Lore Episode

Seria says: "Nothing should be as mysterious as I am!" Some info is missing, please help to provide it if you can.

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Episodes

Episode 1: The Way of Peace - Linus's Monologue

Episode 1: The Way of Peace - Linus's Monologue

Hah hah. Hey you there! Adventurer, how are you?

My name is Linus. I run a small weapons shop and smithy here in Elvenguard. I am responsible for helping all these adventurers repair and care for their weapons. Of course, if you have some liquor on you, I'll be willing to give you some advice and words of encouragement too. Hah hah hah. Oh? Really, you're giving me this drink? Wow, kids these days are really nice. Now then, let Uncle Linus guide you.

Ah, this is delicious. You know, I might not look it, but this stumbling old man you see before you was quite the famous swordsman back in the day. Looking back, I was pretty arrogant in my youth... But, that's all in the past. Nowadays, I no longer intend for my sword to be covered in blood; rather, I've been working on saving others. It gives me peace of mind, knowing that me staying here really helps adventurers like you in need.

Oh... I already told you so much.

Hah hah... Hmm, I've seemed to have gotten a little carried away talking about my business, haven't I? Anyway, since this is the first time I've seen you here, I'll teach you a few things.

First of all, welcome to Grand Flores. To some, it's also known as the "flowing forest". It is the oldest forest on the Arad Continent and the only place that has any living trace of the Elves. For many years, it's been said that Grand Flores houses many magical artifacts and treasures left by the elves, hidden within the depths its forests. As a result, many treasure hunters and adventurers, their minds swollen with dreams of wealth, came to explore the area. However, it was not that easy; for it was once the sanctum of the Elves which prohibited humans from entry. Anyone who underestimated the dangers that lie within the forest were met with unforeseen consequences. That being said, many adventurers often lost their lives by mistaking the Elf's paradise as their own...

Around the same time, the Principality of Bel Myre and the Empire warred over who could control Grand Flores. The Empire invaded Bel Myre, but failed due to the help of the Resistance. In a final act of suppression, the Empire set the whole forest ablaze. I'm not sure why the Empire does such horrible things...

But that day, Grand Flores was engulfed in an unprecedented fire. The flames ripped through the sky, reddening almost the entire Arad Continent. Well, thanks to that, much of the forest was reduced to ash, the Elves disappeared, and the Elven pentacle protecting the forest lost its effects. Without fear of resistance from the Elves, adventurers were able to re-enter and explore the depths of the forest...

By the way, judging by your appearance, it doesn't seem you've been here for very long. How long have you been in the forest? Hah hah, don't be surprised. I've seen many adventurers during my time here; many of them rookies like you. At this point, I can recognize it at first glance. Hah hah hah!

Ah, only a few days? ..Hm, I see, you're still quite new to this. Hmm... I don't know if it'll help, but I'll tell you some information as a token of my thanks. Ah, the liquor's all gone... Now then, before you enter Grand Flores, from here, you should be able see from the back of the forest a giant white tower rising up from West Coast, right?

That's Sky Tower, legend says that it is the gateway to another world. It's just a rumor and no one has confirmed it, but wouldn't be great if the rumors are true? But so far, none of the adventurers who have ventured into Sky Tower have ever come back alive. So if you wanna to test your luck... please be very careful...

Rumor also has it is that the tower recently appeared right out of the blue, just like magic. Speaking of magic though, it seems as if the Elve's Great Pentacles are weakening as well... Perhaps, the two are related...

Oh? It's nothing. I was just thinking out loud.

What? You're going there now? ...Oh, wait! Wait, there's one more thing I need to tell you. To go to Sky Tower, you first need to pass through Grand Flores. But recently, I don't know when it started, the place has been overflowing with mutated monsters. There are many rumors, but nobody knows why it happened. Anyway, these monsters are evil in nature, and can be fierce and brutal. Several of them may be difficult to deal with... If you must go, please take care!

You still wanna to go? I didn't expect to scare you. Okay, okay, just remember to repair your weapons. Oh, and could you get me another bottle before you leave? Hah hah...

Episode 2: Sewer Princess Faris

Episode 2: Sewer Princess Faris

Episode 3: Slayer Petrizan

Episode 3: Slayer Petrizan

Episode 4: Dark Elf Merchant Sergemin

Episode 4: Dark Elf Merchant Sergemin

Episode 5: Hunter Dolph

Episode 5: Hunter Dolph

Episode 6: The First Pandemonium Assembly

Episode 6: The First Pandemonium Assembly

"Young mage, very impressive!"

A heartfelt admiration was made among the crowd. 

The people nearby looked around and discovered that it was the voice of Iris, who had been watching silently with an emotionless face until now. She gently strummed the instrument in her hand; her elegant movements instantly captured the attention of a large number of male magicians. Although her appearance was not the most outstanding in Pandemonium, her fresh and refined temperament, combined with the unique charm of a minstrel, was definitely a beautiful sight to behold. Her figure was more like that of an angel descended from heaven or a troubadour detached from the troubles of the world rather than that of a mage.

"Young mage. Did you say Niu? Are you the one everyone talks about?"

"..."

"Niu, was it? A fighting type mage like yourself... is certainly new. I've heard rumors about you for a while, but it's more amazing than I imagined, seeing it firsthand. Thanks to you, I was able to see a whole new world today."

Iris's vivid and beautiful voice sounded like sweet heavenly music, but Niu felt a hint of inconsistency in her voice, sending a cold sensation to run throughout her body.

"To be honest, I did not expect Kashipa's Ricardo to lose. I'll have to do my best with this as well against such a worthy opponent."

As soon as her voice fell, Niu saw Iris's graceful silhouette vibrate slightly, and suddenly appear in the battle arena. With a calm smile, Iris closed her eyes and slowly raised her hands. Gradually her body was surrounded by a dazzling aura, and hot flames ignited from above her palms.

Niu stared at Iris's hands closely, and did not dare to relax. At the same time, her body began to release a strong mental power to collect more Chasers...

This was the First Pandemonium Assembly, an event held by Iris for the purpose of mediating the conflict between the Magical factions. At this meeting, representatives from each Magical faction: Iris of the Terra Cottas, Ricardo of the Kashipa, Ikki of the Ancient Library, Niu of the Guardians, and Rhum of the Circle Mages fought in a magical arts tournament over the information of the Water of Life; the ultimate winner gaining intellectual ownership of its location. Niu and Iris defeated them one after another, until only the two of them remained...

As the flames in Iris's hands gradually disappeared, Niu felt an invisible pressure slowly creeping toward her and noticed her surroundings getting darker. Suddenly, upon feeling a blazing heat from above her head, Niu subconsciously looked upward to see a huge fireball that enveloped half the sky, falling toward her at a tremendous speed. Niu instinctively moved to avoid it, but felt a burning pain in her left arm from its flames. Before she could regain her composure, she felt the heat of another fireball above her. This time, she moved unconditionally without looking upward.

(Concentrate. I have to concentrate! If I don't pay attention, I might turn to ashes...)

Niu did her best to avoid Iris's subsequent attacks, but as she did, her mind became more clear.

Naturally, the representatives who participated in the Pandemonium Assembly were considered masters of their respective organizations. Therefore, from the beginning, Niu's opponents were by no means pushovers, but fortunately she found ways to suppress each of them.

(The device that Mage Librarian Ikki invented was great, but not perfect. Using its flaws, I had a chance to break through her defenses and use my Chasers. When fighting Summoner Rhum, my strategy was to suppress him before he could summon any powerful monsters. Even when fighting Ricardo with his dark magic, my Chaser was superior in attack power alone. However, the magic used by this woman... It seems so flawless that I can't see an opening... If there is opportunity to land a Dragon Strike, I should be able to use my Chasers.)

It was for the first time, that while facing such a troublesome foe like Iris, Niu felt so frustrated. Iris's magic surely did not have any openings. Now, not only the properties of fire, but also water, light, and darkness; the four attributes emanated freely in her hands. Whether it was from near to far, from far to near, from narrow to wide, she manipulated her magic effortlessly; she clearly demonstrated that she was one of the best Elemental Masters.

Although Niu had only been passively dodging, Iris's magical attacks apparently did not account for much. Every dazzling offensive spell was easily evaded by Niu's lightning speed. The spell's seemingly useless movement speed  had been skillfully used by Niu as a weapon to defeat Iris's magic.

This competition had not only displayed magnificent magical offensive skills, but also practical combat prowess as well. To the other representatives outside the arena, It was truly a feast for the eyes. Everyone stared intensely in the same direction in fear of missing any part of such a splendid confrontation.

(Yes. Now!)

At that very instant, the Niu's figure vanished leaving behind an afterimage, and at the same time, appearing behind Iris with a roar that echoed like thunder.

"Chaser, Dragon Strike!"

"Ah!"

The audience unconsciously screamed. How many renown mages have fallen uttering that one word? No matter how powerful the magician was, even for one as strong as Iris, it was difficult to escape the power of the Golden Dragon.  Or so everyone thought...

"BANG ~~~" accompanied by a loud and powerful explosion, an inexplicable powerful airflow suddenly rushed to the crowd outside the duel. Some people were shocked, some began to scream in pain... The flustered crowd looked around, but what happened in front of their eyes was situation that one could only say was unexpected.

It was not Iris struggling on the ground, but the little magician, Niu!

With the surprise in front of them, the crowd could feel the sound of luscious music from somewhere. The music dug deep into their hearts, as if it could heal all their uneasiness, becoming their ruler, friend, and lover. It was not known how many seconds had passed. The once chaotic conference hall had become peaceful; the originally panicked audience calmed down under the comfort of music, and those who fled in terror finally settled down...

After hearing the music, several old wizards with stronger wills could not help but exclaim:

"It's the Legendary Instrument, Marrelete..."

As time went by, the music gradually disappeared, and the the venue of the riots finally returned to tranquility. Looking at the unconscious Niu on the ground and the confused audience, Iris's angelic face did not waver, but the corners of her mouth revealed a faint smile...

Episode 7: Precursor of War

Episode 7: Precursor of War

--Arad Year 995, the Capital of the Dark Elf Kingdom, the "Dark City" Underfoot

"Your Majesty! Absolutely not! Don't hesitate any more!"

The one who spoke was the Dark Elf Elder Saffron, his voice was low and hoarse, but very firm.

"So far, how much have we sacrificed much for the sake of human development? In order to educate that worthless and inferior race, you even let Sharan, the leader of the Mage's Guild, stay there and teach them magic. But what did we get in return? Unable to comprehend our acts of kindness, they ungratefully paid us back with this unforgivable crime. Iris's divination clearly pointed out that humans are the main culprit of this infectious disease. This is such betrayal. What reason do we have to wait any longer? In any case, this war is imperative. We must declare war on the humans as soon as possible! Your Majesty, let's order it, let the army march into Aphelia. Let those who violate our treaties learn the taste of blood!"

..........................

In the Dark Elf Royal Palace of Underfoot, dozens of Dark Elf Elders of the main war faction surrounded Queen Maya in an attempt to persuade her to fight the human race.

The cause of this incident was due to a sudden epidemic that had spread in the Dark Elf city, Noire Ferra. In the short time-span of one night, the entire city was void of life. The news alarmed the entirety of Underfoot. In grief, the Dark Elves vowed to find the root cause of the plague. They invited the Fortuneteller Iris to make a divination, and she revealed that humans were related to the epidemic. The Dark Elves could not imagine that human beings, whom they always regarded as weak and helpless, to be associated with such a disaster. As a result, many of the Dark Elves broke out; they could not continue to think rationally or calmly, leaving only a strong desire for revenge in their minds.

..........................

In the face of the passionate elders, the Queen's messenger, Klonter, attempted to appease the strife.

"Iris's divination revealed only a connection. It's not clear if the culprit is human, and we don't have any definitive evidence. It would be too risky to wage war. Even if we know magic, do not  forget that the humans greatly outnumber us Dark Elves. Although they don't use magic, they have studied the use of physical warfare for many years. So in my opinion, the plague still needs to be carefully investigated. A problem like this cannot be solved with emotions."

Saffron sneered, shouting loudly.

"Oh! What are you so afraid of? What makes the humans worthy of our fear? They only use brute force; they are not worthy of being compared with us Dark Elves. It is only because we have a coward like you seated as the Queen's messenger that Her Majesty has been so hesitant to make her decision!"

Saffron's words immediately attracted the voices of the other elders.

"Klonter, are you in support of the humans?"

"How can Iris's divination be wrong, what else is there to investigate?"

"We should send troops immediately and burn Bel Myre to the ground!"

"Let those ungrateful humans get the lesson they deserve!"

..........................

Seeing that the anger of the elders was beyond control, a Dark Elf quietly emerged from the rioting crowd, and walked toward the Queen, respectfully saying:

"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt your meeting. I am Alchemist Morgan. This infectious disease has caused me to lose all of my loved ones. I have nothing else to lose, so let me go to Noire Ferra to investigate. If this truly is a human conspiracy, then by all means, the dark elves should exact vengeance for their loved ones and completely erase humanity from this continent."

The tone of his voice was calm, but it was void of emotion. It was in fact an expression of extreme anger that went beyond the limits of his grief, causing him to reduce to a calm state.

Queen Maya, who had been sitting quietly on the throne, finally broke the silence after listening to Morgan's words.

"Since you have such a will, Morgan, I will let you go and investigate. As the most decorated alchemist in the kingdom, I believe you will be able to find out the origins of this epidemic. We will be waiting here for your results."

Even though the Dark Elf Queen Maya was young, she was very calm. This was one of the reasons why she could still sit under the pressure of the Elders. Only this time, the Elders did not intend to let her go so easily.

"Your Majesty, the time is nigh. At the present, we have reached an impasse with our relationship with the humans. If we do not start a war now, we will be just giving them time to prepare..."

"I understand what you mean, Saffron, but we must not be hasty in such a matter that involves war. Such an act could threaten the survival of all of us, Dark Elves. So, we must first determine the actual origins of the epidemic, and then make a decision. In the meantime, we can use this intermission to prepare a battle plan. It would be best if the army is organized by Saffron personally. Even if war is launched in the future, this will reduce casualties to a minimum. Also, it is important to remember, until definitive evidence of a human connection is revealed, the kingdom will not tolerate anyone who privately takes on violent actions."

Although the Queen's voice was quiet and gentle, it had an unquestionable tone. This was the Queen's command.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The elders of the court who had just made a riot earlier, changed their disposition and replied with gratitude and respect. They all bowed their heads in accord.

..........................

After the crowd dispersed, the Dark Elf Royal Palace was restored to its former solemn and quiet state.

Klonter returned to the entrance of the main hall, carefully arranging his clothes and walked inside the palace. There, Queen Maya sat alone, still in her seat, which had previously been surrounded by the Elders, seemingly thinking about something.

"Your Majesty, I have returned. May I ask what you wished to tell me?"

"Klonter, come in."

After taking a deep breath, Klonter stepped into the inner hall and walked toward the Queen.

"Has Morgan set off yet?" The Queen's voice sounded exhausted.

"Yes, shortly after the meeting, he packed his bags and set off."

"What do you think will happen if we fight with the humans?"

"With all due respect, although humans are inferior creatures in the eyes of us Dark Elves, despite their inability to use magic and their short lifespans, their potential should not be underestimated. If we start a war, it might threaten the existence of all Dark Elves."

The Queen could not help but frown upon listening to his reply.

"Klonter, I have something to ask of you. I am afraid that person Morgan might be in danger; you should go to a place nearby Noire Ferra to support him. At the same time, contact Sharan; let her collect some information regarding the humans."

"Understood." After receiving his orders, Klonter was about to turn and leave, but suddenly he thought of something, causing him to stand in place. He hesitantly said, "Oh... Your Majesty..."

"Yes, please speak. What else is on your mind?"

"I don't think the humans would want to go to war with us. Not only because they are afraid of our magic, but also the De Los Empire has been fighting everywhere in the past few years. Their military forces are stretched far too thin and should be running out of troops. If they really have the intention of fighting with us, they will not be using their regular army, but rather an alternative approach..."

"You mean...  mercenaries?"

"No. I don't believe that the mercenaries or the Imperial Army are as threatening as the Elders claim. Our main concern is the group individuals known as 'Adventurers.' According to our intelligence officers there, a number of adventurers have recently sprung up in the cities of Arad, traveling around, training their bodies and honing their fighting skills. Among them, there are even some who are proficient in using magic."

"Are you saying that humans can use magic too...?"

"Not all of them. My subordinates believe that those who know magic should not be human, but may be other races. But there is no definitive information yet."

"Then... Do you believe the Headless Knight guarding the entrance of Underfoot can withstand those adventurers?"

"If the rumors about those adventurers are true, I'm afraid the Headless Knight will not be able to hold out for much longer."

"If so... Klonter, why don't you tell me directly what you are thinking?"

"According to existing intelligence, most adventurers are human; so they will certainly have an affiliation with the Empire. But fortunately, they do not share a deep connection. The Empire has fought and divided itself over the years, and many people are dissatisfied with it. Maybe we can use this to our advantage and bring them over to our side. However, this specific possibility is unclear; I wish to go personally and conduct an investigation."

In spite of his cautious words, Queen Maya saw confidence in Klonter's bright eyes.

"You make a lot of sense. So... where do you want to investigate?"

"Reports have stated that the humans have set up camp near Mount Aphelia, where it seems there are a lot of soldiers guarding them. If my subordinates are not mistaken, then there should also be a base for us Dark Elves as well. It is not far away from Morgan's investigation and at the same time, close to human territory, making it more convenient to contact Sharan. I will go there and stay in the presence of humans, serving as the Queen's Messenger."

"In the presence of humans? Are you not afraid they might hurt you...?"

"Do not worry, Your Majesty. Traditionally, people tend to not kill the messenger. Haha. Also, being the Queen's Messenger, I might prove of some value to them, so I shouldn't be in harm's way that easily."

"Hm... All right. Remember to keep in touch with me often and to take care of yourself."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Until then... I will take leave."

Klonter thought to himself as he walked out of the Queen's palace, and got upon his mount Lamina Viento (a tiger that can fly). With the sound of the wind whistling in his ear, Klonter recalled the scene just now, and could not help but be grateful:

(I am glad the young queen, Her Majesty, did not give in to those stubborn Elders. However, even with her strength alone, she will not be able to resist their influence for long. We Dark Elves are fundamentally a violent race. If I don't hurry and find out the truth soon, I'm afraid war is inevitable.)

As Klonter thought to himself, he couldn't help but tighten his grip on the reigns. Lamina Viento too seemed to have noticed the anxiety of her master. After a strong encouragement, the two swung up into the air. Gradually, Klonter and his mount disappeared into the distant sky, leaving only the sharp cry of Lamina Viento to still echo in the dark city...

Episode 8: Apostle Kasijas

Episode 8: Apostle Kasijas

Here was the land abandoned by the sun - Pandemonium. There was no warmth here, no evidence of life, except for one incredible place; a place that proved that the sun was not the source of all life -- Central Park,  where the flowers and plants are so lush, it felt like coming to the Arad Continent. It was a miracle that could not be replicated...

In the beautiful scenery was a woman standing among the flowers, exuding a fresh, natural atmosphere, like a blooming green daffodil. She looked peaceful as she lovingly caressed the delicate flowers beside her.

"Bang!" A lively girl running in the distance made a noise that broke the tranquility.

"Sister Kate! Are you taking care of the flowers again? Don't waste your magic on them, teach me more summoning techniques!"

Although Kate was at least 30 years older than the girl running toward her, she didn't seem to mind being called her "sister."

"Pipi, haven't I always told you? Summoning is not a merely technique, but a way to sincerely communicate with all living beings."

"Well, then send me to the Arad Continent. There's a lot of life there. If I travel around there, I can make friends and learn to communicate with all kinds of living creatures!"

"Now is not the time. Why are you so anxious? When time comes, you will have to go, even if you don't want to."

"Sigh... Yeah, right... Sister, weren't you around my age when you talked with the spirits and made the first summoning contract between people and monsters? I'm not as good as you, sister, but I know I can do it!"

Kate answered with a laughing smile. "Yes, I know."

"That smile again! Ah, that's so annoying! If you're angry with me, you could at least show it! Hmph..."

Although Pipi seemed to be a naughty child from the outside, in actuality, she was very smart and often gave headaches to the people around her. Those who were familiar with her always worried she would summon some weird creature one day. But, Kate was appreciative of the child. She always felt a passion for summoning from Pipi that was similar to her own, and loved her very much.

Looking at the angry Pipi, Kate said quietly:

"Pipi. A guest is coming, could you greet him for me?"

"Who is coming?"

"An important guest, don't be rude."

"Fine. Sigh... Sister Kate is always looking down at me. Since when was I ever rude?"

Pipi grumbled to herself as she left the park with a frown.

... Pipi stood at the front gate and waited for a long time, but no one came. Bored, she suddenly thought of something.  She spun around in a circle, recited an incantation, and a Goblin appeared in front of her.

"Hello, Hodor."

"Ack! My head is so dizzy! Hey, didn't I tell you not to summon me in Pandemonium! Traveling from Arad to here makes me very sick. I hate it! Pipi, you are so annoying."

"I'm bored, play with me for a while!"

"You can summon other guys to play with you! Why me?!"

"That's  because... you're the best. You just have to play with me. Huh? Uh? What's wrong, Hodor?..."

Suddenly, Hodor became restless. His expressions became very stiff and gave off a fidgety look.

"Pipi, I suddenly remembered that there was something I needed to do. Hehe... Yeah... M-my friend asked me to pay back his money! Let's meet again sometime, bye."

Just as Hodor disappeared, a strange voice came over her. It was a deep and oppressive sound that shook the depths of the earth.

"That's a mysterious summoning technique, kid. Are you the one called 'Summoner Kate'?"

Pipi turned her head and looked up. Standing behind her was a giant about 1.5 times the size of an ordinary person. Attached to his waist were two slender swords and his face and body were covered with blood, as if he were an evil spirit from hell. Although Pipi already had a large amount of courage, she couldn't help but tremble upon seeing his appearance.

"No... no. Sister Kate... is in the courtyard over there... Are you the guest Sister Kate was talking about?" Pipi asked courageously, as she attempted to calm herself.

"Kate knew I was coming...?"  The huge guest seemed to be a little surprised, and muttered to himself. Then, they heard Kate's refreshing voice over the breeze.

"Please come in, Apostle Kasijas." 

"Kasijas?!"

Pipi was shocked. Was this really Kasijas, the fourth-ranked Apostle in Pandemonium? Why would he come here? Ever since he appeared in Pandemonium, he had been wandering around to find and fight those stronger than himself. It was rumored that, in terms of single combat, he was the strongest of the Apostles, with the exception being Cain.

Upon hearing Kate's voice, Kasijas disappeared from Pipi's line of sight. A thunderous voice appeared.

"Are you Summoner Kate? Can you grant me the ability to fight amongst the strong?"

"Yes. I've been waiting for you, Kasijas!"

Although there was reason for Kate to be afraid of Kasijas' appearance, she was unfazed by it and maintained her benevolent expression.

"How did you know I was coming?"

"Oh, the surrounding spirits came and informed me of an Apostle that would come here."

"Hmm... I see. I don't like wasting time, so I'll get straight to the point.  I was born of a race that lives to fight, searching for and fighting with those stronger than me gives my life purpose. Naturally, I continued to do so after I came to Pandemonium. During my time here, I have fought with all the strongest beings of Pandemonium, including the Apostles, with the exception of 'Isis-Frey' and 'Long-legged Lotus'. Although those called the Apostles were certainly strong, they weren't that impressive... But..."

Kasijas paused for a moment and continued with a hint of hesitation.

"But, Cain... I lost only to him and was woefully defeated... Cain! He's a real monster! In the presence of his mighty strength and endless stamina, all of my proud fighting techniques and accumulated experiences thus far were reduced to shameless tricks. Before him, all of my skills proved useless, they had no effect!"

"Even in legend against Bakal, Cain was indeed described like this..."

Regarding Cain, the first Apostle of Pandemonium, Pipi always thought that he was just an exaggerated legend, but seeing the fourth apostle, covered in blood, confirmed that all of it was true.

"I can't live a life like this knowing the humiliation of defeat! With this frustration, I can't look back and pretend like nothing happened! Fortunately, Cain is not aggressive and just stays in Union Square doing nothing. In the meantime, if I experience more battles and become stronger, maybe one day, my victory will come! I can't suppress myself just thinking about it,  haha. I have heard there are countless strong individuals and fearsome monsters on the Arad Continent, could you do me a favor and let me fight with them? In exchange, you can use me at your own discretion."

"Kasijas, I can understand your feelings, but I am not a person who advocates violence. I just communicate with the living creatures of this world, hoping for them to understand one another and help each other survive... "

"Haha, isn't that why I asked for your help? I am also a living creature with its own troubles, but I might be able to help you too. If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. Come on, whatever it is, I can handle it. Although I'm only good at fighting, it's still very useful in a dangerous world. I assure you, with the exception of Cain, I can help you get rid of all your enemies."

Kate listened and silently thought to herself. Looking at her like this, Kasijas became a little impatient, and then spoke.

"How about this? If you or your apprentices want to go to a strange place or encounter danger, just call me. I will come to fight the strong enemies and keep you guys from harm. How does that sound?"

Kate thought for a moment and nodded. She turned toward Pipi, who was secretly watching from behind a nearby pillar.

"Pipi, could you come here for a moment?"

Pipi timidly stared at the eyes of Kasijas and mustered up the courage to walk over to Kate.

"This child is a very talented summoner, but she is still young. After you sign a summoning contract with me, if a child like her calls you, you have to respond, okay?"

"Rest assured, in order to become more powerful, I've already long discarded such useless things like self-esteem. Also, I've heard that the younger the magicians are in Pandemonium, the more powerful they become. I am not one to judge individuals by their appearances. Hahaha!"

"Well, thank you very much! It was not in my heart to send young summoners to such a dangerous world alone. But with you, Kasijas, these children can finally go to the continent without fear."

Pipi heard this and was overjoyed. "That means... Sister! Does that mean I can go down to the Arad Continent?" 

"Yes, it seems the time has come, but you'll have to thank Kasijas."

"Yay!"

Kate painted a large magical circle on the ground, put her hands together and began reciting an incomprehensible incantation. At this time, Kasijas revealed a smile on his face and walked into the magic circle. Pipi watched as a dazzling light rose; Kasijas and Kate finally succeeded in signing the contract...

Pipi couldn't help but feel a little excited watching the scene, because not long after, she would not only be able to summon such a large and powerful creature, but also embark on her long-awaited adventure in Arad...

Episode 9: Crying Eyes Hilder

Episode 9: Crying Eyes Hilder

-- Location: Pandemonium, Brooklyn, Bloomington Building

A city full of darkness and silence. Occasionally faint lights flashed through, revealing a layer of desolation to the shattered metropolis. Indeed, [Pandemonium] truly was the best name for this place.

In the corner of the city, there stood a woman who stared at the silent and gloomy cityscape through a window.

"Hey Hilder, what are you looking at?"

 In her ear came a sudden shout; it was the voice of [Kasijas]. However, Hilder did not turn back to look at a him, and continued to look forward in contemplation.

"Oh, this place really is desolate!" 

Kasijas walked over to Hilder and said,

"However, the people think that we 'Apostles' came to save this world. Hahaha! Are they serious?"

Even long after, the words of Kasijas still lingered in Hilder's mind.

"Save the world... Is there anything in this world worth saving?"

Hilder whispered to herself as she looked out the window, her voice was mixed with a hint of coldness. She turned around, and her eyes swept from the window to the photo of her family... Once upon a time, the photo brought about her family's laughter... but now... Everything in the past seemed like a dream. A dream?

Hilder suddenly remembered the dream as she had often done.

