Adventurers Guild Adventurer's Guild - Official Board

Discussion in 'Roleplaying Games' started by shad12ow, Jul 12, 2016.

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  1. iampsyx

    iampsyx Have some rest, and let's do better tomorrow

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    Nay! You're the sweet one, @Pyoo-chan! :X3:

    Ikr? I wonder how Ajeya would use them? lmao
     
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  2. Bielt

    Bielt 『Planets Eater』『The Sin of Animosity』

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    *See two sweet girls talking*

    *Giggles*
    Well you can give as present~ or eat~

    The one with especial effects can be eaten to give out a buff for some time~ ^^

    Very useful on battle~
     
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  3. Zero300

    Zero300 『Mask Maker』『Kamen Rider Khaos』『Demon Immortal』

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    Dispersing the Firebirds
    With my army, we speedily marched towards the North Mountains. After a few minutes, we arrived at the borders of the mountains. In the distance, I saw Krosgund - the Patriarch of the Wyverns. It seems he was scouting the area for any ambushes. I urged Blackie to fly ahead. Once Krosgund noticed our presences, he and a few of his brethren flew out to meet us.

    "Krosgund, I'm sorry I wasn't able to convince my guild to help. However, I was able to create my own army to reinforce you." I replied as soon as we met in the middle.

    "Really, that's wonderful!" Krosgund roared happily, "We welcome this much needed help. Come! Let's head towards the main camp."

    "Ah, yes. Here's your scale back."

    "Oh, that's alright. You keep it. Maybe in the future, you'll have some use for it. Come, no more wasting time. Let's go."

    With a few signals, I gestured my army to follow suit. As we traveled deeper and deeper into the mountains, I couldn't help but notice a sensation of disappointment aimed at my back. When, I sneaked a peek over my shoulder, I could see the three other Wyverns casting disdain glares at my back. Blackie had also noticed the glares and was about to snap at them when I reached over and patted him on the neck, urging him to ignore them. Can't blame them...after all, we humans were in a sort of enmity with them just a few months ago. Some people will hold grudges despite alliances, and I'm sure Wyverns are the same. Guess I can only try my best to prove to them my trustworthiness. Anyways, minutes later, we had arrived at the main camp. I looked around and grimaced...as I expected, the Wyverns had took a huge loss in the recent war. There, in front of us, were a measly 200 Wyverns...there were even some young Wyverns in the midst.

    I turned towards Krosgund and whispered, "Is this all the able-bodied warriors you can manage?"

    "Unfortunately, yes. Will there be a problem?"

    "Hmmm...." I replied as I scratched my head and looked around. "Currently, I don't think we have a good chance of success."

    "Even with your army? How much are we talking about?"

    "Around 50%. However, if you can let me handle the strategic commands, then I'll be able to manage about 70%."

    "70%...fine. We'll follow through with what you say."

    "Good, in that case, we should...." I trailed off as I spoke about one of many strategies and backup strategies we will be using during the siege.

    It was late in the afternoon when we finished our strategic meeting. I looked at Krosgund one more time and sternly asked if he understood everything. When he nodded his head, I clapped his shoulder and wished him good luck. Krosgund bowed towards me out of respect and turned to leave. Once Krosgund left to command his troops and explain the strategies we will be using, I mentally communicated with my subordinates and prepared them for what's to come. Tonight...our first strategy will begin!

    As night fell, I sent the young Desert Worm in my army to scout ahead. While the Desert Worm scouted the fortress, I turned towards the others and asked once more if they understood the plan. As soon as the Desert Worm comes back with information of the number and the position of the guards, we will begin an attack on five sides. They nodded that they understood. I clapped once in satisfaction and ordered them to divide themselves into seven groups based on their abilities. After a couple minutes of waiting, the young Desert Worm came back. I asked him what he had found out from the scouting. The young Desert Worm glanced at me murmured. There were around twenty guards per side and judging by the tremors on the ground, there were roughly a thousand Firebirds moving about from within the fortress. Of course, this is a rough estimate as the young Desert Worm wasn't sure how many were sleeping.

    Okay, its within my expectations. I signaled to Krosgund that it was time to move out. First off, the seven groups will get into positions. The first two groups will attack the front gate. One group consists of the toughest warriors with the most health - I'll nickname them the Shield Group - and the other group consists of the strongest warriors with the most damage output - I'll nickname them the Sword Group. Then, three groups of balanced proportions will be placed on each of the other gates. They will be called the Hammer A, Hammer B, and Hammer C groups. The next group will consist of the fastest flying warriors. I will name this group the Arrow Group. Finally, the last group will consist of me and my direct subordinates. I name this group the Spear Group. We will also be positioned before the front gate.

    Once the groups were in position, I signaled for the Shield Group to begin attacking. The Shield Group, led by one of the Wyvern Elders, charged into the front gates after raising up a storm and drawing a lot of attention. As the Shield Group clashed with the front gates, many Firebird warriors congregated at the front gate to ward off the Shield Group. I quickly scanned the enemy numbers and noted that at least five hundred Firebirds were focused there. Quickly, I gave a mental order, telling the Hammer Groups to begin attacking the other three sides. After receiving my message, the three groups began to attack. Because most of the enemies were focused on the initial attack at the front gate, they were caught off guard by the attacks at the other gates. As the enemies distributed themselves and rushed towards the three gates, I waved my hand and signaled the Sword Group to attack as well. The Sword Group, led by Krosgund, charged forward and placing significant pressure on the front gate.

