《Strongest Dimensional Necromancer》


 Chapter 1: Bloody wedding

    Chapter 1: Bloody wedding"Riven, that cursed runt? Figures his sister''s the only one desperate enough to marry today." a voice said, intentionally louder than a whisper, her tone dripping with mockery and revulsion.


    "That''s him aright. I would have ditch him long ago if I was his sister. No one wanted her with a cursed like him around her. Who knows what their bloodline will turn into?" another voice answered, displeasure thick in it.


    "But now that our two villages are joining together, she has been pitifully taken. I pity the poor man," a new voice added with a snort.


    Riven, a lanky seventeen-year-old, stiffened from his place at the front of the hall. He heard their whispers, and it wasn''t as if they were trying to hide them. He resisted the urge to look across the hall towards the Stonequa villagers.


    Everyone in the hall heard it. After all, everyone in attendance was an Aura practitioner, with inhuman senses and strength.


    Unlike Riven, who was truly useless, who could not even activate his Sigil. It only made their mockery more painful, a bite that stung deep into his heart.


    But he narrowed his purple eyes as the familiar bitterness swirled and thought. "I will not let them get to me, not today when my sister is finally getting married."


    He felt bittersweet emotions as he thought about it. On one hand, he was glad that his sister, Ysmera, was finally getting married, but on the other, he felt the same helplessness and hopelessness he''d been feeling since he was smart enough to know he was different.


    Different in a very wrong way. Cursed. "If I''m not cursed, then I''m the most unlucky, can absorb Aura but can''t use it." he thought bitterly.


    Suddenly, a voice boomed, "We are here today to celebrate the alliance between our two villages!"


    Riven snapped out of his thoughts and looked up.


    At the front of the hall, in front of the two couples, stood a tall, heavily muscled man with a black beard. His eyes were sharp, and his teeth glistened. He was Village Head Vorin, the leader of Stonequa.


    The thin woman beside him nodded. Unlike Vorin, her hair was white with gray, and her face was wrinkled. But her black eyes were as sharp as a knife. She was the Village Head of Timberhold, Orianne. She said, "This will ensure the continued survival of our villages."


    Riven almost snorted out loud at the performance the two village heads were putting on. But he knew better. Across from where he was sitting were villagers from Stonequa, and they continued to glare at those from Timberhold.


    If not for the village heads, blood would have started flowing already, Riven thought with a sneer. And with good reason, too. The two villages had been spilling each other''s blood for hundreds of years. They shared boundaries and fought for resources all the time.


    Riven and his sister came from Timberhold, while the other villagers were from Stonequa.


    The two villages weren''t fully in agreement¡ªnot the Aura practitioners who had bled for their sides¡ªbut the village heads didn''t seem to care. And as both of them were at a higher rank than everyone here, there wasn''t much anyone could do.


    Orianne nodded and smiled. "That''s why we are joining our villages together¡ªto preserve them and grow them into something more."


    And what better way than to use the girl that no one wanted to marry?


    The idea had made Riven angry when he first heard it, and he wanted to disagree, to be against it. But then he remembered that the reason she was unmarried at twenty-four was because of him.


    And he owed her whatever happiness she might be able to carve. She had taken care of him since their parents died and did not look at him with the same disgust as the others.


    Ysmera was looking forward to this, and Riven was determined to let her have her happiness. He did some investigation on the man she was to marry¡ªa Rank 1 Aura practitioner who was also good at hunting, just like her.


    As if to confirm it he glanced at her at the front and she gave him a small smile, it was filled with more joy than usual but her eyes still held the same warmth she reserved only for him, he could almost hear her say. "You worry too much, Riven. Everything will be alright, we''ll make it so."


    He gave her a firm nod in reply.


    Orianne continued, "For years, all the villages in Tholm have been fighting each other. But from today, we will be the first to unite, and soon, we will defeat all the other villages together!"


    A harsh but low mumbling spread through the room, and the tension intensified. Aura pressure filled the hall, a crushing weight that Riven straightened against.


    This was what it meant to be a normal person¡ªa failure among Aura practitioners.


    The two village heads continued as if they didn''t see the reaction, and Vorin added, "We will make Tholm ours."


    Tholm referred to their part of the Shadowwood, far removed from civilization. There were eight villages there, and none of them saw eye to eye.


    Riven looked towards the Stonequa villagers again and couldn''t help the bubble of hope that swelled in his heart. Maybe this time I will be accepted among them. They can''t be like my village, right? Maybe they won''t shun me.


    But what he saw in their eyes wasn''t friendliness. Hostility brimmed from them, their faces carved into grim lines. The little hope he held faded away, only to be replaced by determination. I guess I will finally do what I''ve been thinking about for so long.


    Time to run away.


    He did not listen to Vorin and Orianne drone on about the ceremony and the benefits of the new union.


    Riven was only half-listening. His eyes were narrowed as he thought about his next plan. I will run away. There has to be something beyond this Shadowwood... I will make it. I might not be able to kill monsters, but I can handle normal animals easily enough. I have a small sword, and I can¡ª


    "Hey, old man! I''m tired of this. You''ve just been rambling on and on. And can that old crone beside you shut up?"


    Riven was jarred out of his thoughts by the voice that cut through the village heads'' speech like a cold wind. The voice carried a cruel twist to it, and Riven, along with everyone else, turned towards the open door in surprise.


    Two men stood there, in their twenties. They had the youthful and near-blemishless appearance of those who cultivated Aura. They wore dark green, loose long-sleeve robes with red sashes, their long hair coiled atop their heads.


    The first thing Riven thought was, They are strong!


    The strongest Aura practitioner Riven had ever met was at Low Auracrest¡ªand that was both village heads. But these strangers gave off a steady pressure that told him they were stronger than that.


    "What''s happening? Who are they?"


    What surprised Riven most was that they were strangers! He''d never seen a stranger before. Their village was too inconsequential to matter, too insignificant to draw outsiders¡ªespecially ones as powerful as these.


    But Riven couldn''t help the excitement that ran through him. His heart began to beat fast. This is the image of Aura practitioners I always had in mind¡ªelegant and near flawless.


    He turned his head to see how the two village heads would react.


    Orianne looked so shocked her eyes nearly popped out of her face, but Vorin was only mildly surprised.


    The village head of Stonequa cleared his throat, his face expressionless. "You came faster than I expected," he said.


    One of the strangers sneered. "That''s because we didn''t find what you promised. There''s no catacomb at Timberhold. We dug up the whole village¡ªthere''s nothing."


    "But at least the villagers make good dead bodies," the other one said.


    There was silence as they tried to process and make sense of what they just said. Dead bodies? Catacombs? What is going on? But then the hall suddenly erupted. Auras flared, and the villagers shouted, those from Timberhold demanding to know what was going on.


    Riven stood there in shock, but even then, he was already moving. His intuition, honed through countless times he had tried to avoid trouble, told him the biggest trouble he had ever seen was standing at the door. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Riven crouched and began to make his way to the front, his right hand falling to the side where a small sword hung. "Whatever is going on, we have to get out of here. Me and Ysmera," he thought.


    One of the green-robed strangers sneered. "Do you see that? The disgusting villagers from this blackwater place are demanding to know what is going on."


    His companion yawned. "Just kill them. And the one that lied too. They are all better as dead bodies anyway."


    "Huh, I wonder how useful their dead bodies will be though. They are not as strong as they should be in their ranks. They lack foundation."


    Orianne turned to Vorin, her eyes widening in shock. "You bastard! You are already betraying us!"


    Vorin sneered, his face now twisting in disgust. "As if I will join my village with you lots. I thought there was a catacomb with all the bragging you have been doing!"


    "Then why did you propose it?" Orianne began to edge away from him, red-tainted aura beginning to cover her like smoke.


    "Because I have sold your village, and I wanted to get all the Aura practitioners out of it for a while for a proper search. Who would have thought you were a lying rat!" Vorin bellowed, the ground underneath him shifting and shuddering.


    The tension that had been mounting since the beginning finally snapped. One of the villagers from Stonequa gestured with her hand, yanking it backward and jerking a man from the Timberhold side toward her with a blast of wind.


    The man was so surprised he failed to react in time, and he collided with the blade the woman was holding headfirst, a stab that went straight through his eye to the other side.


    Everything seemed to slow down. Blood splattered in bright red, causing a ripple effect as that shocked all the aura practitioners. The air in the room whined and vibrated, turning chaotic as everyone drew on their Sigil.


    Riven cursed. He had reached the front now and was looking at the shocked face of his sister, who had her hand grabbed tightly by her soon-to-be husband.


    Riven heard the so-called soon-to-be husband say, "Finally, we are done with the show. I will just have you for a chained mistress. It is all you are worth, after all. I do not want my bloodline tainted by your blood."


    Riven stiffened. The hand holding the sword trembled and then firmed. Behind him, he heard the villagers starting their attacks. The ground shook, and the cracking sound of unleashed Sigil techniques filled the air.


    But Riven was not concerned with all that. His vision had shrunk to a circle that only contained the crumbling face of his sister. Her happiness turned to ashes, just like it.


    His gut twisted. It was simply too much. His anger swelled, and his purple eyes flashed. Without thinking, he flung himself at the back of the man, a rank-one Aura practitioner, but to Riven, he was simply the most hated man who had hurt his sister.


    At that moment, nothing else mattered except getting blood on his sword.

 Chapter 2: Madness

    Chapter 2: MadnessBut the man wasn''t a rank one in name only. He heard him coming and turned with quicksilver speed. He reached out and grabbed the sword with his bare hand, twisting it from Riven''s grip with a yank and pulling him forward in the process.


    The man caught Riven by the neck, his hand digging into his flesh like claws. "Is this your brother? The one that can''t use his Sigil? I should take that burden away from you, Ysmera."


    Riven spluttered as he tried to inhale, his face reddened and his eyes watered. He tried to slap the hand holding him, but it was like trying to bend steel. A rank one could break normal human into two if they wanted.


    The sight of her brother struggling finally forced Ysmera out of her shock. It was aa if she wore a mask, covering everything else. She hissed and lurched forward, slamming into her husband-to-be, using her head to jab him underneath his chin.


    The man grunted and released Riven, who fell to the ground, greedily taking deep breaths while clutching his throat. But he didn''t stay down. He began crawling away from the area as his sister began to fight.


    The last thing he wanted was to be caught between two fighting aura practitioners. He ducked behind a chair, still holding his neck with his right hand while his left gripped his sword tightly. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So it was a lie?" Ysmera demanded despite herself, a crack appearing in her impassive. It stung to think everything was an elaborate play and she was chosen as the target for such.


    Her eyes flashed with fury as she buried her pain. She drew on her Sigil, and red aura covered her, warping thinly around her body like tight-fitting armor.


    Without waiting for the man to speak, she threw herself at him, a blur of red.


    Rank one and rank two aura practitioners couldn''t project their techniques at these levels. They could only strengthen their bodies and senses and form thin shields around themselves.


    But the difference between the two ranks was still clear. Riven didn''t know what the husband-to-be was thinking when he, a rank one, thought he could fight a rank two. Maybe he assumed she''d be too desperate to attack him and somehow just go on with it.


    Then he did not know her as Riven obviously does.


    Ysmera crossed the distance in a blink and punched him right in the face, snapping his head back and making his green shield crack. Blood gushed from his crooked nose, and he yelped, flinching back as he raised his hand to block her.


    But she was angry now. She grabbed the hand he raised, jerked him toward her, and then headbutted him so hard he crumpled right there, his shield shattering.


    Riven couldn''t help the smile that flitted to his lips. Ysmera was one of the strongest rank twos in their village, and he was always in awe whenever she fought. As a fire aura practitioner, she should have been fighting with swords or something suited to the elegant way fire danced.


    But not her. She fought and wrestled like a bull.


    The smile soon faded as the clash of fighting intensified. "We have to get out of here," he said, stepping out from his hiding place.


    Ysmera nodded without turning to him. She cast a last glance at the man and turned toward the hall. "Let''s go."


    It didn''t escape Riven that she hadn''t killed him. If not for their urgency and her presence, he would have finished him off. His hand itched with the need to slide his sword across his throat.


    He had no qualms about killing an unconscious man, especially one who had tried to kill him. And insulted his sister.


    "You are too kind, Ysmera," he said as he stepped beside her. It was what she always told him when he was a child and hadn''t yet learned how cruel the world could be.


    She frowned, opened her mouth, then closed it with a shake of her head. Finally, she said grimly, "Only this once."


    Then they faced the hall.


    It was complete chaos. Thin, translucent shields of different colors covered bodies, weapons glinted in the air, and each slash added to the pool of blood on the ground. Body parts littered the floor, some still attached to their twitching owners by thin strings of flesh.


    And in the middle of it all were the two village heads, raining down techniques that killed more villagers than they hurt each other.


    The two green-robed strangers stood at the other end, close to the only entrance. A faint green aura covered them.


    Riven had seen many fights and small battles when villages clashed, but nothing like this. "This is madness."


    Ysmera nodded. "And yet, we must get out of here."


    They weren''t the only ones thinking the same thing. Some people were trying to fight their way out but kept getting swallowed by the tide.


    "What if we stick to the wall there?" Riven pointed. His hand on the sword was slick with sweat, and he was doing his best to keep his voice steady. "Most of the rank threes are fighting closer to the middle."


    Without a word, Ysmera gestured for him to follow. She was far faster than him, but she slowed down as she plowed through the chairs arranged close to the wall. Then she simply began crushing her way over.


    Riven ran behind her, doing his best to keep up as he picked his way over broken furniture. Each step was a beat in his fast-thumping heart. Blood splattered him, and he had to duck more than once to avoid getting skewered.


    They nearly made it. They got close to the entrance.


    And that was when the two strangers decided they wanted to join the fight.


    Ysmera didn''t think so. She turned, picked up Riven as if he weighed nothing, and then, in a streak of red, ran straight for the door.

 Chapter 3: Why stop?

    Chapter 3: Why stop?She didn''t reach it. One of the green-robed practitioners reached out with his hand, and aura boiled out, blasting through the room in a forceful shockwave that sent everyone falling to their knees as pressure slammed into them.


    Ysmera hit the ground with a crack, throwing Riven off. He grunted as he twisted, stopping himself from jamming his head into the ground, closer to the two practitioners.


    He tried to stand, but the pressure in the air increased, and he went down in a huff as a weight settled on him.


    The two green-robed figures were now combining their aura pressure.


    Their aura was cold, a bitter coldness that made Riven shiver in a way no coldness ever had before. He found it somehow familiar.


    Only the two village heads remained standing, but even then, they could only crouch, their faces tight with the effort of holding back the much stronger aura with their own.


    "Will you look at that? Maybe we can use their bodies. One of mine is damaged, I want to replace it," one of them said and began to walk forward while the other remained by the door.


    As he walked, his shadow twisted and lengthened, turning thicker and darker, more like liquid, resembling a dark pool. Then, from within, a hand reached out.


    It was a skeletal hand, dry and yellowed with age. Then the rest of the body pulled itself out, an undead skeleton dressed in ragged, rotting clothes. A rusted sword was strapped to its back, and its sockets burned with green fire.


    Riven, along with everyone else, sucked in a sharp breath as they saw it. They understood then that the strangers must have Sigils related to necromancy. What they had said about bodies earlier wasn''t just a threat.


    Everyone is born with a Sigil, but whether they can use it is another matter, just like what kind they get. This was the first time Riven had seen a Sigil that wasn''t purely elemental in nature.


    And for some reason, he couldn''t take his eyes off it. The undead skeleton drew his gaze. It walked to the side of its master, and the man gestured.


    "I changed my mind, just kill them all."


    The undead unstrapped its sword, and without ceremony, it approached the first person, a man covered in a red aura shield. The man''s eyes widened, and he threw his own aura up, but it was crushed immediately.


    "Wait, hold up, this is..."


    The rusted sword went through his shield as if it wasn''t there and punched through his skull like an egg, splattering pink brain matter and blood.


    Then the skeleton turned to the next person.


    It was at that moment, when the shock of watching someone get killed so helplessly, without even having the chance to fight back, sank in, that they realized what was actually going to happen.


    There was a moment of silence, immediately shattered as every aura practitioner flared their aura and threw it against that of the green-robed strangers.


    And they succeeded, largely because the two village heads added more weight. They stood up hurriedly, and the air hummed with power as those who could use techniques released bolts of fire, wind blades, and lightning, along with stone spikes, at the undead skeleton and its master. But a dome of green shielding expanded outward from the man, and the attacks splashed harmlessly against it.


    Riven didn''t wait to see the horror on the villagers'' faces. He was already at the door with Ysmera, it was unguarded.


    Because while the villagers were focused on one of the strangers, the other had used some kind of technique to appear behind the two village heads.


    Ysmera kicked the door open, and Riven leaped forward, only to be yanked to the side as something collided with him midair.


    "Watch out!" Ysmera shouted above him as her weight settled on him. Then she picked him up again and began to run into the forest without hesitation.


    Riven''s confusion cleared when he heard a growl.


    He twisted from his place and saw something impossibly fast chasing them. It was a wolf monster, as tall as Riven, but its eyes burned with green fire, and part of its head was rotted. That was all he saw before the force of Ysmera''s speed made him close his eyes.


    "They had a guard outside," Riven thought. "They really want to kill us all."


    Ysmera blurred as she ran through the Shadowwood, twisting and ducking around trees with bone-breaking speed. She jumped over twisted roots, missing branches by inches.


    It was Riven who suffered those scratches, but that was nothing compared to the fear that made his lungs clamp together. The undead monster was gaining on them, fast.


    Its rotting stench didn''t leave them, even with the scent of dirt and plants surrounding them. Riven expected the monster to reach them at any moment, to feel its hot, rancid breath on him. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then suddenly, Ysmera stopped running and dumped Riven on the forest floor.


    He shouted in surprise and jumped to his feet, coughing slightly, both hands raised in a fighting position. He had lost his sword on the run.