Inside this dream, the dazzling sun shined upon her hometown, the beautiful planet Terra. There, she saw her loved ones taking a leisurely walk in the park near the doorstep of their house. She called to them with joy, but they... They seemed to have heard nothing.

Suddenly, she heard in her ear  a loud explosion that seemed to tear through her eardrum. Then, the ground began to shake violently. Between the lightning that sparked above and the fires that erupted below, the earth was torn asunder by a huge crevice, and like a gluttonous mouth, consumed everything around it!

Hilder certainly knew what it meant, and, to her, it was an unforgettable scene. The destruction of Terra. The deaths of her family. She couldn't go through this again. In her dreams, she could only watch, again and again, her loved ones being swallowed up by the disaster, unable to do anything. She still called out the names of her loved ones, one by one, but no one responded. Hilder's flowing tears fell to the ground, leaving no trace of their existence. Every time she recalled the end of that scene, she could not help but burst into tears. But even if her tears ran out, her loved ones would not be able to return...

Afterwards, the city where she lived was separated from the Terra planet by the huge explosion. In this manner, the last remaining happiness of Hilder was also taken away by the cruel hands of fate... She was left alone in the city. Her home planet and loved ones slowly drifted toward the depths of hell. Although reason told her it was just a dream, the pain she experienced  still caused her to scream... The shrill cries of her loved ones seemed all too real and still echoed in her ears... A deep sense of of desperation and powerlessness grew in her heart, but regardless of how many times, she could not get used to it. 

Ah... Why are you letting me experience this again? Why!

She didn't want to think about it, but she always remembered hearing the the loud burst of the explosion and embracing the endlessly beautiful and dazzling sunlight of her hometown. In the end, she could only watch as her home planet gradually drifted away from her line of sight... Without losing anything, she had lost everything again. Once again... Is this a trick of fate? Do I want to use my dreams to remind myself that I have nothing?... Think of this, Hilder felt bitter.

"Everyone seems to call me Crying Eyes Hilder... Is it my sadness and despair? Is it too obvious? It's not good if my face reveals my true feelings..."

As Hilder murmured words to herself, contrary to what her nickname suggested, her face had lost all emotion.

Unconsciously, she had already stepped out of the house and began to wander aimlessly in the ruins of the city. Not far away her, there were two young magicians who were playing happily, showing each other the magic they had learned and laughing loudly. Looking at this scene, Hilder muttered.

"A huge metropolis that was once renown for its cutting-edge scientific achievements is now but a place where mages gather to live. It's ironic."

Suddenly, from afar, there was a strange, loud cry from a distant beast. The two little magicians seemed to be a little scared, and stopped playing, and turned to whisper to each other.

"Jay, did you hear that? That voice...  It's terrible."

"Don't be scared, that's [Isis-Frey] the Third Apostle. I heard that he only likes to soar in the sky. He won't harm people like us.

"Apostle? What's an Apostle?"

"It's said that the Apostles are the most powerful living creatures in Pandemonium. To be more specific... um... I'm not very sure. But, I have heard that the scary Apostle called Cain the Fatality is the most powerful of them! I heard he's the strongest in all of Pandemonium.  One by one, famous powerful creatures challenged him, but no one was strong enough to be his opponent. And, ah, do you know why we have not had any large-scale wars in Pandemonium for so many years?

The other young mage shook his head in confusion. 

The little boy named Jay said with pride:

"That's because of Cain. Cain is the real hero of Pandemonium! I think, one day, he will come to save Pandemonium and cause flowers to bloom everywhere."

.................

Hilder listened quietly to their conversations from afar, and thought for a moment. 

"The Apostles who will save the world... Is the world still worth saving?"

The thought continued.

"Saving a world is like giving birth to a new life. But in order to preserve such a life, the sacrifice of others is necessary... Maybe I really am the Apostle born to save the world, but at the same time, I am also a cruel destroyer..."

Hilder looked up at the sky covered by dark clouds, and remembered her hometown of Terra, which had repeatedly appeared in her dreams, and finally had made a decision in her heart.

"My hometown Terra... I know you have always appeared in my dreams, in the hopes that I will not forget you. I will revive you and make you born anew. Reborn with the same peacefulness and beauty... My Terra..."

Episode 10: Journal of Arbitrator Marcellus

Episode 10: Journal of Arbitrator Marcellus

"...Most GBL followers have never heard of the secret organization known as the Bloody Purge, including myself. In fact, if I had not been secretly appointed as the head of this organization today, perhaps I would have never realized its existence... From now on, it is my duty to secretly punish those heretics who are shrouded in darkness, those who betray the GBL Order and violate its teachings..."

- Quoted from Marcellus's Journal (Part 1), Arad Year 985

---

"...The GBL followers have fallen victim to Lotus's mind control; they were unable to resist his influence, and are now kneeling, succumbed to his will... Is this the end of the GBL Order?

No, I won't believe it!! ... I... I cannot just stand idly by and watch as our sacred order, the legacy of Leslie Bagrans, which was maintained for hundreds of years, perishes in silence. Today will not be GBL's last. ...However, with my current strength, even if I fight for my life against Lotus, it would just be suicide; there is no chance of victory... Perhaps if I use that legendary forbidden spell known only to the leaders of the Bloody Purge and the GBL, there may be a sliver of hope... Yes...

Instead of suffering such a humiliating death against Lotus, it would be better to sacrifice my soul and wait for the perfect opportunity to enact our vengeance. That wicked Apostle... I intend to do whatever it takes to get rid of him, even if I have to grovel at the devil's feet. Because there is still hope! Some day, I will destroy Lotus and rebuild the glory of the GBL Order...

Even if my journals end here, my grudge will be eternal and will remain forever a part of the GBL. If one day, someone is curious to explore GBL's glorious past, let him discover our legacy marked within these collapsed temples..."

- Quoted from the last page of Marcellus's Journal (Part 1), Arad Year 990

---

"...It seems that my hypothesis was correct. As it turns out, Lotus's mental attacks cannot penetrate within Behemoth's body, so I was fortunate enough to escape. Although I have lost my own body, I can now transfer my consciousness and live within the bodies of followers who are controlled by Lotus. Despite this, I am still burning with hope! My plan is right on track, and soon my revenge will begin...

PS: It is quite convenient to not be bound by the human form. I no longer worry about such triffling psychological notions such as life and death; I can do whatever I wish without fear!"

- Quoted from Marcellus's Journal (Part 2), Year of Publication Unknown

---

"Recently, more and more GBL followers who were controlled by Lotus have died in succession. I am aware that this is purely not a natural phenomenon. I suspect that by now stronger individuals must have arrived upon Behemoth's back, and are now cleansing those who are manipulated by Lotus's will... But this fits well into my plans. Those dead followers should be liberated from their mind control, and as a result, the number of my resurrected followers will continue to grow. Soon, I may be able to rebuild a great shrine here...

My revenge is almost complete!"

- Quoted from Marcellus's Journal (Part 2), Year of Publication Unknown

---

"My flesh has begun to rot and my memory is fading... Is this the price of using that forbidden spell? Now what fills the void in my mind is only hatred, my resentment of Lotus, the one who destroyed us! By the time someone reads this journal, I will have long devolved into a zombie-like creature, driven solely by revenge... I don't even know if I would be any different from that of a savage beast, hehe... Even so, it doesn't matter! As long as I can tear Lotus to shreds with my own hands... Even if it costs me my soul, I have no regrets..."

- Quoted from Marcellus's Journal (Part 2), Year of Publication Unknown

---

"Who is it that interferes with my holy mission? Who is it that takes away my revenge, leaving me with nothing? You took my hatred away from me! Now my decrepit body serves me no purpose... The desire for vengeance still burns strong within me... You! I hold you responsible for my eternal pain!"

- Quoted from the last page of Marcellus's Journal (Part 2), Year of Publication Unknown

Episode 11: Ozma of Chaos

Episode 11: Ozma of Chaos

Over 800 years ago, tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides of a wide plain confronted and killed each other.

	"Ozma... My friend, are you really trying to kill me?"

It was the Empire's famous commander, Kazan.
His voice was trembling, which was unbecoming for its fame.

	"Kazan. If you were planning this rebellion, I have no choice but to obey the orders of the Empire."

However, the voice of Ozma, the Empire's greatest wizard, showed he was not convinced.

	"Ozma, I did not revolt. I am just trying to protect myself from those who plot against me. Don't believe what they say!"

	"My friend, if that's the case, then withdraw your troops. There must be some misunderstanding. Let me  report to His Majesty, the Emperor, immediately!"

	"My friend, the one who's plotting against me... is the Emperor!"
	"That means... you personally admit to rebellion... Forgive me. My friend."

Ozma ordered the advance. The charging soldiers of Ozma stared at Kazan as he rushed out as he shouted with a thunderous roar; as usual, he wore no armor and held an axe in one hand and a sword in the other.

----------------------

	"Hehehehe... Gah Hah hah hah...."

With a sad laugh passing through his chest, Ozma slowly came to.

	"Have you regained consciousness, my friend?  We might have been orchestrated to do this from the start. Gah hah hah hah..."

Kazan's appearance reflected in Ozma's eyes, it was like the devil itself was forced to wear human skin and became bloodstained.
Both of his legs were tied up,but  both both his arms were dangling effortlessly, without the need to tie them.

	"Y-You, what happened to your arms!!"
	"They must have been scared of my arms. I can see that all the tendons were pulled out."
	"It.. It can't be!"

Ozma slowly recollected. Everything was clear. 
The Empire's orders to suppress a revolt awoken by Kazan.
The soldiers who suddenly rushed in during the encounter with Kazan. Their clothes were different, but they had the coordination of Imperial soldiers.
...Why did such an order come down to me, a mere wizard, instead of the other generals?
I see. It was a conspiracy from the beginning...
It was plot to eliminate Kazan and me at the same time!

	"Ah..."

After thinking for a while, Kazan saw Ozma let out a light sigh, and said: 

	"You already seem to have understood everything too. Yes. Yes..."

Kazan had the form of a ghost, as if it seemed he strayed from the likes of his human body... He mumbled only to himself.

	"My life as a human probably ends here. If we are in this situation, it is likely that our families will not be safe either. My bloodline will end at my generation... For that, I am regretful."

	"Family,... that's right, they're probably not safe... Ah... Then my Liz, too...!?"

At that moment, an elongated rod from somewhere penetrated through the iron bars and struck Ozma's face.

	"Watch what you say, Traitor. You carelessly call out from your filthy mouth the name of one of His Majesty, the Emperor's concubines."

Ozma stood up and yelled, clinging to the prison bars.

	"Wh-What the hell did you say?! Tell me more!"

The prison cell door opens and Ozma was beaten by the guards and was dragged away as if he were a heavy bag.

	"Hey!! What happened to Liz! Hey!! Tell me!!"

The moist, pungent air was entangled with Ozma's receding screams. 

----------------------

	"Ozma... Ozma."

Someone is calling me... Kazan...
I reflexively tried to open my eyes. Oh...  They took the light from my eyes...
The darkness... I'm not very familiar with it.

	"Ah... Kazan..."
	"Hey... Are you okay?"
	"..."

When I chose not to respond, Kazan said no more. 
There was no longer any hope to breathe into each other.

	(This is unheard of... This is the consequence of being unaware of their jealousy toward the two of us!)
	(Kazan, my family, and my poor Liz... Liz... What sins did they have?...)
	(I'm withering away like dust as it is... The one line recorded in the history books will tell of the two men who were exceedingly better than everyone else, and how they were accused of treason and executed due to the jealousy of other human beings . No, that's not right. They will not let us have the satisfaction of a glorifying end...)

	"The human race,... are they living beings beyond redemption?"

Ozma didn't know that he was muttering to himself. Kazan ignored it quietly without any hesitation.
Suddenly, Ozma's thoughts began to flow in a strange direction.

	(It's simple... Such a thing as erasing one race that lives on this planet. Even so. Well, it wouldn't be that large of a problem. What is the human race to begin with? Why do they believe themselves to be the most important beings in the universe? Even savage monsters would not do this to their own kind!!!)
	(Yes, revenge... Revenge. I will enact my revenge upon this world. I will cleanse this world of its humans that only bring destruction. It will be true purification! But how!?)

----------------------

	"How is it? My proposition?"
	"Disappear from me, wicked being. Accepting your offer is not worth the sanctity of my soul."

As a deep red flame gathered on one of Ozma's hands, both of his glaring eyes ignited with kindling flames.

 	"The opportunity to gain the power to destroy the world in exchange for one's own soul is not for everyone. You are a chosen human being. Heh heh heh..."

Unable to withstand listening to any more unpleasant laughter, Ozma threw the cluster of fire which had been burning from the palm of his hand.
However, the fireball passed through the dark being before him, and made a huge explosive sound and opened a large hole in the back wall. The invisible being continued to whisper unpleasantly.

	"Hey. There is no need to get so angry. Even if you threaten me like that, I will be disappearing in front of you soon. But someday, you will ask me."

The being before him slowly vanished and lost its shape. Only its final words remained, echoing.

	"Someday, you will ask me ..."

----------------------

Did he know that all of this would happen? 
Ah... Humans! Humanity! Because of your desire for power and jealousy,  you will face a terrible demon that you have never seen before...
Suddenly, Ozma began to laugh maniacally.

	"Hah hah hah hah..."
	"Ozma...?"
	"Kazan. Listen to what I say. We two are the best humans in the world. Is that not right?
	"..."
	"I think it's very pitiful that the two of us are going to go out like this."
	"What are you planning?"
	"Fufufu... Kazan... Will you become the God of Extinction? Then, I will become the God of Chaos."
	"Hey,... what the hell does that mean?"

It was time. The iron cell door opened, and a couple of prison guards pulled up and took out Kazan. 
Ozma urgently cried out.

	"Kazan! My friend. Remember! It's not over yet! You must survive! I will surely find you! Kazan, Kazan!"

Ozma was blind, but Kazan, who was being dragged away by the soldiers while Ozma continued to shout, turned his face toward Ozma, making a mysterious smile. 
It is not understood whether it was a sign that he believed Ozma's words or it was a last sad farewell to his friend who spat out frivolous words.

----------------------

	"...After, Kazan was exiled beyond the Stru Mountains, and Ozma was thrown into the South Sea. Ozma was willing to accept the offer of the god of death and asked for him to come again, selling his soul to gain evil powers, and took the life of Kazan, whom he found barely alive, and transformed him into the God of Extinction. However, Kazan did not join Ozma's plan. Instead, he became a Ghost and wandered the world. From that time on, there was a disease called Kazan Syndrome set about by the Ghost of Kazan, which broke out all over the continent..."

Archbishop Magar Rosenbach, an elder of the prominent Crusader Rosenbach family, continued to recollect things of the past from hundreds of years ago to his young granddaughter, Oberith Rosenbach, who sat upon his legs, listening.

	"From then on, did you learn that in school, too? The Curse of Ozma made humans into Imposters (monsters disguised as a human beings) - history books note this as the Curse of Blood. Because humans were mutilating themselves and to promoting chaos, God sent down a sacred, divine revelation to Michael, allowing him to distinguish ordinary humans from the Imposters. Through him, we were able make people like us, "Priests," and we were able to prepare for the fight against the Imposters."

Magar stroked his granddaughter's hair with his warm hand.

	"Finally, the Imposter soldiers of Ozma and the Priests led by Michael exchanged in a massive battle near the Black Earth, and our Priests succeeded in casting Ozma's army into another dimension. Do you know the name of this battle, Oberith?"
	"The Black Crusade!"
	"Yes, you know well. Although Michael finally succeeded in banishing Ozma, he is still alive somewhere. I do not know when he will attack this world again. There is still a large number of  Imposters hiding in the world; for that reason, the significance of our existence has not yet been lost. Understand, Oberith?"
	"Yes. But, Grandfather?"

The young girl's glittering eyes now stared directly at Magar.

	"Ozma was once a good person, wasn't he?"
	"That's right, long ago, Ozma was best wizard of his time and saved the world with Kazan."
	"Yes... Well, since all the cruel, bad people in the world from long ago are already dead and there are only good people like grandfathers and grandmothers left, do you know if their original good hearts will return again?"
	"Hahahaha... You're such a benevolent child. So, you're suggesting that the world's creatures are at not at all evil from the beginning? My adorable granddaughter has a greater depth of enlightenment than the stubborn Priest elders! If I  ever have the chance to meet Ozma directly someday, I'll see if I can talk to him."
	"But, please be careful, Grandfather. Sometimes you don't listen to me."
	"Yes, yes. You are really smart and truly wise. It seems I don't need to worry about you for a lifetime."

However, Magar saw the path his adorable granddaughter walked  upon, and his face wasn't as spirited as his laugh.

	(It would be great if this peaceful age continued to last forever. It would be great if I were able to see true peace before I close my eyes, a world without the need for us priests. A world where my beautiful and intelligent Oberith can experience ordinary happiness...)

Episode 12: God, Heed My Prayers...

Episode 12: God, Heed My Prayers...

Episode 13: Poison

Episode 13: Poison

Episode 14: Stained with Autumn Leaves

Episode 14: Stained with Autumn Leaves

Episode 15: Rossi's Song

Episode 15: Rossi's Song

Episode 16: Morgan's Journal

Episode 16: Morgan's Journal

May 4. Arad Year 995.

<1>
At dusk, I finally arrived in my hometown, Noire Ferra.
This slightly silvery, damp mist, the smell of decay in the wind... The former bustling village of the past is now silent, filled with the sounds of a bellowing wind at its entrance. This is no longer the place I remember.
What are these things I've seen everywhere... these strange life forms?
From their clothing and skin color, many of them resemble Dark Elves - my kin. 
My people are suffering; even if they become ghouls (zombies), they are unwilling to leave their hometown, and have been quietly roaming around the area.
Perhaps, my family is among them, too...

<2>
I came to find out the truth behind this Noire Ferra incident.
The Senate has always believed that this event was a conspiracy by the humans to exterminate us Dark Elves.
The Diviner Iris from Pandemonium even told us that the matter was related to the humans, but there are too many doubts about this, and it matters significantly.
So, I have come here personally to investigate. Even if I have to face the fact that my loved ones have become monsters, I must find out the answer.
This incident has caused a greater division between us Dark Elves to which we are now separated into two major forces.
One side is the revolutionary faction headed by Queen Maya, who is the ruler the Dark Elves. Under their ideals, the Dark Elves gradually began to communicate with other races and made advances in innovations.
On the other side is a conservative faction led by the Dark Elf Senate, who over the past thousand years controlled the fate of the Dark Elves with their absolute power. But ever since the ascension of Queen Maya, their status has not been as prominent as before, and it is quite apparent.
Most of the Dark Elf Elders, including Saffron, will definitely use this event as a great opportunity to expand their powers. They will use our misconceptions and hate toward humans to provoke war, even if we are greatly outnumbered. As long as they can achieve (even a little) amount of success in their war, there is no doubt that the Elder's powers will grow beyond imagination.
The current Queen of the Dark Elves, Maya, is young but smart.
However, her power alone is too little to counter that of the Elders. 
If I do not uncover something here, it may lead to another meaningless tragedy...
It will be a disaster for all Dark Elves, and I must do my best to prevent such a thing from happening.
Of course, if what the Diviner Iris said is true, if this is a conspiracy of mankind, then I will desperately fight for the eradication of the human race from the face of the planet. 
However, I must not jump to conclusions. If I allow myself to sort through this whole incident before I start my investigation, perhaps I may find some details that I have not noticed before.
If that's the case, here's a question: If human beings are really related to this matter, what would be their motivation?
In all honesty, the relationship we Dark Elves had with the humans in recent years was quite good. The Queen not only sent the court magician to the cities of mankind to teach them magic, but also opened up trade to both sides. Our Dark Elf flying ships, the 'Magatha', soared across the continent and enabled more inter-ethnic exchange, causing trade to boom. It can be said that the Queen's revolutionary reform progressed very smoothly.
Of course, the fact that our relationship with the humans is getting better and better is a danger signal to the Elders, causing them to make hasty judgments. Perhaps this may explain why the conservatives in the Senate are so determined to blame this incident on the humans.
Moreover, if one changes their perspective; consider it from the point of view of the humans...
In fact, human beings are an ignorant race.
Looking at their history, it is not difficult to discover that their greatest passion is to plunder and occupy vast amounts of land.
They seem to be ruthless and savage beings who commit genocide in order to win each other's territory.
If that's the reason, it would not be surprising if they turned their attention to the Dark Elves.
However, we Dark Elves live in an underground dark city, while the humans live on the sunny surface.
What reason would they have to need to conquer land that is inferior to their own?
What's more, Dark Elves and humans do not have a root cause for conflict to consider each other a threat. In fact, the Bantu tribe who recently invaded their borders seem to pose a greater danger to them...
If that's the case...
Was Iris...lying?
If so, why?

<3>
It has been several days since I came here, but I haven't yet had the courage to step foot into Noire Ferra.
The reason being is that there are too many monsters. (Most of them are my kin, though.)
While watching these people who have lost their minds and are like the walking dead, I cannot help but feel unbearable sorrow and anger. Damn you, whoever is behind this!
No... I can't act recklessly. It's meaningless to die here. I must uncover the truth of this matter. This is my mission--a mission for the lives of tens of millions of my people.
I can't drag this on any longer. Tomorrow, I will sneak into the city to investigate.
Ah... If I had known this would happen, I would have been more eager to learn stealth techniques as a child.

<4>
I finally managed to sneak into the city.
Fortunately, my imperfect stealth techniques are still useful in this critical moment;  no creatures seem to have noticed my presence.
But, oddly enough, it seems that there is more than just only ghouls and ghosts here.
The crowds that I saw were definitely human, yes, humans!
If so, is it true that humans are really related to this?

<5>
Today, I spent the whole day following these people in the city and searching for their identity.
Here is some the information I discovered:
They all seemed to be part of an organization, similar to a "religion" (an indispensable spiritual reliance that seems to be essential for human survival).
As I listened in on their conversation, the group's name seemed to be called "Grim-Seeker."
They seemed to be waiting for someone.
A being known as 'Delezie'.
"This is the holy ground to which that Delezie has provided his grace. He will not only grant us strength, but also judge our enemies for us. Please join us in preparing for the arrival of the absolute god, Delezie!"
I seem to have overheard them saying this. Who are they referring to? Delezie? Ah... I've heard that name before. How is he related to the Noire Ferra incident?

<6>
I was attacked by an infected family member.
I blame myself for not learning stealth techniques... But I should have known, even if I had become a thief, as long as there was still a trace of Dark Elf blood in me, they would still detect my presence.
Will I be infected? Is is possible that an epidemic can be caused just by being attacked like this?
I must find the culprit that killed my family; I cannot die like this...

<7>
Today, I continued to follow those humans while in stealth.
The Grim Seeker human organization seems to be very secretive about their practices, but I think they are very dangerous.
Their group is extremely hierarchical, making it very difficult to find useful information.
But my instincts tell me that whatever they are planning here is no trivial matter.
I followed a seemingly high-ranking human in this organization and arrived in a very secured location, where I discovered something I didn't expect to find...
-- An Interdimensional Rift?!
I pray those who read this journal are my kin, so it is clear what this means. 
But if not, I will reveal some of the secrets of the "Interdimensional Rift" here.
The Interdimensional Rift is a gap, or crack, in space-time that occurs between our present and temporal worlds.
A "temporal world" is a type of parallel world that coexists with the present world, and the "Interdimensional Rift" refers to the channel connecting Arad to the "temporal world."
Hundreds of years ago, we Dark Elves discovered it by accident and studied it in secret. The conclusion drawn from our long study was that "Interdimensional Rifts can used to freely travel between different time and space."
But, despite our hundreds of years of research, we still have not fully mastered the ability to manipulate the rifts, nor control the anomalies that occurred associated to their use.
This information can be said to be top secret, even among the Dark Elves, but I know of its existence due to my status as the Court Alchemist.
But why do humans know about them, did they begin researching them as well?....
Is this plague somehow related to the Interdimensional Rift?....

<8>
I discovered something strange while investigating the people who died from the epidemic. 
It's a peculiar chemical reaction we Dark Elves call "Purple Mushroom Disease," which is somehow related to the "Curse of Blood" that happened to humans hundreds of years ago! 
According to ancient human documents, the "Curse of Blood" was a phenomenon where the "camouflage" of humans (Imposters) spread, which caused the camouflaged creature to transform into a monster that craves blood of the same species.
But what made "Imposters" dangerous was that they were indistinguishable in appearance from ordinary humans during the day, and only revealed their true forms at night.
As a result, the fragile people were enveloped in an unknown fear, causing the meager trust between the humans to fall apart. They began arbitrarily killing each other, even their own kin, through crazy rituals and witch hunts -- this was the most terrible effect of the Curse of Blood.
Fortunately, when the Dark Elves were afflicted with the blood curse, we were able to escape the tragedy because our anatomy made it easy for us to distinguish those who were infected by displaying purple mushroom-like patterns everywhere on their skin. 
So, we called it "purple mushroom disease."
However, it's been several decades since there have been any official reports among the humans that mentioned any sightings of Imposters.
Now that the purple mushroom disease has reappeared, has the Curse of Blood descended once again upon the Arad Continent?
It is said that the individuals called 'Priests' defeated the Curse of Blood, and are now rumored to be secretly training somewhere to eradicate the remains of this evil curse. If I can find them, I may be able to solve this mystery.
But what if this is not the Curse of Blood, but rather something else? Perhaps the origins of the epidemic is somehow related to someone or something that created the Curse of Blood.
Is there a relationship between the Imposters and the epidemic?
It seems all these mysteries are connected to the Interdimensional Rift.

<9>
My body has begun to smell strange. 
I feel a burning sensation and an intense, intoxicating hunger...
It seems I have been infected with the epidemic...