    As casualties on both sides rose steadily, the fighting on the four sides had reached a stalemate. I immediately ordered the sixth group to attack. The Arrow Group, originally circling the fortress from above, immediately nosedived towards the fortress's center. Swiftly, they descended into enemy territory and started attacking the Firebirds who had their backs turned away from them. The Arrow Group consisted of a number of Firebird warriors and their main goal was to cause mass confusion from within as well as trying to open the gates from the inside. More and more lives were taken in this war until all of a sudden, the front gate trembled and peeked open. The Arrow Group had succeeded!

    "Spear Group! The front gates are open, charge!" I roared as I led my group forward, piercing through the groups of battle-worn warriors. With a fierce punch, I smashed the gates apart and rammed my way through. We're in!

    But we did not stop there. As soon as our group entered, we kept charging forward as we slaughtered our way through. Both Morgal and Fior unleashed a number of vine-based and nature-based attacks to ensnare the Firebirds, preventing them from moving. But, since the Firebirds were of Fire Attribute, it took them a matter of seconds to escape. However, those seconds were ample time for my other subordinates to attack. Of course, we did not waste our time on the Firebird warriors outside. The main target is inside the large cave. Thus, we continued onwards, decimating those that stand in our way. Those that we skipped, were blocked by the Sword Group and Shield Group who had successfully entered as well. While that was happening, I waved my hand and signaled the Arrow Group to help the other three gates.

    Finally, after tens of Firebirds fell in our hands, we broke through the enemy lines and entered the cave. It felt quite...too quite. Not only was it dark, there were also no sounds. Was there a trap waiting for us? I ushered Sulnu forward and asked her to scout ahead for any traps or enemies. With her affinity towards the Death, she was more sensitive towards signs of life. Maybe the Firebirds in this cave were strong enough to hide their presences. Or maybe they had cowardly retreated. Either way, we soon know the situation. After a couple of seconds of scanning, Sulnu glanced over and told me that there were thirteen powerful life forces actively displaying themselves and close to a few hundred weaker life forces fleeing away. It seems the thirteen powerful life forces were the last line of defense. They were trying to stall us while their children ran away. I would have given chase, but the thirteen life forces were the main issue. Killing them will solve everything and end this fruitless war.

    I signaled my group to give up pursuit and head towards the thirteen life forces. As we near the thirteen, even I could sense their overwhelming pressure. I was impressed. It seemed that they are preparing their last stand. I was also a bit worried as I know that cornered beasts overcome their limits and fight back with more strength that originally possible. As we edged closer, we noticed a light. The light came from an open space - a large cavern. When we walked through the entrance to the cavern, we noticed thirteen Firebirds standing at the opposite end. It was the Patriarch of the Firebirds and twelve other Firebirds, each of different colors of flame.

    I asked Blackie about them and he replied that they were the twelve Grand Elders. Each lived for nearly ten thousand years and they were all direct descendants of a phoenix from the branch family. The phoenix, though weak even in the branch family, was all powerful in the Adventure World. Naturally, his children were powerful as well. However, my subordinates aren't weak either. We can take them on. Plus, its a perfect way to test out my subordinates' capabilities. As I approached the Firebirds, the Patriarch of the Firebirds glanced over. His eyes lingered over Blackie for a few seconds before staring at me.

    "I am Raas, Patriarch of the Firebirds. These are my Firebird Clan's twelve Grand Elders."

    I cupped my hands in salute and boldly spoke, "Enough formalities. Why should I remember the names of the dead?"

    "YOU!" One of the Grand Elders vehemently roared but was stopped by the Patriarch.

    "I know you're trying to buy time as your descendants escape. So, how should we do this?" I replied as I ignored the Grand Elder who spoke out.

    Patriarch Raas squinted his eyes as he scrutinized me and my group. "I'm sure your subordinates are very powerful. If we attack at the same time, I fear this cavern won't be able to support the pressure. How about this? Let's duke it out one-on-one?"

    "Oh...tournament-style right? I presume this is a fight to the death?"

    "It is. So, are we in agreement?"

    "Sure. You first...who do you sent out?"

    Patriarch Raas looked at his twelve Grand Elders and voiced, "Who among you will take the first fight?"

    "I will!" A bluish Firebird screeched as he hopped forward a few steps.

    The Firebird was blue and had a cold sensation seeping from his body. I was shocked at this sight. How can a Firebird emit coldness? This is too contradictory! When I asked Blackie who he was, Blackie replied that although he did not know who the Firebird was, he had heard rumors of the blue Firebird and his nickname - the Frozen Hellbird. This Firebird was known for using more ice-based attacks than fire-based as according to legends, his mother was an Ice Empress - one of the few powerful Snowbirds of the far north.

    "I am one of the Twelve Grand Elders - Cul the Frozen Hellbird. Who amongst you will die by my hands?" The Grand Elder roared as he surveyed my group.

    Before I asked my subordinates, a message flashed in my mind. It was from Tyn! He volunteered to go first. I nod in confirmation as a surge of happiness sprang from within me. At least Tyn did not grow up to be a coward. Such bravery, even against danger, was highly valued. Tyn, having received my notification, rushed forward and swiftly arrived in front of Cul.

    "I am Tyn and you will be my stepping stone to power."

    "Hmph, what arrogant words! Brat, prepare to die!"