    "Why did you stop?" he asked, glancing around for anything he might use as a weapon.


    Ysmera looked at him in amusement. She gestured toward the clearing they were in.


    They heard the growl of the monster as it shook the undergrowth, making its way toward them.


    "I''m going to fight it."


    Riven couldn''t believe his ears.


    "What? No! Let''s just keep running, away from this place. There have to be other places beyond the Shadowwood¡ªwe know there are! Let''s¡ª!!"


    "Relax, Riven. We only ran to escape those strangers. The undead monster is only at rank one, I''ll take care of it," she said, even adding a smile.


    "You should have just said that," Riven grumbled.


    Relief ran through his body, and he wanted to flop onto the ground as his body trembled from the fear caused by those strangers.


    That''s right. Ysmera is rank two, she''ll take care of this.


    And then, like a shadow fitted with two green fire-burning eyes, the monster bounded into the clearing.

 Chapter 4: You have some spirit

    Chapter 4: You have some spiritRiven created space between them. He hid behind a tree, and when he saw a branch on the floor that was perfectly weighted, he picked it up as a weapon, although he knew his sister would take care of it.


    "Just as she took care of me all these years," Riven thought. It was the only thing that kept him sane, living in the village that made him feel worthless and unworthy every single day.


    If not for her, he didn''t know what he would have done with himself.


    The monster paused as it saw them, and the green fire flared. Its lips pulled back to show sharp fangs, and black drool dripped from its mouth.


    "Well? You''re here now. Come and kill me," Ysmera said. Red aura covered her, warping around her like a second skin. Even the clothes she was wearing were covered as well.


    If the monster was surprised that the prey it had been chasing wasn''t running anymore, it didn''t show it. Instead, it began to creep toward her, its fur blending with the darkness of the forest, but its eyes were a dead giveaway.


    Riven saw its muscles tense, and he knew it was going to leap.


    Ysmera knew as well and braced herself, her foot digging into the ground. With a roar, the monster leaped, so fast Riven couldn''t keep track of it until it was above his sister.


    But she was ready. The monster''s claw stretched against her shield without effect, but its weight wasn''t a joke, a monster the size of Riven, filled taut with muscles.


    Her leg dug a line as she was pushed back, and the monster''s mouth clamped shut on her head. Only she had already ducked down, and the sharp clicking of fangs didn''t touch her.


    From below, she got her hand where she wanted and then pushed out, making her hand into a knife position. With a sharp crunching sound, ribs snapped.


    The monster howled in pain and pushed against her, but her hand was already in its chest, and she ripped out its heart. The monster fell like a puppet without strings.


    Ysmera curled her mouth and threw away the black heart she was holding. "That''s disgusting."


    Riven came out of his hiding place, and he smiled, the first big smile he had since he heard his sister was getting married.


    He thought, "Somehow, this all works out in our favor. We will leave the village behind to start in a new place where they don''t know who I am. They won''t avoid me."


    Out loud to his sister, he said, "I didn''t know undead monsters could feel pain."


    His sister opened her mouth to speak, but someone else answered for her¡ªan unknown voice that had crept up on them without them knowing.


    "They don''t, in the general sense of the word. It''s just muscle memory."


    Riven flinched and raised his club while Ysmera raised her fist threateningly. The two of them turned their backs to each other and faced the forest.


    The voice continued speaking without revealing itself. "The brain is so powerful that even after death, it still retains some of its functions. Impressive, right?"


    "Show yourself!" Ysmera demanded, but Riven could hear the fear in her voice because they both found the voice familiar. It was one of the two strangers.


    The forest ruffled as the man laughed, and then he stepped out of the shadows. The man was sitting atop a flying sword covered in green aura, his expression bored as he looked down on the two of them.


    "You, girl, you have some spirit." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Riven turned to face him together with his sister, and the action drew the man''s attention. His eyes narrowed as his gaze pierced through him.


    "And you... are empty. I can feel your Sigil, but you have no aura in it? What are you?"


    "He sounds curious. Maybe he won''t kill us," Riven thought.


    But the hope was crushed moments later as the man landed on the ground, his sword floating beside him. His gaze flickered to the dead monster.


    "I thought it trailed something bigger and fun, but you guys made me come all the way over here, so you''ll have to entertain me now. It''s the least you can do.


    "Let''s see, the boy won''t make for a good doll, no lick of aura in him. But the girl... easy on the eyes. Maybe I''ll keep her as one of my dolls."


    Riven heard the creak that came from Ysmera''s clenched fist as she said, "We did not do anything to you."


    The man''s face twisted in disgust. "Yes, you did. Why don''t you guys have catacombs around here? There''s one found in the Shadowwood, so there must be others as well, but you filthy villagers..."


    He didn''t get to finish as Ysmera flung herself forward, trying to use the distraction to attack, but it was all for nothing. The man didn''t even move a single muscle.


    All Riven saw was a flicker of green, and then his sister screamed in pain.


    She stared at her hand in shock, blood spurting from where it had been cut off just below the elbow, the severed limb twitching on the ground.


    "Ysmera!" Riven shouted, abandoning all reason as he ran to his sister, who had fallen to her knees, too shocked to do anything but stare in dumb silence.


    Bitterness and anger swelled in Riven as he stood, just as frozen, but he shoved all emotions away as something came to his mind.


    "Healer. Healer. I must get her to a healer. She''s losing so much blood."


    He tried to carry her, but it was like moving a tree. He grunted and tried again, but something slammed into him, throwing him down in a body slam against the floor.


    Pain ran through his body as he stood, swaying slightly as he tried to get his bearings.


    "Foolish boy, what do you think you are doing? Don''t be impatient. Your turn will come soon enough."


    All Riven saw was a glint and a blur of green, and then he was back on the ground. But this time, it was different.


    The clearing suddenly came alive with his painful scream.

 Chapter 5: A game

    Chapter 5: A gameRiven''s hand was pinned down by a sword that had driven halfway through his hand into the forest floor. His vision went white with blinding pain, and his body spasmed. He cried out, his eyes stinging with tears, and made the mistake of trying to yank his hand away.


    He screamed again, and the man laughed, clapping and hooting as if he was watching a show. "You lowlifes are funny. We should have done this instead of just killing all of you."


    Riven had no breath to answer or even form a thought. He blanked out for some moments that couldn''t have been more than seconds because when he regained consciousness, he was still in the same position. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was breathing hard, his body covered in sweat.


    Suddenly, a shadow loomed above him. It was the man, and he smiled down at him. "Let me properly introduce myself. I am Vaelith from the Brotherhood of the Unholy Night. And what''s your name?"


    "Don''t tell me. I don''t like to name the dead. So how about we play a game? I''ll be honest with you. I''m going to kill your sister, but you can stop that. Right now, she''s been shocked senseless, but with a good healer, she can be alright again," Vaelith said.


    Riven froze like an animal caught in a hunter''s trap. He didn''t trust Vaelith. The man was sick and twisted. But he wanted to save his sister if he could. No, he needed to save her. He gritted his teeth and tried to push the pain away, but his hand throbbed with every beat of his heart, creating a splitting headache.


    "What do I need to do?" His voice was rough and raw, layered with pain and anger he didn''t dare express.


    Vaelith smiled like a spider closing in on its prey. "Nothing much. I will try to kill your sister, and all you must do is try to save her. I will try to kill her slowly so you can have time to remove the sword from your hand. Remember, the sword must be removed from your hand, not the ground."


    "That''s it?" Riven asked, a mixture of fear and surprise in his voice.


    Vaelith shrugged and began to walk backward to his original position. "That''s it."


    Then he spread his hands, and his aura spread out, a taint of green that carried the cold of the grave. The severed hands of Ysmera twitched, then shuddered to life, then skittered like spiders toward her.


    The shock of seeing her own hands walk toward her was too much for her mind, and she flinched, screaming as she tried to get away. But the hands flew at her and clamped around her throat, trying to squeeze the life out of her.


    "The game starts now."


    Riven hesitated. He couldn''t help it. His body remembered the pain. But then he heard the choking sounds coming from his sister, and his hesitation melted away.


    He cursed and shouted, spit falling from his mouth as he tried to pull the sword, but it was lodged deep in his bones. He gritted his teeth, grinding them together. Pain filled every part of his body, different shades of pain, and he began to sob at the sheer frustration of it.


    This wouldn''t have happened if he was an Aura practitioner. He would have the strength to remove the sword and not slow his sister down as they made their escape. He knew he was unlucky, but could he, just this once, get the luck to pull the sword and save his sister?


    But strength wasn''t something that could be cultivated by luck.


    The sword was stuck too deep in his bones, and there was no way he could ever hope to pull it out in time. But he was Riven, and what he lacked in strength and luck, he made up for in quick thinking.


    He stopped pulling and instead used his left hand to secure the sword more firmly into the ground. Then, cursing and crying with snot and tears running down his cheeks, he began to yank his hand free from the sword.


    Vaelith, who was watching from the side, was visibly shocked. He had never seen anything like that before. The game was one where the boy was supposed to fail, but he was actually trying to remove it? Even going as far as to rip his hand free?


    It scared Vaelith in a way he couldn''t quite understand. But then he frowned. What could he do? They were nothing more than squeaking rats in front of him.


    Riven didn''t know where one pain began and another started. It was never-ending, but finally, he was rewarded with a loud crack as his hand was ripped free. Blood gushed, and the only thing connecting his hand was a thin strip of flesh.


    He laughed and swayed toward his sister, his purple eyes feverish. "I did it! I did it, Ysmera!"


    He sobbed and collapsed beside her. The hands fell away from her neck, leaving behind a vivid red mark. She gasped for breath, her face swollen, but Riven was just laughing because she was alive, and that was all that mattered. Everything else would come later.


    Vaelith clapped for them. "What a touching story you guys are painting. You should look for work as crippled artists. I''m sure they''ve never seen your types before."


    He gestured, and his sword came to him, already clean of Riven''s blood. "As much as I would love to wait here and watch you two, I''m afraid I have to kill you now. You''ve wasted my time."


    "What?" Riven asked. He frowned slightly, as if he couldn''t hear properly.


    But Vaelith didn''t repeat himself. His shadow turned into a pool, and undead monsters came out. Snakes with horns and yellow scales, dozens of them crawled out of the dark pool and surged toward them without hesitation.


    Everything slowed down around Riven. The unjustified cruelty, the awareness that Vaelith thought their lives were nothing but a game, it was too much, and he snapped.


    He threw himself at the monsters, waving both hands, the injured and the normal. He screamed as they swarmed over and around him, fangs lashing out and sinking into soft flesh, pumping poison into him.


    He turned to his sister and saw her go down under the wave of snakes. She didn''t even try to fight back as they killed her.


    Riven fought back. He bit down on a monster that bit him and tore into it with his mouth, ripping its head clean off. But his body was already numb, and he fell.


    He instinctively sucked in a deep breath, but it wasn''t air that he pulled, it was the aura of the undead monster he had just killed.


    For the first time in his life, Riven was able to absorb an aura. The shock didn''t fully register as he died.

 Chapter 6: Undying

    Chapter 6: UndyingRiven... was dead. He couldn''t believe it. Just when his Sigil was activated, he died. He wanted to scream and curse at the unjustified event, to howl at the pain he was feeling as his heart was shredded.


    Not only was he dead, but so was his sister. The anger that was trapped inside him had nowhere to go. "How can you kill us just because you are strong and we are weak?"


    But then Riven stopped thinking as something came to his mind. "I am dead, so why am I still thinking?"


    Immediately, he became aware that he wasn''t dead. It was as if something flipped. He saw darkness and felt coldness as his body was being tugged away by something in the endless dark he now found himself in.


    Suddenly, light bloomed and shattered the darkness, and his eyes opened.


    "Rauug!"


    Riven gasped awake as if he had been submerged in water for too long. He was breathing hard, and he clutched his chest where his heart was on fire.


    His stomach clenched, and he coughed, his body spasming briefly as he tried to get used to the fact that he was alive, breathing.


    For a moment, all he could do was stare blankly at the sky. "What in the eternal is going on?"


    He thought, and his heart clenched as he remembered the event that led to his death. Suddenly, he bolted upright, clumsily trying to stand, but his legs were like wet leather, and he fell to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs.


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    He sat up again, but this time much slower. His body trembled again, this time from the grief that swelled in his heart, the grief that turned to anger because she didn''t deserve it. None of them did.


    "Ysmera." He called softly this time, as if she hadn''t heard the first time and would answer him. But only silence met him, and it was at this moment that he actually looked around him.


    He was outside their house back in Timberhold Village, but where there should have been a house was a pile of crumbled walls and twisted wood.


    "Those bastards even reached our house?" Their house was a little apart from the village itself on a small hill. Their parents built it when they were alive.


    The thought of his parents made Riven''s face turn gloomy again. "Maybe I''m really unlucky. My mother died in childbirth, and my father passed away when I was nine, somehow dying to the disease that swept the village¡ªa sickness that killed only him from the whole village."


    "And now Ysmera is dead."


    He was truly and utterly alone.


    He sat there for a while, his knees together and his head buried between them. His naked body trembled slightly as he let the grief and pain free. He felt it, took it in. He accepted it and molded it around his heart.


    "Vaelith. I will make you feel pain no one else has ever felt," he whispered.


    Then he raised his head. His face was pale, but his purple eyes shone with a light that seemed to be more of darkness. The sun was shining on him uncomfortably, but he didn''t move, a frown on his face.


    "Why am I still alive?"


    The answer burned in his chest, something he had been avoiding since he woke up. He knew all the answers about what was going on were in there, but he was afraid to touch them in case his hope crumbled to ash as it always did.


    "It''s not possible... my Sigil is activated? No, no. It must be a technique from that necromancer."


    Everyone was born with a Sigil, a measure of their will in the world, but not everyone could absorb Aura. Aura was the energy found in everything that was not human. Humans were the only beings born without Aura in them. They could only interact with Aura through the use of their Sigil.


    Those who could absorb Aura were called Aura practitioners or users, and they cultivated it in line with their Sigil once they became smart enough to tell their right from their left hand.


    The main aim of every Aura practitioner was to evolve their Sigil to its strongest form with each advancement in rank.


    To activate the Sigil, one must absorb Aura that aligned with their Sigil and then kill monsters of the same Aura, form the four stars, and advance to the first rank.


    And that was where Riven''s problem lay. No matter which Aura he absorbed, he was unable to activate his Sigil, not to mention killing monsters to advance.


    He was useless. Had been all his life, except now. He could feel something in his heart. His Sigil was alive in a way it had never been before.


    He took a deep breath, and then, without hesitation, he placed his hand atop his chest. He felt his Sigil, and his mind accepted it. His eyes dilated, and he sank into his consciousness.


    His Sigil was a vibrant purple and black. He could see the purple part, but the rest was hidden by a black shadow. Immediately, he knew the name of his Sigil and the passive abilities he got from it.


    It was a Sigil he had never heard of before. It was called Undying.


    The Undying Sigil.


    The first passive ability was to cheat death four times in each rank. He would come back to life four times in a rank if he was killed, resetting every time he advanced to a new rank.


    The second was the state of Undying itself. It made regeneration faster, and he could grant things the state of Undying briefly, making them last longer. It would get stronger at every rank.


    Riven stared at his hand in shock when he returned to his normal self. He couldn''t help it, he began to laugh. He was the most unlucky person, but maybe he could change his fate with the only luck that seemed to have been given to him.


    The Undying.

 Chapter 7: The will and path

    Chapter 7: The will and pathHe didn''t know how long he stood there, doing nothing but marveling at his Sigil, only for his eyes to water when he thought about how his sister wasn''t there to see him.


    She was the only one who truly believed in him so fiercely it hurt to be a walking disappointment. But she never saw him that way. She would laugh and wrestle his lanky form to the ground anytime he brought up being a burden to her.


    "Why did she have to die? It''s not fair. She never wanted much from life, just to laugh and wrestle. Why then did the world take everything from her?"


    He didn''t get his answer because the answer was right there for him to see. "She wasn''t strong enough to take from the world."


    His heart hardened. "Then I will carve it for her. I will take from the world and give it to her. Why am I sad? Why? I have a Sigil of Undying. I will bring her back."


    "The world is vast. The path of cultivating Aura is even bigger. I will reach the peak I must reach and bring her back. That is what I owe her. I will take from the world what was taken from her."


    He didn''t say those words out loud. He wrote them in his heart, a reminder. A promise.


    He stood there for some time and soaked in the silence and the last peaceful place he was born.


    But eventually, he stood up and went to the demolished building. He picked his way around and found new clothes to wear. And a weapon, a small sword.


    Just as he was picking his way through, his Sigil reacted, his perception triggered, and he crouched to pick up a small necklace. It was a stone worn with age, one of the gifts his sister had given him when he was sixteen to mark his coming of age.


    And immediately, as his hand touched it, the stone lit up with green light. The little Aura inside Riven was sucked away, and then the stone necklace stopped glowing.


    He frowned before a look of understanding crossed his face, and then he frowned again as realization sank in. "This is a marker I bond with? I will always come back to life around this thing?"


    Although he didn''t have a complete understanding of his passive ability, he knew that much. Quickly, he put it around his neck and under his clothes.


    "I must keep it safe. Who knows what will happen once it''s destroyed? Will I be able to connect with another thing when I reach a new rank?"


    He sighed and decided to put all other thoughts behind him for now as he made his way out of the collapsed building.


    Each breath he took was followed by little bits of Aura, but it wouldn''t be anything until he reached rank one and picked a path. But even then, his body was already stronger than normal humans.


    He didn''t go to the village. Instead, he turned toward the Shadowwood and began to walk. He knew where he was going. There was something that needed to be done.


    The Shadowwood was a large forest that sprawled for who knows how long. As far as Riven was concerned, it might just be what covered the whole world, but he knew there were other places out there.


    Big trees surrounded him, some so big that ten adult men could wrap their hands around them. Twisted roots jutted out of the floor, and the air smelled of dirt and rotting plants.


