning bridge. "Hurry everyone get on the bridge!" Shouts of orders came and everyone followed except a few specific individuals. "No, I will stay" Jun stated however his friend Wei disagreed. "Don''t be a fool your brother is making a sacrifice, the least you can do is make his life worth it!" He said while dragging the one-arm man towards the bridge. "Let me die with him!" "Shut up!" despite his words tears began falling but he remained stubborn dragging his friend to safety knowing that was what Yuan wanted. While the two fought against each other the Captain remained standing in her position. {Hey} Suddenly she heard a voice and her body turned back. Her eyes wander trying to find a certain person. As she scanned the area a silhouette was there standing among the fiery woods, it was a man she was familiar with but this time his body was made of mes. His eyes were no longer his but she knew deep inside he was the same man she met before. {Go} He spoke again. {Be safe} He added while raising his hand to wave. {Go} he repeated this time the woman in ck finally left her position and dragged her feet towards the bridge. "Let''s go!" She began to shout, and as she spoke her presence filled the air. Then she arrived at the two friends who were still struggling to walk on the bridge. "Stop being stupid and get moving!" Her legs moved and kicked both Wei and Jun resulting in the two flying straight in the middle of the bridge. Although her action seemed rough her intention was for Jun to get on the bridge. "Move!" She shouted and all the remaining soldiers obeyed hermand. "Wait!" Jun wanted to protest but the swarm of people made it hard for him to struggle. Some thought they were safe however it wasn''t the case. Howls suddenly came and the bridges shook as the demonic beast tried to get on. "Continue forward!" They began to rush their steps while the mes came forward providing protection towards the sea of monsters. "Just where is the end of this!" Some eximed while the others remained quiet, their attention was only kept moving forward. Under the gloomy dark sky that prevented the sun from shining, the people of the Qin kingdom continued running on the ck bridge. It was scorching and the constant attack of demon beasts made their hearts waver. They thought that their journey would be endless until they saw it. The end of the bridge that connects another forest. A forest filled with the power of spirits. A ray of hope shines on the people and makes them run eagerly. However, as the light shone upon them so did the darkness, it continued to move not letting anyone survive. "Run!" Someone shouted and the reason for that was the demon beast that began to climb on the bridge. "Hurry!" They could feel the bridge shook signifying the amount of beast that managed to climb on. "Go inside the forest now!" Desperation kicks in as the people see hundreds of mouths preparing to eat them. Then the forest glowed and the spirits that protected it began attacking the advancing enemies but still it wasn''t enough. "More areing!" Somebody warned and everyone kept running forward. "Watch out!" Another scream was heard and right after that, something rammed on the bridge. Time seems to stop when a being with a height as big as a toweres. Its build was humongous, as it raised its ws the people could see ck scales that covered its body. It suddenly breathed and a warm repulsive air came to them. "What now!" "Kept running!" They didn''t have time for panic they needed to keep moving but then the beast was fast despite its size and was about to grab onto the crowd of people. "RAGHH!" A roar of pain was heard instead. Some were curious to know the situation and looked up while others remained running. Right in front of the behemoth, a ming object can be seen floating. However, it wasn''t really an object but a person. Having the body of fire Yuan''s wings dance across the sky as he fights the demon beast. He is buying enough time for the people until thest person enters the forest of spirits. After some time his objective was finally achieved and now the price has to be paid. Yuan merged with the fire spirit and ended up bing one with him. However, it doesn''t end there, his life as a human ends since his remaining life force was used to protect the citizens of the kingdom. He is slowly losing himself and will soon be devoured by the spirit. Yuan on the other doesn''t have much regret he did his part and now it''s up to them whether they will survive or not. "Hooo..." He began to breathe and the mes surrounding his body ignited even more. "RAGHH!!" The demonic behemoth went wild after his arms were severed by Yuan but the spirit and the man no longer cared about the beast. Instead, theynded on the bridge which are now brimming with monsters. Now the history shall be fulfilled, the ground shook and the beasts that tried to invade the spirit forest died under the bridge. mes burst even more and the ck bridge was destroyed. "Yuan!" Jun shouted trying to get a glimpse of his brother however no matter how hard he tried all he could see was an endless sea of mes and blood. Another wave of mes cascaded and forged another structure using the pile of demon carcasses. From a bridge, a wall was erected, and now the forest is safe. {Human it''s time} "Yes, thank you" Yuan''s body disappeared and the ming bird reced him. Now the two of them became one turning into a more powerful being. Chapter 122 : History Lesson hits different parts. II Apollo''s Pov The moment Yuan''s consciousness disappeared my task to die was achieved. A white light came to me before taking me to a room. As I stood there alone my thoughts after the exam flooded in. I came to realize that he was regarded as dead when thest remaining part of his self disappeared and became one with the spirit. In that time he was no longer a human but became a spirit. I have mixed feelings about this exam one of them being too difficult for a first year''s, especially since this is their first major examination after the entrance exam. Regr kids would be traumatized by this type of examination. The deaths are too real and the demon beasts are so scary that even I felt fear. [Demons from 2000 years ago are too unique in their own ways] "Uniquely scary you mean" (Lesson 1 Clear! You have a five-minute break before Part II of the exam starts) Those words appeared in the air then a five-minute timer reced them once I was done reading. "I should probably rest" I looked around and found myself in a small room with only a small table, a chair and a restroom. [There is also a refrigerator under the table] "It seems this will be my resting ce until I finish this test" [You better conserve your mental energy Creator, I believe the next ones will be more difficult than the previous] I couldn''t help but sigh truly I wonder if the kids from the other ss can handle this. When our professor first announced this, I thought it would be fun to see the actual heroes who fought valiantly during the massive breakout ever recorded in history. However, I never expected that history could have so much pain. To think that heroes are not the same as I believe them to be. They are just humans, they can be cruel, mighty and the weakest. They are not the ones you read in fairy tales where happy ever after exists. Heroes are humans forced to step up during the situation, and now I wonder how Julius became the greatest hero of the continent. Did he also experience traumatic events? Or perhaps he had lost a loved one as well, just like Yuan and Jun. Soon I will find out what truly happened. As time flow in five minutes ended and the next part of the exam started. (The second part of the exam is starting! Lesson 2: The Age of Heroes Good luck student Apollo) A light came to me until I heard voices, it was like there were people who were arguing. Slowly my vision stabilized until I found myself standing inside a busy street. "It is strangely peaceful?" [Does it make you worried?] "Yes since it means we will have to witness this ce get destroyed" While Jeremiah and I converse I began to hear the screams and shouts, it seemed they were approaching. It was a group of kids being chased by a man. "Stop there you thief!" The man shouted using his fat legs to run after the kids. "Thief? We work for you for weeks but you never pay us! We are only taking this bread aspensation! So shut up!" Despite the situation, the boy leading the group retorted to the man''s scream. "Wait that boy" Suddenly I felt a sense of familiarity towards the boy and upon closer inspection, I figured out why. A striking blonde hair and eyes shining like emeralds. It was the feature of one of the founding pirs of the empire, Julius Von Celestio. "This is him!" I realized, however, that it wasn''t the end the boy behind him made me even more surprised. A boy with ck hair and silver eyes simr to the Duke of Silvercrest, then the boy beside him was someone I am familiar with, it was ck hair that had a reddish hue however it turnedpletely red once the sun shone on it. "Obsidianvale" Then from him, my eyes went through thest kids. A boy with silver hair and a girl with red-orange hair. "That hair!" I can''t help but exim the colour was exactly the same as mine. I immediately use the system''s enhanced lenses and zoom in on the girl''s features. Upon closer inspection, I could see her eyes which were yellow, almost sparkling gold. "Beautiful" There is no doubt she is Artemis the founding pir of the Lionheart Family. Although she looks younger than the one in the family books I could definitely recognize her. "I can''t believe this I could see their childhood!" I was excited since records of their younger days are rare to find. People just focused on their stories as heroes and never bothered knowing how they became like that. But this time I could see it and know more about their history. "Hmmm?" Then suddenly I realized something as they passed by me I noticed how their clothes were rugged as if it has been torn apart. It was also too big for their size and worn out from too much use. "What''s this?" I questioned why do the founding heroes look like abandoned children. "Why do we have to endure seeing those kids?" "Those rats just don''t know how to die don''t they?" "Don''t worry my brother told me the lord of the city will get rid of them" I heard some gossip from the people making my heart more worried. "So the five founding pirs are street rats?" I could only say while seeing some people chase around the group of kids. "I should follow them" I took a step forward before I felt someone grab me. "Hey, you are not going to help those kids again right Esteban?" An old man suddenly said grabbing me by the shoulder. "Me?" Esteban? Was there something like that in history? Or is it an alias? "What do you mean Me? Of course, it''s you, I know you have been feeding those rats in the back alley. How can we be at peace when you letting those scums live!?" He continued to say causing the people to put their focus on me. "Esteban, Renato is right, can''t you see the problems they cause every day?" "We must not let them continue" This time it was an olddy with a basket of loaves of bread that butted in. She began pointing out the misdeeds they had done and thus must be eliminated. "Esteban!" In the midst of the old man anddy''s continuous ranting, I heard someone call me. A woman in religious clothing. "A nun?" "Sister rissa we are just educating your brother he shouldn''t go around helping bad people!" "The church is always wee for good, but especially those who have lost their path. The objective of the church is to set those who have sinned on the right path not just gather the righteous. Faith is specifically built for the lostmps, not for those who are already on the path" The woman named sister rissa said while urging me to approach her. "Thank you for taking care of my brother but we need to leave now" As we walked away from the judging eyes of the city my so-called sister spoke. "Why did you not help the kids when you saw them being chased?" She asked me so Iposed myself to answer. "I wasn''t about to react fast because they already left before I could even realize it was them" "Is that so" I could see her sigh then her expression suddenly changed and look expectantly. With her sudden change, I couldn''t help but look at him confusingly. Feeling my gaze she looked at me and began exining her reaction. "Ah, sorry did I surprise you? Actually, Father Mariano just approved my proposal about taking the kids inside the orphanage!" "Really no wonder you are happy" "Yeah we just need to find where they live and we could probably take them" We talked even more and just like what happened in the first part of the exam, days went by and the day the five founding pirs entered the orphanage happened. ... "Hello" Father Mariano weed the five although the kids were too defensive and didn''t talk much. It seems their guard is still up. "Wee to Saint Miguel Cathedral I hope you will like it here" added the priest. "Thank you for taking us" "No please don''t thank me" father Mariano calmly said urging the kids to go inside the beautiful church. As the kids went inside Father Mariano looked at the little girl among the group of boys. "She is as beautiful as her," the priest thought while stroking the kid''s hair. "The same hair and eyes as my sister" he added inside his head. "Tell me if there is anything you need okay?" Artemis nodded at his words then she excitedly ventured the halls of the church. Father Mariano lost his sister due to a pandemic and thus Artemis'' appearance made the old man protective. What he couldn''t protect in the past will surely be aplished in the present, even at the expense of his own life. "Hey look at this it''s cool!" "Look at this we have giant bells" As father Mariano looked at the energetic kids his heart was filled with calmness, he felt at peace. However opposite to him was Apollo who felt something would happen to destroy this ce. Chapter 123 Their story Despite the peaceful atmosphere, the boy possessing the body of a young man felt that it wouldn''tst for long. Apollo felt that the time the breakout at the east would soon spread here and he wasn''t mistaken. The events fast forward and the day of the disaster arrives. Demonic beasts came crashing into the city devouring anything in their wake. Esteban, Apollo''s posses character doesn''t know what to do. Since part of this story wasn''t included in any books in history he doesn''t know what he should do since he might do something that changes the intended oue. The church became a mess and the debris came flying everywhere. "Sister!" Esteban shouted while holding onto the kids. No matter what the future holds he needs to keep them safe. However somehow he couldn''t let her go, just like what happened to Jun, Apollo felt the same towards her. A feeling he couldn''t give and receive from the person that should have given it to him. A love, a family and a sister he longed to have. "Esteban take the kids to safety!" "Yes, father!" Apollo doesn''t know whether he could use some of his skills or not but he still runs, even when he doesn''t know how the future will unfold he keeps his body moving. "Let go!" he shouted but then as he ran someone was recklessly moving. "Thor don''t move, I won''t be able to run if you move like that" Apollo told him since he was carrying five kids, it was hard though his body was huge and was enough to amodate the kids. "Then drop me!" Thor tried to argue not liking living sister rissa and Father Mariano. "Shut it, Thor!" Cedar said while trying his best not to cry, he too wished to help but there was nothing they could do. Isaac and Artemis, on the other hand, kept holding onto Esteban''s back. As they run a beast arrives and opens its mouth. "Damn it" Apollo can''t help but curse he doesn''t even know whether Esteban survives or not so all he can do is run. "I am not liking this" He ran dodging countless beasts until he could no longer take a step. "What now!?" Julius worriedly asked when they found themselves cornered. Now they began to curse the church''s big structure, all the running couldn''t even let them leave the church''s gate. "Now what" Apollo thought while still thinking about his next moves. "I can leave I think I can" He thought as he breathed a huge amount of air to rx his nerves. "Hold on to me kids, I''ll increase my speed" "Okay!" A smile suddenly emerges on the young man''s face happy that the kids no longer disprove of his decision. "RAGHH!" The beast roared and Apollo timed his move to dodge it. "On the left!" Isaac shouted as he saw another demon beast. "On it" With great reflex Apollo who currently possesses Esteban changes positions to dodge the charging demonic beast. The kids felt amazed by his moves but the disaster was not yet over as more beasts lunged forward. "I am getting dizzy!" Artemis said while covering her mouth. "Same here" "Brother slow down!" "He can''t, we will be eaten if he does!" The kids have their own dialogue while Apollo feels his energy decreasing. [Creator a high-ranking demon beast is on its way, should we proceed to use your real strength?] Jeremiah asks knowing that his Creator is reaching his limit. However, if he does so it might change the real future that made the current story in the history books. Apollo looked and saw that the demonic beast was up to kill, as the bloody fangs began to descend towards their direction a light sent the beast away. "Esteban ran in that direction" sister rissa said while pointing towards the wall of paintings. "Does she want me to run into those paintings" [There is a hidden path in there Creator] "Ah thank you" The boy with the kids hanging on his body drags his tired body towards the wall full of paintings. "Wait how about sister rissa!" Thor couldn''t help but say seeing her lone figure defending them. "We can''t stay here any longer!" After reprimanding Thor''s words, Apollo then kicks the painting''s frame causing it to rotate. After the frame rotates a sudden creaking sound is heard, Apollo is about to lose his patient but fortunately, the wall is flung open and the path is revealed. "Good," Apollo thought and was about to enter when a scream made him turn his head back. The source of the scream was none other than Sister rrisa who was pinned on the ground by a giant ck poison panther. "No!" The kids scream knowing what will happen next. In that spur of the moment, Apollo put the kids down and began to sprint towards his supposed sister. Everything happens fast and without knowing what happened Apollo dashed forward. "Water Element Aisle of the Lost!" Out of nowhere a voice spoke then a raging water flooded in and swept the ground. Apollo stumbled a bit due to the water however it wasn''t the end. Another voice came in chanting another spell that set the temperature to drop. "Water Element, Ice magic, Frozen field" The water that flooded the ground froze causing the beast to get stuck in and turn into an ice statue. However, this wasn''t the case for Apollo and Sister rissa. Somehow the magic saves the two. "Hey, are you two okay?" A familiar voice spoke before a sound of steps came in. As the sound approaches, Apollo recognizes the person who saved them. "Father Mariano!" "Good, it seems you two are fine, where are the children?" Immediately upon his question, Apollo pointed in the direction of the passage. Five children were there all holding onto each other. "Father how about the other kids did they manage to run?" instead of worrying about herself, sister rissa thought of other''s well-being first. "That I''m afraid I can''t answer we all got separated when a high-ranking demon beast came. Let''s end this talk we need to leave now!" And so the old priest dragged the siblings towards the passage. "RAGHH!" Another roar came in again then the ground shook creating cracks and fissures. "Kids head inside the passage!" Despite the ground copsing the priest still ordered the children to head inside the secret passage, he wasn''t the least worried about the passage copsing along the ground. Somehow he knew that no matter what happened in the church the path would remain. "Go!" he repeated however his voice didn''t reach them due to a roar that came from the ground. Apollo obvious to the creature underneath the cathedral urges the children to move without them but no matter what they say it won''t reach them. "What''s going on they should be able to hear me" he questioned while still holding the injured rissa. Soon the beast underneath the dirtpletely broke the floor and revealed its colossal body. A ck fur with a cylindrical body with very short, powerful limbs andrge, shovel-like front paws adapted for digging tunnels. It also has small eyes and ears that are concealed by fur and its nose is pointed and sensitive seemingly detecting any movements of its prey. "Not good" Apollo can''t help but say, by now he is really considering using his real power. Because at this rate the five founding pirs may die and that would change the future recorded in history. Still considering his option the demonic beast finally made its move as soon as it sensed the presence of a living. Its targets are the five children who were the nearest to him. "No!" Father Mariano was the first to react and immediately used a spell to boost his speed. "Damn it!" Apollo came behind the priest still holding sister rissa. His mind began to be in shambles because he didn''t know what to do. "Kids behind me" Father Mariano arrived first and immediately used his body as a shield. "No!" The kids shouted but the old priest dly didn''t listen his objective was to protect the children. "No please!" They began to beg not wanting the priest to die for them. "Hush now little ones, just close your eyes and nothing bad will happen" he smiled happily, however, it only added sadness to the children''s eyes. ..... Apollo''s Pov. "No!" I shouted seeing Father Mariano''s action. My eyes could see a small orb surrounding the children which serves as a shield. "Stop it! You should run!" I felt my body boil as if something was burning inside me, my body moved hastily and without thinking I rushed towards them. However, as the beast''s sharp ws aim at us suddenly I felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. It was a powerful energy that was neither mana nor power from a spirit. Golden lights began to ascend from the broken church and the beast who was about to attack halted its movements. [Notification Alert! An unidentified energy has been detected! No negative intention has been detected! Proceed to countermeasure!] Chapter 124 The Five Pillars "Damn it" Apollo can''t help but curse he doesn''t even know whether Esteban survives or not so all he can do is run. "I am not liking this" He ran dodging countless beasts until he could no longer take a step. "What now!?" Julius worriedly asked when they found themselves cornered. Now they began to curse the church''s big structure all the running couldn''t even let them leave the church''s gate. "Now what" Apollo thought while still thinking about his next moves. "I can leave I think I can" He thought as he breathed a huge amount of air to rx his nerves. "Hold on to me kids, I''ll increase my speed" "Okay!" A smile suddenly emerges on the young man''s face happy that the kids no longer disprove of his decision. "RAGHH!" The beast roared and Apollo timed his move to dodge it. "On the left!" Isaac shouted as he saw another demon beast. "On it" With great reflex Apollo who currently possesses Esteban changes positions to dodge the charging demonic beast. The kids felt amazed by his moves but the disaster was not yet over as more beasts lunged forward. "I am getting dizzy!" Artemis said while covering her mouth. "Same here" "Brother slow down!" "He can''t, we will be eaten if he does!" The kids have their own dialogue while Apollo feels his energy decreasing. [Creator a high-ranking demon beast is on its way, should we proceed to use your real strength?] Jeremiah asks knowing that his Creator is reaching his limit. However, if he does so it might change the real future that made the current story in the history books. Apollo looked and saw that the demonic beast was up to kill, as the bloody fangs began to descend towards their direction a light sent the beast away. "Esteban ran in that direction" sister rissa said while pointing towards the wall of paintings. "Does she want me to run into those paintings" [There is a hidden path to their Creator] "Ah thank you" The boy with the kids hanging on his body drags his tired body towards the wall full of paintings. "Wait how about sister rissa!" Thor couldn''t help but say seeing her lone figure defending them. "We can''t stay here any longer!" After reprimanding Thor''s words, Apollo then kicks the painting''s frame causing it to rotate. After the frame rotates a sudden creaming sound is heard, Apollo is about to lose his patient but fortunately, the wall is flung open and the path is revealed. "Good," Apollo thought and was about to enter when a scream made him turn his head back. The source of the scream was none other than Sister rissa who was pinned on the ground by a giant ck poison panther. "No!" Find your next adventure on mvl The kids scream knowing what will happen next. In that spur of the moment, Apollo put the kids down and began to sprint towards his supposed sister. Everything happens fast and without knowing what happened Apollo dashed forward. "Water Element Aisle of the Lost!" Out of nowhere a voice spoke then a raging water flooded in and swept the ground. Apollo stumbled a bit due to the water however it wasn''t the end. Another voice came in chanting another spell that set the temperature to drop. "Water Element, Ice magic, Frozen field" The water that flooded the ground froze causing the beast to get stuck in and turn into an ice statue. However, this wasn''t the case for Apollo and Sister rissa. Somehow the magic saves the two. "Hey, are you two okay?" A familiar voice spoke before a sound of steps came in. As the sound approaches Apollo recognizes the person who saves them. "Father Mariano!" "Good, it seems you two are fine, where are the children?" Immediately upon his question, Apollo pointed in the direction of the passage. Five children were there all holding onto each other. "Father how about the other kids did they manage to run?" instead of worrying about herself, sister rissa thought of other''s well-being. "That I''m afraid I can''t answer we all got separated when a high-ranking demon beast came. Let''s end this talk we need to leave now!" And so the old priest dragged the siblings towards the passage. "RAGHH!" Another roar came in again then the ground shook creating cracks and fissures. "Kids head inside the passage!" Despite the ground copsing the priest still ordered the children to head inside the secret passage, he wasn''t the least worried about the passage copsing along the ground. Somehow he knew that no matter what happened in the church the path would remain. "Go!" he repeated however his voice didn''t reach them due to a roar that came from the ground. Apollo obvious to the creature underneath the cathedral urges the children to move without them but no matter what he says it won''t reach them. "What''s going on they should be able to hear me" he questioned while still holding the injured rissa. Soon the beast underneath the dirtpletely broke the floor and revealed its colossal body. A ck fur with a cylindrical body with very short, powerful limbs andrge, shovel-like front paws adapted for digging tunnels. It also has small eyes and ears that are concealed by fur and its nose is pointed and sensitive seemingly detecting any movements of its prey. "Not good" Apollo can''t help but say, by now he is considering using his real power. Because at this rate the five founding pirs may die and that would change the future recorded in history. Still considering his option the demonic beast finally made its move as soon as it sensed the presence of a living. Its targets are the five children who were the nearest to him. "No!" Father Mariano was the first to react and immediately used a spell to boost his speed. "Damn it!" Apollo came behind the priest still holding sister rissa. His mind began to be in shambles because he didn''t know what to do. "Kids behind me" Father Mariano arrived first and immediately used his body as a shield. "No!" The kids shouted but the old priest dly didn''t listen his objective was to protect the children. "No please!" They began to beg not wanting the priest to die for them. "Hush now little ones, just close your eyes and nothing bad will happen" he smiled happily, however, it only added sadness to the children''s eyes. ..... Apollo''s Pov. "No!" I shouted seeing Father Mariano''s action. "Stop it!" I felt my body boil as if something was burning inside me, my body moved hastily and without thinking I rushed towards them. However, as the beast''s sharp ws aim at us suddenly I felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. It was a powerful energy that was neither man nor power from a spirit. Golden lights began to ascend from the broken church and the beast who was about to attack halted its moves. [Notification Alert! An unidentified energy has been detected! No negative intention has been detected! Proceed to prepare countermeasures!] I was so taken aback by the sudden turn of events that I didn''t notice the sudden increase in nature mana. "Wait something is strange" The mana is....singing? It felt like they were being energized by something and that is the reason it creates a humming sound in my ears. "What''s going on?" The demonic beast who also sensed the situation felt hungry at the sudden influx of mana. It began to greedily sniff trying to absorb the energy however he couldn''t. This made the beast angry and grumpily drag its feet to destroy anything in its surroundings. Nature mana is avable for everyone, you can inhale it like air but you can''t absorb itpletely nor can you manipte it at will. As the demonic beast went berserk the mysterious energy intensified while the mana began to physically manifest. "Now this is dangerous" Too much mana can cause poisoning and the kids are very prone to it. Their bodies are still weak and thus wouldn''t be able to handle the sudden intensity of mana. I was about to move when I felt a sudden pressure, it was strong and it made me kneel. "Esteban!" I heard my sister''s voice and so I immediately shielded her from the pressure. I don''t know if it works but it''s the only thing I could do. "Father Mariano!" I shouted trying to probe his situation however instead of getting an answer, my eyes were blinded by a sudden light. I kept my position trying to serve as a shield. [An intense energy has been detected! Applying Gears and lenses! Creator, you may proceed to look!] Despite the situation, I heard Jeremiah''s words. "Just what the hell is going on!" My eyes went through the blinding light and saw five strange objects. I focused my vision but couldn''t get a better image of it until the light soon began to be pulled by those five objects. As the light decreases my eyes can finally see what''s going on. Chapter 125 Five Pillars The other lower ss student''s situation while Apollo takes his exam. "Run!" Axel and ir shouted while being chased by a horde of demonic beasts. "You two are too slow!" A mischievous voice said however the two boys just said "Shut up!" The owner of the voice justughed whilefortably sitting on her magical beast mount. "Princess, how about letting the twins get on the mount they might die?" "Don''t worry general they will be fine, after all the twin des of our kingdom won''t fall easily" Said the girl whose hair is simr to the flower that blooms during spring. Her eyes looked calm despite the roaming danger and her face was as beautiful as her name. "Princess Sakura please we will die at this rate!" Mckenzie shouted while dodging some attacks from the beast behind him. "Oh my Riku it seems you are getting a bit out of character today" "That''s because I am not Riku!" Mckenzie thought upon hearing the princess''s words, he wanted to scream at her but he just couldn''t do it. "Never mind forget what I said" "That''s right my dear soldiers please keep running until we arrive at the fortress" While Mckenzie and the princess bicker ir remains silent since he is trying to remain focused while running. Upon entering the examination building Mckenzie and ir found themselves inside a strange kingdom called the Fallen Sun. The people they possess are the so-called twin des of the kingdom, Yuki and Riku. At first, the two were d to find out it was an extremely well-known character since they put great emphasis on the twins when tackling their integral part during the war. However, they never knew that the beautiful and charismatic princess who fought alongside them was a sadistic woman. "If you two don''t run fast you will be eaten alive" "Can''t you a shut up!" "I can''t believe the only part of the book that got correct is the general, other than that nothing is getting right, especially that bitchy princess is getting on my nerves!" Mckenzie thought again while grabbing his de to sh another enemy. Overall they experience no hardship as the fortress of the Fallen Sun kingdom can move and fly around the sky. (Congrattions forpleting one of the topics of Lesson One: Age of Extinction) It was really fortunate that they tackled a very specific part of history, if not they wouldn''t have been able to travel and sessfully find the central part of the continent. The first lesson they had in history was the Age of Extinction, at this part a strange phenomenon happened that made all the magical beasts in the eastern part of the continent corrupted. After that corruption, all the kingdoms in that part of the continent fled until the entire continent was infested with demons. That was how the Age of Extinction started and ended, and the moment Riku and Yuki met the five pirs that is already the middle part of the Age of Heroes. ..... Continue reading at mvl Casper and Samael looked at their two friends wondering what was going on. "Are we at a wedding?" "Yeah and is it just me or am I seeing Matilda and Arabe getting married" "No I don''t think you are hallucinating Casper I do see them in front of the altar!" While the two confusingly looked at their surroundings Arabe and Matilda were no different, both were excessively confused since thest thing they remembered was taking their exam. Now they stood in front of many people and were about to get married. "What''s going on?" "I don''t know I just got here" While the two panics not knowing what they should do, Casper and Samael try to identify which part of the easter continent is this. "Seeing this architecture we should be at the Kingdom of Yi" Samael concluded then he switched back to his two friends that is about to get married. "I am guessing that''s Yeon and Hye" "Ah you mean the girl who disguised as her deceased brother?" "Yes it should be her" "If it''s those two girl''s story then.." Casper looks at the ceiling remembering one of the lines in their lesson. ~As the bride and groom proceed to the wedding, an eerie presence suddenlyes. A breath of deathes that kills anyone, while eyes that pierces you the moment its gaze locks on you. A day that was supposed to be a blessing turned into a nightmare~ Both Casper and Samael look up and soon a shadow has cast the sun. "Here ites" Samael calmly said before storming off towards his two friends. While he approaches Matilda and Arabe, Casper is about to fulfil his character role. He breathes then fixes his poster then it happens. "RUN!" Yup, Samael and Casper''s roles are extra, they were the unnamed servants that saved the couple on their tragic wedding. "We better go,dies" "It''s good to see we are not the only one here" Matilda smiled while Arabe took a sword from one of the fallen guards. "We should be able to use this," she said while taking two more swords for all of them. "Let''s go people we better move!" Casper warned while being chased by dozens of demonic beasts. "Sorry people but the wedding is officially cancelled" Arabe removed her essory before storming off with her friends. "Hey, I found horses!" Like ir and Mckenzie, the four manage to fulfil the task they need to do, they all manage to flee and request help from the king. This event will lead the kingdom to head towards the other side of the continent where they will meet the five pirs. And that shall be the end of the Age of Extinction and the start of the Age of Heroes. Then at the end of the Age of Heroes, the devils joined the battle since they had been affected by the massive breakout. .... (Congrattions Students! You have passed the second part of the Exam! Wee to the third part Lesson 3: The Treaty of the Abyss] All lower-ss students open their eyes when they realize they are transported to a different room. "Sir Riku" "Sir Yuki" "Wee to the Raven Castle" A man spoke startling Mckenzie while ir was just the same. "Where are we now?" Mckenzie spoke while ir looked around the room. "Based on the architecture and the name the man just said we should be in the Dark Continent" "So it means" "Yeah we are at the Raven Castle where the five pirs and the other heroes came to organize a treaty between the devils" This part of History was when the demons were finally eradicated and humans were trying to reestablish their cities and kingdoms. Julius at that time was supposed to be the king of the kingdom of Celestio and not an empire. So for the peace of both sides, they decided to send their leaders and settle an agreement for the future. So that no war or disagreement can ever appear in both races. "Good evening heroes" Another man suddenly spoke and began guiding Mckenzie and ir inside the halls of the castle. "I wonder who else is here?" "Probably the other heroes?" The two began to talk before a shadow made them halt. "Wait is that!" The two eximed and saw their four friends Matilda, Arabe, Casper and Samael. All four of them wearing their kingdom''s respective armor. "Wait it''s you guys!" Samael and Casper hurriedly approached Mckenzie and ir while Matilda and Arabe stood where they were. "It''s good to see you guys!" "How did your test go? Was it hard?" "Hey guess what Ara and Matilda almost got married" "Wait seriously?" "That''s hrious" At first, the twodies don''t want to get involved in their useless chatter but hearing their names the two are forced to seriously speak with them. "Were the human heroes always act this way?" The two guides thought while seeing the six argue. "The halls are really noisy today" The six stopped their useless chatter when a familiar voice made them stop. "Niko, Agnes!" Mckenzie calls out only to be smacked by Matilda. "Why?" "Remember we are not really ourselves, so you should refrain from calling our real names" she told him. "It''s okay calm down" Niko said then made a bowing posture and added. "This humble warrior from the Kingdom of Farmosa greets the heroes" "Wait so you are General Ming-Hao?" ir realized then he switched to Agnes and said "And I suppose you are Lieutenant Li-Hua?" "Yes you hit the mark" "So you two are together on the first and second part of the exam?" Arabe asked while holding Mckenzie on the cor. "No actually... " Agnes''s words were cut off when four more people came. Wearing iron helmets and armors which are made from magical beast leather fabric and reinforced metal tes. Then resting on their back and waist are bows, swords and crossbows. Alya, Braiden, Vesta and Aaron revealed themselves looking good on their armor. Chapter 126 Third part of the Exam part. II Alya, Braiden, Vesta and Aaron revealed themselves looking good in their armor. "If all of you are here then it means you guys are.." "Yup you got it right" Agnes interrupted. "We are the soldiers of the eastern battle ridge" she announced proudly. The battle of the Eastern Ridge was known in history as one of the most epic stories in the Age of Extinction. One of the reasons was the six soldiers who easily killed thousands of demonic beasts using their knowledge of their kingdom''s topography. They did this without getting any casualties and only relying on their knowledge of their kingdom''s resources. "Well it''s good we are here and I suspect we will meet the others at the meeting" she added. "Then we should go" "Yes let''s go!" And so they went inside the great hall where a massive table wasid out. There are seats where each figure can sit so they dly took them. "Oh, dear ir that sadistic princess is there" Mckenzie immediately noticed the pink-haired girl sitting beside two empty chairs. "We should sit somewhere" "Yeah" However, to the two''s dismay, they were guided to sit right beside her. "It seems you two weren''t able to leave" she said making the two silent. Somehow they don''t want to spare any ounce of their energy on her. They remain nonchnt about any wordsing out of her mouth. "Tsk, your two are getting better now" she just said not minding their actions. Soon more people came and they immediately knew it was Jillian and Keith, they wore leathers made from rattan and bamboo, its brown and dark brown hues were quite pretty to see, while a sword rested at their waist and shield on their hand. Keith and Jillian saw them as well and they immediately smiled. "Are those two from the eastern inds of the continent?" "Yeah I think so" "Well eastern inds were the names they used to be called, but now the eastern group of inds are called the Kingdom of Fjords" "One of the inds there is where Keith and Jiin''s historical figure came from" "The Bngay" "Yup an ind made of tribes" They began to talk while still waiting for thest two ssmates. Since they began to see each other they thought they would see their other ssmates as well. In the second part of the exam, they mainly met each one of the five pirs but now ording to the history, they might actually meet all of them. "I wonder where are Apollo and Alicia" Read new adventures at mvl "I am also wondering about that" Samael and Casper asked each other seeing they were still missing. Suddenly they heard a couple of footsteps approaching the room. A presence suddenly envelopes the entire castle as if something is about toe. The door flung open and the man with blonde hair and emerald eyes made his way towards the table, behind the said man were the other members of the pirs they had met before. Cedar, Thor, Isaac and Artemis. They all then sat down while two people stood behind them. "Oh, they are here" McKenzie finally made a reaction after all the minutes he became silent. Behind Julius was the person they were most familiar with, despite his appearance changing the students of the lower ss could still recognize each other. A man with dark brown hair and blue eyes his stature and way of walking highly resembles someone. "Apollo" ir said feeling satisfied seeing his friend. If the boys were looking at Apollo the girls had their eyes on someone else. Behind Artemis was the girl they were very familiar with. Despite her different appearance, her gaze remained the same. "It''s Alicia" Alya concluded. "She looks normal but why do I feel like something is bothering her?" Vesta said she could tell that behind her cold gaze were feelings of uncertainty. "Apollo is the same, he looks tired" ir could tell, that since his blessing mainly works on people''s minds he is highly sensitive when ites to a person''s mental energy. He could tell that both Alicia and Apollo were in distress. Their emotions are especially disturbed. "This is strange, Alicia and Apollo are the strongest mentally out of all of us" "Why ir what do you see?" Mckenzie asked while leaning towards him. "Just what are you two whispering about?" Princess Sakura asked which made the two look at her. "None of your business" They both said. "I want to talk to them but I think we shouldn''t" "Yeah maybe after this we could talk to them" Then minutes pass by and Apollo''s ssmates begin to worry about him and Alicia. "When will this meeting start?" Sakura began to ask the soldiers who were stationed to assist them. Unlike humans, devils have different skin colors. Sometimes they have blueish skin color while others have ck to grey. This guard that Sakura is speaking to has blueish skin, guarded by ck obsidian armor, other than the skin devils also have horns, and this guard has two horns simr to a goat. "Apologies hero but please wait for a little longer" The guard politely said before resuming his previous position. "I am getting bored" Sakura just said before looking at the twins beside her. "You two talk to me" she ordered however Mckenzie and irpletely ignored her. "How about you give me something I can y with?" she continued to speak even though it seemed no one was paying attention. "Here use it" ir gave her a ball and she dly took it. "This is better than nothing" Then like a kid, she began tossing it in the air. "Where could she be?" Cedar began to question while Artemis and Julius remained silent. "Did those two have a fight or something?" while Cedar questions the absence of someone Thor begins to ask Isaac. "I don''t know either but I hope they can make up I am not used to this" "I feel the same" The atmosphere around the pir''s seat wasn''t particrly good and soon everyone inside the room felt it. "Alicia" Apollo whispered fortunately she heard it. "Yes?" "You looked unwell" "Really? Although it seems we are the same" "Perhaps so, but I think my problem is easy to solve however yours is different, it seems an old problem is resurfacing" With those words, Alicia looked at him, her eyes showed no emotion however since he knew her he could tell that something was truly bothering her. "Care to share it?" "Maybe I will after this" "I will wait then" After that conversation sounds of footsteps signal the arrival of someone. Two devils first came in, their appearance was simr to the guard with a few distinctive features. After those two was a woman who made the lower-ss students surprise. She had a very beautiful figure and unlike normal demons, she had fair skin simr to humans, but had a pair of horns and a tail. "Wait you gotta be kidding me" Braiden mumbled while Keith couldn''t understand what was going on. "She doesn''t have a face?" his question made Jillian cover his mouth. "The empress of the devils has no records of what she looks like, that''s why she is like this, a nk face" Jillian''s exnation made Keith remember one of the passages of the book. ~And there the most powerful devil graced the room, her presence was so powerful that a veil of fog obscured her appearance. No one can tell what she looks like, except the most powerful human, Julius~ "I thought because of the excessive diversion of some events from the books we could finally see her real appearance" Keith said while slumping his back on the chair. The empress was one of the most mysterious people in their lessons for the fact that no one knew what she looked like and the personality she had. "This is so weird" McKenzie said looking at the nk face of the empress. "Lower your voice, Mckenzie" The entire ss was taken aback by the empress'' appearance except for two people, Apollo and Alicia. The reason for that is that they don''t really care what she looks like and just continue their conversation. [Shouldn''t you be worrying about this part?] "We already know the ending of this meeting and ording to the detailed story of Sakura princess of Fallen Sun no arguments or disagreement happened" [You are strangely calm this time] "Really why? I thought I was always calm" [You aren''t this time, you are excessively emotional that it''s affecting your mentality] Apollo sighed feeling defeated then he spoke. "I just realized that despite wanting and saying countless times that I want to end my siblings, deep down I still want them to ept me, that I still want to have a happy family. Realizing that made me feel miserable because no matter how much I crave for their love they will never give it to me. They will never ept me, and the family I want will nevere true" Chapter 127 The crown "I want to apologize for beingte beforeing here me and the other lords and kings made ast-minute council meeting" The heroes'' side didn''t speak and motioned for her to continue. "And we all decided that the previous deal between me and Julius will be final" Her words might sound normal however Apollo can tell that she is somewhat reluctant, and it wasn''t just him but his ssmates as well and everyone inside the room can tell. "It seems she doesn''t like what Julius suggested" Sakura whispered to Mckenzie making thetter nod his head. "As per the agreement I will marry Julius and our children will be the heirs of our throne. If ever we have only one heir he or she will rule both kingdoms. If two then they will take each. If it''s three or more we will test them who is worthy of having the throne" She exined however someone''s attention wasn''t on her. Apollo, Alicia and Julius were looking at someone else as she spoke. "Artemis" Apollo spoke approaching her seat, as he arrived beside her, he slightly leaned his head towards her. "Are you alright?" he asked, though she nodded answering his question but Apollo could see the tears that were about to fall on her eyes. "She is hurt" he concluded. [Her stress hormone is increasing like cortisol which currently leads her heart rate to increase] "You scanned her?" [Yes] "She is an illusion" [An illusion that can affect reality, my Creator] Apollo wanted to facepalm but couldn''t his eyes remained solely on Artemis. "Are you sure you are alright?" he asked again. "Yes, thank you, Uncle Esteban" In her words, Apollo just nodded. "Heroes please tell me if there is anything you want to discuss or anything you want to add to this treaty" The empress said then Sakura spoke wanting to end the meeting since it was beginning to bore her. "I want an oath to make sure the devils won''t raise a war against humanity" Continue your journey on mvl With those words, one of the generals spoke as well. "We also want peace but we need more than just a random oath" "How about a contract? We put the terms and make sure no unfairness will ur" Issac suggested causing everyone to agree. "We should put all the things we wanted then discuss what needs to be changed or removed" "Okay we should do that" That is the start of the nightmare of the lower ss, since the people they possess are significant figures they need to do what they contributed in this meeting, and as urately as possible. Fortunately, ir was there and through his blessing, they were able to great a group telepathy. In this way, if they forget their next line either Apollo or Keith will give the answer. "I just hope we don''t get caught" Apollo thought to himself while assisting Mckenzie. After a few more hours the meeting ended and everyone began to disperse. "Then is this the end?" Mckenzie asked while trying to track the next events in his head. The meeting had reduced his mental energy to zero. "The next is the Creation of the Empire then War of Faith" ir answered while having a bitter expression. The War of Faith was their least favourite part of their lesson however they still needed to take part in it. As they walk a notification suddenly pops up on the air (Congrattions students you clear the third part of the exam! We wee you to the fourth part. Lesson 4: The Creation of the Empire Good luck students!) Without any warning, they got transported right to Julius'' coronation. "What just happened?" "I don''t know!" "This is no longer an exam!" McKenzie eximed while being pushed by a group of people. The others weren''t so lucky as well since Agnes got stepped on her foot while being identally punched by someone. Arabe and Matilda almost kill a drunkard when they lewdly touch them and some of the remaining of their ssmates get swept by the crowd. "Hey, we are heroes quit pushing!" Braiden said while trying to get through the people. "We aren''t supposed to here right? We are very significant characters here!" While the others struggle to get out of the crowd Apollo and Alicia are standing right at the tform for the emperor. "Should we help them?" Alicia worriedly asked which Apollo answered. "Nah it should be alright" The first two parts were truly nerve-wracking since they needed to move their entire body to survive while the third was full of words and pressuring situations. They need to say the words that their possessed character said. However right after that stressful moment, now they were brought right in the middle of a big crowd that almost swallowed them alive. ..... Apollo''s Pov. "If you put your hand on me I''ll chop to pieces!" I can hear Mckenzie''s angry shout making the crowd parted. It seems Riku''s character which is the one Mckenzie possesses has a very intense aura that is unbearable to ordinary people. My eyes then went to Alicia who seemed a little nervous then from her my attention went to Artemis. [Her current stress hormones are still the same. Her heart rate is increasing while her emotions are in disarray] "She is anxious and heartbroken?" [Yes ording to my scanner her diagnosis states she is in a state called heartbroken] I went nk for a moment, she is heartbroken? Why? With whom? As my thoughts ran wild I realized one person who seemed too concerned over her emotions. "His attention was on her the entire meeting" [Julius] "Yes" [You think she is heartbroken because he will marry the empress?] "Maybe" So in order to gain peace and remove all possible conflict between humanity and devils, Juliuspromises his own happiness. Then my mind went back to the empress her voice that wanting someone to object to her words about marriage to Julius ... The trumpets roar attracting the attention of the crowd. The gate of the imperial castle opens revealing five heroic figures. It was Julius with the four remaining kings and queens of the continent. They will be the ones to crown Julius as emperor. The king of the Kingdom of Qin motions the people to silence, and as he does so Julius kneels down while the four remaining leaders surround him. As the crowd became quiet the current leader of the eastern inds came forth. His hand holding the crown that shall rest on the ruler''s head. "Hero, with this crown, we entrust you to lead with wisdom and justice" She then ced the crown on his head. After that, the daughter of the previous king of the Kingdom of Yi came forward holding Excalibur in her hand. "With this sword, we entrust that you will lead with strength and be the de that will protect us all" Excalibur''s de shines bright blinding the crowd, gently the soon-to-be queen gives the sword to Julius. "May your rule be blessed by the heavens and respected by all." After giving both the crown and the sword the four rulers all said in unison. The crowd felt excited however they kept their voices and action in control. On the other hand, the main focus of the event tightly held the sword in his two hands, while his head felt how heavy the crown could be. There are many emotions that run down to his heart, onest time he looks at her. He can''t be hers while she can''t be his either. All they can do is watch each other be married to someone else. The empire must be built with people''s connection, and arranging the marriage of each member of the pirs to the significant members of the war became essential. There is no turning back, they can never turn back, and so he spoke. "I Julius Mariano Von Celestio, humbly ept the burden of this crown and the responsibility it signifies. May my reign bring prosperity and peace to our empire." The crown wanted to cheer but before they could a voice pierced through the people. "People of the continent I present to you all the strongest hero of mankind and now your ruler!" Sakura who was crowned as queen proudly announced though her eyes lingered on the crowd until itnded on two people. Yuki and Riku who sessfully escape the wave of people and stand right beside Apollo. A smile escapes her lips before addressing the people again. "Please give your blessings, fill the air with your magic and give it to your ruler, Emperor Julius!" The crowd went wild and screamed as much as they wanted, some began to chant giving blessings not only to the emperor but to every hero that mankind recognize. With everyone''s acknowledgement, Julius finally stood up, bearing the burden of the remaining humans of the continent. While the crowd cheered the lower-ss students stood on the sideline, all of them having the same line of thoughts. "He isn''t happy" they all concluded. Chapter 128 The last part Sakura who was crowned as queen proudly announced though her eyes lingered on the crowd until itnded on two people. Yuki and Riku who sessfully escape the wave of people and stand right beside Apollo. A smile escapes her lips before addressing the people again. "Please give your blessings, fill the air with your magic and give it to your ruler, Emperor Julius!" The crowd went wild and screamed as much as they wanted, some began to chant giving blessings not only to the emperor but to every hero that mankind recognize. With everyone''s acknowledgement, Julius finally stood up, bearing the burden of the remaining humans of the continent. "He isn''t happy" the students all concluded. The emperor may smile and wave as much as he wants but it somehow can''t hide his lonely eyes. "It seems only the people are ignorant of the true situation," Keith said while observing everyone on the tform. Their eyes say they knew exactly what was going on. "Well ording to the records right after the treaty of the Abyss the remaining four kingdoms decided to form the empire, and urge the four remaining pirs to have contractual marriages as well" Vesta said while dusting herself. "If they wanted to feel secure why didn''t they form a singr kingdom" "Would you actually hand over your royal privileges to someone else? No right?" "Julius became the greatest hero that most of the people wanted to stay in the kingdom he will build, isn''t that the reason the remaining rulers suggested an empire? Uniting the kingdoms as one was just an excuse, they would still let the previous rulers rule. There won''t be any changes to how they handle their affairs though it''s no longer the same since there is another higher figure for them to serve" While Niko, Agnes and the others spoke Apollo and Alicia remained silent. They wanted to read the room and remained observant instead. Then Julius spoke finally addressing his people. "As your ruler, I am responsible for protecting everyone on this continent however doing suchbor requires a lot of work, so let me introduce to you all the lines of nobility that shall assist my rule" "I think that''s our cue" Apollo finally spoke urging Alicia toe with him. Along them were a couple of soldiers who survived the battle and the remaining four pirs. All the selected soldiers who were selected based on their loyalty and contribution stood tall in front of the emperor and the other kings and queens. Then they kneel down and let the emperor bless them. "With this sword, I bless all of you to protect and serve the empire and the imperial family, do you all ept?" "We ept the burden and honor your majesty!" "Then it is my honor and joy to bless all of you as the nobles of my empire, all rise!" "Yes, Your Majesty!" They all stood up and made a respective bow towards their ruler. The selected nobles ranging from baron to marquis bask in the cheerful shouts of the people. They never felt like that before, they never expected that people''s enthusiasm would be that strong. After that, the crowd settled and the emperor spoke again. "The center of the empire will be named Asteria! The city of stars! And governing the fourrgest regions surrounding it are my four trusted friends" The four pirs came forward making the crowd cheer even more loudly. "Isaac Silvercrest will lead and protect the region that borders the north, and that region shall be named Silverfrost. Guarding the south will be Cedar Arcanebane, which is home to many ancient magical beasts, that once helped during the war. That glorious ce shall be named Epico. Then the west will be led and protected by Thor Obsidianvale and that region shall be named Obsian. Lastly....the bravest among us.." Julius'' eyes went to the onlydy among the five of them. "Artemis Lionheart...for being the bravest among the pirs...your region which is the east, shall be named as Lioness, in honour of your courage" "My people here are the nobles that shall protect the continent alongside me!" The crowd cheered chanting the name of the five founding pirs. "Before this event ends I shall make this final vow, I pledge to uphold the honor of our empire, to safeguard its traditions and the other kingdoms, and I shall serve its people with unwavering dedication. In this day and the future, may you all bless the blood of the imperial family" Everyone was celebrating his words which confused the lower-ss students. "So what''s the point of our existence here?" McKenzie questioned while all of them looked around. "We should do something" Agnes said while looking at the crowd. "But ording to the books, nothing happened here" "Yeah and you are seriously thinking that it will happen like that, haven''t you had your lesson on history inuracy" Braiden became sarcastic with Keith''s words, though thetter didn''t mind it. As they tried to observe the situation a voice entered their mind. {A few hostile people are approaching the stage block them} Apollo''s voice entered their minds and immediately they looked around. {Be discrete and make sure no one will notice, the records say nothing happens in this event, so we have to make sure nothing really happens} Alicia said while marking more people. {They areing} They both telepathically said while finally leaving the stage. "Alright we got orders, let''s move out" Niko smiled as he said this. The power of their posses character was already tested when they risked their lives back in the first part of the exam, so subduing and even killing some troublemaker will be easier for them. Like the wind, they move breezily without alerting anyone, and like a shadow, they creep into their enemies without them even knowing. Life was taken yet the people remained cheering for their new rulers. Apollo and Alicia remained standing with the other leaders letting them speak happily with each other. "The devils from the Abyss have arrived your majesty" A soldier said making all the people on the stage look at him. "I think the emperor needs to announce the wedding" "They were already informed about the unification of the two races, they are only waiting for your announcement" The two kings said urging Julius to address the people again. From the lively crowd, Apollo and Alicia look at the figure of the emperor whose eyes remain looking at someone. [He is looking at Artemis] "He is hesitating" Apollo can tell, however, their story was already decided. The emperor will choose the empress and can never be with the one he loves. Nothing can be done.....or so he thought. "Alicia?" He knows that something has been bothering her but to think she would act like this. "Alicia" He said again and for the first time, he saw her eyes change. It wasn''t as cold as before instead it was filled with guilt and sadness. This made the boy confused and as he gazed at her he thought "Why? Why are you looking like that? Why do you seem in pain?" He was confused while Alicia began walking towards Artemis and in that moment he seemed to understand what she wanted to do. "Alicia" he calmly said pulling her away. "There is nothing you can do" He tried to speak as gently as he could, though he didn''t understand anything, he wanted to help out. "This is just an illusion" he continued. "This is not real, no matter what you do, it won''t change anything" She remains on looking at both Julius and Artemis. "Why do you want to change something that has already been decided" the boy thought holding her hand gently. [Do you want me to scan her?] "No just let it be" Apollo can feel it, Alicia is feeling regret and guilt. "Could the character she possesses affect her own emotion?" It wasn''t that far-fetched since it''s already happening. Others might not notice but Apollo can tell. Somehow each character can make anyone feel that they are the character they possess without eating their real selves. "Now this isn''t good" This situation might affect Alicia''s individuality and identity. "We need to finish this exam fast" The boy realized the fatal effect the exam could have and so he said to everyone. Stay tuned for updates on mvl {Finish the task immediately!} {Yes!} .... "Your majesty?" They asked making Julius divert his attention from Artemis. "Yes, I will" So with his reluctant heart, he walked towards the stage again. "My people" Everyone''s attention suddenly returns to the front, excited about what announcement he will give. "I will dly announce this fateful news, the unification of the two races, a marriage between me and the most powerful devil, the empress" This time mixed emotions envelop the people though they didn''t seem to take the announcement negatively. "The wedding shall happen two months from now, at this very same time and same ce, I will see you all again" After saying those words he immediately left leaving his people with different reactions. Chapter 129 War of Faith "The wedding shall happen two months from now, at this very same time and same ce, I will see you all again" After saying those words he immediately left leaving his people with different reactions. The coronation ended and slowly the people began to celebrate and eat happily. "Alicia" Apollo called again holding her tightly. "Uncle?" Artemis called out seeing her best friend being held tightly by her uncle. "Is there something wrong?" She asked worriedly. "It''s okay she just felt dizzy it seems the crowd made he feel overwhelmed" "I see" She then extended her hand urging Alicia to take it. "Let''s go" Despite her eyes being saddened by the situation she remained smiling putting Apollo in pain too. "Dangerous too dangerous" he concluded, realizing it was Esteban''s emotions. {Should we continue patrolling?} Despite his roller coaster emotion, a voice made him snap out of it. {Do you see any other enemies?} he asked which they immediately answered. {None as of this moment} {Keep an eye on any suspicious personnel and keep me updated} {Okay!} {On it!} {Sure!} Different responses to the same words made Apollo''s head filled with their voices. "Hey are you really that unwell" Back to the current situation Artemis began to ask her friend though Alicia remained silent. It seems she is trying to reign over her artificial emotions. "I am, I''m sorry I just felt a bit sick" She finally answered making Artemis smile. "Let''s go" "Yes" "Uncle we will go ahead of you" "Sure stay safe" "We will" Experience new tales on §Þ?? And so the two left and as soon as they did, words began to appear in the air. (Congrattions students you have cleared the fourth part of the exam!) Now instead of being transported to separate rooms, they found themselves inside a huge hall. (You have all twenty minutes before thest part of the exam starts) As soon as they realized the situation they couldn''t help buty on the floor. "I am tired!" They all eximed. It wasn''t just physically taxing but mentally too. The fact that some parts of the events weren''t recorded made it even more hard for them to decide the action they should take. "I feel weird somehow, am I the only one who is feeling this?" "No" Casper answered Vesta''s frustrated remark. "I feel it too however I don''t understand what kind of feeling I am experiencing right now" They began to discuss while Apollo remained looking at the ceiling. "It didn''t disappear" He thought, when he realized that the feeling of longing was still there. The emotion wasn''t from Yuan or even to Esteban, it was his. "So I really want a happy family" he suddenly felt stupid while putting his arm above his eyes. "This is stupid" "You mean the exam or the action I did before" Alicia''s emotionless voice suddenly entered Apollo''s ears. "I don''t really think it''s stupid since I was affected as well" "You were? Really?" "Yes, I was" "This is a very tricky exam" "Yeah, it really ys with our emotions and mind" "An exam that is simply too hard for ordinary people, seriously, Aster Academy what are you thinking" Apollo thought while trying to use their free time to clear his mind. ..... (Wee to thest part of your first subject exam! Lesson 5: The War of Faith Good Luck students!) The announcement appeared and so light began to devour the students before transporting them right in the middle of a battle. "The hell is this!" Mckenzie eximed while holding his shield. "Mckenzie dodge!" "What?" Still confused about the situation Mckenzie missed the warning and couldn''t form his guard immediately. "PANG!" A crisp sound was heard and everyone felt relief when Apollo came and blocked the strike that almost beheaded their friend. "Stay alert everyone!" He announced while pushing his enemy. As soon as the enemy soldier backed off due to Apollo''s push an arrow went straight to its neck. "Soldiers, are you all alright?" A feminine yet familiar voice came from the dark cloud of dust. "We are all alright, thank you" Not really interested in her identity Apollo only said those words. "Please be more careful we can''t afford to lose more people" From the dust and smoke a hair as ck as the night and eyes that seemed made out of a crystal suddenly made its appearance. Ady with a silver bow and ck leather armour appeared before them. "She is... " "Isaac''s descendant?" They realized though their moments were cut short when an enemy lunged forward. "Don''t interrupt us please" Apollo took his sword and shed forward however as he did so a spell came flying at him. "Block!" Alicia chanted and a barrier was formed to block the spell. "Thank you" "Don''t be too reckless, everyone stay alert!" "Yeah!" After seeing their sudden shift in reaction the youngdy from the duchy of Silvercrest can''t help but smile. "It seems like I wasn''t needed at all" And so she left to assist the front lines. The War of Faith started three hundred years ago when different churches around the continent appeared and began opposing each other. No one knows how it started though only one thing was certain at that time. The entire continent was put in total disarray. Each house at that time had its own God that they put their faith into. The imperial family and the four ducal houses are no different. So the war became moreplicated for them. The ground was scorched and broken while the sky was burning as if a widespread fire was burning above. The lower-ss students felt like dying in this situation. They finally realized that reading is different from experiencing the events that were recorded in the past. The few words that they put to describe their hardship aren''t enough to justify the thing that they are feeling right now. They were hungry they were thirty yet they couldn''t eat or drink because at any minute they could die. It wasn''t an exam, for the sixteen thirteen-year-old kids, it was torture. A torture they can''tprehend why they need to experience this situation again. It was like replying a painful trauma. The fallen bodies the broken cities and the screams, everything was like what happened to them three years ago. When everything was taken from them and when they were chased out of their homes. Then out of nowhere, they heard something they thought they would never hear again. A chant is not just a normal chant but a prayer, a gospel. In that moment the students of the lower ss felt blood drain from them. "What''s going on?" even Apollo was confused there was a hundred-year gap between the creation of the monastery and the war so how could he hear it? A prayer that was used to cast a gospel, only the monastery is using them. [Could it be one of the few religious things the monastery copied from other religious groups?] Jeremiah said trying to calm Apollo''s raging heart. "Oh holy lord grant yourmbs protection so on this depressing night no cold or heat can ever hurt them, may his spirite down to judge those who have denied his will!" It was really simr even the delusional way of their chanting was the same. They all concluded, then as they thought it was the most surprising thing a flood of blood came out of the caster''s holy book. "What the hell is going on!" Some of the soldiers eximed not knowing what was going on. "Jeremiah scan" [On it!] [Scanplete! The holy book the priest is holding is actually made from Nirvana''s flesh and blood. It seems in this phase the spell book isn''t perfect yet hence its hideous appearance] The blood then transforms into the spell that the caster wants to manifest. "One of Nirvana''s skills is sharing his power by using his blood and flesh. This scenario seems like the holy book is one of his experiments to share his power" Apollo thought while observing the mysterious priest. As the gospel manifested a pack of insects came flying towards the empire''s soldiers. "Just what is the monastery doing here" Matilda eximed while aiming her crossbow towards another enemy''s shoulder. "I have no idea either!" "I thought the War of Faith is the battle that talks about the fight between the man-focused churches and God''s focus ones" Niko said while using his shield to block an axe for Agnes. "ording to our professor and the book he gave us the war started when the people worshipping magical beasts and other objects shed against those who worshipped the Gods in the early ages!" Keith was a bit frustrated at this part since his mind had already felt cleansed when the monastery disappeared, however, it hadn''t been a month yet he already seen a man using a gospel, and this made the boy disoriented. "This is more like a trauma remembering session than a history exam" Mckenzie said while mming his fist towards his enemy. It seems Riku''s battle sense didn''t leave him yet. Chapter 130 What happened? "ording to our professor and the book he gave us the war started when the people worshipping magical beasts and other objects shed against those who worshipped the Gods in the early ages!" Keith said still felt a bit frustrated at this part since his mind had already felt cleansed when the monastery disappeared, however, it hadn''t been a month yet he already saw a man using a gospel, and this made the boy disoriented. "This is more like a trauma remembering session than a history exam" Experience tales at §Þ?? Mckenzie said while mming his fist towards his enemy. It seems Riku''s battle sense didn''t leave him yet. With all the confusion and questions that run through their mind, they recklessly sh any enemy they see, using them to vent the frustration they have. Apollo was no different either his been thinking of any possible scenarios while tanking the rain of insects. [Should we proceed to use some of your abilities?] "Nah I am good" Somehow unknowingly each of them began using the skills and martial arts of their previously possessed character. Esteban''s sturdy body and explosion strength also remained inside Apollo. They say once a body experiences a sudden change or phenomenon it remembers that feeling. Perhaps even though it was an illusion, their bodies were able to gasp the power and momentarily copy it. It might not be the same but it could manifest the same feeling it has when they first use it. "Apollo more areing!" Alicia warned while using her staff to cast as many spells as she could. Apollo clenched his teeth finally feeling the pressure of the fight. If he moves then the spell will st off toward his ssmate who was still fending off the approaching enemy soldiers. "What are the skills of this person?" He began to ask, but due to the situation none of them was able to identify the person they possessed and that is why they don''t know what skills it has. [No need to worry about that, my Creator because based on the appearance of the person you are possessing he should be the warrior Lenon, the one from the northern region] "You mean the guy who has a high-level spirit?" [Yes my Creator it is that Lenon] "Thanks" Apollo ran his mana across his newly acquired body and immediately he found the ce of his spirit''s insignia. And just like what he usually does when summoning his spirit he began forming his connection using the insignia. His body was filled with mana while the mark of the spirit glowed. Then the mark spreads out until it goes to his foot, and the extended mark weaves a magical circle until a cold and powerful mana escapes from it. The temperature suddenly drops along with a freezing cold wind that forces the army of insects to stop and die. "Hoo..." Apollo could finally breathe since the pressure on his shield had lessened. Though the air was cold it didn''t give him any difort instead he feltfortable with the cold temperature. {Master you had called me} The spirit spoke its crystalline body and icy wings made the entire area frozen. "Assist me!" {Will do my master} Alicia felt delighted seeing a spirit though as soon as she gazed at the spirit she realized something "A body made from a fine crystal and white wings that were seemingly crafted from ice, the face of an angel while a strength that surpasses a demon. A being that was recorded in history as one highest-ranking spirits, Winter" The spirit glided through the wind and its mere presence made the battle turn on their side. [Creator it''s chanting again] A prayer was heard along with the distinct scent of blood. It was revolting when you smell it however with the battle being intense it doesn''t really give much of an effect. "Winter st that man" Apollo said while pointing to the mysterious person who is casting a gospel in the darkness. The spirit nodded acknowledging his master''s wishes, the temperature dropped immediately and drops of snow dropped from the sky. Wind strongly struck while the ground became frozen making sure that the target wouldn''t be able to escape. A pool of water rises from the spirit''s hand before turning into sharp ssy projectiles. The wind hums while the icy spike hurls through it. The mysterious man tried to move however the ice had already frozen his movements. And so the man faces the attack head-on. The spikes prated his body spreading out and freezing his organs. The ground shook while the enemy''s unfrozen blood cascaded. The mysterious enemy was killed though it wasn''t enough to end the current battle. "More areing Apollo" Alicia warned raising her staff to chant more spells. Beams of light emerge from the staffnding swiftly towards the lurking shadows. Following the trajectory of the spells, the boy found the enemies they must eliminate. Apollo felt a sudden chill when he discovered the weapon they held. It was those weapons that were made out of Nirvana''s flesh and blood. [Those weapons should have one of Nirvana''s skills, Devourer] "Yeah I can tell" Smoke created by Alicia''s attack dissolves revealing the unscathed appearance of the enemy. "What the" She eximed though it immediately reverted to her nonchnt expression. "We have veryplicated enemies here," she said while switching her weapon to a sword. "Spells would only be absorbed right?" "Yeah" Alicia and Apollo looked at the ten figures that slowly revealed themselves from the shadows. Each of them had a weapon which was made out of flesh. Blood would drop from it while a vile rotting scent filled their noses. It was already unpleasant looking at the pulsating muscles and veins of the flesh yet the scent was enough to send someone unconscious. "I feel ufortable looking at them" "Come on it''s not like it''s your first time seeing and fighting one" Alicia remains calm though he can tell she doesn''t like seeing the grotesque appearance of the enemy. "Ten against two what an unfair fight" "We don''t have a choice our ssmates are currently upied" Apollo said while ncing at his back, there fourteen figures were fighting vigorously. Apollo can tell that they do not like their current situation. "We should be able to do this" {I will assist master} "Thank you, Winter" "To think you will get Lenon" "Why whom did you get?" "Glenda a spell caster and spell breaker" "Isn''t that a good one?" "Yeah but she is basically useless against our current enemy" Apollo couldn''t help but sigh she got a point now they need a close and rangebatant. "I''ll just shoot some arrows" "Yeah good one" The weapon on Alicia''s hand turns again and transforms into a crossbow. "Though I really like her staff" Those words made Apollo shake his head while his shield and axe were ready to engage inbat. [You are outnumbered] "We don''t really have an option" [It''s okay I think it''ll be alright] "Huh? What do you mean by that?" Apollo questioned however soon it was answered, a silver arrownded on the ten wielders of flesh weapons before exploding. Dirt was thrown while the ground shook. "It seems you two need some help" The same girl from a while ago appeared, holding a silver bow she walked confidently into the ruined city. "Duchess" With all the confusion gone Apollo and Alicia can recognize her. The sessor of the sacred bow, descendants of Isaac Silvercrest, Duchess Esther Silvercrest. "Now it all makes sense why Lenon is here" Lenon was a warrior from the north who was trained to use his shield to block magical beasts. Glenda on the other hand is one of the soldiers of the Western Duke. "It means that two ducal households are here" Alicia concluded while looking at the ten enemies who could barely stand up. "The arrows are very explosive and that flesh is incapable of absorbing it" "I can see that" Esther then moves beside the twonding like a calm butterfly on the ground. "Shall we?" She asked while fixing her position. "I am ready" she added Apollo nodded at her words before signalling Winter to assist him. The wind howls like a beast while the temperature drops significantly. A warrior whose shield blister with ki immediately closes the distance between him and his ten enemies. "Argh!!" One of the least injured raised his sword and roared like a maniac. Apollo uses his shield to fend off the strike however it seems his enemy has lost his sanity and began recklessly beating his shield. "CRACK!" With all the blows his enemy released a cracking sound was heard making Apollo confused. His shield was reinforced with ki and he didn''t feel any breakage so where is the sounding from? Between the frenzy barrage of attack, Apollo took a glimpse of his enemy and saw his arm being broken. "What the hell" He felt even more creep out when the flesh sword began spreading out and eating its wielder''s body. A revolting scent kicks in making Apollo dizzy. "This is crazy" Despite the distraction caused by the scent the boy continues deflecting the sword strikes. "WHOOSH!" An arrow was released hitting the sword flesh wielder on the head, however, instead of dying the weapon in the man''s hand began eating him away. Chapter 131 Why are they here Apollo''s Pov It was creepy seeing those pulsating muscles spread out and eat the man away. "How disgusting" I raise my axe and sh the man in pieces turning him into a pile of blood. [Watch out] As soon as the man in front of me died a spear reced his position diving right in front of my face. "WHOOSH!" Two arrows flew past me, one from a bow and one from a crossbow. I smirked once I saw it I knew that two archers were ready to save me. The spear halted and using that chance I raised my shield to redirect the position of the weapon, once I do so my axe went on to chop him to bits. "CLANG!" A crisp sound of metal shing came to my ears while my eyes saw how my axe was blocked by two des. A saber and a rapier. It seems they are recovering fast from Esther''s arrow bomb though that didn''t really matter. The ground turns into ice freezing the three enemies in front of me. "Let me some of your power!" {Yes master!} Ice went through my veins empowering my shield and with all my might I used my axe to bang its surface. The umted cold energy inside spread out turning into a piercing aura that prated their body. As it enters, their organs begin freezing until their bodies be brittle due to the cold. Discover hidden tales at §Þ?? Their iced bodies crumble revealing a huge meat shield that absorbs my icy attack. "It seems he is still conscious enough to use his weapon properly" I concluded before urging Winter to assist me through his ice power. "To much use of ice may lead to them absorbing it, I should stick to closebat" Six arrows then fly past me targeting the remaining enemies. As they try to hit their targets the meat shield suddenly splits in half and reveals a mouth, it opens up and a tonguees out. This red and slimy object moves fast and catches the speeding arrows. "It''s eating the arrows" [It sure is] "Duchess that one seemsplicated to kill" Alicia said while reloading her crossbow. "I know and I can''t use all of my strength since I was informed this battle is gonnast until next week" "Next week?" "Yes I was just informed that more people are joining the new church, and now they are eliminating the other churches believing they are a threat" "The new church?" Alicia was a bit confused since the name new church wasn''t included in the ones they learned. "Did I perhaps forget memorizing some of the non-God churches?" she thought while focusing her aim towards the meat shield. [It''s moving Creator] Jeremiah warns me seeing that the flesh shield is moving. Slowly my eyes were able to see its wielder, a man who seemed smaller in build than Lenon yet bigger than normal people. I saw him smirk while signalling his six remainingrades to attack me simultaneously. Unlike the first four, they are more awake and aware of the actions they need to take. "Fighting them will be a bitplicated" I can''t help but say. {Should I help now?} "No, not yet, they will only eat your attack so wait for my signal" {Yes Master} As soon as I gave that order I saw the four people besides the shield guy disappear. [Left!] Instead of blocking I lowered my body and jumped as high I as could. With my higher position, I saw the four already circling the ce where I was previously standing. However, since I was up in the air I became an easier target. The remaining guy beside the shield man draws the string of his bow and confidently releases it. I only shook my head knowing his arrows were made from Nirvana''s flesh as well. "WHOOSH!" A silver light came and devoured the grotesque attack of the enemy. I smirked knowing it was Esther who released it. "Now then let''s say hi to my friends below" I raise my axe and fill it with ki as my body falls down due to gravity I use the world''s natural pull to add power to my attack. My axe fell on the ground causing it to destroy the ground. Then the four who were taken aback by my sudden strike quickly recovered themselves and immediately lunged forward. The first to recover immediately aimed his sword at my neck, so I used my shield to ram him, I seeded and took the chance to attack when he was out of breath due to the ramming. My axe went in towards his neck before being blocked by a saber. The razor-sharp des of the saber that is made out of sharpened bone push my axe away before rushing forward. As he closed in along with the sword user, they took advantage of their agile attacks to break into my defence. While I dodged and blocked the blow that wasing towards me I saw from my peripheral vision two more attacks from the mace and a machete wielder. I couldn''t help but shake my head, and so the moment those two attacked from my back, and the saber and sword wielders from the front lunged forward as well, I quickly shifted the weight of my body and took a step from the side. With their target gone, the four found themselves ramming at each other. That moment of distraction was all Alicia needed to send an arrow that was dipped from a deadly poison. "Argh!" They got hit and the toxin immediately spread out. "My turn" My axe made a horizontal sh to slice my enemies at once. "Argh!" "What is this!" I said seeing the pulsating veins of the flesh weapons. Despite their wielders dying the flesh weapons didn''t seem to die and kept beating like a living heart. The blood and muscles from their weapons began spreading out and eating their bodies. Witnessing something like this made my stomach turned, and so again I lifted my axe and chopped them all into the smallest bits I could. I felt my arm sore and began to question why Lenon chose an axe to pair with his shield. "Can''t he choose a sword instead?" But then my attention went to the remaining enemies which are currently being upied by Esther. "When did shee there" [When you were busy hacking your enemies] "Oh I see" I was so upied with cutting those moving flesh that I didn''t notice my remaining enemies. It''s good she had taken care of them though her energy needs to be conserved since this fight doesn''t give any signs of stopping. "I should help out" I rush forward taking my axe towards the man with a meat shield. My movements were swift however my opponent was still able to perceive my attack. [It''sing!] Jeremiah warned and I immediately smelled the rotten flesh along with its disgusting appearance. A tongue came from it blocking the axe that was about tond over the shield. "This is truly a horrifying sight" My ki turns into a blue like mes aura that envelops my body and axe. "Cut through it" I said putting more strength over however the skin of the tongue was too strong for me to pierce through. While I struggled to move I heard someone snickering and as I looked for its source I saw the owner of the shield, smiling at me. Seeing his grotesque appearance made me feel irritated, his dishevelled hair and yellow teeth that seemed to haven''t been brushed for weeks, deranged eyes that filled with contempt everything about him made me feel irritated. As my anger escted a ck deadly aura began to emerge from my body. Soon it became a fog-like veil that spread across the area. It was a thick amount of blood lust that made my enemy scared. "What!?" Soon the murderous intent choked him and made him unable to breathe for a minute. That was my chance and my axe cut through the tongue until it dived through the shield. [You won''t be able to cut through it] "I know" It doesn''t really matter, after all, I am only a mere distraction. Esther''s figure came in while the shield guy was upied with me, her bow became a de and immediately decapitated the man. After his head flew into the air my axe hacked the shield guy to pieces. After confirming he was dead I looked back to see the archer but I only saw him being killed by a poison arrow. I smiled knowing where that arrow came from. "Where do these thingse from" I asked Esther as soon as I was able to catch my breath. "They are the followers of the new church" "A new what?" I saw her make aplicated expression as if she didn''t understand the situation as well. "I really don''t know either they just appear iming to be the new revolutionary church where anyone can join and worship anything they want. Since the empire allowed a diversity of religion the emperor let this church be however as time went on they began being violent towards the other churches, especially those churches who worship the Gods from the early ages" "And that violence had resulted in this war?" "Yes, I know you are confused but I am the same since I just received information about this" Chapter 132 Church Continuation of Apollo''s POV. "We were only informed to suppress rebels but it turns out they are the followers of the new church" So the new church was the old name of the Monastery. They didn''t exist two hundred years ago but three hundred instead. However, it seems this Revolutionary church was just Nirvana testing his creation. It was a mere test to see how he could share his power through his blood. "I am starting to even more hate that guy" [But he is dead already you already killed him] "Yet his children are still running around the empire" [It is not yet confirmed that they survived the battle two hundred years ago] "Does it even matter, dead or alive all I need is to be strong and be prepared enough" "I need to be sure and be prepared for any possible scenarios" I thought to myself while Alicia signalled me to assist our ssmates who were still engaged inbat. "Let''s go duchess....!?...duchess?" Her eyes were dted as if witnessing a horrifying scene so I followed her eyes, and there among the broken pirs I saw someone, an observer, someone who merely watched us from a distance. I could tell based on its build that it wasn''t a human, just looking at its shadow it was absolutely not a person. A height which to be estimated at 10 feet, huge muscles and a pair of horns. "Definitely not a human" "Lenon" Duchess Esther spoke though her eyes remained looking at the mysterious figure. "Glenda! Call Duke Odin Onsidianvale, we need his help" Alicia who was about to run towards Alya''s side halted as she heard Esther''s orders. "I will Duchess!" I don''t know how Alicia will look for the duke but currently, the unknown enemy is our problem. "What the hell is that" I asked probing for any information about our observer. "It might be one of them?" "One of what?" "One of the beings the revolutionary church worships" "One of them that means they are more" "Yes, the church worships many idols, from a mere object to the demonic beast and magical beasts, they even went on as far as to get a spirit involved here" So in short this guy is a big bad news. [Let me give you a hint of his strength, he is at level 15] Your next chapter is on §Þ?? "Of what rank?" [Emperor] I couldn''t help but tightly grip my axe, ording to what we tackled in this lesson the duchess and most of the dukes are at rank King, and it is said they handle the battle well. No one mentions an enemy being an emperor rank [The records say the battle onlysts for three days and based on our current situation I can guess this is the third day] "So the final battle will happen here" [Yes here in the middle of the old mountain Telos, the battle should end here] "Old Mountain" I can''t help but feel a sudden chill as I remember how the mountain called Telos was flipped and used as projectiles during the war in the Age of Extinction. It was moved by Artemis using a high-level earth spell against a Celestial rank demonic beast. Now another battle will transpire in this verynd. "It''s moving" Esther said while her bow quietly waited for her master''smand. "We need Odin here" she added while maintaining her stance. "Will it be enough?" Two kings against one emperor will only lead to our loss we need someone who can stop this thing from even moving. [Creator! Dodge!] My body was suddenly flung on the side crashing on the fallen pirs. "What just happened" I didn''t see a thing or feel anything. With my trembling hand, I held the person who saved me, her body was drenched in warm blood while her eyes remained shut. "Duchess?" I said while my body felt the warmth on her body disappearing. "No, no this isn''t happening" I began to panic and immediately looked for any wounds, however as soon as I saw a spike impaled from her back to her chest, my body felt as if a cold bucket of water had sshed on me. I won''t be able to heal her with that kind of injury. As my thoughts run wild my body felt a sudden chill. A presence was right behind me, creeping closer as if it was entertaining to see us like this. "Winter!" {Yes master!} [Your spirit won''tst for long, he is up against a level 15 rank emperor magical beast] "I know!" I lifted the duchess''s body and bow trying to escape the current situation. "Run!" I roared wanting to save everyone but it wasn''t enough, it didn''t evenst a minute and that chilly presence was back. I could tell it was toying with me. "Damn it!" [You can always use your real strength, I can break the illusion without alerting the person who cast it] "No it''s okay, I might change something if I rely on you" [But Lenon can''t save himself and the duchess, but Apollo can. He defeated Nirvana and can fight even if his opponent had higher stats than him] "Yes but the one who is fighting is Lenon, not Apollo" I answered back although it might seem a long time had passed but in reality, it onlysted a second. [Iing your stats is too low to dodge this strike prepare for impact] Another notification pops and so I immediately use my shield to cover my body and Esther. "Winter are you still there!" [Your spirit receives some fatal injuries and needs to recuperate, you won''t be able to summon him for a while] "No choice then" As I put my body and mind into receiving an attack it didn''t reallye. "Wait something is wrong" I realized so I moved my shield and there I saw four figures blocking the enemy''s attack. "You okay" Alicia came out of nowhere behind her was someone I thought I would only see in books. Hair that resembles the sky during dusk while eyes that sparkle like a burning sun. Hades Lionheart made his appearance, a legendary figure who yed a significant role in this war. Chapter 133 Message Hades Lionheart made his appearance, a legendary figure who yed a significant role in this war. "So he is one of the reasons this war is ending" "Apollo is that the Duchess?" "Ah" With her words it made me realize the body I am desperately embracing. And unknowingly tears suddenly pour out of my eyes. "Save her please" It seems the illusion was too strong that I was being affected like this. However, her blood and vacant expression were already embedded in my mind. Seeing someone use their own body to shield someone deserves to be saved. "I''ll take care of her" "Thank you" Hades took her and immediately began to use his staff to cast strong healing magic. "This might take a while" hemended while putting a barrier around him. "Go and evacuate the area you mustn''t stay here" After saying those words he disappeared teleporting somewhere safe. "Let''s go," Alicia said urging me toe with her, without much of an option I answered. "Yeah" .... We all moved to a higher ground away from the center of the battle although at our distance we can still somehow see what is going to happen. "So does anyone know why the Monastery exist at this time? Weren''t they supposed to appear a hundred years from now?" Mackenzie immediately asked as soon as we settled down. "Well, ording to Esther it was..." "BOOM!...BANG!" I think he didn''t hear me, no I think none of us can hear anything other than an explosion. "My ears!" "What?" "I said MY EARS!" "I CAN''T HEAR ANYTHING!" "So am I" "What?" Despite being far from the epicenter of the fight we still can''t escape the impact it carries. A violent gust of wind started hitting us until we began rolling on the ground. "We need to get out of here!" I shouted trying to get their attention. "WHAT!" They all said in unison not really hearing my voice. "This is outrageous" And so with not having any choice I choose a different method tomunicate. {I said we need to move now!} {Ah..okay} {Sure where?} {Just follow me} And so with our limited vision and almost non-existent hearing, we tried to walk despite the raging wind. {Let us hold on to each other so that we won''t get separated} We took each other''s hand and ventured into the copsing area. I have no idea how long we walk but we finally stop when the impact bes less. "We are safe" "What?" "I still can''t hear anything!" "Hey, your ears are bleeding!" While everyone panics I look through the surroundings wanting to see what is the result of the fight. [Above Creator, they are currently in the air] I did what he said and there I saw five people. Four humans and one beast. "I need the gears patch them up to me" [Will do Creator] As soon as the system''s lens became my eyes I was able to see the people who rescued me a while ago. "One is definitely from the house of the Obsidianvale just looking at his features, I can tell which lineage he came from. Now the problem is who are these people. From what we learn the only ones who have listed participants of the war are the nobles and some well-known families, however, their appearance isn''t the ones we learned before" [Perhaps some heroes just go unrecorded in history, no matter how brave and sacrifice they give] I didn''t really pay attention to Jeremiah''s words and remained looking at the sky. "Upgrade the gear so I can hear them" [Sure my Creator] My eyes and ears expanded, and with all the unnecessary noise being perceived by my ears, I immediately manipted its focus to a single target. Slowly my ears adjusted and the things I wanted to hear became clear to me. ~Look at you oh great God you are too dirty for a holy being~ I don''t know who is this person but he kind of looks familiar. [He looks like Samael] "Yeah, that''s right!" Wait? Could it be? I took a better look at them and sure I found more simrities with my ssmates Aaron, Keith and Samael. "So the three people with the duke were the wielders of God''s blessings!" ~For the sphemy you all have caused, the Gods had sent their champions and descendants to kill every single member of your church~ The woman who looks like Aaron said, she really looks vengeful, unlike her great-grandson. I can tell from her voice and eyes that she is not liking the current situation. ~We will rise...once....the...they went to...sleep...we will be back!~ ~Ah, this insect is still speaking, so what if the Gods went to sleep do you think they will rest forever? Once we called their names they will be back to aid us!~ The monster chuckled mocking the guy who looks like Keith. ~I really wanted to see the day that you all be abandoned by your God~ ~You little!~ ~Enough! We need answers you all know very well that someone is pulling the strings. I don''t who or what is it that uses human faith and idiocy to cause chaos. We need to know the leader of the church!~ With the dukes words the magical beast began tough. ~Toote!~ ~He had spread his wings far and wide, even if you kill us it won''t stop! The new generation of Gods will soon arrive!~ The three wielders of God''s blessing felt insulted with his words however the duke didn''t let them take action. ~It seems you won''t really speak~ With the beast''s loyalty to the church, the duke gave him towards the three who dly took his life. "So it is not over yet?" I thought while gasping my head. "So the entire point of this exam was to show us this? Seriously you went through a lot of trouble for a message you could have said... isn''t that right.." I then looked at my side and there a person quietly stands. "Headmaster" Chapter 134 Headmaster "Care to exin it to me" I said looking at the man standing at the border of the fallen city. "I am in awe of being caught, truly you are an extraordinary student" he said finally revealing his appearance. "What''s the point of all of this? You could have said it instead" "Was my method too extreme?" "You dump sixteen 13-year-old students into a powerful illusion that can influence their mind and body, and put them in a ce where war and conflict exist. If it wasn''t extreme then I don''t really know what tobel it" The headmaster just silently listened not feeling offended by how my voice began to rise. "My ssmates barely had time to heal and yet you put us in this situation and influenced our emotions" "For what? To tell me that killing Nirvana won''t be enough to be safe? That the effort we made to survive is not enough" [Creator] "Yes" [Your hormones are getting haywire making some of your stress hormones to increase] "Jeremiah don''t scan me right now" My emotions that have been going up and down sunk to the bottom of my mind due to Jeremiah''s statement. "I want to apologize for that" He sincerely said while looking at the hairpin on his hand. "Seeing all of youughing and talking loudly I thought you all might have forgotten the past. I was wrong, I didn''t know behind those smiles are pains that I can never imagine. You all have my respect despite being young you all try to ovee the pain that you have experienced. I am sorry for rushing things" I remained quiet at his words although I really wanna smack him right now for ying with the emotions and traumas of sixteen children, he at least deserves a beating. "You got half right but there is another reason why I made the exam this way, although I can''t say it right now but you will understand it in the future" "Alright so what is the half I got right" I said sarcastically still feeling bitter at the fact I felt about my brother and sister. "It''s the fact about the new church, it is the trial or prototype version of the Monastery. Its power stems from a lot of powerful magical beasts. They had allied themselves with Nirvana and proimed themselves as the new generation of Gods" "So it''s another case of Godplex" I thought while maintaining my cold expression. "I am giving you a warning dear student, Nirvana might be gone but his legacy lives on. His ghost will follow all of you. You might need to be careful of your next action. Because your next enemies now aren''t humans, but high-ranking magical beasts. I hope you are ready" He said looking at me happily. "Happy? Seriously?" I thought while hiding my negative impression of him. "By the way thank you" "For what headmaster" "For being friends with them, seeing all of youughing every day made me feel that nothing bad will ever happen. It makes me feel, healed" I stood where I was looking at the lonely figure of an old man. With all his intentions being given I suddenly wanted to ask him something. "Are you perhaps a descendant like Agnes?" He looked at me, his eyes were painted with pain. "Maybe" He just said before taking a step back. "I hope you pay hid to my warning, they wille again, the remains of the Nirvana which was buried three hundred years ago, they wille again" With those final words, his bodypletely disappears leaving me standing where I was. In the end, I was left with another trouble to handle. "I better ask for properpensation for this" While my thoughts drifted away I could still hear my ssmates''ints it seemed their ears became useless after all the loud noises we experienced. The event finally ends and the words we want to read finally appear. (Congrattions you have all passed the first subject for this year''s quarterly exam!) After we read those words we were transported right into the hall we were before the final part of the exam. "Ahhh!! I can finally hear!" As soon as we returned Mckenzie''s scream was the first thing I heard. "Shut it please!" "Come on cut him some ck Matilda he lost his hearing a while ago" "And? We all lose our hearing not just him..." Instead of letting Matilda speak Casper just covered his mouth. "I just got back my hearing doesn''t speak" After recovering their hearing became sensitive and hearing noises at a close distance was quite painful for them, so Casper covered Matilda''s mouth. Aside from Mckenzie''s scream which he regretted doing none of them tried to speak. Five minutes went by, then thirty until an entire hour. Finally, when they got used to the sound of their surroundings they all decided to leave the examination building. "What time is it?" Niko asked while dragging his tired body. "It''s 10:40 am" Arabe answered while looking at her watch though he was as tired as Niko. "I am hungry let''s eat" If the two were tired Mckenzie was hungry which made Keith say. "I''ll cook how''s that?" "Let me help" Agnes suggested. "I will too!" Alya raised her hand as she said that. "Can I make a request for my food?" Samael requested while holding his grumbling stomach. "Sure me and Keith will do it!" Vesta said while thinking of the food they could cook. Their enthusiasm made me happy though my thoughts still float about the words the headmaster said. "Magical beast" I can''t help but mutter while walking right behind my ssmates. While walking amongst the other exam buildings I notice something. "It seems they holding a different exam" We passed a few more and my hypothesis was proven correct. It seems all sses have a different subject that is allocated to them. Probably to fit their needs, however as I think deeply about it, it was already obvious since some sses provide lessons that are only exclusive to them. "History and geography probably not included in their subject rooster" Well, it''s not my problem to think of such a thing so we all move to take our lunch. Chapter 135 Bumping to someone Someone''s Pov Enrolling on a prestigious academy was a dream for everybody. The resources and the connection to everything that is rare to some can be achieved there. Aster Academy was a dream of many, myself included and as soon as the gates were open I didn''t hesitate to enter. However I felt like it was a mistake, the entrance exam was horrifying, a white ghost with ming powers melted one-foot thick walls like butter, like a goddamn butter! I stayed for two weeks inside a psychiatric ward because I couldn''t get that image out of my head. However, I wasn''t mad at him since he would often pay a visit to us while paying for our medical bills. I realized at that time, he was kind! Though he is still scary I suddenly remember how he blew up the sky and made a literal lightning disy in broad daylight. Scored the highest out of all the records of the entrance exam and disappeared without saying anything. It wasn''t even enough he even went as far as to enrol in the lower ss, to the god-forsaken LOWER CLASS! Why? He is the monster of our batch but he is staying with the lowest ss in terms of power and connection. As I grimaced about this fact I saw them once when I was eating in the cafeteria. They all look tired as if it''s the end of the world. "Look it''s the lower ss" My friend said while scooping down his warm soup. Then as we observed them a student from our ss approached their table. "Looks like something interesting is going to happen" I said expecting a show to entertain us. "I wonder what will the top ranker do? Will he send these guys flying or will he fry them" As my thoughts ran wild my ssmate began to speak. "What''s this? What''s the lower ss doing here?" He spoke with a sarcastic voice, making those who hear it irritated as well. It was really because of his words but because of his voice, it was really irritating to the ears to the point I wanted to silence him forever. "Hey, whatcha doing lower ss" Another guy came trying to start trouble, though it seems this one came from another ss. Instead of being mad or being exasperated the students of lower ss just stare at the two as if they are the dirtiest bug in the world. I can''t help but snicker when I saw my ssmate''s reaction. However, my smile disappeared when I saw more peopleing. Should I help? I thought while leaving my spoon suspended in the air. It''s not just me but other students who are merely eating became nervous at the brewing trouble. "Samael" one of them spoke though her voice could barely be heard. "On it" then someone answered. I don''t know who that person is but he doesn''t look intimidated despite their table being surrounded. "It''s bing troublesome," he said until something bizarre urred. "Wait why do I feel like I am fire?" "I am burning!" "No calm down you aren''t!" "But it hurts! It burns!" "Calm down you aren''t in fire" Hysterical screams became apparent and everyone''s attention became focused on them. But despite the noise the lower ss remained unfazed and even slept on their table. I don''t know what is going but it''s scary how my ssmates look like a burning tomato with his body turning red and even smoking. "It''s against the rules to use spells outside the duelling arena" A student from the middle ss said and began approaching their table. "I can have you all suspended if you don''t stop attacking these students" She added while her minions stood behind her. However, no matter how righteous she was no one was paying attention to her. All she could hear was snores and soft breathing from the table. "This little!" Oh no, someone is about to explode, I can see some veins popping at her face ruining the angelic figure she had before. "I despise people who can''t listen when someone is speaking!" She stomped her feet which caused me and my friend to hold ourughter. The problem is the heels of her shoes directly hit our ssmate who was lying unconscious on the ground. "And that''s what I call double kill" My friend jokes causing me to choke on the water I was drinking. Though the drama is not done yet, the girl from the middle ss is demanding respect she does not deserve especially from a group of sleeping people. "And who might you be?" A voice which I am familiar with finally graced the scene although he was holding a couple of trays in both of his hands it didn''t really ruin his god-like appearance. "I am asking you which hole you came from and you think you can crawl around here" He added this time his intense aura began to scare the youngdy. "What''s with the unconscious people?" The ck hair girl with Apollo said while kicking some of the unconscious students. "Hey Aaron open it up!" she added and with those words the the sleeping beauties finally woke up. She handed them their meal while Apollo merely looked at the girl. "May I ask what are you doing?" "Your ssmate uses magic against other students that is against the academy''s rules" she confidently said then Apollo answered back. "Seeing you are confident with the academy''s rules you should also know that there is a massive barrier that surrounds each establishment, those barriers are highly sensitive to magic and if by any chance my ssmate did indeed use one, an rm would sound alerting the professors and proper action can be held" "Now I''ll ask you again, did you hear any rm?" "No...but you.." "Youngdy may I remind you the Academy had every resources to build a very powerful barrier, I warned you not to make an insult towards the high-ranking mages who made them" After saying those words he went back towards their table eating happily while his ssmates groaned. Ever since that incident, some students have be afraid of bumping into their ss. They don''t know whom they are afraid of, Apollo the top ranker, the entire lower ss, or probably both. .... "Hurry the exams are starting!" "Wait!" "Shh!" "What?" "Look!" "It''s them hey move out of the way!" "Why?" "They are here!" "Who!" "It''s Apollo and the rest of his ssmates!" "Hurry don''t block the way!" Unknowingly Apollo and the rest of his ssmates became the most notorious group in their year. Chapter 136 Exam day 2 Apollo''s Pov. The day ended with us being exhausted, however, I could tell we would pass the exams we had taken today. "Sigh" I closed my eyes, and sleeping by my side were Mckenzie and ir both who fell asleep as soon as their backnded on the mattress. Fire crackles on the firece while the luxurious tea room turns into sleeping quarters for sixteen students. Despite my eyes being closed I can still hear what''s happening in my surroundings. Crickets would sing, soothing our tired minds while the night breeze gently touched us giving us assurance of theing days. My thoughts started to drift as the luby of the crickets cradled my dreams. The night goes on and the moon begins to light the star-filled sky. And as the hour went by, from the cricket''s noises and the night breeze it was reced by birds chirping and a warm morning breeze. "Hey, it''s morning already..." "Ah! I didn''t review a single damn thingst night!" "Calm down Braiden didn''t we already studyst week" "Vesta I am here the one you are talking to is Mckenzie" "Ha? Who?" Alya wanted tough at her friend''s confused state but decided to approach her. "Let''s go Vesta" She said guiding her friend towards the bathroom. "Come on get up people!" While the two girls went to the bathroom to wash up Arabe went to wake up the others. "Mael get up already" "No....wait...five more minutes please...." "Hey, I said get up!" While a series of voices began to create a noise it woke up Alicia and Apollo. "It''s morning already" "I wanna sleep more" Still sleepy and groggy Alicia decided to crawl towards the bathroom with her hair going all over her face. "Ahhh!" Jerome''s voice echoes through the hallway making everyone wake up. "What was that?" We all asked each other, so curiously we peeked outside. "Alicia?" I asked, and there on the floor was Alicia crawling towards the bathroom while brother Jerome was lying t on the ground unconscious. "What just happened?" "I...don''t know he just screamed at me then fell down" Alicia said while her mind was still going here and there. "It seems morning hits this differently on her" I realized when she identally bumped on a table. "Apollo" "Yes?" "Will she be alright?" Keith asked me while still holding his pillow. "Yeah she will handle herself" As I said that I heard her bump into something again. "Ah, we should probably fix the tea room" "Agreed" While the others fix themselves, especially their mind, we who are sober enough begin fixing and moving the sofas right to their proper ces. "Does anyone here have any idea what will be our exam for Advancement and physical training?" Keith wondered while I busied myself cleaning the firece. Overall our lessons mainly consist of five subjects, each having one and a half hours of lecture. History and geography on Monday from 8:30- 10:00 am followed by the Beastmology, then lunch and after that are advancement and physical training andstly Survival Lesson One. Though this schedule changes every tuesday, thursday and friday with History and Geography being reced by Magic and Creation 1. Yesterday we took two exams History and Magcre 1 now we will be having Survival and Beastmology. "I hope we can handle this" McKenzie made his appearance dragging his body from the shelves. "You look like a zombie pal" I can''t help but say. "How can I not be! Our exam about magcre yesterday gave me nothing but a headache" Well, I can''t argue with that, our exam in magic and creation or magcre was identifying magical herbs and alchemic forms, however, there was a twist. In order to answer we have to cast a specific spell that corresponds to the answer while being chased by magical beasts. An example of the question goes like this: What kind of magical herb nullifies the effects of pepper fire root? If your answer is Sugar Blum then cast a Fireball If your answer is Lemon emerald grass cast Water wall If your answer is Sapphire tangerine cast Earth spike This was one of the questions we tried to answer while we dodged and killed some magical beast that relentlessly tried to catch us. Then the more difficult the question the harder the spells we need to cast. Even I was exhausted when Professor Adolfo put a limiter on me. I still remember how he smiled at me like he was some kind of angel while putting the limiter on my wrist. "He is so damn cruel" [Well aren''t at least happy you felt the challenge of the exam?] "I don''t feel a single ounce of happiness, Jeremiah" [How unfortunate my Creator] After fixing ourselves we eat our breakfast and head straight to the exam building. "Morning students" "Good morning Professor Timothy" "Okay students let me give you all the instructions you need to follow" "Once you enter the building there will be a holographic model of each beast we tackle, however like your exam yesterday this one has its twist too" Then he took out a rectangr te with the number one hundred on it. "Each of you will have 100 hundred points before the exam starts. If by any chance you fail to identify the magical beast on the hologram that beast will charge and attack you" "It would what?" "Don''t worry you won''t die but your score will decrease, remember each mistake takes 10 points off your total score so you all better be careful" He said emphasizing each word that will be helpful to us. "Now then good luck and don''t get scared once you are inside, okay" "Yes professor" "Alright now run along" "Be careful okay!" "Yes professor!" With our professor''s warm and enthusiastic words, we entered the building and saw something we didn''t expect. "A forest?" I can hear Agnes''s bewildered question though I can somehow understand why our surroundings are like this. "This forest is real and not an illusion" Alicia said while holding the leaves of a nt. It''s amazing how the academy put such a thing inside a building. "This is a rainforest, which means the beast we need to identify are the magical beasts that inhabit this ce" Chapter 137 Beasty Continuation of Apollo''s POV We all remained silent and slowly walked across the terrain. We don''t know what kind of beast we need to identify but it''s better to be careful, after all the rainforest has its own set of dangerous predators. "Hey by any chance have you seen any signs of....!?..." I looked around me only to realize I was the only one standing in that area. "When did I get separated" I questioned since I didn''t feel anything as I walked. [Creator the exam is already starting] Jeremiah begins to say however my mind was looking for my friends. [Please think carefully about the thing you need to do here] "What?" With those cryptic words, I suddenly felt a sudden chill. "Right magical beast" I said as I looked around the leaves and trees that surrounded me. "Everything here is real...so why.." I said while scanning the area. "Why am I surrounded with illusions?" ..... "Hey! Everyone where did you all go!" Braiden shouted while finding himself separated. "Hoo...calm down it''s okay!....hoo...." His heart began to beat fast while past traumas began to hit him. The leaves the trees and the fact he is all alone made it even worse for him. "They are already gone...they won''t get you again...you are no longer there" he repeatedly said while gasping his head. "No more chains you already broke it...hoo... They won''t chain you again....hoo" He continued to say until a sound reached his ears. He stopped mumbling and all his senses began to pinpoint the location of the sound. All of a sudden he remembered their professor''s words. "Be careful" It didn''t mean to stop them from making a mistake but instead... "GRRR" A chill ran down his spine as he realized something. "It''s right behind me" ... "Did I just get separated?" Alya felt confused because ever since that incident she never got lost and would always find the right path that she needs. "It''s impossible for me to get lost, so it only means someone purposely separated us" She concluded while calmly analyzing the situation. "Being in this ce reminds me of when the Monastery captured us" She can''t help but say while staying low on the ground. "I hope you guys are feeling better Braiden, Vesta and you Aaron" ..... "Where is everybody?" Niko felt confused then he looked at his side and felt an empty spot. "Princess?" He suddenly felt horrified seeing his hand no longer hold hers. "When did I let go!" .... "So everyone is gone" Keith realized while looking at his hand. "I was holding her just now" He can''t help but clench his teeth, he made a promise to her brother that no matter what happens he must always hold her. "Don''t worry I''ll find her, you sacrifice your life for me so I will do my best to find her" He closed his eyes and began to feel the area. "Illusion" he opens his eyes and looks at the shadow right behind him. "A magical beast that creates an illusion to attack... let''s see" ... "Oh dear did I walk too far?" ir thought while walking among the tall trees and wild nts. "Wait, something is wrong" He stopped for a moment and gently touched the trunk of the tree. "It''s not real" he immediately realized, it seems their stay inside the illusion reality magic made them highly sensitive to it, so now they can''t immediately distinguish the two. "A beast which uses illusions" Then to his surprise, a shadowy figure began walking towards him. "Now let''s see what you are" He said trying to identify the beast who remained close in the bushes. ... Back to Apollo''s POV. He decided not to use any magic to scan the area and just rely on his knowledge base from their lessons. "Using magic would ruin the point of this exam" I thought so then I started analyzing things. "A beast which uses illusion...rainforest" While I think a shadow appears behind me. "GRRRRR" A growl can be heard while heavy footsteps say he is big. "A predator....heavy and have a huge build" I thought while observing his steps. "Hmm...I can''t help but feel confused because predators in rain forests don''t use illusion" This is interesting I can''t help but say in my mind. .... "It''s behind me" Braiden nearly had a heart attack when he heard the loud growl of the beast. "What is this.....could it be a..no..no I need to be careful" With his mind being in shambles he can''t help but panic but then he remembers something. It''s one of the lessons they have in Survival Lesson 1. ~Never let panic eat you, especially in a foreign environment that you have no knowledge of..it''s hard to stay calm it''s only natural to feel stress however never let it rule you, set your senses open and widely analyze the situation~ Professor Alejo said from their survival lesson 1 so with all his might he pushed down his demons and just remembered their lesson. "Rain forest, growling beast and illusion, what kind of beast is that, it''s definitely not a rain forest spider I am not in a cave, pythons are no no as well" He began to think while the beast behind him began to approach. ..... "A beast using illusion," she thought. Then Alya felt the urge to walk so she did, this was the ability she gained after getting experimented. A pathfinder is one who always sees the right way. Behind the pile of green leaves, she sees a figure hiding meticulously. "Ah... I think I know the answer to this" She said while walking towards it. ..... Niko who felt horrified at the fact that he had lost Agnes began running frantically around the area until...something stopped him from moving. "What the!" He saw a shadow walking towards him each step was heavy and its eyes began to prate the boy. ~Each of you will have 100 hundred points before the exam starts. If by any chance you fail to identify the magical beast on the hologram that beast will charge and attack you~ He remembered their professor''s words making him look at his chest and there resting was a rectangr te having the number 100 on it. "Right I am in the middle of an exam" He finally snaps out of it and stares at the shadow. "It''s big....but ck ah no it''s just a shadow hologram....." He stuttered a bit but began analyzing. .... Keith on the other hand stared face to face at the shadow and smiled mischievously. "I will give my answer now" He said then a rectangr screen with a set of alphabets on it appeared right in front of him, which made the boy interested. "An illusion nice" Then he carefully typed his answer. .... Like Keith ir too was able to type his answer and as soon as he did the shadow in front of him dissolved. "Oh" He said as the ck shadowy projection revealed a person. From a huge monster, it slowly transforms into someone he is familiar with. "Mckenzie?" He can''t help but say seeing his friend appeared right in front of him. Chapter 138 Beasty Part II A shattering sound came to ir''s ears and soon the ck shadow figure in front of him turned out to be his friend. "Mckenzie?" He questions, quite confused about the situation. So in order to rify what''s going on he approaches his friend. "Mck-" "Ahhh!...don''t approach me yet I still don''t know the answer!" "The what?" ir felt confused and so he took another step only to make his friend take a step back. "Ah I see, the beast''s illusion powers hadn''t been lifted, since Mckenzie hasn''t identified it" He realized and since he had free time he decided to record Mckenzie''s scream as he frantically typed his answer towards the floating screen. "Hey, why are you chasing