    Tyn and the Firebird rushed towards each other. Tyn, being a variant Yeti with Ice and Darkness Attributes, was powerful with a solid defense and a devastating offense. Last time I checked, his Ice abilities had reached A rank and his Darkness abilities had peaked B rank. Although not much is known about the Grand Elder Tyn is fighting, one thing we know for sure is that this Grand Elder was more proficient in using Ice abilities. With Tyn's high resistance towards Ice attacks, at least he will have a good advantage in this fight.

    As the two warriors neared each other, Cul suddenly flapped his wings and ascended. With another flap, Ice Essence began to form and circulate around his wings. Suddenly, long sharp icicles appeared and shot towards Tyn. Not good! Although Ice attacks won't work against Tyn, the sharpness of the icicles could cause some considerable damage. Luckily, Tyn was aware of it as well as he quickly retreated a few steps, allowing the icicles to miss and embed themselves into the stony floor. Tyn snarled at Cul and rushed forward with his right arm raised. His eyes flashed black for a moment as a Dark Ball emerged from his hand. The Dark Ball rushed towards Cul who dodged by descending to the ground. To his surprise, Tyn was waiting for him. The young Yeti must have predicted his move! Tyn sneered at the approaching Firebird and raised both hands to meet him. With a growl, Tyn unleashed a large Ice Spike from his palms. The Ice Spike shot towards Cul who hastily pulled himself to the side. However, Cul wasn't fast enough as the Ice Spike grazed his left wing. Like Tyn, Cul was resistant to ice-based attacks but was not resistant towards piercing attacks.

    When the other Firebirds saw Cul wounded by the Ice Spike, they shuffled agitatedly as if they wanted to rush in and kill the furry bastard. But their objective was to buy time for their descendants to escape, not fight in an all-out battle. Cul too knew this as he ruffled his wings before charging towards Tyn. With a sharp peck, Cul pierced his beak towards the young variant. Tyn held out his right hand, palm facing upwards. Ice began to form around his hand. Having refined the Eternal Ice, Tyn was now able to quickly generate Ice Essence out of thin air. His hands began to move as he shaped the Ice Essence into an ice spear. Grabbing a hold of the ice spear, Tyn faced the charging Firebird and threw the spear at his enemy with all his might. The ice spear rushed towards Cul, shocking the Grand Elder. This speed was too fast! Cul knew he won't have enough time to dodge and so he decided to meet the attack head on. The Frozen Hellbird opened his beak and spat out a large ball of Fire Essence. This Fireball blasted towards the ice spear, colliding with it. In an explosion, steam poured out from the melted mix and Cul sighed with relief. However, what he didn't expect was that Tyn had fired an ice needle as soon as the explosion occurred. The second ice attack pierced through the steamy explosion and penetrated into Cul's head.

    Cul screamed in agony as he tumbled backwards from the force of the attack. The ice needle had embedded itself in one of his eyes. Blood and watery fluid ran out from his right eye as Cul whimpered in pain. Luckily, the needle wasn't long enough to reach his brain or the consequences could be dire. Cul gingerly reached over and grabbed the ice needle. With a tearful jerk, he removed the needle. Fresh blood squirted out from the wound, sending searing pulses of pain in Cul's head.

    "Cul! Are you alright?" Patriarch Raas cried out with worry.

    "I-I'm fine.... This bastard, I'll kill him!" Cul roared as the blood and pain induced a berserk-like state in the Firebird's mentality. This wound...he must get his revenge!

    "Hang in there Tyn! You're doing well." I encouraged as I was worried Tyn might get distracted by the large killing intent emitted from his opponent. Thankfully, that was not the case.

    Cul took to the air once again and started firing many ice attacks as well as fire attacks. There were Ice Needles, Ice Spears, Ice Blasts, Ice Waves, Freeze, Slow, Fireballs, Fire Waves, Fire Arrows, Fire Breaths...these were all attacks that didn't require much mana usage. The attacks crashed into Tyn who held his arms up to guard. Dust clouds formed from the impact, obscuring our view of Tyn. After more than a thousand explosions, Cul finally stopped as he panted in exhaustion. Though the mana needed to use each spell was small, after a thousand spells, the accumulated mana needed starts to pile up. Cul laughed maniacally as he was sure that no one could escape his onslaught. However, he stopped...for Cul saw something...or rather, he saw his opponent still standing with his arms in a guard position. I-Impossible! This young variant Yeti...survived all that?! No! He must be unconscious...that must be it!

    "Still standing eh? I commend you for your courage. Even though you're unconscious, to be able to still stand is a feat itself." Cul chuckled as he glanced at the motionless Yeti. Cul glanced towards me and my group and sneered, "This is my win. Send out your next warrior!"

    "Hahaha!" A laugh ran out causing Cul to tremble. The Frozen Hellbird traced the sound of the laughter to where the Yeti was standing. His eyes squinted with astonishment as he saw the young variant lower his arms and reveal a sneering face. His body practically unhurt from the barrage of attacks.

    "You think such weak attacks could hurt me?"

    "No! That's impossible! How are you still unhurt?" Cul gaped. For the first time in his life, he felt...fear.

    "Hmph! It's time to end this!" Tyn roared as he lunged into the air, arriving at eye-level with the Firebird.

    "Not if I can help it!" Cul roared as he prepared for his final move - Deep Freeze. With this attack, he will completely freeze the enemy in a special type of ice that can never be melted. The cold will seep into his opponent and freeze every part every cell of his entire body. "Take my ultimate attack - Deep Free-!"

    "Dark Silence!" Tyn roared before Cul could finish his spell.