    Although the forest was big, it wasn''t teeming with life as it should be. Insects did not cry out, no birds chirped, no animals called out, and no howls split the air. Even monsters were rare to see.


    The forest had always been like that, which was one of the reasons the villagers had to fight over resources.


    With his new body, his movements were swift and fast. Before long, he passed by a village, and even without going near it, he knew it was filled with dead bodies. He could smell them and feel it against his skin, a coldness that wasn''t unpleasant.


    "I see. My Sigil lies in the domain of death. It''s no wonder I found the necromancer''s Aura familiar."


    He didn''t linger and traced his way to Stonequa Village and then from there to where he and his sister had fallen. He saw the body of the dead wolf, but not his sister''s body.


    But he knew it was the same place because he saw her two severed hands, and the ground was soaked with dried blood.


    By this time, the sun was leaving the sky, and the Shadowwood was getting darker.


    Even then, he could see perfectly well. His eyes had been enhanced, after all. His sister''s body was missing.


    "No. He wouldn''t take it with him, would he? He wouldn''t disrespect her like that," Riven thought, his eyes flashing with anger. Suddenly, he felt a greedy kind of hunger mixed with anger. "I want to get power. Vaelith!"


    How dare he do something like that? Even in death, he would still oppress her?


    He took several deep breaths to get himself under control. There was nothing he could do now, only rant, but why rant when he could search for a way to get more powerful?


    "I am stalling," Riven said aloud after some time. The reason he was trying to distract himself was because there was a body on the ground.


    It wasn''t his sister''s. It was Riven''s dead body.


    He finally stared at it in stunned fascination. It was his body, with the right hand almost cut away. It was still biting the dead snake, and more dead snakes covered the body.


    But what surprised him more was that his body was rotting. It was as if it had been lying there for days and not just hours. At first, Riven thought he had taken days to come back to life, but the blood on the ground was still fresh.


    "Is this because of the Undying effects? That''s why I''m rotting so fast?" sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was jarring to see his own body on the ground like that. It felt wrong, something that shouldn''t be happening.


    "I should bury myself," he finally decided.


    But the problem was that there was nothing to use as a tool, and even with his enhanced eyes, it was getting dark very fast. "I will deal with it tomorrow."


    There weren''t many monsters in the Shadowwood, but there were some, and knowing his luck, Riven didn''t want to risk anything.


    "If I die, I can just come back to life, but that''s not really what I want to waste it on. And who knows what type of effects dying and waking will have on me?"


    And then, as if proving his point, he heard a growling howl in the distance.

 Chapter 8: The woman

    Chapter 8: The womanRiven froze and turned slowly to scan his surroundings, sniffing the air while at it. He smelled rot from his dead body and falling leaves, and he saw no monsters.


    He breathed easily after that. "There''s a monster close by. I have to get out of here before the body attracts anything."


    He walked closer to the severed hands of his sister and kicked dirt on them, then he ran from the place, going westward before he found a tree low enough for him to climb. He sat down on a branch that could support his weight and decided to wait.


    "Maybe if nothing happens, I can still return to bury me."


    Before the words even left his mouth, though, another growling roar filled the air, and this time it was filled with pain, followed by the sound of trees snapping as something heavy slammed against them.


    And then, silence.


    Riven began to breathe faster, his eyes scanning the forest floor and the surroundings, but nothing happened. He breathed a sigh of relief and sagged against the tree.


    But then he heard a roar that must have come from something with a large chest. To his side, bigger trees shook, and this time, he heard a grunt that didn''t belong to a monster or animal.


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    Alarm made Riven sit up, his eyes widened as he thought, "Vaelith is still here? I thought he was gone! That bastard, did he put something close to the site?"


    Riven tried to spread his faint perception around, but he couldn''t feel anything past his body, nor did he sense the cold aura that necromancers had.


    "What''s going on? Something is coming! Something big!"


    He heard the roar again, and the trees shook. Riven wrapped his hands around the tree he was sitting on, hugging it as tightly as he could as his eyes searched the forest floor.


    And then he saw it. From within the trees, a monster and a human spilled out. The first thing he saw was the monster. It was at least twenty meters big, with a hairless body packed with muscles. It ran hunched like a man, smashing through smaller trees and shaking the bigger ones.


    Riven knew the monster must be very strong in raw strength. Its chest was marked with small wounds, and one of its eyes was a bloody mess, but it was still standing strong.


    The same could not be said for the woman it was chasing. She was limping, holding her side with both hands as if she was trying to keep her insides from spilling out.


    But the way she was still running despite all this told Riven she must be an aura practitioner.


    "What in the Eternals! That monster must be a full rank above her. What is she doing picking a fight with that thing? Is she trying to absorb its energy?"


    Now that she was in a clearing, the biggest advantage she had was gone, and the monster quickly gained on her. She was running right toward where Riven was hiding atop the tree.


    Not exactly in the same line, but with the way the monster was smashing trees, he knew he wasn''t safe.


    Suddenly, the woman stopped running and turned to face the monster. The suddenness must have stunned it because the monster came to an abrupt stop. The momentum made it skid on the ground, and it went down in a heap.


    But it was up again with a grunt, clawed hands forming a fist.


    Despite himself, Riven was interested. This was an aura practitioner he had never met before. He didn''t know anything about her. He was curious to see how she would react.


    "I wonder how long she can last? She managed to wound the monster. Maybe she could put up a little more interesting fight."


    The woman faced the monster. She swayed as if she would fall over at any moment, but she remained standing. She took her right hand from her side, and Riven saw a gash weeping blood.


    The monster bellowed and charged her.


    With her right hand, she drew something in the air, her hand trailing black smoke. Then she reached into the empty space in front of her and brought out something.


    "What''s that?" Riven thought, stretching his neck to get a better view. The best way he could describe what he was seeing was that she was holding deep darkness, but it was also translucent.


    She held it in her hand like a crudely made sword, ready for the monster''s attack. The monster bore down on her, raised hands brought down with bone-shattering force.


    She dove out of the way, doing a forward roll, then slashing as she came up behind the monster. The wound was shallow¡ªthe monster''s body was just too thick.


    It was on her again, impossibly fast, aiming a punch at her head that would splatter it like rotting fruit, but she jumped out of the way. It wasn''t enough. The monster''s punch grazed her cheek, and Riven heard a crunch as she was sent flying.


    She slammed into a tree and slid down, her mouth dripping with blood. Riven was surprised that she made no sound because that must have hurt.


    "This is the end for her," Riven thought. He was holding his breath.


    The monster began to walk toward her.


    It was at that moment that the woman looked up¡ªstraight at Riven. The first thing he thought was, "She knew I was here all along!"


    Instinct made his hands tighten on the green, but he couldn''t look away from her eyes. It was like staring down a cliff, looking at sheer emptiness.


    And then she gave him a nod, and Riven knew his luck was about to turn again. She raised her right hand and yanked, as if pulling something.


    It was Riven she was pulling. A force gathered around him, warping in and out of him and jetting him forward¡ªout of the safety of the tree.


    Riven screamed as he fell.


    And in the silent forest, his voice sounded like a thunderclap. The monster stiffened and turned toward him instead. Its single eye locked on Riven, and it roared.

 Chapter 9: Death

    Chapter 9: Death"I''m dead," Riven thought. And the worst thing was that his resurrecting stone was around his neck. "Stupid! I should have hidden it."


    Who knew how much time it would take to get back to life? The monster would just kill him again and again. He scrambled to his feet but didn''t turn his back. He knew he couldn''t outrun it, so he didn''t try to run.


    His shaking hands reached to his side, and he lifted his sword. It was a laughable weapon when facing a monster of this kind; its aura alone was strong enough to knock Riven out if it was focused on him.


    He cursed the woman in his mind. "If I had left my resurrecting stone somewhere, then I wouldn''t be this bothered. But no way am I going to die, hoping the monster won''t be there when I return. Seriously, why are all the aura practitioners so shitty? Set me up to make your escape!"


    "Now, now, monster," Riven said, his voice cracking. Even though he knew he could come back to life with his three remaining Undying abilities for the rank, the fear of death was something instinctive¡ªa fear carved into his very being.


    Not to mention the pain.


    "Somehow, I have to find a way to get out of here... wait... I can throw my resurrecting stone into the forest!"


    The thought came to him, and he reacted without thinking. He brought his hand up to his chest too fast, and that was when the monster pounced.


    The distance between them was reduced to zero in an instant, and it loomed over him, hands up to crush him into a bloody pulp. But the monster didn''t have the chance.


    Translucent darkness surged around its head, and a maw opened, filled with jagged black fangs. The monster tried to duck, but the maw was already closing around it. Fangs clamped on its head, punching through flesh.


    The monster roared in pain, and its hand raised to rip the maw away, but the darkness shattered. The monster turned, and Riven was just as shocked to see the girl standing there, swaying with her right hand outstretched.


    "She... set me up to distract it?"


    The monster began to advance on her again when suddenly it collapsed and began to twitch. But it wasn''t dead, and it began to crawl toward the girl, who looked as if she had nothing left and just stared at the monster that was about to kill her.


    "Ahhhhhh!" Suddenly, someone shouted. Riven couldn''t believe he was the one. His legs moved almost on their own volition, and he rushed forward.


    He jumped in front of the monster and thrust his sword into its remaining eye. The sword pierced through soft tissue and muscle before it met the resistance of bone.


    Riven screamed and pushed his weight against the sword, but he wasn''t nearly fast enough. The monster''s hand came down on him like a boulder, smashing into his sides and bending him at odd angles.


    Bones snapped, and his spine shifted, but the force also drove the sword straight into the monster''s head, and it stopped moving. Faint energy crawled out of it and hung above the body.


    Riven was left there, twitching on the ground. His right hand had been smashed to nothing, almost five bones were snapped in his legs, and his spine had shifted out of place.


    But he wasn''t dead, and the pain was even worse than he remembered. He gritted his teeth but still cried out. Then something loomed above him.


    It was the woman, and with a start, Riven realized she was just as young as him¡ªjust a bit older. Her eyes were two pools of darkness with smears of gold.


    She smiled sadly at him and then, still holding her chest, bowed at him, collapsing to the ground with it. He heard a faint, "Thank you."


    Riven stared at the canopy of leaves above him. The moon was a faint thing that didn''t reach inside. The forest was suddenly silent.


    "Ah... why did I do it again? I could have just run back. And after she set me up too!" He smiled bitterly, blood dripping from his nose and mouth.


    He looked toward her and sighed. He knew why he saved her. It was because she was similar to his sister in build. The shock of losing his sister so suddenly had gotten to him more than he thought. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He curled his lips. "Good one, Riven. Now you can go around saving everyone that looks like her."


    But if the girl hadn''t involved him in the first place, then he wouldn''t have done anything. Riven might be inexperienced, but he wasn''t naive. And besides, he knew he still had three lives left.


    He tried to use his perception to feel her. "She''s probably in the Auracrest with the power she used. But now what? She''s fading fast. The least she could do for me is answer some questions."


    "And from what I know, it''s going to take months for me to heal from this. I''m in no shape to help."


    His regeneration ability had kicked in, but at the level he was in, it was something that would take months. He was simply just too wounded.


    Then Riven cursed because he knew what he needed to do. With his remaining hand, he reached for his sword. He grasped it and then tried to remove it from where it was stuck in the skull of the monster.


    He grunted as his movement made his body light up with pain. He gritted his teeth and continued to pull, using all the strength remaining in his body.


    It took time, and by the time he successfully removed the sword, he was breathing hard and sweating. But he grinned with satisfaction. "But now, how do I kill myself?"


    He maneuvered the sword, making the tip face him¡ªthe sharp point just above his neck. Riven swallowed. He closed his eyes tightly, but his hand wouldn''t move as he intended.


    He clenched his jaw and hardened his face, reminding himself that he would come back to life. "Just do it!" he shouted to himself in his thoughts.


    And then, with a jerk, he thrust the sword sharply through his throat, slitting it.

 Chapter 10: The girl

    Chapter 10: The girlDeath was an ugly thing, and very painful. It took time too. Riven lay there in a crumpled heap, bleeding from dozens of places, but it was his neck that gushed the most.


    It wasn''t a clean cut. It was rough, and he was still able to breathe some air, which made it slower, and he was punished for it by feeling every pain.


    But eventually, his eyes clouded with darkness, and he felt numb.


    "Finally, I''m dying..." His thoughts trailed off, and he knew no more.


    But just like before, he saw darkness and coldness, and something was dragging him through it until light shattered the darkness, and he sucked in a ragged breath, his hand clutching his throat in reflex.


    Riven shuddered and hunched his back. The night was silent, and the cold breeze reminded him of his experience. His voice came out in a croak. "I don''t like it." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dying was unpleasant.


    But then his eyes hardened. "But I will always do what I must."


    With that, he stood up and checked his surroundings. The monster''s body was still there, and so was his dead body and the girl who looked as if she would take her last breath with every breath she was taking.


    He ignored her and crouched before his body, studying it. The body was swollen and almost unrecognizable because it was rotting, and the smell was unbearable.


    Unlike before, Riven studied it well. He even spread his perception as far as it would go over it and detected an aura surrounding the body. The aura felt cold and twisted. "Death aura?"


    He reached out his hand hesitantly, then spread it over the body. He didn''t know how to cultivate aura, so he just willed it to himself, and surprisingly, the energy leaped into him, going through his body and straight into his Sigil located in his heart.


    For an aura practitioner to truly grow, they needed two important things: aura and monster energy. For aura, they could take in any type into their Sigil, but it would be like eating insects off the ground.


    They needed aura linked to their Sigil.


    And the same went for monster energies too.


    So when Riven took in the aura, he couldn''t help the giddiness that filled him. The aura he absorbed instantly refreshed him as it settled into his Sigil. He turned to the monster''s body and did the same thing, absorbing the aura around it.


    Then he took a deep breath. "Before anything else, I have to hide my body. And find something to eat. Seems coming back to life will be collecting its debt in massive amounts of food."


    His stomach growled, but he ignored it. Still crouching beside the body, he considered his options. One of the reasons he couldn''t deal with the body earlier was because he did not have something to dig with, and the same problem was still present.


    But before anything else, he reached out his hand to the cold body and began the process of extracting its almost ruined clothes. It was disgusting work, but it was something he had to do. He wore it and couldn''t believe he was wearing something so stinky.


    Only then did he remove his resurrecting stone and put it around his neck. Then he stood, gripped the body, and threw it up into the trees, but it slid right back down.


    His idea was to hide the body in one of the tree branches, and after two more tries, he finally succeeded.


    It was after all this that he sighed and reached for his sword. He began to hack into the monster''s flesh, cutting thin strips of red meat. Then, with his stomach growling, he wolfed it down.


    It wasn''t something he usually did, but he had no choice.


    Only after that did he turn to the woman. He crouched beside her and seriously thought about what he needed to do. "I can''t let her die, not after I wasted one of my valuable resurrections for what she caused. I need to know more about the outside world, and more importantly, I need to learn more about Sigil.


    "I will try my best to heal her, and if she shows any hint of hostility, then I will kill her before she''s fully recovered."


    With his mind made up, he flipped her over.


    She was breathing faintly, but it was still there. He removed his hand from her side, and his face turned heavy at what he saw. He could see her intestine from the gaping wound.


    Riven shook his head as he muttered, "The natural regeneration of an aura practitioner must be what''s keeping her alive, but none of it can heal her. There''s no water nearby, and I know next to nothing about healing. But really, what was she looking for in this place so close to the villages?"


    A thought came to his mind then. "The second passive ability of giving something the Undying effects... maybe it could help with healing? At least that would keep her alive longer, and I can think of what to do."


    He spread his hand above the wound and narrowed his eyes in concentration. "Is there a secret word I have to say or what?"


    Just like he had willed the energy from the dead earlier, he willed his Sigil to send out its effects. To his surprise, a faint purple and green light glowed faintly in his hand and seeped into the wound, disappearing into the flesh.


    Riven watched in anticipation, but nothing happened. He sighed as his body swayed. Giving out his energy like that had taken a lot from him, and he was already feeling hungry again.


    He shook his head, went to the monster, and began to cut more thin chunks, stuffing them into his mouth. It tasted of blood and something else he couldn''t put his finger on.


    Finally, he removed his shirt, cut meat into it, then went to the girl and tried to lift her... only to scoop her up easily. She was not as heavy as he thought.


    He looked around to confirm that he didn''t have anything personal that could be traced to him. Then he turned and walked deeper into the forest.

 Chapter 11: They’re dead

    Chapter 11: They''re deadThey encountered no monsters, and for that, he was glad. He didn''t even know where he was going, but he made sure it was far from the place he died.


    He walked around randomly for a while before he picked a big tree with roots that formed some measure of a natural barrier to use for the night.


    He laid the girl down on the leaf-covered floor and sat beside her. He didn''t trust her, and he knew she didn''t either. With the way her breath was now stable, he guessed she wouldn''t die for now, and as an aura practitioner, she might wake up anytime.


    And then what? She would panic and use a technique on him? He remembered how she wounded the monster so badly with that dark... something of hers. She must be at least rank three to be able to use a technique, but he doubted she was in rank three with the way she fought.


    No way he would risk his two remaining lives for that.


    Just to be safe, he tried to tear some of her clothes with his sword so he could tie her hands, but it was like using steel to cut steel. "What material was that cloth made of?"


    But then he thought better of it. She would likely think she was being kidnapped if she woke with her hands tied.


    So he stood and walked away from where she was sleeping. He picked a new tree and buried his resurrecting stone, then he chose another tree, squeezing between its roots to sleep.


    Contrary to his expectations, he slept quickly. The events of the day must have been more tiring than he thought because he was out cold immediately after his head settled on the soft forest floor.


    His dreams were a whirlwind of his sister''s fearful face, her choking sounds, and the monsters trying to tear his face up. He woke up with a gasp, breathing heavily. He sat up between the roots, his hand going to his cheek to feel the dried tears.


