Table of Contents

Information
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Goodbye, Raze Cromwell
Chapter 2: The Dark Magus Has Returned
Chapter 3: Unfamiliar Territory
Chapter 4: The Red Brigade Clan
Chapter 5: Pagna Warriors
Chapter 6: Pagna Academy
Chapter 7: The start of cultivation
Chapter 8: The Dark Core
Chapter 9: The power of a punch!
Chapter 10: A combination?
Chapter 11: A Pool of Tears
Chapter 12: Family hurts
Chapter 13: Opening another door
Chapter 14: Portal Discovery: Battle with a monster
Chapter 15: Dark Strike
Chapter 16: Spread My Name
Chapter 17: The Hit List
Chapter 18: The World of Pagna
Chapter 19: Raze’s Crystal Stash
Chapter 20: A world of portals
Chapter 21: Number 1 Suspect
Chapter 22: Fight Back!
Chapter 23: You Are A Killer
Chapter 24: A Punishment
Chapter 25: Weaker Than Before
Chapter 26: Not Your Crystals!
Chapter 27: You’re a Cromwell
Chapter 28: Punishment Served
Chapter 29: Will To Live
Chapter 30: How strong are you?
Chapter 31: Light Magic
Chapter 32: A Small Problem
Chapter 33: Cursed Items (Part 1)
Chapter 34: Cursed Items (Part 2)
Chapter 35: Controlling emotions
Chapter 36: An Investigation
Chapter 37 A Gift
Chapter 38 A bad deal?
Chapter 39 War between two worlds
Chapter 40 Crimson Cane
Chapter 41 A Mage Upgrade
Chapter 42 A New Energy
Chapter 43 A New Person
Chapter 44 New Strength
Chapter 45 A tide is coming
Chapter 46 100 problems and money is one of them
Chapter 47 Pagna Wanderer
Chapter 48 Elite Grade Item
Chapter 49 Sealed Items
Chapter 50 Dark Gift
Chapter 51 Breaking the seal
Chapter 52 Losing all sense
Chapter 53 The Lost Earring
Chapter 54 Survive Three Days
Chapter 55 A Reason to be strong
Chapter 56 Locked Up
Chapter 57 A Special Type of Interrogation
Chapter 58 You do magic?
Chapter 59 Other Worlders
Chapter 60 A 6 Star Mage
Chapter 61 Alter Group
Chapter 62 Bad Luck
Chapter 63 Combining spells
Chapter 64 Power From Another World
Chapter 65 A New Weapon
Chapter 66 Item Unsealed
Chapter 67 The Worst In Pagna
Chapter 68 Portal Break
Chapter 69 An old man
Chapter 70 Welcome To The Family
Chapter 71 Breaking through
Chapter 72 Flowing Force
Chapter 73 The Great Search
Chapter 74 The New Name
Chapter 75 An Easy Target
Chapter 76 We have arrived!
Chapter 77 A Bounty?
Chapter 78 The Dark Faction Academy
Chapter 79 Looking deep inside
Chapter 80 Why Him?
Chapter 81 An Uneven Split
Chapter 82 The Second Assessment
Chapter 83 You Went too Far
Chapter 84 The Low Class
Chapter 85 The Third Assessment
Chapter 86 You Make Me Hard
Chapter 87 I’m The One Who Hunts
Chapter 88 No Evidence
Chapter 89 A Bad Memory
Chapter 90 Walking The Same Path!
Chapter 91 Where is Raze?
Chapter 92 Another Dimension
Chapter 93 A New Type Of Potion
Chapter 94 Dimension Events
Chapter 95 Where Is My Reward?
Chapter 96 Enter, The Demonic Territory
Chapter 97 Light Faction Fury!
Chapter 98 The Demonic City
Chapter 99 The Marking Of DM
Chapter 100 Master The World
Chapter 101 A Call For Battle!
Chapter 102 Pulling Strings
Chapter 103 The Red Hand
Chapter 104 A Big Cost
Chapter 105 A True Curse
Chapter 106 Changing The World
Chapter 107 Descending Steps
Chapter 108 The Library Of Skills
Chapter 109 Don’t Die!
Chapter 110 The crafter Dark Magus
Chapter 111 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 1)
Chapter 112 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 2)
Chapter 113 The Strong Young Warrior
Chapter 114 The end of the battle
Chapter 115 Magic and Martial arts a dangerous combo
Chapter 116 Teleport Back
Chapter 117 Let Me Join You?
Chapter 118 The Last Five Steps
Chapter 119 Give me the pills
Chapter 120 Return To The Acadmey
Chapter 121 Pick Who’s Strongest
Chapter 122 Death, Stares and Glares
Chapter 123 A Monster is Born
Chapter 124 The Main Clans Act!
Chapter 125 The Dark Faction, is Us!
Chapter 126 Raze’s Assassination
Chapter 127 I will choose your fate.
Chapter 128 Run, Run, Run
Chapter 129 A Bloody Mess
Chapter 130 Cleaning up the mess
Chapter 131 The Final Test
Chapter 132 A Filthy Cheat
Chapter 133 The Final 20
Chapter 134 The Main Clan’s Arrive!
Chapter 135 The 1st Match
Chapter 136 The Blue Head Band’s Hope
Chapter 137 Let Him Fight!
Chapter 138 I Choose you!
Chapter 139 The Turning Tide
Chapter 140 A Warm up
Chapter 141 Five Vs Five
Chapter 142 The one I want
Chapter 143 Never Back Down!
Chapter 144 Mythical Item Power
Chapter 145 Winning at all costs
Chapter 146 Finishing The Job
Chapter 147 The Devil’s Strike
Chapter 148 The Last Disciple
Chapter 149 The Descending Demonic Steps
Chapter 150 The Rising Star Of The Dark Faction
Chapter 151 White Dragon
Chapter 152 Using Bate
Chapter 153 A Broken Promise
Chapter 154 Wake Up!
Chapter 155 A weapon like you
Chapter 156 Savior or Marking
Chapter 157 A Familiar Item
Chapter 158 A real smile
Chapter 159 Back to where we met
Chapter 160 Unsealing the Statue
Chapter 161 Fighting Statue
Chapter 162 Another Dimension
Chapter 163 A New Element
Chapter 164 Extract Everything
Chapter 165 Stronger than Before
Chapter 166 A Freezing Situation
Chapter 167 The Noctis Clan
Chapter 168 One too many
Chapter 169 Dimension Boss
Chapter 170 Utilizing It All
Chapter 171 Aftermath of the Dimension
Chapter 172 Dark Magus Bounty
Chapter 173 The Uninvited Guest
Chapter 174 The Man From Another World
Chapter 175 Something left to do
Chapter 176 Portal To The Land Of The Mad
Chapter 177 Special Qi pills
Chapter 178 Breakthrough to the Next Stage!
Chapter 179 The Calm before the Storm
Chapter 180 Catching A Fly
Chapter 181 Spread Dark Magus!
Chapter 182 Outsiders
Chapter 183 Have you heard of him?
Chapter 184 The Black Tiger
Chapter 185 The Auction house
Chapter 186 Stepping up
Chapter 187 A New Challenge
Chapter 188 3 Strikes!
Chapter 189 Still Standing
Chapter 190 The Cromwell Family
Chapter 191 A Change Of Feelings
Chapter 192 Power Of Magic
Chapter 193 Who Are You looking for?
Chapter 194 Return To The Auction!
Chapter 195 Random Items?
Chapter 196 White Flower
Chapter 197 An uninvited whisper
Chapter 198 The Cold Shiver
Chapter 199 Marked
Chapter 200 The Strong Crimson Crane
Chapter 201 Rare Grade Pills
Chapter 202 Strong Or Weak?
Chapter 203 Light Faction Trouble
Chapter 204 Fighting To Survive
Chapter 205 Not Dying Today
Chapter 206 Too Strong
Chapter 207 The Crimson Crane Attack
Chapter 208 I'm Built Different
Chapter 209 Magic Vs Magic
Chapter 210 Taking A Risk
Chapter 211 Failed Item
Chapter 212 A Strong Bond
Chapter 213 Who is the Dark Magus?
Chapter 214 Family Bond
Chapter 215 Learning the Truth
Chapter 216 A Pagna Body, An Alterian Body
Chapter 217 The Home Of Alter
Chapter 218 A New Student
Chapter 219 Fixing The Heart
Chapter 220 God Eyes
Chapter 221 Death Flag
Chapter 222 Following in the foot steps of a stranger
Chapter 223 Enter the Demonic Clan
Chapter 224 The Neverfall Base
Chapter 225 Learning steps?
Chapter 226 Outdated Clan
Chapter 227 Are you better than him?
Chapter 228 Something you can't do
Chapter 229 Neverfall's Treasure
Chapter 230 Steal from the Vault
Chapter 231 The Abyssal Library
Chapter 232 A second book
Chapter 233 A Tough Spot
Chapter 234 Leaving The Neverfall Clan
Chapter 235 Building up the Team
Chapter 236 Message From A Mage
Chapter 237 A Way Back home?
Chapter 238 The Founder
Chapter 239 The World of Mages
Chapter 240 We are in the same boat
Chapter 241 A Dark Spirit
Chapter 242 I know everything about him
Chapter 243 The Dark Spirit speaks
Chapter 244 The first of the Dark Guild
Chapter 245 The Second Of The Dark Guild
Chapter 246 Power Of Light Magic
Chapter 247 I want to be Leader
Chapter 248 Blood Will Be Spilt
Chapter 249 Trouble in the world of Pagna
Chapter 250 The second Assessment
Chapter 251 Who's The Stupid One?
Chapter 252 A Forbidden Request
Chapter 253 Are you really really old?
Chapter 254 Tension In The Air
Chapter 255 Drastic Measures
Chapter 256 Dark Edge Sword Arts
Chapter 257 The True Assessment
Chapter 258 Who’s The Killer
Chapter 259 Stuck with everyone
Chapter 260 The Important Number
Chapter 261 Not standing by
Chapter 262 A Secret Voice
Chapter 263 A planned asualt
Chapter 264 Enchanted Items are strong!
Chapter 265 Easing The Pain
Chapter 266 Get rid of Everyone
Chapter 267 Back To The First Day
Chapter 268 The One Behind It All
Chapter 269 Take Down the Dark Faction
Chapter 270 Out Of The Cave
Chapter 271 Useless Initial Stage Warriors
Chapter 272 Fighting anyway
Chapter 273 The Result of the Assessment
Chapter 274 A Sense Of Growth
Chapter 275 Breaking The 4th Stage!
Chapter 276 Out of the Cavern
Chapter 277 Another Mage?
Chapter 278 Combining Powers A new type of mage!
Chapter 279 Mage’s Silence
Chapter 280 The Infamous Alchemist DM
Chapter 281 A Place Full Of Treasure
Chapter 282 The Perfect Enchantment
Chapter 283 Creating The Perfect Enchantment
Chapter 284 Unlucky or Lucky?
Chapter 285 Behemoth Vs The Crimson Crane (Part 1)
Chapter 286 Behemoth Vs The Crimson Crane (Part 2)
Chapter 287 The Power Of The Curse
Chapter 288 The Poison Arts Strength
Chapter 289 Growing The Crimson Crane
Chapter 290 Not A Good Idea
Chapter 291 Just An Alchemist?
Chapter 292 The Alchemists Legend
Chapter 293 The Cursed Sword
Chapter 294 The Birth Of A Real Demon
Chapter 295 A Demon Rising
Chapter 296 The Dark Guilds Most Loyal
Chapter 297 Back to the Start
Chapter 298 Another Growing Legend
Chapter 299 The Second Dark Guild Meeting
Chapter 300 Going Back, to the meeting
Chapter 301 Where is the Vault Located?
Chapter 302 The Central Mage Academy?
Chapter 303 You can come
Chapter 304 Stronger than the rest!
Chapter 305 A New Fashion For Mages
Chapter 306 Counter Magic?
Chapter 307 A second home
Chapter 308 The Handsome Stranger
Chapter 309 10/10
Chapter 310 Practical Lesson (Part 1)
Chapter 311 Practical Lesson (Part 2)
Chapter 312 Practical Lesson (Part 3)
Chapter 313 Practical Lesson (Part 4)
Chapter 314 A punishment is needed
Chapter 315 A bet is a bet
Chapter 316 Running out of time
Chapter 317 The Evening Event Begins!
Chapter 318 The Start Of Raze's life (Part 1)
Chapter 319 The Start Of Raze’s Life (Part 2)
Chapter 320 The Fight For Principal (Part 1)
Chapter 321 The Fight For Principal (Part 2)
Chapter 322 Secret Vault
Chapter 323 A parting gift
Chapter 324 Getting Out Of A Fiery Situation
Chapter 325 Grab On To The Light
Chapter 326 Back On Track
Chapter 327 Adding Mayhem
Chapter 328 The drive for power
Chapter 329 Joining A Party
Chapter 330 A big Leach, 4 Star Mage
Chapter 331 Ranged Attacker, that works
Chapter 332 A 4 Star Mage
Chapter 333 Dark Magic Recreate
Chapter 334 Close Your Eyes, or Die
Chapter 335 This will stop him...
Chapter 336 Increase the magic
Chapter 337 Growing Too Fast
Chapter 338 What I've been Waiting For
Chapter 339 Strongest Attack (Part 1)
Chapter 340 Strongest Attack (Part 2)
Chapter 341 A Super Fan!
Chapter 342 A Golden Egg
Chapter 343 Divine Stage Warriors
Chapter 344 Ready The Crimson Crane
Chapter 345 An Odd Meeting
Chapter 346 Can't Take The Heat!
Chapter 347 The Strongest Man in the Demonic Faction
Chapter 348 Prove yourself
Chapter 349 A proposal?
Chapter 350 Your First Gift
Chapter 351 The Honour of the clans
Chapter 352 A sight of Horror
Chapter 353 Attacked out of nowhere!
Chapter 354 Young Masters Unite
Chapter 355 A Growing power from under
Chapter 356 Are we ready?
Chapter 357 The Hard Life Of A Warrior
Chapter 358 The Last Struggle
Chapter 359 The Winning Side
Chapter 360 Did you pick the right side?
Chapter 361 The Start Of An Upset
Chapter 362 The Last of the Main Disciples
Chapter 363 Disrupting The Assessment
Chapter 364 Breaking into the Middle Stage
Chapter 365 The strongest Mythical Item
Chapter 366 I would do it Again!
Chapter 367 A Clan’s Head Anger!
Chapter 368 End of the Trial
Chapter 369 The Reason for My Name
Chapter 370 How much blood on our hands?
Chapter 371 Unifying our strength
Chapter 372 Don’t Ever Stop
Chapter 373 A New Spark
Chapter 374 An Army we can use, or Agianst Us?
Chapter 375 The Silent one, Strikes
Chapter 376 A Problem Rising
Chapter 377 Break my body!
Chapter 378 The Principal’s Order
Chapter 379 The Death Of Me, Is The Death Of You
Chapter 380 Is This the Great Plan?
Chapter 381 The Portal Break
Chapter 382 Strength Of The Enemy
Chapter 383 A Suspicious Dragon
Chapter 384 Surpassing The Teachers
Chapter 385 Caught Red Handed
Chapter 386 The Last Day
Chapter 387 The 4th Test
Chapter 388 Magic Is Stronger Than Marital Arts
Chapter 389 A Clash With The Clan Head!
Chapter 390 Vice Head Trouble
Chapter 391 The Ongoing Battle With The Clan head (Part 1)
Chapter 392 The Ongoing Battle With the Clan Head (Part 2)
Chapter 393 The Result Of The Clash
Chapter 394 An Unknown Feeling
Chapter 395 Blood Eye
Chapter 396 Kill You With My Toe
Chapter 397 A Meat Shield's Strength
Chapter 398 A Pain In The Neck
Chapter 399 Have We Been Here Before?
Chapter 400 A New Person
Chapter 401 Let Me Speak!
Chapter 402 Feebie's Fear
Chapter 403 A New Goal
Chapter 404 A Larger Issue
Chapter 405 A connection between worlds (Part 1)
Chapter 406 A connection between worlds (Part 2)
Chapter 407 The Appearance Of The Dark Magus
Chapter 408 This Is More Than A Favour
Chapter 409 A promise is a promise
Chapter 410 Eliminate the Lethal Bite Clan
Chapter 411 The Mystery Man
Chapter 412 The End Of A Clan Head
Chapter 413 A special gift
Chapter 414 Raze Healed back at 100 Percent!
Chapter 415 The Academies Bluff
Chapter 416 Stuck In Another Dimension
Chapter 417 The Strength Of An Army
Chapter 418 Not Just A Vice Principal
Chapter 419 Information on DM
Chapter 420 Every one want's the Dark Magus
Chapter 421 The Group's Name That Should Not Be Said
Chapter 422 That's Fighting Talk
Chapter 423 Run Out Of Time
Chapter 424 Trapped In Another World
Chapter 425 Breaking Through The Barrier
Chapter 426 The Dark Mage weak?
Chapter 427 Warriors Vs Mages
Chapter 428 An Army Of Mages
Chapter 429 You just made it worse
Chapter 430 The Truth has been Found
Chapter 431 The only one, Ortian Guild
Chapter 432 A Mages Ace
Chapter 433 A Mage Breakthrough
Chapter 434 Kill Everyone
Chapter 435 We’ve Been Waiting For You
Chapter 436 Escape the Academy (Part 1)
Chapter 437 Escape The Academy (Part 2)
Chapter 438 A Dark Mage
Chapter 439 Raze Awakened
Chapter 440 Your specialty?
Chapter 441 Need something to Contain My Strength
Chapter 442 My Specialty Is Dark Magic
Chapter 443 He’s Something Special Afterall
Chapter 444 The One You Should Be Talking To
Chapter 445 You Are More Special Than You Think
Chapter 446 A special gift
Chapter 447 Where To Go Raze?
Chapter 448 The Special Trio
Chapter 449 Why Isn't he Back!
Chapter 450 Who Do You Care For Raze?
Chapter 451 A Way To Beat The Principal
Chapter 452 Stepping into the World of Pagna
Chapter 453 Alter Otherworlders
Chapter 454 Meeting With Alter
Chapter 455 A New Alter Squad
Chapter 456 A Weapon From Another World
Chapter 457 A Joke Gone Wrong?
Chapter 458 A Person From A Different Story
Chapter 459 A Type of Agent, The Deleters
Chapter 460 A Dead Man Walking
Chapter 461 Meeting Another Mage
Chapter 462 Thing's Don't Add Up
Chapter 463 You Might Die, If We Do This, Raze’s Warning
Chapter 464 A Meeting With The Blooded Woman
Chapter 465 Leave No Witnesses
Chapter 466 Another Solution
Chapter 467 A Successful Plan
Chapter 468 Secret Revealed?
Chapter 469 A Path To Trouble
Chapter 470 A Fake Emblem?
Chapter 471 Locking The Way
Chapter 472 Trapped in the City
Chapter 473 Think Fast!
Chapter 474 The Power Of A Water Mage
Chapter 475 Dealing With The Biggest Problem
Chapter 476 A Cursed Pill
Chapter 477 Trying Something New
Chapter 478 A New Dark Edge Sword Art
Chapter 479 A Path To The Other Side
Chapter 480 The Dark Faction On The Move
Chapter 481 Fight For Yourself
Chapter 482 It’s Impossible, The Dark Magus Is Dead?
Chapter 483 From One To Another
Chapter 484 The First Mission Of Alter
Chapter 485 A New World Arrives
Chapter 486 A Weapon From Another World
Chapter 487 A Bad Detective
Chapter 488 Praise The Sun
Chapter 489 Expand The Dark Guild
Chapter 490 A New Member
Chapter 491 A New Language
Chapter 492 Stink’s of Murder
Chapter 493 A Lead To Death
Chapter 494 The Fate Of The Lethal Bite Clan
Chapter 495 A Spoiled Mage
Chapter 496 Someone Crazier Than Raze?
Chapter 497 A Crack In the Rock
Chapter 498 The Power Of A System
Chapter 499 Why Are You Lying?
Chapter 500 The Fear Of Death
Notes
Dark Magus Returns
JKSManga
9kafe.com
Raze Cromwell was one who had suffered his entire life. A cruel upbringing that had forced
his nature to turn sour. In order to survive, he did everything and anything he could,
eventually giving him the name Dark Magus. A title that was only given to the very best of
mages.
“Everything in this world was taken from me, So I shall take everything from the world.”
The five Supreme Magus had gathered to eliminate the great Raze, on his last legs, the Dark
Magus had one more trick up his sleeve. Activating a forbidden spell, he finds himself living
in another world, a world full of martial artists. A world where one could destroy mountain
tops with their fist, but Magic still exits in the new world, and he’s the only one that knows
about it.
****
Note: Raze Cromwell is a character who briefly appears in My vampire system. (For 2
Chapters) There is no need to read My vampire system. Since this story is based on Raze
before he became what he was in vampire system.
Table of Contents
 Chapter 1: Goodbye, Raze Cromwell
 Chapter 2: The Dark Magus Has Returned
 Chapter 3: Unfamiliar Territory
 Chapter 4: The Red Brigade Clan
 Chapter 5: Pagna Warriors
 Chapter 6: Pagna Academy
 Chapter 7: The start of cultivation
 Chapter 8: The Dark Core
 Chapter 9: The power of a punch!
 Chapter 10: A combination?
 Chapter 11: A Pool of Tears
 Chapter 12: Family hurts
 Chapter 13: Opening another door
 Chapter 14: Portal Discovery: Battle with a monster
 Chapter 15: Dark Strike
 Chapter 16: Spread My Name
 Chapter 17: The Hit List
 Chapter 18: The World of Pagna
 Chapter 19: Raze’s Crystal Stash
 Chapter 20: A world of portals
 Chapter 21: Number 1 Suspect
 Chapter 22: Fight Back!
 Chapter 23: You Are A Killer
 Chapter 24: A Punishment
 Chapter 25: Weaker Than Before
 Chapter 26: Not Your Crystals!
 Chapter 27: You’re a Cromwell
 Chapter 28: Punishment Served
 Chapter 29: Will To Live
 Chapter 30: How strong are you?
 Chapter 31: Light Magic
 Chapter 32: A Small Problem
 Chapter 33: Cursed Items (Part 1)
 Chapter 34: Cursed Items (Part 2)
 Chapter 35: Controlling emotions
 Chapter 36: An Investigation
 Chapter 37 A Gift
 Chapter 38 A bad deal?
 Chapter 39 War between two worlds
 Chapter 40 Crimson Cane
 Chapter 41 A Mage Upgrade
 Chapter 42 A New Energy
 Chapter 43 A New Person
 Chapter 44 New Strength
 Chapter 45 A tide is coming
 Chapter 46 100 problems and money is one of them
 Chapter 47 Pagna Wanderer
 Chapter 48 Elite Grade Item
 Chapter 49 Sealed Items
 Chapter 50 Dark Gift
 Chapter 51 Breaking the seal
 Chapter 52 Losing all sense
 Chapter 53 The Lost Earring
 Chapter 54 Survive Three Days
 Chapter 55 A Reason to be strong
 Chapter 56 Locked Up
 Chapter 57 A Special Type of Interrogation
 Chapter 58 You do magic?
 Chapter 59 Other Worlders
 Chapter 60 A 6 Star Mage
 Chapter 61 Alter Group
 Chapter 62 Bad Luck
 Chapter 63 Combining spells
 Chapter 64 Power From Another World
 Chapter 65 A New Weapon
 Chapter 66 Item Unsealed
 Chapter 67 The Worst In Pagna
 Chapter 68 Portal Break
 Chapter 69 An old man
 Chapter 70 Welcome To The Family
 Chapter 71 Breaking through
 Chapter 72 Flowing Force
 Chapter 73 The Great Search
 Chapter 74 The New Name
 Chapter 75 An Easy Target
 Chapter 76 We have arrived!
 Chapter 77 A Bounty?
 Chapter 78 The Dark Faction Academy
 Chapter 79 Looking deep inside
 Chapter 80 Why Him?
 Chapter 81 An Uneven Split
 Chapter 82 The Second Assessment
 Chapter 83 You Went too Far
 Chapter 84 The Low Class
 Chapter 85 The Third Assessment
 Chapter 86 You Make Me Hard
 Chapter 87 I’m The One Who Hunts
 Chapter 88 No Evidence
 Chapter 89 A Bad Memory
 Chapter 90 Walking The Same Path!
 Chapter 91 Where is Raze?
 Chapter 92 Another Dimension
 Chapter 93 A New Type Of Potion
 Chapter 94 Dimension Events
 Chapter 95 Where Is My Reward?
 Chapter 96 Enter, The Demonic Territory
 Chapter 97 Light Faction Fury!
 Chapter 98 The Demonic City
 Chapter 99 The Marking Of DM
 Chapter 100 Master The World
 Chapter 101 A Call For Battle!
 Chapter 102 Pulling Strings
 Chapter 103 The Red Hand
 Chapter 104 A Big Cost
 Chapter 105 A True Curse
 Chapter 106 Changing The World
 Chapter 107 Descending Steps
 Chapter 108 The Library Of Skills
 Chapter 109 Don’t Die!
 Chapter 110 The crafter Dark Magus
 Chapter 111 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 1)
 Chapter 112 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 2)
 Chapter 113 The Strong Young Warrior
 Chapter 114 The end of the battle
 Chapter 115 Magic and Martial arts a dangerous combo
 Chapter 116 Teleport Back
 Chapter 117 Let Me Join You?
 Chapter 118 The Last Five Steps
 Chapter 119 Give me the pills
 Chapter 120 Return To The Acadmey
 Chapter 121 Pick Who’s Strongest
 Chapter 122 Death, Stares and Glares
 Chapter 123 A Monster is Born
 Chapter 124 The Main Clans Act!
 Chapter 125 The Dark Faction, is Us!
 Chapter 126 Raze’s Assassination
 Chapter 127 I will choose your fate.
 Chapter 128 Run, Run, Run
 Chapter 129 A Bloody Mess
 Chapter 130 Cleaning up the mess
 Chapter 131 The Final Test
 Chapter 132 A Filthy Cheat
 Chapter 133 The Final 20
 Chapter 134 The Main Clan’s Arrive!
 Chapter 135 The 1st Match
 Chapter 136 The Blue Head Band’s Hope
 Chapter 137 Let Him Fight!
 Chapter 138 I Choose you!
 Chapter 139 The Turning Tide
 Chapter 140 A Warm up
 Chapter 141 Five Vs Five
 Chapter 142 The one I want
 Chapter 143 Never Back Down!
 Chapter 144 Mythical Item Power
 Chapter 145 Winning at all costs
 Chapter 146 Finishing The Job
 Chapter 147 The Devil’s Strike
 Chapter 148 The Last Disciple
 Chapter 149 The Descending Demonic Steps
 Chapter 150 The Rising Star Of The Dark Faction
 Chapter 151 White Dragon
 Chapter 152 Using Bate
 Chapter 153 A Broken Promise
 Chapter 154 Wake Up!
 Chapter 155 A weapon like you
 Chapter 156 Savior or Marking
 Chapter 157 A Familiar Item
 Chapter 158 A real smile
 Chapter 159 Back to where we met
 Chapter 160 Unsealing the Statue
 Chapter 161 Fighting Statue
 Chapter 162 Another Dimension
 Chapter 163 A New Element
 Chapter 164 Extract Everything
 Chapter 165 Stronger than Before
 Chapter 166 A Freezing Situation
 Chapter 167 The Noctis Clan
 Chapter 168 One too many
 Chapter 169 Dimension Boss
 Chapter 170 Utilizing It All
 Chapter 171 Aftermath of the Dimension
 Chapter 172 Dark Magus Bounty
 Chapter 173 The Uninvited Guest
 Chapter 174 The Man From Another World
 Chapter 175 Something left to do
 Chapter 176 Portal To The Land Of The Mad
 Chapter 177 Special Qi pills
 Chapter 178 Breakthrough to the Next Stage!
 Chapter 179 The Calm before the Storm
 Chapter 180 Catching A Fly
 Chapter 181 Spread Dark Magus!
 Chapter 182 Outsiders
 Chapter 183 Have you heard of him?
 Chapter 184 The Black Tiger
 Chapter 185 The Auction house
 Chapter 186 Stepping up
 Chapter 187 A New Challenge
 Chapter 188 3 Strikes!
 Chapter 189 Still Standing
 Chapter 190 The Cromwell Family
 Chapter 191 A Change Of Feelings
 Chapter 192 Power Of Magic
 Chapter 193 Who Are You looking for?
 Chapter 194 Return To The Auction!
 Chapter 195 Random Items?
 Chapter 196 White Flower
 Chapter 197 An uninvited whisper
 Chapter 198 The Cold Shiver
 Chapter 199 Marked
 Chapter 200 The Strong Crimson Crane
 Chapter 201 Rare Grade Pills
 Chapter 202 Strong Or Weak?
 Chapter 203 Light Faction Trouble
 Chapter 204 Fighting To Survive
 Chapter 205 Not Dying Today
 Chapter 206 Too Strong
 Chapter 207 The Crimson Crane Attack
 Chapter 208 I'm Built Different
 Chapter 209 Magic Vs Magic
 Chapter 210 Taking A Risk
 Chapter 211 Failed Item
 Chapter 212 A Strong Bond
 Chapter 213 Who is the Dark Magus?
 Chapter 214 Family Bond
 Chapter 215 Learning the Truth
 Chapter 216 A Pagna Body, An Alterian Body
 Chapter 217 The Home Of Alter
 Chapter 218 A New Student
 Chapter 219 Fixing The Heart
 Chapter 220 God Eyes
 Chapter 221 Death Flag
 Chapter 222 Following in the foot steps of a stranger
 Chapter 223 Enter the Demonic Clan
 Chapter 224 The Neverfall Base
 Chapter 225 Learning steps?
 Chapter 226 Outdated Clan
 Chapter 227 Are you better than him?
 Chapter 228 Something you can't do
 Chapter 229 Neverfall's Treasure
 Chapter 230 Steal from the Vault
 Chapter 231 The Abyssal Library
 Chapter 232 A second book
 Chapter 233 A Tough Spot
 Chapter 234 Leaving The Neverfall Clan
 Chapter 235 Building up the Team
 Chapter 236 Message From A Mage
 Chapter 237 A Way Back home?
 Chapter 238 The Founder
 Chapter 239 The World of Mages
 Chapter 240 We are in the same boat
 Chapter 241 A Dark Spirit
 Chapter 242 I know everything about him
 Chapter 243 The Dark Spirit speaks
 Chapter 244 The first of the Dark Guild
 Chapter 245 The Second Of The Dark Guild
 Chapter 246 Power Of Light Magic
 Chapter 247 I want to be Leader
 Chapter 248 Blood Will Be Spilt
 Chapter 249 Trouble in the world of Pagna
 Chapter 250 The second Assessment
 Chapter 251 Who's The Stupid One?
 Chapter 252 A Forbidden Request
 Chapter 253 Are you really really old?
 Chapter 254 Tension In The Air
 Chapter 255 Drastic Measures
 Chapter 256 Dark Edge Sword Arts
 Chapter 257 The True Assessment
 Chapter 258 Who’s The Killer
 Chapter 259 Stuck with everyone
 Chapter 260 The Important Number
 Chapter 261 Not standing by
 Chapter 262 A Secret Voice
 Chapter 263 A planned asualt
 Chapter 264 Enchanted Items are strong!
 Chapter 265 Easing The Pain
 Chapter 266 Get rid of Everyone
 Chapter 267 Back To The First Day
 Chapter 268 The One Behind It All
 Chapter 269 Take Down the Dark Faction
 Chapter 270 Out Of The Cave
 Chapter 271 Useless Initial Stage Warriors
 Chapter 272 Fighting anyway
 Chapter 273 The Result of the Assessment
 Chapter 274 A Sense Of Growth
 Chapter 275 Breaking The 4th Stage!
 Chapter 276 Out of the Cavern
 Chapter 277 Another Mage?
 Chapter 278 Combining Powers A new type of mage!
 Chapter 279 Mage’s Silence
 Chapter 280 The Infamous Alchemist DM
 Chapter 281 A Place Full Of Treasure
 Chapter 282 The Perfect Enchantment
 Chapter 283 Creating The Perfect Enchantment
 Chapter 284 Unlucky or Lucky?
 Chapter 285 Behemoth Vs The Crimson Crane (Part 1)
 Chapter 286 Behemoth Vs The Crimson Crane (Part 2)
 Chapter 287 The Power Of The Curse
 Chapter 288 The Poison Arts Strength
 Chapter 289 Growing The Crimson Crane
 Chapter 290 Not A Good Idea
 Chapter 291 Just An Alchemist?
 Chapter 292 The Alchemists Legend
 Chapter 293 The Cursed Sword
 Chapter 294 The Birth Of A Real Demon
 Chapter 295 A Demon Rising
 Chapter 296 The Dark Guilds Most Loyal
 Chapter 297 Back to the Start
 Chapter 298 Another Growing Legend
 Chapter 299 The Second Dark Guild Meeting
 Chapter 300 Going Back, to the meeting
 Chapter 301 Where is the Vault Located?
 Chapter 302 The Central Mage Academy?
 Chapter 303 You can come
 Chapter 304 Stronger than the rest!
 Chapter 305 A New Fashion For Mages
 Chapter 306 Counter Magic?
 Chapter 307 A second home
 Chapter 308 The Handsome Stranger
 Chapter 309 10/10
 Chapter 310 Practical Lesson (Part 1)
 Chapter 311 Practical Lesson (Part 2)
 Chapter 312 Practical Lesson (Part 3)
 Chapter 313 Practical Lesson (Part 4)
 Chapter 314 A punishment is needed
 Chapter 315 A bet is a bet
 Chapter 316 Running out of time
 Chapter 317 The Evening Event Begins!
 Chapter 318 The Start Of Raze's life (Part 1)
 Chapter 319 The Start Of Raze’s Life (Part 2)
 Chapter 320 The Fight For Principal (Part 1)
 Chapter 321 The Fight For Principal (Part 2)
 Chapter 322 Secret Vault
 Chapter 323 A parting gift
 Chapter 324 Getting Out Of A Fiery Situation
 Chapter 325 Grab On To The Light
 Chapter 326 Back On Track
 Chapter 327 Adding Mayhem
 Chapter 328 The drive for power
 Chapter 329 Joining A Party
 Chapter 330 A big Leach, 4 Star Mage
 Chapter 331 Ranged Attacker, that works
 Chapter 332 A 4 Star Mage
 Chapter 333 Dark Magic Recreate
 Chapter 334 Close Your Eyes, or Die
 Chapter 335 This will stop him...
 Chapter 336 Increase the magic
 Chapter 337 Growing Too Fast
 Chapter 338 What I've been Waiting For
 Chapter 339 Strongest Attack (Part 1)
 Chapter 340 Strongest Attack (Part 2)
 Chapter 341 A Super Fan!
 Chapter 342 A Golden Egg
 Chapter 343 Divine Stage Warriors
 Chapter 344 Ready The Crimson Crane
 Chapter 345 An Odd Meeting
 Chapter 346 Can't Take The Heat!
 Chapter 347 The Strongest Man in the Demonic Faction
 Chapter 348 Prove yourself
 Chapter 349 A proposal?
 Chapter 350 Your First Gift
 Chapter 351 The Honour of the clans
 Chapter 352 A sight of Horror
 Chapter 353 Attacked out of nowhere!
 Chapter 354 Young Masters Unite
 Chapter 355 A Growing power from under
 Chapter 356 Are we ready?
 Chapter 357 The Hard Life Of A Warrior
 Chapter 358 The Last Struggle
 Chapter 359 The Winning Side
 Chapter 360 Did you pick the right side?
 Chapter 361 The Start Of An Upset
 Chapter 362 The Last of the Main Disciples
 Chapter 363 Disrupting The Assessment
 Chapter 364 Breaking into the Middle Stage
 Chapter 365 The strongest Mythical Item
 Chapter 366 I would do it Again!
 Chapter 367 A Clan’s Head Anger!
 Chapter 368 End of the Trial
 Chapter 369 The Reason for My Name
 Chapter 370 How much blood on our hands?
 Chapter 371 Unifying our strength
 Chapter 372 Don’t Ever Stop
 Chapter 373 A New Spark
 Chapter 374 An Army we can use, or Agianst Us?
 Chapter 375 The Silent one, Strikes
 Chapter 376 A Problem Rising
 Chapter 377 Break my body!
 Chapter 378 The Principal’s Order
 Chapter 379 The Death Of Me, Is The Death Of You
 Chapter 380 Is This the Great Plan?
 Chapter 381 The Portal Break
 Chapter 382 Strength Of The Enemy
 Chapter 383 A Suspicious Dragon
 Chapter 384 Surpassing The Teachers
 Chapter 385 Caught Red Handed
 Chapter 386 The Last Day
 Chapter 387 The 4th Test
 Chapter 388 Magic Is Stronger Than Marital Arts
 Chapter 389 A Clash With The Clan Head!
 Chapter 390 Vice Head Trouble
 Chapter 391 The Ongoing Battle With The Clan head (Part 1)
 Chapter 392 The Ongoing Battle With the Clan Head (Part 2)
 Chapter 393 The Result Of The Clash
 Chapter 394 An Unknown Feeling
 Chapter 395 Blood Eye
 Chapter 396 Kill You With My Toe
 Chapter 397 A Meat Shield's Strength
 Chapter 398 A Pain In The Neck
 Chapter 399 Have We Been Here Before?
 Chapter 400 A New Person
 Chapter 401 Let Me Speak!
 Chapter 402 Feebie's Fear
 Chapter 403 A New Goal
 Chapter 404 A Larger Issue
 Chapter 405 A connection between worlds (Part 1)
 Chapter 406 A connection between worlds (Part 2)
 Chapter 407 The Appearance Of The Dark Magus
 Chapter 408 This Is More Than A Favour
 Chapter 409 A promise is a promise
 Chapter 410 Eliminate the Lethal Bite Clan
 Chapter 411 The Mystery Man
 Chapter 412 The End Of A Clan Head
 Chapter 413 A special gift
 Chapter 414 Raze Healed back at 100 Percent!
 Chapter 415 The Academies Bluff
 Chapter 416 Stuck In Another Dimension
 Chapter 417 The Strength Of An Army
 Chapter 418 Not Just A Vice Principal
 Chapter 419 Information on DM
 Chapter 420 Every one want's the Dark Magus
 Chapter 421 The Group's Name That Should Not Be Said
 Chapter 422 That's Fighting Talk
 Chapter 423 Run Out Of Time
 Chapter 424 Trapped In Another World
 Chapter 425 Breaking Through The Barrier
 Chapter 426 The Dark Mage weak?
 Chapter 427 Warriors Vs Mages
 Chapter 428 An Army Of Mages
 Chapter 429 You just made it worse
 Chapter 430 The Truth has been Found
 Chapter 431 The only one, Ortian Guild
 Chapter 432 A Mages Ace
 Chapter 433 A Mage Breakthrough
 Chapter 434 Kill Everyone
 Chapter 435 We’ve Been Waiting For You
 Chapter 436 Escape the Academy (Part 1)
 Chapter 437 Escape The Academy (Part 2)
 Chapter 438 A Dark Mage
 Chapter 439 Raze Awakened
 Chapter 440 Your specialty?
 Chapter 441 Need something to Contain My Strength
 Chapter 442 My Specialty Is Dark Magic
 Chapter 443 He’s Something Special Afterall
 Chapter 444 The One You Should Be Talking To
 Chapter 445 You Are More Special Than You Think
 Chapter 446 A special gift
 Chapter 447 Where To Go Raze?
 Chapter 448 The Special Trio
 Chapter 449 Why Isn't he Back!
 Chapter 450 Who Do You Care For Raze?
 Chapter 451 A Way To Beat The Principal
 Chapter 452 Stepping into the World of Pagna
 Chapter 453 Alter Otherworlders
 Chapter 454 Meeting With Alter
 Chapter 455 A New Alter Squad
 Chapter 456 A Weapon From Another World
 Chapter 457 A Joke Gone Wrong?
 Chapter 458 A Person From A Different Story
 Chapter 459 A Type of Agent, The Deleters
 Chapter 460 A Dead Man Walking
 Chapter 461 Meeting Another Mage
 Chapter 462 Thing's Don't Add Up
 Chapter 463 You Might Die, If We Do This, Raze’s Warning
 Chapter 464 A Meeting With The Blooded Woman
 Chapter 465 Leave No Witnesses
 Chapter 466 Another Solution
 Chapter 467 A Successful Plan
 Chapter 468 Secret Revealed?
 Chapter 469 A Path To Trouble
 Chapter 470 A Fake Emblem?
 Chapter 471 Locking The Way
 Chapter 472 Trapped in the City
 Chapter 473 Think Fast!
 Chapter 474 The Power Of A Water Mage
 Chapter 475 Dealing With The Biggest Problem
 Chapter 476 A Cursed Pill
 Chapter 477 Trying Something New
 Chapter 478 A New Dark Edge Sword Art
 Chapter 479 A Path To The Other Side
 Chapter 480 The Dark Faction On The Move
 Chapter 481 Fight For Yourself
 Chapter 482 It’s Impossible, The Dark Magus Is Dead?
 Chapter 483 From One To Another
 Chapter 484 The First Mission Of Alter
 Chapter 485 A New World Arrives
 Chapter 486 A Weapon From Another World
 Chapter 487 A Bad Detective
 Chapter 488 Praise The Sun
 Chapter 489 Expand The Dark Guild
 Chapter 490 A New Member
 Chapter 491 A New Language
 Chapter 492 Stink’s of Murder
 Chapter 493 A Lead To Death
 Chapter 494 The Fate Of The Lethal Bite Clan
 Chapter 495 A Spoiled Mage
 Chapter 496 Someone Crazier Than Raze?
 Chapter 497 A Crack In the Rock
 Chapter 498 The Power Of A System
 Chapter 499 Why Are You Lying?
 Chapter 500 The Fear Of Death
Chapter 1: Goodbye, Raze Cromwell
Chapter 1: Goodbye, Raze Cromwell
The wind was sharp and biting as it raged atop the towering skyscraper. An old man, hair
and beard whipping wildly in the gale, squinted against the luminescent neon lights that
illuminated the city's buildings.
Raze Cromwell raised a hand to his eyes, trying to shield them from the stinging gusts.
"Why on earth did I choose the rooftop for this damned ritual?" he grumbled.
As his long hair veiled his eyes, he brushed it aside impatiently. "Magic may solve many
problems in this world," he mused, "but it can't fix poor decision-making."
His robe billowed, tugging at his frame as he made his way towards the center of the
rooftop.
"If it weren't for this wind, I would have been done with this ritual by now."
The muffled cries of several voices reached his ears—sounds of despair, some even on the
verge of a scream.
Raze's patience wore thin. "Will you all keep quiet? What could you possibly want to say?"
Below him, etched into the rooftop, was a radiant circle filled with intricate symbols and
glyphs. It glowed white—not from any external power source, but from Raze's own magic.
Bound with their hands and legs tied, within the circle were five individuals. Though no
physical seals covered their mouths, their cries were reduced to mere muffled sounds.
"If I allow one of you to speak, will the rest of you stay silent?" Raze questioned, tracing a
symbol in the air. A faint purple glow emanated from his fingers.
At his gesture, one of the captives—a middle-aged man—found his voice once more.
Drawing a ragged breath, he pleaded, tears streaming down his face. "Please, Dark Magus!
Spare me. I'll give you anything! Please just don't kill me!"
Raze stepped closer, looming over the man. "And when that couple begged for their lives,
what did you offer them? Where are they now?"
The captive froze, eyes wide with terror.
"How did you know?"
Continuing his circuit around the circle, Raze listed the sins of each captive. "Killed their
lover in a fit of rage for looking at another person. Creating false reports of being abused,
sending those that she dislikes to the pit. Selling illegal substances to desperate mages,
causing their cores to burst."
The captives understood now—Raze was recounting their hidden crimes, the atrocities
they'd committed and escaped.
But when he reached the last captive, he paused. "And you," he said, a note of mockery in
his voice, "a zealous vegan, imposing your views on others. Truthfully, you're just here
because I needed five, and time was running short."
Tension filled the air as more symbols appeared within the circle, its luminescence
intensifying.
Just as Raze was readying for the next phase of his ritual, a defiant voice from among the
captives challenged him. "So what! You judge us, but what about you, Dark Magus? How
many lives have you claimed? How many people have you killed, you are no better than
us!"
Raze opened his mouth before his response was interrupted by a bout of violent coughing,
flecks of blood staining the ground below. "You're right," he rasped, wiping his mouth with
his sleeve, "We all deserve to die."
Suddenly, a voice from behind proclaimed, "Not all, just you!"
The captives and Raze turned to the newcomers - five figures dressed in pristine white
robes, descending from above.
"The Grand Magus! They've come to save us!" one captive exclaimed.
Among the mages, these were the elite, each holding the power to reshape entire nations.
They were all 9-star mages at the very top. Due to their power, seeing them assemble like
so came as quite a shock, even if they were going after the Dark Magus.
"I see you've received my invitation," Raze taunted, singling out one. "Enaxx, how does your
wife cope, knowing you're... incomplete with just having one ball to play with?"
A sharp pain welled up from below, as a heat of anger rose to Enaxx's face, making him turn
red.
"Raze!" One of the Grand Magus with long blonde hair stepped out before the others. He
radiated with energy, lighting up the night sky around him. "I can't believe such a talented
mage like you has become this!"
"SHUT UP!" Raze shouted back. "None of you, not a single one of you have the right to speak
to me! You can all drop the act. All of you took everything I cared about from this world!
You all know what you've done. Especially you, Idore!"
Dark energy started to shroud Raze in his tattered clothing, growing around his back even
larger, causing the other magus to radiate their own energy as well.
Despite these taunts, Idore had a smile on his face.
"Did you think we didn't know?" He asked. "You're already dying, you already have one foot
in the grave. Even if you did nothing, you would naturally pass away. But how could we let
that happen? You, the Dark Magus, the most wanted man in the world, we need to kill you
with our own hands."
"HAHAHA!" Raze let out a loud belly laugh. "Idore, Gizin, Ibarin, Trubin, and One ball. This
is my last message to you all."
The magic circle from beneath was starting to light up. Cautious about what this would do,
the Grand Magus shielded themselves with their own magic.
The captives inside the magic circle soon felt pressure building up in their heads. A great
pain welled up, until *Pop*. The tops of their heads exploded, their bodies falling to the
floor, including the man who stood in the center, Raze Cromwell.
Seeing this, the magic started to fade from the Mages, and they began to walk forward. They
felt no traces of life and looked at the blood splattered on the floor.
"Do you think he's really dead?" Ibarin asked.
"He has to be, that's his body and his head, at least what's left of it," Gizin commented.
Trubin, the youngest of the mages, looked around, examining the magic circle and the blood
splatter. That's when he smirked.
"Well, now I know what he meant by the last message."
They all took a good look at the floor, and now they saw it as well. The blood had splattered
in such a way, along with the magic circle, that it created a bloody image. An image of a
large fist with its middle finger raised towards them.
"Raze Cromwell's death is confirmed," Idore stated, lifting his hands, summoning a ball of
fire. He started to levitate, floating in the air, and so did the others by his side above the
buildings. "Our secrets will die with him."
The fireball was hurled toward the building, and as it hit the roof, it expanded, setting
everything ablaze in an instant, including all the dead bodies on the rooftop. As the magus
flew away from the scene, they all looked back at a stain in their past, with a great sigh of
relief.
---
'I can't believe I gambled my life away like that,' Raze thought. 'I put all my hopes into that
book I received from the portal. I don't even know if it will work. I was dying anyway… I
just wanted a chance to get them all back.
'Those damned smug faces. They call me the evil one, yet they would easily steal candy
from a baby. All I would do is lick it when they weren't looking and give it back. Who's the
more evil one?'
Memories of Raze's life started flashing before his eyes, especially the painful ones.
Memories from his childhood, the losses he had experienced in his life, the memories that
turned him into the Dark Magus.
Then, other images entered his mind: vast mountain tops, grand temples, lush greenery
everywhere. Images of a man, a woman, and a young girl he had never seen before, wearing
robes, and people fighting using just their fists.
'What is all of this? These aren't my memories! They don't even look like they're from my
world!'
Flashing back and forth were memories that Raze could tell were clearly his, interspersed
with unfamiliar ones. Intense pain pulsed in his head, sending shockwaves through his
body, until Raze's eyes snapped open once again.
Chapter 2: The Dark Magus Has Returned
Chapter 2: The Dark Magus Has Returned
Memories flooded Raze's mind, like a torrent of emotions, emotions he had locked away for
so long. They made him sick every time he revisited them.
"When did it all start, my terrible life? Was it my father? Selling me to those men... every
night? No, that wasn't what broke me. It was..."
However, the vivid memories were soon overwhelmed by something else: faces he didn't
recognize, places he had never been, and names he was sure he hadn't heard before.
Suddenly, his eyes opened, vision blurred momentarily.
"Why... why am I in pain? My neck hurts, and it feels like... I can't breathe!"
As his vision sharpened, it seemed to dim simultaneously. Eventually, a pair of bulging eyes
became clear, staring right at him. Now, he recognized the sensation of fingers clenched
around his throat.
"I've escaped death before, and now this? I'm being strangled, facing death again!" Raze
thought. "If I were to die, I'd never choose something this painful! I won't die again!"
He saw his attacker: a man draped in black garments, his face obscured, leaving only his
eyes visible, reminiscent of a ninja.
Struggling, Raze pressed his hands against the man's stomach.
"Let's see how you like having your insides torn out!"
Raze pushed, but nothing happened. No explosion, no reaction from his assailant, who kept
tightening the grip on Raze's neck.
"Did I deplete all my magic using that spell? Damn it... I really am going to die..."
Darkness encroached on his vision, and he felt consciousness slipping away. Yet, he sensed
the man's strength waning for some reason.
"Did part of my spell take effect? This is my chance."
Catching sight of a broken shard of a plate from the corner of his eye, he grabbed it,
thrusting it into the man's side. The man grunted, his grip weakening.
Blood dripped from where the shard had also cut Raze's hand, but adrenaline numbed the
pain. He pulled out the shard, stabbing repeatedly until the man's strength failed entirely,
and he collapsed atop Raze.
"I can breathe!" Raze gasped, but the weight on his chest felt oppressive. He waited for
strength to return before shoving the man aside and painstakingly getting to his feet.
Exhausted, Raze huffed and panted, feeling as if he might collapse. After a few moments, the
pain faded, and he surveyed his surroundings.
The motionless man in black bore injuries other than Raze's inflicted wounds. Raze had
seen enough dead bodies to know this man was truly gone.
"Arghh!" A sharp pain struck his head, memories pouring in, clearer this time. Examining
his hands, the smooth skin told a story. They were smooth, his hands were responsive as he
opened and closed them.
"The spell... it actually worked. I've been reborn!"
Judging by appearances, he seemed to inhabit a young body. That of a teenager or a young
man at least. It was hard to tell without looking at himself in a mirror. "I had my doubts
about that book, but it worked!" Raze mused. "Thankfully, I'm young. Who knows how it
would've been if I'd ended up old again? Or in the body of a bed ridden man!"
His joy was tempered by the grim reality around him. His first experience in this new body
had been a brush with death, hardly auspicious.
Scanning the room, Raze attempted to piece together events. The modest room had water-
damaged floorboards and moldy walls. Crude wooden utensils and half-eaten food hinted
at a bygone era. Feeling as if he had stepped back in time.
"They were in the middle of a meal," Raze noted.
By "they," he meant the three other bodies: an adult male, a female, and a teenage boy, each
bearing fatal wounds. The memories suggested they were his new body's family. A pang of
sorrow surfaced, though Raze tried to suppress it.
"They were murdered, likely by the man who tried to kill me. But why?"
His new memories were fragmented. He remembered family names, which seemed
pointless, but not their lives or experiences. However, he remembered his name: Raze.
"Maybe it's coincidence this body's named Raze," he pondered. "Or perhaps the spell
ensured it. Regardless, I've succeeded."
Raising a fist, he tried to channel magic. His eyes were staring hard, he was focusing, and
focusing, The veins were popping at the side of his head, but there was nothing. Leaving
him to delve deep within himself. After a few moments, it started to click.
'Now it makes sense, why my spell faltered earlier,' Raze mused. 'It's because this boy
doesn't possess a mana core. And that means he hasn't chosen an attribute either!'
At first, Raze had been disheartened. Inhabiting a person's body with no mana core meant
that he was devoid of magic, and he'd have to embark on the long hard journey from
scratch. The painstaking years he invested to ascend as a 9-star mage seemed to evaporate
in the blink of an eye. It was as if he was reset to square one.
Yet, as he delved deeper into the implications, he realized it could be a blessing. Had he
inhabited a body with a pre-existing mana core, that individual would undoubtedly have an
innate magic attribute.
In his former life, Raze had a natural predisposition towards wind magic, making him adept
at harnessing its spells. But as the sands of time flowed, he gravitated towards the Dark
Attribute. It was an arcane form of magic, pursued by few mages. He became an enigma as
the only 9-star mage who exclusively delved into Dark magic, earning him a name
whispered in both reverence and fear, the Dark Magus.
His inborn inclination towards Wind magic, however, ensured that his proficiency in Dark
magic would always remain somewhat lacking. But now, with this clean slate, he could
amend past shortcomings.
His gaze settled on the lifeless body adjacent to him. Grinning ear to ear, Raze settled into a
meditative posture on the cold ground. Using the blood oozing from a wound on his palm,
he meticulously sketched a magical circle around him.
'For eons, it was believed that one's affinity for attributes was merely a capricious act of
fate. Upon a mage crafting their core - the bedrock of all magic - the core would shimmer in
a colour based on one's magical affinity.'
'Yet, as history unfolded, it was discovered that certain acts could steer the formation of the
mana core. As long as it hadn't been made. Consuming spicy dishes could kindle fire, while
a perilous fall from a great height might awaken wind magic. But for the enigmatic Dark
Attribute, the path to a jet-black mana core was paved with a most sinister act...murder.'
"HAHAHA!" Raze's laughter, unhinged and manic, reverberated through the air. "Is this
fate's own design? It's as though the cosmos itself is directing my path!"
With the final touch to his magical circle, Raze's concentration deepened. The ambient
energy seemed to dance, twirling and wrapping itself around him, gradually getting
absorbed.
He felt minuscule orbs of power wriggling within, converging near his heart - the cradle for
a mage's mana core. The energy coalesced, condensing into a potent sphere.
After what felt like hours, the process reached its crescendo. Nested within Raze was a
deep-black mana core, enveloping his heart.
His eyes snapped open, gleaming with triumph.
"The Dark Magus, has returned."
Chapter 3: Unfamiliar Territory
Chapter 3: Unfamiliar Territory
The smirk on Raze's face was irrepressible. The prospect of beginning a new life with the
dark attribute meant he could grow stronger as a Dark mage, reaching heights previously
unimaginable.
A mystic energy, a blend of dark purples, blues, and blacks, began to swirl around his
finger. It was thick, almost like paint, yet fluid as parts of it moved and disappeared.
Raze extended his finger and pointed it at one of the plates on the table. "Dark pulse!" he
exclaimed. The energy dispersed and shot out like a small beam, hitting the plate and
shattering it into pieces.
Using just one spell made his head throb slightly. Dark magic was powerful and destructive
but consumed large amounts of mana compared to other attributes.
Now that his body physically possessed a dark core, he would need to strengthen other
attributes through magical items, crystals, herbs, and so on. It was possible for mages to
learn every attribute, but depending on their core, some would be more difficult to master
than others.
For instance, Raze would find it challenging to increase his strength in the light attribute
since it opposed his dark core, but it wasn't impossible. Raze tended to perceive things
more like a game to simplify his understanding.
If it was like a game, having a dark core granted a person 10 points in the Darkness
attribute to start with. This could be increased through certain techniques or items that
enhanced that particular attribute. Due to his dark core, Raze's body could easily absorb
items, adding to his points.
Items related to the light attribute could still be absorbed, but he would need to absorb ten
times the amount of energy to see a single point increase. Other attributes would be easier
to enhance, just not as easy as the Dark attribute.
Moreover, no other attribute could now surpass his Dark core, as it was the foundation of
his body.
Eventually, the headache subsided, but it posed a serious problem.
'I'm only a one-star mage right now,' Raze thought. 'My mana is limited. Since I only have
the dark attribute, I can only use one-star dark spells, which consume a lot of mana. It
would be wise to learn another attribute quickly that doesn't consume much mana,
perhaps wind?'
Mages were ranked based on the amount of mana in their cores, ranging from one-star to
nine-star mages. Raze had been a nine-star mage in his past body.
However, being a higher-star mage didn't merely mean having more mana. It also enabled
the performance of higher-level skills, but that wasn't everything in a battle, especially if
one had a large arsenal of spells and different attributes.
Many of Raze's early battles with mages were won because many underestimated the
strength of dark magic.
Rubbing his hands together, he couldn't contain his smile any longer and burst into
laughter.
'Haha, but I won't be a one-star mage for long! I wasn't entirely sure the spell would work,
but just in case, I stored all my items, herbs, and crystals in a secret vault! All I need to do is
access it, and I'll be back to being a nine-star mage in no time.'
Raze was already envisioning his new life—a life where he wasn't a criminal, wasn't
pursued by the Grand mages, and could grow stronger even more rapidly than before. With
all the experiments he had conducted and the experience he had gained over the years, he
would excel faster than any other mage, be hailed as a genius in this new life, and, when the
time was right, exact his revenge.
Suddenly, heavy knocks echoed at the front door, almost pounding it down.
"Open up!" a deep voice bellowed from the other side. The voice sounded slightly strange to
Raze, as if it had a strong accent and a twang, but he could still understand the words
clearly. "This is the Red Brigade! We received reports of screams coming from this house. If
you don't open up, we will force this door down!"
'Red Brigade?' Raze pondered, struggling to recall any group by that name. It sounded like a
guild. He was in a new body and didn't know all the Mage guilds' names, so he had to be
cautious.
'If they discover I've been practising Dark magic, I'll be reported immediately!' Raze
realised. Another reason he was hunted down was that Dark magic was a prohibited
attribute to learn.
The banging on the door continued, and they could no longer wait. The door exploded
open, crashing into the side of the house and breaking off its hinge. Five men in red armour
burst through the door.
Raze raised his hands, eyeing the men warily.
'Hopefully, they don't think I'm the killer. Although being the only one alive isn't a good
sign. I wonder what level these mages are at.'
However, as the men came in, Raze realised something was extremely strange. For one,
they were wearing armour, not light clothing by any means. Their bodies were all well built
as well.
Strangely, some of them had swords by their side as well as a host of other melee weapons.
'Could the Red Brigade be a magic weapon's guild? If that's the case, this could become
extremely difficult.'
The men who had come in forcefully soon spread around as they looked at the scene, and a
lot of the emotion had left their bodies as they looked at the dead bodies around.
"What happened here…" one of the men said. "Was it an assassination? Who would go after
a family with no name?"
Raze could hear the others speaking but he couldn't understand it. What did they mean by
no name? He had a name; the person he had taken over had a name, it was Raze.
'Wait a moment, wait, why can I only remember his first name… does this mean I have no
family name, but everyone has a family name? And these people, they are definitely my
family.'
One of the younger members had entered through the front door, and he immediately
covered his mouth as he looked at the bloody sight, but his eyes soon laid on Raze.
"Raze!" the young member called out. "What happened to you… your hair?"
'My hair... What's wrong with my hair? Why would someone comment about my hair? Well,
at least it looks like this person knows who I am. I don't think acting calm is good in this
situation either.'
Seeing as someone knew him, it looked like this situation would be cleared up with a bit of
acting, so Raze fell to his knees and placed his hands on the top of his head while looking at
the floor.
"My family, they're all… they're all… dead!" Raze said.
"Raze," the man said in a soft voice.
"Sonny," the oldest member of the Red Brigade with a thick moustache on his mouth, the
leader of the group shouted. The young man who had just entered looked up upon hearing
his name.
"Take the boy out of here, make sure he gets looked after. We will see what we can find
here. For now, he should get some rest."
"Yes, sir!" Sonny said, rushing over and went to pick up Raze, but before he could, Raze
stood up on his own two feet and shook his hand in the air gesturing to the other there was
no need.
"It's okay, I can walk myself," Raze said, as he followed Sonny out of the building. When he
went outside, the bright light of the sun hit him, blinding him for a few moments, and soon
he could see where he was.
'Wait a second, what is all this? Nothing on the ground but just the dirt. Houses that are
crudely built right next to each other… and there are no skyscrapers, heck, I can't see any
lights, and why are there so many mountains off in the distance?'
The people were all dressed strangely with many carrying around weapons. They looked
ordinary, no special crystals embedded into them, and there was one more thing that was
noticeable just looking everywhere; there wasn't a single person using magic anywhere.
'Wait a second… is this… is this… another world!'
Chapter 4: The Red Brigade Clan
Chapter 4: The Red Brigade Clan
A whole new realm unfolded before Raze's eyes, a tableau of sights he had never
encountered. Market stalls brimming with fresh produce lined the streets and townsfolk
sauntered openly with weapons strapped to their sides.
No building rose higher than three stories, each one nestled close to its neighbours. Not a
single vehicle was in sight, a stark contrast to his world where vehicles soared through the
sky. Instead, only wagons laden with goods, pushed or pulled by hand, populated the
streets. People traded with coins and notes, rather than relying on technology. It was
evident that this was not the world Raze had known. As he ambled down the street behind
Sonny, he absorbed every detail of his surroundings while contemplating his predicament.
'Could this truly be another world? Or have I been transported to a remote land where
society and technology are still primitive? But then, why is there no magic? It must be
another world.' Raze mused.
'The book promised that I would inhabit a new body, but it never specified where or how. I
should have anticipated this from a book requiring dark magic. Nothing is ever as simple as
it seems.'
Abruptly, Raze halted in the middle of the street, his hand instinctively clasping his chest as
a heavy realisation sank in.
'My treasures!' he lamented internally. 'If I am in another world, then everything I stored
for my advancement as a mage is gone. Lost forever... How am I supposed to increase my
power now?'
Memories flooded his mind: the arduous trials he had endured to collect those items, the
mythical beasts he had battled, narrowly escaping with his life. All that effort, now in vain.
A tear threatened to escape as Sonny, sensing Raze's distress, turned and noted the sombre
expression on his face.
'Poor lad, he just lost his family. The reality must be sinking in,' Sonny speculated.
'My items!!!' Raze fought back a sob as he forced himself to move forward.
Just as he began to accept the loss of everything he had worked for, another thought struck
him.
'Wait, the Grand Magus! They don't exist in this world. My entire purpose for being reborn
was to exact revenge. If they aren't here, what is the meaning of my existence?
'Isn't rebirth supposed to be a cheat code? Attending the magic academy, being hailed a
prodigy at five, defeating bullies who underestimate you, and proving your doubters
wrong?'
His dream life crumbled before his eyes.
"Get back here, you little thief!" bellowed a rotund, bald man with sweat pouring down his
face as he pursued a small child, who Raze guessed was about five years old.
The child, clad in tattered clothes speckled with dirt and scabs, darted past Raze, closely
followed by the large man, who seemed to be gaining on the exhausted child.
Raze, tapping into his magic reserves, felt the core within him ignite as power spiralled
around his finger.
"Dark pulse," he murmured. A beam of energy, paler than usual, shot from his finger. In the
sunlight, it was almost invisible, but it struck the man's leg, causing him to stumble and fall
face-first into the dirt.
'He looked well-fed, while the child seemed starved. He can spare a few loaves of bread.'
Onlookers gathered around the fallen man, some chuckling, others offering assistance.
Either way, the child had escaped, and no one had witnessed Raze's intervention.
'No one should have to endure hunger,' Raze thought, as he continued onward.
Finally, they reached their destination: a grand edifice surrounded by a wall and flanked by
two enormous red doors. Beyond the wall, the building loomed majestically, its roof
adorned with ancient tiles and dragon carvings. Intricate patterns decorated the
supporting pillars, a testament to craftsmanship long forgotten in Raze's world.
Guarding the entrance were two stone lions, regal and imposing, as if truly safeguarding
the doors. Beside the stone pillars stood two men clad in red uniforms, like Sonny, each
holding a spear and standing as rigid as statues.
Above the entrance, a sign read 'Red Brigade Clan.' The letters, patterns and lines foreign to
Raze, were somehow comprehensible.
'This is not my world. And what is a Clan? It's not a guild or a faction. What kind of world
have I entered? If magic doesn't exist here... could I be revered as a god?'
———
Raze found himself in a guest room of the Red Brigade's complex, a term more fitting than
'building,' given its sprawling nature with several structures scattered about and grand
courtyards at either end. A constant flux of individuals, all donned in identical uniforms,
traversed between the buildings.
The fading sun signalled that many of the several hundred residents had already retreated
to their slumber. Raze was tucked away in a corner room of a building set apart from the
largest one he had encountered.
The room was spartan, equipped with just a single bed, a table, and an oil lamp to stave off
the encroaching darkness.
'It's so dim in here. I could employ my magic to amplify my vision, but it would squander
my mana. The struggles of a 1-star mage resurface. It would be optimal to bolster my mana.
Amplifying my dark attribute is futile without mana for spellcasting.'
Raze estimated that he could currently muster a mere five spells in quick succession.
Moreover, the recent demise of his newfound family loomed large. With no knowledge of
the events, anyone could potentially be pursuing him.
The Red Brigade clan seemed to be a sanctuary of sorts, possessing some influence in this
realm.
Venturing to the toilet, Raze made a startling discovery. The absence of a separating door
revealed that the toilet was, in fact, a part of the single room. His dismay deepened upon
discovering the toilet to be merely a hole in the ground.
'No...please, don't tell me the toilet is just a hole!' Raze heaved a sigh of resignation. 'I
endured the slums of Alterian, but this is pushing it.'
This revelation galvanised his resolve. If he had been transported to this world, there must
be a way to return.
Clutching the oil lamp, Raze examined his reflection in the room's mirror, the first glimpse
of his new form.
As suspected, his skin retained a youthful radiance, devoid of wrinkles, aligning his age
with late adolescence. However, his physique was alarmingly slender.
His former self was also lean, but compared to the populace he observed on the streets, he
appeared emaciated. His fingers grazed his hair, which, although mostly straight, curled at
the ends and was wildly dishevelled. Strikingly, it was a stark white.
'This… my hair was also white in my previous body. I lacked the fortitude for 5-star magic
and underwent a forbidden procedure. It succeeded, albeit at the cost of a gradual decline
in health and the bleaching of my hair.'
Raze recalled Sonny's initial reaction upon seeing him.
'Did the original occupant of this body not have white hair? Did my arrival instigate this
transformation?'
A knock interrupted his musings, followed by the entrance of Sonny.
"Apologies for the delay, Raze," Sonny expressed. "I understand your anxiety and curiosity
about the current circumstances. We are eager to learn any details you can provide that
might shed light on this situation."
It was evident that they did not perceive him as a suspect, despite being the sole survivor.
Raze seized this opportunity to partially disclose his predicament.
He recounted his awakening amidst a life-threatening confrontation with an assailant,
ultimately culminating in a fatal act of self-defense. Given the ubiquity of armed civilians, he
doubted that this act would be deemed egregious, particularly under the circumstances.
However, Raze then confessed his total amnesia, encompassing not only the world and his
location but also his age. This admission would serve as a buffer for any future
unconventional behaviour.
"I can't fathom your emotional turmoil," Sonny empathised. "Do you have any recollection
of me?"
Regrettably, Raze shook his head. The original body retained scant memories, more akin to
vague sensations than concrete recollections.
"Got it, just a sec." Sonny walked out of the room, carefully closing the door behind him. It
wasn't long before he returned, this time with a teenage girl in tow. She had unruly black
hair, fairly thick, that cascaded past her shoulders.
Her outfit mirrored that of Raze - a plain grey shirt and trousers - but her eyes, shadowed
underneath, hinted at a world of fatigue.
As soon as Raze laid eyes on her, a torrent of emotions flooded over him, and a smile
involuntarily spread across his face.
"Thank heavens," Sonny breathed a sigh of relief. "It seems you do remember your sister,
Safa."
'Wait, my sister? Did he just say... my sister?'
Suddenly, the pieces started to fall into place, just like when he had seen his parents.
Memories, long-forgotten, resurfaced, linking him to this girl.
"She was hiding in the cupboards during the commotion. When we searched the house, we
found her trembling inside. The fact that you both made it out alive is nothing short of a
miracle," Sonny elucidated. "I'll leave you two to reconnect."
With that, Sonny exited the room once more. Safa, looking up at her brother, offered a timid
smile. She appeared to be around the same age as Raze, but he recalled that she was
actually a couple of years younger.
Almost immediately, she dashed over to Raze and clung to his arm, her body leaning
against his. Raze's heart began to race, and images started to flood his mind.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" he bellowed, violently shaking off her grasp and stepping back.
Safa was taken aback. Her eyes locked onto Raze's for a few moments before welling up
with tears. She quickly retreated behind a chair in the room, almost collapsing onto the
floor.
Raze was still panting heavily, his heart pounding. Witnessing her reaction, a pang of guilt
pierced his chest.
'This wretched body... it's still reacting to her... and my emotions are a complete mess.'
Approaching Safa, who was clearly still terrified, Raze struggled to find the right words to
mend the situation.
"I... apologise," he stammered. "Something's messed up in my head. I've kind of lost it and
can't stand being touched. Do you get it?"
Safa, although still somewhat apprehensive, nodded her head slowly.
'Great, just great. She's lost her entire family, and the only one left, her brother, is now a
lunatic who yells at her for simply touching him. This can't be easy for her either.'
Gradually, Safa regained her composure and stood up. They both stood there, awkwardly
staring at each other.
"You hid in a wardrobe, right?" Raze inquired.
Safa nodded but remained silent. Raze began to suspect that his sister might be mute.
However, as certain memories resurfaced, he realised that she indeed was.
'Wait, if she was hiding in the wardrobe... Did she witness what I did? Did she see me use
magic? If she did and told people, there would be trouble... No, she must have seen nothing.
Otherwise, she would have come out after the killer was neutralized, or when the Red
Brigade arrived.'
Sonny reentered the room, clapping his hands together cheerfully.
"Alright, I have some good news for you both. We've figured out where you'll be staying for
now. I know it's a tough situation, but I'll explain everything in due course. For now, just
follow me."
They exited the building and strolled through the expansive courtyard of the base. Raze
trailed behind Sonny, while Safa lingered at the back, her head bowed.
"Even though I won't be with you two, you'll be well taken care of. If you need anything or
just want to talk, come visit me. Of course, I'll also check up on you both tomorrow to see
how you're doing."
Suddenly, Sonny halted mid-sentence and swiveled his head to the right. Charging towards
them was another man, dressed identically to the one Raze had encountered earlier. He
seemed to materialize out of thin air.
In a single powerful stride, he closed the distance between them.
'Enhancement magic!' Raze surmised. 'So magic does exist in this world?'
The mysterious man brandished a dagger, aiming directly for Raze. In his palm, dark
energy swirled ominously.
'I didn't want to use it publicly because it would raise too many questions. But if my life is
at stake...'
"Red Lightning Fist!" Sonny unleashed a punch, striking the man squarely in the chest and
sending him hurtling through the air until he crashed into a building on the other side.
Witnessing such raw power, Raze was dumbfounded, his mouth agape.
"What... kind of magic was that?" he blurted out.
"Magic?" Sonny echoed, puzzled. "That wasn't magic; it was martial arts."
Raze had stumbled into a world where battles were waged not just with weapons but with
fists as well.
Chapter 5: Pagna Warriors
Chapter 5: Pagna Warriors
Raze and Safa found themselves residing in a place referred to as a temple by the locals and
the Red Brigade. However, in Raze's homeland, it would have been labeled as an
orphanage.
Nestled partly up a mountain, and a tad isolated from the town, the vast estate featured a
large, tiled courtyard at the front and an exceptionally broad single building. Raze couldn't
help but wonder about the cost of constructing something this grandiose on his home
planet Alterian.
Including the newcomers, the orphanage was now home to twelve children, all there for
various reasons. Yet, this was no ordinary orphanage. Acceptance was contingent upon the
approval of Mr. Kron, the proprietor. A scar running from his chin through his face marked
the visage of this bald, monk-like figure, always seen in robes. The children, on the other
hand, made do with ill-fitting hand-me-downs, their ages ranging from as young as five to
adult teenagers like Raze, who had recently discovered he was fifteen.
Sonny had mentioned that a year older, and Raze would have been on the streets.
Pondering this, Raze recalled a starving child and wondered why he was admitted to the
temple, but the other was not.
Raze was clueless about Mr. Kron's criteria. Sonny had mentioned there were requirements
before leaving them in Mr. Kron's care, assuring them they were safe. Whether Sonny
genuinely believed that or merely sought to instill confidence in them after a recent attack
remained uncertain to Raze. Nonetheless, the previous night's events made Raze realize he
needed to understand this world of martial arts better.
On their first night, Mr. Kron assigned them a shared room with only one bed due to space
constraints. Raze, unbothered, let Safa take the bed while he settled on the floor. Although
Safa gestured that sharing the bed was fine, Raze quickly reminded her of his rule - "No
touching." Disappointed, she abandoned the idea.
Ready to help around the temple the next morning, they stepped into the main hall and
encountered a familiar face. "Ah, looks like the two of you managed to sleep in alright then,"
Sonny greeted them warmly. "I told you I would be back tomorrow to check up on you two.
Now that I see you're both okay, I can head off."
"Wait!" Raze interjected. "Actually, I have a few things I want to ask you about."
As Safa accompanied Mr. Kron to familiarize herself with her chores, Sonny and Raze
retreated to the latter's study—a spacious room filled with well-maintained, high-quality
books and furniture, superior to anything in Raze's own home.
Settling into a single-seater chair, Sonny invited Raze to sit on the couch before asking, "So
what is it that you wanted to talk about?"
Struggling with memory gaps about this world and recent events, Raze sought clarification,
particularly regarding martial arts. In his world, martial arts served merely as exercise, not
a combat form. The notion of someone punching hard enough to break a wall belonged to
the realm of fiction, not reality.
"Oh, I see. I guess I should really treat you like you're an alien or something then?"
'More like from another world, but close enough,' Raze mused.
As Sonny elucidated everything he could, Raze's curiosity deepened, realizing the world
was not just slightly different, but vastly so.
Primarily, those proficient in martial arts, like Sonny, were known as Pagna Warriors, akin
to how magic practitioners were dubbed Mages. However, a rationale existed for the
distinction.
Not everyone pursued martial arts to the extent Raze witnessed. Pagna Warriors belonged
to a unique community, separate from the military and Empire, with their own societal
norms. Although it was a standard rule for Pagna life members not to interfere with others
and vice versa, Sonny explained it was more of an excuse. Pagna Warriors enjoyed greater
freedom, such as the right to kill. Kingdoms also often hired and compensated Clans for
their services.
"Now that you know about Pagna Warriors, you need to know how they are split. The
continent is considered one large piece, despite there being islands here and there, but it is
divided between three large factions.
"You have the Dark Faction, the Light Faction, and the Demon Faction."
Sonny had marked the territory areas on the map, and it was fascinating to note that
several different places and kingdoms resided in different regions.
"In each of these factions, there are several families, each with their unique styles of martial
arts that they pass down to those loyal to the clan. For example, the Red Brigade, we are a
clan that is part of the Dark faction."
Sonny continued to explain a few details, such as, even though other clans were in the same
faction, it didn't mean they were friendly. Clans mostly operated on an individual basis.
The faction a clan belonged to mostly depended on the source of their martial arts energy.
It wasn't as simple as the clans in the light faction being good, or those in the dark being
bad, but rather the type of energy they used for their techniques.
Raze was incredibly interested in this particular part, considering his own powers. Being a
mage, research was his forte, but Sonny seemed to be pressed for time.
"Of everything I tell you today, this might be the most important. As warriors, we cultivate
our powers and perfect our techniques, and among us, we have masters so powerful they
could obliterate an entire city with one fist."
What Sonny described sounded like the same power as that of a 9-star mage.
"The stages of a Pagna fighter can be split into three parts. The initial stage, where fighters
are ranked from level 1 to 6, the middle stage, where fighters are ranked from 7 to 9, and
then the Deity stage, from rank 10 to 12.
"If you ever become a Pagna warrior, you would truly learn how frightening each of these
stages can be, and the titles that are given in each of these stages. Because the difference in
power between ranks can be astronomical. For you, though, just understanding the three
stages is enough. If you ever hear someone use the words 'Deity stage,' then you should
never anger them. No one will be able to save you if you do."
The tone of Sonny's voice and his entire demeanor changed when talking about the last
part. It was interesting to note the mention that the current Raze was not a Pagna warrior.
A 'no name,' one with no family name, was one that wasn't related to a clan, nor were they
related to any of the higher-ups in the kingdoms and empires.
He could only imagine the strength he would have had if he had transmigrated into the
body of a powerful Pagna warrior.
"So... what stage are you at?" Raze asked.
Sonny smiled as he thumped his chest. "I'm at the initial stage, a rank 2 Pagna warrior,"
Sonny declared.
Raze was quite impressed. If that was what a rank 2 warrior could do, he could only
imagine in his head what a Deity stage warrior could do.
Thinking about that, something clicked in his head.
"Wait, the ones that attacked us, were they Pagna warriors as well?"
Sonny nodded.
"Then, if that's the case, why would Pagna warriors target a no name family like ours? And
even go to the point where they would target us again last night?
Chapter 6: Pagna Academy
Chapter 6: Pagna Academy
From what Raze had learned, members of Pagna typically refrained from meddling in
human affairs. It was only the high-ranking officials or those particularly irked who would
intervene. Hence, the recent attack baffled Raze.
"I honestly don't know," Sonny replied, releasing a deep sigh. "There's a lot happening right
now that we don't understand. Even though the Red Brigade controls this area, it's
challenging to monitor everything."
"Look, I know you want answers, but don't even think about seeking revenge. An ordinary
person like you wouldn't stand a chance against a Rank 1 Pagna warrior. Remember, you
have a sister to take care of."
'Revenge!' thought Raze. 'Why would I care about a family I have no connection or memory
of? The only people I want revenge on are the Grand Magus.'
Sonny was already halfway out the door, clearly pressed for time, so Raze didn't press him
with more questions. He could either ask next time they met or do his own research.
Returning to Mr. Kron, Raze was introduced to the other temple occupants. Four were his
age: three boys and one girl.
The first to catch Raze's eye was a dark-skinned, curly-haired boy with an incredibly goofy
smile named Simyon. He seemed genuinely pleased to have new companions.
Next were two boys: a shorter one with a handsome face and good build, reaching only to
Raze's shoulders, named Gren. He seemed annoyed to be summoned for no apparent
reason.
Beside him were twins, one male and one female, Biyo and Giyo. They were identical,
except for their hair length. They politely introduced themselves but seemed indifferent.
The remaining children were much younger and greeted Safa and Raze with broad smiles,
waves, and bows.
After the introductions, everyone resumed their tasks. Safa continued cleaning the
ornaments and floors before sweeping outside. She was paired with the twins for cleaning,
the main chore here. Raze was assigned to help prepare food and was instructed to shadow
Simyon.
Entering the spacious kitchen, which resembled a canteen capable of serving hundreds,
Simyon lifted a large basket of potatoes and slammed it onto the table.
"Alright, just follow my lead, and I think you'll get the hang of it!" Simyon grinned.
They washed the potatoes, removed certain roots with a knife, peeled them, and tossed
them into another basket. Simyon monitored Raze closely and was somewhat surprised.
"Man, you peel those potatoes even better than me! How did you learn to use a knife so
well?" Simyon inquired.
"I lived alone for a while and learned to cook for myself. I've been doing this for a long
time," Raze replied.
"A long time? Aren't you my age? Were you peeling potatoes since you were three or
something?" Simyon joked while continuing his work.
Raze had answered automatically and realized he might have revealed too much. The
children were unaware of his backstory, but kids being kids, they would inevitably ask all
sorts of questions. Currently, Raze was supposed to have lived with his family, not alone.
He needed to ensure his story remained consistent.
"You must have had it rough too, huh? Don't worry, everyone here has had a hard life. But
don't stress too much; we're in a good place," Simyon reassured.
Raze recalled Sonny mentioning they were safe here, all thanks to Mr. Kron.
"Is it because of Mr. Kron? Is he a Pagna warrior too?" Raze asked, wanting to gauge his
surroundings and potential threats. With his current strength, he might not even defeat a
rank 1 warrior.
"Ha!" Simyon chuckled. "I guess you haven't heard; you did just arrive, after all." He glanced
around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "Rumors say that Mr. Kron used to teach at
the Pagna academy."
"The academy? There's a Pagna academy?" Raze raised an eyebrow. Sonny had never
mentioned it, but it made sense since Raze wasn't initially a warrior.
Simyon was so shocked he dropped a potato he was peeling. Before it hit the ground, he
kicked it back up, catching it, although now it was covered in dirt.
"What rock have you been living under? How do you not know about the academy?"
Simyon asked.
Raze pointed to his head.
"I… don't have many memories. Something happened to me before I came here." Raze tried
to pull a face that made it look like it was a difficult subject to talk about. That way he could
avoid more questions. "Could you explain the academy?"
The topic seemed to excite Simyon, he placed the potato down along with the knife as he
swung his arms as he explained away.
"The Pagna academy is the place for anyone aspiring to make a mark in this world," Simyon
elaborated. "There's one in each faction, including here in the dark faction. It's a school
funded by all the clans in the faction."
"It began as a way for the clans to nurture promising fighters, and its success ensured its
continuation. Clan members send their children to the academy, but it's also open to those
not affiliated with any clan, offering a stepping stone into the world of Pagna.
"Upon graduation, other clans would eagerly recruit you. Joining the academy isn't
mandatory to become a Pagna, but for those like us, without a clan or access to cultivation
techniques and skills, it's the only path to becoming a warrior!"
Simyon's voice quivered with excitement, unable to contain his enthusiasm.
The mention of the Pagna academy reminded Raze of the Mage academy. Although he was
told he lacked magical talent, he ultimately proved everyone wrong.
He even secured a respected position within the Mage academy, despite never being a
student.
'Those... memories... are ones I don't wish to relive,' Raze reflected.
"However, not just anyone can join the academy. You must at least be able to cultivate your
Qi and demonstrate a rank 1 basic skill to a certain standard."
Many unfamiliar terms were used – Qi, basic skills – but Raze doubted Simyon could
adequately explain them. He found written explanations in books easier to comprehend.
"That's why we're fortunate to have Mr. Kron. He teaches us for an hour every day. Thanks
to him, we all have a chance to become Pagna warriors!"
Raze examined his hand as he clenched it into a fist. He had harmed many with his magic,
but had he ever physically hurt someone?
Memories of the assassin he killed flashed in his mind. He certainly had used his hands back
then. There was no doubt about that.
'I guess he was the first. I wonder if this body is capable of performing these martial art
skills. I guess I'll find out today.'
Chapter 7: The start of cultivation
Chapter 7: The start of cultivation
The group had a pleasant time, sharing a meal, and then getting on with some chores like
planting crops in the adjacent farm and assisting with various tasks here and there.
While Mr. Kron did assign them a considerable amount of work, it never felt like strenuous
labor because he was mindful not to overexert anyone, and rest was permitted if someone
was fatigued. Interestingly, Raze observed that nobody grumbled about the work.
'I wonder if it's because they don't want to upset Mr. Kron, or is it because life here is much
better than being alone out there with no one to care for you.'
During meals, Raze and Safa were naturally seated together, although they didn't converse.
However, Safa used hand signals to request some dishes from the table.
Unconsciously, Raze comprehended and passed her the requested dish. Mr. Kron excused
himself from the table to attend to something, which made everyone feel more at ease.
"Aha, so she's mute!" Gren exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "I was wondering why she was
so quiet. I thought she had some mental issues, but she's just mute. That's great for a wife,
since she can't talk back."
"Hey, that's not cool, man," Simyon interjected, shooting a quick glance at Raze to gauge his
reaction to the comment about his relative. "We all live here, so we're like family. Would
you say that about your family?"
"We are not family," Gren retorted immediately, almost as if offended by the suggestion.
"You have dark skin; I have light skin. Even the disabled girl could tell we're not family."
Raze continued eating, feeling a wave of unease, but it felt foreign, as if it wasn't his
emotion but something else stirring within. He noticed Simyon's clenched fist, not
surprising since Gren was known for being obnoxious and usually made such remarks
when Mr. Kron was absent.
The room quieted down when Mr. Kron returned.
"Once you finish eating, take a break to digest, then meet me in the courtyard for training,"
Mr. Kron instructed.
All the children, even the youngest ones, brightened up at the announcement, some even
raising their hands in excitement.
'I guess even the little ones are enthusiastic about learning martial arts... it reminds me of
my own excitement as a child.'
Instead of a happy childhood memory, an image of a five-year-old Raze, bruised and weak
with hair obscuring his eyes, flashed in his mind.
'Stay focused on the goal,' he reminded himself.
——
After a brief rest, everyone congregated in the expansive courtyard in front of the main
building, which was large enough to have its own track and obstacle course.
"As we have newcomers today, I have a few words before we start," Mr. Kron announced,
hands clasped behind his back, reminding Raze of military mages he had encountered
before.
"The world outside is dangerous, especially for you all. Although many of you wish to avoid
the Pagna, there is always a risk they will infiltrate the general public.
"Therefore, everything I teach you is essential for maintaining a peaceful life out there.
What you decide to do with these skills after you leave is your choice. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!" the children responded in chorus.
"Excellent. Gren, lead the warm-up!" Mr. Kron commanded.
Gren bowed before beginning the warm-up, jogging around the entire courtyard with the
other children following suit. Raze and his sister joined in at a comfortable pace.
They continued to jog in a square pattern, round and round until Raze felt his feet dragging,
his lips parched, and his chest ready to burst from the exertion.
'What is happening?' Raze wondered as an eight-year-old child sprinted past him, having
already completed an entire lap around him.
Everyone managed to overtake Raze, including his sister.
'I know my old body wasn't athletic, but I'm in a teenager's body now. Shouldn't I be
somewhat capable? Why am I trailing behind everyone? Why is this body so weak?'
A troubling thought crossed his mind. Was it because of the spell he had cast in the past? To
strengthen his body to withstand 9-star magic, he had engaged in some forbidden
practices, which turned his hair white. The current body also had white hair; did that mean
the spell's effects transferred to this body as well?
At that moment, Raze paused, his hands resting on his knees as he took a deep breath.
'Screw it, it's clear, this body is not suited for martial arts.' Raze thought. 'But it doesn't
matter, as long as I can still do magic, everything will be fine.'
Mr. Kron had been watching Raze and his sister as the new arrivals.
"Alright, Gren, continue on to the next steps, Raze, Safa, come over to me."
Gren continued the basic warm-up that the kids would proceed to do. They then moved on
to body weight exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.
Seeing how hard they were working, Raze was relieved that he wasn't going to be a part of
that.
"Eventually, the two of you will be able to do the same as them," Mr. Kron said. "But as it's
your first day, you don't want to overexert yourselves to the point that you won't be able to
exercise again. Both of you sit down, with your backs facing away from me."
The two did as they were told and sat down. Soon after, they felt Mr. Kron place his hands
on their backs.
"Both of you have never practiced martial arts before. What I am about to teach both of you
will be the foundation of your martial arts; it's what we call Qi.
"Qi is the internal energy inside your body. It comes from your dantian, an invisible force
centered around your stomach. When we use our skills, from the steps we take to the air
we breathe in, we are always using this power of Qi.
"That's why it is important to strengthen the dantian. Think of this as the plate, whereas
the Qi is the food. What I am going to teach both of you first is how to feel your Qi. The
energy from the world, the energy around you in the plants and such, to fill in your dantian.
"These two things go hand in hand, and as you improve them both, it will increase your
rank as a warrior, but that's all up to you in the future."
It was quite amazing what the teacher was saying because Raze thought that this Qi was
quite similar to mana. The difference was, mana was energy from the world, and one's skill
level was determined by how much mana they could control.
This was dependent on how strong one's magic core was around their heart. However,
magic cores allowed one to control the different types of energy in the air, depending on
how well groomed it was to certain affinities.
"As you know, we are in the Dark faction, and what I am going to teach you is the basic
Dark faction cultivation technique, the Dark Essence absorption technique. Once you have
learned this, you must cultivate and use this technique each day to grow your dantian,
allowing you to use more Qi in your techniques.
"With this, I give you a warning. Never go beyond your limits. If you absorb more than your
body can handle, it can have detrimental effects on your mental state and morality if not
practiced with caution. If either of you were to go mad, I would deal with you myself."
Inwardly, Raze couldn't stop smiling. What was this, was it Dark magic that he was
learning? What they said about one learning dark magic was the same. Mad? Had he ever
gone mad? No, he was always sane and always knew what he was doing.
If the Dark magic that was meant to make him go insane had no effect, then he would
welcome this Dark Essence cultivation technique with open arms.
'What an interesting teacher, to threaten new pupils with death, who he's just met. If it's so
dangerous, then why is he teaching it to us? This world is starting to get a little interesting.'
"I will now, begin!"
Chapter 8: The Dark Core
Chapter 8: The Dark Core
Mr. Kron instructed them to close their eyes and follow the process every step of the way.
He first asked them to envision a realm of complete darkness, as if they were sitting in a
shadowy cave or a forest with barely any light.
Once the image was vivid in their minds, they were to inhale slowly, taking deep breaths
through their nose and exhaling out of their mouth. They needed to eliminate all
distractions, all of the noises surrounding them.
'Both of them are quite adept at following instructions. I can see that it hasn't taken them
long to tune out even the sounds of the kids training in the background; they are truly only
listening to my voice.' Mr. Kron mused. 'If I didn't know better, I would have thought they
had both done this before.'
It was a surprise to Kron, especially after witnessing how poorly Raze had performed in the
physical activities, but everyone had their strengths and weaknesses.
"The next part is the difficult part. In your mind, the darkness surrounding you, you need to
visualize it as energy. Imagine absorbing the darkness in the form of energy inside you.
When you breathe in through your nose, all the way down into your body.
"When you exhale, visualize expelling the negative energy from your body."
This was partly why Mr. Kron was touching both of their backs. It was a challenging task to
completely do on your own, but he could help their bodies sense the energy easier by
trying to control the Qi that everyone had in their body.
Then, when the Qi entered, he would focus on building it in the dantian and ensure it didn't
overflow or break. He would continue doing this a few times for them until they could do it
themselves.
The cultivation technique, building one's Qi, was the basis of all Pagna martial arts.
Although the technique could only take you so far, and in the future, when hitting
bottlenecks, one would have to try and rely on absorbing items.
Mr. Kron's eyebrow started to twitch slightly as he noticed something happening. When
looking at Safa, everything was flowing smoothly. The energy gathering was substantial,
and a solid base was building up in her stomach.
The energy had already stabilized in her body. She was a true talent. Although Mr. Kron
wouldn't tell one directly, not at a young age, as words were very effective at stunting one's
growth if it got to their head.
Yet, the one that made his eyebrow twitch was Raze. He could feel the energy flowing
inside of him, but the impurities in his body weren't coming out.
Not only that, but Mr. Kron could feel no Qi entering his main dantian, located a little under
one's belly button.
'I can tell that the energy is going inside him, but is his body absorbing it? If it is, where is it
going exactly?'
A phenomenon was occurring right now, and it was something that had never happened in
history before; it was perhaps something that even Raze couldn't predict.
As Kron suspected, Raze was using the cultivation technique perfectly. This was because
the idea of controlling the energy around him in such a way had many similarities to Mana.
When using this technique, though, the energy wasn't going to his core; instead, it was
going to his mana core, his heart.
The Dark essence he was absorbing was increasing his affinity with Dark magic, increasing
his Dark attribute.
'This is… what are these techniques? Countless mages tried to research a number of
different ways to increase their affinity with a type of magic.
'Due to Dark magic lacking research, there were very few methods, meaning one would
have to stick to more conventional methods, using beast crystals from powerful creatures
and creating special elixirs from rare herbs, but this, it's almost simple meditation.'
With this, it was increasing Raze's power when using Dark techniques, but it still didn't
increase the amount of mana he could control. Both things would need to go hand in hand,
so eventually, Raze would hit a bottleneck, but if this was a world of magic, he would be a
step ahead of everyone else.
"Alright, you two, remember this feeling well, and we will continue to do this every day
from now on." Mr. Kron said.
When the two opened their eyes, they could see that the rest of the students had stopped
their basic training and were now sitting in a meditating state, cultivating their powers as
well.
"Safa, is it okay if I speak to your brother alone for a bit? If you want, you can join the others
and practice what we were just doing, but only do what you can." Mr. Kron said.
Usually, he wouldn't have done such a thing for a student cultivating for the first time, but
Safa had perfect control.
"I wanted to speak to you on your own." Mr. Kron said. "I'll be blunt when I say this; I don't
think the Dark Essence cultivation technique is for you."
'Not for me, not for me, what does he mean, this is perfect for me! I'm able to make my dark
energy stronger just by meditating every day!'
"I don't want you to lose heart," the teacher said, his eyes serious but kind. "This doesn't
mean you can't practice martial arts, but I might not be the one who can help you."
"What I suspect is that your body already has a large amount of Light energy inside it."
'What? What!!!' Raze was extremely confused but he allowed the teacher to share his
theory.
"I'm not certain because I am not a Pagna doctor, but occasionally we encounter individuals
whose bodies contain a natural amount of Dark energy or Light energy. Because they are
born this way, their bodies are usually very sick and weak. They have a lot of impurities
due to the buildup from birth. Now, when we cultivate, we rid our bodies of these
impurities. When you were cultivating just now, the energy was being absorbed but no
impurities were coming out from your body."
"So, my guess is, the energy was being destroyed by your body that already has a lot of light
energy inside it. Whereas a normal body would be an empty vessel of sorts."
Now Raze understood where the teacher's theory was coming from, but the energy wasn't
being destroyed, it was just being added to his mana core instead.
"What I suggest is for you to learn a different cultivation technique. There are those that
take in more than just the energy of dark and light, however, I do not know of any other
cultivation techniques than the one I just showed."
"Perhaps, if you joined the academy or traveled elsewhere, you would be able to learn
another cultivation technique. However, if you plan to stay in the Dark Faction, I must warn
you."
"The fighting techniques taught by the Dark Clan use Dark energy as its basis along with Qi.
Although you can use another energy, it might mean you might not get the best out of that
technique."
"Dark energy is more destructive and spreads out wide, so the techniques taught suit that
energy. Light energy is more straight and forward."
"One can use different energy to perform different fighting techniques, but the results
might not be the best. I will continue to teach you fighting techniques, but I only know
techniques belonging to the Dark Faction, so in the future, if you do cultivate another
energy, it might not be the best for you."
Hearing all of the information, Raze bowed down, as he gave his thanks. Because he was
truly thankful to the teacher. Although this news might have been disappointing for many,
for Raze, he was over the moon with what he had just learned.
'That does make me wonder though? If I did learn a different cultivation technique, would I
also be able to control Qi in my dantian? Since the energy wouldn't be absorbed by my
magic core.'
'Would I then be able to do martial arts and perform magic?'
Chapter 9: The power of a punch!
Chapter 9: The power of a punch!
Despite Raze not having a core of Qi to work with, he was still invited to the next part of the
class training. The students were lined up in the courtyard with a few meters of space all
around them.
"A good foundation for one's body is important, and you should build that by enforcing
your body with Qi, breaking down the muscles inside your body allowing it to repair and
create a stronger body, as well as a mix of physical activity as well. Does anyone know what
the next important step is?" Kron asked.
Simyon and a few others had raised their hands, and Kron nodded toward him.
"Fighting techniques!" Simyon threw out a fist hitting the air. It sounded relatively
powerful as some wind was seen flowing around his arm from the impact.
"The number of techniques you have is important in order to be diverse when fighting
against your opponent, but what I am looking for is something that would enhance even
that."
Gren then raised his hand straight up, and Kron selected him this time.
"Footwork sir. Without footwork, the appropriate power cannot be put into one's
techniques. Not only that, but the basics of any battle is to hit without being hit."
A smile appeared on Kron's face, pleased with the answer.
"Correct, this is why I have been teaching all of you the basic two-step shift. It is the most
simple of footwork techniques but can be added to any technique to make it more
powerful."
Raze, watching everyone, was starting to figure it out. Gren was one of those that were a bit
two-faced. The perfect student in front of the teacher, but then when his back was turned
he treated everyone else as if they were below him.
"Allow me to demonstrate."
Kron took a deep breath through his nostrils, and then with the Qi channeling inside him,
he threw out a punch in the air. A loud bang went off right in front of their eyes. Although it
only had hit the air, Raze's heart was starting to beat faster.
'That's it… that attack is the same power as Sonny had. The power to crush boulders with
just one's fist!'
"Now, I want you to watch carefully as I add the two-step shift," Kron said.
He got in the same fighting stance again, but his legs were spread further apart. After that,
he moved forward, his front foot first, it landed on the ground perfectly, and then the back
foot followed.
There was a shift forward and with the perfect timing, the fist was thrown out. Each of the
movements used had Qi utilized in them including the two steps. When the arm was fully
extended and the fist hit the air, a louder bang nearly four times as loud was heard.
Wind currents were created moving furiously in the air.
"Now do you see, the two-step shift is a technique on its own, and the spiral punch is
another. When using these moves, I used the same amount of Qi, yet the power was
amplified. Even if you don't have strong Qi, if you are able to perfect your footwork and add
it to your techniques, you will be able to create a powerful hit."
Kron went on to demonstrate just the footwork a few times, and each of them repeated the
steps over slowly, again and again. Kron would then walk around and give each person
pointers.
Once he was satisfied with the basic movements, one was able to speed up the two-step
shift, but that was where people made mistakes and he would correct them again. Finally,
he would allow them to add on a punch at the end. It was just throwing out one's arm, not a
special technique like he had demonstrated earlier.
Everyone was doing relatively well, although it was hard for the students to evaluate each
other. They weren't at the skill level to be able to tell if one's technique was off. For a while,
he paused as he watched Safa.
"You are very good at taking instructions and copying, aren't you." Kron complimented.
Safa turned her head, her cheeks turning a shade redder.
Then it came to Raze once more. He was copying the steps, and although it didn't seem
sloppy it felt like there was no energy in any of his movements. Not only that, but he was
already tired, and more exhausted than anyone else.
'This could be the result of him having little Qi in his body, or his body being full of
impurities. It's a shame because he seems to follow instructions well.' Kron thought.
Raze managed to catch the look that the teacher had given him before moving on.
'I've seen that look before… I've seen it many times. Back then, they thought the same thing,
they said I would never accomplish anything, I would never change anything, and then I
became the most wanted man in the world.' Raze clenched his fists and continued the steps
again and again until his body couldn't take it anymore.
"Alright!" Kron clapped. "As usual, we will proceed with the final part of our exercise."
Walking over to another part of the courtyard there was what looked like a giant pillar.
However, immediately Raze could tell that it was no ordinary pillar, he could see that
energy was being pulled from the air and was being absorbed by the pillar itself.
'That's interesting, I wonder what material that is made of. If there are things like this, then
maybe there are ingredients similar to it on Alteiran. If that's the case, I might even be able
to create elixirs to improve this body's condition.' Raze thought.
Kron gave the pillar a light tap, and the energy from his fist was almost absorbed. On the
pillar itself, a number started to faintly appear as if it was engraved into the stone, and it
had perfectly stopped at 50.
"I hope each of you remembers what your numbers were last time," Kron smiled.
The students, one by one, prepared themselves as they used the two-step along with the
punch to perform the technique, hitting the pillar. The number on the pillar would change.
It was interesting as the pillar seemed to absorb the power of the hit, making no noise and
then registering the hit. The first to try to hit the pillar had achieved a number of 12, and
they were an eight-year-old child, but they had performed the technique well.
It also went to show the difference between the hits since Kron had given it a light tap, how
much power must have been in the tap.
'Ah, now I see, it's a measuring device. The students take their scores down and see if they
have improved or not.'
Most of the students were jumping for joy as they saw their numbers higher than they were
the time before. The numbers ranged from 10, going up to around 20 was the highest he
had seen.
Soon, it was Simyon's turn next. His hands were shaking and he looked a bit nervous. He
followed the steps and hit the machine with a loud bang, waiting for the number to appear.
"14…" Simyon said. "That's the same as last time… why have I been stuck on this number
for so long."
Next up with a large grin on his face was Gren. It was the polar opposite of Simyon, who
was confident in each of his steps and when he finally let out a fist hitting the pillar, the
score appeared.
[22]
"Yes, I finally did it, I finally surpassed the twenties!"
As annoying as a person might be, one had to admit when one was skillful and talented.
"Alright, last up, Safa and Raze, the newcomers!" Kron shouted.
----
At the large Red Brigade base, Sonny had entered one of the large meeting rooms, where a
single man wearing a red helmet with a large point on top of his head sat. He was sitting on
a chair looking away from Sonny.
"How are the children?" The man asked.
"They are doing well, with Mr Kron we will not have to worry about them for now. The only
ones that know his location are us." Sonny stated.
"That makes me feel a little at ease." The man replied. "We have to protect them, those two
are the only ones that have ever survived an attack. I'm sure there will be those that will do
anything they can to make sure they are dead."
Chapter 10: A combination?
Chapter 10: A combination?
Of the two newcomers, Safa was the first to step forward. Although some time had passed,
Raze was still feeling somewhat exhausted, and he wanted to give his all on the measuring
device. That way, he could at least have an idea of how he compared to the others around
him.
As Safa walked up, Gren whispered to the twins by his side, "Hey, it's the disabled girl's
turn. I guess we're going to see the score of a non-fully functional human."
The twins giggled as they heard this. The twins themselves hadn't gotten a bad score on the
assessment, hitting around eighteen. It was quite clear that the three of them were the best
out of the kids here, and they made their position quite clear.
'I can't believe these kids care so much about a simple matter. When they get out into the
real world, they will learn that all of this is pointless,' Raze thought. 'Who's the best looking,
who's the strongest, none of that matters apart from trying to put food on the table and a
roof over your head.'
Stepping up, Safa prepared herself and gave the nod to Kron when she was ready. She then
executed the two-step shift. According to Raze's eyes, it looked perfect, at least compared to
the teacher.
Then, when throwing out the fist, a small spark of her inner energy could be felt coming out
of her fist. It slammed into the pillar, and the numbers started to change.
[22]
"Haha!" Kron couldn't keep the smile off his face. "I knew you were a special one."
Raze peeked over at Gren, whose mouth looked as if it was ready to fall to the floor. How
long had he been at the temple for, how hard had he worked, to eventually achieve a score
of 22?
Then, someone who had just joined, with a few simple instructions, was able to get the
same score as him. This was what one called true talent.
Safa, pleased with herself, smiled as she went back to join the others in the line-up, and
now it was Raze's turn.
"Come on, Raze!" Simyon shouted at the top of his lungs. "If that's what your little sister can
do, then I expect big things from you."
'Come on, really?' Raze thought, getting into position. 'Didn't you see how weak this body
was?'
There was something innocent about the way Simyon cheered him on. He was generally a
happy guy. For an orphan like him, it was rare.
Ignoring all of that, Raze focused. 'I rested enough. I want to do this properly, at least once,'
Raze thought.
When he was ready, Raze took his time. He remembered carefully the movements that
Kron had made, and then remembered what his sister had just displayed. His legs were
moving as he imagined his body like theirs.
The two-step shift was imitated, and throwing out his fist, it hit the pillar straight ahead,
absorbing the energy.
'That was a good hit… he copied the movements exactly like his sister,' Kron thought as he
looked at the number that was starting to appear.
[10]
'But, his body is incredibly weak, and there was zero force of Qi. Sometimes, I don't know
what to think about him. He is perfect at practicing movements, imitating them well, a
talent just as good as his sister, but a body that can't keep up with him.'
Raze was breathing heavily, as if out of breath. Even though he had only done three
movements, two steps and one punch. Focusing while doing such a thing, on top of all the
exercise, had worn him out.
'I guess, an attack that is half the strength of the others isn't so bad.'
"What the?" Gren whispered to the twins again. "I thought his sister was the disabled one,
but it might be this guy. What the heck is wrong with him? Man, if Mr. Kron wastes his time
teaching this guy, then he's just going to waste our time."
——
The day had come to an end, and Raze felt like he had learned a lot about the world already
that could improve his basis for his magic. It was a good start, and he was sure that he
would be able to surpass the strength he had in his previous life.
Exhausted, everyone had returned to their rooms for the night, and Raze was in the room
with his sister, who was lying on the bed with a smile that couldn't leave her face.
'I guess she's over the moon as well. It's good to see her smile like that after having lost her
parents,' Raze thought but soon shook his head, wondering what on earth he was thinking.
With a clench of his fist, he struck his own thigh, frustration clouding his features. "This
damned body of mine is mixing my emotions," he muttered bitterly, his mind swirling with
confusion. "It reacts every time he sees his damned sister; was he a siscon or something? I
wonder how long until these feelings will disappear. Old Raze, you're dead, stop lingering
in this body and let me do what I wish!"
Before going to sleep, Raze settled into the meditating position he had adopted earlier. He
commenced the dark essence cultivation technique, trying to absorb the energy that
surrounded him, directing it towards his Dark core.
'This is good, but it's hard to know my progress,' Raze mused. 'There were a number of
facilities on Alterian that allowed one to measure their mana capability and dark essence
power.'
A sudden realization dawned on him; there was a way to measure his power in this world.
Rising to his feet, he headed to the door and turned to his sister.
"Don't say a word to anyone about me leaving this place," Raze instructed, then slapped his
forehead, remembering she couldn't speak. "I mean, just keep this a secret, okay?"
Safa nodded, watching Raze leave the room, curiosity flitting across her face as she
wondered what he would be doing at this late hour.
Moving stealthily through the building, Raze was grateful everyone else was still asleep.
Eventually, the crisp night air greeted him as he stepped outside. Walking across the
courtyard, he arrived at the spot where they had trained earlier that day, standing in front
of the measuring pillar.
'This thing… I saw how it worked. It absorbed the energy from the blow, which means...'
Raze lifted his hand, dark aura swirling around it.
'It should be able to measure the strength of magic as well.'
Pointing his hand towards the target, Raze intoned, "Dark pulse." Energy shot out like a
beam, a small pulse leaving his hand and striking the pillar.
Just like the punches, the energy was absorbed, ensuring there was no sound, and numbers
slowly started to appear on the pillar.
'I can tell, the dark energy is already stronger than it was before due to the cultivation
technique. Of course, as time goes on, its effects will lessen, but this is still great.'
[19]
The score finally appeared on the pillar, bringing a smile to Raze's face. With this score, he
was the third strongest in terms of a single hit. Not only that, but Dark pulse was a skill he
could use at least five times and from a distance; if he got into a fight with one of the others,
he was confident he would win.
Satisfied with the results, Raze resolved to continue using the cultivation technique and
test it out on the pillar night after night, observing how much his skill would grow in terms
of strength.
Before he completely turned away, however, he stopped himself and looked at the pillar
once again. Approaching it, he adopted the same stance as he had earlier in the day.
'The two-step shift… this should work right?' Raze thought.
As before, he memorized the steps, feeling well-rested, and moved his feet at the right time.
Then, as he prepared his punch, he gathered the dark aura around his hand.
"Dark pulse."
Raze's fist hit the pillar, and simultaneously, a ripple of dark energy spiraled before being
absorbed into the pillar. It felt like a solid hit with more power than before. The numbers
began appearing on the pillar.
[35]
'This…'
Speechless, Raze pondered the implications. Kron's words suddenly made sense.
'That two-step shift, Kron said, it could be used to enhance other techniques, right? What if
I used the two-step, and then, when throwing out a punch, I used the Dark pulse skill;
would it create a larger effect? I have none of this Qi energy… but the skill improved my
regular punch, so in theory, it should work, and it seemed like it did.'
At best, he thought the result would be his punch plus Dark pulse, giving him a total score
of 29. However, the footwork, added to the magic skill, must have improved the power of
the magic attack as well, giving him a total of 35.
'I was right… mixing martial arts, even if I don't have Qi, with my magic, it works!'
Raze felt as though he had taken his first step towards becoming a magic fighter.
Exhausted, he wanted to try the hit again, but he could feel his body weakening, and the
results wouldn't be as good as before.
That's when he heard movement coming from the temple. He quickly needed to move
away. Swiftly, he moved to the side of the temple entrance. One of the children had gotten
up in the middle of the night.
Deciding it was best to head back to his room, Raze pondered his next steps.
——
Early the next morning, Mr. Kron rose before the rest of the children. A dedicated trainer,
he had a routine and didn't need as much sleep as the others.
Upon reaching the courtyard, he headed towards the pillar. There were no numbers on the
front of the pillar; they disappeared after some time, but Mr. Kron went to the back of the
pillar. Here, the numbers would be recorded, and Mr. Kron was keeping note of who was
showing the most improvement.
That's when his eyebrows raised in surprise.
'What… When was this recorded… who managed to get such a high score?'
Chapter 11: A Pool of Tears
Chapter 11: A Pool of Tears
The dawn of a new day arrived, and, much to Raze's astonishment, despite having slept on
the unforgiving wooden floorboards, it was probably the most restful slumber he had
experienced in a long while. There was an absence of inner turmoil.
No anxiety that he would be pursued or assaulted at any given moment, and his dreams
were filled with hopeful visions of what the future might hold. After rubbing the sleep from
his eyes, he was pleasantly surprised to find Safa already awake, seated on the bed in a
meditative pose.
"A diligent one, I see," Raze remarked. "You should maintain that, you never know when
the world can flip upside down, and who knows, those people might return to kill us."
His sudden comment shattered Safa's focus, and her eyes began to well up slightly. Tears
were already forming as she recalled her parents' demise.
"Oh… Come on!" Raze protested. "The death happened like, a few days ago, aren't you over
it already?"
Somewhat irritated, Raze exited the room. He shut the door behind him, and as he did, he
felt a heaviness envelop his chest once more. Death, losing loved ones, had become a part of
his reality.
The only thing one could do was concentrate on how to move forward from that.
'When you lose someone, you need to channel all your energy into the next thing... and for
me, that's getting rid of them.'
The day commenced similarly to the previous one, with each of the children assigned
chores around the place. However, this time, Raze wasn't absent for the morning, so he had
to assist in preparing breakfast.
He and Simyon were reunited once again, and they were boiling some bones to make hot,
fresh bone soup.
"Hey, your sister did pretty amazing with those moves yesterday, she's really talented,"
Simyon said. "You know, you're going to have to work a bit harder to catch up to her. I'm
sure when she's older, there will be a countless number of guys coming after her; you might
need to fend them off."
"Why would I need to do that?" Raze queried. "She's better than me, so surely she could just
beat them up herself."
"You know, it's just what family does!" Simyon declared. "It's not about who's stronger;
you're her big brother after all."
"Well, we're not that close," Raze responded, as he continued stirring the soup. "So she will
have to deal with that stuff on her own two feet."
Hearing those words, for some reason, Simyon fell silent until a few words were eventually
spoken out.
"You should be careful, Raze. You never know what you've lost until it's gone; you should
cherish your time with your family."
It was the first time Raze had seen Simyon so solemn; he was always upbeat with his
words, which was why he chose to say nothing, but the truth was, Raze wanted to reply.
'Trust me, I know that better than anyone.'
As they were ready to move onto the next step, suddenly Mr. Kron entered the room.
"Ah, I see you two are basically done. Raze, is it okay if I speak with you for a while?
Simyon, why don't you go help clean the hall with the others for the time being? When Raze
and I are back, we'll serve up breakfast for you all."
"Of course!" Simyon agreed as he left, looking back briefly before exiting the room.
'That's a little strange; I wonder why Mr. Kron wants to speak to Raze. Did he do something
wrong?'
Regardless, Simyon continued and entered the main hall. It was large, filled with
armaments on stands that needed dusting. There was also a giant statue at the back of one
of the legendary figures that had formed the Dark Faction.
Just from the face, one couldn't tell who it was because the statue depicted a hooded figure,
but in all images and statues, the leader was portrayed in this manner. Then there was the
large wooden floor.
Each of the children had a separate area they were responsible for cleaning, and he could
see Safa scrubbing the floors diligently.
'Hmm, Raze is sometimes hard to talk to; it would be good if I could get close to Safa and
find out what's up… but she can't speak. For some reason, even though that's the case, I feel
like she's more approachable.'
Heading over to Safa, Simyon was about to give it a try when he saw a bucket of water spill
all over the area Safa had just cleaned. The water was dark, filled with dirt.
"Ah crap!" Gren exclaimed. "I dropped the bucket all over the place. I'm sorry, after you had
just finished cleaning it all. Well, what can you do? You don't mind cleaning it all again, do
you?
"I don't mind cleaning it for you, but if you want to, then you just have to ask me. You have
to say the words, 'can you clean it'."
Finishing his sentence, the two twins, Biyo and Giyo, couldn't help giggling. They knew she
was unable to speak; everyone knew by now.
'Ah crap… Why did Gren have to target her?' Simyon thought, rubbing his eyelids.
Safa didn't say anything, of course, and decided to just continue cleaning up the mess that
had just been made. It was easy work for her, and she knew what was happening.
The two twins then looked at each other, as they suddenly had an idea. Picking up their
buckets of dirty water from cleaning, the two of them started running straight at Safa.
"Hey, Giyo, stop pushing me!"
"No, you stop pushing me, Biyo!"
Colliding into each other, the buckets flew into the air, landing on Safa and dousing her
entirely. The other children turned their attention to Safa as she was drenched in the filthy
water. They recognized what was transpiring; they had witnessed it before. The three had
designated Safa as their target.
——
Escorting Mr. Kron, the pair eventually made their way into his study. It was Raze's second
visit to the room, but rather than occupying the sofa, he stood before the desk while Mr.
Kron settled into his chair.
"I've been pondering the situation from yesterday and my inability to assist you. After some
reflection, I arrived at a decision," Mr. Kron announced as he retrieved a small box from
behind him and positioned it on the table. "You possess talent, Raze, and it would be
inhumane to thrust you into the world without the means to defend yourself."
Mr. Kron lifted the lid of the box, unveiling a red, petite sphere.
"What you see here is an Essence Foundation pill. Once ingested, it will provide you with
the equivalent amount of Qi as a decade of cultivation. Given your constitution, it may not
yield the same results, but it could be the catalyst needed for your body to establish its
foundation."
Raze found himself unable to look away from the pill, but it wasn't Mr. Kron's words that
captivated him. It was the energy radiating from the pill itself. Having the ability to
manipulate mana in the air, Raze was particularly sensitive to energy.
'This pill… it shares the same energy as an energy crystal from a beast of another world!
Could I potentially utilize this… to return to Alterian? To revisit my world?'
Chapter 12: Family hurts
Chapter 12: Family hurts
Energy swirled from the pill before him, a phenomenon Raze was intimately familiar with.
It was the same energy emanating from mythical creatures in his world, or more
specifically, from the crystals they would relinquish upon their demise.
Raze hailed from a planet called Alterian, a world devoid of such mythical beasts. Yet,
mages, through their magic, strength, and rigorous testing, had achieved a breakthrough:
the ability to create portals to other worlds, or perhaps other planets - the distinction
remained unclear.
On these foreign lands, mythical creatures, animals of immense power capable of
harnessing strength akin to mages, roamed freely. Upon their death, the crystals were
uncovered. These crystals were a monumental breakthrough, empowering mages to craft
items that enhanced their abilities, facilitated physical growth to ascend to the next star
stage, and even opened portals themselves.
This era was hailed as the golden period of magic, and to this day, portals were continually
opened to hunt beasts for stronger crystals. Despite exploring numerous planets and
locations, there remained no sign of other intelligent life, at least to Raze's knowledge.
'A high star mage, equipped with the knowledge of magic circle formations, can utilize their
own mana to open a portal. As a one-star mage, my mana is insufficient. However, instead
of using my own mana, I can harness the power of a crystal, or in this instance, this pill!'
Human life, in any other form, had yet to be discovered through the opened portals. The
world Raze currently inhabited was beyond imagination, yet it existed. Thus, there was a
glimmer of hope that a portal could lead him back to Alterian.
'It's unlikely that I will succeed on my first attempt. Nevertheless, even if I am transported
to another location, I can hunt beasts, gather more crystals to augment my body's strength,
and progress to the next Star stage!'
"This pill is exceedingly rare, Raze," Kron continued. "For individuals like us, acquiring
something of this nature could take a lifetime. For intermediate and deity stage Pagna
warriors, this might be trivial, but we are not them. It is imperative that you do not inform
the other students of my involvement. Ideally, consume this discreetly at night. It will take a
few hours for your body to assimilate all the energy." Kron winked.
Raze was genuinely perplexed by Kron's generosity. It concerned him that there might be
an ulterior motive. However, for the time being, he decided not to dwell on it, as he had no
intention of using the pill as Kron had advised.
With that, their meeting concluded, and they rejoined the others for breakfast. As they
exited the room and entered the main hall, they noticed Safa soaked, water dripping from
her body.
"What happened here?" Kron inquired.
"Ah, it was us, sir!" Giyo confessed, bowing down. "My brother and I were careless while
playing and made a mistake. We will clean it up immediately!"
"It's okay," Kron reassured. "Safa, clean yourself up, change your clothes, and then join us
for breakfast. The rest of you, don't worry about this; I will handle it."
The group complied, and everyone prepared for breakfast, with Gren, Giyo, and Biyo
sporting broad smiles.
Breakfast was uneventful. Safa joined later, and everyone enjoyed their meal. A brief
respite followed before they resumed their chores.
Since Simyon had praised Raze's culinary skills, they continued to work together in the
kitchen, preparing both lunch and dinner. While busily chopping vegetables, Simyon could
no longer contain himself.
"Hey man, I'm not sure if your sister planned to tell you, but what happened to her this
morning wasn't an accident," Simyon revealed.
"You mean her being soaked with water?" Raze asked.
"Yes, man. Look, I've witnessed it before. Those guys resent anyone talented encroaching
on their territory. They relish being Kron's star pupils and are easily envious. If you
outshine them, they will attempt to knock you down. Why do you think my scores are
always so low during practice?"
"Because you suck?" Raze retorted instantly.
Simyon felt as if an arrow had pierced his heart, but he tried to dismiss it because, in all
honesty, there was some truth to it. He was merely attempting to salvage his pride.
"Hey, I'm serious here. Things will only escalate. The last person they did this to ended up
fleeing the temple. They've done it before and gotten away with it, so they'll do it again."
Raze sighed, realizing the direction Simyon was headed.
"You said it yourself, it's happened before and will happen again. So things won't change
unless someone does something. If I intervene, it won't alter the situation. Safa needs to
stand up for herself.
"There are plenty of people like them out in the world, so when it happens again and no
one is there to protect her, what is she going to do? Cry like she did now? Will a white
knight like you come to her rescue?"
Simyon's face flushed with embarrassment at the remark.
"Besides, what am I supposed to do? She's stronger than me; I'm just a weakling who'll get
hurt in the process," Raze added, as he continued chopping the carrots before him.
"But she's your si-"
"Enough!" Raze interjected sharply. It was the first time he had raised his voice, especially
at Simyon.
Something about the entire conversation rubbed Raze the wrong way. It didn't help that his
body was reacting contrary to his thoughts. When he saw his sister earlier, he yearned to
rush over and embrace her.
But Raze also understood that just because someone is family doesn't mean they need to be
kind to you. Family, being the ones closest to you, are often the ones who can hurt you the
most.
It was best for Safa to become stronger independently.
——
Outside, a group of children were sweeping the ground. Safa was near the stairs leading up
to the temple, while Gren and the twins occupied the vast courtyard. They occasionally
glanced over their shoulders at Safa.
"That was really clever what you did back there," Giyo chuckled.
"How long do you think this one will last?" Biyo inquired.
"I don't know; she might stay a bit longer since she has her brother with her."
"Yeah, but he's a weakling; it's not like he can do anything. Maybe we should target him as
well; that way, she'll leave quicker, and they'll both be gone."
"No," Gren interjected, interrupting the two. "Leave her brother alone. He seems unaffected
by what is happening. I'm sure the two aren't close, and besides, like you said, he's weak;
there's nothing to worry about."
Although Gren expressed these thoughts, he was contemplating something different. There
was something disconcerting about the new boy.
'I'm not sure if I imagined it or not, but when he came out with Kron and saw his sister, it
was only for a moment… but those eyes. I don't know why, but my whole body trembles
every time I think about it.'
Chapter 13: Opening another door
Chapter 13: Opening another door
As evening approached, mirroring the day before, it was time for their afternoon training.
Raze, once more involved in the physical exercises, struggled as he had previously, but
endeavoured to push himself a bit further.
"I think I lasted 3 minutes and 25 seconds this time. If I stay on track, I can improve bit by
bit. It's a shame there are no elixirs here... but if there are cultivation pills, I might find a
way to acquire more," Raze mused.
Considering this, he deemed it too risky. The temple was secluded, far from the central city,
and the only cultivation aids of value were from the Pagna warriors. Unless he courted
danger, he needed to chart his own path for growth.
"With my current stamina, I might not even make it there and back before sunrise."
During the run, Safa was near the lead, running closely behind Gren. Seeing this, Gren
quickened his pace. Other students began to lag, but Safa, determination etched on her face,
maintained her speed.
Gren thought with a hint of irritation, "What's she trying to prove? Overtake me? Just who
does she think she is?"
In a sudden move, Gren lifted his foot carefully, and at the right time, he stomped on Safa's
foot, causing her to trip. Because of their swift pace, she fell hard, scraping her hand against
the ground.
Seeing the mishap, Kron swiftly ordered everyone to stop and moved to the next phase.
Simyon, meanwhile, eyed Gren and the twins with evident displeasure, occasionally
shooting glances at Raze.
"Does he genuinely not care about his sister?" Simyon pondered.
Next came meditation, channeling energy and refining one's Qi. Raze enjoyed this
immensely, feeling the power of his dark core grow stronger. Soon, they transitioned to the
practical lesson.
"Now that you've mastered the two-step shift, I want to teach you about controlling
distance in a real scenario," Kron announced.
"Pair up with someone of similar ability. Stand with your fist just touching your opponent's
nose. Take two steps back, execute the two-step shift, and return to the starting position.
Your partner's task is to focus on the incoming fist, resisting the urge to flinch. Start slow,
then gradually increase speed. If a hit seems inevitable, dodge, but only if you see it
coming."
As the students began to pair up, Simyon approached Raze. "Hey, I know I'm ahead of you
in this, but first, I think I'm the only one who talks to you, and secondly, matching you
against the younger ones? It's clearly a disadvantage."
Raze merely shrugged in response. Simyon initiated, throwing punches without the steps.
Raze was unphased. Even when Simyon incorporated the two-step shift, Raze remained
steady, almost looking a little bored.
"Is it really not that frightening?" Simyon inquired. "Are you trying to get me to actually hit
you?"
Simyon had to admit, right now Raze had a really punchable face.
He soon regretted asking. Raze, in a mock attempt, sent a fist towards Simyon who
stumbled back in surprise.
"How were you so composed? I couldn't even keep my eyes open!" Simyon questioned.
Raze thought, 'Being a mage, I've faced countless magical formations. A fist is the least of
my concerns.' He silently wondered how he'd fare against a genuine Pagna warrior.
Elsewhere, Safa was seeking a partner. As she spotted her brother, excitement filled her
eyes, ready to approach him, but Gren stepped in her way. "Our scores on the pillar test
were similar, and we're about the same height. No one else came close to our results, so we
should be partners, right?"
Trapped by Gren's logic and unable to voice her thoughts, Safa resorted to sign language.
"Alright, here I go!" Gren stated, letting out his fist.
Overzealous, he shot his fist out, striking Safa's nose. Blood splattered as she fell, dazed and
hurt.
"I'm so sorry! I misjudged the distance! I should've listened to Kron," Gren exclaimed,
offering a helping hand, and bowing several times.
Safa, overwhelmed with emotion and on the verge of tears, refused the gesture. With her
family gone and her brother's indifference, she felt utterly lost and alone.
When she heard Kron praising her for her skills and martial arts, she thought she could
immerse herself in that, but now she was being treated this way. Why?
Simyon took a step forward, halting abruptly and staring at the ground.
'I really want to help,' Simyon thought. 'It's clear they're doing this intentionally. Even if I
mention it to Mr. Kron, he'll just reprimand them. He won't expel them from the temple.
They're too talented, and then they'll target me. If that happens, I'm not sure I can handle it.
If I leave the temple, my dream of becoming a Pagna warrior will be shattered.'
Due to the unfortunate events that occurred, Kron had paired them up differently, and the
training soon ended for the night.
Back in their room, Safa gingerly touched her nose. It was sore, but it didn't seem broken.
She was stronger than she appeared, or perhaps Gren wasn't as forceful as he seemed.
Either way, it was difficult for her to fall asleep.
"As usual, don't tell anyone what I'm doing," Raze said, sliding the door open. However, he
didn't walk out and just stood by the door before sliding it back again.
"If you're frustrated, sad, angry, annoyed, or whatever you're feeling right now. If you don't
do something about it now, you will end up feeling a lot worse later on. Some advice for
you, you should fight back."
Opening the door, Raze left just like that.
Instead of going to the courtyard this time, he needed to head to a more secluded area. The
temple was located partly up a large hilltop and was surrounded by trees in all different
directions.
Walking out of the temple was easier, and after he was a distance away somewhere in the
forest with enough space, he finally stopped, huffing and puffing from his steps.
'I wonder if Kron thought I would be heading outside of the temple. He did tell me to
consume the pill away from the eyes of others, and I assume that means my sister as well.'
Raze broke off a branch and started to draw a circle on the ground. After drawing the circle,
he then began to draw many symbols inside of it.
'The symbols in the magic circle are instructions for the energy to be used in a certain way.
With my life as an outcast, I couldn't just use the normal facilities other mages had, so I had
to memorize the magic circles.
'I'm sure this was a magic circle that opened up a portal to a relatively safe place with the
creatures I'm looking for, but I am on a different planet altogether. Which could mean that
these symbols could lead me to a different place altogether. For now, it's best that I don't
try and experiment though, and stick with what I know.'
Lifting up the stick, Raze was proud of the design he had drawn, and now there was just
one last step. He took the pill out from its container and stretched forward, dropping it in
the middle.
Then, walking to the edge of the circle, dark magic surrounded his index finger as he
touched the circle on the very edge.
Immediately, the magic circle started to glow a faint purple. It was moving, filling the lines
that Raze had carefully drawn. When all the lines were filled, it started to light up, and the
energy from the pill was being drawn out.
'I would have liked to have known what would have happened if I was to eat the pill, but
right now, this is the much safer bet.' Raze had a large grin on his face because right in front
of his eyes was a large glowing portal.
It looked like a giant floating mirror, but there was no reflection, instead, a mystical
glowing power that was lighting up the forest.
"It worked," Raze said to himself, and didn't hesitate as he took a step forward into the
portal. "Let's get stronger and then I can deal with this world of martial arts."
Chapter 14: Portal Discovery: Battle with a monster
Chapter 14: Portal Discovery: Battle with a monster
Stepping through the portal was always bizarre. The sensation was like temporarily losing
one's grip on existence — ethereal and almost vacant. Once on the other side, sensations
like the brush of the wind would slowly seep back into one's awareness.
No matter how many times it was experienced, that fleeting emptiness was something
impossible to grow accustomed to.
As Raze's boot met solid ground, the portal behind him snapped shut with a near-electric
buzz.
Taking in his surroundings, a whirlwind of questions consumed him.
"Where am I?" Raze pondered. "This doesn't resemble Alterian. I used the identical magic
circle formation. How did I end up somewhere entirely unfamiliar?"
Above him, the night sky was painted with the hues of a large red moon, bathing everything
beneath in a crimson glow. Cobblestones lay underfoot, and the area was strewn with
decaying crates, tarnished silver, and items too eroded to discern. However, what
dominated his view was an imposing building, reminiscent of the ancient architecture of
Raze's world. It had the majesty of a coliseum, though time had taken its toll on the
structure.
A noticeable absence of life — even vegetation — made the scene eerie. Spotting the
imprint of his magic circle on the ground, Raze hastily erased it with his foot, making a
mental note of his surroundings.
"Between the collapsed wagon and those sinister-looking trees forming a heart shape," he
cataloged the location in his mind.
The residual energy of a portal remained for a few days. As long as Raze returned and
sketched the same formation, infusing it with his magic, a gateway back to his new
homeland would manifest. But he didn't want to risk someone else activating it, hence the
need to remove the marking.
For now, exploration seemed the only logical course of action.
He wondered if any records of this place existed in Alterian. Through their portal project,
mages had visited numerous worlds, each distinctly unique. Some held treasures potent
even for mages, like the book Raze had procured — the one containing the transmigration
spell.
While intelligent life remained an undiscovered mystery, remnants of past life were
prevalent on these worlds.
Drawn to the grandeur of the coliseum, Raze ascended its steps. The distant cityscape
beckoned, but the immediate allure of the massive structure was irresistible.
Suddenly, a guttural growl reverberated from his right. Turning, Raze's eyes locked onto a
capsized carriage, behind which glowed three menacing eyes.
"Trust me, growling at me won't end well for you," Raze warned, magic pulsating around
his entire hand, amplifying in intensity.
With a terrifying roar, a beastly creature lunged from the shadows of the carriage. About
the size of a husky but far more menacing with its triad of eyes, spike-laden back, and
hairless, ruby-red skin.
As it launched toward him, Raze thrust forward, "Dark Pulse!"
A surge of shadowy energy burst forth, slamming into the creature, piercing its midsection.
As it hurtled onward, Raze deftly evaded its snapping jaws with a roll. Re-composing
himself, he noticed the creature, though gravely injured, remained a threat.
Lifting his arm, he pointed it at the head and unleashed a smaller yet more focused "Dark
Pulse", instantly incapacitating the beast.
---
'Ugh, my leg is killing me… Maybe the two-step shift would've been smarter. Why'd I trust
my instincts?'
The creature, once defeated, emitted a mysterious black mist. The ethereal veil floated
towards Raze, sinking seamlessly into his skin, drawn magnetically towards his Dark core.
'The perks of Dark Magic that my previous body couldn't capitalize on.' A smirk played on
Raze's lips. 'Each life taken boosts the Dark element. It's why it's been shunned, labeled as
taboo. My previous wind core limited my Dark potential. Not this time.'
His gaze landed on the fallen beast, reflecting on their skirmish.
'Stronger attacks, but such limited mana… Three more Dark Pulses at most without casting
anything else.' His hands got to work, tearing into the creature with unsettling expertise.
Blood spurted and flesh parted until he found his prize: a crystal.
'Bingo. This is why I'm here.' His eyes sparkled with excitement.
The crystal shimmered faintly, a muted yellow hue hinting at its power. The creature was
what was known as a basic creature, which gave basic crystals like this one. To the normal
folk it was a treasure, to the top mages it was nothing, but to a 1-star mage like Raze, every
bit mattered.
Tucking the crystal away, he diverted his attention to the nearby crates and cases.
Moments later, he held up a ring. Finding a patch of ground, he began to craft another
magic circle.
'In my former life, status restrained me. I made ends meet selling enhanced gear and elixirs
to boost mages. Dark magic creations were the pinnacle, if only they didn't come with
their… quirks.'
Upon finishing the circle, the ring and crystal met. Fueled by Dark magic, an item could
reach a caliber fit for a 3-star mage. A swift magic-infused gesture lit the circle. The silver
ring began its transformation, emerging with a regal purple hue.
"Reveal the ring's properties," Raze commanded. A ghostly whisper answered.
[The Cursed Dark Ring]
[The item is bound to a single user.]
[If taken off, the ring will be destroyed, if destroyed, the user will lose ten percent of its
dark attribute power]
The catch of Dark magic, the items were always cursed, meaning it always demanded a
price. A general-use item had been transformed into something personal and untradeable.
On top of that, if the item was destroyed even in battle, or Raze wanted to use a better item
in the future, he would have to deal with losing some of his power.
[For the one who wears this ring, with each life taken with the use of dark magic, a portion
of their mana will return.]
'Yes! That's the 3-star magic boost I needed!'
Raze slid the ring onto his index finger. A brief surge of power, an intimate connection with
his core, and then... nothing.
'With this, hunting beasts just got a lot easier.' He resumed his journey towards the
coliseum.
Suddenly, a distant scream echoed. "ARGHH!"
Raze's steps faltered. "Was that… a human?"
Chapter 15: Dark Strike
Chapter 15: Dark Strike
Locating where the sound had come from, it appeared it was towards the large building to
his right, the place he was originally going to head to.
'One would be a fool to head over to a scream like that,' Raze thought. 'That is only a recipe
to get killed. We're not in some kind of horror movie. So, it's best that I stay away from
that.'
With this thought in mind, Raze decided to continue to explore the outside platform that
went along the side of the large building. The noise was bothering Raze, though, and for a
number of reasons.
One, this was a portal to another planet, one with the same creatures that he had come
across when he went through portals on Alterian. Not once had they ever come across
another human.
'So does that mean there's another mage here doing a hunt as well? The creatures here
don't seem to be of high level, so at most the mages would be around 2 stars. Then again, it
could be someone who is just from this planet, a first.'
Raze soon had to stop in the middle of his thoughts though, as the same creature from
before appeared from behind one of the crates, growling and staring at him with its
piercing eyes.
"I understand how you feel. I killed your friend earlier, right? Was that your aunt, brother
perhaps? Look, let's make a deal, if you don't attack me, I won't attack you, okay?"
Almost immediately after saying those words, the beast leapt toward him again right in the
air. The monsters of other worlds, if the same, often attacked in the same manner.
At the same time, they were nearly always hostile to anyone they met; it was kill or be
killed. This was how they had discovered the use of the crystals in their bodies in the first
place.
Rather than rolling away, Raze waited until the right moment, and he positioned his feet,
just like he had done in training. Then, leaping off his back foot and stepping with his front,
he threw out a fist. Dark aura flowed out from it.
"Dark pulse!"
The fist pulsated and shot the magic out fiercer than before, ripping the top half of the dog's
head away, killing it in one hit and causing it to fall to the floor.
'The result of adding the two-step shift, while throwing out a punch, amplifies the dark
pulse. Even if I don't make direct contact, it's stronger than I thought.'
Just like before, the dark essence lifted from the dead creature and flowed right into Raze.
When it connected with his dark core, the ring on his finger lit up as well.
[16/250 Dark essence absorbed]
The dark ring had another effect; having connected with his dark core, it gave him a better
way to track his affinity with the dark attribute. Now, when cultivating the dark essence or
killing creatures, he would have an idea of how much stronger his dark magic was getting.
For now, there was a cap, but each time he raised his star mage level, the cap would also
increase, allowing his dark magic to grow even stronger than before.
[A portion of your mana has been restored]
The other effect of the ring had also kicked in, allowing him to use the Dark pulse skill once
again. But there was something that hadn't recovered, and that was his stamina.
'Using the two-step shift, because of this weak body, each time I use it with the Dark pulse,
its effect will weaken. I think this body could only do it perfectly about three times. Also,
this naming is a bit confusing. Let's just call them Dark pulse and Dark strike for now.'
For a mage, saying the spells was actually an important part of performing the spells. One
would have to have an image of the spell formation in their mind when they produce the
skill they said.
Attaching a word to each formation allowed for the image to easily appear in their head,
giving them a chance to use the attacks quicker with the correct formation. Essentially, one
would connect the word to the formation, and it was a lot easier to remember the word
than the image of the formation in their head.
Another crystal had been obtained, and the best part was, this crystal was all his to use. He
didn't need to use it to create an item; he could instead use it to increase his own magic
powers.
Knelt down, Raze was admiring the crystal in his hand with a large smile on his face.
"Stop right there!" A voice shouted from behind, slightly high in pitch, sounding like a
female.
'Don't tell me… I decided to walk around the place so I would avoid everyone.'
"You do not have permission to be here. Who are you? State your name and where you're
from!" The person demanded.
"Don't have permission?" Raze said, standing up and turning around. He wanted to have a
look at just what type of person could be so bold as to make such a claim.
"Are you the owner of this place or something? Who are you to ask for permission?" Raze
asked, as his anger had slightly taken over. The way the person spoke reminded him of the
many arrogant mages who looked down on all the others.
The two-faced bastards in the tower that preached all sorts of things but then did what
they wanted themselves.
When seeing the person in front of him, Raze was relatively surprised by what he saw. It
was a young woman, a beautiful one at that. Her straight black hair was tied up in a
ponytail, while part of her fringe stuck out over to one side.
However, her skin seemed to be glowing even in this light, but the surprising thing wasn't
her beauty. Raze had seen plenty of beautiful mages, especially ones who would use magic
to enhance their looks and change with the fads. Creating big lips one day, big bums the
next, and even large knees at one point had become a fad!
What Raze was surprised about was what she was wearing. She was covered in a white and
gold type of cloth material. It was tight-fitting around the chest and waist but a little loose
around the arms, and in her hand pointing right towards Raze was a sword.
'This, she's clearly not a mage, she almost looks like…'
"You must answer me!" The woman demanded again. "This area is owned by the
Dawnblade Clan! State what clan you are from. If you cannot answer me, I will get rid of you
right here, I swear on my name, Beatrix Highborn!"
It was now very clear, Raze was certain of it, this person was from the same world as him,
not the world of mages but the world of martial arts? Did he just teleport to a different
area?
No, he was sure of it by the color of the moon, this was another planet, so why was there a
Pagna warrior in front of him?
Raze was wondering if he should mention the name of the Red Brigade clan or say no name
at all since he wasn't technically from there. He also had no idea what stage this warrior
was at.
In the end, Raze had decided to take a risk.
"I'm from this planet," Raze answered.
"From this planet? Then you are just a beast disguised as a human, you must die!" Beatrix
shifted forward with her sword pointed. It was at incredible speed. It was clear that she
was able to use Qi, and his guess about her being a Pagna warrior was right.
'I can't avoid this… this body is too slow, I have no choice.'
Raze had no skills that could quickly move him out of the way, nor did he have any magic.
So he did the only few things he could do. He got into a stance and shifted forward.
'The two-step shift, so he is a Pagna warrior!' Beatrix thought. 'But, that's such a basic skill.
Why would someone use that in this situation?'
"Dark strike!" Raze shouted out, throwing his fist, gathering his magic.
The movements were simple, too simple and Beatrix was able to avoid the strike, and
instead she thrust her sword forward with her Qi, right toward Raze's chest.
'I thought you would do that, go right for the chest, and aim for the kill… I have no choice, it
will take up nearly all my mana, but I have to survive!'
"Shrouded heart!"
The sword hit Raze right on the chest, and his entire body was sent flying through the air.
His body crashed through the large building that was to his side, and he was no longer in
Beatrix's sight.
"That felt a little strange," Beatrix thought, looking at her sword. It was fine, but what was
of more concern was her own shoulder. Even though the fist hadn't connected, something
else did.
"What clan or faction was he from?"
Chapter 16: Spread My Name
Chapter 16: Spread My Name
The power from the sword strike was unexpected for Raze, as his whole body was lifted
into the air and hurled like a cannonball. Similarly, he had crashed right through the walls
of the building, eventually landing on the ground, covered in dust.
"Kuk!" Raze coughed, feeling a thumping pain on his back. Thankfully, the walls were
relatively brittle, having decayed for so long; otherwise, the hit would have taken a bigger
toll on his weakened body.
Lying on the floor for a moment, Raze pressed his hand against his chest over his heart,
right where the sword strike had hit him.
'If I didn't use the skill shrouded heart… I would have died,' Raze thought to himself.
As a 1-star mage with only the dark attribute, there were only so many formations and
spells that Raze could use. Dark magic wasn't heavily researched until him, so there were
fewer spells compared to other attributes.
In total, Raze could use five different spells right now. Dark pulse was an offensive move,
gathering and condensing the dark energy into a singular beam, and there was the skill he
had just used to save his life: shrouded heart.
This skill would gather all of the mana it could, creating a type of barrier. The barrier would
expand slightly out of the chest, appearing just outside one's clothing.
However, the skill was not to be used lightly. For one, it used up all of one's mana
regardless of the amount. Even Raze, as a 9-star mage, would deplete all his mana using this
skill, rendering him unable to fight afterward and preventing the use of other magical skills
while it was active.
The second downside was that the skill would only cover the heart. If the attacker had
aimed for his head, Raze would be dead right now.
It was a powerful defensive skill, but if one knew its weaknesses, it was practically useless.
"You know, with how long you've been lying there, one would think you were dead," a
quirky young voice said.
Rolling his eyes to the top of his head, Raze saw an upside-down face smiling right at him.
"For f*ck's sake, what did I do to deserve this?" Raze said aloud.
It was pointless now. He had used all his mana and had been thrown from one person to
another, seemingly another martial artist, judging by the dark grey clothing they wore.
"Someone's not in a good mood," the man remarked. "Although I do understand, since you
did just come crashing through that wall. It couldn't have felt nice. Kirk, do you have one of
those energy pills?"
A large, bald-headed man appeared by the young man's side, and from a bag around his
waist, he pulled out a red-colored pill. It looked similar in size and energy to the pill that
Kron had given Raze.
"Do you really think I'm going to eat a pill a stranger ga-"
The man shoved the pill forcefully into Raze's mouth. "Just eat the damn thing."
Swallowing the pill, it didn't take long for it to have an effect. Energy spread out, and a
tingling sensation could be felt all over Raze as his body absorbed it. His aching back and
sore chest began to dissipate.
However, his depleted mana had yet to return; that would slowly come back to him.
"That worked!" Raze exclaimed.
"I believe you're looking for the words 'thank you'," the man smiled.
Now no longer on the brink of death, Raze got a proper look at the people he had
encountered. Similar to the girl he had just met, they were all wearing martial arts-type
cloth material, wrapped around them like a robe.
There were four of them in total. Two of them had weapons, while the other two appeared
unarmed. The man who had force-fed Raze had long hair, tied up on a pony tail like the
woman from before, but his fringe parted in two ways. While he did look young, his jaw and
eyes were incredibly sharp. His kind words and playful demeanor didn't match his face.
"ARGHH!" A man continued to groan in the background.
The group, along with Raze, was currently on the third floor of the building. They were in a
hallway that was as much destroyed as the outside. Originally, Raze thought the outside
looked bad and was falling apart, but the other side of the building was completely open.
There was no wall at all, allowing one to see the streets and other crumbling buildings in
the distance. On the floor, one of the men was screaming, holding the top of his knee, while
another was attending to a wound on his shin.
The wound didn't look ordinary, as it was pulsating in a green color, having burnt the top
layer of skin and seeming to still move.
"It's a shame these pills do nothing to help him out. They're useless," the man said. "It might
be best for us to head back."
From a distance, Raze recognized something similar about the wound. During mage raids,
they had suffered similar attacks from beasts. Raze began to walk over for a closer look.
"What are you doing?" the young man asked.
"I don't like to have debts, so consider this a debt paid," Raze said.
The man attending to the wound looked unsure about Raze approaching them. He looked
to the young man who seemed to be the boss of the group, who politely nooded his head.
Raze, now close enough, confirmed it was the same type of wound after all. Placing his
hands at the top of the knee and the bottom of the foot, he closed his eyes.
'I've barely recovered any mana back. I don't even have enough strength to perform a dark
pulse, but I can at least do a dark clean of this level,' Raze thought.
"Dark clean," Raze whispered quietly, and the dark energy from his hands started to trickle,
moving over the green pulsating parts of the wound.
Dark clean was one of the other skills that Raze could do, the skill that took the least
amount of mana, depending on how it was used. Dark energy was destructive in nature,
and this skill allowed it to destroy certain things on a level as long as it could be covered in
dark magic.
Raze had used it internally on himself when he had been hurt by magic that would take
over one's body. Or in cases like this, where an infection, a parasite, venom, and things of
similar nature were in or on one's body.
The dark energy stayed on it for a moment and then it completely disappeared, but with it,
so had the green color on the wound. From the look on the man's face, the pain did as well.
"It's gone!" The one attending to the wound said. "It's completely gone!"
The young man's eyes widened with surprise.
"The infection is gone, but the wound still needs to be treated and healed. Do your best to
bandage it up," Raze said.
"This is not us being equal," The young man said. "You have done me a far bigger favor than
you might have realized... are you at the middle stage, or possibly the Deity stage?"
Raze had heard these stages before; they were high-level Pagna warriors. So why was he
being confused as one now? Had what he did really been that special? Mages eventually
would end up carrying potions around that would not just take away the infection but heal
the wound as well.
The good thing was, he now knew when he got back, that he should keep certain skills to
himself if he didn't want to cause a misunderstanding.
"I'm not; I'm just a bit different," Raze answered.
The expression on the young man's face didn't change making it hard for Raze to read, the
proposal in itself was quite absurd. Since he was only a teen wouldn't it be impossible for
him to have reached those stages already? And wouldn't people of that status be wildly
known?
The question seemed to be more of a proabing one.
"Come back!" the young man cheerily said.
"Huh?"
"As I said, what you have done is too much. I now clearly owe you a reward. In a week's
time, I will prepare something nice for you. Come back here, and I promise it will be worth
your time."
Over time, Raze had learned to judge people, but often more than not, he wouldn't even
trust his own judgment because he had learned the best thing to do was to just not trust
anyone at all.
"We'll see. I won't make any promises," Raze answered.
The young man smiled and nodded, seemingly taking Raze's answer as a yes.
"The name is Dame. Oh great one, do you mind telling me your name?"
Telling him his real name might cause problems in the future if Dame was indeed from the
same world as him. But Raze had a sneaky thought that made him inwardly laugh. The idea
that one day, the Grand Magus would hear this name again and be shaking in their boots
was filling him with ecstasy.
"I am the Dark Magus," Raze answered. "Remember it."
"I see," Dame bowed down politely. "Well, I hope we meet again, Dark Magus, and for you to
receive your reward."
"At least, you guys are a lot nicer than that woman," Raze commented.
"Woman!" For the first time, Dame seemed a little frightened.
"Yeah, the woman with the white and golden clothing?" Raze said.
Nearly all the mouths of the men there were about to drop to the floor. They were quickly
rushing to their feet.
"YOU!!!" A loud voice bellowed.
From the side, through the hole that Raze had entered from, the same woman in white
clothing was standing there with her sword pointed right at Raze again. "How did you live…
how did you survive!"
Dame looked at Raze and now it made sense why he had come flying through the wall.
Perhaps that should have been the first question for him to ask, but instead, he was now
even more amazed by the Dark Magus.
'I was only trying to see his reaction when I asked him about his stage, but he managed to
survive a strike from Beatrix, who's at the peak of the initial stage! '
Chapter 17: The Hit List
Chapter 17: The Hit List
The peak of the initial stage meant that Beatrix was a Pagna warrior at the 6th rank.
Although Rank 1 to 6 warriors were all considered the initial stage, there was a large
difference between one and the other.
Each rank was a breakthrough in power, martial arts, and overall body structure as well. If
one was a stage higher, they should never lose to a stage below. Although there were cases
where that happened, it would be an embarrassing moment for the Pagna warrior.
Being at the 6th rank meant they were on the cusp of going from the initial stage to the
middle stage. These stages were where the bottlenecks were for most. Only a few in the
world would be able to break out of the initial stage.
Which was why, Beatrix being at the 6th rank, was practically one of the strongest fighters
in existence. She could take out an entire squadron and small clans if she wanted to. So then
how did someone who had used the basic two-step shift, a martial arts move that didn't
even belong to any clan, survive her strike that was embedded with Qi?
"How did you survive!" Beatrix asked, with her sword pointed at Raze once again.
The same thought was running through Dame's head.
'When he came flying through the building from before, was that an attack from Beatrix? If
he's still alive, then doesn't he have something that has the same power as a Pagna warrior
at the peak of the initial stage? I thought he was... never mind.'
Beatrix's eyes soon landed on the others, as she spotted the color of the uniforms the
others were wearing.
"You know that this is a Prohibited Area, no one is allowed in here without the permission
of the Dawnblade clan. We have the rights to this portal. State where you are from?" She
asked.
Raze had seen this before; he had just been through it himself moments ago, and any
second now, he was sure she would attack.
"Ha!" Dame smiled, as his men moved to his side, while the injured man remained at the
back. His wound had only just been wrapped up, but it would be difficult for him to fight.
"Why are you asking questions you already know the answer to?" Dame said.
"Then I shall get rid of you!" Beatrix shouted, as she charged forward once again with her
sword glowing with power.
Dame widened his stance, and so did the three next to him. Energy was building up from
within. All six of their hands swung out, hitting the sword, causing sparks of energy to fly.
The whole building was shaking, and part of the floor was already falling apart.
"I hate it when I'm right," Raze said to himself, but he was quite amazed. He could see that
Dame and his men were able to handle the strike from the swordsman, which meant he
wasn't so weak himself.
Whoever was watching this, Raze knew one thing: if he was to get into a fight with any of
them, even the men by Dame's side, Raze would be no match for them. The strength that
was being used right now was close to that of 4-star magic.
"Get out of here Dark Magus!" Dame shouted, looking back, sweat running down his face.
"I'll survive; you don't have to worry about me, just remember our deal!"
The ground underneath Dame's feet started to break, and eventually, all three of them fell.
Not letting up, Beatrix had followed the two of them down below, and several clashes, loud
bangs, and vibrations were felt.
Raze could now only imagine what was going on below, but this was his only chance to get
out of here.
Going to the edge, there were parts of the building that had crumbled and were leaning up
against the outside of the building. It had made a type of walkway that one could jump and
run across, making it to the bottom floor.
Reaching the bottom floor, Raze started to run. He had no intention of watching the fight
and finding out the outcome. He had already escaped death once, perhaps twice with this
new body, so he wasn't going to stick around.
Seeing the staircase up ahead, he knew he was on the right path, but something had caught
his eye.
'Holy Sh*t!' Raze was standing in a field full of dead beasts. There were around eight of the
same dog creatures that Raze had faced.
All of them had a clean cut on their body, having been slashed in half, head decapitated. It
was clear that they had all been killed in one strike.
"Was all of this the work of that swordsman from before... wait a second, she didn't come in
that long after attacking me and from the looks of it," Raze rushed over and immediately
started to dig into the beast's body.
He rummaged around until pulling out a bloody crystal and holding it up to the light.
"She didn't take the crystals out. This is great! I was worried that going into this portal
would have been a waste if I had just returned with one crystal, but now!"
Not wasting time, Raze quickly went through each of the dogs. From the loud explosions he
could hear behind him, the two groups were still fighting against each other. Would there
ever be a chance like this for him again?
After gathering all eight of the crystals, Raze now had a total of 9 in his possession. He
couldn't use them here, so it was time for him to head back. Huffing and panting, he ran
down the stairs, across the cobblestone pathway, and looking around, he could see the
landmarks from before.
Quickly, while peeking over his shoulder, he started to redraw the magic circle. There was
enough dirt on the ground for it to work.
'The sound of the fighting has stopped; does that mean one of them won? If anything, it
means I need to hurry this up.' Raze thought.
Finally, the magic circle had been completed, and he activated it, igniting it with a part of
his magic. The portal opened up right in front of him, and he looked back one more time.
"You said we would meet again, but I'm not too sure about that. I guess we'll have to see."
Raze said, as he stepped through the portal, his whole body disappearing with it, the portal
sealing up behind him.
——
A short while later, Beatrix landed back on the lower platform outside. She had a large
frown on her face and some of her clothes were torn.
"Those dirty bastards!" Beatrix exclaimed. "I can't believe they would use such a cheap
method to get away. I shouldn't have expected anything less from those guys."
She soon let out a big sigh, trying not to let it get to her.
'At least I can go collect those crystals and earn some coin while I'm here. It's the only thing
that will have made this trip worthwhile.'
Reaching the area from before, she stopped dead in her tracks as she looked at the scene.
The bodies of the dead creatures didn't look the same as she remembered. Rushing over to
one, there was no need for her to inspect it further.
'Someone took the crystals… someone took my crystals!' Beatrix's face was turning red, and
she was reaching a boiling point. 'It was him… it had to be that guy that escaped before.
What did they call him, Dark Magus? Well, you've just added yourself to my hit list!'
Chapter 18: The World of Pagna
Chapter 18: The World of Pagna
The name "Pagna warriors" had come about in a simple way. It was because the world of
martial arts that they lived in was called Pagna. It was a world that was split into three
continents with small areas of sea between them.
One of the continents, known as the east continent, solely belonged to the clans in the Light
faction, and the biggest empire in Pagna also resided there, boasting the largest military
force.
The west continent had two factions: the dark and the demonic faction. The Dark faction
clans were mostly based in the south, with the demonic faction based in the north.
Then there was the final continent, the north continent. It was uninhabited land, or at least
that was the theory. There was no map that dictated how big, what shape or size the place
was, but by all of the factions as well as the locals, it was deemed a place impossible to
explore.
The seas nearby were treacherous. Whirlpools surrounded the land, lightning would strike
on the surface, and the waves were impossible to sail through for any ship.
This was the current world of Pagna. Somewhere on the massive continents, there was one
place in particular that was special, a place which belonged to the Neverfall Clan. The place
was known as the Abyssal Pinnacle.
It was an ancient, inverted mountain. Instead of rising from the earth, it delved deep in,
forming a spiraling abyss. Legends once stated that a demon had fallen from the sky and
upon impact had created the place.
Over centuries, the Neverfall clan has used it as their base, and returning to the base was
none other than Dame and his group. They were currently walking down a spiraling
staircase that went deeper into the clan's base.
The base was split into different levels. On the upper levels, pathways were carved into the
side of the walls. The lower members lived and trained here, and as they cultivated and
grew their powers, they were allowed to head to the lower levels.
"Sir, where are you going?" Fixteen asked.
Fixteen was Dame's right-hand man. The two of them had been together since they were
young and were around the same age. They had even attended the Pagna academy
together. If there was anyone that Dame trusted, it was him.
"I mean, aren't we going to inform the master of our return, or the fact that we ran into
Beatrix Highborn? If she finds out who you are, it could cause us a big headache," Fixteen
said.
"We barely managed to escape with our lives," Kirk said, patting the sweat on the top of his
large bald head. The Abyss also got hotter as one went further down.
"Don't you see? That's what's not important right now," Dame smiled. "Carlson's leg is
completely fine. They actually managed to heal the infection of a beast! Something that only
middle stage warriors are able to do."
"Okay?" Fixteen said as he was trying to climb down the stairs faster to catch up to Dame
who was speeding off ahead.
"Doesn't that just mean he's a middle stage warrior?" Fixteen said. "Although that is
impressive, I still don't understand why you are acting this way. It's not as if you've never
seen a middle stage warrior before."
Stopping in his tracks, Dame turned around with his fists by his hips. The look was the
same as a parent that was disappointed in the actions of their child.
"Have you ever seen him before?" Dame asked. "Don't you think we would have known
someone if they were at the middle stage and looked that young? The whole world would
have known of him, and there's one thing that you probably missed."
Dame tapped the side of his nose and had a large smirk on his face.
"That kid… he had next to no Qi. That's why the pill worked on him so well."
All of the faces in the group had dropped.
"No Qi?" Carlson said. "That's impossible, otherwise, how would he have been able to heal
my leg."
"Exactly!" Dame said, as he continued to hurry down the stairs, and the others had to follow
to try to listen to his explanation. "Not only did he have no Qi, but he was able to survive an
attack from Beatrix and to finish it all off, he healed your leg.
"It's as clear as day; what he used were powers that aren't from our world."
The others didn't say anything because they thought what Dame was suggesting was crazy
talk. How long had they been using the portals to travel to other realms, to other worlds
and dungeons, yet none of them ever had signs of human life, and not humans that looked
like them.
What were the chances that they would be the ones to discover this? This was something
that would have at least been revealed by one of the Deity stage Warriors.
Eventually, after the group went deeper into the inverted mountain, they came across what
was known as the Abyssal library. It was a vast cavern filled with ancient scrolls, tomes,
and books.
In here, there were forbidden techniques, rituals, and the clan's secrets. Some of the scrolls
and books were said to whisper to only those that they felt worthy of hearing their words.
"So what are we doing in the Clan's library then?" Fixteen asked. "That you so desperately
had to get to before going to the master."
"Don't you remember what I said?" Dame replied, as he was scanning the bookshelves,
looking for something in particular.
"The Dark Magus is one that is not from our world. Which means they have extreme
knowledge, possibly items and more that we don't have here. This world is about give and
take, and judging by how he reacted, he is also one that believes in this concept.
"If we give him a few things, then I'm sure there are things that we can get in return from
him. It's quite possible he could be the one that could change our entire clan forever, and
the status quo that has existed for a long time will finally break."
Just then, Dame had found what he was looking for and pulled out a book.
"You can't be serious!" Kirk said, looking around. "That's one of our clan's techniques. We
aren't allowed to teach that to outsiders. If someone finds out what you did… you could be
executed!"
"Relax yourself," Dame said. "Think of the big picture, think of what we could get in return
from him. The Dark Magus will be our biggest helper and the start of a change in our
world."
Chapter 19: Raze’s Crystal Stash
Chapter 19: Raze's Crystal Stash
A portal opened up in the middle of the forest, and stepping out of it was Raze, who had
managed to return safely. He turned his head to look behind him, making sure that the
portal closed, because the last thing he wanted was for any of those creatures to come after
him.
"That wasn't what I was expecting for my first outing," Raze thought. "Anyway, it's clear
now. The formation I knew for opening portals back at Alterian works differently here.
"If I'm not careful and start journeying into different dimensions, I could put myself in a
dangerous position, especially if I come across some powerful creatures."
A slight tingle around his chest, where the sword had hit him, was felt.
"Alright, an even more dangerous position, but it wasn't all bad."
Raze was still wearing the clothing of the temple kids. It was a simple, dirty brown cloth
material with a band around his waist. The handy thing was that inside there were pockets.
It was designed this way to prevent items from falling out easily, though it did look a bit
strange when one would retrieve something. One might fear pulling out something
inappropriate, which in his world, could lead to a long imprisonment.
In his hands were the small crystals he had obtained.
"Finally, with these, I can increase the strength of my mana core. It won't be enough for me
to reach the second stage, even if I absorb all nine."
Raze started to think about the best use for the crystals. Considering how dangerous it was
entering the portal the first time, he wasn't eager to return immediately.
"I'll need to keep one crystal to open the portal again just in case. It would be good to create
a mana potion with one of these as well, so I don't end up in the same situation again. And I
suppose I'll need ones in case I want to create more items."
"Right now, I only have the dark attribute. These are just regular crystals, so they won't
help me gain affinity with other attributes. I might have to rely on enhancing items for a
while and deal with them being cursed."
The night sky lingered, but Raze thought it was best to absorb the crystals right there. He
sat down, placed the crystals in front of him, and closed his eyes. Energy swirled in the air,
and dark energy escaped from his body.
It swirled around the five crystals, causing them to levitate. They were lifted by the
controlled energy in the air. As the dark energy enveloped each crystal, it started to glow,
establishing a connection with the core in Raze's heart.
The outside of the mana core was swirling rapidly, and the energy began to break down the
crystals. They transformed into dust particles that resembled glitter.
The particles gravitated towards Raze, and a gentle glow radiated from his body. He could
feel his mana increasing with the absorption of each crystal, strengthening his core and
enabling him to harness more of the world's energy.
It felt almost as if he had been restricted from breathing before, but now he could take in
and expel a much larger breath.
The glow around his body faded, and upon opening his eyes, the five crystals had vanished.
The remaining four were safely stored in his pocket for future use.
"As I thought, it's not enough for me to become a 2-star mage, but I now have enough Mana
to cast about 7 dark pulses. Those beast dogs won't stand a chance."
Eventually, Raze returned to the temple and to his room. The sliding of the door seemed to
wake his sister, who rubbed her eyes. With a gesture, Raze signaled her to go back to sleep,
for there was one more task at hand.
"I can't just keep the crystals in my pocket. We change our clothes daily, and the material of
these garments is fragile. Half the trousers I receive have holes where a crystal would fall
right through."
As if on cue, a crystal sliced a hole in his pocket, sliding down his leg and clattering to the
floor, rousing his sister again. Now, she merely stared at Raze, who was bent down,
retrieving the crystals.
Frozen in place, he hoped the sound might lull her back to sleep. Instead, their eyes locked
in a mutual gaze.
'Hey... maybe she won't even recognize these crystals? Perhaps it's not something the
average person would know about?' Raze mused with a hopeful smile.
However, Safa pointed directly at the scattered crystals, her mouth and eyes wide in
astonishment. It was as if someone had dropped a pot of treasure in their room.
The only silver lining was her silence; otherwise, others might have come rushing in.
Raze quickly collected the crystals and moved to the bed, approaching her.
"Look here," Raze whispered, his tone aggressive. "I've been really, really nice to you, far
nicer than I ever imagined. So, you need to do me a favor and not tell anyone about this,
okay?"
Safa immediately nodded, quite frantically at that. Ever since the incident, she found her
brother's stare menacing, even though he had been a weak boy growing up. She had never
seen this look on his face before.
"Alright," Raze said, lifting part of the mattress and placing the crystals underneath before
setting the mattress back down. "No one is to find out about these, no matter what. And if
they go missing, I'll know it was you, understand?"
Safa frantically nodded her head once again.
With that done, Raze brushed off his hands and settled on the floor for a good night's rest.
The only person who had discovered his crystals was a mute—his sister. So, in a way, he
was lucky. But judging by Safa's reaction, those crystals were a big deal in the world of
Pagna as well.
For Safa, she turned to face the wall, pulling the blanket tight around her. She was
conflicted. Sometimes he seemed distant and cruel, but there were moments she felt love
radiating from him.
For instance, Safa was sleeping on the bed while Raze rested on the floor, and his words of
advice before leaving in the night left an impact.
'What a strange brother,' Safa thought, smiling slightly. Despite his threatening looks and
harsh words, why did she feel safe around him?
---
Waking up was a struggle for Raze; he had spent half the night in another dimension, so he
had gotten only a few hours of sleep.
It was time for their chores, but Raze was in a deep sleep. Safa, unable to call out his name,
pondered how to wake her brother up, especially since she wasn't allowed to touch him.
In the end, she decided to leave him be. However, this didn't sit well with the others. A few
minutes later, the door slid open. A young man in a red uniform, Sonny, entered for another
visit.
"So this is the lazy boy, huh? Look, Safa, if you can't shout his name, then all you need to do
is shake him a bit," Sonny suggested. As he moved forward, Safa grabbed his hand, shaking
her head.
"What's wrong? Come on, he won't bite," Sonny reassured, gently moving his hand away
and approaching Raze.
"Hey, wake up lazy head," Sonny said, touching Raze's side and giving him a shake.
Instantly, Raze's eyes snapped open, and he sprung up. "Don't touch me!" Raze shouted
loudly enough that the other kids in the neighboring rooms would've heard.
"Hey, take it easy, Raze. It's me," Sonny said, hands raised in a non-threatening manner.
"Sorry, I should've known better after what happened to you."
Raze's hands were behind his back. He had gathered dark magic, ready to use it if someone
got too close, but he quickly dispelled it before anyone noticed.
'Crap… What would've happened if I had attacked him? That would've been bad news.'
"I'm sorry," Raze apologized, touching his head. "It hasn't been long since…"
Sonny observed Raze. He remembered the state of him when they first found him. It was
normal for someone his age to react this way, but Sonny's assumption was off; it had
nothing to do with that incident.
"I don't know if this is a good time or not, but our Clan master wants to speak to you. I think
it's about your parents' death."
Chapter 20: A world of portals
Chapter 20: A world of portals
Looking behind him, Raze glanced at the large temple situated atop a hill. He was huffing
and panting as he continued his descent down the stairs.
"Why... why would they build a temple on top of a hill?" Raze complained aloud.
"Haha," Sonny awkwardly laughed. He could tell Raze was quite annoyed; he had been
complaining nearly the whole way down. "I'm sorry. I would have brought a carriage if it
was possible, but the terrain is incredibly steep."
"It's actually quite common for Clans to have their bases up high. It offers protection,
provides a vantage point to see incoming attacks, and helps students build physical
endurance as they come and go."
"Exactly," Raze responded. "This is a temple, not a Clan base."
For Sonny, Raze was a peculiar sight. He had never seen someone of Raze's age struggle so
much with mere steps. Though Raze wasn't a Pagna warrior, it was evident his physical
condition and fitness weren't even at a basic standard, it might even be worse than a child.
Currently, they were en route to the main town where Raze had first entered this world
and where the Red Brigade base was located. It was only the two of them traveling. Sonny
felt there was no need to bring Safa for mere questioning, especially given her limited
communication abilities. Another concern was the potential for them to be targeted again;
Sonny was confident in protecting one person but was wary about two.
'I wonder why they've called me now. What have they discovered about the original body's
killer that they need to inform me about? What do they want to ask? I've already told them
I've lost most of my memories, which is true. There's still something that perplexes me
about the whole situation. Why target this kid's family? Even with what I've learned, it's
baffling. And that damned leader, if he had questions, he should have approached us
directly.'
Though frustrated, Raze tried to focus on the positive. He had many queries about this
world, and Sonny, with his Pagna warrior knowledge, might have the answers he sought.
Eventually, they reached the end of the staircase. Though they still had to traverse a
pathway through the forest to the town, Raze finally caught his breath enough to voice his
questions.
"Portals," Raze began. "I heard the other kids talking about them — portals leading to other
worlds. Is that true? Do Pagna warriors use them too?"
"Oh, so you're starting to get interested in the Pagna warrior world," Sonny smiled. "Many
youngsters are. But it's a dangerous world, including the portals you mentioned. Yes, they
do exist, but they lead to other dimensions filled with deadly creatures. Many have lost
their lives due to these portals. If you see one appear, run and inform the nearest clan."
"Appear out of nowhere?" Raze asked, intrigued. In Alterian, there was no such
phenomenon. Portals to other realms there required magic to open.
"Yes," Sonny replied. "It's rare, but when these portals open, they last for a specific
duration. Typically, a clan will claim a portal and take responsibility for its safety, ensuring
any threat emerging from it is neutralized. But, honestly, when a portal appears, it causes
tension. Clans often fight over its ownership."
This surprised Raze. In Alterian, portals weren't permanent; they needed to be reopened
from the other side.
"Why the conflict over portal ownership? Wouldn't it be simpler to let another clan guard it
if they offered?" Raze inquired, though he suspected he knew the answer.
"It might seem that way," Sonny began, "but it's because of the creatures within these
portals. They possess crystals inside their bodies that are invaluable to Pagna warriors.
They're also quite valuable for commoners as they can be sold for a significant sum, even
the most basic crystal."
Now he knew the reaction from Safa was clearly warranted. How would a child get their
hands on crystals if the only sources were these portals and beasts?
This realization made Raze slightly more optimistic about keeping some of the crystals.
Perhaps he could sell one to acquire some money. With the money he could purchase items
and enhance them. There were items he could use to make things a tad easier.
"Why are the crystals so valuable?" Raze inquired.
"As I mentioned earlier, they're actually valuable only to Pagna warriors. Commoners and
the empire don't value them. That's because the crystals can be transformed into Qi pills to
aid in one's cultivation," Sonny explained.
"The higher-grade the crystal, the stronger the Qi pill that can be produced. It's a useful tool
for rapid growth, and the high-grade pills can help break through bottlenecks as well.
Hence, it's primarily valuable to Pagna warriors.
"However, merchants, lords, and the military purchase the pills since they hold immense
value to Pagna warriors. They sometimes use these pills as a form of payment. At the same
time, this system ensures that others don't fret over the beasts emerging from the portals,
as the clans handle them."
"So, they only produce Qi pills? They don't craft weapons or other items with them?" Raze
pressed.
"No, just Qi pills."
Raze contemplated. The application of crystals in this world was significantly different than
on Alterian. However, they lacked magic here. He speculated if he utilized crystals to
enhance items or crafted elixirs and potions, commodities unknown in this realm, he could
become a prosperous merchant. Furthermore, since he'd be the sole producer, he could
reserve the premium products for himself.
"Does the Red Brigade Clan own a portal?" Raze queried.
Sonny chuckled heartily, "No. We're too small a clan to possess something of that
magnitude. However, the Pagna Academy does access several portals for training their
students."
Raze had hoped to perhaps utilize the Red Brigade Clan's portal, but that idea was now
moot.
As they entered the town, the atmosphere was familiar. Wide streets bustled with folks
hauling carts, purchasing goods from market stalls, and engaging in spirited conversations.
There were several prominent inns and restaurants. As they ambulated through the streets,
Raze tried spotting any vendor selling these crystals, but to no avail.
'They must be rare... but that also means selling them might be challenging,' he pondered.
They were still some distance away from the clan building when another question popped
into Raze's mind.
"Ah, there was another topic the kids discussed," Raze began, "Do you know someone
named Beatrix Highborn?"
Immediately, Sonny halted, turning to Raze with raised eyebrows. It wasn't just Sonny;
everyone around them, having overheard the name, stopped to stare at Raze.
Chapter 21: Number 1 Suspect
Chapter 21: Number 1 Suspect
Beatrix Highborn was the name of the woman who had struck Raze. Due to her strength,
and the fact that she had attacked him before giving him the chance to properly explain
himself, Raze decided to remember her name.
He didn't know why she had stated her name before attacking. It must have had something
to do with the way martial artists fought against each other. If the chance ever came that
Raze could pay her back for what she had done, he wanted to know about her, which was
why he had asked the question.
"I wasn't expecting this though," Raze murmured, looking around. He noticed the onlookers
not only giving him a certain look but also the scorn in their expressions. "I had no idea she
was this well-known."
"It's okay, everyone," Sonny said aloud. "The kid is just curious; there is no need for alarm."
Sonny quickly continued walking with Raze following him. Once they were away from the
eyes and ears of those who had recognized the name, he spoke up again.
"That name is probably one you don't want to mention too loudly, not unless you want to
cause a panic," Sonny explained. "You remember when I told you about the different
factions? For one reason or another, and a long history of back and forth, the light factions
and dark factions have been at each other's throats."
"The person you mentioned is one of the Faction's rising stars. Her name has been spread
quite a bit, especially after she won the recent Warriors Summit."
Raze had no clue what this Warriors Summit was; from the sounds of it, it seemed like a
type of tournament.
"So she's really that strong then?" Raze asked.
"Haha... yes, really strong. You saw how everyone reacted when you mentioned her name,
right? That's because she could take out our whole clan if she was here," Sonny replied.
Raze touched his chest again, feeling the beginning of pain. He was certain it was phantom
pain from the memories resurfacing. He had only experienced a single strike from her, but
judging from what he had just heard, it was only a fraction of her strength.
'The dangers of this world keep increasing. I have to grow stronger faster, especially if I
want to return to Alterian. The number of portals I would need to test, going through trial
and error, means I could run into more people like her. Let's just hope she doesn't
remember me,' Raze thought.
The two finally reached the large Red Brigade clan base, with two large double doors at the
entrance. It was the second time he had been there, and unlike before, he could hear heavy
grunts and shouting.
Entering the base, Raze soon saw why. Multiple kids, around Raze's age or younger, were
training. They had their shirts off and wore only a pair of fitted, flexible cloth trousers.
Sweat ran off their bodies as they practiced formations, repeating them and exerting all
their power. Observing for a while, Raze could see that with every punch that hit the air,
every single one of them was using the same thing Kron had shown; they were channeling
Qi in their attacks.
"Are they from the academy?" Raze asked.
"Them? No," Sonny replied. "Those children are getting ready to enter the academy. All
clans are required to send their members to the academy when they turn sixteen, to ensure
that all warriors of the clan meet a certain standard and do not fall behind other factions."
There were a large number of people, around thirty, and they were all stage 1 warriors. Off
in the distance, Raze saw one of the students hit a measuring pillar, and the number [35]
appeared.
'That person looked average, just like all the others. Every single one of these kids is more
talented than those at the temple,' Raze thought. 'And yet, Beatrix can still take out an
entire clan like this?'
Heading inside the main building, a few of the students made eye contact with Raze. It
wasn't a face they recognized, and with his white hair, Raze stood out. However, his frail
body showed he clearly wasn't a warrior, and non-warriors weren't worth their attention.
The layout of the Red Brigade building was confusing, with multiple hallways and sliding
doors that had thin paper attached to them. Shadows could be seen if someone was on the
other side, but there was almost no signage, making navigation challenging. Nevertheless,
Raze continued to follow Sonny until they reached two guards outside a pair of sliding
doors.
"Sonny Baxt is here with Raze!" Sonny announced.
"Come in!" a deep voice responded from within.
Upon entering the room, the scent of incense greeted Raze, reminiscent of a field of flowers.
Candles illuminated the large, sparsely decorated space.
The main thing that stood out was at the back of the room. There were several giant scrolls
hanging there. From the looks of things, they seemed to list just a few names, names of
those who had started the clan.
The next thing that stood out was the large table with papers stacked up around a meter
high, and an old man in red robes sitting down.
"Thank you for making the trip," the elderly man said.
Sonny stepped forward and bowed, placing his fist in the palm of his hand.
"I greet the Clan Master."
Raze decided to do the same.
"I greet the Clan Master."
"Oh, that's very polite of you. I believe this is the first time we have met. I am Elder Yon, the
Clan Master of the Red Brigade unit. I believe Sonny has informed you of why I asked you to
come here."
"He has indeed, sir," Raze answered.
"Good. Well, you see, I have a few questions of my own." Elder Yon looked Raze dead in the
eyes, not staring away for a moment. "Tell me, how does a child, especially a weak one,
manage to fend off a Pagna warrior who managed to kill his entire family? You'd say it's
impossible, right?"
'Wait, is he suspicious of me?' Raze thought. 'Does he think I have something to do with this
body's parents' death? That can't be. I'm certain I had nothing to do with it, at least the real
me didn't. If he's trying to pin this on me, what happens if they suspect me? How do I get
out of this place alive?'
Raze could feel the palms of his hands starting to sweat. He thought that in this new body,
the tense situations where he felt his life was on the line would be over. Yet, he kept
experiencing the same feeling again and again.
"Now, tell me, how was the Pagna warrior unable to kill you?"
Chapter 22: Fight Back!
Chapter 22: Fight Back!
Although there was no Raze at the temple, the rest of the kids had to continue their day as
they usually would. Instead of having Raze as a partner in the kitchen, Simyon had Safa
there instead.
"You're not bad!" Simyon exclaimed, looking at Safa peeling the potatoes. "But your brother
is quite skilled at this. Did he always cook at home for your family?"
Safa stopped for a moment and looked directly into Simyon's eyes. She was a little
surprised by his words, because Raze hadn't cooked once in their home. However, she
surmised that maybe Simyon was just trying to be nice about her brother and make
conversation. With these thoughts, an awkward silence enveloped them.
"Ah, right, you can't talk. I'm so stupid," Simyon blurted out as he hit his forehead with the
palm of his hand, forgetting that he was holding a knife. A stinging pain immediately
followed, and he realized he had accidentally cut himself. It was small in size and wasn't
very deep, but stinging like a paper cut.
Turning her head swiftly, Safa jumped up to find something to clean the wound with. There
were kitchen towels available, which she wet with clean water that had been boiled and
then used it to dab at Simyon's injury.
"Erghhh, thank you," Simyon said. "You know, you're a lot kinder than your brother. I
imagine if this happened between the two of us, he would just say something like, 'Have
you never been cut before?' then carry on peeling potatoes as if nothing happened. Or
maybe he'd quip, 'I hope you aren't going to use that knife to continue peeling potatoes."
Safa laughed at Simyon's imitation of Raze, as she could easily picture her brother reacting
in such a manner. At least the new version of him.
The pair resumed their chores. In the prevailing silence, which was unfamiliar for someone
as talkative as Simyon, he felt the need to speak up.
"You know, it's a good thing you have Raze, and he has you. You two can watch each other's
backs in this place. And if you ever leave, at least you won't be alone."
Simyon stared at the flames dancing under the pot, boiling the water. It was bringing back
certain memories for him, especially when thinking about family. "I used to have a sister,
and of course, a mom and dad," he began. "But there was a portal break in our village.
Monsters emerged, killing everyone, including my family. In the end, I was saved by a
wandering Pagna warrior, and I was brought here.
"You'd think, with a backstory like mine, I'd be the main character of some show or story,"
Simyon added, clenching his fist so hard it trembled. He was struggling to contain his
emotions, and had to gulp down his feelings before something else came out of his eyes.
"I thought I could use the determination from losing my family to become a strong Pagna
warrior, to prevent what happened to me from happening to others. But as you can tell
from my martial arts skills, I'm not main character material. From the looks of it, neither is
your brother."
He then looked at Safa.
"Safa, I think it might be you. You might be the one who needs to protect your brother, so
stay strong, okay?"
While others might view Raze as weak, Safa didn't agree, especially not with the
transformed Raze. Nonetheless, she nodded in response to Simyon, not wishing to upset
him. She appreciated his presence and offered him a comforting smile.
As breakfast preparations neared completion, Safa set the table with plates and cutlery,
while Simyon was responsible for plating the dishes. He heard the door open behind him.
"Ah, Mr. Kron, it will be ready in about ten minutes," Simyon announced as he ladled boiled
potatoes and vegetables into a bowl. The meals were plain, but Simyon surmised that even
if Mr. Kron wasn't poor, feeding ten children was no small feat.
"It smells good," came a voice.
Upon hearing the voice, irritation prickled at Simyon. Turning around, his fears were
confirmed: it was Gren, accompanied by the two twins.
"You never do kitchen work. You have no reason to be here," Simyon pointed out.
"You're right. We just wanted to help out for a change," Gren replied nonchalantly,
shrugging his shoulders and taking a bowl of food.
"You know, we've recently welcomed a special student. She's incredibly gifted. Everyone's
buzzing about her, especially the other kids," Gren commented, receiving something from
Giyo.
In his hands, he held a purple mushroom adorned with green spots. Carefully, he began to
crumble the mushroom, making its distinctive color less noticeable.
"A unique student deserves unique food, don't you agree, Simyon?" Gren smirked,
sprinkling the mushroom pieces over a single bowl. "We'll reserve this for our special
guest."
Simyon stared at the floor, avoiding Gren's gaze. The trio's mocking laughter and their
previous smirks churned his stomach. Yet, the most prominent cause for his unease was his
own feelings of inadequacy.
'Is Gren so confident that he believes he can do this before me without repercussions?'
Simyon pondered, finally lifting his eyes to confront the trio. 'I guess in his eyes I'm that
weak… last time, I didn't say anything either. If I do the same thing now, will the same thing
happen to you.'
A conversation sparked in Simyon's head, when speaking to Raze and talking to his sister,
his answer to this whole situation from before.
'If Raze won't stand up for you, I guess it falls to me,' he thought.
"Gren, I've wanted to do this for ages!" Simyon yelled.
Lunging forward, he threw out his fist and missed Gren entirely. Gren evaded the blow,
eyeing Simyon with disdain.
"You tried to hit me, you worthless worm!" Gren retorted, counterattacking with a Qi-
empowered punch that sent Simyon flying back, blood pouring from his nose.
"What's gotten into you? Did you get brainwashed by that girl?" Gren sneered. "Ever since
she arrived, things have been off. She'll need to be handled. As for you," he continued,
grabbing Simyon by his shirt, "we need this to look like an accident, or Mr. Kron might get
involved. You'll stay silent, won't you?"
Scanning the room, Gren's eyes settled on the boiling pot of water. "Perfect," he mused,
dragging Simyon towards the pot. His shoes scraped against the wooden floors. "If this
scalds you, it'd justify your injuries."
Suddenly, the double doors swung open. As Gren pivoted to identify the intruder, a swift
fist was speeding towards him, much quicker than Simyon's punch.
'I can't dodge it!'
Gren took the full brunt of the blow, his head snapping to the side, diverting some force.
When he looked up, rage contorted his features, veins bulging at the side of his head.
"It's you! You b*tch, I'll kill you!" Gren yelled at Safa.
Dropping Simyon, his vision blurred as he assessed the situation. 'Damn it… She's
outnumbered. She can't handle Gren and the twins. I have to stop this somehow, before
she's really hurt. I can't let Raze lose his sister like I lost mine!'
Chapter 23: You Are A Killer
Chapter 23: You Are A Killer
From what Raze had learned about Pagna warriors, it was no wonder that he had become a
suspect. He was in a body that could barely do a 400-meter lap around a field. He was less
than a normal human being, and Pagna warriors were more.
Not only that, but the Pagna warrior had managed to kill the rest of Raze's family, and only
the weakest managed to survive.
The truth was it was a situation he had barely managed to escape from. At the time, he had
a desperate will to live and did what he could.
"I thought you called me here because you had information on my parents' death?" Raze
smirked. "But instead, I see that you've learned nothing at all, and now you're trying to pin
the blame on me. I didn't realize that the clan would act this way."
Sonny was a little nervous hearing Raze speak. When one spoke to an Elder or even a Pagna
warrior that was a rank above them, they would speak with the utmost politeness. It made
sense because they could end their lives with ease and no one would bat an eyelid, no one
would investigate it, especially a no-name.
"Raze, there are many reasons why people get killed by the Pagna every day. People
witnessing or overhearing things they shouldn't. A thug hired by another, or simply for
disrespecting another person," Elder Yon said the last line slowly, as if he was warning the
kid.
"If we learn how you managed to survive, then maybe we can know what the target's goal
was. An item your family stole or something else? I guess what I am asking more
specifically is, what led to the final moments between you and the assassin. Did you hear
your parents' last words, or anything of the sort?"
The boy truly remembered next to nothing; he didn't even know he had a sister until he
saw her.
"I'll tell you what I remember," Raze answered. "His hands around my throat, me fighting to
just take in a breath, and then me stabbing him as hard as I could in his side just so he could
get off me.
"When I stood up, I was in a room full of my dead family members. There were wounds on
the assassin's body already that looked to be made by swords, and that hadn't been done
by me. I think that due to the injuries, the assassin was already on his last breath and that
was how I managed to best him."
While Raze was speaking, Elder Yon wrote down a few things using an ink pen on a large
scroll, and he started to tap away on the paper.
"I have another theory, if you would like to hear?" Yon said. "A Pagna warrior could have
killed you with a simple fist. The only reason I can think that you are alive right now is
because you had to be in on your parents' death. You aided in their death."
Raze's eyes widened. Why would he? Or more correctly, why would the old Raze do such a
thing? At the same time, though, he couldn't outright deny it.
"Why would a warrior let me kill them with my own hands?" Raze asked.
"Don't you think you should be asking, why would you try to kill your own parents?" Yon
replied, but quickly moved past that point. "That's what I want to know as well. Did you
back out of the deal at the last moment? Allowing you to strike him, was there a
disagreement, or did you come to realize something?"
"Then why would they try to strike me and my sister down again?" Raze asked.
Elder Yon stood up and stopped writing things down at this point, and turned his back to
look at the scrolls on the wall.
"That is the most interesting part of it all, what is it that these people want to hide so much
that you know?" Yon said. "I think you aren't lying about losing your memories, Raze.
"Either due to some type of shock that occurred that day, or maybe even something that
had occurred in a way to protect you, similar to a seal, but that knowledge is still inside you,
hidden, and whoever is after you is unaware of that."
Out of everything Raze was feeling right now, he was feeling extremely annoyed. Why did
the new body he entered have to have a target on his back already? The good news was
that even if Yon was suspicious of Raze, it seemed like he was still trying to protect him in a
way.
"Raze, there is a reason why I believe in my theory so strongly," Yon continued. "You are
not the only one this has happened to. Lately in this town, and the nearby towns, families
with no name have been killed, slaughtered in their own homes."
"It's an unusual case, but the patterns that follow are the same, that was until you. You
broke the pattern, and you have done that by managing to survive. You and your sister are
the only survivors of this strange case that is going on, which is why I had pleaded for Kron
to look after you."
It was clear that if the Clan master trusted Kron this much, then he had to be someone
special or at least strong enough to deal with whatever came after him.
"I have a feeling that the reason for your parents' death lies with you, and if we can't find
the answer, then the only thing we can do is protect you. However, we can only do that for
one year.
"Once you're sixteen, the temple is no longer obligated to look after you, and you will be a
sitting duck once more."
"I assume you have a suggestion if you asked me to come here?" Raze asked.
"Yes," Yon answered. "If the world of Pagna has come after you, then you are already a part
of it, and you cannot escape. So you have no choice but to become a Pagna warrior. I will
give you a recommendation into the academy.
"However, the rest will be down to you. You must at least have Qi to be recognized as a
Rank 1 warrior; otherwise, you won't be allowed to enter the academy."
If only it was magic, then Raze wouldn't have had to worry so much, but there was
something else he had taken away from the conversation as well.
'To think, what are the chances that the body I inhabited might be a killer as well.'
Chapter 24: A Punishment
Chapter 24: A Punishment
As Safa returned to the kitchen, she could hear the sound of talking coming from the other
side of the door. Pushing on it, she peeked through a little gap to see what was going on,
and she managed to catch the tail end of the confrontation.
She hadn't seen Simyon get hit, but she could see what was going to happen to him next
and knew exactly what he was insinuating on doing. Her hands were shaking.
'These people, what is wrong with them!' Safa thought. 'They were targeting me, and now
what? Just because Simyon is next to me, are they targeting him as well? Are people getting
hurt all around me because of me?'
The look on Simyon's face, bloody, caused memories to flash of the noises she had heard
while having sat, hiding in the cupboard. Then she remembered looking at Raze, the look
on his face. This brought another thought to mind.
'He said… that if I want to stop it, then I need to fight back!'
With these thoughts in her head, she pushed through and immediately ran with all her
might to protect Simyon. When she was close, she used the two-step shift to go past the two
twins and threw a punch, landing right on Gren's face.
However, something felt strange about the hit; it didn't feel solid, as if her whole fist hadn't
made a connection.
"It's you, you b*tch! I'm going to kill you!" Gren shouted at Safa.
Immediately, the two twins that had been bypassed, with furrowed eyebrows, came right at
Safa. She turned around as she could see them approaching and avoided the first hit from
Giyo.
However, she had moved right into Biyo, who ended up grabbing both of her arms. Trying
to get out of the situation, she lifted her legs, preparing to kick behind her.
Before she could, though, Giyo slammed the side of her foot, kicking her shin.
Safa's face was full of pain, but next to no noise came out from her throat. Only small silent
grunts were heard, like a soft whisper.
Gren slowly walked over as the two twins held her together. "Why don't you scream?
Maybe someone will come and help you then," Gren said, as he readied his fist. He closed
his eyes, focusing in a way that allowed him to gather more Qi.
"What are you doing!" Simyon shouted. "Are you trying to kill her? Stop!"
The sound of the doors flapping open were heard again, and immediately a wave of
pressure was sent swirling into the room.
"What on earth are you all doing?" Kron shouted.
His voice alone created a gust of wind that was moving their hair, and with just his eyes
bulging as they were now, one could tell how angry he was.
"Sir Kron!" Gren shouted and immediately went to bow down. He didn't lift his head, and
soon the other twins had followed.
"It's not what it looks like, Sir!" Gren said. "It looked like Simyon was giving her a few tips
about her cooking. She didn't seem to take it well when she suddenly hit him. The three of
us heard the commotion and rushed inside; we were holding her back. Isn't that right?"
Gren turned to look at Simyon, who had managed to get his upper body off the floor and
was leaning against the cupboards.
'That look on your face, I recognize it. You're telling me you're going to make my life hell if I
don't go along with your little game. Haha, what an idiot.'
"No," Simyon said. "Sir, check the dish on the table. Gren came inside while we were
cooking and ground up a type of mushroom, adding it to the food. He wanted to ensure that
Safa ate it. I tried stopping him, and I ended up like this." With each word spoken, Simyon
had done so with a smile on his face.
He was happy, he had finally told on Gren.
"That's not tr-"
"Enough!" Kron shouted, interrupting Gren before he could say anything more. He knew
Simyon wasn't the type to lie. Why would he lie if his attacker was about to get away?
"There will be no meals for the three of you today. If you can't learn to use your fists
properly, then you won't be allowed to use them at all. You are banned from training until
further notice!" Kron ordered.
Gren wanted to argue back, he wanted to say something, but when he looked up from his
bowing position and saw the look on Kron's face, he was frightened. An aura made him
appear several times larger than he was. Fearful that saying anything else would worsen
his punishment, he decided to remain silent for the time being.
——
It was midday, and Kron was in his office, sitting at his desk as he gazed at the ceiling. He let
out a big sigh, thinking about what had just happened.
'Those mushrooms, they were poisonous. For a kid of Safa's size, a dose like that could have
been lethal. Where did Gren even get something like that?' Kron started to shake his head,
reminiscing about the day he first met Gren.
'I was concerned something like this might happen. I hoped that with some guidance, I
could change him, but was he too influenced by his past? I was blinded by the talent he had
and believed I could shape him. That is my mistake.'
'This is serious. If I were to expel him from the Orphanage, what would follow? Others
might try to exploit him.'
Tapping his fingers, he pondered the best course of action, knowing the situation could
deteriorate further.
The rest of the day continued as usual. Even Gren and the twins had to complete their
chores, albeit more slowly due to their lack of energy.
Missing two meals for growing kids doing hard work was challenging. Both Simyon and
Safa did their best to avoid the trio, and rumors amongst the other kids were circulating.
"I heard it's a love triangle; they're all fighting over Safa!"
"Nah, Gren's just upset because he's short. He's got all this pent-up energy."
"You mean he's just a jerk? Yeah, I'd agree with that."
Since the kids noticed Mr. Kron treating them differently, many were voicing their
frustrations publicly, something they hadn't done before. With Mr. Kron's protection, which
they previously doubted, they spoke their minds, and Gren heard every word.
He ground his teeth back and forth as he polished the statue.
'Everything, everything that I built up, the respect they all gave me, it's all been ruined
because of her!'
In the evening, Raze still hadn't returned from the Red Brigade, but the students continued
their evening training. True to his word, the twins and Gren had been told to stay out.
The twins quickly went to bed, exhausted and hungry, while Gren couldn't contain his
anger.
'I can't participate in training, and he's teaching all those useless fools who don't even
know how to punch! Why? Why?' Gren started to take deep breaths and looked around
until his eyes settled on a particular room.
Before he realized it, he had already entered and shut the door behind him.
"Arghh!" Gren screamed, as he lifted the chair in the room and smashed it to the ground. He
then lifted his foot and slammed it onto the top of the desk. He was breaking everything in
the room, everything that belonged to her, but his frustration still hadn't been satisfied.
Approaching the mattress, Gren started to punch it constantly, his hands shaped like claws.
He tore right through the top layer, pulling out the stuffing bit by bit.
"ARGHHH!" Gren shouted as he continued his onslaught, eventually stopping, huffing and
panting.
"All of this is useless. If I can't train or get stronger, I might as well leave." Looking down,
something caught his eye. They were sparkling in a yellow color: beast crystals.
Chapter 25: Weaker Than Before
Chapter 25: Weaker Than Before
The training was going on as it had been, and they were now wrapping up the final stages.
Each student was being called up to measure their strength on the pillar. As they were
doing this bit by bit, a pair of guests had finally arrived.
"Freaking hell, why did that walk back feel a lot longer than the walk there?" Raze
complained, his hands on his knees, gasping for air.
"That's because it did take a lot longer," Sonny replied. "We had to take a break around
every five minutes. Are you sure you don't have some kind of medical condition?"
Pressing his hand on his chest, Raze wasn't sure himself. What if the after effects had been
passed onto this new body? He wouldn't be able to check his own condition, though, until
he was at least a 3-star mage.
Walking over, Kron had caught their attention. He made eye contact with Sonny and
nodded slightly before giving orders to the rest.
"Alright everyone, training is over for the day!" Kron shouted. "Why don't you all head
inside and rest up for the day!"
The kids bowed down, thanking the teacher for the lesson, stomping their feet together,
and started to walk off. Raze stayed by Sonny's side as it appeared that he wanted to talk to
them about something, and that's when his eyes noticed something.
'Why is she walking with a slight limp?' Raze thought.
The two adults continued to whisper to each other. From what he had learned, Kron and
the Red Brigade clan were quite well connected, enough to ask him a favor to look after
them.
It seemed like they were just discussing the results of the meeting until the two of them
turned to look at Raze.
"Do you mind having a go at the measuring pillar again?" Kron asked. "Just use the two-step
shift like before and strike out."
Not caring, he walked up to the pillar and prepared himself.
'Are they trying to see if I have the potential to join the Pagna Academy? If that is the case, I
have a feeling they won't like the result.'
Raze had gone through the steps perfectly, and it was looking hopeful in Sonny's eyes, that
was until the last moment when his fist was thrown out.
"Why is it so weak?" Sonny blurted out loud, due to how shocked he was, and the number
that had appeared on the pillar had soon proved it, as a [6] had appeared.
"Six!" Kron shouted, shaking his head. Even he couldn't believe it, but Raze knew why. It
was simple, he was exhausted from climbing up all of those stairs. So his punch was less
powerful than the last time.
"Did you not absorb the Qi pill I gave you?" Kron asked.
The pill had already been used up, so Raze thought it was better in this situation to tell a lie,
especially if Kron asked for it back; he just was hoping that it wouldn't open the doors to
more problems or questions.
"I did." Raze replied. "I felt better."
The two adults looked at each other again, with Kron tapping his finger on the side of his
face.
'That was just a basic Qi pill; maybe he needs one at a higher grade. But that's not even
something the Red Brigade gives their students. If it had no effect, then his body might be
filled with more impurities than he thought.'
"Alright, Raze," Kron said. "You did well; why don't you go rest up in your room for today?
It might just take a couple of days for the pill to have an effect."
Walking off, Raze could see the two of them still talking about something, but he had no
tools or spells to eavesdrop. It was no doubt about him, something that they didn't want
him to hear.
'I could tell Mr. Kron was lying about the pill. I wanted to know what type of effect it will
have on me as well.' Raze thought. 'The important thing is the next step. What to do with
the crystals.
'I can use one of them to create a mana potion. I need to create an item that allows me to
keep track of my mana as well. Then, one crystal could be sold on the market; maybe if I'm
lucky, I can buy a Qi pill and see how it goes, and the last one, to open a portal when I go
back to that place.
'The main issue is, to get the items I need, I need to head back into the town somehow… at
night all the markets will be closed. This might be difficult. Anyway, it's time for me to get
my crystals.' Raze thought as he entered the main hall.
---
A little before the training had come to an end, Gren had entered Safa's room. Infuriated
with what had happened, before he had realized it, his anger had taken over and he had
destroyed everything that was in the room, including the mattress.
However, he had struck a pot of gold because he had somehow found crystals. Pulling out
the one he had seen, he could feel that there was something else underneath. Eventually,
Gren had pulled out all four crystals.
He held them together in his hands with his eyes sparkling the same as the crystals
themselves.
'Four... I really have four of these things in my hand; this is unbelievable! How did those
kids even have something like this in their room? Is it some type of fortune their family left
them?'
Already, Gren's mind was going through all the things he could do with the crystals. With
them, he wouldn't even have to worry about Mr. Kron anymore.
Snapping out of his daydream, he shook his head and looked at the state of the room.
'Crap, I better get out of here; as long as no one sees I'm in here, they can't fully pin the
blame on me, they can only suspect.'
Taking a step forward, the door slid open, and Safa was standing inside the room.
Immediately, her eyes looked onto one thing. It wasn't the state of the room; it wasn't Gren;
it was the crystals that were in his hands.
Chapter 26: Not Your Crystals!
Chapter 26: Not Your Crystals!
Safa's eyes were locked onto the crystals held in Gren's hand. Noticing what she was
looking at, he quickly closed his fist.
"These are mine!" Gren declared immediately, a big smile on his face.
She started to shake her head frantically upon hearing this. She remembered her brother's
words well. Only she knew about the crystals, and if they were to go missing, then how
would she explain what happened? All of the blame would be on her, and the relationship
between the two of them would be broken.
In a desperate attempt, with all the thoughts filling her head, she charged forward, aiming
to snatch them out of Gren's hand.
"Idiot," Gren said, as he pulled his hand away, and with his other hand, he made a fist,
hitting her right on the side of her head. It was a solid hit that forced her whole body and
head to hit the side of the wall.
Going to the door, Gren slid it shut in case anyone walked by. "Did you really think I
wouldn't hit you? I've been waiting to do that all day."
Surprisingly, though, when Gren turned back around, Safa was already up on her feet, and
had grabbed Gren by the neck. The two fell to the ground, and now she was trying to pry
his hands open to get the crystals.
It wasn't a display between two martial artists; Safa didn't know much to begin with. It was
a desperate attempt from her to do whatever she could to get those crystals out of Gren's
hand.
It was almost impossible; using all her strength, she couldn't open any of his fingers. So,
opening her mouth, she then bit down hard on the side of his forearm. The teeth sank in,
and she tasted the slight tang of iron in her mouth.
"You dirty witch!" Out of sheer anger, Gren threw a fist, hitting her on the side of her rib. A
great pain surged through Safa's body as she opened her mouth, but the hits didn't stop
there. He continued to punch her on her side again and again, until a cracking sound was
heard.
It was clear that her rib had now broken, and she completely let go of Gren, rolling on the
floor, holding her side. A wheezing fit started as she made soft noises from her mouth.
"Did you think I wouldn't go this far or something?" Gren asked, getting up to his feet and
walking toward her. He then lifted her up by pulling her hair so he could get a look at her
face. He placed the crystals in his pocket and, lifting his hand up, he swung his hand with an
open palm and gave her a big slap right across her cheek, sending almost a small
shockwave in the room; it was so loud.
For a moment, Safa felt like she was going to pass out.
"Did you think you had the protection of Mr. Kron? From the look you had on your face, you
knew these crystals were here, but you have no idea of their worth," Gren explained.
"With these, it doesn't matter if Mr. Kron kicks me out. Heck, I'll leave this place myself. All I
have to do is hand one of these crystals to a clan, and they would happily accept me, and as
a disciple no less. I can start to learn real martial arts, and not this second-hand fake
nonsense."
Gren then made a fist, pulling it back. "So you see, it doesn't matter what I do to you now,
there is no one that can save you. You should have known your place... you are nothing in
this world."
The fist was thrown out and landed square right on her nose and mouth. The punch hit so
hard that her lip had ripped into her teeth, and her head swung back, banging against the
floor.
Blood started to spill from her mouth, and she just lay there on the ground. "You're lucky
I'm not a Pagna warrior yet, an official one anyway. So I would still get into trouble for
killing you."
Turning around, Gren was ready to leave the room until he felt something grab his back leg.
Looking down, he could see Safa had locked both hands around him. She was holding on as
hard as she could.
Those were Raze's crystals; they were his, not Gren's. After hearing how much they were
worth and how important they were, how could she let Gren take them? What had Raze
been through, what had he done to obtain those things?
She had one job, and that was to look after the crystals. Right now, she didn't care. If her life
was taken, she would get those crystals back.
"Are you a masochist or something? Do you enjoy feeling pain?" Gren was grinding his
teeth.
His foot lifted up, and he shoved it, hitting her right on the top of the head. The grip from
Safa was still strong, so he lifted his foot up and slammed it down, again and again, hitting
her on the head.
In the end, he stopped aiming for the head and instead infused Qi into his foot and slammed
it down right on her forearm, breaking the bone.
"GHHKKK!" She tried to scream, but it sounded more like a strong whisper coming out from
her mouth. No one from outside the room would be able to hear her words, and a few
bangs here and there in a room for kids their age wouldn't be a cause for concern for
someone to check up on them.
"That was your own fault. I already let you go, and then you went ahead and did that, stupid
girl," Gren turned around. His happy mood from finding the crystals was now ruined.
Reaching out, Gren went to slide the door open, but instead, the door slid open by itself
from the other side.
Standing by the door was a tall white-haired boy.
"What the f*ck are you doing in my room?" Raze asked.
Chapter 27: You’re a Cromwell
Chapter 27: You're a Cromwell
It was quite the surprise to see Gren in Raze's room. There was no reason for him to be
there. What he was worried about more upon seeing him, was whether or not he had found
the crystals. They hadn't been hidden in the best place after all, but he didn't plan to keep
them for long either.
'What is Safa doing? Shouldn't she have gotten here before me?' Raze thought.
For some reason, there was an uneasy look on Gren's face; he still hadn't said a word, and
had slight sweaty forehead.
Taking a peek past his shoulder, Raze's eyes locked onto the state of the room. His heart
thumped slightly stronger. His eyes started to follow around the room, and he noticed the
mattress torn to shreds. Once again, his heart was beat even stronger than before, and his
lips started to quiver.
However, there was soon an odd smell that had entered his nose, a smell that he had
become familiar with, the smell of blood. Parts of red could be seen on the side of the wall
and on the floor, and the faint sound of wheezing was heard. Finally, his eyes landed on
Safa.
She was lying there on the floor, blood falling out from the side of her mouth, her lips cut.
Her arm was bent out of shape in one way, and her face was swollen in more areas than
one.
Raze's heart started to not only beat stronger than before but faster. It felt like it was going
to jump out of his throat.
The fact that Raze hadn't said anything, was giving Gren chills.
'This guy, I've had an odd feeling since day one when I saw him. He's not going to suddenly
care about his sister, is he? Ah, sh*t, what am I talking about, anyone would do after putting
her in that situation. If he tries to hit me then, I'll just have to fight back. I already decided
to leave this place anyway!'
In the middle of his thoughts, Raze had walked straight past him, seemingly ignoring him.
He then knelt down by his sister's side, getting a closer look at the wounds on her body.
In that moment, Gren took this opportunity to get out of there. Sliding the door open, he
fled out of the room, not turning back.
On the ground, Safa was still conscious. She felt a presence next to her and looked at Raze.
The moment she did, her eyes were filling up with tears. She had failed him, failed to
protect the crystals.
"Hey, idiot," Raze said. "Did you try and fight back?"
Out of all the things that Raze could have said, she was shocked by these words. Why was
that important right now?
"I saw the bite mark on his hands and him holding onto something," Raze continued,
turning his head at the mattress before going back to look at Safa. "Just answer my
question, did you fight back?"
Hearing a little annoyance in Raze's tone, Safa had decided to give a nod, although it was
painful for her to do so.
Letting out a big sigh, Raze sunk his head into his chest and looked at the ground.
"I heard our family has no name," Raze explained. "I've never felt like I've had a family
before, but I did have a name once, a second one. Given to me by my family, but they
weren't family; they were just demons in human skin.
"You listened to me, you are the second person who has ever tried to help me. You did well,
and right now there's this great pain in my chest. So I want to ask you a question. In the
end, I decided to give myself the family name of Cromwell. So...Safa!" Raze said, looking
deep into her eyes. "As a reward for you listening to me, I ask you. Do you accept the family
name Cromwell?"
Safa didn't know what Raze was talking about, or his random mumblings, but she could feel
a great pain in his words and strength behind them. Her tears had completely blurred her
vision and were rolling down the side of her cheek. A connection, with the same name as
each other, the two would have a connection and feel like a real family.
Slowly once again, Safa gave a nod.
"You are a Cromwell now," Raze stated. "Don't ever forget it."
Walking outside, Kron had finished his talk with Sonny, and as he was heading to his office,
he had noticed that Raze's room had their door open, and immediately the scene caught his
eyes.
Kron ran across and burst into the room. "What happened to her...what is this?" Kron
asked.