    Cul quickly found that he could not finish his spell. He tried to open his beak to talk but he found that he couldn't speak. A muting spell! Cul tried to formulate a spell in his mind to break the spell but he found that he couldn't form spell formations as well. This spell...what is this? He looked at the young variant Yeti in astonishment. Don't tell me this spell was an inherited magic spell?

    "You may be wondering what had happened right? Well, let me tell you. I just cast a powerful muting spell called Dark Silence. This spell is something that I created after receiving some enlightenment from an adventurer. With this spell, not only can you not speak, you cannot form no-chant spells either." Tyn explained as he puffed out his chest with pride for his accomplishment.

    "Now...prepare to die!"

    Tyn lunged up into the air once again and hurled an Ice Ball towards Cul. In an attempt to dodge, Cul flew to the right. However, it seemed the young Yeti had expected this as he was smashed into the ground by a furry fist. The Yeti landed in front of the crumbled Firebird and raised his leg. With a few sickening stomps, Tyn broke Cul's wings. Cul cried out in agony but due to the muting spell, no sound came out. Tyn then raised his hand one more time and formed an ice sword. He was about to behead the Firebird.

    "No! Don't! Please spare him!" Patriarch Raas and the other Grand Elders roared but they shouts were futile.

    Tyn sneered once more before slashing down. A head flew up and tumbled to the ground. It rolled a few meters and stopped by the Firebirds' feet. The Patriarch collapsed onto the ground as he stared at the wide-eyed head. Anger seemed to seep through his body as he glared at Tyn. However, all he saw was the young Yeti's back as Tyn made his way back to my group.

    "Alright, we won this battle. Who is next?" I replied nonchalantly.

    "We are." Fior replied as he and Morgal approached the stage.

    I looked at the Firebirds and asked, "Two-on-two, how about it?"

    "Good...good...good." Patriarch Raas muttered as he glanced at two of the remaining Grand Elders. "You two, kill them."

    "As you will." The two Grand Elders bowed before approaching the stage. These two Firebirds looked alike and had black feathers with fiery appearances.

    Who were they? I glanced at Blackie who in turn told me that those two were brothers from the same mother - a Death Owl. The older brother was called Nigt and the younger brother was called Darc. Both brothers inherited their mother's attribute - Death Attribute. Death Attribute eh...not to mention the inherent Fire Attribute from the father. This is disadvantageous to Morgal and Fior who were both of Nature Attribute. I was about to call them back but Fior looked at me meaningfully and told me they got it. Nodding towards their confidence, I waved them onward.

    "Who are you youngsters?" The Grand Elder Nigt asked as he stared at the two opponents approaching him and his brother.

    "Shouldn't you give your name first before asking?" Fior replied as he sized the Firebird who had spoken.

    "Hmph! How rude!" Darc sneered, "It seems you lot need to be taught a lesson."

    "Nigt! Darc! Enough talking, kill them!" Patriarch Raas roared.

    The two brothers nodded towards the patriarch and flew into the air. Deathly aura flooded the vicinity. It seems the two Firebirds were preparing to unleash a powerful attack. Suddenly, Sulnu spoke in my mind.

    Master! Those two are about to cast Death Wave! Sulnu urgently replied.

    Fior! Morgal! You heard her? I said as I transmitted what Sulnu said to the two combatants.

    The two subordinates nodded as they split apart, distancing themselves from each other. Morgal reached out with both hands and shot vines from his hands. Having absorbed the pure Morian Essence, Morgal's power had boosted exponentially. Vines shot from him and slithered towards Nigt. On the other side, Fior too unleashed a plethora of vines from the ground. The vines shot up towards Darc, attempting to ensnare him and drag him to the ground. The two Firebird brothers sneered at their attempts and swiftly unleashed the Death Waves. The Death Waves collided with the vines, withering them and crumbling them before they could reach their targets. With not a moment to spare, both Firebirds dove towards Morgal in an attempt to take out the weakest opponent. Morgal raised some vines before him to form a wall and block the diving Firebirds however, he was too late as the Firebirds pierced through the opening of the vines. Morgal, seeing his defense unsuccessful, retreated a few steps.

    Fior rushed forward to help Morgal. Being a Treant King, it was natural for him to take care of his fellow Treants even if it was an Half-Treant like Morgal. With a fist balled, Fior punches forward and a large earthen fist emerges from the ground. This was a variation of the magic spell - Earth Bend! The earth fist shot forward and arrived at the Firebirds' blindside. With a loud crash, the earth fist smashed into Darc sending him flying into Nigt. The two Firebirds lost their balance in the air and tumbled into the ground. The two Firebirds angrily scrambled to their feet, however, Nigt stumbled and collapsed once again.

    "What happened brother?" Darc cried out as he saw Nigt trip over.

    "My wing! I think it's broken!" Nigt screamed.

    "Damn it! Was it from the fall? What should we do now?"

    "You go high, I'll take low."

    "Alright." Darc agreed as he flapped his wings and ascended from the ground. Nigt, with his wing broken, could only stay on the ground. "Brother, same plan."

    The two Firebirds charged towards Morgal once again. Fior rushed forward once more to stop them but Darc suddenly swirled around and shot a fireball imbued with deathly aura at him. Fior raise his hand to block the attack. The fireball collided with his hand, withering and burning it. The wither began to spread up his arm and towards his body. Fior, in an attempt to rid himself of the withering, slashed off his arm. The arm fell to the ground and continued to burn into ash. While all this was happening, the two Firebirds rushed towards Morgal once more and was able to successfully unleash two magic attacks - one fireball and one Death Strike.