me!" He can''t help but say while ir who was the beast''s shadow began chasing after him, in his hand is a magical recorder. ... "I should be able to do this" Niko said to himself as he began to type, and as he pushed the words submit the rectangr screen disappeared and the shadow began to dissolve. "What the!" Right in front of him was Agnes who slowly appeared as the darkness disappeared. "Princess!" "Niko? You are the beast?" Slowly each of the lower-ss students began to solve the first beast that they encountered, however, the problem was that they became surprised when the illusion was off. "Wait so you are that monster?" Mckenzie asked while pointing his finger towards ir. "Yeah kind of, you see the beast uses illusion to confuse his enemies, and since he identifies us as one he tries to make us fight each other by using his illusion to turn us into monsters" ir exins while hiding his recorder. "So it only means you are the one who was chasing me!" "Yeah kind of" Mckenzie wanted to scold him for scaring him like that but decided to just stay quiet while pouting on the side. "Hmph!" "Hey, are you upset?" "Hmph!" Braiden who had a panic attack can''t help but sit on the grassy and mossy ground. "I don''t wanna do that again" he could only say while Alya was by his side handing him some water. "So in the end we have answered the right answer right?" Aaron asked while feeling nervous. "What did you guys answer" he added. Then each of them began to look at each other beforeughing. As theyugh their eyes go towards a certain location and that is right in the middle of them. "Well it''s better toe out now, you have been found out," Apollo said while looking at the empty ce. That spot then began to fluctuate and a bellowing sound can be heard along its body being revealed. A beast that is known for being docile yet a fighter at times, a coat of pure white almost shimmering when touched by the light. Its build was huge along with its majestic antlers, branching out in a symmetrical and imposing manner. Its eyes were deep and expressive contrasting vividly against the snow-like fur it has. The students couldn''t help but smile, their answers were right. The one who stood right in front of them was a... "Rain forest Ivory Stag," Apollo said feeling better at the fact they were right. A rainforest Ivory Stag is a rare magical beast which is typically a gic variant of red deer. It can be potentially found in various habitats, including rainforests. While they are moremonly associated with temperate forests and open woonds, their presence in rainforests is not impossible. However, their urrence would likely be influenced by specific local environmental conditions and the avability of suitable food sources. It was really hard to identify it since it wasn''t the only magical beast that used illusion. So what did the beast do that gave away its identity? The answer is nothing, its illusion was too good unlike any species found in the same habitat and that''s when the kids figured it out. The ivory stag is well known for its ability to confuse its enemy and hide itself from predators. Their sensitivity towards illusions is also attributed to this achievement. With their first beast being identified correctly the stag slowly dissipates as if it never existed from the very beginning. "Now I am wondering if we are dealing with a real magical beast or if it''s all magic created" Matilda wondered while dusting herself since she fell down when the shadow monster chased her, however, it turns out it was Casper. "Now what?" Vesta asked since they all remain standing where they were. "We should probably start walking" Apollo suggested which they all agreed. ... Amidst this exam, six people are attentively watching them. Those people were Gelda, their professor in History and Geography, Agatha in Magic and Creation 1, Professor Timothy in Beastmology, Professor Adolfo in Advancement and Physical training, Professor Alejo in Survival lesson 1 andstly the headmaster. "They are doing good" "I really thought they would fail that one" "Me too since discerning its skills is extremely hard because it often uses illusion to disguise itself as a predator" Gelda, Agatha and Alejo said then Timothy suddenly asked. "Which one of you put an ivory stag inside the forest?" All three professors who first spoke looked at him confused. "Weren''t you the one who put that?" "No Professor Agatha why would I put a stag right at the start of the exam" "If isn''t you then who did?" Then they all look towards the only culprit they had in mind. "Professor Adolfo" Timothy spoke trying to see if he truly was the one who did it. Feeling his colleagues'' stares the professor finally reacted. "Hmmm? Me? Ah that, yeah why?" "He looks unbothered for what he did" they all thought. "Sigh, never mind I just hope that is thest thing you put in there" "Well actually..." "Wait what else did you do?" Timothy felt worried since it was his exam anything that happened there is his responsibility. "Will it hurt the students?" Professor Gelda said feeling worried towards her students. "Well just a couple of stuff no worries they can handle it" After hearing those words the four professors all look at the headmaster as if asking him to do something. "It''s okay I allowed him to do that" With those words, the remaining professors can''t help but pray for their students. Chapter 139 Run! Back at the students who cluelessly walk across the huge rainforest a looming shadow can be seen following them. Then as it follows it mistakenly falls on a bush which is near the children. "Oh it finally fell" Arabe said while waiting for the beast toe out. "WHOOSH" A nimble shadow passed by them and all they saw was its fleeting figure. "Well it''s been following us, what do you think of it" "It''s fast and swings around trees" Unlike the stag, this one was quite easy for them. "A leaf capuchin monkey" They said and the shadow soon transformed into its real appearance. Besides its leaf colour fur which signifies its affinity to wind element, these magical beasts are recognizable for their expressive faces with round, dark eyes, and a prominent, often pink or flesh-coloured face with a cap of dark green fur on top resembling a hood or cap, which gives them their name. These magical beast monkeys also have long, prehensile tails that are used for bnce and gripping branches as they move through the trees. The limbs that it used to climb and swing around are quite muscr, and typically beasts with speed and agility-type powers have lean bodies but this beast has a strong and big build. "We got that one right" Samael said feeling delighted that everything is running smoothly for them. "So how many have we identified now?" he added while walking alongside his friends. "If we include that monkey it would be twenty" Arabe said while putting the name of the leaf Capuchin monkey on her list. "That many? And we are still not done yet" "Mckenzie we studied dozens of magical beasts so don''tin if we encountered at least a hundred of them" Matilda reminded him. "Right... I forgot about that" "It''s because you are too nervous Mckenzie lighten up you are shaking" "Sorry I just felt we are being watched so I can''t stay calm" "Now that you mention I have been feeling it too" "Could it be a magical beast?" Aaron said while looking around worried. "Apollo, can you feel something?" Keith asked to which Apollo answered "No" However, it was all a lie, since he had felt the presence of a beast that had been following them ever since they identified the stag. He thought their lessons in their professor Alejo woulde in handy now. ~Never trust a peaceful and calm environment because you will never know what kind of snakes it has~ He says in one of his lectures and so Apollo and Alicia stayed quiet and remained to assist them on the sidelines. These two ns to let their friends improve on their own. "Wait!" ir suddenly said, like the two he too was quiet however his reason was different. "I think we are being followed" He said, that since his blessing is from the God of Mystics it doesn''t just apply to the mind but also to the intent of the beings around him. It was very faint at first but now he can feel it. The presence of a being slowly approaching them. "It''sing" he added. With his warning, everyone felt cautious and looked at their surrounding. "That won''t really work" Apollo thought as he observed his ssmates. "You have learned your lesson in beastmology and survival lessons, sometimes what you see can blind you so close it and look carefully" He added however it seems this beast had the wrong target as his prey. "Does it want to eat me?" Apollo realized feeling its presence right behind him. And based on its position it is about to attack. With no other option, he summons the screen and begins typing. "ROAR!" The beast pounced right at the time he tapped the word submit and immediately the shadowy figure of the beast disappeared. "What the!" The appearance of the beast surprised them though they immediately recovered when they realized that it was already identified. "Wait is that a.." All of a sudden their relief turns into horror when they recognize the magical beast Apollo identifies. "A purple body which signs the existence of poison while its eyes a shade of blue, a mark of the power of water" Keith began to say as he analyzed the beast in front of him. A beast known for its powerful hunting ability and unlike its counterpart this one is far more ferocious. "A stalker jaguar" "A magical beast that hunts in groups and once it finds its prey, it won''t stop until they feast on it" "Be on guard!" McKenzie said with all his silliness gone he became serious and prioritized their safety. "Apollo" He said in a very cold yet calm tone. "Can you at least give us a hand here, at least give us a clue" He added. Somehow he realized why Alicia and Apollo kept quiet about the situation, and if it weren''t for the fact it was him that was targeted then they would never know what wasing. "Alright" Apollo said knowing they had realized what he was doing. "Tell me what does a stalker beast usually do?" He said while looking at the calm beast that he just identified. "Remember your lessons because those are the only things you need right now" he added then he stood at the side letting his ssmates make their own decisions. "It''ll be best to be fast, they areing" Alicia added though she remained standing right beside Vesta and Alya. So in the end how can they find a beast who was a master of disguise right in its own territory? Knowing is different from doing, and although they know what it looks like and the skills it has, it''s different when you encounter them face to face. So what exactly are the lessons Apollo was referring to? They felt confused but still kept themselves in proper stance in case they needed to make an escape. However, they knew that wouldn''t be achieved easily. "ir?" Mckenzie said while all of them began to form a 360-degree Defense formation. The concept of this is forming a circle or perimeter, as they adopt a circr defensive formation, each member faces outward to cover all directions. This way they can see and react to any attack. "I can sense it, they areing" ir just said while trying to track their enemies. Chapter 140 Finding the beast In this situation you might think it will be easy to identify them since Apollo already found the beast however it won''t be truly easy. They can''t just randomly say the beast''s name and it will be counted as an answer. To trigger the screen where you need to put the answer, you need to see or locate the beast you need to identify. Without doing so even if you felt that there was something following you if you can''t see it or even locate it then you won''t be able to answer. "Remember your lessons" And like a broken recorder, they repeat the words Apollo said to him. They tried to remember the lessons they had from beastmology and survival lessons. Yet they can''t think of anything at the moment. Panic and anxiety are taking over. "I am a bit worried about them" Alicia said while he sat next to Apollo. "They will need this in the future" he just answered while fixing his posture. "Is it because of the alleged branches of the Monastery?" "I don''t really think we should call it alleged since one of the memories of the archbishop did somehow mention it. However, I didn''t think much of it since it was vague and seemed unimportant, it turned out that the priest destroyed a part of his soul to limit the memories I could extract. It was also the case with the other archbishop I encountered" "Alicia they need to get used to this, since our next enemy will be a magical beast" "I know but I worry that this will tire their minds, it hasn''t been long since they confront their past perpetrators" "And they won against them" "That is because their anger, hate and desire for justice were putting their head towards one goal, to eliminate their enemy. And the fact that you are there to assure them that nothing will ever happen makes them do whatever they please. However now is different, you clearly stated you will not help them" She said while her eyes remained looking at the fourteenth students who closely cling to each other. "Right now they are in a foreign environment with panic eating them away and since their only assurance is gone they don''t know what should be their next step" "So they grew reliant on me" "Yes and I think they had noticed it as well" With those words from Alicia, he began to think of other options where he could protect them withoutpromising their growth. [You know you are thinking too much of it] "Well thinking is actually helping me n my next move" While the two had a dialogue Alicia remain her attention towards her friends. "This is not good, they are currently experiencing forest panic" This is when immersed deep within the woods, some individuals encounter an overwhelming sensation characterized by sudden, unexinable panic and heightened anxiety. This experience often triggers an urgent impulse to flee,pounded by the eerie silence of the forest and a faint buzzing that seems to resonate within one''s ears. These feelings can arise unexpectedly, enveloping the individual in a visceral response to the unfamiliar and potentially threatening surroundings, intensifying their sense of vulnerability amidst the dense and secluded wilderness. At first, it was like walking in a park but with Apollo leaving them alone they felt a sudden confusion of what to do. The students need to ovee the fear that currently envelopes them though it was a bit hard since they became doubtful of their next move. ... In the midst of the eerie silence that surrounds us deep within the rainforest, I suddenly feel a throbbing sensation in my left ear, however it soon spreads and involves my other ear. It''s not quite a ringing sound, but rather reminiscent of the lingering echo that follows a loud noise, where the subdued rhythm of my heartbeat bes unusually pronounced. Typically, such sensations fade as hearing returns to normal. However, instead of dissipating, the throbbing evolves into a persistent buzz. This persistent buzz is curious, particrly in the rainforest environment where many winged insects, like bees and wasps, typically remain dormant or less active. Yet here, amidst the lush greenery and humid air, the buzz persists, defying the expected rhythms of the forest. It hums through the dense foliage, adding an unsettlingyer to the already mysterious atmosphere of the rainforest. Each pulse seems to resonate through the canopy, intensifying the sense of istion and deepening the enigmatic essence of our secluded surroundings. I felt clouded as if a nket had covered my ears and only the beating of my heart could be heard. I have my friends with me however the feeling of solitude persists not until the sound of my raging heart is reced by the rustling of leaves. As if something is walking or maybe crawling somewhere. Though I can tell that something is walking close to the ground. They are everywhere I realized while continuing to discern the sound. "Hoo..." I breathed and filled my lungs with air trying to calm myself from the turbulent emotions that slowly eat me. My eyes were closed while I relied on my other senses to locate the location of my well-concealed enemy. Find it! Find that thing! As my mind says those words, an image suddenly forms inside my head. A robust and muscr build, typicallyrger and more stocky than magical leopards from the books. They have apact, powerful build suited for climbing and hunting in dense forest environments. Aside from its build looking at it closely its heads are robust with strong jaws, ideal for delivering a powerful bite to subdue prey. I can definitely tell it was a jaguar. As I found one I soon discovered more, typical magical beast jaguars are solitary hunters however stalker jaguars are different they hunt in groups. "I have an answer" I said and a screen floated in front of me. Shakily I typed my answer and entered submit. From the sound of rustling leaves and the patient and slow breathing of a predator, it turns into a shattering sound as if something broke. I smirked, and finally, I found it. Chapter 141 A smile Apollo''s Pov. I smirked seeing Niko control his senses it seems his early training as a knight can now be seen. It wasn''t all for nothing, he hadn''t forgotten them. However, he wasn''t the only one who had aplished something. Alya was able to find the stalker jaguar as soon as she threw her anxiety away. It seems her ability as a pathfinder is helping her find things like a stalking magical beast. "They are improving fast" Alicia smiled as she saw the shadow models of the stalker jaguars return to their real appearance. However, despite their improvement, I can still see some who are struggling. In the end, their emotions are their main enemy. If they can''t control it and let it manipte them instead, then it will be difficult for them to assess the situation and take action for it. More of them are giving their answer until a single figure remains standing confused. I couldn''t help but feel worried. It''s already behind you, what are you doing? I almost shouted wanting to warm him but he must pass this by himself. They all need to do this in order to increase their survival in case they were to encounter an enemy. Not all times I can be there, so they need to stand on their own. "Aaron what are you doing dying this" Alicia couldn''t help but say. I felt confused too, it should be easy for Aaron since his blessing can definitely detect the space upied by the beast. [I think he is refraining from getting too reliant on their blessing] "Why? It''s their power, they are supposed to use it and make it grow" [Perhaps because of the incident with the monastery they saw God''s blessings as a power that didn''t belong to them. Simr to how they see you, they consider their blessings as something that won''t be permanent to them] [That someday like all the others it will leave them as well, so before they be too reliant and too attached to it, it is best to grow ustomed to its absence] I felt conflicted, was it really like that? "Why did the reason be so dramatic" I silently thought. Though some part of what Jeremiah said may be right. "They don''t want to get too reliant towards God''s power, perhaps they want to grow stronger by exploring more aspects of themselves" It''s not a bad idea, though it''s best to get used to every power you have. "Aaron" I can hear Alicia panic it seems she really cares for everyone. I wonder if she ever makes that face if it''s me who is struggling. I can''t help but scoff, just the thought of it is impossible to happen. As if a time when I am in a pit will ever happen, after all, I always solve every cmity I face. Back to my main problem, the stalker is already a few feet away from Aaron and I can see it scanning his prey if it''s capable of fighting back. The others already found it as well but with them already giving their answers on the said beast they can''t answer again. Repetition is not allowed on the same type of magical beast. "Come on Aaron the beast is already behind you" I said feeling a bit unsure about the situation. "Aaron just type the goddamn name" I heard Mckenzie curse making me lose the uncertainty inside me. "Wait! I forgot the spelling of jaguar, just give me a sec okay!" he said while lightly pushing Mckenzie away. "What?" Did I hear it wrong? "Jaguar is J-A-G-U-A-R! Type it!" "Wait I am too slow to type so slow down" "Slow down my ass that beast is already behind you!" Chapter Discover: "I know!" Sigh, I forgot, Aaron is bad at spelling. Even the most simple ones becameplicated for him. "I''ll repeat it instead lets start with the first word, so stalker is spelt S-T-A-L-K-E-R, while jaguar is J-A-G-U-A-R" Braiden patiently said while emphasizing each letter. "Okay okay" Aaron said while hastily typing. "Don''t type the wrong letters!" "Don''t rush him, Mckenzie!" "And submit!" The shadow model beast that is about to attack glows and its shadowy appearance shattered. The full appearance of the stalker jaguar was then fully revealed. A fur which is typically coloured as light to dark purple with ck spots called rosettes. The rosettes have a unique pattern on their coat that helps them camouge in the dappled sunlight and shadows of the rainforest. However, these patterns also tell their level of strength. Also, these markers are special, it is unique to each individual, simr to a fingerprint. These rosettes as well arerger and moreplex than those of magical beast leopards, often enclosing smaller spots within them. Some stalker jaguars have mnistic (ck) coats instead of purple, where the spots are still visible but more difficult to discern against the dark background. Their eyes are typically blue hinting at their affinity to water, however, they also provide excellent vision for hunting in low light conditionsmon in the rainforest. A beast known for its hunting powers and patience, a stalker jaguar. "Nicely done everyone" I said pping my hands. "Now I think you can find the others" "Others?" Jillian said as her smile disappeared whenprehended my words. "There are more?" Arabe asked and suddenly had a hunch about what magical we will encounter next. "I thought that was thest boss" Matilda eximed while still feeling the emotions that filled her a while ago. "Nope definitely not it''s just the opening act" Alicia said while smiling mischievously. "It''s not stalkers but a different type of magical beast" "Wait don''t tell me we have to encounter anacondas here" Me and Aicia remained silent at Niko''s words making our ssmates pale. "Wait you mean the ones that are really good in camouge?" Casper asked as well finally feeling that they might finally lose a point. Anacondas have a very big almost monstrous size and strength. However, despite their appearance, it is not easy to find them because they can mimic their surroundings and fool the eyes of other predators and their own prey. "What is there to be scared of you found a stag a while ago" "But it was because magic is involved" "Those giant snakes don''t use magic to hide their bodies exclude this chemical stuff to change their appearance ording to their surrounding" They began giving excuses until a hissing sound entered our ears. I smirked as I heard it. "It seems it''s here" I only said and my friends didn''t liked it. Chapter 142 Exam is finish Continuation of Apollo''s POV. Our exam ended with my friends having quite a few mistakes although their overall score was still able to pass. It was still good and our ss still received an excellent grade. Our good performance extended when we took Professor Alejo''s exam in Survival Lesson 1. The experiences we had in the previous subjects aided us in tackling the survival challenges in that exam, especially the ones we learned from identifying the beast from Professor Timothy''s Beastmology. The covered lesson in Survival Lesson 1 for the first quarter was surviving in the wilderness. Surviving in the wild does not just involve stable food sources and shelter, it also involves surviving against predators and dangerous magical nts. Our earlier exam made us exceptionally aware of our surroundings making us all survive during a beast encounter. After taking those two we all hurled towards our rooms and rest. "I am tired" They began to mumble while we all decided not to sleep together since we were too tired to make our beds inside the tea room. "See you guys tomorrow" "Yeah" With our bellies full we let our tiredness take us towards our dreams. Chapter Your: Even I was tired, continuously thinking took a toll on my mind and now all I want is rest" "Maybe Jeremiah is right, I am really thinking too much" While my thoughts drift away my mind slowly calms until all my problems are swallowed by my sleep. The sun began to set while the stars lined up in the vast sky. Crickets began to sing while the cold breeze began to touch us. The night came without us even witnessing it. ... On the third day of the exam, Sunday morning a supposed day of rest was filled with whispers, as we tried to think of our exam for Advancement and physical training. "I wonder what Professor Adolfo had in store for us" ir absentmindedly said while putting the bacon in his mouth. "I felt worried thinking we might fail his" "Don''t say that Casper we never got low grades in his assessment so it should be fine, we can definitely do whatever exam he threw" Matilda said trying to convince her friend that it would be alright. "That reminds me of our first assignment to him, I never expected to receive something like that" ir said while handing a ss of water to Vesta who was sitting right beside him. "Ah, you mean about the fifty push-ups, fifty sit-ups and a three-hour marathon around the dormitory" Samael remembered while Arabe put sugar on his warm chocte. "Don''t forget the handstand as well" "But he didn''t give that to us on our first meeting he gave that on our second week" "Yeah and the fact he put counter bracelets on us, so we won''t be able to fool him about how many times we did our push-ups, sit-ups and ourps around the dormitory" McKenzie excitedly added while munching a fried egg. "Right, hahaha I remember that" Niko second. "The distrust he had in us was so apparent, he didn''t even try to hide it" "I suddenly felt bad for Professor Alejo since he often sees us crawling to get to his ss" Alya said as she extended her hand to take the milk Miss Martha made. I remained listening until I heard Braidenugh. "Hahaha man I remember that he looked so horrified when saw us" Then Keith spoke as well "I remembered he told us we looked like walking low-level undead" "Our angelic professor, will he be the one to teach Survival Lesson 2?" "He should be" "Yeah" They all agreed while happily eating their breakfast, I only listened and did not join their conversation. Just watching their happy expression makes me really satisfied. "How peaceful" I can only think while sipping the hot chocte Miss Martha gave me. After finishing our meal we all head out for the assembly hall. And like what we usually do we happily chatted on our way towards that ce. "I wonder what brilliant announcement will he give to us" "Shush your mouth Mckenzie what if someone hears you!" "If they have ears they will hear it, if they have guts they mightin" "And it seems you are not worried" "Why would I Arabe we have Apollo and the support of the entire Mage tower, you know I really feel stupid I didn''t think of it when we are being treated like an invisible" "You know Mckenzie I don''t mind being treated like invincible" Alya unexpectedly said which made all of us ask "Why?" Due to our reaction, she couldn''t help but chuckle. "It''s because it''ll be easier for us to make a move when nobody cares for us. The more we were treated as nothing the less attention we received. The less attention the more peaceful" I began to think, well her words were right and maybe I should apply it to myself. [Really? Low key? You?] "Why?" [First, you literally blow up multiple golems on the entrance exam and use your strongest spell, Thunder Aura, and not only did you melt thebyrinth made by the professors but you also traumatized multiple students who only wanted to study here] "...." I have no idea what to say now, I don''t know if I have a right to refute that sentence. [Creator what''s with the sudden silence] "I was thinking if it''s toote toy low and cause less attention" [That is toote Creator since that thought didn''t exist in your head when you first enrolled here, and you even made such a ruckus on your very first day] I can''t help but sigh, since my previous self was so keen on taking rank 1, I didn''t think about the possible consequences apanying it. Well, there is nothing I can do now the damage has been done. Back to us who were leisurely taking our walk towards the assembly hall, we noticed how some students would stare at us, though somehow it felt different. Their look was different from before. How should I say this? They look afraid? Scared or even perhaps angry? I can tell, that in those eyes have a mix of emotions that I don''t really want to care about. They are after all useless, it''s not like my current problems will disappear if I care about them. So I pay no attention to them and hopefully, my ssmates will too. After some stares and gossip we encounter, we finally arrive inside the assembly hall, and just like what happened in the general assembly we have no chairs to sit on. Seriously again? Somehow I don''t have the strength to be angry anymore. So I just flicked my finger and made some chairs for us. "Let''s just sit" "Apollo what if the staffe here again?" Alicia asked feeling bothered since they are a bit annoying. "I don''t really think they will cause a scene here since I heard we have quite a few guests from the eastern kingdoms" "From the east?" "Yes" For some sort of reason, I felt a sudden attachment towards that ce. "Did the illusion really affect me this much?" I thought while fixing my posture as we sat. Chapter 143 The other half As my thoughts began to doubt myself because of the illusion I experienced at the exam. More students filled the seats until some lights turned off while the others focused on the stage. "It seems the event is starting" And it wasn''t just me who had that thought, all the students as well was the same as me and so a deafening silence enveloped the hall. Then a man appeared behind the giant curtains of the stage which made all the students focus on him. That man was none other than the headmaster. He stood in front of everyone wearing a three-piece suit. "Good morning my students, I am sure all of you have questions on why we made some changes in the format of our exam, but rest assured we all made it to increase your level ofpetency and growth for development" "But for this day, we will have a very special event" Then behind him, a group of people appeared. "Now who are these people" I question however I can''t exin why I felt a sudden familiarity with them. It''s like I met them before. "I am feeling a bit weird" I can''t help but say. "I actually I''m feeling it too" "Same" "Me too" My friends second my words making me more curious about this feeling I have. "Students, these people behind me are professors of the Eastern Academy. They havee here to propose an exchange mock battle between the first-year students of our academy and theirs. This battle is a way to see the improvement of each student and to study more ways to develop an innovative way of teaching that will facilitate a student''s learning" "And so I will happily announce the start of the tournament!" His voice is excited indicating his willingness in thispetition. However, what I am more curious about are the things Eastern Academy teaches its students. A tournament? Really? A mock battle against the Eastern Academy of the Eastern kingdoms. Sounds interesting however I don''t really see the benefit it has for me. [I think it will be a good challenge for your ssmates, to see how much they have improved] "Can''t my friends just rest for a while, they need it from all the ruckus they experience" [I never knew you could be this worried towards people] "Really?" [When you created me what you all did was to get back at your brother, however, now all you can think about is your friends and the mages from the tower. You are no longer too caught up with your desire for revenge] Hearing those words made me chuckle a bit. "Jeremiah it''s true that I don''t think of my brother as much as I did before, but I do have a reason for that" [Care to share it with me, my Creator?] "I don''t mind, the truth is I don''t see much threat to my brother than to an organization that existed roughly three hundred years ago. I choose which enemy is more dangerous to another and I think my brother is just a useless heir without real power" [Isn''t dangerous to underestimate him like that?] "I would never talk like this if I hadn''t investigated my brother. Ever since I entered the tower I already gathered the information I needed. And if you are going to ask how was I able to achieve it. It is because I have multiple mages I can ask to gather the intel for me. The Mage tower''s connection to the underworld was also a good boost to know how my brother Eros ran and found his current henchmen" [It seems you had nned everything] "Not all of them but I already started in case my brother suddenly attacks first" [Does that mean you aren''t the only one who is nning to make a move?] "Yes since my brother sees me as a threat since I choose to be a mage" [And?] "Remember when we were taking the exam in history, there is a part there where we witness the manifestation of the sacred weapons" [Yes I remember that] "Good remember the weapon that Artemis chose?" [Oh!] "It seems you get it" The magic staff is the most sought equipment of all mages. The sacred weapon of the Lionheart family, the Lionborn staff. Only the mage line of the family can inherit the weapon, and oftentimes the mastery of the sacred weapon symbolizes the head of the dukedom. However, father broke that rule when he became the duke despite being a magical swordsman. "I think my brother ns to be like that as well, though it won''t be easy since I and my older sister Athena became a mage" [Does that mean you two are challenging him?] Chapter Discover: "Not exactly, it''s just our bodies are notpatible to be a swordsman, Athena and I are more equipped in casting spells than swinging swords, so we became a mages instead" [I believe your brother Eros, won''t believe easily that you two don''t have any ns to take the seat of the heir] "I don''t really care though I am going to use his paranoia to invoke his ire, that way his moves will be predictable and easy to counter" [Are you sure you can really predict it?] "Why? Are you doubting me?" [No, just reminding you not to underestimate your brother] While Jeremiah and I have our conversation the announcement continues though I don''t really like to participate. ... "This mock battle will happen at one of our duel arenas, so all students please proceed to the duel facility" The headmaster said urging us to leave and so we did. ... "So are we going to watch?" Mckenzie initiates the conversation since none of us speaks. "I think we need to" Alya suddenly said making me look at her. "Wait we need to?" I can''t help but ask, I initially wanted to tell them to rx and enjoy a tea at the dormitory but hearing what Alya said, it seems we need to postpone it. If it''s her then it means something is about to happen at this mock fight, and we need to see it. "Alright let''s watch" I decided while my eyes linger at my friends. "How about you guys?" I asked wanting to see their decision. "Sure" "Let''s go" "Might as well do it" I smile hearing their response since we don''t really want someone being left behind. We are always a group and never leave each other. If one of us is in one ce you better expect that the rest of us is waiting at the corner. . . . The duel facilities of the academy have multiple types, one for student duels or even group fights, and the other is for professor and student duels. It could be one-on-one or even one professor against a group of students. Some outsiders can also ess the area as long as permission is granted. Typically duels will be held in different spaces depending on the level of the fight and numbers. Since this is a mock battle between two academies, an open arena was selected to amodate the fight and the amount of spectators that are going to watch. We entered the entrance and entered the passage that led to the spectator''s seats. As we arrived we found empty seat for us, we sat down while my eyes began to scan the area. Chapter 144 Other Half Part. II The open arena features a vast, unobstructed space with no overhead cover. Rows of seating encircle the arena, offering clear views from all sides. Then at the center is a vast open space. This space is t while an elevated tform was there serving as the stage for the mock battle. The stage doesn''t upy the entire space but below it, is a ground with a neatly maintained, covered in grass, and surrounded by low fencing marking its edges. Those edges of the arena are marked clearly signifying the boundaries that duelers and spectators need to obey while the fightmences. From my seat, I have a panoramic view of this sprawling arena The atmosphere is open and inviting, bathed in natural sunlight that enhances the vibrant energy of the surroundings. Though I just hope nothing absurd happens. Then screams began to envelop this grand structure turning our ss''s attention towards the people on the stage. A group of well-dressed students entered while some of them gave off this sense of familiarity I previously felt. This is a bit weird and makes me wonder why, to add to that it wasn''t just me but all of us. "This must be one of the reasons why Alya told me to watch" [Should I scan those students?] "No, not yet" As we talked someone suddenly spoke. "Good morning first years, it is I your vice headmaster Acke Williams speaking, I am here to give you the rules of this mock battle" "To start this event, the Aster Academy will first send one student as their representative, then the Eastern Academy will do the same. Right after that if the victor has been decided the Eastern Academy will send another representative, and this time they will be the ones who will choose their next opponent. This will also be the case once it is our turn to choose our academy''s next representative. This will continue until all the representatives of Eastern Academy have fought" "After this simple mock battle, we have a feast at the assembly hall and hope that everyone can exchange words with each other" The vice headmaster said though I highly doubt it. "The first year is 200 in total, I highly doubt all of them can actively socialize with a few selective students from the Eastern Academy" [Don''t be like that we are not really sure if that is really the case] I am not really interested in the mechanics and rules of this mock battle since I won''t really participate, all I wanted is to observe and see what is the thing that made Alyae here. "And now for our very first representative, is none other than our rank 1 Apollo Lionheart!" "What!" I almost fell in my seat when I heard my name. "Apollo Lionheart please grace the arena as our rank one!" He even repeated making all the students look at me. It didn''t even end there because a big rectangr screen emerged above us showing my face amongst my ssmates. "What the hell, so much for wanting a low-key status" [Told you it''s toote for that. Remember before, you even said that being hated is better than being loved and stuff while paralyzing some students. You cause a ruckus at that time] "Please stop the shback I am regretting that already" I massaged my forehead before finally standing up. "Please don''t destroy the arena" I heard Vesta say while giving me a cheering look. "Also please don''t melt anything either, I heard the materials used in that tform and the facilities here are rare" Arabe suddenly then Keith looked at me and seriously said "Dont use magic" "Yeah don''t" they all said as if it''s something I can''t refute. But I am a mage? How am I supposed to fight without using magic? I felt bewildered by their words but I decided to go to the fighting arena first. As I walked I heard Jeremiah speak. [How about we use one of the skills we are trying to improve? The skill Master Weaponist, we haven''t fully tested it again since after the attack at the Monastery] "Well good point why not, though I am not sure if my body can handle the pressure now" [That is why we should test it with an actual opponent. One that is not as good as Professor Adolfo. I will also use one of our other test drive skills, the one that can absorb shocks and damages instead of your body] "I don''t really want testing stuff right now" [...] "What?" [Are you sick or did you eat something!] "Why?" [Because you are never like this you never said no to testing weapons or testing new skills we develop together!] "Ah, it''s because I don''t see the need to test them now" [You really change now Creator] "I just don''t want to do something reckless that I would regretter" [Does that mean that you are putting your future opponent in high regard, since you are being this cautious] "Jeremiah every opponent I face I put them in high regard, even though at the end I end up getting disappointed" "I don''t want any risk when I don''t have enough data against my enemy" [So if we have, we can run the test drive?] "Maybe" [Yes!] Our talk ended when my footnded right on top of the smooth surface of the fighting tform. "Good morning dear guest" "My name is Apollo Lionheart" I greeted though their eyes reflected nothing but hostility. "Jeremiah, do your sensors scan anything about the source of their hostility, did I perhaps miss a story about the two academies being hostile with each other?" Chapter Continue: [I am not sure but I will see if I can get anything from the professor, they should be having a conversation right now] "Good, be sure not to be caught" [I will be my Creator] I stood where I was while the students'' screams echoed across the open space. Looking closer I could see how different our uniform was to them. I wore abination of orange and ck military-style uniforms while these students wore coats, cute skirts and trousers. The style of their outfit or their uniform could feature a crisp, white blouse for girls and a shirt for boys, it exudes cleanliness and professionalism, although they all looked serious or to be exact hostile towards me. I continue to observe them. Above their shirts or blouses are ck or brown vests, and then a white pristine coat envelopes their upper body, itspel cor is ck while the crest of the Eastern academy rests at their chest. Paired with tailored trousers or a knee-length skirt, the ensemble maintains a sophisticated and polished appearance. Their appearance had a sharp contrast from mine. My uniform which represents the lower ss, is a ck double-breasted coat structured fit and features a high cor. The fabric on my shoulders is colored with orange until it reaches before my elbows and after it, is ck until it reaches the wrist. Then the cuffs were adorned with gold as well as the buttons. ck trousers encased my legs while a pair of ck leather shoes on my foot. Overall, I think they look more like a student than me. Chapter 145 Mock battle Other Pov. "And now for our very first representative, it is none other than our rank 1 Apollo Lionheart!" The vice headmaster said while my eyes looked for the person whom he was referring to. However, two hundred students were hurled through the seats of this ce and I don''t know who was the so-called rank 1. Then I remembered the ursed ranking of this school. Right, they put some students at the bottom of their so-called rank and let the upper rank students bully them. Just so they can give a punching bag for the stressed-filled students. I could never ept such a system. Though it''s true that they produce the strongest people every end of their school year. Is it worth it? while some reach the peak of their potential, there are those who are left behind to suffer and fall apart. I can never ept that. I closed my eyes until I heard a loud scream, curious I looked around and saw a rectangr object floating above me. There I found the person whose name was called. "So this person was Apollo Lionheart" I registered his appearance to my mind but then I felt something was weird. The status of rank 1 not only gives fame but also lots of privileges, so anyone should be proud of it, however, that boy who was named as the strongest first year looked like someone had robbed him. Like he never wanted to be called, it''s like saying his name is the greatest nuisance to him. And like a child being forced to perform by his mother in a school program, he stood up and exasperatedly looked at the students beside him. As he walked down all the students'' attention was on him, like he was the only thing they should focus on. Everyone was looking at the boy who appeared to be in deep thought, while the people beside him looked worried. Are those his ssmates? Or are they his friends? Aren''t the high ss located over there? I looked to the other side of the seats and saw ane of neen students, wearing a different style uniform. The rank 1 wears a fitted high cor uniform, quite simr to those used by military soldiers, while students in the high ss wear a uniform simr to us, though the only difference is the color, ours is white theirs is ck. "TAP! TAP!" I heard footstepsing near and I finally noticed how he finally reached the arena. "He is fast" I can''t help but say, though my thoughts are still questioning, why his uniform is different from the High ss which is the ce he should belong to. Then my thoughts halted when his steps stops then I heard a voice. "Good morning dear guest" "My name is Apollo Lionheart" He finally spoke though I could feel his gaze. It''s heavy as if a beast isying his gaze over his prey. "He is scanning me" I realize, bing interested in fighting him. "Now then, since our rank 1 is here, may I know the person who will be his opponent?" The vice headmaster spoke looking at us all, I felt excited and immediately aimed to raise my hand. "Sir, may I-.." "It will be me, sir!" What? Someone came forward first, and I wasn''t able to volunteer. "Oh? May I know your name young man" "My name is Ren sir, I am from the Kingdom of Qin and one of the Sky level students!" Unlike the Aster Academy which uses the entrance exam and its quarterly exams to rank its students, the Eastern Academy create trials that encourage the students to challenge themselves to increase their level, the higher they be the more training they can receive. An example of those trials is the trial of steps of the high tower. A mountain which has a beautiful tower on top of it. The challenge for this trial is to take the steps which are enchanted with gravity magic, the further you go the heavier it gets. The students who reach the top will pass this trial. Then they receive a reward as well as their new ranking. The rankings are based on the shades of blue mainly, Sky Blue, Cerulean, Azure, Royal Blue, Navy Blue, and Midnight. The lowest is Sky while the highest is Midnight. Since these children barely entered their academy two months ago, their ranks are on the basic level. ... "Ren is a great name, are there any of you who doesn''t agree with Ren being your representative?" The vice headmaster asked and we all answered "No sir!" With our confirmation, the vice headmaster looked at Ren and said. "So Ren are you ready? "Yes sir!" "Alright but before we start this match, I''d like to remind you all that this is only a mock battle, I do not wish to see anything unpleasant, understand" "Yes, vice headmaster!" The students spoke in unison. I felt a bit reluctant since I really wanted topete with a person like him. An aura that felt like he had experienced countless battles and the fact his eyes were so deadly that I felt like something was choking me. I can tell just by looking at his eyes that if we fought I won''t be able to win easily. I am certain our fight will be long and won''t have any dull moments. However, it is unfortunate that his opponents wasn''t me.. "Okay, now Apollo, Ren please shake each other hand first, that''s it, now go back on the other side of the arena. For those who will not participate please return to the sideline along with your professors, thank you" ... Another student''s POV. I am afraid Because he is here, yet again his presence is so overwhelming that it made my mind dizzy. Ever since that horrific event, my mind would go nk whenever he came near. Although he had repented for what he did, it still filled me with fear. The incident at the entrance exam made me unable to bear anything loud or too much brightness. That includes fireworks disys which I always love. It was unfortunate though I remember one of his words when he first spoke to me. ~I am sorry and I never knew my actions would end up like that, I hope you forgive me~ His voice was soft and sincere while his gifts were veryforting. ~I believe you will see fireworks again but for now, here is a gxy orb, it''s beautiful and doesn''t have any loud noises or too much light. I hope it helps you~ He was somewhat kind but I can still remember how deadly his skills can be. So be careful Apollo''s opponent you''ll be lucky to be alive after this. Strangely as the match began, it wasn''t only this student who was thinking of this but many of them. Chapter 146 Mock battle part II Apollo''s Pov. And so the match began, I looked at my opponent whose figure began to blur as he put his ki to use. My eyes equipped with the system''s lenses could see how his ki flowed across his body. "We got a fighter here" I can''t help but say, though I haven''t fought one before, I knew he was a fighter just analyzing the way he uses his energy. I took a step back to adjust my position and saw a fist that was about to hit my face. A straight punch that is quickly executed, a jab. "He is testing the waters now" His jabs were speedy and steady, driving through the air creating a crisp sound. While my foot goes along the rhythm to dodge it. [He is gauging your reaction and how you form your fighting stance] "Yeah I can tell" I sway my body ording to his moves and with every punch I dodge it with precision. His feints and ambush attacks didn''t work on me either. The gap was just too big Not just the stats but also the difference between our abilities. I can read him far too well and that is why so many attacks couldn''t get a hit on me. "Damn it!" I heard him say while his expression could be understood as bewildered. Then he suddenly stopped attacking, and we both stopped and stood where we were. Despite his prompting attacks serving him no leverage, I can see he is nning something. [Something ising be prepared!] Jeremiah warned while my eyes scanned Ren from head to toe. Then a realization struck me as the energy inside him changed. I can''t help but smirk, "I should answer that form, a fitting one for this event" Then I also form my own stance. [Finally doing something other than dodging?] "Yeah" I breathe gathering air in my lungs while my eyes expand to perceive any attacks he will throw. "Jeremiah give his stats" [Affirmative] Name: Ren Yu Status: Focused Rank: Apprentice Mana Type: Yellow Level: 11 Strength: 41 Agility: 40 Dexterity: 39 Endurance: 40 Stamina: 41 Intelligence: 37 Mana: 40 Ki: 32 Mana regeneration: 3 per minute Ki regeneration: 1 per minute Vitality: 130 Skills/Abilities Lightning Ox Combat (Rank C) {Passive} - A martial art derived from the speed of lightning. And each strike was made to mimic the strength of the Ox. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: {None} Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution: Iron Born - A body constitution that allows its wielder to have an iron like skin for protection] At first, I didn''t really care about his strength since I already knew that I could defeat him without knowing so, but seeing that determination I should give him something he deserves. "Hoo..." I breathed focusing my senses on my surroundings and my sole opponent, and then I heard the wind rustle. "BANG!" My body lifted off and the ground where I was before crashed due to Ren''s insane speed. I smirk his speed was really fast and his aim was simple. "A grappling" What he did first is charge his entire body with ki and release it in one go, this move created a speed that you won''t normally dodge. This was a technique called clinching, though this move has dozens of alternative names and executions depending on which martial technique you base it. "That was good" After closing the gap between us through clinching he was supposed to tackle me, though he failed to do that since I dodge his move. If I had faced him two months ago that tackle was sure to catch me. It is well executed and his first stance will make you think he will do another straight punch, not a tackle. After a clinch and tackle he ns to use his weight and strength to settle a grappling, if he seeds he ns to make me surrender by choking me. [I think that move isn''t good for a mock battle] "Nah it''s okay," I told him. Though I have thought too many things and already revealed my analysis, in reality, the mock battle is still ongoing for thirty seconds, it hasn''t been long since he and I engaged in closebat. [Creator he ising again!] Jeremiah suddenly said but I already read that, his energy tells me he is going for clinching. I move in order to wee him with a punch but my fist only hits the air when he actually dodges. His footwork was good he was able to quickly change direction and dodge my attack. [My didn''t you use your full power?] "Jeremiah that would ruin the fun" I only said while following my opponent who already formed his stance to give his counterattack. He is going to give me a hook, seeing bis bent arm aiming at my temple I know I really need to move. After all this kid may injure himself if I don''t dodge, however, I have been dodging for long, I should do something else, but what exactly? What should I do then? How do I even counter a hook? My thoughts revealed a spell but that would blow up the area. Ah right! A basic spell should do the trick, I have forgotten how simple spells are. It seems knowing too much high leveled spells made me too reliant on them "Now then let''s do this" A spell ran inside my head as my mana red up from my body. Then my eyes turned to my side, a fist was already on its way. It was fast and well executed, and his technique made its speed increase, this fight is not just about who has greater stats but also how they make use of their abilities. It made me suddenly wonder what would happen in this match if my stats were the same as his, I am certain it will be more interesting. "PANG!" His fist created a crisp sound making my eyes scan it. There I noticed his ki was packed in his fist and upon contact, it created a huge explosive power. Unfortunately his fist only hits an empty air. "Argh!" I heard a scream, it wasn''t mine but Ren''s. "Did I perhaps overdid it?" [No you did not] I timed my spell activation on Ren''s attack and when his fist was about to hit my temple, a magic circle emerged bearing the power of my spell. It was a basic spell re, it was a ze of light that was used to illuminate to attract attention. What I did was fire the spell re right on his face. He should be fine right? It was a basic spell and since his stats are good he should be able to endure it. "My eye!" Oh dear, I aim too well. However a match is a match, I took the chance when he was vulnerable and drove my fist right at his stomach. "Argh!" I controlled my strength and made sure it was enough to knock him unconscious, and he did. He fell on the battle ground signalling that I was the victor of this match. "Yes!" "See that! That is our rank 1!" "Apollo!" "Apollo!" "Way to go! He didn''t destroy the arena!" "Yeah!" All sorts of voices hit my ears but at that moment I felt something different. I felt warm and excited like something filled me with unparalleled happiness. "Ha, this is interesting" I was being recognized I was being praised I never expected to receive a whole crowd of apuse. Their cheers made me feel excited and suddenly I wanted more. Who would have thought that being seen like this would make me feel so special? "Nice rank 1!" "Bring in the next match!" "We don''t need to send anyone let the top ranker handle it!" "And that is the end of our first match!" Despite the roaring crowd the vice headmaster announced making the noise die down. "Well now, let us-..." "Wait-.." "The...match is...not...done yet" Ren said with great difficulty as he stood up. "I can still fight" he added making my lips form a smile. "Interesting" I could only say that while my eyes see a power in him that didn''t exist a while ago. Chapter 147 So this is the other half? "I can still fight, please let us continue" He said while he stabilized his posture. The crowd gave different reactions some disagreed while some were okay with it, however, the decision wasn''t on them but on the vice headmaster''s decision. "Apollo what do you think, do you still want to continue?" He looked at me and asked instead of making an immediate decision. "I don''t really mind vice headmaster" I also wanted to see what was the power I am seeing right now. "It is strange that I can''t scan it and even you Jeremiah" [It also confuses me, I already went through multiple upgrades and was supposed to be more capable but right now I can''t even scan an unknown energy inside a boy] "Calm down we will find out what power he is hiding" With my answer, the vice headmaster looked at Ren and said "With Apollo''s consent this match will continue" My opponent looked at me and I could see how d he was that I agreed. "I wonder what''s running inside his head" [Should I scan it?] "Nah it''s okay" While the crowd cheers and my head goes wild with theories about Ren''s mysterious power my ears suddenly hear one of the screams of Eastern students. "Show him some mes!" "Go Ren! Bring in the power of your kingdom!" mes, Kingdom of Qin and a fighter, somehow I could only think of one thing. "Yuan" I can''t help but say, the only thing I know about that ce is him, only him and the sacrifice he made. Then while my mind remembers that person I suddenly felt a sudden rise in temperature. "It''s hot" I can''t help but say while Jeremiah''s warning shes in front of my eyes. And then before I knew it a fist was already right in front of me, aiming at my face. "What a nice speed" Despite me being distracted my senses kept track of my opponent, and so once he moved my mind formted an image of the spell I needed. Once his fist reached a certain distance, my body moved and dodged his punch. Then when all random thoughts were gone I was able to fully see Ren''s new appearance. Strangely his form is quite simr when Yuan and the Guardian merge together, though his appearance is a bit inferior. It was a body embodying the form of fire, however unlike Yuan who had a pair of beautiful ming wings Ren doesn''t have any. "You are really fast" Ren spoke to me and I can tell he is determined to have at least a one hit in. mes suddenly burst while his body shifted its form. A kick, I read and so I position my body to counter it sensing the direction it wouldnd. His left foot was forward signalling that he is about to form his strike. Then he finally does, Ren lifted his knee towards his chest, rotating the hip slightly outward, and pivoting on the supporting foot allowing the kicking leg to follow through, his aim was my mid section. It was a roundhouse kick, not just a random kick, his earlier stance was once again deceiving for me. And so as the kick was approaching me I decided to lean back and make a counter kick after he executed his, however as my body leaned back, my opponent made a sudden change. Ren adjusts mid-motion and seamlessly changes the trajectory of the kick. Instead ofnding straight on, the kick alters course, transforming into a spinning hook kick aimed at my head. He extended his foot to reach me and almost hit my face as I increased my speed to dodge it. "Damn it" I couldn''t help but say when I felt the burning mes of that kick. Even though I sessfully dodged that but it wasn''t enough to escape the heat. I felt like my skin was peeling off. Despite the barrier I have it didn''t even help lessen the pain I just experienced. Definitely, it''s Yuan and the Guardian, it might be weak but it''s the same. "Ah, was this the other half I didn''t get right? So the student representatives of Eastern Academy are rted to the people we possess in the exam. You arranged all that to distract me, or was it something else?" I thought, while I took the chance to attack right after the spinning hook kick wasunched, I lifted my foot made a front kick and hit Ren''s midsection. However, I kind of regretted it afterwards. As soon as my footnded on my opponent''s body a scorching heat touched me. "Jeremiah I thought you had put a reinforced barrier around me" [I did but it seems the mes are increasing their temperature every second] "Now I think I need to get serious" I took my foot back while I dodged another strike from Ren. As he was about to draw his fist to create an opening my mana suddenly burst making him switch from offence to defence. Mana coated my body though I am not an expert when ites to using it and my ki forbat, especially in close range, but I think I can still handle this. "Are you finally taking me seriously" Witnessing a blue ocean-like energy covering me Ren began to ask. Though his words made me chuckle, "Student Ren, believe me, you wouldn''t want to see me get serious" "Is that a challenge?" "No, but a warning" I then stepped forward which created a huge dent on the smooth surface of the fighting arena. My speed was far too fast for Ren to follow. I could see his expression he was surprised so with no other option he used his ki to boost the power of his mes, using it to sense which direction I was heading. "Hey up here" I said making Ren look up, "That was a joke I am actually right in front of you" With my words deceiving him he immediately looked at me while his fist was about to make a counter, however, I was faster. My fist powered by my mananded on my opponent''s face who just adjusted his head from looking up. With the umted power I released Ren was sent flying out of the fighting arena. "I hope he doesn''t get up" [If you want him not to get up,why didn''t you just cast a sleeping spell on him, he won''t be able to wake up even after a day has passed] "Because Jeremiah that would ruin the fun" Chapter 148 Flames Continuation of Apollo''s POV. That punch was strong however my guard didn''t fall down as my eyes saw how his stats changed. "His status says Spirit assimtion" What is Spirit Assimtion? Besides that, his total stats and a sudden added skill made it even more confusing. Previously he only had a single skill, a passive one. It was the martial art he is currently using other than that he doesn''t have other skills or abilities. [Name: Ren Yu Status: Spirit assimtion (5%) Rank: Apprentice Mana Type: Yellow Level: 11 + 30 Strength: 41 + 30 Agility: 40 + 30 Dexterity: 39 + 30 Endurance: 40 + 30 Stamina: 41 + 30 Intelligence: 37 + 30 Mana: 40 + 30 Ki: 32 + 30 Mana regeneration: 3 per minute Ki regeneration: 1 per minute Vitality: 130 Skills/Abilities Lightning Ox Combat (Rank C) {Passive} - A martial art derived from the speed of lightning. And each strike was made to mimic the strength of the Ox. Blessings from the Fire spirit (Rank A) {Active} - Due to the incident in his past life he gained the affection of the Fire spirit Guardian. The total amount of buff can be depended on the wielder''s emotion. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: {None} Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution: Iron Born - A body constitution that allows its wielder to have an iron-like skin for protection] mes are bursting through while a bird-like being begins to form around Ren''s "Yuan?" My eyes went wide while my heart began to beat fast as if I saw someone I longed to see. [It seems the illusion made you highly fond of Yuan] I don''t think so It wasn''t an illusion I wasn''t fond of Yuan either This feeling originated from the love I saw between Yuan and his brother, it was something I longed to have. [The heat is escting fast, if this continues that boy might get swallowed. The power of the spirit is far too strong for him to wield] "Then I suppose I have no choice but to intervene" I powered my foot with my ki and instantly I arrived right in front of him. However, my presence made the mes even more powerful. [The spirit is identifying you as an enemy] "Yeah I noticed" But despite the burning power of Guardian, I felt a different type of pain. "So up until now, you are still protecting him" I can''t help but say, as I realized why he suddenly appeared here. ~Blessings from the Fire spirit (Rank A) {Active} - Due to the incident in his past life he gained the affection of the Fire spirit Guardian. The total amount of buff can be depended on the wielder''s emotion~ Due to a past life "Ha" I felt a sudden pain "So you found your brother after all these years" Just how much love do have for him that after thousands of years, you will go as far as to look for his reincarnation? He doesn''t even remember you Jun died thousands of years ago, but his soul survives and reincarnates as Ren. "Man, why do I have a trash brother while others have someone who would do anything for them" I can''t help but say. I felt angry I felt jealous I also wanted that Why I can''t have it? Then suddenly I felt nothing I can''t help but sigh. I don''t want to think of it anymore. I am already tired, let''s end this thought of wanting something you will never have. My decision has been made six years ago, and it will never change. "Ah? Was this what you nned?" First Yuan and this, it was all nned to make me hesitate. Could it be? Mom? I felt angry and my emotion red my power. My mana burst through almost blowing up the arena. Fortunately, Jeremiah absorbed some of my power and only released a part that wouldn''t cause suspicion. [Creator] "I know" With my power being released Guardian didn''t like it at all. "Stand down I won''t hurt your brother Yuan" I said while retracting my power. "I know you just want to protect him but you manifesting like this would only cause him more pain than saving. You might kill him if you continue this" Then as I said that the fire began to flicker, as if it was hesitating about something. "I won''t harm him" I added and this time he seemed to listen and slowly hepletely disappeared. "There, now then" I said and as soon those words came out of my mouth, my eyes saw five Eastern students suddenly arrive pointing their weapons at me. Three boys pointed their des behind me, one girl in the front holding a bow while the remainingdy had her spell aimed at my head. "Put your hand down, Lionheart" A boy with ocean blue hair said while his de pointed at my neck. "Hey you better pull that dull sword out of my friend''s neck" A carefree and mischievous tone of voice came to my ears making me smile crazily. Bathing in the sun''s bright light a shining spiky red hair can be seen. In his hand is a de which he used to kill his enemy in the Eleven Temple. "It''s better to put down that de you might hurt yourself" I heard another person speak, I knew exactly who it was without needing to see the golden pieces of light that surrounded us. No wonder they came here fast. He used his blessings. "And who the hell are you people" "Us? We are the students of the lower ss" Matilda''s voice oozed sarcasm as she held a dagger at a girl''s neck, because that girl had one of her ice spikes pointed at me. [The Eastern students are strangely murderous, never anticipated that a bunch of five thirteen-year-old kids would point a de at your neck] "I suppose their training made them this way" I can only reply while the tension esctes. To be honest I have no idea why those Eastern students suddenly pointed their weapons at me. [It must be because you suddenly released a threatening amount of energy, they just thought you nned to kill Ren] "And why the seven hells would I even do that?" [That I don''t know] Back to the current situation, five students all had their weapons at me while all my friends were there, not letting them get their way. However none of the professors dared to intervene, I wonder what are they nning. [Probably to see which side will yield first or if someone will try to mend the situation] What an outrageous idea "Everyone put your weapons down!" I heard a femininemanding voice, with her words the five students whose spells and weapons were pointed at me wavered. "I said put it down!" She shouted firmly establishing her stance, finally, those five put their weapons down while my friends put down theirs as well. "We are sorry for my friend''s sudden action" I heard her speak so I finally looked back, I moved my eyes away from the unconscious Ren and looked at the person who stopped the situation from escting. Avender colour hair along with sapphire eyes, a girl stood in front of me while her ssmates went behind her. "It''s okay" I began to say "It must have been my fault that they reacted that way, my previous action might have given them the wrong notion. So maybe we can just let go of each other''s actions" I told her that though my friends definitely didn''t like how our supposed honor guest suddenly attacked me. "Yes but I will apologize again because what my friends just did was uncalled for"q I merely nodded while beckoning everyone to return to our seats. "Vice headmaster, if you may" I looked at the man who currently holds the highest status at this academy, and the way I see it he seems disappointed that nothing happened a while ago. Seriously this man, he still has theseplex ideas about me. This started ever since the start of the school year, I can feel he often put eyes on me, though I always evade all of it. However, because of that action, I became someone he puts great interest in. Especially when I caused multiple missing cases and mysterious appearances of corpses. I just hope he doesn''t suspect me [I highly doubt it] The vice headmaster who was among the professors walked out of the sideline benches and walked slowly towards the stage. When he finally arrived he began to address the students. "I believe that was a very intense match and shows the great strength and power of both academies. See how fast and efficient friends can be when they see their friend being mobbed" Seriously you are not helping, the vice headmaster however continues to speak. "Well then since the first match ended with our Apollo winning, may I ask the Eastern Academy students to choose their new representative and the student they will fight" Since the next match is starting I urge Aaron to teleport us back. "We don''t have any business here, we should head back" They nodded with my words, however when Aaron was about to take us to our seats a voice suddenly prevented us from leaving. "Him! I want him to fight me!" Chapter 149 Here comes the lower class Spectator''s Pov. The battle started while our hearts were beating nervously, not because of how intense the fight was, but because we were afraid he might go wild and then turn into a white ghost. What we all experienced in the entrance exam left a deep mark on our minds. The explosion, the burns and the blinding lights keeping back to us. It wasn''t easy to forget all those things since such events can make anyone traumatized. Then the sudden rumours of his extreme personality made it even worse, however out of all the news and hearsay we hear, there is one truth we all believe in. Never let Apollo Lionheart get serious in a fight, or you will face terrible consequences. He was the strongest among us and we believe that even the seniors won''t be able to act around him. The match continued and by the end of it, most of us felt our heartsing out of our bodies. It was because of a sudden surge of mes that soon turned into a huge pir, it was right at the boundary that separates the sideline benches and the middle field. The situation escted more when the said mes changed and somehow turned into a bird. Our eyes felt ufortable while a sudden prickling feeling itched our skin. We felt the heat despite the ring distance between our seats and the middle ground. However, the fire that seems to be an unstoppable force wasn''t the thing that made us feel dread. It was the back of a boy not older than any of us, but could exclude an aura that could make anyone suffocate. I was afraid but my eyes remained glued on that figure. The way I can''t remove my eyes even though my body tells me to run. He is dangerous yet his presence is something anyone can feel in awe of. And then it happened a raging energy escaped sending the entire arena into a cold silence. The mes burst even more until a mellow voice softlynded on our ears. We didn''t hear whose voice was it but after hearing that the mes died down though the killing aura didn''tpletely disappear. It remained around us keeping a suffocating feeling. We were amazed by the sudden turn of events until five students arrived and pointed their weapons at Apollo. "When did they get there!" I can''t help but ask. "After Apollo released that threatening energy those students rushed to aid their friend, they must have thought that our top ranker would hurt him" My friend told me while there was a frown on his face. I was worried that something disastrous might happen until a sudden light emerged from the back of those five. A golden light that suddenly splits into fifteen pieces until it shapes as a human. "Those people are!" The lower-ss students arrived out of nowhere, they were fast and the fact that they too have weapons in their hands made the situation even more scary. Seriously they won''t hurt each other right? I began to think while clenching the edge of my uniform. ... "Him! I want him to fight me!" One of the guest students from the Eastern Academy shouted while pointing at one of the least expected students to be chosen. "Why is he choosing him!" Johan Aaren said as he stood up from his seat. "Aaren sit down" Caesarmanded, however he also felt that their representative should be chosen among the students of the High ss to ensure their continuous victory. Other students might be good but not as good as them. "What are they thinking" He couldn''t help but say while urging Johan to sit down. Back on the stage, the attention of many was focused on a certain boy''s silhouette. "Um.....me?" He confusingly said while pointing at himself. "Yes you, the guy with spiky hair and a sword, I want you to fight me" Mckenzie looked confused for a moment since he initially came here to watch not topete. "Hell no" Then he looked at Aaron signalling him to transport them back. "Are you a coward that you backing out from a challenge" The nameless student said trying to gain McKenzie''s attention, however thetter only looked at him as if he saw a huge bug on the floor. "Come on buddy give him what he wants so can finally shut up" Niko suggested while giving a gleeful grin. Apollo can''t help but shake his head then he spoke. "Go ahead deal with him" Although he felt that everything that is going on is unnecessary, this might actually help his friend to improve his fighting style. "Right since all of you are supportive maybe I should go then" "Go go, Mckenzie!" ir cheered hearing such words an idea popped inside Mckenzie''s head. "Yeah what if" He thought and for the second time the lower ss students were dyed when their supposed champion suddenly made a demand. "I''ll fight you but I want it to be a dual match" As soon as he said that all the lower-ss students look at ir. "Wait don''t tell me" he began to realize while his friend gave him his usual mischievous grin. "That lunatic" he can only say as he walks towards the stage. "This is ridiculous" He immediately dered while ring at Mckenzie. "I was thinking we can practice the move we learn from the exams" "Ah, you mean that? Yeah why not" Then the two''s attention went towards the one who made the challenge. "I won''t really mind a dual match since I was just about to suggest it as well" Then a girl came from the sideline strangely they had a striking resemnce. "Let me guess you two are twins" McKenzie said while pulling out his sword. "Yes we are how about you two" "We aren''t twins but we are as good as brothers" "I see by the way my name is Yuta while this is my sister Megumi" "My name is Mckenzie" "ir" "And we are students from the Lower ss" The crowd felt a bitplex knowing that these students came from the lowest-ranking ssroom, however, no one dared to actively oppose since Apollo didn''t seem to hate the idea. None of them wanted to gain his ire. And so the voice of the vice headmaster echoes as he announces the start of the second match. ... Right on the sideline was the line that separates the middle ground and the benches. There groups of students observed the situation while a powerful barrier protected them from any shockwave that the fight might cause. "Mydy, their top ranker is strangely too strong, which seems a bit absurd based on his age" "I agree mydy, I believe something fishy is going on here" Another student said while trying her best to lower down her voice. "Could this academy doing something on their student? What do you think?" "Francis, Christy I believe your words are a bit over the top" "ude, don''t you feel suspicious that he is that strong?" "Francis, not because someone is too strong and was able to overwhelm you means that person is doing some underhanded things. Some people are just inherently strong, and may I remind you that he is a Lionheart. Being one of the most powerful is already given" "I don''t think that is a good exnation, haven''t you heard that the third child of the Lionheart family is weak and fragile!" "And did you see anything that can be said fragile on him Francis? No right? Just why are you basing your facts on a mere rumour? You saw what he can do, that power he released was domineering he made your knees tremble" "Shut up!" "Please don''t fight" "Don''t butt in Christy, this guy is just blinded since he is a fan of Artemis" "At least I idolize someone who is decent unlike you!" While the two boys argue the person they are trying to speak to remains silent, her blue eyes look intense as she looks at one person in the crowd. "Apollo Lionheart" She merely whispered while burying herself in her thoughts. "Penelope" Seeing her silence one of the guys who pointed a sword at Apollo spoke. "What is it Coby?" Unlike the first people who spoke to her this time she finally reacted. "What do you think of him?" "Lionheart?" "Yes" "He is dangerous a monster..." then her voice trail off as if something bothered her. "And?" "And might be able to help us" She merely said while holding the emerald leaf pendant on her neck. "If what you said is true then we better ask our professor" He merely said without any hint of anger or annoyance. Unlike his ssmate who hates Apollo for making them look weak he only focused on the task he was given. However it seems the rift between the students of Aster Academy and Eastern Academy was more than what he initially thought. While this talk transpires the match between thelower-ssss students and Eastern students began. Chapter 150 The Image of the Twin Blades Apollo''s Pov. "So they need my help, did they say what kind of help they need?" [Unfortunately, Creator the girl named Penelope didn''t borate on what assistance they wanted from you] "Now that will be a bitplicated since I am currently focused on withering the remaining spies of the Monastery. I still don''t know if I killed all of them from myst killing spree" [We will only know what they want once they start talking to us] "You are right, and by the way have you figured it out what''s the reason why the two academies have this tense atmosphere around them?" [Yes my Creator apparently it started roughly two thousand years ago] "What? Isn''t that the time of the Age of Extinction?" [Not at that period of time Creator, but it was after the Creation of the Empire. Estimated five decades after its establishment, one of the students of the five pirs decided to create the Aster Academy. One of its first batch of graduates is the founder of the Eastern Academy] [ording to what I heard from the students'' and Professors'' conversation it seems the founder of the Eastern Academy never liked the system being established at his alma mater. Especially how the students from the Lower ss were being treated. The lower ss was made so that other students would be motivated to study. It was designed to show how the strong are meant to rise while the weak will only fail. They were the supposed weaklings and failures that motivated the other students not to bebelled like them. The pot of dirt that can be looked down on and be the source ofughter and entertainment for others. I also heard that sometimes lower ss students became the ways of some students to vent their frustration and stress due to studies. He never liked that way and never believed it was effective so made his own academy, to show that this ce was wrong in making such a system. That''s why he instilled in his students that Aster Academy created such a rotten way of teaching in order to create strong students with bad personalities] "That''s one deep-rooted hatred that his will can still be felt up until now" [His teaching lives on to every student of his and they continue sharing his beliefs to the next generation. That is why up until now, the Eastern Academy students carried a prejudice against students who came from here] "Although it somehow makes sense I don''t really know how will they feel fighting against the very ss they try to protect" [Protect?] "Yes, I think their founder wanted the lower ss to be abolished and just be treated like any other ss. He wants to protect the future students who will be ced in our situation. By beating the students here he wants to show that you don''t need to create such a harsh way of teaching just to produce sessful students" [But it seems he failed since up until now the lower ss still exists] "Yes it seems he did fail" Somehow I felt a sudden respect towards him he must have experienced something in this ce that made him hate and love this academy. While Jeremiah and I chatted the match had already started and I could see my friends keeping a stable distance between their opponents. They don''t want to suddenly jump into them and lose immediately. They remained at a distance that they could easily attack and retreat at the same time. Megumi, Yuta''s twin sister shot an arrow to disrupt Mckenzie and ir''s stance. However, the two know what she ns to do. "I really hate arrows" ir muttered while he felt his thumb numb from catching the arrow. "Are you copying someone right now?" "No, I am not" Mckenzie chuckled though his defense was still there. Then more arrows arrived and a bold n entered the boy''s mind. He suddenly pulled ir before throwing his friend towards their twin opponents, who were surprised by his sudden move. ir on the other was already used to this since this is not the first time it happened. Up in the air, he merely manoeuvres himself to dodge the arrows before raising his sword. As this transpires Mckenzie finally dashes forward attacking Yuta while Megumi focuses on ir. "CLANG!" A sword meets a sword, while the girl''s bow turns into a de as well weing ir. Apollo merely watches observing the stats of the four. "They are not that bad" [Mckenize and ir have higher stats than their opponents, their diligent training already paid off] Their improvement can be said to be great based on their talent and hard work, however, it is still not enough against all the enemies we have right now. They need to grow faster. "CLANG!" The sh of steel rang through the air as thebatants manoeuvred amidst the arena. Deeply I began to see the fruits of the training we all have in those two months we have spent here. ..... The twin''s Pov It was confusing I thought my sister and are the best duo in terms of age and potential, however, these two can move almost in sync as if they are reading each other minds. "PANG!" A crisp sound hit my ears and my head was enveloped with a sudden ringing. The spiky red-haired guy had his feet at my head. I was able to block it but the sheer force was still capable of prating my defense. I felt dizzy but I immediately recovered, and the moment he retracted his legs I moved and began to swing my de. "Bang!" The sound of something hitting on the ground could be heard and I saw how the guy that supposedly fighting my sister pulled his friend away from the trajectory of my de. Then an arrow flew in but this time the spiky-haired kid leaned back while pulling the blue-haired one with him, dodging the arrow in the process. I took this chance to attack while my twin changed her bow to a sword and ran alongside me. We both aimed to end this match but suddenly our opponents disappeared and appeared right in front of us. The spiky hair one moves his de and so I raise my de to block it but then something happens. The trajectory on which the de willnd changes and suddenly aims at a different direction. I panicked and was unable to properly react fortunately my sister was there to pull away from his de. I became nervous however my peripheral vision saw the blue-haired one aiming at my sister''s blind spot, so I moved and blocked it while my sister dealt with the spiky-haired boy. Slowly as we exchanged blows I realized something, their synergy was somehow simr to ours. No, to be specific it''s simr to the sword style that was taught to us since we were little. However, the difference between the styles we use is that ours is much refined while theirs is crude and raw, too direct to be exact. Their style was quite simr to the Double snake technique that was created by the Twin des of our kingdom. It was bewildering how they made us feel like fighting the legends from the old books. It might seem impossible but that''s what we are feeling right now. I shook my head and just focused my thoughts to defend myself. However, a sinuous movement made a sudden strike evading my sister''s defence, and like a stealthy snake, it struck her stomach knocking her to the ground. That single moment made me distracted and a wooden sword struck me knocking me unconscious. ..... Apollo''s Pov "Did those two just adapt Riku and Yuki''s sword art" [It seems so my Creator] I felt a bit surprised but despite some small ws, I can tell those twopletely remembered how each move they made back at the exams. [Mckenzie and ir actually stayed at the first part of the history exam for three months, so it''s no wonder they can use moves like this] "Three months it seems it''s not just me who had a hard time in the first part" [Yes everyone was thrust into a situation where they were forced to recall and experience things they don''t want to experience again. However, the academy seems to think that letting you all remember that will make you a better person] "Sigh, I just hope you are right" I said while witnessing my two friends knocked down their opponents. I was happy though the crowd was silent and seemed bewildered with the result of the match. Despite that, we still cheered and our voices made their way towards ir and Mckenzie making those two smile. With all the harsh situations they have experienced they at least deserve to be acknowledged. All the effort and hard work, it doesn''t matter if it is only us but soon I know people will acknowledge this group of kids that I have grown to love. Chapter 151 The aim of the mock battle After that one match against two students from the Lower ss, the next to choose their representative and the person they will fight is the Aster academy. So one of the professors prompted Caesar to take on the stage. dly the boy agreed gaining cheers not only from his ssmate but also from the entire crowd of students. In truth Caesar had one of the best stats and skills out of all the first-year students, just exclude Apollo since he can be said out of the ordinary by his peers. While this transpired Apollo asked Jeremiah what is the real reason for this event. And when will they meet their family since they were first informed that they will see them. "We were told they woulde, and yet we are still doing this" [Don''t be like that, look the match is starting we might as well see how much that prince has improved] However, the boy''s eyesnded on his friends who walked confidently towards him. [Name: Gelo Mckenzie Status: Proud Mana type: Violet Rank: Apprentice Level: 13 Strength: 46 Agility: 45 Dexterity: 44 Endurance: 46 Stamina: 45 Intelligence: 45 Mana: 44 Ki: 31 Mana regeneration: 3 per minute Ki regeneration: 1 per minute Vitality: 130 Skills/Abilities Executioner''s war de (Rank C) {Passive} - Baron Delvin''s precious sword art that was passed to Gelo when he was eight years old. Art of the Twin des (Rank C) {Passive} - A sword art derived from the twin des from the exams and the one they learned from the imperial pce. Executioner''s Art of the Twin des (Rank D) {Passive} - Thebined form of Executioner''s war de and Art of the Twin des. One that Mckenzie made with the help of Apollo. Adapter (Rank C) {Passive} - An ability to quickly adapt in any circumstances it may be a person''s fighting style or life situation. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: {None} Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution: Steel Bones - A constitution that indicates strong bones or resilience to impact, however it will take some maturity and for the wielder to age before it truly manifests] [Name: ir Longfalls Status: Confident upation: Child of the God of Mystics Mana type: Orange Rank: Apprentice Level: 13 Strength: 46 Agility: 45 Dexterity: 44 Endurance: 46 Stamina: 47 Intelligence: 47 Mana: 46 Ki: 41 Mana regeneration: 10 per minute Ki regeneration: 10 per minute Vitality: 150 Skills/Abilities Dance of the inheritor of wisdom (Rank D) {Passive} - A sword art thatbines the authority of the God of Mystics, one that uses mind tricks and deception to y an enemy. w: Puts too much burden in the mind of anyone who performs this. Love of the God of Mystics (Rank C) {Passive} - The affection of their ancestor God made their stats higher the more their intelligence improved. Iron will (Rank C) {Passive} - An old training tradition of the Longfalls family that created this skill, which enables the wielder to have an iron-like will. Art of the Twin des (Rank C) {Passive} - A sword art derived from the twin des from the exams and the one they learned from the imperial pce. Authority of the God of Mystics (Rank C) {Active} - An authority that is given to the children of the God of Mystics. This enables them to tap into anyone''s mind and influence them to do whatever they wish. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Divine Blood of the God of Mystics Blessings: Affection of the God of Mystics - This blessing enables its wielder to ess some of the powers of the God of Mystics. Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution: Strongheart - A constitution that reflects physical strength, courage and will of its wielder] Apollo can''t help but smile seeing their improved stats, although their level only went up for two it was way better than the ones they have on the entrance exam. . . . The match wasn''t really interesting however Apollo noticed something amiss. Thedy who stopped the situation from escting had her eyesid on him. "She''s been staring at me for quite some time now," he noticed while pretending to watch the match. [I think she is sizing you up or something] "How bold, now it''s making me wonder what she truly wants" [I''ll pry on them more] "Thanks and report it to me immediately" [I will] Then the boy continues to watch seeing how the mighty prince struggles to fend off his opponent''s attacks. "If I am not mistaken that''s one of the guys who pointed a sword at my neck" While Jeremiah is busy Apollo uses the system''s scanner to see their stats. [Name: Caesar Mariano Von Celestio Status: Confuse upational: Descendants of the Great Hero: The chosen one of Gods Mana type: Blue Rank: Apprentice Level: 15 Strength: 53 Agility: 52 Dexterity: 51 Endurance: 50 Stamina: 50 Intelligence: 54 Mana: 54 Ki: 54 Mana regeneration: 20 per minute Ki regeneration: 20 per minute Vitality: 150 Skills/Abilities Way of the heavenly sword (Rank C) {Passive} - A sword art that draws power from the stars and other celestial bodies. Sce of Heavens (Rank C) {Passive} - The wielder will experience a boost or buff from any celestial bodies present in his area. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: {None} Blessings: Grace of the Celestial God - Julius Mariano Von Celestio was once chosen to be the hero by the Goddess that dominates the space and the heavenly bodies. The power and blessings he gave him extended even to his descendants. Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution: Heavenly Physique - A Constitution that is gifted by the Celestial Goddess to Julius when he was chosen by her] [Name: Lucas Chua Status: Intrigue upational: Inheritor of the will of the Emperor of the ck Veil Mana type: Orange Rank: Apprentice Level: 16 Strength: 55 Agility: 53 Dexterity: 54 Endurance: 56 Stamina: 57 Intelligence: 57 Mana: 57 Ki: 51 Mana regeneration: 20 per minute Ki regeneration: 20 per minute Vitality: 150 Skills/Abilities Cruel dance of the ck demon (Rank B) {Passive} - A part of the inheritance of the deceased Heavy knight Emperor, who created his sword art using the demon he first killed when he was young. Unbroken Protection (Rank C) {Passive} - A shield art that was created from the defence of a magical beast turtle. Shield of the Emperor (Rank C) {Active} - A skill that stems from the shield made by the deceased knight. It is capable of blocking any strikes and is manifested through the will of the user. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: {None} Blessings:{None} Inheritance: Inheritance of the deceased Heavy Knight Emperor - A warrior who mastered both his sword art and shield art and waster called a Heavy Knight. He was a swordsman and a mighty tanker who became famous, although he doesn''t categorize himself as a heavy knight. Body Constitution: Trollskin - Implies tough and resilient skin, simr to that of trolls known for their durability] Apollo remained quiet though was impressed by the prince''s opponent. "An orange type mana makes the mana pool and ki storage in the body bigger, due to that they have the greatest stamina and the best option for tankers and heavy knight duties. A good defence and offence that makes it harder for a prince to break through it" Then as he observes the fight he sees the calluses on the hands of Lucas. "It seems he had worked hard" The prince with the sun''s boost was able to gain a bit of leverage, however, with his opponent being on a much higher stats and stamina his movements began to falter. "It''s nearing the end" And so Apollo''s judgment was right, Prince Caesar soon exhausted himself and fell on the ground with that the Eastern academy gained its first win. The crowd was silent while the students of the High ss couldn''t help but feel disappointed even the professors couldn''t help but shake their heads. Despite this the students and professors of the opposite side didn''t rejoice or celebrate, they only congratted their friend and went to see who would be their next representative. Their calm and collected attitude made Apollo curious, and then Jeremiah suddenly speaks [I already found the reason my Creator] "Then go ahead and say it" [ording to some professors from the Eastern Academy, Aster Academy wasn''t the first school they visited. They had this exchange mock battle in different institutes and training halls. All for the sake of finding the one who will be mostpatible for the World Tree] "Compatible?" [Yes, school by school, training hall to another training hall, year by year they woulde let their studentspete with other students. This way they can see whose abilities are most suitable to be chosen] Apollo remained listening while the next match alreadymenced with the Eastern students challenging the students in Sword ss. [And Creator, bypatible means the student that will be most suitable will be selected as a sacrifice for the World tree] "Wait hold on a sacrifice?" [Yes and by listening to their conversation they already choose who will be their sacrifice] "Wait don''t tell me" [Yes Creator, the sacrifice they choose is you] Chapter 152 Compatible sacrifice Apollo''s Pov "And Creator bypatible means the student that will be most suitable as a sacrifice for the World tree] "Wait hold on a sacrifice?" Hearing that word made me ufortable, the mages of the ck Tower once showed me some horrific rituals that used sacrifice. That is why it gave me a very bad experience. But then Jeremiah continues speaking while I try to connect the World tree and a sacrifice. [Yes and by listening to their conversation they already choose who will be their sacrifice] "Wait don''t tell me" Suddenly I felt a cold chill run down my spine. [Yes Creator, the sacrifice they choose is you] I knew that was the road we were going to take. I can''t help but sigh while massaging my forehead. First a cult and now a bloody sacrifice what is next an interster creature? What kind of problems I am facing and yet I am still not done with my brother. [How about just sending someone to kill your brother, it is very easy considering how the tower mages won''t hesitate to obey you] "I don''t want to drag them with me, and killing someone from the four ducal families is one of the highest degrees of crime someone canmit in the empire. As much as possible I want his death to be painful yet look like an ident. That way no one can point the me on me" [What you want might take a long process] "It''s okay we should not rush things, so for now I should deal with this problem" Just how do I deal with a tree that exist right on the other side of the continent? Currently, inside the continent of Brynar, there are five World trees that contain a vast amount of life and spirits. World trees are one of the ces spirits gather due to their high density of mana. They lived there until a suitable person came to form a contract with them. These sacred trees also have branches that exist on ponds andkes that serve as extensions of itself. Those extensions were something many sought in order to create a contract. The World was also the symbol of power and peace that most mages believe. That includes the mages of the tower. We believe that the sacred tree can also be called the Tree of Life since the souls of the deceased gather there before joining the cycle. Souls who refused to be reincarnated turned into spirits whichter on became thepanions of mages. And that is why when we say, may the blessing of the World tree be with you, it means we want peace and power to apany you. Such a powerful and sacred tree yet now needs a sacrifice. "How confusing" Perhaps I am missing something, there must be a misunderstanding here. The World tree can''t be evil since its existence is an integral part of this world''s bnce. "Jeremiah, did you know how the sacrifice will be done?" I asked however Jeremiah''s answer made me disappointed. [No my Creator] So what exactly the sacrifice they need from me? My life? My power? Nope not that one, I am certain because currently there should be more people who are more powerful than me. I don''t think it''s money either, just what could it be? While I was deep in thought I felt someone nudging me. So I looked beside me only to see Alicia looking at me as if wondering what was I thinking about. "It''s nothing" I immediately said however my words made her even more suspicious of me. "Say it now" she began to say making me evade her gaze. "Don''t worry it''s not about the Monastery" "I know, it''s about that girl, right? " [She got you] I can''t help but sigh while massaging my head. "I actually send a spy insect towards those students from the other academy, and I found out they need a sacrifice for the world tree" [You actually called me an insect] "Just go along with me" "Sacrifice? I highly doubt that. The world tree draws its power from the world which is why it has a world in its name. There is no way it needs a sacrifice when it has an endless supply of energy from Bunag" Alicia''s worlds make sense so what did they mean by sacrifice? "However... " I suddenly halted when her words were not done yet. "If by any chance someone were to kill it then it might need someone or something to heal" This time Alicia looked more serious than she usually does. "What''s wrong?" This time it was me who asked feeling bothered by her aghast expression. "World trees are connected, if one were to die then the others will follow" Now that is a real problem, if the world tree dies the spirits who live there will have no ce to return to. "That will be a chaos" Other spirits began to live inside selected forests and habitats that have a World tree''s extension. Without it, they won''t be able to sustain their existence because they need a massive amount of mana to live. If the world tree began to die and the others followed that would mean... "The spirits will disappear" Alicia only nodded her head while I couldn''t help but touch my two spirit''s insignia, Gale and Bn. My two beautiful wind spirits. "I can''t let them disappear" I need to speak with that girl Penelope. I must know what is going on. I wanted to stand up and walk towards her but I knew I might look suspicious by knowing the information they hadn''t told me yet. I must be patient and wait for them to approach me. While I became anxious I suddenly felt Alicia leaning towards me. "I''ll ask someone for information, a dying world tree brings many signs, especially to the environment and the amount of mana in the surroundings" She began to say making me nod my head. Then I suddenly realize something, ording to Jeremiah this has been going on for years and yet they never divulge it to anyone. [It seems so] "Even to the emperor?" This could bebel as treason. I should contact that man and Grandpa Alger, since they should have information about this. [You can ask them personally since I have sensed his arrival along with other tower mages] "That is good to hear now then back to the current situation" Me and Alicia looked at the arena where thest contenders ended with the Eastern students winning. In the end, the two wins Aster Academy own were achieved by students who came from the lower ss. This causes a silent p to the faces of those who think they are the highest-standing student here. "Finally it ends" Alicia said while turning on hermunication bracelet. "I will ask the emperor about this issue" "Can you not do this, it might cause a serious crime if the emperor ever finds out" "You know that it won''t change anything, be it now orter" I can''t help but sigh though it makes me wonder if the emperor did not really know anything or if he already heard about this news. "What if he already knows " Alicia stops tapping the buttons of hermunicator and looks at me. "He might have but I will still ask for more information" Then she proceeds to tap her message and immediately send it afterwards. "We should meet the tower mages" She said after, making me wonder how she found out. Then my eyes sh with familiar symbols. [Name: Alicia Veronica Von Nyx Status: {UNKNOWN} upational: {UNKNOWN} Mana type: {UNKNOWN} Rank: {UNKNOWN} Level: {UNKNOWN} Strength: {UNKNOWN} Agility: {UNKNOWN} Dexterity: {UNKNOWN} Endurance: {UNKNOWN} Stamina: {UNKNOWN} Intelligence: {UNKNOWN} Mana: {UNKNOWN} Ki: {UNKNOWN} Mana regeneration: {UNKNOWN} Ki regeneration: {UNKNOWN} Vitality: {UNKNOWN} Skills/Abilities {UNKNOWN} ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{UNKNOWN} Bloodline: {UNKNOWN} Blessings:{UNKNOWN} Inheritance: {UNKNOWN} Body Constitution: {UNKNOWN}] It''s still the same, this is what I saw when I first met her when we were moving to the tower. A stats full of unknowns, gave me a headache since it was the first time Jeremiah failed to show me someone''s stats. Perhaps I am not the only peculiar being in this world and Alicia is someone I won''t be able toprehend unless she let me too. The event finally ends splitting the crowd into two. Some wanted to meet the ten guest students while others wanted to see their families. Of course, we were part of the group that wanted to see our loved ones. "Grandpa!" I rush forward embracing the mage who taught me many things. "Hey, my little sun who has grown a bit since thest time I saw you" I only smiled at his words while a group of mages emerged greeting us all. "Hey, kiddos!" Gavin said while bringing a huge box of treats. I saw some candies, choctes and even gummies. "This is good we can have snacks once we go to the shrine!" Matilda happily eximed while tasting some of it. "Shrine? What shrine?" The wizard asks curious about what she just said. "Oh that, it''s an old shrine here that we always go to when we have free time" Mackenzie replies while taking the box that''s currently floating with Sir Gavin''s magic. Chapter 153 The Dying Tree "This is good we can have snacks once we go to the shrine!" Matilda happily eximed while tasting some of it. "Shrine? What shrine?" The wizard asks curious about what she just said. "Oh that, it''s an old shrine here that we always go to when we have free time" Mackenzie replies while taking the box that''s currently floating with Sir Gavin''s magic. "A shrine?" "We often do some barbeque there" "And bonfires!" "Chats until dawn arrives!" "Let''s camp there tonight!" "Yeah,e to think of it they gave us a three day off to spend it with our family, so how about we spend it there?" "Yeah, we should!" The kids happily n while dragging the tower mages with them. dly those people who only knew magic to love became attached towards the lively children. While they get dragged towards the lower-ss dormitory Apollo stays beside Alger. "Seeing that expression, something is bothering you am I right?" The boy nodded and began to speak his concern. "The world tree of the east is dying" "I know" The old mage replied while urging the boy to walk with him. "I won''t pry on how you gain that information, but the emperor had informed the tower three years ago" "Three years ago?" [It was the same time when the Monastery began moving to get the descendants of the five gods] "Was there a connection between them?" "Little sun I know what''s on your mind but I think the Monastery had no connection to this" "Really?" "Yes because it is a different force that is currently looming in the east, something sinister" Apollo decided to listen and let the old mage speak. "Three years ago the kingdoms of the east especially the ones who live close to the tree reported numerous abnormal happening inside their kingdom. Wells,kes and ponds drying up. The magical beast suddenly dying, the forest slowly withering and the mana excessively decreasing" "It was an rming report which resulted in them consulting the emperor and asking for his help. And that help was us. I sent some mages and they gave us a report that made even the Mage association afraid" "The world tree is dying," the boy says while looking worried. "Yes, and what is worse is that the spirits living there are no longer responding towards their master''s call. The situation became even worse as the war between the empire and the monastery began. The appearance of the massive demonic beast corrupted the mana and devoured the forest it attacked. This esctes the speed of the tree dying. And now if it weren''t for a massive illusion that dwells on the tree,mon folks would have seen how it lost most of its leaves while its trunk was losing weight" "How to save the World tree grandpa" "From what we know a world tree dying isn''t a natural urrence, someone is purposely killing the tree to weaken the mages of this continent. As you know mages are closely rted to the World Tree since we are heavily reliant on mana and spirits. Without the tree, the mana will decrease and the mages will weakened. So to stop everything we must find the culprit and retrieve the information about how they weakened the tree" "What do we need to do if we can''t find that information? I am certain that they won''t give it to us easily" "My dear sun who says they need to give it, no, we will take it. If they try to fight even their soul won''t be safe from me" The boy can''t help but gulp, the owner and leader of the Mage tower and the greatest wizard who mastered the craft of Darkness. That mage was actually assigned by the emperor in this case, which only shows how dire the situation is. Alger Thornvale, no one can escape his gasp, with him every branch of the element of Darkness can be cast without difficulty, ck, void, space and necromancy. Even if someone tries to destroy their soul so that the spell Veritas would be useless it won''t really matter to him. Even fragmented souls can be healed in a matter of seconds. He had full control of someone''s life since his necromancy had reached a level that even an eldritch wouldn''t be able to fight back. And no distance is too far with void and space within hismand. Apollo knows that whoever dares to touch the World Tree will face the wrath of the empire''s strongest mages. "The Mage tower and Mage''s association, the two most powerful wizard and witch organizations had now joined forces, it makes me wonder how powerful our current foe is" "We currently have no idea who they are" That statement made the boy surprised, it''s been three years yet no clue was found. "Why?" "The investigation came across the monastery''s force, they must been mistaken that they were there to fully destroy their cult not knowing those people came to investigate the World Tree" "Makes sense those cult believers have theirirs all over the continent" "Right I forgot you blew up their bases, so how does it feel bing the youngest and richest boy in the empire? I know you plundered their gold and artifacts" The boy remained silent while evading Alger''s line of sight. "I did get a lot of them but I n to share it with my friends" The old mage just smirks already knowing that it was the action he nned to do. "Do you want to join the investigation as a member of the tower?" "That would be an honor grandpa but I need someone to take care of my friends here, I can''t just leave them alone" "Oh don''t worry about that" He confidently said while walking with Apollo. The boy was a bit confuse about his words but decided not to inquire about it. . . . The dormitory was loud and joyous with the arrival of twenty mages from the tower. Gavin and his team tried their best to get the vacant spots but Arthur and the rest of the ck Tower mages wanted it as well. And so the entire Mage tower was put into a tight battle on who woulde with Alger to visit Apollo and his ssmates. In the end, the four towers manage to get five spots for Blue Moon, Red Sun, Ocean and ck Tower. Equally distributing the twenty given slots the head gave them. As they talked loudly about their achievement Martha and the rest of the dormitory staff dly cooked and shared a meal for everyone. "I don''t think we can all fit inside the tea room let''s sleep outside" Niko suggested to Apollo as the two boys looked at the room while the rest enjoys chatting and eating in the kitchen. The entire day was filled with fun times with the tower mages teaching random tricks to the children. They didn''t even notice how the sky began to darken. "It''s still early so we should probably tell them we will set up a bonfire outside" "How about star gazing the sky seems clear" "I think that''s brilliant" And the two boys went towards the kitchen where everyone was seated. "Hey how about star gazing everyone" "We will set up a bonfire outside while we sleep in our tent" "Sounds nice" Mckenzie said feeling giddy at the thought. Although they have done sleeping outside countless times it always feels different whenever they did it. They also have countless topics to discuss despite being together for the entire day. Being with his friends he realized there wasn''t a dull moment and every single moment was worth remembering. "Can we help?" One of the tower mages asks while looking excited. "Sure let''s set up the tents first" Braiden told him while beckoning Jerome to prepare the tents. "We can just use our scroll tents that will make the work easier" a young mage suggested however ir has other ideas. "It''s okay sister Crystal and besides setting up your own tent is fun we should all work together to build one" Crystal who was first reluctant can''t help but agree. And while they all n to sleep outside Jenny arrives with a message. "Um..kids your professor is here" she timidly said making everyone confused. "Why do I have a premonition about who that is" Matilda sarcastically said while Alicia urged everyone to see who it was. "We will be right back!" McKenzie said while waving at the mages. "I think I know who this is," Arabe said while running with her friends. "Same" "Wait why are we even running!" Then after some tumbles, they arrive in front of the dormitory''s staircase where their professor is waiting for them. "Well I knew it" "Hey professor" "Hey trouble makers I have news" There standing proudly is their professor wearing his favourite ck shirt and trousers. Adolfo smiled as he saw his students'' expressions. "I hope it''s good news" "Well here you go, judge the announcement whether its good or bad" The professor then gave a folder to Alicia letting her read it. Chapter 154 Journey to the East As Alicia held onto the folder, her friends at the back couldn''t help but look at it. They too were curious about what announcement it contained. With their expectant gaze, the girl reluctantly opens the folder taking out the paper with it. "Good day, students, the two great academies of the empire joined hands to expand the learning of its students. In a seven-day tour, Aster Academy will send its first-year students to experience the wonders of the East. While the Eastern Academy shall provide services and lectures to the guest students. We hope that by doing this we can enhance the student''s learning and rtionship with other people" Alicia said as he read the first part of the announcement though it was enough to make the entire ss crazy. "Wait we are actually having a field trip!" "We should start packing!'' "Wait let Alicia finish reading the announcement!" "It has been a while since we travelled, maybe we should take this time to clear our heads from all the stress" Alya happily suggested while already thinking of things they should do. "Actually this was announced at the event a while ago however your ss was the only one who wasn''t present so they sent me to give that to you" Amongst their cheerful nning, Professor Adolfo told them. "The date of your departure will be after the three-day break the Academy gave. So use your free time with your family and friends, because after this tour you will be plunged into the second quarter of your lessons. So enjoy while you still can" He finally left however there was one thing the lower ss wanted to ask. Their test for his subject Advancement and Physical training never urred and now they are unsure of what will happen. "We will pass his subject right?" Arabe worriedly asked while their professor''s figure slowly disappeared. His lone silhouette cast a shadow through the setting sun making his back a bit mncholy. "I wonder why he looks a bit kinder than usual" "Is he dying or something?" "Don''t say that Braiden that is a bad omen!" "He must be sick" While they have all sorts of ideas the rest who were silent were focused on the paper on Alicia''s hand. Listed on the said paper are the activities and lessons they will have to take once they arrive at the Eastern Academy. "We should make a n before our departure but for now let''s fix the camp" Agnes said while taking Niko and the rest back to the kitchen. Some of the boys decide to head towards the stock room instead of the kitchen, while Alicia and Apollo remain where they are still looking at the piece of paper in her hand. "It''s included in here" the ck hair girl began to say which made the boy beside her speak. "Yes, that ce is in the perimeter of the World Tree" "They are deliberately trying to get us closer to it" "Yeah" "So tell me Apollo what''s the connection between you and the World tree?" "What?" The boy was suddenly taken aback by her question making him unable to answer immediately. "I know the situation is dire with the Word tree dying but it is not to the point it needs for you to be involved, from the information I got from the emperor the Mage association and the Mage tower will handle this case. You don''t really need to include yourself in it, unless..." Her ruby-like eyes pins on the boy beside her making thetter nervous. "Something is forcing you to get involved, go on say it I might be able to help you" Her calm and unbothered expression made the situation worse since Apollo looked pressured. "To tell you the truth I really am not sure" "Then tell me whatever you are sure of or anything you know, and I''ll listen" "Well the thing is the World tree is dying" "I know and?" "It needs a sacrifice to be saved...." Instead of continuing Apollo stopped for a minute looking deeply into those crimson-red eyes. For a moment he began to think about what expression she could have if she found out he was chosen as a sacrifice. "What about the sacrifice?" seeing his silence Alicia began to ask. "The sacrifice... I think they want me to be the sacrifice" Apollo waited for her reaction, and slowly her calm and neutral expression began to change. There was a sudden expression of disbelief, then became concerned, and from that, it turned into anger until it resulted in her usual nonchnt expression. The boy with her was surprised due to the emotions and expressions she had just shown in a matter of seconds. "You okay?" he can''t but asked which the girl immediately replies. "I am but it seems you are in danger, Apollo" "Will they hunt me down or something, I don''t know if I will be forced to submit to them" "It''s not really like that, the kingdoms from the east will cherish you but the forces who n the death of the world tree won''t. I am certain they will target you just like what they did from the past sacrificial candidates" "Wait so I wasn''t the first one?" "Yes, the problem was already escting for three years so they already thought of a solution, however with a mysterious organization appearing and the Monastery making its move, the empire''s forces were divided making the problem unsolved. It turned even worst when hundreds of breakout incidents happen almost every week, and to include the incident in Evaristo which cripple the workforce of the entire continent" "All those things resulted in the World tree to look like this" She handed a small photograph to Apollo which the boy took. Since his time inside the tower, he had already seen the five images of the five World trees and knew exactly what they looked like. "What the" Apollo felt weakened for a moment when he saw the glorious sacred tree weakened and had barely any leaves. "This is not good" he can only say. The state of the tree decides the fate of the empire''s mages and the life of all the magical beasts. They are after all relying on mana to strengthen themselves. Of course, people can produce them but the ones thate from nature not only provide strength but also nutrition to the body. Which even nts and other life forms relied on to continue living. Just the thought of mana decreasing already puts the supply of food and environment in danger. The bnce will be broken and the ecosystem will experience a massive shift. "The World tree handles and filters the mana of every living and dead being, without it the cycle will be disrupted and the souls of the deceased will also be affected. Spirits will disappear and the uncontrolled energy will run havoc with no ce to flow in" The boy said while clenching the photo. Seeing his state Alicia spoke again. "Do you have any idea what method they thought in order to save the tree?" "No" he only said suddenly bing expectant but before she could even speak a familiar sound of footsteps came in. "It seems your conversation is getting a bit longer" Alger said as he came out of a pir. "We still have three days, let''s not think of problems when your friends are still out there trying to relieve their trauma. Come now young ones we don''t want this night to be wasted by some problems" Apollo wanted to say something knowing the importance of the said tree however seeing his grandfather''s expression he decided not to. "Kids are meant to y and not worry about adult problems" The old mages stated while walking beside the two. Then as they arrived at the open field at the back of the dormitory, the three were weed with twenty grown adults lying t on the ground. "What''s going on?" Apollo can''t help but ask. "They look tired?" Alicia noticed so they decided to walk closer. "Hey stand up we still need to set up two more tents" Marisa a senior mage groaned while pulling herself up. "Are you guys tired already?" ir asked while Keith went to fetch some water. "Sorry but physical stuff is not our forte" Gavin said while taking the drink from Keith. "But you guys barely made a tent stand?" "Forget about it boy, Let''s just get some bedding from your rooms and we will set up an anti-insect spell here to remove the mosquitoes" Arthur suggested. Seeing their tired expression they all agreed and took their camping beds. Apollo can''t help but shake his head, mages are after all weak in terms of physical activity. They mightck in that aspect but make them do some absurd calctions and they can do it for an entire day. "I am only good at hand-to-handbat because of my system without it I might be in a simr situation as them" Chapter 155 I want to see someone When you are having fun time tends to go by fast, and you won''t be able to notice how the sun changes its position in the sky, as you put your focus on the things that make you happy. We began to absorb and engage in fun activities as if time was turned fast forward. Eventually, the three days off wereing to an end and the day of their departure wasing near. "Things areing way too soon" Vesta muttered while sitting on the smooth surface of the ruined temple. Currently, all the mages of the tower and the students of the lower ss, were resting inside the ruined temple which is being hidden by the haunted old shrine. Despite the kids'' disappointment with the current situation, the mages remain happy at theirpany. Alya and the rest of the girls ask for advice about their spells, while the boys begin showing their skills asking for any advice they could give them. As spells and swords fly into the air a person slowly looms across the shadows. "Apollo, why are you hovering like that?" Alicia asked looking confused at her friend''s actions. "I wanted to see if my stealth skills are good for sneaking around" Hearing his concern Alicia can''t help but sigh. "Apollo if your stealth abilities are not good then you won''t be able to walk around the Monastery temple when we go there" "Perhaps you are right but I still want to double-check it" "Just what are nning to do?" Her question made Apollo stop gliding through the corners of the ruined temple and instead focus on her. "Ah, I actually want to see someone" "Do you want me to help?" "Nah it''s good I''ll be okay by myself" "Well, whoever you want to visit you need to hurry since the tower mages are nearing to return to the tower. And I know you are not reallyfortable leaving the kids with only me guarding them" Her words made Apollo smile a bit, it seemed their time together made his actions a bit too readable for her. "Well then I should be off them" He warmly said as he slowly disappeared through the fallen pirs of the temple. .... Apollo''s Pov. I walked across the buzzing crowd outside the old and haunted shrine. There I saw the smiles andughter of different people. Students walked with their parents and different close rtives while I walked alone seeing how a family should be. Freshmen students were first isted for three months from their seniors. The academy believes that it will make the first-year''s students ustomed to each other. This way they won''t feel overwhelmed when introduced to the higher level students. In this city-like academy, there is a divider that separates the freshmen and seniors. As I walked I finally saw it, the one that divides the freshmen section and the other senior years is this gate. The arches and columns were built from a stone that came from a huge volcano, this way it could be easily crafted with fire-type barrier shields. The actual gate that seals the two ces together is made from a special metal that allows a mage to create a barrier system inside it. It''s a way to prevent other students from trespassing. The entire academy was covered with different shields and barriers but it won''t really hinder me. Since Jeremiah is there to rearrange the barrier for me. And like butter all hindrances disappeared and I freely walked as if nothing could stop me. As my foot took me out of the first year section I was weed by a different type of view. More towering buildings all over the ce and a serene calm atmosphere that makes you forget the predatory pressure that prated this ce. I walked even more and reached the ss dormitory of the high ss. The dormitory here is different from the first years because all students of each ss regardless of year and seniority share the same building. So if I wanted to see them all I need is to enter the most expensive-looking building. "Hmm..I wonder where they are" I asked myself while I looked around. I continue walking and none of the students or staff notice my presence. "Jeremiah scan the area and tell me where is that person" [Affirmative!] [Scanning!... Checking mana analysis... Scanningplete! We have found the target! Presenting the map of the building, the target has been marked!] I can''t help but smirk as my body slowly disappears and appears right inside a beautiful garden. All sorts of nts wee me while an arrow slowly emerges in my eyes, telling me the direction I should take. While I became upied following the arrow something caught the corner of my eye, a familiar figure. White hair simr to my mother''s and eyes that came from my father. Athena walked happily in the garden while holding a rose which I don''t know where it came from. "Jeremiah" [Yes?] "Find the person who gave that rose" [Affirmative] Whoever gave that, if that person can influence her to this decree then it could be very useful to me. [I will see whom it came from] "Thank you" After that conversation, I continued walking until I finally saw who I wanted to see. A man wearing a ck cloak, his stature was firm while his hair was grey. Based on his movements I can tell he was about to leave the garden. That left me a bit disappointed. So you are about to leave after seeing that person, it would have been great if he were to see what I am about to do. "Now then let''s check it first" I remained standing from where I was and slowly I began emitting a wave of energy. This energy would bounce off in any object and people, before returning to me. As it returns it would provide the information about the type of mana they have and their signature. If you are the one who cast that spell on me then I should be able to immediately identify you through this tracing spell. I should be able to confirm it, if my hypothesis was true, that it was you who put this thing on me. "HUA!" Finally, the information returned and what I saw only made me sigh. "It''s really him" The one who put a seal on me and caused me to turn into this. My brother''s beloved teacher Edmund Tower, a mage whom they say rivals grandpa Alger. "What a load of crap" I said while following his steps. He might looked okay but I can see the faint painful cry he would make when he put too much weight on his steps. Seeing those makes me happy. "So it''s working" I can''t help but say, that the ancient ck sealing spell Signare inimicum has a very unique feature that is significantly beneficial to me. That unique part is that the caster and the spell are connected. So the more I tried to lower the stability of the seal the more pain the caster felt. If I fully removed the seal then that would kill the caster immediately. This is the reason why I don''t want to immediately remove the spell and tried to find the culprit first. I was sure it would be one of Eros'' loyal people. If they are going to die they need to do it right in front of my brother. "Now then let''s see first if the data from the books are true" [Status: Spell name: Signare inimicum Type: Ancient ck Sealing magic Duration: 90 years Current stability: 10% Affected areas: 7% of the Creator''s mana Body Constitution in an unawakened state 10% of Creator''s Ki Total Statistics Debuff] A rectangr screen emerged in front of me then I dly tapped a certain number. [Current stability: 10%---- 7%] With the system''s upgraded form I can now manipte the seal whenever I want it. So when I lowered down the stability of the seal a heart-wrenching scream entered my ears. "ARGHHH!" The old mage weakly fell to the ground clenching his chest. "I wonder if he feels the same way when I identally discover my seal. It was really painful, I felt like hundreds of needles were stabbing me repeatedly" [Creator I already found the person who gave your sister a flower] "Oh? Who was it?" [It was a fourth-year student, like your sister, she belongs to the Middle ss and currently has a younger sister in the first year, who is currently enrolled on the Middle ss as well] "That''s nice update me about her information so that I can get close to her. That way I could meet her older sister once the three-month istion ended" [I will Creator] "Now then back to our beloved teacher who currently loses his consciousness due to pain" [Current stability: 7% -- 10%] There rest well because the next time we meet my brother will be there to see you suffer. "I already saw what I wanted let''s go back, Jeremiah" [Affirmative] Just wait for a couple of days I should be able to start since my problem with the Monastery is slowly disappearing. Once it''s done you all will have my undivided attention. Chapter 156 Going to East Continuation of Apollo''s POV. I left the High-ss dormitory with many expectations, I just hoped I could wipe out all the remaining remnants of the Monastery. [The Monastery will be easy since the empire already had its workforce focused on them, and with Nirvana''s death and the temple''s downfall the remnants will have nowhere to go] "I know but there are still problems I need to fix" [The new Gods?] "Yes, that bastard Nirvana created them three hundred years ago with some powerful magical beast. What is even more concerning is that I have no idea if all the recorded deaths inside the files I got from the Emperor are urate" [You are overthinking again] "I felt like the information was not right. It was missing something especially how the Excalibur went missing and the fact it got replicas all over the Monastery" [Whoever made it is the one we should look out for. Perhaps we should study the replicas we got from them. Maybe we can trace them somehow, there should be a faint energy connecting towards its creator] "You are right, It''s good that I have restored the replica from the Ninth temple. I should probably use this for scanning" [I think getting files from the emperor about all the renowned cksmiths might do the trick] "I will, then I will probably ask that man for more information about underworld cksmiths. I should look through them as well" Jeremiah remained listening while analyzing the files we plundered on the Monastery temples and as he did so he found something interesting. [Creator check this out] I halted my thoughts with his words and a series of words shed before my eyes. "Oh? What''s this?" A diary of a pdin giving a detailed report on how the archbishop visited a certain someone. Although it didn''t say who this person is the pdin specifically said it was a sworn brother of their lord. "A brother? Interesting" I continued to read the information and saw simr ounts of different people writing about their encounters with their archbishop''s secret meet-up with their lord''s sworn brother. "Wait it''s not just a brother.." Looking through it, some of the pdins and high-ranking priests who would apany their archbishop knew, that the being their leader is going to meet can''t be immediately differentiated between a male or female. Since this said being has the characteristics of both genders. "It''s good that we also have multiple ces to investigate" [I guess we have our very first lead] "Yeah it seems so" My mood was elevated finding I was not blindingly walking towards a path I was taking. Though I still have a problem with Nero, since the possibility of him being friends with those new Gods is high. If he was able to have some connection with the Monastery then colluding with some self-proimed gods is not truly far fetch. That old man should have some information about that man''s movements. [We should contact him soon] "We will" My figure remained hidden and no one except me knew where I was heading. As the sun began to set my lone silhouette began to disappear returning to the ce I belonged to. "So you are finally here" As soon as I return a familiar figure wees me. "Grandpa," I said as I approached him. "Thank you for telling me that Edmund Tower is going to visit my brother. I was able to confirm my theory thanks to it" "Hmm..so it was really him?" For a moment I saw a murderous glint in his calm eyes however it disappeared immediately like it didn''t even happen. "Well I suppose your n is still the same" "Yes although it might take a really long time to be fulfilled" "That''s okay good results need a thorough process while rushing things tends to leave a bad after taste" I can''t help but chuckle at his words though while he and I speak my eyes catch some of the tower mages already giving their goodbyes to my friends. "It seems you are leaving" "Yes, it''s good to see you and your friends are getting better now" "I do hope we can continue with this phase" "I am sure you will, well then see you again my little sun" "See you again Grandpa" He smiled at me as if trying tofort my heart. [He probably knows how much you are overthinking right now] "Yes, perhaps you are right" The mage who became my mentor and grandfather turned his back on me as he joined with the other mages. "Hey, it''s little sun!" "Finally done with your business?" "We will leave now!" "See you again okay!" Their energetic words made me smile as I waved my hand to acknowledge their presence. "See you again!" "Yeah!" I smiled widely letting them know how happy I was with them staying here. Then they position themselves in a formation, as the power of the mass teleportation takes over. A magic circle emerges on the ground bearing fifteen rings signifying the level of the spell. A light came in and the twenty-one people within it disappeared. "Ah, they are gone" I can''t help but say, finding a bitter spot within my heart. "It seems I am also disappointed with their departure" I realized, then I walked towards my friends whose expressions weren''t as satisfied as when I left them. "Let''s go we need to pack our stuff since we are leaving tomorrow" Instead of being excited, they groaned instead. "What? Weren''t you guys excited?" "We were" "Then pack up we have a ce to visit" I urge them, fortunately, they all recover their vigor and immediately rush towards their rooms. Time slowly pass after that and the morning of our departure arrives. We woke up early and rechecked the things we decided to bring. Alicia brought a list and told us one by one the things we were told to bring. "Your uniforms and other necessities all pack up right?" "Yup!" "Alright let''s head inside the aerial ship our professor should be waiting for us" With those words, we finally left our dormitory bidding our farewell to Miss Martha and the other staff. "Where we are heading exactly?" Mckenzie asked when he finally realized we were walking in an unfamiliar direction. "It seems you didn''t read the school manual" I could hear Matilda say that, while our spiky hair friend couldn''t help but scratch the back of his head. "Sorry" "That''s okay actually we are heading towards the academy''s air base where the ship is located" I told him though his eyes looked a bit shocked. "This ce has an air base?" He eximed which gained him an answer "YES" from us. "Not just an air base Mckenzie but also a seaport which is only ac?ces?si?ble for the academy''s ships and cargos" "Whoah that''s amazing" "The academy is being funded by the empire so it has a huge amount of resources" "Apollo don''t forget to include all the donations from different families and organizations, from what I heard they gave a huge amount of money since this ce is their alma mater" Keith added but then Alya suddenly decided to talk. "I think this ce also became a legacy or even a tradition of many different families since they have been sending their heirs and children here to study" "Come to think of it, the Aster academy became extremely famous that it ended up being replicated by other kingdoms" "Was Eastern Academy like that?" "Nope," I immediately said after hearing Vesta''s words. "I wonder what''s the big difference between the two academies?" Braiden suddenly asks making all of us think. "Maybe they don''t have this system where people were divided by their strength, and the higher you ce the more you are privileged to look down on others" ir softly said, this guy must be reading the diaries of our predecessors. Unlike us who are always together and have strong guarding people like me and Alicia, the previous didn''t. They all face the hardships head-on though only a couple of them managed to survive. We can be said a bit fortunate not to be affected by the bullying due to our past experiences. After all a bunch of kids can''t bepared to an organization that can summon a legion of demons. "I have an idea" Casper suddenly said. Because of the sudden topic about the academy''s system, we became silent making his voice the only thing you can hear. "And what brilliant n you have in mind" Matilda said looking suspicious of her childhood friend. "What if we challenge them" he suggested surprising me and the others. A challenge? Us? I don''t want to brag but I can wipe out a small size kingdom at my current state so I am finding this a bit unnecessary. [Your friends might need it not you] I began to think and a smirk suddenly emerged on my face. "I think it''s a good idea" I voiced out, since I will be visiting the World Tree this might actually upy them. Chapter 157 Checking something The air freshly hit my face as we enjoyed the ride of the aerial ship. The clouds were clear and we can see how the sun rose from the east. Its gentle warmth gives off a calming energy putting my tired mind at ease. Although the view was fine and weing some of my friends were quite dissatisfied with something. "I can''t imagine we got this for ourselves!" Niko said fully appreciating the warm morning light. "You mean a barely maintained flying ship? What if this thing suddenly crashes!" "Don''t be like that Matilda our professors are here we should keep our mouths controlled" Agnes told her seeing her voice being too high. "I don''t really know Agnes but look at the ce, it''s all rusty and some of the floor has holes! I don''t think Matilda''s words are exaggerated" Arabe said while evading a hole in the floor she was supposed to step. Although the sky was insanely beautiful I can''t help but agree with them. The fabric on the sail is almost torn, the engine at the side of the ship is shaking and the floor is covered with holes. Though it''s still flying somehow and our room is a bit decent not as old as the outside. [Creator I believe this ship is almost identical to the haunted ones we saw in the books] "You mean the flying shipwreck?" [Yes I think this legend is real!] "Really?" [Yes I have been analyzing information about it and it seems there is a pattern and connection towards its recorded sightings] "Well, we will check thatter once we have some free time" [Sure!] I continue to have my thoughts until I remember something. "Jeremiah show me my stats" [I will my Creator] [Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Focused Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Archmage Level: 16 Strength: 1835 Agility: 1840 Dexterity: 1842 Endurance: 1835 Stamina: 1830 Intelligence: 1840 Mana: 1711 Ki: 1656 Mana regeneration: 100 per minute Ki regeneration: 80 per minute Vitality: 250 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank SSS) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank SSS) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank SSS) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank SS) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank SS) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Can be manipted by the wielder''s will and the size can reach 7 meters. Lightning Call (Rank SS) {Passive} - 70% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks. Skilled fighter (Rank S) {Passive} -An increased in proficiency in hand-to-handbat (next level Pro fighter Rank D) Master Weaponist [Overhaul] (Rank S) {Passive} - abination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah Mirror Tenfold (Rank S) {Active} - Return twelve times the damage of the opponent''s attack, it may be a spell or physical attack. Automatic Weaponry (Rank SS) {Active} -Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, rmended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon w: Materials are needed for this skill Strength: 50% more powerful than regr weapons of the same grade. Energy bank (Rank SS) {Active} - A space that stores mana and ki, only essible when energy reaches 0 Disintegrate (Rank SS) {Active} - A skill Apollo gained while experimenting with a certain potion inside the ck tower. Demonification (Rank SSS) {Active}- Demonification is a state where the body turns into a demon beast. Upon transformation, all stats go up to 5 times. Demonize (Rank SSS) {Active} - A copy of the skill Demonification, allowing Apollo to use his non-demon skills. This half-demon form allows Apollo to use both his demon skill and human skills. Oppressor (Rank SSS) {Active}- This skill allows the Creator to put pressure upon his enemies without doing anything. This pressure may cause confusion and errors in judgments causing them low battle awareness. The skill may activate without the Creator''s authorization depending on the situation. Copy&Paste (Rank SSS) {Active} - enables the Creator to copy any skill or technique once fully scanned or analyze w: Any skill or technique has to be scanned or analyzed first before being copied Strength: As long as the skill or technique is fully analysed even a gift or Blessings can be copy. Copied authority of the God of Mystics (Rank C) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of ir it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the goddess of time (Rank B) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Agnes it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Force (Rank B) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Keith it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Heat and fire (Rank B) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Samael it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Space and Passage (Rank B) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Aaron it was able to be copied by the system. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner - A term used by schrs to address the mysterious bloodline of the family famous, the Lancaster family. This bloodline is capable of forming an infinite amount of contracts. No limitations regardless of the rank of spirits and the level of a mage''s mana. As long as they get the spirit''s recognition a contract can be achieved. Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution:{Unawakened} Current stat point: 1000 Curse stability: 10%] "Sigh my stat points used to be so many, after the fight with the monastery most of the essence I got from the dead was used to boost me" [That''s because you refuse to use them for your stats] "I already learned my lesson with Professor Adolfo, a higher stat is useless when facing an opponent who has the same level of power as you. I should first focus on mastering all the skills I have before upgrading them" [Then how about upgrading them instead] "Then where is the understanding there, I need topletely grasp my power not just upgrade it" [Oh, so no more shortcuts?] "Are you seriously asking me that? Since when have I ever taken a shortcut?" I might have created a system to make everything easier but it was never a means as a shortcut. It''s a helper I made to assist me towards the n I had in mind. "Hey Apollo what are you thinking about!" I heard someone say to me until I realized it was Mckenzie. "What? What is it" As my focus began to shift to them I finally saw that all of them were looking at me. "Um, did I perhaps miss something?" I asked feeling confused at their gaze. "Apollo, can you do something for us?" Alicia suddenly said though her face had this mischievous glint. "That''s a bit suspicious," I thought to myself as she approached me. Confused I leaned towards her as she finally got close. "Oh," I exim hearing her suggestion. "Of course, I can" I walked forward and was d they thought of such a thing. "Jeremiah open the inventory " [Affirmative waiting for the Creator''smand] "Give me all the avable blueprints about aerial ships and also records of our avable materials" [I will! Initiating deep search... ssifying avable drafts..... Analyzing inventory items... Searchplete! Here are thepiled records of the Creator''s inquiry] I closed my eyes and saw all the blueprints Jeremiah had nned for me. "Let''s see....alright let''s do this" My thoughts began to weave a pattern to which the blueprints obey. With the n in mind, the ground beneath me began to glow. "Jeremiah activate the skill Automatic Machinery" As long as I identify something as a weapon my skill will obey my call. [Affirmative! Initiating skill activation] The inventory is open and the blueprint is ready, the skilled automatic machinery took over and the ship was bathed in light. While my focus remained towards the thing I was doing my friends began to feel excited seeing how the entire deck changed. "What''s going on?" Professor Alejo said as soon as a sudden light covered the chair he was sitting on. "What it this!" Professor Timothy eximed while his de was in his hand. . . . Inside the air base on the Eastern Academy, a group of students and professors stood waiting for the arrival of the ships from the Aster Academy. As they did so they bore quite a lot of ideas from the arriving students, especially towards the high aristocrats that enrolled there. "I wonder how haughty those students from the capital" "Arrix the Aster academy isprised of students from different people from the continent not just the capital" "Ah, was it? I thought they only came from the capital just like how our academy only allows students in the eastern kingdoms" "Alright you two shut it, I can already see something flying towards us" A senior student said making the two other students with him quiet. "It should be the students of the High ss, right? I was told they left first" "Could be" However, as the ship gets closer the more confused they get. "Isn''t the ship a bit fast?" "Yeah it should be slowing down now" Like what they notice instead of slowing down the ship storm towards the main campus. "That didn''t go as we expected" The youngest among them said though the professors panicked as they witnessed what happened. They all flew and chased the aerial ship making the rest of the students surprised. "Now I wonder what''s going on right now" The president of the student council said as she saw how the ship moved in circles while their professors followed. Chapter 158 Fly away Up above the sky, a lone figure can be seen glowing as the sun touches it. The clouds were also moving slowly as if patiently waiting for something. At the same time, sixteen children smiled happily as they saw how the light disappeared slowly revealing the work Apollo created. "What''s going on here kids!" "Is everyone okay!" "Are we being attacked!" While the students were ecstatic about the situation the professors weren''t, they had their weapons raised while their mana and ki were up to attack. "Calm down it''s just Apollo doing some modification at this ship" Professor Adolfo calmly said to his colleagues. "Apollo is doing what?" "Just watch" The light moves and the ship''s new form can finally be seen. "Is this allowed?" professor Gelda asked seeing the newly formed ship. "I don''t really know" Professor Alejo said finally putting down his sword. The wooden framework of the ship was reced by a body crafted from a lightweight, yet durable metal alloy, designed to minimize weight while maintaining structural integrity. The hull is streamlined and aerodynamically shaped, resembling the sleek lines of a modern racing yacht but adapted for the skies. Apollo got the idea when he saw a blueprint of a racing yacht so he adapted it. As for the previous torn sails, they are now made from a special fabric that is both lightweight and resilient, able to catch even the slightest breeze or wind currents high in the atmosphere. The sails are expansive, stretching out to capture as much wind as possible. These are built so that in case the ship''s engine breaks the wind can still be used for flying. However, it is not the only thing that is keeping the ship elevated. Aside from the two circr engines that are attached at the sides, there are also small side thrusters found at the front and back, adding a more fluid movement for the ship. Lastly, a propeller is attached at the very end of the ship adding a boost for its speed. Thisbination of advanced materials and traditional seafaring design elements gives the ship both grace and functionality as it sails through the sky. Though it was indeed beautiful the crew inside panicked when they realized the navigation system had changed. "Captain!" "It''s okayds it''s just a few added buttons no need to be rmed" "What''s this? JET BOOSTER?" "It''s probably best not to touch big and shiny red buttons mate" While the entire crew is having their discussion Apollo suddenly appears surprising everyone. "Young Lionheart what brought you here?" the captain asked finding his appearance too sudden. "It''s because I caused amotion captain" the boy just said hinting at the changes that happened on the ship. "Ah, was this your work?" The boy just nodded confirming the captain''s words. "If you would allow it I would like to teach you and the crew about the few modifications I added" "A few hahaha" The old sailor said while looking at the unfamiliar ce he was in, finding it too foreign to him despite years of flying this ship. "Alright brave one show me what you did" He just said letting thed enter the control room. "Can we also enter?" behind Apollo was the entire lower ss in thepany of their subject professors. "Hello sirs" they greeted making all the crew members smile. So while everyone became engrossed with the new functions of the ship the crew at the kitchen remained dumbfounded as they saw the newly made kitchen. "Um...did we end up teleportating somewhere?" "I don''t really know" . . . With thepletely new style of engine, the crew and the ss didn''t notice how fast they were travelling. Soon enough they caught a glimpse of a group of ships being surrounded. "Wait are those pirates?" Vesta eximed as she noticed their g. "Those are the Barbaros youngdy, they are not just a group of pirates they are also hired, killers" The aged captain said steering the ship''s wheel away from the scene. "Wait captain look at their target''s g!" Professor Timothy said before the captain could even move the wheel. "Wait you are right!" Mckenzie also noticed as he used binocrs to see. "Can you give me a clear image of what''s going on there?" Apollomanded prompting the crew to use the ship''s newly added radar. "The professor is right Lionheart it is indeed the academy''s ship" "How many are being surrounded?" Adolfo asked while his de was already out. "Ten while the Barbaros have thirty ships" "That''s one-sided" Nikomented. "Do you know how many people are inside the enemy ships?" Apollo asked again making the crew member shake his head. "It''s too far for the radar to scan" "Jeremiah how about you" [Scanning... Scanplete! There are a total of 3,000 people from the Barbaros pirates, tallying 100 people from each ship] "Okay I got it" "Alfo we have 100 enemies from each ship since there are thirty of them, 3000 in total," Their professor in Magic and Crestion 1, Miss Agatha said. "Wait did she just call Professor Adolfo, Alfo?" "They are calling nicknames now!" "They can hear you Mckenzie, Casper" Arabe said while ring at the two boys. "So what should we do?" Braiden asked while snatching the binocrs from McKenzie, making his friend look at him nastily. "You all will stay here but Apollo wille with me" Adolfo said earning quite a look from the crew members. "Sir isn''t that dangerous? There are three thousand enemies out there and you are only two" "The academy has 300 individuals who can fight among those ships, it''s not even including the professor who all came along. Then we also have the people from the Eastern Academy" While he speaks a huge explosion happens causing the wind to blow wildly. "Hold on tight!" "Is everyone alright?" The impact was strong, despite their distance proving the battle is going intense. "Are we going to attack as well?" Samael wanted to know since he was already prepared to test the toys he received from the tower mages" "We won''t for now, we stay hidden but prepared to attack if needed" Professor Gelda stated as she went to the defence control panel of the ship. "Obey her students, Apolloe with me" The room went silent with hismand though the student whom he ordered was willing to abide by his wishes. "What''s the n prof" the boy just said but his teacher just smirks. "Just do what you do best" he quoted as if hinting something. "Alright" The boy just said while his body suddenly pulsates with electricity. "Will everything be fine?" Alya asked feeling worried. "It should be fine since we know how strong Apollo is" Alicia spoke reassuring her friend. . . Back at the two who currently went to the deck for a better view of the scene. "They are already attacking" "They should be able to hold off since the academy''s ships are made with dozens of defence systems. You should know that since you literally recreated this" "Yeah I know, that''s why I can tell that these people are prepared, they basically knew where to strike to weaken the barrier" "Does that mean we have a mole?" "Nope probably the ones from the East ratted it out" As they spoke their bodies began to be engulfed with energy that made the people of the enemy ship react. "What is that power?" "Can you see it?" "No, it''s too far to get a view" "Get me my scope I need to see who these people are!" However, before he could even get his spyss a powerful wind struck them. It was so strong it shook all the twenty pirate ships that surrounded the academy ships. This causes them to be even more alert, halting their advance towards the school vessel. "What the hell was that!" someone eximed panicking since he could feel a thick amount of bloodlust. The atmosphere is tense because a sudden silence envelops them. "Thunder Aura..." An icy cold voice began to chant as the clouds turned dark and the temperatures rose. "Negative lightning" Thunder roared while multiple strokes of lightning struck and hit ten pirate ships. "Raise the barrier!" "It''s already on!" "Then why the hell did he end up here!" "We don''t know" Jeremiah disrupted the enemy''s defensive system thus Apollo and Adolfo were able to enter their vessel. "Let''s dance fes" said a person whose appearance is covered with ck. "Attack him!" someone ordered and fifty or so men came forward brandishing their weapons. "Death man''s call" he said as if chanting a spell. "Dance of the Grim Reaper" ck shes painted the aerial vessel while bodies began to fly across the air. It was an invisible strike that left his enemy guessing how they got hit. Their bodies hit the deck while blood starts springing from their bodies. Though theirrades died none of the pirates looked scared, instead they bore caution towards their opponent. They slowly approached him some began circling until they felt something weird. Adolfo''s sword art was capable of sapping any opponent''s strength making their attacks weakened. "Why do I feel heavy!" "Because you are" He then raises his de and it sparks with a ck vibrating energy. Chapter 159 White ghost A student''s POV Our ss is the strongest in the first year and so we were given the most priority when ites to safety and resources. However, I don''t understand how the situation escted this way. We were enjoying our moment sailing among the clouds while the other ss remained chasing our backs, and then suddenly a barrier blocked our way. The professors of the academy and from the east all went out to see what was going on. Thirty pirate ships all bearing the g of the Barbaros surrounded us. Are they not afraid of the empire''s retaliation? They must have a strong backer if they are this confident. As chaos erupted due to their appearance a sound began to be hearding from the enemy ship. {Hello dear students we won''t make it hard for all of you, so we will go straight to our business. Give the boy Apollo Lionheart and we will let all of you go} The voice stated making all of us confused. "Apollo? That''s a bit suicidal" "Maybe you can if you can catch him" "Haha" Their nervousness soon disappeared upon hearing that one name. Because for them the catastrophe that happens in the entrance exam is much scarier. They clearly remember the wrath of the heat and the hundreds ofbined explosions that made their ears bleed, some end up unconscious. "Apollo Lionheart isn''t here!" A student from the other ships shouted making the mysterious voice speak again. {It no use hiding him from us because we know that he is among you} "Oh this guy has lost it" One of my ssmates eximed whileughing a bit. But then a strong wave of energy struck us making us stumble and fall on the floor. "Pfft...hahaha" "God was that guy showing off?" "Maybe? I think he is trying to intimidate us" "That dude should try taking lessons from Professor Alfred, after all, he is the king of show-offs" "Hahaha god that was a good one!" It seems we really can''t take them seriously although we can see that they are on their way towards our ship. "President what should we do?" leaving the jokes to the side I began to ask the prince which he immediately responded with "Wait for the professors''mand, but for now keep calm and observe the barrier, it must remain intact" I just nodded my head at his words, however way before the professors could even act a line of white light zoomed past our ship. "Wait that is!" "Here ites!" The crowd was filled with excitement as we felt the familiar feeling of oppression. The light, the heat and the dreadful atmosphere. Everything was just the same when we took the exams. A white phantom-like being that can''t be traced by the naked eye. He was a ghost that can be felt but can''t be seen. "It looks like the one they have been looking for is here" Lady Astrid said while her worry was reced by a proud smile. We might hate the ss he chooses but there''s a thing that we can''t deny, Apollo Lionheart is the strongest and him being defeated is close to impossible. "Thunder Aura Negative lightning!" A chant was heard making the surrounding clouds darken, the previously clear sky turned stormy as ten streaks of light craze the ten pirate ships. His spell was like a signal and hundreds of people from the academy security flew in to fight. "All of you remain here" I heard one of our professors say. We remained obedient knowing full well that none of the students here can fight toe to toe with any pirate. Well, perhaps our top ranker is the only exception. Trying topare yourself to him or evenpeting with him might only hurt you in the end. . . . Switch Pov. The clouds were darkened due to my magic, and the sun that previously lit the sky disappeared, now that the surroundings became my domain. Sparks of lightning can be seen while the roars of thunder can be heard. Despite my attack, I wasn''t able to kill my enemies. I can only see slightly or some severely injured ones, but still breathing nheless. [Stay alert Creator I have sensed multiple individuals simr to the strongest Bishop from the Monastery. Remember Creator you can''t transform into your demonized form thus your stats won''t receive the 5 times buffing effect] "I know thanks for the advice" [Left!] I know, I can feel their thoughts. To think that the authority of the God of Mystics can sense the minds of those around them. It might not be in the degree of reading them but you can still somehow tell by feeling it. "Open the inventory" I ordered while remaining observant. My mind ran fast so although my body remained still my mind didn''t. It went on and created a wave of spells. [That won''t be enough] Jeremiah stated making my eyes glow as the system''s gears dwell on it. With my enhanced vision I was able to see the faint line of aura that covered my enemies'' body. "I see no wonder they survive" They coat their bodies with a condensed form of aura making it hard for my lightning to prate it. "Never mind that ten enemies are approaching me all with aura-based attacks" My body then moves and positions myself in a ce where I can attack and defend at the same time. After that, the mithril staff awarded to me by the headmaster finally made its first battle appearance. A spell formed inside my head and the staff began to glow. The thunder roars and the spark of lightning finally gathered at one point. "Thunder Aura Lightning Rod" The ten or so men who tried to attack me all went to defence when a burning sensation hit them. The clouds were like an endless supply of energy providing me with an unending amount of electricity. It was an enormous amount that affected the nearby pirate ships. The mere power of the concentrated energy of hundreds of bolts of lightning leads a couple of pirate ships to fall. "Attack that boy!" Someone ordered although he wasn''t able to move due to the mass electricity that exploded right in front of them. "Burn brighter.." I began to chant again and using the earlier spell lightning rod Iyered it with another spell. "Firestorm!" The air began to wave violently and the raging bolts of lightning intensified as my spell firestormbined with it. "What the hell is this!" "Enough I won''t be swayed by this" I could hear someone say until a powerful energy made me alert. "That''s one dangerous energy" I can feel the tremendous amount of ki and aura that is being gathered until it bes focused at one point. It was going to be released right in my direction so my thoughts moved and so did my spell. The staff in my hand glow even more brighter gathering the surrounding mana to replenish the ones I have lost. "Thunder Aura Shock Burn" The previous spell that wreaks havoc on this falling ship changes again and turns into a bolt of exploding lightning. A sh of light envelops the sky and the falling pirate ship is swallowed by a gaping explosion causing everyone on board to die. Every fibre thatposed the flying vessel turned to dust as the heat from the exploding lightning and me was too much for the vessel to bear. However, the pirates at other falling ships are still alive. "Should I kill them?" [Your choice Creator I''ll just obey] The clouds began to charge a huge amount of pulses signifying the fall of a new wrath of voltage. I locked on my targets finding some of them had already died. Due to the extreme pressure caused by their falling ship. "Thunder Aura sh Point" As my spell took effect the thunder clouds released a cluster of bolts that gathered within my palms. I put my hands together creating a dense amount of lightning thenpressed it into a single point. A tiny dot ofpressed lightning flew towards the falling ships before exploding immediately. A burst of lightning bolts flew everywhere while a cloud of smoke devoured the lower part of the sky. [They would soon fall on the ground] "Will someone die below?" [None, though some damages may ur] "That is still good than human lives" I said before flying towards the other remaining pirate ships. "Oh" I couldn''t help but exim when I saw Professor Adolfo dicing a spell that almost hit him. "Did he just cut through a spell?" [Yeah] It didn''t even end there he lifted his ckened de and coated it with an insane amount of energy. "Did he justbine ki, mana and aura together?" [Yes he did and he is using the vibration technique he had taught to all of you] I felt a sudden chill when he formed his stance and waved his sword. For a moment I felt the sky split apart along the five pirate ships that he just cut. "Damn that was scary" I told myself while wiping the sweat that unknowingly drips to my face. Chapter 160 The power of the sword Apollo''s Pov I never knew swords could do that, slicing a spell and rendering it useless. Just what technique is he even using? I never expected that a single wave of it could turn a mighty floating ship into pieces. [I think you can do it as well as long as the Creator can explore the skill of Master Weaponist] "My body seems to be ipatible with the skill" [It must be because Creator''s body is built to be a mage, although your physical stats are high it isn''t enough to bepared to those people who held weapons since they were young. Their bodies are equipped and adapt to holding a weapon while you are more adept at controlling your mana] "Probably" I said, this short exchangested just a second in real time thus it hasn''t been long since I arrived. "It seems the security of the academy is here" I said seeing more pirate ships begin to fall. "Why do I feel like there are no real threats here" [Because yours and thebined force of the academy security can easily suppress the powerful ones from the Barbaros pirates] "So they aren''t really a big deal" [They are Creator it is just the academy has the strongest security second only to the Imperial family] "Right I actually forgot that" [Iing!] "I know" I merely waved my hand and a bolt of lightning came to hit the spear, making its momentum slowed. [It seems the power in the spear is so tremendous that your lightning couldn''t shake it offpletely] "Yes it seems so" I was about to use a spell when I felt the spear suddenly change. It began to speed up while its power began to rise. It was fast however I was still faster. Being able to use the speed of lightning was an advantage my enemies didn''t take into ount. So the raging spear although insanely fast was still slow to me and I was able to dodge it cleanly. However, as the weapon blew past me I was able to feel the massive killing intent it has. That was really dangerous if that thing hit me I''d die immediately. Intents are usually manifestations of the user''s will, the more powerful it bes the more deadly it is as a weapon. Killing intent is the intense desire to kill someone, the extreme manifestation of it can cause life to be drained. Bloodlust on the other hand is the desire of someone for destruction and bloodshed. The extreme manifestation of it can cause the surroundings to feel deteriorated and destroyed. The more powerful it bes the more destructive this intent is. This intent was something I often use for distraction since it doesn''t consume much energy. Sword intent is the manifestation of the swordsman''s mastery of the sword, it could also be the same with the other weapon mastery. Martial intent also known as Aura is the manifestation of the martialist''s mastery over his art. This intent doesn''t consume energy upon activation though it might exhaust someone''s will and mentality. Back to the battle the spear bath with killing intent suddenly curves through the air returning to strike me again. "Jeremiah where is the wielder of that spear" [I can''t detect him, Creator, it seems a part of his spear art included stealth on it] "I see then let''s maximize the system''s gears and focus them on locating the wielder of this spear" [Affirmative! Activating all avable gears... Target: Spear holder... Analyzing the map... Analyzing individual targets... Counting starts....] I smirked finding this exciting, an enemy I can''t find, that is very thrilling yet dangerous at the same time. I weave a spell in my mind and the spear that I dodged a while ago suddenly disappeared. With my target suddenly vanishing I cancel the spell I was forming inside my head. "I can''t sense it" It''s as if the spear never existed in the very beginning. I remained floating in the air while lightning continued pulsing through my body. Since I couldn''t sense where and when it would attack me, I decided to weave another spell in my mind. "Thunder Aura Heavenly armor!" The mass of electricity began to solidify transforming into an armour that would protect me. "Where it could be?" I asked myself while my sense and system went haywire searching. My nerves were ready to attack or defend while my mind was open for any spell I needed to cast. While I remained still for a few seconds something inside me suddenly attracted my attention. Looking deeper into it I realized it was the authority that came from the God of space and passage. Then a rift in space appeared before me adding the mystery to what was happening to me. "What''s this?" confused but curious I reached out my hand and the rift expanded until a spear emerged from it. At that moment I felt time slow down, though I know it''s just my mind processing everything at a fast rate. The spear with its body being humongous and powerful went towards me aiming right at my face. [Notification Alert! The target has been found! He is right inside the rift in space and ording to the system''s analysis, his spear art had a space element on it. This guy has an innate affiliation with the darkness element and his main speciality is space and void] "Well that exins it" I said to him while the spear was already right in front of my face. The surrounding mana began to solidify while my lightning armor began to heat up trying to melt the iing weapon. While this happens golden sparks of light emerge in my arm making the riftrger. The authority I copied from Aaron took over transporting my body right in front of my enemy. "What the!" he exims as I emerge from the cracks of space. "Thunder Aura.." I began to chant and as I did so I saw him summon his spear and hurl it towards me. [He is treating a spear like a javelin] "Perhaps his weapon art is not spear but javelin" Well let''s save the talkter, lightning sparks and although this ce should be his territory, the authority from the God of space and passage renders his ownership of this space to me. "Lightning Lance!" The streaks of light transform into ance weing the projectile that my enemy threw. [It''s increasing!] Jeremiah alerted me as the spear my enemy threw suddenly increased and turned into a hundred giant flying spears. "It''s okay its numbers ain''t really matter" I said confident at the power of my spear though there is another thing I did to make it extra stronger. The mithril staff which was made from the strongest known material mithril is not only great for casting spells by also forbat. So what I did was use the staff as the base of my spell and let it fly as I threw it in the air. "I highly doubt he can break my attack" [How about the hundreds of other spears aiming at you] "Well I''ll be impressed if they bypass my lightningnce" [You are confident] "Of course I am" And just like I predicted my spell burst through my enemy''s attack diving straight to him. "Damn it!" The space began to bend signifying his intention to flee however he failed. "Why isn''t working!" he began to panic summoning a great deal of his power. However, he continues to fail. With his escapepromise his only option is to defend. And so he gave everything to block my spell. However, the moment mynce got closer it melted the defence he put so much effort into. He burns right there leaving nothing of his body. "It''s good he doesn''t know how to use aura or else that spell won''t be enough to fry him" [The space is copsing you can''t stay here any longer] "You are right thank you" It seems I need to upgrade the authorities too, having them with me will definitely be a helpful trump card. [It''s a good idea however upgrading them consumes a lot of stats points. Last time you spent three thousand just to raise one rank] "Don''t say that remembering that makes me cry" My stat points although it was was easy to acquire them it was also easy to lose them. "I just blinked for a second and now I am down to thest 1000" [One thousand is still plenty Creator] "Yes but with the skills and attributes I need to upgrade it won''t be enough" [Then I suggest we kill more to gain stat points] "Perhaps so, how many have I got so far?" [500,000 essences if we convert them it will be 250,000 stats points] "Sounds nice and how many enemies do we have left?" [Currently, there are at least 500 remaining enemies] A smirk unknowingly formed on my face as I appeared on the battlefield. The sky was still covered with thunder clouds due to my spell while everything was still the same when I left off. "I should kill every enemy before this ends" I said to myself while a spell began forming inside my head. However, before I could even finish it I heard mymunication bracelet ring. Curious I opened it only to see a message from my professor. {Student Lionheart return now} Chapter 161 He is making a move {Student Lionheart return to the ss ship now} A ring message from Professor Adolfo weed me as soon as I returned from the space rift. Curious why, I dial hismunication code to call him. {.....Yes?} "It''s me where are you?" {Below, I am on one of the falling pirate ships} "What! How did you end up there!" {I identally sliced the ship''s engine causing it to fall} "Then why are you still there?!" {I can''t fly like you} "Then why are you telling me to go back when you actually needed help!" {It is okay my body can handle the impact and getting you to safety should be the top priority} "If that was the case then you shouldn''t have dragged me here in the first ce!" I almost said however I immediatelyposed myself and instead said "I''ll go there now, wait for me" {No returned to the ship} "That''s toote to say now" Lightning course through my body boosting my speed to its maximum. "Jeremiah where is he" [Turn left and look for a gray ship that is falling with only half of it remains, he should be there] "Okay" I zoomed in leaving a trail of white light and arriving right beside my professor. "You are one naughty student" he said while his eyes didn''t leave a certain someone. "Let''s go" I only said however I could tell that the battle he had for this man hadn''t ended yet. [Something is off with him] "Yeah I can tell as well" I felt a sudden diforting here as if something was squeezing my neck, clenching it tightly, taking my breath away. A pressure that even I felt it threatening, this man in front of us was noughing matter. "This is why I told you to return" My professor told me though his eyes remain still, focused on this unknown enemy. "So who the hell is this guy?" "One of Barbaros'' seven wings, Aragos" "Seven wings?" "I''ll tell you about themter, for now, you need to teleport back to the ship" Despite the falling debris of the falling flying vessel, the stare-down between my professor and this pirate didn''t end, and the pressure was still there pinning me in my position. "Go" I heard Professor Adolfo say however I couldn''t move my body due to a certain mysterious force. [ording to the system''s data and my analysis this thing you feel, this pressure is what you call a saber intent] "Jeremiah equipped me with the system''s gears" [Affirmative!] My eyes grew clearer and every fiber thatposed our enemy''s body became clear to me. "Apollo what are you waiting for!" "Professor" "Yes" "I can''t move" I told him and I wasn''t really lying when I said it. I really can''t move though I think the system can break it if I order it to. [Creator he is on the move!] I saw a ring notification along with red markings in my vision. Arrows emerge predicting my opponent''s movements while my hand glow recing the mithril staff with a sword. I raised my de breaking all the restrictions that began to bind me while the ki inside my body started circting. The skill Master Weaponist took over and the system-created sword art guided my ki to supply my body with strength. "CLANG!" The sound of metal shing together hits my ears and before I knew it was already flying away. "What just happened" Confused I tried to manoeuvre my body to prevent me from hitting the remaining part of the ship, but before I could even move a silhouette appeared above me. It was the same pirate we were fighting. He wore a ck coat which seemed to be made with hard skin from a high-ranking magical beast, while his tan skin and amber eyes red at me as his de came down towards me. I can see where his saber is going, it''s aim was my head. However, despite the situation, I wasn''t really nervous. "Death man''s call..." I heard a voice speak causing my lips to form a smile. "Thunder aura" I began to chant, and as soon as the pirate Aragos moved his saber to stab my head, the sword turned into a staff and lightning was produced. "Lightning Bind," I said fully visualizing the spell I just cast, and from the staff, bolts of lightning came out binding the Aragos, seizing his movements and halting his saber''s advance. I seeded in immobilizing him though I wasn''t able to stop my body from crashing into the ship''s remaining parts. "Argh!" cried the pirate while the mass of electricity coursed through his body. However, him being paralyzed didn''tst for long, because his immense ki was able to push back the electricity that was wreaking havoc inside his body. "Damn you!" he shouted while dashing towards the ce where I crash however I was nowhere to be found. After all, I was only a mere distraction. The main character is about toe. "Death man''s call, Seven pitting hells" Professor Adolfo appeared from the shadows and his de was somehow ming with red bloody me. "Is that killing intent?" [Yes he coated it into his de and through his will it turned into a me] I was dumbfounded and never knew killing intent could be used like that. Perhaps other types of intent can be used in different ways other than a mere distraction. While my thoughts run wild a loud bang almost sends me straight to the upper atmosphere. As I looked down the falling ship I saw Aragos blocking the professor''s de. "This is one troublesome opponent" I don''t think my normal spells could properly work on him since he can just tank them head-on. Although I have other higher-level spells in my arsenal it will be too powerful to use. Revealing too much power may cause suspicion. But there is still something I can do. "Jeremiah hide me" [Affirmative] My existencepletely disappeared from their sense causing my professor to think I already teleported away, however, it wasn''t really the case. I stayed remaining flying along their falling ship. "Open the inventory, Jeremiah" [On it] Then on my hand, a familiar weapon graced my fingers. It was a silver rifle one that I used during the hunting festival. "I did some modification on this, hope this helps" I loaded the bullet inside and with a slight push on the trigger a silent killer made its way towards its targets. "Hmm?.." I saw him get distracted for a moment when he felt something wasing, then he waved his saber to his right slicing the bullet in half. [That didn''t go as nned] "Just watch, didn''t I say I modified it" The bullet''s fragments scattered away affecting the nearby mana. As Aragos inhales it a sudden paralytic effect invades his body. "Argh!!" Due to the sudden numbness, he failed to put up his guard and my professor''s de finally broke through his defence. The ckened sword zing with a ming killing intent tore through the pirate''s body killing him in the process. "Straight right in the heart" [He was really aiming to finish this fight] "Yeah because we are about to crash!" I dive deep into the falling ship and immediately take my lunatic professor. "Apollo?" "Yes sir?" "Haven''t I told you to return" "I wanted to see you fight so I stayed for a bit" "That''s nonsense" "So tell me why send me away?" "Because it''s dangerous" "If that is your reason then why did you bring me in the first ce" This time he didn''t answer so I spoke instead. "Be honest why are you sending me away a while ago, did you discover something?" He kept silent while we glided through the air. As I went higher into the sky I realised the battle had ended with all the remaining pirates caught or killed by the security. "And here I thought I could squeeze more start points from them" [It''s not good to be greedy Creator] "I am not" "Apollo" "Yes professor" "About what you are asking me I''ll tell you once we at back on our ship" "Ah, sure" So I zoom in creating a path of light, making my teacher shocked at how fast I can get. "You okay professor?" "Yes," he only said while I flew excitedly towards our ss ship. As we got closer I saw my ssmate already on the deck. "Heya people!" I said gently putting down Professor Adolfo. "How did it go?" Alicia immediately asked as my spell thunder aura disappeared. "It went well, the security took care of everything" While I was talking about how the fight went with my friends I suddenly heard Professor Adolfo''s words. It seems he is no longer dizzy. "Apollo" "Yes prof" "Come here" I obedientlyplied and went towards him, curious about what reason he would give. "What is it, prof" I smiled trying to act mischievous however the moment I saw his face I became nervous. He was serious without any trace of his devilish smile. "Listen he is making his move" he told me in a very low tone of voice. "Who professor?" "Your brother.." "What?" "Your brother Eros Lionheart, he is making a move against you" Chapter 162 The three people he loved "Your brother Eros Lionheart is making a move against you" "Is he now?" "Don''t take it lightly, he has his own connections and people especially since the Duke recognizes him as his heir" "I am well aware of them, ALL of them" I emphasized making my professor frown. "What do you mean?" "Sure my brother has his own connection but that is the same with me, and by using them I was able to find all of my brother''s precious people" "Okay, so who are these connections do you have, can those people be trusted?" He kept inquiring, I could feel he wanted to hear something that could make him less worried, so I answered. "All the mages of the tower are my connection" I replied and a smile I usually see appeared in front of me. It was his usual smile that made us shiver since it was always the one he wore when giving us his torture training. "Good" he coldly said despite looking excited about something. "I will give you the information I got from those pirates and the ones I will get with the security" He said before getting a small jet ne fit for one person. "I''ll be back once I am done talking with the head of security" "Oh, okay" I can only say before he flew away, it seems he is excited. "Did he perhaps think I would make a move against my brother too?" [Considering your personality yes, you might actually burn your brother alive] "That''s actually a bit urate although I prefer a slow burn for my brother" [And how will you achieve that Creator?] "That is actually easy, my brother is not materialistic, he values people over any greater riches. So my aim is to take those people away from him, one by one" [Do we have a lot on our list?] "Nope, not really although I said that he values people he doesn''t really let anyone get too close to him. In the end, we are down to the three people he loved and valued the most. His teacher, Edmund Tower, his aid and right hand, Liam Tenor, and finally.." Unknowingly a smirk began to form on my lips as I said Eros Lionheart''s most beloved and most desired person. "His fiance, Emilia Catarina Von Aileas, the beloved princess of the kingdom of Aileen" I''ll be taking her as well and I''ll make sure he is there to see it, though that might take a long time since I haven''t taken a move yet. [But I wonder why did he suddenly make such a move. If I am not mistaken he never taken interest in you] "Ah, that? Probably because of what I did to his teacher. He must have known from him that I was already breaking the seal. After all every time I tore the seal''s stability a nerve-wreaking pain strikes his beloved teacher. A pain that is akin to thousands of burning needles breaking into your skin" "What''s on your mind, Apollo?" Alicia inquired when she noticed me looking at the sky where Professor Adolfo went. "I was informed that my brother is trying to harm me" "What do you n to do? This might reach the emperor''s ears, he will definitely stop this from escting" "You are right, so can you make sure the emperor remains innocent about this" "I will try but first talk to them they have been looking at you worriedly ever since you talk with the professor" She told me while her eyes guided me towards our friends. And like what she just said they are indeed look worried. They must have noticed how serious the topic me and professor were talking about. "Okay" I said feeling bad since I didn''t want them to think that the Monastery was back again. They finally felt a bit free I don''t want them to feel oppressed again. So I need to cheer them up. . . . The journey became peaceful after that one chaotic hurdle and since we had plenty of time to fool around we decided to explore the newly modified ship. We went to the kitchen, to the dining hall, the pool area, the training hall and also to the yground. Then we got bored again and went to the control room and talked with the crew. It was entertaining until we arrived at a certain funny problem. "So how are supposed to open this?" While we remained curious the crew gave us a funny challenge. The challenge is to open a puzzle box made from wood. The body of the cube was covered with symbols and holes as if you needed a key to open it. "It looks like a Rubik''s cube to me," Ages said while looking at the box in Niko''s hand. "Maybe we should spin it then, give it a try Niks" Braiden suggested urging his friend to make a move. "Okay, which direction should spin it?" Niko asked while positioning his fingers around the cube. "Spin it to the left" Alya suggested which Niko immediately obeyed. As he spun the cube I saw how it began to change and morphed into another type of puzzle. "And what the hell is this?" Mckenzie blurted out after seeing a more confusing item. From a cube, it turns into a pyramid adding confusion to our ss. "Go kids try to figure this one out" the crew teased us making meugh while my friends became raging volcanos wanting to break the puzzle. However, while they try to figure it out a sudden violent shaking hit us. We stumbled a bit and some of us ended up rolling on the floor. "What''s going on?" "It''s okayds it''s just a simple air turbulence no need to panic" The captain assured them. "Wait where is the pyramid? " Niko questioned since he felt his hand was empty. "Where did it go?" "There!" Alya said making us follow her fingers. "How can a pyramid roll on the floor?" Braiden questioned trying to reach the puzzle however as he did so the ship shook again. "What the hell!" I heard someone shout while Braiden and Niko began running after the rolling pyramid. Mckenzie joined in and despite the ship flying in an uneven way, they were still able to run after the puzzle. "Hey quit running here!" "Wait Mckenze listen to the captain!" I said however it was toote with the ship shaking due to the air''s sudden change, Mckenzie identally bumped into one of the crew making him stumble on the control panel. "Wait I think I pushed something I shouldn''t" he said while the captain looked at him worriedly. "I didn''t right?" However, the old sailor didn''t say anything and instead held onto the ship''s steering wheel. The engine started screaming while the floor shook for a different reason. "Hold on tight" I said as the power of the button took over, that button the crew pushed was actually the jet booster I added. [Just why did you even put it in the first ce] "I put it in case we got surrounded and we need a boost to break through" [Yeah and now we might crash into the ships in front of us] "Hang on tight!" I heard the captain say while holding onto the steering wheel. And to my surprise, he was able to control the ship despite the speed it had. "That''s one amazing drifting" I can''t help but say while my feet remain stuck on the floor while my friends desperately search for something to hold onto. Our aerial ship pierced through the clouds while leaving a trail of white clouds. "Just what the hell are those kids doing?" Adolfo said as he saw the ship flow past the one he was in. "Hey is that the flying vessel the lower ss is using?" Asked a random student which made his ssmateugh. "Why?" "Nothing I just felt that our stay here might be entertaining" . . . "Isn''t the ship a bit fast?" "Yeah it should be slowing down now" Like what they notice instead of slowing down the ship storm and races towards the main campus. "That didn''t go as we expected" The youngest among them said though the professors panicked as they witnessed what happened. Professors and security personnel of the academy stormed in to stop the ship before it could even crash. However, before they could even get closer its momentum slowed down until its speed became normal. {Good day this is Captain Oswald Michiels of ck Sky, I apologize for the trouble we caused. Our crew just faced a minor engine difficulties. Rest assured that we already fixed that problem} The captain spoke as the ship stirred back and went towards the runway. {I repeat this is Captain Oswald Michiels of ck Sky, my passengers are the students of Aster Academy may we proceed tond?} he asked and to his delight, the runway opened and the flying ship finallynded with its passengers passed out due to shock. "Everyone is alright right?" he asked turning back from the steering wheel and looking at his crew and passengers. "I''m okay" "Me too" Said the two childish voices of a boy and a girl. One is with the hair as ck as night while the other is that of a setting sun. Chapter 163 Veritas A little fast forward to what happened to us, so we ended up getting scolded for god knows how many times by the professors and staff of the two academies, and since in our ss Alicia was our elected President, she was the one who received the most scolding. "Sorry Ali" McKenzie apologized while I remained surrounded by other academy staff, they aimed to inquire about how I modified the ship and also to scold me. [It turns out touching an academy''s priorities is a huge offence] "I never expected modifying a barely working ship is included in that use" [Well you have no choice but to bear with their words] "Yeah, I just hope they won''t hold me for long" And so the entire lower ss was sent to the disciplinary office right on their first day at the Eastern Academy. . . . Meanwhile, in one of the deepest parts of the academy, a man covered with chains raised his head, trying to see the people who held him captive. ck iron bars became the boundary between him and the two people in front of him. Barriers were put and enhancements were cast to make sure the prisoner wouldn''t be able to escape. His senses were also taken making him unable to smell, hear, see and feel. "He is still not speaking" Joran said a man who is one of her upper-ranking security at Aster Academy. "It''s either he is very loyal to the Barbaros pirates or he is afraid of speaking" "Do you think we have a mole on our side?" "I highly doubt that since they are all buried on the ground now, remember we have lots of missing and murder cases" "But are we certain? Perhaps it''s not one of the professors or staff" "Joran, are you telling me it''s one of the students?" "It''s not too far fetch Mino, remember the students that went missing as well? They wereter found with their mana and ki cripple with no memories as well" "And to think all of them are geniuses that we expecting to rise to fame, howeverter on we found out their families have ties with the Monastery" "That causes their downfall right" "But then again what if there are still some of them inside our academy" "And what if it''s not on us but on the Eastern Academy''s side, Joran" While the two security spoke to each other a soundless footsteps attracted their attention. "If we didn''t know who you were we would have attacked on the spot" Mino said while his sword rested on his fingers. "I apologize for that, force of habits" "Well habits do die hard" Joran spoke while making his way to the neer. "He is still not speaking?" "Yes sir, honestly we want to torture him more but that might kill him" "And what about the other pirates we held captive?" "Somemitted suicide while the others were immobilized before they could even attempt to do the same, they are currently unconscious" "I see, you two can go for now I''ll stay here" "But sir" "Just do I say and make sure no one can enter here" Joran and Mino looked at each other before nodding their heads. "Sir, make sure this won''t take for long others might find this suspicious" "Alright I will remember that" Because of that, a single individual remained in the dark gloomy cells of the dungeon. "Open" he spoke while the inscription written on the prison bars glowed, a creaking sound was then heard followed by the chains clicking in motion. "Who is there!" The cripple pirate said, even with his senses sealed he could somehow tell that someone is walking towards him. "You are a bit strong I wonder if you have any information to tell" "That is something we need to fund out professor," said a childish voice. And like the man he walked without any sound and neither the two security or the prisoner detected his presence. "Just what do you n to do" "Watch and guard professor" Coming out of the shadows of the dungeon was a boy with hair simr to that setting sun. His eyes were like the sun at its peak at noon while his clothes were simr to the soldiers in the pce. Professor Adolfo just looked at the boy waiting for him to reach his position. Once he did so he guided him towards the lone prisoner of the cell. "Here he is, he is the second strongest pirate we encounter though he is not a member of the Seven Wings. Do what you want but do it fast and please don''t kill him since we will be needing himter" "Alright though I do hope he really knows something" The boy then went forward looking at the confused prisoner whose body was covered with chains. "Let''s start...Veritas!" From the ground pitch ck smoke began to rise up, and slowly it crept into the head of the chain pirate. With the spell''s activation, Apollo witnessed how the body of his target began repulsing and moving frighteningly. However, he doubts if the man can feel anything since his senses were stolen. As the spell continued to corrupt the target a flood of memories surged through Apollo''s mind but fortunately, Jeremiah was there to sort out and remove the unnecessary memories. And soon he was presented with memories of two days ago, right before they received the order for this job. . . ~In a ce where the sea surrounds thend and a veil of dark fog hides the area. A fortress made of dark stone stood tall among the giant trees, and its inhabitants could be seen walking at the top, watching the sea of any invaders. Inside this ce a man can be seen speaking with someone whose voice is masked by a spell, making it hard to be recognized. ~Are you telling me to attack a ship from Aster Academy? Do we want us to be annihted?" Said a voice whose being hid by darkness. {I will offer any riches you want, just do this job} "No riches can revive us when we died we ain''t epting it!" "Oh? Really?" Out of nowhere, a man spoke, gaining the attention of the pirates. Then from the veil of darkness, he appeared, his physique was bigger than any man they had seen, and his body was covered with full armor while his face was hidden by a horned helmet. "Our men already surround this ce if you don''t want to be annihted now, then bid what we say" He threatens the pirates which gain their ire. "Stop!" Commanded the captain knowing they won''t be able to win against their mysterious enemy. "We just need to get that boy Apollo right?" "Yes, and hand him to us, we will be the ones to judge his life" The pirates lookplicated and hesitate to obey. They knew that they at merely being used to take the consequences of the crime of abducting a member of the four dual houses. "Alright we will do as you said but we want our pay to be ten times the initial offer" "Will do Captain, now then farewell" The man in armor disappeared along with the army he brought leaving the pirates no choice but to obey his offer. "What now?" "We do what he said, gather up I want only those who are prepared to die, while the rest will help me evacuate the area" He said while his body heavily leaned on his chair. "I hope we can all stay alive after this" he mutters while looking at the burning fire in the fire ce~ . . The memory faded away and Apollo felt even more confused. "Who the hell are those people" [It seems we need more information] The man on themunication orb also just appeared out of nowhere, and even if we go to their ind I highly doubt we can find anything there. "What is it, Apollo? Did you see something?" "I did professor but it only gives me more questions" "So it''s not enough" "Yes, they were just pawns put to abduct me, they never knew it was my brother" "Is that so but I was certain I heard someone say it didn''t go as the young duke''s n" I was suddenly surprised by that word. "It seems my brother''s people already snuck inside the Barbaros pirates" "You need to be a more careful student your brother even went as far as to hire pirates" "I will although there is something that bugs me" That knight with a huge build wasn''t a member of my brother''s men, so where did he get them? And an army? "Something is not right, I am missing something" "Apollo we need to go" Professor Adolfo said urging me to go with him. "Yes professor" Reluctantly I obeyed although there was still something that was making me confused. The day ended just like that while my thoughts continued to upy me. "Right Edmund Tower!" I blurted out in the middle of the night. "I only know his connections and the people under him but never this old man''s!" That''s what I was missing, I was focusing too much on him I forgot to dig deeper into the people who are surrounding him. "And he has his princess fiancee too" All with power and connection to do these things. "I really thought I was prepared but it turns out I am stillcking" Chapter 164 Scared? Dont be The night came inside the Eastern Academy and inside its dormitory were the students of Aster Academy. Although it was already night and most of the students were asleep. Amongst the rooms, a specific one can be seen as ordinary like the rest. It was quiet and dark though the person inside was awake and speaking with someone. {Report to me what happened} "Just like I said senior the pirates failed to get Apollo, they couldn''t even catch him. He was way too fast that even a jet ne wouldn''t be able to keep up with him" {Tsk, what about the pirates aren''t they strong?} "Apollo is also strong and like I said he was fast, once he started moving not a single attack couldnd" {How about the threat? What did the other students do once the pirates started threatening them? Didn''t they protest to hand Apollo over?} "Ah, about that" {Go on what happened?} "Theyugh" {They what?} "The other ss justughed when the pirates began threatening, I think none of the students took the pirates seriously, they even made fun of them" {How is that even possible!?} "It''s because they are more afraid of Apollo than a bunch of pirates that they suddenly saw, they have seen how ferocious can that person be. The academy security was also a reason, the students knew the enemies would be suppressed the moment they stepped in" {Damn pirates I thought they would have sent their strongest. What about the Seven Wings did they appear?} "I don''t really know senior, the professor hasn''t disclosed any information to us" {I see it makes sense since this incident could affect the reputation of the academy, they are very careful in handling the information. Well then report to me anything, especially his location} "I will do my best senior" {If there is nothing more to report, goodbye} Themunication orb shut down and the person who is speaking there disappeared. "Sigh...that was really scary" "What''s scary?" "!?" "Who is there!" "Ah, did that scare you? Don''t be I was just passing by when I heard you speaking with someone, now then shall we talk about the person you were speaking to?" . . . Thirty minutes before this encounter "Right Edmund Tower!" I blurted out in the middle of the night. "I only know his connections and the people under him but never this old man''s!" That''s what I was missing I was focusing too much on him I forgot to dig deeper into the people who are surrounding him. "And he has his princess fiancee too!" All with power and connection to do these things. "I really thought I was prepared but it turns out I am stillcking" I suddenly felt excited then a notification suddenly appeared. [Amunication signal has been detected on multiple sections of the dormitory and staff offices] Right, I forgot, I ordered Jeremiah to notify me of any signal that will appear inside the dormitories and staff building. "So which one is the most suspicious?" [It is too far for me to analyze them, though I can tell that most of them are speaking to their families at home] "The thing is, we don''t know the contents of their conversation" So I stood up from my bed and immediately prepared to leave. I might just be paranoid but if there is a possibility of someone being a spy then it would really call its boss to make a report. "I should be able to know their conversation if I get close right?" [Yes Creator, with the system''s upgrades it can scan the person they are speaking to and their location, it''s just there are so many people that is contacting someone that we need to get even closer] Right for those who are wondering why we need to get closer is because we end up getting sent to a mountain away from the actualpound of the academy. All that I can see is a tiny tip from the academy''s watch tower. Is this our punishment or something? Well not that it matters, I should get to business. So I wore a simple light brown knitted sweater and ck jogging pants. "This should do it" "Bn" I whispered and the insignia activated. A wolf head marking glowed on my neck and suddenly I felt a surge of energy. "BLING!" The insignia which serves as the connection between me and my spirit wolf Bn spread out from my neck before extending to my arm. "Summon!" I ordered and from my neck the insignia extended on my hand then it transformed into a magic circle which is the gate towards the world of spirits. "Jeremiah masked our presence" [Will do Creator] From the magic circle a beast emerges, it has a robust build and powerful muscles suited for both agility and strength. Its fur is extraordinary, shimmering with magical energies. It was deep blue and purple to silvery whites which signified his high potent affinity to wind and lightning elements. Other than its beautiful colors, his fur is also adorned with intricate patterns that seem to swirl or glow. His eyes are also glowing with emerald light while his breath has a trace of mana. I smiled as I gazed at him, from the previous small wolf, Bn became bigger and more majestic than before. "My stat points weren''t wasted on him, Jeremiah give me his total statistics" [I will Creator] [Name: Bn Type: Spirit wind wolf Status: Normal Rank: Baron Level: 3 Strength: 165 + Agility: 168 + Dexterity: 167 + Endurance: 166 + Stamina: 167 + Defence: 169 + Intelligence: 169 + Mana: 200 Mana regeneration: 2 per second Vitality: 300 Skills/Abilities Wind serenity (Active) (Rank A +) - A wind ability that enables the user to summon the wind. Sharpened de (Active) (Rank A +) - ws and Fangs can be reinforced and sharpened like swords. Damage reduction (Active) (Rank A +)- Can be used once every two minutes. Wind Howl(Active) (Rank A +)- Creates a powerful wind attack whenever you howl Iron Pelt (Active) (Rank A +) - Turns the hide or fur into iron for defense. Commander Pack (Active) (Rank A +)- Canmand a legion of spirit wolves under his pack. Thunder Call (Active) (Rank A +) - An ability that spurted from Apollo''s skill Lightning Call. Added affinity to lightning and increased attacks rted to it. Noise and scent tracking (Passive)(Rank A +) - Can track anyone based on scent and sound Natural instinct (Passive) (Rank A +) - An innate ability to sense danger] "Feeding that beast core was also worth it, he was able to copy their abilities" [ All thanks to you] Looking more at his stats you can see a plus sign on it, those were the symbols indicating an addition to his stats. And of course, to increase them I have to use my stat points. Typically spirit beasts can grow stronger by going to a multitude of battles and living longer. The older the spirit the stronger they get. In my spirits'' case, they are barely a decade years old, much too young to be powerful. So I shared my system with them through the mechanism called party bonus. Using that I was able to share some of the benefits of the system and increase their stats using my stat points. [I wonder if they will be affected as well if you use demonized, will they turn into demonic beasts as well?] "I am not sure though it is interesting to see it" "Master" A deep and heavy voice spoke while those emerald eyes gazed at me as if telling me to order anything and he shallply. "Let''s go for a ride shall we?" "Yes my master" I smiled at his words and immediately hopped on his back. "Let''s go towards that ce" "Yes master" And so I went towards the school grounds in the middle of the night. "This ce is clear, no suspicious conversation detected, how about there Bn can you move there?" "Yes Master" "Thank you" The staff building is clear and also the conversation of security guards. How about the dormitories? Let''s find out what conversation the people have inside them. As Bn glided through the air, I began seeing notifications on how each conversation was being led. There are some with their families while I found some with their own spouses. "Aren''t they too young for that?" [Perhaps you are just old fashion] "I am not" As we continued suddenly a conversation stood among the rest. Seeing the person who it belongs to a smile crept into my face. "Got you" And so I went towards his room blending well into the surrounding darkness. Bn was already recalled and rested inside the insignia, ready toe out if needed. "What''s scary?" I said and a horrified expression painted the boy''s face. He became hysterical as he uttered the words "Who is there!" With those words, I spoke again trying to increase his tense nerves. "Ah, did that scare you? Don''t be, I was just passing by when I heard you speaking with someone, now then shall we talk about the person you were speaking to?" Chapter 165 So in the end who was it? "Who are you!" He shouted at me then I suddenly realized that the mask was still there, obstructing my appearance. "Jeremiah remove the veil" [Yes Creator] However, that move increases the horrified expression of the boy. It must been scary seeing the face of the person in front of you melt and morph into a different one. It was like melting wax, the disguise disappeared revealing a red orange hair and yellow-golden eyes. "Apollo!" "Yes the one and only" I walk closer to him making thetter stumble on the floor. "Why so scared?" "H-..ow!.." He is so scared that he is stuttering over a single word. "Hmm..." I hum amused at his reaction. [Creator I detect more conversation regarding the incident this may be one of our clues] "I see then I suppose I need to finish this immediately" "Stay back! Don''te any closer!" "And what are you gonna do, hit me? Go on do it and you might end up just like your father" "Don''t include my family here!" "What do you mean don''t include, didn''t you and your precious family collude with the Monastery? Then your father faced death to an unknown being" I snicker finding his struggle useless, though I admire how he still tries to fight back despite knowing he can''t win. Legs tremble while the wand in his hand shakes tremendously. "I thought kids in High ss don''t need wands and staff for casting" [Wands and staff are also good for fast recovery of mana, Creator] "Right I know, though I expected more, they look down on my ss so much but they still rely on wands for casting" [But you also use a staff when you fight those pirates] "That''s because I want them to see me being ordinary for once" [But they already saw you blowing up things without needing a wand of staff] "Ugh...you are right about that" How can I forget about that, though I also used that staff for fast mana recovery and mithril weapon durability. Now let''s go back to our frightened opponent who still has his wand up in the air. If you are going to cast just cast why have a stare-down battle with me? "Aren''t you going to attack?" "That!.. My father, how did you know about him? As far as I remember the academy hid every information about them!" Ah, was it like that? So this is how the Aster Academy protect its students, even hiding such information from the general public so that it won''t affect their students. "Well let''s just say I am the one who killed him" My voice was slow and cold and each word was greatly emphasized. "That''s right get mad, Terion Stannis, your father Theon would be d to be reunited with you in the afterlife" "You bastard!" The wand was waved and a spell was cast quite slowly but decent to my standard. A shot of ck mes hurled through the air darting towards my direction. "Bn" I whispered and my wind spirit wolf excitedly appeared from the insignia. Immediately he deals with a flying ball of fire. However, his excited expression soon vanishes when he sniffs the scent of the spell. "Ah!...Ah, choo!" Eh? I was suddenly taken aback when the first thing he did was sneeze. Bn''s magic ends up getting haywire because of this a range of winds ravages the room. [You forgot your wind spirit is allergic to dark element spells, purgatory ck mes is a spell of fire and darkness element] "Oh right I forgot" "What the...." Terion dumbfounded mumbled seeing his best spell get blown up by a mere sneeze. Even I would feel crumbled if that happened to me. "No..." he said weakly his knees already meeting the floor while his precious wand fell on the ground. "How can you be so strong! When you are merely a discarded trash of the duke''s family!" He continued to say though I don''t care, his choice of words isn''t creative enough to hurt me. [Creator we are taking this far too long now] "I am sorry," I think this is one of my problems I prolong things that should have ended sooner, I think that is the main reason I failed to get my brother killed during the hunting festival. And so my mind went on to weave a spell and upon my will a gust of wind raised to bind my target. "What are you going to do!" "Now worries I won''t kill you, after all the academy might hold me ountable...though I will make sure you won''t get away unscathed" From a wind spell the element I use changes and darkness takes over, from it the power of necromancy spurts giving birth to a spell. "Veritas" Pitch ck smoke began to rise making Terion even more terrified. "I''ll tell you anything just please don''t hurt me" he began to plead though I was not interested in hearing it. "Seeing is better than just hearing" I said while Jeremiah sealed the entire room, no one shall hear or feel anything from here. "Argh!" Screams filled the room while Bn and I remained standing near him. Then a memory of an evening a few weeks after I killed Theon and captured the bishops Sergio and Elijah. . . . "God damn it...damn it!" Terion suddenly said while throwing a vase on the wall. "How could that happen? Those bastards from the Sanchez family used to follow our everymand in Ashcliff, but now they dare to ignore me!" He went hysterical inside his room while going back and forth. "Damn it what should I do, the imperial family confiscated our properties and I am only left with things that can sustain me until I finish my studies here. I don''t even know if I can get a job inside any organization I was aiming for since they could detect my tainted mana" Now he doesn''t know whether to regret agreeing to his father''smand, bing part of the cult or me the person who killed his family. In the end, he decides to me another individual he had no knowledge of. "Arghh! Damn it! Why did they have to discover tainted manas? They even created a scanner and test evaluation to see anyone who could turn positive. Even if I graduated here with significant honors I won''t be able to pass the evaluation test since I would turn positive. And my end would only be in jail orbs" "Just what should I do" The boy keeps walking around his room while his hand frantically digs into his hair almost pulling every strand of it. "What should I do" It''s been a while since his father Theon Stannis died along with his army, near the site of the Monastery headquarters. Some say that they were there to vanquish the evil while others suspected that they were colluding with the enemies. In the end, the truth remains hidden from the public. However, among the elite houses and aristocrats, there is a talk of what truly transpires that night. Among the tales is a knight with pitch-ck armor, it was said that he single-handedly ughtered the army of the house of Stannis. He has ded wings as sharp as a sword while his speed can''t be touched like a shadow. "Father what should I do" Said the boy who already didn''t know what to do, but then in his darkest hour he heard a message. Hismunicator glows indicating a call from someone. "Could it be a help?" He immediately runs towards an orb and gently cradles it in his hand. "Hello?" he spoke still confused about who could call him. {Hello} A person spoke and just hearing his voice he knew it belonged to a young man not so far from his age. "Hello, who might you be?" {My name is &@-¡ê&¡ê--&¡ê+, I am your senior I know what''s happening to you so I n to give you a hand. However it won''t be free, this is an offer you might say} "Anything senior! I will do anything!" The voice then chuckled liking his reaction. {All you have to do is observe someone for me, that''s all and you don''t need to worry about your future} "I will senior I will! Just tell me who that person is and I will keep an eye on him!" {Good, well then I want you to observe Apollo Lionheart for me. From what I heard he is the rank 1 in your batch so he must be in the High ss as well. Tell me anything he has been doing and you will be rewarded} "Ah...Apollo...you see that might be hard senior" The boy''s previous enthusiastic approach disappears once he hears his name making the voice speak again. {Are you giving up now? Well that''s okay I can just offer this to somebody else} "Wait no! I will do it senior I will aplish this!" {That''s what I wanted to hear now then farewell, I shall call when I need to speak with you again} The call ended and the boy was left alone in the room. . . . That person who just spoke isn''t my brother. I know his voice and although I suspect he might be using something to mask his voice. His usual way of speaking isn''t something that can be hidden easily. I should still be able to identify it. However, the person he just spoke to was different from my brother. "So in the end who was it?" Chapter 166 Young duke "What the hell" That person who just spoke isn''t my brother I know his voice and although I suspect he might be using something to mask it, his usual way of speaking isn''t something that can be hidden easily. I should still be able to identify it. However, the person he just spoke to was different from my brother. Also, his name was erased from Terion''s memory making it hard for me to find it using a fake voice, though I am not sure if it truly is a fake voice. "So in the end who was it?" I said, confused about the entire situation. I am starting to overthink that it''s not even a student but someone who is posing as one. Wait let''s take the information we have gathered first and see if we made a mistake. Let''s calm down and analyze everything. First Professor Adolfo''s words about my brother are...wait how did he know it was my brother again? [It was because a pirate said these lines "It didn''t go as the young duke''s n" ] Oh dear now I know where I made a mistake. [What is it, Creator] The word young duke doesn''t just apply to my brother there are dozens of young dukes around the entire continent, it''s just he was the main suspect you would think of the moment you hear that line. "After all my brother is the first young duke you would think of that cany a hand on me, however, what if it''s not him? What if we have a very courageous one here?" I became so excited that my brother was making his move that I didn''t see the hole in my professor''s hypothesis [If we were to base the words, young duke, that would make the list longer Creator, the entire continent has 127 kingdoms with each having four to two dukes with their respective heirs] "The list doesn''t need to be long Jeremiah, we only need to know all the students in the academy who meant to inherit their parent''s duke title, then sort out the most suspicious one though we need to investigate their background as well. After all the information inside the academy won''t just be leaked unless you are working or studying there" And seeing how he was able to contact Terion that only meant that the caller was right inside the Academy grounds. That''s one of the points that solidifies my theory but I need more evidence. "We just need to ess the Aster Academy''s database" [But Creator we are too far from Sidus we are on the other side of the continent] I can''t help but shake my head, should I just leave it be and let them reveal themselves? I am getting a bit edgy here I might actually fly back to the academy and steal some files there. "Let''s put that aside, I remember you mentioned you noticed some note-worthy conversation" [Ah, yes Creator it''s located at the Eastern students'' dormitory] "Alright" "Bn fix this ce" "Yes, master!" The wind began to rise and the messy room soon turned to how it was before we arrived. "Now then I should also erase the final evidence" I said as I walked towards the unconscious Terion. . . . After erasing some person''s memories I took off with Bn and went towards the Eastern student''s dormitory. "Give me the one you were referring to Jeremiah" [Affirmative] A series of rectangr screens appeared in front of me and to my surprise their topic was me. [As I analyze their conversation I was able to get the information about the Holy Crusaders, it seems they are our real enemy Creator, not your brother, they were the ones who were behind the deteriorating health of the World tree. And since you were the selected sacrifice they are targeting you] "And here I thought I could finally do something that could make my brother irritated" [Are you being obsessive that you wanted Eros to notice you?] "Of course not Jeremiah, me? being obsessed with his attention? God knows how many times I prayed not to be noticed by him, however, the answer I receive from my prayers is a whip and scars. I just got excited by the thought of ruining his ns to kill me, after all, it will be interesting to see him erupt like a volcano" . . "Some things are still making me confused, something doesn''t add up, especially how they seem prepared to attack me" [That question can be answered if you read this Creator!] "The world tree and a prophecy" Seriously from a cult to a prophecy, what kind of mess I''m getting in. Well, to sum it up it seems I am the one the Great sage saw in his vision. A person with hair like a falling sun at dusk and eyes simr to golden dust. And it says I will be the answer to the dying tree. "This prophecy was received on...wait isn''t this?" [Was there something wrong?] "Well the day the Great sage received the Oracle was also the same day I made you" Could it be a coincidence? Probably not... "Jeremiah let''s head back to Sidus I need to check something" [Alright Creator but be sure to check all the recorded call conversations I stored] "Okay I will" And so with my decision, we headed back to my room and prepared for a teleportation circle. "Just to be sure I''ll use this" I began to chant and my body began to glow until an identical me emerged. My spell clonis took effect giving birth to another me. "Right now everything is set" we both said before smiling happily. Now no one will look for me because I am also here. . . A little fast forward I am back inside our dormitory, while my body is well hidden by the system''s gears. "Bn go straight inside the head administration office" The excited spirit wolf glided through the air while tiny sparks of lightning began bouncing off his fur increasing his speed. [Creator I sense some people are inside the administration building] "Staffs?" [Nope some students] "Interesting" What could be these students'' reason foring here sote at night? . . . The clock struck 2 in the morning some security guards could be seen walking and patrolling the academy grounds. However, despite the tight security, some shadows were able to bypass it. Three students can be seen in the archive. "Are you certain his files could be in here?" "If it isn''t here then where else could it be then?" "Just look for the files of first-year students, they should be in the same cluster as those of High-ss students" "Here I saw it!" Inside the administration office, an archive secured with different measures can be found there. Inside it are small lockedpartments that contain information about different students. Once they saw the one they were looking for they immediately tried to open the saidpartment. "Argh!!" cried one of the sneaking students, his hand was burned while a curse began prating his veins. With the drilling pain coursing through his body he couldn''t help but roll on the ground. "What kind of stupidity did I just witness" said a voice which ended up surprising the three students. "!?" "Who''s there!" "Damn it it hurts!.." "I am actually up here," I said feeling even more stupid, they were even more terrified when they saw Bn and Gale floating right beside me. "This ce is the second most secured facility in the continent, and you all think you can steal information here?" "Don''t even think about casting a spell the system here can detect even an ounce of mana leakage" I warned seeing they were about to take their wands. "Don''t make a fool out of us, if that is the case then how can your spirits roam free? You won''t be able to fool us" "Please don''tpare me with you people, I am simply building differently. So go on cast a spell and let''s see what happens" [Creator I can sense the same signal I detected with Terion''s caller] "I see so you can trace it?" [Yes] "Good let me just finish this" My mind stirred and a skill was immediately activated. "Stop" Imanded and the time surrounding the three halted. "Veritas" I whispered and the spell took over despite the frozen time the spell still triggered. "Oh? I see Jeremiah I think we just received an intel that connected with yours" [Yeah it suddenly ruined the fun] "Well it is still good to do some double-checking, so let''s see how many so-called seniors snuck inside the academy" Typically if you hear the passage from the Oracle you will only think of one thing. "The Lionhearts, have this unique hereditary hair and eye color that is only known to them. Technically the first person you would think of is either my father or brother. They are after all the most powerful of the Lionhearts at that time" [So the first person they will target first is your brother since he is much easier to approach than your father] "Correct and at that time I was still the frail child of the household so definitely I got crossed out. So to trim down the numbers we should start with the students who transfer here from the Easter kingdoms, then check their identities from the database andpare them with the info we got from the recorded conversation" Chapter 167 Three days to wait "Correct and at that time I was still the frail child of the household so definitely I got crossed out. So to trim down the numbers we should start with the students who transfer here from the Easter kingdoms, then check their identities from the database andpare them with the info we got from the recorded conversation" "All the transferees especially those who are in the same year as my brother, those who had taken sses with him will also be suspects" While I said those words thepartment was already open since Jeremiah had already bypassed its protective barrier. [Creator I never expected to see these types of locks, this is as old as the history of the empire] "Old but gold you might say, no one can definitely open this other than us" [It''s all thanks to the information from the secret library] "Well the tower had the oldest and most detailed records of all magical and cksmith knowledge here in the empire" . . . A few more files came out until something caught my eye. "Twenty individuals" Twenty noteworthy transfer students from different schools in the Eastern kingdoms. Though all their schools have one thing inmon. "An extreme hate and prejudice towards mages" So was this their n? Technically the power of mages is connected with the world tree, so if theypletely destroy it that would mean crippling the power of all mages. "However they didn''t think about its possible consequences...no, perhaps they knew about it, but their unknown hatred towards mages is preventing their minds from seeing it" "Let''s go Jeremiah let''s see the senior Terion was talking to" An arrow shes in my eyes while a map forms in the upper right portion of my vision. [Creator] "Yes?" [Are we just gonna leave them there, frozen in time?] "Who?" Another arrow appeared, and as I followed the thing it was pointing it turned out the three idiots I froze. "Right I forgot, sorry" I waved my hand and themand that stopped the time was revoked. Three students fell to the ground, unconscious. "You will all forget what transpires between us" I spoke and the Blessings of the God of Mystics took over,manding their mind to obey me despite sleeping soundly. "That should do it, let''s continue" I rode Bn while Gale happily flew by our side. My sweet little wind fairy howe you are still so tiny despite being a baron-rank spirit? [There Creator to the High-ss gym stock room] "Alright" I steered Bn and made him hop across the towering buildings until my eyesid across the biggest structure. "The high-ss dormitory" It was different from the buildings I had seen before. First of all, it was separated from the others, well in a good way. They have their ownpound with a beautiful sculpture at its entrance. It was a dragon dancing across a ring of fire. We move even closer and there I see theirwn trimmed down, flowers lined up on the side of the road and street lights lighting the ce. Instead of brick walls for the main building, a ss facade and painted concrete wallspose the ce. The most notable part is that the shape of the structure was semi-circle, while a small notable establishment can be seen surrounding the building. "Bn head straight to the gym stock room" "Yes, master!" . . . Inside the High-ss gym stock room, ten students can be seen hiding meticulously. The ce where equipment and other necessities are stored turns into a meeting room meant for gathering. "So in the end we wasted our time here? It wasn''t Eros but Apollo instead?" "Calm down Donna it''s not our master''s fault that we all thought that it was Eros, after all, he was the most suitable to approach at that time. Now we just need to remove the person prophesied to save the dying World tree" "Sigh forget about that, what did Telo say? Did the Ministry find out it was us who made a move against Apollo?" "No, the pirates haven''t said anything although we need to eliminate them immediately" "I never knew that the Aster Academy''s forces could be that strong, 3000 pirates were annihted by a mere 300 security personnel" "We clearly underestimated the might of the Empire''s most powerful academy" "Now I realized that the saying second only to the empire itself is not some word of exaggeration" "Enough we are getting sidetracked here what we need is to find anything about that boy Apollo, that way our friends from the Eastern Academy can handle him" "How about the others? Are they nning to make a move as well?" "Yes I believe so, I think they will start attacking right when they tour around the nearby kingdoms, especially in the Kingdoms of Lumen and Luitgard. Those are the ces we have most forces after all" "So all we have to do is wait and gather info then?" "I guess that''s all we can do, by the way, when will they tour around the kingdoms?" "From what I heard it will start three days from now" "I see thank you" "You are wee...wait who were you again?" he asked, however when he turned back to see whom he had just spoken to he only saw an empty space. "Am I hallucinating because of the countless sleep-derived nights I have been experiencing? I am actually starting to see things" He said feeling confused however the students whom they were waiting to see, didn''t arrive though when the morning arrived they received an invitation from the headmaster''s office. "I hope they like my parting gift" [I never knew you would actually report them] "They are spies so it is best to eliminate them though they don''t need to be removed right now since it might alert our enemies" [So the headmaster will only warn them?] "Oh no he would mind control them using a high levelled spell, that way they can be our double agent" [I am surprised you are close with the headmaster] "It''s because he had some connection with Agnes though I am not sure in what way" For now, let''s just wait for the Crusaders to make their move. A three long day wait for an ambush. . . . Let''s do some fast forward, we did some lectures around the campus of the academy and there I found out the difference between the two academies. First, they don''t have the three-month istion where the first students are separated from the rest of the students for three whole months. Second, ranks are not based on your entrance exam scores but on how you handle the challenges set by the academy. Discrimination is not allowed and unting your status is extremely prohibited, though this status part is quite simr to Aster but I believe it''s not fully implemented. Also for ranks to rise a series of challenges are arranged by the academy, there is no year requirement to take one. One example of this challenge is the so-called rainbow steps. Honestly, it''s just a colorful step built on a hill. There are seven colours in the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, which can be observed with the step''s colour. The thing about this challenge is each step has a strong gravitational force that pulls down anyone who tries to climb it. The darker the color of the step the stronger the pull can be. "Let''s go Apollo Professor Adolfo is calling for us" Mckenzie told me while pointing at a certain man. Oh by the way I already told him what I found out, it seems he finally realized how wrong his judgement is. As we approach Professor Adolfo his usual ck long-sleeved shirt and pants wee us. However, that wasn''t the thing we immediately noticed about him. His smile, his look, damn I know them very well. "Hehehehe" A lunaticughter escapes from his lips making us nervous. "What is it this time?" "ss you have been asking me about your quarter exam right? Question answered! Here is your exam!" "What!" We eximed aren''t we supposed to observe and take this as our rest? I am still preparing for the Crusaders'' uing attack. I just need time to have fun with my friends [You are strangely bing even more childish than before] "Really? Sorry I never experienced being a child or having friends, so I am trying to take anything I can experience, because I know sooner our time to y will end" I solemnly said. Perhaps after this, I need to focus on bing the heir to the tower or maybe go on with missions issued by the emperor. [No worries Creator I am still here!] "Ah yes of course you are" As I conversed with him I saw the professors looking at us happily. "This is not good" I can only conclude then he took out a set of limiters. "Your points will be determined by how many steps you take, the higher you go up the more points you will all receive, is that clear students?" "Yes, professor!" "Good now for starters Apollo wear these limiters" "Yeeesss" I answered while dragging my body towards him. "I really hate limiters" Chapter 168 The rainbow steps "I really hate limiters" I muttered while my goody professor put on the bracelets for me. "Apollo" "Yes professor" "I want you to apply the technique I have been teaching you all" "Do you mean control and force application professor?" "Yes I want you all to do that but also the endurance and stamina technique, I remember making you all walk on a burning te before, and only using your ki or mana as a means of protection. Use everything that I taught your ss to climb the steps" "Alright prof got you" "Good! Now go up there and show them what it means to be part of my ss" I looked at my friends and on their wrists you can see identical bracelets like mine. Unlike me who only wore limiters now, them on the other hand have been wearing it for weeks. [I think you had influenced your friends to do some crazy stuff] "Nah they are already insane as I am," I said confidently as I walked towards the now crowded steps. "Let''s go, ss, we have to reach the top of these freaking stairs" I honestly thought it would be easy but I underestimated the might of the limiters, which the professor personally made by for me. . . . "And here students are one of the challenges that are essible by all years, the rainbow steps" Said the professor who looked proud while presenting this ce. "Each step contains a gravitational pull that can test your strength and endurance. Remember students the darker the colour of the step the more force it has. Now then go on give it a try" She encouraged them while guiding the student in the front to try. "It seems fun let''s try it" Caesars said while urging his friends to go with him. "Might as well see how far I can go" Johan thought while confidently walking with Astrid and Odysseus. Behind those two are their student escort Leona ckvel and Logan ckstone. "I wonder how far will the prince go?" "Don''t know, let''s check the record board instead, it seems the highest score is from a seventh-year student?" "Wait isn''t that a bit overstay?" "Nope I think it still depends on the study he took, how many steps did that person do" "Well it says 210" Hearing that number made the other students impressed. "How about the one from a first year how far did he get?" "first year wait the list is too long...oh! Found it! It''s only thirty steps" "Is that the highest?" "Yes apparently it is" Seeing only thirty steps from first-year students like them, some students felt discouraged to give it a try. Not until they saw a group of peopleing from the back. "Hey move it!" "Why?" "It''s Apollo!" "Hey move!" "Move move!" The crowd was split in half some onlookers from the other academy felt confused by the sudden reaction of the students. Especially those of the student council. "Is he a big shot?" "Maybe? Wait look at his hair!" "A hair simr to the falling sun at dusk and eye simr to golden dust, that boy is a Lionheart!" he realized feeling a sudden excitement. "It seems he is taking the challenge like the others, wait what are those bracelets they are wearing?" "Wait? I think I recognize them, those are limiters!" "Now that is really interesting" Another senior said smirking excitedly at the sight of the bold students. Going back to them, the lower-ss students stood in front of the yellow step and without hesitation, they began to take the challenge. "Whoa look they are actually going up so fast" "How many steps are they taking now?" "Twelve they are currently taking the twelfth step!" "And it seems they don''t have ns to stop yet" More students began to gather around including those from the higher year. The fast pacing of Apollo''s ss also causes panic for the High-ss students who are now stuck at the fifteenth step. "How the hell can they move like that!" Jomar eximed while his knees began to tremble from the pressure. "I can''t let these unknown people surpass an aristocrat like me! Me! A child from a king, royal and dignified blood !" he kept repeating in his head while trying to take a step forward. "A little more!" he screamed in his head until his footnded on a blue color step. "Argh!" A massive weight crashed his body however he didn''t fall down instead he began regting his ki to elevate the pressure he was feeling. "This is it I can take another step using this way!" he began to realize making his confidence soar. "Another one...!? What!" He said almost shouting when a familiar hair color passed by him. It was a red-orange hair with the same oppressive energy. At his back is a ck hair girl followed by a spiky red hair one. "No.." he weakly said witnessing how lightly they are taking this challenge. "Damn it I can''t lose!" he screams in his mind before a voice cut his thoughts. "It''s better to stop now, you are at your limit after all" A soft voice spoke and a girl with yellow-gold hair with orange eyes looked at him. "You will lose consciousness if you take another step" she added before a hand pulled her away. "What just happened?" he muttered until sixteen silhouettes slowly ascended ahead of him. The sun-kissed their figures while their unbothered face highlighted their confidence. Some felt awe while others let their pride fuel their anger. It was to the extent that they would resort to vile tactics like pulling and tripping. "Kneel" ir almost growled as he said hismand, immediately five students who tried to touch Alya and Vesta were forced to kneel on the ground. The steps were wide enough for many people, which is why he could conclude that bumping someone or even identally holding a person is all intentional. "A little bit more and I mightmand them to gouge their eye out" "Calm down buddy we aren''t allowed to kill here" Mckenzie jokingly said while taking another step. They walked even more until they arrived at the twenty-fifth step, there they saw the back of six people. It was the prince, Caesar and his friends, Johan, Astrid, Odysseus and their escorts. "Damn it how can they be so fast" Johan gritted his teeth as he said this, he never liked Apollo especially his team of abnormal ssmates. "Calm down Aaren and focus the gravity here is getting even more fierce" the prince reminded him. "We should rest once we arrive at the yellow step since the pull there is much lighter" "Astrid is right my prince let us head there" "Okay Seus lets go everyone" The prince regted his breathing and made sure all parts of his body received the energy it needed. "Hoo" he breathes while the sun''s light basked into his skin. They really tried to move forward however the twenty-seven steps made their entire body shake. "Argh! I can''t take it anymore!" cried one of the student escorts, while Astrid and Odysseus tried to endure the powerful pressure. "No, I can''t!" Johan Aaren clenches his teeth not backing down. Apollo, I wanted to surpass him because he represents that ce. The tower, the only ce that continues to sh with my father''s and my family''s beloved name. The Mage Association was the strongest guild and organization of mages yet we continued to be overshadowed by the image of the tower. Just once I wanted to beat them so I could give something to my father, maybe that way he would finally look at me. "Be at ease" he suddenly heard a voice and as he looked up the very person he wanted to beat appeared in front of him. "Your body is slowly snapping due to the pressure, try to continue and you might actually break your bones" After saying those words he walked away like nothing happened. "Oh god look they reaching the thirtieth step" "Can they do it the indigo step seems to be putting a lot of pressure on them" "ng!" They heard a crisp sound of falling and they began to notice the unique bracelets that the ss had been wearing the entire time. "Wait if I am not mistaken they have been wearing that since the incident with the cafeteria right?" "What incident?" "I think the proper question is which one of those incidents" "Never mind that look they are speeding up again after removing those bracelets!" Just like what they say the ss continued to walk forward until the entire Eastern Academy felt surprised by the result. "Sixty-five! That''s the step some fourth years and third years are struggling to and yet they handle it!" "Wait someone is still walking!" All the watching students and professors took out their spy sses to see the lone student who continued walking forward. "Is that?" "It''s Apollo!" "Our top ranker is not topping the leading board of this challenge" He was kidding when he said that however in the next moment, Apollo''s name came on top with his achievement written in bold and ming letters. "Apollo Lionheart challengepleted!" "Is that mean?" "He reaches the top!" Chapter 169 All it takes is a technique Apollo''s Pov. Climbing those steps wasn''t easy since the professor limited my stats to the same caliber as my ssmates. So the only way I can go up is by relying on the techniques taught by Professor Adolfo. Let''s see, my current stats are like this Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Focused Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: (Archmage) Temporary Apprentice rank Mana type: Blue Level: (16) Strength: (1835) 57 Agility: (1840) 57 Dexterity: (1842) 57 Endurance: (1835) 57 Stamina: (1830) 57 Intelligence: (1840) 57 Mana: (1711) 57 Ki: (1656) 57 Mana regeneration: 10 per minute Ki regeneration: 8 per minute Vitality: 250 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank SSS) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank SSS) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank SSS) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank SS) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank SS) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Can be manipted by the wielder''s will and the size can reach 7 meters. Lightning Call (Rank SS) {Passive} - 70% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks. Skilled fighter (Rank S) {Passive} -A little bit higher skills from beginner level in terms of hand-to-handbat (next level Pro fighter Rank D) Master Weaponist [Overhaul] (Rank S) {Passive} - abination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah Mirror Tenfold (Rank S) {Active} - Return twelve times the damage of the opponent''s attack, it may be a spell or physical attack. Automatic Weaponry (Rank SS) {Active} -Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, rmended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon w: Materials are needed for this skill Strength: 50% more powerful than regr weapons of the same grade. Energy bank (Rank SS) {Active} - A space that stores mana and ki, only essible when energy reaches 0 Disintegrate (Rank SS) {Active} - A skill Apollo gained while experimenting with a certain potion inside the ck tower. Demonification (Rank SSS) {Active}- Demonification is a state where the body turns into a demon beast. Upon transformation, all stats go up to 5 times. Demonize (Rank SSS) {Active} - A copy of the skill Demonification, allowing Apollo to use his non-demon skills. This half-demon transforms the body Oppressor (Rank SSS) {Active}- This skill allows the Creator to put pressure upon his enemies without doing anything. This pressure may cause confusion and errors in judgments causing them low battle awareness. The skill may activate without the Creator''s authorization depending on the situation. Copy&Paste (Rank SSS) {Active} - enables the Creator to copy any skill or technique once fully scanned or analyze w: Any skill or technique has to be scanned or analyzed first before being copied Strength: As long as the skill or technique is fully analysed even a gift or Blessings can be copied. Copied authority of the God of Mystics (Rank C) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of ir it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the goddess of time (Rank B) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Agnes it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Force (Rank B) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Keith it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Heat and fire (Rank B) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Samael it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Space and Passage (Rank B) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Aaron it was able to be copied by the system. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner - A term used by schrs to address the mysterious bloodline of the family famous, the Lancaster family. This bloodline is capable of forming an infinite amount of contracts. No limitations regardless of the rank of spirits and the level of a mage''s mana. As long as they get the spirit''s recognition a contract can be achieved. Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution:{Unawakened} Current stat point: 251,000 Curse stability: 10%] "The good thing is that bracelets can''t limit my skills" [I am impressed that mere bracelets can decrease your stats, I know we are letting him use the limiters but the Creator''s body had already built an immunity to it. So by now, its effects should be decreasing] "This only shows how good he is at observing my improvements and adjusting the limiters based on them" After all no normal human can build immunity towards sealers and limiters. It was all thanks to the system''s gears that I don''t get sick and I could get immunities for things that my body continuously experiences. "Will I also have immunity to gravity?" [Unfortunately, no Creator because that might cause you to fly out of this world''s gravitational pull] "Oh right" I said while taking a step towards a red-coloured step. "Argh!" I almost puked when I felt like someone hit me, it wasn''t just a mere pull. The moment you set your foot on the new step you can feel that something just suddenly hits you. For me, I felt like I was hit by the processor''s fist. I steeled my body to bnce the sudden weight. It was just fortunate my physique had improved a lot, however, it was nowhere near for me to freely manipte my ki in a way like those master martial artists. Okay for these damn stairs, I began to regte my ki first, just a tiny drop of it and continuously circte it across my body. It wasn''t fast like the usual cirction but instead normal and steady. That way the flow of energy will steadily supply every fibre of my body. I walked briskly while trying to maintain my breathing and a subtle rhythm was created. Soon enough I am already on the thirty-fifth step. "My body hurts" However I think I can still go on, I didn''t dare to look back and keep moving forward. Step by step then I felt I no longer had any ounce of ki. [You need to wait for one minute for it to regenerate to eight] "It''s okay I still have my mana" I said while still maintaining my breathing though my vision was already blurry. My sense of pain no longer works since I became too numb to feel anything. All that''s running inside my head is to keep moving forward. An ocean-blue mana began to coat my body making my breath even more easier. "Hoo..." I exhale while still putting my body on rhythm. Timing the cirction of my mana on every step I took and before I knew it I was already up there right on the top of the steps. "Ahhh!" I shouted while my backy t on the ground. I could feel the sunlight burning, making my bruises ache. After that, a sudden trembling urs. It seems my body began to release all the pent-up pressure that umted inside it. "It hurts damn it" I added while my face is covered with sweat. "I wanna sleep" "No, you can''t" a devilish voice said while a shadow covered the sun that directly hit my face. When I looked up I saw Professor Adolfo smiling happily. "Since you did something amazing you should show them what a victor should show" "I don''t really care about that" "Come on, stand up" "Nah I am good" Seeing I am not bulging on my position my professor had no choice but to adjust. "Click" I heard a sound and all the limiters he put on me fell on the ground. With all my stats back to normal all my wounds, bruises and even the fatigue I am feeling disappear. "Satisfied?" Professor Adolfo said, with a hint of sarcasm. "Yeah, I am" I smirked as I answered. "Your ssmates have been escorted by the staff they should be getting a check-up in the infirmary" "We should head there," I said while dusting off my uniform. "Alright let''s go" We then both jump into the air surprising the onlooking students. On that day and for the next two days the lower ss became the top on the record boards, surprising both the lower-year students and the upper years. Because of those achievements, the lower ss was put in a much better regard than the rest of the first years. This made more dissatisfied aristocrats and envious nces from the other ss. "We are receiving hate," McKenzie said while boarding their ss ship. "Let them be it''s not like they can do anything" Matilda quoted not feeling bothered by their stares. "Where are we headed again?" Arabe asked while heading towards Samael who hold a navigationpass. "It''s the Lumen kingdom where the Moon Lake can be seen" he excitedly answers while zooming the map to see their next destination. Lumen kingdom I began to say inside my head. It''s one of the few kingdoms where the Holy Crusaders will attacked. "Sigh, finally they are starting to make a move. I was suddenly getting bored eliminating those spy students" [You are not worried?] "I am not and besides I am not alone, those crusaders will face not only my wrath but also the hatred of the two most powerful mage institutions in the empire" "It''s time for the Mage Association and the Mage Tower to make a move" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Lumen Kingdom The Lumen Kingdom was established roughly a thousand years ago by an abandoned prince of the Kingdom of Fjords. He established this small kingdom with some of his followers and their families. Later on, they gain the empire''s recognition and dere themselves as the Lumen kingdom, the kingdom of light. At first, it was a flourishing country with all sorts of agricultural resources, however, that all changed when a new king sat on the throne. "King Neos the current king of Lumen" [ording to what I have gathered it seems he practically rose to the throne out of nowhere, with a power notmonly seen] "Something is suspicious here, I think there is a deeper story on why the Holy Crusaders hated mages" [Should I do something then?] "No, we will do as we n, eradicate every enemy we encounter" I put my mind on my mission while the ship finally set sail in the clear sky. As my thoughts drowned me mymunication bracelet suddenly vibrated. [You have a message Creator] I nodded and merely swiped the tiny screen of the bracelet. {We have confirmed the information you have given to us, be very careful my dear boy. This organization might be more powerful than we initially thought however that is not our main problem. Your Grandfather Alger was so mad you were being targeted that he wanted to wipe out the entire eastern region. The Mage association wasn''t helping either since they are on the same page as your grandfather. James Aaren, Johan''s grandfather wanted to join forces with us to literary obliterate the entire eastern kingdoms. The emperor currently trying to calm the two old men, I hope you remain safe until he finally convinces them. Your loving grandpa - Nichs} "It seems someone is in a tight situation" I said while chuckling about the current dilemma of the emperor. "It seems you are in a good mood instead of being wary" A voice said, and as I looked at my side I saw Aliciaing towards me with a lemonade on her hands. "Here," she said as he handed me the one in her right hand. "So you knew what is happening to me right now" "The Emperor inform me, he wants to separate the other kids from you" "That''s good I don''t want them to be dragged into this" "Will you be fine?" "Of course, I can even handle thousands of people" Hearing my arrogant boosting Alicia justughs at me before looking at me seriously. "The Holy Crusaders are quite different from the Monastery, they are more of a weapon wielders and fighters than mages. You have to be wary since they use a different style of fighting" I suddenly felt silent at her words so I decided to ask her. "Is there anything I should be concerned about?" "Three things" she answers while her other hand muster three fingers in front of me. "One, it''s speed, don''t think no one can touch with thunder aura only. There are dozens of well-known fighters who have affinities with lightning. The speed and power they have resemble the spells you make with thunder aura. So be cautious, and see if your opponent has any strong affinities with any elements, especially those who have prime elements. Next is a technique, I know Apollo you have the means to spy on people''s strength and capabilities, I have felt it before when we first met" "Really?" I tried to feint ignorance taken aback by how sharp she was. "Dangerous too dangerous" I thought while hiding my frantic expression. "As I was saying techniques can double or even triple a person''s initial speed and strength, so don''t just rely on the numbers you get from your analysis" "Yes" I said finding her way more scary than the Crusaders. "Just how did she manage to sense all of those?" "Third, variables" "What?" "You always thought that mages are the ones who are most prepared in most fights, but don''t take chances on a knight or a gun user, they have more than one way to finish you in a fight. Also, watch out for intent users there are quite a lot of them that can attack you from a mile away" "BLING!" As soon as those words escaped from her lips my senses detected something flying towards me, at such a fast rate. [A bullet] I kept my senses on it wanting to see if it could prate through the ship''s protective barrier. "If it breaks, it means I need to recalibrate the barrier system of this ship" Go one I am waiting. The bullet was fast and soon hurled through the barrier I made. "CRACK!" My vision saw it all, the speeding projectile tore through the barrier and flew straight to my face. "PANG!" A loud crisp sound can be heard along with a small tiny smoke. "I am trying to warn you yet the first thing you did was y" Alicia coldly stated while her hand held the bullet that almost punched a hole in my face. I remained silent while her piercing gaze locked on me. "I wasn''t really ying I was testing the barrier''s capacity if it could block the bullet," I said trying to defend myself though I still didn''t dare to meet her eyes. I felt like if I did she might read me again. "Be serious" Her voice was cold and sharp enough to pierce me. "I will" I said as I took the bullet in her hand "Man, it became disfigured, how manyyers does your skin have?" I can''t help but say when the bullet she handed me was almost torn in half. "Shut up and just do what you need to do" "What a cold answer" I thought while my eyes red after being geared up by the system. "Activate Automatic Machinery" [Commnad received initiating skill activation] A faint light emerges from the bullet until its broken body is healed. "Alright let''s return you to where you came from" A jet of light emerged from my body, while sparks of lightning began to take mass until they covered my entire body. "Thunder aura, Positive lightning" My spell trails down the forging symbols I embedded on the bullet''s body. As a result, my spell charged up the small metallic projectile. "Shot" I said and I released the white thundering bullet on my hand. The clouds parted while the wind howled so badly it started to shake the ship. "Jeremiah status" [The bullet has locked on the target, no civilians spotted in the area] "Good I am happy to hear that" With those words, I smiled happily, content with what I did, until a huge explosion created a ck mushroom-like smoke. Everyone stops in their tracks before pinning their gaze on my frail body. Experience new stories on empire "I didn''t mean to overboard," I said while putting both my hands in the air, my eyes looked innocent while my face looked apologetic. [You won''t be off the hook even if you try to look like that] "Shut up" Below the floating ship in the sky, a secluded area can be seen burned and barren. However, the noticeable part is that a huge ming crater can be seen there. It was like a ck patch if you look down from above. In the middle of it, a single figure can be seen struggling to survive. "What kind of child is that?" Said a man whose appearance is scorched like a charcoal. He can still breathe even though his entire is burned. One arm was eaten and torn by a violent surge of electricity, while the other was left with few fingers to be able to hold a spoon. Though it wasn''t the thing he was worried about. "Les what happened to you!" cried a person whose appearance wasn''t any better. "Well, as you can see I got burned" "You look like a charcoal!" "That boy what is he?" He asked instead and despite his current body condition he still tried to sit down. "Careful!" "Mor that boy not only tracked my location but also used the same bullet I used to kill him. He shot it back at me and even charged a spell inside!" "Stop bbering and let me save you" He took out a potion and without hesitation poured it over the ckened body of his friend. Despite the horrible pain, the medicine brought he didn''t scream orin, his expression though remained hurt, while a towel was situated between his jaws. He wanted to speak but the pain began to cloud his judgement. The tormenting pain of the liquid medicineing in contact with his skin almost made him scream, while the intense feeling of itching came after. Since healing burns often cause intense itching as new skin forms and nerves regenerate. In the end, he fell into a deep slumber causing his friend to panic. . . . In the kingdom of Lumen, looming shadows can be felt while an eerie atmosphere continues to suffocate the people. No one dared to speak afraid they might attract the shadow''s ire. Amongst this sickening calmness, a group of rowdy children began to fill the streets with their voices. "Man, what a good day to start a fight," a voice said while his red-orange hair could be seen in a dark alley. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 A silent chaos Scinti is the capital of Lumen, it was once a very festive ce where people are wee to speak their minds. However, now a perpetual silence envelops thend. There''s a pervasive quiet, punctuated only by distant sounds, heightening the feeling that every sound is being monitored and every movement is being observed. The alleys are draped in long, creeping shadows as if every corner harbours hidden observers, with surveince magic mounted on streetlights and buildings, their eyes unblinking and ever-watchful. The life of the city was drained however the people tried to live as normally as they could, that way a mask would fall on the kingdom, hiding the hidden shadows that lurked on its beautiful streets. "What a heavy atmosphere" a boy said not feeling any sort of nervousness at the state of the ce he is in. He walked confidently on the crowded road while the people frantically ran back and forth. On the boy''s right hand, a dagger can be seen, though that dagger wasn''t a simple one. It was actually a throwing dagger, embedded on its de are symbols made to keep its presence hidden. Smoothly the boy continues to walk until a sudden drop of rain falls on his hand. Experience more on empire "It''s finally starting" A wild smirk grazes his face while his eyes have a cold glint in them. "Jeremiah activated the system''s gears" the boy spoke his voice devoid of any emotion. "Now the hunt is starting" he added before disappearing in the middle of the road. It was a very unusual day because the people felt it was longer than the previous days they had experienced, however when night passed by and the morning came, the previous heavy atmosphere was gone. . . . "Jeremiah status" [Curently creator they are at least 500 people detected to be far more powerful than the average people here, and ording to the data given by the emperor none of them are members of the kingdom''s knights] Lumen''s soldiers should be waiting to either assist their fellow crusaderrades or fabricate any evidence rted to them. "Alright I suppose we have our targets" As I said those words a sudden drop of water made me look up. "It''s finally starting" I smirked as I said those words. This falling rain is not simple, it''s actually a conquering spell cast under the influence of the rain. I am certain none of those Crusaders would immediately notice it, though it will be exciting if they do. "Now the hunt is starting" I envision the targets in my head and as I open my eyes, a map is generated at the upper right side of my vision. {Apollo} "Yes, sir Arthur?" {The mages of the tower and the association are on standby, some are stationed here while the others are at the site of the World tree} "Should we start the requiem?" {Hmmm.... let''s see, it seems our enemies are currently looking for you} "They had no idea I was already here" {That is right, I suppose they had no idea where you and your ssmates are} "They will soon find us" I said while my body began to disappear. "Let''s start the song that will make even the dead cry" {Alright let us start the hunt} The rain became a silent rhythm, a song that unknowingly dwells in everyone''s ears. Under the sound of falling rain, a little girl can be seen holding a flute. She continues to y the instrument despite the fallen drops of water. However, as she yed so well her music began to seep through the rhythm of the storm. And as the tunesbine together a bone-chilling song begins to be heard, a deadly melody, a chant that soon drowns the listener''s ears. I can''t help but smirk as I listen to the deadly hymn, though my tiny silhouette slowly morphs through the darkness. . . . "Cover your ears!" I heard someone say while panic struck the hooded men under the dark veil of the alley. They have armors and full gears against mages. I can also see some anti-magic scrolls with them. "Jeremiah" [Yes Creator] "Destroy all the scrolls they have make sure none of them can work" [As youmand] {Apollo status} "Found ten here" {We have twenty we will take care of them, be careful on your end Apollo} "I will and it''s not like I am alone" I replied while three figures appeared from my shadow. "Should we start?" I smirked hearing his question and with our enemy''s current situation, we should strike while the iron is still hot. "Do it" With my signal golden grains of light floated through the air, and as the power of space took over, sudden fissures began to spread. "Doman behind you!" Warn by one of the enemies, however, the person he was giving a warning to had already been killed by the broken cracks in the space. "Damn it!" he exims while keeping his position away from the cracks. Nine figures remove their hooden cloaks revealing the weapons they have been hiding. Bows, guns, spears and swords are all well raised towards us. "Iing," said one of my friends, though I only smirked when their attacks remained useless under the influence of the space rift. They are stuck and can''t move with the tangled web of death however it isn''t over yet. Some people just couldn''t stay still and be killed by us. "Argh!" One of our enemies who carries a sword uses an aura bomb to try and use force to tear the rifts away. "Apollo I can''t hold them for long" "It''s okay just do what we n" "Got it" My friend said while remaining still despite containing the aura bomb. "It''s your turn" "You can count on me" As he said those words another wave of power struck our enemies. "Inertia" Their bodies halted though it was only for a second but that is all it takes for me to be teleported right behind them. "kneel" "!?" With the authority of the God of Mystics, I was able to influence their mind to take a knee. "What the!" They felt confused however I wasn''t done yet as soon as they kneeled my weapon took a turn to immediately decapitate them. "No you won''t!" one of my enemies stated while clenching his teeth to fight back themand. Martial artists and weapon users have one thing inmon, they have strong physiques and sound minds. That is what allowed them to keep training despite its harsh procedure. So the interference I made was meant to be temporary. "Attraction!" A voice gave amand and it was immediately obeyed. All the weapons that were supposed to attack me suddenly turned heavy and crashed on the ground. That toosted only for a moment. A moment I didn''t miss Using the power of the skill Master Weaponist my sh was way more solid and founded by my ki. Apanied by the professor''s technique the length of my attack can be measured at least 7 meters long and 12 inches wide. It was massive however with the vibrating ki as it added strength no defense was able to block it. Nine heads fell on the ground, blood was sprayed and a deep mark was left on the smooth stone road. The alley was suddenly covered with death as ten lives were taken. "Alright that went well fast" Keith said while wiping the sweat on his forehead. "I thought my attack wouldn''t work" Aaron stated while his body fell on the ground due to exhaustion. That can''t be helped since he covered the entire alley with his authority. "We should head straight I can feel something there" Alya stated while holding her staff. Upon her spell, the area which we fought turned to how it was before we arrived. "What can you feel?" I asked her since even Jeremiah didn''t seem to sense anything. "I can sense something, a very dangerous and sinister power" Her words made me a bit confused and alert. "I think it''s better if I go first" "Alright just tell me if I need to teleport you away" Aaron told me while giving me a nod. "Stay alert" I said instead and immediately Alya gave me a reassuring smile. The rain was still there while Vesta''s hypnotic spell blended with the tower mages''rge-scale debuffing spell. "Well, I can call this a conquering spell as well," I thought as my figure turned into a fog and blended well with my surroundings. "ording to her, it should be here" [I don''t sense anything here] "Neither I but knowing her, there should really be something here....wait what is that?" On one of the drains of the city, a ck orb can be seen stuck there. Don''t tell me this is the sinister thing she was talking about. I suddenly felt funny not knowing what to say. "A tiny orbe here," I said sarcastically as I picked it up on the drain. "Ugh!" As soon as my fingers grazed the smooth surface of the orb a sudden pain attacked my veins. [Notification Alert! A sinister entity has been detected! The system''s gears have been going full function! All contaminants have been eliminated!] "Damn I should have listened to Alya" Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Stone of the Death The fall of rain is often described as a gentle, rhythmic cascade, with each drop descending from the sky and wind adding a delicate dance. As the raindrops hit various surfaces, they create a soothing, continuous patter or drumming sound. On a rooftop, this sound can be a soft, persistent tapping, while on a windowpane, it might produce a calming, irregr rhythm. The sound of rain can evoke a sense of tranquillity and cosiness, often amplified by the surrounding quiet or the asional rumble of distant thunder. All of this can be said to be calming however the conquering spell added to the storm made the enemy''s senses clouded. And each sound made by the rain created a noise that almost left them unconscious. The water that continuously touched them was like an acid that burned deep within their skin. Potions were used and pills were swallowed however that didn''t work, and nothing worked. They could still feel the itch and the agonizing pain that left them almost insane. In the dance of the deathly rhythm, groups of shadows can be seen lurking around and despite the heavy fall of rain, their ck robes remain lively. The chant for the dead continues and the melody from the flute remains stered on the rhythm, creating waves of images on the listener''s mind. Mages in ck robes run through the storm, while on their chest are the symbols of a tower and eagle, the insignia of the Mage tower and Mage Association. "Head Hunter''s Funny Parade" Chant one of the mages and a ck creepy ragged man emerged, scythe in hand. "Guard!" "Damn it I can use my aura!" "I can''t see!" The massive conquering spell clouded their minds, and even when they tried to break the spell they failed to do so since multiple people cast it. This entire scenario started because they made a single mistake. They underestimated the mages of the empire and the people who gathered information for them. [Notification Alert! A massive amount of death has been detected! Calcting essences extraction!] [Creator should I use one of the system''s gears to elevate the pain you are feeling] "No, I am okay" I said while holding my arm, the numbness was still there while the pain spread until it reached my head. "I told you it''s sinister" I heard Alya say making me groan in pain. "You never put specifics" "Still you should have listened to me" I could only sigh at her words while we continued to move under the veil of our hood. What we are wearing right now are robesmissioned by the Mage Tower. We are now moving as a member of the tower, not just random children aiming to kill someone. The crest on our chest solidifies that fact. {Apollo there are 3 strong ones running in your direction immediately neutralize them} "Got it" I replied though I already sensed them, so I looked at my side and was about to speak when someone spoke first. "Something ising!" Alya shouted while pointing towards our side. "How many?" asked Aaron to which she replied with "Three" [She is really impressive despite her age, I mean even you won''t be able to find them either if it weren''t for the fact I am here] "Yes perhaps you are right" I answered while my staff was already raised to attack. And as my vision finally took a glimpse of the three fleeing enemies I gave amand. "Arron" "On it!" Golden sparks of light slowly dance on the rainy alley, until it turns into cracks in space. "Pico stop!" Cried one of the three, and immediately the person he was trying to warn of stopped and almost cut himself into pieces. "Attraction" Anothermand was given and an invisible force suddenly materialised and mmed them on the ground. With their minds in chaos and bodies weakened, they couldn''t summon enough force to fight back themand. Their bodies hit the ground so intensely before a figure emerge from the darkness. The staff was changed into a sword, the skilled Master Weaponist took over and a silver streak of light paved way on the wicked alley. It took a couple of seconds to execute that small n but it was effective, since they were up against extremely weakened enemies. "Now I wonder when will theye," I said while wiping the blood on my de. "We are eliminating more people but it seems the King of Lumen is still hesitating to make a move" "That''s a bit incorrect Keith, I can tell something strong ising here, Lumen is making its move" Alya''s words made me silent while my senses were trying to pick up something even outside the capital. "The pce has still no movements" [It mighte from an external ally] "Outside of Lumen? But then the entire kingdom is under the surveince of the two mage organizations. Anything hostile that tries to get in will immediately be eliminated" [So in the end what is it?] What the hell is the thing she is trying to warn us off "Alya in which direction will that thing appear" I tried to inquire. "That..." her voice started to trail off until her gaze became pinned on the ground. "Below," she said coldly "They are hiding underneath, where the rain can''t reach them" I suddenly felt a sudden chill trailing off inside my bones. "Jeremiah!" I shouted inside my head and immediately he responded. [Creator I am switching to different gears to scan the drainage system of the capital] "Tell me if you find anything!" Then I switch towards Sir Arthur reporting to him what I just received from Alya. {Are you certain?} "Yes I am" {We will look into it for now fall back with your friends} "Okay sir" I said however as soon as those words escaped from my lips the ground began to shake. From a mere trembling of the ground, a sudden fissure emerged andpletely swallowed us. "Jeremiah" [Notification Alert! An ancient artifact from a lost dungeon has been used!] [Initiating mass teleportation! Teleportation has been cancelled! Reusing the system''s authority..... Initiating usage of Creator''s copied authority... Authority overrules the artifact! Teleporting Lower ss students away... Teleportationplete! Awaiting the Creator''s nextmand!] My eyes crept into a smile while I hurriedly sent a message to Sir Arthur. "Are you guys going in or what?" {We are going in, are you joining the hunt?} "Of course I am" And so the real hunt finally starts. . . . "Jeremiah" [Yes?] "What kind of old artifact did they use?" [Based on the magic wavelength I analyzed a while ago, it should be a dagger that has a stealth ability for assassination. As for the mini earthquake, it was the impact caused by a sudden blunt attack from below. I believe a war hammer was used] "How many people are we up against?" [The artifact is currently blocking my sensors so I can''t tell, and it also seems spells won''t work either] "So we are blind right now?" [Not exactly, remember the bead before?] "Yes my arm still felt numb due to it" [It might be helpful, since it is not a bead but a stone instead. A death stone, you can use it to track down anyone who has killed someone. After all, to counter an old artifact from lost dungeons, you had to use one as well] "You mean this thing is an old artifact as well?" [Yes and I have no idea how did it get here] Lost dungeons arebyrinths that are either man-made or created by a chaotic turbulence of magic. In each dungeon lies many artifacts that are very unfamiliar to many, since the material where it was made is unknown and its usage often goes bizarre. "So this thing is from a lost dungeon, no wonder I couldn''t understand it" [Take it out Creator I already mend it, it won''t attack you again] "Okay" I did as he told me and as my hand touched the smooth surface of the stone I felt a sudden surge of awareness. Theplete darkness that I am currently in slowly felt insignificant since I could see everything. [The stone bes even more powerful the more people are killed by its user. And considering it''s you, the power of that artifact should be at its highest point] "Yeah I can actually feel it, wait what if I do this!" I said as my body became d in corrupted energy. [I shall put a barrier to make sure no one can sense you] I closed my eyes and let the skill demonize take over. My mana turns ck ominous, while my body begins to morph simr to a devil yet my aura is that of a demon. Holding the stone in my hand I slowly removed the debris that fell on top of me. "Let''s go and find our targets" My vision was clear despite the darkens created by the dagger artifact, I should be able to finish everything before the sun went down. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Their Pov The enemy''s pov We made a grave mistake, we didn''t know that they would find out that we would be here. No, that is not all, we also didn''t anticipate that they would find out about our existence. The mages shouldn''t have known and the council are still tight-lipped about the situation. So I am sure it wasn''t them, they couldn''t have ratted us out when most of our members are part of them. So how? How did they know? It shouldn''t be possible! Did we have a spy on our side? No that is impossible none of us would ever collude with mages. After that incident, I am certain it is not one of us. "Owal" called a deep masculine voice sending my body into disarray. The person who just spoke had his eyes focused on the window. "Yes sir" I replied half aware and still upied with my previous thoughts. "Cast away your doubts and trouble we can''t have them right now," he told me while his eyey on his city, which had been drowned by a surge of a powerful spell. "What should we do?" I asked not wanting to let ourrades die like animals raised for ughter. We must do something, we must save them. However no matter the feelings I have, I can''t just jump right in there, because despite the pride we have as warriors and as knights, we can''t deny the fact that we will die if we leave the shelter that protects us from the rain. The roofs of our houses are the only thing that separates us from the scythe of death. We must stay and live Destroying those clouds is also useless since it was a joint spell by multiple mages. It can''t be broken just by a mere aura bomb or direct attack. Certainly, we can execute a bigger and stronger attack but they won''t be done without destroying the city. That''s how vile mages are, to make sure we won''t be able to destroy their spell they use the people of Lumen. They created a spell that is too strong for normal aura techniques but weak for ultimate skills, which are too destructive and could immediately eliminate this city. I can''t help but clench my fist in anger, are they ying with thousands of lives here? How can they do something so sinister? "Owal" the voice spoke again since my expression didn''t improve, my lord can read me far too well. "Let''s go" he just said guiding me towards a hidden path. "We have a n" he added giving me a sudden reassurance. "We can do this," I thought so while we headed towards the deepest part of the city. . . . "This is it!" I said finding the situation in favor of us. That''s right this ce doesn''t let much rain enter! We can definitely win against them! I almost squealed while excitedly preparing my de to be drenched in blood. "This should be goo-.." "BANG!" My ears began to bleed as I realized my eardrums exploded due to the impact. "What just happened" I thought then my eyes saw my lord his de just blocked a dark matter. "HUM!" I felt a sudden chill when the ominous energy began to spin and was able to push my lord into a corner. "Take cover!" he ordered but before I could, a massive shockwave shocked us, both I and my lord were forced to take a step back. While that mass of darkness slowly took form. "Hi!" said a voice belonging to a child. Is it a spell? Did those mages use trickery again to make us pity fighting a child, wait can I even call this thing a child? A dark eerie aura surrounds his body while a hooded robe hides his face. Despite this there is one truth we should be cautious of, he is a mage. The symbol of the tower was the biggest giveaway. "Owal flee now!" "But my lord.." "Now!" He shouted making my nerve obey without any hesitation. "Halt," a childlike voice said and my body froze without my consent. "What the!" I almost scream when I realize what happened however what is even more threatening is the de that is about tond on my neck. "CLANG!" The sound of steel shing reaches my ears and even in my frozen state, I was able to catch a glimpse of my lord coating himself with aura and deflecting the child''s attack. It was fast, way too fast for me to even follow. . . . Apollo''s Pov After falling and removing the debris that fell on me. I found myself inside a sewer drain. As my eyesy upon my surroundings, concrete walls and pipes were the first time that weed me. Walking even further arge, round, metallic cover or grate was there which seemed to be, what those crusaders used to enter or exit these underground areas. However, that is not the most notable thing. There is no water on the water sewer, it seems they made sure the rainwater won''t be able to get here. Going even further there are many enemies that I already marked and identified. Thanks to the bead I was also able to locate my allies as well. I was excited so I sent them the information I had gathered. Afterwards, Sir Arthur crafted a n to make the mission less risky. That n includes enemy distribution andmunication establishment. Well, I don''t really n to follow that. "I will choose the person who excludes the most killing count" . . And that is the main reason why I have my current enemies, one man and a boy probably a little older than me. He is weaker than his boss who currently stands between me and the little boy. I just smirked and let my skill take action. My skill Master Weaponist is the umtion of dozens of weapon arts found in the library. That is why my opponent''s art seems familiar to me. Because typically techniques have simrities to one another especially if their purpose is simr to each other. One of the sword arts inside the skill lets me have strong precision and prating force. "CLANG!" My de shed with my enemy''s creating sparks while my arms began to heat up due to the increased ki output. A downward cut was executed which I dodged before blocking an aura bomb sent by him. [Behind you] My legs suddenly heated up and executed one of an archer''s skills in hunting, high agility. My body suddenly shifted and dodged the strike from behind. Then praised my hand to cast a basic spell. "Fireball" A fire suddenly emerged while I amplified it with a high supply of mana resulting in its added size. The mes shot towards the frozen boy making his lord save him by using an aura bomb. However that wasn''t the one that was impressive, his eyes didn''t waver and remained pinned on my tiny silhouette. Even when he tried to save his student he didn''t let me disappear from his vision. I just smirked before dodging again since his de just appeared to slice me in half. [He is fast!] Indeed he is, with his superb ki and mana control his speed would go triple to even ten times. And this speed doesn''t affect his force control and agility. If I was fast due to implementing an archer''s speed and agility in my footwork, this guy is purely relying on his control and experience. "CLANG!" Another unconventional strike that came from below almost hit me. "You have good reflexes" "Thank you" I appeared to be in good shape but inside it was quite painful, doing the ki cirction of two weapon arts was really taxing. The only thing that is keeping me together is the system, without it, I might have copsed from exhaustion. An archer''s speed and reflexes mix with a swordsman''s precision and strong strikes. That is the current set I am using. Sword shes continued while I would insert some easy-to-cast spells as a distraction however it wasn''t enough. I can''t go through and it was the same for him. "BANG!" An aura-induced sh wrecks the ce while my figure remains still, sword strongly on hand. "That was good" he finally spoke again then a wide grin spread all over his face. "It was a really good warm-up" he suddenly said while stretching his arms and neck. "I should also stop this nonsense" he added while approaching his student. "It was my mistake taking him here" Then he aggressively tapped his shoulders and a burst of energy came out of his body. "BOOM!" [That was acupuncture, he opened one of the gate valves inside that boy''s ki circuit making all his ki gush out] "He is trying to use brute force to remove themand I gave, well might as well let it happen" Then my thoughts moved and themand was removed. "Owal move and tell everyone to never underestimate those mages" "Argh.....yes I... Will!" He said half shouted, then he raced towards the other side of the sewer drain, running as fast as he could. Chapter 174 Skill wise "Owal move and tell everyone to never underestimate those mages" "Argh.....yes I... Will!" Continue your adventure with empire He said half shouted, then he raced towards the other side of the sewer drain, running as fast as he could. "Let''s cast a tracking spell on him just to be sure," I said seeing him leave. "PANG!" I suddenly felt a sudden pain when I felt that the spell I cast got disconnected as soon as I released it. "Apologies but I can''t let you do that" my enemy said his eyes still pinning on me. [What the!] My eyes suddenly constricted deeply focused on the de that he just used to cut off my spell. The moment my spell is about totch on his dear student he waves his sword and easily cuts through it. I felt amazed at the same time curious about how he was capable of that. However, I can''t let my desire for answers get the better of me. I need to set aside my thoughts and just focus. "What a troublesome enemy" I can''t help but say while my mana and ki began tobine. This is one of the unique features of the overhauled version of Master Weaponist. It unlocks the skill tobine the two energies inside the body, this skill or technique is called Primera or prime energy. Executing this move created an intense dance of chaotic shock wave though my opponent was unfazed about the situation. Instead, his body is d in an intense beat of aura. Its color was strangely dark red. [His aura is induced with killing intent, be careful] "Killing intent, right" A huge explosion transpires when the color of my energy turns ck. "Bloodlust" he just said before disappearing. [Left] "No, it''s right" His energy disys a different movement making it deceiving. "This guy, he figured it out how I was reading him" By reading the flow of his ki I can somehow predict my opponent''s next move, but this guy figured it out. So he used it to confuse me and create a fake attack, fortunately, I was able to perceive it. My sword met his, creating a huge shockwave that tore off the surrounding walls and pipes. I remained focused and began calcting his next steps, this time no more spells, I couldn''t cast them now because I couldn''t focus with my enemy bing as fast as my mind. I don''t have any time to conjure a spell, even if I do he can just cut it off. "BANG!" The entire sewer drain turns into a huge crater when we finally sh, the previous sound of steel colliding turns into the sound of falling boulders uphill. While the air vibrated due to the tension rising. The ceiling above us started to copse however as soon as the debris started falling towards our position, the chaotic sh of our energy turned those boulders to dust. We began pushing each other''s des, and an intense collision of power transpired which created an earthquake underneath the city. [Creator, should we activate Demonize again, his stats may be no different than yours but he is overpowering you] "I can tell but don''t do that, wait for mymand" [Affirmative] I just want this feeling tost a bit more, the pressure, theplexity of my opponent, and the fact that the only thing that can decide the winner is how well we use our skills and techniques. I want to understand this power more, the skills I have and the capacity and weakness I might have. This fight will definitely help me learn the things I need to improve and the things I must disregard. [But you must live first Creator, try your very best to survive] "Of course I will!" All the skills I have, I will put them in good use in this fight. So let''s do this My decision was made and my will solidified causing my power to suddenly escte in such a way I didn''t notice. This sudden burst of power began to tilt the stalemate of our swords. However, my opponent has this grin that seem to like the thing he was seeing. "That''s it, boy, give me more!" he eximed while putting strength in his de, the pushing continued and another round of colliding energy came resulting in a powerful force that shook the ce. I held my ground, de in hand while still locked with his. Neither side ns to be overpowered. "A mage''s driving force is their curiosity but for a warrior his driving force is his will, so boy show me your will!" He burst such words before giving a swing that sent me flying. It surprised me but my body suddenly emitted a series of barriers making sure he wouldn''t do a follow-up attack. I felt my body crash at the walls before bursting to the other side of the sewer drain, then to the other and the next. [How many walls have we passed through?] "Don''t know I lost count at ten" I said before bursting an enormous amount of ki to stop my increasing momentum. [He ising!] After stopping myself from hitting another wall I fix my form as I wee my opponent. With a swift movement a de arches forward coated with a bloody aura. I move in ordance with his action and since I already anticipated his move I single-handedly block his de. My jaw suddenly clenches and my ears almost bleed when the sound of our sword shing is more like roaring thunder during a storm. Despite this, I move to attack. I feinted an attack on his head then shifted my weight to strike his low midsection. In response to this, he waved his de in time to deflect my iing blow, however, due to the length of his de and unexpected attack from me it cut the floor with a loud screech. I took this chance and repositioned myself aiming for any opening. I made a sudden thrust which he quickly responded to however my de suddenly changed direction like a slippery eel, this movement is one of the techniques in rapier art. As my sword dived into the unguarded chest my ki vibrated creating a ringing sound. "BANG!" An explosive sound burst revealing a smooth transparent surface. "Damn it," I said while my eyes narrowed at the current situation of my de. I thought I got one hit in however when my de was about to prate his protective aura, the blending of energy changed. The light that coats his body like a nket morphs into a different color, it begins to solidify until it turns into a hand that holds my de. [It''s armament!] Aura burst forth transforming into a green protective barrier. Shielding is one of the regr uses of Aura and Armament for the advanced type. Armament is meant to mold or coat any weapon the wielder desires, however, I never saw anyone build a literal warrior out of their aura armament. I remain calm and with my de stuck in the warrior''s hand and my opponent about to attack, I have no choice but to abandon my sword. "Change weapon" Imanded and instead of a sword, a dagger reced the space in my hand. That dagger was long, thick-spined, and wickedly pointed. Mainly optimized for prating or thrusting attack. Its hilt is made with unknown ck material and a round or disc-like guard and pommel. This dagger is mainly good for parrying other weapons. Then the cirction of my energy changes to match the weapon I am using. He attacked again but I used my weapon to continue deflecting his attacks. I then lunge close, too close for the sword to reach me. My opponent then reacted quickly and bent his elbow to knock me over. However, I dodged that and my weapon changed again as soon as the warrior directed its attention towards me. "What the" I heard him say when the dagger in my hand turns into a cannon. "I''ll st that warrior," I said while my ki circted inside my body and my mana powered my cannon. A series of lights glow at the surface of the weapon until a white light covers the area. He can''t dodge since I am in such close proximity with him, that left his warrior no choice but to put on a guard. "BOOM!" I sted him out the same way he did on me but unlike him, I won''t leave him be. "Change weapon" My hand glowed and a rifle graced my fingers, I locked on my target and fired a bullet. "BANG!" A gunshot was heard along with the sound of someone groaning. My bullet is capable of disrupting the energy inside the body so right now he is suffering from a great disorientation. I took this chance and teleported in front of him, and immediately changed my weapon into a war hammer. With my opponent''s state still in disarray, I aim for an overhead strike to destroy his remaining aura shield. The energy started from my legs and hips, transferring through my core and shoulders into my arms, with the hammer''s heading down with gravity and force I added my prime energy to increase its power. In the nick of time, my opponent recovered but with the hammer already above him, he was left with a small amount of aura as his shield. Chapter 175 Using his skills I lifted the war hammer in my hand and strongly smashed it towards my opponent. However, it is as if his words were really true, will is the driving force of a warrior. Even with his ki and mana still in chaos, he was able to use his will to increase the power of his aura. A collision happens again creating a banging sound that yet again shook the sewer drain. I shouldn''t worry about the people above since that mage is with us. So I should pin my focus on him. I felt my hands and arms numb since my previous attack was nullified but either way, it wasn''t that bad since I could finally see some cracks. If I can get through his defense then that will end the fight. A red burst of killing intent attacked me while the impact of my bullet finally disappeared from my opponent''s body. "Alright let''s fall back" As I observed the brewing storm I decided to take some distance from him. Then the war hammer in my hand disappeared and was reced by a sword. [The killing intent is too intense Creator it''s turning the entire area into a red zone, and your senses will be affected] "Then make sure I won''t" [I will] My eyes red up since the system had been helping me with the calction I needed for predicting my opponent''s movements, at the same time reading his energy flow. As soon as I get the reading I move my body in sync with his. I immediately dodged to my right leaving him to attack an empty space, then I took the chance to attack his blind spot however his aura responded well transforming into a warrior. [We need something stronger, something that can prate an aura] "But I can''t do auras and vibrating ki is not working anymore" Aura can only be destroyed by an aura or something even more powerful but it is more efficient to use auras instead. Waite to think of it I haven''t done that, perhaps I can prate his defence using that. The cirction of my ki suddenly changes as I make a quick distance between the two of us. As I did so I subtle ambience began to swallow me making my enemy confused. . . "What is it this time" Seeing his opponent changing into another style of fighting, the seasoned warrior felt confused as he said those words. Every time he thought he already knew the pattern of his enemy''s fighting style it would change into something different. This somewhat tires him out until hepletely relies on his instincts in fighting. Deep inside his body has been feeling worn out since he has been swinging his sword for how many times now. To add up his arms have been shaking since each of Apollo''s strikes has a force of impact that reverberated through his arms. It left him numb at some point and only his will is keeping him from copsing. He must finish the fight so he moved again despite the ache he felt when the bullet shot him. He held his de tightly and charged it with overwhelming energy, his will had been unbreaking and his massive killing intent fueled his sword. "Since you are keeping your distance let my de reach you" he then advances with a powerful, overhead swing aimed at Apollo''s head. The sword sh expanded into a wave of bright light aiming fast at the silhouette of the little boy. However, as soon as it touches its target the figure of the boy transforms into a mist disappearing in the dimly lit drain. "Tsk!" The seasoned warrior spread his senses trying to locate the location of his enemy however he could not. "Why do I feel like fighting against an assassin" he thought as he remembered encountering them before. However they weren''t this good, he couldn''t even sense the boy''s breath in the surroundings. "Where is he" He said while strengthening his defence. His aura armament glows even brighter while it''s its intense atmosphere esctes. As he remained focused his instincts suddenly warned him to dodge, he immediately responded and moved to the side but something caught him in ce. "What the!" The ground had swallowed his feet without him even knowing, but it wasn''t his main concern his eyes finally saw his target the boy had appeared, in his hand was a pistol which he shot without hesitation. The sound of the gunshot rang, the bullets were fast but the warrior was able to catch it. "Heh" a smirk came across the boy''s face making his opponent conflicted however he soon found the reason behind that smile. A sudden umtion of electricity transpired from the bullet inside the palms of the warrior, then it began to spin creating a massive movement. Soon the bullet turns into a white projectile drilling through the hand of the aura warrior. The wind suddenly howled wildly while the ground bore the pressure of the bullet. "See I told you I will use all my skills" the boy suddenly said as the pistol in his hand clicked. This made his opponent attack using his sword shes. The boy in the hood remained calm and pulled the trigger and another thunder bullet escaped from its muzzle. "BANG!" The bullet overpowered the sword sh diving fast at the person who released it. "CRACK!" A cracking noise began to be heard and the boy knew exactly where it came from. Stay updated via empire Then another bang was heard when the seasoned warrior sliced the thunder bullet that almost poked a hole in his face. However, the battle is not over the boy''s hand begins to shine revealing a mithril staff. "Hoo" You can hear him breathe while his body begins to be fueled with electricity. [Creator I have been using your energy bank to resupply your ki and mana, this is the third time you are using them please be careful] "Yeah just recharge it" [I will] The staff began to radiate with electricity and the moment the aura warrior finally copsed, a sh of white light came. Thunder aura gave a total boost in speed and power that left his opponent d in aura armament. "BANG!" The sword and staff sh, and to the warrior''s dismay, he can finally feel his body weakening. "This boy exhausts me first to the point that my arms are already numb before taking out his trump card" he thought. The boy powered himself with lightning as he deflected an equal blow from his enemy. Then the staff is now a sword. Apollo executes a deft parry, bringing their sword up at a precise angle to meet his de. The impact is sharp, and the force of the enemy strike is redirected to the side. Then the boy uses the momentum of the deflection to his advantage. As the enemy sword is pushed off course, the boy steps inside the range of his enemy''s extended arm. The de is deflected with a controlled movement, creating an opening. Capitalizing on the opening created by the deflection. With the enemy sword now off bnce and Apollo in close proximity, the boy lunges forward with a swift, controlled thrust and prates his enemy''s defences. "Argh!" A painful cry can be heard as Apollo''s thrust is directed at his opponent''s torso, aiming for a gap in the armour. The de moves in a straight line, powered by the strength of the boy''s legs and core. Lightning was poured in and the prime energy supplied every part of his body finally stabbing his opponent. The seasoned warrior hunched his body in pain while the boy suddenly let the massive electricity in his body prate his enemy. From his limbs to the tips of his already prated de, the mass of electricity travels. The ground shook with his force until a figure fell on the floor. "Haaa...." a slow phase of breathing can be heard as the boy sits on the floor, his hand bleeding from tightly gripping his sword. "I won" He added while looking at his hand. [I will heal you now] "Okay" "Jeremiah" [Yes] "Did I do great?" [Of course, you did great, you did excessively great for fighting an opponent who had more experience and skills than you. You didn''t even use any of your stat points even though you could have overpowered him using it. You rely on your analytical skills and the abilities you already have to win this fight] Hearing those words made the boy smile, he felt like all his cuts and bruises disappeared. "After this, we should look for more of them" [Let''s use the power of the Death stone! We haven''t tested it!] "Alright prepare it for me" [I will] As the boy rested his weak body, he never realized that he had never even known who was his opponent and even the fact he never let his appearance be known. He immediately engaged in a fight that he had forgotten to introduce himself. "Do I even need to know every person I need to kill?" the boy thought as he finally realized his hood remained covered in his face. Chapter 176 Succumbing to Darkness The sewer drain at first didn''t really bring many disadvantages towards the mages, however as they continued venturing the ce a heavy looming pressure began to surround them. "An artifact" One of the mages from the association said while taking out his staff. As he continued to move with great caution a sudden rumbling sound caused him to halt his movement. From the faint rumbling sound, a sudden shaking followed up until a figure burst through the wall and went to the next one. "What the hell was that?" he eximed then another scary thing happened when a raging energy began to follow that figure like a bloodthirsty bull. "I should go to the opposite passage," he thought so as he ran away from the site of the fight. . . . Apollo''s Pov "Haaaa....." I breathe feeling all my wounds healing. "I really thought my pain tolerance was high but the pain that fights brought on me was immense" Since my body is that of a mage moving and executing ki cirction from one weapon art to the other put great pressure on my body. A normal mage would have died but since I have the system I was able to survive and even won a fight. [Your body has received too much strain after that fight, I rmend that you switch to casting spells instead] Find your next read at empire "Yeah perhaps so but now I should use the Death stone" [Please wait a bit more since I am fixing some parts of your tissues] "Alright" When my opponent and I fought, each time our swords shed the shockwaves of our des would do some small torge cuts on me. "Mirror Tenfold can''t mirror shockwaves since it wasn''t a direct attack on me, same goes when he sent me flying" For that skill to activate the spell or physical attack must directly hit me first, and since the skill Light of Aegis is here no attacks can easily reach me. Still feeling tired Iy down right beside the person I just yed. The scent of blood suddenly entered my nose making me scan the person I just fought and killed. "Now who could you be?" I said while my eyes nced at his dead face. [He is the king''s little brother] "He is?" [Yes Creator, while you were fighting I was scanning the city for any information and I found all the information of our enemies] "I see give it to me" A sh of multiple screens emerged in front of me, and along with the names of each individual, their stats were attached to them as well as their background. "This is some normal background," I said while swiping the screen to see the next ones. People with humble originster gain fame and fortune due to their skills. Why do people like them gamble with their lives into this mess? Just what exactly drives them to join the Crusaders and try to even kill the World Tree? [Creator, I thought you said the truth doesn''t matter] "I did" I have this feeling that if I found out the truth something inside me might be changed, so I was a bit concerned. One of my weaknesses is being easily swayed and sympathetic towards people, especially when I find out about their stories. Well, criminals are excluded from it, I am not softy when ites to punishing people either. [You had a chance to use Veritas a while ago but you simply didn''t] "You know before he died, hisst words were his daughter" A painful smile escaped from me as I remembered how the life in his eyes disappeared. "What a loving father" While fighting him I felt a great sense of respect and thus I didn''t try to copy his swordsmanship. Even though I am mad at for them trying to kill an innocent tree, I still can''t help but feel respect towards them. His style of fighting was also very raw and pure of strength. I wonder what would happen if I fought someone good in deceptive attacks. "That would definitely be fun" [No it won''t, the healing is done Creator you may move] "Okay thanks, now then we need to see what this stone can do other than detecting people that had killed someone" While my hand began to touch the stone an unpleasant feeling began to touch my shoulders. "What is this?" I can''t help but say as the cold feeling spreads until it wraps my entire body. [The power of death is spreading] If that is the case, it means a lot of people are being killed right now. "Does the tower have any casualties right now?" [So far no, but I have detected plenty of heavily injured members, while the association have at least one casualty though their members are the least injured ones] "I see how about our enemies?" [We are currently outnumbered since they got reinforcements] "From where?" [From what I gathered it seems a waypoint is connected at this kingdom and to their allies, it seems other training halls have colluding with the Crusaders] "Sigh, I should have used Veritas" [Forget about that Creator, I can scan the entire capital I shall look for more information while you fight, just take it easy okay] "Okay I will" While the entire sewer drain was drenched with the aura of death my sense became clearer. It seems the more blood spilt the more this stone and I grew stronger. My eyes suddenly red and the system showed me the stats of this item. [Item name: Stone of death Origin: A stone that was found in a lost dungeon 400 years ago, has been sold and used countless times until it arrived at a certain merchant, was sold and was used by a young aspiring mage. However, things took a turn when this dark element mage found out the side effects of using the item. In his delirious state, he ends up throwing the stone into a gutter. Usage: This can be used to see anyone who has killed someone. Absorbs death energy and can be used for necromancy. The dark matter inside can be harnessed and molded into anything the wielder desires Warning this item may consume its wielder! Be wary!] I see so that''s it. "Now then let''s use you" I then began to summon the power of the stone and a dark energy started to swallow me. It began to clothe me like a veil, it also felt like a cloak that softly touched my skin. I slowly breathed and saw numbers across the walls and passage of the sewer drain, but it wasn''t the only thing I could see. I can also see their vitals beating on point to keep them living. I felt like I could kill them the moment I touched their bodies. Everything feels like I am floating and soon I glided through the darkness that envelops me. . . . "Hmmm?...." "What is it, sir Arthur?" "Sonya stay here I a bit" he stated while striding towards a certain section of the corner. "Hmm.." he felt a sudden amusement when his instinct was right. Three bodies were lying on the floor dead by a bullet and throwing daggers. "Sir, is there something I should worry about?" "No, it''s okay..." Arthur suddenly halted his words making her subordinate Sonya worried. "Is there something behind me sir?" Arthur didn''t answer instead he did a sudden blink, a short-distance teleportation to transport himself behind Sonya. Witnessing that sudden move the young senior mage hurriedly began casting. "Came out" Arthur firmly said while an unexpected grin painted his face. Sonya who also saw that smile suddenly had a hunch what was going on. "Could it be?" she began to think but his eyes remain looking at the ce where Arthur''s back is facing. "Apollo I saide out, I know it''s you" he added confirming Sonya''s hypothesis. "Come out now or I''ll rip that dark thingy you are wearing" His voice became firm and strict though Sonya felt like he was just teasing the boy. Then a sudden movement transpires along the dark shadows of the drain. "Alright alright here I am" said a childish voiceing out of the corner. "What did I tell you" the senior mage began to scold the boy whose appearance was being cloth by a cloak of darkness. "Stay where you are and contact us if you encounter any enemy" "Don''t use that tone on me" "Sir Arthur can''t you see me I won''t be sliced off because of the artifact I am using" "Ah, because of that thing, Alya found you are bing arrogant no?" "It''s not that but the weapons in my arsenal are the ones that I am confident in" Then a rifle suddenly appears in his hand and smugly shows it to his father figure. "Look it''s good isn''t it?" "Did Gavin make this for you?" "Kind off I just made some modifications, oh Miss Sonya!" "Hi little sun it seems you have hunted more than you should" "Well that''s because I detected that reinforcements have arrived" "Reinforcements? How?" "There is a waypoint in this kingdom that is connected to their allied headquarters" Waypoints are natural-born transition portals that are created through the connection of massive mana pools and the massive spreading of ancient tree lines. Some trees or ponds are connected through their massive mana, this was the case because they are born from the same origin. Chapter 177 The Emperors Verdict Waypoints are natural-born transition portals that are created through the connection of massive mana pools and the massive spreading of ancient tree lines. Some trees or ponds are connected through their massive mana, this was the case because they are born from the same origin or parent. Examples of these are suckering types of trees, they propagate by producing new shoots or sprouts from their root system, which can eventually develop into new trees. These groves of trees are connected by their root systems. Which serves as their connection for the waypoint, ancient parent trees expand into thousands of kilometres and produce dozens of new shoots that are essible for travelling. The eastern kingdoms have a considerable amount of them, and the Crusaders must have acquired a parent tree to use for travelling. Back to Apollo who currently shares the information he got to Arthur. It seems he is bragging about his new creations. "So how did you get these mechanical soldiers you have?" "Sir Gavin gave me the scrap ones they no longer use so I made some modifications and tada!" A heavy sound of metal hitting the floor echoes on the dark drain, though the ground bes dented due to the soldier''s weight. Sonya on the other hand can''t help but gasp when five hundred giant silhouettes emerge from Apollo''s inventory. "Just how much space did your space ring have? Did the head give you a space ring the same size as a field?" "No, actually he gave me the size of a city" Since Apollo can''t reveal the truth about the inventory, he just lets them assume it was the space ring on his finger. However, hearing Apollo''s words made Arthur and Sonya surprise. "That old man sure spoils you a lot" Sonya voices her opinion seemingly amused at the situation. "So how exactly are you going to use these things?" Arthur began to ask as he scanned the towering mechanical knights. "About that I have this with me" A mischievous grin escapes from the boy''s face as he takes out something from his inventory. It was an object with a sleek, rectangr design with a t, touchscreen disy that covered most of its surface. The said screen upies the front panel, with minimal bezels around it. The back on the other hand was made of metal with a transparent ss covering. It also has a thin profile, making it lightweight and portable. "Now what do we have here" the senior witch said while looking curious since it was her first time seeing an object like what Apollo was holding. "This is the controller that I made with sir Gavin before, I already installed the map so it should make the navigation easier" "The Blue Moon tower sure has unique things inside, so how would this thing help us?" "Sir Arthur like I said it''s a controller, it controls the soldiers while the map will help us navigate and efficiently allocate the forces we have" "Then what about these blinking lights? Why are they different from each other?" "That''s us, our enemies, allies and the soldiers I just summoned, the colour on the other hand corresponds to to them. Red for enemies, green for allies and blue for the soldiers" "Oh, I see" "I get it now" "It''s so hard to exin these mechanical things to two mages who are more versed in offensive and ck magic" the boy thought as he continued exining the icons that filled the screen of the controller. "It is what you said, they have more numbers than us" the senior mage spoke while looking at the screen intensely. "I think the remaining enemies above went down here" Sonya added to Arthur''s words though the three tower mages weren''t satisfied. "Your map is iplete Apollo" "Sorry my control over the artifact isn''t that good, I barely hand it for hours so I am still trying to test it" "I think it''s already impressive that you can make a map like this, based on just an item you acquire in less than a day" Sonya praises their little troublemaker while taking out her staff. "ording to the map, it seems enemies areing this way" "We should start then" Arthur initiated even though he still did not fully understand the mechanism behind the controller. "Before we start let us first put the finishing touches" Apollo began to say while the ck cloak that continued to cover him began to spread out. It started creeping on the humid ground of the sewer drain, and then the dark matter crawled on the sturdy metallic bodies of the soldiers and swallowed them. As it continues to envelop them a sudden mask slowly seeps through the surface of the soldiers. "Are you trying to hide them using the artifact?" "Yes, that way we can have more chances of winning because those guys can easily slice walls like butter it won''t really matter if it''s metal. But it''s not like I don''t trust the creations of the tower I just think that the caliber of our enemies is pretty high" "It''s okay, it''s good to be cautious, well I should handle the ones that areing here, sir Arthur please stay and guard Apollo" "It''s okay Sonya go I got the boy covered" And so the ughter continued with Apollo losing all his precious newly modified mechanized knights though the line of mages won the fight. However it didn''t end there, the royal family of the Lumen kingdom was under investigation due to the king''s brother being one of the Crusaders. Not just him but most of the kingdom''s knights and famous swordsmen were found there. "Now then tell Lumen''s king, what is this so-called council?" A cold and piercing voice began to speak, while a pair of emerald green eyes surveyed each of the remaining royal family members. The room was deadly quiet and only the sound of the rustling curtains could be heard. The emperor remained looking at them while his blonde golden hair swayed as the wind began to touch it, despite his calm appearance the tension was already rising with each passing second. "Your majesty, the council was made as a counterpart for the Mage Tower and Mage Association, however the difference between the two sides is that the council is made of martial artists and weapon masters, while the Tower and Association is made of mages. We built this organization specifically for the benefit of the empire" The King said as he tried his best to convince the emperor. "Counterpart? The benefit of the empire? How can you call it benefit when you are all benefitting on your own terms? And the fact that this organization haven''t been approved by me means that I could consider this an act of rebellion" In reality, the imperial family has long known the existence of the council, they just don''t interfere with their business since they have been operating cleanly. However, it seems their new members are not adhering towards the organisation''s beliefs. Inside the continent, there are four powers that support the empire aside from the four dual families. The Aster Academy at the west, the Wizard Tower at the south and the Mage Association in the north. As for the East, they have the elusive Council, which only operates secretly. "Your majesty I can assure you that the council was made for the best interest of the people, it''s just that, right now we are facing a massive problem" "Let me guess the Holy Crusaders? perhaps that is what keeps your little group from even reporting to me" The King and the rest of the royal family went silent with his words. It''s as if something had cut off their tongue. "Speak although I already know everything about these crusaders, I still want to know why none of the council tried to stop it from happening. And now the World tree is in danger" Each word the emperor said sent a nerve-wracking chill to those who heard it. He may look calm but he is simply a silent beast that rages deep inside, a very calm storm. "Your majesty if you have known the truth, then please understand us, we simply can''t kill our own kin" The King spoke again though his eyes felt like a bottomless pit of sadness, but in great contrast, the emperor remained devoid of any expression. His face was cold and remained neutral. Explore hidden tales at empire "Neos" Augustus began to speak the king''s name as he became even more terrorizing. "I, once killed my brother to save a kingdom, howe none of you canmit the same act? Why, did all of you hesitate when you all know the consequences of what they are doing?" None try to speak, for they knew what happened towards the youngest brother of the emperor. "You said the council is for the people but when you are all needed to make a move you hesitate to take it, to do it, to stop something that should have never happened" "From today onwards the council is abolished, any meeting and gathering under its name will be considered as a rebellion against my reign" After giving his decision the emperor stood up from the throne of King Neos and walked past the kneeling guards and royal family members. Chapter 178 Hunting the Crusaders Apollo''s Pov The operation at the kingdom of Lumen ended well, and fortunately, despite the ruckus I made while I fought the king''s brother, nothing happened to the city and its people. We are fortunate that an archmage like Linda was there, she and the rest of the mages made sure that no innocent people would be harmed. Even when the very road the people were walking to was already gone, they made sure they wouldn''t be able to notice it. For the ordinary folks, it was just another ordinary day but for us, it was nerve-wracking how we needed to make sure no one would notice the ughter that was happening. One of the Emperor''smands at that time was no harm shall fall on the people of Lumen, so we made such a move. However, I was a bit confused as to why they had to resort to such use of magic. The conquering spell that was used on Scinti was something that could be destroyed but at the expense of the city. They could have put a more secure spell but they chose to execute that. There is only one thing that I realized, they were simply testing the Crusaders, if they were pure evil then would never care about the people''s lives and hurriedly destroy the spell despite the result being the city''s destruction. However, if they weren''t that bad then they would never do such a thing and the result is how we saw it. The mages of the tower were simply curious and so they made such a move. It seems he was right a mage''s driving point will always be their curiosity. However, I felt that curiosity was misced there. Putting those things aside we still need to aplish another task from the emperor. Eliminating the Crusaders and finding the cure for the World Tree. I am currently wearing my protective gear which is technically a nano armor hidden by the mage robe I am wearing. Sir Gavin and the rest of the Blue Moon tower mages have finally created some significant advancements with their research. That is why this nano armour is more efficient than before. Find adventures at empire "It feels even lighter!" I exim while moving my body to examine the armour. "Can''t we join you guys on the hunt?" Mckenzie asked while embracing his sword. It seems he wants to go. "Child the previous hunt was set up with a powerful conquering spell, so the tide of the battle was leaning on us, but now it''s different. We will attack their headquarters so it will be more dangerous. And who knows if those people had set up an anti-magic circle, so stay" Jonaf a mage from the Red Sun tower said while Sonya convinced the other children not toe. "Apollo do you think you can fix these mechanical knights that we lost?" asked Sir Arthur while I could only shake my head in answer. "The core that enables self-healing and power of the soldiers was sliced off, and with its parts cut to pieces it''s impossible for me to so fix it" "I see then how many soldiers do you have left" "Around a thousand, I think it should be enough" "I am a bit worried perhaps we can notify the Blue Moon tower for more soldiers" "I don''t think they can produce more since I already took most of the able ones and scraps they have" "Still we should notify them, perhaps they can give us some back up" "Okay I will send a message" I then tapped mymunication bracelet and a projection of a keyboard appeared. Immediately I tap the message I want to send. "It''s okay I already sent it" "Good now let''s do a little recap of what we need to do, first a grand spell will be castpromised by sixteen Archmages, this will envelop the ce where the said enemy headquarters is located. Afterwards, we will bomb them once we confirm that they are indeed there. After the bombing, we will clean up the surroundings and kill any surviving enemies. One of the Emperor''smands is to keep a distance and never engage in closebat, so prepare long-distance spells" "Yes sir!" They all answered while the mages from the association took out their staff and wands for better aiming and casting. This operation is divided into many different teams that will simultaneously attack the alleged headquarters of the Crusaders. Other than that some smaller teams will begin capturing some Crusaders members, whose locations are hidden inside some training halls in the eastern kingdoms. Finally, the strongest forces are located at the World Tree, which is where Grandpa Alger is currently located. Their main job is to halt the tree''s degrading state. "I wonder if will it work," I thought while we began to move towards our respective teleportation circles. I hope we can find the information we need to save the World Tree, however, if we fail then I suppose I must step forward. . . . Iron de training hall of the kingdom of Sra, a training hall used by crusader members as a cover for their meetings and gatherings. One of the few alleged headquarters that was found on one of the memories of the capture members. There are multiple meeting ces found and the exact headquarters is mixed among them. So to counter these, the mages of the tower and the association, apanied by the imperial soldiers, decided to divide themselves into multiple groups to simultaneously capture them. Apollo with some of the mages of the Blue Moon tower, came with multiple controllers on their hands to easily manipte the mechanical knights which will participate in the hunt. However the boy has other ns, he doesn''t want to stay with the rest of the blue moons so he asks Arthur to let him go inside the training hall. "I can''t just let those essences go to waste," the boy thought as he received Arthur''s permission. "What a spoiled young mage" Gavin teased while giving another round of maintenance checks on the mechanical knights before being deployed. "Hehe see youter sir Gavin" "Yes see youter little sun, wait just a sec use this" he said before throwing a poach. "What are these?" "Toys, be careful using them, okay" "I will" The boy then happily took his hood while a veil of darkness loomed around him. "That artifact sure is useful," the senior mage thought as he finished the maintenance check. A few hours went by, and inside the training hall, the members of the Crusaders started packing and erasing any traces that could be linked to their ominous n. However, while they continued to burn the files and some documents, the mes started moving aggressively. "Mages!" "An attack!" "Quickly destroy everything" They eximed while panic began to consume them. It was an unnatural panic since they have an unbreakable will and calm mind, which are assets they are proud of. It was something that every martial artist and weapon user is proud of. [Notification Alert! The skilled Oppressor has been active! The entire city is under its effects decreasing 70% of the enemy''s willpower! Alert! Enemy morale has been decreased! Debuff has been added!] No matter how strong a will is, under the might of the system''s created skill, it would crumble immediately. Amongst the panic, multiple figures began to take action. Silently from the shadows, a person began to emerge, his ck armour and cloak were blending well into the darkness. He surveys the area and spots multiple people fleeing the scene. Then that figure finally strikes using capsr grenades aiming for his first target. The projectile glints in the dimly lit room, but despite the panic those crusaders were quick to react, deflecting it with their metal gauntlets and swords. Explosion transpire but the darkness remains. Soon spells storm in snapping the panic out of the fleeing people. With their sanity restored, their senses were able to pick up dozens of multiple opponents, and with their worry gone they rushed forward to attack. They charge forward with their sword drawn, engaging in close-quartersbat. Their movements are aggressive and precise, showcasing their expert swordsmanship and enhanced physical strength. Their opponents on the other hand are metallic knights created through the use of technology and magic. Among those inhumane machines, a child-like figure can be seen standing. That figure soon joins the battle, countering his enemy''s de with his own sword. He parried and dodged with graceful, fluid motions. The sh of des rings out as he uses his agility to stay out of his enemy''s powerful strikes. The unique trait of an archer can be seen being utilized. However, the mysterious figure remains hidden by his dark cloak resulting in his opponent feeling dreadful. With his mind being influenced a voice began to speak. "KNEEL" Commanded by the voice and immediately the warrior fell and kneeled. "What?" he questioned, baffled by the situation however before he could even recover, a de was already aiming at his neck. "Damn it!" he eximed coating his body with aura. Chapter 179 Hunting the Crusaders part II "KNEEL" Commanded by the voice immediately the warrior fell and kneeled. "What?" he questioned, baffled by the situation however before he could even recover, a de was already aiming at his neck. "Damn it!" he eximed coating his body with an aura. A sound of steel shing reverberated as the swordsman''s aura managed to block his attacker''s strike. "Gravity one hundred times" said the voice and the force that pulls everything in its ce strengthened in a specific ce. A crushing sound came after and the swordsman''s body hit the floor. Auras are connected through the minds of their wielder, if they get distracted or waiver their aura will disappear. As soon as the swordsman''s body heavily hit the floor his mind became unstable. This moment was immediately seized and the ck figure nted his sword on his opponent''s body. While he had taken one crusader more explosions transpired with mages bombing the ce. Wind and heat mix together and hit the little silhouette who is standing among the mechanical knights. The rustle of scorching wind blew his hood and a hair of sunset rose among the burning ce. [Creator I have been noticing this fact ever since we fought some non-magic users] "What fact is it?" [Creator, despite them using swords I still haven''t seen anyone manifesting sword intent, all I can see are auras, wasn''t aura a martial intent? Shouldn''t it be exclusive to martial artist only?] "Not exactly Jeremiah, weapon users are also masters of hand-to-handbat, that is in case their weapon were to be broken mid-battle they could easily switch to bare hands. For your question about why we only encounter aura users, it''s because sword intent and other weapon intent are extremely difficult to achieve. Only a selected few can manifest it" [I see so that''s it, I wonder what will happen if we encounter someone with an aura and sword intent] "That, would be a disaster" the boy thought so while using the stone of death as his veil, however as he covered himself with darkness something suddenly pulled his attention behind his back. [Dodge!] His mana suddenly spikes up and his mind immediately conjures any spells that can be cast easily. "PANG!" A spell called Wind Hum waspressed and fired on the attacker''s face, giving Apollo time to cast another spell. The chanting bracelets on his wrist glow signifying its effect on assisting the mage who wears it. And with its assistance, the young mage was able to control his spell freely. "Gust" Apollo suddenly said casting another basic spell, a wind spell which the boypressed in his hand, and fire through the field hitting a person whose appearance was hidden by the surroundings. With two spells hitting their target the momentum of the attacker has died down. [That is a very useful stealth ability] "Jeremiah copy that" [Roger that] The gears of the system re in his eyes reading the flow of ki on his opponent''s body. With the flow of energy being visible in his eyes he could conclude what action his opponent would take, and efficiently prepare for it. Finally, the boy''s opponent answers the provocative spell that sted his face. He charges forward with his sword drawn, his movements swift and calcted. The boy on the other hand anticipates the attack, deflecting the sword strike with his own de. However, unlike his previous opponent, this one seems weaker thus Apollo was able to cast mid-level spells. The moment he deflected his opponent''s de, by taking it to the side he cast another spell and aimed it at his opponent''s face. A banging sound rang when he fired a fire spell but once the smoke cleared an aura had blocked it. "So he can do aura, I thought he was an assassin type" With Apollo engaging in closebat the spells from the mages didn''t seize instead they became even more fierce. They start targeting the very person he is fighting, though Apollo feels their interference is unnecessary since he has the mechanical knights by his side. Back to the boy''s opponent who uses his agility and enhanced reflexes to counter each spell and physical attacks that target him. This opponent seems to go faster with each passing second. Apollo just observes and sees how he uses his aura to cut through the high-level spells thate towards him. And as soon as he made another strike to cut another spell the boy immediately fired a bullet on his head. "BANG!" rang the gun while the bullet was dodged, though Apollo wasn''t the least surprised. Instead, he appeared right behind his opponent executing the same technique his enemy used, and made a powerful thrust. All his mana and ki were focused on one point to break through the aura shield. Though the bullet was sessful in wrecking the enemy''s energy. The sound of the flesh being thorn was heard apanied by a cry of pain however the de didn''t stop. It continued until it went through his body finally taking his life. [More enemies areing] "Okay" Everyone bes upied as the battle intensifies. {Apollo we have secured the documents so you can use your toys freely} "Ah, so the space spell work" The boy thought while dodging a saber that almost cut his throat. He then dodges a series of high-speed shes, and narrowly avoids a war hammer''s deadly strikes. Apollo counters with precise strikes of his own, using his sword to create openings in his opponent''s defences. "I have too many opponents" [Watch your back] "How about you help out" [Nah I like watching you fight] "Lazy" he mutters as he dodges another strike from the war hammer. Then he lunges forward to close the distance and stabs the person who holds the hammer. With one of his attackers gone, he switched gears to enhance his vision. "Change weapon" he whispered and his hand shone and his weapon changed, a bow now resting on his hands. He immediately draws its string and magically three arrows emerge. As he let it go the air made a whistling sound as the arrows flew through the air. "Argh!" "Where did these arrowse from" "Damn it!" A smirk emerges on the boy''s face seeing how the darkness from the stone of death masked the arrows'' presence. "Hoo.." the boy draws his breath as hebines his spell on the tips of the arrows. "Go" hemanded and the wind spell inside the weapon blew up as soon as he released the string. Then as it flew, it began to multiply shooting the three people who were about to attack. With those three dead, he immediately changed his weapon and paid heed to Jeremiah''s words. [Someone ising be prepared] He held his sword and steadily blocked the invisible sword that came towards him. However, his new opponent is relentless. He uses his superiorbat skills and tactical knowledge to adapt to the boy''s fighting style, countering with a series of powerful blows that test the boy''s patience. As the fight intensifies, Apollo deploys a series of spells, creating a thick cloud that obscures their vision. He uses the cover to reposition himself andunch a surprise attack from above. This made his opponent momentarily disoriented by the smoke but quickly recovered. He uses his advanced senses to track the boy''s movements,unching a barrage of sword shes to flush him out. Find exclusive stories on empire But as the smoke subsides he discovers an empty ce with no one standing there. Only the floor full of sword shes can be seen, no cloaked enemy, instinct then kicks in telling him to run. However it was toote, a gunshot rang and before he knew it blood was already flowing out of his body. "Damn it" he could only say as he finally sumbed to the darkness. "Are they more?" [Yes, but we should probably keep some alive since we need them for information] "Alright, by the way, can you scan the ce and see if we can find anything here" [I was about to suggest going around the training hall since I have scanned something, it''s good you have thought of it] "So what did you scan?" [I found a faint fluctuating energy underneath the training hall, here is the map] "I see I''ll go there" Then the boy pulled his cloak and immediately disappeared. The mages of the tower on the underhand just look at each other before summoning their spirits to track down the boy. Among them was Arthur and Gavin who immediately looked at the marker they put on Apollo. "He is going down?" Gavin said feeling a bit confused but continued to move his fingers to manipte the mechanical knights. . . . "It''s so dark" Apollo can''t help but voice out while taking a hidden passage he discovers through Jeremiah. [Just continue walking Creator!] He voiced out making the boy curious as to what energy Jeremiah sensed. Then at the end of the narrow tunnel, a room wees him. "What the hell is this" the young mage couldn''t help but exim as he saw what the room contained. Chapter 180 His wrath Before arriving inside the room Apollo first saw wall-mounted sconces with candlelight that provided a soft glow that illuminated the path until he arrived at the door. Opening it he first saw parchment scrolls and maps of every Word tree extension that can be found in the empire, they all hung on the walls. Then right beside the walls is a chalkboard andrge sheets of parchment disy withplex alchemical symbols and equations. At the center of theb is arge piece of wooden workbench cluttered with various alchemical apparatus. There were ornate ss alembics, retorts, crucibles, and distition apparatuses. These tools are often intricately designed, with borate metalwork and delicate sswork. Cauldrons which bubbles with mysterious liquids over open mes and small hearths, casting a warm, flickering light. Though the scent it expels was the least pleasing but boy decided to ignore them. Then there are also cobblestone and crystal vials. This dimly lit room built by wooden beams and stone walls that Apollo found also contains, shelves that lined up with leather-bound tomes, ss jars filled with strange ingredients, and antiquated tools. However, it wasn''t the part that made the boy livid. At the very center of theb right behind the wooden workbench, is arge ss tube with a mysterious glowing liquid inside it, the liquid was greenish but then if you focus enough you can see something floating inside the ss tube. "What the hell is this" the young mage couldn''t help but exim as he saw what the room contained. "Are they conducting some kind of experimentation here" he added while a frown reigns over his face. "That one thing on the tube" he began to say as he approached right in front of it. "Why?..." the boy''s thoughts began to be in shambles as he confusingly thought "Why do I feel you are familiar to me?!" He then gently touched the ss tube and felt the existence of the tiny shard of wood, or perhaps a root. "Familiar feeling and a wrath that came out of nowhere" "Where exactly are these feelingsing from!" [Creator calm down!] The boy stared at the shard still shaking with anger until he soon calmed down. "Let''s search the ce first, give me all the information you can gather" [I will Creator] Apollo then looks at the piece of root inside the tube and slowly his eyes soften. As he closed his eyes he began tracing the feeling and where exactly he felt it before. [Creator I have found a piece of disturbing news, I suggest consulting the other mages about it] "Okay," he answered though his eyes still closed. "World tree" he mutters, then he finally opens his eyes. "They took a part of her" he added looking like a calm raging storm. Jeremiah remain silent as if agreeing to what his Creator said. The boy might remain calm, but deep inside he wants to break everything inside the room. "This is a piece of the world tree right?" [Yes it is my Creator] Apollo clenches his teeth angry but also confused at his own feelings. He doesn''t know why he has emotions that he knows he shouldn''t have. They keep appearing making him feel he is missing something. It''s as if he is longing for something very important, yet he doesn''t know anything about it. The boy sat right in front of the tube still looking at the floating piece of the world tree. "Jeremiah tell me what did they do to her?" For a moment the artificial intelligence doesn''t know what to say. Should he start by asking why his Creator referring to a tree as her? Or should he first mend the emotions he currently has? However, Jeremiah buried those things away and hurriedly reported what he found out. [After analyzing the ce, I found three things. First is the use of flesh from Nirvana, I have confirmed that they used it to extract life from the tree. Second, there is an experiment here that discovers a way to store the extracted life from the tree. Andstly, it seems the Crusaders had some connection with Nirvana''a old friends] "You mean the so-called gods of the revolutionary church?" [Yes, records say that they came into contact with the Crusaders and gave them the means of killing the World tree, a mage''s source of power] "Heh, to think they would leave such evidence here" [It seems they are confident no one will ever find this ce, and so they dly leave everything here] "Now it makes me wonder if there is any alchemist capable of doing this thing" [There must be, we have records from the secret library and the ones given by the emperor, we can do a search] "Then give me some samples about the most notorious alchemist to the most notable and famous ones" [I will Creator, I also extracted some faint mana signature, perhaps we can use this to trace our mysterious alchemist] "Alright, thank you" He merely said while looking at the root inside the ss tube. He was unusually quiet and seemingly calm however deep inside his consciousness, Jeremiah can feel the turmoil that is brewing inside. "Hoo.." he began to breathe slowly trying to release his pent-up stress. "It seems I need to go to the world tree" he finally decided until multiple sounds of footsteps rang at the other side of the path he had taken. [Those are not the mages we are expecting] "Yes I know" he just said while fixing his posture. "I am extremely mad now, I will probably use them to relieve some of my stress" The steps began to approach their location and now the boy immediately took his veil while releasing a vicious energy. That said energy creeps into the ground until it knocks into the group of unknown people. It especially targeted the five mages who were among them. This disrupts their spellcasting, causing them to stagger and lose focus. "I will not let you guys have a decent death" The darkness intensifies as the spell Manus maledicta takes effect. Burn charcoal hands suddenly spawn on the tainted ground, grabbing the bodies of the five mages. With them being caught Apollo emerges at the narrow passage, taking advantage of their current location. Five magical circles came up signifying five spells simultaneously being cast. "Combination spell, Five elements" Earth, wind, fire, water and darkness, five elements became one and turned into a singr spell. It was a type of fusion magic that left his opponent staggering, though it wasn''t enough to kill them. [They have a heavy knight] The boy just nodded seeing a singr shield that shines to block his powerful spell. Apollo just stares at them before summoning a weapon. "Let''s see how strong your shield is" A weapon that was shaped like a drill and a handle like a spearnded on the boy''s hand. Despite its size, it didn''t seem to bother its wielder. And as soon as the spell finishes sting its targets, the boy lunges forward targeting the shield that blocked most of the power of his spell. Ki began to circte across his body boosting his muscles with strength. The sound of steel hitting echoes until another sound takes over. It was the sound of something drilling. Sparks then flew away as the spear began drilling the shield. Experience more on empire The high rotational speed and focused application of force, became abination that allowed the weapon to exert significant pressure on the shield, until cracks finally emerged. The boy on the other hand had his left hand cast a spell while the right hand held the drilling spear. "I said no one will cast anything" Apollo voiced out seeing the five mages trying to cast a spell despite slowly dying due to the spell Manus maledicta. Air suddenly disappeared leaving ten people suffocated, then as their breath almost seized, warm energy began to be focused on a single point. The ten people felt their demise wasing and they hurriedly tried to flee, however with their path being too narrow they weren''t able to move. Especially the guy who holds a shield since a drill was right in front of him. Soon fissures spread out and broke the golden shield leaving the knight injured and defenceless. Apollo remained serious without any reaction to what just happened, then finally he spoke his spell. "st out inferno" A red magic circle began to be drawn in the air, taking advantage of the shield''s destruction it blew up the entire passage. "Jeremiah" [Yes] "Make sure this ce won''t break" [I will] After eliminating his unnecessary guest he began to chant again. "Darkness element Necromancy magic, Veritas" A dark tainted smoke appeared on the ground before grabbing the souls of the people he just killed. They scream in an eerie manner but the boy remains devoid of any emotion. "Now then tell me what you did to her" His voice was cold and oozing with bloodlust and even though those souls have no physical body, they began to tremble. Afraid of the little boy in front of them. Chapter 181 He wants to see the tree Gavin''s Pov He is mad, really really mad. Did something piss him off to look like this? Thest time he had this look was when we first met. His expression was devoid of any emotion while his eyes had this cold glint as if aiming to kill someone. It was the kid who had no love for anything until Astro intervened. However, why is he reverting to his previous self? That Apollo that didn''t seem interested in anything and only followed the head wherever he went. Why does he look like that? "Sir Gavin" "Yes?" I was suddenly taken aback when he suddenly spoke, especially with those cold-looking eyes staring at me. I felt like I was being scanned. "I will be keeping that" he voiced his demands pointing at the piece of the world tree. "Kid I think we can''t give that to you" "!?" I was suddenly rmed and concerned when a mage from the association spoke. "Don''t worry I am not asking for permission I am only informing you guys" Little Sun replied while his eyes reflected nothing but a silent beast. "Boy we know you y a role in finding this ce, but we can''t just hand over important evidence and piece of information" "I already gave you the information you all need, did you not read what I showed you? Are you blind or are you illiterate?" I was suddenly taken aback when his voice suddenly rose so high like that. Fortunately, the two mages he was arguing with didn''t speak, it seems they felt the sudden change in the boy''s behaviour. "Kid you alright? If I remember correctly you weren''t like those before" he asked seemingly worried about our little sun. Despite the rivalry between the tower and the association, we can still put our differences aside when ites to serious situations. "Oh my, are you going through puberty right now? Are you in that stage of your life where you are turning rebellious?" "Is that what''s going on?" "No I am not in that or anything" Apollo tried to exin and switch his tone to speak to the two mages from the association. "Kid we will give the shard but let us make a report first and ask some superiors, no worries we can just say we need to do some research after showing it to them, and then we will give it to you" They tried to exin fortunately Little Sun finally agreed though he seemed a bit disappointed. Witnessing this the two mages couldn''t help but change the subject. "Gavin" Arthur spoke suddenly making me surprised for a second. "What is it?" I answered as I shifted my gaze from Apollo to him. "Did something happen at the operation a while ago? Apollo looks a bit, angry?" "I think it''s because of the World tree, you know that any mage can go mad if they knew about this" "I am mad as well but I think Apollo wouldn''t be this out of control just because of that" "I know but let''s just observe the boy for now" Then as we continued our conversation a presence suddenly appeared behind me though I didn''t bother knowing who it was, but then a voice suddenly spoke surprising me and Arthur. "Sir Gavin" we both jolted and looked at the source of it only to see Apollo. "I want to see the World Tree" . . . Continue your journey on empire "Little sun is it because of the sacrifice thing?" Arthur calmly asked though Gavin just spoke whatever came to his mind. "It must be those council whatever members, they believe a sacrifice is needed for the health of the world tree" Apollo hearing those words just shook his head. "Trust me and let me see the tree" A pair of golden eyes stared at the two senior mages making them sigh. "We will ask for the head''s permission first, okay?" "Okay," the boy replied, his mood slightly elevated than before. "Oh by the way I want to show this to the two of you" Apollo suddenly said when he was about to leave theboratory. "I actually saw the waypoint, if we use it we can ess all the bases they have" "You did?" "Yes, I just forgot since my mind is a bit clouded" "It''s alright show us the way" Then the boy walked towards the copsed path he blew a while ago. Seeing the wreck ce the two senior mages remained silent. In their mind there is only one thing they thought of, "He is really pissed off" "At the end of this narrow path, there is a small tree, underneath it is a pond that connects to the other waypoints. You can check that out while I head towards the world tree" His statement made Arthur and Gavin silent. "Um... Okay," Gavin answered although he wanted to ask if the path really existed since all he could see was a massive hole. "I''ll be going then" The boy then turns back about to leave the undergroundboratory but Arthur stops him. "Apollo don''t be too hasty, if you really want to go to the world tree let me take you there" "Really thanks" The boy then smiled making the two worried mages happy. "I will do the report and stuff so don''t worry go ahead and do what you wish to do" Gavin just stated wanting to make Apollo smile. A few hours went by and more members of the crusaders got either caught or killed. And with their hideouts being discovered in just a matter of minutes made it impossible for them to defend themselves. The imperial soldiers also didn''t stay idle and went to imprison all members of the council, which consisted of the eastern kingdoms'' royals and heirs. All their authority and assets will now be under the imperial family. The Emperor also had the power to execute them without proper trial, that''s how dire their current situation was. Although no execution shall happen, they will only be under probation andter return to their proper positions. Back to Apollo who finally arrives at Sentor, a ce which belongs to the kingdom of Valoria. The kingdom where the World Tree is located. "You are too worried my child" Alger said as he weed the boy. "I want to see the tree" Despite the words of the head of the tower Apollo was adamant about visiting the world tree. This made Alger shake his head. "Alright you know I can''t say no to you" he spoke softly making the other high-ranking mages surprised. "Mage Alger, we have detected some intruders I think we should capture them before letting the boy approach the world tree" A knight from the imperial army said though Apollo just shakes his head. "I will be fine so let me in" The knight looks worried and instead looks at Alger, letting him decide. "It''s okay let the boy in" With those words from the head, the knight obeyed. "We will stand guard instead, so please be safe" After saying those words the knight bows before leading the way towards the barrier that protects the tree. "Mage Alger I suggest we do this quickly, I am too worried to make the boy stay here any longer" "It''s okay sir I can defend myself" The soldier justughed at the boy''s words before nodding. "Alright if you say so" In the eyes of many the word tree is still the same but for Apollo and some mages, it was merely a blurry spell put up to deceive the eyes of others. They walked around the spell until they arrived at the rift inside the barrier. This was made specifically for passage however only specific people are permitted to enter. "Here it is be careful" The knight was truly worried as he repeatedly said those words. "I will be fine sir thank you" the boy told him trying to assure the worried knight. With Alger by his side Apollo went towards the rift and entered. The air suddenly changed and the boy could only look up and observe the old majestic tree. "This" he mutters while a sudden pain washes over him. He couldn''t help but clench his fist while his eyes red with anger. "I know what you feel, I also had the same reaction when is saw this the first time, but it doesn''t mean I will let you sacrifice yourself. I love the world tree and respect its significant role in this world. However, your life is far more important to me. I don''t care what happens, I will choose you even if it means ruining this world" Alger said those words as he locked his gaze at the tree, it was still determined and didn''t waver a single bit. "Grandpa" "Yes my dear sun" "I will go" The old mage couldn''t help but close his eyes seemingly expecting those words. "You will be back right?" he questioned shifting his gaze from the tree to Apollo. "I will" Apollo smiled warmly as he said those words. He might be the strongest mage of his age but in front of this old man, he was still the same little boy he caught blowing up his own house. "Alright go inside" he finally lets him go wishing that he will return just like he said. The wind blew solemnly as if mourning the loss of someone important. Then this quiet ce turns stormy while the old mage still stands from where he was. "You are toote Isabe" Chapter 182 The flickering light Apollo''s Pov. When I first saw the world tree it was only in a piece of picture that brother Astro provided for me. It was beautiful, ginormous and magnificent but now it slowly dying. I still remember how brother Astro told me that the world tree is as big as a small city. Looking at it now he wasn''t really lying. It was really big making me and grandpa look like an ant. However, its state made me feel depressed. It once had a mighty trunk but now it''s gnarled and cracked. The bark, once rough and rugged, is peeling away inrge, irregr patches, revealing the pale, worn wood underneath. The branches, once thick and lush, stretch out like skeletal fingers, some devoid of leaves altogether. The remaining foliage is thin and wilted, shaded with hues of brown and gray. Its roots, which once dug deep into the earth with strength, are now exposed and tangled, struggling to anchor the tree as it weakens. Despite its state, the tree stands as a silent testament to its long, storied life, bearing the weight of its rule as the filter of this world. I can''t help but clench my teeth while the feeling of torment reigns in my heart. "I need to get closer," I thought and so I tried to speak. "This...." I wish to say something but grandpa voices his concerns first as if knowing the things I want to say. "I know what you feel, I also had the same reaction when is saw this the first time, but it doesn''t mean I will let you sacrifice yourself. I love the world tree and respect its significant role in this world. However, your life is far more important to me. I don''t care what happens, I will choose you even if it means ruining this world" His words made me happy, but I know losing one tree will be the death of the others, because they are connected to each other. "Grandpa" I spoke feeling that I must really do something. "Yes my dear sun" "I will go" I said letting my feelings reach him, although I couldn''t see his face because he was looking at the tree I knew he was conflicted. "You will be back right?" he questioned shifting his gaze from the tree to me, so I answered wanting to reassure my precious grandfather. "I will" I smiled warmly as I said those words, I hoped in that way I could calm his mind. "Alright go inside" He finally gave his consent making me ecstatic, and so I warmly hug him before running towards the world tree. "I will be back grandpa!" "Yes, this old man shall wait!" he shouted while I dashed towards thergest trunk I had ever seen. [Creator! I found a path underneath thoserge roots. It seems that is the ce the crusaders use to extract the life of the tree] I can''t help but grit my teeth angry at what they did to her. Wait who is her? I became confused and didn''t know what thoughts I was having. [Creator now go inside that path and follow the arrow I am showing to you] "Okay" I decided to bury those thoughts and only focus on the things I needed to do. . . . The wind blew solemnly as if mourning the loss of someone important. Then this quiet ce turns stormy while the old mage still stands from where he is. "You are toote Isabe" Alger said feeling the arrival of a certain witch. "Where is my son Head" "He went inside" "What!" Isabe hurriedly runs towards the tree however try as she might she can''t find the entrance Apollo just used to enter the tree. "No no no...where it is where did my son go" She began to say, panic had consumed the senior mage. "Why can''t I find the ce he went!" She doesn''t know what kind of sacrifice her boy has made but she won''t sit still and let her little boy risk his life for this. "Isabe" called the head of the tower, witnessing her desperate attempts to see her son made Alger more worried. Her hands were already bleeding from trying to dig up a way inside the tree. Though she doesn''t have any intention to stop. "Wait I just need to check if he was okay" Her voice would quiver while desperately searching through the roots. Alger can see she wants to cast a spell but her heritage being part of the Lancaster family makes it impossible. They value the tree so much that they almost worship it. Isabe can''t raise her hand against the very thing that gave life to spirits. However, seeing her child in danger her thoughts began to run wild while her mana began to fluctuate. She is about to cast a spell. Its power would be strong enough to blow up an entire city. "ISABELLA!!" Alger shouted snapping her out of the wrong decision she was about to make. "Trust your son, and don''t jump to conclusions as he will die" He added though his words made the young senior mage cry. As her emotion burst it suddenly reached seven beautiful beings. Seven insignia then glows and wakes up due to their master''s emotions. (Don''t worry master we will protect him) Voices then began to speak and seven different silhouettes emerged surrounding Isabe. (We will go inside and protect him so be calm our master) Isabe''s seven spirits came to aid their master in soothing her worried mind. They smiled trying to assure her as they observed her state turn calm. After knowing she was fine, they immediately flew towards the home of many spirits in the eastern kingdoms. Seven streaks of light then pierce through the clouds before going inside the tree. The sky began to change as well as if dusk and dawn werebining together. Despite this neither Alger nor Isabe notice it. "Thank you" she could only say while her worry slowly disappeared. . . . Inside the World tree, at first, the boy thought it would be dark and murky however his worry is the direct opposite of what he is seeing. The interior of the tree is a vast, hollow field with walls formed by intricately twisted wood, lined up with luminescent fungi and bioluminescent moss that bathe the space in a soft, ethereal glow. The roots and branches weave through the space like natural pirs and arches, creating awork of pathways and nooks. Apollo felt a sudden emotion as if it wasn''t the first time he had gone there. "Is this what they call deja vu?" [Are you certain it''s your first time here? I can feel your soul has a lingering attachment towards this ce] "I don''t know either but I believe I will find the answer here" And so they walked even more only to see a dazzling set of lights. "Whoah" he can''t help but exims while his small silhouette gets swallowed by a legion of dancing light. Thousands of glowing lights simr to fireflies emerge, their lights dancing among the tree''s wooden silhouette. The golden, flickering illumination contrasts beautifully with the cool, silver light of the bioluminescent moss, casting an enchanting, rhythmic disy on the walls. Despite the ce being inside a tree trunk, the air is filled with a gentle hum as the lights move in harmony. With the lights dancing around, the boy finds himself enchanted. "Those are..!" [Spirits] Jeremiah continued Apollo''s words knowing how mesmerised his Creator is. "All the spirits living in this World tree, came here to prolong its life" For three years they didn''t obey their master''s summons and instead remained here. Using thest bit of their power to heal the world tree. "If they have the power to prolong the life of the world tree. Howe none of them try to defend it from the culprit who did this" he mutters as he makes his way amongst the ocean of lights. However, as he did so a sudden chill ran down his spine. "I can feel them" he mumbles when he realizes that some of the weakened spirits began following him. It seems his leaking mana became the beacon for them to gather around the boy. "They can feel me....so it seems they can sense me through my mana, now I wonder...." he spoke cryptically while the atmosphere surrounding him changed. "I wonder why none of the spirits can sense you," he said as he approached a group of shadows, they stealthily made their way towards this ce. "I am asking you!" ck-tainted energy emerges from his body as his bloodlust sparks up his power. However, this change made the flickering power of the spirits go down even more. [Creator the spirits!] "Jeremiah used the copied authority of the God of space and trapped us all inside it!" Hemanded and immediately golden lights danced across the hollow space. Apollo was worried not just for the spirits but also for the tree. If they were to fight then it would seriously weaken the already dying tree. He couldn''t let it happen so he made the order of trapping him along with five strong crusader members. "Jeremiah boost my stats but leave some because I will be needing itter" [I got it, Creator] Then as soon as he gave thatmand his body was bathed with light. With his wrath, he summons his mithril staff and spear. "Automatic Machinery, weapon fusion" Chapter 183 The fight under the tree As the authority of God of Space took over. The entire sealed area became Apollo''s territory. Without wasting another second he made anothermand. "Automatic Machinery, weapon fusion" Two weapons emerge from his palms, one is a silvery white staff with a touch of color blue on its surface, while the other is a ck spear with blue markings on it. As soon as those two weapons appeared one of the five looming shadows lunged forward, finally revealing his ded weapon. The swordmaster charges fast appearing right in front of the boy. As his sword gleams, he swings his arms to give a powerful horizontal cut aimed at the boy''s midsection. However just like any fight he had encountered the boy already calcted his move, making him anticipate the attack. To answer the horizontal cut the young mage quickly conjures a barrier to block the strike. Apollo then held the newly created weapon as he weed the spearman who stealthily charged along with the swordsman. These two n to use the swordmaster''s precise strikes to disrupt the mage''s focus, while the spearman would use his weapon to keep the mage from moving freely. The spear''s thrusts would force the mage to stay on the defensive. Unbeknownst to the two advancing masters their opponent had already predicted that move. And so Apollo circted his ki across the circuits of his body, while his mind conjured a spell and made his mana spike up deep within his mana pool. The skill master weaponist was also activated giving the boy a boost. The spear arrived as soon as the sword met the barrier. The young mage then made a counter by casting a spell, mudflow. This spell disrupts thendscape causing the two weapon masters to fall back. [Enemy Aura has been activated, my Creator] The distraction was short-lived because their powerful auras and ki control made the spell useless, though that didn''t bother Apollo. The short amount of time the spell gave made it possible for him to cast a more high-level spell. A magister-level spell immediately fires up as soon as they try to attack. The spell Storm activated but it wasn''t the only one that sted the face of the intruders. Inside the newly formed weapon between the spear and staff, a spell came outbined with the spell, storm. Abination spell Firestorm was created, a type of fusion magic that left the ground burning. As soon as the spell was sessfully fired Apollo tried to reposition himself, however, before he could even move the mes made by his spell were sliced through. The attack that turned the mes into nothing didn''t stop but instead continued forward until it reached the boy''s position. The little mage remained calm and shifted the weight of his body smoothly dodging the strike. [Arrows, iing!] Warn by Jeremiah and so Apollo activated one of the spells stored inside his weapon. As he did so his vision saw three weapon masters alreadying towards him. "Manus maledicta" From the holy ground of the World Tree, burned charcoal hands suddenly spawn on the soil of the hollow space, grabbing the bodies of his five opponents. Apollo just smirked when he saw how the hands grabbed the dozens of arrows that almost prated his barrier. [3 seconds before your opponents break your spell] The boy just nodded and changed the rhythm of his magic. Sparks suddenly rise from his body as he casts one of his most powerful spells. "Thunder Aura" he chanted then his ears picked the sound of his spell breaking. He immediately moves while arrows follow his body. [To the left] Despite his speed his five opponents were still able to track his movement and before Apollo knew it he was already surrounded. [Should I activate it now?] "No, it''s too destructive" Jeremiah felt restricted and so he cast a spell based on his Creator''s arsenal. A green magic circle emerges turning into a rising tornado, this swirling wind has des surrounding its every turn. As the chaos rises Apollo wants to take this opportunity to cast another spell. However, a sudden energy shook the entire enclosed space. The source of such power is a master wielding an axe. The axe-wielder charges through the chaos, swinging his massive axe with brutal force. The young mage then quickly casts a basic spell to freeze the floor which was previously burned by fire. The axe-wielder slips but manages to recover, shaking off the ice with a roar. Apollo then runs across the field dodging more arrows that can easily break his defenses. "Jeremiah raise my guard" [I will] As he dodged more a spear suddenly pierced through the air and smoothly kept up with his speed. He almost didn''t sense it due to the arrows upying him. Fortunately, he managed to block the sudden strike using his weapon, however, it wasn''t his real problem. From his back is the axe wielder and to his left is the sword master which is about to release their attack. "The fifth one is missing" [I already pin him on the ground] "Good" Four strong opponents are about to attack however a singlemand made their movements stop. "Gravity 1000 times" A sudden force from the ground pulled them, they tried to fight back however they couldn''t even move a muscle. "It''s impressive you guys are still alive" He said as he cast his spell "Thunder Aura Zeus" The entire enclosed space became surrounded with light although none of the spirits would know what was going on. "Ah, don''t go near there" Gale warns a young spirit as it tries to approach the ce Apollo was fighting in. A sudden burst of energy runs through the field, and the single being standing is none other than Apollo. "I can''t believe it, you guys are still alive?" He said bewildered while an artifact shape like shield protected all five of his opponents. [That''s an artifact from a lost dungeon] "No wonder they survive" [It seems it is also the thing they used to remain hidden from the spirit''s detection] "Tsk, I''ll break that thing" [Careful Creator this artifact seems more powerful than the others] "I will keep that in mind" Lightning sparks because another spell is about to be cast. However, the young mage wasn''t the only one preparing to attack. Due to the grace of the shield artifact, all wounds of the five weapon masters disappear while an added boost prates their skin. And just like that, all the injuries they received a while ago healed. [...] "..." "Why do I feel that shield is too good to be true" [The stone of death was a useful tool as well, just a little different from that shield] Apollo could only nod his head as he raised his weapon, five spells then activated, and immediately it fired at the newly healed enemies. As the spell fires the boy can predict how the artifact will negate his spell. So he made amand immediately. "Jeremiah makes sure that shield won''t be able to shine again" [Got it] With Jeremiah''s assistance, the shield was jammed and wasn''t able to protect the five from the st of fivebined lightning spells, however. [They managed to block your spell with Armament] Apollo felt conflicted, he wanted to use a more powerful spell but he was worried about creating more damage despite the sealed space. [Dont worry Creator, anything that happens here won''t affect the outside world] "That''s good to hear" The marking of the spear suddenly glows while five silhouettes begin to charge forward. "Hoo..." he started to breathe as the lightning charged his entire body. "Thunder Aura, Negative lightning" Five strokes of mass electricity hit five targets however with Aura armaments it didn''t do much damage. [You must break their defence] "Yes I know" Since normal spells couldn''t prate the armament. Apollo then summons his spear. All the symbols and markings began to glow. [Creator they areing] "Tsk, I can''t cast properly" With his mind being upied with dodging and parrying attacks, the young mage can''t concentrate enough to be able to formte a spell. Because of that ki and mana began tobine and vibrate, making his strikes as strong as the five weapon masters. However, with five against one Apollo finds himself getting cornered. Then as he was about to get injured Jeremiah cast a spell firestorm to halt their enemies'' advance. Despite that spell, the spearman tries to close the gap, thrusting his spear through the swirling mes. The young mage, aware of the spearman''s advance, uses his weapon to manipte the spear trajectory, forcing the spearman to stagger and regain control. With the spear user disrupted, Jeremiah creates a swirling whirlwind that forces the weapon users to adjust their positions, disrupting their coordination. After that exchange, the dagger wielder attempts to close in using the shield''s remaining boost to breakthrough the spell. As he dart in and out of the young mage''s peripheral vision. Apollo was able to sense the approach and teleported to a new position, narrowly avoiding a flurry of dagger strikes. Chapter 184 Their story Apollo felt like this battle was going in circles, after they tried to approach him he would cast a spell and then repeat. The sequence was making him feel doubtful. He must do something to change the tide. So he charged his body with more mana making his speed go even faster. "I don''t know if this fight is going like this because they want me to run out of stamina" However, those men were truly incredible they were still able to track Apollo''s added speed. Arrows persistently follow while a spear strikes out of nowhere. The young mage didn''t really care instead his body began to emit a ck tainted veil. The stone of death is now active and with its power, his presence began to disappear. With their target gone the five weapon masters spread their senses to locate him, but they couldn''t find any trace about the boy''s whereabouts. Not until they heard a voice. "Gravity 1000 times" It said and a force began to pull them immediately. Their mind screamed asking for the shield to protect them but with Jeremiah jamming the artifact, their voices couldn''t reach the shield. It''s as if a flying aircraft is falling at maximum speed right on top of their shoulders, its strength is too strong for them to move. Though Apollo knows their bodies can immediately adapt to each damage it takes. That''s why he can''t repeat the attack he already did before. "Even if they are being pushed by a strong gravity it seems their armament is still there" It only means their will and mind are still in a stable state because their aura is still on. At this rate, Apollo''s spells won''t be able to prate if those armaments don''t break, though the boy has a different n. A dreadful force began to invade the space and a being corrupted to the core emerged. It was a demon-shaped human, while dark armour encased his body. "Damn it" They could only scream in their minds when a humanoid demon clutched the mithril handle of a bluish-ck spear. "Explode," said the being and the ground began to glow revealing something dangerous. Written on the ragged surface of the soil, are symbols most mages are familiar with. All of a sudden there is a threeyered magic circle drawn on the ground. "I wasn''t mindlessly running around, since I can''t cast properly I decided to draw it instead," said the vicious voice. A powerful conquering spell went down towards the five bodies, knocking their only way of defence. The armament is gone with their abilities drop to the bottom. Try as they might they couldn''t gather their thoughts as if something was blocking it. With their will and minds in shambles, their aura can''t be used. This chance was well taken by Apollo, as he held the spear in his hand symbols began to glow. Then the blue symbols started to part until the weapon turned into pure energy. Darkness thenbines with it until it bes tainted. "Kill them, Silver Cross" From its energy form, it began to turn into five lightning crosses piercing right into the heart of the five weapon masters. Weakened and stripped of their defences they still tried to defend themselves, but with the corrosive power of the darkness, their body could only ept their death. "Finally it''s done," the boy said before casting the spell Veritas. "Now then let''s see if you guys have anything that can save the world tree" ck smoke filled the burned ground while souls began to scream, however, the demon whom they angered didn''t seem to waver despite their heart-wrenching plea. . . . Continue your journey on empire Memories flood inside the boy''s head. The things that surrounded him began to change but the first thing he notices is a child, he was happily ying with his older brother in a crowded za. It seems a festival was happening seeing the streets are full of people and vendors are flocking in to earn money. Beautifulnterns fill the sky while street lights have intricate decoration. However, despite this beautiful scene, Apollo feels something is wrong. He could feel something was happening despite the happy atmosphere. "I wonder what is going on" he questioned though his eyes remained on the two brothers. "Hold on to me!" "Wait!" The people suddenly rushed in and with its force like a flood, the two little boys were immediately parted. Apollo just watches since he already expected such a thing to happen. "Brother!" the youngest shouted but no matter how much he shouted his voice would be buried with the noise of the passing people. "Here theye," the little mage said as he saw the reason behind the dark atmosphere that surrounded this festival. A group of people seemingly normal tourists stealthily took the lost boy and immediately put him to sleep. Apollo can tell that those people are mages. He can''t help but frown, not liking how the situation is unfolding. Suddenly from a festival, the event suddenly changed. Clicking chains began to be heard while sounds of hitting reached his ears. "What the" he can''t help but exim, then a familiar scent of blood fills his nose while the sound of pleading can be heard. Strangely Apollo saw himself on the little kids that was chained inside the cells of the dungeon. Whipped and cursed repeatedly, while their eyes were filled with grief as they tried to beg for the assault to stop. "What the hell am I watching" he felt confused and wanted to change the memory but it seemed Jeremiah was adamant about making him see this. "What can this change I already killed them" he could only say as he witnessed how those mages broke the kid''s innocence. He can''t help but clench his teeth as the experiment starts. Flesh was cut, limps were mutted and blood was spilled. The children that were abducted were all used and discarded if proved useless. Apollo remained watching until the season began to change. "Howe no one came for them" he muttered almost like a whisper, as he continued to listen to their grieving cries. He never knew mages could be this cruel. It was a side he never knew existed. He never knew they could discard lives like this as if they were merely tools for their curiosity. "Curiosity is what drives mages to grow stronger.....hah, so was this what you mean?" He spoke while looking at the young teenager amongst the prison children. It was Lumen''s king and his younger brother, to think they too were abducted, but unlike the other kids, they look determined to get out. Apollo continues to observe until another mage arrives and notices the eyes of the two little boys. "What''s this? Wanna fight? Hah! Go ahead and try. I highly doubt you can even hurt me" he smugly said while giving those two boys a shock through his magic device. "Ah! I almost forgot your older brother shall be crowned as king! How nice isn''t it? ...well it wouldn''t be surprising considering how much he earns from selling you two. Our very promising test subject...HAHAHAHA!" His maniacugh almost drives Apollo to travel back in time to kill him. He is very irritating to the extent the boy wishes he could forget all the consequences of time travelling so that he can cut that guy to pieces. If it weren''t for the fact he might change more than he intended he would have travelled back in time and prevented this event from happening. As he began to think that way the scene changed again and it was the day they were saved by the imperial soldiers. Apollo felt a sudden happiness as he watched them get rescued however that happiness was short-lived as he saw the victims suffer even after being rescued from those cells. Although they are free now their memories are still trapped inside that ce. They weren''t able to move on and instead suffered from those memories. They especially reacted whenever they saw mages, their bodies would react in such a way that violence would be the answer. Their emotion wasn''t stable and they became highly sensitive to anyone who used magic. Some tried to heal but repeatedly failed, years of torment were too long for the scars it left to be removed. Their desperation and journey, all of this was witnessed by Apollo and slowly the scene changes again. They became members of the council while steadily trying to live normally until someone approached them. Their offer was too tempting and their words pulled the strings they tried to cut down. "Don''t you want to live happily without having those nightmares? Without the fear of being a prisoner again?" "Come allied with us" They knew it was wrong however their words made them crave for a normal life. A life without remembering the beings that created their endless nightmares. And just like that, the memory ended without showing how to save the World tree from dying. On the other hand, Apollo finally opened his eyes though what''s hidden behind them is something he will only know. Chapter 185 He knows what to do [Creator, your decision] Instead of an answer he instead gave a reluctant sigh. "I understand their reason however it''s not an excuse for the things they did to the World tree. Just imagine the consequences if they seeded, this world will slowly die following the tree''s demise" "It was already toote since they already made their move. Their ending had already been decided the moment they epted that offer" the boy thought as he cancelled the authority of the God of Space. As he did so Gale and Bn ran towards their master. "You guys are here" "Master we felt your emotions are getting out of control so we came out" Gale stated while flying around Apollo. "I am sorry for that and thank you" his voice began to soften while his gaze changed. Then he shifted his gaze and looked at the seven silhouettes that floated among the other spirits. "By the way when did you guys arrive" "A while ago young master" Ifrit answered as he weed Apollo with a hug, though that action surprised the other spirits. "Alright, enough with this" Derus said an earth spirit which has the most powerful defence amongst the seven spirits. He then pulled Ifrit from hugging Apollo letting the other spirits speak to the little boy. However, their happy reunion didn''tst long since they could feel the sudden weakness of the tree. All of the spirits halted their movement even Apollo stopped and observed how the tree slowly dried out. "It''s dangerous here young master we must leave" Amihan suggested urging her little master to apany them out. "No, I''ll stay" "!?" "Young master!" "Trust me with this" Before they could even more protest Apollo had spoken first. Then hemanded "Take me to the heart of the World tree" All seven spirits of her mother and his dly obeyed hismand. And so with their power, Apollo found himself right in front of a glowing golden crystal. This ce can be said simr to the open space he has been to before. It was a vast hollow space with walls formed by twisted wood, lined up on its surface are shining fungi and moss. The roots are also beating with a strange light although it was only faint. The branches were also weaved the same way as natural pirs, supporting a huge vine that holds a crystalline golden stone. As the boy stares at it, a faint pulsating glow can be seen. "It''s the heart" The boy can''t help but say while the emotion of familiarity grew much more. His heart also began to beat so fast as if it was about to burst. Unfortunately, he doesn''t know if it was excitement or it was just him being nervous. "Are you okay master?" asked Buwan as he felt the changes in his emotion. "I am okay" He stated trying to reassure the spirit wolf and himself. "I can''t control my heart! It''s beating so fast I think it will burst from my body" [Should I interfere?] "No, but be sure to prepare the one I told you about" [Okay my Creator] While they have this conversation Apollo starts to approach the golden crystal while the spirits remain watching. Each step he took felt like something was pounding in his chest, while something deep within himself was responding to the weak powering from the stone. Jeremiah also felt it and for the first time in his existence, he began to feel something. It wasn''t the normal thing he scanned and sensed. It was a real emotion, raw and pure. This made the tiny wisp swirl around the boy''s consciousness. [Why do I feel like something hot is approaching me? What''s going on?] The artificial intelligence thought as his sensor began to go haywire. Something ising he could tell however he doesn''t know what to do. Apollo on the other hand finally arrived and only at arm''s length from the crystalline stone. The sound of his beating heart almost drives Apollo insane. It was the only thing he could hear besides his breath. "I should touch it" he started to think as if something was pulling him towards the heart of the World tree. "Slowly" he repeated inside his head as he slowly raised his hand to gently touch it. The boy was just worried that he might break it due to its fainting power. Then something happened, as soon as Apollo''s fingertips touched the surface of the heart a sudden surge of power struck him. Taken aback the young mage can''t help but shut his eyes as he tries to take reign of the said energy. {Finally you are here!