"She needs to go see a doctor, straight away, there's no time," Raze said, staying in his knelt
down position.
"The Physician!" Mr. Kron thought. "But the closest one is in town. I'll have to carry her on
my back."
Not hesitating, Kron picked up Safa; he tried to do so carefully, but she was still grunting in
pain. Wasting no time, he quickly ran out of the temple and headed down the long staircase
that led into the town.
'These wounds...they look like physical wounds. Why was she in a state like this?' Mr. Kron
thought. 'It couldn't have been Raze; he doesn't even have the skills to do something like
this. Could it be?"
An image of Gren and the mushroom incident had flashed into his mind. "It appears I have
made a grave mistake. If that kid managed to go this far, then there is no saving him. He will
no longer be allowed in the temple, but first I have to save her!"
Back in the room, Raze was still on the floor on his knees; he was looking at the state of the
room and the blood on the ground. His heart was still thumping loudly. Why would such a
person go far, just because he asked them to do a simple thing? She was truly an idiot.
"This feeling, I didn't know it would be so soon that I would feel it again," Raze slowly got
up off the floor and looked at the mattress again.
"It looks like, for the first time, you and me are in agreement." Raze could feel his body
reacting more and more as he thought about his sister. This dark, deep feeling that was
rising to the surface wasn't an unfamiliar feeling for Raze.
"He who dared to steal crystals from me! And he who harmed your sister!" Dark magic had
activated out of Raze's body and was swirling around his hands, running up his arm. A few
objects on the floor around him were starting to move, reacting to the mana flow in the air.
"Where is this little f*ck Gren? He's dead!"
Chapter 28: Punishment Served
Chapter 28: Punishment Served
After exiting Raze's room, Gren immediately ran across the large hall and took a left. He
passed several of the other sliding doors that belonged to those staying at the temple.
Finding his own door, he slid it open and closed it behind him.
Standing behind the door, Gren took quick deep breaths.
'What was that?' Gren thought. 'Why is it every time I see that guy, he gives me the creeps?
He's not even a person I want to kick his arse… crap, but now I have to figure out what to
do.'
Bringing out the crystals from his pocket, Gren checked to see that they were still there; as
he did so, he dropped the crystals frantically on the ground. His palms were covered in
sweat.
Quickly, he bent down to pick them up and placed them back in his pocket.
'Everything is okay, everything is fine.' Gren thought. 'I already made the decision to leave
this place. She's not dead, so they can't punish me for anything. The worst thing they'll do is
kick me out... and I can just use the crystals to join another clan anyway.'
These thoughts continued to repeat in his head as a way to calm him down. But before he
knew it, he had already grabbed a bag and was packing his belongings into it. He didn't
have much; most of the temple kids didn't have much.
Just a few personal items and clothing that they had bought with pocket change they would
get from Kron now and again.
'Screw it!' Gren thought. 'The best thing to do is to leave now. I know they're going to kick
me out anyway. So what's the point in staying and getting an earful from Mr. Kron? It's just
not worth it.'
Slinging the leather bag over his back, he pulled on the string that would close the top and
slid the door open. He took a peek to the right and left, seeing no one, he decided to make a
break for it, leaving through the main entrance door.
Hearing a bunch of noise outside, Simyon slid his door slightly, managing to catch the tail
end of Gren leaving.
'I wonder where he's going at this time?'
Gren's feet shuffled down the stairs of the main building and onto the courtyard. Taking a
few steps, he soon stopped dead in his tracks as he looked up ahead. A white-haired figure
stood in the center of the courtyard, all on his own.
The sun behind him was starting to set as it went behind the town, and darkness was
starting to fill the sky.
"You!" Gren shouted, swinging his arm. "What are you doing? Trying to stop me?"
The right side of Raze's mouth curled upwards. "I believe you have something that belongs
to me?"
"I don't have a clue what you're talking about, and if you don't move out of my way, I'll beat
you!" Gren said, starting to walk forward, heading towards Raze.
"You know, I was hoping you would say that, because I really didn't want a reason to hold
back!"
Rushing forward, Gren placed Qi into each of his steps. It was something only he could do
compared to other students, not just utilizing Qi when doing a skill like the two-step shift.
He then channeled it from his stomach into his fist, ready to close the distance and pound
Raze.
For Raze, however, he didn't move. Instead, he placed his hand out by his side, and dark
magic started to swirl around his hand, looking like a visible liquid moving about.
'What… what is that?' Gren had never seen anything like it; this wasn't Qi. It wasn't any
type of fighting technique he had seen or heard of. Still, he chose to go forward. 'I saw the
score he got on that pillar, he can't best me!'
"Dark pulse!" Raze announced, moving his hand out. The magic pulsated out an inch away
from his palm and shot out, hitting Gren in the stomach. The attack was heavy, causing spit
and all the air to shoot out of his mouth. He was lifted off his feet and fell on his back.
"Oh, a hole didn't appear through your body?" Raze mused, taking a few steps forward.
"Maybe it's all that training Kron made you do, or perhaps this is what it means to have Qi?
Anyway, it looks like between martial arts vs magic, magic is the winner at the moment,"
Raze remarked, stopping about three meters from Gren. Gren managed to rise, one hand on
his stomach, his face contorted in pain.
"What did you do?" Gren shouted, charging in again, this time performing the two-step
shift. But Raze already had dark magic swirling from his hand.
"Dark pulse!" The attack hit Gren again, feeling harder than before. His body wasn't able to
handle the impact as well, and a bit of blood spat out before he fell once more.
"You see, to use your martial arts and this Qi of yours, you have to get close to your
opponent. If you can't get close, it's useless," Raze commented.
No longer was Gren trying to stand and fight back; instead, he used his hands to try and
crawl away, to get off the ground.
'What is this? Who is this person? I knew there was something off with this freak. He's a
monster! What the heck is he using?' Gren eventually managed to half-rise and turned
away, his back towards Raze.
"But recently, I discovered something quite fascinating," Raze commented, assuming a
fighting stance with his fist out in front of him. His feet moved, performing the two-step
shift, and he threw out his hand. "Dark strike!"
The pulse unleashed was stronger than before and was aimed right at Gren's leg. The
energy was condensed and hit Gren right in the foot. Not only did it hit him, but the attack
also pierced through his leg and struck the ground, breaking it.
"ARGHHHH!" Gren screamed, as he fell to the floor and looked at his leg. There was a hole
through the side of his calf, and even part of his bone could be seen. "Arghh!" Gren
continued to scream.
Raze walked over, kicking Gren in the chest. Even in his weakened state, he was able to do
something like this after wearing his opponent down. Gren was no longer in any state to
fight. Tears were rolling down his face, and he was focused on one thing; he just wanted to
live.
Bending down, Raze began to search Gren and eventually found the crystals. Taking them,
he placed them in his own pocket.
"Stealing from me was a bad decision, kid. Did you even use your brain for a moment? How
do you think I was able to obtain these crystals? Did you think you could take them from
someone capable of acquiring them?"
Taking his foot off Gren's chest, Raze pressed down hard on Gren's left wrist.
"However, the worst thing you did was touch a Cromwell," Raze said, his hand swelling
with magic. "Is this one of the hands, the mighty hands, that did all of that to her?"
Gren stared into Raze's eyes, trying to plead with him in some way. But he saw the same
look he had caught in Raze's eyes a few times before: they felt dark, lifeless, as if there was
no humanity in them to begin with.
As Raze continued, there seemed to be no emotion in him. No matter what Gren said, he
wouldn't have been able to escape this situation.
"Dark pulse!"
The attack left Raze's hand and hit the palm of Gren's, creating a hole that could be seen
through. "Dark pulse," Raze declared again, destroying another large chunk of Gren's hand.
"ARGHHH!" Gren screamed, kicking his legs.
"Dark pulse!"
The attack was used once more, leaving no hand in sight. Just a bloody small wrist; his hand
had completely vanished. There was almost no blood on the ground, as it looked scorched
black by the magic, having evaporated the blood entirely.
Lifting his leg, Raze waited. Immediately, he saw Gren trying desperately to rise. It was a
dire situation, and it was finally time. Raze had done enough.
"Let's finish this," Raze declared.
Chapter 29: Will To Live
Chapter 29: Will To Live
Raze's hand was pointed toward the back of Gren's head. Gren had gotten to his feet and
was heading towards the temple exit, limping, much like Raze had seen Safa do earlier.
Seeing this, Raze's determination was confirmed.
"RAZE, DON'T!" A loud scream came from the temple doors.
Raze turned his head to see who it was and spotted Simyon running towards him.
"Stop, don't do something you'll regret!" Simyon shouted, and it looked like he was almost
going to rugby tackle him. Raze glanced at where Gren had been, but he had completely
disappeared.
'Damn it!' Raze thought, lowering his hand and dispelling his magic. 'If he managed to
escape that quickly... Did he use some type of skill, or maybe Qi aided him? I can't believe it,
especially with that injured leg. In my condition, I'll never catch up to him.'
With that thought in mind, he turned to look at Simyon, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Do you have any idea what you just did?"
Simyon, out of breath from his sprint, stopped just short.
"Look, I dislike the guy as much as anyone, but you can't go around hurting people. It
seemed like you were going to kill him. Do you really want that burden on your shoulders?"
Simyon asked.
"Killing people? Let me ask you, if a wild animal killed your family or attacked them, would
you use everything you had to kill it?" Raze countered.
Unbeknownst to Raze, beasts from a portal had killed Simyon's family in the past. The
scenario Raze described resonated deeply with Simyon.
"Of course I would. I'd do anything to protect myself and my family," Simyon replied.
"Exactly. What I'm doing is protecting me and my family right now. The problem you have
is that you treat humans, beasts, and animals differently. In reality, it's all the same. If
anything, humans are far crueler than any of those beasts. Beasts act on instinct, whereas
people make the decision to act!" Raze exclaimed.
Raze continued to stare at the direction Gren had taken off to, but hope seemed fleeting.
After what he had done, the chance of Gren returning was slim.
As for Simyon, he couldn't stop mulling over Raze's words.
"Remember this, Simyon, you're the one who let him get away. If he returns, he might do
far worse than what he did to Safa today. That will be on you," Raze said, walking past
Simyon and heading back inside the temple.
For Raze to speak like this, to see humans and beasts as the same thing, it was hard for
Simyon to comprehend, and in fact, he didn't see them the same. It was clear that he
thought humans were worse.
'Just what type of life did you go through… is it because your family was killed by humans,
unlike mine by monsters?' Simyon thought, but then the other words had hit Simyon as he
realised what he had said.
"Wait! What happened to Safa? Is she okay? Raze, talk to me!" Simyon shouted, chasing
after him.
It had been tough for Raze, he had used Dark pulse several times, having exerted a lot of his
mana, he needed to rest, and he was wondering just how much did Simyon see?
Gren had entered the forest just outside the temple, his leg throbbing with pain from the
hole Raze had inflicted. In the heat of the moment, seeing an opportunity while Raze was
distracted, a surge of Qi erupted from the depths of his being. This Qi was more potent than
any adrenaline rush.
It gave Gren the strength to run on his injured leg, but the power was fleeting. Unsure if
Raze was pursuing him, Gren decided to seek refuge in the forest. With the sun now fully
set, the surroundings were pitch black and it was frightening. At every turn of a tree, every
sound of bushes moving, he thought he would see the white haired figure, but it was just
his imagination.
Eventually, Gren found a large rock to rest upon. He needed a moment to catch his breath
as all of the Qi had been used up.
"What was that? What did he use on me? He tore right through my leg, and my hand… My
damn hand's gone!" Gren's panic was evident. His situation was dire.
He couldn't return to the temple, fearing not only Mr. Kron but the white-haired boy's
wrath as well. Moreover, with the crystals taken from him, no clan would accept him now.
Lifting his hand up again, he realized that the situation was a lot worse.
'With this injury... I'll be labeled as disabled by everyone. Can I even find a job to sustain
myself?'
Examining his wounds, he noticed they had been cauterized, so at least he wasn't bleeding.
That was one less concern. Dying in the middle of the woods and being eaten by the
animals around, maybe it was the best choice for him.
Venturing further into the forest, Gren reflected on the events leading to his current
predicament. Despite feeling hopeless, he had a strong will to survive, it propelled him to
distance himself from the temple.
The sound of running water had entered Gren's ears. Up ahead, a stream trickled down
from the mountain. Several stepping stones led to it. Overcome with thirst, Gren
approached the stream with caution. He didn't want to risk falling in. But as he neared the
water, an oddity in the air caught his attention.
'Are those... sparks?'
The sight resembled a fireworks display, illuminating and shimmering in the darkness. The
sparks grew until they formed a vast glowing circle right before him. Though unfamiliar, a
chilling realization dawned upon Gren.
'Is this... No, it can't be. A portal?'
Gren whirled around, intending to flee, but several thin tentacles emerged from the portal.
They wrapped around his head, face, and legs, lifting him into the air before yanking him
inside. As he was pulled in, the portal snapped shut, disappearing as abruptly as it had
appeared.
Chapter 30: How strong are you?
Chapter 30: How strong are you?
The next day had arrived, and it was an odd experience for the children. Throughout the
night, rumors had already spread about Gren's disappearance. This was because Mr. Kron
had returned relatively late in the night to inform Raze that his sister was going to be okay.
It wasn't a quiet entrance by Mr Kron by any means, and even before that, most of the
children were worried since they heard the sounds of screams from outside. Although with
them being young they were too scared to venture outside.
The news had been overheard, and it was then the two twins noticed that Gren was no
longer in his room. The word had spread, and the kids were starting to form their own
opinions about what had happened.
"Did you see Raze's and Safa's room? It was completely trashed."
"Yeah, I even saw blood. Do you think Gren did something?"
"He had to have done something. Didn't you hear? Safa's currently staying in town with the
physician. He must have done something and got kicked out."
"I heard that he ran away. Apparently, the twins have no clue where he's gone either."
All the children could do was make guesses, but in their hearts, they felt a slight bit of relief
knowing that Gren was gone. There were times when they had seen the way he looked at
them.
If they obtained an ounce of praise when practicing martial arts from Kron, they would feel
his wrath in one way or another. Even if it was small things such as name-calling. It was
clear that Gren was the only one allowed to shine before.
At the moment, all the children were sitting down having breakfast together. Mr. Kron, for a
change, had decided to make the breakfast, allowing the children to talk and gossip among
themselves. But there was one person who didn't seem to be in the mood, and that was
Simyon.
He lifted the liquid of his soup up in his spoon and then tilted it, allowing it to splash back
down into his bowl.
"You know, it's rude to play with your food," Raze commented, sitting right next to him. He
regretted saying those words as it was a habit. He realized that maybe the same habits
didn't cross through different worlds.
"Ah, I know, I know. I'm sorry," Simyon replied. It was quite apparent that he wasn't his
usual self, and it was because he had a lot on his mind.
'Look at Raze, his sister is with the physician, and he doesn't seem worried at all. And what
was that yesterday? He did all of that, and he's acting like nothing happened?' Simyon
thought, but there was an even bigger question on his mind.
'What even was it that he did? I mean, how was he able to beat Gren and hurt him so badly?
I couldn't see what happened... it was just a feeling I had that if I didn't stop him back then,
something bad would have happened. Crap, what's worse is that it means that Raze was
actually stronger than Gren!'
'Does that now make me close to being the weakest in this whole temple? How am I meant
to get stronger? How am I meant to even get into the Pagna Academy at this rate? Should I
ask Raze? I mean, if he was able to defeat Gren, then he must know something, right? But it
just feels so awkward after he scolded me yesterday.'
In all honesty, Raze didn't care about what Simyon did the night before. The main thing was
that he had gotten his crystals back, and if he had actually killed Gren, then there would
have been a lot more problems on his plate.
The reason Raze was being a little quieter than usual toward Simyon was that he was
trying to gauge what he knew.
'Did he see me use magic yesterday? But then why hasn't he said anything? Even if he
hasn't said anything to me, he had plenty of chances to talk to Mr. Kron about it last night.
Perhaps he didn't see anything.'
'Even if he did see something, he wouldn't understand what he saw anyway, but it's still
bugging me. He knows what happened to Gren, and yet says nothing. Could it be, is he
planning to blackmail me?'
Both of them looked at each other with the corner of their eye at that moment before
quickly looking away from each other.
Eventually, breakfast had ended, and Mr. Kron had told everyone that they were free to rest
for the day. There was no need to do chores. In the meantime, he had invited Raze to meet
him in his office.
"I wanted to talk to you a bit more about your sister, Raze," Mr. Kron said. "I'm sure you're
worried about her, but if there is one thing you don't have to be frightened about, it's Gren
coming back and doing her harm.
"If I see him, I'll beat that child myself and send him off to the Light faction to deal with him
if I have to!"
Mr. Kron had noticed he had gotten a little carried away and cleared his throat.
"Anyway, what I wanted to ask was whether you wanted to come to town and see your
sister. You wouldn't be on your own; the two of us can go together. I will ask Simyon to
make sure the kids stay in the temple for the time being." Mr. Kron suggested.
Raze quickly tilted his head down, not because he was upset, but because he needed to hide
the smile that had naturally appeared on his face.
'This is great!' Raze thought. 'I was trying to think of a way to head into town to buy some
items. If I manage to get my hands on some objects, using the crystals and my dark magic, I
can make what I need to return to that portal.'
'When I do, I'll gather even more crystals this time and become a 2-star magician. After
that, I can continue from there and return to Alterian, getting rid of all of the Grand Magus!'
Raze's plan felt so perfect that he wanted to let out his laughter right there and then, but he
held it in for fear Mr. Kron would think he was mad.
"Of course, sir," Raze answered. "Let's go check on Safa."
"And let's get some items." he mumbled.
-----
Meanwhile, in his room, Simyon was continuing to mull over several things in his mind.
'If I really continue like this, I won't become anything. I don't exactly agree with Raze's
view, but I can see his point. If you don't ask, you don't get, right?' Lifting his body up from
the bed, Simyon had found new determination. 'I'll ask him, a way to get stronger, and if he
doesn't want to teach me, I can always just blackmail him with the situation about Gren…
it's perfect!'
Chapter 31: Light Magic
Chapter 31: Light Magic
Although it had only been a few days, it felt like a long time since Raze had stepped into a
place as lively as he saw now. He had finally entered the town Rumptum, a small place with
a population of a few thousand people.
It was incredibly small compared to the cities on Alterian that would be filled with millions,
but it was nice for a change. What Raze couldn't get used to, though, was the lack of modern
technology.
How things were being pulled by carts and carried by workers, but then there would be a
few sights of more advanced work. There was electricity, as lights and certain appliances
could be seen running on it.
However, either the town they were in now had a lack of electricity or it was something
new; it was hard to tell since most would use oil lamps or candles.
As the two walked through the streets, Raze was keeping an eye out on the several different
types of stores. There were specialist stores that sold equipment such as swords, armor,
and general weapons.
Then there were stores that sold food and produce, and stores that sold nearly everything.
They were one-stop shops of sorts. Finally, there were the roaming merchants who would
have a big carriage behind them and had in place all the goods they had received from all
different places.
'There's none that seem to be selling beast crystals. I didn't see any last time either. If I go
to one of the merchants, then they will probably just run off with the crystals like Gren did.
I need someone who's not so squeaky clean that they would tell everyone about my
business, and at the same time someone who won't stab me in the back thinking I'm an
easy target. But before that, there's a bigger problem I have.'
Raze's eyes glared at Kron, who was by his side. Due to the current situation of him being
targeted, no one was meant to leave his side.
The two had reached the physician's house. It was a building that matched the style of the
rest, with the sloping and upward roofs, giving it that eastern style from his world.
The building itself was larger than most of the buildings in the area and was stationed near
the Red Brigade Clan building. It would be where they would get most of their business
from since the Pagna warriors were the ones that got injured the most.
'I guess it pays to be a doctor in this world. I wonder if my potions will have an effect on the
people here as well. If they do, I might be a good tool to make some coin, and with that, I
would be able to buy beast crystals without the need to go through the dangerous portals,
allowing me to get back to what I was at a quick rate.'
There were so many plans that Raze wanted to implement, but he was just quite limited by
his situation at the moment.
Entering the physician's building, there was a single large hall, divided by several rooms.
They would be blocked off by dividers that were constantly opening and closing as people
were running back and forth between them, fetching stuff.
The smell, it was pungent and was making Raze's stomach feel queasy, and there was the
noise, the sound of people in pain, screaming, and sick. It reminded him a lot of a hospital, a
place that was always close to death.
An old man in dark grey robes had approached the two. His clothes were tattered, his hair a
mess, and there were large bags under his eyes, as well as blood on his clothes. Suddenly,
Raze didn't think it was such a good job to be a doctor.
"Thank you for looking after Safa, Crinter," Mr. Kron said.
Mr. Crinter didn't say any words, as if he was too tired to even open his mouth. He shook
his weak hand, gesturing for the two to follow him over as he finally led them to a room.
The door slid open. Laid out on the mat on the ground was Safa. She had been bandaged,
her mouth where there was a large cut on the bottom had been stitched up.
There was also this strange green paste that had been placed all over her wounds, with a
pot of it off to the side.
What was a surprise, or not totally a surprise, was there was another person in the room as
well.
"You two finally made it down," Sonny said with a smile. "When I got word of what
happened to Safa, I was worried that someone might have been after the two of you, but it
looks like you're completely fine, Raze."
"I see, I haven't had time to inform you of the situation," Mr. Kron said. "But I don't think it
was an attack from the outside. Why don't the two of us talk on the outside while Raze has
some time with his sister."
Raze knew who the main suspect was. In fact, there was no suspect; he knew who did this.
The adults were just going to talk, to try to hide things from the kids that they didn't really
need to hide.
Sitting down by Safa's side, the pain in his chest continued. It was becoming a normal
reaction for the body when he saw his sister, and he was starting to get used to it rather
than annoyed at it.
'Hey, I got some payback for your sister, so you should calm down a little. Look, it seems
like she's sleeping peacefully,' Raze thought.
Looking at the room though, he couldn't imagine the place was very sanitary. They had
alcohol and boiling hot water so they could disinfect most tools, but the room itself would
be hard to disinfect, especially since they didn't seem to have things such as simple gloves.
'She should be fine, but with stitches like that on her lip, she'll have a scar, and her broken
arm wrapped up in a sling will take a few months to heal properly. Since you getting hurt
was partly to do with me, it would have been nice if I could heal you. Unfortunately, dark
magic has no healing properties.'
There was one type of magic that would be able to help in this sort of situation, though, and
that was light magic. So far, Raze hadn't been able to get any other attribute of magic.
If he wanted to do things like create healing potions and heal with his own powers himself,
then he would need to do so. The issue was, now that he had a dark core, light magic would
be the hardest attribute to raise.
The easiest way would be to find a beast that had a great affinity with light magic, take its
crystal and absorb it whole. After gaining at least some light magic, he could slowly
increase it in other ways, but it would still be difficult due to his dark core.
'That does make me wonder. The Dark faction had a cultivation technique that allowed me
to increase the Darkness attribute. Does that mean the Light faction might have a technique
that could also increase my Light attribute?
'It would make sense, right? And what about all the other factions and clans? It could be
very possible that every one of these clans has a cultivation that would be able to help me
increase my magic in every area!
'Earth, Light, Dark, Fire, Water are just the basics. I might even be able to obtain the special
attributes, Moon, Space, and more. This world truly wants to bless me.'
Raze soon looked down upon the injured Safa; she still seemed to be asleep. With these
thoughts from before, something else popped into his head.
'Wait a second, Safa has a sacrificial nature. She sacrificed herself in order to protect those
crystals. Doesn't she have the perfect start for the Light attribute magic herself? What if I
taught her how to use magic, and she had a Light magic core? She would be able to gain
affinity with light fairly quickly, and she would even be able to create items like magic
potions!'
With an eye half-open, Safa was wondering why her brother was smirking so evilly by her
side.
Chapter 32: A Small Problem
Chapter 32: A Small Problem
Thinking about the prospect of teaching another person magic was quite interesting to
Raze, but as he thought about it more, he realized there were larger problems to consider.
While he was the only one who knew his secret, he could control himself. Who knew how
others would react if they learned of magic, especially since right now even someone at the
top of the initial stage would be able to best him in a fight like Beatrix, and there were
plenty above that.
This also brought up the initial trust factor. If Raze suddenly taught her magic, wouldn't she
ask questions? And if she eventually found out that Raze wasn't her real brother, there was
a chance of betrayal, something he had already experienced too much in his previous life.
"On top of that, for some reason, the Clan leader's words keep hitting me in the head. I have
no idea if this body had betrayed his own family or not? If it is the case, then it would have
meant the original owner of this body would have wanted Safa dead as well."
This was a long shot because he wondered why his body would react a certain way when
looking at his sister if that was the case. But there was another possibility.
"Safa survived that day as well. If the Clan leader's suspicion is on point, then there is a
good chance that day, everyone was meant to die in the family apart from Safa, and there
was a chance that she could be the one that plotted to kill her own family."
For now, he couldn't do anything rash until he solved those problems. Eventually, Sonny
and Kron had returned to the room, both of them with half-hearted smiles. They didn't
know what was the best face to have in this type of situation; not many people did.
"Raze, there is some business I have with the Red Brigade while I am here," Kron stated.
"Sonny will be staying here with your sister. So I wanted to ask if you wished to come with
me or stay here until we head back?"
Standing up from the floor, it looked like Raze had made a decision, but he actually had
something else in mind. "Can I explore the town on my own?" Raze asked.
"But, Raze, we can't do that, you know that there are people after you?" Sonny said.
"I know," Raze clenched his fist. "But can't I make my own decisions? I mean, you guys are
going to let me go after a year anyway, right? If I can't protect myself now, then how is it
going to be different in a year's time?
"Besides, I want to live and explore my life a bit. Say I turn sixteen, leave the temple, and get
stabbed in the back. Or let's say I stay at the temple, and something like what happened to
Safa happens to me, only that I end up dead.
"So I get to live a few days more but trapped in a temple of all things? Look, I know you
guys have done a lot, protecting Safa, but I'm my own person; you don't need to babysit
me."
Both Kron and Sonny looked at each other; they knew Raze was making sound arguments.
"You're right," Kron said. "You can make your own decisions. We can only advise you on
your journey. You know, Raze, you sound more and more like a Pagna warrior by the day.
We will leave together when the sun starts to set.
"If you travel in the city, stay in crowded places, and try to always be within a hundred
meters of a clan member if possible. They will help you out if need be."
The convincing was a lot easier than Raze thought, and he was thankful for that. Otherwise,
for him to progress, he would have had to consider leaving the temple and trying to find a
new place of shelter.
After leaving the physician's place, Raze walked around outside for a while. He was passing
most of the shops, having a peek here and there, but he was mostly trying to check and see
if there was anyone following him.
"It wouldn't be much of a surprise for them to have put someone on me," Raze thought. "It's
a good way for them to catch their target as well if they needed to, but it seemed like the
two of them were too busy involved in their own things to do that." It was good news for
Raze.
Heading all over the place, Raze had eventually stopped outside a shop with barrels
outside. It was filled with all sorts of different equipment, old machinery, sewing kits, and
even had weapons here and there.
People were coming in and out with items and coming out with Coin.
"This is it," Raze said, his hands on his side. "A pawn shop. These are the type of places that
have connections. Since nowhere is selling Beast crystals, it's most likely an item that not
everyone can find a buyer for, but a pawn shop has to have contacts with experts from all
over the place.
"Not only that, but pawn shop people are complete scum. They're always trying to
undervalue the worth of one's items and might even claim that some items are fake, yet still
buy it off you. These are the type of people I need."
Raze waited until he could see that the shop was empty. Since the town wasn't full of
people in the first place, the shop would have around one customer or so every hour.
Entering through the front door, the shop was even more disorganized on the inside.
There were helmets hung up on the wall with pieces of armor, jewels placed in cabinets
and tables on the side. On the other side, was a man who had a pear-shaped body, a small
top but a large belly and bottom.
He had his trousers up fairly high just above his belly button and a long winding mustache.
He actually stood out quite a bit among the other people who Raze had seen so far.
"I don't deal with time wasters here; if you have no money or nothing of value, then shoo!"
the man said.
Raze wasn't offended, based on his basic temple clothing and his age. Most people would be
considered time wasters. With a smile on his face, he glanced back behind him to make sure
no one else was inside the shop. Then, pulling out a crystal from his hand, he placed it down
on the counter. A clinking noise was made as the crystal hit the glass.
"Hey, if you damage my shop, you're paying for it even if I need to use your body!" The man
shouted, and his mouth soon opened wide as his eyes sparkled, and his head tilted back.
"Is that a... a power stone?" The man said in amazement.
'Power stone?' Raze thought. 'In his world, they called them beast crystals, but he supposed
it was quite normal for other places to have different names for these things.'
"It is," Raze confidently answered. "I'm looking to sell this, and believe me, I know its
worth, so don't try to scam me with this. If you do, my boss will be very upset."
It would be hard to believe that a non-Pagna warrior and a person so young had gotten
their hands on this 'power stone.' So Raze had come up with a backstory that would
hopefully make sure the man didn't try anything.
He had brought out a magnifying glass and was looking at the crystal carefully. "Are you
sure you know its worth, kid?" The man replied. "If you did, you wouldn't have brought it to
a place like this, and your 'boss'" The man made bunny ears with his fingers saying this
word. "Wouldn't have sent you here of all places.
"In a small town like this, there are only two things you can do. You can have it sent off to
an auction, but they will take a percentage of your earnings. Having just one isn't worth
your time. Or you would have to have a connection with the clans to try and sell something
like this."
Now it made sense why no one was publicly selling power crystals. Sonny had explained
how the crystals could be used to make Qi pills, so only the Pagna warriors had a use for
them, and it was far too small for a town for the rich merchants to look for power crystals
here, especially a clan that didn't even own a portal.
"I'll tell you what, kid. I know someone who will buy this from you. Let me just give him a
call, and he'll be here in a moment. You don't mind waiting, do you?" the man asked.
With no other solution, Raze nodded, and he took the crystal off the counter before the man
could take it away. The two looked at each other in the eye for a moment, while the man
went out the back.
'Wait a moment, call? Do they have phones here? This place really is a mix of technology,
isn't it? I guess it will be a landline-like service, though, rather than a mobile. Probably only
a few places have one; not even Kron has one at the temple.' Raze thought.
After waiting a few minutes, the door opened, and a large-headed, bald man had entered.
He was wearing a sleeveless shirt that showed the outside of his large muscular arms, and
he was around six feet tall.
'I don't have a good feeling about this,' Raze thought.
As soon as the man had entered, he had closed the door and pushed in a button on the
handle. A clicking sound was heard, and a large smile appeared on his face.
"Kid, why don't you take this as a free lesson," the pawn shop owner said. "I don't know
where you found that power stone from, but having something so valuable in your hands is
just going to make you a target."
Raze stood there in the center, his fists shaking. 'I thought something like this could
happen. It was a variable you always considered, Raze; just take a deep breath.'
After taking a deep breath, Raze opened his mouth. "Just let me walk back out that door,
with the crystals in my hand, and no one has to get hurt."
The large man and the shop owner just started to laugh. The large man immediately rushed
over and grabbed Raze up by the collar, lifting him up in the air.
"Hand the crystals over now!" he shouted.
His body sunken, not saying a word, Raze lifted his hand and opened his palm, pointing
toward the man's face.
His lips were quivering, his body shaking, until he finally opened his mouth. "DON'T TOUCH
ME! DARK PULSE!"
The magic gathered around his hand, and before the man could react, the pulse went out
and had gone right through the man's head, making a large hole. His body fell over
backward, dropping Raze onto the ground.
"What the... you killed him, you killed him, what the!" The owner was looking for a way out
of the place; he started to run out the back, but Raze was already on his feet and had his
hand pointed at the owner.
"Dark Pulse."
The attack left his hand and went right through the owner's body and through his heart,
dropping him to the floor.
"Ah, crap!" Raze said, scratching his head. "What do I do now?"
Chapter 33: Cursed Items (Part 1)
Chapter 33: Cursed Items (Part 1)
Out of the dead bodies, a strange dark smoke appeared and made its way toward Raze. It
entered through the pores of his skin, connecting with his Dark core inside and lighting up
the ring on his finger.
[Dark Attribute: 18]
"Well, that's one way to confirm their death," Raze thought.
The effect of having a Dark magic core was that certain actions would increase one's
affinity with dark magic, and one of them was taking a life. Having taken two lives, he had
an increase of two points, but the expression on Raze's face didn't look like he was pleased
at all.
His eyes were fixed on the large man who was lying flat on the floor. His head wasn't
bleeding, even though there was a hole through it. It was one of the effects of using Dark
Magic.
"I told myself that I wouldn't do stuff like this again," Raze said, as he raised both hands to
the side of his head. If all his hair wasn't white already, he was sure some of it would have
started to grey due to the stress. "Who am I kidding? Knowing me, it was always going to
turn out like this. I just didn't think it would happen so soon. I guess I need to try and sort
something out."
The first thing Raze did was partially open the outside door and turn the wooden signboard
that was hung from "open" to "closed." He then closed the door and locked it, making sure
no one could get inside.
Now he needed to figure out what to do with the bodies. Searching around the area, he
looked at the items to come up with some sort of plan, and eventually, he found a couple of
swords.
It wasn't so uncommon for the general public to carry around weapons, even if they
weren't Pagna warriors, and Raze could use this in his favor.
The first thing he did was drag the body from behind the counter around to the main floor
of the shop. Shortly after, he braced himself for a few moments.
"People like you guys don't tend to have families, right, or anyone that loves you? Yeah, I
mean, look at their ugly faces. They would be lucky to even be compared to a potato," Raze
told himself as he shoved the sword deep into the shop owner's chest. Now blood did start
to pour on the ground.
Similarly, Raze had to do the same with the large man, but with another weapon. The main
issue was he had to stab through a skull, which was a lot harder work than he thought. In
fact, with his strength, it was near impossible.
In the end, the man's head was unrecognizable, and Raze wasn't sure if it was better or
worse. After creating a few more stab wounds with each other's weapons, though, he was
finally done and covered in sweat, sitting down on the ground away from the crime scene
he had created.
"A disagreement between business partners in the pawn industry, that doesn't sound too
far-fetched. Maybe them two killing each other at the same time is a bit dramatic, but it will
have to do," Raze thought.
"It's unlikely that they would ever pin the blame on me anyway, and the Red Brigade Clan
has been investigating a string of murders, so what's one more to add to the list? I'm just a
weak, fragile boy in their eyes anyway."
Taking a look at the crime scene one more time, Raze wished he still had his expertise in
magic to spice it up a bit, but it would have to do. He was counting on one thing, though.
"Having touched everything and everyone, my fingerprints are all over the place. They
won't have anything that will allow them to pin this on me. Heck, even if they did have a
fingerprint system, they wouldn't have mine."
There were two reasons why Raze had come to the pawn shop. One of them was to sell the
crystal, but after selling the crystal, he had planned to buy a few items.
"Now that there is no shop owner, that just means all the items in here are free, right?"
Raze started to look around with this thought in mind.
In his possession were still four crystals, and there was no longer a need for him to sell
them for income. Right now, he was looking for items that he could enhance with black
magic that would give him the best effect.
"The trickiest part in all of this is because of my black magic, every item that I enhance will
have a cursed effect."
In the end, Raze had selected a few items to enhance, and with the shop floor being
relatively large, he could do his enhancements right there on the shop floor. The first item
he had chosen was a black robe.
There weren't many figures that went around walking in black robes, at least not Pagna
warriors, but they were also sold in quite a few places. He could understand, since a robe
wouldn't protect one from a sword whereas armor would.
However, he did remember seeing some of the Pagna warriors in the portal world wearing
light clothing as well, and there was also the founder of the Dark faction. The statue that the
children were made to clean. He also wore a robe that covered up his face.
"Maybe that's why so many robes are for sale but not many people wear them?" Raze
thought as he was drawing up the magic circle underneath.
He remembered a lot of the basic enhancements, and the Dark magic would always make it
slightly better than what he had learned. But the one thing he never knew about was what
type of curse effect the item would have.
Placing the magic crystal down, with the magic emitting from his hands, it swirled down
and activated the circle. The crystal was starting to break down, and the robe started to
glow with a faint purple on the outside.
The crystal had completely disappeared, and the robe fell back to the floor.
"Show me your effects," Raze asked. Black magic whispered out of his mouth, reacting with
the robe, and an image started to appear in front of him, written out.
[A basic Cursed Robe]
[...]
[…]
Chapter 34: Cursed Items (Part 2)
Chapter 34: Cursed Items (Part 2)
While Raze gazed at the magical robe, he began to reminisce about his days of studying
when he had learned about the creation of magical items.
Creating a magical item was usually a rather intricate process because there were several
components that needed to be in place for it to work. Firstly, a magic formation had to be
created, and depending on these formations, they would yield different effects on items.
Moreover, not all items could have the same formations applied to them. In this case, there
was a lot of trial and error, and errors were costly because the materials would still be used
up.
Other factors that needed to align were the Star magic of the user and the quality of
materials. Since Raze was a 1-star mage, he could only employ 1-star formations, and given
he only possessed a basic beast crystal, or as they called it in this world, a basic power
stone, it could only be used for 1-star formations.
So, the mage's level, knowledge of higher formations, and the quality of the power stone
used on the right equipment all had to be there. A significant part of being a skilled and
gifted mage was one's dedication to research and studying, something Raze had done
abundantly, maybe even more than usual, as it had propelled him to become a 9-star mage.
There was even more to creating magical items than this, though, and that was the type of
magic used. Although the formations added basic effects from the crystal, the type of magic
would slightly alter those effects.
For instance, if a health potion was created with the same formation and crystal but with
light magic in one instance and wind magic in another, the two potions might have different
effects. The one with light magic might heal more, while the wind magic potion might
restore health and enhance the user's agility.
This was precisely why it was essential for mages not to focus solely on one attribute.
However, Raze only possessed Dark magic, which had its unique effects. The formations he
had used would give items the effect as if a tier-2 or maybe even a tier-3 formation had
been employed, making the items more potent than others. The downside was that all the
items were cursed, and the cursed effect could change each time.
[Basic Cursed Magic Robe]
[The magic robe can be concealed within the current user's clothing and summoned at
will.]
[The magic robe is capable of lowering the user's visibility (with increased effectiveness at
night).]
[The magic robe can store items in a separate space. The stored items cannot be larger than
the robe itself, and each item stored will occupy a certain amount of storage space.]
"The third effect, storage, is what I was aiming for. If I'm going to continue gathering power
stones, then I need a place to hide them so that the same thing that happened last time
doesn't occur again," Raze thought. "The other effects are additional, though. I originally
chose a robe because I wanted to conceal my face when encountering more people and
sneaking around, but these additional effects might come in handy."
Taking a deep breath, it was time to read what the cursed effects were because it was quite
possible that they would outweigh the positive effects, making it better to just throw the
item away.
[The robe is bound to the user and cannot be used by others.]
[Once a week, the item must absorb one Basic Tier power stone.]
[If no power stone is given, then one item will be taken from the storage at random.]
[If there are no items, then the robe will destroy itself.]
Raze scratched his head furiously. Why, out of all the possible effects, did the robe have to
have this type of effect at his current stage?
"Why, out of all things, did it have to be a crystal? If I hadn't used dark magic, then it
wouldn't have had any of these effects. I guess it's not too bad; I could just take all the items
out once a week and throw a stone in there or something. That should work, right? It
depends on where I am and the situation I'm in."
The good news was that, based on the information provided, the crystal in the robe would
require feeding in a week from now.
Now, three crystals remained that he could use, and he already had an idea of what he
wanted to do. Searching around, he found an alchemical bottle with a cork on top. It was
clear and see-through. Next, he went to the sink at the back of the shop, which was more of
a plastic tube embedded in the wall connected to who knew what.
The flow of water was blocked by a small plastic cap that needed to be removed to let the
water flow. Raze recognized it from his time at the temple, where they used similar caps to
clean dishes.
After filling up one bottle with water, Raze did the same with another, leaving him with two
filled bottles.
Returning to the magic circle drawn on the ground with the available chalk in the shop, he
adjusted the formation, placed one of the bottles in the center, and activated the circle with
magic again. The liquid inside illuminated before turning into a dark blue color, almost
purple, indicating that the item had been successfully created.
[Cursed Basic Mana Potion]
[Will restore the person's mana to its maximum capacity for 1 minute.]
Reading this, Raze didn't know whether to laugh or cry. A normal mana potion would have
restored a portion of one's mana permanently. In this case, the mana restored was the
entirety of the user's mana, but it would last for only one minute, rendering the effect
short-lived.
The reason Raze wanted a more basic mana potion was so he could hunt for longer periods
in a shorter time frame. For a mage, mana was their lifeline. There were superior potions at
higher tiers that could provide unlimited mana use for a certain duration, but it would be a
while until he acquired one of those.
He repeated the process with the second bottle and received the same effect, but it made
him wonder as he looked at it.
"What would happen if a Pagna warrior took one of these? Would it restore their Qi?" Raze
pondered. "Their cultivation techniques based on Qi were able to increase the strength of
my magic core, so maybe if they took this, it would have a similar effect. In the first place, Qi
and Mana seem to be the same type of energy; the difference lies in how a person uses it."
The issue was, having used one power stone to create such a potion, Raze didn't want to
give it away for free, especially considering its effects.
Finally, Raze held the last basic power stone in his hand. "I'll be keeping you," Raze said
with a smile.
"It looks like I'm going to need more stones to reach the next Star level, and they're quite
useful in this world as well. So I guess I'll be going back to that place again," Raze thought.
Chapter 35: Controlling emotions
Chapter 35: Controlling emotions
A few days had passed since Raze had visited the town with Safa. Each night, Raze
continued to join in the training, which seemed to still focus on perfecting the two-step
shift as a group.
Raze participated, doing his best to increase his stamina. While there were some
improvements, they were negligible, almost as if he were unwell. Nevertheless, he
continued to cultivate each night, and his Dark attribute continued to grow stronger.
[Dark attribute: 21]
He could feel that the Dark attribute was nearing its peak. If he didn't manage to become a
2-star mage soon, he would hit the cap.
The good news was that during this time, there were no visitors. No visitors from the Red
Brigade Clan, no visitors from Gren, or anyone else. Being secluded in the mountains, they
were away from gossip and rumors, so he had no idea what had happened with that
'incident.' For now, he would focus on himself.
There was one surprising thing, though. After a couple of days, Safa had returned to the
temple, and she was completely fine. There were no bandages on her arm, and she had no
broken bones. There was now a small scar on her bottom lip, but it was quite remarkable.
Raze wondered what the physician had done without any magic to expedite the healing
process. He thought that maybe he should have stayed to observe.
During the day, the group had finished their chores early, leaving them with free time to do
as they wished. Most of them were playing games like tag or hopscotch on the ground.
Some were simply taking naps.
As for Simyon, he was walking around outside when he spotted Safa sitting alone under a
tree, seemingly reading a book.
"I'm surprised that someone her age can read," Simyon thought. "I thought she and Raze
were from a family with no name. They wouldn't have been able to afford school. Most do
learn the basics at the Pagna Academy due to needing them to read skill books and
cultivation manuals. I guess with the way she is, it would make sense if she found some way
to read, since she can't talk."
While Simyon approached her, he felt a bit sorry for her. Due to her condition, none of the
other kids wanted to play with her. The others were much younger, making it challenging
to communicate with someone who couldn't speak. Gren, the twins, and himself were the
only ones around her age.
"Hey, do you mind if I sit with you?" Simyon asked, tilting his head to catch the name of the
book she was reading: 'How to Control Your Emotions.'
Safa shook her head to indicate that she didn't mind, and Simyon took a seat beside her,
making sure not to encroach on her personal space.
"You know, I think that book might be better for your brother to read," Simyon suggested.
Safa responded with a small giggle or two. While she could make simple noises like
giggling, an outright laugh was nearly impossible and would sound like huge breaths of air.
"You know, sometimes, I wish your brother were as approachable as you," Simyon said as
he started playing with the mud on the ground.
Safa looked at him and raised her shoulders while making hand gestures, but Simyon
couldn't understand their meaning.
"Are you trying to ask why?" Simyon guessed, to which she quickly nodded.
Before saying anything further, Simyon turned his head to look for Raze. Children were
playing outside, but Raze was nowhere in sight.
"The truth is, Safa, I think your brother's really strong. And if he is, I wanted to ask him how
he got strong. We can see from the training that he's not as talented as you, so what's his
secret?" Simyon said to himself.
He hadn't approached Raze yet and had only observed him during the past few days of
training, but nothing stood out.
"You know, I'm sure your brother would never tell you this, so keep it a secret. But he was
actually the one who gave Gren a beating," Simyon confided. "I saw it with my own two
eyes. That's why that bully hasn't come back, and that's how I know your brother is strong
as well."
Safa's eyes widened as she heard this, and her heart started to beat slightly faster, with her
face turning slightly red. She had always worried whether Raze cared for her and if he
would be angry at her for losing those crystals. She had tried her hardest, and she
wondered if he had seen that. To hear this, it seemed like she was right about her brother
being a kind person.
"So, how do you think I should approach him?" Simyon asked. "I was thinking of trying to
force him to teach me. You know, if he doesn't teach me, then I'll tell Mr. Kron what he did
to Gren."
Immediately, Safa started to shake her head violently. She could already imagine how that
scene would play out, based on the few instances she had seen a different side of Raze.
"Haha, you don't think that's a good idea either, huh? I had a feeling that might not work,"
Simyon said.
Trying to find a way to communicate, Safa eventually picked up the book she was reading
and started to point at certain words. Her index finger lingered on the word until Simyon
said it out loud.
"You," Simyon called out.
She stopped for a moment and looked at him.
"I can read, don't worry, keep going," Simyon said with a smile.
Eventually, after going through each word this way, Simyon had gathered what Safa was
trying to say.
"So you think I shouldn't use this in a threatening way, but if I can spin it so it sounds like
he owes me a favor for keeping this secret, then he might teach me because he owes me
one... I see, I think that could work. I just need to find the right time," Simyon said.
Later that night, Raze exited his room and turned to look at Safa, who was gazing at him. No
words were spoken, as she simply turned away as if she were trying to get some sleep,
while Raze closed the door behind him.
"It seems like she's learning fairly quickly," Raze smiled to himself.
Back in the same spot as before, in the forest, Raze drew a magic circle on the ground. He
then touched the cloth-like clothing that had been given to him by the temple. It started to
change slightly, almost growing out of the shirt he was wearing, and now a full black robe
was on him.
The long black robe covered most of his legs, almost touching the floor, and when he pulled
up the hood, his face was harder to see than usual, being slightly distorted around his eyes.
Only his nose and mouth could be seen clearly; it was one of the robe's effects.
Lifting one side of the robe open, Raze reached in and pulled out the power stone, holding it
in his hand.
"It's been exactly a week since I last went to this place. That's what that person said, to
come back in a week."
Opening a portal to another dimension would be risky, as there was a high chance it could
lead to a place filled with even more dangerous beasts. The beasts from the portal he had
opened before were suited to his level, but there was a chance he could run into Beatrix or
someone like Beatrix again.
However, for some reason, the strange man had helped him last time. Just in case
something like that happened again, he thought it would be safer as long as the man was
present.
Although meeting them was more of a side goal, Raze just aimed to get more crystals.
"Let's hope things go better this time," Raze said as he stepped into the portal.
At the same time, in another part of the continent, Dame and his small squad were staring
at a portal in front of them. "I hope we get to meet him again, the Dark Magus," Dame
smiled.
Chapter 36: An Investigation
Chapter 36: An Investigation
In the small town that Raze had visited, something had occurred after he left. There were
visitors who would come up to the door, see the closed sign, and leave without suspecting
anything, with no trouble at all.
After all, nearly every shop was independently owned. It wasn't as if there was a big
corporation behind the scenes. Although at times, shops did have multiple loans to pay, or
in certain cities, they would have to pay a tax fee to those in charge, or even for protection
against the clan.
Regardless, that was the reason no one had suspected a thing when the shop was closed.
People took days off or had events that required them to be away.
However, there was a pair of people that approached the door, and regardless of the closed
sign, they gave it a knock anyway. A fairly tall man wearing a large brown overcoat and a
white shirt underneath approached the door. He used his fingers to twirl his light brown
mustache before knocking with his other hand three times.
"It says it's closed, Himmy," Charlotte said, pointing to the sign hanging on the door.
Charlotte was a woman about half the size of the man next to her. Unlike Himmy, she was
dressed much more like the locals, with a simple one-piece set of cloth clothing wrapped
around her waist with a fabric band to hold it together. The only thing that stood out was
her barrier-type hat, which only revealed a sliver of orange-colored hair that reached her
shoulders, while her friend's hair was tucked away under his hat.
"Do you think I can't read anymore?" Himmy replied. "We have an appointment, and not
once has Han missed it."
Himmy proceeded to knock louder this time, shaking the wooden door, which creaked as if
it might break.
"You're going to feel really bad if Han was just taking a sh*t, and now you've made him rush
to the door," Charlotte commented, her expression unchanged.
The two stood there in silence, with neither of them saying a word for a while, until Himmy
had enough.
"Can you just pick lock the door already so we can see what's up? It's clear that he isn't in
the toilet," Himmy complained.
Charlotte did as he asked, reaching into the side of her clothing and pulling out a couple of
small tools. It looked like a metal contraption with many different long metal pieces
hanging from it.
Himmy then stood in front of her, using his body to block the view of any onlookers. In
particular, he kept an eye on those in red armor, tracking their movements carefully, until a
click sound was heard from behind.
"Ah, man!" Charlotte said. "It literally smells like sh*t in here."
She was wafting her hand and wanted to turn back, but before she could, Himmy pushed
her with his body and closed the door behind him.
"Hey, don't trap me in here! Are you trying to kill me with this smell?" Charlotte started
pounding her fists on his large stomach, but they just bounced off, seemingly doing nothing,
not even causing him to flinch.
"It looks like we know what happened to Han now," Himmy said. "And what that smell is."
So disgusted by the smell, Charlotte was closing her eyes to stop them from watering, and
she had failed to look at the scene properly while trying to get out. Now she could see it for
herself: two dead bodies on the floor that were rotting away to the point where a few bugs
were starting to eat them. The buildings and houses weren't the best built, allowing them
to get through the cracks here and there.
"How long do you think they've been dead for?" Charlotte asked, still covering her nose and
mouth with her sleeve.
"It's hard to tell," Himmy replied as he moved closer to the bodies to have a look. "Han
didn't really have any friends or family, so no one came to check up on him."
"I thought you said you were a police officer. Can't you just take one look at the scene and
figure it out?" Charlotte imitated an explosion with her arms, then quickly covered her nose
again.
"Based on the bodies' decomposition, I would say this had to have happened yesterday.
Their muscles are still hardened from rigor mortis. What's confusing me is the scene itself."
"If you look at the wounds and the shop, things don't match up. The two of them are
covered in wounds, as if they were both fighting for their lives, and yet the items on the
shelves, the countless ornaments all over the place, have no signs that they've fallen off or
anything of the sort. To me, it looks more like a staged scene."
"So you think someone came in here and put them like that. So then why did they kill
them?" Charlotte asked.
Himmy had a smile on his face as he moved behind the counter, looking for other clues.
"You're asking the right questions, but there are more questions to be asked than that.
What was their goal? No money was taken from the shop, and it doesn't look like anything
was stolen from the shop either."
"I don't know, I mean, Han was a d*ck," Charlotte commented. "He had a lot of enemies, so
there would be a lot of people who wanted to kill him."
"That's very true, but remember where we are," Himmy replied, pointing to the large man
on the floor. "That man is around 120 kg. It would take a lot for any normal person to
topple him down. And remember what I said before about there being no struggle."
"Someone was able to kill both of them with no struggle. The only people we know capable
of that are Pagna warriors. But if we ignore all of the sword wounds on their bodies, there's
no sign of martial art techniques being used on them, apart from a clean hole that goes
through the heart and one that goes through the head."
At a glance, Charlotte didn't notice it, but now that Himmy had pointed it out and she went
in for a closer look, she could see it. But she quickly pulled away before throwing up all
over the place.
"Are you trying to imply what I think you're implying?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, I am," Himmy replied with a large smile on his face. "I think we might have another
otherworlder who has arrived, and I'm a detective, not a police officer."
Chapter 37 A Gift
Chapter 37 A Gift
"Dark Pulse!" A dark beam of magic shot out of Raze's hand and went right through the
dog's head, killing it in one go. As soon as the dog creature fell to the floor, Raze
immediately went and started pulling it apart in search of the crystal.
[Dark Attribute: 23]
This was Raze's fifth kill since he had entered the portal, which meant he was now in the
position of five power stones. Unlike before, he was no longer gaining one point of the dark
attribute for one kill. It had taken two or three. The more points one had, the harder it
would be to gain more.
The good news was that Raze was now able to kill the beasts with a single use of Dark
Pulse, and there was no need for him to add the two-step shift to his attacks. With the ring,
he was gaining mana back for each kill.
"Alright, things are looking good," Raze wiped the sweat off the top of his forehead. There
was still some physical work involved in getting the crystal out of the body. Looking
around, he was currently on the large raised platform that led to the crumbling building.
The portal, having activated it in the same place, had taken him to the same place as before,
and he had two options: enter the forest where there were most likely packs of these dog
creatures or head up the stairs to the platform with the large wall where he could see
beasts coming at him more easily.
The sound of growling was heard from behind, and as Raze turned, he could see a dog
creature leap from one of the wooden crates. Its powerful legs crushed the crate beneath it,
but Raze wasn't worried.
When it was in the air, it was an easier target for Raze. Pointing his hand out, he said the
words, "Dark Pulse," and the beam went right through the dog. Stepping to the side, its
body splattered limp on the ground.
'This is turning out a lot better than before. There's no mysterious powerful woman
attacking me, no large beast just popping out of nowhere. So I can finally grind in peace and
get as many crystals as possible. I need to get enough crystals from this trip to become a 2-
star mage.'
The mana gained from killing a beast was just slightly under what he needed to use Dark
Pulse, so Raze would have to take frequent breaks once in a while. Not because he ran out
of mana but because he wanted enough mana to fight if the situation occurred that he
would need it for a desperate fight again.
'I wish this body was actually capable of performing martial arts to a certain degree. If I
managed to become a 1st-rank Pagna warrior, I should be able to take these dogs out with
just my fists, right? Then I wouldn't have to use my mana up and join the Pagna academy
where they have more portals. I still have time, though. It will be okay.'
Continuing his spurts of hunting, Raze had managed to kill 12 beasts, all of the same kind in
total, and his Dark attribute had risen to 25. When this happened, the ring started to glow,
and a dark mist started to pour out of it as a message was displayed to him.
[You have reached the maximum limit for Darkness attribute your current Magic Core can
handle]
'Now, no matter how many creatures I kill or how much I cultivate, it won't grow, not
unless I'm able to upgrade my mana core.'
It was starting to get a little harder to hunt on the platform outside. There appeared to be
no beasts left, so he had decided to head into the building he had met the others in before.
It wasn't that Raze was afraid that he would run into them; it was more so he wanted to
finish the important things first, gathering the crystals he needed.
Inside the building, Raze's steps echoed as he made each step, the noise bouncing off the
large hallway. If he remembered correctly, he had been blasted up to the third floor in the
building. Finding a crumbly staircase, he started to proceed, with his hand held out in front
of him. He needed to have a bit of caution; the only advantage he had over these martial
arts experts was distance.
Reaching the second floor, there was no sign of anybody, and that included dead creatures.
As he continued walking through the halls of this floor to head to the next staircase, he soon
spotted something on the ground.
'A dead beast, the same type that I've been killing as well, but its neck has been broken.
Looks like there's a Pagna warrior here after all.'
Whether it was the same people as last time or not, time would tell.
"Hey, state where you're from, and don't come any closer!" A loud voice shouted.
It was hard to tell from how far or close the words were due to the echo, but Raze slowly
turned around and had his hand placed out in front of him. As long as he didn't conjure his
magic, it wouldn't look threatening.
'Wait... don't I recognize that guy?' Raze thought, tilting his head to the side like a dog to get
a better look. The man on the other side was at least ten meters away.
"Stop being so on edge, Kirk," Dame said as he walked past with his friends behind him.
Raze did recognize them; these were the same group of people as before.
"It looks like you decided to come after all. I thought I might not see you here. I'm right,
aren't I, Dark Magus?"
With the new effect of his robe that he was wearing and his hood up, one shouldn't have
been able to recognize his facial features. That was why none of them thought this person
in front of them was the same as the one they had met last time, except for Dame.
"It looks like after what happened last time, you decided to get a new getup. That's
understandable," Dame looked Raze up and down and nodded in appreciation before
stretching out his hand and giving a thumbs-up. "I like it, I like it a lot."
Dame turned around to look at Fixteen, who was by his side, and shifted his fingers to tell
him to hurry along. Fixteen went and stood in front of Dame and had something held in his
hand, covered in cloth.
"Do you remember what I said last time? I wanted to repay you for helping out our team
back then. So I brought you a gift."
Fixteen walked ahead, and then, around halfway between the two, placed it on the ground.
Although the group had been next to each other before, both parties were still wary of each
other.
The tension could be felt by both, so it seemed better to do things in this manner. Raze
walked forward, his fingers twitching, ready to strike at any moment, and knelt down,
pushing the cloth off from the object and noticed the worn leather.
"A book?"
"Ah, I suppose it might seem like a strange reward, but trust me, it's more valuable than
you think," Dame explained. "That's not just any book, but it's a cultivation book, a book
that will be able to open your eyes to the power that we use, the power of martial arts."
Chapter 38 A bad deal?
Chapter 38 A bad deal?
The term "cultivation book" made a lot more sense to Raze than Dame probably realized. If
someone used that word in his world, they would probably think it meant a book about
cultivating crops and becoming some type of farmer.
However, in the world of Pagna, it meant cultivating one's own inner powers, growing the
energy known as Qi from within. Picking it up from the ground, Raze started to flip through
the book.
There were ink drawings of sitting positions and energy circulating around the stomach.
There was also a detailed explanation of what one was meant to do.
"You might not understand it fully," Dame started to explain. "We fight with our fists, and
those books help us gather the power that's needed for it. That's the basis of all our powers.
I thought it would be interesting for you to research. You might not understand what's
written in it, but if you want, we can meet up week to week, and I can show you how
everything is used in it."
The writing wasn't the same as they used on Alterian, but Raze could understand it all due
to the current body he was in. As he was looking at the notes, he noticed that it was slightly
different from the technique that Kron had tried to teach him and Safa, but there were also
some similarities as well.
'Wait, Kron did mention that if I were to learn another cultivation technique that could
draw in Qi energy, other than that of the Dark faction, that maybe it would work for my
body. If I learn this book, will I be able to gather Qi in my dantian and actually learn to
utilize martial arts properly?'
"As long as you haven't learned anything like this before, everything should work out, and
you could be someone that can have the same power in your fist!" Dame gathered energy
and punched the air, creating a loud bang that vibrated the ground and ceiling around
them.
'Why is he explaining everything to me like I'm some type of baby?' Raze thought until it
clicked in his head. 'Wait, does he know that I'm not from the world of Pagna? Well, I mean,
he must think I'm not from the world of Pagna, when I really am.
'Was it when I used magic to clean that wound? Now I'm starting to understand why he's
being so friendly to me. He's interested. To him, this is almost like a cultural exchange
where two people from different worlds share their knowledge. But if you think you're
going to learn magic from me, my trump card, then think again, although I will happily
accept this.'
Raze opened up his robe, holding it to the side, and placed the book inside, sinking it into
his robe.
All those standing opposite watched, blinking multiple times, and started to rub their eyes.
"Hey, did you see what I just saw?" Carlson asked.
"Yeah... I mean, that book, it just vanished into his clothing. Wait, is he really not from our
world then?" Fixteen shouted.
Seeing this, Dame was almost unable to contain his excitement as he lifted and started
laughing out loud to himself.
That was when Raze decided to do something interesting. He reached into his robe, and
this time, rather than putting something in, he pulled something out instead. It was a bottle
filled with dark blue-colored liquid, one of the two mana potions that he owned.
With a swing of his hand, Raze chucked it to the others. Frightened at what the object could
do, the others flinched and pulled away, while Dame caught it with a single hand in midair.
He held it up, looked at it and shook the bottle; it was unlike anything he had ever seen
before.
"That is a special item from my world," Raze explained. "If you drink it, for one whole
minute, all of the energy in your body will be restored, allowing you to fight at full
strength."
Immediately, Dame's eyes started to light up, and he felt like he was holding onto a pot of
gold.
"Are you serious! This can really do something like that?" Dame asked.
There were certain pills that could do something similar for Pagna warriors, but they were
almost impossible for those at the initial stage to obtain. For someone to just give
something like this, they had no idea how much value it was worth in their world.
"I'll be honest, I'm not sure it will work on you, but give it a try, and if it's useful, then the
next time we meet, you can give me a reward of equal value," Raze proposed.
After his incident with attempting to sell the crystal, Raze knew that trying to sell the
potion would result in the same thing. In fact, it would be worse because it was something
that was unrecognized in the world of Pagna, so as a stranger, his word had no value.
At the same time, he truthfully didn't know if the potion would work, so it was nice to have
Dame as a test subject.
'This Dame guy was someone who was strong enough to go against Beatrix, who made
everyone stop on the spot in the street. So it's clear that he isn't just a nobody. If I can keep
this relationship up between us two, it could be very beneficial for me.'
"I guess we should make this meeting a weekly thing then," Dame smiled as he handed the
potion over to Fixteen. "Learn that book well for our next meeting, and if you show me
some progress, I will be happy to show you a few things, so if you run into people like that
woman again, you'll be able to protect yourself."
The two of them gave each other a nod before turning around with the new items in their
hands, both of them believing they had the upper hand in the deal they had just made.
Raze held the book firmly and looked at the cover. 'Did he rip the name off the book on
purpose before handing it to me? Let's head back and learn this.'
Chapter 39 War between two worlds
Chapter 39 War between two worlds
Before completely leaving the portal area, Raze did one more clearance of beasts on his
route back and managed to catch another two beasts. These worlds to other dimensions
were quite strange.
As long as one waited a certain amount of time, it was almost as if new creatures would pop
up again in the same place, somewhat similar to those games, but he didn't have all day to
grind in one area.
There would be people who would start to worry about him, and he didn't have the right
tools to camp all night in another dimension in the first place. In total, this meant he now
had 14 crystals and headed back to his own world with a smile on his face.
The portal had zapped away, leaving next to nothing behind, and a few moments later,
Dame walked down the stairs and was heading down the pathway that led to the forest
along with the others.
"What was that thing he was doing with his finger?" Fixteen asked.
"Yeah, is that what opened the portal, how is that even possible?" Carlson said, who had
run over to where they had last seen the Dark Magus. He looked on the floor, stretched his
hand out in front of him, but was unable to feel anything.
"It's clear that wherever he is from, they can enter and leave these dimensions as they
wish," Dame said. "The more I learn about this man, the more excited I'm starting to feel."
"Hey, I mean, if we get really close to him, do you think we could enter the portal with
him?" Kirk asked. "I mean, he's from another world, right? So on the other side of the
portal, that's a world with people that are like him, right? Don't you think that would be
amazing to see?"
"Or incredibly dangerous," Dame replied instantly. He had thought about the same thing
the moment he believed the Dark Magus was from another world. Even in the world of
Pagna, clans, factions, and people fought against each other.
If two groups of people who knew nothing about each other were to meet, he could imagine
a grand war playing out. It was just what happened when one was fearful of the other.
"Don't try anything stupid like following him; it will break our relationship, and this is a
warning to you all!"
Dame and his group had returned to the Abyssal Pinnacle, the inverted mountain and the
base of the Neverfall Clan. Descending down the stairs, Dame had passed the first floors
and then had entered one of the caves of meditation.
There were countless numbers of large holes in the walls for the members to perform
secluded training if need be. When one entered the cave, they were meant to move a large
rock to block the entrance.
This would allow one to know that one of these rooms was being used. Closest to the
staircase, there was one cave's entrance that had been closed, but regardless, Dame moved
the large rock out of the way with his strength and entered with his group before closing it
again.
This was because this was Dame's personal room. At least that's what he had claimed it as.
Regardless if someone was inside or not, he would close the entrance so no one entered,
and word quickly got around that it was his cave and no one else was to use it.
Inside the cave, it was not what a typical cave of seclusion should have looked like. There
were several beds, a desk in the back with books stacked high, and even a few sparkly
items, gems, and so on.
The cave had been turned into a second home of all things. Dame walked over and sat on
the bed, looking at the bottle of blue liquid he had been given.
"What are you going to do with it?" Fixteen asked. "Are you going to try it out for yourself?"
"I just think that would be a waste," Dame replied. "I mean, if it really does what he said it
does, then can't we gain some benefit from this? We could even sell it for a lot of coin."
The other members were already rubbing their hands as they started to imagine what they
could buy.
"So you want to give it to the master?" Fixteen raised an eyebrow.
"No," Dame answered. "If we did that, then he would be asking all sorts of questions about
the Dark Magus, and then we would no longer be able to benefit from all of this. Heck, we
might not even be allowed to use the portals anymore."
"You mean the portals we weren't allowed to use in the first place?" Fixteen corrected him.
"Hey, you know, I heard that the Crimson Crane were in Repton. It's the closest city to us.
Didn't you say you were close with their leader Alba, couldn't you go see them?"
Dame stood up and clicked his fingers. "That's perfect!"
The Crimson Crane were a unique clan, if one could even call them that. They were small in
size, having only a total of eight members. Yet they had power just as strong as the other
clans, which proved just how strong they were on an individual scale.
Another thing that stood out about the Crimson Crane compared to other groups was that
they were wanderers. Wanderers were those that cultivated in martial arts that didn't
belong to any of the three factions, so they weren't seen as a part of the three.
They were safely able to travel to all three areas, being respected by them all. It also was
hard for people to get a hold of them if need be, since they would constantly move from
area to area doing mercenary jobs.
"Alright, let's head out there fast and see just what we can get for this thing!" Dame held up
the bottle. "Let's see if we can get a big reward for the Dark Magus!"
As this was happening, Raze had exited from the portal, and instead of heading back to the
temple where the eyes of the others were on him, he had decided to head to a more
peaceful area.
He had reached a bed of rocks that led to a stream of running water. It felt like the perfect
place for him to focus and calm his mind.
"Alright, let's break through and become a 2-star mage!"
Chapter 40 Crimson Cane
Chapter 40 Crimson Cane
It didn't take long for Dame and his group to reach the city of Repton. Unlike many other
places, there was quite a vibrant nightlife here. The night sky was out, but the street was
littered with glowing yellow lights and red lanterns.
The buildings were grand, made of new materials, and next to none of them seemed like
they needed any repair work done to them. At the same time, there were elegant places
spread throughout large sections of the city, as well as giant pagodas placed in all sorts of
different areas.
Even the streets were filled with the lively, the cheerful, and the drunk. Inside one of the
buildings, there was a three-story restaurant. It was filled with customers even at this time
of night, most of them drunk after drinking all night.
However, there were several of those that had been hired from a nearby clan to do cleanup
work if there were any rowdy customers. On the second floor, a meeting was taking place.
A large low rectangular table was placed between the two, with cushions on the ground. On
one side sat Dame, although he didn't look like his usual self as he was wearing a bright
multicolored fox mask on his face. It was made of plastic, something that anyone was able
to pick up and buy. He was on his own while his men remained on the bottom floor.
On the other side was a woman with darkened skin and a hint of red pigmentation. It was
unusual for a person to have, but it was eye-catching as well. The strange dark-red glow
would make people's heads turn, that was until they noticed who it was, making them turn
away immediately.
This wasn't because she wasn't a pleasant sight to look at; it was quite the opposite. Her
tight-fitting leather clothing seemed to accentuate the curves of her body, and similar to
her red-pigmented skin, there was a slight pigment of red in her eyes around the edge,
making them look as if they were almost glowing.
This was Alba, the leader of the Crimson Cranes.
"I can only think of one reason why you would come out of your way to look for me," Alba
smiled, placing both hands on the table. "You decided to finally accept my offer of joining
us."
Immediately, Dame started to shake his head.
"You know I could never do that. Look, I even have to wear this mask when I enter this city.
There's no chance I would be able to be with you as much as I want to."
Alba folded her arms and gave out a big snort, turning her head to the side. She wasn't
interested in anything else he had to say after that answer.
"I promise, though, this is not a waste of your time." Out from his robe, Dame pulled out the
bottle and placed it on the table, then slid it across until it had finally reached her.
"What you have right there is a liquid that will allow you to regain all of your Qi, no matter
what condition you are in, for an entire minute!" Dame said confidently, even though he
knew full well there was a chance that it wouldn't work.
"Ha, I didn't realize that you had now become a con artist! Or maybe you are the one that's
being conned and trying to use me."
"I would never!" Dame quickly shouted back, as if he was offended, even though she had hit
the nail on the head.
"Do you even realize how great of a thing this is if what you said is true? I am a warrior at
the Middle stage. Maybe something like this can work on those at the initial stage, but it
won't work on me."
"And what if it does!" Dame excitedly said. "You said I don't know its value, but I do, which
is why I handed it to you. There are many fights that take place where one is extremely
exhausted, just one slip and the other will lose in battle, but if they were to take this, then
they would have all of their Qi back again! This will be something that every person in
Pagna will be fighting for, and you will be the first person to have one."
Alba picked it up and shook it, looking at it for a little while. She believed that Dame had no
reason to poison her, but why was he so confident?
"Who gave you this, or who made it?" she asked.
"I can't give you the full details, but it's a man that goes by the name Dark Magus."
Alba nearly burst out laughing. What type of warrior gave themselves a name like that?
Perhaps Dark was a hint, stating that they were from the Dark faction.
"Alright, let's go see if this thing works. If it does, you can always get more, right?" Alba
smiled.
The two of them had left the main city and started to travel through the large landmass.
They had eventually reached a mountainous area and stood at the foot of the mountain.
Alba started to gather up all her strength; the Qi was visible on her body. It was lighting all
over like a flame trying to burn out. It grew larger and larger in size and was burning
fiercely above her head.
"It never stops to amaze me, just how much Qi you have," Dame said.
Eventually, the flames started to die down; she didn't want to completely exhaust herself
because she had extreme doubts about this thing.
"Alright, so all I have to do is drink it?" She asked.
"Yeah, of course," Dame answered.
She opened the bottle and started to chug it down.
"I think anyway, he didn't really explain everything. I mean it's liquid, right? What else are
you meant to do, rub it on your body?"
Alba had already drunk all the contents of the bottle, but she was so annoyed at Dame that
she crushed it with her hand.
"You idiot!" She shouted, and turned to look at him. After taking one step, though, she
stopped and started to look at both of her hands.
"What is this... I can feel it, I really can, my dantian, it's filled with Qi again. Just as much as I
had before we got here!" Just in case, Alba started to burn the Qi like she had done
previously and was able to produce the same level of Qi from her body.
'If our clan had these, we would be able to complete the portal we've been struggling with
for so long!'
Running over, Alba placed her hands on Dame's shoulders, with a giant smile on her face.
"I see you liked the product, huh? I guess you would like me to get more for you?" Dame
asked.
"No," Alba replied. "This Dark Magus person, I want to meet him. I have to have him in our
Clan."
Chapter 41 A Mage Upgrade
Chapter 41 A Mage Upgrade
Drawing a formation on the rocks was going to be hard work, so Raze decided to walk
closer to the stream of water where the pebbles had turned into a type of sand. Doing
everything with the stick, he felt a sense of calmness come over him.
"This reminds me of my old life," Raze thought. "I would often have to hide out in the
middle of nowhere, away from the eyes of others. The sound of water flowing, it's quite
soothing. With the direction I'm going, it might not be a long time until I'm on the run
again."
The formation had finished. Sitting down inside the magic circle he had drawn, he took out
one of the crystals from his robe and activated the magic. The crystals would then slowly
dissolve as they entered through Raze's pores and went into his magic core.
Once he had finished with one crystal, he would then move on to the next, doing the same
thing. It was best to do them one at a time; that way, the core was able to grow bit by bit.
Expand it too fast, and it could explode, killing the mage on the spot.
"There were many dealers in Alterian that would offer special tools to help enhance one's
strength. Some of them would destroy the magic core completely, killing the mage, while
others, although they would get a boost in strength, would then become reliant on the
tools."
"They were worse than cursed items; they would give a slight rise in power, but then a
larger downfall, making them weaker than they would have been if they never used the
tools in the first place."
Raze continued to absorb another crystal as memories flashed through his head. He had
seen a number of people who had been affected by these items, including one that he would
have once called a friend.
"And the one behind the distribution of these tools, Gizin, one of the five Grand Magus. No
one would ever have suspected it, and it's one that no one would believe no matter how
hard I tried to get the message out."
After absorbing the eighth crystal, it was right then Raze could feel it in his chest. The magic
core had thumped and expanded slightly in size. The outer shell had hardened inside him
and was beginning to crack.
"Arghh!" His hand gripped the area around his chest, and dark magic started to swirl all
around his body. It was erratic, hitting the pebbles nearby, crashing into the water around
him.
A faint purple glow covered his body until his core completely cracked. It shattered on the
inside, and the magic from his body exploded, pushing all of the rocks and the water back.
Raze was on his knees, gasping for air. When he went to breathe in, he could feel it; the
energy felt cooler as it entered his body. His sense of smell cleared up, and just with the
touch on his skin he could feel not only the wind but the energy that flowed through it. It
was as if the world that was covered in clouded colors had now become a lot clearer.
"I did it, I did it!" Raze's smile was nearly reaching his eyes. "I finally became a 2-star mage.
The amount of mana I can control has increased; I am no longer limited by the attribute
cap, and with more mana, it allows me to cast even more spells!"
Looking deep within himself, Raze could tell the core was now more reinforced. The magic
core worked similarly to fractures in a human bone. Through the crystals, it would chip
away with magic, allowing it to regrow and come back stronger. Then when the outer shell
finally broke and a new one was in its place, that's when one would have reached the next
star level.
"There were multiple ways to do this, but the quickest by far was using the crystals found
within the beasts. Now there was an issue I had to face, though."
"These level 1 power stones, as they call them here, can only increase a mage's star level to
level 2 at most. Now, if I want to go to the next stage, I will need higher-grade power stones.
To do that, I could try and open a different portal or explore deeper in the one I already
opened. I could also go to another Clan; if I went with others, it would be safer."
There was safety in numbers, especially in places that others had been to before. He was
sure Clans would have rules for Pagna warriors using the portals they had access to. The
main problem was that Raze used magic to kill beasts, and he wouldn't be able to use that
with others around.
"I still have six power stones to myself now. Since they're useless for increasing my mana, I
can use them for other things."
For mages, sometimes it was the number of items that would help one win a battle, not just
one's power. In a way, rare items and enchanted items were one's power.
It was time for him to head back to the temple; otherwise, he would never get some sleep.
But he was excited for the next morning because that's when he would have a look and give
a go at learning the gift he had been given.
Looking at the area around him, it was a complete mess with the pebbles and sand having
blown everywhere. It was a good thing that no one came out here. Walking back through
the forest, Raze headed toward the temple.
In the same area where Raze was, sparks were occurring. They were like little shocks of
electricity in the air, appearing for a few seconds before disappearing. Eventually, a small
glowing portal had opened up, and small black tentacles had shot out, wriggling all over in
the air, trying to reach for something.
The portal quickly closed back up, and the tentacles disappeared as well, but the sparks of
electricity continued on for a few moments more before stopping.
Chapter 42 A New Energy
Chapter 42 A New Energy
Safa had woken up and when she turned her head, as usual, Raze was still in a deep sleep.
She pressed her hand on her chest and let out a big sigh of relief. She didn't know why, but
she just felt that maybe one of these days, she would wake up, and he would no longer be
by her side.
When she stood up, she could feel a slight breeze in the air around them. It felt almost
fresh, and sniffing it in through her nostrils, it was almost like consuming a strong mint. It
had supercharged her for the day.
Leaving the room, she had done so with a smile on her face and went ahead to join the
others.
"Your brother's still asleep I see," Kron said. "Well, I suppose his weak body does need
more rest than most. As long as you are happy to do his and your work for the upkeep of
both of you, then I won't stop you."
Safa pumped her fist as she was ready to help out in the kitchen and cleaning. She was
trying her best to help out her brother in whatever ways she could. This way, he could
sleep in longer than the others.
When Raze eventually woke up, he could see that Safa had already left.
"I guess that means they're not too bothered about me sleeping in; otherwise, Kron would
have come and woken me up himself."
Taking a peek outside of his door, he could hear everyone talking as they were eating
breakfast. From the sounds of things, they had just been setting the table. Breakfast would
usually take an hour, so he predicted he had an hour before someone would check up on
him.
Sitting back down in his room, Raze activated his robe from his clothing and then pulled out
the cultivation manual. He sat cross-legged as he opened the book and started to flick
through the pages.
"I'm not sure why, but every mention of the technique's name has been scratched or
rubbed out throughout the book. I have a feeling that what I'm about to learn might not be
something he was meant to give out," Raze thought.
Instead of being disheartened, though, Raze had a large smile. Since when did he stop
himself from learning new things because of that?
Reading through it, the steps were the same as the Dark essence technique. The main
differences, though, were the imagery that one had to have in their head when trying to
draw the energy to their dantian.
This one wanted the person to focus on the cycles. The feeling one gets when new life is
born into this world, and the feeling of when life was taken away. The energy that is given
when something is born and the energy that is taken when a life is lost.
"This technique would be hard for most young people who have yet to experience these
types of things, but I have seen this cycle firsthand many times, but there is one other thing
it notes as well."
In the manual, there were several times when it noted the importance of the location when
using the technique.
"It works best in a place where any part of the cycle has occurred. So either where a lot of
lives have come into this world or where death has been experienced multiple times."
Just thinking about it, Raze was starting to feel that this technique was incredibly
dangerous. Other than a hospital, it was hard for Raze to think of areas where new life
would come into this world.
However, death was easy to come by, and not only that, it was easy to make. One could use
this technique on a battlefield of sorts, or if they really wanted to push it to its limits, they
could create a den full of the dead.
Pushing that thought to the side, it still didn't discourage Raze to learn the technique; his
path was one that was planned to be paved in blood either way.
Closing his eyes, he started to focus. He started with the steps that Mr. Kron had taught,
breathing in through his nose, the energy around them. Raze had become quite good at this
since he would do this whenever he got the chance with the Dark essence technique to
improve his Dark attribute.
After the first part was done, it was time for him to picture the imagery in his head. The air
that he was taking in now was starting to change. It felt dark, not like that of the Dark
essence energy, but heavier in a sense.
As the energy started to accumulate in his body, he noticed when it entered his body, unlike
the Dark essence, it didn't go to his mana core; it continued and went down past his belly
button. The energy was starting to gather from deep within.
"Is it working? Is this it? Am I able to gather Qi with this technique?"
The energy started to grow through Raze's body, and a ball was forming in his stomach, but
something strange started to happen. After a solid ball had been made, somewhat like that
of his magic core, the energy started to spread out.
It was moving about,? all over his body. He could feel it reacting with all of his muscles,
cells, and it was almost fighting with himself.
"ARGH!" Raze grunted with pain.
The energy was going rampant, it felt like he was being hit from the inside. It wasn't just his
muscles that were taking a beating from this energy, but even his organs. It felt like they
were being twisted and pulled inside him, and he was finding it hard to breathe.
"KuK!" Raze coughed, and blood came shooting out from his mouth. It wasn't a small
amount; as a puddle of it was on the floor, but it wasn't red. The blood looked almost black
in color.
The energy continued to run rampant in his body, and that's when he could feel it was
starting to head somewhere dangerous.
"Is it going for my Mana core? Is it going for my heart!"
"Shrouded heart!" Raze activated the spell in fear for his life.
Chapter 43 A New Person
Chapter 43 A New Person
After the energy had created a solid base in what Raze assumed was his dantian, the energy
started to spread throughout his body, and now it felt like it was ripping him from the
inside out.
The dark, almost black-colored blood was quite the sign to say that he was probably right,
and when he could see it going for his heart next, he needed to act fast.
"Shrouded heart," the skill that used up all his mana to create a shield around his mana
core, which was linked to the heart in the first place. Raze could feel the energy trying to
attack it, almost as if it was alive.
However, the skill Shrouded heart was pushing it away. It continued to hit, and he could
feel his whole body shaking.
"Kuk, Kuk!!" Raze continued to cough, and blood was flung out of his mouth violently. It
wasn't just being coughed out but was being propelled all over the place.
'Am I going to die?'
---
Breakfast had ended for the children, and with them busy putting away the plates and
washing up, Kron had decided that he would wake up Raze. Although it was important that
he rested, it was also important that he didn't miss a meal.
"ARGHH!"
Turning his head, noise could be heard, and it was coming right from Raze's room.
'Is it an assassin... I thought we were safe in the temple, and with no incidents happening so
far, I let my guard down!' Kron sprinted right to the room and slid the door open, with his
fist ready to go up against anything that was inside, but instead, he soon lowered his fist.
"What in the heavens happened in here," Kron said.
Simyon, walking by, could see the teacher standing there still; he decided to take a peek
into the room, and he almost fell to his knees.
'What is all that... is that blood?'
The entire room was covered in blood. The flooring had splatters of the dark substance, the
walls from left to right, and even the ceiling was covered in it. It looked as if someone had
splattered buckets of paint all over the place; it was hard to even believe that a person had
so much blood in their body.
However, what Kron's eyes had been drawn like a magnet to was the boy sitting in the
center of the room on his own. His body was shivering once in a while; it was shaking, his
eyes were sunken, his pupils barely visible, as they looked to be closed. His mouth was
open, and he was repeatedly mumbling the same words over and over again.
"I... will... not die... I... will... not... die."
'I've never seen such a strong will to live before,' Kron thought. 'His presence, it is like that
of a dangerous beast; even I was too afraid to get close.'
Snapping out of it, Kron acted quickly as he turned around and could see Simyon.
"Make sure no one goes into this room; it's off-limits. In the meantime, I'm going to let Raze
take your room."
Rushing over, Kron lifted Raze, holding him in a cradling position with his two hands, and
rushed him to Simyon's room. He then placed Raze on the bed and shut the door behind
him.
"Raze, can you hear me? Is everything okay? Can you still feel the energy in your body?"
Kron asked.
He could see Raze's lips moving; he was no longer saying the same words but sounded as if
he had said something else. Pressing his head closer, Kron could eventually hear what Raze
said.
"Don't... touch... me." Raze managed to let out before passing out completely.
---
Some time had passed, and Raze was able to open his eyes again. The first thing he realized
was how comfortable he felt as his back was up against something relatively soft and how
much closer the ceiling looked.
'Wait, why am I lying down, wasn't I cultivating from that manual before, and then I used
shrouded heart... but I'm alive.'
"You're awake," Kron said, sitting in a chair that was just by Raze's side. "You can keep
resting for a while, but if I'm correct in my thinking, you won't feel like you need to."
The comments confused Raze. He had just been through a torturous session with his own
body, and was constantly spewing blood. How could he feel... fine?
'I do feel fine, I feel absolutely fine, no, I feel better than fine.'
When breathing, there didn't feel like a foot was on top of his chest. His body, it felt more
responsive than before, something that he didn't even think was possible, and even his own
body composition, the muscles seemed fuller and larger.
Finally, he could feel it; his Magic core was still there, and in his stomach, there was the
basis of Qi.
"Right now, you might be extremely confused, and you have every right to be," Kron
explained. "What your body went through was something similar to a cleanse. It was
getting rid of all of the impurities in your body.
"But it wasn't a normal cleanse; every muscle in your body, to your very bones, even your
organs. It was getting rid of everything that affects our body in day-to-day life, what harms
the cells that make up all of our body.
"That black blood that spewed out from your body, that was you going through the cleanse.
It was black in color because it was everything bad that your body didn't need. The only
thing was, you had an extremely abnormal amount. I've never seen someone have so many
impurities in their body before."
Hearing what Kron was saying, and feeling the effects on his body, he could only believe
that what he was saying was true right now.
"Does this mean I have Qi now, and I can learn martial arts?" Raze asked.
Kron chuckled.
"The difference between a regular civilian and a Pagna warrior are the impurities in their
body. Now that your body has gotten rid of all of this, it's now stronger, can move faster,
and last longer; you are almost a superhuman compared to them.
"Raze, what you just went through isn't just someone who has learned to use Qi. You are
now officially a stage 1 Pagna warrior."
Chapter 44 New Strength
Chapter 44 New Strength
The two were just in disbelief as they looked at each other over their words, but what Raze
had been through was something that only 1st stage Pagna warriors went through. Those
at the Red Brigade, just like at the temple, would learn how to use Qi, and when a core was
established enough, it would get rid of the impurities from one's body, allowing them to
reach the first stage. This was also the requirement for one to enter the Pagna Academy,
and that's why everyone coming from a clan or respectable family trained so hard to reach
this stage.
"I'm at the first stage, you're saying not only have I learned to use Qi, but I'm beyond even
that? How is it possible for me to have skipped so many steps?" Raze asked.
"The only thing I can think of is the Qi pill I gave you. It perhaps was far more effective than
we realized, and as you said, your body was just taking a long time to heal," Kron answered.
"Another reason is perhaps because of the large amount of impurities in your body. The
more impurities in one's body, the more energy needed to expel it. For you, there was only
one option of jumping from one stage to the other because you weren't able to exert next to
no strength, and you weren't able to slowly get rid of these impurities. So a mass amount of
Qi is needed, which is why I gave you the pill."
There was also something else that Kron didn't mention. Originally, he thought that Raze
couldn't learn martial arts or make a base for Qi because his body was already filled with
Dark or light energy. One would call this a yin or a yang body.
However, with all the black blood that was spilt and forced out of his body, he now knew
the real reason. It was due to the impurities, but Raze's case was extremely rare. If a Qi base
was able to forcefully be established and rid the body of everything impure, then it would
also go for the heart as well.
In nearly all cases where there was one with a body like Raze's, they would end up dead,
and there were only a few cases where this hadn't happened. Those people had gone on to
be known as Irregulars, disrupting the world of Pagna.
Little did Raze know that if he hadn't used the skill Shrouded Heart, he would be dead.
Raze couldn't help but continue to move his hand through the air in amazement; it was so
easy, feeling next to no resistance at all. When was the last time he could ever do this? In
his past life, he always wondered if he would live to the next day, worrying about food on
the table.
When he got older, food wasn't the problem, but all the self-experiments he had done on
his own body had made him live in pain almost every day of his life. Then when
transferring to this new body, it wasn't exactly the best, that was until now.
'Damn, you have managed to give me a great gift beyond what you can imagine,' Raze
smiled.
Kron was still sitting there in disbelief as he looked at Raze; it was only a few days ago that
he was talking to Sonny about what to do. If Raze wasn't able to get into the academy when
he turned sixteen, he wouldn't be able to protect himself, and with the way things were
going, it would have been impossible.
---
Later on, Raze was out of his bed and had consumed everything on his plate that they gave
him for breakfast and lunch. When he met the others, all of them could tell there was a
noticeable difference.
For one, his skin was glowing more vibrant than before, he was no longer slouched when
eating, and even his muscles on his body appeared to bulge fuller compared to before.
Other than his face, it was hard to tell that the two were the same person.
There wasn't a single thing left on Raze's plate, and he was also eating what was left on
others' plates.
Kron couldn't help but smile as this was just more proof that his body had essentially
evolved, and now it needed fuel to work.
For the rest of the day, Raze's task was cleaning up the room that he had ruined with his
own blood. He had a bucket and a cloth and was working hard away. However, he didn't
find it hard work at all; if anything, he was enjoying the fact that he could do the task
without rest.
Finally, for the first time since he had joined the temple, he was looking forward to the
afternoon training that was to take place. When they were outside, the twins were in
charge of the normal running routine, and Raze went right ahead to the front.
He kept up with them, continuing to run more and more. Even when they sped up, he didn't
fall behind. When the twins finally stopped, everyone was huffing and panting, and only a
small sweat had broken out on Raze.
'This is it, this is what it feels like to experience youth again!' Raze smiled. 'When one
transmigrates to a new body, they expect something like this!'
"What happened to your brother?" Simyon asked. "He's become a monster overnight; how
is it even possible? I mean, was he just hiding everything before? No, his whole body's
changed as well."
Safa shook her head because she really had no clue either.
Looking at Raze's condition, there was clearly a secret behind it all. 'I have to ask him at
some point; I just need to find the right time.'
As they went through the rest of the lesson, it was finally time for them all to hit the
measuring pillar. Each person hit it well, with many staying on the same score. Safa was in
good enough condition to hit it again, and surprisingly, her score had raised to 26!
She now had the highest score out of all those at the temple, including if Gren was still here
as well.
'It's not so much that her Qi has improved but more so she has no hesitation when
throwing out her fists. Has she improved since the incident with Gren?'
It was clear that Safa was a once-in-a-hundred-years talent. Next to come to the pillar was
Raze. He got in his fighting stance, and there was no need for Kron to inform him what to
do next.
'Let's see, let's see how much I've improved!'
The two-step shift was performed perfectly and was filled with energy. The Qi was raised
from his stomach and exploded out of his fist into the pillar, until the final numbers had
appeared.
[32]
"Whoa!" the kids were in awe. It was the first time they had witnessed such a leap. They
didn't even know such improvement was possible. Just like that, the record for the
strongest in the temple had been beaten, but Raze's excitement couldn't be contained.
'This is the strength of my punch now? So just how strong would the Dark Strike be now?'
Chapter 45 A tide is coming
Chapter 45 A tide is coming
It turned out, despite his new body, Raze was more exhausted than he thought, and that
was just in general due to the lack of sleep he had been going through the last few nights.
From what he had heard from the others, the higher the stage a Pagna warrior was, the less
sleep one would need. Hopefully in the future, if he could continue to grow the way he had
been doing, then it was something he didn't have to worry about. After a good night's sleep,
Raze had been called into a meeting with Kron in his office once again.
"You should be careful calling me in for one-on-ones so often; otherwise, people will think
you might be grooming me," Raze joked as he sat down.
"Grooming?" Kron replied, not understanding the context of it all.
"The other kids might get jealous," Raze said, trying to go past the joke he had made.
"Ah, I see, jealousy is natural in all nature," Kron replied. "In fact, I would say when children
are jealous, it's more a form of honesty, but adults get far more jealous than children, and
their actions for attempting to deal with such a thing can be far more severe."
Kron didn't have to tell Raze twice. He knew how strong of an emotion jealousy was,
especially when that emotion was placed within a person who had never been told no in his
life; that was a dangerous combination.
"I have no doubt, after your display of strength on the pillar, that you are a stage 1 warrior
now," Kron declared. "And honestly, you are talented to the point that if you stay here, your
progress will stagnate. Which is why I wanted to ask you, before attempting for the
academy, would you like to join the disciples of the Red Brigade Clan?"
Thinking back, Raze remembered when he had walked past. He saw the disciples there and
how skilled they were. They were also already learning a lot more than just the two-step
shift.
Joining the Clan also meant that one would be allowed access to the skills of the clan that
could only be taught to clan members. It also meant loyalty to that group of people as well.
'Although it would be nice to learn more martial arts techniques, the Red Brigade Clan is
small, and it would limit me,' Raze thought, and a picture of Dame appeared in his head as
well as Beatrix. These two had to have come from far greater clans than the Red Brigade.
'Through my relationship with Dame, I have the chance of obtaining better and more
powerful skills. Besides, there are more people there that would keep me under greater
watch than here.'
The answer was clear for Raze.
"I'm sorry, but I don't wish to join the Red Brigade Clan," Raze answered. "If I was to join,
being the only stage 1 in the temple, then I would have to go by myself, which means my
sister wouldn't be able to join me, and I wish to stay by my sister's side, wherever she is."
This answer was an excuse, but a believable one to put across, and judging by Kron's nod,
he seemed to buy it.
"I understand, but if you ever change your mind, then feel free to speak to me," Kron said.
Just before he was about to get up, Raze did have a question he wanted to ask. "Sir, is it
possible, can I head into town? There is no need for you to come with me, but I would like
to explore a bit more. With my body the way it is now, I might even wish to get a job to earn
some coin for myself. Things should be fine that I'm now a rank 1 warrior, right?"
Things certainly wouldn't be fine, considering the people after him might be higher-ranked
than that, but the situation would be the same regardless if he was to leave him for another
year, and Kron still remembered the words that Raze had spoken to him before.
"I have already agreed that I won't stop you from doing as you wish while you stay here,"
Kron answered. "You can treat this as your home until you turn 16, and as long as you earn
your keep around the temple, I have no objections to what you do."
Raze bowed down, as he was ready to leave. With the six crystals he had, it was time for
him to make a few more items and potions for himself as well. He needed to be ready for
his next hunt, now that he was a 2-star mage.
'I'm starting to like you a bit, Kron; you have a good nature,' Raze thought as he left the
room. 'Just don't betray my trust.'
---
At the same time, in the town itself, at the Red Brigade base, a meeting was taking place in
the head Elder's room.
The head Elder, Yon, was sitting at his desk, looking at the two newcomers inside. He had
just received a report from the two of them, and it wasn't the news he had been expecting.
"Your group, the Alters, was recommended by a dear friend of mine, so I had put my trust
in you to find out the root of our problem," Yon said. "However, none of the cases of the
dead families have yet to be resolved, and there have been sightings of portals… although
no sign of a portal break."
The large man stepped forward, bowing down. He moved his overcoat to the side as it
dragged on the floor a bit before lifting his head back up, and then gave the side eye to his
orange-haired companion by his side.
She bowed down after placing her hands on her beret hat, so it wouldn't fall down. "I
apologize for that. The case is far more tricky than we thought," Himmy answered. "If a
portal break did occur, then we would know about it, but we have searched and have found
no open portals in the area."
"As for the other problem, we recently heard that there was a survivor in one of the cases.
If we could speak to him about what he knew, then maybe that would help us."
Chapter 46 100 problems and money is one of them
Chapter 46 100 problems and money is one of them
Reaching the town was a lot easier this time compared to the last. The long winding
staircase that went through the thick forest he had descended with ease, and even now as
he walked, looking around, he wasn't out of breath.
He was better at observing his surroundings as he would move and weave, avoiding the
people next to him, not bumping into them like the last time he had visited the place.
Eventually, Raze had stopped at a building he had been to once before.
'One of the major issues I have is the fact that I have these crystals that are like a bar of
gold, yet it's impossible for me to sell on my own. How am I meant to get more items that
are needed?'
The place he had stopped in front of was the pawn shop, the same pawn shop he had
visited last time. Although it had been a long time since he had visited the place, there was
still the chance that no one had found out about the incident, and if that was the case, there
would be no harm in him 'borrowing' a few items from inside.
To his surprise, the sign on the front door stated 'open'.
'Open? How is that possible? I didn't hallucinate about what happened last time, did I?'
Raze thought.
His curiosity was great, and he wanted to open the door, but considering what had
happened last time, he thought it was best if he left it be. Walking away, he couldn't help
but think about how strange it was.
'Was there no investigation? I mean, I can understand if the business was bought out and
changed, maybe it was taken over by another family member. Or it could be some type of
trap; they do say that criminals always return to the scene of the crime.'
Inside the shop, working behind the counter, was the large man in the brown overcoat.
Himmy had been using it as a base of operations of sorts in the meantime and had gotten
permission from the Red Brigade to look after it for now. As for the deaths of the two, they
truly did have no family and friends.
No one missed them, and when old customers returned, stating that the two had run away,
everyone was quick to believe that fact.
Continuing his walk, Raze had entered an open market. There were stalls that were packed
tightly together in rows selling a number of different things. One would sell food, another
clothing, while being stationed right next to weapons. It was a mix and match of all sorts.
It was also one of the best places to get a bargain. 'Maybe I could do some odd jobs for one
of the stalls in return for an item or two.'
Stopping at a jewelery store, Raze was looking at all of the objects that had been made from
stones found all across the continent. Jewelery was good for a mage to enchant since they
could wear multiple pieces. One had ten fingers but didn't have ten pairs of trousers to
switch in between fights. Of course, there was a limit to how many magical items one could
use. Otherwise, one would have mages pierced in every section possible, although he did
know a mage with a Prince Albert once.
Raze looked at the woman behind the counter; she looked fairly old and was covered in her
jewelery, most likely ones she had made herself.
"Feel free to take a look at whatever you want, young man!" The woman said. "I made most
of these myself, while some have been traded and shared with, as well."
What Raze was looking for was a high-quality item. The materials, as well as who crafted it,
was what made the quality of the item better. With this, the effect of enchanting an item
with cursed magic would increase, and he wouldn't have to rely on finding a higher-level
powerstone.
The thing was, high-quality items for aesthetic reasons and high-quality items for a mage
were completely different. The easiest way to tell if an item was high quality for a mage was
to use magic.
Raze lifted his hand and hovered it over each item, and as he did, he activated a small
amount of magic in his palm, touching the item ever so softly. The item would then vibrate
in response; the more it vibrated, the easier it was to enchant into a higher-level item.
The shopkeeper was keeping a keen eye on Raze, perhaps thinking he would steal and run
off with the items. But with how small the amount of magic he used, it would be next to
impossible for one to tell what he was doing unless they were a mage.
Continuing to do this with each item, nearly all of them were of poor quality until he had
reached a rounded black-colored earring. It looked like a ring one would put on their
finger, but based on the sharp pointed ends, it clearly was an earring.
Hitting it with magic, it started to vibrate, even moving the box it was in slightly.
"How much for the black earring?" Raze asked.
"That?" She peeked over her display. "Are you sure you don't want any of the other items?
That one is quite dull-looking compared to the rest."
"I'm sure of it." Raze replied.
The woman clicked her teeth. It was quite clear that the earring didn't match the style of
the other items, so it wasn't something she had made, and most likely, it was traded, which
was why she was disappointed.
"The ring goes for 10 coppers, no less, no more, I don't haggle," the woman said.
Often at the temple, Kron would teach the younger children how to read, write, and also a
few general things about the world. The currency in Pagna mostly relied on coins, and there
were three types: copper, silver, and gold. There were some currencies above these, but
Kron made it clear that they would never see these in their lifetime, so he didn't bother
with teaching them.
One hundred coppers were worth 1 silver, and 25 silver equaled 1 gold coin. To put that
into perspective, a loaf of bread went between 1 to 2 copper coins, depending on the season
or how much bread was produced.
Although jewelery had a hefty price in his world, he found it hard to believe that there
would be those willing to give up ten loaves of bread for an earring when there were plenty
of people who looked underfed.
"And how much for one of these?" Raze pointed at one of the more colorful earrings that
were shining with purple decorations.
"Oh, you have good taste; that is 2 copper coins," she happily said with a large smile.
It was without a doubt that right now he was getting scammed. Right now, he wanted to
grab her face and slam it down into the display, but he had to tone down his anger.
'I don't even have 2 copper coins, never mind 10, so how am I going to do this?' Raze
thought. The best way to word how he would be able to help her; he didn't want to pull out
the power stone again, not unless he was willing to kill the store owner, which was starting
to become a possibility in his head.
"Oh, if that young man isn't taking the black earring, I'll take it for 10 coppers," a soft voice
said.
Turning his head to look at who had just taken his item, he could see a woman who was a
head shorter than he was, wearing a beret hat with orange hair.
"Wait, that's my item," Raze said. "And no one takes my things."
Chapter 47 Pagna Wanderer
Chapter 47 Pagna Wanderer
'What is with all these people getting on my nerves today,' Raze thought as he looked at the
woman by his side. She hadn't even turned her head after he said those words and was
completely ignoring him. 'Is everyone in this world like this or what, and I thought Alterian
was bad.'
"Wait, I want that item," Raze called out, but he didn't know what to do next. He had no
coins; all he had were his words, and he wasn't exactly the best speaker when it came to
this situation.
"Young man, are you going to pay me or what?" The shopkeeper asked.
"I was hoping... I could maybe do some jobs and work for it," Raze said with a smile on his
face.
She immediately turned to the girl and held out her hand, to which the other person
proceeded to hand the coins over, pulling them out from a rather odd purse. It looked like
an obese round bird, that when squeezed, its yellow beak would open up.
After the coins were handed over, the black earring was now in Charlotte's possession, in a
nice small square-shaped box.
"Wait!" Raze called out. Now that the earring was in her possession, he could only hope to
do to her what he originally planned to do with the shopkeeper. "I need that earring; it's a
present for my sister, and she said that I needed to get that exact one."
Charlotte proceeded to look at Raze in the face for a few seconds before a smirk appeared.
"What did you say to me before, no one takes my things?" Charlotte repeated. "Well, it
appears that this belongs to me, and no one takes my things!"
Just as she had finished her sentence, a small kid around eight years old reached out and
pulled at her purse that was by her side, snatching it off from her belt and immediately ran
through the crowds of people.
It was clearly one of the beggar children, the same type that Raze had seen when he first
had appeared here.
"My money!" Charlotte shouted, with her hand reaching out, but no one cared. The kid was
fast and swift, and even she knew that it would be impossible to catch him. But for Raze, he
saw an opportunity.
"If I get you your purse back, will you give me that earring?" Raze asked.
Charlotte looked at him with a raised eyebrow. 'Does this idiot really think he can catch a
kid like that? If he could do something like that, then he should at least be able to have 10
coppers on him, right?'
Regardless, she thought that it might be best for her to humor him.
"Alright fine, just go ahead and..." Raze had already started running after the kid, away from
her sight, when she finished her last words. "Try."
She had seen him running relatively fast, through the crowds of people, avoiding them. It
was quite the sight to see, and even Raze was impressed with himself. Where people's
footsteps would be, their bodies, he could predict it all, and he could see the kid continuing
to run through the crowd, spinning around, and he was slowly starting to catch up.
While swiftly avoiding people, Raze could see himself getting closer and closer to the kid;
he was nearly there, until someone had walked dead straight ahead of him, crossing his
path to go over to the food stall.
"Move!" Raze shouted; he was running too fast to avoid a collision.
Hearing the words, the youngster, cloaked in dark red clothing, turned to see the white-
haired boy.
"I said, move out of the way!" Raze shouted as he shoved the young man touching his
shoulder and pushed him to the side.
During the chase, Raze didn't realize how much adrenaline was running through his body
and the fact that he was even powering his steps with a bit of Qi. He had used Qi on the
bystander, causing them to be thrown right into the stall.
The young man had crashed into the food stall, breaking it apart, while liquid from the
cooking pots spilled on top of him.
"ARGHH!" the man screamed in pain from the hot food, and quickly jumped up and down
trying to get as much food off of him as quickly as possible.
"That white-haired b*stard, does he want to die!" The young man shouted. "Who was it? I'll
make sure he gets 10 times the payback for this."
Filled with anger, steam was almost coming out from his ears, but there was one feature
that he remembered, and that was the white hair.
'Wait a second, white hair? Haven't I seen him before?'
After the small incident that Raze was blissfully unaware he had created, he had managed
to catch up to the kid, lifting him up by the back of his shirt and snatching the purse out of
his hands.
"Sorry kid, I know you're only doing this to survive; you're not at fault," Raze said. He knew
the kid would run off as soon as he put him down, for fear that he would hand him over to
someone from the clan.
So instead, with one hand, Raze flicked a silver coin in the air; the kid almost on instinct
managed to catch it.
"Take that and feed yourself," Raze said. "And next time, try going after the fat ones. They
won't be able to run after you, and they sure have enough money to feed themselves."
With those words of wisdom passed along, Raze let go of the kid who immediately ran off.
Looking behind him, Raze had noticed that there was a commotion going on. 'Did I push
someone?' Raze looked at his hand. 'I think I did; it might be best to go the long way round.'
With this in mind, Raze decided to take a different route on his way back to where he last
was. With the purse in his hand, the thought of just taking it with him had come up, but he
wanted the earring.
There weren't going to be many chances to get an item like that, but money in the future
would be easy to get, especially if he found a way to sell the power stones. It didn't take
long for him to find the girl still waiting. Raze waved the bag in the air in front of her with a
smug smile on his face.
"I had no clue that you were a Pagna warrior," Charlotte said. "I've never met one that was
so poor before."
"How did you know I was a warrior?" He asked.
"You can tell just from what you did then. You move far faster than the others; are you with
the Red Brigade Clan then?" She asked while attempting to take her purse back, but Raze
pulled away just in time, and held his hand out.
She quickly knew what he wanted and placed the box with the earring inside in his hand,
exchanging items with each other.
"I'm not with any Clan," Raze answered, which was the truth.
"What the, there's less money in here; did you steal some!" Charlotte shouted.
"No," Raze answered. "I gave some to that kid so he could eat for the day. You seemed to
have enough to fill your stomach and a few more, so why not let that kid not suffer for a
moment."
Charlotte closed her purse and let out a sigh, as she placed it under her hat on the top of her
head this time.
"If I wanted to, I could have just taken the whole thing and left; I have no reason to lie,"
Raze continued.
"It's rare to meet a wanderer, but then again, that might be the reason why you're so poor.
We could use someone like you. If you need some work, then head over to a pawn shop
called Rock Cliff," Charlotte said, turning around and heading in a completely different
direction from Raze.
'Wait, the pawn shop! Isn't that the same pawn that I… Well, it might be best to avoid her
completely then. But why would she be in the pawn shop? Is she with the other two? Just
who is she?' Raze thought.
Now that she was gone though, Raze had a large smile on his face, as he flicked a silver coin
in the air. 'I'm just charging some tax for my services, that's all, and you had to be punished
a little for taking my item.'
Chapter 48 Elite Grade Item
Chapter 48 Elite Grade Item
It didn't seem like Raze was going to solve his money problems any time soon, but he did
have an avenue, as long as his potions worked, or even if they didn't, he thought that there
might be a way for him to utilize Dame.
Asking for coins up front would be strange since Dame believed he came from another
world. So those coins would be useless in his world, but he could still use him to get
precious items. Heck, he didn't even mind if he got him more manuals and taught him more
moves now that he had a dantian full of Qi.
If possible, Raze wanted to get everything he needed done in town today, and he wanted to
leave no traces behind. After his encounter with the strange girl with the beret hat, he
thought it was better if others didn't see his face directly. When he was in a quiet and
secluded alleyway, he activated the robe and lifted up the hood.
After he had managed to acquire four bottles that each sold for 1 copper coin each, it left
him now with 96 copper coins. Relatively soon after this, he decided that he also needed to
buy a purse and had bought one that was purple in color and had a snake pattern on the
outside along with a tongue that would pop out.
It seemed that these specially designed purses were popular. The purse had cost him a
further 3 coins, leaving him with 93 coins. With the coins in the purse, he could now place
the whole purse into his robe to store it, and now there would be no incident like what had
occurred before.
Raze knew full well that if he was to return to the temple, he would be ridden with chores,
which would distract him from what he needed to do. He could continue to do things at
night, but one of these days he was bound to get caught, which left him in search of an Inn.
He wasn't planning to stay the night, but still had to pay the day fee, which was a total of 8
copper coins, leaving him with 85. He was quickly seeing the money he had taken going
down.
'Judging by what that girl said before, I wonder how much Pagna warriors get paid, or
those that are part of a clan?' Raze thought. 'She did say she was surprised to see that I
didn't even have 10 coins, and considering my body, I guess they do eat a lot as well.'
Now in the room, Raze was preparing a number of things. First, he had a piece of chalk in
his hands. This was something he had taken from the temple, as the children would often
draw on the grounds as a way to play with something.
He placed three crystals on the ground and started to draw a formation around them.
'A 2-star mage, that can perform 2-star enchantments and has a good-quality item with a
high-grade crystal, can obtain higher-enchanted items, and with my dark magic effect, it
could even turn out to be an Elite-grade enchanted item.'
The enchanted items all had different rankings based on their effects:
- Common
- Uncommon
- Rare
- Elite
- Unique
- Mythical
- Legendary
- God
The current items Raze had were all at the Uncommon level, the ring as well as the robe he
was wearing. The potions would be borderline Rare, but of course with Dark magic
enchanted items, there would always be a curse.
Saying all of this in his head, there was clearly a problem. He had everything, apart from a
higher-grade crystal. Raze had only a level 1 power stone as they called them in the world
of Pagna.
What he needed was a level 2 power stone, and there was a way to do this without fighting
a stronger beast.
A formation could be cast, combining two level 1 stones together. However, a stone would
be used in the process. So to create a level 2 stone, one would need three level 1 stones.
This special formation could only be used to increase the level of a stone by 1 and no
higher. On top of that, the higher the level of stone, the less chance there was of the whole
thing working.
So this was something that Raze would only try with the basic level 1 stones he had.
Flicking his fingers with his magic, the formation lit up, and all three of the stones started to
vibrate and moved colliding into each other.
A bright glow appeared, and the colored crystal had become slightly more transparent in
color, a sign that it was a success.
'That's good, if it failed, I wasn't going to try that again. I need 1 stone to feed this robe, and
one to head back and meet Dame,' Raze thought, so he really only had four stones to create
items with.
This wasn't originally part of his plan, but after finding the higher-quality item in the
market, it was something that he just had to do. Although he was enjoying his new body
and his martial arts, magic was still his trump card in this world and the others.
Drawing a new formation, this one took a lot more time compared to the last. Formations
got more complicated the higher the tier of enchantment, with some taking even several
days to finish.
This was why there were some mages that only focused on Enchantment, and it was quite
rare to have an all-arounder like Raze.
Finishing the formation off, Raze summoned the box out from his robe and pulled out the
earring, placing it on the ground. It was the same as before, and with the level 2 power
stone, the new magic ritual was beginning.
It lit up, and so did the ring in the center. 'Haha, this has to be an Elite-grade item, this… is
going to be… great!'
As the magic lit up, and the crystal's power was forming with the earring, in the corner of
the room, behind Raze, electric sparks were appearing. They were coming and going, and
small portals the size of a fist were opening up. Breaking through the portals, a small black
tentacle was leaking through, wriggling about.
"It's complete!" Raze said, and the magic around the circle had died down. At the same
time, the sparks and portals behind him had disappeared.
"Tell me the effects of this item," Raze asked, and the dark magic moved like a whisper.
Soon, the dark magic came back with a text in front of him.
[An Elite-Grade Cursed Black Earring]
[A powerful curse has been left on this earring]
[The effects have been locked by the curse until the owner can fulfill the following
requirements.]
[The earring must be worn by the user, and they must not take off the earring within the
full course of 72 hours. During this period, the user must not sleep, eat, or drink. If the user
fails to complete the task or does one of the above during this period of time, a curse will be
placed.]
[Failure to complete the task will result in the user losing all of their senses. They will
slowly go blind, lose their sense of taste, sense of hearing, and sense of smell.]
[If a new person is to wear the earring, the 72 hours will restart.]
Chapter 49 Sealed Items
Chapter 49 Sealed Items
"Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t!" Raze mumbled to himself, careful not to express his anger too much for
the other people who might be staying at the inn. He just couldn't help himself after seeing
the effects of the earring.
Out of all the possible outcomes, he was hoping that this type of condition didn't come up,
but it was most likely so due to the level of the curse. However, he had managed to create a
sealed item.
Picking it up off the ground, Raze placed it back in its case and closed it while he let out a
big deep sigh.
What Raze had just created was known as a sealed item. In most cases, finding a sealed
item might be a joyous occasion because when unsealed, the grade of the enchanted item
might actually be higher than what it currently was.
The current grade of the item, an elite item, was more to do with how tough the conditions
were to unbreak the seal. The condition wasn't so much of a problem, but because it was a
cursed item, now it meant if a person were to fail in breaking the condition, the user itself
would be cursed as well.
The reason for his frustration was due to him being so conflicted. He had even opened up
the case again and was ready to grab the earring and place it on his ear, stopping a few
centimeters away.
'If I break the seal, I could end up with a mythical rank item,' Raze thought to himself.
The highest three grades of items, mythical, legendary, and god, weren't usually something
someone could just enchant. These items were often ones that were found through the
portals in other worlds. There were cases where extremely high-level crystals along with
rare treasures were used to create these levels of items.
To top it off, they would have to come up with their own formations of enchantment, since
enchanting at that high of a level, mages would tend to keep those secrets to themselves.
For this to happen, one would have to find multiple things that aligned and needed to put in
the hard work.
Whereas, just finding the top-graded items through expeditions was more likely, but in
some cases were just as dangerous. They tended to be in dimensions that many had lost
their lives in.
Mythical items and above were items that made one almost have god-like powers. Entire
corporations, guilds, and countries would fight over them. Which was why one of the Grand
Magus who was able to craft mythical and above items was a figure that could do whatever
he wished.
Idore, the Noble One, as they called him. Somewhat the leader of the Grand Magus and the
one that put out the hit on his head.
Just thinking about him, dark magic was swirling around the room, and Raze's eyes were
turning a shade darker, his pupils expanding.
As an example of how powerful these items could be, the book Raze had found in one of the
dimensions, was at the legendary rank, and that was the book that contained the ritual that
allowed him to transmigrate into the body he was in now.
'There's also a chance that this could be a complete dud; there is no guarantee, and it could
just be an elite-grade item, which is good, but not good enough for the risk,' Raze thought.
'Staying awake for 72 hours is 3 days. It's not an impossible task but extremely difficult.
After the 2nd day of no sleep, one would start to hallucinate. It would be hard to tell a
dream from reality. It would be hard to process nearly anything or do basic tasks.
The idea of trying to fight against one's natural body to stay awake would be a difficult one
without something looming over their head.
'To top it off, there are more conditions, no food or water, to make the mind descend into
further madness? If I attempted this, how would I even explain to Kron or the others what I
was trying to do.
'They would immediately send me to the hospital or even knock me out, forcing me to
sleep. Lastly, putting myself in this state, I would be incredibly weak, and while I have not
experienced any new assassination attempts, being in that state would just put a larger
target on my back.
'I don't even have to mention why it's bad if I were to fail in succeeding in breaking the seal
either.'
In the end, it was just too much of a big risk to try, at least for now. Placing the ring away in
the robe, he had also placed the robe away and decided to keep the remaining three power
stones. One to feed the robe, the other to head to the other dimension, and lastly, one to sell
if he ever managed to figure out a way to do that.
Since Raze was leaving the town, he had placed the robe away, and he felt that he had done
what he needed to do here.
It was a shame that the situation had turned out to be a dud, but Raze had time. He was in a
new body, and he had already been improving by leaps and bounds; luck wouldn't always
go the way he wanted.
The town had multiple exits and paths that led to different areas, through different forests
and vast lands that took people to other cities and areas.
For Raze, he was leaving out of the west exit, which was placed on a slight uphill. This path
led through a forest and the temple that was up ahead. Not many people left through the
west exit, since they would have to climb up a large mountain to get to the other side.
They would usually just take the north or south exit that would allow them to bypass the
mountain and go wherever it was they needed to be.
Walking down the path, the town was now around a mile away. The rustling of leaves was
heard, and stepping on the path, in front of Raze, was a young boy dressed head to toe in
dark red cloth. The only part of his clothing that was a different color was his basic dark
brown boots, which went somewhat up his shin. Not many people wore them; in fact, the
only people that Raze knew who wore them were those from the Clan.
"The fact that you have popped out in front of me means you have some business with me?"
Raze asked. "But I do not know you, so why are you standing in my way?"
Chapter 50 Dark Gift
Chapter 50 Dark Gift
Raze's fingers were twitching slightly, and he was wondering if this was a situation where
he would need to use his magic.
The uniform he recognized well because he had seen it before. These were the clothes of
the Red Brigade, the ones that were disciples.
The young man in front of him looked to be the same age as Raze. He was one of the
students who were training to enter the Pagna Academy on behalf of the clan.
"I knew you would be here," the kid said. "I remember seeing your white hair before.
You're one of the kids that visited the clan base, from the temple, so I knew you would stop
here. So are you ready to apologize for what you did?"
The disciple started to point at himself and showed his stained clothing. The red uniform
was stained with an odd brown color that went from his chest down his legs.
"You want me to apologize because you sh*t yourself?" Raze asked. "Are you crazy?"
The disciple's fist was shaking. Being a disciple of the clan, everyone treated him well and
with respect in the town, and being one of the talented students, even the teachers and
elders treated him nicely.
If he wanted, he could have asked one of them to find the person in question and get them
to apologize directly in front of him. This was what being a Pagna warrior meant. Those
who were powerful and skillful, showing potential, weren't just treated as if they were
above others; they were above others.
"I gave you a chance to rectify the situation. My name is Von Cloff!" the disciple declared.
"As the Disciple of the Red Brigade clan, I will rightfully deal punishment. You, who has
attacked a disciple for no reason, and show no remorse, is the same as an attack on the clan
itself!"
Raze knew where this was going, and he couldn't quite believe it, above others just because
they were stronger? This world, it was no different than the last one he left. He swung his
hand, ready to use his magic, until he had seen Von shift his feet and was directly in front of
him.
Then, with the palm of his hand, Von hit Raze right in the stomach. His body folded inward,
and it felt like all of his organs wanted to explode out of his mouth.
'He was fast, extremely fast, I couldn't even react with my magic in time!'
Raze's attacks were strong, but what was the point if he couldn't hit his target? From the
single hit, his legs were shaking, and his back was hunched.
"You can still stand, I guess that just means I have to punish you further!" Von had moved
again, too fast for Raze to use his magic, so instead, he had decided to use the two-step shift,
but had done so backwards.
The fist that had been thrown by Von had missed this time.
"Interesting, so you can use some skills after all. I guess you have a good Qi base; no
wonder why you could still stand up, but I am one of the best students!"
Von proceeded to do the two-step shift, closing the space between the two right after Raze
had done it, and he could suddenly feel his whole head being grabbed. Before he knew it,
Raze's head was flung down, and a knee was lifted, hitting him right in the face.
Raze's whole body was knocked in the air before it fell to the ground, lying on his back.
"You're filth who doesn't even know the way the world works. A no-name is not the same
as us Pagna warriors."
Von then went ahead and stood on top of both of Raze's arms. It might have looked like no
big deal, but due to using his power of Qi, it felt like a 200kg man was now standing on him;
it was impossible for him to lift his hands.
"Don't… Don't touch me!" Raze shouted as he screamed and desperately tried to move his
body, wiggling his legs and arms. But Von quickly kicked them behind him, making him
stop before placing his feet spread apart on top of his arms again.
"I could see you were trying something with those hands of yours, too bad you won't get to
try it. Now, someone dirtied my clothes, so don't you think it's only fair that I at least do the
same to you?"
Looking down at the struggling Von, he spat right on his face. Not once, but three times he
spat again and again, spreading it out on Raze.
Raze was grinding his teeth, but from the initial hit, he was really hurt. The Qi inside him
had been disrupted, and he was finding it hard to focus at all. But in that moment, he did
manage to do something. A flicker of darkness surrounded his right hand; he grasped onto
something tight, and it didn't go unnoticed.
"What's that?" Von said. "Is there something you're holding onto? Maybe something you
care about?"
Von lifted his foot and stomped on Raze's hand, his fingers being crushed by the weight,
and out popped a box.
"What's this?" Von asked, walking over to the box.
"Don't touch that!" Raze shouted, getting up and going after the box, to which Von turned
around and kicked him in the chin, sending him back again.
Raze laid there on the ground. It was clear from the fight they had just had that Raze was
unable to beat him. He had even thought that even with his magic, it wouldn't have been
possible unless he got a lucky hit in.
Just as he had been told, even if they were both Rank 1 Pagna warriors, there was a vast
difference between the two of them. But there was still an odd smile on his face.
Bending down, Von picked up the box and opened it up. He could see the black earring
inside. He took the earring out and threw the box to its side.
"What's this, it's just a stupid earring?" Von held it up to the light, but it didn't look like
anything special. "But for you to have held onto it tightly this whole time, it must mean
something to you, right?"
"That's mine, don't you dare take it, you damn sh*t box!" Raze shouted again.
From the comments before, it had just reminded Von of the situation that had occurred,
and his anger was rising even more.
"Very well, I won't punish you any more than this." Von smiled. "But I shall be taking your
precious earring. As punishment, you will have to live with the fact that every time you see
me, you will be unable to do anything about taking it back. I shall wear this well for you."
Von started to walk back toward the town, not thinking anything about Raze who had his
head sunken in his chest.
His shoulders started to shake, and when Von was finally out of sight, he lifted his head,
bursting into laughter.
"HAHA!" Raze laughed.
Enchanted and sealed items were very special in many ways. For one, people were
naturally attracted to them. They would begin to obsess over them due to the leaking
power that emitted from the items.
Those who didn't practice the use of mana seemed to be even more affected by items, but
regardless of that, Raze knew well that Von would take the item based on his personality.
The thing was, enchanted items' effects could only appear in front of a mage once they used
their magic with the right incantation. However, their effects still worked, just not the way
they would normally do.
Meaning, Von would have no way of telling the effects of the earring.
"Enjoy your gift, Von."
Chapter 51 Breaking the seal
Chapter 51 Breaking the seal
Brushing off the dirt from his clothing, Raze noticed that his body was a bit sore. His arms
were hurting the most, from the pain that Von had dealt him by stepping on them, but there
were no broken bones.
The most pain that had been inflicted on him was to his core, the Qi in his body, Raze could
feel that it was disrupted from the strike.
'Is that something Pagna warriors can do. I guess there might be a way to stabilize this a
bit.' Raze thought.
While walking on his way back slowly, Raze was breathing in slowly, trying to focus on the
main points of the technique that he had learned. He could feel the Qi in his body stabilizing
and the energy was spreading out to his muscles making them feel better as well.
'This Qi and body of a martial artist is an impressive thing. I wonder if this is how Safa was
also able to heal quicker than normal as well.' Raze touched his nose that was sore. The
flesh wounds, these were things that he wouldn't be able to heal and Kron would ask
questions about it.
'He might even panic seeing me in this state wondering if someone was sent to attack me. I
guess I'll just have to deal with that.' Raze started to smile, because he was just imagining
what would be happening to the special Von tonight.
'I gave you a chance.' Raze thought. 'I used the robes special effect to summon the earring
box out of my robe and held it in my hand. You had a choice, you didn't have to take the
earring out from my hand. You had already punished me, but you decided to go a step
further taking something you believed that I cared about, now this is just something that
will come back to you.'
——-
The night sky had come out and Von had returned to the Red Brigade base. The disciples
stayed in separate buildings and dorms compared to the rest of the teachers. The lower
disciples shared rooms together, sleeping in one big hall and training with each other.
While the higher disciples, such as Von, had been given more attention by the clan. They
were tutored directly by some of the best Pagna warriors the clan had. In turn, they were
given a private room to themselves.
This was natural for nearly all clans; they treated those that were talented better than the
others, as they were to reward them in the future, and on top of that, it encouraged others
to work harder to get a better life. It was the way of the Pagna warrior.
At the moment, Von was getting ready for a good night's rest. He had placed his clothes in
the community wash basket where the lower disciples would clean them in the morning.
At the moment, he was wearing next to nothing, looking at himself in the mirror in his
room.
'You did well today.' Von smiled at himself. 'You are one that is going to change this clan.
You are the hope of the Red Brigade to reach new heights, you are the chosen one, and
anyone that tries to get in your way, is getting in the Clan's way.'
On the desk, the earring was visible in the open box. Picking it up, Von placed it next to his
ear, seeing how it looked on him. As he inspected the earring he noticed that it was a little
strange, it didn't really have a small metallic part that pierced into one's ear, at least one
wasn't visible anyway. Still, a part of it was open, and it was too small to fit on a finger, so
he thought the only thing it had to be was an earring.
'How do you even put this thing on? Is it even an earring?' Von lifted it up, and placed it
next to his ear. He didn't have any type of intention to put it on, but when he placed it
around his ear he felt a sharp pinch.
'Ow! What the, did it just pierce my ear!?' Von saw a small trickle of blood falling from his
earlobe. The pain was sudden but it didn't hurt anymore, it was just a little sore if he went
to touch it.
Still, he couldn't help but find it strange, he had never heard of a self piercing earring
before, and he couldn't even remember touching anything on it.
Fiddling around, running his finger around the earring, Von was trying to find a way to
open it, but to no avail. He tugged at the earring a bit, and that didn't work either.
"Crap, how do I get this thing off? It's not getting off!"
The last thing Von wanted to do was pull it off and tear his ear lobe leaving a scar on his
body. He cared as much about his looks as he did about his skills.
'I guess I'm just going to have to find that guy again.' Von smiled. 'I wanted to show him I
was wearing this thing in front of his face anyway. I can't wait to see the look on his face.'
With the earring still on, Von laid down in his bed. He looked at the ceiling with his hands
behind his head, thinking about his future. It was routine for him, he could already see it,
entering the Pagna academy, rising to the top, and coming back to the Clan, being selected
as the next master.
Eventually, his eyes started to close, and he went into a deep slumber.
At that moment, the earring started to light up, and from it, dark magic started to seep out
as a mist. It covered Von's body from head to toe, making changes in his body that he was
unaware of.
[You have failed to unlock the sealed item]
[The item has cursed the user]
[Effects of the curse will now begin.]
Chapter 52 Losing all sense
Chapter 52 Losing all sense
The night had passed, and the sun was rising as usual. Rays of light filtered through the
partially drawn curtain, casting a gentle glow on Von's face. Slowly, he started to open his
eyes, noticing that his vision was a bit blurry, similar to when one had a few tears in their
eyes.
He rubbed his eyes, hoping it would clear the blurriness, but it persisted. Massaging his tear
ducts didn't help either. Von couldn't understand why his vision had worsened overnight.
As a Stage 1 Pagna warrior, impurities in his body should have been removed, and issues
like deteriorating eyesight shouldn't occur, unless his eyes were damaged or he had been
poisoned.
To his right, the door opened, and he hastily covered his upper body, as he usually slept
somewhat bare.
"Von, you need to get up for morning practice; you're a bit late!" one of the other disciples
called.
"Alright, already," Von replied. "You could have at least knocked before you came in."
"I did, I knocked a few times; it's not my fault you're deaf," the disciple said before leaving
annoyed.
Von's vision was only slightly deteriorated; he could still read and see the disciples' faces
clearly up close. However, at a distance, things began to blur. He decided to ignore it for
now and headed off to his morning training.
At the Red Brigade Clan, students usually started their day with a morning run and
unarmed sparring before breakfast. Being a bit late meant that Von had missed the
morning routine, and the students were already engaged in sparring.
They fought using only their fists with no Qi involved for a minute and then switched to
new partners. Von and his opponent exchanged hits, blocking and attacking each other.
After a minute, they moved on to their next partners. In between rounds, Von was
vigorously rubbing his eyes.
"Are you okay?" his current sparring partner asked.
Von's eye-rubbing continued, and he could barely hear something faint. He looked up to see
his opponent, but his hearing was muffled, and his vision had deteriorated further. He
could only distinguish the general shape of the disciple in front of him, with a few
characteristics here and their.
"Are you okay?" the disciple asked again.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Von replied with a hoarse voice that came and went as he spoke, as if he
had spent the whole night screaming. This, too, was something that shouldn't have affected
a Stage 1 Pagna warrior.
"I'm sorry; I think I need to go somewhere," Von said, rushing off and leaving the clan base.
Because of his status as a disciple, he wouldn't get into too much trouble for leaving,
especially if he stated his reason. Which he hadn't done this time, but it would be no big
deal.
As Von walked through the town, he tried to figure out what had happened to him.
"My voice, my hearing, and my vision. Why have all of them deteriorated? Was it something
to do with that white-haired kid?"
During their scuffle, although he looked desperate at times, there were also moments
where Von could have sworn he saw the other person smiling. It was hard for him to
believe, as no one in that situation would have been able to smile.
"It might have been this strange earring as well. It did come from that kid; maybe he knows
something about it," Von thought.
Right now, he could still see, hear, and speak, but everything was slightly worse than usual.
So Von decided to go to the main suspect, the person in question. It would be embarrassing
for him to report it to the higher clan members if it turned out the kid had nothing to do
with it. If things didn't improve, he would speak to the clan about visiting a physician.
As Von walked through the forest and up the winding stairs, he started to notice that the
temple in the distance was getting blurrier, and the world around him was quieting down.
It was as if his head were underwater, and his senses were fading.
Sprinting to the top, Von crossed the temple walls and entered the training courtyard. Most
temple kids were outside sweeping leaves when they saw someone from the Red Brigade
arrive.
"Is that a disciple?"
"Yeah, he's wearing the clothing; it has to be the disciple."
"Is he looking for Sir Kron?"
Many of the young children in the town shared the dream of becoming Pagna warriors.
However, this aspiration often waned as they grew older and learned about the difficulties
and challenges that came with such a path. Still, living in a town with a clan nearby,
everyone recognized the disciples of the Red Brigade Clan. However, the one who had just
arrived was acting rather peculiar.
"Maybe I should go see what he wants," Simyon said, starting to walk over. But he stopped
in his tracks as Raze stepped in front of him.
After making an excuse to Kron about taking a tumble and landing on his nose while trying
to test his strength, Raze had also insisted on taking a different job that would allow him to
be outside in the sunlight. Kron, not thinking much of it, had accepted his request, and it
had all led to this moment.
"Hey, are you looking for someone?" Raze asked loudly. "Or are you having trouble seeing
them?"
As Raze shouted these words, Von turned his head, and he could see the white-haired
figure before him.
"Yo..." Von attempted to speak, but his voice came out strained, sounding as if only air were
escaping his lips.
'What did he do to me, what is it? He knows…he definitely knows!'
"Are you having troubling speaking as well!" Raze asked.
'Those words! What was it, was it the earring, I'll kill him, I'll kill him!'
Von's attempts to scream yielded no words, and his vision deteriorated rapidly. It became a
chaotic mesh of colors, and he grew desperate, striking out in front of him, but hitting
nothing. The sounds around him faded into nothingness. Falling to his knees, tears
streamed down his face, but he couldn't even feel them. It was then that he realized he
might have lost his sense of touch as well.
Panic consumed him. He reached around the side of his face and felt the earring that was
attached. At this point, he no longer cared about potential scarring; he just wanted to get
better, to return to the way he was. With a surge of desperation, he ripped the earring from
his earlobe and flung it away. He had no idea where it landed, but his condition showed no
sign of improvement. Von began slamming the ground, causing the tiles beneath him to
break.
Amidst the chaos, one of the temple kids ran inside and brought out Kron. The sight of the
red uniform caught Kron's attention, and he rushed over.
"What's wrong? Why are you here? Has something happened?" Kron asked as Von
continued to strike blindly, unable to hear or see.
Korn avoided the hit's and due to the situation he was left with no choice but to strike at
the back of his head knocking him out.
"I'll be heading into the town quickly to see what's going on. I won't be away for long," Kron
said, before hurrying away.
Meanwhile, Raze stared blankly at the spot where Von had been. He reflected on his
actions.
'If people knew what I had done, some might think that I was cruel,' Raze thought, 'but I
have been punished by allowing people like you to live more times than I can count. You
attacked me over a few words. You didn't stop at a simple beating; you humiliated me with
your spit as well.
'And then, when you believed something was precious to me, you took it away. As you
continue with your life, never facing consequences for your actions, you wouldgrow up to
believe? it was only natural for you to take what you want without thinking about others.'
"That earring wasn't precious to me, but in the past, I allowed someone like you to get off
with light punishment, and they took away something very precious to me. So I won't make
that mistake again."
Raze searched the courtyard for the earring, recalling the direction in which Von had
thrown it. However, he couldn't locate it.
"I was sure it went here. It has to be here, unless... did someone pick it up?" Raze wondered.
Inside the temple, most of the kids decided to rest while Kron was away. They relaxed in
their rooms, except for one person in particular who sat on his bed, holding a black earring
in his hand.
"Why did I pick this up?" Simyon thought, puzzled by his own actions.
Chapter 53 The Lost Earring
Chapter 53 The Lost Earring
Seeing the state that Von had acted in, Kron knew something was up. The child was not his
responsibility, which was why he had immediately gone to the clan base. Von had
eventually woken up, and all of the elders were in shock at his actions.
He wandered about, stumbled over his own legs, and was banging the floor constantly. No
matter what they did, they were unable to get through to him. They called out, asked him
questions, but none of it was working; there was no response back.
They had even tried to get him to write what had happened, how he had become this way,
but with his sense of touch gone, he couldn't even hold a brush properly. Eventually, Von
was even unable to walk as he was unable to sense his legs.
This was as much as Kron had witnessed before heading back to the temple. He had told
them what he knew, how Von was in this state when he had found him. It was their guess
that he had stumbled there after receiving this condition, whatever it was, because they
believed he had no reason to be there.
With no clue as to what was going on, they took Von to the physician, with one of the Clan
members guiding him. At the moment, he was laid out on the bed, his mouth open. They
had force-fed him some food, closing and opening his mouth for him.
It was quite amazing that they still had gotten him to swallow, but for how much longer, it
was hard for them to tell.
"This, I have never come across a case like this before," the physician said. "I will continue
trying what I can, but as of right now, I wouldn't count on his state changing. He will
continue to live, but not in the same way as he did before."
This news had reached the elders of the Red Brigade clan, and a meeting was called
between them. As this was a big loss to them all, because it was one of their rising talents.
In the master's main hall, chairs had been set up, and six of the elders, including the master
Yon, were sitting opposite each other around four meters away in each direction. All of the
elders were sitting apart from each other as they would do when having a meeting.
"I have to ask," one of the other elders spoke up, stroking his large beard that dangled to his
chest. "Do we perhaps believe that what has happened to Von is the same as the rest of the
death-related incidents that have been occurring around town?"
"I believe this is separate," Yon answered immediately before there could be any such
rumors. "This does not fit anything that has happened before, but I can't say we can rule it
out, as at the moment we have no leads."
"It's the Demon faction!" one of the elders yelled, jumping out of his seat nearly pushing his
chair over. "They have always had ambitions to rule over the entire continent through
whatever means are possible to them. They are worse than the Light faction! Taking out
our talent before they even have the chance to grow."
"Calm down, Donaven!" Yon waved his hand, telling him to take a seat. "Although I agree
with your views on the Demonic faction, it makes no sense for them to go after a small clan
like ours. For now, we just have to keep a closer eye on this town, for I fear even worse
things are to come."
---
Inside his room, Simyon was continually staring at the earring that was in his hand. There
was something fascinating about it. When he saw it on the floor, right by his foot,
something had drawn him to it.
Eventually, he had picked it up, and there was a strange sensation over his body, as if it was
informing him he had done the right thing. After giving it a wipe, it was now in his hand, but
he had yet to put it on.
'This came from that disciple, it looked like he had gone a bit crazy and tore this thing off. It
makes me wonder if it's expensive; maybe I can even sell it for some coin,' Simyon thought.
While it was in his hand, he was reluctant to let it go, and continued to twirl it around,
looking at every detail of the earring. Yet there seemed to be nothing special about it, but
he felt like he was holding onto something like a diamond in his hand.
Catching himself in this strange state, Simyon placed the ring on his bedside counter, and
turned away, looking at his room's wall. It was only a few moments later that he had turned
around and had picked up the earring as well.
Now sitting up, he held it in his hand and was bringing it ever closer to his ear.
'What am I doing? This literally just came off the ear of someone else. It's pretty disgusting
if I put it on like this.'
Leaving his room, Simyon had traveled to the kitchen, and after giving it a quick rinse with
a hose, he lifted it in the air and brought it to his ear again.
"Now it should be okay, Ouch!" Simyon screamed a little; he had only brought it to his ear,
the last thing he had suspected was that it would attach itself to him and pierce him.
Touching his earlobe, he could feel that the earring was now on him; he tried tugging and
pulling, but there was no success in removing the thing.
'I have a bad feeling about this,' Simyon thought. A little worried, he decided to head
toward his room.
As he was heading out, he bumped into Safa, who looked to be starting cleaning duty in the
main hall. Even though Kron wasn't back yet, she had decided that she would get a head
start on some chores.
She smiled at Simyon, and he smiled back, but then she started to stare at him for a few
seconds before pointing to the new accessory he had on him.
"Oh, this, do you like it? Do you think it suits me?" Simyon asked.
Quite quickly, she shook her head, which just made Simyon a little more depressed since he
couldn't remove this thing.
"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm starting a fashion trend. Soon all of the kids at the temple
will want to wear an earring like this one."
The comment had made Safa chuckle a little, and she was soon continuing her duties. In the
middle of her cleaning, surprisingly, Raze, who had been outside nearly this whole time,
had entered the main hall and started to approach her.
Her heart started to beat a little faster; it was rare that he would come up to her first,
unless it was a telling off of some sort.
"Hey, while you're cleaning, look out for a small black earring. It's a small loop type one that
looks like a ring," Raze said. "And if you do find it, come to me straight away, and whatever
you do, don't wear it."
The item was a dangerous one, and as a thank you for obtaining the original owner's body,
he thought the least he could do was warn his sister. But after telling her of such things,
Raze could see the look on her face with her mouth slightly ajar.
"You've seen it, haven't you? Tell me, where is it now!"
Chapter 54 Survive Three Days
Chapter 54 Survive Three Days
Safa stood there for a moment and stared back into Raze's eyes. She was trying to gauge
just what he was feeling right now. Based on his reaction, he knew about the earring, so did
that mean it belonged to him?
He did, after all, tell her to give it to him if she was to stumble upon it, and she knew how
Raze was about his things. If he was to find out that Simyon had it, then what would Raze
do to him?
Would it be the same as what happened to Gren?
Safa hadn't even seen the state of Gren, but she was sweating on behalf of Simyon if Raze
was to find out. On the other hand, she started to think, wasn't this something that Raze
would find out sooner or later anyway, and if that was the case, maybe it would be better if
Simyon was found out while Safa was there. That way, she could try her best to calm Raze
down if need be.
Pumping her fist and a small nod of her head, she thought this was the right thing to do. It
was the least she could do after Simyon had stood up for her and even took a beating on her
behalf. He was a good person.
Safa nodded her head and pointed to her own ear, acknowledging that she knew about the
earring. She then used two of her fingers to symbolize walking, with another hand behind.
For some reason, Raze understood what Safa was asking him; she was telling him to follow
her.
'So she knows where the ring is?' Raze followed Safa through the hall, and she was heading
to the other side, where some of the kids at the temple stayed. 'This isn't our room, so does
that mean one of the other kids found it after all.'
Wild thoughts were running through Raze's head; he needed to prepare for the worst, but
there was still a chance. Just because someone found the ring didn't mean they would wear
it.
A knock was made at the door, but there was no response on the other end. Regardless,
Safa had decided to slide the door open and head inside anyway, and Raze had followed.
The rooms were small, so it didn't take long for the two of them to see Simyon lying on his
bed, his eyes closed with the earring on his ear.
"Wake up!" Raze shouted immediately.
"Huh?" Simyon opened his eyes and was startled to see the two of them in the room and
pushed his back up against the wall. "What are you two doing here?"
"Did you fall asleep?" Raze asked immediately. Ignoring everything else, it was the worst
outcome possible. Not only had someone found the earring, but they were already wearing
it, and if he had fallen asleep, it would have been too late.
"No, I just shut my eyes? Why are you asking, what are you two doing here?" Simyon said,
still a little panicked, but he was starting to calm down. When looking at Safa, he didn't
want to show such a side to himself, so he quickly recomposed and pulled himself together.
"If you really just shut your eyes, then why didn't you answer before?" Raze asked.
"I was deep in thought, and does it even matter if I fall asleep or not, this is my room?"
Simyon argued back.
Safa was standing in the middle of the two, she was turning her head back and forth
because she thought a fight was going to break out at any second, but that was when Raze
had decided to back off and started to bite his thumbnail.
'This situation, when I made the ring, I never envisioned this was going to happen, but what
do I do now?' Raze looked at Simyon; he seemed fine, and he couldn't feel the presence of a
curse on his body.
That still didn't change another fact, that Simyon had put on the earring. 'It's no doubt that
if Simyon falls asleep, he will suffer a cruel fate, one that is my mistake. Although I have no
strong feelings towards him.'
'For some reason, he never told Kron about what he saw that day either. It isn't fair, I
should at least give him a chance to fight back.'
"That earring," Raze pointed. "It's something that you should have never worn, but now
you have done so, we cannot undo what has been done."
Simyon gulped. He didn't know what Raze was talking about, but just the serious look on
his face, going along with his tone that was telling him the situation was grave, was
worrying for him, and ever since he had put on the earring, he had a bad feeling.
"What I'm about to tell you may sound like some type of fantasy to you, but believe me it is
very real. For anyone who wears that earring, they are not to remove it. You are not to
sleep for the next 72 hours, nor eat or drink, if you do, a curse will fall on your body, you
will go blind, you will go deaf, and lose all of your senses."
Raze didn't need to explain about magic; he didn't need to tell him where the ring came
from or how he knew all of this. Because all of that would be pointless if Simyon couldn't
survive.
"Come on." Simyon nervously laughed. "Raze, that's kind of a cruel joke. Come on, man, I'm
already worried about this thing. Look, if you want it, I would give it to you, but the damned
thing won't come off."
Raze looked deep into Simyon's eyes before saying the next words. "It's not a joke, Simyon.
Do you know who had that earring before you? Don't you remember how that disciple from
the Red Brigade clan acted?
"If you do any of the things I mentioned, then you will become the same as him, and there is
no cure. If you don't believe me, you can ask Kron when he returns."
Safa knew Raze had been doing some strange stuff at night, and somehow he had managed
to get his hands on power stones. To her, it didn't sound like Raze was lying, especially with
the warning he had given her as well.
Looking at Simyon, she just nodded as well.
Simyon placed both hands at the side of his head and started to curl up into a ball. "But
how... it's just an earring, what is this thing? I thought it was some weird sh*t when it
attached to my ear like that. Three days, three days no food or sleep, is that even possible?"
Simyon was already affected just from learning the task ahead of him; with the way he was
acting now, he was bound to fail. For a couple of minutes, he just sunk his head into his legs
until he eventually looked up at Raze.
"Raze, you seem to know a lot about this earring, so I have to ask you. What happens if I
succeed? Does it just mean that I won't be affected and can take off the earring, or is there a
chance that I might become strong... like you?"
This response was surprising to Raze. Was this a little bit of hope? Was this what Simyon
needed to be able to get through this? For him, things had just gotten interesting, and a
smile appeared.
"If you succeed, you'll have power out of this world."
Chapter 55 A Reason to be strong
Chapter 55 A Reason to be strong
Initially, there was a lot of shocks going through Simyon's system. The horror of the task
and the reality of what might happen to him if he were to fail. The hardest part of the task
was not knowing truly how difficult it would be.
It wasn't as if Simyon had attempted to stay awake for three days; as for the other
conditions, he had experienced them before, it had been a long time, but the combination of
all those things would have surely been different.
One good thing was, for now, he hadn't asked a lot of questions. Eventually, Kron had
returned, and when he did, he had asked the children a few questions about what they had
seen.
He didn't go into detail with his questioning because the kids were all giving him roughly
the same answers. They hadn't seen much because he had only been at the temple for a few
minutes and didn't say a single word.
Eventually, nighttime had come, and Safa and Raze had agreed to take it in turns to look
over Simyon. Raze would stay in his room the first night, making sure that he didn't sleep,
hitting him whenever he felt drowsy or talking to him.
Safa would take over the second night, and Raze would look over him for the final night,
which would be the hardest. All of this was to give him the best chances of survival.
As for food and drink, they had a plan for that as well. They would inform Kron that Simyon
wasn't feeling well, and that they would bring his drink and food to his room. Either Safa or
Raze would then gobble it up, preferably away from Simyon.
When in a hungered state, the worst thing was having it shoved in your face when you
could do nothing about it, and so the first evening had come, and Raze was standing up
against the wall with his eyes closed while Simyon was sat up on his bed.
The two of them had stayed silent for a couple of hours now, and Simyon couldn't take it.
"Hey, I'm just going to start rambling on, if I don't do anything, then I think I'm going to
doze off before I know it. That's alright, yeah?"
Raze opened his eyes and gave a slight nod; he clearly wasn't a person of many words. "You
know, when I first heard what this earring might do to me, I thought, why me, why is my
luck so bad?" Simyon asked.
"I came from a town, only a little smaller than this one, maybe you would call it a village
more than a town. It was a place where everyone knew each other, and out of all the places
possible, a portal break happened right there in my village.
"Horrid monsters came out, killing everyone left, right, and center. It wasn't something that
happened in an instant either. The adults tried to fight back, but they were no match, and
me and my sister... we hid. The two of us hid from the monsters with no food and no water
for a few days.
"At first, the pain was unbearable, but eventually, I got used to it. It's strange, the pangs
would come and go, intense but the feeling would go away. Even now, it's almost
impossible to remember the pain."
Simyon then placed his hand not on his stomach, but on his heart instead. "But, there is a
pain that I can't forget. My sister, she had given me all our food, all of the water we had at
the beginning, and eventually, she passed away, and the pain of losing her has never gone
away. So, now you might understand why I have a go at you, now and then, for not looking
after your sister, but I'm glad you secretly care." Simyon chuckled.
Raze didn't comment on anything that Simyon said, but he made sure to listen to his story
well, because it reminded him a bit about his past. Back then, if there was someone who
had listened to him, someone who had guided him, would he have taken a different path
and never have become the Dark Magus?
'But there's a large difference in our stories,' Raze thought. 'Simyon's anger can be directed
towards the beast that killed his family, while mine is towards other humans.'
"I know a part of your story from before," Raze said. "But how did you end up surviving,
was it because of Kron?"
Simyon shook his head. "I told you I wanted to become a Pagna warrior because one saved
me, but it wasn't Kron. It wasn't even someone from the Dark faction, actually. There's this
clan called the Crimson Crane. They're probably the biggest and most famous wandering
clan there is."
"Wandering Clan?" It was the first time Raze had heard of something like this.
"It's what it sounds like, it's a clan that doesn't belong to any of the three major factions and
roams through the lands. At the time, a man named Tilon had killed all the beasts from the
portal break and then found me. That's why I want to become a Pagna warrior, no, not a
Pagna warrior.
"I just want to become strong, so I can stop these portal breaks before they make more
people like me. So I don't care how I get that power, if this earring can grant it, then I'll fight
through this and survive."
The words Simyon had said, 'I don't care how I get power,' were the same words that Raze
had repeated through his head a few times, and hearing it, inside, he was rooting for the
kid.
'Just don't end up like me, otherwise, you'll live a sh*t life like I did.'
The first night was relatively easy for both of them. Raze was used to a lack of sleep due to
him going out during the night anyway, and Pagna warriors didn't need as much sleep
either.
For Simyon, he just felt a little hungry once in a while; the worst feeling for now was the
first, as his lips were drying up a little, but they all knew that the first day would be the
easiest.
The two siblings went through their plan, with next to no trouble at all. They informed
Kron that Simyon was feeling sick, and when he went to check on him, it certainly seemed
that way.
Simyon had managed to stop Kron from taking him to the physician, saying that he would
get better in a few days just with some rest, and if he wasn't better after five days, then they
should take him to the physician. It was quite surprising how slick Simyon could be with
his words.
Things went by quite quickly, and Raze was also surprised by the determination of Simyon;
he had come in a few times and could see nail marks in the palm of his hand. While the two
of them were away, he must have been close to dozing off but had tried to inflict pain on
himself in order to stay awake.
Now, it was the second night which had come, and this was where things were starting to
worsen. Safa couldn't speak, so she tried to communicate with books, pointing to the
words, but it was hard for Simyon to focus. His head was banging with pain, and his
stomach felt like it was trying to eat itself, as his muscles tensed up hard. When he tried to
look at the words, he was reading them but they weren't registering in his head, as if he
knew what he was saying but didn't understand the words.
"I don't understand, okay!!" Simyon shouted, as another wave of the hunger pangs came
over him.
"I'm sorry, Safa, it's not you, you know it's just everything I'm going through. Please,
whatever I do, if I snap at you, shout at you, forget all of it, it isn't me," Simyon said.
Rather than speaking, Safa decided to go with another technique for the rest of the night,
and it was slapping Simyon's leg every time it looked like he was dozing off. At first, the
slaps started off small, but they got larger and larger until his leg was raw red.
"Ah!!" Simyon screamed but held it in, trying not to wake up the others. Tears started to fall
down his face, not because of the pain, but because of everything he was going through; he
felt like he was going mad. All he wanted to do was sleep; why couldn't he just rest his
brain for a moment!
The second day had finally come to an end, and Safa was thankful that she didn't have to go
through the third night with Simyon because she had no clue how she was going to help
him get through it. Seeing everything, she began to tear up but made sure that Simyon
wasn't there to see her tears.
While the two were away, they had to trust that Simyon could get through it for a couple of
hours on his own. The children were busy having breakfast when they heard a loud horn
noise from the outside.
"Isn't that the Red Brigade Clan's signal?" Kron mumbled to himself as he stood up and
ventured outside.
In the courtyard, he could see not just a single member of the Red Brigade but it looked like
a full squad of six, one of them including Sonny.
"I, Rapsen, squad leader of the second division, am here on orders of the Red Brigade Clan,
to collect Raze, on suspicion of harming a Disciple of the clan!"
Chapter 56 Locked Up
Chapter 56 Locked Up
The kids at the temple watched as they saw the Red Brigade Clan enter the temple and
place Raze in metal cuffs. These cuffs were made of a thick, heavy, black material, unlike the
ones used on Alterian.
These cuffs were made of a special material that not even those at the peak of the Initial
stage could break out of. It was something Raze had never come across, and he wasn't even
sure if his magic would do the trick.
Escorted by two Pagna warriors on either side, they led him down the stairs while Kron
stood by Safa's side for support, not saying a word.
Before they had put Raze in cuffs, they had given him a brief explanation as to why they had
done so, because he was suspected of harming a disciple. Since coming here, there were a
few people that Raze had done harm to: the Pagna warrior that tried to kill him, the pawn
shop owners, Gren, and last but not least, Von, the disciple of the Red Brigade Clan.
'I wonder how they managed to suspect me?' Raze thought, as he followed the others and
eventually left the temple completely. 'He shouldn't have been able to speak, and if he lost
all of his senses, he wouldn't have been able to hear their questions or write?
'Could it be, does the world of Pagna have something that can heal the sealed curses?
Something that not even the 9-star mages of Alterian could complete?'
During the walk through the forest and through the town, not a single word was said to
Raze, and he reciprocated by staying silent. In this type of situation, it wouldn't be
surprising for a kid to remain quiet.
There were many looks from the onlookers, but there wasn't too much shock, as this was
something that occurred once in a while. The Clan was employed on behalf of the local
kingdom, so it was their job to uphold justice. Other than other Pagna warriors, one
couldn't really go against them in the first place. So they would bring them in and hold
them before carting them off to the main city to be locked up.
Eventually, Raze had entered the base, but he wasn't taken to the main buildings or the
buildings at the side. Instead, he was taken to an area behind the main building, a crude,
worn-down building at the back. A few guards stood outside the building, and upon
heading inside, it was quite obvious what the place was: a holding cell. Passing by the other
cells, he could see what looked like drunks and a few disgruntled older men, but no one
that appeared dangerous.
It just made it clear, that the town and the clan itself wasn't a dangerous place.
With the cuffs still on, Raze had been placed in a small room where he couldn't even lie
down. At most, he would have been able to stretch his arms and touch all sides of the walls,
but due to the cuffs, he could only move his arms up and down. With that, the other clan
members left him be.
'Are they just going to lock me up and keep me here?' Raze thought. 'No trial, no
explanation of what happened, or how they even found out it was me! I mean, I am guilty,
but where's the evidence?'
Although Raze was unable to break the locks, he could still use his magic through his hands.
If he wanted to, he could blast away the weakened walls, but he wondered where that
would leave him.
'I guess if the situation goes from bad to worse, I could always escape to that other world
and meet up with Dame. If the item did him well, he could protect me for a while,' Raze
thought.
After around an hour or so, footsteps were heard down the hallway, and eventually, they
had stopped right in front of Raze's cell.
"How are you doing in there?" Sonny asked. "That was a stupid question to ask, I guess
you're worried sick and have no clue what's going on."
Based on how Sonny was acting and the fact that he had come in on his own, Raze realized
that this wasn't on orders, and maybe he would be able to get some information from him.
"You're right, I have no idea what's happening right now. Why did they say I hurt a
disciple? It's not even something I'm capable of?" Raze said.
Sonny looked to his left and then placed both hands on the bars as he went in closer. "The
situation isn't looking the best right now," Sonny whispered. "You know the clan was
already suspicious of you because you managed to survive back then, Yon told you that, and
honestly, you were never cleared of being a suspect.
"As for the disciple that was injured... The physician was able to get some information out
of him. The kid, he can't speak, he can't hear, and he can't see, but I heard he can still
cultivate Qi inside to a certain degree.
"The physician tried to help him restore some of his functions through Qi. It must have
powered through his body and allowed him for a moment to get back some of his senses.
The disciple did two things; he mumbled 'white hair,' and also wrote down the words
'white hair' as well.
"They tried the same trick again, but it only seemed to work once. Now, just because you
have white hair doesn't mean they outright think it's you, but you're high up on the list due
to the other incident as well, and other than the old ones, there aren't really many with
white hair."
In some ways, hearing this news was a bit of relief. Since they hadn't figured out a way to
cure Von, it meant that the blame couldn't 100 percent be pinned on him. The Clan was
unsure about punishing someone who was just a kid.
"The clan, right now, they're waiting on some experts to come and interrogate you."
An eyebrow was raised; what kind of experts could confirm the truth? Was that even
possible? If it was a mage, they could perhaps cast a spell that looked into one's memories
or forced them to reveal the truth. But based on what Raze knew about the Pagna, they
weren't capable of such things.
A click, followed by a creak, was heard. The Red Brigade members had come in, and they
weren't alone. Along with them were the two experts. Sonny had run out of time; he
wanted to ask Raze if it was him or learn something. If he did find out something, what
would he have done? That he didn't even know himself.
The Red Brigade members lined up in front of the cell, and lifting his head, Raze could see
the experts by their side.
"It's you?" The woman said.
The voice was a familiar one, and out of all that he thought he would see, he never thought
he would come across the woman from the market, Charlotte, and standing by her side was
her large friend, Himmy.
"It's nice to meet you," Himmy winked.
Chapter 57 A Special Type of Interrogation
Chapter 57 A Special Type of Interrogation
It was the last night for Simyon, and originally, Raze was meant to cover it. He had been
taken away in the morning, and there was no sign of him coming back anytime soon.
The children had even asked Mr. Kron about what had happened to Raze, but he gave
lackluster answers such as, "They just wanted to speak with him." Maybe due to Safa living
a life without speaking, she had become quite versed in reading facial expressions, and she
could tell Kron was lying.
Many of the children could too, as they had heard what the Red Brigade squad had said
when they first arrived.
During the night, Safa had snuck into Simyon's room. With Raze not being there, it was her
turn to take over, and with not having slept much the night before, she was pretty
exhausted as well. But all of those feelings nearly disappeared in an instant.
Simyon was constantly slapping the side of his face, which had swollen up a bit from him
repeatedly hitting himself. There were scratches on the side as well, as he had dug his nails
into different parts of his skin in a way to keep himself awake in any way possible.
"Someone... help me," Simyon mumbled. "Please... Raze... is that you... Raze?"
Simyon hadn't even turned his head, and even if he did, Safa was unsure if Simyon would
recognize it was her instead of Raze. Immediately, she started to tear up.
What was she meant to do in this situation? How was she meant to help? The person that
Simyon was calling for, wasn't even here, and Simyon had no clue what had even happened
to him now. If she did anything to inform him that Raze had gone somewhere, would his
hope be lost?
Moving closer, Safa eventually climbed on the bed. She could see Simyon was still slapping
his face, his eyes were fluttering in and out. It almost looked like he was having a seizure
while awake. When she sat by his side, she went to grab his hand.
"No! No!" Simyon shouted. "I need to stay awake!"
With his other hand, he started to dig his nails into Safa now, drawing blood, but she didn't
shout and kept the pain in. If this was a way to help Simyon get through this, then she
would.
Inside the cell, Raze was looking at the orange-haired girl with the beret hat on her head.
She had stood out to him in the market stall that day, so she was easily recognizable, and
the large man in the brown overcoat stood next to her.
"These two, they must be the two experts that were called in, but they aren't dressed like
members of the Red Brigade. I remember, the girl was even asking about me helping her
out."
"I thought we might meet again, but I never expected it to be in a situation like this. I
thought it was too good to be true for there to just be a wandering Pagna warrior in a town
like this," she sighed.
The way Charlotte was talking made it sound as if they had already decided that he was
guilty, which he was, but it still frustrated Raze to no end.
"Who are you guys?" Raze asked, wondering what it was that they could do that the others
couldn't.
"My name is Himmy, and this is my assistant Charlotte," Himmy introduced the two of them
as if they were in some type of formal meeting, even placing his hand out. "We are part of
an organization that works with several clans across the continent."
One of the Red Brigade members cleared his throat, interrupting them, clearly trying to
inform them that this matter wasn't so important. Himmy gave a glance back, and shook his
head a little.
"You guys understand nothing about trying to get the truth out of people, but very well,"
Himmy straightened his stance. "The important thing is, we will be the ones that will be
running this interrogation. So we shall get to know each other very well."
Letting Raze out of his cell with two standing by his side and one behind, they walked over
to the main base. The large man was humming along as he stepped one foot in front of the
other. The way he acted, it was almost as if the situation had occurred a hundred times, and
this was just something that he was doing again, going through the motions.
After entering the main base, they walked to one of the large rooms that Raze had been in
before. It was the room that belonged to Head Elder Yon. As they walked in, he was present
with his back facing away from them.
"Raze," Yon called out, saying his name in a tone the same way a father would who was
disappointed in his own son. "I was hoping that things wouldn't have come to this honestly,
but too many coincidences have occurred that don't stack up.
"Truth be told, these two were going to visit you at the temple, to question you about the
day your family died. You see, they have their ways of getting the results that we need.
Anyway, with what has happened to Von and him claiming it was done by someone with
white hair, we couldn't let you escape before learning the truth."
Yon finally turned around and walked toward the exit, just before he passed Raze he
stopped and looked him directly in the eye.
"For your sake, I hope it's not you, Raze," Yon said.
The whole situation, it felt like déjà vu to Raze before. Having been placed on trial, the truth
of a certain situation was trying to come to light, and in the process, a world of lies had
been unraveled, and all of the blame had been pinned on Raze.
'How ironic, maybe this is what I deserve, but I wonder, why did the Elder leave the room?
Wouldn't he want to hear what happened from me himself?'
Not only that, but there wasn't a single guard in the room. Instead, Charlotte just led Raze
to the center before taking a couple of steps away.
"Aren't you afraid?" Raze asked.
"Afraid?" Charlotte chuckled. "Why would I be afraid of a nobody like you?"
"I'm a Pagna warrior, and only you two are left in this room, with such a dangerous
criminal. I'm surprised they would allow such things to happen," Raze continued to say.
He was trying to evaluate the situation. If he took these two out, he could quickly use one of
the crystals to teleport and open a portal to the other dimension.
"They left at our request," Himmy answered. "What we do isn't allowed to be seen by
anyone, but don't worry, you won't remember what happened to you, whether you're
guilty or not. Honestly, I don't like doing things this way, but I guess things are just so much
easier when you have a helping hand."
Himmy nodded towards Charlotte, who raised both of her hands up, pointing them straight
at Raze, and her eyes started to glow slightly white, while her hair slipped out from her hat
and started to float about in the air.
'This... There's no doubt about it, they're using Magic! And in this world!'
Chapter 58 You do magic?
Chapter 58 You do magic?
A nine-star mage was the pinnacle of being a mage; they had the power to change and
shape nations, and in a way, it sounded a lot like the deity Pagna warriors. With Raze
having been one himself, he knew immediately what this was.
'This is... she's using magic, there's no doubt about this'" Raze thought. 'But I thought magic
didn't exist in this world? I'm certain it doesn't, yet she is using it right here and now. Wait,
let's try to think about this.'
'Before they had sent the rest of the Clan members out, was it because they didn't want
them to see what was going to happen? So that means there's a chance that, just like me,
these guys are keeping it a secret.'
'I should have known, if there was a way for me to come to this world, then it meant there's
a good chance for others to do so as well!'
Now knowing what the situation was, Raze was trying to figure out how to use this
information to get out of the pickle he was now in. When mages were fighting against
others, it was knowledge and experience that allowed one to win the fight.
'The girl, she's using light magic, and using a skill that allows her to find out the truth,' Raze
realized. 'That means she has to be planning to look into my memories!'
If she saw what happened, then everything would be clear, but what Raze was unsure
about was just how much of his memories she would see. Would she see the memories of
the body that he was in at the moment? If that was the case, he didn't mind so much, but if
she was able to see memories beyond that, the memories of the life Raze lived while he was
the Dark Magus, there was no chance that she would let him live.
'I can still use magic myself, but if she's a light magic user, it will be very hard to best her
with my dark magic.'
It was bad for a mage to just learn one element because one attribute could best another.
Dark Magic was strong against Lightning, while Lightning was strong against Light, while
Light was strong against Dark.
'There's also that other man to consider as well, if he's in the room, he can most likely use
magic as well. I'm not confident I could beat these two, especially with all the other Pagna
warriors as well. There's only one way I can get out of this.'
Taking in a big slow breath, Raze had to be ready, he had to be ready for the next outcome
because he wasn't sure that this would work.
"Wait!" Raze shouted. "Are you guys, are you from Alterian?"
Immediately, the glow around Charlotte's eyes started to fade. She had yet to use her spell,
but her hands were already going down to her side, with her mouth wide open, she could
only say a few words. "No way."
"Hahaha, this is splendid!" Himmy said, with a voice and a face full of joy. "It looks like
we've managed to solve one of our problems, and they have come right to us."
"Wait, that means you guys are really from Alterian as well. So that really is magic that she
was using?" Raze asked.
All of the words that Raze was saying were putting two big smiles on his interrogators'
faces, and it looked like he had managed to get out of a tense situation, at least for now.
"This isn't the best situation for us to meet, but it looks like we have no choice. The truth is
we have been looking for you," Himmy explained, and he gestured with his hand for them
to come forward. He raised his eyebrows towards the door, making Raze even more sure
that this was a secret that was not meant to be heard by the ears of others.
Stepping a few steps closer, now each of them were only a couple of meters away from each
other. Raze still didn't want to get too close because he had cuffs on and was at a
disadvantage. Just because someone was from the same world as him, it didn't make them
friends automatically.
Yet, he couldn't help but feel a strange stare from Charlotte's eyes.
"What do you mean you were looking for me, how did you know I was here?" Raze asked.
The book he had used, as far as he knew, was the only one in existence. No mages had
discovered a sign of human life, but maybe that was because they had no way to return.
"First, before I answer your question I want to make something clear," Himmy stated.
"Everything we are to tell you is to be kept a secret. This is for you and the sake of Pagna
itself. Trust me, if word ever gets out about us, then not only will our organization be after
you but probably the whole of Pagna."
Raze never had any intention of telling anyone about his magic. After all, it was his
advantage over the other warriors that existed in this world, or at least that's what he
thought anyway.
"First, I'll answer your question. What you just saw Charlotte use was indeed magic, and it
is something that is not used in this world. It comes from the world of Alterian."
"Are you a mage as well?" Charlotte asked with big, wide eyes. "You have to be, right?
You're not just from Alterian, you have to be a mage to realize that I was using magic!"
It was clear that Charlotte was overly excited to be meeting someone like her, but why was
her reaction so different compared to Himmy's? Maybe it just wasn't an everyday
occurrence that they would meet someone from the same world.
"As for me, I'm not a mage, I'm a detective," Himmy said, as he reached into his brown
overcoat and pulled out a wallet that folded out, showing a badge with an ID number. It was
something that Raze had never seen before.
The badge or wallet didn't help Raze at all either, as they were things he had never seen
before.
"I can see the confusion on your face. That's right, you two may be from Alterian, but I'm
from a different world altogether."
Chapter 59 Other Worlders
59 Other Worlders
Himmy couldn't have made it any clearer; he was from a different world, not the world of
Pagna, not the world of Alterian, but another one altogether where in his life he was a
detective.
'Of course, if I was from Alterian, and this is the world of Pagna, then there will always be
the chance for people to be from different places. That should have never escaped the
realm of possibilities. Just because such cases never happened on Alterian, didn't mean that
they wouldn't happen here.'
Himmy was looking closely at Raze's facial reactions. He noticed that rather than speak
straight away, when something would usually shock others, Raze would stay silent and be
deep in thought. These were the observations that he would have done countless times
before. He was a creature of many habits.
"How, how did you guys arrive in this world, and what are you doing here?" Raze asked.
There was a chance that maybe Charlotte had discovered something similar to Raze, but
then what about Himmy? From his statements, his world wasn't a world of magic.
"We call ourselves otherworlders, and there is more than just me and Charlotte," Himmy
explained. "There is a whole organization of us, which is called Alter. You should do well to
remember that name." Himmy pointed to the top of his head.
"The group is filled with those that aren't originally from Pagna, some worlds full of
technology of great advancements, some from a world of darkness, and others from a
world of magic. We may be from different places, but we all arrived in the same way. Pulled
into a strange portal that brought us here, just like you."
Right now, Raze was doing everything he could not to raise his eyebrow or pull a confused
face. It was especially hard, because the way Himmy was talking was as if he was all-
knowing and confident, but that wasn't how Raze had arrived here.
'They were pulled, so right now, they are in the same bodies as they were before. But in my
case, it was a transmigration.'
"There are two main goals of the Alter organization," Himmy displayed using two of his
fingers, and with his other hand, he had them shaped like a V placed close to his lips. He
took a deep breath in, and then blew a large one out while curling his lips into the shape of
an O. It was one of the strangest things Raze had ever seen. Little did he know this was one
of Himmy's habits he was unable to just forget.
"The first is to gather the otherworlders. As they are brought into this world, they will be
full of shock and also know things that those of Pagna do not. Depending on who they are,
they could bring great problems for this world.
"But I'll be honest, most of the time that doesn't happen. Although those from Pagna speak
the same language, the writing they use, the numbers among other things are greatly
different, and so is the culture.
"Before we from Alter can even reach them, they usually end up being killed or executed by
a Pagna warrior or clan. The amount of times I have heard the words 'You are courting
death' are too many to count."
Having transmigrated into a body that was from Pagna, Raze didn't have this problem. Yet
still, he had come close to meeting his end, in the current situation he was in.
"The people that we look out for most though, are those from Alterian," Himmy continued.
"This is because they have the greatest effect on this world. I'm sure you might have
already heard about the portals that open up to other dimensions and the portal breaks?"
Raze nodded. On Alterian, portals could be opened but they closed up as well, unlike that
on Pagna, and a portal break was unheard of. The portals that were here were clearly
different.
"The portals seem to strongly react to Mana and Magic," Charlotte explained. "Small uses of
magic are fine here and there, but if a large amount is used up at once, a portal will open
nearby. It's not always because of us that portals open up, but we have to be careful since it
can greatly affect those that are here."
"Is it only Pagna?" Raze asked. "What if magic is used in the portals in the other
dimensions?"
"That seems to have no effect," Charlotte replied. "It's only in Pagna. It's one of the main
reasons we try to track down any otherworlder and inform them of what is happening.
Otherwise, we could be the cause of the collapse of a whole civilization before we know it."
These people, Raze, didn't quite understand their actions. Why were they going so far out
of their way to help the people of Pagna, and help the otherworlders? Was there any benefit
to them? Or were they just trying to be good people?
With the people Raze knew, perhaps the gathering of otherworlders, there was another
goal behind it.
"Didn't you say before that you knew I was here, there has been no portal break here, so
what made you think that?" Raze asked.
Before answering, Himmy did the same action as he did before with his hand, making the
shape of the V and blowing out.
"We had suspicions that there might be one, but in truth, the reason why we are here is
related to another matter. It is due to the second goal of the Alter," Himmy explained and
then motioned as if throwing something on the floor and twisting it with his foot.
He started to walk over to Raze, and his overbearing size became quite apparent. He stayed
one meter away while looking Raze right in the eye.
"Before I tell you the second goal of us Alter, I need you to answer me honestly. Are you the
one behind the murders going on in this town, and are you the one that did harm to that
disciple?" Himmy asked.
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Chapter 60 A 6 Star Mage
60 A 6 Star Mage
So far, Raze and the mysterious two had a similar connection. They had a reason to talk to
him, but did they have a reason to keep him alive? Did they need to stick their neck out to
save him?
Perhaps that was the reason why they were even asking such a question, and depending on
how he answered, it would depend on how they would deal with him as well.
'In these types of situations, usually the best types of lies are ones sprinkled with a bit of
truth,' Raze thought. 'For now, it's best that they don't know that I transmigrated here
rather than being brought over like them. I can't just trust people.'
"The two matters are unrelated," Raze explained. "Just like you, I was brought here into this
world, but it was quite recent, and when I came here, I found myself in a household full of
the dead. I had no choice but to pretend that I was a part of their family."
Himmy stood close, observing everything, the movement of Raze's hands, the way he stood,
and the tone of his voice when he spoke.
"I later learned that there have been several family deaths in this town, and since I was the
only survivor, they have been suspecting me. As for what happened to the disciple, that was
a fault of his own.
"I recently obtained an earring. It turns out that it was a sealed item. The disciple had
stolen it from me. My guess is that he must have failed in breaking the seal, and now it's
cursed him."
The change across Himmy's face changed drastically as his eyes opened wide and he turned
to Charlotte.
"I think he's telling the truth," Charlotte said. "The item he's talking about, I could tell it was
special as well, but I didn't have time to check it out properly to think it was a sealed item."
Himmy didn't say whether he believed Raze or not; instead, he was stroking the stubble on
his beard several times.
"I don't believe you completely," Himmy said. "But, it is my job to be suspicious of people."
Raze's fingers were twitching. Was this a situation that he would need to fight out of? But
then why would the detective tell him he didn't believe him?
"However, I don't think you are the cause of the deaths that have been taking place, and
Charlotte is vouching for you, so whatever you are lying about, it's not one of those things,"
Himmy explained.
'This detective is a lot better than he looks!' Raze thought.
"The reason we are here is because of the constant deaths that have been taking place in
this town, which is related to the second goal of the Alter. Our group is far and wide; we
have people in every part of the faction across the continent in a number of different
positions, and this is all for the safety of Pagna.
"Our group obtains and locks away items that are powerful enough to change the world.
Just like how we otherworlders come into this world from time to time, it seems that
strange items that are capable of doing things that are unimaginable come into this world
as well.
"Our organization considers us protectors of these items. For if even a single person was to
get their hands on them, it would be able to change the world. They are just as highly
regarded as the deities in this world.
"However, a lot of these items seem to also come from the other dimensions that open up in
this world. We believe that the dimensions are linked to human civilizations that no longer
exist."
"That lost their battles to the beasts, but in their worlds, there are still things that carry
great power. In the past, one from the Demon faction was able to obtain one of these items,
and they had literally turned into a Demon on Pagna itself.
"It had taken the two other factions to team up together to get rid of it.
"Do you know the item grading system of Mages?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes, Common, Uncommon, Rare, Elite, Unique, Mythical, Legendary, God-tier items," Raze
replied.
"Correct, these items that we gather are considered Mythical and above."
This gave Raze a bigger idea of the full picture, and he wondered just how many of these
items they might have had or were protecting.
'Is it possible they could have something that even I could use? With these, I could even
topple the Grand Magus Idor!'
"Alterians have to be carefully monitored because of our ability to create items as well,"
Charlotte explained. "The reason why we were here is because due to the strange way the
deaths are occurring, we believe it might be the cause of another item. We didn't quite
expect to run into an otherworlder, but thought there was a chance."
"Now with all this information," Himmy said with a smile. "I have to ask you, will you
formally become part of the Alter?"
Charlotte had placed both of her hands together, as if she was almost begging.
"If you join, we can learn a lot about each other, and you're less likely to die!" Charlotte
said. "And on top of that, the leader of Alter is an Alterian as well! You won't believe it, but
back on Alterian, he was a 6-star mage!
"Can you believe it, we are practically working with a superstar and one of the strongest
mages in existence! We can really count on him. Oh, I forgot to ask, What is your star rank?"
6 stars were certainly something to be amazed at. There were around only a hundred of
them back on Alterian. With his skills and power, he would certainly have been able to set
up an organization like so.
So then, if Raze got his power back, just what would he be capable of?
"I'm only a 2-star mage," Raze answered.
"Still, that's amazing for your age. What are you, 16? And not only that, you're a Pagna
warrior. You said you've only been here a short time, and that's impressive considering
some of the others never even become a warrior. Trust me, this will be good for the both of
us," Charlotte continued to blabber on.
"So, what's your answer?" Himmy asked again.
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Chapter 61 Alter Group
Chapter 61 Alter Group
Although the question had been asked, Raze felt like he was in a situation where he was
forced to give only one answer. What would they do if he said no? After telling him all of
this, they wouldn't just let him go, and they had a card they could use against him, given the
situation he was in right now.
"What tasks will I be given?" Raze asked. "I'm sure I won't be very helpful; I'm just a kid."
"Our group is one that works behind the scenes," Himmy answered. "Because of Charlotte's
powers and my investigation skills, we are on the investigation team and get sent all over
the continent.
"You will first start as a low-ranking field agent. You won't have access to a lot of
information, but your duties will be small. Once a month, we will ask you for a report, and
you are to report any unusual activities that could be related to our line of work. If
something comes up in the area you are in, then you might get called to help us out now
and again."
The terms didn't sound too bad. As a field agent, he could still continue to grow his
strength. The leader of the whole Alter group was a 6-star, so eventually, Raze would
outgrow him in power, and when the time was right, he could ask for information on how
to return to Alterian.
"I have plans to join the Pagna academy," Raze explained. "If I was to become an agent,
would this conflict with any of those duties? What if I become a high position in the world
of Pagna?"
Himmy started to laugh. "You are thinking too small, my friend. We already have those who
are in high positions, and our organization is already linked up with many clans throughout
the continent. The only exception would be the Demonic faction.
"They are a troublesome group who have a tendency to use whatever they find to raise
their power and have tried multiple times to take over the entire continent. It's true what
they say, you know, history repeats itself, so if you can, I would stay clear of them."
From the sound of things, the demon faction gave most groups trouble. This just made him
want to visit such a place more, and he put a mental note down that they were definitely
against Alter's influence on this world. If he ever needed a place to avert from their eyes,
this was the place to head to.
"The Pagna academy is no trouble at all. Becoming a warrior, showing off your strength and
rising to the top, we don't care; just answer to our call when we need you. In fact, I would
even go so far as to say that the Pagna academy is a great place for you since you will be
meeting so many new faces."
"So I have free reign to do as I wish, only needing to report to you if I suspect one of these
world-changing items or meet an Otherworlder that knows nothing about the Alter
organization. Heeding to your call when you need me. Other than that, I can do as I wish?"
Raze asked, trying to clarify the situation.
"Yes, there is a simple rule to follow though," Charlotte nodded. "The use of magic is not
forbidden, but someone finding it out is. This includes enchanting items yourself."
Raze kept his head down and was smirking. He had already broken their rules, but it didn't
matter. He would continue to do trades with the Pagna warriors, under the guise that he
was the Dark Magus from another world. No one would suspect someone as young as Raze
to be a 5-star Enchanter, as well as a 9-star mage. If items started to appear in the world of
Pagna that didn't belong, they would just suspect it was someone else. Thinking of this, it
reminded him of something.
Stretching out both of his hands in front of him, there was a flicker of aura in the air. For a
split second, magic swirled around his hand. Charlotte watched closely but was unable to
tell what type of magic it was.
"Are you able to buy this off me?" Raze opened the palm of his hand, revealing a
powerstone.
"It appears you have been quite busy already," Himmy claimed. "We can purchase these
level 1 powerstones from you, at around 10 silver coins, but those in Alter won't always be
in a situation where they can buy these off you. If you join the academy, it won't seem so
strange for you to have crystals, and you will be able to sell them at will."
A lot of Raze's problems were being solved with meeting these people. The extreme
measures that he had planned in his head, he wouldn't have to go through with them after
all.
"Last question then," Raze smiled. "If I join your organization, I assume you will help me
out of this situation?"
"Of course," Himmy smiled. "We look out for our own, and the more helpful you are and
give back, the more we are willing to help you when you are in a tough situation of your
own. Just never betray Alter, and you'll be fine."
From the constant looks that Himmy was giving Raze and the emphasis he would put on
certain words, it felt like his mind was being read, and yet there was no sense of magic.
'He must have been a pretty good detective in his world,' Raze thought. 'In a lot of ways,
he's far more dangerous than the mage by his side.'
"Okay," Raze said, lifting his hands up. "I will join the Alter organization and follow your
rules."
In reality, the restraints that Alter put on him were just things he wouldn't have been able
to do whether he joined them or not. If they were as big as they said they were, then it
would have only been a matter of time.
"You've made the right choice. Now let's get you out of here."
Chapter 62 Bad Luck
Chapter 62 Bad Luck
Since the main room in the Red Brigade base was being used, the rest of the elders had
gathered in one of the dining rooms. They were sitting at a round table with tea in front of
each of them, but it had hardly been touched as the conversations hadn't died down since
the interrogation had started.
"I don't understand why we are wasting our time!" Elder Targress said. His whole face was
shaking as he slammed the table in the same spot over and over again. "There are no other
white-haired ones among the Clan, nor among anyone of significance. Only those with no
names! We should just get rid of them all, including the kid! It's too high of a risk for that to
happen to the rest of our disciples! Especially if they are from the Demonic faction!"
Elder Targress had been the most vocal about getting rid of Raze without a second thought,
and he had every reason to be, since he was Von's father. With his position in mind, he tried
to state points that didn't make him seem so biased in the situation, even though everyone
at the table knew this fact.
"With us having greater power than the normal folk in this town, we have a responsibility
not to act so brazen," Elder Yon replied. "If we go killing people due to one suspect, out of
fear for what might happen to us, then we will completely lose the trust of the people, and
the situation could turn very sour fast for us."
Some of the elders nodded in agreement, while the others just turned their heads, placing
both hands on the cup in front of them, sipping their tea while mumbling under their
breath.
"Can I ask Elder Yon, why are you putting so much trust into these Alters?" Elder Nimpard
asked. "Are we to just blindly trust the outcome of their result without running our own
investigation? These people are strangers to us."
"Strangers to you, but not to those in the Dark faction," Yon answered. "Many in the Dark
faction, including Clans much bigger than us, use them. If they can trust them, why can't
we?"
As if to end their conversation, the door was slid open as a Clan member entered the room.
He placed both of his hands together, bowing down.
"The Interrogators say they are ready to see you and deliver the result!"
All six of the Elders got up from their seats and started to make their way to the main
interrogation room. By their side, there were also six warriors, one of them including
Sonny in the group.
As they stepped into the main hall, they could see Raze standing still, cuffed, with two
standing by his side.
"We have heard that you have managed to come up with a result?" Yon asked.
"Yes," Hilly replied. "You will be glad to know that the young boy here is innocent. He was
simply a bystander in his family's death, in fact, a survivor who has been through a lot. As
for your disciple, there could be many reasons as to who it was. Another person with white
hair, one trying to frame this young man perhaps? But what has happened to your disciple
is impossible for this young person to do. We can confirm with certainty, and I will happily
put my balls on the line, that this young man is innocent!"
"Balls?" Elder Yon replied, finding the phrasing a bit strange to the point where it made his
face blush a little.
"What is this!" Targress stepped up, walking in front of the others. "How can we just believe
what they say just like that? Tell me, how did you manage to come to the conclusion that
he's innocent? Where's the proof?"
"Our methods are not allowed to be exposed," Charlotte answered, trying to calm down the
situation. They had been in a similar scenario before, and it was best that they all cooled
their heads.
"Targress, I told you before we must respect the outcome," Elder Yon stated. "Young Raze, I
apologize for suspecting you, and I hope we can leave this matter behind us."
"Stupid fools," Himmy said under his breath. "If you want proof of his innocence, then
where is the proof of his crimes?"
Targress was shaking all over, his heart beating rapidly at this moment as well.
"No!" Targress proclaimed loudly. "We can't accept your ruling, and we can't accept your
timidness anymore. With this, I ask for a vote of no confidence in the current head Elder.
Those who are in agreement, raise their hand."
Raze was unsure what was going on, but judging by the look on the other Clan members'
faces, this wasn't good news at all.
Soon after, four of the elders raised their hands.
"What is the meaning of this? How could you all go against me over a matter like this!" Yon
exclaimed, shocked and sweat running down the side of his face.
"You put the people before the Clan," one of the elders mentioned. "In order for us to
become a Clan of significance, we need to focus on the world of Pagna warriors, not the
general public. You have long become satisfied with our current position, and you no longer
have ambition to rise."
"And what's wrong with that?" Yon replied. "Do we not live happy lives?"
Judging by the expressions and the votes, next to none of them were in agreement with
him.
"You can't do this!" Yon claimed. "In order to have a vote of no confidence, all previous head
Elders that are still alive must also be present."
Immediately, a smile appeared on Targress's face.
"Ah yes, just as you said, all previous head Elders that are alive must be present, but I'm
sure he will soon be very dead."
---
At the temple, having reached the top of the staircase, a squad of fifteen Red Brigade Clan
members had arrived, swords by their side. They were here on orders and were ready to
do what needed to be done.
---
Back in the room, the Clan members were wondering what was taking place.
"It looks like there is a new head Elder. Restrain Elder Yon for the time being, unless you
want to be banished from the Clan."
Drawing their swords, one of them was pointed right under Elder Yon's neck.
"Are you the bringer of bad luck or something, kid?" Himmy asked. "I mean, betrayal for the
head position is a common thing, but why did it have to happen while we were here?"
With the Clan members now doing as he asked, Elder Targress had a smile on his face as he
stepped forward and looked at Raze.
"And you, the one who harmed my son!" Targress shifted his feet and crossed the distance
of five meters in a moment, lifting Raze up by the scruff of his clothes. Raze had almost
forgotten these old men, they were also Pagna warriors.
"I will make you go through a hell that's far worse than what he's going through!" Targress
smiled, but he noticed that even while lifted off the ground, with his feet dangling, Raze
lifted his cuffed hands and pointed them toward his stomach, placing them on his skin.
"You think you can do something in a situation like this? I can tell your heart's beating fast,
kid, you're scared out of your boots." Targress was clearly enjoying this.
"Is this a situation where I have permission?" Raze asked, softly.
It was surprising for Himmy; a small smirk appeared across his face.
"I don't see how else we're going to get out of this situation."
With both palms pressed against his stomach, dark aura started to float around his hands.
"Dual Dark Pulse!" Raze shouted.
A ripple of dark aura went off, and the strike had hit Targress right in the stomach. His feet
lifted off the ground, and he was chucked across the room, falling on his back and lying on
the floor, while Raze landed on his feet.
"That was... it was... Dark magic!" Charlotte said.
Chapter 63 Combining spells
Chapter 63 Combining spells
The Red Brigade Clan had no trouble breaking through the front gate. With a swipe of their
swords, the wooden panel on the other side was sliced, and immediately, the group went to
enter. They weren't here on official business, so there was no need for them to alert the
others of their presence.
This Red Brigade group, in particular, was a group of fifteen, all of them adults, meaning
that they had already experienced life in the Pagna Academy. Still, most of them had stayed
at being Stage 1 Pagna warriors, but were at the top end.
While the leaders in charge of the attack were Stage 2 Pagna warriors. Entering the
courtyard, they immediately started to rush forward and were heading straight for the
main temple.
"Huh, what are you doing here?" One of the kids pointed with their hand, and without
slowing down, with a swipe of the sword, the hand was sliced right off.
"ARGHHH!" The kid screamed at the top of its lungs, looking at its hand. The child was just
curious as it stared at the clan members coming towards them. The members that they had
seen multiple times visit them before. So they just thought it was no different.
"All the children here are no names at the temple!" The clan member shouted. "No one
must know what we did here today, so there is no harm in getting rid of them!"
Lifting the sword, the clan member was ready to thrust it right through the child until a foot
came out and hit the man right in the head. He was sent flying back, crashing into the
temple wall, with a large foot indent in his skull, killing him on the spot.
"Why are you trying to harm the children!" Kron had burst out of his office room the
moment he heard the cries, and seeing blood, his heart was racing at what was in front of
him.
"Why are members of the Red Brigade Clan attacking this temple? Don't you know who I
am?" Kron stated.
The members had started to draw their weapons and formed a formation around Kron,
circling him.
"It's because of who you are, we are doing this!" The Clan member shouted.
With everything happening, the children couldn't help but slide their doors open to see
what was going on, and to see weapons drawn at their teacher, they had no clue how to
react.
"All of you get out of here, run through the forest, head to the town where people can see
you!" Kron shouted.
Immediately one of the children closest to the door had attempted to do just that, but as
they did, a Clan member stood in their path, ready to swing their sword.
Seeing this, Kron stomped his foot down, and a crack went across the floorboards with
power, exploding right where the clan member was, causing his feet to fall, and his sword
to miss.
Safa had opened the door as well, and immediately turned her head. To look at Simyon. His
eyelids were incredibly heavy, with him constantly mumbling under his breath. He was in
no state to leave this place.
Looking outside, she didn't know why this had to happen now of all times, because there
was only one more hour to go. One more hour until the seal was undone, but what were
they going to do now?
---
Inside the Red Brigade Clan, the elders along with the other members were looking at
Targress who was on the ground, his clothes had been burnt away revealing his skin, he
had been blown away in a single strike.
"Was that a type of palm strike?" One of the elders thought.
"He must have a large amount of Qi to do something like this, doesn't this confirm it, he
really is someone who's been sent from the Demonic faction, we must eliminate him!"
Based on his own powers, Raze knew that Elder Targress was still alive. He hadn't gained
any mana from using his spell. All of the elders were higher-stage Pagna warriors than the
rest, so it was somewhat to be expected.
Taking this opportunity while they were distracted, Elder Yon lifted both of his hands filled
with Qi, and broke right through the two swords. He then grabbed onto the heads of the
two clan members by his side and threw them into the wall.
The exit was blocked, so the only way to clear himself from being surrounded was to jump
up high in the air and head towards Raze and the others. It looked like he was almost
floating before he landed by their side, and he wasn't the only one that was there; Sonny
had decided to join the group, drawing his sword as well.
"I'm sorry, Raze, I had no idea something like this was going to happen," Sonny said. "This
was not the type of Clan I joined, I don't know why they are doing this."
Now wasn't the time to talk about it, though, as the enemy was coming towards them. The
clan members rushed forward, and Charlotte was the first to make a move.
Her eyes glowing, she moved her palm in a circular motion.
"Wind Twister!" Charlotte called out, and from the palm of her hand, nearly the entire
group had been pushed back, with some of them even being lifted up in the air.
However, the elders were able to withstand the wind and continued to charge forward,
while the men that had fallen from the initial attack had gotten back up.
Lifting his hands up, Raze used his own magic.
"Dark Pulse!" a beam shot out from his hand, but the elder was able to jump to the side,
avoiding the attack. A straight telegraphed attack like so could easily be avoided by them,
and his chained hands weren't making things easier.
"Do you have the fire attribute?" Raze asked Charlotte.
"I do, but it's my weakest attribute. I can't produce a spell on the same scale as before; the
most I can do is an ember!"
Ember was a 1-star fire magic spell, which would be useless against these. Based on what
Raze saw, her light magic and wind magic would be at the 3-star level.
"That's fine, use the skill Gust first, and then Ember; it will have the same effect!" Raze
shouted out. From the look on Charlotte's face, she wasn't so sure. Why was a 2-star mage
giving her advice in the first place? Nonetheless, in the desperate situation, she decided to
give it a go. In her right hand, the tier 2 wind spell, Gust.
A strong wind was summoned, and had hit the Elder at the front, doing next to nothing.
Then with Ember, a small orange flame had been produced. When the two touched, it had
produced a strong flame, like that of a flamethrower, that went directly into the face of the
elder, burning his body to a crisp until he eventually fell on the floor and collapsed. One of
the Elders had been killed.
'It worked... it really worked!' Charlotte thought. Combining spells like so, she had tried in
the past, but she had tried using Wind Twister instead. The power of her wind attribute
would be too much and overpower the flames, burning them out.
'How could a 2-star mage, and one so young, know stuff like this?'
Seeing the dead elder on the ground, Raze smiled. He may not yet have his skills back, but
all of the knowledge he had from being a 9-star mage could still help him even now.
Chapter 64 Power From Another World
Chapter 64 Power From Another World
The sensation that Charlotte could feel on her hands was lingering for a moment. The
power of combining two spells was something that she had never successfully experienced
before. Of course, in her studies, she had tried mixing one or two attributes, but due to the
different strengths in the core, it was an extremely difficult thing to do.
On top of that, combining spells at times could be very dangerous for the user. Someone
always had to be the guinea pig in a particular situation, but since there were only other
mages available, no one wanted to do it.
This fact had left the lack of combination spells among mages, and those that were
successful in finding out a few here and there were extremely petty. Having gone through
the risks, they were unwilling to share their knowledge; after all, knowledge was also
power among mages.
Although not all were like this, some mages did share what they had learned through the
academy, but all of this was why Charlotte was shocked. How did Raze know that the
combination of spells would work?
How did he even know about fire spells as well as 2-star wind spells? As a 2-star mage and
at his age, he would still be focusing on his main attribute and learning the spell formations
for those, yet he had directed her like an expert.
"Yon!" Raze shouted out. "Get these cuffs off me if you want us all to live!"
What Raze had done was unprecedented in the world of Pagna; he had shouted at an Elder
and one of even higher ranking than him, but now was not the situation to worry about
that. From underneath his robe, he had pulled out the key.
After seeing the strange sorcery that Charlotte had produced, the rest, even the elders,
were a bit reluctant to move forward.
"Damn you, how dare you do this to the clan!" Elder Targress shouted as he was finally
getting up from the floor. He lifted his arm, pointing to Raze with it shaking. "You are a no
name. You have no value in this world. You don't do anything to help it progress forward."
"Instead, you are just a leech that uses up the resources of us that need to grow. So how
could you even think to do something like this?"
The key had been inserted, and with a twist, the heavy locks fell off to the ground. Raze was
rubbing his inner wrists due to the cuffs being too tight and started to walk forward, ahead
of the others.
Even Charlotte, with her skills and the help they were getting, wasn't so confident, yet Raze
was showing no fear as he took steps in front of them all.
"You're right, I am nothing, so you have no reason to be afraid of me," Raze said, lifting his
hand up and pointing it toward the elders. "So then tell me, why are you all so scared? Dark
Pulse!" Raze shouted.
Immediately, the elders moved and flinched, jumping from their position, but nothing had
come out of Raze's hands, nothing had hit the ground, and seeing their act, he couldn't help
but laugh.
"Hahaha!" Raze laughed. "And you guys are meant to be these all-respectful elders, yet you
were going to kill me. Well, take this respect and shove it up your arse!"
"Dark pulse," Raze said silently under his breath. The words were spoken just to link with
the formation and image in one's head, allowing them to produce the skills they needed to
use immediately.
This time a beam did shoot out, but the elders were still able to avoid it and came right at
them. Going head to head, though, Yon jumped forward, and his fist clashed with one of the
elder's legs, sending a shockwave out in the room.
Sonny was fighting with two of the clan members who were using their swords. They were
hasty in their attacks, so he could avoid them, moving back here and there, but he was
finding it hard to strike.
However, Charlotte saw an opening and twisted her hand. "Wind slice!" A line of magic
came out, hitting the member right in the stomach, cutting through his robes and touching
his skin, lifting him up in the air and sending him crashing into the wall.
"We have to get out of here, and quickly!" Yon shouted. "The ex-leader that they are after,
it's Kron. It means they will have sent others to the temple. He's not as strong as he used to
be."
Hearing these words, an image of the floor soaked in blood came into Raze's mind. Of him
returning, and on the floor, everyone soaked in blood, their limbs having been torn apart,
and a voice sounded in his head.
"You forced me to do this, Raze. I didn't want to play my hand, but you had to get involved."
At the back of the room, a man in a robe, covered with his eyes shining off the moonlight.
Shaking his head, he could see Targress coming right at him. Raze lifted one of his hands
out while shifting his feet back slightly.
"Dark Pulse!"
The attack left the palm of his hand and struck the floor. Targress had leapt to the side,
avoiding the attack and came right at Raze, but he was unfazed by this, and instead, the
Dark Mage had a smile on his face.
His feet moved forward, powered by the Qi in his body, the two-step shift, and then
swinging out his hand, it went to meet Targress dead on. Dark magic was swirling around
his knuckles.
"Dark strike!"
The fist collided, hitting knuckle on knuckle with Targress. The elder was able to block the
attack on time, but only by moving his own fist that was still in motion. When the fist hit, a
pulse of Dark magic came out, amplifying his strike, which sent Targress skidding across
the floor once more.
"Did he just... use his Pagna skills and combine them with magic? The level of magic, it was
clearly at the 2-star stage, yet amplifying it with a hit... I don't think I know any mages that
have been able to do such a thing since coming to Pagna," Charlotte thought.
There was a reason for that as well, that Charlotte was unaware of, but Raze was not. He
had a special body that was different compared to everyone else because his body was one
from Pagna.
However, despite the boosted strength in the attack, Elder Targress was a stage 3 Pagna
warrior, and he wouldn't go down so easily.
"You two," Himmy had spoken for the first time and started to walk forward, his heavy feet
plodding across the floor. "Charlotte, Raze, get to the temple and rescue those kids. I would
hate to have blood on our hands of those unrelated to all of this."
Looking back, Sonny was wondering if the large man was like Raze and the girl; maybe he
knew some sorcery as well.
"Wait, but if them two go, will we be able to handle this on our own?" Sonny asked; the
numbers weren't on their side at all.
Out of anger, Targress had gotten up again and started running forward.
Himmy went and opened up his large brown overcoat, reaching inside and following it, a
loud bang was heard. It was just one noise that filled the entire room and stopped everyone
in their steps.
Now Targress was no longer moving, as he had a small hole in his head. His body swayed to
the side, collapsing on the ground.
In Himmy's hand, he held a small object that many had never seen before. A small amount
of smoke came out from the tip due to the heat that had been produced. What Himmy had
was something that was not from this world.
Reaching into the other side of his overcoat, he pulled out the same object and was now
holding them both out, pointing them toward the clan members. "I'll be fine," Himmy
answered, holding two guns in his hands.
Chapter 65 A New Weapon
Chapter 65 A New Weapon
The loud bang in the room had come from an instrument that the warriors of Pagna had
never seen before. They looked on the ground at Targress, and unlike the times before
when they were hit with sorcery from Raze, he wasn't getting up this time. The blood
pouring from his head showed that quite clearly.
The powers of Qi made a person superhuman, and when they reached close to the pinnacle
of the initial stage, they would be able to block regular swords with their bodies. However,
none of the elders had reached such a stage, which made the technology of something like a
gun a deadly weapon.
"It's quite difficult to get ammo in this world, so please, don't make me waste too much?"
Himmy asked.
One of the other elders took a step, trying to move, and instantly Himmy moved, firing out
another shot. The loud bang occurred, but unlike with Raze's magic, they were unable to
move fast enough. The bullet went right through the side of the elder's head, causing him to
fall straight to the floor.
Witnessing people die so easily in front of their very eyes was a very frightening thing for
them. Not a single member wanted to move after that. They didn't quite understand what
was happening, just that while whatever the large man was holding was pointed at them,
their lives were at risk.
Listening to the words of Himmy, Charlotte burst into action as she ran towards the center
of the room. Everyone was frozen out of fear, but she still needed to be careful. The one
thing mages had compared to Pagna warriors was the ability to use their magic at a
distance.
Seeing this, Himmy caught on quickly. "You two, it's best if you close your eyes."
These people clearly knew more than them. Elder Yon was starting to understand that the
Alter group was able to do things beyond what they could understand, so if they wanted to
live or get out of the situation, it was best for them to just listen.
Charlotte lifted one of her hands in the air, and her eyes started to glow slightly white.
'I see what she's trying to do now,' Raze closed his eyes as well. It was a move that was
extremely effective that was used by many in combat.
"Illuminate!" Out from the palm of Charlotte's hand, a bright white light shined, covering
the entire room. Those who still had their eyes open were blinded and even felt a great
stinging sensation.
"Open!" Charlotte shouted, the signal that it was now okay for the rest of them to do so.
When they did, they could see that many of the clan members were rolling about on the
floor. The elders were squinting down hard, and even when they opened their eyes, they
could only see grey blurs through their vision.
Running out of the room, they quickly went down the hallway. "Head towards the back exit;
there will be fewer of them," Raze ordered.
As they took a turn, they could see more clan members with weapons in their hands
coming towards them, four in total.
"Can you deal with two of them? I'll take care of the others," Charlotte asked.
"Not unless you want me to kill them," Raze answered honestly in the heat of the moment.
His mana was already running low. He needed it if he was going to continue to fight at the
temple. With the way his enchanted ring worked as well, he needed to kill to be able to
regain a small amount of mana back. At the same time, he wasn't confident enough in just
the two-step shift skill that he knew. It hadn't been long since he had become a Pagna
warrior, so he had nothing else he could use.
"Do you think I have unlimited mana or something? I can't do this by myself!" Charlotte
shouted as she started to swirl both of her hands. "Wind twister!" She shouted, and two
large whirlwinds came out of her hands, knocking right into the stomachs of the front two.
It had banged one into the other, which allowed the two to get past without the need to use
any more skills.
Eventually, the two managed to go out the back, where there was just a wall they needed to
get over. With a jump and using the power of the wind, Charlotte had reached the top of the
wall.
For Raze, he gathered the Qi that he had in his body and used the muscles to leap up, just
reaching the top of the wall with his hand. He then pulled himself up to the wall.
"It looks like being a Pagna warrior has its uses. I'm getting a little jealous," she said.
It was time for the two of them to head to the temple and to do so as quickly as they could.
Looking at the sky though, Raze could see the sun was starting to set.
'Wait a moment, the time. I was in that cell for an entire night, and now it's already heading
towards evening? Which means it should be any moment now.'
Back at the temple, Kron had been putting up a tough fight. He was huffing and panting, but
his clothes were covered in marks while his skin had been slashed with the sword all over.
His blood was dripping, and he was getting weaker by the second.
Formations were extremely powerful things, and used in the right way, they would allow
lower-ranked Pagna warriors to take on those who were higher ranked.
'The kids, most of them got away, right?' Kron had also been fighting desperately, pushing
himself while the kids were able to get out of their room and escape.
"This old man, he won't fall!" the clan member shouted annoyed. Now that there were no
children for them to use, he knew it was going to be hard to take the ex-leader down.
"Check the rooms, see if there are any of those runts left!" the squad leader shouted.
Those at the side quickly went swinging the door open. Kron went to move, but he was met
with a sword thrust at him from the front and the side, stopping his movements.
The clan member was opening door by door, looking inside to see if there was anyone, and
when he swung one door open, his eyes laid on two who were in the room.
"I found some!" the man shouted.
Immediately, he went to grab Safa, who was standing in front of her, but she leaned back in
time and struck with a large kick to the side of his leg. It was a solid hit, but there was next
to no power.
"What is this kid even saying?" The clan member said, as he moved in closer. There was a
chill in the air as he got closer; something wasn't quite right.
"I... I... I..." Simyon continued to mumble, repeating again and again. "I... I... I."
At that moment, the ring on his ear started to glow slightly.
[The requirements for breaking the seal have been achieved.]
[The seal is now breaking.]
Chapter 66 Item Unsealed
Chapter 66 Item Unsealed
Simyon's mind had already gone past the breaking point; he felt like his head was melting,
and even in front of him, he could only see an area of colors moving. He could hear the
words and somewhat tell someone had entered, but how far they were or even where he
was?
He wasn't sure if he had already died, but he just knew one thing: he had to stay awake. No
matter what, he needed to make sure that his eyes stayed open; otherwise, everything he
was going through now would be for nothing.
Memories flooded into his mind of when he was with his sister. The feeling he felt at the
time, where he thought death was around every corner. The feeling he had right now.
That was when a voice could be heard in his head. 'Simyon... I promise you, no matter what,
you are going to get out of this, you are going to survive!'
The image in front of him, of his sister being attacked, and the final words she said to him
ringing in his head over and over. 'Live, Simyon, you have to live!'
A rush of power entered into Simyon's body, and the mushy image he could see in front of
him started to disappear. He was gaining nearly all of the senses he had around him; he was
becoming aware of what was happening.
This was the power of the seal breaking. Having endured three days of torture, the item's
power was flowing through Simyon, giving him a burst of energy.
'Wait... why is there a Red Brigade member in here?' Simyon thought.
To the right, he could see Safa, getting up off the ground. She looked hurt, and the clan
member's sword was already drawn. After getting up from a daze, Safa could see the man
approaching Simyon, and she ran forward, tackling him around the waist.
"What are you doing, you little b*stard, get off me!" the clan member shouted, and with his
sword raised in the air, he swung it down.
"NO!" Simyon screamed at the top of his lungs and darted forward from his position. He
held out his arm to block the attack. He still wasn't quite sure what was going on, whether
this was just another illusion he was seeing, the same as the one he had been going through
in his head with his sister.
'I can't let the same thing happen again, not this time!'
The strong thoughts allowed Simyon to be willing to sacrifice anything, and his arm had
been given up in the process. The clan member only needed one of the kids to distract the
ex-leader, so it didn't matter if one of them went, so he swung with full force.
As it hit Simyon's arm, though, a loud clang was heard, the same sound when metal struck
against metal. The sword was pushed down, but it wouldn't go through Simyon's arm.
"What the, am I still dreaming, why isn't it cutting through my arm?" Simyon said.
"You, are you a Pagna warrior with the steel body? But you're just a kid!" The clan member,
furious, decided to shift his stance and threw a punch, hitting Simyon right in the gut. It was
a powerful blow with Qi embedded into it.
A heavy clunk was felt, and the knuckles of the clan member were sore. Seeing the
opportunity, Safa jumped in the air, kicking her leg off the wall and punched the clan
member right in the face.
Seeing the clan member stumble, that's when Simyon thought that this might be his only
chance. He rushed forward and went to perform what Kron had taught him: the two-step
shift with a punch right at the end.
His footwork was still a little clumsy, his fist didn't go through the most direct path, but
when it hit the man in the side of his ribs, a crack could be heard as the bones were
breaking.
The man knelt over, allowing for Simyon to raise both hands and bash them on the top of
the clan member, sending him to the floor. He wasn't moving, either passed out or dead, but
he wasn't sure, and the only sounds in the room that were left were of him and Safa huffing
and panting.
After a few moments, Simyon looked at both of his hands. The bottom part of it was stained
with blood from his hit on the top of the man's skull.
'How did I do that, and how did I stop the attack from the sword? It should have completely
gone through my arm? None of this is making sense?' Simyon started to think about what
the man said. Was he a Pagna warrior who had cultivated in the steel body arts?
But he had never done such a thing, and he hadn't even finished producing a solid core. He
wasn't a Pagna warrior, yet he and Safa were able to beat the man.
'The earring!' Simyon raised his hand, stroking the bottom part of it. 'Raze said, if I
managed to last the whole time, then I would be able to obtain power outside of this world!'