    Morgal screamed in pain as his body lit up in flames. He couldn't regenerate properly as the Death Strike had withered away his regenerative cells. Fior lunged towards Morgal to check on his situation but he was blocked by Darc. While Darc blocked Fior's path, Nigt charged forward and pierced Morgal's shoulder with his talons. Morgal grunted with pain as he tried to knock away the Firebird on top of him. Nigt sneered and raised his other leg, ready to pierce Morgal's head. Was this the end?!

    Seeing this, I could not just sit back. I had to do something. I secretly waved my hand a bit and procured two transparent ice needles. With a flick of my wrist, I sent those two needles one after the other towards a major vital point of Nigt's. The first needle collided with Nigt's flaming body, ripping open the fiery defenses and providing an opening for the second needle to enter. The second needle pierced into Nigt's vital point causing him to pause. This was enough time for Morgal to fling the Firebird off of him. Because the needle had pierced one of Nigt's vital points, his overall strength had diminished and his mana went disarray. As Nigt struggled to stabilize his mana, Morgal reached over and pierced Nigt in the chest, completely erupting the Firebird's heart from inside.

    As the Firebird collapsed and his life force dispersed, his brother Darc turned and screamed in loss and pain. This moment of distraction caused him his life as Fior took advantage of the situation and unleashed a dense mist of poison. Darc inhaled the poison and collapsed. His body twitched uncontrollably before coming to a halt. His entire body changed color from black to purple to green and finally stopping at white. Fior rushed over to Morgal to check on his situation. Once Fior removed the debuffs on Morgal, he began to help the Half-Treant with his healing process.

    "Seems like we won this round too." I replied after I checked on Morgal's status before leering at the Firebirds on the opposite end.

    "No! That cannot be! You cheated! I saw you!" Patriarch Raas roared as he stepped forward menacingly.

    "Bullshit! Where's your proof?" I roared back.

    "I saw you with my own eyes! You shot two ice needles into Nigt!"

    "Oh...well I tried." I muttered before sending a mental transmission to my subordinates. It was time to rush them.

    As the Firebirds angrily stepped towards me and my group, I took the initiative to charge forward and meet them by surprise. Dashing forward like a shooting star, I crashed into Raas and the two of us broke through a wall to another room. The remaining nine Grand Elders froze in unexpected shock which was ample time for Fior to grab Morgal and withdraw from the battle. While Fior carried Morgal to a safe distance to heal him, the other members of my group charged into battle with the Grand Elders.

    As soon as I sent Raas crashing into another room, I parted from him in order to add a few meters between us. Though my earlier tackle couldn't have injured the Patriarch of the Firebirds, I was sure that I had knocked the wind out of him. As Raas tried to get a second wind, I was already preparing for an attack. In a few seconds, I had formed and suspended a few hundred ice needles in the air. With a release of my arm, I launched the ice needles towards my enemy. Raas saw the incoming attack from the corner of his eye and flung himself back, however, he did not realize the intensity of the attack. At least ten of the ice needles were able to penetrate his fiery body. Though the damage was minimal, it was still shocking for the arrogant Firebird. In a fit of anger, the Firebird soared into the air and shot a number of fireballs towards me. Instead of dodging back like any other person, I took a risk and rolled forward. Success! I was able to dodge the incoming fireballs.

    As I steadied myself after the tumble, I drew out my skinning knife and held it like a dagger with the blade pointing down. Once I steadied myself, I jumped towards Raas and stabbed with my knife. Unfortunately, Raas expected my intentions and dodged the attack. With a swipe of his wings, the Firebird smashed me back. Not giving him any chance to continue the assault, I rolled to the side and quickly got on my feet. Seeing Raas dive towards me, talons out and ready to strike, I sharply raised my hand while channeling Earth Essence. The ground erupted forth as an earthen wall emerged. I had initially tried to smash the wall into Raas, but I did not expect his reactions to be so quick as the Firebird veered off and threw himself to the ground in order to avoid being hit.

    "Divine Flames of the Phoenix!" Raas roared as he unleashed one of his clan's inherited techniques.

    Flames surged from his body as the color of the flames intensified into a crimson hue. Suddenly, the flames flew out from his body some meters above and manifest into a bird-like figure. With a deafening screech, the writhing flames shot upwards in an arc before diving towards me in an unbelievably fast speed. I flipped backwards and dodged the attack. The flaming bird pierced through the ground. What penetrating power! As I glanced at Raas, I noticed he seemed to be a bit haggard. That attack of his must have drained a great deal of mana. Chance! I lunged forward and thrust my knife towards the Firebird's heaving chest. That's when I saw something weird...Raas was smiling?! Not good! I lurched to the side quickly as I suddenly sensed an immense danger fast approaching me. The bird of flames shot out from the ground and slashed my left arm. Inconceivable! This attack...not only was it homing, it also did not diminish in power! Kugh! I clutched my wounded arm. Blood kept pouring out and flames started sprouting out from the gap. Dangerous! I need to put out the fire!

    I hastily tried to pat the flames out but it was too strong. Pain continued to spread throughout my arm. Decisively, I withdrew a few acupuncture needles from my pouch and insert them in key points on my arm to block the pain sensors. As my mind calmed down, I attempted to freeze the flames from my arm. However, that was a failure as the flames melted any attempts at cooling and did not show any signs of weakening. Seeing the flaming bird dive towards me once again, I hopped back a few times to gave me some distance. Then, I began to brainstorm for any ideas to heal my arm. Currently, although I don't feel pain, it did not mean my arm wasn't wounded. Not being able to feel pain can be regarded as a double-edged sword. As I continued to think, I hopped around a few times to avoid the homing attack.