<10>
Ok, here's a bit of a clue.
The name Delezie... I knew I had heard of it before -- from the Diviner Iris, no less.
As I recall, she stated that he is one of the nine Apostles of Pandemonium and is the living embodiment of various diseases. If what I remember from her story is correct, then I believe that Delezie is the Apostle responsible for spreading the epidemic.
If that's the case... here is my hypothesis.
Someone used the Interdimensional Rift to transfer the Apostles through dimensional space from Pandemonium to the Arad Continent.
According to our previous research, Interdimensional Rifts do not occur naturally; rather they have to be created and manipulated by someone.
I am certain that this 'someone' who created the rift is the same person behind-the-scenes who released the demon Delezie into our world.
But does that mean Delezie has already arrived in Noire Ferra?
No. That shouldn't be possible.
According to Iris's story, Delezie has no control over the spontaneous diseases that spread into his surroundings; the area should become a living hell. If that's true, then all the creatures around Noire Ferra should be dead from his infectious diseases. However, even in the urban areas, occasional animals and plants can be seen without any abnormalities. Even the humans of the Grim Seekers seem unaffected as well.
So, Delezie has not yet arrived in Noire Ferra, at least for now.
There is, of course, another possibility -- that Delezie had been here previously by the Interdimensional Rift, but was later transferred to another location.
If so, then who was it and why was that wicked Apostle transferred to this inconspicuous Dark Elf town?
It may seem a little absurd, but I believe the person responsible did not want to intentionally move Delezie into the Dark Elf village.
We Dark Elves have been living in isolation this whole time. No matter how much I think about it, I cannot imagine anyone who would think about attacking a race that lives peacefully underground. The Dark Elves are of little competition compared  to the threat that fill the outside world. Nor do I believe someone would expend so much effort to disrupt the survival of such a race.
Although we have some unique abilities like magic and stealth, if other races believed that our abilities posed a threat to their existence and wanted to eliminate us Dark Elves, Delezie should have been transferred to a big city like Underfoot rather than a small village like Noire Ferra. Because if that's the case, I am afraid we Dark Elves would have long since perished.
So, let's continue and make an assumption.
Someone used the Interdimensional rift to move Delezie. 
But, during the process, the rift accidentally opened in Noire Ferra, and it seems that some of Delezie's power was unleashed.
Using an Interdimensional Rift can distort time and space, sometimes causing another rift to open. It was one of the very basic side effects that occurred in previous Dark Elf experiments.
In short, because of this, whatever part of Delezie was left here in Noire Ferra resulted in this tragedy.
It seems very reasonable to think so.
While thinking of all this, a word suddenly emerged into my mind, "Metastasis!"
Currently, the human world is in a state of extreme chaos due to the "metastasis" phenomenon.
According to Iris, the origins of the metastasis was due to the transference of the first Apostle that appeared in Arad, a being named Sirocco.
It can't be... Are all of these things related?
The Curse of Blood, the purple mushroom disease, the Noire Ferra incident, and the "metastasis"...
Are these all part of some enormous conspiracy manipulated by some mastermind behind the scenes...?
If this is true, then this master plan must have been secretly in place for centuries!
Just thinking about it puts a chill up my spine.
Then, the "Curse of Blood" from hundreds of years ago and the "purple mushroom disease" found here could be considered evidence of this plan.
Even the Interdimensional Rift...
Our ancestors always warned that the Interdimensional Rift shouldn't be handled carelessly. 
Unfortunately, someone has mishandled the Interdimensional Rift, and now the residents of Noire Ferra must pay the price.
But the biggest question is this: 
We Dark Elves, who have studied the Interdimensional Rifts for hundreds of years, are the only ones with even a basic grasp of it. 
Yet some... being... seems to understand it better than we do. How is it that this being uses the portal's power so freely?
Furthermore, even if we Dark Elves had this knowledge, it would be impossible to successfully use of the Interdimensional Rift as it requires an immense power beyond imagination.
As far as I know, it is possible to produce such an energy, but only through the use of "Terranite" which only exists in Pandemonium.
So, is the Grim Seeker human organization really the mastermind of this plan?
My instincts tell me no.
During the few days I observed them, I found out that although they knew the basic functions of the Interdimensional Rift, they did not know how to fully utilize it.
That being said, it is rumored that humans have also discovered Interdimensional Rifts not long ago, and also conducted a small-scale research. Human beings are inherently timid races. Even if they wanted to reach our level of expertise, one has to consider that all our current knowledge was due to the sacrifices made by our Dark Elf Elders in order the explore the secrets of the Interdimensional Rift... Such a feat would take the humans several lifetimes.
Additionally, in order to use the Interdimensional Rift for dimensional travel, it would require an energy far beyond the imagination of an average individual. Of all the known materials, only Terranite from Pandemonium can withstand such a huge energy expenditure.
Just how can humans be capable of such an energy? Even if they wanted to collect Terranite, the amount required would be too unrealistic.
If the culprit is not human, then who is the murderer behind this conspiracy? How did they surpass the Dark Elf's hundreds of years of research and master the skills required to use the Interdimensional Rifts?
What is happening here?... No, what is happening on the Arad Continent?

<11>
Recently, I occasionally feel confused, and I am unable to concentrate.
My injured left wrist has slowly began to swell and sprouted a row of  "purple mushrooms."
"Purple Mushroom Disease"...  It is clear that this how the epidemic was transferred.
Oh, I never thought I would see the day... It seems that I don't have much time left to live...
What will become of my journal?
If I carry it with me, it will be torn asunder with my body by the ghouls...
No, no. I must find a place to hide it.

<12>
It seems that the Grim Seekers are not only doing religious rituals here, but also some kind of experimentation.
They exposed an experimental body (which appeared to be human) to a substance that leaked out of the Interdimensional Rift (these substances didn't look like solids, but rather amorphous materials related to phantoms or ghosts). 
Thereafter, the experiment body was tied in bandages and set aside.
A few days later, something amazing happened!
There were only messy bandages left in the location where the test subject was; the body had completely disappeared without a trace.
Suddenly, when a member of the Grim Seekers, who wore unusually colored garments, went in front of the bandages and recited some incantation, the bandages turned into the shape of a human being and became an active living body!
This reminded me of some records I had read about 'Imposters' mentioned in ancient human documents, which stated:
"The Imposters will have different shapes depending on the region, displaying a variety of forms. For example, the most common representations the human body takes on will be of animalian or insectoid characteristics from wolves, bats, or spiders, etc.. However, there are still many other strange forms of the Imposters that have yet to be classified.
The most peculiar variety of Imposters is one that cannot maintain its original form, in which the creature's body disappears, and all of its life energy is absorbed into a host object. Usually, the average Imposter will maintain a human form during the day and reveal its true form at night, but this particular Imposter is the opposite -- they maintain the form of familiarly-shaped objects during the day, but at night the host will return to its human form.
In the Black Crusade, it is said that Ozma and his Knights of Terror could manipulate the cycle of day and night in the Imposters, controlling their transformations. It is particularly worth mentioning that these Imposters could project themselves as books, bandages, clothes, or etc. with their energies attached, and then secretly placed in the enemy camp to be later awakened to attack the Priests unexpectedly. Due to this unexpected special tactic, it is said that the Priest Order suffered extreme casualties and was almost driven to the point of defeat..."
I am more certain about this than ever.
Imposters and the epidemic; although the symptoms react differently after being infected, there must be some connection between them.
The key to unlocking this mystery should be in the hands of the Grim Seekers who secretly create Imposters in the ruins of our Dark Elf village.

<13>
Klonter said that he would stay with humans at the entrance of Mount Aphelia.
I have to tell him everything I saw here.
I need to tell him the location of my journal so that someone can find out and continue to uncover this heinous plot.
Unfortunately, the energy has gradually begun to drain from my body; I have very little strength left...
Can I still get there?

<14>
Thirteen Apostles!
I remember that there was such a verse mentioning this in the Grim Seeker's prayers.
"We cannot protect all 13 Apostles, but by saving one, it  will save us from the end of the world."
Strange. If I remember correctly, didn't Iris say there were only nine...? 
Even with the addition of Bakal, who had lost the title of being an Apostle, there are still three missing.
Hmm... If we assume that the Apostles gave off their own distinct energy, then, based on the relationship between the Imposter and the epidemic, is there a connection between Ozma and Delezie? 
Then, is the demon named Ozma also an "Apostle"? 
But what does it mean to be an "Apostle"? 
And why do these humans known as Grim Seekers worship these "Apostles," thinking that they will bring salvation, even though they seem likely to to bring only chaos? 
Is it nonsense or is there any truth?
Is this the final struggle before the so-called "end of the world"?
Is there any other reason?

<15>
My condition is getting worse. I have reached the point where I can no longer concentrate on thinking about anything.
My hair has begun to fall off, and the structure of my body has become more and more like those ghouls. It is not only disgusting but also extremely painful...
It has become painstakingly difficult to even write now.
I lied in the cave hidden here all day, riling in pain, but I didn't even have the strength to make a groan.
I think my memories are being slowly erased one by one.
I only hope, at least before I die, that I can still remember the faces of my family...

<16>
I spent the whole day lying down waiting aimlessly for death...
Suddenly, the fog in my mind dissipated, I realized the answer to my questions seemed to be right in front of me!
This series of mysteries and all my contradictory doubts connected together, allowing me to see the truth!
Ah... I see...
Finally, I know who it is, the one who initiated this cruel and terrible scheme....
Damn, how can this be?!... It's unbelievable!!
Yes, logically it lines up so perfectly, before and after...  Ah... but... again why?!!

<17>
I'm running out of time.
My body has begun to slowly recover it strength; and when it's fully restored, I will lose consciousness and transform into ghoul completely...
There is no time; I must hide this journal soon while my consciousness is still intact.
Before my strength returns, I must hurry to the entrance of Mount Aphelia and find Klonter...
Klonter, my dearest friend...
Even if I die before I see you, even if I have turn into a ghoul, please recognize me...
At that time, if you cannot tolerate my rotten, deformed body, please let me know I died by your hand...
But I... I still hope you can recognize me...
However, after you see my eyes full of sorrow, I beg of you...
After you see my bloody tears of pain and anger, I hope you can understand...
Please find my journal and discover the truth...

Episode 17: Genesis (Chapter 1)

Episode 17: Genesis (Chapter 1)

Episode 18: The Festival of Warriors

Episode 18: The Festival of Warriors

Episode 19: Wolf

Episode 19: Wolf

Episode 20: Bakal, the King of Dragons

Episode 20: Bakal, the King of Dragons

Chapter 1: A Special Dragon

I am special.

Out of all the filthy vermin randomly spat out by this damn universe, there is nothing as remotely indispensable as me. I was born a dragon, a natural fighter, and had some talents. But that does not make me special.

I despise all beings who scorn their lives, thinking that they are not special. No matter how small the possibility, the birth of one life has the power to change the universe. However, if he were to neglect his own existence, he can only be forgotten. Because of such a life, the value of their existence is not even comparable to that of rotting trash fed on by worms. The universe has granted me the privilege to end such unexamined lives; as cruelly and as ruthlessly as possible! Because, only when they perish, their lives will have the most meaning.

Increasingly stronger people appeared, but it was useless. Because I was strong. The life forms of the universe trembled in fear simply by hearing my name, for I was the strongest of the dragons. 

It was then, I realized that there were no longer any opponents to oppose me; it was so long ago that I had forgotten the time...

It was only natural that I became the king of the dragons.

I was called the Eternal Dragon King. My people have surrendered to my arrogance and self-confidence, and they admired the sovereign king of their hearts. But the funny thing was, I grew tired of it day by day. It seemed as if there was nothing worth pursuing in my life. No matter how many various and creative ways I was praised, I no longer felt the slightest excitement. Without a strong opponent, even battle lost its meaning.

I felt that my existence was gradually fading away...

"Long live the King of Dragons!"

I could always hear such shouts in my ears, but day after day, I became more numb to their words, sometimes even bored.

"Shut the hell up!" I screamed wildly in my heart, but the cheers of the crowd still soared.

"Long live the King of Dragons!" "Long Live!"

------------------

I killed dozens of civilians today, a little more than yesterday. If you asked for a reason, I did not do it out of anger, out of fun, or simply to vent, but... It seemed that only when killing, I can truly feel that I am alive.

I know that those who surrender to me are all pretending;  that they are probably waiting for when I grow old and frail. When that time comes, they will gather their power, reveal their sharp claws, and dethrone me as the dragon king. I think after they endured pain for so many years, they will definitely want my head to be torn from my neck, dragged around the street and desecrated. For many decades to come... 

Oh, this a beautiful ending for my life, isn't it... Was this the reason I was born? To satisfy those who want to spit on my head?

Hahahaha....

It was around that empty time when she appeared.

The woman was surrounded by a mysterious, yet familiar atmosphere; emanating a similar energy to my own. The way that I felt; it was wonderful...

She had strange pair of eyes, that seemed as if they could cry at any moment, but they gave a frightening gaze as if they had seen everything in this world. 

She did not say a word, but I knew I had to follow her. My instinct tells me where she's going, there was my future. The most meaningful moment in my life may be there-- no, it should be there waiting for me!

"[Hilder]." That was her name.

Unfortunately, she seems to have already known my name.

I still wanted to formally introduce myself... 

"I am [Bakal]."

Chapter 2: Seven Colors

Pandemonium. Truly, it is a very interesting place.

There was no light in Pandemonium; only long and bleak darkness. It was natural as it was a small fragment of a planet floating in the dimensional space.

However, once in a while, there were times when Pandemonium settled on a planet where a sun existed. At such times, a space between the outer world opened, and the light refracted into Pandemonium little by little. The refracted light divided into seven colors, and reflected the gorgeous colors in the sky. At such times, Pandemonium became a more mystical place than any other planet in the universe. Perhaps it a bit of compensation for a world that is always shrouded in darkness.

Whenever the light shined upon Pandemonium, I liked to fly freely throughout its borders. Flying with the world beneath my feet, the ability to view things from above, made my numb heart feel joy.

However, in spite of its shining beautiful lights, the reality was not beautiful. It was an ugly world: among the collapsed and decaying buildings, there were piles of unnamed bodies left to rot. The bloodstains scattered on the walls may be the last traces of the bodies left in this world. Alas, the value of one's life is not measured by how fiercely one bleeds to death. Perhaps it is considered to be a heroic sacrifice, but in fact, there is no practical significance. Unfortunately, even under these seven colors, their blood is still a bright red...

Nevertheless, it seemed  there were all kinds of creatures with strange appearances from all corners of the universe gathered into Pandemonium, fighting for their lives for a false title. Those stupid fellows don't understand: no matter whether the fate of the duel results in being alive or dead, their lives will not become any more valuable. Just by looking at the corpses on the ground, the fact that I don't even know their names is actually the best proof...

Anyway, these ridiculous creatures have been blinded by the so-called "honor," in their hearts. But I knew; there is only one common goal - to become "Apostles." This "predicate" is  the one accord to which all names of the various creatures of the the entire universe in Pandemonium bow their heads. "Apostle." The symbol of fear. The object of praise. I forgot from which day, but they too began to call me this: 

"Apostle Bakal."

At that time, I realized the color that was reflected on me was not only the seven colors of the sun, but also a bloody red...

Of course, in addition to me, there were several other beside me called "Apostles." I carefully looked at each of them, and though I knew nothing of their skills yet, to my surprise, like the first time I saw Hilder, I could feel that special--the same aura I had. At the time, they all stared at me; I wonder they felt it from me as well.

Although they were members of the "Apostles," most of them, I did not take seriously. Except for him - the one who doesn't often show up, but the one I definitely can't ignore. Every time I think of him, I tremble uncontrollably. With my current strength, I could hardly measure the depths of his powers. How powerful is he?

That person is the First Apostle, [Cain]. 

I think maybe one day in the future, am I going to fight with this group of self-proclaimed "Apostles?"  I repeatedly sketched out scenarios of confrontations between Cain and myself in my mind countless times, but the result of each battle ended with my body being torn apart in his hands... For the first time in my life, I felt the fear of death.

However, I don't know why they came, maybe, like me, because of that woman. Pandemonium... There is definitely something here. If this is the reason, there must be a secret in Pandemonium we don't know, so that Hilder is willing to travel all over the universe and bring us, "Apostles," here. I wonder if everyone is here for similar reasons to mine. Fateful guidance. If so, what on earth for? What is Hilder trying to do? I still have no clue.

But I am not in a hurry to find the answer. Anyway, as long as I don't run away, my destiny will definitely be waiting for me ahead. And the only thing I can do now is wait... Waiting for the next time--the day when the seven color light again illuminates the sky of Pandemonium, meaning a new strong creature has arrived from the outer world. I just don't know. Will it be another "Apostle", or another nameless corpse rotting in the back alley again?

Chapter 3: Prophecy of a Madman

That day was no different from the others. Again, I flew freely through the Pandemonium sky.

Despite being in the dark, I was able to see some new buildings -- these are the works of that old architect. His name was [Luke]; he was a strange old man who never spoke. Seeing him desperately work like a madman to build such useless things made me realize how terrible it would be for a normal person to become old and confused...

Of course, Luke was called "The Constructor;" not only did he create these buildings, but also sometimes generated electricity to Pandemonium. It was inconceivable for electricity to be brought to such a dark world as Pandemonium. However, the existence of this kind of "electricity" was very rare. As far as I knew, at least two difficult conditions had to be met. First, [Anton] of the Metro Center had to be asleep. Second, Luke had to be not be as busy, thus allowing him to go start the power. That day, it just so happened that these two conditions were available.

When I was looking down upon the city from high above, the power came on by chance.

(The sparse shining lights makes the city look even more distorted.)

But even the light, which had only been sustained for a short while, was soon extinguished. When I was about to go back, I suddenly saw something... No, I'm sure I saw something...

(In the light just now, those buildings... The shapes on their walls feel so unnatural... Is it a coincidence?)

I can't be wrong. It must be an apparition from that strange old man! Fortunately, it was not long ago since the blackout. The old man should still be there. I quickly left the roof of the building and flew toward the Metro Center at a very fast speed.

"Hey, dumb old man. Put the power back on!"

After finding Luke, I landed steadily from the air and shouted at him. But Luke did not say a word and just ignored me; he continued what he was doing.

"I think I saw something in the light. I want to check it again!"

The old man still didn't look back, as if he didn't hear what I said. It made me more angry--no one dared to ignore me! I expelled my nostrils of air, and rushed towards him. Under the deafening noise of my surroundings, my huge body now stood in front of Luke. The mechanical noise continuously reverberated between the huge walls and ingots; the entire Metro Center seemed to slightly vibrate. I thought that this act would be enough to scare him, but I didn't expect him to still remain indifferent. I clasped the knuckles of my fist. Unfortunately, I can't move him a hair before I reach my goal... 

I took a deep breath to try calm myself down, then pointed at the generator as the sound slowed down.

"Well, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but could you please turn the electricity back on?"

It did not matter whether or not the old man could hear me. I desired to transmit my words with a feeling that was less overwhelming and more polite. Could he be impressed by this look of sincerity? Finally, Luke stopped working and looked at me quietly with a dull expression. Having said, "looked at me" is actually up to speculation. Due to him wearing heavy glasses, I couldn't be sure where his eyes were looking. Perhaps I should put it in another way; he turned his head toward me, and then "stared" at me for a long time. After a while, I saw his mouth smack its lips  under his thick beard.

"Anything you wish to tell me, old man?... Then, were all those buildings constructed by you?"

In the face of my "friendly" inquiry, Luke turned his head back. Fortunately, after he thought for a while, he touched a few switches. Then, I heard the start of a "squeaking" sound from a huge gear of an engine. After seeing the engine run normally, I immediately spread my wings and flew back to the same place.

From there, I circled the nearby surrounding sky, waiting for Luke to start the power again. Soon, from the distance, came a loud continuous "squeaking" and "banging" sound. Then, I saw lights around the Metro Center light up in turn. Now I can finally confirm what I failed to see clearly. What was it?

However, I did not think, that on the wall of buildings, such a picture would unexpectedly appear: a dragon dying in the midst of flames, crying out. It was a symbolic image that was poorly done using the shapes and incoming lights of buildings, but the intention of the painter was clear. Out from the nothingness, an unknown voice spoke:

"Bakal, gaze upon it well! This is what you will look like before you die."

I couldn't help but shudder. In fact, there was no evidence that it was me - it was just a common dragon. But there was only one dragon in all of Pandemonium, and as far as I knew, there were no other dragons that Luke would know in this universe. Moreover, am I not the King of Dragons? If you wanted to represent a dragon, it was probably me.

Not only that, but  there were three other dying creatures in the picture around the dragon that burned to death: One of them, an ambiguously shaped figure, was dispersed in a cave... The other, a multi-legged being, was dying from being crushed by collapsing stones...The last one was a being who had a long protruding mouth and walked on four legs; his body was torn apart and sucked into another dimension... 

I knew who they were.

(These are the other Apostles... These pictures depict them at their dying moments... Is that old man a prophet? Impossible... He's just a delirious madman.)

Although I didn't want to admit it, I couldn't help but think about it at the time. Maybe I was the madman. I seemed to see hundreds of Luke's huge faces in the sky, each one  grim, speaking to me at the same time:

"Since you want to see it, I will let you see it now... but can you bear this result...?"

This arrogant tone completely angered me. Since when did the Dragon King  falter out of fear?  Does he think these kinds of apparitions could scare me? But after thinking carefully, this might not be a prophecy, but a warning to me. From what was presented in the picture, was this Hilder's purpose of bringing us so-called "Apostles" to Pandemonium? I have to go to Luke to ask.

But after quietly thinking about it, something felt off. For the old man to do this, is he as dumb as everyone thinks? Being "Dumb" would be the best cover for him to shirk responsibility and avoid problems. Maybe he's been pretending to be dumb... But even so, I have no way to be sure. In the end, I still have to solve these strange mysteries on my own...

Chapter 4: Savior

First of all, I needed to know more about this place called Pandemonium.

Unfortunately, it proved quite difficult to investigate; there were very few sources of information in Pandemonium. But I still tried to collect as much as possible. For a while, I poured my efforts into collecting the few remaining ancient Pandemonium artifacts, starting with the Ancient Library. Then, I asked the native people about the Pandemonium legends, and selected the parts that I thought the most valuable, and sorted them out...

Of course, I did not give completely on that old man, Luke. Occasionally, he would provide electricity to Pandemonium, and at these times, I would quickly fly to the vicinity of the buildings to see if there are any new images, and then write them all down. 

All of Luke's paintings projected themes related to the deaths of the apostles -- or what I presumed to be Apostles. There were paintings of some characters of whom I did not even know. Are these the Apostles who have yet to arrive in Pandemonium? I soon denied this speculation. As far as I knew, Hilder had already stopped searching for new Apostles a long time ago.

I noticed in all the images, the apostles died one after the other, except for two people - Hilder and Cain. Were they different from the other Apostles and eventually escape the fate of death? Or did Luke fail to predict their future? I became focused on these questions, and I unknowingly stayed in Pandemonium for decades searching for the answer.

Luke continued to build things over the years, but at a slow pace. I continued to leisurely fly through the skies above Pandemonium in my spare time, while silently anticipating the moments when the power will turn on. Soon, the lights of Pandemonium lit up again. This time, an unusual picture appeared. I stopped upon a empty roof and looked at the buildings beneath.

(This should be the final image...)

However, this picture had nothing to do with the death of the Apostles, but rather it presented a vast unfolding scene: a man and a woman standing side by side, looking down upon a rich, glorious world. Although it was not entirely clear who the man and woman were, but since the images of Cain and Hilder never appeared, I inferred that the two characters in the painting were them.

But this was the result I expected, and I put on a cold smile.

After slowly recollecting the previous and current images in my mind and linking them together, I became more and more certain of Hilder's final goal. I see. So that was exactly what Hilder was trying to do. The "Reconstruction of Terra." In the ancient books of Pandemonium and from the legends I have collected, I have seen or heard the story of the "Destruction of the Terra Civilization" countless times. There was no doubt that these two were linked, and Hilder's plot to revive Terra's brilliance was almost completely exposed. To achieve this goal, it required the sacrifice of the Apostles and the destruction of an entire world; because only through death, can it be reborn!

In ancient times, Terra passed on a book called, "New Genesis," which I studied when I collected materials. It specifically describes the destruction of the planet Terra and the process of its reconstruction. Much of the book has been lost, but some chapters have been preserved:

-Your sacrifice will be sacred. Let it be known we will not kill each other...
-All trials are cast to souls. Only a blade that is forged in hardship can penetrate our hearts and send us back to the Great Will...
-At the beginning of all things, the world was chaotic and empty, and filled deep with darkness. The light that slowly emerges from the void gives a new life to the dark. Your sacrifice is true. Your extinction is another's creation. Here we are, from the glory of this world and from you, the new world will be created...

According to Terra historians, the "we" mentioned in the ancient book refers to the "gods who created Terra". So, in summary: the ancient Terra gods recreated Terra through self-sacrifice and the destruction of the world.

However, "apostles" are not the same as "gods",  but Hilder seems to think otherwise. She may have come up with the desperate idea that she and Cain are the glorious gods that will create the New World, and that all the other apostles, like the ancient "Terra Gods", must be sacrificed in exchange for that damn Terra to reappear!

I felt something surging deep inside my heart. Yes, I finally solved the mystery that puzzled me for so many years. I didn't care about the destruction of the world, or the life and death of other Apostles. In fact, even if I were destined to die, I didn't care about the success or failure of Hilder's plan. What shocked me was something else - "Cain", "The First Apostle", "Cain the Invincible", "Cain the Absolute" ...  The world titles boasting his reputation echoed in my mind countless times. Damn, even in Hilder's plan, he does not die. In the end, he will trample on my corpse, move to a new land created by my death, and become the eternal god of the new world with Hilder... Damn, I absolutely can't accept that! 

However, I thought about it again.

"Heheheh... Hahahah... Gwahahahah!"

I suddenly burst into laughter. Perhaps someone would have thought I had gone completely insane. My laughter grew more and more maniacal, but on the contrary, my mind became more and more clear.

"Great. If I succeed in thwarting Hilder's plan, then the world will be spared, and many lives will be saved... Haha, I did not expect me, the one called 'The Dragon Tyrant', to take on the role of the 'Savior', and save the world from destruction! Gwahahaha!" 

It was ridiculous to think about it, and I almost suffocated from laughing. But gradually, I regained my composure because I remembered my purpose for coming to Pandemonium. I came here to change my destiny and find the most meaningful moment in my life. So, I thought of it this way: "Yes, well, this is not an ordinary fate."

My face, which had been consumed by laughter, turned into a calm smile.

"This will be fun."

Chapter 5: The Dragon War

"Trying to dominate Pandemonium alone just for the Water of Life... I would never let that happen, Bakal."

"Dominate Pandemonium... That's the reason why I gathered so many reinforcements... Heheh... Are you sure? Oh, it does sound very plausible. Don't you agree, Hilder? It seems like something the King of Dragons would do..."

Bakal smiled eloquently, his eyes focused on the "Second Apostle" in front of him.

However, Hilder did not heed to his cynicism, and then advised:

"Did you ever think that you could deal with all of the apostles here at once? It is not like you to do something so foolish, Bakal."

"Yes, well I had no intention of opposing all the Apostles. Well, before I could try anything, how did you  manage to persuade these Apostles to your side? If I had succeeded in getting the Water of Life, it would have a little more fun. It's a shame I couldn't do that... However, I am touched that you responded so quickly after I had done so little, Hilder."

"Let's not waste our strength fighting each other and just surrender, Bakal. If Pandemonium arrives to another planet in the future, I will release you there. If you like, you can also return to your home planet. But until then, regrettably, you must be retrained, under custody at all times."

"Haha, ridiculous! Do you think I'm going to believe your words? Hilder, don't  lie to me! It's unthinkable for Pandemonium to leave this planet. You purposefully stayed here for decades without the thought of leaving, haven't you?  Is this not the world that will accomplish your plan?"

Despite being under siege, Bakal still did not lose his kingly resolve. He calmly refuted each of her statements one by one. But the reality was really grim. He was surrounded by Hilder and a group of magicians, plus other formidable Apostles; there was almost no way to retreat. Even access to the sky was blocked by a magic circle created by Hilder... Bakal looked around and wanted to see sliver of hope from his situation, but unfortunately...

(Are all the dragons I have created  dead? Ah, yes, they too should not been able to confront the Apostles. This will be a challenge...)

Bakal smiled bitterly and suddenly remembered Luke's prophecy on the building that day: the dragon that died in the midst of flame. Was he really going to die like this without a hint of success? At that instant, an idea emerged in his mind.

"Until now... you have been only persuading me to surrender, but I don't understand. In fact, you obviously had a lot of opportunities to kill me, why not do it?"

"I might have some mercy left in me."

Hilder replied with an understatement. But in Bakal's mind, he didn't think so. Hilder a kind person? He knew better than anyone else, such a person cannot have sympathy.

The only explanation is...

"Your sacrifice will be sacred. Let it be known we will not kill each other..."

Bakal remembered a sentence in the ancient book, muttered it to himself, and he noticed a slight distorted expression on Hilder's face. Bakal quickly looked at everyone around him and shouted:

"Mercy? Impossible! There are no other alternatives for anyone who might ruin your ambitious plan besides finding the right opportunity to get rid of him. I have no doubt in my mind that you will eventually kill me, Hilder!"

Even before finishing his sentence, Bakal suddenly leaped upward, and one big flap of his wings, rushed at full speed toward Cain. In this layer of the encirclement, Cain stood alone, of course, because in everyone's mind, he was the absolute strongest; no one could escape from him...