[Mythical Rank Item: Black Steel Earring] [Status: Unsealed]
[This earring can only be worn by the user who unsealed the item, otherwise the item will
be treated as a normal earring]
[Effects: The user is able to create a 'Common' Steel Body]
[The strength of the steel body is Evolvable]
[The Steel Body's attributes can be changed and influenced temporarily by different
attributes of magic that are placed into the earring]
Simyon had no clue about the effects of the earring, since magic was needed for one to be
able to see what was taking place, but he had obtained a Mythical Grade Item. Something
that Raze had never done in the past, a feat that had an almost legendary status.
An item that if Alter found out about it, they would do anything to seal it away so it could
never be used again.
Because Simyon hadn't become a Pagna warrior, but was using an item that contained the
power of magic.
Chapter 67 The Worst In Pagna
Chapter 67 The Worst In Pagna
Mr Kron had noticed that one of the room's door had remained shut. It was likely that one
of the temple kids was still in there. As he saw one of the clan members, all he could do now
was hope that they would be okay, while trying to best the situation he was in as well.
'Before I can help others, I need to focus on myself as well!' Kron decided to make a break
for it, heading toward one side of the formation.
Three of the clan members dashed forward with swords in their hands and stabbed right
into his forearms, but Kron didn't slow down and instead he continued and pushed
forward.
With the swords impaled into his body, he grunted through the pain and pushed, his
muscles were strong and the Qi fueling them stopped them from pushing inside him further
and hurting his vitals.
The arms of the attackers were twisting as he continued to push forward, they had no
choice to let go. Kron burst through the doors and leapt down the staircase, landing into the
courtyard.
Blood was dripping from his wounds, and when he went to stand up, he had already
stumbled to the side a few times.
'My Qi is running out, and my body is breaking. I was never able to break through to the
fourth stage. If I had done so, then maybe the situation I am in now would have been better.
I knew there was a chance a day like this might come, and yet, I put the thought in the back
of my mind, giving up on the Pagna lifestyle, but it's true what they say, you can never leave
Pagna.'
Turning around, Kron had braced himself, he could see the clan members running down
the stairs confidently. However he could see that not far behind them, running through the
doors, were two kids from the temple.
'That's Simyon and Safa, the two of them are alive? How did they make it? There's no Clan
members behind them… is it possible, did they manage to beat them somehow?'
Seeing this, a smile appeared on Kron's face. He had somewhat given up and yet here the
children were defying the impossible, he was a little ashamed of himself.
Setting himself up in a fighting stance again, Kron was ready.
'I will take down as many as I can, so the children can survive.'
The clan member at the front had leapt up in the air, the sword ready to strike, until a slash
of wind had hit the person, sending them back to where they came from. The clan members
immediately stopped, and as they did, Simyon jumped in the air from behind and swung
both of his hands, hitting another one on the back of the head.
A heavy blow, as if one was struck with a blunt weapon made of metal. Simyon didn't quite
know what had happened, but he knew his hits, and his body itself, were reinforced with
great strength.
The clan member turned to his side, and could see Safa, he went to strike but Simyon dived
in the way wholeheartedly, stopping the hit with his chest. Safa then came in shifting from
the side and punched several times, with Simyon delivering a blow.
With the two of them, they made quite the good team. Safa was skilled, one of the best at
the temple, but she hadn't completely formed her Dantian core, so her hits were weak, even
if partially filled with Qi.
Kron was unsure of what was happening, but he needed to act as well. He avoided a strike
from the sword, moving his head, and delivered a heavy punch in the face of his own. While
behind him several more wind strikes came and hit the other clan members.
They were hit directly, to them it felt like an invisible force had struck them and it was a
powerful one as well. By his side, Kron could see an orange haired girl swinging her arms.
He could only assume it was her doing.
Eventually, only one clan member remained.
"Crap… crap… everyone was taken out, I have to go back to the base!" The clan member had
given up and started to run toward the entrance. As he went toward the open doors, he saw
someone walking through. A white haired boy.
'That's one of the temple kids!'
"Get out of my way!" the Clan member shouted, drawing his sword.
Raze lifted his head, looking straight forward, and stopped in his tracks.
"You were the ones that brought this on yourselves, you were the ones that decided to act,
not me. So you deserve this."
The dark magic swirled around Raze's fist, then as the man rushed forward, Raze shifted
forward.
"Dark Strike!" His fist landed right in the man's face, twisting his head inward. It was a
powerful hit full of Qi, and then the pulse of dark magic. It broke his teeth, shattering them
apart while ripping the skin off, sending him right back to where he was and onto the floor.
[Darkness attribute: 25 >>> 28]
'Oh, that gave me more than I would get when killing beasts or the other humans from
before. Could it be that different stage Pagna warriors also contribute more to the Darkness
power as well?'
It was a theory, and only one he could test out in a certain way.
Continuing forward, Raze was looking at the scene, and he could see Simyon standing right
next to his sister. His eyes sunken, but with a smile on his face, he seemed to be happy,
whatever the outcome was.
"It looks like we might have jumped the gun, rushing here a little bit."
Having passed some of the children and seeing what state they were in Charlotte had used
her wind magic to increase the speed of her steps, getting there before Raze, but even she
was surprised with how many had been dealt with.
"This… is going to be a real pain to clean up." Charlotte scratched the back of her head, and
took off her hat for a second. She was sweating underneath, it had been a long time since
she had to work so hard in a case like this.
When she went to put her hat back on, her eyes laid on something that made her heart sink
deep into her stomach. Her eyes opened wide as she held out her hand.
"GET AWAY!" Charlotte screamed at the top of her lungs toward Simyon and Safa.
Behind the two of them, several sparks were going off, and a portal had opened up behind
them. It was one of the worst things that could occur in the world of Pagna, it was a portal
break.
Chapter 68 Portal Break
Chapter 68 Portal Break
All eyes were fixed on the portal that now stood in the center of the courtyard. It hovered
slightly above the ground while emitting a strange humming sound, and sparks in the air
continued to flicker around it.
"This is exactly the same as the portals I've opened, but why has one of them come here,
and now of all times?" Raze began to ponder, recalling the memories of what Himmy and
Charlotte had told him.
The portals seemed to be drawn to strong forms of magic, one of the reasons they refrained
from using magic extensively in the world of Pagna. Perhaps it was a combination of Raze's
spells and Charlotte's abilities, or another idea crossed his mind.
When the earring was unsealed, depending on its level, it released powerful magic as well.
With all these factors combined, a portal had opened, and it was what Raze had learned as a
"portal break." Not a temporary portal that would disappear, but one that permanently
remained open, allowing creatures to pass through.
"This isn't good!" Kron looked nervous, beads of sweat trickling down his face, more than
when he had faced the Red Brigade Clan members. "Currently, the clan is in a severely
weakened state. I'm not in the best condition either. If a break were to happen now, there
would be no one to protect the people; they'll all die."
It was true; Raze had no idea how many clan members would survive after Himmy was
through with them. They also had no clue about the level of creatures that could emerge
from the portal.
Simyon had taken a few steps back, along with Safa, while Charlotte sprang into action.
"Raze, help me! I can close the portal, but it's going to take some time to draw the
formation!" With almost no fear, Charlotte slid on her knees across the floor, stopping just
beneath the portal. From her hat, she pulled out a piece of chalk and quickly started
working. "I need you to make sure that nothing kills me, alright? Just stop whatever is going
to come from the other side."
Although Raze was usually reluctant to help in these situations, he didn't have much choice.
If a portal break occurred, the creatures might even overpower him. Currently, closing the
portal seemed to be the least troublesome option.
Approaching the portal cautiously, Raze made sure to keep a couple of meters of distance.
Getting too close risked it pulling him in and causing harm before he could even react.
Drawing the magic circle progressed smoothly, but they knew it wouldn't last. Thin black
tentacles, several of them, emerged and immediately reached for the nearest target. Seeing
this, Raze reacted instinctively.
"Dark Pulse!" A dark pulse shot out from his hand, hitting the tentacles and causing them to
retreat momentarily.
However, following the tentacles, a deformed black hand pushed through. It was large and
covered in a strange black material resembling moss.
"Dark Pulse!"
Another attack was unleashed, targeting the arm. Some pieces broke off and fell to the
floor, making it flinch back. But the arm remained intact, and visibly, a head began to
emerge, revealing what was trying to break through.
"Damn it!" Simyon exclaimed, his mouth nearly touching the floor. "Is that Gren? But why
does he look like that?"
The creature attempting to break through the other side of the portal bore a striking
resemblance to Gren: size, facial structure, and overall shape.
Except for half of his face, which was covered in the same black coral-like moss. It extended
diagonally downward, covering half of his face. On the moss-covered side, his eye glowed
red.
"Gren, he's turned into a Hybrid," Kron muttered, biting his lower lip.
Hybrids were humans who had been transformed by the creatures residing on the other
side of the portals. No one knew precisely how it happened, as there had been no
eyewitnesses to the transformation. What was known was that it always occurred in the
dimensions outside of Pagna. These individuals lost their sanity, behaving like beasts, yet
they possessed great power due to retaining their original Pagna bodies while gaining the
abilities of the creatures within them. Hybrids were exceedingly dangerous.
"I thought I might never see you again, that I had missed my chance back then, but it looks
like you managed to return, and now I can finish the job."
"Dark Pulse, Dark Pulse!"
Two successive Dark Pulses were unleashed. The Hybrid Gren moved its arm to block the
attacks from reaching its head. The shots were powerful, pushing it back partially into the
portal several times. Almost its entire body had been thrust back when the second attack
struck.
"What's taking so long?" Raze asked. If he had drawn the magic circle himself, it would have
been completed by now. Besides, two more attacks were his limit. Judging by how the
Hybrid Gren had reacted, two Dark Pulses wouldn't suffice; they needed to close the portal.
"I...I...I need more mana!" Charlotte shouted. "I don't have enough mana to close this
portal."
Stretching out his hand, dark magic flickered, and a bottle appeared. He immediately threw
it to her while simultaneously launching another Dark Pulse at the Hybrid, keeping it at
bay.
"Drink it, and close the damn portal!" Raze commanded.
Judging by the color of the liquid, she could only assume it was one thing. Twisting the lid
open, she gulped it down.
'I hope this mana potion gives me enough mana.'
She could feel the potion's effects coursing through her body, re-energizing her. All the
power she had controlled before had returned, not just a portion of it, but all of it.
'This can't be. What potion is this that can restore all my mana in one go? Why would he
have something like this? Did he acquire it from someone, or did he create it himself?'
Her curiosity would have to wait. Placing both hands on the ground, she activated her
mana, causing the magic circle to light up. It formed a barrier around the portal itself,
emitting a white glow until the portal was no longer visible.
Gradually, the barrier began to fade, as did the magic, and with its disappearance, the portal
was gone.
"Did that woman just stop a portal break?" Kron said in disbelief. "I didn't even know that
was possible."
The good news was that the portal break had been averted, and everyone could finally
exhale. They were all emotionally and physically exhausted, almost collapsing on the floor.
Still, they managed to stay upright and observed their surroundings.
It had indeed been a tumultuous day for all of them.
Charlotte, satisfied with the outcome and certain that the portal wouldn't return, turned to
Raze, who stood there like a statue.
"Raze, about that potion, where did you—"
Clap, clap, clap.
The sound of clapping echoed from behind, and as they turned around, they saw Elder Yon,
Sonny, and Himmy entering through the gates.
"You guys did a great job; it must have been quite tough," Himmy commended. "But it's not
over yet. We now need to deal with the aftermath and fulfil our duty."
Hearing these words, Raze was unsure of what lay ahead. From what he had learned, the
world of magic was meant to be kept a secret, and there were witnesses all around—
witnesses who were still alive.
Chapter 69 An old man
Chapter 69 An old man
The Alter group was a large organization consisting of people from different worlds who
now resided in the world of Pagna. This secretive group operated behind the scenes,
manipulating events while storing away items they deemed world-changing.
Raze had believed that, after a recent event, the Alter group wouldn't allow any survivors.
However, the situation had turned out better than he could have imagined. Everyone who
had witnessed the event, or at least the use of powers, had been gathered in the Red
Brigade's main room: Sonny, Safa, Simyon, Kron, and Elder Yon. Those who had seen such
events unfold and weren't in that room had already perished.
Raze was surprised by how forgiving the Alter group seemed, sparing the lives of those
who had witnessed the events. They were informed that they would now become part of
the Alter organization, with no choice in the matter. Each of them would be field agents,
similar to Raze but with even less access to information about Alter, including the fact that
it was composed of otherworlders. Charlotte had explained to Raze that having eyes and
ears everywhere was advantageous, and situations like this arose now and again.
After the meeting, the others were sent back to their base. The Red Brigade Clan needed to
reorganize, and the others needed time to recover. Simyon, in particular, had been sleeping
the whole time and had yet to wake up. He had collapsed shortly after Himmy had arrived
in the courtyard.
Raze, however, was called into another room where Charlotte wished to speak to him
privately. She had a warning regarding the others becoming field agents for Alter.
"If you continue to stay around these people, and if they ever leak a word about what they
saw or magic to others, and Alter finds out about it, then you will be given the order,"
Charlotte explained.
There was no need for Raze to ask what the order was; he knew it meant he would have to
get rid of them. What surprised him, though, was Charlotte keeping a secret about the
sealed earring. He had heard Himmy ask for it, and he was sure she would have seen it on
Simyon at the time. Maybe not with all the commotion going on, but when Himmy asked
where the sealed ring was, and asked Charlotte as well, they both stated that they didn't
know. Raze was tempted to ask, but in the end, he didn't have to.
"You really saved us a lot of trouble back there," Charlotte said, with a big grin on her face,
and she had both hands behind her back, which made Raze a little nervous.
"Honestly, you're a great mage, one that's clearly talented, and I think it would be good if I
stayed in contact with you. I think it's best if we stay close and work together. Even in Alter,
things aren't completely safe, so it's good to make our own allies outside of it."
With an organization the size of Alter, it was a given that they would have problems,
especially with those tempted to steal items from them. So he understood, especially since
he was one of them.
Moving her hands from behind her back, she handed him a light green-colored crystal. It
was thicker than the yellow-colored ones Raze had before. The moment the crystal touched
his skin, he knew exactly what it was.
"That's a level 2 power stone," Charlotte explained. "It's up to you how you want to use it.
Get someone to grind it into a Qi pill and use it to advance your core and cultivation. Or use
it to increase the magic in your core, or you can even sell it."
"If you want my advice, it's always best not to rely too much on one attribute as a mage,
and based on the color, you should be able to tell."
Raze did know; it was not just a level 2 power stone but a wind attribute one as well. If he
were to consume this into his mana core, he would finally be able to produce wind spells
just like Charlotte could. The attribute points would start low, but it was a start and meant
he could use other spells besides dark magic and perhaps stop creating cursed items.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch," Raze said.
"Just take it. I already told you, I owe you for the mana potion you gave me earlier, and this
is to build our relationship. I know you're going to become a special mage, and I want you
to remember that I was part of that process."
It did make Raze wonder if maybe this was the reason why she had kept the earring a
secret.
"We'll be leaving this town; we have orders to work on something else. We've been here a
while, and haven't really solved anything, so they want us back. Anyway, it's up to you what
you do next. I think you'll benefit a lot from the academy, and if you don't join, don't worry;
when we need you, we'll be able to find you."
Raze had successfully obtained a crystal out of the situation. He wouldn't absorb it just yet
because he wanted to head back to Safa and Simyon first to see the results of the earring.
Meanwhile, Charlotte had gone off to join Himmy, and the two of them were leaving the
place in a large carriage.
"You seem to be quite interested in that mage. Was there something odd about him?"
Himmy asked.
Charlotte didn't say anything for a while; she was staring out of the carriage, looking at the
trees passing by.
"You know I'm one of the newest Alters from Alterian," Charlotte commented. "Well, you
see, that mage used Dark Magic. Honestly, it's not an attribute that many have, and that
includes me. But you see, back on Alterian when I was there, there was a very dangerous
mage that used Dark Magic, someone who went by the name Dark Magus."
Just thinking about it, all the hairs on her body stood up tall.
"And you think this kid could be the Dark Magus?" Himmy asked.
"Ha!" Charlotte laughed. "That's impossible. The Dark Magus would be an old man, and if
someone like him did come into this world, I'm not sure anyone could stop him from doing
what he wanted."
Chapter 70 Welcome To The Family
Chapter 70 Welcome To The Family
After the significant events of yesterday, Raze thought it was best for him not to travel to
other dimensions, especially since he had seen what happened to Gren. Having completely
used his mana up as well and given away his only potion, at the moment, he needed to
recover anyway.
However, Raze still wasn't stagnant and doing nothing. He had earned some coin from
selling the crystals to Himmy before they had left, and now having connections with the
Red Brigade Clan, he knew if he was to sell them to Elder Yon, he could still get coin for it as
well. Since they knew he had connections to the Alter group, he could now do things he
couldn't do before without the others asking questions.
Before there was next to nothing that Raze could do, and now he felt relatively free in his
options, but there were a few things he needed to do beforehand.
At the moment, Raze, Safa, and Simyon were in the kitchen of the temple of all things. They
were still currently standing there, and they wanted to have a conversation away from the
ears of all the others.
"This is quite a great place, huh?" Simyon said. "To think, this is the place where I started
my sweet friendship with the two of you."
Raze decided not to comment and instead held out his hand.
Taking the earring off, Simyon rubbed the edge of it, and it snapped open. He then passed it
over to Raze to have a look at. Before, when the earring was sealed, it was impossible to
take it off this way no matter what he did. One could only forcefully take it off like Von, but
now that the item was unsealed, it could be taken on and off, but as they would soon find
out, Simyon was the only one that could use its effects.
"Give me information on this item," Raze whispered, with lingering black magic coming out
of his mouth.
It was quite the sight for Simyon and Safa to see. It hadn't been long since they had seen
him perform things that were out of this world. They still hadn't been given an explanation
for how it all worked, but after listening to the ones from Alter, it was something maybe
they shouldn't ask about. It was up to Raze if he wanted to tell them more, and he was
hoping through this, that he would learn more.
The text of information appeared right in front of Raze, and after seeing all of the effects
including the grade of the item, the fact it was a mythical item, he couldn't stop smiling.
'Hahaha, Alter has no idea what they just left in my hands. Although this earring can only
work with Simyon now. I'm sure they would have taken it away if they found out about its
capabilities. It makes me wonder if at Alter they still have some sealed items as well.'
"So is it good, what can this earring do? I mean the fact that I had a body that was as strong
as a sword, and as heavy as a rock is already good, but is there anything else?" Simyon
asked.
"Your earring, it is certainly special, and you would do well to never let anyone know about
its powers or how you obtained them. Otherwise, there will be those after it," Raze
explained.
"As for the owner of the earring itself, it states that it can give you a steel body. At the
moment, your body is at something called the common stage, but it is something that can
evolve. As for how it would evolve, I can think of a few things.
"Either it would need crystals that contain the metal attribute, or perhaps, there might be a
cultivation technique that can help you gain natural energy as well."
Raze was basing these facts on the knowledge he already had about magical items and how
cultivating dark magic increased the power in his core, so he assumed that it could do the
same thing. The world of Pagna was full of cultivation techniques, so he was betting there
would be one related to the metal attribute.
"Wow, so it really is like the steel body refinement technique," Simyon said. "Yet, I haven't
cultivated or had to go through any of the special training that they have gone through, and
there might be easy ways to increase its strength. This whole thing, it feels a bit like a
cheat."
"There is a bit more to it as well," Raze continued. "Depending on the different attributes of
magic that are induced with the earring, then there is a chance for you to be able to do
other things and have other effects as well."
"Magic?" Simyon replied.
Magic was something that was known in the world of Pagna but not in the same way. It
referred to when a person would use tricks to fool someone, but it was quite clear that Raze
wasn't referring to this.
"You saw what me and that young girl could do from before, that's what magic is. People
can use a number of different powers with different attributes, just like how the earring has
given you the power of steel. For now, though, it's best that you don't learn more about it.
Just take the earring as a blessing."
After finishing his explanation, Raze handed the earring back. It was useless in his hands,
although he probably could have found some way to reveal the earring and try to become
its new owner, the whole thing didn't seem worth it, and he had somewhat imagined what
Simyon had been through to obtain the earring.
Simyon had done no bad to him, and with everything he had been through, he surely
deserved the earring.
Holding it, Simyon held the earring tight, clenching it in his fist, and then he went down on
one knee, facing right at Raze.
"Raze, I don't think you understand how much you have changed my life," Simyon said. "I
never thought that I would have the strength to become a Pagna warrior, never even
thought of besting them, and now all of this has happened."
"I really think, with this, I can become what I nevertheless thought I wished. I truly thank
you, which is why, right here, and right now, I swear my loyalty to both you and Safa. The
two of you who were there for me, during the whole time. Whatever you need me to do,
whatever the cost, I will always do as you ask."
Simyon lowered his head, looking down right to the floor. It showed his sincerity in this
entire situation, and Raze was quite taken aback by it all.
'The whole time I was at Alterian, was there ever a time when someone swore their loyalty
to me like this? Perhaps there was one person, one who had never betrayed me. Maybe
they are like her, both of them seem honest people.'
Naturally, seeing Simyon in such a position, Raze placed the whole palm of his hand on top
of Simyon's head. It didn't feel odd or strange, despite the two of them being close in age,
nor was it something Simyon had ever seen before, but he went along with it.
"With the life I have lived, it has become quite hard for me to trust others, but when I told
you about the earring, you were the one who put your trust in me. Despite knowing what I
had done, for some reason, you had also decided to keep things to yourself."
"Safa also has shown her loyalty as she protected what was mine at the cost of her life. Back
then, I had given her the choice to accept a family name, and now I am giving the choice to
you as well."
"Do you, Simyon, accept the family name Cromwell? To accept the name, it means we will
protect those that bear this name, look out for each other, and never betray the family
name. As long as you can accept this name, then I will accept your loyalty to me."
There was a burning fire building up in Simyon's belly he had never felt before, he had no
clue why Raze's words sounded so powerful. They didn't sound weak, nor like random
words spilled by a kid who knew nothing about the world.
Perhaps if Simyon was to follow this person, he would continue to achieve great things,
even more than what he had already achieved.
"I accept!" Simyon said, lifting his head.
"Then, welcome to the family, Simyon Cromwell." Raze smiled.
Chapter 71 Breaking through
Chapter 71 Breaking through
The three Cromwells, as they now had designated their own family name to themselves,
had been called over to meet with the head Elder Yon of the Red Brigade.
The order of things within the clan had returned to normal relatively quickly. It helped
when the opposing leaders were now dead. Really, there was only Yon left to run the place,
and a few of the higher-ranked Clan members now needed to step up to the plate.
For Raze, though, this was just one of the new connections that he had made. The meeting
was short, and the reason for the meeting itself was because he had a gift for them all.
"In a way, I could say that the three of you are the saviors of the Red Brigade Clan, so it's
only right that I give you all gifts," Yon declared. He had heard what Safa and Simyon had
done, defeating a few of the Pagna Clan members.
Although they hadn't done much in the grand scheme of things, Yon still wanted to reward
them for what they had been through, and he couldn't select all of the kids at the temple.
Sonny had walked over to the three of them and presented a small red box. Raze had seen
this before, and he had an idea of what was inside.
"Please open them; these are my gifts to you."
When Simyon opened up the box, his eyes lit up as if he was looking at gold. There was a
small little orb-shaped yellow-colored pill on the inside; it was a Qi pill.
"These pills are usually only given to our most talented pupils. We aren't like other clans
that are able to give all our students Qi refining pills. However, we do have some resources,
and I would say each one of you is deserving of this."
Raze had obtained one of these before from Kron, but at the time he hadn't used it himself.
His warrior skills and Qi had come in handy, but it wasn't at the stage where he could
effectively use it solely. If it wasn't for his use of magic, then his opponents would have
been extremely difficult to deal with.
According to Alter, with the use of magic practically forbidden in Pagna, unless he wanted
another portal break to happen, he would have to start increasing his Qi.
Returning back to the temple with the gifts in hand, each of them wasted no time absorbing
the pill. Safa and Simyon had gone for guidance while Raze had decided to absorb it in the
room on his own.
He had already experienced absorbing crystals, and thought that this would be somewhat
the same, only that he had to focus on the energy going into his dantian instead.
It didn't take long, and after the pill was absorbed, his muscles and cells felt alive, vibrating
with energy.
'It wasn't enough to make me a second-stage warrior, but I can feel that my general Qi and
entire body have increased. While the others are still busy, I might as well get on with
absorbing this as well.'
In Raze's hand was the level 2 power stone that contained the wind attribute. Finally, he
was able to use magic other than Dark, and he was quite proficient in the wind attribute as
well.
Closing his eyes, he got to work, and just like with the other crystals, the energy was being
absorbed into his magic core that was surrounding his heart. He could feel the energy
gathering inside, and the flicker of his core changing slightly.
'It's been absorbed, and I can tell I can now use wind magic as well, but unlike with the dark
attribute, I have no way to actually measure my level of increase. It would be good if I could
just use some type of measuring ring. Not one that needs to give me anything but just one
that would show me the same information as the current ring I have.'
If Raze was to take a guess, he would guess that his Wind Attribute was currently sitting
around 5 points. The magic produced using this would be weak even if it was a tier 2 spell.
A knock was heard on the door, and sliding on in was Simyon. There was a giant grin on his
face as he entered. His skin seemed to be glowing brighter than usual, but there was a
strange smell coming off from his body. Lastly, a small amount of blood on the front of his
clothes.
Simyon flexed his bicep muscle toward Raze.
"I absorbed that Qi refining pill, and you won't believe it, but I finally established my Qi
dantian. Which means I'm a level 1 Pagna warrior!" Simyon said as he kept on looking at his
body. "Ah, and it's not just me as well, your sister, man, she managed to reach the first stage
as well!"
It just went to show how effective it was for a clan to have these pills, and perhaps how
quickly other more affluent and larger clans could progress their disciples with these items
as well.
"Oh, by the way, I think Kron wanted to meet us three."
This time, the three of them entered the main hall. Kron was sitting down with his legs
crossed, and there were three cushions laid out for them to use. As Raze was heading to his
seat, he noticed that Safa had a small amount of blood on her shirt as well.
"I have called you three here because I wanted to ask you a question. Do all of you plan to
join the Pagna Academy?"
Safa looked at her brother, while Simyon looked toward Raze. He had pretty much already
decided, especially now he was a 1st stage Pagna warrior, but he had already promised to
be a follower of Raze. So wherever he would go, Simyon would follow him.
"I do plan to go, as I believe that is the area where I will progress the most," Raze answered,
knowing that the others were waiting for him.
"I see; I thought that would be the case. What I want to inform you all is that for you,
children who bear no name, it will be the toughest," Kron explained. "Those who usually
are Pagna warriors are children with high connections to merchants or members of clans.
"There will be those with large backings that stay there, including those from the biggest
clans in the Dark faction. It is a cruel place that will show you just how cruel the Pagna
world is. A place where those that have higher power and positions are able to abuse their
way through.
"It is part of the reason why I wished to leave the Pagna world. For you children who have
no name, you will experience the toughest lives. With this information, do you still wish to
go to the academy?"
Without hesitation, Safa and Simyon nodded. It was the first time Raze had found out that
she too wanted to go to the academy, and soon Raze followed by nodding.
"I can't change your mind. The reason why I bring this up is due to mine and Yon's
connections and the fact that you have all reached the first stage. We have been able to
make a special exception, and you are all able to join the next assessment that is to take
place in the next two days, regardless of your age.
"Raze, I know you are incredibly strong and have powers I do not understand. It will be up
to you to protect these two, but as you go, I have one final warning: don't try to make too
many enemies."
The next stage was set for the three as they were to join the assessment stage of joining the
Pagna Academy.
Chapter 72 Flowing Force
Chapter 72 Flowing Force
The sky was covered in a red hue, and the air was heavy, leaving a slight tingling sensation
on one's skin. For those who weren't Pagna warriors, it would feel more like a sunburn,
leaving one incredibly itchy.
The place also had a lack of oxygen, giving the same effect as a person when they were in a
high place. Because of these things, it wasn't usually a place where one would venture. It
was a place that only Pagna warriors went to, and not even the usual Pagna warriors.
This was another dimension; it was not the world of Pagna, and it was filled with deadly
beasts. Standing in the center was a man cloaked in fish-scaled, dark blue colored armor,
holding onto two swords that curved upward. On the edge of the sword, it was jagged and
white, while the main part of the blade was a dark blue, giving it the appearance of a giant
shark tooth.
Dashing towards his side was a beast that was as large as a car. It had dark red eyes and
spikes running down its spine. It shook the ground as its feet hit the floor.
Gunther held onto the two swords in his hand, and when the beast was right by his side, he
swung both of the swords. Droplets of water appeared from the swing that was made, and
in turn, the large beast had been killed.
"You guys are not the ones I want!"
Spinning around, Gunther swung his sword again, slashing another beast, and it fell to the
floor, joining the rest of the field of dead beasts that were on the ground.
"Why won't you come out!" Gunther yelled, huffing and panting.
Gunther was a member of the Flowing Force Clan, one of the big five clans of the Dark
faction, and he himself wasn't a nobody either. He was next in line to become the
headmaster, ahead of his three brothers.
He was a Pagna warrior that had gone past the initial stage and was now at the middle
stage, a 7th Rank Pagna warrior, and one of the most skilled in the Dark faction. However, it
had been over several years since he had reached the 7th stage, and he had yet to progress.
He was in one of the highest-ranked portals that his clan owned, and he would continue to
hunt any moment he had, but the level of crystals he gained, it was useless to his
development and were no longer helping him.
"I don't understand, all of the other portals, if I was to kill beasts this much, then usually a
much larger one would appear. The dimension boss, but it hasn't appeared once? Does it
just not think I'm strong enough? Or is there really not one in this dimension?"
There were a lot of rules and regulations that were set up by the clans when hunting in
other dimensions. The clans, for one, would give them ranks based on their danger. Initial,
Middle, and Deity.
The rankings were the same as the different stages of the Pagna warrior as well, and it was
in concordance as to why. It was set up that way because it was believed that those portals
were suited for those ranks.
This was why deviation from those delineations was incredibly risky because there were
large gaps in strength between Pagna warriors, ranks, and stages.
In Gunther's case, he was in a low-level Initial stage dimension that had been checked by
others beforehand.
Another thing that would occur in portals was a dimension boss appearing. They named it
so because there was one way to close a portal, and it seemed it was to defeat this
dimension boss.
However, most clans would try and avoid defeating the dimension boss as they wished to
continue gathering crystals from those lower. Only if the clan had an abundance of portals,
or felt there was more to gain from killing the dungeon boss would they allow it.
In Gunther's case, he believed the crystals from the dungeon boss could be turned into a Qi
refining pill that would allow him to grow to the next stage, but for some reason, no matter
what Gunther would do, the boss just wouldn't arrive.
"If I can't get to the dimension boss, then I guess I'm just going to have to try and get
permission from one of the other clans to use a higher dimension portal. But I would have
to give them something in return. If I could get better equipment, or get some Qi pills that
could help me advance.
"The alchemists haven't come up with any new creations other than some buff pills that
gain temporary strength. If only they could have some breakthroughs."
With nothing else left to do, it was time for him to leave the area. In his hand, Gunther held
a light blue stone.
It looked similar to that of the power stones, but this was a return stone. It was something
that if crushed would return one to the place of their origin. It would be an item that was
rare for some, but for someone of his status and position, they were easy to come by.
Rather than heading and finding the portal exit, the stone was crushed, and his body was
starting to light up. The next moment, he had disappeared.
"We greet the young master!"
A group of men, covered in dark blue cloth, bowed down. They were in a wooden floor dojo
room, and the portal was behind Gunther.
"Sir, we have some important information to give you." One of the men standing at the front
stated. "Firstly, the Academy master has contacted you, asking for your attendance at the
next assessment."
"Oh?" Gunther raised an eyebrow. "This can be the opportunity I was looking for."
"As for the second matter, there has been a bounty placed out, for anyone with information
on a particular individual. It was sent by the Crimson Crane."
"The Crimson Crane, who annoyed them that they would put a bounty out for them."
Gunther asked.
"It's a person named the Dark Magus."
Chapter 73 The Great Search
Chapter 73 The Great Search
In the world of Pagna, a successful business could be determined by the grandeur of a
building and its size. The larger it was, the more customers it could cater to. A building in a
place that could be filled with people would require a lot of land, but more importantly,
high-value locations were targeted, meaning a lot of money needed to be spent on
protection from other Clans.
In one city, there was a five-tiered restaurant. It was grand in size and luxurious on the
inside, resembling a giant pagoda. It was filled with customers even on weekdays, which
was a challenging feat.
On the third floor, a private room had been rented out. Alba took a large swig from a jug,
slammed it back on the table, and wiped her mouth.
Her captivating, slightly red-pigmented, eyes shone brightly even as she drank. Being one
of the most popular Pagna warriors, along with her buxom figure, made her attract a legion
of die-hard fans.
Many had tried to join the Crimson Crane with the sole intention of meeting her, but the
Crimson Crane remained a small, formidable unit focused on strength, rather than a large
clan with many followers.
"If your fans saw you like this, I'm sure many of them would die of heartbreak," Dame
commented, swiping his hand through his hair to ensure it looked neat.
The two individuals seemed not to care much about each other and were absorbed in their
own activities.
"Do you think I care about that?" Alba replied. "The only thing I care about is you telling me
where this Dark Magus is. I've been trying to locate him everywhere, but it's been
impossible."
Internally, Dame smirked. He knew that Alba would never be able to meet the Dark Magus
because he wasn't from the world of Pagna. For now, she served as a profitable extra
income source.
"So, how many bottles do you need from him?" Dame asked. "I am soon to meet him again,
but I can't guarantee he will be able to deliver either."
"I already told you!" Alba lifted the drink, downing it again. It wasn't the lightest beverage
the restaurant had to offer, and she had already gone through three bottles during their
initial conversation. "I don't just want the strange things this guy makes. I want him to join
our Clan. If he were to join the Crimson Crane, then we would become an unstoppable
force. Even the empire would be afraid of us. Someone as skilled as him would surely be
willing to join if I could make him the offer. Did you pass on that I wanted him to join?"
Dame contemplated his options. Should he keep the Dark Magus's talents for himself? The
potions created by the Dark Magus were impressive, but there were other alchemists in the
world capable of creating more potent and versatile Qi pills. The type of potions created
would only benefit a subset of Pagna warriors. Even with a hundred of these potions, an
initial-tier warrior would not be able to contend with a warrior one stage above.
"How could I have done that when we haven't even met yet? Anyway, I'll put you down for
ten more potions just in case. This man is a secretive person," Dame lied. He wondered
whether it was possible for the Dark Magus to return to his world. Perhaps, he could learn
the methods firsthand.
"You are truly useless," Alba said. "That's why I decided to take matters into my own
hands."
Dame's heart started to beat louder upon hearing this. "What do you mean? What did you
do?"
This was one of the reasons why Dame disliked contacting Alba so much. Although they had
gone through various adventures together at the Pagna academy, he remembered the
trouble they had faced because of her unruly behavior.
In the first place, she couldn't be controlled, which was why she had formed her own Clan
outside of the main factions.
Shaking the bottle in her hands to gauge how much liquid remained, Alba took one last
swig and grabbed another.
"I decided to put a public bounty on him," Alba announced. "Anyone who knows anything
or can provide information about the Dark Magus will receive a level 5 power stone."
Dame's eyes widened at the generous reward. It was clear that Alba valued this person
immensely. A crystal of this level, those that were struggling to advance to the next stage
would kill for an item like so. It wouldn't just be the individual's themselves but many of
the clan's would be willing to kill just to get their hands on something like that.
However, the most worrying part was Alba's extensive network of connections.
Alba had done numerous favors for almost every faction and had influential contacts.
People in high places that would do well to get her favour. If an announcement went out, it
wouldn't take long for everyone to know about the Dark Magus.
With the high reward, it would also pique their interest even if they weren't friends of Alba,
but just because it was something that she wanted.
"Come on, you didn't have to do that. Don't you trust me?" Dame asked.
Alba responded, "Why do you think I'm doing this in the first place? It's because I don't
trust you. Right now, all members of the Crimson Crane have spread out across each faction
looking for him, but they have found nothing. So, it makes me wonder how someone like
you was able to encounter this person when none of my people have. Which is why, even if
you do bring me information on the Dark Magus, you won't receive a reward; clearly,
you're hiding something."
Finishing her last drink, Alba stood up and adjusted her clothing, especially her top where
her ample breasts had almost burst out.
"Anyway, I'm sure someone will find the Dark Magus very soon," she stated. "Until then, tell
the Dark Magus that I'm willing to buy anything he produces, at whatever cost."
Chapter 74 The New Name
Chapter 74 The New Name
A couple of days had passed since Kron had mentioned the others joining the next
assessment for Pagna Academy. They had one every year, meant for those who had turned
sixteen.
However, technically, anyone who was already a Stage 1 Pagna warrior could apply,
especially those with a recommendation, and that recommendation had come from Elder
Yon and Kron.
Either one of them seemed to have a connection to the academy, but judging by their
words, it was also clear that the help would only go so far. They were on their own from
there.
Right now, the three of them were traveling via a carriage, heading to the Pagna Academy.
Sitting in the back, both Safa and Simyon were reading books in their hands, and as they
went over a large bump, Simyon nearly went flying out of the carriage along with the book.
"Man, this stuff, how are we meant to learn it just from reading? We don't even have time to
practice any of this stuff?" Simyon complained. "I mean, I'm grateful that the Red Brigade
Clan was willing to share their skill books with us even though we aren't members, but
aren't we at a big disadvantage?"
Raze knew why Simyon believed this. Even the Red Brigade Clan members had been
learning a wide variety of skills to be used with their cultivation powers. Although they
were all 1st stage Pagna warriors, the only skill they all knew was the two-step shift, while
others knew a wide range of skills they could use. Hence, they were clearly at a
disadvantage in this whole thing.
"Ah man, I can see it already, we'll be treated as laughingstocks, the no-names, with no
skills, no talent, and no love."
The last comment raised an eyebrow from Safa. She felt like the matters were unrelated.
"Hey," Raze said. "We do have a name, remember it."
"Sorry," Simyon replied. He knew that Raze was serious about the name thing from before,
but it was hard to change habits. Nearly their whole life, they had been told that they were
practically nothing. "Hey, are you going to try to learn any of these techniques in here by
any chance?"
Raze had a flick through the books, and he had actually tested one of the skills, but when
combining the Qi energy he had obtained in his body and the Red Clan skills, it didn't feel as
if it was at its full potential. It was somewhat like casting a wind-type magic spell using
dark magic. In some cases, it could work, but the effectiveness or the design of the spell to
be used wasn't for that purpose, causing it to be less than subpar.
'Is this what Kron talked about? How different Qi energy can be used to profit from all
types of martial arts, but skills were designed with a specific type of Qi energy in mind? So
if the type of Qi energy I have isn't dark, then what is it?'
Raze had managed to do some research. There were multiple Qi gathering techniques, not
just those that belonged to the Dark, Light, and Demonic factions. There were also what
were known as neutral techniques. However, even within the factions, there were
cultivation techniques that could cross borders, allowing effectiveness in maybe light and
dark skills, but the number of skills available for these were next to none. At the same time,
with the Light faction and Dark faction feeling as if they were polar opposites, there would
be many who would attack the other just for using skills or energy that were similar.
"Light fighting dark, what type of childish thing is this?" Raze said out loud without
thinking about it. "I don't want to waste my time on techniques that aren't the best for me. I
would suggest for both of you to do the same as well. Simyon, you have a strong body, so
try to find skills that would bring out this more. Safa, we don't know if you will be skilled in
the bow, the blade, the spear, or your hands. I would figure this out first before you try to
learn skills."
Simyon was biting his tongue; he wanted to ask something but was stopping himself from
doing so. Instead, he decided to place his head down and continue to read the book.
Although he had no time to practice, at least he could visualize.
"Go on," Raze said. "What did you want to ask?"
"You could tell?" Simyon replied.
"Well, with all the sighing, and opening your mouth, closing it, and looking away, I think I
would have to have been blind not to know."
Closing the book, Simyon wanted to make it clear that he thought this was quite important.
"I will only ask this once, and then I'll never bother you again after this, I promise," Simyon
asked. "About Mag-"
"No," Raze replied straight away. "The more you know, the more you will want to learn and
then rely on it. It will be harder for you to improve as a warrior, and besides, it is a
dangerous thing. I would rather you not get involved in any of that. Just think about it, if
you knew how to use both, then you would have to study both as well, and you're having
much trouble just studying this as it is."
"NEIGHHH!"
The sound of the horses screaming was followed by the carriage coming to a sudden stop.
The three of them jolted, nearly falling on top of each other.
"What the, are we here?" Simyon asked.
Safa was shaking her head. The journey was a long one, and although they had been
traveling for a while now, they still had a few hours before they would reach their
destination.
Peeking out the window, she could see that they were still in the middle of the forest.
This was when Simyon decided to stick his head out of the window; he could see their
driver running right past the window as if he was trying to break a world record.
Something had startled him.
Chapter 75 An Easy Target
Chapter 75 An Easy Target
Seeing the driver of the carriage set off like that, a wave of concern filled all three of them.
Opening the door, the three of them exited, and it was quite clear why the driver had run
off like he had just moments ago.
"How, how do we keep on getting ourselves into these types of situations!" Simyon
commented.
Blocking their path in front of the carriage and horses were six rough-looking men. They
were in tattered clothing that only covered their manly chests and only a little part of their
legs.
The men looked like those who barely bathed, and they had several missing teeth as they
grinned widely with their weapons in hand. Setting eyes on them, Simyon knew
immediately that these were bandits.
Bandits were a common group of people in the world of Pagna. They didn't live in the
villages, towns, or cities because they were outlaws. Instead, they would set up camps in
the deserts, forests, and various other landscapes across the continent. They would target
all those traveling along the paths between the cities and villages, hoping to earn a pretty
penny or at least take their goods.
It was because of them that several people would have to hire respectable warriors for
their journeys. Which they had none.
"I knew it, my plan was perfect!" The large-bellied, six-foot man said. His facial hair covered
the entire lower half of his face, making him look more like a bear than a human.
"With the assessment taking place today, there are plenty of those who would have to take
this path. Those rich nobles and clan members wouldn't dare send their precious children
away without giving them some coin, so hand them over."
Simyon slapped his head into the palm of his hand and was constantly shaking it. "We're
poor orphans; we're not the ones you want!" Simyon shouted. "Do you think if he had any
money, our driver would just run off like that?"
The bandits looked at each other, but they didn't believe them.
The thing was, what Simyon had said wasn't actually true. Raze had quite a bit of the
payment left from what he received from Alter, and he had also received coin from selling
one of the power stones.
"Haha, that's what everyone says!" The bandit declared. "And if we can't get anything from
you, we can kill you and at least take the horses."
Two bandits went toward the horses but stopped in their tracks when Raze turned his head
and glared at them.
"I paid for these horses, which means at this point in time, they belong to me," Raze
declared. "I don't feel like taking the horses either, so I don't grant you permission to do
so."
The gaze Raze gave them penetrated the back of their minds, and they were reluctant to
take another step further. It was then that Simyon thought that maybe they could get out of
this situation without needing to fight.
That was until a bandit drew his curved blade from the side and went ahead to strike Raze.
Immediately, Raze moved to the side, placing both hands on Simyon's shoulders, and then
lifted his body and placed it in the path of the sword.
Simyon raised his hands instinctively, and a loud clang was heard as the sword was
stopped by Simyon's body.
"What the… how is my sword not getting through!" The bandit shouted.
"Ah, what the... Is this how you treat what you call a family? You shoved me in front of
dangerous things!" Simyon shouted. Tears were almost running down his cheeks. He was
already frightened by the situation as it was, and then he was thrown right in front of a
sword. No matter how strong his body was, he couldn't get used to it and didn't quite like
the feeling of being a human shield either.
Not wasting the opportunity, Safa struck with a punch, hitting the side of the bandit's ribs,
and a loud crack was heard as he was thrown off to the side.
'She's good; she knows when to take advantage of the situation and is quick to act in
response as well. Safa was already one of the very best at the temple, and she hadn't even
been there a long time. And now that she was like this, her speed and power were at
another level, a level that these bandits couldn't handle.'
"You should think about the situation with a clear mind," Raze said. "If these guys were any
decent, then they would have joined a clan themselves in the first place. Bandits are just
those who failed to make it anywhere in life. Besides, you said that you wanted to train,
right? Well, here is your chance."
There was a slight shock factor with the bandits seeing one of their allies going down. The
truth was, this was the first group the bandits had come across which they believed was an
easy target.
The Bandit leader was worried that his plan was going to fail, seeing those that came
through here were littered with guards, and then he saw an opportunity right in front of
him. With six of them, he was sure he could take on warriors who had yet to experience the
real world.
"Get them, get them all at once. If you go one at a time, it will give them a chance to act!"
The leader shouted.
One of the bandits swung the sword to the side. Simyon, now a little more aware of the
situation, swung his arm toward the sword, adding the power of Qi in his swing. With the
power of Qi and his steel body, when the two collided, the sword was snapped in half.
Following up with a punch to the stomach, the bandit fell to the floor on his knees.
'Wait, he fell with one punch; should it really be this easy?' Simyon thought.
The two of them had been through a life or death situation, with the added effects of the
earring and the fact that Safa had gotten rid of her hesitation. Slowly, the two were
realizing that they were strong and what it meant to be a Pagna warrior.
The leader had charged forward in a panic, not believing that his plan had failed, and seeing
how two of them were fairly skilled, he had gone toward the one person who had yet to do
anything.
"I'll kill you and take all your money to hire new men!" The bandit exclaimed.
"Why does this always happen?" Raze thought. The other two weren't the only ones who
had grown in strength. Raze had absorbed the Qi pill as well, having already established a
dantian core; he was at the peak of the first stage.
Shifting forward with his Qi, he moved in quicker, and when he struck with his hand, he
had activated his wind magic, activating a spell.
"Silent strike!"
Raze had already gone past his opponent, his hand covered in the wind. Out from the
bandit's neck, blood started to spurt out.
"I am not as kind as the others. If you try to take my life, then you should be prepared to
lose yours."
[Dark Attribute 28>>>> 29]
[Wind Attribute 5 >>> 6]
Chapter 76 We have arrived!
Chapter 76 We have arrived!
The wind attribute, out of all the attributes of magic, was the most coveted by mages. This
was due to how easy it was to raise its attribute power, at least at the beginning. The way to
increase its power was from repetitive use.
The more a mage used wind spells and powers, the higher the attribute points would rise.
As the points rose more, one would have to count surely in order to use the spells more and
more to increase them.
So although it was quick to grow at the start, the progress did slow down drastically as time
went on. For Raze, it wasn't something he could do in his current situation.
If he was to spam his skills, using them one after the other, he would have no mana, and he
was still in a dangerous situation. He still was no closer to the truth as to why his family
had been killed back then, and the possibilities of assassins being on his back.
On top of that, since he had a dark core, his wind attribute points could never rise above
that of his dark attribute. At the moment, he had no ring to gauge exactly if his powers had
risen in numbers, but he could feel within his core his power was rising.
Looking up, Raze was surprised that he didn't need to do much. After the two realised that
they had some strength, the rest of the bandits were now rolling about on the floor, with a
few broken bones here and there.
"Since our driver has run off, one of you figure out how to ride or steer the horses." Raze
asked.
"Huh? Why us, what makes you think we can ride a horse if you can't." Simyon replied.
"Because they no longer exist." Raze replied back and stopped himself there. He realised
that he might have said something that would seem absurd to others, even for him.
Safa was the one who had accepted the task, as she went up to the horses and immediately
started to stroke its face by the side. They seemed to be quick to accept her.
Seeing how that situation had been dealt with. Raze went to deal with the other situations.
He placed his hand out, looking at the men rolling about on the ground below.
"Wind strike." Raze said.
A small gust of wind pushed out from Raze's hand, and when it pressed against the neck of
the man on the ground, it had cut through the skin making a large cut. The attack wasn't
deep enough to go right through, but it was enough to send him to his death.
After one had passed, Raze walked over to another bandit, and placed his hand out again.
With the mana regain effect it wasn't a problem since he wasn't using much mana either.
"What are you doing Raze!" Simyon shouted. "They've already been taken care of. These
guys, they can't even fight back, there's no reason to kill them!"
Before attacking, Raze lifted his head looking at Simyon again.
"Are you still going to do this after last time?" Raze said. "I told you before, that if we let
these people go, they will only return to do more damage to us. You should know what
these people are like based on how they acted now."
"I know… but taking a life, don't these people have a family that cares about them? Don't
you feel bad for those that will miss them when they are dead?" Simyon asked.
"And what about what they have done?" Raze replied. "Do you think they felt bad when
they killed others? When they stole their money. Do you think they would have felt bad
when they took our lives as well?"
"You have to think, if we didn't stop them, or take them out, think about how many more
people they would hurt. And think, if we don't get rid of them now, there would be more
than just us that are hurt by them."
Simyon was finding his own emotions conflicted. It wasn't because he thought what Raze
was saying was wrong, but it was more so that he found doing all of this too easy.
"Simyon." Raze called out, while he held out his hand. "You promised your loyalty to me. I
won't ever force you or Safa to do things you don't wish to do. I'm not that type of person,
but I don't want you to get in the way of me doing things the way I do them."
"There is always a reason for my actions. I will protect those I promised to protect
including you two, and if that means I have to become a villain in everyone else's eyes,
including you two, then so be it.
"Wind strike." The attack left Raze's hands and struck another one of the bandits.
Leaving it to Raze, after that conversation Simyon didn't know why, but he almost felt sorry
for Raze, that he had to carry all of it on his shoulders.
Simyon waited inside the carriage and after everything was done, Raze had entered. With
using his wind powers, and having completed the condition for the Darkness attribute he
had seen another increase.
[Darkness attribute: 29 >>> 30]
[Wind attribute: 6 >>>> 7]
The carriage was off, with Safa at the reins. The ride was just as smooth as with the
professional driver, it was quite amazing that someone was able to control animals so well,
especially one who would have never interacted with them.
The more Raze was hanging around Safa, the more he thought she suited the qualities of
the light attribute, but just as had said to Simyon before, he believed that it was true for her
as well and she needed to choose her own way.
The ride was mostly silent between Raze and Simyon in the back, the whole situation felt a
little awkward after their talk. That was until finally, they had come to another stop again.
"Don't tell me its bandits again!" Simyon said, shoving his head out of the window, but it
wasn't bandits at all. Instead he could see a large wall and a gate, surrounded on its own
island of sorts, and an even larger building that towered over the gates.
"It's the Pagna Academy!"
Chapter 77 A Bounty?
Chapter 77 A Bounty?
The carriage had stopped in its tracks even though it had yet to meet its destination, and
there was a good reason why. Not even Raze could blame the horses for not wishing to
move any further because there was a strange feeling about the entire place.
The carriage had been traveling somewhat up a mountain for a while and eventually came
upon level ground. The green and forest-like area that was around them before had
disappeared, and now the ground was a hardened black, made out of some type of rock.
When the three descended from the carriage, the horses lifted up their front legs and
quickly turned around, running off with the carriage heading back in the direction they had
come from.
"Well, if that's not a warning that we shouldn't be here, then I don't know what is," Simyon
said. "Maybe it's the fact that this place looks even creepier than Raze's face at times."
Simyon had turned around and could see the blank stare Raze was giving with that
comment, and now he honestly wasn't so sure what was creepier.
The Pagna Academy was placed on what looked like a large piece of floating rock at first
glance, but that was clearly impossible. It did make one wonder how the academy had
come to be, though.
The land that they were on continued, and it looked like a type of bridge was heading to the
center piece of land. On either side of this bridge, it looked like there was nothing but a
thick fog. A drop down, it felt like he would never be able to get back up.
This was true on either side, and even when looking down, it was almost impossible to see
where the bottom ended. Similar to the strange bridge in front of them, there were also
four more bridges, each connected to the main large piece in the middle.
The island was not small by any means, and the word island was quite accurate to call it.
Even from the front, it was impossible to see just how far back the place went. A large wall
covered several buildings, with one in particular that was stationed on top of a type of hill
that stood out. It looked to be more than just an academy and included nearly an entire
living area.
"At least we know we're in the right place," Simyon said, as he looked at people walking
past on foot, in and out of the large bridges. It was wide enough to fit at least six carriages
at the same time, and one side was being used to filter people in, and the other to filter
people out.
There were also small bases that were built around the area, almost like small villages.
From the looks of things, people would park their carriages there and then walk, perhaps to
stop what was happening to them.
As the three of them were still taking in the giant sight in front of their eyes in amazement,
they were seeing many people walking right past them in different colored clothing and
cloth, with an emblem on their clothes as well.
It wasn't just one way either. Several clan members and Pagna warriors were coming back
out, returning from where they had come from as well.
'From the look of things, I guess only those who are to attend the academy can come with
them, so they're sending back the rest of the members. That makes things a little easier.'
As Raze walked forward, the other two quickly picked up their pace and followed him. Just
walking past the other warriors, immediately Raze knew that he wouldn't be a match for
them.
What Kron had said, about the world being a small place, about the Red Brigade clan being
next to nothing, he could tell he was right.
'This world is more dangerous than I thought. There are many Pagna warriors who are at a
strength far greater than that of the head Elder Yon. If I want to survive in this world, I need
to regain my strength quicker.'
Heading at the gate, there were several guards who wore nothing but plain black clothing
with no symbol on their uniform. From what Kron had mentioned, this was because it was
a place where multiple clans sent some of their members to work.
In the first place, the Pagna academy was a project that was supported by all the clans in
the Dark faction. A way to compete with the other factions. The plain uniform was to try
and make the whole thing as unbiased as possible, but that would be next to impossible.
Set up at the front gate was a table of sorts. A man who was writing everyone's name in ink.
Those taking part in the assessment were to register themselves and their guardians were
sent away.
It was time for them to take part in the academy assessment, but while lining up behind all
the other students, there was something on his mind, something he hadn't informed the
others about.
After defeating the bandits, Raze had decided that the dead no longer needed their items,
and the items they had were taken from others in the first place. Taking their items, he had
stored them in his robe; he left most of the junk.
While going through everything, though, he had found a letter. A scroll would be more
accurate. Upon looking at the scroll the bandits held, the information was quite fascinating.
[A request from the Crimson Crane]
[Any information on the person named the Dark Magus will be rewarded]
[Those with important information that will lead to the finding of the Dark Magus will
receive a level 5 power stone.]
[Do NOT harm this person and inform a member of the Crimson Crane as soon as possible]
'A bounty has been put on the Dark Magus? I wonder how word has gotten around so
quickly, and for a change, someone who uses that name doesn't want me dead.
Chapter 78 The Dark Faction Academy
Chapter 78 The Dark Faction Academy
The three had entered through the large front gates of the academy with ease. After giving
their names, it was confirmed that they were on the list of participants. They were told to
just walk up ahead and enter the academy; if they followed the long stream of people, they
would know where to go from there.
After passing the gates, it had become quite clear that it was a lot more than just an
academy. The place was just as large as a small city, and it operated as one as well. There
were streets of living areas, shops, and even an auction hall.
There were workers who worked within the academy, more than just the teachers. There
were servants who would work on cleaning the place, cooking the food, and more.
They and their families needed a place to live. At the same time, because of the students,
the place would have frequent visitors from family members, and many of the students had
strong connections and those with a lot of money.
Which was why it made a lot of sense for people to set up shop here and run a business.
The Pagna Academy had its own stable economy that worked out well.
Still, it wasn't an area that anyone could just come and live in. All of those in the academy
had to go through extensive checks with a large amount of information gathered on them.
One was sure that such a place would be filled with attempted spies from the other
factions, maybe even from within the clans, as one would want to aid their student as much
as possible.
In a way, how well students did in the academy was a reflection of how strong a clan was, at
least of how strong it would be in the future.
Finally, they had reached the large academy in question. There was another wall within the
first one, and it surrounded the biggest building that could be seen in the area.
Up close, one would realize that it was a collection of buildings, large pagodas with several
tiers and floors. Wide areas with extensive courtyards and open spaces for one to do
whatever it was they wished.
As they approached the actual academy gates, there was a man stationed at the front. One
would mention their name, and after doing so, they had been given a badge. In Raze's case,
he had obtained number 123, along with Safa having 121 and Simyon having 120.
"I hope these aren't our ranks of strength or something," Simyon commented.
"They're not," the man behind the desk commented. "It's just a number to assign you so the
examiners have an easier time differentiating between all of you. Although you might have
been a big shot in your clan or back home, they won't have a clue who you are here."
Although the numbers might not have meant anything, when talking to them, Raze noticed
that he wasn't looking at their eyes; instead, it appeared as if he was looking at the badges
they had on. If it wasn't the numbers, then it had to be something else, and that's when
Raze realized it was the color.
The three badges that they held were black with white writing on the inside. The others
were a range of different colors, but next to no one had their color. Before they could even
ask about it, the group had been ushered into the main floor room.
Even after passing the front gates for a mile long and wide, they could only see stone tiles
on the floor. It was a giant courtyard that was several times larger than that of the one they
had at the temple.
The place was also filled with all of the students who would be taking part in the
assessment, and there were at least a thousand of them in the courtyard.
"Wow, just think about it, what we're seeing right now is only the students taking the
assessment and not the ones that are in the academy itself," Simyon said, amazed, staring at
everything with his large eyes.
"Yeah, you're right. It looks like we have a lot of competition if we want to stand out,"
another student who wasn't standing too far from them said. When he turned his head, he
looked at Simyon and then immediately looked at his badge. After that, he quickly turned
away and went through the crowd of people trying to get away.
Simyon lifted up his arms and started to sniff under them. "Do I smell or something? You
would tell me if I smelled, right Safa? I mean, hold your nose or show some type of sign."
Safa started to shake her head as she disagreed with the comment. Raze had noticed
something going on for a while now, as they were catching the gazes of others and
whispers.
"Hey, are there really no names here? Is this like a first?"
"Nah, there are always a few no names that enter. They either fail completely at the
assessment stage or if they get through, they just become a slave to one of the clans
anyway."
"Why would they even waste their time coming to a place like this? They're just going to be
a distraction for others. Coming here with no name is going to be worse than hell for them
here."
What Kron had informed them of was true. It would be extremely difficult for them in the
academy, but if they did manage to get through it all, they would surely come out as
different people.
A mile up ahead on the large building, three men started to walk out from the side and onto
the second-floor platform. The students were brought closer to the stage looking up.
A fourth man came out with a pointed hat and mainly black-colored cloth with a white
stripe that went around the edge.
"Everyone, be quiet!" The man shouted. It echoed and pierced nearly all of the students'
ears.
They felt like the inside of their organs were being shaken and felt sick immediately. The
voice had been projected with the power of Qi, and their bodies were responding as if they
were attacked.
"What I have with you right here are the three most important people during your time
here at the academy!" The man declared.
"On our right, the man from the Flowing Force Clan, one of the five great clans of the Dark
faction, Gunther!"
The man wore dark blue-colored armor and had a pair of dual-curved blades with shark
teeth on his back. His arms were folded, and Gunther didn't exactly look pleased to be
there.
"On the right side, we have another great master, from the Lethal Bite Clan! Pincer!"
The man on the right also had his arms folded but had a strange metal contraption that
blocked the bottom half of his face and nose, only revealing the top of his head along with
his long-wrapped-up ponytail.
"Finally, we have the principal of the Dark Faction Academy, the head elder of the Erupting
Fist Clan, and at the top of the Middle stage rank, the one known as the closest to reaching
the deity rank in the Dark faction, Murkel Dockthron!"
Among all of those in the crowd, Murkel looked down, and his eyes happened to lock onto
Raze; the two of them didn't look away from each other.
'This person… he reminds me of the Grand Magus. I don't like it,' Raze thought.
Chapter 79 Looking deep inside
Chapter 79 Looking deep inside
The strong leader, Murkel Dockthron, stood there with a frightening presence as he
watched over everyone. He had locked eyes with Raze for a few moments but then quickly
went to scan each and every one of them.
His dark brown eyes looked almost black, which suited the rest of the attire he was
wearing. He wore cloth that was made out of a silk material that moved with him as he
turned his body.
It was in a glistening black that had shades of white that seemed to glitter as if he was
wearing a robe from space. His long hair, like most of the elders, was tied up in a knot, with
the rest of it falling down his back.
"I welcome all of those that have taken part in the assessment this year!" Murkel spoke. He
didn't shout yet; with his Qi amplifying his words, it had the same effect as the person who
had spoken before him. Only the tone of his voice was far lower, giving them an uneasy
feeling.
A large amount of pressure was felt on top of their heads, and many of them wanted to fall
to their knees because of this.
"The assessment is to evaluate whether or not you have the ability to not just enter the
Pagna world but to become useful to the Dark faction in its struggle fighting off against the
Light and Demonic factions!" Murkel continued.
"Our arts have been passed down for generations, through various and large numbers of
clans, and now all of you have gathered to show that you have what it takes.
"When you join the academy and display your skills, you are displaying the future of your
clan, which is why we have this assessment, to help us curate those that will do well for us."
Murkel lifted his hands and looked toward one of them with his palm open. "If you are
successful and show your talent, you shall receive rewards that will help you on your
journey: access to portals, to Qi pills, and techniques that have been stored, even those by
clans that have been lost. On the other hand."
Murkel looked to the other hand on the other side. "If we judge that you are not fit to join
us, you will be left to struggle in this world while others progress above you; the rest is up
to you to decide."
The words were sinking in for all of the students. Many of them were confident, since they
had the backing of their families to support them; they had been told that they were the
rising stars in their families and had eventually reached this point.
Now they were starting to feel the real pressure, all except for those with no names. Some
continued to glare at the three of them. They felt envious that they didn't have to go
through the same thing that they did. It was only causing the hatred that they held in their
hearts to grow a little more.
Taking a step back, Murkel walked off to the side. It appeared that the matter of looking
over the students as they went through their assessment wasn't so important to him, at
least not important enough for him to stay.
Instead, one of the other two that had arrived on the platform with him stood forward,
Gunther.
"There are three parts to the assessment before you are able to join the Pagna Academy.
How you perform in all of them will value your position in the academy. However, for the
first assessment that I am in charge of, if you do not pass this, it is an instant fail!"
Nervous looks were exchanged among the students in the courtyard.
"What, just from one assessment? That's not really fair; you were the ones that accepted
our family donations! You guys are also the ones that accepted our invites, and then you
turn us away just like that?"
"The first assessment!" Gunther yelled through all of the talking. He really didn't have the
patience for all of this, after having been blackmailed and dragged here pretty much against
his will.
"The first assessment will be ensuring every single one of you is a 1st stage Pagna warrior. I
will not accept anyone who is close to a breakthrough or has a strong foundation but has
not fully formed their dantian; that is all."
Without anything left to say, Gunther leaped from the balcony and landed on the ground
lightly. It was strange, as a fall from that height needed some way to break its impact. Yet
he had landed so softly.
'I wonder what stage this person is at; if he was standing next to the leader, then shouldn't
he be quite strong?' Raze thought.
Immediately, without wasting time, Gunther went to the first student and placed his hand
on his back. He closed his eyes, and after around a second, he shouted. "Pass!"
Going onto the next student, he did the same, shouting out the words "pass" again and
again, that was until he had reached the eighth student. "Fail!"
"What, but I can use Qi!" The student complained. "I can completely control the Qi used in
my fists and hands."
"Did you listen to what I had even said?" Gunther replied. "I said that you had to have
formed your dantian fully. That was the only requirement, no more, no less."
Reaching out, Gunther had grabbed the top of the student's ear and started to pull, making
it turn instantly red.
"If you aren't going to use these things, should I just pull them off?"
"No, please!" The student begged, to which Gunther let go and went on to the next student.
Unexpectedly, the students were hearing more fails than they thought. Everyone knew one
had to be a 1-star Pagna warrior before entering, but had they always been this strict with
checking? It was the first that they had ever heard of such a thing.
Around 1 in 10 students would be told that they had failed, and some were from
recognizable clans as well.
As they continued down the line, eventually it reached Simyon at 120.
"Pass!"
"Ah, thank the heavens!" Simyon said. "I thought maybe my nervousness would affect me."
"Pass!" Gunther stated again for Safa, and now it was for him to finally reach Raze as well.
'What technique is this person using?' Raze thought. 'Is it the same as what Kron used? If it
is, then he shouldn't be able to detect anything so strange. He won't be able to find my
magic core.'
With this thought in mind, Raze took a confident deep breath and allowed Gunther to press
against his back. He blew out, because the sense of touch was an uncomfortable feeling for
him, but when he was prepared for it, he could stand it.
He had done this before with Kron as well when he had placed his hand on his back.
Usually, breathing or focus on something else worked, so as he took a deep breath out, he
also closed his eyes
When Raze stopped his breathing, he looked up and could see Gunther staring back at him.
"You, what the heck are you doing here?" Gunther asked.
Chapter 80 Why Him?
Chapter 80 Why Him?
At the first step, it appeared as if there was now a giant hurdle, as Gunther one of the
examiners, and a warrior at the middle stage, had apparently made a great discovery.
Kron was a skilled Pagna warrior, skilled enough to hold the position of a Clan head, albeit
in a smaller clan. However, he was unable to sense the magic core within Raze. Their had
been multiple chances for him to. His core had already been formed when he was even
teaching them Qi. It was all of this which had given Raze a false sense of confidence.
'If this instructor has discovered I have a magic core, then doesn't this mean that they're
like me?" Raze thought. 'Is he another mage from Alterian?'
Even sensing a magic core within someone wasn't something every Alterian could do, only
mages. If this person was like Raze, they had managed to attain a high position and become
a skillful warrior while retaining their magic, essentially what he himself was trying to
achieve.
At this point and time, Raze was unaware that this was something that was close to
impossible for a normal Other worlder.
"It seems you aren't willing to answer my question," Gunther said, pulling away. "You stay
here and do not move. I'll continue and finish this assessment, and then when I come back,
we can have a little talk."
Gunther walked off to the next person and didn't look back at Raze. He mumbled something
under his breath as he walked, making it hard for Raze to hear. "I can't believe they're using
kids so young in all of this."
The assessment continued with Gunther doing the same to all the students, shouting out
"pass" or "fail." The results came at the same rate as before. However, it was evident that
one student received no result at all, and many eyes turned to him to understand what was
happening.
'This situation might not be all bad,' Raze thought. 'If he is an Otherworlder, then Alter
would have already reached out to him and given him a high position. If that's the case, as
long as I inform him I'm from the same group, things will go well. He might even be able to
aid me during my time here.'
Despite this thought, there was a concern. Why didn't Gunther just do something like that?
Instead, he could have simply shouted "pass" and dealt with the situation later.
After assessing all the students present in the courtyard, Gunther walked to the front of the
main building and stood there with his hands at his sides. His facial expression still made
him appear bored as he played with his fingernails and didn't even bother to look the
students in the eyes.
"Those of you who have failed may now leave Pagna Academy. You can try again next year,
but if I were you guys, I wouldn't bother. If, in all this time, you were unable to fully break
through to the first stage, even with the help of your clans and money, it simply means that
the life of a Pagna warrior is not for you.
"I'm telling you this now; this is your chance to get out. If you continue with your skill level,
there's no going back, and there will be nothing but death waiting for you in the future."
Nodding, Simyon thought that Gunther's words were quite well thought out. For a teacher
who didn't seem to care, he was now saying some caring words. Of course, the students
didn't perceive it that way.
"What is this crap!" a student yelled. "Being a Pagna warrior is about more than just one's
Qi base. I didn't even get to show my skills, what I can do, or my potential."
"Yeah, and he and I are from the same clan!" Another student pointed. "I've beaten him in
sparring every single time, yet he is allowed through while I'm not just because of this
stupid test!"
A vein appeared on Gunther's head as he was beginning to lose his patience. 'What has
happened to these kids, to the Dark Faction! They should all know who I am, and outside,
they would bow down as I walked. Yet here, just because these spoiled brats haven't gotten
their way, the decision they wanted, they're questioning my judgment?'
"If you want to complain about it, then take it up with Pincer; I've said my part."
A crowd of disgruntled students immediately formed around Pincer, while Gunther made
his way over to Raze.
"The rest of you, prepare yourselves for the next part of the assessment; remember, there
are three stages, and that's just off this initial part."
The students started talking to each other, discussing past test events and sharing
information to increase their chances. Five students stood apart from the others, each
wearing a white badge with a black number from 1 to 5. Three were male, and two were
female. They were the top disciples from the five major clans of the Dark Faction.
One of the disciples, named Mada, had short, dark, spiky blue hair. He kept an eye on
Gunther as he approached the student named Raze.
'That badge, that's surely a no-name," Mada thought. "Why would my brother be bothering
with someone with no name when he didn't even look at me once?'
"Hey, what's up with your brother?" Another one of the five disciples, Ricktor, asked. He
was the tallest of the disciples, a head taller than the rest, and looked the most mature. He
stood up straight and tall, exuding an elegant aura that made him appear more feminine
than masculine. "Do you know that no-name, or what? I'm surprised to even see a few of
them here."
Mada wasn't sure. His brother, being the next planned head, was allowed to act in his own
way. The two of them had a distant relationship, but many had treated him with respect.
Even the other disciples didn't want to get on his bad side, as they knew his brother was
one of the teachers and had joined as a high official at the academy.
"The only no-names we have in our families are servantsm maids or slaves. He probably
just noticed something, that's all."
Before Gunther approached, since Simyon and Safa had already passed, Raze had given
them the signal to try and stay away from him, as things could get a little dangerous.
"Now, are you going to tell me what you're doing here, or is it something I'm going to have
to force out of you?" Gunther asked, reaching out his arm.
Instinctively, Raze took a step back, not wanting to be touched, but he knew that was
probably a bad move.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean. I joined the academy because I wish to enter it, to
become a Pagna warrior and make use of the resources that you have here," Raze
answered. It was the honest truth, and if Gunther worked for Pagna, maybe that would
satisfy him.
Gunther started scratching the side of his head rather vigorously, though. "Are you
seriously playing stupid right now?" Gunther asked. "Do you seriously not know? You're a
no-name...aren't you? Wait, so then it could be possible. Who taught you to cultivate?
Someone must have if you already have your Dantian formed."
Raze was taken aback. The question wasn't about his magic core; it was about his Dantian
instead. If that was the case, then what was so strange about it?
"Wait, I didn't cultivate my core with the Dark Essence Cultivation Technique like Safa and
Simyon. Could it be possible? Can he discern the energy within me?"
Raze found himself gripped by uncertainty. He didn't even know the nature of the energy
within him, and worrisome thoughts raced through his mind. While he had attempted the
cultivation technique, he remained oblivious to the faction it belonged to.
What if it originated from the Light faction? Would they suspect him of being a spy? Was
that why Gunther's behavior had taken such a suspicious turn? The pieces of the puzzle
were starting to fall into place. However, Raze realized there was one way to throw
Gunther off his trail.
Given his obscure status, he had a plausible excuse.
"I stumbled upon an old book," Raze replied cautiously. "I'm affiliated with a temple, part of
an orphanage group. During an exploration, I came across this book and began
experimenting with the techniques it contained. Is there something wrong with the
cultivation I've been using?"
Gunther began to tap his upper lip in contemplation. Originally, he had suspected Raze of
being a spy, but spies operated far more cautiously than this. They would have been aware
that someone within the academy could discern the energy used. Spies were extensively
trained to employ their skills while concealing their true faction affiliation, utilizing Dark
Faction energy.
This situation didn't fit the profile of a spy. Raze could have detected the energy reading
during the testing and left at any point, but he hadn't.
"Kid," Gunther began slowly, "You have no inkling, do you? The bewilderment on your face
says it all. The energy within you and the cultivation technique you employed, it's from the
Demonic faction."
Chapter 81 An Uneven Split
Chapter 81 An Uneven Split
The words "Demonic Faction" were heard, and memories of the words rushed through
Raze's head. It was a word that had come up a few times already. He started to think about
all of the times they were mentioned, and his memories of them weren't good at all.
The Demonic Faction was one of three major factions in the world of Pagna, along with the
Light Faction and Dark Faction. Yet, every time they had been brought up in one way or
another, it was never in a good light.
One would say that the hatred for the Demonic Faction was even stronger compared to the
Light Faction, but that wasn't the case at all; it was more so that they had a greater fear of
them.
In the past, the Demonic Faction had come close to controlling the entire continent, and the
Light and Dark Factions had no choice but to team up together to try to get rid of the threat.
It wasn't just the Pagna warriors; even the Alter group had considered the Demonic Faction
difficult, so much so that they hardly had anyone from their group in their territory. Raze
had considered it a good hiding place if things went bad in the future.
'If I have demonic energy, then does that mean that Dame person is from the Demonic
Faction? He was the one who gave me the book after all. He also got into a scuffle with that
woman from the Light Faction as well, so he's clearly not a part of their group.'
Dame had no reason to tell Raze he was from the Demonic Faction because he believed
Raze was from another world where they didn't have such things, so Raze found it hard to
blame him. But because of it, he was now in a rather difficult situation.
'Now that they know I have demonic energy, does it mean that all of them will go against
me? I won't be able to survive this.'
"Don't look so nervous," Gunther said. "Judging from your reaction, you genuinely don't
seem like you're from the Demonic Faction, or you're just a good actor. Either way, only
time will tell.
"But I should warn you. For me, I don't care that you cultivate the demonic energy in your
body. Some people believe the techniques you use, the energy you have, or where you are
born determines whether or not you are a member of a faction.
"For me, it's what values you believe in. Each faction believes in a certain set of values and
believes that is the perfect ideal of a Pagna warrior, and for me, it's the same. I don't care
what energy you use as long as your values are the same as ours. That is what makes you a
true member of the Dark Faction. However, not everyone thinks this way. If people find out
about the energy you have cultivated, then you will become an instant enemy here.
"While you are in the Dark Faction's academy, you should use only Dark Faction skills. As
long as you do this, and no one checks your energy like I did just now, then you will do
fine."
Judging from Gunther's words, it looked like Raze was going to have nothing to worry
about, especially since he only knew one Martial Arts skill at the moment and two
Cultivation techniques.
Seeing how Raze was deep in thought, Gunther made his decision. "You pass!" He shouted
and walked off with his back away from him.
The other students who were busy talking had been interrupted by the words, and they
were quite stunned. No one understood what was taking place or what had happened.
"No way, all three of the No-names managed to pass?" A student whispered.
"How were they even able to cultivate up to the first stage?"
"Do they have connections or something?"
"Connections? Don't be stupid, they're no-names, so why would anyone let them in?"
Mada, watching his brother walk away, was curious about what was said between the two.
Because he noticed, as Gunther walked away, he had a slight smile on his face. Something
that he had never seen.
'Who the heck are you?' Mada clenched his fist.
Letting out a big sigh, Gunther was thinking about the troubles that were lying ahead.
There was still more to go before he could act freely, but he was promised a reward for
helping out at the academy, so that he would do.
'I have no time for all this assessment stuff. I'll let the leader worry about whether he is a
spy or not. I just need to find out who this Dark Magus person is and get that reward from
the Crimson Crane.'
This was his main goal in all of this.
"So, you actually managed to make it into the big leagues," Simyon said, walking over. "I
was worried for a sec that we would have to do the next part without you."
When saying those words, Safa had stepped in a bit closer to the three; her eyes were
staring over her shoulder. She felt the energy coming off those around getting to her. It was
clear that they weren't happy about them passing.
While Raze was having a conversation with Gunther, something had occurred with the
disqualified students and Pincer. One student had argued so much back that they had been
hit and knocked out. After that, the others no longer said anything and accepted their
defeat.
They walked past the courtyard, but all of their stares were at the three No-names. Their
thoughts all being quite similar.
How could they have made it through? Was the academy saying that they were worth less
than No-names? They were better than them, and yet they were the ones leaving. Since
they were unable to do anything against the examiners, it looked like they wanted to take
out their anger on them.
However, Pincer's deep glares stopped them from having any such thoughts. Not unless
they wanted to be knocked out again.
"Alright!" Pincer clapped both of his hands together, and a loud clang went through the air.
A shockwave could visibly be seen spreading through the area around him and caught the
attention of everyone immediately.
His large muscular hands that were twice the size of normal seemed to not be for show.
"We will now go straight into the next part of the assessment where I will be taking watch,"
Pincer stated. "I want all students to stand on one side of the courtyard; when you hear
your number being called, I want you to move over to the other side, understood!"
The students nodded, and numbers started to be called one after another, and it was quite
nerve-wracking for them all. They had just got past one part, but there was still more to
come.
As numbers were being called out, eventually, the students realized something. For one, on
one side, numbers 1 to 5 had been called. All of the top clan members and their disciples
were placed on one side, but it wasn't just them.
Names that had been spread before coming to the academy, as well as students who had
come from what was considered the strongest clans, had gone to the other side.
"Hey, why is the teacher splitting us up like this?"
"It must be to make the assessment a bit fairer. Maybe we will have to go against each other
in the next assessment, and if we were to do that with those monsters, we wouldn't stand a
chance."
Safa looked at Raze; she didn't like the sound of that. Being in the same group, they might
have to go against each other. If that were to happen, then what would they do? Could they
not all join the academy together?
"Alright, that should do now, there is a nice even split between the two groups," Pincer
smiled to himself proudly. "Now, to your left and right, the people beside you will be your
teammates for the next assessment, and the two groups will be going up against each
other!"
The two groups didn't know what the next assessment was yet, but wasn't this clearly
unfair? Was the teacher just trying to get rid of a large number of students? Hearing this, a
lot of them almost felt like the result was already decided, even though they didn't know
what the assessment was going to be.
For Simyon and Safa, the two of them were just pleased that they didn't have to go with
Raze.
"Hey, as long as we have you on our side, we'll pass this, right?" Simyon said.
"I never planned to fail this assessment, no matter who I'm up against," Raze declared with
determination. He looked up ahead and stared right at the five main disciples of the five top
clans, his opponents for the next assessment.
Chapter 82 The Second Assessment
Chapter 82 The Second Assessment
Teaching staff apart from the academy had appeared. They were dressed in dark purple
clothing and had large hats on their heads that covered most of their hair and stood a
couple of feet high.
For Raze, it was something that looked quite ridiculous, but at least it made them easy to
spot around the place, and he knew who to hide from when doing certain things.
The staff members had pulled out two large crates that were filled with just stones. They
were grey stones that were mostly round in shape, looking almost like pebbles. There
seemed to be nothing special about them at all.
No power was emitting from these stones, nor did they have any magic coming off them at
all. After bringing in the stones, the teachers also rushed with a large piece of chalk and
started to run down the center making a line.
After running down the center of the courtyard, they continued down the side and
eventually had built a giant rectangle shape split into two halves around the 900 students
or so.
Afterwards, the crate of stones was placed in the center, with one of them on either side of
the two halves.
In Pincer's' hand, he held one of the pebble stones and was constantly throwing it up and
down as he went on to explain the details of the second assessment.
"The pebbles in the center are the only weapons you can use in this battle, and it will be
against each other," Pincer explained. "First, let me explain the ways of failing the
assessment. First, anyone who steps outside of the white line on their half is eliminated.
Second, if you decide to forfeit.
"And lastly, if you are no longer able to move."
The details of what the students had to actually do yet were unclear, but they felt a strange
ominous feeling at the last sentence. Gunther, who was silently watching everything, was
shaking his head.
'You cruel man, Pincer. Are you just trying to get rid of as many students as possible at this
stage?' Gunther thought.
"The pebbles are able to be thrown at your opponents on the other side. You are allowed to
hit your fellow students and aim for anywhere you like apart from the head. A simple
throw of the stone might not do much to hurt your opponents, but adding Qi into your
throw."
Pincer chucked the pebble down on the ground. A loud bang followed, and the stone had
been completely destroyed, but left in its place was a deep hole in the ground. If someone
was hit by something like that, they would be killed.
"If the time runs out you pass, and if you fail to hit one person you will also fail. You don't
have to eliminate them, but at least land a hit. Remember landing a hit is not eliminating
them, only if they are no longer able to move or forfeit."
The hands of several students were starting to shake, at least on one side of the courtyard.
After hearing the rules, didn't they favor one side more so than the others? Having put all
the talented students and the strongest together, it wouldn't be a fair match up, it would
have been fairer to mix the students equally.
The students wanted to say something, but they knew that Pincer would perhaps just
disqualify them for doing so.
"The assessment begins now!" Pincer shouted.
Those that were on Raze's side, many of them hesitated. Going to rush for one of the stones
meant you were closer to the others and your opponents, giving you more of a chance of
getting hit.
However, on the other side, the students had rushed forward, and leading the charge was
one of the disciples from the five top clans, Ricktor. He swooped down, picking up a pebble,
and it left his hand flawlessly.
It cut through the wind, and the pebble had hit one of the students' legs. Powered with Qi, it
had immediately broken, causing the student to fall to the ground. Before they knew it,
following Ricktor's lead, several stones were flying all over the place, hitting the students in
their arms, legs, and more.
Not every hit would break a bone in one's body. Some would just leave large cuts or bruises
on their body. In anger and desperation, they picked the fallen stones back up and started
to throw them with all their strength back.
The stones were constantly raining back and forth across the field.
There were those that were carefully avoiding them all.
A stone had come hurtling toward Mada, and with his hand, he moved it in an S shape like
flowing water and struck the stone to the side, causing him next to no harm.
'Where are you, no name?' Mada looked with his eyes. 'Don't tell me you've been knocked
out already.'
So far the three no names had yet to be hit. They were doing a good job avoiding the stones.
They hardly strayed from their position, and whenever one would come towards them,
they would all use the two-step shift method, to just move enough to avoid the stones.
'Oh, they have been taught well,' Gunther noticed. 'The two-step shift isn't the fanciest of
moves, but in this situation one doesn't need to be fancy. It also uses up a small amount of
energy. Rather than giving in to the fear of their opponent and the task ahead of them, they
have calmly analyzed the situation.'
The no names were doing better than many of those that had come from fighting clans. It
was a shame but it was what the high-intensity assessment was meant to do.
"Hey, is it just me, or do I have a feeling that more rocks are being concentrated our way?"
Simyon commented, as he continued to avoid all of the strikes.
It certainly did seem that way. It wasn't like that at first, but students were getting
eliminated rather quickly, and it was mostly due to the five clan members. When a student
forfeited out of pain or due to them no longer being able to move, the teachers came into
the area.
It was quite an amazing sight to see, as they were able to avoid all of the stones being
chucked back and forth, carry the students, and pull them out of the area, all without being
hit and had made it look so effortless as well.
As more were disappearing, though, the no names had become more of a target. They were
wondering why hadn't they been eliminated yet. Even the movements they used, they were
so simple. Which was starting to cause more frustration, and more pebbles were targeted
their way.
"It's okay," Raze said. "The hard part is over. As more people are eliminated there is more
space to move about, and it's easier to see the rocks coming. But because of all these stones,
we're finding it hard to find an opportunity to strike."
If they knelt down to throw one of the stones they would be hit. Although a hit didn't mean
elimination, with everyone throwing a full force stone with Qi, it could do quite a bit of
damage.
Raze just wanted to wait for the perfect time for when everyone would tire out, and then it
was their chance.
What he didn't expect, though, was from behind something was stirring as well. One of the
students had picked up a stone.
'Look at them, what the heck are they even doing here, and now they're trying to show off
with a basic two-step shift! None of them belong here, and are just getting in our way!
From behind, a student hurled one of the stones with as much strength as possible. The
three were focusing so hard on avoiding the stones ahead they had failed to notice what
was behind them.
As the stone landed right on one of them, a loud clank was heard for a moment, and the
stone fell to the floor.
Looking behind him, Simyon looked at the stone. "Did someone on my own team just throw
a stone at me?"
Simyon was in disbelief; he couldn't believe his own teammate attacked him. Surely that
had to be against the rules. The stone had landed on the back of his leg and fell to the floor,
but Simyon hadn't flinched, and the student was in as much disbelief as Simyon was.
Whereas for Raze, he had a smile on his face.
"The answer was with us this entire time. Come on, metal boy, it's time for our attack!"
Chapter 83 You Went too Far
Chapter 83 You Went too Far
With the effect of the Mythical-grade Earring, Simyon had a level 1 metal body. Nearly all of
the students, although Pagna warriors, they were a stage 1 Pagna warrior. With Qi infused
through them, they wouldn't be able to harm Simyon's body.
The others wouldn't know this, so it was time for them to use him as a human shield.
"Simyon, block all the hits and head forward!" Raze shouted.
Having caught the gist of what Raze was planning, he listened and did as asked.
"You don't have to tell me twice, as I said, I'll do as you say!"
Like a bull, Simyon charged forward, and Safa and Raze followed behind in almost a
straight line.
Seeing another student coming directly toward them, the other students, of course, had
decided to target him. Throwing the rocks, they bounced off his body even if infused with
Qi, doing next to no damage at all and not slowing him down.
When they were close enough to the centre line, Raze and Safa rolled to the side and picked
up a rock. Nearly at the exact same time, they threw their rocks at two of the students
closest. It was infused with Qi and hit the student on the knee. It jolted his leg forward, and
he fell to the floor.
It was the same for the person that Safa had hit as well.
"And now it's my turn!" Simyon said, picking up a rock. Rather than throwing it at another
student, Simyon decided to play it safe and threw a stone at the person who was already on
the ground, hitting him as he was coming back up.
"Alright, retreat!" Simyon stated.
The three only had to hit a student, which meant they had now passed, as long as they
could survive until the assessment was over.
"That damn kid, he wasn't the only one that was special," Gunther smiled. "How are these
no-names surprising me more and more? The other two, they didn't have any demonic Qi
inside them. Yet it's clear they know each other. The teamwork and trust they put into each
other, it's like those that have been through life and death with each other."
Moving back, it was time for the three to get out of there and just hide behind the other
students. As they were retreating though, a stone came out faster and more powerful than
the others.
Simyon was happy to block it with his body, but when it hit him in his stomach, it had hit
deep, causing his eyes to bulge out slightly, the air from his stomach to pop out. He couldn't
breathe and knelt over, nearly causing the other two to trip.
"Oh, you're still standing, now that hurt my pride a little," Ricktor said with another stone
in his hand.
Originally, the main disciples were too busy dealing with the others, taking out as many as
they could, but the act of the three with no-name had managed to catch their eye.
"Unfortunately for you guys. You are not allowed to reach our place!"
Standing next to Ricktor were the other five Clan disciples. Ricktor, Mada, Cherry, Lisa, and
Ossep. They had stayed close to each other, having a competition of sorts, seeing how many
they could take out. But after seeing Simyon's act, a suggestion had come up.
"Hey, why don't we go ahead and see who can take out the three no-names first?" Ossep
suggested. "The one who takes out the most wins."
"I guess that will make this boring game a little more interesting," Cherry claimed, her
slender fingers on her hip.
Simyon had recovered, but the situation wasn't looking good for them. The students that
were close to them until this point had stepped away. Everyone could tell that they had
become their targets.
All five of them hurled the rocks at the same time, all of them powered with Qi. They flew
swiftly in the air, and immediately Simyon lifted his arms up and his body, blocking them
from the other two.
"ARGHH!" Simyon screamed as the rocks hit him all over. His metal body was too weak for
the amount of power they were using.
"What are you doing, idiot, protect yourself!" Raze shouted at him.
"Hey, don't you remember what I said?" Simyon placed his hands on his legs and got up
again. "I owe you my life, I owe everything to you, it's because of you that I'm even here in
the first place. So shut up, and let me do what I want!"
A rock went whizzing past Simyon's face and arms and produced a large cut, drawing
blood. The tactic of the disciples had changed a bit; if they couldn't take them down, then
they just had to injure them to the point where they could give up.
A large rock hit Safa in the stomach again, and as she knelt down, several of the rocks went
past. They were now throwing more than one at a time. Safa tried to move out of the way
but was hit on the shoulder, and heard a loud crack in her arm.
"Ahs." She tried to scream, but no noise was coming out.
"What the hell!" Cherry pointed. "That girl, she didn't scream. Can she not scream, is she a
mute?"
It wasn't just Safa though, Raze had struggled as well. He went to move and avoided one
stone but another had hit his forearm. It hadn't broken it, but it was now throbbing with
pain.
"It would be easier if you all just decided to give up; otherwise, this is going to be very
painful for you." Mada threw another rock, and the rest followed.
They had continued to go through the air, with the three of them avoiding them, trying
their best, but they got hit, the pain increasing and spreading throughout their body in
more areas.
Not all of them hit their bodies, as many had narrowly passed them, causing large cuts on
their body. Blood was dripping from all three of them, but each of them refused to yield.
"Hey!" Gunther called out. "Don't you think you should end the assessment? The others
aren't even throwing stones at each other anymore and are just watching this spectacle.
Haven't they proven enough?"
"Since when did you become so soft?" Pincer replied. "You know if those three pass and get
through, they will be treated much worse than this. If they can't get through this much, then
it's best that they stop here."
Another round of stones was thrown, and it had hit the three, as it did, it sent them to the
floor, but they had nearly been too hurt to even scream in pain anymore, too tired. Yet still,
slowly each one of them got off the ground. Safa had even slipped back down, falling onto
the floor.
She pushed herself up and looked ahead, looking at her brother's back.
"What's with your eyes!" Mada shouted. "What the heck do you think you're staring at! You
are no-names. You are at the bottom, and your duty is to serve us, so why are you looking at
us with those eyes!"
Raze had his head held slightly down, yet his eyes were looking straight ahead at the five of
them.
'I can't help but chuckle, this scene, this whole thing, it feels incredibly familiar to me. Ah,
now I know, these five, they remind me of the Grand Magus.'
Thinking this, a burning energy was running through Raze's body, and he lifted his hand,
pointing at the three.
"The image of every single one of you is burned into my mind!" Raze said. "I won't forget
what you guys did to us today, singling us out, and hey." Raze said, as he raised his weak
hand, covered in cuts, blood dripping down his forearm. He then lifted his middle finger
right up toward them.
"We have a name, you dumb f*cks! We are the Cromwells!"
The other students on both sides looked at each other. The Cromwells? Was it a name they
had heard before? They hadn't heard of such a clan, a merchant, or anyone that went by
that name. It sounded strange and unusual by their standards as well.
A no-name giving themselves a name," Mada said, turning to look at Gunther for a few
moments before he turned to look back at the three. "How pathetic!"
The single rock was hurled at the group. With how many times they had been hit, it was too
painful for them to move. For the last few, they had just been taking the hits right on, but
before the rock had even reached them, Safa stumbled again, barely ablea to stand.
Out of all of them, she had been most affected by the hits and looked the weakest, and Mada
had sensed this. If he was just to get rid of one of them, then wouldn't they all fall.
The path of the rock was clear, and it was heading right for Safa's chest. There were only
rules against hitting the head.
Raze lifted his hand, but it was short of being able to block the rock.
"Wind, guide it to me." Raze whispered.
The rock, as if being pulled by an invisible force, changed direction in the air. It curved
around and landed straight in Raze's hand, catching the Qi-powered rock with no problem
at all.
"You went too far."
Chapter 84 The Low Class
Chapter 84 The Low Class
Until a moment ago, all of the students were focused on the little game the disciples had set
up. They were mesmerized by what they were seeing since the three no-names hadn't
given up yet, but not mesmerized in a good way.
They had seen a number of students from clans get hit and have wounds on their bodies far
less severe than the ones on the no-names that had already given up. It was unbelievable to
them all.
In the society of Pagna, no-names were at the bottom of a caste system. They were only
given the most basic of jobs. Their families were too poor to send their children to school,
too weak to afford food to grow their strength. Because of this, no-names never broke the
cycle and always remained at the bottom of the system.
They could only do small jobs to help others, leaving everyone to think of them as lesser
people. It had been drilled into their heads so much that even the no-names believed it
themselves.
They were just meant to give their lives to those who made the world go round.
This was why it was already a big shock to see no-names taking the assessment in the first
place, and now to witness them putting up a fight, it wasn't encouraging to them, it was
sickening.
The annoying bugs should have stayed down, and they deserved to get what was
happening to them. For each time they stood up, it made the others feel lesser themselves.
How could these lesser, dirty humans try to one-up them?
They all wanted to watch them fail, and fail miserably because if they passed, then it would
mean a no-name was equal to them. However, all of these thoughts almost immediately
disappeared from their heads for a moment when they had witnessed what Raze had just
done.
"Hey, am I imagining things or did that rock move mid-air and go right towards his hands."
"No, you're not crazy. I saw it as well."
"Hey, hey, that's not the crazy part," another student said. "Are you forgetting who threw
it? It was Mada, one of the leading disciples from the Flowing Force clan. He threw the thing
with Qi, and he was able to catch it like it was nothing."
Both Pincer and Gunther had been watching the thing carefully, and Gunther himself was
thinking of intervening. With the amount of force the last throw had, it wouldn't be so
surprising when it hit that girl's chest that it could have killed her.
However, the academy didn't have to worry about these things, at least not with a no-name
because there would be no one who could really complain about their death.
'Was it some type of palm suction technique?' Gunther thought. 'The stone, it moved as if it
was magnetized toward his hand. It has to be a technique of some sort. There are many
techniques from various different clans. If that child was able to pick up a demonic
cultivation technique, then something like this wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities.'
With the stone in his hand, Raze opened his fingers, allowing the stone to drop onto the
floor. He wanted to throw it back with all of his might, but he was already injured and too
tired for that.
These Clan members had more stamina and strength than them. They were either already
stage 2 warriors or close to it.
Huffing and panting, trying to gather their breath back, Safa and Simyon had seen what
Raze had done, and they had a feeling they knew exactly what it was that he was using right
now.
"What is this, you think just because you got lucky you can stand there like that?" Mada's
face was turning red. He was getting embarrassed. How could he have failed to take down
the no-names, and most of all, his brother was watching him.
Picking up another one of the stones, he hurled it through the air again at full force. It went
on the same path as before, it wasn't going for Raze or Simyon but instead it was going for
Safa.
"Wind guide it to me," Raze whispered again.
It was a magic spell, one based on the new wind attribute he had gained. Since the object
was fairly light, it could easily be influenced by a small amount of wind magic. Then before
the stone would end up in his palm, the wind magic would create a small burst, slowing it
down before it eventually went right into his hand again.
Raze opened his fingers, and the stone dropped to the floor.
There were audible gasps as they saw this. Since he had done the same thing twice in a row,
it was clear it wasn't a fluke.
"Haha! So interesting," Ricktor claimed. "What an interesting technique this one has
learned. I would have loved to have just let you go by, but the threat that you made against
us before, I will have to take it as a serious one."
Kneeling down, Ricktor had picked up a stone from the ground and was ready to throw it
until a loud bang interrupted him. It was the same bang from before, and they could see
that Pincer had his two hands together, having finished his clap.
"The assessment is over, all of those that have yet to be eliminated, you have passed and
are now able to head to the third part of the assessment!" Pincer declared.
As if it was a signal, immediately Safa and Simyon had collapsed onto the ground. However,
Raze stayed on his feet and didn't look away from the five disciples.
"What a disgusting monster," Ricktor said, dropping the stone and walking away.
With the assessment being a relatively tough one, there were many that had sustained
injuries. Those that didn't need to be healed were free to take a break and be treated to
food and drink in the hall.
While the others, they had headed to a large hall where a team of physicians were making
quick work of looking after all of the others. They were using a blend of plants, herbs,
alchemy-made pills, as well as activating the Qi in their bodies through a touch of their
own.
In the corner, it was Raze's turn to be looked at, but before the young man could get to him,
a hand grabbed his fist.
"It's okay, I will deal with them. I know how to do this stuff," Gunther said.
The physician went away, leaving the medicine on the ground, and went to deal with
Simyon and Safa.
Meanwhile, Gunther just handed over the bowl of a strange liquid paste to him, to apply it
to himself.
"I thought I would help you out. I didn't want your secret to be revealed," Gunther winked.
"You also seemed like the type that didn't like to be touched too much."
It was quite amazing to Raze how a person could tell so much from a look. Gunther was
skilled in more ways than just his power and tools.
"Anyway, I came over to tell you something anyway. You should drop out of the next
assessment."
Chapter 85 The Third Assessment
Chapter 85 The Third Assessment
Once again, Gunther had approached Raze, and this wasn't going unnoticed by all of the
other students who were being treated in the room.
"Hey, does that no-name really have connections?"
"Maybe he's an unwanted son, an illegitimate child of a clan head and a concubine. That
stuff happens all the time, right? Then he comes back to exact his revenge on all his
brothers, but there is a kind brother looking out for him."
"What type of crap are you spouting? Go take your fantasy crap elsewhere. Clearly, he just
thinks he has some talent, so he's talking to him."
It was true, Gunther had approached Raze because he thought he was a skillful student, but
due to him being a no-name, he knew that this wasn't a blessing in this situation, but it was
actually worse off for him.
"If we've gotten this far, why do you want us to drop out?" Raze asked. "Is it because of
what happened during this assessment, or do you have your own motive?"
Letting out a big sigh, Gunther turned to look around. He then passed over a few more
medicine pills that had been given and handed them over. Raze was applying the green
substance onto his cuts.
His arm would sting for a few moments, but he only let out a small grunt before continuing
elsewhere, while there were literal sounds of screams coming from others.
"You don't need to put on the tough guy act with me," Gunther smiled. "Look, we told you at
the beginning that the assessments were just to evaluate you. With the second assessment
over, everyone has already passed; the third assessment is just to determine what groups
to put you in."
"Then shouldn't I still try my best? Better groups will have access to better resources,
correct?" Raze asked.
Gunther wasn't wrong about this kid; he had seen it before, the certain look he would have
in his eyes, the look of wanting more power no matter what it took. Raze wasn't the only
one.
People in the entire continent went through crazy events and things, which gave them all
determination to get stronger. What separated people was just how strong this
determination was.
"You should know resources are useless if you're dead, right?" Gunther replied back. "Look,
I shouldn't really be telling you this, but you seem to be a smart one, so I'll give you the
details of the next event.
"It's a hunting ground," Gunther explained. "Behind the academy, there is a large forest.
Small beasts known as hop bunnies will be released, and it's the students' jobs to get as
many Power stones from the beasts as possible.
"In a way, this whole event is just a way for students to flex or give themselves a ranking
amongst each other. As really it will be just the disciples of the five main clans competing
against each other, but did you notice why it will be a problem."
Thinking about it for a while, Raze had managed to come to a conclusion based on the
carefully selected words.
"Because the task is to gather power stones, not to kill the beasts," Raze answered.
"I knew you were a smart one. If I could, I would make you my own disciple right now, but
my arts won't be the best for you," Gunther continued. "The fact that the assessment is to
gather stones means it encourages the others to take stones from others, and that will be
by force if necessary.
"You and your friends already stand out a lot, and the main clan disciples aren't going to
like that. Now, it seems like they have a little grudge against you, so the best thing for all of
you to do is just not gather any stones and avoid any more attention."
With his warning given, Gunther felt like he had done the deed he needed to do and started
to head off to set up the next steps.
'Argh crap, I was meant to ask what that technique he used earlier was with the stone. That
was pretty cool. I was going to ask him if he had ever heard about the Dark Magus as well.
Oh well, I guess I can just save that for next time we meet,' Gunther thought.
The advice given by Gunther seemed genuine, but Raze felt like he was still too naive. He
was looking at the others from his point of view and how he would act, but people were
different in the world.
There wasn't black or white; there were multiple shades of grey in between. Raze knew
that even if he didn't gather any power stones, they would still target him, and not just him
but the others as well.
'Now, I need to figure out how to deal with it.'
Mada, while walking around the hallways of the academy, had passed by and heard a few
interesting things. Some of the students had only minor wounds and after they had been
looked at, they were heading to the canteen for some food before the next assessment.
"Why do you think he went to see him?"
"How am I meant to know? Maybe they're secret lovers or something."
The other student punched his shoulder. "Hey, if they catch you saying that stuff about an
examiner, then you're dead. Still, it is strange that a no-name is receiving so much
attention."
"Hey!" Mada called out. "What are you guys talking about?"
The two students glanced at each other; they knew who Mada was and thought that he
might have overheard what he said. No, it was quite clear he had, and now they were
fearing the worst and were preparing for a beating.
"We're sorry!" the students bowed down. "We were just joking around. We saw Gunther
and the no-name from before, the one that caught your— I mean, the white-haired one
talking to each other."
Mada immediately started to clench his fist hard until his knuckles were turning white.
'Why does he care about a no-name so much? He's never looked at me with the same
expression, much less acknowledged I even exist, yet he's paying so much attention to him.
Alright then, Gunther, let's see how you react when I get rid of him.'
Chapter 86 You Make Me Hard
Chapter 86 You Make Me Hard
The academy had some of the top physicians and an abundance of supplies that they could
use to speed up the recovery process. They were even more equipped than some of the top
clans but not the very best.
This was all due to the investment by all of the clans in the Dark Faction, in the first place;
they needed to see a return on their investment.
One student had healed quicker than others, as it turned out his injuries weren't as severe
as they looked. That was Simyon, and he only had one answer to that: the reason had to be
due to the earring that made his body a little special compared to others.
"What is this place!" Simyon's eyes were wide as he walked into the toilet. He never
thought he would have this type of reaction to seeing a place where waste was disposed of,
but he was over the moon because he hadn't seen something so luxurious.
"There are these holes where people can wash their hands and collect the water. Where
does the water even go? And the toilets, it's not just a hole in the ground but something you
can sit on as well? I wonder, are you meant to stand on the seat or what, but wouldn't that
break it?"
Entering the toilet, Simyon decided to sit with his back facing the door, placing his two legs
in front of him and using the top of the toilet next to his face like a little shelf.
"I have no idea if this is right or wrong? How are you meant to use this thing?" It was quite
the head-scratcher, but he had only come in for a short visit. After doing what needed to be
done, he proceeded to wash his hands, and when he looked up, he was surprised to see that
someone else was in the toilets with him.
Quickly, Simyon placed his head down and continued to rub his hands, avoiding eye
contact.
"If you continue to rub your hands so fast like that, then the skin is going to come off them,"
Ricktor said.
The tall student with a feminine face, Ricktor, was someone who had caught the attention
of everyone, and his name was one that all the students would remember. That was
because he was one of the disciples of the five major clans.
Not only that, but he belonged to the Erupting Fist Clan, the clan with the clan head that
was the closest to reaching the deity stage and also the one that was the principal of the
Dark Faction academy.
"Thanks for that," Simyon nervously said and tried to walk out of the toilets as quickly as he
could, until Ricktor sat up on the washing stations and looked directly at Simyon,
somewhat blocking his path.
Simyon could forcibly move around him, but he had a feeling that if he did that, it wouldn't
be the best of ideas.
"I saw you out there, you have quite the strong body. You are impressive, a lot more than
the others. I can't believe it myself; I can't believe you're really a no-name," Ricktor claimed.
"Imagine how strong you would be if you were to join a clan, and what a coincidence that I
have taken a liking to you, and I am part of a strong clan with a high position."
In the past, Simyon would have done anything to bite at the chance of joining a clan, even
the Red Brigade, and now he was getting the chance to join the Erupting Fist. People would
have done anything to get this opportunity.
However, with what had happened to them in the second assessment, a bad taste was left
in Simyon's mouth, and besides, he had made a promise already.
"It would be an honor to join a clan like yours, but I'm afraid a no name like me would ruin
the reputation of your clan. I believe I will try my best to progress in the academy as I have
done so far," Simyon answered politely, trying not to make it sound like an outright
rejection.
"Oh, but you can join. I am here to make you an offer. In the next assessment, we will be
going through the grounds forest. Take the white-haired boy North West, and if you do that,
then I will be happy to put in a good word for you," Ricktor suggested.
Simyon thought this was the case, and it was one of the reasons why he was trying to avoid
a conversation.
'Can this guy not get the hint that I just turned him down? Or has he never been turned
down before?' Simyon looked at Ricktor's face, and with a face like that, he imagined that
might have been the case. Men and women would both be drawn to a person looking like
they had been dropped from the heavens.
"Why, why are you going after Raze?" Simyon asked.
Laughter followed after the question had been asked. "I think you have it all wrong, young
one. I am not going after your friend Raze; I am going after you," Ricktor jumped off from
the washing area and walked close to Simyon, looking down at him with a large smile.
"You see, there aren't many things that excite me, but seeing people placed in a
predicament, where they feel they have no choice but to betray those that they thought
were close to them, well that just makes me feel ecstatic."
Standing so close, Simyon was sure of it, that around his waist, he could feel something
poking him.
'What the heck is wrong with this guy, is he aroused right now!' Simyon went to move
away, but immediately had been grabbed by Ricktor.
It was a firm grip on his wrist, and it felt hot to the touch. Simyon felt like his skin was
burning slightly.
"I know you no-names would do anything to join a clan like mine. You're lucky my
requirement is just a simple betrayal and not something else. Do the task and get
rewarded; I'll even give you a few Qi pills.
"However, if you fail, I might just go ahead and ask that girl that seems close to him
instead."
Ricktor let go and exited the toilets. The moment he did, Simyon felt like he could breathe
again. Looking at his arm, he could see a mark had been left behind, the skin had gone a
little redder through his dark-toned arm.
"Crap, now I feel like crap. If that was Safa, I bet she would have fought back at the mention
of her brother, yet here I am saying I'm loyal and didn't do a thing."
Returning from the toilet to the others, Simyon was trying to cover up the marking on his
arm. He was playing with his sleeves a bit when he joined the others and noticed that many
of the students around them looked as if they had made a recovery.
'Should I tell Raze what just happened? But then…what about Safa, what will happen to her
if they start to target her, what do I do?'
"Is something wrong?" Raze asked.
With the students having recovered, they were then escorted to the area where the third
part of the assessment would take place. All three hundred students that had made it were
brought to the edge of the academy city at the very back, leading into the dark forest.
The night sky had come out, as it had been hours since their first assessment. The
moonlight lit up the faces of them all as Pincer and Gunther stood at the front.
"Alright, everyone, it's time for the third part of the assessment to begin," Pincer claimed.
Looking around him, Simyon had caught the eye of Ricktor again. He slightly nodded his
head.
'Crap, what do I do!' Simyon thought.
Chapter 87 I’m The One Who Hunts
Chapter 87 I'm The One Who Hunts
Before the third assessment was to begin, the rules were explained to all of them. It was
just as Gunther had said before. The students were to go on a hunt. Inside, there were blue
bunny beasts.
These were small creatures that looked like bunnies but had blue fur along with red eyes.
They were more agile than a standard bunny and had quite a bite. The blue-furred bunnies
were raised at the academy as a way for them to farm level 1 power stones.
This was effective because bunnies reproduced a lot, and they were one of the least
dangerous beasts in terms of strength. The time limit was until the sun rose, so they had an
extremely large amount of time. It was to allow the group to plan and strategize properly.
"I will remind you all again," Pincer had his arms behind his back, and his large chest
pushed forward as he spoke. "There are no rules in how you get these power stones. Steal,
lay traps, or even team up against each other. The only rule is you are not to kill your fellow
students.
"For those who bring back power stones, and a large number of them, you will be rewarded
by the academy greatly. We are an academy that helps focus on those who are talented to
grow and reach the skies, so show us how talented you are."
Many of the students who had been in the weaker group from the last assessment weren't
too pleased about the events. Although their bodies had been healed, it was really only the
severe wounds. They were still sore, still bruised and injured.
While the other side had suffered next to no injuries. Although they wouldn't necessarily be
going against each other like in the last assessment, they felt like it was a little unfair.
"What are you all waiting for, go!" Pincer shouted, and with a clap, it was the signal that the
assessment had started.
Several of the students ran straight into the forest, including the five main clan disciples,
with Ricktor turning his head, looking back, and making eye contact with Simyon.
Not all of them had headed straight into the forest, though. Some of the students were
talking to each other, trying to see who would team up with them to give them a better
chance against the stronger students, and one of those groups was Raze's.
Safa started to make signals with her hands as she pointed toward Raze. It looked like she
was suggesting some traps the three of them could use to catch some of the bunnies, but
Raze shook his head.
"No, we don't need to do any of that," Raze replied. "Because we're not going to be hunting
anything; we're just going to stay here until the assessment is over. There's no need for us
to get any crystals."
The words were said relatively loudly, and it was then that Gunther and Pincer had headed
back into the academy. The large gate doors that they had come out of had now been locked
from the other side. There was no way back into the academy other than scaling the walls
or through the doors.
"Wait, seriously!" Simyon said, tapping his foot on the ground at a relatively fast rate. "Are
we not going to hunt? Won't we get kicked out of the academy?"
"We won't," Raze answered. "And besides, we can just stay here and then beat up the guys
that come at the end. I bet a lot of people are going to do that; if we do that, then we will be
safe."
Raze didn't want to reveal the inside information he had, that everyone had already passed.
It hadn't been mentioned, but from the looks of things, other students already knew that as
well. Still, in a position where they were hated by everyone, it was best not to let things
spill.
"But if we do that, will we get the most crystals? Don't you want to beat those guys because
of what they've done to us? I'm sure with your head, you could do something that will help
us win this," Simyon shouted, as if he was agitated by Raze.
"Fine," Raze said. "If you feel that strongly about it, then why don't you lead the way?"
An unnerving smile appeared on Raze's face, one that made Simyon wonder who was more
frightening, Ricktor or him.
Turning around, Simyon headed into the forest, and the two followed him. As he did, he
made sure to head Northwest.
The group had continued forward for a while, and they had passed a few of the blue-furred
bunnies. As soon as their feet touched a large leaf or made some noise, the bunnies would
run away.
It didn't matter, though, because Simyon hadn't slowed down and started to run forward.
The others continued until three students landed right in front of them. Raze stopped in his
tracks immediately, and two more students arrived behind them. It didn't take long to
figure out who they were; it was the five major clan disciples.
"It's nice to meet you again," Ricktor said with a smile. "I bet you thought we wouldn't
waste time with you because you're a no-name, but you see, you insulted us all with your
crude finger from before.
"That look in your eyes from before, it looked like you wanted to kill us, so here's your
chance, why don't you do something." Ricktor raised both of his hands by his side.
He was gloating, and he was sure that Raze wouldn't try something so daft.
"Oh, and before I forget, thank you for bringing him here." Ricktor threw over a red small
stone. Simyon caught it and could see it was a power stone. "You and the girl have done
splendidly. The two of you may go, and I'll give you a call when I need you again."
Safa immediately turned to Simyon; she was about to give him an earful or at least
whatever noise she could make out of her mouth, that was until Raze hit her hard at the
back of her neck, causing her to pass out.
Simyon caught her before she hit the floor and started to walk out of the area. He had
walked past both Mada and Ricktor, and neither of them had done anything. He gave one
last look at Raze before he started to run off.
"How does it feel to be betrayed by one of your friends!" Ricktor asked. "I bet he was
someone who you thought was like family to you, right? And look at what happened. You
know all it took was a small, simple promise for him to join our clan. He traded you for that;
that's how worthless your no-name life is."
Ricktor was laughing, and as he was, he would readjust his belt that was close to his waist.
He was unable to keep the excitement that was rising in his body.
While Simyon was walking back, he couldn't help but worry. 'Raze, you have a plan, right? A
plan to get out of that situation?' Simyon thought.
Memories had flashed in his head from before the event. When Simyon had returned from
the toilet, he had decided to tell Raze everything that had happened, and the answer he had
given back was surprising.
"Do it," Raze said. "Do what he said, work for them and pretend he has you
under control."
"But Raze, it's a trap; even if it's just one of the disciples, they'll take you out," Simyon said.
"True, but can't you tell by the way they are acting? They are targeting me regardless, and if
you try to fight back, they'll target you as well. If you play along, you two won't become
their target, and you'll get something out of it. Trust me, even if you didn't do this, they
would just find some way anyway."
Running back from the way they came, Simyon couldn't help but worry. Even if he had
strange powers, how was he meant to take on all five of them on his own at once?
——
"Come on, do something!" Ricktor shouted out again.
In response, Raze looked up at the sky, and then around the area they were in. "I have no
chance if I was to fight all five of you, not even if I gave it everything I have," Raze said to
himself. "But, do you know what happens when a person uses a large amount of magic... a
disaster. All of you are acting like some third rate villain, hunting down your pray, but you
have no idea. I'm the one who hunts. "
Chapter 88 No Evidence
Chapter 88 No Evidence
Being part of the Alter group, Raze had been told that there was a specific rule that was
designated for those from Alterian. While in the world of Pagna, one wasn't supposed to
use magic. The reason for that rule was because of portals.
Portals linked to other dimensions were attracted to the magic used, so as long as Raze
used enough magic, then he could summon a portal and create a portal outbreak.
'If I summon a portal now, I have no clue what type of dimension will open up. Beasts might
come out that are even too hard for me to handle,' Raze thought. 'On top of that, Alter will
come and investigate. When they find out that I was here, no doubt I will be placed as
number one on their list, and then the whole crap with the Red Brigade Clan will happen all
over again.'
Despite all of this, he had no choice. Would the disciples just give him a simple beating, or
would they cripple him and make sure he could never go against them again? It was too
much of a risk. The dark magic started to swirl around his arms, ready to explode.
"Wait!" Mada shouted.
The reaction from the other disciples was one of confusion, which made Raze quickly
cancel his magic. At times it was best to also be patient and to wait and see what would
unfold.
Mada turned his back towards Raze and looked straight ahead at Ricktor. "Just this once, I
ask you to let me deal with this. I need to do this."
Ricktor looked down at Mada, bowing to him. He liked this feeling. "It would be nice to have
the Flowing Force Clan owe me a favor. Fine, I shall let you play with this one, as I have
another toy that I am far more interested in."
Clicking his fingers, Ricktor disappeared from the place along with the other four. Although
they were all from separate clans, in the past, all five would frequently visit each other.
They knew each other well, but what they didn't know was each other's strength.
They had never gone against each other, but they listened to the words of Ricktor more
than any, due to his position in the Dark Faction Clan. Being the closest to the Deity rank, he
was somewhat thought of as the leader of the Dark Faction.
'Hahaha, what is this, is this a stroke of luck for me?' Raze thought. 'With my life, I thought I
had no such thing. I guess since transmigrating, luck has favored me a few times. If it's just
one, then I can deal with it.'
Raze had almost immediately regretted those thoughts. Mada had moved from his position
over five meters in an instant, but not only that, it looked as if his feet had just glided across
the floor.
Raze was unable to witness him lifting his legs, which made the whole thing look like an
illusion. Before he could prepare any magic, a heavy blow had landed right in his stomach.
His feet were lifted off the ground, and he went flying through the air. Raze felt like his
insides were about to come out, and food had already left his mouth, dribbling over his
clothing as he finally landed a distance away.
'That hit... are these disciples stronger than the Red Brigade Elders?' Raze looked around,
getting up from his position, but he was unable to see where Mada was.
"You are nothing special. I don't understand why my brother spent so much attention on
you." Mada stated.
Raze was gathering the magic in his hands again, but before he knew it, a large, heavy kick,
it was giving the imagery as if it was flowing through water, bashed into Raze's side. Once
again, he was sent flying through the forest, tumbling until he landed on the ground.
'I've made a big mistake,' Raze thought as he spat out blood from his mouth onto the
ground. 'I thought as long as I had distance between us, that I would be able to use my
magic to finish him off, but why am I struggling to see him so much? How can there be so
much of a difference between these guys and the Red Brigade Clan?'
In a way, Raze was lucky to have transmigrated into the town he had. It was a small place
with a clan that had next to no significance. Since he had been introduced to the world of
Pagna warriors through them, he could only use them as a guide.
Sure, he had met Dame and Beatrix, but they were claimed to be at the very pinnacle, at the
top. There was Yon as well, but if Raze had used magic, maybe he would have been able to
do something. Right now, though, he felt completely helpless.
As Raze got up off the ground, he noticed the lack of trees that were around him. Looking
back, there was just the ground and a cliff that descended into nothing but mist, similar to
that which surrounded the entire academy.
"Why?" Mada said, appearing in front of Raze and walking slowly toward him. "Why would
he acknowledge someone like you, talk to you, when he has never even bothered to say a
single word to me?"
"F*ck me!" Raze said, as he held his stomach. "Is this what this is about? You're attacking
me because you're f*cking jealous, and of all things, your brother. If you want to tell him
you love him, then go tell him, don't drag me into your incest bullsh*t!"
Why did it always feel like to Raze that he was put in these difficult situations? When he
had nothing, he was forced to do others' bidding against his own will. When he had
something, it was taken away from him.
When he had power, he was chased by those who feared him.
"I'm telling you this now," Raze said, as he looked up at Mada with the same eyes he had
done before when the rest of the disciples were there. A sharp look that pierced through
one's soul. "If you don't kill me, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life."
"I already planned to," Mada answered. "I need to see the reaction on my brother's face
when you're gone."
Raze lifted his hand up in that moment, the dark magic gathered around his palm. "Dark
pulse!" Raze shouted.
The beam of energy shot out, but moving to the side, Mada had avoided it completely, only
letting it burn his hair. Shifting forward like he had done before, he side-kicked Raze right
in the stomach, lifting him off the floor.
Raze could feel his body in free fall, and eventually, the edge of the cliff, with Mada looking
down at him was all he could see until he could see nothing but the mist covering his sight.
Mada looked down and couldn't hear a loud thud, which suggested it was a long way to the
bottom.
'He won't be able to survive that, and there will be no evidence of my doing,' Mada said as
he turned around.
When he did, he started to walk back through the forest, and that's when his eyes laid upon
a tree. There was a large hole in it, not just through one tree, but it went through three
trees until it stopped.
'This... was it his doing? Was it that strange attack he pulled at the end? What was that?
Was it projectile Qi? No, that would be impossible; only a deity rank can do something like
that. So what is this?' Mada thought.
Chapter 89 A Bad Memory
Chapter 89 A Bad Memory
?
The edge of the cliff that Raze was able to see had long gone out of his sight, and now it felt
like he was endlessly falling down. How deep was he falling off the edge? Surely even if a
Pagna warrior were to fall down here, they too would perish.
'Why would they have such a cliff in the academy? Do they want students to die? It seems
like my experience here might end up being worse than at the mage's academy!'
Flashes of imagery appeared in Raze's mind. Surrounded in a large courtroom, surrounded
by other mages. His own self standing on trial with cuffs around his wrists, then finally the
image of Ibarin covered in fake tears, one of the five Grand Magus, and the current head of
the Mage Academy.
'No, the situation back then was far worse than this, this I can handle.'
Calming himself as he fell, Raze started to gather magic. Over his right hand, swirls of dark
purple were weaving in and out, flowing like water. Then over his left arm, the same thing
was happening, but it wasn't dark in color; it was clear and almost invisible because Raze
was using wind magic as well.
"Dark pulse!" Raze shouted, and from his hand, the pulse of magic moved the mist out of
the way, but it soon moved back, covering it again. After a few seconds, though, he could
hear a slight banging sound.
'Not yet... I need to time this right.'
"Dark pulse!" Raze called out again, and the attack went through the mist. This time the
bang was heard much sooner than before, and when there were only a couple of seconds
left.
"Dark pulse, and the push of wind!" Raze shouted.
The ground was only around a meter off the floor from where he was, but the Dark pulse
exploded into the floor, and the wind pushed out of his hand, going against the ground. For
a moment, the power of the forces had pushed energy back in the other direction, slowing
him down immensely, but the momentum of the fall was still too much to completely stop
it.
Raze's body slammed onto the floor, and he bounced across the ground. After hitting the
floor a few times, his arm smashed against something hard. A cracking sound followed with
a short burst of immense pain that quickly faded away due to the adrenaline that was
running through his body, but it was clear to Raze that he had broken his arm.
'Well... at least I'm alive... for now.' Raze's eyelids were slowly closing, flickering, but even if
they were open anyway, all he could see was a thick mist around him until they eventually
closed.
The images that flashed in Raze's mind before had turned into reality. He looked down at
his arms and could see they were covered in strange cuffs. They were metallic at the top
but then connected by some type of blue energy beam across them.
His hands, they were wrinkled compared to what he was used to, and when he looked up,
he could see himself in a large courtroom. He was standing in the center, and as he looked
up, surrounding him, sitting in stands high above, were hundreds of mages.
"Raze Cromwell, a verdict has been made!" One of the older mages in white and blue robes
with a large mallet in his hand was sitting at the stand. "You have been struck of your title
as professor, and your crimes have been added to your record. With this, it will be difficult
for you to obtain any job dealing with magic ever again.
"That is, if you are able to survive a life sentence of 25 years in affinity prison. An appeal
cannot be made."
The dreaded feeling of the whole world of Raze's having crashed down after spending so
long to build it up; he was reliving that moment again. It all felt so very real to him. Back
then, though, he was too shocked to say anything, but this time he could.
"No!" Raze shouted back. "It wasn't me. I was tricked; it was all Ibran's doing! Run an
investigation; you'll find out the truth!"
The image was frozen in place; none of them were moving, and just as quickly as he had
entered the memory, it smashed like glass breaking apart into tiny little pieces.
Slowly opening his eyes, Raze could see the mist again.
'Crap, I guess this part wasn't a dream, but the other part was. Well, I would rather be here
than there. Thanks for that, brain, for reminding me, why I'm putting myself through all of
this.'
With an attempt to move his arm, a shooting pain ran up his entire body. He was sore all
over, but reaching and grabbing his arm, applying a bit of pressure, he could move up a bit
and was sat up. Standing was still going to be a mammoth of a task, but at least he was no
longer on the floor.
Thankfully, he had survived the large fall by using what magic he had. If his wind attribute
was strong enough, then he could have perhaps floated down peacefully, but instead, he
had no choice but to try and guess where the bottom was and summon as much power in
the other direction to lessen his fall.
"Crap!" Raze shouted, letting out a bit of his anger. "Why, when I'm in a situation like this,
does this body start thinking about whether or not she's going to be okay?"
The image that was appearing in Raze's mind now was of the current sister's body, Safa. He
thought after protecting her a few times and keeping her by his side, this strange
compulsion the body had would go away.
It somewhat had done, but now that they were apart, there was a tugging feeling in his
chest, a feeling he didn't like at all.
'I know, we still haven't solved the situation with the assassins or found out why our family
was killed, so they could still be going after her. But we're in the Academy; things should be
okay, and I think we should be worrying about ourselves for now.'
Eventually, Raze stood on his two feet. He had no clue what direction to go in, so he decided
to just wander through the mist until he found something.
'That fight, the disciples, they are stronger than I thought. They have techniques they can
use beyond that of other clans. Even if they are a lower stage Pagna warrior, the stages just
refer to energy or Qi. But not the amount of skills used.
'I guess there's a bigger relation between star mages and the Pagna warrior stages as well.
The statement that it's impossible for a warrior at a higher stage could ever lose to a lower
stage isn't true; it only makes sense for those that are in the same clan.
'If I want to solve this situation, then before going back to the academy, I need to be
stronger than those guys. Right now, there are three ways I can increase my strength.
Increase my power as a Pagna warrior, increase my magic core, or use enchanted items.'
A combination of these things would be best and would allow for rapid growth for Raze.
Eventually, wandering through the mist, Raze had bumped into a solid object. As he
pressed his hand against it, he could feel jagged rocks.
'Is this the cliff? I guess if I walk across it, I should eventually come to see something.' Raze
did just that, with his hand touching the rocky cliffside, he continued to walk through the
mist, that was until his hand slipped, feeling nothing.
As he looked to his right where his hand had felt in, he noticed it was a large hole, a giant
entrance, and an area where the mist wasn't heading inside for some reason.
'Is this some type of cave entrance? I am exhausted, and rest for a bit wouldn't be such a
bad idea. If things don't work out, I always have another plan anyway.' Raze thought to
himself.
Walking into the cave, there were parts of the wall that were lit up, with small strange
glowing green bugs. They looked more like worms as they wiggled but allowed for Raze to
see where he was going.
Thankfully, if he was going to sleep inside, none of the bugs seemed to be on the floor.
Looking at the wall with the wiggling bugs, though, he noticed something; it was writing
that was engraved on the wall.
"Oh, so I guess someone else was down here as well. Probably another student that they
kicked off the cliff and managed to survive," Raze said, as the idea didn't seem too far-
fetched. When he looked at the writing closer, he noticed that he could read it, but a
realization had hit him.
"Wait... this isn't Pagna writing; the writing on the wall, it's Alterian writing!"
Chapter 90 Walking The Same Path!
Chapter 90 Walking The Same Path!
For a moment, Raze felt like a fool, for he was too focused on the glowing bugs rather than
the writing on the wall, but he did feel like he could forgive himself a little. The writing was
carved into the rock, and there was a reason why he had failed to notice the writing on the
wall.
Having transmigrated into a new body, Raze already knew how to speak and read the
Pagna language. He had been doing so instinctively with everything he saw, including the
cultivation books that had been given to him.
He hadn't been reading the words and then translating them in his head; he just knew what
they were. Yet it had been so long since he had seen the Alterian language that, at first, it
looked just like random scribbles.
Taking a step back, he noticed that they were letters, and he could see that entire passages
had been carved out onto the wall. It made him think for a moment if he was on Alterian,
but he knew that was foolish.
"How long has this been on here?" Raze grazed his finger along the indentation. He noticed
that the words were a similar width to his own index finger. This, along with the rounded
edges of the words, made him believe that such a thing was done with a finger.
"I can't believe it, here in the Dark Faction at the bottom of some cavern, there is Alterian
writing. Even if other students were sent down here, they wouldn't be able to decipher this,
nor could the Pagna warriors," Raze said.
It wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility; after all, Raze had met other Alterians
in Pagna. It was just with how worn the writing looked, it felt like this had been left behind
in another era.
Raze decided to continue to follow the writing until he had come to the end of the cave. It
wasn't very deep, but it was quite spacious toward the end, as large as a wealthy man's
bedroom.
Looking at the writing all over, Raze was trying to find a starting point, and at the very
bottom, toward the center, it looked like he had found it.
[I have come to the realization that I might perish down here. I have done a lot since
coming to this world, and since I know what I have done might not be recorded down in
books, I have decided to at least make a log of what I have done down here.]
The writing at times was hard for Raze to make out since a lot of it was faded. At times he
would have to trace his finger to figure out what letter was meant to be there. Due to the
age of when it was written, some of the passages were completely illegible.
[This world was a dangerous one when I joined, and I have seen no signs of others like me. I
decided to forget my old ways as a mage and became a Pagna warrior... I found people I
cared about, that I wanted to protect…]
[We decided to form a group and named it the Dark Faction. They designated me as their
leader.]
Raze had gone over the last piece of text a few times with his finger, tracing it over and over
again to make sure he had read it right, but he was certain that there were no mistakes.
'The creation of the Dark Faction was created by an Alterian? It wasn't originally a Pagna
warrior. Wait, but how far back does this go, then? Surely, the Dark Faction must have
existed for thousands of years. Have people been going to this world since back then?'
Thinking about the Dark Faction leader, Raze started to remember the statue that Kron had
in his temple. It had a man in robes, just like what mages wore. It was something Raze had
always found strange since it wasn't the regular clothing of those from Pagna.
He had seen it everywhere, even on the streets. It was becoming more likely that the words
written in the cave weren't just some ramblings of a mad mage.
[It seems they have found me and found out what I really am... Portals have started to open
up. Is this their doing, or is it just a crazy coincidence? I need to do more investigating, but
I'm afraid it will put a target on my back...]
The words 'What I really am' Raze could guess they were referring to him being a mage, but
who was looking for him? Was it Alter? Did such a group exist back then, or was it some
other type of group?
What Raze was more concerned about was the fact that he was worried about them. The
leader of the entire Dark Faction, and possibly one of the strongest at the time in Pagna.
Another thing was the link to portals.
Raze already knew that portal openings were linked to magic, so how did the first ones
come to be? Was it also an Alterian's doing? Or was it something that had just happened?
Reading on, Raze was hoping he could find more, but there wasn't much information apart
from the last few logs written toward the entrance of the cave.
[They have infiltrated the Dark Faction, the group that I built up with my dear friends. Now
I can't trust any of them. This is the only place left, the only place I can hide that they don't
know about.]
Raze's heart started to beat a little stronger; he could feel the worry through the words
written, even if the writing was a little shaky. It was a sign that he was truly afraid, a person
who had lost everything.
[The magic that I abandoned is now the only hope I have left. Where their eyes don't see
me. I never thought I would have to rely on those crazy people, but it's the only choice that I
have. There I will be safe.]
Finally, Raze had reached the last legible passage. [I have created a formation to come back
to this place. When I have what I need, I will return and take back what is rightfully mine.]
The words resonated well with Raze; he was starting to have a good impression of this
Dark Faction leader, even though he had never met him before. By its side, he noticed
something else that didn't really click compared to before.
Because of the words written, the grooves in the wall, they weren't just random. As he
followed them along with his finger, it was as Raze expected.
'This is a magic circle, and not just that, by the formation, it's a portal. Judging by what was
written, this is a portal for him to return to this very cave. I don't know much about the
Dark Faction history.
'I never bothered to learn much about it since I was focused on my own goals. So I have no
clue what is written in the history books about the Dark Faction leader, did he ever come
back and accomplish what he needed to do.'
There was a lot of meaning hidden behind all the words, and Raze wanted to take them
seriously because right now, he was in the same situation, and it felt like he was following
in that person's footsteps, even to the point where he had fallen in the cave.
With the formation, Raze ran over it with his finger, and this time he was paying attention
with every stroke of his finger. As a mage, over the years, remembering formations got a
little simpler to remember.
It was somewhat like a musician learning a new song. Over time, one would learn what
chords were used and how they were repeated in song structures. Just like how one could
then learn songs a lot quicker, it was the same with the magic formation.
After around thirty minutes of repeating the same thing over and over, Raze had gotten the
formation memorized.
'This is a formation to return to this cave, not that there is anything left in here that I need,
but it will be handy to have if there is the need to hide somewhere in the future.'
Raze still had his cloak, and he still had two power stones. One was for the robe itself, and
the other was to return to the location where Dame would be.
He always thought it would be a good place to hide if need be.
Looking around in the cave further, Raze was double-checking to see if there was anything
else he had missed, but he had gone through all of the walls. That's when some of the
glowing worms that were on the side of the walls and ceiling had dropped down.
Moving to the side, Raze had easily avoided them, but he could now see that the ground had
lit up.
'Is this?' Moving his foot, he could feel an indent in the ground too. 'Wait a second!'
Raze swung his arm in the air, activating his wing magic briefly, causing several of the
worms to fall on the ground. Now that it was lit up, his suspicions were true.
'There's another formation on the ground; it's different from the one on the wall, but it's
another teleporter formation.'
The words from the passage appeared in Raze's head.
[I never thought I would have to rely on those crazy people, but it's the only choice that I
have. There I will be safe.]
Just where did this portal lead to, and what was Raze to do?
Chapter 91 Where is Raze?
Chapter 91 Where is Raze?
Simyon had run back through the forest with Safa on his back. He had seen a couple of Hop
Bunnies running through the forest and heard the sounds of other students trying to fight
the beasts, but he had decided to ignore them all.
There were even those that seemed to be fighting against each other already, attempting to
steal the power stones from each other.
"I just can't see it, I just can't see how Raze will beat those guys on their own!" Simyon
thought. Playing in his head were each of the disciples going after him, Raze using his
strange magic but failing at every corner.
It just wasn't possible, even with his powers. He had the chance to help out but had decided
not to. It was all because Raze was the one that had given him the order. He thought there
was no reason for both of them to get hurt.
Even with the two of them, it wouldn't have changed the situation anyway. So the best
thing to do was to do as the disciples said and betray them, that way at least they got the
rewards.
While having this thought in his mind, Simyon opened his hand. There were two power
stones that had been given to him by Ricktor in turn for helping him out, for turning Raze
in. Right now, they felt so dirty, and he wanted to just chuck them away, but that would
have been a waste.
"I have to listen to Raze, I promised I would do as he said, and right now, I need to protect
Safa as well."
The two of them had eventually made it back to the Starting Zone and were standing in
front of the large doors. There was no one else around, there was still plenty of time until
the assessment was to end.
Looking into the forest, Simyon was just hoping that he would see Raze pop out of it, with
the usual sucky look on his face, or with an insult, but no such thing had happened.
Safa's eyes started to open, and as soon as she was conscious she shot right up like a
bamboo shoot. Twisting and turning her head, she was only looking for one thing. Her eyes
started to tear up as she ran towards Simyon, who had grabbed her by the wrist before she
could hit him.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry!" Simyon said. "I wanted to stay and help him as well. I didn't
want to leave him, but Raze told me to go, he told me to look after you as well, Safa. He did
that for our sake, so if we were to go back, or try to fight against them, then it would all be
in vain. Let's just wait and see, I'm sure he's okay."
Safa continued to sulk and fell to her knees; she was losing energy inside her. Simyon,
seeing her like this, felt like they perhaps both felt the same way, that they were incredibly
weak and powerless in this situation.
They had felt this way before, but at least they had managed to do something when Kron
was in trouble, but here they were able to do nothing.
The two of them waited and waited; hours passed, and there was no sign of Raze. What had
occurred was students returning. Some of them were standing a few meters away, near the
entrance, and others still clearly inside the forest.
It was like Raze had mentioned; they were waiting to ambush those that had already
collected a large number of Power stones.
What soon had occurred were fights that were breaking out, and even fights at the starting
area as well, yet for some reason, not a single person had decided to mess with them two.
"Is it because they don't think we have any power stones, so there's no point fighting us? Or
is this the main clan disciples' doing?"
Simyon had yet to see them arrive, and a misty grey was appearing over the forest; the sun
was soon to rise.
Eventually, the fighting had stopped between students. There were even those that had
made deals to give some of their crystals rather than take a beating against each other and
fight.
Finally, the five main disciples had arrived, and they had done so together. However, there
was no sign of Raze with them. Safa stood up and immediately went toward them, but
Simyon quickly grabbed her hand.
"Hold it in," Simyon said. "Please hold it in; right now, we're not strong enough. I know…
you want to get revenge, but now is not the time. I promise you, I will protect you and help
you in any way I can to get what you want!"
In order to stop Safa from making any loud noises, Simyon had to hold her head to his
chest; he did so firmly. It was the only thing he could do for her, hoping that if she at least
didn't look at them, her anger would be calmed.
When the five disciples walked past, Ricktor gave a smile to him, and it was then that even
Simyon couldn't take it anymore.
"What happened to him? What did you do? Where is he?" Simyon asked.
The other main disciples continued to move closer to the door, while Mada stopped. "That
white-haired kid, turns out he was nothing special after all."
Walking away, Simyon bit his bottom lip so hard that he had pierced it with his tooth, and
blood was starting to drip down his chin.
The door opened as the sun rose in the air, and Pincer and Gunther had come out. The sight
they could see in front of them was an expected one. Many of the students were injured, but
not so much that they couldn't walk.
Pagna warriors were skilled enough to tell after a few exchanges who would win a fight, so
they would quickly give up the crystals. Which was why all of the students were able to
head back toward the entrance. That was all apart from one.
Gunther was scanning the area; he could see Simyon and Safa, but where was the white-
haired student, where was Raze?
"Hey!" Gunther asked, approaching both Simyon and Safa. "The other one, did he not come
back with you."
Simyon shook his head. "No… he got lost on the way."
It wasn't a smart move for Simyon to tell the examiners it was the main disciples' doing. It
might have sounded as if he was trying to get them in trouble, making it harder for their
lives to continue at the academy.
"Pincer, I'm going to look for someone!" Gunther shouted. "You start to collect the crystals!"
Pincer did as asked, while Gunther rushed into the forest. After all the crystals were tallied
up, the students were told to head inside where they would be told where they were
staying and where they could finally rest.
The result of today's events would be revealed later. Mada took one look back into the
forest, imagining his brother searching all over the place, for a no-name.
"Truly pathetic, he has no right to be the next Clan head."
Gunther looked everywhere he could in the forest; he truly searched up and down, through
all the fighting areas, but he was unable to find anything.
"Was it the main disciples' doing? Did they decide to get rid of him? If it was them, even if
the academy had found out it was their doing, then they wouldn't punish them much since
he was a no-name," Gunther thought.
"Maybe it was the best for him to have gone. With that Qi circulating in his body, there's a
chance he could have turned crazy at any point," Gunther thought, as he decided to return.
Following along with the other students being helped by the staff, Simyon continued to
walk, following them through the halls, and he noticed that he had caught the eye of Ricktor
a few times. Every time they did make eye contact, he would deliver a strange smile to him.
"I thought as much… now that I have done as he asked, he won't let me go, he hasn't
finished his fun with me."
Instinctively, Simyon went ahead and rubbed the bottom of his earring, and he
remembered the last thing Raze had done before the assessment had started,
Raze had placed his hand on the earring, and a strange darkness had surrounded his hands,
entering the earring.
"This time, if someone messes with you, they will be in for quite the surprise," Raze said.
Chapter 92 Another Dimension
Chapter 92 Another Dimension
Raze had decided to sit down on the hard, cold surface of the cavern floor, right where the
magic circle had been drawn. He thought that maybe if he did this, he could picture himself
more in the shoes of the Dark Faction leader.
'The magic circle most likely opens up a portal to the land of the crazies the Dark Faction
leader was talking about. I still have no idea whether or not he was able to return or not
either, so there is a chance that the place is an extremely dangerous one,' Raze thought.
His legs were crossed, his eyes were closed, and he was in a meditative state. His wounds
were still quite bad on his body, and although he had the body of a Pagna warrior, it wasn't
something that would just heal unless given a long period of time.
'With my body in this state, if this is a portal to a dangerous dimension with strong beasts,
then I'll be in a lot of trouble. I'm someone who has taken many risks in my life, and
although I feel like I should follow where the Dark Faction leader went, there is a much
safer option.'
Pushing off with his two legs, Raze kicked off the ground and, without using his arms, got
up from the floor. It was something he never imagined he could do as a mage or in his old
body. With his broken arm, he would have been far more doomed before compared to now.
'I guess that's decided. If I stay here, then nothing will change. I have to do something about
my body first, and then find ways to improve my strength.'
Raze moved from the circle that was underneath him, and just ahead, he was trying to find
his own space to draw a circle of his own.
He looked back at the inscriptions on the walls. It was clear that they were all done with a
finger, something that Raze couldn't do as a stage 1 Pagna warrior.
It made him wonder if perhaps he would be able to do something like this at some point. It
was clear the Dark Faction leader was skilled at being a warrior, and it made Raze wonder
what his skills were like as a mage as well.
Since he was unable to do the same thing, he needed to improvise. Off the wall, Raze picked
up one of the glowing worms. It wriggled in his fingers; it was fat and juicy in size. Placing it
on the floor, he crushed its body against the ground quickly to ensure it didn't suffer a slow
death and began to draw his magic circle.
'My life is at stake, and who knows what will be happening to others. I can't be worrying
about the deaths of some bugs.'
It took more than one bug, as the green fluorescent liquid that would come out of it was
small in amount. Eventually, the magic circle was complete.
'I have two crystals on me, one for getting there,' Raze thought, looking at the other circle
that had been written on the cave wall, 'and if that works, one for getting back here as well.'
Placing the power stone on the ground, Raze activated the magic circle, and the portal
opened up. Taking a confident step in, Raze appeared on the other side, in a dimension of
darkness. The portal then snapped shut behind him, leaving him in the dimension.
'I'm in a different area compared to last time.'
The Dark mage was in unfamiliar territory, but he did have some idea of where he was. To
his left and right, there were multiple square-shaped buildings. Most of them had been
damaged with rubble falling from the top or side. They even had doors, but again, they
were broken down or completely destroyed.
What it looked like he was on was a very wide street that was between the two rows of
houses. These streets could be seen every so often between the houses. Trying to make a
note of the area, he also noticed that there was a well behind him. Far ahead in front,
though, there was a large, thick wall.
It had been torn down in multiple places, but what was amazing about it was how far it
stretched along all of the houses. This was the familiar place Raze had noticed from before,
the city he had seen on the other side of the building he was in with Dame.
'I used the same formation that I did last time, but because I drew it in a different place, it's
taken me to a different location. Which is why I'm a bit skeptical about that circle in the
cave.'
The magic circle in the cave had the makings of a teleportation circle, but there were
markings that Raze himself didn't understand, small numbers that were written.
It was a first for Raze. He had hoped that those small numbers meant that he would be sent
to the same spot no matter where he was. Either way, he had chosen to travel to this
dimension, the one where he had met Dame because he knew the level of beasts was low. It
was a good place for him to get some crystals.
The first thing Raze had decided to do was get out of the open street. He had never been on
this side of the wall, where the city was. There was a chance there could be more groups of
beasts or beasts he had never encountered before.
The first thing he did was decide to enter one of the houses. Here he could see the usual
furniture spread out, old toys that were rusted and broken apart.
'These dimensions, sometimes they are a world full of nothing but sand, and at other times,
it's as if an entire civilization once lived here. Yet we have never found signs of the original
inhabitants' life. I guess Pagna would be a first, but no one on Alterian knows about that.
'Why is Pagna so different? The question interests me, but I can't look into it so much; I
need to focus on my own doings. There is one thing that is different about me and the Dark
Faction leader.
'He had decided to make a life and settle down in Pagna. He was more concerned about
taking what he had made in Pagna, whereas I have no intention of that.'
Raze went through the broken rubble of one of the doors and crossed over into the other
house where the wall had broken down as well. In the corner, he could see red glowing
eyes, and without hesitation, he pointed his one good arm outward.
"Dark Pulse!"
The attack left his hand and a small whimper followed before a thud. The mist went into his
body, and going over, Raze could see that it was the same dog creatures as before. Before
taking out the crystal from its body, Raze decided to check the rest of the house. The last
thing he wanted was for a beast to jump out at him while he was hesitating.
When he went up the stairs, he saw two more, and he turned from one to the other using
Dark Pulse on them again. They were easily dealt with. After checking the area a second
time, Raze took the crystals out of the three beasts, and now he had three level 1 power
stones to work with.
'Before when I went to this dimension, I had a time limit of how long I could be here. I only
had enough crystals to do what I needed, but this time I can do everything I need to.'
With the blood of the beasts, Raze drew out a magic circle and placed down a crystal along
with the bottle. He activated it with his magic and decided to use his dark magic for what he
wanted this time. The liquid filled the bottle, but rather than light blue, it came out red
instead.
"That's okay," Raze thought. He picked up the bottle and, opening the lid, started to gulp it
down. "With this body, I don't just have to rely on my magic."
Raze placed the bottle down again, along with another power stone on the ground. He
could feel it working, as a tingling sensation was sent around his body. Some of the aches
and pains were disappearing, but his arm was still in somewhat bad condition.
This was followed by his mana being somewhat drained. He could have made a normal
potion, but Raze wanted his body back in the old shape it was.
"I have a lot more things I need to make, so I'm going to need a lot more crystals. It's time
for me to hunt."
Chapter 93 A New Type Of Potion
Chapter 93 A New Type Of Potion
A healing potion wasn't on the list of things that Raze was planning to create first. This was
because, for a mage, they were relatively quite useless. Mages didn't have strong bodies;
instead, they used magic to fortify themselves or create defensive barriers, counters, and
many more.
If an attack from a mage managed to get through, it would mean the end for them in battle.
Hence, potions weren't directly used on mages, but were something that existed for the
general public.
In this case, though, a potion was extremely helpful. A Pagna warrior suffered from internal
and external wounds, and they were able to withstand their fair share of punishment. It
made Raze think; similar to how when mages fought they would constantly consume mana
potions to aid them, a Pagna warrior could consume health potions in the middle of battle.
The basic one that Raze had created wouldn't be of much use; even now, he had to consume
several to get back to his original state, but stronger ones would be ideal.
For Raze, who was both a Pagna warrior and a mage, it would do well for him to keep both.
The cursed effect of the healing potion didn't matter much to Raze either, since he could
create a regular mana potion afterward.
Now that he had the wind attribute, he could use magic other than that of Dark magic to
create potions.
[An Uncommon Mana potion has been created]
[A small amount of mana has been replenished]
[Casting speed of spells will be increased for the next 5 seconds]
Since the mana potion was created with Wind magic, it didn't restore as much mana as one
created with dark magic, but it had a nice effect.
'The casting speed doesn't matter much for basic spells like Dark pulse, but for the higher-
tier spells that require more mana, it will come in handy.'
For now, Raze would continue to go through the ruined city and collect beast crystals.
Every other building there seemed to have 1 or 2 of the dog beasts, and the most he would
come across was four.
He repeated the process of making the mana potions and the healing potions until his
whole body was back to what it once was. His broken arm had healed, and his whole body
felt refreshed. He even jumped up and down and threw a few punches in the air.
Having used up his crystals, Raze continued his strategy of going through the houses. It
seemed to help him not get surrounded or ambushed. He saw one of the dog beasts
growling at him, and immediately it leaped towards him. Rather than using the Dark pulse
as he normally would do, the air was swirling around his hand.
"Silent strike!" Raze whispered, as he performed the two-step shift. He had gathered the Qi
in his body, but rather than a fist, he had his fingers together pointed outward. He swung it
across the dog's neck, and it sliced it open.
'Even with skills like Silent strike, if I utilize it with Qi, it makes it stronger.'
With the next set of beasts that Raze hunted, he had used mainly Silent strike along with a
few other Wind attribute skills. He did his best to only use wind attribute magic unless he
was put in a dangerous situation.
With the effect of the Dark Magic ring, Raze was gaining back his mana with each kill, and
since Silent strike used up nothing, he could seemingly go on forever. In the end, he ended
up with sixteen level 1 power stones before he decided to take a break.
He was inside one of the homes he had just recently cleared again, checking what he had in
his robe. Now that he was in another dimension, he was wearing his robe freely, since here,
if anyone spotted him, he wanted to be known as the Dark Magus.
The reason Raze had been using the wind magic to fight against the beasts was that he
wanted to improve its attribute. When he could, he wished to enchant another ring with
wind magic. It wouldn't be cursed, so there would be no downside, but it would allow him
to keep better track of the ring.
'Since I didn't really prepare coming to this place, I only prepared four bottles.' Raze was
thinking about the best thing to do. The healing potions weren't effective enough to use on
the go, so in battle, it would be practically useless. So instead, Raze had decided to create a
couple more mana potions.
[1 Uncommon Wind-based Mana Potion]
[2 Uncommon Cursed Mana Potions]
With the stage he was at now, the Cursed potions were more effective if he got into trouble.
However, he was sure that with a potion with that powerful of an effect, it was something
that perhaps couldn't be used consecutively one after another, not that it was something
one would want to do unless they wanted to suffer from Mana poisoning.
With the last bottle on the ground, Raze had decided to create an entirely new magic
formation. He wanted a new type of potion, and when the spell was finally cast, it was filled
with green liquid.
[A common Buff potion has been created]
[Increase the user's speed slightly for 10 seconds]
'This is something that Dark magic is unable to produce, a complete buff potion for the
user. Or at least not one that has been discovered yet, although I would hate to think what
the downsides would be.'
With the potions created, he had stored them inside his robe. It was time for him to
continue hunting once again. He could increase his wind attribute, and although level 1
stones were pretty much not useful to him any longer, he could always sell them for a
pretty penny.
Exiting out of the house, Raze had entered onto the wide street, the road that led up to the
large wall. He had been getting closer to it bit by bit. If he didn't want to use the formation
he had seen in the cave, he could always go to the place he was at before and use the
formation he did know.
It would send him back to the temple, but at least it was a sure way for him to return. There
would be a few questions he suspected for him if he did that though.
"Hey!" A voice shouted out, and it sounded as if it was from above. "This isn't our meeting
day; what are you doing here on your own? You should be careful; otherwise, you might get
taken out like the first time we met."
When Raze looked up, he could see a group of people on top of one of the houses. It wasn't
just any group of people; it was Dame along with his small squad.
'This might not be a bad time to meet actually.' Raze thought. 'I need to know whether or
not he's from the demonic faction and what does that even mean? Just what kind of
cultivation technique did I learn, and whether or not it would bring him trouble?'
Chapter 94 Dimension Events
Chapter 94 Dimension Events
Dame was part of the Neverfall Clan, and the Clan had a certain set of rules, especially when
it came to portal use, as other dimensions were not only dangerous places but also valuable
resources.
The main issue with portals, though, was that they were placed all over the continent. They
didn't know where the portals would open up, and when they did, they would permanently
stay open in a certain location.
Which was why portals that opened up near a clan base were a blessing. It was easier for
them to protect it from other users. If it wasn't a valuable portal and was far away, it didn't
make sense for clans to focus a lot of manpower on such a thing.
There were other reasons for keeping restricting the number of clans down to a minimum,
and that was because portals could be cleared as well. It was a strange phenomenon that
they didn't quite understand, but certain events could occur inside a dimension, and once
those events passed, the portal would close as well.
In most cases, they would attempt to keep the portals open since they supplied the world of
Pagna with special power stones that could be converted into Qi pills, and in some cases,
there would be rare plants that could be used by alchemists as well.
Because of this, Dame and his small group of followers, friends, a group of people that were
hard to describe even if you asked about them himself, would journey out of the Neverfall
base and head to the border of the continent.
They were traveling through a barren wasteland where the ground beneath them was a
dark orange, almost black. Strangely up ahead, there was a mountain, where half of it on
one side was covered with snow while the other, covered in the same dark surface they
were walking on.
Although walking wasn't quite the right word, they were taking large steps, and with each
step, it looked like they were gliding across the land. They weren't running, but they were
covering several meters of distance with just a single step, and none of them looked tired
either.
"Dame, I thought you said you were going to stop using this portal; we are already on the
bad side of the Light faction, and I don't think your father can keep sticking up for you!"
Fixteen said annoyed.
"Oh, come on!" Dame replied back. "Do you really think they care about this portal so
much? If they did, they would have placed some guards on the outside. The fact that they
haven't and abandoned it is proof that it's free to use!"
Kirk was shaking his head. "But isn't that why we got in trouble, because Beatrix was in the
portal? It is technically owned by the Light Faction after all."
"And are we fighting against them?" Dame replied. "We are just collecting power stones
that otherwise would have never been collected. We have been in this portal how many
times, and we've only come across her once, so it's no big deal, and besides, we need to look
after this portal because it's our only connection with him, with the Dark Magus."
Dame and his group had been visiting the portal to collect power stones. They would then
sell them on the black market for coin, and with the coin, they would spend it all on booze,
food, drink, and he had become well known as a frequent visitor of the several brothels
around the place.
It was safe to say that Dame had a bad reputation in the Neverfall Clan. He continued to
visit the portal, obtaining low-level power stones, but he also would make sure to arrive on
a certain day. Today wasn't one of those days.
When they had arrived at the top of the mountain, the portal could be seen halfway down
the other side of the mountain. It was in a tricky place to begin with, and there was even a
blizzard that was taking place.
After observing that there was no one present around the area, nor could they see any
footsteps in the snow, they rushed over and entered the portal one by one.
Coming out on the other side, the group was in a dark, large hallway. They were at the very
top floor of the large wall that separated the two sides. One side led into a dark forest, and
on the other side was the city.
Immediately, Dame and his group entered the city, and they started to search around,
looking for beasts. They knew the place was no trouble for them; it was part of the reason
why they came here, because it was meant to be easy, unless they ran into someone.
As they searched through buildings, they started to witness a few things, though.
"Holy crap!" Carlson said as he knelt over and pulled out a dagger by his side. He was right
by one of the dog beasts and started to carve at it immediately. He was searching to see its
center, and he could see that the power stone had already been removed.
"I guess that someone else is here after all," Kirk said, wiping the sweat from his bald head.
Although he was a Pagna warrior, he was a relatively unfit one with a large belly.
Fixteen immediately went to look at Dame when they noticed that it wasn't just one dead
beast but there were several.
"Oh come on!" Dame complained. "Just because there are dead beasts here doesn't mean
that it's going to be Beatrix; it could be wanderers who stumbled upon the portal, or it
could just be some low-level Light faction members. We can just stay out of their sight if we
see them."
Fixteen didn't like the careless answer from Dame, but he felt like he was right. They were
all skilled Pagna warriors; it made no sense for them to be here either, let alone Light
faction members. Beatrix was simply a one-off.
As the group continued to explore, they were coming across more and more of the dead
beasts. All of them seemed to be killed in the same way, a strike right by their neck as well.
It was clear it was a one-sided fight.
"Are these strikes done by a sword? Does that mean Beatrix is really here?" Carlson said
nervously.
"No, it won't be her," Dame answered. "She is a treasure of the Light faction. Unlike me,
these power stones are not even worth her taking her time to carve out of the beasts. Not
only that, but with how many dead beasts are in the area, there's a chance that if they keep
killing them like this, the dimension boss will be summoned again like last time."
The dimension boss was one of the events that could occur in a portal. It was a beast that
was abnormally strong compared to those within the portal, and a large group would be
used to subjugate it.
Once defeated, the portal would close up. This was why Clan members were strict with
those who entered the portals.
Carlson was shaking, and he started to feel a phantom pain in his leg as he went to grab it.
One of the times they had entered before, the dimension boss had been summoned, and
Carlson had been on the receiving end.
"Hey, I think I just found our culprit," Dame said, standing on the rooftop and seeing a
young man in dark robes.
Chapter 95 Where Is My Reward?
Chapter 95 Where Is My Reward?
Having met Dame and his group twice already, Raze wasn't so afraid of them, but he still
stood on the side of caution. Unlike the past, he didn't activate his magic, ready to use it at a
moment's notice.
Besides, who would call out to their opponent if they were planning to attack them
anyway?
'I guess that woman from the Light faction would do that. I wonder if all of those from the
Light faction are just as strange?'
Dame and the rest had jumped down from the rooftops, and they had a smile on their faces.
He was quite pleased to see the Dark Magus because now he knew who the mysterious
person behind the beast killings was. They had less reason to worry about running into
those from the Light faction now.
"It isn't our time to meet, so I have to be honest, I'm quite surprised to see you here," Dame
said.
"Do I have to have your permission to be here?" Raze immediately replied.
"No, you are quite right, but I thought that you might be worried about running into a few
problems like the time before. Anyway, a meeting with you is always a pleasure. Is there
anything specific that you are looking for in here? Perhaps me and my group can help?"
Dame offered.
It had been a long time, an incredibly long time, since Raze had worked with another group.
Although he had Safa and Simyon by his side, he imagined them as just add-ons that were
following him.
However, Raze was actually hoping to meet Dame because he had quite a few questions he
wanted to ask him.
"I actually wanted to ask you something," Raze said as he made a fist, gathering his Qi from
his dantian, and then threw it out. It looked like a strong blow, but there were no ripples in
the air, nor was there a loud bang, somewhat showing what stage he was at.
"Oh!" Dame clapped his hands together in surprise. "It looks like the gift I gave you last time
actually managed to help you. I'll be honest; I'm actually surprised you were able to learn
this, and so fast!"
The others were quite concerned seeing this as well. How could they teach an outsider
their arts?
"I assume you want to build a relationship with me," Raze stated. "And I have grown quite
interested in these arts. So I wanted to ask about this power, where does it come from,
what type of power is it in your world, and is there more to it?"
A smile appeared on Dame's face as he went on to explain to Raze about the power of Qi. He
had pretty much told the Dark Magus what he already knew: about how there were
different stages, a dantian, and Qi.
He also went on to explain how the source of one's Qi was different depending on what
cultivation technique people used. Some of them were better at drawing energy than
others, and in the conversation, Raze had found the answer he was looking for.
"The power that you have cultivated is from the Demonic faction, so you now have demonic
Qi running through your body. You are able to learn whatever skills you wish in terms of
martial arts.
"But Clans from the Demonic faction have perfected their skills to be used with demonic Qi
best."
Raze was quite happy that Dame had chosen not to hide this fact, but it could have been just
because he assumed Raze was from another world. Either way, he would use this to get all
the information he needed.
"So, if I have demonic Qi in my body, is there anything I should worry about?" Raze asked.
Dame chuckled. "I guess the name demonic does make it sound a tad dangerous, doesn't it,
but as you can see, all of us are friendly people." Dame then let out a sigh. "If you were from
our world, you would have to worry about the other factions.
"They have a grudge against us due to what happened in the past. You see, demonic Qi is
special compared to the others for two reasons. The first is the fact that the demonic Qi
cultivation technique allows the user to grow the quickest. What may take ten years for
other factions, our members can do in 1 year.
"However, the demonic Qi, if not properly regulated, can turn one into literal demons. The
color of one's skin will change, their eyes turning into solid black. I'm sure you felt it when
you cultivated; the cycle of life and death allows us to connect with them.
"If one doesn't have a strong mind, which needs to be built up, it will take over one's body.
Unfortunately, a long time ago, our clan leader had become a demon and had nearly gotten
rid of all of the factions, including our own, but I don't think it's anything you have to worry
about."
After hearing the story, Raze now didn't know what to think of Dame. He had nonchalantly
handed him such a book without explaining any of the details to him.
Perhaps, due to his past experiences, he didn't feel as affected by cultivating this way, but if
it was another, it could have driven them to go mad.
He also believed that the other factions had a right to be worried about the Qi if it was
dangerous, but it somehow suited him well. A Qi cultivation technique that others deemed
too dangerous, just like his dark magic as well.
"Ah, that reminds me, while I have you, the potion that you gave me last time. The effects
were splendid, and I actually have a client that would like to purchase more of it from you.
Is that possible?" Dame asked, rubbing his hands. He was already imagining the riches he
would receive from Alba.
Creating potions wasn't a difficult task for Raze, and since they were all made with level 1
power stones, these were the basic of basic potions. So he saw no problem, as he would
keep the better stuff for himself. Perhaps he could even ask for higher-level power stones
for doing such a thing for Dame.
"I can create more for you, but I would need to gather more materials, and I am in a bit of a
tricky situation back where I am, in terms of getting them. Besides, if it worked, don't you
owe me a reward?" Raze asked.
The book from before had helped him out leaps and bounds, and perhaps Dame could teach
him more, teach him enough to protect himself from the other disciples.
Dame had his finger on his chin, tapping it several times until he snapped his fingers.
"Ah, I have an idea. Unfortunately, as you said, I don't have a reward for you since this was
an unexpected meeting. However, maybe I have a solution that could solve your material
problem and my gift."
Hearing Dame speak, Fixteen's heart was starting to thump faster.
'No, he isn't going to, don't tell me he is... he wouldn't be that crazy, right?'
"Why don't you come back with us, come back to our world of Pagna?" Dame asked.
Chapter 96 Enter, The Demonic Territory
Chapter 96 Enter, The Demonic Territory
Fixteen felt that the fact they were already keeping a large secret, that they had met
someone from another world, a human with strange powers, was already a significant risk.
The Elders at the clan, if they had found out what Dame was doing, would have enough
reason to punish him for treason, since he had withheld world-changing event information
from them.
'But I know that Dame is just a fool!' Fixteen slapped the top of his head. 'All that damn
young master thinks of is ways to earn more money. He just wants to earn enough so he
can be free from the clan's restraints and do his own thing.'
Which was why inviting the very thing they were trying to hide over to their world seemed
like an extremely bad idea in his head.
'Go with him, to the world of Pagna? Dame doesn't know I'm from the world of Pagna, but if
he is asking me to come with him, then wouldn't that mean taking me to the Demonic
Faction territory?' Raze thought.
'It is a place that I thought I should visit at some point, since it's away from the eyes of
Alter... if I'm there, maybe I can do what I need to do.'
"Okay," Raze answered. "Let's see this world of yours."
Dame's eyes had almost become gold coins. If he could utilize Raze and his special power
well, he could make a fortune, and for now, he would hold off introducing him to Alba. He
was sure that if the Dark Magus became an even bigger deal, she would raise the bounty on
his head, and when the time was right, he would receive the reward.
Currently, the rest of the group led the Dark Magus and Dame out of the place. With
excitement, they didn't even care about hunting any more beasts, except for Raze.
The moment he spotted one of the beasts, he would break off from the others. Rather than
using his wind magic, though, he stuck to his dark magic to not show his Pagna skills too
much. A large hole would be made right through the beast's head, and all that was left was
to gather the crystals.
Since Raze was doing all of the work getting the Crystals in the first place, no one said
anything to him about taking them.
"Are power stones also useful in your world?" Dame asked.
"Yes," Raze replied. "The stones are what allow us to make the potions and also make
strong items."
"Oh really?" Dame said, sounding a bit surprised. "So does that mean you could make a
sword that could shoot out dark beams like what you just did now?"
"The level of stuff I can make would depend on the Mage's power, as well as the power
stones that can be used. So it wouldn't be completely impossible," Raze explained.
He continued to defeat beast after beast, collecting the crystal. Raze had a lot that he
wanted to do before he even thought about returning to the academy, and the others in
Dame's group were becoming a little concerned. Especially Carlson, who was touching his
leg again as it ached.
Reaching the wall, the group started to go through the halls and up the stairs. It was quite
the journey since the staircase would be located on either end of the long hallway, so if one
went up one end, they would then have to walk across to the next.
Finally, they reached the very top floor, and across the hall, Raze could see the portal.
"That's interesting, is this how you get out?" Raze asked.
"Oh, is how you enter into this dimension different from how we got in? I thought it would
be the case, but I wasn't completely sure. For us, there is only one way to enter into this
dimension. For some reason, a portal will open up somewhere in our world.
"When we enter into that portal, we always end up in the same place. People can return
back through the same portal that they entered from. Or another way to return is by
something called a return stone.
"It will take you back from where you originally entered when crushed, but they are quite
expensive, and I have no idea what would happen to you if you were to use one."
Almost immediately, a question had come to Raze's mind, and he had asked it without a
second thought. "Then how do Portal breaks happen?"
Raze wanted to kick himself. He was so used to the world of Pagna and being around other
warriors that he had naturally asked the question he was curious about, but they didn't
have portal breaks in Alterian, and if they did, wouldn't it have been something he would
have known about?
"It looks like your world hasn't solved that mystery yet either, huh?" Dame said. "Beasts, for
some reason, are unable to go through the portal, and they can only do so when a portal
breaks open. There is an exception to that; Hybrids can come out at times as well. As for
why, who knows."
The group continued heading forward, and as they were approaching the portal, another
beast dog appeared. Quickly, Raze had used his Dark Pulse skill on it and killed the beast
instantly.
He rushed over to extract the crystal from its body, as he had been doing. "I hope you know
not to show your strange powers when you're in our world," Fixteen stated.
"Of course," Raze replied, obtaining the crystal. Magic used in other dimensions didn't open
more portals, at least according to Alter, so there was no problem with that. It was only in
Pagna that he had to be careful.
When standing up, Raze nearly fell on his backside, as the whole ground was shaking.
Several of the loose rocks that were part of the wall fell off to the side. A loud rumbling
noise was heard in the distance as well.
"What was that?" Raze asked.
"That is our cue to get out of here," Fixteen said as he rushed forward. He knew they had
dealt with far too many beasts.
All of them jumped through quickly with Dame at the very back. "Come on, don't be shy,
let's go!" Dame shouted.
Raze jumped through, following the others, and soon Dame had followed just after.
As the group exited from the portal, they found themselves landing in the snow. It was clear
to Raze that this wasn't any place he was familiar with at all. He was unable to see anything
he recognized.
"Hey, you have Qi, right? So you're going to have to try and keep up with us as best you can.
The last thing we want to do is leave you behind if we're getting chased," Fixteen said.
"Chased?" Raze asked.
"Hey, Dame!" Kirk shouted, interrupting the two. "Take a look at the snow."
In the soft white snow that was still falling, they could see that there were a group of
footsteps leading from the bottom of the mountain towards the portal. Since the imprints
were still visible, it meant it was fairly recent.
"The dimension boss, it was just summoned," Kirk said.
"If we enter now, we will just get in more trouble," Dame said. "They're not from the
Demonic faction. Besides, we have an important guest to look after. Let's go!"
Raze followed along as the Pagna warriors ran off. They were fast, and he imagined they
were moving slower just because of him. Still, Raze couldn't help but wonder, just what
were they talking about, and what was he about to see in the Demonic faction.
Chapter 97 Light Faction Fury!
Chapter 97 Light Faction Fury!
The group, plus an extra guest, was now descending on the other side of the mountain.
Raze was looking at the dark orange ground, a stark difference from the snowy area they
had just come from.
"The whole area, it looks demonic itself. I wonder if that has something to do with their
name. Even the Dark faction is a place that is just full of regular land, well apart from the
Academy," Raze thought.
He was keeping up with the others, but he could tell that they were holding back. Raze was
physically running, and he struggled to find stable footing, especially downhill. He was
trying his best to follow the path they had created. When the others traveled, though, they
were taking single steps to leap all the way down, almost as if they were floating on air.
It was the first time Raze had been around all high-level skill Pagna warriors and it was
quite the experience.
One of the dead giveaways that they were holding back was that Kirk, who was at the back
of the group, other than Raze at the very back, would turn his head once in a while and
wait. Then, when Raze was close enough, he would set off again. At the front of the group,
Fixteen and Dame were quite a bit ahead of the others.
"You know, there's a good chance we will get blamed for what is about to happen in that
portal," Fixteen said.
"I know, but the circumstances were just unlucky for them," Dame replied. "If we stayed,
we would have gotten in trouble, and even if we helped, we might not have been able to
defeat the Dimension boss."
"Yes, but if the Light faction group gets eliminated, or if it gets reported back what
happened in there, since they had seen you, they will blame this whole thing on us, giving
them an excuse to attack."
"Then we will just have to deal with that situation when it comes to it. For the future, the
Dark Magus is more important," Dame answered.
Based on the footsteps in the snow, Fixteen knew that a group of Light faction warriors had
entered the portal. Since it was a low-level portal, most likely the group that had entered
were low-level as well. They would have entered with the aim of taking out a few beasts
and then, before they had taken out too many and summoned the Dimension boss, they
would have left. There was usually a time frame of how many deaths of beasts within a
certain amount of time had to occur in order to summon the Dimension boss. This number
was different for each portal, but if this was one of the ways to activate the Dimension boss,
the Clan in charge would have made note of it.
What they wouldn't have expected was for a group to have entered before them and left
just after summoning the Dimension boss. Considering how they hadn't seen the Light
Faction members on their way back to the portal, it meant that they had to have been
somewhere in the city already, in the middle of the chaos.
Inside the portal, that very thing was occurring, and Fixteen's fears were right. A group of
six from the Light faction had entered. All of them were wearing white clothing with bands
wrapped around their waists and swords by their sides. The group was covered in dust and
filth, while one was severely injured, with a strange green liquid having hit his arm. The
skin had fallen off, and he had no choice but to slice his own arm off, while tying it up with
part of his clothing. Two of them had already perished.
"How could this have happened, we only killed four beasts!" one of the warriors shouted.
"We should have gone back the moment we saw the other dead beasts, we should have
known something was up!"
"This is not our fault, men!" one of the older warriors shouted with a lightly bearded face.
His name was Jallen, and he was in charge of looking after the group. "These things don't
happen by accident, it's quite clear that someone has entered without permission, but we
must focus, and survive!"
After shouting those words, they could feel the rumbling sensation in the ground below.
Quickly, Jallen leaped away, jumping onto one of the building rooftops. However, the other
three were too slow. Breaking out of the ground, a large green serpent burst through,
opening its mouth wide. It swallowed the men whole. The only saving grace was that their
lives would end quickly, as they were dissolved in the special acid the serpent had in its
body. It wasn't like the typical serpent where their bodies would slowly be digested.
"I tried my best to look after them... but now I have failed. The only thing I can do now is
head back and report this matter," Jallen thought.
The beast would be too strong for him to handle, and it would burrow itself back into the
ground again, as it had done so far. This was the only chance Jallen had. He sprinted,
jumping from rooftop to rooftop, hoping that it would be harder for the beast to track him.
"According to the information obtained by the other members, the Dimension boss won't
touch the wall or go past it. If I reach there, I can make it in time!" Jallen had run with
everything he had.
When he was close to the wall, he leaped up through the air. From the ground beneath, he
could see it rumbling, and breaking through the ground moments later was the serpent
again, with its mouth wide open.
"Crescent moon strike!" Jallen shouted out as his sword lit up, and he swung it through the
air. Qi emitted from his strike and hit the serpent's mouth, causing it to flinch and close.
Meanwhile, Jallen had made it onto the wall. He was huffing and panting, and when he
looked down, he could see the beast retreating back into the ground, burrowing itself. He
felt the vibrations lessen, signaling that the beast had gotten away.
"I must report this as soon as I can."
Jallen had exited out of the portal, and immediately he descended down the mountain.
Perhaps he should have rested, but he didn't. The thought of those who had died in front of
him stayed fresh in his mind. He needed to do this, to avenge them in any way possible.
He did whatever he could to get to the clan base as quickly as he could, and when he
eventually arrived, he reported everything.
The news of what had occurred in the portal had spread, and it had reached the ears of a
certain individual. It was none other than Beatrix Highborn from the Dawnblade Clan.
Immediately she burst into the dojo-styled room where an older woman with ash grey hair
sat on top of a chair. Beatrix bowed down on one knee with her hands in front of her.
"Master, I have no doubt that what happened at the mountainside portal today occurred
because of the Demonic faction using our portal as they pleased. Please let me take revenge
on the Demonic faction by leading the attack myself," Beatrix requested.
Chapter 98 The Demonic City
Chapter 98 The Demonic City
Raze continued to follow the group through the lands. After descending the mountain, he
thought that traversing the flat surface land would be easier, but it was clear that the others
had taken their movement to another level. They were able to move even faster than
before.
'I've only just become a Pagna warrior in this world. Do you expect me to keep up with all
of you just like that?' Raze thought, as he huffed and panted. His current situation reminded
him a lot of his training with Kron when he had first arrived.
Thankfully, the scenery around them had changed as well, and it wasn't all barren
wastelands. There were fields with soil but with strange-colored plants, and even the
forests had leaves present, although many of them were oddly shaped or mostly fallen on
the ground, littering the forest floor to the point where one couldn't see the real floor
underneath.
Eventually, a large city of lights appeared on the horizon, and Raze slowed his pace to take
in the sight. They were on higher ground on a hilltop, allowing them to see the entire city in
its glory.
The night sky was out, so the city was lit up with lanterns. They hung off buildings, lighting
up the streets. The pagodas were covered with them, as were the larger buildings.
Unlike the town Raze was in, several of the buildings here had more than one floor. The
rooftops were still slanted and curved out, like the town he had come from, and all of the
buildings were colored in a similar dull grey with several areas of red. All the glowing
lanterns were red as well, giving the entire city a bright hue.
"It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" Dame continued to look at the city with a small smile on his
face. He had one leg up on a large rock as he stared out into the distance. "This is the city of
Repton. It's at the center of the Demonic faction, so it's a busy place with a lot of trade. It
even has the largest auction in the faction. For the time being, this will be quite a nice place
for you to stay, don't you think?"
The group continued forward and entered the city with no problems. Raze was still
twisting and turning his head, trying to take in everything he could see. Despite it being
night, the streets were busy and full of people. The streets were a lot wider, and people
were still eating outside.
Restaurants and inns were filled with people eating and drinking. As they continued to
walk, Raze passed several market stalls as well.
These were better set up than the ones he had seen in the town. They weren't crooked and
slanting. These stalls were straight with a roof on top, and nearly every stall even had a
name plaque on the outside. Even the items they were presenting were displayed in a far
better order.
"Alright, just let me know what you need to make ten of those potions that you made last
time. I'll cover the material costs, and if there is anything else you want, as long as it's
within reason, I'll get it for you as well," Dame said.
Raze already felt like it was the right thing to have come here. He didn't even have to pay
for anything, and he could buy even more stuff than before. First, Raze bought several more
bottles. Kirk was carrying around a large case on his back that was wrapped around his
body with some rope.
Whatever Raze pointed at, the items would then be filled into the crate. Twenty bottles in
total had been placed inside, ten for the order from Dame and ten for him to do what he
wanted with.
As they continued looking around, Raze didn't stop there. He picked up a standard ring that
had been requested to enhance his magic. It was fine because he had in mind what he
wanted to make. He continued going from stall to stall, doing the little trick he had done
before. He was looking for items that would react well to magic.
"If I can find something like that earring last time, then maybe I can get an item that's just
as good as Simyon. I'll have to use my dark magic, and the item will either be cursed or
sealed, but it will be worth it! And I've got plenty of crystals to try to make a higher-tier
crystal with!"
Eventually, his little trick worked on one of the stalls. Of all things the magic had reacted to,
it was a statue of a simple man in old farmer's clothes made out of stone.
"These items are a bit more difficult since they can't be worn on one's body, but they still
have their uses," Raze thought.
"Are you sure you want this?" Dame asked, lifting the statue. It was so cheap, costing less
than a single silver coin. "I can get you much better souvenirs if that's what you're looking
for."
"It's okay; I just want this one," Raze replied.
Dame looked at the items that had been bought so far, and he felt they were extremely odd.
He understood the bottles, but the ring and the statue? What use were these?
Stopping at another stall, Raze was surprised to see such things sold out in the open. They
were Qi pills, the same type of pills that Kron had given him.
"Ah, these things will be useless for you. Since you're already a Stage 1 Pagna warrior, it
won't do much if you were to eat it. It only has ten years of Qi inside. It's good for restoring
part of your Qi, but in terms of increasing your Qi in your dantian, it wouldn't have any
effect. You would at least need a pill that has 50 years of Qi."
It was good to learn about the different Qi pills and how they affected him now that he was
already a warrior, but he never had the intention of eating the pill.
"I'll take one," Raze said.
With all the items bought, it was time for them to rest for the night. Dame entered a
relatively small and quiet inn on the outskirts of the city. He was looking out for the Dark
Magus since he didn't want him to be caught, especially by Alba, who visited the place
rather frequently.
A room had been rented out for Raze, and although it was nicer than his room at the
temple, it was still relatively small and barren of objects. But it had a bed, toilet, and
facilities for cleaning oneself, so he couldn't really complain.
"Alright, I have to head back to my clan with the others. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon to
collect the items, and I'll be giving you your reward for all of this. I promise you won't be
disappointed," Dame said before leaving the room.
Left on his own, Raze didn't plan to sleep just yet, with excitement coursing through his
veins.
"Alright!" Raze said, heading to the crate that had been left behind. "It's time to enchant
some items so I can get strong enough that not even the academy principal can stop me."
Chapter 99 The Marking Of DM
Chapter 99 The Marking Of DM
All in all, after the countless number of beasts that Raze had hunted before the others had
arrived, as well as those he had hunted while with Dame and his group, he now had a total
of twenty-six power stones.
The first thing he did was feed a stone to his robe, bringing his number down to 25. That
way, he didn't have to worry about it randomly taking one item. With the large number of
stones he had at the moment, he didn't mind sparing one.
"Alright, so now it's time for the second task." Bringing out a piece of chalk, Raze started to
draw the magic circle on the ground, and then he carefully placed the bought ring on the
floor. It was a green jade ring. The color was specifically chosen so he could differentiate
which ring did what. After all, the cursed black ring had an unwelcome effect if taken off.
Activating the magic circle with his Wind attribute magic, it lit up, and the ring glowed for a
few seconds before returning to its original state. Raze didn't need to ask what the ring did;
he knew what enchantment circle he had used. Kneeling down, he picked up the ring and
placed it on one of his fingers.
"I remember a number of different enchantments, and I can always experiment with my
enchantments if the item has a high affinity with magic, but it would be helpful if I had
access to certain recipes for different enchantments. I wonder if Alter has any; the leader is
a 6-star mage, after all."
Now with the rings on his fingers, Raze could actually gauge his different types of magic
growing.
- [Wind attribute: 11]
- [Dark attribute: 29]
"Oh, it increased more than I thought. I guess repeatedly using wind magic to kill those
beasts came in handy after all."
Onto the next part, Raze had redrawn the magic circle and had placed down the Qi pill that
had been bought, along with the crystal. Magic circles were almost a set of instructions for
what to do with the items, and then the crystal was the energy that was used to allow the
spell of the circle to work in the first place.
Right now, after activating the spell, the pill had broken and was destroyed, but it started to
turn into a small mist and formed words in front of Raze, just like when he would ask for
the effects of items.
- [Wheat]
- [Water]
- [Oil]
- [Salt]
- [Egg]
- [Level 1 power stone]
- [Silverstone flower seed]
"I see, so these are the ingredients that are used to make a Qi pill. I guess they then
condense all of the ingredients with a furnace, but I will only need the outer layer. So I can
forget about the power stone and the flower seed being a part of the Qi pill itself."
With this information at hand, Raze wasted no time leaving the inn and heading back out to
the market. He was now on a quest to buy the following items. Even though Dame wasn't
with him, he still had coins from selling the previous power stone to Alter. The ingredients,
since they weren't anything special, weren't hard for him to come by after buying them.
After buying the ingredients, it was then time for him to quickly return to his room.
Placing the ingredients on the floor, Raze had placed the power stone down as well, but
there was no bottle. That was because he was trying to create something else other than
bottles.
"There's just one more touch I want to add to this magic formation." Inside the magic circle,
two letters were written: 'DM'.
Activating the formation with dark magic, all of the ingredients lifted into the air. They then
started to turn into nothing but energy particles as they clashed together and began to
condense down. There was a slight flash of light, and when it disappeared, in its place was a
dark blue colored Qi pill, with two letters engraved on it: DM.
Picking up the small Qi pill, Raze placed it into the palm of his hand. He looked at his
handiwork and the engraving, which had a slight purple tint to it.
"I like this, I like it a lot. It looks like it worked," Raze thought. "This Qi pill has the exact
same effect as the cursed mana potion. If I plan to sell items in this place, then I need
something that is more familiar to them. The potion bottles would be a hard ask, but the
pills, I can already imagine them spreading. With the marking, they will know it's my
product. The 'D' and 'M' are embedded and a part of the pill itself, so with a magnifying
glass, someone would be able to tell if someone just carved the letters on a pill. Letting
them know the difference between a real and a fake."
When creating items and products for the mass market, one had to think about the future
as well, and Raze was thinking quite a few steps ahead. With the potions in the form of Qi
pills, it would be harder for Alter to detect as well, and they would think it was a product of
alchemy rather than magic. Starting in the demonic faction, it would take a while for these
to spread out as well.
Raze went on to create nine more of the dark blue colored pills, allowing him to complete
the order that Dame had placed. After that, he still had 13 crystals as well.
"Before, I would have just sold the rest of the crystals for coins. After all, buying materials
and items will become quite important for the future," Raze thought. "But there's a way I
can make even more money."
For now, Raze would leave the enchanting of the statue for later. He wanted a higher-level
power stone, although he could do the same as he had done before for the earring, there
was a chance he could burn through quite a number of crystals since it wasn't always a
success combining crystals.
After Raze continued to enchant several items and create Qi pills, he eventually decided to
get some sleep. It wasn't long after that a knock was heard on his door.
"Dark Magus, it's me, Dame. I have arrived!" A voice was heard through the door.
Raze opened his eyes and could see rays of light hitting him. He had fallen asleep with his
clothes on and hadn't even drawn the curtains, yet he still hadn't woken up due to the sun.
He was exhausted.
"It's been a long time since I pulled an all-nighter like that. It's quite exciting just getting
into the state of flow when working."
Getting up, Raze made sure his hood was up, covering his face, as he went to the door,
undoing the locks. Opening it up, Dame was there, but this time it was just him on his own.
"I'm happy to see you slept quite well," Dame said, shutting the door behind him. "I think
you're going to like the gifts I bought you. Your special drink was a big hit, so I think I
should equally reward you with something nice as well."
Chapter 100 Master The World
Chapter 100 Master The World
Inside the inn, other than the bed, there was a desk and a single chair. As if the place were
his own home, Dame pulled the table away from the wall and placed it toward the bed.
This way Raze could stay on the bed, and Dame could use the seat and the table between
the two. Soon after, with a large grin on his face, he went into his robe and placed two
books out right in front of him.
"Ta-da!" Dame said, pleased with himself. "What I have for you right here are two skill
books that belong to my clan. Just to let you know, they aren't just any skill books. These
books are usually reserved for only clan members.
"Which means, only those within the clan know how to use these skills. On top of that, I
would say that our clan is the strongest clan in the entire Demonic Faction, and that the
Demonic faction is the strongest faction. So if you think about it, I'm giving you two of the
strongest skills!"
Hearing Dame speak, Raze was reminded of those damned spaceship salesmen. They
wouldn't stop talking about the features of this and that. Then when one went to buy the
thing, they would be bombarded with a load of extras.
It felt almost as if Dame was just trying too hard to say how precious these skills are.
"I can tell from the look on your face that you don't believe me," Dame continued and
pushed the books forward. Just like before, some of the content of the books was scratched.
Not only that, but the books didn't look old. They looked new, and even the ink was
relatively new.
"Did you hand-copy these?" Raze asked.
Dame winked. "That just goes to show you how precious these skill books are. Honestly,
your special drink you made turned out to be great for a certain client of mine, that's why I
ordered ten more from you. So I brought you two of the books that were of equivalent
value, no, you could say even more. One for the first drink, and the second for the new
order."
Rather than wondering whether or not Dame was trying to pull a fast one on him, he
thought he could really only tell after reading the contents of the book. Opening it up, he
flicked through the first one's pages.
"Can you understand it okay?" Dame asked, peeking over, trying to gauge Raze's reaction.
Before answering, Raze looked at the second book. He had skimmed through them enough
to gather what the two skill books were.
"It's a foot technique, and a sword technique?" Raze questioned, his tone dropping off
slightly toward the end.
"You seem a bit disappointed," Dame said, sitting back down. "After completing your core,
the next important step is foot techniques. They are the basis of nearly all martial arts.
"That foot technique is known as the Ten Descending Steps. With each step, there is more
power that is placed into it, and each strike grows stronger. You can pull off most skills
along with the steps, and the further you get through using the steps, the more powerful
your strike will be.
"It's a foot technique that grows with the user as a Pagna warrior. Even I only know six of
the ten steps!"
Raze still didn't know if it was a sales pitch or not, but his words were working.
"If I was to use this skill, would people know that it's a skill from your Clan or the Demonic
Faction, same with this other skill?" Raze asked.
"At the moment, I doubt it," Dame explained. "You see, our clan members haven't fought
against anyone for years, and there aren't many that know these skills. It's the same with
any clans.
"Unless it's someone of age that has gone against the Demonic faction, I doubt they would
know what either of these are."
In short, it meant although he could use these skills in front of students, it was likely that
the academy principal and perhaps the examiners would know of these skills.
'Well, it's not like it's illegal to use other faction's skills, just frowned upon within factions,'
Raze thought. 'A no-name like me using skills belonging to the Demonic faction shouldn't
sound so surprising.'
"This next book, it's a sword skill, but I've never used a sword in my life?" Raze questioned.
"And had you ever really thrown a fist before?" Dame asked. He knew the answer after
seeing Raze throw a fist with Qi from before. "Swords, spears, staffs, blades, gauntlets, and
yada yada yada. They are frequently used in the world of Pagna, and the sword is the most
common and for good reason.
"It is one of the easiest to learn, but also one of the hardest to master. If mastered, you will
be able to rule the world... some say. Just like with the steps, I have chosen a skill that will
grow with you. Although not as impressive, there are three formations to the sword skill.
"However, combine it with the steps, and you will have a number of different combinations
that you can use that your opponent won't be able to handle."
Raze wasn't just thinking that, if he combined it with his magic as well, possibly, he would
be one of the strongest magic swordsmen that existed. He couldn't wait to give it all a try.
"And how many formations do you know of the sword technique?" Raze asked.
"Me!" Dame pointed to himself. "I don't use swords; swords are for wise people, and I'm not
very wise, so I prefer to just use my fists."
Once again, Raze was getting an odd feeling that he might just be getting scammed, but for
him, even simple techniques might be able to create something extremely powerful, just
like his Dark Strike.
"I have something to show you as well," Raze said. He held out his hand and soon dropped
onto the table one by one the dark blue-colored Qi pills, and they were ten in total. Seeing
them, Dame tilted his head. He had never seen such colored Qi pills before, and he noticed
the marking on them.
"This is the order that you asked for. I decided to make it in a style that is more suitable to
this world's taste," Raze explained. "They're smaller and more compact as well, but they
have the same effect."
Picking it up off the table, sparkles were coming out of Dame's eyes.
"This right here, is this your marking, is this so you know that it's your creation?"
Dame seemed to catch on quickly.
"There's more than just that," Raze said as he dropped three more Qi pills, each one of them
a slightly different color, all with the DM marking on them. "All of these pills here each have
a different effect that would be beneficial for a Pagna warrior.
"So what do you think, do you think these will sell, or do well here."
Raze hadn't even explained what each of the pills did, but Dame's imagination was already
running wild, which was why he had come to the decision right there and then, as he
blurted out his next words. "I want to go into business with you! And I want to spread the
name of you and your product. So everyone will come to us in order to get the Dark Magus'
products!"
Chapter 101 A Call For Battle!
Chapter 101 A Call For Battle!
If Dame didn't make the suggestion, then Raze was going to anyway, so he was happy to see
one of them had brought it up. It was why he had gone ahead and showed his new product
to the other. He had purposely not told the effects either, as the mystery of what they could
do was quite compelling to a person.
"I see you think that they would sell well here then. I am quite pleased," Raze said. "If you
want my items and wish to become my business partner, then don't you think we should
agree on some terms?"
When Raze had first come to Pagna and discovered he could still get his hands on power
stones, he had been wanting to do something like this from day one. Acquiring wealth in
Pagna would make him a powerful figure.
If he was able to build up his own merchant company, he would have his own network of
sorts, and in turn, he could gather information as well as items. With money, one could buy
anything, and it would be his quickest route into growing stronger and finding a way back
to Alterian.
However, his first attempt at just selling a power stone had ended in failure and the death
of two people. He then later found out that Alter forbade things like this, which was why he
needed a middleman.
"I'm surprised you agreed so fast, was this your intention all along?" Dame rubbed his
hands. "I will pay for the costs of all the items that you need. That includes power stones. In
turn for doing this, we would be the sole seller of items belonging to the Dark Magus.
"The problem I have honestly is what to give you. I was going to suggest to split the profits
30/70 on your end. I know without you, this deal doesn't exist, but I'm also one of the few
people you can trust with your secret of the fact that you are from another world, and for
our work with clients and putting fees upfront, we deserve something. But won't coins be
useless to you?"
Raze shook his head.
"Payment in coins will be fine. I like to be in control, and if I have coins, I can then do what I
wish with them. Whether I want to buy higher-tier power stones or not will be completely
up to me. There is just one thing I would like to add.
"If people ask who made these pills, you can inform them that it was by me, the Dark
Magus."
The name Dark Magus was just an alias in the first place, but the more people chased after
the name Dark Magus, the more Raze Cromwell could move about, and he was hoping to
attract the right kind of attention by doing this.
"Then it's a deal!" Dame said, putting his hand out.
Raze looked at it for a moment and just shook his head, to which Dame just laughed and
placed it back.
"Words are good enough. We will continue our weekly meetups, and you bring whatever it
is you wish for us to sell. At the same time, I will bring you the coin that has been earned,"
Dame explained.
It was a shame that the only place the two could really meet was through the dimension
owned by the Light Faction, but it was the only thing they could do right now.
"Ah, you can bring me whatever supplies you want today or tomorrow. I don't plan on
leaving so soon. I wish to learn part of the Skill Books before going back," Raze said.
He meant it as well; he couldn't head back to the academy and have the same thing happen
again. He wanted to change the special status he had obtained, and at least learn skills to
defend himself before that.
Before Dame could answer, there was a knock at the door again.
"Dame, are you there?" The voice called.
"Is that you, Fixteen?"
Hearing the response, Fixteen opened the door. It was still unlocked from when Dame had
entered.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I have an important message; your father would like to
meet with you," Fixteen explained.
It was a rarity being called by his father, and if it was a summons like this, it usually meant
that rather than a meeting between son and father, it was more of a meeting between
disciple and Clan master.
"I'm sorry to cut our meeting short, but I'll be back with what we need as soon as possible,"
Dame said, giving a respectful bow and leaving the room.
When the door shut, Raze could only think of one thing.
"He seemed nervous; are he and his father on bad terms?"
Heading back to the Neverfall Clan base, to the Abyssal Pinnacle, Dame had descended
down the large spiraling staircase, going deeper and deeper until he had reached almost
the bottom floor.
There was an extreme heat that was unbearable for most, and the Pagna warriors, the
disciples on the first floor, wouldn't even be able to withstand the heat that flowed down
here.
Pushing two large double doors, Dame had entered a room where the first thing one saw
was a large path. It went straight ahead to a circular area, where he could see a man sitting
down cross-legged with a large wide back filled with scars as he bore no shirt. This was the
leader of the Neverfall Clan, Belil Narfous.
As Dame entered, the doors closed behind him, and he knelt down onto the ground.
"Reports have come in," Belil said, his voice bouncing off the walls, coming from every
direction. If a regular person stayed in the room, they would have gone mad with just a
single word. One had to really focus as they listened to the words.
"That the Light Faction is invading and planning a small attack," Belil continued. "It doesn't
appear as if it will just be a small scuffle either, as there are reports that Beatrix Highborn
from the Dawnblade Clan will be leading the assault."
Dame's heart was starting to beat uncontrollably after hearing those words.
"She is coming with a force of fifty strong, and I would like you to deal with the matter, my
fourth son. Take the first-floor disciples, fifty of them, and deal with the situation."
"Me!" Dame shouted back. "But... Beatrix is the hope of the Light Faction, I already lost to
her during the martial arts gathering. I'm sure she won't be coming with just any members
of the Light Faction either. If I head out there with those from the first floor, it will
practically be a suicide mission."
The floor on the ground started to shake after hearing Dame's words, and he couldn't help
but gulp.
"Did you think I did not know that you are the one that caused this problem in the first
place for us! It is your duty to fix it! Feel free to take those that you call your friends, but if
you fail this task, then you won't be allowed back in the clan, and I will personally rip off
those useless limbs of yours."
There was no more debating the matter; Dame knew that, so he stood up instead and
bowed down again.
"As you wish, Master."
The moment Dame turned around, he started to grind his teeth as he pushed the door open,
leaving the room. When the doors closed behind him, he could finally let out a big breath.
'Crap, is this how he wants me gone, how he wants to kick me out of the clan? I stand no
chance against Beatrix with an army so weak. It will be impossible for me to win.'
At that moment, a certain name had popped up in his head.
'The Dark Magus, could I ask him for help?'
Chapter 102 Pulling Strings
Chapter 102 Pulling Strings
Gunther had searched the grounds up and down. He had combed through the forest, but
there was no luck, and no sign of Raze anywhere. In the end, he had to give up. Pincer, as
well as the other students, didn't seem to be so concerned, but regardless, he had decided
to tell the other two who were somewhat stuck to the white-haired boy like glue.
Because of it, it was quite a tough night for Safa and Simyon to sleep. They had been shown
to their rooms, which were just one large public building with several floors, each with
doors leading to individual rooms.
The rooms themselves were even more basic than what they had at the temple, with only a
single mattress on the floor, a pillow, and a bedsheet. It was a place designed so they would
have no distractions.
Just before going to sleep, Simyon called out to Safa by her door.
"Hey, don't worry too much about Raze. I know that teacher said he couldn't find him, but
in my eyes, that's a good thing. It means that they couldn't find Raze's body, which doesn't
mean he's dead."
Although this was true, the edge of the forest was a complete cliffside. No one knew how far
down it went, and the area was covered with fog. The examiners nor those of the Dark
faction even explored the place.
In many ways, if a death did happen, it was the perfect place to hide one as well. Still, Safa
was thankful for this and nodded as the two went to get some rest.
The next day arrived, and the sound of a loud gong vibrated through the halls, immediately
alerting everyone. Students quickly rushed out of their rooms, opening the doors,
wondering where the loud sound was coming from.
"ALL NEW STUDENTS ARE TO APPEAR IN THE COURTYARD!" a voice shouted. "Those who
aren't there in the next five minutes will be kicked out."
Immediately, there was a rush from the students as they quickly got fully dressed and
started to rush out of the rooms. The hallways weren't the largest, and the students were
squashed up against the walls, pushing against each other.
"Safa!" Simyon called out as he tried to look for her among the chaos. "Safa!"
Other students had bumped into Simyon, but as they did, one of them fell back down to the
floor.
"What the... did I hit a rock or something?" The student saw that it was the no-name from
before. Kissing his teeth, he got up and hurried outside.
That's when Simyon could see Safa was struggling. She was being pushed up against the
wall with no regard whatsoever.
"Safa!" Simyon shouted as he rushed forward. His shoulders hit several of the other
students but knocked them away as he did. Then, when he met with Safa, he grabbed her
hand. "Just stay behind me!"
Pushing through, Simyon managed to bulldoze his way through the crowd of people with
his strong body, and Safa stayed behind him. Although her brother wasn't here at the
moment, it looked like there was still someone that she could rely on.
The students were now out in the courtyard, some of them tardy with their clothing. A
couple hadn't even worn anything on the top half of their bodies at all; they had come out
in such a rush.
That's when they could see Pincer out in front, and along with him, several other older
males dressed in dark purple uniforms and a headband above their heads. There were
three of them in total.
However, the headbands that they wore were completely different colors compared to the
rest. From the right side, there was a dark blue; in the center, a yellow headband; and at the
very end, a red headband.
In front of them, there was a table laid out, and multiple headbands were laid out on the
table.
"In front of you all are the teachers of this academy!" Pincer shouted. "They will be the ones
that will pay special attention as they focus on you first years. As you may know, the
academy is a two-year course!
"After today, you will join up with your second-year students. If you look off into the
distance, you will notice that on the plaque of buildings, there is a stripe of paint with the
same colors you see in front of you."
The students looked off into the distance, and they could see it was true. A large building to
the left only had a red stripe of paint next to its sign just above the door. Another yellow,
and the last blue.
On top of that, there was the main building that contained the cafeteria, the library, among
other things, and this had all three colors on the signs.
"This is important. Based on what headband you are assigned today, you will have access to
these different buildings. A student that is caught in the building that does not correspond
to the same color without permission will be severely punished. Now please wait for your
number to be called by the following teacher."
Gunther had explained to Raze before that those who got through the second stage were
already in the academy, and the third stage was to determine just their ranking, and this is
what he meant by that.
It was clear that they were planning to split the groups according to strength. It was a
common thing to do in regular schools as well. It allowed the talented to learn quicker as
they could progress with advanced teaching, while the lower students that needed help
could have more time to be guided and not feel lost.
Although some might have thought it was a way to create a divide and caste, it was for the
benefit of the entire academy as a whole. Otherwise, they wouldn't have just kicked out the
other students in the first place.
The first numbers to be called were the five main disciples, and they had been called by the
teacher with the red headband. They had collected the most power stones, so it was quite
clear that those with the red headbands would be considered the best students.
A few names were called out, and in total, there were only fifteen students with a red
headband on their heads. All of the students were from the top clans in the Dark faction.
There were a couple of outliers that people hadn't seen before, but with the rough look on
their faces and eyes, they looked just as menacing as others.
Next, the teacher with the yellow headband started to call out names. Based on what they
had seen so far, Simyon was waiting for their numbers to be called. After all, many students
had given 0 power stones, but due to Ricktor, the two of them had handed in one power
stone each.
However, as the names went on and on, and a total of around a hundred more numbers
were called, theirs wasn't one of them.
'Sh*t!' Simyon clenched his fist hard. 'Why did I get my hopes up? Did I really think that we
would get treated fairly in this place? Kron already warned us about something like this
happening.'
Just as expected, the blue teacher called out around a hundred more names, and Safa and
Simyon were on that list.
"If you feel self-conscious about the color on your headband, then train and work hard on
improving yourself!" Pincer shouted. "There will be assessments that regularly occur; at
the time, any color headband can challenge another, and if you win or lose, the two of you
are to exchange headbands.
"Do not become complacent with your position, because there will always be someone after
it!"
After Pincer's announcements, the students followed their teachers into their respective
buildings, where they would go on to learn more about what they would be doing at the
academy and how things would work.
When all of the students eventually disappeared, Gunther appeared by Pincer's side.
"What is going on?" Gunther asked.
"What do you mean, you have eyeballs, don't you? The students are going to start their first
day," Pincer replied.
"Not that," Gunther replied. "I'm talking about the two no-name students. They handed in
one power stone each, so shouldn't they at least be in the yellow group?"
"Oh, that... yes, I did find that a bit strange, but it's not our call," Pincer explained. "The
results were passed onto the administrator, and someone insisted they were in the blue
group."
Gunther didn't push Pincer anymore on the matter because it genuinely felt like he didn't
know the reason for it. The academy had no-names before. Although it was rare, there had
been the odd occasion, but the academy didn't discriminate.
If they did well on the assessment, they would be placed in the appropriate group. Which
was why even those that had survived during the second assessment, against the
overwhelming power of the main disciples, were placed in the yellow group regardless if
they got a power stone or not.
'If anything, because they are no-names, they should be caring about them even less. So
why would someone have paid so much attention to the two of them that they placed them
in the blue group? More so than that, who has that much power in the academy to do that?'
Chapter 103 The Red Hand
Chapter 103 The Red Hand
With Dame's disappearance, Raze was now waiting for him to return with either the
materials or at least the money to buy the materials. While they were getting a few things,
he would be on the lookout again for items that had an affinity for magic.
This was one of the reasons why Raze had decided not to enchant the statue he had found.
If he received some compensation for his work, he could use a level 2 power stone to
enchant the statue, giving it a greater effect.
Still, Raze wasn't just going to sit down and do nothing; there was a reason for him being
here in the first place, and that was to increase his strength. He was ready to start his daily
routine, and he had been using the Dark essence cultivation technique to increase his dark
magic attribute.
As he sat on the floor cross-legged, he was ready, that was until a thought came into his
head.
'Wait, in the Academy, I won't be able to rely on my magic so much, especially if the eyes of
the others are on me. It would be better for me to focus on my Pagna warrior skills.
'If that's the case, then I should be focusing on the Demonic faction cultivation technique
instead. The cycle of life and death.'
The cultivation technique was one that was best to be used in an area where many lives
started or many ended. In theory, Raze believed that surely the faction that had created the
technique was best to be used in its own territory, so he thought, what better time than to
give it a go now.
Sitting down, Raze thought back to the contents of the book. Due to all his training with
magic, he was quite a quick learner because magic was far more complex than the
cultivation techniques he had learned so far. It was easy for him to remember the
important points and to go through the motions. With his eyes closed, he instantly was able
to concentrate. He could feel all of the lives that had been born in the surrounding areas.
Imagining all of the births in the rooms, the happiness around, it was quite a large amount
as Raze could feel the energy entering his Dantian and pushing it to grow stronger than
before.
'There's so much energy here, with all of this, will I be able to become a second-stage
warrior, and one so soon?'
However, with the cultivation technique, one wasn't just meant to think of the first part of
the cycle; they needed to gather energy from both parts. And when it went to the cycle of
death, something strange started to occur.
'What is all of this… this noise?'
The sound of distant screams was going off all around him. They weren't regular screams
but ones as if a person was in pain.
The energy was now rapidly entering his stomach, and it felt almost overwhelming, his
stomach felt like it was ready to burst, and a large amount of pain was felt in his head. With
his eyes closed, the imagery he had in his head, what he had imagined, it was starting to feel
real. The vague images that were almost like a dream were becoming solid. For a moment,
he thought he might have transmigrated again to another world. He could feel the heat on
his skin, the sounds around him, and even what was below.
His body was on a battlefield. He was higher up compared to everyone else, able to
overlook everything, but as for where he was, he was sitting on a hill, but this one was
made from a pile of the dead.
The field was full of broken swords and weapons on the ground, the dead bodies had fresh
wounds, and the smell of iron was thick.
'What is all of this? Is this the demonic faction before it was built? Is this all of the lives that
had been lost in the past?' Raze thought.
The energy was still pouring into him, and he felt like he needed to put it to a stop, to try
and put this whole thing to a stop. He was in too deep in this trance-like state. As he closed
his eyes again, he tried to break out of it.
He then felt something brush against his cheek, gliding across it ever so slightly. The touch,
it was cold.
Opening his eyes, Raze was taking a look at what it was, thinking he would see the room or
break out of the imagery he was imagining at the moment. To catch someone touching him
in the real room. Instead, he could see the imagery that was in his head as if he was actually
there.
Reaching out from the gap of the soaking dead bodies, a long stretched-out arm was visible.
It was pale and thin, almost only bone, but there was visible skin. Its entire hand was dyed
in red blood, leaving traces of it on Raze's face. It had appeared from the ground and was
gently stroking him constantly.
'Oh… you have a stronger desire than even him… I like you.' The voice whispered.
Raze wanted to move, he wanted to grab the cold hand from his face, but it wasn't working.
'Why do you have so much anger inside you, and why have you seen so many lives! Oh, I
really like you.' The voice was a sinister whisper that made one's hairs on the back of their
neck stand up straight.
'I guess, I will take you then, and help you get what I want!'
Out of nowhere, from the air, a second bloody hand appeared and went to stroke the other
side of Raze's face, but before it could, Raze had lifted his right arm completely covered in
black magic.
"I don't like it when people touch me, and that includes some damn spirit who hasn't even
washed its hands!" Shoving the hand and flinging it to the side, Raze gathered the magic in
the palm of his hand again.
"Dark pulse!" The beam of energy fired right through the hand and the pile of bodies, and
the whole world that was around him started to shatter. It was breaking apart and
disappearing, but the voice had one last word to say.
"Oh… I really like you now." It whispered.
Blinking a few times, Raze could see that he was back in the room, in the Inn again, but
there had been a big change because in the floorboards underneath, a giant hole had been
ripped through to the restaurant below.
"AHHHH!"
"Am I still hearing those screams?" Raze thought.
It wasn't the screams in his mind, though; it was the screams from below. The Dark pulse
strike had gone through the floor and had hit below. It had hit a person that was enjoying a
drink. A hole was now in the top of his head, as he lay there dead on the table.
"Ah, Sh*t," Raze said to himself as he went to touch the cheek that still felt slightly cold from
earlier.
Slowly he pulled his hands away and looked at his fingers, which were faintly covered in
red.
Chapter 104 A Big Cost
Chapter 104 A Big Cost
For a moment, Raze was taken aback by what was on his fingers because there was no
doubt in his mind: the consistency he had felt before, it was blood. He was in his room, all
on his own; he hadn't left it, but he was unsure if anyone had entered, yet there was blood
on his cheek.
'Was that illusion I saw while I was cultivating not really an illusion?' Raze started to
wonder. 'No one could have come inside; the door was locked, and it would be crazy to
think someone would just enter and place blood on my face. So, what was that?'
Continued screams were heard from down below, and by now, a group of men in various
kinds of clothing with swords and weapons at their hips had surrounded the dead man on
the table.
"This must have been done by a Pagna warrior."
"But why would they just kill an ordinary civilian out of the blue? The man was just
enjoying a drink; he didn't offend anyone or bump into others."
"Maybe he messed with the wrong person and bore a grudge?"
The people below were having a deep discussion until one of them looked up and could see
the hooded figure looking down at them.
"It must have been him; that uniform isn't from any of the clans I recognize."
"Me either; we should bring him in before he causes more chaos in the city!"
The men seemed to agree; despite their different clothing and clan affiliations, they were
ready to act together. They were strangers who had been enjoying a drink and staying at
the same inn today, but seeing someone causing a disturbance in their territory made them
act.
The men jumped on top of the table, and with a push, managed to jump through the hole
that was created. It was a bit small, so the man swung his sword, slicing it apart before he
landed inside the room.
Raze took a step back and soon saw four more men enter the room, drawing their swords.