    The sun was already up, and the forest was bright. For a moment, Riven didn''t know what he should do or what he was doing in the forest, but then memories flooded him, and he gave a heavy sigh.


    He stood up and stretched, scratching his naked chest, muttering out loud, "Seems I wasn''t eaten by some kind of monster in my sleep."


    A voice replied. The voice was low, like a whispering breeze, but it had a bite to it as well, like the edge of a blade. "Do you have a habit of getting eaten by monsters in your sleep?"


    Riven nodded. "Maybe? I can''t tell...!!"


    Suddenly, he froze and slowly turned.


    A girl who should be the same age as him was standing there on a root, looking at him with black eyes edged with gold, her tattered robe fluttering gently in the breeze.


    Riven was so surprised he drew his sword and thrust forward at her heart! But she was far faster than him, so much so that it shouldn''t even be compared.


    Suddenly, she was standing atop the sword that he had thrust, as if she was balancing on a branch.


    And Riven couldn''t feel any weight on his sword. It was as if she wasn''t there at all. She raised a single dark brow at him. "Do you make a habit of killing everything you see as well?"


    His heart was beating fast, but he didn''t show it, reminding himself that he must not show weakness. He slashed the sword downward and watched her jump off to a nearby root.


    This time, he saw how she moved¡ªlike an elegant blade. Sharp, simple, and fast. A deadly combination that reminded Riven that he would be dead if she wanted, but then he reminded himself that she would be dead twice over if it wasn''t for him.


    He answered her question. "I make it a habit when all the strangers I''ve met tried to kill me."


    Riven shot her a glare. "Including you."


    At least she had the grace to look a little sheepish, but that too was gone as she shrugged. "I thought you were more powerful than that until I pulled you out of the tree."


    She looked at him frankly, her eyes seeming to pierce through him and into him. "But now I see that you are even far weaker than you look. You are..."


    Riven braced himself for the words he knew were coming. Useless and worthless.


    "You are brave," she finished.


    Riven blinked. He didn''t know what he was expecting from her. Maybe she would insult him or curse him, but it wasn''t that. Brave?


    But she wasn''t done. She continued speaking. "You are brave and stupid. A very dangerous combination that will see you dead in no time."


    Riven scowled. "That''s how you pay back the one who saved you?"


    She shrugged and began to coil her black hair on her head. "I am only blunt. Are you like those pompous fools who like to hear false praise and such about themselves?"


    Riven did not know who the pompous fool she was referring to was, but he was a person who liked honesty and not living in an illusion. Still, he hardened his face. "Why do you say I am stupid?"


    "Because you saved me," she replied simply. "If I was in your situation, I would wait for the monster to finish you off and then see what I could loot from your body." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She jumped to the ground without making a sound, but Riven saw her wince.


    "This tells me you are still new to the practitioner world. Let me guess¡ªa sheltered kid who ran away from home hoping for adventure?"


    She sneered. "You better return home and beg your parents. Go tend to some cow or sheep or whatever. That is if you don''t want to die."


    "They''re dead," Riven said flatly.


    That didn''t stop her. "Then there must be someone taking care of you. See, your cheek still has some fat, and although you are thin, you are fresh. Which is it? Some family you were leeching off of?"


    Riven couldn''t take it anymore. He snapped.

 Chapter 12: Kivara

    Chapter 12: KivaraHe lurched forward, his sword slashing, but it was as if she was the breeze itself the way she avoided him. He didn''t even get near her before she was gone.


    "Oh, you''re angry? But I thought you wanted to hear the truth." Her mocking voice came from behind, and Riven whirled, but she was now a few distances away from him.


    His jaw clenched. What gave her the guts? She thought she could just come and insult him after he saved her. There was no need to rub it in. Riven knew he was inexperienced, but he would learn because he was willing to take.


    Even if he had to die.


    He realized that she was just like everyone else. She might share a build with his sister, but they were miles apart in every other way. She was exactly like those villagers who mocked him, like Vaelith. All they did was look down on others.


    And so, without giving thought to his own safety, he turned toward her and began to chase her around. It might be true that he was inexperienced, but he wasn''t that naive, and he had put some things together.


    She wasn''t as healed as she was acting. He saw her wince in pain when she landed earlier, and the way she was moving¡ªjumping around¡ªshe was doing it in ways that wouldn''t make her use big movements.


    She was minding her stomach. The wound wasn''t fully healed, and she must not have wanted to rip it open again. But unlike her, Riven was in peak condition. Slightly more powerful than a normal human in his just-activated rank, he still had more than enough energy to tire her out.


    And she knew it as well when she saw him relentlessly chasing her everywhere. If she jumped to a branch too high for him to reach, he would start stoning her, all to make her move.


    Finally, she grimaced and waited for him to catch up to her, and Riven pressed his sword against her neck. His anger had cooled, but it was still there. "Why do you say such words?"


    She didn''t look away from him, as if daring him to slice her throat. But they both knew she was only in that position because she wanted to be. She answered, "Because it is the truth. You are not suited to the practitioner world." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Riven smiled, and then he let all the anger he was carrying show on his face. The grief mixed with it, together with the pain of death¡ªboth his own and his sister''s. It blended with the little aura pressure he was able to create and turned into a bloodlust that washed over her.


    Her eyes widened in shock, and she took a step back, shuddering and gasping. "What happened to you?"


    Riven clamped down on his bloodlust and shrugged as if nothing had happened. "The aura practitioner world."


    She shook her head in disbelief. Bloodlust was an intent; it could be added inside an aura pressure. It was a reflection of anger, sadness, and pain.


    What she felt from him wasn''t what someone his age and rank should have.


    He met her eyes. "And I will head into the practitioner world. It is my world too."


    "And if you die? Are you not afraid of death?" she asked, her tone more curious than mocking.


    Riven laughed at that, and there was even a little mirth there. "I''m not afraid of death. Not anymore."


    She looked at him for a while, then shrugged. "I guess it''s none of my business. We all have our paths."


    "Then why do you try to stop me?"


    "Maybe because I am paying you back for saving me."


    Riven wasn''t going to have that. "No. I saved you twice."


    She smiled¡ªthe first smile he had seen from her¡ªand it was more like a flash of fangs. "It seems I was mistaken about you not fitting into the practitioner world. So, what do you want?"


    Riven shrugged. He was ready. "Information, and then you will train me in the Path."


    She stared at him, blinking several times before she suddenly began to laugh. She sat down on the ground with a huff and gestured for him to do the same. "We will have to do this while sitting. We have a lot to talk about. First, why are you still alive? I know you were near death when I passed out, and now you are not only healed, but you are perfectly fine."


    Riven met her eyes and let her see just how serious he was when he said, "Some of us have secrets. Leave it at that."


    She frowned but nodded slowly. She didn''t seem too interested, but she pointed at her stomach. "I don''t know what you did, but it gave my regeneration ability time to recover, and it boosted it as well."


    Riven shrugged. No way he was going to tell his secrets to someone who could just turn around and decide to kill him, not to mention the fact that there was no trust between them. They were practically strangers to each other. Instead of answering anything, he asked a question of his own. "What is your name?"


    "I am Kivara."


    "I''m Riven. So, Kivara, what are you doing in the forest? Getting chased by a monster?"


    Her voice sharpened. "It was my stupid master''s fault. He sent me to trail some people into the Shadowwood because they might lead to another catacomb. You know a catacomb appeared at the edge of the Shadowwood, right? I guess you don''t. Where one catacomb appears, you usually find more nearby.


    "Anyway, I followed them, and I''m very good at tracking, but for some reason, they detected me and chased me. I ran, and they nearly caught me before they just stopped running after me. Turns out I entered the territory of nasty monsters. I killed three of the smaller ones, but then their mother wouldn''t leave me be."


    Riven nodded slowly as he processed all she said. Seemed he wasn''t the only one with bad luck lately.

 Chapter 13: That’s it?

    Chapter 13: That''s it?Riven''s gut tightened then. The people she was trailing were likely those green-robed bastards¡ªVaelith and his Brotherhood of the Unholy Night.


    He had heard them say something about finding a catacomb.


    But he was more surprised that her master would let her follow them. Unless they were of the same rank? Shouldn''t masters be protective of their disciples? At least, that''s what the stories say.


    So he asked her about her rank, and she told him she was rank three, which raised her in his eyes. His village head was a low Auracrest, and yet he was sure Kivara would handle him.


    Was it because of her master?


    And then she asked a question of her own¡ªone that Riven had been expecting. "Why are you so weak? You are not even a rank one."


    "I just activated my Sigil."


    She raised her brows. It was something that he expected. Activation of a Sigil was something that should happen when a person was a kid. It wasn''t something that happened to people who had long passed their coming of age at sixteen. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No wonder you were so weak," she muttered, shaking her head. "You''re basically useless to me in this forest. Ah, well, I''ll drop you off at the edge of the Shadowwood once I''m fully healed. That should count for something."


    Riven clenched his jaw. This again? Useless? He wanted to lash out at her angrily, but then he thought about it. She was right. He was basically useless, and he knew next to nothing about Sigils and their powers. And dropping him at the edge of the Shadowwood would indeed count for a lot.


    The only reason he wasn''t dead yet was because of his passive ability. He took a deep breath and made his face relax, reminding himself of what he wanted¡ªto train and gain power, to reach a peak high enough to save his sister.


    He locked eyes with her and nodded. He couldn''t help the curiosity that crept into his voice as he leaned forward. "Very well. Tell me information then, about Sigils."


    Kivara nodded, then sniffed the air. She pointed at his shirt that was between the roots. It was where he had kept the meat he had cut the night before. He stood to retrieve it, and by the time he returned, she had already gathered dry wood to be used as fire.


    "Are you a fire practitioner?" she asked as she arranged the dry wood.


    "No," he answered as he spread the meat on the ground.


    She grunted in reply, then began to rub one piece of wood against another so fast that smoke came out, and it caught fire. She used a pointed stick to arrange the meat, positioning it over the fire.


    Riven copied her move, but he pointed at the smoke. "Won''t that draw people?"


    She shook her head. "With the big trees around, they shouldn''t be able to see it. If they are able to see the smoke, then they are near enough to sense us. And don''t worry about the smell."


    Riven sniffed the air and found that he couldn''t smell anything. Even when the smoke spread his way, it was as if he was just breathing in the forest air.


    Before he could ask any questions, she began speaking. "Right. I should tell you about Sigils and what an aura practitioner is. First, I want to know what you already know so I can figure out what to complement."


    Riven did know some things. Although he couldn''t cultivate Aura, he was allowed to listen to the lessons.


    Kivara took a bite out of the meat, hot and all. "Well, you know a lot already. But let me just start at the beginning. Everyone is born with a Sigil, and they cultivate Aura their whole life to make it evolve. Each time it evolves, they gain a rank, and their control over how the Sigil relates to the world deepens.


    "But not everyone is born with the same kind of Sigil. Some are born with an already evolved Sigil, meaning they are born at rank two and will gain the rank upon activation and forming the four stars."


    That was news to Riven. All he knew was that everyone was born with a Sigil¡ªhe had never heard that people could be born with an evolved one before.


    She saw the look in his eyes and shrugged. "It''s mostly caused by the genes of the family, and sometimes it just happens. But the level of evolution one is born with is also different and classified. To start with, we have the Faint Sigil, which is the most common, and almost everyone in the world is born with this.


    "Sigils like fire, earth, water, healing, and such are classified under Faint Sigils. Of course, with different Paths, they can evolve, but it''s difficult to cultivate.


    "Next, we have the Glowing Sigil. It is rare to have this, and those who do will have faster growth in cultivation, with the potential to reach higher than their peers.


    "Next is Radiant. Having this Sigil guarantees reaching the peak. Their cultivation speed is insane, and they start their advancement from rank two. It also comes with a passive ability¡ªthey can cultivate Aura faster than others.


    "It''s extremely rare, but it also comes with a drawback. Since the Sigil has already evolved in such an advanced way, it''s difficult to find a Path for it unless one is extremely lucky."


    She stopped speaking and continued eating her food.


    Riven frowned, his heart beating fast. Going by what she explained, his own Sigil lay in the Glowing Sigil category. Undead monsters or death aura were not difficult. The only reason he hadn''t been able to activate it was because he had thought he had a normal Sigil.


    He thought to himself, So I have the potential to reach higher than my peers of the same rank. Not bad. Not bad at all.


    But out loud, he asked her. "That''s it? All of it?"

 Chapter 14: Undying

    Chapter 14: UndyingShe grunted. "The last one is not important because it is something that only happens once or twice in the history of the world. It''s called Primal. Not much is known about it except that it gives a passive ability and makes cultivation easier. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The one or two people who had the Sigil vanished, and they never left anything about it. But don''t worry. It''s something you won''t come across."


    "Right. Let''s talk about Paths and the four stars." She added more meat to her stick, putting it over the fire.


    "The simplest way to explain a Path is that it is the way you take to evolve the Sigil. First, you have to create your stars, which are basically energy containers around your Sigil. These stars can be formed with monster aura. Are you listening?"


    Riven nodded, blowing on the meat in his mouth. He hurriedly swallowed. Unlike her, he couldn''t just eat something hot.


    Kivara continued. "Let''s use a Fire Path that I know as an example. The main Sigil is fire, but once you evolve it to the first rank, you have to hunt and absorb the energy from Ashling monsters, Blazewind monsters, Windshrike monsters, and Scorching monsters.


    "Each energy will go into different stars, and you will keep hunting and absorbing these different monsters, cultivating their energy into the different stars until you have enough. This might take months or years, depending.


    "At the same time, you cultivate fire aura in your Sigil, and when your Sigil is ready, you will crush those stars in certain patterns into your Sigil. The Fire Path I was explaining will turn into Tempest Blaze."


    Riven nodded. He knew all of this, but he still let her explain.


    "There are thousands of Paths, but not all of them have a combination that reaches past certain ranks, and that''s why people guard their Paths jealously. People go to war because of Paths. The right combination of Paths can make you stronger or weaker.


    "And that''s why you should be careful with what Path you choose. Some can''t reach past rank three or the Aurathrone rank," Kivara paused and narrowed her eyes. "You know the names of the advancement ranks, right? Name them."


    Riven cleared his throat. "We have the Awakening or Activation, which isn''t really counted. We have rank one and two. From rank three, practitioners begin to use techniques. The rank after that is called Auracrest, divided into Low, Mid, and High Crest, and the difference between each Crest is like that between rank one and two.


    "Then we have the Aurathrone rank." Riven stopped there before admitting, "I don''t know the names of the rest."


    Or how powerful they are.


    Kivara nodded. "That''s good enough. You''ll learn the rest later. Where was I? Yes, the Path. Some Path combinations are cut short, so everyone is struggling to get their hands on strong Paths and to choose one where the monsters are readily available."


    "Can Paths be crossed at certain ranks?" he asked.


    "Depends on the type of Path and how close they are. Say Earth and Crystals. With some monster combinations, you might be able to swing heavily in either one. But only one can be very dominant," she warned.


    Riven nodded. He understood more now, especially the combination part. And the thing about it was that a practitioner must continue to hunt different monsters until the stars are full, no matter how many monsters it takes.


    But he had a question he didn''t understand. "Then what about the Sigil itself? Why should we cultivate aura into it?"


    "To make it stronger so it can withstand the evolution when it''s time. But you must also remember that the Sigil is a lot of things. It''s also a container where you store the aura used for techniques. The higher the rank, the bigger the container.


    "And this is also another place where the higher-classified Sigils have advantages. They can store more aura than any other of the same rank and also absorb faster," Kivara explained.


    He looked at her in curiosity. From the way she was speaking and the power she had displayed, Riven was willing to bet that she had either the Glowing, like him, or the Radiant. So he asked her, "What''s your Sigil?"


    Kivara raised her brows and did not immediately answer. Instead, she stroked the fire. "Aura practitioners don''t reveal something like that easily. It''s a good way for you to be planned against for an ambush. But even more, don''t ever reveal your Path to anyone unless they''re your masters and such."


    "So she wasn''t going to answer my question?" Riven thought. But he didn''t let that stop him, and he asked her another one. "What''s your Sigil classification?"


    Instead of answering, she pointed her meat stick at him. "What''s your Sigil?"


    Riven scowled. "Why would I tell you something like that? You said yourself never to reveal it."


    "But you''re different," Kivara pointed out. "You have no idea what all this is. You don''t even know what to do next, right? Maybe if I know your Sigil, I might be able to point you to a sect or association that might train you. Or do you have any other options? It''s part of the requirements of me paying you back."


    Riven hesitated. As much as he would like to disagree with her, he knew she spoke the truth. He didn''t know which step he should take next, but he knew it must be one that led to power.


    He stared at her and thought to himself, She is strong. She must come from a powerful sect and such. Maybe her master can train me as well?


    So he asked her, "Can your master train me as well?"


    She looked surprised at the question and gave it some thought before she shook her head. "Sorry, but he won''t. He''s a madman and has a very strict rule. He only takes people who are unique or so. But you... are so ordinary.


    "The best I can do is point you to a likely sect that has a low chance of you dying in the first few years."


    Riven didn''t take offense. Instead, he dug deeper. The more she said about her master, who sent her into Shadowwood by herself, the more he wanted to know. "What do you mean by unique?"


    Her gaze flickered to him, dark and piercing, and she said in a voice like a razor, "Something you are not. Alright, tell me your Sigil name."


    For his part, Riven didn''t flinch as he met her gaze. He answered slowly, "Undying."


    Kivara went very still.

 Chapter 15: Brotherhood of the unholy night

    Chapter 15: Brotherhood of the unholy nightHer gaze gained weight. "What?" she asked.


    "My Sigil name is Undying."


    She frowned. "I''ve not heard that before. Is it related to the Necro Sigil? I''ve heard of those that evolve into Undead or Necrotic Dominance, but I''ve never heard something like Undying. It sounds like an already evolved Sigil, but that''s..."