Cain looked calmly at Bakal, who rushed towards him, and slowly raised his right hand and gathered energy into it. Although it was only a normal act, even the earth began to produce violent tremors. The lighter objects around him could not withstand his force, and they were entangled in a swirling vortex. Some people with weaker constitutions almost lost their senses and fell to the ground... On the other hand, the rapid state of Bakal speed turned the long howling noises of his flight into an explosive sound. Just before Bakal immediately ran into  Cain, Cain wound up his right arm, ready to swing...

At this moment, Cain's facial expression became stiff and his movements suddenly stopped. He glanced at the dragon that flew toward him at full speed, and turned to avoid it - which resulted in an escape route for Bakal. The Dragon King took advantage of this opportunity and quickly flew way to the distance  Gradually, his silhouette became more and more blurred...

Everything happened so fast that everyone did not see the action in time to react. They just looked at each other, the direction Bakal was flying, then at Hilder and then at Cain. Even Cain himself could not seem to understand his own behavior; he just kept gazing at his right hand, turning it back and forth...

In the direction Bakal fled, the figure gradually became a small speck and disappeared.

"Do you want me to chase him, Hilder?"

The question was from [Isis - Frey]. Among the  group of people, he was the only one who could fly.

From the beginning, Hilder had been quietly looking at the direction of Bakal's departure, and when she heard Frey, she replied:

"No, Frey. At Bakal's current speed, you can't catch up with him. Anyway, he has no more places to hide in Pandemonium, so he will escape to the outside world. Perhaps today is not his day to die, but his endless greed will eventually bring him to ruin. Let us withdraw for today, everyone has done well!"

Hilder looked to be crying as per usual, but she surely felt pleased at the time. The first part of her long awaited plan succeeded perfectly.

Chapter 6: One Month Ago

One month ago.

"Dumb old man, remember the things you showed me earlier?..."

He responded to me with that same "pounding" noise and continued to work, but over the years I've gotten used to it, so I didn't care. 

"I want to get something from Hilder this time, but it's not going to end well... Luke, do predict that I will die? I do not think your prophecy said I would die amidst flames in Pandemonium, right? That would be a terrible way to die!"

As I said that, I leaned my large body against a crumbling wall. If Luke was worried about the wall collapsing, he should at least look toward my direction. However, he still didn't react, and continued hold his hammer in hand and kept pounding.

"To tell you the truth, even if I told this information to the other Apostles now, they would never believe me. Those guys are just like me, only concerned about their own pride... What do you think, old man? Hahaha..."

At this time, Luke stopped hammering, and began to wander around, looking just as busy moving bricks. I couldn't bear it anymore, and jumped forward and stopped in front of him. With a loud "banging" noise, dust scattered all over the ground.

"Hey, old man. I know you are dumb, but not deaf. I just asked you a question."

After looking at me for a while, Luke tried to turn around and run away. But this time, I did not easily let him off, and immediately stretched out my giant claws, stopping him in his path.

"Hey! The next thing I want to do is all because of the prophecies you showed me. Shouldn't you help me? I will definitely need a place to escape to in the future. There is nowhere in this place that is safe from Hilder's control, only she is able to decide where Pandemonium goes in dimensional space. Where can I escape?"

I stared at Luke with no intention of letting him escape. Perhaps my eyes were too aggressive as Luke removed his gaze from mine, and started staring into the distance, as if looking at the distant mountains.

(Is this old man afraid to look at me?... Or maybe he really is deaf.)

I frowned and naturally glanced in the direction of Luke's gaze. There was a very faint ray of light in that direction, and in it I seemed to see a strange tower that I had never seen before. What the hell is that? 

I immediately flew towards the direction of the tower. As I grew closer, I realized that the tower endlessly extended upwards, even its spire remained unseen, exceeding the skies of Pandemonium... Is it connected to another world? I circled around the strange tower and discovered that it seemed to have a mechanism that concealed it from all surrounding light. If the light source was not shown from a certain angle, it could not be seen. That sly old man. He unexpectedly constructed a passage through dimensional space in secret, and cleverly hid it from everyone. 

I went back to Luke again; he  continued to be busy with his work. But now my mood was completely different.

"Haha, I did not expect you, old man, to be on my side! I'm impressed you managed to create something so huge like that and keep it a secret...  I don't know what kind of world that tower is connected to, but it sure as hell can't be worse than here."

I suddenly felt a new kind of  feeling. There was finally a person who thought the same things as me; someone who agreed with me and was on my side. Of all places, I did not expect to find a companion here!

"To think that having such a thing like the support of an old man would be so reassuring! Haha. It seems that I really have been lonely for too long. Ever since I was a child, I was accustomed to fighting alone. And even after I became the Dragon King, I was still alone... No one was truly on my side. For that, I want to sincerely thank you."

I took a deep breath and said:

"So, are we friends, old man?"

I grabbed Luke's shoulders with both hands. Luke's head was only half the size of my palm. Because the difference in size between me and Luke was so large, my pose looked as if I were bowing down and honoring him. I kept this position and looked at him for a long time. Unconsciously, a thought arose again.

"By the way, I've been thinking about this..."

As the sincere smile gradually faded from my face, my eyes became more and more  sharp.

"What if you, old man, are not a true prophet, but merely doing what Hilder wanted? That is to say, although it seemed like you were predicting the future, it was only to prompt me to act in accordance with Hilder's plan. What will happen then?

Under such questioning, Luke's expression still remained unchanged. Looking at him like this, I couldn't help but laugh.

"If that's the case, I hope that you helping me escape is also a part in Hilder's plan. I might just survive. The future has not been decided yet, right? Anyway, as long as it doesn't involve me dying in this dark, run-down world, I can accept other deaths... Hahahah."

Chapter 7: Ruler of the Heavens

The tower was indeed a passage to the outside world, and it connected to the heavenly realm of the Planet Arad. As Bakal passed through the tower, he felt sincere admiration for the old man. The art of creating a path between space and time, Luke was probably the only one in the universe who could do it.

However, in this passage, he also saw countless bodies floating in the tower. A reasonable result, the experimentation of such a feat would require a large amount of victims. Years later, Bakal recalled the scene at the time, and decided to call the tower [the Castle of the Dead].

At the time Bakal arrived in the heavenly realm, he was a fugitive. However, there were no opponents who could match his power; thus allowing the King of Dragons to easily become the ruler of the heavens. As long as Luke did not tell the other Apostles about the location of the Castle of the Dead, Bakal knew very well that his rule would go unchallenged .

Upon settling down as its new ruler, Bakal quickly gathered all the basic information of the world. After some understanding, he learned that the place he now lived in was called [Empyrean]. Below it was a large Arad continent, which was connected via a tower in the sky, named [Sky Tower]. Above Empyrean was space and the upside down world of Pandemonium. For the past several decades, Pandemonium never moved, and Luke used this opportunity to secretly build "the Castle of the Dead" to connect Pandemonium to the planet. This world must be "the" planet that Hilder had in mind. 

Bakal was confident in his own hypothesis. Naturally, he would never let Hilder's plan succeed. So Bakal clearly knew what to do.

It was important that nothing went wrong. Since Hilder's ultimate goal was the Arad Continent, Bakal decided to sever its connection to the middle section, Empyrean. Soon, he sealed off the Sky Tower leading to the Arad continent and the Castle of the Dead leading to Pandemonium.

There was one more thing to do: completely eliminate magic from Empyrean. That way, if or when Hilder should arrive in Empyrean, he could easily detect her via her powerful magical powers.

Of course, there was another real purpose to eliminate magic. 

(Hilder wants to rebuild Terra, hoping for the deaths of the Apostles... But just like Cain could not kill me, as an Apostle herself, neither could she. Despite the strength of her magical abilities, she does not have that kind of power. So in what way will she pursue this goal?)

Bakal was slightly confused. Suddenly, he remembered the phrase in New Genesis.

("All trials are cast to souls. Only a blade that is forged in hardship can penetrate our hearts and send us back to the Great Will..." Does Hilder honestly think that she can train the savage creatures of this planet to eventually kill the Apostles? That's ridiculous! Even if it were possible, it would take hundreds or even thousands of years...)

But after laughing, Bakal had a different idea, the same one he speculated before: if Luke was under the command of Hilder.

(Maybe she allowed me to take over Empyrean, after all. By my own hand, through the suffering known as the Dragon King, I will be the hardest test for these savage creatures... Indeed, for them, I definitely will be a huge trial that they cannot bear... But, in turn, I will be playing right into Hilder's hands. This must not be tolerated!)

Bakal clenched his fist, and secretly vowed: 

(Hilder must not succeed! Even if all means are exhausted, I must destroy her plan. I have to somehow create a variable that causes her to deviate from her scheme. From what I know, even overly ambitious plans such as Hilder's are usually extremely sophisticated and broad, and can be broken down into tiny variables. Sometimes, if one makes full use of it, even a very small difference can change the overall result, and disrupt everything.)

Thinking of this, Bakal filled with growing resolve; he couldn't help but flap his wings. Bakal flew upward, gradually disappearing  at the ends of the sky and shouted loudly, only leaving vague words that echoed in the ears of the people.

"Savage creatures! I shall bring upon you a suffering that you have never imagined before. So grow strong and show me! If you have potential and pride, then it may just be possible. Only when your strength exceeds Hilder's expectations, can we create variables in her grand scheme. I will believe in you more than she does! I shall sacrifice myself for this pursuit and look forward to the day you kill Cain and Hilder! However, you cannot defeat them by relying solely on a force like magic. Another more essential power is needed. You must find this power on your own...!!!"

From then on, the use of magic was forbidden in Empyrean. Thus, the 500 years referred to as Age of Darkness of Empyrean began.

Chapter 8: The Seven Meisters

Meister [Teneb] was deeply troubled. The source of his distress was [Eldirh], one of the Seven Meisters. Although she was his ally, he never understood her.

(Meister Eldirh... What on earth is her true identity? Why is she able to use magic? Was she ever really an Empyrean?)

Teneb could not confirm any of his suspicions.

(If she is not, then could all the countless ideas she thought of be of this world? Oh, damn it! What the hell...What the hell is this?!!)

Teneb was so depressed that he quickly grabbed his hair.

(What is the origin of that woman?)

.......................

The time dates back to earlier, back when Teneb considered Eldirh the best of the Seven Meisters. None of the others came close. Every time research hit a wall, she always came up with some new revolutionary idea. Without her, the 'Gaebolg' project would never have been dreamed of. 

Teneb, on the other hand, always wondered where the origin of her genius came from. When he asked her about it, she always replied that it was due to "meditation." Although Teneb laughed and sometimes jokingly asked for her to teach him this "meditation" method,  in his heart, he was skeptical. Through his many years of research experience, he knew that Eldirh's ideas seemed to be more like an advanced technology rather than one of a whimsical thought.

For these questions, Teneb struggled in his heart, and only blamed himself for doubting her. After acknowledging Eldirh's great talent, he knew that she was not only evoking from him a strong jealousy and respect, but also a strange love. The guilt he felt for his lover, Jenne, was like a heavy stone pressing on his chest. Therefore, to comfort himself, he could only fool himself into thinking that Eldirh's talent was not real. But in his heart, it was clearer than to anyone else, he fell in love with her. However, he could not accept this,and he decided to end this confusion as soon as possible.

Teneb made up his mind that he needed to find out the true source of Eldirh's talent. To this end, he violated his conscience, and placed a number of miniature surveillance robots on her. However, he uncovered something amazing that he would have never dreamed of -- Eldirh's outstanding talent actually originated from the use of forbidden magic!

.......................

And because of this, Teneb was now so distressed.

Teneb snuck out of the lab in the middle of the night and walked aimlessly. He had not smoked in the last ten years, but at the moment, he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

(To think... for the first time in three months, the first breath I would take outside would not be of fresh air, but the smoke of cigarettes.)

"What's wrong with cigarettes? Tobacco stimulates the secretion of chemicals to the brain, which leads to more creative thinking."

"That's bullshit! Why would we risk our life expectancy for your pig-headed creative ideas?" 

.......................

Teneb remembered the bickering between the two "vindictive rivals", Lati and Volgan of the Seven Meisters, and couldn't help but laugh out loud...

"Do not worry. As you have guessed, she is not a person of this world."

Suddenly, Teneb heard an overpowering voice in his ear. Without needing to look back, he could already feel the huge and strong figure behind him, the source of the majestic low voice. Teneb was terrified to say anything. After a while, he turned around and asked:

"Who... who are you?"

As the giant shadow slowly approached toward him, Teneb asked:

"Do you know why she can use magic? Why she possesses knowledge of technology I have never heard of? And... why... I fell in love with her...?"

Upon asking the last sentence, Teneb's face became flushed. He did not wait for the figure to answer, but at least he proved that he was safe for the time being. If it was an assassin, he would have already been killed before he could speak. After calming down, a new question arose: How did this shadowy figure know what I was thinking? I never mentioned anything about Eldirh to anyone.

"Have you ever seen the mirage of an upside-down city before?"

The shadow suddenly spoke.

"...?"

"A long time ago, a splendid technological civilization bloomed on a planet known as Terra. But, after a certain incident, the planet Terra blew up in a massive explosion, and a piece containing one its cities survived, floating in space for a long time. That piece of Terra drifted through various different dimensional spaces, collecting various forms of alien creatures along the way. Their infighting caused the whole city to be thrown into chaos; eventually, it came to be known as Pandemonium. And that very city has been attached to the planet of Arad for a few hundred years now, upside down."

The dark figure spoke of the legend of Pandemonium; it was a story that basically all Empyreans have heard. But Teneb had no evidence that the mirage of the upside-down city of Pandemonium even existed, he had never seen it... Teneb wondered for the reason why this figure suddenly appeared in front of him to talk so much about Pandemonium. It can't be...

Teneb suddenly realized. 

"Are you trying to telling me, that Eldirh... that she is from Pandemonium? And that the knowledge attributed to her technological success was originally the science from the ancient planet, Terra?"

"You aren't called the leader of the Seven Meisters for show. That's right. Think about her name."

"Eldirh... Eldirh... Eldirh...It can't be... Is she Hilder??!!"

The legends about the apostles were famous even in Empyrean. It was the apostles who, during the Dragon War in Pandemonium, defeated Bakal and let him retreat. Of course, since this eventually led to Bakal flee down into Empyrean, there were also people who blamed them as well. However, many Empyreans hoped that someday the Apostles would descend into the heavenly realm and defeat Bakal. It can be said that this was a great belief shared among the people of Empyrean, just like a religious ideology. But, for the emerging mechanics headed by the Seven Meisters, they believed more in the power of science rather than faith.

"Eldir... She is an Apostle..."

Despite having help from the Apostles, even though Teneb was surprised and overjoyed, he still felt something was amiss. He did not know their motivation.

"Why...why would she help us?"

"It is to make sure that you can kill me quickly before you grow too powerful."

(Kill me... "Me?")

Teneb was shocked and looked at the huge figure again. Everything was clear. Damn.  It was Bakal!

"I was stupid for not noticing earlier. You are Bakal... If you are here to kill me, just get it over with, and cut this idle chatter. Also, if you are here to find out the whereabouts of the other Meisters, you can forget about it. Even if you try to trick me, I won't say a word. So don't waste your time!"

No matter how scared Teneb was, it didn't mean a thing, and he knew it: However... since Bakal knew everything about me, does that mean the other Meisters, as well as the 'Gaebolg' project, have all been exposed! That's impossible! It was so close to being finished!!

"You want to die? Don't be so anxious. Although you will sooner or later, it is not now."

"You still want to continue trick to me? I will not hear any more of your deluded stories..."

"Can you please stop the 'Gaebolg' project?"

"What? Hahahahaha...."

Teneb burst out laughing like had heard one of the ridiculous of jokes. Was this really the so-called Bakal, the Dragon Tyrant, who made such a request? The thought that he had talked to him casually for so long made Teneb laugh even more. At the same time, however, his doubts grew: Since he knows about me and the 'Gaebolg' project, with his abilities why did he not just kill us directly? Instead, why did he come before me and tell me so many things? At this moment, a voice that was full of oppression filled his ear.

"If the 'Gaebolg' project is completed on time..."

Hearing Bakal's loud voice, Teneb stopped laughing. Bakal didn't seem to care about his reaction, and continued:

"... then I might just die, but I would have done so in vain.  Your kind did not become strong enough yet. Even if all seven of the Seven Meisters got together, it would still not be enough. Strictly speaking, the 'Gaebolg' is not your creation. In the end, it's only the technology of the ancient Terra civilization. With your current strength, you cannot stop the destruction of your planet..."

"Destruction? What are you talking about?"

As Teneb thought carefully, Bakal's words did have some truth. It was Eldirh who originally proposed the 'Gaebolg' project, and Eldirh who would bring solutions when the research encountered difficulties. The 'Gaebolg' project was indeed a result of her efforts. If Eldirh was really Hilder...

"If not right now, when will you kill me?"

"When you're ready for future generations to inherit your research."

"Inherit? What does that mean..."

Teneb repeatedly pondered on Bakal's words, and found that there was a deeper meaning hidden inside. It was true for that Bakal, who knew everything, it would not be difficult to erase all the research results, but why did he say he wanted to leave these things behind?

"If so, do you think that later generations will be able to analyze the research results of the Seven Meisters and adapt them to their own technology? You know, even if is not the 'Gaebolg', their very technology will be used to kill you in the near future."

"Haha, that's what I am most looking forward to... However, I am afraid that there is still a long time left until that 'near future' can be realized..."

"What do you want to do, Bakal?"

"Oh, are you ready to listen to me now?"

Bakal began calmly explaining about what happened to him over the centuries: including the events on the dragon planet, the encounter with Hilder, Pandemonium, the Apostles, Luke's prophecy, and Hilder's plan, and even what he was planning to do. There was no reservation.

Teneb just listened quietly. It was not until Bakal finished that he slowly began to speak:

"The whole story you just said, the only evidence I have for your claims is the fact that Eldirh can use magic. However, I doubt it matters whether I believe you or not. Regardless of what happens, you will destroy the 'Gaebolg' project, am I correct?

"Exactly. The reason I am only talking to you is in the hopes you will find the opportunity to pass on your achievements to future generations. If you refuse, I will destroy all your research, including, of course, you and your peers. Then, I will personally wait for a similar person to appear again. Honestly, about a hundred years ago, there were people just like you, just not as advanced. Unfortunately, they refused my offer at the time and they all died without a trace. Your achievements are much more excellent than theirs, so it's a pity... Thankfully, your kind will have grown in the meantime, so I think I'll only need to wait a few more decades this time around. So it won't be a major loss."

The methodology in which Bakal explained his reasoning was very unappealing, but Teneb knew that he had no choice. In this case...

"Alright. But in exchange I will ask of you two conditions."

"I'm listening."

"It does not matter if I die, but please at least let the others live. This will better ensure that the achievements will be passed down."

"That's not possible. It is only when your entire group dies in a violent and heroic way that your story can be passed on to future generations. This is the only way to ignite people's enthusiasm for revenge and inherit your will.  So, in this case, a tragedy is necessary."

"If that is the case... then please let at least two people survive. You said this was all in the hopes that we will pass on the results to future generations, correct?  Then let Curio live, he is the best candidate for that."

"Well, that is what I asked for. Yes, I will accept that. Then, if he survives, I will give him enough time unlike the others, to sort out your results.  And the other one?"

"Jenne,  she has my child... And she's going to be born soon, can you keep her alive?"

"Human beings are strange creatures. What good is the survival of your child if you die? Oh, I cannot understand."

"In fact, you may think so. How about this? If you suddenly kill the Meisters one day and destroy the 'Gaebolg' project, then our descendants would not dare try anything  against you out of fear. So, wouldn't that cause your plan to fail? This is better... Let me play the role of the traitor. The 'Gaebolg' project,  which neared the point of success, failed because of my sudden betrayal... This way, the people of the future will plan things out fearlessly."

"That is a good idea. I shall let your child live for the sake of your thoughtful consideration. Any other requests?"

How could there not be? In fact, Teneb's biggest request was: Get the hell out of here, Bakal! But it was just this request that would not be achieved even when he died. Perhaps Teneb thought for too long, Bakal was a little impatient.

"Is this too much for your mind to accept? Has it thrown your mind into chaos? You'd better hurry and think it over clearly; I will give you three days of preparation time."

After Bakal finished, he flapped his wings and flew away, his figure gradually disappeared at the end of the sky. Although Bakal was no longer visible, Teneb stood in the same place, staring blankly at the sky, biting the cigarette butts that had already been extinguished...

Three days later, Bakal kept his promise and initiated his plan...

Meister Teneb "carelessly" left all the false evidence to let people know of his "betrayal". At the same time, under Bakal's vigorous siege, the 'Gaebolg' project failed. Subsequently, Teneb suddenly disappeared. Everyone thought that he managed to escape. In fact, he committed suicide in a deserted place...

In a final stand, Meister Volgan resolutely took the unfinished 'Gaebolg' to fight Bakal's army, but both were vanquished heroically in the end...

Meister Lati was weary from smoking and overwork, and saw Bakal personally destroy the 'Gaebolg'. Unable withstand the shock of what he had just seen, Meister Lati coughed up blood and died...

Under the aggression of Bakal's army, Meister Curio was "fortunate" to escape with his life. He gathered the remains of the 'Gaebolg', and sealed it in another dimension. He organized all the research results of the Seven Meisters passed it on to the next generation...

Meister Jenne, after realizing the 'Gaebolg' project failed, gave birth early due to shock. During her recovery, she discovered that her lover Teneb was responsible for the betrayal. She then entrusted her child to Meister Audruiz and chose to commit suicide...

After the failure of the plan, Meister Audruiz assisted Curio, but one day she suddenly vanished with Jenne's child....

Meister Eldirh's whereabouts were unknown two days before the invasion of Bakal's army...

Chapter 9: Earlier than Expected

500 years ago. Empyrean. The Mechanical Revolution broke out.

The Empyreans who inherited the will of the Seven Meisters studied and developed their achievements over time and gained enough power to fight back against Bakal's tyranny. On this day, the Empyreans combined their strengths and attacked Bakal's army at once. As a result, all the cities in Empyrean were burning; the screams of the people ripped through the skies.

At this time, Bakal stood on the terrace of his palace, drinking wine while overlooking the burning war-torn city. Although, there were deafening sounds of explosions, he held a calm expression.

"Finally... is it time?"

He whispered to himself. All of a sudden, there was a faint noise behind him. Bakal did not have to look back; he already knew who it was.

"You came earlier than I expected, Hilder."

He said with a cold smile. As soon as his voice fell, the silhouette slowly showed itself from the darkness behind him revealing a woman with a sad facial expression .

"You blocked my path for so long. But it all ends now, Bakal."

While saying this, Hilder now stood next to Bakal, not looking at him, but similarly overlooked the city engulfed with fire.

"Is it not too soon? There is no one in this world that can face me just yet. You don't think they will see the end of me just relying on those puny toys, do you?"

"Of course not."

Hilder paused for a bit and then continued.

"They may not be good, but what do you think will happen if they are assisted by friends from the future?"

"Hahahah, the future? You seem rather impatient, Hilder."

Bakal turned his head toward at the woman whom he once considered as a guide.

"These guys from the future... Are they that special to be able to challenge me?"

Hilder did not answer immediately, she quietly stared into Bakal's eyes for a while, and then slowly spoke.

"Perhaps..."

Bakal's eyes glinted suddenly, and a black aura emanated from all around him. The expression on his face began to stiffen as the black breath exuded from his body gradually spread out under his wrath. He yelled to the sky, his voice so loud that the whole earth began to tremble. However, Hilder remained expressionless, looking at the wine glass that fell from his hand, landing, broken... Bakal's shadow engulfed Hilder, growing bigger and bigger, painting the whole area with darkness.

"Not even the apostles can deal with me!"

In the blink of an eye, Bakal turned into a huge black dragon, standing high above the ground overlooking Hilder. He spread his huge wings and snarled.

"Who... WHO on earth does not fear me?!"

Hilder stared up at the laughing black dragon as its enormous expanse blotted out the heavens. Although she had remained expressionless all this time, she showed a faint smile, but Bakal missed it.

Chapter 10: A Very Small Difference

The Castle of Bakal was engulfed in a sea of fire. Here, Bakal faced a group of people; his body already heavily injured and bleeding everywhere... Behind the crowd, the cracks of a dimensional rift gradually closed...

"You are not all Empyreans. Then let me guess... Are you the people from the future? Tell me, from how long after do you come?"

"Yes, we are. We come from 500 years in the future."

"500 years...So I have to wait another 500 years... Then did you defeat my three dragons?"

"We even defeated apostles transferred to Arad. Your sloppy dragons were no match for us."

"Congratulations. You passed the basic test. But, did the foolish apostles die in unfitting areas, playing into Hilder's hands? Let me guess... Sirocco, Lotus, and Delezie?"

"How do you know of future events?"

"Hmm... I do not know if whether the order was decided by fate or by her design.. But after seeing all of you: Humans, Empyreans, Pandemonians, and even Dark Elves, it seems Hilder gathered all those that seem to have potential."

"Enough! We did not come all this way to talk, so let's fight. In history, we learned that the Empyreans killed you through the Machine Revolution, but today we are just here to lighten their shoulders a bit. It is unfortunate that you have already been greatly injured, but there is no mercy toward the wicked!"

"Kekekeke..."

Bakal listened without anger and laughed.

"You learned that the Empyreans killed me? With these machines? Haha, sadly, their little toys may weaken me, but there's no way they could kill me just yet. Although, facing them all at once did weaken me quite a bit. So, she used this as an opportunity to send you here. Not a bad plan, Hilder! Now, let me teach you a real history lesson. If I die today, then it had to have been so in your past as well; otherwise, you would create a paradox, correct? Therefore, even in your future, it was you that killed me, not the Empyreans. That fact alone will never change!" 

"...!?"

"Now you seem to understand. In order for your kind to become strong enough to defeat me, it seems it would take another 500 years. Hilder was afraid that I would continue to hinder her plans and that there might be unforeseen consequences, so she decided to send you back in time to kill me today. In fact, even if you did not come here from the future, I was planning on going down to the continent... Ah... so that is why she was in such hurry!"

It seemed the more he understood, the more Bakal couldn't help but be proud of his own perceptual prowess, but... 
 
"I did not expect that, in the future, Hilder would not only be able to control dimensional space, but also manipulate time with such precision..."

As everything burned around him, Bakal suddenly remembered the picture of Luke's prophecy - the dragon dying in the midst of flame - and thought to himself. Yes, Luke did foresee that I would die in flames. Is it referring to the present? No, I still have work to do!

"Hearing your words, perhaps I might just die today. Now that my energy is exhausted, it is definitely the perfect opportunity. However, it is unfortunate to just  die like this, being unable to test your true strength..."

While saying this, Bakal felt his heart stir. The fruits of his efforts for hundreds of years were right here in front of him! He carefully observed each adventurer in turn while thinking. Have my efforts affected them? Or are they just mere puppets controlled by Hilder?

He couldn't help but ask loudly:

"Will your strengths be as Hilder thinks or more? While I hindered her plans for 500 years, did your kind grow at all or has nothing changed? In such a well planned game like this, a very small difference is everything... "

At this time, Bakal's eyes became very sharp. He raised his gigantic body and unfolded a pair of giant wings. Under such shock and awe, the adventurers involuntarily stepped backwards, and each of them showed instinctual fear in their faces. Looking at all this, Bakal couldn't help but show a sneer.

"There remains a question to be answered. Even though I am greatly weakened, will you be the ones to kill me? Even if I am destined to die today, the ones who kill me may not necessarily be you, but maybe someone else from the future... Let's find out for sure, shall we?"

Having said this, the mouth of mighty dragon opened wide, and a huge fireball began to flicker in it...

The whole city burned with flames that touched the sky...