"It would be best if you came with us peacefully and let one of the clans deal with you."
Raze was conflicted as he moved back, unsure of what to do in this situation.
'I did kill a stranger I had no relation to, but in the situation I am in, I can't get caught.' Raze
thought. 'Do I attempt to run away? No, with their skills, they all seem to be beyond a first-
stage Pagna warrior. They would catch me in an instant.'
Fighting back didn't seem like much of an option for Raze either. He would lose, just as he
had done before, and it would attract the attention of other Pagna warriors in the entire
city.
"Wait!" A voice shouted as the door was slammed open, crashing into the wall. In his long,
robe-like clothes, Dame had entered the room, with a fierce look on his face. "All of you,
leave him be. I will compensate the family greatly for what has happened today, and I will
punish the man appropriately."
At first, it looked as if the other warriors weren't going to care about what this interrupter
had said, but when they took a second look at him, they started to notice who he was.
"Isn't that Dame Narfous?" one of them whispered.
"If the Neverfall Clan is involved in this, then it is best we leave it up to them."
Each of the men then bowed down at that moment. "We will leave this to the young
master!"
As easily as that, they lifted their heads and disappeared back down to the restaurant.
Down below, Dame and his group were actually clearing up what had happened and were
even discussing with the owner of the place how to make up for all the mess.
The way they handled everything so smoothly made it seem like it wasn't the first time
they had gotten into trouble before.
The matter was quickly resolved, but to avoid attracting too much attention, Dame had
booked another inn a few streets down for Raze to set up shop in. They didn't talk much
while all of this was going on; it seemed as if both individuals had a lot on their minds. But
when they were finally checked in, it gave both of them time to talk again.
Instead of in the room, this time they were in a corner of the downstairs restaurant and had
ordered a couple of drinks.
"Hey, don't worry about what happened back there," Dame said as he took a swig of his
drink while Raze's remained untouched. "These things happen all the time here; it's not a
problem. You're lucky that the one who got hit was a no-name."
"No-name?" Raze replied; he had heard this mentioned before.
"Oh, right, you probably don't know—"
"How much?" Raze interrupted. "How much coin did you give to that family, to the no-
name? What was the cost of his life in this world?"
Dame could see the mood was getting a little serious, which wasn't a good sign for him.
"Ten gold coins; it will be enough for him and his family to live happily. Look, this might not
make sense to you, or it might not be the right thing to say, but his life was worth a lot less
than ten coins. Even if he worked his entire lifetime, he would have never been able to
amass that much wealth.
"In fact, if you offered a total of twenty silvers, his family would have willingly sold him to
work for another clan. The divide in this world between those that matter and everyone
else—well, no-names are essentially just animals. As I said, whether it's right or wrong is a
different story, but I just wanted to ease your worries a bit."
Raze had killed people before; he didn't have a problem with that. But it was always to
move forward toward his goal. Killing an innocent bystander who was just in the wrong
place at the wrong time didn't sit well with him.
'She was just at the wrong place, at the wrong time,' a voice played in Raze's head, a
memory from the past.
"What's with the blood on your face anyway? Shouldn't you have washed that off? It's dried
a bit now as well," Dame asked. "I mean, it's a good look if you don't want anyone to mess
with you."
"The blood?" Raze touched his cheek again. "That's right, the cultivation technique you
taught me. The cycle of life and death. When performing it, are there any side effects, like
seeing illusions and such, or does it summon anything?"
The subject made Dame a bit uneasy as he turned to look left and right.
"Side effects; it's what I told you somewhat before. If you're not careful with the technique,
it can drive you to go mad and turn you into a literal Demon. Some of them, before turning
into one, see many illusions; it's one of the side effects before turning. Don't tell me—"
"No," Raze answered. "I was just curious."
Dame took a big swig and gave Raze the side-eye. It was hard to read his facial expression
with the hood covering his eyes, so he didn't know if he was lying or not.
'That was not an illusion,' Raze thought. 'I wonder, though, if only illusions are part of the
cultivation technique's bad effects, that might not even be something related to the
demonic faction. There is something strange surrounding this boy's original body in the
first place. Could it be related to that, or maybe even the mysterious transmigration book I
used?'
The spells and items that could be obtained through these dimensions that gave one god-
like powers, perhaps there was a reason why Alter was trying their best to stop people
from using them.
"Actually, I came here to talk to you because I need your help," Dame asked. "Do you
remember that woman who attacked you in that dimension from before? Well, it turns out
that she has a bit of a grudge and is trying to attack the Demonic faction."
Raze's eyebrows were raised; an attack, wasn't this a big deal? But everyone seemed so
calm about the matter, apart from Dame, who was tense for the first time. Even his fingers
were constantly tapping the table.
"I've been asked to lead an attack to defend the Demonic faction on my own. Well, not on
my own, but they have practically sent me on a suicide mission. Beatrix is one of the
strongest in the Light faction, and they are sending me with no support. If I go out there
with no kind of help, I will die."
"Which is why I'm asking, is there any way you can help me, help me win this battle?"
For the first time since the conversation began, Raze picked up the alcoholic drink in front
of him. His body was a bit too young to handle it, but it had been a long time since he
treated himself to the bitter and cold taste.
Taking down nearly half the drink in one go, he slammed it on the table. The image of the
dead man and the blood on his face flashed through his mind.
"Nothing has changed; everything is still the same." These words were something Raze had
repeated to himself many times as he did unthinkable things as the Dark Magus. It was
sometimes the only thing that kept him going, and he was using them now to flush out the
memories.
"I can help you, and I can help you defeat Beatrix, but it's going to cost you."
Chapter 105 A True Curse
Chapter 105 A True Curse
After hearing Dame's plea, Raze was quick to answer. After all, he didn't want his newfound
business partner to disappear just like that. A lot of time and effort were put into this
relationship, and he wasn't so sure he could work with someone like Dame again.
He certainly was a unique character. Not only that, but Raze noticed something from
before. When he was in trouble, the other members in their Demonic faction seemed to
have recognized him and put a halt to their attack rather quickly.
Raze knew Dame was quite strong to hold off Beatrix, but it seemed he had power with the
people as well, which was a good sign of his business moving forward in the future.
"A high cost, huh?" Dame nervously laughed. "I know we just agreed to go into business
together, but it looks like your first customer in all of this is going to be me. I was thinking if
we used those pills you handed me before, that if I gave it to the people fighting alongside
me, they would have a chance.
"But even then, I need something that can help me beat Beatrix, is there anything you have
that can do that?"
Although the Cursed mana pill was strong and could restore his Qi, in Dame's mind, the
difference was too large. Because with every strike, she would overpower him, and
skillfully as well.
She would cut off his head before he even had a chance to use all of his Qi in the first place.
Dame was hoping for something more, or maybe even for Raze himself to join the battle.
However, he had no idea that Raze had no intention to join the battlefield that would put
him at risk for no reason.
"You helped me out of the situation from before," Raze said. "I don't like owing favors, so I
will make the pills for those that will travel with you for free. You, of course, will supply me
with all the materials I need. I hope you can afford it."
The sides of Dame's mouth started to rise; he knew Raze was a tricky person and was
surprised to hear such a good deal would come of it.
'Making so many pills at once, it will require a lot of stones, and I will have to use a few
mana potions myself. The main thing I will have to be careful to avoid is mana sickness if
my body takes in too many potions.'
"As for the second favor, a way to help you defeat Beatrix, I think there might be something.
I can't guarantee how it would work, but there might be quite a bit you have to sacrifice to
win the battle."
At this point, Dame didn't care; he would take anything over his father ripping his own
arms off.
"Of course, just let me know."
"First," Raze said. "I would like to go to a place where you have high-quality items, they can
be weapons or armaments, anything of the kind, and I would like to select one item from
there. Second, I would then like two level 2 power stones."
A great pain had struck Dame right in the heart. He had a relatively small fortune being the
Clan leader's son, but it wasn't infinite. This whole battle was going to cost him everything
he had.
A level 2 power stone would have been easier for him to just get from some beast, but with
restrictions on portals and time not on his side, he would have to use his funds to buy them.
"For yourself, I need you to bring a weapon of your choice and a level 2 power stone," Raze
stated.
With him being a 2-star Mage, he could only do enchantments at the second level, so a
higher-level stone would be useless.
"What are we waiting for!" Dame stood up and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Let's go!"
Dame had decided to keep up his end of the bargain first before even getting anything off
Raze. Two Level two power stones had been given to him; one of them had the Earth
attribute, while the other had no attribute.
It was a shame that they both didn't have an attribute, but Raze decided not to make much
of a fuss in the first place because he could see that Dame had tried his best to haggle on the
prices, and he could assume that he would be quite low on funds.
The next place, rather than a market stall, the two of them had visited the inside of a shop.
It looked a bit like the pawn shop that Raze had visited before on the inside, just that it was
more focused on weapons rather than tools.
"Alright, you can pick whatever you want that's in this room," Dame said, standing blocking
the way to a door that led to another room. He assumed that the more expensive items
were in the other room.
It was okay because Raze wasn't looking for a weapon; he was just looking for something
that had a high affinity with magic. Hovering his hand over the items, magic flowed out of
his hands, hitting them one by one.
'Oh, this is a first; nearly everything in here is reacting to the magic. I guess these items are
quite a bit better.'
Surprisingly, though, the item that reacted the most and vibrated the strongest was, of all
things, a mask. There were several metallic masks that were placed in a barrel. They were
made of pure metal with only small slits for one's eyes to see through.
"Oh, those are working masks... they're quite useless for a Pagna warrior but popular
among workers who do hard labor all day since it protects the face," Dame explained.
"And not the eyes?" Raze replied back, thinking it was quite the poor design. Poor or not, it
had the strongest reaction. "I'll just take this."
Hearing those words, it was at that point that Dame felt like Raze was a saint. Was he being
considerate because he knew how much money he needed to spend, that he had bought the
cheapest thing in the shop? More and more, he was seeing him in a new light.
With that done, the two of them had returned to the inn, where they could see Fixteen
waiting for them in the room. He was carrying something under his arm wrapped in an old
cloth.
"The most important thing is helping me beat Beatrix, so I thought we could deal with that
first," Dame said, and looked at Fixteen.
Out on the table, he placed the item wrapped in cloth and unraveled it, revealing a pair of
black gauntlets and a level 2 power stone. The gauntlets looked impressive. They weren't
large, like some; these were relatively small, almost the perfect fit over Dame's hands.
It made them look not too bulky when placed on him. The fingers were pointed like claws,
and it had a strange pattern on it that would make it look like they were scales.
"Alright," Raze said as he sat down. Unlike the times before, he didn't immediately start
drawing the magic circle because he had to think about what type of enchantment to do.
He had already decided that he would use dark magic. With this, the level of Enchantment
would be higher, giving it the effects of a rare or elite item! If he used wind magic, it would
only become an uncommon rarity item. Although, there was also always the chance of it
becoming a sealed item, which, when unsealed, would act like a lottery as to what type of
item it would be.
Why Raze was thinking was because he was looking through his memory for what type of
enchantment to put on the gauntlets. Just like his items before, even with Dark Magic, there
was always the aim of enchantment that Raze was going for.
With the cloak, he wanted the storage ability; with the dark ring, he wanted the tracking
ability to sense his dark magic. When an item was sealed, though, nearly everything went
out the window, and it didn't really matter what enchantment Raze had cast.
With weapon enchantments, things worked rather differently as well. Mages, in the first
place, didn't use many weapons apart from a select few, such as battle mages or magic
swordsmen.
Raze wasn't one of these two, so he didn't know many weapon enchantments, nor had he
memorized recipes for them.
'Oh wait, wouldn't that work? Although it's a pretty basic Enchantment, it might be quite
useful for a Pagna warrior,' Raze thought.
With the onlookers there, he proceeded to go ahead and draw the circle. He didn't mind the
other two watching him because he knew they would have no idea what he was doing. On
top of that, this formation, since it was a tier-2 enchantment, would take a rather long time
for him to draw.
Around forty or so minutes later, he was done. Raze came over and placed the gauntlets on
the ground, along with the crystal.
"Alright, here it goes," Raze said as he emitted black magic from his hands, and it hit the
magic circle.
The two, Fixteen and Dame, couldn't help but stare in amazement at what was happening.
They didn't understand it, but the ground was lighting up from just a few drawings, and the
crystal was disappearing.
Finally, when the crystal had disappeared, the gauntlets were the only thing left on the
ground.
"Did it work…is it good enough?" Dame asked.
"Show me your effects," Raze whispered, and the black magic started to fill the air.
[Elite Grade Cursed Morin Gauntlets]
It was a good sign already, with the gauntlets being at the Elite grade level, and it wasn't a
sealed item.
[Skill: Qi blast] [This skill allows the user to blast Qi out from their fists]
This was the effect that Raze was going for. A user that could only use their fists was at a
disadvantage at range, but with this, anyone could be more versatile. This enchantment
was a simple one that allowed one to use their mana in a ball attack, but for Pagna warriors,
it was surely something impressive.
Now, though, with it being an elite item, it would have a couple of greater effects.
[Skill: Homing] [All Qi blasts will home towards the selected target] [The target must be
marked by physically scratching the intended target with the gauntlets. Multiple targets
cannot be selected]
[Skill: Hidden] [The gauntlets can be hidden by the user when worn. It will show the
natural skin and clothing unless being used in combat]
The extra effects were great, but now it was time for the downside.
[Curse] [If the user performs sexual activities, all effects of the gauntlets will be lost.]
'This one…is truly a curse.'
Chapter 106 Changing The World
Chapter 106 Changing The World
When using Dark magic to enchant items, it would allow the item to be enchanted one to
two levels above the original enchantment that had been used. It was what made Dark
magic so great, but it was a gamble, and perhaps that gamble was what made the nature of
the magic relatively addicting as well.
The gamble was what type of curse would be placed on the item itself. The types of curses
ranged as well. It wasn't always something that would affect the body but could be
conditions like the one that had been placed on the gauntlets.
One item to use could take away one's ability to talk; perhaps an incredibly strong item
would take away a sense every time you used it. The sealed curse was also quite the ordeal
that the one Simyon had to go through in order to get his item. No one could predict what
type of curses would be placed on the item.
Raze proceeded to tell Dame about the effects; he informed him about the good news first,
telling him what it could do, and he was filled with excitement.
"This is perfect, I've never heard of weapons doing such a thing before. This is almost like a
sacred item!" Dame said, eager to put the gauntlets on and try them straight away.
Due to the effects the item gave, he knew that it wouldn't just be something that would be
useful for him now, but also in the future as he grew stronger as a Pagna warrior. Surely,
the stronger Qi he had inside him, the stronger blasts he could produce and many more of
them as well. It was best that he didn't tell anyone about these skills; otherwise, nearly
everyone, even his own clan, would attempt to get their hands on them.
"Wait!" Raze said, his hand held out over the items, stopping Dame from touching them.
"You remember what I said before, about there being a great cost."
Dame paused for a second. 'Is he saying that he's going to charge me more? I already gave
him what he asked for, but I guess what I have received in return is something more than I
imagined, so it's only fair that I give him more.'
"Just tell me what you want," Dame said, he just wanted to put the gauntlets on now.
"If you wear these gauntlets, they will curse you," Raze explained. "The curse... although
you will obtain the powers I told you about before, it states if you ever perform sexual
activities again, all of the powers you gained will be lost."
Dame stopped dead in his tracks at that moment; the bottom of his jaw was left hanging
wide open. Suddenly, the treasured item that was in front of him didn't seem to be so
treasured anymore.
"Were you sent by my father or something?" Dame eventually asked.
"Pardon?" Raze said, confused.
"Clearly, he wasn't sent by your father," Fixteen commented. "But I can see why you would
think that. You see, Dark Magus, this man here is well known as an incredible playboy
because of this. His father, no, his whole family tends to not look at him in the best light.
"There have been many that have tried to correct his ways in the past, but they eventually
gave up. So forgive him for speaking his mind."
Now that he had heard Fixteen say these words, he knew how ridiculous it was to think
such a thing. He was sure Fixteen was there to say such words in case he was to offend him.
"Forgive me," Dame said, bowing down. "But is what you said true? I mean, how can it be,
how could an item even know if I was to perform sexual activities or not? And does it count
for a kiss, a hug, and like, a little bit of golden sh-"
"Erm!" Fixteen cleared his throat rather loudly to stop Dame from saying any more. It was
clear he was still in a shocked state.
"I'm serious," Raze answered. "I wouldn't lie about such a thing, and although you are free
to test it out, if you activate the curse, then the weapon will never work the same way
again. Even if I were to do the same enchantment, the effects might be lesser than this one."
Dame was battling inside, his desire to win this battle or his desire to be free to do as he
wished and please himself.
"I guess, the worst case is I will just have to control myself until after the battle with
Beatrix."
Dame walked past and picked up the gauntlets; with determination, he placed them on
both of his hands, and he could feel a state of zen coming over him.
"I hear those from the Light faction do this quite frequently, so if they can do this, then so
can I," Dame said.
Fixteen, looking at this brave sight, was just shaking his head. 'Can that foolish man really
not control himself for just a couple of days? He is acting like he has become some type of
ancient monk.'
Dame and Fixteen had left to purchase the supplies that were needed to ask for the pills
and soon had returned to the Dark Magus. The first thing Raze had done was take a mana
potion, as the enchantment had taken quite a lot out of him.
After that, Dame stated he couldn't stay long. He wanted to practice out his new weapon
and its uses so he could use it well against Beatrix. He would then be back for the pills
tomorrow, where he would meet with his small army of men to take on Beatrix.
When they had returned, Raze got to work making enchantment after enchantment. He had
only been given 55 power stones. So he had decided to make 50 pills for the 50 men that
were meant to be going to battle along with Dame. The other five would be used for potions
for himself, to restore his mana to make enchantments. He made a mix of different pills but
mainly stuck to the Cursed uncommon Mana potions.
When finally done, Raze almost collapsed on his bed, lying down.
"Finally, I'm done!" Raze said. "I'm exhausted, and even my head is starting to have quite
the mental toll on it. What came as a surprise is, this body can consume more mana potions
than I thought without suffering from mana sickness. I wonder if my body continues to
grow, and I reach higher stages, it will be less of a problem for me."
With all the pills, Raze had placed them in a bottle all together and then placed the bottle in
his robe. It was much easier to carry the Qi pills compared to potion bottles.
"It's a shame that enchanting doesn't increase attribute points, no matter how many times
it's done. This is as laborious as factory work."
Putting the pills to the side, Raze had decided to get some shut-eye. When the next day
arrived, he was fully restored. Dame had said that he would most likely come in the evening
to give Raze time to make the pills, unaware that he would be done fairly quickly.
"Since I'm doing the same enchantment over and over, there's no need to change the magic
circle," Raze thought. "I guess I have time to learn the gifts Dame gave me. I can't just get
rich and have influence; I need to have power as well."
That same day, training in one of the many caves in the Neverfall clan. Dame had the
gauntlets on. The whole cave had grown in size, nearly double what it was before, and it
was all because of the new weapons that were on his hands.
"That Dark Magus, at first I thought with him, I could change the world, but I think he might
have the power to change this world on his own," Dame said out loud.
"I guess that means you like the weapons," Fixteen said. "The Dark Magus seems to be a
good person."
"You think?" Dame replied. "The look in his eyes at times, I don't think he is exactly a good
person. I mean did you forget he blasted that man's head?"
Fixteen's cheeks went a little red.
"He is a person that cares for himself first, just like most Pagna warriors. Which I don't
think is a bad thing, but think about it. If he's willing to give away weapons as powerful as
this, then what weapons does he have that he isn't willing to give away? Whatever we do,
we should probably never get on his bad side."
"But doesn't the Crimson Cane want him? Are you willing to go up against Alba?" Fixteen
asked.
At that moment, Dame felt defeated; he had no chance to go up against her and their clan, at
least not with his own power.
"Well, we will just have to see how long we can keep those two apart for."
Chapter 107 Descending Steps
Chapter 107 Descending Steps
Leaving the inn, Raze had decided to exit the city. He wanted an area to practice where
others wouldn't see him, nor could they get hurt by what he would do. He didn't want the
same thing that had occurred last time.
Walking through the city, the Demonic faction was an interesting place. There were fights
that were breaking out on the street, and some would just watch. There would always be
someone of a high level nearby that would interfere, stopping it before it got too serious.
For a Demonic Faction, there seemed to be quite a lot of people who were just. On the
outside, it perhaps looked like a less connected community compared to the town from the
Dark Faction he was in.
But on closer inspection, it looked as if everyone in the Demonic faction was more closely
connected.
"I wonder though, there has to be a reason why Alter had trouble infiltrating this place. Is it
because of the clans around here?"
While focused on the people, Raze had walked right past a bulletin board. It had several
wanted posters nailed to it, as well as many requests for strong warriors to help out here
and there.
On one poster though, it was looking for a particular person. [Looking for information on
the Dark Magus]
After exiting out of the gates, he looked around the area, and decided to climb up high.
It felt like he was ascending a hill, but there was hardly any greenery around and instead
just a pile of rocks. As he looked around though, he had entered a type of grove of the hill,
and now he was in a wide empty land, that was covered from all sides and the eyes of
others.
Stretching his hand out, the first book appeared in his hand. "What was this called, the ten
descending steps, right?"
Raze flicked through the book, and started to break down each of the movements. For the
first step, there was a lot of explanation.
"So it seems like the right amount of Qi needs to be placed in each step, and the reason why
all of the movements are difficult is that each of the steps requires an exact amount of Qi to
be used. One has to remember the movements, and then focus on the right amount of Qi
that is placed in each of them. The flowing of the descending steps, and the right amount of
Qi worked like a jigsaw, allowing them to combine together making the next step stronger
than the last."
"Right!" Raze said, pushing the book away and propping it up against a rock. He had it open
on the illustration of the first step. "This doesn't seem so hard."
Focusing, Raze got in a fighting stance, and copied the illustration in the book, he lifted up
his right foot and stomped down on the ground. This was the first step of the ten, and
required the most amount of Qi.
The Qi needed to be focused, from the dantian, and flow through the body and expand out
right as the foot hit the ground. Bashing it against the floor as follows, Qi bursted out the
sides, and a foot imprint was left on the ground.
When he moved his foot, he could see the imprint clearly there. "I guess, was that it... did I
do it?"
Raze could see nothing wrong with what he had done, so he had to have completed the
right step, right? But was it meant to be so easy?
Using his wind magic, Raze flicked to the next page. The second step was a flick with the
back foot to dash forward. Dame had explained that each step could be used individually or
together or combined with other skills. This time though, where the Qi needed to be
gathered and in which part of the body were different, but the instructions were clear in
the book and Raze followed along.
"And a flick of the back foot!" Raze shouted, his toes pushed against the ground and he was
chucked around five meters forward in the air. Immediately he could see how effective this
would be. This move covered a lot more distance than the two-step shift did, but it had an
issue that one could only move directly forward.
'Wait, did I just do the second step again? Didn't Dame say this was hard? He said it was
really hard, right? I must have done something wrong, but everything felt right.'
Just to make sure, Raze did the step again, he powered with his Qi and flicked the back of
his foot, and he dashed over doing the second descending step, covering the same distance
back.
According to the book, a failure would result in one tripping over oneself, due to the uneven
Qi distribution in one's body. When achieving the movement and the right amount of Qi,
the movement should be what Raze had produced.
'I guess I did manage to do it then,' Raze said, scratching his head.
After going through the first movement a few times, and then the second movement, all
doubt in his mind that he had been doing the moves wrong was erased because they were
working as the book had described.
The first move was used to reinforce one's stance, and if an enemy was unprepared, the
blast of Qi outward could unbalance the opponent. While they were unbalanced, that's
when the second move was to come in.
'Maybe this is where the hard part comes in,' Raze thought. 'Combining the moves together.
The Qi from each move needs to flow, so the Qi that was moved into one foot needs to flow
back into the dantian, and then out the foot again, and I have to use the right amount as I
have been doing.'
Raze had intense focus, and he took a deep breath out. He then slammed his foot on the
ground perfectly, the foot imprint was left as Qi blasted out. Then moving it in his body, he
flicked his back leg, and he could feel it, the power from the first movement was being
added to the second. As he flicked his back foot, almost twice the amount of power was
used in the move, sending him across even faster.
Standing there for a moment, Raze felt a satisfying feeling coming all over his body. As
everything was connected, there was a tingling sensation. He knew he had gotten it right.
"I did it, I combined the two movements. At this rate, I might be able to learn all ten of the
descending steps, and learn to combine them all. But if it's this easy, is it really such an
impressive skill? Dame said he could only do 6 of the steps... Did I get scammed?"
Raze hadn't been scammed at all. Dame was truthful when talking about the Ten
Descending Steps. What Raze didn't know was that his years of experience in finally
controlling magic, to do such enchantments, to do various spells, and a combination of
spells, was also able to be transferred into controlling Qi.
Qi and Mana shared many similarities, in some ways a Deity Ranked Pagna warrior's
control over Qi was just as fine as a 9-star mage. Because of this, what would take others
many years to learn, Raze was learning in a matter of hours.
Chapter 108 The Library Of Skills
Chapter 108 The Library Of Skills
At the academy, students were settling into their new facilities. Both Safa and Simyon were
in the Dark Blue Headband group. As stated by the academy, they were to wear it at all
times or at least have it on them while around the academy.
Of course, there were some exceptions, such as when they would go to clean themselves
and when sleeping at night. The dorm they were in was fairly large in size and was nice
inside, considering it was the lowest-colored headband group.
There were two floors, with a large open area in the middle. Here, there were sofas and
tables, but there didn't seem to be anything worth doing in the area. If anything, it just
seemed more like a place for them to mingle when they were allowed to rest.
The rooms were then dotted around in a rectangular shape, with hallways going along the
center, with more rooms branching off. From top to bottom, the place would look a bit like
a maze.
What was important to note was that the first-year students were on the first floor, while
the second-year students were on the second floor. The instructor had called for a meeting
for the first-year students and told them all to gather in the main hall.
The hundred students had lined up with their headbands on and stood straight. They
looked up as they could see the second-year students staring at them from the balcony.
Quite a few of the second years were smirking, while some of them had eyes that looked
like they were ready to quit, to just get out of this place.
"We instructors will regularly instruct you and help you with your progress as you grow as
a Pagna warrior. At times, we will call you for assessments. Whether that's training, tasks,
or entering another dimension.
"However, a lot of the time, you will be expected to self-study and progress on your own.
Which brings me to your first task! We will be visiting the academy's library; here, you will
select one technique book of your choosing.
"Remember to stick to the areas that are marked with the same headband. After selecting a
skill book of your choice, you will have one month to memorize and learn the skill. Make
note, I did not say to perfect the skill.
"Every month, you will be able to enter the library again and select a new skill book. That is
12 Dark Faction skill books a year. You may think the skills of your clan are superior to
what you find inside, but I assure you that there is no broadening of your knowledge, and
who knows what you will find."
Simyon was pumping his fist; he was determined. He wanted to grow stronger, and he was
finally getting to be what he wanted to be a Pagna warrior. Since he came from no clan, this
was really the only way he could learn skills, so he was ready to give it everything he had.
"Before you go," two more instructors came from the side, pulling crates into the main
room. They were filled with sacks, and as they opened up the sacks, the eyes of the students
started to sparkle at what they could see.
"It's Qi pills, and look how many they have!" the students couldn't help but speak out. Their
clans would have given most of them Qi pills already, but perhaps one every 6 months or so
to help with their development, but here they were seeing them as if they were candy.
"As you are part of the Blue Headband group, each student is entitled to two pills each
week. This is more compared to the Yellow Headband group and the Red Headband. I'm
sure you know by now that you guys are considered the weakest.
"Which is why, being in this group, we will help you grow as much as we can. These 10-year
Qi pills are useless on those that are already on the second stage, or close to it anyway. So
it's much better in your hands; use this wisely."
The students came up one by one and grabbed the Qi pills. When Safa went up, she noticed
that there was another boy by her side. He had red spiky hair and placed the band on its
side. What was most notable, though, was the eye patch on his left eye.
When he and Safa looked at each other, he winked.
"If you didn't know that was a wink, not a blink. It's hard to tell with the one eye," Liam
joked.
After getting his crystals, he walked up to Safa and then flicked one of the balls in the air.
Almost instinctively, Safa caught it.
"That one is for you, pretty lady. I hope your brother doesn't mind," Liam said, looking at
Simyon, whose face was turning a little red.
"I'm sorry, bro, I don't like sausages, otherwise, I would have given you one as well," Liam
said as he turned away and walked back to the others.
Simyon was somewhat just standing there in disbelief; he wasn't quite sure what had just
happened.
"He doesn't like sausages, what does that even mean?" Rushing forward, he stood on Safa's
side with his body blocking the way of who Simyon would now deem as the perv, Liam.
The students were off, and there was no time to use the Qi pills yet. Instead, they were
being directed to the library. They were following in a single line, walking around the giant
courtyard.
There were multiple large buildings, and it was hard to think that they all were related to
the academy in some way. As they were walking, they could see the other headband
instructors, and following behind them were their students as well.
Everyone somewhat glanced at each other; that was until they had finally reached the
library. It was a large round building like a pagoda but was incredibly wide, to the point
they could just see the edge.
There were five floors as well, so it wasn't as high, but still impressive.
"All students have 1 hour to select a skill book of their choice. The books that you are able
to look through the shelves are colored with the same color as your headbands. There are
other instructors inside, so if you are caught looking at other books that don't respond to
your color, you will be punished.
"You might think that this isn't fair, but skills are separated for a reason. This is to help in
your own development. Some require more Qi, some require advanced Qi control, and so
on. If you think you have been wronged, then challenge a different colored headband
student at the assessment."
entering, he now knew that was impossible.
With that said, the doors to the library were opened, and immediately everyone rushed
inside. At first, Simyon had planned to stay by Safa's side, especially with a perv on the
loose, but after entering, he now knew that was impossible.
On the first floor alone, there had to be at least 10,000 books, maybe even more. It was
impossible for them to go through each and every book in an hour to see what's best for
them. So the only thing they could do was split up.
"We're in the academy, so things should be okay. Just wait for me when the hour's up at the
entrance, okay?" Simyon said, to which Safa nodded.
With the two of them split up, Simyon went around in search of a book that would help
him. He remembered Raze's advice, that he would need a technique that was related to a
metal element. Whatever that was.
The only thing Simyon could really go by as he searched was the name of the skill books on
the spine. He could see some other pupils had already picked up a few books and were
reading through them to see if they matched.
'I guess they have no clue what type of book they're going for, but I have some idea of what
I want,' Simyon thought.
He scanned walking side by side, searching for what he needed. So focused, he soon
realized he had bumped into another student.
"Oh, sorry?" Simyon said. He noticed from before that his body was harder than others, so
when he knocked into others, they would usually fall over, but this student hadn't done so.
"It's okay, I don't mind if it's you," Ricktor said with a smile, his tall self overlooking him.
Simyon's heart started to thump louder as a mix of emotions were coming over him from
seeing this person.
"I was actually looking for you," Ricktor said with a smile. "You did a good job last time,
which is why I wanted to give you another task. You see, I heard that the Blue Headbands
get two Qi pills each.
"But we only get one, which isn't really fair, is it? So I was wondering if you could convince
the other Blue Headbands to hand over their Qi pills to us. If you can't, I won't be very
happy, and I might need to do something else to cheer me up."
Ricktor said as he started to touch the bottom of his crotch.
'What is wrong with this guy!'
Chapter 109 Don’t Die!
Chapter 109 Don't Die!
From morning till midday, Raze had been practicing the 10 Descending Steps. Although he
had only reached the fourth step, he noticed that the other steps were getting a bit more
complicated for him to learn.
He was covered in sweat, and even his back was drenched; his Qi was starting to run out, so
he felt like it was best to put a stop to learning the steps for now.
'I can perform three of the steps in one motion together, and I can perform four of the steps
on their own,' Raze thought as he looked at the scene around him.
There were several footprints all over the area, imprinted in the stone. The area was even
sunken in more as Raze had destroyed a few layers of rock already. The whole area was
perhaps five inches lower down than it was before.
'I thought I might get to learn all ten steps, but at the rate this is going, it might take me a
week or even longer,' Raze thought.
While resting, he felt like he needed a way to gather back his Qi. He could have taken one of
the pills, but that was part of his promise to give to Dame, and he didn't want to go back on
his word.
Looking up at the position of the sun, he could see it was about midday, so he still had a few
more hours before he needed to meet with Dame. Sitting down with his legs crossed on top
of a rock, he thought out.
'Should I try the cultivation of life and death again?'
Immediately, the hairs on the back of Raze's neck as well as on his arms stood up strong. It
was a reaction from his body at just the thought of going back there.
'I thought I had seen everything, nothing that I could be afraid of. I even faced countless
high-level beasts and have been on the brink of death many times, so why does that hand,
that voice scare me? It sounded like a woman's.'
Shaking his head, Raze decided it was best not to try that again. Even though he was away
from the city. Although he had managed to attack it, or maybe he didn't even, it didn't seem
hurt either.
'I guess until I learn how to defeat a ghost, I shouldn't try to cultivate, at least not in the
Demonic Faction.'
Instead, Raze decided to use the Dark Essence Technique, which increased his magic core
rather than his Dantian. It was better than doing nothing. After resting for about an hour,
he was now able to at least do something.
Standing up, rather than going through the ten steps again, Raze had switched books, and
this time, he wanted to go through the sword formations. But he realized he had made one
fatal mistake.
"I don't have a sword," Raze said to himself. "I guess step one in learning sword techniques
should be to have a sword."
Raze tapped his index finger on the bottom of his chin until eventually, another image came
to him—it was of the battle mages.
Getting in a stance, Raze held both his hands out and imagined that there was a sword in
his hand. He held it at the bottom of the hilt, then his magic started to swirl around his
hand.
As he lifted both hands above his head and swung it down, a slash of wind came out, but it
had done nothing, apart from blowing some of the leaves in the area.
'I guess I don't have enough wind attribute or mana to fully condense a sword out of wind
magic. Still, it does make me wonder. If I had a sword and learned the techniques, couldn't I
add wind magic to my attacks? Would that make it even more powerful compared to
before.'
Thinking about combining his magic along with the Pagna martial arts reminded Raze of
the Dark Faction's founder. He wondered if he had ever done such a thing, which was why
he rose to the position he was, or was Raze a first for it all.
Either way, since Raze had no sword, he would have to practice properly another day.
After heading back, it wasn't long until Raze had met Dame again and had passed on all the
pills in a bottle. Dame looked at it in admiration, holding it up.
"Thank you for this; I'm confident that I'll win this battle no matter what," Dame said.
"When do you head out?" Raze asked.
"Tomorrow," Dame replied in a serious tone as he threw the bottle over to Fixteen. "I meet
those that will be going with me tonight. The Light Faction being who they are, claiming to
be honorable people, have politely set a date for our little battle."
Hearing this reminded Raze of his first meeting with Beatrix, who had called out her name
before they fought. The Light Faction members certainly did seem to have an odd righteous
culture about them.
"With all the help you have provided us, though, I'm sure we might not fail, maybe," Dame's
confidence was wavering, and he had every right to be, since it was Beatrix Highborn they
were talking about. An uneasy feeling was felt in his stomach.
"Pagna battles don't last long, so you'll hear back from us in a couple of days," Dame said,
waving away.
"Yeah, and if you don't, we'll be dead," Fixteen commented, to which received a hard slap
on the back of his head.
"Don't jinx us."
Seeing the two of them head off, a thought did occur to Raze. 'Should I follow them and
head to the fight tomorrow? I could stay a far distance and support him if needed. It would
also be good to see a fight between two high-level Pagna warriors?'
The risks, though, were still incredibly high, so before he would be able to even make his
decision, Raze pulled out the warrior statue and the metal mask he had obtained, along
with the level 2 power stones.
"It's time I make some strong items for myself," Raze smiled.
Chapter 110 The crafter Dark Magus
Chapter 110 The crafter Dark Magus
Having successfully collected the pills, Dame still couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.
He had every reason to be uneasy because a tough battle lay ahead. His father had
essentially sent him on a suicide mission, and nobody expected him to survive this ordeal.
Now, he was about to meet the individuals who had reluctantly agreed to join him. On the
highest floor of the Neverfall Clan base, where the lowest-ranked warriors of the clan
resided, fifty of them had gathered in a dark cavern. Strange glass orbs powered by light
were attached to the walls, providing self-sufficient illumination since using fire in such an
area was relatively dangerous.
Dame stood before them all, accompanied by Fixteen, Carlson, and Kirk—three individuals
who stuck by him despite his reputation as the troublesome young master. When Dame
looked into the eyes of those in front of him, he could sense their skepticism and
frustration, even though they held back their words.
"I know what you are all thinking," Dame spoke aloud, breaking the tension in the air. "All
of you are wondering why it was me who got chosen and why I'm here with you. If it were
one of my brothers, maybe we'd have a better chance, or you'd have more confidence."
"At this moment, I have to admit that no one believes in us. But I'm telling you all now, you
may know me as a fool, a playboy, or whatever, but one thing is for sure—I don't plan to
die, and neither should you."
With a nod to Fixteen, he handed out the pills one by one, going from person to person. For
his own group, each of them would be using the Uncommon Cursed Mana Pills originally
intended for the Crimson Crane and their group. Given the dire situation, he decided to use
half of them and make up excuses for the rest.
"The Qi Pills I've given you aren't your average Qi Pills!" Dame proclaimed. "If you look at
the markings on them, you'll see they've been created by none other than the Dark Magus."
The clan members examined the Qi Pills, noting the imprints on them. It was quite
remarkable because the markings were not merely scratched in but an integral part of the
pill, something they had never seen before. The color of the pills matched as well.
But what truly puzzled them was the name. "Wait, Dark Magus? I've heard that name
before. Isn't that who the Crimson Crane clan is looking for?"
"Yeah, I saw the poster too. Aren't they offering a level 5 power stone for information about
that person?"
"Wait, what? They're offering such a huge reward? Does that mean this person is a big deal
or something? Then what are these pills?"
A sly smirk appeared on Dame's face. This was part of his plan. Alba had already put up
posters and spread information to search for the Dark Magus, so his name had somewhat
become known. However, they still didn't know why.
Right now, Dame was also thinking about the future. These pills were effective, and if they
used them in battle and they were the reason for their survival, then these warriors would
likely become loyal customers in the future.
They would do everything they could to obtain the products of the Dark Magus. "The
differently colored pills have different effects. The Blue pills will restore your Qi, the Red
pills your vitality, and the Green ones increase your speed. In the upcoming battle, all of
you should use them wisely. All of us will be needed for this battle coming up, and I have
used everything I could to obtain these from the Dark Magus."
"As I said before, I don't plan to die."
Now Dame could see the change in the people's expressions. There was hope in their eyes
that the situation could turn around. Now all that remained was to proceed with the actual
battle tomorrow. He had done everything he could.
---
Back in his room, Raze had finally decided on an enchantment to cast on the warrior statue.
It had been a headache for him, trying to find an enchantment that would be worthwhile
for an item he couldn't carry with him into battle. It wasn't as if he could use the statue as a
weapon.
So, instead, he opted for something that could enhance strength in a certain area. He placed
the regular level 2 power stone on the ground along with the enchantment.
"Honestly, I thought about turning this into a 20-year Qi Pill and advancing my Dantian to
see if it would bring me to the second stage. Or perhaps using it to increase the strength of
my magic core and get closer to becoming a 3-star mage. But items are more useful,
especially with Dark magic giving them a chance to become high-tier items."
Activating his Dark Magic, Raze infused the statue with energy. The item floated in the air
momentarily as the energy surged through it, then it gently floated back down.
"Show me the effects," Raze said, and slowly, the information began to appear in front of his
eyes.
[A Sealed Cursed Warrior Statue]
"A sealed item! Did I just manage to hit the jackpot again?"
Now that it was a sealed item, his enchantment would have no effect, and the item's power
could be anything. But sealed items were likely to be of an even higher grade.
"To break the seal, the item requires the drop of blood from five different people, not
including your own. Those whose blood has been used will lose a part of themselves that
will never be returned."
"Lose a part of themselves... Does the item have to be so vague? Anyway, considering it's a
cursed item, it won't be good to use it on my allies. But wait a second, aren't there five
disciples I need to return the favor to? Ah, yes, I think I've already found my sacrifices."
Raze smiled.
Satisfied with the results, he put the item away. However, he decided not to risk it with the
second power stone, which was of the earth element. Instead of absorbing it into his magic
core to gain Earth magic, he used it to create an enchantment that would work well for him
in his current situation.
He drew the magic circle and placed the mask with the enchantment. This time, he used
regular magic rather than dark magic. The mask had been created.
[An Uncommon Face Change Mask]
[Allows the user to change their own face into another]
[The mask must be placed on Person A's face first, then when the mask is placed on Person
B, it will change Person B's face to Person A's face. The mask can only be used to store one
person's face, but it is not bound to a single user]
There were higher tier mask's that could be used multiple times, and change into many
different faces. These types of masks often caused difficulty and was something Raze had
used to cause mass confusion in Alterian. For now though, this would have to do.
"Since it's an uncommon item, its effects are limited, but this is perfect. Now with this, I
guess I can watch the battle a bit more up close. But before that, I should learn some sword
skills."
Chapter 111 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 1)
Chapter 111 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 1)
Word had already spread throughout the Demonic Faction about the impending attack. The
Demonic Faction was at the center of many disputes involving the Dark Faction and Light
Faction.
Frequent scuffles erupted here, especially along the borders, yet they never escalated into
full-scale wars, and there were a few reasons for this. Firstly, a justified reason was
required for an attack.
This was because, in a way, through taxes, protection fees, and other means, the general
populace funded the Clans to fight in the first place. The general public needed to be on
their side when a scuffle occurred because the last thing they wanted was a fight within
their ranks as well.
The other reason was to avoid involving the empire and surrounding kingdoms. Although
they had agreed to stay out of Pagna affairs, if one faction acted in a way that frightened
them, they would intervene with their large armies and weaponry.
The reason why the attack was significant this time was because Beatrix Highborn, a
renowned name throughout the continent, was taking part in it, making it the first of its
kind.
In Repton, people on the streets were already discussing what was about to happen that
day.
"Isn't this going to be an embarrassment for the Demonic Faction? They sent out Dame
Narfous. It's going to be a complete loss, and what if it turns into a war because of how
weak they think we are?"
"That won't happen," another bystander said. "Rumors have it that the son was the reason
for this fight happening in the first place. That's why the Neverfall Clan is dealing with the
matter and not one of the others. They are, in a way, quelling the anger of the Light Faction
by sending him off for an execution. The real people we need to feel sorry for are those who
are going along with him."
One of the other reasons for why word had already spread throughout the entire city of
Repton was because many of the Neverfall Clan members' families lived in the city.
Although they weren't the clan in charge of the city, the Neverfall Clan only allowed Pagna
warriors to stay there.
It was a place strictly for practicing martial arts and Pagna-related discussions, focusing
solely on strength.
At the moment, many of the members were stopping by the city to talk to their family
members just before heading into battle. After saying their goodbyes, the clan's men
started to walk through the city, heading for one of the exits.
Here, Dame was waiting for them with his small gang.
"Alright, everyone, we're off!" Dame shouted, and immediately he started to run down the
path at a casual pace, followed by the others.
The running would serve as a little warm-up for them before the big battle. As the group
rushed down the path, not long after, another group set off after them, dressed in dark blue
clothing, swords at their sides. A young man with an unremarkable face and relatively short
black hair, which was typical for those in the Demonic faction.
The uniform he wore was the same as those who had just set off. In the morning, Raze was
searching for a sword to use, going around the marketplace, looking not to spend too much
money, and honestly, he didn't know much about swords to begin with.
While he was in the marketplace, he heard the sounds of sobs and crying. A young warrior
was saying goodbye to his grandmother, who was loudly cursing Dame's name and
expressing her reluctance for him to go off to battle.
At that point, Raze saw an opportunity, offering to take his place. All he needed was for him
to lend his clothes and close his eyes for a few moments. Most wouldn't trust a stranger in
this particular situation.
But for the young warrior, it was a way out of a fight they were sure to lose. The scene with
his grandmother allowed him to think clearly; he didn't want to lose his life when he knew
someone would be saddened by his loss.
Following from behind, it didn't take long for Raze to catch up with the group, but for now,
he would remain at the back.
"From what I can tell, most of these warriors are at the 1st stage, and some at the 2nd stage.
I still have no idea what stage Dame and his friends are at, but it must mean that at least the
enemy is around similar strength, right? If that's the case, I should be okay staying at the
back.
If things look tough, I'll take the Green Qi pill and get out of the area as soon as I can, but I
have a feeling Dame will shock everyone with his new weapons," Raze smiled. "Let's see
how effective items from Alterian are in this world."
As they continued to run, it didn't take long for them to see the battlefield up ahead. It was
in the same area that Raze had passed through last time, a wasteland covered in dark
orange-colored rocks on the floor, with a large mountain ahead where snow could be seen
falling on one side.
It was where the battle was to take place, but now, on the hard-colored ground at the base
of the mountain, they could see a large group of fifty men and women in white-colored
clothing, each with a sword at their side.
Standing in front of them all was none other than the woman Raze had met once before,
Beatrix Highborn. Her sword was still sheathed but her hand was on its hilt, ready for
anything.
"I see someone in the Demonic Faction has a level head," Beatrix shouted out.
"It's a shame we can't say the same for you," Fixteen said, as he and the people behind him
stopped dead. Both groups stared straight ahead at each other, tense, expecting something
to happen at any moment.
"You have instigated this attack against the Demonic Faction!" Fixteen shouted. "We have
no choice but to protect ourselves, so whatever happens today, no one will say it's our
fault."
Beatrix let out a loud laugh.
"I guess the Demonic Faction isn't full of idiots, but the ones in front of me are. I saw all of
your faces that time in a portal belonging to the Light Faction. That was already enough
reason for us to attack.
"But you had to go and continue to enter, summoning the Dimension boss, causing the
death of an entire squad. They were just beginners, yet now they won't live to see another
day because of your selfish desire to use the Dimension portal behind us!"
"Wait a moment," Raze thought, overhearing everything that had occurred. "Dimension
boss, I heard about that when learning about the portals. That shaking form before we left,
could it be, was this due to me? Is this fight happening now, actually because of me?"
Beatrix then drew her sword, and so did those from her Clan. In response, those of the
Neverfall Clan did the same.
"We, from the Dawnblade Clan, will avenge those who lost their lives, and we will make
sure to deal with those responsible!" Beatrix announced, and the Dawnblade clan members
from behind immediately started to rush forward.
The Neverfall Clan, trying not to show fear, ran forward as well, along with Fixteen and the
others. Lastly, both Dame and Beatrix were running straight ahead, ready for a clash.
"This is... this is a real battle in the Pagna world," Raze thought, looking at the scene
unfolding before his eyes.
Chapter 112 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 2)
Chapter 112 Demonic Faction vs Light Faction (Part 2)
The fight was quick to start as the Pagna warriors were fast on their feet, and the sound of
clashing swords was instant. They roared like a thunderstorm. Large swings from each
other's weapons were bashing into each other.
Two of the warriors' swords clashed as they used techniques from their clans that they had
tried to perfect, the moves that they had practiced over and over again. Some were using
fist techniques; others were using a wide range of weapons.
A member of the Dawnblade clan swung their glowing sword above their head, but a Pagna
warrior was able to shift to the side using his footwork and went right in for the attack,
only to be blocked by another sword from a clan member.
Everything was moving fast as the warriors continued to clash and use up their Qi in their
attacks.
"This is completely different from a battle between mages; it's hard for me to even keep
up," Raze thought as he stayed near the back.
He was just on the edge, not having thrown out an attack but always moving around the
edge of the battlefield, attempting to avoid the conflict as much as possible and staying on
the side of the Neverfall Clan.
"Their teamwork when fighting together is impressive. Everyone is covering each other,
and although blood has been spilt, the groups are both skillful to the point where no one
has died yet."
What he was also observing was the might of Beatrix, a Pagna warrior at the peak of the
initial stage, a stage 6 warrior.
Dame's group were all focusing on her. All of them using a range of fist techniques, Kirk,
Fixteen, and Carlson had gone in at the same time, with Qi-powered techniques, but with a
single sweeping motion of her glowing sword, she had hit all of their hands and deflected
them away.
A wave of energy had followed her strike; the Qi within it had pushed them back, but one
person had gotten through, and that was Dame. As he planted his feet into the ground, he
closed the distance instantly, almost disappearing from where he was.
He reappeared right by Beatrix's side, throwing out a fist, but she too held up the sword by
the side of her head, blocking the strike. The sword started to light up, and the energy
flashed outward, pushing Dame across the ground.
"It seems you haven't really gotten any better since the tournament. Even with the help of
your friends, there is no chance that you can beat me!" Beatrix rushed forward, and she
could see Dame's friends getting up off the ground.
Swinging her sword in their direction, the strike itself looked to have extended from her
sword. The slash appeared, and all of them had to quickly move out of the way to avoid it.
When they did, it had hit some of the warriors behind them, leaving large bloody wounds
on their bodies.
It wasn't quite projectile Qi; this was an attack of the Dawnblade clan who could strike in
such a way with Qi that it would create a sharp wind current, hurting the user as if the
blade had hit itself.
When Beatrix got close again, she then thrust the sword forward, and this time lifting both
hands, Dame had blocked the attack but was pushed back across the ground once again.
"I wonder why he isn't using the effects of the gauntlets. Is he waiting for something?" Raze
thought.
It certainly did appear that way. Because Dame and his friends were being more defensive
in their attacks, meanwhile, the rest of the clan members were striking with everything
they had.
In truth, the majority of the warriors that Beatrix had brought were better skilled than
those they were going against, but the Demonic Faction was fighting rather widely. The
fighting continued between the two groups for a while until Fixteen raised his hand in the
air.
In that moment, nearly all of the Demonic Faction members took a step back, creating
distance between those they were fighting against.
"What is this? I guess I must have missed the briefing," Raze thought. He soon understood
though because in the hands of every member in the clan, they had a Qi pill.
Instantly, every one of them gulped it down, and they could feel their bodies reacting to the
pills almost instantly. Feeling the change in their bodies, they went back to attack.
Those that were sore and injured felt some of their wounds healing, allowing them to fight
better. Some suddenly got slightly faster in their attacks, slashing their enemies down with
the increase in their speed.
While others, they swung their swords like they had just regained all their Qi back,
overpowering their opponent. In that instant, the whole battlefield had changed; it was
becoming extremely one-sided.
"What just happened? How could so much have changed, what even were those pills?"
Beatrix thought; she couldn't quite understand, but it was clear that there was a sudden
change. "You and your damn Demonic Faction and your crafty ways!"
The pills were extremely effective, but there was also something else going on. There was a
placebo effect. The words spoken of how great they were, and the energy they felt when
taking the pills, were giving the Demonic Faction confidence. Something that they didn't
have much of at the start of the fight.
They somewhat believed Dame's words, but how were they meant to trust that these pills
would be so effective without having taken them before?
Beatrix dashed to the side to help a fellow clan member, to stop one from being killed right
in front of her. As she took a step through, from the side, she could see a ball of energy
heading right for her.
She had no choice but to stop and slash down with her sword, cutting through the explosive
Qi energy. She was looking at where it had come from, whether there was someone close to
her or not, but she could only see Dame with his fist out, around ten or so meters away.
"How did you strike me from that far? But that's impossible!" Beatrix shouted. "Your clan
has no such technique, and projectile Qi can only be achieved at the Deity stage, which you
are not."
"Oh, really?" Dame smiled.
He rushed in again, and then when he was close, he disappeared. When he reappeared, he
was still around five meters away from Beatrix. He threw out two quick fists, sending out
two fists of Qi heading right for Beatrix.
She struck at them both, but right after, Dame was already right by her side. With a fist, he
struck her directly in her side, sending her across the floor. She tumbled a few times before
she eventually stood up from the ground and touched her side.
'Crap!' Beatrix took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. 'Fist techniques are some of the
strongest techniques out there in terms of power... but one loses their reach compared to a
sword. But now he can fire out Qi from his fists.'
'Just how... how is he able to do this?' Beatrix was left confused. A fight that was meant to be
a sure win for her was suddenly proving incredibly difficult.
"With that hit as well, you're locked on now," Dame softly said to himself. "Oh, Dark Magus,
I wish you were here in person to see how effective your new weapon is."
Chapter 113 The Strong Young Warrior
Chapter 113 The Strong Young Warrior
Dame had been waiting for this moment, for the group to face the Light Faction with
everything they had without the help of the items around them. It made the situation quite
clear; if they had never had the Dark Magus items to begin with, they would have already
lost this fight.
However, the main reason why Dame had come up with this strategy, or more rightly,
Fixteen had, was because of the homing effect the gauntlets had. In order to use them,
Dame needed to land a perfect hit on his target first.
Although the two of them were the same Pagna warrior rank, Beatrix was just far too
skillful for him to land a hit normally. Even with the external Qi punches, it would be
something difficult for him.
Which was why they had to use the tactic of surprise. The Light Faction was worried about
every single member of their faction, and Beatrix was no different. Seeing her people
suddenly being overwhelmed, she would lose focus, and that was the time to hit her with
everything they had.
"Now, let's see if this thing really works!" Dame ran forward, and then when he was close,
he threw out a fist to the side.
Beatrix was confused by this; she saw the Qi leave his gauntlets up in the air and then
swing around. It was coming straight for her. Making a quick judgement, she decided to
dash forward and head toward Dame; she wasn't going to run away.
"All I need to do is time it perfectly so I can deal with both of you!" As she got close to
Dame, she jumped up in the air and spun her body; her sword broke through the Qi blast,
and before she landed, still swinging her sword, it clashed into the black gauntlets,
swinging Dame's fists to the side.
Quickly, he retreated back and threw out a couple more fists toward her. 'She's incredibly
skillful and can adapt to the situation extremely fast. No wonder she's known as the hope of
the Light Faction.'
Now that Dame had used the power of his gauntlets, Fixteen, Carlson, and Kirk were now
helping out the others, since the effect of the pills would only work for so long in the first
place.
However, they were all stage 4 Pagna warriors. The main issue was Beatrix, which usually
meant that all of them would be needed to keep her busy, but since Dame was able to at
least hold her off, they could help out in the rest of the battle.
One of the Light Faction members thrust his sword into Kirk's large round belly. The sword
was swallowed whole and then when extended out, it pushed the warrior back. Fixteen had
leapt in the air, punching the person straight in the head, sending him to the ground so he
couldn't get back again.
Carlson had managed to also come in time as he went and axe-kicked a sword down from
above. When the sword and his heel clashed, the sword had broken in half.
This was the large difference between stages in Pagna warriors that was hard for them to
overcome with skill alone. The three of them were doing quick work as they took out
warrior after warrior, but that's when they could see something happening off at the back.
The fighting had been going on for a while now, so it had spread, and that meant there were
warriors all over the place, and they had reached the back.
Two of the more skilled Light Faction warriors had slashed down two of the Dark Faction
members, cutting across their waist and kicking them to the side, and now they had set
their eyes on a person who had been at the back this entire time.
"You, you are a shame even to your own Clan!" The Light Faction member shouted.
"We have been watching as you have been running around avoiding confrontation while
your fellow teammates fall. You are scum that doesn't even deserve to be called a warrior."
The person in question that they were talking about, and that they were pointing to, was
Raze.
'I thought they would have finished this whole thing up already, but it looks like Pagna
warrior fights go on a lot longer than mage battles due to their strong bodies and skillful
techniques!'
Fixteen could see what was about to happen. "Crap, that young one won't stand a chance
dealing with two of them on his own; we have to help!"
But the three were far away. They had been looking around the area to help those that
most needed it, and this young warrior certainly needed help. The three of them charged
ahead, trying to get to the young one.
'I just hope he can hold them long enough for us to get there in time.'
The young one, seeing the two of them approach, instead of running away or retreating,
had gotten into a stance. He then lifted his front foot up and slammed it onto the ground.
The moment he did, a large amount of Qi was displaced in front of him. For a moment, the
two Light Faction warriors felt uneasy as they felt the wave touch them and displaced their
next step.
'Wait… that can't be, is that the?'
Before Fixteen could finish his thought, the second step was cast. Pushing off, flowing
smoothly into the second step, the Qi from the first had flowed perfectly, and the warrior
had burst through the air with his sword.
He slashed it with his strength and power, cutting right through the other's blade and right
at the neck of the other warrior without hesitation. Blood spurted out before the Light
Faction body fell to the floor.
The movements weren't over yet though, not stopping, the warrior then proceeded with
the third step, pushing both legs together and went ahead to thrust right into the other
Light Faction member's stomach.
He had managed to block the strike with his sword, but a crack had been made.
'There's no doubt about it!' Fixteen thought, watching it all. 'That's the Descending Steps,
and he just used three of them in one motion.'
'Ah crap!' Raze thought as he saw his sword had been stopped. 'I thought I could get them
both by surprise. These steps worked out better than I thought, but because I don't know
how to use a sword, my actions might seem obvious. Oh well, it doesn't matter.'
Raze then lifted his foot again, reproducing the first step, as the wave of Qi accurately
disrupted the warrior. Raze went to use the two-step shift and punched the guy in the
stomach before following up with swinging the sword to the back of his head.
The two Light Faction warriors who were at the same stage as Raze were dealt with
without him even being harmed. This achievement was a great one, but to Raze, he simply
thought those that he had fought against had to be weak.
Fixteen had stopped just short of the young warrior in disbelief. 'We had a warrior on the
first floor that was this skillful? Someone who could perform three of the descending steps
in succession. Is that even possible? The fastest in the clan's history was Dame, and he had
learned three of the steps by the time he was a 3rd stage warrior... Is he really a first-floor
warrior?'
Chapter 114 The end of the battle
Chapter 114 The end of the battle
After killing the Pagna warriors, a dark mist that only Raze could see rose from their bodies
and entered into Raze's magic core. Soon after, his ring had activated as well.
[Dark Attribute: 31]
'I see, so these Pagna warriors increase the Darkness attribute a lot more than those dog
beasts did. Regardless, I'm happy with the results of the new steps. If I combine the steps I
learned with the swordsmanship, I can get results at the academy now.'
Seeing how effective the steps were here, if he was to learn the rest, Raze could see himself
winning, even if he didn't use his magic. But he always had that as a backup. He still
probably couldn't take on all five of the main disciples at once, but with the other
examiners watching and them being actually in the academy, it was unlikely a task that he
would have to do.
'Before I head back, though, I'll try to learn the rest of the ten steps,' Raze thought to
himself.
Fixteen was still left in disbelief at the young warrior. All those from the first floor were 1st
stage warriors. For first stage warriors, the descending steps were practically useless.
That was because the step wasn't so effective on its own. The skill could disrupt low-level
warriors but would do next to nothing against those strong. Even if it did work against low-
level warriors, without the second step, by the time a warrior reacted, they would have
recovered in time to act.
In a way, of all the footworks out there, the first step of the descending steps was useless
because it didn't move the person forward. It didn't do what footwork was designed to do.
Yet right in front of Fixteen, there was a warrior that could not just do one, but three of the
steps.
'We need to keep that one alive. It would be handy if he joined our group and became a part
of our power and loyal to us, rather than that of the Neverfall clan,' Fixteen thought.
Dame was still fighting against Beatrix, and he realized something during his fight. Even
with the gauntlets he had obtained from the Dark Magus, he was unable to win the battle,
so he decided to opt for another tactic instead.
He kept his distance away and continued to throw out punches that would home toward
Beatrix no matter what. The only option she had was to slash and attack through the Qi
strikes coming at her.
'He's attacking rapidly, but he knows this isn't effective, so what's his plan? If he continues
on like this, won't he run out of Qi?'
Her train of thought was right. Dame's Qi wasn't strong enough to do damage, and using it
like so, he was running out fast. But he did have an ace up his sleeve.
Pulling out one of the pills, Dame went ahead and swallowed it whole. In that instant, he
could feel his power returning to him, and he started to swing his arms in a flurry, sending
all sorts of strikes toward Beatrix.
They flew in the air, and Beatrix blocked each one. As they hit her, she was being pushed
back through the field.
'What is this? How does he have so much Qi? He hasn't reached the middle stages, so this
should be impossible! It has to be that weird pill again, what is it that he took, just like the
others.'
While looking at the others, she noticed that quite a few of the Light faction had died.
'This wasn't how it was meant to be. The losses weren't this heavy, and with these strange
pills, I have no idea what other tricks he'll have.'
Beatrix didn't want to do it, but she was afraid, afraid that as the fight went on, she would
suffer more losses. She bit her lip as she made the decision.
"Retreat!" Beatrix shouted. "Everyone retreat now, this is an order!"
It didn't take long for them to listen as they jumped back away from those they were
fighting with. They continued to do so, and Beatrix pointed her sword at anyone that was to
attempt to follow.
"Don't think this is the end, Dame!" Beatrix said. "I will be back to take your head!"
With those words, she was off, and not a single member of the Demonic Faction gave chase,
and it was for a good reason. All of them were exhausted; the effects of the pills had actually
worn off a long time ago, and they were just fighting on willpower alone.
If it wasn't for the help of Dame's friends, maybe all of them would have been eliminated,
and it wasn't just the whole group; it was Dame as well. He had exhausted his Qi, and the
effect of the pill had worn off.
He looked behind him at the field, and he could see dead warriors on the floor. In total,
around fifteen men had died, leaving thirty-five of them alive. It was perhaps more than
they had expected, but it felt a little strange for Dame to think that this was a result.
"Hey, we did it," Kirk said, placing his hand on Dame's shoulder.
"You're right," Dame answered. "But our victory today wouldn't have been achievable if it
wasn't for the Dark Magus. I'm starting to feel like our debt with him is piling up already,
and we haven't even gone into business yet."
"Hey, didn't you pay him back already?" Kirk punched his shoulder.
"Everyone, we shall carry the dead back with us and make sure they have a proper burial!"
Dame shouted. "Those that died today will celebrate with us as we return victorious!"
The other warriors, hearing Dame's strong words, couldn't help but cheer loudly into the
open air above.
The warriors got to work as they wrapped the dead, not just those from their faction but
for the others as well. This was to make sure they wouldn't get picked or eaten by other
beasts, and so the Light faction could collect their own men for burial as well.
"Ah, Dame!" Fixteen said as he quickly came over. "I wanted to talk to you about something.
There's a talented warrior in this group; we should speak to him…"
Fixteen's voice started to trail off because as he looked around, he was unable to find the
young warrior.
"Where did he go? Did he run away?" Fixteen scratched his head. "Why would he do that?"
As Raze was making his way back to the city, he took off the mask from his face, and it
started to revert back to what it once was. Dark magic had then covered his body, and the
robe was placed back on him while the uniform was placed inside the robe.
'The clothing from the clan can only just fit in here, but it might come in use in the future,'
Raze thought.
'Either way, the skills have proven useful. With just the two-step shift before, I wouldn't
have been able to beat those Pagna warriors. They may be weaker than the main disciples,
but the gap between us won't be so big anymore.'
'After learning a bit more from the skill books, it'll be time I head back to the academy.'
Chapter 115 Magic and Martial arts a dangerous combo
Chapter 115 Magic and Martial arts a dangerous combo
The small group that had gone out early in the morning was returning through the gates of
Repton, much to the shock and surprise of the people. They could see that Dame was left
intact. His clothes were a little torn, but there were no serious injuries.
Not only that, but he had come back with other Pagna warriors with smiles on their faces.
Nearly everyone who laid eyes on them had to stop for a moment as they took a second
look.
"Hey, they're back. Did they not run into the Light Faction?" A bystander asked.
"Of course, they did. Can't you see the others? They've been hurt, and they are even
carrying the dead who died. Be respectful."
"The dead? But if they really did run into Beatrix, then why are so many of them still alive?"
It didn't take long for the news to spread of what had really occurred. After all, many
bystanders had asked the warriors, and they happily replied that they had won against the
Light Faction.
It was an achievement for them. To be able to protect the Demonic Faction and show their
strength, so they said these words proudly.
"But how did you manage to beat Beatrix Highborn? How is that possible?" A bystander
asked.
Two of the warriors looked at each other. "That was because of Dame, of course. He is more
reliable than the rumors tell."
The general public was starting to see him in a new light, but one of the other warriors
corrected him.
"It wasn't just Dame; it was thanks to those Qi pills we had earlier as well. They were really
effective." The warrior said. "I think he said they were made by that Dark Magus person."
"Ah, you're right, they were amazing. I've never heard of him before, though."
The news of Dame being able to go head to head was more widespread throughout the city
than the news of the Dark Magus, but details did start to appear here and there. Even some
members of the Crimson Cane who were still in the city of Repton had heard of the news.
A man dressed in all black, a mask across his face, and two daggers by his side had
overheard the conversation about the battle against the Light Faction. He was just casually
sitting outside, enjoying his meal outside one of the many establishments.
'The Dark Magus had supported Dame and his group then. It seems that the relationship
between the two might not be on the surface level but rather much deeper. If he managed
to support them, doesn't that mean the Dark Magus is in this city? I should inform Alba
about this as soon as possible.'
Rather than heading straight to the Neverfall Clan, Dame and his group had decided that it
was best for them to head to a restaurant for some drinks and food. It was well-deserved,
and he would be sure to make the Clan pay for this. Surely even his father would reward
him and the others of the clan for the upset victory. The group was busy drinking away, and
Dame had his arm around one of his teammates' shoulders.
"Hey, young master!" One of the young warriors called out, red-faced. "We've earned it. Do
you think we should head to the brothel for a bit of fun? I heard that it feels different after
one has been to battle with their life on the line."
Dame started to smirk right away, and his face was turning red as he already imagined how
much fun he would have. Usually, he would mess around whenever he got the chance, but
to actually reward himself after so much hard work for the first time, he was already
imagining how satisfying it would all feel.
"Wait!" Dame slapped the top of his forehead and looked at his hands. Even right now, the
gauntlets they were on, but due to the skill, they were being hidden or kept away. "I...I
can't."
In the end, the times were extremely helpful, and Dame could already imagine how much
stronger they would get as he increased as a Pagna warrior. If he could hold out for one
day, then he should be able to hold out for several more; it was just doing the same thing
over and over again.
Kirk, who had heard the words come out of the young master's mouth, had nearly dropped
his drink.
"Young master, he's finally matured." Kirk nearly shed a tear.
A short while after, Fixteen had entered the establishment. He looked around, and it didn't
take him long to discover where exactly he needed to go. All he had to do was follow the
noise.
It seemed the warriors had also gotten some of the locals to join in on their shenanigans.
Pushing through, Fixteen eventually got to Dame and knelt down, whispering in his ear.
"I went to the Dark Magus' room, but it appears as if he's not there." Fixteen informed. "It
doesn't look like he's left either, as he hasn't checked out and paid the fee for another night
at the place."
There was something else that Fixteen didn't say either. He had tried to look into the young
warrior he had seen before, but when he had met with him, the news that he had learned of
what had happened disturbed him a little.
'Was it the young master's father? He might have sent a high-tier warrior to help him
without him knowing about it. To turn the tide of the fight if something went wrong? That's
the most likely answer right now.'
"I have another message for you; it appears your father wishes to meet you, and now."
Fixteen stated.
Almost immediately, the smile had disappeared right from Dame's face. He had almost
sobered up in an instant and stood up from his seat. The others were having far too good of
a time to even notice as the two of them went away.
After returning back from the little battle, Raze had entered his room, took a little break
before heading out again. He didn't want to waste any time, as he wanted to learn more of
the sword skills.
Exiting out of the city, he had gone to the same spot as he had done before. He had been
practicing the sword formations for a while now and had managed to learn two of them. He
perfected the forms first; this took the longest time.
Then with the forms but in the right amount of Qi. Then finally, he added the two things
together and was striking a rather large rock in front of him. Doing the move correctly,
Raze had managed to make a groove in the rock.
It was clearly a powerful strike, but it made him think.
"Maybe it will work now that I know one of the formations?" Raze thought.
Holding the sword with both hands above his head, Raze focused. Magic started to swirl
around his arm, and then coated over the sword. It had a similar appearance to when one
would use sword Qi, but this wasn't sword Qi.
It was wind magic added onto the sword.
"The devil's first formation, blood fall!" Raze said to himself as he took a step forward and
swung down.
The moment the Qi went through his body and the strike, it had magnified the force of the
wind magic as well, making it grow in size and color. It slashed right into the rock.
Now looking at it, Raze's sword hadn't just made a simple groove; it had cut right through it
and stopped around halfway.
'The magic on the sword, it got stronger when Qi was added to the formation. I didn't even
use any more mana; it was the Qi that supplied the magic making it an even stronger
attack... magic and Qi working together like this is a lot more effective than I thought.'
Raze smiled, looking at his hand, and clenched his fist. He took the sword out of the rock
and got into the same stance again.
He then held the sword up above his head, and magic started to swirl around his hand and
swirl around the sword, but it wasn't wind magic; this time, it was Dark magic.
"Magic and martial arts combining together, they work in harmony. Just what type of cheat
is this!" Raze smiled as he swung his sword down.
Chapter 116 Teleport Back
Chapter 116 Teleport Back
Dame was back at the clan base again, on one of the lowest floors in the room filled with
intense heat and a path leading directly to the Clan head, his father. Just like before, he was
seated on his own in the same position, facing away, while Dame sat on top of his feet and
calves.
"I assume you have an idea of why I called you here," the Clan Master stated. "You have
done a good job. If I'm honest, you managed to complete a task I never expected you to
complete."
Dame felt like if it were anyone else, maybe they would have taken this as an insult, and in a
way, it was. But he was fine with it, as long as he could keep his father off his back and stop
using him as a sacrificial lamb, as he had done before.
"It appears that I was wrong. I thought that you might not be suited for the next position as
clan head. But after your performance, being able to perform miracles, I am considering
you for the position again. There is a good chance that you may be able to do something for
the Clan after all."
It was a complete change of heart for the Clan Master. Clenching his fist, Dame wasn't
happy with the result. If he was going to be considered for the head, that would mean he
would need to be involved in more tasks surrounding the Clan as well.
When in reality, he wanted nothing to do with the Clan. But how could one of the Clan
leader's sons just up and leave? It would be an embarrassment to the family, and he would
rather have his son die in war than leave on his own free will.
"I have also heard that you have managed to acquire quite the talented alchemist, this Dark
Magus person," the Clan leader said. "You have a gift for attracting certain people to you, I
will give you that. I just hope you don't upset this person. Bring them in close to you and
welcome them into the Clan if you can.
"You may go, and expect to hear from me soon."
Walking away and out of the room, Dame was hoping that he wouldn't.
The next day, Dame had trouble sleeping, thinking about what his father had said, but he
tried to ignore that as he looked forward to the future and everything else he needed to do.
One of them was a meeting he had scheduled with Alba. It was at the same place as before,
right outside the three-tiered red restaurant. Dame had met with Fixteen and entered the
building.
They headed to the private room where Alba was already waiting, and she had another
person with her, with a black mask covering his face, standing at the back of the room on
her side.
"Don't mind Jax!" Alba said. "He's just here to keep me company, and he gave me some
interesting news saying that people have been talking about the Dark Magus, about my
Dark Magus," she winked.
Sitting down, Fixteen placed the bottle of pills on the table. It was hardly full because there
were only six pills left, since each of them had taken a pill during the battle.
"Yes, we had met up with him recently. He had brought the pills you asked for and had even
prepared some for me. I'm sure you heard about my success on the battlefield," Dame
answered.
He had learned from Fixteen that word had somewhat spread through the city about the
pills from Dark Magus, which was the aim in the first place. So he knew what was on Alba's
mind.
"I have no further information on him, other than the fact that we will continue to meet up
exclusively once in a while."
After that, Dame didn't really stay for chit-chat like he usually would have done. Neither did
he have a drink; he stood up and bowed as if he was already ready to go.
"Hey, wait, what is this? I asked for ten pills, and you're just going to leave like this?" Alba
asked. "I wanted to talk more about this guy."
"I'm sorry," Dame said. "I have important matters to deal with now, and we might have to
meet less often now."
The serious look on Dame's face made it so Alba wouldn't press anymore. It was a face she
had hardly seen on the young man, so she would take the six pills and leave it at that.
"I want ten more of these things," Alba shouted. "And the four that you took yourself. I'll
deliver the money to the usual place."
There was a reason why Dame had decided to leave early, and that was because he wanted
to meet with the Dark Magus again. Having missed him yesterday, he had somewhat felt
like he might not see him for a while again.
'Although he said he would try to learn the skills for a while before he went, he will soon
realize that those skills will take years to learn, and decide to head back. So I should try to
grow my relationship with him more.'
Heading to the inn, a knock was given on the door, and he and Fixteen were called in. When
they entered, they could see the young man in a robe, starting to draw something on the
floor.
"Are you making something else?" Dame asked. "Did we interrupt you?"
"Actually," Raze said as he stood up and dusted the excess chalk off his hands. "I had
decided to head back and just finished."
For some reason, Dame felt a little saddened about his new partner leaving so soon.
Perhaps it was because working with him was a large distraction from everything else he
had to deal with.
"It's a shame you have to go so soon, but I knew that you would need to leave sooner or
later. At least we can say goodbye here," Dame said. "And I have to say, thank you for
everything you have done to help."
For Raze, he didn't feel saddened by his leaving; instead, he felt more determined and
confident. He had now learned five of the ten descending steps and how to connect four of
them together. He had also learned three formation of the sword techniques, which would
be enough to get him through the Academy.
"We will meet again. Although we might have to find a new meeting spot, for now, let's just
try to meet in the same place," Raze said.
Raze had drawn the magic formation he had formed in his head, which was written by the
former Dark Faction leader. He assumed it was what would send one back to the cave. He
was confident but wasn't a hundred percent sure. However, going to the portal the same
way he had come would be rather risky.
Using some of the gold coins, Raze had purchased some regular power stones and placed
one on the ground. Activating his magic, the circle lit up, and right above, a dimension had
opened in front of them.
"He really can just open up a dimension from anywhere; these guys must be way ahead of
what we can do," Dame said out loud, and Fixteen couldn't keep his eyes off the portal
either.
"I will see you all," Raze said, stepping through.
Stepping through the portal, Raze was zapped in and zapped out. When he landed on the
cold ground and could feel the chilly air, he felt like he was in the right place. Looking
ahead, he could see the entrance of the cave and the mist that covered the entire area
.
"It looks like it worked, and I'm back after all," Raze said to himself.
"Oh, so this is the world that you're from, it looks different to what I expected."
Hearing a familiar voice, Raze's heart sank. He slowly turned his head around to see the
handsome young man with curious eyes looking around the area.
"Dame…"
Chapter 117 Let Me Join You?
Chapter 117 Let Me Join You?
Raze stared at the man in front of him for a while, hoping that eventually, he would
disappear into the mist, and it would all just be a figment of his imagination. Instead, the
man known as Dame Narfous, one of the sons of the top clans in the Demonic Faction, was
there right in front of him.
'The portal stays open for a few seconds after I enter it, but I never thought he would follow
me,' Raze thought. 'From my interactions with him, sure, he had a bit of a wild side, but he
seemed like a sensible person. Why would he take such a big risk and even hop into the
portal?'
'Who knew the dangers of the world I was going to. If I really was heading back to Alterian,
there is a good chance that he could be trapped there, and can martial arts really stand up
to magic.'
Just thinking about the whole situation was tiring for Raze, and he eventually placed his
hand on the top of his head.
"Sorry to jump on you like this," Dame said. "I brought you to my world, and you learned a
lot. I guess you could say curiosity got the better of me after I saw what you could do, so I
wanted to do the same."
Dame started to look around and placed his hand on the wall. He could see the carvings and
the writings in the cave, yet he didn't understand a single word of it, which brewed even
more excitement inside him.
'What do I even do?' Raze thought. 'Once we leave this cave, he will quickly learn that it's
not the world of Alterian. That is if we can even get out of here somehow. I can't subdue
him; this man is a high-stage Pagna warrior. Even with all my skills, I would be at a
complete loss.'
With everything said and done, Raze couldn't even stop Dame from following him if he
wanted to. So he felt like the only choice he had was to come clean. Using the effect of his
robe, he started to put it away.
There was no longer any need for him to keep his face hidden either, especially now he was
back in the world of Pagna. Not that he had ever left.
"You aren't going to like what you are about to hear," Raze stated. "But I promise I had no
intentions of tricking you, and I fully was planning to commit to our deal regardless."
Now, Dame really was raising an eyebrow. He was even looking past Raze into the mist. A
world filled with those like Raze; he just imagined it would look quite different to this.
"When you asked if I am from another world, you are correct; I am not from the world of
Pagna," Raze said with a deep breath. "However, where we are now and where I have been
for a while now is still the world of Pagna."
"Huh?"
"Not 'huh,' the world of Pagna," Raze continued. "Right now, we have returned to where I
was before I met you in the Demonic Faction. We are in the Dark Faction right now."
There was silence from Dame for a few moments. The Dark Faction? They had entered a
dimension portal and had traveled from the Demonic Faction to the Dark Faction.
"I'm in enemy territory!" Dame shouted. "No, that can't be. I mean, what the heck are you
even doing here? Are you making deals with them as well? Have you been two-timing me?"
Raze shook his head, trying to figure out a way to explain his situation. Usually, Dame
would have been beyond furious about this, but just like how Raze was cautious of Dame's
strength, he was cautious of Raze as well, since there were many things he could do. He was
afraid that he might be incredibly powerful.
"It's a long story…"
Raze went on to tell a grand lie. He told a tale of how he had entered a dimension portal in
his world one day and had ended up in the world of Pagna, not just anywhere but in the
Dark Faction. He didn't mention the fact that he was part of Alter now, and there were
groups of other people that had also come into this world, but he did state that he currently
knew no way back to Alterian, which was his home. Yet, when making dimensions and
trying to go back, he had entered the dimension the two of them had met.
"I see... you have been in quite the tricky situation yourself, I see," Dame said. "Honestly, I
can't even blame or be angry with you for what you did. You were just trying to better your
position."
"Hey, I guess it's a good thing that you met me in the end. So I understand that you were in
the Dark Faction for a while, so where exactly is here? Where are we?"
"The Dark Faction's Pagna Academy."
Dame let out a loud "Da!" sound from his mouth. It was so unbelievable, not only in enemy
territory but in their academy, it was quite the problem.
"I guess you've been learning your martial arts. If I had known, I would have never given
you the Demonic cultivation technique. It could cause some problems for you," Dame said.
"The biggest issue is my face. I'm not the most popular man from the Demonic Faction, and
I'm sure there will be those that recognize me here."
Thinking of that, Raze did have a solution.
"I could send you back; I can open up a portal from before. It will take us to the other
dimension, and you can find the portal leading to the Demonic faction."
Dame shook his head.
"I'll be honest; right now, I don't want to go back. There are some things going on with me
as well," Dame stated. "Don't worry; I'm not saying to go back on our deal. Fixteen was
dealing with all those matters anyway, and when it's our meeting time, I'll make sure to talk
to him."
"But I kinda wonder if I can use this as an excuse to get away from the Demonic Faction."
"I don't care" Raze said.
The reply came as quite a shock to Dame, who looked at him in disbelief.
"I mean, I don't care about your family troubles; I can only care about what troubles you'll
bring me. I'm guessing you were planning on tagging along with me. If you follow me with
that face of yours, then everyone will make me a target."
"Well, isn't there something you can do with your special powers?" Dame asked.
Raze wanted to deny there was something he could do, but he paused and hesitated.
"I guess that means there is something, huh? Come on, help me out. Think about it; if I join
you in the academy, I can help out as well. I can protect you from any bullies. I'm a 6th stage
Pagna warrior. I'm probably on the same level as the top teachers at the academy.
"Of course, I would play dumb and tone down my skills here and there."
Thinking about it, having an ally in the academy as strong as Dame by his side might be a
large plus after all. And no doubt Dame would be loyal to him. It was his only way out of the
place without causing trouble.
"Alright, but you owe me another level 2 power stone when we get back," Raze said, and a
mask appeared in his hand.
"If you wear this, it will give you the appearance of a completely different person."
"Seriously?" Dame said, taking the mask and holding it up to his face. Slowly, its magnetic
force was pulling it toward him. After lighting up, all of Dame's features had completely
changed. He now looked like the young warrior whom Raze had taken up as a disguise.
'This shouldn't be a problem; only Fixteen and the others saw what I looked like on the
battlefield. Dame was too busy fighting.'
"Did it work?"
Raze nodded and started to walk out into the mist.
"Now we have two other problems we need to solve. What to say about who you are and
what happened to us, and how do we get out of here."
Dame looked up.
"Did you fall from up there? Then the answer's easy. I'll climb us up. Come on; it's been a
long time since I joined an Academy. This is getting a little exciting."
Chapter 118 The Last Five Steps
Chapter 118 The Last Five Steps
A surprising meeting had occurred for Simyon in the library. After saying what he wanted
to say, Ricktor had quickly gone off, leaving him on his own. Simyon just stayed there in
place for a while, staring straight ahead.
Several students passed him, even turning their heads around, trying to look at the books
that he was blocking. In any other situation, the others would have wondered or asked if
something was wrong. In this case, they were too focused on trying to find the right skill
book for themselves.
'Is this how life is going to be for me in the academy now?' Simyon thought to himself. 'First
at the temple, I was made a target by Gren, but I managed to stay out of his way, and now
it's Ricktor. Is this just my fate? Am I not able to escape this?'
What if Simyon said no? What if he refused to do the young master's bidding? What would
happen then? Images flashed in his mind of the possibilities. Ricktor was certainly a strange
one.
What was even worse was the fact that he had threatened Safa as well, not just him. 'If all I
need to do is become the bad guy in front of the others, then I guess I can do that. But Raze,
I can't help but wonder, if you were here, what would you do? Is that why you're not here
now, did you attempt to fight back?'
A lot of time had been wasted over the internal dilemma that Simyon was facing, and he
was on the search again through the library. Students were already exiting, having chosen
their books.
In many cases, there was only one skill book, so there was also the chance that another
could have taken the book that they were aiming for. In the end, he had finally picked a
book, exiting out of the library doors.
He was one of the last few out as the doors were closed behind him. With the book held in
his hand, he was huffing and panting. The students were talking amongst each other, asking
what type of books they had chosen.
Meanwhile, Simyon rushed over to Safa before a certain eyepatch boy would come over.
Safa pointed at her book and then pointed at Simyon's. "You want to know what I got?"
Simyon lifted the book up.
"It's a refining book, it has methods of how one can improve strength from within. I thought
it would suit me well," Simyon said. He wasn't sure if the book was related to a metal
element in any way, but he didn't have much time to look at the book properly.
Safa started to tilt her head; she noticed that his hand was blocking some words that were
somewhat dusty on the corner. As she went to gently move his fingers, she started to gasp,
staring at the book with her eyes wide open.
"What's wrong?" Simyon asked as he turned the book around; he had almost dropped it to
the ground. "Strongest refining methods for weapons! What, why is a book like this even in
there? I thought they were only Martial Arts-based, not Blacksmith books."
Simyon had felt like he had chosen a dud. At least for now, he could always choose another
book the next month. When he thought his luck was on the up, it felt like it was heavily
going on the down.
"What did you pick?" Simyon asked. To which Safa held up her book for him to see.
"The Eight Shift Spear Technique?" Simyon placed his finger on his bottom lip. "But, I've
never seen you fight with a spear, can you even use one? Why would you choose something
you've never used before?"
Safa's eyes started to shift around the open space until they finally landed on the Blue
headband teacher. The older-looking man with a rough beard, but what he did have was a
spear on his back.
'Safa always seems to make the most interesting of choices. Since our current teacher is a
spear user, he will be more inclined to mentor her closely and would be able to give the
best tips.'
'While for others, they would be able to learn general guidance. To be honest, for someone
like her, who is pretty much a blank canvas, it's not so much of a bad idea.'
Looking at the headband teacher, he could see that the other teachers had gathered around,
and the three of them were having a little talk with each other.
"Do you think the pointed head clans see any talented scruff among all of these?" One of the
teachers stated. "I hear if new talent isn't found soon, your clan might cease to exist."
"We have students," Lee, the blue headband teacher replied. "Even though the number of
students the clan has currently is not the same as it was in the past, there are still plenty of
talented ones."
"Didn't only 2 of your students pass, and aren't they in my group?" The yellow headband
teacher claimed. "Once they start learning from me, they might even try to leave and join
our clan. I think you should start looking for some worthy members to join your clan, but
good luck with that out of the blue group."
The Pagna Academy was also a place for one to make connections with other clans. At
times, the students would come out deciding to leave and join with others or find martial
arts more suited to their taste.
Many would also head back to their clan to learn more. For the teachers, the lessons were a
way to show them how great they were and prompt strength in their clan, but the blue
headband teacher Lee had been struggling.
It was hard because the best way to show their skills were effective was through teaching
their students and showing them that they could beat the other colors that were above
them, but that was a tall task.
"Everyone, let's head back!" Lee shouted, and let out a big sigh afterwards.
——-
Looking up, Raze was trying to see the top of the cliff, but there was no chance. The fog was
too thick, and he remembered well from when he had fallen just how long it took him to
reach the bottom.
"I told you, there's only one solution, now climb on my back." Dame gestured behind his
knees and facing away.
Raze really didn't want to. One, he was relying on another's power, and the second reason
was the fact that he would have to touch someone else.
'I'm touching him; he's not touching me.' Raze thought as he took a deep breath and
jumped on.
Holding his legs giving him somewhat of a piggyback, Dame leapt up and kicked off the cliff;
he continued to run along the side of the cliff as if it was vertical and flat ground.
"Admit it, you're quite impressed," Dame said as he continued to run and the wind blowing
their hair and clothes. "You know Middle-stage warriors; they can even control Qi in their
foot to the point where it's almost like they're flying.
"But of course, Middle-stage warriors are extremely rare. Even in an entire city, there might
not be a single middle-stage warrior."
It made Raze think just how rare Deity-stage warriors were then, and it went to show just
how powerful the academy principal was if he was the closest to reaching that stage.
The running had taken even longer than Dame had thought, but he didn't tire, and he could
see the thing up ahead. Giving it one last push, they had made it over and onto the other
side.
They had made it on land. Looking to his right, Raze could see the area where he had fallen
off from.
"What kind of academy builds this stuff in such a dangerous place!" Dame shouted,
brushing his hands.
Ignoring it, Raze started to walk back through the forest toward the academy. While they
walked, Dame continued to ask questions about what happened, and the gist of the story
was told.
"So these main disciples of the main clans are the ones that caused you so much trouble?"
Dame said. "Man, I guess since you can't use your magic, and could only fight with your
skills, you ended up going down that cliff. They probably think you're dead right now.
"You know, if you wanted to, I could introduce you to the Demonic Academy; you could go
under the Neverfall Clan, and this stuff wouldn't happen."
Although Dame said this, he was starting to think about the time when he was at the
academy. He would have been one of these young masters from the main clans of the
Demonic Faction.
'Did I ever treat someone like crap like that? It really bugs me that I'm not really sure.'
"It's okay; I'll deal with the current situation myself, and there's no need for you to step in,"
Raze replied.
"Stubborn," Dame replied. "Look, it seems like you want to beat them at their own game;
you want to best them in martial arts. But I don't think that's going to be possible.
"You see those skills I gave you, although they're strong, they're not suited for beginners.
They will take years to learn and be effective. It's more of a foundation to build on. Hey, I
know, there should be a library; I can show you what the best skills are that you can use. I
can be like your super cheat!"
One of the words had caught Raze's attention in the conversation. "Years to learn?" Raze
repeated. "Will the last five steps really take years to learn?"
"HAHA!" Dame laughed. "Yeah right, like you really learned five steps. If you did, then you
would have no trouble taking care of any student at this academy."
Chapter 119 Give me the pills
Chapter 119 Give me the pills
After receiving their skill books from the academy, it was time for all of them to engage in a
bit of self-learning. It was free time for the students to do as they wished, but in theory, it
was meant to be used for learning the new skill books they had obtained.
There was a private courtyard at the back of the living area for the Blue headbands. It was
larger than the others because the Blue headbands usually had a larger group of people.
The courtyard was filled with various things: basic swords lined up on racks, dummies
made of cloth and sand scattered around the area, and even large totems with poles
sticking out of them.
The idea was to strike one part while blocking another. The harder you hit one part of the
totem, the faster it would spin around, increasing the chance of getting hit. All of this was
for the students to use.
Right now, all of them were practicing, except for Simyon, who sat cross-legged, staring at
the book on the floor.
"What am I even supposed to do?" Simyon said to himself. "I've gone through this thing
from top to bottom, and it really is a book for weapon refining. A material must be able to
withstand a large amount of heat. Then the weapon must be strengthened through
different processes over and over, being placed in a mold and repeating the process with
other minerals to get stronger and stronger."
Leaning back, he lifted his head into the sky and thought about his luck. "Maybe I could just
observe the others and see if there's a skill that suits me. I tried to choose something that
suited my body, but learning any skill should be fine, right?"
In other areas, Safa was diligently reading the book she had obtained. While others had
immediately started following formations and trying to imitate the images or perform the
steps, Safa was carefully reading the book from front to back.
Finally, when she was ready and had memorized what she needed, she left the book open
on the first page and headed to the weapon rack, grabbing a spear.
Teacher Lee, who was observing all of the students, noticed this because she was the only
one who had picked up a spear.
"She's... she's one of the No-names. I was told that she had done quite well in the
assessment from Gunther. I wonder why he spoke so highly of the No-name."
In turn, this caused Teacher Lee to glance to the side from time to time. He saw that she
was practicing the first formation of her spear technique, a thrust.
She took things slowly, focusing on where she needed to place her hands on the spear. She
adjusted it to her own size and the weapon itself, changing her positioning until the balance
was perfect.
This was one of the tips written in the book - that copying the images directly might not
yield the same results. Since everyone's body was different in terms of weight and size, the
way to use the technique would vary.
"This is already a good sign. She is a diligent person who misses no steps. I don't think I've
ever seen someone follow a book so diligently."
With all of this, Teacher Lee started to walk over and saw her practicing a thrust. She threw
it out strongly, but the pole at the end was vibrating and wavering a little.
"The strength in your muscles is a little weak at the moment," Teacher Lee commented.
"You can increase your physical strength through training, or you can try to supplement it
with Qi. But you have to make sure to use the perfect amount so your strike is straight and
clear."
Safa nodded and repeated the steps again, thrusting her fist forward. She did it again and
again, and Teacher Lee found it hard to contain his large smile.
"She's great, she's more than great. And if she's a No-name, she can have affiliations with
any clan... but because she's a No-name, anyone will be able to snatch her up if they want.
She has no protection. If she loses at the next assessment, then her confidence will be
shattered before she even becomes a capable warrior... But this might be the chance I've
been looking for."
Teacher Lee continued to watch the students, paying particular attention to Safa and
offering her tips in more detail compared to the rest, until free time was just about over.
"Alright, students, now is the best time for you guys to absorb your Qi pills that I have given
you. When your body is exhausted of Qi, it will allow you to absorb things a lot easier. Since
you have two pills, one will be used to restore your Qi energy, and the remainder will be
used to try and break down your Qi core and refine it so you can get closer to breaking
through to the next stage."
Teacher Lee was supposed to oversee the others as they did this, but when he looked
behind them, on the rooftop of the main building, he saw a man standing there in a black
uniform with two tied-up ponytails that went down to his waist.
He hadn't appeared at the opening ceremony. He was mainly in charge of the second-year
students.
"The vice principal Amir? What is he doing here?" When Teacher Lee made eye contact,
there was a slight nod, as if he had something to inform them.
Leaving the students be, he thought they would be fine for a few moments, not that he
needed to do anything anyway. Leaving the rest to their own devices, everyone pulled out
their Qi pills, ready to cultivate.
At that point, Simyon, who had been doing next to nothing, jumped up and went over to the
student closest to him, grabbing his hand that held the Qi pill.
"Stop!" Simyon said. "Everyone, your Qi pills, I need you to give them to me. It's an order on
behalf of someone you really don't want to mess with."
"What the heck, why is a No-name grabbing onto me like he's some hotshot!" The student
tried to twist Simyon's arm, but it did nothing. Even the skin on his arm was difficult to
move.
"Do you really think I would be doing this on my own, being a No-name?" Simyon asked.
"You guys should think about it. Unless I was confident that the person who asked me to do
this couldn't deal with you guys, then I wouldn't be asking this in the first place. If you want
to risk it, though, then be my guest."
There was a worry in the back of all the students' minds that they wouldn't like to admit,
but they had heard what had happened to the other No-name. They heard that the main
disciples had made him their target, and now he had disappeared.
In their minds, it was clear that the main disciples had dealt with him. So if they didn't
comply, what would happen to them? It felt like Simyon was doing their bidding. So even if
caught, it would be his own downfall.
Reluctantly, the students handed over the pills. Life felt unfair to all of them at that moment
as Simyon went from student to student until he reached Liam with the eye patch.
"I'm sorry, man, but I'm all out. I gave it all to the pretty girls in the academy, and there are
a lot of pretty girls," Liam commented.
"I saw you gave one to Safa; you should still have one. Please, you know I'm not doing it for
myself. Just hand it over so we both don't get in trouble," Simyon asked.
"Hey, if you want a small ball so badly, then you can suck on mine," Liam commented. "But
you ain't getting any other round-shaped objects other than that, and if the other guy wants
to do something, he can suck on them too."
Tensing his fist while the teacher was away, Simyon thought about hitting the guy in front
of him and forcing him to give up the pill.
"That would be a good excuse. I mean, this perv was talking to Safa; I need to keep him
away."
"No way!" a student shouted, turning his head toward the courtyard gate that separated the
dark blue headband living area from the rest of the academy grounds. He was pointing, and
his hand was shaking. "That's... that's the other No-name. He's here. I mean, he's alive. That
white-haired guy's alive!"
Chapter 120 Return To The Acadmey
Chapter 120 Return To The Acadmey
Both Raze and Dame had reached the large double doors that led into the academy from
the back. It had been a long time since Raze felt this way, but he could tell he was a little
nervous.
The palms of his hands were a little sweaty, and his heart was beating slightly louder than
it usually would. The main reason was the conversation he had with Dame just before the
two of them arrived.
The two needed to be on the same wavelength to get their story straight. If there was
anyone as sharp as Himmy, it would mean a lot of trouble for both of them. However, when
asked about it, Dame casually replied, "It's okay, I'll deal with it."
Taking a deep breath, Raze stepped forward and pushed at the door. It was a little heavy. In
fact, he realized that the floor was very heavy, but he seemed to remember Gunther and
Pincer opening it with ease. It had only budged slightly, and Raze was using all his strength.
"Here, let me help a bit," Dame said as he placed his hands above Raze's and pushed. The
door felt as light as a feather and moved to open. It was a reminder of the difference
between the two of them.
"Hey, stop! Who are you two?" Immediately, one of the several guards working for the
academy had noticed the door opening.
Entering inside, Dame raised his hands, and Raze decided to do the same as he entered.
"I am a student here!" Raze shouted to them. "Would you please call Gunther and tell him
that the students from the last assessment are here?"
The guards exchanged side-eye glances as if they were deciding what to do. As they
contemplated it further, it would have been impossible for anyone to enter through the
back entrance.
The cliff went off into a valley of mist that seemed to stretch endlessly until it reached some
mountains. Eventually, one of the guards in a higher position nodded slightly and gestured
with his hand. The other guard went off to find Gunther.
Raze had specifically asked for Gunther because he thought, based on their few
interactions, he was the least likely to try and cover things up. Raze could already imagine a
disaster happening - someone from the main clans attempting to conceal the misdeeds of
the disciples and finish the job they couldn't. There was also something interesting said
between him and Mada during their final confrontation, the fact that they were brothers,
and one was extremely jealous of the other.
A short while later, Gunther arrived. Originally, he seemed quite displeased, wearing his
usual frowning face with folded arms. He was somewhat kicking the floor as he walked, like
a child who had just been scolded.
When his eyes caught sight of the white-haired boy, his eyes almost lit up, and he rushed
over to Raze, causing dust to stir up underneath his feet. Almost immediately, Raze took a
step back as Gunther inspected him from head to toe.
"Judging by that reaction, it really is you, but I searched everywhere for you. How are you..."
"Alive?" Raze said. His eyes shifted to the other guards who were listening in to their
conversation. As if he understood what Raze was getting at, Gunther decided to change his
tone.
"Why don't we talk somewhere else? We can head to the main building," Gunther
suggested. "And maybe we can talk a bit about your new friend who's with you as well."
Judging by the reaction and everything Gunther was doing, Raze felt like he had made the
right call so far.
The two passed several other buildings, including the other living areas, and avoided the
other students. They needed to get back into the academy first. They continued until they
reached the main building, an incredibly wide structure with three tiers and dark blue tiles
hinting at gold accents. It was the most luxurious-looking building in the area compared to
the rest.
Heading inside, more guards saw them, but upon seeing Gunther, they ignored him until
they eventually reached a small room. It was large but incredibly empty, with just a desk
inside.
"This is my private office that they have given me," Gunther explained. "But I don't plan to
stay at the academy for long, so I didn't move anything in here. I would tell the two of you
to take a seat, but as you can see, I have no chairs."
Gunther sat in the only chair on the other side of the table. Both Raze and Dame moved
closer inward.
"Alright, Raze, you have to tell me, how in Pagna are you still alive? How are you here, and
what happened to you?" Gunther asked.
Raze had thought about what to say in his head, considering all the possibilities of how
things worked out. In the end, he made a choice; his matters were his own to deal with.
"I fell off the cliff edge," Raze answered. "I was chasing after one of the hop bunnies, and it
was injured. It leaped off the cliff, and I reached out to grab it, but I lost my footing and fell
down. I don't know how, but I managed to survive the fall with few injuries. Down there is
where I met him, Pink."
Dame immediately turned his head and tapped Raze's shin with his leg. Of course, they
couldn't use his real name, but Pink? What kind of name was that? It was all due to Raze's
annoyance at the lack of planning coming into this. If Raze was the one doing all the talking,
he would give a nickname of whatever he wanted.
"Pink was in the mist as well. He had been living and surviving there for a while. The area is
impossible to see even a meter ahead, but Pink had managed to find sources of water and
food through the mist and shared them. When we were both well, we decided to venture up
the cliff, no matter how long it took."
Raze was hoping for a few things. Based on the state of the cave and the words written by
the previous Dark Faction leader, the current Dark Faction knew next to nothing about
what resided on the other side of the cliff. They didn't know how deep it was or whether
there was a way up or not. Nor would they bother to check if their claims were true or not.
"So, if you were down there, does that mean you were a student as well, from a previous
assessment, Pink?" Gunther asked.
Dame nodded his head in response, still not quite used to the new nickname that had been
given to him.
"That's correct, although trouble had occurred, and I was unable to take the assessment. I
had actually fallen into the cliff side before the first assessment even began. So, I was
unable to make my presence known. But I am the last and only disciple of the Noctis Clan."
Instantly, Gunther froze. It was a bigger reaction than when he had seen the return of Raze.
'What is this Noctis Clan, and did he say last disciple? What kind of lie did he just tell!'
"Are you able to perform the Noctis Clan's techniques?" Gunther asked.
"I am... but don't worry, I don't plan to use those skills unless absolutely necessary. I just
wish to get through the academy," Dame answered.
Gunther was constantly nodding, as if he agreed that this was the right choice. But it just
led Raze to have many more questions about Dame. How did he know about a Clan in the
Dark Faction that no one would have questions about?
Why did he have to be careful about it as well? And was that really enough to convince
Gunther? Raze knew he was lax, but to be this lax... was this a man who truly didn't care
about his job?
"Alright," Gunther said, clapping his hands. "I've decided that the two of you will join the
academy. I'm sure everyone will be surprised by both of you coming here, but Raze, I do
have a bit of a warning for you. I looked into your background a bit. I felt bad about what
happened and was wondering if I could help out your family in any way," Gunther
explained.
"I found out about your family's death. I'm sorry about that. When prying though, I found
out in your town there were several deaths that were taking place. I should tell you that
you aren't the first this has happened to. I heard a case next to the city of mine where the
same thing was taking place."
"I just wanted to inform you that those who didn't die or managed to escape like you, in the
end, they ended up dead no matter where they were."
Raze had heard in his town there were no survivors, and it was the reason why he had been
made into a prime suspect in the case. The deaths were also the reason why Alter had
headed to the town in the first place.
Now he was hearing that this matter had happened in other places.
'Is there really a link to the original body and these deaths? If there was a way to talk to
him, it would be great, or maybe even the sister might know something'
"In the academy, I would say you were in one of the safest places, but perhaps not. A
particular person is... I don't know what they're doing. For you and the other No-names that
came in, they are either looking out for you or trying to get you. So be careful of everyone
you meet in the academy."
Standing up, Gunther seemed to be done with the conversation.
"Alright, let's get ready for your return to the Academy."
Return, it was a word Raze felt like he had heard a little too much recently.
Chapter 121 Pick Who’s Strongest
Chapter 121 Pick Who's Strongest
Gunther had begun making preparations for the return of the two. There was some
paperwork and a note that would need to be sent to the higher-ups, and it didn't take long
to get approval, especially given Gunther's position.
Essentially, they just needed a stamp for everything to work out, and no one would really
check the documents, or so he thought. The news of the return of the no-name had
managed to reach those above. Information was compiled, and a note was sent out to the
Blue Headband teacher to await their arrival.
"Alright, so it looks like I've done everything I can," Gunther said, smiling. The three of
them had already left the main base and were walking across the large courtyard.
"I do have some bad news for you," Gunther explained. "Due to what has occurred, both of
you have entered the academy as if you had recovered zero power stones, so the two of you
will be admitted to the Dark Blue Headband group."
Gunther pointed as they came in sight of the large gate, a massive archway with a plaque on
top and a stripe of dark blue on the board.
"If you had come a bit sooner, then you would have been able to enter the library as well,
but for now, it has been closed, and you will have to enter next month. This does mean that
you'll be a bit behind the other students."
Just as he was finishing up his conversation, he could see that Teacher Lee, the head of the
Blue Headband teachers, was already making his way over to where they were.
With that, he gave the two a wave and headed back to the main base of the academy. "I
wish you two good luck; I will be keeping an eye on you."
The two waited while they watched Lee walking towards them. "Ah, it's a shame we can't
enter the library," Dame lamented. "I was going to help you pick the best book that would
have allowed you to beat down anyone who got in your way."
"Sure," Raze replied. If there was such a book, surely others would have picked it already,
but maybe there was some truth to Dame's words since he was practically an expert
compared to the rest of the students.
"Hey, don't be too down; I can still teach you some neutral techniques myself," Dame
stated. "You don't need a library when you have a library right by your side."
Teacher Lee reached the two students. He had been informed a little of what he was to do
beforehand by the Vincent principal, about how two new students would be joining them.
"The two of you will be under my care," Teacher Lee stated. "I have heard you have been
through a lot to get here, but the hardships will not end there. If you need a shoulder to
lean on, as long as I see you trying your hardest, then I will be that shoulder to lean on.
Please follow me."
Both Dame and Raze gave a small bow as they followed the teacher across the main
courtyard. They soon entered under the large arch above them and onto the smaller
courtyard where all the students were resting and ready to take their Qi pills.
There seemed to be a bit of commotion before they arrived, but as soon as they entered, all
the attention turned to them.
"That's... that's that white-haired kid, it's the no-name, he's still alive!"
"It's been a few days; I thought he would have been dead by now?"
Raze and Dame continued to walk in, and more students were mumbling about him.
"Who's the tall one next to him as well? He wasn't at the assessment, but he's been given a
blue headband. Does that mean he's in our group?"
"Hey, wait, does this mean the main disciples did nothing? They really didn't kill him."
Dame couldn't help but laugh. Although the students were whispering, they were talking so
loudly that the two of them could hear every word that was coming out of their mouths.
While walking over, Simyon and Safa, they both froze in place as they looked at Raze.
"Hey... I knew it, I knew you were alive. I totally didn't think you were dead, or that your
body was eaten by bunnies!" Simyon said.
Liam noticed that Simyon had placed his handful of Qi pills behind his back.
"Is he ashamed to show this other no-name what he's done? He must think highly of them,
but he is just a leader of a no-name group."
Safa ran over with tears in her eyes, but when she got a meter away, she stopped and
started to hug the air, as if she was holding onto Raze. It was clear she was imitating a hug
but wasn't touching him at all. This was because she was accommodating to Raze, who she
knew didn't like to be touched.
"Is this your girlfriend? Why is she so strange?" Dame asked.
At that moment, Raze realized that he hadn't come up with an excuse for who she was.
Dame already knew he was from another world, but if he found out his sister wasn't as
well, then he would need to explain a bit more, how he was currently in a body that wasn't
even his either.
"Girlfriend? Of course not," Simyon said, following from behind. "That's his sister!"
Almost immediately, Dame turned to look at Raze with wide eyes, trying to figure out the
situation. Raze just shook his head slightly, hoping that his words of 'Not now' would
somehow transmit into Dame's mind.
"And who the heck are you? Why are you with Raze?" Simyon asked.
For some reason, seeing how casual Dame was talking to Raze and standing close to him by
his side annoyed Simyon.
"Me? I'm... I'm... I'm Pink," Dame answered, reluctantly sticking to the story he had told
before.
"Pink... suddenly I feel better."
"What is that supposed to even mean?" Dame shouted back.
Interrupting their little scuffle, there was a loud clap in the air that vibrated and itched
everyone's earlobes. Nearly everyone turned to see Teacher Lee.
"Alright, listen up, everyone. There is something important that I need to inform you all,
something that you need to decide among yourselves," Teacher Lee said. "Firstly, there are
no guards on the grounds of the campus at night, sometimes even during the day."
"As stated before, your first assignment is just to learn the skill books that you have
selected from the library. However, there is one more thing, something different that the
Blue Headbands need to deal with compared to the other groups."
Teacher Lee looked at all their faces, imagining what was going to happen next.
"Compared to the Yellow Headband group and the Red Headband group, the Blue
Headbands have far more members than them. At the end of the month assessment,
students are able to challenge the other colors in exchange for exchanging headbands."
"However, due to the sheer number of you, not everyone will be able to send out a
challenge. This is why among yourselves, you need to decide which twenty of you will be
taking part in the assessment."
"With that news, I will leave you be, and remember, I won't be watching, but killing each
other is forbidden in the academy."
With those words said, Teacher Lee left the place and left the students to their own devices.
As soon as they saw he was quite a distance away, nearly everyone was shifting, looking at
each other.
They were wondering if the person by their side would make a move or not.
"Only twenty can get through; are they basically asking us to determine who is the
strongest among all of us?"
"So they want us to fight each other, like right now, or wait, or what. I don't quite
understand."
No one quite knew what to do. Nor did they know what was the best strategy, should they
wait until they learned more skills, or get a head start. There was also the tactic of fear. If
one of them was willing to take a fight now, wouldn't it show how strong they were as well.
This was especially true for one of the students. If he fought against someone today he
could perhaps avoid other fights and continue to grow as others feared him.
"You!!" The Blue Headband student shouted. "New guy, you weak piece of crap, I'm going to
show everyone that I'm the best!"
The student was already running and had jumped up in the air.
Dame pointed at himself. "Me?"
Chapter 122 Death, Stares and Glares
Chapter 122 Death, Stares and Glares
A brazen student was trying to jump the gun. In the situation they were currently in, it
would either work out really well for them or really badly. Successfully beating another
would somewhat signify that they were in the upper half.
The student was trying to play mind games with the other.
'While the rest of you are playing with sticks, I'll be playing with trees!' the student smugly
said to himself.
His target was none other than the new student who had just arrived. Being new, wearing
the Blue headband, and the fact that he was launching a surprise attack, he knew he had the
upper hand in this situation. In fact, the student was confident that anyone with a Blue
headband in this situation right now would suffer a defeat.
Getting close, he leapt into the air, his body tilted, and all of his Qi focused on his leg for a
head kick.
'I'll knock him out in a single hit!'
Dame was shocked. He was incredibly surprised because something like this had never
happened to him before. Everyone in the Demonic Faction knew who he was, even when he
was at the academy himself before, due to him being a young master, no one would even
dare lay a finger on him.
Closing in, Dame moved his head to the side, causing the kick to completely miss his head.
Then, with an open palm, he swung his own hand. It landed right on the side of the
student's face, making a loud bang noise.
It was a slap, a slap that echoed throughout the entire area. It was one of those moments
where everyone watching felt like they could feel the sting through the student.
Immediately, he fell to the side, his head hitting the ground with the rest of his body. His
eyes had rolled back in his head as he passed out, lying there on the ground.
Dame stood there, looking at his own hand.
'Crap, did I just hit him too hard?' Dame thought.
"Did he just slap that student and make him pass out?"
"I guess we can't just judge people's strength. This fighting is going to be hard."
Rather than being shocked by Dame's strength, nearly all of the students were more
concerned about what they should do next. What was the best choice in terms of
determining the order of strength among them?
If anything, nearly all of the students were disheartened after seeing one of them get
knocked out so easily. It was embarrassing, and the last thing they wanted was to be
embarrassed in front of the others.
"I guess we'll just find other ways to challenge each other, or we'll challenge each other in
secret or something."
Many thought that this was the best choice, and they began to head back to their rooms.
Just before they did, though, Liam, the boy with the eyepatch, approached the group.
"You should be careful of this one; he'll betray you all in a heartbeat," Liam claimed. "If you
stick with him, you'll make enemies with the whole academy, for sure."
Liam walked off, leaving Simyon with nothing to say in response. He wanted to argue and
say it wasn't true, but right now, it did feel like that. Due to his association with him,
everyone in the Blue headband group would hate him, while the others would be at risk.
"Don't worry about him," Raze said. "Remember what I said: you are part of the Cromwell
family now. I trust you, for now, at least."
Raze walked and headed inside the building along with the rest, with Dame at the back of
the group.
"Wait a moment, does that mean you do trust him or you don't? Don't confuse the poor
kid," Dame shouted.
Entering the inside of the academy, rooms had been sorted out for both Raze and Dame
already. It seemed like they wanted to keep the no-names close as two people were moved
into different rooms, allowing the two to be next to Simyon and Safa.
Some of the students headed straight into their rooms, either resting up for the night,
continuing their studies, or even absorbing the Qi pills that they still had. Simyon hadn't
gotten the chance to collect the Qi pills from the rest of the class.
Meanwhile, their group had decided to stay in the lobby, as there was a lot of talking and
catching up for them to do. While in there, the other students passing by would glare.
They would look at Raze and Dame for a few seconds, but most of the stares were directed
at Simyon, as if they were trying to pierce him with their eyes.
There were also some rumors being spread around as well.
"I wonder what clan that guy is from?"
"Can you stop making a big deal? That kick was telegraphed so much I think a sloth would
have been able to avoid it."
"Really, you really think you could?"
"Really."
"Alright, but surely he has to be from a clan, right? Unless you're saying he's a no-name.
That would be four no-names, and he didn't even get through the assessment."
A lot of the students had the same question on their minds. Just from one display, it was
hard to tell how skilled Dame was. Yet, all of them were too scared to ask, and he seemed to
be sticking to the White-Haired no-name quite a bit.
"So what happened back in the assessment? Was it the main clans' disciples?" Simyon
whispered.
Raze nodded. "You should have guessed. All of them had played a part in trying to take me
out, but the main one causing trouble among them all was Mada. I managed to find Pink
here and got out of the situation alright, but don't worry; I plan to sort the situation out
myself."
Simyon wanted to ask more, but gathered that if Raze had decided to give that much
information, then for now, that was all he was going to get.
"What about you? Why is everyone trying to kill you with their stares? What happened?"
Simyon was still debating whether to say something or not. He looked at Safa, who didn't
quite understand what had happened either. She looked almost disconnected from him,
with her eyes drooping slightly.
In the end, he held out his hand and dropped around eight qi pills onto the table.
"All of the Blue headband students received two ten-year Qi pills each in order to help them
catch up in terms of Qi compared to the others. Ricktor, one of the main disciples, met with
me and asked me to gather the pills on his behalf.
"I didn't want to, but at the same time, I had no clue what to do. If I turned him down, I feel
like he would have continued to target me, and after he had already gotten rid of you, I
didn't want him to do the same to Safa.
"I promised not just to protect you and give you my life, but Safa as well."
What they needed to do, though, was figure out what to do from here.
"Hey, this is perfect, right?" Dame said with a smile. "Why don't you just continue collecting
pills on behalf of that Ricktor guy and take them for yourself? The fact that they gave you
pills means that they believe what you said and are scared of you!"
"What? Then I'm worse than him, and even if I did do that, Ricktor would find out and
attack us!" Simyon replied back.
"I thought you said you knew the Da— I mean, Raze, very well," Dame corrected himself.
"Do you think he'd give any of those crystals to Ricktor? When those disciples find out he's
alive, will they just idly let him stand by?"
"Right now, you have a great opportunity for all of you to grow. The world of Pagna is
unfair. Surely you should have seen that by now. It's your job to do what you can to make it
fair."
Simyon knew Dame was right. With Raze's return, he most likely would become the main
disciples' target again, and he wouldn't do the others' bidding. So what would they do now?
The pills taken from the other students were handed to Raze, four of them in total. Dame
didn't need them; they wouldn't do anything for him, so all the pills he would receive from
then on he would just hand to Raze.
With the day coming to an end and not really knowing what to expect for tomorrow, they
had all decided to head to their rooms.
'I wonder if the same enchantment that works on Power Stones would work on Qi pills as
well?' Raze thought. 'If I were to take two ten-year pills and use the power of another pill,
would I be able to create a twenty-year pill?'
'It could be what I need to break through to become a second-stage warrior. The chances
are low, but with a surplus of Qi pills, I might as well give it a go, especially if ten-year Qi
pills aren't going to do anything for me.'
Raze didn't feel bad in the slightest that he was using the Qi pills from others. It was clearly
a system that the academy allowed, and in this world, everyone played by the same rules.
If they were strong or cunning enough, they would do the same thing. He needed to play
the cards he had.
Heading into the room, Raze noticed that something had been left on his bed. Picking it up,
he saw it was a piece of paper with a message written on it.
'Come to the back of the sleeping quarters today. This is in your best interest.'
At the bottom of the letter, there was one more thing that was signed off.
[Alter]
Chapter 123 A Monster is Born
Chapter 123 A Monster is Born
Raze turned the piece of paper over to see if there was anything else written on it, but he
found nothing. The only thing he noticed was that the paper seemed fairly new, and it was
written in Pagna.
'When did they have the time to put a letter like this in my room?' Raze thought. 'I only just
joined the academy, and we were outside for around thirty minutes after being shown our
room.'
'Which means the only ones that would even know this is my room are the students that
were with me or the teachers in this academy. It doesn't really narrow down the suspects,
other than the ones that would be in the other academies.'
Although it did concern him when the letter was put, there was also the question of why it
was put. The letter stated that it was someone from Alter, an organization with two
purposes.
To gather those who didn't belong in the other world and to store and protect items that
could be used against the world. The thing was, not all of those in Alter were
otherworlders. They also had field agents, which technically Safa and Simyon were a part of
as well.
'They did state that Alter had eyes everywhere, including that in the academy. Does that
mean they saw everything, including me falling down the cliffside? No, that's impossible.
No one knew about that matter, and they only chose to contact me now.'
'Still, they would at least know the context of what happened. But then why call me for a
meeting? Do they wish to meet me and discuss what I've done? Or is it because they have a
mission to give me?'
It was debatable what Raze should do. Although he had agreed to work for them, he had
already done many things against their rules under the name Dark Magus.
Other than the brief meeting with Himmy, he still had yet to understand the large scope of
the organization and just how powerful it was either. For some reason, thinking of this, a
thought entered his head that made all the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
'That message from the Dark Faction leader. They have even infiltrated the Dark Faction
now... the Dark Faction didn't trust whoever these guys were, and he might very well be
talking about Alter.'
In all honesty, Raze didn't want to look into Alter too much. He was much more concerned
about his growth in terms of strength. Get strong and head back to Alterian somehow to
defeat the Supreme Magus.
Once he made them suffer through the same things he had done, he didn't care what would
happen to him after. With how things were going, if Alter really did run things behind the
scenes, he might need to do more research into what exactly had happened to the previous
Dark Faction leader.
Taking a step out the front door, Raze had ended up back in the main hall and could see
other students relaxing in the area, talking. No one he particularly recognized. They gave
him a stare or two and then went to whispering so he wouldn't be able to hear them.
'Should I inform Dame about this? If it gets dangerous, then he could have my back covered
as well. He has more reason to keep me alive than not at the moment.'
Raze also still had the pills on him. He hadn't had time to go through what he had planned
in combining the pills. However, now that there were eyes on him, if he did such a thing,
then it could get him in even more trouble.
'It's best not to explain more to Dame either for now. It seems like he is also keeping a
bunch of secrets. What's with people these days?' Raze sighed as he exited the academy.
The night moon was out, and it looked to be rather round and glowing. It reminded Raze of
Alterian. During this time, there would be festivals taking place, where mages would come
together and put on a night show for the children in the air.
He had snuck away from home when he was younger and had witnessed the spectacles
more than once. It was what originally made him wish to be a mage, hoping he could do
something similar by putting smiles on other people's faces.
'What a naive kid I was when I was younger,' Raze thought. 'Magic being used for events
like that is useless.'
Heading around the back, Raze was anticipating who he would see, who would be waiting
for him. Turning the corner, he could see someone, a young student with the blue headband
on his head, allowing his spiky hair to be on show, with an eye patch covering one eye.
"Oh?" Liam said as he got up off the wall. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Yes," Raze replied. "But I did already inform you that I would be at the academy."
"Inform me?" Liam replied with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, I guess, but everyone thought
you were dead."
The two stood looking at each other in silence for a while, until they both asked their
questions at the same time.
"What's your relation to Alter?"
"You're Safa's brother, right?"
Something was strange. Why would a student ask him whether or not Safa was related to
him, Raze thought. Was this due to another matter, was it something to do with the past?
"Alter? Like the thing you put stuff on. I have no idea what you're talking about," Liam
replied.
"Are you playing stupid?" Raze replied. "Aren't you the one that called me here with that
letter?"
"Called you here? I was just relaxing here until you showed up," Liam replied.
Raze still wasn't sure. Was he actually playing stupid? Was this some type of test that Alter
set up? Or was it true, was he already here? Maybe whoever had written that letter didn't
expect there to be another student here and had decided to abandon their original plan.
"Anyway, so I'm right, correct? You're Safa's brother?" Liam asked again.
Raze didn't care for this and was much more concerned about who had written the letter.
He wanted to turn away, but the pang in his chest when his sister was mentioned was
hitting at him again, causing him to stay put, and eventually ask the question.
"What do you want with my sister?" Raze asked.
A smile appeared on Liam's face when he said this. "I am quite the gentleman, you see. I
wouldn't just pursue a lady without the permission of those around her. It seems I have
already ruffled a few feathers of those around her, and I wouldn't want to do the same."
"So you ask me for permission. I am not in control of her life just because I'm family," Raze
replied.
"Ah, yes, but there are quite a few of those that are quite doting on their family members,
and sometimes their words and actions don't mix, which is why I propose something."
"We need to decide a pecking order anyway. Soon the students will be challenging each
other to duels in private. So we might as well get our fight out of the way, but let's do so
with a condition. If I win, then you don't get in the way of my pursuit of Safa. I have your
blessing, if you will."
"If you lose, then, well, you need to keep the ones causing me trouble away."
Raze wasn't particularly interested in the deal itself, but he thought this might be a chance.
He had learned a few skills, and he needed to see how they would match up against those of
the main disciples.
With that, Raze reached for the sword he had around his waist and drew it. He knew he
needed to be careful because there was a good chance that Alter was watching him even
now, or the person in front of him was from Alter.
This wasn't a fight to the death, so he wouldn't be using his magic in this fight.
"Oh, I see you've decided to accept my deal. I think I should let you know," Liam stated. "I'm
quite strong. By my predictions, I'll be ending up in first place on that list."
Raze smiled when he heard these words and didn't say anything. He just held his sword
firmly as the two of them stood ten meters apart from each other. The shuffling of Liam's
feet could be seen, and he soon rushed forward.
Raze started to remember the conversation he had with Dame back in the forest. If he had
mastered six of the ten descending steps, then it meant he would be the strongest in the
academy.
The words at the time, they felt like it was a joke, but what if they were true? Was Dame
really not joking? Was there something unique to Raze that somehow made it so he could
be stronger than others?
Thinking this, he had asked at the time whether it was true or not, and Dame had replied,
"It's true. The only people who have mastered the ten steps have all been able to reach the
middle stages. I wasn't lying when I said I gave you a valuable skill. I just thought you
would have more time to learn it in your world, rather than needing it straight away like
this."
"If you were able to mix the ten descending steps with the Devil's Sword Formation, I think
you would be able to beat warriors that were even two stages above you. But as I said,
that's impossible. Someone with that great of Qi control would be a higher stage warrior."
These were Dame's words, the words of a stage 6 Pagna warrior.
"You should be thankful," Raze smiled, lifting his feet, and then slamming it down into the
ground. The whole area shook, and the Qi had hit Liam, causing him to have an uneasy
feeling. When he took his next step, it felt as if he was going to fall over.
"Because you're the first person who gets to witness and experience my new strength!"
Raze said, lifting the sword above his head.
Chapter 124 The Main Clans Act!
Chapter 124 The Main Clans Act!
When fighting against the Light faction, Raze was able to test out his footwork, but he
lacked skills in the sword department at the time. Dame had always stated that footwork
was just the basis of martial arts.
It was designed to be used with other techniques. After having performed the first step
against Liam, it was time for the second descending step. It flung Raze forward as he flicked
his foot, and at the same time, the sword was held above his head with both hands.
The power drawing from the second step was mixing in and flowing through his body.
"The Devils waterfall, 1st formation!" Raze whispered to himself. Calling out the magic
spells was somewhat essential for mages to form the magic circle in their mind, but for
Raze, it had become a habit to whisper the name of the technique being used as he
envisioned his body going through the motions.
He swung down the sword from above with the might of his Qi added to it.
Liam raised his sword, but an immense amount of strength and Qi had hit him. It pushed
his feet and legs into the ground, and he had no choice but to grit his teeth. He could see
part of his sword starting to crack.
"The Qi... it's internally entered my body! Just what type of strike is this!" Liam's body was
reacting as the taste of iron filled his mouth.
Lifting the sword again, Raze now had it by his side, as if he had stuck it back in his sheath.
'This isn't enough; he managed to block it?' Raze thought to himself. 'I guess I need to do
more.'
"4th descending step, away with the wind," Raze whispered, and his body moved from left
to right, flowing outward. The fourth step was an evasive move and a handy one, as it was
hard for a person to predict where they were going to be.
The idea was to let their body flow like a leaf falling in the wind.
"Alright, let's see you survive this. The fifth step, along with the second formation..." Raze
didn't finish his sentence there.
Because he could see that Liam was already on the floor; his knees were already weak from
the first attack, and no matter how hard he tried to fight it, he had eventually collapsed
onto the floor. His teeth were dyed a little red, blood from his own body.
"You... you're a damned monster... were you hiding your strength," Liam grunted.
Raze walked up knowing it was the end of the fight. "A deal is a deal; if you know nothing
about Alter, then leave me and Safa alone."
Raze continued to walk past while looking around to see if he could see anyone nearby, but
there seemed to be no one. He would just have to meet the mysterious member from Alter
later.
Entering his room, Raze continued to search the entire area. There was only a small square
letterbox window in his room. It wasn't large enough for anyone to ideally peep through.
Just in case though, Raze had torn part of his bedsheet with his bare hands.
He then covered the small little opening and pushed the cloth with his fingers. He carefully
made sure the right amount of Qi was in his fingertips to make a small indent through the
concrete.
Doing this for all four corners and sticking the cloth further in, it now would hang in place.
'Controlling my Qi to the smaller parts of my body is getting easier,' Raze thought. 'I can't
stabilize it to the point where I can write on the wall like that old man, but making a hole
like this without blasting a hole completely shows I've made improvement.'
He had to thank the instructions of the book for that. The next step now was the Qi pills
themselves. A magic circle was drawn out on the ground, and all three pills were placed on
the floor.
"It's a bit risky using it in the academy, but if a portal break does happen here, it's the one
place where they should be able to handle the situation, right?" Raze thought.
Regardless, it was a problem for them to solve if it did come to that.
Going through the process the first time, Raze was hopeful, but as the ingredients lit up and
the glow faded away, it all crumbled to the ground. The combination of the Qi pills into a
20-year one had failed.
'I can try one more time. I might as well since the Qi pills are useless to me as a 10-year
one,' Raze thought.
With the remaining pills he had been given by Simyon, who had taken them from the
others, he would try again, and if need be, he would wait a few days, and he could try again.
Right now there was nothing to lose, so he attempted to try it again. The pills started to
light up again.
'Come on... I don't want to risk it by doing this every day, so just work, you stupid dumb
pills,' Raze shouted in his mind.
Not long after, a single pill fell to the ground. It looked just like it did before, yellow in color,
but it was almost more radiant as he stared at it.
'So this is it, huh? A 20-year Qi pill. I guess it's time to cultivate it as well and try to break
through to the second stage.'
———
The next morning, the students were up as soon as the sun rose. They exited their rooms,
and some of them started to do some morning training, running around practicing their
moves and so on.
Nearly all of the students were used to some sort of routine that they had done in their clan
before. However, there was something different this time. For one, they noticed a few more
blue headband teachers that were in the area.
Teacher Lee wasn't there, but it did seem like they were watching the students carefully.
This caused them to work a bit harder to show off their skills.
On top of that, there were also a few students who had some injuries on them here and
there. It was clear they had gotten into fights away from the eyes of others.
When Raze got out of his room, he felt refreshed; he was stretching and was surprised to
see in the courtyard, where there were those who would practice their skills, Dame was
already out and was talking with Simyon.
"Wait, are you serious?" Simyon said. "Are you saying this book actually might be useful for
me?"
"There's a chance, but you would have to practice certain arts and have a body with the
foundation for one," Dame explained. "In the past, there was a clan that focused on refining
the body. They broke down their bodies, refining it again and again, just like a weapon.
"In turn, they had the strongest bodies Pagna's had ever come across. There's not many
that practice it anymore because just having a strong body isn't necessarily flashy.
"But if we alter some of the things in the book that you received, as long as you have the
right type of body for it, you could very well use this to your advantage."
Simyon was in disbelief. He had lost all hope when he had selected a weapon refining
technique book. However, with the earring, he had a body that others didn't have. So
maybe he could do just as the clans in the past did.
It was worth a shot.
"You know what, you're not so bad after all," Simyon said with a smile.
As Raze walked over and was ready to butt into the conversation the others were having,
one of the teachers clapped their hands using Qi. It was the usual loud echo that told the
students that they all needed to pay attention to what was happening next.
"Everyone is to head to the banquet hall, where you will proceed to eat breakfast," the
teacher announced.
In response to this, Simyon gulped down. The banquet hall, it was an area where all colored
headbands would meet.
Walking toward the banquet hall, Simyon hadn't seen any of the main disciples but could
see some of the other colored headbands. It came as no surprise that many were pointing
and talking about the return of a particular white-haired student.
"What the heck, he's here, how is that possible?"
"Does that mean the teachers found him? But I thought the clan members dealt with him."
"Maybe that wasn't the case; maybe he actually got lost or something."
Many students didn't actually notice the addition of Dame. There were around 300 or so of
them after all, and they wouldn't remember every face. It was just that Raze stood out due
to his hair, and the fact that he was a no-name who had gone quite far in one of the
assessments.
When entering the banquet hall, the group could see that the main disciples were already
seated, with their food in front of them. The entrance of Raze had immediately caught the
eyes of the others.
Immediately, Mada had dropped his chopsticks onto the floor. "That freaking ant!" Mada
said under his breath. "How did he manage to survive... just what is going on."
The other clan members were also surprised, but they couldn't help but just smile and
laugh at the situation.
"Now this is very interesting," Ricktor said, as he could feel the energy below his waist
starting to rise.
Trying to ignore all of their whispers and the rumors that they had heard before when they
met with the others, they managed to get their food from the buffet line. They then sat on a
long table that could fit around thirty students each. There were benches, so the students
needed to sit together. Dame and Simyon sat on one side with Simyon on the edge of the
bench, while Raze sat on the other with Safa by his side as well.
They were all ready to dig in, but soon, they could hear the sound of footsteps coming
toward them.
Liam had been staring over at Raze for a while now, and he couldn't believe his eyes.
'Now this…is going to be really, really interesting.' Liam smiled, feeling a slight pain in his
arms still.
The other students that were about to sit on the same bench had quickly chosen to sit
elsewhere, all due to the person coming toward them.
"It's nice to see you again, it's nice to see the trio back together, right Simyon?" Ricktor said.
"I believe you have some gifts for me, right?"
Simyon's heart was racing as he looked at the open palm of Ricktor. The words were
spoken so casually and in front of everyone, as if he knew there were no consequences for
his actions.
In the end, Simyon had plucked up the courage and eventually spoke out. "I... I don't have
anything for you. I have nothing to give you," Simyon said.
The smirk on Ricktor's face had gotten larger, to the point where his eyes couldn't be seen
and they just looked like upside-down moon crescents.
"And... why's that?" Ricktor asked, putting an emphasis at the end of his sentence and
placing his hand on the edge of the table.
"Because, he gave your gift to me," Raze answered.
Chapter 125 The Dark Faction, is Us!
Chapter 125 The Dark Faction, is Us!
'Who was it, who was it that spoke those words?' Ricktor thought, his teeth clenched. On
the side of his head, a vein was starting to bulge and pulse slightly. All of this hidden under
a smile.
'It was him, again.' Tensing his fist, Rictor's knuckles started to go white. His eyes were
locked onto Raze's, and he didn't look away for a moment.
Being in this situation, Simyon's heart started to beat louder. 'How can I calm this situation
down? There's no way, right? Raze was always going to do as he wanted, and I really don't
have the pills.'
"No!" Simyon eventually yelled. "Raze had nothing to do with this. I was the one who took
the pills for myself. I used them to try to get ahead so I could have an advantage in the
upcoming assessment."
The students in the dining hall had fallen silent. Almost everyone was able to hear what
was being said, and although Simyon had made this claim, none of the students believed it
for a moment.
They could just tell by the situation, as one was intimidated by the other. They could tell all
of this was Ricktor's doing, so what had actually happened to the pills?
"Hahah!" Ricktor chuckled. "We all know that you aren't brave enough to disobey me. We
can all tell, from the rebellious voice and the look in his eyes, it was this white-haired no-
name right here."
"Hey!" Raze called out. "I have a name, and it's Raze Cromwell. I was the one who took your
pills, so tell me, what exactly do you plan to do about it then?"
Raze could see the eyes of the teachers in the room looking around at the situation. It was a
mix of teachers with different colored headbands, but still no Teacher Lee. They hadn't
intervened yet, which made Raze unsure if they would interfere or not if something did
happen.
Raze was more confident that he could catch him by surprise in this situation.
Finally, though, Ricktor had broken eye contact, and he started to walk away. He wasn't
walking back toward his own table, but instead, he walked to one of the other students on
the same table and placed out an open hand.
"You should have been given two more Qi pills this morning; hand them over," Ricktor said.
"What?" the boy answered. "I'm so...so...sorry, you want my-"
"Hand them over now," Ricktor asked again, changing the tone of his voice to be more
aggressive. Almost immediately, the Qi pills were placed in his hand. Ricktor then went up
to the next student, and this time, he didn't even need to say anything; the Qi pills were
handed over.
Eventually, it looked like students were already getting the pills out of their pockets and
placing them on the table. Ricktor stopped at this point and just started to laugh.
"Are you seeing this?" Ricktor gestured toward the table. "Did you really think that I
needed you to do this work for me? I was always doing it for your benefit because I liked
you, Simyon."
"I thought you had potential. For doing such a simple task like collecting these pills on my
behalf, you were able to reap some rewards yourself by using my name. It's very simple,
right? Yet for some reason, as soon as your no-name friend returns, you decided to rebel."
The next person Ricktor had gone to was Safa, and instantly Raze had reacted. He jumped
from his seat and was going around to get to Ricktor. But standing in his way was Mada,
who threw out a kick right towards Raze's face. At the same time, Raze shifted backward,
almost sliding across the ground, avoiding the hit.
'He dodged my kick in that situation?' Mada thought. 'But he couldn't do something like this
last time.'
It wasn't just Mada who had reacted from the Main Clans, though. Lisa, Ossep, and Sherry
all rushed over, ready to pounce on the no-name for going against them.
Sherry was the fastest of the group, and she reached out, until a plate came flying and hit
her right on her wrist. It smashed on impact and caused her arm to swing out.
The others stopped as they saw a tall student standing in front of the group.
"I was going to let Raze handle everything on his own, but I can't do that if you guys get
involved. This is his business, so stay out of it," Dame warned.
Sherry was still holding onto her wrist; it was throbbing with pain.
'I didn't even see the plate get thrown, and he accurately hit it while I was moving. Was it
just luck, or is this someone special?' In the end, Sherry saw the Dark Blue Headbands and
thought it was silly for her to even think otherwise.
"I will back down," Ricktor said, stepping away as a way to calm down the tension in the
room. He walked out to an area between where the food was being served and the rest of
the dining tables before turning around and looking at all of the students.
"But you should know that this little rebellion of yours is useless. Do you think others
haven't tried?" Ricktor started to speak. "The five main clans have been the same for the
last 100 years. All of the clans know this for a fact."
"All of the clans and students here, it's all just to serve under us, and everyone knows it. Did
you see the teachers getting involved? No, because I am from one of the five main clans, the
ones you serve under."
"Look at all of you wearing blue headbands. Is a single one of you from a notable clan? Did
you think your weakness was a coincidence? You were born to be under us; you were born
to be under our clans."
"So when I tell you to do a job, you better do it." Ricktor looked at Simyon while saying
those words. "When I tell you to go on your knees, you do it. Otherwise, your clan, your
whole family, everything might no longer exist anymore."
Ricktor seemed to be done with his speech as he walked back to eat with the others, but the
expressions of those wearing blue headbands were filled with fury. Their hands were
shaking; every cell in their bodies was shaking as adrenaline rushed through them.
Pagna warriors had great respect for their clans that raised them, treated them well,
showered them with discipline, and taught them how to live in their world. Some of them
had nothing until they had been picked up by their clan and turned into a Pagna warrior, so
it felt like they owed them a lot.
The words from Ricktor felt like he had trampled over all their hard work, as if he had spat
in their clan's faces.
One of them was shaking so furiously he stood up from his seat. "The assessment!" The
student shouted, huffing and panting.
When looking at who it was, they could see it was the kid with the eyepatch, Liam. "You say
that everyone here is from a worthless clan, that we were born weaker than you, lesser
than you, so if we manage to beat you in the upcoming assessment, doesn't that discredit
everything you said? I'll beat one of you Red headbands and take it for myself!"
Simyon had a disliking for the Perv Liam, but at this moment, along with many of the other
Blue headband students, they thought he was pretty brave because he spoke up and said
what they all wished to say.
Ricktor made a fist and held it up in the air. "Do you know how many Red headband
students have lost their headbands in the history of the academy?" Ricktor pushed up his
fist higher. "Zero, not a single person has ever taken these Red headbands from us. You
won't change anything."
The rest of the breakfast continued like normal, and the students split ways afterward. All
of the different-colored headband groups found it even harder to look at each other
afterward.
They were all meant to be from the same faction, but this was the Dark Faction; it wasn't
the Light Faction where they believed in unity or fairness.
When it came time for them all to train, the students had mixed reactions. Some felt like the
training was somewhat pointless, as if it was impossible to change their fate, while others
were fired up with anger.
"ARGHH!" Liam screamed as he continued to stab his sword at a hay puppet. He stabbed
right below on the puppet, on the man's jewels over and over again. "Arghh, that damned
d*ck. I'll slice his balls off and feed them to pigs so he can't have any children."
Liam continued to stab the same spot again and again, hitting it perfectly. If there was one
thing the others learned, it was to not get on Liam's bad side, because they knew where he
would aim.
For Simyon and the others, they practiced their techniques, and Dame had decided to start
to show Raze a few different moves he could use.
When nightfall came, and the students were asleep, at the top of the Blue headband
quarters' gate, they had a visitor jump up, looking at the base.
'That damned ant!' Mada thought. 'He embarrassed me again, and in front of all those
people. The other disciples are already blaming me for not getting rid of him the first time!
I have no idea how he survived that fall, but I won't fail again. This time, I will kill you!'
Chapter 126 Raze’s Assassination
Chapter 126 Raze's Assassination
There was a reason for the recent absence of Teacher Lee. There had been a few troubles at
the clan. There were communication devices that could be used at the academy, and Lee
was currently using one of them.
A square device that looked a bit like a small box was placed in front of him. Coming out of
the top, there was an oval-shaped object attached. Pressing one button would play noise,
and pressing the other would record.
This was what would be used to speak with each other, so there were gaps between
responses at times. But if the two were on the device at the same time, they could
continuously press the buttons and wait to hear and listen to each other's messages.
Lee pressed the button to his left side, and a message played.
"I wish I could send you a message harbouring good news, but I'm afraid the situation is
quite difficult for our clan at the moment," The voice said. "There have been no
registrations of new students. At the same time, work has trickled down to next to nothing.
The Lethal Bite Clan has taken up nearly all of the work."
Just listening to the voice of the current elder, it pained Teacher Lee greatly. The situation
at the Pointed Head Clan was in rough shape before Lee left. He had done so hoping that he
could somewhat showcase the talents of his Clan and convince some students to move
over.
As for the reason for the current situation of the Clan, it was all due to the Lethal Bite Clan.
Another Dark Faction clan, but not just any clan, it was one of the five main clans that made
up the Dark Faction.
Most of the issues stemmed from these two clans operating in the same city. With larger
cities, it was quite common for there to be more than one clan. They would have their own
territories that they covered. Due to the nature of Pagna warriors being quite competitive,
they would often do something to the other Clan to stop them from growing, thus keeping
the balance.
However, at some point during the Clan's history, the Pointed Head Clan fell while the
Lethal Bite Clan rose, becoming one of the five major clans. This meant that the Pointed
Head Clan no longer stood a chance. Year after year, the situation was worsening, and they
were at the breaking point.
"I'm afraid if we don't see any results this year, our clan might no longer exist."
The message ended there, with nothing else further being said on the situation.
"These messages keep getting shorter and shorter every time," Lee's head was sunk into
his chest. He felt like the messages were similar to the time they had, which was also
getting shorter.
Standing up from his seat, he pressed the button on the right side.
"I will... try my best," Teacher Lee answered and walked away.
If he wanted to do something, he needed to do something now. Going through the vast
amount of hallways in the main building, Teacher Lee was heading to a particular place. He
eventually stopped just outside a grated door that was painted black. Inside the grain of
wood was a white sheet of paper allowing one to see shadows as they moved.
"I told you to come see me if you had troubles. I didn't expect to see you so fast," The voice
said from the other side. "You may come in."
Sliding the door, Lee stepped in and bowed down. He then took a seat, sitting on top of his
knees as he looked straight ahead at a man surrounded by several candlelights. The candles
were placed on large black sticks in a circle formation, and in the center was the one known
as the Vice Principal Amir.
"Has the reappearance of the no-name given you any trouble?" Amir asked.
"No, sir. The Blue headbands appear to be doing fine. Unfortunately, I have come here on a
personal matter," Lee paused for a few seconds, waiting to hear a reply. But since none
came, he continued.
"My Clan is in need of help. The Lethal Bite Clan has taken over all of the work in our city.
They have used force in some cases with a long-time partner of ours. The only thing that
was keeping us going was the funding we received from our students' parents, and even
now, that has stopped."
"Allegedly," Amir replied. "You do know that saying such things without any proof can
cause you a great deal of trouble."
Lee, of course, knew that, but it was pretty common knowledge. There were merchants that
owed great debts that had been paid with blood to the Pointed Head Clan, and yet they
suddenly broke off contracts with an apology stating there was nothing they could do. It
was quite obvious, but who could stand up to a main clan other than another main clan.
"I will help you with your situation, but it comes with a condition." Amir lifted up one finger
and blew out one of the candles to the side. "Your students, the Blue headbands. In the
upcoming assessments, they are to show vast improvement. You see, for this event, I plan
to invite along some guests. I won't divulge the details, but this will be your chance to save
your clan."
Lee was trying to think of the possibilities, but if these guests were the children's parents
or something along those lines, then as long as he could pull this off, there was a chance
that he could pull it all together.
---
That same night, it was 3 in the morning. All of the lights were out in the entire academy,
and only the moonlight was what was left lighting up the area.
'I waited for this time, I waited until no one would dare to be awake, all so I could get to
you,' Mada thought.
His footsteps were silent as he walked across the outside of the building. The first thing he
needed to do was locate what room Raze was even in. He couldn't just slide each door open.
'You keep making a fool out of me, and I can tell, if I don't get rid of you, you'll just continue
to haunt me! I know I can already beat you in a fight.'
When having this thought, he remembered the scene at the dining hall again. How Raze had
avoided the kick. When his foot passed his face, he could see Raze's eyes carefully tracking
it.
'Since I know I can beat you... I know I can.' Mada repeated to himself. 'I will just kill you.'
Jumping up, Mada grabbed onto the small ledge of the letterbox window each student
would have. With a single arm, he would pull himself up and peek inside the room. It would
be hard to see on the inside for a normal person, but Pagna warriors weren't normal
people.
At each stage, their senses were incredibly heightened, and Mada was proudly a stage 2
warrior. With his eyes, he could make out the faces and quickly moved onto the next.
He jumped up, checking room after room until eventually, he had come across a room
where the letterbox-sized window opening was blocked. Using his other hand, he carefully
gathered Qi and sliced through the cloth until he could see.
'It's him! That's definitely him, but why would he have his window blocked out like this?'
Mada thought.
Ignoring it, Mada had counted how many rooms he had gone past because now he needed
to do the hard part. Swiftly entering the base, Mada carefully treaded on the floorboards
and finally found the right room.
He lifted up the mask to cover his face, just in case he would get caught. He was fully
disguised in just black clothing with no emblem of sorts.
Sliding the door ever so gently, he closed the door behind him and could see Raze right
there.
'Hahaha finally,' Mada thought to himself. Reaching behind, he pulled out a dagger and
started to inch closer and closer.
Now up close, he noticed something, though. Raze's lips—they were quivering, and his
body, he was covered in sweat. His bed sheets were a shade darker.
'Is he sick?' Mada shook his head. 'I can't care about that. I have to get rid of him; I have to
get rid of him now!'
Sprinting in, Mada was aiming right for the neck. He was still a meter away when he felt
something grab onto his wrist firmly. It was a tight grip.
'What the... what stopped me?'
Looking at the wrist, Mada could see long slender fingers that were completely covered in
blood. Droplets were dripping onto the wooden floor.
"He's... Mine..." A voice gently whispered, sending a chill into his ear and shivers through his
whole body.
Chapter 127 I will choose your fate.
Chapter 127 I will choose your fate.
The bloodied hand that was holding onto Mada's wrist looked as if it had come out of some
type of nightmare. Its forearm was twice as long as a normal arm. Slowly, fear was creeping
in.
His heart was racing and it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat and onto the cold
floor.
Mada was trying to move his head, to look at who was touching him, or what was touching
him. A strong stench had entered his nose, nearly causing him to throw up on the spot.
It felt like he was in a room full of rotting corpses. When he eventually looked at where the
large arm was coming from, at the end of it, just a fog of mist was floating in the air.
"This thing, it has to be some type of monster, a beast from another dimension, but one that
can speak! I've never heard of such a thing before," thought Mada.
Mada tried to pull away, but as he did, the grip around his wrist had gotten tighter. Him, a
stage 2 Pagna warrior, was losing in the battle of strength?
All thoughts of getting rid of his target had escaped from his head at that point. Now he just
wanted to do whatever he could to escape. Taking in a deep breath, Mada remembered one
of the Flowing Force Clan's techniques.
It was a way to make one's body flexible like that of water, rather than rigid with one's
bones. Taking in a breath, he performed the technique, and his arm slipped out. Almost
instantly, the bloody hand went for him.
Jumping back, the hand had missed swiping him, and his back had hit the door. Looking, the
hand no longer tried to reach him.
Instead, it just waved a long, dangling, grey-skinned finger in the air, like an adult scolding a
child. Without turning his back, Mada reached for the door and pulled it open. He left the
room without closing the door and just ran.
He ran and ran without looking back, out of the Blue headband courtyard and back to his
room. He was pretty sure that night he wouldn't be getting any sleep.
---
The next day, when students woke up, a few had walked past an open door. Immediately, a
strong smell hit their noses, and they had no choice but to cover their mouths as they did
so.
"Freaking hell, did someone crap their pants or something?" the students said.
When they turned to look at whose room it was, they could see that it belonged to the
white-haired no-name.
"I guess these guys don't clean themselves after they go to the toilet or bathe at all."
Eventually, the commotion had reached the ears of Dame, Simyon, and Safa, who were
already up. Dame decided to go check it out. As he ran and entered the room, he covered his
mouth as well.
"Raze, get up...get up, you lazy bum!" Dame shouted, as he had to force himself to step into
the room.
Slowly, Raze was opening his eyes. As he did, he too was hit with the disgusting smell. Then
he could see the state around him. When he pressed on the thin mattress on the floor, his
hand was soaked.
The water that had come off wasn't clean either; it had a mucky black tint to it.
"Well, I'll have to say congratulations are in order," Dame said.
"What do you mean?" Raze asked.
"All of this. Don't you remember the first time you became a stage 1 Pagna warrior? Did you
throw up some blood?"
The memory hit Raze; he hadn't just thrown up some blood; he had thrown up a lot of it.
"Well, this is the same thing again; your body is getting rid of even more impurities deep
within. You've become a second-stage warrior," Dame explained.
Raze was a bit confused, but as he focused, he could feel it was true. His dantian felt
stronger, as if there was a second layer coating it now. But how was this possible? Raze had
absorbed the 20-year Qi pill, and although it seemed to have an effect, it wasn't enough for
him to break through.
Another way was through cultivating energy through the techniques, but Raze had
achieved this feat in his sleep, so just what was going on?
"Please just clean yourself before I throw you into a river, and hurry," Dame shouted.
The smell was sickening to Raze himself, so he quickly got up and rushed off to the washing
facilities. With that done, Dame was ready to head out of the room until he noticed
something on the ground.
"Blood? This isn't Raze's blood, is it? It's too far from his mattress, and the way it's dropped
down. Did something happen last night?" Dame thought.
After cleaning himself up, Raze went to join the others outside. Everyone went ahead and
gathered the two Qi pills for the day. Some were unsure what to do, though. Were they
meant to keep the Qi pills for Ricktor when he asked for them, or were they just to take
them?
Liam didn't care and started to cultivate the pills even before they went for breakfast. He
wasn't going to give the other person any chance of taking them. Dame had handed his pills
to Raze since he didn't need them.
As they headed outside, they were surprised to see that Teacher Lee had returned, and he
was standing at the gate with an announcement to make.
"I have a message for you all," Lee shouted. "The pecking order will no longer be decided by
you, the individual students. Instead, I will be working closely with our fellow teachers of
the Blue headband and run several assessments to see who is the best among you all.
"And who out of all of you has the most chance of taking down a yellow headband owner or
even a red headband one," Lee claimed.
Seeing the look in his eyes, Raze noticed that a big change had occurred. He could see that
Lee was serious about this matter for some reason.
"Learn your skills, cultivate your power, and follow your teachers' instructions. That is all."
With that said, it was time for the students to head to the dining hall again, but on the way
there, Lee had gone straight up to a certain student, a single black-haired girl.
"Safa, I have decided to learn your name. If you accept me, I will be your personal instructor
in guiding you on how to use the spear. If you show me the same determination and effort
as you did the day before, then I am sure you will be able to join the yellow headbands," Lee
claimed. "Do you accept my offer?"
There was no hesitation as Safa nodded repeatedly and gave a small bow. This brought a
smile to the man's face.
"Very well, then after you finish, you shall stay with me in the teachers' dorms, and I will
personally look over your development. It will be tough taking you away from your friends,
but I promise you will be rewarded for it."
Safa looked at Raze for a moment, somewhat regretting her decision because she would be
away from him. Seeing this, he knew she wanted him to say something.
"Just go," Raze said. "Live your own life, don't base your decisions around me."
Thinking about it, someone had once done that before in Raze's life, and it didn't end well
for them either.
At breakfast, there was something noticeable that had occurred, and that was that the five
main disciples of the main clans weren't currently there. No one quite knew what was
going on, but a meeting had been called.
Currently, they were in the Vice Principal's room, all of them sitting side by side on their
knees close to each other.
"You all know about the assessment taking place, but this time it will be different compared
to before," Amir explained. "This time, I will be inviting the heads to watch the assessment
from each of the main clans."
The five disciples looked at each other nervously. Why was there even a need to do such a
thing? It wasn't the martial arts event but just the first assessment of the month for them.
For many, it would seem like a waste of time.
"I have already asked, and your masters have accepted; the principal has been made aware
of this as well," Amir explained. "The reason why I have called you here, though, is to pass
on a message from him."
"No matter what, the five main clans must never lose their position. Don't embarrass
yourselves."
The words struck each of them strongly as they heard this. Losing would have already been
a big embarrassment, but to lose in front of their masters? It was clear; they wanted the
five main disciples not just to win but to have an overwhelming victory to show the rest of
the Dark Faction why they were the five main clans and why they needed to stay in their
place.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!" the students called out, however, there was one who hadn't answered the call.
"I said, do you understand?" Amir asked again.
"Yes, sir!" they called out again, all but one.
"Mada, is something wrong?" Amir asked.
"Ah, no, sir. I will complete the task. Yes, sir!" Mada called out.
After experiencing what he had gone through trying to get to Raze, maybe there was
someone they needed to worry about after all.
Chapter 128 Run, Run, Run
Chapter 128 Run, Run, Run
Returning from their breakfast, the students were relatively pleased for two reasons. One,
they didn't need to hand over their Qi pills due to the main clan disciples not being there,
and two, they were filled with energy at the prospect of being selected for the upcoming
assessment.
Fighting against each other, they felt it was a hard task, and it would take away from their
development as they were focusing on who was the best overall. Now, with those watching
them, they could show off their skills in other ways.
While they were walking back, Safa had gone off with the teacher, Lee. From now on,
presumably until the end of the month, they would do one-on-one training. It was a
privilege that students wouldn't get in the academy, so she was a lucky one.
There was a sad wave goodbye from Safa at the courtyard of the Blue headbands, but Raze
didn't wave back.
"Aren't you going to wave to your cute sister?" Dame asked. He still didn't know what the
deal was between the two of them. Was she adopted, someone he just called his sister, or
was she like Raze, a person from another world?
It didn't seem like an important matter for now.
"You better hope that teacher isn't a creepy old man; she would have been safer with me,"
Liam commented, his arms stretched behind his head.
"Don't say stuff like that," Raze commented. "Unless you want your other eye poked out."
Walking away, Raze could feel his heart beating, and for a moment, Dame had caught the
corner of Raze's eye. They were slightly bloodshot and opened wide.
'What happened? He was fine before. Was it that comment about his sister?' Dame thought.
There were still a lot of mysteries surrounding the Dark Magus, and the more he found out
about him, the more he wanted to know.
There were two Blue headband teachers in the courtyard. They had a large bound
notebook in their hands along with an ink pen. They were watching the students carefully,
and while observing, they were jotting notes down here and there.
Everyone had caught on quickly; since Teacher Lee wouldn't be observing them, these two
teachers were the ones that they needed to impress in order to get on that list. While
everyone was working, Raze and Dame were sitting on the concrete steps leading up to the
living quarters.
They were watching Simyon in front of them carrying a giant pot of water that was used for
bathing. He set it up and placed some coal stones underneath, along with small pieces of
wood for easy lighting.
This was because Simyon was going to adjust the weapon refining techniques to his own
body. Doing the same thing a sword needed, but with his own body.
"It might be hard with everything going on to go back, you know," Raze commented while
not looking away from Simyon. It was quite entertaining seeing him work away. He had lit
the fire, and the bottom of the large pot was starting to heat up.
When it reached close to the boiling point, that's when he would hop in.
"Don't worry, I'm having fun here, so you don't have to worry about that," Dame answered.
"I understand the situation is difficult at the moment. You don't have to give me the
promised goods. I mean, we're both being watched like a hawk at the moment, so it would
be hard for even me to leave. Fixteen has a good head on his shoulders, and my father likes
him, so everything will be okay... I think."
Originally, Raze was going to return weekly to the other dimension in order to build up his
wealth. It would help him when he was out of the academy, but with the current
assessment tasks and the troubles he had been facing, it was best for him to stay put for
now.
"So, if you want to be at the top of that pecking order and face those five disciples for
revenge, I should teach you a few things, right? After all, you have no skill book, and if you
start to show off those Demonic Faction techniques, questions are going to start to rise."
Watching Simyon get into the boiling pot with his clothes off and baking in it, Raze thought
he should do something as well as he stood up.
"I'll be happy to take you up on your offer, but first, I want to see a few things," Raze said,
and with that, he was off. He was off running of all things.
Raze started to jog around the large courtyard and was doing so in large squares. There
were a few students doing this as they were building up a foundation, and it looked like
Raze had gone to join them.
It just seemed a bit random to suddenly start to run, but as he was doing this, Dame noticed
that there was quite a big smile on his face. He wondered, why did he look so happy just
running?
The answer was fairly simple; for the longest time, it was hard for Raze's body to do such a
thing, and now he had become a second-stage warrior, he could feel his whole body
thriving with energy and strength.
He wanted to enjoy using his powerful body as he continued to run again and again. Raze
didn't stop. There were those that had stopped and others that joined in, and as he
continued to run as minutes turned into hours, the students couldn't help but stare at him
once in a while.
"What the... he's still going. Why is he just running, of all things?"
"Maybe it's because he doesn't know any techniques. I heard that they weren't able to go
into the library."
"I see, so I guess he's just trying to build up his foundation strength, but he would need to
do more than just running around the place," the student commented.
What the students said was true, but Raze didn't care about that; he just wished to run for
as long as his body would let him. His heart beating, his legs feeling tired yet still full of
power. This was an addictive feeling that he didn't want to let go of at this moment.
"I have to admit, I don't think I could do something like that," the students said.
While Raze was busy running, Dame had picked up the book that was on the floor in front
of Simyon. He had gotten out of the boiling hot pot and was drying himself, looking at what
the next best thing for him to do was, because he wasn't really sure if it was effective or not.
"Alright, I've decided, I'll help you out," Dame said. "I'll read this book and come up with
some things to make you stronger instead."
As Raze continued to run around, the teachers looked at him and were shaking their heads.
'What a useless thing to do, as expected of a no-name,' the teacher thought, making a note
down by his name. 'This person will clearly amount to nothing.'
When lunch came around, the students were told to stop practicing and head to the dining
hall again. This time when they entered, the main disciples were present. However, they
didn't really look over at the Blue headbands, well, apart from one.
The meal went off with next to no problems, unlike the time before, but for Simyon, Dame,
and Raze, they had scarfed down their food and were already heading out the door to train
some more.
"Damn it!" Liam said, lifting his food tray up, the pieces of food sliding down and into his
mouth. "I'm not going to let them get ahead of me."
He soon ran off after them as well.
The students continued to eat, and it wasn't long after that, someone had sat at their table.
Someone that made each of them feel uneasy.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to take your pills," Mada said. "I have a job for you, one that
would benefit us all. I need you to take care of Raze, at least try to, and report back to me
everything you find out."
"Attack him during the day, poison his food, call him names and get him angry, or even
attack him at night. Do whatever you can to deal with him before the assessment, and if you
can't, at least tell me what that guy is." Mada's heart was racing, with thoughts of what had
happened that night.
Chapter 129 A Bloody Mess
Chapter 129 A Bloody Mess
As soon as the group returned from lunch, it came as a surprise, or not really as a surprise,
that they had witnessed Raze running around the arena once again. It wasn't just his
stamina that was impressive, but his mental fortitude to do the same task over and over
again.
Some of the students, a group of five who had been stopped by Mada before they left the
hall, were quite nervous as they entered the courtyard.
"So what should we do?" one of them asked.
"Well, Mada said we just have to deal with him before the assessment, right?" another
replied. "So let's just get this over with the straightforward way."
The group nodded in agreement; they knew what they needed to do, but they were
uncertain about how to do it in the first place.
For a while, everyone continued their training, and there were some questionable screams
coming from part of the courtyard.
Whack! A ringing loud noise vibrated through the air.
"ARGHH!" It was followed by a scream, but Simyon tried his best to hold it in. His skin was
red and sore all over.
"We need to refine every part of your body, and the body grows stronger as it's broken
down and repaired again," Dame explained as he pulled his hand back and slapped Simyon
right on the back, creating another echoing sound throughout the place.
"I said I would help you, so I'm going to do my best!"
The other students found it hard to look, and the teachers who were witnessing such a
thing thought the actions were barbaric. Even if the practice was effective for building up
endurance, how would getting good at being hit allow one to win a battle?
They shook their heads again as they gave another marking down below.
While Raze continued to run, one of the students had decided to join in. He kept up with
Raze since he wasn't sprinting at a fast pace but made sure to stay behind him for a while.
"Stop him from getting to the assessment; there are more ways than just to beat him!" the
student was inching closer, and then, just when he was close enough, he dashed forward
and reached out with his hand.
He pulled on the piece of fabric on Raze, tugging around his neck. Immediately, Raze
stopped in his tracks and pivoted around, staring at the person in front of him.
"It was an accident, bro!" The student said, but when he looked in front of him, he could see
Raze with his fist already right next to his face.
It slammed right down on his nose. A cracking sound was heard, and blood spilled from his
nose as he almost did a complete backflip in the air before landing on the ground.
"What is going on!" one of the teachers shouted as he came rushing over. "There is no
reason to fight anymore. Teacher Lee already stated that your position will be assessed by
us. So fighting among each other is pointless."
"Then tell that to him who pulled on me," Raze replied.
The teacher looked at the student rubbing his nose and looked at Raze, who had no marks
on him. To him, it was clear who had been the aggressor out of the two.
"Do you think this whole courtyard belongs to you? You think no one else is allowed to run
by your side? You should be thankful that someone like you is even allowed in the academy
in the first place."
"Someone like me, huh?" Raze said. "Right, someone who doesn't give a damn about what
you say." Raze lifted his hand and flicked his fingers out, gesturing for him to go away.
"You've ruined the good mood I was in."
The assessor named Tod, who had been watching everything, couldn't believe how a
student could act in such a way and how one could talk to a teacher like that as well.
Taking out the book, the teacher proceeded to mark it with several X marks.
Walking back, Raze had gone straight past both Simyon and Dame, who were now dipping
their hands in heated sand over and over. The skin on Simyon's hands was now raw and
red.
"You should be careful, you know," Dame said. "If that teacher doesn't take a liking to you,
then he might not recommend you for the top spots. You'll have to do well from now on."
Raze didn't reply, though, and he just continued to walk. As he did, his hand was trembling
slightly.
'It's quite clear he doesn't like to be touched, and the words that were spoken to him about
his sister. Did something happen to him in the past, something that happened in his world?'
Dame thought.
Rather than continue with the training, Raze had decided to head back into his room and
rest up for the rest of the day to get his mind off things. Everyone continued their training,
but a short while after, a group of four students had decided to call it a day as well.
They too had entered back into the main living quarters. It didn't seem like a big deal. Some
would enter, take a nap, and then come back out to train more. Everyone had their own
routine they abided by.
These students, though, were the ones working for Mada, and they saw no better
opportunity than now for them to act. As they went inside, they looked around. Seeing no
one in the area, they slid the door open and could see their target lying on the bed.
"What are you all playing at?" Raze asked.
"We're here to teach you why you shouldn't stay in the academy!" the student rushed over,
throwing out a fist.
Responding, Raze had jumped out of his bed and moved his head to the side, throwing out
his own fist, hitting the student back in the face.
"I'm not in a good mood right now," Raze answered. Grabbing the student's hand before he
could fall back down, he pulled the student forward again and slammed his fist into his face
a second time.
Some time had passed, and it looked like Simyon had taken all the punishment he could
handle for the day. So, calling it quits, the two of them had decided to head inside.
"Hey, should we check on Raze? He seemed a bit out of it," Dame said. He could still
remember vividly twice now the look he had.
During the first meeting they had, at times Dame felt like he needed to tread eggshells
around him. Thankfully, there had been no problems between the two.
Simyon hadn't noticed since he was so focused on his own task. He felt a little bad for not
noticing if Raze was having trouble or not. He gave a slight nod, and the two were off
heading towards his room.
As they walked over, the first sign they could see wasn't good; blood was dripping from
under the door.
The two of them rushed over, worried that something might have happened while they
were away, someone might have gone after Raze, but they soon realized as they stepped by
the doorway, Raze wasn't the person they needed to worry about.
Chapter 130 Cleaning up the mess
Chapter 130 Cleaning up the mess
Looking at the blood on the floor, the two of them immediately ran over, and when they
stood outside the door, they stopped in their tracks at the sight in front of them. Raze was
standing there, his hands and clothes bloody, with splatters on his face.
In the room itself, four students, blood pouring out of nearly every hole in their bodies, laid
there in awkward positions on the ground, on the bed, and one with its head still smashed
against the wall.
'Did these students try to pull a sneak attack on him?' Dame thought. 'With him now being a
Stage 2 warrior, they stood no chance.'
It was true, it was hard to call it a fight. Raze had a better feeling of sense, even his brain
processing power was faster. He was taking in the path of where they were going to hit and
was able to avoid their strikes.
Not only were these Stage 1 Pagna warriors, but they were all from lesser clans. The
techniques they learned were abysmal, and most likely they would find better techniques
in the academy's library.
"Crap, crap, crap!" Simyon said as he looked around to see if there were any other students
in the area. He quickly knelt down to one of the students who were on the floor and lifted
his head. He could feel that he was still breathing, wheezing even.
Dame did the same to one of the other students, pulling him by his hair and taking his face
out from the wall.
"They're not dead," Dame replied. "But I'm not sure they can survive with the state they're
in at the moment. I know you didn't kill them, but the academy isn't going to take this
lightly."
Raze looked at his hands, where the blood was starting to dry on them. It was mostly on his
knuckles than anything else. Images flashed of his hands soaked in blood. The scenery
around him had changed.
He was in a dark alleyway, rain was heavily falling on him, but the blood still wasn't
washing off from his hands.
"Raze!" Dame called out.
The image flashed back, and Raze was back in the same room again, and now looking at the
students in the room, he could see the state they were in.
'I was only meant to give them a small beating but I didn't stop.'
"It looks like you're finally back to us," Dame said. "Maybe we can solve this situation, do
you think you can create those red Qi pills from before? I think that will be good enough to
return their condition.
If their condition is good, even if they go to complain, you can't get in trouble."
Technically, it should be possible. A ten-year Qi pill was created with a power stone in the
first place, so why couldn't they just use another Qi pill as the source of power? It might
even create a more powerful potion.
"Simyon, you get more pills from the other students; they're already scared of you, so it
should be easy. Raze, you can use my room, and I'll stop anyone else from entering," Dame
ordered.
Simyon didn't like the plan, not at all, since he had to do something he disliked, but he
needed to help Raze however he could and rushed out to try and find other students.
"Raze, I know you might not want to help them, but if you get kicked out of the academy,
how are you going to complete your revenge? Wasn't there a reason you came here in the
first place?" Dame asked.
It was true; Raze wanted to get back at the five disciples, but more so improve his martial
arts and use the portals that were placed at the academy to gather more crystals, allowing
him to get back to being the 9-star mage he was in the past.
"And what are you going to do about your sister and friends? If you get kicked out, how are
they going to survive in this place, even if you don't see them as your friends, they're now
your responsibility."
In order to get Dame to stop talking, Raze was walking out of the room, and heading down
to Dame's, but before he left, he had a few last words.
"You know, for someone who's in the demonic faction, your thoughts aren't very demonic."
Dame smiled at the response, as he went to lay the four students down on the floor.
Simyon had gone to the other students; he was nervous but as he approached them, he
reluctantly asked for their pills.
"Damn, is Ricktor asking you to gather them again?" One of the students moaned. "That
guy, what he said in the dining hall really got on my nerves."
"Hey, but we have to listen right, otherwise, who knows what's going to happen to us. He
seems to have a screw or two loose in the first place."
Surprisingly, because they thought Simyon was collecting on behalf of Ricktor, students
gave their pills up. Some had already used them, and some had only used one, but he only
needed a few anyway.
Returning to the others, Simyon had given the pills to Raze, who shut the door. With the
door shut, Raze was ready to use his magic. He didn't want to do too much because of fear
of what it could cause at the academy, but the situation was what it was.
'I didn't cause any scene at the Demonic faction, so it should be okay here as well.'
A short while later, Raze had returned with four red Qi pills in his hands. It was a success,
and the pills were slightly more powerful than the last lot he had made, which was a good
thing because the condition of the students was in a bad state.
Dame took the pills and pushed them into the mouths of each of them one by one. He then
grabbed a glass of water and poured it down. The reflex forced the students to gulp,
swallowing the pills.
Each one of them swallowed them fine, and after a few moments, they were able to open
their eyes fully. The markings on their bodies were disappearing, and the pain they felt all
over was disappearing.
When they got up though, the first person they could see was Raze.
"Please, don't kill us!" The students said.
"Hey!" Dame said, slapping one of them right across the face. "Don't say those things. This
guy here just saved your life. We gave up our Qi pills to restore your energy; you're lucky
he didn't continue beating you when he did."
The students were unsure of what Dame was saying because they could hardly remember
the events fully. They just remembered attacking Raze, losing in a fight, and suffering from
a lot of pain after that.
They were even unaware of how bad their condition was.
"You guys were the ones that had started the attack, so you guys better scram before we
report this to the teachers."
"Huh?" One of the students was confused and was looking at the others.
"I said get out of here," Dame shouted again.
Getting up off the floor, they scurried out of the room, and as they did, they tried their best
to avoid getting as close as possible to Raze.
"That's crisis over, right?" Simyon said. "They won't go and tell the teacher what
happened."
"I doubt it," Dame replied. "They're in good condition now, so it
wouldn't make sense to, and the fear is still in their bodies. Although they can't quite
remember what happened, their bodies can. Right now, they're probably more scared of
Raze."
What Dame said seemed to be true. As there was no report that had been made to the
teachers, the room had been cleaned up by all three, and the dent in the wall was patched
up with a piece of paper hanging on top of it.
It wasn't as if the teachers came and inspected their rooms anyway, and accidents did
happen when one was practicing. With that small event over and passed, the three were
getting ready to sleep, but before that, Raze called out to him.
"Wait," Raze said. "First, thank you for helping me out today."
"Hey, don't worry about it. You know, you making the special gauntlets of mine saved my
life. So I owe you a lot," Dame answered.
"Ah, right," Raze replied. "You do."
For a second, Dame thought he could see a smirk on Raze's face. It was quite crazy, the
amount of emotions this kid went through. At times, it was quite worrying for Dame.
"Since you owe me a lot of favors, I wanted to ask for one more before you go to sleep,"
Raze said. "I'm going to cultivate the life and death technique again, and I wanted to ask if
you could watch over me."
Chapter 131 The Final Test
Chapter 131 The Final Test
Simyon had already left Raze's room at this point. He had gone through a tough day with all
the beating he had received from Dame, and he was mentally at a breaking point after
sorting out the issue that had occurred with Raze.
Now it was just Dame and Raze in the room together when he had popped the question.
"I'm going to cultivate the Life and Death technique again, and I wanted to ask if you could
watch over me," Raze asked.
Ever since he had attempted to cultivate using this technique in the Demonic faction, Raze
hadn't touched it since. For one, a person had been killed the last time he had performed it,
and there was an uneasy feeling about everything he had seen at the time.
"You want me to watch over you while you cultivate. You're already at the second stage;
you should have the hang of it, unless you're worried about going mad and crazy," Dame
commented as if it was no big deal, even though it was a very real possibility.
"Yes," Raze answered honestly. "The last time something strange occurred, so I would like
you to just look over me again and be ready for anything."
The words sounded so dramatic from Raze as he got into a seating position. So much so
that even Dame was feeling tense. He stood by the door and carefully waited as Raze went
ahead and did his thing.
Closing his eyes, he went through each of the steps in his mind as he started to forge
imagery.
'Will that red-blooded hand come again?' Raze thought.
First, Raze started with the cycle of life, trying to sense all the energy from those who were
born in the area. In this specific area, where the academy stood, there didn't seem to be
much, but he could still draw some power into his dantian.
Once he was done with that, the hard part came in, the second half of the cultivation
technique: death. In the academy, one would suspect there not to be many deaths, but it
also depended on the history of the place, what had happened here over the course of time.
The sound of painful screams whispered into Raze's mind, and it wasn't just him who was
being affected either. Dame could feel the whole room get slightly cooler, quite noticeable,
as if a cube of ice was on his skin.
'What is this?' Dame thought. 'I've never heard of this happening when someone is
cultivating before. A rush of energy, voices in one's head and screams, but to affect the
environment around them? Is this because of the magic he uses?'
The room hadn't gotten any colder, but Dame felt like he was suddenly being watched. His
sixth sense as a warrior was activating, and he had a heavy feeling that something in the
room was looking at him.
Getting off from the wall, Dame proceeded to walk around in a circle, twisting and turning
his head, trying to find something in the room. He couldn't see anything, but the chilling
feeling of being watched persisted.
"Who's there?" Dame asked. He started to fortify the Qi in his body, externally glowing with
power.
There was no response, no answer, and Raze was still sitting in the middle of the floor.
Around an hour had passed, and the feeling still hadn't left Dame. Finally, Raze opened his
eyes again; he had stopped, and the chilling feeling had left the room, along with the
sensation of being watched.
"What's wrong, did you see something?" Raze asked, noticing that Dame's body was tensed
up.
"Was I supposed to see something?" Dame asked.
Unlike before, Raze wasn't brought into another world of imagery. He could only hear the
screams and the energy of those who had passed away around him. There was no voice this
time either, leading him to believe that everything had worked out, until he saw the look on
Dame's face.
"Just sometimes, strange images pop into my head when I use the technique. I thought it
would happen this time, but nothing seemed to happen."
Dame had his finger on his chin, he remembered Raze saying something strange like this
last time as well. He himself wasn't the right person to get to the bottom of this; a person
who might know was his father, which was a hard person for him to talk to.
"Don't cultivate the demonic energy unless I'm with you next time," Dame said. "I think you
might be onto something; it's pretty dangerous."
The conversation was left there, with Raze being none the wiser about his situation. If
Dame felt something, then it certainly was dangerous.
As the days went by, each individual continued their training. Dame was helping not only
Simyon but was also helping Raze as he showed him some neutral techniques that he could
use.
Once in a while, the teachers would ask the students to perform some of the skills they
were working on, and that included Raze.
He had shown what Dame had taught him, a fist technique called Boulder Smash. It was
basic, but in certain situations, it could be used well, and a fist technique was always handy
to have if one were to lose their weapon.
When demonstrating it, although Raze had done it perfectly, the teacher Tod just shook his
head.
"A skilled enemy would just slash your arm off before you could even use your fist," Tod
commented and put another X by Raze's name.
Days were passing by rather quickly, and the students no longer gave Raze any trouble. It
was simple; they were more afraid of him than they were of Mada, so why would they do
his bidding?
The group hadn't seen Safa either since she had been taken away, neither had Teacher Lee,
so they continued to work as hard as they could. Then finally, there was only one week left
until the big day.
Before the fight against the other students would take place, the two teachers had decided
to give the blue headband students one more assessment.
For this assessment, the blue headband students were taken to the back of the academy,
the forest where the Hop bunnies would live. It was an area that they knew well since it
was part of the assessment that they had taken when joining the academy.
"You have all worked hard!" Tod announced. "You have trained to reach the position you
are in now, and in order to defeat the yellow headbands."
There was no mention of the red headbands; perhaps the teachers thought that was a crazy
goal, which angered Liam a little, who had also been working equally hard. But he didn't
just want to take out a yellow headband; he wanted a red one.
"This will be the final test that will decide which 20 get through to the next stage of the
assessment. You have 1 hour to hunt and bring back as many power stones as possible. A
warning to you all," Tod said, looking at Raze. "Don't get lost again."
Finally, it was a test where the teachers could have no bias, Raze thought. He needed to do
well because he had plans, plans to fill his special statue with the blood of the main five
disciples.
Chapter 132 A Filthy Cheat
Chapter 132 A Filthy Cheat
The students had a few moments to prepare themselves before the assessment started.
Thankfully, this time the assessment wouldn't involve the other students with other
colored headbands, so it was unlikely that anyone here would give them any trouble.
"Hey, so what are we going to do? Are we going to team up like last time or what?" Simyon
asked.
"I'm sorry," Raze replied. "The teachers have something against me, so I need to do well on
this assessment. You are strong, but in this assessment, I need to give it everything I have."
Simyon couldn't really argue against that. For the last month, he had been doing a strange
set of training techniques designed to make his body stronger. Honestly, he wasn't sure if it
was working or if he was getting used to the suffering.
Other than the two-step shift, though, Simyon didn't know many techniques that would
allow him to help in catching the Hop Bunnies.
"Alright, begin!" Tod shouted, and the students rushed off, including Raze, leaving only
Simyon and Dame at the starting block along with the rest.
"Alright, do you have some type of plan that we can work together on?" Simyon asked.
"Me? If I were to join in on this assessment, it wouldn't really be fair," Dame commented.
Simyon didn't really understand what he meant by this. To him, he thought Dame was
someone who had just stumbled upon Raze. He had been fed the same story as the
teachers, so Simyon knew no better.
It was odd, though, now that he thought about it. This person seemed to know a lot about
techniques, was always calm in high-tension situations, and was relatively lax about
everything. What gave this person confidence in the first place?
"Anyway, so the best thing I can do is stay out of people's way," Dame said as he walked
into the forest. "Why don't you rub some honey juice on your body and attract the bunnies?
If they're sucking on you, you could at least beat them a few times, right?"
Left dumbfounded, Simyon found himself on his own, but he didn't want to fall behind. He
hadn't done all that training for nothing. He, too, wanted to take part in the upcoming
assessment between students. So he ran forward and started to take his top off, taking
Dame's advice quite literally as he looked for something sweet to put on himself.
Inside the forest, Raze wasted no time. His sharp senses allowed him to feel the general
area where a Hop Bunny would be. Then he could tell where one was moving to and
managed to hop side to side. After that, when it was in his sight, he would use the second
descending step to rush and push it forward. In an instant, he would close the distance
between him and the bunny. At the same time, he would make a small slash with his bare
hand across its back and use a little bit of his wind magic to sharpen it to the point that it
was like a sword. It would hit the Hop Bunny and cut deep enough to kill it in one hit.
"This small amount of magic shouldn't affect the world. The portal had only opened up last
time because of the earring reaching the unique stage. So it should be fine."
After killing the Hop Bunny, Raze, with next to no hesitation, had pulled out the crystal
from its body. He was able to guide his fingers with ease using the wind magic to push away
the flesh as well and cut away any fiddly bits. What would take approximately a minute or
so to obtain the crystal, Raze was doing it in seconds. He was taking this assessment quite
seriously, and students were noticing it.
A couple of students had been following a Hop Bunny for a while when they were noticed.
It started to run away, and they went after it. The two of them were catching up when they
felt a large gust of wind pass them. They closed their eyes just for a moment, protecting
them from the wind, and when they opened them, they could see the white-haired no-name
holding the Hop Bunny in his hands. He had pulled out the crystal right in front of their
eyes.
"Heavenly crap!" one student said in disbelief. "How did he manage to get past us so fast?"
"Not only that, he managed to kill that Hop Bunny so quickly as well," the other boy
commented.
Seeing this, they were stunned into amazement. This wasn't something someone could
simply do with luck. It was clear that this no-name was quite skillful.
For a while now, the students had been keeping an eye on Raze. They had seen him running
almost every day, practicing simple skills, and seeing his determination had set a small
spark in them all. The only thing he was lacking in was actual skill, but what if he wasn't?
What if that actually wasn't the case? Then, could he be the hope that they were looking
for? The Blue headbands wanted to prove what the five main clans said was wrong. They
actually didn't care who was the one to do it. They all just desperately wanted someone to
prove them wrong. The main issue was, did they want it to be a no-name, of all people?
Raze quickly moved on, dropping the beast on the ground, and continued his hunt through
the forest. Many more students were able to witness his skill as he took out bunny after
bunny. In the end, the hour was coming up, and he had managed to obtain a total of twenty-
four crystals altogether.
"This should be enough," Raze thought, huffing and panting. He was a little hot as well. "I
think all that running might have conditioned me better as well, but using my Qi constantly
is still quite tiring. I hope after this little test, we get to keep the crystals as well because I
could use them to make some Qi potions as well," Raze thought to himself.
The students heard the loud horn-like sound indicating it was the end of the test. They
started to head back, and while they did, many of them were talking about what they had
seen. How Raze, the white-haired student, had killed the beasts so quickly right in front of
their eyes. It was whispered among the students because as soon as they saw the teachers,
they straightened up.
"Alright, please display the number of crystals you have managed to obtain to us all," Tod
shouted.
Coming out of the forest a little sticky from some type of honey was none other than
Simyon. He had several small little red bite marks on his body. It wasn't from the Hop
Bunnies but instead from the many bugs in the forest. Seeing this, Dame was trying to hold
in his laughter. He felt a little bad because he didn't expect the young one to take his
suggestion so seriously. So he moved on over to him.
"So, did you manage to catch any?" Dame asked.
"Your plan was a dud," Simyon replied, gritting his teeth. He was about to say more until he
felt Dame pass something into his hands.
When opening them, he could see that there were three power stones present. "What the…"
"I already told you, I don't need to take part in the upcoming assessment, so these are on
the house for you," Dame whispered.
Tod and the other teacher came around inspecting students and their crystals. The Hop
Bunnies were fast, so most students could only get one or two crystals, with the odd few
getting more. One of the highest-scoring students was Liam, who had obtained a total of
eight crystals.
"Whoa, he got eight, that's really good!"
"I have seen him working hard every day; he's even been perfecting that technique,"
another whispered.
Liam's determination had continued after that day. He didn't give up, and equally just like
the others, seeing how Raze was doing, he too had pushed himself further. It was also his
chance to make up for his loss in fighting for him to come out on top in this test.
"Alright, Raze," Tod said. "It looks like you didn't get lost this time, so why don't you go
ahead and show me how many crystals you managed to gather."
Taking the pouch that was on his side, Raze opened it up. "You can count them; there are
around twenty-four inside."
"TWENTY-FOUR!" one of the students closest shouted. Many of them gasped as well at the
sheer number. They were imagining how hard, how fast one had to be to get 24 crystals in
an hour. Was it even possible to get a higher number?
Quickly, Tod snatched the bag out of Raze's hand and started to count the crystals one by
one. It was true; there were twenty-four crystals inside, but how was it possible? This
number, in this amount of time, maybe even a teacher wouldn't be able to achieve such a
thing. The more he thought about it, the more impossible he thought it was.
"You are really scum," Tod said as he smiled. "I can't believe it; you stole these crystals from
your fellow students, didn't you? I thought it was strange; I thought the number of crystals
the others had was a little low."
"Now it makes sense; you took the power stones and thought you could get away with it.
Did you really think you could fool the eyes of me?"
Hearing this, Raze started to tense his fists, both of them that were down by his side. The
other students had seen Raze get the crystals by himself. They knew that this wasn't true,
but would they speak up for him? Surely, one of the others would say something.
Running in their minds was the thought, if one of the others spoke up, then they would too.
However, no one did, not a single person spoke up, leaving it so no one said a thing.
Simyon wanted to say something, but it was clear that they wouldn't take his word.
"Ha, I will be taking these crystals... and good luck in getting picked. Trash like you should
just leave the academy," Tod said as he marked another X by Raze's name and placed the
pouch on his side.
Simyon was in disbelief, but Dame thought it was to be expected. In a way with Raze trying
too hard, he had just shown something that was too unachievable. Which did make him
wonder.
'How did Raze manage to catch so many. With the techniques I showed him and being a 2
star Pagan warrior, he shouldn't have been able to get that many. Could I even get that
many crystals without destroying the place?'
Tod was about to walk off, heading to the next student until he heard something.
"No!" Raze shouted, his head down, and his fists still tensed. "I don't care if you have
something against me, but those crystals are mine, and no one takes things from me that
are mine!"
Chapter 133 The Final 20
Chapter 133 The Final 20
The teacher Tod had stopped in his tracks. He could hear the slight vibration in Raze's
voice, one that would only appear when one was truly angry.
Immediately, Tod turned around, his eyes bulging as he looked at Raze. "These items are
yours? You think this is deserved by someone like you, a no-name who shouldn't even be in
the academy in the first place?"
Tod started to walk back toward Raze, and seeing this, Dame didn't think it was a good
idea, and neither did Simyon. The two of them were on the move, shifting from the line and
heading toward where Raze was.
"Even if I'm a no-name, so what? What if I was to beat those clan members that you grovel
at their feet for just for a chance to wipe their backside?"
"I would much rather live doing what I wanted as a no-name than live a life like yours."
Instantly, Tod moved his hand and swung it, slapping Raze right across the face. His cheek
had turned bright red at that moment. The attack was fast.
Unlike the other students' attacks that he could still follow and see, this one wasn't the
same. Gritting his teeth, Raze had enough.
'I hate people like this, I hate it. They are blind, they're in the same position as me, but
because they can't get out of their situation, they take it out on those that they even believe
are lower than them. People like this shouldn't exist!'
A flicker of dark magic started to travel around Raze's finger.
'One hit, that's all I want, just one hit!'
When Raze went to move his hand, he felt a strong grasp around his wrist, followed by a
whisper into his ear.
"It's not worth it, trust me. When the time is right, you can prove to everyone here. Prove
him wrong through your achievements and not your actions. If you killed him, then he
wouldn't even be able to see what you will achieve." Dame whispered.
Flinging Dame's hand off his wrist, Raze took in a deep breath. With that, rather than
staying there with everyone present, he had decided just to walk off. He pushed open the
heavy double doors and headed back to his room.
Walking away from a situation rather than acting, at times, was the harder thing to do.
Thankfully, Dame did have a way with words that would calm Raze down. In anything, he
knew the right way to talk to him.
Thankfully, unlike a stroppy teenager who would just think their way was the right way,
Dame realized that he was easier to reason with than expected, as long as you pushed him
in the right direction and made him see the overall picture.
Tod and the other teacher continued to count the power stones the others had received,
somewhat ignoring what had happened. While the others were waiting for everything to be
counted up, Liam had gone to the large double doors.
He then pressed it hard with his strength, and he managed to nudge it only slightly open
before stopping it and allowing it to close.
'I thought so, this door is freaking heavy; the teachers are the ones that make this thing
look easy to open. And Raze just went through the door with no trouble right now. Is he
really so far ahead of the rest of us?' Liam thought.
For the rest of the day, the students were relatively silent. Self-training continued, but Raze
wasn't seen out on the courtyard running. It was the first time this had happened.
It was odd; some of them never really noticed his presence before or thought that they
didn't really look at him, yet without him just there working hard, their motivation for
working hard had disappeared.
This was true even for Liam, who half-heartedly shoved his sword through the straw
puppet right in the crotch again.
"I just can't get into it," Liam said to himself, looking at the sky. "Crap, why do I feel like
such crap? Is it because I didn't say anything back then? I mean, even if I did say something,
what would it have changed? The teacher seems to have had a thing for him since day one."
It wasn't the time for them to be thinking about this, not now, not when they were so close
to the big event.
The during next few days, things had returned back to normal. The teachers were out in the
courtyard making markings in their books. Raze was outside again, but he seemed to stay
close to Simyon and Dame more and had stopped his running around the field.
"Hey, are you alright Raze?" Simyon asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Raze replied. "Things will all work out in the end. I have time to do what I
need to do."
"Do you want to get a paddle and hit Simyon?" Dame asked. "It's part of his training, and it's
pretty fun."
Raze didn't say anything and just went ahead to pick up the paddle from the ground.
"What... please Raze go easy on me, please," Simyon said, lifting his hands up. "Oh well, I
promised that I would do whatever you asked of me, and if this makes you feel better, then
go ahead."
Raze was ready to swing the paddle, but before he did, he had a few words to say.
"Simyon, when you feel you're in trouble, then firmly push on your earring. It will work out
well for you," Raze said, and swung the paddle before Simyon could say anything else.
The days continued on, and finally, Safa had returned along with Teacher Lee. It was the
final day, the day before the event was to take place. Before the announcement was made,
Safa had joined the others in the main room.
She had done her fake air hug once again when seeing Raze, which made everyone look at
her with an odd look, but she didn't care; she wanted to express her feelings.
"Did you manage to learn a lot?" Raze asked.
Safa nodded her head and had a big smile on her face.
"That's good; if you take part in the assessment, you shouldn't go out without a fight," Raze
stated.
He was still debating internally whether or not he should teach her Light Magic or if it was
possible. For some reason, though, in the back of his head, he trusted Simyon more than he
did Safa, even after everything he had done for her.
Whenever this feeling would arise at the back of his mind, his chest would ache. Raze
thought this was a sign from the original body. It was clear that the original body trusted
her and didn't like the fact that Raze didn't fully trust her.
'Since it would be her core magic, there's no need to find a light attribute crystal as well. I
wonder what Alter would think about this, about me teaching someone,' Raze thought.
All of the students had eventually been called to the courtyard, and it was time for the
announcements to be made. Teacher Lee had received the results from Tod and the other
assessor.
He had gone through everything, and now the final twenty to take part had been decided.
"I want you to remember that you twenty are the hope. The hope that things can change,
that you can improve and bring glory to your clan within the Dark Faction, as well as out of
it!"
Opening the book, Lee proceeded to call the following names.
"Safa Cromwell!"
This was a given since Lee had been teaching her personally. When the two were together,
Safa had also made it clear to Lee that she had a family name, and she brought over a book
and pointed to the letters to explain her name.
It was a long process, but something she absolutely wanted and what she felt was
necessary.
"Liam Parma!"
This was a name that also didn't surprise the others because Liam was excelling at
everything compared to the rest. From there, the names continued to get called one after
the other, and as it got closer to the final five, the students were starting to talk among
themselves, in whispers.
"Hey, is Raze going to get selected?"
"He has to, right? I mean, although all he did was run, he has more stamina than everyone
else."
"He's also quite good with his techniques even though they're basic."
"He's probably got the most chance of winning a fight against a yellow band, right?"
These were all said in whispers, though, and it hadn't reached Teacher Lee. He had
continued to call out the names, and had finally reached the last name.
"Simyon."
Hearing the last name, Simyon wasn't pleased, and instead, he turned to look at Raze to see
how he reacted to all of this. Safa was greatly confused as she looked at her brother. She
had no clue what had gone on while they were away either.
"You knew this would happen, right?" Dame said. "You're not disappointed."
"I am a little," Raze replied. "But as you said, I expected this much at least. Don't worry, I'll
find another way to get back at the main disciples. Heck, if you can, Safa, Simyon, you two
are just going to have to do it for me."
It wasn't just the three of them that were shocked, but it was also the other students, but
just like the last time, they didn't know what to say. If they spoke up, would they then be
treated as an outcast?
If Raze took someone else's place, would the rest of the group hate them for speaking up,
and what about that student in particular that would be swapped out?
Little did they know, all of those that had been selected, in that moment, would have also
given up their place for Raze to take part.
The next day had arrived, and it was time for the grand event.
Chapter 134 The Main Clan’s Arrive!
Chapter 134 The Main Clan's Arrive!
It was finally the day of the big event. A month had passed, and by now, all of the students
should have learned the skill to its fullest capability in this amount of time. It was the first
assessment that would be given to first-year students.
The first event was for them all to showcase the new skills they had learned in a friendly
bout. In a way, it was also designed to show that the Blue headband students still had a gap
to close, and for the Yellow and Red headband students to know someone was always on
their back ready to replace them.
However, this time the event had more weight than it ever did, and the students had no
idea of what was to come.
A large stage had been built out of solid reinforced concrete. It was placed outside of the
main courtyard that separated all of the buildings. It was also placed right in front of the
main building of the academy where the teachers resided.
The stage was slightly elevated off the floor and around forty meters by forty meters in
size, giving them all enough room to use a number of foot techniques and show everything
they had. The reinforced concrete was able to withstand hits from at least a stage 3 Pagna
warrior.
At the sides of the stage, there were stands built with a few seats in between. This covered
three sides of the area and were colored Dark Blue, Yellow, and Red. On the final side,
which was closest to the academy building, there were several seats out and about,
possibly around thirty or so. Many had large umbrellas that would be used to block the sun,
giving them a sense of shade. Two men stood away from the seats, and that was Gunther
and Pincer.
'I can't believe it's been an entire month, and I've still received no news about anything to
do with the Dark Magus. The other teachers know nothing!' Gunther complained. 'At least
the reward still hasn't been taken down. It should mean no one knows anything about him
yet. Oh well, at least today shouldn't be boring. I wonder how he's doing and if I'll get to see
him perform today.'
Pincer grabbed onto a large gray horn. It had short fur on the outside, and the white color
gave it the impression that it was made of some type of bone. Placing both lips on the end,
he puffed his cheeks and blew hard, letting off the signal that it was time to begin the event.
A few moments later, the sound of marching filled the entire place. One foot was placed
after the other, as Lee, Tod, and the other Blue headband teachers walked in, their students
in rows behind them, following them neatly. At the same time, the Yellow headband
students, around seventy or so in number, had come out, doing the same, being led by their
teachers to their stand, and finally, there were the Red headband students.
When reaching the stands, everyone carefully lined up, turned, and took their seats. In front
of the stands for the Blue headbands and the Yellow headbands, there were separate seats
placed out in front closer to the stage. As for the Red headbands, since there were only
twenty students in the first place, there was no such thing.
"Oh, it looks like the white-haired kid didn't make the cut. What a shame. I would have
loved to have seen you teach him a lesson, Mada," Ricktor commented.
"Yeah," Mada replied, and noticed that his heart was at ease. Was he afraid to go up against
Raze? Was he thankful that he didn't need to do such a thing? It wasn't just him, though.
Sherry also noticed that the tall student wasn't taking part either, the one that had stopped
her with the plate.
"Will all students please welcome the Principal Murkal Dockthron, the Vice Principal Amir
Huthell, and the headmasters of the five major clans belonging to the Dark Faction!"
Walking out through the academy doors were the principal and the vice principal, and
following not too far behind them were the five leaders. Just their appearance alone as they
walked together gave a large, intimidating feeling. Even though the area was large and vast,
they felt like they were being pinned down by giant wild beasts. Just looking at them was
giving everyone the shivers.
"What is going on right now? Why are the five Clan heads here?"
"This isn't a big event; they don't usually come, right? So why have they come this time?"
It wasn't just them, though. Soon, even more figures had come out from the academy,
dressed in extravagant clothes. They were surrounded by powerful guards by their side as
well.
Teacher Lee had recognized them instantly. 'These are all prominent figures across the
entire Dark Faction continent. Merchant heads, mercenary group leaders, and there are
even some government officials among them as well.'
Teacher Lee had made eye contact with Principal Amir. It was clear his request had been
granted. If he was able to show results in front of all of these, then it would provide great
results.
"It's a good thing I wasn't fighting after all," Dame commented.
"What do you mean?" Raze asked.
"Some of those Clan heads, I've fought them before, and they know exactly what I look like.
They would have been able to sniff me out from the beginning," Dame explained. "Who
would have thought that they would be bringing such important people."
Raze was looking at each of the clan heads individually. This party was his target, those that
he had to overcome in this world if he wanted to become someone of significance.
For those taking part in the event, the presence of all of these onlookers was making them
more nervous.
"They're all going to be watching…" Simyon said. "All of these people are going to be
watching my embarrassing talent!"
Simyon placed his head nearly on his knees; he was so embarrassed imagining the fighting
already, and he thought maybe it would have been better if someone else were selected
instead.
"I just hope those Clan heads don't hold a grudge when I kick their precious sons and
daughters to the ground right in front of them," Liam said confidently.
It wasn't just the Blue headbands that were nervous, though; the five main disciples were
as well. They didn't even dare look in the way of their clan heads because, in a lot of their
cases, they weren't just the clan heads, but these were their relatives, their grandparents,
direct parents, aunts, or uncles.
"It's been a long time since the five of us were together like this. It's a shame we don't get to
meet up more often!" An older man with a scruffy beard and a large belly said.
The man was Gavin Rocksbored, and he was head of the Moon Shield Clan. Their clan was
well known for being placed on the border between them and the Light Faction and had
never once failed in defending an attack.
"Please, I would much rather keep our meeting to a minimum; I am very busy." A woman
with dark purple hair and next to no wrinkles on her face, looking the youngest of the
group said.
She was Feebie Dines, the head of the Lethal Bite Clan.
"I should thank you all for coming," Amir said with a polite bow. "I know all of you have
extremely busy schedules, but don't you think it's good to keep an eye on the future
generation of our clans, especially with the troubles that have been occurring."
"He is right," Crine said, the leader of the Flowing Force Clan. He was the only one there
that had relatively short hair on his head. Not only that, he wore the least amount of
clothing, showing off his muscular shoulders to the others.
"I heard that the Light Faction had a scuffle with the Demonic Faction lately, and it didn't
end well," Crine continued.
"Ah yes, I heard that as well," Samantha Whishheart said. Leader of the Tulip Falls clan. She
had an incredible amount of fur clothing on her body, making her appear several times
larger than she actually was. Even sitting in her chair, she looked somewhat like a giant
polar bear sitting down.
"It's come as quite a surprise since I also heard that Beatrix was sent."
"No way!" Gavin nearly jumped out of his seat. "Beatrix was defeated. Does this mean that
the Demonic Faction has been gathering their strength? If they have talents that are
capable of beating her."
Quite quickly, Murkel cleared his throat, interrupting the talking of the other leaders.
"We are not here to talk about these matters; today we are here for the students, so please
keep your attention on them."
The others listened to Murkel and sat back in their seats, ready for the event to begin.
Peeking over, though, Crine had noticed something. All of the seats were filled with guests.
Amir had done well to get the correct number; after all, he had been in charge of inviting
them all, yet there were two seats that were empty.
Just as he thought this, he could hear the sound of footsteps from behind.
"Sorry I'm a bit late; the young one had to take a big log in the toilet," a male's voice said.
When turning around, they could see a large man with a brown trench coat walking, and by
his side, a short, orange-haired girl with a beret hat.
From the stands, Raze had instantly spotted the two.
"What are they doing here?"
Chapter 135 The 1st Match
Chapter 135 The 1st Match
The man in the large brown trenchcoat and the woman with orange hair tucked
underneath her beret hat, the two of them were people that Raze would never forget.
Himmy and Charlotte. The two of them were what was known as otherworlders, just like
Raze. They didn't originate from Pagna, and they were also in the large organization known
as Alter.
"What are the two of them doing here at this event? Why would they come to such a thing
in the first place?" Raze thought.
Both of them sat down in their seats and took a glance around the place. They were greeted
by Amir and offered something to drink.
While one of the guards served them, Charlotte continued to look around until she spotted
Raze up in the stands.
Immediately, she went and tugged on the sleeve of Himmy.
"Look what I found," Charlotte said, raising her eyebrows in the direction of a certain
individual.
Gazing up, Himmy spotted Raze as well.
"I see he made it into the academy all okay then. It's a shame that we won't be seeing him
take part though," Himmy replied.
The two talked in hushed voices, making sure those around them wouldn't hear. They also
kept getting odd looks from the other main clan leaders, but they knew who they were or at
least what group they came from, as Alter was an organization that many in high positions
knew about, a group of people that were not quite a clan but could be hired for distinct
services.
Raze continued to stare out of the corner of his eye at the two of them. He didn't want
Dame to catch on that he knew them either.
That would open up another can of worms of questions for him.
'That's right, they told me that Alter is everywhere, and I got that letter in my room.
Someone from Alter was already at the academy.'
'I still haven't figured out who that letter was from, and since that day, no one has tried to
visit me or given me another one. But it does mean that Alter already knows that I'm here.'
Still, Raze couldn't figure out why the two of them were there. They could have sent anyone
from the group. Did Himmy and Charlotte specifically request to come to the academy?
Or was it just because they were already in the area? And why would the Principal of the
Dark Faction Academy invite them?
These were honestly questions that Raze would perhaps never get an answer to. He didn't
even know how high their positions were in the Alter group, since he, along with the
others, were just considered field agents.
He was just told that someone would contact him if they ever needed his help.
"I'm a little worried, though. If they see Simyon fight, they might realize his strength comes
from the item. Although it's unlikely since it looks more like a martial arts technique."
Now that everyone was present, Pincer had jumped from his position and entered the
center stage.
"I will now explain how the event will take place. The Blue Headband students must pick
any opponent from the Yellow stand apart from those that are in the selective seats.
"If they wish, they may also choose someone from the Red Headband group."
Some of the merchants and those in the crowd chuckled as they heard this. Although it was
the first time for the leaders to be invited, quite a few of them had witnessed the events
before that.
"After all of the Blue Headbands have taken part, we will invite the Yellow Headbands in
the seats to go against the Red Headbands," Pincer explained.
The Yellow Headbands in the seats were the top of the Yellow Headbands. The event was
done this way so the strongest could go up against the Red Headbands at full force.
As for why there were no restrictions on the Blue Headbands taking on those in the Red, it
was because of the skill gap believed to exist between the groups. A Red Headband user
should at least be skillful enough to take on a Blue Headband and a Yellow.
If anything, if a Blue Headband owner did challenge a Red Headband owner, it would be
seen like a warm-up.
"Will the first competitor please stand!" Pincer shouted.
Out of the Blue Headband owners, the first one to stand up straight in his seat was none
other than Liam.
Before selecting his opponent, though, he looked down the line where Safa and Simyon
were seated together.
"Please, watch me carefully!" Liam said, and lifting both of his hands up, he made a heart
shape right toward Safa.
Nearly all of the Blue Headband owners were shaking their heads at this point. They were
embarrassed to be part of the same group. While the others laughed.
"As for my opponent, I select the young master from the Erupting Fist Clan!" Liam declared.
The laughter had instantly stopped there. If this was a joke, it certainly wasn't a funny one.
"Did he just say from the Erupting Fist clan? Does this young one have a death wish!" Gavin
said, slapping his large belly.
Not only had Liam selected someone from the Red Headbands, which was a surprise, but he
had selected what most presumed was the strongest first-year in the entire academy and
perhaps the strongest in the entire academy.
"I will prove what you said that day right here and now is a lie!"
Standing up, Ricktor had a smile on his face. He was casual about the whole thing, and the
two started to make their way to the platform.
The Blue Headbands were nervous, and so was Teacher Lee.
"According to the assessment sheets given to me by the other teachers, Liam was the
student with the highest score!" Lee thought. "Why did he have to go and challenge Ricktor
of all people? If he had challenged a Yellow Headband, he had a good chance of winning."
Many of the students had the same thought; many knew that Liam was the most skilled out
of all of them. So if he lost, it would be a big hit to all of their confidence.
"You can do it!" Dame shouted, his hands cupped around his mouth. "Use your killer move
and take out his balls, even if you lose!"
While everyone else was afraid to say something, Dame took this opportunity to cheer on
the fellow disciples he had worked side by side with. Soon after, the rest started to cheer
him on as well.
"Show him that we aren't from some weak clans!"
"We can change our position, Liam, take him out!"
The onlookers found the whole thing quite interesting; it was the first time they had seen
the Blue Headband group so rowdy before.
"Do you think this will be an interesting match?" one of the merchants asked.
"Hmm, Ricktor is meant to be considered a prodigy even within his own clan. Honestly, it's
hard to see this lasting more than two hits. Unless he wants it to last that long."
"Haha!" Gunther laughed, overhearing the two of them speak. "You are probably right, but I
don't know why, but I have a good feeling about the Blue Headbands. Things feel different
about them."
"For some reason, I just feel like we might see something amazing today."
Ricktor stood in the middle and pulled out his sword. For this event, the two of them would
be using wooden swords for fear of killing the other student. It also allowed them to use the
full strength of their techniques.
"I'm a bit upset that you have chosen me; your disgusting eyepatch is not to my liking."
Ricktor commented.
Liam went and pulled out his sword and pointed it as well.
"Do you think I care about what you like and don't like? Why don't you just stick your
horny chicken under some rock!" Liam retorted.
"From what I heard, you are one of the strongest from the Blue Headbands, so let's see
what you got," Ricktor replied.
Immediately, Liam charged forward, and when he got close, his sword was high up in the
air.
"The Elephant's Strike!" Liam shouted and swung it down in a smooth motion. His sword
was swinging in such a way that it was hard to predict where it would go.
"He's managed to learn the skill perfectly!" Lee was surprised at what he could see. "The
Elephant's Strike is also perfect to add to one's own clan skills or additional skills as well as
a follow-up, even if the first strike doesn't hit."
Despite the strange sword path, Ricktor was able to avoid it. He was moving with the sword
as if he was following its very direction, staying just an inch or so away.
"The Jewel's Thrust!" Liam thrust his sword down below at the end of his Elephant's Strike.
It had perfect timing, and even the Clan heads were impressed by what they were seeing.
"For a Blue Headband owner to perform this well, it seems the talent of the students has
gone up this year," Samantha commented.
The thrust had missed again, but Liam didn't give up as he went back to performing the
Elephant Strike again.
As they watched, the students were getting excited as the sword was swinging next to
Ricktor. It felt like it was only a matter of time until a strike would land.
"He could really win at this rate!" one of the students commented.
"Don't be an idiot," Dame said. "Does his face look like someone who's losing?"
Looking at Ricktor, he had a smile the entire time.
Another thrust was performed by Liam, and he jumped back, avoiding the attack again, and
cleared the distance between the two.
"It's a good thing you No-names aren't taking part in this fight. Because, I will now show
you what would have happened to you if you did!" Ricktor said, raising his sword in the air.
Chapter 136 The Blue Head Band’s Hope
Chapter 136 The Blue Head Band's Hope
Ricktor lifted his sword up in the air, pointing toward the sky. It became a focal point as
everyone's eyes looked at it, but it just remained there up in the air. He didn't swing it
down nor did he move.
As for his eyes, he was looking straight ahead at Raze. He didn't break eye contact and just
continued to look ahead.
Murkel Dockthron, the principal, had taken note of his grandson's actions.
'Why is he looking at the white-haired kid? Did something happen between the two of
them?'
With the position Murkel was in, he was more the principal in name only. He had an entire
clan to run, which meant he would only be called or informed when there were big
decisions to be made.
He was unaware of what had happened to Raze, nor did he really know of his existence
until now.
"What are you doing!" Liam shouted in anger. "Fight me, I said fight me!"
Liam charged forward and swung his sword out to the side. Moving quicker, Ricktor swung
his sword down and hit Liam right on the shoulder before he could even fully swing his
sword.
"ARGHH!" Liam shouted in pain.
The sword was lifted in the air again, and Ricktor swung down, hitting the other side of his
shoulder.
The pain shot through his entire body, and Liam was unable to even stand; he was falling to
his knees, but before he could, Ricktor hit him right in the chin, keeping his body up with
the strike.