    If I can't freeze or cool down the flames, then I must fight fire with fire...literally. I began to generate the Flames of Wrath within me, making sure to focus most of my energy on my left arm. By this time, the flames from the attack had spread up to my shoulder. I must hurry before the flames reach past my arm. Flames of Wrath began generating within the vicinity of my left arm until finally, a burst of blackish red flames burst out and began consuming the crimson flames. When the flames disappeared, my wound naturally healed with the help of my excellent regeneration and healing potions. With the remaining Flames of Wrath, I compressed them into a small ball and threw the ball towards the flying bird of flames. With my precise throwing skills, I was able to land the ball on the flaming attack. The divine flames writhed as the Flames of Wrath merged with the crimson flames, consuming it until nothing was left.

    Raas stared in disbelief at the flames that just disappeared...or rather consumed. This was the divine flames of his ancestor! How...how strong must that blackish red flame be? Impossible...there must have been some kind of cheap trick involved. That must be it! Raas turned his gaze away from the fading flames and glared at the human before him. Hated enemy! He must die! Raas roared with anger and dashed forward.

    Human! Die! Taste my Talons of Reigning Supreme!

    As I nodded with satisfaction at the disappearing flaming attack, I heard a piercing shout of anger. I looked to the source of the yell and saw Raas charging towards me, his talons aimed at me. I sneered. Hmph! Want to contend with me with physical prowess? I'll show you what it means to be a frog in the bottom of the well! I positioned myself in a fighting stance and began gathering energy within me...or more precisely, Dragon's Essence. After reaching a certain amount of essence, I propelled forward to meet Raas, my hand forming a five-fingered claw and thrusting forth.

    Dragon Bite!

    The nine Grand Elders attempted to kill the enemies before them. However, what they didn't anticipate was the power each of their enemies hold. The nine Grand Elders had initially assumed that the power of the enemies that didn't fight were as strong as the ones who had fought. If the others had the same strength and prowess as Tyn, Fior, and Morgal, then they would have been difficult but not impossible to deal with. After all, the three Grand Elders who lost their lives were considered the weakest three among themselves. However, that was not the case. As they met each other in full force, the slime rushed ahead and spat out some sort of jelly-like substance towards them. Everyone parted and flew off in different directions. The jelly-like substance splashed onto the floor where it began to sizzle. It was a type of strong acid! But they did not have the time to worry about it as two screams erupted. Two bodies fell to the ground, their heads gone.

    "Xan! Haly!" One of the Firebirds screamed. The two headless bodies were naturally two of the remaining Grand Elders. They had died way too fast. The other Firebirds furiously scanned their opponents for the culprit until their eyes landed on the two bloodied heads lying next to the feet of the black Firebird.

    That was right. It was Blackie who swiftly and mercilessly ripped off the heads of the two former Grand Elders. It was something that he and Agaricus had planned ahead of time. As soon as Agaricus forced the charging enemies to separate from each other, he would attack the nearest enemy. Unfortunately for Xan and Haly, they were the closest ones to Blackie. There was no personal grudge as the hatred Blackie has was towards the Firebird clan as a whole, Xan and Haly was just unlucky. Anyways, as soon as the remaining Grand Elders saw who it was that had killed two of their own, they roared in pain and loss and converged towards Blackie. However, this was what Blackie had intended. He needed to divert the Firebirds attention to him so that his fellow comrades could ambush and deal some significant damage. The Firebirds lunged towards the black Firebird, intent on tearing him to pieces. With only Blackie in their bloodshot eyes, they did not notice the slight and swift movements edging towards their blind sides...until it was too late.

    Kabuto lowered his horn in order for Kalia to climb on. With a heave, he launched the young Queen Beetle into the air. Kalia arched towards the nearest Firebird and spat out a deadly viscous liquid, melting away the Firebird. The screaming Grand Elder plummeted to the ground where Kabuto had his horn raised up. With the help of gravity, the Firebird collided with Kabuto's horn and was impaled. She struggled fiercely for a while but with each struggle, she slid further down the horn and the pierced wound grew bigger. After a few seconds, the Firebird breathed her last breath and died. Nearby Firebirds heard her scream and turned to look but was bombarded with a few more screams from the opposite side. Two more Firebird Grand Elders had perished from decisive attacks. One from Sulnu who had disoriented one of the Firebirds with a Wind Blast, causing the Firebird to stumble in the air. As the Firebird drooped down to steady himself, Sulnu landed on his back and clamped her jaws onto the Firebird's neck. The Grand Elder struggled in pain as he screeched out a deafening shout. The Firebird tried to flare up his flames in order to burn and shake off the bastard on top of him. However, not only was there no reaction, but the pain in his neck increased. His strength began to seep out and his mind clouded. Seconds later, he died from suffocation and blood loss.