Episode 21: Luminous Anodron

Episode 21: Luminous Anodron

Episode 22: Machine Gun Audrey

Episode 22: Machine Gun Audrey

Location: The unclaimed city of the Arden Heights
Time: Arad Year 987, the 3rd Battle for Arden Heights

It was evening; the city was already filled with lights, while the perimeter the Arden Heights garrison remained silent. In the distant sand dunes, a lonely evening wind groaned weakly, as if searching for a solitary figure like itself...

It was on such a lonely night that a sudden exclamation pierced through the serenity. 

"Oh, what a beautiful gun! Hey... You're Audrey, the living 'machine gun', right?"

The one who spoke was a tall, young woman; she was trying to get acquainted with the brunette haired woman who sat quietly on the sidelines.

The woman, known as "Audrey", held a machine gun in her hand. As she furrowed her brows, she could see that a small part of her gun was broken. She tried hard to fix it, but it was not as easy as she imagined. Upon hearing the shout, Audrey stopped her hand and looked up at the speaker for a moment before opening her mouth, saying:

"Well aren't you the famous one?"

Her remark did not have any emotional ups or downs; it was so calm that people may have mistakenly taken it as criticism, rather than praise.

"The rumors aren't wrong; you are really dull. But people like you don't lie, so I'll just take it as a compliment!"

Unlike the tall woman, Audrey was clearly reluctant to waste any more time talking. She picked up her gun in her hand and again switched her focus onto repairing it...

The air suddenly condensed, as a cold wind whistled through the ear, making the atmosphere more awkward...

"Hoo-ha..."  Kiri took a deep breath and tried to ease the chilling tension. She decided to continue to talk regardless of whether or not the other person was listening.

"It seems so deserted around here, as if there's no sign of human life. I guess that's to be expected after it was attacked by the Kartel." 

Kiri said, as she looked around, "Although it seems as if this place had been abandoned for such a long time, the air is very fresh, and its sky is still blue. Don't you agree?"

Seeing the other person seemingly react, Kiri hurried on, "It's completely different from Ghent; there so much air pollution there! Hey, speaking of Ghent, have you been there?"

"Ghent is my hometown."

"What?"

---------------------------------------------------

Ghent, the home of the Imperial Princess and the capital of Empyrean; it is the center of commerce for all kinds of civilizations, as well as the symbol of wealth and fame. 

If one compares Ghent to a paradise of dreams, then, by contrast, the Lawless District, where every day people have to worry about fighting for three meals a day, could be considered the cruel real world or "hell". 

As a result, people who are unable to handle the harshness of the Lawless District always dreamed about being able to live in Ghent. However, in reality, the Oceanic Express's sea train did not connect to the Lawless District. If you did not have access to one of those giant ships from the army, then traveling to Ghent was just wishful thinking. Even if you were lucky enough to find a way, you still could not escape the sanction of the law.

Residents of the Lawless District are strictly prohibited from entering or leaving other areas. If found, they will be immediately sent back, or even be mistaken as Kartel spies and be shot on the spot. For these reasons, the people of the Lawless District inevitably found a similar cause to the Kartel, envying and hating those born to the "upper class" who lived in the Imperial Capital.

Although it is difficult to travel to Ghent, even today, there are still many people from the Lawless District who somehow successfully smuggle themselves into the city. On the contrary, there are very few people from Ghent who are willing to "visit" the Lawless District. And even if they did, they were all wanted criminals, and as the name suggests, they made it more and more lawless...

---------------------------------------------------

Kiri naturally understood this very well; so she was very surprised after hearing Audrey's answer. This was perhaps the most amazing thing she had encountered in the past few years!

"... So it's true... Although you said very little, it wasn't hard to hear from your accent that you are not from here. But..."

Kiri hesitated for a while, but couldn't help to ask,

"Why are people from Ghent coming here? This place is a living hell!"

Audrey looked at the talkative woman in front of her with awkward silence. The other person didn't seem to have any intention on leaving. So she put down her work and looked upward to meet Kiri with the same curious eyes.

"Ah! It's so boring here, am I right? So come on, let's talk about it! This can't just be a coincidence! There's got to be some kind of mystical thing going on here, right?"
 
Audrey couldn't help but give in to Kiri's enthusiasm and sighed; she knew that once she spoke, it would be a long conversation.

"I am from the Royal Garrison."

"Hey? Really?"

---------------------------------------------------

The Royal Garrison army is an elite force that guards the Imperial Capital. It was originally established to fight against the evil organization of the Kartel. The garrison was mainly dominated by gunners, and it gradually reached its current size after three years of confrontation with the Kartel.

The selection for the Royal Garrison was very strict, and required that the children selected to receive rigorous training. Only those who met the eligible criteria in those hellish training sessions could join the garrison. Therefore, all the inhabitants of Empyrean, especially the woman who lived there, were envious and hopeful for the glorious duty of joining the garrison army. Unfortunately, there were only a handful of people who could achieve this goal every year.

---------------------------------------------------

Although regarded as a proud and decorated title, the words that came out of Audrey's mouth made it seem very dull.

"I am not a good speaker, but I will tell you about myself. However, in exchange, you'll have to teach me how to fast draw a revolver!"

"Hahahaha!..." After Kiri heard this, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Everyone said that Audrey was a cold-hearted person, but today, you've shown me something different. Could it be they are just rumors? At least you know about equivalent exchange! Very well. I like you very much so if you want to learn, I can teach you."

"If that's the case, then I won't say much about myself!"

"Hahahaha! Now I'm certain those rumors about you aren't true. You are really interesting, I like it!"

Like Kiri, this was the first time Audrey met someone who was so interesting. In response she changed her previous apathetic behavior, and slowly opened their hearts to each other.

"Well, for the sake of fairness, why don't we talk about your story first?"

"Me? Well, I don't really have much to say. I grew up wandering with my parents in this unspeakable hellhole called the 'Lawless District'. Since they knew how to use guns, they taught me some basic gun techniques."

As Kiri continued talking about her childhood, her face began to become less dignified.

"Around the age of twelve... Members of the Kartel suddenly burst into our home  and shot my parents indiscriminately. Ah! I thought about it while growing up; maybe the Kartel wanted to expand their power, and wanted to persuade my parents into joining them. But they rejected their offer, and were murdered!"

Kiri shook her head and continued to speak with a wry smile,

"Even so, I was lucky at the time. As the Kartel members prepared  to kill me, a white-haired old gentleman suddenly appeared and killed them in a blink of an eye."

Even after remembering that scene of the enemy over one hundred times, Kiri couldn't help but burst into admiration.

"In the end, he said such a sentence, 'Ah... so the Kartels' dream of romance continues to fade...', but I didn't know what he meant. Anyway, after that, since I had no where to go, I followed that wandering old man for a few years."

"Hey, don't assume that the old man very nice! At first, he thought I was very annoying, just like you did before!"

Looking at Kiri, and then shamefully back to herself. Audrey's heart followed with a lot more ease.

"At that time, the old man wanted me to leave him alone, but ah, I held onto his legs while crying, asking him to teach me how to shoot. I think he might have taken pity on me, as he was finally willing to teach me the secrets of gunslinging and some practical skills."

Saying all that, Kiri was still full of gratitude. "Although the old man was not very kind at first, his mood changed after he saw that I learned quickly, and gradually he taught me a lot of things. But suddenly one day, out of nowhere he disappeared, not even telling me his name before he left."

Kiri sighed with regret, "...and I never saw him again."

"So that's how the famous gunslinger Kiri learned how to use her guns?"

Audrey pondered for a moment and continued to ask, "So what about Ghent?"

"You want to know how I got to Ghent, don't you? Ha! Well, if that's the case..."

Then, Kiri began to paint a vivid account of her adventures that day.

"There were two strangely dressed women one day who suddenly showed up to block my path. One of them asked me with a blank expression, 'Are you Kiri?' I was naturally suspicious at that moment; not to mention that they were physically strong and didn't look like ordinary people at first glance, I thought they were Kartel assassins. Later, I learned they belonged to some Royal Women's organization that protected Ghent. What was its name?... The garden of Imperial Princess?"

"The Imperial Princess Garden." Audrey replied coldly.

"Yes, the Imperial Princess Garden. Thanks for reminding me!" 

Kiri did not notice the shift in Audrey's tone, and still spoke with an excited face.

"Anyway, that was the first time I ever rode a boat, and also go to the legendary capital of Empyrean! But to be honest, the air there wasn't very clean. But their lives there were really luxurious. They didn't have to worry about food or clothing, and they could enjoy endless amounts of food..." When it came to food, Kiri's stomach seemed to rumble again.

"Ah! Yes, the reason they called me earlier was because of the need to form a special women's unit, which required teachers, so they wanted me to be an instructor. They also said that the qualified girls would be screen in advance. As for me, I just needed to teach them the skills of how to be rangers if they were unable to do so."

"As for why it was a training for rangers..."  Kiri scratched her head and carefully thought for a while before continuing. 

"It seems that they claimed currently Ghent had too many mechanics, heavy weapon gunners, and ammunition experts. There is a lack of rangers; if there was at least one ranger to cooperate, they could implement a new combat program."

"If something like this can help defeat the Kartel, I will naturally do my best. It's better than having to fight the Kartel on my own, am I right?"

As Kiri spoke, she looked down at Audrey beside her, and saw that the other person seemed to have no emotional response. Regardless of this, she was not at all frustrated.

"Anyway, I immediately agreed, but they said there was a catch. That is, I had to stay in Arden Heights, and hold out until the end of this battle with the Kartel. I think even if I can't go, I'm sure they can find other excellent instructors!"

"If you were an instructor, I'm sure you'd do well."

Audrey, who had been silent, suddenly chimed in and interrupted. Although the tone was still dull and lacked any emotional ups or downs, Kiri still felt a strong conviction in her words.

"Will I? Do you really think so? Thank you!"

Kiri's mood suddenly changed from cloudy to sunny. She excitedly struck Audrey's shoulder.

"Well, my story's over; now it's your turn!"

Audrey was a woman of her word, and began to slowly tell Kiri her story in a dialect she was not good at, even though her voice was still cold and unemotional...

It turned out that Audrey had a congenital brain disease, that inhibited the emotional spectrum of her brain, causing her to have difficulty speaking and expressing herself. However, due to the particularity of this strange disease, it also brought her good luck. She showed outstanding talent from an early age, which earned her high praise from her supervising officer. Her high scores were selected for the training camp of the Royal Women's Garrison. 

After a series of high-intensity elite training, Audrey also successfully completed this task, and officially became a member of the Royal Garrison. With her excellent abilities, she served as a squad leader at the age of eighteen; but it was also at this time, an accident happened...

Audrey accidentally discovered that there were individuals inside and outside the Garrison Army who were secretly affiliated with the Kartel Organization. After learning this, Audrey realized she was alone and isolated herself. She spent several weeks conducting an investigation, and created a blacklist of all the insiders.

On the day of the execution, she rounded up all the people on the blacklist, and calmly shot each of  them by name. All the people she shot did have an affiliation with the Kartel, but her methods were far too cruel. Fifty-six people were shot and killed, including pregnant women, children, the elderly, and the disabled.

After a detailed investigation, it revealed that only a small number of the deceased were actually bribed by the Kartel. Most of them were assisted by their families because they were trapped within the clutches of the Kartel, threatened by its lingering presence.

Although the incident had passed, the impact it had on Audrey was very severe. Gradually, more and more people were afraid to carry out missions with her. Even the army, which initially was going to issue her a medal, withdrew its announcement. In the end, it pulled out Audrey  of the forces due to her "emotional incompetence". On the grounds that she did not meet the standard for military life, Audrey was advised to enjoy an honorary retirement in advance.

However, Audrey had nowhere to go after retiring. She felt that she was still needed at the frontlines in the battle against the Kartel. So she decided to come go to the small, secluded city of Arden Heights.

"This is the first time I've ever told this to someone else, but I don't think you're interested in these things, are you?" Audrey said faintly. 

It was only at this time, Kiri did not have smile on the corners of her mouth. She silently stroked Audrey's head for a moment or two... with a gentle, yet heavy heart.

- Extracted from a booklet that fell from the heavens (not previously published)

Episode 23: Contact

Episode 23: Contact

Episode 24: Great Will

Episode 24: Great Will

Episode 25: Citadel

Episode 25: Citadel

Episode 26: A Certain Autumn, Ghent

Episode 26: A Certain Autumn, Ghent

Chapter 1: Newspaper Articles

"Colonel, you're a celebrity."

Second Lieutenant Lucas Wane of Ghent Command pushed a stiff newspaper in front of Colonel Woon Lyonir, who was buried deep in paperwork. It smelled of fresh ink and displayed large print photos of Woon's childhood and more recent ones taken at in-explicit dates. Judging by the image quality and the shooting perspectives, the photographs obviously did not have the consent of the parties involved. Moreover, the paper planned to include his story in a featured section over a period of several days. It seemed that journalists were very eager to speculate on him. Woon looked up and glanced at the newspaper casually, then moved his eyes back to the documents in his hands.

"Oh."

"Recently, more and more journalists have come wanting to see you, Colonel. It turns out you're going to be in a special issue. Your fans are going to skyrocket!"

"I'm not interested."

"Little Lyonir, who moved Empyreans as a child, became a heroic soldier and saved the country. He was the youngest colonel of the entire headquarters and the youngest soldier in the Empyrean Army. Recently, his outstanding victory in the war has given him the opportunity to be promoted to be a Brigadier General, but..."

"Stop reading."

Woon asked quietly, and Lucas reluctantly put down the newspaper in his hand as if he were the protagonist in the report.

"Why did you refuse? You could have been a Brigadier General! The first 20-year-old Brigadier General in the history of the command! We would have had increased wages, more subordinates, and less work..."

Hearing Lucas's unconcealed thoughts, Lieutenant Tammy screamed. Like Lucas, she was older than Woon. Due to the continuing implementation of the military budget cuts, there were only three people left in the office, and she was the only woman.

"You still have the nerve to spend a good time complaining, which is time you should not be wasting when the Colonel is working overtime to help us. It's your fault. Don't always get the numbers wrong and the increase the workload for everyone. Do you think it's easy to check for your mistakes? Don't be lazy, hurry up and finish the documents I handed to you."

"It's strange."

Seeing Woon suddenly stop working to talk to himself, Tammy waved her hand.

"It's not strange. It's common for a small number of people, especially the Second Lieutenant, to get numbers or units wrong."

"I mean it's strange that the newspapers would publish news about me. This large newspaper is usually inextricably linked to the capital of the nobility. The Anton incident is over; there is no need to continue advocating the army now."

"They are not advocating the army, but you, Colonel."

Lucas had already sat back in his seat, and replied with a sigh of relief. He rummaged through the contents of the drawer to look for the paperwork Tammy wanted. Upon looking up, he unexpectedly found that Woon was quietly waiting for his follow-up explanation.

"As you mentioned, because of its connections with the nobility, most newspapers tend to be very negative toward the army. The proposal to build a new hospital was rejected because the newspapers took the lead in inciting public opinion, claiming it as unnecessary. Oh, what should happen if it infringes on the role of already existing hospitals? In fact, anyone could see that they wanted to pull patients to the private hospitals of the nobility."

"Ironically, they are now pointing the finger at The Royal Highness and the Commander, saying that the poor soldiers have no place to receive treatment." Tammy also complained.

"The same is true of the Colonel. They tried to use the Colonel's origins and rough experiences to increase sales. They never respected him as a hero; they just wanted to pull popularity."

"Why would the nobles want to bring popularity to the Colonel?" Tammy couldn't help but ask.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not to bring popularity to the colonel, it's to bring popularity to the newspaper. The story of Little Lyonir has always been very appealing. The newspapers have been hyping up the story and calling on people to help the poor child. Since then, the production of weapons increased significantly. Although they claimed not to be taking advantage of the productivity in the private sector, the factories owned by the nobility made a lot of money... In short, since then, people have created a rescuer's mentality for the Colonel, saying that 'He's doing so well because of us.' While we're in this mentality, it's no different from the way we feel when we take care of stray pup."

Tammy was a bit distressed, although what Lucas said was not unreasonable, comparing the Colonel to a little dog was a bit over the top. However, she saw that Woon was listening to Lucas's analysis attentively; there was no dissatisfaction with this metaphor, and she was not at liberty to interrupt.

"Is that so? But the war is over, shouldn't everyone be less interested in my story?"

"You are underestimating them! To them, you are like some kind of trophy; a trophy that should be polished and then placed in the most conspicuous of places to be flaunted by everyone. Do you know what topics have been discussed in the circle of nobility lately? They want you to take home and marry their second or third daughters. In their eyes, although you were not born a noble and are from the Lawless District, compared to the reputation of Little Lyonir, your origins is only but a speck of dust on a pretty decoration."

Lucas was very straightforward, but to Woon it was still somewhat incomprehensible. He didn't completely fathom what Lucas meant. There were those who couldn't bring themselves to taste unforgettable defeat, so they try to lick their wounds through means of ignorance and discrimination, which was something he understood. But what he couldn't grasp was the social phenomenon: the sense of superiority and the desire to showing off. It was something he had never experienced. To him, these unfamiliar psychological phrases were only words that could only be found in books.

Looking at the long-winded Lucas and the contemplative Woon, Tammy found a chance to intervene.

"You should not speculate; the newspaper may be tired of news about the Imperial Army, and want to cover stories about the Colonel for a new change of taste. Maybe the president of the newspaper is a crazy fan of the Colonel, and one day might come to openly propose marriage to him... Oh, I think these guesses are far more realistic than what you said about 'Bakal's hidden underwater castle.'"

Woon thought that Tammy's unreasonable imagination was more terrible than Lucas's fantasy. Lucas couldn't help but shout:

"Bakal definitely has a hidden castle!"

"If you saw Anton, you would know. The Apostles building an underwater castle to defend against thieves? That's ridiculous. You always like to say such random words; no wonder your brother tells you to shut up. Anyway, you'd still better find the documents I gave you. It must have been a real mess this time. Do you know how the people in the Imperial Princess Garden laughed at us last time? I'm embarrassed for you..."

Lucas lowered his head and dared not to utter a word. Tammy smiled proudly and couldn't help but laugh out loud. The conversation, triggered by a news report, ended in the victory of the only woman in the office. Woon did not continue to ask questions and put his attention back to his work.

"Colonel Lyonir! The Commander General asks you to bring the meeting materials to his office."

One of the officers from headquarters delivered Jackter's orders. Woon looked at his watch; it was only 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Lucas looked at Woon pack up the the documents one at a time and asked with concern.

"I didn't expect the General to call you so urgently, do you need me to check the information?

"No, I've already reviewed it twice. After seeing the Commander, I might not come back directly. You don't have to wait for me, just go to work."

"Can I get off work one hour in advance? The Second Lieutenant failed his last shooting test, I want to keep an eye on him." Tammy asked.

Lucas's face immediately became flushed. Woon nodded without any change in his facial expression.

"You can."

Tammy cast a sneering look at Lucas, and Lucas, who failed the exam, dropped his head, afraid to utter a reply. On the newspaper that was left on the table, under the report about Woon, there was an editorial demanding for Jackter's resignation published in a striking headline.

Chapter 2: The Commander's Office

The military system of Empyrean was more complicated that it seemed.

Empyrean was made up of several islands, each with its own headquarters. Not so long ago, each of these command centers were created to govern their respective island, with Ghent Command, which managed the entirety of the Imperial Army, in charge of all of them.

Although the military system had been reorganized under the era of former Archpriest Beldron, issues still remained. In addition to the series of regulations that were created by the various regional headquarters, there were also Special Forces such as the Imperial Princess Garden, the Ghent Royal Garrison, and the Coast Guard which followed separate rules. For the sake of convenience, they also borrowed the rank names of Brigadier General and Major, but they didn't correspond with the ranking system of the Command. The reason there were so many organizations was due to the fact Empyrean had long existed in a peaceful and isolated environment; there was no reason to bother with such unnecessary changes.

However, imperfect systems often lead to confusion. That being said, as time passed, it became more difficult to reorganize a system that had been grounded over a period of years. Moreover, the Special Forces have long since grown into independent organizations, and Ghent Command had no right to reorganize them. Only the Archpriest, the current Imperial Princess, had this authority.

However, this situation did not faze the majesty of the Commander-in-Chief of Ghent Command, Jackter the Eagle Eye.

Only the highest commanders of each command center were appointed as generals, and it being an honorary position, every command center had a multiple of them. However, there was only one general who was appointed by the Imperial Princess, and that was Jackter. Each of the Special Forces respected him and followed his advice. For that very reason, Jackter the Eagle Eye not only commanded the Imperial Army, but also was the Commander-in-Chief of the entire Empyrean Army.

The legendary Jackter the Eagle Eye, the man who came from the Lawless District and became the first Commander-in-Chief in the Empyrean Army. From his talents alone, he was invited to Ghent and made remarkable contributions, including the subjugation of Anton. He became a national hero that won the hearts of many and the trust of the Imperial Princess. It is said that when he adorns all the medals he had won on his chest, his clothes would glisten like a radiant armor...

With his silver hair combed back behind his ear, Jackter sat in the Commander's Office cutting his nails. But due to having carelessly cut into the flesh, he put his finger in his mouth to suck the blood.

"As you get older, slip ups like this become inevitable."

"I see."

Although he did not like abusing his authority to appear pretentious, there were some times when seen by his subordinates that would make him feel embarrassed. Jackter coughed a few times, and accepted the documents from his adjutant. Since it was often necessary to send the documents to the Nobility, most of the documents were handwritten. Despite Empyrean's level of science and technology that astonished the Arad people, the Nobility valued tradition, still preferring the documents be written by hand. Of course they did not hand write all the documents, but in the face of Jackter, there was always an extra emphasis on taste.

Satisfied upon looking at the handwriting that resembled a neat machine-like print, Jackter put down the document.

"Good work!"

"You haven't finished reading it."

"Shouldn't be a problem."

Woon tilted his head.

"Do you need reading glasses?"

"Damn it. I wouldn't go that far... Anyway, I've read the draft already; the content inside shouldn't have changed that much."

"I added a few more private documents. Please check pages 82 to 84."

Jackter rummaged through the contents as he complained that his diligent subordinate put himself through too much trouble. At first, he just nodded casually, but as he turned to the last page, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

"...This content, have you verified it?"

Woon didn't answer, and handed over the documents to Jackter. Jacker's movements as he flipped through the material became a lot more cautious. Given the pile of information consisting of a stack of internal reports, photographs, and leaked confidential documents, it verified the authenticity of the content submitted by Woon. Jackter repeatedly pondered over every last word, and finally leaned back against his chair.

"Those dumb bastards. I don't know if they're our friends or our enemies..."

"..."

"Is that why they stopped the military from building a hospital? Every day they complain that there's not enough money, and that they don't want to pay taxes. And now they secretly built a treatment center behind our backs to treat our patients for free? And that all the medical supplies were provided by the Empire? Those Northpiece idiots; all they do is bring us food that is completely burnt. Do you think the food brought by the Empire tasted any better? Because I distinctly remember last time the Empire brought a virus, and we were forced to slaughter 50,000 livestock."

"The Nobles said that it was a gift of tribute from the Empire, and that its poor quality should be accepted with leniency."

"Bullshit! The Empire has always been desperately searching for our weaknesses. They are a notorious force in Arad. You see, they don't even provide their supplies free of charge. Just the price of shipping is astronomical, how could they possibly give us that large amount of supplies for free?!

"But the call for vigilance against the Empire is not a priority. Most people think the Empire's weapons are archaic, and that we could subdue them without breaking a sweat."

Jackter sighed as he scratched his hair, and finally spat out a few curse words and threw the documents on the table.

"Do you remember Walshuted?"

"You mean the head of the Imperial Knights, Vaughn Walshuted?"

"Those men were not mere barbarians who only used sticks as weapons. They knew how to use strange skills that I don't know whether it's magic or qigong. Even then, the Knight Master was desperately studying us, and we completely disregarded their skills, just viewing it as some sort of cheap trick.

"Are you saying that if war breaks out, we might not be able to beat them?"

"We'll win, at least for now, but our opponent's military forces and materials are very abundant. We lost half our population, and have no experience in war or diplomacy. We've been isolated for so long that we didn't have the opportunity to prepare."

"Did we not just experience a war?"

Upon hearing such a low-pitched question, Jackter looked up at his adjutant. Although his adjutant always had the same straight face, Jackter could still see in it a sense of naiveté. At that moment, the adjutant's face was void of any emotion, but Jackter recollected to when they first met; the adjutant was beaten black and blue, and had a thinner appearance than that of his peers.

"That was not a war."

"Oh."

"That so-called war... that's just the perspective of the other side. Even if the entire city of Northpiece got involved, it would have been the same. The Kartel only kept its power by killing the weak; that was nothing more than a massacre.

"But in the latter part, many civilians also got involved."

"Those individuals merely noticed a good situation, and took advantage of the opportunity. As Varracht said, by the time he left the organization, the Kartel had already devolved into a pure band of criminals. And what's more is that in Northpiece, the opposition against the Kartel is very high, isn't it? That includes you too..."

Jackter glanced at an old pocket watch on the table.

"... And remember, we cannot ensure victory by merely relying on our own strength. We cannot justify our behavior under the assumption that our defenses would have been impenetrable 'If Anton didn't show up'. Colonel, Empyrean is a country of many problems. We were able to experience many years of peace simply because we haven't encountered any enemies. I understood that a little upon seeing Anton and the Empire. We must be on our guard against them, and the world below. They settled an issue I've been worrying about a long time ago, and are advancing constantly through the means of mass communication. Do not underestimate the progress they've made through the passage of time. We are called Empyrean because of our elevation, not because we are gods."

"Understood."

"Anyway, it's too late for us to be focused on expanding the military. We are already at a numbers disadvantage when compared to the Imperial Army. At this point, enforcing an entry restriction upon them is just all bark and no bite. That damned 'military is useless' ideology is causing our soldiers to gradually become even estranged by their loved ones, and just become a means to vent frustration, but Jurgen doesn't even bat an eye. Although he may have expected this in the end, our soldiers..."

The thought about the soldiers being discharged from the army with just a woefully small amount of retirement money caused even Jackter to really want to throw explosives into the houses of the Nobles. After much effort, he had just managed to get a meal subsidy for the soldiers, but what is food in comparison to the trauma inflicted to the body and mind? Jackter poured himself a mouthful of water in an attempt to extinguish the fire surging in his heart.

"Colonel, do you know what happens when a person dedicates himself to his country only to be betrayed in the end? Anger, only anger remains. And this anger is bound to inevitably exceed that of those who hated the country from the beginning."

Jackter put down his cup and let out a long sigh. He looked at his watch and found that time had flown by considerably. As the meeting time with the Nobility approached, a sense of frustration and helplessness began to wreak havoc in his heart. He was not a politician; he was a soldier who swore to defend his country; moreover, politics did not conform with his nature. And Jurgen, a man whom he originally believed he could count on, has yet to hand over his seal as regent. Jackter was very disappointed with his public pressure on the Imperial Princess. Although he has never completely trusted him as a person, he always believed that Jurgen would be the least likely to cause trouble if the country were in turmoil. But he never considered Jurgen to even have accepted a title from the Empire... His behavior completely subverted Jackter's expectations. Perhaps Jurgen as a politician, thought it was right to his advantage, but Jackter didn't want to understand his position.

Jackter slammed his fist on the table.

"I was going to kill Anton and retire! Take a leisure fishing trip and start enjoying life. But now I have to go to work tomorrow, and the day that! Even if nobody wants me to leave, even I want to take the initiative to take a load off! Those bastards, even they ran off one by one during the war..."

Woon squatted down to pick up the pieces of paper that fell from the table, but upon hearing this remark, he turned his head.

"Do you want to fill out a retirement application?"

The Commander-in-Chief of the Empyrean Army uttered a groan.