    She trailed off, and her gaze intensified. Her eyes narrowed. "Well, that''s unexpected. You have an already evolved Sigil?"


    Riven shrugged. He had to admit that he liked the surprised look on her face. "I guess? It''s not something I know much about. Maybe it''s a Radiant."


    He added the last part just to get back at her, and he was glad to see the way she winced. Good. Learn not to call people you don''t know ordinary just like that. Even if they are.


    She recovered soon enough and scoffed. "You can tell with the shape of the Sigil. Describe it."


    Riven did, and the surprise on her face turned into one of confusion. She shook her head slightly. "No idea."


    Then she stood up and crouched beside him. Riven was so surprised that he stiffened in place. She stared at him as if he were a piece of meat at the market, and then she raised her hand, making Riven flinch.


    "I''m just going to check it," she said. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You can do that?" Riven asked, his voice strained. He was doing his best not to look at her so close to him.


    She didn''t reply. She merely slammed her palm on his chest, making him grunt. Before he could say anything, he saw that her eyes were vague and that she was frowning in concentration.


    At first, Riven felt nothing, but then he felt as if someone were staring at him from all directions. Kivara gasped out loud, and her body began to tremble. He called her name, but she didn''t reply.


    A shockwave of aura surged out of Riven and slammed into her, sending her flying back. She gave a short cry of pain, her nose dripping with blood, and then she simply collapsed.


    "What the..." Riven was so shocked that all he could do was stare at her where she had fallen. The forest was silent, and the fire continued to burn without sound or smell.


    All the while, Riven sat there with his mouth open. But then he rushed to his feet and ran toward her. Fortunately, she only seemed to have passed out and was still breathing.


    Riven stood there before he sighed and dragged her into the roots. Then he went to kill the fire. He did not know how long her powers would linger, and he did not want to find out.


    After that, he ate the remaining meat and crawled back into the roots as well. Whatever she had done had taken a lot of energy from him, and he felt tired and sleepy. Before he passed out, though, he remembered the aura that had swept out of him.


    It was cold, a chill that touched the soul, and it carried hints of blood and violence with it. Riven didn''t know if that was his true aura. But he was too tired to think, and he passed out soon after.


    When he woke up, it was still evening, and he was still alive. So was she. He checked to see if she was still breathing and then went to check on his resurrecting stone.


    After that, he had a debate with himself. I can''t trust Kivara. She''s an aura practitioner, and who knows when she might switch up? But should I go alone? I can probably make it outside without her help, but I might die at least once.


    Or get captured by Vorin. I should think about the option with the biggest advantage. I can go alone, but with her, I will be able to learn and observe. I will be able to form a view of the aura practitioner world.


    After making up his mind, he buried the stone again and returned to find that she hadn''t moved since he left. He muttered, "Seriously, what did she do? Apart from getting tired, I didn''t feel anything else."


    He sighed. "I can only wait for her to wake up."


    With his sleep, he had regained some energy and decided to do some practice and experimentation. He searched for dead insects, and it was harder than he thought, but he found some. He gathered them, placed them where there were dead leaves, and spread his hand above them to try to sense if he could harvest some aura, but nothing leaped toward him.


    Riven thought to himself, So only dead monsters and humans? Or do insects and plants have low energy? That makes sense.


    He tried a few more experiments, but nothing worked. Riven had the idea of going out into the forest to look for something bigger to hunt, to kill, to see if he could cultivate aura.


    He felt hunger that wasn''t tied to food. It was the hunger and urgency to start learning, to start gathering power. But then, in the same breath, he cautioned himself. I have lived my whole life as a weakling. If I must get power, then I must build myself.


    By the time he was done, it was already night, and since there was nothing more to do, he crawled back into the roots to sleep. He checked on her, but Kivara still hadn''t woken up.


    Riven fell asleep fast, and his dream was just as troubling¡ªa storm of different horrors he couldn''t grasp. Suddenly, he saw his sister with half her face melted off, shaking him, but the voice that came out of her was unfamiliar.


    He tried to hold her, and that was when something smacked him on the head painfully enough to jolt him awake. He was met with glowing gold eyes surrounded by darkness.


    Kivara.


    Riven blinked in confusion and looked around. He was still between the roots, and it was still dark. When he turned back to her, he saw her put a finger to her lips in a sign of silence.


    Then he heard the voices. They were low, but he heard them clearly.


    He turned back to her and saw the grimace on her face.


    The Brotherhood of the Unholy Night had found them.

 Chapter 16: Found out

    Chapter 16: Found outAtrox''s heart began to pound in his chest, and he listened intently to catch the voices and what they were saying. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We should just leave this place already. It''s apparent that there''s no other catacomb here. It happens sometimes, and only one will appear in the area. And maybe someone already found it. How would we know?" The voice was filled with frustration.


    "Shut up. Our orders are to tear this place upside down until we find what we are looking for. We can only be sure after we return. And don''t you gain some rewards? You are able to create vengeful wraiths. Those villagers'' spirits will serve you for some time.


    "I even got some dolls. The only thing we can do is spread some of our undead creatures around to see if they can detect anything unusual."


    Riven recognized the last voice. It was Vaelith''s. Anger ran down his spine, tingling in his veins and setting them on fire. Without thinking, he bolted upright, but something jerked him back, and he stumbled, nearly falling.


    Riven turned his glare at Kivara, his purple eyes glowing.


    Her face widened, and she reached out into empty air to draw something. A pulse of aura spread, and the place where they were staying darkened slightly. She turned to him. "What''s wrong? Don''t worry. You can speak. They won''t hear us."


    Riven took a deep breath. He tried to shove his anger away, but he realized that his mood had darkened, and he wanted nothing more than to jump out and do something, anything, to Vaelith. To demand where his sister''s body was.


    He said in a gloomy tone, "That''s the one that killed my village. My sister."


    Kivara raised her brows. "I see."


    She turned back to look into the forest that was getting lit by green light. She continued in a flat voice, "If you go out there, you''ll die. They are all at the low Crest rank. Cross their path, and you''ll turn into one of their undead."


    Riven couldn''t believe his ears. They were low Crest? That was the same rank as the village heads, and yet they were overpowered so easily. Was it because they didn''t have quality aura to cultivate with?


    Riven put it aside to think about later. For now, he had to focus on the present problem. I can''t always act impulsively. Now that I''m a practitioner, I should think before acting.


    And then he completely threw his senses away. He jolted as if he had been hit by something and bolted out of the roots without thinking. By his calculations, the necromancers were going to pass by the place where he had buried his stone. He didn''t know what would happen, but he didn''t want to risk anything.


    Behind him, Kivara watched his retreating back in surprise. She clenched her jaw and had a brief debate with herself. Finally, she cursed, took one look at the green light that was glowing brighter and the voices coming closer, and ran after him.


    She intended to smack him when she reached him. Thankfully, she was fast enough to catch up to him easily, and the technique she was using covered them, swallowing all sounds.


    Riven crouched beside a tree and began to dig. He brought out his stone with a sigh and smiled, but it slipped from his face when he saw the glare Kivara was giving him. Before she could make good on her threat, though, they heard one of the necromancers call out.


    "One of my undead found something!"


    "Traces of people!"


    Kivara cursed. She had made a rookie mistake and hadn''t wiped off their presence. She turned to him and mouthed one word. "Run!"


    Then, taking her own advice, she took off without making a sound, her form blending into the darkness. Riven didn''t waste a moment and took off after her, putting the stone around his neck.


    She wasn''t fully healed, but even then, Riven noticed that she had slowed down and wasn''t running as fast as she could. He did his best to catch up.


    But here lay the problem. When Kivara ran without him, she took her technique with her, which left Riven exposed. And with the dry leaves on the ground, he made noise as he ran.


    Behind them, they felt the surging of death aura as the necromancers took note of them. They heard growling as their undead began to run after them.


    Suddenly, Riven heard a crack behind him, quickly followed by a silver light that lit up the forest. He threw himself to the ground immediately, and the lightning attack passed where he had been and exploded against a tree, tearing a big gash into it.


    The undead monster had used one of its abilities from when it was alive.


    It allowed one of the undead monsters to reach him. It was a wolf monster, and it pounced on Riven immediately, fangs extended.


    Riven''s hand reflexively went to his side to draw his sword, but he had left it behind. He cursed and twisted away, rolling on the ground, avoiding fangs and claws.


    The monster ran after him, but then Kivara was there. She held a sword of translucent dark in her hand. It looked as if she had ripped parts of the night free.


    The monster''s head rolled to the ground, but before he could even process what had happened, Kivara had yanked him forward, and they took off running again.


    They heard the necromancers behind them laughing and hooting. It was as if they were out hunting. And maybe that was exactly what they were doing.


    Riven clenched his jaw, but there was nothing he could do. He heard loud breathing behind him and saw that Kivara was slower than usual. She was breathing hard, her face pale, holding her side.


    Riven understood then. The energy she was using to heal herself had been diverted to protect him earlier. He cursed in his thoughts. Again and again, I''m useless and a burden. The same thing happened to my sister. All because of me. And now this.


    The necromancers were gaining on them. He could smell the rot of undead, and he was sure the only reason the green-robed figures hadn''t appeared to cut their heads off was because they were toying with them.


    Enough. I''m a practitioner now.


    He reached inside himself, to his Sigil, trying to grasp hold of something, anything.


    He touched something, and his Sigil flared to life.

 Chapter 17: Attract trouble

    Chapter 17: Attract troubleHe didn''t know if it was instinct, a revelation, or a new passive ability of his, but he didn''t care. No way was he dying at the hands of necromancers again.


    He slowed and turned toward Kivara. He grasped her hand, and she flinched in surprise, but before she could say anything, he had yanked them away from the path they were running on and into another.


    It was as if it was engraved in his head. He turned to a tree, crouched down, and then leaped into the hole beneath it. Kivara leaped after him.


    It was dark inside the hole, and it smelled like dirt and rot. The space was big enough for two and well concealed. It wasn''t something that could be easily discovered.


    They got their breathing under control, and she asked in a whisper, with a bit of suspicion, "How did you find this place?"


    "I didn''t. My Sigil did. I... just felt this place''s aura through it."


    There was a small edge to her voice as she asked, "And what aura is that?"


    Riven could feel it all around him even now, a chill that didn''t bother him. He answered, "Death aura."


    She didn''t say anything. The necromancers were there now. They could hear their voices.


    "What? You lost them? Then track them! Sense them out through their aura. They must be hiding somewhere."


    They stiffened as they watched the necromancers and their monsters turn the forest upside down. No matter how long they searched, they couldn''t find them. Riven would have laughed at them if he wasn''t a bundle of nerves.


    Directly in front of the tree they were hiding in, he saw four of the green-robed figures. Vaelith was among them. They were surrounded by green orbs of light and their undead creatures.


    Riven''s eyes tightened as he searched among the blank-faced human undead. He didn''t know if he should be happy or not that he didn''t see her among them.


    The necromancers got bored and frustrated when their search turned into dead ends and decided to leave. Riven released a sigh of relief, but Vaelith wasn''t ready to budge.


    The man crossed his arms in front of himself and scowled. "I thought I was going to have fun, but then they just disappeared like that? No way. Wait, let me summon Number One."


    "You''re going to use your most powerful undead for this?"


    Vaelith shrugged. He was already crouching on the ground, his hand spread as he whispered. A green line appeared on the forest floor and expanded, turning into a door. A hand reached out from inside and dragged itself out.


    It was a female human undead. Her face was flawless and pale, her eyes blank, and she wore a white robe.


    Vaelith turned to her, his face shaped in concentration. "Find them."


    The undead turned and blurred away from the place.


    Riven felt Kivara stiffen immediately when she saw the undead, and he couldn''t help but freeze as well. The aura pressure that came off it was almost stronger than all four necromancers combined. How did he get an undead that strong?


    He didn''t have time to worry about that because he saw the way Undead Number One was flickering between the trees, looking for them. His heart was the only sound he could hear, and his clenched hands were filled with sweat.


    Suddenly, the entrance to the hole darkened, and Undead Number One was standing there, her milky-white eyes staring down at them. Riven stopped breathing entirely and had to stop himself from shouting.


    The undead looked at them and seemed to look through them. Then, it turned and began to make its way in another direction to search, as if they weren''t there.


    Riven and Kivara breathed out in relief at the same time. Their worst worries were over. Whether it was luck or Kivara did something, Riven didn''t care. He was just glad that the monster was gone.


    But then, it was back, looming over the entrance like a ghost. Undead Number One opened its mouth and let out a screech that came out as a physical force.


    Kivara slammed into Riven, and he was rammed into the wall... only there was no wall. He had a moment to feel surprised before he fell together with her.


    This time, they screamed, but it was swallowed by the inky darkness that surrounded them.


    Outside, Vaelith and the other necromancers stood above the entrance, but they found nothing unusual.


    "Seems your Number One has some stitches loose in its head."


    "Or maybe you''re losing control of it," another snickered.


    "Shut up," Vaelith grumbled. He shot the undead a glare, but it was just as blank-faced as usual. His lips curled. "I wish you could feel pain like when you were alive."


    Vaelith shook his head. "Get back."


    The door with the green line opened again, and the undead disappeared within.


    Vaelith stood at the dark hole for a long time before he turned. "Time to start searching!"


    Meanwhile, Riven and Kivara hit the ground in a tangle of limbs. Kivara hissed and uncoiled herself, leaving Riven, who had taken the most impact, groaning on the ground.


    "That was close," she said, looking around. Then, she froze. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Riven noticed and stood as well to look around. They were in a small room. The room was so small that if they spread their hands, they would touch all three walls.


    And the only door that was there.


    "Where is this place?" Riven mumbled, but he didn''t take his eyes away from the door. It was a black door, etched with lots of symbols, and in the middle of it was a raven and a snake locked in battle.


    Unconsciously, Riven raised his hand toward the door, but Kivara slapped his hand away, glaring at him. "That''s the dumbest way to die as a practitioner. As a rule, you don''t touch what you don''t know."


    Riven swallowed. "Right."


    But he could feel it. Right in his heart, in his Sigil. He wanted to touch and open the door.


    Kivara huffed and sat down. "I feel like you attract trouble. I can smell it in you. Right from that Sigil of yours."

 Chapter 18: Door

    Chapter 18: DoorSeeing a distraction, Riven turned to her. "Yes. What happened earlier in the day? You suddenly passed out after checking my Sigil."


    She looked up at him and looked away before she looked again, a small frown on her face. "Your Sigil reacted strangely. Riven... what is your Sigil?"


    He noticed that it was the first time she had used his name and that there was a note of fear when she asked the question. He didn''t know the answer to that, so he simply said, "Undying."


    She huffed in annoyance. "Yes, but it''s different in a way. It''s not like my own, a Radiant Sigil. And it''s not classified as the other two from what I can tell. Also, I can''t see your Sigil fully. It was covered by something."


    Riven raised his brows. Out of everything she said, the only thing that interested him was the classification of her Sigil. "You have a Radiant Sigil. No wonder you are strong."


    She grunted and shrugged. "It did come with some perks, but we''re not talking about my Sigil. What is your Sigil?"


    Riven sighed and finally sat, his back facing the door, careful not to touch it. "I don''t know. It was like that when I activated it."


    She didn''t say anything and just continued to stare at him. Something lay between them that neither of them was willing to say. Eventually, she nodded. "Alright. I will introduce you to my master and the sect. It will be up to you to impress him, though."


    That wasn''t what Riven was expecting, but it made his heart warm. Finally, he wasn''t feeling so lost. He really didn''t know what he would do next. He knew he had to get stronger, but he didn''t know how to go about it.


    "Thank you," he said sincerely.


    She shrugged, looking uncomfortable, then quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of Sigils, how did you find this place?"


    "I just felt the aura. I don''t know how to explain it, but it just kind of calls to me? No, not exactly like that, but I did feel it in a way. I can''t explain it properly."


    She didn''t give him a weird look and just shrugged. "It''s expected. Sometimes catacombs of the aura call to practitioners that share the same traits."


    Riven flinched and scooted away from the door. "Catacomb? This is a Catacomb?"


    He had never been in one, and now he was almost leaning against its doors. He shuddered. He had heard stories of Catacombs, none of them good. Filled with monsters and rules of their own, forcing people to do certain things.


    She gave him a look. "Yes. But I''ve never seen one like this before. Usually, it''s in open space in a way that we shouldn''t be boxed in like this. Look at the ceiling¡ªit ends in darkness. I don''t think we can get out of here unless we clear the Catacomb."


    Riven felt a chill. They had to enter and clear it? And it was his Sigil that triggered it. That meant it had something to do with the undead. He couldn''t help his thoughts from wandering and the excitement that began to fill him.


    Maybe he''d reap a lot of rewards as well! Yes, the stories talked about the dangers but also about the rewards, especially auras and monsters of certain specific Sigils.


    Finding the right Catacomb could cause a leap in advancement.


    Kivara saw the greed on his face and warned him. "Catacombs are dangerous. Once one is found, it will be measured by some relics to determine its level of danger and what rank of practitioners can begin entering. But this one? We have no idea what will be inside, and it seems... more aware."


    The hair on Riven stood. "Aware?"


    "One thing I''ve learned in my life is to be wary of coincidences. Also, why are we trapped here, and the only way to go is to enter the Catacomb?" she asked.


    Riven nodded slowly, a look of understanding on his face. "And it''s an undead Catacomb too."


    They didn''t say anything for a while after that, each lost in their own thoughts. But eventually, Riven asked the question, "When are we going in?"


    Kivara sighed. "Let me regenerate and get near my peak state. We are probably going to die, but at least we should fight to the best of our abilities."


    Riven noticed that she didn''t exactly sound pleased with what she was saying.


    Then she continued, "I''ve not really had the time to properly heal. Your Sigil caused my energy to deplete, and then we had to run from those necromancers. Let''s try it tomorrow. By then, I should be good to go.