    The other Firebird that died was killed by Agaricus who threw a glob of slime accurately onto the Firebird. This slime was different from the acid that he spewed out earlier and instead, it was a small clone of his. This clone, once it collided with the Firebird, it began to consume and absorb regardless of the fiery flames on the Firebird. No matter how much the Firebird tried to burn or tear off the slime, it continued to expand and consume his body. The slime continued to relentlessly grow as it covered up the Firebird's body and eat away his flames...his flesh...his essence. With a heart-wrenching scream, the Firebird died as his corpse fell to the ground. Once the slime completely engulfed the body and consumed it, it began to slither back towards Agaricus where it merged with the main body. The nutrients and the essence absorbed was then transferred to Agaricus. The remaining four Grand Elders, having witnessed the deaths of three of their own, halted their movements and quickly retreated to the ceiling of the cavern. They had underestimated the strengths of their opponents and were now outnumbered. They needed to distance themselves from the enemies in order to regroup and think of a plan.

    "What should we do?" One of the Firebirds asked as he glanced at a blood red Firebird, who seemed to be the oldest and strongest member of the remaining Grand Elders.

    "What can we do?" The blood red Firebird grimaced. "We already know that this will be a losing battle. Our objective isn't to win but to buy time for our young ones to flee. They are the keys to our clan's survival."

    "I-I know that...I'm just can't accept this humiliating outcome. Kuros...Janei...Nil...they all died without inflicting any damage. It's essentially a dog's death!"

    "Flit! I forbid you from destroying their reputation! They may have died worthlessly, but they were able to hold up the enemies' time...which is the time our descendants needed in order to escape!"

    "I-I'm sorry. I misspoke."

    "Now all that's left is to decide on our next step. What should we do in order to buy more time?"

    While the Firebirds were conversing, Ranger glared at them as he walked towards their direction. Ranger looked back and motioned Minos to follow. Stealthily, they were able to get within fifty meters from the Firebirds. Ranger motioned Minos to hoist his tower shield up and protect Ranger from any attacks in case the Firebirds noticed them and started attacking. Then, Ranger reached towards his back and pulled out three arrows. Upon nocking the three arrows, he took aim and fired those arrows towards the Firebirds. Quickly, before the arrows covered a lot of distance, Ranger nocked another arrow and swiftly let it fly. The arrow followed behind the three arrows, hiding in the three arrows' shadows. The Firebirds immediately sensed danger and saw the incoming arrows. From their point of view coupled with the fact that they did not see the arrows being released, they did not see the hidden arrow. The Firebirds scattered hastily, allowing the three arrows to fly past them. One of the Grand Elders sighed in relief but suddenly a searing pain coursed through her left wing. She glanced over and saw an arrow sticking out of her wing. How? Didn't she dodge all three arrows? No way...there was a fourth!

    With one of her wings out of commission, the female Grand Elder could do nothing but spiral to the ground where a giant minotaur met her with a swing of his toothed greatsword. Like the three Grand Elders before her, she too had died without doing anything. While the three remaining Firebirds tear up at the sight of losing another one of their clan, the Grand Lich God End stepped up and raised his hand towards them. With a grunt, a wave of dark essence smashed emitted from his hand and crashed into the three Grand Elders, disorienting them and sending them tumbling down to the ground. Stein was ready for them as he unsheathed his two blades and started hacking away at the fallen Firebirds. While they were being taken care of, Blackie was staring at the hole in the wall...or rather at the place where me and his father went.

    Not good! Blackie thought as an uneasy feeling washed over him. He glanced to the others and told them that he will go check on me. He personally knew the power of the Patriarch of the Firebirds and that any distraction could prove harmful to me. Without another word, Blackie rushed into the hole.

    Talons of Reigning Supreme!

    Dragon Bite!

    Two figures collided with one another, causing an explosion of dust. As the dust cleared, any bystander could see a human in a deadlock with a powerful-looking Firebird. Patriarch Raas sneered at me and roared something about how with his strength, it would take him five breaths to defeat me...hmph! Laughable! After a few seconds of struggling, we broke apart. I threw a right hook at Raas who weaved to the side and countered with a fierce peck. I reacted instantly by grabbing Raas's neck, preventing his attack from landing. In retaliation, Raas erupted as the flames on his body intensified. The temperature of his flames became hot enough to melt Ice Golems. However, with my high resistance to heat coupled with the Flames of Wrath running through my veins, such weak flames posed no threat to me. With some annoyance, I swung the Firebird over my shoulder and slammed him heavily onto the ground.

    Ouch! I winced in some pain and discomfort. This bitch actually managed to pierce my arm with his beak! With a shout, I angrily tossed Firebird some meters away. As I stopped the bleeding on my arm with some medicinal herbs, I withdrew my skinning knife and cautiously approached my enemy. It was time to get serious. Raas had already struggled to his feet and glared at me as he silently observed my movements. It wasn't the right time to act rash. He needed to take his time and fight with a clear mind or else he would suffer greatly. Patriarch Raas, upon seeing my approach, began to edge on the right. Not wanting the Firebird to disappear to my blind side, I turned my body in order to keep my eyes on him.

    Suddenly, Raas screeched before he started running towards me. I held up my knife in order to meet the charge. At about five meters away, the Firebird opened his mouth and started spewing out a number of Fireballs at me. From between the spacing between the numerous Fireballs, I could see that the Firebird had kept charging, his speed no slower than before. Hmph! This retard thinks he can use the Fireballs as cover and attack while I defend against the Fireballs. Fine. I'll play your game. Using an accumulation of Earth Essence, I raised up an earthen wall to block the incoming attacks. The Fireballs smashed apart the wall and Raas charged through. With a thrust, he kicked out with all his might and beheaded his enemy...or so he thought.