Chapter 3: Afternoon, the Palace

Chapter 4: Two Dinners

Chapter 5: Midnight, and Early Morning

Chapter 6: Morning Disturbance

Chapter 7: Downtown Ghent

Chapter 8: Back to the Palace

Chapter 9: Midnight Town Outskirts

Chapter 10: Another Morning

Episode 27: A Girl in Central Park

Episode 27: A Girl in Central Park

Chapter 1: A Young Mage's Day

One... Two... Three!

Pai inwardly counted to three and then cast the spell. It wasn't one of her usual ice spells; it was new magic that employed the various elements that filled the forest. The small light that glowed green blinked, and then started changing its color. Red, blue, yellow, and...

"Ah...!"

The mana that formed the light started dissipating. Alarmed, Pai gritted her teeth and clutched onto her staff, her forehead covered with sweat.

Pop!

Despite her effort, the spell failed. With a small popping sound, the mana exploded, its particles blowing away in the wind. For a while, Pai just watched the light scatter, and then flopped to the ground with a sigh.

How many times have I failed?

It was difficult to create new magic that combines various elements. Especially for Pai, who was trained in one specific school of magic since she was young. She swept her matted hair away from her face as she leaned against the tree. The leaves rubbed together in the wind, comforting her with their rustling sound.

It'd been a month since Niu left Central Park with some of the other Guardians. Niu usually traveled Pandemonium alone to locate strange phenomena and help people. Knowing that she was accompanied by others this time should have been reassuring to Pai, but she didn't feel that way.

'Am I worried?'

'Yes.'

'About Niu?'

'Yes and no.'

Pai hugged her staff tightly.

Kate made this staff for her after Werry disappeared. He was a bigmouth and not entirely a likable character, but she thought they'd be together forever. After he left all of a sudden, she lost confidence in her ability to cast magic. Kate carved this staff out of an old elemental tree to encourage her. She was grateful for that, but she couldn't stop thinking about Werry.

'He left because I was weak...'

She looked at her hands. Compared to Niu, who trained all the time, she was pathetically weak. There was little wonder no one counted on her. Can I help the others? Make them feel safe?

"Yes, you can."

Niu told her. She said Pai could do anything. She always said so. Pai had to believe that.

"Pai, where are you? You'd better come back before I eat all of the pie!"

The hopeful look on Pai's face turned sulky.

Central Park was the miraculous forests that Kate the famous summoner created. She tended to it, even when Pandemonium was filled with nothing but darkness. Now she lived here with the mages who followed her in a small village that they built together. The young girls, Pai and Pipi, were like family to Kate, and they were already accomplished mages in their own right. But the sight of Pai, who was walking with puffed-up cheeks and a pouty mouth, followed by Pipi, who nervously stole glances at the other, was far from magic, the essence of nature's mysteries itself.

"Did you girls fight again?"

The Red Witch, who was sitting on the best seat at the table, drinking tea, asked primly.

"Did you play rock-paper-scissors on who'd win more slices of pie? Pai, did you lose?"

"No. I'm not angry. Don't worry about me."

But the look on her face said otherwise. The guilty party, Pipi, flailed her arms wildly at the Red Witch, silently asking not to pry into the situation. The Red grinned mischievously.

"Oh, really?"

The meek boy Joshua sensed the impending disaster and quickly picked up his cup and saucer.

"Wow, something smells delicious!"

With that, the table stayed upright, and everyone's face turned toward the familiar boy who came running, following the smell of freshly baked bread, which, by the way, distracted him so much that he forgot to even say hello. Kate, as she removed the last cookie out of the oven, greeted him.

"Hello, Arthur. How's Isys-Prey?"

Chapter 2: A Wind from Afar

"...And that's how Prey saved one more poor Pandemonian!"

Arthur shrugged, his face beaming with pride. He would've looked more like the faithful follower of the Apostle he was if his mouth was covered with bread crumbs from eating while talking.

"By the way, where did Isys-Prey come from?"

Pipi looked at him, and Arthur slightly blushed. He scratched his pinked cheek as he answered.

"That... Prey wouldn't tell me. And I asked him several times. He said I don't need to know. He probably said that because I can't go there, even if I wanted to. He had this sad look in his eyes, so I could tell he misses his home world."

"You call yourself his follower, and yet you know nothing about him."

Arthur glared at the Red Witch, but said nothing. He knew better than try to argue with this woman, and he learned it the hard way. Knowing this, Kate smiled gently.

"Yes. I'm glad Prey is taking good care of Pandemonium. When he flies on his wings, patrolling, even the Kashipas and thieves go into hiding. By the way, Arthur, what brings you here today?"

"Oh right, I almost forgot. He asked me to get updates on the Kashipas' movement. Is Niu not here?"

"Niu went to check around Harlem. She also might drop by Elting Memorial on her way back."

Arthur scowled.

Elting Memorial. Every day, accidents happened there because of the dangerous experiments that the witches who lived there conducted. But most of all, Arthur didn't like that place because, even though they were supported by Hilder, they insisted on a neutral stand on the war against the Kashipas.

In fact, Elting Memorial was already under Kashipa's control. Not only it was conveniently located right next to its base, Harlem, but its resident witches were cooperating with the organization's research requests. But even Kashipa's leader, Black-eyed Sarpoza, had announced that he respected their neutral stand. It was probably because he didn't want to make an enemy of Hilder. Elting Memorial was filled with nothing but eccentric witches and old, dusty books. It wasn't worth fighting for.

And that made Arthur more upset. The witches of Elting Memorial should know this. They shouldn't be so content with their current situation. They should fight the Kashipas. They even had a powerful ally, Hilder, for the gods' sake! Or they could always join forces with the mages of Central Park against the Kashipas. That could change the situation of Pandemonium nicely. It was a well-known fact that those witches didn't think like everyone else, but they were also Pandemonians. They must learn from Isys-Prey's righteous mindset and put their skills to good use, instead of wasting them on some terrible experiments while hiding from everyone else.

"The Kashipas called people from outside Harlem outsiders. I wonder if that's how they think of the people of Elting Memorial."

"Probably. Those witches are as wary of strangers as they are. Perhaps the Kashipas have learned from them, having visited them many times."

"I don't like that the Pandemonians are split in factions. I hope peace will return soon. Pandemonium would be a better place if there were only good people who get along well with one another."

Pipi spoke, her face gloomy, probably from thinking of someone. Arthur kept stealing glances at her until Pai pinched him the back of his hand. "Cut it out." Flushed, Arthur was thinking hard to come up with some excuse when...

A wind blew.

It wasn't one of those ordinary winds from the Wind Canyon. It was a ground tremor caused by powerful waves of mana. Those who were deeply related to mana knew how serious this movement was. Kate was watching the children talk, and suddenly the look in her eyes changed. The Red Witch pursed her lips. Pipi clenched her hands. Joshua turned his head toward Harlem. Pai's shoulders shrank in spite of herself.

"Prey is angry."

Arthur mumbled, and got startled by his own words.

"Prey is angry... Did something happen to him!?"

He suddenly rose from his chair, knocking it backward with a loud noise.

"I'd better go!"

"Arthur! Wait!"

Arthur ignored Kate and started running. When he ran with the wind wrapped around him, he was unstoppable. His attention was solely focused on Isys-Prey, whom he worshiped like a god—no, he was a god in all things that mattered to Arthur.

"What's going on?"

The party was over. The Red Witch fretted and grumbled and left for the forest without saying goodbye. Kate and Pipi also headed out to the forest. Joshua bid Pai farewell and headed out to the hill in the Wasteland to watch over Harlem.

Pai, sitting alone at the big table, hugged her doll tightly to her chest.

Chapter 3: Pondering Pai

The next day, Kate told Pipi and Pai that she didn't think what happened yesterday was serious and they shouldn't worry about it. Pipi smiled brightly and let out a sigh of relief. "It can't be, right? Even if it is, Prey can take care of it." But Pai couldn't understand it. Arthur wouldn't have left in such a hurry if it wasn't serious. Pai said so to Kate. Kate said he could've been mistaken, and that even if something happened, it had to have been finished by now, seeing how quiet things were at this moment. Don't worry, Kate said as she patted Pai on the head. Pai didn't say anything.

'If I was Niu...'

If I was as strong and reliable as her... If she was, Kate's words might have been different. She might have told her the truth and wanted to discuss some solutions with her. Right now, Niu was away, Pipi was too young, and she was...

"I'm going to go take a walk."

Without waiting for Kate's response, Pai headed out to the forest. Her small body quickly disappeared among the tall, lush trees. After a while, Pai looked back. She couldn't see the village anymore. The forests of Central Park were large. They became larger than the first time the Adventurer arrived. When they left for the Castle of the Dead where Apostle Luke was, Kate tried to hide the sad look on her face and told everyone that everything would be okay. And then, she spent most of her time tending to the trees and plants as if she needed the distraction. Pai tried to help, and Kate told her not to worry and go relax. She knew Kate was being nice, but that hurt her a little bit. I can help you. When she was deemed too weak to become a mage, and when she had to leave her family to live with Niu, everyone was worried about her. She was worried about herself too, but she wanted others to have more faith in her. Why is everyone trying so hard to protect me?

"I'm a mage, too."

Pai sat on a rock. Mages walked alongside Death. Even the simplest mistake could cause the greatest of all mages to die in excruciating pain, his mana running amok in his blood. Worse, he could go mad. Becoming a mage was not an easy decision to make, even for those born with a great talent for magic. But Pai was grateful for her magical talent. Since she decided never to run away from it, she'd never regretted becoming a mage. But still that wasn't enough, was it?

"What can I do?"

What do I do to become as strong as my sisters? She couldn't fight the Kashipas like Niu. She wasn't as famous as Kate, either. She wanted to help others, but she was too shy to pay visits to unfamiliar villages. She didn't want to make others worry by leaving without telling them where she was going, either. So instead, she headed out to the forest on the edge of Central Park. It was where visitors of Central Park often came through. Sometimes, they were found lying there, barely breathing, so she made it a habit to check this forest on a regular basis. But she rarely visited it alone. That was why she became slightly nervous when she heard a rustling noise. She clutched her staff. She couldn't see clearly through the tree leaves and underbrush. She couldn't even detect their mana because of the magic that Kate had cast around the forests a while ago. Pai hid behind a big tree and looked around, and...

"Boo."

"Kyaaaaaahh!"

Thwack! Pai swung her staff with all her strength and hit something. It was Joshua who came out of the underbrush. For acting out of character and pulling a childish prank, he got smacked by Pai's staff. It missed his head, but hit him squarely on the back. While Joshua coughed and groaned in pain, Pai composed herself.

"Why did you do that?"

"You looked upset. I just wanted to cheer you up. Where are you going?"

Pai mumbled, "The forest at the border."

"Why? I just came from the Wasteland. Nothing's happening out there right now."

She didn't know how to answer to that. How disappointing? That's good? Pai settled for a sullen nod. Joshua scratched his nose.

"I'll go with you, then."

"You will?"

"If you're going there to get some fresh air, you could use a companion, right? If there's an animal that needs rescue, two's better than one, too."

Pai thinks about it for a while, and then nods her head.

Chapter 4: The Visitor

The bordering forest of Central Park, adjacent to the Wasteland connected to Harlem. On the other side of that vast chunk of wasteland stood the Corrupt Forest and Kashipa's base, Harlem. The Corrupt Forest grew big, just like the other forests with Kate's magic, but unlike the others it was dark and evil. Pai thought that forest might never change, for its name's sake, if nothing else. The same might go for Kashipa, the group of corrupt mages...

"No, maybe not."

"Huh? What?"

"Ah, nothing."

Joshua, who turned to look at her, grinned and resumed walking. Looking at his back, Pai recalled the first time she met this boy who was originally a member of Kashipa. Anyone who knew Joshua now wouldn't believe what she saw back then. Who would believe that such a cheerful person was once filled with sadness and anger? If Kate and Kasijas didn't persuade him, he still could've been the same tormented person he was back then, and that would've been tragic.

"Joshua, when you came to Central Park... what did Kasijas say to you?"

Pai had always wanted to know what that scary-looking, brusque Kasijas told Joshua.

"He said I should live however I wanted, following my heart. And that thinking wouldn't help. In the end, my heart would always win, so I'd better get out of there the first chance I got."

"Really? Did Kasijas really say that?"

"Yes, or at least that was what he meant, according to Kate."

"According to Kate?"

The boy and girl giggled at the same time. Pai felt slightly better. She mindlessly swung her staff that she was holding in one hand.

"Hey, Joshua. Do you have a lot of experience when it comes to fighting?"

"I had to fight to survive where I came from, so yes. Why, Miss Pai, do you want to fight?"

"No... But I have to... to be helpful."

"You think so?"

Joshua responded nonchalantly. Suddenly Pai wondered if she was being stubborn and unreasonable. Should I really insist on fighting? What if I only get in the way of others? Pai stabbed her staff at the ground for no reason, sending dirt flying everywhere. Any other times, she would never do this because it left scratches on her staff, but right now she needed the distraction to keep herself from wallowing in depressing thoughts. Careful not to hit Joshua in front of her, Pai swung her staff a few more times. Suddenly Joshua grabbed her by the shoulder. He placed one finger in front of his mouth and pulled her behind a tree.

"Someone else is here. I didn't see him when I passed here the last time. He must have crossed the Wasteland just now."

They watched the stranger who was resting with his back against a rock. He didn't radiate enough mana to indicate he was a mage, but the daggers he had belted around his waist and the injury on his face were enough to make them feel wary of them. Could he be an adventurer or traveler? No. Joshua shook his head. Having watched the stranger for a while, Joshua shot an icicle. It hit a tree in the distance with a shattering noise. The stranger quickly raised himself and crouched into a fighting stance with naturalness from having it done many times. He sniffed at the air and then came to where the two youngsters were instead of the shaken tree.

"Are you the Witch of the Forest? Please show yourself. I have no intention of hurting you."

He sounded as rugged as he looked. Pai clutched onto her staff with both hands. Joshua tapped her on the head. She looked up and found him smiling. Joshua gestured to her to stay still, and then moved away from the tree.

"Hello. May I ask who you are?"

"I'm a merchant. On the run. Are you alone?"

"Are you on your way to Central Park?"

"I told you, I'm on the run. I couldn't think of anywhere else to go. I almost died crossing the Wasteland."

The self-styled merchant wiped the blood from the injury on his face. Pai peeked from behind the tree. Seen from the front, his head was missing half of one ear. It was an old, healed injury, but Pai still flinched in spite of herself.

"You're hurt. Where are you going?"

"Well, here and there, maybe. But why don't you let your friend come out? I'd feel much more relieved if they did."

Hesitantly, Pai showed her face. The merchant guffawed.

"You don't have to be scared of me. I'm not gonna bite ya. Let's see... I've got only this dagger to give you in return. Wanna try it? Oh right—name's Shawfield."

Shawfield raised a rusty dagger and guffawed again. Pai didn't like his big, yellowed fangs.

Chapter 5: Each with Their Own Problems

Shawfield said he came from Harlem where Kashipa ruled. He got dumped by his girlfriend, and he went to the casino to distract himself from the heartache. The next thing he knew, he was selling stuff.

"So, you did business in Harlem."

"Sure, I did. I may not know how to use magic, but I'm a born businessman. At first I didn't know what I was doing, but it didn't take long for me to get the hang of it. I saved money and sold everything I could buy with the money... I spent money as fast as I made it, though. Still, it was a good life."

"Then why did you run?"

Shawfield shook the dirt on his matted tail.

"Well, that... because of a love quarrel, if you will. The casino's boss loves women. I was having a thing about this pretty dealer, who turned out to be one of the boss's love interests. I skipped town as soon as I caught wind of that. Someone as powerful like him can easily get rid of a helpless outsider like me without a trace, you know. And then, I got caught by some hunters on my way out."

"Heh..."

"I don't think they'd follow me all the way across the Wasteland, but right now I'm too weak to go any farther. I wish I could have some food..."

"I see. If you promise you'll stay here quietly, then I'll get you some food."

Joshua was friendly toward Shawfield and didn't look at all like he was scared of him. On the other hand, Pai stayed close to Joshua and watched the stranger from the corner of her eye. Once she made eye contact with him and got startled. She quickly averted her eyes, but it was too late. He knew what she was doing. Shawfield sighed and dropped all his old daggers onto the ground.

"There. Are we good now? I understand you're being careful, but I swear I'm just a hungry fugitive. I know I look scarier than most Roccas, but if you're going to glance at someone, do it without letting them know. You'll never win gambles that way."

Pai's face reddened. "Sorry..."

They'd been walking together for some time now. They reached the central forest of Central Park, and Shawfield suddenly screamed and collapsed to the ground. His leg got caught in a trap spell set up to stop intruders. Shawfield's slim, strong leg was being held in place by a pale blue light. Shawfield screamed in pain. Joshua scratched his head.

"We're sorry, but only the Witch can disarm that spell. If we messed with it, we could end up blowing up all the hidden trap spells in this area..."

"What? Come on! It's tightening around my leg! Do something!"

"I'll go find the Witch. Miss Pai, would you stay with him? I'll be right back!"

Without waiting for Pai's response, Joshua sprinted away into the forest. Pai didn't feel comfortable being left alone with a stranger. But Shawfield was lying on the ground, screaming for help. She had to do something before he attracted the violent spirits and animals that lived in the forest. Pai knelt beside his trapped leg.

"Hang in there. Let me try to weaken the trap."

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Are you sure you know what you're doing? Arrgggh!"

Shawfield's screaming voice became louder, but the trap wouldn't budge. Pai tightened her lips and concentrated her mind on understanding the spell.

'I could've done this more quickly if Joshua was here to help me.' 'I can't focus when he keeps screaming into my ears like this...' 'What kind of spell is this? It's nothing like anything I've seen...'

Pai looked at Shawfield. His body was covered in big and small scars. He was tough enough to survive them, but even he couldn't withstand the pain from this trap, and there was nothing she could do to help. She hated her inadequacy. Pai turned her head in the direction to which Joshua left. What's taking him so long? Is the Red Witch so far away? Impatient, Pai tried to stand up and was stopped by Shawfield's clutching hand.

"*Sigh* I know you're just a kid, but this is ridiculous."

"Erm..."

"What are you doing? Help me up!"

Her shoulders shrunken at his barking voice, Pai carefully helped him sit up. Spewing a geyser of expletives, he produced a sharp dagger from his back pocket. "Ah...!" Alarmed, Pai quickly stepped backward. Shawfield ignored her and swung the dagger at the magical trap around his leg. Clang! Blue sparks of mana flew everywhere.

"Err? What the...?!"

Mana, when the spell that bound it was disarmed, usually became dispersed and merged with the environmental mana. That didn't happen in this case. The mana looked as if it disappeared, but then it emitted a blue light again and started freezing the moisture in the air. Soon ice formed around Shawfield's trapped leg as well as around his dagger hand. With an ominous cracking noise, the ice quickly traveled up to his knee and elbow. Shawfield tried to break the ice with his dagger, and it caused him so much pain that he had to stop. He lay back down on the ground and started screaming again. Pai covered her mouth with both hands.

"I knew he was a Kashipa."

It was Joshua. His sudden appearance startled Pai more than his words did. He walked toward her with a cold look on his face. When he noticed the surprise in her eyes, he shrugged.

"It wasn't me who ran off; it was a magic snowflake I created. I hid my magic power and watched him from nearby."

"Then... did you create this trap?"

Joshua nodded demurely. Pai stared at him. He was the same kind boy with whom she laughed and chatted until yesterday, but somehow looked unfamiliar now. The ex-Kashipa boy averted his eyes, as if to run away from her gaze.

"He was being suspicious. He didn't look like someone who had hunters snapping at his heels, and the mana I felt from him was familiar. It may not be of the Abyss, but it's definitely of the popular magic used among the Kashipas. Ah, don't be hard on yourself because you couldn't disarm this spell. It's used by the Kashipas. Of course, it's unfamiliar to you. Besides you're too shaken up by his injury to be able to focus your mind on it."

While saying that, Joshua removed Shawfield's dagger. Shawfield was now covered in ice up to his thigh and shoulder. Shawfield forced himself to speak, his teeth chattering from the cold and pain.

"N-no. I-I'm not a Kashipa... I won that dagger... in a bet..."

"You're lying. This spell can be easily disarmed if you have a proper magic tool, but you still have to be capable of magic to be able to use that tool. If you're not a Kashipa, how do you know their magic?"

The look in Joshua's eyes changed as he turned them from Pai and focused them on Shawfield. Not knowing how to answer that, Shawfield started groaning and twisting his body instead. Watching the two interact, Pai clutched onto her staff. She then hit Joshua, accurately on the back of his head this time.

"Ouch! Aww, Miss Pai! What did you do that for?!"

"Stop torturing him. He's in pain. You didn't even give him a chance to explain himself. Even if he's a Kashipa, this is not what you really want to do to him, is it?"

"But what else can I do? This is the only thing I know. I can't talk to people like Kate can..."

Joshua answered sullenly. Pai's heart sank in her chest. Joshua has problems of his own, too. If I were as strong as Niu, would he have confided in me earlier? If I was more reliable, Joshua wouldn't have had to torture Shawfield... Pai's arms drooped.

"...No."

She shook her head. She was being selfish. Joshua finally confided in her, and she was being rude to him and to herself, whom Joshua trusted enough to speak his mind to. Pai held Joshua's arm. It was pretty cold from the freezing spell, but she didn't care.

"We can do it. We just need more time."

Chapter 6: A Conversation with Kate

Shawfield, rubbing his arm and leg to get the blood circulating in them again, admitted that he was a Kashipa. However, he insisted that he really ran away. He lost one of the slaves that he managed, and the Kashipas were going to auction him off as a slave to make up for the loss. The word, slaves, made Pai scowl. It didn't faze Joshua.

"He sounds honest enough, even though there's no way to confirm what he says."

"Just believe me. Have you been lied to all your life?"

"I have."

That shut Shawfield up. Joshua examined the dagger he seized from him.

"This dagger itself is nothing special. Who cast the magic on it?"

"I stole a book for Elting Memorial and got that in return. There were more, but I broke the rest on my way here. Bah, that's the last weapon I have left!"

Shawfield grumbled, but answered his question nonetheless. It was because the smile that Joshua showed him was different from the one he showed Pai. Kate, having received a message from the two, was sitting alone outside the village. She was singing a song for the spirits around her. When the children came into sight, she stood up with a bright smile on her face. Pai felt as if she was caught doing some mischief. Her shoulders sunk, she peeked at Joshua through the lock of hair that fell over her face. He looked just as guilty.

"You're our guest from Harlem. Welcome to Central Park. I'm Kate."

Shawfield was a Kashipa, but Kate treated him just like her other guests, but with enough dignity and authority that he couldn't look down upon her. She wasn't trying to intimidate him. She was opening her arms to him without making herself look weak. Shawfield stopped huffing and puffing and scratched his round nose, with his tail between his legs.

"I'm Shawfield... I ran away. I couldn't stay with the Kashipas... I have no intention of causing trouble here."

"I see. You're welcome here. Is there any way we can help you?"

Shawfield's eyes grew big. For his not so short life, he'd never heard such kind words before. Who in her sane mind would offer help before the other party asked first? Old habits die hard. He automatically became suspicious of her intention, but that quickly faded away. For some reason, he had a feeling that he could trust this woman, Kate. Having forgotten that the two children were still watching him, Shawfield opened his mouth, his eyes filled with unshed tears.

"I didn't want to live like this, either, you know..."

After Shawfield left Central Park with a bag full of traveling supplies that Kate packed for him, she brewed magic potions with Pai's help. Pai asked in a small, hesitant voice.

"Kate, I've got a question... What should I do to become like you?"

"What do you mean, Pai?"

"You have this ability to make everyone feel comfortable enough to tell you everything. How do you do that? Everyone relies on you... wants help from you."

Pipi left to look for the Red Witch, and Joshua was outside, wiping the table. Knowing that there was no one else to hear their conversation gave Pai the strength to speak her mind. Kate stopped her hand that was reaching for a thick book and came to Pai. She soothingly ran her fingers through Pai's pink hair.

"You want to become like me? But Pai, do you really want to be the kind of person who listens to everyone else's problems and helps them?"

"Huh?"

"Shawfield was a Kashipa. He may have chosen the wrong path by mistake, but he might have killed people while he was on it. Or he could hurt our friends in the future."

"...But you helped him."

"I made that choice. I've decided to help others because Pandemonium isn't a place you can survive alone. But even I can't know everyone I'm helping. What if one of the people I helped becomes an obstacle for everyone else in Pandemonium? Did I do the right thing by helping them?"

"You can't know what others might do in the future."

"No, I can't. Still, I help strangers because I want to believe there's good in everyone. Because I hope at least a few out of a hundred people I help will change for the better."

Pai thought about asking her more questions, but decided against it.

Joshua was so wary of the Kashipa that he used such a drastic method to test him, and then attacked him when he knew he was a Kashipa. Kate, on the other hand, even though she knew Shawfield was a Kashipa, believed him when he said he ran away, and helped him as best as she could. Maybe Joshua was wrong, and Kate was right. Or the other way around. Either way, Joshua was still a good, kind boy, and Kate could be stern when she needed to.

"Okay... I'll think about that for a little longer."

Chapter 7: One Step Forward

The next day, Pai was alone in the forest. Holding her staff with both hands, she was trying hard to catch the shadow of the new spell that came to her mind. A little closer... If she could stretch her hand a little farther out, she might catch it. Sweat dripped from her chin, hitting the leaves underneath, their sound amplified by the quiet around her. Pai bit her lower lip. She was seeing the natural elements that only mages could see. They were dancing in the air like butterflies. She watched them dance and found the concentration point of their mana. Flash! Something sparkled.

"One... Two... Three!"

Pai swung her staff. The small orb that glowed pale green in front of her staff suddenly expanded and changed to different colors, rising in the air. Pai gingerly opened her eyes and watched it. The radiant orb continued to grow until it reached the top of a big tree. Pai waved her hand, and it shattered into shards of ice that sparkled in rainbow colors. One of them fell and melted onto her small hand holding the staff. If she had an injury on that hand, it would've healed. These icicles didn't have great healing power, but still they could come in handy in an emergency. Clap, clap, clap. Startled by the loud clapping noise, Pai turned and found Joshua standing there.

"That was an amazing spell. I've never seen anyone combining so many elements together. Did you create it?"

"Yes. When did you get here?"

"Not too long ago. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to break your concentration. Sorry."

Pai waved at Joshua to come closer. They sat under the great canopy of leaves, facing each other.

"I came to apologize in case I shocked you yesterday. I... Even though I had my eyes on you, I left you alone with a stranger, too..."

"It's all right. You did it to protect Central Park."

"Yes, but still... I hate that I had to lie to you. I don't want to lie to you or my other friends. I'm sorry."

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, either. I accept your apology. But under one condition: could you stop calling me Miss?"

"Huh? Sure, but can I ask you why?"

"Well... I want to change." Pai hugged her staff like a toy. "At first, I just wanted to be strong, but now I know better. There are many ways of being strong, and I don't know which way I want. So... I've been thinking all night..." She tried to translate her swirling thoughts into words. Joshua waited patiently, and one by one the words she needed came to her mind.

"So... I've decided to change myself a little bit at a time. If I keep looking carefully, one day I might find the path that I want to stay on. Of course, I'll keep practicing my magic skills in the meantime. I need them to navigate my way."

Slightly blushing, Pai looked into Joshua's eyes.

"I wanted to become like Niu or Kate. I still do. But... I'm not them. I want to become strong in my own way. So... Joshua, maybe you should put behind your past as a Kashipa and find your path, too. You don't have to rush... I'll help you."

Does he understand what I mean? She wanted to tell him more. That she was relieved when she realized Joshua was in the same predicament as she was. She thought he was always peaceful and had no problems at all, and knowing that he was just as troubled as she was helped her change her mind. That if he didn't confide in her, she still would've been wallowing in sad thoughts. That because he taught her a valuable lesson, she didn't want him to call him Miss.