    "Can you do what you did for my wound to heal faster? I don''t know it, so..." She trailed off.


    Riven shrugged. He still had some energy left, so he leaned closer to her, let his hand hover above her stomach, and willed the Undying effects to happen.


    A cold energy of purple and green crawled out of his hand to spray against her, seeping into her stomach.


    She nodded at him and then put her back against the stone.


    Riven sighed and moved away from the door, putting his own side against the wall as well. He didn''t even know if it was morning yet, but he doubted it. Those necromancers had woken them in the middle of the night, after all.


    Eventually, he drifted off.


    When he woke up, he did so with his stomach grumbling. He was hungry, and he needed a bath and to relieve himself. Kivara was still sleeping... or meditating. Riven didn''t know which one she was doing.


    But he didn''t disturb her. As much as he wanted to hurry them along, he knew that would be a stupid thing to do. They both needed her to be in her fighting form when they entered the Catacomb.


    And there was a way to help her as well.


    The door to the Catacomb was putting out auras¡ªundead, death aura.


    He spent the hours waiting for her, drawing the auras from the door to his Sigil, but unfortunately, since he had no rank, his container was small, so he could only give her small Undying effects at a time.


    Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 19: what is this place

    Chapter 19: what is this placeWhen she finally woke up, the gold in her eyes was shining brighter, and the space around her was darker as if she was standing between a blurry, dark, translucent curtain.


    She turned to Riven. "That''s a strong ability you have there."


    Riven nodded. That was the closest to a thank you he was probably going to get. He stood up as well. "What''s your Sigil?"


    She smiled. "It''s classified as Radiant, and it''s called Void, but I''ve evolved it further, and as of now, it is known as Abyssal Ravager."


    Riven digested that. No wonder her aura was like darkness and yet not. It was strange on the senses, something he couldn''t accurately grasp.


    She continued speaking. "When we enter, you should stay beside me as I am the stronger one. Since this is an undead Catacomb and lies in your domain, you might get tempted by something or be protected from what should affect others. So if you get any hints, let me know."


    Riven nodded. He wasn''t stupid enough to think he had a chance against her. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She gestured to the door. "Do the honors."


    Riven finally stretched out his hand and placed his palm on the image of the raven and serpent locked in a fight. He heard a soft click, and the door swung open.


    An aura of coldness slammed into their faces, followed by the smell of rot and damp air.


    What appeared in front of them was a staircase leading downward. The stone steps were old and slick with black liquid that looked suspiciously like blood.


    Kivara clapped her hands, and her dark aura spread, covering the two of them. "This will hide our presence from anything that''s not at the mid crest and above. Let''s go."


    She stepped onto the stone and then began to descend swiftly. Riven didn''t waste time and followed her. The stairs weren''t as long as they thought, and they soon reached the bottom, where they walked down a narrow tunnel that led outside.


    "What is this place?" Riven whispered as they took their first look at it.


    It was a sprawling wasteland. The sands were dyed an off-white, and the smell was like that of long-dried bones.


    The sun was a mixture of black, sickly green, and the dull yellow of old pus. Looking at it made his body break out in goosebumps and his skin itch. He suddenly felt as if he wanted to vomit, and his head throbbed with a headache.


    "Don''t look at the sun," Kivara warned, her own eyes fixed downward.


    Riven obeyed immediately, and the sickness that had begun washed away as his body returned to normal. He shuddered. "Looking at the sun is enough to cause that?"


    She grimaced. "It seems this place is more powerful than we thought. I don''t like this. Let''s go back for a while, see if we can find a clue in the tunnels."


    They didn''t get the chance to return to the tunnel.


    The entrance to the tunnel they had just come through had disappeared, and they were now standing in the middle of a wasteland that stretched as far as the eye could see.


    The two of them cursed at the same time. They hadn''t even noticed when it disappeared!


    Suddenly, the ground shook slightly, and to their side, something jutted out of the ground. It was an elevated platform, and atop it was something that resembled an altar, but it was made entirely of bones. Resting on the altar was a skull as big as Kivara.


    They shared a glance and then walked toward it. They didn''t climb the platform, but they could see it clearly and what was written on the skull.


    "Can you read it? I can''t," Kivara said, squinting.


    Riven looked closer. At first, it resembled something he couldn''t read, but then the words rearranged themselves in front of him, and now he could read what was written on it.


    "Remember, you must die, but death itself is a beginning, a flow. Bring the crown to the head that deserves it."


    Kivara groaned. "These are the types of Catacombs that I hate. You can''t just explore and find things. There will be an objective, something that must be done."


    "So... we are meant to find a crown?" Riven asked.


    "Probably place it atop that skeleton''s head. Come on. Let''s not waste our precious energy here. Somehow, I don''t think we can find anything edible or drinkable here."


    They didn''t know where to look, so they just began to walk around. So far, they had moved far away from the altar, but when they looked back, it wouldn''t be far from them.


    At first, they thought they were walking in a loop, but it was the altar moving. They searched, overturning stones to look for it, but nothing was found.


    It didn''t take long for Kivara to start cursing her master because he had taken her spatial ring before she was sent into the Shadowwood so she could learn about survival.


    Riven was also feeling the effects of hunger and thirst. The abnormal sun above didn''t help matters either, as it was hot and caused them to feel dizzy even without looking at it. It seemed that just being exposed to it was enough.


    Then they saw it¡ªthe crown.


    It was sitting on the head of a monster that was between a jagged fissure. The monster was sitting down, with its head peeking above the ground and its lower body below.


    Its head was a mass of black flesh warped around its skull. Its eye sockets were holes, breeding maggots and flies that buzzed around it. Each fly was the size of a palm.


    The rest of the monster''s body was covered in a tattered black robe. A rusted sword was clasped in its hand, like some kind of warrior.


    Riven swallowed. "I don''t know... do you have some kind of method for taking that off its head?"


    Kivara turned back to him with an absolutely deadpan expression. "How about we use you as bait?"

 Chapter 20: Sneak attack

    Chapter 20: Sneak attackRiven realized he wasn''t as surprised as he should be by the plan she told him. She told him it was simple, and it was. He would be the bait, and with her skills, she would sneak around to steal the crown.


    So simple.


    Riven gave her a skeptical look. "How exactly are you planning to sneak around and steal it? From something of that size? You can''t even jump that high to reach it."


    She didn''t look convinced by the plan either. "Well, you can''t fight, and I can''t fight that thing face to face either. That leaves us with very little to work with.


    "With my aura, I can sneak around it while you keep its attention and try not to die early."


    Riven was liking the plan less and less, but he really couldn''t think of another way they were figuring out that mountain of a monster. "Alright," he said unhappily.


    Kivara began to walk away from him, giving him space, and then she crouched. Riven looked at her, and if he didn''t know better, he would think she wasn''t there at all.


    From her place, she raised her thumbs for him. He took a deep breath. He hesitated before removing the stone from his neck. He didn''t know where he should keep it. He turned toward Kivara, who was less of a stranger than the day before. He sighed and threw her the stone.


    At least if he died and was coming back, he would prefer it to be by someone stronger than him. And if she died before him, that just meant he never had a chance. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She gave the stone a confused look but then shrugged and put it in her pocket.


    Riven then faced the monster. He turned around and walked around it. He rubbed his sweaty hands on his trousers and wished he still had his knife with him.


    The monster was still as stone, like a statue, but Riven knew better. He stayed as far from it as possible and waved his hands in front of it, but the monster didn''t stir.


    He frowned. "How do I get its attention?"


    Then he raised his voice. "Come here!"


    But he might as well have been shouting at a wall or a mountain for all it did. Riven wasn''t discouraged, though. He began shouting, waving his hands, and jumping. Still, nothing.


    He bent, picked up a stone, and hurled it with all his strength at the monster. The attack hit it on the cheek, landed on the tattered robe, and rolled off without having any effect.


    Riven sighed. On instinct, he raised his hand and tried to steal the aura from the monster. At the same time, he was speaking to Kivara. "I don''t think this thing is ready to move. Maybe it''s dead already, and we just have to take the crown."


    But then he immediately frowned because the energy he was trying to take from the monster wasn''t coming his way. It was as if he was trying to tear flesh from a living person.


    It was at that moment that the monster stirred.


    A loud crack sounded, a groaning and rustling of two dried old bones rubbing together, and the monster turned to face Riven, who froze.


    They stared at each other. Monster and Riven.


    Moments later, the monster opened its mouth and roared.


    A ground-shaking screech hit like a hammer to the gut. Riven was already running by then. He heard the ground shake behind him as the monster lifted itself, but he didn''t look back.


    The monster didn''t chase him. Instead, it raised its sword high above its head, and it was instantly set aflame with green light. Then it slashed down.


    A sword arc of intense green heat leaped from the sword and struck the ground so hard a line appeared from the monster straight forward.


    Riven had felt the attack coming, and since he knew he could not outrun it, he tried a different approach. He began to run sideways, doing a zigzag run, and even then, the shockwave of the attack still lifted and slammed him hard on the ground.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Kivara was rethinking the plan. She thought she had the easiest job, but that was before the monster stood up and literally split the ground with a single attack.


    "Just what rank is this Catacomb? Dying and then rising as an undead was never my idea of a glorious way to die," she thought to herself. With her aura surrounding her, she should be invisible unless they saw her, to anyone and anything below her rank, but she doubted that the monster was below or at the same rank as her.


    Still, she moved with a crab-like legwork where she crouched and then did fast and slow movements, all the while maneuvering toward the monster''s blind spot.


    She quickly ran behind it as the monster began to advance toward Riven''s position. She waited until it stopped to search for him, and then she raised her hand and used her command technique, Call to Ruin!


    She gestured, and at the same time, she yanked her hand backward as if she was ripping something free. The crown atop the monster''s head shook and trembled as it responded to her technique.


    She added more aura and pulled. The crown flew free and jumped toward her. Her eyes lit up, but the monster spun, a whirlwind of tattered robes, and its skeletal hand reached out and caught the crown.


    The monster stared down at her with rot-filled sockets and roared.


    It wasn''t a simple roar. It was a technique, because all around Kivara, coldness surged, and ghostly white light flickered. Before she could blink, she had been surrounded by a translucent skeleton army that swung themselves at her with rusted weapons.


    She wasn''t fazed. The first skeleton that reached her got a punch wrapped in void aura to the face. It carried so much force that it shattered its head.


    But another one was there to immediately replace it.


    Kivara grinned, and her right hand darkened. A sword of darkness and faint light appeared in her hand, and she flung herself right at the monsters as well.

 Chapter 21: Spite death

    Chapter 21: Spite deathThe monster was searching for Riven. He had doubled back when he saw Kivara make her move, but he saw her fail and get attacked by the skeleton.


    The only place he could hide was in the gash created by the monster''s attack. His heart was beating almost unnaturally fast in his ears, but it wasn''t only fear. He was thinking about one thing. How much energy will I gain if I kill the monster? I bet I can create my four stars... and maybe even directly evolve to rank one.


    The thought made his blood thrum, but thinking about it was different from actually doing it, and so far, he couldn''t think of a way to go about it.


    It''s getting closer to my place! Riven thought and froze, doing his best not to breathe loudly and willing his heart to beat slower. The monster''s sword dragged on the ground, grating loudly in his ears.


    And then the monster was there, right where he was hiding. He waited for it to move, but he didn''t hear the next step from the monster. He was afraid to do it, but Riven looked up and locked eyes with the monster that was looking down at him.


    "Ah..." Riven said. "I''m dead again."


    He jumped out of the hole as fast as he could, and the monster struck down at the same time, its sword a blur so fast that Riven didn''t get a chance. Pain blared in his left shoulder, and he stumbled, but he didn''t stop running, his feet slapping hard on the dry ground.


    The monster didn''t give chase. Instead, it raised its sword again and brought it down. This time, Riven had no time to dodge, and he was cursing in his mind when he was suddenly yanked sideways by a force.


    Boom!


    The attack slammed into the ground, throwing up dust clouds and stone debris. And when it cleared, Riven had disappeared. The monster stared at the place he had been, tracing the line of blood and even sniffing the air multiple times with the hole it had for a nose, but Riven had completely disappeared.


    They were hiding behind a small boulder. Riven''s right shoulder was wrapped in a black piece of clothing torn from Kivara''s robe.


    He hissed in pain as she tied it tighter, but she grinned at him, slapping his shoulder lightly and ignoring his glare. "You are the most troublesome no-rank I''ve ever met."


    Riven managed a smile. "Are you saying I''m the strongest no-rank?"


    "Maybe, but that''s only because the rest are children," she said.


    Riven sighed and leaned his head against the stone. The pain was bad, but he''d felt worse. He grimaced as they heard the sound of the monster patrolling out there.


    "This is bad," Riven said.


    Kivara snorted. "That''s an understatement. There''s no way we are defeating that monster. We can only try to escape... maybe. But this is a wasteland, and we''ll die in weeks. Maybe you''ll live a bit longer with the undead aura in the air.


    "We can only act now while we still have a bit of strength. Who knows if there''s something much worse out there?"


    Riven hesitated, but finally, he sighed. He''d thought about it. Even with the two remaining lives he had, it would be useless if he couldn''t do anything with them.


    Besides, he would get four brand-new ones when he ranked up.


    Right now, with his passive ability and Kivara''s rank, they could probably pull something off. But it boiled down to whether he was willing to share his secrets. He had known her for less than three days, and he couldn''t boast that he trusted her one hundred percent.


    Here lay the problem. He couldn''t survive alone, and she wouldn''t be able to do it either. But only one of them had something to lose besides his two lives.


    Was it really a choice when the other option was to starve to death in the wasteland in some forgotten catacomb? He decided to make one of the biggest mistakes in his journey as an aura practitioner. Or not. Only time would tell.


    Besides, he didn''t have to tell her everything.


    Riven smiled and asked her, "Have you heard of people who are born with three lives?"


    Some time later, two forms blurred out from behind a boulder. Riven and Kivara. Both of them were shouting at the top of their lungs, and the monster responded.


    It turned toward them, its sword raising dust as it dragged it on the ground. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Riven was at the lead with Kivara behind him. Gradually, her form fell behind and eventually blended with the wasteland, leaving only Riven to run toward the monster.


    The monster almost paused at the boldness, but it didn''t stop advancing. Riven stopped when he got within striking distance. "You bastard! You think you can take me out just like that? Well? Do what you must, you gigantic, big-for-nothing pile of bones!"


    Riven didn''t know if what he said had any effect, or maybe it was his imagination that the monster gripped its sword tighter. But it swung without hesitation.


    He saw the rusted sword fall in a streak of dirt brown, and it took every bit of instinct in him not to flinch away. He had faced death three times in a few days now. At least this would be fast and painless.


    But then the monster suddenly slowed down and yanked its hand back. The sword missed Riven. Almost. The tip smashed into his chest with a crunching sound. Ribs snapped like twigs as he was slammed into the ground.


    His chest had been carved in, right down to his abdomen, ripping out his intestines. But Riven wasn''t dead yet, and he felt every bit of the pain.


    His mouth opened in a soundless scream, but only blood bubbled out. His eyes were feverish with pain. And then the monster loomed over him, and Riven knew that it chose not to kill him. It was intentional.


    To spite him.

 Chapter 22: Out smart

    Chapter 22: Out smartThe two stared at each other. Riven felt a deep hostility radiating from the monster in waves, and it seemed to be smiling somehow, even though its mouth was firmly shut.


    Riven gave it a bloody smile. No way he was going down without a fight of some kind. The monster didn''t seem to like that because it raised its sword, its rusted edges slamming into Riven''s legs and crushing them below the knees.


    Riven couldn''t shout. The only thing he could do was make a grudging sound as blood sprouted from his chest. Pain made his vision white.


    He understood why he didn''t die immediately. His passive ability was working, albeit a little, keeping him alive. Undying.


    But then another shadow loomed above him, and he saw Kivara staring down at him, her mouth set in a grim line. "I will tear you limb to limb if you do not come back and remove that thing."


    And then her sword of darkness came down to cut his head.


    Her face hardened as she turned to the monster. It was looking at her in what seemed like surprise. She smiled. "Well now, he''s dead. I don''t think you only want to kill one of us?"


    The monster''s answer was a roar. It raised its sword and brought it down swiftly. Kivara cursed and gestured, and a maw opened in front of her, expanding rapidly, flowing like inky darkness.


    The maw was shaped like the mouth of a wolf monster, but it was abnormally large.


    She used it as her shield as she jumped away, faster than she usually moved. She was using a technique. She blurred forward, a streak of dark. It wasn''t even as if she was running¡ªher figure simply slid on the ground with extreme speed.


    Meanwhile, the sword cleaved the air and shattered her technique without resistance. The dark maw scattered into nothingness. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The monster turned, but with the technique Kivara was using, she was already far away. It opened its mouth and let out a howl that twisted the air.


    Cold winds gathered and blew forward, a surging wave that swept the ground, kicking up a thunderstorm of stone and sand. The storm of sand destroyed anything in its way, from small boulders to big ones, and it was getting closer to Kivara.


    Suddenly, she turned and clapped, activating her passive ability. Layers upon layers of illusory dark curtains appeared around her. And directly behind her, something that couldn''t be seen clearly reached out and draped her with a black cloak.


    The passive ability is called Veil of Void.


    It is a defensive ability.


    The storm of sand slammed into the illusory dark curtains with Kivara within and simply passed through her as if she were nothing. But the storm wasn''t a single attack. It was a rolling wave of lashing debris carrying chunks of stone.


    She would be dead if she dropped her passive ability.


    But it was not something she could use for long. She reached out and drew her technique in the air. Suddenly, her body slid forward at an incredible speed, and she left the confines of the storm.


    Straight into the path of the monster.


    By this time, her Veil of Void was gone, and she smiled up at the monster. "We meet again."