} a mysterious voice suddenly spoke surprising both Jeremiah and Apollo. {Open your eyes so you can see me!} A gasping sound escapes from the boy''s lips as soon as he opens his eyes. "Where the hell am I?" {You inside my heart! Where my consciousness lies} "What?" he felt confused not knowing where the sound wasing from. He looked around but couldn''t find anyone. All his eyes can see is a vast golden field, but as he looks up a sky full of different colors and stars wees him. "Beautiful" he couldn''t help but say as the view mesmerised him. {The stars represent the number of spirits residing here while the colour of the sky, symbolizes the elements that serve as the fundamental foundations that consist in our nature} The voice spoke again however this time a little girl appeared before him. {Hey Apollo it''s been a while!} "What?" those words made him confused but he wasn''t able to react properly when the strange girl embraced him. {I missed you!} she added while tightly locking Apollo within her arms. This mysterious girl has golden hair simr to the field they are currently standing in, while her eyes are simr to the beautiful sky that surrounds them. [You know her!?] "I don''t!" [But she called you! Af?fec?tion?ally!] "But I have no idea who she is" [Are you certain Creator? Your soul is reacting to her, it seems you don''t remember but your soul does!] "That''s a bit deep Jeremiah" While the little girl happily enjoyed his warmth, Apollo and Jeremiah were arguing if they had any knowledge of her. "Excuse me, but have we met before?" he could finally speak after exchanging a few words with Jeremiah. {Have you forgotten about me?} Instead of an answer she asked a question making Apollo feel bad about not remembering her. {Did something happen to you? You don''t usually forget things since you have a good memory} She then frees Apollo from her embrace as she starts to inspect him. {I think my memory is getting foggy too, I don''t remember seeing you get injured so why do have so many scars?} Her words struck a cord inside the boy though he tried to hide it. {It''s weird but since when did you have a pet wisp?} [Did she just call me a pet?] "Don''t take it seriously" [Excuse me, I am apanion and the greatest assistant this world has ever seen!] {I see nice meeting you great assistant} Then she bowed and wasn''t able to see the surprised reaction that came out from Apollo. [!?] "What just happened?" [She can hear me!] {Ah, it''s because Apollo''s consciousness is slowly linking to mine so I identally heard you speak. I am sorry I didn''t want to eavesdrop on your conversation} "Since when have you been listening?" {Just now, when that wisp said he is the greatest assistant this world has ever seen} "Pfft! I see hahaha" {You finallyugh! Yey I haven''t seen that in a long while} "So we really did meet before" {Of course, I have been waiting for you since the day you were returning to the duchy} "I still don''t understand but it does seem I know you" he replied though his eyes began to frown when he noticed how the golden field started to dry and turn brown to ck instead. "No" he mutters while the girl in front of him can only smile to hide her approaching death. {I was waiting for you because I wanted to see you before I died. You were one of the reasons I was able to hold on in those three years I was slowly being killed} "I am sorry" {Dont apologize it was also my fault for not noticing how someone was slowly poisoning me} "Wait so it wasn''t just your life being taken but you were also being poisoned?" {My dear sun I have an infinite life energy since I am connected to this world. As long as there is life I will continue to exist} "Then how can I help you?" The beautiful girl just smiled before saying {Nothing} "What?" {It''s far toote now, the poison has reached my heart, however, I still have a duty to make sure all the spirits in my care survive. They must transfer to the other World tree while I severed my roots that connect me with the others. That way they won''t be affected by my death} "Is there nothing I can do?" Unknowingly his voice began to soften as he spoke to her. {Currently, I don''t think there is something that can save me} "Jeremiah scan her" [Already did and I have the results here] Then a set of rectangr screens emerged in his view making him smile. "I think this doesn''t have to be a goodbye" {What do you mean?} "I know what to do" Experience tales with empire Chapter 186He knows what to do Part. II "Is there nothing I can do?" Unknowingly his voice began to soften as he spoke to her. {Currently, I don''t think there is something that can save me} "Jeremiah scan her" [Already did and I have the results here] Then a set of rectangr screens emerged in his view making him smile. "I think this doesn''t have to be a goodbye" {What do you mean?} her demeanour began to change while her reaction suddenly filled with curiosity. Apollo smiled wanting to reassure her then he finally said "I know what to do" {Really!} "Of course just trust me" The little girl just smiled while dancing across the golden field. Witnessing her regain vigor Apollo can''t help but smile. "Now give me your hand ria" {See you remember my name!} A soft giggle escapes from her lips making Apollough as well. "It seems I remember you deep inside me" "Soe here my dear celestial" ria smiled even more when she heard those words. {You remember the nickname you gave to me, I never knew you would call me Celestial again} Apollo remains smiling although he doesn''t know where all the names areing from. [It wasn''t me] *Sigh* "I know, we should start" [Okay!] "Show me my stats" [Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Focused Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Celestial mage Mana type: Blue Level: 4 Strength: 12300 Agility: 12356 Dexterity: 12456 Endurance: 14677 Stamina: 14566 Intelligence: 12499 Mana: 11624 Ki: 11160 Mana regeneration: 1000 per minute Ki regeneration: 500 per minute Vitality: 500 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank SSS) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank SSS) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank SSS) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank SS) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank Z ) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Can be manipted by the wielder''s will and the size can reach 7 meters. Lightning Call (Rank Z) {Passive} - 70% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks. Master fighter (Rank SSS) {Passive} -A little bit higher skills from beginner level in terms of hand-to-handbat (next level Genesis fighter Rank D) Master Weaponist [Overhaul] (Rank Z) {Passive} - abination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah Mirror Tenfold (Rank Z) {Active} - Return Twenty-five times the damage of the opponent''s attack, it may be a spell or physical attack. Automatic Weaponry (Rank Z) {Active} -Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, rmended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon w: Materials are needed for this skill Strength: 100% more powerful than regr weapons of the same grade. Energy bank (Rank Z) {Active} - A space that stores mana and ki, only essible when energy reaches 0 Disintegrate (Rank Z) {Active} - A skill Apollo gained while experimenting with a certain potion inside the ck tower. Can turn anything into a state of decay or nothingness. Demonification (Rank Z) {Active}- Demonification is a state where the body turns into a demon beast. Upon transformation, all stats go up to 7 times. Demonize (Rank Z) {Active} - A copy of the skill Demonification, allowing Apollo to use his non-demon skills. This half-demon transforms the body Oppressor (Rank Z) {Active}- This skill allows the Creator to put pressure upon his enemies without doing anything. This pressure may cause confusion and errors in judgments causing them low battle awareness. Momentarily stops thoughts and could cause chaos inside someone''s mind. The skill may activate without the Creator''s authorization depending on the situation. Copy&Paste (Rank Z) {Active} - enables the Creator to copy any skill or technique once fully scanned or analyze w: Any skill or technique has to be scanned or analyzed first before being copied Strength: As long as the skill or technique is fully analysed even a gift or Blessings can be copied. The copied skill will be 50% more powerful than the original. Copied authority of the God of Mystics (Rank Z) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of ir it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the goddess of time (Rank Z) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Agnes it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Force (Rank Z) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Keith it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Heat and fire (Rank Z) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Samael it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Space and Passage (Rank Z) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Aaron it was able to be copied by the system. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner - A term used by schrs to address the mysterious bloodline of the family famous, the Lancaster family. This bloodline is capable of forming an infinite amount of contracts. No limitations regardless of the rank of spirits and the level of a mage''s mana. As long as they get the spirit''s recognition a contract can be achieved. Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution:{Unawakened} Current stat point: 3000 Curse stability: 10%] "It really pains me to see my stats points from 500,000 to 3000" [I could return them if you want] "Nah let us continue" The entire space where Apollo is located began to tremble though it only happened for a second until it returned to normal. "ria give your hand" {Oh, okay} "Why does she act like a cute puppy" he can''t help but think as the goldendy gave the best smile she could give to him. "Now close your eyes" {I will!} Knowing how much trust he was given, Apollo didn''t want to make mistakes so he finally gave hismand. "Jeremiah activate Disintegrate" [As youmand] Inside his consciousness, the entire structure of the World tree has beenid out including the parts where the poison has been. "I must do it slow and steady" the boy thought as he used the skill Disintegrate to remove the poison that seeped deep within the cells of the tree. Carefully he had marked the targets through Jeremiah, and bit by bit they removed the deadly stain that plucked the World tree to near demise. From the tiniest spot to the biggest ones, from the roots to the tips of the branches. He removed every drop of poison that affected that area. Then he went to the insides of the tree, where he cleaned the vines and roots that supported the area. "Hoo....this might be a bit difficult" Thest to be cleaned is the heart, the very ce they are currently staying in. [Iting] "Yes I know I can strangely feel them" Apollo unknowingly pulls ria closer to him, as the ws of the poison finally arrive at their position. "DISINTERGRATE" Hemanded and immediately the gnawing danger suddenly turned into dust. "There, the first step has been aplished" He eximed while finally letting go of ria. {You really remove the poison!} "Yes but it is not enough, you might not know since you have weakened but some bad people did something to you in order to take your life and take your ability to connect to the world''s energy" ria went silent and it seemed she didn''t know how it happened. [We can only thank Sonya for this info, I never expected they were able to analyze the shards they got from the raids this fast] "Yes it was indeed good we got her message before entering here" {I never knew my situation was this bad} "Don''t worry I will handle that, but I need to return to my body first" {I see...} However, ria didn''t seem to desire to let go of Apollo''s hand. "I will return just as I have always been," he said then he smiled, with those ria finally released his hands. {Come back okay, don''t keep me waiting} "I will" . . . Apollo returned to where he was before he touched the stone. Behind him were the nine spirits whom he had a close rtionship with. "Let''s do this Jeremiah" [I will do as youmand my Creator] "Yes I know you will" The ground suddenly glowed while the sky outside began to react. "My first n was to use this to save the World tree, although some unexpected things happened it is good that I can still use this" Right above the sky, is a magic circle only visible to Apollo. It was built by Jeremiah to make sure any death that will ur will make their essence flow towards Apollo. They have thought of this knowing bloodshed will happen. So feeling that those essences will be wasted Apollo made a task to Jeremiah to put the entire Eastern kingdoms under a spell. To be specific this magic circle is capable of expanding Jeremiah''s absorption area making all deaths beneficial to him. "Now use all our umted essence and start point to heal the tree" Chapter 187 Done Saving "Now use all our umted essence and stat points to heal the tree" Before this Apollo''s stat points were 563,947, this number was already less since he still went on to use some for upgrading his attributes. Even with the umted essence from the entire eastern kingdoms, the young mage didn''t want to take chances so he re-converted his stat points back to being an essence, and only left 3000 in case he needed it. The surrounding mana inside and outside of the World tree suddenly hums as if someone is calling them. However it wasn''t a normal mana but instead the residual mana of the deceased, in short, essence. They flew all across the borders of the kingdoms of the east, in order to aid themand of a certain boy. As the essence gathers a spell buried deep within the system''s archive suddenly revives. The young mage then began to chant, it was anguage that didn''t seem to exist in Bunag. An old speech that no one speaks and only a couple of mages knew its use. "RELIFE" The boy chanted and the sky finally revealed a massive magical sphere that enveloped the eastern part of the continent. While the abundance of essence swarm towards the boy the entire kingdom of Valoria felt the exponential growth of mana in the surrounding. "What it could have happened?" The King asked as his body trembled due to the sudden tremendous amount of mana. The people felt it as well and soon the dense amount of mana manifested physically. A veil of fog escted and travelled towards the holy ground of the World Tree. "Da quod atum est et sana quod vulneratum est, cum hoc sacrificio quod sumpsi, ut restituas quod furtum est." Apollo continued chanting and each beat of essences gave color to the slowly dying tree. The gnarled and cracked trunk slowly heals no longer looking dried. The bark that is peeling away inrge, irregr patches, became rough and rugged again. The branches stretched out like skeletal fingers devoid of any leaves now slowly bing thick and lush. The remaining foliage sparse and wilted slowly regain a different color. And the roots exposed and tangled, struggling to anchor the tree in the ground had now be muscr and slowly held off thend. "Nomen mihi est Apollo imperium meum ausculta" Apollostly said, and the magical sphere that floats on top of dozens of kingdoms in the east began to cascade downward. It first shrunk andnded on top of the boy''s head while powerful energy gathered in his hand. "Amend the mistake" he said inside his head and finally the spell was fully cast. The Life that was lost due to the Crusaders was returned however Apollo wasn''t done yet. The heart was damaged to some degree so he decided to use the remaining essence to heal it. "Slowly and gently" he told himself, then the mana inside his palms began to condense and floated towards the golden heart of the World tree. {Apollo?} As the heart regains its strength a presence begins to speak. Fondly Apollo answered that voice. "Yes ria" A calm gentle wind glides from the heart to Apollo, and that wind suddenly turns into a person. With golden flocks of hair and gxy-like eyes, a girl with fair skin and a shining aura suddenly arrives. Upon her arrival the spirits rejoice and while the nine spirits that came for Apollo all look surprised when they witness the scene. "Did our young master just hug Goddess ria" "I think he did Ifrit" While they remain dumbfounded Apollo couldn''t help but gasp at the sight of the newly rejunized World Tree. Everything was glowing while the spirits would fly and light the entire hollow space. Suddenly a vision struck Apollo, as if he had seen this scene a very long time ago. "I really been here before" he realized though he still couldn''t remember everythingpletely. The scene was quite unbelievable however everything was settled, Apollo was able to heal the world tree and remove the blockade that prevented ria from healing herself. "I still don''t understand what is going on" Amihan cannot help butment when she how ria affectionally hugs Apollo. "Did we perhaps miss something?" Tidal Isabe''s water spirit said while he began striking his scaly head. "Should we tell him that his mother is currently crying her eyes out because she thought her son was gonna die?" Jigen another fire spirit of Isabe said though it doesn''t seem like he is worried about his master. "Master! I think we should leave!" Gale decided to speak since all the higher-ranking spirits with them all remained watching instead of urging Apollo to leave. However, her voice made ria frown making the spirits residing with her look at Gale in such an unfavourable way. "What? What are you gonna do about what I said?" the spirit fairy said while the ambience surrounding her changed, instead of being intimidated Gale shot dagger res at the spirits who tantly looked at her. "Ah, right I almost forgot about that" A sigh escapes from his lips before letting go of ria. "I will be backter so please wait for me" A reluctant smile was the only thing the girl could give before speaking. {It''s fine, it''s not like it''s the first time, I''ll be waiting for you just like I always do} For a moment the young mage felt a sudden pain "I wonder just what happened in the past" he thought as he walked away from her. "I''ll contact you" {Okay} After that exchange Apollo finally left, leaving a small orb on ria''s hand. {Right I can still wait} She softly said as the boy''s silhouette disappeared. . . . The wind blows very pleasantly while the atmosphere is brimming with life. Apollo''s spell was able to return the cycle of mana the way it should be. That is why not only does the air feel light but every well and river finally has water on it. The forest and other nts also start to rejuvenate as if someone started to breathe life into them. "It seems Apollo seeded" Alger smiled as he said those words although Arabe could only hold herself together. "Fix yourself young one your child is about toe" "Yes, head I will" (Master we are about toe out) Ifrit reported through telepathy. "Is my son alright?" (He is well my master, ease your heart for no harm came his way) "Thank you" She could only say until her eyesid on the roots of the world tree. As if like a miracle a blinding light came until it transformed into a figure. "Apollo?" She muttered wanting to see her son safe. "Yes Mom it''s me" As soon as she confirms it is her son she immediately locks him in her arms. "I am happy you are safe" "Mom since when did you arrive here" "Just a few minutes after you went inside, I tried to get here as soon as I heard the news you wereing here" "I''m sorry for worrying you" "I told you worrying is part of being a mother" Then she gently kissed his forehead then finally letting him go. "You are tired my son I can tell, you can visit this ce again tomorrow but for now rest" The young mage just nodded and immediately followed everyone to rest. . . Inside the barracks provided by the imperial army Apollo peacefully sleeps while Isabe stands beside his bed. "Young one you have been using a diagnostic spell on your son for quite some time now. I told you he is fine" Alger convinced her but the worried mother wanted to make sure no injuries could affect her son. "I didn''t know he was a part of this mission" "Well obviously I hid it from you" Isabe wanted to argue but knowing Alger she decided to be quiet. "I really thought I lost him there" Her voice felt weak as she said those words. "I told you to trust him" "You are saying that but I know you are worried as well. I am sure at some point you tried to stop him" Alger just chuckles at her statement she hits the target well. "I did think that way, but knowing Apollo I know he can definitely handle it" The young senior mage could only look at his son''s sleeping before finally deciding to rest as well. "Are you going to tell him what happened?" before Isabe could even leave Alger gave such a question making her halt. "I don''t really need to say it to him since he is here" The head of the mage tower can''t help but shake his head. "I never even notice him" "It''s because he didn''t want to cause trouble, though his main purpose here is killing some rats that snuck inside the World tree a while ago" "Ah, now that I remember Apollo and I did hear that news from one of the soldiers. To think it was him who dealt them" "Head lets go we need to let my son rest" "Alright alright I''ll leave" Chapter 188 Comfuse but it is time to move As dreams filled the boy''s mind something suddenly emerged in his memory. A scenery he hasn''t seen before yet feels so familiar. Apollo felt like he was standing somewhere, like in a very high ce, might be a hill or valley. Below him were thousands of lightsing from houses and other structures while the wind blew gently on his skin. "Wait where am I?" confused, the boy looked around trying to find anything that could tell him where he was. "Jeremiah scan this ce and tell me where we are" Hemanded however instead of hearing Jeremiah''s voice a different people speak. "Who is Jeremiah?" For a moment Apollo felt his entire body tremble while something deep within his soul responded with that voice. "Apollo?" that voice called again shaking the very core of the boy''s emotion. "This isn''t ria" he could tell though for some reason his heart kept pounding hard. It''s as if this wasn''t a dream but reality instead. "Calm down," he told himself as he tried to ease his raging heart. "Apollo why aren''t you answering?" the voice suddenly approached, and each sound of footsteps was like the beats of drums inside the boy''s chest. "Look at me Apollo" it said while the boy felt a gentle touch on his back. It''s as if someone had ced their hand on it. "Come on don''t be upset anymore" a coaxing tone of voice followed finally resulting in Apollo turning around. "What?!" contrary to the boy''s expectation he saw an empty space behind his back, causing for tears to well up in his eyes. "What is going on?" he asked himself feeling the fall of his emotion, but what was even more confusing was the feeling of grief that started to eat him up. As his emotion caused more confusion a voice suddenly prated his clouded mind. [Creator wake up, this is merely a dream] Then as if he was sinking in a deep water Jeremiah''s voice propelled him back to the surface causing him to gasp. "Hah!" he almost shouted while his chest went up and down as his breath quickened. [You are finally awake, are you alright?] "No" [I didn''t mean to pry on your dream but your soul and emotions started to affect me that I have no choice but to interfere] "It''s okay, I am actually grateful you came to wake me. If you didn''t I might end up in trouble" [Your travel at the World tree made your mind shaken] "Yes it seems so" [The current time is 3:00 am, Tuesday of the 27th day of the month of Augustus] "Ah, right this is the sixth day of our stay in the eastern territory" [You should check yourmunicator, your friend has sent dozens of messages. They are worried about you] "Okay I will reply" [You can do thatter it''s still early my Creator, you still need to rest. Although I healed your body from overusing skills, you still need to properly rest] "I never expected you would nag me this way" [I have no idea what nagging is but I am simply reminding you since it concerns your health] "Alright I will go back to sleep, but wake me up at seven" [Will do] "Alright" Apollo then closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep. As he continued to rest ria found herself surrounded by her sisters. Thanks to Apollo breaking the blockade that prevented ria from connecting to the world, she was able to see her older sisters again. {Um, why are you all looking at me like that?} {Because you are stupid!} one of her sisters said while shaking ria through her shoulders. {How could you let mortals do that to you! You are one of the gifts created from the power of Genesis and Amaya. Yet you almost died!} she added while continuing her shaking. {Wait Liora I am getting dizzy!} {That is enough Liora our little sister might go crazy if you continue that} Eluwen the third oldest among them said. {By the way little sister who saved you?} she asked while pulling Liora away. {Well you won''t believe me even if I told you} ria then gave a meaningful smile as she said that. Her face made it seem like she was referring to something. {Wait could it be...him?} the oldest among them realized while making all of her sisters look at her. {Wait eldest sister Aria do mean he came back?} {Perhaps, you know that person he would appear like a mushroom} {I see so where is he,sister ria?} Amara the second youngest asked. Four pairs of expectant eyes gaze at ria making her nervous. {Actually...} {He left} {What!?} Her four sisters eximed while the youngest,ria couldn''t help but awkwardly smile at their reaction. {Well he did promise to return} {Again with those words} Eloria couldn''t help but say while grabbing a random flying spirit. {I just hope that bastard doesn''t make you wait for long} Unbeknownst to Apollo four goddesses were literally cursing him for making their sister wait. . . The sun finally rose at the kingdom of Valoria, and for the first time in three years, they saw water running through the streams. Lakes have clear water again and wells are filled to the brim. This news was directly reported to the emperor. Who currently resides at the council''s main secret base. "So in the end Apollo went to the tree" the emperor said while seeping his tea. "The child knew what needed to be done so he went there willingly" Alger proudly said while pouring himself a warm cup of tea. "How is the boy then" "To tell you the truth when I saw hime out of the World tree he looked tired but relieved at the same time. However, I noticed his mind being worked too much as if he went into some intense emotional distress" Augustus upon hearing those words couldn''t help but shake his head. Find more to read at empire "This is all my fault, I should have noticed things sooner especially since they are making a move again" "August you know it is not your fault, have you forgotten the reign which started this chaos belongs to the previous, not yours? It''s not like you were already born when the War of Faith happened" The emperor didn''t speak and yet the head of the tower knew what he was thinking. "The gods of the revolutionary church are the real culprits of this incident, they made use of the Crusaders to do the deed for them" "All for what exactly?" "For power" With those words the emperor felt he needed to listen more so he beckoned Alger to continue. "ording to what the association and my tower discovered, it seems the main purpose of this chaos is to find a way to connect with the world''s energy and endlessly use it" "What!?" react by the emperor. Alger then made an expression Apollo would often see when he talks about enemies, wrath, an expression of extreme anger that could wipe out an entire city. "So you mean they used the world tree to take the method on how it takes life from Bunag" "Exactly Your Majesty" "Then did they seed?" This time the wizard didn''t speak and could only answer by nodding. "This is not good" Augustus can''t help but say while massaging his head. "A powerful enemy" he mutters before shaking his head. "In times like this, I must urgently find Excalibur, that could guarantee a victory on our side" "But your majesty that weapon hadn''t been seen since the War of Faith" "It''s okay Alger I already have information about where it could possibly located, although that might take some trouble to do" "Perhaps you might need my tower to help?" "It is not needed, I already have someone do that tasked for me, however, I do want your mages to focus on looking for Nirvana''s old friends" A sigh escaped from the old mage before speaking again "s, that Nirvana is already dead but the things he left behind are still causing trouble after trouble" The emperor couldn''t help but chuckle at his words and it seems he is sharing the same sentiment as the wizard. "We need to be on alert, it seems my reign will be as eventful as my forefathers" "That I can''t help but agree" . . . On the 27th day of the eighth month of Augustus right inside the royal pce of the kingdom of Lumen, a girl whose hair is as ck as night and eyes simr to the rarest red rubies. Alicia, stood on top of the pce''s roof while observing the raising sun. "I have that dream again" she said while her expression remained cold. However her solitude didn''tst long because a presence began to approach her. "You don''t seem to look good" "Why are you here Demos" "His majesty the emperor wishes to ask for your help about a certain matter,dy Alicia" "Is that so, tell him I will help once I hear what sort of help I must give" "I will rely your message mydy" "Thank you Demos" Then that man disappeared as if he was never there to begin with. "That man''s arrival ruined the mood" then she returned her eyes at the east. As she saw the darkness be pierced by the light of the sun, her thoughts suddenly poured out. "Apollo I wonder if you are alright" Chapter 189 The end of the isolation Apollo''s Pov The incident with the world tree ended and I was tasked to make a brief report to the emperor. Fortunately, I already devised a somewhat believable story. "So you just remove the thing that is blocking the World tree''s regeneration?" "Yes your majesty however I think our little godly friends already figure out, how to copy the same way the holy tree takes life from the world" "Yes I am aware of that" I saw how the emperor''s expression changed, it was the first time I saw him react like that. "It only means this situation is really dire" I could only think so while maintaining my kneeling position. A being that could have an endless amount of power and life. Such an enemy will be difficult to defeat. [Should I do something then?] "Do you wish to scan the entire continent?" [I am not certain if it will work since artifacts are very difficult to bypass] "Should we do another upgrade for you, that way the scanning will be easier" [Then we should get at least a hundred thousand for my next upgrade] "Okay I will look for ways to acquire them" As we converse the emperor alreadymanded me to return, to which I immediately obeyed. [We should hunt Creator] "We will once I meet up with my friends. They must have been worried for me" [It seems they are still in Lumen we should just teleport there] "Nah, we won''t really need that" I smiled as I said that, and right outside the imperial pce was a ship carrying the sigil of the tower. "We can just ride and fly back to Lumen, after all, we still have free time to fool around" [But shouldn''t we be prepared?] "The adults are already worried so us children should just leave them be and not worry about their problem"" [You are strangely not worried about this, how unlike you. Are you perhaps nning something?] "Actually we did get something from the roots that seep life from the world" [You mean the blockade?] "Yes, didn''t we find a faint mana signature there? With a massive upgrade, we should be able to enhance your scanner" [Are we going to scan each individual in the empire] "We might, so I am thinking of going to the empire''s archive and seeing some records of some interesting people. The imperial family are keeping records of all interesting people they should keep a close watch too. So our search might be easier if I can get a hold of that information" [Are we going there legally or are we gonna break in] "I am still thinking about it" We continued talking until the airship glided through the air. [I think we can use some spells to make our search easier] "Are you rmending some ancient spells?" [They could work and I realized ancient spells are way better than the new ones. I never expected that a single spell from you could revive the tree] "Ancient spells are very long to cast and don''t necessarily belong to a single element, and the difficulty of weaving the equation required to cast it is extremely hard that not many people know it" [But it''s effective right Creator?] "It is, actually the spell I used to create you is also devised from the ancient spells I studied before" [Sometimes I really wonder how old you really are Creator] "I am 13 years old didn''t I tell you that" [Yes you did, but sometimes I doubt it] I can''t help but chuckle at Jeremiah''s words though he wasn''t the first individual who was shocked with my knowledge. Well, it doesn''t really matter, the result is what is really needed. . . . The remaining seven-day trip of Aster students to the Eastern Academy, finally came to an end. And everyone felt happy as they went around the tourist spots of every kingdom in the east. Apollo and his ssmate felt especially amazed when they visited the World Tree. The young mage also paid a visit to ria though he wasn''t able to meet all four older siblings of the World tree. "I will be back!" {Okay see you again!} And just like that the entire lower ss return to their normal daily sses. *Sigh* "Wow that''s deep Mckenzie" Niko noticed while theyy on the cold floor of the ruined temple. "I just felt we will meet some high ego noble kids once the three-month istion is already ended" "Right that will happen tomorrow" Braiden realized while Keith finally put down the book he was reading, and then he spoke. "Come to think of it, Apollo''s been friendly with that girl from the Middle ss" "Ah, that girl''s name... What was it again?" Casper asked while shoving the meat in his mouth. "It''s Lena" "Who?" "Her name is Lena Riverside" ir answered while cleaning his training sword. "I wonder why Apollo is interested in her" a meaningful smile coyly yed on Braiden''s lips while the rest of the boys just looked at each other yfully. "It seems that our murderous friend is ying a different type of game this time" Aaron can''t help but say. "But what do you think about making friends with the other ss?" Keith wondered making all the boys look at him. "Do we really have to? I don''t really trust them" Continue reading stories on empire "Come on Mckenzie, Apollo is cooking something we need to help him" "And how exactly Casper? We don''t even know what he wants to do" "That''s simple just ask him" "Yeah Casper is right Mckenzie, we should just ask him what is he nning and we can help with whatever assistance he needs" Niko smiled as he said that then he got up. "Let''s go we have rested well from our daily training, we should go and see him" "Alright let''s go" they all decided and so the boys left the ruined temple leaving the girls behind. However, behind the fallen pir which the boys were leaning on a group of silhouettes slowly crept out. "You know I am also curious about why Apollo became suddenly friendly with other ss students" Matilda questioned while her face was covered with suspicion. "Should we also tag along with the others?" Vesta suggested though Arabe began to speak. "Actually Alya and Agnes decided to join Apollo" "They did?" the two simultaneously said. "Yes and the others seem to be open to starting new friendships" Arabe''s words caused Matilda to snicker. "What?" "Ara, do you really think people like us can trust someone easily?" "But we trusted Apollo" "Apollo and the rest of the tower mages is a different case" Matilda argued while Vesta only nodded agreeing to her. "So what exactly do the others want?" "They are merely curious about Apollo''s sudden shift of action, it''s no more than that" Arabe wanted to say something but in the end, she could only say "If you say so then I have no choice but to agree with you" And so that day the entire lower ss began befriending other students from different sses, except of course the High ss. The tenth day of the ninth month, tuesday. Marks the end of the three-month solution. The first-year students all line up in front of a huge gate which divides the freshmen from the other senior year students. Many expectant voices can be heard, and some students who have older siblings on the other side are excited to reunite with them. High stone walls and strong iron gates remain locked and secure until a signal re lights up the morning sky, and immediately spreads into a ming fire. "What was that?" some students were surprised but the sound of creaking metals attracted their attention back to the gate. "It''s opening!" They eximed and all eyesy upon the gate, expectant on what kind of journey would await them. As the ck iron gate rustles open, all the freshmen students are suddenly weed by a wave of tsunami-like forceing from the senior-year students. They flooded inside and immediately grabbed the first students they could hold. "Wait what is going on!" "Haram don''t let me go!" "Wait where are you holding me!" "Put me down!" Some students were surprised while the others began to sprint and hide from their seniors, who looked like kidnappers rather than honourable students of a prestigious academy. "Whoa, what''s going on Apollo?" Mckenzie can''t help but ask as he watches the chaos from the building they are standing in. Unlike the other sses who excitedly waited for the gate to open, the students of the lower ss merely stood in a nearby building and waited for the gate to open there. "That''s because today is also the day for club recruitment" "Club recruitment?" they all said and it seems even Alicia doesn''t know of such an event. "Inside the Aster Academy, there are organizations called clubs that are organized for people toe together regrly to participate in activities. Those people havemon interests and goals that help them develop their skills" "I see then what''s with the riot?" This time it was Matilda who asked and Apollo dly continued what he was trying to exin. "Because every year clubs have a heated recruitmentpetition against each other. Clubs with the highest recruitment will gain any amount they need for their club budget" "Well, that exins the catastrophe" Alicia spoke while a smile yed on her face. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 190 A tragic meet up A smile yfullyid on Alicia''s face making her ssmates wonder what she was thinking. "I wonder what club we should join in" she added though her expression soon made Apollo suspicious. "What is she nning?" the boy thought so while moving a few inches away from her. "Well it doesn''t really matter since I don''t have any intention of interacting with some students who will only judge you based on how useful you are" "Ohe on you can''t justbel people like that Mckenzie" Braiden told him while giving him a pat on the back. "I know we experience some terrible things but we should not forget the people who protected us, didn''t they use to say, try to trust others" Alya said to her friend trying to clear up his emotionally unstable mind. "We should still try to give ourselves a chance to have new friends" "I have friends Alya and they are here surrounding me now, and you might forget that you are including on it" Alya just chuckled at McKenzie''s words while messing with her friend''s hair. Your journey continues with empire "I don''t really like to join those clubs, however, I am d we trust Apollo''s words on staying here. If we didn''t, I think all of us would be in the same situation as those kids" Samael concluded while happily swinging his legs on the building''s edge. However, his happiness soon disappeared when he felt a presence behind his back. "Oh no," he could only think as he felt a person''s hand touched his back. "Let''s see if you can still be happy after this" it whispered though he knew who was it. "Bye-bye!" "Caspeerrrr!" Samael shouted his voice soon faded as he fell from the building. "Cas that was dangerous!" Arabe can''t help but say while she bent down to see if Samael was fine. "If you are so worried about him why don''t you follow him" "What?" by then all she realized was that she too was pushed out of the building. "Damn youuu!" "Whoa I didn''t know she could speak like that" However, once he looked back all he could see were eyes preying on him. "Oh no you don''t" he immediately said before making an escape. "Catch that traitor!" ir yfully said though in the corner Apollo can be seen trying to hide. "They won''t really try to throw me off since none of them have the strength to do so" the young mage thought while trying to be invisible in the corner. [If you are not worried then why are you hiding?] "Shut up Jeremiah" In life, there are things that won''t really follow what you had nned. So although you want peace some of your friends would choose violence instead. Then Apollo suddenly felt someone''s hands on his cor and recklessly shove him out. "Damn it" he could only think of as he forgets the only individual who can overpower him. "Aliciaaaaaa!" he shouted while the noise of the other students swallowed his voice. [She got you, Creator] "Yeah" As he fell he immediately changed his position to a much more favourable way for him, then he slowly released an ample amount of mana to slow down his fall. Small gusts of wind then rustle while grass sways a little due to Apollo''s strong mana. [Younded perfectly] "Yeah" However, Apollo''s peace was short-lived because the seniors were able to recognize his hair and eye colour. "Red orange...he must be Apollo!" "Apollo join our club...." "Excuse get out of my way!... Apollo!" [Creator run!] "Of course I would!" And so the entire day was filled with hide and seek for the other students. While some have already arranged their club entry based on their status and connection. An example of that is Prince Caesar and his entourage, they were weed by his older brother Prince Titus to his club, the Clover Club. While the fierce and chaotic recruitment continued the professors of all sses, remained observing in case something were to happen. "Adolfo! Your students are doing something dangerous!" Eximed one of the professors who hurriedly dragged Adolfo to observe his students. "Whoah, you are right!" "See I told yo-...." "It seems my students are already executing the techniques I taught them" "The what?" he was bbergasted as he said that, though Adolfo didn''t mind his expression. "I taught them how to safelynd in case someone were to throw them off a cliff" "Why would teach something like that!" "For survival, you wouldn''t know when someone will push you off the edge of a cliff" "Whaaaat?...." In that moment the professor felt like logic won''t work on this man. . . Right after such a treacherous day, many clubs were able to add enough people to their clubs. However, none of them were able to recruit any students from the lower ss. They were just too slippery to be caught even for the seniors. "Ah~...finally got some rest" Samael mumbled while letting his body touch the calming water inside the spring of the ruined temple. "Hey let me in too" Arabe also went in and let her sore body heal. "Seriously that was really unnecessary" Matilda groaned as she said those words. "Really? But it was fun" "No, it''s not Casper" Mckenzie and Vesta said while giving him a stern re. "By the way where are Apollo and Alicia, I thought they would follow us here," Agnes asked while bringing some snacks with Niko. "Oh, those two went with the other students of the Middle ss, I think that girl named Lena will introduce her sister to our friend Apollo" ir answered her. "So does this mean it was her sister he was aiming for?" Keith realized while putting down the baskets of snacks with him. "Really?" Casper jolted and immediately looked at Keith as if asking for him to continue. "Just think carefully, there is no benefit of befriending Lena, she has no connection or any wealth, yet Apollo approaches her, a few days before the istion ends" "It''s as if he timed it when the freshmen can finally interact with the senior students" Alya told to herself though her friends were able to hear it as well. "The senior students is what he was aiming for? Why?" Aaron asked a bit confused about what was happening. "Why oh why indeed" Mckenzie made a dangerous smile as he spoke those words. "I think our little friend will have a sweet reunion with his lovely siblings" Matilda said while the expression bore a different meaning. "We should wait for Apollo''s signal before we move, we might spoil his hunt if we randomly interfere" Vesta suggested as she got out from the water. "She is right let''s just watch" As the entire ss formed a decision, their two most powerful guards were currently heading towards the Middle-ss senior dormitory. "I am so excited to introduce you to my sister, you know she told me to bring my friends to her once the istion ends" Lena happily said while guiding a group of students with her. "You strangely knew where to go Lena" Alicia noticed while observing the beautiful architecture of the dormitory. "Oh, I''ve been here before when we visited my sisterst year, when she was in third year" she answers while Apollo remains calm though his expression isn''t good. "Lena" he called as if something began to bother him. "I think we need to hurry and go see your sister now" his voice became dreadful until he spoke again "I had this feeling that something bad will happen" As he said those words Alicia suddenly ran inside the giant halls of the dormitory. "That room is my sister''s!" sensing her friends'' urgent words Lena began to instruct them where her sister was despite them not needing it. "Apollo you can sense it as well right?" Alicia asked while her hand banged on the door directly sending it flying. "Yes, I did sense it" Apollo answered as he rushed through the room''s bathroom. "I smell blood" he added before breaking the door. And there in the bathtub is Lena''s sister, her blood has dyed the water red and her wrist is cut open. Alicia and Apollo hurriedly moved and tried to heal her as soon as they found her, however...N?v(el)B\\jnn "Apollo, you can stop now" Alicia could only say as soon as she sensed the cold body of thedy. "Apollo!" however despite her words Apollo''s hand didn''t stop and still tried to cast healing magic. "Apollo it''s toote she is gone" "Wait there could still be a chance, all I need is a spark of life and she will be safe" "Apollo..." Alicia tries to convince him but his eyes look different, as if he is seeing a memory from a distant past. As soon as she realized that all she could do was sit beside him. "Sister!" soon Lena and the other students from the Middle ss arrive, and as soon as they arrive they witness a bloody scene and Apollo''s desperate attempt to revive her. "Apollo" Lena began to approach him and slowly her handnded on his shoulders, as she did so her voice began to speak. "Let her go now Apollo, my sister is truly gone" Chapter 191 A tragic end Apollo''s pov Lately, things aren''t working as I wanted it to be. [Creator, the spy insects we send to the ces found on the diaries from the Monastery pdins, are nothing but ordinary people living their lives. We haven''t got any trace that can connect to the gods of the revolutionary church] "Well that is okay but we still continue our search" [I will Creator] I already expected that since the news of the Monastery''s destruction would have spread all over the empire. So I am certain those fools will cut off all their traces on the ces they used to visit. "I should have investigated those ces earlier" It can''t be helped since I have too much information and analyzing them all takes a bit of time. I thought maybe I was just unlucky and all I needed to do was maximize the search, though time went by and things didn''t go well. I still didn''t get any information about my enemies. Furthermore, they made no appearance during the World Tree incident. "It''s as if they never cared" Perhaps it''s because they already got what they wanted. "An infinite supply of life and mana, characteristics of a world tree" Such a thing will cause me a headache and one more thing I should add up to my concerns. That guy Nero, strangely both that man and the other dukes can''t find anything on him. "He is so clean that he is so suspicious" And so to change the phase of my mind I thought about the girl that gave my sister a rose. My sister Athena never made that face before. Oftentimes she would wear a deceitful mask that would please the people around her. So for the first time, I saw her genuine smile, one that didn''t have any hint of deception. I instantly knew whoever caused that must have been important to her. So I must acquire her, because unlike my brother she doesn''t have anyone important around her. She doesn''t have a fiancee to love, a position to keep or even a teacher that is too important to lose. I also know that somehow she doesn''t have much desire for things. That also made me wonder if I am not the only person in our family who is feeling miserable. However it doesn''t matter, my desirees first before them. So why? Howe it ends like this? Why? Just why I''m holding a person who''s already dead yet I''m still desperate to save her. Then I felt a touch, suddenly my nerves began to calm though I still couldn''t dare to stop. "Let her go now Apollo, my sister is truly gone" It was Lena, it seemed she was here already, her voice was mourning though I could hear a bit of eptance in it. "Apollo" Apany by that voice is a grip on my wrist. It was Alicia I already know what she wants to say so I slowly let go of the cold body in my arms, and let her little sister embrace her. [She was fifteen minutes dead, Creator it was ready toote when you arrived] "I see" I could only reply while my body was slowly taken by Alicia. [I was already reporting that to you but you weren''t listening] "I am sorry" [It''s okay, I know you are remembering some unpleasant memories] Then my head aches a bit as a sudden memory vividly appears inside me. "Apollo" I heard a voice as well as a gentle touch on my body. "Are you okay?" it added and slowly my clouded mind began to clear. The fog of confusion began to dissipate and there I saw Alicia as well as my other friends. All bearing a concerned expression. "When did you guys arrive here?" I can only ask not knowing when they followed us. "Didn''t they say they wanted to rest?" I thought though I soon found out the reason. "We just arrived a while ago" "We came as soon as Alicia sent us a message, but when we arrived we saw you not responding to our words while there was a dead body with you" Keith and ir both calmly exined while my other ssmates talked with the teachers. "Is he fine now?" A man wearing an article of white clothing asked, it seems he is part of the medic. Since my mind is well now I answered. "I am okay sir I think I just felt nauseous" "That is okay student Apollo, it must be your first time seeing a dead body so it''s understandable you will be shocked" "Oh, yes I guess I felt like that" I awkwardly answered him though I know my friends have their own opinion about what the medic said. Your next chapter is on empire "I will leave you now but please take this medication in case you feel any headaches or signs of nausea" "I will take them thank you," I told him then the medic left since he needed to tend to the other students who also witnessed the tragic scene. Now I wonder what happened to her [Lena?] "Yes" [If I am not mistaken we were supposed to use her yet now you are worrying for her] "Out of all the people here, I think, I am the one who can most rte to her" Strangely Jeremiah went silent which for me was but rare, he would often ask questions about my decision especially when my emotion was the reason for it. [I understand] I momentarily closed my eyes to focus and when I finally took over my emotions I opened them again. "Alicia," I said and immediately she responded "Yes?" "How is she?" I saw her expression change, from that of a cold-hearted person devoid of any reaction, to someone who looked concerned. "The teachers are currently taking care of her, and while you were out I already talked to the security, you don''t need to exin yourself to them" I felt relieved all of a sudden, honestly, I was not in the mood to talk. "Apollo you should leave and rest, we will stay here and keep watch, we will report to you anything we see" McKenzie suggested to which I didn''t refuse. "Alright, I think I need some rest" [I will leave a fragment of myself here to investigate so take time to calm your mind] "Thanks" [You are very wee, Creator] The day I thought I could finally start my n turned into a day of mourning. A life was taken and ording to the investigation, it was due to suicide. I am on my bed my thoughts are still going back and front until a certain memory rpses in me. It was a time when I was in the duchy, a hazy memory I always wanted to forget. However, no matter how many times I tried, I just couldn''t bury them. I was young yet it must been the real reason why such memories kept living inside my head. As far as my life inside the duchy goes, all that I remember is a dull and gray atmosphere that always follows me. I tried to run countless times but all I received our shackles. At that time I kept wondering how their world could be so full of colours while mine is filled with only one, a dull and silent grey.N?v(el)B\\jnn I wanted it as well, I wanted to smile like them however all I get are contempt, whips and chains. Every time they saw me they would put those things on me until my vision turned red. "Young master...hurry you must leave!" Who is that? Did someone speak? "Young master!" Before I knew someone recklessly lifted me and removed all the restraints that chained me. "Come now please" Her voice was quite strained as she said that. Is she?....crying?....why? I thought while my body felt being itchy That hurts just what is going on? I questioned however the weight of my body soon made me sleep for a couple of hours. When I woke up I found out the one who saved me was none other than my sister''s maid, rita Ashcliff. Ever since that day she would help me secretly and treat my wounds that soon turn into scars. I was happy and for the first time, I saw a different colour aside from gray and red. It was so beautiful and dazzling that it almost blinded my eyes. "By the way, sister Rita is that a bruise?" "Ah, this, young master I identally fell on the stairs so I ended up like this" "Then let me treat you this time" "Me?" "Yes! You always heal my wounds so I should do the same right?" I smiled even when some of my teeth were missing. I was trying tofort her because I knew that somehow she was breaking faster than me. I didn''t sit still either I tried to stop and help her because I knew, some of the other servants of the duchy were bing unkind to her because of me. There are times I told her to just ignore me but all she did was smile. A few days went by and the butler was the only person I could ask about her situation fortunately he would make a quick move against those servants who bully her. I really did my best, I tried, I really did everything I could do. Chapter 192 Edgar As far as my life inside the duchy goes, all that I remember is a dull and gray atmosphere that always follows me. I tried to run countless times but all I received our shackles. At that time I kept wondering how their world could be so full of colours while mine is filled with only one, a dull and silent grey. I wanted it as well, I wanted to smile like them however all I get are contempt, whips and chains. Every time they saw me they would put those things on me until my vision turned red. "Young master...hurry you must leave!" Who is that? Did someone speak? "Young master!" Before I knew someone recklessly lifted me and removed all the restraints that chained me. "Come now please" Her voice was quite strained as she said that. Is she?....crying?....why? I thought while my body felt being itchy That hurts just what is going on? I questioned however the weight of my body soon made me sleep for a couple of hours. When I woke up I found out the one who saved me was none other than my sister''s maid, rita Ashcliff. Ever since that day she would help me secretly and treat my wounds that soon turn into scars. I was happy and for the first time, I saw a different colour aside from gray and red. It was so beautiful and dazzling that it almost blinded my eyes. "By the way, sister Rita is that a bruise?" "Ah, this, young master I identally fell on the stairs so I ended up like this" "Then let me treat you this time" "Me?" "Yes! You always heal my wounds so I should do the same right?" I smiled even when some of my teeth were missing. I was trying tofort her because I knew that somehow she was breaking faster than me. I didn''t sit still either I tried to stop and help her because I knew, some of the other servants of the duchy were bing unkind to her because of me. There are times I told her to just ignore me but all she did was smile. A few days went by and the butler was the only person I could ask about her situation fortunately he would make a quick move against those servants who bully her. I really did my best, I tried, I really did everything I could do. However, one unpleasant morning while I was on my way to her room. On my arms is some bread I asked for her from the butler. I was all smiles because for some sort of reason I hadn''t received any whips from my brother or kicks from his friends. It''s as if they no longer targeting me. My feet took me to her door while cradling a basket of freshly baked bread. I knocked to announce my arrival however she didn''t open the door. Did she grow tired of me?N?v(el)B\\jnn But I was a good boy I knocked again but there wasn''t any response so my only choice was to recklessly open it. That action is something I will forever regret doing. As soon as the door creaks open a nauseating scent enters my nose driving my stomach upside down. It was a stench of metallic odor and a fishy scent. I know that scent, every day I would smell it, it always drenched my body so immediately I looked for its source. And right inside her room, I saw a basin filled with water but dyed in blood. Copse on the chair with her wrist cut open and plugged into the scarlet water was the kindest maid I had ever known. "Sister Rita!" I shouted and immediately I went towards her and stopped her wrist from bleeding even more. I needed to save her so I shouted "Isagani!" The butler and the rest of the staff hurriedly became alert due to my words, and footsteps rang on the floor until a number of silhouettes arrived in the room. "Young Master!" said the butler and once I saw him the tears that I kept holding in suddenly fell like a waterfall. *Hic* "Butler....help" I could only say while firmly holding the cloth that I used to stop the blood from flowing more. Time flies and even now I can still vividly remember the scent of blood and an overwhelming sense of dread that almost suffocates me. However, it wasn''t the most memorable part of that event. I could still remember it so clearly, while I sat beside her body crying I caught a glimpse of it. On one of the sides of the pirs, there, I saw him, a person whose height and weight were strikingly simr to my brother. In his hand was a whip and chains that didn''t seem for me, though I could see the traces of torn strands of maid clothes attached to it. "Edgar" I muttered while my eyes red with darkness. "So it was you" I realized that even though I had protected her from the other servants, I failed to see that she wouldn''t be harmed by someone else. I never expected that he would target her, I failed to see that, and thus couldn''t protect her from him. That experience taught me that sometimes people who are overwhelmed by intense emotional pain and despair would choose death to free themselves. With no one to rely on and only helplessness surrounds you. You are driven to a corner where you can only see yourself walking on a broken road. And the only escape you can find is by dying on your own. I was just starting my n yet I didn''t expect to remember a very unpleasant memory. I could only sigh as my eyes felt the burden of all my stress. "I should sleep" I was about to put my mind at ease when a voice suddenly woke me. [Creator] "What did you find?" Inside my consciousness, a small wisp can be seen floating in front of me. [I found something however I don''t think it will be good for your mental health] "What is it just tell me" I am already tired so it shouldn''t matter. [She is being bullied, Creator] "I figured she was, by whom exactly" [By someone you might be familiar with] At that moment a memory surfaced and chains began to ring through my ears. "Which one of them?" my voice was filled with malice and in that moment I felt like I could just forget what I nned and just kill them. [It was Edgar, my Creator] "Ha!....him?.... hahaha hahaha" a mockingughter came after, maybe this is an opportunity I shouldn''t miss. "I should start with him instead of my sister" Why don''t we take those who stand beside my dear brother? One by one until it''s only him, I should take my time since they are still in their fifth year here in the academy. "One school year filled with malice, it doesn''t sound bad" Now all I need is solid proof to pin him down. One of the few things that Edgar cherishes is the position and status he has. "He is also obsessed with his public image, so there should be a small number of people that knows his vile side" [I did get my information from hisckeys however it seems Edgar had them by the neck, so it might be hard for them to turn their backs on him] "It''s okay I can take care of that, Is there anything else I can use?" [There is a proof that can point out all of Edgar''s mischief] "And that is?" [Her diary, Olena Riverside Lena''s older sister and our victim, she has a diary that is making Edgar''sckeys nervous. The diary contains detailed records of whatever was happening to her and the location of some footage of their actual assault on other students] "It seems it isn''t just Edgar who will be fucked if this gets out" [Yes] "And the diary where do you think it is hidden" [That is something I still need to find out so please take this day to rest. We will search tomorrow] "Alright I will thank you" [You are wee and by the way, your sister and brother are out with their usual set of friends including Edgar. They won''t be back since they were dispatched for a mission] "I got it so thank you again" After hearing those words I finally let myself rest and hopefully, by tomorrow I could finally feel more calm. However there was a question I forgot to ask, what was her connection with my sister, are they friends? Perhaps I will find that out in the future. . . . Incident after incident, Aster Academy was yet condemned to another uproar. Explore more at empire First, was a pirate attacked and now suicide by one of its students. The prestigious academy was never involved in such an ident in its previous years however this school year was filled with different types of twists. Chapter 193 A little investigation Lena Riverside went back to her vige to mourn for her sister''s death, the academy on the other hand put a mass to pray for her soul. Many attended though I could feel a different atmosphere while the mass began. It was an ambience that didn''t seem grief to the deceased but more of a tension that makes you feel suffocated. Someone is nervous I can tell, their actions and the tiniest change in their expression tells me that they are anxious about something. Something that I am eager to know. Enjoy new chapters from empire The mass was held in the academy chapel. It was called a chapel though its size can amodate at least 500 or more people. Chairs line up filled with students while the grand altar shows the twelve Gods, it stood majestically with its massive size and carved images of the said Gods. In the middle of it are twelve priests that represent each church of the twelve Gods, they spoke benevolently putting their faith in power to bless the fallen soul of the deceased. As the mass continued I immediately observed my surroundings wanting to see the attendees'' reaction to the sermons of the priests. [Creator those three girls sitting at the very back are Olena''s former friends] "Former?" [Yes, from what I gathered they started avoiding her when our victim began being targeted by Edgar and his goodieckeys] "From the conversation you have listened to, how long the bullying has been going on?" [ording to those three girls it startedst year when they were still third-year students] "My brother and sister, were they included in the bullying?" [No, actually it seems your siblings are the shackles that bind Edgar from overly using his status. However every time they leave for missions Edgar runs wild like he was the king of this Academy] "How about Prince Titus and the other children from noble families, don''t tell me they turn a blind eye to this" [Our culprit is good at hiding his tracks and silencing people. That is why he hasn''t been caught since he started attending this academy] "Hah!....this is stupid" I gasp my head with only one thought They knew about this, they should know it yet they didn''t try to stop, and now a life has been taken. I closed my eyes for a bit and sincerely I prayed, I want her soul to be at peace, to find the path to the cycle and have a new life different from the grief she suffered here. I prayed even more and wished that all the gods were to forgive her sin for killing herself. When I was already done with my prayers I went out not finishing the mass. "Are you done?" Mckenzie immediately said to me as soon as he saw me. "I am done, what did you guys get?" Right in front of me are the boys of my ss ir, Mckenzie, Braiden, Aaron, Samael, Casper and Niko. On that day unlike me who went to bed early, my friends remained at the scene and observed the people who came back and forth. Although Jeremiah was there to investigate it wouldn''t really hurt to ask for their help. "About that we found some suspicious reactions from some professors" Braiden started to report while we walked steadily towards our ss building. The rest of us were waiting there. "Apollo this is just our assumption but I think this is a case of bullying" Samael voiced out his concerns as he took another folder. "The students I saw yesterday, they have been talking about something so I memorized every word they say and recorded them here" he added as he handed me a long brown envelope. "It seems they knew what was happening to her yet they didn''t dare to utter a single name" he added. As we walked the road it was packed with more students, though we didn''t experience any hard time moving since they would move away as if we had a contagious disease.N?v(el)B\\jnn The reason for this crowd was that today''s sses were cancelled to specifically pray for Olena''s soul. This free time gives us some time to investigate the people who were included in bullying her. "Apollo you knew she killed herself due to bullying right?" Aaron asked me to which I nodded in answer. "Based on what you gave me Samael, it wasn''t just some students but professors were also involved" "We can only conclude from this that the culprit is from the nobility or a member of an aristocratic family. They are the only people that can influencerge-scale people and known personnel of the academy" "So shall we filter the people who could possibly be the ring leader of this?" Mckenzie suggested then he took a sheet of paper from his pocket and began unfolding it. "We all concluded thisst night and I think we found the guy, based on what we have been talking about and the evidence we have gathered. We think the culprit is Edgar Williams" "And your reasoning?" I asked wanting to hear the exnation he could give me. "It''s true that nobles and well-known families can execute influence to order others but it won''t be to the extent that it could affect the professors. Even the emperor cannot do this since the imperial family has an oath not to interfere too much in academy affairs. So we should remove the imperial princes and their enterouge. What is left now are the second bearers of power in the empire. The four ducal houses and the house of the archduke, also can''t be them since they are loyal to the crown and will not do something that can tarnish their reputation. And as the saying goes the oath of the emperor is the oath of the dukes. The crown won''t interfere with the academy and so the dukes won''t as well. That gives us to the third bearers, the house of the marquises and out of all of them only one stands out. They have established a firm foothold on this ce and have been the key figures in its prestigious history, the Williams" Mckenzie concluded while my eyes saw that the piece of paper in his hand was the written words he just said. "Was that a script?" I thought but then Aaron suddenly spoke making my attention shift. "Apollo I think the professors knew what was going on, but turned a blind eye after all the Williams family had a firm grip here in the academy" "Aaron is right with their uncle in the vice headmaster position anyone can be afraid to speak" Keith''s words have some truth in them and from what I heard plenty of the professors here are from their family. "We marked five professors with questionable actions yesterday here you can see their information here and the things they did before the incident" Niko said while he gave me an envelope. It was a sizable amount and detailed, they are really good. "How did you guys do all this?" "That''s a trade secret," they all said to me while giving me a mischievous look. I couldn''t help butugh at their words though what I was most interested in was the file about the professor''s recent activity. "Three professors were found moving back and forth on a secluded area a few days before the incident" "And also Edgar applied for a leave of absence on the next day after that suspicious night" Casper and Mckenzie said while a map of the said area unfolded on my hand. "Isn''t this the club room?" I realized. "Yup that club is under Edgar''s management, the Fireseed club" I suddenly felt something was off "I don''t know if we have a chance to gather information about this since everyone is too afraid to speak, so whatever happens at that time will be a mystery to us" Casper is right, I can''t help but sigh though it seems that night was the trigger for yesterday''s incident. "So Apollo can we ask you something" "What is it, Keith?" "How do n to proceed with this, we know we can continue this kind of investigation however it will probably take some time. However, if it''s you we are sure there is a more convenient and faster way to find evidence" "I agree with Keith, following tracks and speaking to some people about the incident will only drag time. We don''t have that and we know you don''t want to prolong this" irmented until we finally arrived at our ss building. "Oh, we forgot to mention this but the girls got their hands on something as well, we should hear it out" ir added. And so all of us went inside and there in the lecture room the rest of my ssmates gathered. "Wait you guys" I was a little dumbfounded when I realized it wasn''t just them but some of Lena''s close friends from the Middle ss are here. "What''s happening?" I asked and immediately Alya exined. "They have something to say Apollo so sit with us" I was confused but still obeyed her words and so all of us neers sat alongside them. "So care to exin what is going on?" As soon as we settled on our seats, I asked Mica, Lena''s best friend. My words however make the girl''s expression livid. "Um...Apollo, you once told us that if we were to be in trouble you would help right?" Chapter 194 Finding Diary "Mica be clear with your words and state what is bothering you" I calmly told her seeing how her body was trembling excessively. "Sorry it''s just, I was just overwhelmed" I motioned her to calm herself first because I could see the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Olena was like a sister to me...*sniff*...she always takes care of the younger people of our vige..." "And then just a while ago we received a message from Lena, that the priest who came to bless sister Olena''s body, noticed something on her" At that moment I felt a lump of pain block my airway. An unpleasant conclusion forms in my head, while the report handed to me a while ago echoes through my ears. "What happened that night" I began to say in my head while my friends especially the boys had the same reaction as me. "Hey...." I heard Samael speak seeing how Mica couldn''t bring herself to the next words we needed to hear. "Don''t tell she was...." he mutters though Mica heard his words quite clearly. The little girl with her eyes full of tears began to nod her head and say "Yeah!...someone..hurt her and....they..." Her body began to shake and couldn''t speak anymore. So I look at the other girl right beside her. "Becky" I calmly called her, fortunately, it seemed she was way calmer than her friend though she couldn''t seem to speak about the issue as well. "Here Apollo" she told me while her hand had an envelope with the sigil of the church of Purity on it. The ck envelope with golden patterns seemingly branches of an olive tree. It was the symbol of purity and peace that the church advocated. I felt heavy and somehow knew what was the thing I was about to see. I took what she had given me and immediately sighed when I saw what was inside. "It was an autopsy report" My friends backed off as soon as they heard it. Maybe this is their way of showing their respect. Silently I read its contents until my eyesnded on that Final Diagnosis. Final Diagnosis: 1. Cause of Death:Suicide by loss of blood due to self-inflictedcerations on the wrists. The decedent bled out due to a significant loss of blood from the cuts. 2. Contributing Factors: The decedent was a victim of sexual assault. Evidence of recent sexual trauma was observed, including contusions and abrasions consistent with the reported assault. Psychological stressors rted to the assault, including trauma and emotional distress, likely contributed to the decision to end her life. Autopsy Findings: - External Examination:Multiple deepcerations on both wrists, with evidence of significant blood loss. Bruises and abrasions on the torso and limbs are consistent with recent trauma. - Internal Examination: No significant internal injuries beyond those consistent with blood loss. Findings are consistent with blood loss due to self-inflicted wounds. -Toxicology: No significant findings of toxic substances. Conclusion:The primary cause of death is suicide by exsanguination due to self-inflicted wristcerations. Contributing factors include recent sexual assault and associated psychological trauma. These diagnostic findings were conducted under the parental consent of the victim. Any mistake and forgery written in this document shall be answered by the Church of Purity and Peace. Below those words were the written date of the examination, Olena''s parental consent their signature and the priest who made the autopsy. Then at the very bottom right was the stamp of the church. "This is very solid evidence" I can''t help but say. An evidence that she was raped, we can definitely use this to hold the academy ountable. "We have no idea whom to approach but we remember your words a few days ago...so if it isn''t too much please give justice to her!" Mica said while calming her trembling hand. "We don''t know who did it and no one would tell us, even the friends that she once brought on her second year avoided the topic about her" Becky said frustration is evident on her face. . . After some talk, I asked Alya and Vesta to look after them, and then we all decided to leave them inside the lecture room while we moved inside the beast simtion room. "So do we have anything that can help us pin that guy" Casper immediately asked as soon as we settled inside the simtion room. "We can''t rely on testimonies since I am sure no one would speak up"N?v(el)B\\jnn "Not even her so-called friends dare to help out" "Can you even call them friends Aaron, they left her" "We can''t count on the professors the Williams have them by the neck" "What do think Apollo?" The conversation between Aaron, Matilda, Braiden, ir and Arabe turns to me. So I have no choice but to answer. "Actually there is an object that can help us corner Edgar" Stay connected with empire "And that is?" Mckenzie curiously asked so I immediately answered. "A diary, Olena left a diary that records her bullying as well as the location of some recorded footage of Edgar''s participation in harrasing some other students" "That''s good so what are we waiting for let''s move!" Mckenzie felt excited but I stopped him. "There is just a slight problem" "What problem?" they all asked and I embarrassingly replied. "I don''t know where the diary is" "Oh" "Now that is a real problem" Alicia yfully said while holding a certain orb in her hand. "Don''t toy with me and provide me with something to help me out" "Actually I do have some information that may help you" She then handed me an envelope though the girls seemed to know what it contained. "We were supposed to give that to you but Mica''s outburst made it impossible for us to hand it over" Agnes told me. "Inside the envelope our ces Olena used to go, some known to others while some are only known by her sister" "That information came from Lena while the rest are from the eyewitnesses we spoke to" "Wait how did you guys get anything from them, when we tried to speak they tried to avoid us like we have gue" Casper asked seemingly confused. "Oh that''s because of Alicia, she is good at convincing people" Agnes exined though the boys felt that there was more threatening than convincing. While they continued to bicker about who was most capable of gathering information I began analyzing all the things they gave me. [I think none of this ce has what we are looking for] "Same, I felt like we should have analyzed her personality and...." Suddenly something hit me. "A rose" I spoke mindlessly causing my friends to look at me. "Rose?" they asked though the only thing I could do was smile, then I said. "I think I know where the diary is" I felt excited but immediately calmed down since I might be wrong. "Jeremiah analyzes the overall information we have thenes up with ces we should visit" [Yes Creator] After that, I looked at my friends and told them "Can I ask for your assistance?" They smiled and dly answered "Sure!" And so that night the students of the lower ss stay up all night to do some treasure hunting. . . Cold chilly air glides through the trimmed grass of multiplewns, while multiple silhouettes can be seen moving across the shadows. There among the number of moving figures, a boy with red-orange hair can be seen, though he wears a hood his distinctive hair color makes it noticeable. "Alright you got your targets right?" the boy with red-orange hair asked. "Yup!" they answer while their hand has a piece of paper that seems to be their map. "Also don''t forget the enchanted stone I gave you, if you lost it the defensive spells around the academy will detect you, so keep it safe" "We will" "Now then let''s see each other here in 3 hours, be careful everyone" Then the group began to move in pairs and went secretly to their respective targets. "We are here" "A garden?" "Yes Alicia, I heard Olena used to give roses to her friends and I think her garden is here" "Here? An abandoned and burnedboratory?" "Yeah, you know I think ever since her harassment began she started avoiding other people. So her choice of ces to hang around would be her room or an abandoned ce like this. However, even when she avoided everyone there is one person she didn''t avoid" The boy said thinking that there was another meaning to that rose that he didn''t know about. "How did you locate this ce?" "I ran a search spell where her presence is more apparent. Besides her room and ssroom, this ce has more of her aura" "If we knew you have such a spell we wouldn''t bother going around the campus looking for her trace" "Ah, sorry" Then they went inside and there they saw a beautiful garden of roses. Both Alicia and Apollo felt like their breaths were taken as the scenery overwhelmed them. Chapter 195 Found Diary Apollo''s Pov A few meters away from Olena''s dorm, I found an abandonedboratory that was left after an ident many years ago. Due to the spell I cast I was able to feel the degree of her presence in specific ces. The more ces she frequently visits the more intense her presence there. That''s why it could be said that she led me here. Upon our arrival what weed us was a deste area. I remained observant of my surroundings and saw what remained of the abandonedboratory. Due to the long time of neg?li?gence theb''s exterior was weathered and covered with vines and roots, caused by the trees that had grown inside it. The facade was crumbling, with ivy and wild vines creeping up the cracked walls. As if telling me that nature itself sought to reim this ce. The wind then suddenly hit us making the broken windows creak and stare out like hollow eyes, their ss long since shattered. The surrounding grounds were overgrown, with weeds and wildflowers mingling in a chaotic field with moss that grew everywhere. "Let''s go in," I told Alicia and in response, she nodded her head. Upon entering, the interior revealed a different story. Making me wonder what kind of explosion happened here. Theb had long been forsaken it had this unsettling quietness though I could hear the crickets singing. The dust settled over abandoned equipment and shattered ssware, faded stains marred the walls, and burned remnants of chemical reactions painted the destroyed pirs. Yet, in this forsaken and abandoned ce, something unexpected had carved out in this deste domain. A life blooms, it was an array of beautiful roses, untamed and wild, have been nted and cared for through the remnants of theboratory. Their vibrant blooms shed and strangely harmonised with the decay that surrounded them. They sprouted lively from cracks in the floor, and the fallen pirs became its fence serving as their boundary. "What the" we both exim as the wind carries the thick mingled scents of roses and the musty neglect of theboratory. This scenario created a surreal contrast between abandonment and beauty. Petals, ranging from soft pink to deep red,y scattered like forgotten memories among the debris. The roses brought peace within me bing a reminder of beauty''s persistence, even amidst destion. "These are Mysties" "A what?" I asked finding the name a bit confusing. "Mysties also known as enchanted roses are a type of rose that magnify its caretaker''s feelings. Whatever the emotion the one who nts them feels, their colors will change ording to that emotion" "That''s a bit amazing" Then I observed the field of roses seeing everything dyed with red. "So since Olena decided to kill herself the rose then turned red" "Pfft!" "!?" I was suddenly confused by Alicia''s reaction. "Did I perhaps say something wrong?" "I am sorry but I just don''t know how you reached that conclusion" "Well, red is the color of blood right? And since she killed herself through exsanguination, it must have reflected on the colour of the rose" "Red I see" "Why are youughing" "Sorry I''ll apologise again, but the meaning of the rose is different from what you thought" "Then how about enlightening me Alicia" "Alright, a red rose means passion, admiration... " She suddenly paused and then made a solemn look, however, that expression soon changed. "...admiration and love" "Love?" "Yes love, since the rose is color red it means she was in love" "In love, her? If she loves someone, then why did she leave that person?" "Different people, different choices and different decisions, we just need to respect it" Then she walked ahead of me and said "Let''s look for her diary so we can give her the justice she deserves" I can''t help but nod my head at her words, indeed that''s what we came for not to question her decision. "I''ll scan the area" I said and softly began chanting, as the spell activated the entire area began to appear inside my head. From the drop of rolling water on the overgrown grass to the roots of the trees, everything became clear to me. "Hmm?" "What is it?" "Alicia I found it, however.." "However?" "How do we get it out? I don''t want to ruin her garden" "I understand that then just tell me where it is and I will do some tricks" "Okay, it''s underneath that, the rose with the darkest shade of red" "Got it leave it to me" Find more to read on empire She then waves her hand and immediately a dark void emerges spitting a dirty box. "The diary is inside that" I immediately said taking it from her hand. "There is a code to open the lock" "I can open it" I swiped my hand on top of the box and then it opened. Right inside it was a green notebook strapped by a red ribbon. The said notebook was also decorated with faint drawings of roses. "It''s here" "Let''s contact everyone, we got what we wanted" As I called off the night we all returned to our dorms with the diary in my hand. "Alright I will be reading it" I said preparing to read it out loud however. "It''s okay Apollo I think it''s best that only one person knows what''s inside it" Agnes told me while sealing my lips with her hand. "I agree with her, whatever lies inside that book doesn''t need to be known to many people" Arabe agreed while urging Samael to agree as well. "Truthfully I fear I won''t be able to sleep at night if I were to hear its contents" Mckenzie shared his thoughts sounding a bit ashamed of himself. "I know I might seem like a coward however I just felt fear of what that diary holds, so Apollo will it be alright if you..."N?v(el)B\\jnn "Take everything," I said seeing how he struggled toplete his sentence. "Yes I''m sorry, I think we can''t take if the diary has something that can remind us of the past" he added while his head still looked on the ground. "I understand, I know that everyone still hasn''t fixed their previous attachment to the past. And I don''t mind reading it since I have been curious about what''s inside this" "We are sorry" "It''s okay Alya, well since I need some moment I will sleep in my room instead, see you guys tomorrow, good night" "Good night Apollo" "Good night bro" "Night night" I only nodded and went upstairs, honestly, I kind of wanted to read this all by myself. I just didn''t expect them to speak about it. However I still understand their sentiment, it hasn''t been long since the incident of the Monastery ended yet all that is been happening made them recall more painful things. I on the other hand don''t mind remembering things, because the more I recall them the more my will strengthen. So Olena let me take your suffering, grief and regret. I will add them to the fire that has been burning deep within me. Without further ado let''s read it now On the fifth day of the Month of Martius Dear Diary First off I have never done diaries before but now I think I need to. I never thought I''d be writing these things, but here I am. Writing my thoughts because it seems no one will hear me after all. I keep thinking that maybe if I put my feelings down on paper, it will make sense, or at least make it hurt less. Perhaps I also wanted someone to see it and help me. It started a few months ago, whispers behind my back came with a group of people I don''t know. I ignored them, really I did! I tried, but it didn''t work. I could feel their troublesome aura pushing those people I call friends and now I am alone. However, I tried ignoring it but it seems to be a bad idea because they increased their appearances and it seems their leader was also among them now. I would regrly receive cold stares in the hallway making me freak out, but I thought it would work out somehow. Twentieth day of the month of Martius By now everything has gotten worse. They''re not just whispering anymore; now they''re shouting, and sometimes I feel like I''m being hunted. I try to ignore it, but the things they say stick with me. They''ve started pushing me around, too. I can''t even walk down the hallway without worrying if they''re going to shove me into the lockers, but it''s still good right? They haven''t done anything other than that. Honestly, I tried to fight but not only they are stronger power wisely but their status left me no opening to save myself. I am not sure but I just have to endure. Fifth day of the fourth month Aprillis I don''t know how much longer I can do this. The whispers have turned into threats, and I''m scared all the time. I feel like I''m disappearing. It''s like no one sees me anymore, and even when they do, they would ignore me as if I never existed. I wish someone could just lend me a hand, though I know it''s impossible to happen since no one would help me. The only thing that is keeping me together is the fact that the school year is ending soon. Our summer vacation is about toe. Just two more days and I will be back home again. Chapter 196 Her only light The first page talks about her experience of the sudden appearance of Edgar''s gang as well as her first time meeting him. Although it seems she doesn''t know it was Edgar. A noble who orchestrated her harassment. [I suspect he is using a veil to hide his identity, lower members of society won''t be able to notice that] "That is also the reason why he targets her" he can''t pick on someone stronger than him so he will choose someone weaker, what a coward. I can''t help but sigh, so ording to her diary, from mere words, it escted into physical harassment. Although pushing is just a simple offence the effect that it could cause to one''s mental health is immense. "It seems he enjoys tormenting his targets slowly" I can''t help but say while flipping another page. On the ninth day of the sixth month, I¨±nius My summer was filled with happiness and hope although I still miss my friends who I often invited here in our vige. After what happened at the academy they never once talked or even looked at me, making me feel more alone. I don''t know what to think but for now, I should enjoy the peace and quiet my home gives. However, before I noticed it the day of our return came making me excessively nervous. I fear they might return and their verbal and simple harassment might escte. I don''t know what to do especially now that my sister will be with me, adding more burden on my already troubled mind. Twenty-sixth day of the sixth month, I¨±nius Strangely nothing happened except that all of my ssmates avoided me. I felt horrible being isted but it''s better than being repeatedly harrassed. I am a bit relieved that there haven''t been any signs of those students who were troubling me, for now, I am safe. Twenty-eight day of the sixth month, I¨±nius Something was happening, for a few days I was safe but now they are here again. I can feel a soft creeping sound along with low controlled snikering. They areing yet again however this time I will definitely fight back. I won''t just sit while they continue to push me around. On the thirtieth day of the sixth month, I¨±nius I gathered information on those strange students and as I observed how I couldn''t recognize their faces meant they wore disguises to distort their appearance. The only people who can afford such tools are those students who are part of the upper realm of society. I knew at that time that I should get the professors involved. Experience more tales on empire After all the academy forbids the usage of status to inflict authority on others. However, as soon as I did so I was rained with a series of irritating words that I better not write. Instead of feeling assured I felt like they were ming me for the bullying I am experiencing, I am the victim here but they never treated me as one. I felt ashamed of myself and almost cried out of frustration. That''s when I realized, that no matter how bad a person is as long as they have a powerful background they will never face judgement. First day of the seventh month, Iulius I began hiding and evading every person who wanted to approach me. I never felt safe be it with a school staff or even my own ssmate. All I did for the entire day excluding my training and studying, was look for any evidence and information about my harraser. Until one day I found out who they were. I just witnessed it a few hours ago as I was following the familiar figures of those who frequently pushed and spoke violently to me. And there right outside a specific club room, I caught a glimpse of a familiar man. It was Edgar Williams. The vice headmaster''s nephew and heir to his family. I suddenly found the reason why no one not even the professors could deal with him. In that moment of realization, I took my recording tool and began taking footage of how Edgar and his minions beat up a poor student. From then on I began tracing their action and recording every time they hurt someone. On the tenth day of the seventh month, Iulius Hiding and evading them no longer works since they would find me immediately as if they had a tracker on me. I kept running away from them but every time I do so I will be cornered and have no ce to hide. Theirughter sent my body into panic while their touch made me feel revolting. In front of them, I was just a weak little girl who couldn''t do anything. However, they didn''t know I recorded everything. Every hit and word was taken and when the timees, I will pay them back a hundredfold. I stopped reading for a moment and realized she wasn''t a damsel in distress. She was a fighter and although she knew her enemies were strong she still tried to fight. In that aspect, I began to respect her. However, knowing her ending made my fingers heavy. It''s as if I never wanted to flip another page because I know, that the next words meant she won''t be able to make another chapter. However the story must go on, so again, I flip another page.N?v(el)B\\jnn On the thirteenth day of the seventh month, Iulius Lately, I have been nting Mysties, my sister gave them to me before we separated, since the seniors and the freshmen are separated until the three-month istion ends. Then today when I was about to take care of my roses the same way I did the first day I nted them, I saw ady observing the garden I had made. That surprised me since no one woulde here. So I walked towards her and tried to see who she was. I was at first confused since her appearance was obscure by fog, but soon her prominent red-orange made me realize her identity. You are a Lionheart I recklessly said that and immediately she looked back and immediately her red-orange her turn white. I felt amazed by what I witnessed. Her hair changing color was just like how mysties change depending on my mood. At that moment I could only say wow. I had never seen someone as pretty as her. Those golden eyes and silver hair were really amazing to see. Ah, so this is the time she met my sister. I flipped another page and felt curious about their rtionship. First day of the eighth month, Agustus After so many days that I was alone finally there was someone who tried to help me. Her name is Athena, the only daughter of the dual family of Lionheart. It seems our sudden meet-up brought a sudden closeness I never expected. For a brief time, I felt like someone cared. She promised to help me, and she even got Prince Titus involved. I felt a glimmer of hope in that moment. The prince weed me to his club providing protection I never expected to have. The club members also told me not to go too far and always go to the ces they have marked. And dly I agreed to them. Twenty-Six day of the eighth month, Agustus Prince Titus decided to make a move and wanted the imperial finally involved. I suddenly got scared but he told me it had to be done to change things. Then he told me to gather up the evidence we needed to set the academy upside down however he was suddenly called for a mission. I felt it was suspicious but Titus told me not to overthink and just prepare everything so we can continue once he returns. I did what he asked but the feeling of danger still persisted inside my heart. Suddenly I thought of her, so without hesitation, I went to her side. Fortunately, she was there in the garden where we first met. Ever since we became friends we would always meet here. We didn''t really know why but the calmness those roses gave was enough for us to be happy. At that moment I suddenly wish our time together wouldst more. First day of the ninth month, September I was excited to meet up with Athena only to find out she was about to be sent on a mission with her brother. Just my luck, right? And as soon as she was gone, I suddenly felt a void I could not understand. However, my days continue with the other members of the club acting as my guard. It was fun because I had friends again however the sense of danger was still there. Seventh day of the Ninth month, September All the remaining members of the club were suddenly ordered to do a mission and only I remain. My club members felt it was suspicious and advised me never to go to ss until they returned. I immediately agreed and was then asked to return to my dorms. I rushed outside and ran as fast as I could. Only when I was inside my room could I be safe but then I saw shadowsing, it''s like they were waiting for the chance to hurt me even more. Chapter 197 Just a reader First day of the eighth month, Agustus After so many days that I was alone finally there was someone who tried to help me. Her name is Athena, the only daughter of the dual family of Lionheart. It seems our sudden meet-up brought a sudden closeness I never expected. For a brief time, I felt like someone cared. She promised to help me, and she even got Prince Titus involved. I felt a glimmer of hope in that moment. The prince weed me to his club providing protection I never expected to have. The club members also told me not to go too far and always go to the ces they have marked. And dly I agreed to them. It turns out my sister helped her, why? Was she always this kind? Then why...why I have never.... No stop, don''t think that way, you can''t be distracted. What you should think of is the location where she hid the footage, that''s the point of this. [Rx Creator, your emotion is shaking my entire existence] "I am sorry" [It''s okay, should I scan the diary instead so you don''t need to read it?] "No it''s okay, I want to know everything. Every pain and happiness of her. I want to read it all" So I calmed my heart and yet again I read the next entry she wrote. Twenty-Six day of the eighth month, Agustus Prince Titus decided to make a move and wanted the imperial finally involved. I suddenly got scared but he told me it had to be done to change things. Then he told me to gather up the evidence we needed to set the academy upside down however he was suddenly called for a mission. I felt it was suspicious but Titus told me not to overthink and just prepare everything so we can continue once he returns. I did what he asked but the feeling of danger persisted inside my heart. Suddenly I thought of her, so without hesitation, I went to her side. Fortunately, she was there in the garden where we first met. Ever since we became friends we would always meet here. We didn''t know why but the calmness those roses gave was enough for us to be happy. At that moment I suddenly wish our time together wouldst more. Hah? Titus? If they were really friends he would have been there when the mass happened. He and the rest of his members would be there to pray for her, however, I never even felt a single shred of energy from anyone from the Clover club, not a single one. I think the main reason Titus extended a helping hand was because of the benefit he could get from having the imperial family involved. One of the previous emperors once made an oath not to interfere too much in the academy''s affairs. That resulted in the empire''s grip on the academy lessening, and for years the following emperor has been trying to return the imperial family''s absolute control of the said ce. If Titus can use the corruption that has been going on at Aster he can use one of the conditions of the oath to allow the empire''s forces to interfere. The autonomy that Aster has will be lessened while the empire will gain its lost foothold and reinstate itself. However, there is a slight error in that statement of mine. "The headmaster" If I am not mistaken he was someone the previous emperor put in order to know whatever was happening inside the academy. While the Vice headmaster was known to be easygoing yet strict when ites to rules. "So it seems the headmaster and the vice are ignorant to this" Meaning to say if they found out about Edgar''s wrongdoings there is a possibility of them taking action despite having a connection with him. The situation will change if the headmaster were to be the one who will gain control of the case. The Imperial family won''t need to interfere since it will be an internal affair of the academy. However, the opposite would happen if it was Titus who reigns over the case. [Creator will you help the headmaster and vice?] "No, I am a Lionheart as well as a mage from the tower, our loyalty belongs to the crown" Then I flip another page wanting to finish the diary before dawn. First day of the ninth month, September I was excited to meet up with Athena only to find out she was about to be sent on a mission with her brother. Just my luck, right? And as soon as she was gone, I suddenly felt a void I could not understand. However, my days continue with the other members of the club acting as my guard. It was fun because I had friends again however the sense of danger was still there. Seventh day of the Ninth month, September All the remaining members of the club were suddenly ordered to do a mission and only I remain. My club members felt it was suspicious and advised me never to go to ss until they returned. I immediately agreed and was then asked to return to my dorms. I rushed outside and ran as fast as I could. Only when I was inside my room could I be safe but then I saw shadowsing, it''s like they were waiting for the chance to hurt me even more. My thought that I will not be swayed again crumpled, as soon as I read those two entries. So with a heavy heart, I turned to another page. Eight day of the Ninth month, September I don''t know if I can put into words what happened. I am alive but somehow I knew I just died. Like I was killed repeatedly without mercy. I begged and pleaded yet no one heard me. They ripped me and forced things I never wanted, now I am nothing but a tainted flower. In the end, the weak will remain weak while the strong will triumph. Ninth day of the Ninth month, September I received news that Titus had returned however my body and mind no longer had any capacity to think. The other club members were also back though Athena hasn''t returned yet. I wanted to see but I also didn''t. I longed and detested the very fact that I wanted to see her again. Continue reading on empire Today, Titus kept calling me but I didn''t answer I just don''t have any strength to move. I began to question his intention and even the smiles everyone had given me. More thoughts flooded in and at that moment I felt that I was alone again. Tenth day of the Ninth month, September I am tired, so tired, you know I just realized maybe Titus just wants to use me. He probably saw my case as the shining opportunity that would make the imperial family grab the Academy just as they always wanted. The members of the club may also be the same. Why did I think we could be friends when they were the very same people who instigated my suffering? Was I so lonely that I sought their attention just to receive some form offort? I can''t believe it.N?v(el)B\\jnn The pain is constant and suffocating. I feel like I''m a burden to everyone around me, even though they don''t see it. I just want to sleep because I don''t want to feel this way again. My hand began to shake, I couldn''t believe I was empathizing with someone over a cluster of words, she was a person I never met and her story shouldn''t affect me. A deep sigh escapes from me while I flip another page. As I tried to regain my focus the very first thing I read was this passage. If anyone reads this, please know that I tried. I tried to stay strong, but I couldn''t. I''m sorry for all the times I felt like a disappointment, but I just couldn''t bear it anymore. Due to my already unstable emotional state, I couldn''t help but close the diary. "It''s strange how the death of someone I don''t know can hurt this much. I know it was just mere words, but the way her life and emotions were described made me feel her loss was was mine to" It''s painful to realize that I can''t do anything to change it or bring her back. The only option I have is to close the diary and move on. [This must be a reminder of how deeply stories can affect us and how powerful our connection to them can be, even when we''re powerless to alter their oue. You know how her story will end yet you still wish for her to live well. That speaks volumes about how your character developed, Creator. At first, you only care about the people of the tower while being cold to others, but now you know how to feel sympathy and even understand people''s feelings. You have truly grown] "Hearing those words suddenly made me regret sharing my memories with you" [Didn''t you tell me you want to form a firm connection with me?] "Right, why don''t we test that connection what do you think I am feeling right now?" [Vengeful] An evil smile painted across my face while the diary disappeared and went inside my inventory. "Now then let''s find that fucking bastard" I said while lightning began to dance across my body. Chapter 198 Her smile Amidst the tranquil sound of the wind across the academy, a ce created by the first students from the imperial family was suddenly filled with noises. The sounds were mixed with chains cking, blood scattering and flesh being continuously hit, it was also apanied by grieving voices. "Now then I suppose my wee greeting was done splendidly" a cold voice devoid of any emotion suddenly spoke. His silhouette then bent down while grabbing the bloodied cor of someone. "I am asking you where the fuck is Edgar!" his voice pierced like a de striking fear to those who heard it. "My patience is running low, if I don''t hear anything now I might ask your parents to entertain me instead" a threateningmand was given making several chains cking. "We...really... don''t know anything!" "Please your Highness we are begging you...please!" "We won''t do it again!" Several students cried and tried to plea however the source of their pain was never listening, instead, he grabbed another student and said. "It seems none of you is listening to my words" "Your imperial Highness, please we know nothing" However, instead of stopping, the silhouette didn''t stop and instead continued to torment them. Cries of pain and suffering echo through the secret passage and even the most powerful man inside the academy won''t be able to sense what is going on in there. "Brother I think you should stop," said a voice that wasing from the door. "Caesar, brother you are here" his voice was still oozing with killing intent however upon his brother''s arrival there was a sudden softness in it. "We won''t gain anything from this, it''s clear that no one knows where he went" The silhouette then dropped the body he was tormenting and then he asked. Discover hidden content at empire "Have you ever lost a friend?" Caesar did not speak instead his head was facing the ground. "I haven''t however I do know this isn''t right, what if their families found out about this, you might be forgetting brother by they are sons of marquises and earls" The younger tried to reason, to answer his words finally the elder turned his back to the people he was tormenting and faced his brother. "I am a prince, not just any prince but the prince of this empire. My name is Titus Alexander Von Celestio, and when I deem something fit no one can tell me it''s wrong"N?v(el)B\\jnn Titus looked at his little brother, his emerald was filled with hatred as if he would destroy the world. Caesar however did not yield instead he stood where he was and remained looking at his older brother''s eyes. "Brother this is madness" "So be it" he then walked pass him however Titus felt his little brother wouldn''t easily let go of this situation, so he decided to speak again. "I know what you fear and don''t worry it won''t happen" Then he went up and began speaking with the other members of his club. That same night Apollo went to hunt Edgar, the entire continent was shaken due to the imperial prince''s wrath. The family of the bullies that have a connection to Olena''s harassment had been excessively punished to the point their status and wealth were confiscated. This action faced much opposition however the might of the prince''s faction was able to bypass everything. Then before dawn struck, Aster Academy was turned upside down. The prince submitted a detailed report about the professors whomitted corrupt acts and received bribes from other students. This caused the headmaster and vice to temporally surrender their power to the imperial family. However, despite all this, some of Edgar''s henchmen were still free because there wasn''t enough evidence against them, though Titus didn''t let their family live peacefully. The imperial prince ns to torture them in case he can''t put them in jail. Titus is determined to achieve his goal be it in legal or illegal terms. Even if he doesn''t have the footage Olena has it won''t hinder him from doing what he wants although it might destroy his reputation. Twelveth day of the Ninth month, September, Athena and Eros return and the very first thing that wees them is the mess caused by Edgar''s action. "Damn it!" the eldest among the children of Lionheart m his table hard poking a hole in it. "I told that bastard not to do anything that can ruin me and now.....argh!!" he shouted while throwing things inside his room. All sorts of things were suddenly dug up inside the Academy, and not just the professor''s corruption was uncovered but also the issue of bullying among the students. Amongst the names, Edgar was the most prominent one and since Eros was known to be his friend, he was immediately dragged into controversies. "That asshole! I told him not to indulge in that hobby of his" he added while clenching his fist harshly. "So you knew about what he was doing" Eros is suddenly taken aback as Titus appears with Athena. "How did you get in here?" he questioned however seeing his sister with him he now knew why. "I have nothing to say Your Highness" Eros said while giving the prince his respect. "Kneeling like that won''t please me though what you said a while ago was interesting" "I apologize to the crown prince but I have no knowledge of what you just said" The young duke continues to y ignorant though Titus doesn''t seem to be enjoying his acting. "You don''t know? That is quite funny" Then he took out a sound recorder and repeated the same line of words Eros just said. "That''s!" upon hearing it the young duke looked pale and immediately tried to grab the recorder in the prince''s hands. "Not so fast!" said the imperial prince as he knocked the eldest of the Lionheart children. Then a banging sound can heard alongside Eros'' painful groan. "This is a simple punishment for attacking me, do it next time and your head will roll on the ground" Titus said reminding Eros of his standing before leaving. As they leave Caesar can''t help but ask his brother "Will that be enough as evidence?" "No, we need more solid evidence" "But where exactly did Edgar go?" Caesar asked again. "I don''t know how about you Athena, do you know anything?" However instead of answering thedy of the lions just shakes her head though her expression isn''t good. "Athena I think you should rest, you look pale" "I am okay Titus we should continue" As they continued to walk outside of the dormitory a specific figure caught their attention. A hair strikingly simr to Eros though his, is more darker inparison, yellow gold eyes simr to the sun at noon while a uniform signifying affiliation to the Lower ss. Apollo Lionheart calmly stood while in his hand was an envelope containing Olena''s autopsy report. "Athena is that your brother?" "Yes however I don''t know the reason for his visit" "Actually Miss Athena''s brother, Apollo is a close friend of Lena, the victim''s younger sibling" Caesar exined before they arrived in front of the boy. Wearing the ck military-like uniform in his hand Apollo didn''t say anything and instead gave the report to Titus. Confused the first imperial prince took the envelope and almost released his killing intent as he read the following words inside the document. "This is!" Prince Titus almost sounded like roaring as he said those two words while Caesar could only look away from the paper. "Can you let me see it your Highness" Athena weakly said while extending her arms to touch the document. "Are you sure?" "I am, please" Athena insisting the princeply by handing the paper to her. As he did so, his eyes which were filled with anger and hatred suddenly softened and turned into concern when he saw the girl''s expression. Athena upon reading the contents can''t help but tremble while her eyes closed, not trying to read anymore. "That document was given by Lena, the victim''s little sister. ording to her when the priest from the church of the Peace and Purity came they noticed something on her body, so they ran an autopsy under the parent''s consent" Apollo exined then he approached his sister, his eyes were calm too calm yet too deadly at the same time. It''s as if he was a beast that was offended by someone. Titus immediately noticed this which made him interested. "I want to speak with youter,e and visit her garden with me this evening" the boy just said then he switched to the first imperial prince. "You can have this too" He gave him a ring and inside it was the footage they badly needed. "What is this?" "Look inside Your Highness" After saying those words he left leaving those three people confused. "He is really different" Caesar can''t help but say. "Why didn''t you befriend him?" asked his brother making the younger prince shake his head. "He doesn''t like socializing although suddenly he and his ssmates began befriending other students" While the two brothers began to speak to each other Athena absently gave the document back before going to her room. "Athena?" Titus called however Athena wasn''t in the mood to answer. "We should leave her be, it seems she is in so much pain" Chapter 199 Her smile Part. II Night fell yet again and the sky was filled with glittering stars. The moon was also there although it wasn''t at its fullest it was still captivating. The sounds of the crickets and other insects created a simple harmony putting your mind at ease. Yet despite the beauty and calmness the night gives the underlying tension inside the academy continues. Titus continued his purge and decreased the number of students and professors by half. No one was spared even if that person had a close connection to the government. Many people were put under trial not even Eros was spared, even he who was deemed heir to the seat of the duke received punishments he should be ashamed of. While he received an adequate punishment ording to Titus, his younger siblings Athena and Apollo received praises for helping the case. Although Apollo just gave the report in the morning the future crown prince was able to use all his connections to convict everyone he wanted. That''s why before the night falls only Titus can sleep soundly on his bed, the rest might be in their cells. "Jeremiah" [Yes] "I think I was wrong about the prince" The artificial intelligence did not speak as if it was his silence that signifies his answer as yes. "This situation could have been avoided if only she realized how much Prince Titus and my sister love her. No, it''s not only them she has an entire club dedicated for protecting her, yet doubt had clouded her judgment" [We can''t really say that since we don''t know the entire truth. What the diary holds is just a small fragment of events Miss Olena wishes to share. It is only her point of view and not of the others. Their reason and decision aren''t something we can know, all we can do is watch and try to understand them] A sigh escapes from Apollo as he holds the diary.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Just this one time, I will forget what she did to me, for her sake, and in respect for her death I will do this" Apollo steeled his will and waited for that person underneath the stars. He could feel the wind, it was cold yet it couldn''t bepared to the void inside his heart. He thought he had filled it yet it seems he was wrong. "Where could she be?" he questioned while standing amongst the flowers. "It seems that autumn ising" he can''t help but add feeling the increasing flow of wind. Each wave of it created a symphony that made the leaves and branches of trees dance. As the boy indulged in the calm tune, the sound of familiar footsteps made him open his eyes. "You are here," he said first as he moved to see the person he was waiting for. "Sister" "Apollo" As soon as she arrived the flow of the wind changed, and roses began to sway left and right. "Why did you call me here" "Ah, you went straight to business...why am I suddenly disappointed to hear that" he said though thest part of his words was swallowed by the sudden gust of wind. "Apollo?" "Here, she wants you to have it" A confused look was evident on Athena''s face however when she saw the pattern on the diary her expression soon saddened. "How did you get this?" "She led me here, however, it seems the person she was waiting for wasn''t me" Then from the diary, Athena''s eyes shifted and looked at her little brother. "It was you, sister, she wanted you to find her here" At that moment Apollo felt so much pain seeing her older sister cry. [Are you hurt?] "I think so" [Why?] "I feel hurt for not feeling anything in her current situation. Don''t normal people sympathize with their rtives? But now I feel nothing to her and what makes me irked is that I mourn the death of a stranger yet I feel frustrated towards my sister" [You don''t need to force yourself to feel something you couldn''t, just ept everything that you can feel and understand it] The boy just nodded hearing those words while Athena began reading the diary. Her hand would tremble from time to time while her eyes would seem about to cry. Apollo remained standing until he slowly moved away from her, as he did so the field of flowers behind his back began to bloom. Apollo remains quiet only letting soft sniffling sounds blend into the evening symphony. Athena on the other hand began reading thest few pages remaining in the diary. At first, it was a map of the footage and information of her bullies. The diary also has entries of multiple messages for every club member, making Athena even more emotional. However, her emotion reaches the highest as she reads a certain passage. If anyone reads this, please know that I tried. I tried to stay strong, but I couldn''t. I''m sorry for all the times I felt like a disappointment, but I just couldn''t bear it anymore. The voices didn''t stop, they kept appearing, whispering words I didn''t want to hear, and I could no longer keep them in. I am sorry, please forgive me. Then another page was turned and it turns out it was a message for her. Dear Athena I honestly don''t know what to say and I didn''t know I would have the chance to ever write a message for you. If you''re reading this, then I''m no longer there. I just want to tell you this isn''t your fault. Don''t me yourself this was my choice and although I regret it, this was the only thing I could do to escape. I am sorry I wasn''t able to win against myself, I let my demons swallow me and now I am no longer there to hold your hand. I wish I could be, but the truth is, I''ve taken myself away from you, way too soon. The thing is, I wanted to tell you something, though I don''t know how to say it. I find it a bit indecent however since I am already gone can''t I at least be honest? I want to tell you this, Athena Moon Lionheart, I like you not as friends but romantically. I know you might find me weird but it''s the truth. You know ever since my bullying I found the thought of having a rtionship with men disgusting, however, with you I think living in a small house in a mountain won''t be so bad. I found peace with you and I hope you won''t feel too burdened because of my passing. I hope this letter reaches you with the warmth I always wanted to give you in person. There''s so much I wish I could say Athena, but the words never seem to be enough. I want you to know that I was happy you found this ce because you found me here. You made the days brighter and the nights moreforting even when nightmares kept visiting me. Your smile was my sce, and yourughter was the melody that yed in my heart. I am sorry that I won''t be there to share in your life''s moments, both big and small. Please forgive me for taking my own life. I had hoped for a lifetime with you even if you can''t ept me as a lover, I can''t settle for a friend or stalker, and it breaks my heart that I am the reason why it won''t happen anymore. I want you to know that I fought with everything I had to stay, but sometimes your emotions and thoughts can take your actions to extremes. I want you to live fully and find joy in the world, and don''t go around wearing that mask it''s annoying you know. Take care of yourself. I''ll be watching over you, and in those quiet moments when you feel alone, I hope you findfort in knowing that I am still with you, and now I am at peace. Your little flower, Olena Riverside Athena then closed the diary and let her tears fall on the ground. Watching this Apollo can finally smile, and then he speaks. "Sister she has a gift for you" he added, then suddenly a gentle wind touched the flowers causing them to change color. The red roses that signify love and admiration slowly change their color. Under the touch of the moonlight and guide of the stars the dark shade of red turns white. Athena felt an immense mixture of emotion and slowly her crying face gave a mncholy smile. "Yes, I will live" She dered and with her smile, Apollo finally changed his expression. Experience more on empire "A red flower signifies an intense and pure love, while a white" The boy looks intensely at the garden before saying "A white rose means final farewell, this was Olena''s way of saying goodbye to her" With his mission done Apollo then decided to leave, since he could feel Athena needed some time alone. "You know Jeremiah, I somehow don''t regret writing thatst page" He said before disappearing in the darkness. Chapter 200 Calling her Here is theplete letter of Olena to Athena: Dear Athena I honestly don''t know what to say and I didn''t know I would have the chance to ever write a message for you. If you''re reading this, then I''m no longer there. I just want to tell you this isn''t your fault. Don''t me yourself this was my choice and although I regret it, this was the only thing I could do to escape. I am sorry I wasn''t able to win against myself, I let my demons swallow me and now I am no longer there to hold your hand. I wish I could be, but the truth is, I''ve taken myself away from you, way too soon. The thing is, I wanted to tell you something, though I don''t know how to say it. I find it a bit indecent however since I am already gone can''t I at least be honest? I want to tell you this, Athena Moon Lionheart, I like you not as friends but romantically. I know you might find me weird but it''s the truth. You know ever since my bullying I found the thought of having a rtionship with men disgusting, however, with you I think living in a small house in a mountain won''t be so bad. I found peace with you and I hope you won''t feel too burdened because of my passing. I hope this letter reaches you with the warmth I always wanted to give you in person. There''s so much I wish I could say Athena, but the words never seem to be enough. I want you to know that I was happy you found this ce because you found me here. You made the days brighter and the nights moreforting even when nightmares kept visiting me. Your smile was my sce, and yourughter was the melody that yed in my heart. I am sorry that I won''t be there to share in your life''s moments, both big and small. Please forgive me for taking my own life. I had hoped for a lifetime with you even if you can''t ept me as a lover, I can''t settle for a friend or stalker, and it breaks my heart that I am the reason why it won''t happen anymore. I want you to know that I fought with everything I had to stay, but sometimes your emotions and thoughts can take your actions to extremes. I want you to live fully and find joy in the world, and don''t go around wearing that mask it''s annoying you know. Be honest with yourself and makeup with him already. I know you didn''t mean what happened. I know you two were both hurt but it will remain as it is if you won''t clear things up. Regrets can only make you think but if you act now it will change. Your what ifs will disappear and only possibilities will remain. Please remember me not with tears of sorrow but with theughter and simple moments we shared. I know we only met for a short while but thank you. You were my greatest adventure, my little gardener and fiery lioness. I am grateful for every moment we had together and even in the afterlife I will take it with me. Take care of yourself. I''ll be watching over you, and in those quiet moments when you feel alone, I hope you findfort in knowing that I am still with you, and now I am at peace. Your little flower, Olena Riverside Athena remains sitting on the soft grass in the garden not knowing her brother already left. "I will thank him tomorrow" she mumbled while cradling the diary in her arms. That night the wind blew strangely calm, many hearts were broken that day though there were some who already felt relieved. Like Apollo who happily walked away from the garden, as he did so he can''t help but speak to Jeremiah. "You know Jeremiah, I somehow don''t regret writing thatst page" [I supposed so however are you alright?] "Of course, I am, why ask" [Because you used a very powerful forbidden spell] "I am alright since I use the spell Clonis, that is why this body didn''t receive any damage, my other body did. Well to be more precise it was the ''me'' who cast the spell that received the penalty" [Do you think Olena had joined the Cycle?] "We don''t know, however, we still have a task we haven''t done yet" [Edgar? Didn''t you already give his location to the prince?] "Yes, and from what I heard Prince Titus already mobilized an adequate amount of soldiers to capture him" [So it was already done why do we still need to do something to him?] "I am not satisfied and besides I made a promise right?" . . . A little shback, before this event, the night Apollo read Olena''s diary. Apollo''s Pov "Now then let''s find that fucking bastard" I dered while lightning began to pulsate from my body however suddenly I felt a sudden realization. Discover hidden content at empire "Something is weird" [What weird?] Then I retrieved the diary from my inventory and read its contents again. [What''s weird?] "If you are going to die and you need to leave a note, will you still hide something?" [No, if I am going to disappear I will say everything that I need to say because I know I won''t be able to have another chance to speak] "If that is the case then why do I feel like something is missing from her diary" [You think so?] "Yeah, why didn''t she put any message for her family, not even a single letter for her sister and friends either" [That is indeed confusing] So instead of running wild like what I nned to do I postponed that n and instead sat on my bed. "Something is off no?" [Yes I can now agree after scanning the diary, it seems even in herst moment she was still restraining herself from speaking the truth]N?v(el)B\\jnn *Sigh* "It seems I have no choice then, Jeremiah seal the area" [I will but what for] "We are going to ask the owner of this diary" [You mean!] "Yes, I am going to cast a forbidden magic. It''s the only choice we have to meet her" [Why go all the trouble, Creator] "For closure, for her family''s sake and peace of their hearts. This also for Olena''s soul as well, the less burden her soul is the easier it will be for her to join the cycle of Life, death and reincarnation" [You better take some precautions] "Of course, I will" Then my body split into two, one who will cast the spell and the other who will only watch. A ck tormenting magic circle emerge on my foot while my voice continues to chant. "Forbidden Magic, Darkness element, Visitare" The entire ground was suddenly filled with light, then my vision was suddenly plunged into a ce I don''t know of. It was a ce where thousands of lights moved like water on falls. Knowing what those lights were, I immediately look which one was Olena. "Damn it I only have a couple more minutes to find her soul" The darkness necromantic spell, Visitare allows its caster to visit the ce where the flow of the cycle happens. This way I could talk or even summon the soul I wanted at the given time. "Where is she?" [Howe there are so many people dead?] "Forget about them we gotta find the soul of Olena, her soul''s aura should be strangely simr to Lena" Jeremiah and I floated from left to right but still, we couldn''t find her. With the time reaching its end, we became anxious not until a presence made its way to us. It was a small flickering light. Unlike the other lights, this oddball would float very unstable while its lights began blinking like a dying me. Immediately I held the little light and wrapped it with my mana. "Olena" I said and that is when I realized that I was back inside my room. In my hand was a small wisp that slowly transformed into a human shape. Then slowly her features began to emerge. Long brown hair and emerald eyes apanied by a perfectly curved body that will make you realise what made Edgar crazy. She was beautiful though her face tells me she is disappointed. {I thought it was her} "My sister? Athena is still not here so don''t get your hopes up" {Wait sister, you are a Lionheart?