When Liam's body was falling again, Ricktor proceeded to hit just under his armpits,
keeping him up again, and did this a few times so he was unable to fall to the ground.
"This is… this is just cruel," Dame commented.
Honestly, Raze couldn't agree more. Why were there people that flaunted and abused their
power over others?
Was the thrilling feeling that they got, did it mean that much to them?
Eventually, Ricktor had stopped, and Liam fell to the floor. He was still conscious, his
muscles bruised, his bones perhaps already partly broken.
Yet, he still reached for his sword.
'I trained… I trained so hard. I did everything I could for this day. Are you better than me,
because you trained harder than me! Are you stronger than me because of things you've
been through?'
As Liam turned around, Ricktor stepped on his chest.
"I told you already," Ricktor said smiling. "I was born in this position, and you were born in
your position. You can't change those facts; you can't overcome it with hard work."
"All of you are here for us."
With the bottom of his foot, Ricktor then went and kicked Liam. His body was lifted in the
air, and he was heading right for those in the Blue headband group.
The first to react, though, was Safa. She rushed out of her seat and caught Liam's body. He
was heavy, though, and the kick was strong.
She slid across the floor until Simyon had joined in and grabbed onto Liam as well. When he
grabbed onto the body, the three of them stopped.
Liam looked to see who was holding onto him, and he could see the big beautiful round
eyes.
"Oh Safa, if I knew all I needed to do was take a beating for you to hold me like this. I would
have gladly taken a hundred beatings." Liam smiled.
Hearing this, Simyon then pulled Liam's body away from Safa and dragged him along,
taking him to the teachers.
"This pervert seems to have something wrong with his head; he needs to get checked,"
Simyon said, leaving him be.
Now with Liam by the side of the students, they could see how much damage and pain he
was in. He was trying his best to hide it, but parts of his body had already swollen up due to
the fractures inside.
"It's a shame; that young man with the Blue headband actually showed some promise with
his skills. If he had taken on a Yellow headband owner, then maybe he would have had a
chance," one of the onlookers commented.
"Arrogance and knowing one's strength are also part of being a Pagna warrior. It just goes
to show that he thought too much of himself, and a warrior like that will be hard to grow."
After seeing the results of the first match, Teacher Lee was getting nervous. He looked over
at Amir, who shook his head.
'I have brought all of these prominent people,' Amir thought. 'You will have to show a lot
more than that. I need a reason to tell the Lethal Bite Clan to back down and to show these
merchants that you are capable.'
Although Teacher Lee couldn't hear Amir, he knew exactly what he was thinking, and his
fists were tensed harder than ever.
'According to the evaluation, he was our best student, and he couldn't even land a scratch
on the Red headband. The only way we can show our strength is by winning more matches.
With that, the next Blue headband student stood up and declared his opponent, naming one
of the students from the Yellow headband group.
The fight had started between the two of them, and there were only a few clashes before
the Blue headband student had ended in defeat.
The next match took place, and the next, and again and again, they all would lose their
match in similar fashion.
All of the Blue headband students were gripping their clothes, frustrated at what was
happening because they could see it.
They could see the Yellow headbands, the Red headbands, and those watching, all of them
laughing at the results that were taking place.
The harder they tried, the more amusing it was to the others; eventually, the students had
suffered ten losses in a row.
"What is this!" Lee shouted at Tod and the other assessor. "Are these really the best
students out of them all? They are getting destroyed out there."
Tod gulped. "We did as you asked and assessed them based on all the tests you provided us.
These are the results. I'm sorry, Teacher Lee, but the students are just not strong enough."
Usually, Teacher Lee wouldn't react like this, but he was desperate for a win. Desperate for
anything to turn the tide, but now he had next to no hope.
This wasn't giving him a good reputation; he could tell from the merchants and others. This
was ruining his reputation completely. If he could, he would stop the fights right there and
then, allowing just the Yellow headbands and Red headbands to continue.
There was still his own pupil, but evaluating the skills he had seen, she would most likely
lose as well.
If that were to happen, then he felt like his world would come crashing down at that
moment.
Not too far by the teacher's side, though, was Liam, who had been lying down, and he had
heard everything.
He had also seen the results of all the matches so far, and he had had enough. Lifting his
body off the ground, he grunted in pain before shouting.
"No!" Liam said, and the students turned as they heard his words. "There is someone…
there is someone in our group who's strong and can beat them!"
Teacher Lee was wondering what the student meant. He was the strongest out of the Blue
headbands, so how could there be someone else?
"Please, we're getting destroyed out there."
This whole thing is embarrassing and so frustrating. I can see the way they look at us. The
way they treat us… and I just want someone to shut them up!" Liam shouted.
His voice was on the verge of breaking; his frustrated cries were felt by the students sitting
in the stands as well.
"You have to let him take part; you have to let him fight; you have to let Raze fight!" Liam
shouted.
Liam still remembered when he had challenged him that day. His overwhelming defeat. He
knew he was strong, but he didn't want to admit that a no-name could best him.
However, was the way they were treating him, not the same way they were being treated
by the higher headband users as well?
Being put in the situation they were in now, he knew how Raze and the other No-names
must have felt.
From that day, Liam treated Raze differently, but he was embarrassed by his actions. He
couldn't even look him in the eye. So how could he ask him to fight for them?
This strong sense of guilt within Liam was growing. It grew even stronger when he didn't
speak up during the Power Stone gathering assessment.
He deserved a place on the seats to go up against them, much more than anyone else.
"Please…let him fight.." Liam asked once again.
Teacher Lee looked at the assessment book given to him and tried to search for the name
Raze. As he did, though, he could see that he had been given the lowest score out of the two
hundred headband users.
'This kid, is he just trying to get his friend a chance to fight? I can't risk it; there are still ten
more students left to fight. Letting the weakest pupil fight, is he just trying to make me into
a bigger laughing stock.'
"Callum, please stand and select your opponent," Teacher Lee called out.
Callum stood up from his seat, his whole body shaking. He looked at Liam, and then looked
back up at every corner of the stands.
"Teacher Lee…I agree with Liam, please let Raze fight."
Chapter 137 Let Him Fight!
Chapter 137 Let Him Fight!
The student stood up straight, his body shaking slightly with an unnerving look on his face.
Instead of calling out for his next opponent, he had made a request to his teacher.
"Teacher Lee... I agree with Liam, please let Raze fight."
It took a lot for the student to say these words because he was conflicted as well. If Raze
fought and won, if a no-name won, what would that mean?
Would it mean that they were less than a no-name? That those born in the lowest caste
system were better than them?
Perhaps, but it meant something more than that to the students. Because they were fighting
to prove that the position of the clan could change. That the position and place of a person
weren't predetermined.
If anything, a victory through Raze, a no-name, was an even greater achievement in proving
this, but what they needed was a victory at all costs.
The memories of Raze running every day, of him hunting the hop bunnies, were all fresh in
their minds. He was their hope for a victory.
Seeing the student speak, Lee slapped the top of his forehead and shook it.
"What has gotten into you students? Do you really want the worst student to go out there
and fight on your behalf?" Lee asked.
The student didn't say anything, somewhat stating his answer.
'The student they are talking about is also a no-name,' Lee noted, looking at the top corner
of the stand.
'No-name, will have been from no clan. They would have had next to no chance to learn any
advanced skills or receive Qi pills to have grown a strong foundation.'
'He is also one of the students that arrived late, so they weren't even able to obtain a skill
book from the library. Sure, the girl I took in was also a no-name, but I could see her talent.'
'It's not usual for talents like this to come across once in 100,000. So, is the student just
afraid of going out there and embarrassing themselves in front of the others?'
Teacher Lee started to think about what Liam had said as well. He had already lost his fight
and had the same thing, so maybe there was some truth to it after all.
In the end, the teacher turned his head to look at the two teachers that had taken the
assessment.
"These results that you gave me, are they absolutely correct?" Teacher Lee asked.
"Yes!" Tod answered as he wiped his hands on his legs. "The student performed basic fist
skills and did nothing but run during the month. He was one of the worst-performing
students."
Tod's voice had wavered slightly because in the back of his mind, he was worried about
something.
'That kid, he didn't get all of those power stones on his own, did he? No, that's impossible;
he must have stolen them. Not even the main disciples would have been capable of such a
thing.'
From up above, Raze could see that there was some commotion going on. A lot of the
students were wondering because a student had stood up from his seat but had yet to
declare an opponent of any kind.
They were also too far to hear anything that was being said either.
"Callum, select your opponent," Teacher Lee said.
The moment he said that, sighs were let out everywhere, including coming from Liam. In
the end, they would take the teacher's word over the kids.
'If I send out the worst student, I would be a laughing stock; I can't do it.'
Reluctantly, Callum called out one of the students from the Yellow headband group. He
stood there in the center of the stage and tried his best.
Using the skills he had learned, he swung the sword well, but he was just a little too slow in
movement. Not only that, but the skills the Yellow headband owner displayed were beyond
that of the Blue headband.
Using his sword, he had knocked it out of the student's hand and hit the Blue Headband
user right across the face, knocking Callum out and sending him to the floor.
"Hahaha!" The Yellow headband owner laughed. "Come on, now you guys are embarrassing
the Dark Faction as a whole. If they are weak clans like you protecting us... well, let's just
say when war comes, I wouldn't want you protecting my back."
With the defeat, a few students went and took Callum off the platform. After that, the next
student stood up and declared his opponent.
Once again, five more students had lost from the Blue headband group, leaving only four
left, including Simyon and Safa.
When the next student stood up, he was already pleading.
"Please, sir, please let Raze take my place!" The student said, gritting his teeth. "I want to
take part, I want to show my skills, but more so than that."
"I want us Blue headbands to at least get a win!" The student cried out. "We've all been
training hard side by side this entire time. We know our strength, so please!"
Once again, there was another pleading from the students, and just as Lee was opening his
mouth to decline him, he heard the others speaking up.
"Please, sir, please let Raze fight!" The students asked.
These were the front row of the group. Not just those taking part, but the other students in
the crowd.
"We need to win, let Raze fight on our behalf!"
"Please, sir, they keep laughing at us and cursing our clans; let him fight!"
There was an overwhelming response, and it was coming from all the other students. When
had Teacher Lee ever seen something like this, and it was for a no-name, no less?
Relaxing his tense fist, Teacher Lee looked up to the sky to make his decision and let out a
big breath.
"If that is the wish of my students, then how am I meant to go against it? Very well, I will let
Raze fight," Teacher Lee stated.
It was a risk he was taking, but with only four students left and how many straight losses
their group had gone through without putting up much of a fight, he would take the gamble,
but he wasn't hoping for much.
"Raze Cromwell!" Teacher Lee shouted with a booming voice. "Please take the position of
Helix Fan since he is not feeling well or up to the task."
A big smile came across the students' faces when they heard this, and Helix started to grab
his stomach as he rushed off and away.
"Arghh, my stomach!" Helix said, with a smirk as he went away to the side.
"Wait... me, he wants me to take part?" Raze pointed a finger at himself.
"That's what he said," Dame replied. "It looks like you're going to get your revenge after all.
Go on and show them what you've got; go get your revenge."
Raze stood up, a bit dumbfounded as he wasn't expecting to be called, but Dame was right;
this was his chance.
As Raze walked down from the stage, the Principal and those from Alter started to take
notice.
"Oh... what a very interesting development," Himmy said.
Chapter 138 I Choose you!
Chapter 138 I Choose you!
Principal Murkel would not usually take notice of Raze, a student from the Blue headband
group, but he had noticed that his grandson was looking at him in a strange way.
If it was a student from any of the other groups, he would have perhaps ignored it, but from
the lowest headband users? Although sometimes there were those that would rise from
Yellow to Red, and on occasion from Blue to Yellow, it was a rare occurrence.
What had never happened was a Blue headband rising all the way up to Red. Even if they
were to achieve a Yellow headband, that would be their limit. Which was why it was quite
interesting to Murkel.
'He wasn't even taking part in the assessment. He wasn't one of the chosen twenty, and
now Teacher Lee decides to put him in the roster of fighters? This is quite confusing,'
Murkel thought and decided to turn to his most trusted aide by his side.
"Amir, what Clan is that white-haired child from?" Murkel asked.
"The white-haired boy." Amir saw that Raze had made it through the crowd of students,
and he also recognized the expression on the faces of those that he had gone past. They had
smiles and were pumping their fists.
It was an odd action because they would do it only when he passed, as if they didn't want
him to see that they were cheering for him.
"He is a no-name." Amir answered. "He resided in a town that belonged to the Red Brigade
Clan, a third-rate clan at best."
Murkel didn't say anything yet, nor did he react; instead, he just went to stroke the back of
his hair that he wrapped around the front. Amir could tell though, he was thinking; anyone
would find this odd.
"A no-name is actually getting selected to take part?" Samantha held up her fan covering
her mouth, making it hard for anyone close to read her expression. "No wonder he wasn't
part of the original line-up. I guess we should just wait and see the Yellow headband
matches after this." She sighed, and the rest of the leaders felt the same way.
They were tired of seeing one-sided matches one after the other because now there was no
more excitement for them to witness. They could already predict the results of how the rest
of the matches would go.
Over to the left side of the Principal, Charlotte was giggling away as she stomped her foot
relatively fast on the ground.
"Hey, we're going to see him fight!" Charlotte said, giggling to herself. "I'm so excited."
"Are you bi-polar or something?" Himmy asked. "You never seem to act this way when
we're on the job, or watching another agent."
"Hey!" Charlotte replied. "You know he's special, right? He's not only from Alterian, but he's
also able to use Qi as well. Aren't you curious how skilled he is as a warrior?"
Charlotte was actually curious about Raze in more ways than one. She had constantly
thought back to that day. Raze somehow knew how to make combination spells perfectly.
He also had created a powerful potion as well. This she had kept a secret to herself. But
knowing this, she naturally wanted to stay close to him and try to find out what else he
knew and gain his knowledge.
"Alright, fine." Himmy said, fiddling with his fingers even though there was nothing in his
hand. "But try not to make it obvious that we actually know him."
Charlotte stopped tapping her feet away, but there was still a large smile on her face.
On the Red headband side, Raze had become quite the talk as well. "It looks like you got
your wish." Ossep said, his arms folded straight. He was one of the five main disciples, from
the Moon Shield Clan, with a shiny bald head. "The kid is taking part after all, so who do you
think he's going to go after?"
"Haha, well now we get to humiliate him in person." Sherry chuckled, covering her mouth
slightly. "It's quite obvious that he's either going to choose Mada or Ricktor. He seems to
have a grudge against those two the most."
"You're right, are you ready to give us a show Mada?" Lisa asked as she turned to him.
When she did she was a bit taken back by what she could see.
Mada had both of his hands together; he was kneeling over slightly, and his skin looked a
little pale.
"Are you not feeling well?" Lisa asked.
"I am fine." Mada replied, even though he himself knew he was certainly not fine. The
moment he saw Raze, pictures flashed in his head of what had happened that night. The
chill he felt all over his body returned.
'Am I scared? But it's not of Raze, it's of whatever that monster was that was protecting
him. If he picks me… then what do I do? What is going to happen to me if I fight him
properly?'
Mada was panicking slightly because he knew he was the most likely to be picked as well,
and finally, it was time.
After getting to his seat, Raze was asked to stand. "Please, select your opponent." Lee asked.
'I hope you aren't silly and pick someone from the Red headbands. There is no need, as long
as the remaining students win their fights, it will show that I am somewhat capable.' Lee
thought.
Looking at the students, Raze was thinking quite hard; he didn't give an immediate answer.
'I wonder what he's thinking.' Dame thought. 'I thought I had gotten to know the Dark
Magus quite well, but during the time at the academy, he has shown some interesting
sides.'
Dame thought back, there were times where it looked like Raze wasn't paying attention to
the students around him that were training, but he did. Even when running, he would
carefully not get in the way of others.
At times, he would even move the other training equipment back in place, even if it was
something he never used.
On the outside, Raze appeared dark and non-caring. Dame had seen this when the students
had attacked him and the death at the inn back in the Demonic Faction. It was almost as if
this type of act was second nature to him.
Yet it was clear he also had a caring side to him. It was almost as if something had
happened that had turned him this way. To have a hard darker outer shell, but it's hard to
hide one's true self.
'You heard the other's frustration; you feel the same pain as them as well, don't you.' Dame
smiled to himself. 'So knowing you, you will try and find a way to deal with all five of the
disciples right here.'
"I choose him!" Raze shouted as he pointed at a Yellow headband owner in the crowd.
There was a sigh of relief from Lee, but it wasn't over yet.
"Go on Raze, go show them what we can do!" The students behind shouted.
"Kick his arse!"
Liam didn't say anything because he was quite surprised by his choice. 'Crap, so after all I
did to help him get up there, he's not even going to take on a Red headband owner? I
thought for sure he would have gone for one of those main disciple snobs.'
The Yellow headband owner had descended onto the platform and stood a few meters
away from Raze.
"It comes as no surprise that trash will support trash." The Yellow headband student said.
"Somehow a no-name has managed to get the support of his entire group, how sweet."
"That's right." Raze said, smiling to himself, as he put the sword away by his side rather
than drawing it out. "I am from no Clan; I was one that was born with no name, so I am a
person that is deserving of no position in this world."
Raze stretched out his hands wide at that point.
Charlotte recognized this, and her eyes were bulging because she had seen a pose like this
before.
'No, it can't be; is he about to cast a spell, right in front of all of these people? He would be
crazy to do that?' Her heart was racing as she was wondering whether to inform Himmy or
not. Here there were far too many witnesses, which would make it a huge problem for them
to clear up.
'I remember those words.' Raze thought. 'Those same words were said to me when I was a
mage, that I wasn't able to rise… yet I had done so back then… and now I just need to do the
same again.'
The Yellow headband user charged in with his sword. He was crouching down slightly like
a tiger.
"Oh, the tiger's strike! Well, he's starting off with full force from the get-go." Ossep
commented. "I guess that means this match is over."
The student pounced forward with his Qi and force, aiming straight for Raze. Immediately
moving his feet, he had timed it perfectly, performing the two-step shift to the side,
avoiding the thrust.
"Grit your teeth!" Raze said, and he performed the two-step shift again, throwing out his
fist. He didn't hold back with his Qi, using his Second Stage powers, with his full might, he
landed a blow square on the student's face.
His face squashed inward, the sound of his nose cracking was felt, and his body went flying
with a stream of blood coming out from his nose and mouth as he fell on the floor. His body
bounced off the ground, and he lay there still, unmoving and unconscious.
Blood dripped from Raze's fist as he looked up and stared directly into the eyes of the five
disciples.
Chapter 139 The Turning Tide
Chapter 139 The Turning Tide
The Yellow headband student was lying on the floor, unconscious. His consciousness had
left his body, and he almost looked as if he had died. A few moments later, his body started
to twitch, and it appeared that the student had regained consciousness.
What was clear to everyone, however, was that he had been knocked out. Not only that, but
it had been done with a single hit.
"Hey, am I seeing things?" one of the Blue headband students said, sitting right next to
Liam, who was now well enough to get back onto one of the seats.
"I knew he was strong, but I honestly had no idea he was this strong," Liam commented. "I
don't think even anyone in the Yellow headband group could knock out one of their own in
a single hit."
It took a moment for everyone to take it in, until eventually the whole Blue headband group
cheered at Raze's victory.
"YEAHHHH!" they cheered together.
"Yes, you white-haired freak, you monster, you ghost of a thing!"
"Ah man, if only I wasn't straight, I would be running up there and giving him the biggest
kiss of my life!"
It was unusual for Pagan warriors to act this way, for students to act this way, especially
with those who were watching; they would always act in a dignified manner. Yet, the
students had been going through a wide range of emotions, emotions that the youngsters
found it quite hard to control themselves. So the moment they realized Raze had managed
to turn the tide, to accomplish what they wanted, they couldn't help but let out a cheer.
"What a bunch of wild animals," Samantha commented, one of the head leaders of the five
clans. "They have one simple win, and you would have thought they had won some type of
war."
Gavin started to chuckle, his belly moving up and down. "You have to admit, it certainly was
impressive. He had used the two-step maneuver perfectly and shifted his weight at the
perfect time. It was textbook! No wonder the other student was unable to react."
Murkel continued to play with his hair, but Amir could see that there was a slight smile on
his face as well.
'Now I have an idea why you might be interested in him, but we still haven't seen enough.'
It wasn't just them; Charlotte had almost let out a scream of joy when she saw Raze's
victory, but she had quickly been kicked on the shin of her leg, and she let out a scream of
pain instead at the time.
Himmy had been watching her carefully.
"Hey, someone won, it's normal to be happy," Charlotte said, rubbing her shin. She was
more thankful that Raze didn't use magic, but what it meant was he was improving as a
Pagan warrior as well. She was sure, based on the time he had been here, he couldn't have
been a Pagan warrior for long, so he was quite the quick learner.
'I guess the world wanted him to be more of a martial artist rather than a magician,'
Charlotte thought, considering what Star Mage Raze was.
Back at the Blue headband's area, they could see Raze walking back to the stage. The
student on the ground had no clue what was going on; he was still confused until his
teachers came to pick him up, and the looks on their faces weren't pleased at all.
Similarly to how Teacher Lee would get praised if his students performed well, the other
teachers would be scolded for their performance as well.
For Teacher Lee, his eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head, and he was
frozen in place.
"He actually won, and convincingly as well," Teacher Lee said. "Why didn't he go in
earlier?"
Thinking about this, Teacher Lee thought that Raze's win could have been a boost to the
rest of the students' momentum. It greatly affected how one would fight. After all the losses,
even he could see how the Blue headband fighters hold back in their strikes.
Thinking about it more, Lee knew the answer.
"You!" Lee snapped at Tod by his side, who took a step back, flinching.
"You said he was the worst-performing student in the class!" Lee shouted but in hushed
tones so the others couldn't hear. "You gave him the lowest marking of the lot! How could
you be so blind and do such a thing!"
If there was no one looking, Lee would have given him a few beatings right there and then,
but it wasn't the time.
"I just handed in the results according to the assessments!" Tod replied. "He tricked us all
by pretending he was weak. I'm sure he planned all of this, just so he could surprise
everyone like he did now!"
"I didn't trick anyone," Raze overheard their conversation and went to sit back in his seat.
"Let me ask you, on the last assessment, how many crystals did I get compared to everyone
else?"
"Huh?" Tod raised an eyebrow. "But you stole them from the other students!"
"But he didn't," Liam replied. "Not a single one of us claimed that he did. You just said he
did, and at the time, it didn't really feel like we could speak up."
Teacher Lee gave another large stare at Tod, to the point he lifted up the scorebook to avert
his eyes.
On the other side, the five disciples had seen it all.
"Did you see that stare he gave us?" Ricktor said. "That was very exciting." He hugged
himself tight with both of his arms, and his face was flushing a little red.
"Well, in the end, he chickened out and chose the easy option," Sherry said. "He didn't fight
any of us and just beat up a useless Yellow headband. I don't really think that proves much,
right?"
The disciples seemed to agree. To them, it wasn't a stain on their performance but more on
the Yellow headbands, so it meant nothing.
"You're right," Ossep commented. "The ant has just beaten up the beetle, but both of them
are still bugs."
Sitting back down in the seats, Teacher Lee had decided that he wanted to keep up the
momentum, so he had chosen Safa to stand up next in the order queue. She too had chosen
one of the Yellow headband students and went to the stage.
"Hey, you better not embarrass us," the Yellow headband teacher said to the student, and
the two of them got on stage.
Most of the students held practice wooden swords, but Safa was one of the few who held
onto a wooden spear.
"A miracle happened before, but it won't happen again!" the student shouted as he rushed
forward.
Safa stood her ground with the spear, and then when she was ready, she thrust it forward.
The student was able to avoid the strike and tried coming in closer, but several thrusts
were made with the spear pushing him back each time.
He tried to strike the spear away, but it was pulled back, and when he went in for another
attack, it was thrust forward again.
'Damn it, no matter what I try to do, I can't get in at all!' the student thought. 'What is this?'
The student tried to move faster, but Safa still stayed in her position, thrusting the sword
again and again. The match went on for quite a while; ten minutes had passed of this
repeating.
What was amazing, though, was Safa's concentration and the fact that she hadn't moved
from her position at all. Not only that, but she didn't seem to be tiring while the Yellow
headband user was.
Frustrated, the Yellow headband owner tried to charge in, forcing his way in. At that
moment, just like Raze, she had used the two-step shift and thrust the spear. It hit him right
in the chest, a single Qi-filled strike that was incredibly painful.
His body was lifted in the air, and he fell over backward, holding onto his chest. The pain
was great, to the point he felt a bit of blood coming out from his mouth. He didn't get up for
a few moments, and by then, Safa was there with the spear pointed right at his neck.
"Yes!" Teacher Lee screamed. "She did it, she really did it. She did everything perfectly, just
the way she was meant to!"
The group was somewhat even more stunned than when they had seen Raze win. Because
that was now two successive wins in a row for the Blue headbands. A miracle could happen
once in a while, but for them to happen one after the other just like that.
For those watching, they would think that it wasn't just the students, but it had to be some
involvement from the teachers as well.
"Ah, I recognize the technique that was used. That was from the Pointed Head Clan, was it
not?" one of the merchants said. "Ah yes, they are quite skillful, but I thought they had been
producing subpar warriors these days. Not enough to protect us from bandits, but that
doesn't seem to be the case."
Everything was working out for Teacher Lee; he just needed a little bit more, and
everything would be okay.
As Safa returned to her seat, Simyon had lots of praise for her, but he was nervous because
he would either be up soon or he would be next. That was when Raze said something to
him, though.
The momentum was on their side, and there was an excitement in the air that was coming
from those watching. They had just witnessed two great miracles one after the other, and
now it was the perfect time to act.
"Don't worry," Raze said to the nervous Simyon. "I'm not going to let those Main Clan
disciples get away with this, with everyone watching, the stage has not been set."
Raising his hand, Raze stood up at that moment, and without talking to Teacher Lee, he
started to make his way onto the stage.
"I… have a proposal to make."
Chapter 140 A Warm up
Chapter 140 A Warm up
The timing of Raze standing up was a bit odd to everyone watching. For one, there should
have been still two more matches to go for the Blue headband wearers. Simyon, along with
one of the other students, had yet to compete.
After that, the selected Yellow headband users would fight next against pretty much the
rest of the headband users. That was the main event, while everything else was the warm-
up.
However, Raze wasn't going to let this momentum shift. Right now, the miracles that had
been achieved by the Blue headband group were fresh in all of their minds, and they were
more inclined to listen.
"I...have a proposal," Raze said out loud as he walked forward past the teacher and onto the
platform. For those watching, it felt like quite a shock to see a student acting this way.
The way he had stepped onto the platform, it was as if he owned it, but Raze carefully
turned away from the students and faced the crowd as he gave a small, polite bow.
"Please hear me out," Raze said after lifting his head.
No one had come out to stop Raze, despite how much Teacher Lee wanted to tackle him out
of the area. This was his golden goose, and discourse between the two would seem a little
strange.
Raze looked directly into the eye of the principal and saw a slight nod; he knew this was his
chance, his only chance.
"Thank you," Raze cleared his throat and held out his hand toward the two hundred
students on the side. "We are all from the Dark faction and are from multiple clans across
the continent. Although we might not be the majority of strength that leads the faction, our
clans do cover the majority of the land. With it, it means that we work with the majority of
the people in our territory. Today, with our blue headbands representing our clans, we
wanted to prove something. That we can play a bigger role, that by working hard, we can
show our importance to all of you. Do you believe we have shown you this today?" Raze
asked.
The merchants started to talk amongst themselves, as well as the Clan heads. The
merchants were the ones who would work closely with the other clans, so in their eyes, if
they had those who were more capable, it would be better for them. Besides, the higher
clans always charged more, but for them, it was seen as worth the price since they were
guaranteed a level of protection. But for merchants, money was king. If there was
competition and more choice, their costs would be lowered.
However, they had all come to an agreement. Just two members besting those in the Yellow
group didn't mean much in their eyes.
"Just the two of us winning against the Yellow headband users doesn't mean much, right?"
Raze said seemingly reading their minds. "We haven't even fought against the selected
students. Which is why I have a suggestion, where we Blue headbands have a chance to
redeem ourselves for what has happened, prove our skills, and of course entertain you,"
Raze bowed down again.
Dame couldn't help but smile as he saw what Raze was doing; he never thought he had this
sly side to him.
'He's set up an image in their head, given them a reason for his actions, and all while they
were in a good mood. I bet a lot of them were saddened by the fact they had only seen a
taste of Raze's skills, and right now, all of them were curious about wanting to see more.'
"We understand," Amir, the vice principal, shouted out. "What is your suggestion?"
Raze looked over for a moment at the Five-man disciples sitting in the red seats, and they
caught it, a large smile that was on his face. All they could do as they sat there was wonder
just what was it that he had planned.
"I suggest a group match," Raze asked. "A team of us that will go up against the Red
headbands. But not just any of the Red headbands—the Five Main Disciples of the five great
clans belonging to the Dark faction."
Immediately, there were gasps and whispers among the guests and the students
themselves. Even the Blue headbands felt uneasy about what he was suggesting.
"A group of five!" Teacher Lee nearly choked on the air. "But most of the capable students
are already injured, and why did he have to pick the main disciples?"
For the disciples themselves, there was anger spread across their faces. They were almost
disgusted by the suggestion. Why should they even waste their time fighting against people
like them?
"I believe by going up against the best the academy has to offer, we will be able to display
our strength to you the best as well," Raze explained. "I am not a fool; I know there is a
large difference between our two groups. I think this will serve as a great warm-up for
those that are called the best, just before you can enjoy your fight between the Red and
Yellow headband students."
At first, those at the side thought it would be a clear slaughter fest. The main disciples
would win regardless. But if it was just as a warm-up and was an extra fight that they could
watch, then they would be happy to get more entertainment. The seed of curiosity was also
strong in them all. Just like when one would play the lottery, they knew the chances of
success were low, yet the excitement of the chance of something happening, and a dream
excited them.
Murkle didn't make a decision straight away; instead, he was looking at the guests and
seeing their reaction. Some thought it would be a waste of time, while others were looking
forward to the match. Even if it was a waste of time, it would only delay them by a few
moments at most.
"I would really like to see what happens," Himmy said out loud in a deep voice, but he was
just looking at Charlotte as he spoke.
She raised an eyebrow, wondering what on earth he was doing. To which she eventually
saw him wink.
'If the boy wants to fight that badly, then I'm sure he has something amazing to show us,'
Himmy thought.
"Ah, yes!" Charlotte said out loud, relatively robotic. She was a horrible actor. "I quite like
seeing the sword swinging and the fist punching, and the... the jumping and stuff."
Overhearing the two on the left, Murkel had made his decision.
"I accept your proposal. At the very least, the Five Main Disciples should be able to best the
Blue headbands and fight against the other students. Please, select who you wish to fight
with you."
Raze looked at his group, and many were turning their eyes away from him, wishing not to
be selected. The first name to be called had come as a surprise to them all.
"Liam," Raze said.
"Wait, what!" Liam shouted, holding the side of his ribs. "I've only just recovered, and I'm
half-dead. I already fought against one of the Red headbands; why do I have to fight against
them again? What in the balls is this?"
Ignoring his angry words, Raze continued.
"I select Simyon as well."
Nervous, Simyon stood up from his seat and started to walk over. He had somewhat
expected this. When he finally reached Raze and stood by his side, he stood there helplessly
with his hands tucked into his armpits.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Simyon whispered.
Seeing how Raze was continuing to call out names, Liam eventually stood up. He reluctantly
walked over, feeling like there was no choice.
"Safa Cromwell," Raze asked.
She didn't hesitate as she ran over, a smile on her face, happy that her brother was relying
on her. She had trained hard, so she wouldn't hold him back.
"And lastly, I pick you," Raze pointed right up to the corner. "Pink!"
"Huh!" Dame stood up. "Me?" He pointed to himself once again, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
With that, the five had been selected to go against the Five Main Disciples. Raze turned his
head, looking at the disciples getting up from their seats.
'I have no intention of this actually just being a simple warm-up. I'm going to make each
one of them spill blood right on this stage.'
Chapter 141 Five Vs Five
Chapter 141 Five Vs Five
The three teachers from the Blue headband were as nervous as anything as they saw their
students make their way to the stage. Liam had been cultivating a Qi pill to regain his
energy and help his body heal the wounds at a quicker rate, but there was no doubt that he
was still injured.
To Teacher Lee, the whole proposal was something that just made no sense to him. 'Why
would he pick Liam, and who was that other student, Pink?'
Looking through the assessment book again, he could see that although Pink wasn't at the
bottom of the list of students, he was in the middle and closer to the bottom half than the
top half of the students they had.
'I can't fully trust the results Tod has given me, but if he's around the center, then I can't
just fully say that the assessment was completely wrong either.'
Teacher Lee was trying to find a positive out of the current situation, but all he could think
about were the negatives. This was because of the difference in levels. Although Raze had
managed to beat a Yellow headband user, there was a difference between those at the top
of the Yellow headbands.
Then there was another gap between the Yellow and Red headbands, and finally, the
largest gap that existed in this academy was the gap between the Red headbands and the
main disciples.
"I hope our relatives don't finish this match too quickly," Gavin said as he took another big
swig of an alcoholic jar. He was enjoying the tension in the air and everything that had
occurred so far.
"Are you really entertained by such childish fights?" Feebie asked. "We won't even see our
disciples perform half-decent skills with this lot. I think this might even be a little too
cruel."
The five main disciples had set up, with most of them holding onto wooden swords by their
side as they stood on the main stage. They were spread apart from each other about a
meter apart, and Ricktor was in the middle.
All of them had a relaxed stance, almost as if it was annoying that they had been called up.
Some of them were looking at their nails or off into the distance. Only Ricktor was looking
straight into Raze's eyes, and Mada was looking down at the floor.
"If looks could kill, huh?" Dame said, standing next to Raze. He then leaned in to whisper
while covering his hand so the others were unable to see.
'So what do you want me to do? I don't think your plan was to have me take them out. I
mean, I could do that for you if you really wanted to, but it would cost you quite a bit,' Dame
whispered.
'No, don't take them out,' Raze replied. 'But just do whatever you can to stop the others
from getting involved in my fight... and wait for me.'
Dame was hoping for this answer.
'So he really does plan to deal with them all on his own. Alright, I can do that for him... but
these guys, they aren't going to be as easy as you think. I wonder what I should ask for in
return when he asks for my help,' Dame thought.
"The match!" Pincer shouted. "Will now begin!"
The fight had started almost instantly, with a lot of them hesitating and the main disciples
not even moving forward. But the only one to rush straight in was Raze.
"Crap, we have to follow him; there's no way he can win if all of them take him apart!"
Simyon said, rushing to protect him, and the rest followed.
Raze continued forward and he was going for the disciple right at the very end. This was
Ossep, the bald-headed disciple from the Moon Shield clan, and he also had a wooden
shield as his choice of weapon attached to his arm.
When close enough, Raze went in, and he did the two-step shift, throwing out his fist.
Lifting the shield up, the attack was blocked.
"You won't get us with the move you used before; you'll have to use something different!"
Ossep said, but he could feel his arm that held up the shield was a little numb.
'The attack is stronger than I thought... is that really the Qi of someone who's a stage 1
warrior.'
Turning to the others were the rest of Raze's group, and almost immediately, Lisa from the
Lethal Bite clan, with a smile on her face, had appeared right in front of him.
"Did I just hear you say win?" Lisa laughed. "I can't believe you would think of such a
foolish thing in a place like this!"
A fist went right up toward Simyon's head, and he lifted both arms to protect himself, but it
was a feint, and a strong powerful punch had hit him in the stomach as well. The power
caused Simyon to slide across the ground and he knocked into Liam.
As soon as he was hit, he was knocked back onto the ground.
"F*ck me!" Liam said. "You piece of lard, why do you weigh so much!"
With his fist tensed by his side, Simyon lifted his head, seemingly fine from the punch.
"Ow... that... hurt." Simyon let out some air from his body. It was true it did hurt, but the hit
wasn't enough to take him down.
'Huh, what is going on?' Lisa thought as she looked at her fist. Her knuckles were a little red
from impact. For a level 1 warrior's body, it should only be a little harder than flesh, and
she shouldn't have felt such an impact.
It was almost as if she had directly hit a shield of sorts.
'My attack, it should be enough to have taken down a Blue headband student, no, not just a
Blue headband student, a Yellow one as well. What is going on?'
Simyon smiled, all of the abuse he had suffered in the last month, getting hit day by day by
Dame, it was paying off. His body had grown in strength, and a strong body was perfect for
the item's effect on his ear.
"I'll just hit you again until you fall!" Lisa shouted as she charged forward. Throwing out a
fist, it hit Simyon again, who had placed his shoulder in the way of the punch, and right at
that moment, Liam came down swinging his sword.
Lisa was able to react by pulling her body back; the strike had missed, but it was incredibly
close.
"Haha, this will work; you be the shield, and I'll be the sword, let's do this!" Liam said.
Lisa couldn't help but grunt and was wondering what the others were even doing.
On the stage, Safa was using her spear skills the same way she had before, stabbing against
Mada, causing him to stay back. He hadn't been hit, but he was unable to get closer. This
wasn't because of his skill but because his mind wasn't in the right place.
'She's that no-name's sister, right?' Mada thought; his skin was still crawling all over the
moment he thought of this. 'If I hurt her, if I try to attack her, will that bloody hand come for
me as well.'
Full of strange thoughts, Mada was unable to even focus to find a way to get in. He was
performing subpar, and it was just enough for Safa to use her skills.
Lastly, there was Dame; he held the wooden sword in his hand, and the moment Ricktor
tried to strike with his techniques, Dame would perform a basic strike. He pivoted forward
and attacked just before the skill would be performed, stopping it on the spot.
Right after, Sherry would attack with her sword from the side, but he was able to avoid the
strike by hitting it away. What Dame was doing, none of it looked fancy. He was careful to
use basic skills; he just used them at the right time to diminish the skills of the main
disciples before they could reach the peak of their power with their skills.
"There's two of them going against that student, and the main disciples are unable to
handle him!" One of the merchants noticed.
"Come on, they must be taking it easy on him. He hasn't even performed any skills yet."
Another commented.
"Still, I thought the white-haired kid was one to watch out for, but it looks like there are
multiple talented ones in the group after all. The teacher must have done well to raise
them. This has become quite the match after all."
While most of the onlookers found it entertaining, the same couldn't be said for the leaders
of the five main clans. All of them were frustrated.
Feebie was clenching her hands and biting her bottom lip as she watched everything going
on.
'Just what is happening right now? Lisa, she used the full strength of her Qi, but that
student just won't fall, and how is it that a single person can hold off two of the main
disciples... this is...'
All of the leaders were thinking the same thing. They had no clue what they were seeing in
front of their eyes, how all of this was possible, yet they were unable to make a scene in
front of the others because how could they admit that their most talented were struggling
against these nobodies.
Nearly all eyes were focused on Dame as he held back Ricktor and Sherry at the same time.
They were so focused that they hadn't even witnessed what had happened in the back.
"ARGHHH!" A loud scream shouted.
When they saw who it was, they could see Ossep, with blood from his mouth and a large cut
on his arm. The next moment, he had fallen right in front of Raze.
In his hand was the small statue, with his back facing away from the others. He quickly
covered it and placed it away.
"Now, onto the next," Raze said, turning around with blood on his wooden sword and
walking towards the rest.
Chapter 142 The one I want
Chapter 142 The one I want
There were too many shocking things happening on the stage at once, and most of the
fights occurring closest to the guests and the main clans' disciples were Dame's, along with
the others.
At the very back, this was where Raze was going against Ossep, the main disciple of the
Moon Shield Clan. The Yellow headband students could witness what was going on the
most.
After the first attack had been blocked, Raze didn't stop as he continued for a while. Ossep,
being skilled, was able to continuously block them all, and he was waiting for the right time,
for an opening. There would eventually be one, he would eventually tire, right?
'All I need to do is just get one hit on him, and this fight will be over!'
The sword was then lifted into the air, above his head, and that was when Ossep saw his
chance. With the Qi gathered in his fist, he went for a strike. Right at that moment, Raze
lifted his foot, and slammed it to the ground with his Qi outward.
The Yellow students sitting at the front could feel the power of the Qi. This was the first
descending step. The uneasy Qi had disrupted the flow of his strike, and it had given Raze
just enough time to strike with full force.
'I need to cut the skin, so it's not too bad if I use just a little bit of my magic here right? After
all, you guys were the ones who almost killed me in that forest!' Raze thought.
Wind magic had gathered around the edge of his sword ever so slightly. He knew that
Charlotte was watching and she was perhaps the only one who would figure out he had
used his magic.
However, he had carefully selected his position at the start of this fight for this very reason.
Ossep had braced himself as he took the strike from the wooden sword. What he didn't
expect was for it to be just as sharp as an actual sword. It ripped right through his skin,
creating a big cut and causing quite a bit of pain.
'It… it cut me… he managed to cut me?' Ossep was filled with confusion at that moment.
Startled by the cut. Startled by the strength of his opponent, he had panicked, and before he
knew it, a two-step punch with the shift of his feet, it had gone right towards the chest of
Ossep.
A crack was heard, as part of the bones protecting the chest broke. Blood filled Ossep's
mouth slightly, and eventually he had fallen onto the ground.
With one hand, Raze had summoned the statue, carefully blocking it with the sword, and
smearing part of the blood on the statue. In one smooth motion he had placed it away as
well.
The only onlookers, the only ones that had seen Ossep's defeat, were the Yellow headband
students and teachers that were closest.
One of the students was shaking slightly. 'What was that feeling, that power that came off
from his foot. What was that technique, and how much Qi does this guy have?'
"Did you see he cut him, he cut him with the blunt wooden sword. What sword technique
was that he used."
"Hey are you guys forgetting something? That's a Blue headband student right there. He
managed to just beat one of the main disciples, in around a minute. What the heck just
happened!"
The realization was hitting everyone at this point. Even the main leader of the Moon Shield
Clan, Gavin, had stood up from his seat, and he started to inch forward.
"Am I… dreaming or something? This has to be some type of trick right? Ossep couldn't
have been defeated, he'll get up… he'll get up."
"Oh, even before I forget." Raze said as he turned around, and kicked Ossep's body until it
slid and fell off the stage. "That's one down."
One of the rules of the event, was if a student went out of bounds, that it would also count
as a loss, and now it meant that Ossep was unable to make it back in the fight.
'You should be thankful that's all you get. All of you were willing to leave me for dead back
there. If I was a student with no magic powers. I would have truly died falling off that cliff.
I'm not naive enough to think that none of you had a clue what Mada was doing.' Raze
thought, turning back around.
With one down, he now had to focus on another.
Teacher Lee stood there with his mouth open wide, while the Blue headband students
couldn't help but cheer in amazement at what they were seeing. Because it wasn't just Raze
that was doing well, but all of them were performing their best, and it looked like they were
putting up a fight.
Before, they thought that the main disciples were going easy on them, but after seeing Raze
win his fight, was that the case? Some thought that perhaps, it was just luck. His opponent
had underestimated Raze, and in doing so had left a lot of openings.
If that was the case, then they would still take it, because in the real world it wasn't an
excuse to take it easy on your opponent. So they knew the main disciples wouldn't be able
to use that as an excuse.
Dame had continued to use what he would consider his sloppy sword skills against both
Sherry and Ricktor, but something had happened. When Dame went to do the same trick as
he had done before, interrupting the skill at the right time, Ricktor had avoided the strike
and he quickly used his sword skills from the right side.
"The defining swipe!" Ricktor whispered to himself, his sword going right for the side of
Dame's head.
Before it reached though, he lifted his hand and knocked it away, jumping back a few times.
'Damn it, I can't believe I had to use my hand-to-hand skills against a stage 3 warrior.'
Dame was not a swordsman, he always preferred fighting with his fists, but he thought his
lazy skills with the sword would have been enough to take on these guys, so he was quite
surprised by the result.
"If that was a real sword your hand would have been sliced off and your head sliced in half."
Ricktor said with a smile.
"And if this was a real fight I would have punched you to the moon." Dame sighed, as he
was finding it quite hard to hold back.
——
Safa was continuing to fight against the puzzled Mada, and Teacher Lee was quite
impressed with her relentless skills. Due to her opponent she was able to show a number of
different techniques.
One of them in particular, she had thrusted her spear forward, and then in a swirling
motion she spun it around in circles towards Mada.
He jumped back, flipping himself several times avoiding the spear, and just then he had
nearly jumped off the edge. He saw the spear coming towards him again and with nowhere
to run he had no choice as he grabbed the spear.
He held it firmly in his hand. Safa was trying to pull, push or move it to the side but it just
wasn't budging.
'What was I thinking, right now, not just Gunther, but our father is watching us as well.'
Mada thought to himself. 'I can't look pathetic in front of them! I would rather die!'
Lifting his leg up, it flowed like a wave and crashed right into the spear breaking it in half.
Safa, she was confused with what to do, as she saw Mada coming right for her. When he
was close, he threw a Qi filled kick.
She braced herself, and felt a tug right on her back. She was pulled away, and the kick had
hit nothing but the air. She was confused, she hadn't moved herself yet she was watching
the kick go by.
Right after that, she felt a strong force again pushing her, she stumbled and fell right off the
side and was out of the arena. Turning around she could see Raze was there with his palm
out.
"Do you remember what I said to you?" Raze asked as he looked at Mada right in the eye,
who was hesitant to attack and had jumped back. "I am the one who hunts, and I'm going to
be taking out every single one of you, especially you!"
Chapter 143 Never Back Down!
Chapter 143 Never Back Down!
A battle with Lisa, from the Lethal Bite Clan, was continuing on. She thought it was going to
be an incredibly easy fight, but it was actually proving extremely difficult for her.
Unlike the others, her clan didn't focus on using a sword, and her skills were more related
to the fist. That's why she was getting frustrated. Perhaps to the others watching on the
side, they thought she was taking it easy, but she had been hitting Simyon with full force all
over his body.
His back, his thigh, his shoulders, his chest—she had even hit his head a couple of times,
and yet no matter what, this person wouldn't fall. However, the damage could be seen
accumulating. Simyon's face was starting to swell slightly, and he could feel his body sore
all over.
"Why are you just standing there? You aren't even fighting properly, so just give up!" Lisa
shouted. She wasn't losing the fight by any means. She had yet to get hit, despite Liam doing
all the attacking; it was easy for her to avoid. The whole situation was embarrassing. How
could she not take down a Blue headband with several hits?
"This is a chance for me as well!" Lisa thought as she went in again. Simyon had hunkered
down and, focusing her Qi, she threw a punch from below, like an uppercut. The fist broke
through, pushing Simyon's arms to the side and hitting him right in the head. It flung
backward, small pieces of blood coming from his lips. He wobbled for a bit but continued
standing. Seeing this, Lisa wanted to follow up and charged in again.
"With Ossep being taken out, this is a chance for me to solidify that the Lethal Bite Clan's
position is even higher than that of the Moon Shield!" Lisa thought.
When she got close, Liam seemed to have come out right behind her, swinging his sword in
a seemingly random motion, performing the elephant strike again. It was unpredictable as
to where the strike was going to land, but Lisa was too fast and managed to jump back and
avoid the strike.
'Crap, the same thing keeps happening again and again,' Lisa thought. 'I know that the Blue
headband kid won't go down with one hit, but I can't follow up with more strikes since this
one keeps getting in the way.'
There were other thoughts in her mind, thinking if only this was a fair fight, or if she just
went up against one of them instead of two, but these things would have been ridiculous to
think of before she had started the match.
"Can you stop missing already?" Simyon said, his mouth sounding as if it was full of nuts,
but it was just due to it being cut up and swollen. Each time he had been hit in the face, his
teeth would cut the inside of his mouth.
"Do you think I'm trying to miss?" Liam shouted back. "My body is hurting each time I
swing this damn sword. If you want, I can just let her beat you up and be done with this
fight."
Huffing and panting, Liam was trying to desperately fight through his pain to attack. He
would have given up if it was his own fight, but seeing Simyon bearing through all of the
attacks, getting hurt even worse than when he fought Ricktor, he felt like he needed to help
however he could.
Liam continued to strike and was following up with another attack of the sword, and that's
when Lisa realized that he had gone a little too far away from Simyon.
"If I can't take you out together, then I'll just have to take you out one by one!" Lisa grabbed
onto the wooden sword. In a real situation, she wouldn't have been able to do this, and it
had come as a surprise to Liam. She then yanked on it, pulling with her strength, and with a
fist, she hit Liam right in the face. His body spun in the air, flipping until he crashed on the
floor. He wasn't quite sure if he would be able to fight again.
"That damn B*tch, that was quite cheap," Liam mumbled, blood oozing from him.
Frustrated, he threw the sword behind him, hoping to hit Lisa in any way possible, but it
just skidded across the floor as she was already heading toward Simyon.
When Lisa was close this time, Simyon had some time to see her coming at him, and he
decided to use the two-step shift. He shifted forward and threw out a punch but had
completely missed.
'Ah, that's right. I might be able to take the hit, but what an idiot am I to think that I would
be able to land something on a Red headband!' Simyon thought in those moments as he saw
the fist hit him right in the face.
His head swung back, but Simyon stayed strong on his feet. This time, Lisa was able to
follow up and struck him in the stomach; she hit him on the side, and she continued to
deliver blow after blow. Loud bangs were heard through the arena with each hit. It was
causing the other students to squint as they imagined they could feel Simyon's pain, yet
somehow he was still standing.
"Does he have to keep standing? Why does he keep standing?" one of the Blue headband
students said.
"I mean, it's clear he's lost this fight. There's no way he can win by just standing there, so
why is he still standing?"
"Well, if he keeps her busy, it gives time for the others to fight, right? So he is doing
something, and I hate to say it, but I think it's kinda cool." The student said the last line
quietly to himself, but many of them had the same feeling.
With each hit, they could still see Simyon standing, and while he was taking multiple hits,
there was a slight smile that appeared on his face.
'I took a beating for the last month, every day, from Pink. He had big hands, and his hits
were hard,' Simyon thought. 'That's all I did, and when I wanted to give up, he continued to
hit me, pushing me past my limit.'
"Why!" Lisa shouted as she threw another punch, hitting Simyon right on his chin. His head
lifted back, but he quickly threw it down and stared right at Lisa. "Why won't you fall!"
Simyon let out a little chuckle as he remembered something, something Raze had said, and
maybe this was the right time for him to use it.
"You know, for some reason, you're a lot less scarier than him," Simyon commented.
Thinking about this, the image in his head was Pink hitting him. While Simyon could feel
that Lisa was hitting him with all her might, it felt like Pink had never done so once.
Frustrated, Lisa charged up the Qi in both of her fists and placed them by her waist. Her
knuckles were sore from everything so far, the skin slightly grazed.
"I'm going to end this!" Lisa shouted, throwing her fists out. Simyon lifted his hand and
placed it right by his dark earring, rubbing the bottom of it. 'You told me when there's
trouble, to use this,' Simyon thought, and a flicker of dark magic surrounded the earring.
Chapter 144 Mythical Item Power
Chapter 144 Mythical Item Power
There was a special trait to the earring, other than that of the natural hardening effect. Over
the course of the month, Simyon could feel somewhat his strength increasing, the outside of
his body becoming stronger.
However, he didn't feel like there was any type of breakthrough. There was no sudden
difference, or extreme increase in strength when using the powers of the earring. Right
now, he had been using the powers of the earring, and yet Lisa was able to damage him
beyond what his armour could protect him from.
Still, Raze had mentioned something to Simyon. That is, if he was in trouble, he should rub
the bottom of the earring. Simyon had no clue what it would do, but Raze did.
The Mythical grade item, on top of being an item that could evolve the user's body strength,
also had another effect. If certain magic was used on the earring, it would gain an additional
effect that could be stored.
'I hope you weren't lying about this, Raze,' Simyon thought to himself, rubbing the bottom
of the earring. A flicker of black magic ignited, too small for those who were far away or for
Lisa to even notice.
[Rebound has been activated for the next two seconds]
Simyon didn't know what the skill or the effect of the item could do, all he could do now
was hope.
Lisa threw out both of her fists at full strength, and had done so, twisting both of her hands.
Right before she hit Simyon, she opened her fists and now had her fingers pointed like that
of claws.
Her fingers had dug into Simyon's skin. It was shallow but it had been done. The next
moment, she twisted it and all of the power of her Qi strike went right into Simyon.
'Wait, what's going on?' Lisa thought. She should have seen Simyon blasting through the air,
sent off the stage. She had used nearly all of her Qi in that strike. She didn't want this
embarrassment to go on any further, and now it had done nothing.
Soon, in her very own hands, right where she had struck, she could feel a gathering of
energy. Before she knew it, she was the one that had been blasted away. Her hands
detached from Simyon's body and she was flung in the air, landing on the ground, her arms
shaking.
As Simyon looked at her on the floor, he was confused as to what had just happened
himself, but he had no time for confusion. His eyesight was turning blurry, and he fell to
one knee, catching himself.
'I guess the earring really did do something. You saved me again, Raze; somehow. You are
one heck of a guy,' Simyon thought before passing out on the ground.
Having added the dark magic to the earring, Raze could see the skill rebound being used. In
that small moment, all of the damage that the user received would be rebounded back to
the attacker.
There were issues such as when the skill could be used and if they could survive the initial
strike. After all, Simyon's skin was still exposed, and if a real sword was used, it still would
have gone through his body.
On top of that, once the skill was used, the Dark magic would disappear, and Dark magic
would have to be placed in the earring again. Still, it was a powerful skill that suited the
rank of a Mythical item.
"What was the art that boy used? I've never seen anything like it before," the onlookers
discussed among themselves. Feebie didn't say anything; she was too stunned to see her
niece in the condition she was in.
She could slowly see Lisa getting up off the floor, which was a good sign, but far too much
embarrassment had already been done.
"It seems the kid has used some type of body strengthening art and used a type of rebound
technique," Murkel commented. "These children, all of them, are above the norm, and I'm
not just talking about their skills.
"You can see it on their faces, can't you? The difference between them and those from our
clans."
The clan leaders watched the fights going on; they had been observing carefully but had no
idea what the principal was talking about.
"All of them have a stronger desire than our own disciples. Whether it's to please someone,
to protect someone, to prove something… or even a goal that is beyond that of what is seen
right here.
"If we look at the state of our students and of the others without having seen the fight, you
would still have guessed that there was a clear winner, but there is a great difference
between the two, in their desperation."
Both Mada and Raze had their wooden swords drawn out. So far, Mada hadn't used his
weapon even when he was going up against Safa, but it showed just how serious he was
taking the opponent right in front of him.
'Foot of the water stride!' Mada had decided to use. He jumped from side to side, and
quickly he was heading to Raze in a zigzag pattern.
The jumps in between each step, they were changing in size, making it hard for even Raze
to guess where he was going to be. Dashing forward, Raze placed his sword to his side,
blocking the attack, but he was unable to kill any of the momentum.
He had used the two-step shift to move to the side, yet the attack had still hit him, and hard
as well. His whole body tumbled to the ground. He quickly got up, and with a sidekick,
Mada had hit him right in the chest.
It sent him skidding across the floor. When Raze eventually stopped, he coughed a couple of
times, holding onto the damaged area.
'He's a lot faster and better than when he was going up against Safa, and it looks like he's
taking him a lot more seriously than the last disciple,' Raze thought.
Behind him, he could see that Dame was fully going against the two disciples as well. He
had given up on the sword and was blocking both of their attacks with his hand techniques,
with one student giving him more trouble compared to the other.
After deflecting two of their attacks, Dame jumped back, and now he was somewhat back-
to-back against Raze as well.
"I told you that this wouldn't be as easy as you thought. Do you want a hand, and need me
to deal with this all?" Dame asked.
At this point, Raze could see that Lisa was getting up off the ground as well; both Liam and
Simyon looked as if they could no longer continue to fight. So it would mean that he would
have to go up against two of the main disciples just like Dame was doing now.
If Dame did use his skills, wouldn't that make him stand out, and for the others to ask a lot
of questions? If that was going to happen anyway, then it would be a lot more satisfying for
Raze to do it himself.
"If I did something right now, do you think you would have the power to stop everyone
here from attacking us?" Raze asked as he pulled up both of his sleeves on his uniform. It
was clear, to Dame, he wasn't just talking about the disciples, but everyone watching them
as well.
Chapter 145 Winning at all costs
Chapter 145 Winning at all costs
Dame made sure he had heard Raze's words right when he had asked the question and he
was trying to figure out what he was implying. Some might have thought he just meant
whether or not Dame could take on the others all by himself.
Being three stages above all of them, Dame would have no trouble if he were to use his full
strength, but that would raise eyebrows and would put him in a difficult situation. Yet, if he
just narrowly beat them all, it would still somewhat have the same effect, putting him in
trouble.
Yet, the way Raze spoke, he wasn't asking for Dame's help in that way.
'It's just as I thought, that guy he's adamant to fulfill his task on his own, no matter what.
He's going to take out these guys on his own, with his own strength and he isn't going to
care how he's going to do it.'
The first thing that came to Dame's mind was the Dark Magus' strange power. Perhaps he
was going to use strong powerful items that he had created, or special Qi pills to strengthen
himself and defeat them all.
The question that had been asked then, was whether or not Dame could protect him from
all of those around him. From all of the onlookers, the principal as well as the five disciple
leaders.
'Most of them I could probably hold off, I still have the gauntlets he gave me as well, but the
principal will be a tricky one and with all of them at the same time. Maybe, I could hold
them all off just long enough for Raze to create a portal…but even then.'
"You're asking me to do something crazy you know!" Dame said as he swung his arm, and
knocked Sherry's arm that was wielding the sword away. Right behind her following up
was Ricktor, who was becoming quicker and quicker on the attack.
Dame had to place both of his hands together, and swirled his Qi around defusing the
power of the attack before it reached his hands and grabbed the tip of the sword quickly
throwing that to one side as well.
"But I guess I was crazy as well for following you in here, so we should at least stick
together for now. You do whatever it is you want to do."
Having his answer, Raze had shifted away from Dame and now was looking at Mada in the
second half of the fighting arena floor. There were a few marks on the ground from the
fighting, but what he needed to do was finish this fight fast, before Lisa could recover and
join in on the fight.
Raze could see Mada coming in the same way as he had done before, jumping from side to
side heading straight for him.
'I was a little worried about doing this because of what Dame and Gunther said, but in this
situation, we will just have to deal with the consequences after, and who knows? Maybe
those guys will step in and help me out!'
Mada had dashed right at Raze, and at the right time, he performed the next skill.
'The third descending step!' Raze thought in his head, as the image of the book appeared.
Right then and there the Qi had gathered in his legs and he jumped in the air backwards
performing a type of back flip. The swipe from Mada's sword had completely missed, and
he was only able to react slightly in time to seeing a foot almost hit his face.
He leant back and the strike missed, but following up from the foot was Raze's sword. Mada
went to avoid that as well leaning back further.
'I was only just able to avoid that. What is this, is it a technique? I've never seen someone
spin backwards so fast?' Mada thought.
It was quite clear some type of technique had been used because the rotation that had been
used compared to a regular back flip wasn't normal.
Carefully having avoided the sword though, Mada felt a stinging pain right across his face.
Touching it with his finger he could see a bit of red.
'Blood… did he cut me?'
Mada had a single cut, right down the center of his face drawn like a line. It was fairly
shallow but enough to draw blood and cause the warrior discomfort.
'But I avoided the strike, how did he cut me?' Mada thought. 'And with a blunt wooden
sword.'
The moment Raze had landed, what went best with the third descending step was none
other than the fourth descending step. As soon as he landed on the ground with both feet,
the continuous Qi flowed and exploded. The floor tiles underneath his feet slightly broke,
and Raze came right at Mada like a rocket.
Before Mada could even do anything else, Raze had slashed his sword right against the
chest of Mada, and a long cut across his body appeared, blood spattering across the ground
and in the air.
"Ah!" Mada groaned as he moved backward, using his hand on his wound with the blood
soaking through it. Unlike the last cut, this one was fairly deep. Shocked by what was
happening, Mada had somewhat stumbled.
Watching from the side, Charlotte's eyes had bulged open, and Himmy had noticed that she
had gone rather quiet, even though the one she was rooting for was winning.
'I wasn't so sure of it before, but I'm sure of it now. Raze… he's using wind magic on his
sword, to make it just as sharp as a real sword. That's how he's cutting all of the students. Is
he trying to make our job difficult? What if there was another Alterian among those that are
here?' Charlotte thought.
In terms of magic though, Raze wasn't done yet. He had gotten the blood he needed off the
sword, and oddly, with his free hand, he then proceeded to rip his upper shirt off, revealing
his pale but well-toned body.
With the upper half of his uniform, he then threw it in the air between him and Mada.
'At this angle, the clan leaders won't be able to see clearly.' Raze then used the second
descending step.
The Qi blasted off the back of his foot, causing him to leap forward and cover the distance
between the two quickly. With his fist ready, the clothing had wrapped around his fist.
"This is for trying to kill me, you f*ck!" Raze shouted.
Underneath his shirt, where his arm was covered, dark magic started to swirl around. It
was activating. Along with the Qi of the second step, right now, a devastating power was
growing.
Mada managed to swing his sword in time.
'Flowing strike!' Producing an attack of his own.
The moment the fist and the sword hit though, the sword snapped in half, and the fist had
hit Mada right in the stomach.
Mada's eyes looked as if they were about to bulge out of his head, and immediately all the
air and blood had come out of his mouth. Before he knew it, he was flying through the air.
He had gone right past Ricktor and Sherry and continued back, until he had fallen and
crashed right off the stage, landing right at the clan leaders' feet.
They looked down at the bloodied and injured Mada, who still was unable to breathe
properly from the strike, and Raze, who had his fist held out, and a hole through his shirt
that had covered his attack.
At that moment, a thought had entered Murkel's head.
'This kid… is dangerous!'
Chapter 146 Finishing The Job
Chapter 146 Finishing The Job
The entire watching area at the side where the Clan leaders were had fallen silent. They
were looking down at the injured Mada and could see the severity of his wounds now that
he was up close.
None had reacted immediately towards him because they never expected something like
this to happen. A hit that was strong enough to send a person flying from where they were
on the platform, all the way to where they were.
It should have been something that was only possible for a stage three, maybe even higher,
Pagna warrior. But for one to be at an academy and at this age? It was impossible,
impossible for them to not have heard about it, and even more impossible for the person to
have appeared from a no-name background with no clan at all.
"Kek! Kek!" Mada eventually coughed a couple of times, specks of blood coming out and
landing on the floor. That had broken the silence and led to Crine, the current head of the
flowing force, to get out of his seat.
Immediately, he raised his hand and started to gather his Qi, placing it on Mada's body.
Controlling the Qi from himself and slowly trickling it into Mada's body, he could affect it to
help the body heal at a better and faster rate.
Although Crine had to be careful about using too much of his Qi, since Mada was only a
stage 2 warrior, too much would cause more problems than help. It was something that
only higher stage Pagna warriors with finer Qi control could do.
"This is a disaster," Gavin said. "What is going on? Just who is that child? He can't be
normal. He has not just taken out one of the main disciples but two, and did you see what
he had just done?
"We must stop this match immediately!"
At first, the beating of Ossep could be attributed to the fact that he underestimated Raze's
strength. He had underestimated him. Still, this was an excuse more than anything because
the Pagna warriors should have been prepared, and even if taken by surprise, it wasn't as if
anyone could defeat them.
Now it was clear; the attack used and the way another one of the main disciples had been
defeated was no coincidence; the student was strong.
"I agree," Feebie said, standing up and moving her fan to the side. "We need to bring that
student in for questioning and find out who he really is!"
Since Crine was taking care of the student, she had decided to move forward, but before she
could take even more steps, a certain individual got in her way.
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Gunther asked. "Trust me, my Clan was the one
who was humiliated right now. I want to go out there as well, but everyone is watching.
Merchants, entrepreneurs, government officials, and more have been invited to this event.
"Do you want to show how, because our disciples are defeated, we panic and gang up on
them, using extreme force? Rumors will spread, and it will start to cause internal conflict
among the Dark Faction. If the other factions find out this is happening as well, they will
call us weak."
"If that kid really wanted to hide something, do you think he would willingly show us this
display right in front of us, right now?"
The clan leaders were shaking with anger, as they knew Gunther was right, but they were
still hesitating on what to do, especially Feebie, as she feared that the next main disciple
that would be taken out was none other than her own.
On the stage, Raze had readjusted his torn shirt so the hole that he had made through it was
unable to be seen. He then took the blood from the sword and wiped it on his hand. As he
readjusted the shirt away from the eyes of others, he placed Mada's blood on the statue.
'That's two out of the five, and from the look of it, the others aren't going to get involved
either,' Raze said, as he turned, he could see that Lisa had gotten up on her feet.
Her arms were badly damaged, and the strength of just her standing looked weaker
compared to before.
'The strength of the Dark Strike was stronger with the second step when compared with
the two-step shift,' Raze thought to himself. 'Honestly, even I didn't expect it to work out
that well. Thankfully he's alive; otherwise, those leaders might not be holding themselves
back.
'Since I've angered them quite a bit, I'll deal with you quickly as well.' Raze started to make
his way toward Lisa, who had recovered just in time to see what he had done to Mada.
'Crap, how strong is this person? With the state I'm in, I can't win against him,' Lisa thought
as she started to shuffle backward. Without realizing it, she was moving further and further
away.
"Hey, am I seeing things?" The Blue headband student said. "Or is one of the main disciples
backing away from him."
"Well, she was already injured from Liam and Simyon, and Raze, I guess he's just as strong
as the main disciples as well, so it makes sense."
A miracle, a miracle was happening right in front of their eyes, and the Blue headband
students didn't want it to stop. How many times when they had gone into the canteen had
their clans been disrespected, their hard work not acknowledged?
Some had even gotten into fights and been told that they would never achieve anything,
and here, not just Raze, but the others had proven them very wrong.
Just then, Lisa was ready to jump off the stage. Seeing this, Raze used the second step and
headed right toward her; he grabbed the scruff of her uniform and chucked her back on the
ground.
"What is he doing!" Feebie shouted, standing up from her seat. "She was going to forfeit by
going out of the arena, and he's thrown her back in. That damned!"
Rushing forward, the Vice Principal Amir was now the one who had stepped out in front of
her.
"I'm afraid that I agree with Gunther. I will not allow anyone other than the students to step
on that platform, out of respect for the Academy and the students."
If it was just one going against her, then Feebie would have tried to push forward, but both
Gunther and Amir were incredibly powerful, with Gunther even being close to reaching the
middle stages. With this, she was unable to do anything, and it was too late anyway.
"AHH!" Lisa screamed as a cut had been made across her hand, the blood on the sword.
"What are you doing? I already was going to quit; why are you hurting me?" She shouted.
"Do you think you are going through as much pain as Simyon did just before you?" Raze
asked. "If he had told you to stop, would you have done so?"
While speaking with his uniform covering his other hand, Raze was fiddling about, doing
the same trick, putting the blood of the third on the statue.
"Don't take advantage of others," Raze said as he picked up her arm. His strength was able
to hold onto her body, and due to her weakened state, she had done next to nothing to fight
back.
With a fling of his arm, he had thrown her just off the stage, landing on the ground. Turning
around, now Raze looked toward Sherry and Ricktor, who both were fighting against Dame
still.
Having somewhat recovered, Liam and Simyon were opening their eyes, and they could see
Raze's bare back as he walked off towards the last two disciples.
"I guess I never stood a chance, huh?" Liam smiled to himself. "Well, you've gotten this far,
so you might as well go ahead and finish the job."
Chapter 147 The Devil’s Strike
Chapter 147 The Devil's Strike
The Yellow headband students, along with the rest of the Red headband students, had
mostly fallen silent. There were a few whispers here and there, but the talking and shock
that had occurred one after the other had led them to their current state.
They were extremely focused, looking at Raze. They were watching him carefully, and in
their minds, they were thinking one of two things. Could they have done the same as Raze
had done? Could they have dealt with the Main disciples as well as he had? They watched
the skills he had used; his Qi was certainly strong, beyond that of a stage 1 Pagna warrior,
but at the same time, it didn't feel as if it was any stronger than that.
The skills just felt almost as if they were well-controlled. There was only one instance that
had shocked them to believe Raze might be above that of a stage 2 Pagna warrior, and that
was the strike that had been used on Mada. Due to him being a stage 2 warrior, his level of
Qi should have been the same as most others, and such damage shouldn't have occurred.
All of this led them to wonder a second question: could they beat Raze in a match, and
adding to that, could anyone?
Right now, there were only two of the main disciples left. Dame had been glancing behind
him every so often, looking at the results, and he was quite surprised.
'He managed to learn some of the descending steps. I think I saw the third step and the
fourth used as well, and I don't think I'm wrong; he used them together.'
Dame looked at the hard ground that was meant to withstand a level of strong attacks and
could see one of the tiles broken.
'That would suggest he did use them together. One of the biggest advantages of the
descending steps is the fact that with each move, the Qi builds up on each other, rather than
just dissipating.
'At the same time, it's the move's biggest downfall since individually the steps are weaker
than most others out there. Due to the complex nature, not many try to even learn such a
thing. Has he secretly been learning all of the steps this last month? He's an incredibly fast
learner if he has.'
Hitting the strikes away from Ricktor consistently, Dame could feel his arms getting a bit
sore. He wasn't imagining it, but he could tell that this person in front of him, he too was
improving as the fight went on.
'From the looks of things, the Dark Faction has its rising genius as well!'
Seeing this, Dame then jumped up and kicked Sherry right on her back, and had done it in a
way so she would stumble right across towards Raze.
'Pink is quite talented as well,' Gunther thought. 'I can tell why he's holding back though; if
he's from the Noctis Clan and it was to get out, it would cause an even bigger panic than
what's happened so far, and we've had enough surprises for today.'
When Sherry eventually found her footing, she could see the white-haired no-name in front
of her. She had been so focused fighting against Dame that she was unaware of just what
had been going on. She had seen Mada getting knocked away, but had no idea that it was
the doing of the single white-haired no-name.
"What's happened to everyone?" Sherry asked. "What type of stupid trick did you use to do
all of this? Did you make a deal with the devil?"
It was hard for her to believe, hard for her to comprehend everything that had happened.
For Samantha, who was watching her dear disciple act like this, a thought was running
through her head.
'No… don't do it, just stay away from that student, just quit right now!' Samantha was biting
her lip. She couldn't shout out these words in front of everyone while they were watching.
"You are a no-name, and I'm going to show you your place! You should have never come
back to the academy!" She shouted, her sword pointing right at him.
Holding onto his sword tightly, Raze smiled as he heard this, then lifted his sword right
back up, pointing it at her.
"You know, originally I just wanted to get back at you five for what you did to me at the
assessment," Raze said. "For knocking me off that cliff. I bet you all thought nothing of it
and that you would never see me again."
Raze had spoken loudly this time and had done so so all of them could hear. The students
started to mumble now.
They thought it was strange; they could see the five disciples working together, and when
Raze didn't come back, they had assumed something had happened.
Now it had just confirmed their thoughts.
Gunther, who was standing away, turned to look at his brother, who was now sitting up,
still receiving treatment from Crine.
"Is that true, is it true that you knocked him off that cliff?" Gunther asked.
Mada didn't say anything; instead, he just averted his gaze, looking away, which had pretty
much given him his answer anyway.
"But I have an even bigger reason to hate you guys," Raze continued. "What I've come to
hate more is the way this whole academy is run and the way everyone is treated.
"It's impossible to rise; your position is made the day you are born in this world. I've heard
of all of those things before. It didn't stop me back then, and it won't stop me now."
Raze then swung his sword to the side, and it was pointed right at where the Blue
Headband students were sitting.
"I am a no-name!" Raze shouted. "I have come from no clan and was born this way. I was
placed in this world in a position even less than you!"
As Raze shouted these words, images flashed in his head. Of the days he was hungry, of the
days he would be beaten up as a child, and the things he would have to do just to eat and
survive the next day. He wasn't talking about this life, where his magic helped him, but
about his past life.
"In this world, I am expected to never even step foot in this academy! Which means for all
of you, from this day on, after witnessing what I will do, none of you will have an excuse.
"If you lose your arms in a fight, then train and use your legs; if you lose your legs, then bite
them with your teeth. Do everything you can to change your fate!"
Sherry had enough of listening to Raze's words, so she decided to charge forward. Her Qi
was channeling into her sword, and she was coming in fast.
Raze, seeing this, lifted the sword above his head and held it with both of his hands.
The attention of his strong speech had made it so all eyes were on him, even Ricktor and
Dame were somewhat no longer fighting as they took a peek.
'The way he's using the sword, don't tell me he's going to use that!' Dame thought.
"Don't blame what's around you; don't blame the situation you are in!" Raze continued.
Sherry swung her sword from the side, and instead of one, it looked as if it had split into
five, all heading for Raze.
'The Devil's first formation. Blood River!' Raze swung the sword down, and his Qi looked to
spark a little red as it cut through the air.
It had hit Sherry's sword, which she tried to lift above her head somewhat blocking the
attack, but her legs immediately crumbled, and she fell crashing onto her knees.
'This attack, it's so heavy, it's so strong… just what is this, I've never felt this type of Qi
before.'
She could feel the Qi not only in the sword but around it as well, and it was making her
whole body tingle.
The sword broke under the power into several pieces, and the wooden sword struck down
her left side. She felt her bones cracking first, and then looked to her right, where she could
see the wooden sword stuck in her skin in her upper right shoulder.
Raze then pulled the sword and kicked her right in the chest onto the ground. From the
pain and wound itself, it had appeared as if she had passed out, as she was no longer
moving, or no longer willing to move.
"What you do is the biggest factor in your life. The only person that you can control is you.
So do something about it, just like I'm going to now." Raze said as he walked over, looking
at the last disciple.
Meanwhile, one of the main clan leaders stood up, as he had realised something with that
last move he had seen.
"That technique," Gavin said. "It belongs to the Demonic faction!"
Chapter 148 The Last Disciple
Chapter 148 The Last Disciple
Most of the students and even many of the teachers weren't old enough to remember the
last time they had gone to war with those from the Demonic Faction.
There would be scuffles between groups now and then, and at the martial arts tournament,
they would witness some of the techniques used by the Demonic Faction.
It was why Dame thought that even if Raze was to use some skills from the Demonic
Faction, he would be fine. Especially the Descending Steps that so few individuals chose to
practice.
However, the Devil's Sword formations. This was different; it was quite a popular skill
among the higher-ups in the Demonic Faction.
Not only that, but the event that Dame thought would be on a smaller scale had many eyes
watching them, including the leaders of the main Clan. Those that had fought and studied
the Demonic Faction well.
'That idiot!' Gunther slapped the top of his head. 'Didn't I already warn him about having
Demonic energy? Although having the energy is not too much of a red flag, but using one of
their skills as well.
'There is no doubt that they now have every reason to bring you in.'
"Are you sure?" Murkel asked. "Are you completely sure that the technique that was used is
from the Demonic Faction?"
Gavin hesitated for a moment as he looked. He knew how big of a claim this would be. It
wasn't a small matter when it came to mingling with other Factions.
"I have no doubt that is a skill from the Demonic Faction, but I am not claiming that the
student is from the Demonic Faction," Gavin stated.
"If that student is from the Demonic Faction, shouldn't we pull him out of this event right
now? It could be dangerous for every one of our students!" Feebie claimed.
She was worried about Sherry after seeing what had happened to her. She was holding
onto her shoulder tightly, and while Raze had moved away from her, she had started to roll
so she could eventually get off the stage.
"The fact that none of the students have been injured to the point they are in critical
condition or dead. Doesn't that go to show something as well?" Gunther claimed.
In the end, the decision would lie with the principal, and he still seemed calm about the
whole thing. "The event will continue," Murkel stated. "Don't you think it would be pretty
interesting to witness, to see which is stronger, the techniques of the Dark Faction, or that
of the Demonic Faction."
Dame looked at what was happening, and he could see now that the only ones capable of
fighting were Ricktor and Raze, and now it was time for him to exit out of this finale.
Ricktor had thrust his sword with strong force, focusing his Qi into his weapon. Trying to
grab it, Dame had faked a miss, slowing down ever so slightly.
The tip of the sword, along with his Qi, had successfully struck Dame. It condensed into the
end and erupted, making somewhat of a small explosion as it sent Dame into the air and
bouncing off the ground.
He had hit the floor a few times and landed on his back. He lay still on the ground, doing
nothing.
'Man, I should become an actor and work in one of those shows!' Dame thought. 'Now that I
have done this though, it is all down to you Raze. You need to be careful as well; this guy is
skillful; I've never seen anyone like him.'
Raze had finished getting blood on the statue, making it four now in total. After placing it
away, he had thrown his uniform onto the ground; it was too torn up in the first place.
"I acknowledge your strength to be the last one standing here," Ricktor said. "I can tell that
you are indeed a stage 2 Pagna warrior; that is quite the achievement for a no-name."
Ricktor started to pat his leg, making the same sound as one would when clapping.
"You see, you might have been able to beat all of the others, but there is a big difference
between me and them. Not only am I more skilled, but I am a stage 3 Pagna warrior."
Mumbles among the watchers started. They couldn't believe it. A first-year reaching the
third stage. Many didn't even reach this after leaving the academy.
Wasn't he already as good as some of the teachers then? Maybe not the examiners like
Gunther, but certainly he would be at the same level as the red headband teacher.
"The difference between the two of us is too large," Ricktor said and moved from his
position.
It looked almost like there was an after-image of him, and right after, he was already right
where Raze was. A thrust of the sword.
An immense power was created, and the scene of a large amount of heat was seen coming
off from Ricktor. It was visible to all of those in the area.
"A visible Qi after-image skill!" Gavin mumbled in disbelief. "He really is a genius. I can't
believe the Erupting Fist Clan has such a talent."
The sword had stabbed Raze, and he was sent exploding back just like Dame. His body was
bouncing off the floor several times; the attack was monstrous, and a burning sensation
could be felt on his stomach.
Raze continued to bounce on the ground, and it looked like he was going to bounce all the
way until he fell off the other end of the stage.
That was until they could see two figures standing up.
"You're not losing like this, not until you get a hit on that guy!" Liam shouted.
"I don't want to keep thinking about that creep and his strange fetishes, so Raze, get rid of
him!" Simyon shouted.
The two of them ran forward and jumped, hitting Raze back with their shoulders, but the
force and momentum of his body had also pushed the two of them off of the stage, and now
no matter what they did, they weren't allowed to come back on again.
Raze was still on the stage; he pushed himself up with his arm and could feel the burning
sensation around his stomach. Looking down, there was a stabbing wound, and blood was
dripping onto his trousers.
'That guy,' Dame thought, keeping one eye slightly open so he could still witness the fight. 'I
feel like he's gotten stronger and better from fighting me! This isn't looking good; he needs
to use an item or his powers if he wants to win this fight. He can't win with his martial arts
on his own.'
Having gotten up off the ground, Raze held the sword firmly in his hand and looked straight
at Ricktor. To his left, a couple of meters away, Dame was lying on the floor still.
"Do you remember a conversation we had a while ago?" Raze asked. "You said if I knew
how to use all of the Descending Steps, that I would be able to take out even the main
disciples?"
Dame was wondering why now of all times was Raze talking about such a thing, but it
wasn't all the steps; it was only six of them.
"Is that still true for him?" Raze asked.
Ricktor was stronger than what Dame thought any of the main disciples would be like, but
he was confident in the Descending Steps. He knew their strength well.
Moving his arm slightly, he managed to lift up a thumb so Raze could see it.
"Then, I have nothing to worry about," Raze said as he walked over, the images of the book
in his head.
Chapter 149 The Descending Demonic Steps
Chapter 149 The Descending Demonic Steps
"Do you think he can win?" were the words that came out of Liam's mouth.
Both Simyon and Liam had been knocked away from the fighting platform and were now
watching from the outside. What they didn't realize was just where they had landed.
"Of course, he can't win," one of the yellow headband wearers replied. He was sitting in his
seat, arms folded, not taking his eyes away from the match ahead.
They were the ones who were meant to go up against the red headband wearers, but with
what had occurred today, what had happened, they weren't even sure if they would be able
to fight at all.
"I'm telling you now, Ricktor is not just the grandson of the Principal here; he's also a
genius," the yellow owner continued. "He's a Stage 3 Pagna warrior, the highest the
academy has ever had as a third-year."
Many of the yellow headband owners were nodding their heads in agreement.
"And I bet all of you losers would have said the same thing about him going up against the
others as well," Liam commented. "He is definitely going to win because he's got a cute
sister that he needs to protect."
Immediately, a heavy foot hit Liam's side, causing him to scream in pain. It had hit his
already sore and broken-down body.
"Why did you kick me?" Liam shouted.
"Because you're an idiot," Simyon replied. "But you're right about one thing, for some
reason, I don't think Raze is going to lose. Do you remember what he said earlier? I think
we are all going to witness something today, and we should all watch carefully."
There were things that Raze could do that were out of this world.
"Yeah, right. Ricktor is able to perform visual Qi. Do you even know how impressive that
is?" the student asked.
Both Liam and Simyon looked at each other because they really didn't, leaving the yellow
owner to let out a big sigh.
"When you perform your techniques or the skills you learn, the books usually give an image
in one's head that they need to remember. For example, your Elephant strike, you are to
imagine your attack like that of an elephant's trunk.
"If a person is skillful enough with their Qi, when using the techniques, it will form an
image in the real world. What we saw with his last attack, we could see the image of heat
coming off from his body, produced by the Qi used by his technique. Sometimes, not even
higher-stage Pagna warriors can do this.
"This is something that can only be done when one has completely mastered the technique
that is taught to them."
Both Simyon and Liam never knew of such a thing because they had never even seen it.
That's how rare it was. Of course, those like the main five clan heads would be able to do
such things.
But for those in the blue headband groups, their clan leaders would have never been
capable of performing such a thing.
The invited guests, the teachers, the clan head disciples, Dame, all of them were watching
carefully at what was about to happen. Ricktor had already gotten off the first move,
delivering a decisive blow.
"Since you managed to survive the last attack, then I'll go ahead and show you something
that you will never be able to achieve, just to show you how much of a difference there is
between us!" Ricktor shouted.
Swinging his sword and swinging his fist in a figure of eight together, intense heat was
starting to come off from his body again. The heat flowed fiercely around him, as if a
volcano had erupted.
His wooden sword, the tip of it was now glowing red with power as well. This was visual Qi
being used, and it was one of the Erupting Fist Clan's powerful techniques. It wasn't a single
skill per se, but a technique that would empower every single strike of his.
With the red-glowing wooden sword, Ricktor dragged the tip along the floor and left a deep
black line in the tiles. The sword had cut right through it.
"Hey, if the kid gets attacked like that, he'll be killed!" Gunther said.
"The students are able to quit anytime they wish," Murkel commented. "I believe my
grandson has shown him his power, to allow him the chance to quit. If he wishes to
continue, then that is down to him."
Raze stopped right in the middle of the stage; he no longer moved forward, and he didn't
say anything as he just held the sword in his hand, with both of them carefully. It didn't
look like he was about to perform any type of technique at all.
"Fine, you made your choice!" Ricktor shouted as he charged forward, a trail of his visual Qi
could be seen as a red aura was left in the air where he moved. The sword was in his hand,
and he was ready.
At that moment, Raze lifted up his foot.
'The first descending step!'
His foot slammed onto the ground, and the Qi from it dispersed outward. It hit Ricktor but
did next to nothing to slow him down. Right after slamming his foot, though, Raze
proceeded with the second step, kicking off.
It was faster than the time before as the Qi flowed in from the first to the second step.
'The second formation, the Devil's stinger!'
Combined with the second formation, a strange spark of energy flicked out from the air,
slowly covering the sword slightly. The tip of the sword crashed right into the side of
Ricktor's, and the two powers collided in the air.
"What is this...his power is actually able to match up to Ricktor's!" Gavin shouted. "Is that
even possible?"
Dame was no longer pretending to watch as he had lifted up his upper body, looking at the
sight.
'He used the second formation with the second step flawlessly...it has so much power, and
he managed to combine the steps.'
However, Raze wasn't done there. The third descending step was produced, as he flipped
back in the air, and his foot kicked Ricktor right in the chin. With the added Qi from the first
two steps, it was too fast for him to react.
When landing on the ground, Raze used the fourth descending step right after, kicking off
with both his feet. The large amount of Qi had broken several of the tiles where his feet
were, and they flew back behind him.
The sword was shoved forward, hitting Ricktor right in the stomach; he was unable to
block in time.
'The fifth descending step!' Raze then kicked off from one foot and slashed right across,
hitting Ricktor on his body. A loud thud came from around him, and Ricktor felt as if there
was a large weight right on top of his body.
'The sixth descending step!' Raze did the same but from the other side; he kicked from the
side, going in a single path. The Qi exploded to his right, and even from where the red
headband wearers were, they could feel the massive amount of Qi.
Raze swung the sword again, hitting him on the other side, and a large line of Qi was visible
in the air after crashing into Ricktor. Blood spewed out of his mouth, and the red energy he
had around him, his visual Qi, was starting to fade.
Instead, something sinister was becoming visible in the air. An image was forming right
above Raze's head.
'6 of the descending steps, and he's managed to perfectly let them flow one into the other!'
Dame couldn't believe his eyes. 'He was able to reach the pinnacle of the steps that I was
able to reach.'
Little did he know, Raze had no plan to just stop there.
"He's going to lose," The principal said.
"What, are you saying your grandson has some type of backup plan?" Gavin asked.
"No, Ricktor is the one who's going to lose," the principal commented.
He could feel the Qi building up with each of the steps and the destruction on the floor, and
there was still more to come.
'The seventh descending step!'
Raze jumped up in the air, with such force that it was shaking the entire place. Now in the
air, visual Qi was starting to form around him. It looked almost like two large eyes had been
made by his side, but the way they were positioned made them look like wings.
'The eighth descending step!'
Raze started to spin his body in the air, and did so rapidly that a tornado of Qi had been
created; he continued to go straight down.
Ricktor, not giving up, seeing all of this, he lifted his sword, and his Qi was erupting.
'The first Devil's formation!'
With the added spin, Raze swung the sword down with both of his hands. A wave of dark
red appeared in visual Qi with the strike almost looking like that of blood; it was so thick.
It smothered all of the power that Ricktor had produced, and the attack came crashing
down. As it hit Ricktor, the tiles on the floor were pushed to the side.
Ricktor's body was seen flying in the air, blood spilling from his mouth, his body incredibly
damaged, and before he fell back down to the floor, he had thoughts running through his
head.
'What was that power... is that really what a 2-stage Pagna warrior should be capable of?
And why does my whole body feel like it wants to crawl out of my skin.' Ricktor thought,
and lastly, when he hit the ground and his eyes were turning to black, he realized.
'I... I... I've lost.'
Chapter 150 The Rising Star Of The Dark Faction
Chapter 150 The Rising Star Of The Dark Faction
Performing eight steps in a row, including one of the Devil's Sword formations, the attack
was beyond anything a stage 2 Pagna warrior should have been able to produce.
Raze was in the center, stood in a crater of the mess he had created. His hand was shaking,
his muscles felt like they were tearing apart.
At that moment, he was extremely focused, carefully controlling the Qi, remembering the
formations and the instructions in the book to the last letter.
With circle formations and spells, he needed to do the same thing. Remember the shape,
the runes, and place the image in his head. Then use the right amount of mana to produce
the spell.
What he had accomplished as a 9-star mage was being transferred over to him using Qi in
his skills, which was why he could create textbook copies of what he had learned.
Looking around, he was trying to see where Ricktor was. He could see that he had flown to
the edge of the arena; it didn't look like he was getting up any time soon.
Looking at the sword, Raze could see there were some traces of blood. Slowly he reached
out and grabbed the tip of it with his hand, but he could see that his eyesight was turning
slightly blurry.
'Crap, I'm exhausted… I've never pushed myself this far before. Is this what it feels like to
deplete one's Qi completely?'
Weakened, Raze could feel his legs giving out, so he turned around, and could see Dame just
standing there staring at him. He looked stunned, frozen like an ice sculpture, and that was
because he was.
'Eight of the descending steps, not just six of them, but a stage 2 Pagna warrior was able to
perform eight of the steps? This level of Qi control should be something that's only possible
at the upper middle stages.
'If people like me and Ricktor are considered geniuses, then what does that make him?'
"Hey!" Raze called out, as his body started to fall to the ground. "Make sure I wake up alive."
Immediately after Raze had fallen straight onto the ground, and Dame was the only one left
standing there.
"Hey, he beat Ricktor. He clearly beat Ricktor, right? We all saw it! The Blue headbands,
they're the only ones left standing. Does that mean we won!"
"We did, we won, we won!"
The Blue headband students started to cheer in victory for Raze and the others. Even
though they hadn't done anything, in their root to cheer for their fellow students, it felt as if
it was something that they had done together.
They couldn't help but cheer, and it wasn't just them. The ones sitting by the side, the
invited guests, all had large smiles on their faces as they turned to talk with each other.
"I can't believe it, that student was able to best even a stage 3 Pagna warrior, does that
mean he was even higher?"
"I guess he was a student that slipped through. It's clear he's not deserving of a Blue
headband."
"You did hear what he stated, that he was a no name. Either way, it looks like the Dark
Faction has a star in the making."
"A new star, maybe the Dark Faction will eventually have someone that can compete with
Beatrix from the Light Faction. We will not be lacking in stars; we must support the
Academy as much as we can."
Principal Murkel, hearing the comments from the others, thought that the results weren't
lackluster. In the end, having such a fight, they felt more confidence in sending more
funding to the academy, which was a good thing.
However, their words of praise weren't just for the white-haired student as they started to
talk about the others as well.
"All of the Blue headbands seemed to have performed well. If it was just one or two, we
could put it off to coincidence, but they all put up a fight. It seems that in the month they
must have been trained well."
"I agree, who was their teacher again, it was Mr. Lee, correct? I recognized the spear skills
that the girl from before used as well. I guess the rumors weren't true, and their clan is still
strong."
Teacher Lee was still amazed by everything he had seen. He thought he was dreaming and
had to pinch the side of his leg several times to the point where his skin had turned purple.
But it was all true. He turned his head, looking at the Vice-Principal who had caught his eye,
and Amir just nodded.
'A promise is a promise, I will speak to the Lethal Bite Clan about their practices, and you
have gained the confidence of the general public. It puts me in a good condition after what
has happened today.' Amir thought.
From his right, a loud grunt was heard coming from Feebie.
"So, now that Demonic Faction member has even bested your Grandson. Yet they are
unaware of the Demonic techniques he has used and now they are all calling him the star of
the Dark Faction.
"By allowing him to fight, you have now created this own mess of a situation for yourself."
"You are right," Murkel replied, standing up from his seat. He placed his hands behind his
back and started to take long strides towards the fighting platform.
"If we were to do anything to the student now, all of these witnesses would no longer put
their trust in us, and we can't just go ahead and claim he is from the Demonic Faction;
otherwise, other questions will arise. So we will deal with it as a private matter."
Murkel then jumped from his position, landing on the stage. As he did, he could see the
other student who was still standing, shifting quite close to Raze who was on the floor.
The two of them made eye contact for a bit, not saying anything.
'Why of all people did he have to come out? The closest person to joining the Divine stage…
this is going to be hard,' Dame thought.
"The event has come to an end. The fighting platform has been damaged and needs time to
repair, and after a spectacular display from our students, I think it's only right to end it
there. The winner is none other than Raze! The new hope and star of the Dark Faction!"
Right after shouting those words, the Blue headband wearers screamed in cheers that
shook the entire place. While the main clan leaders were confused.
Why would the principal do such a thing?
Sitting in their seats, having watched everything, Himmy had turned to his colleague.
"I want you to be honest with me, in that fight just then, taking down that student, did he
use any magic?" Himmy asked.
Charlotte was watching carefully, and although magic had been used during the fights
before, when Raze had fought against just Ricktor, he had used purely Pagna warrior skills
only.
"He didn't," Charlotte answered. "That guy, he just used warrior skills. He's really
something, right?"
Himmy had to agree. "You're right; I believe he won't just become a simple student in this
academy. I think we need to start thinking about his position a bit more. Having him just as
a field agent in Alter would be a waste.
"Let's talk to him and see how he feels about a promotion of sorts."
Chapter 151 White Dragon
Chapter 151 White Dragon
Just as the principal had stated, after the fight between Ricktor and Raze, the event had
been called off. The Yellow headband wearers, along with the other Red headband wearers,
were told that there would be another time where they were able to show their skills.
Those that were invited were fine with this. They had heard the rumors that the most
talented student of them all was Ricktor Dockthron, and it was proven for a moment when
they had seen he was a stage 3 Pagna warrior; they just never expected to see a talent
above that.
Whatever they would witness after it would just dull their excitement and takeaway from
what they had seen, so the visitors were happy to leave. As they went back to their towns
and homes, they weren't quiet about the events either.
Word had quickly spread about the no-name that had managed to best the top student, and
a nickname for him was given among the people. The White Dragon of the Dark Faction.
Nicknames were often given to strong and talented individuals as it allowed for their name
to be spread far and wide, even outside of their faction and into others. Since they only had
a name to go by, the image of the said person would build in their heads.
Inside the main building of the academy, in a private room, Ricktor was lying on the floor
wrapped in several bandages with pots of different herbs by his side. He had been fed a
number of things to get him back on his feet and recovering as quickly as possible, but
according to the physician, his body had small fractures in nearly every part, and it would
take a while until he was back up and running.
"I lost," Ricktor said out loud, and he immediately started to laugh after it. "Ow!" He
screamed, reaching below. "I need to be careful; even if my chicken gets excited, it hurts.
Oh, I wonder what will happen now."
---
Slowly, Raze was starting to open his eyes. His sight was blurry for a few seconds, and he
noticed that he was staring at a relatively dark ceiling above him. Seeing the sight, a few
words came out of his mouth.
"Well, at least this time, no one is strangling me to death," Raze said, and before he knew it,
a pair of big eyes blocked the light from above, and tears were streaming down her face,
falling onto his.
"Hey Safa, not too close; he's still going to be hurt," Simyon said as he gently held her
shoulder and pulled her away.
Raze wanted to raise his hand to wipe away the tears that had landed on his face, but just
moving slightly caused a great shock to his muscles. He had suffered from mana sickness
before, and had been blasted by a few spells here and there, but had never suffered quite
like this.
Eventually, though, his hand did move, but he just had to bear through the pain as he wiped
his face.
"You know, if you just let people do that for you, it would be much easier," a voice to his
side said.
Turning his eyes rather than his head, he noticed that the one speaking was Dame.
Raze was in a room as well that was used for the treatment of others. He was lying on a thin
mattress, but in his room, his mattress wasn't the only one, as there were four more laid
out by the side.
Each of them had pots of herbs and such that had been mashed, making some type of green
paste. Inside the room were Liam, Safa, Simyon, and Dame. All of those that had taken part
in the group fight during the event.
Simyon and Liam looked the worst, being wrapped in most of the bandages over their body.
Raze had his fair share, but it was directed around his stomach where the wound was
made. Most of the damage his body was feeling was actually from the use of his own
powers.
"Wait, the sword!" Raze called out, looking fairly panicked. "Where is the wooden sword?"
"Don't worry," Dame replied as he pointed with his head to the wooden sword leaning up
against part of the wall. "I thought you might have wanted to keep it as a souvenir to show
your battle, so I kept it for you."
It was a stroke of luck for sure, as Raze let out a sigh of relief. During the fight, he had been
gathering the blood of the main disciples and placing it on the statue one by one. He had
gathered four during the fight and had managed to make Ricktor spill blood as well.
He was sure there would be some left on the sword, but before he could place it on the
statue, he had passed out.
'The blood, it's dried up on the sword, but if I mix it with some water and place it on the
statue, it should still work, right?' Raze thought. 'Either way, even if it doesn't, I can always
get the blood of someone else; it's not too much of a big deal.'
What was a big deal was what was to happen to them next. Speaking to Dame and the
others, it appeared that they had been getting treatment for the last two days. Nearly all of
them had woken up yesterday, with Raze waking up today.
They had tried to ask questions, wondering why they were being kept here, but the
physicians that were treating them didn't know anything.
'I wonder, are they keeping us here because of the techniques I used? They might have
noticed they were from the Demonic Faction.'
"Damn it!" Liam said, his body shaking. "I'm so scared; are they going to get rid of us just
because you beat up all of their disciples? I didn't think the Dark Faction would do such a
thing, but maybe their relatives are plotting revenge or something."
The door to the room had slid open at that moment, and entering the room was none other
than the Vice-Principal, Amir.
"Don't be so foolish; we at the academy would never allow such a thing," Amir claimed.
"Although treatment between our clans may seem a bit rough at times, you have to
remember that we are all part of the same Faction; we would never do such a thing."
Raze didn't bring up the fact that they had tried to kill him during the assessment, which
was what had started this whole thing in the first place.
"We wanted to wait until all of you were healed up to give you the news together," Amir
stated. "Due to your performance at the event today, it is clear that every single one of you
carries something special that the Dark Faction needs, which is why we have come to the
decision to promote all of you to Red headband users."
Liam went to grab his chest, as it started to hurt.
"Is this the pain of love… no, I mean, the pain, it's shooting down my chest, am I having a
heart attack?"
All of them were quite stunned by the results. Perhaps a promotion to the Yellow
headbands and maybe Raze to the Red, but why all of them to the Red headbands?
Not saying anything, Simyon was going to take it. The Red headbands had better access to
certain areas in the academy, and that included the library of skills, which they should be
able to go in soon to obtain a new skill.
"The academy is taking a week break. Students are free to leave to visit their homes, visit
their relatives, or just continue to rest in the academy. After which, you will receive your
Red headbands. You will visit the library of skills, and your next assessment will be
explained then."
The next assessment would be different from the first, which was simply just learning a
skill. Hearing this, Raze was hoping they would finally have access to the school's
teleporters, which would allow them to see beasts, and in turn, he could increase his
magical powers even further.
"With this, you may all leave the room," Amir said, as he slid the door open, but on the
other side of the door, there were also two people waiting. "Ah yes, Raze, it appears that
these two wish to speak to you as well."
Amir stepped to the side and allowed a large man with a brown trench coat and a woman
with orange hair and a beret hat to enter.
'It's them, the two from Alter. I thought when I saw them they would want to see me. I
wonder… what this is all about?' Raze thought.
"Please, if the rest of you could give them some privacy," Amir explained.
All of them started to leave the room one by one, but Dame stood there for a while, looking
at the two strangers. He made eye contact, and as he walked away, he moved his head still
looking at them.
'These people, they don't look like Pagna warriors, yet the Vice-Principal treated them with
respect. Who are these people, and what do they want with Raze?'
Just by the fact that Raze didn't exactly look too concerned, Dame didn't think that he
would need his help, but it still made him wonder. As Himmy flapped his trench coat, that's
when Dame noticed something small by his side. It was placed in a leather compartment
and had somewhat of a wooden handle and was made of a type of metal, but it didn't look
like it would be effective as a sword or anything like that. So why would one keep it on
them?
'Where have I seen that before?'
Chapter 152 Using Bate
Chapter 152 Using Bate
The four of them had left the room, and there were more guards that belonged to the
academy escorting them. It seemed like they were staying by their side to make sure that
they left the main building of the academy and didn't wander anywhere else.
When they finally exited the building and were on the large courtyard, the whole place felt
quieter than usual. There was next to no talking, and the sound of the wind could be heard
cutting through the air.
"I guess it's true there is a break going on. Did most people decide to go home?" Simyon
asked. "Well, I guess until the break is over, we're still Blue headbands, so we should just
head back to the sleeping quarters and stay there."
Just as Simyon was about to turn and make his way through, he crashed his head into
something solid. Usually, it was others who would crash into him and feel like they had
walked into a wall, but now it was his turn.
"Pink?" Simyon said, rubbing his head.
"Hey, those two people that are meeting with Raze right now, who are they? How does he
know them? You've been with him for a while, right?" Dame asked.
He would have asked the sister, but since she wasn't really able to speak, he thought he
would ask someone else who would be able to get answers more clearly.
"Oh, that. I've never really seen them before. Maybe they were impressed by Raze's skills
and want to ask him about how he learned his skills and such," Simyon smiled and was
about to head toward the sleeping quarters.
That was until he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Immediately, Dame started to dig his
fingers into the wound that was created, causing Simyon to scream out in pain.
"Arghh!" Simyon yelled. He wanted to curl up and fall onto the floor, but Dame's grip was so
strong that he was being lifted into the air.
'Ah crap, I knew there was something up with this guy that Raze met. He seems nice, but
the entire time, he's scared me even more than those damn disciple leaders! Is he going to
kill me?' Simyon thought.
Immediately seeing this, Safa had gone to strike, but before she could, Dame had lifted up
his foot and slammed it onto the ground. A wave of Qi went out and had practically pushed
Safa backwards, causing her to fall on the ground and her backside to skid across the floor.
'Freaking hell!' Liam thought seeing it. 'Isn't that… isn't that the same move that Raze used
as well, with the stomp, but look how strong it was. How much Qi does this guy have, and
what is going on? I thought we were all friends and on the same side.'
Simyon continued to scream in pain, and as he did, he decided to say at least something.
Otherwise, he was afraid this person would go for Safa next, and while Raze was injured, he
couldn't do much either.
"They're from Alter!" Simyon answered. "That's all I know. They're a group that visited us
once before from Alter, and they are here as well."
Having gotten an answer, Dame let go of Simyon, dropping him to the floor.
"Who is Alter?" Dame asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Wait, what?" Liam said, surprised. "You don't know who Alter is? Even I know who they
are."
It was strange, even Simyon thought so. This person, although he didn't know his
background, was someone who was strong and from the Dark Faction. Surely their clan
would have known about Alter. They were an organization nearly all the top clans knew
about in the Dark Faction. So why didn't Pink know about them?
---
Back inside the room, Himmy and Charlotte had both greeted Raze with a polite little bow
toward him.
"It hasn't been too long since we last saw you, kid," Himmy commented. "You managed to
put on quite the show for us. I have to admit it was quite entertaining."
"Yeah! You managed to catch onto this Pagna stuff really well. Everyone is calling you the
star of the Dark Faction. You could actually really become something!" Charlotte said with a
smile.
Raze wasn't flattered by the comments at all. Instead, he had an extremely uninterested
look on his face. He desperately wanted to unlock the seal on the soldier statue, but just like
last time, if it was a high-level item, there was a good chance that it would unlock a portal. If
that was the case, he would rather do it when these guys weren't here.
"So why have you visited? Does Alter have a task for me?" Raze asked.
"No, don't be silly," Charlotte said, waving her hand about like it was a stupid question to
ask. "We had a job that was not too far from here, and I remembered you said you were
going to join the Pagna Academy, so I wanted to see your progress here, that's all, and see if
you had any problems settling into this new world. It can be hard after all, especially
learning the language and words."
Raze didn't reply straight away because he thought of something that happened during his
time at the academy that was strange. If they weren't here to give him a job and were just
here to see him, then what about that time?
"Would you happen to know if Alter tried to contact me?" Raze asked.
"Contact you?" Himmy replied. "That shouldn't be the case. I haven't been informed of us
needing any field agents in the academy itself. Usually, only then, a squad leader like myself
would make contact, asking for the field agent's help. Or, as I said before, if you felt there
was the need to report something, you could try to seek us out in certain ways. Come to
think of it, I didn't even tell you how."
Himmy started to laugh, but Raze felt like it was no laughing matter.
"So are you saying that it's impossible for someone to know that I was in Alter, other than
you two?" Raze asked.
"Well, not impossible," Himmy replied. "But other field agents wouldn't know about you. As
far as I know, there isn't anyone that is squad leader level in the academy. Although if
someone was even above me, then I wouldn't know either, and they possibly would know."
Although that could be the reason behind the letter, Raze just didn't feel like it was the case.
Why leave a letter to meet up, and then never make contact again? The person was clearly
trying to hide their identity from him, and would a person in such a high position do that?
"I see. Well, is there anything else you need from me?" Raze asked, leaving it at that. He
didn't want Alter to get involved and wanted them to leave as soon as possible.
"No, that's it," Himmy replied.
Shortly after Raze had left the room, when he did, Charlotte had immediately turned
around.
"I thought you were going to ask him to be promoted from a field agent to an official
member?" Charlotte asked.
"Couldn't you tell?" Himmy replied. "Someone knows about him here, and there's a good
chance that it isn't Alter... maybe we should have told him about that group.
Maybe we should stay in the academy for a few days. Who knows, the kid might be good
bait."
Chapter 153 A Broken Promise
Chapter 153 A Broken Promise
A small altercation had occurred just outside the main academy, and after Dame was
somewhat satisfied with his answer but wanted to find out more, the group had moved to
the living quarters.
It was even quieter once they had entered the inside. There were next to no students that
had stayed in the academy. Nearly all of them had decided to head home, as they didn't
exactly know when the next break would occur.
However, oddly, there were still the same number of teachers guarding the place. As they
walked through the courtyard to get to the building, they had even passed by Tod and the
other assessors, which came as quite a surprise.
"I thought Teacher Lee would have eaten him alive after what he had done," Liam
commented. "I guess he was in a happy mood after the results."
"I wouldn't be worried so much about what Teacher Lee would do," Simyon commented.
"I'm seriously more worried about Raze."
That day when everyone had fought in the event, they had learned the truth of what the
five main disciples had attempted to do. For those who heard this, it sounded like a revenge
story.
Raze had shown some strength in the initial school assessment but not at the same level he
had shown that day. So, in the students' minds, they had been building up a story of their
own.
How he had worked hard and had pushed through every barrier possible, all in an attempt
to take down the main five, and he had accomplished it. Simyon was sure that all of the
students, when heading back, would be telling their parents and clans what they had seen.
"Raze, you really are going to become one popular guy," Simyon thought.
When they entered the inside, due to the lack of people, they thought there was no need for
them to head inside their rooms, and instead, they sat out in the main room that was out in
the open. There was quite a bit of dust that covered the sofas and chairs.
It had only been a couple of days, but the area looked untouched.
"So, are you going to explain to me what this Alter group is?" Dame said as he sat down, his
fingers intertwined with each other. It was one of the very few times they had seen him
being so serious.
Simyon was hesitating about what to say. Since he was technically a field agent of Alter,
was he even allowed to say anything? But then again, what if 'Pink' was to kill him over this
type of information? It certainly felt like there was a chance before.
"Alter is a group that any respectable clan should know," Liam said. "It's a surprise that you
don't know it, to be honest. They're not a clan but some could say maybe an odd job group.
Many of the clans contact them for multiple reasons.
"Information gathering for one, and sometimes when they have large issues that would be
difficult for Pagna warriors to solve. It's hard to explain, but essentially, a request can be
sent, and it seems like they can almost do anything. So they're well-respected among all of
the clans."
Dame was now scratching his chin with the information he had just learned because he had
never heard of such a group. But then again, the Demonic Faction was more segregated
compared to the other factions to the outside world.
In fact, Dame didn't know much about what was happening outside of the martial arts
tournaments, which was why he wanted to leave in the first place. He always admired Alba
and her Crimson Crane group.
"Do they operate outside of the Dark Faction, or does their network spread wider than that,
and are they strong?" Dame asked.
"That's a question that's hard to answer," Liam replied. "They seem to have a connection
with everyone, to the point that if anyone was to upset them, there would be many clans
that are willing to help them out.
"As far as I know, though, they do also operate outside of the Dark Faction and work with
the Light Faction as well. I'm not sure about the Demonic Faction, but they are quite the
neutral group.
"I heard that at times during clan disagreements, where large-scale battles are taking place,
they choose not to take sides and will even cut off communication until everything is
resolved."
The group of Alter was getting more and more interesting to Dame by the moment. He was
sure he would have heard of such a group in the Demonic Faction before. In fact, Dame was
quite sure that he had even seen the same item that the man from earlier was carrying.
'Has this group already tried to get into the Demonic Faction? Are they attempting to do
something?'
Inside Dame's mind, he was conflicted. He didn't care much about the Demonic Faction, but
then again he did. He felt like he had some responsibility to the faction that brought him up,
and that his friends and family were a part of.
If something was happening, then he should at least make his father aware of it.
"So I understand somewhat about this mysterious group, but then why are they speaking to
Raze, what is his link to them?" Dame asked.
There was a slight fear running through the back of Dame's mind. What if meeting the Dark
Magus wasn't a coincidence after all? What if, just like many other groups, they were trying
to take down the Demonic Faction from within?
Dame had let him in with open arms, without knowing much about him because he
believed Raze was from another world, but it turned out the two of them were from the
same world.
Once again, Safa and Simyon, based on their reactions as they averted their eyes, they knew
something, but they weren't keen to speak on it.
"Stop pressuring them," a voice said as he walked over. "If you want to know something,
you can always ask me."
The white-haired student, who was also slowly gaining the name the White Dragon, had
entered the room. He had managed to catch the tail end of the conversation.
"Raze," Dame said as he stood up from his seat. "I like you... as a person a lot, and I'm not
one to back down on our deals."
Before he spoke more, the smiling faces of Kirk, Carlson, and Fixteen had entered his mind,
the time he spent with them and their families growing up. At the same time, he also
thought about the Dark Magus handing him the win in the special battle.
It was possible that with what he was about to say, he might break the relationship
between the two, and it might have seemed like a small matter to most, but he couldn't get
it out of his head. The group Alter may have sounded nice to others, but it sounded
dangerous to him.
Especially a group that was trying not to make its presence known to the Demonic Faction.
"I need to know what your relationship is with Alter, otherwise I'm afraid we might not be
able to work together anymore," Dame asked.
Chapter 154 Wake Up!
Chapter 154 Wake Up!
It took a lot for Dame to say those words. Usually, he was free and willy-nilly about the way
he spoke, and he would just say what came to mind. He didn't care who he offended, even if
it was other Clan heads.
The only person he was careful with was his own father and the Dark Magus. Maybe it went
to show how much he respected this person, or how much he feared him.
"What are you so tense for?" Raze replied. "You don't have to get so serious about it. Why
don't we head to my room, and we can talk for a bit."
Hearing this, hearing that this was Raze's reaction, the tension left from Dame's body, and
he felt a bit silly for thinking that Raze would react a certain way. As the two of them
walked off, Simyon and Safa decided that they should head to their rooms as well, and
seeing everyone leave one by one, Liam was on his own.
"Wait, aren't I involved in this!" Liam shouted. "We fought as a team, we're all one, we're
together and all that stuff. I want to know why Alter spoke to him as well, damn it! Listen to
me!"
Yet they all ignored Liam as they continued on and entered their rooms. It was just Raze
and Dame now together. They didn't start speaking straight away, as it appeared Dame was
waiting for Raze to start, and as for the Dark Magus himself, he was wondering how he
should phrase the whole thing.
Although he was part of Alter, he also never felt like he was actually a part of their group.
He had always planned to use them either as a way to get back or to take the powerful
items that they kept locked away.
If anything, what he didn't want was for Dame to get involved because he was his trusty
business partner. The one that would allow him to spread his items throughout the world
and start to gain his own influence.
"You might not be happy with what you hear," Raze started off. "But I honestly don't know
much about Alter myself. I told you that I only recently came to this world, and that is true.
The thing is when I did, the group Alter was investigating a bunch of mysterious deaths
surrounding the area I was in.
"And they had come to suspect me. In the end, I managed to clear their suspicions and
helped them out when they were in a tricky situation. After that, they invited me to join
their group as a field agent."
"I work for them, but honestly, they tell me to do nothing, and I felt like I somewhat had no
choice but to accept this type of thing. The two that I met today, they were the ones I met
back before. They were in the area and came to see me."
Dame would usually say he was a good reader of character. When people lied, they tended
to get more anxious; their lips would twitch, they would touch their face quite a bit, and
their actions and words didn't match.
Yet with Raze, he was so confident when he was speaking it was hard for him to see any of
that.
"I see, so you're only a field agent and don't know much about them. Then I only have a few
questions to ask you. Why did they meet you today, what did they want to talk about? What
do you plan to do in Alter, and do they know about the Dark Magus?"
Raze smiled when he heard these questions; he was actually happy that Dame was asking
these things. When he met him, he thought that he was quite shallow, and Fixteen was the
one that had the brain, but it turned out that Dame was no fool himself.
"Today they said they just wanted to meet me; it seemed like they did want to say
something, but their mind was distracted by something else," Raze answered. "As for Alter,
I plan to just use their information network, as well as other things, but I will make this
clear; they do not know anything about the Dark Magus."
"And I would like to keep it that way. The Dark Magus, I want it to be something that even
they fear."
Raze wanted the same infamy that he had on Alterian, where no one other than the
Supreme Magus would dare to go up against him.
"Thank you for answering everything. With your answers, I think the two of us can still go
into business, and we will do well," Dame said with a smile. "Oh, and I have to ask, how
many of the descending steps do you know, and how were you able to learn them so fast?"
Hearing this, Raze thought there was no harm in answering his question. "It's my magic,"
Raze said as he lifted his hand, and Dark magic started to swirl around his forearm until it
condensed into a dark ball, smooth and not flickering, resembling a solid object. "Learning
spells, controlling the mana in the air and in your core. All of it is far more complex than
controlling Qi. So to me, controlling Qi is like second nature.
"The ten descending steps don't require one to have a large amount of Qi, but one just to
have great control over it."
Dame was satisfied with the answer because it was all still due to Raze's hard work in the
end, as a magician.
"If there are a lot of mages like you in Alterian, then Pagna would be screwed if we were to
fight them."
"Don't worry," Raze replied. "I'm one of a kind."
The group didn't do much for the rest of the day. They were all still a bit sore and hurt,
including Raze. He did think about going back to the Dimension to gather more beast
crystals.
But since there was a chance of meeting up with the Light Faction, he thought it was best to
wait until he was at least fully healed. He also wanted to ask what Dame wanted to do
concerning that.
In the end, a day of rest was what was needed. The night sky went down, and the bright
light from the moon shone down on the empty sleeping quarters. Raze was tucked in his
quilt with the mattress on the floor.
He was sleeping away blissfully. His body still exhausted from the constant use of Qi. A
deep slumber with nothing disturbing him, that was until he could feel a dense fog in his
mind.
The image was growing; there was fog all around. Soon, he could hear several whispers
entering his head. His body soon found itself in the thick fog. He tried to turn left and right,
locating where the sound was, but it was nowhere to be seen.
'This feeling... it's the same as when I use the life and death cultivation technique.'
There was a chill all over, and soon a large stench had hit his nose as well, it was foul, it was
the stench of the dead.
Finally, the sound of the whispers became louder.
'I can't protect you... I can't protect you... from this... wake up!... WAKE UP!'
The voice screamed in his head, and Raze's eyes blurred open, and immediately, he could
see a figure in the corner of his room.
Chapter 155 A weapon like you
155 A weapon like you
Hearing the voice in his head, Raze felt like he was forcefully awakened, almost pulled out
of a trance. His body was immediately alert to the sounds and the space around him. It
didn't take long for him to lock eyes and see what was in his room.
Its figure was human-shaped, right up against the corner of the wall, dressed in all black
clothing. It was hard to see exactly what the clothing was like due to there being no light,
apart from what little entered the room through the letterbox-styled window.
'An intruder, how did he manage to get in? And get in without making a sound that would
wake me?' Raze thought.
Either way, it was clear that an intruder wasn't good news. No one would come in the
middle of the night to wish one good luck and a happy journey. What was odd, though, was
the man's hand hovering by his side, his fingers twitching as it inched slowly closer.
'What is he trying to do? Why does this feel like a type of standoff?' Raze thought in his
head.
A memory had returned to him. Back at the mage academy, they would often play these
types of games where the two of them would stand at either end of a room, not speaking,
waiting for the other to react and then casting a spell. The first one to cast a spell would be
the victor.
'I don't know why I'm remembering such things at a time like this... and in those situations,
I would always lose.'
The distance was too far for him to use his Pagna skills as well, so magic was his best bet.
When it came to speed, wind magic was faster than Dark Magic.
The man suddenly reached out to his side and pulled out a small metal object. Raze didn't
get a clear view of it, but he decided to roll to the side.
"A small gust!" Raze shouted as he rolled.
The man moved the object facing Raze and pulled on a small metal part on the object. A
muffled, slightly high-pitched sound came out, and immediately Raze felt a great pain in his
shoulder.
"Gah!" Raze grunted, feeling his blood pouring from him.
The wind magic had still left his hand, though, and it had hit the man, banging him right
against the wall. The man pointed the object toward Raze again and started to fire at him
repeatedly.
Raze moved to the side using the two-step shift. He had avoided most of whatever it was
trying to hit him, when he had been caught right in the foot. The object went right through
him like nothing. His special body of a Stage 2 Pagna warrior was nothing when it came to
whatever this was.
"Screw you, Dark Pulse!" Raze shouted out.
Jumping out of the way, the Dark Pulse had missed, but it hit the wall, breaking it apart
immediately. The sound of the destruction quickly caught the attention of others.
It would be hard for anyone not to be woken up by that sound.
The man looked panicked, twisting and turning his head, unsure about what to do. Now,
with the light from the outside shining on him, Raze could see that he was in odd clothing.
Clothing he had never seen before. It didn't look like it was from Pagna, nor Alterian either.
It was relatively thick and had several pockets all over the place. Not only that, but the
man's face was covered in dark paint to keep his presence completely hidden.
What Raze could see now, though, was the object that he was using. It was metal with a
handle and a long barrel at the end, attached to it was another round cylinder object.
"What's going on?" Dame asked as he exited his room. Soon the others followed, coming out
one by one.
However, there were a couple of people that were closest and were there before anyone.
Bursting out of the room next door, a large figure could be seen rolling on the ground.
When he got to the side of the hallway, he held up an object similar to the attacker's and
pointed it right at the man in black.
"Stay right where you are and don't move, or I will shoot!" Himmy shouted to the man.
Just behind Himmy, standing by the doorway where they had come from was Charlotte. She
had both of her hands held out, as if she was ready to act at any time.
Seeing as there was no way out, the man felt like he had no choice. He pulled a round object
off his belt and quickly detached a small pin as he dropped it to the ground.
Immediately, Himmy's eyes widened. "Everyone, get out of here, run!" Himmy shouted.
A few seconds passed, and soon after, a large explosion went off in the room. Dust and
smoke were all over the place. More of the hallway walls had been broken, and fragmented
pieces of sharp objects could be seen all over the walls.
When the smoke finally settled, there was no sign of the man in black, and there was none
of his blood on the ground either, meaning there was a good chance he had gotten away.
"Is everyone okay?" Charlotte asked quickly. She had used part of her magic that wouldn't
seem so obvious to blow the smoke away. It looked like everyone was unhurt, as their
warning had come in time.
That was apart from Raze, who had two bullet wounds in his body. He wasn't severely
injured, but he had been shot twice. His body was covered in dust, and everyone soon
turned to look at him. They could see him bleeding, a strange sight for someone who had
just toppled the very best in the school.
'With his foot and shoulder bleeding, Raze was more concerned with what just happened.
'Who was that, why were they after my life, and why the heck did he have a weapon that
was just like Himmy's?'
Mass release goals for next week!
500 Golden tickets = 1 Extra CHapter
2200 Power stoens = 1 Extra Chapter 1 Castle gift and above = 1 Extra Chapter
JKSManga
Chapter 156 Savior or Marking
156 Savior or Marking
The loud explosion that had just occurred had caused even the teachers to be alert to what
was going on. They had quickly rushed to the scene and were quite surprised to see that
the special guests were there with them.
The teachers had cleared the students, moving them into another room on the other side.
The good news was that since most students had gone home, there weren't many problems
and plenty of spare rooms.
It would take a while for repairs to be done as well. What was interesting was the fact that
the two from Alter had told the teachers that they would look after Raze. Not only that, but
if they had any problems with it, they could report to Amir.
Trusting them, currently, the ones in one of the other rooms in the sleeping quarters were
Himmy, Charlotte, and Raze, who was lying flat on the bed.
"ARGHH!" Raze groaned in pain.
He could feel something moving inside of his body, being dragged out. Charlotte was above
him with both of her hands hovering above his arm. She slowly lifted them up, and as she
did, the bullet that was inside could be seen in the air as well.
Slowly placing her hands to the side, the bullet was dropped onto the wooden floorboards,
placed next to the second bullet that had entered Raze.
There was sweat dripping down the side of Charlotte's face; she was concentrating
extremely hard and started to rub her hands together. When she did, the palms of her
hands looked to be slightly whiter in color.
She moved closer to Raze, hovering above.
"It's okay, Raze. It's going to feel a lot better, alright," Charlotte said in a soft, soothing voice.
As she got closer with her other hand, Raze suddenly grabbed onto her wrist.
"Raze... I'm not going to hurt you," Charlotte said again, squinting somewhat in pain. She
could hear that Himmy was shuffling his feet behind, ready to get up and do something.
"Raze, just trust me. I'm just going to use some Light magic; it's a simple spell that you
should know well, right? The cleansing spell. It's just going to be used to make sure that you
don't get any type of infection."
It was hard for Raze to trust anyone, let alone these mysterious people from Alter, but for
some reason, Charlotte's voice was very soothing to him. Not only that, but she had decided
to keep certain things a secret.
Slowly, he started to let go and let her do the work. Once she had finished with the Light
magic, she started to carefully wrap the wounds. Each time she had to touch Raze, she
asked if it was okay.
She could feel that he was still on edge, and it was understandable considering he had just
nearly been killed. When everything was done, she could breathe a sigh of relief. She tilted
her head back and laid down on the ground next to Raze.
"Ah! That was tiring... using so many different types of magic really is hard," Charlotte
commented.
Charlotte was the only one that was speaking, and she was talking out loud. If she didn't,
she just felt like the tension in the room was too high. Because no one was saying anything
to each other, as if they were waiting for the other one to speak.
"So?" Raze said first, eventually breaking the silence. "Are you two going to explain what
happened? Who that man was, or what?"
"And what makes you think we know that man?" Himmy asked. He was sitting down in a
small wooden stool that was far too small for his large frame. His voice made it sound like
he was intimidating, but the sight really didn't match up.
"The fact that you two came bursting from the room next door, and that you still stayed at
the academy," Raze explained. "I think it's reasonable to say that you expected this to
happen, that you thought someone would come after me, so it's best that you explain
yourself."
Originally, Raze thought that it could have been anyone after his life. Perhaps one of the five
main disciples or the assassins that were after him and his sister for still being alive after
leaving their town.
However, seeing the two here confirmed they knew more, and the fact that both of them
used the same weapon as well. It was clear that they knew a lot more.
"I thought I was part of the organization?" Raze continued. "Don't I have the right to know
why people are after my life?"
Himmy finally stood up from his seat and stretched a bit, because he knew this was going to
be quite the talk to have.
"You're right; you do deserve to know," Himmy said as he reached out and did the strange
gesture he always did, creating a V with his fingers and taking in a deep breath next to his
mouth before pulling away and blowing out.
"What I want to know as well, though, is how are you still alive? How are you able to keep
escaping death? That's twice now that you've been able to escape death. Admittedly, it was
our fault; I didn't expect them to send him, but from what I know, this man never fails, and
he had failed against you. What makes you so special?"
There was a lot to unpack from Himmy's words, but Raze did start to think about the
question. The fog that was in his head, in his dream. The strange chill around his body, and
finally, the voice.
If the voice hadn't spoken to him at that time, then would he have still been alive even now?
The bullets had ripped through his skin, and a single shot to his head would have killed
him.
He was saved by that voice, and it had hit him why the voice sounded familiar.
"It was the same voice, from that woman... the one with the bloodied hands... she was the
one that saved me."
Mass release goals for next week!
500 Golden tickets = 1 Extra CHapter
2200 Power stoens = 1 Extra Chapter 1 Castle gift and above = 1 Extra Chapter
JKSManga
Chapter 157 A Familiar Item
Chapter 157 A Familiar Item
A chill went down Raze's spine each time he thought about that moment. The cold hand
that touched his face seemed like an illusion, yet based on the blood that it left behind like
some type of dirty marking, it was quite clear that it wasn't.
'But why would that thing even think about saving me? And what did it mean that it
couldn't protect me? Was it because of the bullet?' Raze thought.
He couldn't ponder on the matter for too long because Himmy was waiting for an answer,
and the longer he would take, the more suspicious he would get.
"I'm not weak, you know," Raze finally answered. "And at the same time, it's not like I came
out of the situation unscathed. I was hit twice; if I was any slower, then I wouldn't be
speaking right now."
"I would like to keep it that way, so it would be nice if you explained to me why someone
had come and tried to kill me."
Charlotte looked back at Himmy, her face resembling that of a puppy dog. It was clear what
her answer was; she seemed to be more fond of those from Alterian. Shaking his head,
Himmy decided to sit back down.
"I agree," Himmy said. "I wasn't trying to be difficult on purpose, but the reason why I can't
tell you is because it's classified information. Do you remember what I said before, about
how only so much information is given out to those in Alter based on their ranking? There
are things that I know that even Charlotte doesn't know. I am a squad leader or a captain,
while she is a sub-leader or the vice captain."
Charlotte gave a little smile when she had heard those words.
"I'm also the fastest-rising member of Alter? The old man always forgets to add that, but
due to my hard work and skills, I was promoted fairly quickly."
"I still don't understand, based on the number of times you go to the toilet," Himmy
casually commented. Before Charlotte could even complain, he started to talk again,
stopping her verbal assault from even starting.
"This might not seem fair, but even though you are involved, we cannot tell you why unless
you are promoted, of course."
"Promoted?" Raze replied.
He had thought about rising through the Alter ranks. The higher he was, the closer he
would get to wherever those items were stored, and the more information he had. But it
also meant he would come across higher-ranked mages who could blow his cover if they
knew about him.
"Actually, that's what we were going to ask you before," Himmy explained. "Based on your
skills, we are sure that you will achieve a high position in the academy and even when you
leave the academy. Not just in terms of strength but connections; we are sure that you will
be someone important to us."
"It was just, after you told us about that letter, we decided to wait and see, and as you
thought, we had used you as bait."
An instant reaction had occurred right after hearing that. Raze clenched his fist. Even these
two, they were just playing with his life. What if the attacker had gone for Simyon or Safa?
If that was the case, then they perhaps wouldn't be alive. Holding back his anger, Raze
knew what the right thing to do was, though.
"Is that offer still on the table?" Raze asked.
"Just accept, and I'll let you know all you need to know," Himmy smiled.
It didn't take long for Raze to think about it.
"I accept then; now can you tell me who that man was? Was he another otherworlder?"
"Yes," Himmy answered. "I'm sure you have probably guessed by now, but he was most
likely the one who had left you the letter from before. As for his goal, it might be as simple
as getting rid of you."
"But why?" Raze asked.
"Although he is an otherworlder like us, he does not belong to Alter like us. That man that
attacked you comes from the same world as me; he uses the same weapons and maybe
even more."
"Just like Alter, they have people from all sorts of different worlds, including that of
Alterian. The group of people is known as the Bonum Society. You should know that if there
are those trying to protect the world, there are also those trying to destroy it."
"This goes true for the Bonum Society as well. I heard that our leader of Alter and the
leader of Bonum used to be friends at one point, working together in Pagna. That was until
they managed to get their hands on a god-level item, the Gold Globe."
"We don't know what its powers were, but apparently enough for them to turn on Alter. As
for the Golden Globe itself, at the moment, no one knows where it is. That is one of the
missions that is currently ongoing within Alter."
"Usually, members of Bonum go after higher-ranked members of Alter to try and gather
information, to see what we have on the Golden Globe. But it isn't rare for them to just go
after anyone in Alter based on their deep hatred for us, and I suspect that's why they went
after you."
Another group of otherworlders was a scary thing to worry about, especially when Raze
had no clue about all of their powers. Even weapons such as guns were relatively a scary
thing.
Thinking about this, Raze was quite concerned for a couple of reasons. One of them was
still how did they know he was an Alter agent, and if he had gotten the letter from that far
back, then didn't that mean a member of the Bonum Society was in the academy?
Lastly, it made him remember the message written by the Dark Founder in the cave.
"Originally, when he said they had infiltrated the Dark Faction, I thought he might have
been talking about Alter, but now it might possibly be this Bonum group as well."
Rummaging through his pocket, Himmy threw something toward Raze. It was small in size,
around the same size as a badge. Catching it, he looked at what was in his hands.
"That is proof that you are now not just a field agent, but a squad member of Alter. It's a
device that will allow you to communicate with other members nearby. It does have a
certain range, kind of like a radio? Wait... do you even know what a radio is? Either way, it
will light up if it senses another Alter member nearby. Although they could be undercover,
in which case you can just power the device off yourself as well by pressing the button on
the bottom."
After saying those words, Himmy was expecting a reply, but instead, he was just met with
silence, and he could see Raze stood there still as a statue, looking at the device.
"I... I know what this is!" Raze thought, his eyes bulging as he looked at the design. It was
white in color with a large capital 'I' on the front that was a faint blue. "It's a communicator,
an item from Alterian, and a creation of Idore the Noble, one of the Supreme Magus."
Chapter 158 A real smile
Chapter 158 A real smile
The device in his hand, Raze recognized it in an instant. Because it was a communicator,
which wasn't just any item but one that was used among the mages in his world.
It had the same design and the same markings as products made by Idore, one of the
Supreme Magus who had great power in creating items of the highest caliber. The
communicator was one of the lower-tier products but well-distributed because it had an
additional effect.
The range of the item could be increased with one's mana. It could also be set to only react
with the same type of device. Essentially, multiple organizations could have communicators
and be in the same room, but they would only react with each other.
When mages made guilds, it was a good way for them to know who was on their side. This
included when one would work as a double agent and spy. At times, mages had guild wars
between each other.
There were multiple times where there were those acting as double agents, and having a
communicator was not only a good tool for talking to others but confirming who was on
your side and not. It also had the added bonus of being unhackable, unlike a phone.
It wouldn't run out of power as long as one had magic ability. Looking at the back of this
one, it seemed to have been adjusted slightly. There was a gradient-like panel made of a
strange material Raze hadn't seen before.
He imagined it was what was used to power it if magic couldn't be used. Despite all of this,
this wasn't the question he had on his mind. It was, what was the device doing here, and
why did Alter have them?
"Did you say all of those in Alter have these?" Raze asked.
"All apart from the field agents. Is something wrong?" Himmy asked.
"Ah, you must recognize it, right?" Charlotte said with a smile. "These were quite the thing
back on Alterian as well. It's amazing that we're able to have them here. I was quite
surprised when I saw them as well."
"How is it even possible?" Raze asked. "Does that mean that there's a way back to
Alterian?"
"No," Himmy replied instantly. He didn't even want Charlotte to entertain the idea, which
was why Himmy had decided to reply instead. "We do not know the origins of these items,
but otherworlders have worked together to adapt the current version. I'm sure you have
noticed that there are some slight changes.
"But I want to make one thing clear to you, Raze. Many of those who come to this world, all
of us hope to go back. There are those of us who have family left behind, friends, or even
enemies. But during the whole existence of Alter, no one has ever found a way to go back."
Raze stayed quiet after Himmy's words, and although what he said was true, Raze was
finding that hard to believe. For one, he was a squad leader, and according to Himmy
himself, there were those with higher positions, so who was he to rule out that there was a
way back, but they just hadn't informed him about it?
Seeing the communicator in his hand, he could think of three things. The items were
imported in, either a portal or a way to connect to the other world. Another factor is there
is a mage who is able to create the communicators based on a similar style of Idore.
Lastly, the communicators and Idore himself have something in common. Maybe he is even
coming into this world. Clenching his fist, he held the communicator in his hand firmly.
Seeing this just made him realize that he was moving in the right direction and was moving
ever so closer to his goal.
"I'm afraid that we have to leave; the world is getting pretty hectic, and we're getting called
all over the place, but I have something for you," Charlotte said as she lifted her beret off
her head, her orange bright hair dangled onto the ground.
It was the first time Raze had seen her like this, and instantly it almost brightened the
room. Her hair was so orange it felt like one might get a burn from touching it. Reaching
into the open head of her hat, she then pulled out something, and it was a book.
"Oh? So that magical hat is actually a magical item as well. It's quite a nice hiding space, a
bit better than my robe." Raze thought.
The book was in pristine condition. It was hardbound and had a hardcover on it, unlike the
worn and old manuals the Pagna warriors used.
Taking the book and opening it up, Raze knew what it was instantly.
"A spell guidebook?" Raze repeated back.
"Not just any spell guidebook!" Charlotte smiled. "But one that is based on the teachings of
wind magic. I noticed that you used some wind spells before, so I thought it could come in
handy. Although magic is forbidden in Pagna unless under extreme circumstances, the
same can't be said if you go to the other dimensions."
"So it would be good for you to learn."
Raze knew most wind spells already due to his past life using wind elemental magic, but he
appreciated the gesture and wouldn't decline it. Before saying anything, though, he closed
it and looked at the name of the author, which had the name 'Jake Dove' written on the
front.
Almost immediately, Charlotte noticed something, a big smile that spread across Raze's
face.
"Thank you for giving this to me; I really appreciate it," Raze said, his words seemingly
quite genuine.
Both Charlotte and Himmy were quite stunned; it was the first time the two of them saw
him smile, and it wasn't one that was filled with ecstasy or joy at beating someone like at
the event. This felt warm.
Seeing the smile, Charlotte's face started to blush a little red, her face heating up. With his
smile, it was the first time she was able to see his looks.
"You should smile more; it suits you," Charlotte said. "Anyway, we'll be off now. We're quite
busy as it is, and we used our break to come here. We doubt they will make a move again so
soon, but just be careful."
"We will pop around and meet again."
With that, the two of them waved goodbye, and those from Alter had left. Raze had learned
a large amount of information that was available to him, and he had a goal in sight. When
Alter would call him for a mission, he needed to impress, and if he did, he would be able to
move up in ranks.
However, that wasn't the only way. Alter appreciated those with high positions as well,
which was why he had been offered to become a squad member as well.
"I almost died though from those in the Bonum Society. What I need to do is continue
getting stronger, so that doesn't happen again. I can't just worry about the threats from the
Pagna Society, and I know just the thing."
Dark magic filled Raze's hand, and the statue had appeared.
"Let's unseal this thing."
Chapter 159 Back to where we met
Chapter 159 Back to where we met
Raze still had the bloody sword from the fight, and the dried blood was still on the blade
even after a couple of days. Some of it had flaked off, and he was hoping that if he wetted it
a bit and applied it to the statue, it would be fine.
The main issue was that the moment he did this, the seal would be broken. The last time
that had happened with Simyon's earring, it had caused a portal break, and what was
known as a hybrid had come out of it, nearly destroying the whole town.
The other issue was the fact that Alter was here. If that happened, they would put two and
two together, not even giving Raze enough time to do what he needed to get rid of the
evidence. Now that they were gone, he could get to work.
Taking the sword with him, he placed it around his waist, tugging it under the cloth band.
He wore his uniform over his wounded body, and it was only then that he realized that he
had been half-naked in front of Charlotte the whole time.
"No wonder she blushed," Raze thought to himself. "I guess this is the type of body that
attracts women. It's been a long time since my old prune self, that I didn't even notice."
Leaving the room, it looked like the academy was quick to start on construction work. Since
they were Pagna warriors, it was getting done at a fast rate as well. They didn't tire and
seemed to somewhat even enjoy it.
Looking around, he was trying to find the others. Usually, when he left rooms, they would
come hurling towards him, and he was ready this time, but there was no one. Instead, his
eye had caught someone else.
'Actually, maybe this isn't so bad,' Raze thought.
Inside the sleeping quarters, Raze walked across from one side to the other, where he could
see one teacher who was observing everything. As he got closer, the two of them had
almost made eye contact, but almost immediately the other had turned away.
"Hey, it's been a while, hasn't it, Teacher D*ckhead," Raze said. "Ah, sorry, I mean Teacher
Tod. You know, it's quite easy to get those two mixed up."
Immediately, the previous assessor, now just a teacher for the Blue headbands, turned to
look at Raze. It looked as if he was trying to hide his anger, but he was doing a bad job of
keeping it in.
The vein at the side of his head was bulging, and his lips were quivering even if they were
closed.
"Due to my past mistake, I will allow that to pass," Tod stated.
"Oh, and you think that makes us even?" Raze asked and held out his hand. "I believe,
during one of the assessments, the students were able to keep the power stones that they
had retrieved. Now that you acknowledge that those power stones are mine, hand them
over."
Nearly all of Tod's body was shaking, making a rattling noise on the floorboards beneath.
Never had a teacher been treated this way in his entire duration at the academy. He himself
was a stage three Pagna warrior.
Because of this, the students respected him greatly. It was then that he remembered the
fact that Ricktor was also a stage three Pagna warrior, and not only that, but Raze had
managed to defeat him.
Ricktor wasn't just any stage 3 Pagna warrior; he was one of the strongest of them as well,
which meant that this brat in front of him was even stronger than that. It was almost
impossible to acknowledge, but he bit his lip and held his tongue.
"Yes, Mr. White Dragon," Tod said as he went off to gather the crystals for his fellow
student, leaving Raze a little confused.
'White Dragon, why did he call me that? Is it because of my hair? That name's kinda
ridiculous.' Raze said as he patiently waited.
A little while later, Tod had returned with a bag full of crystals. Opening it up, Raze checked
that they were all there. Now with these crystals, he could use them for all sorts of things,
such as potions and more.
"Thanks for this, Teacher Tod," Raze said, holding the bag up, then he stopped and turned
around. "Sorry, I meant Teacher D*ckhead."
Heading outside, Raze soon knew the reason why the others weren't inside; it was because
they were outside, all of them practicing. But there was one more person who seemed to be
training, and that was Liam.
Liam and Simyon were both using wooden swords as they went at it. It was odd because
Raze had the impression that the two didn't like each other, and that was true.
Moments ago, it was actually Liam who had asked Safa to train with him due to her great
skills. She was getting up and had accepted. She wanted to continue growing her skills, and
seeing this, that's when Simyon had interjected and decided to help him train instead.
When they saw Raze, they had the same reaction as always as all of them rushed over and
went to check if he was all right. He demonstrated that he was fine by his movements. He
actually felt better since his main soreness was from the muscles on his body from his fight
with Ricktor.
Once again, though, Raze had asked to just speak to Dame, as the two of them walked off
and looked to be heading out of the main academy.
"Those two, they sure do talk a lot. I thought you and him were meant to be best friends,"
Liam commented.
"Hey, just because we're friends doesn't mean I need to follow him everywhere I go!"
Simyon shouted back, but it did make him worry a little; did Raze just not trust him for
some reason?
"It seems you keep getting into more and more trouble as the day goes by," Dame
commented, wondering what on earth had happened last night.
"You're right, which is why I wanted to talk to you. I was thinking, how about we head back
to that cave?" Raze asked.
Chapter 160 Unsealing the Statue
Chapter 160 Unsealing the Statue
When Raze had first mentioned the word "cave," Dame thought he meant if he wanted to go
back to the Demonic Faction. They did have a week break, and he had to admit he was
somewhat curious about what was going on there now that he was away.
However, Raze had quickly cleared up the misunderstanding, explaining that there was a
different reason why he wanted the two of them to head there, and why he wanted Dame
with him and not the others.
Right now, the two had snuck past and had entered the assessment ground they were in
before. It wasn't hard to do, especially with Dame's help. He could clear areas and scale
sections of the academy much higher than what was capable for others. He would just
either have to pull or carry Raze while doing so. Even though Raze didn't like this, he knew
when he had no choice in the matter to do such a thing. Now walking through the dense
jungle-like forest, they had reached the edge, where when looking down, they could see
nothing but a deep fog.
"This really brings back memories for me, huh? I never thought I would be back here so
soon, but here we go?" Dame said as he bent his knees slightly.
"Wait, are you going to jump?" Raze asked. "Do you remember how high up we had to climb
last time?"
"And… what's the problem?" Dame replied back. "You know the higher stage one is, the
stronger their body is. Something like this isn't a problem at all. Wait until I reach the
middle stages, and the Divine stages can even fly."
"And have you seen any of these Divine stages? I have heard a lot about them but never
seen them," Raze replied back.
"That's because, well, they are Divine, like Divine beings. Just how the Pagna warriors don't
care about no-names, the Divine beings don't care about the lesser beings like us. You
would have to do something seriously wrong to get on their bad side."
Once again, it looked like Raze would have to reluctantly get on Dame's back and head on
the way down. He was lucky the first time that he had gotten out of his situation with just a
few small injuries here and there. He didn't want to try it again.
Bracing himself again, Dame jumped down. The wind ruffled their hair and clothing as they
zoomed down towards the bottom, and a few moments later, they crashed into the floor.
Surprisingly, there was no loud bang, and underneath his feet, the floor looked to be intact.
Raze quickly got off, and could see that Dame was completely fine as well.
"Impressive, right? This is the type of thing you can do when you learn to control your Qi
well. In fact, you probably could do this fairly easily. The only issue is that you need a larger
amount of Qi for the impact, and then you just calculate how much to use to create an equal
force."
Once again, Dame was showing how he wasn't just all brawn, but he had smarts as well. In
fact, it appeared that to be a talented Pagna warrior; one had to have a brain as well.
Otherwise, they would never really be able to progress to the next stage.
The two walked toward the cave, and once they reached it, Raze started to walk through
the mist straight ahead. He did so, one foot after the other, and when his foot hit the
ground, he would twist and turn it, trying to break it a little. He was making a pathway.
After going around two hundred meters away from the cave entrance, Raze had eventually
stopped.
"Alright, so you just need me to be ready for anything, right?" Dame asked. Banging his
hands together, suddenly appearing on them were the black-colored gauntlets. There was
no holding back for what was to come for him.
"Right, just be ready for anything," Raze said as he summoned the statue with his hand and
placed it on the floor. He then got the wooden sword out as well as a bottle of water, ready
to do its thing.
The reason why Raze had chosen such a place to do this was just in case of a portal break. If
a portal break were to occur, then what better place than to keep it hidden away from the
main academy. With Dame, he should be able to deal with the threats and neutralize it,
unless a Divine-level portal had appeared. From his last visit down here, he knew that no
one at the academy came to this location.
"It's quite amazing, I can't believe that these portals they open up because they are
attracted to your magic," Dame said out loud. "Although it would make sense, with your
power, you can even open up portals to begin with. Wait a second… you don't think that the
portals opening up all over Pagna have something to do with an Alterian like you, do you?"
It was quite annoying having Dame comment in the background, but he was just going
through the same motions that Raze had done when he had found all of this out.
Once the blood had somewhat been liquefied, it was faint in color, and there was hardly any
of it at all. Still, Raze walked up to the statue and pressed his finger right on top of its head,
and moments later, he could see it starting to light up.
The statue began to lift off the ground from an invisible type of force, and at the same time,
in the air just behind it, several sparks were going off. Small little portals were opening up
and closing, until a large one started to open.
Immediately, Raze rushed forward; he could see the light on the statue start to fade, and he
grabbed it before it hit the ground. He quickly retreated back at that moment, as he saw it
in front of him.
'Crap, I thought this would happen, it's a portal break!' Raze said to himself.
Chapter 161 Fighting Statue
Chapter 161 Fighting Statue
The three of them continued to stare into the fog for a while, still rubbing their eyes at what
they could see. Why would anyone jump down into the endless pit of fog was beyond them.
Both Liam and Simyon had the same thought, wondering what reason they could have had
to end their lives as they continued to stare down. That was when Simyon could feel
someone tugging on his shirt, and it was none other than Safa.
She then slapped her head toward the two of them.
"I'm sorry Safa, but I don't think there's anything we can do to bring your brother back.
Maybe someone threatened him to do this, that's why all that stuff was happening
yesterday?" Simyon said.
Slapping her head again, she took out the spear that was on her back, and started to write
on the ground for both of them to see. She wrote in large letters.
"Don't you think there's anything strange about Pink?" Simyon read out loud.
The two of them thought about it for a while, and Simyon had thought that Pink was
strange for a long time, but it was Liam who had gotten to the answer first.
"Ah crap, yeah!" Liam said. "He was jumping all over the place, and he was doing it with
such ease as well. There's no way that guy is just a stage 1 Pagna warrior!"
"Wait, you're right?" Liam said. "He was also fighting against two of the main disciples on
his own, and he had done so perfectly right up to the last point. When Raze was ready to
fight… does that mean he's actually been hiding his strength?"
"Who knows?" Liam shrugged his shoulders. "But he must be confident; Raze wouldn't just
climb onto his back and jump down. He had to be confident that he would survive the fall,
maybe he's really a stage 3 or 4 Pagna warrior or something."
It was a relief for them all. Now that they had figured out that it was unlikely that Raze and
Pink had fallen to their deaths, they still had another problem. How exactly were the three
of them going to follow them down there, and was it even possible?
---
Down below, Raze had the statue in his hand. It seemed like it had successfully been
unsealed, but he didn't even have time to check out what it could do; that was because a
portal had opened right in front of him.
"Dame, get ready!" Raze said, as he was starting to gather magic around his arms, but he
noticed that Dame wasn't by his side.
Instead, he was still standing far away. "What are you doing, it's a portal break!" Raze
asked.
To these words, Dame wasn't panicked at all. He wasn't reacting the same way as Charlotte
or Mr. Kron was at the time they had seen the other portal. Why was he so relaxed? Was it
because he was a strong warrior?
"That's not a portal break," Dame replied as he walked forward. "Can't you see, the color,
it's light blue and quite clear, and if it was a break, monsters would be pouring all over the
place right now."
Putting his hands down slowly, Raze realized it was true. No beasts were coming out of the
portal; there was nothing. Its power was just spinning around, seemingly doing nothing.
"Portal breaks are different colors, and the sparks that you see, they should continuously
spiral all over the place. What you have right here, my friend, is just a normal portal," Dame
said, and he had one of the largest smiles on his face.
"A normal portal?"
Raze remembered that normal portals could be entered as one wished, and there would be
an exit that took one elsewhere when entered. They were rare and great resources that
clans fought over all the time. The academy had a few themselves, and this portal would
have also been considered the academy's, that was if they knew about it.
"So it really is just a normal portal… Can you tell what level it is?" Raze asked.
"Not really," Dame said as he looked at it and reached his hand out slightly as if he was
about to touch it. "Honestly, the only way to find out is to head inside. Anyway, how was
your thing, was it a success?"
Due to the shocking revelation of having opened up a portal to another dimension and not a
dreaded portal break, Raze had nearly forgotten about the time. Placing it down on the
floor, Raze then cast his dark magic on it.
"Show me your effects," Raze whispered.
The dark magic started to float back out of the statue as it had written some words to him.
[Mythical ranked item]
[Fighting soldier]
[Using magic to activate the statue, it will grow into a human-sized figure. The statue will
follow simple commands from its owner.]
[If the statue is destroyed, it will reform into the smaller statue and will need 24 hours
before it can be used again.]
[The statue warrior's strength is based on the blood used to unseal the item]
'This… crap.' Was Raze's first thought.
Not because the item was bad, it was certainly good. He had managed to obtain a mythical
item which was exactly what he was aiming for but it was because of the last line. If he had
known, he would have used Dame's blood, or kept the statue using blood of even stronger
talents.
The reason he hadn't done was just in case it would have a bad effect on the blood he used,
but it did make him wonder. Would this mean that this statue was even stronger than all
five of the disciples? If that was the case then it certainly would be a strong fighting force.
His sulk had turned into a smile.
"I see the item must be good then if it's made you smile, so how about it, what do you think
about heading into this portal and seeing what it has?" Dame suggested.
Chapter 162 Another Dimension
Chapter 162 Another Dimension
Having figured out that Raze was down below was not the same as figuring out why or how
he got there. So the three of them were now stumped with what to do. Liam had gone to
pick up a rock and threw it off the cliff.
They knew what he was doing, so they waited and waited until they could hear some sort
of sound, but they heard nothing back.
"Now I'm not sure if they're alive or not," Liam stated.
"That was a small rock; why don't you pick a bigger rock? Just because you have a big head,
it looks like you have a small brain," Simyon stated.
"Oh yeah, then maybe I should just throw you down there; you're just as heavy as a rock,
right? You'll make some loud noise. Or maybe we can ride you down there, and your hard
body will break our fall!"
The two seemed to be at each other's throats, and they were relatively close to fighting.
Safa didn't break up the fight and instead was just trying to figure out a way down, that was
until she saw someone come out from the forest.
"Who do you think's not alive?" The voice asked.
---
Entering a portal on his own like so, Raze wouldn't dare. It was just too risky; he much
would rather head through the portals that the Academy already had and were aware of
the ranking.
The thing was right now he had Dame by his side. Dame, a powerful Pagna warrior at the
peak of the initial stage, and with the items Raze had given him, he was even stronger than
that.
If he entered with Dame, then everything should be okay. If it was dangerous, then they
could at least find the exit.
'No wait, the portal inscription from before!' Raze thought to himself. 'Isn't it okay for me
now to enter any portal? As long as I am able to survive the initial entering, then I can
always return to this point, thanks to the magic circle that was left behind by the Dark
Faction founder.'
It was a revelation that Raze hadn't really figured out till now, but it should work. He had
more than enough power stones now to do such a thing. Heading inside to get more would
be a bonus for him, and it would allow him to gather crystal to increase his magical
strength as well.
"Let's do it, but let's err on the side of caution first. I'm still a little injured," Raze explained.
He started to bring out his power stones and some of the ingredients he had; he was going
to create some pills for this journey.
"I need to be prepared for anything, and I need to get my strength up as well," Raze said to
himself.
"Oh?" Dame said, peaking over at what Raze was doing. "Do you mind making a couple for
me? You never know, I might need them as well."
Raze went ahead, creating a few Qi pills. He had created one of each color: Red, Blue, and
Green, and had done so twice. So he had six pills in total. He then had done the same and
handed them to Dame, who had six pills as well.
There were still plenty of crystals in his possession after all, and once going through the
portal, they were hoping that there would be even more for them to gather. Raze was
actually hoping to see some high-level beasts on the other side. With Dame, he couldn't
waste this opportunity.
"Alright, you ready?" Dame asked. "Then let's go."
Dame was the first to step into the portal, and following right behind him was Raze. The
two went inside, and unlike the portals Raze had been in before, this one didn't close up.
A few moments after the two had headed inside, several voices could be heard through the
mist.
"Hey, hey now everyone stick close together; we don't want to get lost," Liam said, his voice
shaky. "Especially you, Safa; you can grab me wherever you want, and I mean wherever you
want."
"Do you really have to be such a perv in a situation like this!" Simyon shouted.
The two of them were both holding onto Safa and were doing so on either side. Going
through the thick fog, they realized that they were unable to see anything. But Safa had
eventually found a type of path in the ground.
She soon started to follow it with her feet, and as she did, the others continued to follow
her. They noticed that it looked like imprinted footprints. Right now, though, they weren't
even sure they were in the right place as the others.
"Ah man, this is scary, I think I'm hearing voices in my balls, I mean head," Liam said,
almost on the verge of tears.
"Did you lose brain cells coming down here?" Simyon replied. "How could you get balls
mixed up with your head."
Eventually, the three of them had reached the end of the trail, and now right ahead, they
could see it. The large circular object that was directly in front of them, floating about.
"Is that a portal!" Simyon called out. "What's one doing out here in the Academy; do they
even know about it?"
"No, they don't," a voice said from behind. Appearing through the fog was none other than
Gunther, one of the original examiners and the friendly soul that had helped the three get
down into this place.
"Why did you guys just go ahead and run off like that; I almost lost you through all this fog,"
Gunther claimed. "Anyway, do you really think the two of them went in there?"
Safa tugged on Gunther's shirt, and then pointed to the footprints below. It certainly did
seem like an adult-sized footprint, but if it was Raze, how did they even know the portal
was down here?
Looking back at the others, Gunther started to smile. "Hey, so who's up for a little
adventure?"
Chapter 163 A New Element
Chapter 163 A New Element
After entering the portal, almost immediately Raze felt a shiver through his whole body. It
wasn't because his sixth sense was acting up or due to some food he might have eaten the
previous day. It was because of the environment they were instantly in.
His feet felt heavy, and almost immediately, the cloth on his legs was wet. As he looked
down, he could see a sea of white, and it was continuing to fall from the sky.
"Freaking hell, it's cold," Dame said as he stepped out of the portal and into the white snow.
The snow was continuing to fall, but there was no hard wind, so it wasn't a blizzard of sorts.
Not being able to handle the cold as much anymore, Raze summoned his black robe, placing
it over him, but it did little to help him. When he turned to look at Dame, although he had
stated he was cold, he didn't look it. There was no shiver at all, and even when he breathed,
his breath wasn't showing in the air like Raze's.
"Why aren't you cold?" Raze asked, wishing right now that he had the fire attribute in his
magic core. At least he could have kept himself a little heated.
"I told you before, this is the body of a stage six Pagna warrior, do you really think it would
get cold?" Dame replied.
Looking around them, Dame was trying to get an idea of their surroundings. He could see
tall trees that went up high in the sky. They were covered in snow, showing little greenery
on the outside of them.
They also were on what appeared to be a slope. If he were to guess, he would have said that
they were on a mountain of sorts. The thing was it wasn't just the mountain that was
snowy; all the area around them was covered as well.
"I'll give you some good news: our portal is in the same place we came in," Dame said. "So
all we have to do is go back in here if we want to go back, and it will bring us back to where
we entered from."
"Sometimes the portal is in a different place from where we entered, but it being here
means we can just remember where it is. The bad news is the whole area is covered in
snow, so you're going to be a little cold."
After making a mark on some nearby trees and taking in the surroundings to remember
where they were, the two of them decided to descend down the mountain. Going down was
easier than going up. Although the argument could have been made that if they needed to
run away, then running downhill would have been better.
There were no beasts in sight as they continued to head down through the thick snow, that
was until they could see something moving under the snow. A mound was being left as it
hurriedly came toward them from beneath.
"Brace yourselves and get ready!" Dame said.
Even if Dame saw the beast, he would have no clue what strength it was at until he fought it
himself. The snow continued to move, and when it got close enough to them, it burst its
head up from the ground.
A long body could be seen spiraling up, white in color, nearly matching the snow
completely. Attached to the long body was a head with red-colored eyes and large fangs. It
opened up its mouth, revealing a small split tongue and a hissing sound. It looked almost
like a cobra, but it was giant in size, as it was half the height of the trees next to it.
It opened its mouth again, this time firing something out of it. One light blue liquid spit had
gone towards Dame, and turning its head, it spat another one at Raze. The two of them
were able to use their footwork to jump out of the snow, avoiding the hit.
When the spit hit the snow, they could see it had completely frozen over. The top layer of it
was now just ice.
'Damn, it's a lot harder to move in the snow. Foot techniques will be hard to perform, or I
just have to know that I'll just be at around 70 percent because of the snow.'
Dame didn't appear to like fighting in the snow any more than Raze did, but thankfully, due
to his gauntlets, he was able to fight from a large distance. He was ready to throw out a Qi
punch when he heard Raze call out to him.
"Wait, let me take this one on. If I have trouble, then you can assist me," Raze asked.
Backing down, Dame saw no harm in that. From the speed of the attack, he could avoid its
hit all day. He still didn't know what its physical strength was like, but the snake beast
seemed to not want to move. It just had its upper half on show, moving left to right, firing
out its spit everywhere.
Another round of the light blue spit was fired out, and this time when Raze moved, he took
out his wooden sword.
'In this situation, a wooden sword is useless, but it's the best I can do right now!'
Raze gathered his Qi, and also around it, he had gathered his wind magic as well.
"Wind strike!" Raze shouted.
Wind strike was a spell that Raze actually could use without his sword and just the palm of
his hand, but he had learned that using such skills with other techniques and Qi made both
the magic and the strike stronger.
Out from his sword, a line of wind came out, and it hit the snake, causing a small cut. Raze
continued to swing his sword, saying the words "Wind strike" each time, as it helped
picture the spell formation in his mind.
The strikes went through the air relatively fast, and each time they hit the snake, a new
wound would be made. It didn't look like Raze was struggling at all; he would continue to
move, avoiding the attack, and continue performing his small wind strikes here and there.
'The moves he's producing, it looks like another Pagna skill, but I can tell that it's not the
same. It's almost like projectile Qi, but it's far weaker in power. I wonder what he's doing
though, is this all the strength he has?
'No, Pagna skills would be more than enough to finish off the beast, so then why is he doing
this.'
Of course, Dame had no idea, only Raze knew what he was doing. Judging from the fact that
the beast wasn't dead after several hits meant it had to be something of a somewhat higher
tier, but this was perfect.
[Wind attribute 11 >>> 14]
In the world of Pagna, Raze was unable to use his magic freely, but in the dimensions, he
could. So this was his chance. While he was here, he was going to increase his magic skills
to the fullest.
The requirement for wind magic to increase in attribute was simple: to use spells more and
more often.
Raze then held the wooden sword with both hands above his head. He performed the
second step in the snow, pushing him forward, and swung the sword down, performing the
first formation, the Blood River, with it. He lastly added a Wind Strike.
Out from his sword came a large line, a streak of wind but it was glowing slightly red. It hit
the snake beast right in the center of the head, making a deep cut reaching its brain. The
attack didn't get to slice through it, but it had done significant damage.
'That... worked out well,' Raze thought as the dark mist raised from its body and started to
enter his body.
'Rather than remembering three different steps, I should remember a name for that move
so it's easier to use.' Raze thought, just like he had done with the Dark Pulse and his punch,
calling it Dark Strike. 'Blood Swipe? Nah, that's too obvious. Crimson Slash sounds better.'
Picturing it in his head, Raze had put three of the moves together. The second Descending
Step, the 1st Devil's sword formation, and the Wind Strike, all of these would create the
move, the Crimson Slash.
Heading on over to the dead beast's body, Raze started to search for the crystal. When he
eventually found it lodged in the head, he pulled it out.
'It's as I thought, it's a level 2 power stone! And not just that, it has the ice attribute as well.
It looks like I'm going to unlock some ice magic now as well,' Raze smiled to himself.
Chapter 164 Extract Everything
164 Extract Everything
A level 2 power stone was something hard to come by. Raze hadn't even seen it at the
normal markets, so he assumed that it was something that was mostly either given to the
second-year students at the Pagna Academy or something that you could only get at an
Auction house or something similar.
He still wasn't very well-versed in the World of Pagna, so he could only base it on the things
he saw. Either way, he was delighted. Not only had he obtained a level 2 power stone, but
achieving it wasn't too much of a hard task. The beast he had defeated using a combination
of his magic and Pagna skills produced a devastating blow.
"I'm going to be busy for a bit!" Raze shouted out. "Just protect me, or stop anything from
getting close to me if you see it."
Raze didn't give time for Dame to reply, and immediately he had run back up the mountain
and was now hiding behind a tree. Since the snow was still thick, he used his finger to draw
circles in the snow. His finger quickly turned red and was getting numb, but he didn't care.
The excitement, along with the adrenaline, was too much for him, and shortly after, he had
finished drawing the circle.
"What is he up to?" Dame said to himself as he made his way back up. It didn't seem like
there would be any beasts coming after them, but if they were to head further down, it
might be a different story.
Having looked at the dead beast that was on the ground before, the image of what Raze had
done just moments before had flashed in his head. The attack was strong, strong enough to
take out a level 2 beast like that.
'Raze, I'm starting to wonder, do you have any idea how strong you are?' Dame thought to
himself. 'You were able to take out a head disciple that was at the third stage, and you had
done so using your skills as a Pagna warrior and now with your magic.
'But when you combine your magic and skills together, you're able to create something out
of this world. Even though you are a Stage 2 warrior, I would think you could take on a
Stage 4 at the moment.'
What Raze was currently doing was absorbing the level 2 power stone. He was adding its
strength to his power core because it had the attribute of Ice. After absorbing the crystal, it
meant now on top of Wind and Dark, he would also be able to use ice as well.
Taking in one deep breath, the remains of the crystal energy had disappeared, and they had
been added to his magic core.
'It's a success!' Raze said as he stood up from his position from the tree. He immediately
noticed that his body didn't feel as cold as it did before. It was proof that it had worked.
'It's a shame I can't tell how strong the attribute is. I'll have to create another ring? I
wonder, do I even have enough fingers to have rings for all the elements!' Raze thought.
'Either way, now that I have the ice attribute, I can increase its affinity.'
When walking back to Dame, Raze started to ponder. Ice was one of the types of magic that
Raze didn't have much knowledge of. So much so that he didn't even know what one was
meant to do to naturally increase its affinity, other than to absorb more ice-related power
stones. That's when another idea had popped into his head as he came across Dame.
"Ah, did the crystal go? I thought that you would have wanted to create an item with it, or a
Qi pill. What did you even use it for?" Dame asked.
"I used it for my magic," Raze said as he swiped his hand through the falling snow, and it
started to freeze over. As it got heavy, it fell into the snow right after. "I can't always use
power stones for items; I need to balance myself so I'm not so reliant on one or the other.
Speaking of, do you know any Pagna techniques that could relate to the ice element in any
way?"
Dame started to scratch the side of his chin as he was trying to work out if he did or not.
"I can't say I do honestly, but we should be heading to the library soon, so honestly, we
should know by then," Dame explained. "But why do you need a cultivation technique?"
The cultivation techniques of this world were also able to strengthen Raze's core as long as
it matched the affinity he was trying to train.
"It just helps with gathering a specific type of energy sometimes," Raze explained.
"Ah, I see now," Dame said as he walked over, and the two of them were next to the large
snake-type dead beast that they had killed. "You need the crystal because it gives you ice-
type powers for your magic, but what about the body?"
"The body?" Raze asked.
"The body," Dame replied and placed his hand on one side of the creature's head. "You see,
a lot of power is in the power stones inside them, but there is also lingering power in their
bodies as well. If you take the power from the bodies to increase your magic, you keep the
level 2 power stones for yourself?"
It was in Dame's best interest to get Raze as many crystals as he could because he would be
buying and selling them as well, but they needed crystals to do such things.
Closing his eyes, Dame looked as if he was focusing on something. That's when all the veins
on his left arm started to show. They were bulging as if he had next to no skin on his body.
Flowing from the beast, the energy was running through his veins and inside him. It only
took ten seconds or so, but Dame was done, and he was hoping it had managed to make
some type of impression.
"What I used was an extraction technique belonging to the Demonic Faction. That body still
had plenty of energy, and it's useful to take it right after one kills," Dame explained.
Watching carefully, Raze could feel the energy moving from the dead beast into Dame. It
was no joke; the issue was, the mages didn't have an ability like that at all.
"Why don't you teach me this extraction skill of yours?" Raze asked, and he had done so in a
somewhat polite way, which wasn't like him.
"As much as I would love to, I can't," Dame replied. "This isn't my skill; this is the Demonic
Faction skill. Honestly, I'm not sure if you showed those skills like you did in front of the
Dark Faction, that my Demonic faction would act the same way."
Raze felt like it was too late for him to go back on what he had just heard; he needed that
skill because he knew how well he could use it now and in the future.
"If you teach me how to use that skill, then I'll make you another item, and who knows how
strong that will be this time," Raze said.
Hearing the words "another item," and from the Dark Magus no less, it was an offer that
Dame couldn't refuse.
"Another item, huh? I guess as long as you keep it a secret, it will be okay. Let's teach you
the extraction technique."
Mass release goals go!
500 Golden tickets = 1 Extra Chapter
2500 Power stoens = 1 Extra Chapter
1 Caslte gift and above = 1 Extra Chapter
Chapter 165 Stronger than Before
Chapter 165 Stronger than Before
The extraction technique wasn't just a technique that one clan knew in the Demonic
Faction; it was actually a technique that was known among the top clans in the faction, and
it was due to this technique that the faction's name had somewhat come from.
It was a trade secret among the top clans, and yet here Dame was giving it away with ease.
That was all because he couldn't say no to having one of Dark Magus' items. The Qi pills he
had made were a game-changer for any clan.
However, the items that he would enchant, that the others had yet to get their hands on,
were like owning an entire gold mine. If Raze was willing to make him an item of the same
quality or higher, he would happily teach him any of the Demonic Faction secrets.
In a way, Raze liked this about Dame because his loyalty was by his own values, rather than
what a group of people told him to do.
"I've already extracted the energy out of this beast, so we can't tell you if it will work or not,
but I can teach you the feeling of it," Dame explained. "You already know how to cultivate
using the circle of life and death, so it should help you with this as well.
"The same feeling as when one is cultivating needs to be used, but the energy from within
when cultivating, rather than going to your dantian, needs to head to the palm of your hand
instead.
"When you have this feeling ready, you touch the object which you wish to use the
extraction technique on, and this is where things get a bit difficult. The cultivation
technique you need to use needs to be directed to what you are touching.
"You are using the same cultivation technique but drawing the energy from what's on your
palm. Then you draw that into your dantian, and that is the extraction technique."
Raze was listening carefully, and he was also imagining the movements in his head. He
could cultivate with the life and death technique quite well. Placing it into his palm, it
actually seemed like it would be no problem at all.
'I wonder if I can adjust the technique, if the energy has a certain trait like these beasts with
the ice attribute, I should be able to attract the energy into my core, thus increasing my
affinity with certain magic, right?' Raze thought.
That wasn't the only thought in his head, though, because thinking about this technique
and flowing the energy through his hand, he had another idea.
"Based on what you're saying, wouldn't this technique also be used on the living?" Raze
asked.
faded as he gazed off into the distance, as if he was thinking about something. "The
Demonic Faction is called demonic because of what you just said.
"You catch on quick," Dame said, as he managed to perform a half-smile, but it quickly
faded as he gazed off into the distance, as if he was thinking about something. "The
Demonic Faction is called demonic because of what you just said.
"This technique is honestly useless in the hands of most to be used in battle. Think about it,
you would have to hold onto your opponent and stay in contact with them. Do you think
they aren't going to fight back?"
"Honestly as well, most can't use the technique well enough to draw out a large amount of
energy so fast. However, that is not true for all. There are those that can use it very well.
Those that have done in the past, draw out the energy for others like you say, but taking a
life all for the sake of growing stronger, that's what brought on the name of the Demonic
Faction.
"The Light Faction, who train diligently, like martial arts in some way is to get into the
heavens above. While the Dark Faction train to fight in a way that they believe winning is
the only thing that matters. As for the Demonic Faction, getting stronger off the lives of
others, well, it doesn't sit too well, does it? If you want my advice, even if you end up being
extremely skillful at using the Extraction Technique, don't use it on humans, don't become
a demon."
The words from Dame had hit Raze more than he would know. Although Raze wouldn't
willingly take lives unless he couldn't afford not to, he had already killed others for the sake
of his goal. Even the way he had gotten here. Many would have already called him a demon.
Since they needed to find a new beast, the two of them continued to head down the
mountain. Just like before, they could see something rumbling through the snow. Raze gave
Dame a look as to tell him not to do anything.
Just like last time, Raze continued to use wind strikes with his sword one after the other.
The condition of increasing the affinity with Wind magic was to use spells more and more.
Making it the quickest to grow but also the hardest to max out at the same time. It was
tough as well because being a 2-star mage also meant Raze didn't have a lot of Mana.
'I really need to gather a lot more normal power stones so I can make normal Mana pills.
Because the uncommon mana pill is only good for emergency situations,' Raze thought.
With it, Raze had decided to test out one more thing. He had tested out his strength of the
sword technique with his magic, now he wanted to test out his Dark Pulse.
Jumping back, it looked like the snake beast was heavily injured. It opened its mouth,
letting out the light blue substance. As it went right towards Raze, he had timed the second
descending step perfectly, so he would avoid the attack darting forward through the snow.
He then threw his hand out at the same time.
"Dark Pulse!" Raze shouted.
When thrusting out his hand, he had used Qi to throw out his fist. The step to the punch had
done the same as it would have done with the sword. It increased the power of his magic as
well.
The pulse released from the Dark Pulse was nearly twice as large as that which came out
from his hand, and it shot out like a solid beam going right through the beast's head. A large
hole around the size of a thick tree branch had been made, and the beast fell to the side
dead.
As soon as the beast had died, the strange mist went into Raze. Thankfully, with the ring, he
also got part of his Mana back as well. When his body absorbed the energy, he also could
feel his Dark Core getting stronger.
[Dark attribute: 31 >>> 32] [Wind attribute: 16 >>> 18]
'My magic powers are already increasing from this; it was a good idea to come here after
all.'
Raze went ahead to the body, in order to retrieve the crystal. As he did, Dame couldn't help
but watch Raze. He was looking at what he had done carefully just now.
'That attack, he's mixing his martial arts with his magic, isn't he? If I'm not wrong. I think
his magic is getting stronger with those techniques. That attack from before that he just
performed. It would have been enough to kill the Level 2 beast in one hit. So why did he
bother to use all those small attacks from before?'
The world of magic was interesting to Dame, but he knew the Dark Magus wouldn't teach
him; it was his trump card after all. For now, he would just have to make do with the items
he had obtained.
After receiving the crystal, it was time for Raze to get to work. Dame had jumped from his
position, landing in the snow now not too far from Raze. He could see him closing his eyes
and focusing to see how he was getting on.
To his surprise, or not to his surprise now, he seemed to be using the technique well. Dame
could see the veins showing on the palm of his hand. They were bulging as it looked like
energy was entering into him.
For Raze, it was incredibly easy; it was just as Dame had explained, and he was thankful for
the clear explanation. Now, though, he just needed to redirect the energy to his core. He
had moved it successfully, and when it finally entered his core, Raze was more than
delighted. Finally, all of the energy was absorbed, and he let go with his hand, only after a
couple of seconds.
'The energy, it worked, because the beast had the ice attribute, I could feel the ice affinity
getting stronger!'
Raze now could decide to either absorb the level 2 crystals and continue increasing his ice
affinity, or he could use it to create more items, and for now, he had decided to keep it for
the latter.
'With each beast I kill, I gain affinity with Wind Magic for using the spells, Dark Magic for
killing the beast, and now Ice Magic for using the extraction technique as well, and I can
even use the stones.'
This reminded Raze of the old times when he would have to constantly hunt in the
dimensions to increase his growth. It took him years to eventually become a 9-star mage,
but with the additional help of him being a Pagna warrior, he was growing at a much faster
rate.
"Let's continue the hunt," Raze said. "I'm going to come back stronger than before. If they
thought the Dark Magus was something they had to worry about, they have no idea."
----
Up the slope around the halfway point of the large mountain where the portal was placed,
it was flickering slightly. After a few flickers more, a group of people bunched up together,
four in total, had jumped right through, landing in the snow.
Gunther immediately got up, looking at the site around him, and the three students lifted
their heads, covered in snow.
"Are we really here?" Simyon said. "Did we really go to another dimension?"
Chapter 166 A Freezing Situation
Chapter 166 A Freezing Situation
A constant chattering sound was going off, like a beetle making a type of mating call.
However, the sound wasn't due to any beetle; it was all because of three young students
who couldn't help but clatter their teeth together.
They were all huddled up close to one another as they moved through the snow, slowly one
step at a time.
"Come on, it isn't that bad, will you guys stop exaggerating?" Gunther asked.
"Wha-wha- what type of teacher are you?" Simyon eventually said, stuttering a few times
due to the cold. "You forced us in here, you practically pushed us, and now you don't look
after us."
"My balls!" Liam shouted out. "I think they're going inside my stomach... it's too cold, I want
to have kids! Don't do this to me!"
Unlike the other two boys, Safa wasn't complaining about the situation. Not that she could
vocally if she wanted to. Instead, she was taking deep breaths and trying to focus her Qi.
She noticed that activating it ever so slightly through her body was warming it up. She
needed to be careful because using too much would eventually make her feel more
exhausted, and if that were the case, she wouldn't have enough to fight either. Right now,
they were in a dangerous place.
"Hey!" Gunther shouted back. "I'm doing the right thing, aren't I? I'm here with you, and
with me, you guys won't have any problems; you don't have to worry about that. Besides,
the next assessment was going to be portal exploration anyway, so you're just getting a
head start!"
Since Gunther was a higher-staged warrior, he couldn't feel the cold, and with all three of
the students being 1st-stage warriors, they could bear it only a little more than that of a
regular human.
It wasn't as if there were no snowy areas back on Pagna, but they at least would have
prepared if they knew about it beforehand.
"Fine, look, you all need to do the same as the girl is doing. Activate the Qi, a trickle amount
throughout your whole body. Think about how you activate your Qi when you use your
skills or perform a hit of some sort; that same feeling needs to be spread around your body
but ever so gently, and then you'll be able to stand the cold a bit more."
The students, hearing his words and wanting to do anything to battle the cold, had instantly
tried what he had said, and due to the desperate situation they were in, they were more
focused than they would have been.
Gunther hadn't told them this from the get-go because part of the portal exploration
assessment that they would do next month was to adapt to the situation they were in.
Dimension portals led to all sorts of different environments.
They wanted the students to figure out solutions for themselves, but he just pitied them too
much.
'The girl is good, the two boys could take a leaf from her book,' Gunther smiled.
Once the boys were able to stop hanging onto Safa, the three of them could move a lot
easier. Although it was more difficult for them. As they walked, it didn't take long for them
to find tracks of other people.
"There, it looks like two footprints!" Liam shouted. "That must be Raze and Pink; the two of
them had to have come in here."
"Ah, to be young," Gunther smiled. "I remembered all the reckless things I did as well. If I
were in their situation, I perhaps would have done the same."
Gunther wondered if this place was the route of Raze's strength. When he had been
knocked down by the other disciples, if he had found this portal to this world. He had
trained and grown stronger before returning.
It made sense not to talk about the portal, so he could use it again for himself. However, this
theory had quickly proven to be wrong, as soon as they had discovered something grand in
the snow.
"Ah!" Liam shouted and jumped backwards. Distracted by everything around him, he had
nearly walked right into it, the dead body of a beast.
"Its head, it's been split in half, but how, neither of them had a sword, right? They just have
the wooden training swords, how then could they make this deep of a cut?" Simyon asked.
That wasn't the question Gunther thought of though. He looked at the long body of the
beast. From its size and the hard scales on its body, he couldn't imagine this being a simple
level 1 beast. This at least had to be a level 2.
"With Raze's strength, a level 2 wouldn't be too much trouble. Especially if he has Pink by
his side as well. But the kids do have a point. How was this possible with no sword?"
Gunther kept thinking back to the event.
Raze was able to make cuts on the other students. Everyone assumed that it was the
techniques he had used, was it the same again here?
Going around the beast, Gunther stuck closer to the children. Having brought them here,
the last thing he wanted to do was get them hurt, but perhaps they could still get some
experience out of all of this. With the three of them, he hoped they could use their skills to
combat against a level 2 beast.
When continuing down the mountain though, they didn't come across other beasts; instead,
they had just come across more dead beast corpses. This one had a large hole in its head
but had the same type of cuts all over its body.
"What type of move could even do this?" Gunther was now the one wondering.
They didn't spend much time examining the beast as they had seen it before, but the sight
in front of them didn't change. They saw beast after beast, the same snake type killed.
They were walking through, and the bodies were getting more frequent, as they came
across more closer together.
"Is all of this really the result of just two people, two students? A level 2 should still give
them some trouble. I have to be ready for anything we meet. It might not be the students
that are in here after all," Gunther thought.
Thankfully, he had taken his trusty blades on his back and had his armor on underneath his
uniform. This was because Gunther was always ready for an attack at any time.
Continuing to walk, they finally could hear something. The sound of grunting off in the
distance. The screeches and squeals of what sounded like a beast. The land was starting to
level out, and the snow wasn't as thick as before either.
"Do you think that's them?" Liam asked.
Gunther decided to run ahead.
"You three keep up and stay close, be ready for anything," Gunther said, and he was doing
his best to hide his smile.
Another teacher perhaps would have run back or thought of the children first, but Gunther
didn't even want to become a teacher. He was doing a favor for his clan. Before this, he had
entered portal after portal, all with the idea of getting stronger.
Thinking about who might be ahead, it was getting him excited. Through the snow, they
could see a strange setup not too far in the distance.
It looked like a remote outpost had been built. There were strange wooden spikes that had
been set up, making a type of wall. Several towers were built behind the wall, the other
dimensions. In most of them, they had these; it was just they never found some of them
destroyed while others were left standing.
It wasn't strange to see structures like these, structures that looked more human in the
other dimensions. In most of them, they had these; it was just they never found any life that
was like that of a human.
As they got closer to the outpost, they went past even more of the giant dead snakes. These
looked different from the others. They had been killed more cleanly, with fewer hits.
The sound of fighting was growing louder as they got closer, and Gunther wanted to pick up
his pace but hadn't done due to the children behind him. Then when they finally entered
the outpost, they could see what was happening.
The barracks were large, and deep in the center, fighting was taking place. There were two
that were battling against a large number of the beasts. There were now six of them and
more coming from another direction toward them.
Jumping up in the air, one had black gauntlets and threw out a fist, hitting the beast in the
head. Half of its head exploded on the spot, killing it. As for the other, they recognized
straight away.
"That's Raze, it's him!" Liam said. "They both are here, and it looks like they're in trouble."
Doing the two-step shift, Raze slashed his sword vertically; he had used the second
formation of the Devil's strike along with his wing power. Having created a deep cut, he had
hurt it badly but it wasn't dead.
That's when, from his right side, another of the snakes came right at him, trying to eat him
up in a bite, but placing his hand out, Raze had started to gather his dark magic, and with a
sword in one hand and his palm open facing the other, he said two words.
"Dark pulse!"
The attack blasted right into the snake's mouth. It wasn't enough to kill it since he hadn't
used any of his martial arts with it, but it veered the attack off course, causing it to fall and
skid its head across the ground.
Meanwhile, the unknown onlookers had seen everything.
"What was that dark beam that had just come out of his hand?" Gunther said, his body
trembling; he was ecstatic.
Chapter 167 The Noctis Clan
167 The Noctis Clan
Raze and both Dame had continued to go down the mountain slope, and as they did, they
noticed that the number of beasts that were coming towards them was increasing. Because
of this, Raze had to change his tactic with how he dealt with the beasts. For one, he started
to use more of his Qi like skills. He fought them with his sword, and added the wind magic
at the end while getting closer and attacking them more physically. Fighting this way
allowed him to use less mana, and he had perfected it in such a way, where he would gain
enough mana from killing the beast back to what he used. This would allow him to carry on
hunting without taking a break.
In turn, it allowed him to increase his wind affinity along with all his other attributes. From
time to time, two beasts would come towards him and fighting the way Raze was fighting,
he needed a little help. Dame would hold them off for as long as he needed to, and then
when Raze was done, allowed him to fight as well. Dame was getting more and more
curious as to why Raze was fighting the way he was fighting, especially when he had skills
that could kill the beast in one go. 'It might have something to do with the energy he uses.
Maybe it's just like martial arts with more skills taking up more Qi, and he's conserving his
energy.' What was soon becoming apparent though, was just how much energy Raze had in
terms of Qi and mana. Because as he looked to continue going on, he hadn't even consumed
any of the pills that he had brought with him.
Yet, he was constantly able to use magic, little did he know it was all because of the items
that were created. If Dame did know, then his love for these powerful items that had saved
him once, would continue to grow,
Finally they had reached the end of the slope of the mountain and as they walked ahead
they could see a strange outpost. "It's just like all the other dimensions." Raze commented.
"They seem to have traces of an advanced civilization, or at least a society of some sort, but
there's no life. Is it the same for all the dimensions in Pagna?"
While he was here, and since Dame was learning more about him everyday, he should learn
more about the world of Pagna as well. There was something odd about it all, about the
entire thing.
"I guess it's the same in your world of Alterian." Dame replied. "What you say is true.
Nearly every dimension that leads to either a world is just filled with beasts, or one that has
castles, buildings, and structures but no sign of life other than the beasts themselves." "You
are honestly the first I have heard of a person from another dimension. Which was why I
was excited to get to know you."
It was clear that he wasn't the first, since there was a whole group of those in Alter, but
Raze felt like he knew who might have been the first and someone who was more like him
compared to the other otherworlders. Although this still wasn't confirmed either. The
otherworlders had come here from some type of portal of sorts, while Raze had
transmigrated into a new body altogether. He had used an item. One that was most likely
even above the Mythical grade in order to get him here, and it was an item that was
discovered in one of these worlds.
"I know you're from the Demonic Faction, but I was wondering, do you know much about
the Dark Faction's founder?" Raze asked.
Dame turned his head, trying to have a look at Raze's expression. In a sense the question
didn't make much sense, why would Raze care about someone who had died long ago,
when he was from another world, and why specifically this person.
"I know of him, but I do not know him." Dame replied back. "It's an interesting question
that you ask though. Do you remember what Clan I said I was part of when we first joined
the academy."
Raze did remember, because he was surprised at the reaction of Gunther at the time as
well. "The Noctis clan?" Raze replied. "Correct, you see the reason why I knew that would
catch their attention, is because the Noctis Clan, is the Clan that the Dark Faction's founder
had created himself. There were of course clans before his, but before the Dark Faction
existed as a whole, he was from this clan." Raze was still struggling to know what exactly
was the big deal, so what if he was from the same Clan as the founder, why did that matter?
But then it hit him. Why hadn't he heard of the clan before? The five main clans that
currently made up the Dark Faction. The Noctis Clan wasn't one of them. "I know what your
thinking." Dame replied. "The answer is the Noctis Clan doesn't exist anymore. That's why I
knew I would be able to get away with it. There isn't a single person that can confirm or
deny that I am a member." Dame was smiling to himself as he casually walked through the
snow, his hands behind his head. "But doesn't that mean that there is no one that can prove
you're a member as well, why would Gunther believe you?" Raze asked. "I'm not sure he
did, but it would be risky for anyone to make a lie like that." Dame replied. "Besides, I
actually know a few skills of the Noctis Clan. Do you remember him also stating not to show
the skills?"
"The old leaders will perhaps remember what the skills look like, but none of them will be
able to perform them, apart from doing a poor imitation. From what I know, there are also
no records of the Noctis' Clan's skills that they used, at least in the Dark Faction." "Yet for
some reason, there are the skill books in the Demonic Faction. Due to the skills themselves
being from the Dark Faction, no one really in the Demonic Faction learned them.
Remember how specific energy is best suited for certain skills." "So even if you learned it, it
wouldn't be ideal for you, but maybe for one of your friends who have the Dark Qi in their
bodies." Dame said. "For me though, I was bored and started to learn a few of the skills in
there. So I was ready to demonstrate them if need be, and what better proof is that." Things
were slowly starting to piece together in Raze's head, he had an idea as to why the
techniques had ended up in the Demonic Faction. He remembered the writing on the cave
wall, that he had decided to go to that mad place where the eyes of those chasing him didn't
exist. Mad, could also be what some considered those from the Demonic Faction to be.
'Dame doesn't seem to know more about the Dark Faction founder, but it's clear that he
was there hence why his skills were there. If I got to someone older or a higher up figure in
the Demonic Faction, they might know.' 'I would be interested to know if the society or
Alter were the ones that chased out the Dark Faction founder.' Raze thought. When
reaching the barracks, the ground was rumbling underneath their feet. Through the snow
they could see large mounds moving towards them. It was clear that rather than just one or
two beasts, there were now groups going after them. "You might need my help with this
one." Dame said. "I might, but don't go on them too hard, I still need to improve myself, and
all the crystals are mine." Raze said. "Fine, as long as you give me a discount on the items
when we sell them!" Dame shouted, charging in. The two of them fought against the large
snakes one after the other, and Raze had no choice but to use his magic as well as his sword
skills. It was the first time he was utilizing both of them in battle, and not long after that
was when the others had come. They had arrived, and Gunther along with Liam, who had
no clue what magic was, had witnessed it clearly for the first time.
Mass release goals!
900 golden ticket's = 1 Extra Chapter
2500 Power stoens = 1 Extra chapter
1 Castle gift and above = 1 Extra chapter
Chapter 168 One too many
Chapter 168 One too many
From the looks of things, the snakes seemed to be using the outpost as some type of nest.
They were coming from all over the large base, and were intertwined around many of the
objects. One of the large snakes had swirled its body around a tower wrapping around it.
From there it was opening its mouth and firing out ice blasts towards them. Seeing this,
Dame was quite happy to throw his fists a couple of times in the air, when doing so, Qi
blasts would come out of his fist and hit the ice blasts dead on. It exploded the attack
causing small shards to be sent outward all over the ground but didn't touch the two of
them at all. "Haha, I really missed using these, I only got to use them once, and it's been a
while. If I can't use my chicken, then I need to at least use the thing that's causing my chick
to be out of action!" Dame said. The outpost was placed next to a small hill that led to a
cave, and from the looks of things, more and more snakes were crawling out from the hole
as they got rid of them. With his magic and sword skills, at most Raze was finding that he
could deal with three of the snakes at once, but he had to have an immense amount of
concentration. He had to avoid their spit attacks and their bites. Using his sword to attack
one head on, and then use his spells to fend off one or two of them. Thanks to Dame, and
him being able to see this, he would keep the rest of them busy only allowing one to slip
past him once Raze had dealt with one of them. It was a good thing that he was on this trip
as well. Raze jumped up, and struck the head of one of the snakes before it would open its
mouth. While in the air, two snakes went ahead to bite him. With his hand, Raze fired out
the Dark Pulse at one hitting it in the mouth. Then just before the other struck him, he used
the eighth descending step to spin his body. While doing this he added his wind magic to
his sword. When the snake went to bite him, his wind magic was cutting the snake's mouth
to bits. Finally, Raze landed on the ground, and then with two hands out, both of them
facing the side snakes, he fired out the Dark Pulse again, finishing them off. It was a flashy
display to say the least but slowly Raze was getting the hang of it, his heart was beating fast
and the rush of energy was returning to him. 'I'm starting to remember what it was Iike
when I had to fight in those dimensions. Back then I had to fight on my own, and most of
the time I would have to employ an aggro technique. '
'Hitting one of the beasts and leading them away to then blast them with my magic from
the distance, but this has given me a chance to excel in my skills. To combine my Pagna
warriors strengths along with my magic.' It was a powerful feeling that Raze was
experiencing right now. At the entrance of the barrack's, Gunther, Simyon, Safa and Liam
had caught it all. They were witnessing everything that was happening right now, and they
couldn't believe their eyes. They were seeing the spells being used, the swordsman ship,
and even Pink taking out the large snakes as if they were nothing but balloons, one by one.
"Who are these two people really, and what is that strange beam stuff coming out of his
hands!" Liam said out loud. It was quite clear that 'Pink' was not a normal student, and
Raze was using powers they had never seen before. "Come on, you two know him right, and
you're related to him, what's that strange power that he's using?" Liam asked again. "I… I
want it.. I want to use it as well."
Simyon didn't know what to say, he knew that Raze magic was meant to be a secret and
now everyone was here to view it, but even he was starstruck by what he was seeing. He
had seen some of Raze's magic before but not it being used like this. 'Raze just how strong
have you gotten, or was this something you could always do?' "Did you know about this?"
Gunther asked, his hand was still shaking. "Did you know that your friend could do this?"
Simyon didn't answer, and was looking at Safa, at least she had an excuse as to why she
couldn't answer, so these awkward situations seemed like they would always have to fall
into his hands. "Don't worry your silence is an answer. It seems you special friend has a lot
of secrets." Gunther started to chuckle to himself. "They should all just count the lives lucky
that they ran into me. I'm not too bothered about who you are or what powers you use."
"As long as they let me in on their little secrets." Gunther winked. It was lucky for them, and
SImyon did feel that way. Gunther certainly seemed to be the best person to catch them in
that act. "Are you sure you're related to Mada?" Liam asked. "The two of you are just so
different, maybe it's because one of you came from the left ball and the other from the
right?" "Seriously man?" Simyon asked. "What is it with you and balls, do you have some
type of fetish?" "Hey, I'm just speaking my truth." Liam replied.
Rather than getting involved, the group continued to watch the amazing spectacle mainly
focusing on Raze because the colours and powers they were seeing him do, it was truly
magical and was drawing them in. With their eyes fixed ahead of them though, they were
unaware of the large bulge moving through the snow heading towards them from behind.
——-
Thanks to the tag team performance from Dame and Raze, both of them were having no
trouble. For Dame in the first place, this level of dimension was something he could take on
with ease. It was somewhat unfair of him to be here which is why he was happy to take a
back seat as well, and soon the number of snakes that were coming out were starting to
lessen. There was still the snake that had wrapped itself around the tower, and around four
more that were surrounding them. 'The numbers have reduced by quite a bit, in total have
we taken out around fifty or so?' Dame thought. 'That's quite a high number, and it means a
lot of crystals as well. This is our own little gold mine, and is much better than the
dimension the Light Faction had, it would be nice to keep this.'
"If that's the case I better warn him. Hey!" Dame shouted out. "Try not to kill any more
beasts and just injure them so they can't attack us!" "Huh!" Raze said performing the two
step shift he avoided a bite and the snake crashed into the snow behind him, throwing it in
the air. He swung his sword at the same time, hitting it by its side. "If we take out any more
of these guys, I'm a little worried that the dungeon boss might come out!" Dame shouted. It
was at that moment, that at the entrance of the barracks one of the snakes had appeared
from the snow. "CRAAPP!" Liam shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice was so loud that
both Dame and Raze turned to have a look. "Simyon, and Safa, what are them two doing
here?"
'That's the teacher as well, that can't be good.' Dame thought. The moment the large snake
appeared though, Gunther pulled out his sword and swung it up. The vision of water
appeared, it was visual Qi. It looked like a wave had split into two, and so had the snake. It
was killed with a single swing, the blood falling and dying the snow beneath them. As soon
as he had killed the snake though, the whole ground started to rumble. Immediately the
other snakes that were near Dame and Raze scurried away, and even the one in the tower
moved away. The rumbling sound was growing larger and was coming from the cave
entrance. "What is that?" Raze asked. Crashing through the cave hole, a large scale body
had appeared, but it wasn't just from one of the holes, several more had crashed and
cracked through the hill. In total three giant holes had been made in the hill, and at the end
of them were three large heads all of them slightly different in colour. They were around
four times bigger than that of the snakes they had been fighting, they were towering in the
air, swaying left to right. The shadow cast by the three of them nearly covered the entire
outpost they were in. And soon, all six of their eyes, two from each head of the giant snakes,
looked down at those below. "It's… the dungeon boss." Dame muttered.
Chapter 169 Dimension Boss
Chapter 169 Dimension Boss
The dimensional boss was large in size and looked quite similar to the snake beasts they
had been fighting against. The bodies of each one were the same color, but it was their
heads that had a slightly different shade.
The large head in the center was slightly light blue in color, which faded into the skin of the
rest of the beast. The one on the left was slightly light green, and finally, the last one was
slightly red in color.
Since its long body went back into the strange hill-type cave, they were unsure if these
were three individual beings. Where was the rest of its body? Or was it one type of large
being with three heads?
"A dimension boss, we have to get out of here!" Liam shouted and turned around, running
back the way they came.
He took one step forward, and as if reacting to his step, the green-headed giant snake
opened its mouth, and green spit went out straight from its mouth. Gunther quickly pulled
him by his shirt back to where he was, and the spit had landed in the snow.
Right in front of them, the snow had completely melted, as well as part of the ground. The
spit substance was different from the snakes they had been dealing with so far.
"Is it some type of acid? If that hit you, I think you would have melted away," Gunther
commented.
Looking at it, Liam was inclined to agree.
The reason for Liam running was because he had heard a lot about dimension bosses, but
this was the first time he had ever come across one. In fact, it was even his first time in
another dimension.
Not all dimensions had a dimension boss in them, but the majority did, and they seemed to
be awakened when enough beasts in a dimension had been killed. When groups assessed
dimensions, this was one of the first things they would do.
They would enter, kill as many beasts as they could until the dimension boss was
summoned. Afterward, they would leave the dimension for a certain period of time, making
note of that number.
Most of the time, this would be done by a fairly large group, a large squad belonging to the
clan. Because dimensions were great resources for them, they wouldn't want to take out
the dimension boss.
Because when one did, that's when the portal would close up. This wasn't the only way;
sometimes when certain items were found, or strange events occurred in the dimensions,
they would close up after being completed.
For instance, a horde of beasts coming out of nowhere swarming those within. If they
survived and left, it was unlikely that the dimension would still be there.
The reason for this happening, and the link between a dimensions' bosses and the portals
closing up, was still unknown, but they had to deal with the facts and work around them.
One of these facts was that dimension bosses, in most cases, would be two levels higher
than the beasts found in them.
At the moment, the level of beasts found in the current dimension was level 2. They had yet
to see anything higher, so the dimension boss that was in front of them would be
considered a level 4 beast, at least that's what they had hoped.
Looking at it, Gunther and Dame, with their experience, were quite good at evaluating the
beast, and they felt like they would have placed it at that level, where they were still able to
deal with the beast themselves.
All three of the heads were eyeing up the entire group, and they started to open their
mouths up right at them.
"It doesn't look like this one is going to let us go away nicely," Gunther commented.
"It's a real shame; this would have been a really good goldmine for us," Dame commented.
Secretly he thought it might be for the best to get rid of the portal, especially now Gunther
had discovered it because if they needed to keep this whole thing a secret, at the moment
they would only have to deal with one person.
After opening up their heads, out from the snakes' mouths, three different-colored spits
had shot out right towards them.
When Raze went to lift his hand up, he saw two blurs run right past him. It was both
Gunther and Dame. They jumped up and matched up towards the colored spit by their side.
Seeing this, the two of them looked at each other.
'Oh, he's fast; have I dealt with him before?' Dame thought.
'As I thought, this person isn't a normal student at all. That stuff from the Noctis Clan must
have been a lie.' Gunther smiled back.
As the two approached the spit, Gunther pulled out his sword and slashed through it,
turning it into nothing. His water visual Qi had consumed the attack; it was the same for the
other side. Throwing out a fist, it exploded out like sparks, looking like fireworks in the sky,
but this was also part of Dame's visual Qi as well.
When turning around, though, they could see one other attack that they hadn't gotten rid
of. The light blue spit that was heading right toward Raze.
"Wait," Dame called out. "He can deal with it; he's not so weak."
Raze placed his hand out in front of him, and before the spit hit, he activated his Dark
Gunther readied his other sword, ready to attack it from where he was.
"Wait," Dame called out. "He can deal with it; he's not so weak."
Raze placed his hand out in front of him, and before the spit hit, he activated his Dark magic
swirling around his hand.
"Dark Pulse!"
The Dark magic extended out, but when the beam hit the spit, it had turned it into a giant
ice shard. The beam was growing in size and freezing over due to the spit, and now it was
coming at them like a giant iceberg.
"I... wasn't expecting this," Raze said, but he held the sword in both of his hands, took a
stance, and at the right time, dashed forward.
"Crimson Slash!" Raze said to himself as he swung down the sword, adding the power of his
wind magic. The attack enlarged and had a faint red glow due to the Devil's formation being
used. It was a combination of visual Qi being used with actual magic and his footwork, and
Raze had learned that it was one of his strongest physical attacks.
Even though it was a wooden sword, thanks to the wind magic, it was extremely sharp.
With the strike, it cut through the iceberg, splitting it into two parts.
"Watch out!" Simyon shouted from behind. He took a firm stance standing in front of Safa.
Part of the iceberg had hit him, and Simyon was skidding backward. Safa didn't leave his
side or jump out of the way, though. Instead, she pushed against his back, trying to add to
his strength.
The other half had gone toward Liam, and reacting to it fast, he had rolled on the ground. It
went over his body just by the skin of his teeth and crashed behind.
"Are you trying to kill us? We're your teammates!" Liam shouted out.
On the other side, the large iceberg had been placed on the floor by Simyon. It was too
heavy for him to carry with his strength, but he had just managed to stop it. Thankfully, it
didn't have the effect of the spit, so none of his body was frozen, but he was somewhat
worn by the initial hit.
"Raze, you need to be careful; Safa could have gotten hurt."
Raze turned around and smiled. "But she didn't. It looks like you two have learned to look
after yourselves, and Liam is not so bad when he thinks his life is on the line. Either way,
I'm thankful you guys can at least live because I want to take that thing down."
Raze was reliving his old life; he remembered the times when he would fight such
dangerous beasts, all for the sake of getting stronger, all for the sake of surpassing the
Supreme Magus, and yet here he was doing it again.
Both Gunther and Dame had landed back on the ground, but instead of going toward the
Dimension boss, they both jumped back.
"All right," Gunther said, sticking one of his swords in the ground. "I have decided that this
will be a good assessment for you students. Work together to get rid of the Dimension boss;
your reward, well, you can keep whatever it gives you."
"Wait, does that mean you aren't going to help us?" Liam shouted. "But that thing is too
strong for us. It's useless."
"No, it's not useless; you have a trump card that you can use anyway," Gunther said, looking
at Raze.
He was truthful in his words; he did think it would be a good experience for them all. But at
the same time, he was interested in just how much Raze could do with his powers. He had
witnessed his strength as a warrior, but combined, his strength was that of around a stage
3 or maybe even a stage 4 warrior.
Hearing this, Safa moved next to her brother; she only had the wooden spear with her, and
seeing this, that's when Gunther decided to do something. With his other sword, he
straightened his hand across his weapon. In doing so, it started to lengthen.
It was still dark blue in color and had strange teeth-like structures, but it had turned into a
spear. Throwing it, Safa raised her hand and caught it. Just from touching it, she was
surprised to see how light it was.
"What's with this favoritism?" Liam shouted. "What am I meant to do, wink at him to
death!"
The group had no time to argue as the snakes were gearing up for another attack.
Meanwhile, at the back, both Dame and Gunther had their arms folded, waiting to see what
would happen.
"So tell me then," Gunther said. "Who are you really?"
Chapter 170 Utilizing It All
Chapter 170 Utilizing It All
The four of them taking on such a large beast in front of them, it seemed like an impossible
task for most of them. For Raze, though, he seemed unfazed; he had taken on bigger and
more frightening beasts in his lifetime.
Sure, he was much weaker now compared to back then, but he was unfazed, unlike the
others in front of him.
The three large giant snakeheads had fired out the spit from their mouths again, and seeing
how his last attack was frozen, Raze had decided to move to the side instead and, in doing
so, he had used his Dark Pulse this time on the green substance.
"Using Dark Pulse against the strange ice spit is useless, so let's see what it does with this!"
The results were different as the green spit was splattered in all sorts of different
directions. It had exploded but not in a good way. Droplets of the green substance had gone
everywhere, and where it landed in the snow, it melted instantly.
'So using the attack against this one is bad as well, is there anything I can do?' Raze thought.
The red-colored spit was heading toward the others, and they were quite unsure about
what to do, or what its effects would be.
"Hey, why don't you block it with your super strong body, that's what you're good at,
right?" Liam said, trying to push the back of Simyon, but he was as solid as a large boulder
and wasn't budging at all.
"Hey, if I get hit by that, I'm not sure my skin can withstand such a thing!" Simyon shouted
back.
Maybe if his body was at a higher level, but he still just had a common metal body, despite
all the training he had done.
Surprisingly though, it wasn't them two that charged forward but it was Safa instead. She
rushed, and at the right time, she thrust out her spear at the spit attack and started to swirl
it in a circle. The spit had turned into flames that were spiralling around the spear.
Suddenly, rather than the flames looking like an attack of the snake's, it looked like it was
part of Safa's attack. After controlling the flames, she thrust the spear forward; the attack
left the spear like a tornado hitting the side of the snake's head.
It flinched to the side slightly and had markings on its face. Not a serious wound but a
wound.
"Whoa, she's good, she's really good!" Liam said. "I mean, I know she had been learning
directly from Teacher Lee, but I guess she didn't really get the chance to show all her skills
at that event."
With the spear in her hand, Safa was quite impressed herself. The technique she had
learned was indeed one from Teacher Lee, but when redirecting and throwing the strike
back, it felt almost stronger than the spit that had attacked her.
Little did she know, that was due to the item in her hands.
'That strange shape-shifting sword, it doesn't seem to be like an ordinary weapon,' Raze
noticed. He was keeping an eye on how the others were doing and seemed to have his eye
on one person more than the other. 'It has the power to generate more strength than
normal. Is it at the unique or elite level?
'Although no one knows how to enchant weapons, just like the book I found in the other
dimensions. I guess there are weapons that Pagna warriors have found to utilize
themselves, but it can't be higher than the Unique level; otherwise, Alter would have taken
it away.
'Which means, a lot of what Safa just did was due to her own strength. Due to my
accomplishments at the event, she was somewhat overshadowed," Raze thought. "Either
way, what she just did has given me an idea of how to beat this thing!'
Raze had swung his sword, unleashing a wind slash; it had hit the large snake but appeared
to do nothing. He continued to keep an eye on one of them, and it was the green-colored
one. The moment it opened its mouth, Raze, with his hand ready, had fired out a Dark Pulse.
It had hit the spit, and immediately it exploded; as it did, it went everywhere, including on
the body of the snake. As it hit it, the hard scales started to melt away, and blood was
pouring from part of its body. The attack didn't do a massive amount of damage, but Raze
was just testing something out for the bigger plan he had in mind.
Watching at the back, both Dame and Gunther were still standing around five meters apart
from each other side on. Neither of them looked at each other and instead were looking at
the students. Both Simyon and Liam were avoiding the spit attacks.
Although it looked like a simple task, they came out close to the same speed as bullets. The
two of them looked to aimlessly be running around, but they were keeping a close eye on
the snake's head for when the right time to move was.
All of them were showing great talent.
"Why do you ask a question you don't want to know the answer to?" Dame replied.
"Oh, that's brave of you to assume that," Gunther replied. "I am curious about who you are,
for you to answer like that. If I were to know the answer, would that mean me and you
would be enemies."
"I just wish to stay in the academy and cause no trouble, nothing less, nothing more, just as
I have been doing now," Dame stated.
"I suppose if that is all you will be doing, and it's going to be staying that way, then I can
allow it," Gunther commented. "But if that day comes, it will be nice to know if I am
stronger than you or not."
A mutual agreement seemed to have been made between the two, and Dame liked that. He
was starting to like this Gunther a lot, and was making him think that maybe these Dark
Faction guys weren't so bad after all.
On the field, Raze was making his way to the others, and he decided to use whatever he
could to take this beast down, so he gave quick instructions to them all.
"Safa, be ready to redirect the attack of that fire-spitting one when I say so. Hold onto its
attack as long as you can. Simyon, brace yourself, and Liam, distract the green one as much
as you can!" Raze shouted.
The others, hearing the straightforward orders, snapped into listening mode. They weren't
sure why but they trusted him as if they knew he already knew best. Even Liam, who was
practically bait, was running around.
The fire-spitting snake had spat out its spit, and Safa did the same as last time, twirling it
around her spear but had been doing so for longer.
When the ice spit was going toward them, Simyon had braced himself like he had been
doing but he was worried for what was about to come. That was until he could see lingering
black magic moving up and into his earring.
"Activate your earring now!" Raze shouted.
Simyon had rubbed the bottom of his earring, remembering what it had done to Liza at the
event; it had rebounded her attack. But would it work against an attack like this, or would
he become something frozen?
"Face the red one!" Raze shouted.
Simyon shifted his body, and the ice spit had touched his skin. It landed on him but didn't
turn him
to ice. The effect of the earring was taking place, and soon the attack had bounced off him,
heading straight for the fire snake.
It crashed into its body, freezing it over.