But she was too embarrassed to say them. She was barely keeping herself from running away embarrassed. What if he thinks I'm being patronizing? Fortunately, Joshua showed her his usual kind smile.

"Thank you, Pai. Yes, let's try it together."

Finally, the tension left her and her mouth slowly stretched into a sheepish smile. She was happy that they understood each other. Kate's ability to commune with others must be from experiences like this. She still felt shy and embarrassed, but she wanted to cherish this moment that she was having with her friend who'd be on the same path as she...

"Y-yes... Let's do just that... Poof!"

Suddenly, a third voice was heard, making Pai jump like a cat that had a bucket of water poured on it all of a sudden. The Red Witch! Pai couldn't see her, but her high-pitched cackling voice was unmistakable. Pai's face was completely flushed. Joshua's cheeks were pink.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wanted to apologize you so badly that... erm, I asked the Red Witch where you were...! I just didn't have a chance—"

Joshua couldn't finish his sentence, too busy avoiding Pai's staff that she was swinging with misty eyes.

"Pai, why are you so sulky?"

"Don't ask."

She snapped at Pipi. That didn't help her forget about the embarrassing moment that she never wanted to think about ever again.

"Look, I've made this while I practiced my elemental skills."

Without explanation, Pai demonstrated the spell that she completed earlier that day. Pipi watched, holding her hands together, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. When it was done, she held Pai's hands, jumping and yelling how pretty that spell was. Usually, Pipi's overly animated personality bothered Pai, but at this moment it helped distract her from the embarrassment that she found impossible to forget.

"Pai, you're studying magic so hard. I'd better do the same. I feel as if I've been falling behind."

Is Pipi having the same problem as I am? Pai wondered, half-listening to Pipi's rambling that would go on for a while, as usual. Pipi's young, but not much younger than I am. Come to think of it, I've always had many problems. Could Niu have the same problem as I did? The Niu she'd known since she was young was strong, kind, and reliable. Pai always thought she was different from her, but now that she thought of it, there was no way Niu hadn't had problems of her own. Not just serious problems like Kashipa or the future of Pandemonium, but also small—in a way, silly—problems like Pai and Pipi were having right now.

Niu once complained how she didn't look good in skirts...

I didn't think she looked too bad in that skirt. She felt relieved. Nothing had changed. She was still weak, didn't know about many things, and hadn't decided which path she wanted to choose. Maybe these problems wouldn't leave her for the rest of her life. But somehow, she felt as if she'd taken one step forward solving them. So far, she only tried to hide from them, but now she wanted to face and solve them on her own. So that one day, her family in Central Park could rely on her. So that her mother in her hometown would be proud. Hoping that day would come soon, Pai finished making the rose corsage that the Red Witch demanded in exchange for her discretion.

"Girls, Niu is on her way back home. Could you help me bake some bread?"

"Sure thing!"

Pai ran to Kate with Pipi.

Other Lore Stories

Pandemonium Prequel: Chronicles of Luke

Chronicles of Luke

Chapter 1: Black Nightmare

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Chapter 2: Red Witch

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Chapter 3: Hailey

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Chapter 4: Deception

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Chapter 5: From Encounter to Confrontation

Luke Raid - He Who Silently Touches the Soil

He Who Silently Touches the Soil

In a dark workroom, someone draws schematics by the light of a single candle. He is a small old man with many arms, known as Luke the Constructor among the people of Pandemonium.

Luke didn't remember when or how he arrived in Pandemonium. He knew he was someone Hilder knows, and that he arrived in Pandemonium through space and time, just like the other Apostles.

But he wasn't as strong as them. In fact, he was weaker than the most ordinary beings in Pandemonium. If he was supposed to be so powerful, why was he so weak now? It was a simple question, but it never crossed his mind.

The thoughts in his mind were always so chaotic that he could barely string a coherent sentence together. It was constantly bombarded by images and noises that were foreign to him. Shards of vague memories from his past tormented and suffocated him, but even the loudest clamor in his mind couldn't stop him from building and creating things. Sometimes when he returned to his workroom for a break, he would remember the images that had flashed in his mind earlier and draw schematics based on what he could recall.

Doing that gave him some kind of emotion, maybe peace or hope. For some reason, he believed it would help him remember his past if he simply continued to work.

His buildings, which he once created without putting much thought into, started to show a pattern.

Years passed. Decades passed. Centuries passed. Luke no longer remembered why he decided to do what he was doing. He just kept digging the ground, erecting columns, piling bricks into buildings, and repairing ones from ancient times.

Then one day, he revived Metro Center, which had been dead for a long time.

Light poured into Pandemonium for the first time in centuries, clearing Luke's head at once. Suddenly a power surged through his hands clutching his hammer and saw. All his lost memories flooded back to his mind at once, telling him where he came from, who he was, and what his purpose was.

"I am Luke!"

He shouted. His voice couldn't be heard—the engines of Metro Center were too loud—but it made the air ripple with energy. Soon the rays of light disappeared, as if they were absorbed into Luke's body, so did his power and voice.

But Luke clearly realized who he really was and what he must do.

Castle of the Dead - Call of Pandemonium: Destiny Hangs Upside Down

Call of Pandemonium: Destiny Hangs Upside Down

It is a place covered in thick dark clouds, where no light shines upon even during the day. It is constantly battered by chilling gale force winds and the vile stench of the dead fills the air.

Ever since the day that Bakal ascended from Pandemonium, the Castle of the Dead has been a hotbed of all kinds of ghastly stories. It is after all the only gateway that connects Pandemonium and Empyrean.

As Anton’s last breath disrupted the dimensional boundary, the people of Empyrean were able to clearly view the Castle of the Dead for the first time. Each and everyone who saw it felt their heart sink in fear, their eyes fixated at the horrifying sight. Not even the most experienced officer could keep their composure.

“Well this is going to be fun” said Jakter.

Woon dropped his shoulders as he heard Jakter make fun of their situation. There were many things he could have said but his emotions got the best of him.

“Fun...? Have you gone senile old man?” asked Woon.

“You’ve always been foul mouthed and overly serious, Woon. You've got to learn to take these kinds of situation in strides” said Jakter.

Woon scratched the back of his head, trying to find the right words to say but gave up on the idea and moved on to a different topic.

“Well... according to Ria Richter, we should be able to contact a lady named Niu through the Interdimensional Rift that has been opened” said Woon.

“That would mean getting close to Pandemonium and catching the attention of another Apostle would be disastrous for us right now” replied Jakter. “We simply do not have enough men to muster any kind of resistance.”

“But with the boundary breached, shouldn’t we take this opportunity to explore the Castle?” asked Woon.

Jakter looked at his adjutant intensely and turned towards the Castle of the Dead and said “From Bakal to Anton, I’m sick and tired of these Apostles.”

“Lieutenant Lyonir!” he shouted “Get a scouting party ready. I want to know what’s in that Castle.”

Woon smiled as he expected nothing else from the man they call Eagle Eye.

“Yes sir!” replied Woon.

The boastful exchange between the Commander and his adjutant spread like wildfire throughout the ranks. The fear and panic that the soldiers felt after seeing the Castle has turned into excitement and determination as they form a scouting party.

Naen who had been below deck all this time, entered the bridge and walked up to the Jakter and Woon.

“I have contacted Meryl... I told her about the Castle of the Dead and she said she’ll most certainly be there... she asked us to wait for her at the headquarters...” she said.

Woon frowned and scowled at Naen, as Naen nodded to reaffirm what she said was true. He quickly turned his head towards Jakter, who was trying not to laugh as best as he could but he couldn’t stop his mustache from twitching.

“Permission to retreat sir!” said Woon in a very serious tone.

“Now, now Lieutenant, we may not see eye to eye with Meryl but she still is a very important and influential person in the Empire” explained Jakter “Besides I can’t have my adjutant going AWOL on me, what would this senile old man to do?”

“Ugh... you couldn’t let that go after all...” said Woon.

“You wouldn’t like jail food anyway,” replied Jakter “The soldiers complaining about the rations is bad enough as it is.”

Jakter cleared his throat and stretched, as he looked at the enormous fallen body of Anton which did not completely submerge under the deep Sea of Twilight.

“Sir, the scouting party is ready to leave and rendezvous with Meryl and her team. Everyone else is ready to return to base,” said Woon.

“Very well Lieutenant,” replied Jakter as he observed the faces around him. Too many have died, he thought. Friends that have stood with them since the beginning are no longer with her but he knew this is not the time for mourning. There are still a lot of things that needs to be done.

“Alright, let us sail home before the old lady gets here,” said Jakter as he joked about Meryl. “I want a quiet and long vacation at the beach with a lot of drinks, without the need to suffer her warts and wrath. Hahaha!”

The soldiers laughed cheerfully at their commander’s jokes. They will finally get a much needed respite. They have won the battle against impossible odds. Now they get a chance to go home.

However, as the soldiers celebrated their victory, they did not realize the sky was darkening above them.

Anton Suppression - Giant Shadow in the Empyrean Sea

Giant Shadow in the Empyrean Sea

The soldiers stood there in shock as heavy rain poured down on them. It was a moment of disbelief as the land and mountains trembled.

Boom! The loud sound that came from afar, felt like it could shatter all the bones in a human body. Then they realized it was the sound of Anton’s blood moving through his veins. Hopelessness fell before the soldiers who witnessed Anton’s massive form rising from the ground. Of course, this was not the first time they saw Anton move. However, they have merely seen a twitching of a finger or a turning of the head to breathe out fire, until now.

Boom! The deafening sound could easily have popped out an ear drum and make a brave man go insane. Those who say that there is nothing to fear but fear itself clearly have not seen Anton. The weapons the soldiers carried felt insignificant compared to the size of Anton and just seeing it stretch can bring chills down a man’s spine. How can anyone possibly fight against this behemoth? No amount of courage and determination seemed enough.

Boom! All the surrounding area was filled with sound but everything seemed silent at the same time. It was like the silence at the end of a sword or an overfilled balloon that is about to explode. Yet, in that near climactic moment, a man spit and cursed out loud.

“Trying to lift your heavy ass? Hah! Stop trying so hard!!!”

He definitely wasn’t faking it. He sounded more irritated than anything else. Like a person frustrated at his loud and noisy neighbor. This was enough to lift the tense atmosphere around the soldiers. It wasn’t something that anyone could just do. This was only possible because he was Jakter the Eagle Eye, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army and standing silently beside him is his loyal and trusted young adjutant, Lieutenant Woon Lyonir.

“It looks like Anton has started moving. Thank the heavens! If he didn’t, I would have died of boredom” he said.

A man with long silver hair walked up to Jakter and giggled.

“Ah Hiram what have you got there?” asked Jakter.

Hiram is an Empyrean Coast Guard Captain who volunteered to be part of this mission. He flicked his hair back and spread the blueprint he was carrying in front of Jakter.

“This is just in, it’s not perfect but it may just work” replied Hiram.

“Then I will leave it to you Captain. Please discuss it over with Naen on when to use it and let me know immediately after you have decided” said Jakter. “Oh! I just received a report that the upgrade work on the ship has been finished. Please go check it right away”

“Yes, sir!” replied Hiram.

After giving out his orders, Jakter took a walk not minding the rain that is becoming heavier and heavier. His thoughts were filled with what has already happened and what was about to transpire. His adjutant followed closely.

Woon had wanted to give an umbrella to the Commander but knowing his temper, the young Lieutenant stayed silent and thought “Damn it old man, are you just going to get yourself drenched in all this rain?”

As Jakter kept walking, a middle age man with a brown umbrella stepped in front of him.

“Oh sir Jurgen, why haven’t you left yet?” asked Jakter.

“Although I may not be of much help, I’m still a member of a Noble family. I cannot simply runaway when the enemy is right before us” replied Jurgen.

“You’ve already shown your loyalty by allowing us to use your ship in this mission. So please head back and let the army handle the rest” said Jakter.

“Actually, I have a request” replied Jurgen “I would like to come along with you, when you head out to sea to pursue Anton”

Jakter frowned and said “This is not a game”

“I know this task is of the highest importance. This is why I’m asking you to take me along. I simply cannot allow the ship I gave you to breakdown while pursuing Anton. I would feel terrible, I can’t let such a thing happen. So please let me come with you, I know that ship like the back of my hand” pleaded Jurgen.

Jakter knew this was not an ordinary request. The ship was never formally taken under the Army’s authority but rather it was lent to them and since Jurgen is a nobleman of the Empire, he keeps full authority over it. Besides, Jurgen’s presence in the ship should not affect the overall mission objective. So he thought he didn’t have any reason to stop him. Jakter stared intensely at Jurgen and shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m not sure army meals would fit a nobleman’s tastes but do as you wish” said Jakter.

“Thank you. I will head back and prepare for the voyage. I will see you on the ship” replied Jurgen, as he bowed politely and left.

As Jakter watched Jurgen get further and further away. He turned to his adjutant and angrily shouted. “Why you little… Why do you always keep your mouth shut at a time like this? You always voice your opinions but when a nobleman pressures your commanding officer, you stay quiet. You could have said something… like ‘Please stop with your absurd request’ and then I could have replied with something like ‘Ha ha, sorry about his rudeness but the young man is right, the battlefield is no place for a civilian”

“Since I do not have any experience when it comes to politics, I thought watching a seasoned officer do his thing would prove to be a learning experience” replied Woon.

Jakter sighed as he looked at his cool and composed adjutant.

“What can I say… my orders can get people killed, that goes for soldiers and civilians alike” said Jakter “Come on, let’s get going.”

“Where are you headed sir? Your tent has probably been taken down by now” asked Woon.

“So you just want to stay here and continue to get soaked in this rain?” replied Jakter “Come on already, let’s get dried up”

“Alright sir, then let me prepare the ship for you” said Woon, as he moved through a group of soldiers and towards the ship.

As Jakter watched his adjutant disappears into the crowd. He looked towards the direction of Anton and thought “It’s been a long ride”

Jakter touched his wrinkled forehead as he remembered the moment that Anton, the Great Destroyer appeared near Power Station.

When he heard the news, the Empire was in the middle of a fierce conflict with the Kartel. Jakter believed that Anton was a bigger threat and wanted to gather the Imperial Army to fight it but the nobles did not share the same view. They wanted the Kartel eradicated, post-haste.

Without the support of the nobles, Jakter knew he could not use the Imperial Army against Anton. So he did the unthinkable, he abandoned his post. Knowing that his action amounted to treason; Jakter only accepted volunteers into his ranks. He was able to gather a small army and headed towards Etten to face Anton.

Furious, the nobles of the Empire called for his arrest and execution but the Royal Princess intervened and calmed their anger. She believed that Jakter has a good reason for his actions.

This made the events that transpired even more painful.

Without Jakter to lead them the Imperial Army’s command structure was in chaos and disarray. The Kartel taking full advantage of the situation was able to infiltrate the capital Ghent and kidnap the Princess.

Hearing the dreaded news, Jakter could do nothing but beat his chest in agony. He could not go back since Anton has already absorbed the energy of Power Station and is making its way to Ghent.

A lot of people believe that Anton is just a force of nature, a natural disaster without a purpose but Jakter thought otherwise. His instinct tells him that Anton is an intelligent being that is doing everything on its own free will. Jakter knew the only way to stop Anton from reaching Gent was to keep him at Power Station. It was a tall order but he was prepared to risk everything in order to achieve victory.

The time has come. Jakter and his volunteer army are finally ready to attack.

“Sir, the preparations are complete, we are ready to depart” shouted Woon near the entrance of the ship.

Jakter moved towards the ship. He stopped in front of his adjutant and asked “How old are you, Lieutenant Lyonir?”

“I’m 24, sir” replied Woon.

“A fun age to be, I think my daughter is around your age but I could be wrong… I can’t remember the last time I went home to see her” said Jakter somberly “She probably hates her old man.”

Woon didn’t respond. He knew it wasn’t a question but rather a sad realization of the sacrifices this man has made for his country, even at the cost of his own happiness.

“What is with that serious face?” asked Jakter “You are not feeling sad for this old man, are you?

“No sir, I…” but before Woon could finish, Jakter gave out a big and hardy laugh.

“Seriously kid, you need to loosen up” said Jakter “You don’t want to end up alone like me, do you?”

Woon sigh on how silly his hot headed commander could be sometimes. Woon looked up to Jakter and asked “…Do we have a chance?”

Jakter did not respond to such a somber question. He shook his military cap rather roughly and slowly put it back on.

“Do you believe in me?” he asked.

“Yes, sir!” said Woon without a hint of hesitation.

“Then let our hunt begin!” said Jakter in boastful voice “No matter how big our prey maybe, we will show how sharp our Eagle claws can be”

Jakter smiled confidently as he looked at Lyonir and all the soldiers who gathered around him and nodded.

“Follow me! We have an Empire to save!”

Kashipa's Hidden Records

Kashipa's Hidden Records

Chapter 1: The Chase

"The leader of the Fiends has disappeared," said Doghead in a calm voice.

Sniff Kei lifted his eyes from the pile of documents in front of him and stared at the woman who had barged into his office. The leader of Dog Leash, even though he already had received the report, feigned surprise. He hadn't survived in Kashipa this long without learning a trick or two. Sometimes, feigning ignorance was safer than admitting what you knew.

"You mean, Ricardo?"

Secretly hoping for some new information, he waited for a response from Doghead, Kashipa's second-in-command. Without a word, she produced a smoking pipe from her jacket and lit it. The smoke escaped her mouth with a gentle sigh and formed the shape of a dog before it dissipated.

"Because of the ruckus at the Casino, isn't it? That place is so thoroughly destroyed that it'll take an army of men to find any usable traces."

Without a response, Doghead continued to stare at Sniff. Those eyes of hers. Deep as the abyss and just as impossible to read anything in it, they were the reason the other executives were wary of Doghead. After a quick glance into her scrutinizing eyes, Sniff Kei turned his head in spite of himself. His fisted hands felt clammy with sweat.

"Dark City."

Finally, she spoke and Sniff's eyes lit up.

"There are traces of the Apostle's egg left in the place connected to the secret passageway. Find Ricardo, and collect the egg."

The Apostle's egg! Yom, the owner of the Royal Casino that once took up at least half of Pandemonium's wealth, risked everything to get ahold of that thing. Here, where the survival of the fittest ruled, just the fact that it contained so much mana made everyone greedy for it. Sniff felt his heart racing with excitement for the first time after so long. But unlike Yom, Sniff wasn't stupid enough to want something that could get him killed. He was only excited for the prospect of going after something that everyone wanted.

"But Niu the Chaser and her outsider friends are there," said Sniff, his face slightly red from his barely contained excitement. "Things will get complicated if they decide to interfere with us."

"The Royal Messenger is already on it." Doghead's smoking pipe let out another plume of smoke. "He's dispatched three combat and looting units."

"Three units? That's kind of overkill."

Sniff's voice went slightly higher. The infamous powers of Kashipa that the Pandemonians were afraid of mostly came from its executives with Abyss implants. However, the actual driving force of this giant organization was the lower-ranking members, such as in the combat and looting units. The Royal Messenger sent out half of the forces remaining after the ruckus at the Royal Casino. Instead of clarifying his question, Doghead exhaled a long puff of smoke for one last time, and then put her smoking pipe back into her jacket.

"We don't have time. The other organizations have smelled it, too. We'd better move before it attracts more flies."

"Got it. I'll mobilize Dog Leash."

Doghead slightly nodded her head as she turned her body.

"What if Ricardo doesn't cooperate?"

"Then, follow the rules of Dog Leash," answered Doghead after a short silence.

After she left, the thick wooden door of his office closed on its own. Left alone in the dark, the leader of Dog Leash smiled.

Sniff was touching the ground, looking thoughtful. He looked as if he was searching for something, but touching the ground was his habit when things didn't go as he wanted. Sniff believed that patience was the greatest virtue of a tracker. He'd been a successful tracker who never missed his target, but this time, he couldn't help but feel impatient, just like the first time he went on a chase. It'd been three days since he received Doghead's order. He'd mobilized everyone he could to track down Ricardo day and night. Doghead wasn't lying when she said other organizations were watching him. Several times, Sniff felt eyes watching him from the distance as he followed the traces of mana that were fading away. I bet they belonged to the stuffy Terra Cotta, or the Ancient Library, whose members could even dig up corpses to satisfy their curiosity. Doghead said Walkman was on the Guardians or the Circle Mages that always interfered with them, but he couldn't be everywhere at once. At any other times, he would've followed them to the ends of Harlem, but not this time. Ricardo was his priority.

"Damn..."

The traces found in Dark City had led them to the tall, bleak-looking spires of Skyscraper. Sniff's men, who marched into the mist of Nighttime Skyscraper in groups, hadn't returned. They were the pick of the litter, trained assassins of Dog Leash. They were only second to their combatant comrades where killing was concerned. Sniff glared up at the sky illuminated by the ominous light from the unfamiliar golden star. It looked bigger than the last time he saw it. If it weren't for the monsters that came over from that planet and had occupied Nighttime Skyscraper, his efforts over the last three days would've come to fruition already. All Ricardo's traces that he'd found led into Nighttime Skyscraper. None of them led back out.

"What should we do?"

Sniff turned his head to the side. His short-haired adjutant was looking at him. His anxiety was clearly visible in his expression in his grim face.

"What do you think? We didn't come this far for nothing,"

Sniff nervously combed his hair. He could feel the dozens of eyes that were silently urging him from behind. If he ran away now, he'd lose the leash on his power and be bitten to death, just like the former leader of Dog Leash, whom he sent to join the environmental mana after his successful Abyss implant.

"Pair up. We'll scatter and converge."

The closer they got to the center, the thicker the mist. It was not long after they entered the mist that they realized something was wrong. Sniff heard a familiar voice screaming not far away from him. He couldn't see where it was coming from, but it was his adjutant's voice. As if on cue, something jumped out of the mist that seemed harmless a second ago. Sniff instinctively rolled forward, away from the attacker. He felt sharp claws tearing chunks of flesh off his shoulder. Ignoring the pain, he swung his enchanted staff. A painful howl echoed in the air as something hit the ground like a kite after its string snapped. He looked at his attacker, a monstrous combination of a quadruped and a bird. It was bleeding from the stomach where his staff struck, its two sets of legs and a set of wings flapping feebly in vain effort to fly away.

"Sir Sniff!"

One of his men behind him yelled. This fool! Sniff instantly pulled him toward him, and instead of covering his mouth, he chose to throw him where he suspected danger lurked. Confusion flashed across the man's face before he disappeared into the mist, and soon a blood-curdling scream followed. Sniff quickly moved away, taking cover in the shadows of Nighttime Skyscraper, and looked back to where he was a moment ago. Monsters were coming out of the mist in droves. Now, painful screams rang out from everywhere, sometimes even near him. Leaving his dying men behind, Sniff hurried to the center of Nighttime Skyscraper. He had to move before these bloodthirsty monsters discovered him.

Sniff constantly wiped away his sweat and breathed deeply. It seemed every breath he took made his lungs feel hotter. He could tell the mana that he'd detected was moving toward the center of Nighttime Skyscraper. Several times, he encountered monsters, but he managed to avoid them by suppressing his mana and moving as quietly as possible. The closer he got to the center of the place, the stronger the mana and the heat became. It burned his skin through the thin mana barrier he cast to protect himself.

Sniff's feet that had silently glided across the ground finally stopped. Leaning against the shadows cast over the collapsed wall, Sniff barely stopped himself from gasping.

Finally, the Apostle's egg was right before his eyes. It was shining brightly through the thick shadows in Nighttime Skyscraper. And it wasn't alone.

A gigantic monster resembling a dragon was nearby, protecting the egg as a dragon would its treasures. Its red feathers simmer with heat, and even its breath was as hot as a flaming furnace. It was apparent that this monster was the cause of the unbearable heat.

“Where's Ricardo?”

Sniff had found the egg, but Ricardo was nowhere in sight. There were, however, fine mists of someone's blood on the ground and walls.

What do I do now? Sniff was perturbed. The monster guarding the egg was radiating an alarming amount of mana. I wish I had at least one man left, to distract it. I could've run away with the egg in the meantime. Sniff was so absorbed in his thoughts that he momentarily forgot about his enemy. He lifted his head, having noticed the overwhelming heat on his skin. Instantly, his sight was filled with red as he felt his body being violently thrown onto the ground.

Source

Chapter 2: Another Hatchling

"...Damn it..."

Icy cold raindrops hit his cheeks with vicious determination. He startled awake, swearing before breathing in the fresh air. Slowly, he raised himself from the debris of a destroyed building in the center of Nighttime Skyscraper. His hands wouldn't stop shaking as they habitually tucked his hair behind his ears and straightened his clothes. He looked up at the sky that was so gray that even the light from the golden star couldn't pierce through it. For a while, he just stood there, breathing and letting the rain wash away the blood and dirt on his face. His mouth tasted bitter. This feeling couldn't be washed away by rain.

The Apostles.

He was aware of the weight that the names carried. They were the otherworldly beings of power who landed on this planet a long time ago. They were the chosen superior beings who could recognize the special power in each other. But their names also had become a subject of mockery. Many of them had fallen off the grid all of a sudden, and news got around that some of them were murdered in cold blood by some random enemies. The people of Harlem were more terrified of Kashipa than the Apostles. Even those who were powerful in their own way kept a low profile when they were in Kashipa's territory. Even so...

Apostle Isys-Prey.

It was arrogant of him to underestimate this Apostle. The monsters from Tayberrs were overwhelmingly powerful. The Adventurer who jumped into the midst of these monsters without hesitation was more impressive. But even he was incomparable to this highest being, who stood over everything else. The king of skies. He who had absorbed the darkness that everyone coveted, putting an end to the series of events that shook Harlem. It was humiliating, but Sniff had to admit it. The Apostles are strong. He was the leader of Dog Leash, but he was also on a leash like everyone else in his group. It was his master's order that sent him all the way here. Sniff was just Kashipa's pawn, who couldn't handle the monsters that followed the Apostle, let alone the Apostle himself.

"Haaah... I hate getting wet."

Sniff picked up his staff covered in mud. His shoulder that had lost chunks of flesh to the deadly claws throbbed with pain. It was time he went back and report his failure. It was possible he'd die before he could finish his report. His masters weren't generous enough to leave failed men alive, no matter how valuable the information they brought to them. Suddenly, the faces of his enemies that he killed with his staff flashed before his eyes, the extras who disappeared from the stage as soon as they entered.

He was about to scoff at his own weakness when...

"...Ricardo?"

Sniff turned around and started walking the other way. Soon, his walk turned into a run. It was Ricardo's mana. It had shown up again as suddenly as it disappeared, right before his eyes. But when? Why? Numerous questions filled his mind, but the only thing that moved him right now was his determination.

I must find Ricardo.

Even as he hastened, he made sure he made no noise as he moved. He was going back to the nest of the red monster that knocked him senseless. He had to. If he couldn't bring the head of the monster that cost him so many men, then he had to bring Ricardo's, or at least chunks of his flesh, to save himself. The closer he got to his mana, the more nervous he felt in the stomach. Whether it was fear or expectation, he didn't know.

‘He's here.’

He stopped to gather his breath and look around. He didn't see the monster that breathed fire or the Apostle's egg that illuminated the darkness of Nighttime Skyscraper. The only thing he could hear was the raindrops hitting the ground. Slowly exhaling, Sniff blinked his eyes.

Ah, there! The Apostle's egg was still here. It hadn't disappeared; it'd only lost its light. Sitting in the midst of the building debris, it didn't radiate the overwhelming amount of mana or heat like it used to. Did the shell break during the mayhem? I don't think bringing it with me would do me any good. It's completely empty inside—

Wait.