    The monster bellowed but didn''t have time to do anything because the crown atop its head suddenly lifted and fell. The monster whirled to see a naked Riven on the ground, holding a crown too big for his body and limping from where he fell.


    The monster was stunned, and before it could react, the crown suddenly leaped from Riven''s hand and into the air sideways toward Kivara, who had disappeared from her position.


    She was standing at the altar where the crown had been dragged, and she simply placed it atop the skull.


    The monster glanced from Riven to Kivara.


    The surprise was almost visible on its face.


    The plan Riven came up with was the same as last time, just slightly different. He would be the bait and still be the one to take the crown.


    Kivara''s plan was to get the stone close to the crown. She threw it, and with her inhuman strength and eyes, it easily stuck on the monster''s neck. So when it was busy fighting Kivara, Riven came back to life and took the crown.


    And it was a success.


    The monster wasn''t having it and bellowed in anger. It turned toward Kivara, sword raised, but a howl came from the altar. The eyes of the skull came to life with green fire.


    Kivara jumped away from the altar, but nothing happened. At least not to them.


    The monster froze as if it had been hit by something, and then it collapsed. It was as if the strings holding it were suddenly cut. It fell to the ground, its body shaking as its bones clattered.


    They felt no presence from it, but from the body, a green smoke rose up. The energy of the monster crawled to the surface. And it wasn''t the only thing, something else glinted from it like the surface of a smooth rock.


    Riven let out a relieved breath and, without care, flopped to the dry, hot ground, naked and all. "Ah! I thought I was going to die. What exactly is that monster? It is too powerful. Too strong for us, and well...!!"


    Something hit him on the chest, and he yelped. It was a stone, and he turned his glare on Kivara. "What was that for?"


    Kivara glared right back. "Three things. One, why are you naked? Cover that skinny body of yours. Secondly, why do you have such an absurd passive ability? Third, why did you let me know you have such an ability?


    And the last, go absorb that monster''s energy."


    "That was four things," Riven pointed out. Then his face turned solemn. "Are you saying you are going to use it against me?"

 Chapter 23: Well, shit

    Chapter 23: Well, shitKivara stared at him for a long time, her face serious and the gold in her eyes glowing softly. "I will not use it against you or tell anyone else, in as much as we do not become enemies." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Riven nodded. He could accept that. It was not like he was planning to make her his enemy, but then again, things happen, and if it ever turned out that way, he was ready to accept what came next.


    He would not be as weak as this either.


    He did not say anything else as he began to climb the monster. He climbed to the top and neared the energy that hung thickly. It looked like both liquid and gas at the same time. The coldness made Riven shiver. "What am I to do with this?"


    Kivara had already climbed it as well, but she was not looking at the energy. She was staring at the book that was beneath the monster''s energy, her eyes narrowed in confusion.


    Riven bent to look as well. The book''s cover seemed to be made of green crystals, and imprinted on it was the image of a raven and serpent locked in a fight.


    "What is this?" Riven asked.


    "Maybe the reward? Catacombs oftentimes give rewards when we clear some stages, especially when it is this type where there are rules to be followed. Pick it up," Kivara said.


    Riven leaned back and crossed his hands in front of him. "You should be the one to pick it up."


    A small smile crossed her face. "Good, you are learning. But this is not really what you think. The energy is an undead one, and you see what is printed on the cover. Those animals are usually associated with death. Your Sigil line."


    Still, Riven did not move. "You are the strongest here. You pick it up."


    Kivara turned to him and made her dark blade. Riven thought she wanted to do something with the book and took several steps back, but she only bent down and began to cut part of the tattered robe of the monster. She then threw it to him. "Cover yourself first."


    Riven shuddered as he put the cloak around himself. It smelled of rot and dust. He turned to her. "Can you hurry up? Take the book so I can take in the energy."


    "It will not dispel for a while. We should talk about your path while we are at it," Kivara said. "Taking this monster''s energy is well and good, but you do not know which path it would turn to. Since you are going to start from rank two, then you need a path before you take any unnecessary energy.


    "You do not know the monster combinations you need."


    Riven was baffled. He understood what she was saying. "But I have not even formed my four stars."


    Kivara gestured. "The energy is enough to form your four stars and will probably fill it as well. At this level, the amount of energy the four stars could take is still small."


    He nodded slowly as he digested what she said. Taking this monster''s energy would forever change him and decide the path he would walk. He might change it later, but it is far easier to stick to one path.


    Almost as one, the two of them looked at where the book lay, glinting gently. Riven took a deep breath and decided. "I will take it."


    And before he could change his mind, he walked towards it, reached out, and snatched the book out of the ball of energy.


    Nothing happened as he jumped back and threw it to the ground.


    To the side, Kivara watched him quietly without saying anything, but a sword of darkness was in her hand.


    He stared at the book and then reached out his right hand to touch it again. It was smooth, except for the rough places where the image of the raven and serpent locked in battle was.


    Riven studied the image. The raven was pure black, and its eyes were a deep purple. What was reflected in those eyes was not the serpent it was fighting but a human skull. Its claw gripped the serpent''s tail while the serpent''s fangs were locked on its throat.


    He sighed and said out loud, "I am going to open it."


    And he did. The book opened easily to reveal a blank page of crystal leaves so soft and flexible he began flipping through it without difficulties.


    Kivara also breathed a sigh of relief. "At least we can sell it. It is going to be expensive going by its look."


    Riven was disappointed. For a moment there, he thought it would be a path, and considering all the coincidences that had been happening, he would not be surprised. "Yes. It will go a long way in helping my cultivation."


    He closed the book back, and they immediately noticed an abnormality. The two of them gasped. The image on the cover had changed, and now the snake was coiled around the raven, its head atop the raven''s head. They were no longer fighting.


    Its eyes were a deep green, and the two of them, the raven and the snake, were staring right at Riven with life-like clarity. He flinched back but not fast enough. The surface of the book ripped, and the snake lurched out, gaining a real body as it came out of the book.


    And bit him on the neck. At the same time, the raven ruffled its feathers, and one shot out, turning real. The sharp end pierced his forehead.


    All this happened faster than a blink of an eye. None of them had the time to react. By the time they even began to comprehend it, the image had returned into the book.


    If not for the blood that trickled down his neck and his bleeding forehead, Riven would have thought he did not see well. He was so stunned he could not speak for a while.


    But Kivara was out of her shock, and she chuckled. "At least you were not devoured or dropped dead. It happens, you know. That is what happens when you touch¡ª"


    Before she could finish speaking, Riven tilted forward and collapsed on the book.


    She blinked. "Well, shit."

 Chapter 24: Jade book

    Chapter 24: Jade bookKivara did not know what she should do. She only stared at him, but she could feel him breathing, and that was enough. She studied him and thought,


    "I do not know how to feel about any of this. The last few days have been a blur of things that never happened before. And his Sigil... he has to meet Master. That is, if we ever get out of here and do not turn into wandering zombies."


    Just then, a green light flashed from the book and shot out, passing through Riven''s back like a thread, and then, just like that, it was gone.


    Kivara stared at it grimly. "It seems I am not the only one who knows the potential you carry, Riven. And it seems this one already got its hands on you."


    She glanced at the abomination sun and could just picture it as an eye watching down.


    It took some minutes before Riven jerked awake, and when he did, he noticed two things. The pain in his legs was gone, and he could feel a presence in his mind. He felt something that was not there before he passed out, and he knew what it was.


    He stood and stared at the book. "I am bound to this thing," he said softly. "Is that good?"


    Kivara answered in the same tone. "Depends on what you will gain from it and what it will take in return."


    Riven already expected such an answer. He reached out and opened the book once again. This time, the first page was not blank. There were words written on the green page in purple letters.


    He brought it closer to his face and read it out loud. "Path of the Undying Necromancer."


    Kivara gave him a sharp look. "You can read it?"


    "You cannot?"


    "It is as if I am trying to read something written by a bird. I cannot grasp even a single word, and it is spiraling too, turning up and down. It is making me dizzy."


    Riven was surprised to hear that because he could read it perfectly, and as if to prove that, he began to read it out loud. "A relentless harbinger of ruin who becomes death''s ultimate predator. The ground beneath the dead."


    He shrugged at that when she gave him a look. "That is what is written beside the path''s name."


    "I have not heard of such a path before, and the fact that it is called Undying..."


    She did not finish her words because it was something apparent. Something, somewhere, had brought them to this catacomb for Riven to claim the path. She shivered. And maybe more.


    She changed the topic. "Well? Read out the name of rank one of the Path of the Undying Necromancer."


    He cleared his throat. "It begins from rank two."


    "Is that so? I am so surprised," Kivara said with a deadpan expression.


    Riven read it out. "Rank two is called Undying Revenant. It says to hunt a Rotling. One is enough because the energy will overflow."


    Her face tightened. "Let me guess. We are standing and looking at the energy of a Rotling."


    Riven could only nod, and she sighed.


    What else could they do? Something far more powerful wanted them there, wanted Riven there, and there they were. They could only hope to turn things in their favor.


    Riven frowned as he continued reading. "There is only rank two here. I guess I will get the rest when I am ready to advance to it. By the way, Kivara, what are the Burst, Shape, Enhance, and Command that I am seeing under the technique?"


    She finally sat down. "That is how all techniques are grouped based on the function they perform. It is the fundamental way all aura practitioners manipulate their aura. All paths must have these forms of techniques in each rank. Let us take one and then the others.


    "Burst is a sudden, explosive release of Sigil power that releases energy in a raw, immediate surge. It is mostly an area-of-effect technique. What it does is also always different. A storm Sigil might create a whirlwind with its Burst.


    "Like me now, my Burst is different. It is more focused. It is still an explosive release of aura, but it is on my fist. It also drains the Sigil faster."


    Riven nodded. He had never known techniques had technicalities to them. He thought they were just one and the same¡ªthrowing aura at each other.


    She continued. "Let us talk about Shape next. It is about crafting and manifesting tools, weapons, or allies that extend the user''s reach or influence. It is versatile, allowing both offense and utility, with duration tied to rank."


    "So your blade of darkness is a Shape technique?" Riven asked.


    She raised her brows. "Blade of darkness? I like that. And yes, it is a Shape technique. The amount of power and effectiveness of each of these types of techniques depends on your path. An earth Sigil will be more powerful in Shape techniques, while a wind Sigil would be stronger in Burst.


    "Then there is Enhance. An internal amplification of the practitioner''s body, mind, or abilities through aura. It is a self-directed boost that heightens their natural capabilities.


    "Enhance is about personal empowerment, making the user stronger, faster, tougher, or more perceptive. It is the technique for turning oneself into a more effective force, whether for combat or survival.


    "Those with more physically aligned Sigils would excel at this."


    "And finally, we have Command techniques. It is the directed exertion of will over external entities¡ªliving beings, spirits, objects, or forces, using aura. It is the imposition of dominance, bending others and things to the practitioner''s intent.


    "You see the way I can force an object to come to me? I can do that to living things too. I did it to you. Those with Mind-related Sigils are very, very skilled at Commands."


    She stared at him. "You will be too. Commanding the dead, spirits, and such is all part of Command techniques."


    She clapped lightly. "All in all, every path has its own techniques, and all of them follow the four forms. Now, enough talking. Let us get you to rank two." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 25: Cultivation

    Chapter 25: CultivationKivara directed him to sit in front of the energy in a lotus position. And then, as he had done when he took the aura from dead bodies, he should take the energy from the monster as well, directly into his Sigil.


    Riven did. He stretched his hand forward and then willed it to himself. It was as if the energy was ready, and it leaped towards his hand, curling around it like smoke.


    The chill that came with it made his bones shiver and his body jerk, but all that was forgotten as it slammed into his Sigil, filling it up in an instant.


    The rest spilled over, and it was as if Riven was looking at his Sigil from above. It stood there, spinning gently, partially covered by deep darkness that he could not pierce.


    But that was not his concern. He could hear Kivara''s voice sinking into his subconscious. "Control the energy. Imagine a hand or anything, and begin to mold the spilling energy into the shape of stars. Do not worry, your mind already wants to shape it."


    Immediately, Riven imagined his sister''s hand. Not when it was bloody and cut, but when she would go into the forest and carve him different wooden weapons with knives.


    But this time, she would not be making wooden swords. She would be making stars.


    Slowly, bit by bit, he took the energy and began to mold it into what he wanted. It was not simple, of course, because the energy did not want to be moved. It wanted to stay put. But mold it he did, and finally, he heard a loud clicking sound in his head, and a translucent star floated around his Sigil.


    The sight filled Riven with so much joy that he nearly lost control of his energy, but his will clamped tight on it. No way was he going to mess things up after everything he went through to get where he was now.


    He took his remaining energy and began to forge his remaining stars. It was easier now. Maybe it was because he had done one already, or as Kivara said, the mind knows what it wants.


    He did not know how long it took, but he saw the four stars around his Sigil, floating gently. Then, without much effort, he simply... collapsed the stars into his Sigil.


    But what he felt was not that simple. Pain lashed him from head to toe, and his mind snapped away from his Sigil. He realized that he was still sitting in his lotus position, but now he was covered in green and purple aura that carried bitter coldness.


    Kivara moved away from him. "Control it! You can stunt your growth if you let anything go wrong. Stabilize it and do not let the stars become part of the Sigil. Remember, they are just containers!"


    Riven heard her, but the pain he was feeling was so distracting. His bones seemed to be changing somehow, as if something was carving them.


    He heard different sounds in his head. They howled in his mind¡ªa chorus of weeping and the screaming of pain, all twisted together into something that clawed his head.


    His skin stretched, and black sweat began to seep from his pores.


    Riven gritted his teeth, reminding himself that he had felt pain even worse than the one he was currently feeling.


    He stabilized the energy by not thinking of the pain he was feeling. He made himself emotionless. The stars separated from the Sigil. They were now empty, but his Sigil radiated with power. It was far different from before. He could feel the amount of energy he could now store.


    And he felt the initial increase in his passive abilities. He had regained his four resurrections.


    Then the energy in his Sigil, located in his heart, began to spread. Using his natural veins, it pushed aura through the rest of his body, strengthening him with a wave of calm energy.


    Riven opened his eyes. His purple eyes were glowing, and his jaw slackened as he looked around. "Wow."


    Colors were sharper, and he could see farther than before. He hurried to his feet, and what might have been a clumsy moment was smooth and graceful. He felt refreshed.


    "I can run forever," he said in wonder, checking himself. Although there was not any noticeable difference, his skin was tougher and smoother, but Riven had also gained a pale luster.


    Kivara laughed, and it was one of her genuine ones. "Do not try to run forever, you will die. But then, you are a necromancer, somewhat, so maybe you can still continue running after your body rots away."


    Riven grimaced at the thought of that¡ªhis body running as a rotted corpse, and then he revives and continues again and again.


    Kivara walked closer to him and nodded. "Welcome to the world of the Aura practitioners."


    "Thank you," Riven said solemnly. More than anything else, he wanted Ysmera to be there to see him. But still, he shared a small smile with her. "Thank you, Kivara."


    She cleared her throat and looked away from him. "Well, there are some things you should know. Do not let your Sigil ever entirely run out of aura. It damages it. And, you should learn to cultivate regularly.


    "Naturally, our body will take in aura on its own, but it would take time to fill. Cultivating is the foundation to advancement. It is like sharpening a sword. Do you only sharpen the sword when you want to fight? So you must cultivate anytime, even if your Sigil is already full.


    "And the best way to cultivate, to continuously prepare yourself for advancing, is to cultivate in an area rich with your type of aura. Quality ones."


    Riven nodded, but his eyes were on the book in front of him. He was eager to learn what he could do¡ªwhat type of technique he might be able to pull off.


    Kivara noticed his expression and gestured. "Alright, go on."


    Riven started to bend to get the book, but it leaped into the air by itself and hovered in front of him, flipping to the rank two page. He began to read aloud. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 26: Fruits

    Chapter 26: Fruits"Techniques are patterns that the aura is channeled through to provide different effects. For the Path of the Undying Necromancer, the pattern is the language of the dead and the foundation of the grave."


    Riven looked up from the book towards Kivara. "I thought... techniques just happen?"


    She shrugged. "Different strokes for different paths. Some chant, some visualize, some just use their imagination, and some just use their intent. Rituals, singing, writing, and dancing¡ªthere are different ways to perform a technique. It''s all unique in their own way."


    Riven nodded silently. He glanced back at the book, at the so-called foundation of the grave, and he was met with symbols that looked suspiciously like Sigils.


    He carefully read through the technique book, sitting down when he realized it was going to take time. He read everything until he was satisfied, and then he sighed. "I think I get it. I need to visualize the foundation of the grave while I say the language of the dead, at the same time imposing my will and intent on it."


    Kivara yawned. "Good for you. Can we go now? I want to get out of this catacomb. I''m hungry, and I stink."


    Riven sniffed the air, but the smell of the rottling was too much to smell anything else. Kivara gave him a glare, and he stood up with a small smile that was soon wiped away as he remembered that the sword was now in his hand. There was nowhere to place it.


    ''...Ysmera... I will give their blood to you...''


    With that determination in mind, he pointed his finger down at the monster below him. His eyes glowed a brighter purple, his aura leaking out in cold green and purple. Riven opened his mouth and used his Burst technique as he declared, "Heed me!"


    That was what came out of his mouth, but it was twisted and warped, overlapping with a language spoken only by the departed. His aura flared and surged downward, covering the monster''s body¡ªa fire with no heat.


    Kivara leaped away from the rottling, but Riven stood there, his jaw clenched tight, his forehead beaded with sweat. The shape he had in his mind wobbled as the dead monster resisted him.


    He pressed his intent and will sharply on the foundation of the grave he had in his mind, and the rottling shuddered. One of its hands raised and pressed to the ground as if trying to lift itself, but then, with a snap, the foundation broke, and Riven staggered.


    He gripped his head tight as a blinding headache made his eyes water. "By the Eternal''s shit, that was hard."