"Now!" Raze shouted.
Safa knew what she needed to do, and she had readied her attack going straight for the
body of the now frozen snake. At the same time, Raze had jumped up and thrust both of his
hands together.
"Dark Pulse!"
The flames had crashed into the bottom part of the snake's body, while Raze's Dark Pulse
smashed through the ice of the snake, snapping its head into tiny little pieces that dropped
onto the floor. With its head gone, blood as well as flames were coming apart from the
body.
It sprawled, hitting the ice snake and started to burn the head of it. They had managed to
kill two birds with one stone, completing the task which was more than Raze could ask for,
but now how would they deal with the last one.
Liam was still running away from the spit constantly, and their attacks weren't strong
enough. They had only defeated the other two snakes by using their own attacks against
them. Unless they could use the same trick again as they had done with Simyon.
"Don't worry, there is one more thing in my arsenal. If you guys have seen me use my
magic, then what's one more thing!" Raze smiled.
Jumping from the ground right past Liam, he saw something grey in color. It was almost
just as fast as Dame and Gunther were.
"Is that a living statue?" Liam asked.
It was made out of stone, and even the sword in its hand was made of stone. When in the
air, it spun its body and swung the sword; the image of eruptions was coming from the
background.
"Is that… visual Qi, and isn't that the Erupting Fist Clan's technique? It looks the same as
from Ricktro, but somehow it's even stronger!"
When the sword struck the top of the head of the snake, it slammed right onto the ground,
blood pouring out from the top of its head.
Landing right next to the head of the dimensional boss was none other than the mythical
Soldier Statue, that had the blood and skills of all five of the major clans, and not just that,
but the combined power of all the master disciples.
'This soldier, does that belong to Raze as well?' Gunther thought. 'Strange powers,
incredibly strong in Pagna skills, and now something like this. With all of this going for you,
people will be wanting you from all over, just like the Crimson Crane with the Dark
Magus..wait a second…'
Chapter 171 Aftermath of the Dimension
Chapter 171 Aftermath of the Dimension
The stone-made warrior was the full size of a human, and he also wielded a curved sword
rather than a straight one like most Pagna warriors would often use. In the carvings of the
stone warrior, there was also old scale-like armor on their body.
They weren't exactly dressed the way a Pagna warrior would today, who often wore light
clothing. There were only a few like Gunther who wore a full set of armor. It seemed to be
more common with those that were higher ranked since the weight of the armor would
affect them less as their strength increased. Not that Raze had seen many middle-staged
warriors in the first place.
Since the stone warrior was an item that belonged to Raze and had inflicted the last hit, a
dark essence was lifting from the three heads at once. It hadn't occurred when one of the
snake heads had been defeated but only when all three were.
Just as Raze had thought, there was a good chance that all three of the heads were
connected to a single body.
As the dark essence rose, it went all towards Raze. This was something that only he could
see, and the others around him were unable to witness. Finally, as he absorbed it all, his
rings lit up, giving him more information about his strength.
[Dark attribute: 34 >>> 40]
[Wind attribute: 20 >>> 24]
Since the start of his fighting, going against all the other beasts, he had been using his wind
magic constantly, allowing it to majorly increase in strength, and it was the same for his
Dark magic as well, as he absorbed essence after essence.
The statue warrior had soon jumped from its position, covering around twenty meters in
distance, and landed right in front of Raze. It made the others startled as they felt the
powerful Qi coming off from its footsteps.
Holding out his hand, the dark magic started to escape the statue, and as it entered back
into Raze, it had turned small in shape again. Picking it up, he had placed it away.
"That's quite the handy thing you got there," Dame said, approaching the others along with
Gunther by his side. "I guess you really do keep the best things for yourself. Just how strong
is that statue?"
"You control that thing?" Gunther said with a smile that was nearly stretching up to his
ears. "What I want to know is, why does it know the Erupting Fist Clan's techniques?"
It was the first time Raze had used the statue himself, and he was quite surprised by its
strength. He thought that it might just be as strong as Ricktor, but judging from the one
attack, its power was even stronger, which was just making him regret not using the blood
of those like Dame as well.
'Could it be possible that it combined the power of all five of the disciples?' Raze thought.
'Then would it be maybe around the strength of a fourth-stage warrior? That's quite the
strong ally to have.'
At that moment, Raze also thought about a few other uses he could use it for. It was more
than just a tool that would help fight by his side, but he could also use it to train as well.
"It learns from the blood of others," Raze answered and already turned away from the
other two.
"Seriously, just, how… how can you have things that are so strong?" Gunther asked.
For this, Raze had only one answer for him. "Items… strong items that can only be made or
obtained by a certain someone."
Rather than being shocked by the fact that Gunther was here with the others for some
reason, Raze instead was extremely focused on other things.
While the others were thanking their lucky stars that they had just survived a fight with the
dimension boss, Raze had gone ahead and was trying to look for the crystal instead.
A level 4 power stone would do wonders, and he was wondering just what type of attribute
it would hold since the snake heads were able to produce all sorts of attacks. Searching the
other two heads, Raze was unable to find the crystal.
That was until he dug a bit deeper into the head of the Ice Snake. A large blue glowing
crystal, slightly clearer compared to the others, was held in his hand.
"I was a bit disappointed, I thought it might have three of these things or have a different
attribute, but it's just ice after all," Raze said, returning to the others with the crystal in his
hand.
Now he had an even bigger decision to make. Was it best to try and enchant an item? If he
did, it would be a waste since he was unable to perform high-tier enchantments as a 2-star
mage. Unless he gambled with the Dark Magic enchantment, but that didn't always produce
the best results. So the best thing to do was to use the crystal to increase the strength of his
magic core, and he was sure that it would allow him to become a three-star mage.
"Wait a second!" Liam shouted, pointing toward Raze. "You're not thinking that crystal
belongs solely to you, right? We all played our part; you can't just use it how you wish! We
need to get some of it as well, and hey, we know your secret now! We know why you're so
freakishly strong because you use these weird spells and items or whatever!"
Simyon gave a big stare toward Liam, as if he was trying to kill them with his eyes.
However, he was doing this for his part. He remembered at one point and time; he had also
tried to blackmail Raze, but Safa had warned him not to.
Thankfully though, with the crystal in his hand, Raze seemed to be in a happy mood.
"You're correct, all of you did your part in this, and you are all keeping a great secret of
mine, so I shall reward each of you," Raze said.
"I promise that I will give each of you something that won't disappoint you in the future; in
turn, I will be taking this crystal myself," Raze stated.
Liam wanted to shout some more, but Simyon had quickly gotten behind him and placed
his hand over his mouth.
"Just take it," Simyon whispered. "And besides, you saw how strong these items he has,
right? You know my strong, heavy body, and me reflecting that attack before, that was
because of Raze's items as well so it's not a bad deal."
The cat was out of the bag, and Raze's magic powers had been revealed to all, but since
there were only two more that knew about him compared to before, the secret could still
be kept to the minimum.
The important thing was for Alter not to find out just what was going on, and he wanted to
keep his other identity of Dark Magus an even bigger secret to the rest.
"So what happens now?" Simyon asked. "Since the Dimension Boss is defeated doesn't that
mean that the portal has disappeared?"
"The portal will still be present, at least the one we had entered from in this dimension,"
Gunther answered. "The one on the other side will have completely disappeared. Once we
exit, there will be no way to return."
"So… should we head back?" Liam asked, having calmed down. He was actually looking
forward to what item he could get from Raze. Maybe he too could shoot strange lasers from
his hand or have a giant bear companion or something like that. He was smirking just
thinking about it.
"No," Dame replied. "This is the perfect chance. With the Dimension boss gone, this is the
opportunity for us to explore this world freely. This is the best time to get your hands on
items, maybe even techniques that aren't even in the world of Pagna, and I know just the
place to look."
Dame was eyeing up the cave the Dimension boss had come out from. Its body was still
blocking the way, but he was sure that there would be something there. There had to be,
Dimension Bosses often were protecting something, and he wanted to find out what.
"You guys can go on and explore; let me know what you find," Raze said as he started to
find a spot that was clear of blood and markings in the snow.
"What… are you going to do?" Simyon asked.
"I need to use this power stone in my way," Raze replied. "It will take some time. Since the
Dimension Boss is defeated, you won't have to worry about running into anything, and
besides, I'm sure Dame is stronger than anything you guys will meet."
"Dame!" Simyon said, turning his head.
"Ah, are you quite surprised that my name isn't as ridiculous as Pink? You can blame that
one on your friend, after all."
The group started to head towards the cave. Dame seemed to be quite excited as he walked
off, but Safa had turned around, looking at her brother, and that's when Gunther stopped.
"Don't worry, I will stay and look after your brother. You should explore with the other
man. I am sure that you will learn some interesting things about dimensions; it will be
beneficial for both of you."
Safa trusted Gunther quite a bit. Unlike the two boys, she had understood how big of a
secret he was keeping and how much he was risking his position by doing everything he
had done for them already.
Nodding, she then gave a few hand signals which Gunther didn't understand but just
nodded anyway.
When Gunther walked back to Raze, he could see he was drawing a magic circle. In order
for Raze to become a 3-star mage, he needed to absorb the crystal, but if he did and made a
breakthrough, he was worried, worried that he would then open up another portal.
So the best thing to do was to absorb the crystals that he needed to right here. Raze had
noticed Gunther standing by his side.
He gave him a quick side glance but continued on with what he was doing. If this person
was going to do something, he would have done it long ago. Raze also knew that the
assessor had done too much for him compared to a regular teacher at the academy, but he
just had no clue why either.
Once the magic circle was complete, Raze was in the center and sat down, along with the
crystal, ready to make a breakthrough, but just moments before, Gunther opened his
mouth.
"I want to ask you an important question," Gunther licked his lips. "Do you know anything
about the Dark Magus?" Gunther asked.
Almost immediately, the Dark Magic started to spill out from Raze's body. It covered both
of his arms and spiraled behind him. When he turned to look at Gunther, his eyes were
filled with Darkness as well.
"How… do you know that name?" Raze asked.
Chapter 172 Dark Magus Bounty
Chapter 172 Dark Magus Bounty
For a while now, Gunther had been on the search for the Dark Magus. It was all due to the
reward offered by the Crimson Crane, a powerful clan of wanderers that belonged to no
faction. The reward was a high-level power stone, one that Gunther hoped could push him
into the middle stages. This was why he was doing everything he could to find the Dark
Magus.
During his spare time, he would ask those who came and went by the academy, talk to
merchants, and read the newspapers spread around the local towns. Yet, he had heard
nothing about this person.
This begged the question: why was the Crimson Crane, such a well-respected Clan, looking
for a person that no one knew about? It was a request seemingly out of nowhere. The
person was clearly unknown but had to be special at the same time.
That's why, when he saw Raze using his strange powers and then using the strange orb as
well, it came to his mind that this person fit the bill. They were special in ways that were
unknown, and he was a face that no one recognized.
Which was why Gunther decided to pop the question, but what he didn't expect was a
simple question to rock Raze in such a way.
The magic was surrounding Raze as he looked at Gunther. One of his weapons was still
with Safa right now, and he was calculating his chances of winning a fight. With his magic, it
was his trump card, especially with its unpredictability. However, he had no clue just how
strong Gunther was.
'I need to calm down; starting a fight in this situation isn't good,' Raze thought, but he was
also on the defensive. 'How was he able to link me to the Dark Magus, though? The only
person that should know that name is Dame.
'There should be no way for someone to link it back to the student Raze Cromwell! Is he
working with someone from Alterian? Does he know about magic, or maybe he's even from
the Bonum society?'
Things had been strange for Raze recently, especially with the attempted assassination. He
still didn't know why they were after him or who at the academy was working for them,
and it possibly could have been Gunther who was close and by his side this entire time.
"Hey, what's with the reaction?" Gunther said, taking a step back. He wanted to make it
clear he wasn't here to fight. After all, the person in front of him could very well be his
reward. Judging by his reaction as well, he had hit the nail on the head.
Raze knew that his reaction had already given Gunther the answer he was looking for, but
he needed to be prepared for a fight. It could have easily been the other way round.
"How do you know about the Dark Magus?" Raze asked, also lowering his hand. It didn't
seem like there would be a fight, so this was the best for both of them.
"You mean you don't know?" Gunther replied. "There are posters up looking for you in
nearly every city. The Dark Magus has got a bounty on his head."
Hearing this, it had clicked for Raze. He remembered a while ago coming across a bounty
for the Dark Magus. On top of that, he had already been spreading his name in the Demonic
Faction, even marking the Qi pills that he would make. He just thought that it would be
longer before his name spread outside of the Demonic Faction. Or to the point someone
could link the two.
"Are there any images of me, or did you figure it out based on what you had seen so far?"
Raze asked, wondering if the bounty's had been updated.
"There are no images of you, honestly not even a description, which is why it was so hard to
find any information. So I guess that means you are the Dark Magus, then?" Gunther asked.
Hearing this, Raze didn't give a reply. Since Gunther knew who he was, it wouldn't matter
now; he just needed to make sure that no one else would link these things together. He
needed a way to keep him quiet.
"I don't think I have to tell you that it's a secret," Raze said. "In order for your secrecy, I will
gift you something in the future."
Eventually, Raze wanted to spread enchanted items throughout the world of Pagna one
way or another, and in his mind, he was somewhat making a repeat customer list. It was
somewhat like giving someone a sample so they would come back for more, and he was
using this as a tool for their silence for now.
At the same time, Gunther wouldn't do anything bad to Raze because he wanted him on his
good side. He now needed to get close to him, so he could hand him over to the Crimson
Crane and get his reward.
The magic circle was activated, and now the crystal was slowly being absorbed into Raze's
magic core. He could feel the strong energy flowing through him, and it was only a matter
of time now until he would become a 3-star mage.
---
Dame, along with the others, had entered the cave, and just like they had thought, it wasn't
just a simple cave. Lighting crystals had been placed inside the walls making tunnels, and
even the flooring was paved inside. It was clear that it was being used for something. As for
how they had gotten inside, Dame had pulled the body of the snake out. He had grabbed its
head and ripped it from the rest of its body. When they entered the cave, he then tore
through its skin. The three heads were connected to one body that was blocking an even
bigger opening to the cavern. It was quite the disgusting sight to see, and seeing how easily
Dame had dealt with everything reminded them that he wasn't just a normal student like
the rest of them.
They continued to walk down the long hallway, trying to see if they could spot something.
"So is there usually something really special in these things?" Liam asked.
"Not always," Dame replied. "Even if something is found, sometimes we just take it back
with us but have no clue what it does. But it's places like this that often trigger the
dimension boss.
"Like if you think about it, doesn't that three-headed snake now seem like some type of
guard since it was protecting this place?" Dame asked.
The others were inclined to agree, but based on the flooring, the smell, and everything else,
it seemed like the area had been empty for years. Just what type of thing was it protecting?
As they continued down the pathway, eventually, they had come across a large cavern
opening. It was just large in size like a dome shape, but there was nothing inside; it was
completely empty. However, in front of them, they could see that there were two pathways
that led to two different ways.
"Alright, which one of you two is luckier than the other?" Dame asked.
The boys were unsure how to answer that, so they both placed their hands on Safa's
shoulder, making her make the decision. Immediately, Simyon tried to knock Liam's hand
off, but he lifted it up before he could touch him.
"Haha, too slow!" Liam said. "Too slow."
Seeing how the decision lay with her, she had chosen the path on the right. She knew
otherwise they would just stay there
forever. It was similar to the time when one would be with their friends asking what one
would like to do. Everyone would say they were up for anything and just end up going in
circles with nothing getting done. Safa hated that type of stuff, so she had chosen quickly.
Since Dame wanted to protect the others, he had decided to go ahead with Safa, and
everyone followed.
'A split in the path... I'm a little worried about this,' Dame thought. 'Let's stick together and
not do anything stupid like splitting up. Since that Gunther guy is with Raze, they should be
alright as well.'
---
Outside energy was swirling around Raze, and the air was getting even chillier than before.
Even Gunther, who wasn't feeling the cold until this point, could feel the cold as well.
'This energy, what is this power? It feels like a type of Qi, and it looks like visual Qi, but it's
clearly not. Is he absorbing all the power directly from the power stone, just like a Qi pill?'
Gunther thought.
As the energy-absorbing was reaching its final stages, Raze was lifted off the ground
slightly. The last bits of the power stone were gone, and Raze saw another layer added onto
his core. Blasting out from around him, a pulse of mana energy expanded out. It had hit
Gunther, just like a wave of Qi, but he had managed to protect himself.
For Raze, he had fallen back into the snow; the cold was affecting his body a lot less now.
When he stood up, there was a glow around him.
'I did it; I'm a 3-star mage now, and I can tell the ice attribute increased by quite a bit. It
was the right decision after all,' Raze thought to himself.
"Come on, let's head into that cave and see if we can find something," Raze said. He was
beaming with power, and he wanted to use it almost instantly.
The two of them walked toward the cave, and as they did, they were unaware of a certain
individual. In one of the towers at the very top, a man stood watching them.
'That mage was the one that defeated the Dimension Boss, and he did so only being a 2-star
mage, and now he's just broken through to a 3-star. He's strong for his level; he might just
be the one,' the man thought
Chapter 173 The Uninvited Guest
Chapter 173 The Uninvited Guest
Both Gunther and Raze were now walking side by side as they entered the cave. They
noticed the destroyed part of the dimension boss, blood oozing from above, still dripping
on the ground. The body itself was starting to shrivel up and decompose relatively quickly,
as they did once the crystal had been removed. But Raze also noticed something else: how
Dame had left the energy inside the beast all alone.
'He's quite the supportive one in my growth. Either that, or absorbing the energy of this
wouldn't do much for him anyway.'
Technically, the two were inside the main body of the beast, and Raze was able to touch his
hand against the wall. It was mostly strong muscle fibers, so his hand squished in, and then
he started the absorbing process.
'Isn't that the extraction technique that the Demonic Faction uses?' Gunther noticed. He had
his fair share of fights around the place, and the extraction technique was quite famous.
'The fact that he has demonic energy as well? Is this person really from the Demonic
Faction? There are so many questions I want to ask, but he has a snappy side,' Gunther
thought, as he started to think back to moments ago.
It wasn't just then, but during the event when Raze was fighting against the five main
disciples, he could see it as well. There were just moments where emotions would
completely consume him from head to toe.
However, he did seem to have somewhat of a calm head on him, as he would calm himself
down before acting.
The energy had been absorbed, and Raze could feel stronger than before. His Ice attribute
had grown rapidly in strength, and if he were to take a guess, it was just as strong as his
wind attribute, which he had for a while now.
Unfortunately, Raze didn't know too many ice spells. He knew the basic ones that a 1-star
mage would know, but none at the three-star level. He thought a type of book similar to the
one that Charlotte had given him for wind magic would have been extremely helpful.
After absorbing the energy, the two of them continued forward and headed inside, leaving
Raze to think.
'I've finally made it to a three-star mage, which means I can do stronger enchantments on
weapons,' Raze thought. 'I won't have to rely on the luck of the Dark Magic, but even if I do
use Dark magic, the effects of producing a higher-level item increase.
'Combining my Qi and magic spells has worked out good for me so far; maybe I should
think about trying to increase my Pagna stage as well. After all, even Ricktor is at stage 3.'
Raze gave a quick glance at Gunther, trying to wonder what stage he was at. Based on his
actions, he felt like he was strong. He also had heard the others talking about him in the
academy; he was extremely close to reaching the middle stages, which might even put him
stronger than Dame.
"Hey," Gunther called out. "It looks like there's a split. I don't think it's a good idea for us to
split up. We have no clue what's inside here."
"With the Dimension Boss taken out, will there be anything stronger though?" Raze asked.
"I wouldn't rule it out," Gunther replied. "The Dimension Boss' powers seem to be linked
more so to the portal, but there have been times when other events in a dimension have
been activated."
"Then how did you know what we defeated was the Dimension Boss if there could be other
events?" Raze asked.
All of these things were quite new and strange to Raze because it didn't work the same way
as portals did on Alterian.
"Honestly, it's more of a general feeling," Gunther answered. "The Dimension Boss
appeared because we had killed so many beasts; that's one common sign, and the level of
the beast that appeared was what one would expect; it's not just some other beast. If we do
discover something stronger in this world, you could say that it's more linked to another
event."
"Anyway, because of this, I suggest we pick a path that we both can head down together."
Looking at both of them, Raze couldn't see which was better just from looking, so he
activated part of his magic. He was hoping, just like with items, the magic would lead him to
a path that was more suitable for him.
Eventually, the Dark Magic started to linger, and as it did, it moved over to the left side.
"So I guess that means we should take the left path?" Gunther said, as he could see the Dark
Magic moving as well.
"Not just yet," Raze replied as he wanted to see something else as well. Raising his hand
again, he started to activate part of his new ice magic. The air was freezing slightly, and
small particles like snow were appearing in the air like a mist.
Slowly, it started to move, and this time, rather than heading toward the left side, it had
gone to the right side instead.
"Now... I'm really confused," Gunther said, scratching his head.
It wasn't as if they could only choose one path; they could always come back and head into
the other, but what if an event did occur that stopped them from doing so? Thinking this
way, Raze felt like he needed to make a choice.
"In this new life, Dark Magic is what has guided me so far, so I will allow it to choose my
fate," Raze said as he took a step forward and started to walk toward the left part.
"Wait... what does that even mean?" Gunther asked as he went on to follow Raze.
They walked down the stone path and had been doing so for around five minutes, seeing
nothing in sight, that was until the tunnel looked to come to an end once more. The area
was relatively bright up ahead.
When taking a step, they had entered a relatively large dome-like room. It was grand in
size, a place that could fit around a thousand people or so. In the center of the room, there
was a beaming light from above that also flowed in fresh air.
Looking up, it looked as if the whole was connected to the outside, to the very top of the
structure they were in.
"What is all of this stuff? I wonder what was here before?" Gunther said as he looked
around the room. What he had noticed was there were several markings on the wall, not
just on the wall, but also all around them, including on the floor, where a relatively large
circle had been drawn with markings that Gunther had never seen before.
Raze had quickly gone to read the markings and looked at what was on the floor; he had
seen it all too many times before, and as he continued to read, his mouth was moving along
with the words.
"This is... it's a summoning spell," Raze said. "A spell that's made to summon creatures."
"Wait, what? Do you mean those snakes, or like a magic voodoo spell that summoned the
Dimension Boss? That's impossible; no one can summon monsters and beasts," Gunther
said.
As soon as he finished his sentence, the sound of clapping was heard echoing in the room.
The two turned toward the entrance, and immediately, they could see a figure starting to
walk in.
"As expected, I thought a mage like you would have figured it out," the mysterious voice
said, as the man stepped into the light.
Chapter 174 The Man From Another World
Chapter 174 The Man From Another World
A voice was heard echoing in the dome-shaped hall where Raze and Gunther were in. It was
fairly deep in sound, yet soothing to one's ears at the same time. One thing was clear to
both of them, and that was the fact that it was a voice they didn't recognize.
Instantly, Gunther readied his single blade in front of him, and Raze had activated the dark
magic as it swirled around his hands because there was a certain word that had been used
when the man had spoken; he had said the word "Mage."
'The word mage isn't even something that Gunther or Dame use because it's not something
they have here. They might use the word magic for a person who performs things such as
tricks and such, and a trickster, but they don't use the word mage!' Raze thought.
Stepping forward out of the dark hallway, the man's face came into view as the light hit it.
From the face, a lone man close to his thirties with a stern look almost like he was frowning
towards them.
The person's hair was short in length, spiked up, styled slicked back a bit, but what stood
out the most was the strange glow that would come off the man's eyes. It was a tint of red,
but it wasn't natural light.
It felt almost as if light was emitting from the person's eyes themselves, and it was the same
for the rest of him.
"You... you're not a Pagna warrior, are you?" Raze asked instantly.
The man stood in front of both Gunther and Raze; neither of them had ever seen such a
sight before. It wasn't something from Pagna.
The man was covered head to toe in a single-styled suit that looked to have been made of
precious metals. It wasn't armor that was thick and crafted into individual pieces. It was
almost a hard outer exoskeleton made from metal.
It had the same structure just as any human, but all over the strange suit that this person
would wear, there were several large glowing beams of red light all in different sizes.
Two large ones came out from the shoulders, a red-colored glow from the wrist and all of
the joints. There were also lines of glowing red energy connecting the suit together in parts.
The only part the suit didn't cover was the neck as it clearly showed the head, but it seemed
to go up around the back of the neck and around the side of the person's face just covering
the bottom of their jaw.
This wasn't just someone who clearly wasn't from Pagna; Raze had never seen someone
look like this who was an Alterian either.
"You mages are always so smart," the man said. "Let me introduce myself. I am Zon Grain,
and I have been looking for a talented mage like yourself to help me with a situation I'm in."
Gunther was unsure what to do, and it seemed like Raze was as well.
In all of the dimensions that they had entered, human life didn't exist. From what they had
seen of this world, it seemed to be the same as well. The portal had also just been recently
opened by Raze and was in a spot that was almost impossible to find, so no one should have
been able to go in after them, so just who was this person?
"The fact that you are here with someone like him means that you have come from the
world of Pagna!" Zon grinned. "This is perfect; you meet all of the criteria that I have been
looking for.
"Now come with me and help me stop the Alterians."
'Stop them?' Raze was still confused with thoughts, and he wasn't sure what this person
was saying. Due to him being slightly on edge, it was hard for him to process the
information.
He knew that this person was from another world, but was he from the same world as
Himmy, or was it a completely different world altogether?
The man took steps forward toward Raze, seemingly as if nothing could stop him, and
seeing this, Gunther was the first one to react.
"The tide is the first to strike!" Gunther had come out fast by his side, leaving droplets of
water in the air.
Raze was hardly able to see him. He had his sword in the air, and as he swung it, it looked
like he was cutting through waves with his sword.
It was visual Qi, but Raze had never witnessed something so beautiful before. The sword
was glowing with power as Gunther wasn't holding back.
'I have no idea who you are, but it seems you want to take the Dark Magus away from me; I
won't let you take my prize!' Gunther thought.
Moving his fingers slightly, the red energy started to light up around Zon. He swung his arm
out, and a loud-sounding bang was heard.
A shockwave shook the room, and the visual water Qi expanded out, even making Raze's
face look slightly cool. When Raze looked to see what happened, he could see that
Gunther's sword had been stopped.
Now, in Zon's hand, was what looked like a sword, but one that had been made from a
strange type of pure energy. It had clashed right against Gunther's.
While Gunther was grunting, trying to push with all his might and Qi, Zon just steadily held
the sword in his hand.
"Oh, you are quite the strong one as well," Zon stated. "Unfortunately, you have no idea who
you just met!"
Raze had only just blinked, and at super speed, Zon's hand had hit Gunther right in the
stomach. He went flying and crashing right into the wall.
The rocks from the outside had fallen on Gunther, as blood came out of his mouth, and the
armor he wore on his body was slightly damaged.
'What he just used, it didn't seem like energy like a mage's or Qi. He has to be from some
other type of world. A world full of technology that enhances a person's powers. Is it all
from that suit? But then, what does he want with a mage, why does he want to go against
the Alterians?' Raze thought.
Seeing a stage 6 Pagna warrior get defeated in the flick of a hand, Raze had no idea how
strong this person was, and he wasn't sure using his magic was the best idea.
With all the thoughts left in his mind, he asked one question.
"Are you with Alter?" Raze asked.
Right after, Zon had stopped proceeding forward.
"It is… too early for you," Zon said. "I see that you have yet to learn the secrets of this world.
I'm quite surprised. When you are ready, I will come meet you again."
Before Raze could say anything, just like the punch that had quickly been delivered, he had
disappeared from his sight.
"Who was that guy, and what is going on!" Raze thought.
The others had taken the right path; they had similarly entered a large dome-like room. But
rather than writings that were all over the walls, instead, they had found a podium, and on
the podium, there was a light-colored hardbound book.
When opening it, none of them were able to read it, but just in case, Safa had decided to
carry it with her, seeing as she thought it might be important or something they could use.
"I guess we should have taken the left path," Dame said.
"Man, I can't believe this is a dud!" Liam complained. "I thought this might be my chance to
get something cool, maybe like a cool eye to replace my missing one."
Liam pulled his eye patch up slightly and pinged it back down.
Right then, it was only Dame that noticed it, but he could hear something coming from the
hallway they had entered from. He quickly looked to his right but only saw a blur.
He moved his head as the blur had moved around the room.
'What is that, how fast is this person, are they at the middle stages? No, is it possibly a
divine one?' Dame thought.
He still was unable to see anything, and before he knew it, whatever had entered had
quickly left.
"Ow!" Liam said. "Did a bug just bite me?"
Liam started to rub the back of his head, but he could feel nothing.
Heading right out of the cave back to the snow, Zon looked back at the cave entrance.
"I will seek you out when the time is right... grow stronger, mage," Zon said.
Chapter 175 Something left to do
Chapter 175 Something left to do
Raze continued to stare at the hallway where the mysterious man known as Zon had left
from. Nothing was there, and it didn't seem like something would turn up, but as he
continued to look, images were appearing in his head.
'I couldn't do anything, even though I finally became a three-star mage,' Raze thought to
himself.
The images that were playing in his head were if he had acted. If he had thrown out a Dark
pulse, he could see the man avoiding the attack, and before he could even react with his
Pagna warrior techniques, the red sword would have been thrust right through his
stomach.
Raze tried to play the scene again. Trying to use his wind powers, then trying what limited
amount of ice powers he could use as well. This continued, but every time, the result
seemed like it would end up the same.
That's when Raze decided to do one more thing; in his head, he started to imagine himself
back with the strength he used to have as a nine-star Magus. All of the abilities he had, the
preparation, it was only then that Raze could actually picture himself somewhat winning.
'He's that strong, just who was that guy? I've never seen anyone like him before?' Raze
thought. 'Not only that, but it was clear that he knew about Mages and Alterian as well. It
didn't seem like he saw them in the best light, but just what did he want with me?'
The whole thing was giving Raze a headache because not just the mysterious man but even
the cave they were in. The wording on the wall and the magic circle below, all of it was a
magic spell for a summoner-type mage.
It was a rare class of mage, but during Raze's time as a professor, he had read enough
research books to know what the spells looked like. If he had to take a guess, the dimension
boss beast they took down was summoned in this very room.
'Does Alterian have a lot more to do with everything going on than I first realized? Just how
many secrets are those Supreme Magi hiding?' Raze clenched his fist. 'That man reacted
strangely to the Alter group as well, and it's not the first time this has happened.'
Taking a deep breath, Raze soon realized that he didn't need to get involved in all of the
complicated matters that surrounded everything. Instead, he just needed to focus on his
original goal.
'I need to just continue getting stronger, get my strength back so things like that can't
happen again.'
The sound of groaning could be heard coming from his right side. Eventually, a few rocks
started to tumble as Gunther was starting to move.
Walking over, Gunther looked to be quite badly hurt. The single hit had broken through his
naturally strong body, and the Qi he had used to defend himself, but he was still alive and
was moving slowly.
"Take this," Raze said as he threw over a red-colored pill.
Moving his hand, and breaking through the pain, Gunther had caught it. He looked at the Qi
pill and could see there was a small marking of DM on the pill.
Gunther had decided to trust the strange student in this situation and took the pill. "What's
wrong, you don't want to get close to me, and pull me out of this mess?" Gunther asked.
However, Gunther soon noticed after taking the pill, a burst of Qi felt like it had entered his
body. No, it wasn't that, but more so the cells in his body were activating and focusing on
healing his body.
It wasn't a complete heal, it was actually quite a small amount; perhaps he had recovered
only five percent of his injuries, but with how hurt he was, it was quite a large
improvement.
'I'm starting to see why the Crimson Crane is after this person more and more,' Gunther
thought as he stood up still holding onto his stomach. His armor had completely been
ripped through, but the armor hadn't gone through his skin. Gunther wasn't sure if he had
imagined it or not, but it almost felt like the man had pulled back his punch just before so it
wouldn't do major damage. Or at least more damage than what was already done.
"So who was he, was he a friend?" Gunther asked.
"Not a friend, and no one that I know of," Raze answered, already walking off. He wanted to
head and meet up with the others. His pace quickened a little.
Gunther was able to follow not far behind; he was just in no condition to fight anymore.
As they headed back through the tunnel at which they had come from, they had eventually
entered the open cavern that split into two halves. When they were here, they could see the
others as well.
"Crap, what happened to you!" Liam said, pointing at the hurt Gunther. There was some dry
blood on top of his armor, so it was quite alarming to the kids.
"Was there someone that attacked you?" Dame asked. He had felt like something was in the
room with them from before, and now he felt like this was confirmation.
"Yes," Raze replied. "We have no clue why he was here, or what he wanted, but he just
attacked Gunther out of nowhere. Did you guys see anyone?"
"No," Simyon shook his head. "We didn't see anything; the only thing we managed to get
our hands on was a book."
Safa was carrying the book with both hands, and when Raze looked at her, she stretched it
out so he could get a better view. Seeing it, his eyes started to light up.
'Now I know why the ice magic had reacted to the other path.' Raze walked over and didn't
even have to do anything because Safa had willingly given it to him.
After turning a few pages, Raze's confirmation was true. "This will do me well; thank you,"
Raze said.
What Raze had in his hands was a spellbook, but not just any spellbook, but one that
focused on ice spells. The type of spells he needed to go with his new attribute.
This little trip had allowed him to gain more than he had imagined. With his dark magic, the
book disappeared.
"Since none of you can read the book, I assume there is no need for me to share anything
with you guys?" Raze asked.
He could see the look on Liam's face when Raze had taken the book, but since Raze had a
point, he felt like he couldn't exactly say anything.
With the incident that had occurred with Gunther, the group decided it was best for them
to leave the place. They had no clue when the attacker was going to go after them again.
Dame was actually the one that had strongly suggested this. Whatever had taken care of
Gunther, if it was the same thing that he had seen, then Dame wouldn't stand much of a
chance against that person either.
They got more than they wished from this place and it was time for them to leave. Simyon
and Liam gave Gunther a shoulder, helping him along, while the rest continued back where
they had come from.
They had eventually reached the portal in the same location from before.
"I never want to come back to one of these places again," Liam commented, rubbing the
back of his neck, which was still a little sore. "At least, not any time soon. Maybe when we
have to go with the entire academy?"
The others were exhausted, a lot of the adrenaline had already left their bodies after
meeting the dimension boss; they were more than ready to head back.
Each one of them stepped back through the portal, and Raze, taking one more look behind
him, had stepped through the portal as well.
With a zip and a zap, each one of them found themselves back in the thick fog, only there
was a difference this time. There was no longer any portal. From the deep foot imprints in
the ground that Raze had made, they knew they were back and in the right place.
"Alright, time for us to head to the academy," Simyon said, "and I can eventually get some
rest."
The group stayed close to each other so they could see one another in the fog; they also
needed Dame to help them climb back up. But that's when Safa was starting to panic; she
was twisting and turning her head.
Simyon was the first to notice this.
"Wait, where's Raze?" Simyon asked.
"You guys go ahead," Raze's voice traveled through the fog. "There's something I still need
to do."
Chapter 176 Portal To The Land Of The Mad
Chapter 176 Portal To The Land Of The Mad
The group was left perplexed because it seemed like Raze's absence was completely out of
the blue for them. For a moment, none of them moved, thinking that they might see Raze.
Safa was even trying to shout, calling out for him, but with just a few grunts, the noise
didn't travel far.
Not wishing for Safa to strain anymore, Simyon shouted on her behalf.
"Raze!" Simyon yelled. "Raze!" He shouted out again, but there was no response at all.
"Maybe we should do as he said," Dame said, trying to break the awkward silence. "I believe
Raze is a person that thinks before he speaks, and he stated that we should go ahead, which
means that he will definitely meet us back at the academy."
This wasn't just words spoken to give confidence to the others; this was the honest truth.
Dame knew that Raze still had a lot to do, and besides, without him, what was he meant to
do? He would then be stuck here, trying to figure a way out of the whole situation.
'I don't know what happened to you and Gunther back there, but it had to be big enough to
startle you, right?' Dame thought.
After some time had passed and the others had climbed the cliffside edge, Raze started to
make his move; he had a destination in mind. He continued to move until he had finally
been brought right back to the cave.
The cave that had the writing from the founder of the Dark Faction.
"It looks like I'm back here again, and I'm going to have to borrow some of your spells."
When he was in the other dimension, Raze had realized something traveling with Dame.
After learning the extraction technique, he had come to know the reason why everyone
referred to the Demonic Faction as Crazy, Demons, or those that were Mad.
They were nicknames all given to the Demonic Faction, and it was the same for the Dark
Faction leader.
'If I'm right, then the spell formation that is written is one that leads to the Demonic
Faction,' Raze thought as he had drawn the circle and traced it from memory with chalk.
He always kept some on him in his special Dark Magus robe just in case. Activating it, he
now wore the robe over his clothing and pulled his hood to cover himself.
'I realized something important while traveling to the other dimension. I thought when I
moved to a new world I had run away from all my troubles. I was planning to get stronger
and then find any way I could to get back, and get my payback.
'But it seems like the trouble of the Supreme Magus went even beyond that of Alterian. This
world is not a safe place for me. With the attempted assassinations, Alter, and the society, I
need to have a safe place to go to.'
Raze lifted his hand, and the dark magic seeped into the circle; it started to light up and a
portal had opened right in front of him. Ready for anything, Raze took a step through, and
he immediately reappeared, surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, he appeared to be in another
cave.
"The amount of caves I've been in recently. Does everyone think these things make great
secret lairs?" Raze said to himself.
Looking around, there looked to be nothing of significance. All he could see was a simple
magic spell on one part of the wall. As he walked forward, Raze lifted his hand; he didn't
activate any magic and instead just moved his hand right through the wall.
"An illusionary spell, I guess he wanted to keep this place a secret, even though there's
nothing here." Raze took a step completely through with the rest of his body.
When he did, he could see the hard-colored ground, the few barren trees that were in the
area, but not just that, not too far off in the distance, there was a city. It wasn't just any city;
it was one that he had been to before.
'It looks like I was right. This means that we no longer have to risk going through the
dimension that the Light Faction owns, that is if it even still exists. I now have a direct path
that will take me back to the Demonic Faction.
'It looks like the business of the Dark Magus will be able to grow quicker now. Which is
good because I need to obtain more power. I can't rely on groups like the Dark Faction or
that of Alter. I don't think I would be able to do the same as the Dark Faction founder and
create my own group, but having my resources and influence can be done.'
Heading back inside, Raze only wanted to confirm that this did indeed lead to the Demonic
Faction. He now could use the return spell to head back to the cave as well and then return
to the academy.
He didn't draw the return circle straight away, though; instead, Raze had something else
planned. In total, he had 53 Level 2 power stones. It was an almighty amount.
'Some of these I will use to create better Qi pills. I also would like to create better items for
myself as well; I need an Ice attribute ring, which would be nice. But there's something else
I need to do before that.'
While here, Raze would get to work. He didn't think this amount of magic would cause a
problem, but just in case, he had drawn the return magic circle ahead of time. So if another
portal did open up and it was a portal break, he could just hop on over back to where he
was.
'It will leave the Demonic Faction in a bit of a mess, but that is their problem to deal with.'
Raze thought.
---
Back at the academy, the group had returned. The night sky was now out, as an entire day
had passed, but the academy was still as quiet as ever due to the break everyone was
currently on.
"Everyone, I want to have a meeting with you all the next day. I think it's safe to say,
though, that what happened today, and everything you saw, is our little secret," Gunther
said, giving them a wink as he awkwardly walked off, still in pain with each step that he had
taken.
"It really is a good thing that he's nothing like his brother," Liam commented. "Otherwise,
he would be going straight to those clan elders, and then they would be right up our balls,
trying to sniff out where we had been. Can you imagine we just closed a valuable portal the
academy could have used?"
"Maybe that's why he isn't telling them," Simyon stated. "The portal being closed, they will
blame it on him as well."
Dame wasn't so sure; he felt like there was perhaps a different reason why. Little did he
know he was right. The main reason for Gunther now helping the group and keeping
everything a secret was the price from the Crimson Crane.
Returning back to the Blue headband sleeping quarters, they realized that due to
everything that happened, they wouldn't be here for much longer, and soon they would be
heading to the Red headbands. Where the main disciples that surely held a large grudge
against them currently were as well.
"Ah man, there's just too much to worry about, I'm going to get some sleep," Simyon said,
heading back into the room.
Liam agreed and couldn't help but continue rubbing the back of his neck from that bug bite
he had received.
"Hey," Simyon said, turning around, noticing that one person wasn't heading inside. "You
know just because you wait for him, doesn't mean he'll return any quicker."
Although it was only the back of Safa's head, Simyon could see that she nodded. She had sat
down by the bottom step and was just staring outward.
'Man, how the heck did you get a sister to be so nice to you? What the heck did you manage
to do in your past life,' Simyon thought, as he went ahead inside.
When Dame had reached his bedroom, he didn't go to sleep straight away and instead just
sat on the edge of his bed.
"What is happening?" Dame thought as he thought back to the events of today. "Originally,
when I learned of the Dark Magus, I thought I could use him to progress myself, but every
time I see him.
"Every time he does something I don't expect, I feel like I'm being swept up by the aura
around him, and he's the one dragging me along with him."
The serious look on Dame's face soon turned into a smile though.
"Maybe it's not so much of a bad thing. I guess I'll see where all of this goes, for a little while
longer."
Time continued to go past, and soon the sun was starting to rise. Safa had eventually
succumbed to her tiredness, falling asleep with her head tilted to her side.
"What are you doing?"
The voice startled her awake, and when she looked up, she could see the scruffy white hair.
"If you stay out here all night, then you'll get sick. Then, I'm going to have to make another
pill, and I'm already tired," Raze commented.
Opening the door, Simyon was rubbing his eyes as he was going to check up on Safa. He was
meaning to check on her every night but due to his exhaustion, he had fallen straight asleep
as well.
"Raze, you're back!" Simyon shouted. "You really came back."
"Why do you sound so surprised?" Raze replied. "I said I would be back, didn't I? And why
don't you head inside and call the eyepatch one. I've come back with the gifts I promised."
That day when Raze had returned, a big change was starting to occur for them all. Entering
that portal had changed each and every involved person's lives more than they could have
ever imagined.
Chapter 177 Special Qi pills
Chapter 177 Special Qi pills
Raze had been relatively busy in the Demonic Faction, and he hadn't left the cave where he
had originally teleported. He wasn't sitting idly by twiddling his thumbs, as he had a
purpose for staying in the cave. Because of this, it had taken a bit longer than he initially
realized before he left.
Thankfully, being a Stage 2 Pagna warrior, he needed less sleep than he usually would have.
So he could still function somewhat properly after he left. There were no issues in terms of
a portal break, so he decided to head back through the teleporter to the Pagna Academy.
Stepping through, he had returned.
'This fog is quite annoying,' Raze thought as soon as he arrived, he activated part of his
wind magic around his body. With the wind, he was constantly pushing out, creating what
was somewhat of a barrier.
The fog around him moved, and now he could see at least two meters ahead.
'It makes me wonder, just how thick this fog is. I haven't even explored the entire area
because I don't know where it goes. Humans tend to walk in circles when they don't know
where they're going. Even if they think they are heading in a straight line.
'It's quite possible that there might be other things down here as well. I guess when my
wind affinity increases, then I'll be able to clear most of the fog in this area and explore a bit
more.'
Raze wasn't expecting to find anything, but then again, he originally wasn't expecting to
find anything when he had found the cave.
'Now, I have to figure out how to scale this thing without the others. I assume Dame just
carried everyone up. He was able to use the smallest surface area to just boost himself and
only from kicking. I guess I could try and give it a go.'
At the time when Raze had been carried up by Dame, he was watching him very carefully.
Although he didn't have as much Qi as Dame, he was thinking that he could replace the Qi
with something else, and that something else being Mana.
Taking a deep breath, Raze ran up and jumped in the air. His foot was ready to kick off one
of the rocks. When his foot made contact, he exploded it with Qi, just like he would when
performing the descending steps. At the same time, he added additional strength with his
wind magic surrounding his leg.
It wasn't much of a boost, although he had a lot of Mana compared to before, now being a 3-
star mage. With his wind affinity at 24 points, it would be similar to a 1-star mage who
specialized in wind magic.
When kicking off, Raze had quite the boost but then realized that he had nowhere to place
his foot to scale up.
With the added wind, he had at least made it ten meters in height, and falling back down
would hurt somewhat.
Thinking fast, Raze started to form a chilly mist in his hand.
"The formation of ice."
It was the only Ice spell Raze would know, and usually, he would think the skill was useless.
The Ice magic had solidified into a stubby, pointed spike in his hand. Holding it firmly, he
used his Qi to shove it right into the wall of rock in front of him.
When the ice hit, shards of it were breaking off, but reinforcing it with more of his mana, he
was keeping its solid form, finally lodging it in. Now, still holding onto the ice, Raze was
hanging on the cliffside with one arm stretched out.
When looking down below, all he could see was the thick fog, unable to guess where the
bottom was, and when looking up, it was the same. He couldn't see the peak of the cliff.
'I guess I have a long way to go still. This is going to be a bit more difficult than I thought,
but it's not like I haven't gotten out of tougher situations.'
------
By the time Raze had arrived at the blue headband living quarters, the sun had fully risen,
and before he took further steps in, he stopped. The sun was shining, hitting on a single
woman who was sitting there waiting at the bottom of the steps. Her head was tilted partly
on her shoulder and her eyes were closed.
'Did she stay here all night waiting for me?' Raze thought.
Memories filled Raze's head. When he would reach his apartment door, opening it up, back
then, there was a person who would wait for him as well, with a smile on her face. A lump
could be felt filling up in his throat, one that he had chosen to swallow down.
'How long has it been… how long since someone waited for me like this? I can't believe,
with all my anger, I almost forgot about us.'
"What are you doing?" Raze said as he walked closer toward Safa.
The voice startled her awake, and when she looked up, she could see the scruffy white hair.
"If you stay out here all night, then you'll get sick. Then, I'm going to have to make another
pill, and I'm already tired," Raze commented.
A short while after his return, the others had come out of their rooms, and now everyone
was in the main centre hall where students would usually gather. Since they were still the
only students present, the whole place was empty.
It made sense for the no-names and Dame, who wasn't really a student, but not for Liam,
and Simyon was still curious why he hadn't gone back to his family or clan like the others,
but it just felt a bit awkward to ask. Especially since whenever they would talk, Liam
tended to say something a bit on the pervy side or mention something about his balls,
which just made Simyon want to punch him in the face more.
"I am here to fulfill my promise to you all," Raze said as he stood up from his seat, and in
front of each one of them, he placed down a yellow-colored pill. Immediately, as Raze
pulled his hand away, everyone's eyes were glued to the pills.
This was because there was some type of radiant energy glowing from the pill itself. They
could feel Qi power coming from what was right in front of them. Immediately, Liam went
to pick it up to check, and as he held it up, he could see the small marking of DM written on
it.
"What is this? This looks like the Qi pills that we get from the academy, but it seems to have
so much energy inside it!" Liam said in amazement.
Looking at them, they all felt the same way.
"Wait, wait, before I get excited, I need to remind myself, what you took was a level 4 power
stone. Do you think a simple Qi pill is the equivalent of that?" Liam asked.
"A simple Qi pill," Dame chuckled, who hadn't said anything until now. "That isn't a simple
Qi pill. Although it might not be at the same strength as a level 4 power stone, what you
have in front of you is equivalent to a level 3 power stone, that is, a 30-year Qi pill."
Liam's single eye almost popped out of its socket when he heard those words. Qi pills
tended to go up in 10-year equivalents.
A 10-year Qi pill, the same as if a person used a simple cultivation technique for ten years
and gathered the energy, a 20-year pill, and now they had a 30-year pill in their hands.
"I think it's fair to say since he has given each of you a 30-year pill, that is fair since it would
be impossible to split a level 4 power stone," Dame wanted to say more than this because a
30-year pill shouldn't have even been possible.
Dame was there with Raze every step of the way. They had only gone against level 2 Beasts,
so the most that Raze should have been able to produce was a 20-year Qi pill. He imagined
that this was only possible because it was the Dark Magus's doing.
Dame was right as well.
Now that Raze was a 3-star mage, he could use the magic circle on the level 2 power stones
to create a level 3 power stone. The process would take three level 2 power stones all
together and wouldn't guarantee to work, but Raze had 50 stones to play with.
After repeating the process a few times and a couple of failures with all three of them, Raze
still had over 30 stones left and had in turn, created three 30-year Qi pills.
"There's one more thing for all of you that you don't realize either," Dame continued. "With
how the three of you currently are, if you take and absorb those pills now, you will have a
breakthrough. All of you will become second-stage warriors, the same level as the other
Red Headband users."
Chapter 178 Breakthrough to the Next Stage!
Chapter 178 Breakthrough to the Next Stage!
A ten-year Qi pill wouldn't do much for the students in terms of breaking through to the
next stage. All of them knew that they either needed a mass amount of Qi at once to break
the dantian, creating a stronger one, or discover some type of breakthrough within.
That breakthrough could come in a number of different ways: enlightenment, a clearance in
the mind, even through a tough battle. The issue was that this breakthrough was different
for each individual and often harder to achieve as they moved up the stages. This was the
issue Gunther, Dame, and Beatrix would experience. One might try to force a breakthrough,
like Gunther, by fighting whoever he could whenever he got the chance, but it didn't seem
to be working.
Which was why he had opted for another method, doing so with an infusion of strong Qi. At
times this wouldn't work either, especially if the body was lacking, but Gunther believed he
was ready, which was why he was trying so hard to get the item that was on offer from the
Crimson Crane. For the younger ones that were still at the first stage, this would certainly
be enough.
"We can be on the same level as the Red Headband students, you mean the main disciples,
right?" Liam asked. "As far as I'm aware, not even all the Red Headband students are at the
second stage."
"That is correct," Dame answered. "Those of you around your age would have to fight
through thick and thin to get something like this, before a warrior at a higher stage would
gobble them up. Even in your clans, due to the preciousness of items like these, they are
more likely to sell them to higher clans or give them to warriors that have already
progressed, bringing them closer to the next stage. It is unheard of for a stage 1 warrior to
get their hands on these."
Dame didn't need to say any more. Liam was already sold the moment he learned he could
advance to the next stage, and it wasn't just him; even Simyon was thankful. There were
many at the Red Brigade who had gone through the Pagna Academy and, even after
finishing, were still at the first stage. Now Simyon wasn't just going to be someone at the
basic level but a warrior that would be respected.
It didn't take long for the three of them to accept their gifts and head outside to the open
courtyard. All three of them instantly decided to absorb the power of the pill as they would
consume it and control the energy from within.
Stepping outside on the wooden floorboards of the sleeping quarters, both Raze and Dame
stood next to each other as they looked at the three of them absorbing the pills.
"Remember that you also promised to make me something," Dame commented. "I will be
waiting to see what type of item you're able to craft for me, Dark Magus."
Hearing the name said this way, Raze thought it wasn't so bad. He had heard the name
spoken as if it was some curse in the past. People would scream when they heard the Dark
Magus had entered a certain place and area. However, now, as a person who was good at
enchanting powerful items, it had a nicer ring to it.
"I want your help with something else, and I'm hoping you will do this one for free," Raze
said.
"Oh, what is it?" Dame replied back.
"I want to reach the third stage, become a Stage 3 Pagna warrior," Raze answered.
Dame wanted to ask what the sudden interest in getting stronger quicker was, but he felt
like he already knew the answer after seeing Gunther. He had met a man that he felt like
even he couldn't beat, so it was normal to feel this way. What was interesting though was
that he had opted for the path of a Pagna warrior.
Was his bag of tricks of items and such not enough?
"You will hit a bottleneck at the third stage," Dame answered. "It's the same as when you hit
the 6th stage. You can use pills to boost the strength of your Qi up to a limit, but something
needs to crack or break inside. You need to have a breakthrough. Whether that's through
your fighting techniques or something else, maybe even just going through a desperate
situation. Just do what you can to make sure you're at your peak. Get your body, your skills,
everything up to the best they can be, and I think you'll be more likely to hit that
breakthrough."
This answer wasn't one that pleased Raze, and the word "breakthrough" was something
that was also well-known among mages but used in a different sense.
'A breakthrough for a mage is a state that they can obtain. They break the magic core
surrounding their heart for a moment, and their whole body is overwhelmed with a mass
amount of power.
It's a strong form, and every breakthrough is different depending on the type of magic core
that one has. However, the way to obtain a breakthrough is also different. What has been
noted down in research is that breakthroughs are somewhat related to how to increase
affinity with certain types of magic.
Once a mage has experienced a breakthrough, they can harness that feeling and learn how
to use a breakthrough at will, but using a breakthrough, the aftermath is a loss of all control
of mana for a temporary amount of time.
'It makes me wonder. If a Pagna warrior learned to use a breakthrough, wouldn't it be less
of a problem?' Raze started to think.
'If after using a breakthrough, they didn't finish off one's opponent, then they would still
have their Qi and skills to rely on. It would somewhat get rid of the downside of a
breakthrough.'
After thinking about this a little more, Raze chuckled because there was one problem.
There were no records of a mage that had learned Dark Magic achieving a breakthrough.
No one knew what the conditions were or how one would activate it. It also meant that no
one knew what type of powers a mage with a Dark core would produce. In his head, that
would be a harder task than breaking through to the third stage.
'I guess I have a plan.' Raze looked down at the palm of his hand, and the statue warrior had
appeared. With this, he could do as Dame had asked. He could train to the point where he
was ready to reach the next stage, and who knew, maybe fighting against the statue would
be what allowed him to break through.
"Speaking of all of this, I think the three have advanced."
A strange black muck had come off from the bodies of the three on the courtyard floor.
Their clothes were drenched in a strange substance, and a small trickle of blood had come
out from Safa's mouth, but she quickly wiped it away and had a large smile.
This was because all of them were now Stage 2 Pagna warriors.
"There was one more thing I wanted to ask you, what do you think about going back to the
Demonic Faction with me?" Raze asked. "And, what about bringing them with us?"
Chapter 179 The Calm before the Storm
Chapter 179 The Calm before the Storm
After achieving a breakthrough, the first thing the group had decided to do was to visit the
bathhouse. Their clothes completely stank, as did the rest of their bodies. This was quite
normal, as with each breakthrough, the body would get rid of greater amounts of
impurities.
After the smell had been dealt with, all three of them wasted no time using the tools in the
large courtyard to begin their training. They eyed up the straw dolls, the wooden weapons,
and the countless pillars that would also record one's strength.
The pillars were always a good way for them to test just how much they had improved. All
of them were beaming with energy, ready to test their new bodies.
"I can now stab twice as fast!" Liam said as he thrust his sword toward the chicken area of
the straw doll. When in anger, he often aimed for this spot, but lately, he had become so
angry it had become somewhat instinct for him.
Still, he was amazed. It wasn't just an increase in Qi, but his body was better than ever, as
he didn't tire after attacking the same spot over and over.
It was the same for the other two, but there was something else Simyon was somewhat
aware of but not quite. When he had punched the pillar, he had done so using next to no
strength, no Qi, nothing. The number 25 had come up in the past. When he did the same
thing again, the number that came up this time was 35.
'Wait, even if I add no Qi, why is the difference so high?' Simyon started to think. He knew
one's body got stronger after a breakthrough, but with no Qi to increase by this much, was
that right?
In order to test this out, he had used Safa's score as an example, but she had only risen by a
few points, not by ten.
"Can't you tell?" Dame said, coming over, and raising his hand, he swung it, hitting Simyon
right on the back.
"Ow… ow… ow." Simyon had flinched, hunching his back, but soon stopped as he realized
something. "Wait, it doesn't hurt, it was light, did you hit me like you used to before."
"You still can't tell now? Along with you increasing to the second stage, it looks like your
body has also been refined into something else. All the training you had done before has
paid off," Dame explained.
Dame was right on the mark; the effect of the earring had increased, and now Simyon no
longer just had a common metal body, but he had an uncommon metal body. This
confirmed one thing, that there were ways to increase the strength of his body.
'So was Dame right, that if I use weapon refining skills and books, I can continue to increase
my body strength?'
This was somewhat disheartening for Simyon; he had always imagined himself fighting
against beasts and monsters, not just standing there and taking the hits from them.
As the three were getting used to their new bodies, one of the Blue headband teachers, Tod,
had walked in. He looked at everyone in the courtyard before asking his question.
"Where is Raze?" Tod asked.
"He is..." Simyon looked at Safa. "He is a bit busy at the moment… we don't know where he
is."
"Alright, I have done my duty either way," Tod sighed, shaking his head. "Gunther has
called for you all to meet him at the main base."
Not even waiting for a response, Tod had just left, leaving the others alone.
"Man, that guy really has a stick up his arse ever since Raze showed him, huh," Liam
replied. "You would think that he would have treated us better. I guess some people never
change."
---
The group entered the main building and were in one of the many offices that were placed
around. When inside, the other teachers and members would constantly whisper as they
saw them. It reminded them that they had become quite the name, and little did the
teachers know that they would have even more in surprise for them as they had all
advanced to the next stage.
Entering the office, all four of them stood straight as they looked at a fully healed Gunther.
However, he wasn't wearing his armor like he would before, and instead was wearing
robes like most Pagna warriors. Still attached to his back was a leather strap that held his
two swords, one of which he had reverted back into a sword after letting Safa borrow it for
a while.
"Wait a second, where's Raze, did he not come back yet?" Gunther asked.
"He did, but didn't he tell you, he's in the middle of training, in the forest grounds," Simyon
replied.
The forest grounds was an area located at the back of the academy. It was an area where
beasts had been taken from one of the portal outbreaks, a very low-level 1 beast, the hop
bunny. Here the beasts would reproduce, and it wouldn't just be a farm for them to have an
area with power stones; it was also an area that was used for assessments. Currently, Raze
was using it as his own little playground.
In the middle of the forest, Raze's face was beaten, bruised, and blood was pouring out of
his mouth. He looked at the palm of his hand where he had a red Qi pill.
"I don't have many of these left," Raze said as he gulped it down in one go. "You are much
harder than any of the disciples."
Right in front of Raze was none other than the special item he had created, the mythical
statue. In the forest, Raze was taking it on, fighting against it, and he was doing so just using
his powers of a Pagna warrior, rather than using his magic as well. He had attempted the
descending steps, as well as using his blade swordsmanship, but it was useless, and the
statue had a counter to almost everything.
"I can feel it, as long as I'm able to beat you, I will reach the next stage!" Raze said as he
charged in again with his wooden sword.
With Raze not being there, Gunther was wondering just how much impact his words would
have, so he decided to keep it short and sweet.
"What has occurred between all of us, as I said before, will be our little secret," Gunther
claimed with a smile. "As long as this happens, then none of us will get in trouble. We can
continue our time at the academy as we all have been doing. So that is all I have to say, and
this will be the last that we speak on the matter."
Gunther flung his hand as if to shoo them away. It was clear that the actual person he
wanted to speak to wasn't with them. As they turned around, Gunther did want to call out
to one person.
"Liam, do you mind staying here? I want to have a word with you," Gunther asked.
Liam was confused why just him, and the others didn't seem to care as they had already left
the room. Not just that, but they had continued walking away, down the hallway, not
waiting for him at all, and headed back to the blue headband living quarters.
That was when Dame had turned around to the two of them before heading inside.
"Actually, now that it's just the two of you, I have something important to ask you," Dame
stated. "How would you feel if you were to come with me and Raze, to where I'm from?"
It was a sudden question to ask, and one Simyon hadn't really thought about, but it did beg
the question.
"Wait, where are you from?" Simyon asked.
Chapter 180 Catching A Fly
Chapter 180 Catching A Fly
Liam's heart raced as he stood before Gunther, feeling a mix of anxiety and confusion.
During his whole time with the others, he had already felt somewhat distant compared to
the rest. He hadn't cared much, after all, he hadn't come to the academy to make friends.
However, naturally, as time went on, and it was only him and them, and fighting with the
others together during the event, he did feel like there was some connection between them.
The fact that he had even entered the portal with them to the other dimension made it
seem like fate had something in store for him and Safa.
'It's almost like fate that me and Safa are meant to be together,' Liam let out a big sigh,
feeling heartbroken that now he had been singled out by Gunther of all people. "Why… why
do you have to speak to me... I know I'm handsome, but I'm sorry, sir, I don't swing that
way."
"Liam!" Gunther shouted for the third time. He had been calling Liam's name for a while
now, but there was no response. "What are you even thinking in that small brain of yours?"
Shaking his head, Liam decided that since it was already too late, he might as well listen to
what the teacher had to say, although he felt it was hard to call Gunther a teacher because
he was the strangest teacher he had ever come across.
"Liam, me and you are different," Gunther said as he placed both of his fingers off to the
side. He swiveled his chair slightly to the side so only half of his face was showing. "We
aren't like the others, you see. I'm talking about those that went into the Dimension
together."
It felt strange; the same thoughts that Liam was having not too long ago were now being
brought up by the teacher himself, and it was hitting him just a bit harder.
"Those three, they have a connection. It's clear that they knew each other even before they
entered the academy, but now me and you have a connection together. Since we both share
a secret, right?" Gunther said, turning around and smiling at Liam.
"What I want you to do is stick with them no matter where they go. Stay on them like a fly
following around a piece of crap!"
"So… I'm the fly?" Liam said.
"Be the best fly there is out there!" Gunther shouted back, standing from his seat and
slamming the desk. "This is for your sake, no, this is for both of our sakes. We need to know
what they are doing at all times, alright?"
Liam was taken aback; he didn't know what to say and was somewhat frozen.
"Alright!" Gunther shouted again since he hadn't responded.
"Ah, yes, sir!" Liam said, bowing down. It seemed like that was his cue to leave, and so he
did. He would stick to them like a fly. That's what he was good at.
While Liam was running down the hallway, heading back to the assessment area, he
couldn't help but continue to rub the back of his neck.
Meanwhile, Gunther let out a big sigh and sat back down in his seat.
"Alright, at least that's dealt with now. I have to make sure that the Dark Magus doesn't stay
out of my sight; I need to know where he is at all times."
---
Standing outside in the courtyard, Simyon had just asked Dame a question that made it feel
like time had stopped around him. He didn't know why, but he was expecting the answer to
be quite frightening.
"Ah, where I'm from, I guess both of you don't know yet," Dame answered with a smile. "I'm
from the Demonic Faction."
"Oh, just the Demonic Faction," Simyon let out a sigh of relief, but he quickly caught his
breath again. "Wait, did you say the Demonic Faction... in here, inside the Dark Faction's
academy?"
Simyon's heart started to beat four times faster as thoughts started to go through his head.
What if they were caught with this person? Would the whole Dark Faction go after him, and
then, would they also go after anyone who kept in contact with him?
Maybe they would be treated as those working with the Demonic Faction just for being
near him.
"Deep breaths, deep breaths," Dame said. "I know what you're thinking, but honestly, I'm
pretty sure that teacher already knows where I'm from, or at least has a good idea.
Remember what he said, as long as no problems arise, then we will be fine."
"No problems" was a tall order, Simyon thought. They had already been suffering with
problem after problem since they had arrived here. In his head, it was only a matter of time
before they would get caught.
"As I said before, Raze wanted to invite you to head to the Demonic Faction with me. Of
course, with the plan to return, we will just be away while everyone is on break, and inform
them that we are heading back to our families and respective clans."
Simyon was still trying to take in the new piece of information that he had learned, and
only bits and pieces were really going into his head.
"Listen carefully to what I have to say," Dame said again, and he looked at Safa this time.
She seemed to be calmer having learned this information.
Seeing how Dame was serious with his words, she pulled on Simyon's shirt, getting his
attention, and then went to hold his hand. For some reason, the moment Simyon held onto
Safa's hand, he felt a whole sense of calmness come over him, which was followed by the
flushing of the upper cheeks.
"Raze asked me to tell you guys this, and he is inviting you because he's actually looking out
for you guys," Dame explained. "You know lately, he has been a target of an assassination,
and from what I know, you guys had troubles even before that."
"If he were to leave here, he's worried that the two of you will end up being a target if they
can't go after him. So he would rather have you come along to the Demonic Faction where
he thinks you'll be safer."
"It's up to you guys what you want to do, but we will be heading out tonight," Dame stated,
as he was ready to walk away, giving them time to have their answer.
"We'll go," Simyon answered instantly. "I know what Safa's answer is already, so I'm sorry
for speaking on her behalf. As for my answer, I already said that I would go wherever Raze
went."
Dame smiled hearing this. Raze had managed to gather his own group of loyal people. They
reminded him a lot of his group of friends in the Neverfall Clan as well.
---
The leave of absence letters were handed in to Tod, who didn't seem to care, nor was he
surprised. They knew that due to the teachers' laziness, it would be a while before their
notices would be passed on, meaning it would give them time before Gunther could do
anything.
After that, they had all left the building and headed to the back of the academy where the
forest would be. This was where they were to meet Raze, who was already waiting for
them.
Traveling with Dame, they had gotten through everything with ease, and a short while
later, they had eventually reached the cliffside. Here, Raze was waiting.
He hadn't gone down the cliff to the cave, as he didn't want others to see it, and there was
no need to. He could just draw the magic circle wherever he wished, since the magic circles
created by the Dark Faction leader had set coordinates for where they were to appear.
It was something Raze was unable to do because he hadn't mapped out the world of Pagna,
and the coordinates to head back to Altieran were completely skewed and different. He
found that out the first time he had opened a portal.
"It's good to see everyone. I think it will be safer if we're all together," Raze claimed. "Now...
let's head out."
Raze activated his dark magic, and as he did, the portal started to open up. When it flashed
glowing, the sound of the bushes moving was heard behind them.
Immediately, Dame rushed into the bushes to see if they had been followed or if it was
possibly another assassin. A few moments later, he returned, holding onto a certain boy
that they were all familiar with.
"What do you want to do with him then?" Dame asked, holding Liam's shoulders.
Chapter 181 Spread Dark Magus!
Chapter 181 Spread Dark Magus!
Having heard the group leave in the middle of the night, Liam felt compelled to follow them,
remembering Gunther's words to stick to them like a fly. It didn't take him long to figure
out where they were going since it was a destination that the others had been to a few
times. There was nowhere else to go other than the hunting forest and back down to the
area of fog. The real question was why, and that's what led Liam to discover their exact
location.
He hadn't done this just because Gunther asked; he was genuinely curious about what they
were doing.
"What should we do with him? He's seen you open the portal," Dame asked.
Soon after, the portal actually closed right up. That was because the energy from the level 1
power stone had been used already. The portals Raze opened weren't like those of others.
They weren't permanent. Seeing this, it left Liam witnessing something that he wasn't
supposed to see.
His teeth were chattering slightly, and the grip from Dame alone felt too strong. He had
tried to shove and move slightly, but the pressure had increased on his shoulders, making it
clear that he wasn't allowed to leave.
"I'm sorry!" Liam said. His single eye was watering up, and he had placed both hands
together, shaking them continuously. "I know I shouldn't have followed you guys, but I
wanted to see what you were doing."
"I thought we were a team, you know! We defeated the five disciples together, and we got
through that mess with the dimension boss. You need the whole group; otherwise, it just
doesn't work!"
Of all the things to say, this was Liam's plea, not to save his life but to be a part of the group;
otherwise, it just didn't feel right. He had no clue what he had just done. If Liam weren't
someone who had already known part of Raze's secret and owed him one, he would have
had to end his life to keep his secret a secret. Yet, Raze could tell from the look in the
others' eyes that they pitied him slightly.
"Look, I'll do whatever you guys want. I'll keep my mouth shut. I'm one of you guys now. If
you go down, then I go down as well, and why the heck would I want to get myself in
trouble," Liam continued to try and convince the others.
"Come on, man, I'm begging you here, Raze! Haven't I helped you guys out a lot, come o-"
"OKAY!" Raze eventually blurted out. "Please just stop speaking. We will let you come with
us. Did you leave a note with one of the teachers explaining your absence?"
Liam hadn't done so since he wasn't so sure what was going on, but he thought if the others
had left and he had done as well, then surely Gunther would know what had happened and
come up with an excuse.
"It will be okay," Liam answered honestly, a little worried that a certain tick might show
that he was lying.
Raze produced another power stone in his hand and dropped it to the ground. Almost like a
show, at the same time, Raze's dark magic started to leave his hands and went down to the
magic circle. The crystal had hit the floor at the same time as the magic, and the circle lit up,
producing the portal again.
"Alright, let's try this one more time, shall we? Let's go," Raze said as he walked through
first.
The others weren't too far behind, and Dame and Liam were the last two to enter. Once
everyone was through, it was left for a few more seconds until eventually, the portal closed
up.
Entering a portal, Liam was fearing the worst, preparing himself for another risky battle as
he fought against beasts. But he was now a stage two warrior; if he had gotten through it
before, he could get through it again.
When he opened his eyes, though, he felt the atmosphere hardly felt any different. It was
slightly more humid compared to before, but that was all. When opening his eyes, he
noticed that they were in a dimly lit cave.
"Come on, let's not waste too much time," Raze said as he walked forward, and everyone
witnessed his body warp right through a wall.
It was a dead end, an area full of rocks, yet Raze had walked through it, and now none of
them were able to see him. Everyone was confused and worried.
Looking at the wall, there was no way to tell if it was real or fake. That was until the person
who had the most trust in Raze out of them all, Safa, decided to walk ahead. Her footsteps
were confident, but when approaching the wall, she had closed her eyes. In doing so, she
had walked right through.
Seeing now two people go to the other side, it started to give the others more confidence,
and they started to head through one by one.
Going onto the other side, they soon realized that they were still in the cave, but just in
another part, a part where they could see a clear exit, and Raze was already at the very end.
"I brought you guys along so you wouldn't get hurt," Raze commented. "But it doesn't mean
that I have to wait for you; if you slow me down, then I'll leave you behind."
Walking forward onto the hard, dark orange ground, which was black in some areas, Raze
started to walk ahead. The others followed, jumping out and looking around.
They couldn't see much apart from a few trees that looked to mostly be on their last legs, as
if rain hadn't fallen in the area for years. However, there was something that had caught all
of their eyes.
It was so large, built up in the middle like a giant tower, and even though the night sky was
out, it was lit up like a giant lantern. Their eyes were glued to the sight like a moth to a
flame.
"Why does this look so familiar?" Liam said. "I'm sure I've seen something like this in a
painting or something?"
"Is that the city of Repton?" Simyon asked. "I guess we really are in the Demonic Faction
after all."
The city of Repton was quite well-known because it was one of the biggest cities that
belonged to the Demonic Faction. Immediately after hearing these words, Liam realized
and it clicked in his head.
"Repton, the Demonic Faction! Wait, this is the Demonic Faction, I thought we had gone to
another dimension; what are we doing in the Demonic Faction!" Liam shouted.
Liam's fear was palpable because there were many stories told to the Dark Faction about
the Demonic Faction. Nearly no one, especially younger children, had been to the Demonic
Faction, so they only knew about them through tales.
Immediately, Liam started to think that this might be even more dangerous than if he had
entered a dimension with beasts.
"What's wrong, are you regretting coming with us now after all that talk about sticking
together?" Simyon said. "Where's your balls as you would say." "Let's get a move on," Raze
said, and Dame, now in his own comfort zone, had placed his hand on his face, taking off the
mask. His hands dropped down by his side, and all of the others were stunned by what they
could see.
"He's... quite handsome," Simyon ended up blurting out loud.
There had been so many surprises; the fact that Dame was using something to hide his face
wasn't so much of a surprise compared to the rest of the things they had been through.
Knowing he was from the Demonic Faction, it made sense, but it started to make Simyon
think.
'Wait, but why the mask? Is he someone that people might recognize? I guess with his
strength, that would make sense, and with us going back to the Demonic Faction. Just how
did Raze meet these people, and how is he able to do all of these things?'
Raze and Dame walked side by side, taking the lead. Dame was looking forward to meeting
his friends. He had left them all without saying a word, and he hadn't exactly been in
contact with them either. One, he wasn't looking forward to was his father and how he
would react to his disappearance. But for Raze, he had another goal.
"Let's start the business of the Dark Magus while we are here. We'll spread the name out
and see if anyone takes the bait."
Chapter 182 Outsiders
Chapter 182 Outsiders
The group had entered the city of Repton and were walking through one of the many
streets that were filled with hanging red lanterns and glowing lights. The sound of laughter
and chatter filled the air.
However, there was a certain group of people that stood out among all of those there. The
usual three were huddled close together: Safa, Simyon, and Liam, while Raze and Dame
were walking in front of them not too far ahead.
"Look at them," Liam whispered. "We're surrounded by those from the Demonic Faction,
those that absorb the energy from others. I hear that they even eat humans."
"Well, no one would want to eat you anyway, so you're safe," Simyon replied back, but he
was whispering as well. It was clear that he was a little scared of the people around them as
well.
"Can you guys relax a bit? You're making us stand out," Dame replied. "The people here are
just like those from any other faction. There are those that don't belong to any clan, yet the
Pagna warriors live side by side with them just fine."
"I'm sure you will see that we are not as bloodthirsty as people say."
The thing was, out of all those present, the one that was actually catching the most
attention was Dame himself. As soon as other warriors saw him, they started to whisper.
He had gained quite the reputation after taking down Beatrix in the last fight. Judging from
their words and what they could hear, no one knew that he had been missing. As for the
words they were saying, they were quite uplifting.
"It's Dame from the Neverfall Clan. Everyone is saying that he's changed ever since the
battle with Beatrix."
"Ah, yes, I heard that too. He no longer visits the brothels. Is that why we haven't seen him
in the city for a while now? Perhaps he has been secretly training so he can be called on his
next assignment."
"Wait, do you think that's why he's returned? Perhaps it's due to the recent troubles."
Hearing the last line had caused Dame to react slightly. Raze could see the gesture in his
hands.
Eventually, the group had entered an inn, and thankfully, it wasn't one where Raze had
caused trouble last time. With his hooded figure, he shouldn't attract any attention anyway.
After paying for the room for them, the group sat down at a nearby table. Dame didn't
order any drinks for himself but had ordered for the others.
"I won't be staying long with the rest of you," Dame explained. "As you said, we need to get
to work, and the academy is only closed for a short amount of time. I will be meeting with
Fixteen, as he will be the one spearheading our collaboration and sorting things out with
our buyers while we are away.
"I want to set up a more permanent point of contact with him," Dame explained. "I assume
that you will be buying products and looking for items?"
Raze nodded.
"I plan to make a few items for myself but also wish to create a few new products that
maybe some others will be happy with." Raze answered. With the level 2 power stones, he
could create items with an even greater healing effect and buff.
He also had the ice attribute now that he could use to create a new special type of pill. As
well.
"If you're looking for items like you did last time, then the better ones will be at the auction
house. You can also sell a couple of the level 2 power stones there and buy items in bulk. At
the moment, we have no base to store items and produce something that we will need to
solve eventually.
"Let's just make a batch of products and see how much profit we can make. After that, we
can focus on setting up more of a permanent base. If you head to the auction house, ask for
a man named Andy. He has a few scars on top of his head, so he will be pretty easy to spot."
Raze nodded and didn't say much. He could tell by Dame's fidgeting demeanor even when
talking that Dame was in a rush to get out of there, so he left, but he had a few words to say
to the rest of the group.
"Have a good time, enjoy whatever you wish in this place, just try not to get into trouble, at
least don't cause such a big mess. My name can only help you guys out so much, and I'm not
sure how useful my name is right now."
With that, Dame had left all four of them on their own in one of the largest cities that
belonged to the Demonic Faction.
"So what are we going to do, just stay at the inn during these five days, lay low, and then
head back to the academy?" Simyon asked.
"That sounds kind of boring?" Liam replied. "Didn't you hear what he said? Everyone here
is normal, and no one even knows that we're from the Dark Faction, so we can just take this
as a little trip to a city. I've never even been to a city this big."
Raze soon stood up from his seat. Even though it was nighttime, he had been to Repton
before, and it was truly a city that never slept, so he was sure that he could still get to work
straight away.
"Are you heading to the auction house right now?" Simyon asked.
Raze nodded.
"It's best if I go alone. I'll be buying and selling quite a few things. There might be those that
catch on to who I am, and if they see you who aren't disguised around with me, then they
could target you as well.
"I brought you here just so that you would be safe, but you do not need to get involved with
my doings."
With those words said, Raze was now the second one to leave the others on their own, and
they saw him head out the door without even looking back.
"Man!" Liam said out loud. "I thought that I was the only one he treated like crap, but it
looks like he doesn't think much of you guys either. He just left you like that. I thought you
were his close friends and sister? But he still wants to act all solo like that."
"We know," Simyon said. "I guess we just have to become more useful to him."
In the end, the students' curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to walk around
and explore the city. The more they saw, the more at ease they were. No longer were they
heading around so stiffly.
As they walked through, their bellies were growling with hunger, and they soon realized
that there was a large problem.
"Hey... do you have any money at all?" Liam asked.
Both Safa and Simyon shook their heads. They were in a city with so many things to do and
try, but none of them had any money at all.
"Everyone gather around, gather around!" A voice shouted at the crossing point of the
many streets.
The crossings were more open compared to the other areas, as people had to walk through
and past. In the center, sometimes there were stalls set up to catch people's eyes, or even
demonstrations. They had seen a few performances of singing, as well as plays, and this
time there seemed to be another show going on.
The three of them had been stopping by, watching the shows here and there, so they went
ahead to watch the next one. At least it would distract them from the hunger they were
feeling.
"We are the special students from the Demonic Faction's Pagna Academy, and today we
have a challenge for you all!"
There were a group of five male students in total. All of them dressed in dark red clothing
with the same shade of it a slightly darker red. They looked around the same age as Simyon
and the others as well.
"Right here with us today, we have our hope, our star student Mantis! Also known as the
Black Tiger, the one who is said to be even stronger than the White Dragon of the Dark
Faction!"
"White Dragon of the Dark Faction?" Liam replied. "Who has a nickname like that?"
The students were unaware of the name that had been spreading through the lands after
the event, and were unaware of what they were about to get involved in as well.
Chapter 183 Have you heard of him?
Chapter 183 Have you heard of him?
It wasn't hard for Dame to meet up with Fixteen now that he had appeared in Repton. Or,
more precisely, it wasn't hard for Fixteen to find him.
Dame knew the news of his return would quickly spread. He could feel the intense looks in
everyone's eyes. However, they weren't the same as before, the ones that looked at him as a
useless fool.
Either way, it didn't matter; he didn't care about his reputation, good or bad. He just knew
that his return would be informed, and with it, he headed to a common place where he and
his friends would meet up regularly.
It was the three-tiered restaurant, where Dame would do all of his meetings with his
guests. The place wasn't too busy tonight since it was quite late. The only ones that were
still inside had one too many drinks.
There were some that were a bit more clued in; mercenaries, bandits, other clan members
just enjoying their time in the corner here and there. And then there was Dame, who
patiently sat on his own at a square table where there were four benches one on each side.
He had made his order, and it didn't take long for him to see Fixteen, Carlson, and Kirk
walking through the door. They looked the same as ever, and scanning the room, Kirk was
the first to notice Dame.
"He's right over there, he's right there just like you said he would be!" Kirk pointed and
went to run ahead with a smile on his face, but Carlson had quickly pulled him back.
"Hey, don't you remember what we said?" Carlson whispered. "That we were going to
ghost him for a bit, just like he did us. I mean, who just ups and leaves like that and doesn't
tell us anything."
Fixteen hadn't told the other two what had really happened, but since he was in the room,
he had seen it himself. He had seen Dame rush through the portal before it had even closed.
Honestly, he wasn't sure how long he would be gone for in that other world of his, but he
felt like Dame needed some punishment for making them worry.
The three of them walked over, and when they did, they all sat down on the same bench,
one opposite to Dame. None of them looked him in the eye as they turned their heads away.
"I know you guys are upset with me, but either way, I'm happy to see you all, and happy to
see that all of you are fine. I don't know what I would have done if you were punished
because of me, or sent off to fight in some crappy battle somewhere," Dame said.
"You're an idiot," Fixteen replied. "You can go off, but you should at least do so with a plan
first. Otherwise, we might not be so lucky next time."
Dame smiled and ordered a few drinks for everyone. As they started to settle in, Dame did
all the talking, asking them questions here and there about their general lives and talking
about the past.
There was no mention of where he was or what he had been doing. His friends weren't like
that; they weren't nosy and knew he would speak up if he felt the need. In the end, it was
Dame that asked the first question.
"How is my father?" Dame asked.
At this point, both Kirk and Carlson were already too drunk to do anything. Fixteen, who
didn't drink alcohol, was level-headed, and he somewhat knew these questions were going
to come up.
"There are bigger issues at hand than you for him, so you are in the clear. But it's safe to say
that I don't think you will be first in line to become the head of the Clan anytime soon,"
Fixteen smiled.
"I was never planning on becoming the head," Dame replied. "I want to carve my own path,
and I'll be honest with you. I have a feeling that with the Dark Magus, I might be able to do
it. I think I might even be able to create something even bigger than the Neverfall Clan."
Due to how Dame acted with the Clan, many might think that he had next to no ambition.
But those that knew the real Dame, they knew it was different; he had no ambition to do
anything regarding the Neverfall Clan.
"I heard some rumors around, and you said my father was struggling. Do you know what
that's with?" Dame asked.
"It's the Light Faction," Fixteen answered. "Your victory against them, I guess, didn't rub
too well, so they have been aggressive on the border. Honestly, your father was looking for
you so you could earn more credit with the Demonic Faction, but since you weren't here,
you can guess what he had to do."
Fixteen didn't need to say anything; it meant the task had gone to one of his other siblings,
one of his brothers or even his sister.
"Speaking of the Dark Magus, Alba has stayed in Repton for quite a while," Fixteen started
to change the subject. "It seems like she hasn't been able to get any leads on the Dark
Magus, so she's returned to the one place where she knows she can get one."
"She has been on my back quite a bit, and not just on who this Dark Magus person is, but on
getting some more product as well."
Dame started to rub his hands as he heard this, and looking down, he was hiding the smile
on his face.
"Tell her to come and meet me in a couple of days. I'm sure she will be surprised, and make
sure she brings quite a bit of coin with her. If not coin, then at least high-value items. I'm
sure she won't be disappointed."
Hearing this, Fixteen's eyes started to widen. "Does that mean you returned with the Dark
Magus? But then... you couldn't have come through the portal, how did you make it here?"
"What happened to the portal?" Dame asked.
"That was one of the disputes, so Beatrix went in and defeated the Dimension Boss inside.
The portal no longer exists. So does the Dark Magus have some way to get here as well?"
When Fixteen heard himself saying those words out loud, he realized how frightening they
were. An individual that could mass travel individuals to different areas. It was something
that every Faction would fight for, as it could change the tide of wars.
"He is here, but keep it a secret, of course."
The group continued to catch up and enjoy their time together, and as they continued to
talk, Fixteen wanted to bring up one more rumor that he had heard.
"Ah, have you heard of this talk of this new rising star from the Dark Faction?" Fixteen
asked.
"Rising Star?" Dame replied, raising his eyebrow. Fixteen had no idea he was currently in
the Dark Faction, but since he was limited to the academy, he didn't hear much news or
information.
"Yes, apparently, he's still a student at the Pagna Academy. They say he's a superstar, the
next big thing to come from the Dark Faction. Of course, these things are often exaggerated,
but they are calling him the White Dragon. Have you heard of him?"
Chapter 184 The Black Tiger
Chapter 184 The Black Tiger
Mantis, the black tiger, was a student who attended the Demonic Faction Pagna Academy.
In total, there were three of these academies, one for each Faction. Just like the Dark
Faction academy, they too were on a break and were paying a visit to their respective
Clans.
As for Mantis, the other students weren't lying about who he was. He was the top student at
the academy and he stood out like a sore thumb, particularly with his style. He had crazy
black hair parted to his right side.
What was shocking was how he would wear his robes. He tended to have only one arm in
one sleeve, while the other half was tied around his waist, showing half of his upper body.
On his chest, there was a large scratch, and strangely rather than red like a regular scar, it
was black in color. This was how Mantis had gotten the nickname the Black Tiger.
"Today, in order to demonstrate his skills, we wish to issue a challenge to you all!" The
student at the front was doing all the talking; he wore a pair of spectacles which were rare
to see, especially on a Pagna warrior, which made them think it was more of a fashion
statement. His name was Rod.
While Mantis was sitting on a chair, the other students had cloths covering several different
items around them, waiting to reveal what they were to the crowd.
"We are here to prove to you that Mantis is truly one of the best students and a star in the
making!" Rod shouted.
The crowd was already drawn in; it seemed like he was quite the speaker, as his
articulation and tone were perfect. The crowd was already getting bigger by the moment.
"Right here, we have a series of challenges that you can take part in against Mantis!" Rod
continued to explain, and the cloth was taken off some of the items behind them.
"The first one is a measuring pillar. Test your strength against the star, and see if you can
best his power!" Rod then pointed to Mantis himself.
"The second challenge, try to hit Mantis in any way possible; he won't strike back but only
avoid your hits! Thirdly, see if your reaction time is even quicker than Mantis!"
The third item was a strange contraption. It was a large wooden block that looked almost
like a pillar, but on top of the pillar, there were three buttons. The light would turn red, and
one would have to hit them as quickly as possible.
There were two of these large wooden blocks side by side with each other.
The color would appear a total of twenty-five times, and one was to see who was able to hit
the 25 blocks before the other, as another button would light up red only after one had
been hit.
"Lastly, if you don't feel confident in any of these, then feel free to suggest any way you
think you can prove your might against Mantis! If you do manage to beat him, the prize is
one silver, as for giving it a go, it will cost a total of just 10 coppers!"
The proposition seemed entertaining for most there. They had a chance to multiply their
income tenfold, and if they didn't, at least they got to try something. Even more so, they
would get the accolade of saying they had beaten the Black Tiger.
The clever design by Rod also allowed people to take part who weren't Pagna warriors by
providing a wide range of challenges. Because of this, many had immediately put their
hands up.
The first person that was selected was a female. She looked like a worker from one of the
restaurants, and as for the game she had selected, it was none other than the strange box
game.
"Excellent choice!" Rod exclaimed.
Standing up from his seat, Mantis went over and stood by one of the boxes, and so did the
woman. They waited, and when both were ready, the match had begun. Both of them
started to hit the buttons one after the other.
The woman seemed to be doing well, and she could hear the sound of her opponent next to
her. She had just gone past the twenty-mark, at twenty-three she thought she was nearly
there, and that's when the buttons had stopped, and a loud buzz noise resounded.
"Ahhh, so close!" Rod said.
Mantis looked over to the woman. "You did well; maybe if you tried again, you might beat
me," Mantis claimed.
The woman went back, and after her loss, there were still plenty who wanted to take part.
'Haha, this is excellent, these fools!' Rod thought. 'Do they really think she was close?
Mantis had slowed down on purpose to give you the chance of feeling like you could win.
Come on, more of you, more of you come up and play!'
The games continued, one after the other. A few had been selecting the box game, but after
so many losses, they were beginning to lose hope. That's when a Pagna warrior had
stepped up, but rather than selecting the box game, he had chosen another.
"I challenge you to the measuring pillar!" The man was large and bulky in size, around
three times the size of the students.
As he made his way to the measuring pillar, Rod and Mantis glanced at each other and gave
a slight nod.
It was the man's turn first. He shrugged his shoulders and relaxed his hand, and then when
he was ready, he swung his fist out wide, which looked more like a slap. It crashed into the
pillar and shook the ground slightly before it absorbed the energy inwards.
The number that was left marked on the pillar displayed 62!
A smile on his face, the Pagna warrior was proud as he flexed his muscles.
Two people in particular had been watching this whole thing from the crowd. A tall woman
stood out at the front; she had dark skin pigmentation and slightly red glowing eyes. She
wasn't alone; there was a man standing by her side. He had blonde hair that was swept and
tied back, while wearing a mask that covered the upper half of his face. These two who
stood here were members of the Crimson Crane.
"This whole thing is quite a sweet trick for them to earn a bit of money," Alba commented.
"I know what you mean; no respected Pagna warrior will go up against mere students to
best them, especially to just earn a single silver coin," Cronker replied.
"You are correct, but if they're smart, that person will lose," Alba replied.
Getting ready, Mantis also rolled his shoulders slightly, then dashed in, throwing his hand
out, crashing it into the pillar. The energy was absorbing in, and finally, the number 45 was
marked in.
"I win!" The large man said, claiming his 1 silver coin from the others.
"Ah, well, you can't win them all," Rod stated. "It's to be expected in such a strong city that
there will be those who can best our student. Is there anyone else who wishes to continue
to take part?"
Cronker was a little confused by what he had just seen. "How did you know he was going to
lose, and why did he lose on purpose?" Cronker asked.
"It's simple, so more people will keep playing," Alba answered. "Just as you said, they don't
have to worry about anyone with half decent skill taking part. Because it would just be
petty of us. However, what would happen if the student were to best every single one of
them at all of the games that they displayed?"
"They would be disheartened."
"Exactly!" Alba said with a smile. "In the first place, in nearly all of the games, that kid has
carefully been winning just by a small margin, and he had bested thirty people, earning
them 3 silver coins.
"It was a good time for him to lose, and give hope to more of the participants, and they still
make 2 coins worth of profit. With this loss, they're sure to lure more people in."
Liam was rummaging around in his pants, and eventually, he had pulled out a small bag,
and emptying it, there were a few copper coins inside.
"He got 45... I can get more than 45; I can beat him and win the silver coin!" Liam said with
excitement.
"Wait, you had money this whole time; I thought you said you didn't bring anything?"
Simyon asked.
"I'm not made of money," Liam replied. "Look, I only have twenty copper coins in total. At
best, this would be enough just to feed me.
"Did you think I would just be a jerk and eat food in front of the lady when I can't even buy
it for her? Of course not, so with this, I'm going to win this event, and I'm going to buy all of
us food.
"Actually, you can beg me to buy you some food. Since this is my money at the end of the
day."
Simyon gritted his teeth. He wanted to yell at him but felt like it would do nothing in this
situation, and besides, with a score of 45, even Simyon was quite confident that he could
win.
"I want to take part next!" Liam shouted, and pushed himself forward, then placed the coins
into the collecting pot. "I challenge you to the measuring pillar!"
This time Mantis and Rod looked at each other again, and there was a large smile on their
faces.
"See!" Alba said. "What did I tell you, another sucker was drawn into their trick."
-------
Chapter 185 The Auction house
Chapter 185 The Auction house
The auction house was on the outskirts of the city, luckily as if Dame knew what Raze was
planning to do, the inn that they were currently staying at was also not located in the centre
but a little on the outskirts as well.
However, the shape and design of the city oddly started to change the closer Raze got to the
auction house. The lack of large giant buildings had lessened and there was a one mile long
road that went to the very end of the single large building.
The auction house was made up of two tiers with its slanted roof tops that curved upward
and with colours in red. It had the same type of architecture as anywhere else in the city
but looked to be made of slightly more expensive materials.
Even the large pillars looked as if they were made of a type of marble or red coloured Jade
rather than concrete.
What was interesting though, was that on the long mile strip on each of the sides there
were countless numbers of merchants that had set up stalls. Listening in, Raze had figured
out that they were doing business deals with one another.
Some of them had products on hand, samples, and others had a large stack of products one
could buy there and then. The people that would head to the auction house weren't just
those that lived in the city but came from out of the city as well.
Which was why the merchants took this opportunity to try and get as much business as
possible.
'I was going to buy some of the basic materials in the marketplace, but I might actually get a
better deal here.' Raze thought to himself. 'I plan to make a large amount of Qi pills in the
future. So I should be treated like one of these merchants or government officials as well.'
There was a problem though, and that was funds. Although Dame said he would handle
most of the funds, at the moment he wasn't here. Raze liked to solve issues himself as well,
having control of the situation, so he thought to himself that he would just pay for things
himself somehow and then charge Dame for it later.
'I will just have to send him an invoice, if they have those things in this world?'
There were two reasons now for attending the auction house: one to sell a couple of power
stones, and the second to buy a few items that would be good for enhancing.
Passing all of the merchants, Raze was now at the front of the auction and he could see that
they were busy setting up. The workers weren't dressed like the Pagna warriors. They
wore thick coatings of materials to cover themselves from the heat.
They stood out from the regular folk due to their extravagant clothing. What Raze also
noticed though were the guards, they were Pagna warriors, and could be seen by a band
that would be wrapped around the muscular sleeveless arm.
There were workers set up that were evaluating items and buying them for the auction
place, and the guards would then be seen escorting the items into the house itself.
'I wonder if the auction house is owned by a Clan, or if it's government owned and they just
hire the Clan for protection work?'
Thinking of this, Raze also felt like it would be best for him to not try and upset anyone, just
in case there was a clan behind it. If he remembered correctly, the Neverfall Clan that Dame
was from, although strong, was not from or in charge of Repton.
When looking at the evaluators, there were quite a few people lined up, waiting to show
their items, Raze was looking through the crowd.
'If I remember correctly, Dame told me to look for the bald headed man with scars on top of
his head… found him!' Raze said, as he joined up, and waited patiently in the line.
It moved along and had done so fairly quickly and finally it was his time to approach the
man. Raze walked up to the desk where he would show what items he had.
Immediately, the bald headed man was peeking, trying to get a look at Raze's face trying to
see underneath his hood.
"I don't think I've ever seen you before, Next!" The man shouted immediately.
"Wait!" Raze said. "I'm here because I wish to sell a few power stones, and seek entry into
the auction."
"You think that we would accept items from someone who hides his face?" The man
replied. "Besides, not just anyone can enter the auction house. For people like you, if you
wish to sell items of low value then just head to the marketplace."
Raze was getting a little frustrated with the situation already, but he knew the man had a
point, so he took a deep breath. And then pulled out the level two power stone from his
side, making it look like he had gotten it from the pocket of sorts.
"I wish to sell ten level 2 power stones, and gain entry into the auction, Dame was the one
that sent me here." Raze stated.
The bald headed man's eyes were glued onto the power stone. A level 2 power stone
certainly wasn't something that was rare. They saw things like this quite a bit, but they
were popular items to buy, and 10 wasn't exactly a small number either.
What interested him the most though was the name that had been used.
"Nice try, do you know how many people come here a day claiming they know Dame
Narfous?"
The man turned away, his arms folded, but his eyes couldn't stop staring at the power
stone, and he couldn't help but wonder, if this hooded figure really had ten. Just in case, he
thought he would try something.
"Look, I'm in a good mood today. Entry into the auction house I can let you in for the cost of
five power stones, as for the other five level 2 power stones, we can give you the best flat
rate of 5 silver for the remaining five."
'Five silver!' Raze screamed in his head. 'Am I getting scammed right now? Before Alter had
bought the level 1 power stone for ten silver so a level 2 power stone should be a lot more
valuable.'
Before even agreeing to speak to the man further, Raze thought he could at least try and get
a better price for the merchants from the side, and then just come in for the auction to buy
some items.
"I'm sorry, but I think I will hold on to the crystals, and will be back to enter the auction at a
later time." Raze politely said.
At that moment, there was blood rushing to the man's head.
'This brat, I was just about to get a gold mine off him! And sell those crystals myself. If he
knew how much they were worth, then why did he play me like that.'
"You think I'm going to let you in after wasting my time! I don't do this for free you know, I
get at least one level 2 power stone for my services, you can't just walk away!" The man
shouted.
Raze had turned around ignoring the situation, he would just have to try another time, or
truly come back with Dame when the time was right. Turning his back, he was ready to
walk.
"Are you freaking ignoring me!" The man shouted again and grabbed Raze's wrist right
where he was holding the level two power stone.
Immediately Raze turned his head, looking right at the man.
"Don't… touch… me." Raze said, grinding his teeth.
Chapter 186 Stepping up
Chapter 186 Stepping up
The touch on his wrist, Raze could see it, he could feel the claws on his hands rubbing
against his skin. It was being held onto tightly, as if someone was trying to pull him, to not
let him go, and to go against his wishes, to go against what Raze wanted to do.
'I don't want to do it... I don't want to do it!' Raze repeated in his head several times. 'Let go
of me, don't touch me, don't touch me!' These words were being repeated in Raze's head
over and over.
However, he subconsciously still knew in his mind that he wasn't to act here in front of all
of these people. There were even those that were behind him; there were too many
witnesses to the whole thing.
Still, his mind was switching between his conscious thought and the sensation of his skin
being touched by another again. When looking at his face as well, the man's face, it was
smiling.
All of this mix of emotions and thoughts had caused something to react in Raze. It was a
subconscious feeling, and although he didn't know what was happening, the man on the
other end certainly could feel it.
"Ahh, what is this, what are you doing?" The man's facial expression had changed; he could
see the veins on his arms bulging. To him, it felt almost as if all of his blood that was in his
body was rushing to his fingertips right where he was touching the other person.
"What are you doing to me?!" The man shouted and tried to pull away, but as he did, Raze
quickly grabbed onto his hand.
"You... still need to pay," Raze said, his head down, his voice a little quiet. The meaning of
the word "pay," it was hard to tell what was meant by that. "You touched me... so pay."
The strange flow of power was still coming out of the bald-headed man, and he wasn't sure
if he was imagining it or not, but it almost felt like his muscles were shrinking. He tried
pulling away one more time; it wasn't working until a hand came swinging down between
the two.
It touched both of them, and as it did, like a force, it pushed their hands away without
damaging either of them. It was a force of Qi, and with it, Raze had somewhat snapped out
of what he was doing.
He looked at his own hand for a few seconds before turning to the situation in front of him.
The man who had interrupted their fight, he had long hair and quite a small frame. Not only
that, but there were streaks of the color green in it.
What stood out most was perhaps his pale complexion with pigments of darkened black.
For one, his fingertips were completely black, and so were a few darkened areas of skin
under his eyes.
It was quite the strange look for a human, but his clothing was like that of a Pagna warrior,
colored in dark green.
"Come on, Clave, you know what you were trying to do; all of us regulars here know what
you were trying to do. You kinda deserved what you got, so let's just leave this one, okay?"
The man asked.
It was clear that the bald-headed auctioneer wanted to say more, but he was still far more
concerned with what had happened to his body.
"As for you, strange hooded man, sorry for getting involved; that was rude of me," the man
stated with a smile. "If you wish to head into the auction house, you can always come with
me since it was my mistake."
Raze looked at the man, and he couldn't sense any hint of dishonesty from him. He also had
a bright smile despite the bags under his eyes. It just felt weird to Raze. Could it be possible
that there was a man who was willing to do that just from interrupting their little scuffle?
In Raze's head, he was screaming that this was a scam.
Behind the smile, Raze was somewhat right; the man was thinking something because he
had noticed what Raze had done.
'What he used, it was the extraction technique of the Demonic Faction, and he had used it at
an incredible rate. If he had held onto that man for a minute or so, would he have been
dead? This person is clearly quite skilled; just who is he?' The man thought.
The bald-headed man continued to walk away, feeling a little weak in his footsteps.
'What happened to me, I still don't understand. At least Reno came and saved me in time. I
guess I should thank the Crimson Crane at some point.'
Meanwhile, in the city, Liam had been loosening up his shoulders, ready for his chance at
winning an entire Silver coin. He had paid his fee and was swinging his arm like a windmill.
The other students couldn't help but laugh as they saw him.
"Alright, let's do this!" Liam had loosened his hand and was swinging it low slightly; he was
letting it sway like an elephant's trunk. The others had seen this before because it was the
skill he had used at the event.
Dashing forward, he placed the Qi in his fist, swung it around, and straightened it out,
crashing right into the middle. The power was strongly concentrated, and the number was
starting to rise.
"Oh, that kid, he's a lot better than I thought, maybe things will start to get interesting,"
Alba smiled.
The number had finally stopped, and on the pillar, the number 92 had appeared.
"Whoa, look at that, look who's paying for your dinner!" Liam jumped in joy, as if he had
already won.
There was murmuring among the crowd because they too thought he had already won. His
score was even better than the other Pagna warrior gentlemen who had tried before, and
he had already lost, so the result seemed plain as day.
However, there was a concerned look on Rod's and Mantis' faces now.
'Crap, I never expected a kid our age to get such a high score; otherwise, I would have
picked a few others. If Mantis loses this one now, then we will lose another entire Silver
coin, leaving us only one silver coin profit between us.'
In the first place, the students were doing this as a way to make money, so it was clear that
Mantis couldn't lose this.
"You look the same age as me, but I don't recognize you from the academy?" Mantis said as
he walked past and positioned himself in front of the pillar.
"Ah yeah, I just look older; I'm going to the academy next year," Liam lied.
"I see, so I'm your senior then, well, I guess as a senior, I should show you something then,"
Mantis claimed. "Before, the man had just placed Qi in his fist, so I decided to do the same
when competing against him. I want to be fair, you see. I saw you used some type of
technique, so then, I shall do the same."
Mantis started to crouch down slightly, lowering his back, his chest getting closer to the
floor; then he put both of his hands to the side. The Qi activated in him, and in an instant,
his feet shifted across the ground.
Visual Qi was activated, showing a line of black aura in his tracks, twisting his fist, Mantis
slammed it right into the center of the pillar. The force expanded outward, wide with a few
sparks before it started to condense in.
Finally, the number had appeared on the pillar, showing 150.
"Whoa... I guess he really is the star student at the Pagna academy!" The crowd started to
say in amazement.
They also felt like there was a clear explanation he had given in order to make the contest
fair. So the people weren't so put off about still trying, and even more so, some wanted to
just brag if they managed to beat him.
"That kid is really strong," Cronker said. "Those basic measuring pillars only go up to 150,
so there's a chance that his attack is even stronger than before. I guess he is skillful enough
to win and choose when to lose his battles."
Alba was nodding her head up and down and could see Liam falling down on his knees. She
didn't know why, but she was kind of rooting for the eye-patch kid.
"If we invited someone like him into the Crimson Crane, I'm sure he would be valuable to
us in the future," Cronker added.
"You're right, maybe he would be valuable to us, but that's in the future, and right now, we
need to grow. Otherwise, the clans will soon surpass us. Day by day, there are also more
dangerous portals opening up."
"Our group is getting asked to close a few of them just because of how dangerous they are,
and the last thing I would want is to lose one of you guys. He can try joining when he's
ready, but I'm looking for something else," Alba said.
In defeat, Liam had to drag his feet walking back to the others. Usually, Simyon would have
said something, but he couldn't due to how saddened Liam even looked.
"I'm sorry, guys, I really thought that I could win. I guess I just looked like an idiot." Liam
pulled his hair, trying to cover up his one eye, but they both could see a tear falling down it.
When he tried to move further forward, Safa blocked his path and she held out her hand.
Liam looked at it for a second, confused, then she shoved her hand again. Eventually, she
almost reached down into his pants since it seemed like he wasn't getting the message.
"Ah, alright, I understand... you want the money, right?" Liam said as he pulled out his last
ten copper coins and handed them over.
Safa then walked straight past Liam and onto the field.
"Wait... Safa, you aren't... you are!" Simyon shouted as he saw her standing in front of
Mantis.
Chapter 187 A New Challenge
Chapter 187 A New Challenge
With everything that had happened at the auction so far, and with him yet to have even
stepped foot in the room itself, Raze felt that it might be best for him to leave. After Dame
was done with his meeting, he would just have to come with him so there would be no
more problems. Or if Dame was busy, he could at least try again the next day. Today, his
mood had been soured, and he knew he was more likely to be angered if he did go to the
auction. So, turning around, he was ready to head out of the place.
"Hey, wait!" Reno shouted, the man who had interrupted his little scuffle. "Weren't you
going to head inside the auction or buy something?"
Raze ignored the man shouting and continued on.
"If you decide to come to the auction, then be here at midday tomorrow. I'll be here, and my
offer will still stand. You'll be able to get inside with me," Reno shouted. When he saw the
hooded man continue downward, he couldn't help but smile at himself.
"Another tragedy averted. Alba should be giving me medals for this stuff. If only she
wouldn't stop obsessing over the Dark Magus," Reno said to himself. "I guess it would make
sense for an alchemist to arrive at the auction to buy some ingredients, but I'm tired, Alba.
We haven't found him now; what makes you think we'll find him later?"
While continuing to walk, Raze couldn't help but look at his own hand. He was thinking
back to what had happened before.
'In my haste of anger, did I activate the extraction technique?' Raze already knew the
answer; he could feel it inside. The Qi had grown compared to what it was before. It didn't
feel like some temporary energy either. It was a condensed form of when he would use the
cycle of life and death.
'This is the Demonic Faction's technique... the one Dame told me not to use on other
people,' Raze thought. 'The feeling is quite addictive. I remember that he also stated that a
person could go mad and start to hallucinate just from using the cultivating technique. I
wonder if it's the same for this as well?'
Trying to forget about it, Raze thought it was best he head back to the others for now,
wherever they were.
---
The crowd was surprised to see, of all the people there, a small young girl step up. Not only
that, but she had walked over to Mantis, who was now sitting back down in his seat.
'Crap, she's already out there. What am I meant to do? I can't just walk out. I mean, I guess
it won't be so bad. It's not like she's going to get hurt, right? And we're not causing any
trouble,' Simyon reasoned with himself. They were just doing what the whole event was set
up for.
After looking at Mantis, Safa then went and placed the 10 copper coins into the metal pot,
making a small clang noise. She had done this before anyone else could decide to take part,
and then she walked up to Mantis, who was in the chair himself.
"Oh, is she taking the hitting challenge?" one of those in the crowd called out. They were
quite surprised at this because it was the least-picked event so far from the contestants.
Only a couple of Pagna warriors had decided to try, and both of them had lost.
Although it did look like they had come close to hitting Mantis, it had already become clear
to the public that regular people would be unable to best him. Still, there were a lot of
Pagna warriors in the crowd.
"Alright, are you sure, young lady?" Rod asked. "You have a total of two minutes, and if you
are able to touch him, then you win."
Safa nodded her head as she got into position and assumed a fighting stance.
"Why is she doing this?" Liam asked. "Is she really that hungry?"
Simyon kicked Liam on the shin after hearing him say that.
"Do you really think she would be like that? It's because of you, you idiot."
"Me?" Liam pointed at himself.
"I think I can understand because when we saw you return, we understood how you felt.
With us finally becoming second-stage Pagna warriors, we felt like we had achieved
something, and yet here we are... failing again. It almost feels like we're destined to fail... but
then the speech Raze made that day, it still plays in my head.
"We can change that, right? We have to at least try, and I think that's what Safa's doing
now."
There was already one talented young student out of the group, but for a second one to
appear, what were the chances? And Mantis was, of course, confident in his skills. Stepping
up, he was in a relaxed stance, but he was relatively close as well.
"Begin!" Rod shouted.
Safa walked forward slowly, still in her fighting stance. She didn't rush or charge in and
continued to almost shuffle forward on the ground. Right when she was in distance, she did
the two-step shift and threw out a fist. Immediately leaning to the side, Mantis had avoided
the strike.
'Crap, she's fast!' Mantis thought, and he didn't have much time to think after, as he needed
to avoid the next hits that were coming right after. He took a step back and then kicked off
to the side, avoiding them.
But Safa didn't give up; she was chasing him down, following him every step of the way and
thrusting her fist like they were a spear, trying to jab them at Mantis. Still, despite the fast
movements, Mantis was avoiding the hits each time, using his speed and staying on his
toes.
"Wow, this is amazing, it's like we're watching some type of show."
"Yeah, look how fast they both are."
"Still, that girl can't touch him; I guess it's impossible. Maybe these guys were just playing
us this entire time."
Rod stood on the edge, could hear the crowd speaking, and this is what he feared. What
were they meant to do? With Mantis showing his true skills less and less people were
willing to participate.
However, they couldn't lose this early either... This was something that was out of his
calculations.
'A minute has passed, and the sweat is coming down the side of Safa's face, but she hasn't
slowed down. For your age, and not tiring using so many foot movements, you must be a
second-stage warrior. That's really impressive,' Mantis claimed. 'But you'll never be able to
hit me.'
Safa felt like she could see a way, as she thrust her fist forward, but every single time, with
the flow, Mantis would lean back, and then finally...
"Time!" Rod called out.
Safa was huffing and panting, and she felt like collapsing on the floor, but she didn't as she
wiped her sweat away.
"WHOO!" Simyon shouted, clapping, and so did Liam as well.
"You were amazing!" Liam shouted. "If there were ten seconds more, you would have got
him, no, 1 second more!"
Of course, Liam didn't think this, but he wanted to say whatever he could to cheer her up in
the current situation. After all, she tried because of him.
Walking back, Safa was still tired, dragging her feet, but soon, the others in the crowd
started to cheer her on as well, stating that she had done a great job. When the cheers
started to die down, Rod was back to his speech again.
"Alright, that was quite the show. Is there anyone else up for taking on the Black Tiger?"
The people in the crowd started to look at each other, but most of them were unsure now.
What could they do after seeing that? They couldn't beat him at the measuring pillar, not
after that, so that left the reaction game. But even then, now it just felt like him nearly
losing before was all so fake.
'Damn it, that was not how this was supposed to go!' Rod thought to himself.
"What do we do?" Mantis asked as he walked over and whispered.
"It's those two from before, because of them, everything's ruined. It looks like we might
need to wrap it up," Rod replied.
Thinking about how their event had to end so soon, the vein popping at the side of Rod's
head, he thought he should give at least a goodbye present to those that caused the
problem in the first place.
"Don't one of you two want to try again?" Rod asked. "Both of you were very close, and
remember, Mantis has been using his strength, so he should be tiring out. If not one of you
two, how about your friend?"
Both Safa and Liam looked at Simyon, and that's when it clicked in his head.
"Hey, wait a second, I think you could actually win at something?"
"Huh, me?" Simyon said. "There's no way I could get a higher score at the measuring pillar,
and Safa is faster than me. My reaction speed sucks as well."
"Not at any of those!" Liam claimed. "They said we could make our own events, and what
are you better at than anything else? Taking hits."
Without consulting Simyon any further, Liam walked forward.
"You said he's the strongest, right, the star of the Demonic Faction? Well, how about three
hits! Our friend here will take three hits from The Black Tiger, and if he's still standing, we
win."
"What!" Simyon shouted.
'Why the F*ck would you say three and not one!' Simyon screamed in his head.
Although he did think he was good at taking hits and this could work, he didn't want to go
through the pain. However, he could still see Safa covered in sweat, and the imagery of
Liam crying from before.
Did he not want to achieve something as well?
Rod turned back to look at Mantis upon hearing this suggestion, and a large smile was on
his face. What better way to finish off the day and get their frustration out of them.
"Very well, we accept," Rod said.
"There is a problem though," Simyon replied, stepping forward. "We don't have any money
to take part."
There was an awkward silence. Although Rod wanted to punish this group of kids, he did
have his own principles. He couldn't just let them participate for free. That wouldn't have
been fair to all the customers from before. It looked like they would have to end the event
there after all.
"I'll pay for him," a female voice said. As she stepped forward, she flicked a coin up.
Immediately, Rod caught it and looked at it. His eyes bulged out of his head as he could see
it was a silver coin.
"If that kid wins, add that to his reward, and if The Black Tiger wins, well, you can keep it.
But I want to see what that kid can do." Alba said.
Chapter 188 3 Strikes!
Chapter 188 3 Strikes!
For a second, Simyon thought he had found his way out of the current situation. He was of
two minds. Of course, he wanted to win, it would be good to prove himself in front of all
these people, and also to get some payback for what had happened to the others.
It was a chance to prove to himself how much he had grown and whether his hard work
had been worth it.
However, all of that came at a cost, and that cost was getting hit by someone who was likely
very strong.
'Man, I'm not too sure about this. That Black Tiger guy, he's seriously giving me some
Ricktor vibes.' Simyon thought he could even see a large smile on his face like he was about
to enjoy what was about to happen next.
'Why, why are strong people all strange weirdos or freaks? Well, at least this one doesn't
seem like he's going after me.' Simyon walked over, feeling like his fate was decided, and
turned to look over at the mysterious person who had paid for him to take part.
Who was she, what interest did she have in the whole thing, or did she simply think she
was doing him a favor because he wanted to take part?
That question many people knew the answer to already. They immediately recognized who
it was, as there weren't many that would have dark red pigmented skin, at least not one
that would stand out as a beauty like her.
"That's Alba, right from the Crimson Crane?"
"Yeah, I think you're right, I heard that she had been staying in the city for a while, quite a
few people have seen her here and there."
"It's not just her, I've seen other members from the Crimson Crane as well. I wonder if they
have some deal going on with the Demonic Faction."
"Maybe, but you have to remember they are wanderers, so they can go wherever they want.
I doubt that they will cause any trouble while they are here."
The whispers and mumblings were caught by Safa and Simyon. They too had heard of the
Crimson Crane. They were the biggest wandering Clan. There was a debate on whether
they were the strongest Clan in existence because the other clans were so much larger in
number compared to them, that and the wanderers would hardly get into scuffles with any
of the clans from other factions to maintain their neutral position.
"Man, I can't believe our luck, now we'll have two silver coins, we can go for a big feast after
this!" Liam said.
Safa couldn't help but smile at the comment. Because the way Liam was speaking, it made it
sound as if Simyon had already won. He had great confidence in him, and she felt somewhat
guilty for not believing as much in Simyon as Liam did.
But it was all because she had gone against him for two solid minutes. This Black Tiger's
strength was one that was either equal to Ricktor's or even greater.
In order to make it more of a show, Simyon stood where the chair once was that had been
moved out of the way. He then faced the crowd, spread his feet out wide, bent his knees
slightly, and placed both of his fists by his waist.
"Alright, bring it!" Simyon said.
While Mantis was getting ready, Rod walked over and whispered in his ear.
"Remember, these guys ruined everything for us. We won't have enough now. We'll have to
stop after this, so do whatever you want."
Mantis nodded, and then he got into the same stance as he did before hitting the pillar. He
crouched down, his hand wasn't like that of a fist but opened up like a claw, almost
touching the floor.
"Here I go!" Mantis shouted.
He kicked off with his Qi, but unlike before there was no visible Qi in his steps behind him.
It was the same when throwing out his fist; there was no visible Qi, but he still increased
the power of his Qi and slammed it right into the center of Simyon's stomach.
A loud shockwave went off, blowing the hair of those that were standing near. Simyon's
feet had shifted around a meter on the ground.
'This guy, he's the same age or younger than me. I can't use my full strength, otherwise he
could die.'
There was an ache in his hand that Mantis noticed. It hurt, it didn't feel like he had hit flesh,
but almost like punching a large solid rock. Now that he looked at the person in front of
him, he also noticed that he should have fallen over or gone flying in the air, but instead, he
was still standing in place.
"ARGHHHH!" Simyon roared out loud in the air, letting out all of the pain he could feel. His
stomach muscles were throbbing, and with each throb, pain would be sent through his
whole body.
'What a hit!' Simyon thought. 'If I hadn't reached the uncommon metal body, I would have
been taken out by that. Damn, this hurts more than anything Dame has ever done to me
before.'
The crowd was impressed, and they started to cheer on Simyon, seeing this. What they
thought was going to be a simple one and done, now looked like it was going to take a bit
more than that.
"I thought as much," Alba said, her smile larger than before. "All three of those kids that
were together. They are very interesting, a lot more interesting than those from the Pagna
Academy.
"They feel fresh, yet somehow, they have this special air about them." She was glad that her
bet paid off, but the real question was, what was going to happen now.
Simyon resumed his stance, walking back to where he was before, and placed his hands by
his side again.
"Three hits right, so I guess I got two more?" Mantis said, his hand shaking.
'Maybe I went too easy on him. I'm the Black Tiger, I'm the hope of the Demonic Faction
and the Academy. I can't let this nobody stand in my way.' He thought.
Getting in the tiger stance once more.
'I still don't want to kill him, but let's see you stand after this.'
Mantis didn't say anything else, and this time when he rushed forward the same way as
before, the visual Qi could be seen coming off his foot. A blaze of black energy across the
ground.
When throwing out his hand though, there was none, and he twisted his fist like before
hitting Simyon in the stomach. His body skidded across the ground, and he had gone back
around three meters, twice the amount he did last time.
His face looked like it was boiling red as he held in his breath, his legs were shaking and
finally, he opened his mouth.
"PFT!" Out from it, specks of blood went out and onto the floor. The throbbing pain was
even more intense than before, and through his clothes, where the fingers had hit him,
blood could be seen soaking through.
"So you made it through my second hit, huh?" Mantis said as he got back in position, getting
ready to strike again. He couldn't believe it, even adults wouldn't be standing up. What was
going on?
Wasting no time, he was ready to go again, and when Simyon moved back to his spot, his
legs were like shaking water. Rather than cheering on from the crowd, instead seeing this
there was concern for him.
"Hey… hey, he's not going to go for a third hit, is he?" Liam said. "He can barely stand?"
Safa also didn't have a face that showed she was happy with what Simyon was deciding to
do.
As Simyon walked across the ground, he started to remember certain memories.
'I wanted to be a Pagna warrior, right? I was the one that decided this. Back then, when I
got this strong body, I thanked Raze and decided to be loyal to him, but what have I done to
help him?'
'All I'm able to do so far is become a meat shield. Yet, here I am, getting taken out by
another Pagna student. This isn't an adult, or some dimensional boss. It's a student just like
me, so I'll take this hit.' Simyon wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
As he was getting into position, he started to think of something. Earlier he remembered
that they were talking about something, they had mentioned a certain name, and it made
him think.
Why would students be talking about being stronger than someone from the Dark Faction?
There was a particular idea that floated in his head.
"Hey, this White Dragon you talked about being stronger than?" Simyon answered. "It isn't
someone who happens to be from the Dark Pagna academy, right?"
Hearing this, Liam started to shake, as he had figured it out too.
'No, it can't be.'
"Ha, so you have heard the rumors too!" Rod shouted. "We all know that the Dark Faction is
weaker than the Demonic Faction. They are far too tame in their methods. The rumors of
the White Dragon are exaggerated, and the Black Tiger will show it at the next martial arts
gathering!"
Safa, and both Liam knew exactly who they were talking about now. With the white hair
and what he had done, it made sense for rumors to have spread around.
"You said you were stronger than the White Dragon?" Smiling, Simyon revealed his bloody
teeth. "I'm sure whoever he is, he could kick your arse! Bring it on!"
Chapter 189 Still Standing
Chapter 189 Still Standing
When Simyon eventually made it back to the same spot as last time, his wobbling legs
started to steady. He straightened them out and placed both of his hands by his side,
determined to give it another go.
The audience members were worried because of his condition and the blood that came out
of his mouth. An internal wound was no laughing matter. Sure, Pagna warriors had
stronger bodies. However, at the lower stage, they were still closer to being human than
some type of martial arts god.
If he was badly injured and didn't receive treatment, then there was a good chance it could
mean death for the warrior.
"Wait, maybe he's going to use that!" Liam said. "The same thing that he used against one of
the main disciples back then."
What Liam was referring to was the bounce-back effect that his earring had. Allowing him
to reflect the damage that he would receive back to the attacker. It was perfect in this
situation. Although he had no idea if hurting the opponent that they might disregard the
contest, but it was better than him losing his life.
Hearing this, Safa was looking into Simyon's eyes, and she was shaking her head. She had
noticed something, every time Simyon did use the skill, he would touch his earring, but his
hand was nowhere near the earring, and she had a bad feeling about the whole situation.
She was right as well.
Simyon couldn't use the effect of the earring because it needed to store Dark Magic. Raze
hadn't stored Dark Magic in the earring so there was no such effect at the moment.
Not only that but Safa was paying attention to Mantis as well.
"I would lose? You think someone like me would lose to the White Dragon from the Dark
Faction?"
Mantis' hand was shaking, and that's when he switched, rather than his left hand, he lifted
his right hand into the air. The Qi was starting to rise in his body and the marking on his
chest, it started to turn a shade darker, almost turning completely black on his skin.
"Hey, that kid isn't messing around anymore, and the other one is nearly dead." Cronker
said, "is everyone really going to watch and let this happen?"
"Did you forget where we are, we're in the Demonic Faction. Firstly, there's the general rule
of the regular public not getting involved in the Pagna warrior's business and this is Pagna
warrior business." Alba explained.
"In the Demonic Faction, deaths happen all the time due to scuffles and it's down to the
clans to solve what happens between them. They should all know the consequences of
what they're doing, it's just the Pagna way."
"You might be right," Cronker said. "But it was because of your money that you started this
bet!"
Raising her hands, Alba started to push her eyebrows together, massaging them in circles.
"You're right, which is why I'm having a hard time deciding what to do."
Both Liam and Safa were wondering what to do themselves, because they never thought
that Simyon would be that stubborn. He didn't seem to even want to do such a thing in the
first place, so why was he still up there?
Simyon's mind felt like he was in a different place, as memories were resurfacing for him
again. The time he was with his sister, running away from the beasts from the portal break.
At the time, she had pushed him away, and the beast had got her instead.
He remembered seeing her struggling, her dying face, and her telling him to run, but what if
back then he was able to stand, to take the beast's hit head-on.
'I won't run away.' Simyon thought to himself, shifting his feet, but his eyelids droopy, and
more blood coming from his mouth.
That was it, seeing how Simyon's condition was, Safa couldn't take it anymore as she
pushed through the crowd onto the stage.
"Safa, what are you doing?" Liam called out, chasing after her.
Rod was the first to notice the commotion as he could hear the footsteps from behind.
"Hey, what are you doing, this was your deal that you made, you were the one that said
three hits, and your friend hasn't given up yet!" Rod shouted.
Safa didn't care though, as she continued to charge forward.
"Stop her!" Rod called out.
The students went to grab her, but at the right time, she had slipped past them. Liam was
close behind her, wanting to help, but now the students that she had gone past had placed
their attention on him instead.
One went to throw out a punch that he managed to avoid, but the other hit him right across
the face. He didn't fall but before he knew it they had grabbed his legs and pinned him to
the ground.
"Just stay out of it!" The students said.
Lifting his head, Liam was taking a look at what was still going on. He could see that Mantis
had finished getting ready, and had gotten into his tiger stance once again. Not only that,
but Safa was continuing forward.
"You are not getting in the way!" Rod said.
Safa did the two-step shift again at the right time, but tracking her Rod had followed and
grabbed her by her clothing, he lifted her up in the air and slammed her onto the ground on
her back.
"You guys may be skillful, but you're forgetting all of us are top students from the Demonic
Pagna academy. Mantis isn't the only one who's skilled, and you're not stopping this!"
Safa tried to scream because she could see it, Mantis had jumped off from his position, the
visual Qi leaving his feet, and now it was covering his right hand as well. As he threw it
forward, claw marks, a trail of black were left from his hand, and it crashed right into
Simyon's stomach.
Mantis' fingertips had gone through his skin, into his muscle, they were being soaked with
blood and the impact of the Qi hit Simyon like a shockwave. Moments later, a large chunk of
blood poured out from his mouth.
Slowly, Mantis pulled his hand out, and could see Simyon looking up at him.
"I… I did it…" Simyon said. "I didn't… run… away."
Right after saying those words, his legs had given in, and Simyon fell straight to the floor.
"You Bastards!" Liam shouted as he wiggled his body, trying to get free from the floor. "You
killed him, you freaking killed him over some stupid game, and for what, one or two silvers!
Is that all a life is worth to you!"
Safa had gotten up off the floor, and Rod no longer stopped her as she rushed to Simyon's
side.
Mantis, on the other hand, stood up standing above him.
"Did what?" Mantis stated. "All you did was prove that I am stronger than you. You
shouldn't have said that I was weaker than the White Dragon."
The sound of low soft sobs were heard from Safa. It sounded like a choking pain because
Safa was unable to make full noise. Yet she was unable to contain her feelings, as she shook
Simyon's body violently.
Everyone looking at the scene was stunned into silence, and they felt like they were unable
to move. Although it might have been a scene that happened in the Demonic Faction every
now and again, never had they seen so much emotion involved.
In the middle of the silence, footsteps could soon be heard among the crying.
Mantis, who was ready to pack it up and call it a day, looked up and could see someone
emerge from the crowd. Pushing past the others and standing there.
"What… happened here?" The hooded man asked, with a small part of his white hair
showing underneath.
****
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Chapter 190 The Cromwell Family
Chapter 190 The Cromwell Family
Heading back from the auction, Raze was attempting to calm down. He knew he was in a
sour mood and it was best not to act on his emotion. It was something that he had
problems dealing with his whole life.
Certain situations, scenarios that he would go through would remind him of his childhood,
remind him of his past life. At times he didn't mind this, because it was what drove him to
continue forward, but when it was unwanted the emotions would get too strong for him to
deal with, and this was the best situation.
Heading back, Raze was going to stay in the inn and call it a night, but he had been walking
around aimlessly not really knowing where he was heading for a while, he had just been
staring forward, and that's when he could see that quite a large crowd had gathered just up
ahead in the crossing of streets.
Walking ahead, Raze could then hear a mighty loud yell. A scream that sounded familiar
and shook his core slightly. He continued to walk forward not knowing what he would see.
'Would they be out here, but why would there be a crowd around them?' Raze thought, his
pace quickening as he hurried.
Once again, just like other times, images were flashing through his head, and instead of a
past scene playing, it was one that he had imagined up. The image of those that he had
recently gathered around him dead.
Safa lying on the floor covered in blood, Liam, Dame, Simyon all of them having been
scorched by some type of magical power, and Raze's own hands covered in blood.
'This is not real.' Raze thought to himself as he continued walking forward. 'Stop imagining
things with your stupid mind.'
It was a certain realization that was starting to dwell on him. It was the fact that he didn't
want the same thing to happen again. Those that were close to him, Raze didn't want them
to go like that.
Finally, he had reached the back of the crowd, and he slowly pushed his way through, until
he had reached the front. He walked forward slowly, his footsteps light, as he stared at the
entire scene in front of him.
"What…happened here?" Raze asked.
His eyes were glued to Safa, who was crying, and Simyon, who had blood coming out from
his mouth and onto the floor.
Slowly Raze was taking one step forward at a time. Getting closer and closer to the others.
"Does…he know them?" Alba said, seeing the way the person was moving, it was clear that
he was in a state of shock.
His eyes were glued to Simyon on the floor and the blood, the scene in front of him flashing
back and forth to the image he had not too long ago.
"Hey!" One of the students that were standing close to Liam, took his foot off his chest,
while the other still had him pinned down. There was another that was eyeing up Raze
from the side as he walked closer as well. "No one is to get involved, we won this match fair
and square, and everyone is a witness he could have stopped at any time."
Raze's head was still locked onto Simyon, he was kneeled over, his skin pale, it looked
almost like he couldn't breathe, and Safa, couldn't stop her tears. She hadn't even noticed
that something else was going on, that was until Raze spoke a few words.
"Do you know who you guys harmed?" Raze asked.
"Who?" The student asked. "We are all students from large Clans in the Demonic Faction,
and you think you're someone special. Someone who doesn't even dare show his face! If
you were someone important you would take down that stupid hood."
Raze took another step forward, and then for his next step, he raised his foot up higher than
he had done before.
"These people, are from the Cromwell family, they are from my family!" Raze slammed his
foot on the ground, and out from it, a strong Qi exploded out. The first descending step was
used, and it immediately made those that were close by uneasy.
'Such powerful Qi, I could even feel it from here,' Alba thought to herself. 'But it doesn't
seem like a large amount. How can he emit such strength from just a step?'
Right after the first step, immediately Raze performed the second descending step. The
added Qi propelled him forward and before the student could react, Raze had already
grabbed his face.
With his Qi, Raze then threw his face down into the ground, but he didn't just use his Qi.
"Push of the wind," Raze whispered through his clenched teeth.
The student's body and entire head struck the ground, breaking the floor beneath it, and his
head bounced after hitting the floor.
Immediately, the others came right at him, forgetting about Liam. As they went to strike,
Raze had performed the third step, jumping backward. Their attacks had completely
missed, hitting nothing but
the air.
The fourth descending step activated, where Raze kicked off from both of his feet. When
reaching his opponent, he swung his arm to the side.
'Silent strike.'
His fingers were closed together and using his wind powers, he caused a large cut right
against the other student's chest, blood splattered out, going over Raze's clothes but he
didn't slow down.
Doing onto the fifth step, he jumped to the side, and immediately grabbed onto the other
student's arm. Due to all of the steps being performed one after the other, the Qi continued
to build up. Raze had also just drained the energy from the man before.
His power, was much more like that of a third-stage Pagna warrior right now, rather than
that of a second-stage warrior.
He lifted his hand up, and with no hesitation swung it down, hitting right on the elbow. A
loud crack was heard as the arm was broken in half. Raze pulled the broken hand and then
punched the man in the face, letting go, and allowing his body to be lifted in the air and
thrown to the floor.
It was only then, that for that moment, had Raze stopped his continuous attack, because
there was no longer anyone close to him. Rod was sweating buckets as he took a step back.
'Who is this guy…he just took out three of the top students at the academy like they were
nothing! Are these three really from a respectable clan..but I've never even heard of the
Cromwell family before,' Rod thought.
He knew in his mind after seeing what had happened, that he had no chance of winning,
even though he was slightly stronger than the others.
Liam, had gotten up off the floor, and was looking at the trail of wounded that Raze had left
behind him.
'This guy…how can he keep getting stronger?' Liam thought. 'All I know, is right now, I'm
glad he's on our side.'
The crowd was stunned in silence as they saw what happened. It was a cruel display of
power that usually they would only see if a Pagna warrior offended a clan head. It was
unexpected after seeing the strength of the others being used as well.
Not only that, but those in the crowd, some of them were five-stage, and four-stage Pagna
warriors, and they had noticed what the hooded person had used.
"That was the ten descending steps, and he was able to produce five of them in a row, is
this a higher stage warrior?"
"If that's the case, then isn't his punishment too cruel?"
Cronker and Alba were thinking along the same lines.
"If he's a stage five warrior, then aren't those kids doomed?" Cronker asked. "I thought
higher warriors would see this as a kid's scuffle. A simple beating would do, but not like
this. Wouldn't a clan be looked down upon just for bullying."
"I don't think he is a stage five warrior," Alba replied. "From the first step, although it was
ferocious, the amount of Qi, it was close to a stage three warrior at best."
"But then, how could he perform the five steps? Aren't years and years needed to perfect
the Qi control?" Cornker asked.
Alba had a large smile on her face because that was exactly what was needed. The person in
front of them could very well be a genius, a one-of-a-kind, but the real question was, which
one was the bigger genius.
The mysterious hooded guest, or the Black Tiger.
"You've hurt my friends," Mantis said as he walked over, allowing Rod to move out of the
way. He tensed his fist, gathering the energy in his hand again. "I…can't just let you go.
Otherwise, what type of person would that make me?"
Safa was now aware of what was happening and Raze looked at her for a moment, he could
see her eyes were swollen.
"You, hurt my family," Raze said as he stretched out his hand. In it, he had a blue Qi pill, as
well as a green-colored one as well. He then lifted his head as he placed the two Qi pills into
his mouth. The effects of both of the pills had entered and energized his body.
He was surging with power he didn't have before, his Qi and Mana had been restored on
top of it. The green-colored pill, it was a buff pill that was made with the wind attribute
magic, giving him an increased amount of speed.
"I won't let that happen again…and I'll get rid of anyone, who touches them so, it can never
happen."
Chapter 191 A Change Of Feelings
Chapter 191 A Change Of Feelings
Everyone felt like a large spectacle was about to take place, one that they would only
witness at a type of martial arts tournament. Although the figure in the hood had
overwhelmed all those who went against him so far, they couldn't count out the Black Tiger
just yet.
They vividly remembered the score he had got on the pillar, as well as his strong strikes he
had used against the other kid. In reality, the general public didn't know just how strong of
a will and body Simyon had, which was why they might have downplayed his achievements
a little, but the Black Tiger was plenty strong and that was why despite him seeing
someone perform the ten descending steps he still wasn't fazed.
Mantis got in a crouching stance as he powered his Qi in his body. For Raze, he was at a
slight disadvantage. The techniques he knew were sword techniques, but he hadn't brought
his wooden training sword.
He was hoping he would have brought a real one today, so instead, he would just have to
use his hand and secretly add the wind attribute to it when he could. Lifting up his feet,
Raze was ready again.
"I have no idea who you are, but you're an idiot to go up against me!" Mantis' hand was
starting to spark, as his visual Qi had activated even in his hand, and it was starting to form
an image over his back.
Right in front of the two's eyes, in the center of the two of them, something had come from
above, or rather the correct term would be someone had come from above. They landed in
the center with the back of their clothing floating.
Seeing this, some wondered what kind of fool would get in the middle of these two, but
instantly when they saw who it was, both Raze and Mantis had placed their Qi away, and
the hostile air they had around them was starting to disappear.
"Hey, do things really have to go this far?" Dame said. "You kids were doing a friendly
event, but from the looks of things, you took it a little too far. I don't think someone from
the Splitting Fang Clan would go so far against someone who's the same age as them."
Mantis scowled when he heard Dame's words. The same age, was he referring to the kid
who he had hit before that was behind him, or the hooded person in front of him. Now that
he took a look, his frame was a little smaller compared to a full-grown adult.
However, it was hard to tell without fully seeing his face.
'If that person is the same age as me? There's someone as skilled as him, that doesn't go to
the academy?'
It didn't quite make sense to Mantis, but he needed to take Dame's words seriously. Of
course, Mantis knew who Dame was, everyone did who was there. Not only was Dame a
senior, but he was a senior of one of the biggest clans in the Demonic Faction and was
practically a hero to them all at the moment.
From the few words he spoke, it was clear that he didn't want the fight to continue on.
Glancing behind his shoulder, Dame looked at Raze.
'It looked like I just made it in time. Although it would have been interesting to see which is
the stronger out of these two. If either of them got hurt, I don't know what position I could
take, and not now, not with everything going on.
"I think you should go help your friend," Dame said, directed toward Raze. "And, as for the
rest of you, go home. Let's not open the gates of death today."
Not saying anything else, Mantis went to pack up the things with his friends and was ready
to walk away, but he had a few last words.
"For what I did to your friends, and what you did to mine, we shall call this even," Mantis
declared. "But if anything is to happen that will cause us two to fight again, I promise you
won't act the same way you did today, and who knows, by then not even Dame will be able
to help you."
It was a bold claim to make, stating that the Black Tiger would become someone even
stronger and bigger than Dame, but with the path he was going so far, that might very well
be the case.
When Raze reached Simyon on the ground, the first thing he did was hand over a Red Pill to
Safa. Instinctively she knew what to do with it and fed Simyon it straight away. With the
situation coming to an end, the crowd around started to disperse and, with no doubt, the
name of the Black Tiger and what had happened today would start to spread.
It did well to improve his condition as the color was coming back to him, but it seemed like
the wounds were quite serious and would need a lot more than a pill.
"I will take him to a physician," Dame said as he picked him up and didn't say much else,
walking away.
Dame was doing all of this because he didn't want to make it obvious that he had a
relationship with the hooded person and that he was just acting out due to him being a
good Samaritan.
Raze understood his intentions, it made sense to him, what he didn't know was Dame was
being even more careful compared to before, because there was a certain person in the
crowd.
"Come on," Raze said. "Let's head back to the Inn and rest up, it's been a tiring day."
Raze, Liam, and Safa were headed back to the Inn while Dame was heading in a completely
different direction to get Simyon seen. While this was happening, Alba looked at the two
groups of people and her head was shifting between the two.
"What's wrong?" Cronker asked.
"Those kids, they're really interesting. I want to know what Clan they belong to," Alba
answered. "But at the same time, Dame is here. I heard he was back, but I thought that
might have been a rumor. Who knows when we'll see him again. I need to ask him about
the Dark Magus and buying more product."
She felt like she needed to make a decision, and in the end, it was clear what the obvious
one was to make, as she went ahead to follow where Dame was going, in the hopes of
catching him.
——
When the group had finally returned to the Inn, everyone sat down in separate areas. Liam
jumped on his bed, while Safa sat on her chair, still rubbing her eyes and clearly concerned
about everything.
While Raze was still standing.
"So, what happened?" Raze asked. "Why were you guys fighting?"
"Ah, well…" Liam said, a little nervous, but in the end, he decided to tell the truth.
Liam had explained the whole ordeal, not cutting anything out. He even admitted it was his
idea to take part first, hoping to buy food for them all. In the end, they all took up
challenges and Simyon was a bit stubborn with everything happening.
They had tried to stop him, and the result was what it was in the end.
"I can understand where you were all coming from," Raze said.
The feeling that they had felt, he had felt it in the past many times before as well. The
reaction of them wanting to protect one of their own, it was the same as he felt.
More than anything from this, Raze realized something great, and that was the feelings he
had over the group. Originally, he had kept a distance from Simyon and Safa, trusting no
one. As time went on and he spent more and more time with them, even giving both of
them the name of Cromwell, he hadn't just given them his family name but treated the two
like it as well.
He could tell himself by his reactions to everything. Of course, this wasn't the same for
Liam, but he also wasn't hurt in all of the mess.
Because of his previous thoughts and how he had felt, he hadn't put the most effort he
could have done into protecting them. So focused on what he had lost in the past, he didn't
realize he now had things he wanted to protect in this life as well.
Moving toward Safa, Raze stopped just short in front of her, with a question on his mind.
"Do you want to learn magic?"
Chapter 192 Power Of Magic
Chapter 192 Power Of Magic
Magic—it was something that Raze originally thought he was the only one who knew about
in the World of Pagna, and so he believed it was his trump card. He would use his
knowledge to get ahead of others and create items that would help him along the way.
He soon found out, due to the organization Alter, that this wasn't the case, but he still had
an advantage. He wasn't just any mage; he was the Dark Magus, a nine-star mage.
Something that could only be counted on one hand; so few had achieved such a feat.
Still, it was something he needed to build from the ground up in his new body, and due to
his infamy, it was something he still needed to keep secret from the rest of the mages in
Pagna.
At least, keeping everyone thinking that the Pagna warrior Raze Cromwell and the Dark
Magus were two separate people.
The thought of teaching others his knowledge didn't cross his mind for a few reasons. One,
although he was a wind mage in his previous life, he had focused on learning Dark Magic,
and his methods for growing stronger were at times too much for others to handle or not
something that everyone could do.
At the same time, there was a sense of trust. Safa had been with this body from the
beginning. What would she do if she ever found out that he was not her real brother? What
if she really was the one behind the deaths of the others?
But slowly over time, Raze had noticed the small gestures she had made. The small things
she had already done to help him, despite the way he had treated her. There was no doubt
in his mind that if there was any type of magic that suited her, it was Light Magic.
She was in some ways the polar opposite of him, and maybe that also was one of the
reasons he pushed her away.
When he had thought about teaching her, that was when he realized that he somewhat
cared for her. Maybe it was his body, maybe it was him, or she had won him over with her
manners, but he knew that he did care for her now.
It showed at the event when he pushed her out of the ring, and his heart pained every time
he saw her in trouble. Which was why he didn't want to teach her magic.
It was another secret for her to keep. If she let it spread, it would also affect him, and Alter
would be after her. Making her learn magic was putting a target on her back as well.
As time went on, though, he realized that the world of Pagna was more dangerous than he
originally thought. Raze wouldn't always be there, especially since he needed to focus on
himself.
There was a solution to it all, though, something that would not only help them but benefit
him as well, which is why he had asked Safa the question, the first person he had decided to
trust fully since coming to the world of Pagna.
"I'm asking you as well as I don't wish to force you, do you want to learn magic?" Raze
asked.
Safa stared at Raze as she sat in the seat; she looked up at his face, and her eyes started to
twinkle. Before he knew it, tears were rolling down her cheek, leaving watermarks on her
trousers.
Eventually, though, she did nod her head, and that's when Raze realized it was tears of joy
from him asking. He soon saw a smile peek through the tears, and the same strange feeling
he had in his heart was felt again whenever he saw that she was upset, but she wasn't upset
this time.
'Now I know why my heart aches; you remind me so much of her,' Raze smiled and looked
at the ground for a few moments as well. 'You were also a mage that specialized in the Light
attribute as well.'
Breaking away from the ground, Raze looked at Safa again. "Learning magic will not be
easy, so I need you to work hard."
Raze was thinking of all the ways he could teach Safa. He was pretty sure that she had
already done numerous things that would draw her towards Light magic, but making a
magic core for someone who knew nothing about magic would certainly be difficult.
A beast crystal that had the Light attribute, or a plant that drew in light energy itself would
be a big bonus. The best way might be if Raze unlocked the Light attribute himself.
Although he wouldn't be able to grow it much, it would allow him to help Safa control the
magic in her.
"Hey Raze, can I learn magic as well?" Liam asked.
He had been following Raze for a while now, and had seen him do crazy things, including
opening portals on his own. It was clear he was a very special person, and he had figured
out fairly quickly what this magic was.
"No," Raze answered immediately. "Magic is not something to be taken lightly. And with it,
you would be required to keep more secrets than you know. Do you really think you can
keep it a secret?"
"Of course!" Liam answered.
"To the point that even if you were threatened, your whole family annihilated if you ever
said a word to anyone?" Raze asked again.
These threats couldn't be used on Safa because the two of them were the only family she
had.
"Ermm…like my whole family?" Liam repeated the question, his voice a little shaky,
knowing full well that it would be a hard thing for him to do.
"Although I might not be able to teach you magic, I am happy that you are keeping this
whole thing a secret," Raze said. "I will be happy to make you an item that will aid you in
your journey as a Pagna warrior."
From asking a simple question, Liam had gotten a lot more than he imagined. He didn't
want to say anything in case Raze had changed his mind, and as he went to lie on his bed,
he started to think.
'Raze is really bipolar, huh?' Liam started to think of the Raze he met when he was beaten,
the Raze at the event, and the Raze just moments ago who crushed students' arms and
slashed them across their chests without a second thought.
The one right now was a nice, calm, collected, cool-headed individual, and at other times, it
felt like he was looking at a monster.
What did a person have to go through to have such a flip-flop of emotions? It did make him
wonder.
Knocking at the door, Dame had done two knocks and then three knocks in a row. It was a
special signal they had come up with, so they knew it was him as the door opened. When it
did open, he was not alone, and a bandaged man had come through the door with him,
being carried on his shoulder.
It was Simyon, his eyes were open, and he was awake, which was a good sign, and he
quickly was brought over to the bed.
"Don't worry, Simyon explained everything that happened; it seems like things were
inevitable, and it was partly my fault," Dame stated. "I should have given you some coin to
use in this world. It had just completely slipped my mind."
Safa and Liam had quickly gone to look at Simyon, to see if he was okay and were having a
few words with him, while Dame decided to walk over to Raze.
"What about you, did the auction house go okay?" Dame asked.
Raze didn't exactly say anything and just looked at his hand. He had almost forgotten about
that incident due to what had happened right after. It might not have been the best thing to
inform Dame of what had occurred.
"There were a few problems, and I wasn't able to enter today, but I should be fine
tomorrow," Raze thought about the man he had met who had offered him a ticket inside.
"Well, just in case, I bought you some coin for you to buy the supplies you need," Dame
handed over a small coin bag that looked like a fat pink pig. Raze opened it up and could see
a gold coin as well as a few silvers.
"That should be enough to cover you for supplies. If you can, I need some of those pills of
yours fairly quickly. I have an order in already."
Raze nodded; even if he couldn't get into the auction house, at least he could buy the
materials needed from the merchants on the side.
"I would come with you to make sure you have entrance into the auction house, but
something has come up. This time when I say don't get into any trouble, I mean it," Dame
said, raising his voice so the others could hear. "I won't be in the city this time; I need to
head back to my clan."
There was a part inside Raze that wanted to ask Dame what was up. After all, he had helped
him out greatly, and they were partners. However, if Dame needed help badly, then he
could ask.
And Raze had his own share of problems as well. With that, Dame had hurriedly left the
place and left the three to their own devices again.
Now, Raze knew what he needed to do. He would be returning to the auction house to buy
his materials and look for some items for the whole group, including himself. He then
walked up to Safa, who was by Simyon.
"Let's fix your voice as well," Raze stated.
Chapter 193 Who Are You looking for?
Chapter 193 Who Are You looking for?
Knowing that Simyon would make a full recovery, along with the fact that they wouldn't get
in trouble due to the events that had taken place, all of them were able to get some well-
deserved rest.
Simyon, who was unable to turn on his sides due to his pain, was sleeping on his back and
snoring quite a bit, while the others were fast asleep, all apart from Raze. He was resting,
but ever since the night of the attack, he hadn't had the best sleep.
Closing his eyes and cultivating at night would be enough to re-energize him, though, and
resting his brain slightly would help him. However, he would cultivate with the Dark
Essence technique, not the cycle of life and death technique.
While in the Demonic Faction, that was a big no for him. He didn't want the same to
happen, especially not while the others were in the room. He would only attempt such a
thing if Dame or someone on his level, whom he could trust, was with him.
'It's a shame that Dame won't be staying with us, or I would have liked to have found out
what that was from before. It didn't seem to activate when in the Dark Faction, but I'm not
too sure about playing with fire either.'
Trying to forget about it, eventually, Raze did go into a full slumber; he just didn't know
when. When he woke up, the rays of light were touching his face, creating a nice sensation
of heat.
Opening his eyes, it came as no surprise that the other three were still fast asleep. 'They
must have been exhausted after yesterday,' Raze thought.
Nonetheless, he decided to get up and used his magic to activate his robe, placing the hood
over his head. He wasn't the only one who wore a robe in Repton, so he didn't feel as if the
events of yesterday would affect him too much.
But he did still need to travel to the auction house alone, just so no one could link things
together if they did. When heading to the door, he looked back at the three.
'They won't get in trouble again. No one in this city should go against Dame's orders, so
those students won't do anything. They have money now, and after yesterday, I doubt they
would do something so dangerous,' Raze thought. 'Besides, I am a person of my word, and I
need to get to making product and find a way of helping Safa.'
A short journey later, and Raze found himself down the long street that led to the auction
house. Even early in the morning, the markets were set up with merchants shouting
advertising the fresh or new products that they had gotten in.
It made him wonder if they ever went to sleep or how early they got here to set up. Raze
started by going to each store and asked for the basics—the materials he needed to make
the pills.
He already had the crystals he needed; he was just going for the base materials. He would
ask certain questions such as how much quantity he needed to buy before they gave him a
discount, whether they would give him a bigger discount for being a repeat customer, and if
they would give him more discount if he bought more product from one person.
He had quite the business head on him. Even though he knew he could already make a
profit, he also wanted to create future relationships that he could expand on. He also
needed to pick someone that could expand with him.
The one thing he didn't want was not being able to sell his product if he had supply issues.
It wouldn't be a problem now with only 30 or so level 2 power stones and a few level 1
power stones, but it could be in the future.
Eventually, Raze found the perfect person. It was a young chap running the stall, which
surprised Raze. His hair was blonde, and he had blue eyes and a red fancy hat with a golden
feather inside.
"Thank you for buying so much from us!" The man said with joy. "We do need a deposit
before we send items to you, since you have ordered so much we will need to prepare. Are
you sure it's okay to send this all to an Inn though?"
There was no base of operations for the group, so for now, Raze would just need to send
the crates of items there.
"I'm fine with paying a deposit, but would you mind then if I took some of the product with
me now?" Raze asked, as he had been running low due to all the other pills he had made
when they had entered the dimensional portal.
"That's fine with us; please give us a few moments while we prepare," the man stated.
Waiting, Raze soon sensed a presence next to him, and at a glance, he recognized who it
was.
"Oh, that's interesting," Reno commented. "I see, so are you an alchemist then? Are you
going to use those ingredients to create Qi pills?"
Reno was the man that Raze had met at the auction before. It was soon to be at the time he
had asked the two to meet, so he should have expected him to be here. In fact, Raze was
planning to make do with his offer and get inside the auction house.
"I guess you could say that. Are you one as well?" Raze asked as he looked at his black
fingertips.
"I don't quite dabble in Qi pills as such, but I also create things. I'm a certain type of
alchemist," Reno answered. "I hope you know what you're doing and not hopping onto the
fad like everyone else."
"Fad?" Raze replied.
"Yes, you see, a certain name has been going around certain alchemists, the name Dark
Magus, who marks his items with his trademark DM."
"Ah, yes, I've heard of them," the merchant commented from behind the counter. "In fact,
we have had a few fakes try to pass us already, but luckily we had gotten our hands on a
real one so we know what to look out for."
"Yes, his red Qi pills interest me in particular since they have the strength to allow Qi into
the body and activate the healing cells. It's quite amazing, and I'm trying to find the secret
ingredient," Reno continued.
Raze actually felt a little bad hearing this because the secret ingredient was his magic
spells, which Reno would never be able to figure out.
"I think I am getting there; I have combined a few pills with a couple of healing plants, but
their effects seem to not be strong enough."
"There are plants that have healing attributes?" Raze asked.
"You don't know; I guess you are a beginner," Reno replied, shaking his head a little
disappointed. "And here I thought the two of us could share our knowledge to help each
other out. Otherwise, we will all be shoved out of the market by this DM person."
The reason why Raze was interested was that the healing plants, depending on how much
energy or power they contained, might just be the thing he needed to activate his or Safa's
magic, allowing him to heal her voice and for her to do more in the future.
Looking behind him, Raze waited until the merchant turned around, as he was making the
final preparations, putting the ingredients into the sack, and he moved in closer to Reno.
"These plants, do you think you can tell me where to find them?" Raze asked in a low voice.
Reno couldn't help but smile. "You really know nothing about us alchemists, despite buying
so many ingredients, I guess I was wrong about you after all. I guess you are just a strong
martial artist."
It was normal for Reno to think this after he had seen the skills the person had used
yesterday. Reno also had a careful eye and watched the hooded man's demeanor from
before, which was why he knew it was the same person again.
Using the extract technique so well, he had to be someone well-versed in martial arts and
was just on an errand for someone else.
"I tell you now, the ingredients, as well as where one obtains their ingredients, is a secret
that an alchemist will keep with them, along with the recipe and technique. Sure, these
things may be passed down within a clan, but I wouldn't tell a stranger who I have only just
met and have decided to help out myself."
Moving his hand slightly, that's when Raze pulled something out and opened up his palm,
revealing a single red Qi pill.
"You have been doing research into these pills, correct? I happen to have one on me myself.
I am researching into them as well. If you help me out, then this can be yours as well."
This was the start of a business relationship Raze would have with Reno, who was a
member of the Crimson Crane. Raze, who was unaware that the person in front of him was
looking for him, and Reno, who was unaware that he was the person he was looking for.
-----
When Dame said he had something important to do, he wasn't lying. It was because the
news of his return had reached his father, and after learning of what Fixteen had to say, he
had decided to return to his clan base.
Heading down to the bottom floor, Dame had returned to the hot fiery room and was now
on his knees.
"I'm sure you have heard the news," Belil, the Clan master, said.
"I have," Dame replied.
"That's right, the Light Faction has carried out stronger attacks compared to before,
sending out even a middle-staged warrior. Your sister had been sent to deal with the
problem, and it seems she has been captured by the Light Faction."
Chapter 194 Return To The Auction!
Chapter 194 Return To The Auction!
Lifting up a curved bottle with a large lip, Alba took a big swig of the drink, gulping it down
before slamming it onto the ground and wiping her mouth.
"I swear, it's easier to find a divine beast than it is to find this Dark Magus!" She
complained.
Sitting at the table, Alba was at the usual restaurant, but rather than it being the evening
and full of people who were winding down for the day, instead, it was the morning, and she
was just getting started.
Sitting opposite her, there was the blonde man with his hair swept back, wearing a mask
named Cronker. Next to him was a larger warrior, who wore all black clothing and also had
a hooded mask that only revealed the eyes; this man was Tilon.
Both of them weren't dressed like conventional Pagna warriors, but that didn't matter
because the two of them were from the Crimson Crane.
"I thought the two of you met up with Dame and had some sort of plan?" Tilon asked as he
looked at the other two empty bottles of drink at the side of the table. He was tempted to
tell her to stop, but he remembered how that had gone the last time.
"We did," Alba said, wiping her mouth again. "We followed him as he took that child to see a
physician. While he was there, I thought it would be the perfect time to talk, but he stated
that he wasn't in the mood."
"Wasn't in the mood to talk to you, the great Alba!" Tilon started to shake his fist, and it
looked like he was ready to stand up and start a fight. That was until Cronker pulled him
back down to the ground.
"Calm down, surely you must have heard what happened?" Cronker stated. "He must have
heard about the recent battle that his sister went through. Although he might not care
about what his other family members do or those in his clan, he is still heavily related to
the clan and the Demonic Faction."
"Right," Alba said. "It wouldn't be surprising if he was asked to go and solve the issue."
"Solve the issue? Is that even possible?" Cronker said. "His sister, if I remember correctly,
isn't she a Middle Stage Pagna warrior like yourself."
Immediately, Alba stared right back at Cronker and looked him directly in the eyes.
"Of course, I don't mean that she is as strong as you, but although Dame had beaten Beatrix,
she was still an Initial Stage Pagna warrior. The two of them were at the same level, but if
he was tasked to take care of her, it would be impossible."
Of course, Alba thought the same thing, and no one thought that Dame would be sent out to
clean up the situation. Most likely one of his older brothers would be sent to deal with the
job, but she had an inkling.
"I bet many thought that Dame wouldn't have been able to best Beatrix as well, and said
exactly what you just said," Alba stated. "But he managed to pull a miracle, and I heard a lot
of it had to do with this Dark Magus person; maybe he's expecting some type of miracle
again."
The three of them continued to drink away as they planned for the future of what to do, and
the conversation eventually went onto the rest of the Crimson Crane.
"Anyway, we can't keep looking for the Dark Magus forever, no matter how important he
is," Cronker explained. "The rest of the members will be meeting up in Repton; once we
have the next set of Qi pills from Dame, we'll head to the Initial Stage portal."
Tilon nodded. "Most of the others have already arrived. That reminds me, wasn't Reno
meant to join us? Where is he?"
------
Reno was holding onto the pill that the mysterious hooded man had just given him. He
looked at the engraving carefully. He had been trying to get his hands on one of these, but
they had turned out to be incredibly rare.
For one, nearly all of the warriors that had gone out with Dame had mostly already used
them in battle. So the rumors of their effects and what they could do were all from word of
mouth. There wasn't any product after that, other than fakes claiming to do the same thing.
'I could really do with this, if I break it down and it's a real one, then I could find out the
secret ingredients,' Reno thought to himself. Even if it was a fake, it was somewhat too good
of a deal to let up.
"Very well," Reno said with a smile. "You have a deal, but before that, why don't we do what
you came here for? Let's go have a look at the items in the auction."
"Wait, now?" Raze replied, as he had been handed over the sack of ingredients from the
merchant. The details were already recorded so he was free to go. The only thing was Raze
couldn't exactly make the sack of ingredients disappear while Reno was keeping an eye on
him.
"Isn't there still time before the auction begins?"
Reno couldn't help but smile to himself. "Yes, you're right, but I have a few special
privileges you see. I can look at a few of the items before they are up for grabs to the
general public. I can offer a price, and the Auctioneer can decide to accept or decline the
price. Since they do this thing day in and day out, they have a good idea of what certain
objects will fetch."
This worked out well for Raze, since he no longer needed to sell his level 2 power stones,
and had gotten a good deal with the rest of the ingredients. Now he could use the rest of the
money on the items. With fewer eyes, it was better for him as well.
Walking ahead with Reno, it was just like he said, he was able to walk through the doors of
the auction house with no trouble at all, and quite a few of the workers there were smiling
at him and giving him greetings.
It was clear that Raze wasn't walking with just anyone, most likely someone who belonged
high up in the Demonic Faction, so it was best for him to not cause trouble while by his side.
After asking to see the items, Raze and Reno walked through the large buildings, where
there were a number of seats with wooden paddles and numbers at the end of them. The
seats were empty at the moment, and they were walking down the center of the area.
As they continued, the two had walked onto the stage where the items would usually be
displayed to the others as well as the auctioneer calling the shots. They had met up with the
auctioneer, who was a relatively skinny old man that had a glass piece on the outside of a
single eye.
Again, he had greeted Reno with great respect as he gave a bow down. "It's nice to see you
again, Reno, and I see you brought a friend this time," the auctioneer said.
"Ah yes, he seems to be interested in the Alchemy business but wishes to look at everything
you have today. I hope we can look at the objects firsthand, and you can give us a fair
price."
"Of course, we owe your group a lot after all."
Agreeing, the group was allowed behind the curtain where the items were being lined up. It
was full of all sorts of equipment and a variety of things as well. For Raze, looking at this, he
knew he was looking at a gold mine.
"The items we have here aren't the type of things that you would find in pawn shops," the
auctioneer said proudly as he could tell by the taken-back expression of Raze that he was
quite impressed. "We take in only those things that are highly sought after, by Pagna
warriors, governors, alchemists, and even wealthy families. We are proud to say we have
something for everyone. There are even items here that have been brought back from other
dimensions."
This really did bring a big smile to the face of Raze because he couldn't wait to see what
kind of gold mine he would see.
The two allowed Raze to take a look, and he went from one end and was making his way
down to the other.
Leaving Reno and the auctioneer to chat, "By the way, I wanted to ask, I didn't see Clave
today doing examinations. I wanted to ask if he was okay."
Clave was the guard who had a confrontation with the hooded man, and Reno wanted to
know if he had been worried after the altercation he had with Raze. He was fully expecting
that something else would happen today at the door as well, but they had gotten in fairly
smoothly.
"Oh?" The auctioneer rubbed the side of his head. "I guess you wouldn't know, we got a
report that Clave is dead."
Chapter 195 Random Items?
Chapter 195 Random Items?
"Sorry, did you just say Clave is dead?" Reno repeated, but he had done so, hushing his
voice slightly. Thankfully, the hooded man was starting from one end of the hall of items
and seemed to be going through them slowly.
"Correct, he had decided to go home early from his shift last night. Because of that, we had
someone check up on him to see if he was okay," the Auctioneer explained. "It was quite a
shuffle when we found him."
Reno looked at Raze again. He still remembered the tail end of the scene he had seen and
what he had done. The fact that Clave had died the day after seemed too much to just be a
coincidence.
'The hooded man, he did seem to be a little on edge. It's quite possible that he decided to
finish the job with the anger still in his body,' Reno thought. 'Am I helping a very dangerous
person? Or was it really a coincidence?'
There was another thought that had gone through his mind, and it was the extraction
technique, but he had never heard of someone using the technique and being affected
either. The amount of energy drawn from a person hadn't affected him greatly. Feeling ill
was natural, as the Qi had been taken out of one, but for them to die after, there had never
been a case of it.
"His body, do you know what the scene was like? Were there any wounds? Did it look like a
murder or was it a natural death?" Reno continued to ask.
The auctioneer shook his head. "I apologize, but I really don't know the finer details at this
moment."
Reno understood and decided to stop the questions there, but he would be keeping a closer
eye on the hooded man. It was hard to tell who he was—was he a Demonic Faction Pagna
master, or was he an alchemist in training? It was hard to say.
Looking at the items, Raze was doing one of two things. Since there were some items that
would be from other dimensions, he was looking to see if any of them already were
enchanted with magical power or any power at all.
He didn't have high hopes because he was sure anything of value would be tracked down
and taken by Alter, but they were in the Demonic Faction where their influence was at its
weakest. Still, he imagined that although they had no people here, they would still do quite
a lot to make sure powerful Mythical and above items weren't retrieved here.
The second thing Raze was doing was using his magic power, a trickle of it out in the open,
and seeing what items would react to it. So far he had found a couple of things that were
already enchanted, having been brought from other worlds. But they were fairly common
items. They had basic effects, some that didn't even relate to combat, such as having a
better taste or lesser resistance to pain for a few moments. On top of that, the common
items were one-use type things.
To some people, he was sure it would seem amazing and magical, especially since most on
Pagna wouldn't even know how to use them. But Raze could enchant better items himself.
So instead, he decided to focus on those that would react to magic instead, and he had come
across a few jewelry pieces that would react. One of them was a round brown-colored
bracelet around the neck. There were then a pair of golden earrings that were shaped like a
cross with a flower-like design on them. Two small black gloves, that didn't really look like
gloves since they had next to no place to use your fingers.
Reno could see him struggling with what they were and placed them over his hand,
showing that they covered the wrist and the knuckles.
"They were used for training back in the day," Reno explained. "In the past, quite a few
people tried to strengthen their bodies in ways other than Qi. These gloves were a way to
protect the skin as they would punch sand to create micro-fractures in the body. The idea
was the bones would grow back stronger and stronger. They are more of an antique now
more than anything, a thing of the past."
Either way, Raze didn't care, they reacted to magic, and he could create something good out
of them. Thankfully, he had also found another ring, this one black in color as well, and he
was hoping he could use it to see his ice attribute.
Those were the best items that had reacted to magic there, leaving Raze a little
disappointed, but if he had found something really special, then he wouldn't have wanted
to enchant it with a level 2 power stone anyway and would have wanted a higher-level
power stone, so he thought that this was enough.
"I would like to purchase these," Raze asked. "What's the price?"
Both Reno and the auctioneer had looked at each other. The items that were selected were
close to the beginning of the lineup. In an auction, they often saved the best until last, so the
items that were at the front would be sold for the lowest amount.
The auctioneer was hoping for a big spender, but it didn't seem like it would be this way.
"Since you are a friend of Reno, I can sell you the items for 1 silver coin each," the
auctioneer said.
Raze quickly opened up his pouch and handed the money. The gold coin had already been
used up to mostly buy the supplies in the first place, but he still had enough left over. Worst
case, he would just have to pay with some power stones.
As the items were packed up, in a sack for Raze to take, Reno took a look at them one more
time, and he was trying to figure out a pattern, but no matter how hard he tried when
looking at them, he felt that all of them were just... random.
Raze didn't stop his search there as he moved on to the next section, and now he was onto
the weapons.
'I don't mind if there are no weapons that are magical here,' Raze thought. 'I just need a real
sword to use in combat, especially if I had to go to other dimensions or get attacked in the
middle of the night. Along with my wind magic, the results of using such a thing will be
quite good.'
The biggest issue was, Raze knew nothing about swords. He didn't know what was a good
one or a bad one. Still, he used his magic as he went through them all that were in a barrel.
None of the swords reacted until his magic started to move to one in particular. It wasn't
placed in a fancy display or cabinet like the others. Instead, it was mixed in with five
different swords that were placed leaned up on a type of stand. All of the swords were
together, slightly curved and damaged. When the Dark magic hit one of the swords in the
center, it started to vibrate, and a mist started to come back at Raze.
'An… enchanted sword?'
[Rare class Ghost Blade]
Chapter 196 White Flower
Chapter 196 White Flower
In Alterian, enchanted items went by a ranking list, and from what he knew, the Alter group
used the same ranking list. One of their goals was to seal away items that were too
dangerous for the world of Pagna, sorting them into Mythical, Legendary, and God ranks.
What Raze had managed to find was a weapon at the Rare level. Underneath that, there
were Uncommon and Common level items.
"I was expecting to just find a decent sword, but I've managed to find an enchanted one,"
Raze said as he picked the sword up by the grip handle. It had an interesting swirling
design, giving it a similar texture to when one would hold a rope.
Lifting it, the sword was lighter than he imagined in his hand, but at the same time, it was a
little worn in certain areas, especially by the sword guard, which was practically
nonexistent, having broken off in most places.
Then there was the curve of the blade. It wasn't straight like the swords he would use in
training, but at the same time, it wasn't thick like the other curved swords he had seen.
"Those weapons are more of a decorative item," Reno said as he came over. "A lot of the
items here seem to have been raided from an old manor or maybe from a long-lost
dimension. You can tell by the size of the steel, though, that a few swings against a regular
sword, and it would break. One would have to reinforce it with Qi for it to stand a chance.
I'm afraid it looks like it's quite dull as well; if sharpened, it might break in the process."
Raze was taking note of what Reno was saying. He seemed to be quite knowledgeable in
more areas than one, but would it matter to him? If he used his wind magic, couldn't he
make it sharper? And using magic in the first place would give it a type of barrier.
Instead, Raze was focused on what he had seen through his dark magic when picking up the
sword.
[When using skills with the Demonic Sword, the strength of the sword will ignite, making it
stronger. The sword has a low chance of pulsating, creating a stronger strike and passing
through the defenses of the enemy.]
"As long as demonic energy is used? So does that mean only those with demonic Qi can
bring out its strength? Surely they would have tested this sword and found that out?
Regardless, they wouldn't have known about the chance of bypassing others' defenses. It's
hard to know what it means unless we see it in practice, but I assume that's where it gets
its name, Ghost blade from," Raze thought.
"Can I get this one?" Raze asked.
Raising his eyebrow, Reno was once again confused. The items were so random to him, and
if he was a martial artist, what could he do with a decorative sword? Was he possibly
redesigning his house or something, or a collector of some sorts?
"Ah, that item, it is part of the collection," the auctioneer said. "Alone, they didn't seem to
hold much value, which is why we placed them together. That would be five silvers
altogether."
At the moment, Raze had used up nearly all of his money already. Five silvers were a little
out of his choice, so with a sigh, he felt like he had no choice. He reached into the sleeve of
his robe as if he was going to grab something.
Activating his magic away from the eyes of the others, he pulled out what made everyone
step back just for a moment, although for Reno, it wasn't too impressive as he realized what
it was.
"A level 2 power stone?" Reno exclaimed.
"Yes, I don't have the coin on me, so will this be okay for payment?"
The auctioneer had already snatched it out of his hand.
"Certainly, sir!"
Raze proceeded to go over to the swords, and with them, he decided to place two of them
on his back, strapping them into his robe. As for the others, he would have to get them later,
since he was unable to carry everything with him.
"Maybe I should try a low enchantment on all of the swords; they could still come in handy
after all," Raze thought to himself. That was the reason for him taking two swords on him
as well. Just like how one with multiple types of magic was strong, surely it should be the
same for someone with multiple swords as well. If he enchanted each of them, he was
already imagining the variety of strength he could use.
With that, Raze was done looking at the items. As they were leaving, he informed the
auctioneer where to send the rest of the swords to and gave them the inn's address along
with the other equipment.
He just hoped that when they were delivered, one of the others would have stayed. It was
quite annoying to live in a time where mobile devices weren't available to everyone. There
were communication devices, but not ones that people could carry with them, apart from
the few devices that Alter had and had given him.
Leaving the auction house, Raze thought it was time for Reno to follow through with his
part of the deal, to inform him where he got these herbs or medicinal plants from. With
that, he had decided to take him somewhere.
Not too far from the auction house, there was a large warehouse-style building. It was quite
weakly built on the outside, but many of those that looked like Reno were walking in and
out. They had black fingers and had large bags under their eyes. Some of them looked
malnourished as well, and once in a while, just standing outside of the building, Raze would
hear a bang or two.
"What is this place?" Raze asked.
"It's a working place of sorts. Alchemy can be quite a dangerous thing sometimes, the
mixing of ingredients or testing of pills. So they prefer it to be done in places like this. The
walls are reinforced, and one can rent basic rooms that give access to what one needs to
create things."
Heading into the building, it was set up quite similarly to the sleeping quarters that were at
the academy. The difference was there were far fewer rooms and looked to be a lot more
space between each of the doors.
Turning the key, he headed inside, and Raze was right; the room was around 5 times
bigger. Immediately wafting into his nose was the smell of strong herbs. It was very
pungent, not a bad smell, but a mixture of strong smells that was already giving him a slight
headache.
Looking inside, Raze could see a number of equipment, including several plants that
surrounded the area.
"The plants that you are looking for, they are over there," Reno stated as he pointed to the
side.
Raze wasted no time as he rushed over and looked at the flowers. They were small in size
and white in color. A single stem branched out into a single bud. Cupping the flower, Raze
was trying to see just how much magic energy the flower had. Just like with items, he
placed a trickle amount of his magic energy, using dark energy. If the plant had a significant
amount of Light energy, it should dissipate the dark energy before it even touched it.
As Raze looked carefully, he could see a small amount of the energy dissipate, but the dark
energy eventually touched the flower.
Before it would destroy it, Raze quickly retracted the energy back inside.
He looked at the rest of the flowers. 'It does contain some light energy, so I can see why
placing them in the pill process would give healing effects, but this is just not enough to
activate a magic core, I need something stronger.'
"It seems you are disappointed," Reno noticed, as Razer had rushed into the room to look at
the plants, but soon his whole demeanor had changed.
"These plants, where did you find them?" Raze asked.
"Ah… well, they're actually here in the Demonic Faction. Although the territory is a little
difficult to get to," Reno explained. "You see, there was a portal break at one point not too
far away, and the beasts that broke out still exist close to the area. They were unable to get
rid of them all. However, the beasts have also never really strayed from the area, hence why
no one has really tried to deal with the problem. The portal break was mostly dealt with, so
the place was left be."
"And are there stronger plants than this one? As in ones that would have a greater healing
effect if used?"
"There is, but…" Reno didn't know what to say because the truth was he wanted to delve
deeper into the area as well to retrieve stronger plants, but there was an issue. 'The area,
it's where the Light Faction and Demonic Faction clashed recently. It seems like the fighting
has stopped, and the area is clear, but it's still a dangerous place to go on my own, and Alba
is too busy trying to use all our resources trying to find the Dark Magus… Maybe... he's a
martial arts master right of the Demonic Faction? He should be either in the middle stage or
close to the peak of the initial stage. Then with him, it might be okay.'
"We can head there if you would like, but I would like to come with you," Reno asked, with
a smile.
'If we run into anyone from the Light Faction, then I'll just let him deal with it,' Reno
thought.
Chapter 197 An uninvited whisper
Chapter 197 An uninvited whisper
Exploring the Demonic Faction, the wasteland, and the other clans with the vast cities and
more didn't seem to be the safest thing, but Raze was confident in the new person he had
met for a few reasons.
When they were heading around the city, and at the Auction house, he could see that many
respected him and acknowledged him. This gave the impression to Raze that he must be
with someone relatively important in the Demonic Faction.
He also had a good head on his shoulders, so if venturing outside was dangerous, then he
wouldn't have suggested it unless he was confident that he could deal with the situations
that would arise.
Surprisingly, Reno actually was thinking along similar lines. Seeing someone use the
extraction technique at such a fast rate made him think he was with a master of sorts, at
least when it came to martial arts. With a strong person like him by his side, then they
would be able to avoid whatever trouble came their way.
Despite all of this, the two of them did agree on something, and that was they would need
to prepare before they head out. Reno wanted to create a few things before leaving the next
day, and it was the same with Raze. He would finish creating the items and completing the
quota that Dame asked of him. It wouldn't take him long, mostly the rest of the day, and
then he would be free to continue to do as he wished.
Before leaving, though, Raze noticed that Reno was preparing a few things.
"Are you making Qi pills?" Raze asked.
"Yes," Reno replied. "I assume you know the process. If not, then you are welcome to watch
me. If you're watching me, I won't experiment but instead just make a standard pill."
Reno was quite a messy alchemist as things were all over the place, but Raze decided to
watch everything carefully. As he watched the man act, it reminded him a lot of the days
when he would watch wizards create potions as well.
He kept a keen eye on everything, willing to learn. First, the basic ingredients, the same as
what Raze would use, were set up to the side. Oddly, they were mixed up together in a
mixing bowl, and it looked more like he was about to cook rather than create Qi pills.
However, off to the side, the crystal was attached to almost a boiling pot filled with liquid. It
looked like water, but judging from the heat, it couldn't be, since water's boiling point was
100 degrees. Judging from the heat that could be seen above it and the lack of steam, the
liquid was heated far hotter than that. The power stone was then placed in the liquid, and
Raze understood that it was to melt it down.
After the liquid would be placed in another contraption, and a funnel. Then glowing liquid
would be separated from the water into two separate bowls. It looked like a lot of work so
far, but he was still intrigued. After the liquids had been separated, the power stone liquid
was added to a metal mixing bowl. After that, the several plants that were around the place
started to be crushed and cut up, forming them into even more liquid. Slowly,
measurements were being made, and that was being added into the metal mixing bowl.
"When creating pills, it's all about the balance," Reno stated. "If you don't have balance,
then it won't form correctly with the power stone. If you use a stronger power stone, then
you need the right balance of other materials. Sometimes if I add one type of plant that has
a certain effect, then I need to add another to counterbalance it. Which is why alchemy is
such a complicated process in all of this, but of course, I have perfected certain techniques."
After adding the right amount of plant juice, Reno went to get the original mixing bowl and
threw it all in. After that, he waited for it to cool down, and then, like little small dough
balls, he started to use a type of grinder. The mixed content would be placed, and then with
two hands, he would mainly grind out backward and forwards until he had ten small-
shaped Qi pills.
"Oh, there are ten of these?" Raze said.
"Yes, these are 1-year Qi pills, so they wouldn't be worth much, but they still will be able to
do something. As long as you have the right amount of ingredients, though, and know the
measurements, you could easily make ten, ten Qi pills."
Watching Reno carefully, it wasn't a waste of time, as it had given Raze an idea and a way to
make his enchantments a lot quicker. Still, there were quite a few things he wanted to
create for himself as well.
------
Back at the inn, the trio had woken up to find that Raze was no longer in the room. They
knew what he had planned to do as he had already told them that they weren't to come
with him, so there was no shock there. However, after yesterday's events and with
Simyon's body being injured, they decided that it wasn't the best idea for them to venture
outside.
Heading down, the inn also served food, so the three of them ate their breakfast, and once
they were done, they headed back up to their room again. They didn't dare venture outside;
they were just a little scared.
"I told you the Demonic Faction wasn't a good place," Liam said, looking out the window.
"That had nothing to do with the Demonic Faction," Simyon complained. "The reason why
I'm wrapped in bandages and stuck in this bed is because you were the one who made a
stupid deal! Why didn't you just say one hit! If you said one hit, I would have taken it and
survived."
"Wait, are you blaming me?" Liam said, turning around. "You keep talking about one hit,
like you've got one ball. You were the one who could have quit after one hit! So why were
you so stubborn taking the hits?"
Safa sighed as the two of them had been arguing constantly. For her, she felt like they were
both to blame, and they should be thankful that Raze and Dame had showed up when they
had done.
Thankfully, a knock at the door had distracted them, and Safa had gone to answer it. When
she had done, they soon realized that there was a large number of deliveries that had been
sent to the room.
When knocking, the men, per Raze's instructions, had used the secret knock, so they could
only guess that the items they were bringing in were either from Dame or Raze.
Soon after, they had quickly left.
"What even is all this stuff?" Liam asked.
"You better not touch it with your stinky ball hands," Simyon commented.
With that comment made, Liam decided not to care about the crates and instead went back
onto his bed.
Safa didn't really look at what was in the crates either, since it wasn't her business, so she
too decided to go on her bed like the rest of them. As they were there, though, she didn't
just do nothing.
Instead, she propped her back against the headboard and took a sitting position with her
legs crossed, and she started the Dark Essence technique. She remembered all of the steps,
and was slowly taking in deep breaths bit by bit. She had her eyes closed, allowing her to
focus more, drawing in
the energy around her.
"Ahhhh!" Safa breathed out slowly through her mouth.
"Your…."
Opening a single eye, Safa looked around. She could see nothing in front of her. She turned
her head to see Simyon lying on his back fast asleep and Liam facing toward the window.
She closed her eyes again and continued to breathe out again. That's when she could feel
something, no not feel, hear something a little clearer.
"Not… ready."
A soft whisper was heard going in her left ear, and a soft breath that vibrated through her
body and the back of her neck.
Immediately, Safa opened her eyes and she could feel her heart race slightly. She looked to
both of the boys again, wondering if they were playing some type of joke on her.
This time, when she readied herself, she wasn't quite sure what to do. She was almost
worried to go into cultivating again, but she pushed through. When her heart settled down,
she closed her eyes again.
A flash of a red woman's face appeared, all bloody.
"Hello!" the voice screamed defining her ears.
Chapter 198 The Cold Shiver
Chapter 198 The Cold Shiver
The sharp, shooting pain in Simyon's body was starting to dull down a bit. He was thankful
to the earring and its powers for having protected him; otherwise, if he didn't have the
uncommon metal body, he already imagined Mantis's hand going right through his stomach
that time.
Unfortunately for him, each time he closed his eyes and opened them, getting a few minutes
of sleep, the picture would appear in his head. He would wake up covered in sweat as he
stared at the ceiling.
"Damn it, why do I keep running into troublesome people? First, it was Ricktor from the
Dark Academy, and now that Black Tiger guy from the Demonic Academy."
Having experienced a hit from the Black Tiger, Simyon would have to safely say that he felt
like the Demonic Academy student was stronger, but it was hard to say since he hadn't
directly fought with Ricktor.
He had just watched as Raze took him apart, and who knew what they were doing now.
After that defeat, it was unlikely that they would just stop without attempting to get
stronger. Even for Simyon himself, it was after large events like that, one would have a
breakthrough and would be able to grow.
Lifting up his sore arm, Simyon reached out toward the ceiling. "I hope this body heals
quicker. I need to try and do something... I thought it would be bad just to be a human
shield that's good at getting hit, but it looks like I can't even do that."
A shiver started to go through Simyon's body, and it wasn't a shiver of pain. He noticed that
it was feeling quite chilly in the room.
"Liam, did you leave the window open or something?" Simyon asked, turning to his side.
"No, I did not, unless you think I can open the window with my eyeball," Liam turned
around.
When they both turned, they nearly sat upright at what they were seeing. Safa in the
middle, her whole body was shaking. The bed frame looked like it was moving; her
trembles were so bad. She was still in a meditative position, but her eyes were firmly shut.
"Liam, check to see if she's okay!" Simyon shouted, holding his side. "Safa, Safa, open your
eyes!"
Liam did as Simyon said and rushed over, jumping on the bed. He scooted forward until he
was opposite her and reached out his hands but stopped slightly.
"Hey, is it okay to touch her?" Liam asked.
"Just get her to wake up; this never stopped you before, why are you being all gentlemanly
now!" Simyon shouted as he eventually had gotten up off the bed and was slowly making
his way over.
Grabbing Safa by the shoulders through her clothing, instantly, Liam noticed something.
Her skin, it was cold to the touch. Not just not warm like a regular body, but it seemed to
actually produce a cold chill from her skin. Even through the cloth, it felt like he was
touching an ice cube of sorts.
"Hey Safa, wake up!" Liam ignored the coldness for now and started to shake her. "Wake
up, you're still there, right?"
He shook her and shook her, but her whole body was still shaking, her lips; they were now
quivering as well.
Simyon coming over had grabbed Safa's hand and held it steady. Now he could feel the chill
that was coming off from her body.
"What is this? Is she really sick, no, the whole room is cold, this is clearly not normal."
Simyon was panicking. What should they do, what could they do.
"Hit her!" Simyon eventually said.
"What do you mean hit her? She's already in pain or in a trance or something, and if I hit
her, do you think she or Raze would ever forgive me? I'm not having her crazy brother hunt
me for the rest of my life," Liam shouted back.
"Just hit her, it might snap her out of it."
"Then you hit her!" Liam replied back.
"I'm weak right now," Simyon then went to gather Qi in his hand, just a small amount, and
opened his hand ready to slap her, but the Qi was disappearing; the pain running through
his body was making it hard for him to even focus.
"Ah, screw it!" Liam said as he swung his hand and slapped Safa across the face. It was a
good hit, and her cheeks turned red for less than a second before turning pale again. It
seemed to have no reaction at all.
"Why are you guys always so noisy?" A voice said from behind, with a creak from the door.
The two boys turned their heads, wondering who had just entered the room. If it was
someone they knew, they should have heard a knock. The thing was, the person had
knocked; it was just that they were in too much of a panic to even hear what had happened.
When they saw who it was, another shroud of terror entered their bodies. Their hearts felt
like they were going to stop as the hooded teenager took off his hood.
"Raze... there's... there's something up with Safa," Simyon called out.
Immediately, Raze closed the door behind him and threw one of the sacks he had brought
with him onto the floor. Both Liam and Simyon got out of the way as Raze went ahead to
take a look at what was going on.
"What happened to her?" Raze asked; he hesitated for a moment as he was about to touch
her, but since he was the one initiating the touch, there was no problem as he reassured
himself and grabbed her hand, and then placed another one on her cheek, realizing she was
completely cold.
"We don't know; she was just sitting here in a meditative state like this, and then she
started to shake, no one entered or anything," Simyon explained.
'The cold air, this isn't some type of magic, is it? But the energy that's flowing out of her
body, is it hers?'
Raze was truly unsure what to do; even with his magic, did he have anything that could
expel this? While in the middle of these thoughts, he could see something appearing on the
top of her forehead.
It was a single line being drawn down, liquid, but it wasn't just any type of liquid, due to the
color of it and how it was spreading, it looked like blood.
'Wait, cold air... the appearance of blood out of nowhere. Haven't I experienced this before
as well?'
Raze remembered when he was in the demonic faction what had happened to him. He had
thought it was due to the life and death cultivation technique, but what if it wasn't? What if
whatever he had seen, those bloody hands weren't just something he could see, it was Safa
as well.
"Before this, was she cultivating?" Raze asked.
"I think so," Liam answered. "I saw her, and she was in the same pose she always was in,
but cultivating can't do this, right?"
Cultivating, the Dark Essence technique Raze didn't think could do this, but was it because
they were in the demonic faction? Was this strange red-cold-blooded demon creature
something that was with the original body and Safa? Almost like a curse.
"Get away," Raze said, as dark magic started to surround his body.
The two boys thought that Raze was talking to them, so they moved further away, but he
wasn't.
"Don't touch her!" Raze shouted as his dark magic ignited from his body.
Chapter 199 Marked
Chapter 199 Marked
The magic was extending out of Raze's body, and it wasn't being constricted to one place.
He wasn't trying to control it into one area, nor was he activating a spell of some sort;
instead, he was just letting it seep out from his body.
It was growing in size and darkening the room around them. Slowly, it was creeping its way
toward Liam and Simyon, who were off by the side. As they felt it touch them, a whole
series of feelings were starting to overcome them.
The area was becoming more silent; their sense of feeling, touch, it was disappearing. But
that's when Simyon noticed something as he waved his hand through it.
"It's not cold," Simyon thought to himself. "The magic, it's getting rid of the cold. Will it also
get rid of what's taking control of Safa?"
Since Raze was unable to see what it was that was doing this to her, he was trying to fight
back in his own way, but he wasn't sure if it would work. If it didn't, he had two more plans.
One was to use the Cultivation technique of life and death himself. If his guesses from
before were right, maybe he could attract whatever it was that had gotten a hold on her
and pull it toward him.
If that didn't work, then perhaps the extraction technique, since the energy he could
currently feel didn't seem to belong to Safa either. However, as Raze held onto her, he could
feel his magic was working.
"She's starting to shake less, and her lips, they're not moving anymore either."
It wasn't just those things, but the general color was returning to her face. The blood mark
was still visible on her head, but it had stopped, now just looking like a small line had been
drawn.
Just in case, Raze continued to use his Dark magic, the magic that was known for its
destructive powers, for a while. That was until he could see Safa slowly open her eyes. As
she had done so, slowly, Raze started to retract back his magic.
He was trying to see if whatever it was that had a grasp on her would return. Both Simyon
and Liam could feel the sensations coming back around them. They could feel like they
were able to breathe, and something wasn't right at their throats. When they moved their
hands through the air, they also noticed that the chill had disappeared.
Finally, Safa had fully opened her eyes, and she could directly see her brother staring right
at her in the face. How long had it been for her since she was able to see the features of her
brother like this? She actually thought she might be dreaming, that was until he let go of
her cheek and her wrist and leaned back a bit away from her.
"You only need to nod or shake your head," Raze said. "You might be shocked about what
just happened, but were you cultivating just before this?"
Safa immediately nodded.
"Did you hear a voice, a woman's voice?" Raze asked again.
To which Safa nodded.
Raze couldn't ask in detail about what Safa saw, not unless he had a book or some type of
writing tool. But with one more question, he was sure he knew what was most likely to
have happened.
"Did you see, blood... a bloody body part, a bloody figure, anything?" Raze asked.
To which Safa's whole body reacted as the hairs all over her body stood up, and she nodded
her head.
'That blooded hand woman,' Raze's eyebrows furrowed inward. 'Who is she, and why is she
targeting me and Safa? Is it really something to do with our past lives, maybe the death of
our parents as well?'
'No, that was done by a human. I can't rule out the possibility that I might have attached
myself to something in the Demonic Faction, and now it's after those around me? But when
I used the technique in the Dark Faction, nothing happened.'
It was confusing for Raze, and he didn't have any idea how to figure out a solution for it all,
so he could only do one thing.
"All of you, especially you Safa. While you are here, none of you are to use any cultivation
techniques. Practice your martial arts, play games with each other, or whatever, but don't
use any cultivation techniques while you are here, got it?"
The three nodded in synchronization, and Raze hoped it would be the end of it. As far as he
knew, summoning the blooded woman was linked to cultivating, so as long as they didn't
do that, they would be fine.
"So, are you going to say what happened, or?" Liam asked as he saw Raze seemingly just
ignore the whole matter and head over to the crates to look at what had been delivered.
"I don't like to give answers to things I don't know much about. Right now, I just know that
she was affected by cultivating, so you guys shouldn't either," Raze answered with a smile
on his face.
With all the ingredients here, he could get to work. With the remaining amount of money,
he had bought level 1 power stones.
He would then use those power stones to create the three and possibly a fourth different
pill now that he had another attribute.
After that, he would use the level 2 power stones to enhance the strength of the items he
had gotten. Lastly, after that, he would create higher-tier Qi pills similar to the level 1
power stones, keeping some for himself in dangerous situations and selling the rest.
He had a plan in sight, and he needed to get to work.
"Don't worry, I will be in here for a while now with the rest of you. Just to note, if you see
any signs of a portal break happening, you should let me know," Raze instructed the others.
Liam was extremely confused, wondering how Raze could be so calm in this situation.
Didn't his sister just escape death? Or did he already figure out that there was nothing to do
about it, so he had moved on?
It looked like Simyon and Safa had taken Raze's words, and after what they had been
through, the two of them had just returned to their bed to rest and sleep for the rest of the
evening.
"Are they not scared about what he just said either, about a portal break opening?" Liam
mumbled to himself.
Maybe the others didn't believe Raze or trust him, but after seeing what he could do and all
the crazy things happening, Liam decided to stay awake and keep watch, because the last
thing he wanted was a portal break to happen while he was sleeping.
With a piece of chalk on the open floor space, Raze was drawing not one but multiple
circles. He then moved the crates so they were easy to gather ingredients from. After
drawing one circle, he soon drew another one on top of it.
Then, he placed the level 1 power stones in the circle as well.
"When watching Reno, it made me realize something, a way to create and mass-produce
stones at once. Since I'm a three-star mage, I have enough mana to do this now."
Raze placed his hands together, ready to activate, until there was another knock on the
door.
Opening the door, Raze noticed a strangely well-clothed man, and they were in the same
type of uniform as the ones he had seen outside the auction.
"I have come to make a delivery," the man said as he handed over a large, long object
wrapped in a red velvet-like cloth.
Handing it over, the man quickly left the room without saying much. Raze then closed the
door and untied the red cloth, revealing three more swords on the ground.
"With this and the other items I obtained, I wonder what exactly I will be able to make out
of all of this," Raze smiled.
Chapter 200 The Strong Crimson Crane
Chapter 200 The Strong Crimson Crane
A big event had occurred for a particular group, and it was something only they knew
about. Alba was currently at one of her favorite establishments in Repton, which she had
named "The Big Red."
It was a three-tiered large restaurant where guests would regularly be filled with drinking,
joy, playing games, and more. Before, she would have already been treated as a VIP guest,
but due to her visiting more and more, and always ordering quite a large amount of alcohol,
she had become an even bigger VIP guest.
A private room had been rented out, with large sliding doors on either side and a long
rectangular table in the room already filled with drinks and snacks ready for them all.
Currently, Alba was sitting cross-legged with a smile on her face. "How long has it been?"
She said, lifting her drink up in the air. "How long has it been since all of us have been here
together just like this!"
Alba wasn't alone at the table; it was filled with people. In fact, there were eight of them all
together, each lifting up their drinks around the table with her.
"To the Crimson Crane, reunited at last!" Tilon shouted.
The rest cheered in response, and each one of them took a swig. The joyous occasion that
was to be celebrated today was that all members of the Crimson Crane Clan, all eight of
them, all of the Wanderers, had regathered once again.
"So, does this mean we have finally given up the search for the Dark Magus, since none of us
was able to find any information about him?" Tilon asked.
Tilon was dressed in all black clothing, and on his back at all times was a large knight's
shield. It was wide at the top and then narrowed down towards the bottom. If a person
were to bend down and huddle themselves, they would be able to cover 90 percent of their
body behind the shield.
"Not given up, but at least put on hold," Cronker replied. A blonde man with swept-back
hair and blue eyes, but one that always had a mask covering his face. Even now as he ate
snacks, he would grab something quickly and shove it underneath his mask before anyone
could see what it was that he was doing. As for his weapon of choice, it was two daggers as
he specialized in assassination techniques.
"Come on! We don't have to worry about that Dark Magus guy!" A short young-looking girl
who perhaps looked to be a teenager at best shouted out. Her name was Froma. Her bright
red cheeks stood out, along with the bow that was carried on her back, which was as big as
her. She specialized in a rare type of martial arts surrounding fighting with bow techniques,
which wasn't popularized in the world of Pagna, but many government officials used the
bow as a weapon. Since the Crimson Crane were different compared to other clans and
when fighting large-scale battles, they would fight together, many of their specialized
techniques worked well together.
"We don't have to worry about him because we have Reno! Like why are we trying to get
another Alchemist when we have Reno right here!" Lilly said, pulling him in close to her.
She then started to sniff away as she noticed a strong smell coming off from his clothes and
quickly pushed Reno away.
"But... I'm not an alchemist," Reno said. "At least, not one that deals in the same type of arts
as the others."
Around the table, the rest of the Crimson Crane were currently present, but they were a bit
quieter compared to the rest. There was a spear user named Lilly, who sat up right with a
straight face and even as she took a drink, she would gently place it back on the table. She
had long dark brown hair and had a strong presence as she ignored everything that was
going on around her.
Next to Lilly, who had a similar presence to her, was her brother, Kizer, who was a
longsword user. He equally sat up right, like Lilly, but wore a lot of armor on his body,
unlike most Pagna warriors. On top of that, he had a large x-shaped scar on his chin, giving
him somewhat a wild-like appearance with his messy hair.
Lastly, out of the eight, there was Elvlin, who was lying on the floor, fast asleep while
holding onto his glaive. Compared to the rest of the Crimson Crane, he had a small body
frame, but even with the small frame, he was able to wield something that was even bigger
than he was.
Including Alba, all eight of these made up the Crimson Crane.
"Ah, Alba!" Reno mentioned. "I know you said that we would head off after receiving the
items from Dame, but I was wondering tomorrow, is it okay if I head off to the Howling
Ruins? There are some plants that I would like to get from there."
"Howling Ruins. Isn't that on the east border?" Alba replied. "I heard that the Light Faction
and Demonic Faction recently had a large-scale fight there. It could be quite dangerous."
"It should be okay," Reno replied. "I will have some... help with me, and besides, what better
time than after a large-scale fight. Doesn't that mean there will be fewer people there than
usual? Even the Demonic Faction has pulled back from there."
Alba thought about it for a while. Reno was strong, in fact, all of those in the Crimson Crane
were strong. Because every single one of them was a middle-stage Pagna warrior.
Individually, they had the strength to take out small clans. Together they were even
stronger, which was why they were such a well-known group and known as the strongest
wanderer group.
"I see, then it should be fine. I guess we'll be staying here a couple more days anyway," Alba
stated.
There was a knock at the door, and sliding it open, a woman bowed down. "Ma'am, another
one of your guests has arrived."
Coming from the side and stepping into the room was the tall, handsome young man.
"Well, if it isn't the Hero of the Demonic Faction, it's nice to see you again, Dame. I guess
you have time to talk now."
Dame nodded, but he didn't sit down with the others; instead, he stayed around three
meters away from them, and when the door was shut behind them, he went on his knees
and placed his head on the floor.
Suddenly, the happy mood had turned into silence as they saw what Dame was doing.
"I am here to make a request!" Dame stated. "The Demonic Faction, no, not the Demonic
Faction. I am requesting the help of the Crimson Crane to help me get back my sister."
The few mumblings of sound had completely stopped once they had heard what he wanted
to ask.
"Dame, we have been friends for a long time, and you must know that we are a neutral
group. We can't get involved in matters between two factions," Alba answered.
Dame thought this would be the case, so raising his head, he was ready to give them an
offer they can't refuse.
"If you help me with my request, then I will introduce you to the Dark Magus."
Chapter 201 Rare Grade Pills
Chapter 201 Rare Grade Pills
While Safa and Simyon were busy resting, Liam was watching Raze with amazement. He
was focused as he looked at the magic circles and the strange runes and symbols that were
drawn.
Of course, he didn't understand any of it, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't
make sense of what the symbols would mean even if he saw them repeated over and over
again. To him, it might as well have been a language from another world.
His eyes continued to be glued as he saw, out of the ingredients, several Qi pills had been
created.
Out of the group of the level 1 power stones, Raze had created ten Red Pills, ten Blue Pills,
and ten Green Pills. All of these were made with basic magic rather than Dark magic, so
their effects weren't as strong, but at the same time, there were no downsides.
After that, he had created ten more Uncommon Blue Pills, still using the level one power
stones. This time he had used Dark Magic. This item was his big seller because it allowed a
person to restore all of their mana or Qi for up to a minute, and it only required a level 1
power stone.
Due to the new technique he had used, he was able to create all of these things at an
incredible speed.
"The uncommon blue cursed pill, I'll keep one for myself," Raze thought. "It can be
extremely helpful if the situation needs it."
Once in a while, Raze would look at Liam to see if there was a change in his reaction, but he
just continued to stare at Raze as if he was watching a TV show. He was thankful because it
meant there were no sudden portal openings.
"It seems like the main issues occur when I reach a new star level or when a powerful item
is created," Raze contemplated.
Raze looked at the sack in the corner, along with his swords that had been propped up.
There was the Red necklace, the pair of golden earrings, and a pair of black gloves.
"It might be best to wait until we're in another dimension to enchant those, on top of the
four swords."
Thinking about this, Raze wanted to use the level 2 power stones as well. So he placed aside
7 level 2 power stones to be used for enchanting in the future. Maybe he didn't even have to
wait until they were in another dimension but just not here in the inn of all places.
This left him with 20 level 2 power stones left. With these, Raze went ahead and started to
create specialized Qi pills.
He had created a Red, Blue, and Green one like he had before, and their effects were just
even more powerful compared to the last, with no additional effects. But he also wanted to
test his new type of magic, so he went ahead and created another pill with his Ice attribute.
When the pill was made, it had a light blue appearance with the marking of DM on it.
[Upon taking the pill, the user is resistant to the outside energy of others for 1 minute]
"From the test that I have done before, the cursed magic at the higher levels tends to have a
large drawback in terms of Mana. If I created a red pill that had greater healing, it would
take a large amount of mana of the user."
"Now that I'm using my magic more in fights, this isn't worthwhile to me. Besides, the
effects are minimal in terms of healing without using light magic."
Thinking this, Raze had created two different types of pills using his Dark Magic, and in
doing so, he had created a Rare Light blue pill.
It had the same effect as the other blue pill, but as he suspected, the drawback was the
amount of mana it would take when consuming the pill. In turn, he would be resistant to
other energies for 5 minutes.
Then Raze made another blue Qi pill, and it was the same, instead of one minute of
restoring all of the user's mana, it was three minutes instead.
"I guess this is better, but it isn't an unlimited amount of mana use; it only restores the
user's mana so I could still run out in those three minutes. Either way, for now, it's better to
just make more regular Qi pills and have the same effect."
Keeping one of each type of pill, Raze would use it on himself if need be. This was always
his plan in case he met with someone that was difficult to deal with. Then with the rest, he
continued to make the pills, and finally, he was done.
Looking out of the window, the dark sky was out, but it hadn't gone past midnight yet.
"I finished quicker than I thought I would have done," Raze smiled to himself.
"It's amazing," Liam commented. "You made so many Qi pills in such a short amount of
time, and I can tell a lot of them have the same amount of energy as a 20-year Qi pill. This is
all just so amazing, man. You're going to become filthy rich with this!"
With a smile that was exactly what Raze was hoping for, he decided to get some sleep along
with the others as he felt a bit exhausted.
When the morning sun rose, he stretched and readied several bags for the others. In one, it
was all the pills that were to be delivered to Dame. In the other, Raze had decided to take
the special items with him and placed them in his special robe.
He didn't tell the others where he was going, but before leaving, he looked at Safa. He
would have left without a second thought before, but with yesterday's events, he wanted to
make sure she was alright.
"Everyone, remember what I said, none of you practice cultivating," Raze stated and he was
off to meet up with Reno.
Around an hour or so later, Simyon, who was now moving a lot better compared to before,
along with the others, had gone downstairs to eat again.
"So did Raze say where he was going to go?" Simyon asked.
"No, he just left and told me to hand this sack to Dame when I see him," Liam answered.
"Wait, he's not with Dame, then I wonder what he's doing."
After finishing their meal, the three decided to head back to the Inn again, just to get a little
more rest before possibly heading outside. If they couldn't train, then they could at least go
exploring. But that's when they heard a knock at the door, and it was the special knock that
they had come up with.
"I guess Raze came back quite fast," Simyon said as he went to open the door, but it wasn't
Raze at the door.
"Ah, Simyon, you look to be moving better," Dame said, heading inside. "Where's Raze?"
"Wait, you don't know where he's gone either?" Simyon asked. "Well, he did make all the
items that you wanted, though."
"I think those are our items," a female voice said from behind, and Alba soon entered the
room. "So what's going on, has your Dark Magus friend gone missing?"
Chapter 202 Strong Or Weak?
Chapter 202 Strong Or Weak?
Raze had headed to the alchemist warehouse where he had met Reno, and just outside, he
could see the man waiting for him. He looked the same as ever, with large black circles
under his eyes and fingertips still dirty.
After seeing him working away that time, Raze understood why, and his fingers were proof
of his hard work. These types of people, those that especially dedicated themselves to a
field of research, he didn't dislike them.
"Didn't you say the place was dangerous and there could be beasts?" Raze asked.
He had noticed the lack of weaponry on him. Most Pagna warriors used sword skills, but
there were a few of those that used different types of martial arts. From just appearance
alone, Raze didn't think Reno was a martial artist that used his fists.
Yet all Reno had on him was a strapped large basket on his back. That was used for
gathering herbs.
"We should only fight if necessary," Reno answered with a smile. "Besides, the strong
beasts have already been dealt with from the portal break. The only thing we need to worry
about are low-level beasts."
The two of them walked through the city and headed out of the east gate. The demonic
faction mostly had black and dark orange hard ground like a desert that never saw water.
Yet plants did still grow on the wasteland.
It made Raze wonder just where he was going to go or be. After all, this was the place the
Dark Faction Founder had fled to. Although Repton was the closest city, he could have gone
anywhere in the Demonic Faction.
Raze remembered Dame mentioned that his techniques could be found at his clan, and if
that was the case, then it meant the Dark Faction founder was likely to have visited the
Neverfall Clan as well.
"Alright, I'll direct you, and you can set the pace. We're in no rush, though, but it would be
good if we could get there and come back in the same day," Reno said.
Raze had to agree; the whole group needed to get back before the Academy started again,
and he was still a little worried about what could occur with Safa.
Raze ran, using a pace that was comfortable for him. He was able to cover around five
meters with a single push of his leg, but it wasn't enough.
"I'm at the second stage, and even with Qi pills, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to break
through to the third stage. It's just like Dame said; I'm going to need some type of
breakthrough. But I wonder if plants and herbs can be used, just like crystals as well?"
While thinking this, Reno continued to follow from behind with a thought in his mind.
"I know I said that we weren't in a rush, but he is moving quite slow. I guess he likes to take
it easy."
Following Reno's instructions, they had soon gone through a forest of dead trees. There
were no leaves on the branches. What they noticed was the large amount of destruction
that was around it as well.
Some of the trees had fallen over, and it didn't look natural, as the trunks had been broken.
It wasn't just one or two places, though; it was many.
"Was this because of the beasts in the area?" Raze asked.
"I'm not sure," Reno replied. "This is the first time that I'm collecting the plants myself.
What they told me was that they were next to some ruins, so we should see it soon."
It wasn't just some ruins; they could see it as clear as day. There were large giant stone
pillars across the floor, some still standing and others crumbled into large rocks.
The area was vast and large in size, and the pieces of ruins seemed to have been there for a
long time. As there were plants and vines that were already growing up on the rocks. What
stood out the most was that there was a giant pyramid structure, and unlike the rest of the
ruins on the ground, it was in pretty good condition.
One of the large pillars next to them, Raze was placing his hand on the greenery attached to
the pillar.
"That's strange; I wonder why the plants only grow on parts of the ruin, yet the rest of the
place is a wasteland," Raze said.
"Yep, that's what the gatherers said." Reno answered. "We need to search near the pillars
that seem to have their own Qi energy. It's giving life to the things close to it."
Reno searched the pillar, and right on the bottom, he could see the head of a small bud with
a single white flower. It was what they were looking for. Digging underneath it along with
its roots and soil, Reno placed it into the basket on his back.
"Don't worry, I will give you half of these for keeping me company," Reno said. "Besides, we
want something better than this, right? Something a lot more powerful."
The two continued to search, and they were only able to find the same type of flower with a
single white head on top. They had gathered around ten of them so far. The good news was,
they were still on the very outskirts of the ruins, so there was a good chance that they could
find something better the further in they headed.
On top of that, they hadn't seen any beasts at all. That was until Raze had spotted
something on one pillar. It had splashes of the color red on it.
'That's blood,' Raze noticed immediately, and on the ground, he could see the body of a
beast. It was around the same size as a dog but was round in size with spiky bristles on its
back. Judging from the wounds as well, it looked like they had been killed quite recently.
It was clear to Raze what that meant, that they weren't alone at these ruins.
"Hey, it looks like we have two wanderers from the Demonic Faction!" A man shouted.
Looking up at the noise, Raze could see one of them jumping right from the pillar, and
another had gone after Reno, but he needed to focus on protecting himself first.
The man in a light-colored white uniform held a sword as he jumped down right toward
Raze and gathered his Qi in the weapon.
Reacting fast, Raze swung his sword from the bottom.
'The third devil's formation!' Raze thought in his head, and he added his wind magic to the
sword as well.
He didn't have time to think and had pulled out his non-ghost sword, which was in his
sheath to his side rather than on his back. As he swung out, and the two swords clashed,
Raze could feel an intense amount of Qi energy that caused his knees to bend slightly.
'This person... they're strong, I didn't expect that!' Raze thought.
Luckily, with the wind magic, he was able to push himself away, and he slid back along with
his opponent.
Reno had already dealt with his opponent and had turned around.
"Damn it, you must have gotten the hard one!" Reno said, as he dashed forward turning into
almost a blur for Raze. Immediately, his hands had grabbed the Light Faction warrior's
head, and all Raze could see was the warrior starting to foam at the mouth before Reno let
go, dropping him onto the floor.
"Wait a moment, he was just as weak as the other guy, he didn't stop my attack at all?"
Reno said. If that was the case, then how did the mysterious hooded martial arts master
struggle.