Ricardo's mana hadn't disappeared. Sniff's instincts never betrayed him. Once again, he glared into the darkness. He didn't have to check to feel it. Something was in the broken shell, crouching.

Sniff was laughing. He knew that most members of Kashipa were stupid, but he didn't know the leader of the Fiends was one of them. But thanks to him, Sniff was saved. He got banged up a little bit, but it was a good thing. Perhaps he could take a break from his busy work when he went back. He sauntered through the rain to the broken eggshell. Standing in front of it, Sniff wondered if he should show some mercy to this fool.

"Ricardo."

No response. Well, it figured. Rubbing the snake-headed tip of his staff, Sniff remembered his motto: patience was the greatest virtue of a tracker.

"Why are you so sloppy? I can't even pretend not to see you—kkhhkk!"

Something shot out of the eggshell, tightening around Sniff's throat like a vice. Writhing frantically, Sniff grabbed the thing around his neck. It was a hand. Slowly, it lifted Sniff off the ground with its incredible strength. Sniff couldn't breathe, and yet his lungs felt as if they were being filled up with something. He felt as if his heart was being squeezed by his own innards, and yet he couldn't close his eyes. His bulging eyes looked down at the dark inside of the eggshell. He was in there. When? Why? How? His mind shouted questions even as he lost his consciousness, but its silent screams were buried under the sound of heavy rain.

Icy cold raindrops hit his neck with vicious determination. Suddenly, his eyes opened and his mouth stretched into a wide grin. Sniff slowly raised his body that was lying on the ground like a rag doll before the broken Apostle's egg in the middle of Nighttime Skyscraper. He wiped the rain off his face and tapped his temples, getting rid of the water in his ears. He grabbed the bothersome choker around his neck, tearing it off, shrugged his shoulders, and then placed a dry hand on the broken shell. The eggshell responded to the mana that he released without even using his staff, lifting itself. Then, he looked back.

It was time he went back.

Source

Mirror Arad - Dimensional Rupture

Dimensional Rupture

Lord Knight Annis sat up straight as she relaxed her mind under the giant walnut tree. However, still feeling anxious, she did not release her sword and shield but rather held her grip tighter. The sudden sound of a Moon Night Owl broke her concentration. The Moon Night Owl is a nocturnal creature that hides its existence in darkness. A cry from a Moon Night Owl is definitely not a good sign.

Having lost her focus, Lord Knight Annis figured that further training would be meaningless. Given the circumstances, she simply thought that swinging her sword and the shield for endurance would be more efficient. She pressed her sword on the ground to stand up.

As Annis stood up, she was startled at what she saw. In front of her, was a girl illuminated in light and a giant lion covered in gold. How could she not have noticed their presence approaching her? Confused, she immediately took a defensive stance, her years of training and discipline taking over. The power she felt from them was overwhelming. However, she sensed no hostility from her uninvited guests either. Finally, Memet the golden lion spoke. “This child... will she always react this way..?”

Nemyr, the girl illuminated in light answered. “She loses her memories every time she crosses the great rupture. Even as my reincarnation, passing through the great rupture is not a simple matter." Recognizing the voice, Annis quickly withdrew her sword. “Nemyr, what happened? I almost completely forgot about you”

Nemyr nodded and said in a soothing voice, sounding warmer than before. “There is nothing to worry about. It is normal for someone to lose their memory while spending a lot of time in the great rupture. You just need to remember your mission.”

Mission? Annis tried to remember but her mind was clouded as if a black curtain was covering her thoughts. She could not remember anything about this mission but felt a heavy burden in her heart. As Annis was looking troubled, Memet once again spoke in a piercing voice. “It looks like this child is trying to run away from the terrible memories. Why don’t we show it to her again?”

As soon as Memet’s speech ended, Annis felt her body becoming heavier and heavier. She was suddenly swallowed into the Otherverse. When she opened her eyes, the universe was coming to an end. One by one, she saw stars losing their lights and faded into nothingness. As this horrible sight unfolded around her, Annis memories completely returned.

Since Annis was 10, Memet and Nemyr would appear before her whenever she heard the cry of a Moon Night Owl. They travelled with Annis through various dimensions in search of the ‘Final Time Zone.’ They can no longer count the number of dimensions they have visited. In every ‘Final Time Zone’ they found, universe came to an end and each time, they would witness powerful heroes, adventurers and gods struggling to save their universe but to no avail.

Annis felt hopeless and said in a weak voice. “We cannot do anything... The end is all but certain.” Nemyr responded in a composed manner. “No, we still have hope. This is why you must complete your mission. Find the Great Will, only it can stop this tragedy. Only with the power of the Great Will can all of this be averted”

Before Nemyr could continue, the last star disappeared. Nemyr knew their time in this dimension has come to an end. She wanted to remind Annis of her mission but Annis consciousness has already started to wane and could no longer hear Nemyr’s voice.

Annis awoken, she found herself alone. Nemyr and Memet were no longer there. However, this time she clearly knew what she needed to do. Unlike before, she remembers her mission.

Main Story - Screaming Cavern Incident Prelude

Main Story - Screaming Cavern Incident Prelude

Chapter 1: The Metastasis - Daylight Robbery

'How long is this person going to keep following me?...'

It started about a week ago. Upon viewing its physique and tattered garb, at first I thought it was human. But upon closer inspection, I realized she wore an unusually long glove that covered past her left elbow, possessed sharp glowing eyes, and had long, pointed ears akin to that of a Dark Elf. Nevertheless, this unknown Dark Elf has been following me without end for a week now.

It's strange though; Dark Elves are usually not this obvious. Moreover, finding one wielding a half-sword is even more rare. But, even while facing a Dark Elf, one must never let down his guard. As soon as a person gains a hint of curiosity or caves to chivalry and gives them an upper hand, he may never live to hold a sword ever again.

(But from what I can see, this rose may have thorns; she may be as unknowingly deadly as she is beautiful!)

Regardless, the rumors in Arad about them are not without merit. Dark Elves encountered by Arad's strongest are said to be the most harsh and ferocious assassins in all of the Underworld; it is not unreasonable to be wary of them. They always examine their unwitting opponents first, searching for an opening on their backs or their weaknesses, before going in for the kill.

That is, I'm supposing she would. After all, my first encounter with her was not very pleasant...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Y-You... Hand over your wallet!"

Those were the first words she threw at me while I was walking down the road in broad daylight. It startled me a little as this robbery had completely destroyed my expectations. These words seemed to have come from my opponent, but to do such an act in the midst of a village was unthinkable. Even more so, committing a robbery during the middle of the day...

"..."

"..."

At that moment, a strong stream of water sprung up from a nearby fountain. I took this as an opportunity to closely examine her. Upon viewing her appearance, I unconsciously took step backward and found myself dumbfounded on what to say...

"*Snort* ... My money?"

I quickly decided to resume my journey on the road. But as soon as I was about to turn around and let out a laugh, I was overcome by a sword that approached me from behind.

To be continued...

Chapter 2: The Metastasis - Crimson Eyes

(Clang!)

My hand firmly clasped my sword as it clashed with my opponent's blade. I was enraged that my opponent decided to attack me without reason. Around us, people fled in terror, but there were still those unable to escape, trembling with fear.

"There are too many people here, follow me."

In order to avoid injuring anyone else, we relocated to a clearing in the woods. There, we continued to exchange blows with each other. She was good with a blade, but I could see that the end of her sword was shaking; as if it seemed she had lost her composure. I had no desire to draw blood, so I adjusted my tactics accordingly and focused on disarming my opponent. Not long after, my opponent's lost sword flew into the air and sank deep into the ground.

"Using your skills for such a thing like robbery?... Pathetic. You call yourself a Dark Elf?"

Had it not been for my words, I wouldn't have realized that her eyes had changed. Her hands on the ground were trembling. It was quite clear that my remarks had damaged her pride. But considering the gap in our skills, it would have been rather difficult to not admit defeat.

I sheathed my zanbato upon my shoulder and left her behind. I immediately set off on-foot again. There was still a long way to go. I decided to push onward in my journey.

Suddenly, the flow of the air changed, and I felt a great deal of force emanating from behind me. Sensing its murderous intent, I thought it may have been a group of wild beasts. But it was a different feeling from before; perhaps the rest of her group had finally decided to reveal themselves.

"Now I see that pride is lost even to scum like you. Do you really think an ambush from behind would work!?"

But as I turned my head, I was speechless. There were no reinforcements. As she lifted up her body, her eyes glowed a bloody crimson red, resonating with pure anger. From her coarse breath, she exuded a violent shriek as if a monster were tearing its way through the depths of her heart.

'Those eyes!'

At that very moment we made eye contact, she flew toward me like an arrow released from a bow. I was confident that I had just encountered the strongest enemy in the world; for this was the first time I was pushed into a state of helplessness. But from her glaring eyes, I could not even sense from her a strand of reason that remained; only seething bloodlust and relentless anger.

To be continued...

Chapter 3: The Metastasis - The Kazan Syndrome

'Kazan Syndrome! This Dark Elf has the Kazan Syndrome?'

(Kazan Syndrome: A state of mental breakdown that began long ago after the appearance of Kazan, the God of Destruction. Symptoms include a change in color of the patient's pupils and a tremendous increase in physical ability. However, with this, anger also overwhelms the patient's reason, eventually turning him into a mindless monster. Until now, the Kazan Syndrome has been incurable, and avoiding emotional distress is the only way to slow down its deadly effects. Some patients experience mutation in one arm, which makes their condition apparent to the people around them, but this symptom does not occur in all patients.)

Her changed eyes, her trembling hands, these all came to mind. After having caught her blade, I knew how dangerous the situation was.

I couldn't be any more vigilant. I had no other option but to take the defensive. Her rapid attacks were as if she were in a frenzy, constantly aiming at my body without distinction. Each strike felt as if every cell of my body exploded, and it seemed to have no end in sight.

However, at that moment, as the sun rose, she jumped up high into the sky. She apparently intended to kill me with a single heavy strike. No matter how powerful I was, just the weight of this attack would be enough to kill me. It would be suicide to take the impact head on and attempt to parry it. So naturally, my body reacted. I raised my sword to block her strike, but at the same time I directed the tip of my blade and angled it slightly toward the ground. It was a body-movement technique I had learned from my travels across the continent. And like always, my opponent as well as his sword, will be directed along the edge of my blade, and thrown out of balance.

'An opening!'

I struck her with all my strength. But while doing so, something white brushed past my cheek.

Our power struggle lasted for a long time. Her attacks were swift and powerful, but lacked precision and had many openings. And by the time our fight was over, my whole body was drenched in sweat; I barely had the energy left to take my opponent's life. I was able to regain my footing, but I decided against it. In retrospect, it might have been out of curiosity.

In the middle of our fight, it seems that her left glove had been stripped from her hand. Her arm looked disfigured like a shriveled tree trunk, as if all the moisture had been drained out of it.

At first, I thought it was just a mere deformity, but then I sensed a very evil aura emanating from her hand. Soon, my furrowed brows were met with a frown; I had no choice. I thought it would be better if I asked her when she woke up.

As the sun turned a bright red, our shadows became elongated. She slowly began to lift herself up. But I couldn't afford to wait any longer to check if her pupils were still red or if they returned to their previous state...

I threw out some money from my pocket and drifted off to an unknown direction.

From then on, I heard the sounds of someone's footsteps behind me. For a week these noises continued, but there was no conversation to be had.

To be continued...

Chapter 4: The Metastasis - Roxy

After some time, my surroundings became very familiar to me. It was clear that I was lost. But, there's no way that this narrow, remote road would ever show up on a map... And, I think I'm starting to worry about her. I must have strayed from the path given to me by that traveling merchant. I'm pathetic...

"Where are you headed?"

"To Elvenguard, at the periphery of Grand Flores. I've been asked a favor to do something there."

It was her. For some reason, I became embarrassed. Did my mouth falter after too much silence? I unknowingly told her the truth without a moment's hesitation.

"I'm not sure exactly where that is, but I know it's close to the nation of the Dark Elves. Looks like you're lost... Do you need directions?"

It must have been because of the wind. Her voice trembled a little. It was hard for me to admit it because my pride was getting in the way. But perhaps I was taking too long to respond; the evening sky began to glow behind her. It seemed to match well with her complexion. Then, for a brief moment, there was silence.

I didn't want to refuse her offer. Although personally, I liked being alone. It was obvious that I was lost, but somehow I didn't want to deny it for some reason.

"Do as you please..."

"Let's see... If you keep going this way, you will get to Elvenguard through Hendon Myre. But if you want, there's another road that's less inhabited..."

"We'll go that way. The one that's less crowded."

She nodded slightly and walked quietly toward me. At that moment, it seemed as if her steps slowed down a little, and didn't make any more noise.

"My name is Roxy. If you don't mind... Could you give me your name, traveler?"

Am I mistaken, or was her voice just now much more lively than before? We were just about to set off to the correct path after walking in circles several times. And now, as if possessed by a ghost, she asked me for my name.

"Aganzo."

To be continued...

Chapter 5: The Road - The Two Thrones

"Do you believe that darkness is our destiny, my child?"

"Light and darkness are only what we perceive to be visible. Without darkness, light cannot exist. I do not believe that this is our destiny."

The man on the throne could not be seen. All that was known was that only his voice came from that direction. It was like being in absolute darkness, and within it was a silence that would make one's skin crawl, capable of making an occasional drop of water sound like roaring thunder.

Even if the man stood within a blazing light, he could not seen. That is because only those who were permitted to see him were only a select few. And those chosen had to kneel on the cold floor with limited freedom; only to stare at the stone floor, unable to gaze upon anything else.

"You may raise your head."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Are you sure about this?"

Upon the carpet was a young man kneeling politely with a glaring look in his eyes. Judging by his appearance, he was young for his age; the skin on his face showed no sign of wrinkles, but his eyes were comparable to those who had long experienced battle.

Upon his waist dangled a sword of pure white. Not many people had the authority to come in, yet alone the audacity to carry their weapons in to such a place. Just who was this young soldier?

"This will not be an easy task; are you willing to take the risk?"

"Your Majesty, you will not be disappointed; you have ever been so generous with your grace to prepare me for this moment, and I will execute it without hesitation. I dare to say that the path of the sword is not halted by rushing waters; it is possible for even the smallest of streams to make waves of their own, if their will demands it. I am forever indebted to you for sheltering me with your grace, and I beg of you to consider my firm resolve as your own."

Sitting on the huge golden throne upon numerous stairs was an unexpectedly healthy young man. Upon hearing the boy's rebuttal, the man looked at the boy with a curious smile on his mouth, as if unable to contain his excitement.

"Haha, raise your head. Vaughn."

To be continued...

Chapter 6: The Road - Two Voices

Chapter 7: The Road - Movement of Shadow

Chapter 8: The Road - A Strange Party

Chapter 9: The Road - Take Off the Mask

Chapter 10: The Metastasis - The Key

Guild War

Guild War

The Little Girl Nana and Blue Guardian Vetala

Marigold's Story

Event: Zombie Crisis - The Outbreak

Zombie Crisis - The Outbreak

Rumors about the "Zombie Virus" is spreading across Arad. It is said that an unknown swarm of monsters is attacking and biting any humans on sight. The scariest part of it is that those who get bitten are turned into terrifying monsters. People of Arad are in great fear and calling this phenomenon the "Zombie Virus." However, there are no witnesses to confirm the existence of these monsters yet... So, can it be true? Or is it just another rumor created by wild human imagination? Whichever turns out to be true, we'd better find out quickly because panic and fear will grow bigger the longer it takes for us to get the grasp of the situation.

Even the Priest Order, who considered this as nothing but a rumor, is starting to become wary of this situation. Although, they are officially calling this a rumor, internally they are taking this situation very seriously. This is because there are many similarities between the imposters that put the Arad continent under great fear a long time ago and these monster that appeared recently.

Hence, the Order began a secret investigation and sent out a message to the brothers (Priests) of the Order who are out in each reason. So where did this rumor begin??

The Order was shocked as only a very few of the brothers responded. So what happened to the rest of them? The scope of the area where priests have gone missing is too large to determine where the rumor had begun... With only the Order investigating this, the investigation will take too long.

The Order made their decision and made an official statement. Let the Priest Order and the adventurers of Arad unite in order to identify the "Zombie Virus" and eliminate it. Considering that the Priest Order is a very isolated group and do not usually cooperate with others, this is a very unusual case. I guess this shows just how seriously they are taking this situation?

Anyway, I heard that a messenger from the Order had arrived in Underfoot, so I went there to see who it was and what do you know, it was Andrea! I was so happy to see him and wanted to run up and say 'Hi' but I couldn't as he was surrounded by too many people. However, I was glad to see so many people had gathered to help the Order.

They will head out to the suspected region tomorrow. Can they safely return in one piece? Although they look bright and motivated, it worries me deeply as they are no exceptions to the dangers of the "Zombie Virus." Lord, please watch over them...

Hmm... maybe the search there will yield some clues about Nilvas. After much consideration, I decided to follow Andrea secretly. I'd better catch up before it's too late.

Dark Elf Temple

Dark Elf Temple

In the Dark Elf Ruins, there were once altars for performing religious ceremonies. The priests that managed the altars would pray to bless the living and give thanks to their ancestors. Along with performing these ceremonies, they also studied alchemy and magic that helped the development and growth of the kingdom.

With such great progress, the King ordered the priests to create a dimensional gate that would connect the Kingdom, like a vast highway network for instant travel. However, the gate they opened was not the one they desired.

Instead of building portal gates to connect regions in the kingdom, the priests opened a gate into another dimension and rampaging monsters started emerging from it, killing everyone in their path. The Guardians of the Temple immediately took action and mounted a counter attack, killing the monsters that have entered through the gate before they cound inflict anymore harm.

The remaining priests started to close the gate but before they could, a huge monster suddenly appeared from it. The giant monster roared, it was so loud that it shook the entire foundation of the temple. With this roar, thousands of monsters started rushing out of the dimensional gate, besieging the temple once more.

The priests and guardians fought valiantly against the monsters but it wasn't enough. They were losing ground and soon the temples were destroyed. The King who has heard of the news quickly dispatched additional forces to combat the growing threat. The reinforcements arrived on time and they were able to push back the monsters and reach the area where the dimensional gate is located.

Victory was almost near.

However, the giant monster stood in their path, preventing them from reaching the gate. Try as they may, they could not overcome the strength of the giant monster and wave after wave of attackers fell helplessly against it.

With no other options available, the King and his council decided that the temple can no longer be recovered and only it's destruction can close the dimensional gate and preventing more monsters from coming through.

Thus, the Dark Elves destroyed the temple and all the area that leads to it, erasing it from the pages of history.

Abyssal Arena

Abyssal Arena

Tower of Despair

Tower of Despair

"There are all kinds of people gathered here, those who are exiled, unwilling to die, cursed, abandoned, and betrayed... They endure the struggle of loneliness and stay here, for one singular purpose - searching for some unforeseen legend. It is said atop this tower is a divine being; anyone who can defeat him will be able to unlock the pinnacle of their skill."

~~Reaper Dreyfus.

---

"This place... Time definitely flows a lot slower here."

The one who spoke was a middle-aged swordsman, but unlike ordinary blade masters, he wore a variety of swords upon his body. There he stood nearby a window as his sharp pair of eyes darted directly at a visiting woman.

Outside the window, the sky had unwittingly been dyed red by the sunset, and soon after night fell. However, inside the tower, regardless of day or night, it was always dim and dark, as if in the depths of hell, void of any warmth.

Here, it was as if time was heavy shackled, causing it to slowly move forward. If not for the burden of loneliness, perhaps the people of the tower may have long forgotten the passage of time. The swordsman felt his instincts beginning to grow dull.

Despite being faced with the swordsman's sharp eyes, the woman remained very calm.

"It is like you said; and with this, you will have more time to train."

Indeed, the swordsman's body was covered with countless wounds, which were proof of his hard training for days and nights on end. The swordsman's eyes were determined and persistent, as if telling the person, he would not miss any opportunity. He glared at the person in front of him as if staring at prey. Any other person would have already looked away, but the woman still looked straight at her opposer with a calm expression.

After a moment of silence, the swordsman finally couldn't help but speak first:

"Initially, you told me to wait and train here until the day I'd be able to fight him, correct?"

"Yes."

The woman replied, her voice void of emotion.

"If I trained for 2000 years... how much closer will I be to fighting him? Will my sword be able to meet his?"

"That will not be enough."

"Is that so?..."

Despite being denied, the swordsman's heart grew more excited.

"Now I am really looking forward to my battle with him, even if my sword cannot reach his... Even now, there are few who can match the sword of Soldoros... It's exciting to imagine! Although I may not be strong enough now, if I train in this tower for 2000 years, I will surely be able to reach that potential on my own!"

This was the decree of Soldoros, the world's most legendary strongest swordsman, even known to some as the "Sword God". But even to such a person, there was an opponent that even his sword could not reach. Who was he? Who was this person, the First Apostle, Cain?...

"Haha! Now my blood is really boiling. I have decided; I'll start by conquering this tower!"

Soldoros said with a haughty smile. The haze shrouding his mind seemed to have dissipated.

"Oh, it will not be as easy as you think. The people in this tower should not be underestimated. There's a reason why it's called the Tower of Despair. Anyway, I wish you luck."

--Excerpt from a conversation between Soldoros and a mysterious woman

Delezie, the Black Plague

Delezie, the Black Plague

Mt. Kulun: The Giant Dragon Natram

Mt. Kulun: The Giant Dragon Natram

Event: Eyes of the Sphinx - Papyrus

Eyes of the Sphinx - Papyrus

The Golden Legends

Once there was a dark sea of chaos. On one faithful day a hill rose from the sea, and on this hill there was a god of creation, and thus became the first god. The day the first god was born, he created light that shines above the river and sea. Thus Ra the sun god was born. Ra gave birth to the goddess of law, justice, harmony, and wisdom. Hence, the god of creation, sun god, and goddess of wisdom became a trinity and transpire the prelude of this legend.

---

The Great Pyramids

The great ones were believers of the afterlife. When a Pharaoh dies, he receives complete divinity and is directly delivered to the Death and Resurrection god, and the god of the sun. Funerary shrines devote many offerings to the godly beings. When the Pharaoh journeys to the postmortem world, he gets the role of connecting the divine world with the mortal world. Hence special measures have been taken to ensure that his soul can reach the world of the gods safely, and he's given loads of treasures for use in the afterlife.

---

The Cry of Ra

Open your door for me!
Open up your door to me.
Shine for me my creation.
Command me, for I am your subject.
Truly, I command you to be my flesh.
I have created you to demonstrate my power.
I have come to welcome myself.
My creations were made to breath upon rising.
I will destroy those who are against him.
Open your doors to me.

---

Opposing Existence

As the sovereign rule of the underworld descended, the sun god was establishing his own position as the god of creation, and the god of life and death. The sun god, with its varied characteristics, was called by a different name each time its appearance changed. On earth he was transformed into three figures and in the afterlife he was transformed into 75 different forms. The sun god traveled across the sky for twelve hours during the day, and twelve hours in the ship led by the subordinates gods. While passing through the underworld, the sun god encountered many devils, but they could not threaten him. the sun god undergoing the unification and resurrection during the night time arrived at the east horizon on the twelfth hour of the night, and began a new cycle of observing the sun again.

---

Goddess

She is a goddess with a cat's head and a maternal instinct. She is the daughter of the sun god, defending the dead against a beast hunting for untended graves. Those who enter her lair will have to face her trials, and those who wisely overcome her trials will experience the wonderful rewards she offers.

---

Massive Building

When building this structure, it must have taken an enormous amount of manpower, and tools... It seems that the stones would have been cut out and moved to the construction site using a track made out of rounded wood, and it seems to have been carried to great heights.

Why did you do this hard work? Some structures coincide exactly to the east, west, north, and south sides of each of the four sides, and their surfaces fit accurately so that even a piece of paper cannot enter. Moreover, dividing the total length of the pyramid by twice the height would be a number that roughly corresponds to the circumference. If the circumference is expressed in inches, it corresponds to a thousand times the number of days in the solar year. It is a very interesting structure. It is worth checking.

---

Mysterious Statue

This mysterious sculpture seems to have been symbolized as an image of absolute power such as a king or a god. It is widely found at the entrance of temples, palaces and mausoleums. The appearance of a lion depicting the shape of a king's face and the hood turned over is indeed the incarnation of the king. The mystery seems to be very dangerous, but it is a natural mission for great archaeologists. Let's hold on once again in front of this mysterious sculpture.

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Heliopolis

Heliopolis is a beautiful city surrounded by deserts and rivers. It is a land of exploration where artifacts and heritage sites are discovered every day. During the period when the sandstorms of the desert remained silent, an unidentified pyramid was found. This pyramid's top part seemed to be covered by an unknown fog, and everyone proceeded to investigate it. However, they could not find special artifacts or treasures in it except for some simple devices. Many people who have lost interest here have moved to other places, and this pyramid will eventually become forgotten. But Alpha, Epsilon, and I will continue to explore it. Obviously there will be something interesting there we can look forward to.

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My Name is Iota

Uncle Alpha is like an explorer's compass. He is the light of our expedition. If there is light, of course there is salt! The salt on our expedition is our father Epsilon. There is nothing that my father does not know. Epsilon helps you to take care of a lot of things and is able to solve different problems easily. I'm Iota, the cutie of our expedition! I am dreaming to be a great explorer like Uncle Alpha. I want to finish this expedition nicely and move on quickly to the next expedition.

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Exploration Journal

It's been a while since we've been here. However, we are still lost. Obviously there is something we need to look for. If we can escape from the mystery of the labyrinth, we will find the light of truth. We have never failed our exploration and we will continue to succeed. However, for future explorations to be successful, we need to overcome these trials in front of our very eyes first.

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Unity

What truths do you seek? In order to bring harmony to this chaotic world, we need a unifying light. The hot light that burns, and the cold light that freezes. if you cannot make one, this chaos will never end... and your trials will continue.

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Divine Favor

There is a light of hope from these endless trials. Think of it as your lifeline. Follow it closely, do not be impatient or idle. The light will be your guide. It will lead you to the truth.

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Time of the Inscription

Every cloud has a silver lining. The gods have laden your path with great trials. Still, go ahead, do not fear. Your heart may be bound with thorns and your back will be burdened by heavy rocks but you must endure. The pain of the moment will lead you to eternal happiness. Remember, only the patient can reach the door of truth.

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Truth is Always One

Do you have the eyes of truth? The eyes that can break through deceit and open the path to righteousness? Only those who have these eyes can grace my presence; if you wish to reach me, you need to open your eyes. Forget the illusions of man and come to me truthfully.

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End of Suffering

Overcome your challenges and step forward. Those who can reach me will be able to open the door of truth. You may never reach it, but if you can overcome these trials, you will be greatly rewarded.

Tower of Dazzlement

Tower of Dazzlement

The Tower of Dazzlement is known to grant invaluable treasure to those who have passed the ordeal.

This mesmerizing tale quickly spread throughout the lands of Arad, and countless adventurers have travelled to the Valley of the Fallen Souls to conquer the Tower of Dazzlement in search of fame, honor, and treasure.

However, once the adventurers enter the tower, the doors become tightly sealed. The tower does not allow the unskilled to return without paying a hefty price. Only a few skilled adventurers have been able to pass the ordeal of the tower and return to their homes, but even among them, not many were able to return with their limbs or minds intact. Even the adventures who were able to came back weren't able to fully escape the clutches of the tower…

The ones who have been able to conquer the tower are always forced to take only a fraction of the treasure they encounter in the tower, and the treasure which they left inside the tower always draws them back. Hence, it is called the Tower of Dazzlement.

Every day, the heavy doors of the tower open with a horrifying sound, to seize the greed of those who were invited to the tower...