} "Yes I am Apollo, her younger sibling" At that moment she did something unexpected, she lunged forward while wrapping her arms around me. {It must have been hard} she softly told me making my heart rise. I wasn''t able to pull her away immediately since her hand began brushing my hair. Her touch was strangely calming. I didn''t know being her younger brother would gain her affection, however we don''t have time for this. "Miss Olena I didn''t call you for this" {Oh right I am sorry I suddenly got excited after knowing you were her brother} "We should put that aside since we have limited time" Then I took her diary and showed it to her. "Can I ask you something, why do continue to hide yourself? I can tell while reading your entries that you still omitted words to hide your true self" At that moment Olena looked at me and could only make a sad expression. Chapter 201 A stranger "Miss Olena?" The soul of the deceaseddy suddenly grows dim causing Apollo to sustain her using his mana. "Please calm down if you don''t want to answer I can send you back" However, thedy shook her head and instead gave a smile. "I''ll answer you" Apollo felt conflicted since his curiosity had caused this dilemma. If he didn''t impulsively summon her soul it won''t be this unstable. Her soul was already weak with her killing herself and receiving too much burden from her regrets. Apollo wanted to lessen her burden by somehowpleting her diary but it seems remembering what happened before her death caused her more damage. "It seems it was my mistake I shall send you back Miss Olena" {It''s okay I will say everything and as for the diary..} She became silent while looking at the design on the notebook in the boy''s hand. {How I wish to hold it} She slowly mutters though the boy is able to hear it. "That''s okay you can use me you know" {What do you mean?} "Tell me anything you want to write, and I will no longer ask any questions instead you can tell me your request anything and as long as I am capable of that, I don''t mind doing it" With those words, a smile emerged on her lonely lips making Apollo d he changed his approach. He set aside his thirst for answers and instead let Olena feel less burdened. It was the least he could do since he disrupted her journey towards the other side. {Thank you, I now know that you and your sister are very kind people} "Will you believe me if I say you are one of the few people who saw us that way" {I surely will} They bothugh and strangely Apollo feltforted by her mere presence. He didn''t know why someone he just met could make him feelforted and rxed. "Shall we start?" {Sure!} Happily, Apollo took a pen from his inventory and copied Olena''s handwriting. {I think you made this letter a bit wrong I don''t write like that} "I am sorry I will write it again" And just like that, his evening was spent writing Olena''sst will and message to her family and friends. After finishing Olena went back to their previous topic. {Do you still want to know the reason why I didn''t fully write my thoughts despitemitting an act of sin against God?} "Honestly I am curious but if you can''t then that is fine, your condition is what I am concerned off" {You are very thoughtful just like your sister} "I don''t really want to bepared to her" At that moment Apollo noticed a hint of sadness in her eyes though it immediately changed. {I''ll satisfy your curiosity if you can promise me something} "What is it then?" {Talk to your sister and beat someone for me} "Sure I will dly do that as long as your soul will feel more free" {Thank you, then let me share with you something. The truth is, I am someone who strangely finds the same gender as me attractive} "And?" {You are not surprised?} "Why? Have you forgotten I just wrote your love confession for my own sister?" {Yes don''t worry I didn''t forget that, but didn''t you find me unpleasant or disgusting?} "Why would I? Inside the tower, we were taught that knowledge is universal and knows no bounds, and that is the same for love, it is universal and doesn''t have any limitations. Love doesn''t recognize status, wealth, age and even gender. It is up to us to decide whoever we want to love" The boy bravely deres surprising even Olena. {I never knew the tower as such teachings} "Well you might not know this but the tower had a number of mages who have rtionships with the same gender" {I never knew that} She looked strangely bewildered at the same time sad. {That was something I have no knowledge of, you see outside your tower people are not that open. And people like me have to hide because if we reveal ourselves, instead of understanding us the world will judge without knowing anything. I was afraid that if I revealed myself people would talk behind my back even when I was already dead} "I understand, public opinion can be harsh and unforgiving. They are hypocrites who pretend to be saints when they are the true devil. They often have these rigid norms and expectations about how people should be. And if you try to step outside of that you will feel like you''re swimming against a strong current. The feelings you have Miss Olena are not dirty. They are genuine and you have every right to feel it. Well, it''s true that what you feel can be seen as a challenge in these norms, and you will be facing prejudice or misunderstanding. The pressure to conform to societal expectations makes it hard to take that step to reveal yourself, but remember this, you are worthy to love, you are a beautiful untainted flower, a rare beauty amongst the bountiful garden. And even when there was a sudden storm you were able to find your way to her" Apollo told her causing a stream of tears to fall on her eyes. {But I am already dead} She said painfully while covering her face with her hand. {I never wanted this...I just felt I had no other choice..} As tears began to fall Apollo couldn''t help but ask. "Why? What happened" his voice was strangely soft while pulling Olena towards him. {He send it to me} "Send what? Who?" {Edgar, that bastard he and his friend took footage of me being defiled. He told me that if I didn''t agree with his wishes he would spread it to everyone. I was so afraid at that time and I had no one to reach out to. I reached the point where I no longer trust the people around me making me feel alone} "I understand" he could only reply while suppressing his anger. As much as possible he wants to appear harmless. "I will fix everything" Slowly his hand moved and wiped the tears that continued to flow in her eyes. "I never expected that even souls can shred tears" He jokingly said causing Olena to smile. {You will never know something is possible if you never let yourself see it} She finally smiled and with her burdens and regrets released her soul glow wildly. "I think it''s time for you to go" {Yes it seems I am indeed ready to go, thank you} "You are wee" {Goodbye} With their farewell, the magic circle beneath Apollo''s feet emerged. It opens the portal torwards the cycle. "You should go" Olena gives a nod and immediately she turns into a wisp before entering the portal. Apollo felt happy he was able to help however that happiness was reced by pain. "Here ites!" [Bear with it Creator] The penalty for the spell is now being given, and slowly the spell Visitare began eating his body. "It hurts!" [I will start nullifying the pain!] Like what Jeremiah said the pain disappeared but Apollo''s dilemma was just starting. His organs began to shut down along with his heart. And just like that Apollo drew hisst breath. "I never expected a day wille that I will dispose my own body" The other Apollo who was hiding in the corner can''t help but say as he stared at his own dead body. [Why? This wasn''t your first time seeing yourself die so why do you look like that?] "Last time I turned into dust so I didn''t need to care for my body but this time I need to" [Shall I dpose it?] Apollo went silent while finding it disturbing to see himself dpose. "No don''t do that let''s just put it inside the inventory" Jeremiah agreed to him while this other Apollo had something in his hand. [It seems you have found Edgar] "Yes while the other me talked to Olena I began scanning the tracker I put on Edgar. Thankfully I was still able to find him" [So should we go?] "Nope I have a better idea" . Explore hidden tales at empire . . End of shback Apollo now is on his way to his dormitory until his eyes saw a figure.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It was a man wearing a blue robe, the edge of it had golden patterns while its hood remained obscuring his face. However, despite his clothing that hides his face Apollo can see small strands of hair that can tell him his hair colour. "Who are you?" {Me? Isn''t that question for you?} "What?" {Tell me who are you?} Then Apollo''s vision began to blur until something brought him back to his senses. "What the, was that, a dream?" he can''t help but mutter as he realized he was in his room. [Creator are you alright?] "Yeah I think so" Confusion filled his mind while a question remained unanswered. "Who am I?" He repeated those words causing a splitting headache to strike him. Jeremiah then took action and removed the source of pain though Apollo felt his body weak. Chapter 202 Punishment A new morning arrived inside the Aster academy, however to some, it was a little empty because the halls and offices had been significantly reduced by its residents. Titus''s action brought forth new rules andws that protect students against other students and students against their own professors. And due to the low percentages of students Aster ns to reopen its doors for new students, though it will only be those in the upper year that will be allowed to transfer. The Academy was scheduled to have its entrance exam in three days. However, Apollo and his friends weren''t really concerned by this news since their daily life had already continued. Their activities and assignments were the only thing that was keeping them upied. "Hey, have you heard the news?" McKenzie initiated the topic making everyone look at him. "And what news is it?" ir curiously asked. "Well they say Edgar was already caught, while his family''s status and wealth were confiscated by the imperial family, well to be specific it was Prince Titus who took them" "So where is he now? Where did the imperial soldiers put that Edgar" Agnes asked as well while fixing her sitting position. dly Mckenzie answers "ording to what I heard he is right inside the dark cells of the imperial pce!" The ss was bustling with stories they heard from the other sses, they hadn''t noticed that the negative intention they once harbor at the start of their friendship with the other ss already disappeared. They now could fully talk and share their thoughts and even though trust wasn''t fully there their rtionship with others is improving. "So what are you nning to do Apollo?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Alicia switches the question to a certain young boy who quietly rests on the floor full of well-trimmed grass. Their ss currently rested because their professors Adolfo and Timothy made their practical activities and training difficult. "Don''t ask me that, because you already know the answer" the boy just answered while feeling the gentle touch of the wind. "Is your body still sore?" "Alicia try wearing five limiters and you might know the answer" The girl justughs however Apollo can see that her energy is a bit unstable. Meaning she must have spent too much of it that she is unable to control the massive amount of power she was holding. It made the boy curious but for now, he will put it aside. "Let''s focus on our daily training, our subject Magic and Creation 2 will be hard now since we are going to practice using magic in different terrain" "Right and we also need to practice how to handle those potion recipes" "And the professors kept pestering us to join a club" With Apollo''s words, Casper and Braiden remember the trouble they have to do right after their break time. "Come to think of it, some other sses don''t want to join clubs due to the issue of bullying" "Yeah they were afraid of the seniors now, especially with the nobility" "Now their reputation is down on the mud they need to work hard to gain the public''s support" They continue to have a discussion until the day ends and the sses are over. Night arrived and now the group of students who used to be afraid to sleep alone can now stay inside their own room. They have grown and with the Monastery''s destruction, they could finally act more free and feel more safe. Amidst the quiet evening, a lone figure can be seen flying across the dark sky. His body was d in ck while a pair of ragged wings helped him glide through the wind. No one knows what this creature desires to do but the mere fact it can fly without being noticed says a lot about its power and abilities. Then a strong gust of wind struck and the creature was nowhere to be seen, all that was left was the unsettling atmosphere that would make your skin crawl. Darkness was strangely apparent in that night and no stars could be seen. Opposite from the sky above is the dungeon below the imperial pce. It was dark and humid, all you could hear were the sound of footsteps and chains clinking. Among the cells, a young man was lying on the floor his hand recklessly pulling his hair while muttering inaudible words. The guards are already used to this since his hysteria is getting worse by the day. "That boy is strangely silent" "Wait for it buddy I am sure he will shout again saying he was being touched by orcs" "What a wild fantasy" "What do you expect from a noble brat with dirty thoughts" Read exclusive adventures at empire A loudughter was then heard causing the prisoners to flinch and be afraid. While the guards continue their bickering and endless chatter a looming shadow passes by without even alerting them. As it glides through the dimly lit corridors the fiery torches began to waiver sensing his presence. It seems whatever was travelling made even the nature of fire afraid. "It seems my dear friend is still awake" The creature underneath the shadow spoke and even though Edgar couldn''t sense his arrival an unrivalled fear began to creep inside the boy. "I won''t sleep, can''t sleep, I won''t sleep...." Edgar continues to mutter while gasping his head, his bloodshot eyes scan the room hysterically as if he is afraid of something. From the shadowy corners, a demon emerges, and using his dreadful ws he begins to sink his power towards the broken young man. "Sleep" hemanded, and although unwillingly Edgar sumbed to the demon''s spell. A grin painted the demon''s face as he brought the arrogant man towards a ce he dreaded to see. "No!" A painful exim came from Edgar as he realized he was in that ce again. "I need to wake up! Wake up this is just a nightmare!" He thought so while pping his face however no matter what he did he wasn''t able to escape the dream he was in. "Nooo" he weakly said but then heavy footsteps came shaking the very core of the young man''s will. He panicked and immediately tried to run away but soon he was caught by two female ogres. Their expression was grotesque while their eyes were filled with lust. This terrified Edgar. "Let go of me!" He tried to fight back but inside the dream, he couldn''t summon even an ounce of his true power. All he could do was scream as his clothes were torn. "Nooo please No! NO!" He kept screaming while the ogre''s tongue ran down his body. A nauseous smell filled his nose as the saliva of the monster-filled his body. He felt dirty and the desire for death began to grow inside his head. However, the licks finally stopped and the horror began to intensify. "NOOOOO!" That''s all he could say as his body was raked up and down from a ce he could describe as disgusting. The nightmares felt real for Edgar each thrust felt like his body was breaking and each pull felt like he was being torn apart. At the end of it, all he could do was wake up in the morning with a massive headache. However, this time it was different as soon as he woke up his body felt heavy and painful, as if he was beaten ck and blue. "What is this" he mutters while scanning his body. Then as he pulled his sleeve he felt weak all of a sudden. nted on his arm is a huge bruise akin to a bite, an ogre''s bite to be exact. In that moment Edgar felt his entire being was torn to pieces. And a realization he was so afraid of suddenly formed. "It wasn''t a dream" So with all his might, he began to shout or more to say he began to plea. "Please can anyone hear me!" "Please call for my friend he is a Lionheart he will help me please!" But no matter how much begging he did no one answers. All he could receive was silence. "No....please!" He began to shake the iron bars of his cell while continuing his plea however nothing happened. He felt even more broken. "I am all alone" he could only say while curling up in the corner. Despite his suffering, the demon did not forgive him, no he had no right to forgive, all he could do was continue the punishment. Edgar has no escape now, even death can''t save him for every time he tries to kill himself a priest from the church would heal him instantly. This causes Edgar more misery because he knows Titus won''t let him off easily. He won''t kill him but he won''t let him live either. What a painful ending for a man like him. Even when he goes insane the prince will bring his sanity back. Then when night falls that nightmare will arrive to torture him. He could not escape it all he could do was endure. Chapter 203 The lone Lion Everything can be said back to normal, though there are some people who used to be the center of attention and envy now turned into a topic of disgusting discussion. The main attraction aside from Edgar was his goody old best friend, the Lion''s heir, Eros Star Lionheart. His circle of friends excluding his beloved sister, were involved in scandals and controversy that left them no choice but to end up in jail. Titus made sure of it, though their length of stay with the five-star dungeon can be said limited unlike Edgar''s, it was still enough to destroy the reputation they have. And even if they try to return they have nothing to call their own. They have no status or wealth that can protect them. All that is left is for them to safely finish their studies at the academy and beg for someone to hire them in the future. However, it might be difficult since their tarnished name will never be clean again. Back to our sunset lion who used to be popr and have many admirers, now with the prince pinning him in his ce, no one dares to approach him. Even Athena her sister didn''t even visit him once. The ego of the young was crushed and his most cherished reputation no longer exists. And if it weren''t for the fact Athena doesn''t want to be the heir Eros wouldn''t be able to retain his position. This situation further hurt his ego resulting in him consulting his beloved teacher. "I really need advice when will youe here?" Asked the young man he suddenly turns into a man as docile as a doe. {Be patient my dear I already contacted your fiancee she said she will help too once she is done with her duties} "I know her duties as a princess are burdening, you shouldn''t have asked for her help" {It''s necessary she is after all your wife-to-be} "Forget about it teacher I will ask Myers to handle this, perhaps he can help me clean my reputation" {I suggest going formunity service and volunteering for demon subjugation, that way people will see you in another light} "I will think of that" {You could also spread a rumor that you have no idea what your friends were doing since you are busy with missions} "I already did that but the prince was the first to extinguish that n since he disclosed the fact that I am aware of what Edgar was doing. Turning a blind eye to the situation causes me to be in jail for three whole days" {To think the prince would go such lengths for amoner girl} "Not just him but also my siblings! That Apollo and Athena how dare they!" {Calm down my heir as long as you are the one who will inherit the dukedom they can never touch you} "That''s true but because of this issue, my father already limited my influence not only to the family wealth but also to the manpower. Whatever I could no is already reduced to what it was previously" {Dont worry I will send some of my disciples to assist you} "Thank you, teacher" {You are wee my prime student} Then the call ended Eros was a bit satisfied and could finally continue his day. One of his main objectives now is to slowly remove the blemish that ruins his smooth identity. Opposite to his improved demeanor his teacher Edmund Tower copsed as soon as the call was cut off. His body was covered with sweat and his mouth had blood on it. With his weakened body the massive mana he has can no longer support him. "Is this how I am gonna die" he mutters while wiping the blood off his mouth. He was once a mighty wizard known to the continent yet because of a wrong decision all he could do now was hang a little as his life began to wither. "I never knew that boy could reduce me to this state" he could only say while crawling towards his chair. At this rate, he will die before the year end. "No this must stop now....but how?" He can''t touch the boy and even the thought of it can trigger the oath he has with the duke. He can nevery a hand towards the Lionheart children that is the main reason he could only seal Apollo''s talent but not kill him. He can''t even order someone to do it either because any thought that can threaten the life of Lionheart''s children can cost his life. Cancelling the spell won''t work either because ancient spells can''t be revoked once cast though it might be different if it''s Apollo. Using the system he can revoke the seal and remove it without endangering Edmund''s life. However he will never do such a thing, his n to begin with is to continue tormenting the man until he fully removes the seal. "It hurts" he mutters while drinking the brewed potion he made to elevate the pain he is experiencing. However, the consequences of making that seal would soon drain him. He only has three options, first, tell Eros about this and let him decide what he wants to do. However, he doesn''t know if his student will choose him since the Lionhearts are very prideful especially when ites to their blood. The second is just to endure the pain and wait for his death and the third is to find a way to break the oath so that he can kill Apollo. All choices are quite difficult however he must take a gamble starting first to the easiest part. Asking Eros for help. "I can do that as long as that child feels indebted to me, I need to help him clean his name too. That way his mind will be clearer once I speak to him" The mage thought so and started contacting his past and current disciples to assist Eros. In that way, he hopes that his prime disciple will attain what he wants. While Edmund Tower kept drinking the potion to elevate his suffering the source of his pain currently eats pancakes with his friends. "Day 7 of being pestered by your professors" Braiden said before stuffing his mouth with waffles. "I don''t like joining clubs" "Same" "Don''t want it either" "It''s not like it''s our fault why there is a massive amount of dropouts" "They kept telling us the number of club members in each club has decreased so we have to rece them, why don''t they ask Prince Titus, after all he is the culprit of this situation" Simultaneously the children began to sigh making Apollo and Alicia confused. "Was that the biggest issue you are concerned about?" she asked while giving Apollo his second serving of pancakes. "Well, haven''t the two of you getting tired of hearing our professors about the same issue over and over again?" Niko asked though the two just answered with "No" which did not surprise their ssmates. "Well, how about we make our own club?" Mckenzie suddenly presented his brazen idea gaining the attention of his friends. "Why not" Apollomented while filling his mouth with another batch of pancakes. "You are going to choke if you keep doing that Apollo" "Whaff do you mek... off!" "Here water, seriously" Immediately the boy uses the water to flush down the chunk of food on his throat, though the thing he did afterwards is to eat again. "Are you spending too much energytely, that''s the only exnation I could think of seeing how much food you are taking" "Alicia, aren''t you the same? I can sense your power kept being repeatedly used. I wonder what are you doing?" "I received amand if you are curious ask for his permission and I will tell you" "Hold on you two are on a mission again?" Matilda asked while passing a ss of juice to each of them. "Yes"N?v(el)B\\jnn And just like before the two answered at the same time. "Is it the emperor''smand?" ir inquired while putting another te of food on Apollo''sp. "It''s quite simr but a bit different since it is not a directmand" Apollo answers. "Right I forgot you are part of the four dual families, you guys have the right to make a move without making reports" Mckenziemended then he looked at Alicia and asked. "How about you?" "In my case, it''s a directmand" "Can we help?" Arab inquired to which the two answers. "No" Abined groan was heard it seemed they were disappointed to be left out. "I guess you all wanted to be part of the action" Apollo realized while receiving another te of pancakes. "We do want to be useful that is why we all wanted to grow stronger" "But you are strong" Alicia stated while tapping Alya''s back. "Everyone has be strong" she added. The atmosphere began to run smoothly as the children felt the refreshing touch of the wind. Apollo knew he might miss this kind of chill atmosphere considering how his investigation was going. Chapter 204 Traces Apollo''s Pov. I have been searching for traces using my spy insects, and each of the ces inside the dairy turns out to be useless. I found nothing so with no other option I began to use the spell Clonis. That way I could personally see those ces and inspect the areas my spy insects can''t go. "I wonder where I should go?" In theing days, I became a wanderer going to different ces. From inns to taverns and even to the darkest ces that can be found in many cities. I went there to investigate. And because I kept snooping around I ended up causing trouble and creating unnecessary attention. The worst part is, that I even touch a secret ck market auction and end up destroying the entire ce. Of course, I plundered everything they wanted to sell, way before the guards arrived. So with my pockets full I venture into more cities and gain more information though some of them are irrelevant to what I seek. "Still no traces even my spell can''t uncover anything" [Creator this is just a thought but since we can''t make good use of spells, should we lean towards Authority?] "The level of those skills is still low but perhaps we can upgrade them considering I got a lot of harvest from ourst adventure" [I will do the upgrades] "Focus on the authority of time and Mystics, okay?" [I will] If I can use the authority of Mystics I could influence more people at once while the Authority of the Goddess of Time can help me peek into the past, although I might need an assistive spell likest time to fully manipte it. "Hey, aren''t you the man who raided the Lunar Mask?" While I continue nning my next move a certain man said that to me. "Lunar what?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [It''s the auction you attacked Creator] "You mean the one with human trafficking?" [Yes] I see so up until now I am still getting dragged into that mess even though I already changed my appearance. [It''s your aura Creator it attracts too much attention, and we have a couple of witnesses who saw how you massacred the underground auction] "Then I better change my appearance and overall presence" "Where are you going, I just want to offer you a job" The man who spoke a while ago continued to convince me however I was already done and wanted to remain hidden. "There is a dungeon found in the forest of Gimpo, we need capable people like you who can venture into thend and conquer it" "Dungeon?" Suddenly the thought of profit made my will waver. [Creator aren''t we supposed to be investigating right now?] "It''s fine there is plenty of me going around the continent so it should be fine" [Sometimes it makes me wonder if you are a wizard or a bandit] "I''m a tower mage so no need to wonder" Then I shifted my attention to the man in front of me and said "Is it man-made or natural?" My question caused a sharp grin on the man''s face it seemed his persuasion worked and knowing how strong I am he must have felt like he caught a big fish. "I am squire from Marquis of Norman from Adino Marquisy, if you want details pleasee with me and I shall introduce you to the people who will join you on this expedition" I nodded and followed him towards a certain estate. Currently, my location is in the kingdom of Murdo, West of the continent. If I am not mistaken the city I am in is the territory of the Adino family marquis. ording to the records I found in one of the pdin''s diaries, the archbishop of the sixth temple would often meet a certain brother of Nirvana here. That brother said to have the power to control nature. [It must have been a high-level nt-type magical beast] "A celestial rank perhaps" As we talk we finally arrive inside and the butler of the marquis wees me. "Is this the infamous hero?" he asked and the squire who was with me named Jemar nodded in answer. "Well then guide him with the others the marquis shall arrive soon" "Yes butler" Right after that, it was an uneventful encounter with people, all they tried to do was test my strength and patience, so I ended up breaking one or more bones but it didn''t really bother me. Healing potions and spells can definitely heal them after all. A few hours went by and while I waited, I began checking the information I got from that old man. [Duke Helios has a strange way of finding info] "It''s not just him Jeremiah I think the four ducal families are already involved in tracking Nero" That bastard who kept colluding with Nirvana. He must have been the reason why there was a massive amount of spies walking around the imperial pce. And the reason why it is no longer safe when the Monastery continues hunting my friends. At that time the only evidence we have was the ledger and list I plunder from the Monastery temple but now it seems the four dukes made a breakthrough. "Oh, what is this" I suddenly felt a sudden chill when Nero also had some connection with the Crusaders. "Then does that mean he was the one who arranged the meeting between the Gods of the revolutionary church and members of the Council that soon turned into Crusaders" [There is a possibility since ording to you, besides the leaders of the east only the imperial family knew the existence of the Council] "Yes and only a member of the imperial house can know all the members of the Council and their location, and also their history" I can''t help but sigh, does this guy want the throne? If so why did he decline it in the first ce and marry a princess from a mere kingdom? "Nero is confusing" I continued contemting while I began to see the list of people Nero had been in contact with ever since he was crowned as King. "They seem like normal transactions from neighbouring kingdoms, nothing seems too odd" I kept on thinking that however my train of thought suddenly halted when the marquis finally arrived. Somehow theck of evidence made me want to visit the kingdom of Nadezhda, the ce where Nero ruled. However for now let''s look for any trace that can point those gods from the revolutionary church. [You said that but all you wanna do is plunder some treasures] "I am not doing this for that, I am actually trying to retrieve an artifact and study it. Besides dungeons are rare, I should study them in order to replicate the same energy it makes" [For what? To copy it and produce your old dungeon?] "No, what I want is to use its energy signature to locate more dungeons" [So you just want to plunder more] "Nah my main priority is to use it to locate the artifacts that are currently being used here in the continent. I still remember how it was able to jam our scanner and fool my spells. I think if we want to win against the revolutionary church, we need to be cautious against those artifacts " [Perhaps maybe we can use one of your skills Creator] "Like?" [Machinery Engineer] "Right, I will keep that in mind" I happily nodded with Jeremiah''s advice then I shifted my focus to the Marquis''s words when he exined that the dungeon was a rare natural dungeon. It was made by nature itself and thus has a more peculiar aspect than the man-made one. "This is bing interesting, Jeremiah try to scan the entire territory of the marquis" [Creator I can''t sense anything however mana seems to be fluctuating in a strange way. Unfortunately, Creator, I can''t pinpoint the exact ce since the energy is too unstable] "It''s okay what you said to me made my guess correct" [And that is?] "That the mana will be affected due to a dungeon''s creation" [So if you can detect those fluctuations you can determine if a dungeon will be created?] "Yeah but it could also mean a breakout will happen" In the end Jeremiah and I kept discussing different energy movements until we arrived inside the dungeon. In my opinion, I felt the site was a ce ruined by a strong earthquake. The ground was broken and a huge fissure produced unevenyers of soil. At the middle of it, chunks of rocks form an entrance and a hole drilled through the fault became the entry point, though its atmosphere could make any man retreat. Like before I tried to scan the dungeon however, I failed making me more curious. The surrounding mana was still going everywhere making the environment a bit hostile, so we became extra careful. [This is dangerous Creator, I can feel several breaths that can bepared to a Celestial magical beast] "Yes I can tell" I replied while the marquis gave us themand to explore the area. As soon as we entered a paralyzing roar broke our formation. "Here ites," I said while a colossal body made its way towards our group. Chapter 205 He is a wizard but a hint of banditTypically Typically speaking who doesn''t love money and treasures however in this world those two thingse with one thing inmon, danger. "BANG!" The ground was smashed open and the beast which doesn''t exist in any books emerged within my view. Its existence was something no one has ever recorded. This was the case because dungeon beasts are hybrid monsters that were born out of the unstable state of energy in Bunag. They are more unique and irregr than any kind of beast. This makes themplicated and hard to read. ording to some text, each dungeon had its unique beast so previous records of encounters are useless to rely on. All you can do is survive and conquer. So while dodging the powerful swing of this colossal beast I began to chant. "Wind element, Twister" A green magic circle began to be drawn and air sted off creating a strong rotation movement. With its focus application force bing a drill towards the monster''s body the surrounding people took that chance to reorganize themselves. It seems the roar a while ago took them off guard. [Creator this beast has imprable scales, you need more force to break it] "It''s okay I don''t really need to do anything" I answered him and immediately three people began to surround the beast. One with a shield, the second one with a sword and thest had a saber. As soon as those weapon masters arrived, three streaks of light almost blinded me since their auras almost turned into a me-like form. It was dense and dangerous capable of pulverizing debris. While the three became the vanguard the mages and archers at the back assist them. They mainly use mid-rank to high-level spells to disrupt the monster''s movement. The rhythm of the battle began to shake the entrance of the dungeon. However, the hybrid monster was able to block all the attacks due to its scales. Even when it was being cornered none of the current attacks could prate his shield. [His protective skin is as tough as a ck dragon while his body is as flexible as a tempest cheetah. This thing can react and exploit its own defense without getting fatal injuries. Although its body structure looks like a gori the tail and wings make it look weird] Jeremiah stated while I dodged a fireball that came from the monster''s mouth. "He is weirdly dangerous" The mix of different magical beast''s characteristics made him excessively hard to read however the main problem still lies with its defence. [Creator, themotion is causing more monsters to gather. You must finish this one] I can''t help by sigh, though this guy doesn''t have a strong offense on the other hand its defense is at least on rank Celestial. So it''s understandable that no one can do anything. However what if there is more of this beast? A shield strong enough to endure any physical attack while a body that is fast enough to dodge spells. If they are more of this beast, we won''t be able to handle them. "Damn it I thought this dungeon is only B grade what''s with this monster!" Someone shouted while waving his staff to halt the approaching horde. If what the marquis said was true however if he simply wished to test the strength of the dungeon then he must have lied. "Wind Element, Tespester" I chanted and the entire entrance and the passage in front were covered with a green magic circle. From it, a new type of wind was summoned. The surroundings began to be affected as the great wind began to rotate. "Fall back you will be sucked if you approach it!" "Fall back!" They stated while taking shelter behind my back. Calmly I raise my hand and manipte the wind. The ground began to tremble, as well as the ceiling and walls of the entrance. Usually, this won''t happen since dungeons are made solely with Bunag''s best materials. So if my spell can cause such a stir, it only means it''s powerful. Roars resonated with the wind''s wrath while the tornado itself began to be dyed with blood. The great tornado had turned red while its momentum began to increase. "Hold on to something!" "Can someone please cast a spell here, I need to stick to the ground!" Even though the people behind my back were having a hard time enduring this spell I didn''t dare to stop, because I knew the monsters I had locked inside were fighting to survive. I mustn''t stop or we are back to square one. As the spell continued I didn''t notice how the surroundingnd started to get affected as well. Even the already broken ground outside was affected as well. I didn''t know that the spell I used created a high-magnitude earthquake, inside and outside the dungeon. [Congrattions Creature you have yed a dungeon beast!] [Due to the unstable state of the residual mana inside the beast''s body the system had concluded not to absorb it!] [Do you wish to change thismand?] "No proceed what the system concluded Jeremiah" [Command received] [Notification Alert! Unknown energies are lingering amongst the dungeon beast carcass. The energy signature is said to be inparison to an artifact] "Now that''s interesting" I said finding objects withparative effects with artifacts worth researching. So I finally stopped my spell before approaching the carcass. What I did was like a ray of sunshine towards the group of people with me. It seems if I had prolonged the spell from activating they would have copsed. "I will apologizeter" I told to myself while examining the rewards of my kill. My eyes expected a horrifying scene with guts and blood all over the ce, however, what weed me was nothing like the image I knew I would see. The blood was already gone as if the tornado had sucked it all, while the bones and muscles of the beast were separated as if someone dissected them. Then in the middle of the broken ground, a shining object caught my attention. "Core?" [A dungeon beast core is rare Creator] "I know" Happily, I picked the three pieces of cores and stared at the mix of different colors inside. "Multiple colours means multiple elements" I realized then my eyes moved to the second object that attracted my attention. It was the ck scales of that beast however the only difference is that it turned into armor. "How beautiful" I eximed so I took it to examine it only to realise it was very light much lighter than regr armor. "It''s as light as nano armor" These are unique items I better look into themter. I was satisfied with what I got so I left the other spoils to the people with me. "This dungeon is way higher than what the marquis stated" "Dungeons especially natural types tend to be hard to identify that is why we can''t me the marquis, however right now we should probably retreat since we can''t risk going even deeper" Selso a knight of the marquis said while gathering everyone to camp outside the dungeon entrance. We can''t leave yet since there is a possibility of a hybrid beast going outside the entrance. So we must stay and wait for further inspection. [You know I was expecting that you would disobey the order and sneak inside the dungeon] "Nah, I am not rushing things and besides, I just found something" Jeremiah suddenly sighs making me feel bad since I have been giving orders nonstop. [You are brewing something dangerous] "Why not, a glorious opportunity had presented itself to me so why not use it?" [What if what you wanted to convey doesn''t reach their ears?] "That is the reason why the other me will create rumours, that way every corner of this continent will know the existence of this dungeon" [Just be careful] "I will" Discover stories with empireN?v(el)B\\jnn While I was fighting those beasts the other me just got an intel that some mysterious people are secretly buying artifacts. After snooping around and extracting information from the underground information guilds I found solid proof that this might be my lead to them. A group of people that is so secretive that even the most famous information guild can''t get an idea of them. Surely it must be them. "If they are suddenly gathering artifacts that only means they are preparing something, so why not establish a stage where I could capture them?" This move might attract not only the people I intend to see but also some unwanted organizations. However, I don''t really care all I need to do is make sure they won''t be able to join in. [How so?] "Well I have multiple bodies what do you think I should do?" [You are not nning on causing havoc right?] "Hmmm" [Right? Creator?] "Or course!" I will first gather information about the people who wille here and then make sure a problem will arise in their family or their territory that will leave them no choice not toe here. However, I should be careful not to cause suspicion. This is soplicated that I wish I could just use the authority of Mystics to influence everyone''s mind. Well either way I should be able to aplish this, hopefully, those people will take the bait. Chapter 206 The mess he made The news of a Zenith grade dungeon spread across the continent causing a stir that attracted so much attention. Rumours circted so fast that even the emperor had no choice but to make a move. Artifacts are not the only thing a dungeon can have, it also has a rare type of mana stones and crystals. Anyone who can mine them will umte excessive wealth. However, the emperor had no interest in fighting over the treasures inside. The reason he assembled his soldiers was to make sure no big fights would happen. Opposite to the ruler''s decision his child Titus ns to venture into the dungeon with his trusted people. Although the imperial family has plenty of powerful weapons it won''t be in his hands until he is crowned. So to gain more power and stabilize his firm hold towards the crown prince position, it is essential to strengthen his tools, an artifact could definitely assist him. Back to the current situation the kingdom of Murdo was flooded with people although its initial number would have beenrger if it weren''t for a certain someone. In the midst of this situation, a decree was given by the emperor. First, there shouldn''t be any fights between the parties of dungeon raiders, and only a select few could ess the dungeon. Everyone must obey this. One of the individuals who was selected was a man with white hair and grey eyes, and his body was covered with a ck robe. On his hand was an old wooden staff that had an orb at its tip. This man looked ordinary causing some to question why he was selected. He was also very calm despite many threatening nces that came his way because that man knew all they could do was stare. It was all due to the emperor''smand, it was absolute and if they wished to disobey it, the soldiers of the imperial house would be their first opponent, which wouldn''t be easy. "Next!" ordered the soldier in front while handling a hammer towards the man who presented himself. "If you wish to enter the dungeon you must first prove your capacity to survive there. Hit the maker on that pir if your score reaches 500, you will enter" While this transpired the white-haired man walked around the site and remained scanning each person that entered. As he did so a specific energy made him return his attention towards the soldier who was doing the test. "Hmmm," he became amused while the cloaked man took the hammer and smashed the marker on the said pir. A score of 1000 emerged making everyone impressed with what he achieved. However, there is one who didn''t share the same sentiment as them. It was the man with the white pure hair, he merely stood where he was while his eyes glistered with murderous intent. "Finally found one" he only said before blending through the crowd. The selection took an entire day and finally, a group was assembled with each having the capacity to fight against ranked Celestial. And so with the army''s urging the raid has finally started. The crowd was divided into two, the smaller one was going inside the dungeon while therger one remained outside. A thirty-member party was hastily created based on strength alone, and it was obvious that since they all barely met, trust and unity were nowhere to be seen. It was as if they were merely formed to fail, however, the soldiers knew that experience would guide them together though some lives might end up getting sacrificed. The party quietly went inside the dungeon and what weed them was a ce with glittering mana stones and crystals on its ceiling and floor. It was a delightful sight however right in the middle of the ground is a hole with countless circr scars. And so the perilous journey inside the dungeon began with a beast immediately attacking them as soon as they arrived. Swords were drawn while spells were cast with thirty Celestial-rank people the tide of monsters was easily eliminated. Everyone felt confident even when there was barely any teamwork it was still a swift victory however their strong belief was soon shaken when a humanoid dragon emerged. This said beast has a thick armour-like scale, sharp ws and tworge wings. The only difference it has with regr dragons is its stature resembling a well-built man. The party felt nervous not only because of the overwhelming numbers, but also the presence of these monsters which were the same ones as the Goliath ck scale dragon. In that moment no one dared to move not even to speak. Monsters and humans began observing each other as if they were studying newly arrived visitors. Seconds pass and still no one dares to break the ice, not until a silent spell envelopes the enemies. Everyone was shaken because none of them were able to feel it. High-level spells tend to create a domain that will affect the surrounding mana, however not even the dungeon beast that is supposedly the most sensitive when ites to mana was able to sense it. "Wind Element, Tempester" A green magic circle summon a great hail of storm however it didn''t end there. Anotheryer of magic merges right on top of the previous one before spinning in great brilliance. "Tempester Sixfold" Said the man who cast the spell and anotheryer of magic circle merged with the previous one. As it happens the intensity of the spell was multiplied several times resulting in the ground and ceiling being drilled. Debris began to fly while blood showered down as if a typhoon arrived. Even the mana stones and crystals that are very hard to mine were flying everywhere due to the spell''s power. Despite this, the spell did not seize instead it intensified causing the party to fall back and erect a shield to protect themselves. The caster of the current disaster lets his white hair be tainted with blood while his ck cloak faces the debris that continues to hit. "ROAR!" A loud roar was heard and the colossal wave of air began to tremble as if it was on the verge of destruction. Then another roar hit the caster making him take a step back. However, instead of dispersing the spell, he put more power into it. "Tempester Reverse, Tenfold" Another circle was drawn and immediately merged into the old one. Then the direction in which the wind moved began to change while anotheryer of air moved and created a different cirction direction. The roar was nowhere to be heard instead an enormous amount of energy began to spread as if it split the tornado into two. The caster remains calm and not a hint of panic can be seen on his face. His hand remains in the air trying to prevent the spell from disappearing. Then another wave of energy was released though this time it turned into a ball of me that flew towards the individual who caused this cmity. A banging sound was heard because a barrier had blocked the enormous ball of fire. So to answer that attack was anotheryer of magic circle. "Just when will this end!" shouted one of the wizards inside the party.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "How about you help that mage then!" someone sarcastically replied shutting the wizard who just spoke. They knew that they wouldn''t be able to help out because the swarm of humanoid dragons was beyond their reach. And even though they are ranked as Celestial they only barely made it inside the rank. "Tempester, Increase" While the party argues about who needs to assist the wizard, the caster has made another modification to his spell. Continue your adventure at empire The rotational force of the twister began to increase and this stirred the dungeon to the extent that its walls and ceiling were reduced to debris. "At this rate, that wizard may poke a hole in the dungeon''s walls" someonemented though before his words even came true the spell suddenly stopped. For a few seconds, the party didn''t know if the spell was destroyed or the caster seeded. So slowly they put down the barrier and cautiously waited until the cloud of smoke was cleared. And there among the bloody mess and scattered pieces of bodies a single silhouette was standing still. A man whose hair has been dyed red and his cloak chipped and holed due to the flying stones a while ago. Then with his grey dull eyes, the man spoke calmly. "Pick up anything worth it then let''s get going" His voice which was clear and had no signs of any emotion made everyone''s mind clear. And so with the caster''smand, everyone began searching for spoils. "You are good, my name is Sato if it''s okay may I ask for your name" The one who just spoke was the same man who got 1000. So in response to his questions, the white-haired man answered. "My name is Sun" Finally, the face devoid of any expression finally made a reaction. A smirk emerges from his lips while extending his hand. "I hope we get along Mr Sato" Chapter 207 The Beast inside the dungeon Sato looked at Sun''s extended hand and dly took it. "If it''s okay I would like to offer myself as your friend, I don''t mean to be overly familiar I just wish to befriend you" Sato said while shaking Sun''s hand. "A friend? Aren''t you being way too quick in making friends?" "I don''t think so Mr. Sun, when ites to befriending strong individuals you can never be too quick or slow" Sato smiled confidently as he said that. The man named Sun just smirked at his words before giving him a pat on his back. "If you can survive this dungeon I might think about it" Then he left Sato and proceeded to move forward. Despite the dangers, Sun didn''t seem to be afraid of the dark corners of the dungeon and proceeded to scout the area. "I think that man is even more dangerous than this dungeon," said one of the mages who was selected. "I can''t help but agree, the way he cast that spell without even rming the surrounding mana is incredible. A mana domain will transpire the higher the spell is however not even a leak happened" The mages continued their discussion not until Sun spoke. "Something ising, be prepared"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om His words became the warning signal that made the mages erect barriers for defence. They didn''t perceive the arrival of enemies due to the unstable state of mana, and due to this imbnce, they couldn''t get an urate reading of their surroundings. It''s as if the mages were blinded because their means to scout were removed. However, their situation was no different with the weapon users. They mainly rely on their sense to scan the area but since the surroundings have energies going everywhere they are practically the same as the mages. That is why Sun''s simple words made them recognize him as a powerful mage. However, as soon as the defences were done and established not a single noise or shadow came to attack them. The party became confused but even when they began to question Sun they couldn''t do so. Because even though these individuals might have lost their ability to sense their surroundings their instincts were still there. So despite the silence that continued to envelop them, an ear-piercing tension slowly crept into their hearts. Whatever this monster is, it wants to shake them. "Hoo..." a swordsman put more grip on his sword while shaking his head to wash away the agitating emotions that were causing his hands to shake. Soon this feeling spread one by one until all began to feel fear. No matter how much they try to take reign of their emotions it kept going haywire. As things escte they begin to realize how bizarre for this to happen. All of them have been fighting for so long and even survived the breakout of Evaristo, so why do they feel this way? Without anyone''s knowledge, a yellow miasma was slowly forming around them. Sun who was looking far ahead of the passage noticed the yellow fog that permeated the dungeon. "Why does this look like a physical manifestation of intent?" Intents can physically manifest in the form of fog. The more powerful the intent the more it manifests physically. An area filled with killing intent is called a red zone, it''s a hazardous ce that can drain someone''s life force. Bloodlust excludes a ck mist that can paralyze the surroundings, this is called the dark zone. The colour of intent depicts the emotion embedded in its caster. Though it was Sun''s first time witnessing an intent physically manifesting as yellow fog. "Fire Element, Light magic Illumina!" Amidst the escting situation an enchanted echoes. Using the power of the element of fire magic turns into a shining light that washes away the emotions that began to eat them. This spell was cast by a mage who was like the rest felt restless due to the tension. "Fire Element, Light magic Brilliance!" Chanted by the same mage and immediately the fog that clouded their judgement was burned away. "That was impressive" Sunmented though his eyes still remained looking ahead. "Mr. Sun should we move?" asked Joven who was the designated leader though he still hadn''t fully demonstrated it. "No keep on defence" Sun replied and everyone obeyed him. They don''t know what is keeping him in that exact same position but in situations like this it''s better to listen. All defenses were raised though they didn''t know what kind of attack would hit them. Then suddenly an energy made its presence. "BANG!" It was loud and the power was able to destroy all the barriers and even the aura shield they had built. "Regroup!" Jovenmanded and all the people that identally flew away immediately ran back to their formation. "Where is Sun!" Sato asked despite the strong wave of energy that left thempletely blinded. More waves of energy hit them until they catch a glimpse of the beings that cause it. A humanoid figure, its height is 10 feet tall, and it has a spiky body withrge wings at its back. Its face was simr to a lizard while two sharp fangs were protruding on its mouth. "GRRR...." Enjoy more content from empire Despite its head looking like a lizard somehow its growling sounded like an angry Tundra Tiger. The appearance of this monster made the party form in formation ready to cast a union spell. Sun also move to reposition himself. "GARAGGGHHH!" An inhuman roar was released causing for a powerful and chaotic mana to attack everyone. However, even when the energy inside their bodies wreaked havoc the mages were still able to cast a union spell while the weapon users became their shields. The six mages chanted in unison though as soon as they started the monster''s attention shifted on them. Sun who is aware of what is happening immediately made a move to keep the enemy busy. But unlike any other beast, he was smart enough to realize how the spell could potentially harm its existence. It didn''t buy Sun''s provocation and remained focused on eliminating the six mages. So the monster moved so fast that before they knew it, the thing was already in front of them. It was aware of the consequences of the mages'' spell so it first aimed at the strongest one out of the six. A banging sound came after and the ws that were about to fall on the mage''s face were blocked. Ten weapon users blocked the attack then a series of flying arrows shot in the air causing the monster to retreat. Sun took that opportunity and cast a spell called Wind Scythe. In response to that move, the beast made the wings behind its back move making air turbulence. "Grrr...." More attacks flew in for the single enemy of a thirty-member party group. But every attack didn''t work, it was fast and had a very good defence. Its offense was also impressive and despite being a dungeon beast it was able to n its attacks and exploit the opening it saw. Sun felt amazed though he wasn''t really nervous. Because even though he can''t break its defense there is something that can definitely help. The Conquering spell had now activated putting the monster in ayer of debuffing spell. "Nice" Sun eximed while trying to cast a finishing spell to end the monster. However, he wasn''t able to do so when the monster suddenly released a powerful growl. Its body began to turn into fieryva, then it began to melt the conquering spell that was cast by the six mages. The party immediately responded to this action, which is why a protective spell and aura shields were erected. The beast continues to run berserk releasing chaotic shes of energy. Then the roar was so powerful that it washes the dirt of the entire area. The ground was dented revealing the mana stones underneath. As the broken debris was cleared the only thing you could see was the protective spell of the mages and the aura shields of the weapon users. "Grrrrr..." The scaly and spiky appearance of the beast changes and it turns into ava-like state. Then this monstrosity made its move. It beat the air with its wings before gliding towards the first humans nearest to him. The party reacted as soon as this happened and another joint spell was cast. A magic circle bearing the color of three elements was drawn on the ground. As soon as it activates ck tainted chains ascend to bind the monster. The moment itpletely immobilized the target the weapon users charged forward. Coated on their bodies are the boost cast by the mages. This added strength soon took the beast off guard. Since the bindings made him defenceless. With no other option, it raises its mouth to make another roar. So it opens its mouth and of the verge of releasing another berserking power. "GARG..." "BANG!" a loud noise rang when a sudden projectile hit the monster''s face. "Shut up you retard" said the archer who released the arrow and now aiming again at the beast''s mouth. Chapter 208 Ingaging in combat "Shut up you retard" said the archer who released the arrow and now aiming again at the beast''s mouth. His previous arrow went straight into the beast''s throat cutting him with its air supply and stopping its attack. Sun and the rest of the weapon users then felt the sudden change in the beast''s body, because no matter how much they hit it. Theva body of the beast would absorb everything. This made it hard to create the strike that would put an end to the beast''s life. So in order to counter this they began utilizingbo moves in order to strengthen their attack. "Fall back!" Sun suddenlymanded forcing the close-rangebatants to fall back. Then from offense, they switch to defence, and they also reposition themselves in order to react quickly in case of attack. The chains were suddenly broken and the monster being confined inside has been free. A red phantom began to move but this time the party was ready to receive its action. An archer pulled the strings of his bow and made a rain of arrows. Although none of them was able to hit the target it was still enough since he was able to buy some time for the mages to cast. Another joint spell was cast however due to the target''s speed the mages couldn''t just release the spell since they knew it wouldn''t hit the target. Sun and the rest of the weapon users then made their move and began to corner their speedy opponent. Wind began to dance and with its power Sun''s speed went on par with the monster. He dashed in front of it and using his body he blocked the target''s path. Discover exclusive content at empire His action momentarily halted the beast''s advance and that moment was well taken as Sun attack. Using his hand he positioned it in a way simr to a gun, and then at the very tip of his finger a magic circle emerged. "Wind Element, Air Gun" Apressed air shot towards the beast sending it right on the wall. The pristine side of the dungeon that was filled with crystalline mines of mana stones and crystals was broken. Embedded on its broken surface was a red monster. The crater it made on the wall due to the impact soon turned into mud that stuck the beast in its position. Now the beast can''t move while on his side are the weapon users. All routes now were blocked and all the beast could see were weapons pointed towards its head. Sun''s move and the simultaneous response of the other closebatants left the single enemy cornered once again. The opportunity has been given and so all the mages present prepare a new spell. The incantation began which turned the already chaotic mana even more disastrous. It was because a mana domain had been established. And with the might of the spell itpletely killed the problematic beast. As soon as the body of the monster disappeared none of the party members celebrated, instead they immediately divided themselves into different subgroups. Some tended to the injured, the most able ones guarded, those with lighter injuries took the spoils and the remaining went on to scout. Sun was the one with almost no existing injuries even though he was the one fighting in front. So he went to scout the area again just as he did before. And so their journey continues with more powerful monsters attacking them however somehow they all manage to survive. The raiders of the dungeon all felt d since none of them had died. Typically dungeon raids would result in massive casualties but this time not a single one of them had hit the bucket. That is why everyone was ecstatic to continue. Although the party had been formed byplete strangers, their teamwork is improving a bit. Each of their encounters now are being dealt with faster than before and with fewer injuries. After another round of fighting the party decided to rest. A camp was built fulfilling the need of the party to recover. "Sun I didn''t know that you are not just a mage but a fighter as well" Satomented while sitting beside Sun. "I wanted to be versatile that is why I train my body while practising magic" he replied then Sato spoke again while handing a bowl of stew to Sun''s hand. "I am also training hard in order to be flexible in any given situation"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Then Sato kept speaking about his life and how hard his journey was. Sun on the other hand remain listening while observing the hinted magic imbedded in his very words. "Is he trying to hypnotize me using his speech, how impressive" Sun thought to himself while calmly listening to Sato''s words. "So what do you think how abouting with me? I am sure Mr Sun will achieve far greater heights if he epts this opportunity" Instead of giving a definite answer to Sato''s words Sun merely smiled and said "Survive this dungeon and I might just do it" Then he went away and began guarding the surroundings. "Heh, soon you will be consumed by greed Sun. I just need a little bit of push" The next day they continue to travel along the dungeon''s path and the closer they get towards the center. The more powerful monsters they encounter. That is when the injuries be frequent and even when they are resting an ambush will suddenly transpire. That is why the mages began making a temporary barrier system using the high-quality crystal mana they got. Because of that somehow all of them were able to rest and recover more energy. "Let''s go we are about to enter the center of this dungeon" Jovenmanded and hastily everyone packed their stuff and waited for their leader and Sun to lead the way. "We are here" Sun mutters while the barrier in front of him protects everyone from the harsh energy that would kill them as soon as it touches them. "We can''t get close!" Sato shouted while observing the outside situation of the barrier. "Don''t worry we can just put a barrier system that can neutralize the energy" "We can''t do that we are not certain how long the barrier can sustain itself when the battle erupted" Argue by a swordsman towards the mage who just spoke. "So what we do then? Call for backup?" While the group thought hard about how to counter this scenario Sun suddenly did something dangerous. "Sun where are you going!" Asked by their tanker while dropping his shield to chase after him. "Duran pick your shield" Sun just said without looking back. And just like that the strongest man in the party left the barrier. His action caused a stir in his teammates though none of them followed him. "What is he nning to do?!" Joven asks while feeling nervous. However soon that nervousness was reced by awe when the energy that was wreaking havoc disappeared. "Wait did he just suppress the chaos outside using his mana?" A mage eximed while still not believing the situation. "He uses a mana domain to take hold of the surrounding mana" added another mage. "Hey why all of you are staying there, the final fight is about to start" In the midst of their discussion, Sun''s voice made them remember what their objective was. So the party tore down their defence and as soon as they did so they realized the danger of the situation. Right in front of the KEY a being made them breathe in fear. It was like any other beast they encountered inside the dungeon though this one was far stronger than the rest. "GRRR" The beast walked slowly and as he did so Sun realized why the center of the dungeon was the biggest and most spacious out of all the ces in there. "So the biggest monster is staying at the center, make sense" Sunmented while the object of their fear began to make its appearance. This beast has a blue scaly body simr to the other beasts they encounter, however, this one has more prominent features and does not look like an abstract art filled with all sorts of beast''s parts. It was a real dragon, a hybrid one to be exact. Its blueish body has a luminous effect while its back has a towering crystalline stone simr to crystal mana. "Defense now!" Sun urges and the party immediately responds with a barrier shield, a technique with thebination of magical barrier and aura shields. As soon as they put their defense a roar far stronger than the one they experienced hit them. Even with thebined strength of their defence, it was immediately destroyed once the power of the dragon''s roar struck it. Sun made his move and a sword appeared on his hand. Then the ground shook and the air vibrated as Sun broke the immense power of the roar using the wave of his sword. The beast stayed where it was and remained observant not until a shadow teleported right in front of it. Sparks of lightning then began to dance as the crystals on the dragon''s back charged electric current. Chapter 209 The key Inside the center of the dungeon lies the key. Though it was called that way it doesn''t bore the appearance of the real one. Instead, it looks like a giant crystal and has the same amount of mana as a crystal mana. Acquiring the key to the dungeon is essential since this item has the power to manipte the hidden doors of the dungeon. The hidden doors contain priceless and unique treasures including artifacts. Though they can venture into these ces on their own, it would be difficult since they need to leave the direct road which has the most stable amount of mana. If they choose a different path their chances of survival will be slim since they could be killed either by the shes of energy or by the mutant beasts. The smaller passages are also prone to make people lost and no one has gotten outside who is sane enough to tell the tale of the events there. The key will be their way to safely secure the path and doors containing the artifacts. Though no one knows why such a thing exists in dungeons, keys will be their way to safely venture into the deeper parts of the dungeon. "ROAR!" However, to do that they must defeat this monster first. Sun teleported in front of the dungeon beast and immediately changed its weapon from sword to gun. A bullet was fired though it was blocked by the beast''s scales, however, the person who fired the bullet didn''t seem worried that his attack didn''t work. Lightning then dances across the air which is generated directly from the dragon''s crystalline back. "Get him out there!" Stay connected via empire Jovenmanded and the mages cast a spell to teleport Sun back to them. The dragon that was supposed to attack after being shot became surprised when its target disappeared. A sense of displeasure washes over the beast which causes it to growl. "That thing''s scales have a simr durability as mithril, normal spells won''t work" Sun reported as soon as he was back. "Alright got it, in position everyone!" The party became divided, 5 heavily armoured tankers came in front apanied by 10 agile fighters and weapon users. 5 archers and gunners ranged and prepared their positions while the remaining spellcasters and supporters remained at the back. The dragon moved seeing the charge, it roared and unleashed abined legion of ice and fire. The party takes significant damage, with the fire causing burns and ice causing frostbite. Though all injuries healed due to the supporter''s healing spell. "Take the potion now!" With themand of the leader, the tanker crashed the bottle in their mouth and immediately drank it. With the boost and healing spell their stamina began to escte. The tanks, using their shields and armor, draw the dragon''s attention. They position themselves to absorb as much damage as possible. The Melee weapon users then rush in, attacking with swords and axes, focusing on critical strikes. They start identifying and targeting vulnerable spots. Then the archers and gunners maintain their distance, shooting arrows and bullets with precise aim. They target the dragon''s wings and eyes to reduce its mobility and visibility. However, the lightning from its back would destroy any projectile they shoot. The dragon''s unique changing elements became a hindrance for the party. Since they couldn''t tell what element woulde, from water and ice then fire and lightning. Changes happen until Sun shouts something. "Look at its crystal back whenever it changes elements it glows! Red for fire, blue for water and violet for lightning!" "Got it!" everyone responded and they put their focus on the dragon''s body. Then the mages cast elemental spells to exploit the dragon''s element-changing nature. One mage uses fire-based spells to counteract the ice, while another uses ice spells to counter the fire, and then water for lightning. Healing spells continue to be cast to restore the party''s health. Sun on the other hand was moving and changing his role from a ranged weaponist to a wind element wizard. Although the situation is not looking good with more injuries being inflicted. Supports would cast non-stop defensive buffs and healing spells. They also deploy utility spells to protect the party from additional damage. However, even with this setup, none could inflict a fatal wound. Sun notices this situation and decides to change tactics. So far they can''t find any weakness and there isn''t any soft scale they could take advantage so he spoke. "Aim all your attacks at a single ce, continue attacking it!" Mages and ranged weapon users then focus on directing the dragon while the melee fighters charged with added buff on their bodies. Slowly the situation is improving which causes the the beast to be angered, the dragon switches tactics,unching a fireball followed by an ice storm. It also uses a tail sweep to hit multiple targets. This attack was immediately resolved by the tankers. They continue to hold the dragon''s attention, using defensive manoeuvres to mitigate the damage from the fireball and ice storm. They attempt to keep the dragon within a manageable area. With the dragon busy again the melee weapon users intensify their attacks, focusing on exploiting weaknesses in the dragon''s armor. They also carefully avoid the dragon''s tail sweep. "Just focus on a single spot!" Joven told them which all the party members kept in mind. Sun continues attacking from a distance, focusing on weak points and using special weapons, such as explosives or magic bullets. His attacks were able to reduce the damage that the dragon''s element-changing ability can do. "Mages!" Sun shouted since the dragon''s back was turning purple. "On it!" said the mages and immediately they adjusted their spells to counteract the dragon''s spell. They focus on using powerful elemental spells and continue healing the party. They also prepare for the final push since they could see everyone''s exhaustion. "Supports!" Sun shouted again. And the already tired supports continue to provide crucial buffs, such as increased attack power and defense, and use healing potions to restore health. They work on removing any debilitating effects and poisons from the dragon''s ws. Both sides are severely injured, and the dragon bes increasingly desperate and confused about how its attacks are not working how it was supposed to. The beast also notices how each of its attacks would miss the target while some that would hit were weaker than it intended. So the dragonunches a final attack, itbines fire, lightning and ice attack, creating a devastating area-of-effect st. It also uses its fire breath in quick session. This scenario made the tankers shine again. They continue to maintain their defensive positions, using their best abilities to shield the party from the dragon''s final assault. The melees push hard, attacking relentlessly to keep the dragon from attacking again. They avoid the area-of-effect st and focus on damaging the dragon quickly. Sun and the ranged weapon users continue to target weak points, using their most powerful arrows, and bullets to deal maximum damage. More bullets were fired and each one would directly strike the dragon''s wound which was made from the party''s relentless attack. Then Sun fired another bullet that made the dragon off bnce. It roared trying to gain mobility but with its energies going everywhere even breathing was hard. An opportunity presented itself and the mages unleashed their strongest spells, pushing the dragon to its limits. Healing also became critical as the party suffered from the dragon''s final attacks. The party members felt their breathing became short but seeing the monster almost copsing on the ground they found a newfound strength to keep going. "KEEP GOING!" Sun''s voice rang again and a battle cry escaped from everyone''s mouth. The supporters then use their remaining resources to keep the party in fighting shape, casting critical buffs and healing spells. The battle came to reach its climax with everyone reaching their limits. As the dragon weakens, Sun steps forward, on his hand is a staff. Using that weapon the energy inside his body moves for a decisive strike. He prepared a powerful spell, and a multi-coloured magic circle was formed, it was a spell that was cast from the very beginning that only a few people noticed. This spell was meant to exploit the dragon''s element-changing nature. Sun controlled his breathing and activated the high-level spell, "Mirror" This spell absorbs every prominent element in its surroundings. And since the dragon''s elements are currently the strongest the spell absorbed it all. Sun''s spellbines lightning, fire and ice into a single devastating attack. Observing this scenario the party positions themselves to avoid Sun''s attack and the dragon''s final attacks. Sun releases the spell with a dramatic burst of energy. Thebined elements create a massive explosion, targeting the dragon''s critical open wound. The mages took this opportunity to overwhelm the dragon''s defenses by assisting another round of attacks. This causes immense damage to the dragon disrupting its ability to fight back.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Let''s end this!" Wind began to howl and Sun floated into the air while looking down at the dying beast. "Wind element, Tempester, Focus point, hundredfold" Chapter 210 Sato "Let''s end this!" Wind began to howl and Sun floated into the air while looking down at the dying beast. "Wind element, Tempester, focus hundredfold" A magical circle blinded everyone causing their eyes to feel painful. With their eyes shut closed all they could feel was a big eruption that caused them to fly away. "Damn it!" With their already injured bodies, the party members could only rely on magical enchantment items to survive. They all close their eyes and pray to god because at that moment they thought none of them could survive the impact of Sun''s attack. The air vibrated so hard that it almost blew up their lungs, and the ground shook as well causing their sense of bnce to be disrupted. "Please just kill that dragon already!" Joven shouted despite the pain and suddenly the shockwaves dispersed as if it never existed. Then as they stood up their injuries also healed without their knowledge. "What just happened?" They became confused not until they noticed a barrier that protected them, and then on the ground was a magic circle. "Look outside!" Sato eximed seeing a single silhouette who stood out among the broken walls and ceiling of the dungeon. Experience tales at empire It was Sun he was unscathed and merely floated in the air, though his expression showed no signs of relief. This made the party nervous. What if that beast was still alive? Was it a wise decision to acquire the key? Or venturing into the most dangerous parts of the dungeon better? None of the options seems better however there is one thing clear, Sun is the only one that can save them. "Support now!" Jovenmanded and the mages who are proficient with healing and buffs collected themselves and began to cast. The tanker and melee fighters wanted to assist but fearing that they might turn into a hindrance than help is worrying them. So all they did was watch. Outside the barrier Sun looked down at the beast''s corpse however instead of being happy his eyesy on the little thing it left behind. Right before it died it spit a cocoon. Sun tried to destroy it however the dragon was persistent, and before thest spark of life extinguished it protected the cocoon until it was able to hatch. So now Sun stared at the monstrosity in front of him. "What are you" he spoke seeing a figure that strangely resembles a human. "...." The humanoid beast didn''t answer instead its vertical pupils stared deep into the man who tantly looked down on its existence. Sun frowned the beast''s appearance was way too simr to a human. From the face and the structure of the body, it really resembles a person, if it weren''t for the fact that scales envelop his body as armor that monster could definitely fool someone. "I can feel you can understand me" Sun spoke again however just like before the beast remained silent. With only silence enveloping the two. The mage now doesn''t know whether to attack or not. Dungeon beasts are quite strange than regr monsters. Some monsters would never attack humans even though they are powerful enough to wipe them out. That is why raiders would often say that if a dungeon beast doesn''t attack then don''t attack it, it isn''t hostile, but if the beast attacks first or if it gives any ounce of killing intent, kill it. Sun can definitely feel that this humanoid monster has an enormous strength but since he can''t feel anything he doesn''t know whether to make a move or not. However, their stalemate ended when he felt a sudden spell that boosted his overall stats.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Have they recovered?" he thought while looking back at the barrier he made. In that short moment that he looked back his bloodpletely ran cold when he felt someone''s ws right on his body. The supporter''s magic then takes over and a barrier is made to shield Sun. The tankers didn''t stay idle although they didn''t dare join the fight their auras envelope Sun''s body. This immediate response protected him from danger and saved him from getting hurt. Sun repositioned himself and with the swift movement of the wind, he appeared right beside the beast. Then from a magic staff, it turns into a gun. A bullet was shot however the speed of the beast was capable of dodging a bullet. However despite this Sun didn''t appear to be concerned because the bullets didn''t need to hit the target to take effect. As long as the intended target is inside the radius where the bullet hit then it will still take effect. "GRRRR" A growl was heard from the beast it seemed it had felt the sudden energy disturbance inside its body. It moves again in ordance with its will to destroy the one human in front of it. "Wind Element, Air Pressure" A heavy burden of pressure hit the speedy opponent causing it to immediately crash on the broken floor. It tried to move but the heavy burden that was crashing was something it couldn''t fight. As the beast remained stationary Sun took this opportunity to fire another bullet and unlike before this time it hit the target. "Let''s finish this" The fighter mage announces gathering a powerful amount of mana. The beast feeling its impending death hurriedly tried to fight back. It tried to move however a simultaneous attack kept it in ce. Confusion wells up in the mind of the beast not knowing where the attack ising from. There was just one human yet it felt like it was fighting many people. It looked around trying to find the source of the attacks however it couldn''t. Arrows were embedded in its limbs while a spell kept him in ce. Now it couldn''t move and all it could do was wait for its approaching death. "Wind Element, Airstrike" The surrounding air became focused on one point until the breathing of the surrounding beings was affected. Nature mana was also pulled in causing the spell to strengthen. With the wave of Sun''s hand, the spell struck down. "GARRAAGHH!" The beast roared trying to use its remaining energy to propel the spell backwards however, Sun merely increased the pressure making the beast''s body ground to pieces. "It''s dead!" Eximed the people inside however even when the battle ended the barrier wasn''t taken down. This made them confused until they noticed the sudden changes in the surroundings outside. Coming out of the beast''s body is a thick violet miasma. "Are those poisonous?" they wondered but another pressing matter came and worried them when one of the swordsman shouted something. "Look at the barrier!" "What the!" "The miasma is destroying the barrier!" "Hurry everyone!" Spells were cast while auras were called to prevent the miasma from destroying their barrier. "Where is Sun!" Joven asked while trying his best to search for him. "Wait Sato is also not here!" "What!" Their leader suddenly felt a headache however with the current situation not being good it is best to retreat. "Where are you two!" Joven continues to think so while trying to contact Sun using hismunication device. {Sun!....} {A-r..are you...s-afe?} The voice was a bit static however its receiver immediately responded. "I am safe but please remain inside the barrier, the miasma is spreading in all directions, you might also need to contact the people outside the entrance since this thing is almost there" {Wh-at?... Okay I will tell them} After cutting down the call Sun looked at a certain man''s figure and said. "Get away from the key Sato" His voice made the man stop and then a voice filled with sarcasm filled the air. "Mr Sun, you are still alive?" "You seem disappointed" Amongst the blurry and zero visibility ce a figure emerges from the cloud of deadly fog. "Sato, no was it even your name? After all the name Sato came from the East, however you don''t have any semnce that you came from there. Not in terms of appearance, speech and even your mana" A wicked smile emerges on Sato''s face beforeughing hysterically. "I don''t really need to exin myself" He said while walking towards Sun though his targets suddenly disappeared and reappeared right beside the key. "Hmmm....do you want me to guess who you are" Sun suddenly came up with a topic though Sato wasn''t interested. Because every passing second his defense is slowly breaking away due to the miasma. He doesn''t have the time to entertain someone''s useless dialogue. "Let me guess your name should be...." Sun began to say though Sato already vanished and reappeared in front of him. "Alphonse Delmar" Hearing that name Sato''s fist halted and that became an opportunity for Sun to strike his face. The sheer force of that attack made Sato roll away and hit the wall with a loud thud. "How was it, does it hurt?" Sun asked while his voice was filled with sarcasm. Chapter 211 Alphonse Sato, no, Alphonse''s face became swollen due to the impact of Sun''s strike. Though thetter immediately recovered and covered himself with aura. Sun just observed and even when the miasma covered the entire area his vision could still see through everything. "He is proficient in mana control and Ki cirction, we have a fighter mage here" So Sun began to form his stance while a pair of bracelets adorned his left and right wrist. His eyes then scan his opponent''s stature fully engraving its every movement in his mind. "He is moving now!" Ki circted inside his body like a rolling engine while mana sparked upon hismand. A mixture of two energies created a powerful synergy that almost left Alphonse surprised. "I should have known you were hiding your trump card" he voiced out while an artifact envelope his body. "Trump card?" Sun scoffed at his opponent''s words before continuing to speak, "Unfortunately Sir Alphonse you are unworthy to witness it" After speaking such words the two fighter mages took a step forward and began their magic slugfest. The entire dungeon is now filled with magic miasma that already causes a zero visibility area. However, amidst the deathly field of smoke strong vibrations and shes of energy shook the very ground of the undergroundbyrinth. Sun who continues neutralizing all attacks from Alphonse began to see the patterns and traits he has. "He seems to be a mage who specializes in lightning magic and is skilled in acrobatics and hand-to-handbat" he could conclude since each of his strikes has the power of lightning while his flexible movements and strong punches only cement his conclusion. However Sun doesn''t dismiss the fact that this must be a feign move to deceive him. So to test his reaction again he pointed his hand towards his opponent and chanted "Wind Element, Air Gun" Apressed bullet of air punctured through the deadly fog until it made its way to Alphonse''s face.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The receiver of the attack was taken aback since his vision was being hindered by the miasma. So to evade the fast-moving projective he had no choice but to charge himself with lightning. "Hmmm....he is not casting, is he perhaps using instant incantation?" That immediate magic response was way too quick especially since lightning spells are very long to cast. Normal mages would switch to wind elements to have a fast incantation process. "Interesting" Sun now turn the tables he is now on offence while Alphonse is on defense. "Let''s test him more," he thought as started by darting towards his opponent with incredible speed, using abination of clinching and wind movement enhancement. Feeling the approaching presence, Alphonse prepares to wee his opponent. His body crackles with electrical energy as he prepares to unleash a spell. Then as he got a clear vision of his target he immediately released his spell. A pulse of an intense cluster of lightning took a sharp turn and went flying towards the speeding opponent. Due to the spells being cast the surrounding miasma was suddenly blown away. That resulted in their field of vision being suddenly clear of any hindrance. Sun saw the iing spell and immediately tilted his body to the side to evade the attack without losing his speed. Then he firmly nted his foot on the ground before doing another clinching. This move closed the distance between the two which took Alphonse to raise his guard. Wind channelled across Sun''s body and with his swift movement, his opponent had no choice by to put his guard on. Alphonse stands his ground, focusing on the ground beneath him. He channels earth magic to create a defensive barrier, a low, vibrating shield of rock and soil that materializes in front of him. Sun frown not expecting a different element than the one he previously used. However, it doesn''t really matter as his fist drills through the defensive shield. A cracking sound was heard and the shield was broken to bits. As the fallen dirt momentarily blocks Sun''s vision Alphonse took this opportunity to perform a quick, spinning kick imbued with lightning, aimed at Sun''s chest. The kick generates a burst of electric energy intended to stun him. He moved very fast however just like before Sun had anticipated the attack and used his barrier to absorb most of the electric charge. He then counters with a low, sweeping kick that sends a shockwave through the ground towards Alphonse, trying to destabilize his footing. Lightning created a speedy transit of message across Alphonse''s body which is why he immediately avoids the shockwave by leaping into the air, his form surrounded by a crackling aura of lightning. He then summons a lightning bolt and hurls it directly at Sun from above. In response to this attack, Sun reacts by raising his hands, causing the wind to redirect the power of the lightning. As he sees his opponent being busy Alphonsends gracefully and uses his agility to close the gap again. Then he performs a series of rapid, electrified punches and kicks, aimed at Sun''s midsection and limbs. However just like before Sun had anticipated his attack and adopted a defensive stance. It felt like Sun was reading his opponent''s mind since his precise and measured movements deflected Alphonse''s attacks. His movements are heavy and deliberate, but each block is powerful enough to redirect his strikes. Then the moment Sun redirected his opponent''s attack to the side he decided to go on the offensive. He stomps the ground, causing a series of jagged movements of wind to erupt in Alphonse''s path, forcing him to jump and maneuver through the dangerous terrain. As he deftly evades the strike, he retaliates by conjuring a chain lightning spell, which forks out towards Sun in multiple directions. "Just what the hell is up with him!" He said while his breathing was getting worse, he thought when it came to speed he should be able to win but the way his opponent uses the element of wind left him no room to catch his breath. So at that moment, he wanted to end the fight. Before the deathly fog returns, he must finish his opponent. So within his hand, a powerful lightning spell sparks up. Sun responds to that attack and using his wind magic he creates a solidified air that disrupts the chain lightning''s path. This causes it to dissipate before it can fully reach him. He then charges forward activating a spell he has been casting from the start of the fight. "Wind Element, Tempester, Focus, Hundredfold" Knowing the power of that spell Alphonse felt his blood begin to run backwards. "Damn it!" he shouted with a bit of panic as he uses his agility to avoid the spell. Even with the spell''s pressure he forcefully slides between Sun''s legs and delivers a quick, electrified elbow strike to his lower back. Sun grunts in due to being surprised but quickly recovers. He ms his feet onto the ground, causing a massive wave of wind that sends ripples and cracks through the dungeon floor. This causes his opponent to lose his bnce. "Argh!" groan of Alphonse feeling that the energy in his body went haywire due to Sun''s casual stomp. However, it is not the only thing he needs to take care of because the miasma is getting closer, it begins moving back towards them. So the first thing he did was leap high into the air, avoiding the wind ripples on the ground. Then he prepares to unleash a final, concentrated lightning strike from above. Mana seems to be manipted at a single point and the poisonous air is blown away. "Lightning Element, Lightning Strike" Sun didn''t just stand and on his hand was also a spell he had cast. "Wind Element, Zephyr" Lightning and wind suddenly meet causing a sh of mass of electricity and air. Many things blew up including the miasma while the ground was going everywhere. "NO!" Alphonse shouted feeling his arms weak due to the weight of the sh. However opposite to his situation Sun was unscathed and no emotion can be seen on his face. "Damn it, what kind of monster are you!" Blood drips down from his eyes, mouth and ears however he can''t stop. "I should probably end this" While Alphonse desperately clung to his life a voice devoid of any emotion suddenly went towards his ears. Then from Sun''s body, a pulse of electricity danced across his body as he raised his other free hand. "Ah, I forgot to say..." he began to speak while a smirk slowly formed on his face. "I can multicast" That smug expression drove Alphonse to madness causing him to put even his life force to push through the sh. "Combination spell, Windstorm" Sparks of massive amounts of lightning flow through the gaps of wind and channel its power on it. As they became one the cluster of wind turned into a cluster of clouds. These clouds generate a bolt of even more powerful lightning. "Goodbye Sir Alphonse" Sun just said while witnessing how his opponent''s body disappears. Chapter 212 End of the raid As the body of Alphonse disappeared Sun cast another spell. "Darkness Element, Necromancy Magic, Veritas" Dark tainted smoke appeared on the ground before grabbing the soul of the deceased opponent of Sun. "ARGHH!" An eerie sound of begging echoes however the deathly miasma covers his plea, and not even thest remaining part of the enemy survives. "Sir Alphonse why betray the tower" Sun mumbles as he picks up an old emblem left behind by his deceased opponent. The emblem was actually an insignia depicting a tower, it was standing tall while a vermilion bird coils around it. Sun couldn''t help but frown seeing it had a powerful preservation magic. It was so powerful that even his spell wasn''t able to leave a dent in it. *Sighs* He can''t but sigh however he notices how the fatal haze began consuming and corrupting the nearby mana stones and crystals. Discover stories with empire "Not good, now I wonder how should I deal with this" Sun continued to ponder until an idea popped into his head. "Yup, why not"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Then his body began to be filled with light until that light turned into a ck mist that slowly morphed his body into a beast. A humanoid demonic beast, with a pair of wings and horns was then revealed. "Hooo..." he breathed while inhaling the violet and deathly haze. While this transpires the imperial soldiers outside the dungeon have evacuated everyone since the entrance was covered by a violet smog. The miasma had spread there and a quarantine was ordered. Although there haven''t been any casualties due to Joven''s warning the entire area was put under control under the orders of the emperor. The imperial soldiers and the royal guards from Murdor''s king were spread out suppressing the miasma however try as they might they couldn''tpletely contain it. Besides the poisonous effect, the smog also contains a corrosive trait that destroys not only physical shields but also magically generated ones. Due to that all they could do was wait for the emperor''s most trusted people. The association and the tower. However, each passing second is making the affected area bigger. This dilemma caused them to lose hope not until a powerful suction pulled the deathly smog away. "What''s going on!" Eximed by a soldier who firmly uses his spear to stop himself from getting drawn into the mouth of the dungeon. "Hold on to something!" The strong drawing power was like the pull of a powerful tornado, although they were thankful that the miasma was disappearing it also made them scared since they felt that they would be flush inside the dungeon. Then as if their prayers were being granted the suction ended and all soldiers could finally sigh in relief. Back at the center of the dungeon a figure remains standing while the deadly haze furiously flows towards his mouth. The ground and air moved a bit as hepletely absorbed the miasma. "Haaa...." After eating everything Sun felt full while moving his wings up and down to stretch. "I am full" After saying those words his body began to morph back to normal, at the same time the remaining party members already left the barrier and were now running towards him. "Sun!" Joven shouted while hurriedlying towards him, however as he moved forward Sun''s body suddenly copsed causing the entire party to be worried. "S-orry... Sato didn''t... Make it" his voice was like mumbling while on his right hand was the key. "You did it!" Everyone eximed feeling happy but their celebration was cut short when Sun lost consciousness. They panicked and almost wanted to retreat back to the surface but knowing how long it would take they decided to rely on their enchanted tools for healing. And so they decided to camp and wait until they had recovered. "How is the situation outside?" A tanker named Iz asked while taking the food ration that was given to them before entering. "They told me that the miasma that leaked outside has already been taken care of" Hearing those words many of them could finally breathe in relief since some of their closerades were waiting outside. Aside from worrying about their own lives, they are also worried about them, after all, there were countless times they were saved by those people. "You know I wonder what happened" asked one of the mages since he was curious about what happened between Sun and Sato, and how the two were able to disperse the miasma. "We could only ask Sun after he woke up" "Indeed let''s wait for him" And so for a couple of hours, they stayed there until Sun woke up and told them his own version of the story. "So Sato tried to steal the key while our barrier was slowly being eaten," Joven said as if trying to get the clear meaning of Sun''s words. "Sato is just a fake name I don''t name where he came from but I am certain he ns to steal the key then flee and only return once the miasma subsided. Fortunately, I was able to stop him and acquired the key. After I acquired it I was able to disperse the miasma" Joven clenched his teeth, he felt really frustrated since he didn''t want to report to his superiors how he failed and almost lost a valuable key. Joven is not just a heavy knight or a tanker meant to be a shield, he is actually a member of the imperial soldiers tasked to handle the party so that they can safely secure the key and make sure no dungeon beast can go outside. "I almost failed" he couldn''t help but say while wiping the sweat on his forehead. "If that guy was able to secure the key then he could control the entire dungeon as he pleased. So thank you Sun" "No need to thank me I was just trying to survive as well" Sun replied while receiving more medical attention since his body showed signs of extreme exposure to toxins from the miasma. "Sun do you realise your organs are being corroded with miasma!" Helen a mage who masters healing and supporting magic eximed while began scolding Sun. On the other hand, her patient only looks at her while his body is covered with bandages. "When are we leaving?" he switches to Joven not caring about Helen''s scolding. "Five hours from now so listen to Helen" he replied to his question as he stood up and lifted his heavy shield. "By the way aren''t you lifting something too heavy?" Sun said before the heavy knight could even walk away. "What?" "I am saying your weapon is way too heavy for you isn''t it?" Joven was a bit taken however his face soon returned to normal. "I''ll keep that in mind" he left after saying that. "To think a mage like him can pretend to be a heavy knight, seriously Your Majesty how did you turn your soldiers like this" Sun thought while observing Joven. Later that day they resumed their journey and with the help of the key they were able to find more doors and paths with hidden treasures. "Look at that!" eximed a mage who just witnessed the biggestposition of crystal mana in his entire life. "It''s as big as a tower!" Hanging from the ceiling is a rainbow color crystal, that even a piece of it can supply power for an entire kingdom for hundreds of years. "How can nature do this" Some party members began to cry due to the overwhelming feeling that washes them over. While the others remained dumbfounded at the current situation. "How did a gold mine appear here" a swordsman mumbled when they arrived at another door. After a few more twists and turns in the dungeon, they even found a room full of unique pearls and diamonds. While they continued venturing the path, the key became their protection from dangerous dungeon beasts, and thus no one was hurt. At the end of their journey, they were able to secure a massive amount of resources for themselves and left some for the Kingdom of Murdo and the imperial family. ording to the imperialw, dungeon resources will be divided into three portions once conquered. The raiders will gain the biggest share followed by the imperial family andstly, the kingdom or territory the dungeon came from. The end of the raid happened and the party members returned to their own affiliate organizations. The only one who didn''t belong to any group was Sun. Stealthily he disappears so not even the prince who was present is able to track him. While the entire continent is filled with buzz due to a Zenith rank dungeon being conquered, a certain cloaked man slowly walks along a quiet path though someone surprisingly appears in front of him. "Grandpa" "It seems you met him, Alphonse, my older brother" His words are gentle causing the deceptive facade of the cloaked man to disappear. His white hair began to change while being reced by a red-orange colour. His height and build began to decrease resembling a child while his eye color began to turn gold. Sun had turned into Apollo. Chapter 213 His idol Three hundred years ago the War of Faith began, many brothers pointed their des at each other and families became broken due to disputes. Plenty of those who are close friends broke their connection due to different views and beliefs. During this era not a single part of the continent experienced peace. Many changes happen and even the most powerful existence in Brynar had to intervene. The empire that tolerated and gave the people the freedom to choose religion began to suppress those who began raising their hands against them. The Imperial House had no choice since religion became a power that they could no longer contain. And for the first time since the creation of the empire chaos began to rise. It was chaos that decreased the human poption in the continent by half. How ironic that the destruction of mankind won''t fall on the hands of the fearsome demonic beasts but instead on the hands of humans themselves. The source of this war was the believers of the Revolutionary church. It was just a single church that made this chaos and yet even the emperor himself felt his hand tied. He was torn between peace using bloodshed or peace by obeying the rules of the enemy. And so with no other options, he chose blood and war. The twelve churches that correspond to each of the Gods, even with their history dating back before the creation of the empire, too couldn''t escape the wheels of war. This caused their believers'' blood to dye the continent. Their grief and suffering made the sleeping Gods awake and summon their children who had borrowed their power. With both the imperial power and the church of the Twelve Gods being threatened, a sudden pact was made by the two. Something that even the Era of Extinction couldn''t do. Amongst the forces of the emperor that he deployed at that time, the Mage Tower was the fastest to respond. They immediately suppressed the residents who were wreaking havoc in the south, and then they advanced to the capital and aided the imperial knights. The imperial knights under themand of Lexus began ughtering the enemies even though some of them were weak people who used to be normal citizens. Lexus never cared even though he murdered his own friend for his loyalty belong to the emperor. Due to his tant massacre, he was nicknamed the Red Knight, for his obsidian armor became red due to the blood he had spilled. While the symbol of the imperial house on his sacred cape became the symbol of death. "Commander, seize your men, his majestymands you not to harm his people anymore" A calm yet dominating voice spoke making the ongoing chaos stop. "And who might you be?" asked themander while his de pierced another person''s body. The person who just spoke put down the hood of his cloak. As soon as he did so Lexus was able to see that he was only a boy not even reaching his twenties. "A young mage" he mumbled while putting back his sword on his scabbard. "We came here with themand of the emperor to stop your massacre" "Stop? Why? How have you seen what these people have been doing? They are burning houses of those who don''t join their fucking church, they don''t even hesitate to hurt others!" the imperial general said while his aura began bursting with killing intent. "That is why we are here, we were told to cast a spell to put them to sleep and lock them in the dungeon cells" "Ha! That is useless I shall speak with my lord, I will personally tell him that it is an unwise decision to do that. How could we let a ticking time bomb that any minute could explode to our faces? We must remove any possible threat that could potentially harm the empire!" The solider insisted while his aura became a ming beacon that startled everyone. Even his subordinates felt his rage though for them it was justified since one of theirrades was stabbed to death by those rioting people. He was a resident of this area which is why he knows almost everyone in this city. So before using force, Lexus lets his soldier convince the people to step back and fix the situation peacefully, however instead of hearing the soldier''s words, all he receives is a hundred stab wounds on his entire body. This oue caused Lexus to order his army to kill any believers of the revolutionary church. Blood was spilt to the point that the emperor had to order for his ughter to end. Because his general had decreased the overall poption of the empire by a quarter. It was such an amount that it was able to decrease the enemy numbers by more than half of their initial count. It was a great contribution but his ruler thinks that they should take the situation a little slowly now after all those believers used to be citizens of the empire. He wants to give them a chance even a little bit. "Commander we know what happened but please do not be blinded by rage" "My men had been killed mage, hundreds of them have died!" "And you have ughtered thousands! Aren''t those enough" "As long as they raise their hands against the empire this war they had started won''t end" The general remained still with his decision that left the mage no choice but to raise his staff. "Are you aiming at me?" asked the imperial soldier who didn''t seem fazed by the young mage''s decision. "By themand of the emperor you must end this massacre" he continues to say. The tension began to escte however even when their confrontation transpired the people of the revolutionary church continued to cause havoc. They would beat the magical barrier in front of them while the other would use spells to attack. "Look at the people you are protecting, aren''t they simr to rapid animals" Lexus voiced out his opinion while slowlying forward towards the young mage. However, as the conflict between them shows no signs of stopping the soldiers under themand of the general began knocking their enemies since they had no idea whether to kill or proceed to capture them. But it seems the Gods had no intention of making their wait long because a noise from inside the headquarters of the revolutionary church made them stop. There, a group of well-dressed people came out, and even though their faces were hidden the young face immediately recognized one of them. "Older brother?" he said while appearing to be shaken. "Hmm....is that you Al? Hah, it seems you are doing good inside the tower" The person who just spoke was one of the famous and youngest Tower mages at that time, Alphonse Delmar. The current head, Alger Thornvale''s half older brother. In the era of War of Faith, Alger was an outstanding mage whom the previous head wanted as his sessor. His half-brother Alphonse, who coveted the seat felt bitter when he failed to catch the attention of the head of the tower. Instead, it was his little brother who was an illegitimate child fell on the seat that was supposed to be his. Alphonse felt resentful however the boy at that time didn''t have anything that could surpass Alger, not until he met some people who were able to understand him, those people were from the revolutionary church. "What are you doing brother!" Alger eximed while his eyes began to shake. The young mage''s reaction was conflicted, he knows why this happened but he doesn''t know what to do. "Commander" he turned to the soldier hoping that he might reconsider his words of killing everyone here. "Alright, we will knock them out" The expression of the boy elevated though Lexus didn''t feel good about it. "Just to remind you when I say knocked out it means breaking a few pieces of their bones in the process" "I don''t care it''s good as long as they are alive" "Alright then we are good" Then his body disappeared and reappeared right in front of the new visitors. "Please brace for impact" his voice seems to be fading as the sound of something hitting echoes everywhere.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Alphonse couldn''t react because all he saw was hisrades flying everywhere. Experience new tales on empire "You are next" "What!" it felt like the jaws of death were approaching in his panic he cast a spell that made him teleport right outside the city. "How did that guy bypass the barrier!" Lexus felt frustrated as he said those things Alger immediately ran after his brother with the rest of the tower mages with him. "We will be back," he said while the general signalled some of his soldiers to follow them. However that day not a single one of them was able to see him. And all Alger could do was wait for his return, and now after three hundred years the emblem he gave him as a gift was retrieved by his student from a corpse. "Of all things to protect why this" he mumbles while touching the fine marks of the emblem. Chapter 214 Artifacts Alger never saw his brother again, not even when he was killed, for his student never even left his corpse behind. "What happened?" he could only say while holding the emblem in his hand. "I was trying to find traces of the remnant forces of the Revolutionary church, while searching in the underworld society I found out a certain unknown organization has been sweeping the continent in finding any sort of artifact" "And with just that fact you figured it could be them?" Alger questioned while his eyes remained on the emblem. "Yes, the fact that not even a single trace could be used to track them out when I could easily trace the most notorious people of the underworld is already a point I should take into ount. I have been searching for them, it was only the people of the Revolutionary church that could erase traces like this. I became familiar with their ways of hiding" "There was not even a single concrete testimony I got when I started asking around, and even when I used an element memory search spell I wasn''t able to see anything. Grandpa you once made me do a job for an investigation before and you know how well my performance is. Every time the emperor does a search order you would always include me. So you know mypetence especially reading the patterns of how people work behind the scenes. I already studied and with the file given to me I could at least draw a simple conclusion that it was them" Apollo''s long exnation was something Alger had anticipated to hear however there was actually something he wanted to ask. "When did you know it was my brother?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "When I studied his mana, it was strangely simr to yours, so I know he was your elder brother Alphonse" Apollo doesn''t know how to answer now since he killed his grandpa''s brother without any remorse. This made him guilty, he felt shame for the fact he doesn''t feel anything while killing someone. "Why didn''t you call me?" the head of the tower spoke again his voice bing solemn due to the pain he was feeling. "I wasn''t able to call you because I wasn''t sure if he was the same brother whom you often told me about" Now Apollo''s voice seemed to quiver as if a child caught doing something bad. "You told me he was a warm person, someone wise and resolute yet the man I met was like a venomous snake that would bite at any moment. He was different, not only in nature but also in appearance, grandpa he looks young despite being older than you. And the way he speaks reeks of magic speech maniption. He wasn''t warm nor kind as you told me. I don''t want you to meet him and realize that he is no longer the person you used to know. It''s better for a stranger to eliminate him than his own brother" Apollo continues to exin though his eyes can''t meet Alger''s. "Have you tried speaking to him about me?" the old man asked seemingly losing his light. "I actually tried prating his mind while fighting however there was a wall, somehow I think it was a work of an artifact but he did respond when I called his name" Alger looked worried however he soon dismissed all his conflicting thoughts and changed to a different question. "So did you get the information you wanted to get?" "Yes, I did and I also still have him" Alger looked at the worried child knowing that whatever he had be was also due to him. His way of raising the boy made him cold-blooded to the point that killing someone became easy. "You are not to me my child, so raise your head," he said while taking his small hand. "There now I can see you" Then he looked at Apollo''s hand and said, "Can you give him to me?" He asked, as his voice became mellow and calm. With his soothing voice, Apollo waves his hand and a soul protected by a very powerful spell emerges. Alger felt pain when he realized that his brother''s soul was corrupted. "You tried to cleanse him," he said while holding the soul. "I tried but his exposure to an unknown power made his soul like this, I worry he might have a hard time passing through the cycle because of this" "Indeed, I''ll take care of him, for now, you must return to Aster, you can''t rely on a clone to take all your school work" "Yes grandpa" he replied while giving the old mage a big warm hug. "I am sorry" he whispers before breaking away and running to an alley. Alger who was left standing on the road could only smile as he saw the little boy he raised transform into a man''s appearance. "Nothing to be sorry for, after all, it was me who was supposed to end him" The previous emperor gavemand after knowing his brother''s betrayal, it was to execute him upon encounter. For many years Alger tried to evade any news or even evidence about his brother''s whereabouts. He was afraid that if he ever found where he was, he might have to take action in ordance with the emperor''s order. Apollo knew this fact since the old mage would open up and tell all his worries. So when the boy recognizes Alphonse not only does he realize he has found a dot that would connect him to the church but also the thorn he must remove for his grandfather. However that all fired back when he realized he moved without informing Alger. As the sun began to set the old mage continued gazing at the emblem on his hand. "To think your most powerful spell isn''t about attacking but protecting a tiny object" he mumbles as he remembers how he made this badge as a gift for Alphonse who was just epted as a tower mage. Suddenly memories flood in and while the clouds slowly turn dark, the old mage can only remember their moments together. They were close despite Alger being an illegitimate child. He was treated equally by him like he wasn''t a child from a maid. He was warm to him and cherished the gift that Alger gave and even when he betrayed his little brother''s trust he couldn''t throw away the gift he received from him. Even when the three-hundred-year period of time of being brainwashed didn''t stop him from cherishing thest gift he had received. However, his greed was so deep that the seed of corruption had devoured thest remaining love in his heart. That day Apollo teleported back to the academy and immediately changed his appearance. "It''s good that Grandpa only thinks that my clone spell is just an ordinary spell and does not work like a hive mind" The boy said to himself as his multiple bodies became one. "I am still searching for more traces but for now I am sure they wouldy low after discovering Alphonse''s death" [Creator, I already deployed several insect spies as well, by now, they should be observing the situation in Murdo] "Thanks though I doubt we can see anyone from the church hovering around the dungeon since the imperial family had their hand on the key" [It was already a good harvest although we didn''t get any stat points but our inventory is full of treasures and artifacts] "It''s true that those essences are valuable, it''s just we can''t risk taking that residual mana from the dungeons since they are known for being contaminated and mixed" [So should we start studying artifacts?] "Yes though I check them one by one" Apollo then opened his inventory and ten objects appeared before him. "They look a bit weird" [But it was you who chose these artifacts] "Yeah you are right," the boy said while feeling that he might have chosen wrongly. "I should have asked you to appraise them first before taking them" [I told you so but you are insisting on using your gut feeling to identify strong artifacts] While Jeremiah scolded Apollo for being childish the young mage decided to test the artifacts first using the system''s scanner. "Wow" He began to exim as he saw a ring that fascinated him. [That is a very unique ring] "Yeah," he could only say as he saw the artifact''s description. [Item name: Ring of the Demon King Origin: A ring that was created from the corpses of hundreds of demons that dyed thend of Murdo. Its powers manifested due to the turbulence of mana and the dungeon''s creation Usage: Can be used to summon demons by corrupting the mana of several magical beasts. The number of affected beasts depends on the wielder''s power. Control over the summon demons and natural-made demons. The number of demons controlled depends on the wielder''s state of mind Warning this item may consume its wielder! Be wary!] "Interesting" Apollomented before taking another artifact. It was a sword which somehow felt weird since it was only a hilt. "How am I supposed to use this?" Apollo said feeling confused. Chapter 215 his memories Apollo''s Pov. I expected things not to go ording to my n and I was also prepared that chaos would happen, however, who would have thought I would see Alphonse, grandpa''s older brother here. At first, I really thought he was an ordinary enemy I needed to gain information but I was wrong. The thought that he was familiar to me stems from the thought of his tainted mana, so at first I smiled in satisfaction however as I studied his mana even more I found out who he was. Grandpa''s older brother and a man who must be killed ording to the imperialw. "Ugh!" I groaned as I felt the bindings of the oath, it squeezed my heart as if telling me to obey the order given by the previous emperor. I steeled my mind and tried to gain control until the system forced the oath''s bindings to weaken. At that moment I knew I must kill Alphonse to make the oath sleep, if not I fear I might go crazy. I felt conflicted but every time I did so the oath would suddenly spike up causing my breath to seize for a moment. Should I ask for help? But this was supposed to be a secret mission. I don''t want anyone to find me since I won''t be able to move freely. In the end, all I could do was let the oath extinguish Alphonse while my emotion was swallowed leaving me nothing but an empty feeling. [Creator! Creator, you have killed Alphonse!] "Yes I know" I said while feeling I was half awake and half asleep. I thought the system could handle the oath''s power but it seems I underestimated it. My senses justpletely returned though the only thing I could see was a smoke of deadly air. I then waved my hand and Veritas was cast. While the dark smoke continued to bind the poor soul my eyesnded on the single object that wasn''t destroyed by the miasma. "Sir Alphonse why betray the tower" I sighed, "If he is important to you why leave him" I thought so while the deadly haze began to surround me. "Not good, now I wonder how should I deal with this" I pondered until I thought of my demon form, it has a skill simr to this. And since demons are immune to poisons this should be fine. "Yup, why not" I said while preparing to activate the skill, soon a ck-like liquid flowed through my body while immediately rearranging the bones and cells of my body. As all my features turn monstrous I finally execute my n. I opened my mouth widely and strongly draw my breath to suck the miasma. Fortunately, I was sessful although it was a bit painful. [Notification Alert! The memories seem to be corrupted! The system is initiating a cleansing! Cleansing failed! The affected area is bigger than anticipated, and can only clean some notable parts of the soul] Jeremiah reported that the memories are iplete and may seem mixed up. Although I was a bit confused about what was happening. The memories of Alphonse began to flood in, at first it was manageable until a sudden pain made me wince. "What is going on" I said to myself, a bit confused until I realised how the soul I am trying to memory search is being tainted. A heavy burden struck my mind while a series of screen panels emerged in front of me. "Not good" I thought however I didn''t have enough time as my eyes saw people running towards me. "They areing...gotta do some acting," I told myself while my eyes began to lose focus. What should I say then? I need to at least say something. "S-orry... Sato didn''t... Make it" That should do it...now.....let me rest... My thoughts run through the memories of Alphonse until I encounter a unique obstacle. A powerful cloud of smoke, it was spinning like a tornado and in the middle of it all was a piece of memory that was strangely being protected. "Interesting" I could only say while hovering around. I wonder what could be so important that such a powerful defensive measure was being put inside a person''s soul. "I wonder if I can enter" [Don''t do such a risky thing, and that smoke isn''t a mere cloud but a curse put to hypnotizes and brainwash someone. Due to that spell, the victim''s memories are being clouded and are unable to identify what is real or just a fragment of their hallucinations] Jeremiah exined to me though my mind is thinking about how to cross and gain ess to that memory. It seems it was the center of the chaos and corruption that tainted his soul. "Now how to cleanse this" I said while flying across the turmoil of magic. Can I cast spells in this state? [You can Creator because mana doesn''te physically but it manifests mainly inside your mind and soul. As long as you think of it, the power will naturally obey you] Jeremiah told me and so I waved my hand and a spell began to y on my fingers. A spark of fire gave birth to a wonderful light, this existence not only burned the surrounding darkness but also broke the contaminated area. A sudden peace was brought by my spell and so I was able to get a glimpse of what memory it holds. "What''s this?" I was baffled as I saw how Alphonse was attacked by the members of the revolutionary church. "I thought he voluntarily went there" I observed more and saw how Alphonse was easily defeated by the sheer amount of his opponents. ~Ah, we have a guest here~ A certain voice made my mind even more in pain, as if something his crawling inside my head. ~Who might you be my little friend~ He spoke again while Alphonse had his body bound with magic. ~Oh, aren''t you gonna speak? Just staring?