《Moonquest: A Journey To The Stars》 Chapter 1: Bright, Bright Flash Of Light... Chapter 1: Bright, Bright Flash Of Light..."Haaah..." Wheezing his way through the abandoned alleys of Chiba, Lewis Brown, ex-ESA chief scientist, 65 years old, walked slowly across the streets, busy appreciating the colourful, yet silent scenery. As he shambled along, dragging his ageing body and a very rickety metal cane, he came upon a barren bus stop, where he deigned it suitable enough to rest his decrepit body upon. As he lay baking upon the music of old, listening to the Beatles, along came some chatterings. At first, he ignored it, seeing that they were not disturbing him. Yet as they approached closer, one of them, a young girl, around 16 years of age, sporting pink and blonde hair, bedazzled with multiple piercings, pouted at the young man beside her. "Mou, Natsuki-kun, could you please help me defeat the evil witch Hina? She''s chanting spells of utmost destruction upon me!" Sighing in exasperation, Natsuki rolls his eyes, before turning towards the pink-haired girl. "Megumi, you know why she does it. Out of all of us, you have the worst grades! What did you get for the last English test, hmm? 10 out of 100! And that was your best score to date!" Pushing her glasses up, the second girl chimed in, "That''s right. You know very well how bad you suck at studying. If you don''t do anything, I''ll be the one to got to Tokyo University with Natsuki, and you''ll be all alone..." At this point, Megumi starts pummelling the bob-cut-haired girl. "Mou! Natsuki, Hina''s being mean to me again..." Watching their silly interactions, Simon chuckled to himself, envious of today''s young. Ah, youth. What a wonderful time to be in... As he sat reminiscing, it started to rain lightly. Seeing that the sudden downpour was increasing, the trio, carrying their bags, ran to the nearest shelter, which happened to be the bus stop where Lewis was staying. As they wrung their water-logged shirts as much as possible, they finally noticed their neighbour. Nervous, they huddled to the other end, fearing that Simon might do something to them. Noticing it, he waved his hands demurely. "Oh, no need to worry, I''m quite old, so I won''t do anything at all. Take your time, otherwise, you might catch a cold..." Speaking in fluent Japanese, he shocked the trio, who, still guarding themselves, gingerly continued their job. As Lewis sat listening to the rain, a bright flash suddenly erupted in front of him. Annoyed, he turned his head towards the trio, wanting to warn them to tone down their phones. Yet as he did so, he was met with a gallery of shocked faces. Whaa...? Just as he was about to question them about what was occurring, he realised where the light was coming from. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Turns out, there seemed to be a pattern etched into the solid concrete floor. Twisted along the patterns were obscure words, words that did not seem to belong to this plane of existence. Just as he was about to ask whether they knew what was going on, all of them disappeared in an instance. After the magic circle vanishes, a pair of black boots materialises in the bus station, along with the rain stopping. Chapter 2: The Body In The Void Chapter 2: The Body In The VoidFeeling himself hurtling through the void, Lewis'' lips were pulled back to his ears, his mouth exposed to the raw elements of the space-time continuum. Shit, shit, shiiiiiiiiitttt! My mouth''s on fire! As he turned his head to his left, he noticed the sleeping figures of the three high school students, covered in a white light barrier. As they get dragged throughout the space, he cannot help but feel envy towards them. Ah, the barriers protect them from exposure to the time-space continuum. No mortal man can possibly survive in this harsh environment without some sort of protection. Judging from the various symptoms I''m getting, I estimate that I only have less than half an hour (well 23 minutes and 53 seconds, 52 seconds, 51 sec...) Chuckling at the dismal calculations, Lewis shakes his head. As his body starts to disintegrate, he turns his head to his surroundings. There, he witnessed myriad phenomena, miracles that were once theorised, yet not proven. He witnessed the birth of a galaxy, bright colours suddenly blooming into a flower, sparkling in the dark canvas. He witnessed the death of a universe, its stars dimming, before being dragged into a centre, like being drained through a sink. He witnessed many more, each more beautiful than the last. Yet his awe soon turned into fear. He witnessed a behemoth opening its giant maw, tearing open a galaxy in half, before swallowing it in one gulp. He witnessed a giant burning humanoid, cleaving asunder the void, forging new worlds with each swing. He witnessed wars of epic proportions, where beings of all kinds fought, tearing against each other, limb by limb. As he witnessed each and every spectacle, his mind slowly grew more and more corrupted, tentacles and gears emerging from every part of his body. The more he witnessed, the quicker the corruption grew, till he slowly felt himself getting lost. As he was left in despair, he, lifting his tired head for possibly the last time, witnessed a gigantic, mechanical construct, floating in the void. Awestruck in its beauty, he could not help but start crying. Even though he did not know why, tears still flooded down his cheeks. As the group got closer to the body, the barrier shone even brighter, obviously very agitated by the presence of the body. But this did not apply to Lewis, for he was the only one not protected by the barrier. As he felt despair at the realisation that this was possibly his last coherent thought, he gazed upon the dim being. Eyes wandering, he grew attracted to a feeble bronze beam. Turning his head ever so slowly, he gazed upon the mechanical being. As his gaze wandered upon the body, it soon landed upon its destination: A pair of bronze hands and intricate gears are displayed everywhere. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They lookso...majestic... As his gaze lay enamoured upon the hands, they suddenly clenched. Shocked, he looked up, only to see that the being''s head was still dim. Just as he was wondering what on Earth was going on, a ball of light emerged from the clenched fists, merging with his mess of hands. Chapter 3: Welcome To Earadun (Two-In-One) Chapter 3: Welcome To Earadun (Two-In-One)Booommm! Covering his eyes, Lewis barely managed to cover himself from the bright flash of light. Blinking rapidly, his sight returned soon enough. And what he saw overturned his entire worldview. He and the youngsters stood inside a large cathedral, chandeliers swinging every couple of meters. Stained glass of epic proportions dotted the walls, each depicting various myths. Some held stories of heroes dlayomgbdragons, while others spoke of saints curing the sick. Their magnificent designs made him drop his eyes in awe. It''s so beautiful... Just then, one of the youngsters, the boy by the name of Natsuki, began demanding answers. "Where are we!? And who are you guys!?" Only then did Lewis notice that they weren''t alone. Stood in front of them were knights, clad in shining armour, embroidered with red and blue across the edges. "How dare you speak with insolence to Her Majesty!? Kneel and beg for forgiveness!" One of them, obviously the leader, grew outraged at the young man''s brusque question. He took out his sword from his waist, pointing at Natsuki. The two girls behind him immediately began cowering, using Natsuki as a shield. Just as Lewis was about to go out and confront the knight, a young woman emerged from behind them, sporting a fancy dress and a diamond (or what looked it) tiara. "Halt, my precious knights. Do not frighten out heroes, for they must be confused. Let us explain to them why we have summoned them as we journey back to the castle, for the King must know we have succeeded." With that, the knight sheathed his sword. Though simmering with rage at their insolence ece, he followed her directions. As they journeyed to the castle, Lewis managed to get the gist of why they were summoned: 1) The Demon King has resurrected 2) They plan to destroy all of humanity 3) To do this, they need at least five years to prepare for the invasion, for right now they are currently trapped in the continent of Nihilis 4)To combat this, they decided to summon heroes from another world to help fight them, for they always gain extraordinary powers when they reach here 5) There are also traitors working for them Upon hearing this, Natsuki grew enraged. Just as he was about to rise up, a giant shadow looked over them. They had reached the castle. Seeing that they had reached their destination, all of them disembarked from the carriage. As soon as they did so, the knights hurried them in, for the King was waiting for them. Entering the massive hall, they saw a massive figure sitting on the throne, his regal bearing illuminating the room. "Welcome to Earadun, young travellers. I am Bumaro the Fifth, ruler of the Kingdom of Strisk. We have summoned you to help us vanquish the evil Demon King, and thwart his attempt at destroying the world. We are also very sorry, for we have summoned without your permission. But rest assured, the Holy Goddess, Illumia the Beautiful, will surely return you back home once your mighty mission is complete. Now, Cynthia, my dear daughter, please help our heroes check their statuses." Wait, she''s the princess! As this thought flew through everyone''s mind, they soon realised that a giant crystal ball was wheeled in. Turning towards them, Cynthia, the princess, called them one by one. "Dear heroes, please come one by one. The appraisal crystal will reveal your occupations and the gifts that go along with them. Please, put your hands on it." As Natsuki, Megumi, and Hina put their hands in, a bright light emanated from it. From it, small bracelets emerged from them, wrapping themselves around their wrists. "Now, heroes, please reveal your occupations so that we may be able to help you train to the best of your abilities." With that, everyone began revealing themselves for what they were. Natsuki was revealed to be the ''Holy Warrior'', Megumi the Saintess, and Hina the Archmage. Buamro smiled from the throne, pelted with the results. "Hahahah! Well done dear daughter! The Holy Trinity of the legends shall once again destroy the evil Demon King!" With that, the king began clapping g, please with the results As each began experimenting with their abilities, Lewis raised his hands from the back. "Umm, what about me? I''m just an old man..." As he began raising his hands, he was shocked to see that wrinkles no longer adorned them. Instead, all that remained was smooth, callus-free skin, sparkling in the bright hall. What the-!? Bumaro finally noticed the odd one out. "Hmm, interesting. There''s only supposed to be three heroes among the summoned ones. Though we don''t know why you''re here, we must abide by the ancient code, and let you be judged by the appraisal crystal as well. Cynthia, please let this gentleman use the crystal." Although she was also confused, Cynthia did what was requested of her. She took ahold of Simon''s hands, pacing it on the side of the crystal. The crystal glowed once more, though this time it glitched a little. Even though they did not notice it, Lewis found it quite odd. But before he could address the issue, the bracelet came out, wrapping itself around his wrist. C''mon, c''mon, c''mon, gimme something good... A screen materialised in front of him, displaying what he believed was his status: Name: Lewis Brown Age: 65-error -25 Strength: 5 Agility: 5 Intelligence: 8 Mana: 0 Stamina: 7 Dexterity (Hidden): 10 Skill: Hands of the Broken One (Skillful Hands) Skill Rank: Ex (F) Occupation: Mechanical Engineer Tier: 0 Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 4: A Flying... Dwarf? Chapter 4: A Flying... Dwarf?Well, shit... Holding his head in his hands, Lewis moped on the fountain, despairing at his situation. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Upon glancing at Lewis'' status, Bumaro was visibly disappointed. Seeing that he had no mana, the King''s interest in him dwindled to zero. Coupled with the fact that he had the unknown class of ''Mechanic'', the King was nearly tempted to throw him into prison as a heretic but was saved by the swift intervention of the princess. Seeing that he had no place left for him inside the castle, he wisely chose to ask for some money, deciding to leave the castle to choose a path outside. The king offhandedly gave him 5 gold coins (1 gold coin = 100 silver coins = 10000 copper coins). Realising that further staying here would be very detrimental to him, Lewis humbly took the coins, departing from the castle. Taking the carriage parked outside, he left the castle, head wistfully leaning on the window. Ah well, it is what it is... Anyways, what is ''Hands of the Broken One''? What Lewis saw on the status screen was completely different from what the King saw. Seeing that it was a useless F-tier skill, he promptly abandoned Lewis. Seeing how they treated him, Lewis felt a pang of sympathy for them. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Oh you poor children, may you be kept safe. Anyways, they ain''t my problem anymore... Reaching the edge of the nearest city of Reidel, the coachman rudely booted off Lewis, huffing himself in disgust. What a douche... Spinning his shoulders, he headed towards the building where all isekaied people go to when in need of a job: The Adventurer''s Guild ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C And this brings us back to the present. Holding the wooden plate in his hands, it finally dawned on Lewis how precarious his situation was. With no mana in his stats, most of the adventurers turned their heads away from him. Those who wanted to take him only saw him as porters, or worse, bait. Not wanting to further endanger his life, Lewis quietly slipped from them, not wanting to lose his life over stupid mistakes. Stupid King, stupid Princess, stupid World... Kicking the pebble in front of him, he lurched into despair. Being a lowly F-class adventurer severely hampered his ability to obtain quests that granted him more money. And since this backwards shithole of a world only favours blacksmiths and alchemists, no blacksmith or alchemist guild would take him in. I was the bloody head of the engineers in the ESA! This is a bloody fucking disgrace! Sighing in defeat, he stood from the fountain, heading to the nearby forest to gather the herbs of the day. How was I supposed to know that everything''s so bloody expensive here... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Sweating profusely, Lewis painstakingly wrenched Magebloom leaves from the bottom of the old oak tree. Wiping off the sweat from his brows, he stood back up, satisfied with today''s harvest. Man, having a young body is so worth it! Just as he was about to head back to the guild, he heard a faint whooshing sound, one that he did not want to believe. Whipping his head back, he saw an unbelievable sight. Is that a... Dwarf? And is he wearing a fucking firework!? And is he com- Holy shit!? "Ah, run awvayyy-!" Boooommm!!!!! Chapter 5: Simon Steelrun Chapter 5: Simon SteelrunStretching his arms in the air, Simon Steelrun yawned with boredom. Damn it, not another day as well... Inside the decrepit shop lay an assortment of weird and misshapen gadgets. Each one of them displayed scenes that were out of the world yet incapable of working properly. Scratching his back, the young dwarf silently mused his days away, hoping for a miracle shopper to come. Just as he had given up hope, a short shadow loomed over the shop. A small child came inside, covering head to toe in a dirty, raggedy cloak. "Please...give...me...that..." Trying her best to sound as deep as possible, the young girl pointed it at one of Simon''s ''inventions'', a small music box that seemed to not be powered by mana. "That''ll be 23 silver coins, ma''am." Flustered at being caught, she quickly waved her hands in panic. "N-n-no sir, I-I''m clearly a man. S-see, I speak deep, just like a man." Deepening her voice, the young girl quickly snatched the box, scampering out as quickly as she could. Shaking his head, Simon realised that it was 4 pm. Well, it''s time to close the shop... Hoisting the sign, he closed his store before heading upstairs. Above the shop was his home. A home where he eats lives...and does other activities. A home that''s supposed to be clean. Well, it''s not. Cluttered atop the staircase were tons and tons of papers, each labelled ''failure'' or ''too risky'' or even such as ''Holy shit, I''m gonna get sued''. Despite the obvious mess, Simon somehow managed to dexterously dance his way through the clutter. Finessing his way into his room, he removed the sheet covering a huge board. On it were several pieces of paper, each filled with various thoughts and ideas. Some had images of catapults throwing a very cartoonish dwarf up into the air. Some had drawings of a very stick-like dwarf hanging onto some sort of airborne dirigible flying high into the air. Some even depicted designs of a giant cannon, he''ll bent on launching a dwarf into the air. Yet they all had the same aim: The Moon. Today was no different. Today Simon grabbed onto his latest plan, a blueprint with the number of 10068. On it was a dwarf strapped to a gigantic firework. The simple calculations laughably depicted him reaching the Moon in exactly 476 hours, with having no considerations to external factors. Feeling hopeful, Simon took the paper, along with some food. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Well, here we go..." Turning his head, he checked to ensure that the firework, or rather, rocket, was tightly strapped to his back. Ok, no need to worry Simon, it''s gonna be alright... Lighting the fuse, he braved himself. "To the Moon!" Phsshhhhh... Opeing one eye, simon realised that the rocket did not set off. It was wor- arrrggh! A loud last emerged from behind him. Turns out it just needed some time to properly ognite the fuel. Instead of propelling up into th sky, our poor dwarf was instead sent spiralling sideways into the forest. Unable to control himself, our young adventurer was forced to hope and pray that nobody was around for him to hit. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Oh how unlucky he was... Just as he believed that he was safe, from tbe corner of his eyes emerged a yoyng man, wearing a leather coat in gold trims. He was kneeling on the ground, too busy picking up herbs. Panicking, Simon tried warning him, "Move out of the waaaaayyyy!" Yet despite his valiant efforts, the young man did not perceive the warning. Oh no... Boooooommmmm!!!!! Chapter 6: A Dwarf With A Dream Chapter 6: A Dwarf With A DreamWalking down the shire, he sees nothing but mist. Covering the land, the water-laden air hides everything within. Shielding his eyes, Lewis grapples his way forward. Wandering for a long time, he finally reached what he was finding. A long river meanders its way through the land, cleaving it into two. A bridge connects the two shores, the only way of crossing to the other side. "Lewis...Lewis...Lewis..." Calling from the other side was a woman. Squinting, Lewis shuffles forward. As the mist clears, he hears once again. e here..." Just then the face becomes visible. Upon seeing it, Lewis goes red, furry colouring his cheeks. "BETHANY, YOU CHEATING WHOOOOORRRREEE!!!!!" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Huff, huff, huff... "Holy shit, that was a nightmare and a half. What the fuck was that about..." Sweat pouring down his forehead, Lewis pants with fear. I didn''t know I still thought about that cheating bitch... Just as he was composing himself, a short, stumpy kid(?) zoomed into his face. The boy looked up and down, checking whether or not he was still alive or not. Slap! "Ouch! What was that for!?" Rubbing his cheeks, Simon glared at the lanky man. "You little shit, you nealry killed me! If you wanna commit suicide, fine, but don''t drag me into it!" Confused, Simon finally realised what he was referring to. "Oh, you mean the giant rocket strapped to my back? I''m gonna go to the Moon..." Simon gazed up, his eyes in awe dreamy state. Lewis followed his gaze, seeing the three goons up above. "Uhuh...and say, which moon will you go to? Last time I checked (which is now), there are three bloody moons. Also, how are you gonna reach there. Don''t you know anything about gravity?" Dusting himself, Lewis began berating the young dwarf. "Look kid, I''ll say it again. Give up your dreams. Just go and... play with the other kids. Y''know, stuff like hopscotch, knights and dragons, etc." This made Simon really mad. "I''m not a kid! I''m a dwarf, A DWARF! And for your information, I''m 23!" Taken aback by the sudden outburst, Lewis immediately apologised. "Okay, okay, my bad, I''m sorry- wait, you''re 23!? Why are you still hung up on these fantasies!?" Flabbergasted, Lewis spoke his true thoughts. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Simon hmphed in defiance. "Yeah, and what about you, old man? What about your dreams, hmm?" This struck a sore spot for Lewis. Gazing down, he sighed. "Yeah, I had a dream as well, but had to giev it up. I realised something as I grew up: not all dreams are meant to be fulfilled." Seeing their very downtrodden man, Simon grew uncomfortable. Wanting to change the subject, he introduced himself "Well... my name is Simon Steelrun. What is yours?" Finally noticing that they did not each other''s names, Lewis blushed in embarrassment. "Uh, well, my name''s Lewis. Lewis Brown. Anyways, sorry for all the drab. I was kinda pissed and stressed, so I took it out on you. Anyways, could you help me get out of the forest?" "Sure thing..." Chapter 7: Saving ’Private’ Simon Chapter 7: Saving ''Private'' SimonSitting on the counter, Simon''s thoughts wandered to that fateful day, when he almost became a murderer. I don''t know why, but he strikes meas somewhat odd... Murmuring to himself, Simon wonders what, or rather, who on Earadun was he. He didn''t know the common sense of not going alone deep into the forest, his unknown terminology, his weird mannerisms... There were a plethora of reasons that seemed to contradict him, but the biggest of them was how he treated him. Not like someone at the same age as him, but rather as an elder, chastising a misbehaving child. Oh well, he ain''t my problem anymore... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Alright guys, I''ve reached tier 2! Drinks on me tonight!" Cheers erupted across the network godlike, as they knew that they''d be receiving free beer tonight. Everyone started doing cringey jigs, joy displayed across their lips. But this did not matter to Lewis. Wretched King... couldn''t you at least at least tell me how to fucking cultivate before sending me off!? Twirling his fingers across the top of the disgusting beer, Lewis bemoaned his plight. From the top of being the head engineer, to nothing more than a weedpicker, the sudden change in dynamic left him in despair. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Come to think of it, that lad sure was...interesting... Although Simon was nice and all, Lewis could not help but feel slightly... uncomfortable...when near him. Though he did nothing wrong, just his upbeat character rubbed off the wrong way to him. One bald, ruggedy adventurer, sporting an eyepatch on his right eye, swigged a gulp of beer, before announcing to the entire guild. "Hey, did you here the news? That stupid, good for nothing dwarf tried launching himself to the ''Moon'' again. Ahahaha, that stupid runt, when would he learn that above the sky resides the Gods, and that the moons are merely their resting places. Can''t wait for the day he either gets smitten by Goddess Illumia or dies from his stupid experiments." With him roared the entire guild, some even dropping onto the floor, clutching their stomachs. "Ahahahah! What a stupid dwarf! Does he not know what happened to those who tried to fly high!?" "Yeesh, that stupid dwarf. Can''t he just quit his ridiculous obsession with flying to the Moon, and just build armours!? Those Mark 10 Stylux suits are the bomb..." "Eh, who cares, but shouldn''t we warn him as well? Otherwise, won''t it happen again..." "Right, right, right... hey, haven''t you heard the news, they have summoned new heroes to fight against the Demon King-" Bang! "Guys, he still lives! Hey Arunde, that 23 silver bet is mine! See, I told you he would survive..." Boos were heard across the hall, as many lost. Some even lost their entire fortunes causing many fights to occur. Shit, gotta go and see what''s going on with him. Can''t let him kick the bucket! Whaling the last of his beer, Lewis sprinted out. "Hey, pay the goddamn money, jackass!" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Ohohohoh, my, what a wonderful device..." "That''s right Mrs. Carmel. This devices allows you to twirl your hair in whatever braid you want. I can guarantee that your husband won''t look you the same ever again if you get what I mean." "Ohohohoh...my, what wonderful news! Here, take these 5 gold coins for your magnificent device." Out of a huge wallet, a blonde, curly haired woman, sporting a bright pink gown, handed Simon his due payment. Bowing in thanks, Simon bid her farewell. Just as he was about to head back in, the bell rang. Seeing thatbhe had another customer, he turned his head, welcoming them. "Welcome to Simon''s Snippets, where you can ge-" Panting, Lewis looked up at Simon. He neto to the counter, and hugged him. "Oh thank goodness you''re alright!" Chapter 8: An Astounded Lewis Chapter 8: An Astounded Lewis*Pant, pant, pant*... Lewis grabbed the ledge of the table, taking deep breaths. Leaning over the counter, sweet poured over his concerned eyes. "Thank God you''re alright! I was worried, worried that you would take your own life. Kid, you''ve got so much too liv-" "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who on Earadun told you I was gonna commit suicide! I''m not that depressed! It''s just one failure more, that''s all..." Trailing off, Simon''s eyes darted to the left, evidently depressed. Giving a stink eye, Lewis still did not believe him, crossing his arms while staring at Simon. As the silence continued on, Simon got more and more nervous, to the point sweat began pouring out in droves. "Ok, fine! Sure, I get depressed, but the only thing I do is drink myself out stone cold! It''s not that bad..." Trailing off, Simon got more and more embarrassed. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lewis sighed in relief before face-palming. "Look, kid. I know alcoholism is your answer, or specifically, the answer to all dwarves'' problems, but c''mon kid! Don''t you know it picked your liver!" "It does!?" Simon yelped dumbfounded Nodding his head, Lewis began explaining, "Back from where I came from..." Seeing Lewis trailing off, Simon began wondering where he came from. "Hey, you know, I heard some stories..." Just as he began asking his question, paper fell from the staircase. "What the fu-!" "Sorry, sorry, my bad! Forgot to clean up yesterday..." Sheepishly, Simon began explaining. "I know you''re a dwarf and all, but c''mon, have some standards!" Rolling his shirt, Lewis began stomping upstairs. Simon, in panic, stumbled his way through the mountain of papers. "Wait, don''t go up!" Pushing past the cascading piles, Lewis tunnelled his way through, reaching a clusterfuck of a room. As he wiped his face from the rogue blueprint, he saw the room. And boy, was he shocked. Each and every corner of the room was filled with paraphernalia. From catapults to balloons, wings to hand cranks, fireworks to rockets. Each and every inch of the room was filled with miniature models, along with their corresponding drawings, all depicting one thing: How to reach the Moon. As Lewis'' eyes began wandering around the room, he filled with awe. Awe, at the sheer determination the young dwarf had. Awe, at the sheer creativity of his designs. Awe, at the sheer persistence of his dreams. As he was gazing at the various inventions in the room, muffled stomps sounded behind him. Digging his way through the avalanche, a ruffled head poked its way through. "*Urghaaah, heehaah*, could you please not barge into someone else''s property? This is my house, not yours, got it?" Putting bravado, Simon folded his arms across his chest, face visibly red. Whether out of anger or embarrassment, or possibly both, Lewis did not know. "You...did all those?" Voice hoarse, Lewis'' gaze showed astonishment. Astonishment at the sheer willpower of the dwarf. Scratching his cheek, Simon twirled his feet. "Well, yeah. A man''s gotta dream, right?- Hey, hey, Mr. Lewis, you alright?" For Lewis stood still, lost deep in his thoughts. Chapter 9: Lewis Brown Chapter 9: Lewis BrownLewis Brown was born on the 15th of July, 1960. The Cold War at the time was at an all-time high. Many an invisible war occurred, both in America and England. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. But none of this mattered to Lewis. All he knew was that there were lots of cool things being made, new explorations carried out, and crazy food being researched. This came to head when he was 9: The Apollo mission had succeeded where none had done so before. They had landed on the Moon. Watching the grainy screen, Lewis sat, captivated by Neil Armstrong''s speech. He felt himself being transported there, Walking alongside him, step by step, on the Moon. He now had his dream: to walk the Moon himself. Fueled by his sheer willpower, he determined that he would go, go to the Moon himself. Growing up, he fantasised every single day, to the point where he lost all his friends. Yet this was not to be. During his last year in high school, he tore many of his ligaments in a freaking baked bean accident. This caused his dreams as an astronaut to end faster than a rocket. But this did not deter him. He decided that of he could not go himself, he would aid others. And aid he did. He became the Head of the Engineers at the ESA in the age of forty against all odds. Despite loosing his home in a gas explosion (though there were no gas pipe lines present there), his wife cheating on him with a professor, and losing his leg in a freak accident, he still marched on. Yet he had lost his initial passion. Gone was the urge to explore for the sake of exploring, all that was left was a burning urge to make money. At the end, when visiting Japan, his passion ignited itself, for a brief moment, when he gleaned into the various ''manga''s''. Depsite their various difficulties, the protagonists still chose to forge on, to achieve their dreams despite what everyone else thought of them. Now, this choice was lightning front of him. A young dwarf, despite the various prejudices that haunt him, despite the multitude of people who mock him, despite all the various challenges that hamper him, still walked on his dreams. Despite all his failures, he still had hope. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hope that he would succeed. Hope that he''ll find his answer one day. Hope that he''ll reach the Moon. Unable to hold himself back, Lewis asked the burning question: "Why do you wanna go to the Moon?" Simon, who was busy observing signs of life in Lewis, jumped back. Seeing that he didn''t notice what he was doin, he sighed in relief. Then he realised what he was asking. Scratching his head, he contemplated for a few minutes. Clenching his fists, he looked straight at Lewis. "Please don''t laugh. I want to go to the Moon because...because of my mom. Before she died, she told me that she would be in the skies, waiting for me. And I thought that of I go to the Moon, I...I might be able to see her for one more time..." Closing his eyes, he waited for the inevitable. He waited for him to be mocked, to be laughed at, to he peered at, only to be met with silence. Confused, he turned his head. There he saw Lewis, staring at him, with tears in his eyes. "Umm, are you OK? If you aren-" "No, no, I''m alright. You know, I''ve also had a dream once. A dream as big as yours. But I gave up a long time ago, thinking that it was very childish. Oh I wish I didn''t, I wish that I had the resolve you showed me. Thank you, I''ve made up my mind." Wiping off the tears off his face, he stood tall, and in Simon''s utter astonishment, he spoke words that wee never heard before. "Can I join you in this mighty endeavour, Sir Simon of Steelrun?" Chapter 10: Poor Simon... Chapter 10: Poor Simon...Gobsmacked, Simon stood in place, mouth agape. "Hello, earth to Simon, diggy, diggy hole?..." Seeing that Simon stood still, Lewis thought for a brief moment that Simon had died. Only his still-moving nose indicated otherwise. "Huh, what''d? Me no dig- hey, wait, did you just say that you''ve agreed to join me?" Pinching his cheeks, Simon began crying in joy, that''s flooding the room. "I can''t believe it, I just can''t..." Seeing a grown man crying, Lewis could not help but comfort him. "There, there, no need to worry. It''s gonna be alright. Why, back from where I came from, I was the one who sent people to the Moon..." Slipping out of his mouth, Lewis inadvertently revealed something that he shouldn''t have. Though still crying, Simon unfortunately picked up on it. "Wait, you sent people to the Moon!" Realising that he had somehow screwed up, Lewis so no further point in hiding it, so he finally revealed it. Scratching his head, he began his story, "Hah, well, you see..." Lewis began telling how he''s not from Eardun, how he was summoned from another world to fight the emerging Demon King, about how, when they found out that he possessed the ''useless'' occupation of ''Mechanical Engineer'', they abandoned him with only 5 gold coins. He also told him how he struggled to adventure since he didn''t know how to level up, ending with them meeting each other. As he finished the story, Lewis discovered that light seemed to have disappeared from the room. Oh shit, seems that I have taken way too much talking. Well, although it was cathartic, at least someone listened- hey, what the fuck is he doing!? There lay Simon, eyes twinkling, kneeling with his hands clenched together. "You led people to the Moon!?" Unable to believe it, Simon was left awestruck. "Yes I di- hey, wait, is that all you''re focused on!? Don''t you bloody know that the Demon King himself will come within the next five years!?" Simon offhandedly waved his hands. "Yes, yes, I know. Isn''t that why we have the three heroes?" Lewis wanted to argue here but realised he was right. Simon continued on, "And besides, look at my status screen. I''m not suited to be a warrior anyways..." He showed his bracelet, opening the screen right in front of Lewis. There, it read: Name: Simon Steelrun Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Age: 23 Strength: 56 Agility: 25 Intelligence: 68 Mana: 110 Stamina : 70 Skill: Hammer of the Broken One (Rusty Hammer) Skill Rank: Ex (F) Occupation: Blacksmith Tier: 2 Abilities: Advanced Forging (5/10), Foraging (23/25), Needlework (10/10), Hammer-Fu (46/100), Bartering (3/35), Smooth Tongue (10/50), Camouflage (40/75) Titles: Lords of the Trashcans, Goblin Admirer, Bane of the Firenoves, Miser, Outcast Wow, this looks completely different from mine- hang on a minute, Goblin Admirer? Lord of the Trashcans!? How bad must''ve he been suffering!? Eyes now filled with pity, he patted Simon''s shoulders, as if acknowledging sympathy to him. I don''t know whether to be thankful or beat the shit out of him... As Simon lay contemplating his future choices, Lewis began asking. "Hey, umm, how do I get my abilities, embroidered titles, or even upgrade myself?" Chapter 11: Intermission: The Heroes Learns A Brief History Of The World Chapter 11: Intermission: The Heroes Learns A Brief History Of The WorldThwack, Thwack, shoom... Underneath the burning sun, Natsuki swings his sword. Standing in the shade was Grandmaster Delign, one of the few renowned men who have reached the legendary 9th level of Sword master, an advanced form of warrior. Nodding his head at the young boy''s persistence, he called him to stop. "Young man, it''s time for you to take a break. The other are waiting for you in the castle." With that said, he turned on his heels. Wiping off his sweat, Natsuki panted in exhaustion, still not accepting his current weakness. Damn it, still not enough. I must become stronger faster, quicker, better. These people need me... Still not reconciled with his situation, he headed back in, towel in hand. As usual, he glanced at his status: Name: Fujimaru Natsuki S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Age: 17 Strength: 19 Agility: 20 Intelligence: 32 Mana: 230 Stamina: 51 Skill: Accelerated Growth SkillRank: SSS Occupation: Holy Warrior Tier: 0 Tch! Need to grow faster- Booommm! A soft cannonball landed on his chest, tipped in pink. "Nacchan, how are you~" Turns out, it was Megumi who had barrelled at him. Wincing in pain, he chastised her. "Megumi-chan, please don''t do it here. You know as well that this ain''t our home..." Signaling with his eyes, he indicated that there were people monitoring them. Knights clad in full metal armour, while their faces not visible, can be felt following their every trace. "Anyways, what''re you doing here? Weren''t you supposed to be with the Archbishop of the Church of Light, learning how to use your class?" Megumi began pouting, complaining "That old crud can go to the sewers for all I care! Doesn''t he know that a maiden needs a balanced day! I mean, look at my nails, they''ve gone stale!" Pinching his eyes, Natsuki tried reasoning with her. "Look, I know how tough it''s for me, you, and Hana. But the people here needs us more. Anyways, why are we being called now?" Natsuki asked in puzzle. Waving her hands, Megumi offhandedly answered, "Meh, they''re gonna teach us how to advance our tiers or whatever. Anyways, how was toda-" Natsuki dashed, eager to learn more. Reaching their destination, a quaint room in the palace, Natsuki entered. Inside, he saw three tables, upon which there was already a student. Hina was sitting there, focused on the board. Megumi came in after Natsuki, a full 5 minutes later. Sitting at the table, they did not wait long, for an old, beautiful-looking woman to enter the room. With a wave of her hand, words floated through the air, landing on the board. With a cough, she began her lesson. "In the primordial ages, approximately 5000 years ago, the Demon God came from beyond the stars. Against him, no one could stand their grounds. Civilization itself started to crumble, with knowledge and artifacts being burnt to the ground. When all seemed lost, the two esteemed Goddesses, Illumia and Nyxis came, granting the life of Earadun the ability to level up. The concept of tiers were used to determine how strong we were. With this, the people of back them, along with the three heroes eternal, banished the Demon God, ending his reig of terror. Yet the price paid was steep indeed. Everything was destroyed, with no remnants of knowledge present. But all hope was not lost. Using the new power system, humanity and the others soon rebuilt civilization. Though there were still wars, we did not reach to the point of utter annihilation, for the Goddesses always intervened when we did so." Chapter 12: Intermission: The Heroes Learn About The Power System Chapter 12: Intermission: The Heroes Learn About The Power SystemEnamoured by the deep history, they soon awakened when the instructor, Ms. Cynthar, clapped her hands. "Alright, now enough of history. I believe you don''t want to hear more boring stuff, so I''ll start explaining in detail how the system works." Taking a swig of water, she began. "Our tier system ranges from 1, all the way to 9. Tier 10 are for those chosen by the Goddesses, no longer shckled by mortality. To advance each step, you can meditate using the mantra enlightened by the Goddesses. By completing tasks specific to your occupations, you can further accelerate your meditation, reaching the next tier faster and faster. Your type of species also matters, as elves, for example, tend to progress much slower compared to humans. Now, to obtain the mantra, you must take your first step in acting what your designation tells you to do. For example, let''s say you''re an alchemist. By attempting to create a potion, you have taken the first step in acting your job. As soon as it has been deemed that you have done your job, a mantra is generated in your mindscape. By meditating on the mantra, you can progress further on ascending the tiers. Doing actions befitting your job further accelerates your progress, such as an alchemist making more potions of the same rank, or a warrior killing monsters of the same rank. Please do note that if you do manage to accomplish a task a tier above your current one, you might die due to the risk of uncontrollable absorption. Skills and Titles, on the other hand, can be obtained by doing various forms of actions. For abilities, you can learn any type of ability, but research has proven that the closer the ability is to the occupation, the easier it is to gain it. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Titles, though, are gained by doing noteworthy actions. Suppose, for example, you have slain 100 Firolves by yourself. The title gained from it would be ''Bane of Firolve''. They give out corresponding benefits as well, such as extra strength, stamina, agility, etc. There is even the possibility of gaining obscure stats, such as charm. Boy was that an issue and a half!" Feeling tired, she took another swig of water before finishing off. "Ahem, before I forget, abilities and titles can be upgraded. They both upgrade the same way, which is through repetition of the act that gained you the title or ability. While all abilities can be evolved, the same could not be said for titles. Only some specific ones can be upgraded, and there are many of them. You can ask His Majesty for access to the Royal Library, of which I''m sure there is a catalogue of titles that can be upgraded. There is more that needs to be said, but for today, I believe that you''ve listened far enough. And with that, class dismissed!" Chapter 13: The Rusty Hammer Chapter 13: The Rusty Hammer"Oh, so that''s how you gain skills and titles. Hmm, thought it was supposed to be like the knee from games, y''know, like gain skills unlimitedly without rhyme or reason." Simon waved this notion off, "Pfftt! This is stupid. Whoever thought of these concepts is stupid. Wouldn''t this make the concept of jobs useless, making everyone overpowered?" Nodding his head in agreement, Lewis spoke out aloud, another issue he noticed. "Umm, so about the Goblin Admir¡ª" "Say one more word, and your head goes clean off..." Noticing anything very corroded axe in his hands, Lewis opted to shut his mouth, very wisely. Never ask a woman her age, and men their fetishes. Anyways, what is that about the hammer... Clearing his throat, he raised his finger. "No, ask anything about my damn titles, and my wall might have a new decoration..." "No, no, no. I''m just curious about your skill. What does it mean by ''Hammer of the Broken One''?" Exasperated, Simon began explaining, "Huh, well if you must¡ªwait, you can see It!?" Shocked, the dwarf took two steps back, gobsmacked that someone could he his skill for the first time. Tears began pouring out from his eyes, happy that someone could finally read his actual skill. Noticing that something was weird, Lewis hurriedly knelt to Simon, concerned about his wellbeing. "Look, no need to cry... So tell me, what''s wrong¡ª" "No one, *sob*, no one believed me when I told them the true name of my skill. Everyone saw it to be a rusty hammer. Still, I believe that I had the chance to make my father proud, my mother proud. Yet whatever I did, nothing seemed to work. I built a sword, sure, but it exploded as soon as it hit a monster. A pickaxe, boom! Nobody believed me..." Seeing the poor dwarf wiping his tears away, for a sudden reason, Lewis told Simon his actual skill as well. "Hey, you know what, my skill''s actual name is ''Hands of the Broken One'', not ''Skillful Hands''. I swear, this only happened after I saw that weird corpse¡ª" Simon jolted back up. "You saw it as well!?" His voice hoarse, Simon, despite how dumb he seemed, knew something was up. Realising this runs deeper than it seems, Lewis stroked his chin, contemplating. "Oh well, no need to worry for now. We''ll see to it when the time comes. Anyways, could you show me your hammer?" Struggling for a brief moment, Simon finally renewed. Out of his pocket dimension, an old, rusty hammer is revealed. Upon seeing it, Lewis'' hands started itching uncontrollably, urging him to smooth it out, to remove the rust on them. Sensing the urgency, Lewis called out to Simon. "Quick, give me some rough sandpaper, now!" Sensing the anxiety within his voice, Simon quickly went back, bringing some for Lewis. He quickly went to the nearest workbench, where he began grinding and rubbing the hammer. "Wha¡ª stop it, stop i¡ª!" Just as he was about to go and grab the hammer from Lewis, it suddenly glowed. It glowed and glowed, until a large pillar of light emerged from it, piercing straight through the roof. As the dust cleared, gone was the rusty hammer. In its place was a quaint, archaic hammer, etched with a plethora of sigils, emanating power from its very being. Gazing in awe, Lewis handed the hammer to Simon, who began cradling it, tears of joy flooding out. "Well, here you go. I don''t know what happened, but I had the sudden urge¡ª" "No, thank you. Thank you very much. I can''t you enough for helping me..." Scratching the back of his head, Lewis got embarrassed. "Well... no need to thank me. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Simon looked up from his hammer. "Yeah. Could you please fix my FUCKING ROOF!" Peering up, Lewis saw sunlight flooding down into the store, illuminating a very pissed off Simon Oh crap... S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 14: Those Who See... Chapter 14: Those Who See...Hmm, seems there are fewer donations this year than last. Haah, the recent monster tides are decimating more and more villages. What to do, what to do... Oh Illumia, please guide this lost sheep... Pope Anathor V rambled to himself, deeply unsettled by the myriad monster sightings. The increasing death toll has put a lot of pressure on them, particularly among the top. Though he knew that most of the clergy members were not that faithful, they at least did their jobs properly, albeit the minimum required. Aaahhhh! Oh Illumia, when will they learn to do their jobs properly!? Bang! "Your Holiness, we have an emergency!" ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Ah, what a day to be alive... Relaxing inside his humongous office, Duncan Argelum lay on his Pepeeto feather chair. Damn, these feathers are to die for! Back in the forest, those old boots would''ve strangled me for ''blaspheming'' nature! Yes, you heard it right. Duncan Argelum is an elf, a member of the mythical long-lived races. Though elves are seen as defenders of nature, abstaining from meat products entirely, there are always oddballs among them, and Duncan happens to be one of them. This is because he happened to have another secret a secret which must never be revealed to the people of Earadun. That he is a reincarnator Although I miss good old Earth food, the no-artificial tasting food sure does make up fo¡ª Suddenly, his mind begins to tremble. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Deep within the mountains of Hymalas, in a secluded corner, nestled deep within the crevices, is a monastery. Despite being the continent''s most dangerous region, habitation traces could be seen. Most shocking of all was its inhabitant: An orc Green in colour, with traces of blue tattoos lining up his entire body, he sits in meditation. Despite being deep in the wilderness, far away from civilization, the monastery held traces of modern amenities. A slight ripple emerged at his forehead as he lay deep in monastic meditation. Opening his eyes, we can see that, instead of barbarity and ferocity, they held knowledge, wisdom, and deep patience. Walking to the entrance, amidst the dripping rain, his expression changed, solemn in appearance. Looks like another inheritor has been found... ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Walking down the dim hallway, Zayna''s eye twitched. It was the left eye Damn, what''s happening now. Whatever it is, it cannot interfere with our great endeavour. For the glory of Zarathax! As she walked towards the exit, the myriad cells immediately began clamouring for attention: "Damn bitch, go to Hell!" S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "May the wrath of Illumia burn you to the ground!" "The righteous shall never falter, for we hold the key to salvation..." Despite each and every prisoner, no, ''trial volunteers'', begin screaming, she merely flicked her ears. Hmm, those paltry weaklings should feel honoured for serving our great cause! Just as she was about to head back up, an acolyte came from within, their mismatched eyes, one brown and the other red, pulsating in fear. "Your Holiness, we have received a dire report!" "What!" ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª "Hey sis, was that what I think it was?" "Yep. One more and we''re screwed..." "I mean, yeah. But we don''t need to worry, right? We did hide him pretty well..." Chapter 15: First Tier Achieved! Chapter 15: First Tier Achieved!Three weeks pass by... Although the large gaping hole in the roof has been fixed (thanks to Simon''s piggy stash), this has led to Simon going almost bankrupt. To placate a very pissed (yet comical) dwarf, Lewis promised that he would offer his services to the Dwarf. And boy did he regret it. Thanks to the skill ''Hands of the Broken One'', Lewis was able to provide services for Simon''s shop. The extra finesse helped him create more tools for Simon''s needs. Though they were all zero-levelled, their unique functions made up for them. Some sprayed bubbles in the air, sporting different flavours, depending on your preferences. Some peppered naughty children who didn''t do their work (causing many a parent to be glad, and many a children mad). Yet the best one by far was the one that took pictures. This device had never been invented before, causing the masses to scramble for this tool. Sure, magic could do the same, but would magicians and wizards stoop to this level? As Lewis continued creating level 0 tools, his progression onto tier 1 accelerated immensely. He could feel himself getting stronger and stronger, and this was not an illusion. Sometimes, when he was making tools for Simon, he broke them by mistake, as his strength had increased rapidly. His sight and dexterity also increased, yet for some odd reason, mana was never generated. Feeling odd, he still decided to ignore it, for science is the eternal truth! ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "...and thank you, dear boy, for this wondrous gift! That unruly bastard of mine finally studies for once! Although it''s very finicky to use, it still does its job. Take these extra 45 silver coins as a tip! Goodbye!" Waving off his felt top hat, Mr. Bonova left the shop, happy that this quirky ''invention- had finally made his son learn. Feet dancing, he jigged his to the carriage, heading home. Ahh, another happy customer, and another happy addition to the Goldie Family! *Muah*! Kissing the gold coin, Simon deposited it inside his very own ''Simon'' bank. Made from heavy-duty steel and lined with orichalcum (Holy shit, was it expensive!), he danced his way inside, glad that today he finally managed to clear his outstanding balance for fixing the roof. Ahh, the sweet, sweet scent of money! One tiny, tiny, tiiiiinnnnnny step closer to the Moon. I wonder how Lewis'' doing... As he went to the back room, he called out to Lewis. "Hey Lewis, I''ve finally paid off for the st-" He stopped right there, shocked. What is this!? What the fuck is this!? What the asggdgdhjed!? There sat Lewis, deep in meditation. Though it did not seem that anything was wrong, Simon knew otherwise. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He knew that Lewis was about to ascend to tier 1. What the fuck is this!? This is supposed to take months, even years, to ascend one tier!? How the fuck is he doing it in, what, 2-3 weeks!? This doesn''t make any bloody sense!? He could only watch in despair as Lewis created the first node in his body. His body slightly glowing, Lewis opened his eyes. "What? What''s wrong?" Chapter 16: Damn Wabbits Can Go To Hell! Chapter 16: Damn Wabbits Can Go To Hell!Still grumbling, Simon led Lewis into the woods. Despite being in the world for around a month, he was still in the F rank. Knowing that it was partially his fault for slowing his pace, Simon led him into the woods. Slung unto his shoulders was a crossbow, attached with a weird device called a ''scope''. What the fuck!? How on Earadun can he get the so-called ''Innate'' ability!? I have the bloody same type of skill, yet all I get is just one cruddy hammer!? Oh Illumia, where has your providence gone... He remembers the status screen shown yesterday, as soon as Lewis advanced to tier 1 Mechanical Engineer: Name: Lewis Brown Age: 25 Strength: 15 Agility: 15 Intelligence : 18 Mana: 0 Stamina: 17 Dexterity (Hidden): 20 Skill: Hands of the Broken One (Skillful Hands) Skill Rank: Ex (F) Innate Ability: Engineer''s Inspiration (1/10) Ability: Needlework (1/10), Tanning (1/45), Sketching (1/10) Occupation: Mechanical Engineer Tier: 0 What the fuck is ''Engineer''s Inspiration''! That bloody ability literally gives him awesome ideas to make! If only I had that... Drooling at the thought of what he could make, the money would make, Simon drifted to dreamland, eager to manifest this wish. Meanwhile, Lewis followed Simon, very concerned about his new friend''s mental health. I''m genuinely concerned for him now. This is getting out of hand... Just as Lewis was about to call Simon, the red-haired dwarf stopped in his tracks, lifting up a fist. "Shhhhh! Don''t make noise, we''ve reached the territory of the slimes..." Okay, this is getting ridiculous... "*Haaaahhh*, Simon, aren''t slimes pathetically weak. Back on Earth, we were literally told that they''re the easiest shit to kill. Pow! One smack from a shovel, and they''re good as dead. I can''t see why-" Just as he was talking smack about the slimes, a Quadeer emerged from the bushes, eager for some of the sweet leaves present in the surroundings. With abject horror, Lewis was forced to watch as the green slimes combined into one entity, swallowing the Quadeer whole. He watched while peeing his pants (metaphorically) as the humongous slime churned its body, rotating like a washing machine, dissolving the frantic beast bit by bit, bone by bone. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Simon turned back at him, eye raised. "Yeah, okay. Let''s snipe ''em." ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Hauling a sack filled with broken cores, Simon and Lewis marched back home. "Not bad for your first hunt, eh, rookie? Come, let''s take them back to the guild, their cores can be sold for a hefty sum." Gleaming ear to ear, Simon was busy counting the spoils in his mind. One Gold shiny, two gold shiny, three- Eyes shrinking, he dragged Lewis to the bush. "What the he-" Simon held his fingers to Lewi''s lips, fear present in his eyes. "Shhhh, otherwise they might hear you!" Turning his head, he saw what happened to scare the stoic dwarf. A bunny wearing a bark chestplate. "Aww, scared by a cutie little rabbit?" Simon sharply turned his head, fear ever-growing. "Wabbit, not rabbit. These bastards are one of the biggest scourges around, feared by nearly every kingdom. Even the empires must compose crusades ever so often to cull their numbers. Their SCREEECH destroys everything in sight. Everything" Lewis stood up, in full view of the Wabbit sentry. "Okay, how on Earth can a wabbit cause such harm? I mean, they''re just a bunch of scraggly-" "Screech! Scree, crech! (We found one boys! Fire the warmachine!)" From behind behind the bushes, large clicking sounds can be heard. Suddenly, bursting from the bushes, a large tank-like vehicle emerged, powered by many Wabbits on wheels, manned by a Wabbit gunner Simon cursed out loud. "Shit, you''ve doomed us all, you absolute moron! Prepare for battle!" All Lewis could think of was: Those shits have tanks!? Chapter 17: The War Of The Woods Chapter 17: The War Of The Woods"Screech, screech, hmmmrk, grunt (Left wheel, slow down. Right wheel, speed for 10 thumps, before heading forward. T9night, we dine in dwarven flesh!)" Manning the hatch, the Wabbit sporting the leaven crown commanded the ramshackle army using a metal rod. Attached to it was a rough rabbit skull. Although Lewis found it funny, his heart couldn''t help but palpitate. Simon on the other hand, was busy loading the homemade spice bomb he kept with him. Seeing that they were getting closer and closer, fear took over him, causing him to fumble and drop the bomb. He could only watch in horror as they inched closer to him. Fwick! A crossbow arrow landed straight into the eyes of one Wabbit engine, taking it out. "Dammit, run Simon, run!" Taking ahold of the shocked dwarf, Lewis lunged straight into the bushes, barely dodging the chemical ammunition flying near him. Feeling warm, he touched his scalp, only to feel wet. The sheer potency of the cannonball caused him to bleed, even if he was far away from the target. What the heck is that supposed to be!? No wonder the Empires send out crusades to cull them; these bastards are another level of abomination! Simon, still dead-eyed, was dragged along, shiny scraping on the rough ground. He only woke up once he was slapped three times on his cheeks. "Dammit, you red bastard! Tell us what to do!? How do we defeat that thing!?" Now waking up, Simon rubbed his sore cheeks. "Oww, did you have to do it so hard!?" He got up jerkily, knees weak. "Those unholy abominations usually live together in ''clans''. You kill one of ''em; they''ll come to avenge their comrade with an army. As you''ve also seen, they have some technical knowledge as well. Despite being very low levelled, they''re dangerous, for they breed like, well, rabbits, causing them to use wave tactics to wear their targets down. Many a kingdom fell, before the Empires decided that it was too dangerous to keep them in huge numbers, leading to the creation of ''crusades''. The best way to deal with them was to use spice bombs to deter them away, yet someone destroyed it..." At this, Lewis, embarrassed, turned his head away, whistling while trying to feign innocence. But before Simon could further berate him, another shot was fired, this time exploding near them. Lewis, now realising the horror, was pushed into desperation. Just as he felt that there was no hope, ''Engineer''s Inspiration'' activated. Using the scant knowledge he gained from reading the Herbology books he found in Simon''s shop, he found ingredients beside him that could be used to create a makeshift stink bomb. "Simon, cover me while I make a new bomb!" Lewis bellowed, ordering the dwarf to distract the Wabbit Warmachine long enough to build his device. "Got it!" Lifting his new hammer, he began taunting the Wabbits. "What, Catarat got your tongue, you good for nothing !^¡Á<¡ê_# ^€£¤£¤€¡Á&¡ê&..." The vitriol spewed by the dwarf was so horrendous, even Lewis found it shocking, not to mention the Wabbits. Vein bulging from his forehead, the commander ordered the vehicle to change target. "Screech, sniffle, grunt, mmmrraugh! (Change targets, boys. Aim at that red-head of a dwarf. Ain''t no one surviving after dissing my mom!)" "Sniffle, grunt... (But boss...)" "ROOAARR! (JUST DO IT!)" S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then started the assault. Deftly dodging the missiles, Simon began distracting them with his life. Holy shit, c''mon Lewis, I don''t know how long I can distract them for... Just as Simon was about to get hit, a voice yelled out from behind him. "I''ve done it! Take cover!" A small bundle of herbs and chemicals was launched into the Warmachine, upon which a small boom was heard. At first, nothing happened, until Wabbits fled the vehicle en-masse, each covering their nose. "Screech, buar! *vomit*. (It''s stinks! *vomit*) "Screech, cree, sniffle! (I dunno, but either way, run everyone!) "Scrichs...(Good point...)" Upon witnessing the flood of Wabbits, the duo sighed in relief, hiding in a nearby tree. "Phew, Simon, we nearly got cooked this time." Eyes twitching, the dwarf glared at his companion. "Yeah, no shit. Who''s fault was it, eh? I told you..." As he was silently accepting the tirade, Lewis could not help but turn towards the bright silvery glint reflecting his way. His eyes shrunk. The Wabbit commander did not escape but snuck around to them. Holding a blowpipe, he aimed at Simon. "Screech, cree. Scrawny, eeegh! (You ruined our operation. Now die, filthy red hair!)" A large darted escaped the tube, flyimg straight to Simon. Chapter 18: A Passing Caravan Chapter 18: A Passing Caravan"SIMON!" Yelling at the top of his voice, Lewis tried to warn his dwarven friend, yet by then, it was too late. As Simon''s eyes widened in fear, Lewis simulated many possible scenarios to help him: Some were thoughts of him pushing down Simon, barely dodging the dart. Some were of him getting out his trusty ball peen hammer, and playing tennis, returning it back to its sender. Some were of him taking kong it in place of Simon. He thought of many ways he could save Simon, yet he didn''t do so. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was too late... He could only watch in abject horror as the dart got closer and closer to Simon. He saw the fear and desperation in his eyes, praying that it was all just a joke. He heard the Wabbit commander dancing in joy, confident in its victory. He felt hopeless in this situation. Just as he was about to give up, his hands glowed. Out of his control, he watched in awe as they, in lightspeed, restocked an arrow, and launched it dead-on against the dart. In Simon''s and the Wabbit''s astounded eyes, the arrow and the dart collided midair. Destroying the dart, it continued its trajectory until it struck the Wabbit, piercing its head. Using the carried momentum, the arrow carried the Wabbit, nailing it to a tree. Under the astonished eyes of the protagonists, the Wabbit lay twitching, dead. Just as Simon was about to go up and thank Lewis, he saw him collapsing, screaming in pain. Unable to comprehend what was happening, Simon ran around like a headless chicken. When all hope seemed lost, a shadow loomed over them, descending from the skies. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Captain Footpad was terribly pissed. Those damn lower ranks should''ve been here by now! Don''t they know how important this raid is!? Tapping his right leg furiously, he stares into the distance, where a semi-trained Wabbit army is currently attacking a caravan. Not just any caravan though. A caravan belonging to the Silvertree Consortium. This haul''s supposed to last us long enough so that we can lay low for the next couple of months. If they somehow mess it up, we''d be screwed... He turned his head once more, as Wabbit after Wabbit was thrown asunder, some split in half, others partially vapourised. Despite having the number advantage, each loss still pricked his heart. Dammit, it wasn''t supposed to go this way. If it wasn''t for that flying fucker... Footpad could only grind the millew stalk in anger, due to the fact that the enemy had one advantage over them. Just cause they have an Aviatrix amongst them, they could hold on. Otherwise... Just as he was patiently waiting for reinforcements, his ears pricked. Shit, shit shit! "SCREECH, CREE, SNURFLE! GRUNT, GROOHD, NEEWWWP! (FALL BACK, ALL OF YOU! RETREAT FOR NOW, WE HAVE LOST OUR WARMACHINE!) Hearing this command, every single Wabbit stopped. Unable to believe the news, they still didn''t hesitate, retreating back in an orderly manner. The Aviatrix was also confused. It wasn''t until one of his men confirmed that a battle had occurred in the woodside front of them that he decided to scout the region and see what happened. Chapter 19: A Queer Duo Chapter 19: A Queer DuoAdolfo Fuernas is in confusion. He was ordered by the ''CEO'' himself, Duncan Argelam, to head to the city of Minathor. Though he often says weird things, he generally is very calm and collected, generating millions of gold coins every year in profits. I mean, who wouldn''t want a boss like that! But this time, it was weird. Weird even for that already insane man. He suddenly came and told all of his most trusted subordinates to go and search the multitude of cities for anything... ''weird''. With such broad aim, they scratched their heads. Knowing that this could possibly take months, even years, to accomplish, they all but silently resigned to their fate. The higher-ups took over the capital of Strisk and the surrounding nations. Lower ones took over the cities, and the grunts took over the barren villages (phew, thank goodness!) Despite the ridiculous goal, he had no choice but to comply, for he wasn''t the one with a humongous wealth. This leads to today, where on the journey to Mithrador, he was attacked by the Wabbits. Nowadays, more and more monsters are being created, with a higher proportion of them gaining intelligence. Oh Illumia, has the Demon King resurrected already!? After the brutal fight with the Wabbit Captain, the group began tending to the wounded, but Adolfi had other plans. Strange, they could''ve won, yet still insisted on retreating. Something must''ve happened, and that forest happened to be the last place it looked. Hmm, I should go there and check what happened... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C A being with wings for hands descended from the skies. Mouth agape, Simon stood in shock, for it was the first time he had ever seen an Aviatrix in person. They were solitary in nature, hardly ever going out of their nests. Is this a dream? "Uaaargghggh!" The loud scream brought Simon back to reality. Beside him, his (new) best friend was in constant, horrendous pain. And all he did was gawk at the Aviatrix... Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lewis is dying, and all you can think of are those beautiful feathers? Shame on you Simon, shame on you! Slapping his cheeks, Simon asked the Aviatrix for help. "Sir, sir, your mightiest, my-my friend is dying here. Could you please help him!?" Snot flying from his knees, Simon grovelled for the first time in his life. Adolfo was surprised, for dwarves never kneeled to anyone. Even when facing death, they resolutely stood tall and proud, never kneeling for mercy. He must mean a lot, huh? Now truly curious, he decided to check on Lewis. After a brief diagnosis, his eyes widened in shock. "Young dwarf, your friend here is extremely lucky to survive. Did you lot, by any chance, kill Wabbit with a... weird hat or something?" Shocked, Simon replied honestly. "Uh, yeah we did. Why, is anything wrong with that?" Adolfo facepalmed. You stupid kids! It''s a miracle that he''s not dead yet! Sighing in exasperation, Adolfo explained patiently. "As you well know, we cannot kill monsters a whole tier above ourselves, only below with less efficiency. Wabbit commanders are usually tier 2. So you get what I''m saying..." Fear dawned on Simon''s face. Before he could ask for anything g, Lewis began spasming, becoming more and more erratic as time passed by. Chapter 20: An Unexpected Visitor Chapter 20: An Unexpected VisitorSpasming beyond what was humanly possible, Lewis began spewing out foam from his mouth, watering his surroundings like a sprinkler. "Help, help! He''s dying!" Adolfo quickly ran to Lewis, now in greater urgency. He touched his arms, trying to feel his pulse, but it was too late. Ahh, poor boy. He shouldn''t have done tha¡ª no, wait! He''s still alive!? sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Shut up you stupid dwarf! He''s still alive! Quick give him this healing potion, as well as this pain reliever!" Adolfo began bellowing instructions to Simon as began rummaging through his small satchel. Grabbing onto the faintest of lifelines, he wrenched open Lewis'' jaws, frantically pouring in the liquid inside them. After a brief yet agonising moment, Lewis began choking. Simon sighed in relief, watching as he faded into a deep sleep. "I don''t think he can walk now. As thanks for helping us out, I''ll take you guys along with me to Mithrador, which I believe should be where you come from." Although confused, Simon hesitatingly followed Adolfo, hoisting Lewis across his shoulders. Curious, Simon asked him how did they help him. In a joyous mood, Adolfo told them all about their battle with the Wabbit regiment. Though I''m still curious. Despite the Wabbit commander not being tier 2, only at the pinnacle of tier 1, he shouldn''t have survived at all. So, how? ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Seeing the ramshackle hut in the distance, Simon knew that they had reached home. Realising that his companions have reached their destination, Adolfo tipped his head. "Well, i wish you guys a good day and good rest. Oh, and for the young man, i would suggest to not move during these next few days. It''ll take him some time to acclimate all the experience. Hint of advice: let him do more activities that align with his job, for i can see that his job is not of combative in nature. Perhaps that''ll help..." Trailing off, he opened his arms, flying off back to his caravan. Huh, what a weird man... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Wiping his forehead in relief, Simon finally managed to drop of Lewis onto his bed, cluttered with several sheets of paper. Curious, he peered over them, only to relaie that in them were drawings of long, cylindrical containers, with lots of random numbers and letters attached to them. But before he could analyse further, the bell rang. Ooh, a cus¡ª wait, didn''t I put the sign up!? Hurriedly dashing down the flight of stairs, Simon dashed straight onto the counter, stopping only because he crashed his belly onto the corner. Oof. Anyways, let''s see who came... Rubbing his aching stomach, the dwarf raised his head, only to be shocked. Standing in front of him was a tall, lean man. His dirty blonde hair, sprawled across his face, could not hide his beautiful visage. Chiseled into perfection, the epitome of manliness, his rugged face wandered around the store, amazed. His fingers tinkered with the many rings adorned on his hand, the various tubes in his chest clanking with each other. But most importantly¡ª "Hello, is this Simon''s Snippets?" He is an elf. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Upon reaching their branch, Adolfo was soon visited by a very panicked Wolfman. "Sir, sir, emergency!" "What?" "*Pant*, *pant*, The boss,*pant*, the CEO himself, has arrived here!" Adolfo sprang up in shock and surprise. Shit... Chapter 21: Taking Things Slow Chapter 21: Taking Things SlowSeeing the elf asking whether this was his shop or not, Simon gulped in anxiety. Beneath the counter, his feet began twitching to the ancestral hammer taps of Khazul. A-a-an elf is here! What do I do, what do I do!? Their reputation is notorious for their sticklers of perfectionism; they embodied the very principle of beauty. Gleaned from the ruins spread across the world, the ancient Faelvin empire, in their zenith, built monuments of such beauty that future rulers emulated their designs on their palaces and other structures. Despite being banished to the forests of Folisia, whenever members of their tribe ventured forth from home, they would be welcomed everywhere for their artistic flairs. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That was why Simon didn''t want to meet them: Dwarves focused more on practicality than aesthetics, hence the age-old rivalry with the elves. Gulping, Simon shakily asked him "G-good morning dear s-sir. H-how may I help you?" Snapping out of his stupor, the elf finally looked at Simon. "Oh, so you''re the owner?" Just as he was wondering what was an elf doing here, the elf spoke again. "Hmm, nice shop you got here. So, I heard some...things.... across the city. I came wondering if they were true or not. Or.is everything they said a lie?" Raising an eye, the elf challenged Simon. Undeterred, his dwarven blood ignited. Taking this as a sign of challenge against his entire species, Simon began showing off his collections. "Here is a whirly-curler, used to curl the long hairs of women into ringtails. Now, they do be very popular amongst the noble ladies..." Bolstered by the challenge, Simon began elaborating on all of his creations. As he began introducing more and more of them, his initial fear gradually vanished, leaving behind the pride of the dwarves. Eyes now gleaming with acknowledgement, the elf carefully listened to all of his explanations, before deciding to buy a self-sustaining water sprinkler. "Here, I didn''t bring any money, but I believe this should be enough to compensate for your little gadget..." Although Simon was pissed, it evaporated once he saw what it was. An ability orb. And not just any skill ¨C it was the skill ''Appraisal''. Mouth gawking in shock, Simon held the orb tightly, fearing that it would disappear the next moment. He only returned back to reality once several hours had passed after the elf had left. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Oww, my fucking head! It hurts! Just as he heard his head, trying to reduce the pain, his body began spasming out of control in extreme pain. Breathing deeply in pain, he tried his best to reign in the pain, but failed, miserably at that. "YEEEEOOOWWWCCCHHH! " Heating the scream, Simon dashed upstairs. Seeing that Lewis had woken up, he rushed over, hugging him, which elicited another bout of pain-filled cries. "Oops, sorry..." Teeth gritting in pain, Lewis grunted as much as he could to stop the hugging. "Yeah, no shit Sherlock..." "Who''s Sherlock?" "Someone from my world. Anyways what happened while I was conked out?" Simon began explaining what occurred after he was conked out, such as meeting Adolfo, hearing how lucky he was, getting dragged home, and meeting that elf. "Man was he generous. Anyways, you''d better take things slow for now, and digest all the experience you got after killing that Wabbit commander. You nearly died there." Nodding in agreement, Lewis commented on the danger of the adventure. "Agreed. Let''s take things slow for now. So anyways, could you please get off of me? You''re killing me!" Chapter 22: Dungeons And Devices Chapter 22: Dungeons And DevicesAdolfo barged into the room, exasperated. "CEO Duncan, could you please inform us next time where you''re going? You nearly killed us all with your stunts; you do know this, right? Anyways where were you?" Only then did the elf look up. Twiddling the device, the rugged elf, finally acknowledging the Aviatrix, turned towards him. "Hmm? Oh yeah, I went to a quaint little shop near the edge of the walls. Heard of ''Simon''s Snippets''? They have some very... let''s say...interesting inventions there. Anyways, how''s the search going?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gone was the lazy, laidback look. Duncan stood up, putting the self-flipping cat onto the table. He stood from his chair, heading to the large window beside his desk. Peering out, he catches glimpses of a busy street: vendors lining up, selling their snacks and treats, hawkers sitting in their carpets, haggling with the multitude of customers that come by. However, his gaze only lingered here for a brief moment, for his main attraction was not here at all. Lifting his head, he gazed at a large tower, ancient murals and glyphs adorning the entrance. The dungeon of Mithrador. We don''t have much time left... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Soldering the final piece of Dracolion leather onto the portable handheld heater, Lewis wiped off the sweat from his forehead. Dammit, I''m an engineer, not a fucking tailor! Yet he couldn''t do anything about it: A ¨C He was only a tier-1 Mechanical Engineer B ¨C He was overstuffed with experience The battle with Wabbit had given him a lot of experience, enough to propel him to tier-2, but it was too much. Either way, I still need to check how good this damn tool is first... Murmuring "Appraisal...", a blue screen popped up in front of him: Item: Handheld heater Durability: 300/300 Tier : 1 Grade: Perfect Skills: Heating (lv 1), Spark (lv 2) Remark: Only good for heating food and lighting a fire. Do not use it as a blanket warmer. Otherwise, we''d have an adventurer, cooked medium rare! (Would taste good with some Dourlil ale...) What kind of fucking remark is this!? Sniffling the urge to smash the heater, Lewis sighed in defeat. "Simon, come and get it!" As he waited for the dwarf to climb up, he remembered the conversation he had a fortnight ago... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Wait, you have a dungeon here! Why didn''t I hear of that!?" Wiping off the saliva splattered across his face, Simon patiently explained. "Well, yeah. I mean, when we met, you were only here for a couple of days anyway. Also, you''d be committing suicide for going to a dungeon now anyway..." Realisation dawned upon him when Simon gave him the knowing gaze. Shit, he''s right... Clapping his hands, a burning fire reignited within Lewis. "Well, now that we know that there are dungeons, our target market shall expand! With more customers, we''ll have more money! With more money, we are closer to reaching the Moon!" Roaring in the air, Simon and Lewis felt pumped. Eager to begin creating more tools, Lewis got to the edge of the door but stopped. "Oh yeah..." Lewis turned around, curiosity burning within. "Simon, how does one get skills? And how do dungeons come into play here?" Chapter 23: Intermission: Dungeons 101 Chapter 23: Intermission: Dungeons 101Walking down the street, Megumi, Hina and Natsuki marvel at the sight before their eyes. Dwarves march down the streets, clustered together, hauling sacks and chests of tools and artifacts to their shops. Aviatrix''s could be seen wandering through the air, twittering and clicking in their native language. Beastmen were witnessed lugging bodies of large monsters as they went to the Adventurer''s Guild, ready to hand in the carcass for cash. "Wow! Look, look, look! Hina-chan, look! So fluffy!" Seeing a Catgirl, Megumi squealed in delight. Resisting the urge, Hina dragged back her rambunctious friend. "Megu-chan, we don''t have time. We need to go and meet with the Guildmaster today, otherwise, if we are late, her Highness will be very disappointed with us..." Puffing her cheeks in anger, she tries to counter back. "B-but Megumi, look at their tail! So fluf-" Sir Andrew coughed in, explaining "Uh, madame, we can''t do that. This can only be done among their mates, as this is a very intimate form of communication for them. And no, they don''t take highly to same-sex relationships..." Blushing, Megumi stammered in response "W-w-well, I like Natsuki more! A thousand, million, trillion times more! So yeah!" Embarrassed, she shut her mouth and journeyed to the Guild. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "So, what do we have here, hmm? The chosen ones to save the world, hmm? But... you''re all kids! Haah, anyway, we have no choice now. We''re running out of time, and since the way forward has been blocked by the advent of that damned haunted castle, we have no choice but to take you to the dungeons to power-level you up! Damn those assholes to hell!" Sir Proximus, an eight-tier magician, sighs in defeat, while the chosen trio stand in awkward silence. As they signal each other about what is happening, Proximus continues to explain anyway "Haah, anyways, I''d better tell you how dungeons work here..." With a slight clap, he yells "Improdus Classis!", and a small classroom is magically generated there. Getting rid of the dizziness, the trio were treated to a giant blackboard, beside which an old man stood there with a chalkboard. "Uhum, before you lot venture forth into dungeons, you must know these facts. I''m sure you must''ve learnt about the brief history of the world, so you should know about the Demon God and his army of Mecha Droids. Anyways, after sealing them, the Goddesses Illumia and Nyxis realised although they could not be killed and only sealed, the seal would not last forever. To ensure that they remained sealed for all eternity, the abominations that were created by the Demon God needed to be culled periodically; otherwise, once they reached a set amount, they could use their sheer numbers to destroy the seal and wreak havoc in the world once more." Taking a sip of water, Proximus continued, "Anyways, that''s all for the history. For the longer version, you should head to the academy, for they have a far more detailed history, and I ain''t gonna through all that!" Chuckling here, he realised that none were listening at this point, so he coughed to regain their attention. "Now I''ll explain how dungeons function, and what their rewards are. Dungeons work by absorbing and releasing the abominations, or monsters, in controlled manners, and releasing them inside their structures. By fighting and killing them, rewards can be obtained. They can range from raw materials to finished tools, known as artifacts, and even the coveted ability balls." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Their structures are predetermined as well. Every dungeon has a minimum of ten floors, and this is a set concept, as every ten floors equals a tier. So if you are a tier-5 warrior, you can only access 50 floors in any dungeons. Oh, and trying your way to cheat through is not possible. Many have tried, and many have failed, being exiled for a week at best, viscerated at worst. Oh boy, the pictures they have.." Imagining the scene, the trio barely managed to stop themselves from hurling. Ignoring this, Proximus continued on. Kids these days, weak as hell... "The monster varies from level to level, species by species. The lower tier and the higher ones cannot interact or mix with one another, but there is one occasion they can: The Hoard" Shivering in fear, Proximus continued on nevertheless. "If a dungeon has not been cleared ordained for a very long time, the dungeon overflows with monsters. If the saturation level exceeds what the dungeon can bear, the dungeon''s safety mechanisms get overridden, causing them to escape outside. Many a kingdom fell during these invasions, and many of the common monsters such as harpies and imps you see nowadays can be traced to a Hoard here and there." Hearing this, the trio grew more and more depressed, feeling the weight of burden clearer than ever. Seeing that they were falling into depression, Proximus clapped his hands once again to attract their attention. "Anyways, now I''ll get to the juicy parts: the rewards. Rewards, as I''ve said before, vary from materials to artifacts, and the coveted skill orbs. The materials are simple enough, but the skills require more explanation. Ability orbs basically give you any and all abilities in existence. It basically all depends on your luck; your luck is good; you can get an ability that slays Gods or something like shovelling. All in all, you can get whatever skill you want. This is the key point, because the job you have basically limits in your acquisition of abilities, and the orbs are basically a loophole in getting them." Just as he finished speaking, the classroom began dismantling itself, turning back into what it was: an old, rustic office filled with bookshelves of many kinds. "I hope you''ve listened to what I''ve said. Oh, and most important of all, have fun!" Chapter 24: Finding An Investor Chapter 24: Finding An Investor"This portable hand heater is the best! With this, you can cook wherever you want without creating any fires! Long live Simon''s Snippets!" "Yeah, that portable backpack is so much cheaper than those space rings. Plus, you don''t have to deal with those snobbish wizards as well..." "Man, I wish they''d build something that could help us locate the safe points in dungeons soon..." Hearing these words of appreciation, Lewis smiled. I''m so glad these people are enjoying our devices. But still, we haven''t earned that much money. How will Simon earn them quick... Hoisting the bag filled with imp canines, Lewis pulled the trolly bag along into the gold, eager to know how much money he had earned. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Shit, what do I do here... Hands clutching his head, Simon knelt in defeat, a bottle of Dragonfire whisky on the counter. He was still ruminating over what Lewis had explained to him before he set off to the Guild to update his rank. "Simon, I''ve done the calculations, and by what I''ve calculated so far, we''ll never reach the Moon in our lifetime. We need nearly a billion coins, gold at that, to be able to build the rocket ship necessary to escape this planet''s gravity. Look, we may be raking cash now, but at this rate, we''ll only be able buodnafyer, oh let''s see, 345 years, and humans only live for 100! Face it, we need an investor, and a fucking rich one at that!" "Well, fuck this shit, let''s do it! Hmm, how did Lewis say to present my idea again..." ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Going across busy streets, Simon, carrying a huge board and sheets of paper, approached the Central Bank of Strisk. Gulping in anxiety, he breathed deeply in and out, trying to calm his agitated nerves. It''s gonna be okay, you know you''ll do it... With a final deep breath, he entered the bank. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C The Lysard guard, covering his mouth, yawned in boredom. Today was boring as usual, with customers going in and out, taking and depositing money into the bank. Loans were also being issued for struggling business owners, or those starting their own. Man I wish something interesting happens... Just as he finished thinking about it, a small red child was thrown out onto the streets. Rubbing his head, the dwarf cusses in front of the bank. "I''ll show it, you assholes! I''ll reach the Moon, and when I do, I won''t put your names on it, you greedy, decrepit balls of¨C" Cussing to the point of having guards take him out, the dwarf trudged his way on, board broken and all. This is the best entertainment I''ve had in weeks! ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C After going through many merchants, Simon lay depressed beside the fountain, drinking mulled beer in silence. What should I do... Every single merchant had kicked him out, from the famous Red Fang Consortium, all the way to the Goblin Alliance for Trading, the worst and least reliable merchant guild. Finishing the last drop of ale, he slapped both cheeks, unwilling to give up. I will fulfil my wish... Carrying the board one last time, he went to the last merchant guild on his list: The Silvertree Corporation Going in, he met with the receptionist, who, once hearing he owns Simon''s Snippets, raised an eye and ushered him to see the ''CEO''. Gulping in anxiety, Simon adjusted his scraggly shirt and oily coverall. Then, he knocked on the door. "Come in..." A familiar voice called him in. Although he was confused he still entered. Upon seeing who it was though, his eyes widened in surprise. "It''s you!?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 25: When All Hope Is Lost... Chapter 25: When All Hope Is Lost...Sitting behind a large ornate desk was the same elf who came to the shop, purchasing the automatic flipping cat toy. Relaxed, his lazy smile permeated the room. Yet hidden deep in his eyes were a seasoned merchant''s expressions: greed, skepticism, and a hint of burning curiosity. "I have been following your progress across the last couple of days, especially when you tried your best to gain funds for your... ''little'' project of yours..." Simon''s ears perked up. " You know what it is?" Duncan merely shook his head. "Nope, not enough time to investigate. But I would like to listen to it, and ponder why the other merchant associations rejected it. Toy may begin..." Hands spread apart, Duncan asked Simon to begin his presentation. Hope rising, Simon brought his board in. "Well, my project aims to propel the people of the planet to outer space. The main goal is, of course, the Moon..." As he continued presenting, Duncan could not help but gaze at the young dwarf, passion illuminating his entire visage, glorifying the dwarf. Yet he shook his head. "Stop, stop, stop. While I do agree that this plan has enormous potential and can generate a lot of money for us, I would still decline to invest in it. Why? Because it''s just a dream. Yes, a dream..." He stood up from his chair, turning the window behind him. "Mankind, Elvenkind, Dwarvenkind, Aviatrixkin... everyone had dreams to go above, to touch the strategy with their bare hands, to conquer the unknown. Yet why hasn''t anyone done it? It''s because it''s impossible. The only reason I entertained you is because of your skills." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Duncan turned towards Simon once again, but this time, his eyes burned brighter than before. "I''m quite intrigued, and very interested, in your skills. Your inventions, such as the automatic ignitor, make life so much easier for everyone, especially in dungeons. I see a humongous potential in it, sonwhat do you say? Are you ready to abandon this foolish dream of yours, and join us in this venture?" Expecting hesitation, he was shocked by what the dwarf did next. Anger igniting across his face, his fave turned bright red. "How dare you demean my dream! Sir, while I do say that what you say makes sense, I will not abandok my drama for some... paltry copper, so screw off, you¨Cyou¨Cyou snobbish cunt of an elf!" He turned a4ound and stomped off, naging the door hard in his way out. All that was left was a very shocked elf, paralysed at the sudden outburst. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C After a great day in the fields, Lewis had finally managed to gain enough credits to go up a rank. He is know a veritable stone rank, a tank higher than those flimsy wooden ones. Carrying a bottle of beer into the house, he was shocked to see a very sad dwarf, wailing in the corner. Concerned, he immediately dashed to the dwarf wanting to kn9w what happened. Feeling a hand on his shoulders, Simon lifted his head. Seeing that it was Lewis, he burst into a new round of tears. Before Lewis could ask what happened, Simon began regurgitating what happened today. After listening, the first thing he did was not to comfort Simon, but slap him really hard, multiple times at that. "We might not have investors, but cant we have the people pitch in for us instead!?" Chapter 26: Duncan Argelam Chapter 26: Duncan ArgelamIt''s been three days since the dwarf and his human companion set up a stall of sorts. He did not know what they were doing, but people kept giving them glances, some even mocking them, throwing rotten tomatoes at the dwarf Despite all this, he still didn''t give up his smile. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Duncan Argelam. Elfin extraordinaire. Founder and current owner of Silvertree Corporation. Smartest elf alive. All these titles depict him as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, mind to exist today. But it was not all sunshine and poppies, for he had a secret. He was not from this world, and that this was his second life He still remembers how it all happened... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Katsumata Y¨±to was an avid researcher from a very young age. When he was born, his parents were very shocked when he came. Expecting him to cry, they were very, very shocked and surprised when he came out with a stern face, ants crossed in his chest. Although shocked, his parents nevertheless poured their love and affection towards him. Growing up, his high IQ was soon slowly revealed to his parents. At the age of 6 months, he could walk on his own without the need for a walker. At the age of 1, he could speak fluent Japanese, in all dialects At the age of 5, he memorised 10 different languages, and they were the difficult ones. At the age of 10, he mastered advanced physics and began researching quantum physics. At the age of 11... At the age of 12... And so on and on and on... He was so intelligent, it seemed that nothing was out of his reach. But it was because of this he became bored. Bored of life It got so bad that he nearly ended up clunking school, believing that everything was worthless. Yet one thing saved him One day, while watching the television, he came across a documentary. A documentary about space, a documentation about the ESA, A documentary about Simon Brown Intrigued, he kept watching it. As he kept watching, he became enamoured with him. He saw how, despite losing everything, he strove towards his goal of going to space, and when that failed, helping others reach there. This reignited his passion, his reason to live. Now with a goal in mind, he began studying anything and everything that he could get his hands on. He had a new goal, and that was to help humanity in any way possible, whether it be creating a cure for cancer or creating submersibles to go to the Mariana Trenches. But it all came to a screeching halt... One day, when walking across the street, he saw how a truck came barrelling through the road. And in the middle of it was a child, a child who did not notice that a truck was coming to kill her. Without any hesitation, he leapt onto the road, pushing the child away, but at the cost of his life. But what he did not know was that shortly after, both parties disappeared into thin air. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Reminiscing about his past life, he realised why he liked the dwarf. It wasn''t because of his so-called ''inventions''. No, it was because he reminded him of... Himself. Upon this realisation, he knew he had reached an answer. An answer that put him in... Peace Chapter 27: The Third Pioneer Joins! Chapter 27: The Third Pioneer Joins!"...and so you know, that''s what happened. All I wanted was some funds, is that too much to ask for? Sure, the idea of going to the Moon is ridiculous, and I might get labelled as a heretic by the Church, but who cares, right?" Monologuing in front of Simon was the very same being who came into his shop ages ago, now very itchy to return. "Umm, sir can I please go now? It''s getting kinda late..." the cloaked child squeals in anxiety, voice cracking. Taking no heed, Simon absentmindedly waves his hand, signalling her to leave the shop. Just as the child leaves the shop, she bumps into Lewis. Shaking her head, she skillfully sidestepped her way out. Lewis, on the other hand, was more curious. Curious about what her race was, for he had seen that her skin was greenish in hue, although by not much. "Hey, how much did we collect today?" Ever the optimist, Lewis called out to Simon, still grimy from cleaning the sewers. Sighing, Simon answers Lewis, despondent. "No luck today as well, I''m afraid. People here are way, way, waaaayyyy too superstitious. I mean, all I said was that ''I''ll go to the Moon, it''s not gonna be that bad'', and they go ''blasphemy'' and ''heretic'', the best one being ''kill that swindler''. Pssshhh, who needs them anyways..." Trailing off, Simon looked down, downcast. Seeing his friend sad, Lewis could not help but reveal to Simon what he had made. "Hey, you might wanna come outside for a minute or two..." ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Walking down the streets alone, Duncan feels amazed at the sight of the town, revelry all around, a result of the Kingdom announcing that they had summoned their heroes. Shaking his head in disappointment, he headed down the streets, across the alleyways, over bridges, and finally out of the city. For a few kilons across was where Simon''s Snippets lay. As he reached closer, he could hear some voices being spread across. Sneaking ever so slowly, he made his way across into some trees. Peering through it, he saw something very unexpected. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Right, I''ve made a preliminary plan. Our rocket ship is based on a slightly modified version of what is known, in our world at least, as the Apollo Series rockets. This ship consists of four modular stages, each splitting as we reach the various edges of the atmosphere. Although I won''t be able to make them now, I have a very calculated hunch that once I reach tier 5, I''ll be able to manufacture them, provided I have the...*hah*... necessary machines needed to forge those parts, and quite frankly, I don''t. I just wish I knew how..." "Perhaps I could be of service..." Jumping in shock, they were astounded to see a very burly elf emerging from the bushes behind the tree. Realising who he was, Simon stood, mouth agape. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "M-M-Mr. Duncan, what are you doing here? I thought you said my idea was ridiculous!" Spreading his hands, Duncan''s eyes wandered across the tiny gathering: strewn across were drawings of various rocket ships, rudimentary mathematical tools of every kind, and last but not least, a very basic model of what looks to be an...Apollo series rocket? Taking a deep breath, he began pouring out what he wanted to say: "You know, at first I thought your plan was ridiculous, stupid even. Everyone wants to reach for the stars, even me, but as we grew older, we realised, it was just a dream. Passion fading, everyone just stuck to their jobs, their occupations, doing nothing except sticking to the rigid old rules. Even me... But then, you came along. Despite being beaten, despite being ridiculed, despite being on the verge of losing everything, you still clung to your passion, your dream... Your reason to live. And this got me thinking, ''if he can do it, why can''t I?'' So I thought, let''s do it, let''s give him ome more chance, and see what he can do." Looking around, Duncan spread his hands defeated, yet smiling. "And I''ve got to say, I am glad I''m not wrong. I may not know much about how to build a rocket ship, but I sure damn can help you build the shit needed to build one. So, can I join in?" Chapter 28: Library Of Alexandria (I) Chapter 28: Library Of Alexandria (I)Standing shocked, Simon did not say anything. It''s not that wouldn''t. It''s that he couldn''t. He could not believe his ears. The Duncan Argelam himself, entrepreneur and proud owner of Silvertree Consortium himself, has decided to join their mission to the Moon itself. As Simon was dancing in delight, Lewis on the other hand was skeptical. Skeptical that such a famous being decided to humble himself into joining their venture. "What''s your plan, elf? A man of your stature should not entail joining this small project of ours. What''s your deal here, huh?" Looking down on Duncan, Lewis interrogated the elf. Holding both hands in the air, Duncan tried to reassure him. "Look, I just got inspired by the burning passion of the dwarf. I mean, in both lifetimes of mine¨C" ""Wait, you reincarnated as well!?"" A sudden scream shocked Duncan into a stupor. Shit, I said too much... Bracing for the inevitable, he was shocked to see a very stunned human and a star-struck dwarf. "Umm, you''re not gonna be scared?" Simon broke the silence. "Uh, he got summoned here as one of the heroes, but they kicked him out cause he was too weak. Oh yeah, forgot to say his name. Uhum, he is the mighty Simon Brown, ex-ESA Head of Engineers¡ª" "Wait, YOU''RE Simon Brown! THE Simon Brown! Omigoshomigoshomigosh..." Seeing a fangirling macho man nearly made the duo puke in disgust, but they settled it down and asked the important question. "Wait, you know him?" Realising what he was doing, Duncan stopped in his tracks. "Are you kidding me!? He was, and still is, my idol! Despite losing everything, he never gave up on his dream! I wanted to be just like him, but I lost my life at the end. If it wasn''t for that damned brat..." Looking to the side, Lewis began pondering. "Hey, what was your name back then?" Duncan looked up, confused. "Katsumata Y¨±to, why?" His eyes glowed. "The child prodigy? I heard that you were killed in a car crash, in a drunk driving accident. The forensics determined that you were jaywalking as the car killed you..." Flabbergasted, Duncan vehemently denied this accusation. "What, no!? I tried to save a child as a truck came barrelling towards her. Was she safe? How''s she doing¡ª" Lewis interrupted him. "Duncan, there were no remnants of a child''s presence there." ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Anyways, we''ll deal with this issue later. The water here runs top deep. So, how will you provide the necessary machines needed to build the parts for the rocket ship?" "Oh, I didn''t say I have them. I said that I have the knowledge to build them. But the thing is, I''m not an engineer, so I can''t build it, and blacksmiths are too dumb to build it to the precise measurements." "Wait, wait, wait, excuse me? But then, how are we supposed to build our rocket ship. You promised¡ª" Simon began spluttering in panic, but was quickly interrupted. "I said I have the knowledge, and this is because of my skill: The Library of Alexandria." Behind him, a huge door materialised, made of aged bronze and brass. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 29: Library Of Alexandria (II) Chapter 29: Library Of Alexandria (II)Standing behind Duncan was a gate of immense proportions, forged from bronze, ancient in nature. Inlaid within the door were brass glyphs, pulsating every couple of seconds. As Simon and Lewis watched in awe, a tiny counter soon materialised beside it. Duncan went to the counter, and placed his hand on it. "I want a book that provides detailed drawings and knowledge on how to build a metal press for printing sheets..." From behind the counter came a mechanical voice: "You do not have the prerequisite job or knowledge to rent the book. Please choose something that is in line with your current occupation." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Turning around, Duncan held up both hands. "See! Since I''m a tier-4 Woodmancer, I can''t access the related knowledge to machines and artifacts. Only those who possess the prerequisite jobs and skills can access them. Do you know how frustrating that is!" Screaming at the end, Duncan was seen visibly frustrated. "Ok, ok, Duncan. We know what you''re facing now. Anyways, you need us to help you access these knowledge repositories, right?" "Yes, otherwise I would''ve had the world in my hands!" Realising that he''d spoken too much, he blushed brightly, brighter than a tomato. "Forget what I said, I was too into it. So, could you please tell me what your plans are to reach the Moon?" Simon''s ears immediately perked up. "Right, one minute. Be right back..." The dwarf dashed back into the shop, dashing upstairs madly. After a couple of seconds of thumping and bumping, he came back down with a board. He plopped it down, with a big smile on his face. "Right, here''s what''s gonna happen: 1) I build the rocket 2) I fly to the (real) moon 3) I land on it and inject party Eh, eh?" Judging by the fact that Lewis was seen hanging his head on his hands and Duncan trying his best to stop laughing, he realised that he must''ve screwed up somewhere. "What, what''s so funny?" "Mr Lewis, can I call you Lewis instead? Can I explain it to him?" Seeing no indication, Duncan took it as a yes. He went to the board, and in bold, he added one more point: 0) You go to space, you explode, you die "Wait, whuh?" The dwarf stood confused, utterly shocked by what he''s been told. Lewis kindly explained to him "Look, Simon, how should I say it right? There is nothing in space, so if we go there, the difference I''m pressures would blow us up like a bright red firework!!!" "Wait, there''s nothing? And we''ll die if we go there? Then how should we go to the Moon!?" Duncan answered it in Lewis'' stead. "There are suits, or to put it in Earadun''s context, armours which you wear to allow you to walk in space. But to make them, it requires us to create a lab, an oxygen diffuser, a distillation tower, a chemical synthesiser..." Smoke could be seen escaping Simon''s head, floating away into the air. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Oh right, can we see your status screen?" Usually, Duncan would have smote them on the spot, or at least beat them an inch to their life. But for some reason, he had an intuitive feeling that he could show it to them. "Sure..." With a light tap, his status screen came up: Name: Duncan Argelam Age: 275 Strength: 125 Agility : 163 Intelligence: 319 Mana: 789 Stamina: 256 Skill: Mind of the Broken One (Library of Alexandria) SkillRank: Ex (SS) Occupation: Woodmancer Tier: 4 Innate Ability: Photographic Memory (4/10), Calculator Magnificus (3/10) Abilities: Advanced Foraging (6/10), Foraging (25/25), Needlework (10/10), Basic Magic (10/10), White Magic (50/50), Bartering (35/35), Smooth Tongue (46/50), Camouflage (60/75), Digging (30/30), Demolisher (47/65), Basic Maths (10/10), Arithmetic (30/30), Algebra (20/20), Fire Magic (30/30), Advanced Fire Magic (25/100), Titles: Lord of the Woods, Vampire Hunter, Bane of Treants, Miser, Outcast, Successful Entrepreneur, Creator of Bread, Unholy Scammer, Eagle Eye, Librarian, Reader of the Akashic Records, Blasphemer, Serial Arsonist, Billionaire, Lolicon, Marathonist, King of Hide and Seek Chapter 30: The Beginning Of The Turmoil... Chapter 30: The Beginning Of The Turmoil...Andelius was playing hide and seek. He hid beneath the bed in his room, breathing as quietly as possible. His sister and mom told him to stay there, and only come out when they ''find'' him. That was the last time he saw them. Just as he was reminiscing, the screams started to get louder and louder. They must''ve come searching again. Just like before, he held his breath. "Yu...find...hoomun?" A gruff voice grunted nearby. Clenching his mouth tightly, young Andelius tried his best to remain as quiet as possible. Soon, the footsteps drifted away... The key word here is ''tried''. Soon, the footsteps drifted away. Just as he was about heave a sigh of relief, the bed in which he was under was lifted, revealing a horrendous face, teeth akimbo everywhere. "Me...find...hoomin...food..." He could only watch in despair as the urk grabbed him by the legs and lift him towards the mouth... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Footpad walked down rocky trail, his feet aching in agony. He did not want to be here, yet her majesty required him to journey here... For the Demon King Urgh! Why do i have to meet these disgusting, filthy, unholy of all unholy, abominations. It would''ve been better if there were orbs still present, but alas, we must do with what we have. I hope he will follow our plans... Just as he felt that he was nowhere near his destination, he heard it. Moaning of all kinds pervaded the surrounding woods, culminating into several ramshackle huts, dotted near the river. He saw many urks, from blue to green, going in, their nether regions erect. All with that nasty grin of theirs plastered across their faces. Just then, a bedraggled woman managed to escape, her face filled with despair and hope. Despite having only one leg and a stump, she was surprisingly agile. She quickly managed to find her way towards the river, before jumping in. Just as she was about to be free, a harpoon penetrated her. She could only watch in despair as an urk picked her up, swallowing her whole. The miserable screams that followed soon extinguished thoughts of rebellion among the women. Such barbarity! Thank goodness we are at least more civilised than them... Making his way further in, he found himslef i front of a grand tent, inside where his target lay: The Grand Urk Chief Covering his nose with a primitive gas mask, Footpad made his way in, where he witnessed a large, ugly red urk being serviced by multiple scared women. The blue tattoos etched on his skin pulsates every now and then, emanating traces of power, power that even Footpad trembled at. Keeping his anxiety in check, he storde his way forwards. "Greetings, oh mighty Chief Orkanus. I am Captain Footpad of the fifth division of the Wabbit Coalition. I have been instructed by our Empress to remind you to keep your word, and aid us in the coming venture..." The urkan Chief Orkanus, who, upon listening, laughed uproariously. "Wahahahah! That little runt thinks she can command me! How ballsy! Either way, i will honour our agreement, provided she gives me the share of the women of the city, and the loot promised to us. Everything will be fine, unless he were to leave his... Monastery..." Hearing this, even Footpad shuddered visibly, as if the air had gotten colder. For no one can defeat that madman... sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 31: The Hymalas Mountains Chapter 31: The Hymalas Mountains*Pant*, *pant*, *pant*... S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Running down the steep mountain, Simon nearly bumped into the sharp, spiky Dynus tree. Seeing that its prey had eluded its grasp, its trunk opened itself, revealing jagged teeth. Barely dodging, he happened to see Duncan fighting the hoard of urks, each wielding crude red axes, which somehow lit itself on fire. Despite the vines emerging from the ground pulverizing them, they manage to mince it into pieces due to their sheer numbers. Just then, an axe lands itself on Duncan''s arm, lodging itself deeply within. Holy shitballs! This wasn''t meant to happen... To understand what happened, we must go back a couple of days... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Scratching his head, Lewis realises something. "We need buildings. A lot of buildings in fact..." Nodding his head along, Duncan further added to his statement, "And to top it off, they need to be reinforced. Such as reinforced reinforced. You know it as well how hot it gets when testing rocket booster engines. If not done right, sheesh, you can say goodbye to your sorry ass, along with possibly 25 km radius of land. The elves would not be happy at all..." Meanwhile, at the back, was a very confused dwarf, plunging his steaming head into a bucket of water. Once his head was cooled, he rose back up, bringing along a very important question. "Umm, just so you know, none of us know how to build. I''m a blacksmith, Lewis'' can only build tools, and sorry to say it, but from what I can recollect, wood very easily catches fire. Like, ''barbecued within a minute'' fire." Duncan simply turned his head, and smiled. "Oh, I know a guy..." ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Holy hell man, how fucking far is it. Any further, and we''d reach the Hymalas range! Don''t you know how dangerous that is! Last time someone wanted to go th¡ª" Duncan promptly cut him off. "Yes, yes, I know. But what can I do? There may be others who can build the command centres, but damn it, he''s the best when it comes to these types of jobs! What am I supposed to do, oh, summon a builder from Earth? That''s gonna get me killed!" Seeing Duncan frothing, Simon wisely decided to keep his mouth shut. What''s gotten into him? He wasn''t like this before... Still pondering, he bumped in front of Dennis, the Wulfine guard. Grunting through his long snout, he told everyone that they were here. "*Grunt*, Sire, we have reached our destination." Standing tall in front of them was a huge mountain range. Tall peaks, reaching the skies, dotted the surroundings. Towering trees dotted the land, encompassing the whole region. Grunts and squeals echoed by, an occasional unearthly roar coming by. Simon nervously clutched his satchel, for he knew where they were. The Hymalas Mountains. Chapter 32: Who’s The Prey, Who’s The Predator? Chapter 32: Who''s The Prey, Who''s The Predator?"This is certifiably insane, you shit-for-brains of an elf! Don''t you know that this region is one of the most dangerous, if not the most dangerous, land in the whole world! Many have tried traversing here, and a lot more ended up dead because of it! Why, I lost twenty uncles who came here searching for missing artifacts! And that was just within the last 20 years! Are you the devil or something!" Rubbing his right ear with his pinkie finger, he replied, "Yeah, I know. But the guy whom I''m looking for resides in one of these valleys, but don''t worry, there is a secret passage here, right around 500 meters to our right. Just make sure that you don''t disturb the wildlife here, ''cause they''re... dangerous to say the least." Yeah, no shit genius! This is a fucking clusterfuck of a shitshow! Keeping the words deep in his heart, Simon begrudgingly followed Duncan through the misty forest. Despite his misgivings, he could not help but be mesmerized by the sights in front of him. Strewn across the woods were trees of a multitude of colours, each pulsating in their colours. Tier-3 Monodeers wandered near the trees, searching for food. He could not help but fawn, as a young calf wandered towards the roots of a brightly lit tree, its red colours enticing it ever so closer. Aww, it''s so cute! Look at the cutie wu- holy shit! The trunk of the red tree suddenly split wide open. Inside it lay hundreds upon hundreds of tiny teeth, grinding against each other, each trembling in hunger or anticipation, Simon did not know. What he did know was that the Monodeer was dead. And he couldn''t be closer to the truth. With a belated cry, a longue, thick tongue rocketed out from within, entrapping the deer in its grips. Despite crying for help, despite struggling with all its might, the calf''s eyes could do nothing except accept its inevitable demise. Listening to the loud mincing noise, Simon nearly threw out the lunch he just eaten. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Yeah, why d''you think I said to walk as fast as you can? This is a paradise for the strong, hell for the weak. If you''re not on the same level as these bastards, forget about coming here to earn your bucket of gold. Ladies, riches, booze? Hah! This dream''s only used to lull the foolish ones. The smarter ones use the fools to become rich instead..." With a look of nostalgia, Duncan wandered off into the distance. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C His ears raised, Wulforen kept his eyes out in the surroundings. He knew better than most how dangerous the Hymalas mountains are. He had lost too many family members here trying to get rich, so unlike the rest of them, he decided to play safe, entering the services of a rich man. A very rich man. Initially, he was happy, satisfied with his work. Yet, day by day, boredom grew in him, until thoughts of pioneering into the Hymalas range came into thought. But he shook his head, for he knew better than to fall into the temptation. Yet here he was, right on the edge of the mountains. Sughing and shaking his head, he got up from the stump. Walking down nearby, he kicked a small mushroom. Its bright colours irked him, telling him ''Eat me, eat me...''. Pffft, like that''s gonna happen. Suddenly, he heard a loud noise. Then, there was nothing... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Raaaaarrrggghhh!!! A gigantic mushroom of epic proportions rose from the ground, multiple tendrils shooting up. It grabbed ahold of three of Duncan''s escorts, piercing through their thick armour, consuming their very essences themselves. "Shit, run!!!" Snapping out of the stupor, Simon and the others began running, running for their dear lives. Yet despite the huge size of the mushroom, it effortlessly caught with them, eating two more of them on the way. Just as Simon was about to call for help, he realised that there were only two of them left: Duncan and him. Before he knew it, they ended up running into a thick, stone wall. Just as he was about to change directions, the mushroom monster cornered them, its teeth arched into a crazed smile, happy to corner its meal. Meanwhile, all Duncan did was mutter some strange, incomprehensible passages- "...Not here...left stone...no, the sigils here...damn it..." Witnessing his investor''s final crazed moments, Simon closed his eyes, prepared for the inevitable doom. Oh Illumia, I hope it be as painless as possible... "Hey, what''s going on here?" Chapter 33: Titus Boreson (I) Chapter 33: Titus Boreson (I)Hulking over Simon was a greenish brute, towering nearly 2.5 m in height. His lower canines protruded slightly from his lower lips, showcasing his brutality. Scars dotted all over his body, signifying his status as an eminent warrior. His most curious aspect was, of course, the pulsating tattoos that covered all of his body. Lines upon lines of deep blue drawings covered nearly every inch of his body. Pictures and glyphs formed across his body, moving animatedly for the briefest of seconds, before dispelling themselves and forming new ones. Simon could not help but feel mesmerized at the sight, forgetting the danger he was in. But the thing that drew in his attention was his race. He was an Orc Roooaaaarrrrr!!! Hearing the beastly roar once more, the Orc looked up. "Huh, a tier-6 Sporisma. Little shit thinks he can come to my territory and act this way. Wait a couple of seconds, let me take care of this." Hoisting a gigantic battle axe, the Orc strode forward towards the Sporisma. What happened next though, blew Simon''s mind away. A tentacle struck towards the Orc''s face, but got vapourised within 3 inches before his face. What stood in front was the axe itself, deftly turning and swirling in place. The Sporisma, enraged, lifted its burly arms, smashing them towards the Orc. Without batting an eye, he swung the battle axe, splitting the arms into two. Now frightened, the Sporisma attempted to flee, but it was too late. Holding the axe with both arms, a golden energy radiated from the Orc. Channelling it, he directed it to the axe, where it began to glow brighter and brighter, until it was blazing as bright as the sun. "Cataclysmic Split!" In horror, Simon and Duncan could only watch in stupor as the fleeing Sporisma split itself into perfect cubes, fear still visibly etched into its face. But it did not stop there. The surrounding trees began warping, their trunks bending until barely kneeling. Some of them even cracked, spitting into two. The land itself was no better. Rocks and mud began rolling down, vapourising once they reached the epicentre of the attack. The only reason Simon and Duncan survived was because the Orc never took them as his enemies at all. They soon snapped back though, for the Orc had turned his attention towards them. "Why the heck on Earadun are you here, you little runt?" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Gulping visibly, Ducan lifted his collar, nearly shitting his pants in fear. That still gave him the heebie-jeebies every time they met, and today was no different. Before he could introduce them though, Simon rudely asked first. "He''s not a runt, you old fart!" You little shit, you killed us all!!! ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Simon felt blood rising once he heard the words ''little runt''. Duncan was one of his (new) best friends, and no one could say shit about him. He knew that would get turned into diced boar, but he had to take a stand. Legs quivering, he felt himself shivering in fear, watching as the Orc grew angrier and angrier. Suddenly, the Orc landed his hand on Simon''s shoulder, laughing loudly. Clapping his shoulder, the Orc introduced himself. "Ahahahahah! I like this kid! The name''s Titus Boreson, what''s yours?" S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 34: The Valley Of Impossibilities Chapter 34: The Valley Of Impossibilities"What do you mean you won''t help us!? You haven''t even heard our proposal yet!" Yelling confusedly, Duncan waved his hands across Titus'' face, mystified at the Orc''s vehement denial. After Simon had introduced himself, Duncan asked Titus for his services, hoping he would help them with their endeavour. But before he could even say it, the Orc refused it immediately. "Don''t think I don''t know what type of shitfuckery you''re dragging me into, especially not since that whole fiasco with that ex-girlfriend of yours!" Ears perked up, Simon, eager to catch more of that juicy gossip, egged the Orc on. "Really, he had a girlfriend, but broke up? What happened? You can-" But shut up immediately, once he felt the death stare from a very pissed-off elf. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Brushing off the murderous stare glaring from behind him, Titus continued, explaining why he didn''t want to join in their adventures. "Look, kid, I just wanna spend the rest of my days in peace. I''ve had enough adventures to last me a lifetime or two..." Clenching his fists, Duncan begged for the last time. "C''mon old man, could you at least listen to our idea first?" Titus rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Fine. But only after you get treated. Those whip lashes look terrible..." Clutching the wounded arm in pain, Duncan merely hobbled as a reply, grunting in pain. Simon, dragging the satchel, badly mangled as it was, trotted to Duncan, curious. "Why do we need him? Don''t get me wrong, but aren''t there enough builders and stonemasons in Mithrador as they are? Surely we can hire one of them, like Lorgan of the Builders Association. I heard he does really we-" Interrupting midway, Duncan shushed Simon. "Look kid, I know Borgan or Shmorgan, whatever he is. He may be good, but he''s not good good, you know what I''m saying? Sure, he makes decent ass buildings, but to build one that can handle a rocket and its heat, you need real tech, the real know-how..." "What d''you mean re-" Bright light blasted Simon, blinding him senseless. Once he could see, he realised why Duncan wanted Titus as the builder. Deep in the valley, step farms layered the cliffs precariously, yet against all odds, survived. Tall pillars dotted the lands, each etched with several names, in a language long forgotten. A small forge is seen situated below the farms, radiating heat against the cold, misty air precipitating from the farms. But the most magnificent aspect of it all was the monastery, supporting everything as the load-bearing pillar, the foundation of them all. Built deep within the cliffs, it held motifs of unknown origins. Murals dotted along the walls, depicting scenes from quite possibly Titus'' life. Scenes of him when he was a boy, scenes of him cooking food, scenes of him hunting, scenes of him with his family... Scenes of him on a flying ship, training with men wearing big, bulky armours of unknown origins ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "No." "What d''you mean no!?" "Nice try kid. I''ve seen many fools, but you...you take the cake." Simon stood agape, wondering why the friendly Orc was now very mad at them. Raising a hand, he interrupted the argument. "Umm, hello? Could you please tell us why it''s impossible for us to go to the Moon?" Chuckling sadly, Titus revealed something that nearly shattered Simon''s resolve. "Because those that tried... get killed by the Goddesses." Chapter 35: Those Who Aimed For The Stars Chapter 35: Those Who Aimed For The Stars"You think you''re the first to aim for the stars? There were many who did, but all mysteriously perished in freak accidents. Some blew up trying to build airships to reach the sky, some crashed and burned while trying to fly to the sky, while others got labelled as heretics, and burned in stakes. But the most famous of all were the Goblins..." Here, Titus shakes his head, gazing into the far distance. Sighing he continued on, much to the expectations of the duo. "Haah...Well, long before I was born, there was a kingdom¡ªa kingdom filled with the brightest of minds, and the greatest of legends. That was the Gorulan Kingdom, home of the Goblins. They had creations that spanned epochs. They created engines that power their vast fortress citadels, roaming around the world, researching, collecting... Inventing Their greatest achievement, however, was uncovering technology from before the Great War. Technology that was said to have rivalled the Gods themselves. Despite their small stature, they were valiant, willing to any length to gain the smallest smidgen of knowledge. However, they broke the taboo... Seeing that they had accomplished everything that was goblinly possible, they aimed for the stars. They built enormous airships, capable of sailing the skies. But before they could use it, the entire kingdom was annihilated. Records mentioning the disaster have all been wiped out, but from the few traces left, the humans had surmised that Illumia and Nyxis sent their angels, burning the entire civilization to the ground. From then on, no one aimed for the skies anymore..." Sighing, Titus looked at the dwarf and elf once more, eyes now filled with pity and despair. "Kid, for your sake, I''ll give some advice: stop thinking about this foolish dream of yours, and return to being the humble little blacksmith you were supposed to be. Don''t throw your life away for the sake of this foolish dream..." Upon hearing this devastating news, the satchel fell from his hands. Seeing that Simon had gone catatonic, Duncan gave one last stinkeye to Titus, before dragging Simon back. Oh, I wish I could helpif only I still had my strength... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Marching down the valley, Orkanus, still munching, threw the human leg from his hands. Too fucking greasy, that merchant lived like a pig! Wiping his mouth, he looked back, gazing at his men, kitted with rusty iron plates and wielding worn-out swords. Once we conquer that city, hehehe... Suddenly, Urk raised his hands. "Boss...how...far...left?" Feeling annoyed, Orkanus, very mad, grabbed the Urk''s head, smashing it into pieces. Despite blue and red matter sealing everywhere, no one fainted. On the contrary, they all began cheering, some even going as close as possible to snatch a few pieces of the brain. Disgusted with their actions, Orkanus, quelling the nauseous feeling within, addressed his men. "Soon, my dear brothers, soon. Soon, we''ll destroy this wretched gate, soon, we''ll destroy the wretched guards, and soon, we''ll kill the wretched lord, taking back what is rightfully ours! Forwards!" Seeing that their lord had reassured them once more, the Urks began marching, their pace faster than before. Hehehe...stupid cunts. Dumb brutes such as you do not deserve to have those women, only me! Once I get the city, He wi- wait, what do we have here... From the far distance, Orkanos saw an elf, dragging a very disorientated dwarf alongside him. Ooooohhh, look what we have here! Some fine snacks have arrived, and they''re not that far off. A small detour should not take that long... Licking his lips, Orkanus quietly edged his way forward, creeping closer and closer towards the unsuspecting duo... Chapter 36: What Are Those Abominations!? Chapter 36: What Are Those Abominations!?"Simon, let''s go. Titus has... said what he wants to, I don''t think we can change his mind so easily. C''mon, I bet Lewis can make you your favourite rock cake..." Duncan began consoling the poor dwarf who stood in shock, unable to grasp his dreams being shattered in front of him brutally. Gazing up, he met with Duncan, eyes now devoid of the light that once shone within. "So...what''s the point of me building a rocket, huh? What was the point of me getting exiled by my clan, huh? WHAT WAS THE POINT OF ME TOILING AWAY FOR ALL THESE YEARS, ALL THESE YEARS WITH SCORN, JEERING, MOCKERY, HUH!? WAS ALL MY SUFFERING FOR NOTHING!? WAS I JUST A JOKE TO ALL YOU GUYS!? ANSWER ME DUNCAN, ANSWER ME!" Rabid, Simon started shaking Duncan, demanding answers. Stripped of the very cause of his existence, Simon went insane. Barely escaping the mad dwarf''s clutches, Duncan stepped to the side, dusting off his crumpled drakian leather coat. "Calm down Simon, calm down. Don''t forget, we have the parts of the Broken One. We can find a solution on how to avoid the eyes of the Goddesses and build our rocke- Holy fuck, shit it hurts!" Out of nowhere, an arrow whizzed by, impaling itself onto Duncan''s left arm. "Hehehe...tasty...pointy ear..." From behind the bushes, a misshapen figure emerged, their faces completely out of balance. Licking their grey, bloated lips, the figure notches another arrow, before being impaled through the chest by a hardened vine. "Shit, Urks!" Snapping out of his maddened stupor, Simon, realising that they have encountered enemies, brandished his hammer. "Pointy...leave...for...oosh...*Shliewp* " Licking their lips, more and more Urks emerged from the shadows, brandishing a paraphernalia of misshapen, rusty weapons. "Well, it''s been nice knowing you, shortass..." Warmth rose in Simon''s chest. He regretted acting the way he did earlier, finding solace that in his final moments, a true friend was beside him. "Let''s rock!" As the first Urk charged in, Simon crushed one of them, splitting their head into multiple tiny fragments. Realising that most were tier-2 in strength, Simon''s heart filled itself with courage, allowing him to light himself ablaze with the spirits of his forefathers, unleashing death and destruction on the battlefield. "Ahahahah! If I''m going down, I''m gonna take as many of you motherfuckers as I can!" Howling with joy, Simon dove headfirst into the Urk horde, brandishing the Hammer of the Broken One left and right, reaping lives everywhere. Meanwhile, Duncan was busy dealing with the tier-3 and tier-4 Urks. Seeing that there were too many Urks coming in, Duncan took a solemn breath. "Evergreen Titanos!" From behind him, wood began to arise, twisting, twirling, until a gigantic figure formed. Murmuring "Ignitious...", Duncan lit itself on fire. Lifting its gigantic fist, it smashed down upon a cluster of them, to their horror. As it landed, it caused a small explosion to occur, mushroom clouds forming in the air. The resulting shockwaves flattened the nearby trees, sending large boulders flying into the air, causing further casualties among the Urks. Panting, Duncan propped himself using a nearby stick. He turned his head towards Simon, who was finishing his fights with the remaining lower-tier Urks. Seeing that he was fine, Duncan heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to lie down, a red figure flew past him. As the dust cleared, Duncan''s eyes widened in fear. For it was Simon, heavily bleeding. "Well, well, well, look at what we have here: a tier-4 high elf and a weakling of a dwarf. I must say, you shitheads have my thanks for destroying these weaklings, but unfortunately for you lot, these shitheads were my men, and I really needed them for an important battle. Since you''ve gotten rid of most of them, I shall do the same: crush you little turds into pieces." Lifting a tree, Orkanos threw it right at Duncan''s face. Eyes shrinking, Duncan dodged to the right, taking a very wounded Simon with him. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Tch, looks like you''ve gotten lucky. Well, seems that it''s run out..." Orkanus grinned, his mismatched teeth gleaming. Duncan had trapped himself onto a vine, unable to move. He could only watch in despair as the red Urk lifted his axe, ready to swing it down. I wish I could say sorry to you... Bbbrrrrrr "Aaarrrrggghhh! My hand!" Opening his eyes, he saw, standing right in front of him, a green figure, wielding what seemed to be a... chainsword!? "Seems I''m not too late..." Chapter 37: Titus Boreson (II) Chapter 37: Titus Boreson (II)Watching the distraught dwarf leave, Titus heaved a sigh. He knew he could not wade in these deep waters, not since he was still wounded from the battle 500 years ago. Just remembering it made the scar in his chest ache. Wincing slightly in pain, he was reminded of a bond. A bond that he once had, a bond that was stronger than the Eternitum chains of the Foundation. The dead should remain with the dead. It''s time I move on... Sighing once more, he turned around, intending to return to his room at the back of the monastery. Just as he began walking, a faint glimmer of light was reflected onto his face. Annoyed, he gazed at the room, trying to find the source of it. Gazing down, he found what he was looking for. A satchel lay open, its bronze hammer clip thrown to the side. Strewn across were dozens of sheets of paper, each depicting plans of a dwarf riding several contraptions, each aimed at reaching the sky. Some even held notes, to which Titus, intrigued, read on: 17th of Wahun, 5603 EL - Today I have set myself up using several balloons filled with burning gas. It''s lightweight properties should allow me to ascend up... 1st of Marde, 5603 EL - Damn balloon, nearly blew me up! Thank Illumia that I had brought extra pillows for the flight up. Note to self - Don''t use balloons again! 3rd Apar, 5603 EL - Now, these wings should do the trick! Hah, people say we can''t fly like the birds, but I say nay! Let us reach for the skies! And so on and so on, Titus'' eyes grew bigger and bigger. reading each sheet told him the struggles and sacrifices the dwarf made, about how, despite being pressured and shunned by everyone, despite being advised to leave his dreams, he still forged on, believing that he''d reach the Moon one day. Well, I''ll be damned... Chuckling, Titus collected the papers, putting them back into the satchel. Closing the bronze hammer, he began walking back to his room, still chuckling at Simon''s ridiculous ideas. Yet little by little, his steps began faltering, for he began to realise how hypocritical he was. He, too, once had a dream. A dream to lead his people back to honour. A dream to help the Orcs gain the recognition they deserved. A dream...that ended in tragedy. He gave up his dreams, believing them to be pointless, not worth fighting for. Yet the dwarf''s dream encompassed even his by a thousand meters. But he did not give up. Stopping in his tracks, Titus ruminated over for seconds, stretching to minutes, and later, hours. He made up his mind. Just as he was about to go and pack up, a loud boom was heard behind him. Picking up the stench in the air, his eyes shrunk with fear. Urks! And damn it, they''re in danger! Realising that they were in immense danger, Titus ran to a locked room, barred shut with thick orichalcum pillars. Ripping his way through, he entered the dusty, forgotten hall. Breathing deeply, he passed through several shelves, of which displayed paraphernalia thought to have been lost, and those that originated elsewhere. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Walking down the aisle, he headed to the end of the room, where a pedestal lay. Going up the stairs, he started at the weapon laid upon it, contemplating. Closing his eyes, he picked it up, and switched it on. The long-forgotten buzz of the chainsword was heard once again. Chapter 38: Tier-6 Vs. Tier-6 – A Clash Of The Titans! Chapter 38: Tier-6 Vs. Tier-6 ¨C A Clash Of The Titans!Despite the arrows sticking in him, Funavn couldn''t help but be awestruck. Is that a fucking chainsword!? Before heading could ask further questions, the moaning behind Titus stopped. Orkanus, despite losing his right hand, stood back up, wincing through the pain. Grabbing ahold of his right hand, he shook off the sword. "Aren''t you supposed to stay holed in that mountain hut of yours, old geezer?" Smirking in response, Titus taunted, "Yeah, well, how can I when a party''s been delivered in front of my doorstep? So why don''t we stop the talk, and boogie instead!" Lifting the chainsword up, he began swinging at Orkanus, striking him from every angle, forcing him back. As Titus kept on swinging, Orkanus, sweating profusely, began panicking. Shit, when will he be here! Just then, a large rear resounded from the bushes behind Orkanus. Out jumped a beast, sporting three heads: the head of a Liona in the front, the head of an Avazin snake as the tail, and the head of a Breghost from the waist. Wielding its mighty claws, the clawed at Titus, who barely managed to deflect the attack. Shit, it''s a Mandricore! "Ahahahah, you old fucker! How''s that for fair!" Turning his head towards the Mandricore, he bowed with humility. "Sir, could you please help me here? I promise I''ll add more young girls after we conquer Mithrador." Eyes glinting, the Mandricore readied itself, crouching on its hind legs. Glancing at the smoking chainsword, Titus knew he did not have long, for the poison had damaged the chainsword considerably. "Oh, right, this reminds me ¡ª you''re nothing like the legends they say about you. I expected more oomph and a punch, but, ahahahah, you can''t even hold against a Mandricore! Perhaps it''s time you take a rest, old fart..." With that, the duo began attacking Titus, the Mandricore from the left, Orkanus from the right. Now it was Titus'' turn to panic. Shit, I''m still weak... His mind wandered back to his status screen... Name: Titus Boreson Age: 689 Strength: 3567/12387 Agility: 1245/9088 Intelligence: 5688/14657 Mana: 77889/124489 Stamina: 2560/11468 Skill: Body of the Broken One (Adamantite Body) SkillRank: Ex (SS) Occupation: Warrior Monk Tier: 6 InnateAbility: Wootsforce (6/10), Cosmic Strength (6/10), Cleansing Cycle (6/10), N/A, N/A Abilities: Advanced Foraging (6/10), Foraging (25/25), Needlework (10/10), Basic Magic (10/10), White Magic (50/50), Bartering (35/35), Smooth Tongue (30/50), Camouflage (75/75), Digging (30/30), Nuclear Fists (90/100), Basic Maths (10/10), Arithmetic (30/30), Algebra (20/20), Dark Magic (50/50), Necromancy (5/50), Grappling (67/67), Draconic Aura (10/10), Leadership (15/15), Gunmanship (40/40), Stonemasonry (100/100), Chemist (15/100), Earth Magic (50/50) Titles: Kinkiller, Cosmic Navigator, Ultima Unum, Chaplain of The Grey Templars, Immortal Annihilator, Butcher of Worlds, Bane of Chaos, The Faithful, Atoner Shit, I''m still weak! If it weren''t for those damn traitors, I would still have kept my strengths... Parrying their attacks, Titus realised that he was getting pushed back. Knowing that he did not have the luxury of time on his side, he made a last-ditch effort. Revving up the chainsword to maximum speed, he swung it upon the Mandricore. Sparks flying, it initially struggled to get past through the thick armour. Upon successfully entering the Mandricore''s body though, the chainsword left the beast into two. Now crippled and smoking, Titus threw the sword away. Shocked, Orkanus could not help but slow his assault on Titus. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. An action that did not go unnoticed. Grasping his chance, Titus grabbed hold of Orkanus, clasping his skull with his bare two hands. Squealing in pain, the Urk leader tried his best to escape from the Orc''s grasp. "Mercy, please, show me mercy. I-I-I swear, I won''t come back again. Please, show me some mercy..." Titus, on the other hand, simply watched. Watched the Urk''s struggles with cold eyes. Watched in silence at the Urk''s vain attempt to gain mercy. Watched as the Urk''s struggle became less and less. "No mercy for the damned..." And with that, he crushed Orkanus'' head into pieces. Chapter 39: Will Undefeated Chapter 39: Will UndefeatedPanting, Titus kneeled. Still holding the smouldering chainsword, he forced himself to stand up. Wiping off his sweat, he meandered his way towards the gawking duo. "Holy shit, what the fuck was that!?" Dusting his shoulders, Duncan hobbled his way towards the Orc, still awestruck at the sight of chainsword. "I thought this world was supposed to be medieval in origin, with magic here and there of course. But how the fuck on Earadun did you manage to acquire a bloody chainsword. I thought that it was just some fairy tail, only belonging to someone who followed a certain Emperor sitting on a Golden Throne. Never thought I''d see one here..." Meanwhile, the poor dwarf remained shocked, unable to comprehend the marvellous device that was the chainsword. Those glistening sawblades, glinting in the air, mesmerised him. The smoking handle added an air of unruliness to them, an epitome of manliness. Just before he could touch the chainsword, a large hand swatted it away. "Don''t touch it. It''s sanctified by the powers of the administrator, and the wishes of all those who believe in the Bureau. Anyone not a part of (or recognised by) the Bureau will either have their hands smote or, if you''re evil enough, vapourised on the spot. Anyways..." Behind them, a headless body rose up, shambling forward whilst still clutching its sword. No one saw it coming... Except for one dwarf. Eyes wide open, Simon only noticed it when the corpse began running, but by then it was too late. Duncan was heavily wounded, with Titus none the better. Despite noticing the movement, they could not do anything, for they were too wounded by then: Titus too busy panting, Duncan wincing deeply in pain. All they could do was watch helplessly as the headless body of Orkanus dashed its way forward towards them. When all seemed lost, a sudden yell took them out of their stupor. "Chainswipe!" A blinding flash of light erupted from Simon''s hammer, from which a sword beam erupted from the hammer, going straight at the zombified body of Orkanus. Swish! Titus and Duncan watched in awe as the Urk''s body split in two, falling down, flopping miserably, trying to rejoin back together, yet ultimately failing. The Orc and Elf duo let their jaws, astounded at the scene. Yet when they turned to interrogate the suspect, all they saw was an epileptic dwarf, twitching and moaning in agony. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "What the fuck! How''s ge still alive!?" Shocked, Duncan cussed in front of Titus, astounded at how Sumon was still alive. Oraknus, even though very weakened at the time, was still a tier-6 being. A tier-2 should not be able to survive at the massive influx of experience for killing a prey one tier higher, let alone four. This was an anomaly Wiping his tired face, Titus revealed a shocking secret to Duncan. "*Haah*, it''s not well known, yet it''s possible for lower tiers to power level through killing higher tier prey. The trick here is that an attacker of the same tier as the beast must engage as long as possible so that when the lower-tiered hunter delivers the finishing blow, most of the experience will flow towards the higher one, thereby stemming the influx of experience the lower one feels. This can be somewhat modified if your career is more craft-orientated by contributing somewhat towards creating a higher-tier tool. This is well known in the noble circle..." Outraged, Duncan flailed his arms in anger. "Why didn''t I know of this? Damn it, Mom, you never loved me, did you!?" Just as he was about to continue his tantrums, his hands stopped midair. It finally dawned upon him. "Old man, why are you helping us? You could''ve just left us to die..." Caught red-handed, Titus rubbed his bald head. " Well, it''s because someone left their satchel..." Feeling Duncan''s sharp gaze, Titus buckled under the gaze. Sighing deeply, he revealed his reason why. "Y''know, I also once had a dream. A grand dream, though not as grand as yours. All I wanted was a land for my people. A land where we could live in peace, not as uncivilised barbarians, but as people acknowledged by all. I tried my best to bring it to life, I tried for a long time. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But I gave up midway... I...I grew disillusioned by the state of my people. Despite my efforts gaining some fruit, the majority of my people refused to change, content with pillaging and raping men and women. Finally, I...I left my dreams, and left my people. To this day, I sometimes still ponder, pondered whether if I had kept insisting, pondered if I kept going, would my people still be here..." Silent, Duncan kept his mouth. He knew better than to open his mouth here. "So...will you join us?" Smirking, the Orc extended his hands. "Whether by hook or crook, I shall build you the roughest and toughest space station you can ever imagine." Chapter 40: The Little Explosive Maniac Chapter 40: The Little Explosive ManiacSoft thumps could be heard across the tunnel as a small furry creature, wearing bark plates and twig helmets, scurries down the tunnel. Messenger Two-toes had an important message. A very, very important message. Despite being half exhausted to death, feet smoking in ten different flavours, mouth gasping for air, Two-toes managed to arrive at his destination. Situated beneath an old tree, a massive underground was laid bare to all. Thick, girth roots swirled up, supporting many of the buildings sprawled across. Thick smoke could be seen meandering its way across the sky, accompanied by a cacophony of ringing sparks following suit. Scurrying across were the same furry creatures, now sporting iron weapons and armour. The Wabbits were preparing for war. Scurrying past the ever-increasing line of Wabbit blacksmiths, he managed to reach a mud palace in time. Phew! Hope her Highness does not mind me being very late... Gulping, Two-toes gingerly went inside the palace, full of trepidation. Tens of tier-4 Wabbit soldiers were seen marching up and down, their bloodthirsty nature culminating into a tangible aura. Nearly pissing himself senseless, he managed to hold it in. Navigating his way through, he managed to find himself in front of a grand door, made with thick steel and precious gems. Standing in front of it, Two-toes finds himself hesitating once more. If Her Highness knows about this, forget about me; my whole family might turn into Wabbit stew! Just as he was wondering what to do, two vattle hardened tier-4 Wabbit Custodians came behind him. "Squeak, grunt, squeeeaaak? (Halt, what are you doing here, huuuuh?)" Two-toes jumped up in fright. "S-squeak, g-g-grunt sniffle snort hew crinkle... (I am Two-toes, and I have come bearing important news for the queen...)" Turning towards each other, the Custodians nodded. "Squeak sniffles and grunts. SQUEAL! (Very well, you may enter. OPEN THE DOOR!)" With a loud clank, the gigantic doors opened, upon which the first thing seen was a giant wooden throne. Sitting on it was seemingly a rabbit beastman. But there was something off about her. At first glance, she seemed to resemble a castle like the Rabbitos clan, complete with the large, droopy bunny ears. But her face, her face resembled those of a Wabbit, whiskers and all. Draped in regalia adorned with random trinkets (such as rusty nails, golden rings, and even bloody arrows), she seemed to stare down at the world, her gaze looking at everything as she sat on her high throne. Clasping his hands in a simple prayer, he boldly marched in (or so he proclaimed; his knees were already shaking faster than the Diggers were doing their mating dance!). Closing the door, the two Custodians prayed alongside him, for they also saw those weak knees. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "What!? What d''you mean Orkanus is dead! How the fuck on Earadun did he die!? Wait, don''t tell me he fucked around in the Hymalas Mountains, causing that unholy old goat to trample him to shit! Oh Zarthax, can''t your simple ass of a brain just follow simple instructions. All you had to do was wait around until the preparations were complete before we marched into Mithrador, but noooo, you had to mess around. Shit, all my plans are ruined, RUINED! What to do, what to do..." Meanwhile, below her feet was a shivering Wabbit, shitting everywhere, frightened out othe f its wits. Oh Zarthax, please save me... Before she could destroy anything in rage, a small Devimp flew in, carrying a small, rotating mechanical device, alongside a letter sealed with the royal seal. Grabbing them both, she first opened the letter, fiddling with the shivering object. As she read the letter, her expression grew brighter and brighter, until she began laughing uproariously, joy radiating brightly, as evident from her dancing whiskers. "Oh, the heavens haven''t forsaken me yet! Tell her Ladyship it shall be done..." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing this, the Devimp bade her farewell, before conjuring a gate in the air, teleporting out of the room. Two-toes on the other hand, was merely glad that he survived another day. Phew, thank you Zarthax for saving my furry behind... Just then, a loud explosion rumbled from above, causing a large chunk of mud to fall from the ceiling. With astronomical luck and accuracy, it flew all the way in, smack dab into the Queen''s mouth. "Peh, peh, peh! Who the fuck on Earadun is causing all that noise. Which son of a bitch is setting off explosions upstairs!?" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Emerging from the tiny hole in the trunk, a petite figure emerged from within, her light green skin covered in grease and what-not. Coughing out the sawdust from her lungs, Goblina waved her hands in the air, dispersing the dust. Taking out a notebook from her pocket near her very flat chest, she took the pencil from her rough, shaggy hair, jotting down her thoughts. "Experiment number 2567: Liquid injected into bronze container, then sealed. Said urn then placed near the desolate hills of Istgan near Mithrador (damn guards...). Ignited using tier-1 fireball scroll (cost: 10 silvers). Took 6 seconds to ignite. Resulting explosion took out most of area AZ. Total blast radius: 10 m." Jitting down the last of her thoughts, she laid down the book with great care, before jumping in the air, dancing in jubilation. "~You''re the greatest, you''re the greatest, uhuh, uhuh~, Goblina''s the greatest, woohoo! Alright, now I need to run away before those pesky guards come running here and slap me with terrorist charges..." Wearing her cloak, the young goblin scurried away, muttering under her breath. "Those stick-up snobs should be grateful to me for getting rid of any potential monsters here..." Chapter 41: The (Very) Lively Girl Chapter 41 - The (Very) Lively Girl"Those assholes, how long are they gonna take!? I can''t bloody keep this shop running all by myself..." Munching on a stick of bitter cikolet, Lewis made his way towards the centre of Mithrador, eyes scrunched. Damn it, this shit''s so bitttteeerrr! Don''t they know they can add sugar to make it sweet!? Despite his disgust towards the abhorrent creation, he could not help but continue munching on the slightly familiar treat. Using Appraisal, he once again looked at the description of the heinous treat: Item: Cikolet Durability: 300/300 Tier: 1 Grade : Edible(?) Remark: The failed(?) creation of Chovlec Maetres, who attempted to peer at the Gods'' secrets(?). Bitter in taste, by all accounts it shouldn''t even sell! But since this is the closest they can get, eh, what else can they do? So pucker your lips, close your eyes, and start munching (read: forcing) the sweet, sweet (not) treat down your (miserable) throats! Holy shit, why on Earth does my appraisal act this way!? Lewis had once consulted with other people and beings who hold the same Appraisal abilities. Upon hearing that his ability always gave sbide remarks, they all side-eyed him, thinking that he must''ve escaped from some deranged laboratory of a senile necromancer (necromancers here are very regulated. Failure to comply with the rules will result in immediate execution). Giving up on trying to convince them otherwise, Lewis simply accepted their sympathetic claps, smiling weakly. It is what it is... Despite the side remarks, the ability worked better, far better than those used by other users. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Gagging upon swallowing the toxic shit that was cikolet, Lewis turned his head to his main source of his headac- "Hey, hey, HEY! *Uhum*, Be relieved, old man, for it is I, Goblina, the...nice? Yeah, nice. *Mhm*, Be relieved that Goblina the Nice is here to help you on your expedition. Now listen carefully, rookie, and be amazed at how easy your first forage to the dungeon will be..." This... Fucking... Goblin ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Ten days after Simon and Duncan left... "Aarrrggghh! Damn it, how am I supposed to calculate the fuel composition!? I''m not a fucking chemist, I''m an engineer!" Rubbing his head incessantly, Lewis stepped over the piles of fallen hair, shambling his way to the main door. The constant knocking was killing him... "What!?" Ripping open the door, he squinted angrily, only to realise that no one was there. Turning around, he was just about to close the door, when a sharp kick to his shin nearly knocked him over. Who the fuck... Jumping on one foot, gasping in pain, Lewis lowered his gaze, where he net with a very disgruntled child, arms crossed angrily across their chest. Seeing that the coast was clear, the child deftly entered the store, where they began overturning everything as a human hurricane. Narrowly dodging a flying steel lamp, Lewis grabbed ahold of the child, stopping them in their tracks. Despite the intense struggle, the child was no match for a fully grown man. Within five minutes, he had the child subdued. Curious, he ripped off the child''s cloak while they were not paying attention. There, he received the shock of his lifetime. Dressed in grimy coveralls made of cheap, coarse cotton, the little girl struggled with all her might, attempting to escape from her captor. Her frizzy, dirty green hair held all sorts of trinkets, ranging from broken pieces of glass, all the way to bloody arrowheads. Clipped on her waist were several vials and tubes, each filled with different chemicals, all pulsating and changing colours every few seconds. But what surprised him the most was that¡ª "Help! Help me! Someone''s about to rape me!" Shewas a Goblin Chapter 42: Citadel of Mithras Chapter 42 - Citadel of MithrasHoly shit, that little runt nearly got me killed! Biting a humongous chunk off the cikolet, Lewis nearly choked himself to death after getting the huge dose of pure bitterness. Gagging near the sidewalk, he drew the irate glances of nearby adventurers and peddlers who were coming and going from the dungeon. "Hey old man, you okay?" Concerned, Gonlina knelt down towards Lewis, patting his back. Although light in touch, it did warm up his heart. Ah, so the girl does have a heart after all... After chugging some water to rinse off the taste from his mouth, Lewis headed towards the Guild. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Welcome back to the Guild! How may I help youuuu...?" With the drawn-out question, the poster girl of the guild, Linda Cantra, a Katnil (they are this world''s version of a catgirl, which Lewis found out the hard way...), held her two fingers at her cheeks, entertaining everyone with her ditzy looks. Men all around whistled out, some even fainting when she gave a kiss towards them. Rolling his eyes, Lewis manhandled his way to the counter. "Hey Linda, I just got moved to Bronze. Can I please sign up for dungeon exploration?" Seeing (a dashing) Lewis rest his arms on the counter, Linda blushed, evidently smitten by him. "Sure, no problem. H-hey, mister, i-is it possible for you to come on a date with me? No need to worry, it won''t take long..." Lowering her shirt, more of her cleavage was revealed, eliciting some catcalls from those behind Lewis. Smirking, she continued on. "Well, how ''bout da-" Smack! "Get away from him, you skank, otherwise you''ll, you''ll get the taste of Goblina''s super stinky stinker!"'' Holding an ominous-looking glass vial, filled with a green liquid swirling toxic gases inside, Linda finally acknowledged the elephant in the room- Goblina "What''d you want, you little runt!? Do you know how much trouble you''ve caused the Guild, huh!? You''re lucky that you''ve got that stupid face of yours! Did that whore of a mother of yours-" Bang! Lewis loudly thumped on the counter. In a gritted voice, he knelt close to her ear, and whispered. Goblina, being short and all, did not hear what was said, but saw Linda''s face growing whiter than a banshee''s bottom. "You don''t want me to say about some certain...''services'' you offer to your fans, do you know? Good, I''ll keep my mouth shut, and in exchange, never, ever, ever, do shit like this again now, kapeesh?" Nodding her head furiously, Linda furiously tapped onto her board, typing away the permit needed to enter the dungeon. Seeing that she had given the permit, she bolted faster than a Thunder Mouse, tripping many times, before she escaped the counter. Puzzled at their idol''s frantic expression, the duo used this opportunity to escape the eyes of her (possibly rabid) fans. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Phew! Got what we came for. Hope none of those douchebags come after us..." Wiping the sweat off his head, Lewis turned his gaze towards Goblina, who was quietly sniffing. "*Sniff*, *Sniff*, Dank yu sho mush. No one''s ever done this before. People usually throw stones at me, or try to sell me to a brothel. Even my uncles wanted to sell me off to the slave traders because of my looks..." His heart twinging in agony Lewis could not help but hug her in his arms. "There, there, no need to cry. I''ll be here for you little girl. Now, how about you tell me about this dungeon of ours?" Wiping off the few remaining tears, Goblina began explaining the dungeon they were about to visit. "As you know, dungeons are basically-" Here, Lewis cut her off, evident that he knew what dungeons were. "Yes, yes, yes, I know what they are. Now-" "But you don''t know that dungeons also have types, don''t you?" Stopping midway, Lewis face grew strange. "I know how they were created to seal and diminish the Demon God''s army-" "Yeah, but did you know that dungeons are also further classified into ranks- 1) Resource 2) Battle 3) Historical Recreation Resource types are simple enough to understand - upon defeating the monsters in each level, you can get the corresponding rewards, which in this case, happen to be things such as metal ores and food. However, they tend to be on the shorter end of dungeons, typically going no higher than tier-4 in level, 5 in extreme cases. These are the most common dungeon types you can see, where even the most rural villages and shanties have them lying around. Battle types are where you get transported to a level, and participate in challenges and whatnot. The rewards for completing them typically include what I''ve mentioned previously, but the reason they are more sought after than resource types are because they can give one additional reward that everyone yearns for: Ability Orbs..." Here, Goblina reveals an expression of yearning, greed visible in her face. Wiping off the drool, she continued on, this time more serious. "The last type is the most sought out type - Historical Recreation. Unlike the previous two, this one''s unique in that each and every floor present is linked to a piece of history that happened on the land they''re situated on. The higher the tower, the older and more powerful they are. Now the reason they''re so sought after is that, unlike the battle types, the ability orbs you get here are unique, in the case that any skill obtained cannot be obtained from any other dungeon, whereas battle types are common enough to be repeated in near most dungeons." Clasping his hands, Lewis pointed out his observation. "So the dungeon in Mithrador is a Historical Recreation?" Goblina nodded in response. "Yep, and it''s name is..." Just then, a large shadow loomed over them. Casting his hand over his forehead, Lewis squinted his eyes. In front of him lay a large citadel fortress. Vines and trees covered most of the known walls, presenting.. a dilapidated scene. Murals and etchings covered every inch of the base, each depicting scenes in history. Some depicted stories of heroes slaying large monsters, armed with nothing except a sword and their trusty swords. Some depicted hunter-gatherers foraging in the area, battling foes with nothing other than sticks, stones and a few well-placed traps. Some even depicted wars of epic proportions, their tales forgotten in time... Yet not all of them could be interpreted, for many of them were gone, smoothed out by the ravages of time. Lewis stood in front of the dungeon, awed at the sight of the marvellous structure in front of him. "...The Citadel Of Mithras." Chapter 43: Slimes Galore Chapter 43 - Slimes GaloreSwish! With a swift strike, Lewis cut the green slime that was rocketing towards him. Barely dodging the corrosive strike, Lewis wielded his Gatling crossbow, shooting a barrage of arrows at it. Blowing across the top of the crossbow, Lewis smirked as he saw the results. Scattered across the ground in front of him were orbs of many colours, ranging from green to red, blue to yellow. Each colour represented the different attributes the slimes had. Holstering the crossbow, Lewis began picking up the cores. Kaboom! Small explosions could be heard from time to time, as Goblina began hurling the vials in her waist at the slimes. Some melted the slimes, breaking down their connective bonds, turning them back into liquids, still very much alive. Some imploded into themselves, scrunching until they could no longer shrink, exploding with a tiny pop. Some even began burning, emitting screams of untold pain, running to and fro, trying their best to set out the fires that engulfed them. "Wahahahah! I am Goblina, the destroyer of slimes! Come and meet your daddy! Wahahahah!" Laughing maniacally, Goblina spread her arms out, basking in the carnage, all the while slimes slid frantically, trying to escape, some even clasping their hands, praying for salvation. Holy shit is she messed up... Gulping, Lewis pretended he did not see it, storing the cores in his backpack. "Damn it, isn''t there those, watchama-call-it, those fandangled ''Storage Spaces''?" Ears perking, Goblina turned to Lewis, slime juice dripping from her face. "Hmm? Oh yeah, they do exist, but we can''t afford it. A - they''re too expensive, and B - you need some magic in you to activate it. And by the looks of it, you don''t have it do you?" Head tilted, Goblina looked Lewis in the eye, squinted, and squished the steel slime in her hand into pate. "Puhahahah! Where did you come from, another world or something?" Not realising she had nailed her shot, she continued killing slimes. Blushing, Lewis soon focused his attention on the vials in her hands. Using Appraisal, he found information on them that shocked him. Item: Goblina''s Burning Bomb Tier: 1 Grade: Perfectly Unstable Remark: The successful(?) creation of Goblina, a barely contained vial containing a mixture of Manatised Kerozin, Benadyl, and 5 herbs. Though barely kept stable, one sudden shock could potentially explode the vial (and the holder) to kingdom comes. P.S., this is not R*****l, so drinking it won''t give you wings (technically, because you can still fly like a jetpla-, y''know what, let''s not go too far from the setting, otherwise our readers won''t like it, causing us not get monetised...) What the!? Taken aback, Lewis was shocked to his core. He had finally found his Holy Grail... Without wiping off the stains on his hands, he dashed to Goblina, grabbing the panicking Goblin off the ground, and carouselling her in the air. "Leggo you perv!? I have someone I lov-" "Would you please join us in our endeavour to the Moon!?" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 44: Don Slime Chapter 44 - Don SlimeKrakoom! A loud explosion sounded from behind them, interrupting their moment. A large shadow emerged from behind the trees, growing bigger bit by bit, until the owner appeared right before them. "Food...Yum...Yum..." A large slime, glowing with all sorts of colours (like that of a rainbow), emerged from the shadows. Donning a wooden crown, the slime menacingly rolled across the ground, eating everything in its path. "Help me!" Running away from it was a small boy, carrying a baby strapped on his shoulder. Fear was evident in his eyes, hands shaking with hopelessness. Just before the slime got to him, he spotted his saviour. "Please help me! Save me from Don Slime!" Name: Don Slime Age: 5 years Strength: 60 Agility: 10 Intelligence: 3 Mana: 76 Stamina: 120 Skill: Squishy Body Occupation: Slime King Tier: 2 S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Abilities: Recovery (5/5), Advanced Recovery (20/20), Regeneration (10/10), Gluttony (1/1), Acid Spray (20/25), Basic Domination (2/10), Bullet Spray (5/5) Titles: King of Slimes Holy shit, what kind of slime is that!? Lewis was already surprised by the sheer size of the damn thing, but now? These skills are enough to make it a formidable foe for those ag the same tier as it, let alone him, a lone tier-1 Mechanical Engineer. Wiping off the sweat from his head, he dragged Goblina into the bushes, hiding themselves using his new device: Item: Blanket of Secrets Tier: 1 Grade: Perfect Description: A failed attempt at creating a cloak of invisibility. Upon covering yourself with it, the cloak can reflect the surrounding light to create a pseudo-invisible state, making you seem almost invisible if you don''t move. Remark: Who d''you think you are, Harry Potter! Try building something original for once, you shit for brains! Eyes twitching, Lewis ignored the snide remarks once more, covering himself. Goblina opted to stay out (men and women should not stay with one another, if you know what I mean...). With cold eyes, they watched as Don Sliem slowly cornered the child, stifling hope bit by bit until the only thing that remained in the boy''s eyes was despair. Lewis had no choice but to ignore it, for he knew it was just an illusion, a thing that had already been in the past. But some didn''t think so... Biting her lips, Goblina hesitated, struggling deep in her heart. This lasted for a long time, during which the boy was hoisted in the air, the slime enjoying its torment on its food. She made up her mind. Without further hesitation, she bolted from the bush. Feeling the rush of air, Lewis turned his head, only to see an empty space where the little Goblin once was. "Get back here you little runt, you''ll get killed!" Unable to see her fly towards her heat, Lewis reloaded his Gatling crossbow, launching arrows straight at the slime king. Although they did not do harm to it, it did cause a distraction... Long enough for Goblina to launch a red vial. "Duck!" With that, a large explosion sounded from behind them. Chapter 45: The Day Grenades Were Born... Chapter 45 - The Day Grenades Were Born...Getting up from the bushes, Lewis, spitting out the leaves that were stuck in his mouth, dusted himself. After the tinnitus went away, Lewis turned his head, surveying the land after the horrific explosion. What he saw made his eyes shrink. The once vibrant trees were no more. All that was left were vestiges, roots that somehow survived the explosion, charred into charcoal. Splinters floated through the air, still in the air. The hot air suffocated him, causing him to struggle to breathe. "Woah, that...was...awesome! Holy shit, when I created it, I thought it was too weak, so I thought ''Hmm, let''s add more Manatised Kerozin'', so that''s what I did. Damn, the explosion was so totally worth it. Alright, high-fi- Ow!" With a loud thwack, Lewis thumped Goblina on the head. "You little runt, you could''ve killed us all! Do you know how close to dying we were right there!? Anyways thank God we''re safe..." Just then, a small cry for help sounded from behind them. Jerking their heads, they saw the little boy stuck on the tree, the baby hanging by the edge of a branch, wailing in fright. Sighing in relief, Lewis attempted to free them, only to be stopped by a rainbow tentacle grabbing his hand. What the fu-!? Before he could say anything, he was hoisted into the air, and flicked into the deep blue sky. As he came crashing down, he saw who, or what had caused this: Don Slime was still alive Horrified, he could only watch in fear as he came closer and closer to the Slime''s mouth, waiting to be eaten. Just when he had given up all hope, a murky green vial crashed onto the tentacle. Writhing in pain, he habitually used ''Appraisal'' on it. Status: Melting in great pain (what the fuck is that concoction made of!? Fluroantamonic acid or something!?) What the fuck!? I didn''t I could do that!? "What''re you waiting for!? Run!" Getting out of his stupor, Lewis grabbed ahold of the boy and the baby, escaping from Don Slime''s catches. Getting afar, he could only watch in horror as the slime reconstituted itself, along with making a new wooden crown. "Me...ANGRY!" With a loud cry, Don Slime went on a rampage, spitting acid bullets everywhere irrelevant to its surroundings. The group could only hide in terror underneath a large rock that was dissolving very quickly. Panicking, Goblina began going through her potions. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit... Damn it, the ''Goblina''s Big Burning Bomb X'' did not destroy the core! Shit, if there was only a weapon that exploded and shot arrows at the same time..." This was all Lewis needed, for at that exact moment, ''Engineer''s Inspiration'' activated. Mind flowing with ideas, calculations, blueprints, he instinctively went through his backpack, rummaging through it, until he found what he was looking for. Grabbing the heavy bronze water bottle, he ripped off a bit of his shirt before turning to Goblina, eyes redder than a tomato. "Quick, give me that concoction! We don''t have much time!" Under Goblina''s quizzical gaze, Lewis quickly poured ''Goblina''s Big Burning Bomb X'' into the bronze cannister. Plugging the top with the hastily constructed primer and lighting it on fire, Lewis prayed for it to work, before lugging it to Don Slime. Unaware of the danger, the dumb brainless Slime simply consumed it. The cannister made its way to the center of its body, where it touched the core. The cloth, dipped in a waterproof coating, continued to burn, until it reached inside. Then, there was a blinding light. With a large boom, the slime exploded into millions of pieces, alongside shrapnels of its core. Mouth agape, Goblina and the boy both looked at Lewis, horrified at what they saw. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Today I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds..." And with that, Lewis felt himself advancing to tier-2. Chapter 46: An Ominous Warning... Chapter 46 - An Ominous Warning...Quickly settling into Earth''s well-known Lotus position, Lewis chanted the mantra, settling the overflowing experience into his body. As the energy flowed through him, the duo (minus the baby for obvious reasons) began settling the loot. "Aww, the core''s been shattered into pieces. Heard that if it was whole, the price would''ve been high, like straight out of the roof high. Man, if only¨C Holy shit!" In front of their shocked eyes, the core shrapnels began floating. Slowly gaining momentum, they began congregating together. Before their shocked eyes, the core reassembled itself, seamless to the very edge. Dragging their tired bodies, they prepared themselves for their second final fight, only to see the core explode like a firework. Under their surprised eyes, an ability orb, a scroll and a rainbow-coloured gem appeared. Cautious, Lewis picked up a stick, prodding the gem. Seeing that there were no traps, Goblina scampered to the drops, pocketing them before returning to Lewis. "Here, please check them..." Using ''Appraisal'', Lewis checked out the lot from the slime: Item: Slimagem Tier: 2 Description: A gem formed from the remains of a King Slime. They are rarely ever found, for there is only a one in million chance of them dropping. Can be used to create equipment that imbibed the properties of Slimes onto them. Remark: Watcha gonna do? Boing to the Moon? Item: Ability Orb Ability: Basic Restoration Description: At a rate of 1 point every minute, basic Stamina is be recovered, and this is in passive mode. In active mode, the delay can be shortened to aound 15 s, but after 3 min of usage, the skill will go into cool down. Remark: Ptoo!, Weakling... Item: Ability Scroll Ability: Acid Bullet Description: Upon tearing the scroll, a rain official bullets are unleashed upon your enemies. Causes caustic burns to occur, and if enemies are undefended, a high chance of acid poisoning can occur Remark: No, I know what you''re thinking. Don''t think of using it on women... "Umph, what the fuck are these snide-ass remarks!? And also, I''m not a pervert!" Screaming in rage, Lewis was very nearly tempted to destroy the drops, but stopped as soon as he thought of thr effort he had to go through to defeat the damn Slime. Quickly grabbing the loots, Goblina hid them inside the backpack, for fear that Lewis might change his mind and finish the job. "So, how shall we split the loot? I''m telling you, as your senior, I should get the first dibs..." Growling, Goblina hugged the backpack, fearing that Lewis might use his superior strength (as a human), and rip the backpack from her. Finding the attempt cute, Lewis shook Goblina''s rugged hair even rougher. "Kid, i ain''t gonna argue with you here. Hell, I''m even willing to give you all the loot..." Chuckling, Lewis picked up his tired body, heading to the boy, but stopped right as he got close. Gone was the naive look, his eyes now filled with ageless wisdom. "Congratulations for passing this trial, oh heir of the Broken One. Though I''m under oath and seal, unable to say much, but I can say this much: S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Beware of the traitors..." With that, the area began shaking, as everything soon began collapsing onto itself... Chapter 47: Chapter 47 - "I Think I''m In Love..."Escaping the dungeon, Lewis and Goblina headed out. Dragging the loot they obtained, alongside the drops from Don Slime, they headed towards the counter at the entrance. Dingles, a dwarven adventurer who retired years after being shot in the knee, manned it. Looking up from his hastily covered (adult) magazine, he cleared his throat, and began sorting through the loot. "Hmm, 123 Acid Slime cores, 56 Rock Slime cores, 42 Fire Slime cores..." Going through the loot, Dingles initially had his eyes closed, used to seeing this. But it soon opened as he started to realise how ridiculous their haul was. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Total amount of cores obtained: 1056. Holy shit, did you guys rob a vault or something!?" Jumping from his desk, Dingles strained his already wounded knee, causing him to wince in pain. "Ouch! Anyways, what''s with your luck, huh? Back when I first ventured forth, I only got 50 slimes, and that''s with losing ten of my teeth!? Damn Steel Slimes, wait until I get that ''Forgemaster 2000'', then we''ll see who''s the boss, hehehe..." Realising that his monologue must be been heard by those two, he quickly ducked his head, blushing brighter than a tomato. "Anyways, here''s the total: 10 G and 97 C. Of course, we''ll take 20% as charging fees, but as a ''friend'', I''ll takenotndown to 17%..." Winking with great fervour, Dingles hurriedly signalled them to take his ''hush money''. Although still skeptical, they nevertheless accepted it, for who doesn''t like to save more money? Coins jingling, the duo headed back home, giddy with joy. Just as they were heading out of the dungeon, they bumped into a Rabbitos. Crashing down, she looked up, angry at whoever bumped into her. "Look where you going, you son of a bi¨C oh, sorry..." Clasping both hands in apology, the Rabbitos woman knocked her head with her fist in, tongue out on the side. "Teehee, I''m so sorry..." Scared, she quickly picked up what she had dropped, including what seemed to be a metallic(?) ball, dashing away in possible shame, her blue ears jumping up and down frantically. "Well, that was weird. Anyways, how about I treat you to a..." Shaking his head at the ridiculous farce that occurred right in front of him, Lewis attempted to ask Goblina what they should have for dinner when, all of a sudden, his mouth froze. There stood a withdrawn woman in a corner, hiding shyly beside a lamppost. A large cloak hid most of her body, yet it could not hide her humongous assets. As she shivered there, some nearby men could not help but ogle straight at her. Although her assets were huge, it paled in comparison to her face. Large droopy eyes hid behind a pair of thick glasses, filled with fear and confusion. Freckles dotted her face, marring her smooth skin. Thick, luscious lips quivered, betraying the emotions of its owner. Yet beneath it all, he could smell it. The stench of knowledge His heart began beating rapidly, his blood rushing faster than ever, his breath heavier than ever. "I think I''ve fallen in love... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Cercis, the Wabbit Queen, was fuming. Her stupid ally had gone missing, and she could not find her. "Where on Earth has that stupid bitch gone to!? I thought I told her to stay near the damn barbecue shop, but nooo, she found out that her favourite magical journal had released a new edition. Why on Earadun am I paired with such a buffoon-m¨C ah, there you are where the fuck on Eardun have you been!?" And from behind her, came a cloaked lady, her glasses covered... Chapter 48: Fuel For Thought... Chapter 48 - Fuel For Thought...After more than two months of travelling, Simona and Duncan have returned, successfully managing to bring back Titus with them. As they got closer to ''Simon''s Snippets'', they heard some whooshing sounds, after which a blurry object was seen hurtling towards them. ""DUCK!"" Just before it hit Duncan''s manly face, a green arm is seen grabbing the blurry object, crushing it into pulp. Just before the arn was retracted, Simon could not help but notice a slight golden glow emanating from his fists, bulging slightly from the top of his arms. Before he could say anything, he was distracted by the arrival of a pair of footsteps. The bush split apart, revealing a very blackened Goblina, along with Lewis sporting burnt-at-the-tips ''Einstein Hair.'' Is anyone hurt? Sorry for the disturbance- Oh, it''s you guys! When did you come back?!" Initially remorseful, Lewis began to bow in apology, before realising that it was his two missing companions, along with a very tall green figure. Seeing the tall figure, Lewis became very guarded, his eyes evasive. "Umm, what race is he supposed to be?" Goblina on the other hand, was visibly stunned. "Holy Illumia, is he and ORC!? Omigoshomigoshomigosh... Eeehhh! I can''t belive they still exist!" Eye raised, Lewis looked at Goblina, directing a questioning gaze at her. "What d''you mean ''still exist''? Aren''t Orc''s supposed to be very common here?" Looking at Lewis as if he was a retard, Goblina revealed something that shocked Lewis to the core. "Duh, don''t you know? All the Orcs were exterminated around 500 years ago..." ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As Lewis stood there stupefied, the recently arrived trio headed into the shop, although Titus had to stay outside, due to him being nearly 3 m in length. "Sorry for my height. I''ll build something here for now to live in..." Simon, embarrassed, quickly shook his head. "No, no, no. No need to worry, I''ll get someone to come and draw some plans to build a taller house for you to live in. Just make sure you keep yourself hidden, otherwise..." Turning his head to the left, Titus immediately knew what he meant. "Yeah, got it. I''m not even supposed to exist..." Downcast, Titus slumped down, his bare chest caving in. Goblina panicked, her arms flailing, as she tried to apologise to him. "Sorry, so, so sorry. I didn''t mean it that way. It''s just¨C" "Hey, what this?" Poking the pulp with a stick, Simon asked the very panicking Goblina what it was. It weirdly resembled the rocket that Lewis was seen drawing... "Oh that? That''s something that Lewis had built, using it as a working model or something. He said he wanted to ''experiment'', using my ''fuel'' concoctions to test something. Something about ''fuel efficiency'' and ''energy coefficient''. Hey, is it true that you''re aiming for the Moon?" One minute anxious, the next starry-eyed, Simon was taken aback. "Yeah... I''m aiming to go to the Moon. How did you know?" Eyes darting, hands clenched, Goblina whistled absentmindedly. "Nowhere. Just...just heard it from a birdy..." Eyes squinting, Simon knew immediately who sold him out. "Damn it Lewis, you rat! Now she''ll think I''m such a dumdum..." Just then, Lewis came by, accepting the loss of fantasy''s most clich¨¦d species. "Oi, stop poking the rocket! I still need to correlate the data with the previous five experiments. Goblina, what''s the tally now?" Standing straighter than a pole, she began reporting: "Rocket 1 ¨C Got dissolved into a puddle of sludge. Resulting toxic fumes caused nearby wildlife to fleet in terror, along with a couple of birds to fall from the skies (was very delicious though) Rocket 2 ¨C Sang Holy Hymns. Was very beautiful (it was not blasphemy, just an experiment gone wrong, that''s all...) Rocket 3 ¨C Exploded immediately. The Aviatrix delivery man had one of his wings burnt off. Very expensive (damn asshole should''ve left his wing, schlurp... Rocket 4 ¨C Lift-off was made, but only for a brief moment. After landing, the resulting Manatised Deisl leaked into the ground, causing a very angry Treant to rise up (man, how''re we supposed to know it was sleeping there!?) Now for Rocket 5..." Listening to the report, Duncan, Simon and Titus slowly backed off... Chapter 49: Finding ’Cloaky’ Chapter 49 - Finding ''Cloaky''"Say how much!?" Surprised, Simon yelped, shocked at the total cost of all these experiments. "How the fuck did you guys spend 100 GOLD coins in just two months. The amount of money you lot spent was enough for me to spend 3 years in comfort, including spending every day in the ''City Of Dreams''! You shitballs spent nearly all of my savings! What am I supposed to do now!?" Gripping his hair, Simon began mumbling incoherently, refusing to believe the reality in front of him. "Heheheh, it''s all just a dream, all a dream... Oh, is that you Goldie? Come here, come back to pa¨C Hey, where''re you going!? Heheheh..." Sympathetic to hindsight, Duncan attended to console Simon, only to see a flood pouring from his eyes. "*Woo woo woo... * What have I done to receive such sin? All my life''s money, everything, gone..." Sympathy growing in his heart, Duncan could not help but console him, "Hey kid, don''t worry. Say, how much did they use? I''ll pay all¨C" "Thanks boss! Knew I could rely on you!" No more waterfall, no more red eyes. As if everything was a dream, Simon got up, going back home as if nothing happened at all. All Duncan could do was stare at the little asshole''s back, wondering how on Earth did he get scammed. Son of a... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Walking down the street, Lewis could not help but admire the streets at night. The smell of the kebobs wafting through the air, its spices lighting the air with a firework of flavours... The exotic dancers dancing through the streets, bringing joy and laughter to the grown men... S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The little Pixies flew through the air, giggling as they made shows in the air, glittering brightly in the night sky... The stalls in the streets, hawkers yelling in competition, determined to win the most customers today... The person in the corner, holding her thick purple cloak, swiftly passing by, holding a stack of¨C Wait, is that the woman from that day!? Freezing, Lewis quickly began tracking her, pushing past the busy crowd to try and reach her. "Oi, get your ass off ''ere!" "Excuse me, sire, could you please look where you''re going? You nearly crushed my child..." "Waah! Mumma, that big bad man threw my ice cream down!" Amidst the growing angry crowd, Lewis managed to get closer to her, finally cornering her in an alley. Just as he entered the barren alley, he discovered, to his shock, that she had gone missing. Wondering where she was, he felt something cold in his neck. "W-why are y-you looking f-for me?" A sweet, pleasant sound, almost like a Maraschino Cherry dipped in sugar, sounded from behind him. He felt two, thick round balls stuck on his back, bobbing back and forth, as the assailant nervously breathed across his ears. As she nervously clenched the knife across his neck, Lewis, seemingly undeterred, slowly turned his head, until he found himself facing, face-to-face, a gorgeous freckled beauty. Her alabaster white face, inches away from his, felt as pure as a blank piece of paper. Her two red eyes drew him in, their innocence evident in them. Her quivering lips betrayed her emotions, naive and all. Lewis could not help but be drawn to the blank canvas, eager to carve into them. "Umm, hihellohowarwyou... Sorry, let me say it again: Would I have the honour of having lunch with you, Miss?" Chapter 50: Celine Chapter 50 - Celine"Pfft! What!?" At the sudden question, the woman could not help but splutter at the absurd reaction of the man before her. People usually piss their pants in fear when confronted with a situation such as this, yet the man before her did the unthinkable: He tried to court her Seeing that she didn''t deem it right tonslitnhis throat, Lewis backed off slowly until the knife was no longer on his throat. "Look, I don''t know why, but I feel very attracted to you. It''s not a matter of your looks, but more of, per se, your inherent nature; you exude an atmosphere of intelligence, the aura of a scholar, something which deeply fascinates me..." For some reason, she felt herself being led on by his sweet words; his way with the words somehow felt different, like he was attracted to her insides, not her looks as most people who see her for the first time do. So she did what she had never done before... S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Sure, you wanna go to ''Mikil''s Meats''? T-they have the best boar stew there..." Feeling himself successfully snagging a (beautiful) like-minded colleague, he pumped his hands in his mind, leading the way with great strides. Behind him, a pair of eyes glowed bright pink for a brief moment before a flurry of steps, followed by a surprised woman. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Sitting at the table, slurping on the cream of boar stew, Lewis and Celine discussed a lot of topics together. Surprised at how erudite she was, he found himself more and more engrossed with her. Her deep knowledge of illusions is what shocked him. He knew that in Earadun, many people believed that illusions were for sissies, weak people who were too scared to kill people by hand. "You have to know that illusions, like real illusions, require more calculations than your usual magical spell. Let me give you an example: suppose you have a tier-5 Firebolt spell vs. a tier-2 Perisa Illusion spell. You''d expect the Firebolt spell to decimate the enemy immediately, but only if the caster is unprepared. With the right preparations, the Illsusion magician would win, because it has the greatest advantage of all time: It can easily trick a mind into believing something which is not real... Real If done correctly, it can trick the brain into thinking it''s dead, thereby making your opponent believe that they''re actually dead. Of course, only real Illusion magicians can do it..." She puffed her chest, satisfied, her assets bulging greatly beneath her robe. Despite the obvious view, Lewis was instead mesmerised by her vast knowledge. She''s so...perfect Before they could continue, a barrelling Rabbitos crashed into their table, her ears trembling in anger. "YOU STUPID¨C Oh, hello there, sorry for the yelling. panion here had forgotten an important meeting we were supposed to have, so I came here to see why she was soon late. And I must say, you do look very handsome..." Leaning back, Lewis could not help but feel disgusted while looking at her. Despite looking like a beautiful girl with bright blue rabbit ears, she somehow elicited a sense of disgust in him. Not to mention how uncomfortable Celine felt around her, fidgeting very frequently. Despite his skepticism, he simply raised an eye and left them to their own devices. "Okay, Ms. Celine... If you need anything, come to Simon''s Snippets. I''m there all day, every day..." ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Cercis looked at the stupid bitch in front of her, scowling deeply. Her anger began rising to the point that her whiskers began showing on her cheeks. Slap! "You stupid bitch, where did you go! Don''t you know that any mistake here would unravel everything that we had worked towards, greatly disappointing his majesty the Demon King!? I swear, if it wasn''t for the fact that you had someone high up in the army covering you, you wouldn''t be alive. Why am I working with a failure like you..." The only answer she got were drops of water falling onto the table, along with some light sniffling. Chapter 51: Elicia Sylvan Chapter 51 - Elicia SylvanGrowing up near the slums of Guldorn made Elicia a very tough girl. Born as a result of a one-night stand between a very reluctant Goblin and a passing-by adventurer, she was stigmatised all her life, from the day she was born. Pelted with rocks and garbage wherever she went, she closed off all her emotions, revealing them to no one else, except her mother. Elicia was one of the ugliest girls to be ever born... Or at least that''s what the Goblins said From a very young age, her human-like face caused her to be the target of many a relentless bullying. Every time she went out, those of the same gender would always taunt her, pull her hair, or worse, beat her until she nearly broke her bones. This increased as she grew older, the female Goblins getting more and more angry at how she began to look better than them. The men also began to notice this... She remembers the first time when an elderly gentlegoblin came near her mother''s bakery. Feeling bored staying cooped up, she decided to explore her surroundings, even when her mother told her not to go out in the daytime. Believing it to be just abject paranoia, she ignored it, heading out near the park. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There, she was nearly raped... She only survived because her mother found her in the nick of time, beating the Elder nearly to death. Fearing for her daughter''s life, Grimelda packed her bags, escaping Guldorn. For the next 8 years, the duo travelled across the Goblin Kingdom incognito, fearing that they would be caught by the followers of that rich Goblin Grimelda had beaten up. Or that''s what Elicia thought... On her 18th birthday, after gaining her Unique Skill and class in Church, Elicia was ecstatic. She had gained the class of ''Arcane Alchemist'' along with the Skill ''Ingenious Impera'', which was an SSS class Skill. Burning with joy, she headed back home, where she witnessed a great tragedy. There stood her mother, fighting toe-to-toe with 20 Goblins, each exhibiting great powers. "MOOOOM!" Seeing her daughter, Grimelda was distracted for a brief moment. And it was that brief moment that spelled her doom One of the Goblins, noticing this opportunity, immediately swung their sword, gravely wounding Grimelda, while another headed to capture young Elicia. Seeing that they were about to capture her daughter, Grimelda hesitated, but in the end, made up her mind. "Elicia, my sweet, sweet child, I''m sorry. I''m sorry that I won''t be able to see you grow up, I''m sorry that I won''t see you get married... I''m sorry...for leaving you With tears dripping down her eyes, Grimelda made her heartbreaking decision: tearing the necklace from her neck, she chanted something in an unknown language, causing it to shine. Without any warning, she hurled it at Elicia, who, frozen in shock, could only watch as it teleported her way from the battle. The last thing she saw before fainting was a bright flash of light... Mom, NOOOO!!! ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Falling into a pair of bushes, Elicia sat there, too shocked to find out where she was. Her eyes lay dead, their light dimmed to oblivion. Her mother was dead, and it was all her fault If only she hadn''t gone to the Church that day, if only she had taken her mother with her, if only she stayed home that day, if only... if only... If only... She was interrupted from her thoughts by her stomach grumbling. Realising that she hadn''t eaten for a whole day, she reluctantly got up, and began walking. Despite being extremely weak, her tenacious bloodline helped her to navigate out of the forest. Upon reaching the exit, she realised that she had trespassed the Hymalas Mountains, the most dangerous place in all of Earasmus. Taking her chances while it was still day, she hobbled her way out, hiding beneath a passing carriage. Luckily for her, the owner was slightly deaf, which allowed her to safely smuggle in as a straggler. For the next month or so, she travelled across the entire continent, hopping across multiple carriages, sometimes even hiding underneath wild animals (despite being very smelly). By doing this, she managed to evade her captors, all the while filled with rage. Yet this all came crashing down one day... That day, like all others, she attempted to hitch a ride, only to be caught right in the act. At first, the merchant initially wanted to kill her, but upon seeing her face, other thoughts, devious thoughts, grew in his mind. "Hey, hey, hey, look at what we have here... Slurp, it''s not my first time getting to have sex with a Goblin, but it sure is with a face like that! Now come here you¨C" Screaming in fear, Elicia hastily kicked the old man in his groins. While he was reeling in pain, she used this chance to escape into a nearby river. "Come back here you little runt!" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Brrr!" Shivering with cold, Elicia hugged herself, trying her best to retain as much heat as she could. But it was all futile... Little by little, she could feel her body getting colder and colder. And with no food left on her, she could not produce enough energy to keep herself warm, much less walk. She could feel her life ebbing away, yet all she felt was... Relief Mom, your little honeybuns will soon join you... Just when she had no hope left in her, a warm blanket, along with a box of sandwiches, was pushed in front of her. "Hey, I don''t know what happened, but it seems you could use some food and a warm blankie. Keep it, I''ve got more..." With a wave, the dwarf bade her farewell, all the while carrying a giant balloon on his shoulders... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Reminiscing about her past, Elicia sat down near the tree, munching on the very sandwich that saved her life. Alone, she finally opened her Status Screen: Name: Elicia Sylvan Age: 19 Strength: 89 Agility: 125 Intelligence: 90 Mana: 126 Stamina: 70 Skill: Ingenious Impera SkillRank: SSS Occupation: Arcane Alchemist Tier: 2 Abilities: Basic Chemical Synthesis (10/10), Basic Wayer Magic (10/10), Basic Fire Magic (10/10, Advanced Water Magic (23/50), Advanced Potioneering (5/10), Foraging (25/25), Needlework (10/10), Bartering (3/35), Smooth Tongue (5/50), Camouflage (60/75) Titles: The Hidden One, Goblin Saviour, Bane of Slimes, Miser, Outcast, Heir of the Fallen Ones "Hey, little brat, where''re you at!? Simon''s about to finish the Glowsenberry all by himself!" With a smile, Elicia touched upon her amulet, causing her Status to change once again: Name: Goblina Age: 19 Strength: 89 Agility: 125 Intelligence: 90 Mana: 126 Stamina: 70 Skill: Burning Inspiration Skill Rank: S Occupation: Alchemist Tier: 2 Abilities: Basic Chemical Synthesis (10/10), Basic Wayer Magic (10/10), Basic Fire Magic (10/10, Advanced Water Magic (23/50), Advanced Potioneering (5/10), Foraging (25/25), Needlework (10/10), Bartering (3/35), Smooth Tongue (5/50), Camouflage (60/75) Titles: Bane of Slimes, Miser, Outcast, Explosive Maniac Chapter 52: A Friend In Need Is Friend Indeed (Unless He’s An Asshole Of Course...) Chapter 52 - A Friend In Need Is Friend Indeed (Unless He''s An Asshole Of Course...)Kaboom! Facing the explosion, a small green ball is seen being propelled across the sky, behind a large black cloud. Just as they were about to crash into the ground, a large green hand managed to catch them just in time. "Look, I''m all for entertainment, but please, no circus shenanigans here..." Without looking up from his notebook, Titus manages to catch a very frizzy Goblin, smoke popping from her pointy ears. Rubbing her head, Goblina sat down dazed, before throwing the empty vial in her head at the ground. Dismissing the ominous skull-looking gas escaping into the atmosphere, Titus asked the young Goblin what had happened. "Little Goblin, what''d you blow up this time?" Still angry, Goblina screamed in anger, "Ahhh! Stupid oil! How am I supposed to create a a fucking fuel that''s light, burns hot, and can burn for a long time!? Sure, I can do one of them to a tee, but three-in-one? Hell no man! Whdgsgghdh..." Spouting gibberish, Goblina headed back to her makeshift lab, where all that laid there were broken shards of glass and half melted iron pipes. Kicking the table in anger, she hopped in pain, pissed at the answer eluding her for so long. Chuckling at the scene, Titus remarked "Heheheh... Kid, no need to fret. All answers will come in time..." Glaring at the chuckling Orc, Goblina angrily asked him "Oh yeah? Well, what about your job? Have you managed to design a control center, hmm?" Arms on her sides, Goblina challenged the frozen Orc, who realised that he''s been caught. Face glowing a darkish blue, Titus picked up the little Goblin, furiously rubbing her smouldering hair. "Why you little! Don''t talk to your elders like that, and plus, how am I suppsoed to know how it''s supposed to like? This shits to archaic for me too build..." Trailing off, Titus realised that he had let loose more than he should''ve. But upon seeing the young Goblin still furiously resisting his attack, he sighed in relief. Holy Terra, that was close... Just then, a voice called out from the back. "Hmm? Did it just hear that someone''s finding it difficult to do their jobs?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Coming from the shop, Duncan, clad in tools of all sorts and sizes, blinked his weary eyes, after which a large yawn emerged from within. Stretching his arms, he walked towards the duo, smirking at the scene. "Oh, from the looks of the explosions and the torn sheets of paper, seems like some people are finding it difficult to do their jobs. Oh if only there was someone you you could ask for help..." Acting as a drama queen, Duncan lifted his hand onto his head. Still grinding her teeth on the Orc''s arm, Goblina mumbled out "Yah, huff vho''s vhilling zso helf ush?" Head twitching in anger, Titus angrily replied "He''s talking about himself, you good for nothing Goblin. Oh and can you please STOPCHEWINGON MY ARM, YOU SHITSTAIN OF A GOBLIN!!!" As Titus began prying open the Goblin''s teeth from his arm, Duncan cleared his throat, before summoning his Skill, ''The Library Of Alexandria''. As the library began to materialise,Titus froze in disbelief. Chapter 53: Dreaming For A Brighter Future Chapter 53 - Dreaming For A Brighter Future"You''re an inheriting as well!?" Shocked, Titus cornered Duncan on the edge of the forest, unable to comprehend that Duncan also had a part of the Broken One. For all this time, this little twat had inherited one of the fragments of the Broken God, and I wasn''t aware of it at all! Head spinning from all the shaking, Duncan signalled the old Orc to stop, too dizzy to even answer properly. Holy shitnold man, lemme rest! Seeing that Duncan wasn''t talking properly, Titus embarrassedly put him down, his face even darker than before. But it soon disappeared, for he needed to know how did he get it, and how many there were. "Hmm? How many? Well, you''ve seen them all: Me, you, Lewis, and most importantly, Simon. Why you asking?" Suspicious, Duncan pressed the Orc for an answer, only to see him turn his head, concern visible on his face. "Seems like the old coots weren''t so wrong after all..." At these ominous words, Duncan gulped, for he knew that Titus must know more about the Broken One, given that he was older than him... Far, far, older... Just as he was about to ask the old Orc for answers, he heard some suspicious sounds coming from the back. It sounded very similar to him, sounding wise as if someone was licking someth¨C "Guhehehe! Where were you all my life, ''Basics of Chemistry''! The knowledge, oh the sweet, *slurp*, sweet knowledge. How I wished I had known before that air was made up of so many different materials, that chemicals to speed up food can be made without magicians, that water can be set on fire¨C" "Why you little shit, come back here and give me back that book! No, stop licking¨C Hey, get back here! Trust me, you start running, and I''ll burn all your Simon paraphernalia..." Watching Duncan run after Goblina (who amazingly kept licking the book despite being chased), Titus thanked her for giving him some time to himself. Four of the five have been gathered. Now, only the last thing remains. But what is it...? ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Falling down the vast chaos, she finds herself waking up to nothing but darkness. Wanting to scream, she realises that she cannot; something had stolen her voice. Just as she believed that was doomed to an eternity of emptiness, a bright orange hue illuminated her face. Standing in front of her were (what she thought) the remains of a mighty being. Its mighty bronze body lay dim, cracks present everywhere. The glyphs and wards that once adorned its mighty body lay broken, the meaning now forgotten. Gears lay dormant, only moving once in a while, with tiny metallic ropes snaking through, shooting sparks here and there. One of its arms lay broken, laying adjacent to its body, golden blood splotched all over, the other bent in ways unimaginable. Its waist was split in half, gears splayed here and there, orbiting the emptyspace. Atopwas its head. Once majestic, now all that remained were a broken crown, one fuzzing dark blue eye, pulsating every once in a while, and the top half of what seems to be a jaw. But what shocked her the most was the chest Wherethere was supposed to be a heart lay a gaping hole, inside where gears are seen attempting to rotate, but failing. She did not know why, but as she kept looking, she felt tears coming down her cheeks. Just as she was about to go on, yhe gears suddenly began rotating rapidly. In shock, she saw the barely left head look up, staring straight at her. Despite not moving its mouth, she could clearly hear what it was saying: "Go...and find my inheritors. Help them with their mission, and the saviour shall arrive!" At the sudden prophecy, she could not help but be blasted across the void, flying at such speeds that she soon broke a barrier... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Gasping in fear, Celine Amour woke up, sweating profusely in her small, dingy bed. As she wiped herself, she peered out of her mansion, unable to comprehend what she saw. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 54: How To Get Our Rocket Fuel, Part 1 Chapter 54 - How To Get Our Rocket Fuel, Part 1Today was a good day indeed. The birds were chirping, the deer grunting and bleating in the woods, slimes rustling near the edges of the forest, the Geminite birds¨C Bang! The Geminite birds preening their glossy gem feathers atop¨C Bang! Watching them flutter into the ground¨C Bang! "Oh for the love of¨C Who the fuck on Earadun is causing such a racket so early in the morning! Would you please shut up, some people are trying to sleep here!" Bleary-eyed, Duncan rubbed his puffy eyes, pulling his blanket across the floor, as he headed towards the window, trying to determine who was causing such a racket so early in the morning. His head, ringing in the tune of chimes, made it difficult for him to focus much on doing his job of building a rocket, much less walking. Bang! S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Headshaking once more, he held it tight to stop the vertigo, landing straight onto the sill. "Oh hello, how''re you doing Duncan?" Holding his hammer, Simon, sweating a waterfall, turned around, greeting him with only his pants and his trusty leather fanny pack. Behind were Titus and Lewis, the former using his brute strength to hold plates of steel(?) in place as the latter held a blueprint of sorts, constantly checking between the drawings and the contraption in front of him. Speaking of contraptions, Duncan could not make heads or tails on what it was. Its tall, misshapen body had all sorts of pipes coming from its body. Beneath it lay a large pipe, from where you could see the insides (although it was too dark to do so). On its right lay one of the many compartments that made it up, along with clear signs of hammering. Only then did Duncan realise. "Wait, when and how did your hammer get smaller!?" Shocked, he exclaimed, surprised at the sight of the dwarf''s once mighty hammer shrinking. "Oh this? Yeah, this happened as soon as I reached tier-3. Neat, right? Anyways, this is something which Goblina asked us to make. Something called a frack-shon-ating tower or something. She says its supposed to help us get the full we need to go to the Moon. How cool is that!?" Giddy as a Dwarven baby getting his first Mithril pacifier, Simon excitedly waved the hammer around, nearly knocking sending a curious Goblin to the afterlife. "Hey, watch where you''re swinging your hammer, you big oaf!" "Oops, sorry. Anyways, we are nearly done with the creation of the tower. Wanna help?" Duncan waved off his hands, having other priorities. "Nah, you guys can do it instead. I''ve got millions more jobs to do, such as calculating the trajectory of the flight, how much fuel we need, how to get the oxygen required to get to the Moon, what''s the gravity constant of Earadun..." Seeing him deliriously rambling off the things he needs to do, the group quietly backed away, carrying away the half-finished ''frack-shon-dating tower'' as far away as possible from Duncan''s sight. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Plopping down the construct near a flat rock top, Lewis wiped his sweat, exhausted by the effort. "Phew! Anyways, we don''t have much more to do. A couple more days, and we''d be finished. Oh, and Simon, its a fractionating tower, not a ''frack-shon-ating tower''. Say, Goblina, why make the tower now? I thought you''d be busy with reading the books?" Wiping her dark eyes, Goblina, despite being worn to her bones, spoke with glittering eyes. "I''ve already finished reading those books 5 days ago. I still can''t believe it! Did you know that everything''s composed of tiny objects called ''atoms''? And that everything''s built using it! Eeeh! Oh, and that the same water feels heavier in different temperatures, and...and...and..." Watching her spit chemistry facts, Lewis smiled at the scene. It''s been so long since someone was as happy as she was in learning... Titus, scratching his head, asked Lewis "Why''re we building a fractionating tower here and now? I mean, don''t get me wrong, but shouldn''t our other priorities be, for example, finding metals that can be used to build our rocket or something?" Gesturing with his hands, Titus asked Lewis the obvious question. "Well, A ¨C I did ask Duncan for some samples, but they''re way too expensive, as well sas ome being in some very remote regions of the world. And B ¨C the earlier we can figure out which fuel composition we need, the earlier we can start manufacturing it." Hearing this, Titus could not help but nod his head in agreement. "Ah yes, energy. Back in my previous job, without fuel, we couldn''t go anywhere or do anything as well. Man,I sure do miss those times (even though I nearly died many times there)..." Now curious, Lewis tentatively asked the burning question in his mind; "Hey, can you tell me where exactly on Earth you worked? Cause some of the things you mention are not present on Earadun...?" Shaking his head, Titus merely replied "One day maybe, but not now. Now, don''t we have other things to do, such as building a rocket for a certain Dwarf to go to the Moon, hmm? Also, shouldn''t you be heading to the Guild now? I heard they have a personal question for you..." Realsing what he had forgotten, Lewis slapped his forehead. "Oh shit! Sorry Goblina, I''ll help you finish it later! Gotta go, bye!" Under the eyes of a smirking Orc and a pouting Goblin, Lewis ran towards the Guild, excited for his first personal quest since he became a Copper rank Adventurer. Boy I can''t wait to find out what it is! Chapter 55: A New Quest - Mysteful Mansion Chapter 55 - A New Quest - Mysteful MansionWalking down the streets, Lewis was forced to ponder regarding the specialised quest that he was given. "Hey, watch where you''re going asshole! I''ll sue the shit out of you if you dare step on Golbra!" Ignoring the pissed-off Goblin, Lewis marched back home, concerned about the content of the quest... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Wait, what! I''m the one who''s going to investigate that Mansion!? Why not pick someone else!?" Looking at Lewis, outraged, slamming his palms on his table, the tier-5 Vice Guild Master of Mithrador Guild, Durmast, calmly returned his gaze to Lewis. Even though he was a Dwarven ''Hammer Knight'', he kept his calm (unlike his fellow brethren, who would''ve smashed his skull into pieces here and then). Wiping the spittle away from his face, Durmast calmly continued on what he was saying. "As I was saying, Mr Lewis Brown, before I was so rudely interrupted by your...unexpected outburst, I have decided to enlist in your services in exploring the Mysteful Mansion on the far outskirts of Mithrador. I have heard some... ''peculiar''... rumours about the mansion, something along the lines of ''the Demon King is here!'', along with scenes of people fainting unexpectedly green after being attacked by ''wraithful shadows''. I want you to go and explore the mansion, and see what exactly is happening there!" At this point, the Dwarf began pounding the Eldar Mahogany table, splinters flying everywhere. Realising that he had gone too far after seeing splinters on Lewis''s goggles, Durmast coughed awkwardly, staring to his right. Ignoring the outburst, Lewis asked him the burning question on his mind: "Why did you pick me? I mean, I''m just a measly tier-2, uh, Blacksmith..." Squinting, Durmast picked up his cup, sipping the alcohol-heavy coffee (Lewis swore he could see the air distort with the high alcohol concentration in it). Standing up, he stood in front of the window, gazing at the street below. "Kid, I don''t know from where you are, or where you''ve been, but I know capable people when I see them. You don''t live for hundreds of years without gaining a skill or two. I can see within you a strong desire, a strong desire to accomplish your goals, using any means if necessary. It also helps the fact that you have created many wonderful tools within the last few months..." Here, Durmast opens up his drawer, taking out from within several contraptions within, along with their placards. "I have quite a few interesting...contraptions here..." With that said, Lewis looked down at the table, pupils shrinking in shock: Item: Entrance Locator Tier: 2 Grade: Good Description: A tool comprising of two components: a magnetic locator and a Thurastem tag. Placing the tag in front of the floor entrance will allow the locator to pinpoint the location of the entrance to a reasonable degree. Will only work on the same floor, and in rough directions only. Item: Self-heating Bottle Tier: 2 Grade: Perfect Description: A self-heating apparatus created by using a tier-2 firestone, and encasing the said object in a bronze container. This device serves for heating the stored liquid to the desired temperature by using a built-in basic timer. Good for boiling and sanitizing water. Quiet as a mouse, Lewis had no other words left. Shit... "Very well Mr. Lewis. I expect you to leave for the assignment within the next 3 days, for we don''t have much time on our hands. The monsters in the forest have been getting increasingly...agitated in these past few days..." ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Well, I gotta get at least Simon and Duncan with me. The other two need some more time in getting themselves familiarised with the knowledge Duncan had given them. As he walked home, he suddenly realised what was bugging him: Hang on! Didn''t Celine said she she lived near where Mysteful Mansion was!? S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 56: Hippity Hoppoty, This’s My Property! Chapter 56 - Hippity Hoppoty, This''s My Property!"Hey Simon, Duncan, I need your help- Woah, Holly shit, what the fuck''s going on here!?" As he returned to ''Simon''s Snippets'' to prepare a team to head to Mysteful Mansion, he was met with a jet of concentrated steam, which he barely managed to dodge. Phew, nearly got cooked! I''m glad I ducked behind the tree; otherwise, we''d have meat pie for dinner tonight, Lewis Style! Quickly cooling himself with Coolius Comb, he simmered his head down to barely manageable levels. "What on Earth is going on here? I just left for less than bloody 5 hours, and a fucking weapon of mass destruction is being tested here!? Hasn''t anyone heard of the Geneva Convention!?" Exasperated, Lewis began tirading the group as they tested the completed fractionating tower. Tilting her head, Goblina asked quizzically, "What''s the ''Geneva Convention''?" Meanwhile, Titus scrunched his face, doubt appearing within them. Duncan panicked, as no one had told them that Lewis was a hero summoned by the Kingdom of Strisk for the oncoming war with the Demon King. Shit, they must not know that Lewis is a hero!? At least, not now... Using his vast intellect (and superb timing), Duncan quickly steered the conversation to Lewis. "H-hey Lewis, what d''you want us for a-anyways!?" Turning his head, Lewis was called back to reality. "Oh yeah, Vice Guild Master Durmast has decided to enlist me in completing a Personal Quest of his. Something about investigating Mysteful Mansion? I need your help, Simon and Duncan, so get prepared..." Shrugging, Lewis offhandedly told them where they were heading, not realising Simon''s eyes shrank in fear in the mention of that name. "W-wait, where''re we going again!? Mysteful Mansion!?" Screeching in fear, Simon stumbled back, afraid for some reason. Meanwhile, Duncan contemplated, hand on chin. "Hmm, I have been hearing some...unsavoury rumours about that place for quite some time. Ghosts, Wraithful Shadows, Headless Horsemen, Banshees, Devilmaras..." Upon the mention of each name, Simon grew whiter and whiter, until a loud thump was heard behind them. There lay Simon, fainted, with white froth coming from his mouth. Goblina keeld over in laughter, while Titus shook his head at the weak mentality of the Dwarf. Oh Administrator, please help us... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Hey, can''t we go back? You do know that old coot Durmast is my mother''s uncle, right? So we can go and ask him to relegate this mission to someone else..." Knees shaking in fear, Simon crouched down, hugging his backpack as close as possible. "Aww, guess baby needs his momma now, does he-" "My mother''s dead." "Oh, sorry..." Embarrassed, Duncan apologised to Simon. Keeping his head down, he power walked to Lewis, too ashamed to talk to Simon. Meanwhile, Lewis looked at the map, too busy trying to find the way to the mansion to bother with the duo''s shenanigans. "We should be there soon. Now, all that''s left is-" "WHO DARES ENTER MY DOMAIN!" Confused, the trio could only watch as a gaseous form emerged from the woods in front of them, gathering, merging, until a large monstrous being stood in front of them, its three bright red eyes glaring at them. "YOU THREE TRESPASSERS SHALL RETURN TO WHENCE YOU CAME FROM. LEAVE AND NEVER RETURN!" "Oh yeah, and what happens if we don''t!?" In defiance, the Dwarf''s Dwarven blood flared, imbuing him with the courage of his Dwarven Ancestors. "VERY WELL. NOW YOU SHALL DIE!" And with that, a giant palm, formed of various toxic gases, swiped at them, corroding everything in its path. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ""Shit!"" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Atop a mansion, lay a lone, solitary tower, from inside which lights can be seen flashing by every now and then. Just then, they stopped, with a window by the side opening itself. Emerging from within, dark purple hair can be seen rising, lying above two bright green eyes, shielded by a thick pair of glasses. Hearing the voices coming from afar, she scrunched her eyes, wondering which fools came this time. Chapter 57: Battle To The Mansion (I) Chapter 57 - Battle To The Mansion (I)"Holy Shit, what the fuck on Earadun was that!?" Smothering out the last of the acidic fumes coming from his hair, Simon quickly rinsed it off with water. Patting down the giant hole in his hair, he wailed at the sheer absurdity of the situation. "How are we supposed to fight against that!?" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C With a swipe from its giant swipe, the toxic fumes spread quickly into the faces of the trio. "Vine Cannon!" In defense, Duncan unleashed a tier-3 spell against the monstrosity. Giant vines grew out from the ground, twisting, combining, until a rudimentary cannon formed itself. Inside its green mouth lay a steaming green ball, upon being shot, began burning bright green. As soon as it struck the gaseous formation, it burst apart into a green flame, upon which Simon and Lewis could see faint traces of grasses emerging, before burning and dispersing the guardian. "YES! WE DID IT! WE DES-" Swish! Before they could finish their celebration, the dispersed gases once again began to recombine, until the guardian came once more. "MORTALS. SURRENDER AND LEAVE, OR ELSE YOU SHALL PERISH!" Once again with its booming voice, the beast commanded them to return to whence they came from. "Shit, let me do it you good-for-nothing asshole of a profiteer!" Summoning his hammer, Simon leapt up to the monster, swinging it. Upon contact, the stricken area turned into ashes, leaving the affected region barren. "Yes, I did it! See, this''s how you-" Before he could even finish his sentence, the horrified duo could not help but gasp as the hole shrunk into oblivion, after which the beast opened its mouth and blasted them with toxic gas. Barely dodging the attack behind a large rock, they were horrified once they saw their hiding spot dissolving into dust within a few seconds. "RUUUUUNNN!!!" S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Moaning in heartbreak, Simon whined about his horrific wound. "My hair, oh my sweet, sweet, beautiful hair! What shall I do without you..." Eyes rolling, Duncan shoved the Dwarf aside. "Move over, playdwarf. You ain''t getting any chicks with that short height, and even shorter fuse of yours! Ladies love their men to be tall..." Smug, Duncan tugged his thick, white trench coat, enraging the already half-bald Dwarf further. "Why you asshat!" Before the squabble could devolve any further, Lewis quickly broke it up. "Guys, shut it! We''ve got to finish this quest one way or another, especially since quite a few adventurers have already perished in this mission..." Here, Lewis revealed something shocking. ""Wait, what!?"" Mouth agape, Simon and Duncan could not help but be shocked at the sudden bombshell. Then why the fuck is a tier-2 being used as the adventurer in need! "Look, I know this is a lot to take in, but we need to get to the mansion. Otherwise..." Understanding the implications, the quarrelling duo made peace, brokering an uneasy alliance for this quest. Both began thinking of methods to bypass, or better yet, to defeat the beast in front. Just as they were brainstorming, they noticed a lone tier-1 deer coming down the same path... "INTRUDER, RETURN AND LEAVE, OR ELSE PERISH!" Confused, the trio just kept quiet and watched on. Frightened, the deer scrambled back in fear, all the way into the distant woods. There, the monster disappeared. Yet the trio still kept watching, for they felt something amiss... Just as they were wondering what was wrong, the same deer poked its head out again, this time walking cautiously down the road. As it approached near the end, the beast came once more, spouting the EXACT same lines as before: "INTRUDER, RETURN AND LEAVE, OR ELSE PERISH!" "You know, this reminds me of something. Can''t put my finger on it, but I swear I''ve seen something very similar to it before at my home..." Putting a finger on his lips, Simon tried as hard as he could to remember exactly where he had seen it. Duncan, with his vast collection of memories, began sorting through them, also trying to remember where he had seen them. Lewis, on the other hand, knew exactly how it acted. It''s acting exactly like a... Just then, ''Engineer''s Inspiration'' activated. Feeling the world slow down around him, Lewis suddenly felt he had all the time in the world. Eyes lying near the ashes after Simon''s attack, his conjecture became a certainty. Without wasting a single second, he began rumaging through his backpack, bringing out various materials, and began constructing the solution. Hearing the sounds of tinkering, the remaining duo quickly turned their heads, curious about what he was building. Simon was too ignorant to realise what it was, but Duncan could recognise it, even if it was horrendous in appearance. Is that a...? Finished with his work, Lewis removed his smoking hands from his creation, pleased with it (despite how ugly it looked). He appraised it, hoping that what he built was what he imagined it to be... And he was not disappointed Item: Magical Pulse Grenade Tier: 2 Grade: Perfect (Kinda Unstable) Description: A hastily put-together MP Grenade. This eon-breaking invention has opened another Pandora''s Box, unleashing the door on how to easily kill Magicians. Upon getting its signal, the device will catalyse the Thunder Core and a hastily put-together Magical Tuning Fork to create a Void Space, where there is no presence of Magical Elements. This will effectively jam and disable any magic from happening in that region, whether they be spells or scrolls Remark: Whoa there Emiya Kiritsugu~ No need to kill all Magicians, they did nothing to you (yet...?). Without a second thought, Lewis lugged it at the beast, hurling it at the center of its head, where its eyes were shining brightly. Simon and Duncan looked at it flying, wondering what it was going to do. After a couple of seconds when nothing happened, Simon scratched his head, turning to face Lewis. "Well, was it a dud-" BOOOOMMM!!! BZZZZZZ!!! "ROOAAARRR!" Chapter 58: Battle To The Mansion (II) Chapter 58 - Battle To The Mansion (II)A large electrical cloud emerged from the explosion, causing arcs of lightning to spread across the face of the beast. Under the astonished eyes of the trio, the gases continued to be vapourised, until all that was left was a ton of ash, some twitching little beasts wearing tiny skeletal helmets, and three large crystal balls filled with magical words encircling their interiors. "What the f-" "I knew it... These bastards are what made up the damn beast! Looks like there must be a golemancer or something or someone of that sort in the mansion. Shit! This makes life much more difficult for us!" Cursing in anger, Duncan kicked one of the little beasts aside, making them moan in further pain. Simon protested in their defense, "Hey, don''t kick them! They''re so tiny and cute, why''d you wanna kick them! Come here to papa, you cutsie wutsie-" "Those little bastards are Necrises. Little shits have almost no intelligence between them, and their bloodline makes them unable to rise beyond tier-2. But they breed like crazy, having 20 children every year or so! Although they are weak, their sheer numbers allow them to use the Human Wave tactic whenever they fight. This is bad news if they''ve reached here, for it means that the Demon King''s reach has managed to extend to here as well..." But what Duncan didn''t tell them was that they usually only followed the command of one race only: Succubi Shit, having one of them here complicates this mission even further. Who actually surveys the ris of these damn quests in the first place!? ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Back in the Guild, Durmast sneezed quite a few times, covering his table and papers with a considerable amount of snot. "Damn it, am I getting the Testoner Flu this early!?" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Shit, what are we supposed to do then!?" Punching the ground, Lewis raged in desperation. This was out of his bounds, for even he knew, through various depictions back on Earth (I, Robot, Terminator, etc.), that they were one of the most lethal creations to be ever created... Mass Manufactured... Consistent... Follows Every Command... The trio knew that they were doomed. They had no choice left but to abort the mission and tell everything to Durmast. They knew that if they were late by even a millisecond, the army- "Hey, wait a minute, why''s there only one of them?" Lewis and Duncan turned their heads, staring at Simon. Head shrinking, Simon asked what he had done wrong. "Hey, I just said, where''s the army. I mean, there''s got to be a large army if they can be made so quickly, right?" "Of course! We''re such idiots, how could we not realise it! Robots can be made quickly, provided that there are enough materials for them to be made from! And since there''s only one of such quality, we can assume that the current occupant does not have the necessary funds in order to build a lot of them! So we still have a chance! Simon, Lewis, let''s roll out..." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Duncan raised his staff, aiming it straight towards the mansion. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Peering from the window, the purple-haired woman could not help but gawk as the trio forged straight into battle. Bashing their way through the Aphrowers (with their weird face masks), jumping over the tentacle traps (damn-it, would''ve made good bedtime materials!), and breaking through the solid Durasteel doors (who fucking destroys the hinges!), they had arrived at the front of the mansion. Realising that they had managed to pass through every obstacle, along with the fact that she was the only inhabitant of the mansion, she quickly scrambled onto her controller, activating her final creation, her magnumopus, and prepared for battle. Underneath her, in the main hall, two bright red eyes lit up, clanking itself up, ready for battle. Chapter 59: The Beast Of Mystefun Chapter 59 - The Beast Of Mystefun"Puaggh!" Breaking through the main door, Simon breathed a sigh of relief. Swiping the remaining traces of dust off his shoulders, he heaved a sigh of relief, glad to have escaped those ridiculous traps outside. "I mean c''mon, which degenerate put those traps out there in the first place!?" Amidst his rage-induced mania, Lewis and Duncan continued their maintenance on their equipment, badly battered during the fight to the mansion. "Shit, most of my bolts are gone! I only have enough for a 15-minute attack at most. If we don''t get the mastermind of the whole debacle today, we''ll be toast, and Durmast will have our asses handed to us on a platter! Deep-fried at that!" Holding his hands up to calm Lewis down, Duncan tried to appease his nervous friend. "Well, at least on the bright side, we no longer have to deal with those obnoxious traps. Also, have you seen the state of the mansion? Its cleanliness is impeccable!" S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Swiping his finger across the spotless sofa, Duncan grew amazed. Wow, whoever did this must be a stickler for cleanliness- Wait a min-! Kaboom! The floor above them broke apart with a resounding explosion, revealing a four-armed silhouette. As they swatted the air in front of them, the dust cleared, revealing a ghostly armoured figure, wielding a Darksteel Sword on each of its four arms. "YOU DARE COME HERE MORTALS!?" Clutching the hammer ever so tightly, Simon answered back, "Oh yeah we do! This Mansion ain''t big enough for the both of us, so I suggest you scram before I drive this hammer right up your fucking skull!" Impressed, the figure stood still, admiring the Dwarf''s brave resolve. Only Duncan knew the Dwarf was shitting his pants, for below the knees, he saw them vibrating rapidly. Man do you have my respects... For he knew the exact details of the beast: Name: Shadow Rakhsha Species: Ghostly Golem Strength: 345 Agility: 247 Mana: 1290 Durability: 1500/1500 Tier: 5 Abilities: Shadow Travel (10/10), Dark Blade (35/45), Nether Swordsmanship (23/50), Re-Fragmentization (12/20), Shadow Dispersal (10/10), Heat Seeking (5/5) Holy shit, what kind of megalomaniac builds a puppet such as this!? Astounded at the sheer numbers, Duncan nearly cussed out loud, but reigned himself in, knowing it was futile. Shit, need to know how to destroy that son of a bit- His ears began shaking slightly. Duncan''s eyes widened, yelling "Duck!" Without hesitation, Simon and Lewis ducked down, barely missing the dark blade aura whizzing through the air. "Wait, how the fuck on Earadun can it do that!? It''s-" "Because it''s a puppet; and a high-tier one at that..." Frowning, Duncan explained to Simon. "Seems this is more dangerous than I initially thought. We must make haste, otherwise we''d be cooked. Shit''s a tier-5..." The listening duo gulped, for they knew they''d be dead if they didn''t do something about the beast. "So, what do we do..." Steadying his breath, Lewis asked the older Elf. He knew that this was their darkest hour, and the strongest in the team was Duncan. They were foolish to leave Titus back at home. It is what it is... Now we need to know how to defeat this damn puppet... "I AM THE BEAST OF MYSTEFUN, KEEPER OF THE MANSION. RETURN BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM, OR SUFFER MY WRATH!" Upon hearing this, Simon got extremely pissed off. "Oi, come and get it you sack of shit! Once I get my hands on you, I''ll-" Suddenly, a small flash of light came from the corner of the floor... Chapter 60: Chapter 60 - "W-Why Are You Here!?"But before he could say anything, a shadow palm swiped across the air, striking Simon on his chest. "OOOOOFFFFF!!!!!" Blood spilling out of his mouth, he flew across the hall, slamming directly onto the wall. Amidst the crumbling wall, weak gasps for air could be heard, yet diminishing every second. "SIMON! Why you asshole...!" Furious, Duncan flew across the hall, his eyes burning in rage. "Burning Whip!" With a loud shout, Duncan used a combination of two tier-3 spells, Magmatic Heat and Terrasteel Vine, to create a burning vine, an inch thick, whipping it right towards the golem. Upon impact, the burning vine immediately set the golem on fire, causing the gloomy gas within it to dissipate. With a loud clatter, the Darksteel armour fell onto the ground, becoming a pile of trash. With a sigh of relief, Duncan turned to Lewis, wiping his forehead "Phew! Now, let''s go see our Dwarven friend, shall-" Fwooom Before Lewis''s horrified eyes, a gauntlet flew straight through the air, piercing through Duncan. It was only through his sheer instincts that it only pierced his left shoulder. "Shit, it''s still not dead yet¨C" He turned around, only to be horrified. With a loud clanking noise, the armour pieces began to float. Black air emerged from the helmet, along with the resurgence of those red eyes. Stupefied, they could only watch in horror as the golem recreated itself. "Shit, it''s that damn ability of it ¨C Re-Fragmentization! It can recast itself back again!" Duncan, weakened with a hole in his shoulder... Lewis, clutching the last Gatling salvo... "Waaagghhh!" With a guttural cry, a bloodied Dwarf ran from the walls, wielding a dimly lit hammer. With a loud smash, Simon parried the Darksteel Knight, smacking it into a pillar, causing the collapsing pillar to trap it into a pile of rubble. "Daarves ain''t so easy to kill, arsehat..." ""Simon!"" With a loud cry, Lewis and Duncan (although in huge pain) ran up to the Dwarf, hugging the shit out of him. "*Sniff*, *sniff*, I thought you were dead..." "Yeah, that crash was horrendous to look at... How did you survive?" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Patting his slightly bleeding belly, Simon reassured his companions he was still fine. Grinning with body teeth, he stood in front of them, clutching the hammer tightly. "Let''s show this asshole who''s the boss!" With a loud roar, Simon leapt into battle, fighting (surprisingly well) against the beast. Parrying each swing perfectly, Simon tread tightly, each swing on the edge of death. The beast, despite its mastery in Nether Swordsmanship and having four arms, barely managed to keep its rhythm against Simon. Yet they knew the Beast would win in the end... For Simon was getting weaker and weaker with each passing second "Shit, what should we do!" Biting his lips tightly, Lewis asked Duncan. His gaze stern, Duncan tried to reassure him back. "No need to worry, I''ll sure we''ll fig¨C" Suddenly, a small flash of light caught his eyes, the same one Simon witnessed. Whispering with great fervour, Duncan instructed Lewis on what to do next. "Psst! Lewis, go and head up to the room on the first floor, on the corner to the right. I suspect it to not be a golem, but a... Puppet I believe that the controller must be upstairs, given that those brief flashes of light come from the first floor. Go and find them!" With a final heave, Duncan stood, his shoulder still bleeding. "For Titania!" And with that, he charged into battle. Now, with two adversaries against it, the pressure mounted exponentially. This leads it to increase its focus more on its attackers, causing it to dismiss a tall figure crouching its way upstairs. As soon as Lewis felt he left the Beast''s sight, he began dashing towards the room where the flash was last seen. Passing through the corridors, he nearly puked, but kept steadfast in his mission. For every room was filled with the decaying corpses of the missing adventurers who came here Reaching his destination, he wasted no time, kicking the door wide open. There, inside a very messy room, lay stacks upon stacks of Crystallite Orbs. Some depicted scenes from outside, traps and all... Some showed scenes of Duncan and Simon fighting... And some showed lines upon lines of coding, snaking its way across the screen But what shocked him the most was the room''s occupant. Crouching near the makeshift monitors was a purple-haired, green-eyed woman, with thick glasses covering them. Atop her head were two horns, curving their way across the head. Wearing nothing but scantily clad underwear, her eight-packs shining in the light. A Cockatrice kebab in her mouth, it dropped once she realised that someone saw her embarrassing side. But her eyes shrunk once she realised who it was... His Gatling Crossbow falling, Lewis staggered back, unable to believe it was as well. "W-why are you here!?" Chapter 61: Caught Red-Handed Chapter 61 - Caught Red-HandedA couple of hours prior... Watching from the tower above, the purple-haired woman tilted her glasses back to love her bridge. Shit, who''s come here again? Is it those damn Adventurers again...? Clicking her tongue, she went back inside, tucking any wayward hair out of her way. Cracking her fingers, she lifted her ripped arms and tapped onto one of the Orbs. A bright screen displayed itself, showing various scenes around and across the mansion. Seeing that everything other than the main road was empty, she nodded in delight, forcing back onto the main intruders. Upon witnessing their first retreat, she puffed her chest with pride, happy to see the unfortunate adventurers flee in terror again. Yet this did not deter them... By some sheer miracle, they managed to find the Guardian''s weakness, designing some sort of ''anti-magical'' explosive, destroying the golem she painstakingly bought. Noooooo! I mortgaged my house for this...! Before she could even process her loss, the trio stormed their way through, destroying every trap she had laid on the mansion grounds. Knowing she had literally nothing left, she implemented her final failsafe... The Darksteel Knight S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Lewis could not believe his eyes... "W-why are you here!?" Standing in front of him was the very woman of his dreams¨C His soul mate... His dream lover... His waifu... Celine Caught right in the act, she began panicking, hands flailing, trying to think of ways to get out of this mess. Yet this panic was all a Dwarf and an Elf needed... Just as Celine began panicking, her connection with the puppet was interrupted. This gave them a chance to land their finishing blows on the Beast of Mystefun, breaking apart its body. Without giving it a chance to recollect itself, Simon smashed his hammer right into the knight''s helmet, shattering the pseudo-receiver stuck deep within. As soon as the red light disappeared, the remaining armour pieces which began floating, quickly fell, no longer under control. But this did not matter to Lewis, for he had other pressing issues... "Celine... W-why...why are you here!?" Voice cracking at the sight of the crouching...being...in front of him, he could not believe his eyes. Here was the love of his life, his soulmate, controlling that abomination in the hallway, killing the Adventurers who came here. Unable to comprehend it, he collapsed onto the floor, his mind shattered at the revelation. Just as Celien was about to explain, faint footsteps could be heard coming from downstairs. Within a few seconds, the door burst again (this time with the added gift of flying splinters). Emerging from the ruins were a berserk Dwarf and a wincing Elf, both carrying their respective weapons. ""Where is the demon!"" Yet they also froze in shock upon confronting the ''demon'', for it was none other than their one-time acquaintance... "Ms...Celine? W-why are you here!?" Unable to comprehend the scene in front of his eyes, Simon could not help but ask the cowering mastermind why she was here. Duncan, on the other hand, squinted his eyes. Ignoring the gaping hole on his shoulders, he pointed his trembling staff at her. "Why on Earadun is a Succubus here..." Chapter 62: Heartache, Heartbreak, All On The Floor Chapter 62 - Heartache, Heartbreak, All On The Floor"What!?" Gobsmacked, Lewis could not believe what he was told. The woman of his dreams, the one he swore his love to (in his imagination), the missing half of his heart... Was a fucking Succubus!? Unable to cope with the sudden revelation, he fell onto the floor. Seeing the scene, Celine didn''t know why, but her heart began to ache. She began extending her hand, wanting to touch Lewis, yet before she could, a burning fireball struck her hand. Clenching back in pain, she turned her head towards her assailant. Standing with shaky knees, Duncan held his staff in front of her, clenched in pain. The gaping hole in his shoulder made it hard for him to accurately aim his attacks, but it was enough for him. Shocked, Celine wanted to reach out once more, yet Duncan''s stern gaze made it hard for her to do so. "Lewis, look, I-I can explain ¨C" "Explain my fucking foot! You''re a freaking Succubus! I thought...I thought my feelings for you were genuine. I believed we had something going on, and yet what did I get? A fucking stab in the back! Was everything just a dream..." Crouching once more, Lewis bemoaned his fate, betrayed by the women he loved, twice! As was being consoled by a still bloodied Simon, Celine inched slightly closer, despite being stared at by a wary Duncan. "Look, I can explain. I was stationed here¨C" A sudden flash of light was seen beeping by her side. No one seemed to notice it, thinking it was all part of her set-up, but she didn''t. Eyes shrinking, her demeanour did an immediate 180. "Shit, ah, fuck, you got me..." Without any warning, black gas emerged from her hands. Eyes widening, Duncan pulled Lewis to the side before the surrounding walls dissolved into acrid vapours. "Shit, she wants to kill us! Run!" Without wasting a single moment, Simon bashed the neighbouring wall into dust, clearing a path. Holding both the whining Elf and drooling Man, the Dwarf leapt from the 2nd floor, making their escape. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Celine watched listlessly as the trio made their escape. She saw as they dashed their way across the traps to safety, most likely to inform the Guild of the presence of the Demon King''s army. "Hey dipshit, why didn''t you kill them? They were fucking wounded, weren''t they? Tch, knew shouldn''t have left things to a failure..." From above, a sultry voice demeaned Celine. Sexulia, a tier-6 Succubus, descended from the skies, wearing nothing except a raunchy underwear and two pasties where her bra should''ve been. Crossing both arms, she chastised her failure of a cousin for letting those three Adventurers escape. "Haaah! Anyways, what''s done is done. Doesn''t matter if the Guild''s coming here anyway. Our plan''s nearly complete, so we don''t need this base anymore. But still, leaving those three alive sure does leave a sore spot in my throat. Wonder if I can still snag one of the¨C" "Enough! Let them be, otherwise I will tell my superior that you''re disobeying direct orders from me! Now go, and prepare for the coming invasion..." Clicking her tongue, Sexulia flapped her for wings, flying into the mansion. "Tch, if it wasn''t for your sister, you wouldn''t be alive..." As soon as she left, Celine was still standing, lost in her thoughts. After a brief moment, she opened her Status Screen, viewing them once again. Name: Celine Amour Age: 25 Strength: 85 Agility: 125 Intelligence: 176 S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mana: 456 Stamina: 135 Skill: Accelerated Thoughts SkillRank: SSS Occupation: Illusion Arcanist Tier: 2 Abilities: Camouflage (67/75), Basic Arithmetic (10/10), Basic Maths (15/15), Advanced Mathematics (25/25), Enchanting (35/50), Telekinesis (50/100), Needlework (10/10), Fashion Design (25/25), Basic Fire Magic (10/10), Basic White Magic (10/10) Titles: Oddball, Fashionista, Scorned One, Pioneer, Saintess of the Broken One Closing the screen once more, she hoarsely whispered into the air. "I''m sorry Lewis, I''m sorry..." Fists clenching, she turned her head once more, slowly retreating back into the mansion. All that was left of her presence were the footsteps in the dust... And the teardrops in the floo Chapter 63: Lewis: Broken Hearted once More Chapter 63 - Lewis: Broken Hearted once MoreIt has been around a fortnight since they came back from exploring Mysteful Mansion. Upon seeing the greviously injured group, Durmast immediately called the Guildmaster, Eldruis, a tier-6 Elf Shaman. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon hearing their report, his eyes shrunk in fear. Realising what it meant, he called for a meeting at the Guild headquarters, convening an emergency meeting. Meanwhile, the trio were given the highest forms of healing as a form of reparation, seeing they had somehow managed to successfully survive a near-suicidal mission at such low tiers. They did not stay long, though, for as soon as they were healed, the boot came, and they were kicked out of the Guild. "Don''t take missions for the next couple of days, and make sure that stupid nephew of mine does not cause any more fucking ''accidents ''!" With a loud boom, Durmast slammed the door shut, very much in a hurry. He kneels this matter needed to be addressed in earnest. Otherwise, the whole city could be headed towards destruction, with millions of lives being lost. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Looking back, they knew that the situation was dire, but they could do nothing about it. All they were, were an entrepreneur who dreamt of knowing everything in the world, a scientist who wanted leave his legacy... And a Dwarf who wanted to go to the Moon Sighing in despair, Duncan looked over the window, where Lewis carried on his experiments alongside a wayward Simon. Donning his goggles, he singlemindedly set upon experimenting with the various metals that were brought to him, trying to determine which would be the best material to build the spaceship... Haah, I wonder what happened to him in the past to make him like this... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Alright now Simon, focus on the metal! This sample is the last one we have, and if we fuck it up, we''ll be damned!" Just then, a sudden crack emerged from the metal, before shattering itself into tiny fragments and blasting themselves to the duo''s face. Barely dodging being blinded thanks to the goggles, Simon brushed off the fragments before turning to Lewis. "Alright then, this makes our tenth metal ingot. Care to have a break...?" Lewis stopped. Turning his head slowly, he got level-eyed with Simon. His voice turning cold, he asked him, "Are you sure you wanna go to the Moon? If yes, just follow the damn instructions!" Shouting at the top of his lungs, Lewis berated the young Dwarf for dawdling here. Scared, Simon backed off, hands in the air, trying to signal Lewis that he was no threat at all. "Whoa there big man! Why so grumpy?" A young chirpy voice called out from behind them. Turns out it was Goblina emerging from the bushes, holding a basket of beakers, each filled with liquid of varying colour. Laying his eyes on them, Simon''s eyes widened. "Is that¨C" "Yup! Managed to separate the Warped Oil into their Manatised versions. Pity the tower is half-baked¨C Seriously though, what''s wrong with him!?" "Oh him? Yeah, turns out he got infatuated with a Succubus..." Eyes filled with pity, Goblina tried comforting Lewis. "Yeah well, if it makes you feel any better, most people who encounters Succubi always feel as if they''re their fated ones. How else does Succubi get their prey...?" Rubbing his eyes, Lewis knocked his hands over the young Goblin''s head. "Yeah, yeah, don''t get to big for your britches. Anyways, I suppose¨C" "Hey guys, check out my finished drawings for the Control Center! I''ve finished the drawings!" A sudden from Titus interrupted the conversation. Their focus now shifting to the building, Goblina and Simon ran towards Titus, trying to catch a glimpse of their future home. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Seeing the young ones scamper to the older Orc, Lewis heaved a sigh of relief. Clenching his fists, he headed indoors, ignoring Duncan who called for his attention. Realising that the betrayal was too much for Lewis, he let down his hand. I hope he gets over it soon, for Demons cannot be ever trusted... Chapter 64: Progress Report (I) Chapter 64 - Progress Report (I)Sitting at the table, the group clasped their hands, waiting to inform each other of their respective progress on their subjects. Titus sat down with his stack of papers, busy ruminating over which design he should pick... Goblina sat down hunched, her face buried in her pile of bottles, busy giggling and leering at them... Duncan leaned back in his chair, frowning upon the myriad issues that he had found to be revealing slowly... Lewis clasped his hands over a pile of reports, his red eyes revealing nothing... And Simon... Well, he''s just being Simon Silence reigned the room, as nobody knew who should start the meeting. Since nobody was willing, Titus looked around the room, before deciding that he would speak first. "Alright guys (and girl)... Let''s start the meeting. Since none of you wusses are willing to speak up, I''ve decided to go first. Here are some of the designs I''ve made regarding our space/control station. Have a look y''all..." Spreading across the table were several drawings, among which three stood out the most: 1¨C A large rectangular building is standing in the middle of the picture, surrounded by pipes of all sizes entering it. In the centre lay a giant hole, from which a long tubular rocket is seen protruding from. 2¨C A large domestic sat on top of a hollow tube, covered all around in glass. Going through the side was a long tunnel, upon which a catapult-like launch pad was stationed. 3¨C A large underground complex sat beneath a launch pad, complete with living quarters, laboratory, farms etc. Atop it was an intricate launching complex, complete with retractable supports, laid out. "Oooh, so pretty! But..." Goblina began commenting on the various drawings, but she later trailed off. Duncan also stared at them before realising what made Goblina feel so uncomfortable. "Old man, I don''t think this planet''s technologically advanced enough to build stations like this..." Realising he must''ve slipped up, Titus quickly grabbed back the drawings. "I-I''ll fix them real quick. Hey kid, what''s your progress so far?" Titus managed to save himself from slipping up more, by steering the conversation towards Goblina. Puffing her (very flat) chest, she pushed forward her box of beakers. "Here are some of the products I''ve managed to accrue from the Fractionating Tower. But..." The group began examining the beakers, reading the placards placed on top of all of them: Beaker 1 ¨C Light red in colour. Density of fluid is very low, allowing it to somehow float above water. When 10g was lit on fire, it did not even warm the water. Beaker 2 ¨C A slightly darker red in colour. Density of fluid is very low, but higher than beaker 1, allowing it to somehow able to still make it float above water. When 10g was lit on fire, it barely warmed the water. Beaker 5 ¨C Light orange in colour. Density of fluid is the same as water, but due to some unknown properties, it still cannot mix with water, causing an awesome water fight. When 10g was lit on fire, it boiled the water in 35 minutes. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Beaker 7 ¨C Dark Purple in colour. The density of fluid is heavier than water, causing water to float to the top. What I find weird here is that the water immediately froze after a couple of minutes, which should not be possible. Using it as fuel was impossible, for the water froze immediately upon contact with the freezing flame. Future experiments should be considered for further usage... Beaker 10 ¨C Pitch black in colour. Was like a fucking block. Broke the table, even the mithril mixer. Cannot be used as fuel. As an additional observation, beasts avoid the material as soon as they see it. Wonder why...? Reading some of the observations, the group began frowning. Even Lewis broke his moody behaviour as soon as he read the results, especially beakers no. 7 and 10. Scratching her head, Goblina finished off what she began. "Eheheh... W-well, I could not do more, as the tower is not...perfect, as you say. I still need to fix the kinks before further tests can be done. Also, some of the oils escaped as some sort of gas, cause the air stunk really bad. A-anyways, my parts done, s-so Mr. Lewis, what did you do?" Without saying a word, he plopped a report on the table, which the group read through, ignoring his rude behaviour. Duramin ¨C Lightweight in appearance. Its silver sheen makes it an excellent material for reflecting light, as well as transferring heat. Its low density and flexible nature make it an excellent material for building small objects, but it''s not suitable for going to space. Also, it''s highly reactive; if left untreated, direct contact with air will lead to immediate corrosion. Best if used as an alloy. Darksteel ¨C As its name suggests, it''s metal as black as night. Highly conducive to dark elements, its innate nature allows it to dissipate heat and energy across it very rapidly. However, long-term exposure to it will corrode organic materials to Necromantic state. Dwarven Steel ¨C This has similar properties to Damascus Steel. They are much tougher and stronger than common Steel, have higher tensile strength, and can withstand much larger loads, perfectly suitable for space voyaging. However, it has very high density, so using this would require either more fuel, or a higher efficient fuel source Reading through some of the notes, the group were at awe at Lewis''s scientific methods. "Umm, so, since many of them are suitable for space faring, which met¨C" A sharp glare from Lewis shut Simon up, who raised a valid point. Seeing Lewis still dead-eyed, Simon shrunk to his seat. Duncan merely observed the whole farce, shaking his head all the time. We really need him to snap out of it... Coughing for attention, Duncan stood up under the stares of all his peers. Silence reigned the room, as they foresaw the next report to be of not good in nature. "Guys, we''re running out of funds, fast." This bombshell of a news set the while group reeling, even Lewis. "What''d you mean we''re running out!? Aren''t you the leader of Silvertree Corporation, the fifth largest Merchant Guild in the world!? How come¨C" "As you can see, we''re running through the raw materials for our experiments, fast. To boot it all of, they''re all fuckingexpensive! So we need a plan, and a plan fast, to combat this situation! Any ideas y''all...?" The room renianed silent, as each and every one of them began contemplating ways to combat this dire situation. Just when Dunca began losing hope, Goblina stood up. "Ooh! I know, I know! We should do¨C" SCREECH!!! Chapter 65: The Wabbit Invasion...Begins! Chapter 65 - The Wabbit Invasion...Begins!Screech! Hearing the sudden cry, everyone turned their heads. Outside the window, a large mass of white furballs are seen emerging from the woods, all clad in brown. A Wabbit army has seemingly materialised near them... "Shit, what the fuck!? How come there''s a Wabbit army¨C Is that the Fractionating Tower they''re carrying!?" A group of Wabbit soldiers had managed to grab ahold of the Fractionating Tower, dismantling it step by step. Grinning maniacally, they tore apart the various pipes, being, twisting, until a large blowpipe was formed. Twenty Wabbits broke off from the main army, each going to one of the many holes. After which, fifty more emerged, wielding makeshift hammers, using the remaining parts to make the moving mechanism. While it seemed to have taken forever to make, in reality, it all happened within a couple of minutes. Underneath the group''s awed eyes, the Wabbit army quickly retreated, hoisting their creation away. Da fuck was that...!? Scratchinghis head, Simon questioned the reason for the Wabbit for doing so. "Well, those nasty buggers seemed to have ign¨C" Boom! Shrapnel flew into their eyes, nearly blinding all of them. Barely dodging by sheer luck, they got up from the rubble, covered in dust. Outside the remains of Simon''s Snippets, a large tank rolled by, atop a Wabbit Captain. "SCREECH! (ATTACK!)" Following the yell, another round was fired by the tank, which destroyed the top floor of the shop. "Hey Lewis, why is that Wabbit looking at us like that?" Gazing at the Wabbit Captain after listening to Simon, he realised that the Dwarf was right. "Yeah, he is looking at us. And very angrily at that..." For the Wabbit Captain was none other than Footpad himself, manning this mission for...personal reasons. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C He still remembered the day when it all started falling apart... First was the failure of the invasion of the Silvertree Corporation caravan, causing them to lose their supplies for the next 5 months. Then was the destruction of the Urk horde he painstakingly managed to hire, decimated within days of him forging an alliance with them... Along with other minor failures, this caused him to lose the favour of the High Queen, Cercis. Relegated to the backend, he was lucky enough to retain his rank despite his numerous failures (all thanks to his previous achievements). Disgruntled, he swore revenge against those who wronged him, joining this crusade as a means to get them. And get them he did He was lucky enough to catch a whiff of their scent, leading his battalion to the ramshackle hut. In exchange for the resources looted there, the prey would be left to him, all alone... Now I got you, you sons of bitches! Cackling maniacally, he roared the tank straight at them... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Kheehehehe! Kheehehehehe!" "That Wabbit sure do be insane..." Muttering to the side, Simon muttered his observations to Lewis and Duncan. Both nodded at it, obviously agreeing with it. "Yeah, we should¨C DUCK!" With another resounding boom, another cannonball landed right above Duncan, barely missing his head. Wiping away, the dust settled only his hair, he rolled up his sleeves, very, very, very pissed off. "Alright, that''s it! Boys, let''s fuck ''em!" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C His eyes wide open in horror, Footpad could only watch silently as his battalion was being demolished in one horrific manner after another: The small Goblin threw a random bottle which froze around a third of his men in one breath, their panicked eyes slowly getting less responsive as time passed... The large Goblin charged in, destroying the tank in one punch. Luckily for Footpad, he was at the top, which made it easier for him to escape. Those remaining fools should feel glorified that they''ve sacrificed themselves for him... Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And that hateful Dwarf and Man! Ooh, how they destroyed his remaining men. One smashed them into a paste, while the other made them into pin cushions... Hiding beneath the bushes, Footpad considered his following steps. Once he has managed to escape, he will¨C Wait, where''s the pointy eared one!? Just then, he felt the ground underneath him shaking. He could only watch in horror as a small tree began growing around him, encasing him into its hollow trunk. As it continued to grow, the trunk slowly began shrinking, crushing him bit by bit, inch by inch. Footpad tried to plead for leniency, yet it felt in deaf ears. He could only watch in despair as the Elf coldly watched in silence, watching him be crushed into paste. Just before his head was crushed, he thought to himself¨C Why did I try to take revenge against them... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Clutching his staff, Duncan turned towards the rest of the gang, eyes now filled with panic. "Get your shit as quick as possible! We have a SCREEECH here! Hurry to Mithrador!" Chapter 66: Launching The Assault On Mithrador Chapter 66 - Launching The Assault On MithradorWalking through the army of Devimps, Wabbits, Succubi, Urks, Minotaurs, Skeleboys, etc. Celine quietly ruminated over Lewis as she walked down the aisle, the armies gathered around her. Biting her lips, she hid her pain, all the while following her instructions in the preparation for the assault. Just as she marched down the aisle, scrunching at the noise of the Urk soldiers eating, a sultry voice mockingly called her out. "Well, well, well, if it ain''t my cutsie wutsie little failure of a cousin. Have you had any snacks lately, hmm? Oh right, you didn''t!" Sexulia came before Celine, riding her unholy abomination: two tier-5 warriors stitched together in an unholy matrimony, their bodies fused together haphazardly. Attached to their lower egions were Mithril tubes, from where white fluid could be seen flowing through. Extending one of them towards Celine, she mockingly invited her to partake in her ''snack'', knowing that Celine would unhesitatingly refuse. Unwilling to humour her, she kept her cool, passing by the Urk who slobbered down his meal of...Gogol Limbs? "Hey Sexulia, one of your soldiers is eating one of the Gogols! Split them up before the entire gets destroyed!" Barking orders, Celine angrily ordered Sexulia to separate the troops before they implode, destroying themselves before the attack on the city even begins. Rolling her eyes, Sexulia whips her ride, urging it to shamble towards the troops. "Alright you slobbering cunts, stop eating each other! And you lot, stop doing orgies! We can''t have the soldiers drained before the attack begins..." Barking orders, Sexulia angrily admonishes the troops, trying to restore order on the hodgepodge of an army. Her scanty clothes help in restoring order among the men, for obvious reasons. And for women, fists do the talking... Sighing tiredly, Celine pulled in her cloak, trying her best to cover herself as much as possible. It felt really uncomfortable for her to walk around the camp, being peered at by the horns men. She began to reminisce about Lewis, missing his kindness, his knowledge, his laughter... If you''re there, no matter what happens, I''ll save you, even if it means betraying everyone I know... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Haah, oh Titania, please guide me..." Pinching his eyes, Eldruis leaned back on his chair, tired beyond belief. The last few days have been hectic, especially since it''s been revealed that the Demon King''s army have accrued a massive expedition here. The recent increase in monsters above tier-3 are proof that there will be an assault on Mithrador. Why is the Demon army targeting Mithrador anyways? We dont have anything of great importance, except that crazy Dwarf who dreams of going to space... Chuckling while reminiscing about the time when Durmast''s nephew got himself stuck in the air for 2 days, Eldruis sighed. I wish we still were back in the good old days, when the monsters were lesser in numbers, the Demons still stuck on that Godforsaken land, and the tra¨C S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Shit! Eldy, we have lost contact with the outside world! All of our contacts and messages can longer be sent! We¨C" Booom! A large barrel filled with Maginul Acid was seen flying through the air, exploding once in contact with the aerial tower. Eldruis could not help but watch in horror as a blue shield slowly began covering Mithrador, blanketing the surroundings. "Durmast, go and check out what on¨C" SCREEECH! Chapter 67: SCREEECH: Launch Of The Assault Chapter 67 - SCREEECH: Launch Of The Assault"H-hey g-guys, I can see smoke coming from top of the trees, and it''s pretty big..." Running through the woods, Goblina perched herself on top of Titus, busy acting as the group''s scout. Gazing far, she caught wond of a dark cloud of smoke, emanating from the city. The group''s eyes darkened, for they knew what it signified: Mithrador was under attack With this knowledge, they hastened their march, fearing the worst. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Sigmund battled against the Tier-1 Wabbit soldier, parrying its against him, before slicing off its head in one quick swipe. Barely catching his breath, Sigmund was forced to contend with another two, blocking an attack with his worn out sword. "Damn it! How many more of these fuckers are there?!" Cursing endlessly, Sigmund wiped offbthe blood from his face, spitting out a tooth from an earlier attack. Wiping off the the bone chunks from his sword, he got up tiredly from the ground, limping of to the next region. Of all times, why does a SCREECH have to happen now!? Gulping in fear, Sigmund could not help but be tense. The SCREECH was something that that shook the souls of whoever witnessed it, for it was always something of a cataclysmic horror. Hordes upon hordes of Wabbits dotted the ground, their fur colouring the grass white. Gazimg upon the scene, Sigmund could ot help bit feel despair at it. He knew that if no help arrived, Mithrador would be finished. Oh Illumia, please help us... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Punching thorough the trees, Titus managed to clear a path towards the city. There, in front of them, lay a light blue cover, isolating the city from rest of civilization. From inside, birds could be seen circling around the top of the cover, unable to extricate from whatever effect the blue cover had on them. "Shit, this worse than I thought. The whole city''s under siege. Worse is that the Demon Army had somehow managed to create a shielding effect that effectively separates the city from the rest of the Kingdom. I don''t know for how long, but the city will fall if no actions been taken..." Delivering this devastating news, Titus warns the group of the grim future that could occur if no actions were taken. Their eyes now solemn, they increased their pace, rushing to reach the city. Hold on for just a couple of more minutes please... Praying on their hearts, the dashed towards the main gate, which lay torn down to the sides. Outside lay countless bodies of Wabbits and men, each torn beyond shreds. Retching nearby, Goblina couldn''t believe the sight she was seeing. "What is this!?" Unable to accept the horrific sight in front of her, she instinctively curled beside Simon, much to the bemusement of the group. Realising that she had buried her head withing Simon, she quickly brushed up, head smoldering in shame, only to realise that a certain red-head was too busy looking to the sides. What a blockhead... Just as she was about to call Simon, a heavily wounded Aviatrix guard shambled his way through, left arm gone, it''s only remaining legacy a bloody stump. "RUUUUUUN! A SCREEECH IS HERE ! I REPEAT, A SCREEECH IS HEEEEERRRRRREEE!" Before the eyes of the shocked group, a gigantic mouth emerged from the air, snapping the poor guard up... S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 68: SCREEECH!: A City In Chaos Chapter 68 - SCREEECH!: A City In Chaos"Shit! It''s a tier-6 Windraptor! Damn it, duck!" With a belated roar, Titus lunged in the air, his hands covered in a golden hue. Under the eyes of the shocked group, a simple swing from his massive fist crushed the Windraptor''s crystalline beak into shards, hurling them straight through its head, pulverizing it to bits. Watching the headless body fall from the sky, Simon could not help but whisper to Lewis, "Hey, you think we''ve been looking down on him too much lately..." Silent, Lewis nodded, agreeing with the Dwarf for the first time in days. He felt fear when the Orc easily crushed the beats from the air, not to mention jumping in the air like Michael Jordan. What the fuck on Earth did Titus go through...!? Though still reeling in from the sudden attack, the group trepidatiously walked through the gate, only briefly stopping to lay the fallen guard to rest. May your soul find peace with Nyxis... Erecting a pseudo-gravestone, Simon quickly ran back, eager to help with the siege in the city... sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Walking down the street, Kurons''s ear twitched, leaning towards where the clattering sound came from. He quickly hid himself beside the bin in the alleyway, hiding from his adversaries. From the streets, clacking noises were heard, as the creature ground its teeth... A lone Skeleboy warrior shambled down the street, dragging its sword on the ground, too heavy for it to wield properly. Its skull constantly twitched, carefully listening for any creature that dared wander its way. A soft clink was heard to its left... Without a single moment of hesitation, the Skeleboy warrior swung its sword with unfounded grace, cleaving the pavement. Its head twitched, wondering why none of the sweet, warm blood flowed out. Turns out it was just a rusty old can... Swoosh! Before it could register, a spiky mace landed in its skull, crushing it into Bone meal. The headless body tumbled briefly, before collapsing into a pile of bones, finally acknowledging that it was dead. Wheezing with fatigue, Kurons laid the mace on the ground, propping his tired body. Thank Illumia for the fact that it was merely a tier-1 Skeleboy warrior. If it was any higher, I''d be Wulfin Kebob by now... Just then, more clacking sounds were heard behind him. His eyes shrunk, unwilling to believe it. He closed his eyes, slowly turning behind him, hoping, praying, that it was all his dream. The cruel reality showed otherwise A horde of Skeleboys, each wielding a plethora of weapons, surrounded Kurons. Knowing his inevitable fate, he refused to surrender though. If I''m going down, I''ll go down with a fuxking fight! "IN THE NAME OF GIGASON, I CAST YOU DOW¨C" BAM!!! Fromabovethe skies, a small vial landed, before exploding in a blinding flash of light. Hymns erupted from the centre, vaporising the Skeleboys into ashes. Kurons, blinded, could not help but pray to Illumia, thanking Her for sending her Angels to help him... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Hey, I think that young man downstairs has a screw loose..." Commenting on Kurons''s blindness (literally and figuratively), Simon crouched behind one of the chimneys up high, busy smashing the wretched Devimps, hurling shir from the sky. "Damn that uncle of mine..." ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C As they entered the city, they witnessed scenes that could only be described as horror made manifest: Urks hunted down younglings for sport, tearing them to pieces once caught, chewing them down their gullets... Gogols swarmed over unarmed women, raping them, using them as outlets to satisfy their carnal desires... Minotaurs stomped their way through the city, crushing everything in their path creatures and all... Devimps hurled cursed shit from the air, poisoning everything and anything in their path... Most damning of all were the Wabbit armies, swarming over everything. With each new debris, they gained more and more power, using it to bolster their armed forces, each wielding more and more horrific weapons. Unable to tear their eyes away, they could only watch in horror as the city began being overrun by monsters. Just then, a very bloodied Dwarf, wielding a Bronziclon battle axe, charged straight out of an Urk mosh, chunks of flesh missing from his body. "Boy, *pant*, *pant*, *pant*... I, no, the city needs help. We don''t know why, but SCREEECH! Suddenly erupted here. Mithtador is being overrun by those damn furballs, not to mention the litany of other abominations they have procured for this SCREEECH! Please, for the love of Illumia, help us..." Near the end, the Dwarf, revealed to be a very wounded and bloody Durmast, fainted in front of Simon, his hands still gripping his battle axe. Gazing up once more, Simon was confronted with the sight of the burning city and the pillaging horde. Taking a deep breath, he made his decision: "Guys, let''s fuck ''em up!" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Beneath the city, deep underground, a small mechanical sphere is seen spinning very fast, its purpose is unknown, it''s only job being to spin. And spin... And spin... And spin... That was until it felt their call... Stopping abruptly, it lay motionless until the centre opened itself, revealing a bright blue crystal. Shining brightly, it illuminated its surroundings, revealing an ancient army clad in armour unknown. Silent in eternal sleep they rested, until a flash of bright blie light illuminated the chamber. Then, their eyes shone. Chapter 69: SCREEECH!: All Hell Breaks Loose! Chapter 69 - SCREEECH!: All Hell Breaks Loose!Heaving deeply, Durmast wiped his battle axe, edges nicked from the intense fighting. Clutching the remnants of the handle, he hoisted up the blade, clenching it tighter in the face of the unrelenting army. Despite blood leaking from the side of his lips, he still grinned, enjoying the chaotic battle. "Hah! Is that all you''ve got, you bunch of insufferable furcoats!?" Before him lay the tired body of a Rabbitos, her bountiful chest heaving up and down, making it very troublesome for Durmast to concentrate on his battle. Her luscious red lips trembled in pain as the wounds on her arms and stomach bled heavily. Sweat caked her blue hair, sticking it to her forehead. Shit, how long does it take for that damn ball to fucking activa-?! Just then, a large boom sounded far behind them, culminating in the fall of a large tower on top of the streets amidst the already chaotic situation. Durmast''s eyes widened in fear, for the unthinkable had happened... The dungeon had collapsed ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Dashing down the streets, Lewis had separated from the group, followed by a very belligerent Dwarf. "Why the fuck did you leave me!? I thought we were friends!?" Ignoring the pissed off dwarf, Lewis continued rrelaoding his Gatling Crossbow Mk II (Now fitted with proto-thermal imaging). Slinging back the crossbow, he replied to Simon while keeping his gaze focused forwards, "We don''t have time. Most of the city''s been submerged underneath the ravaging horde. Civilian lives are at stake, and if we don''t do something quickly, everything and everyone will be devoured to ashes..." His voice still devoid of the warmth it once held, Lewis robotically answered the young Dwarf''s burning question. "Still, at least make sure that you don''t go alone, you suicidal maniac! Just cause you were rejected by that (hot) Succubus, doesn''t mean-" "Shut Up!" His eyes growing a shade darker, Lewis began to berate the ignorant Dwarf on subjects that he should not meddle in. "You should not have spo-" Booooommm!!! ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C The Citadel now gone, a large, dark maw was all that remained. Those who were still alive from the initial explosion inched closer, curious to see what existed in the hole, their heads peering closer to the ravine. But this turned out to be their undoing... Scratches were heard coming from the bottom of the deep hole, and before anyone could realise it, a bright green beam flew out, vapourising an unlucky tier-5 Catkin Archer. "Aaaaahhhhh!" No one knew who, but after the first scream of fear, all the surrounding people, whether they be Adventurers, civilians, or Demons, all began running away from the hole. But it was too late... A dark skeletal hand, covered in Mechadermys, clung onto the edge. Within seconds, more and more hands emerged, some covered in wires, some morphing every few seconds in a fluid manner, while some were just large metal claws with tubes snaking every corner of the appendage. "It''s the End Of The World!" ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Eldruis heaved with fatigue, with his opponent, a tier-6 Succubus Charmomancer, hovering in the air. "Awww, what''s gotten into my little pookie-kin? Succubus got your dick?" Clicking his tongue in exasperation, Eldruis leaned onto his staff, transforming back partially into a Terrabuck. Using his spring-loaded legs, he leapt into the air, barely missing Sexulia, who dodged with ease despite being inches away from being grazed. "Ahahahah! What a sore loser..." Spitting the blood from his mouth, Eldruis, not to be outdone, taunted back in response. "Unlike a certain slut, I don''t-" ""Aaaahhhh!"" At the first scream of terror, Eldruis''s pupils shrank. He could tell that something bad was happening, and that it was big. Her grin stretching ear to ear, Sexulia turned back on Eldruis, heading straight to where the dungeon had collapsed. "Buh-bye, have a great time!" Eldruis wished he could chase after her, but he knew better. Damn it! We must ensure that whatever she has cooked never succeeds! Praying for someone, anyone, to stop her, he bolted in the same direction, hoping that the casualties were not great... Chapter 70: SCREEECH!: Chaos Ensues Chapter 70 - SCREEECH!: Chaos EnsuesRunning down the street, a young Wulfin child hobbles as fast as she can, her ponytail swishing side to side. Seeing the small alcove on the side of one of the buildings, her eyes widened with hope. Her hands outstretched, she managed to cling onto the corner, trying to squeeze in. But it was all for nothing... Pheeew! A sharp whistle was heard. Her eyes widened in fear; she had no time to scream. Within a few seconds, her body vaporised into ashes, the only evidence of her existence being the small boar plushy that lay on the ground, covered in soot... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Scenes like above occurred everywhere in the city: Some were vapourised instantaneously, giving them no time to scream... Some blew up like balloons, bursting like confetti, their agonising faces magnified... Some were even converted into unholy abominations, a mixture of man and machine, causing further destruction across the city... Eldruis, though heavily fatigued, forced himself to forget, constantly reminded of the death and destruction reigning in the city. Shit! If the SCREEECH! And the assault by the Demon King''s army was not enough of a clusterfuck, the Dungeon exploding was the last straw! If something isn''t done quickly, we''re all fucked... Dashing through the streets and trying to save as many of the civilians as possible, Eldruis tried his best to identify as many of the beasts as possible: Name: Servitor Strength: 50 Agility: 50 Intelligence: 8 Mana: 0 Stamina: N/A Aeonix: 110 Tier: 2 Abilities: Machina Tendril, Telescopic Eye, Uniformous Pesis Name: Mekrypter Strength: 35 Agility: 55 Intelligence: 80 Mana: 0 Stamina: N/A Aeonix: 235 Tier: 3 Abilities: Mechanical Terraform, Eye Of !@#¡ê&/, Mekanosys Name: Penitantor Strength: 67 Agility: 5 Intelligence: 5 Mana: 0 Stamina: N/A Aeonix: 57 Tier: 1 Abilities: Whipper Claw, Adaptive Feeting What on Earadun isthis!? Forget about their bizarre looks, their Abilities don''t even have levels! Shocked at what he saw, Eldruis grew more and more afraid. To him, it was the end of the world! None of them looked anything similar to the life forms of today: Their long metallic tentacles, their bright red crystalline eyes, their horrific weapons capable of accomplishing what only tier-5 and above can do... Shuddering with fear, Eldruis kept destroying each variant he came across, trying his best to reach the centre of the fallen dungeon and making sure that whatever that blasted Succubus'' aim was, she would never succeed! Just as he reached the edge of the Great Hole, a large shadow fell across him... ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C "Hmm hmm hmmmm~" Humming through the air, Sexulia glided across the vast chasm that housed the once mighty members of the Church of the Broken God. Strewn all across were the mighty Artifacts that gave them the power to rule the world, yet now lying discarded across, their shells corrupted and broken in disrepair. Below, sounds of fighting could be heard, as warriors of all races fought against the remaining Guardians of the mighty tomb. Despite them coming from various races and tiers, they all had one thing in common: Chained around their necks were collars filled with heart-shaped lockets, each signifying who they belonged to¨C Their mighty mistress, Sexulia! "For her mightiness!" "For our Goddess!" "For her Angelicy!" "For her love!" "For her to step¨C" "Alright my boys, keep on doing the good work. The lucky one shall have the right to sleep with me for a whole week, so do your best!" With a slight dance, she encouraged them to fight harder for her. Emboldened, they threw themselves harder into the fight, determined to cinch the prize for themselves. Only they did not know that she never intended to keep her promise... Landing on top of the altar, she made her way across, standing on the centre of the dais. There, a small bronze container floated in the air, pulsating occasionally in a light golden colour. "Ah, come here to momma..." Chapter 71: SCREEECH!: Crushing Guilt... Chapter 71 - SCREEECH!: Crushing Guilt...Thwack! With a large thud, the Servitor fell into the ground, its head cracked wide open, showering the ground with white matter and...wires? Shaking his head, Simon quickly disregarded what he saw. He knew time was tight, and the more people he rescued, the lesser his guilt became. He knew saving everyone was impossible, but at least he tried, right? Breathing heavily, Simon knelt on his knee, tired from the constant battling, especially after the Great Hole appeared. Those metal monstrosities dealt far more damage to the city than the SCREECH! and the Demon King''s army did, and they did a lot. How the fuck on Earadun am I supposed to fight shit that can vaporise me in one shot! Beside his tired body lay Lewis, busy bandaging the wounded. Bandaging the last child, he scrunched his eyes, worried about from where the mechanical monstrosities came. "Simon, we need to go and check that great big hole. I have a vague hunch about where they came from..." Looking as if he had brain damage, Simon glared at him. "Well, no shit! Obviously, they must''ve come from that huge ass hole! In all my years, I haven''t seen creatures like those, not even the great library dad kept back in the..." Trailing off, Simon quickly turned silent, realising he had spilt far more than he should have. Raising an eye, Lewis grew intrigued. For all these days he spent with Simon, he never knew his past. Nor any of them to be honest... "Hey, I''ve been wondering, can I¨C" Fwooom! Just before he could ask, a bright flash of light lit up from behind them. Glancing at each other, they both made up their minds, dashing into the direction from where it came from. ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C Sssss... Hearing the gash sizzle before closing itself, the child felt her pain go away as the potion healed her wound. Her tears drying, she looked up at the beautiful sister who helped heal her, thanking her for help. "Tank u bwig sister! *Sniff*, *sniff*, tank you sho much for hulpin mwe..." Wiping away her tears, she thanked once more, before the hooded figure shooed her away, afraid of her being hurt once more. Getting her message, the child stumbled up, waddling off, waving her hand as thanks. Wuping her forehead, the hooded figure rose back up, her huge assets spilling from the cloak. "Phew! That''s one more person saved. Need to go faster..." Removing her cloak, Celine wiped her face from dust before removing the Orbs circling the perimeter, dispelling the illusion she had set up to ward off the army. Why... why did she lie!? She promised, she promised... S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Unable to hold back her sobs, she buckled to her knees, the guilt crushing her. This wasn''t meant to go this way... Just then, footsteps came from behind her. As she looked up, she found herself with people she did not want to meet... Chapter 72: SCREEECH!: The Fall Of Durmast (I) Chapter 72 - SCREEECH!: The Fall Of Durmast (I)Wheezing in pain, Durmast lays down his axe on the ground, using it to prop his tired body up. With his remaining hand, he kept himself steady, watching his opponent, making sure she did not move. On the other side, a blue-eared ''Rabbitos'' panted sexily, her two modest assets jiggling up and down as she caught her breath. "Heh...old man, why don''t you give already? We both know you''re tired as fuck, and this city''s doomed. Why not do both of us a favour, and get the fuck out of here. Or better yet, leave the wretched Human civilization, and come join us! We, the Demons, will gladly welcome you with open arms!" Opening her arms akimbo, she proudly declared her offer, confident that he''d accept it. But all she got was a spit in her face. "Hah! A little lassie such as you dictate me, the great Durmast!? Back when you were in your daddy''s ballocks, I already roamed the world, going from dungeon to dungeon, bashing the skulls of beasts and monsters, sucking on their marrow day in, day out! And I''d be damned if some little bitch with apple-sized tits and sloppy eyes dictate how to live my life! Also, don''t think I don''t know your situation as well..." Giving the young ''Rabbitos'' a stink-eye, Durmast chuckled knowingly. Tch, that old bastard''s smart... Clicking her tongue inwardly, she became annoyed. That old fart was sharper than he showed. Too bad for him, he wasn''t as smart as he showed himself to be... "Tch! Seems like I gotta get serious..." At these ominous words, Durmast lifted his head, eyes shrinking. Before his very eyes, fur began sprouting on the woman''s face, covering her entire face with blue hair. Her nose shrank, converging until all that remained was a small black ball with two holes. From her cheeks grew 6 whiskers, 6 inches long each. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Stretching her arms, Cercis stretched herself, free from the shackles that once bound her. "Ahhhh! That feels so much better! Now, let''s get going shall we, old man..." With a big leap, she flew across the ground, reaching the old Dwarf within an instant. Before Durmast could do anything, 5 sharp claws cut through his face, gouging deeply. Without giving him to cry in pain, Cercis immediately kneed him in his groins. Anticipating her moves, he dodged to his right, missing her attack by only an inch. But it was all a feint, for her true attack was the punch that shattered his nose. Clutching his bleeding, shattered nose, Durmast groaned in pain. Cercis on the other hand, stood nearby, tall, strong down at the fallen Dwarf, proud of her work. Spitting out blood from his mouth, he grinned dejectedly. "Finish me off, you whore of a rabbit!" Cercis still stared down at him, seemingly oblivious to his insults, watching him slowly bleed to death. Yet that was not what was going through her mind... Shit, I''ve spent too much energy! That God damn old fart made me use too much vitality. If it wasn''t for me faking it, he would''ve known I was spent. Damn it old cunt, just die already! His consciousness slowly slipped by, his hand slipping off the battle axe, falling into the ground. Seeing the result, Cercis could not help but grin, believing she won... Kaboom!