    "Or maybe you just learned your lesson. You know you can''t raise that thing, don''t you? It''s far above your rank, and still! But you still managed to move it." Kivara smiled. "Maybe you''ll live longer than I predicted."


    Riven groaned as he jumped down from atop the monster. It felt as if someone was running in his head. His ragged robe slipped, and he turned away from her to retie it.


    Meanwhile, Kivara was giving his turned back a strange look. The smile was gone from her face, and her eyes had gained a cold, calculating luster as she thought to herself, ''...This brat... You are using techniques just moments after you advanced... Hehe... Even I didn''t do that... I can''t wait to take you back to Master... Maybe finally, I will...''


    Riven turned back, the book still hovering beside him. "Now, what are we going to do?"


    Kivara pointed to the skull on the altar. At some point, a portal had materialized and now hung there¡ªa green, rippling portal. "We''ll be going into that, I guess. I hope we see an opponent closer to our rank. I need something to bash."


    Riven agreed with her, his mind wandering to Vaelith, and he wondered how long he would last against the necromancer. ''...If I had this before, then she wouldn''t have died...'' Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His gut tightened, and he tried to push it away as he followed her to the portal. "Maybe we''ll also find something to eat on the other side."


    "Only one way to find out."


    She stepped into the portal, and Riven followed behind immediately. The place they found themselves in was an open field filled with rolling grasses and small trees. The sun was the actual sun here, and it was a warm combination with the green smell surrounding them.


    "Well, this is better than what I was picturing," Kivara said.


    All around them, except for the northern direction, all they could see, as far as their eyes could reach, was green grass and small plants.


    But the northern side was filled with a forest that seemed to be even bigger than the Shadowwood.


    "I have a feeling your imagination lies in there," Riven said, and he pointed to the forest. His Book of Path was still hovering around him, and he reached out to touch it.


    Immediately, he touched it, and the book turned into a green light and shot into his right hand, turning into a tattoo of a raven and snake locked in a fight.


    Riven wasn''t surprised by the development. He was bonded with it, after all.


    Kivara snorted. "Sure. But I''m not going in there unless I have the inner strength to eat. We need food, and I think whatever''s making the rules in this catacomb knows that as well! Riven, you try it!"


    The small trees and plants that surrounded them had fruits of different colors and shapes.


    Riven frowned. "That''s not suspicious at all. Fruits in the open¡ªwhat could possibly go wrong?"


    "Path book and monster combination to go along with it¡ªwhat could possibly go wrong?" Kivara said.


    Riven paused. There were enough coincidences going on to worry about fruits anyway. He shrugged. "Fair."


    He searched for the fruit that looked the closest to one he was familiar with and found one that was similar to grapes, just bigger. He plucked several and began to eat.


    It was crunchy, and the sweetness made Riven groan. He took more and stuffed his mouth. All the while, Kivara watched him.


    "What?" he finally asked when he got the space in his mouth to speak.


    Kivara shook her head. "I''m just thinking how long it''s going to take you to die."

 Chapter 27: Gave Knight

    Chapter 27: Gave KnightShe lasted three hours. That was the maximum amount of time she could give to see if he would react to the fruits before she started to eat herself.


    By this time, Riven had moved away from the grapes and onto other fruits. He recommended what she should eat according to their tastes.


    One thing about practitioners is that they eat a lot.


    By the time they were done, they had stripped a lot of trees bare.


    "This will do for now, but I need something stronger. Meat," Kivara said.


    "Maybe we''ll find some in the forest," Riven said. He wiped his sticky hand on his ragged cloak.


    "I''m not eating any meat from this catacomb," she said flatly.


    Riven agreed with her, but he didn''t say anything. They were lying on the grass, and if not for the power that filled him, coming from his Sigil, he would have thought he was dreaming.


    His thoughts went to the techniques of his rank two Path of the Undying Necromancer. As Kivara explained, he had four techniques he could utilize. How he used them, though, depended on his creativity and how he combined them.


    His Burst technique, the one he tried to use earlier on the rottiling, was known as Revenant''s Call. It was a pulse of will that would raise four temporary undead.


    "...That''s the basics of it, but there is a lot of context regarding it. I can''t raise that monster earlier, and if it''s a strong opponent, then maybe I can only raise two. Maybe the four is for things that are closer to my rank? I should test it out... but where will I see bodies..."


    His eyes slid to Kivara, who was staring straight at the sun. The black of her eyes seemed to be drinking in the light.


    Riven turned away. "...She''s strong and will make a good undead... I wonder when I will be able to make permanent undead... but... wait, is this what being a necromancer is? Worrying about bodies..."


    Riven sighed. He couldn''t test it on her since she was his ally¡ªfor now.


    "...Maybe I can kill myself, come back, and raise the body?"


    It was tempting, but Riven didn''t want to waste his death. "...I''ll get plenty of chances to use it later. What I''m more curious about is my Command technique..."


    It was called Gravekeeper''s Call. It allowed him to open a temporary door to the underworld and summon a Grave Knight, a strong skeletal warrior to fight for him.


    Suddenly, Riven stood up. He turned to Kivara, a small smile on his face. "I''m thinking. We will be going into that forest, and it''s filled with different monsters. You can fight, sure, but the same can''t be said for me. I''m still just getting used to..."


    "Just say what you want," Kivara said. She wasn''t even looking his way.


    "What do you think about fighting my Grave Knight? I want to see how strong it is," Riven replied.


    Kivara went still. She turned from the sun to him, and her eyes narrowed. But then she shrugged. "Sounds fine, but I should warn you. I am strong."


    There wasn''t any pride in her voice, just a simple fact. Riven knew this well. Removing the power difference between a rank, she was also stronger than most at the same rank as her. But that only made his blood warm.


    He stood up and moved some distance away from her. "Alright. I''ll do it now."


    Riven concentrated, then brought out his technique book and flipped it open, his eyes tracing the lines to where his Command technique was.


    Kivara snorted. "You''ll be dead five times if you do that in a real fight. I know you know this, but I''m reminding you not to be stupid."


    Riven nodded without replying as he focused on the foundation of the grave and the language. He opened his mouth and spoke, but his words came out in twisting silence and hisses. The only comprehensible words came at the end when he shouted, "Heed me, Grave Knight!"


    His purple eyes flared. The temperature dropped around him, and the surroundings became silent. His shadow leaped away from him and molded into a door that rose out of the ground.


    Riven took a step forward, his right hand stretched out as if he were the one forcing the door open. Aura drained away from his Sigil as he kept the door existing in their world.


    The door was made of bleached bones and black shadows that squirmed and twisted. Then it swung open without sound, and the Grave Knight reached out. Its armored legs passed over the door and stepped onto the grassy ground.


    Its presence came with a chill that spread.


    But Riven and Kivara could only stare at the Grave Knight in surprise. It wasn''t at all what they expected.


    Kivara was the first to break the silence. "This thing is a Grave Knight?"


    Riven didn''t know how a Grave Knight was supposed to look, so he just stared at it as well. The undead was shaped like a little girl, but her face was mature. She wore a dress made of gray rusted iron, and that face he thought was mature was rotted and half chewed away by maggots.


    Her hair was limp on her head, braided with blades that glinted. She turned to Riven, and a heavy smell of decay came from her, giving off a cold aura.


    "I think so." Riven could feel the connection between them. It felt as if he were holding an invisible leash. He pointed at Kivara. "Kill her."


    It almost seemed as if that was something the undead had been itching to hear. The undead exploded forward, her small frame crossing the distance between them in a blink.


    But Kivara was faster. She lurched backward and raised her hand lazily. A thin strand of void aura slashed forward, but the hair on the small undead grew long and coiling. One of the strands latched onto a small tree and pulled her out of the way of the attack. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then the hair uprooted the tree and threw it at Kivara, who didn''t dodge. She simply swiped the tree out of the air with her hand. But the undead wasn''t brain-dead because it followed behind the attack.


    Kivara smiled when she saw this and raised her hand for more void slashes, but the undead had a little surprise as well. The hairs on her head squirmed, then erupted together with her head!

 Chapter 28: The corpse forest

    Chapter 28: The corpse forestRiven watched with an impassive face as he observed the undead''s head explode. He wasn''t worried because he could still feel in the connection between them that the undead was not destroyed.


    Bones and gray brain matter flew through the air. Only her neck remained, and from that neck grew thick strands of black glossy hair. There were up to seven strands, and each strand was woven with blades as long as small swords.


    She kept running towards Kivara, and the seven strands flickered and whipped around her, creating a storm of blades.


    "You''re creating a shield and an attack technique at the same time?" Riven said. His eyes were lit even as he felt more drain on his Sigil. "I didn''t know a Grave Knight would be this powerful. I thought they would be mindless zombies at most."


    The Grave Knight tried to close the distance again, this time like a storm of blades. All the plants and trees around her were chopped up, and the ground bore the mark of numerous blades.


    Kivara stood still and watched the Grave Knight make its way to her with a narrowed look in her eyes. "I wonder how powerful you were when you were alive. What a good defensive and offensive technique! But mine is better!"


    She gestured, her fingers making complicated symbols too fast to see. Behind her, a shadow suddenly loomed. A large snouted mouth opened up, revealing rows of fangs. Kivara was now standing inside the mouth, and the monster was making straight for her.


    Riven shook his head. "It appears her intelligence isn''t as good as I thought."


    The Grave Knight reached Kivara''s front, and her storm of hair and blades slammed into the snout, but it did little damage before the mouth snapped shut, and Riven felt their connection disappear.


    The maw collapsed and disappeared, revealing Kivara, who nodded at him. "Not bad for a rank two, and that''s only one technique."


    "But you took it down so easily," Riven pointed out.


    Kivara shrugged. "I''m a rank three, and I''m experienced. What do you think is going to happen? Your Grave Knight will beat me?"


    Riven didn''t reply. He had gotten what he wanted, which was to use his Command technique. Without trying, he knew he would take some time before he could call another Grave Knight.


    So he used his Enhance technique, which was called Bonebound Flesh. It hardened the body with necrotic energy, reducing damage.


    He whispered the language and formed the foundation in his mind, and he gasped as his body hardened as if he were suddenly wearing a layer of bones.


    "If I punch with this..." He brought his hands together to form a fist, and he heard them creak and groan as if he were force-bending something hard.


    With each technique he used, Riven felt more and more excited. It was as if he could taste the revenge already.


    "...Easy... easy... Vorin is still far out of my reach... I should focus on my advancement for now... I should try my Shape technique next..."


    "Riven?"


    Kivara''s voice jarred him out of his thoughts, and he turned to her quickly when he heard the urgency in it. But she didn''t need to say anything¡ªhe could see and feel it.


    The surroundings had changed abruptly. The sun was covered by something cold that looked like bloated skin, and the green grass on the ground was now dried hair.


    A chill ran down Riven''s back as he turned. "Human hair?"


    "Look at the trees," Kivara said in disgust, her hand covering her mouth.


    The trees had changed. They had grown twisted, their branches reaching out like skeletal hands. The bark of the trees was white, like bones left in the sun for too long.


    But what made Riven recoil with disgust were the fruits on the trees. Instead of the juicy, sweet, fleshy fruits they ate earlier, what was hanging on the trees were other things. Rotting body parts.


    Eyes and drooping intestines, shrunken heads, and fingers. There were even slabs of meat just hanging there. The smell of decay hung above everything, creating a thin green fog.


    His stomach rolled as the contents he ate earlier threatened to come back up, but he clamped down on it. Riven did not want to know what he ate.


    They didn''t say anything as they left the field behind and ran towards the forest. The only thing Riven could guess was that the Catacomb was getting impatient.


    "...It would have been better if it just let us keep the memory of eating only fruits..."


    By the time they reached the forest''s edge, they felt like vomiting. Riven leaned against the closest tree he could find and bent over, heaving, but fortunately, nothing came out.


    They took time to collect themselves before Kivara told him they needed to enter the forest. Whatever happened to the field was spreading, and it would reach the forest.


    "It''s so silent," Riven said as they began walking on the well-worn path they saw.


    His voice was low. "Not like the normal silence... I can''t explain it."


    Kivara frowned as she looked around. "I know what you''re talking about. It''s as if there''s nothing here at all. As if everything is dead and still."


    Riven nodded and pulled his tattered cloak tighter around himself. The death aura surrounding everything was so thick it felt as if it was all he was breathing. His Sigil had long since been filled up.


    It was getting colder as well, and the darkness was becoming confusing, as if there was a flickering darkness beneath the one they were seeing.


    They were Aura practitioners, one of them a Necromancer and the other a Void practitioner, but even then, they couldn''t stop their hearts from beating faster. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Riven felt as if the whole forest was a single entity, and it was dead. "It''s as if we are walking in a corpse."


    Kivara shot him a look, but her pace hastened, her eyes tightening as she looked around.


    Then, suddenly, they reached another section of the forest. There wasn''t any warning, but from a certain point, they started seeing things hanging on the thick branches of the trees.

 Chapter 29: Temptation

    Chapter 29: TemptationBodies.


    Lots and lots of bodies.


    Of different sizes and ages, both male and female. And monsters. All in different clothing and conditions. Riven and Kivara stopped walking and turned to stare at it.


    The bodies were hanging from thin metal strings, like goods on display.


    "What is this?" Riven said. There had to be more than thousands of bodies hanging from tree to tree, all swaying from invisible winds. Death aura covered them like a shroud, and mixed within the aura was another type of aura that he couldn''t put his hand to. It was like a personal type of aura, as if to say, "Those bodies belong to me."


    Kivara shook her head. "This is like a Necromancer''s collection, but I''ve never heard of one this big."


    "Collection?" Riven asked as he turned to look at her.


    "Yes. You Necromancers, your main powers come from the bodies you collect, right? Well, some Necromancers and merchants sell bodies, both humans and monsters. You can go and purchase bodies that you like in the market or such." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Riven was horrified. It never occurred to him that such things were possible. "So they hang them like this?"


    She nodded. "Necromancer sects also have collections like this that they use for training and all that."


    ''...Makes sense, I guess...'' Riven thought. "Then the Necromancer... is still in the Catacomb? Or is this just like a reflection or what?"


    Kivara turned to the trail. "There''s one way to find out."


    They began to walk again, faster this time. The many trees that surrounded them still carried the bodies that swayed gently. The ground turned more narrow and rough. They didn''t even know where they were going because, unlike before, the Catacomb didn''t tell them the rules.


    Riven had a suspicion that they would find their answers at the end of the trail. He clutched the technique book tight in his hand, ready to quickly use it to call a technique if things went wrong.


    But things had been wrong since they stepped into the forest. It just seemed to be more wrong then. The shadows got deeper, and the cold seeped into the skin and coiled around their bones, making movement difficult.


    The auras surrounding the bodies swelled into bellowing pressure that continued to sweep the forest. It was as if something was looking out from those bodies, even as their eyes were closed.


    And then the trail cut off, and they were staring at the end of the path. In front of them was the biggest tree either of them had ever seen, and it was made entirely of flesh.


    Swollen, colored flesh that wept blood and rot water. It was decaying. Each branch of the tree produced a fruit... a whole human. Branches had drilled into their heads and sucked something dry from them, turning them into husks for the tree.


    Riven watched. "Those bodies... they don''t look like practitioners."


    Kivara nodded. "Yes. They''re normal humans."


    "There have to be thousands of them up there. Just what is this place?"


    Even Kivara shivered. "Catacombs exist naturally or are formed by abandoned pocket worlds, just twisted."


    "Pocket worlds? Where do pocket worlds come from?"


    "When you reach certain ranks, you will be able to form personal pocket worlds. The history of our world is long, and there are numerous lost pocket worlds out there, but this one, though..."


    "It doesn''t seem as if it was lost," Riven''s lips tightened. "It''s as if something is controlling it, making us come to it, and I think it''s this tree. How many famous Necromancers have pocket worlds?"


    Kivara looked at him as if he were insane. "How am I to know? But this pocket world is big, it even has a sun, and I''m sure there are more layers than the two we have seen. It''ll be of the higher ranks at least. The Necromancer King... well, in our recent era, there is only that name that could fit something like this."


    "The Necromancer King. Someone actually holds the title?" Riven asked.


    "Of course. And the Eastern part of the continent was his headquarters back then, where he ruled his undead kingdom. That is why Necromancer sects are more popular here."


    That was news to Riven. He studied the tree again and shivered. What did a Necromancer King want with him?


    "But how can a Necromancer King die?"


    Kivara blinked at him and then shrugged. "How should I know? But he fits this, unless this place belongs to those ancient, powerful Necromancers. But I noticed the clothing of the hanging bodies earlier... it''s much closer to modern trends."


    Riven was suddenly spooked by the environment.


    ''...Maybe I shouldn''t have taken the book... No... I would still take it should the situation present itself again... I won''t turn back from something that will lead to power... I will just have to deal with whatever this is as well...''


    "What''s his name? The Necromancer King that you mentioned?"


    "Nobody knows his name, but he''s called Wandering Death."


    Immediately she spoke the name, they felt a presence turn its attention to them, as if it had suddenly become aware. The forest shook, and the trees swayed madly as if they would fall over.


    The big tree in the middle shuddered, the human skin it was made of squirmed and began to peel back. The tree folded into itself until it revealed the contents inside. It was a man made of shadows, everything about him twisting and writhing.


    The only thing they noticed about it was that it was wearing a crown made from small spines. Its head was connected to a long shadowy pipe that was in turn connected to the tree, drawing nutrients through the bodies using the tree.


    Kivara took several steps back as she instinctively felt the fear that made her whole body tremble. "We have to get out of here immediately!"


    But in turn, Riven was attracted to the shadowy figure. His eyes turned dark as the purple leaked away. He began to take unsteady steps forward.


    "Riven! Riven! Shit, you bastard! Come back here!"


    Kivara called, but Riven didn''t seem to hear her as he walked towards the figure that floated toward him in turn. For her, she couldn''t even take a single step forward. She kept going backward and could only watch as another naive practitioner was about to get killed.