"Hey, you don't mind telling me what stage you're at, do you?" Reno asked.
At this moment, Raze thought there was no harm, since Reno was clearly someone on his
side.
"I'm a stage 2 Pagna warrior," Raze answered.
"Hey look, it's the Demonic Faction!" More voices shouted from the side, as more of the
Light Faction were coming over and spotting the two due to the commotion that had
occurred.
There were now around six of them or so.
"Did you say a second stage, you're an initial stage warrior!" Reno shouted, shaking his
head.
Reno had clearly made a big mistake, and right now, they were both in a very dangerous
place. Even the Light Faction warriors that had just attacked them were at the third stage.
'We might just be in some trouble here,' Reno thought.
Chapter 203 Light Faction Trouble
Chapter 203 Light Faction Trouble
Out from the ruins, multiple men dressed in the same white clothing had come out. They
were appearing behind the pillars in the distance, coming from around the corner and even
emerging from sections of the large pyramid.
There were several holes along each large step of the pyramid that would allow one to
enter, and more and more people were starting to pour out. By the time they were coming
towards them, there were already around thirty or so.
Immediately, Reno rushed to the side.
'I need to try to get rid of them as silently as possible,' Reno thought, as he avoided the
sword strike of one man and then shoved his fingers into the mouth of another.
As he did so, the man started almost immediately foaming at the mouth before falling to the
floor.
Still, he had to pull back, as he jumped and stayed by the hooded man's side. He could see
two men approaching him, and with a stepping motion of his fist and then swinging it out, a
wave of dark green physical Qi went out, hitting several of the other men.
As it did, they weren't swept off their feet, but instead, something came over them that
made them almost instantly fall to the floor.
'This man, he's able to take out those that are just as strong as Ricktor in a couple of
sweeping motions and single hits! He really is impressive,' Raze thought.
He was starting to understand why many were respecting him around the city and had
treated him with respect. He was most likely a high-ranking clan member or maybe even a
master.
Still, Raze was now dealing with two warriors himself who had swung their swords
towards him. He managed to use the descending steps to just move out of the way and
strike against the swords, but he was finding it hard to get a good hit on them, only
deflecting their attacks and pushing them back.
Reno was keeping an eye on him because now that he knew his true strength, he felt like he
needed to protect him, since it was his fault that they were in this situation in the first
place.
'Damn, I thought he was a martial arts master, but he was only at the second stage!' Reno
thought as he continued to avoid the sword strikes and even caught two of them with his
hands, then swirled them around and thrust them so they stabbed their own users in the
stomach.
'This guy, he didn't even know much about Alchemist, so I just thought he was someone
who concentrated on martial arts. But I guess that's not the case either; he's just an
ordinary warrior, and I took him to a place like this!'
What was worrying Reno was that even though they were defeating more from the Light
Faction, it would cause one or two problems. He was a member of the Crimson Crane, a
neutral group that wasn't meant to get involved in others' affairs. If he took out too many
from the Light Faction, they could very well ruin their status as a neutral group.
The second issue was that, judging by the techniques this man was also clearly from the
Demonic Faction. His original plan was that if they were to be spotted by someone, the two
of them would just run away. But how could they? Now he realized why he was running so
slowly before as well. It was because he was running at the normal speed for a second-
stage Pagna warrior. His original plan of them ditching would be impossible; they would
catch up in a heartbeat.
Even now, the hooded man was struggling with two third-stage Pagna warriors on his own.
Due to the panic in the situation, Reno was oblivious to the fact that what Raze was doing
was actually very impressive. Since he was only a stage 2 warrior, how was he dealing with
two at the same time?
'If I get to the top, I might be able to use that ability to shroud a field over the rest. It will
make them sick, and then I can get out of here. I just have to get to the top of that Pyramid.'
"Hey, stay close to me and stay behind me; otherwise, you might start to feel a bit ill!" Reno
shouted.
Seeing how strong Reno was, Raze listened to him carefully, knowing they were in a tight
bind. He did as he was told, staying behind him and looking at his back.
Once he was ready, they were on the move, and as Reno charged forward, there was a
glowing green color emanating from his fingertips.
'It's that visual Qi, but just on the outside of his body?' Raze noticed. 'It's the first time I've
seen such a thing. To be honest, it almost acts the same way as magic. The Qi looks to have
some type of special trait as well.'
With every person that was coming close to the two of them, Reno would waft his hand
next to their face or touch their skin. In doing so, they almost fell ill, foamed at the mouth,
or just outright fell to the ground in an instant.
From the look of their bodies, it looked like they were poisoned.
'That's it, is that why he told me to stay behind him? Does his Qi have some type of special
poison trait?' Raze thought.
For a poison to have that much effect, the Qi had to be incredibly strong, but more so, it had
to work in the way it did. Raze imagined that the poison Qi would have to be in his body as
well. He couldn't imagine the trouble and the things he must have gone through. His body
might even be in pain right now.
Staying behind, they continued to head to the top, and Reno's plan was ready. When they
got to the top, he would use a technique that allowed him to cover his Poison Qi in the
whole area. With it, the two of them could then escape. As they were on the last few steps,
Reno jumped up, and Raze followed. He then turned around while in the air, pulled Raze to
the side, and threw him onto the top of the Pyramid.
Meanwhile, he struck the air, leaving a large mass of green visual Qi that hit all of their
pursuers and made them fall to the floor. When Reno landed, he could see that Raze had a
soft landing and was on top of the large platform, but he soon froze as he saw what was at
the top.
"Am I imagining things, or is that guy bad news?" Reno said.
Standing on top of the pillar was a man with white-colored hair to go with his light-colored
robes. They were more elegant than any of the others they had met so far, and even the
man looked more like he was in his fifties with his facial hair.
Right next to him, though, on the ground, tied up and being held down by several metal
chains and balls, was a woman dressed all in black. She had several cuts all over her, was
covered in blood, and judging by her body, it looked like she hadn't slept in a few days.
It looked like she was lucky to be alive or was being kept just on the edge for some reason.
"Oh, have a couple of heroes come to save you? I thought someone would have taken the
bait! I guess it's time the Light Faction got rid of the Demonic Faction!" The man stated.
Just from looking at him, Reno already knew he was bad news because the man in front of
them was a middle-stage warrior.
Chapter 204 Fighting To Survive
Chapter 204 Fighting To Survive
The older man who stood on top of the pyramid wasn't just anyone from the Light Faction.
Reno had noticed the clothing he was wearing, the light color with the golden trim around
it.
This man was known as Nabi Highborn and was one of the ten elders belonging to the
Dawnblade Clan, the same clan that Beatrix had come from.
After Beatrix's loss to the Demonic Faction, the Light Faction could do one of two things:
accept the loss and decide to stay low for a while. However, what would that mean for the
Light Faction? That they were weaker than the Demonic Faction? Not only that, but from
within the Light Faction, the Dawnblade Clan was being pressured, and some were
beginning to think that they had grown weak being next to the border of the Demonic
Faction.
Essentially, it meant some of those in the Light Faction felt like the Dawnblade Clan didn't
deserve to be in the top three clans of the Faction.
Because of this, and with all the pressure internally, not only did the Light Faction decide to
react to the Demonic Faction, but they had decided to do it in a big way so they wouldn't
dare to even try to act back.
This was why the Dawnblade Clan had sent one of the Elders belonging to their clan. Nabi
wasn't just a powerful person from the Light Faction; he was extremely powerful and one
of the strongest there was.
The Demonic Faction thought it was enough when they sent out Rayna, a middle-staged
warrior, one that was possibly in line to be the next leader of the Neverfall Clan, to protect
themselves. But they were wrong, and this was the result.
Thinking all of this, underneath Reno's eye, it was starting to twitch. He was trying to get
his brain to work, to figure out what the best thing to do was now that his plan had been
overturned.
'I originally wanted to come up here so I could cast a wide-range Qi attack with my poison
Qi as it fell on those chasing us. Then I thought we could just scram out of here, but now
that he's here, he'll stop me before I even cast such an attack.
'And if I cast using so much Qi, then how will I even be able to fight him?'
Taking a peek behind him, Reno could see that most of the warriors were staying on the
pyramid waiting for them to drop down or stopping them from escaping.
"This is a seriously bad situation!" Reno thought as he stretched out his hands, and visual
Qi was seen coating both of them in a light green fluorescent color.
At the same time, two of the Light Faction Pagna warriors from below had jumped up and
were surrounding Raze again.
'I am sorry, my new friend,' Reno thought in his head. 'But I cannot help you; you will have
to deal with them both on your own.'
Reno didn't hesitate as he charged in, and when he was within range, he swung his hand in
the air, leaving a large veil of green mist to fire out toward Nabi. The Light Faction Elder
drew out his sword, and it started to glow with power.
He then struck from below, and the green visual Qi disappeared right at that moment.
"Having already lost to us once, I would have thought they would have sent a few that were
stronger than this!"
Nabi charged in with his sword, ready to strike from above. His Qi power extended beyond
his sword, making it longer, and when he struck it down, Reno was able to dodge it by the
skin of his teeth.
He slipped to the side, and a large line that reached the very edge of the pyramid appeared
on the floor. He pushed forward, spun his body, aiming for a direct hit.
Using his sword, Nabi blocked the strike again, but the visual green Qi continued to come
off from his fist and was heading towards the Elder. However, before it could touch him, the
Elder's clothes were now glowing in a bright white, and all of the visual Qi had dispersed.
'Crap, my Qi isn't strong enough. He must be quite the high-level middle stage warrior, at
least higher than me! This isn't enough on my own!' Reno thought.
Raze was struggling as he fought against two opponents at once, using the Descending
Steps, but it was his first time fighting more than one person who was this strong. Because
of it, he wasn't able to strengthen the steps by using them consecutively one after the other.
The steps were weak on their own. Raze struck one, slashing right against the sword, and
as he did, he could see the other coming from his back. He had no choice but to cover his
hand in his Wind Magic; as he did this, he swung it out, and it clashed against the other
sword.
"Huh, is this guy's Qi is this strong to stop my sword? That's impossible; it doesn't really
make any sense!" The Light Faction warrior thought.
"A push of the wind!" Raze said as he used his magic and pushed the warrior away. It
skidded him across the ground but wasn't enough to do damage to him. Jumping back, Raze
decided he had no choice.
"If I don't do something, then none of us will live!" Raze said.
-----
In a struggle, with Reno's fist clashing against Nabi's, Reno was trying to draw power from
somewhere, but he wasn't much of a fighter. If his poison wouldn't work, then what could
he do? He didn't have the best techniques.
In his struggle, he could see Nabi's sword slashed right across his chest, faster than he
could see, and a cut was made, spilling out blood from his body. It fell to the floor, it was
slightly black in color, not the bright red it usually would be.
"A poison user, of course, only someone as sick from the Demonic Faction would use such a
thing!" Nabi charged in again, swinging the sword from above, and it was too fast for Reno
to deal with. He placed both hands above his head and activated all of the Qi he possibly
could to stop the sword from cutting him.
As he had done that, though, a foot kicked him right in the stomach, sending him skidding
across the ground. It was clear to Reno that he was outmatched, and he wasn't sure if he
could do this alone.
He was continuing to go, nearly falling off the edge, that was until he felt something solid
grab onto him and stop him.
"Thank you," Reno said, but his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw it was a
large stone statue of all things.
When looking at the hooded figure, he could see that both of the attackers who were
fighting him just moments ago had been defeated. One was slashed apart, with the other
next to a destroyed part of the ground.
"Use this!" Raze said as he threw over a pill.
Reno had caught it and looked at the pill. It was green in color, and not only that, it had the
marking of DM on it.
Chapter 205 Not Dying Today
Chapter 205 Not Dying Today
While Raze was in the middle of fighting against the two warriors, he had thought about
using more of his magic skills. Using magic along with the Demonic techniques allowed it to
be more effective, but things like Dark Pulse would surely take them by surprise.
When thinking about magic, though, it made him think about something else that he could
use. Something that took little magic to activate and would be incredibly strong. In a
situation like he was in, did he care about Alter's rules? Of course not.
If he was dead anyway, then what use would it be to follow Alter's rules to survive? After
pushing the two away, one with his swordsmanship and the other with his wind magic,
Raze had the time to summon his statue. With it in his hand, he used Dark magic, and
dropping it to the ground, it started to grow.
"What is that, did he just summon a statue?" one of the Light Faction warriors said. They
were clearly confused, and they were even more startled when they saw it moving.
It charged forward toward one of them, and in doing so, it swung its sword from above. It
hit the Light Faction warrior, whose knees nearly buckled. Drawing the sword away, it
acted again and slammed its heavy fist on top of its head, sending it to the ground.
This distraction finally gave Raze a chance to use four of the Descending Steps in succession
as he went right at the third warrior and swung his sword. With the added strength of the
buildt-up of Qi, the Devil's swordsmanship strike, and Raze's wind magic, it managed to
break through, shattering the sword and cutting him right across the chest.
"As I thought, the statue is incredibly strong," Raze thought, looking at it. "It has the blood
of all five of the disciples. Ricktor was a third-stage warrior while the rest were at the
second stage. With all of them combined together, that statue might be a stage 4 or 5 Pagna
warrior, and it has the techniques from all the clans, making it extremely versatile."
With Raze having successfully defeated the two who were dealing with him, he managed to
catch the tail end of the fight between two middle-stage warriors. Just from a glance, he
knew that his getting directly involved was a bad idea, but looking down at the two injured
Light Faction warriors something did cross his mind.
What he was even more surprised about, though, was the large difference between the two.
It looked as if Reno was unable to do anything at all.
When Reno was struck back, the statue had caught him, and since Raze needed his ally's
help, he did what he could in throwing him a pill.
"DM... these are the Dark Magus' pills that Alba was trying to find. This one looks different
from the one that he gave me before. Why does he have so many of these pills? Nothing is
making sense."
Regardless, Reno decided to take the pill right there and then. In doing so, he felt an instant
rise in his energy, and not just that, but something else was changing in him as well. He
moved forward, his footsteps, everything about him, was moving slightly faster compared
to before.
When Nabi went to swing the sword down, Reno thrust both of his fists forward in an open
palm. Some of his Qi had restored thanks to the pill, but it wasn't the only effect. His
techniques that would require more Qi, he was able to use them faster than before.
Jumping quickly from the side, Reno delivered a punch, and rather than blocking it with the
sword like Nabi had done this entire time, he avoided it by moving his head to the side
instead.
'How can a person improve so much compared to before? He wasn't hiding his strength,
was he? What is going on?' Nabi thought.
Nonetheless, he was able to shift to the side and thrust his sword right at Reno. Gathering
his Qi to the sword strike, he blocked the attack, and was sent skidding to the side. The
powerful Qi still delivered a strong blow, causing him to cough out blood.
"I can move my Qi and my techniques a lot quicker thanks to that pill. The effect of it was
more than I thought as well. This Dark Magus person is amazing, but I don't think it will be
enough."
Reno just needed a few moments to recover as he could see that Nabi was coming after
him. But thankfully, a particular person, or thing, stood in his way, as it struck with his fists,
a destructive explosive force came out.
Nabi swung his sword in an upward motion, like the curve of the moon, and created a wall
of Qi, blocking the strike.
"A doll?" Nabi strangely thought, looking at the stone statue.
However, the doll wouldn't be strong enough to defeat him, which was why he was ready to
strike again. That was until a strong force could be felt coming from behind. The back of his
neck was tingling.
Turning, he could see three lines of strikes heading his way tearing up the ground.
Nabi swung his sword to deflect all three of them.
As he did, the energy dispersed into the air, but powerful shockwaves went off one after the
other, when his sword clashed against the strikes. When he looked in the direction of
where the attack had come from, he could see it was from the strange hooded man.
Raze was standing there, and he had drawn his ghost sword from his back. The weapon
was now slightly glowing red after using his moves.
"This sword... it really does draw more power when Demonic Qi is being used in it."
The moment Raze tried to use a Demonic technique along with the ghost blade, he could
feel it being reinforced with a strange power. The sword itself started to glow slightly red
as well.
However, as for the reason why he had taken a while to attack, that was because he had
decided to do everything he could to give them the chance to win the fight.
On the ground next to Raze, there were two shriveled-up bodies that were completely dried
up like prunes.
"Don't tell me, did he use the extraction technique on those from the Light Faction?" Reno
noticed.
That was exactly what Raze had done. This was a life and death situation, and he could tell
with the force of the strikes the Light Faction members were using that they had attempted
to kill him. So he needed to gather as much power as he could in this situation.
After drawing their energy, he could feel his Qi rising. With the extra power received from
the Light Faction warriors, the new ghost blade, along with using his magic, Raze was able
to produce large wind strikes full of power.
"I'm seriously completely confused with this guy," Reno thought. "I thought he was an
alchemist, but he knows nothing about alchemy. I thought he was a martial artist, and then
he says he's only a stage 2 Pagna warrior.
"So how, how is he able to produce something like Qi strikes out of his body? Is he actually
a master martial artist?"
There was something else as well. When using the extraction technique on the Light
Faction members, when they had finally passed, Raze had received quite the increase in a
certain attribute.
[Dark attribute: 40 >>>> 50]
Although Wind magic was useful for attacking from far away and sharpening one's sword,
the most destructive type of magic and the one Raze was most powerful in was Dark magic.
Soon, the ghost blade started to change, as Dark magic surrounded the outside of the
weapon, giving it a faint dark glow.
"I… won't die here." Raze said.
Using the opportunity, Reno quickly jumped away again and this time moved closer to the
hooded figure and so did the statue next to him.
'These guy his attack's aren't strong but there's something about him.' Reno thought.
From his side, he could see Raze move and quickly he had thrown out a red pill. Catching it,
he could see the marking of DM again and this time he took it in immediately.
'With this many pill's I think I've figured out who you are?' Reno inwardly smiled.
At that moment, Raze pulled out another green Qi pill and consumed it himself, confirming
Reno's suspicions.
'You are him! you are the Dark Magus!'
Chapter 206 Too Strong
Chapter 206 Too Strong
Everything was making sense to Reno, and at the same time, nothing was making sense.
The pills that were incredibly rare to get one's hands on, a mysterious person turning up at
the auction who was strong and weak at the same time. The pills that had even greater
effects than the rumors; because of this, he could only imagine that this person was the
Dark Magus.
"Now that I'm 80 percent sure of who this person is, I definitely can't run away," Reno
thought to himself. "If I did, then Alba would kill me if she found out what I did, and rather
than getting killed by her, I would rather fight, trying my best to take out this person in
front of me."
With the red pill, Reno had healed up and gained more Qi again, and he decided to charge in
once more at a fast speed. The only thing was he wasn't alone this time. The stone statue
that was by his side had charged in as well at the same time.
"A bunch of you teaming up on a single old man?" Nabi smiled. "As expected of those that
belong to Factions like the Demonic and Dark, none of you have any honor at all."
Hearing the old man's voice and the sound of fighting and energies spewing out, Rayna was
starting to open her weak eyes. Her whole body was in pain from all over, and her limbs felt
heavy.
There was a special type of metal that had been created to make large balls and chains to
keep her down. If she was at full strength, she at least would have been able to move, but in
the state she was in now, it was close to impossible.
"Who is it that's come here, did the Neverfall Clan actually send someone after I failed?"
Rayna said, as if she was surprised.
When she looked at the two that were helping her out, though, she didn't recognize any of
them.
"I thought as much; father isn't like that. I guess these two strangers just stumbled upon
this situation. Maybe my luck hasn't run out."
Closing her eyes, Rayna started to focus. She hadn't given up, and she wasn't going to just
let the current situation put her out. With the state she was in, could she really do
anything? As she looked around the area, she could feel something giving her a little bit of
energy.
Towards the edge of the platform, there was a white flower, and on the top of the head, it
had strangely sprouted out, creating five heads. For a while now, she had felt a soothing
sensation coming from the plant.
"I don't know what that thing is, but maybe it can help me," she thought.
---
The statue and Reno charged in one after the other, and it was starting to use one of the
explosive fist techniques as it threw out its hands towards the middle-staged warrior.
Nabi was charging up a palm strike as he moved his hand in a circular motion, but seeing
this, it was then that Reno decided to act. His entire arm glowed green as he swung it down.
"The Snake's bite!"
Reno's hand wasn't shaped like a fist, but instead, he had his thumb and two fingers
pointed like a pair of fangs ready to bite down right on the Light Faction Leader's arm. It
struck, pinching hard and pulled the hand away so the palm strike Qi struck out, going into
the air and hitting nothing.
The statue then successfully landed a hit right on the chest of Nabi, who jolted back a little,
but he pushed forward with his foot as this happened.
"This whole display is pathetic! Do you guys have any idea who I am?" Nabi swirled his arm
and swung Reno off, throwing him to the ground. Right after, Nabi swung the sword, and
when it hit the statue, it sliced right through him.
"This guy's power, it's almost as if he's been toying with us!" Reno thought. "He has to be a
high-stage middle-stage warrior."
Slicing the sword again, parts of the statue were coming off bit by bit, and finally, the power
of the strike was put into the tip of his sword as he thrust it forward. At that moment, it had
broken into several pieces, turning into next to nothing. But there was a certain individual
right behind him.
"The fourth descending step!" Raze kicked off with both of his feet, his sword covered in his
black magic. He rose the weapon from above and used the first formation of the Devil's
strike.
"The Dark Devil's waterfall!" The Dark magic completely surrounded the sword and came
crashing down.
Just in time, Nabi was able to swing his sword up and block the strike. As the two energies
clashed, his feet broke several of the pyramid's bricks beneath him, creating a small crater
below.
The strike was extremely strong at that moment, and Reno couldn't believe it.
"Is this really something that only a second-stage Pagna warrior is capable of?"
Right now, Raze had the power of the drained Light Faction members, he had used his
Descending Step skills up to the fourth step, and mixed his strongest type of magic with his
sword formation. On top of that, he had the ghost blade in his hand that got stronger with
Demonic energy, as well as the speed pill giving him just that small edge.
It certainly wasn't a strike that a simple two-star Pagna warrior could produce.
As the two energies clashed, Nabi was carefully looking at what was surrounding Raze's
sword as it flickered slightly, and his eyes opened wide.
"Oh, to find someone like you in a place like this, I guess you are a very, very unlucky
person!" Nabi lifted his hand and quickly used a palm strike, hitting Raze right in the
stomach.
It was too fast for him to react, and he slid across the ground. Blood came spitting out from
his mouth, and he was sure he was going to fall off the edge. He had no choice but to use his
wind magic as he stayed on, saving himself, but the pain was still there as he knelt over.
Nabi walked over to Reno and swung the sword a couple of times. Reno had blocked them
using his Qi so it didn't cut him, but then Nabi used a thrust attack. Reno had blocked it
with his Qi, but it was still destructive, as he felt it enter him and blood pour out of his
mouth too.
Moments later, Reno had ended up right next to Raze, rolling and falling on the ground.
The statue had been defeated, and Raze had used the pills he thought were effective, he had
waited for the perfect time using most of his mana along with his Qi, yet the two of them
still weren't able to defeat him.
"The effects of the pill, I think they're wearing off... I'm sorry, my friend," Reno said. "I don't
think I can continue much longer."
Nabi had enough of playing these games, with both of them injured, it was time for him to
slice off both of their heads. As he dashed forward, a Qi-filled arrow had come right at him.
He swung his sword, trying to cut the arrow in half, but it stayed mid-air for a moment
before eventually being deflected and causing a large crash in the ground below.
"That was no normal arrow, who's there?" Nabi shouted.
"Who?" A voice replied. "It's the ones that are going to bring you down."
Raze turned to look, and he could see a group of eight people standing there on the
pyramid edge. They were all dressed in different shades of clothes and armor. They didn't
look like your typical Pagna warriors.
As he looked further, he was trying to see if he recognized any of them, but he was unable
to.
Below them, though, all of the Light Faction members that were blocking their path of
escape had been defeated, and with ease, because the group that had arrived wasn't just
anyone.
"I think this might be the first time in a long time I'm happy to see you appear out of the
blue," Reno joked.
"You two rest up," Alba said as she walked forward, pulling out two medium-sized red
swords from her waist and holding them in her hands. "We, the Crimson Crane, will take
care of this!"
Chapter 207 The Crimson Crane Attack
Chapter 207 The Crimson Crane Attack
One of the most well-known Clans across the three continents had arrived. Their name
stretched far and wide, not just because of their power but also due to their unique setup.
They were so well-known that even someone like Raze, who had only been there a short
while, knew their name.
"The Crimson Crane, what are all of them doing here?" Raze thought. "Are they here to save
that girl?"
It wasn't just Raze who had recognized them. Nabi noticed the distinctive features of Alba,
the current Clan head of the Crimson Crane, with her dark pigmented red skin, a feature
only found in a certain region.
"The Crimson Crane? And not just a few members, but all of you have come here to stop me,
what an honor!" Nabi started to chuckle as he loosely moved his sword about through the
air. "I thought your status was wanderers and to never get involved in affairs that dealt
with the other factions."
Alba looked toward Reno and walked over to him, seeing some blood on his clothes.
"It seems you have hurt one of our members pretty badly. I would say that is reason
enough to take you down. Crimson Crane, do whatever you can to take out this man!"
The Clan members all spread out immediately as they positioned themselves to clash
against the middle-staged warrior.
Immediately, Froma, the small red-cheeked girl, rolled to the side and pulled out her bow,
which looked like it had been carved from a large beast's tusks. She placed an arrow inside
and pulled it one after the other as she got several more arrows from her quiver. All of
them were powered with Qi.
Nabi, using his sword, struck each of them, and having hit one of the arrows before, he
knew how strong they were, so he had to put a bit more strength into it. Hitting the arrows,
some crashed on the ground, breaking the tiles underneath, while others were hit off the
platform.
Taking this opportunity, the small man Elvlin, who held a giant glaive, jumped up in the sky
and swung it down right on top of Nabi.
The Elder from the Light Faction used his sword to protect himself from the attack, but just
like before, his legs were pushed into the ground as it started to break slightly beneath him.
From the side, Kizer, holding onto the long sword, and Lilly, the spear user, both of them
came at the same time toward the old man.
"All of you are at the middle stage, no wonder your clan has made a name for yourselves,
but your name is not due to your strength, but it is due to your uniqueness. You are nothing
compared to us Elders of the Dawnblade clan!"
Kicking off from his foot, Nabi started to spin, and he deflected the glaive of Elvlin, pushing
him to the side. He continued to spin his body, and he had hit the long sword of Kizer, as
well as the spear of Lilly, crushing them both to the ground.
Immediately, with his other hand free, he had somehow managed to get behind Elvin and
grabbed the back of his head, pulling him down to the ground. With his sword, he was
getting ready to stab it down again, but Alba had come forward, swinging one sword after
the other of her dual blades.
Nabi was on the retreat as he saw lines of red visual Qi coming at him, but he was blocking
each of the strikes.
'Her swordsmanship is unique, and she is aiming for spots that are awkward for me to
defend.'
Still, Nabi was keeping up with all of the hits one after the other. He certainly lived up to his
reputation, and judging by the fact that he could fend off all of the Crimson Crane, it meant
he had to be quite a high middle-staged warrior.
While he continued to defend attack after attack, he had failed to notice the presence at his
side. A blonde man with a black mask had come out with a dagger coated in Qi.
With no choice, Nabi reacted, lifting his hand, and the dagger had gone right through it,
even though it was coated in Qi, for the first time, Nabi was bleeding from a flesh wound.
"All of you at once is certainly annoying!" Nabi pulled his hand out and then circled his
hand in two motions, firing out two Palm blasts at Cronker, hitting him in the stomach. He
then jumped in the air, trying to reposition himself, but while in the air, several arrows
were on him again. With a wide swing and his Qi, he managed to hit the arrows and had
done so in a way so they were deflected right back toward the group.
Each of them was left using their techniques to defend themselves, and during that time,
Nabi had kicked the air. He had done so using his Qi as something to push against, giving
him something that made it look like he was somewhat flying.
Now he was heading down, and he was heading right towards someone. "Let's get rid of
you one by one!" Nabi started to gather the Qi at the tip of his sword. As for the person he
was aiming for, it looked like he was going after both Raze and Reno, who were both
resting.
'Crap, I thought with all the others that they would have been able to keep him down, but
this old man doesn't just have strong Qi, he's freakin' incredibly skillful!'
However, luckily for them, there was still one member that hadn't shown themselves yet.
He had jumped in front of the two and pulled out his large black shield from his back. He
stood behind it firmly, then right when the sword was about to thrust forward, he shifted
his foot and bashed right into the tip of the blade.
A large amount of Qi exploded from both ends, and shockwaves were sent off, blowing
wind in all directions. Even Rayna was struggling as she had managed to make her way
closer to the plant.
'The Crimson Crane?' She thought. 'What are they doing here? Why would they come here
and fight against the Light Faction? This makes no sense. Did my father pay them? Or is it
something else.'
After having his skill blocked, Nabi continued to swing his sword several times, but Tilon
with his shield continued to move it and block all of the incoming attacks.
That's when another attack was thrown at Raze, and the sword wasn't next to him, but the
Qi strike left his sword, creating a line of aura that was sent his way.
Reno, seeing this, had no choice, as he went in front of him, bashing both of his fists
together and taking a deep breath, he blew out his Qi, making a visual green cloud of
smoke. It hit the attack and started to slow it down, but it was still able to continue to push
through. That was until Kizer had jumped down with his long Sword and swung at the
visual strike, breaking it into particles.
"What are you doing Reno!" Kizer said. "Are you an idiot? Why would you throw yourself in
front of a stranger like that?"
Although Reno and this stranger might have come together, Kizer wasn't shy. It was clear
that this person was weak and had been holding him back during the fight. In the world of
Pagna, especially when they were going against a tough opponent like so, they had no time
to worry about others.
"He's right!" Alba said as she jumped back. She had just been clashing head to head with
Nabi, trying to at least wear him out, and now all of the others were having a go fighting at
him. No matter how hard they were pushing, though, he was able to defend from it all and
get in a few attacks of his own. If he didn't tire out, then it would slowly come to their loss,
and although it looked like the fight was quite even, as soon as they lost one person, it
would quickly go downhill.
"What are you doing? Forget about this guy. Hey, you, just scram out of this place," Alba
shouted.
Reno wasn't so sure that was the right thing to do. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it or
not, but it almost looked like Nabi was targeting the hooded figure for some reason.
'Did something happen in that interaction?' Reno thought.
Listening to them, Raze thought now, without the others, it was a good time for him to go,
and as he turned around to move away, a sword strike came right towards him. Reno had
pulled his shirt, bringing him back just in the nick of time, again allowing the strike to
continue on and go off the pyramid.
'I was right, that damned Light Faction Elder, he's aiming for him for some reason. Could it
be, does he know as well?' Reno decided then and there that there was only one thing he
could do.
"Alba, we have to protect him," Reno said. "This man right here, he's the one that we've
been looking for, he's the Dark Magus!"
Reno shouted the last words loud and clear so the others could hear what he had said, and
they turned their heads slightly to look at the hooded man.
"This person… he's the Dark Magus?" Alba asked, and soon she smiled because this just
changed everything. At the same time, though, she wasn't the only one surprised by those
words, because Nabi, the Light Faction Elder, had heard them as well.
'He's the Dark Magus… no, that can't be, that's impossible, it can't be him,' Nabi thought.
Chapter 208 I'm Built Different
Chapter 208 I'm Built Different
After learning of the special and unique pills that the Dark Magus was able to make, Alba
had an obsession with finding this person. She already envisioned that with him by their
side, they would be able to go beyond what they currently already were.
She had big things planned for the Crimson Crane, to become a worldwide force that could
be utilized at will, with the aim of mainly protecting the people. It's why they were
wanderers and helped out in cases adhering to any faction, and it was also why they
focused more on getting rid of dangerous portals than the affairs between factions and
governments.
However, she had received no luck. Time after time, there were no signs of this Dark
Magus, and finally, when Dame was going to introduce him to them, he was nowhere to be
seen.
It was leaving her to think that perhaps the world didn't want her to meet up with him. But
what had come as a surprise to her was the children she had seen. The ones that were in
the room were the ones that had caught her eye that day.
Was it a coincidence that Dame had brought her to these people? But there was one person
missing—the hooded figure. At the time, she didn't put her finger on it, as her mind was
filled with many things, but the hooded figure they were looking for, the one that was there
that day, was he the Dark Magus?
The hooded figure with them as well, she thought it was just a stranger. She had only gone
out here because she wanted to uphold her part of the deal. The Dark Magus and Dame
were close, so it should have been someone she could meet anytime.
Meanwhile, his sister's situation, with her being injured, who knew how long she would be
alive, or if she was alive at all.
Which was why the two of them had split up. Dame and the kids had gone to search for the
Dark Magus and where he might be around the city, while Alba had gone off to the job
intended.
"Alright, new plan!" Alba said. "Tilon, stay by the Dark Magus' side no matter the cost, and
as for the rest of you, consume the green pills!"
Immediately, all of the members of the Crimson Crane took out the green pills with the
marking of DM on them. Raze noticed them straight away; they were the Qi pills that he had
created. These pills were the ones he had made with the level 1 power stones, so they
wouldn't have an effect for a large amount of time, but still, it would be helpful to them all.
"Let's show the Dark Magus what we can do, especially when he's the one helping us!"
After taking the pills, everyone got to work again. The first one to strike was Elvlin; with his
small frame, he swung the glaive, hitting the sword. He was moving just a little faster,
giving him a little more power, knocking his sword more to the side.
Seeing this, Froma was timing her shots perfectly, and the arrows themselves were even
moving through the air faster. They had crashed into Nabi's side, hitting his ribs. His Qi was
protecting him from them piercing his body, but it was a big blow, and it wasn't the last of
the blows.
Cronker had come from the back, aiming for the legs, he slashed towards the back of them,
creating cuts near his achilles. Trying to slow him down. The blade didn't get through, but
he was able to attack it more than once before going through to the other side.
Right after, Lilly with her spear thrust in the middle; the timing seemed odd to Nabi as he
went to block it, but that's when the large sword from Kizer had hit the sword away, and
Lilly thrust right into the stomach of Nabi. She lifted him in the air and stabbed at his body
several times, one after the other, blood was starting to pour out of his mouth at this point.
"Give me a boost, Cronker!" Alba shouted, as she jumped, and Cronker went on his back, he
then kicked both feet of Alba, sending her up.
Lilly stopped attacking for a moment, allowing Alba to strike again while he was in the air.
She swung both of her blades in an X shape, and landed on the floor. Her visual Qi looked to
have made petals as the large marking was left, and blood soaked Nabi's clothes as he was
falling to the floor.
He could tell the rest were below him, and each of them was waiting for him. So he had no
choice as he gathered his Qi and started to spin his body. The Qi and strikes were flying off
his body in all directions like that of a tornado. Strikes were coming out everywhere, and
the group needed to deflect them one by one. Thankfully, Tilon was still with Raze and
Reno and was deflecting all of the hits.
As he landed on the ground, a large wave of Qi pushed out, making sure that no one got
close to him, but when he landed for a second, he stumbled, and specks of blood were spat
out of his mouth.
"Haha, typical, the great Crimson Crane… needs to use their entire clan to take me on, and
you even have the help of some enchanted items, I see." Nabi was smiling, his teeth soaked
in blood.
The Crimson Crane's effect of the pills would be wearing off soon, and they had already
used up quite a bit of Qi. They needed to finish this now that he was injured.
All of them charged in at once again from all different angles. Rayna, who had been
watching it all, some might have thought that she would have been hopeful in this situation,
but she wasn't.
Having mustered up a bit of her strength from the strange plant that she was now next to,
she managed to shout out a few words.
"No, get away from him!" Rayna screamed.
She knew what was coming. During her fight with Nabi, he had used it as well. Something
that she had never seen before, something she had no clue how to react to.
Nabi raised his hand, and from the corner of his eye, he looked at Raze with a large smile.
'Just what is he… planning on doing?' Raze thought.
With his hand in the air, right at his fingertips, a few sparks started to appear. Soon after, it
began to trickle down his entire arm. A strange blue trickle that was sparking off in all
different directions.
The others thought that this was just a type of visual Qi, a new technique by the Dawn
Blade clan they had never seen before, but they were wrong, they were very wrong.
"Who cares if I get in trouble. Paralyzing shock!" Nabi called out and slammed his hand
open on the ground.
At the same time, the strange blue substance that was shooting all over the place spread
right out on the ground, followed by a thunderous roar. The strike on the floor nearly
deafened them all, and immediately, all of the Crimson Crane was hit by this attack.
It ran across the floor, hitting their bodies, causing them to freeze up. Almost immediately,
they all fell to the floor on their knees, dropping their weapons by their sides.
Alba was trying to pick up her weapon, but a tingling pain was being felt throughout her
whole body.
"What is this?" Alba said to herself. "What type of technique can do something like this?
Shouldn't only a Divine being be capable of this? Are you a Divine being?"
"No," Nabi answered. "I'm not a Divine being, I'm a mage."
The words, it was something that Alba didn't understand. What even was a mage, and why
wouldn't her body listen to her?
She looked around at her fellow allies. 'Come on, just one of you, one of you… resist this!'
As she thought about her own people from the Crimson Crane, a realization had hit her.
What about the Dark Magus? If it was affecting them this badly, then surely he would be
hurt as well.
She managed to slowly turn her head, twitching it, as the sparks continued to try to snap it
back.
"Huh?" Alba said in surprise. "How, how is he the only one standing and not affected by
this."
Everyone had been affected by the lightning; all of them were down on their knees, all
apart from Raze, as he stood there staring right at Nabi.
Rayna couldn't believe her eyes as she blinked a few times. It was a skill, even her as a
middle-stage warrior couldn't resist this strange power.
'Who… is that guy?' Rayna thought.
Chapter 209 Magic Vs Magic
Chapter 209 Magic Vs Magic
When Nabi had lifted his hand up, there was an instinctual reaction from Raze. He had seen
this type of movement many times before in his past life, more than he could count. In the
world of Pagna, he thought that he would never experience it, at least not here. So for a
moment, he thought he might have been wrong.
His experience as a teacher, he had seen those start the spell the same way. This was a spell
linked to those with the Lightning attribute. To draw more power, they often had to lift
their hands in the sky.
They could still use lightning-type magic without it, but if it was a long-ranged attack and
they needed to store lightning quicker, raising their hand was the ideal way, and just before
Nabi had cast his magic, he had said the words of the spell.
It had confirmed it for Raze, and in that split second, he had reacted. Pulling out the new
pill he had created, the light blue Qi pill with the ice magic, he had flicked it right into his
mouth and swallowed it down.
A cool sensation was felt all over his skin, power radiating from his body.
Nabi placed his hand on the floor, and the lightning went out, hitting everyone in the area,
including Raze himself. The lightning still struck him, hurting him slightly, but the effects of
the spell, causing a paralysis effect, were worn off by the effect of the pill.
That was why Raze was still standing there in front of everyone, why Raze was unaffected
by the magic, because he knew what was coming.
'That spell, it wasn't one that was directed at hurting but paralysis. It's quite easy to avoid if
one casts magic in the area around them at the same time, or if one can jump away from the
ground at a high enough distance. But the Pagna warriors would have known nothing about
it,' Raze thought.
'I took an uncommon Qi pill, which means for the next three minutes I'll be unaffected by
his effects.' Raze thought to himself, but there was an even more pressing thought on top of
all of this. 'What is a mage doing here? Is he part of Alter? Someone in the Light Faction,
they said that they had people everywhere, right?
'So it's quite possible? Then what happens in this situation. Do I reveal who I am?'
Raze remembered something; at the moment, he still had the device that had been given to
him. If he was from Alter, it should have activated when someone else was close. Yet it
hadn't done so. Of course, Himmy did also state that those from Alter would be able to
deactivate the device itself, but one thing was clear, now Nabi would know that Raze was a
mage as well, so he needed to see what was going to happen.
"As I thought, you were a mage," Nabi smiled as he looked at all of the Crimson Crane still
hurt and affected by what had happened. Even Rayna had been hit from behind, sending
her straight to the ground again.
"You also seem to be one good with enchantments. You have already learned how to utilize
them and make them into the form of Qi pills in this world. That is very impressive; you
certainly must have a lot of knowledge," Nabi said, impressed, placing his sword away in
his sheath by his side and even clapped his hands a few times. While doing so, small sparks
came off.
"You should be careful, though. If Alter gets word that you have been selling these pills,
they will be after you. Not that it matters because you're going to die right here!" Nabi
stretched out his hand, and the sparks charged up from his shoulder.
"Lighting Strike!" Nabi shouted out. The magic twirled around his hand as if it was charging
from the shoulder and went right out from his hand, striking forward.
The others watching this happen couldn't believe their eyes. This wasn't a type of visual Qi;
there was no buildup of Qi through movements to create an image, and the properties of
the attack, they were real; they could feel it themselves. Just what type of pure power was
this?
However, it wasn't as if Raze was doing nothing as he saw this. At the same time, black
magic had been building up around his arm as well, and throwing it forward at the same
time, Raze said the magic words.
"Dark Pulse!"
A dark beam shot out from his hands, and it struck against the lightning. As they both hit,
the two magic energies were colliding against each other. That was until eventually one of
the powers won out, and the dark beam continued forward.
Nabi had no choice but to move out of the way as the beam continued onward into the
distance.
"What!" Nabi said. "You, and me, we are both 3-star mages; my lightning shouldn't have lost
out to yours!"
Raze smiled as he heard all of this.
"Your right, you could tell from my mana, and I could tell from yours that we are both 3-
star mages, but have you lived in Pagna for so long that you forgot the basics?" Raze asked.
"Dark magic is strong against lightning!"
Shoving both of his hands forward, Raze used the Dark Pulse twice.
"Dark Pulse!"
It came out of both hands and fast; Nabi had no choice but to lift both of his hands up, and
as he did, a wall of lightning appeared.
"Wall of Lightning!" Nabi said.
The lightning barrier was created, and the dark energy was clashing against it. It was hard,
and now Nabi had to put even more effort as he placed more of his Mana into his lightning.
He had to, otherwise, it wouldn't be enough to defend from the attack.
Eventually, the dark magic had stopped, but Nabi looked worn out just from the two
attacks.
"You may be a strong mage, but you are nothing compared to my Pagna skills!" Nabi stated.
"I'll use my magic to take out the Pagna warriors, and my techniques to bring you down."
Seeing this, Raze had another pill in his mouth again; it was the green pill, a level 2 one that
he bit down, taking another bite.
'He's right; his Pagna skills are beyond what I can handle, so all I can do is use everything I
have!'
His wind magic was faster than his dark magic, so Raze quickly changed and pulled out his
sword; he then swung it down, creating slashes all aimed at Nabi.
However, Nabi was able to deflect all of the attacks even with the slashes, as he swung his
sword, breaking right through them.
'Crap, he's a middle-stage warrior; even with my Pagna skills and magic, it's not enough!'
Raze thought.
Seeing the desperation, Raze decided to do one more thing; he used the fourth descending
step, pushing off with both feet, and then with his right hand, he used Dark Strike. A strong,
powerful pulse shot out from Raze's hand, and as it did, it crashed right into Nabi.
He held the sword carefully as the attack hit, but it soon started to light up with Qi. The
power continued to strike against his sword, but Nabi swung it, and the energy was
deflected off to the side and in the air, doing nothing to harm him.
"You… you're able to use both Pagna skills and magic at the same time?" Nabi said out loud.
His eyes were wider than usual as well. "It's amplifying your sword techniques; that's why
your strike from before had so much power, and it can also amplify your magic, but how is
that possible?
"How are you able to use both at the same time? Are you really from Alterian?"
Ignoring the words of the man, Raze continued to swing his sword while moving and firing
out the Dark Pulse. He wasn't holding back, using his mana, but still, Nabi, even in his
confused state, was able to use his sword to block all of the attacks, adding Qi to it.
He deflected them all, hitting the energies off, and it looked like Raze was eventually
running out of not Qi energy, but he had run out of mana.
"The weakness of all mages," Nabi stated. "It is why a higher star Mage almost always wins
fights because one will run out of mana before the other. I have to admit you are really a
mysterious person. I would love to find out how you are able to use both Qi and mana at the
same time. However, I'm not interested enough to leave you alive."
Nabi then chuckled to himself as he thought back to a moment where he was slightly
worried before.
"I can't believe for a moment I thought you were him; I thought you were the Dark Magus. If
you were, then I would already be dead."
With those words, it was clear to Raze that this man was from Alterian, and he was there
during the time when Raze's name as the Dark Magus was already widely known. However,
with how strong his warrior skills were, how long had he been in Pagna for?
He wanted to know more, but with his mana gone and seeing no way to win this fight, it
wasn't his time to think about that.
"Don't worry, we can be the ones that do it for you!" Alba said as she and the rest of the
Crimson Crane had taken out another pill. The blue Qi pill, the original cursed Mana pill.
Each of the members had eaten them while Raze was fighting, and all of the Qi they had
used in the fight had been restored.
Giving them enough power to fight through the lightning and stand up again.
"Let's go for round 2 this time," Alba smiled.
"Crimson Crane!" Raze shouted out. "Keep him busy for one minute… and we will win this
fight."
Raze had an idea, an idea that would turn this fight around.
Chapter 210 Taking A Risk
Chapter 210 Taking A Risk
Alba and the rest of the Crimson Crane were able to get the pills from Dame beforehand,
the pills which had been made by the Dark Magus. In doing so, the pills had been split
among all of the members.
After all, the Clan regularly split apart, because at times, they would be sent out individually
to help others in different areas. Who knew when they would need one of these pills to help
them in an emergency situation.
This certainly felt like an emergency situation for all of them right now. However, they
knew these pills were a last resort. They would restore the Qi fully as if they had never
fought for each of them, but it would only last a minute.
It was designed to be used in dangerous dungeons when fighting against beasts because if
the pill ever hit and reached the wider market, then this would become knowledge to all,
and then Nabi would know exactly what to do.
"That pill's got a time limit, so don't rely on it too much," Raze reminded them.
"You said you have an idea on how to finish this guy, right? Well, don't worry; I don't plan
on needing it!" Alba said as she charged forward, both of her swords glowing with Qi
energy again.
She struck as hard as she could with the swords, her visual Qi showing a red stream behind
her. She was once again attacking in the awkward spots while Nabi was deflecting them all.
He then strengthened his sword with a large amount of Qi and swung it forward, pushing
her back.
It didn't hurt Alba but had created distance between the two. Nabi then used footwork to
charge back, avoiding all of the others coming toward him, finally staying still for a few
moments, and the lightning magic was starting to gather around his arm again.
"You are really an annoying one," Nabi said. "Lighting Strike."
Out from his hand, a bolt of lightning came out and struck Forma right on her arm. It
scorched her arm badly, causing her to drop her bow and arrow. Her Qi was strong, though,
so the injury wasn't too bad, but she was slowly running out of time.
Rayna was just recovering from the last lightning shock, and she was slowly looking at the
fight going off again.
'Not even the entire Crimson Crane can take him on? It looks like we hugely
underestimated the Light Faction,' Rayna thought. 'But I've noticed, whenever he uses that
strange lightning power of his, he has to stay still. He can't use footwork techniques, and
unlike that other guy, it seems like he can't even use sword techniques and lightning strikes
at the same time.'
Rayna was somewhat right with her observations, but it wasn't that Nabi wasn't able to use
his sword or move while using magic; it was while controlling mana, he was unable to
utilize Qi at the same time. He could swing his sword while creating a lightning bolt, but he
couldn't combine it with a technique, nor could he add Qi to his strikes like the hooded
man.
Thinking about this, she started to wonder just what the hooded man was doing. She
thought that now the rest of the Crimson Crane were back on their feet, that he would help
them out with their fight.
Instead, he seemed to be at the back, and kneeling down on the floor.
'What is he up to?'
Right now, this was all part of Raze's plan. Using the non-ghost blade on his back, he had
placed it down on the ground. Then reaching into his robe, he had brought out a piece of
chalk.
Quickly, in the middle of the fighting, Raze started to draw on the ground a magic circle.
Tilon, with his large shield, along with Reno, were still next to him, and they were
wondering if the hooded man had gone mad. He was drawing shapes, strange symbols, and
more, but they realized that what they had seen today, what they had seen people were
capable of, it would be silly of them to dismiss strange drawings on the floor.
'I had an inkling that someday I would have to fight a mage,' Raze thought. 'But I thought
that would be me going up against Alter when I stole all their items from them. However, I
didn't expect to go up against one while I was only a 3-star mage!
'Right now, I have to rely on these people to help me, and they will have to rely on me.
While I myself may be weak, the only thing I can do is rely on an enchantment!'
Finishing his thought, Raze lifted the chalk off the ground, and then summoned a level 2
power stone. He placed it on the ground and then hesitated for a moment before activating
his magic.
He looked up at the fight that was continuing. Due to the Qi being restored, the Crimson
Crane actually had the upper hand. Cronker had caused several cuts as he came in and out
of the shadows, attacking with his dagger. Kizer with his long sword seemed to be tiring
Nabi, as his Qi had to be running out in all of this. Lilly was quick to follow Nabi every time
he tried to pull away, as they didn't want to give him time to use his magic.
'These guys aren't just strong middle-stage warriors, but I can tell that they actually work
really well together as well, but they won't be able to defeat him in time… if we want to win
this fight, then we're just going to have to take risks!'
Raze was debating one of two things, to place the enchantment that he had planned on the
sword, using his new ice attribute. The enchantment was one of the new ones he had read
from the book that he had received from the dimension. He was a quick learner, and
learning a formation to him now was similar to remembering a sentence. However, using
the skills would be a different story.
The issue was, using the ice attribute magic, and the enchantment would only be at level 2.
Would it be strong enough to take out a high-ranking middle-stage warrior? It was unlikely.
So the only choice he had was to risk it with a Dark magic enchantment. He would still use
one of the Ice enchantment formations, but activate it with his Dark magic, giving it a
greater effect but at the same time cursing the item. Depending on the curse, it might very
well make the item itself useless.
He made his decision as Dark magic swept out of his body, and the sword started to light
up. The power stone was used, and soon the sword dropped to the ground.
"There's no time to check; we don't have much time!" Raze said as he picked up the sword.
"Strike him with this!"
Raze shouted, and the Crimson Crane members turned around; when they did, they could
see what looked like a regular sword flying through the air. Before it even went to the
ground like a flash appearing next to it, Cronker, the blonde-headed man with the mask
over his face, had caught it.
"I will use this well, Dark Magus!" Cronker said, drawing the cursed sword, and heading
straight for Nabi.
Hearing the name mentioned again, Nabi's upper eyelid started to twitch.
"He is not the Dark Magus!!"
Chapter 211 Failed Item
Chapter 211 Failed Item
DMR Chapter 210:
Due to the severity of the situation, Raze had no choice but to do two things. First, he
needed to enchant the weapon with Dark Magic. Doing so meant that the enchantment he
had placed on it had the chance of making the weapon even rarer than before.
However, he couldn't have too high hopes. For one, the weapon didn't react well to his
magic when it was being used, and he only used a level 2 stone. This meant he had no
choice but to place a 2-star enchantment on the weapon. He was thankful that the weapon
hadn't broken due to its quality and affinity with magic. The one thing he was thankful for
in this situation was the fact that the weapon wasn't sealed. He knew this because the
weapon gave off a slightly different energy after the enchantment was done. However, he
had no time to see what the curse was.
Now that he had thrown it over, and Cronker had it in his hands, the effect of the weapon
would all be down to him. Curses could have various drawbacks, such as depleting one's
Mana or Qi after use, or more complicated curses like the one Dame had received. There
were even more severe curses, such as causing the user to suffer the same amount of
damage they inflicted or losing one of their senses with each use.
Raze couldn't know what kind of curse the weapon carried, and he felt a bit guilty about
handing a weapon over to someone without letting them choose whether to use it or not.
'I'm sure he will understand,' Raze thought. 'This is a matter of life or death. Whatever the
curse is, it will be better than death!'
The rest of the Crimson Crane continued their attacks one after the other, fighting more
fiercely than before. They knew time was running low as the power of the Qi pill they were
using would soon come to an end.
This was proving even more difficult for Nabi to deal with than he thought, even with his
magic. Just like before, Cronker appeared from Nabi's blind spot, as if he had come out of
the shadows.
"I will trust in you, Dark Magus!" Cronker swung the sword, hitting Nabi right on his side.
As the sword hit the elder's body, it appeared to do nothing, not even cut his skin. This was
worse than Cronker's own weapon that he had used so far. It was to be expected, a poor
weapon against a Middle stage warrior who could coat his body in Qi. If a poor sword like
this could deal with him, then he might as well not call himself a middle-stage warrior.
Raising his eye, Cronker soon noticed something. Right where he struck, an ice patch had
appeared on Nabi's clothing. Not only that, but it was quickly starting to spread around the
area, growing in size all over his body.
"What is this? What type of enchantment did you do?" Nabi shouted. The ice had quickly
spread down to the bottom of his legs, and he needed to stop it fast. He decided to place his
Qi away and would use his magic in some way to get rid of the effect. The only thing was,
Nabi was going against not just one strong fighter, but in front of him, he had eight middle-
staged warriors who weren't going to give him the chance.
"This is over!" Alba declared, as she attacked with all her strength, slashing him right on the
neck. Blood was drawn, but the blade hadn't pierced right through. Soon, one after the
other, all of the others attacked with their weapons piercing right through the elder. A large
sword stuck in his side, a spear stabbed through his stomach, an arrow even pierced him
right in the eye. From all the wounds on his body, blood was starting to fill his mouth, and
the Elder was hardly able to breathe or talk.
"Damn it... I never... I never..." The Elder spoke. "I never expected... to meet a mage here of
all places..." Nabi's vision was fading; he knew it was the end of his life. With few words left
to say, he whispered, "I failed you..."
"No!" Raze said, as he quickly ran over. The others, seeing this, quickly pulled their
weapons out from Nabi's body, and the Elder fell to the floor, blood soaking the ground.
They could feel all of the energy drain from their bodies. The effects of the pill had worn off.
Not only that, but the weapon that Cronker had been holding started to crack and
eventually broke into several pieces, no longer existing. It was the curse of the weapon.
Cronker had lucked out; the curse was that the weapon would be destroyed after it had
been used once on a person. It still had the strong enchantment that Raze had put on it, but
the weapon would be gone.
For most, it would be considered a failed item, since all of the resources created and put
into the weapon were now gone, but for all of them, this failed item had saved their lives.
Almost all of them had dropped to the ground, and doing so, Raze had come over, looking at
Nabi's body. He had turned it over to get a good look at his face. He looked at the eyes,
looked at the features and everything down to the last strand of hair.
"I don't recognize this person, but they clearly knew the name Dark Magus," Raze thought.
He soon started to search the man, trying to see if he had the item that Alter had given him,
but he was unable to find anything. He was thankful slightly because that was one less thing
to worry about, but it made him wonder.
"How was there a mage in such a high position in the Light Faction? He had improved his
skills beyond belief. What was his goal, and why wasn't he part of Alter? Did they simply
not know about him, had he managed to stay in hiding for so long?"
There were so many questions Raze wanted to ask, such as when did he come over, were
there more mages in the Light Faction, and was there a way to return to Alterian? But the
Elder was dead, and there was nothing he could do now.
Alba and the others continued to look at the hooded figure. They were unable to see his
face, but she was sure of it, that this was the same person from before. The same one that
was with the other three and was about to go head-to-head with the Pagna student. She
knew she had a good feeling about him.
"He is beyond what I imagined. He can create such strong pills, and his power is great for
support. I don't even know what he did to that weapon that he gave Cronker as well. No
matter what... I have to have him... I have to!"
Unlike Dame, she didn't care about where he was from or what the Dark Magus could
possibly do; she was much more focused on her own goals and having the Dark Magus on
her team.
While Raze was holding the man in his arms, there was no mist that came from his body.
Although Raze played a part in killing him, he was not the one who took his life, so he didn't
obtain any Dark essence from the kill.
"This mage, he used the lightning attribute," Raze thought. "When I absorbed the energy
from the beasts in the Dimension, I didn't unlock the ice attribute. But after unlocking the
ice attribute, I was able to increase its strength. However, unlike those beasts that just had
a small amount of energy, this man, he could have a lot more."
Thinking this, Raze wasted no time as he placed both hands on the mage. Soon, the veins on
his hands started to show, and they were pumping the energy from one into the other.
"He's... he's using the Extraction technique on the dead?" Reno noticed. "But I thought that
wasn't possible on humans?"
This was something that Raze was unaware of. Beasts contained crystals, and because of
that, there was lingering energy in their bodies. But it wasn't the same for humans. They
had live energy, Qi energy, and this energy disappeared with their life.
However, Raze could certainly feel something coming out from the Elder, as he was starting
to absorb his core. He could feel it rising in him, feel the energy adding from one to the
other. As the others watched, they could feel the humidity in the air slightly change, and
soon they could see sparks appearing all over him. Some of them were blue in color, while
others were orange.
"What is going on? Is it a portal break?" Alba thought, trying to muster her strength but
failing.
Rayna, who was closest, managed to catch a glimpse, just underneath the hood she could
see it, she could see the hooded man's eyes start to glow a slight tinge of blue.
Finally, a spark and a layer were added onto Raze's magic core.
"I did it!" Raze thought to himself. "I unlocked the lightning attribute."
Soon, though, the smiles had changed, as Raze suddenly felt all of the muscles in his body
contract, and extreme pain shot through his body.
"ARGHHH!" Raze screamed. Rayna, looking and seeing the energy from his body, she could
tell what this was straight away.
"He's breaking through... he's breaking through to the next stage!"
Chapter 212 A Strong Bond
Chapter 212 A Strong Bond
The muscles all over Raze's body were contracting extremely lightly. It felt like someone
had grabbed him like a towel and was now twisting, trying to get everything they could out
of him.
Equally, he was sweating like a drenched towel as well, as he could see droplets of sweat
falling off him and onto the ground. All of them were slightly black in color, coming off from
his body.
The pain was too much, and it felt almost like he couldn't breathe.
'All of this is too much… can my body actually handle something like this! Am I dying right
now?' Raze was trying to think through in his mind if there was anything he could do to
make it easier.
"Hey, what is happening to him?" Reno asked the others as they had come over, but Alba
placed her hand in front of them, informing them not to get any closer.
"Can't you see the black droplets of sweat, more impurities are coming out of his body,"
Alba explained. "He's going through a breakthrough."
"A breakthrough?" Kizer said as he leaned on his long sword. "But is it meant to be this
painful? What stage is he breaking through anyway?"
That's when Reno remembered, when they were traveling together, he had asked him. He
didn't believe it at first, but everything he saw of the person proved that fact. Other than his
powerful, strange powers, it was clear.
"He was a second-stage warrior," Reno replied. "He's breaking through to the third stage."
"Are you kidding me?" Tilon said as he walked over, placing the shield on his back. He had
recovered most of his energy now. "He was able to do that much against a middle-stage
warrior. If he's a second-stage warrior, then he must be the strongest second-stage warrior
in existence."
Hearing all of this, it just made Alba smile even more. She was already imagining how much
stronger he would be now that he was at the third stage.
"Can you… can you help me?" A voice called out.
When they looked up, they could see that it was Rayna. One of the top members of the
Neverfall Clan, and the reason why they had come here in the first place.
"Right," Alba nervously laughed and clicked her fingers. With the exciting news of finding
the Dark Magus, she had almost forgotten about the original reason as to why they had
even come here in the first place.
Quickly, Cronker and Lilly came over. They started to lift their weapons and bash away at
the chains. They had hit it several times, and even then, they were hard to break. They were
made to keep Pagna warriors in place, after all.
A couple of techniques later, and the chains had finally snapped at the wrists. When free,
Rayna wasted no time as she got up and headed away from the others.
"No thank you?" Lilly asked.
Not saying a word, Rayna went to the edge of the pyramid; she had her eyes locked on one
thing. Quickly, she knelt to the ground and then plucked something carefully out. Soon she
ran right past the others again and headed straight to the hooded man who was knelt over.
'I can't believe all of them are just standing there while he's in pain,' Rayna thought.
With the flower in her hand, she went next to Raze, and carefully she went and reached out
for his hand. Raze was in so much pain that he wasn't even in control of his body, yet for
some reason, the moment he touched her hand, he started to feel slightly better.
Soon after, she had placed the five-headed flower into the palm of his hand to hold, and the
muscle cramps that were appearing all over his body were starting to fade away.
'This flower?' Raze noticed it. It was the same type of flower that he had been looking for
with Reno, but strangely, this one had five flower bud heads sprouting out from one stem,
and the effect of its healing powers he could feel it working instantly.
Since his body was in less pain, Raze was finally able to get in the sitting position. Black
sweat was still running down his body, and a couple of times, a few of the other members of
the Crimson Crane tried to get a sneak peek look at his face, but due to the effect of the
robe, up to his nose, it was all dark and disfigured no matter how hard one tried.
They could just see a tinge of white hair from time to time. Finally, the pain had stopped all
over, and Raze could feel it, his dantian having grown even stronger than before.
'I did it!' Raze inwardly smiled. 'I managed to break through to the third stage. It was a
struggle and it took not just a big event, but for me to even use the extraction technique on
a middle-stage warrior.'
As usual, Raze could feel his new body was incredibly powerful, and clenching his fist, he
could feel the great new force he had. Now with his three-star magic, stage three warrior,
and his enchanted items, Raze was sure he was a force to be reckoned with.
'But it's still not enough. It's clear if the Crimson Crane weren't here today, then I would
have lost my life, lost my second chance. I can't have this happen again.'
Seeing Raze smiling and standing up, Rayna had gotten up off the floor as well so she could
take a good look at him. She too wanted to see his face but was unable to.
"Thank you," Rayna said. "Thank you for coming to save me. I know what you might say,
that it was a coincidence that you came here, or a chance, but it doesn't change the fact. If
you weren't here today, then they would have never been able to best the Light Faction
Elder. As a token of my appreciation, if there is anything you want or need, I am happy to
comply."
Raze looked at the girl in front of him. She was quite the beauty even with the markings all
over her. She had this fierce look in her eyes like a cat; even injured, she seemed quite
intimidating. Still, he had a good impression of her since she had helped him when he was
in pain.
While waiting for Raze's response, Rayna's heart was beating several times faster than it
should have done. She was truly prepared to accept anything that this person wanted, even
if it was marriage.
'It's normal, right? If he marries me, it's his chance into the powerful Neverfall Clan; he will
have access to great wealth and techniques. It's the greatest prize one can give!' She
thought. 'At the same time, what happened today, the Light Faction, they will not forgive
him or the Crimson Crane.
'They will most likely try to hunt him down as news gets out.' Rayna had seen that behind
her on her side of the Pyramid, there were a couple of Light Faction members that were
still alive. When the situation started to look bad, they quickly left the area. No doubt news
of what happened would spread quickly.
'If he is part of our family, then I will be able to protect him.'
Raze lifted his hand up and looked at the flower in his hand.
"This flower, is it okay if I keep it?" Raze asked.
"Ah, the flower, of course you can," Rayna replied.
"Thank you," Raze said, and with that, the flower went into his robe, disappearing from his
sight. While Rayna was left a little confused.
Raze didn't even know who she was, so he didn't even know what she could ask of her. It
wasn't that he was letting her off; if he knew of her status, he would have at least asked for
some technique books or some gold. Instead, he was just focused on the flower for now, the
main reason why he had come here.
Turning around, it felt like it had been a long, tiring day for Raze, and meeting the mage, it
brought up memories for him, not good ones either.
Just as Raze was ready to head back, Alba, along with the rest of the eight Crimson Crane
members, stood in his way.
"Dark Magus!" Alba shouted in a loud, booming voice. "Today we fought together side by
side as allies! Without your help, without your pills and your strange powers, we would
have lost our lives.
"Now, there exists a bond between us that will always be there!"
When speaking, Alba was quite upbeat, and the smile had never left her face.
"We are the legendary Crimson Crane, and after today's events, you leave me no choice. I
wish to invite you to officially join the Clan as a member!"
Chapter 213 Who is the Dark Magus?
Chapter 213 Who is the Dark Magus?
Although Raze and Reno had originally gone out with the purpose of obtaining a special
flower that was more powerful than those he used in his own creations, he didn't bat an
eyelid when Raze had taken possibly the most powerful flower and said nothing.
Reno had assumed that Raze didn't care for the other flowers they had gathered so far. It
seemed like there was an objective on his mind. In the first place, they were also only
searching for the flowers to create a pill as good as the Dark Magus, but now they had
found the Dark Magus himself.
Rushing off, Raze had headed in a different direction from the Crimson Crane members.
They had made their offer, and in response, Raze had given a simple reply.
"I'll think about it."
This was his answer, and for them, this was good enough for now. With their connection to
Dame and him now owing them one, she was sure that she would be able to find the Dark
Magus when she needed him.
On the way back, Raze was thinking about the advantages of joining a group like the
Crimson Crane.
'As a no name, the body that I arrived in has no relation to any clan,' Raze thought. 'It
wouldn't disrupt my status in the Dark Faction academy either, since to the world, Raze
Cromwell and the Dark Magus are two different people.'
'So the Dark Magus is free to join whoever he wished, but I planned to start my own
merchant group selling Qi pills, not to join a clan.'
It was a difficult choice, and the main reason was the level of trust. He was sure that the
Clan had their own reasons for inviting him on board, but when push came to shove, how
could he trust them?
He didn't even know much about the clan apart from the fact that they were wanderers and
were quite well known. One thing for sure was that they had managed to prove their
strength in that fight as well.
'The Dark Magus is most likely to become a known name soon, either already, or when we
start selling the pills. At that point, those in Alter will be after the Dark Magus. Judging from
the fight with the Light Faction Elder, I might not be strong enough to deal with them if
they come after me.'
"But I can always go off the radar and lay low in the academy in the meantime."
There was one more thing Raze was worried about now, though, and that was those around
him.
Entering the city of Repton, it didn't take long for Raze to return, and when he entered the
room, Liam, Safa, and Simyon were all there waiting for him. They looked surprised to see
him and happy at the same time.
"Raze, where did you go?! Do you know who's looking for you, the people from the Crimson
Crane!" Simyon said. "I don't know what you did, but they said they were looking for this
Dark Magus person and... and..."
"It's okay," Raze said as he went to sit down. "I met up with them, and as for the Dark
Magus person, I guess by what you just said, you figured it out, they were looking for me."
The others were wondering why the legendary Clan would have come looking for him.
They all turned to each other, and they were somewhat waiting for Raze to be the one to
speak up, but he said nothing.
'Them learning about today... will it do them any good?' Raze thought.
After lying down just for a few moments, Raze lifted his head up.
"Where's Dame? I thought he would have come looking for me as well."
"Oh, Dame," Liam said, looking out the window as if he was trying to see if he could spot
him. "He actually left a short while before you returned. Some guy called Fixteen had come
for him. He said not to go back without him, though, and that he would return."
Going to the corner, Raze pulled out the items that he had gotten before. The red necklace,
the pair of golden earrings, and the black gloves.
'These guys, they've been with me for a while now,' Raze thought. 'They even came to the
Demonic Faction and caused so much trouble, but they have gotten quite involved in mine
and Dame's business.'
The first thing Raze did was place the ring on the floor and started to draw away. Based on
the amount of magic that had already been used during Raze and Nabi's fight, he thought
enchanting an item wouldn't be enough to open a portal.
It was only because the last two items were at the mythical level, the statue, and the earring
that Simyon had, that a portal had opened up.
'First, I need to create a ring for my Ice attribute. If I manage to get a stage three crystal and
a well enough-made weapon, then maybe I can get a ring that will display all of the
attributes.'
For now, though, Raze just created the ice attribute ring. It had done him well in the fight,
so he wanted to increase its affinity if possible. When all ingredients were used up, Raze
placed it on his hand, and he could finally have an idea of his strength.
[Dark attribute: 50]
[Wind attribute: 24]
[Ice attribute: 18]
Looking at them, he couldn't help but chuckle.
'In the past, it took so much for me to increase my Dark attribute. I guess having a Dark
core really does help.'
Soon after, Raze placed another item on the ground, and then he looked up at the three. He
pointed to the beds, somewhat telling them to sit down, as if he was a teacher in front of a
class of school children.
"None of you have magic like me, and because of it, I have been able to protect myself,"
Raze explained. "Since you know about me and are involved around me, it is likely that
trouble will follow you."
"As trouble has followed me for my entire life. It is a byproduct of my luck. Since it is not
entirely your fault that you might get into trouble, I have decided to increase your strength
in the quickest way possible, and that is by making both you, Liam, and you, Simyon, items
that you can use.
"I don't think I have to tell you that these items should be kept a secret and only be used if
your life depends on it. As for you, Safa, I told you before, I think the best thing would be to
teach you magic directly."
Both Simyon and Liam both nearly sulked upon hearing that. After seeing the things Raze
could do, they too wanted to learn magic. Why was Raze so against teaching them, and why
was he willing to teach Safa so much?
From his sleeve, Raze pulled out the five-headed white flower. Originally, he was going to
get the light attribute for himself, but since his Dark Attribute was already so strong, he
would have needed something a lot more powerful than this to activate it in his core.
Still, it would be enough to help Safa, and then she would have to try to use her own powers
to heal her throat so she could speak again.
"Before you accept these items, though, I need to tell you all something," Raze said. "The
reason why trouble follows me everywhere and the reason why I am known as the Dark
Magus.
"If you accept everything I am about to tell you, then I will continue to help you."
Raze looked deep into all of their eyes. He was thinking again, was he making a mistake? He
had trusted people in the past. He had been betrayed once, but honestly, he didn't care
about the betrayal in his past too much.
Because there was another time, just like what he was doing now, where he had accepted
people into his life, accepted people to help him, to stand by his side even when he was the
Dark Magus, but he had lost them all.
Was he just repeating the past again? Was he committing to the path of sorrow once more?
When his eyes laid on Safa, they stayed still for a moment.
"Safa... I am not your brother."
Chapter 214 Family Bond
Chapter 214 Family Bond
There was a reason why Dame had left Safa and the others at their location, and it was
because ahead of time, Cronker had rushed ahead and met up with Dame, informing him
that the request he had made was completed.
They had successfully saved Rayna, his sister. Honestly, when Dame had given the task to
the Crimson Crane, he had great confidence in them. Even if it was an opponent his
stronger sister couldn't beat, the Crimson Crane were full of strong individuals. Each one of
them was stronger than him. Although with the gauntlets that he had received from Raze,
he was sure he could give one a run for their money. Regardless, they had set up a secret
meeting spot for them to talk in.
The warehouse used for alchemists had completely been rented out. The main room now
was just filled with scrap, broken equipment, and destroyed benches and metal. It was the
leftovers from multiple experiments that would go on. While he was waiting there with
Cronker for the others to arrive, he heard the full story of what had happened.
"You met Ra—I mean the Dark Magus?" Dame almost shouted so loud that those outside
could hear.
"Correct," Cronker smiled. "We can see why you wanted to keep him a secret. He really
helped us out back there. I'll be honest, if it wasn't for the weapon he had handed me back
then, then I'm not too sure how the fight would have turned out."
Dame was grinding his teeth slightly. He would be lying if he didn't say he wasn't annoyed.
Dame had to do a lot, he had to go through a lot to get a weapon made for himself, and it
had such a bad effect that he couldn't even be himself anymore. Yet, Cronker had one made
for free. Cronker hadn't gone into detail about the battle, so Dame was completely unaware
that the weapon that had been made for him had completely broken, and Cronker wanted
to keep it that way.
Seeing Dame depressed, it put a smile on Cronker's face. "Wait, but then does this mean our
deal isn't valid?" Dame asked. "It was still because of me you got to meet the Dark Magus."
At that moment, the metal door was slid open, letting in creases of light, and two people
could be seen entering.
"As you asked, this is the one that hired us to save you," Alba said standing there, and she
gave Rayna a little nudge.
Rayna didn't look too pleased as she looked back slightly annoyed, but soon went in and
walked forward, as she could see who it was.
"Dame... you were the one that asked the Crimson Crane for help!" Rayna was beyond
surprised.
Although they were family, the Neverfall Clan was anything but a normal family. She didn't
expect any of her family members to help her, even her dad.
"I... I did," Dame said. "And I think we should head back to the Neverfall Clan together."
She understood, giving a slight nod, and as Dame went to walk by her side, he looked at
Alba on the way, who mouthed the words. 'You owe me one.'
He knew he had a lot to talk about with her, but even before that, the one that they had a lot
to talk with, was his father.
Exiting from the building, the brother and sister walked in silence for a while. They had
headed out of the city of Repton and now were continuing to head toward the Neverfall
Clan base, and eventually, Rayna couldn't take it anymore.
"Tell me, what exactly was your plan, why did you save me?" Rayna asked.
"Plan, what do you mean plan, and shouldn't you be thanking me for helping you out?"
Dame replied back.
"Why would you rescue me with no value to your own? Are you going to ask a favor from
me, are you going to ask me to step down for the position of head of the family, because I
won't do it!" Rayna complained.
Dame slapped the top of his head, and he started to shake it violently. He was wondering
why he had done such a thing himself in the first place. He somewhat knew that this was
going to be the reaction and what he would get out of it.
"Look, our father was the one that asked me to help you," Dame replied. "He said that you
had lost a fight against the Light Faction. Since I had produced a miracle before when going
up against Beatrix, he thought I could produce a miracle again."
Hearing this, Rayna gulped somewhat. It made no sense to her for him to send out Dame,
who wasn't even a middle stage warrior. Why would he be able to complete a task that she
couldn't? If he wanted the job done, then one of the older brothers would have made more
sense. If anything, it felt like he wanted to send Dame off on a death sentence again, and as
for her, perhaps their father had given up on her due to the failure she had made. This
thought had made her sulk a bit.
"I know what you're thinking," Dame replied. "And honestly, I feel the same way. I knew I
had no chance at winning, and honestly, I thought, maybe the best thing to do was to run
away, but there was one detail that father told me in all of it. It was the fact that you were
alive. Knowing that you were alive, I thought I would do what I could to help you. I'm close
with Alba, you see, so now I do owe them a favor and a very big one."
Rayna felt awkward; she couldn't even remember the last time the two of them had a full
conversation or had been together like this. Her cheeks turned a shade redder as she
turned away.
"Why, though, you could have left me," Rayna asked again.
Looking up ahead, Dame could tell they were close to the clan base, and memories started
to surface in his head.
"When we were younger, both of my brothers, they used to tease me a lot," Dame started to
explain. "I still remember, there was one time, where you stuck up for me, and you looked
after me, treating my wounds. I guess I did it because of that."
"Huh?" Rayna stopped in her tracks. "That must have been when we were still kids. Do you
have a screw loose? You risked your life just for that?"
"Yep, yep, as I expected, keep talking crap about the one that saved you, yeah?" Dame said
as he continued walking.
She soon realized that he was right. If his words were true, Dame being the youngest sibling
seemed to have this innocence about him.
'Is it because he knows that there is no chance for him to become the next head? Did he not
see us as rivals like all of the others?' Rayna thought. 'When we were younger, things were
so much simpler back then.'
As the two continued to walk, and the awkwardness between the two started to disappear,
another question had popped up in her head.
"Well thank you, thank you for asking the Crimson Crane for their help," Rayna said. "But
what about that Dark Magus guy, did you ask him for help as well?"
Dame was starting to wonder just how much the Dark Magus had done for his sister to talk
about him as well.
"That guy is really powerful. The Crimson Crane invited him to join their clan," she said.
"They did what!" Dame turned around. "Wait, that can't be! I'm the one working with him. I
invited him first; he can't accept their offer."
To Dame, an offer between him and the Crimson Crane was night and day in terms of what
a person should accept. Because he was just an individual, he had no clan backing him
whatsoever.
"Oh, you invited him, well, you don't have to worry because I'm going to offer him an even
bigger proposal," Rayna said. "I'm going to offer him my hand in marriage."
At that moment, Dame's jaw almost dropped to the floor. "What did you say?"
"I'm going to offer for him to marry me. If he does that, then he will become part of the
Neverfall Clan, and if that happens and father finds out how great he is, he might even get
his own territory and all sorts of benefits, don't you think it's a good idea? Hey, you would
be his brother-in-law!"
Chapter 215 Learning the Truth
Chapter 215 Learning the Truth
Dame was continuously shaking his head the more he talked to his sister. He hadn't talked
like this with her in a long time. In fact, just like her, he couldn't even remember the last
time the two of them had a conversation.
But he couldn't help but think, was his sister always this forward and strange, or was it
something new that he just never knew about? How could someone talk about marriage so
easily?
Little did Dame know with his messing around in certain establishments, life for a woman
in Pagna was a lot more difficult than it was compared to a male, especially one in a high
position from a well-respected clan.
When a woman from a higher clan was to marry in another clan, it would improve
relationships, but typically the woman was the one who would join the other clan. Her
father had actually already given her a couple of suggestions to strengthen their
relationships with other clans.
However, if she was to do this, it also meant that she would have no hope of becoming the
head of the Neverfall Clan. It wasn't impossible, but if she could find someone that had
great strength and wasn't related to other clans in any way, then she could marry someone
that her father would approve of and technically have a status even lower than hers. On her
part, she thought the Dark Magus fit all of the requirements that she was looking for.
Not only that, but for some reason, every time she thought about him, her heart started to
flutter slightly.
'Crap, I don't even know what this person looks like. I guess I'm just feeling this way
because I think of him as my savior. These feelings, they will eventually pass,' Rayna said to
herself, taking a deep breath.
She needed to be ready because she and Dame were about to meet with their father. They
were sure the news of her having survived had reached his ears, and a lot of questions were
going to be asked.
That's when Dame let out a big sigh. 'Should I tell her the guy that she wants to marry is
around 16?' He thought. 'Well, she herself is in her younger twenties, so I guess she could
wait a few years. I wonder why it feels slightly strange when I saw his age?'
Still, the Dark Magus was a secret that Dame wanted to keep, and depending on how this
meeting went, he was wondering what the best option would be for them both.
---
Back at the Inn, Raze had returned not too long ago. He had created a new ring for himself
that would allow him to see the ice attribute. He could now accurately gauge the strength of
his powers.
His plan now was to make items for the others, as well as teach Safa Light Magic. With Light
Magic, there were many different types of advantages they could have as a group, and Raze
knew it would be a big help by his side.
As he wished to delve deeper into helping them, and them helping him back, he decided to
reveal to them all one truth about him.
"Safa... I am not your brother," Raze said.
Out of all those there, Liam's mouth was left wide open. He felt like a divine being had
dropped out of the sky in front of him. Perhaps he was watching some life play in the
square, where the twist was to be revealed, and now, he was expecting Safa to react back.
'What is she going to say, what is she going to do!' Liam screamed in his head. 'Come on, ask
him some questions, ask him what he means by that!'
It was then that he came to the realization that it wasn't possible for Safa to say anything.
When he went to look at her face, he could see that both of her eyes welled up with tears.
"I am sorry for tricking you, I truly am," Raze explained, and it was the softest Simyon had
ever heard his voice before. It felt like there was a lot of weight behind those words.
"This power I have, I explained it to you all as magic," Raze started to explain. "It allows me
to create things like your items, open portals, among other things. Its uses are far and wide.
"For myself, I used it to give me a second life. I used it in a world that is different from this
one where Magic existed. When using it, I took on the already dead body of your brother,
Raze, who happens to share the same name as me."
Raze wasn't so sure that the Raze's body he had taken over was actually dead when he
entered, but there was one thing he was sure about: if it wasn't dead, then whoever had
tried to kill him, for sure would have succeeded.
He also, for some reason, didn't want Safa to think that it was because of him that his
brother had died.
"I'm sure you noticed it, right? The change in me after that day?" Raze asked.
All eyes were on her, and none of the two by her side were even letting out a whisper. They
could just see the tears consistently filling her eyes. She lifted up her hands, wiping away
her tears, and nodded her head, looking at Raze.
"This body, it felt like it had a duty that it wanted to protect you, but it was me that pushed
you away, so don't blame your brother," Raze continued. "In my world, I was known as the
Dark Magus, and I plan to carry that name here. It seems that there are those that are like
me here as well, that have come from my world."
Raze knew that it would be hard for all of them to take in, but with everything they had
already seen, everything they had already experienced, it would now be a lot easier to
accept compared to before.
"Wait, so what happened to your old body?" Liam asked. "If you're here, are there two of
you, or is your old body dead?"
"I would presume dead," Raze replied. "But I have no way to get back to Alterian, and as I
have entered this new body, all of my magic powers disappeared. I am slowly regaining
back the power I had."
Liam gulped for a second as he heard that. To him, magic and the powers Raze had shown
were already impressive enough. Just how far could this magic go, and was it stronger than
the very best of Pagna warriors?
"Then, the other you... how old are you?" Liam couldn't help but ask.
To which Simyon wanted to punch his shoulder since he was asking some sensitive
questions.
"I was around the age of 76 when I transmigrated here," Raze answered.
"Damn!" Liam blurted out. "That's old; you're a wrinkly nut sack!"
Immediately, both Safa and Raze stared at Liam. They could see Raze's eye twitching
slightly, and an aura surrounding him.
"I mean, you don't act that old; I would have never guessed," Liam laughed nervously.
"And how do you expect an old man to act?" Raze replied. "Adults have just experienced
more than that of children, so they tend to make fewer mistakes. But adults still do make
mistakes; they still do the stupid things of others.
"Imagine if you were an old man, having entered a young body? Do you suddenly start
talking like some ancient prophet? This isn't a story you see in plays or read in books."
This caused all three of them to chuckle a little, but they soon returned to the issue at hand.
Raze didn't want to explain more about his old life, not to them, because this life, although a
little rocky at the start, was a little different from the one he had before.
As the room fell into silence again, Safa had started to cry; her shoulders were shaking. It
was tough on her; she always put on a brave face, and Simyon remembered that she was
always trying to help Raze no matter what.
The bond they had as brother and sister, Simyon felt like that was real between the two of
them, and now to know it wasn't true. Maybe this was a fear that Safa had all along, but she
had just been keeping it in.
"So I will tell you all now, knowing about magic, using these items, it is possible that it can
put you all in danger, and knowing me as well. Do you still wish to receive these items and
learn magic?"
Simyon was the first to answer with no hesitation.
"Hey, I was already in too deep a while ago, and I said I would follow you wherever you go."
"Hey!" Liam shouted back. "I said that as well. Remember at the portal, I said that I would
keep everything with me to my grave, and in order to not die, as you say, won't having
these items come in handy more?"
Two of the three seemed to have accepted the news rather well, a lot better than Raze
originally thought. Now, though, it was down to the last one.
If Safa refused and wished to live her life learning the spear and heading back to the village,
she had every right to. After all, she now had no relation to Raze, no reason to help him
anymore.
However, despite everything she had learned, she had nodded her head up and down.
"Very well, let me teach you magic," Raze smiled.
Chapter 216 A Pagna Body, An Alterian Body
Chapter 216 A Pagna Body, An Alterian Body
On the planet Pagna, the land was large and vast in the different parts of the continents.
The areas of the Light Faction, Dark Faction, Demonic Faction, and even the unknown
fourth continent were all different.
Even within them, the landmass was extremely different as well. There were large soaring
mountain tops, areas filled with green plains, and other areas filled with purple or dark-
colored plants.
There were areas that had even been changed as portal breaks had occurred. At times, a
portal break was so strong that the clans in the local area had been wiped out. With the
beasts having entered the world, part of the landmass had changed to accommodate them.
There was an even stranger occurrence that had occurred, and that was the land itself.
There was a reason why people in their heads thought of three continents rather than four,
and it wasn't because each continent was mostly dominated by a faction.
It was because at one point, all of the continents had been split by a sea of water. However,
the fourth continent was much further away compared to the rest. Despite this, the
landmass on the continents had continued to grow.
The eruptions, earthquakes, the sea levels lowering, were also revealing more landmass,
and these three separate continents were turning out to be more linked than they had
originally thought.
In a way, the new lands were new territory, and not only were the Pagna warriors involved
in disputes over who owned what or which land, but the local governments, kingdoms, and
empires were as well.
To the people, it felt like they were in the middle of constant battles and wars, whether they
were with the Pagna or not, at least those on the border. In the center of all this, as the sea
level lowered, a large mountain's canyon had been discovered.
It was strange because before, not even the tips of the mountains could be seen, and now a
large giant canyon in the middle of the mountains that littered the fields could be seen. If
one were to stand at the tip, they weren't even able to see the bottom of where one started.
Without any sort of guidance, if a person was to be dropped in the middle, they might never
be able to find a way out or an exit.
In this labyrinth of mountains and tall canyons, there was a large round object that looked
somewhat like a giant mushroom from above. Apart from the fact that it was covered in
greenery, plant vines, and more.
Inside this large canyon of plants and trees, two individuals were walking through it. One
wearing a large brown trench coat, and the other in simpler clothing but wearing a beret
hat that covered her orange hair.
"Ah, my feet hurt. Can Alter give us some standard uniforms that make us feel like we're
walking on air?" Charlotte complained.
"Ah yes, more things for us to lose or get found out and cover up!" Himmy commented
back, as he looked down in his hand. He had a device that reminded him of a compass that
he had from his world.
Rather than pointing toward north, south, east, and west, this compass was still round, but
had a glowing arrow that lit up on the device and would charge by the sun, although
Himmy couldn't see anything like a solar panel that he knew of on the device.
Either way, the main difference was, this special compass given to them by Alter, it pointed
only in one direction, and it would always lead them to a particular place.
"Come on, when was the last time you heard of one of the agents getting in trouble for
something like that?" Charlotte asked as she continued to trek over a large root coming
from one of the trees.
She could barely get her foot over it, and when lifting the second half of her foot, her toes
just hit the edge. Her front half tilted forward, but before she face planted the ground,
Himmy had managed to catch her, holding her steady with just one hand, and holding her
forehead.
"Erghh, you can let go, you know," Charlotte replied back, feeling a little pathetic that her
whole body weight could be held up by just one hand.
After balancing herself, Himmy let go, and he continued straight ahead. They had just exited
out of the deep forest, and now they were in between an area with four giant mountains.
They weren't wide in size, and the center of them was quite hollow as the middle had an
opening, but that wasn't what he was looking at.
He was looking at the large mushroom-like object that stemmed from the ground and
connected to these four large mountains. Leading up to it, there was almost the appearance
of fresh-cut green grass.
"To answer your question, how would we know?" Himmy replied. "We haven't had an
update from Alter, only been told to go here and there. To be honest, I was getting a bit sick
and tired of being sent everywhere, and I'm low on funds and ammo."
"Ah right, you used most of it in that town with the Red Brigade." Charlotte commented.
"Well, you will be able to stock up more this time, and hopefully you won't be able to use
it."
Walking across the fresh grass, Charlotte was getting a little nervous because soon she
would have to keep a seal on her lips, careful about what she had spoken. Speaking about
the past reminded her of something she needed to ask now.
"About the kid, are you going to tell them about him?" Charlotte asked.
"What, that I made him into a full squad member. That's up to my discretion as squad
leader anyway. I'll just go ahead and send a report."
Charlotte was a little nervous because that wasn't what she was getting at; it was
something else.
"Not that, that there is an otherworlder that can use both Pagna skills and magic at the
same time," Charlotte said, almost looking over her shoulder. She couldn't shake off a
strange feeling, like there were a pair of invisible eyes on her.
"Ah, now I understand," Himmy replied. "Like you said, otherworlders who come here.
Nearly all of them struggle to learn Pagna martial arts, as they are unable to create Qi in
their body. It was the same for both me and you when we arrived here.
"However, some from Alterian had succeeded in learning the Pagna martial arts."
"Well, a fake version of it," Charlotte commented.
"Right." Himmy tapped the side of his head. "Remind me why you call it fake again."
"Because those that do learn can't gather Qi in their dantian," Charlotte explained. "Mages
use Mana to produce their spells, and the Pagna skills require Qi in the dantian. In order for
a mage to learn skills, though, they can use their mana to supplement their dantian instead
of Qi.
"Although we call it fake, it's still very effective since just like other warriors, the dantian
can still grow stronger, allowing for more mana to be put into it. And since it's just the
gathering of Mana in a certain place, one doesn't even need to be a high mage to fill their
dantian.
"In fact, some lower star mages might even have more success as a warrior because they
can just constantly fill in their dantian with Mana rather than Qi, allowing them to produce
almost an unlimited amount of skills."
Himmy felt like it was a shame that his world didn't seem to have anything spectacular like
that of magic and martial arts, but sometimes he was thankful. If he was more useful in
fighting, he thought that would just give them more reason to send him on dangerous
missions.
"Right, so mages that chose to change into the arts of Pagna are actually even more
powerful than Pagna warriors, and they can even still use spells."
"Correct," Charlotte said. "But there is one thing, because the Qi being used is technically
mana and is being put into the dantian. A mage is unable to use Qi techniques and magic at
the same time.
"Think of it as a ball of energy that they control, for techniques it either has to be in the
stomach, for magic it needs to be outside of the body or in the magic core, the heart. Yet
somehow, Raze was able to use Qi and Magic at the same time."
"Then can I ask you something?" Himmy said. "I understand your point about those from
Atlerian not being able to form Qi in their body. It might be because their bodies are just
different, or the timing of things, but what about the other way round?
"Can a Pagna warrior learn magic then?" Himmy asked.
"I… read some of the reports," Charlotte answered. "They tried a couple of times. Although
things like enchanted items and creations are fine for a Pagna warrior to use, when trying
to teach a Pagna warrior magic, their Qi ended up exploding and killing the user. So they
decided to stop running tests due to a lack of volunteers."
It was a scary thought to have, and no wonder no warrior complained about learning magic
if that was the result.
Himmy thought about the question he asked from before for a while, and eventually, they
had reached the giant mushroom-like structure. In front of them, there seemed to be
nothing, that was until he placed the compass-like device in the center.
Steam started to appear from the center, and part of the giant structure started to split
apart.
"For now, let's keep it to ourselves. We might be making a big deal out of this for no
reason," Himmy said. "Let's keep quiet anyway; we're here now, we're back at Alter."
Chapter 217 The Home Of Alter
Chapter 217 The Home Of Alter
The smal round device that had been input by Himmy lit up, and he had to pull it out before
the doors would slide open. Not every member of Alter got one of these devices; it was
practically a key to the base of the Alter group. However, members were able to enter along
with their squad leader or if it was known beforehand. There were also several cameras
that were hidden on the giant mushroom-looking building, allowing them to see what was
outside.
Both of them stepped into the metal rectangular room that was in front of them. Himmy's
heavy footsteps echoed slightly as they headed on inside. Then the door closed as soon as
the two entered.
What the two of them were currently in was an elevator, and it even had buttons of the
many floors on the side. In total, there were eight floors that went up, and there were eight
floors that went down below the current floor they were on, which counted as 0.
"Oh, they changed the color of the bottom three floors," Charlotte noticed, as there was a
slight purple glow around the buttons compared to the light blue buttons above it.
Using the same key to open the elevator door, Himmy then pressed it again against the
number 3, and soon the elevator was on the move.
"Are they trying to highlight the forbidden floors or something?" Himmy commented and
somewhat chuckled at the purple design.
The floors above were where those in Alter would report. They would file reports, meet up
with fellow Alter members, and also discuss issues with higher-ranking officials. At the
base of Alter, there were those known as the Programmers.
Not because they had knowledge in high tech or made anything with their minds, but
because they were individuals in charge of the whole program at Alter. They would
coordinate and inform all of the squads across the continent on what to do, what the best
use of their time was, and if there was a need for more than one squad on a task.
These programmers were on various floors, but they lived at the Alter base and were based
on the seventh floor. Their role was considered quite important in the grand scheme of
things and allowed everything to work like clockwork. The programmers were free to go to
any floor, including that of floor 8, but only when they were summoned to. This was
because they worked with almost all departments in the building, which they needed to.
Even the 6th department, known as the Deleters. These were a group of powerful
Otherworlders, some would say even the strongest Alter had, and their main goal and
purpose were to get rid of evidence and traces of otherworlders existing, and they would
use any means necessary.
The other floors had others that belonged to Alter as well, but the main floors that Himmy
and Charlotte knew about were the first three. The first floor was a simple gathering area.
Those belonging to Alter could rest here and prepare for their journey. There was a
number of supplies for them to take with them. It was also an area for those to talk to each
other. After all, Alter felt that it would be better for agents working for them to know each
other. It would allow them to work on goals together even more than before.
On the second floor, there were several training rooms. These rooms allowed people to
fight against each other, test out their skills, or learn what was best. After all, working in the
field they were in, in the world they were in, they all knew they were bound to get in
scuffles here and there.
As for all of the floors below that of floor Zero, where they had entered from, those were
the storage rooms. Each floor represented the rank of items available. If they got
permission, they were able to take items sometimes for use, especially those from floors -1
to -5. However, the floors below that, no one was allowed to use the items that were placed
there. They were the items that were mythical and above. The restricted floors had the
colored buttons that Charlotte had noticed before, and they were protected by those known
as the Encrypters. A mysterious group of people.
Himmy had gotten off, and the door opened, landing on the third floor. They were hit with a
wave of noise of people talking all over almost immediately. There was a lot of chatter
along with people dressed in all sorts of clothing. Most of them were dressed in thin clothes
like those of the normal people in Pagnar, while there were others that had more
fashionable taste.
On this floor alone, at the moment, there were around three hundred or so people, and that
wasn't all of the agents Alter had. There would be those on the other floors and those that
were still outside working.
Heading forward, there were mostly large round tables where squads were sending in their
reports. They would talk into a digital interface that was in front of them. It would record
their report, and then they would have to wait until they were called to the front. Here they
would queue up and speak to one of the Programmers and be informed about what they
were to do next.
This wasn't always what happened, based on the information the programmers would
constantly receive on the go. They would sometimes ask another agent that was currently
out to go and report to the person in the field.
This time, the two of them had been called back. Himmy spoke into the device around the
table, saying everything he could about the deaths that they had discovered and everything
else that had been going on. They then stood around waiting until eventually they had been
called over by a programmer.
Stepping up, they were met with a metal desk that had a built-in screen on the bottom,
facing towards the programmer. As for the programmers themselves, they looked human,
mostly, but they wore a strange gold mask on their face, with a simple P marked on them.
There weren't even any slits on the mask for eyes or a mouth and nose.
"Your report states that you still have found no lead on the deaths that are occurring. There
has also been no link as to why these are happening," the programmer said as he moved his
hands around all across the floor. "This is still quite an important matter to us, but none of
the other agents have found anything either. There is one good thing; the rates of death
seem to have slowed down recently.
"In the meantime, I don't want you to completely disregard this mission, but I will give you
another task. You will stay in the Dark Faction so you can continue to investigate the last
task."
There were ten programmers seated behind their desks, each giving out missions. Some
small, looking for basic items, and others larger. In order to keep up their funds, they also
ran services for the other Clans and governors. It was what they needed to do to stay afloat
and how the name Alter had spread through the area.
As information was getting passed all over, of news of what was to come, things were
coming in, and the reports would get sent up. At the higher floors where programmers
were allowed to be, there were three head programmers who would pass on the
information to the leader of Alter.
On the eighth floor, a large clock was heard clicking as the head programmer entered a
dark room. One could hear the sway of the giant clock hand as it cut through the air at the
back of the room.
"Sir, there has been some urgent information I thought you would like to know about, that
has occurred in the Light Faction," the head programmer stated. "We have news that one of
the Eld
ers of the Dawnblade Clan, they had been defeated in a battle against the Demonic Faction."
The head programmer continued to stare ahead in the darkness looking at the giant hand
swinging. He could only see once in a while a flicker of a person that stood there.
"The report states that one of the people responsible for his death calls himself the Dark
Magus."
Suddenly, as soon as the name had been said, the giant ticking hand had stopped. And it had
done so mid-swing up to the side.
"The Dark Magus… someone used a name like that? That's impossible. I was told that he
had died. Bring me all the details; I need to confirm this for myself. Otherwise, it looks like
I'll need to head back to Alterian."
Chapter 218 A New Student
Chapter 218 A New Student
Originally, Raze was going to create the items for the others first, but he was still slightly
worried that a portal break would occur, and due to the state that Safa was currently in,
having just gotten over her emotional burden, Raze thought that it would be a good
distraction for her.
After all, she could practice a few things to learn with Light magic to keep her mind off
things. Since Raze wouldn't be learning Light magic himself, it was important that she
learned to use magic well so she could eventually even heal her voice.
"There are a few things that you should know about magic. In total, there are ten different
attributes," Raze started to explain, keeping eye contact with Safa to make sure she was
listening.
Simyon and both Liam were listening intensely as well, even though they weren't learning
magic, they thought who knew what they were going to go up against in the future, so it
was good information for them to have.
"Water, Ice, Fire, Earth, Wind, Floral, Lightning, Metal, Dark, and lastly Light magic. The
knowledge of these elements varies as the amount of study and time put into each element
differs."
"Who knows, in the future, mages might even discover a new element. However, from the
current list of elements, there are those that work better against others and worse, so you
will need to keep this in mind." Raze tapped the side of his head with his index finger.
Explaining this to Safa and having the other two boys gawking their eyes in his direction
reminded him of the days when he was a professor.
"Light Magic is strong against Dark Magic, but it is weak against Metal. As for other
elements, there is a neutral effect. Of course, this doesn't mean just because one is using
Dark magic and the other is using Light, the Light user will always win."
"In the first place, Mages know more than one type of magic to combat this, and if they
specialize in things, they are sure to know how to try and counter their match up. If
anything, I would say the best way to gain experience and grow as a mage is to go up
against your weakness and try to figure out ways to best them using only that type of
magic!"
Raze cleared his throat as he caught himself getting a little too excited. There wouldn't be
many mages for them to fight in the first place.
"Just keep this in mind. As for Light magic itself, it is one of the oldest forms of magic and
one that mages know most about." Raze then turned away to mumble under his breath.
"Unlike Dark magic."
Turning to face Safa again, he brought out the five white-headed plant and handed it over,
gently placing it in her hands. She cupped it, and instantly could feel a soothing energy
coming from the plant.
"Because of this, Light magic is perhaps one of the most diversified types of magic out
there. Its main use is for healing, but if concentrated in certain areas such as the eyes, it
allows one to see things that others can't see. Some say Light magic is the closest magic
there is to god, and it must have been something that was handed down to us by them."
"However, it also means it's one of the hardest to gain affinity with, but we will leave that
for later."
Raze started to draw a magic circle on the floor again, getting Safa ready to step in. There
was a reason he didn't want to talk about raising one's affinity with magic; he was hiding
something from them.
'Wind magic requires the constant use of spells to raise its affinity. Dark magic grows on
death… if I was to explain all the affinities to her, I'm sure they would ask about how I
increase my Dark magic. They would quickly understand why it became a taboo magic to
learn.'
Raze then gestured for Safa to sit in the circle, and she turned so her back was facing away
from Raze, and she was now looking towards the beds where the other two were still
present.
'When making a magic core, especially the first one, the magic circle should be enough to
draw mana from around you like I had done when I first got here. However, Safa has never
controlled magic before.'
'The magic formation will help her, and the plant should allow her to head toward creating
a Light magic core and increase her affinity from the get-go. I'm sure she will be fine.
Sometimes people will go out of their way to make sure they will get the magic core that
they need.'
'For Light magic itself, it's selflessness, and she has shown an abundance of it. Even without
the plant, I'm sure she would make a light core, but the plant will be enough to raise her
strength to the point she can actually use light magic, and I'm worried about something else
as well.'
Raze was tense for a moment and was ready to place his hand on her back. He wanted to do
the same as Kron and try to guide her mana to her core around her heart.
'I was fine when creating the core myself… it should be fine, right.'
"I don't want you to fight against what I'm going to do; allow it to flow, and then when you
think you have an idea of what I'm doing, go along with it," Raze explained.
It was now or never, and so he decided to begin. The magic activated from his body, and the
magic circle lit up. The others in the room felt like something was attempting to pull them
forward.
It wasn't the wind, as their hair wasn't moving, and it wasn't a type of Qi energy, it was
something different altogether. Soon after, Safa's body started to light up, and from the look
on her face, she looked unpleasant.
The energy was coming through her skin from the outside, and it felt unnatural. The feeling
of worms trying to get through under her skin and from all over.
But she remembered what Raze said, to not try and fight it, and to just go along with it, so
that's exactly what she did. The energy continued to flow, and when it was inside her body,
she could feel Raze directing it.
'Controlling Mana inside a body is harder than controlling mana outside, but I can
somewhat do it!' Raze thought to himself.
He was continuing to guide the magic, and soon around Safa's heart a core was starting to
be made. Layers and layers of magic were building up on the outside, forming a sphere.
Magic was continuing to flow, but as it condensed more and more, Raze was having a
harder time controlling it.
"Safa, you need to do your part now. I can't control Light magic that well, but this mana in
your own body, you need to make it yours, you need to tell it what to do!"
Safa was a quick learner, even when learning Qi she had gotten the grasp of it at an
extremely fast rate, and unaware herself, she thought Raze was still the one controlling the
magic, but it wasn't, it was her.
The magic was continuing to form the sphere bit by bit. Thanks to the plant placed at the
head of the magic circle, she was forming an even purer Light magic circle. She was taking
in mana and gaining great affinity with Light magic.
Raze was right as well, her nature.
It was already that of Light magic, and he was sure that if Safa was a mage from the get-go
on Alterian, or a student of his, she would be classed as a prodigy, and expected to become
one of the strongest in Light magic.
Just as the magic circle was starting to form, though, Safa felt a pain in her stomach. It was
the Qi in her body. It was moving, shaking, uncontrollably.
"Wait," Raze said out loud.
The others were worried as they could see the pained look on her face. "The Qi, why is it
moving like that? I can't stop it!"
Bursting out, breaking from the dantian, the Qi moved in the body, and it went straight
towards the heart. The magic core hadn't finished forming yet, and the Qi struck right in the
center of the heart.
At the same time, Safa's entire body collapsed, her head hitting the floor in front of her, her
heart no longer beating.
Chapter 219 Fixing The Heart
Chapter 219 Fixing The Heart
When Safa fell to the floor, for a moment it felt like Raze was watching it in slow motion. He
saw the muscles relax in her body, as if out of control, swaying against the wind, and heard
the sound of a thud as her face slammed then slid on the ground.
He stood there, watching her, his eyes wide open, not knowing what to do.
'Why did that happen? Why did the Qi suddenly move like that, and why would it strike the
heart?' Raze thought. 'That… didn't happen with me. Wait, but I never had a dantian or a Qi
core. I had gotten a magic core first; could that be the reason.'
The sound was drawn out around him as Raze was stuck in his thoughts, and before he
even reacted, both Simyon and Liam had jumped off their beds. It felt like he was watching
a movie, as if he wasn't really present at the moment.
He could see Simyon pressing his head up against her chest, while Liam placed his hand
under her nose after turning her over to see if she was breathing.
"Raze… Raze… RAZE!" Simyon yelled at the top of his lungs.
The last call had snapped Raze out of it, out of the movie he was watching. He felt as if he
was going from bystander to living in the moment now.
"Safa, we can't hear her heartbeat, and she's not even moving. What happened? What
happened to her? What did you do?" Simyon screamed.
These words, the experience of people shouting at Raze, he had heard it before, and almost
trying to turn away from the situation, he looked onto the floor.
'But I was fine… where did this all go wrong?' He thought.
While staring at the ground, Raze noticed something: the five-headed flower. Only one of its
heads had disappeared, having broken down into particles. Even now, there was a slight
glow around it.
'There's no one to stop me this time. I can try and do something.'
Raze tensed his fist, his eyes narrowing as he went into full focus. He bent down, picking up
the flower, and quickly rushed to Safa's side, placing his hand on top of her chest.
For a moment, Liam was wondering if Raze was trying to finish some type of hit job or
whether or not he had made a mistake. But since they had no clue what was going on, he
was also the only one who could resolve it.
As Raze closed his eyes, he could sense the magic that was inside her. It was still floating
around her heart, condensed. Her heart itself was still in good condition, but a few of the
vessels had been torn.
Raze placed the flower on top of her chest and then placed his hand on it as well. He was
focusing, trying to feel the light magic. He was trying to imagine reaching out and
influencing all of the light magic that was in Safa's body.
'I can't produce any light magic of my own, but I can try and control what is in the plant and
already in her body.'
Raze was moving about, controlling as much of it as he could, but there was another issue:
what spell was he to use? He taught magic, but in this situation, what exactly was the best
spell for him?
He was thinking, but his brain wasn't working. Light magic spells were something that he
had only really studied, so he didn't have the best memory of them.
'Think of a word, a trigger, something to use.'
While thinking desperately for an answer, an image of a woman appeared in front of his
closed vision, and a voice whispered out.
'Complete Restore.'
The voice was soft and gentle, but it reminded Raze of the magic circle formation he needed
in his head as he said the words.
"Complete Restore!" he shouted, pouring in all of his magic to move the Light magic. The
plant started to disintegrate, and as it did, it started to add to the Light magic that was
already around the core.
Before he knew it, the core had become complete, creating a perfect circle around her
heart. Soon it lit up, and the damage that had been done from the Qi was restoring parts of
the damaged heart from the Qi.
This time, it didn't seem like the Qi from the dantian was doing anything either. Perhaps
because the person wasn't even alive at this point for its body to reject the magic circle.
The heart was going back to full condition, and the glow started to fade. Raze could tell now
that the magic core, the Light core, had been completed. The spell was a success, so as he
lifted his hands, he was wondering why.
"Why… why didn't that work," Raze mumbled to himself.
"What do you mean didn't work?" Simyon said, placing his head down to her chest. It was
true; he still couldn't hear her heartbeat. At the same time, she still wasn't breathing.
"The pills, what about the pills you have, can't you use them?" Liam shouted, remembering
that they had been used to help Simyon before. Surely, it could do the same in this situation.
"No," Raze answered. "Her body, it's already healed to full condition. There's no longer
anything wrong with it. There's nothing to heal, but for some reason her heart's not
beating."
The two were left silenced by Raze's words; they couldn't quite understand. How could Safa
have been completely fine one moment, and now had ended up like this? Was there really
nothing that they could do?
'Hahahaha!' A shrieking female voice, not the same as before, echoed in his head. He wasn't
sure if he had heard this voice before or not, or if it was his subconscious tormenting him
for having made this mistake.
'Hahaha, you avoided death too many times, I tried to protect you all, but look what you
went and did.' The voice said, playing in Raze's mind.
"Shut up!" Raze called out. "Shut up! Shut up!"
The voice continued to laugh, with Safa's body still lying on the ground.
Chapter 220 God Eyes
Chapter 220 God Eyes
The laughter continued to echo in Raze's mind, but the words that had come out of his
mouth could be heard by all. Seeing what happened to Safa, both Liam and Simyon felt like
he was a bit heartless in his reaction, only reacting at the tail end, and now he was shouting
words.
"Shut up!" Raze shouted again. "Are you taunting me because I couldn't save the people
back then? Do you think the same thing is going to happen again?"
Thinking about it, Raze remembered reading a few medical books. What some mages had
done in certain situations. He knelt down on his knees, spread on either side of her, and
then lifted both of his hands.
Soon, his eyes started to glow a light blue, and then, running up and down his arm, his
magic activated, but it wasn't a type of magic the others could see before. Coming off from
his clothing were small blue sparks that were going off in different directions.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Liam said, holding onto Simyon. "Is he trying to make sure she's dead or
something? Why is he using some strange lightning powers?"
The currents were running up and down his arm, and then he placed it on her chest. The
electric pulsated from his hand, shocking Safa's body, concentrated towards the chest,
towards her heart.
Her body lifted around an inch off the ground, but there was still nothing.
'I remember reading medical studies. There were those who were able to use their
lightning ability to reset the rhythm of the heart if it was abnormal. In rare cases, though, if
a person's heart has stopped, chest compressions are the best thing. With the power of the
lightning pulse, and compressing at the same time, I will make her heart beat again!'
Raze left both of his hands right on her chest, and the lightning started to pulse into a
steady rhythm. The shocks weren't as big as the one from before, but Raze was making his
own rhythm to match that of a natural heartbeat.
He had to be careful, use too much magic and it would just damage her heart again. "You
have to live, you have to! I didn't give you the name Cromwell so you could die!" Raze said,
and Safa's fingers began to twitch.
Raze did one more shock, and then he stopped, as he could hear it, and feel it through her
body, it was pulsating again. It was slowly getting into a rhythm, and it came back strong.
Opening her eyes, and mouth, a large gasp of air was let into her body, and she started to
breathe in and out several times.
Slowly, Raze got off from her, he was covered in sweat over his head as he looked at her
and wiped his chin.
'You're not laughing now, are you,' Raze thought to himself.
The two boys had tears of joy as they called out Safa's name, and almost grabbed her, but
they realized that she probably needed some space and time, since she had somewhat come
back from the dead.
Looking at Safa, Raze was somewhat worried that she would just collapse again at any
moment, but she seemed to be going strong, and just before he let go, he made sure that
everything was in order.
'Safa... was incredibly lucky,' Raze thought. 'I didn't realize that her Qi would react like that,
to a magic circle being made around her heart. Is it some type of self-defense mechanism
that Qi has? For it to attack the user?'
'I'm not too sure if this is something that will happen to everyone who has both. The fact
that I was able to learn both might be the order of things, but regardless, those who have Qi
already can't learn magic.'
'It only worked out for Safa because she was actually dead. With her body dead, her Qi
wasn't activating to defend herself. So the magic circle around her heart could form with no
interference, and then the fact she was making a light magic core as well. It allowed me to
use it to heal her heart.'
'If it was any other type of magic, then her heart wouldn't have healed either. Thankfully, I
did everything I could to keep her alive.'
Slowly getting up off the ground, Safa sat gently on the bed. If there was one thing that had
come out of this, it was the fact that the guys weren't in a rush to learn magic anytime soon
after what had happened.
When she finally looked to have regained a bit of color, Raze walked over to her.
"We had quite a little scare there, but everything is okay now," Raze replied. "It was a
success; you managed to learn Light magic."
"Are you sure it's okay?" Simyon asked. "Like if she uses magic, the same thing is not going
to happen?"
"It shouldn't," Raze answered. "It was just during the process of making what we call a
magic core. It's similar to when you make in the dantian to get to the first stage. For some
reason, the two seemed to disturb each other, but now she should be just like me."
"Let me know when you're ready to try."
Just as Raze was about to turn away, Safa reached out and grabbed his hand. She started to
nod several times. She was telling him that she was ready now.
"You just came back from the land of the dead, and you already want to do this... very well,"
Raze answered. "The energy you felt that was inside you, you should be able to remember
that feeling. You need to link it up with the energy outside the world of the same type."
"Unlike Qi, which comes from within, mana is the energy controlled on the outside. You can
only control so much energy before your mana core is unable to handle any more and will
need rest to regenerate.
"What I want you to do is focus on the same energy you felt inside you and capture that
energy outside."
The process of what was actually happening and how to control it were two different
things, but either way, it was just to help one grasp the concept of using magic, and from
the look of things, Safa was grasping it quickly as she felt a glow in her fingers.
She also felt her core reacting as well.
"I won't teach you any spells for now. We don't want to overcomplicate things, but there is
a step before even learning spells. The gathering of different affinities of magic. You need to
gather certain amounts and in the right areas to use spells.
"For now, what I want you to try and do is gather the magic and direct it towards your
eyes."
Breathing in slowly, Safa was doing the same thing again. She took in a deep breath, and
soon the glow was appearing around her eyes, and not just that, but the color of her eyes
was changing slightly. The outside of the iris, it was turning into a pale, almost white color.
Soon, she could see a number of different things. She could see the light energy in the air,
strands being attracted to her. She could also see different colors on the two boys, but then
her eyes landed right on Raze, and her whole hand was starting to shake.
"The color of your eyes... you... you have received god eyes," Raze said. He noticed her lips
quivering, and even her eyes shaking. If she had god eyes, he realized what she must have
been seeing right now.
Safa could see dark energy that was completely surrounding Raze, it was all over him,
surrounding the entire side of the room. It was floating about like a spaceless void, and not
just that, but the energy felt extremely angry, full of emotion.
Slowly, it was starting to move, and as it did, it was destroying everything around it, the
space, the light magic, and every type of energy she could see.
'The god eyes allow the user to see mana in a more pure form. Right now, she can see all of
the deaths that I have caused in order to increase my Dark magic attribute.'
Raze had a pretty good idea about what she was seeing right now, but his imagination was
wrong, because Safa couldn't just see the lives he had taken in this life, but in his past one
as well. Almost a giant shadow was forming over his back.
"Don't look into it too much," Raze commented. "Or you'll be consumed by it."
Out from the shadow, as Raze spoke, almost a giant hand with deadly claws was reaching
out at her. Whatever this was, it clearly didn't like her.
Chapter 221 Death Flag
Chapter 221 Death Flag
The dark shadow was consuming her and all the energy around her. For some reason, she
was unable to take her eyes off it, and yet, it felt like the shadow was drawn to her as well.
Not just Raze, but a pair of invisible eyes were heading toward her. It was the first time
since she had met the new Raze that she truly felt scared of him.
"Stop now!" Raze said again, still seeing her bottom lip quivering.
Safa did as he intended and gave a hard blink. When she opened them again, the magic she
was controlling dispersed back into the air. The image in front of her was gone, and the
sixth sense she could feel from before was no longer tingling with fear.
"You have been granted a gift," Raze stated. "Not everyone who practices light magic will
get what we call God Eyes. This is one of the many reasons why people think light magic is
the closest to god's power due to the benefits people are able to achieve.
"For yourself, you are able to more vividly see the flow of energy around you. It will allow
you to cast spells quicker and know the flow of magic before it's even used. You will even
be able to tell the magic core of others before they use any magic at all."
Safa now understood why she could see Raze's magic but wondered if he knew it radiated
that much from him as well.
For Raze, as he was explaining out loud, he realized something. The God Eyes might have
been quite the gift for him and his group. Because now they could tell who knew magic and
who didn't. It would allow them to see their core, but the main issue was, it was hard for
Safa to speak freely, and Raze had promised her that he would help her fix her voice.
"About your voice. Depending on how you lost it, there is a chance that it can come back,"
Raze started to explain while pointing to his own throat. "If this was the way you were
born, then unfortunately, there is nothing you can do, but if it was due to some damage,
then we will be able to do something about it."
Hearing this, Safa's facial expression had changed into a huge smile, which made him think
that it was most likely the latter.
"Since you're already used to gathering magic with your eyes, I want you to continue doing
the same. Activate your God Eyes, but don't push yourself. If you feel strain or headaches,
then stop. That's your body naturally telling you it's reached its limit. The same if you start
to feel exhausted and tired," Raze continued.
"With God Eyes activated, I then want you to continue moving magic about, try to use the
God Eyes to your advantage, and flow the magic towards the area in your throat. This will
get you used to controlling magic. When you can control enough, I will teach you a spell,
and hopefully, it will be the end of your mute days."
Hearing this, even the boys listening at the back were quite excited. "Hey, I bet she's going
to sound like some type of goddess! I mean, she's even got that strange power, God Eyes, so
she must have the voice of a god, right?" Liam said, getting excited and nudging the side of
Simyon.
"Hey, she can't speak, she's not deaf; she can hear everything you're saying," Simyon
replied, but he was a little red-faced as well, as he too was imagining what it would be like
to hear Safa speak.
It didn't seem like the others had things to do, same with Raze, who wasn't up for exploring
so much after coming back from what he had come back from. At the moment, he was just
waiting for Dame.
He still had no idea what to do with Crimson Crane's offer and wanted to speak to Dame a
bit more.
So they were all intently watching Safa; she soon closed her eyes, and when they opened,
the color of her iris had changed again. The first thing that had managed to catch her
attention again was the darkness surrounding Raze.
Thankfully, he was standing further away this time, and was close to the other side of the
wall, but she did notice something, and it was while she had this power active the shadow
was creeping toward her.
It was almost as if the power that surrounded Raze was conscious of her. Because only
when she had activated her God Eyes was it creeping towards her, and the shadow was
forming into shapes she recognized as well.
She was even wondering if it was her mind that was playing tricks on her. While looking at
Raze, though, she soon noticed something else.
Although it was hard to see his figure while using the God Eyes due to all the darkness
around him, she could see a slight outline, and that's when she could see strange shades of
red energy as well.
They were condensed in an area, they were swirling around, and slowly the outline of the
condensed energy was becoming clearer to her. The energy looked almost human in shape,
but it was behind Raze.
As she focused even more, she could see there was one large dangling arm that reached
over Raze's left shoulder, it was reaching down towards his waist. Then the other hand, it
was raised up in the air.
Finally, there was a head, no, a face that was right by Raze, just floating. She was unable to
see any details such as eyes or anything like that. When she saw this, a thought had crossed
her mind because she had seen it too while she was cultivating, that time, it looked like the
same bloody woman.
At that moment, she was starting to wonder why there were so many things trying to kill
her, or trying to kill her and her brother.
Chapter 222 Following in the foot steps of a stranger
Chapter 222 Following in the foot steps of a stranger
Safa started to shake her head, and she completely stopped using her magic powers
altogether. It was an amazing feeling, controlling this newfound energy, and the energy
itself was pleasant for her to touch.
However, there were just too many things that she would see while using God Eyes that she
didn't like, and it wasn't the easiest thing for her to explain to the others either. Instead,
when Raze asked her to use her magic again, she just shook her head.
For the rest of the day, the group stayed together, and rather than using God Eyes, Safa
would use her magic on her fingertips whenever she could and used it around her throat.
She even had started to try to move the light magic over to Simyon and Liam, who both felt
calmer when her magic coated them.
She didn't dare use it on Raze after what she had seen. That night had been a trying night
for them all, and even Raze had decided to finally get a good rest, leaving a few thoughts in
his head.
'Alter, The Bonum Society, Dark Faction, Light Faction, Demonic Faction, and even the
Crimson Crane. There are quite a lot of groups that control this world, and I'm sure I
haven't even met them all yet.
'Ah right, there was that other guy as well, from the other world. He called himself Zon; he
said I didn't quite understand what was going on, and I almost forgot, the bloodied hand
when cultivating.
'I wonder, is it all linked to Alterian in some way? These dimensions, everything that's
opening up. When I was a mage in Alterian, I was so focused on my own world because it
was falling apart every day, and I tried my best to keep it up and going.
'I failed in the past, but this time, I was able to save someone.' Raze turned his head to look
at Safa, who was fast asleep in her bed. Everyone was, and Liam was even snoring quite
loudly.
'With so many groups of people, as I continue on my path to revenge, a lot more are going
to get involved, and it's going to be a lot more bloody. Right now, while no one knows the
truth of my past or my goal, things haven't been too bad, but there will be a turning point.
Especially if I don't want the same thing to happen. Don't worry, no matter how peaceful
this life gets, I will never forget. I will get those from Alterian.'
These were Raze's last thoughts that filled his head as he finally went to sleep. Having fallen
into a deep slumber, it had passed morning and was close to noon, yet none of them had
moved out of their beds as if a spell had been cast on them.
It was a first for all of them. Due to them being Stage 2 Pagna warriors and Raze a Stage 3,
even less sleep was needed, but all of them during this short trip to the Demonic Faction
had gone through a lot. Now there were only a few days left until they had to return to the
Academy.
Eventually, the sound of knocking at the door was what had woken them up. Simyon,
closest to the door, lifted his head and was rubbing his eyes, while Raze was the quickest to
lift himself up. He had almost jumped out of his bed, ready for whatever was to happen
next.
He quickly looked out the window before turning to the door again. 'It's already this late.
How did we sleep for so long and so much?' Raze thought. On top of that, he felt oddly
refreshed, more so than usual, with the Qi in his body brimming with energy. This wasn't
the first time when he had slept he had woken up feeling better.
The knock was heard again, and the second time they heard it, everyone let their guards
down slightly, as they recognized the pattern. Simyon went to open the door, and none
other than Dame could be seen walking through.
"What happened in here?" Dame asked. "You guys all look half-dead, and the atmosphere,
did someone die in here?"
Awkward faces were being pulled by all of those in the room, and for a moment, Dame
thought someone might have actually died because he remembered at one point, that was
exactly what he had to cover up.
For a moment, Dame only wanted to talk to Raze. The others were willing, as they knew
they had important business, and since they had naturally missed breakfast, they were
hungrier than usual and headed downstairs to grab a bite to eat.
Meanwhile, Dame had pulled up one of the chairs next to one of the desks in the room and
also took out another for Raze.
"I think you might want to sit down for this because I have quite a serious thing to talk to
you about," Dame said.
Raze did as asked and really didn't know what to expect, as there were so many
possibilities to talk about.
"First, I think I should inform you that the name Dark Magus has already spread, and by
that, I mean not only here in the Demonic Faction but perhaps the whole of the Dark
Faction as well as the Light Faction already know, and it's not because we've been shifting
those pills that you made," Dame explained.
In fact, he hadn't even had a chance to shift any pills due to the problem that had arisen
because of it all.
"The word of an elder getting defeated, it's been pretty big news all over. It's not something
that happens every day, and for some reason, rather than the Crimson Crane getting the
blame, the only name that is getting passed around is the Dark Magus; they think you are
solely responsible for the elder's death."
Raze was slightly taken aback by this, and he bit his bottom lip, getting the blame for things
that weren't entirely his fault. It wasn't the first time this had happened either. People were
twisting things. He was starting to think that maybe the fact that he had learned Dark Magic
he had been cursed as well.
"I see, but if anything, this should still do good in terms of the business side of things," Raze
replied.
"I'm not too sure," Dame replied. "The Light Faction will do anything they can to try and get
revenge for this elder. They will target the merchants or those that sell our product to try
and find out the real identity of yourself."
"But I don't think we should give up on the empire that we planned to build. Which is why I
think it might not be a bad idea for both of us to join the Crimson Crane," Dame stated.
Now Raze understood why Dame had given the first bit of information. His line of thinking
wasn't wrong. If he joined the Clan, they would have some protection, especially since the
Crimson Crane were neutral as well. They would suffer some setbacks from the Light
Faction, but it was better to just be the enemy of one group rather than the target of
several.
"With them covering us, we will be able to continue as intended. I also had received an
invitation from them a long time ago, but because of my ties with my clan, it has been
difficult, but I know now after everything that's happened that this is the right thing to do."
"The Crimson Crane is also different from other clans; although we will have their backing
and name, we are still free to do as we wish in terms of individuals. We will only have to
comply when Alba really needs our support."
"She might also ask you to make a few items for the entire clan, but we could still continue
our business this way."
From the way Dame was speaking, Raze could tell he was enthusiastic, and he had already
made the decision; it was more so him trying to convince Raze.
"I've been thinking about accepting their offer myself," Raze replied. "I was actually going
to ask your advice on the matter, but I can see where you lie. I still need a little more time,
and we only have a few days here."
"If you do plan to leave, then I want to do one thing before you abandon your clan."
Dame raised an eyebrow, surprised that Raze wanted something from him.
"I want to go to the Neverfall Clan Base."
Dame's eyeballs nearly popped out of his head. If there was one place he didn't want to take
Raze, it was back there, where his sister as well as his father were both looking for the Dark
Magus in question.
"Why do you want to go there? Is there not something I can just get for you?"
Raze shook his head. "It's something that only I will be able to see."
If Raze remembered correctly, he remembered that Dame said that he had books related to
the martial arts that the Dark Faction Founder had left behind. From what Raze knew, just
like him, the Dark Faction Founder was from Alter. He was someone who knew magic and
martial arts.
It was still unclear if he had come over the same way as Raze in a new body, but what he
was looking for was things that he had left behind. His notes had done him well, and it was
clear that from what he had seen so far, the Dark Faction Founder was also a 9-star mage. If
he had left something at the Neverfall Clan, it would be written in Alterian, and Raze was
probably one of the few people who could make use of it.
Chapter 223 Enter the Demonic Clan
Chapter 223 Enter the Demonic Clan
Despite Dame's reluctance to take the Dark Magus to the Neverfall Clan, in the end, he had
given in. It appeared that Raze was quite persistent and had his own reasons for visiting.
Dame was relieved that he hadn't cut all ties with his clan just before coming here, like he
had planned to; otherwise, it would have been a disaster if they were coming back.
Currently, the two of them, leaving the others behind, were walking through the vast
wasteland. The last thing they wanted to do was look after the others, and in a way, staying
inside the city was one of the safest things for them, as long as they stayed out of trouble.
'I was planning on leaving them and never coming back to the Clan, but I guess heading
there one more time to say goodbye isn't too much of a big deal,' Dame thought.
"Ah, I worked out a few things for when we join the Crimson Crane. It will continue the
same as before; Fixteen will be our contact person. He can either meet us in the city or meet
us in the cave we came out of before," Dame explained. "Fixteen has already been working
on selling channels, and he will make sure that people know the Crimson Crane is backing
the Dark Magus.
"But we won't make it clear that you are a member just yet."
From the way Dame was talking, it was as if they had already agreed to join the Crimson
Crane, but with everything he was saying, Raze still had no reason to disagree. It would all
work out.
It was thanks to Reno as well, a member of the Crimson Crane, that he had come up with
his mass-production technique.
"If I'm part of the Clan, won't I also be able to get some rewards from the Clan's
achievements?" Raze asked.
"That's the good thing about it," Dame replied. "The Crimson Crane is small, and they
mainly focus on clearing out the portals. So they get their hands on high-level power stones
all the time. I'm sure they would be happy to give you these power stones that suit your
needs in return for something else. You now have access to the power of a clan, without
going through all that crap with Clan leaders."
Raze had been making note of the way Dame talked from time to time. It was quite clear
that he wasn't in favor of clans so much, or at least the old structured clans like most of the
Pagna warrior clans were like.
Up ahead, after walking or more like gliding across the land with large strides that took
them several meters ahead, they had reached their destination. It was hard for Raze to
fathom because right now it looked like he was just looking at a large built-up wall.
Many cities and buildings had walls as protection or to keep others out, but this was
different because no buildings could be seen higher than the wall, and in the first place, the
wall wasn't very high up. However, it was incredibly large, to the point where from where
Raze was, he was unable to see just how big the wall went around.
"This is the Neverfall Clan's base of operations, known as the Abyssal's Pinnacle. The
easiest way to think of it is like an inverted mountain, and it's just as large as one as well.
Rumors say that the base was made from when a Demon fell from the skies, thus creating
the birth of the Demonic Faction.
"But don't worry, the only demons you will see inside all look like humans."
"I will have to agree with you there," Raze commented. "But isn't that worse? At least
monsters wear their appearance on the outside, but humans, they are the scariest demons
since you don't know what they're thinking."
Dame couldn't help but laugh at that, but it wasn't because what Raze said was funny, but
because there was a truth to what he said. It was a laugh out of irony.
"Before we enter, I think it might be best that you use this." Dame handed over the black
mask. It was a familiar item to Raze because it was the mask that he had created and given
to Dame.
It was the mask that he had used as well before to change his appearance on the battlefield
once.
"That cloak is starting to become a symbol, and people might realize who you are or try to
get a peek at you. So I think it's better if we just head in as a member of the Clan," Dame
explained.
Raze understood and put on the mask, and soon his face changed into a typical Pagna
warrior, with plain black hair and next to no standout features. The mask, in the first place,
could only store one face, and not multiple ones since it wasn't too much of a rare item.
"But isn't this the face of one of your clan's disciples? It will cause some troubles, right?"
Raze asked.
"Don't worry, I asked for my friends to go ahead of us and make sure that doesn't happen.
The main place you want to head to is the library, right? It's going to be a little hard to get
in there, since Clan members, depending on what rank they are in the Clan, can enter at
certain times.
"I do have special privileges compared to others, but I just need to make sure things are all
clear."
There was another thing that Dame wanted to do himself before taking Raze to the library
because after he got what he wanted, he wanted to head out of the place as soon as
possible.
"Also, stay clear of a girl called Rayna. She's the one you saved that time. She won't
recognize you with the mask, but I don't even want you speaking to her."
With those strange conditions set, Raze nodded. He was in Dame's territory now, so he
would respect their rules, but with the two of them being split apart for a while, he would
have to make sure his acting was top-notch.
They had approached the large wall that was slightly sloped, and Raze could see several
indented footsteps on it. There was no entrance for them to enter from. Instead, those from
the Clan were expected to just scale the wall.
The two of them did just that, running up the side of the mountain top, and then when they
reached the top, Raze could feel an incredibly strong heat coming from below. It had hit
him straight in the face.
The sound of grunting, clashing, and sword bashing was heard from the area as well, and
even for Raze, he could feel a tingle at the back of his neck. He stared deep into the abyss,
which had giant chains that hung down from the sides of the wall, twirling down, and on
those chains, there were entrances like caves.
It was a strange sight to see, along with the spiraling staircase that would branch off into
entire floors where Clan members lived. Raze had never seen anything like this, even in all
of the Demonic Faction.
'Is this where the Dark Faction founder was hiding, and just why would he put something
in a place like this?'
Chapter 224 The Neverfall Base
Chapter 224 The Neverfall Base
Entering the clan base seemed easy enough. Once they reached the top of the wall, all they
needed to do was jump down onto the platform underneath. Here, there was a large base
that encircled the entire giant hole, and now Raze was starting to get an idea in terms of
scale of the entire thing.
It was bigger than he even imagined. Just on the rim of the hole entrance, there could be an
entire city set up; it went around that far. There were just members of the clan casually
talking, and to get from one side to the other, they were using the giant chains as types of
bridges.
Even on individual links, Raze could see two clan members casually talking away. It was
bizarre, to say the least, the strangest thing so far that made him feel like he was in a
completely different world altogether.
"Is there new security?" Raze asked.
"There is, but not on the upper floors," Dame explained. "Essentially, in this area, nearly
anyone can just walk around and talk to each other. If they use one of the chain links to go
to the lower floors, then someone will need to recognize you.
"As for visitors, they usually register over there, and someone will come and get them."
Dame had pointed to a hole in the side of the wall, something that looked to be at least 400
meters away.
Only just could Raze see a sign above it, and he could read the words "visitors center."
"The current person that you are disguised as is only allowed on the upper levels. This area
is called the spiraling descent. It's where most of the clan members sleep, as well as train."
"The staircase will only take you so far, and then you will have to use the other chain links
to allow you to go further. That's where the higher-ranked individuals are. The Chains of
Binding. In this area, some of the chains are hollowed out to allow people to train.
"While other parts of the chain links are even used as prisons and more. Going across the
chains will lead you to an area called the Demon Ponds. It's an area filled with strange red
liquid that seems to have Qi energy inside it.
"Many of the higher-ranked individuals cultivate there using the Life and Death technique,
but only those at the middle stage are allowed to visit this area. Not even I am allowed to
cultivate there. The rumors state if you do, you'll end up going mad."
From the description, it sounded like the area was filled with pockets of blood-filled
craters. Hearing this reminded Raze a lot of the bloody woman that was haunting him and
Safa.
"Finally, past that, is what you are looking for, which is the Abyssal library. It's a vast
cavern that is filled with ancient scrolls along with tombs. These are where the clan's
techniques are kept as well.
"Once in a while, students are granted access to the below area, so there is a way that
allows you to bypass the Chains of Binding and Demon Ponds. I just have to find it. So, in
the meantime, just stay here."
Dame ordered as he went away and started to run off, heading along one of the large chain
links.
Looking at the area though, Raze had no intention of staying put.
"Although the library is where the skill was kept, other information leading to what the
Dark Faction leader did might not just be in the library. It could be spread all over this
place, and might even be hidden.
"I won't explore the forbidden areas; that will get this person's face in trouble. I will just
explore the areas covering the spiraling descent." Walking down the staircase, Raze noticed
that every once in a while there was a platformed-off area.
Here, there would allow one entrance into certain places. He had stumbled upon what
looked like a kitchen, but he doubted there would be anything left there. If he really
couldn't find anything or fancied a bit to eat, he would come back.
It did make him wonder if the chefs were also clan members and fighters here. Since this
was a clan base, nearly all of those he met would be clan members, due to the location, he
couldn't imagine many visitors being here either. There were no cities or towns nearby; it
was as if the Clan was in the middle of a desert.
As he continued on, he soon found a carved-out cavern full of Qi energy. He could feel the
power somewhat drawing him in. Another thing he noticed was how the intensity of the
heat increased the further he would go down as well.
Instead of continuing down further, he decided to investigate, and was following the
energy. Here he could see several hallways that split off into different areas, and there were
students who were all sitting down in a meditative state.
While Raze continued to walk, he was taking a small peek into the others' rooms, trying not
to disturb anyone.
"Alterian writing could be on the walls of any of these rooms, just like they were in the
cave. I still have no idea what he was doing here, or whether or not the Dark Faction
founder was on friendly terms with the Demonic Faction.
"Otherwise, it could be something I could ask the leader. The leader is Dame's father, but
from the way he speaks about him, he isn't exactly on good terms with him either," Raze
thought.
When Raze went to peek in one room, one of the young students had opened a single one of
his eyes; he then looked at Raze, but Raze quickly turned away, trying not to catch any
attention.
"Calum! Are you back from that secret assignment already?" The clan member called out.
Raze bit his bottom lip. Of course, there was a chance of this happening, since he carried the
face of a clan member, there would be those that recognized him. As soon as he started to
speak, they would immediately know what was up.
"It didn't go so well; I'm not in the best moods, just leave me alone for today." Raze waved
his hand, still looking away from the man.
It was a short, simple answer that shouldn't lead to any more questions. Raze was even
quite proud of himself for that one.
"I understand, don't worry about it, but we do need to get ready soon," the man said.
'Get ready, get ready for what?' Raze wanted to ask.
Right after, a loud gong was heard, and it vibrated the entire area. The floor was shaking,
and another loud bang vibrated again. All of the lower-ranked clan members soon got out
of their meditative state, as they started to move.
"Come on, we don't want to be late!" The clan member said. "I heard that there is a special
guest coming to see us. It's the beauty of the Neverfall Clan, Rayna Narfous!"
Raze had been in the Neverfall clan for around fifteen minutes, searching maybe twenty
minutes tops, and he was already about to meet one of the dreaded people that Dame
wanted him to have nothing to do with.
Chapter 225 Learning steps?
Chapter 225 Learning steps?
Following the loud gong, Raze could see the other low-ranking clan members come out
from their small rooms of meditation. They did a few stretches here and there before they
were all heading down one hallway into another area.
Raze was debating whether he should turn now before he got swept up into something that
would land him in trouble, but there was already a crowd of people behind him heading his
way. He was a little afraid of being touched by not just one person, but multiple, as there
appeared to be no way out now. Not only that, but there was now a witness by his side.
"Come on Callum, I know you're feeling down, but this won't hurt you; you can always take
it easy today," the young man said.
'The issue is I don't even know what I'm taking it easy on!' Raze said in his mind but took a
deep breath and decided to go with the path of least resistance. He followed the strangers
whose names he didn't even know.
It was clear that these two were friends, so he would just have to keep his mouth shut and
continue playing the silent treatment for now.
Eventually, the hallway led to an opening. Up ahead, glowing objects could be seen, but it
wasn't linked to the outside. The hallway they were walking had come to an end, and the
Clan members were jumping off into something below.
Students jumped off the end of the hallway one by one, and Raze followed suit as he landed
and started to look around him.
It was a large oval room, still covered in the dark red-colored rock that most of the clan
base was made of. It was quite large in size, like an area that fighting mages would fight in.
What was a little strange was the ground. It was made out of hard metal and had strange
patterns and designs placed all over it. The flooring was too large for Raze to even make out
if it meant something, and the designs were inconsistent.
In the current arena, there were fifty clan members, all of them low-ranked individuals.
They had spread out, all facing toward one man who had a mallet and a giant black-colored
gong up against the back of the wall.
The man himself was dressed in dark red clothing and looked to be around ten years older
than everyone else here.
However, the clan members seemed to be unfocused as they turned and twisted their
heads, clearly looking for someone else.
"The young madam is currently not present," the instructor at the front said in a loud voice
that bounced off the walls. There was a hint of anger that they cared more about her than
him.
"However, what you heard today is true. She has returned and will be making rounds
around the clan. So today you best be at your very best, so you don't make me look bad,"
the instructor stated.
"Today, we will be teaching you all something that is a bit of a controversy within not just
the Neverfall Clan, but the Demonic Faction entirely, and that is the ten descending steps!"
An eyebrow was raised from Raze. Out of all the techniques for them to go over, it was one
he already knew. At least he could have learned something from his snooping around, but
now that didn't seem to be the case either.
From the looks on the other clan members' faces, they were dissatisfied with the lesson.
"Why do we have to learn that technique, sir!" one of the members asked. "Isn't it a
redundant technique, especially for us low rankers? Aren't other footwork techniques a lot
better?"
"This is where the controversy lies!" the instructor said with a smile. "Everyone knows the
ten descending steps; each of the individual steps on their own is not the best footwork
technique. There are plenty of other steps that would draw more power into your attacks.
"However, the ten steps are one of the few techniques that build on top of each other. It
grows as you use them in a sequential way, and it becomes a force that is unstoppable.
You're correct in thinking, right now your Qi control won't allow you to learn all ten steps
or connect them together.
"It might never be, as it takes years of experience and talent at the same time. However, this
will be your building block. Learn the first step for now, practice it, if you complete it, great,
move on to the second step and try to connect them.
"If you can do these two things, then you will have a great foundation for learning the other
steps in the future as your Qi control gets better. It's also a great exercise for practicing
your Qi control for other techniques."
The instructor started off with a demonstration and slammed his foot down. Those that
stood at the front could feel their bodies a little disturbed and the feeling of uneasiness.
After experiencing a wide range of different warriors, at a guess, Raze would guess that this
person was a stage 4 warrior. Most of those around him were either 1st stage or second
stage warriors.
After the demonstration was over, it was time for the students to try it out, and they all
gave it their wholeheartedly best. They were trying to give each other pointers while
correcting their forms and more.
If a member was really struggling, the instructor would give out bigger pointers to them.
For Raze, he was half-heartedly raising his hand and slamming it on the ground.
'I can't stand out in a time like this, and I already know how to do this,' Raze thought. 'The
best thing to do is to not get noticed, and if that happens, then when the lesson is over, I can
go back to my exploring.'
The practice had gone on for around thirty minutes, and during it all, Raze had caught the
instructor glimpsing his way.
'Has he noticed something? Does he recognize this student, or is it something else again?
I'm getting a bit paranoid, and I wonder if Dame is going all around the place looking for
me.'
It wasn't Raze's imagination; the instructor was looking at Raze, and each time, something
was growing inside of him, until he eventually screamed.
"STOP!" the instructor shouted. "Everyone line up."
They did as they were told. The instructor then walked over, looking into the eyes of each
of the students and finally walked right over to none other than Raze himself.
"You, come out to the front now!" the instructor demanded.
Pulling him out, he allowed him to turn and face the students.
"Do you think the descending steps is a useless technique?" The instructor asked.
"No, sir!" Raze answered. "I think the technique is brilliant, just as you explained before,
sir."
"Oh really," the instructor picked up the mallet and slammed it into the gong again, making
everyone flinch for a moment.
"Then why do you think you can do the technique half-heartedly!" The instructor shouted.
"You are to demonstrate the technique right here in front of everybody.
"If there is a single mistake, I will be sending you straight to the Clan head, for him to kick
you out of the entire Clan!"
What Raze had done was a bigger offence than he realized. Everyone was working
extremely hard, even if they were messing it up, the Clans weren't like the Pagana
academies; they were even more fierce.
In the first place, to join a top clan, they needed to show hard work and talent. Then even
when in, they had to continue
to prove themselves. Entering a clan and becoming a stronger Pagana warrior was their life
for them, and in the eyes of the instructor, Raze had spat on that by working half-heartedly.
'Not a single mistake?' Raze thought. 'I... I can't get sent to the head clan; otherwise, it will
cause more problems for Dame and me.'
Little did Raze know, this was more or less an empty threat from the instructor, in order to
inspire Raze to do his best.
Raze shifted his feet apart and got into a fighting stance. To the instructor's surprise, it
looked good, and not just that, there was a change in his eyes. Raze gathered the Qi how he
was supposed to, the image of the manual appeared in his head, and just like the many
times before, he lifted up his foot and slammed it into the ground.
The sound echoed louder than any of the other students, and those close to the front felt
their legs slightly shaking from the power of the Qi that had been used.
The instructor's mouth was left wide open as he stared at the student.
'That was... that was... textbook perfect! Was he not doing it properly because he already
knew how to learn the descending step? I have never noticed this clan member stand out
before.'
Before the instructor could say anything though, the sound of clapping was heard. The
heads of the members turned, but the clapping wasn't coming from one of them. They
noticed it was coming from the hallway where they had entered from.
Slightly above where they were stood in the hallway, they could see a woman with black
hair clapping away.
"That was perfect; it looks like we have quite the talented student on our hands," Rayan
commented as she jumped down. She wasn't alone, though, and soon two more jumped
down with her.
"Ah, sir Mac!" Rayna said. "I hope you don't mind us interrupting. We have Mantis and Rod
from the Splitting Fang with us; they would like to watch today's training if that's okay."
"Mantis?" Raze mumbled as he looked at the individual and noticed it was the one known
as the black tiger.
Chapter 226 Outdated Clan
Chapter 226 Outdated Clan
It was common for those from other clans in the Demonic Faction to visit each other. After
all, they were all under one larger group and working together. It was a chance for them to
exchange knowledge and see the workings of other clans.
At the same time, it was a way for them to stay competitive against each other. After all, at
one point in time, the clans weren't under the banner of the Demonic Faction and were
constantly battling against each other.
It wasn't until a change occurred, and a set few individuals were able to unite under each
other.
Today, the Neverfall Clan had a respected visitor; it was a couple of students from the
Pagana Academy, and not just any students, one of them was the infamous Black Tiger, the
current rising star in the academy.
Because the academy was a place where all of the clans sent their students, nearly every
person knew who the Black Tiger was. It was even why not just anybody was giving a tour
to the two from the Splitting Fang Clan, but Rayna, the young miss of the Neverfall Clan,
was giving them a tour around the place.
Of course, Rayna was far more powerful of a warrior compared to that of the Black Tiger;
she was three to four academy years ahead of Mantis, so it was to be expected. Which is
why she was showing them the current low-ranking individuals' training.
Inside the arena, it was a mixed group. Some of them had already finished the academy but
were still low-ranked within the Clan. Others were currently attending the academy but
since it was their break, they were busy training.
And lastly, there were those who hadn't even entered the academy yet.
"Of course, you are all free to watch!" The instructor Mac said with a large smile. "Students,
continue as you were doing before, and if you think you have accomplished the first step,
let me know, and I will happily demonstrate the second step to you. If you are still unsure,
then try to combine techniques that you already know along with the first step."
The instructor left Raze to go off with the others to continue their training around the
place. Before entering, it was only Rayna who had witnessed what Raze had done, while
Mantis and Rod had entered in after.
All of them were watching the performance of the clan members, and even Rayna had to
admit, it appeared lackluster. It wasn't that the training was bad, but there was no one that
stood out.
"It appears you are teaching them the descending steps today; that is quite the difficult
technique," Rayna commented.
"You are right, and most won't be able to use its full potential," Mac replied. "But I believe
that if there are a few that can learn it to its best, it is one of the strongest skills out there.
Besides, if they manage to master its Qi control, then when they use other techniques, there
will not be wasted energy allowing them to fight for longer!"
When Mac spoke these words, he pumped his fists, proud of his teaching techniques. He
had been the teacher for the lower-ranked clan members for a while now, and he is proud
to have even taught Rayna and Dame when the two were younger.
"Oh, this is surprising," Rod said as he pushed the glasses up on his face. "In the Splitting
Fang clan, we have deemed the descending steps as an outdated technique."
Mac wanted to shout out how absurd he thought that was, but he bit his bottom lip as these
were their guests.
"Do you mind explaining how so?" Mac politely asked.
"Well, the technique is only viable if one has the control of a middle stage warrior. Even
then, they are only able to learn four steps or so. When one gets to the middle stage,
though, four steps are not even enough to outperform the techniques at the middle stage.
"If you want to practice just Qi control, there are better ways, rather than learning a foot
technique that they will never use. If we look at the probability of success versus failure,
there are a lot more that never reach its potential. So the clan works on teaching more
refined techniques than this, and use more modern ways for Qi control."
There was a lot of sense in what Rod spoke. Mac's way was somewhat killing two birds
with one stone. He always saw it as if they never ended up learning the descending steps
properly; at least they had Qi control.
While also gambling that there would be someone who would master the technique,
creating a prodigy.
"A gamble," Mantis said. "There is next to no one that has been able to perform the
descending steps perfectly for years. When was the last time the Demonic Faction even
produced someone at the deity level?
"All the Neverfall Clan is doing is gambling on having an outstanding person who is able to
learn these steps. It's no wonder that there weren't any outstanding students from the Clan
at the academy."
Mac's fist was shaking violently. The words spoken out, they weren't just remarks made
towards those in the Clan, but he felt like they were towards him as well. He was the one
that taught the students before they went off to the academy.
However, it was true, this time at the Pagana academy, there were no stars like that of
Dame and Rayna when they two went, or the other two brothers as well.
Despite all of this, the anger in Mac continued to rise, to the point where he couldn't hold
his tongue anymore, and it turned into a smile.
"Don't be like that," Mac stated. "Just because members of the Splitting Fang clan can't
produce any talented individuals, or harness the power of the Descending Steps, there is no
need for you to sully the name of such a great technique."
Both Mantis and Rod looked at each other and nearly laughed. Without saying anything,
Mantis started to walk forward toward the center of the stage. The other students saw this
and started to split away from him, wondering what he was about to do.
"The Descending Steps, your perfect outdated technique. You think that we simply think it's
too hard to perform?" Mantis asked. "I've been watching all of these so far, and not a single
one of them is able to even perform the step correctly.
"I haven't studied the steps in detail myself, but I'm pretty sure it goes something like this."
Mantis raised his foot, he gathered the right amount of Qi, and then slammed it into the
ground, with the power going out toward the others.
Rayna and Mac could feel it; this was a perfect demonstration of the first descending step.
"As you can see, I performed it better than anyone here, and I don't even care for it," Mantis
said. "As I said, this technique is a gamble, as you are hoping for a talented student to show
itself, but it seems the Neverfall Clan no longer has any talented individuals."
The other clan members were furious. They all felt hurt by what they had just seen. A
person who didn't care for their teachings was able to perform the technique even better
than them.
It was shameful to all of them who were working hard, yet none of them could ignore the
fact that he could perform the step better than him.
The instructor and Rayna didn't know what to say, and Rayna felt quite bad for the lower-
ranked members. This would certainly dishearten them, which she didn't want to do.
"Hey Callum, was your step better than his?" A voice asked out in the middle of the silence.
The other students soon turned around to look at who had just spoken, and they could see
the person named 'Callum' along with another clan member. They soon remembered just
moments ago, that there was another one, another person that had performed the step not
too long ago, and it looked almost identical to the one they had seen Mantis perform.
"Ah, that's right!" Mac clicked his fingers. "You said before that we had no talented
students, well then, you, Callum, perform the first step just like you did before, and make
sure there are no mistakes."
Raze inwardly was shaking his head as the scene was playing out. 'I was meant to not stand
out… so why is everything I'm getting involved in, is making me stand out more!'
Chapter 227 Are you better than him?
Chapter 227 Are you better than him?
There was a reason as to why Dame was taking longer than usual just to find the secret
path to the library, and it was all because he had headed to a different place instead. He was
heading to the Clan's vault.
With his privilege of being a young master, he was able to practically go wherever he
wished, and that included the vault. It all belonged to his family currently anyway. At least,
the less restricted levels.
'If I'm going to leave this place, then I might as well go ahead and take whatever it is that I
can get. We need to help our business after all, and it can't count as stealing if it belongs to
my family already, right?' Dame thought.
------
What were the options that Raze could do in this situation? He had attempted to stay at the
back of the group in order to stay out of trouble and not be seen while all of this was
happening. Who cared about what the Clan had to prove.
Raze didn't care at all because he wasn't a part of it, but there was no way for him to escape
either. What would happen if he just flat outright rejected the offer that had been made?
Would that just get him into more trouble?
'I guess the only thing I can do is just show them what I did before. It's just a friendly
competition, so no one should make a big deal out of this,' Raze thought as he walked
forward. When he did, the man from behind started to cheer.
"Go on, Callum! Woo, show him what the Neverfall Clan's got!"
Raze was starting to think that this person was far more obnoxious than even Liam, which
he didn't think was possible. What was even stranger was the fact that no one seemed to
care how this Clan member could suddenly produce the descending steps so perfectly.
Instead, now, almost everyone was rooting for him as he walked to the front. He could hear
cheers and see the faces of expectation from the others.
'I guess this is quite the change from the usual,' Raze thought to himself.
There weren't many times where he had people cheering him on to do something in his life,
but since coming to Pagna, this was now the second time after the last event with the red
headband wearers.
When Raze got close, he stopped, and both Rayna and Mantis were looking at him directly,
while Mac was tapping his feet away, clearly nervous about what was to happen. It was
quite possible that the last demonstration was a complete fluke.
This close, Raze was wondering if Rayna or Mantis would notice anything. After all, he had
met both of them before.
'Wait, why is she here?' Raze started to think. 'Is this the woman they were waiting for? I
never knew she went to this Clan, and the others called her young miss. I guess the Light
Faction had captured quite the important person.'
Raze got in the same stance as last time and readied himself, just like before. He looked at
Mantis, who he didn't remember much about, apart from the fact that he had caused quite a
heavy blow on Simyon that caused him to kneel over.
With this thought in mind, he lifted his foot, gathered the right amount of Qi, and perfectly
slammed it down, dispersing it out towards the others.
A large smile was on Mac's face. "Perfect, that is textbook quality!" Mac started to cheer. "As
you can see, there are students that can learn the difficult technique and can benefit from it
greatly."
When looking over at those from the Splitting Fang Clan, they didn't seem to be as pleased
as Mac thought.
"As you said, he performed it perfectly, but so did I, and I don't even care for this
technique," Mantis commented. "This doesn't change anything, and in fact..."
Mantis then jumped up and into the center, standing right next to Raze. Quickly he
whispered.
"Watch and see, this is something you can't do," Mantis commented.
He lifted up his foot, slamming it on the ground, producing the first step, and then right
after that, he used the second descending step, charging right off from his position. He not
only had performed both steps but Mantis had combined them together, creating a larger
surge of Qi.
"I wouldn't even call myself talented in terms of using the Descending Steps, yet I can do
this. I know its limitations, which is why I know how useless it is."
Mac couldn't believe it; Mantis knew not just one but two of the steps already. Now he was
starting to doubt himself. It was clear that Mantis knew more about the steps than the
average clan member in order to be able to perform it.
Or it was just that he was that talented. As he said before, the level of Qi control, it was just
too much for Initial Stage warriors, and even then, the impact and greatness of the skill
wouldn't show until someone knew how to combine around six steps or higher.
By then, everyone was already in higher stages, being able to perform all sorts of different
types of techniques. He had only shown them the first step; it was impossible for them to
up Mantis, and even if someone performed the same thing, then it wouldn't amount to
much.
There was a smug look on both Rod and Mantis' faces as he went to return to his friend's
side. When walking past Raze, he looked at his face with a half-smile, the corner of his
cheek raising toward his eye.
Yet Raze had no reaction at all to what he had done, unlike the others behind him.
"Crap, man... that guy's even younger than me, and he can already do that," one of the clan
members commented from behind.
"Are the only talents in the Neverfall Clan related to the clan head? Is there no one else that
can rise?"
Although no one could say the Neverfall Clan was weak due to its master and their
descendants, the quality of the clan and pride didn't just rely on the few on the top. They
had to have confidence to frequently produce strong Pagna warriors.
It would allow them to take pride in being in a clan among those that were the greatest, but
they were unable to make that claim this year.
Suddenly, while everyone else was feeling down, Rayna started to walk forward. Everyone
wondered if she was now going to show off some of the skills on her own, but instead, she
stopped just short of Raze.
"You... you can do more than what you showed us, right?" Rayna asked.
Raze was a bit taken aback from what was happening. What had he done for her to suggest
this? Why was she even asking these questions?
"I'm going to take your silence as a yes. I want you to show him, show him something he
can't do. Show him the strength of the Neverfall Clan. If you do, I will reward you with an
item from our vault," Rayna suggested.
This had caused Raze's ears to shift slightly. A vault full of treasures belonging to one of the
top clans in the Demonic Faction, a place where Alter couldn't even reach. Perhaps this was
one of the reasons why the Dark Faction founder had come here.
Maybe there would be something of use inside that not even the Neverfall Clan knew of.
'Something that I can do that he won't be able to do. Well, we are learning the Descending
Steps; I guess I could show that.'
Raze was debating, wondering if it was easier to just leave the matter be, but he had
somehow already caught the attention of Rayna. Apparently, he wasn't doing a good job of
keeping low.
"All right, but you better take me to the vault and let me choose," Raze said as he walked
over to the center of the room.
'I wasn't planning on showing him up, but the guy was big-headed and annoying in the first
place, and I guess I never got the chance to pay him back for what he did to Simyon,' Raze
thought, as he got into a stance again, ready to show everyone the power of the Descending
Steps.
Chapter 228 Something you can't do
Chapter 228 Something you can't do
If Raze was going to take part in this performance, then the best thing he could do was shut
it down before it started. He didn't want it to go back and forth between the two, with one
trying to up each other.
If he really needed to show something that the other couldn't do, then he could just show
magic, but that was a silly option and not something he could actually consider. No, instead,
Dame would do the same as what Mantis had done.
He had shown everyone here that those from his clan saw the Descending Steps as a
useless technique that couldn't actually be utilized well. While at the same time, still being
able to perform it better than those learning.
'Very well, this should be enough,' Raze smirked as he lifted up his foot in the same stance
as before.
'Wait,' Mac thought, raising his eyebrow. 'Is he just going to perform the Descending Steps?
But I've only shown these guys the first step. I thought he might have picked something
different to learn when he was at the academy or gotten an art he had been practicing on
the outside, but if he is just going to show this, then it will mean nothing.'
His foot slammed on the ground, and the Qi dispersed out, hitting the group of four that
were watching him; it was just as strong as before. After that, Raze then proceeded with a
kick of his back foot, and he dashed forward, when he did so, he had appeared just short
right of Mantis.
'The second step, there was someone among these guys that could produce the second
step?' Mantis thought. Not only that, when he looked at the man straight in the eyes, there
was an uneasy feeling flowing through his body. It was a feeling that he had felt before. One
that he didn't get often.
At that moment, everyone thought the movement was going to end; he had produced two
of the Descending Steps. They thought it might have been possible since he was able to
copy that of what Mantis did, but that was when Raze jumped back, doing a flip, his leg
kicked up, and he jumped backward.
The Qi continued to build up, and this could be seen right when he landed on the ground.
Like a small stone being thrown into a pond, there was a ripple effect with his Qi as well,
spreading out.
'The third step?' Mantis grunted seeing this. 'I can produce the third step as well; I can link
them up, but I have to admit when I land, it's unstable, the Qi build-up breaks apart there,
yet here it's so calm and steady.'
The thing was, it wasn't the end. 'Show him something he can't do, well then one more step
should be enough!'
Raze kicked off with both of his feet, charging right ahead. It felt like a torpedo was being
shot at them, but just before it hit them, Raze skidded across the ground, placing his foot
down and stopped.
As his movement stopped, the wave of Qi energy carried on forward, blowing the hair of all
of them wildly. They could feel the power; it was far stronger than the Qi that had been
used in the first step.
For the first time, the students were able to witness the amazement of the Descending
Steps, the added effect of the build-up of Qi.
'This is what someone can do when they use the Descending Steps properly?' Mantis
thought, even he was amazed. He imagined if an attacking skill was used at the end of the
fourth step, it was nearly as strong as his tiger formation.
'Not only that, but the steps continued, and he was already imagining what steps even
further than that could do.'
Right on cue, in the middle of the silence, the sound of clapping was heard once more, and it
was from the same person as before.
"Excellent work, you really, really showed us the spirit and strength of the Neverfall Clan,"
Rayna said with a large smile on her face.
The other low-ranked Clan members as well as the teacher Mac, were proud of 'Callum' for
achieving what he had done. It was even more precious because it came from a lower-
ranked Clan member.
Mantis, despite seeing everything though, he wasn't filled with rage; if anything, he was
filled slightly with awe at the footstep technique. He had never seen it being performed so
well in front of him, and he could already tell its power.
"One student was successful, but it's still an outdated technique regardless," Rod stated.
Wanting to finish things on a good note, Mac thought it was good for them to put a stop to
the training there.
"Alright, everyone, rest up for the rest of the day, keeping what you saw in your heads. I
hope Callum's performance has inspired you," Mac ordered.
Before leaving, Mantis walked up to Raze and stopped around a meter away from him, and
he had a few words to say.
"Your footwork is great; I hope in the future we can work together and become good rivals
within our clans."
The response was surprising. Raze expected him to swear at him, to state that foot
techniques were useless and how things would have been different if it was a fight, but
instead, the young master seemed to be respectful.
After walking away for a short while, it looked like Rayna and the two guests that had
arrived with her were speaking, and moments later, the two of them had decided to jump
up on the ledge and appeared to be leaving on their own.
Raze had jumped up with the others as well; he was trying to walk ahead of them because
he could tell many were trying to speak with him, trying to find out how he knew about the
Descending Steps.
However, just as the others had called out to him, Rayna somehow passed all of the
students and was now by his side.
"I have a good eye for people, don't I? I could tell from your reactions and the Qi in your
body. You weren't that impressed with his Descending Steps technique. I thought you
might have had something else up your sleeve, not knowing the Descending Steps
yourself."
There was more to it than that, which Rayna wasn't letting on, and it was the fact that she,
for a second, saw an afterimage of someone else she had recently seen doing the same
thing. At the top of the pyramid, she had seen everything the Dark Magus had done, and just
like that, she thought that there might be more to this student as well.
"Anyway, let's not waste any time; a promise is a promise, so let's go get that item of
yours."
Raze and Rayna had left the room, and they started to head down the spiraling staircase,
leaving all of the other members behind to talk about what they had seen. There was large
excitement, but eventually, the question came to their minds. Was Callum always that
strong? When did he get so good, and when did he get the time to learn the technique?
They would just have to ask these questions when they saw him again.
After going down a few steps, Rayna seemed to be looking up at the chains that ran across
from side to side like large swaying bridges. Finally, she had come across one. She then
leapt up and asked Raze to follow her.
They continued to walk down towards a specific large hanging chain until she stopped in
the center.
"All right, we're going to take a bit of a shortcut," Rayna stated, and she soon jumped down.
The heat was getting more intense as they ventured deeper below, and when looking down,
the ground was filled with dust, to the point where Raze could hardly make out if there was
a chain or the ground underneath.
'This feels just like when I fell off that cliffside again. Why does everything in this world
have to be so deep?' Raze thought.
Regardless, he doubted that Rayna would be jumping to her death so soon, so he decided to
follow, leaping off the same point as she did.
The dust filled and stung his eyes, and he was holding back using his magic to clear the way.
Eventually, his feet landed on the large chain links the same size as a house, and it rattled
slightly.
"Nice, you made it; I was worried I would have to fish your body from the bottom," Rayna
said as she continued to walk down the chain. "That was just a joke, just a joke."
The two continued to walk, and eventually found another platform and a cave leading to a
large cavern-like system.
Raze was continuing to follow Rayna, trying to remember the complex system, but it was
quite difficult, and eventually, they had come to a large wall full of special cogwheels on the
side, and two men in Pagna uniforms were standing below.
"This is the Neverfall Clan's Vault. The treasures gained from other dimensions in
explorations, from our fights among others, our own exploration, and even from other
clans and our history, is all in here."
"As I said, feel free to take an item of your choice. There will be some things I can't just let
you take, but I think you've earned this much. I believe that those in our clan who do well
should be rewarded!"
Raze stared at the door, and for some reason, he had a good feeling that if there was
anywhere other than the library where he would find information about the Dark Faction
leader, it would be here.
Chapter 229 Neverfall's Treasure
Chapter 229 Neverfall's Treasure
The guards surrounding the Clan's treasury seemed to recognize Rayna immediately. Still,
despite this, as they bowed down their heads to greet her, she had pulled out a small
wooden amulet from underneath her clothing.
Holding it clearly for the two guards to see, they nodded their heads, and both of them
began to open the door by turning a set of gears by their side in a certain combination. It
was almost like a passcode of sorts, something that even Raze was unable to keep track of,
especially since their bodies were covering up what they were doing most of the time.
"Don't try and come in here on your own," Rayna said. "I have the clan emblem. The perks
of being the master's daughter. Those that are part of the council have one as well, and they
can hand one out to guests from time to time."
Putting away the emblem, Raze noticed the design on it. He could see that it looked as if a
large fist was falling from the sky, heading towards the ground. It reminded him a little of
the story that Dame had told, how the creation of the base had been made in the first place.
'It can't just be an emblem that they rely on. Surely, someone would be able to forge such a
thing if they got their hands on one, so how were they able to tell if it was real or not?'
With a touch, maybe Raze would have noticed something he couldn't with his eyes, but it
wasn't an important matter. The gears had clicked, and with it, the doors were slowly
opening outward.
A cold breeze followed out of the room; a breath of fresh air that was welcome in the heat
the two of them were in.
"What are you waiting for?" Rayna said, taking the first step forward.
Walking inside, Raze followed, and right after, a creaking sound was heard. The two men
that had opened the door were now closing it behind them as well. It felt like they were
being locked in a prison, and with the darkness in the room, he had little idea how big the
area was.
The doors clicked together, and the cogwheels were heard turning again. As soon as they
finished, lights started to turn on from above. Several red lights were glowing down on the
area below them, and now Raze could see everything.
"It's big... it's a lot bigger than I thought," Raze commented.
Big would have been an understatement. The place was littered with shelves and different
sections cordoned off that had larger items on display. Right now, it felt like Raze was in
one of those supermarkets that they had on Alterian; there were so many items.
"Well, as I said before, this does contain all of the Neverfall Clan's history, and unlike many
other clans that moved to public areas or closer to the main cities, we have always stayed in
the same place.
"This is only the tip of what you can see as well," Rayna proudly said, both hands on her
hips. "If you look over there, there are even more sections, but you can only get into the
higher section as long as you are with the Clan head."
What Rayna pointed at was a smaller singular round door, with a circle hole in the center.
The door looked to have been made of metal with different engravings, but to enter the
door, one would have to use something or some sort of key.
'I guess if one really wanted to take something from there, they could just break the walls
by the side. If that was to happen, it would alert everyone in the clan, and being this low, it
would be a hard task to get all the way to the top without being discovered.'
Rayna allowed Raze to look through the aisles of items himself. She thought that he might
have gone to the larger areas or headed off searching for a weapon of some sort. Instead, he
was looking at strange items, most of those that had been brought from other dimensions
or those from the past that looked more like antiques than anything else.
This time, Raze wasn't looking for an item that reacted well to magic; he was sure there
would be plenty. Inside here, he was looking for something to do with Alterian, and in turn,
it might have been related to the Dark Faction leader as well.
Looking around, Raze thought that it was unlikely he would find anything. He thought
somewhat of a large place with so many items; there would at least be one thing, that was
until he had come across a small little square device. It was around the same size as a pack
of cards, just as thick as one as well.
Looking at it, Raze's eyes had widened incredibly. He went and picked it up. It was
relatively heavy as it was made solid. The device was plain, it didn't look to have anything
fancy on it, like a block of metal, but at the front, there was something that Raze had
recognized.
There was an engraving of a circle with several symbols on the outside as well. 'It looks like
I managed to hit the jackpot after all.'
The device in front of Raze was a recording device of sorts, and it was from Alterian. One
would essentially use the device as a diary to document things. Instead of words, things
would come out from the top in an information screen. This allowed the device to show
images and play small snippets of video. It was all up to the original owner on how they
would want to use it. The main thing was whether or not the device was locked.
One could imprint the device with magic and a magic seal, or they could leave it open if it
was meant to be left behind as a message of some sort.
"That thing seems to have taken your interest," Rayna said from behind. She was looking
carefully at the time that was in his hand, but no matter how hard she looked, she just
couldn't see why it was so special.
"Is it okay to take this?" Raze asked.
There was a slight hum coming from Rayna as she looked at it. Trying to observe it from
underneath and the sides.
"I can't say yes for sure. I thought you would have gone for something simpler like a
weapon of sorts, but this, it might be something that's really important to the family, so I
will have to check with my father if you want to take that, just in case. Why don't you keep
looking and see if there is a backup you can find?"
Raze nodded and placed the device back; it was only the two of them in the place, and it
looked untouched before, so it wasn't as if someone was going to take it. The two of them
split up again, as Rayna was enjoying looking around at the items herself.
As Raze continued to search and went down one aisle, he could see a figure standing at the
other end, tall, handsome, and in the Pagna uniform. He nearly blurted out his name
immediately after he saw him but then saw a finger raised toward his lips.
'What is Dame doing inside here? I thought he was meant to be looking for a way to get me
into the library, so why is he in the vault of treasures?'
Gesturing with his hand, Dame was trying to tell Raze to come toward him, which he did.
Walking over, he couldn't help but shake his head and was thankful that Rayna was
somewhere else for the time being.
"I could hear you speaking on the other side," Dame whispered. "What are you doing here,
and with my sister?"
"Wait, that one, that is your sister?" Raze repeated back.
Right now, Dame was just thankful that Raze was wearing the disguise, so she had no idea
who he was.
"Anyway, we don't have time to worry about that," Dame said as he pulled out a sack by his
side. He opened it up and showed that there were a number of high-power stone crystals in
the sack.
Hundreds of them that they could use. The bulk of them were level 2 and level 1 power
stones, though, but still, there had to be around five hundred in the bag.
"I doubt my father will even let you take any item in here," Dame answered. "And it's the
same for me, but there's a problem, you see. They close the door on you here, and then
search you before you leave to make sure you haven't taken anything of importance.
"Every item that is taken out of the vault is recorded by the guards, but I've seen you do
your strange thing, right? With these crystals and that item you wanted earlier, are you able
to hide them?"
"I can," Raze answered. "But I'm wondering if you're telling me to do what I think you're
telling me to do. Are you telling me to steal from the Neverfall Clan?"
Coming from one of the young masters of the Neverfall Clan, it didn't sound like the best of
ideas, but then again, what else could he do? He needed that item.
Chapter 230 Steal from the Vault
Chapter 230 Steal from the Vault
When entering the Neverfall Clan, Raze had already contemplated that he might need to
steal what he needed from the Clan itself. After all, clans were secretive about what they
kept with them, especially when it came to things such as techniques.
However, what Raze didn't expect was for Dame to be the one to suggest it. It felt almost
like he wasn't even a part of this clan.
"Hey, you can do it, right?" Dame asked. "We need these crystals to kick start our business.
After I leave the Neverfall Clan, I won't be able to have access to their finances, and if we
want to keep this business separate and away from the Crimson Crane, we have to finance
it ourselves."
Dame did make a good point, and if Raze placed it in his robe, then it meant that there
would be no chance of the others finding them. Taking the sack from Dame, Raze didn't say
anything but complied as the sack disappeared.
Next was the more important item, and Raze wasted no time as he went back into the same
aisle. He then took the item off the shelf and quickly used his powers to take it away, and
right on cue, a voice was heard.
"Dame?" Rayna shouted out and started to stride quickly towards them. Dame, seeing this,
started to walk towards her as well.
"What a surprise to see you here!" Dame said with a smile. "We don't meet each other in
the clan or talk for how long, and now it's like we're practically meeting each other every
day."
Looking behind Dame, Rayna was checking up on 'Callum' to see if he was okay. It was odd
to her that the two of them were next to each other.
"Wait, what are you even doing in the vault? What do you need from here?" Rayna asked.
"Ah, you know, for helping you out in your trouble you were in earlier, Father said I could
come in here and grab something that I wanted to use. I've been in here a while now
because I didn't really know if there was anything I wanted, and that's when I happened to
meet this guy."
"Yes, Master Dame," Raze bowed respectfully. Dame was already a popular figure outside of
the clan, so it was obvious that he would be well-known inside the Clan as well.
"Actually, now that you are here, I think I heard Fixteen say he wanted to talk to you about
something. He's up on the first floor; I think it might have been a message from one of our
brothers," Dame said.
Almost immediately, Rayna's face had gone pale hearing about this. If one of her other
brothers had called her, then she shouldn't waste their time too much.
"I'm sorry, Callum, but it appears that I have to go. We can choose your item another time,"
Rayna explained.
"It's okay, I can look after this one if you want," Dame said. "It's not too big a deal; I was just
going to relax around the place anyway."
A smile appeared on Rayna's face as if to thank him, and she certainly was pleased that her
brother was here to help. She never realized how kind he was. With that, she was quick to
leave as she headed to the door; it opened for a moment and then quickly closed behind
her.
"You lied, didn't you?" Raze asked.
"I had to; if she had checked where the item was from before and noticed you had taken it,
she would have taken your head no matter what favor she owed you," Dame explained but
then started to think.
Maybe if he had mentioned Raze's real identity, she would have kept it hidden as long as
she got what she wanted from the offer. Either way, he shook his head.
"Come on, you wanted to head to the library, right? We're quite close from here; we
shouldn't take anything else from here; otherwise, the next person who comes in will be
able to pin it on us quite easily," Dame explained.
The two of them walked toward the exit of the doors. Before they reached them, Raze had
one thing on his mind, though.
"Your brothers, why did she react like that when you said their name?" Raze asked.
Dame turned around, and he didn't have the usual cheeky smile on his face. "If you ever
met them, you would know, and if you ever got on their bad side, then I'm afraid even I
wouldn't be able to get in their way. I know you have already made an enemy out of the
Light Faction with what you've done as the Dark Magus, but Raze, my warning to you is,
never make an enemy out of the Demonic Faction."
"Remember our talk about demons from before in human skin; well, there are plenty of
them in the Demonic Faction."
Family disputes were always a difficult thing, Raze would know, since he didn't get on with
the only family he had, which was his father. Someone who he had to part with in the end
and would happily have done it over and over again.
Not all families were good, and when a person is born in this world, who their family is and
who they are related to was one thing a person was unable to change.
Exiting out from the door, both Raze and Dame were checked. Their clothes were heavily
frisked, to the point where a certain manhood was touched several times quite hard, to see
if they had even hidden anything down there.
With the way they were checking, Raze was just thankful they didn't go through a certain
hole to check for something.
After the checks were done, it was time for them to head to the library. Although Raze had
already gotten something out of this visit, who knew what else he could obtain?
---
Rayna was rushing relatively quickly up the large giant chains, and she leapt from one to
the other to quickly scale the abyss. It was quicker than taking the stairs. She soon had
reached the very top, where several people would commute.
Rushing around, she soon could see Fixteen with the others; they were casually chatting
away, and as she approached them, they quickly stood up and showed their respect.
"I heard from Dame that one of my brothers has asked to meet me," Rayna asked.
The others glanced at each other with odd looks. They hadn't heard of such a thing. Even
more so, they were wondering what to say back because they were worried Dame might
have told her sister such a thing for a specific reason.
However, Rayna was quick to catch on.
"He didn't actually call me, did he?" Rayna said, the color returning to her face, but thinking
about this, why did Dame ask her to leave the vault?
'No, it can't be, can it?'
Rayna, with a weird sensation, quickly rushed down to the vault. Going down was slightly
quicker than going in. She did the same thing as before, passing through the doors and
headed inside.
'If he wanted me out of the vault, then that means he took something he didn't want me to
see! He wanted to get rid of me so he could do something.'
She searched and searched and had headed to one of the corners of the room. It was where
supplies for the crystals would be placed, somewhat an emergency stack in case they
needed to be used for something.
"A large amount of them, they're gone! Was this his doing? What is Dame even doing, taking
so much?" Rayna couldn't understand it, but since it was just crystals, she was thinking of
letting it go.
Even if she told her father about something like this, she imagined that he would let it go as
well. When she was walking away, she soon walked past the aisle where she had seen
Dame.
'Wait, why was Dame and Callum talking to each other? When I went to approach them, he
was the one that came towards me. I thought his actions were strange, but then again, I
don't really know him that well?' she thought.
Needing to check her hunch, she walked down the aisle and looked at all of the items, and
that's when she noticed, the small metal block, it was gone.
Chapter 231 The Abyssal Library
Chapter 231 The Abyssal Library
Getting to the area known as the Abyssal Library was easier than Raze had thought. This
was because the guards were actually stationed in two areas. One was between the
staircases that split the areas.
The other was on the large hanging chains that acted as shortcuts between individual
rooms. However, Raze and Rayna had already taken an additional shortcut when heading
to the Vault.
This allowed them to bypass nearly all of the guarded areas anyway, and it was actually
part of the shortcut that Dame originally knew in getting to the library; he had just
forgotten about the perfect jumping point, and it wasn't something one wanted to guess
because then they would head right to the bottom floor.
Not that Dame wouldn't survive a fall from that far, being at the stage he was, but more so,
the bottom floor was reserved for the master and Elders, and they were only meant to be
present when being called.
It would be a difficult thing to explain and couldn't be excused with a simple "I slipped," not
at the level someone like Dame was at.
In taking this shortcut, they had entered the large cavern that was filled with rows of
martial arts techniques. It was larger than even the treasury they were in before. In terms
of people, there were only around twenty or so, since the higher-ranked martial artists
were allowed to come in here whenever they wished.
However, the lower-ranked ones could only come at set intervals, somewhat similar to the
Pagna Academy.
This was because there were so many techniques. Different techniques suited different
people. On top of that, there were some techniques that were too hard to learn and needed
one to establish a foundation in another technique beforehand.
There were only a few with knowledge of the vast amount of techniques to help the lower-
ranked Clan members, which was why they would come down with an instructor.
"There are so many books and techniques here; do you know all of them or what they do?"
Raze asked. "I mean, I would expect this type of thing from an academy, but from just one
single Clan, isn't it too much?"
"You're actually somewhat right," Dame replied. "You see, a lot of techniques in here are
neutral techniques that work well with any type of Qi. Other than that, what you see here
could be considered failures."
"Failures?" Raze replied, confused. If they were failures, then why let others study them?
Unless the word meant something different in the Pagna world.
"Martial arts from Clans, they have an absolute martial arts that they teach most of their
members. What Clans will often do is go through a demonstration. This is when a member
of the clan has learned another art or tried to advance the current art.
"It's a fight of sorts, and in the end, one art bests the other. The art that manages to best all
the other arts comes out as the Clan's art that they teach most of their pupils. For us, it's the
Abyssal Fist Art.
"But you see, in this library, you will find arts made from the Neverfall Clan that tried to
deviate, maybe creating a sword art of some kind or creating another variation of fist art.
"Masters and Elders that have tried to come up with a more supreme art than the complete
art. For a while now, nothing has bested the Abyssal Fist Art, and my father continued to
advance it further as he knows there are others trying to create better variations of the art.
So this room is filled with those variations as well as different arts related to it.
"They're not all necessarily weak, but they just weren't able to best the Abyssal Fist Art,
which is why they are deemed failures."
It was quite interesting to learn that Clans did this, their way of learning and keeping the
failures was more scientific than he imagined. The mages went through similar methods
but just did so less through duels and such.
"I see, you don't throw them away, as there might be another member that resonates with
another art that deviated from the current one, and there is a chance that he can advance it
even further," Raze replied.
"Exactly. Take my sister, for example; she is strong and knows the Abyssal Fist Art, but she
finds it more natural to use a sword. In the library, she found a sword art that deviated
from the Abyssal Fist. She has learned everything in it and is currently trying to progress
the art even further so it can even top the current art.
"If she does, then she will have every right to be the clan head."
The two arts that Raze had learned, the Descending Steps, was an art belonging to the
Whole Demonic Faction. There was no origin of that and was rarely used due to its
difficulty. As for the second art, the Three Devils Formation, that was something that was
taken from here as well.
However, Raze did remember that he stated it wasn't the best technique, so it was most
likely just a neutral technique.
While talking, the two of them were heading up and down aisles, with Raze picking out
books. Each time he did, Dame would explain a bit about each book.
What fascinated him was he knew about nearly every technique that was in here. It would
have been impossible for someone who wasn't studious. On the outside, he was a relaxed
and chilled-out person, but was that really the case?
Was there a side to Dame that he didn't even show others?
"What are you looking for, are you trying to find a new sword skill?" Dame asked nervously.
"I could point you in the right direction. In my opinion, it would be the same sword skill
that my sister learned, but if you started to use the Neverfall Clan's skills back in the Dark
Faction, people would really start to ask questions."
Hearing Dame explain this, something had clicked in Raze's head at that moment. "Wait,
didn't you say you found the Noctis Clan's skill in here? The Martial arts that belonged to
the Dark Faction Founder. Do you mind showing me where you got it from?"
Dame had no issue with this, and he started to head to a different section of the library. It
wasn't an area where skills were displayed, but instead large scrolls. There were large
scrolls that were hung up on the wall, and by their side, holes in the wall filled with rolled-
up scrolls as well.
"I was bored and started to look at these scrolls, and one day, when I went close to one of
these scrolls I noticed something." Dame then lifted one of the hanging scrolls from the
wall, and behind it, there was a square space. It wasn't very deep, and inside there were
two books.
"I honestly didn't quite know what it was at first, but when I pulled out the book..."
Dame pulled out the worn old black book that had the words written in Pagna, "Noctis Clan
Sword Techniques."
Handing it over, Raze started to flip through the pages. Even though it was in Pagna, he
understood it, and he could see some of the diagrams. Although his knowledge was limited,
as there seemed to be things in here he didn't quite understand.
"It's written strangely, right? Kind of like a kid tried to write it," Dame said, looking at
Raze's expression. However, that wasn't why he had his strange expression.
Not noticing it, Raze took another look at the book, and he noticed, the language was
written in a broken way. The words, when describing the techniques, were missing many
connective words. It was almost as if a person from a foreign land had written the book.
"I did my best to learn the techniques, but honestly, I'm not even sure they're right. It did
feel slightly weird as well, but in the first place, it's a technique made for the Dark Faction,
so I assumed it's because I was using Demonic Qi it didn't feel right. Not that anyone would
know if I was doing it right or not anyway." Dame chuckled.
Because all of the Noctis Clan members were dead, that was why he was semi-confident in
showing the skills if need be.
"Honestly, I think if you need to, you can just take that book. I'm not sure why it was placed
here, and I might be the only one that knows about it. People hardly come to look at the
scrolls. This is more of a collection thing that one of the Elders has a hobby about," Dame
explained.
Raze was thankful, but also a little disappointed. He thought there would be more that the
Dark Faction Founder would have left behind. He just had to hope that there would be
more on the device he had taken before.
"Oh wait, if you're taking that, you might as well take the second book that was there as
well." Dame lifted the scroll and took the book. This one was hard-bound and was just as
worn as the first book.
"Although, it seems to just be a bunch of scribbles in there, so I don't know how much use it
would be."
When the book was placed in Raze's hands, the text was written as clear as day on the
front. He could read it even easier than the last book because this book wasn't written in
Pagna, but it was Alterian writing, and it had a different title.
[Dark Edge Magic Sword Arts]
Chapter 232 A second book
Chapter 232 A second book
Looking at just the cover alone, Raze was frozen in place. Dame was looking directly at him
and could tell that he was completely absorbed in the book. Even if he tried to speak to him
now, his words wouldn't get through.
'So was that book not just a bunch of random scribbles?' Dame thought. 'I guess he
understands it. Does that mean that this is something from his world? But why would the
two books be together then? Just like me now, how I'm with Raze, did the Dark Faction
Founder discover someone else with magic as well?'
Although Dame was thinking along the right lines, it wasn't quite right, as Raze would
discover as he dived into the book.
Inspecting the title of the book, it was completely different. Making it out to be a different
book full of techniques, and Raze imagined inside there would be techniques related to
Magic Swordsmanship.
'In Alterian, there were a few guilds that practiced Magic Swordsmanship. They would use
enchanted items that gave them greater power with the sword. Is this a book containing
magic spells related to that? From Alterian, was he a magic swordsman?' Raze thought.
Although Raze had to admit, the skills that magic swordsmen would produce with their
enchanted swords were nothing compared to even the basics of Pagna skills that he had
seen. They focused more on increasing the power output or fighting with magic at close
range rather than skill using the weapon itself.
What was throwing off Raze a bit though was the fact that the word Dark was used. 'Was
the Dark Faction Founder also a Dark Mage? I doubt that though. Nearly all of those that
used Dark Magic were criminals, including myself.'
'From the magic circles I've seen him create, he had to have been a well-known figure in the
magic world, and a well-known figure and Dark Magic don't go hand in hand, unless it's a
criminal like myself.'
He wouldn't know either way until he opened the book, and unable to wait until they were
outside, Raze started to flick through it, and instantly he realized something.
Summoning the other book to his hand, he checked the contents of the book side by side,
and that's when he realized the contents of the book were the same. They weren't exactly
identical, but it was clear that they were meant to be the same thing.
'This isn't a different martial art book; it's the same thing. They're both teaching the same
swordsmanship.'
As Raze tried to read the few lines of text that explained the techniques, he noticed a drastic
difference in the text. While the book written in Pagna was like a bad translation, the book
written in Alterian was perfect.
It explained it fluently while also adding additional details.
'No wonder Dame felt like the techniques were incomplete; it's because this is just simply a
bad translation. He was lucky that he managed to learn something from this.'
As he started to think deeper, it made him wonder, why was it a bad translation? Raze,
having transmigrated into the body of a Pagna human, was able to understand and read the
language with ease.
At the same time, he kept all of his Alterian knowledge. He did remember stating that those
from Alter needed to learn the language. So did it mean the Dark Faction founder wasn't
like him, and he had come over like the others?
Not only that, but why write a translated book in the first place unless he wanted to pass on
the arts.
Interested, Raze started to skim through the techniques as he was learning the difference.
He turned page after page, and Dame just watched him. His eyes were like a madman who
was possessed.
After reading the contents of the book for a while, Raze noticed a couple of things that
changed his opinion of the whole book entirely.
'This book, it's a book that is teaching a Pagna style of swordsmanship, not a Magic style
swordsmanship. So my initial guess was wrong. As for the use of the word Dark, it's
because it uses the Dark Qi that was developed by the Dark Faction.
'Since he was the founder, it does make me wonder if he came up with the Dark Essence
technique as well. All of the descriptions in the translated book have tried its best to teach
those just the swordsmanship.
'My guess is, this is what was passed down to those in the Clan before they had been wiped
out.'
There was more to it though, a lot more, because on the front of the word, there was the
word magic, and there was a magic aspect to it.
'There's a second half of the book that was never translated. After the person learns all of
the Dark Edge Sword's art belonging to the Noctis Clan, the second half is learning how to
utilize magic into those sword art skills.
'Not only that, but it appears based on the description in the second half. This sword art
was never designed to purely be a sword art but was one that was designed to be used with
magic.'
There were some issues though. For one, the book was incomplete. Inside the book, the
Dark Edge Magic Sword arts had eight formations. The second half only focused on infusing
three with magic.
There was some theory on how the basis of the sword art was meant to use magic in some
way with the other techniques, but without studying it in detail, Raze couldn't figure it out.
In fact, the sword arts themselves seemed beyond what Raze could figure out because
nearly all of the sword skills were at a higher level than what he was capable of. Perhaps he
would need Dame's help in order to learn these skills and complete it in the end.
Closing the book, Dame knew he didn't have enough time to figure it all out there and then,
but he imagined that this was quite a big gift.
'It's been a long time since I've had a mentor, but I guess I should call you my mentor from
now on.'
This man from Alterian was on the same journey as he was, and had gone through many
dangers. It was common sense to use the trials and errors of another one's work to build
on.
That was exactly what Raze planned to do.
Closing the books, Raze used his dark magic, placing them in his hidden robe. He had gotten
what he had come for.
"You have quite the smile on your face; I think that's the first time," Dame stated.
"It was a good reason to come here. Maybe in the future, I could talk to your father to ask
more about the Dark Faction Leader."
This made Dame think he was on the right track with his guessing. It was always strange;
why were the Dark Faction Founder's techniques here?
"I guess that might be a question to ask another time, maybe when you're confident enough
he can't kill you for saying something wrong," Dame replied.
"Yeah, there are too many people trying to kill me already."
The two were ready to set off and took a turn to head back down the main alleyway, and
that's when a certain individual was already right in front of them.
"You two!" Rayna said, her fist tensed and a vein popping at the side of her head. "You're in
trouble."
Chapter 233 A Tough Spot
Chapter 233 A Tough Spot
From a single look at Rayna's face, Dame knew there was trouble. From the firm steps she
took to the large vein that would show on the side of her forehead. Since her hair was
brushed back and placed in a ponytail, it was really visible on her.
The fact that she was here in the library of all places and walking toward them meant she
had been looking for them. Dame was trying to do the calculations in his head as to what
the possible reasons could be.
'Did she figure out I lied from Fixteen? I thought you were meant to be the smart one of our
little group. Couldn't you have thought of something to buy more time?'
What Dame didn't realize was that Rayna had caught on to more than he originally thought
because she wasn't just annoyed that he had lied to her about one of their brothers, but it
was that she had figured out they had stolen from the vault.
She looked over her shoulder, seeing that no one was close, she stood there looking Dame
right in the eyes.
"You two, what are you planning, why did you take crystals from the vault?" Rayna asked.
"There better be a good answer for this, and especially you. I already informed you that I
would speak to my father about the other item, and you took it anyway."
"You've completely ruined my trust in you. For going against a higher clan member and
using my trust like that, I want you taken out of the Clan!"
In Rayna's eyes, she had every right to be angry. She felt like she had been taken advantage
of by a lower-ranked Clan member. Just when she was doing them a favor. It didn't matter
how talented they were.
If they were to act like this, then they had no loyalty to the Clan, and who knew what they
would do in the future.
"Wait!" Dame said, getting in the way of the two of them. "Don't take it out on him; I can
explain, just let me speak to him first. Look, we won't run away, we can't, you would catch
us, right?"
Right now, Dame was hoping to appeal to Rayna's good side. She seemed to still be acting
with somewhat of a level head, and she imagined it was just because it was him. If she
wanted to, she could have reported this straight to one of the elders or their father, but
instead, she had gone looking for them.
Dame and Raze pulled back a bit, heading closer to the area of scrolls, while Rayna was
tapping her feet away, blowing hot air. She didn't even know why she was letting the two of
them speak, just giving them time to come up with an excuse.
'Dame, I swear if you weren't my brother who had saved my life with your request, I would
have turned you upside down and chopped you limb from limb already. What crazy things
are you planning to do!' Rayna thought.
"It looks like we've been caught," Raze whispered. "But you thought this was going to
happen, so you had a plan, right?"
"No," Dame replied instantly. "I thought that we wouldn't get caught; remember I was just
going to take you to the library and then head back out of the clan, never planning to go
back. I thought they would find out a week or so later."
"Honestly, right now, I don't know if it's our saving grace that Rayna found out, or if it's the
worst case."
"What do you mean?" Raze asked.
From the interactions he had, Rayna wasn't a bad person, or at least wasn't bad towards
Dame, and the two of them had a stable enough relationship for her to even allow them this
chance to talk to each other.
"Because if it was someone else, I could just silence them to keep the secret," Dame
explained.
These words that were used, silence, Raze didn't know if this was a technique that Pagna
warriors knew or not, but if it wasn't, he was pretty sure Dame meant kill. It came as a
surprise that Dame would be willing to kill one of his own Clan members, but it might have
just shown how important it was that others didn't learn of what was to happen.
"Because it's Rayna, though, she's a high-ranking middle-stage warrior. We would need the
help of the whole Crimson Crane again to take her down, so the two of us doing such a thing
is out of the question."
Hearing this, now Raze was understanding that they were in a trickier situation than he
first realized. They couldn't run away, and any attempt made would be difficult. They were
in the deepest layers of the Abyss; trying to rise to the top would be one of the hardest
challenges ever.
'I guess there is one thing I can do,' Raze thought. 'If Dame can hold off Rayna long enough, I
can use the crystals to open up another portal or create the portal to head back to the cave
at the academy. If I did that, I would just have to get the others at another time.'
With that looking to be their only solution, Raze was about to suggest it until Dame had
spoken up.
"I have an idea, something that I'm pretty sure will work!" Dame had an unnerving smile on
his face.
"How sure are you of this plan of yours?" Raze asked.
"I'm 90 percent sure... no, I take that back, 80 percent?" Dame then looked at Rayna, who
seemed to be getting impatient with the vein on the side of her head growing larger.
"Maybe 70 percent."
"Just what plan of yours keeps getting lower by the moment!" Raze whispered in an
angered hushed voice.
What he wanted to know was if it was better than his plan. How strong of a warrior was
she when compared to Dame? To draw a complicated circle, it would at least take him two
minutes at a rush, maybe even longer. What were the chances of Dame holding her back for
that long?
And if they did it his way, would the Neverfall Clan become their enemy?
As if he could read his thoughts, Dame answered. "If this works, at least we won't become
an enemy of the Demonic Faction, remember what I said, it's the one thing we should never
do."
With this, Raze decided that he would put his trust in Dame, but not without having some
sort of backup plan. Because in the past, whenever he would put his trust in people, it
would never work out.
Breaking from each other, the two of them started to walk over and approached Rayna.
"Finally, did you two discuss long enough to come up with some half-lame excuse?" Rayna
asked. "Because I really don't think there is any good reason for the two of you to have
stolen from the vault."
"But there is, my dear sister," Dame started off in a soft voice, and almost like a movie,
looked from the ground and then up, staring directly into her eyes. "It's because I plan to
leave the Neverfall Clan... this is what I believe I deserve as my parting gift, and in doing so,
I want to help this person by my side."
"This person is deserving of being helped, and I think you would agree because he is the
Dark Magus!"
Chapter 234 Leaving The Neverfall Clan
Chapter 234 Leaving The Neverfall Clan
Out of all the suggestions or plans that Dame would have come up with, one of the last ones
would be to reveal who Raze really was—the fact that he was the Dark Magus. Although he
was wearing the disguise mask, and there was no way to discern his real face, it still came
as a shock.
'What in Alterian are you doing!' Raze shouted internally. 'What difference would it make if
she were to find out I'm the Dark Magus? Are you trying to leverage the debt that she owes
me?'
It seemed like an incredibly risky move because, in Raze's head, he was only there when
Rayna was saved, but the Crimson Crane were the ones who had done most of the work.
Little did he know that she felt differently. In her eyes, the Crimson Crane and her had only
survived because of the Dark Magus. On top of that, there was another reason. Dame was
basing this whole thing on the last conversation they had.
"This guy?" Rayna said, taken aback, and pointing at the body. She then placed her hand on
her chin and started to inspect the person up and down. When her gaze landed on his face,
she began to scrutinize the finer details.
"This… isn't what I imagined at all? And he was a member of our clan this whole time?"
Rayna asked.
It just didn't fit with her imagination because the things she had seen the Dark Magus do
were out of this world. If he was always right under her fingertips, wouldn't she have
noticed something at least?
"This isn't what he looks like; he's just disguised as one of our clan members, one of the
many things he can do," Dame said proudly, as if he was the one able to do such a thing in
the first place.
She started to look at 'Callum' closer, and her imagination was running wild. It was hard to
believe that he was wearing some type of mask, yet it would explain everything. Right there
and then, she wanted to lunge forward and snap it off.
If she did, it wouldn't do the two of them any favors.
"And you're serious; you're not playing some type of joke on me?" Rayna asked again.
Seeing the change in demeanor, Raze noticed that it was working. Nearly all of the anger
was gone from before for some reason, so he decided to seize the opportunity.
"I apologize," Raze stated, and gave a small bow. "I didn't mean to trick you. I originally
asked Dame to help me get inside your Clan so I could study a few things. I truly wish to
cause no trouble, and we were on our way to leave this place just now."
Hearing Raze talk, and him talking in such a way, Rayna could feel her cheeks starting to
heat up slightly. She turned away just in case something was obviously seen on her face.
"It's okay; it's understandable. Our clan isn't the best to strangers," Rayna said, tucking
some stray hair behind her ears. She then shook her head slightly as she looked back at
Dame.
"Wait, so what you said before as well, about leaving the Clan, is it true?" Rayna asked. "Are
you planning to leave and join the Dark Magus?"
With the situation diffused and his sister's reaction, Dame felt like she was a person they
could rely on, especially in this situation. So he decided that the best way to get out, with a
kind person like her, was to tell the truth.
"That's correct. Do you remember what happened to the Dark Magus? He was invited to
join the Crimson Crane. I plan to leave with him and join them. The seat for master of the
Clan, it is not a position I deserve nor one I want."
"So I decided to take a few things with me and see if the Dark Magus needed anything as
well."
If anyone understood how Dame felt, it would be Rayna, who experienced a similar
upbringing. She understood why if there was a chance to leave, why he would take it,
especially as the fourth and youngest child.
There was practically no future, and it felt like twice now their father had sent him on a
mission to his death.
"I see," Rayna said, continuing to stare at the Dark Magus, and strange thoughts were
beginning to run through her head.
'What if he came here to see me! It could be possible; after rescuing me, the Dark Magus
wanted to see me again. Even when we were at the event, he could have just displayed a
poor representation of the ten descending steps, but he tried his very best; was that to get
my attention as well?'
Clearing her voice and clearing her thoughts, she looked straight ahead at the two of them.
"Well then, if that's the case, then I never met the person named Callum, nor did I see any of
my brothers today," Rayna said. "And I am just speaking my voice out loudly right now, but
I wish you both good luck."
It was a change of pace for Raze, who had met cruel Pagna warriors ever since he had
gotten here. Right now, he had met someone who was changing his views. Someone who
was far stronger than the two of them, yet didn't see themselves as above and knew how to
return a favor.
Hearing this, Raze felt like good needed to be rewarded with good, so he had a few words to
say himself.
"If you ever need help in the future or a special item to increase your strength, then find the
Dark Magus, and I shall make one for you for free."
Rayna smiled at that, and both Dame and Raze were ready to leave. But before they shot off
somewhere, Rayna grabbed Dame's hand and leaned in to whisper.
"Did you tell him about my proposal as well, about getting married?" Rayna whispered.
"Now's not the time for that," Dame whispered back. "But I will definitely plant it in his
head. If need be, it would be good to bring the Dark Magus and the Neverfall Clan closer
together."
His sister gave him a thumbs-up along with a wink, and he did the same back.
After leaving the library, the two were able to climb up the chains, but getting higher up to
the next chain needed more strength. Raze reluctantly needed to jump up on the back of
Dame, while he jumped in the air, making it to the next giant hanging chain.
From there, the two of them were able to make it right to the top. Dame wanted to say
goodbye to his friends, but he would still stay in contact with them. He had left a special
note for them in the room that they would hang around in; he was sure they would play a
big part in all of this in the future.
Finally reaching the top, they had exited from the Abyssal's crest wall and were back on
land, heading back to the city of Repton.
While they were running for a while, Raze was relieved to find that everything had worked
out in the end, and even more so, he summoned the strange metallic block in his hand and
was looking at it.
"I was meaning to ask you, what is that thing?" Dame asked as he continued to run.
"This, this is an item from my world," Raze explained. "You can think of it as a diary, and I'm
going to find out what is written inside it."
Chapter 235 Building up the Team
Chapter 235 Building up the Team
With only a couple of days left until the group needed to return to the Pagna Academy, Raze
felt like there was still a lot that he needed to do in terms of getting things together in the
Demonic Faction.
One of those things was producing the pills that he and Dame would now sell, using part of
the Crimson Crane name to help them.
This was the first call to action for Raze, no matter how much he wanted to check out the
new device he had received. So, he headed back to the Inn where the others were staying,
and for a moment, they were surprised when they saw Raze with a different face.
"Huh, what, who did you bring with you, what happened to Raze?" Liam asked.
"Oh, right?" Raze said, closing the door behind him and reaching towards his face. A slight
glow appeared as he took off the mask and handed it back to Dame. "You're going to need
this for when we head back to the academy."
Dame looked at it for a few moments before deciding to put it on there and then. His facial
structure soon started to change, and now, although having the same appearance that Raze
had moments ago, it looked slightly different due to the differences in height and body
structure.
The person they were looking at was more known to the students as Pink.
"You never know, as soon as the Clan finds out that I've abandoned them, they might send
people out looking for me."
"Wow, these magic items, they sure are special, huh?" Liam commented. "It would be quite
amazing if we had some too."
The way Liam talked, it was almost in a sarcastic voice. He remembered that Raze had
promised he would make the others some items, but he had been somewhat sidetracked
with everything going on, and helping out Safa with using her Light Magic powers.
Thankfully, at a glance, Safa seemed to be doing well, and Raze could even see a faint glow
around her neck. It seemed she had been practicing the gathering of Mana quite a bit while
they were away.
A little more, and Raze could teach her a simple spell for her to use. In doing so, it wouldn't
be long until she was able to speak again.
"Ah yes, don't worry, I am someone of my word. In fact, now we have plenty of crystals to
use for this." Raze reached out his hand, and a filled sack appeared.
It was the crystals that had been taken from the Neverfall Clan base. Now that Dame was
with them, Raze felt like it was less of a risk if a portal break was to occur from making
high-grade items. It wasn't as if they needed to defeat the creatures that came out of the
portal, but more so to get a chance to escape before anything occurred to them.
The first thing Raze did was gather a bunch of level 2 power stones and tried to combine
them to make level three power stones. As usual, a couple of times the process had failed; it
was the risk with the power stones in the first place. Finally, though, three level 3 power
stones had been made after creating quite a few failures.
"That's quite the amazing power in itself. Just through the use of magic, you can create
higher-grade power stones; you're just a money-making machine, aren't you?" Dame
commented.
"Although it's fine to do at this stage, as the use of power stones gets higher, it's not the best
thing to do," Raze explained. "Could you imagine using three level 5 power stones and
losing them all, to not even get a level 6 power stone?"
Immediately, Dame could feel the pain. How could someone even attempt to do such a
thing? Maybe those that had an addiction to gambling would give it a go, but those stones
would be a big plus to most clans.
Once the stones were done, Raze laid out the items he had received from the Auction that
had a good affinity with magic.
There was a red necklace, a pair of golden egg-shaped earrings, and a pair of black gloves as
well.
'I'm a 3-star mage currently, who knows his fair share of 3-star enchantments. I also
currently have four different types of magic. Dark, Wind, Ice, and Lightning. The strength of
the attribute doesn't matter when making enchantments.
'However, a mage would need a type of attribute to make certain types of enchantments.
With the level 3 power stones, the item's grade will be at the Rare or Elite level, unless I use
Dark Magic, but I feel like that will be too much of a risk, and the enchantment sometimes
will be random in the first place.
'What would be best is to use an enchantment that would suit and help out all three of them
when needed.'
It took a while for Raze to think of something, and in the end, he even opened up the special
book he had received, the book which included ice spells inside; it also contained a few
enchantments as well.
After giving it a read, Raze got to work as he created the items and enchanted them one by
one. First, he had enchanted the red necklace with the crystals; after that, the pair of golden
earrings, and lastly, having referenced the book of spells, he drew a circle and enchanted
the pair of black gloves.
After seeing the effects of each of the items, Raze was quite pleased with the results, as
everything went well; now he just needed to hand the items over to each person.
"For Safa, I give you this red necklace," Raze stated, and then moved onto Liam. "For you,
the pair of earrings."
Liam took them in his hand; they felt no different from regular earrings, and he wasn't so
sure they were able to do something, but that's when another thought came to his mind.
"Hey, hey, wait a second. I don't even have my ears pierced!" Liam shouted. "And, am I
meant to wear these large dangly things at all times!"
"I'll happily take them off from you, well if I didn't already have one of my ears taken
already," Simyon stated.
Hearing this, Liam pulled the earrings away. He couldn't wear them now, but he would
have to after getting his ears pierced. The design of having two large eggs on his ears didn't
sit well with him, leaving him to let out a big sigh.
"Eye patch kid, golden egg boy, perv, the man with the big balls. I can just imagine all the
nicknames people will give me with these," Liam sighed.
"Hey, I think that last nickname you gave yourself, no one calls you big balls. Maybe the red-
headed idiot," Simyon commented.
"And for you, Simyon, the pair of gloves," Raze handed them over and moved back to his
position.
"All of these items are now enchanted with magic and will allow you to do incredible
things. But when using them, for some of you, it will be obvious that it is not part of your
Pagna martial arts. So you need to use them with caution."
Raze went on to tell all three of them what the items could do, and after hearing that, no
one was disappointed with the results. Instead, they were trying to think of ways they
could utilize them and strengthen their martial arts even further.
"Hey, won't it be a good idea if we were to use these items before getting in a fight?"
Simyon suggested. "That way, we can really use them to their fullest if we need to, rather
than trying to figure it out."
Raze did agree; the issue was others seeing them.
"I know an area where they can go," Dame answered. "An area that will be away from the
eyes of others, and besides, it wouldn't be training if they didn't have an opponent to go
against. I'll do that while you create the rest of the supplies needed. Remember, we need
supplies for ourselves, the Crimson Crane, and then equipment to sell."
Raze wasn't worried about that. With his new technique, he could mass-produce Qi pills as
long as he had all the relevant materials, and he did, so it wouldn't take a long time like
before.
But this did give him the opportunity.
"I think it's a great idea," Raze said.
While the others were away, Raze wanted to head back to the cave where they had first
appeared, and he would look into the metal block that once belonged to the Dark Faction
founder.
Chapter 236 Message From A Mage
Chapter 236 Message From A Mage
Having checked up on the others and knowing that they would be okay under the guidance
of Dame, Raze could finally move on his own in peace. What he was to deal with now was
his own business, his own problems that were related to Alter.
The pills could wait, since this was something that was far more important for him to
experience. What Raze needed to be careful of, though, was if there was anyone around
him, or anyone that would interrupt what he was about to do.
He had walked out of the city of Repton, checking behind him a few times here and there,
trying to see if anyone was following him. He noticed no footsteps and imagined it would be
hard with the vast wasteland in between for anyone to hide.
'Now that I've met a Pagna warrior that is also a mage, I need to be careful who hears and
learns about what,' Raze thought.
There was the perfect place, an area that was away from the eyes of all the others, and that
was the cave. A few large built-up flat rocks that built half of what looked like a mountain
were up ahead.
Climbing up, Raze could hardly see the city in the distance, but judging by the formations he
could see, it was the same area as before. As he searched, he soon found the fake rock
formation that covered the hole.
Just like before, he took a step through with confidence. The wall wrapped slightly, shaking
like a lake of water. After passing through, it steadied, making it impossible to tell there
was a cave entrance with the naked eye from outside.
The cavern was quite spacious, more so than Raze remembered. The last time he was here,
he had arrived with all the others, so it felt a bit more cramped. There was ample room to
do a number of spells if need be, and he was already imagining that the Dark Faction
Founder had used it as a base to test a few of his skills.
He could see some crude formations in the rocks here and there that looked unnatural. In
fact, even the cavern itself seemed unnatural and man-made.
'I'm also working off the presumption that the Dark Faction Founder is dead, but he could
still be alive as well, especially if he managed to reach the Divine warrior stage,' Raze
thought.
Either way, he was sure he would find out soon. In the center of the cavern Raze placed the
metal block on the floor. This didn't need a magic circle to open; instead, it just needed the
faintest bit of magic. Yet there was a larger issue at hand.