~ That man whose appearance is cloaked by a fog approaches the captive mage, looking down as if he caught a strange animal. [His memories are clouded by a certain spell, it''s hindering his perception of his past, and some of his memories are also being tampered with. I believe we can''t rely on him for information] "We still need to look through everything" I told him until that man''s face got closer to Alphonse and strangely the fog that obstructed his face disappeared. "Hold a sec I know this guy" I eximed as my mind searched the man''s face inside my memory. [He is an ambassador from a kingdom who often does business with Nero] "Didn''t the report include his background" [It did and there wasn''t anything suspicious about him] While Jeremiah and I felt confused another wave of pain hit me as the man spoke again. ~Hey how about bing my friend~ Alphonse didn''t dare to speak, that is when I heard his thoughts. {I must contact someone, this man is dangerous! He can control anyone just by speaking with them. I mustn''t say anything!} Hearing those thoughts made me stare in respect towards this man. Wait could it be that he was forced into joining?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om As my thoughts fly everywhere the scene continues to unfold. ~You are interesting~ ~However you are too weak to be useful~ Alphonse steeled his mind as he felt each word that wasing from him was a spell that could affect his will. However, every time he passes another hurdle of mind control the more it intensifies. I could see how brave he was and how his thoughts would go back and front towards grandpa and the tower. "What''s going to happen" I wondered until a spellnded on the enemies and sted them out. Amidst the chaos, a silhouette can be seen dragging a body with him while three spirits take turns to ensure their escape. ~Brother you good?~ ~Alger!~ I can''t help but be surprised when I saw a young version of Grandpa. "What now?" I questioned while looking at the situation. It doesn''t seem like Alphonse will be tempted to join. However, I was wrong, as soon as the smoke returned my eyes were blinded for a second. The memories of Alphonse were filled withparing and negativity. It was a time when grandpa and him were beingpared endlessly. The people of the Delmar house were the most toxic of all, his mother Latina didn''t like her husband''s bastard getting more attention than her son. So he put heavy pressure on Alphonse driving the young mage into madness. "No" I spoke as I saw him kneel after failing to cast a spell that Alger was able to do. ~ It''s not working well~ He said weakly as he let his body fall to the ground. I too felt his pain, he wanted to be more but people around him were whispering words that would only drive him into a pit. I continued to watch until his mother came with someone. It was a person with a different wave of mana, I immediately recorded this inside my memory. ~Son, mother brought someone who can definitely help you surpass that bastard~ She said though my heart began to squeeze knowing things wouldn''t go better. Chapter 216 More memories ~ It''s not working well~ He said weakly as he let his body fall to the ground. I too felt his pain, he wanted to be more but people around him were whispering words that would only drive him into a pit. I continued to watch until his mother came with someone. It was a person with a different wave of mana, I immediately recorded this inside my memory. ~Son, mother brought someone who can definitely help you surpass that bastard~ She said though my heart began to squeeze knowing things wouldn''t go better. I felt conflicted about how his mother just epted someone whom she didn''t even know. Her actions were the main reason her son was driven into a corner. ~Who is he, mother?~ ~Someone who will help us~ ~But mother~ Alphonse tried to reject his mother''s insistence however his initial words faced shouts and screams from her. ~What are you even doing, can''t you see your mother has done everything she can do for your future? Why do you even need to question everything~ Latina said while her voice became high-pitched due to her anger. The tired and confused young man could only nod his head to make her noisy mother happy. ~This person here is the one who will help us~ Her voice was proud as if she found a bar of gold in a wastnd. "So this is how it started" I said as I realized how he ended up in the church. He was seeking power, for the people around him forced him to make such a choice. ~I did it!~ Alphonse eximed as soon as he sessfully cast a spell that made him struggle a few days ago. Under that man''s teaching his achievement escted until something suddenly arose. ~What is going on Daneo, you told me if I drink this every day my mana would rise up but this past few days I can''t seem to control my mana~ ~Worry not my friend, it''s because the effects of the potion are fading. You must take an even more powerful dosage~ ~Then where it is? Did you bring some? I will buy everything~ The young mage eagerly said as he remembered making a promise to Alger. {I should be able to get more missions with him if I continue like this} he thought so making me sad. You won''t be able to do that, because you will betray him soon. ~Young one those potent potions are only essible amongst us believers, so if you want them you must join us~ Alphonse felt conflicted since he knew the abnormalities the other believers do these days, adding the fact that they are also the suspects they need to investigate about the recent attacks. ~They might even be the people I encountered before~ he said weakly but the temptation of new strength made him ignore the suspicion he had. And so from that day on he became addicted towards the mysterious potion that momentarily increased his power. He fell into the enemy''s hands and could no longer escape as soon as the war started. More memories came in and even their recent movements and reaction when they found out the Monastery''s downfall. They began erasing traces while a sudden message from a certain ''friend'' made them focus on gathering their strength. They began recruiting new members and buying more equipment to protect and defend themselves. "No wonder I can''t find anything they even erase an entire country''s memories just to hide they even visited it" However there was a single problem, the location of the hideout was unknown even to Alphonse. He was only staying with the rest of the team inside small bases that were shattered across the continent. They were out there to act as spies and limbs to move ording to the church''s desires. Orders from above are only being sent via magical beast messenger. That too would change whenever amand was given. Sometimes it would be a person but either it was a puppet or just a random man they brainwashed to obey. Alphonse was only someone from the outside, a pawn they could move whenever they wanted. The memory ended and I woke up with Joven waiting for me. Then we travelled the dungeon and I ended up talking with grandpa after the catastrophe I caused. While we talked I wanted to tell him about the oath and Alphonse''s memories but in the end, I didn''t. "He would see them anyway once he checks Alphonse''s soul, as for the oath I think grandpa knows about it too" I thought as I went back to my room inside the Academy. [Then we should do the other ns you have] "Yup no choice" I said, preparing the data I currently have to begin my research about artifacts. If I could use them and extract the energy signature they have I could create a tracer that could trace anyone who has an artifact. And so I began to take out the artifacts. While the other me went on to gather some essence that can be used for stat points. Once I upgraded the system I could scan the entire continent while trespassing some defensive measures. The authorities would be a good help as well so I should not forget about upgrading them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Then I started pulling the items I got from the dungeon including a ring that can control demonic beast. "I think this will be good on my demon form," I thought so while a unique weapon attracted my attention. It was a sleek object made with a metallic material while cylindrical in design. Then I proceed to touch it to get a better feel on this weird weapon. It actually has a grip section. It''s a bit textured and ridges to ensure a firm hold. That''s when I realized it was a hilt. Since the handle felt good on the hand and seemed built for assisting swings. "How am I supposed to use this?" I said feeling confused. How can a hilt help me? Or should I perhaps put a de in it instead? "Jeremiah can you show me its description" [I will Creator] While I waited I suddenly saw something in the body of this artifact. At the side of the hilt was a button or switch simr to when you want to turn on and off the lights. Then in the middle section, there seems to be aponent that stores energy since I can feel it. Then at the top, there is a circr hollow space that seems connected to the energy source. "Let''s see" I curiously pushed the button as soon as I did, the energy stored inside the hilt began to intensify until a de sprung out of it. "What the hell" I said feeling a bit surprised since a light forced out of the sword''s hilt. [Creator please read this before you hurt yourself] Jeremiah told me and I didn''t realise the artifact''s information was already in front of me. It seems I was too focused I did not realise it. [Item name: Light sword Origin: A weapon crafted from a disregarded hilt made by a famous smith. Through the dungeon''s creation, the weapon was transformed and became one with a powerful firestone. This causes a powerful light-cutting de to be created. Usage: It is extremely sharp and can cut anything due to the high temperature caused by the firestone. Besides causing burns it could melt anything as well as cut enemies. The de has to be used only ten hours a day since the energy would be fully used and needs five hours to be fully charged. The hilt overheats and must cool down before being used again. Warning this item may cut its wielder! Be wary!] "Oh" I almost felt weak since I didn''t know I almost killed myself when I put the emitter right in front of my face. "What could have happened if I identally pushed the button" [The barriers would activate saving your life in the process] I breathe a sigh of relief before continuing my inspection. "Hopefully I don''t identally hurt myself" [Just let me help you, Creator] "Okay, thank you" . . . At the same time, multiple Apollo are venturing the continent some searching for clues while some are umting stat points. One of them went to a ce hidden and secretly built by a corrupt marquis in the south of the empire. This ce was called the dark coliseum where finalists are subjected to fight to death. Since this ce has numerous deaths every day, Apollo decides to visit the ce and get as many stat points as possible. Then another Apollo joined a subjugation army and went on to suppress demons who were corrupting a forest at the east of the empire. The more deaths pile up the more strength he receives until it is enough to upgrade the system and the skills he has. "Now then this is one of the ces in the diary and the memory of Alphonse" The boy said as he arrived at an ind far from the maind. "Since I got an upgrade I might as well use it" Chapter 217 Having many bodies is convenient In the south of the empire, the kingdom of Avarice which shelters a certain marquis that held excessive amounts of wealth due to his certain business. "Whoahhhh!" "Go kill them!" "What are you waiting for!" Roars of cheers echo through the hidden city, banners are hung on the streets and words of boosting can be heard mixed with the ongoing chaos, the source of the extravagant attraction was none other than the grand structure inside the city, the dark coliseum. Inside the said ce was a vast area built to amodate a huge crowd of people. It was magnificent in size though within its halls cast a shadow by the grim scene it hosts. The high stone walls are now eerie and stained, and the arena floor is slick with a dark, hardenedyer of blood. The air is thick with the metallic scent of iron and blood, while each scratch on the walls echoes past violence. As if they are haunting the battleground that causes their life. The seats are filled with spectators, excited as the ughter begins. Each match is etched with grotesque oues and blood stters from countless spectators who continue to roar for bloodshed. The sun beats down harshly, casting a stark light on the gruesome remnants of battles fought in this ruthless arena. However before the finalist could even reach the floors of the arena, they were first selected through another death match called the dungeon death royale. All participants will be put in different cells inside a huge dungeon, and to advance to the next quarter of the event they must kill everyone who was imprisoned with them. Thest remaining person in each cell will be the one to fight for the main event held inside the arena, and if they are lucky, win the overwhelming prize money and live luxuriously. Apollo who only came to gather essence and get some cash from the bets satfortably on his seat. His eyesnded on the girl who fiercely fought her opponent. "She might lose," he said while his hood hid his face. The young mage''s current appearance is way different from his original look. Now besides the difference in height, his hair is coloured golden blonde while his eyes had a shade of light blue to indigo. [Why do you look worried?] Apollo knows all the deaths that happened here weekly, so if he stays inside this city which legally supports killing the residual mana he uses to convert as stat points will increase. [Creator, that girl looks unique] "Yes, I can tell" The young Lionheart could feel a sudden familiarity with the girl yet he doesn''t know what that is. "Is it because of her mana? But it''s not tainted like the ones I saw from the monastery or from the church" [Corrupted but not at the same time, what is she? Her existence is confusing] "I only know a being who can be like this" He said while keeping his eye on the hooded girl. "She is a hybrid between a devil and a human" [Is that why despite her corrupted mana, she doesn''t get rejected?] "Yes and devils are humans as well just mutated into this new form" Apollo continued watching until this girl was able to win against her opponent. "I wonder if I should help," he thought so while reading the girl''s bodynguage. [Something is making her anxious and it seems she keeps looking at a certain ce] "She is looking at Gram" [Gram?] "A man known for human trafficking and very, I think he got someone hostage to make that girl fight" [It must be because she is impressive] Then Apollo stood up from his seat and went to the edge of the audience seat. "I initially n to stay quiet but it seems I would gain more if I move now" [Is that so Creator] Jeremiah seems a bit sceptical over his words but continues to absorb the mana from the deceased. While artificial intelligence continues its duty. Apolloposed a spell in his mind, then he powered it with his mana causing a stir in the surroundings. The sky turns dark and the festive event suddenly stops. And among the people, an enchantment echoes. It was an ancient spell, born from the darkness, a ck entity swallowed the entire city.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "I shall curse you all, all who benefitted from the death of the people below, those who are greedy for wealth shall die while the victims shall live. All who created this dreadful ce will die" His voice could be heard to each person''s ears causing an eerie feeling to them. "I will curse all who protected this ce and let them run to kill more innocents" Apollo''s voice went on without stopping and as he continued the enchantment the people of the marquis began to search for the mage who was casting such a malevolent spell. They aren''t stupid to realize that someone is trying to kill them. "So what is happening Why can''t we leave!" The marquis shouted at his aide however the man had no idea how to get out of the city since a horrific barrier had blocked every passage outside the city. "My lord there is really nothing we can do even the artifact we have right now is proving useless" "How is it even possible!" the marquis shouted again while grabbing the cor of his aide. "It''s possible that an even more powerful artifact cancels the one we have, my lord we must kill the mage who is currently casting this spell, if he seeds in finishing the spell none of us will survive," the knightmander of the marquis said while ordering his men to search the entire city. However, as the chanting continued the more the words became unfamiliar making the atmosphere even more eerie. "It''s an ancient spell, cut it off immediately!" The highest level mage inside the city said while doing a counter enchantment to halt the process of the spell. However, even when he and the rest of the remaining mages join forces to halt the spell the voice continues to speak as if it was a raging tsunami. "Damn it find the caster!" The joyous event was filled with screams and shouts, and even the lowest member of the marquis''s servants began to feel their breath tighten. They began gasping for air as if they were fish caught out of the water. The surroundings were enveloped in a gloomy and eerie atmosphere and above this city was a magical circle that covered the entire area. "You! Stop this!" stated a woman whose appearance is hidden by the hood of her cloak. "Hmmm?" the person she is trying to speak to looks amused and instead of answering her his eyes scan her body from head to toe. That man was the cause of chaos, the caster of the spell, Apollo whose appearance is still hidden by a veil of disguise. "To think someone will actually find me" "You, stop this!" she spoke again while blocking the path of the man in front of her. "Interesting... You might actually be useful" He said so while his eyes softened as he gazed at the woman''s face. "I thought you were a girl, but I was wrong you are a fearsome woman" He said yfully while dodging her ming de. [Creator she has a prime element!] "Jeremiah I think it will be more appropriate to say she is loved by the element of fire" He answers while dodging more strikes from the woman. "Jeremiah controls my body for a bit I need to continue the spell" [Affirmative!] A sudden change transpired in his body as the system and Jeremiah bound the skilled Master Weaponist and Master fighter to equip his movements with efficiency and sharpness. While the body is controlled and fighting on its own, Apollo continues casting the spell until the magic circle above the city begins descending. The pressure then esctes until a weak tremor shakes the entire hidden city. "What is happening!" the mysterious woman in front of Apollo said while the people surrounding them began dying, one after the other. This scenario causes panic among people who are not affected by the spell. "What kind of curse is this!" Someone eximed while weakly falling to their knees. The spell Apollo cast didn''t recklessly kill but instead, it only targeted the people who greedily use the coliseum. Those who were only working for survival won''t die instead they will receive blessings. "What is going on?" Apollo couldn''t help but smirk as he saw how her expression was too surprised to attack him again. "You need money right?" Apollo said while walking towards her, as hees close he leaned to level himself to her height, then mischievously he began to speak right next to her ears "I would like to offer you a deal" His voice was no longer eerie and murderous instead it was sweet and persuasive. Chapter 218 Having many bodies is convenient Part. II Apollo''s offer stems from the knowledge that the church is currently in the process of recruiting new believers. Their usual targets are those in need of something, it might be power or wealth as long as the desires are strong they will use it to control their target. "If I can use her as a spy then I could gain even more information about theirir and perhaps even their connection towards Nero" He thought so however his suspicious action caused the woman to be cautious. "Why do I even need to hear you out" Her words weren''t exactly as the one Apollo thought of but it wasn''t enough to make the mage give up. After all, it was rare to see someone as capable as her at the same time manageable to offer a transaction. Apollo thought she would ept seeing how desperate she was fighting a while ago. "I want to offer you a dangerous job but the paycheck is enough for your entire lifetime" He first offers to use money while keenly observing her facial expression. "Hmmm... it seems money wasn''t what she needed" he could conclude seeing how his words made it seem like he was insulting her using his wealth. "I have no wish to be a ve of someone, and I never here because I need money" "I can tell because my spell didn''t kill you" "You!" Apollo''s remark made the already vigntdy even more cautious of him. [You are really bad at this] "Can''t be helped I am better at physically tormenting others than hitting transactions" A sigh can be heard inside Apollo''s consciousness reflecting Jeremiah''s frustration. "It seems you are developing emotions" [And whose fault do you think it is? Every time a certain someone loses himself his unchecked emotions would go everywhere and end up attaching to me] His words were a bit sarcastic while Apollo could imagine a nagging boy who looked exactly like him. While this random exchange transpired only a couple of seconds went by in real time. "I apologize if my words are a bit rude but I am genuinely interested in hiring you, I can offer you anything as long as you are willing to take the job" Apollo tried to sound convincing but his offer sounded even more suspicious. Jeremiah decided to watch not wanting to help his Creator. "Why do you wish to hire me?" "You are strong and the fact you didn''t die from my spell speaks that your character is not rotten" "And why do I have to ept this? Surely there are plenty of people who can help you" "That is true but seeing how you moved a while ago and your character, you are the perfect person" "You aren''t fooling anyone with that kind of words" "Man you are too hard to convince...alright how about an oath?" He suggested giving his final trump card. "I don''t need such a thing" she refuses again while retreating vigntly. The woman was determined to decline and sensing the person who offered her a deal did not emit any ill intentions or force things, she knew it was alright to leave things as it is. "You sure? I can give you anything, from wealth to medicine" He said while watching her retreat away from him. However, the woman was adamant not to get involved with him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om [If I were her I would do the same] "You would?" [Of course, who would trust a man who massacred an under city] "I didn''t kill everyone I left some alive" [Yes but if it was you would you randomly ept some offer from a man who didn''t bat an eye in killing hundreds of people] Apollo went silent but at the same time felt like the woman''s talent was wasted. "I should have approached her differently," he said as he walked away. The previous festive atmosphere was turned into a deadly silence that can leave anyone deaf. The streets and even the most hidden parts of the city are filled with dead bodies. However, Apollo didn''t care for he had seen the brutal reality of this city. Rape, murder and even human trafficking were repeatedly being conducted here. It amassed wealth but at the expense of the lives of themon folk. Even when cheers soar high every day it couldn''t mask the screams of pain from the injustice of those who were forced to work there. Apollo didn''t blindly kill, he had a reason for it, he also hoped that the people held captive inside the basement of the marquis''s manor would be free. "That woman and the other survivors are heading there right?" [Yes, it seems your previous hypothesis that someone close to her being hostage is true] "It''s a waste we can''t strike a deal with her" [Indeed but you can just find another candidate, Someone who has a massive desire for power or even wealth] "I need a desperate person, one that can leave anything for the benefit he or she could gain" Apollo calmly left the arena quite disappointed that he couldn''t see anyone from the church. He thought since this ce held a considerable amount ofpetent people they would start recruiting here but it seems he was wrong. "Well I did get a massive amount of essence I should just wait until the subjugation started" He said to Jeremiah while heading towards a certain shabby area of the city. "This is the ce right?" [Yes Creator] A grin began to appear on his lips as he kicked the door of an almost copsed cabin. "I can''t sense anything here" [It''s because an artifact is in effect, I was about to locate this ce since one of the items we took from the dungeon is reacting to this ce] "Is that so you should have told me then" Apollo then wrecked the area using his magic until he found a hidden path under the floor of the cabin. dly Apollo went inside while destroying every trap that he purposely triggered. After a few turns and destruction, he finally found the ce which Jeremiah is referring to. "Wow" He couldn''t help but exim as he gazed at a core that was being protected by a powerful defensive artifact. Apollo didn''t seem fazed and took out the sword of light in his inventory. "Now then let''s test this stick" He grips the obsidian color handle and smoothly clicks the button. A buzzing sound was heard along with a heat that turned into a fierce de. Holding it Apollo''s eyes were filled with lines that seemed to tell him to follow it. "To think this weapon has this kind of skill, interesting" A single swing followed a line that quickly cracked not only the barrier but also the artifact that produced it. "Opps that was the wrong line" Apollo said feeling like he wasted a good defensive artifact. Nevertheless, if his de could break it easily it might mean it was taken from a low-ranking dungeon. s, he was able to reach the core whose size is as big as a child''s head. A magical beast core that represents the element of wind with its green color. On its very center, a shadow could be seen representing the beast who once owned it. "Hmm.... I can''t identify this beast, what the hell is this?" [The archive can''t identify it either so it might be an extinct species that is not recorded or this beast came from outside the continent] Apollo felt even more curious so he ordered "Absorb this core" [Affirmative] A blinding light exploded from the core taking Apollo off guard. "What the!" he exims while his eyes are shielded by a thin barrier Jeremiah provided. After the light seized Apollo felt conflicted as he saw the result of the absorption. "Well that was unexpected" he said so though it seemed he ain''t able to test it yet sensing someone was waiting for him above. "I wonder if this will benefit," he said so as he made a gesture to suck all the remaining treasures inside the underground vault. "What brings you here, miss?" Apollo immediately said as soon as he arrived in front of his guest. That guest was the same woman he offered a job though this time something changed in her. "You said you will give anything right!" Apollo was suddenly taken aback as soon as she spoke like that so all he could do was nod. "I will do it just....just save my sister!" "Sister?" Apollo looked around her only to see a small child strapped by a ragged cloth on her back. "Show me you can save her and I will do anything!" She added, though her words made Apollo smirked as he saw her desperation. "This kind of eye will definitely lead me to them" He told himself while extending his right hand."I will dly offer my services as long as the youngdy epts my offer" His voice was coercive while his simple gesture was enough to make the woman believe him. Chapter 219 Striking a deal "My name is Sun" "I don''t really need that since I know it''s fake" "I think your answer should be your name right? You don''t want to address each using hey or you, right?" "Fine, call me Avis" The woman''s brutal remarks left the Apollo speechless, even when he tried to act kindly she would immediately do something to rebuke him. "She is feisty and fierce" [It''s because she is already taking a high gamble talking to you so you have to understand her] Jeremiah reasoned though Apollo''s attention suddenly shifted to the umting crowd behind the woman. "That is one hell of a party" he mumbled though he noticed that their gazes were pinned on him. "That is not looking good" he could read their eyes and could tell because of his actions they view him as a hero. "Sir thank you" One of the seemingly looking ves said while his body was weakly leaning on his brother''s shoulder. "Thank you for saving us" "We know what you did!" "Thank you not only did you kill the marquis you also broke every lock in his manor" Apollo never expected to hear gratitude from strangers he had safe, he thought that they would fear him instead of feeling thankful for what he did. "There is nothing for you to thank you, you may go back to your homes" Apollo said urging them to go on their way. His words made all the people look at each other. "Sir, if it wasn''t too much can you help us onest time" One of the older prisoners said though it seems he was a bit afraid to speak. "We are actually residents of distant viges here in Avarice, one day the people of the marquis came and started kidnapping everyone. He took everyone from the young to the elderly. Children, women and the old were sold into very, while those with good builds were put on a fight in the arena" "Sir, we don''t have a ce to stay, we no longer have homes, and we can''t ask for the king''s help since he assists the marquis in expanding his business" "Yes...that''s true! We saw him before....he was walking through our cages as if we were some animals he likes to buy!" "Mister mage if it isn''t too much can we ask you to help us, at least we want to report this to the emperor" "Right we took everything from the manor, we have solid evidence against him and his family" They said in determination making Apollo surprised. "Miss Avis" "Yes" "Our transaction will talkter and as for your sister I have taken care of her though it is only temporary" "I know I felt your power when you saved my sister" Avis replied while looking at her soundly sleeping sister. After hearing those words Apollo returned his attention back to the crowd. "I will take you all to the capital" His words gain happiness and hope in the people, some even cry and continue thanking Apollo. The boy dly receives their gratitude while telling them to calm down. "By the way good sir how do travel, the capital is far from here and the king will surely block all the kingdom''s exits" "Ah that you all don''t need to worry" He said then he flicked his finger and a magic circle emerged in the sky. This magical sphere released a huge ship that left everyone surprised. Eve Avis waster dumbfounded as the aerial ship slowlynded right beside them. "We will use this to go to the capital" Apollo casually said that none of the people present were able to respond to him due to the overwhelming feeling they just experienced. Some time after they boarded the ship Apollo and Avis began to talk. "So why did you suddenly decide to ept my offer?" Apollo curiously asked, immediately Avis replied though her voice was oozing with malice. "I used to be a mercenary working on a fairly recognised guild, however, the king suddenly banned our permit to work and took every single one of us to prison" She said narrating her story from the beginning making Apollo surprised since he only asked why she changed her mind. Nevertheless, she continues speaking. "Then the marquis came and told us to fight in order to be free. I declined and tried to flee but they caught me, even so, I didn''t obey them until they showed me my sister covered with blood from my aunty. They massacred my family and forced me to fight. It was thanks to you that I was able to save myself and myst remaining family. However, I didn''t know that damn marquis put something on my sister to make her sick" Avis strongly clenched her fist showing how much hatred she still harbor. "It seems the marquis was sure that you would win, so he poisoned your sister to make you keep working for him" Apollo could conclude while Avis only nodded at his words. "You killed the marquis so I have no idea how to cure my sister, I also didn''t find anything that might save her. And for some reason, I felt you were the only one that could help me" Apollo felt like there was more to it but didn''t dare to pry. "Alright let''s do this, let''s make a contract" A deal was forged while a n was created in order to draw the people from the church. Apollo has a rough idea where the recruitment could take ce so all he needs to do is take advantage of it. At the same time, the other Apollo had been fighting in the eastern part of the continent. He had joined the subjugation army in order to eliminate a horde of demonic beasts that already devoured a massive area of a forest. Many magical beasts were either corrupted or eaten by the demons and even the trees andnd were drained of life. "Jeremiah tell me how much you need for the system and skill upgrade" [Creator we at least need stat points scaling up to 700,000] "Ugh, just how long do I have to kill" [Patience Creator we will get there] A sigh escaped from his lips while lifting his de to kill. In the span of weeks, this event happened to seven more Apollo, they either searched the area for any trace or tried to be bait to be a new recruit. Finally, he was able to gather the needed points and upgrade the system and also his skills. So as he divided the workload among his multiple bodies, he then started using his authority to see the time when the meet-up between the bishops and members of the revolutionary church happened. "Alright let''s do this" Apollo dered as he prepared an ancient spell to assist him to control the authority. "Jeremiah make sure to lock the space using the authority of space, we can''t let anyone disturb or even spy on me" [On it Creator] This Apollo''s current location is a forest. Strangely the ce was bathed in the soft light of the setting sun, the golden rays slowly touched the boy''s body as ifforting him. The leaves rustled gently in the breeze, and the air was filled with the scent of pine and earth. It seemed like this ce was uniquely made for a gathering spot. Apollo drew his breath and within the quiet forest everything seemed to stand still, his eyes closed as he concentrated. "Jeremiah" [Yes Creator!] A spell came to his mind then an incantation flowed out of his lips as the authority swallowed the area. As the magic and authority took hold, the forest around him began to waver and blur. The vibrant greens and earthy browns of the present day melted away, reced by the grey tones of an earlier time. The scene solidified, revealing the forest as it had been months ago.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Apollo remained calm and manipted the authority to do his bidding. As the scene solidified his eyes stared at the scene before him. The once-empty forest was now bustling with activity. A small group of figures came, their clothing reflecting their identity not to be noticed. They were gathered around a stone altar at the center of the forest. Apollo never anticipated there was an altar there, though it seemed that this altar was used to hide their identity and anything that would transpire there. The scene continues to unfold and Apollo observes in silence. The details of the meeting became clearer as he focused. The figures, their serious face and intent, Apollo heard their voices rising and falling in excitement, their topic is how they will take the five children of Gods, Apollo''s friends. Their happy chattering made the boy angry but still, he continued to listen. The meetingsted only a few hours before the figures began to disperse, leaving the altar surrounded by an aura of vignce. It seems they want to keep things as hidden as possible. Apollo watched as thest of them departed, the scene gradually fading back to the present as the magic of his spell began to weaken. Chapter 220 A flower among the snow As of now, Apollo has identified ten people who attended that secret meeting. Some however are hiding quite well since they use a puppet to attend the meeting. "They are really cautious, some didn''t even attend personally but instead use puppets and hypnotic spells to control people, and attend for them" Apollo felt amazed at their ways though it didn''t really matter. Since he turned back time he was able to acquire their mana signature and could use it to trace them. "The system''s upgrade will definitely help me" He said so until the power of the authority helped him get an urate reading of the mana signature. "Right this should do it" He said while cancelling the power of the authority and his spell. "Hoo..." he breathes while his body releases the tension that umted from using both an authority and a forbidden spell" [You are improving, and with our upgrade now the authority of time can save you from dying from using that forbidden spell] "Yeah, I''m d we gathered enough stat points for the upgrade" Apollo felt relieved though something still bothered him. "Jillian hasn''t contacted me, I wonder if she seeded in finding what I asked her to find" Right after the trouble at the eastern kingdoms, Apollo asked her to check on something for him. So under the pretext of being sick Jillian with Keith''s father went on to do what Apollo asked. [Are you certain this is right? I reckon that we could have done the search] "We could but we aren''t the same as the people of the north, they basically know the ins and outs of the ce, and that is something we can''t replicate no matter how much data we devoured. We can copy techniques and increase talent but we can''t do those things with experience. That thing takes time and not some knowledge we can take" Apollo told him as he exited the forest and proceeded to travel towards the second coldest ce on the continent, the outer ice shelf, the ce where Keith and Jillian used to live. . . . "Child, are you sure you can still go on?" Lothar, Keith''s father asked as they ventured to the white and icy field. "I am okay chief, however, what we need to do is report this to Apollo" "Indeed let''s go back to our cabin first, then we can write a report that we will send to him" Jillian nodded until their tracks stopped when a sudden gust of cold wind hit them. The girl felt confused then she began to look around only to see the usual thing she saw every day. It was a serene, snow-coveredndscape, nketed by white stretches of ice as far as the eye could see. Tall, frosted trees sway gently in the raging wind, their branches covered in snow. The air is cold and carries a sharp cutting chill, it prates through even the thickestyers of clothing. Jillian felt frustrated since she never felt cold ever since she was little. Then amidst this tranquil yet harsh environment, a solitary figure emerges from behind a cluster of trees. Lothar immediately shielded Jillian to protect her, and since the monastery is gone the order of the Gods to temporarily seal their blessings has been removed. He could now use the authority that he had received from his ancestor God. The figure began to move though it was partially obscured by the swirling snowkes and the shadowy haze created by the wind. The presence it gives was almost ghostly, standing out starkly against the white, unblemished snow. The cold wind seems to swirl around them, adding an eerie sense of istion and mystery to the scene. This ambience made the chief of Frostfang show his sword. "Reveal yourself!" Lothar shouted while a de made by Apollo rested on his rough hands. "It seems the weapon I gave the chief is being used effectively" A voice began to be heard and immediately upon hearing it the two realized who it was. "Apollo!" Jillian eximed as she came forward to wee her ssmate. "Yo!" a carefree voice said though he wasn''t the only one who came. "Son!" Lothar said, d that he could see his son. "Father how are you" Keith calmly stated while bringing a basket filled with food with him. "Better than ever my boy!" he replied while spreading his arms to embrace his son. Apollo watches their warm reunion while the zing snow hits them. "We should go to the cabin because for some reason the snow is getting thicker" Lothar suggested though Apollo could tell there was more to it. "It seems the magical beast here is getting active" [It''s probably because of their mating season ising] "Indeed, then we should be prepared after all ice magical beasts tend to get violent when ites to matingpetition" The two converse while venturing the harsh snowynd. They were still outside the north''s gigantic ice shelves that served as a wall and boundary between the high-ranking magical beast and humans. The frozen coast along the freezing water was one of the reasons the other side was unreachable.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "I wonder how on earth the monastery set up their base in there" Apollo began to think because the other side of the shelf was filled with powerful magical beasts that even the empire didn''t want to anger. "I should have taken a proper look at the surroundings of each monastery temple, not just at the temple itself. I was too focused on them that I didn''t feel suspicious about how they were able to build their hideouts in such ridiculous ces" [Most of the temples are found in unexpected ces or territories of high-ranking beasts] Apollo can''t help but sigh attracting his friend''s attention. "Is there something bothering you?" Jillian asked seeing his expression. Knowing she was worrying Apollo answered her. "I just didn''t notice how the known extinct religious group called the revolutionary church was always behind the monastery''s back. They might actually be coborating from the very start" "I believe the monastery is the by-product of the revolutionary church" Keith shares his opinion while his father opens the door of the cabin. "I think that the monastery was only created to bury and make the people forget the existence of the church" Apollo realized knowing even when it was dered that the church lost in the War of Faith rumors about their survival still persist. "So in the end was it all to cover the church?" Apollo now felt confused but decided to bury everything since it didn''t really matter to him. "In the end, I have to eliminate them" he concluded as he entered the warm cabin. . . . "So did you guys seed?" after they settled inside the cabin and ate a bit Apollo began to inquire about his objective. Right after finding out the roots of the world tree and its rtionship to the church Apollo remembers a specific nt that has the force to freeze everything including mana. He was able to discover this info when he plundered the ancient books found in the dungeon where he found Lothar. He was able to find this information in one of the oldest books which also contained the oldestnguage. Apollo thought that if he could get his hands on the said flower, then he might be able to recreate or replicate its effects to freeze mana, or if he could he might even freeze life. "About that" Jillian felt a bit worried but still presented the thing they had discovered. "We have found the flower you have mentioned, however..." She felt conflicted as she spoke while putting down a ck cylindrical object right on top of the table. Then Jillian tapped a button making the thing on the table open. "Whoah" Apollo can''t help but exim as he was hit by a sudden freezing energy. [That is one chilly energy] Jeremiah gave his remarks before putting up some defenses to protect Apollo from the cold energy. "So as you can see the flower is way too weak to be considered to be the flower from the information you gave us" Jillian said while looking a bit disappointed. However, her words were something Apollo didn''t expect. "You mean this is weak?" He asked just to be clear and innocently his friend only answered "Yes it is weak" That statement made the boy even more chilly. The flower''s mere presence was enough for the system to put out its defences to protect him yet it was still deemed weak. "Wait" Apollo suddenly noticed something and he immediately looked at the three people with him. "None of you looked cold" he mumbled as he observed that despite the cold energy being released by the flower none of the three people with him seemed bothered. "Apollo? You okay?" Keith asked seeing his expression lookedplicated. "No, I am okay" the young mage just replied while shaking his head. Truly it wasn''t a mistake to let these people handle this task. "Nevermind that Jillian exined to me why this is considered weird" Chapter 221 A flower Once upon a time Gods came to Bunag and unexpectedly fell in love with mortals. One such god fell in love with a mere lumberjack. She cherished the mortal despite its humble background however time wasn''t on their side. Mortals have a very limited time which the Gods felt pain for. The goddess known for her beauty and grace felt despair over the lumberjack''s death. She sired children from him however it wasn''t enough to stop her grief. As she fell in pain her heart turned cold until it covered thend with snow. The snowynds that used to be found only in the north extend due to the grief of the Goddess. Knowing the chaos she had done and how the snow began to fill the world she decided to seal the cold energy she had spread. Using the flower she first received from the lumberjack, she began to seal the ice. The deep-rooted snow that swallowed the world waster devoured and sealed inside a flower. The world then returns to normal and the sun warms thend once again. The flower waster known as the Azure Frost Lotus. A flower that once warms the heart of the goddess however now it is filled with chilling ambience. Apollo looked at the flower as he recalled its said background. "So this is weak?" he thought as he scanned each feature it had. The petals boast a striking deep shade of blue. Each petal features an intricate set of patterns that resemble delicate frost crystals or the patterns of snowkes. These patterns are etched with a subtle glister, creating a mesmerizing effect as the light touches it. If you look closely enough you will also realize how the designs shift gently, the patterns are moving making Apollo take a closer look at the flower. Thebination of vibrant blue and moving patterns made the magical quality of the flower even more ethereal. "The flower is actually quite young Apollo" Jillian said quite amused at her friend''s reaction to the flower. "Young?" "Ah, yes it is young, I reckon when I was kid legends about the flower were rampant on ournd" This time it was Lothar who spoke. "The information you gave us actually has a small missing information. It didn''t say anything about the flower''s maturity. The original flower which the goddess used gave birth to countless offspring, though it was weaker than the original, I believe it will still be good for your research. The flower is quite young since it hasn''t absorbed enough frost yet so its power is way weaker than it should be"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Lothar''s exnation made Apollo understand everything so now here is the question. Will the young flower be able to satisfy Apollo''s research or must he look for an older one? "Have you looked into other areas?" "We did Apollo but the azure lotus are extremely rare so it is almost impossible to look for another one" "I see" Apollo began to contemte since he could use the power of time to elerate its growth but he didn''t know if such a thing could be good or bad for the nt. "Simply making it old will be enough to bring its power, it must absorb enough frost to ensure its stable growth" he thought so. "Perhaps if I venture the other side of the shelf, I might be able to spot another lotus" "What!" The three children were taken aback by Lothar''s words and the first to react was Keith. "Father that ce is too dangerous!" "Son I am a child of God and my power stems from them. I will not be harmed believe me" "Father, not even our blessings were able to save us when the monastery attacked, how can you be sure you will be fine when the other side of the shelves might contain magical beasts beyond your capacity? What is even worse is that you might meet creatures on our enemy''s side" he reasoned while Apollo and Jillian agreed to him. "We can''t be certain what the other side holds so it is best we stay on the grounds we are used to" Apollo said to him. "But we can''t achieve anything if we can''t take a risk" "Father" Keith looked stern while his voice was bing deeper as he spoke against his father''s wishes. "Sir Lothar listen to your side please, you are the only one he has left" Apollo''s words were like a sharp de that wound the heart of Keith''s father. "Chief please listen to Keith, beside Apollo can definitely think of a solution, right Apollo" "Of course, Jillian, I already know what to do and sir Lothar doesn''t need to do something dangerous" "See, so leave everything to him, so Apollo what do you n to do?" "Simple I will go to the other side instead of sir Lothar" "Eh?" "What!" "Hahaha" Jillian became baffled, Keith was exasperated while Lothar onlyughed liking the boy''s daring attitude. "I will go with you Apollo, you don''t know the ways to the snow you might get yourself in trouble. Then you two will return to the academy" "But father" "Chief!" "No more buts, it''s been decided me and you friend will travel to the inner shelf while you focus on your studies" "But Apollo is our ssmate" Keith tried to argue. "And do the two of you have multiple bodies? No, just one so just ept what I said" Lothar fired back and made his son shut his mouth. "Young Lionheart, will it be alright if I tag along?" When Lothar asked that both Jillian and Keith looked at him as if telling him to say no. This created pressure that made Apollo confused about what to say. "O-of course...sir Lother I would be d to be guided by you" In the end, he chose to go the opposite of what his friends wanted making them look at him angrily. "Sorry it''s just I need a person who is familiar with this ce" he thought while giving the two his best apologetic face. At the same time at the Academy, even after a week, the buzz brought by a Zenith rank dungeon was still a hot topic. All sorts of stories came by one of them was the prince''s men securing a stable amount of treasures and artifacts for their faction. The fame he has now is far better than the first start of the school year. However opposite to him was the situation of Eros. The heir of the lions has no one to back him up even when he is doing good things to improve his image. The mud his friend had made was too sticky that it couldn''t be removed by a simple washing. "Teacher howe it didn''t work!" {Don''t worry my dear student, another opportunity will present itself please just calm down} A voice rang out from the other side of themunication device though his messages weren''t able to calm the worrying heart of Eros. "I am sorry for acting like this teacher, even when you had sent you other students I still failed to clean up my image. I think you are right another opportunity will definitely arise" Eros remains positive while holding themunication tool in his hand. "Teacher" {Yes?} "Thank you" {My dear child there is no need to thank me} A smile emerged on Eros''s face before sharing his new n to recover his still dirtied reputation. Unbeknownst to him the culprit of his misfortune and the reason why he could recover no matter how many times he tries to get back, calmly sips tea given by his friends. Every time his brother came up with something that would view him in a better light, it would suddenly backfire on him. He was miserable but did not lose hope though he didn''t know that there was someone behind, his younger brother. "Apollo for some reason you look a bit happy" Arabe noticed while giving him another serving of cheesecake. "Don''t bother with him Arately has been looking like a lunatic, sometimes he looks stressed but give him a few hours and he will be all smiles" Mckenzie said while dumping a chunk of cake on his mouth. "Mckenzie I know you are like this since you are still being bothered by our professor" "Yeah! And why the hell do you look so unbothered by it!" He retorted while taking another serving of cake. "Well, truth be told even I felt a bit annoyed about how they repeatedly nag us about the clubs" Alicia unexpectedly said gaining Apollo''s attention. "What? You seem surprised Apollo" "I thought you of all people won''t mind their nagging" "I have my own limitation and currently reaching it" [Well they have been hearing the same thing again and again this past few days so of course they will feel annoyed] Jeremiah said to Apollo since he was the only one who didn''t seem to be affected. "Alright since we have a problem with clubs we should look for a solution" "Apollo I don''t wanna join clubs" ir immediately said before his friend could even say which club they should be joining. "ir when did I say we would join clubs" "What do you mean?" "What else we will make our own obviously" Chapter 222 Club "Apollo I don''t wanna join clubs" ir immediately said before his friend could even say which club they should be joining. "ir when did I say we would join clubs" "What do you mean?" "What else we will make our own obviously Unlike before the students of the lower ss had now befriended the other sses except the Sword ss and High ss. The lower ss hated the stares from those sses, they could feel their hostile gazes so they decided not to get involved in them. The difference between these two sses from the rest doesn''t just step from origin but also to their beliefs. Their view of being above others made their actions aggressive every time students of the other ss outshined them. At first, they never expect anything from the others and any news about them might be rted to mischief. As time goes by that all changes since bit by bit they realize that they aren''t as special as they think. And so every time Apollo and his ssmates would enjoy the bustling environment of the cafeteria, the dagger stares of the High ss would prate them. However somehow despite their criticism and discrimination, there is one undisputed truth they can''t deny. The strongest among them choose the lowest-ranking ss to learn. His mere name was enough to stop any fights that could arise, their fear of him "Elliot have you heard the Lower ss ns to establish their own club!" James another student of the High ss said making his ssmates look at him. "Really? Why are they causing trouble again couldn''t they join any other clubs that have been needing new recruits?" "Yeah speaking of clubs some of them are on the brink of disbandment, they need more members to survive but we can''t really help it since we already join the crown prince''s club" They kept on talking though Caesar didn''t dwell on their topic since Astrid and Odysseus needed to assist him. It was a task to manage a project given by the emperor. That project merely consists of relief operations as well as a budget for territories affected by demon outbreaks. "Your highness I really envy them, they can talk about some nonsensical things yet here we are," Astrid said weakly while her eyes had small dark circles. "Come now we still need to submit this let''s go" Caesar ordered and five sluggish steps followed behind him. While they head towards the senior section Caesar begins to think about the issues that currently plunged the empire. "The dungeon, the outbreaks and..." he suddenly felt a headache knowing thest one made so many headlines that his brother Titus was forced to be deployed. "The Massacre of Avarice" he said remembering the photos of hundreds of corpsesid out in a hidden city. Not all that but almost half of the royals and aristocrats of the said kingdom faced the same fate as the one in the hidden city. "Just what kind of thing killed them" he began to think but no spell came to his mind and no physical wounds were present at the victim''s bodies. "In the end, my brother will be the one who will investigate this incident hopefully he will seed," he thought so until his silhouette entered the dormitory. While the entire continent faces countless dilemmas from a dungeon to a massacre, the centre of it all and the one who mostly causes the problem has been humming calmly at the administration office. "You want to establish a club?" "Yes mam, from what I read from the rule book no year level was required to make your own club, as long as the requirement number is achieved a club can be made" Alicia''s reason because she was forced to take on the role despite it being Apollo''s n. "May ask how many students n to join?" Alicia then looked at the people behind her and the registry officer was surprised to see four freshmen sses gathered in front of her. "They are the ones that want to join" Alicia simply said while pointing to the crowd. "Ah....right I see let me proceed with the arrangements!" And so that day the freshmen students who refused to join the clubs led by the seniors made their club. It became a buzz but after a few days, it all settled down. Then in ss, their professor Alejo gave his new lesson about Survival lesson 2. "As you may know next week we will have your first practice application. All the lessons I have taught all of you from the first quarter until now will be tested there" Then he flicked his finger and a set of booklets appeared on the student''s desk. "Study what is inside the booklet and prepare the material that is listed, next week you all will stay at the designated ce that will hold your practice application" He stated that afterwards he ended the ss and let his students prepare. For this practical, the students would be applying the lesson they had learned in Survival Lesson 1 and the half of Survival Lesson 2. In this task, all of their knowledge of their past lessons would be put to use. From beastmology to magic and creation. All of them shall be used in this activity. . . . Day of the said practical, students clung to the side of their ss ship as it approached this uninhabited ind. Their professor, Alejo looked stern, unlike his usual expression which caused his students to feel confused. Alejo continues standing at the rear of the boat, constantly casting nces at his watch. "Are we actuallyte?" Casper asked finding it confusing why their professor kept looking at his watch. The sun was only just beginning to set, which painted the water in shades of orange. With the ship nearing the rocky shore, the professor warned them it was time to disembark. Immediately the studentsply. They jumped out of the ship, scurrying out onto the coarse sand, a little plunge at every step of their boots. They had a hard time walking though soon enough they got used to it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The ind was rugged, dotted with dense trees and weird mushrooms. A cluster of tropical birds greeted them with loud, unfamiliar calls. "Your survival test," Alejo announced, cutting through the hum of excitement and fear. "You will have three days here to test your knowledge. Remember this is only a practice don''t be pressured and just make good use of the resources here" With that, he handed each student a small survival kit with the bare essentials: a knife, a flint, sleeping equipment, and a few other bits. "You''re going to need to create shelter, find food, and make fire. I''ll be back in forty-eight hours." The students nervously and at the same time were excited as they looked at each other. The instructor''s boat pulled away, leaving them stranded on this ind, relying on their training and each other. At the same time, the other sses arrived and began to settle on the ind. Samantha, the president and leader of the Combat ss, took charge. "First, let''s see if we can pick out a decent ce to build our shelter," she said. The group marched in the general direction of some trees, but their entry into the thick undergrowth muffled the sounds of their footsteps. They began clearing away an area, sharing theirments with an every-now-and-then thud of a falling branch or rustle of leaves. Darkness started falling when the sun went behind the trees. Marcus, being a less talkative student, began collecting dry twigs and leaves for the fire. He struck the flint to create the ignition, but the sparks fizzled out just before they caught fire. Being new to this his frustration surfaced, but still he continued. The youngd had a hard time controlling his strength causing the flint to almost break. However, as soon as he adjusted and figured out the right force he was able to start a fire. As he finished his task he told his ssmates who were assigned to cook to start cooking. Marcus helps out as well while asionally ncing over at the others, busy constructing their makeshift shelter. The woods and the branches they had gathered allowed them to build by dusk a fairly crude form of shelter. Some of them beganining about hunger, their stomachs growling as they waited for the food to cook. It was fortunate that they were able to catch fish and locate fruits in the area. After a few moments, the students of the Combat ss were able to eat and satisfy their stomachs. The ind itself was in every way beautiful in its istion, it now seemed vast and indifferent. The students huddled together trying to stop the cold air from prating their bodies. Lying beneath the starlit sky, they heard the sounds of the ind: chirping insects, the distant crash of waves, the asional rustle of unseen creatures. The only beginning was the real test of their survival skills. Chapter 223 Survival After the first quarter ended their subject professors introduced new branches of their study. And to test all the lessons they have learned they used one of the practical activities in Survival Lesson 2, as a trial for the students to practice. The ind survival practice will be evaluated based on all the subject lessons, and so the students must execute what they learn during their four-month stay in the academy. The second day of the survival practice inside the ind started with the sun rising from the east. The morning light filters through the leaves of the trees while its warmth creeps down into the misty forest floor. The students had woken up in the separate shelters they had made. As soon as they stretched their limbs and bath in the warm sunlight they couldn''t help but breathe into the cool air misted by their breath. The beauty of nature wees them despite the task they need to aplish. "Morning!" Jillian greeted the boys who sluggishly crawled from their tent. "What is wrong with them?" Arabe wondered seeing how haggard they look like. "Don''t mind them, Ara, those boys went on and yed card games untilte at night" Matilda told her while setting up their food on their makeshift table. "Pick up yourselves and eat we will receive our first missionter from Professor Alejo" she added while all the boys could do was nod their heads. Apollo on the other hand was as fresh as before making the other boys a bit jealous. "Sometimes I would think that Apollo is blessed by a goddess since he always looks unbothered and beautiful" ir mutters while munching the fruits that the girls have found. "Quit it ir I am already jealous of how his skin looks glowing while we look like a pack of undead" Niko grumbles though Apollo doesn''t say anything to them and continues eating. The birds are singing to each other and from each branch of the trees they would fly and chase around the canopy. Their songs merged with the quiet sound of a stream that flows through the air. Then there is the rustle of leaves in the breeze making the morning even more peaceful despite the chaotic appearance of the boys. Alicia stretched and stepped out of her tent, taking a deep breath of fresh, earthy air. The scent it brought gave peace to her troubled mind. As she came out she noticed Apollo''s nk expression. "Something wrong?" she asked as she sat beside him. "It''s strange," he said, then he put down the cup in his hand as he looked at Alicia. "I can''t sense anything here" "What do you mean?" Mckenzie was the first to react attracting the attention of the entire ss. "Alicia" Apollo''s voice was strangely serious while his stare was piercing. "Can you tell me what your senses have picked up" Alicia seeing her friend''s expression couldn''t help but sigh. "Nothing, I can''t sense anything here. Whenever I tried it was as if there was a huge fog that was blocking me" Her words made the entire ss vignt. "Does the academy know about this fact?" Keith asked while trying to control his worried mind. "I think they do" Alicia answered making Apollo look at her. "You think so" "Yes so calm down" However, despite her words, Apollo still didn''t let go of his worries and continued studying the ind. Later after taking their breakfast, their professor came. "Good morning, everyone. As you may all know aside from staying here you will all face special tasks or challenges created by all your subject professors. So today''s challenge will be a test of your mapping and observation skills. You will all need to draw an extremely detailed map of this part of the ind. The map needs to include key features andndmarks. This challenge involves teamwork and careful observation, so cooperate well with your ssmates. The map will serve for future operations, so aim for it to be extremely urate. That is all and good luck my dear students" The ss, ustomed to the ind environment quickly gathered around their gear. They grabbed the supplies brought by their professor and immediately took the notebooks,passes, and measuring tools. Their survival kits were also prepared as they gear up to leave. "Should we divide into groups to quickly finish the map?" Braiden asked while cleaning up their camp. "No, I think it''s best to stick together, we have no idea what this ce holds so it''s best to stick together" Apollo said and everyone immediately agreed with him. Professor Alejo also gave them freedom on how to aplish the task so whether they finish it immediately is up to them. They were not divided into teams, though their movements were fast and efficient since it wasn''t their first time travelling in a forest-like area. While they walked Apollo was still trying to scan the area using the system. "Something is blocking me" he could only think despite pushing the system to its limit. [I suspect this is a work of artifact] "That is something I can''t deny since I can feel the same wave of energy from the artifacts we have and the presence that flows throughout the ind" [Give me a bit more time and I might be able to pinpoint the exact location of the artifact] "Okay, thank you" he replied though his heart didn''t stop beating excessively fast. "I thought that this ind survival practice would at least rx my nerves from all the stress of following the tracks of the church, but instead it made my instinct haywire" "What I hate the most after all is being kept in the dark, and not being in control of everything" he added while controlling his anxiety. "Apollo" said a voice making the boy look at his back, it was Alicia. "Calm down, not everything needs to be under your control" she advised. "Alright, but let me continue scanning the area" "Apollo" her voice became stern while her eyes pierced through Apollo. "If you want to know the topography of this ind then be eager to help us" she just said making Apollo snap from his idiotic thoughts. "Alright, alright," he said in defeat "I will go in the front then" he added as he walked right in front of the ss. Time went by and the ss continued noting notablendmarks, measuring distances, and making use of their observation skills for their task. They advanced with such ease and speed that they looked quite rxed despite all the difort they encountered. The deeper they go into the ind, the more Apollo notices a group of low unnatural growls that surge through the trees. This made the already paranoid boy even more paranoid. "Did someone else hear that?" Niko asked, his voice barely above a whisper. The ss halted, straining their ears to hear. "Growls appeared toe from the thick bush nearby," Alya said while the entire ss was on high alert. Alicia signalled to the group to move cautiously while Apollo stealthily approached the bush. Slowly the boy closes the distance, he moves towards the bush, eyes scanning shadows, and in his hand is a weapon. Growls continued to increase, and a pair of yellow eyes shone forth in the underbrush, Apollo moved as soon as he identified it however the shadow was nimble enough to dodge him. Seeing the mysterious beast jumping out of the bush the other students shared worried nces and ultimately retreated. "Is it a high-ranking beast?" Agnes asked since she could barely see with Niko blocking her. Alicia was standing in front of the groups protecting them from possible dangers then Apollo came chasing a single ck silhouette. The speed of the two was fast and almost made the onlookers dizzy however soon enough Apollo was able to corner the beast. "Is that a.." Alya began to say recognizing the magical beast''s features as it settled down on a huge old tree. It was a sleek magical beast, a predator made out of dark fur and muscles, its eyes shining menacingly in the dappled light. It would seem to be stalking them or simply protecting its territory. The ss pulled out the handbook from their survival kit and flipped the pages, thenpared the creature''s appearance to the illustrations. "It looks like a shadow wildcat," Vesta said. "It''s cute!" Jillian eximed while excitedly clinging to Keith''s clothes. "Should we kill it?" Aaron asked finding the magical beast threatening despite its appearance. "It''s probably just curious or feeling threatened" "So we leave it?" "Yeah shadow wild cats don''t really attack people" The ss then slowly backed up, trying not to disturb the beast. However as they continued to move, they saw signs of a marked territory. They have scratched trees and scattered bones and signs of nesting. "Apollo I think we should not go any further than this" Alicia rmended and Apollo couldn''t help but agree seeing all the signs of a high-ranking beast marking the area as its territory. "We should move now" He ordered but before they could even move a sudden growl brought a chill to everyone''s spine.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Chapter 224 Survival Apollo''s Pov Since my ssmate survived the hunt at the Monastery and has been through countless life-and-death situations, I thought this survival practice would be a piece of cake. I really picture us enjoying the ind and creating fun memories. I badly need that since all the stress of investigating the church made my mind a bit hazy. Or perhaps my spell Clonis had reached its limits after being active for weeks So I thought this would be a vacation of some sort but everything is far from the image I had imagined. This doesn''t give me any kind of peace, all it gives me is stress.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om As soon as I set foot on the sandy shore of the ind. The system''s scanner was blocked while any kind of search or observation spell was being cancelled. The mere thought of not finding anything rted to the ce we are in draws me to worry. So right after entering the ind, I was filled with anxiety that I kept burying inside my heart. Even at night, I tried to get any readings but there was nothing that I could see. When I tried to sneak out and map the ind I was weed by the professors who were patrolling outside. "Apoolllooo" I heard Professor Adolfo''s voice forcing me to return back to the boy''s tent. "Take it easy boy, and just enjoy the ind" the professor added though it didn''t make me feel better. I was still searching and thinking of ways to acquire information about this ind. However, tries as I might it didn''t really work. Whatever type of weapon is being used on this ind is way too powerful to be broken by the system. "Damn it this is so frustrating!" I screamed inside my mind, although it might seem a trivial matter but I have never been in any kind of situation where I don''t know anything. I was always the one stirring things the way I wanted it. The one in control and always one step ahead of everybody. [Havent I told you to remove this side of you] "Yeah I know I know" I answered however my head still couldn''t rest without getting anything from this ind. I tried anything until Jeremiah intervened and forcefully shut down my consciousness. ... ... The mapping was going well for the students however as dusk fell over the treetops. A shadow emerges on the ground. The peaceful atmosphere suddenly shifted and the air was statically charged with a heavy presence. The lower-ss students are familiar with this feeling. It was fear, caused by a being whose strength is bigger than them. Alicia and Apollo immediately reacted and went on to defend or attack at any given moment. "What the hell is this!" Apollo told to himself feeling suffocated at the mere presence of the beast. Even his sight was being clouded so he couldn''t properly identify the monster in front of him. "Apollo we need to retreat," Alicia said while all her ssmates had equipped their protective gear with enchanted clothing. They were about to move when the beast in front of them disappeared and left no trace for them to track. Seconds went by and the feeling of being watched swallowed them. They could not move for fear of the beast attacking them. All they could do was observe and use their senses to pinpoint their enemy. The songs of birds had disappeared as well as the sound of the blowing breeze. All that was left was a quiet forest, to the point that all they could hear was their breathing and heartbeat. This terrible silence was unexpectedly broken by an unnatural roar. Darkness surrounds them and a pack of magical beasts slowly emerges from the bushes. "Where is the big one!" Casper said as soon as he saw that their main enemy was missing. "Alya!" Apollo asked her "I can''t find it yet give me more time!" she answers though you can tell the panic that is slowly creeping in her heart. "Focus!" Alicia just said seeing they are being surrounded by a pack of iron gray wolves. These beasts are very fierce and with ws like razors, what is even worse they have an iron-like fur that can''t be prated easily. Those beasts then charged with great speed, forcing the students to take out their weapons. "Get ready!" Apollo shouted, his voice had a hint of exhaustion from an unknown reason, though his fatigue was masked by his strength. He took out the sword that was included inside the survival kits and immediately swung it. His sword created an arc that soon blew the nearby trees and bushes. "More areing!" Alicia shouted and even when Apollo''s strike was damaging it wasn''t enough to kill any of their enemies. Their defensive fur was able to absorb the strike leaving them unscathed. The pack moves and began to surround them, this force everyone to defend. Agnes uses her staff just in time to deflect the initial assault. The barrier gleamed with a faint blue light but strained under the constant onughts of the beasts. Beside her, Niko and the others didn''t lose theirposure. However, there is a matter that made them concerned. It was Apollo, he was already out of breath when he merely swung his de a couple of times. With his situation like that Mckenzie and ir step up to defend against the pack. Behind those two are Vesta and Arabe who are both prepared to cast any kind of assistive spell. Mckenzie ground his teeth trying to fend off the pressure from the beast whom they still haven''t located. Despite this, he channels his energy on his de and immediately strikes the beast right in front of him. His hands might have trembled slightly but he didn''t stop. Though it is frightful to look at the very eyes of the beasts charging at them, it wouldn''t bepared to the type of monster that hunted them for three years. ir swung a de embodied in its enchantments, however, it was still ineffective against their enemies. The battle was getting longer than anticipated and both Alicia and Apollo couldn''t openly be attacked for fear of the high-ranking beast to strike. "Just what is going on" she wondered and realized she must contact their professors. "It''s no use" "What?" As she was about to take out hermunication device an exhausted-looking Apollo spoke to her. "I already tried but there is something that is blocking him from contacting anyone" This made Alicia worried and was about to release her aura when Apollo stopped her. "Not here, someone is watching us," he said as he took a potion to heal his weakened state. "It seems the use of the spell Clonis got you now" "Nah, it''s not about that but I will tell you what is happening to meter...so for now..." His voice began to sound different as sparks of lightning began to dance across his body. "Let me take care of this" he added as a white ghostly silhouette zoomed across the area. Meanwhile, the other sses face the same dilemma as the lower ss. "Duck!" Liam shouted, desperately casting a protecting magic spell over Sophia. His usually steady hands trembled, and his shield faltered uncertainly. The boy''s face was pale, his eyes were filled with terror, the reason was that the beast''s ws scraped close to his face sending shivers down his own legs. "What the hell is going on" he weakly said while dragging his trembling body to the side. The students were emotionally shaken by what was happening, the youngest in the group Emily was frozen. She had long been practising for moments like this, yet reality overwhelmed her. The growl of the beasts echoed within her head as she tried remembering all her spells but the mere gaze of the wolves left her motionless from fear and panic. She thought she was gonna die not until a spell punctured the head of the wolf that was about to attack her. "Move your ass!" Matilda''s voice woke try girl from her panic while Arabe dragged her to safety. "You okay?" she asked but all Emily could do was nod her head. Upon the arrival of the lower ss, the tables suddenly turn for the better. Not until another pack arrive to join the storm. "Fall back!" Jillian shouted while Samael guarded her back. "Everything is so weird now" he said and Jillian couldn''t help but nod her head. The young warriors fought bravely, but more and more fear seeped into their minds as the pack changed their patterns of attack. Samantha''s attacks went haywire because she was losing her confidence. Marcus''s bolts of arrows went into trees instead of the wolves he was shooting. Liam''s shields flickered so precariously that they were endangering failure. "Stay together you jackass!" Matilda yelled though she could barely get the words out. She was annoyed they have to interfere but if they see the situation they can''t really leave them to die. Chapter 225 Fifty times "Stay together you jackass!" Matilda yelled, though she could barely get the words out. She was annoyed they had to interfere but since they saw the situation they couldn''t really leave them to die. Desperation swelled up and Emily finally wrested herself free of her thoughts and sent out a powerful, though unstable, wave of arrows. Her energy surged forward to catch several of the beasts off guard, hurling them to the ground. "Nice!" Nikomented while Agnes stayed by his side to cast more spells. Hearing such words Emily felt her heart pounded in her chest, but now a spark of determination began to cut through the tangle of fear. "I can do this!" she motivated herself and pulled the string of her bow. The tide of the battle was changing again and this time Apollo zoomed out of the dense forest and immediately cast a spell on the pack of enemies. The beasts, momentarily stunned due to the lightning spell, felt numb and afraid of their attacker. Knowing their death would be guaranteed they began retreating into the darkness. The students upon seeing their enemies leaving could finally breathe, they began panting and drenched in sweat. They remain in the aftermath, their emotions still in chaos but they are happy to survive. They had fought hard and had emotions left raw from the encounter. The circumstances of this fight only left them shaken to the core. It is due to fear of the wolves themselves and their own vulnerability as well as the uncertainty about their capabilities. They began to doubt what they learned and even realized their ipetence in some areas. As the dying roars of the beasts faded away, the students gathered there, mentally fighting with adrenaline and fear that still clinging to them. The forest breathed with them as the sun fully disappeared and a night full of unspoken anxieties and worries crept in. This day literally gave them the knowledge that being good in theory alone won''t be able to save them in real-life situations. Knowing base only in books won''t be enough to save you once the fangs of danger are bare. Even when they were camping peacefully their bodies were still extremely trembling from fear and pressure. None of them could speak about what happened and a resounding silence envelopes the camp. "Well it seems nothing will happen here" Mckenzie said so all his ssmates prepared to leave however before they could go someone suddenly stopped them. "Wait please!" Samantha the president of thebat ss said as soon as she saw Apollo and his friends moving to leave the camp. "Can you please stay, don''t leave us here, I think it would be safer if all of us were to stick together" she reasoned though McKenzie and Apollo didn''t seem to pay heed to her words. They only looked at her for a second before walking away. This causes Samantha to run after them followed by the entire Combat ss behind her. "Please just stay!" she said, though Apollo and McKenzie continued walking. "Please stay, we need your support, please it''s too scary here, don''t leave us" her voice was close to crying, while her ssmates behind her back were feeling sorry, they pleaded for Apollo and his ssmates to stay.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Alicia" Apollo called her and so she answered. "Yes?" "Were there any rules that forbid us from camping with other ss?" he asked to which Alicia answered by shaking her head. "I didn''t read anything about that, however, we mustn''t interfere too much with their task since it might affect their evaluation" "Alright got it" Then he looked at the rest of his ssmates before saying "We will camp here" None objected and they immediately camped a few meters away from the camp of the Combat ss. "You can return now," Apollo told Samatha. The girl with her eyes reddened due to tears can''t help but smile a bit. "Thank you," she said, the little girl was already frustrated as it was. She was the ss president and being the leader in this situation put all the pressure on her. She just saw Apollo and his ssmates as a source of strength to help themplete their tasks. "Please don''t think of us as a burden, we will just ask for assistance and nothing else" she rifies though Apollo only nods his head as he returns to his ssmate''s side. "President, how did it go?" "They won''t leave but they won''t stay for too long so prepare yourselves" she only says as she heads back to her tent. That night Alicia cooked the wolf meat while Apollo took their hide. "Are you nning on selling them" "Yup why not" He only answered until his eyes saw Agnes, Vesta and Arabe on the side of the camp, they were busy creating a barrier system to protect them in case of an attack. Apollo can''t help but smile as he realises they really have grown, what is even more funny is that Samael, Nino and Braiden were by their side. "Aren''t you guys way too slow?" The peaceful atmosphere around the six was immediately broken as soon as Casper and Matilda arrived. "You guys are already finished setting traps?" Vesta asked finding them a bit too fast since they were only two of them. "Of course, traps are a piece of cake after all" "Shut it Cas you didn''t even help me out" Matilda retorted while slightly pushing him on the side. "Let''s go I am hungry" She told the three girls causing them to rush to finish the barrier system. While theyid out the defence of the camp, Apollo made anotheryer of defensive barrier meant to attack the moment it sensed danger. "You looked weak a while ago" Alicia could finally ask about the pressing matter that made everyone worry. "Ah, that..." Apollo began to contemte his words while he drew the magic circle required for the barrier system to work. "Someone killed me" he started to say causing Alicia to look at him in shock. "Based on your expression you do not believe me" "I know you are not the strongest yet but not just anyone can kill you, no one can even hurt you right now!" She eximed and even Apollo could agree with her. "I also felt it was impossible, you know I even think that perhaps it was because of exhaustion from letting the spell run active for weeks, that made me mentally exhausted. I thought because of that, however, I did not die just once," his voice began to tremble while his hand began to shake as well. "Alicia, I was killed fifty times today, with only minutes of the interval from each of my deaths" He stops drawing the magic circle while his other hand holds the one holding the engraving pen, that hand was shaking so Apollo tried to stop it. However, trying to stop his hand from shaking made it worse since he could not help it. Seeing this situation Alicia decided to calm him down, she began to hold him. "I never knew that death could be so painful, although I already experienced it before I could never get used to it," he said while being embraced by her. "Silly, no one can get used to death, especially the pain it brings. It will always be painful no matter how many times you experience it" "Why do you sound as if you died already" "Maybe I did" she yfully answered though her armspletely wrapped around Apollo''s body. His head was resting on her chest, while Alicia began patting his back. Initially, she wanted to ask how he died, but seeing how the question brought a very painful and traumatic expression on his face made her rethink her question. She knows how strong his mentality yet it is slowly shaken after dying fifty times in a single day. And yet Apollo manages to defend his friends while fighting his crumbling mind. But there is a problem now, someone out there can overwhelm Apollo this much. Not even Nirvana was able to put him in the corner yet fifty mysterious beings were able to kill him. She couldn''t help but sigh, so to ease her mind as well she continued Apollo''s barrier system while using a spell to make the engraving pen move. Since Apollo is in her arms she can''t draw and all she can do is move the pen using spells. "Um... Ali" Jilian called her so Alicia''s attention suddenly shifted, from the barrier she was making to her. "What is it?" "Well I was about to ask you and Apollo to join us but it seems, he can''t go in that state" Alicia knew what she was saying so she only asked for them to leave some food for the two of them. "Just tell us if you need anything alright" Jillian told her before returning to their makeshift kitchen. *Sigh* Alicia then notices Apollo''s breath bing calmer. "Well it seems he only needs rest" she concluded while stroking his head. That night some student of the Combat ss went over to the camp of the Lower ss to ask for their help since they never tried eating wolf meat before. dly Mckenzie showed them how to skin and cook a wolf. Chapter 226 Pain of dying Under a sky that crackled with distant lightning, in the heart of a dense and humongous forest, a mage stood opposed to a very strong foe. He wore robes enchanted with magic, and every symbol across the garment zed in intensity like some kind of raging storm. Magic pulsed in the air around him, while each beat of energy moved as if it were alive. The opposite of the mage is a man who wears simple but strong leather armour, he is calm yet his fist trembles slightly as if holding back his excitement. The opponent of the mage has nothing visibly special about him, no waves of magic and even weapons, and yet his demeanour is wless. It''s as if he was an imprable wall that can''t be broken. With him just standing there anyone could tell he is a master in martial arts. The duel began, and the mage made a move first with a flick of his finger a rain of spells came down. His opponent responded to the mage''s attack, he sidestepped smoothly while making a quick transition of weight to attack. The mage anticipating such a moveunched a series of fireballs that immediately turned the forest into a picture simr to hell. Thebatant who was about to attack switched to defence, he positioned his body to safety and moved that almost seemed like a blur. Fireballs fly to circle him, they were controlled with great ability to corner the martialbatant. Even with the fast motion of spells, it didn''t matter because they weren''t able to hit their target. In a heartbeat, the spells might be closed but it would be dodged. Fireballs were then reced by a strike of lightning before it could hit the target, a swift reinforced kick, disrupted the mage''s concentration and made his spells wash out. "What the!" the mage eximed while his head began to ring as if someone had strongly shaken him. He was momentarily stunned but tried to cast a shield. However, the second he showed weakness, it was perceived as an opening. His opponent seized the opportunity and moved to a speed that was hard to match. In that moment a sharp pain began to spread across the mage''s body. As he located its source he was suddenly taken aback when he realized it was his opponent. His approach remains undetected to the mage and if it weren''t for the pain he won''t notice that he is slowly dying. The mage tried to fight back but in a final decisive motion, the martialbatant disarmed the mage with a spinning kick, sending his staff sliding across the ground. The mage now found himself kneeling with his strength gone. His body was bruised while the enemy''s aura blocked his mana. Now he couldn''t cast any spells and was defenceless. "Damn it!" the mage shouted, although defeated he didn''t want to admit it. So hemanded the space ring, and upon his call, it began to glow activating an artifact he had kept. However, his opponent was very fast to act and immediately seize the opportunity. A thick mass of aura tainted with killing intent created a paralyzing effect and this almost killed the mage. Watching the mage gasp for air made his opponent stand in satisfaction. As he knows that the mage is slowly dying. However, he didn''tnd the killing blow and just left him to die on his own. The proud mage, wounded and close to death, slowly recovered under the effects of his other artifact. His pride and ego were broken and now he couldn''t believe how he was defeated so easily. His damaged ego was even more important to him than his life. With a struggling breath and fractured limbs, slowly he followed his opponent closely, holding the urge to seek revenge. His spells kept him under the cover as he tracked his opponent through the forest. His eyes are that of a deranged man, a person whose rationality was swallowed by his desire to get back at the person who defeated him. The mage followed the trail to a secluded camp. There, the followers of his opponent came, there were several skilled warriors while the rest were mages. He no longer has any reason, his decision lies in the fact he could kill the one person who humiliated him. With a flick of his wrist, the mage produced an invisibility spell and slipped unnoticed into the camp. As he walked into the den of monsters he suddenly felt the tension, however, despite the known danger he continued heading inside. Then the most perceptive of the followers felt the mage''s presence and alerted others. Knowing he was already known the mage began to attack setting the ce on fire. The camp exploded into chaos as the followers scrambled to defend themselves. The mage was still unseen in the shadows, casting multiple storms of magic. Those spells send the warriors scattering and forcing them to take defensive positions. Although surprised, the warriors and mage of the camp rallied and joined in order to create a defensive circle. With the chaos rising their leader finally arrives and immediately locates the crazy mage. A maniac smile curves onto the lips of the deranged wizard and immediately casts an even more powerful spell. "What a lunatic," said his opponent and calmly ordered a one-coordinated assault. The summoned gollem of the mage turned to dust though that didn''t matter to its caster. "With this you are dead!" He said as he activated an artifact and all the ki and mana of his enemies disappeared. "Interesting" the leader could only say while he made his men retreat. "I will finish this" he addeding face to face with the man who his crazy to kill him. "Hey there" "You!" The wizard was mad more than he could handle and the only thing he could think of was how to kill the man in front of him. So he cast a spell with the power of the staff on his hand. It was a spell that consumed a part of his life, a forbidden magic. As the discord arose the surrounding mana was affected and the spell came to life. A fire spell that swallowed the entire forest activated turning the ce into hell. "Just die!" he was still hysterical but his spell continued to burn the ground. Amid the chaos, the enemy emerged from the inferno with sharp nces at his attacker. "What''s this I thought your spell could due something" he simply said while cracking his knuckles. The mage upon seeing his opponent unscathed felt conflicted. "How! I sealed your mana and ki howe you are still alive!" he shouted while casting another storm of spells. "How! How! HOW!" He continued firing however no matter what he did his spells cast no damage to his enemy. "I thought this would be fun but I guess I was a bit stupid to think of that" Every word he said made the wizard in front of him infuriated. With his curiosity gone he began to make a move, taking a quick step, he produced a powerful shockwave to disperse the rain of spells that came to him. The mage was bbergasted when he saw his opponent knocking all his spells with just a wave of his hand. The battlefield became quiet, with only the sound of breathing prevailing. "Tch!" this time the mage changed his style and went hand in hand filling his body with buff.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "A resounding stupid idea" his opponent said however the mage closed the gap between them. Calcting each of his steps, he created a movement like one perfected in an art of martial arts, he moved forward calmly. This calmness made his opponent smile. "And here I thought you won''t gain your sanity," he said as he weed the attack. The mage attempted to use whatever left-over magic he could to his advantage, but the opponent would not show mercy, his single strike would break the bones of the mage while thetter activated a spell to instantly heal him. "Come on is that all you got?" he taunted and this urged the mage to go faster. Finally, an uppercut disarmed the wizard one more time, his staff flying out of his clutch. Weaken and battered, the wizard ended up on his knees, his mana dwindling as his aggressor stood over him, a winner once again. His men now, seeing how their leader defeated the attacker felt confident even though it wasn''t them who beat the mage. "Come out" Instead of finishing the mage the leader spoke such words that men his subordinates confused. However, instead of an answer their leader attacked a tree and behind it, a person hid discretely. "Who is that!" someone among them eximed, he was one of the most sensitive senses among them and was one of the people who sensed the mage. But no matter how good they are only their leader senses the individual who stealthily watches them. Chapter 227 Pain of dying Part. II "Hey there dear guest" As he speaks unspeakable pressure pins into the neer. "May I ask how long have you known I was here?" despite the threatening atmosphere that currently pins into everyone''s body, the mysterious individual did not seem fazed and just asked. However, instead of answering, the leader began tough. "Ahhh, this is getting even more fun!" He said as he walked towards the new visitor, each step he took sentyers of shockwave that left the camp into dust. "My lord please!" cried one of his subordinates since even they had been getting hurt due to their leader''s sudden excitement. But it didn''t reach the ears of the man he was trying to talk to instead his focus was on the individual who steadily observed them. "I am impressed" he started to speak though his voice sounded as if he was restraining himself. "I already noticed you from the moment I first met that bug over there" he said pertaining to the mage who is half dead lying on the broken ground. "At first I don''t really know what you are, I thought you were his pet or something but you didn''t even help when he almost died instead you continue to watch. So to spice things up I didn''t kill that bug and let him follow me here and...TADA! You really came just like I predicted!" He excitedly exined while spreading his arm wide as if he were waiting for someone to praise him. "I don''t really know what is the reason for this, maybe you are someone who wanted to see our strength or maybe courting death is really your hobby...oh but well it doesn''t really matter" Then he made a sudden moment that made the surrounding mana blown away, the intruder having seen that power only made a move topletely dodge it. "Impressive!" the leader''s voice became even more sinister as he said this, while his eyes turned red and consumed with madness. He moved crazily while his red pupils glistened as he moved. "Right!" the one who will receive his attack reads his movements and immediately dodges evading the strike that carves a huge hole in the ground. Then the ground vibrated because the leader made a follow-up move and threw a straight punch. Despite the distance between the two the sheer force made by the punch caused the surrounding mana and dirt to be blown away. The focus point of the devastating energy drill into the defense of the leader''s opponent. However, the defense soon crumpled, prepared for the worst, a spell was fired to intervene, fully dispersing the punch that almost injured him. "So you are a mage, this is bing interesting!" he smiled wickedly as he said those words. A series of explosions can be heard and felt since with those two fighting aggressively the battlefield was left in chaos. mes kept bursting while the ground was left broken. "Hey mage my name is Rogue, how about giving yours?" between the rain of punching and kicks the leader introduces themselves as Rogue at the same time begins asking his opponent. "Sun!" The mage answer as he answered with a spell against his opponent''s kick. "Damn it!" Sun thought while calcting Rogue''s next move. No matter how much he evades the mere residual power of his strikes would break his defense to pieces. "So tell me mage which faction you belong to? The emperors? Or from the twelve lunatic gods?" Rogue began to ask though Sun felt pissed at how he wasn''t out of breath despite executing dozens of punches while speaking. "I have never faced anyone as good as you...hahaha" The strikes then began to intensify and Sun switched his spells to buff. That way he could keep up with the increased speed and strength of each kick and punches. The energy inside the fighter mage circted at great speed in order to distribute power to each fiber of his muscles. Slowly he began to keep up to the rhythm of Rogue''s fighting intensity and finally was able to strike at least once or twice. This made the madman strike even more cruelly though this time Sun has gathered enough data to keep up. "You are good! Too good! Tell me did you send that bug a while ago just to test how powerful my faction is? I am sure I have felt your presence in this region for three days now. Finding us is already impressive but nting a person to test the limits of our strength is a whole different matter" From his crazy tone of voice he went from an amazed person to a calm calcting individual. Then his demeanor changed again when a smile curve up to his lips. "Sun how about joining us instead? Leave everything behind and follow the new generation of Gods" his words became tempting and even Sun felt conflicted towards Rogue''s words causing his mind to go haywire. "Leave everything behind" he said again and the fighter mage felt dizzy. "What the hell is this!" his mind screams as he clenches his teeth trying to erase the hypnotic voice that began whispering. "As expected for a wizard, your mind is very strong" Roguemented, though his fist broke anotheryer of Sun''s barrier and almost reached his body. Failing tond a direct hit on his enemy drives Rogue into an even more crazy excited freak. He chased Sun who was able to teleport before thest minute. "You are gonna be MIINNEE!" he shouted though his body turned into a blur from the speed. Sun on the other hand couldn''t process what was going on due to the hypnotic spell clouding his mind. No matter what he did he couldn''t hear, see or even sense his opponent. The only thing that was keeping him from falling was his will and instinct. However, as the darkness numbed him a pain that he never felt before struck his mind and soul. He screamed in silence and tried to battle the pain, but it seemed his opponent was so powerful that he couldn''t break free from the mind corrupting spell. [Notification Alert! You have died!] [Notification Alert! Mirror hundredfold had been activated!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The skill will multiply the attack received by 100 times!] Jeremiah notifies causing the current Apollo to wake up. "Ha, it was a dream" he realizes not expecting to actually feel the exact same pain he endured while fighting Rogue. [I am sorry Creator I wasn''t able to help you at that time] Jeremiah told him though Apollo didn''t really me him. "It''s okay I did tell you to focus on gathering data about him and the other people I was simultaneously fighting at that time" Apollo just said while massaging his forehead. While he tried to calm his mind the music of the night came to his ears. Crickets began to sing while the evening breeze touched the leaves of the trees and bushes creating a rustling sound, strangely these noises created a simple symphony that put Apollo''s mind at ease. [Do you feel fear or any kind of disappointment since we died back then?] Jeremiah asked as he noticed his Creator''s state of mind improving. "Honestly no" Apollo answers while a crazy smile curves up to his face. [You aren''t? Are you sure?] Jeremiah wanted to be sure since Apollo''s emotions also affected him. "Well, don''t you know how powerful the attack that killed me" he asked instead while his expression didn''t change. [Hmmm, ording to my estimation the damage it causes is at least the same as ten to fifteen doomsday explosions. Considering the devastation you had caused in fifty different regions I think a fallout won''t be long to happen] "So it was ranging from ten to fifteen for each strike I received today, imagine since I received such a blow what will happen to those who attacked me if the damage I took was multiple to 100? I wonder if they can endure it" That question made Jeremiah stun so he asked [Did Creator purposely let himself be killed to inflict such damage?] "Hmm, they were strong too strong even for me. What''s even more confusing is that we belong to the same realm of strength yet I was falling behind. I thought since I can''t beat them I should just kill them" [What?!] "I don''t have the means to defeat them but killing them by sacrificing myself is possible and I am certain I did since you showed me fifty refreshing notifications" his smile grew even more confident as if he wasn''t the boy who was experiencing panic attacks a while ago. By receiving the killing blow of his enemy and returning them 100 times stronger than before made it possible for Apollo to kill fifty strong leaders of the Revolutionary Church. [You are reckless] "Can''t be helped, I will lose so all I could do is drag the person who killed me, though it was quite unfortunate I wasn''t able to collect their souls since they died after me" He said so not knowing the chaos he did in the empire. Chapter 228 What is happening A new morning came to the Lower ss and Combat ss though the two clusters of students have a bit of difference when they wake up. "Morning!" "Hey care to remove your feet on my face!" The boy''s tent sounded chaotic and everyone outside could see their silhouette while they yed amongst themselves. "What the hell are they even doing" said Matilda while gripping the knife in her hand. "Maybe you should put down the knife first" Arabe told her afraid that the knife in her hand may fly somewhere. While the boys continued their bickering and the girls prepared their breakfast thebat ss on the other hand wasn''t about to sleep even for a second. Their minds keep them awake as they rey the events that happened to them. Anxiety then crept into their hearts as their experience of almost dying made them doubtful about their capabilities. However, amidst their gloomy morning, the Lower ss students were bustling with noise as if they came on this ind for a simple camping vacation. "I envy those fools" Jarren grumpily said while breaking a branch to prepare the fire, that way they could finally prepare their breakfast. "Well you know what they say Jarren, ignorance a bliss, I am certain those fools would cry and even pee their pants once they encounter a pack of beasts" Jlughed a bit as he said that. "You two are quite delusional aren''t you?" while the two boys talk Meldi their girl ssmate suddenly interrupts their talk. "What are saying Mel?" asked Jarren confused as to why their ssmate looked angry at them. "What am I saying? Seriously you two may I remind you that yesterday the so-called fools you are referring to saved our ss! And they didn''t pee their pants....you did!" she said while her eyes locked on Jl. "I suggest you reflect on your actions yesterday before you speak about others" she added before setting the pile of branches on fire. The mes began to burst abruptly creating sparks that left the two almost burned. "What the!" "Hey!" Her sudden firing action made the two boys jolted since they didn''t expect her to make such a move. Not minding their reactions Meldi went to Samantha whose eyes stared at the chaotic yet joyous atmosphere of the other ss. "Something wrong pres?" she asked worried since her expression wasn''t the usual one she always has. Sure at times she can be seen being confused or frustrated but it was never this bad. Samantha''s expression was nk the same as her eyes, there wasn''t any kind of emotion on her face though her body trembled a bit. As if she was under the constant pressure of something. So to calm her down she decides to help her out. In the next second Samantha could feel Meldie closer to her and it was like she wasforting her as she wrapped her body around her. Without speaking a word, she pulled her arms around her gently as if hugging her tightly. The hug that Meldi gave to her counteracted the nausea that Samantha felt. As her warmth spread, a voice spoke though it was barely audible, "Take a breath" Meldi said gently to her. "You have done so much since yesterday, all you have to do is recall the lessons we learned and take everything step by step. It''s not about perfection, it''s about the teamwork and dedication we could give to aplish the task" Samantha sighed, the rapid breaths she had been taking gradually bing deeper and slower much like her tightening muscles beginning to rx. The noise in her head subsided at least for a fraction of an hour. "I''m scared," she confessed, then she buried her face into Mia''s shoulder. It seems being a leader wasn''t as easy as she thought. Facing a ferocious pack of magical wolves incites fear inside the head of the thirteen-year-old girl. However despite all her troubles, she could not show it due to her position as the ss leader, she was after all the strongest among all her ssmates. If she ever crumbled no one can shoulder the responsibility she has. "Being scared is okay," Meldi answered and gently turned Samantha towards her to look into her eyes. "It means you can still improve, you still have the potential to grow stronger! Trust yourself as I trust you" Meldi looked Samantha in the eyes and saw the light flick on which she thought was off for good. Knowing her friend is back a gentle smile escapes from her lips. "You believe in me?" asked her friend so dly she answered. "Oh course" Mia smiled at her friend and leader. "Alright then let''s go and gather everyone" Samantha managed to say although her spirit seemed to have deted a little. The echo of Meldi''s encouragement was still in her ears so she took a deep breath and stood before the camp filled with anxious students. "Well it seems those kids don''t need our help anymore" "Alicia, did you actually eavesdrop on their camp?" "I was just worried weren''t you keeping them protected as well" Apollo went silent due to her words making the girl in front of him chuckle. "Quit it" he just said making Alicia shake her head. "Alright I will stop" Finding her teasing a bit embarrassing Apollo decides to change the topic. "So care to tell me what did the emperor ask you to do"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Hmmm" an amused humming came from Alicia which made Apollo expect that his question would be answered. "It''s about Excalibur" "What?" Apollo was a bit taken aback he had thought that the emperor would put the search on hold and focused on the church however it would seem he hadn''t. "Augustus believed that the church could be behind the sword''s disappearance" Apollo remained silent though his mind was filled with theories that could have connected the dots of the conspiracy behind the sword''s whereabouts. "Apollo" Alicia called "Yes?" he answered shifting his attention towards her. "All of this, don''t you think it all connects towards a single individual?" her question however causes the boy to think of a specific person. "Nero" he said causing Alicia to nod her head. "Only a member of the imperial family can lift the sword" "But Nero wasn''t even born when the War of Faith happened" "Are you sure?" "What!" Apollo almost chokes on the juice he is drinking however Alicia doesn''t show any signs of stopping instead she continues. "I started searching in the halls of the imperial pce including the ces the sword previously used, I searched including his ce. And there I noticed something" Her voice was unusually cold causing Apollo to realize how mad she was. "Just what did she discover?" he wondered so he didn''t voice any of his thoughts and continued listening. "Tell me how many brothers the previous emperor had and what was their names?" she asked instead making Apollo confused. "The previous emperor?" "Yes" Apollo thought hard and remembered all three brothers of the previous emperor. However, he remembered a particr brother that made him ask Alicia. "Are you trying to point this conversation towards the imperial prince udius?" Alicia nodded making Apollo feel a sudden chill. "You are not thinking that..." At that moment the boy''s heart rate rapidly raised making him feel nervous. "Your guess is correct, though it''s my hypothesis, I believe that the brother of Augustus which we all know as Nero, is none other than udius" "Alicia, do you have any evidence to support that?" "Currently all I have is the fact that the scent of udius is somehow simr to Nero" "Wasn''t it because all the members of the imperial house share the same scent?" Alicia gave a look to Apollo making the boy question his own words. "Did I say something wrong?" he thought so while tracing his words. "Apollo the scent I am referring to is not the one that the body gives off" Her voice became even colder so unknowingly Apollo gulped. "It''s not the body that produces the odour.....it was the soul, so tell me, Apollo, was there any reason for a soul to share amon trait with someone?" Though skeptical of her reasoning he can''t deny the fact that she has a point. "Question, how did you manage to pick up their scent when Nero no longer stayed inside the imperial pce while udius existed 300 years ago?" "Alicia?" Somehow that question was only answered with an ear-piercing silence. "I think I need to go on patrol," she said while evading Apollo''s question. "Hold on who told you to run away!" As he was about to catch her the two strongest individuals in the area felt a sudden gaze that left their body tense and ready to fight. "Everyone!" Apollo called the entire ss causing their joyous atmosphere to be reced by tension. "Now where are you" the boy just said as he lifted his de ready to fight. Chapter 229 Shaken Apollo doesn''t know whether this is part of the test or something really is happening. They can''t contact the professors and Apollo is exhausted with the continuous use of magic and skills. He knows that using too much and relying for a prolonged time on the system can tire his mind and body. It wasn''t something that could be easily fixed by simply upgrading his stats. Apollo himself needs to fully master the system and ept all the burden it causes his mind and soul. However, there is another thing that currently weakens him, the existence of an unknown artifact that seems to surpass the artifact he had collected in a Zenith-rank dungeon. "Damn it!" Apollo eximed as his handnded on the ground, embedded on its surface was a powerful magic circle he had cast, with it he wished to stop the monster from advancing. The mere presence transforms into a beast one that they can''t see clearly. It is as if a veil surrounded it hindering the others'' capacity to see it. They don''t know its appearance and its abilities are also too mysterious to help them identify it. They have nothing to help them at the same time Alicia and Apollo have umted fatigue from the missions the emperor gave them. They weren''t at their best state. "Jeremiah, how about giving me a bit of a boost?" Apollo asks as he and Alicia prepare to defend or attack. [What kind of boost?] "Use the system to amplify my stats and use the remaining points for system update so that we can locate the artifact" [I can do that but there is a major problem] "What is it!" Apollo asked while his body felt the tension of the situation, and slowly panic began to eat him. [Calm down Creator!] Jeremiah felt rmed at the state of his Creator, however the artificial intelligence noticed how this panic began to spread like wildfire. From one person to another it became a virus that began to torment everyone. Detecting such anomaly Jeremiah manoeuvre the system to cancel the effect. [What''s this?] For the first time in its existence, it experienced a force that was about to negate the power of the system. It was something he never expected since in every situation, the system was able to assist using its unique gears but this time a certain unknown force slowed down its power. Though somehow Jeremiah could tell it was familiar. [With the system''s suppression I won''t be able to execute my power] Jeremiah grimaced, since he is part of the system if the suppression continues he will be affected as well. With no other options, he began to divide the task given by Apollo. Even at this moment the current Apollos travelling the continent needed his help because their state is no different from the Apollo on the ind. After all their consciousness is connected to a single thought, and with the one on the ind experiencing a mind-interfering power, the rest of the bodies get affected as well. The hive mind is being shaken and Jeremiah needs to stabilize everybody and get rid of the emotions that currently eat them. Apollo''s Pov I can sense something familiar however somehow I could not focus enough to determine it. The heavy footsteps would shake the ground we are standing putting all my thoughts away from thinking further. "Damn it!" I can''t help but say as the blurry figure approaches us with great speed. Though my body felt heavy I moved and on my back was Alicia. I couldn''t help but smile somehow I knew I wasn''t alone to handle this monster. A colourful magic circle glowed underneath the ground and the stunned students were immediately under its protection. Somehow it made me feel relieved they were safe. "Focus" Alicia told me knowing the two of us can''t be distracted. I dodged dozens of unknown attacks in less than a second. Ali on the other hand focused on using her body as a shield to make sure no one student would get injured. "Jeremiah can you help me and scan the body of this monster, I am also nning to lock him up using the authorities to make sure no one can get affected" I ordered and thankfully despite the situation Jeremiah answered. [I already prepared spells for short-term teleportation, the mapping yesterday helped out since I already marked a safe area. Just give me an opening and I can get everyone to safety] "Good and Jeremiah I want you to do the merging now!" [I will!] I was satisfied with Jeremiah''s answer but currently, my situation is not good since none of my attacks are working. I could not find its weaknesses either and its stats are also unavable while the pressure it excludes increases every passing second. The current me could not fight back with this pressure. "Apollo snap put it!" "I know!" I collected myself from all the thoughts and cast another spell, I hope it works. Dodging another unknown strike Iposed the spell in my head until I fully drew the magic circle on the ground. This spell belongs to the oldest form since the spell has to be drawn using your own blood as the medium for the spell to work. This concept was also the one being used in scroll making. The use of magical symbols, the art of inscriptions, Baybayin. I continue chanting while my hand either defend or helps my feet draw the multiyer magic circle. "Pay heed to my call" My voice became deep and every word was resounding. "Hiraya!" The blood lit up the ground, and the scarlet line that smudges the ground turned into a spell that created a powerful effect. A white light came from a magic circle, and this lessened the pressure the monster gave. However, it wasn''t the only effect that the spell brought, besides rity, it finally gave lines thatpose the image of the monster in front of us. "Hoo.." I regted my breathing as my hand touched the ck handle of a sword. It was the sword of light and upon its activation, the de created a sizzling sound that cut through the invisible barrier of the monster. My head was now clear while my eyes were filled with lines that represented the path my de should take. So I moved and took the lead while Ali remained still protecting everybody. A silhouette of white light created a line that break through the unknown attacks of the monster. Its appearance was still blurry but at least I could finally see the outline of its body. I wouldn''t need to guess if it''s a foot or arm that aims at my neck. The ground shook the moment I took off and let the weight of my feet on the ground. As it vibrates the spell I cast beforehand assists me. It lifted me blocking every spell that targeted me. Finally using the smoke from the attacks as a veil, I position myself in a blind spot and let the light sword smash through the head of the monster. "Damn it!" It was too hard to even break through and knowing my presence was known to my enemy I immediately retreated. A giant w moved fast to search me fortunately the system automatically teleported me to safety. [Teleportation has been implemented! Authorities have been used! The space is sealed under the influence of the authority of the God of space, no one shall enter!] [Notification Alert! The authority of the God of Mystics is being used, no one will be affected by the pressure of the monster!] [Notification Alert! The system had detected the existence of unknown individuals on the ind!] [Notification Alert! The system update has beenpleted All stats have been boosted! Spells have been prepared! Waiting for the Creator''smand to fire them!] A series of notifications pop in front of me giving me hope that we can get everyone to safety. "Jeremiah where is our enemy" [It''s on its way here! The estimated time of arrival is 1 and 56 seconds I advised you to be prepared]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Okay, Alicia!" "Yes!" "I will leave everyone to you!" I was expecting her to agree immediately but at that moment I saw her eyes waver. It has if she will cry at any moment. However I need her to stay here, I won''t be able to fight knowing my friends could be killed at any moment. Alicia, only you could let my heart at ease in this situation, so please agree with me. At this moment no one is strong enough to keep everyone alive other than you and me. So please don''t give me that look, I am begging you. [30 seconds] Time ticked and by now almost everyone was able to collect themselves and assess the situation. "Be safe" she just said, I can''t help but shake my head. How can your expression be so warm for a moment and then cold at the next second? "I will" I only answered then I turned to Jeremiah. "Send that monster back to the camp!" [Affirmative!] The space obeyed my will and cracks immediately swallowed the raging monster that already ttened the trees and broke thend of this ind. Then my body became enveloped with wind. (Master) A voice came to me as two towering silhouettes came from behind. A wolf and a fairynded beside me each bearing the power that the system had bestowed on them. "Let''s go" (Yes master) Chapter 230 Weirdly Scary The monster was sent right into the deste and broken campsite along with Apollo and his two spirits. As itnds on the cold hard ground it immediately sends dozens of projectiles towards Apollo. In response to this attack, Apollo let out thebined power of the stored spells inside his spear. The sh created a huge wave of energy that caused the surrounding trees to be blown away. Apollo then switches weapons seeing his spells not strong enough to break through. Wind began to howl loudly while the clouds above began to obey the will of the wind. They became a cluster of dark clouds that soon turned into a thundercloud. "Strike!" the boymanded as his body morphed into a hybrid demon. Thunder rumbles while the mass of electricitynds on the top of the monster. It was supposed to attack however as soon as the lightning struck it was momentarily stunned. Apollo then cast anotheryer of spells hoping it could stop the monster''s barrage of attacks. Although struggling Gale and Bn assist him well in navigating the fight in his favour however the pressure is still there slowing him down. A few more exchanges happened until something popped in front of him. [Notification Alert! The