That was whether or not the device was locked. Raze wasn't joking when he said the metal
block was more like a diary. It was a unique diary that could be used in many ways. Notes,
videos, audio recordings, and so on could be placed.
Equally, it meant the diary could be locked, and it could be locked in many ways. Only
reacting to a certain type of magic, only reacting to magic being used in a certain way, or
being left open for anyone to access as long as they knew how to turn it on, which was
through the use of magic.
'I'm hoping it will just work with the use of magic to turn it on; otherwise, it's going to be a
series of trial and error.'
It would even be harder than trying to guess a 4-digit pin number lock. However, there
were ways to narrow down the uses, and from the use of other spells, one could narrow
down the ways of unlocking the device.
'If this thing was left at the Demonic Faction base and not taken with him, I'm going to
assume he wanted it to be found. No ordinary Pagna warrior could open this anyway. So
why leave it behind?'
With this thought in his mind, Raze activated his Dark magic as he pressed both of his
hands together. A small mist appeared and flowed directly to the metal block. As it touched
it, the center of the device lit up, showing a large letter I.
For now, Raze was ignoring the marking and ignoring the anger that it would usually cause
to rise in him; finally, that's when a voice was heard playing.
"How many years will it be until someone finds this?" A voice played out.
It was a success! There was no lock on the device, and as Raze had expected, it was placed
as a way intended for someone to find it.
"I can't divulge as much as I wish because this may very well fall into the hands of those
who I am not very fond of, and if they have found this, well, F*Ck you."
Raze couldn't help but smirk at the comment; he seemed to be liking this person whoever
they were, as he still wasn't sure if it was the Dark Faction founder or not.
"In my hopes of this not falling into the wrong hands, I have traveled to the Demonic
Faction, an area full of strong Pagna warriors that seem to have the least amount of
influence from our world."
"I'm not sure how much the person who finds this knows or not, but I am clearly talking
about the world of Alterian."
This had fitted in so far with what Raze had read in the cave walls; more and more likely he
felt like this was a message passed on from the Dark Faction Founder.
"When I came to this world, I was at a loss, but the people of Pagna treated me well, and I
only wished to protect them as best as I could. But it seems the Mages, as well as the
Otherworlders who have entered, do not care for the people the same way as I do.
"The line between good and bad is thinning by the day, and I do not know who to trust.
Currently, in my possession, I hold the god-tier item, the Atlas Orb. It seems like everyone is
after it, and once again, if those that have hunted me down like a dog are listening to this,
then I hope you get eaten alive by a horde of flesh-eating bugs!"
A god-tier item was the highest-ranking item known in the magic world. According to Alter,
they were items that had great influence on the world itself. That was how much power
they held.
It made Raze wonder why the Dark Faction Founder had such an item to begin with, but
with such a thing, he could understand why Alter would be after him, if what they stated
was true.
He imagined that Alter already had a few God-tier items that were sealed away.
"If you thought I was going to reveal the location of the item, then you are a fool. If you
really want it, then you will just have to find me, and to do so, you will need to use any tools
you can.
"However, there is a reason why I have left this message, because I am afraid that I am not
enough. No, I know that I am not enough, and so I need help, and maybe my help will help
you as well."
"I never wished to return to the magic world of Alterian, but due to the situation and the
troubles, I have had to try to find a way. They seem to already know a way how, but if you,
stranger, are following in my footsteps and are on the same path as me, then maybe you
will need this as well, a way back to Alterian."
Chapter 237 A Way Back home?
Chapter 237 A Way Back home?
Raze had spent a short time in Pagna in the grand scheme of things, but based on what he
had seen so far, he wondered if there was a way back to Alterian. From what Himmy had
reported to him, no one had found a way.
In fact, Raze thought this might really be the case since even the Dark Faction Founder had
stayed, but based on what he knew of the person, it was more so that he had fallen in love
with the current world of Pagna, that he didn't wish to leave and head back to Alterian.
Finding a way back was part of Raze's later goal. He imagined that if anyone knew a way
back it would be the leader of Alter, or some type of item that would allow them to.
After all, a portal had an entrance and an exit, so if people were warping into the world of
Pagna there had to be a way back.
The reason why Raze wasn't particularly looking for a way just yet was because of his
strength. The other world was one that had the Grand Magus, those that he had cursed to
death.
If he was to raise his strength in Alterian, they would attempt to shut him down before he
even reached that position. So Raze would get stronger and build his way up in Pagna until
he was either just as strong as before, or even stronger.
'There are even more problems than that.' Raze lifted his hand and made a strong fist. 'If I
leave Pagna, right now I have no way of returning either. I'll have the same problem.
Although I still remember the transmigration spell, I don't think it's something that's going
to work more than once.'
Regardless, just listening to the message didn't mean he would get transported to Pagna, so
he thought it was best that he continued to listen to the message anyway. After gathering
his thoughts, he poured a bit of his magic into the device again to get it started.
"The world of Pagna is a vast one, and through it I was able to advance my own magical
techniques. There are many things that the martial artist and mages share with each other.
One of the things I learned was to be in a state of Zen, and separating one's mind from their
body.
"This is a technique that is usually only achievable when a martial arts warrior is at the
Divine level. However, when learning of this, it made me wonder if there was a way to do it
as a mage."
"If I managed to achieve this, then I would be able to explore a larger scope without
revealing myself, and it will allow me to continue staying in hiding. In the end, I was
successful, or at least somewhat successful."
Just hearing the man talk on the other side, Raze was gaining respect for him as a
researcher himself by the second. Although he tried to give up on the world of magic, it felt
like no matter what he couldn't let it go.
There were those that built on top of others' research, there were those that simply just
learned it, but to come up with their own creations, pushing them to levels that others
hadn't achieved, those were very few.
Raze considered himself part of the few, but this was only due to his desperate situation
and his need to learn more about the Dark Magic that people knew very little about.
"You see, when creating an astral projection of myself, I found that I was back in Alterian.
Instead of being out of my body in Pagna, I had returned to Alterian. For the one listening, I
know it might not be what you were hoping for, but it's up to you how you wish to use this
information, so I shall leave some important bits for you."
"In the rest of the recording, I shall provide the magical circle and the technique to create
an astral projection that will send you back to Alterian. There are some important things to
note.
"Your body will appear as if it's normal with a slight glow of energy. This energy is your
magic energy pouring from your body. As soon as you run out of mana, you will end up
returning to your body in Pagna, and I don't think I have to warn you that all of your mana
would be depleted."
So far, it sounded interesting, but how much Mana would it take to do such a thing? As a
three-star mage, Raze couldn't imagine him being able to keep up a form that literally took
him to another world for long.
"While in the astral form, spells will work from your body, but bear in mind this uses up
mana, lessening your time in Alterian. At the same time, if your body is hit, although you
won't be hurt, it will take mana to reform as well. So you won't be as strong as you are
currently.
"On top of that, your real body will stay in the same place as when you use this spell. You
will be in an extremely vulnerable state, so make sure no one is around you when using this
skill, or multiple people are around you who you can trust, but as you might find, it's hard
to trust people."
All of the information was everything Raze had needed. He was learning of the
experimental procedures without having to do them himself, which was all good news to
have, but it made him worry even more that at the moment he wouldn't have long to spend
in Alterian.
'What would I even do by going back to Alterian anyway? How would I be able to look into
what the Grand Magus are doing, or would I be able to find the link between Pagna and
Alterian?'
It seemed incredibly difficult to do even with this technique, and it wasn't as if there was
anyone he knew who he could meet.
"There is one more thing about this, and that's when using the technique, it will bring you
to a place where you have a link with something. Try to focus on something that will link
the current you into the world of Alterian, but also try not to appear and scare people or
they may think you're a ghost."
"It's your thing anyway, if you want to be a ghost and scare people with this knowledge,
then go ahead, and once again, if it's you guys who are following me listening to this, F*ck
you."
A link was something that Raze lacked, and he was starting to wonder if this was something
that he even could do. All of his links of family and positions he didn't have; they had been
destroyed, killed, nearly everything he cared about.
There was only his vault of stored crystals and items that he had left behind, in the hopes of
a new life he was going to use them, but was this the type of strong link he was asking
about?
"This is the end of my message, as I said I'm not expecting much to come out of this, or for
the person to find this to do anything, but there are times where you must try everything,
and for me, this is one of those times."
"To all who are listening to this, if you wish to find a clue for the God Tier item, the Atlas
Orb, then find it in Alterian!"
Chapter 238 The Founder
Chapter 238 The Founder
The voice not had come to an end from the magical device. There seemed to be nothing else
left on there in terms of sounds or voices. No clues as to who it actually came from or who
had left all of the information.
Although Raze did have a pretty good idea, as he had been led to this place becuase of a
particular person in the first place.
From the voice message there were a few things that interested him, and he thought back
to the last line that was spoken, talking about the 'Atlas orb.'
'This god-tier item, it's nothing I've heard of before. It was either an item before my time as
a mage, or one that came from another dimension. It fell into the hands of the founder from
the sounds of it, and all the messages he was leaving in case someone else found him, was it
Alter that was after him?
'I can see why Alter would be after him for having a god-tier item, but why would the
founder keep the item. Did he not trust Alter to look after it?'
After a bit more thinking, Raze remembered that the Bonum Society, they were after an
item as well. There was a chance that it could be the same item that the two were looking
for.
'It's quite difficult because it's also hard to tell how much time has passed since the founder
of the Dark faction. Was it a few hundred years? It would seem to be the case to affiliate all
the clans under one banner.
'It's not something that could be done overnight. Maybe the founder was able to keep it a
secret to the end. Both the Bonum Society and Alter both think one of the other has the
item and are at each other's throats looking for it.' Raze thought, but he was truly grasping
at thin threads here, and he knew that.
There was just too much lacking information.
'If that is the case, then the founder might have the item himself, or it's in the hiding place if
he's still alive. I might be the first person to come across the message as well. What I need
to do is find out what the item even does.
'I could ask Dame? If he doesn't know anything, then I could also try asking Alter, even
Himmy about it. I could just make up something about hearing it in passing.'
There was more than that which Raze had to find out though, and that was about the
Founder himself. He figured that someone at the academy should know finer details about
who he was and what he did.
The history of Pagna was becoming more important as time went on, as there seemed to be
connections that were stemming back a few hundred years between the two worlds.
With the message having ended, inputting Raze's magic a little more, the device did
something different this time. From the top, a glowing light displayed and a projection had
hit the cavern wall.
Glowing in a bright white light, there was writing, as well as the drawing of a magic
formation. Instantly Raze knew what it was. The Founder wasn't lying; it was details about
how to use the spell Astral projection.
The way for Raze to travel back to Alterian.
'This man was a great mage.' Raze thought as he studied the circle and the technique. The
first part was instructions. From the way it read, it was like that of a cultivation technique.
The closing of the eyes, the sensing of an energy form within. Then there was an added part
with the magic, and the instructions of the circle.
The mage inside Raze wanted to meet this person and talk to him. Yet, it was something he
hardly got the chance to do in the past, was talk with other mages about the research he
had founded.
'Whatever the power was of the Atlas Orb, why didn't he use it himself?' Raze started to
wonder. 'Or did he know its uses and deem it as too dangerous? According to him, the next
clue was in Alterian.'
Raze was debating with himself back and forth on whether he should try out the astral
projection spell. Heading back to Alterian, it wasn't something he expected so soon. Yet, it
would only be a temporary visit.
With such a small visit, what could he accomplish?
'I could try and find out a clue about the Atlas orb? To do that, I would have to find out
about the founder. Based on his skills he would have had to have been a 9-star mage. There
haven't been many 9-star mages in the history of Alterian.
'If we narrow it down to those that had sudden disappearances, I should be able to find out
who he was. I can't find out that information in Pagna, but I should be able to find it on
Alterian.'
The more Raze thought about it, the less risky it sounded. While in the cave, he wouldn't
fear death so much. While in this form in Alterian, the only thing it took up was Mana, so
even if he was hit or someone attempted to kill him, it wouldn't do much either.
There were practically no risks in going to Alterian right now for a look; well, there was
one. That the spell that was being used was a complete lie, and it wouldn't lead one to
Alterian.
From what Raze could tell from the magic circle, the astral projection spell should work
normally. So why did it send one back to Alterian.
'I guess, my curiosity has gotten the better of me. I want to see what Alterian is like, now
that they have considered the Dark Magus…dead.'
Walking up to the wall, Raze started to note down all of the techniques and the magic
formula. He then began to draw the magic circle on the cave floor. After copying what was
up ahead, it was now just down to him to complete the rest.
'Alterian, I wonder what I'll find out…should I look into the Grand Magus's lives, or will that
just make me want to act. Originally I wanted to spread the name of Dark Magus again, just
so I could have a look at their faces. To grow fear into them…but is it the best thing to do?'
Shaking his head, Raze started to focus; he had already decided and who knew, maybe he
could only last a couple of minutes at most in the other world.
Focusing, Raze concentrated on his breathing. As he took a deep breath through his nose,
he breathed out through his mouth, and allowed a linger of his magic to touch the ground.
The magic circle started to activate.
Raze continued to breathe, and the magic circle seemed to be reacting with his breathing,
each time the magic would come out.
"I have to feel the separation of mana, from my body and heart. To take it out, but not just
that, I have to think
of a connection. Something back on Alterian that will link me to that world." Raze started to
think hard.
He was trying to think of the items, but nothing solid was coming to his mind, and it didn't
feel like it was working; what else would link him to the world of Alterian. He didn't want
to just end up anyway.
While in the middle of a deep thought, his Magic core started to activate. The Darkness was
burning a bright purple, and the air all around him and in the cave started to swirl around.
Raze had found a connection to Alterian, and it was through his Dark Magic.
Chapter 239 The World of Mages
Chapter 239 The World of Mages
While going through the new spell technique, Raze was concentrating hard, trying to find a
type of connection, but he was unable to. Whenever he tried to focus on something that was
still present in Alterian, he could never get a clear image, no matter how hard he tried to
focus.
That was until something strange had occurred. His mana core, the Dark mana core he had
made around his heart, was reacting. The Dark Magic was reaching out, and the whole area
was surrounded in darkness.
---
Alterian was a world where it felt like no one ever slept. There were constant lights
powered by beast crystals and electricity all over the land. Large skyscraper buildings with
digital adverts everywhere one could see.
It was a world full of technology, some powered by its own devices while others powered
by magic. The combination had allowed for advancements beyond what technology alone
was capable of.
Heavy, large vehicles with no wings were able to fly due to enchantments. Buildings were
reinforced with magic, and areas were cordoned off with powerful forcefields and more.
The Alterian world was run by local governments in each of the countries, but this was
more to control the general public, as everyone knew that the real world was run by the
mages.
The mages had the most power, and governments would fight to obtain any contracts they
could with those that were at a high star level. The number of powerful mages determined
a country's strength.
Modern explosions and missiles were useless when it came to the best of mages. Missiles
could be redirected and turned on the attacker. The power of explosions teleported. Shields
to block the blasts and bullets.
Although everyone was able to learn magic, not everyone could learn it at the level of the
top mages.
Because of their power, the mages were almost treated as a separate society, free to follow
their own rules when it came to following a country's order. They made their own guilds,
growing the power of even more mages.
They would increase their strength by gaining access to portals in other dimensions,
increasing their wealth as well.
It was impossible for the government to keep up with the growth of all the guilds and to
keep them under control. There weren't enough willing to fight on the side of justice for no
benefit at all.
Which was what had led to the creation of the Grand Magus. Mages that were above even
those that were the very best.
The Grand Magus belonged to no guilds, but were individuals with the great power of a 9-
star mage, that had positions that influenced the world. These projects, and the positions
they held, were supported by the government, and in turn, they would be allowed to use
their power.
Idore the oble, crafted and enchanted items for the whole of Alterian, bettering their lives,
at the same time, he had created items just for the government armies to use against
difficult mages.
Gizin was in charge of medical magic, making special potions that nearly every guild
needed to help the wounded, or helped with curses that would befall those in the world.
Ibrain was the head of the Mage academies. In charge and focused on all of the academies
in every country, making sure of their righteous growth.
Trubin worked closest with the government, getting rid of the troublesome mages that
were rising, as well as groups that would try to change the status quo.
Then there was Enaxx, a role model to the society, the face of the Grand Magus, making
public appearances, and making speeches for the general public, who were largely in
support of the Grand Magus and their schemes.
These five were bright, and since the system had been set up with the Grand Magus, their
businesses, their name, and fame all prospered, and so did their control along with the
government. Everything was perfect.
In the city of Alterian where the bright lights shined, down below in the deep underground,
where the sewage system flowed, there were remnants of what was like a city.
The water and sewage would drain in the large tunnels but like a river wouldn't rise above
the platforms set on land. Here there were houses that were made from the scraps that
were thrown away from above.
A whole structure looking like that of a village. Bridges that went across the dirty brown
river and went over to the other side. Here many people lived; they had frail bodies, next to
skin and bones.
Patches covered their bodies as they walked and constantly itched. Many of them sitting on
the street, holding onto a bright blue glowing liquid pen. They opened up their mouths,
sucking the liquid out of the pen, and for a moment, they had relief all over and could forget
about everything that was around them.
Walking through the streets was a robed figure. They ignored everything they went past;
they had seen it time and time again. Eventually, they reached a larger underground
building.
It was tall and had a spire, a place where many would usually gather, yet there was no one
here. Walking forward, the hooded figure stretched their leg over half of the broken door
and headed inside.
Up ahead, they could see another that was dressed like them. They stood on the ground
next to broken wooden panels and glass from above.
"I was worried for a moment that something happened to you," a male's voice was heard
from the other side that was waiting.
"I had to make sure that I wasn't being followed, my position is quite difficult," a female
voice was heard from the other, as they approached the man but stayed around a meter
away.
Usually, if two people were wearing robes, one would be able to still see the face of the
other, but due to the enchanted robes they wore, when lifting their heads and talking, their
voices were muddled and their faces were covered with a type of black smoke.
"Although we have lost a few before, it will not be the same for me," the female stated.
"I see, well, may the Dark Magus protect you and cleanse this world," the man replied, and
with it, the female replied the same back. "May the Dark Magus protect you and cleanse this
world."
"Very well, we shall begin the meeting and update each other on what is oc—occ—" The
man had stopped speaking there for a moment, as he felt something strange.
A tingling sensation was felt over his body. The woman was going to ask if he was okay, but
soon she felt the same thing as well. Before they knew it, both of them were releasing their
magic, and it was covering their bodies.
It wasn't just any magic though; it was Dark Magic which surrounded both of their bodies.
"What is… happening to us?" The woman struggled to say. "Did someone poison me?"
The man was willing to think the same, that was until right in front of them, something was
starting to form. A large black ball of magic was starting to spread out and from it, soon
they could see a full human body suddenly appear.
Its body had a faint glow around it, and they could feel the mana coming from the intruder
that had interrupted them.
'Where… am I?' Raze thought as he looked around.
Chapter 240 We are in the same boat
Chapter 240 We are in the same boat
Raze felt the energy within himself freeing from his body, and he soon found his mind
traveling with that energy. The area around him was dark, black, and he was unable to see
anything at all.
The energy then started to form, and slowly Raze was able to see around him. One of the
first senses that came to him was his hearing.
"What is that, is it a specter of some kind?"
"A ghost, are you talking about a ghost, it might be something from one of the other mages.
Are you sure you weren't followed? Whatever the case, we have to be ready!"
Both of the hooded figures stood close to each other, readying their magic. Darkness
started to swirl around their hands, and they pointed it right at the figure that was starting
to form.
They soon saw a hooded man, his face covered by dark shadows similar to theirs, but part
of his white hair was starting to show through.
Still trying to get his bearings, Raze still wasn't really aware of what was in front of him and
started to look at the dark, dimly lit place around him.
'Where am I?' Raze thought. 'This place feels a bit familiar, but it also doesn't feel like the
Alterian I knew, at least not what I knew before going to Pagna.'
It took a while, but finally, Raze was gathering his senses. He felt present yet at the same
time slightly distant. It almost felt like he was in a dream, but he was aware of everything
and was clearly in full control of his body.
Just as explained, he could feel the mana burning by the moment, with just him being there,
and that's when he could see the two in front of him.
"Mages!" Raze called out, surprised to see such people in a long time, but not just that, what
was even stranger was the type of magic they were using. "You're using Dark Magic as
well?"
Dark Magic was forbidden in Alterian, anyone who learned it was chased, hunted down,
and executed. Raze imagined even more so after his misdoings with the magic. The only
ones that knew how to use the magic were those that were already living a life where death
was welcome.
Or those that needed it for a purpose and would hide the fact that they knew this type of
magic to the grave.
"He saw us using our Dark Magic; we have no choice, get rid of him!" The man shouted.
In the current form Raze was in, mana was oozing from his body. Currently, many would be
able to guess that he was at the 3-star level. Although there was a bit of panic in their
voices, he could see that they had not calmed down, suggesting that they were at a higher
level. When the man lifted up his arm, magic circles started to glow and form in the air,
dark in color. It looked like quite the big spell was about to be cast.
'That was definitely above the three-star stage, and in Dark Magic as well. I haven't been
away long, but I had never heard of users at this level, then again I was on the run a lot my
whole life.'
Raze wasn't worried about dying since he knew an attack on his body would mean nothing,
but it would use a large amount of his mana. After coming here, he didn't want to disappear
straight away. Who knew if he would be able to make a new link or connection again, or if
he did make it again, that he would end up in a place that was practically void of people.
'Seeing how the two of them use Dark Magic, this should work.'
Gathering his own Dark Magic around his hand, he soon pointed it toward the ground but
not toward the two of them, but to the side instead.
"Dark Pulse!" Raze called out, and a beam of energy crashed into the ground, knocking up
mostly dirt into the area.
The two covered their eyes, and the female hooded figure was readying to attack.
"No wait!" The man called out behind her. "Did you not see what that person just used? It
was Dark Magic, Dark Magic! That means he's one of us."
The dust started to settle, and Raze stood still; he didn't gather his magic for another attack,
and he had attacked to the side to try and show the two that he meant no harm.
If they both were learning Dark Magic, and he was really in Alterian, they couldn't have
been in the best of situations.
"But... I've never seen this type of body before; mana is practically oozing out of him. He
looks and feels a lot more like a ghost to me," the female explained.
The two of them stayed silent, and so did Raze for a bit. He was intending to show them
that he truly meant no harm, and eventually, the man decided to speak up.
"I don't know how you found out about our meeting place, but you are a person who
practices Dark Magic, correct?" The man asked.
"That is correct," Raze spoke. When speaking, his voice was a little on the quiet end. It was
clear, and the others could understand him, but the last thing it sounded like was natural.
This current form that Raze was in, it wasn't one that he could just walk around and
explore in, even if he had a large amount of mana.
"What I am currently right now is a little difficult to explain," Raze stated, not wanting to
reveal too much from the get-go. He was also trying to judge just how much time he had left
before his body disappeared.
He could feel that the Dark pulse from before had taken quite a bit of energy out of him.
"Is this Alterian? Are you two mages that practice Dark Magic as well?" Raze asked.
The two looked at each other, confused by the questions. If someone knew about the
meeting place, then they assumed they would know about them. Why would someone ask if
this was Alterian when it was an obvious answer?
"It looks like you need some guidance, Dark Spirit," the man called Raze.
Raze didn't think it was such a bad name, and since he had the appearance and his body
was more like that of a spirit that could use Dark Magic.
"This is Alterian; you are correct... Are you not from here? Are you not a mage yourself? Is
this perhaps some puppet that you are controlling from afar to meet us?"
They had a lot of questions, and Raze could tell that this could go on for a long time. But
while in this position, he needed to get the information he needed as quickly as possible.
"Dark Magic is forbidden in Alterian," Raze said, as if he was scolding his pupils. "Learning
it will mean you will be chased down and hunted by the respective guilds. Why would you
learn such a thing? Who are you?"
Since the man was willing to answer Raze's questions so far, he thought he would be now,
and equally because the man had seen this 'Dark Spirit' use Dark Magic, he felt like there
was a sense of trust.
"Of course you would know that, but it appears you do not know about our group. We are a
group of Dark Magic users, a group who follows in the path of the Dark Magus!"
It seemed that Raze might have just figured out his 'connection' with these people.
Chapter 241 A Dark Spirit
Chapter 241 A Dark Spirit
Although Dark Magic was forbidden, there were always going to be those who learned it. In
most cases, they were criminals. Since it wasn't a widely researched magic and a forbidden
one, when fighting against other mages, they tended to find it a little more difficult.
But just because two people learned Dark Magic didn't mean that there would be a sudden
connection, other than the fact that the two of them had become instant criminals.
However, seeing these two mages in front of Raze mention the words "Dark Magus," now
he had some idea of what their connection was.
'Their connection is the Dark Magic and me... I can't believe it. These people, they really
follow me?' Raze was largely confused.
It was strange in itself hearing two people say these words in front of him, without them
realizing that he was the one they were talking about, but the whole thing had come as a
shock.
During his time in Alterian, he never knew he had followers. He had never heard of
anything like this, a group of people that worshipped him. He had heard of copycats from
time to time, those doing the same as the Dark Magus, trying to follow in his footsteps of
going against the current state of the system and the Grand Magus, but none of those that
raised their banner, and fought under the idea of the Dark Magus.
'Was it just something that I had never noticed before? When I fought as the Dark Magus, it
truly did feel like the whole world was going against me. The news reports, public opinion,
I couldn't live an ordinary life no matter where I went.'
In the middle of deep thought, the man in the hooded figure continued to talk.
"It does not matter if that is not the reason why you learned Dark Magic. Everyone has their
reasons just like the Dark Magus did as well," the man said in a cheerful voice.
Raze had heard this type of voice before. There were several religions, guild recruitment
centers, and cults that would use this tone. This type of voice that would reach out to those
in need.
"We can help look after each other, and work together to better the lives of all, just like the
Dark Magus did!"
Under the shadow, Raze could tell there was a deep smile. He still couldn't get used to the
way they were speaking about him, especially since it was wrong.
'Is that why they follow me, because they thought I was doing what I did for a righteous
reason? To better the lives of everyone?' Raze looked beyond some of the broken glass
windows, and the smell that entered his nose.
He knew where they were now, the underground living areas. It was similar to the place
where Raze had grown up, but he hadn't returned in a long time... he never wanted to
return to these places.
'I never had such a righteous goal like helping the people around me. I just wanted to get
my revenge. I am a more selfish person than you think,' Raze thought to himself.
"Please, tell us what you are, who you are! There is no need for you to give personal details.
All of us followers keep our real identity in the real world a secret, but we work together
and bring information to each other to help."
"There must be a reason why you decided to learn Dark magic?" the man asked.
Hearing this, flashes of old memories came back to Raze. He remembered the point when
he had decided to delve into Dark Magic as well. It was when he had been kicked out of the
Mage Academy and placed in prison, all due to the work of one of the Grand Magus.
However, that wasn't important. What was important was how he could use the current
situation to his advantage.
"The name Dark Magus, I know it well," Raze spoke, and the two lifted their heads slightly
taken aback by it.
"I believe that there is a reason why we met today because I am exactly what you call me, a
Dark spirit, a creation of the Dark Magus!" Raze proclaimed.
He had to bring out his inner role-playing for this, and his face was getting redder by the
second, but he had no choice. Right now, he felt like he might just be dealing with crazy
people. People who were worshipping him, who had never met him, so he needed to act
just as crazy as them.
"Haha!" the woman started to burst out laughing. "Do you really expect us to believe that?
Why would you be here in front of us, and why would you arrive now of all times."
"That I do not know," Raze stated. "But I believe it's because he wishes for me to complete
his will. I believe it is the same for you, correct? The job is still not done, and I believe you
know the current state of the Dark Magus, correct?"
The laughter quickly stopped, and it appeared as if the mood had gone somber. Raze
expected as much. After the Dark Magus's death, the celebratory news would have spread
all over. To the world, it was something for them to celebrate as he was a menace to them
all. In fact, that might have been the reason for cults like this popping up, those that wished
to carry on using the strong name of the Dark Magus.
"Yes... he is dead, and you have appeared, but just because you know Dark Magic doesn't
mean you are a creation of the Dark Magus," the man said.
It would have been easier if Raze said he was the Dark Magus, but he had no proof of that
himself. For one, he was no longer a 9-star mage, so he didn't even have the power to back
it up, nor did he have the same appearance as before, even for those that did know what he
looked like.
"We don't know if he's dead or not either!" the woman shouted. "Just because they
televised it, there is no proof, the Dark Magus might still be out there!"
In a lot of ways, the woman was right.
"I was by the Dark Magus' side. My creation is due to the things he needed to do still, the
things he needed to learn. If you can help me, then you will be helping him as well."
"No!" The woman shouted. "I can't just take it, that someone we have just met, something
that doesn't even seem human is related to the Dark Magus. If you were really by his side
the entire time, then you should know everything about him, correct?"
This might have been the route and path of questioning he needed. Who else but the Dark
Magus himself would know more about him?
"That I should," Raze answered.
"Great, then you better answer everything you can, and not slip up for even a second!" the
woman was almost shouting.
"What was the first incident in Alterian that spread the Dark Magus' name?" She asked,
with a smug smile. The woman was a self-proclaimed super fan of the Dark Magus, having
followed every single event he was involved in.
She was confident that she knew more than any person in the world.
Chapter 242 I know everything about him
Chapter 242 I know everything about him
The first question was asked by the female Dark Magic user, and Raze could imagine the
smug look she had under her robes' face. Her body stood with confidence, and her finger
stayed straight as she pointed out and accused the other.
"The first incident of the Dark Magus was when I was in the temporary holding cell after
the incident at the academy. That was when I became the Dark Magus, but that wasn't
when people knew me or knew my name or started to call me the Dark Magus, it was that
incident."
"The Dark Magus attacked the Central Academy. That was when people first learned of his
powers. In that incident, a number of professors died, and students had fallen as well. It
was the first display ever of a 9-star mage using Dark Magic, thus he received his name."
The reason behind the attack was obvious after learning a new type of magic. Raze had
returned to get his revenge on the current principal, the person who had betrayed him, a
person who he once thought was his friend. The principal had used the power of the
teachers, and some students had gotten caught in the crossfire.
"Fine, I guess that was an obvious one to start with. That event was publicized everywhere,
so of course, there would be those that remembered," the woman replied, thinking of a
harder question. "What was the first incident involved with the Dark Magus?"
Although the two questions seemed the same, they were quite different. What was the
incident that spread the Dark Magus's name, and what was the first incident that involved
him?
'There's a bigger issue in this; it's how much does she know? While practicing my Dark
Magic, there were many mages that I had to fight against. That I killed in the shadows that
never came to light.'
"The first obvious important incident was the attack on the pharmaceutical company
belonging to Gizin, one of the Grand Magus. No one was left alive, including the workers
inside. At the time, they had no clue that it was the Dark Magus's work until later when
multiple stories started to come out."
When Raze took a pause, it almost looked like the woman was about to jump and say
something until Raze continued.
"But... the first incident was actually a murder of a Pharma employee belonging to the same
factory. It was reported as random, but later assumed that the Dark Magus bore some type
of grudge against the company, and he was the cause of the first death."
The woman's hands were shaking because she thought she had him there. It was a small
report that no one cared about because time had already passed when they had linked the
case. Who cared about one death when there were hundreds that occurred?
She knew that if he knew about this, he had to either be a superfan or his words of being a
Dark spirit related to the Dark Magus were true. That was until something popped into her
head.
"What happened to the town of Electra, the incident the Dark Magus was involved in?" She
asked.
This seemed like quite a simple one. Even the hooded man was confused because it was
perhaps one of the most popular incidents of the Dark Magus known in existence.
Raze thought about it for a moment but then answered away from what he could
remember.
"The Magic guild, Cromber, was eliminated by the Dark Magus. In response, the world was
in a panic, and in that town, Enaxx, one of the Grand Magus, had arrived. The two had a
devastating fight that caused the death of many of the town's citizens. The aftermath of the
fight caused Enaxx to have a deficiency in a certain area, and to be nicknamed 'one ball,' but
there was no victor in the fight, only death."
Every time Raze spoke about the Dark Magus, he never failed to forget about all the deaths
that happened along the way. Quite a few innocent people had gotten mixed up in this
grand battle.
At that time, his emotions were even stronger than they were now. Why, after everything
he had done for the world of Alterian, everything he had created, the research he had done
to create magic to help the lives of others, had the world betrayed him? It wasn't the world,
but the Grand Magus who were in charge. The good people like Raze suffered because of
them, and Raze was going to put a stop to it. Stop his own suffering because he didn't
deserve it, to hold all the pain with nothing happening to them.
A death to the people around them, that was far more painless than what he had to deal
with.
"No!" The woman surprisingly shouted. "I'm not asking what the news reports stated or
what people think happened; I'm asking for the truth. You're right, the Cromber Guild was
eliminated by the Dark Magus, but you must know why. If you were truly someone close to
the Dark Magus, or by his side, then you would know the reason why."
The words of the woman had brought up memories in his head. A man with blonde hair
and a big smile on his face. Raze in a small room with him, as the two of them were getting
ready.
"I'll help you, Raze, or should I say Dark Magus," the blonde man said with a chuckle. "What
you're doing, it's changing this place."
Moments later, and more memories flashed, moving to a different scene altogether. Raze
was now holding onto the same blonde man, his body completely different, in contrast to
what it was before. He was almost skin and bones, his face was sunken in, and he had scabs
all over. In his body, there were several needles all over the place.
"It was the Cromber Guild; please help them," the man said, with his last words.
Raze had come back to where he was, his hand by the side of his head for a moment.
"The Cromber Guild... they had the whole town of Electra under a type of magical drug. One
that would make you feel stronger in the moment, but zap away your powers after. Losing
one's magical power made them desperate, willing to do whatever the guild asked. The
people there, they had gone mad... so the Dark Magus got rid of them all."
The woman no longer had a tensed fist, as it fell by her side, and she stood there in
amazement.
"You're right... you're right," she replied, her voice shaky. Now she knew it; this person had
to be telling the truth.
However, Raze was left wondering how, how did this woman know about the truth behind
his attack? In fact, in nearly all of the Dark Magus' televised and newsworthy events, there
was a reason for them all.
"I have one question," the hooded man said in the back. "It seems we have confirmed who
you are, so I want to ask, who are the enemies of the Dark Magus?"
"To the world?" Raze replied. "They might have said Enaxx. He was the government's
figurehead, the pretty poster boy. They lived to televise that it was the Dark Magus against
him, but that's not true at all. The Dark Magus' enemy is every single one of the Grand
Magus, all five of them."
Hearing that response, the hooded man couldn't help but start clapping in joy.
"Excellent! Excellent!" he shouted as his voice echoed through the halls like a madman,
followed by a string of laughter.
'Out of the two of them, he might be one that I need to worry about a bit more,' Raze
thought to himself.
At that moment, the hooded man stepped forward and got down on one knee, his fist in the
ground. Seeing this, the woman had decided to do the same.
"You said that you are a creation of the Dark Magus, and there is a reason for you being
here. We are a group that was created all because of the Dark Magus, so we will help you in
any way possible. What is it that you need us to do?"
Although the man was speaking for both of them, the woman seemed to have no objections.
Raze's plan had worked, and now it was how exactly he would use these followers, to help
his overall goal of taking down the Grand Magus.
"Tell me, does this groups of you dark magic users have a name?"
"No we do not, as we a group that operates in the shadow's we didn't think it was needed."
"A group with no name, is a group with no power." Raze answered, "And we need power, to
take down the Grand Magus, let's mark today as the creation of the force that will take
down the Grand Magus, the creation of the Dark Guild."
Chapter 243 The Dark Spirit speaks
Chapter 243 The Dark Spirit speaks
In the past, Raze had tried to do everything by himself. In the end, he had ended up failing.
When the hooded woman had asked her questions, it made Raze think back to why he had
ultimately failed in taking the Grand Magus down.
There were five of them, and although he had gotten into battles several times before with
them, he had never fully been the victor going head to head. That was because they were
more than just 9-star mages. They had large groups and corporations that backed them up.
They had their pockets in nearly every business in Alterian. This was what had given Raze
the idea in the first place to create a group in Pagna by selling the Qi pills that he had
received.
He needed a group of his own to control, and since he was unable to step into Alterian
himself, he needed others to do it for him.
"Create a Dark Guild!" The hooded man lifted his head with excitement in his voice. "A guild
for magic users that specialize in Dark Magic. It will be a place where we can study and
share knowledge with each other, and continue your goal!"
It felt like Raze had them right where he wanted them, in his pocket. A cult that was already
naturally following him, this was a great start.
"Can I ask, how many of you are in your current group?" Raze asked.
The man stood up next to the woman, and the two looked at each other before he replied
by lifting his hand, holding two fingers up.
"Right now, it's just us two," he stated. "There used to be more of us, but they have either
been hunted down or captured. As you should know as well, those that know Dark Magic
won't exactly share it with the others, but I am sure there are more out there."
Hearing this made Raze wonder if there were more followers of him and more people that
used Dark Magic. If the next time he used this astral projection, if he could link with them. If
he did, then he could inform them of everything and then recruit them into the Dark Guild.
He was sure those that knew Dark Magic would feel safer in a group. They all had the same
stakes as well, since Dark Magic was a taboo from the Alterian world order.
"I see, well, this will be the start of our Dark Guild. We shall meet once a week, at the same
time as today. So make sure that there are no eyes around you. We can discuss and update
each other on the news then," Raze stated.
Thinking back to what he had heard from the message box, Raze knew he could use his
magic skills, so it made him wonder if he could use some powers from his enchanted items
as well.
Before he knew it, he had two blue Qi pills in his hand. They were the uncommon ones that
restored one's mana for a minute. He soon chucked them over, and the two caught them in
their hands.
They looked at the small pills and could see the DM marked on it, having a good idea what it
stood for but no idea what the pills did.
"Those are mana potions; they will restore your mana for a full minute. Use it in an
emergency measure. I am handing these to you as gifts for joining the Guild and will be
willing to give members more in order to increase their power.
"Of course, don't think about selling it or allowing others to use it. You two are the only
ones I have handed these items that were created by the Dark Magus. So I will know if they
fall into others' hands."
Just hearing they were made by the Dark Magus, the two of them were treating it as if they
had a piece of gold in their hand. They didn't want to even consume it if their life depended
on it.
"Thank you for the gift!" the man stated. "So what is it that you would like us to do?"
When the question was asked, Raze could feel his body weakening, and the energy
surrounding him going away. He had used up too much magic, and his body had stayed
here for too long. The others could notice the weakness in the magic as well.
"In our next meeting, I wish for you to find out what you can about the Grand Magus. Give
me full details of the current state of Alterian!" Raze ordered. "On top of that, if you can do
research into any 9-star mages in the history of Alterian.
"Bring me a list and information if you can. Of those that either suddenly passed away or
perhaps had gone missing and never found!"
The two nodded at these orders; they seemed simple enough. They couldn't understand
why he asked about the second half, but this was a Dark Spirit that knew everything about
what the great Dark Magus was thinking and planning.
'I should find the Dark Faction Founder. He probably wanted me to do this as well. If I find
him, then it will lead to clues regarding the Atlas Orb, and just him in general,' Raze thought
to himself.
"We shall complete the tasks, Dark Spirit!" The man said with confidence. "We will also
look to bring more into the Dark Guild; not to worry, this is a glorious day."
The woman felt that as well; she felt a closer connection to the Dark Magus, a person to her
who was her hero.
"The next time we meet, I shall teach you a few things about Dark Magic in return for your
help. Although I might not be so strong myself at the moment, my power will continue to
grow, and I have the knowledge of the Dark Magus.
"The Dark Guild will become a force that will topple the Grand Magus!" Raze said, as his
body completely started to fade; it was going away and soon turned into nothing.
Black smoke just dissipated into the air, and when the two looked at the same area as
before, both of them were unable to see anything.
Immediately the hooded man grabbed the woman by the shoulders.
"See, I told you it would work out; I told you that the Dark Magus had been watching our
actions, and now he is rewarding us from beyond!"
The woman looked at the position from before and nodded.
"This is our chance."
---
Back in the cave, Raze had opened his eyes and was covered in sweat; he was huffing and
panting and almost collapsed right there and then on the floor. All of his mana had been
depleted; he had used it till the very last moment.
Thankfully, he could feel a soothing energy now spreading around him, and it was the Qi
from his dantian.
'Being both a Pagna warrior and a Mage sure is versatile,' Raze thought, and had a large
smile on his face.
'I'm in Alter, The Dark Guild, the Dark Faction, the Demonic Faction. I'm starting to have my
own eyes in every area. The only places I know next to nothing about are the Light Faction
and the Bonum Society.'
'I guess the best thing to do is the next step, head to the Crimson Crane and join them, and
head back to the academy.'
---
Meanwhile, at the academy, Gunther had the wanted poster in his hand, with the words
"Dark Magus" written on it. He tore it up with both of his hands, ripping it up into smaller
and smaller pieces.
'What is this? How could the reward be canceled just like that! And where are those
damned kids!' Gunther yelled inwardly, sitting right back in his seat. 'When those kids
come back, they're going to be Red Headband users, and the eyes of the top clans are going
to be all over them.'
'For their sake, it might be best if they never come back.'
Chapter 244 The first of the Dark Guild
Chapter 244 The first of the Dark Guild
Initially, when the hooded man had come to the meeting and only saw one person turn up,
he was feeling a little disheartened. Every time they had these meetings, it seemed to be a
result of bad news, one after the other, rather than good news.
However, today seemed like a turning point, and the grin on his face couldn't stop forming
on his mouth. Before leaving the crooked building that they were in, the man turned to the
woman.
"It seems the Dark Spirit has given us two tasks. In my position, it would be easier for me to
look into the Grand Magus and try to figure out if there are any strange reported
movements," the man stated. "Is that okay with you? Will you be okay trying to find out the
information about the old mages?"
The woman thought about it for a while.
"That should be fine." It was better than fine; if anything, it was ideal for her.
One of the rules of the group was not to reveal each other's real identities. Although when
recruiting people, some might have seen their faces, they still knew what their role was in
the outside society. Instead, they would share information while trying to complete small
tasks with each other one step at a time, depending on the task, they would split it to who
would suit it best. It worked as a type of volunteer system.
In this case, there were two main jobs given by the Dark Spirit, and the man had somewhat
decided for them.
Splitting up, the two went their separate ways. The woman headed right, and the man
headed left. Since they were in the underground living areas, there were plenty of ways for
them to head to the surface.
The hooded man walked through the children playing around in ragged clothing, muck on
their faces. The areas were filled with people coughing. He then lifted himself up with wind
magic on top of one of the houses until he found a ladder. It was made out of rusted metal.
He slowly climbed it up as he headed to the manhole cover that was above him.
"Whenever I visit this place, it just makes me angrier," the man mumbled to himself.
The people who lived underground had no choice really. If they rose up to the surface, then
there would be guilds and government workers that would be asked to clean the streets.
The world of Alterian was one by appearance, one that had no beggars. Because they were
forced to move. They had to get out of the cities.
They could go to the masses of land with no infrastructure built, but unless they knew how
to grow their own crops, they could do nothing. There were no jobs for them out there, no
one that would willingly feed them unless they could contribute to society in some way. So
the only choice they had, and the only way they could stay in the city, was to live under it.
At least here, they could live off the scraps that would fall from above. Once in a while,
there would be those that would even come from above, making certain requests to those
below. Maybe asking them to get rid of someone, to commit a crime on their behalf, or
things even worse and darker. To put it shortly, living under the city, they were able to at
least continue living off the scraps from those above, but it was away from the eyes of
others, out of sight, as if they didn't even exist.
Eventually, the man pushed the manhole off, and he appeared in an alleyway down a street.
The lights from the tall buildings above shined on his face, and quickly he soon cast the
robe away. It disappeared into a black void that was in his hand, and now he was wearing a
black uniform with patches of red on his clothing underneath. He had short spiky black hair
that showed underneath his rounded hat. He was a man that looked to be in his mid-20s,
closer to his 30s. Slowly, he raised his hands, touching the corner of his mouth.
'I really need to get rid of this smile.'
Waiting a few moments, he waited for his smile to drop before he walked into the streets,
blending in with all the rest. It was currently evening time, so the glowing neon lights were
shining brightly, yet the streets were filled with those shopping or eating on the side.
The man continued to walk until he had reached a large square of buildings with glass at
the front. As he took a step through the front door, a strange green laser light went across
his body.
"Hey, Chief Harvey, what time do you call this?" A man called out, reading a digital device in
the air. He was sitting at a desk seemingly doing nothing, it was the reception. He too wore
the same uniform as the man named Harvey.
"Something came up on the way here; I thought it would help us in a way. I'm not quite sure
how helpful it will be," Harvey replied.
"Ah, is it the case with that mass murder that's been on the loose recently? I thought once
the Dark Magus was dealt with there would be fewer incidents, but we seem to be as busy
as ever," the man sighed.
Right now, Harvey was in a police station. A group of mages that worked for the local
governments and also were quite well-connected with the local guilds. This was because
from time to time, they would have to work with the local guilds in different areas to deal
with situations that got out of hand. There were still large criminal cases that would appear
from time to time. With his position, especially as chief of this particular station, he thought
he would be able to look into the Grand Magus and their doings far easier.
That was until the small little badge lit up on both Harvey's and the man behind the desk's
chest. Harvey pressed it, and a screen popped out in front of him, showing him the report
that was taking place.
"It looks like a seller has been found," Harvey said. "I'm in a good mood today; you can stay
here. I'll deal with it."
As quickly as Harvey had entered the police station, he had quickly left as well. He followed
the directions of the badge, which showed him those that were on the chase of the Mage.
A seller was someone that sold illegal magical products, mostly enhancing magic items with
bad side effects. It didn't take long for the chief to meet up with two members of his team
that had chased the man into an office building. Thankfully, everyone had already gone
home as it was the end of the day shift, but still, it was a building, so fighting inside with
magic would be quite troublesome.
Not only that, but Harvey could see one of the officers holding his arm; there was a large
wound on it, and it was cut.
"A 3-star mage, sir…he has wind magic, so I would be careful," the officer stated.
"Don't worry, you guys just stay here; we don't know what can happen," Harvey replied.
"Just catch him if he escapes."
Entering the office building, Harvey was alone. He had gone up the floors until he had
reached the floor where he was last witnessed. There were a number of stalls and
electronic devices that had been set up, including crystals. The glass spread out on the back
into the open areas.
Slowly, Harvey walked through the stalls, that was until one of them went flying right into
him.
Immediately, he reacted as he ducked below and the stall went flying over his head.
"Just let me go!" The mage on the run shouted as he swung his arm, throwing out a wind
slice.
When it went through the air, with his own hand covered in Ice, Harvey swung it at the
wind slice, breaking it apart allowing the attack to do nothing.
"ARGH!" The man shouted and was ready to swing his arm again; that was when something
grabbed him.
"Dark Puppet," Harvey whispered as he went in closer. The man was confused; his hand
was firmly grasped by something, and it wasn't just one but the other, and soon his legs as
well. His whole body was lifted into the air. When the man looked down, he could see a pool
of Dark Magic below him had stretched out, creating arms that were holding onto him.
"You… you're using Dark Magic, a police chief is using Dark Magic! I can't believe it!" The
man said, laughing even though he had been caught. "Wait until the others hear about this!
Do you think you will go unpunished if you bring me in?"
"Huh?" Harvey said, approaching the man, Dark Magic swirling around his arm. "Do you
think I'm an idiot like you? If I showed you something that you weren't meant to see, then
what do you think that means?"
Panic started to set in the man's eyes; his heart started to race as he was beginning to get
an idea of what he meant.
"Today is a good day, and on behalf of the Dark Magus, I accept your life. Dark Lance!"
Harvey stated as out of his hand a large lance made of Dark Magic had pierced several
places in the man.
With him being held still, blood soaked his clothing, and he was killed on the spot.
"Today is a good day, and I can't wait to see what type of new powers I will learn from the
Dark Spirit! Everything is for the sake of the Dark Magus."
Chapter 245 The Second Of The Dark Guild
Chapter 245 The Second Of The Dark Guild
Separating from the other robed figure, the woman had exited from the underground
facilities as well. She was rushing and turning a blind eye to the things around her.
It was more upsetting than she realized every time she came to this place, and a lot of it
was because the scenes reminded her of her own hometown, which she had grown up in as
well.
'The surface is not much of a better place for you people. It needs to be fixed before you
come up there,' she thought.
Exiting from the underground sewage system, she didn't take off her robe immediately. In
the alleyway she resided in, she was looking at the wall by her sides. She was skimming it
with her hand until eventually running her fingers, she felt a slight edge. Then sticking her
hand onto it, somewhat like glue, she pulled, and a large slab of the wall came off. Taking off
her robe, she soon placed it in the slot on the street, then lifted the large slab and placed it
back.
As for the clothes she was wearing underneath the dark-colored robe, she had a light blue
dress on underneath. On top, a small blazer that reached just down to her ribcage that was
light in color.
The woman in question had short brown hair that only came down to around her ears. It
equally went all around somewhat like a bowl was on top of her head. For most, it might
have looked like quite a ridiculous haircut yet somehow it suited her. Maybe it was just
because the rest of her facial features were that outstanding that it felt like any type of
haircut would suit her. She had a relatively young-looking face, one that was clear and
many would assume full of innocence.
The last thing one would expect from a baby face like hers was them to be a user of Dark
Magic, but she had her reasons.
The woman's name was Kelly. She was currently heading to one of the transport stations,
where a flying train would take one to several destinations, and she was looking for one in
particular.
She soon got on a large square device that had multiple seats on board. Paying her fees, she
sat by the window and just stared out as it lifted into the sky. She could see all the lights
from below, the people enjoying themselves, and some even putting on magic shows, firing
off fancy displays that looked like fireworks.
'It's been a long time since I thought about the past,' Kelly thought to herself. 'That Dark
Spirit, is it even possible? I've never heard of Dark Magic being able to create a summon
before, or a puppet that could be used with its user so far away.
'But then again, the details of Dark Magic haven't been greatly researched either. But it
makes me wonder if that really was a Dark Spirit, the details he explained, weren't they too
vivid.'
Kelly was taken back to that moment; she was younger back then when the Dark Magus
had attacked her town, but there were more details than what the Dark Spirit let on.
The Guild at the time, they weren't only forcing the town to do their work in creating illegal
drug-misused items, but they were also forcing the workers to take them as well. They had
gotten the entire town addicted, forcing them to do their bidding. There would be those
that tried to fight back to try to stop them, but the guild would force it upon the others.
They had the whole town as their customers, and Kelly saw it firsthand. She had only lived
with her mother at the time, but her mother was one of those addicted to the magical drugs
that were handed out.
She had tried to break the cycle; Kelly had tried to help her, but the guild had come around
to their house and forced her. They had even tried to leave the town a couple of times, but
nothing was working. In the end, things spiraled worse; her mother could no longer speak
clearly, she had become more than just a regular user but to the point where she was no
longer able to even work. When that happened they kicked her to the curb.
Her mother had tried to steal some product from the guild, and they ended up killing her.
Kelly at the time was only a 2-star mage, and even then, what could she have done to take
on an entire guild, it would have been impossible, but that was when one person had come
and done it, it was the Dark Magus.
The news report had stated that the Dark Magus had killed the citizens as well as the guild.
At first, the Dark Magus was just killing guild members, then the guild claimed anyone who
helped get rid of him would be offered more product.
The Dark Magus simply killed those who got in his way. When the guild finally disappeared,
Kelly was able to pack her things and leave the town. To her, the Dark Magus was her
savior, which was why she had gone down the path she had done at the time.
Learning Dark Magic, learning everything she could about the Dark Magus. The news
reports, everything that the media started to spin, she knew it was all lies.
Her trust in the world disappeared, and she felt like the only truth for her was the Dark
Magus. If she could help him even a little, then that was good enough for her.
The flying vehicle was slowing down as it was coming to the stop; it was the last stop. When
she stood up, there were a couple of other boys and girls wearing similar clothing to her.
It was a pride for them to wear the uniform.
"Last stop, Central Mage Academy," the speaker shouted.
'At the Mage's Academy, I'm sure I'll find what you're looking for, and I'll help you achieve
your goal.'
Chapter 246 Power Of Light Magic
Chapter 246 Power Of Light Magic
The days were coming closer and closer to the time they had to leave, and with it all coming
to an end, there were just a couple of things left before they needed to leave the Demonic
Continent.
With everything going on, Raze just felt like the longer they stayed here, the more likely
they were to get in trouble. At least for Dame, he himself was pretty much fine as the name
of the Dark Magus had spread, but not to the point where there were multiple obsessive
people like Alba and her group looking for him.
Back at the Inn, Raze had noticed that Safa now had managed to control mana to an
acceptable degree. She could move it around and place it where she wished on her body.
Now all he needed to do was show her a couple of spells. In doing so, what he had done was
ripped a page out of a notebook that he had taken from the inn they were staying at, then
grabbing a piece of graphite rock, he started to draw what looked like a common magic
circle.
After finishing drawing, he held it for Safa to see.
"All magic spells come from the basis of magic circles with runic writing," Raze explained.
"Think of the magic circles as instructions for what it needs to do with your mana. It directs
it into one place, takes the properties of the mana, and extracts them in a certain way."
"However, just like cooking, even if you have the same measurements, if you have the
wrong ingredients what will come out will be wrong. Which is why specific magic circles
need to be used for specific spells," Raze explained.
"Now, when casting a spell, you need to make the image of the magic circle as clearly as you
can in your head. As time goes on, there will be a large number of spells that you are unable
to remember."
"This is why we use keywords. Restating the word as you remember the circle, it will
become second nature for when you say certain phrases that the magic circle will appear in
your head, allowing you to cast the spell."
"The keyword can be up to yourself, but there is a sort of respect among mages. The one
who creates the spell will bestow a name on it. Other mages then will use that keyword
with the spell, not changing it."
"It's only right for the one that put in their hard work and research into advancing the use
of magic for their word to be used."
Safa continued to nod along as Raze explained everything to her. She was quite amazed
with it all, and it was the first time she had heard her 'brother' speak of his world in such a
way. She was learning about another culture, and for once, Raze seemed to be proud. When
speaking about something coming from his world, which was strange.
"This skill is known as Restore. It needs light magic to work and is one of the most basic
Light magic spells out there. The reason for its popularity is because the strength of the
spell increases as does the mana of the user. So it's a spell that can be used by a 1-star mage
all the way up to a 9-star mage, which is quite unique. As with times, certain spells only
work with a degree of mana and are pretty much useless as you continue to rise up the
ranks."
What Raze had essentially done was give Safa homework because the best way for a person
to memorize the pattern was to draw it over and over again.
This is what Safa was currently doing on multiple sheets of paper. She would copy the
pattern a few times, trying to do as much as she could by memory on the next one. Then
when she could finally draw the whole magic circle by memory, that would mean she could
picture it in her head.
After that, it was repeating the words and connecting the words with the image.
"Man, that seems really hard!" Liam commented. "So if you don't have a good memory, it's
pretty much impossible to be a good mage that uses magic, huh?"
"You still want to be a mage, after seeing what nearly happened to her?" Simyon
commented.
"I mean, she turned out to be okay in the end, right? So maybe us two would be fine as well.
I'm thinking of learning something cool like fire magic or something."
"And with your brain, you probably would only ever know one spell, just stick to the
enchanted items Raze gave you," Simyon replied.
Staying with Raze and the lessons he would give Safa, the group was learning several words
related to the magic world. They were remembering them well because they were just as
fascinated with it as they were with the world of Pagna.
While they continued to watch Safa struggling to remember the circle, Raze had a few
words for her.
"When you've learned the spell, gather the mana around your throat, use the restore spell
on it. Use it a few times a day; it might take a while because you have a low amount of
magic, but continuous use of the spell restore will likely restore your voice back to normal."
Safa nodded frantically as she continued to draw the circles, and she had quite a good
memory, allowing her to get closer and closer to learning the spell. As Raze thought, she
wasn't just talented in martial arts; as with most talented people, they were better than the
average person at nearly anything.
Still, the others had their uses, and could specialize in certain areas to be useful. A few
moments later, the familiar knock came at the door. This time, Dame had let himself in as
he pushed forward.
"Alright Raze, it's time for you to turn into the Dark Magus, it's our meeting with the
Crimson Crane," Dame stated.
With a flicker of Dark Magic, the robe covered Raze's body.
It was time for him to get a lot more out of this deal than they would.
Chapter 247 I want to be Leader
Chapter 247 I want to be Leader
The meeting was taking place in what had become the Crimson Crane's frequent meeting
place. One of the large restaurants in the city of Repton, on the second floor a private room
had been made, and here there was Alba, who was sitting by the side of Reno.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side, there was Dame along with the Dark Magus wearing his
robe.
"I hope you understand the Dark Magus' position, with the things he's able to do, we need
to keep his identity a secret, even from those that are in the same group as us," Dame
explained, gesturing a hand.
Alba was in a good mood since the meeting was set up, and just where they were, she had
already gone through two large bottles of alcohol.
"That is fine with me, as long as the Dark Magus is willing to join us and support, then that
is all good. I do have some issues though," Alba said, placing her drink back on the table.
"I've heard of the business that the two of you are planning to start, and the fact that you
are looking at selling these special Qi pills that you created, is that something we can stop
you from doing?"
The Qi pills would do them great; they were effective in the battle against the Light Faction
Elder, and she already had an idea of the effects they would have when being used in other
dimensions.
For her, the main issue was that this was the advantage the clan had over others. This was a
way for people to propel them to the top, for the local governments, kingdoms, and other
factions to rely on them even more, boosting their position.
"I know what you are worried about," Raze said. "However, I wish for myself to create a
network. There are only so many things you can do with brute strength. But the pills, for
one, are something that only I can create.
"Since I will be supplying them, I can equally take them away. There is power as more
people rely on our products. At the same time, coin is another thing that can be used to
influence people all over, especially the kingdoms who are more inclined to coin than they
are to fighting, as well as the general public who aren't even involved in Pagna affairs."
Alba thought that the Dark Magus was naive. Although he had strange powers, his voice
made him sound young, and he was a stage 3 warrior. Yet his foresight was looking far
ahead; this person had the power to change the world. She was glad she did everything she
could to get this person on her side.
"You have to understand, though, allowing you to join our clan is making an enemy of the
Light Faction since they have declared you their target. On top of that, there will be
multiple groups after you as well."
"If we bring you in, and you are selling products to others, even if we get them for free,
what's the value in that for us? Joining the Crimson Crane is no small matter."
This was what Raze had predicted as well, and that's when he gestured by looking at Dame
to place his hands on the table. Soon, they started to change as they were covered in black
armor.
"Making Qi pills is not the only thing I can do," Raze explained. "I am also able to enchant
weapons."
"These gauntlets, their power has not only increased but has the skill to hide them, it also
allows me to produce projectile Qi from my hands," Dame explained. "This is how I was
able to beat Beatrix."
Immediately, Alba's eyes lit up; she had stopped drinking for a moment. Projectile Qi was
something only high-level middle stage warriors or Divine stage warriors could produce.
Yet an item made that possible?
"Do you remember the sword that was used to defeat the Light Faction Leader at the end?
That was also an enchanted item of mine," Raze explained. "These special items I will make
for the Crimson Clan only, and I shall make an item for each member."
Even Reno had turned to Alba's side; both of them were excited, imagining the increased
strength the clan would have with such items. But Alba had to keep herself calm because
suddenly the tides had turned, because now the deal she felt was one-sided.
"What... do you want for this?" Alba asked.
"I am a member of your clan by doing this. I want to show with this gesture that I am a true
member of this clan. Which is why I ask for one thing. To take the position of leader once!"
Raze stated.
Even Dame was surprised by Raze's request. Taking the position of leader? He was
wondering if he knew what he was saying. Sure, the Crimson Crane was unorthodox, but he
was still speaking to the head of a very powerful clan.
"That's a hard ask."
"My items are very powerful, and this is also a condition for me joining," Raze stated. "Let
me put it in simpler terms. A one-time gesture is what I ask for. If anything occurs, or
anything that I need doing or help with, one time I can ask the Crimson Crane to gather and
help me, no matter what or who it's up against."
Hearing this request, all of those around the table were just trying to imagine what the
Dark Magus was planning for, who he was expected to go against.
"I see, well then." Alba reached down her clothing dress, from the top right underneath her
breasts. The cloth slid down, and for a moment, they thought they would be seeing two
melons, but she quickly lifted her shirt back up as she placed a crystal on the table.
"This was the reward for finding the Dark Magus, and in the end, you have come to me. So
this is the level 5 power stone. I have already taken down the request. Think of it as a
freebie for joining the Crimson Crane.
"In the meantime, we will hunt for more crystals to allow you to enchant some items for us
the next time we meet. Dame already explained that you guys will be away for a while."
"As a point of contact, one member of the Crimson Crane will stay in Repton city, and
whenever we need you or you need us, we can make contact through them."
Raze took the level five power stone from the table, and with that, Alba stood up.
"I hereby state that the two of you are now members of the Crimson Crane, so grab a drink
with your new family!" Alba cheered.
Dame did the same, along with the others, while Raze was hesitant as he grabbed the drink
in front of him.
'New family... I hate that word,' Raze thought to himself, as he lifted up the drink anyway.
Him and Dame now had become new members of the Crimson Crane, and with it, it was the
end of their little journey in the Demonic Faction.
'It's time for us to head back to the academy; let's find out about the Dark Faction Founder.'
Chapter 248 Blood Will Be Spilt
Chapter 248 Blood Will Be Spilt
The group had journeyed out of Repton city, and were heading back toward the cave, and it
had been quite an eventful week, more so than they had originally expected.
"You know what, the Demonic Faction wasn't so bad in the end." Liam replied. "I wonder
why they call them demons and those that would kill just from a glare."
"Well, we did stay inside after that one incident." Simyon replied. "So it is hard to say what
the rest of the Demonic Faction is like. Also we didn't really get involved in Pagna affairs.
Still, as you said things seemed to just be the same as they were in the Dark Faction."
The small event had stuck in their heads though. The students they had lost to in a battle of
strength were also from the other Pagna academy. To them it seemed like there was quite a
gap in strength.
Liam had even found himself overturned by just what he deemed the side characters. They
didn't even stand out and they were able to best him. He took some pride that he was the
strongest Blue Headband wearer, and being promoted to the Red Headbands when they got
back, he knew there would be tough competition all around.
"A lot did happen." Raze mumbled to himself as they had reached the cave entrance. "There
is a goal to look forward to, and a lot I need to do."
In particular Raze had obtained the skill book full of the Noctis Clan's techniques. He would
have to learn the Pagna swordsmanship first and then try to add the magic steps later on.
Magic wasn't the only way for him to get stronger quickly.
Dame was already wearing the transformation mask, and all of them were ready to head
back. Raze was ready as he started to draw the magic circle on the ground, and the portal
opened up for them to return.
They ended up returning to the mist-covered cave and with the help of Dame they were
able to bypass all of the guards while also heading back to the front of the academy. They
were in the thick jungle bushes that led to the single bridge-like pathway that went out to
the academy.
As they stepped out onto the path, all of them gave a good stretch.
"Ah, this brings back memories." Simyon commented. "But I don't know whether to be
more nervous or less nervous. We aren't attending the assessment anymore, but joining the
Red headbands and meeting all those main disciples again."
A shiver ran through Simyon's entire body, just imagining seeing Ricktor again had him
shook. They wondered if they would act any different this time after Raze's beating, after
all Raze was certainly to be treated differently, he was known as the White Dragon, the
rising star of the Dark Faction!
Taking a deep breath they had entered the Academy.
——-
"What do you guys think you're doing!" Gunther shouted.
The moment all of them had returned to the front of the academy, it had come as a surprise
that Gunther was in the large courtyard pacing back and forth waiting for them.
It made them wonder how long he must have been doing it for. Or perhaps because it was
the last day, he thought they had to return. Immediately he called for a meeting for them all
to enter his office, and now all five of them stood there.
"I've bent my back over to protect you guys, to keep your secret, and then you go off
disappearing without telling me anything. I had no clue what happened to you." Gunther
said, but there was something else he was more upset about.
He went and pulled out a large scroll that looked to have been stuck together with some
type of green beetle juice parts. He lifted the scroll and they could see that it was the
reward for the Dark Magus.
"The reward was cancelled, does this have anything to do with you being away?" Gunther
asked.
Both Dame and Raze just looked at each other, which had already given the answer
Gunther was expecting. Somewhat defeated with the tension rising high in his body he then
dropped his body back down in his seat.
"Now that the reward is gone, is there any reason for me to even be in the academy?"
Gunther had only joined to gain favour with the principal and to search for the Dark Magus,
with the reward gone, he would rather spend his time going into dimensions trying to
break through to the next stage.
Liam was twiddling his fingers trying to avoid eye contact with Gunther. After all, he had
been given the role to look over the Dark Magus and report back if there was anything he
found strange.
Yet he had been taken along in the end, and there was next to nothing he could do about it.
Having gone with the others though, he didn't feel as left out as he had felt compared to
before.
Standing up, Gunther looked out of his window that was on the second floor, it looked out
onto the courtyard where they could see a number of students returning. All of those that
were here before.
As he looked at them, there was a slight pain in his heart.
"Honestly, I'm not meant to tell you guys this, but I think it might be best if you left the
academy."
"Leave!" Simyon shouted. "Wait, how can we just leave, and why would an examiner be
telling us that. Is it because you think we're useless, we're not useless at all, we're much
stronger than you think!"
"Stop being so loud." Gunther shouted back. "I don't want any part in what is about to
happen. The only reason why I'm thinking of staying is because I hope with my presence
here I can help as many of you guys as possible.
"The Dark Faction has been put in a difficult situation, and in turn the Academy has decided
to take some drastic measures. I can tell that a lot of blood will be spilt in this academy."
Chapter 249 Trouble in the world of Pagna
Chapter 249 Trouble in the world of Pagna
A couple of days before the students were set to return, a meeting had been called between
the five large clans of the Dark Faction. These five clans were the ones that supported the
academy the most with their funds and equally because they were the most powerful, they
had the most say in the Faction.
There was no faction leader, but since the Erupting Fist Clan was the most powerful clan,
and the head of the clan, Murkel, was also the principal of the academy, many people saw
him as the de facto faction leader.
Still, despite this, it wasn't as if the clan leaders regularly met up, nor did they often have
meetings with each other. They were far too worried about increasing the strength of their
own clans or even having internal fights to stop one another from rising up and taking their
positions.
At the same time, they had to keep up the appearance of being strong to the others because
even the lower clans in the Dark Faction would constantly be fighting, looking for a chance
to become part of the main five.
Strangely, Murkel had called for a meeting between the five main clans, and the clan leaders
had turned up at the academy. Inside the main building, they had gathered in a large room,
sitting in large seats that were spread apart from each other.
Crine from the Flowing Force Clan was present, Samantha from the Tulip Falls Clan, Feebie
from the Lethal Bite Clan, Gavin from the Moon Shield Clan, and of course, there was
Murkel himself from the Erupting Fist Clan.
There was one person who was standing rather than sitting, and that was Amir Huthell, a
man who, although belonged to the Dark Faction, didn't belong to any clan. He considered
himself a Wanderer.
The other factions liked that there was someone who seemed neutral in the academy itself,
outside of the big five, and his position remained neutral. If there was something he didn't
like, Amir wasn't afraid to speak up on behalf of the lesser clans.
In a way, many of the lesser clans saw Amir as their representative in many situations.
"I'm sure you all won't be surprised as to the reason why I have called a summons today,
before the students have come back," Murkel asked, his eyes wandering around the room.
Some were nodding, while others looked quite confused by the whole thing.
"Is it an incident related to the academy?" Gavin asked. "I know of a large incident that
would require us to meet up as the Dark Faction, but not in terms of an academy basis."
"Ah, are you talking about the recent portal opening?" Samantha interjected.
"Correct," Murkel stated before anyone else could get more words in. "You should all know
by now that there has been a portal that has opened up, one that is presumed to be at the
middle stage level, perhaps it might even be divine, yet no one has had a chance to fully
explore, and that's because of what has been going on so far."
"The battles," Crine said. "I heard that the position of the portal, it's almost perfectly on the
border of all three territories. So there have already been numerous fights over it, with
neither side being a victor."
At times there were no set lines on a map that would claim past a certain place was one
territory or the other. The closest thing they had to that were the cities themselves. So
when a portal would open up in between two cities, then how were they to decide who
owned the portal?
This was when clans closest would battle it out, and the issue was, it was the portal opening
up in the center of the three territories. Not only was the level of the portal good for them,
but the positioning of future attacks and information gathering was great as well.
They could easily send people over to investigate the portal, allowing them quick access
into the others' territories to see what they were doing. It was no wonder there had already
been so many fights over such a thing.
"As you said before, there is a reason why I have called you to the academy; it's because
they have now become involved as well," Murkel explained. "An agreement has been made
between the three factions."
"In order for there to be little bloodshed, they wish to use the martial arts tournament to
decide who should receive the portal. Because of this, the martial arts tournament will be
brought forward and will occur in the next two months."
The leaders turned to look at each other, hearing this. Usually, the martial arts tournament
was to take place close to the end of the school year.
"This is a chance not only to gain a lot in this battle of territory but also to show the others
that we are superior to them. That our future generation of warriors will outmatch theirs."
"However, from what I have seen, I don't think we have a chance at winning. The Light
Faction is full of talented students who have pure blood passed down to them. Meanwhile,
the Demonic Faction is sure to go through methods beyond anything we can imagine to get
the strongest pupils possible."
"So what are you suggesting?" Feebie asked. "Do you want us to train our descendants
directly to give them a chance?"
"That won't work," Amir commented. "When relation comes into play, it seems that our
sleeves are too soft, and at the same time, we are blinded by the talent we see. Although
they might be the best here, compared to the other continents, it might be a different
matter altogether."
"This is why I have decided on the next assessment, where all students will take part. I have
already asked permission from the other clans, and due to the nature of what has
happened, they have accepted."
"We have no choice but to push the students further than we ever have had to, by making
them take part in a Kodoku assessment."
The color drained from the other clan members' faces, as they weren't too sure, as they
could very well lose their own disciples in all of this.
Chapter 250 The second Assessment
Chapter 250 The second Assessment
The next day after returning, as they were told before, Raze and his group were
transported and promoted to the Red Headband group. Although they knew about it
beforehand, it was news to the rest of the groups.
The Blue Headband users watched them give their final goodbyes to their teachers. Raze
even gave a little wink toward teacher Tod, who had caused a few problems for him while
he was there.
The Blue Headband students were delighted that those from the group, those no-names,
were getting appreciation, as it started to give them a bit of hope as well.
"They really did it, those no-names, all of them are Red Headbands now. I thought they
would have at least gone to Yellow first."
"What else was the academy meant to do? They beat the best of the Red Headband users. If
they didn't get promoted to Red, then what would that even mean? It just wouldn't make
any sense. This is the only thing they could do."
"Yeah, but can you really say it's because of all the others, or was the only reason they won
due to the White Dragon?"
Another thing that had happened while they were away was the spread of the name White
Dragon. As the students went back home to their clans to relax and spend time with their
families, they learned of the tale of the assessment being spread across the Dark Faction,
and further as well. Little by little, Raze and his group were learning of the name as they
would hear it in passing.
After saying their goodbyes, Safa got one last talk with the head of the Blue Headbands,
Teacher Lee.
"The spear techniques that I have taught you may very well surpass anything you find in
the skills library. However, even if there are no skills worthy of your learning, it is still
important to study others' skills. As you do, it will allow you to know how other attacks
work and in turn allows you to create a counter.
"Perhaps studying a sword technique will allow you to show the difference between the
sword and spear."
Hearing all of this, Safa tried to open her mouth, and although a few noises came out, they
were nothing close to words. She wanted to say thank you, but instead all she could do was
bow down.
When the others arrived at the Red Headbands' place, they noticed how grand it was
compared to theirs. The space wasn't cramped, and it was the same as their outside
courtyard.
The equipment they were using to train was well kept and wasn't heavily worn either. As
for the inside, even the rooms were several times larger.
"Man, talk about wanting to treat everyone fairly, what even is this!" Liam complained.
Although he quickly realized that he was now the one on the receiving end of all of these
goods.
The group headed over to the head of the Red Headbands, who stood waiting in the center
of the main building. Quite a few of the students had gathered to see what was going on,
and to their surprise, they saw a bunch of no-names entering the place.
"This is sickening; soon they're going to let ants achieve those things."
"Hey, but if they're strong, should we really care? I mean, they deserve the Red Headbands,
right?"
In the eyes of many of the Red Headband users, those who had no name were lesser
humans. It felt like they were watching a pig receive an award. Sure, some pigs were
stronger than humans, but they still stunk of crap, ate crap, and were there to be eaten.
Seeing the no-names enter the place that was sacred to them, they felt like they were seeing
the same thing now, awards being handed to those who were just meant to be servants.
Who cared if they could do things better than them?
Surprisingly, the main disciples just watched from afar, from the doors of their rooms, and
didn't have much to say at all.
"You are now officially Red Headband users!" Igon, the Red Headband teacher, said. He was
a man who seemed quite stern, someone who said few words and had a scruffy appearance,
with a rough beard and long hair.
However, one knew he had to be strong, since he was the head teacher in charge of the rest
of the Red Headband users. It was safe to assume that he would be stronger than the rest of
the head disciples.
"Don't let this get to your heads! Although some of you, I believe, are deserving of this
position, others will have to prove themselves." When Igon said these words, he was
specifically looking at Liam.
"Me?" Liam said, pointing at himself. "Remember, we don't offer Qi pills. You are to get
stronger on your own feet. There are always those that are at the back of your heels, so you
need to continually stay at the top." Igon continued.
After tying the headbands around the top of their heads, that was all the teacher had said.
Now they were standing around looking at all of the eyes that were locked on them.
"You would think after Raze taught them a lesson with their strongest, they would be less
hostile, but I guess it's hard to change a society that has been the same way for a long time,"
Dame commented.
Simyon was looking over his shoulder, and quickly turned away because he could tell that
Ricktor was looking at him.
"They've all gotten quite a bit stronger in the coming week," Dame continued. "Their
families must have spent and gone through a lot after you beat them, but I guess they have
no clue how much stronger you've gotten."
Around an hour later, after everyone had settled in, the teacher Igon had called all of them
out to the courtyard.
"Alright, everyone, since it is the second month at the academy, this means that all students
are allowed to enter the library again! I advise you all to choose your skill wisely; this is
important because you will need it for our next assessment, and it could be the difference
between life and death!"
Chapter 251 Who's The Stupid One?
Chapter 251 Who's The Stupid One?
The first month's assessment for the students was to focus on learning one of the skills that
they could obtain from the library. It was a simple task that would allow them to settle in
with those who were around them.
At the end of the month, students then took part in a battle where colored headband users
would participate. Here was when students were meant to show the difference in strength.
Some would feel as if they could never catch up and choose their place, while others would
try to strive to close the gap. Hopefully, it would also kick the other students into gear who
felt like their positions could be taken at any moment.
The only thing was, the event didn't go as planned, and there was a giant spanner that had
been thrown in.
Regardless, the school stayed with their system, allowing the students to have a break, and
when they returned, they would go onto their second assessment, which once again would
last an entire month for them all. But before that, just like the first time, they were to head
to the library, and here they could choose a new skill to learn.
"This is so exciting!" Simyon said as he stared at the tower-like structure. The library was
full of many floors filled with books and techniques from all over. This was important for
those like them, those with no name who weren't able to learn strong techniques.
"Now that we're Red Headbands, we'll be able to have access to even higher-grade books to
learn," Simyon said, placing both his hands together and almost letting out a silent scream.
He was also wearing the enchanted gloves.
Since they were thin and looked very normal, no one said anything, and it was the same as
the rest of the times the other two were wearing them as well. These items just looked like
accessories to the rest.
"You lucked out last time when you picked that weapon refining skill," Dame commented.
"I'll help you out when we're inside; I think I can find something that will suit you a bit
more, especially now that we have access to the whole library."
Simyon had an idea of what he was going to get, Safa had an idea of what she wanted, the
only ones that were left were Liam and Raze. For a moment, Liam looked up at Raze, but he
quickly decided to say nothing.
The students were soon let into the library, and just like before, everyone had entered,
including those from the other headbands. What they noticed was the access area for the
Red Headband users was mostly on another floor.
The reason why they hadn't run into many Red Headband users last time was because of
this. It was only due to Ricktor seeking out Simyon that the two of them ran into each other.
When reaching the second floor, Dame and Simyon soon went off to try and find what they
were looking for, Safa had gone to inspect the sword techniques just like Teacher Lee had
informed her, leaving Raze and Liam on their own.
"If only there was a technique that could help my eye grow back, huh?" Liam commented,
trying to crack a joke between the two, but he saw Raze just walk off into another section of
the library without saying a word.
'Crap, crap, crap, I have no clue what to do or where to go. Why isn't anyone helping me
out?'
Naturally, Liam just happened to find himself following Raze, and he saw him looking at the
books but not picking up nearly any of them. It made him wonder what was going through
his mind.
Yet he couldn't pay too much attention to Raze; he had to think about himself.
'I also use sword techniques, but sword techniques themselves aren't valuable on their
own. I could go for a cultivation technique that increases the mind.'
'These are good in the future when I go up against stronger stage Pagna warriors whose
visual Qi can even affect one mentally or change and distort the place around them. Or I
could try and go for a type of foot technique.'
Thinking back, Liam was trying to think about what he could do that would help him not
experience the same thing that he had against the Demonic students. Meanwhile, he was
being distracted, looking at Raze once in a while.
'At the moment, I already have the Noctis skill book. There was more than one technique in
that book, compared to these single techniques. There's already a lot for me to learn; I don't
know much about any techniques, so I don't even know what is strong or what is weak.'
'But it does make me wonder, what if I use magic on these books? Will the ones that are
compatible with magic shake? That wouldn't make much sense since it would be based
more on the book rather than the technique itself, so it wouldn't work, at least I think that's
the case.'
Raze thought he might as well give it a try and reached out for one of the books.
"Hey!" a student called over; there were two of them approaching Raze by his side. They
had just shouted before he had reached the book. Like an annoying fly, Raze turned his
head to look over at them.
"Are you guys not even going to respect your elders?"
Looking at the Red Headband users, Raze wondered what he meant by elders, and Liam,
who was close by, could tell. These were the second-year students.
"What, you're not even going to say hello or greet us. You didn't even come to see us when
you entered the Red Headband group. Just because you defeated the Main Disciples, you
think you're hot shit now?" the other called out.
Raze shook his head; he was tired of this. He thought defeating the Main Disciples would
have put an end to all of this.
'Was I too nice? Is that why they are trying to take advantage of me? It's the same as when I
was on Alterian, and lately, I have been thinking about my past more and more.'
Raze's whole body was tensing up just thinking about the magic world.
"You know, I'm starting to think that the Main Disciples weren't even all that. Everyone was
just scared of their strength, but no one had even fought them. Then they get beaten by
these no-names; it's clear that they were just weak."
The best thing to do in this situation to calm his anger down was to ignore them. That was
often the advice people gave. These people just wanted attention, so if he ignored them, it
would be okay, right?
With that, Raze went ahead to pick the book. From the top, he used his index finger to pull
it out.
"Hey!" the student grabbed Raze by the wrist. "I'm talking to you, you stupid fucker."
In that moment, with the anger building up already, and the added anger of being touched,
Raze immediately moved his other hand.
'You won't learn, will you? You people won't learn unless you realize there are
consequences for your actions!'
Liam could barely see the move, but the next moment, all he could hear was a cry out in
pain.
"AHHHHHHH!" The scream echoed throughout the entire room.
Raze had two bloody fingers, and the student had blood dripping from one of his eyeballs.
Before the other one could react as well, Raze had grabbed the top of his head and was
tensing it hard.
"If I squeeze any harder, you will die," Raze said. "And all of it was because you wouldn't let
me pick my book in peace. Who is the stupid one now?"
Chapter 252 A Forbidden Request
Chapter 252 A Forbidden Request
Everything had happened so fast that Liam was unable to act; he couldn't even process
what had occurred. However, he could see it, he could even feel it in his own eye. One of the
second-year Red Headband students had their eye poked out by Raze.
Not only that, but now the other one was being held by the top of his head. He wondered
why the student wasn't even fighting back; if anything, his hands had dropped by his side,
as if he was losing all power in his body.
'Crap, there it is again, that strange look that I've seen him have in his eye from time to
time. It just feels like sometimes he randomly snaps, and now is not a good time in front of
these students. What's going to happen if he kills them?'
Looking left and right, Liam was trying to see if there was anyone else close by who could
help. In particular, he would have really liked it if Safa or Simyon were around.
'Without them or Dame, am I the one that's meant to stop him?' Liam thought.
Something strange was happening to the following student; although Raze wasn't gripping
any harder, his skin was starting to shrivel up slightly. Liam knew it was now or never.
"Raze, stop!" Liam shouted. "If you stop now, we can blame it on the fact that they attacked
you first. Everyone in the academy knows that people have a grudge towards you. We can
just say it's self-defense, but if you kill them, it might be too far!"
He was hoping his words would at least reason with Raze, but he wasn't sure if it would get
through. He knew that at times, even himself, when he was in a fit of anger, it would be
hard to stabilize until he unleashed all of it.
Yet, eventually, Raze let go of the student, who dropped to the floor. His body flopped
almost lifeless, and even the color in his eyes was hardly there.
For a moment, Raze looked at his hand. 'I used the Extraction technique; I could feel it. The
same thing that happened at the auction, it happened now as well. When I'm angry, it's
almost as if I can't control it,' Raze thought to himself.
"My eye, my eye!" The other Red Headband student continued to scream.
It didn't take long until those who were close by had rushed over, and they could see the
sight. They could see the damage and the evidence on Raze's fingers. Liam wasn't too sure
with the way the situation was playing out if he could really get through this.
It only took a short time later that Safa, Dame, and Simyon had arrived.
"What... what happened?" Simyon asked. "What did Raze do?"
"It's complicated. Those guys were talking crap to Raze, and then he just attacked them,"
Liam explained. "They just touched him, and he snapped."
"Ah, that's not good," Simyon slapped the top of his forehead.
"I know it's not good. Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"No, I mean, if they touched him, of course, he would do that. One of Raze's rules, that even
Safa stays by and is really strict with, is to not get touched. It's no wonder that happened."
Thinking back, Liam did notice it; Raze, even when Dame went to grab him or help him
climb certain areas, was reluctant to touch anyone.
In the middle of the commotion, all of the students soon felt a large gust of air, and landing
in the middle of the library itself was a short old man with a hunched back, wearing grey
cloth. He had small slits for eyes to the point where one couldn't even see his pupils.
This old man was Jiyo; he was one of the elders of the Pagna Academy, a mystery to most of
the students and even the other clan leaders as they had no clue what clan he was from or
his history.
No doubt there were some who knew about his presence, and judging by his entrance, it
was clear that he was a master of some sort as well.
"Everyone, clear this place immediately!" Jiyo ordered. "Someone take those two to the
physician to be seen. Whoever takes them will be allowed 30 extra minutes in the library.
As for you, white-haired boy, follow me."
The old man didn't even check if Raze was following him or not and instead just jumped
down to the first floor.
Surprisingly, Raze, not saying a word to the others, had decided to jump down shortly after
as well. To the students, they felt like Jiyo had assessed the situation quite quickly.
In a lot of cases, it wasn't who started the mess, but the one that ended up more hurt would
be the innocent figure with the other getting punishment. Liam just hoped that it didn't
turn out like that in this case.
"Is he going to be okay? Is he going to be kicked out of the academy?" Liam asked.
"Ah, don't worry about it," Dame replied. "It's only an eye. You have one missing, and you're
okay. Besides, Raze is too important to them now. His name is known far and wide, and he's
the strongest student in this entire academy."
"His importance and status are practically at the same level as the main disciples. If you had
found that the main disciples had done something like this, do you think they would have
gotten punishment? So don't worry about it."
The rest of the students, trying to focus on their tasks, searched for the books they needed,
and after retrieving them, they all left to return to the base at which they had come from.
Meanwhile, Raze was kept in a storage room at the back. The old man Jiyo had stated he
was waiting for a decision to be made by the principal and the others as to what to do with
him.
When sitting in the chair, Raze looked around at the old scrolls rolled up. 'If they were
secret techniques, then shouldn't they be on the outside? If they're not, then what are
they?'
The door was heard creaking open, and the old man coughed a few times, blowing the dust
in the back room all over the place.
"It seems the Principal thinks you are quite valuable. He practically ignored the situation,
and instead, they have stated that you can have any book that you like in the library," Jiyo
answered. "For them to treat you like that, you must be skillful."
Jiyo was ready to leave, and at that moment, Raze stood up and went to look at one of the
scrolls. When he read it, he soon noticed that the one he had read, it was a passage, almost
written from a different time period.
"What is in this place?" Raze asked.
"This?" Jiyo replied, turning his head. "This won't interest you meatheads who just care
about fighting all the time. There are no techniques here, just useless ramblings of the
past."
"The past?"
Hearing these words, an idea came to Raze's head. Jiyo was essentially the librarian of this
place, but it was filled with more than just techniques. So there was a chance.
"I don't need a technique book," Raze said. "Instead, do you have any books or information
about the Dark Faction Founder?"
Chapter 253 Are you really really old?
Chapter 253 Are you really really old?
In hindsight, Raze figured that it might have been a stupid question to ask. After all, he felt
like news about the Dark Faction Founder would be something that was taught to most. If
there were statues of him in Kron's place, then surely it should have been common
knowledge.
With quick thinking on his feet, Raze did come up with an answer though.
"I am a nobody," Raze stated. "And I only recently got involved in the world of Pagna.
Before that, I was just an ordinary citizen. The academy doesn't seem to teach about the
Dark Faction's Founders."
Seeing all of the old scrolls in the room and how old some of them appeared to be, Raze
thought this might be his chance, a chance for him to learn about the founder and gather
information that couldn't typically be found.
Immediately, Jiyo waved his hand in response as if it was a useless question to ask.
"As you said, the Dark Faction Founder, learning about him is basic information. You don't
need to waste a request like this. Just go pick up a book and ask your headband teacher for
info on the Dark Faction Founder."
Raze could have just let the old man go there, but he felt there was something about him.
The reaction he had when Raze asked the question surprised him beyond a typical
response or if he was to ask a normal question.
There had to be a reason behind it. Maybe Raze felt like because he was an older man and a
master, he had lived in Pagna and in the Dark Faction for a long time. Who knew he might
have even been there when the whole thing had started.
"Please," Raze stopped him once more. "I'm asking, is there something that you might
know, that might not be the typical information that the others know? Even if it's a rumor
of some sort."
Although this line of questioning might have put him in the old man's suspicious books, this
was just too good of an opportunity to let up.
"Do you think I would know something just because I'm old? I can tell what you're thinking,
and I should beat your backside for even just thinking of such a thing," the old man tutted.
"The Dark Faction Founder, you don't even know the basics yet you are looking into him,
what are kids wasting time on these days," Jiyo complained, but he went on anyway. "The
Faction leader was a legend among the Dark Clans.
"You see, the Dark Clans existed before anyway, but they weren't exactly one entire unit or
a faction like they are today. The clans shared a similarity in the fact that they used Dark Qi
energy to cultivate.
"Who came up with this method is the more interesting thing, but that is something that
remains a mystery. Regardless, the clans did not work together, and each of them acted for
selfish gain.
"Another reason why they were called Dark Clans even if they didn't cultivate Dark energy
was because of their nature. Dark Clans had no issues with throwing sand in their
opponent's eyes before striking.
"Cursing in the middle of matches or stealing from the dead. They had fewer morals and
grew up differently compared to those from the Light Faction, and that is still true to this
day, that was until the leader, Bofan Kilikola had entered the scene."
Just from hearing the name of the Dark Faction Founder, Raze still had no clue about this
person. He had never heard about a mage that went by this name, but it simply could have
been a name change when he had entered this world. Especially if he knew otherworlders
would be here.
"Bofan did something that no person was ever able to do before. He defeated every clan
master of the Dark Clans, and in doing so, he had pulled them in as his followers. People say
he had a strange magnetic pull, a charm that could draw people in after defeating them.
"It must have been true because a hundred years later and the Dark Faction is still a thing
today."
Now Raze had a timeframe to work with, a hundred years wasn't a long time for a faction to
exist, but the Dark Clans did exist before that. One thing, though, was that it was a mage
that was before his time, before he was even born.
"He protected the Clan members from the troubles of the other Factions, and the loyalty to
him grew, or so he thought. He started to claim that he was betrayed by one of the clans.
There wasn't much said after that as he soon had pretty much disappeared.
"There was no recorded death, but it was assumed that this betrayer had killed him. The
thing is, no one knows which clan had betrayed him. All of the clans that exist now are still
under the Dark Faction banner, other than his own clan he had created, the Noctis Clan."
Gathering from everything that Jiyo said, Raze gathered that this was basic information,
something that he could have just gotten from anyone, but he was happy to have it.
The next time he went back to Altieran, he could at least give the others a name if they
weren't doing so well in their search.
"And there is nothing else that you know, something that isn't known to the public? If it was
a hundred years ago. Wouldn't you have still been alive?"
Raze assumed this man was a master, and Pagan warriors, when reaching the divine level,
were practically immortal; it was one of the reasons it was called the Divine stage in the
first place. The old man might have not been at the Divine level, but he was clearly a
middle-stage warrior.
"I have already told you more than the public knows," Jiyo stated. "That is, instead of the
skill book as you requested. But if you want to know more, then you will need to be in a
position where you can force the information from me, because it's classified from students
like you."
Raze nearly jolted forward at the revelation that there was more information. He was right
to suspect the old man.
"What position, what position would I have to be to learn more about the Dark Faction
Founder?" Raze asked.
The old man started to break out into laughter as he walked away. "You would have to
become the Dark Faction leader, become the principal of this school." The man continued to
laugh as he opened the door to the library, allowing Raze to let himself out.
Chapter 254 Tension In The Air
Chapter 254 Tension In The Air
When the students had returned to their dorms, rather than focusing on reading the new
literature they had in their hands, many of them were talking about what had taken place.
They had to because it wasn't an everyday occurrence that happened.
"Did you see one of the students? He was as white as a ghost."
"Yeah, do you think it's true about what they said, about him using demonic techniques."
"Ah, I heard about it as well, my clan master was talking about it."
"Wait, if he's using demonic techniques, is that what he used on the student? How is he
even in the academy still? Even if he's strong, they can't put that much hope onto him."
"Well, he might have been raised in the Dark Faction but just learned a demonic cultivation
technique," another student added in. "He is a no-name after all; he could have just picked
up some books from a merchant. You know they just sell anything, and a no-name wouldn't
know any better."
It wasn't just the regular students either, though. Similar to the other dorms, the Red
Headband wearers were split into two floors. One for the second and one for the first-year
students, but there were only around twenty first year Red Headband students and around
fifteen of the second years.
Usually, the second years would still complain about the first years if they tried to go up a
level or talk to them. After all, the second years felt like they had earned their place going
through everything they had done already.
However, there was a difference this year compared to last year, and that was the main
disciples. Due to the clans they came from, the upbringing they had, the main disciples
were stronger than the second years, even though they were younger and had come to the
academy later.
Which was why, wherever they were, no one complained, and the main disciples were on
the second floor, looking down at the rest of the students idly chatting away.
"I heard that crazy bastard took out a student's eye," Lisa commented, one of the main
disciples of the Lethal Bite Clan. "I'm not too surprised after what he had done at the
academy. I guess you were right; you told us to stay away from him because you knew this
was going to happen, right Ricktor?"
"Yeah, right!" Sherry from the Tulip Clan commented. "Ricktor just said that because he
didn't want anyone taking his prey. That guy is just going crazy with power now that he
beat us; he probably thought he wouldn't get punished for any of this."
"I don't think he will get punished for this," Mada added. "We should stop looking at him as
a no-name, and as another Red Headband wearer because that's what he is. If there was a
scuffle and they ended up dying, the academy would take the loss.
"Death in the academy has happened before, and it's not an issue for the academy itself; the
main problem is what happens outside of the academy because of it, what happens to a
student, the clan leaders can get involved.
"That's the main reason why no one touches us, not because they're scared of our strength;
they're scared of our families."
The others were a little irritated by Mada's words; it almost sounded like he was calling
them all weak. Ever since the event, Mada had been acting differently, and they didn't like it
one bit.
"I am more interested in the assessment," Ossep asked. "Ricktor, did you receive any
information from your father about this event? It's strange that the teacher would say
words like that. It sounded like some type of hint."
Ricktor was leaning over the balcony, and he was looking down at Simyon and his group.
He could see them talking and relaxing, settling in nicely. For those that were in a new
environment with people far stronger around them, they seemed to be taking it easy.
The main cause of the worries they had now all seemed to just be with Raze. 'Have you
been training just as hard as I have, my friend?' Ricktor smiled looking at Simyon.
"To answer your question, I have no clue," Ricktor answered, turning around and leaning
against the railing with his arms spread wide apart. "My father isn't like that; he would
never tell me anything that would give us an advantage in our current situation.
"However, if the training I went through is anything to go by, and what the teacher said, I
have a feeling we might have to be careful about everyone."
With the reminder of the day, students continued to try and grasp the new books they had
taken out of the library. Eventually, Raze had returned with no book in hand, and they
assumed that this was part of the punishment that he had to face.
Either way, he was back like most predicted. This time when he entered, no one dared to
say a word to him, for fear they would be on the receiving end for what had happened last
time.
The students were able to grasp the books quicker than before. They needed less time to
break down what the words meant in the book, and soon, they were ready to start
practicing. That was when Igon had stepped out into the main room.
He looked outside and could see that the sun had just finished setting. Which was the
perfect time.
"All of the students that are gathered here, it is time for the next assessment to begin. There
will be no explanations to you all. The only thing that you will be allowed to bring with you
is anything that is on your body, and the book that you have taken from the library.
"When everyone is ready, we will head off to where we need to be!"
It was time for the second assessment to begin, and the emotions were mixed between
students. Some of them were excited for the next task, some were trying to guess what it
would be.
While others were nervous, they had noticed the signs the whole way; they could feel the
tension in the air and the uneasy look they had on their faces.
Chapter 255 Drastic Measures
Chapter 255 Drastic Measures
The mixed atmosphere continued as the students had gathered their newly acquired
technique books and then met outside in the courtyard. They waited for the others, and on
top of that, the students were all being checked to see if they had anything on them.
Some of the students had a few items such as snacks and books meant for entertainment
that had been taken from them. When it came to searching Raze, he had quickly opened up
his uniform to show he had nothing on him. He was bare for a few moments but would
rather strip in front of all the others than be touched.
"The more things I see that guy do, the crazier I think he is!" Lisa mumbled. "Did we lose
our match to a madman?"
While the other students were getting searched, Dame let out a small whisper to Raze, who
was standing by his side.
"Did you notice, all of the other sleeping quarters of the other students are dead silent?"
Dame whispered.
Raze looked over, and it was more than dead silent. It looked like it had been abandoned.
Although the dark night sky had come out, the sun had only set around thirty minutes ago.
It was strange for not a single soul to be outside.
If Raze was to take a guess, they had already moved, to wherever they were about to go,
before them.
'Are all of the headbands going to be involved in this next assessment? I heard the academy
has portals; could they be taking us to another dimension together?' His mind was starting
to wonder, but he felt like it was too early for that, and what was the reason for doing it at
night.'
Following the teacher, the twenty or so students walked outside of the academy and
headed back down the path where they had first arrived. They soon entered the heavy,
thick jungle-like trees and walked across a path. The grass had already been trodden on,
and plants physically moved to the side, but it appeared as if it was done recently. A short
while later, they found themselves on a separate large, open ground.
It looked quite strange as the area had no grass growing around it. It was as if the area was
perfectly man-made. It was fairly large as well; the space looked like it could fill up around
1000 students if need be.
Either way, they lined up, and the three Red Headband teachers stood in front of them.
"This assessment will last a total of one month. In that amount of time, you need to become
the strongest you can be, the very best you can be. You have to, in order to survive, and if
you ever want to see the sunlight again."
The students were confused by that last line and started to look at each other. At that very
moment, Igon lifted his foot and slammed it into the ground. The floor shook before it
opened up wide. The entire area below them had dropped, disappearing.
Now all of the students were falling through into a dark abyss. Just moments after stomping
his foot, the teachers had jumped back to the side, having landed on the safe land. Soon
after, the flooring that had disappeared underneath them had covered back up, giving it the
same appearance as before, somewhat blending in with everything around it.
"You know our orders," Igon said. "We are to leave this place; don't think too much about
it."
The three teachers were off, only imagining what would happen next.
The students felt like they were falling down for a while, but what was worse was the fact
that they were unable to see anything below them. They were in free fall for some time, and
the screaming wasn't helping as it echoed all over the place.
"Are they freaking trying to kill us? What is going on!" Liam screamed. "I'm still a virgin, a
cool virgin, but still a virgin!"
Right after saying those words, Liam and the rest felt themselves hit the floor and bounce
slightly. Now there were just multiple groans of pain. The fall wasn't far enough to kill any
of the students, and some of them were able to land fine, while others were rubbing
themselves due to the rough landing. As they got up off the ground, they started to bump
into each other. The students were complaining, but they couldn't help themselves.
"Safa, stay close to me!" Simyon yelled out and grabbed onto a hand.
"Hey, that's my hand!" Liam shouted back. "I'm already holding onto Safa's hand."
"Actually, you're holding onto me; I grabbed Safa while we were falling," Dame answered.
"What... what... what about Raze?" Liam asked in a shaky voice, remembering that he didn't
like to be grabbed. But if they didn't want to lose each other, then they needed to hold onto
each other to know their position.
"Don't worry, I know where Safa is as long as she is doing something," Raze hinted, not
wanting to use the word magic, but if she gathered it on her finger and placed it in her
pocket, he would be able to feel the flow of mana and follow it.
The first thing their group and a load of others did was explore. As they walked in the
darkness, they continued to bump into each other. Even Raze had crashed into people a few
times, but he had to bite his tongue. Eventually, though, their eyes were adjusting, and they
could see a little better.
From the bearings, they could tell they were in a large room the same shape and size as the
square above. Across the wall, though, there were several hallways that seemed to lead into
different places. Due to the discoveries of the students, they found one area, a place with
separate rooms and flickers of an orange glowing light. These rooms had a glowing crystal
embedded into the wall. They were quite small, just large enough for a person to stretch
and touch the walls on either side, but they were the perfect amount for the number of
students that were there.
However, stepping out of the room led into a dark hallway, which wasn't too narrow;
around five people could fit through it side by side at the same time. The hallway would
loop around, and they would either be in the large dark room that they started in or branch
off into multiple other dark hallways. But there was another area that was discovered.
This was a large space, almost as big as the courtyard at the academy. There could be a
whole small town in the area, and the cavern wall stretched up high. Like the smaller
rooms, there were several crystals running up the walls, giving a faint orange light for them
all to see.
It was the only large room where they could see, but they were unable to find anything else.
No exit, no other tunnels, and no other walls. Noticing this, Dame pulled the others to the
side while they continued to explore.
"This is not good," Dame said. "I think I've figured out what this assessment is, and I want
to be wrong, but my gut is telling me otherwise, but not even the Demonic Faction does this
anymore. They're crazy if they're going this far."
Chapter 256 Dark Edge Sword Arts
Chapter 256 Dark Edge Sword Arts
Dame seemed to have figured out what this assessment was, and judging by his reaction, it
wasn't something that they should look forward to. However, he also seemed to quickly
change his tune as he turned to look at the others with a smile.
"Or it could be something completely different," Dame rubbed the back of his head.
"There's no need to make a mountain out of a bug hill or whatever the saying is. If I spoke
my mind, it might just cause you guys to panic for no reason and the others. If it is what I
think it is, it's best to keep silent about it until we figure it out, since there's nothing we can
do anyway."
This irked the other's but it wasn't as if they could force him to give the information over,
no matter how much their curiosity wanted them to know.
After finishing his last sentence, Dame actually looked toward Raze because there maybe
was one person that could change the outcome of the entire assessment with their powers,
but that was if he chose to.
'For some reason, I think that might be a tall ask.' Dame thought.
The students observed the large empty room, wondering if they could find anything. Some
of them even tried to use their skills and Qi to scale the side of the walls, reaching the top,
but they had just touched the ceiling. When tapping above an echo was heard through the
whole room. They quickly realized that the substance wasn't dirt either; it was made of a
hard alloy. Most likely a material that students of their caliber were unable to break. Not
that any of the students wanted to attempt it in the first place, worried that they would feel
the wrath of those that were waiting on the outside.
The instructors and teachers had to be watching them from somewhere, at least that's what
they hoped anyway.
After the students had finished exploring and finding out there was nothing but the three
areas and a bunch of hallways, they were now coming to the conclusion of what the area
was even set up for them to do.
Since there were twenty rooms for the students, they decided to enter the small lit-up
rooms that were stacked side by side each other in rows.
"So, do you think these are seclusion rooms then?" one of the students asked.
"Most likely, they put us down here in a place with no distractions so we could solely focus
on our martial arts. The center ring must be a place for us to practice against each other or
foot techniques or something," another one suggested.
Many had come to the same conclusion, and so most of them started to enter the cube-like
rooms and began to practice their martial arts or study their technique books just like they
would do from the outside.
This was quite a common practice among academies and clans. When a warrior was at a
high stage sometimes they would chose to go into seclusion themselves just to try and
break through to the next stage. This became less likely as time went on and the
introduction of power stones.
Just before Raze had entered his room, he could see the faint light shine from one of the
others onto a student's face, and he witnessed a student with an eye patch, and it wasn't
Liam.
'The two students from the library are in here as well,' Raze thought as he entered the
small room. Rather than get straight to studying his book, he was looking at his
surroundings, still trying to figure out just what this assessment was about. Why hadn't
even the teachers said anything either?
'From the inside, the light only goes out of the room so far that the floor is dimly lit. Unless
someone was standing right outside the door, it would be impossible to see them.'
In the rooms next to Raze, there were the others. Everyone was split apart due to the small
size of the rooms, and with everything the way it was set up, he couldn't help but think that
all of it was on purpose.
Regardless, rather than wasting time, Raze took out the book using his swift Dark Magic
and placed it on the floor.
'The Dark Edge sword arts. I need to focus on learning the sword formations first and then
use them with magic later. There are eight formations in general, and he only figured out
how to add three with magic, what a strange guy,' Raze thought.
Once again, out from his back, Raze had brought out his ghost sword. One of the five swords
he had obtained from the auction. Now four swords since one of them was destroyed in the
fight against the White Faction Elder.
'The swords came in handy when going up against the Light Faction founder. None of them
reacted to magic well, so I could only put a low-level enchantment on it, but I could put an
enchantment on each of the swords to amplify its use.
'Then in certain situations use the ones I need the best.'
While down below ground, Raze thought of risking it, but in a confined space like so, if a
portal break was to happen, what would happen to the students? Or maybe, they would all
just think it was part of the assessment, so in a way, it was the perfect time.
'After what happened before, I need to start caring about myself more, but until I find out
what this whole thing is about, I'll be cautious.'
Raze started to read the Dark Edge Sword arts. Reading the book in Alterian, it was music
to his ears, and even the instruction of the swordsmanship itself was simple and easy for
him to understand.
'The first sword Formation, Shadow bind formation. All of the formations they seem to hint
at making the blade almost invisible to the human eye. Almost like an invisible strike, and
it's best used in the shadows or darkness itself.
'Which is why it's called the Dark Edge Sword arts. As for the first technique, it seems like
it's something that can be used to entangle or immobilize opponents.
'The Qi around the sword almost reaches out, wrapping around its opponent as strikes are
made in the air. When adding magic to the formation, the magic is to envelop the sword, in
wispy tendrils of magic, almost wrapping around the blade. The properties of the magic
added to the strike will strengthen the effect of the binding on the opponent.'
Essentially, the skill from what Raze was reading had two names. The first, Shadow bind
formation, if just used normally, if used with magic, the Magic Shadow Bind Strike. Due to
the blade being almost invisible, the opponent wouldn't even know what hit them.
'These are the techniques left behind by the founder... they seem quite powerful.'
One by one, Raze read out all of the sword techniques' names, trying to get an idea of what
he needed to learn. Just like with the three formations of the Devil's strike and the ten
descending steps.
- Shadow Bind Formation
- Eclipse Strike Formation
- Nightmare Veil Formation
- Void Pulse Formation
- Phantom Edge Formation
- Dusk Wing Formation
- Abyssal Chant Formation
- Eternal Night Formation
'I wonder how long it will take me to learn all eight and just how strong this
swordsmanship is.'
Chapter 257 The True Assessment
Chapter 257 The True Assessment
Everyone seemed to be occupied with working on their new skills. It felt just like they were
back at their own training quarters, just that now the area of training was more intimate.
Some would choose to learn their techniques in the succession rooms, and after some time,
they would ask others to help them with their techniques; they would then head to the
large, lit-up empty space and practice together there.
However, there were a few that still hadn't made a move, and one of these groups was the
main disciples who were in the large, lit-up space but were towards the very back of the
room, observing everything that was taking place.
"Ricktor, you don't think that this is all the assessment is going to be, do you?" Mada asked.
Ricktor turned around and smiled. "Do you see me jumping the gun like everyone else?"
Ricktor replied. "I have nothing to learn, at least nothing from the Pagna library since all my
skills are better compared to the others, but if I were you guys, I think it's best you
conserve your energy."
They were simple words, but the other disciples had a feeling that Ricktor might have just
figured this whole thing out, and it wasn't much longer until everyone else would have as
well.
An entire day had passed, and the students continued to do as they did before. Only they
weren't as positive as they were the first time; a few of them were starting to lose focus on
the goal and task.
They couldn't quite put their finger on it, as they had been in these types of situations
before, so they wondered what it was. And that was when three more days had passed
without any incident happening, and that was the issue.
Three days had passed, and nothing had happened. A commotion was starting to brew up,
and in the large, lit-up area that they had been using for training, someone was starting to
make a scene, and all of the students had gathered due to the noise.
"Does no one find this strange?" one of the students asked, as he held one hand on his belly
and licked his lips. "It's been three days already, and we haven't had any contact with the
other teachers or from the academy, at all; it's as if they've just abandoned us down here."
"Don't be crazy!" one of the other students called out. "The main disciples are still with us
as well; it's not as if just one or two of us have been sent here for punishment. It would be
impossible that they forgot about us."
"Maybe something happened above?"
"In these three days, I highly doubt that."
"Crap, the guy does have a point, though; what are they doing? I'm starting to get seriously
thirsty and hungry."
Due to many of their training methods with their clans and them being Pagna warriors,
their bodies weren't like that of regular humans. If they could cultivate, it allowed them to
get energy in a different way than that of food and circulate it around their body.
However, this was more of a thing that would buy time; they were still human in the end,
unlike Divine beings, so they needed water and food to survive. Now that the third day had
passed with no such thing, some of the students were starting to feel the effects.
They weren't in such a bad state now, but it was why they were asking questions because
they were wondering just what was even going on.
"What if this is part of the assessment?" one of the female students said, her hands shaking
above her lip. "It's not crazy, right? What if part of it is to see how we do with no food and
water."
"And what benefit would that even have?" another called out. "With no food and water,
we'll be unable to concentrate. It would be harder for us to even learn about the skills we
picked up. Nothing good would come of it."
The arguing was continuing among the students, and it felt as if tensions were high,
probably due to the fear that was settling in. Through it all, one of the students started to
laugh.
"Hahahaha!" The student touched his white-colored eye patch, where the corner of it was
soaked a little red from blood. It was one of the two second-year students that were with
them.
"Wait, that's right; if they're second-year students, they would have gone through this
assessment before, right? So maybe they know something; hey, tell us what this is!" one of
the students complained.
It was strange in the first place that a couple of second-year students had even been picked
to join the assessment with them, which wasn't the norm.
"We never did such a thing like this before," the second-year student said, and he started to
walk over while looking over at Raze, who was just standing with his arms folded. "I just
think that the situation we're in right now, it's the perfect opportunity for us to get rid of
some people, don't you think."
It was in that moment, thanks to the comments from the second-year student, that Raze
might have just figured out what this whole assessment was about. The uneasy feeling, the
setup of the whole place, and why they had left them for several days without food and
water.
The uneasiness didn't go away, but with others unable to figure out what was going on,
students started to split off into groups, while some had left on their own, not wanting to be
next to anyone.
There were those that had entered their succession room; training again, and Raze was one
of these people. Some time had passed, perhaps another day, but it was hard for them to
keep track of time since they were in the darkness all the time.
Those that were training in the small rooms would leave to allow themselves to stretch as
they headed into another area, and as one of the students did this, he would pass the rows
of rooms and spotted something on the ground.
"AGHHH! Quickly, quickly come help!" The student shouted.
A large commotion was occurring, and the students naturally had gathered at the large, lit-
up area as well. It was the only place where they felt safe since they were able to see each
other clearly.
As all of the students gathered, they soon saw a group of three, pulling something along,
and into the center of the room, they soon moved away, and as they did, they could see a
body, with their chest completely crushed. As for the body in question, the student had a
white eye patch on his eye.
There were next to no mark's on his body apart from a large dent around the chest. There
was no puncture but blood dripped from the student's mouth from his clothes.
"He's... he's dead," the student said. "There's no sign of Qi, no sign of breath or heart beat.
There's no way of bringing him back."
Based on the condition of the student, it was clear he wasn't killed by a beast, and with only
students around them it had to be one of them.
At the very back with the other disciples, Ricktor had a small smirk on his face. "It looks like
someone has figured out what this assessment is really all about."
Chapter 258 Who’s The Killer
Chapter 258 Who’s The Killer
It didn't take much inspection from the students that were present to figure out who was
lying on the floor. It was clearly one of the two second-year students. With the state he was
in and the ones in the room, questions quickly entered their minds as they started to think
who could have done this.
"What do we do?" a student asked.
"We can't even report this to the teachers; I mean, there's no one around us. Was
something like this meant to happen?"
"Who would even do something like this when we're in a tense situation as it is?"
The second second-year student walked up to what was considered his friend and looked
at the person on the floor. His shoulders were shaking as if he was in pain, sulking.
"Isn't it obvious who did this? It had to be that damned White Dragon!" The student
pointed behind him, his finger directly at Raze. "You all saw what happened yesterday.
Oper stated that he would deal with this guy, so he decided to deal with him before he got
the chance. He probably attacked him in the dark in the middle of the hallway and then
placed him in his room."
The connections added up, and for a lot of the students, they thought Raze was the number
one suspect as well. No one else had a reason for taking out the second-year student.
The main reason they suspected Raze, though, was because it was a second-year student.
These weren't just any students but Red Headband students, the best of the best and those
that had an entire year at the academy.
The only ones they could imagine that could take out a student somewhat silently would be
either the main disciples or the White Dragon, who had bested even them.
"Hey, hey, hey, does that mean we are here with a murderer, like a literal murderer, and
he's a no-name? He probably has a grudge against all of us clan members." The students
were commenting and whispering among each other.
"Isn't it dangerous to just let him wander around in here while we are all here? He could go
after us next."
"It has to be him; I heard he poked the guy's eye out without a second thought. If the
librarian didn't turn up, then the student would have been dead; he was just finishing the
job, and now he could go after us as well."
Simyon, Liam, and Dame could see what was happening, and they didn't like it one bit. All
of them went to stand in front of Raze, including Safa, creating a type of shield around him.
"Quit jumping to conclusions!" Simyon shouted out. "It could have been anyone who did
that to him. He was an arsehole; do you know how many people he could have angered that
we didn't see?"
"Yeah, where's your evidence, huh? Raze is friends with one-eyed people, so he would
never do something like that to someone with one eye." Liam's voice was shaken; he was
panicking a bit and didn't know what he was saying. It was hardly making any sense at all.
Despite the pleas of Liam and Simyon, it wasn't enough to convince them. They still had
worried eyes looking at Raze, and they felt cornered; when people felt concerned, they
sometimes did extremely irrational things.
'What a clever situation someone has spun,' Dame thought. 'They saw a way for them to
target Raze. They probably knew there was no chance they could go against him in a one-
to-one fight. So they found a way to turn everyone against him, and they had done it by
acting first.
'Someone did this having already figured out the truth behind this assessment.'
It was hard to predict who, though; most likely, it was one of the five main disciples, but
would they act against Raze again? Nearly everyone was a suspect since they were all
talented students.
"We should lock him up, keep watch over him for what he's done!"
"Yeah, even if he isn't really the one, he should understand, right? If we just keep an eye on
him to make sure he doesn't do stuff like this again."
Simyon and Liam were practically baring their teeth at the others, trying to force them to
take a step back, but that's when Raze walked through and past the two of them.
"It's okay," Raze said. "There's no need for you to come to my defense because I don't care
what these people think. You think I'll listen to what you say? If anyone wants to come for
me, then come for me, and we'll see what happens."
With that, Raze walked off, and he headed through the dark tunnels before anyone else; he
was the only one disappearing into the shadows.
Tensing his fist, he continued to walk until he was back in the other large room, the
entrance from which they fell down. This one had no light source and was pitch black,
though.
'It happened again, just like at the academy; everyone turned on me, not even giving me a
chance to speak up. At the time, I allowed things to go through to follow the process,
thinking things would work out, but they didn't.'
Raze then pulled out something from his hand, while also summoning one of the four
swords he had. Before, he hadn't enchanted the weapons for fear something would happen,
but now he knew, after figuring out the real reason behind his assessment, he might very
well need them.
'I know this time that I need to act and prepare myself.' Raze was ready to enchant the rest
of his weapons.
Dame left the room, the five main disciples left the room as they all slowly started to figure
it out.
This assessment was the Kodoku assessment. In a tropical Kodoku, poisonous insects
would all be placed in a jar, letting them kill each other until only one survived, leaving only
the very strongest and the most deadly poison.
In this case, the students were the insects.
'If they think I'm the killer and have decided it as fact already, then I might as well get on
with it.'
The sword had lit up from the ground; the enchantment was complete. Picking it up, the
sword was sparking, lighting up the dark area Raze was in slightly, revealing his face and
his sharp white hair.
Chapter 259 Stuck with everyone
Chapter 259 Stuck with everyone
Raze had continued his enchantments in the dark, large space. It was an area that not many
would venture into, one because they were completely blinded, and the fear of going into
the unknown was difficult for them.
After witnessing one of the students murdered, they would now be even less likely to
venture inside. Without being able to see, it was a place where students wouldn't bother
coming anyway.
Still, Raze was careful to listen out to hear if anyone was coming in his direction. Due to the
shape and size of the room, the moment someone stepped in, their steps would have
echoed, unless they had some type of technique that would silence their footsteps.
In the end, Raze had finished enchanting all three of the remaining blades from the auction,
and he was holding one in his hand that had become incredibly light after the enchantment;
it was practically weightless.
"With the three swords, I used a basic 1-star enchantment along with a level one power
stone. Since there was a large risk the weapon would break if I went any higher due to their
affinity with magic," Raze explained to himself. He swung the sword in the air, and as he
did, the strike itself was silent.
The sword he had in his hand was enchanted with a wind magic enchantment. The two
effects that were added to the sword were its weightlessness and the fact that it was silent
in its swings. There was no noise like a sword would normally make when cutting through
the air, somewhat perfect for the situation he was in at the moment.
"With the other two swords, I have enchanted one with ice and the other with lightning
attribute. Leaving the Ghost Blade alone. The swordsmanship techniques I am currently
learning involve one-sword style techniques, and it's the same with the Devil's formations I
know as well. I have tried utilizing two swords, but the distribution of Qi didn't feel right,
and I am by no means a master who can figure out how to create my own techniques. So I
will just have to switch out the swords for the current situation, and in this case, I will keep
the sword with the wind enchantment while I am down here for now."
At this very moment, he had switched to his lightning blade. When he input his own magic
into the sword, there would be a small blue spark that would travel across the blade. The
current on the sword wasn't strong enough to do much in a fight, but in this particular
situation, he could use it to light up and explore the dark area he was in. It took up less
magic than using it without the sword since it worked as an amplifier, and now he had a
giant sharp glow stick.
Holding it up, he could see around a meter in all directions from where the sword was
showing.
"This is bringing me memories back of the mist; why do the academies have so many places
that are like this?" Raze pondered.
Searching the room, Raze was trying to find if there was anything that was missed. After all,
the other rooms were lit up, while this one in particular was kept in the dark, and there had
to be a reason for it. Perhaps there was an exit of sorts, a storage place for food or water, or
maybe even a way for the teachers to enter if needed. He continued to search, mainly using
the sword right up against the walls. Certain areas of the walls were a little damper
compared to the others, but there was nothing noteworthy. It really felt like just a large
empty, dark room.
"So then why would they have something like this here?" Raze mumbled to himself.
"To give a perfect place to hide some dead bodies," a voice said from behind.
Raze immediately swung his sword behind him, startled by the voice. As the lightning
illuminated the area, he soon saw a familiar face.
"Are you trying to create a beacon of light to let people know where you are? I thought you
had already figured this whole thing out; the Darkness can be your advantage and
disadvantage," Dame stated.
One of the few people who would know a large number of foot techniques was Dame, and,
of course, he wouldn't be afraid to walk around in this place all on his own.
"I did figure it out, and your hints of not telling us made me realize it as well," Raze
answered as he used his magic to quickly change his sword back to the wind-enchanted
one. The room was covered in pitch black once again.
"But it's hard for me to believe that they wouldn't give some advantage to the main
disciples. I thought maybe there would be a secret storage room full of food and water,
allowing for them to get ahead compared to the others," Raze explained.
"It's comments like those that make me realize that you're not from Pagna," Dame
commented. "Sure, there are a few families willing to support their disciples, but that's only
if they feel that it will do well for the sake of the clan in the future. With something like this,
maybe many of the clans are thinking if they did die, then that was how far they would get.
"In Pagna, what even matters above the bloodline is the clan itself. The main disciples are
treated well not because they are related but because they are strong."
He somewhat was starting to understand the thought of the Pagna warriors and why they
might be even crueler to no-names that belonged to no clan at all. Even now, if Raze didn't
join the Crimson Crane, he would be part of no clan.
"Does this mean that even with Simyon and Safa being red headbands, they will continue to
be discriminated against in this place?" Raze thought.
"Anyway, I did come here for a reason," Dame chuckled and rubbed his belly. "I've seen you
put stuff and make stuff out of thin air with your robe and magic stuff; do you happen to
have any food?"
In the darkness, Dame had no clue what face Raze was pulling, but through the air, he felt
like it was one of disappointment.
"I actually do, but it's more so raw ingredients with magic; I could whip up some things
together that would make a type of dough that would be edible. I also have some water
stored in bottles for emergencies. However, I don't have much. It wasn't as if I expected to
come down here in the first place. Since I don't have much, don't you think it's better for me
to give it to the others when they're struggling rather than a warrior that can obtain a large
amount of nutrients through cultivation?"
Dame didn't say anything, but he supposed that in this case, as the adult of the group, he
was quite right.
"What if the others get seriously ill from this?" Dame asked. "The willpower of the students
could be quite strong; this might go on for a while, you know. The longer this goes on, the
weaker everyone will get.
"Can't you create a portal and get out of this place?"
"I can," Raze answered. "However, the issue is getting back. Right now, I can open portals to
other dimensions, but it's unknown what the dimensions will be like. If I created a
dimension here, I could enter and leave, but who knows what's on the
other side. The other option is to head back to the academy cave or head to the Demonic
faction. With those, it would be hard to re-enter this place without causing suspicion."
"I see," Dame said. "So I guess the best thing would be to open a dimension to another place
like the one the Light faction owned. Then I guess you could head to the Demonic faction,
obtain some supplies, open a portal back to that dimension, and then open a portal back
here?"
It was a convoluted way of doing things, but it certainly would work. The biggest risk being
what type of portal Raze opened. He could always go back to the place where he met Dame
as there was a low level of risk. He had heard that the Light faction had defeated the
dimension boss, getting rid of the portal in hopes of calming tensions between the two
factions, which made him wonder what the state of the place would be after the dimension
boss was defeated. Would there be no beasts? Would life still be alive on the planet?
"So, if you can do that, you know you could save a lot of people. You could bring food for
everyone," Dame explained.
"Do you think if they were in my situation that they would do the same for me?" Raze
replied. "I think you already know the answer; they would use every advantage they have,
and they already are treating me like the enemy.
"If I helped out all of the others, it would also mean that, in a way, I would be going against
the academy. Since it would be going against the whole idea of this assessment in the first
place."
"Does that sound like such a bad thing?" Dame asked. "To me, it feels like the academy has
lost the plot. Going through with this will mean a lot of deaths of the students. It's crazy
how the adults can go this far, making a decision as if it was nothing.
"I don't know what your plans are for the future and in this academy, but maybe having
some of the students on your side won't be such a bad thing."
Raze started to walk through the dark area, heading back to the hallways he remembered.
He was heading back to the seclusion rooms.
"Before I think of any of that, I want to find out the one that tried to frame me and pay him
back. After all, there is a quicker way to end this assessment, rather than all of us starving."
Chapter 260 The Important Number
Chapter 260 The Important Number
Somewhat trying to ignore everything that was going on, Raze had stayed in his seclusion
room, and while there, he continued to study the Noctis Clan's skills. There was a lot for
him to learn, and while the rest were scared, he wasn't going to waste his time.
"There's an easy way to speed up this assessment, but who knows what the criteria are for
them to bring this to an end. Will the teachers open up when a month has gone past and
those who have survived pass? Or is it even more cruel than that? The possibility could be
that they are waiting for a single person. If that's the case, then it's impossible for the
assessment to end, and I'll have to start thinking of other ways," Raze thought to himself.
What he did notice while he was in his room were the number of people that would pass
by. It wasn't like before when students would just be heading to their own seclusion rooms
for training. It was quite clear based on the faces Raze noticed as well. There were only a
few rooms that went past his, that people would have to go past to walk past his room. Yet
he had seen so many faces.
"They're keeping an eye on me, and it seems like they're taking it in turns. They're just
wasting too much energy on all of this," Raze chuckled to himself.
Most of the students had decided to gather in the lit-up training arena as it had been called
by others. There were three sections: the Dark room, where they had landed, the seclusion
rooms, and the training arena. These three places were linked by dark hallways, but one
would have to go past the seclusion rooms to enter the Dark room, not that anyone weren't
there in the first place.
Simyon, Liam, and Safa would gather in the training room with the others. Although there
was a bit of contempt thrown their way, it wasn't in the same way as they felt toward Raze,
and they were using this to gather information.
"Hey, you've got to tell me, man, how are you okay with all of this?" Liam said, hunched
over and crouching down. It eased the hunger slightly doing this.
Meanwhile, Safa just had her eyes closed most of the time, gathering more energy into her
body. Whenever there was a chance, she would cultivate. There were a few that were doing
this, including the main disciples.
"Oh, I guess I just don't get as hungry as much compared to others," Simyon replied,
remembering back to when he had first received the black earring. What he had gone
through back then was far worse. He wasn't even strong enough to be considered a Pagna
warrior, and he had to go through the same thing they were going through now. On top of
that, he was unable to sleep. That still seemed like an issue for a lot of people here; they
were on edge, and since they knew that Raze wasn't the cause of death, there was a killer
among them that they needed to worry about.
"Well, the way I see it, we have nothing to worry about," Liam said. "If the killer is Raze,
then at least he's on our side, right? And if it's not, well, then we know that he isn't someone
to worry about, at least for us."
"Hey, Raze wouldn't do that?" Simyon replied back.
"Really?" Liam replied. "You've known him longer than me; are you saying that there are
times where you haven't seen him snap? I saw the look on his face. If I didn't do anything, I
think the second-year student would have been dead a lot sooner."
Simyon wanted to defend his friend; he wanted to say more, but he couldn't because he
remembered an incident at the temple as well, and he thought the same way. That was
when Liam felt a hard slap at the back of his head, and it had come from none other than
Safa. Even though Raze wasn't her real brother, she still had this family and sister bond that
she still couldn't shake off.
"Hey, don't get me wrong; I'm not saying it's a bad thing," Liam rubbed the back of his head.
"I'm just stating the truth. Heck, do you think our clan leaders have clean hands? And as
Pagan warriors, we are expected to get our hands bloody; Raze is just a few steps ahead of
us, I see it as no problem."
Another day had gone past, and once again, there was no sign of food or water being
delivered to the group. At this point, students were cultivating for longer periods of time to
get what their bodies needed to at least still function. However, very few were able to focus
just on training.
Standing at the back in the training arena were still the group of disciples.
"So, spill the beans, Ricktor!" Lisa said, her arms folded. Even the main disciples were
starting to feel the effects of this whole thing slightly. "How do we get this assessment to
end?"
There was a reason why Ricktor had kept silent so far; he was trying to figure out who the
other student was that was behind everything that was occurring. He thought eventually
they would make their move, and he was trying to see who it would be, and he didn't leave
his fellow main disciples off the suspect list.
"I suppose I do have some information," Ricktor stated. "I believe this whole thing is
occurring because of the martial arts tournament."
"Martial arts tournament? But isn't that at the end of the year?" Mada replied.
"No," Ricktor answered. "It has been brought forward and will occur in the next two
months. So think of it this way: the clans feel they are in a desperate situation. They don't
think much of us students anyway. So they set up a rather cruel assessment to select those
students. So let me ask you a question: do you know how many contenders are selected for
the martial arts tournament from the academy?"
"Eight," Lisa answered. "It's always been eight students."
The look on the other disciples' faces widened as they came to the realization. This was the
number—the number of students that needed to remain for the assessment to end.
Chapter 261 Not standing by
Chapter 261 Not standing by
As the days went by, students were finding it harder to deal with their hunger pangs and
thirst. With this occurrence, there were more arguments happening among them over the
simplest things.
Not that it took much to set them off in the first place. However, in a way, their anger
directed towards Raze was what had managed to keep them together. But they were
beginning to notice something else that was just rubbing them the wrong way.
A couple of students were seated on the ground with their backs against the wall in the
training area. They weren't cultivating, but instead, they were trying minimal movements
with their bodies feeling weak. Meanwhile, they could see someone else standing there, no
more than just standing there, but he was still actually training among the others.
It was Simyon and Liam. Simyon was using some hand-to-hand combat techniques as he
brushed away a wooden sword that Liam had with him. Although many of the students'
food supplies had been stripped, their training equipment was still with them.
It was why many had jumped to the conclusion that the peculiar design of this place was for
them to train.
Since the training arena was the only place with light and large enough, it was the only
place Liam and Simyon could train.
"Juggling arts!" Liam shouted as he somewhat threw his sword in the air, then struck away
both of Simyon's arms from an attack, spun his body, and grabbed the sword to strike him
from behind.
It had jolted Simyon forward slightly, but the hit seemed to have done nothing to him.
"Crap, why do you keep hitting me at the back of the head?" Simyon shouted, as he turned
around, rubbing a sore spot that was beginning to grow.
"Hey, it's a new fighting style and technique I'm trying, alright? I can't control where I hit
you. It just happens to be the only place I can strike. Besides, shouldn't you try and do
something other than just be good at getting hit all the time?" Liam argued back, and
started to hold his stomach slightly as he was getting an onset of pangs.
It was quite strange. At first, the feeling of hunger was strong, but as time went on, one
would get used to it. However, just once in a while, for a minute or so, people would go
through a sharp pain which was unbearable for some.
However, it was this very sight that was unpleasant for the others watching.
"I don't think I've ever seen that guy in pain."
"Yeah, you're right. You're talking about that Simyon guy, right? Even the way he moves, it's
been the same since he got here. Why isn't it affecting him?"
"Hey, but he's really close to Raze, right? And Raze is fine as well. You're not thinking what
I'm thinking, right? I mean, look at their whole group; all of them are bearing with this thing
easier than the others. It must mean they have some food!"
It was the conclusion many of them had come to, and although it was true that Raze had
some things one could eat, he hadn't shared this with the others or given them anything.
Safa was able to cultivate well, ignoring hunger for the most part. Simyon felt like what he
was going through now was nothing compared to what he had done in the past. Then there
was Liam.
He was struggling just like the other students, but seeing how well Simyon was dealing
with everything, he didn't want to show it. He was putting on a brave face because the one
thing he didn't want to happen was to be the weak point in the group.
Little did he know he was actually very skillful; even those watching his display now were
amazed by how fast he had grasped the new technique and how fluid his movements were.
It wasn't as if Simyon was slow; it was just that Liam had talent. Enough to say that if it
wasn't for Raze, he would have been the best of the Blue Headband students and naturally
would have been promoted to Yellow.
"I think you're right. They have to be getting food from somewhere. I think we just need to
find out where and how."
Time continued to pass, and as usual, most of the students spent time eyeing each other in
the open area. That was until something disrupted them once again. The sound of a large,
heavy object being dragged across the floor started to echo from the walkway.
The students turned to look at what it was, until they could see a familiar sight: another
student being dragged by a group of three toward the center of the room. Just like before,
the student had a caved-in chest, blood pouring out from his mouth, and he was lifeless.
It wasn't a second-year student this time, nor was it one of the disciples, but that made the
whole thing even scarier for them.
"It's happened again."
"Another student died, and did no one see anything?"
"You would think that there would at least be some noise."
"Hey hey, do you think it is what I think it is, right now, Raze isn't here."
"Yeah, you're right. Raze is always away from us, and the students go to the Seclusion room
from time to time. Don't tell me, it has to be him, it has to, right!"
The words were being twisted and turned rather quickly, and Simyon and the others felt
like there was almost nothing they could do to change the current situation.
Seeing this, rather than having them all talk behind his back, Simyon ran ahead to get Raze,
and a few moments later, he returned with Raze by his side as well.
All of the commotion and the speaking had turned into silence as they saw Raze.
Raze looked at the dead body on the ground again, not even recognizing the student very
well. He didn't care about many of the Red Headband wearers, and he couldn't remember
this one in particular either.
"Are you not going to say anything?" a student called out.
"What do you want me to say?" Raze replied. "Why don't you just place him in the seclusion
room with one of the others? I don't know this person, so don't say you're going to make
me do it."
Almost annoyed by the whole thing, Raze was ready to turn around, that was until a
student stepped up.
"Are you trying to act stupid!" the student called out. "We all know it's you. We know you
don't like us! You know we don't like you as well! You're the only one that goes off on their
own and could do something like this!"
At that moment, rather than stopping in his tracks and heading back, Raze turned around
to look at the person who was shouting at him. He then started to move forward, taking
steps. His pace quickened toward the student, but he decided to stand his ground.
The others supported him; the others felt the same way. He wasn't on the wrong side.
That's when he heard next to nothing. It was completely silent as the sword was drawn out,
and it struck right across, cutting signally across his chest. Blood filled the air, and before
he knew it, he could see Raze grab his head and throw it, slamming it into the ground.
The sword had been sheathed back, and Raze stood there looking at the others.
"Is there anyone else that wants to accuse me of these killings? Because if so, then I might
as well get on with it."
Before anyone else could say or do anything, they saw Raze dragging the student's body
with him, down the hallway into the darkness, even leaving Simyon and Liam wondering
just what Raze was planning to do with the body.
Chapter 262 A Secret Voice
Chapter 262 A Secret Voice
The group of students were left stunned once again. All of them could feel their blood
boiling moments ago. They were ready to jump on Raze the second he acted; they were
ready to help the other red student as they battled.
In their heads, they already imagined what they were going to do. In the middle of the
confrontation, they imagined that they would jump in, and with multiple of them, or all of
them, they could take on Raze.
Yet, they were unable to act when the moment had come. Raze had drawn his sword, and
they almost didn't see him strike. They were unable to hear anything, and the swing had no
resistance. As it struck the student, they all feared that if they tried to act, they would be
taken in the same way.
The next action was even more bizarre for them. Because they saw Raze in the middle of
everyone currently present, dragging the student away across the floor, taking him into the
darkness.
"Hey, hey," one of the students asked, pointing toward the dark hall, his fingertip shaking in
the air. "Is no one going to stop him? I mean, the student isn't dead, but if someone takes
him away like that, then he'll end up like the others."
A lot of them there thought the same thing. The issue was, no one was willing to go and
stop Raze. No one was willing to go against him, and those who could, the main disciples,
were just leaning up against the wall, practically doing nothing.
"So that confirms it then, right, that he was the one doing the killings in the end?" Sherry
commented.
"Does it?" Mada replied. "I'm not saying that I don't think he's capable of killing people,
because he certainly is, but let's think about this a bit more. So far, this killer has been
killing people in secret.
"And now, Raze decides to attack right out in the open after hiding all this time. I think he
made it clear that he is not one to act in the dark. If anything, that was a message."
"And what type of message is that?" Lisa asked, thinking that was a pretty weird message to
leave if it was one.
That was when Ricktor stepped forward.
"For anyone that wants to accuse him of being the killer, this is the result, and to send a
message to the real killer that he isn't just going to do nothing and stand by. What I'm more
interested in is the fact that after telling you guys about this assessment being based
around the martial arts tournament, and there only being eight people, that someone
decided to act.
"It could be a coincidence, of course, but the fewer people there are, the quicker we get out
of this place, and I'm sure more and more will be able to figure this out. I can feel the
tension rising in this place, and any second now, it's going to turn into a bloodbath. People
will soon start to choose their sides."
---
Raze continued to drag the cut-up student across the floor. He went past the seclusion
rooms into the dark space and threw him by the head. The student felt his body tumble,
hurt and bruised.
He was coming to from the shock of the attack, but now he was surrounded in complete
darkness. He was unable to see Raze or hear where he was coming from.
"Please, please don't kill me! I don't want to die," the student pleaded.
"Your tune certainly changed," Raze said as he took steps around the area. He had observed
and had a good idea of just how large the meeting space was since he spent so much time in
it.
So even if he couldn't see, he had a bearing of where he was in the room and how close or
far away from the walls he counted they were. While walking, his voice was bouncing off
the walls, and the direction of sounds was coming from all over.
"I just didn't want to get hurt. I was scared, and I thought it would be best if we dealt with
the problem before it became a bigger problem. But you don't have to do this."
"Oh, but I really do," Raze said. "Because I'm going to use you to find the real killer."
The situation continued for a while with things dying down. They felt like they weren't
going to see anything crazy anytime soon, as they hadn't even seen Raze return.
"Do you think we should check up on him?" Liam asked.
"Hey, do you really think he's having trouble? Look what he did!" Dame commented. "He
managed to silence everyone. People aren't even publicly saying he's the killer anymore.
They're probably scared he's going to appear behind them and slash their neck or
something."
That certainly was true, and this time, unlike the times before, it didn't seem like an attack
out of anger but more so one that was calculated in a way, as if he knew what type of
reaction he would get.
With that, the rest of the group decided to head to the seclusion rooms, but it wasn't just
them this time; the main disciples had broken off and decided to head inside as well.
The main disciples had picked seclusion rooms close together. The rooms weren't marked
in any way for whose room was whose, but when they first started using them as
cultivation and treatment areas, others wouldn't use a certain area if they had seen
someone else using it. Thus, the rooms had become each other's.
It was why they had also placed the dead bodies back in the seclusion rooms where they
would train, so they were out of the way, out of sight from the others.
In the main disciple room, they were all in a meditative state, gathering energy around
them, and that's when a voice was heard through the walls.
"Your update was one that I didn't expect. I thought there would have been a chance to get
rid of him by now," a voice whispered through the walls.
"He is still strong. He doesn't seem to be affected by the lack of food at all."
"Well, you better act fast!" the voice whispered back. "There are only so many spaces for
the martial arts tournament. Just because you are a main disciple doesn't mean your
position is guaranteed.
"You know, there are others, not just the White Dragon, that can take your position. If you
lose your place, the clan will be affected. I hope next time, I hear an update with some good
news."
"Very well... I will do as you say and act now."
Chapter 263 A planned asualt
Chapter 263 A planned asualt
After Raze had entered the Dark space, dragging the student along with him, he hadn't
returned. The students thought another day had passed, yet not a single person was willing
to go to the other side, to traverse the darkness and rid themselves of what they felt was a
murderer ready to eliminate them all.
Simyon was with Liam in the fighting area, while Safa was in her seclusion room. She would
often switch between practicing her spear skills and her magic, so she liked the seclusion
room because it was away from the eyes of the others.
She wouldn't attempt anything flashy because she didn't want to get noticed, but the light
magic allowed her to feel better despite the thirst and hunger they were experiencing.
A group of three red-headed band users were walking around the arena. They were
heading toward the hallway, presumably going to the seclusion room, as no one would go
further.
Before they reached the hallway, they stopped and turned to look at Liam and Simyon, who
were sprawled with their legs stretched out across the floor.
"You guys make me sick," the red-headed band wearer stated. "Your friend just killed
someone, not just anyone, but another clan member and dragged them off into that place,
yet you two can show your faces here."
"Yeah, just go into the dark space with him. How can you guys just stay here like this?" the
other shouted.
Simyon was looking around the place, not yet replying because he noticed that something a
little strange was going on. He could see that a few of the other red headband wearers in
the distance were staring their way.
They were used to the odd stare here and there. They were the center of hatred in the
place, but they had been stared at far too often, and even now, it almost looked as if they
were trying to inch closer and closer without being noticed.
"Do you guys own this cave or something?" Liam replied. "Just because none of you guys
have any balls, don't come and argue with us."
"Shut up!" the other red-headed wearer snapped. "What's worse than anything, on top of
all that, you guys have been eating, haven't you? You've found food, and you haven't even
offered it to us."
"We, your fellow students by your side, you can see that some are struggling! Just like Raze,
you are willing to let us die when you know there is a way for you to help!"
"That's bullcrap!" Liam could feel the adrenaline charging in his body as he jumped to his
feet. "Does your face just look like a cow's vagina, or is your brain one as well? How do you
think we could get food in this place? I'm literally ready to eat my own hand off at this
point!"
Now Simyon was sure of it. The words and their actions might be true to how they felt, but
it seemed as if it was planned; they were going to be ready to act no matter what.
With this, Simyon got up, brushed the dirt off from the cloth on his legs, and placed his
hand on Liam's shoulder, leaning in toward Liam's ear.
"I think this is all a setup of some kind... I'm worried about Safa; we need to check if she's
alright," Simyon whispered.
"I don't think these guys are just going to let us go," Liam replied.
He could now see it as well; another three of the red headband students were coming over.
It was dangerous; people were grouping up, and unlike before, they were now in the red
headband group; every student was from a respectable clan and they were skillful. It would
be hard to go up against just one of them.
"If I leave, are you sure you can take them on yourself?" Liam asked.
"Hey, why are you asking me to go to Safa and not the other way round? Why don't you go
see her?" Although Liam would go help her in a heartbeat, he equally didn't want to leave
Simyon on his own, as he knew it would be a tough fight.
"Hey," Simyon said. "I'm not looking to win; I'm just looking to last long enough until you
can get help."
Now Liam understood; the main thing that Simyon was good at was taking hits, and that's
just what he had to do. Before the others could get any closer, Liam broke through and
made a break for it, running to the side.
Reacting to Liam running, one of the red headband students charged forward, trying to
grab him. Before he could, though, Simyon leaped in the way, and his fist just grabbed onto
the cloth of his shirt.
"Get out of my way!" The student shouted as he threw out a fist, hitting Simyon at the side
of his face. It was a big hit, one filled with Qi that would have knocked most people out.
Watching the scene play out was one of the five main disciples. "Idiot, I hit him with
everything I had several times, and that guy just wouldn't fall," Lisa commented, still
remembering the pain she felt in her fist.
It was true; the red headband wearer was more than surprised when he felt his knuckles a
little sore, and when Simyon turned around, he had a smile on his face. Gritting his teeth, he
shoved the top of his forehead and slammed it onto the other student.
The student stumbled; his eyesight fading; he felt like he was nearly going to pass out. It
was a direct hit with such a large head, but Simyon didn't charge forward to try and finish
the fight.
Because he knew there were five others that still needed to be dealt with as well.
"He's trying to kill us; this was their plan all along!" The student shouted. "We have to stop
him; let's force him to tell us where the food is!"
"Worst case, we can eat him!" Another shouted.
To which some of the others looked at the student, thinking maybe it was a step too far, but
it just went to show how hungry some of those in the room currently were.
'This is a situation, right?' Simyon thought nervously as he looked at the gloves on his hand.
'This is a situation where I could die, so I can use them, right? Raze won't mind?'
Liam was sprinting through the dark hallway; he took a look back to see if anyone was
following, but he couldn't hear anything. He then stopped for a few moments to see if he
could hear the sound of footsteps following him, but he was unable to hear them either.
'I can't waste too much time... Simyon needs my help. Maybe I should go see Raze first and
ask him... no... no, I should look and find Safa first, and then we can go and get Raze
together.'
Liam, of course, remembered where Safa's seclusion room was, and while making his way
there, he had passed many others. While running, he could see one student coming out of
theirs.
The glowing light from his room set a small glow on his face, allowing Liam to see him
clearly for a moment. Luckily, the hallway was wide enough for Liam not to care and just
head past and run around him.
Faintly, after passing a couple of rooms later, Liam had reached Safa's room. His hand
placed
on the side of the wall, he could see her just sitting there.
"There you are, Safa!" Liam called out.
As he did, he noticed something strange upon entering her room. There was a calming
feeling as soon as he entered, even the air felt just slightly more uplifting and energized
compared to the rest of the areas.
She was doing something as she sat down meditating, and he wasn't too sure it was
cultivation. Hearing her name being called out, she turned around and could see Liam
standing there.
"Sorry to bother you, but the situation is quite serious," Liam stated, walking in. "We need
to help Simyon, and honestly, I'm not sure just the three of us are going to be enough; we
need to either get Dame or get Raze."
While speaking, Liam couldn't help but stare into Safa's eyes, which had drawn him to her
in the first place. He was almost mesmerized as he moved forward, and that's when he
could see the horror in them.
They started to widen as she had clearly seen something.
"Look out!"
Immediately, Liam turned around and swung his hand. He didn't look to see who it was; he
just acted. He felt the back of his fist connect and hit one of the red headband wearers'
faces.
The student moved, slamming onto the wall, his body slumping to the side. The student
hadn't passed out, but it was clear with the wooden sword in his hand what he was going to
do.
For Liam though he was more confused about somethign else.
"Wait... Safa... did you just speak?"
Chapter 264 Enchanted Items are strong!
Chapter 264 Enchanted Items are strong!
The first person Simyon had gone up against had already recovered, and judging by the
scorn on his face, he wasn't in a particularly happy mood. There were five students, all
eyeing him up, ready to pounce on him.
Immediately, Simyon started to retreat backward and placed his back against the wall,
raising his fists.
"Oh?" Ricktor said with a raised eyebrow. "My little toy has some brains on him. That's only
making him even more attractive in my eyes. He seems to be using the wall to stop those
attacking from the back."
"Does that mean you think he has a chance of winning against them?" Lisa asked.
Ricktor shook his head. "Do you think you could beat five of these students in this
situation?"
Lisa took a while as she thought about it. They, the main disciples, were students who were
far ahead of the others, but they weren't at Ricktor's level. If they had his kind of strength,
then the answer would be yes, but given the situation, Lisa gave a different type of answer.
"With the state they are in now, they're not the same as before," Lisa answered. "The red
headband students have been affected heavily by the lack of food, while those of us who are
able to draw more energy from our cultivation techniques have been able to do well."
"Then don't you think he has more of a chance as well?" Mada added. "Other than us, for
some reason, he seems to be one of the least affected by all of this."
One of the students pushed off from his feet and came in with a thrust straight to Simyon's
stomach. In this moment, Simyon noticed something; the movements were slower and
sloppier compared to what they would be.
He moved to the side, and the sword struck the wall behind him. Although even if he could
avoid one of their strikes, there were more of them to come. From the right side, a fist was
thrown at his face.
Simyon was able to lift his hands up by the side of his head, blocking the attack; it was
heavy, but his feet only shifted a few inches to the side. Then, on the other side, they were
ready to attack again, and he had been whacked in the ribs with a wooden sword.
'Even if these guys are sloppy, together all of their hits are adding up. I thought I could do
something in this situation,' Simyon thought as he had hunkered down, raising both hands
to the side of his head. Each time he was getting hit, his body would sway from side to side.
"So are you planning to just watch?" Lisa asked. "Isn't he one of those who caught your eye?
I thought you would be displeased by seeing others treat him this way."
"If he gets broken or taken out by something like this, then he doesn't deserve to be my
toy," Ricktor answered.
If Simyon continued to take a beating like this, even with his advanced body, he would
eventually fall; he could feel the accumulating amount of qi building up, taking a toll on his
body.
As he continued to get hit, a smile was building up on Simyon's face. 'One of the ways to
mark a stronger body is refinement, and right now all you're doing is breaking down my
body so it can be even stronger in the future. You're not punishing me; you're just doing me
a favor!'
Simyon continued to take hits, buying more and more time, but his legs were starting to
shake, and it almost felt like the students knew this as well.
"Come on, this guy is going to fall soon. It's embarrassing that the five of us can't even take
him down!"
"Hey, screw this; this guy is going to fall anyway. We need to help the others!" one of the
men shouted.
"Wait, there are others!" Simyon's eyes lit up as he heard the news. He was already
surprised to hear that so many were attacking him, but to know that there were more in on
it.
Just how large was this group that had decided to act? Regardless, as he saw the students'
feet start to leave and his head turn, he lunged forward, pushing the other students out of
the way.
"ARGHH!" Mustering up his strength, he reached out and grabbed the student right by his
shoulder with one of his hands and gripped tightly.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing to me?" The student swung his arm, hitting Simyon,
trying to whack it off, but it was extremely heavy, and Simyon's grip was strong.
Soon, though, the other students were coming and started to bash him from behind and the
top of his head. The only thing he could do was squint as the others continued to attack him
one after the other.
"Why won't you let go? Why are you just holding onto me like that?" The student shouted,
his voice a little shaken.
That was because he noticed something, an extremely cold feeling right by his shoulder
where Simyon was holding on. It was so cold that it started to heat almost, and he couldn't
tell if it was cold or hot.
Soon he noticed what it was when looking down; from where Simyon was touching, his
clothes were freezing over. It was spreading, and the area was growing larger with each
passing moment.
It had covered his whole shoulder now, and the student by his side, who could see this, had
stopped attacking.
"Is this a neutral art from one of the northern clans?" The student commented. It was the
only thing that could explain what he was seeing right now.
There was a slight chuckle Simyon had done to himself, overhearing the others. 'It's not a
technique; this is the power of magic.'
Shaking off his head, the student needed to act. As long as they beat him, then he could stop
using his technique. So he charged forward again. Seeing this, Simyon then pointed his
other hand with the black-enchanted glove toward the attacker.
'The magic power in these gloves is relatively weak. I have to hold onto my opponent for a
long time for it to even do something. But there is a point where it starts to accumulate and
grows quicker and quicker against the opponent. The magic power in them isn't strong, but
for someone like me, it's perfect.
'As for the other glove, I will deal with the one coming after me.'
Simyon was ready to use the power of the other glove, but before he could, he could see
something appear right behind him; it looked like a wooden sword.
It smashed against the back of the student's head, causing him to fall to the ground.
The sword flew back in the air, and as it did, a one-eyed, patched red headband wearer
caught the wooden sword. At the same time as he did this, one of his earrings on his ear
tingled a bit.
"I guess the juggling arts can be used in this way as well!" Liam claimed.
He too had used the power of the warnings that had been enchanted by Raze. Unlike
Simyon's, his was a bit more discreet. It allowed him to attach a repelling and attracting
feature, using somewhat the power of the wind on single items.
At the moment, he had connected his earrings to his sword; he had to place the earrings on
the item to mark them in a way, giving them
a connection. Then when placing the earrings back on himself, one earring would bring the
sword toward him, while the other would push it away.
This was the reason why he had decided to use the juggling arts in the end. The juggling
arts focused on sword techniques that needed the sword to leave the hand and catch them
mid-air. There were some tricky movements, but Simyon was thinking ahead; not only
would the earrings help him with this, but perhaps he could enchant and create new
movements for the sword skill himself.
"Hey, we're not out of it yet!" Simyon shouted.
As he did, a tall man had come forward, and in a few single hits, that looked like they all had
happened at the same time, the other three students that were coming forward had
stopped.
They stood still for a moment before they all fell on the ground, clutching onto their
stomachs, spit gushing out of their mouths. Looking at the tall back Simyon knew who it
was, especially since he saw a black-haired woman come over moments later.
"Simyon, are you okay? How are you? Look at what they did to your body!" Sacra said as
she started to touch him all over, causing small winces of pain, but Simyon didn't care in
that moment.
Instead, his eyes immediately started to well up.
"It must have really hurt, right? It must have. I'm so sorry I couldn't come here in time!"
Safa said.
Immediately, tears started to come out of Simyon's eyes like waterfalls. For a long time,
Simyon had been communicating with Safa daily; he wanted to fully speak with her one
day, and he thought that this day would never arrive, yet here they were.
His emotions were so bubbled up that he was unable to even express them the way he
wanted, only allowing him to let them out in tears.
"Hey, now's not the time to worry. Haven't you noticed there are quite a few of the students
missing in here, and I have a feeling they might have all gone to Raze," Dame explained.
Chapter 265 Easing The Pain
Chapter 265 Easing The Pain
"Please, man, I'm begging you here!" The student was on his knees, but he had no clue
where he was. He was still in the dark space, and even though he had been here for a while
now, his eyes weren't adjusting at all since there was next to no light in the darkness.
"I answered all of your questions, I told you everything I could, man. I was just angry; there
was no one that talked to me about attacking you or anything like that! I thought the other
students were going to back me up, but they didn't!"
The large cut on the student's chest was pulsating. It had healed slightly but not completely.
It was something the student had never experienced before.
Cultivating would allow the body to heal naturally a bit faster even without the use of herbs
or a physician, but due to the lack of food and water, the cultivating couldn't do what it
would normally do. All of the Qi that was being absorbed or used was being used as energy
as a replacement for the food and water, not allowing it to do much else in the body. Which
was why the wound was still present.
The student wasn't worried about bleeding to death, but with the wound, it almost felt like
his life was being zapped away, especially since he wasn't able to eat or drink anything.
"Look, I told you, man, in our heads there are four groups in total!" The student continued
to explain. He had said this before, but he had no idea if Raze was even inside the room
with him or not.
At one point, he had made a break for it, standing up and trying to rush out of the door.
Moments later, he felt a force push him back down on the ground. He had learned his lesson
after trying it twice because the second time, the invisible force pushed him so far back, his
back had crashed into the side of the wall.
"Your group and his bunch of friends we count as one group, the main disciples are the
other, then we have a guy, he's called Alfred, he seems to have rounded up a bunch of the
others, they're sticking close together.
"We were trying to join his group, just me and my two friends, at least what I thought were
my two friends, because we had nothing on our own, but he wouldn't let us in. I thought if
we showed we could do something or gave him an opportunity to take you out, he would
let us in.
"You've figured this crap out yourself as well, haven't you! They've put us in here to pit us
against each other. The main disciples with their combined power is impossible to take out.
"You and your group, you guys just didn't seem to be as tightly knit of a group. With a push
here and there, we thought we could break you up and take you one by one!"
Raze was currently in the room, and he had heard it all, but it was clear to him that
someone was coming to frame him, and if that was the case, then they would love to get one
more person, not just one to pin Raze's murder on.
Even though the others might have formed a group, perhaps their visions didn't align and
felt it was too risky to attack Raze, the one that had been deemed the White Dragon.
Immediately, the sound of footsteps was heard, and it seemed like quite a few of them were
together as well.
"Hey, it really is pitch black in here, are you sure we should head in there?" A voice
whispered to the other.
"If we can't see him, then I'm sure he can't see us as well, but we just need a little bit of
light," the person talking, the student who had been trapped by Raze, could recognize it;
this was Alfred, the leader of the other group.
He pulled something out of his pocket; it was a small glowing light, a chip from the wall of
the other room. He had taken his time to break a part of it off and was now going to use it
right here in this room.
Pulling it out of his pocket, he held it up, trying to see the area in front of him, and right
then, he heard nothing but felt a slight pain in his hand. Right in front of him, he could see
the glowing light dropping to the floor.
'What… I didn't let go of the rock?' Alfred thought, looking at the ground, and he could see
due to the light of the rock that he indeed hadn't let go of it, but then why was it on the
floor, and he was looking at it.
The realization took a while to hit him, as he felt a warmth around part of his arm. When
looking in front of him, he could see that a clean cut had been made.
"I don't take too kindly to those that try to kill me," Raze claimed.
He was using the wind-enchanted blade, giving it a silent sound, and before Alfred could act
at all, the sword was slashed right against his neck. Blood splattered onto the other two
that were close to him.
The body quickly fell to the floor, and the leader that had been orchestrating this attack, the
attack on Safa, along with the others, was now dead, lying on the ground.
The other two, seeing the fate of their friend, had turned around, but before they knew it,
they could hear movement and feel a gust of wind, and Raze was now behind them.
"I just need to test something, so try your best to get out of this!" Holding his sword, Qi
started to swirl around it.
The other student was doing as Raze said, but not out of choice. He attempted to run away,
and Raze swung his sword out, the contraction of Qi around his sword looked as if it was
almost reaching out to the student.
'Shadow Bind formation.'
The Qi swirled around, almost as if it was an extension for the sword, and wrapped around
the student. It felt like the student was trapped in invisible vines. The feeling was
unnatural. It didn't feel like an attack of sorts, yet it was difficult to break free.
The student, using their own Qi, was able to break one of these strands, but he was still
trapped, and before he could do anything, a sword pierced right through his back and
through his chest.
"I am saving you from a cruel fate. You will die quickly this way and will not have to suffer
from starvation. For trying to kill me, this is more than acceptable." Raze pulled out the
blade, and the body dropped on the ground.
Without realizing it, the third student that had come to attack him was running toward him.
He thought he was running to the exit, but in truth, he was just running blindly.
"The push of the wind," Raze said, lifting his hand.
Using magic in a place like this was fine because no one would be able to see. The student
was lifted off his feet and pushed right to the back, crashing into the wall now by the side of
the other.
"Now we need to find out who really started all of this. I can't believe that you would be so
stupid. Most likely you guys were tricked, and you don't even realize it yourself," Raze said.
"So I'm going to get some answers."
Just then, the sound of running down the hallway was heard again, and it sounded like
multiple people. Turning around, he thought he might have met the ones responsible for all
of this, that was until he heard a voice shouting.
"Raze!… Raze… are you okay?" The voice shouted, but oddly it was a voice he had never
heard before.
Chapter 266 Get rid of Everyone
Chapter 266 Get rid of Everyone
A woman's voice, it was something that Raze had taken note of since there were few
females in the Red Headband group, at least compared to the males. Since there wasn't
much to do, and many of the areas were surrounded by darkness, he had made a note of
what they sounded like.
Which was why he was finding it odd, maybe it was the echoes or the voice bouncing off the
wall that was distorting the voice, but it was clearly a voice he had never heard before.
'Wait, but then how would she know my name?' Raze thought.
An idea had popped into his head, but he was wondering how it would be possible for it to
be that person.
'Could it be, did she already learn to use the restore spell so well, and that quick? She is
more of a genius than I thought!'
Lifting up his hand, he let out a small spark, and the area lit up slightly, and now he could
see the people in front of him. Almost instantly, he could see who those were in front of
him. There were a few groans of pain from behind as well.
"Raze, are you okay? There's blood on you," Safa spoke.
Her voice, it was soft yet it traveled through the air smoothly. It was gentle on the ears even
though she seemed to be concerned and worried. It was hard to imagine there could be a
voice that would instantly calm a certain person.
"It's okay," Raze said, looking at his clothing; there were just a few specks of blood on his
sleeve. It was surprising that someone even noticed it. "Your voice, you seem to have a nice
voice."
"You managed to speak far sooner than I thought. I guess, there are some things that I need
to ask you, but there is something that I need to do first."
Raze wanted to keep talking to Safa, to ask if she was okay, but having seen her, his body
was quite calm. He could see that Dame and the others were there, so he knew she would
be safe because there was no one that could defeat Dame down here, and only a few in the
academy itself that could beat him.
Liam started to walk over along with the others, somewhat following Raze, wondering
what he needed to do, and that's when he felt something hit his foot and roll on the floor.
"What, I thought there was something in here, is there some type of food!" Liam rushed
forward and noticed he could see a small glowing light. When he reached the object, it soon
came into view.
"Ahhh!" Liam screamed as he pointed at it. "It's an... an... an... arm!!"
Raze could see the student slowly trying to get up, but before he did, he swung his arm out.
"Push of the wind."
The wind magic pressed against the student's body, and he felt his whole body being
pushed onto the wall.
"Who was it, which one was it that made you do this?" Raze asked. "Who convinced you to
attack us?"
"Are you going to kill me? You should know, right, it was Alfred, you already killed him."
The student worriedly replied. "He was the one that said we could split you up and get you
in the dark, and if we couldn't get you, we could at least have killed Tinson here. If we did,
then more of the students would act, and possibly even the main disciples would get
scared."
It made Raze wonder at that moment whether or not there wasn't someone else behind
this, and it was just the student named Alfred. It was quite possible that it was the case.
Raze then lifted his sword and placed it right on the neck of the other student. It was
touching the edge of the wall at that point, and just a slight movement from the sword
would slit his throat like it had done with all of the others.
"Are you sure that there was nothing else, no communication between the others, or any
talk between Alfred and a few others?" Raze asked.
"There was, there was talk between Alfred and Tinson. It seemed he had asked about
joining our group, but I don't know more than that. I promise I've told you everything I
know; I can't bring back Alfred from the dead, but he would have known more. It's not my
fault he's dead."
"You're right," Raze replied. "It's not, but it is his fault that you are."
He quickly moved the sword in one smooth motion, putting his Qi into his strike. Despite
doing this, the strike was still silent as always. Even as it scraped against the wall, it hardly
made any sound at all.
The effect of the sword seemed to work even when hitting other objects, which was an
added bonus he didn't know about until now. As the sword glided across the back of the
rock, it went right through the student's neck, causing his head to roll and fall to the
ground.
The others, who were unable to see next to anything due to the lighting in the area, had
only heard a thud against the floor, and the cries and breath of one less person.
"Did Raze kill him?" Liam whispered.
"Yes, I did," Raze replied. "These people, even though they thought I was a murderer, still
decided to come after me. They were the ones that had set everything up, to try and get the
others to turn on me. If I didn't finish them off here, they would have gotten more
desperate as time went on."
"Besides, in the first place, we need to deal with this. This whole assessment won't end
until they continue to get rid of more people. As time goes on, every single one of us will get
weaker, so we need to deal with them."
"They wouldn't hesitate to take our lives, so we can't hesitate to take theirs as well, and it
will send a message to all those that try."
Leaning down, Raze picked up the head and started to walk towards the exit. Hearing all of
the words Raze spoke and experiencing everything, Tinson, who was in the room, was
wondering if he was being let free. He was sure that he could hear all of the others losing
their lives one after the other. Yet now Raze was walking away; was there anyone to stop
him?
Slowly, he knew others were in the room, but he started to move against the edge of the
wall, creating no sound until he found an exit. If he could just get into the seclusion room or
the training room, maybe he could do something.
The others had quickly followed behind Raze, but they noticed he had moved quicker than
they thought, and soon a few gasps and murmurs were heard on the other side.
The students that had been knocked out by the others had gathered in the training area,
discussing what was happening, along with Tinson's two friends and the main disciples.
When Simyon and the others had entered, they quickly realized what it was that Raze had
taken with him because he was holding the large round object in his hand right by his head.
"These people tried to attack me; they tried to take my life, and this is the result.
Remember, I was never the one that instigated the attacking. Remember that if you do
anything to harm me in any way, that this will be the result."
The disciples were quite shocked. This whole time, Raze hadn't claimed to be the murderer,
and yet his actions now, the way he had done everything, it made them think that it
couldn't be him.
Yet now he was a murderer, and he was even more feared compared to before, just to the
point where he was unable to act on it anymore.
"I will not attack anyone; this is a statement. I will let you play with your own fate in this
assessment," Raze claimed. "You can think of me as a bystander in all of this, or you can
play your games to try and use me to get rid of more of you.
"But if that is the case, and I find out who you are that has decided to throw me into these
games, I will get rid of you, just like I did him."
Rather than continue to hold onto the head or take it back with him, Raze chucked it over,
by its hair strands, and it bounced on the ground once and rolled onto the floor in front of
the others.
The students couldn't keep their eyes off it as they stared at it. On the way back, Raze
walked over, and as he did, he stopped to look at Safa.
"Now that you can speak, there are some things I wanted to ask you if you don't mind. In
particular, about our parents' death, or your parents' death. Let's have a nice chat," Raze
claimed.
Chapter 267 Back To The First Day
Chapter 267 Back To The First Day
The whole underground cave was in disarray. The students were startled and had no clue
what to do. Those who had failed to take out Simyon and Safa had returned, holding onto
parts of their bodies, dragging their feet across the ground.
In the attack, they had used a considerable amount of Qi, and with their lack of food and
water, they had only hastened the worsening of their condition.
Tinson had returned, and when he saw the head on the ground, he took a deep gulp. It was
what he had expected, but now he was just thankful that Raze hadn't done that to him.
"Tinson, you're... you're alive!" One of the female students with dark reddish hair ran over,
by the name of Violet, which was quite an odd name considering her features. It wasn't just
her; a frailer boy had come rushing by his side as well.
"Joe, Violet, it's good to see you both as well," Tinson replied as he continued to hold his
arm and placed his hand against his chest. A strong thud was felt. "I still can't believe that
I'm alive myself, and I'm happy to see nothing happened to you two. When I was attacked, I
was worried that the two of you would jump in."
Both Joe and Violet were part of the fourth group that he had mentioned. They were three
friends who weren't from the same clan but were from the same town and knew each other
from a young age.
They had stayed together even in this assessment but had come to the realization that all
the other groups were much larger than theirs. That's why he was willing to do anything,
even attack the frightening Raze.
"So how did you manage to get away from that monster? From the looks of things, he
already dealt with the others. If I were to guess, I don't think Alfred is alive either," Violet
commented.
All three of them looked at the head on the ground. Not a single person had gone to pick it
up. Where would they put it, even? They usually would place it in the seclusion rooms, but
doing so would mean there was a chance they could run into the White Dragon.
Tinson continued to stare at the head. "You know, I'm not sure if Raze is really that much of
a bad guy."
His two friends' eyes nearly popped out of their heads. Violet even touched the top of her
forehead, wondering if he had gone mad. The person who had just killed three people and
dragged a human head into the room, not bad.
"Alright, maybe 'not bad' is the wrong word to use, but I think the way he acts is actually
very fair. I think we might have been going about this whole thing the wrong way, and
there might be another way to survive this assessment."
———
Raze had taken Safa over to the seclusion room. After his little act, he didn't think any
others would be acting soon, and Dame along with the other two boys seemed to know that
he wanted to speak to his sister alone at this moment.
There were quite a lot of questions on his mind.
"So, you managed to use the restore skill. Were you able to use it without having to draw
the circle?" Raze asked.
"Yes, I did," Safa answered, her soft, gentle voice still reaching his ears and giving a sense of
calmness to him. He imagined it was the type of voice that would be used to speak poems in
a manner to send one to sleep.
"And I want to thank you," Safa replied. "I honestly thought I would never get my voice
back, and now I have thanks to you. I know you feel bad for not being my real brother, but I
wish to still create a family bond with you."
After finishing her words, she gave a polite bow and sat on the ground, as Raze did the
same opposite her. If there was one thing that he was sure of, it was that she had more
manners than anyone else and knew how to show how thankful she was.
"How did you lose your voice? Since you were able to get it back, it was unlikely to be a
medical condition, or something that you were born with. The restore skill, although it
would work on medical conditions, would mostly only come back as well," Raze asked.
Safa smiled. "The fact that you're asking this means you have some interest in me.
Unfortunately, the tale is a bit harsher than you think. At one point and time, none of our
family could eat. We were starving, you could say the situation is similar to what it is now.
In the end, our father and mother... sorry," Safa corrected herself. "My father and mother
had decided to hand me over to a physician for a short while. He was experimenting with a
few new techniques, and during the procedure, I had lost my voice.
"Since I don't know much of the details myself, I don't know what he did that caused it. It
was just very painful. We got the coins that we needed to allow us to survive for a while."
Raze remembered the scene he pictured in the house when he had first arrived in the
world. It wasn't the best place, and they were already in a run-down town compared to
other places they had been in.
However, he knew that Safa used sign language to communicate, and just like with writing
and reading of the Pagna script, he could understand the sign language as well, so he
imagined it had to be some time ago.
'The things parents do when they're in need of money. Bringing life into this world is no
simple matter. Yet they chose to have a life, so it's their responsibility to look after them,
yet there are many that fail to do even that,' Raze felt a flicker of magic in his heart.
"I wanted to ask you about the day you were cultivating in the demonic continent. At the
time, did you see a red blooded hand and hear a woman's voice?" Raze asked.
Safa nodded, and sweat started to run down her side. Right now, she wasn't using her skill
god eyes she had received. When near Raze, she didn't want to ever use it.
"I... actually saw a lot more than that. I can see almost an outline of the whole woman
herself. That day, I could see her long, stretching, cold blooded hands normally, but when I
used the skill you called god eyes, I could see it, I could see her body wrapping around you."
"When you look at me?" Raze pointed to himself. "Is it constantly surrounding me?"
Safa shook her head this time. "I've used the god eyes around you once in a while. I can see
this strange dark shadow creeping toward me when I use my powers. It feels like if I
continue to stare at you, the power will suffocate me, so I can't use it for long.
"At times, if I stare long enough at you, that's when the image will appear. I can't see a face,
but just the outline of a human figure."
Even for Raze, who had been through quite a lot, the image in his head that someone was
hovering around him, watching him even now, was sending shivers down his entire spine.
'I wonder what that thing wants, and is it the same thing after Safa, or do we just both have
the same thing. There's a chance it could be related to that as well.'
The reason why Raze had asked this question was all to lead up to his final question.
Something he had been curious about for a while.
"What happened that day that our partners died?" Raze asked. "The Red Brigade Clan said
that you were hiding in one of the cupboards the entire time. Did you manage to see
anything, or do you have any idea as to why our parents were killed at that time?"
Raze didn't like the fact that Alter was looking into this, and that he and Safa had a target on
their back. If he could at least find out the reason, he was more likely to continue surviving
in this world.
And now he was going to learn if he was right to put his trust into Safa.
"I didn't see much," Safa answered. "I could only look through a small gap. I was too scared
to open the door further in case it made any type of noise. It could have been someone that
Dad had borrowed money from.
"People like that had come around regularly, but they would never kill. It made no sense to
kill since they needed every penny they could from our family."
Raze was inclined to agree with this line of thought, which was part of the reason he was
struggling to think. Unless it was a weapon belonging to Alter.
"The people that attacked seemed to be far too skilled as well to just be normal debt
collectors, and to go as far as to kill the children after they had already escaped, it has to be
something else," Raze said. "How did you know to even hide in the closet in the first place?
Wouldn't they have seen you enter?"
Safa shook her head once again. "No, because you were the one that asked me to head
inside the cupboard. Before the attack even happened. I thought it was strange, but
moments after, several men had entered, and then you started to speak to them, saying
some words.
"It was as if you knew them. Honestly, I don't want to admit it, but I think my brother, my
past brother, has something to do with why our parents died and why someone is after us."
Chapter 268 The One Behind It All
Chapter 268 The One Behind It All
Raze went into detail, asking Safa why she thought that her brother might be involved, but
she was unable to provide too many details. She could only overhear them talking as the
struggle against her parents and more had taken place.
If anything, it sounded as if her brother was attempting to defuse the situation before
everything went awry. It looked like the clan elder who had assumed that Safa or he might
have something to do with it all was right on track in the end.
Unfortunately, since she seemed to know nothing else about her brother's doings, Raze was
unable to get into further details.
'It makes me wonder, Alter investigated the case because there had been similar instances
of entire families being wiped out before, but is it really the doing of some item? Physical
assassins were what had gone after our family.
'The Bonum society attacked me as well, but whether that was to do with me being part of
Alter or the past, it's hard to tell.'
"Continue practicing the light magic, gathering as much as you can. For now, I don't know
much about light spells or how to increase the strength of your core. But I have my ways to
find out that information."
Raze could always go back to Alter with his new astral projection skill, but it put him in a
vulnerable state, and with everyone after his life, he had no time to do such a thing. He still
even had the level 5 crystals he planned to use to try and propel himself to become a 4-star
mage.
However, there was a high chance that it would make a portal break, and down here in the
short space they were in, that was far too dangerous.
Before letting Safa go off to do her own thing, he pulled out a pill, although it was hard to
say it was a pill since it was larger in size, around the same size as a fist. It still had the same
outer hard casing on the outside as regular pills.
"What is this?" Safa asked. "Is it a Qi pill? Or a Qi ball, but I can't feel any energy from it?"
"I guess you would think it's that," Raze replied. "That is made from the same ingredients
needed for the Qi pill. The outside has always been digestible and has nutrients that one
can use to eat. You must be starting to get a little hungry, right?
"Well, I made that just using the other ingredients. There's no power stone, so you can eat
that to satisfy your hunger."
Safa looked at it as she stood up, ready to leave the seclusion room. She thought in her head
that there was a particular eye-patched boy that was suffering from the lack of food a lot
more than her.
"Thank you, Raze. You have helped us out a lot, and I hope as I continue to learn these skills
that I can help you more in the future."
Raze didn't turn around, and instead, he just waved her off with the back of his hand. 'With
that, I don't have many ingredients for myself. I don't know how much longer this will last,
so I might have to find a way to get food for myself as well.'
For now, though, he continued to learn the next move sets in the Noctis Clan's book. If
anything, he wasn't going to waste his time, and he was going to continue getting stronger.
The first formation worked out well, even though there was no magic used; now it was time
for him to learn the next set of formations.
'I also need a way to increase my Oagna stage from the 3rd stage to the 4th. I have a feeling
that I might get caught up in a whirlwind of mess soon.
———
Things soon got somewhat back to normal. In the end, out of all the students, Ricktor had
decided to pick up the head that was lying on the floor. People were treating it like it was
infected by an incurable disease, and the area felt smaller because of it.
When he took it into the seclusion room, he quickly returned, and as he did, he held out his
sword, with his fist in his hand, and continued his training.
Most of the time Ricktor would do visual training, but for around 2 hours a day, he would
train on his own in the training area. What amazed the others who had been watching him
so far was that each time he performed it, he looked just as sharp as the last time.
Making the other students wonder if he was getting food or not. Another day had gone past,
which meant the hunger was increasing for them all another time.
The remnants of Alfred's group were being affected the worst, and there was a huge
concern. Currently, Ricktor was training just as he had done before, and those who were
from Alfred's group came over to the other five disciples.
"Are you not going to try and do anything about Raze and his group?" the student asked.
"He killed so many of us already, right in front of our eyes. If this continues, he will go after
you guys as well.
"You know you lost to him already; if we don't team up together, we won't be able to get rid
of him."
Lisa moved forward but was stopped by Mada. His fists were tensed. The student could tell
that he had struck a nerve with the main disciples, but it was getting to the point that they
wouldn't do anything about it.
"If you want to fight, then fight on your own. If you're hungry, then find your own way to
get some food," Mada replied.
Seeing this, and sitting with his free group of friends, was Tinson. He let out a big sigh as he
brushed the dirt from the top of his thighs.
"Hey, where are you going?" Violet asked.
"Me... I'm going to try to get us some food," Tinson gulped. "I'm going to go speak to the
White Dragon."
His friends wanted to stop him, they wanted to try and convince him not to, but they didn't
even have the energy to get up. If they didn't get any food soon, then there would be no
hope for them.
They could hardly sleep right now due to the fear of someone slitting their throats in the
middle of the night.
At the same time, Dame was on his own in the training area. No one seemed to pay him any
bother, he had his arms folded and was watching Ricktor practicing. He was thinking back
to yesterday, a moment the two of them had.
When Ricktor went to return the head to the seclusion room, him and Dame had crossed
paths and made eye contact for a moment. Dame was going to say nothing and continue on,
but that was when Ricktor called out to him.
"I'm very curious about your actions," Ricktor said. "You have certainly made things very
interesting in this place. However, no matter how hard I think, I just can't come up with a
reason, a reason as to why if you were on Raze's side, that you would have done that.
"Do you mind explaining to me why you decided to kill those students?"
Chapter 269 Take Down the Dark Faction
Chapter 269 Take Down the Dark Faction
Dame had stopped in his tracks as he heard one of the main disciples talking to him. He had
always paid attention to Ricktor in particular; when the two of them fought, he noticed that
his skills were beyond that of anyone else among the main disciples.
That was somewhat expected to be the case with who his father was and the fact that he
was the son of the biggest Dark Faction clan that currently existed.
"His position being risen suits me," Dame answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Just to let
you know, I am not confirming or denying what you stated but just giving you an answer as
to why I might help Raze.
"However, I want to ask you something. With everything that is happening right now, with
the Dark Faction forcing several clan disciples to fight to the death in order to create the
strongest disciples they have, do you think differently of them now?"
Ricktor let out a single loud laughter that clearly echoed through the halls, but he didn't
seem to care who heard him or not.
"Shouldn't you know what my answer was before asking this question? If I answer that my
opinion has changed, then how would you know whether it's to your liking or not? Do you
just assume that everyone is loyal to their clans or the ones that raised them? If anything,
you, whoever you are, are the more interesting one for being here."
There was a slightly unnerving feeling that Dame could feel coming off Ricktor. He was
wondering what this feeling was, and it hit him. He reminded him of one of his brothers.
If he just replaced Ricktor with the thinking of one of his brothers, well, he knew now how
he felt about his clan and his family.
"Well, a situation might soon occur where you will have the chance to rise, and the decision
to make might be a hard one for you. I'm not sure if you are one to owe someone for doing
you a favor, but I'm sure things will turn out in your favor if you follow the right path, just
remember that."
With those final words, Ricktor left Dame, throwing the head into the room and heading
back to the training area.
Watching Ricktor train, although the others couldn't notice it, there was almost slightly
more vigor in his punches, kicks, and swings compared to before.
A short while later down the corridor, Tinson had found the room Raze was in. He couldn't
hear any noise coming from his room, to the point he wasn't sure if he was inside or not.
When taking a peek, though, he could see Raze swinging his sword slowly through the air.
Then he would try to do a faster swing the second time, making the same formation and
keeping the form he had before at the same speed.
What was amazing was even when the sword was swung at a fast rate, no sound was made.
Tinson had experienced this a few times before.
'Is there something special about that sword? Wait, come to think of it, that's a metal
sword, that's not even a wooden sword. How did he manage to get that in here in the first
place?' Tinson thought.
'I knew it, he has to have a way to get things in here somehow, either working with
someone or something like that, I have to ask him.' Tinson took three short breaths and
then rushed in.
Immediately he slid on his knees, ripping part of his clothing and scraping his skin, but he
didn't care as he quickly placed his head on the floor.
"Sir Raze, I wish to speak with you, a request that I need to ask."
Raze turned around, taking slow breaths. He had been using his Qi for a while, and using a
large amount of Qi control was quite tiring on the brain. So he decided to take this chance
to have a break.
He was honestly quite surprised to see someone entering the room with him. Taking a peek
at his face, Raze recognized who it was and sat down crossed-legged on the floor.
"You already escaped with your life before, have you come wanting me to give you death? If
it's because you can no longer take the pain of food, you can ask someone else to end your
life, I'm sure one of the sin disciples would be willing to do that," Raze stated.
"That's not it!" Tinson replied, keeping his head plopped on the floor. "First, I would like to
apologize for attacking you before. Honestly, with everything going on, the fear of what was
going to happen to me and my friends, I chose the route that was easiest and went against
you, but I know that is the wrong thing to do, and if I could turn back time and kill myself to
stop myself from doing something like that, I would!
"What I would like to ask, Sir Raze, is about another matter. You were right about one
thing; I'm starving, me and my friends, all of us feel our bodies weakening from lack of food
and water, and I don't want to assume.
"But I was wondering if there is any way you can help us."
Raze started to break out into a small laughter hearing this.
"Is this some other trick?" Raze asked. "You really are so shameless to ask the person you
tried to kill, to now save you and your friends. Why would I ever choose to do something
like that?"
"Because you are in a position to do so!" Tinson replied. "Right now, it's not just me and my
friends, but everyone left in the Redhead band group is starving. This situation, it's clear it
was brought to us by the academy.
"We don't know why they are doing this. At the moment, their anger is pointed towards
you, but everyone is slowly realizing that the true ones to blame for all of this are the
academy!
"I think if you were to provide us with food in this pivotal situation, it would allow us to be
loyal to you, to follow you wherever you go, to create your clan to help you in any way!"
The proposal sounded interesting, Raze had to admit, but he found it hard to believe that a
bunch of students would have a change of heart. Sure, they would be in his debt, but to do
whatever he wished. What if he ordered them to go against the academy? If he wanted to
take over the Dark Faction and become principal, that was one of the things he needed to
do to learn more about the Dark Faction founder.
"Do you realize what will happen if he decides to feed all of you, right?" Dame said, leaning
by the doorway.
"Right now, the academy is doing this because they want everyone to go against each other,
so only the strongest will survive. If Raze decides to feed you and the others as you suggest,
and the academy turns up, and the situation isn't what they expected, they will turn their
eyes towards Raze.
"In a way, saving your lives, all of it, would be him going against the academy. So we have to
ask, if he does provide you with food, would all of you be willing to go against the Clan
heads?"
Inwardly, Dame was smiling because the situation was playing out exactly as he predicted.
His plan to take down the Dark Faction Academy.
Chapter 270 Out Of The Cave
Chapter 270 Out Of The Cave
In the end, Tinson had decided to leave. He could feel that the situation was tense and that
perhaps the student known as 'Pink' would want to speak alone with Raze; at least it felt
that way.
The two had been staring at each other for a while, not saying a word, so he felt like it was
time to leave. Before doing so, he gave another bow and said his last remaining words.
"About the question you asked, I can't speak on a one-to-one basis, but right now, day by
day, we are understanding how the academy has abandoned us, and that very well may be
the clans as well.
"I can't imagine them being able to do something like this without the permission of the
clans. If that is the case, and you are the one that saved us, then I would be willing to even
go against the academy. However, I'm not sure the others will feel the same way."
Dame watched Tinson run out of the room, and he couldn't help but have a large smile on
his face.
"He is quite the honest person," Dame commented. "You would think with the situation he
was in, that he would have said anything to try and convince you, yet he answered
honestly. It could be a sign of stupidity, or you shocked him to the point that he wouldn't
dare lie to you."
"What are you trying to do?" Raze said, turning around and continuing to look at the book
in front of him.
It was a sign to show that Raze wasn't afraid of Dame and somewhat trusted him. One
would rarely turn their back in such a tight-knit situation, but with everything they had
gone through and they had given up, Raze knew one thing: Dame had no intention of killing
him.
Whether it was to use him for his goal, who cared as long as they could benefit each other,
at least that was Raze's line of thinking.
"I think you should seriously consider his offer. Our group, we're in the stages of building
up power," Dame explained. "I'm sure you don't plan to rely on the Crimson Crane for
everything, especially with how far spread out we are.
"We also need help in the Dark Faction. There have already been a couple of close calls, and
if we didn't have an ally like Gunther on our side, we would be in big trouble. At any time,
the favor that the Dark Faction has for you, as their star, the White Dragon, could flip.
"If they try and get rid of you, not even I have the strength to protect you."
Raze already somewhat knew that, which was why he was trying to build up his strength as
much as possible, but the quickest way to do that was through the beast crystals.
Yet in a place like this, he was unable to get any; he kind of wished that the academy would
have done an assessment where they used the portals they had instead of this.
"Are the academy heads really that strong?" Raze asked.
"Very. You have to remember that I am not yet at the middle stage myself," Dame
commented. "I haven't had the time to really focus on it too much, yet the principal is
nearly at the Divine stage; he is far stronger than the elder from the Light Faction that you
had faced.
"On top of that, the principal is close to all of the Clan heads who are all high-stage warriors
that are as strong if not stronger than the Divine head that you went against. At the
moment, you have been able to overpower them, but when it comes to the clan heads that
are at the top of their cultivation, they will use skills that will be difficult for you to deal
with.
"Of course, I also don't know the full extent or power of your magic and Divine weapons."
Raze was unique because it was hard to gauge his actual strength. Usually, one would just
assume a stage 4 warrior was stronger than a stage 3, and 90 percent of the time this was
the case.
There were situations such as better use of skills, Qi control, and fighting IQ that made up
the other ten percent of the time one would lose.
Yet when looking at Raze, he was almost in the upper end. He had many uses in the fight
against the elder; if he were to take a guess based on the magic he had seen, his power was
probably at that of a stage six warrior at the moment.
This wasn't just Dame's guess but Raze's as well. His use of magic along with his Pagna
powers meant he could go around that of stage 6 warriors head to head at the moment.
"There's more to be done as well; I didn't quite expect us to be in this situation either,"
Dame commented. "We need to head to the Demonic Faction and give a delivery to Fixteen,
collect some money from them in the meantime to expand as much as we can. I know you
have a way of getting there; if you want, I can make an excuse as to why you're away, or just
make sure no one tries to go looking for you."
That wasn't the only meeting that Raze had; soon he also needed to use his astral
projection technique to head to Alter and try to gather more information from that end.
If anything, it was almost as if everything was pointing him in the direction of leaving this
place, but there was still one thing he wasn't sure about.
"I'm pretty confident that I can do those things and find a way to come back here," Raze
replied. "I can gather food while in the Demonic Faction and deliver what you need, but
what use is it helping these students?"
"You mean you don't want to help them out of the kindness of your heart? Did you not feel
anything with that heartfelt plea?" Dame said.
"It's hard to feel something for those that would have killed you a few hours before."
"Right," Dame said as he started to walk around the small square space room in circles, a
habit of his when he was speaking his mind or thinking. "In a way, it's not just the principal
that controls the academy but the clan heads as well.
"Right now, they're hungry, but I imagine that the situation could become even worse. At
that point, when you give them food, in their time of desperation when their anger for the
academy is at its highest, I think we might even be able to get the clan heads on our side!
"I told you that the clan heads are powerful, and to face them, we almost need to start
building up our own clan within the academy, those that are more on our side rather than
their clans or the academy.
"In my eyes, this is the perfect situation. You have the Crimson Crane to help you if need be,
but that might not be enough. In the meantime, while you're away doing such things, I will
work on improving the strength of the other three young ones. We need to build up
strength capable of taking down the Dark Faction Pagan academy."
Although this wasn't in Raze's original plan, he actually didn't think it was so bad. He
remembered the words from the librarian. To get access to certain information that was
held in the library about the Dark Faction founder, he needed to become the principal.
'I wonder, what Alter will think of my doings, or if they would just be happy that they have
someone that they can use that will be in a higher position?' Raze thought.
He thought about it for a while; at a guess, Raze concluded that this assessment would take
a month. It was pretty much the limit for warriors at their stage to barely survive without
any water, only relying on cultivating energy from the world around them.
If it was a regular human, that would have been around 3 days or slightly more. The
teachers seemed to know what they were doing, and it was no wonder Gunther had stated
it would have been better off for them if they had just left this place.
"Alright, I'll do it; I have a way to head back; I think I can work something out."
The moment Raze said those words, a loud click was heard. The sound traveled through the
hallways and went straight to the training room.
"That sound, it's coming from the Dark Space!" Raze said.
He, as well as Dame, quickly rushed out of the room, and they could see many others
coming from the training area, including that of the five disciples. They quickly all headed
into the Dark space, and that's when they could see five people standing there.
They were in the center of the Dark space with glowing crystals held in their hands. All of
them were adults and were the teachers of the academy. In the center of them all, there was
an individual that stood out more so compared to the rest of them because it was a clan
head.
"Is that... it is... it's Feebie from the Lethal Bite Clan!"
"The teachers faintly came here; wait, Feebie isn't a teacher, she's just one of the clan's
heads though."
"Yeah, but the other teachers are with her; this means we're saved."
"Hey, but if the assessment ended this early, it wasn't what we thought it was, right? All the
students that were murdered, won't he be punished."
"Yeah, it's a good thing they sent a clan head then; otherwise, who knows what would
happen."
There was a large relief spreading through the whole room as they saw the leaders, but the
door that had opened from above was closed, and Raze didn't think it was the good news
they thought it would be.
"Oh, this is quite surprising; I thought more of you would be dead by now," Feebie
commented.
Chapter 271 Useless Initial Stage Warriors
Chapter 271 Useless Initial Stage Warriors
There were five clans that made up the majority of the strength of the Dark Faction. These
clans were well-known throughout the Dark Faction continent, and they all played a large
part in the academy, through donations of funds as well as resources and skills.
It was the reason why they were able to supply the students with Qi pills, helping their
cultivation raise further and allowing them to grow ahead of those who didn't attend the
academy.
However, other than the principal, the other Clan heads usually wouldn't be too involved
with matters involving the students, which was why everyone found it slightly strange that
Feebie, the head of the Lethal Bite Clan, had entered this underground facility.
"Did you know anything about this?" Mada whispered.
The five main disciples stood close to the back of the students. Even though Lisa had seen
someone who was related to her, she didn't rush out like the others. If anything, she was
wary of seeing her in a place like this.
"The Clan head has no reason to be here," Lisa replied. "I'm a little worried that they sent a
clan head here, thinking that something else might take place."
These thoughts went through many of those who were present, apart from the desperate
students who had rushed forward, kneeling on the floor, thanking that they could escape
this hell and pain.
"Oh, this is quite surprising; I thought more of you would be dead by now," Feebie
commented.
The words spoken weren't said in a quiet tone, and the voice echoed through the entire
dark space. Every single one of them could hear the words, yet they were stunned. They
didn't say anything in response, and they had no clue what to say.
That was apart from one.
"What did you say?" Liam repeated. "That more of us aren't dead. So you expect us to die in
a place like this? What is this? What is the Academy doing? Isn't this meant to be a place
where students are nurtured for the next generation?"
Feebie let out a loud laughter after hearing these words.
"It seems that some of you haven't figured out what this assessment is about just yet, and
you think your importance is more than you realize. Firstly, generation? Your views are
thinking that of regular mortals and not that of Pagna warriors.
"Maybe because you haven't lived for long, you don't quite understand, but us Pagna
warriors at the middle stage have a lifespan that can go up to around 300 years! For us, we
will be holding our position for a long time, and there will be many descendants that will
come and go during that time.
"What we need, though, are those that will be strong enough to help the clan rise to greater
heights and continue to power our strength. At the same time, this is all for the sake of the
Dark Faction to prosper. Besides, we clan heads all plan to head into the Divine stage.
Those that have the talent to reach us are the ones that will be worthy to stand by our side."
A lot of the students were stunned to hear these words. For many of them, it was the first
time they had heard anyone talk to them in this way. They had been told by their respective
clans that they were the future, they were the stars they needed, and were full of talent.
In reality, they were being treated as if they were cultivating crops, discarding the weaker
vegetation and leaving the stronger ones behind, continuing the process, trying to create
just strong crops for the future.
The thing was, the main disciples, who were close to the top, already knew this, and it was
the same with Dame as well.
"All Pagan warriors come to learn of this at some point in their life, but usually, the process
isn't so cruel," Dame thought. "The less talented Pagna warriors will become guardsmen or
mercenaries, maybe even escort guards.
"They don't become the legendary warriors that they envisioned when they were younger,
and as time goes on, they realize that the clans have somewhat discarded them as those
that can help raise the clan.
"They are forced to do those that are in higher positions' bidding. Life starts to become
rougher for them, but joining the Pagna world and leaving it is hard."
One of the students that were on their knees, begging, stood up from the ground.
"Wait, you're going to give us food, though, right? I don't mind being put at the bottom of
the assessment! It's fine, I just want to eat something. My body, my head, I can't think
properly."
The student started to inch forward closer and closer, with his hand reached out. When he
was close enough, Feebie lifted up her hand and swung it down, bashing it on top of his
head.
It crashed into the floor beneath a loud crack, with small rocks exploding in the area. The
student's head looked as if it had exploded on the floor. He was unmoving, and it was quite
clear to them all that he was dead.
"The Clan head just killed a student!" one of the students said in a hushed whisper. They
were afraid that if they said anything to upset the clan head, they would be the next one on
the ground.
"It was quite clear that the student there was not up for the task," Feebie claimed. "He was
weak, and in this academy, we plan to raise the strongest in this place. If you have no food,
then the answer is simple, right? There are bodies right here in front of you."
The students' heads turned to each other, as they couldn't believe what the clan head was
suggesting. How could they go so far as to suggest even cannibalism?
"You're a monster!" Liam shouted out. "The whole academy is full of monsters! When we
get out of this place, do you think our clans will stand by and do nothing?"
A large smirk appeared on Feebie's face.
"I was waiting for one of you to say that. Do you think we did this without permission from
your clans? Each one of them was willing to give you in, for the sake of the Dark Faction.
"In a month's time, the martial arts tournament will begin. Do the clans know that it is more
important for us to show strength at the event rather than weakness? If we show
weakness, the other factions may attack us, meaning the death of many.
"So what if a few initial stage warriors? If you want to matter in this world, then grow
stronger, go up the stages, and have a real say in what happens."
The five main disciples had stayed at the back, listening carefully, and they were watching
as the reactions of the remaining red headband students' faces changed. They were
learning one shock after the other.
Now they had no idea who to go to. They always thought that if something happened, their
clans would back them up. They remembered in the past before this, troubles they would
cause and how the clans helped them.
In a lot of student cases as kids, they had gone too far at times, hurting no-names beyond
healing, in spars and scuffles, maybe causing another to lose an eye. In every single one of
these situations, their clans were there to bail them out because they were considered
special.
Where were the clans now to help them? And to know that they were behind this.
"Screw you!" Liam screamed. His fist was shaking with extreme anger. Images were filling
his head. He imagined the trenchers
heading over to his clan head and asking them to take in his student, and them accepting.
The adults that were deciding their lives and fate for them. Yet, his fist started to calm
down as a realization came to him. What could he do, with his strength, how could he
possibly go up against the clan head in this situation?
It was impossible, and the rest of the students realized that as well. Turning around, Liam
could see that even the main disciples were doing nothing.
"Is no one feeling the same way as I am?" Liam thought. "Does no one care about what
these guys are doing? It's just the same; the no-names are treated like crap by the people,
the blue headband warriors by the yellow, and the yellow by the red…all of it is just a
bunch of crap!"
When looking around, though, he could see one person's fist that was shaking.
'Raze?' Liam thought.
Standing by Raze's side was Dame. The two of them were standing between the main
disciples at the back and the row of students at the front.
"Hey, right now, there's only one of the Clan heads in front of us," Raze stated. "If it was me
and you, do you think we could take out one of the Clan heads together?"
Chapter 272 Fighting anyway
Chapter 272 Fighting anyway
For Dame, he found Raze's response a little unexpected, but at the same time, it was within
the realm of possibility. After all, like him and many of those who had spent enough time
around him, they knew that there were instances that would set him off. One of them was
being touched, and they had figured out this taboo, so they would stay clear of it. But it was
clear that there were a number of other things that would upset him as well, and this
seemed to be one of them.
"I like the fact that he is taking to my idea of trying to take down the Main Clans, but is this
really the right time?" Dame thought. "There won't be many situations where a single
leader will be in front of us like this, and it would be a good opportunity to cover it up."
Taking the thought into consideration, he started to browse around the room before giving
his opinion.
"I don't think it's a good idea," Dame whispered, covering his mouth so others wouldn't be
able to see. "It's not that I don't think we will be able to beat her, but it's due to the situation
around us. Right now, if we were to attack the clan head, I don't know if the disciples would
be against us and try to stop us, or with us, that would ultimately be the deciding factor."
The main disciples were more aware of their position compared to others. This revelation
that they were all being treated like crops ready to be picked was obvious to them for a
long time, so the shock factor wasn't kicking in for them right now.
Hearing the answer that Dame gave, Raze somewhat accepted the situation and took in a
deep breath.
"Let me speak to the clan head!" Liam shouted. "Let me talk to him."
Simyon, who was by his side, was starting to tug at his friend's shirt. He was trying to tell
him to stop. He was already surprised that nothing had happened so far, but it seemed that
Feebie was enjoying the situation.
"Talk to the Clan head, do you think they're in the situation to save you?" Feebie asked.
"Maybe if he knows what is really going on in here, he would know," Liam replied. "I don't
mind giving my life to my clan and the Dark faction. Fighting against dangerous beasts,
going against other clans, or fighting in a duel to prove whose martial arts are best.
"But what I won't accept is dying due to a lack of food and water just for an assessment.
How is dying like this for the sake of the clan?"
The faces of the other students started to brighten up a little. Their hopelessness, they
could hear Liam's words reaching out to them. Being a Pagna warrior, they weren't afraid
of death; it was more the situation itself. They realized that they too felt the same way.
The smile at that moment had vanished from Feebie's face. She stretched her arm by her
side, reaching down and holding onto the fabric of her sleeve.
"You know, there's a reason why they sent me. It was because they thought that a situation
would arise like this, where people wouldn't know their place." Feebie dashed from her
position, ignoring the students in front of her, and dashed across the room.
Both Raze and Dame could only turn as they saw her move right past them. Right when she
reached Liam, she stopped in front of him, then pulling her hand back, she made a claw-like
shape with her hands.
Thrusting it forward, she pierced right through Liam's stomach. Her hand could be seen on
the other side, filled with blood.
"Anyone who disagrees with the Pagna academy's methods is not needed. If you have a
problem with it, then you will need to deal with me," Feebie claimed.
"Nooo!" Safa screamed at the top of her lungs. Her voice echoed through the entire cave. No
one found it strange that the woman from before was speaking because they were too
stunned by what was happening to realize what had occurred. Her eyes started to glow,
and she started to run over. If she could use her light magic and restore skill, along with
Raze's red pills, they should still be able to help Liam.
Seeing this, Dame had chased from his position as well.
"It looks like we were too late. Seeing how she attacked one of those who has helped Raze,
I'm sure he's going to act straight away, especially with his sister getting involved!" Dame
thought.
Dame had positioned himself so he was on the other side, and he had grabbed her clawed
hand, holding onto both of them.
"If I keep it like this, for now, she can't rip his body apart; he'll need immediate care, so I
can't let her attack him again."
Oddly, Feebie noticed a great amount of strength when the student held her hand. She had
tried to give it a small pull but was unable to. It was something that a stage 3 Pagna
warrior, even someone like Ricktor, would have been unable to do.
It didn't matter, though, because from the side, as if he had gotten the memo, Simyon had
appeared, ready to strike. She quickly used her other hand as she swirled it in a circular
motion. She was ready to strike again as her visual Qi was building up, and Simyon wasn't
so sure he could handle the next strike. That was until she felt something else fill the room
behind him. A darkness filled through the already dark place, something was building up
above his shoulder, and a sword was held in his hand.
"The second formation of the Dark Edge sword arts: The eclipse strike!" Saying the words
of the formation, the image of the book appeared in his head.
"Stop it!" A voice shouted out, and appearing in front of them was none other than Ricktor.
"I think that is enough, clan head. We all know you have the strength to take us out, and one
student has already suffered. Right now, we are all on edge due to the situation, so I hope
you can forgive us."
"But don't you think that the true result will be better, as long as you allow things to play
out?"
The Qi that was gathering around Feebie decreased, and the same occurred for Raze. When
he noticed she was no longer trying to attack Safa or Simyon and not fighting anymore, he
had taken away his strike. After he struck, he was sure that there was no going back. At the
same time, Dame realized the bloodlust in the air was disappearing, and slowly he decided
to let go of Feebie's hand.
At that moment, she had pulled out her bloody hand and swung it, causing the blood to
splatter on the ground.
Immediately, Safa went to his side and grabbed Liam. Without saying anything else, she
picked him up and rushed him off to one of the seclusion rooms. She still knew that
showing magic, even in this situation, was a big taboo.
"I suppose you are right; I have somewhat strayed from the original purpose as to why I am
here in the first place," Feebie stated, as she looked at Lisa, the main disciple of the Lethal
Bite clan in the eye, and then looked at Ricktor. "The assessment is ongoing, and we need
things to proceed naturally to produce great results."
Dame looked at Ricktor, and so did Raze. They were wondering why he had decided to
come in at that moment. Was he trying to help them, to save the lives of all of them, or was
it something else? There was no reason for him to do such a thing, and it was making them
wonder whose side he was on. Since he was the son of the Principal, it was important to
figure this out before trying to approach him, but if anything, this showed them that there
was a chance that he could be persuaded.
Since things looked to be done, Raze decided to turn and head down the hallway where the
seclusion rooms were. He needed to give Liam a pill to increase his chances of making a full
recovery.
"Where do you think you're going?" Feebie asked. "You're one of the star players in this
assessment that we are keeping an eye on, and I need you to see what we have next."
"Next?" Raze replied, turning his head.
At that moment, the trap door opened for a split second once again, from above, and two
objects could be seen dropping from the ground. They had landed firmly on the floor. It was
clear that they were humans, but they weren't just any humans either.
"The assessment has already been completed for the other headband colors. Right here, we
have the single survivor from the blue headband group and the single survivor from the
yellow headbands. Now it's time to show you just how much they have grown."
Chapter 273 The Result of the Assessment
Chapter 273 The Result of the Assessment
The blue headband student and the yellow headband student stood side by side, their
bodies slightly smaller in size compared to before. Yet when standing there, they were
upright, straight, and their eyes were focused.
They weren't even moving an inch nor turning their head. As if waiting to be told what to
do.
In the darkness, it was impossible for them to see clearly, but with the faint glow coming off
the orange stones that Feebie and the teachers had brought with them, their faces slightly
came into view.
"That's Craiger," Simyon recognized, yet he barely noticed him because his face structure
was more sunken in compared to before.
"Craiger, he was one of the talented blue headband students. He wasn't as skilled as me, of
course, but skilled enough to be selected as one of the students who were to participate in
the event last time. I spoke to him a few times back then, but for some reason, the other
students didn't really want to talk back."
"Did he really go through what we went through here?" Simyon thought. "Is what the clan
head saying true, that he had managed to survive what happened?"
Taking a closer inspection, small specks of blood could be seen across the cloth they were
wearing. New scars had been formed on their skin, and some of their fingernails had been
ripped off.
It left one only to their imagination what the others had been through.
"The two warriors here are the result of this assessment, and the true purpose of this
assessment," Feebie explained. "I'm sure you won't be able to tell just with your naked eye
alone, but they have been able to both transcend what their bodies were capable of."
Whispers immediately started among the red headband wearers. Some of them had
reached the second stage, but some were still at the first stage. All of the main disciples
were at the second stage apart from Ricktor. Hearing that a blue headband wearer had
managed to grow this much in a few days would have been impossible.
That's when they remembered the situation they were in themselves.
"You see, the situation was set up the same way as for you red headband students, only
slightly different. They were in the same set of rooms, but there is a big difference between
them and you. Their ability to cultivate energy is lesser than yours, so they have felt the
effects of starvation and thirst a lot more. In order to persuade them to fight more, we
provided a few Qi pills for them to use in the meantime."
"Although not food, cultivating a Qi pill would allow one to gather energy in their bodies to
last even longer. Of course, fighting and a few deaths had already occurred between
students because, remember, in the other headband wearer groups, their numbers were far
larger than yours."
Some of the students hadn't even taken this into account. While their numbers were
around the twenties, the blue headband students' numbers were in the 200s. With groups
fighting, the whole place would have been a bloodbath.
"With only a few Qi pills given to them, things escalated extremely quickly, and the results
were beyond what we imagined. It's just a shame that the same hasn't happened here with
the red headband group, our most talented students."
The anger was starting to return to Raze slightly. It was rising from within. Death was a
natural occurrence that occurred. People deserved to die due to the things they did, or
being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"People often view life from their point of view, rather than from multiple perspectives.
However, what I couldn't stand was a system that allowed this to happen."
"The Pagna academy is more corrupt and is reminding me more of Alterian by the day, but
this is not my business to get involved in," Raze told himself as he took a deep breath.
Raze could see the same things happening in Pagna as they did in Alterian, but he needed to
remember his goal: to get revenge on the Grand Magus, not to make more enemies along
the way.
"In order to prove their strength, I have a proposal," Feebie claimed. "Any of you are free to
fight against these two here, and if you do, you are free to leave this place. But do keep in
mind that these two warriors are at the third stage."
Feebie made sure to mention these words, and it immediately put off most of the students
from trying. They were already feeling weak, and if they really were at the third stage, they
would stand no chance of beating them.
"I will accept the challenge," a voice said from behind.
Walking through the students, they were surprised to see who spoke up because it was one
of the main disciples, Ossep from the Moon Shield Clan. If it was one of the main disciples,
even at the second stage, surely the new warrior wouldn't stand a chance.
Ossep pointed to the blue headband user rather than the yellow, choosing to go against
Craiger.
"I guess he's been getting sick of this place," Sherry commented.
"You might be right, but I think we're all getting sick of this place," Lisa commented.
"I think he might have realized that this is his chance to escape death because I have a
feeling that we, even us, the main disciples might not be getting out of this place," Ricktor
stated.
Hearing these words come from Ricktor meant quite a bit more, and they realized he
perhaps noticed something that they didn't.
"Very well, the match will now begin!" Feebie shouted.
Immediately, Ossep pulled the wooden shield from his back and held it with both of his
hands. He charged forward, bursting with Qi, going right for the student. When he reached
the student, the shield was thrust forward.
"Huh, did I just hit the air?" Ossep thought.
He couldn't hear any movement; he couldn't hear the person moving. He went to turn to
the side but felt fingers right at his neck. They had dug into his skin, and as they slid, he was
cut at the side.
He swung the shield to one side, making a loud gong sound in the air. A large impact of Qi
burst out, but again it felt light. Ossep knew he had hit nothing. Before he knew it, the blue
headband wearer was behind him, and had grabbed the back of his head.
He pulled down, throwing Ossep to the ground. The back of his skull crashed onto the floor.
Ossep was strong, though, he was a main disciple, so he wasn't out just yet, although that
didn't seem to matter. Craiger lifted his foot, filled with all the Qi he could muster, and
started to stomp away at Ossep's face.
He slammed it down on top of the face one after the other. Everyone could feel the slight
vibrations in the ground as the foot landed, crashing on top of his head, again and again.
Everyone was sure of it as they watched this; Ossep, one of the main disciples, had already
perished, he had died. Yet the clan head was doing nothing and just watching it happen.
Eventually, after around a minute or so, Craiger had finally stopped, his foot bloody. He
looked down at what couldn't even be described as a head anymore and slammed it down,
just touching the ground as there was nothing else left to hit, one more time for good
measure.
After that, Craiger had returned to Feebie's side.
"As you can see, this matter is very serious, and we will
not discriminate. The main disciples are not even safe from this."
The students were more than shocked. They were stunned when they saw the red
headband wearers perish, but now, just like that, in front of them, one of the untouchable
main disciples was gone.
What did this mean, now that there were those who were stronger than the main disciples?
Everything that they said, everything that was going to happen to them, it was all true.
"There is still one more student left," Feebie claimed with a smile. "Does anyone want to try
for their chance at freedom? How about it, do you want to try, star of the Dark Faction, the
White Dragon?"
Chapter 274 A Sense Of Growth
Chapter 274 A Sense Of Growth