merge has beenpleted!] [New system features have been unlocked! Recalibrating..... The new system features are fully operational! Waiting for the Creator''smand!] A smirk finally emerges on the boy''s face as he regains his confidence. Stealthly his hand moves tomand the gravity to obey him. A hundredfold of gravity fell towards the beast forcing it to reveal its hidden abilities. (Iing Creator!) Bn warned while Gale prepared to fire seeing their enemy making its move. The hybrid demon this time was calmer as he held the shining sword in its wicked hand. He prepared to fight back while his other hand cast a spell. "The merge has beenpleted, Jeremiah I want the system to activate the skill that we got from the core in Avarice" [Affirmative!] A sublime strand of golden light escapes from Apollo''s body demonic body. Bn and Gale immediately felt their master''s sudden increase in strength through the connection they had from the contract. They felt amazed at the same time admired the person they made a pact with. [Creator it''s moving!] Despite the pressure from gravity, the monster was still able to move with ease this only meant that Apollo''s gravity attack wasn''t enough. "Kneel" hemanded this time he wanted to see if this monster had any intelligence or not, and sure did Apollo see how his target began to fight off themand. "It can think" He concluded beforemanded the gravity to increase its pull. The momentum it has immediately slowed down until it momentarily stopped, this opportunity was immediately seized. Apollo pulled themands to increase and with its power, a loud noise echoed. "BANG!" Its towering body hit the ground as it cracked and shook from the force. Apollo thenmanded the system to open a tab which contained the skills he got from the core he got in Avarice. The skill of the unknown beast core dwells into the skin of the demon as it obeys the boy''smand. The transformationsted a second and the moment the monster was back again abine attacked from Bn and Gale pinned it back to the ground. A skill was evoked and the wind increased exponentially causing breathing to be hard. "Focus" Apollo said and the circting air glides through the body of his sword. Apollo kept his focus and with his two spirits assisting in keeping the monster at bay he finally swung the de and released thebined power of the artifact and the skill to prate through the monster''s body. "CRACKLE!" The thunderclouds also blow an abundance of lightning turning the sword strike into a lightning arc. Apollo wished the attack to hit its target however before it could a roar came out of nowhere. "Where that came from!" Upon Apollo''s sudden painful groan, his mind was suddenly shaken. The system that is simply floating inside his consciousness was suddenly subjected to a pressure shaking its very core. Due to this attack, the authorities that were currently active were suddenly deactivated. "Damn it!" he could only exim shaking his head as it feels heavy. Unlike before Apollo was able to collect himself and saw another beast that came from the other side of the camp. "Another monster" Seeing another troublesome opponent the boy couldn''t help but feel frustrated as he clenched his teeth. (Master) He heard two voices then he realized Bn and Gale were standing right in front of the two monsters, acting as shields for him. "Jeremiah what just happened" He asked then Jeremiah answered sounding tired and weak. [That attack was powerful enough to shake the authority of the God of Mystics. We need to be careful whatever these things are they are capable of disrupting the power of Gods] "I see, so it''s like Nirvana" he realized feeling a sense of deja vu. Although feeling dizzy the boy justposed himself as he looked at the current enemies he needed to eliminate. As if knowing his vulnerability the two monsters dash towards his positions causing Gale and Bn to attack. The wind changes its flow and the thunderclouds rain down hundreds of volts of electricity. Dust and the very ground were kicked off leaving a screen of obscurity. The ground was turned into a huge burning hole, once the smoke settled it revealed the devastatednd. And then, once more the mood changes, the mist is thick and the screen is filled with the blurry image of something huge and menacing. Slowly Apollo''s vision of his opponents began to be clear. The blurry figures slowly show its grotesquebination of features. The two creatures must be at least 12 feet tall and it has an arched serpentine body which looks more like it is made of inky darkness. Its skin is a pattern of conflicting shades of darkness, polished or might be metallic as well. Its body also has sleek multi-coloured scales and fluffy, shaggy fur mixed andid on armour, shining in shades of deep violets and ck. Apollo felt weird seeing a monster filled with scales and fur. He doesn''t know how to express his feelings knowing his situation wasn''t particrly good. He never knew he would see a snake-like monster with legs and fur. The limbs are overly elongated and slender, the joints are ced in the most awkward positions. Arms stretch out with stiff fingers, ending in blistered ws with bright, threatening nails which may tear skin apart. The legs are very "meat on the bone" and the proportions of the joints are off, but it can run surprisingly fast, like a hunter on the trail of its quarry. The only thing that the monster has on its head is what looks like a misshapen face with no recognisable facial organs. Apollo wondered if there was a magical beast that resembled such a face. In the eyes, there are pits and depressions in ce, pits and depressions that give off a faint, glowing light. It has a huge, ck-jawed mouth that runs from the left cheek down to the right ¨Cno lips, jagged teeth lining its gum that glisten in the darkness. Even in the case of emitting a loud call, the creature generates only such a growling and whistling noise, with vibrations running through the trees. At its back, stretching up to its entire withers and along the spine are long snake-like spinous processes each of which glows with a morbid greenish glow somewhat simr to dying coal. The boy knew now how weirdly fearsome was the opponent he was fighting. However, knowing the two monsters'' appearance didn''t help him instead, it made his feelingsplicated. "Forget the appearance we got a problem right now" He told himself as he stabilized his posture. Then as soon as his breathing was settled his figure began to be blurry along with the two beings who were aiming for his life. Spells struck the unknown attacks until another notification emerged. [Notifications Alert! The skills inside the tab are currently being activated! Another feature of the system has been opened! A new set of rankings and levels has been established! Would you like to use the pile of high-quality crystal mana and stones for advancement?] "Go use it!" [Command received! Converting the mana from the crystal and stones as stat points! Opening the new rank using the gathered points!] [Notification Alert! New statistics and status window shall emerge please wait for a moment] Apollo felt suddenly lighter knowing the system must have helped him. [Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Focused Explore stories on empire Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Celestial mage Mana type: Blue Level: 4N?v(el)B\\jnn Strength: 12300 Agility: 12356 Dexterity: 12456 Endurance: 14677 Stamina: 14566 Intelligence: 12499 Mana: 11624 Ki: 11160 Mana regeneration: 1000 per minute Ki regeneration: 500 per minute Vitality: 500 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank SSS) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank SSS) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank SSS) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank SS) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank Z ) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Can be manipted by the wielder''s will and the size can reach 7 meters. Lightning Call (Rank Z) {Passive} - 70% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks.....] [Changing And updating stats] [Updatepleted!] Chapter 231 New ranking I Apollo''s Pov [Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Focused Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Celestial mage Mana type: Blue Level: 4 Strength: 12300 Agility: 12356n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Dexterity: 12456 Endurance: 14677 Stamina: 14566 Intelligence: 12499 Mana: 11624 Ki: 11160 Mana regeneration: 1000 per minute Ki regeneration: 500 per minute Vitality: 500 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank SSS) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank SSS) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank SSS) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank SS) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank Z ) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Can be manipted by the wielder''s will and the size can reach 7 meters. Lightning Call (Rank Z) {Passive} - 70% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks.....] [Changing And updating stats] [Updatepleted!] I breath of relief escapes from me seeing the notification. It took a couple of seconds for my body to fully adapt to the changes that urred in the system but now I could finally test the benefits that came from the core from Avarice. "Show me the tab of skills from the core" I ordered immediately Jeremiah answered. [Affirmative] [Skill tab Beast origin: Guardian of the Wind Tespest, Zephyron Beast level: Demigod Element: Wind Skill rank: Exodus (X) Skills: Wrath of the Wind God Child of the clouds Wings of flight Wind dragon''s breath] [The skill has been fully implemented on the Creator''s body! The skills are fully operational!] The current activated skills suddenly increased in strength. Pinning the monster even more on the ground. However, I knew they would immediately adapt to it. "Now show me my new updated stats" [Affirmative] [Name: Apollo Lionheart Status: Focused Position: Senior researcher mage Rank: Demigod Mana type: Blue Level: 5 Strength: 37783 Agility: 35884 Dexterity: 35859 Endurance: 36586 Stamina: 36378 Intelligence: 38000 Mana: 35340 Ki: 34200 Mana regeneration: 1000 per second Ki regeneration: 1000 per second Vitality: 10000 Skills/Abilities: Spell synthesis(Rank X) {Passive} Alchemic craft (Rank X) {Passive} Weapon creation (Rank X) {Passive} Machinery Engineer (Rank X) {Passive} Light of Aegis (Rank X ) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Can be manipted by the wielder''s will and the size can reach 1 kilometer. Lightning Call (Rank X) {Passive} - 700% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks. Demigod fighter (Rank X) {Passive} - A level ofbat that stems from newly generated power. Master Weaponist [Overhaul] (Rank X) {Passive} - abination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah Read new chapters at empire Mirror Thousandfold (Rank X) {Active} - Return one thousand times the damage of the opponent''s attack, it may be a spell, physical, spiritual or mental attack. Automatic Weaponry (Rank X) {Active} -Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, rmended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon Strength: No Materials are needed for this skill 500% more powerful than regr weapons of the same grade. Energy bank (Rank X) {Active} - A space that stores ten times the amount of mana and ki of the bearer, only essible when energy reaches 0 Disintegrate (Rank X) {Active} - A skill Apollo gained while experimenting with a certain potion inside the ck tower. Can turn anything into a state of decay or nothingness. Demonification (Rank X) {Active}- Demonification is a state where the body turns into a demon beast. Upon transformation, all stats go up to 10 times. Demonize (Rank X) {Active} - A copy of the skill Demonification, allowing Apollo to use his non-demon skills. This half-demon transforms the body so that the bearer can utilize the human and demon skills. Oppressor (Rank X) {Active}- This skill allows the Creator to put pressure upon his enemies without doing anything. This pressure may cause confusion and errors in judgments causing them low battle awareness. Momentarily stops thoughts and could cause chaos inside someone''s mind. The skill may activate without the Creator''s authorization depending on the situation. (Range Increase) Copy&Paste (Rank X) {Active} - enables the Creator to copy any skill once he sees or feels the attack. Strength: As long as the skill or technique has been seen or felt even a gift or Blessings can be copied. The copied skill will be 100% more powerful than the original. Copied authority of the God of Mystics (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of ir it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the goddess of time (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Agnes it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Force (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Keith it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Heat and fire (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Samael it was able to be copied by the system. Copied authority of the God of Space and Passage (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Aaron it was able to be copied by the system. ADVANCED STATISTICS [ ADVANCED STATISTICS Prime Element:{None} Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner - A term used by schrs to address the mysterious bloodline of the family famous, the Lancaster family. This bloodline is capable of forming an infinite amount of contracts. No limitations regardless of the rank of spirits and the level of a mage''s mana. As long as they get the spirit''s recognition a contract can be achieved. Blessings:{None} Inheritance:{None} Body Constitution:{Unawakened} Current stat point: 2000 Curse stability: 5%] The rank of the mysterious beast''s core far exceeds that of a celestial-rank beast. So with curiosity, I ordered Jeremiah to analyze the strength of the core and merge its power into the system. This merging resulted in a new power ranking. A new room for strengthening was open and I can now increase my strength above the current rank of Celestial. [Creator your two enemies areing!] This time I was calm and no longer panicked, finally I could see how the energy inside the two monsters'' bodies moved. What''s even better is that this time I can recognize what kind of attack falls on me. "You two go back and check on my ssmates, I think they will need you more than me," I said as I flipped the screen that appeared before me. On it, these words were written. [Scanplete! Here is the information regarding the topography of the ind and all the magical beasts that reside within it] [Notification Alert! Detected a group of powerful individuals heading this way and to Alicia''s] "I think Gale and Bn can assist Alicia since I know she couldn''t fully fight with people she needs to protect" As I said those words my body leaned back dodging a fireball from one of the enemy monsters. "Jeremiah keep an eye on what''s going there, tell me if anything happens" [I will Creature] After that, I spread my dark and ragged wings to fly and manoeuvre among the wind. "RUMBLE!" Thunder began to roar while the clouds bore the power of the brewing storm. [The clouds have been fully charged, should weunch it now?] "Go ahead I wanna see how much electricity can it take" With mymand, the sky swallowed the sunlight and only the sparks of lightning could be seen. Pirs of dazzling mass of electricity grounded thend, it burned the surrounding area but the target of this devastation remained breathing. Their scales were tough fully escaping the jaws of death. I who was still flying to dodge all the attacks of the two monsters decided to stop as I saw how immune they were to lightning spells. The obsidian monster ran with its ws extended, while the monster was flying in a dive in preparation to breathe out fire. I did not waste any time and waved my sword to intercept the attack of the two. An arc was made and the sword of light sparks and generates a power to cut through the barrier of the two beasts. "It''s not enough" I could only say as I changed another element. This time it''s fire, a brilliant red fiery magical circle was drawn giving birth to an inferno that also dealt no damage. Then I switch to another element, water then earth. I felt even more confused seeing the results but didn''t stop my body from dodging attacks. My eyes were filled with arrows predicting my opponent''s movement using their muscles and energy movement as a basis. Then I could not help but squint my eyes as ck-tainted energy began to swirl around the mouth of the grotesque beast. Theposition of this energy was something I hadn''t seen before. It was chaotic as if someone had mixed different powers inside a single entity. "It''s going for my left and right side" I could conclude as I shifted the weight of my body in ordance with the enemies'' attack. The calction was done and all I have to do is move ording to it. "BANG!" I sessfully evaded the attack while two devastating explosions shook the very ground of the ind. "It''s immune to elements now then shall we start with physical attacks" I said those words while bloodlust began to rise from my body, this lust for bloodshed turned into a ck-tainted energy that began to corrupt thend. Chapter 232 Holding back Apollo''s will for destruction and bloodshed increases and turns into a fog of darkness. This fog began to cover the ruined part of the ind. [Notification Alert! The skill Oppressor is in effect! The entire ind is under its influence! Enemies are suffering from 50% debuff Morale decreased by 70%! Mind is hindered by 80%] The notification was something Apollo wanted to see since that skill could definitely help his ssmates. Then from the notification panel, his attention shifted towards the two monsters that had already flown towards him. His wings then beat the air and with his skill''s assistance, none of the attacks touched him not even getting close to him. His current stats have been multiplied to 10 due to the skill demonize, so in total Apollo''s stats reach 300,000 going above the demigod level. However even with such high stats his two unique enemies weren''t something he could just st off. He has to be careful since his new powers are too foreign for him to fully control. So with patience, he began calcting and scanning their weaknesses hoping he could exploit them. "Here ites" he said as he saw the energy inside their bodies umte in a single ce. This action means they are about to attack again. The sky shook as three entities flew through the dark clouded sky. Curiously as if the powers inside his body were adapting he could now identify theposition of the attack that would chase him. "RUMBLES!" the clouds were charged with electricity and immediately they targeted the attacks that relentlessly chased after Apollo. The wind was howling while the shockwaves of each impact shook the ground below. Apollo continues to fly not daring toe close to his two stubborn opponents. "Just where are the professors" Apollo thought while flying, his intention with his sudden flight wasn''t just to dodge, it was also to see what was happening inside the ind they were on. "No ships and now signs of other people.....just what''s happening" he wondered until sudden fluctuations of energy attracted his attention. "That wasn''t Alicias or even the students from the other sses, Jeremiah scan that area" [Affirmative!] "Give me the report once you finalize it, it might be the professors" he added as he changed the direction of his body. It seems his objective has been achieved and now his attention is back on the two monsters. Discover exclusive tales on empire The howling continues as he gathers the air to supplement his speed and with the rapid increase of power, he recklessly ms his body onto the hard armory scales of one of the monsters. The sheer amount of force was enough to send the beast straight to the ground while the other followed to assist itsrade. The intense shes of lightning filled the air, and the strong winds and the dark clouds became even more apparent. "GRRRR!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om A growl was heard making Apollo surprised. "Finally a reaction, you''ve been silent for so long I thought all you could do was roar and attack" He said as he flew down a few meters away from his two opponents. One of his enemies tried to remove the spear he nted on the chest of the other monster. The boy didn''t just m his body hard on one of his enemy''s bodies. The moment theynded on the ground he stabbed it with a spear and then immediately teleported away to safety. The two beasts roar causing a disturbance inside Apollo''s mind however unlike before this time he could dismiss it immediately. "It''s not gonna work anymore" he smiled as he said that then he beckoned the spear to obey hismand, and immediately it glowed in response to his call. "ARGHHHHHHH!" it was an unnatural roar as if a mixture of different roars from different magical beasts. Apollo''s spear on the other hand began humming as it continued to absorb the energy of the monster where it was nted. The young mage doesn''t intend to stop however a blinding power ms towards him. "Jeremiah, have you secured the area where the other is?" [I did Creator the authority of space was there as long as there aren''t any devourers that can eat the authority then they are safe] "Add a barrier there now!" [I will!] Despite the situation, Apollo was more concerned about others instead of him. Even when the full brunt of the attack was attacking his body he didn''t mind it. Then a voice that came out of nowhere spoke. "Prepare to meet your fate you puny mage!" Apollo was confused until the dirt and fallen trees seized to obscure his eyesight. His spear was pulled by the ws of one of the monsters but now Apollo could finally describe them without feeling weird. The boy now could see two titans, their body structure was more in bnce, and simr to dragons. The elongated limbs that seem misced are removed by muscr arms and legs. They were all protected with scales like before though the shaggy fur was still there covering the neck and head. "GRRR!" They both growl while Apollo recalls the spear in his hand. This action caused the monster who was previously stabbed to hold on to the weapon however try as it might, it wasn''t able to stop it from flying back to Apollo''s hand. The beast felt annoyed making its scales glow even brighter. This action made it easier for Apollo to distinguish the two. For their scales became different colors from each other. The first one was an obsidian creature, like a lizard it had scales that seemed to be made of the same shiny ck stones. Its eyes were red, its breath was cloudy as if mes could explode at any moment. The second one was no different except for the colour, the scales were emerald, shining with a metallic glint. Though the body seems lighter than the ck one. "Human mage" bellowed the obsidian creature then what Apollo felt as it spoke was like a low rumbling in the very ground he stood in. His eyes squinted and prepared to attack seeing how they change the pattern of their energy flow. There was a st of sound and the obsidian creature was raging forward, an immense, terrifying wave of energy came and Apollo was prepared to fight back. Its mouth erupted with mes while the other beast had the wind to assist the mes that fanned towards their target. Apollo just snapped his finger and the clouds above struck the ming breath cancelling it in the process. "The air surrounding us is under mymand you can''t control it" he said seeing how the emerald beast tried to gain control of the surrounding wind. His words however were answered with a scoff, and then the aura of the two monsters changed again. Apollo on the other hand was busy fortifying the ce so that no more shockwaves could destroy the ind. Their sh had caused half of the ind''s forestry. They had also made small inds due to their spells changing the topography of the area. Apollo now wanted to protect the remaining ces outside and inside the ind. [An attack has been detected please focus on Creator] Jeremiah advised seeing Apollo not paying attention towards his two titan-like opponents. The boy knew what he was trying to say so he didn''t try to argue, instead, he waved his weapon which was already changed into a sword. The de of the sword of light created an arc that intercepted a wall of fire that emerged from the ground. It was so hot, the air became almost charred but Apollo merely changed his stands and took another path for his de. A line was followed, and the power of the sword then pierced through the barrier of mes. The fire dissipated and the ck creature immediately appeared behind the barrier as soon as it disappeared. It growled and spread its enormous wings, these wings then produced ayer of magical attacks that belonged to all five elements. The boy who took the form of a hybrid demon holds onto the weapon in his hand though he knows there is another opponent who is hiding from his sight. The green beast took to the sky again, with its great speed it evaded the electrical attacks of the thunderclouds and was also able to destroy some of them. However, as it glides a cluster of air ms itself onto the beast causing its flight to be disoriented. This opportunity was then taken when a spear suddenly appeared to attack the monster. "Enough!" it bellowed and fire cascaded down on its mouth trying to burn the spear away. The entire sky was covered with mes. It was enough to even burn the remaining trees on the fragile ground of the ind. Now the clouds could no longer be seen since a red bursting fire had eaten it. Back to Apollo who was inbat with the obsidian beast his sword would dance and cut through the beast''s every attack. "ARGH!" The beast groaned and felt frustrated upon seeing how every attack was nothing in front of the human in front of him. Then it sent out another attack and like before a light prated it before dissipating. It gathered its power again however it realised that the human hybrid was nowhere to be found. "Down here" A voice said causing the beast to look down and see a person whose hands held a sword. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 233 Calming dowm "Down here" A voice said causing the beast to look down and see a person whose hands held a sword. The beast felt baffled and for the first time since its birth, it felt fear, it felt panic. The fact that it wasn''t able to sense the boy''s presence left the beast frustrated. "Hoo.." Apollo breathes as he forms his stand, as he focuses a swarm of energy begins to emit from his body. It was a blue hazy light that seemed to resemble a me. "Aura?" said the obsidian beast as soon as it recognized the power that surrounded Apollo. The hazy lightbined with Apollo''s bloodlust created a harmony of death and strength. This ckish-blue halo then revolves across the boy''s de, slowly corrupting the light that dwells on it. "What a trick," the beast thought so while an abundant amount of mana gathered in its body. It seems it ns to make a massive explosion using a spell that is under the five elements. Apollo knew that this attack could possibly break the remaining parts of the ind. He couldn''t let it happen because it would endanger not only the creatures that live in the area but also his friends. "Hoo..." slowly Apollo breathes again dismissing any thoughts that could distract him. He struck while his opponent was still preparing to attack. The boy doesn''t care if the monster is caught off guard, he will kill his opponent regardless of reasons, it doesn''t matter whether they were prepared or not for his attack, what matters is the result. And so with a quick wave of his weapon, the obsidian beast was cut in half. The path of the cut made a two-meter wound on the ground and sky. It''s as if someone drew a line in it. No defences, no barriers were able to block and all you could hear was the sound of something passing over your ears. It''s as if it was only a quick touch of wind that reached you. The strike was fast too fast for the beast to even realise what happened to it. All it noticed was how its sight was strangely cut into two. "Wh-at?" it mumbles while the two piles of flesh slide down on the ground. The body of the unidentified beasty lifeless though the person who had caused this bloodshed only looked above him. The young mage with his body transformed into a hybrid demon merely moving his finger as if controlling something. "RUMBLE!" Thunder began roaring like a dragon while the sky was filled with lightning and fire. These two would sh shaking the heaven and earth with its power. Amongst the fire and light, a silhouette of a metallic weapon can be seen. It glides through the air gathering the might of the wind and storm. "GARRGHHHH!" Roar the emerald beast in panic and frustration, try as it might the enemy kept chasing and breaking every attack and defence it had built. The surrounding wind moved again while a mass of electricity glided through the glowing body of the weapon. Its blue markings absorbed the power it had while the howling air guided its path. "I would never die in this humiliating way!" it shouted while a magic circle was created, this magical sphere summoned great chaos of allbinations of elements however wind and lightning began to grow even greater. It amasses energy and with the power of the metallic weapon as the medium, the elemental roar of the emerald beast was broken to bits. "NO!" shouted the beast as it held onto the barrier that prevented the attack from reaching its ce. "Look at him struggle" Apollo mutters then he flicks his finger and the force that the beast feared begins elerating, it spins with great might breaking the barrier that prevents it from wreaking havoc. The emerald beast gave onest stand to survive however facing the might of thebined force of wind and lightning only turned its body into bits. "ARGH!!" it cried as the power of the elements propelled the power of the weapon. It prated through its heart before creating hundreds of holes in the beast''s body. Then the wind and lightning did the final touch as it grinds and melts the remaining parts of the emerald beast. "Hmmm..." the mage just hums while slowly from above a weapon filled with blood descends. The metallic weapon covered with blue markings just absorbed the blood ording to its owner''smand. A humming sound can be heard from the weapon until its appearance is revealed after absorbing the blood that covers its body. A ck spear merged from the mithril staff, its sturdy and blueish-ck body was the features Apollo wanted for camouge while it flew on the thunderous clouds. As the dust and smoke settles Apollo''smand could be heard. "Jeremiah everyone is safe right?" [Creator the authority kept them hidden from outsiders however it wasn''t the same for the other sses, although the professors were with them the impact from your sh was enough to injure them] "Then why didn''t you help them?" Apollo asked feeling frustrated. [I did but with the professors and other high-ranking people from the security, I could not fully use my power. I don''t want them to be suspicious of my existence, so all I could do is help without stirring too much attention] Apollo can''t help but sigh though he does understand Jermiah''s reasoning. "Let''s go and assist them, are they still inbat with the other outsiders?" [The fight had ended and they are only tending to those who receive heavy injuries] "I see then let''s go back to Alicia and the others" [Before that Creator please fix your appearance you can''t appear looking like that] "Oh, you were right about that" He just said while his body morph back to its original appearance. "Alright send me back now" [Affirmative] Apollo arrived where he left them and saw Alicia and his other ssmates calming the other students. "What is going on here?" he questioned feeling that it was more chaotic here than the situation outside. "Apollo you are here!" Alya found Apollo immediately and felt relieved upon seeing his unscathed appearance. "Alya, what''s going on?" "Ah, that" She didn''t know how to answer so she dragged Apollo closer while sheposed the words on her head. "The thing is the attack from that mysterious monster caused this, we don''t know if it''s from shock or an after-effect from whatever that monster did, but we could not calm their mind. ir is the only one who could ease the tension they felt but there are way too many for him to handle" she exins until they came in front of Samantha. She was on the ground sitting while her back rested on an old tree. Herplexion wasn''t good though her situation was way better than others. At least she doesn''t hysterically attack or shout at people. "How do you feel?" Apollo asked wanting to help as well however the set of eyes that looked at him was different from how they used to be. "Apo-llo?" she mutters, her voice barely audible while in her arms is another girl, her ssmate perhaps that clung onto her arms. "She....got...it worse..than me..." she manages to say so Apollo kneels and tries to check the girl in her arms. "No," a weak voice said, her body trembled excessively while her eyes were brimming with years and fear. Apollo could feel her emotions through the power of the authority of Mystics, not just her but every single person surrounding him. Every emotion and conflicting feeling was like a raging flood that almost drowned him. If it weren''t for his strong mentality and increased intelligence stat, he would have been swept by the intense emotions of the people here. "Apollo" ir said, he suddenly came shifting Apollo''s attention towards him. "We need your help" "I know" he simply said knowing how frustrating and unsettling the current situation is. "ir you can rest now, I''ll take it from here" he added, since he knew that the authority of Mystics was flooding ir with everyone''s emotions. "I am fine it''s not as bad as you think" he just says although Apollo felt there were more things he refused to say. "Rest and leave everything to me" Apollo said so while tapping his friend''s shoulder. With his stubbornness, ir had no option but to agree. "Alright just be careful" he just said "Thanks for worrying" Apollo replied beforemanding Jeremiah to activate the authority of the God of Mystics. "Let''s cover the entire area" [Affirmative my Creator]N?v(el)B\\jnn As the power of the God of Mystics intensified Apollo''s sensitivity over the state of mind of others increased. Each person was shown to him like a set of data he needed to solve. So with the aid of the system and Jeremiah one by one he started healing every single patient. "Wow" ir couldn''t help but say as he felt how Apollo''s power was able to stabilize everyone''s mind. The previous chaotic ce slowly returns to normal finally putting everyone at peace. Chapter 234 Helping others As the chaos settled, Apollo stood amidst the healing crowd. He could feel their minds slowly recovering putting his mind at ease. However, his heart felt heavy with the remnants of the battle. He could have finished the fight much faster, however, he knew that recklessly attacking could suddenly unleash unnecessary power from him that could destroy the entire ind. After all his newly acquired power was too powerful for him to handle immediately. Apollo wanted to avoid this worst so he put a barrier to prevent further damage, but those two beasts were too mystical to be fully confined. As the battle progresses Apollo notices that they can break his barrier even after his massive upgrade. And so he made them stay in one ce and only focus on him. The fight ended and with their power scale damage is apparent to ur. The effect of the battle that Apollo had before still weighed in his head but slowly it was changing, Apollo thought that these feelings might have stemmed from everyone''s emotions that almost ate him a while ago. He looked back at his friends and Alicia, who paid attention to helping the exhausted students. Their effortsforted him slightly, reminding him that everything would be better. The authority of the God of Mystics then seized activating indicating that all the surrounding people were healed. They will be fine as long as they eat and sleep. Though Apollo felt a bit dizzy it was all good helping out others. He felt tired but still wouldn''t stop even when he was also exhausted from overusing the system. He too needs some rest just like the others but unlike them, he could not get a proper rest right now. He still has to do something. "Apollo" he heard and voice so he turned to see Vesta on her hand was a flute. "Are you using your music to calm them?" She nodded though he felt pain seeing the scratches on her arms, it seemed some actually tried to harm her. "Don''t worry Aaron gave them a quick jab sending them to sleep" she said with a wink then her eyes changed when she realized Apollo''s tired eyes. "You need to rest, I know you are tired" Apollo just shakes his head in answer "I will be fine" he says to reassure her. Vesta didn''t buy his words and so she gave him a song that could rx his mind, and it did. The young mage felt calm as if all the burden that weighed his mind was slowly slipping away. [Creator the professors and the other student''s mana signature suddenly disappear from my radar] Jeremiah suddenly notifies making Apollo worried, so he beckons Vesta to stop making his friend confused. "Something wrong?" she asked but Apollo just gestured for her to rest, though worried she stillplied with his words. "I need to find them," he thought, knowing this ce was already safe. The other students only need adequate rest and they are good to go. "Alicia" "I know, you can go" she replies knowing what worries him. She too senses their professor''s sudden disappearance. "Some are alsoing this way but I will handle them" she added while patting his shoulder. "Find them and be safe" "Of course, I will" He smiled and so did she, it was hers and his friends'' expressions that made him relieved before leaving once again. When he ventures deep into the remaining part of the forest. Strangely as he walks he finds the trees darker, and thicker and standing much closer to each other. He felt confused and questioned his own memory of the ce. [Creator ording to the scanner it seems magic created a mutation to the surrounding trees, although I still couldn''t find to what extent the mutation affected the trees. The artifact on this ind is still hindering my power so I apologise for this situation] "It''s okay we should continue" As he surveys the area with great speed he notices something from the bushes. The system scanner had picked up a strange energy pattern so the young mage went there to investigate it. Lying on the forest floor were the carcasses of a strange creature. A beast which he had never seen before. Its body was multicoloured and glinted even in death, the scales are very simr to a prism. Although now the beast was dposing, its forms can still be seen. Its appearance was like abstract art with many undecided parts joined to create a creature. It was chaotic but at the same time organised to be recognized as a wolf beast though Apollo isn''t sure if he was right. "Can you recognize if this one of the attackers?" He wondered while examining the lifeless monster. [It is one of them Creator] he answered. "Jeremiah," he called again, "Can you investigate the area and see if you can see the events that urred here" [Affirmative, Now, scanning.] Thinking about this in terms of this beast, Apollo recalled the details. Well, the professors surely had a nice fight through the battle to put it down. It could be easily seen that they fought bravely to defend the students, but what about the rest of the monsters? How many more were there, still concealed in this ind''s interior? The young mage began to worry as he looked for more clues. [Analysisplete. It looks like the creature has been experimented on since ording to the analysis its DNA structure is messed up from different magical beasts] Apollo already anticipated the answer but still felt worried upon hearing it from Jeremiah. "I need to find the professors," he whispered to himself while he felt the urgency to look for them. "If they are ever to deal with more of these beasts they will need assistance." With this in mind, he moved further into the forest increasing his awareness. Despite this scenery, the gentle beauty of the greenery around him, and the pleasure it brought to his eyes, Apollo could not ept the thought that he could not find his teachers. After some time of wandering through the forest, the sound of the fight reached his ears. [Creator we had entered a territory marked by an artifact] "So the reason they disappeared was because of an artifact?" [Yes Creator, and it is still in effect affecting our senses] Apollo clenches his teeth as he rushes to aid the professors. When he got near the middle, he looked around in shock. Many other beasts were also lying dead on the floor and they were coloured some even simr to the forest floor. "Professor!" he called, the professors must have engaged in a fierce battle to bring it down. It was clear that they had fought hard to protect the students. [Analysisplete! The creature appears to have been killed by a powerful spell, likely from a high-ranking professor. Its magic signature indicates it was from Professor Adolfo] "So he is fighting" he thought as he ran forward tracing the sound of battle he could still hear. "I need to find the professors," he murmured, wanting to see his instructors alive and well. After a while, Apollo reached a clearing, where the sounds of battle were even more intense. The air crackled with residual energy, hinting at the aftermath of a fierce conflict. He rushed forward, hoping to find his teachers and other students amidst the chaos. "Professor!" Apollo called again, wishing someone could hear him. [Creator run a little more!] With Jeremiah''s urging he rush forward. After running a few more times he finally saw a person. "Professor look!" a student said as she pointed to a certain red-orange-haired individual. Lysander their professor looked at her and followed her finger and there behind a tree he saw the young mage who had arrived. "Apollo! I''m d to see you unharmed" he eximed even though he knew that the boy didn''t know him. "Professor where are the others?" he asked realizing he wasn''t the one he was looking for. "If you are looking for your professors they are over there." he pointed. "Are they safe?" Apollo inquired, worry ringing in his voice. "For now they are," Lysander said evenly his heart pounding furiously. "But we have lost a lot. The rest of the professors are caring for the injured while the rest of us hold off such creatures, clearly a reference to me. They decided they needed to gather everyone together and make sure all the students had been found." "I can help," said Apollo and confidence filled the air inside him. "I sure know you coulde now we need every hand we can get," Lysander signed and indicated for Apollo toe nearer. "Everybody will need all the strength they have within them to guard everybody." Furthermore, as they moved deeper into the battlefield, Apollo saw a giant corpse of the same beast he had fought. "This is" he felt shocked to see a huge hole puncture on its chest.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Who did this?" he asked, even though he was weakened due to fatigue when facing this creature it was still powerful. So howe it was killed in a single blow? "Ah, that, it''s because of him" Lysander just said as he pointed towards the man who did it. Apollo followed him and saw a familiar man holding a sword in his hand. "Professor Adolfo?" he said realizing how strong the professor they called lunatic is. Chapter 235 Bang! Apollo just stared in utter disbelief as he looked at Professor Adolfo, who was famously being called around the academy as a raving lunatic, though it was actually due to Mckenzie poprizing it to the other ss. The man was a professional swordsman, he moved with a fluency and vigour one could only expect from a man who uses the weapon for a living. Apollo can tell he isn''t just a random teacher, he is a soldier. The evidence of this is the enormous body of the creature piled behind him. The huge hole depicted only the result of a single blow. What''s even more funny is that the other professor only looked at the situation as if it was a normal thing to happen. "Professor Adolfo¡­" The boy whispers, still unconsciously amazed. Behind professor Adolfo were professor Timothy and Alejo each holding their weapon. Moving his eyes further Apollo was able to see Professor Gelda and Agatha who aided the injured students and security personnel. Seeing each different battlefield with swords and healing the boy doesn''t know whether to help inbat or aid in injuries. "You are here student Apollo" Adolfo''s voice rang cutting off Apollo''s thoughts. "It''s nice to see you in good shape, how is the ss? Is everyone doing okay?" "Everyone is doing good, the Combat ss was also with us" the boy answered causing the five teachers to breathe a sigh of relief. "I know you will all be fine, but it''s still good to hear it from you," Timothy said as he smiled weakly, his thoughts were finally clear with doubts as he heard Apollo''s words. "Student give a hand to professors Agatha and Gelda first, I think we can handle these monsters for now" Alejo suggested and happily Apolloplied. As they wrapped the battle they were struck all of a sudden by a thunderous sounding from the very ground beneath their feet. The clusters of leaves rustled violently, and within moments, dark figures emerged from the shadows, growls and roars then came after until the thing they were worried about happened, and the unidentified beasts arrived again. These were simr to the multicoloured wolf-beast but they appeared to be more dangerous than the earlier sight, with much bigger, sharper teeth and a raw chaotic aura around them. "Be on guard!" Lysander yelled as he pulled his axe and went ahead to meet the creatures. "Apollo regroup with the medic and stay with the other students, now!" However, despite hismand, Adolfo had a different decision on the matter. "Drop the medicine kit Apollo, assist us" Other security guards and professors looked worried at his decision but knowing who Adolfo was they could not reject him. "I will assist using weapons if that is okay" "Sure do as you please as long as it could helps us" The boy nodded his head upon receiving his approval, and so using the data he had gathered from facing his previous enemies, he could create a weapon ording to it and took advantage of the weakness he had witnessed. "Jeremiah give me the data"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [Affirmative retrieving analysis report] Apollo was still tired and his body was still adjusting to the system''s sudden huge update, however, the boy could still handle this as long as he didn''t use two to three skills at the same time. With the dataing in the boy then created a blueprint for his new weapon. The system was assisting him and using the records of his previous creations, the structure of the weapon was immediately outlined. "Jeremiah activate the skill Automatic Weaponry" [Command receive! Initiating skill activation...] Apollo took out one of his prototype rifles and with the skill''s activation, the weapon was reforged. Modifications were added to amodate the enemies that began running from the forest. The gun had a thin metallic frame with a faint glow on it and the barrel had carvings, inscriptions Apollo harvested from his knowledge of scroll making. The ground began to shake while the sounds of monsters filled the boy''s ears, but he remained calm. His eyes were clear and he could definitely shoot without the need of a scope. "They areing!" shouted a man, Apollo knew he was part of the security seeing the crest on his chest. His weapon was a spear while those who were more inclined with magic switched with weapons simr to Apollo. They knew after all that those monsters were immune to magic. As soon as the enemies were on their range the battle began once again. Apollo then repositioned himself to guard the medic and the rest of the other students. After ensuring his spot he raised the rifle and pointed it towards the nearest creature "Here we go!" He silently said while his eyes transformed to respond to the situation. In there a reticle was added by the system gear, a reticle is the aiming point that helps the shooter align their target. Apollo has these features alongside magnification adjustment. The symbols that are carved on the body of the rifle glow and the bullet residing inside begins to be enveloped by light. The inscriptions embedded on its body propel it to burst through the barrel as Apollo pulls the trigger. "BANG!" The gunshot echoed through the forest as a magical bullet soared forth towards the target and hit the creature right in the nk. It growled in pain and fell back a bit, which was all the time the professors needed to strike the final blow. "Jeremiah, did you analyze that?" [I did, sending the analysis report] The prating power of the bullet wasn''t enough tond a fatal blow. Due to the scales of the beast, it couldn''t go any further into the enemy''s flesh. The scales were strong enough to protect the monsters from any iing physical attack and absorb magic from spells. "Let''s readjust the bullet''s power" said the boy still keeping his cool despite the first bullet failing to meet his expectations. His eyes then scan the iing beast and the analysis of their body structure is given by the system. "Eyes" he mutters as he activates the skill Automatic Weaponry to modify his rifle and bullets. "Let''s test it again" He said as soon as the modification ended. "BANG!" The roar of the gun momentarily scared the other students but Apollo didn''t really care. He merely watched as the bullet went through his target''s eyes. "Bullseye" It went straight to the head, however to Apollo''s disbelief despite the brain being damaged the beast was still able to move to attack. Although its movements were sluggish it was still moving despite half of the brain being prated by a bullet. "What the" he was suddenly confused because clearly the system showed that he was able to pierce through the brain from the eyes yet his target was still moving. From the confusion due to what he saw, Apollo dismissed his useless disbelief as he held the rifle again to send another storm of bullets. "Cover me!" Adolfo yelled and started moving around vigorously. He proceeded to stab in the middle of a beast and with a single swipe of his sword, another beast came crashing to the ground. The creature copsed to the ground while flying arrows and bullets served as his cover from the attacking enemies. Back to Apollo from his defensive stance on the medic''s position, he followed the professors in a cover fire and thus moved in parallel. He again began to feel a sudden heaviness as if a huge burden was setting in, but he put on his best efforts to shoot knowing something other than fatigue was making him weaker. "This damn artifact" He could tell feeling the familiar trace of energy that belonged to the said weapons. So to ease the feeling he shakes his head while creating more bullets for reloading. "Keep pushing! We need to drive them back!" Lysander attacked, throwing numerous elemental spells using his axe as a medium. The spells were merely a power to assist his weapon in digging deeper into his enemies''s skin. It worked well since he was able to kill dozens of enemies. As soon as Apollo reloaded, he saw a shadow moving swiftly behind arge tree¡ªthis motion turned his spine cold, he could feel something dangerous in there. He looked even further and saw the reason behind his reaction. Further into the forest, it looked as if the creatures were massing, they were growing in quantity at an rming rate. "They areing from all sides!" he yelled hearing the growling of the beasts around, a shiver ran through him as more of them entered the clearing. "Concentrate fire! Aim for therger ones first!" Adolfomanded, his voice dominating every sound around them. "We will force them more together!" The chaos escted even managing to make Apollo rethink about using another skill though Jeremiah was against it. Something inside the ind was hindering the system, clearly, it was a powerful artifact so it is best not to rely too much on the system until they figure out where the artifact is. Chapter 236Isolated The chaos escted even managing to make Apollo rethink about using another skill though Jeremiah was against it. Something inside the ind was hindering the system, clearly, it was a powerful artifact so it is best not to rely too much on the system until they figure out where the artifact is. The remaining able students on the other hand cast a spell to create a shield that could momentarily protect their teachers. It wasn''t that strong tost but it was enough to buy time. While the fighting continued, Apollo aimed and fired the weapon in his hand. He could see how the professors were a team and each one of them could easily watch for the others'' blind spots. Their synergy amazes him, they were experienced fighters with the confidence to leave their back protected by theirrades. The connection they have must have been built by years of fighting alongside each other. Suddenly, the ground shook, and a massive creature burst forth from the underbrush, its grotesque form left the other beasts looking like little cups. It bore twisted features a grotesque parody of the wolf-beasts, with a huge frame and scaly skin which literally reflected hues simr to the moving colours of a kaleidoscope. "What the hell" Apollo yet again felt weird seeing a scary monster with shining colorful scales. It felt so misced like watching a horror movie withedy music as its theme. Its overall aura decreases a lot making the boy think about the person who made these creatures. "That person seriously needs therapy" he concluded while reloading his rifle. "Everyone, fall back!" Lysander shouted as he was getting ready to cast a rather strong spell to propel his spiked il and axe. As ast resort, Apollo modified his weapon again, but this time it was for the giant organism out there that just arrived. He poured all his thoughts intoing up with the design, and with all the attacks that the monster received, he could at least use it as data. Analytic reports fly in and out of Apollo''s head, and with all his thoughts going everywhere he is thankful that he is still sane enough to multi-task everything. The physical report of the monsters arrived and Apollo adjusted the newly modified weapon to amodate his desired results. "BANG!" The shot was fired right through the beast''s chest and from the looks of it, it seemed not to have been affected by it. "Shit," the boy said to himself as he analyzed the energy level of the beast. It was increasing at an rming rate. "Professor Adolfo! Can you hold it off?" The panic unexpectedly crawled into Apollo''s chest as he called his teacher. "What''s this, you actually need me, well leave it to me!" Adolfo shouted back and ran towards his opponent with great speed. Other professors grouped themselves around Adolfo and cast a circle of spells to restrain the huge beast while some cast spells for buffing effects. When the beast rose into anger, growling dangerously, Apollo responded by taking out a cannon, and a machine gun program to put down the smaller creatures, picking them off one by one while also trying to keep an eye on Adolfo and the others. The cannon was set while the machine began firing. As soon as he saw the opening he needed the cannon was fired. A loud banging sound shook the ground, and even Apollo who made the weapon was surprised by the power of the weapon he hastily made. His eardrums were almost busted while the smoke made by the weapon left him blinded. A booming sound lunges at everyone''s ears and even the surrounding monsters are stunned by the sound produced by the weapon. Apollo on the other hand could only ask "Did it work?" [It did] Jeremiah replied as the projectile ran into the beast''s face ruining its shining scales. It was heavily injured and could be taken out by the cluster of professors and security. But as if victory was at hand, Apollo felt a sudden chill that made him look behind him. There from the forest, he could see a group of individuals standing suspiciously among the rallies of monsters. A group of dark hooded men or women Apollo wasn''t even sure, because he could not see their faces. They were standing among the legion of monsters, watching as the fight continued. An unexined breath escapes from Apollo, while the surroundingse in slow motion. The world became quiet yet within a second the mysterious group disappeared. "What did I just see" He could only say until the sounds of battle entered his ears again. "They must be the ones who are controlling the creatures," Apollo grumbled and he stared at where they disappeared. Somehow he could tell that the attack was only the start. Now he doesn''t even know what to focus on. "This chaos is getting tiring" he could only say until the roar of the giant monster echoed as professors Alejo and Adolfonded the killing blow. The machine was still running nonstop while Apollo wished he could have added a silencer since his ears were close to giving up. [I''ll remove your ability to hear Creator, what do you think?] "Nah, if you do that I won''t be able to hear anyone" he could only say while feeling numb due to the noise. He already moved away but the noise was too loud for his sensitive ears. "I''m suddenly hating my newly enhanced senses," the boy thought so while holding back his power. "It''s done!" The professors and students celebrated while the Academy security felt exasperated. The way they rejoice felt like they won an award from a famous contest rather than happiness from surviving a beast attack. "Something bothering you?" Adolfo asked seeing his student look distraught. "While fighting a while ago, I saw a group of people standing alongside the army of monsters" the boy replied while feeling confused about their identity. "Don''t worry if those monsterse, we will be ready," Adolfo said, and the ferocity returned respectively within him. "We won''t let them win" he added with a smile to encourage his students, though all Apollo remembered was his sadistic face whenever they torture train them. After that Apollo told his professors he would regroup with his ss, although some were against it Adolfo gave his blessings so he left happily. As soon as he was gone all the academy staff started making their next n since what Apollo saw worried them. The attack was very deliberate to eliminate them and if it weren''t for the fact they were from Aster, a ce where only the strong can be allowed to stand in, they would have perished. So the first thing they need to do is to contact the outside. Something that is extremely hard given that a powerful artifact is blocking theirmunication device. "Now what should we do?" Lysander asked looking at the Lower ss professors whom he knew all working for the emperor. . . . It was tense, after the beast attack, the professor and the security of the academy were inside the little headquarters formed on the other side of the battlefield, they left the clearing and instead went on to camp at the forestry. Apollo, having left the battle zone, returned to his ssmates, wanting to know what happened to them. He ran through the forest, where the remnants of the earlier battle were still evident. The scent of burnt wood lingered in the air, and the sounds of the battle still rang in his head. Those things begin to bother Apollo, so he shakes his head trying to remove all the unnecessary thoughts he has while navigating through the forest. Every step he took made him feel a pressure that burdened his body, this was due to the artifact that resided inside the forest. Despite the pain, he endured it and continued walking through the dark trail of the woods. After a few moments, he arrived at the boundary of the space lock made by an authority. "So in the end they also found this ce" he could conclude seeing all the carcass that lies on the forest floor. They found them however they could not enter. He could tell seeing some monsters dying in a different way than the others. Some beasts died with fist-sized holes littered on their bodies, the other however have golden shards of light that revolve around the corpses. Those lights signify that the power of the authority of space was used. However, there was something that made Apollo feelplicated. It was the brutal way the monsters died, some were actually ripped as if they were a mere sheet of paper, while some were punched to bits. The young mage felt that the perpetrator of this scene was under pressure seeing how recklessly she handled the bodies. It''s as if she was in a hurry, though Apollo could understand seeing the number of corpses on the floor.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Alicia must have done this" Chapter 237 Watcher "Alicia must have done this" he thought so as he entered the space lock, immediately he located his friends inside the canopy tents, made from the leaves and branches of trees. This simple tent was converted into a make-shift medical ward for the injured students, there he saw the entire Lower ss aiding the students of Combat ss. They continued helping those in need until a pair of ruby eyesnded on the boy. "Apollo" she blurted out and quickly moved towards him. Her eyes checked him for signs of injury even when she knew it was close to impossible to happen. "Are you alright?" "I''m fine, just a bit tired," he said though exhaustion was steadily setting in. "Is it about the artifact?" The boy nodded wanting to rest but with the current situation, it seems he won''t be able to do it. "You should rest" Her concern was evident in her voice but Apollo could tell that she was in no good position either. "It seems you are as tired as I am," he said instead of paying heed to her words. "I am but I will be fine" The tables were suddenly turned, Apollo now is the one worrying and telling the other to rest, while Alicia is the one being told to but doesn''t listen. "I know your situation" Apollo started to say his eyes locked on Alicia''s ruby eyes. "You have a very strong power however your body can''t handle it, so I can tell that somehow you are sealing it away. That is why expending too much of your strength strains your control. The more power you release the more your body failed to suppress it" his voice was very calm and Alicia remained listening to him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Once you can''t control it anymore, you are afraid that it will burst out hurting others including yourself" "I never knew you would figure out so much about me" "It took some time but at least I was able to get a hang over your situation" Alicia couldn''t help but chuckle though her expression gradually returned to her usual cold demeanour. "Since you told me something important I will do the same" Apollo felt suddenly confused but still remained silent and listened to her. "I know about the existence of the artifact inside this ind" Apollo was a bit surprised though he did think of it once when he saw how calm she was at the start of the evaluation. "The artifact inside this ind was supposed to stop any cheating from the other students. No spells, no equipment or other artifacts only the skills for survival will be used. This information was only known to the imperial house since the artifact was requested by the academy from them. I never knew that the artifact that is supposed to protect and prevent cheating among the students will be used this way" The said artifact was the reason behind themunication blockage and the reason why some equipment wasn''t usable, unfortunately, Alicia only knew about its existence but not its location. "So are you telling me that somehow our enemies got their hands on the artifact when the information about this was supposed to be only between the academy and the imperial house?" "Yes" An exasperated sigh escapes from Apollo, he is disappointed that even now both sides have spies that they still haven''t removed. [Creator I haven''t detected anything like spies inside the Academy while the Emperor''s side only has a couple of people who are under the directmand of his majesty. Those people are bound by oath they won''t be able to act as spies] "Right, we didn''t really notice anything suspicious when we were at the academy. I thought it was just me failing to notice the conspiracy but since we didn''t notice anything, it might not be spies who leaked the information" "Then it only means" Apollo''s train of thoughts leads to a certain individual. "Nero" he mutters while Alicia only nods sharing the same thought. The ind''s location was the same ind being used every year so it wouldn''t really be impossible to locate it, however, the existence of the artifact had a limited amount of people who knew it. The imperial house and the Academy are the only ones to me, though both sides had taken measures to minimize information leakage. "It''s him again" Apollo could only massage his head as he said those words. There was a worry etched on Alicia''s forehead as she knew that another danger would fall on Apollo''s shoulder. "You should heal from the previous battle fight. I will assist youter on in finding the artifact" she said wanting Apollo to take some time to rest. "Alright" He nodded then he continued "But first we should regroup with the professors, they were with the other students as well" "Okay, I will inform everyone" Alicia turned back, and for a moment he wondered why she didn''t ask for the professors'' condition or even the other sses. She never asked if they were okay or if everything went well. All she did was inquire about his situation and inform him about the existence of the artifact. Other than that she didn''t say anymore making Apollo think that she must have known what happened based on his expression. She must have figured it out since he didn''t look dejected or sad. "Yup, that must be it" he concluded while sitting on a makeshift chair. Then after a few twists and turns they arrive at the camp where the professors and the rest of the students are located. There was a sight of relief and anguish but the reunion brought happiness to everyone. Under the bonfire, tales were told and songs of determination were heard, Apollo and Alicia were resting along with the entire Lower ss, sharing stories about how their day went while savoring the humble meal they ate. After the stressful day, they all decided to rest to subside their fatigue. The night was calm, no monsters came and strangely everyone who exhausted their mind and body received an ample amount of rest. And so the night went away and the morning came. The crickets that were singing slowly reced by bird melodies while everyone began to wake up. The sun''s light was warm washing their heavy minds and aching bodies. The students who woke up realised that they felt so light like nothing happened yesterday. Opposite to the student''s reaction, the professors and security almost have a heart attack realizing none of them was able to stay up all night to watch. As the people waking up grew in size, breakfast was then prepared by the professors who felt embarrassed by their negligence of keeping watchst night. The aroma of the food attracted everyone''s attention and soon enough they all gathered to fill their stomach. With all gathered in one ce, a voice began to speak "Students, I need you to listen closely," Adolfo said, addressing the group. "We''re facing a serious threat, and we need to establishmunication with the higher-ups. With something blocking our signals, we have to find a workaround." The professor specifically excluded the information about the artifact, knowing it could cause panic among the children. As the professors nned their next move Apollo turned his eyes towards the forest, and the darkness lurking beneath the trees. Strangely he felt an inexplicable pull towards it. Curious he decided to go towards it wanting to know the reason behind the feeling he was having. "Apollo? Hey, where are you going?" Alya noticed him moving suspiciously so she called him however it seemed her voice didn''t reach him. As Apollo made his way towards the tree line, the atmosphere shifted. The air felt charged with energy, and the shadows seemed to watch him, waiting. The rustle of leaves and the distant growls of the remaining beasts made his heart race. Whether it was excitement or nervousness he will never know. "I am being watched" he realized watching the nimble shadow that kept following him. Apollo kept his senses alert knowing the artifact was still influencing him. The further he ventured, the more he felt the oppressive energy of the artifact. It was as if the air thickened, making it difficult to breathe. "You are really stupid" Said a voice causing Apollo to almost jump. He didn''t sense who it was so frantically looked back and saw a girl with ck hair and ruby eyes. "Alicia?" "I told you not to go alone" "Right sorry" Apollo felt a bit embarrassed however, suddenly, they spotted a movement, which shifted their attention towards it. Seconds went by and there was silence between the two, neither spoke or even looked at each other. Their focus was directed at something, although they didn''t know what it was. There was a figure, d in dark robes flitted between the trees. A chill ran down Apollo''s spine, as a realization dawned on him. He had seen them before, the mysterious figures that had caught his eye during the battle. They were watching him, acting like a pack of predators. Chapter 238 Found artefact There was something from afar, Apollo could tell there was something watching him and Alicia. "Ali can you feel it" "Yes, at least five are moving around us" "Five?" Apollo said a bit shocked though Alicia could tell he was because of his expression. He couldn''t locate their enemies since his senses were messed up due to the force that clouded his judgment. [The influence of the artifact is getting stronger Creator] Jeremiah suddenly warned, however Apollo was already aware of it. It was his body, after all, he is the one experiencing the pain and burden so he knows what is happening. "Are you alright?" Alicia asks seeing Apollo''s growing difort. "I am okay" he replies though Alicia could tell he is having a hard time. His expression was strained while the frown on his face didn''t change. "We should go back" she said wanting to remove Apollo from any more danger. Knowing her intention the young mage was about to reply when a sudden movement caught their attention. Alicia felt a sudden movement from her side so she moved to guard Apollo however her situation wasn''t any better from him, so from a blind spot a figure emerged attacking Apollo. Though in thest second, she was able to respond sensing the killing intent. "Dodge!" she manages but hundreds of invincible strings bind her making her reaction dyed. Her words reach Apollo however before he could react, a woman already grabbed him, her eyes zing with fury. "It''s you, finally I have you!" she screamed, her voiceced with hatred. "And who are you?" he asked not concerned about the hand that grabbed his neck. "You deserve to die!" "And why? What did I do to you?" Apollo demanded, confusion flooding his mind as he prepared to defend himself. "You took everything from me!" she shouted, gripping Apollo''s neck while a dagger aimed at his heart. "I don''t even know you!" Apollo argued while a set of barriers emerged to protect him. Using the skill Light of Aegis a protective barrier deflected the daggers that attacked. Apollo then moves to escape the mysterious woman''s tight grip and form his stance to attack. As he did so a nimble shadow followed him. "You won''t get away!" the woman''s voice runs wild as she begins to chase after Apollo. She was crazy ording to Apollo''s thoughts seeing how she relentlessly follows "Are those wind?" the boy noticed seeing a green light gathering around her opponent. "It''s not a mana colour so it''s the element of wind" More changes transpire as the woman''s hand transforms into a beastly appearance. Her nails turn into sharp ws while a fur-like coating emerges around her skin. "This woman is a magical beast" he thought so as he sidestepped her attack. Then the feeling of adrenaline surged as he activated his system''s gears. His eyes now were filled with arrows predicting his opponent''s movements. "Jeremiah, analyze her!" [Affirmative! Analyzing¡­ Analyze Complete! Target is aggressive and crazy, she might be delusional!] "You think I haven''t noticed that? Give me something, my body is too tired to summon strong spells" [Counterattack has been devised! Imnting n...] The boy''s mind was immediately filled with a hologram image of his enemy. This hologram will predict his opponent''s attack pattern while a set of arrows will guide Apollo on what he needs to do. This was only a calcting prediction based on Jeremiah''s analysis, which is why it could still make mistakes. It can''tpletely predict everything and Apollo is the only one who can decide what he needs to do. With a swift motion, Apollo grabbed her wrist, twisting it to disarm her. He could feel the heat radiating from her body, fueled by her rage.N?v(el)B\\jnn The wind howls after however, Apollo''s control over the wind is far superior thus her attack is disabled. "Why are you after me?" he pressed, holding her at bay. "Hah! You, humans are like this, you take whatever you want without thinking of the consequence!" she spat, her expression a mixture of fury and pain. Just as Apollo was about to respond, he sensed more figures moving in the shadows. The woman grinned, pulling away. "You may have bested me today, but you won''t escape the rest of us!" At that moment, Apollo''s focus wavered as he felt the artifact''s energy pulsing nearby, and the mysterious group melted into the shadows. "Wait!" he called out, but it was toote. They had vanished. Frustrated but undeterred, Apollo took a moment to collect himself. He focused on the artifact''s energy, now clearer in his mind. Moving deeper into the forest, he could sense its presence growing stronger. "Apollo" suddenly Alicia called him causing for him to look back. "What the are you alright!" Panic filled Apollo''s voice as he saw Alicia''s bloody appearance. "Don''t worry it wasn''t mine" she said while wiping the spattered blood on her face. "That''s not yours?" he felt relieved for a moment only to see an arm on Alicia''s hand. "Oh, this? I managed to grab it but they left as soon as I was about to rip the head" she replied seeing Apollo''s eyesnding on her bloody hand. "Maybe we should return?" he suggested seeing that the two of them have not recoveredpletely. "I agree let''s go back hereter" She then uses her magic to erase all the blood on her face and clothes. "You felt it as well right?" he asked as they walked back to the camp. "I did but I can''t pinpoint itpletely since there is another artefact ying with us" "Another one" he mutters feeling a bit weak about the situation. "After this, I wanna rest a bit" he could only as the two of them returned. After a couple of hours of recovering Apollo and Alicia had asked their professor''s permission to survey the area, fortunately, they agreed. Then they manoeuver through the dense underbrush, they stumbled upon a clearing. In the centrey an ancient stone altar, pulsating with dark energy that resonated with the chaotic force he felt earlier. "Jeremiah analysis" [Affirmative!] With caution, Alicia and Apollo carefully walk towards the altar. They were expecting traps but none came. Calmly Apollo reached out, while Alicia channelled her energy to counteract the artefact''s influence. She extended her power to shield Apollo as he disabled the protective barrier of the artefact. As he grasped it, he felt a jolt surge through him, and for a moment, the world around him spun. Alicia was immediately rmed holding his body which copsed due to the impact. "Apollo?" she called as she expanded the barrier. "Come on can you hear me?" she lifted him up ready to return however she heard Apollo''s sudden change in breathing. "You awake" "Sorry just felt a bit dizzy" he yfully smirked as he said those words. Then, rity returned. He had it. He had found the source of their weakness. He also found something interesting. The pressure and burdening feeling weren''t because of the power of the artifact but because the artifacts themselves gave off an energy that made him weaker. He doesn''t understand yet how their energy works but he doesn''t mind researching. What is even more interesting is that the artifact under hismand won''t radiate such influence different from the one on the ind. "I''ll take the artifact" Alicia suggested seeing her friend''s situation. Any more of that and Apollo mightpletely copse. "No I''m good, I already built resistance to the power so it won''t work again" He moved after saying that then he slowly got out of Alicia''s arms and went forward towards the altar. On the surface of the ck stone structure, a stone was lying deep into it. Apollo knew it was the real artifact while the altar was used to amplify its effects throughout the ind. Without any hesitation, he picks it out and the faint glow of the altar grows weaker. "See I told you I can handle it" he said proudly while Alicia couldn''t help but chuckle at his words. As he held the artifact, he activated amunication line to the academy. Thismunication tool was established by using one of their professors'' knowledge of technology. The only downside is that they can only use it inside the ind. "Professors! I found the artefact!" he shouted into the link, breathless. "It''s in an old altar in the forest" he added. "We''re on our way, Apollo," Adolfo''s voice crackled through. "Hold your position" "Okay sir" Apollo then sends a re signal that is only visible to the eyes of the professors. He did this to reveal their position. "I wonder if this is safe" Alicia wondered not liking how they needed to stay instead of returning. "Perhaps they want to study the altar as well since it is used to amplify the effects of the artifact" "We should be on guard" "I know Alicia" Apollo now sounded a bit more cheerful than before since the system had fully adapted from the power of the artifact. The pressure was still there but more manageable and easy to endure. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 239 Was he right? Apollo and Alicia stood in the clearing, the once glowing stone altar dimmer now, thanks to the artifact in Apollo''s hand. He felt a hint of victory mixed with foreboding as he regarded the fragment of dark energy that had brought so much havoc. The throbbing sensation that had obscured his reasoning was now almost inaudible, allowing him to think clearly. The system was now adapting to the energy from the artifact, fully functional despite its suppressive power. It was bearable, no longer a burden as it had been before. "Alicia, I wonder if this artifact is safe now that I have taken it," he said, uncertainty still lingering in his voice. "Why don''t you study the artifact to find out? Aren''t you good at that?" she replied. "Unfortunately, this artifact is too high-level for me to analyze," Apollo sighed, though his eyes remained fixed on the screen in front of him. [Name: CURRENTLY INFORMATION UNAVAILABLE Rank: REVELATION Origin: CURRENTLY INFORMATION UNAVAILABLE Usage: CURRENTLY INFORMATION UNAVAILABLE] [This is just a rough analysis. All I could do was identify its rank from the newly acquired data ranking. The hierarchy begins with Zenith, followed by Genesis, Exodus, Revtion, and Apocalypse. Currently, the system can''t utilize too much power since it''s prioritizing deflecting and adapting to the energy from the artifact.] [Give me just a bit of time to analyze the artifact.] "Thank you," he replied to Jeremiah, knowing that the close contact made his senses weaker. "I wonder why both the system and I feel so much pain from this artifact. Is it simply due to its effects, or is there something else?" he pondered as seconds turned into minutes. As time passed, the two grew more suspicious of the growing silence in the forest. "We should be prepared," he said, feeling the artifact disappear from his hand. It immediately entered his inventory, securing it from any other threats. "Given our current situation, we must be ready for the worst. The energy here is still unstable, and we still can''t tell who benefits from this situation or what othertent forces are present," Alicia said, scanning the forest for any signs of movement. Apollo focused on calming his breathing, honing his senses to pinpoint the chilling sensation he had been feeling. He was already strong enough to produce an aura, so he should at least be able to locate any potential opponents. Slowly, he sent out a fragment of his mana. Upon contact with the nature mana in the nts, Apollo began to feel it, covering the entire area under his surveince. As he built a mental picture of the surroundings, he sensed something unusual. However, there was always something that obscured his senses. "What''s this?" Apollo dismissed the vague feeling and chose to rely on his instincts. In times like this, they were all he could trust. Suddenly, they heard the sound of dry leaves rustling. Apollo instinctively summoned the Sword of Light, gripping the artifact tighter as his body warned him of impending danger. He was ready for an attack, but Alicia appeared troubled. "Did you hear that?" "Hear what?" she asked, astonished that she couldn''t perceive anything. She regted her breathing, channeling her powers. A sudden wave of intense heat washed over him, prompting him to assemble a set of barriers. Alicia, beloved by the element of fire, couldmand mes with just a thought. "What are the professors doing?" Apollo cursed, realizing they were surrounded by unseen enemies. "I knew that order was foolish. Why did they tell us to hold our position when this ind is so dangerous?" "Alicia, the artifact is too dangerous to be left in the camp. Besides, the professors know what we are capable of," he added, frustration boiling within him. Suddenly, Apollo noticed something amiss. Alicia wouldn''t normally act this way; she would have an idea of what to do and a perfect understanding of the situation. He wouldn''t typically feel this way either.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Something is off," he began to realize, the scenario feeling all too familiar. A wave of cold chill traced down his back. "Oppressor," he muttered. Whatever was happening seemed eerily simr to how his skill Oppressor worked. [Oppressor (Rank X) {Active} - This skill allows the Creator to exert pressure on his enemies without doing anything. This pressure may cause confusion and errors in judgment, reducing their battle awareness. It momentarily halts thoughts and can incite chaos within someone''s mind.] "Could it be...?" As his thoughts continued, the cloudy, heavy feeling in his head slowly dissipated. "There''s no way I wouldn''t notice any spells causing debuffs. The system should have detected them as well. I could be wrong, but my instincts tell me I''m right. Someone has replicated my skill." There was just one fatal w in that thought, how could someone replicate his skill and use it without Apollo noticing? Could skills generated by the system really be copied like regr spells? "There is only one conclusion to this," he voiced, gripping the handle of the sword firmly. The shadows crept in again, but this time the two remained calm. The sword''s de began to shine brightly as Apollo began to chant. A gospel echoed through the clearing, causing Alicia, who was about to unleash mes, to retract her fire. "Third gospel of the holy book. Don''t do to others what you don''t want done to you." The third gospel, capable of copying any spells, now had the potential to replicate one of Apollo''s skills. The boy wasn''t sure if he was right, but he wanted to trust himself. As the gospel''s power took effect, he was able to negate the effects diminishing their abilities. Suddenly, a notification echoed in his mind, breaking the weight of uncertainty he felt. [Notification Alert! An unknown power has been detected!] [Notification Alert! The gospel cast by the Creator has shed with the unknown power, weakening its effect!] [Notification Alert! The system has detected the energy signature of another artifact!] A map emerged before Apollo, and he took note of it as another notification appeared. [Notification Alert! The system has detected a looming spell currently in effect! Proceed to cancel it?] "Yes, cancel it!" Upon Apollo''smand, the sky cracked open, enveloping the entire ind in a dome-like structure. [Notification Alert! One of the mysterious artifact''s abilities has been identified! It can amplify any spell''s power while adding a stealth effect to it.] [Notification Alert! Spell has been identified! A familiar pattern indicating it to be the gospel from the Holy Bible of Nirvana.] [Warning! The system has detected a group of people with the same mana pattern as those from the Monastery! Beware! The system has detected a group of people with the same mana pattern as those from the Revolutionary Church! Be prepared!] A series of notifications emerged, but Apollo didn''t feel threatened. Instead, he felt enlightened. A new rity brightened his thoughts, lifting the burden from his mind. "A gospel amplified by an artifact; so, they can cause this much havoc," he said, his previously contorted face rxing into a calm expression. Alicia noticed this change and smiled, but her relief was short-lived as she sensed another presence approaching. "They''reing, Apollo." "I know." Apollo had many questions, but he pushed them aside for now. "Alicia, I believe what we heard on mymunicator a while ago wasn''t our professors." "I agree. There''s no way they could teleport here when the space wasn''t even locked," she replied. Then the temperature suddenly rose, igniting a spark of mes as Alicia unleashed her powers. The area erupted into a zing inferno. "I guess this will make our professorse here, right?" Alicia said, proud of the product of her action. Apollo could only nod in agreement, watching as the mes engulfed the surrounding trees. [Notification Alert! The system has detected a group entering this clearing, and they aren''t the professors!] Chapter 240 Gravity With the notification from the system, Apollo concluded that he was indeed right. Perhaps when his skill, Oppressor, activated during his intense battle against the two colossal monsters, the holder of the other artifact¡ªthe one which the system had been tirelessly trying to locate¡ªamplified the power of the Third Gospel. This unknown individual likely copied the current power influencing the battle. That power, as it turned out, was the skill Oppressor itself. "To think even skills can be copied by that spell," Apollo mused, paying close attention to thest notification that had shed before him. [Notification Alert! The system has detected a group reaching this clearing, and they aren''t the professors!] "Now I can feel them as well," he thought, a surge of rity washing over him. With the stone artifact hidden safely away inside his inventory, he was no longer burdened the same way as before. His senses expanded widely once again, just as Alicia''s did, feeling the approaching presence of the unknown group. "It seems that they are going to reveal themselves now," he noted, a mix of anticipation and caution coursing through him. "Finally! I was already getting bored burning nothing," Alicia replied, her tone deceptively casual. Yet, there was an underlying menace in her voice¡ªlike a hungry predator craving prey. Apollo noticed her cold expression shift, veering towards something more murderous. Removing the effects of Oppressor must have allowed Alicia to feel what was happening, and her irritation boiled over at being influenced by something that dulled one''s senses. All her anger was funneled into the torrent of raging mes surrounding her. The burning sensation intensified as her will infuse more power into the fire, and Apollo, watching everything unfold, silently prayed he wouldn''t end up angering her in the future. The mes encircling them danced ording to Alicia''s will, erupting violently through the forest. Suddenly, ten silhouettes broke through the wall of heat, stepping into the clearing. However, before the silhouettes could make any significant moves, three figures emerged first, weapons drawn. With a loud bang, a rain of bullets flew through the air. Apollo recognized them instantly¡ªthese were the same cloaked figures they had encountered during the time he was sensing the pull from the depths of the forest. Apollo couldn''tprehend why they suddenly opted for firearms when their bodies were built for a fighter. This seemed incredibly out of ce for individuals who had shown such prowess before. [Creator, my scanners have picked up multiple damaged ki circuits. It seems Miss Alicia broke them during the earlier encounter.] Apollo went pale upon hearing Jeremiah''s report. "Alicia damaged a ki circuit?" He was left feeling baffled and terrified at the caliber of skill his ssmates possessed. A ki circuit is the pathway ki takes while circting through the body. Once damaged, it could cause immense pain, effectively crippling any fighter or weapon user. For one to damage or destroy someone''s ki circuit requires an extraordinary degree of precision and skill to locate the veins.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Alicia''s ability made Apollo wonder if she could only damage a mage''s mana vein, or if she could reach even further. [Notification Alert! The system has detected that the bullets contain anti-magic properties and damage immunity. Miss Alicia''s mes won''t be able to stop them.] Breaking free from the shock, Apollo gathered himself and made his move. "Gravity!" hemanded, this time without specifying how many folds it would increase. He simplymanded gravity to pull all his enemies towards the ground. The ground shook violently as several bodies hit the earth, the entire ind falling under the influence of hismand. Even the group from the Monastery, who had been hiding away, could feel the weight of his authority bearing down on them. [Creator, beware! I sense the devouring weapons.] One of the weapons crafted from Nirvana''s own flesh and blood was called the Devourer. This weapon not only contained his flesh but also incorporated his skill. The Devourer consumed any attacks directed at its holder and could even recycle them for their own use. This skill was so powerful that even a god''s authority wasn''t spared; while it couldn''t be recycled, it was still deadly and very much feared inbat. Before his enemies could harness this formidable weapon, Apollo issued anothermand. The entire sky was illuminated with an otherworldly light as the power of his authority intertwined seamlessly with a spell. "Clock tower''s hand," he whispered, and upon his will, the bodies of his enemies began to wither rapidly. Hemanded their time to be taken away, and at a shocking rate, their bodies underwent rapid aging, causing their mana and ki to deplete drastically. Their lives were mere sparks now, and a mere gust of wind could extinguish thempletely. "This will be thest one," the boy dered resolutely as he prepared to cast another spell. This one was a curse¡ªa dark form of ck magic¡ªand the surrounding mana responded to the impact of his will, making them obey him without question. A ck magic circle erupted, covering both thend and sky, and from the disheveled remains of the ind, a new nightmare emerged. Charred hands, ckened and grotesque, suddenly spawned from the tainted ground, grabbing hold of the bodies of the now-aged and withered enemies. "Manus maledicta," he whispered, and the power of his spell began to consume those trapped within its grasp. Alicia merely watched, ustomed to Apollo''s swift transitions from one spell to another. "Are you done?" she asked, her voice calm yetced with an edge of impatience. "Yes, we should return now," he replied, releasing a breath he didn''t realize he had been holding. Alicia then retracted her mes, which had effectively protected them from the enemies'' anticipated ambush. After that intense encounter, Apollo raised his hand, and several souls began dancing around him. "Veritas!" Another darkness-element spell was conjured, and dark, tainted smoke enveloped the ground, reaching for the souls of Apollo''s deceased opponents. An eerie cry of grief echoed through the clearing, but the two children remained unflinching, their cold res aimed at the souls as if all emotions had been drained from thempletely. After a few minutes, Apollo finally finished sorting through all their memories. "Hoo¡­" he exhaled, feeling slightly dizzy from reviewing the dozens of thoughts and emotions contained within multiple souls. "How was it?" Alicia inquired, her gaze sharp and focused. "Some memories are blurry, while others are painfully clear. However, I can tell that the one behind this organized attack was very careful not to leave a trace behind, because most of the intact memories seem to be falsely created to deceive me," he exined, frustrationcing his voice. Alicia fell silent, her expression deep in thought. Noticing her intense focus, Apollo immediately asked, "Something wrong?" "I think we need to return to the camp now!" Her expression shifted abruptly from cold determination to one of panic, prompting Apollo to teleport with her instantly. "What''s going on? I didn''t even sense anything!" He screamed in his mind, then remembered Jeremiah''s existence. "Anything you''ve got in there?" [Creator, the wielder of the other artifact has gone missing. I''ve been attempting to locate that person ever since you started attacking. However, after you used gravity, I could no longer pinpoint their location.] "And you''re just telling me this now!" Apollo eximed, his frustration boiling over. [I''ve already marked all the lower-ss students, and I can assure you they are safe since I attached the skill Light of Aegis to them. However, I''m not entirely certain about the other students, as I didn''t monitor them closely. I only followed your previous instruction to prioritize your friends above the others.] "Right, I did order that." Apollo suddenly felt foolish for not considering the implications of his ownmands. He had instructed Jeremiah to prioritize his friends over the other students, so it made sense that he didn''t feelpelled to notify him while Apollo was engaged in battling their enemies. "Where did youst spot the wielder of the artifact?" he asked, forcing himself to focus. [That person was with the group of priests from the Monastery. I''ve recorded his mana signature, so if I sense him again, I can locate him.] "Alright. Let''s hurry!" Then they arrived at the camp, but everything appeared deceptively normal. "Alicia, nothing seems strange," he said, scanning the area for any signs of disturbance. "Some of the students is missing," she replied, rushing towards the professors, her urgency palpable. "Jeremiah?" he called out, hoping for answers. [Calcting¡­ Creator, there are three missing students from the High ss.] "What? Those high aristocratic bastards!" Apollo eximed, bewildered and infuriated by their reckless behavior. "They already knew our situation, and they dared to walk away from the camp!" he added, his voice rising in frustration. Apollo''s calm demeanor shattered, overwhelmed by the reckless behavior of the other students. They weren''t helping the situation; they wereplicating matters even further, putting everyone at risk. "There''s no way I''m looking for them." He decided firmly, intent on leaving Alicia to head straight to his friends. Chapter 241 the three brave students A few moments before Apollo and Alicia discovered the ancient altar, three brave students from the High ss decided to assist the academy''s security in searching for food and water. "We can help, sir!" Darius dered, eager to prove himself and be useful to the adults. His enthusiasm radiated through the group, bolstering their spirits. "No need, student Darius. Please head back; it''s too dangerous," the security officer responded, attempting to mask his concern with a reassuring smile. In truth, they were not genuinely seeking food or water; they were scouting for potential enemies lurking nearby. "Why can''t we help? Apollo and that ck-haired girl from the Lower ss were allowed to go, but we aren''t? Isn''t that unfair?" Rose, another student from the High ss, protested, her voice tinged with frustration. "Yeah, sir! We want to be useful too!" Monny chimed in, determined to prove their skills in front of the first-year students. "Students, I understand how you feel; however, we can''t bring you along. It''s too dangerous, and youck experience in fighting or dealing with opponents," the security officer said firmly. His words rang true, leaving the three students feeling defeated. "Now, now, don''t be like that. Let''s just head back, okay?" He tried to sound encouraging, but the disappointment was palpable in the air. Weakly, the three students nodded in response. However, as they began retracing their steps, they quickly realized they were walking in circles. "Sir," Rose called out, her voice quavering with fear as they sensed the danger closing in around them. They were certain the camp was just behind them, but when they turned around, all they saw were thick trees looming ominously. "We are under an illusion," the security officer deduced, his calm demeanor contrasting sharply with the rising tension in the air. He moved the students closer to him, wanting to ensure their safety. Suddenly, amid the peaceful songs of birds, they heard the faint sound of footsteps. Panic surged through them, and although they wanted to run, their bodies felt rooted to the ground, overwhelmed by a suffocating sense of dread. "The steps... they are everywhere," Darius''s voice cracked as he spoke, trying to maintain hisposure. Despite the unfolding nightmare, he resolved to be strong for his friends. "Here they are!" a voice called out suddenly, the toneced with a sinister hiss. "Is this the boy we were told to get?" "Don''t know? Well, let''s just deliver him to that wolf. If we got the wrong one, we can always grab another kid." The voices grew closer, and the three children huddled tightly against the security officer. From the shadow of the tallest tree, three figures emerged. Cloaks obscured their features, but the officer could tell at once they were not human. Their tails and ears gave them away instantly. "I see two boys. Which one should we take?" one of the cloaked figures asked, his voice dripping with malice. "Just grab them both!" urged the third figure, immediately dashing forward to seize Darius and Monny. "Get behind me!" the security officer ordered, positioning himself protectively in front of the children as the enemies surrounded them. Although he was still recovering from the previous fight, he knew he could not let that stop him. Rose stood near him, her determination ring. She summoned her power, knowing a fight was imminent. She didn''t want to be a burden, so she poured all her energy into casting a spell. Vines erupted from the ground, serving as a minor hindrance. However, given the vast distance between the enemies and the little girl, the spell barely served its purpose. "Stupid brats," the lead figure spat, throwing back his hood to reveal a face contorted with anger. Rose''s actions had provoked an unwee reaction from the humanoid beastman. With a quick flick of his wrist, the lead figure unleashed a surge of dark vines that shot from the ground, ensnaring Monny and Darius by their feet. Simultaneously, another hooded enemy waved his hand, and a ck tentacleshed out, ensnaring the only protector of the children. "Got you now!" the figure taunted, his voice dripping with glee, as the otherrades surrounded the four, effectively trapping them. "Don''t be such an arrogant beast!" the security officer roared, his face contorting in pain as the tendrils tightened around him. With sheer willpower, a sword materialized in his hand, and a faint blue aura began pulsating around his body. A burst of energy red outwards, dispersing the tendrils like mist. The children freed themselves from the shadowy grasp, and the security officer immediatelyunched a counterattack. "Grab onto me!" he whispered urgently to the children, and theyplied without hesitation. Though they looked somewhat ridiculous¡ªlike an oversized monkey carrying his three children¡ªthe security officer didn''t care. His only priority was to get them to safety. With a swift motion, he swung his sword, sending dozens of shes of energy cascading through the enemy formation. "Nice try, but not good enough!" the lead enemy taunted, opening his mouth to unleash a wave of mes. Darius, reacting quickly, activated the artifact his father had secretly given him. A pendant shimmered as it summoned barriers of light that erupted around him, shielding them from the iing mes. The figures shrieked in dismay as the light barriers pushed them back, momentarily disrupting their unity. "You think you can stop us with a mere light?" one of them spat, regainingposure and ring at Darius. "Sir," Rose murmured, her voice trembling on the verge of tears. The security officer felt a renewed sense of determination to protect the children. "Hold on tight. I will finish this quickly," he assured them, trying to calm their fears.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "We can help!" Monny insisted, unwilling to give up. He dropped something to the ground, creating a small cloud of dust that startled everyone. "What was that?" the three eximed in confusion. "It''s a grenade," Monny exined calmly, as if that was the most natural thing in the world. "What?!" the three eximed simultaneously, their shock palpable. In that unexpected moment, adrenaline surged through them, and the security officer vanished in a sh. "Wait, where did they go?" the hooded enemies muttered in confusion, only to be met with the painful cries of surprise when five grenades detonated, filling the air with a deafening roar. "Student, why did you have such weapons with you?" the security officer asked, catching his breath amid the chaos. "Oh, it was given to me by my father. He told me to use it in case of an emergency," Monny replied matter-of-factly, a mischievous grin on his face. The security officer paused, questioning his own sense of normalcy in a world where children carried grenades. With a burst of speed, he charged away at the enemies, determined to return to the camp. However, no matter how hard they tried, the path back remained elusive. "This only means one thing," the security officer said grimly as the weight of the situation began to dawn on them. "We need to defeat the creature that created the illusion." A wave of dread washed over the group, but they quicklyposed themselves when they sensed their opponents closing in. Chapter 242 Returned to the camp "This only means one thing," the security officer said grimly as the weight of the situation began to dawn on them. "We need to defeat the creature that created the illusion." A wave of dread washed over the group, but they quicklyposed themselves when they sensed their opponents closing in. "Sir, what are we going to do?" Rose asked, her eyes wide with fear. "No choice¡ªwe have to fight!" the security officer dered. The three students nodded, preparing the weapons they had on hand. Seeing the caliber of explosives and enchantments they carried made him question their parents'' choices in arming their children for danger. "Are parents like this?" the security question feeling like an entire armory was right inside the trio''s space ring. "You''re not getting away this time!" a voice rang out, shattering the tense atmosphere. The security officer pushed aside his wandering thoughts and refocused on the task at hand. Now was not the time for distractions as the trio of sinister-looking individuals stepped out from the trees, solidifying into physical forms. The children weren''t as shaken as they had been before, their earlier fear was reced with determination, prompting the enemies to question if they were the same children as before. The four prepared to confront their opponents, and the man bearing the strongest power among them summoned his energy, ready to unleash theirbined strength. A sudden tension filled the air, neither side was willing to make the first move until a voice broke the silence. "Roots of Restraint!" Veins burst from the ground, entwining the legs of the figures and throwing them off bnce. "What the!" the three magical beasts eximed, realizing it was the same spell but amplified in strength. "We''re not done yet!" the security officer growled, unleashing a concentrated beam of sword shes. The attack ravaged toward the three figures, striking true and sending them crashing to the ground. The enemies staggered back in disbelief, unable toprehend that they were on the verge of defeat. Fearced their voices as one of them yelled, "We have to pull back!" "Retreat!" cried the other, and just like that, the three figures vanished, leaving behind the three students and their lone security protector. "Hoo..." A breath of relief escaped their lips as their bodies fell to the ground, exhausted but triumphant. "We did it," Monny muttered "We sure did" "Sir the illusion is gone, right? We can go back no?" "Of course Rose, look around isn''t it more normal than before?" Though the four were away from the camp they could finally find their way with the illusion gone. After some time of resting the security officer finally stood up and said with a smile. "Students shall we go back?" In response, the three students happily replied, "Yes sir!" . . . Back at the camp, Alicia was anxiously asking the professor how three of the students managed to stray so far from the group. "Calm down, Alicia. Security is with them, and they won''t go that far, so it''s okay," one of the professors tried to assure her. Reluctantly, she epted his words. "Let''s go, the others are waiting." Apollo urged her, weakly Alicia nodded, still looking worried. Sensing her unease, Apollo decided to step up. "Let''s look for them." "We do?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Of course. Where was thest ce you sensed them?" "Well, it was north of the camp, but I''ve long lost their energy. I don''t know where they are now." "Alright, I got it." He proceeded toward thest known location of the students. "Let''s head into the forest." Alicia nodded eagerly, and with renewed strength, Apollo followed the shadows that would help track the missing students, deftly jumping to avoid branches and bushes. "Jeremiah, have you found them?" he asked, confident that the people they were searching for were now out of trouble. [Target tracking initiated¡­ Approaching coordinates identified.] ording to Jeremiah''s map, they should be nearby. Apollo moved forward and soon spotted four figures walking happily. "Look, Alicia! They seem safe to me," he said, observing them from afar. "Ah, I was worried for nothing" Apollo shook his head, finding it amusing how much she panicked. Despite her cold demeanor, she still disyed emotions that amazed him. "You don''t even know these people, yet you''re so worried about them," he remarked, his gaze fixed on her expression, curious to see how it would change again. Oblivious to his gaze, she responded absently, "I knew them before... in a very, very distant past." Thest part was barely audible, but Apollo''s keen senses picked it up. "A very distant past?" he wondered what she meant but decided to put his questions on hold. It wasn''t the right time, he needed to report to Professor Adolfo about the artifact in his possession first. "Ali, let''s go back. We have something more important to do," he reminded her. She nodded in agreement, her expression shifting as they prepared to return. . . . Over the growing darkness of the orange and purple hued horizon, the security officer, Darius, Rose and Monny slowly arrive as the setting sun disappears in the sky. The children and their protector became the embodiment of tired yet victorious crew as they emerge from the forest. Theyughed on, and their loudughter was music to the nerves that had been tight earlier in the camp. "See Lady Alicia I told they won''t be in trouble" the professor told her while a smile ster on his face. The person who received his words on the other hand only nodded happy they are safe. "Look, they''re back!" A student screamed her voice slicing through the murmurs of the gathering crowd. All the anxious students of High ss immediately rush to their side wanting to make sure they truly safe. It was a gesture of relief and joy, Apollo turned, his heart felt light although he already knows they were safe, seeing them reuniting with their friends again makes him happy. A crowd was immediately formed, friends from other sses came wanting to know what transpired when they disappeared. "What happened? Are you all okay?" Samantha yelled and proceeded towards them. The security officer nodded, at the same time his shoulders slumped with the fatigue he had rued. "We had a bit of an encounter, some people we don''t know about, but everyone is safe now." Darius moved forward excitedly, His face glowed with passion. "You won''t believe what we faced!" he excitedly started causing all attention to him. "Three cloaked creatures came at us, stating they sought a boy for some ''wolf.'' It was terrifying!" Monny mentioned further, "And I threw a grenade!" Can you believe it? It actually worked!" Chapter 243 What to do first "There were cloaked creaturesing at us, stating they sought a boy for some ''wolf.'' It was terrifying!" Monny mentioned further, "And I threw a grenade! Can you believe it? It actually worked!" Apollo immediately grew interested after hearing the word *wolf.* He turned to look at Alicia and then went back to look at Darius, both sensing the gravity behind Darius''s words. So, Apollo used the authority of the God of Mystics to urge Samantha to ask a question for him. Upon his will, the little girl obeyed. "A wolf? Her face betrayed interest, so she continued, ''What do you mean?''" "Yeah," Rose added at once, staring. "What the hell were they? Some sort of beastmen or something? They kept referring to delivering someone to a wolf. We were not sure who they were talking about until we had to fend them off." Apollo''s heart quickened, and a growing feeling of dread came over him. His memory of that strange woman was vivid though she had attacked him without any provocation, it was the look of hate on her face that filled his mind now. "Could there be any connection?" "Jeremiah," Apollo said, wanting to ask for his opinion. "What do you think?" [Analyzing information¡­ Corrting data¡­] [I believe it is likely they are referring to you, you are the target, given the woman''s hostility. It aligns with the hatred she had during the previous encounter.] Jeremiah''s voice came out in Apollo, making the boy massage his head. He had too many problems and currently felt frustrated. "Why does she hate me?" Sadly, he felt too vague to connect anything about that woman. The only thing he could do was use the given information he had. [Creator, based on the appearance of that woman, she must be a wolf magical beast before gaining the ability to morph. ording to the data I have, your only encounters with wolves are from your previous hunting before the banquet. You killed an Ivory Wolf Alpha, Creator. Based on the appearance of that woman, it''s possible she is his mate.] The realization dawned on him, and for a moment he could not speak. "I did not hear well; she mes me for the death of her mate?" Apollo said, his thoughts going in circles with all the information he had gathered up to now. There were many implications of this fight¡ªnot just the appearance of the vengeful wolf, but also the remnants of the Monastery joining the Revolutionary Church continued ringing in his head. [Creator, you murdered her mate. Mates are not just partners for the wolf kind they are their other half, a part of themselves. And you tore that part away after you killed the male alpha.] Apollo now didn''t know how to argue. Just then, a wave of weariness washed over him as he recalled the chaotic hunt he''d been a part of¡ªthe ivory wolf''s piercing eyes before it fell. The weight of his past decisions began to crush him as he understood the cycle of vengeance that might ensue. But before he could slip any deeper into the hum of his mind, the sounds of rustling leaves and twigs delivered a loud message into the clearing as Professor Adolfo and the rest of the professors walked in, their expressions radiant, indicating good news. "Good news, everyone!" Professor Lysander announced, drawing the attention of the gathered students and faculty. "I know everything has been hard, but it all ends now. Finally, we''ve gained contact from outside, and their aid wille as we speak!" Every student felt d they were safe, though not remembering their fallen protectors; their relieved expressions turned into mourning. Cries slowly rose while others asked if they could carry the bodies back. However, most of the group erupted into excited chatter, immediately seizing the sadness that was about to erupt. Apollo, on the other hand, remained focused, still processing the weight of what they had just discussed. "And what about the deceased personnel?" he asked, his voice cutting through the noise. "Oh yes, well¡­" the professor went on, smiling more broadly. This smile confused some of the grieving students. "Don''t worry, we got that covered." Then he proceeded to order the bodies be brought to them. As they slowly gathered in the clearing, an emotion worse than grief enveloped the young students. Then, as confusion about the situation rose, the altar where the stone artifact was embedded was revealed. Seeing it, Apollo and Alicia were surprised. "When did they retrieve that?" Apollo asked. "I don''t know, Apollo; we were with them the whole time, so I am confused like you." Everyone didn''t understand what was going on¡ªnot until Professor Adolfo came forward and rearranged the symbols on the altar. The now non-existent light returned as soon as the runes were reconnected. As it glowed, an ancient magic circle suddenly emerged, taking the students off guard. Then, as the power reached its peak, Professor Timothy came and ced the stone in its new position on the altar. Apollo suddenly felt sick as soon as the power of the artifact filled the area. He almost copsed if it weren''t for Alicia holding him tightly. Worried about his state worsening, Alicia created a barrier to protect Apollo. More surprises came as the power of the altar created a shift that even made Apollo realize why the artifact was ranked at Revtion. Then, as the light blinded everyone, figures began to emerge, their forms slowly turning into familiar shapes. "Sir Tin?" one of the students in the Auxiliary Magic ss said, realizing the person who was in front of them. "Miss...you are!" An even more overwhelming feeling came as they realized that those who had left them had returned. "The power of that artifact doesn''t only influence weapons and blockmunication; it also functions to restore all the people who lost their lives in that attack. It was designed to protect both students and staff alike. I believe this is the real purpose of the artifact here on the ind," Lysander said, wiping the tear that fell from his eye. Gasps erupted from the crowd of people as the professors told them the real function of the artifact. It was starting to dawn upon Apollo that artifacts are indeed the most mysterious objects created by the world itself. "How is that even possible?" Monny asked; disbelief could be heard in his tone. Professor Alejo exined, "The artifact was set for times of great crisis¡ªto preserve life when all seems lost. We were fortunate to retrieve it. So, everyone, we hope to elevate your sadness with this oue." The revived personnel looked dazed but alive, blinking against the evening light. Relief and joy erupted from the crowd as they rushed to greet their friends and mentors, enveloping them in warm embraces.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Sir, you are safe!" "Students, why are you all grabbing me like this?" "Professor, you are breathing!" "Kids, I think you shouldn''t hang around my waist like that!" The students of all sses gathered and hugged the people they thought they had lost. However, there remained in Apollo''s mind a sense of an approaching disturbance. He stuffed his emotions down and shifted his attention towards Alicia¡ªhis face etched with concern. "Ali, we still need to be very careful. If this attack was made by the Revolutionary Church, another attack might transpire since this one was a failure. We might not be safe yet." "I think it''s you who is not safe. Perhaps this attack wasn''t meant for everyone but for you specifically. After all, we still haven''t known the true purpose of this chaos." "Then we should prepare," he replied, his voice firm. "That wolf, if she ising for you, then we cannot afford to rx or lower our defenses. However, I doubt they can capture you." Alicia was confident as she said those words. Apollo could only nod his head thoughtfully, watching around, trying to discern something in the now fully operational camp. "We must stay vignt. There''s too much at stake now." As they began to strategize, Apollo felt a renewed sense of purpose settle within him. The burden of his past was heavy and even even scarred him, but he would not let it dictate his future. Whatever came next, he would face it head-on alongside his friends. The lessons learned from each battle would only strengthen their resolve. "Let''s gather everyone and n our next steps," Apollo said, determination igniting in his chest. "I won''t let this incident happen again." Alicia only nodded before returning to their friends'' side. As the stars began to twinkle above, Apollo felt the air shifting towards a more dangerous path. However, he had a question that urged him to find the answer whatever challengesy ahead, he would find them. The shadows of the past were also a problem he longed to finish, but the current problems were too many for him to put his focus on. In the end, he must choose whether to focus on himself or the new people he holds dear now. Chapter 244 Unknown pressure As the students gathered back on the Academy''s grounds, relief mixed with confusion settled over them. The trip back had been an emotional whirlwind¡ªsurviving the attacks of unknown monsters, witnessing their teachers and protectors die only to see the fallen be revived by the artifact, and now, the slight anxiety hadn''t left them even when the entrance of the Academy is within their sight. Apollo and Alicia, were also included with the rest of the students that returned, their initial n on going to investigate was halted when their friends told them to rest for a moment. Their ss was very talkative along the way which makes you wonder if an incident really happened. However, their joyous chats ended when they noticed something strange. "Are those people?" Niko began to ask when their vehicle was close to the academy. The students were greeted by an unexpected sight, their parents were waiting anxiously at the entrance. They were taken aback, seeing their families, who hade for them, their expressions a mix of relief and fear. Apollo, though, felt strangely distant, his mind still focused on the aftermath of the battle, the wolf, and the remnant of the Monastery joining the church. Among the crowd, Rose was one of the first to run into her mother''s arms, tears of relief streaming down her face. The rest of the students followed suit, embracing their parents, some with joy and others with quiet tears. But amid this reunion, whispers began to circte. "They''re here because of the survival evaluation, aren''t they?" Alya muttered to Apollo, her sharp eyes observing the tension in the air. "Yeah," Apollo nodded. "But it''s not just that." Soon, the Headmaster of the Academy, an imposing figure with a calm demeanor, addressed the students and their parents. "I know this incident has been troubling, but I must remind you all that such attacks are not umon during survival evaluations. This Academy has always prepared for such situations. This is not just an education¡ªit is a test of strength, wits, and endurance. This, too, is a necessary experience for future leaders." Whispers of shock rippled through the crowd. Parents had expected danger since they had experienced it in their time in the academy but not on this scale. Even though they knew how good the academy was they couldn''t help but worry. However, as the Headmaster continued, the anxious parent slowly felt happy. "We have arranged for all students to return home for three days with their families to recuperate from the recent events. Your well-being is our priority, and this leave will allow you all to reflect on the challenges you''ve faced." A sense of relief washed over most of the students, especially those who almost lost their minds in the forest and witnessed the brutal attack firsthand. They longed for the safety of their homes, and the idea of a break from the chaos of the Academy brought somefort. However, unlike the others, Apollo and the rest of the Lower-ss students weren''t really traumatized since they had witnessed something simr to this incident not long ago, although the difference is that they were the ones who attacked. The reunion of the children with their parents continues, but before anyone can react, a shadow suddenly falls on the entrance causing some to look up. "Wait isn''t that!" "That insignia look!" Above the azure sky, the symbol of the tower slowly made its appearance. Since the airship can''tnd the tower mages had no choice but to appear andnd on the ground. Some parents and students gasped in shock, they hadn''t expected the legendary mage organization to be involved. Even the professors stood still, watching with solemn expressions. They had known for long the connection they had to Apollo and the rest of the Lower ss students. "Tower mages, they are here already?" Alicia whispered to Apollo, her eyes frowning as she tried to look up despite the ring sun. Apollo nodded. "They told me they woulde but I didn''t know they would wait here at the entrance like the other parents" The mages moved quickly, leading Apollo, Alicia, and their friends away from the rest of the group. A few students whispered in awe as they watched, but the Lower-ss students were used to being treated differently by now. Even still, the sight of the tower mages escorting them sent waves of curiosity through the onlookers. Once inside the Academy, the tower mages spoke softly to the professors, sharing details of the investigation into the incident. The Imperial Family had been informed and was now involved in uncovering the truth behind the attack. There were too many questions left unanswered the appearance of several high-level magical beasts, the Revolutionary Church''s involvement, and the knowledge about the artifact leaking out to the enemies. "We''ll need a full investigation," one of the tower mages said in a voiceced with authority. "The Imperial Family is overseeing this matter personally. We suspect there may be more to this than a simple attack." Apollo felt a chill run down his spine as he felt something was going to happen again, however, he wished that his gut feeling wasn''t right. There are way too many problems and he wishes to fix at least one of them. He exchanged a look with Alicia, both of them knowing that this was only the beginning. The attack on the Academy had deeper roots than anyone could have imagined. Later that night, while the other students prepared to leave with their families, Apollo and Alicia met in secret. The atmosphere around them was terrible since the reason for their meeting was the current problem at hand. "The magical beast¡ªthe monastery, and church¡ª all of which have a connection to our all-time favourite suspect, Nero" Alicia said suddenly, breaking the silence. Apollo frowned, recalling the stories of Nero, a powerful figure with simple-looking connections as King of his nation "You think he''s the mastermind behind the attack and not just coborating?" "It''s possible," Alicia replied. "There''s something about all of this that doesn''t add up. We can''t just sit here while the investigation drags on. We need to find out for ourselves, I already informed Augustus and he doesn''t really object to this decision" "Did the emperor say anything we should be aware of?" Apollo asked wanting to know if Augustus had anymands. "He just said he would help us but he didn''t tell me how"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "I see, then shall we go to Nero''s kingdom," Apollo said, determination settling in. "If he''s involved, we''ll find out the truth." The next day, while the rest of the Academy was preparing for their short leave, Apollo and Alicia set their sights on the country of Nero, the kingdom of Nadezhda. The movements of the high leveled magical beasts only mean the so-called gods of the Revolutionary church are making their moves. After all only the highest-ranking beast can order others to follow itsmand. . . . At the same time at the kingdom of Nadezhda, Nero had his hand across his head as he tried to recover from a very powerful attack. "That attack was definitely from an authority!..... Could the surviving descendants of the Gods have reached this level? How? They barely survive!" He eximed as he raked his golden hair in great agony. His emerald eyes shook as his face contorted in pain. Yesterday before the sun went down as he was nning on visiting the pce library, a strong pull suddenly squashed him on the ground putting his body under pressure. Fortunately, his ne suddenly activated and swallowed the power that strongly pinned him on the ground. "Who could have done that?" he wondered as he felt the pain in his head subsiding. He never anticipated that the effects of the authority would shake his mind to this extent. "Why is this suddenly happening?" he kept asking while the ne on his neck hummed quietly as if it never protected its wearer. In a weird course of action, Nero wasn''t the only one who experienced such a phenomenon. Eros who was peacefully training in his vi suddenly smashed onto the ground scaring the servants working there. His teacher who was about to help him but couldn''t do so as the same power that pinned his student began pressing him as well. The teacher and student were both on the ground unable to move and unfortunately for them, they had no means of removing that power. They continue to be buried in the soil until the pressure disappears. Eros who was already disheartened with how his academy life was going downhill became even more depressed after the humiliation he experienced. However, as he tries to recover from his ego being damaged he receives a call from someone. "Huh? Wait why are you suddenly calling?" he asked as soon as he picked up themunication orb. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!