    As soon as his leg penetrated his enemy's head, he felt that something was off...the head...it felt lacking. Sensing something amiss, Raas hopped back and peered at his opponent. As he thought! As soon as he stepped back, he could see that his enemy was beginning to fade away. What was this? An illusion? A clone? No. He was wrong on both assumptions. This was an...my afterimage. As soon as I erected the earthen wall, I swiftly stepped away from my original position. The speed at which I rushed away caused me to leave behind an afterimage. When Raas smashed his talons into my afterimage's head, I was already behind him. I brought my skinning knife down and slashed the Firebird in the back. Tch! Unfortunately it was too shallow as Raas dropped to the ground and rolled forward a couple of times. As he scrambled to his feet, he waved his wings a couple of times, unleashing a number of feather-like flames.

    My eyes widen in shock as I grimaced at the numerous flames darting towards me. Shit! I may have underestimated his mana capacity. Hmph! I want to see how much mana he still have left. I waved my hand a couple of times in front of me while generating and accumulating Ice Essence within me. Hundreds upon hundreds of ice needles appeared before me. With a flick of my wrist, I sent the ice needles towards the flames. My ice needles collided with the Firebird's flames, lowering their power and intensity but not completely extinguishing them. Seeing this happen, I continue to produce more ice needles and hurl them at the flames. It was too late when I realized my mistake. I had been too focused on the flames that I did not notice that Raas had slipped away. I frantically looked for that damned Firebird. Right! Left! Above! No! Behind! As soon as I turned around, a wing appeared in my view and uppercut me high into the air. Before I could recover, the Firebird flew beside me and stomped on my gut, his talons piercing through. With some strength exerted, the Firebird pushed forth his leg and the two of us descended to the ground below.

    BOOM! Burning pain coursed through my sides as blood poured out like a raging river. Stifling a grunt, I nearly bit my tongue off. I raised my knife and tried to slash at the Firebird's leg but he quickly noticed my intentions and kicked the knife out of my hand. Then, he lifted his free leg and aimed at my head. Is this the end? Raas kicked out with his leg, the talons approaching closer and closer. I gritted my teeth in reluctance and anger. I can't accept this fate!

    Just before the talons pierced my head, a black figure appeared from the corner of my eyes. It was Blackie! Blackie drilled towards Raas and knocked him away from me. I quickly scrambled to my feet only to drop down on one knee as I winced at the pain from my wound. Quickly, I withdrew a few acupuncture needles and inserted them in key points around my wound. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. I crushed some medicinal herbs and melted them into liquid. Then, I applied them on the wound. Next, I reached into my storage bag and pulled out two pills. These were high grade healing pills. I crushed one and applied the powder on my wound and I ate the other one. Miraculously, the wounds quickly closed. I moved around a bit and felt my stomach. Still a bit sore but that was all. I looked up and saw that Blackie and Raas were still fighting. It seemed Blackie was losing.

    I stood up and took a deep breath. After I calmed down my nerves, I bent my knees and began moving my hands in a winding and circulating manner. In a few seconds, essence began to gather and form at my core. This essence was known as Dragon's Essence - a special type of essence used for cultivating and mastering the Dragon's Roar Technique. After accumulating enough essence, I stepped forward and cupped my hands to my mouth. With a deep breath in, I began to channel the Dragon's Essence into my vocal chords and roared, the hands helped channel the sound towards Raas. This was one of the intermediate-level skills - Dragon Roar. The sound-based attack smashed into the Firebird causing him to stagger back a few steps. He shook his head a couple of times to clear away the confusion that played about on his mind. As he stabilized himself, he coughed out a spurt of blood. The attack must have caused some internal damage to the Firebird.

    While Raas incapacitated for a bit, I hurry towards Blackie to check on him for any injuries. Luckily, Blackie only has a few bruises and minor scratches. Without waiting for the opponent to recover, we dashed forward and kicked out. Both our kicks landed on Raas's chest, sending him flying. The Patriarch of the Firebirds tumbled to the ground and laid there, blood pouring out of every orifice. He tried to prop himself up but there was no strength left. He collapsed once more. Raas, without any strength to sit up, just laid there laughing.

    "What are you laughing at?" Blackie snarled as he and I slowly edged our way towards him.

    "Unfilial brat! Is this how you treat your father?" Raas sneered as he spat out another mouthful of blood.

    "Damnable bitch! You killed me! Why should I treat you as a father? Do you even act like one?"

    "Hahahaha.... I should have cremated you when I broke your neck!"

    "Enough talk. Time to die!" Blackie roared as he took another step towards Raas.

    He remembered his dead mother. He remembered the way this damned Firebird had treated his mother. With a fierce glint in his eyes and anger welling from his heart, Blackie unleashed his skill - Cry of the Nightingale. The point blank high-pitched wail smashed into Raas and penetrated his skull, poisoning his mind and causing his eyes to roll up. The pain induced by this sound attack caused so much pain to Raas's mind that his brain exploded and gushed out. The Patriarch of the Firebirds had finally died.

    I reached over with my skinning knife that I picked up earlier and beheaded the Firebird. Holding the head, I reunited with the rest of my party. They had just finished killing the rest of the Grand Elders. When they saw me walk towards them, they knew immediately that they had won this battle. After I checked on my subordinates and healed any injuries, we exited the place. Outside, the rest of the armies were still fighting with each other, oblivious of the victories we had made inside. With a huge roar, I drew everyone's attention towards me.

    "LOOK AT WHAT'S IN MY HAND!! THIS IS THE HEAD OF YOUR PATRIARCH! YOUR LEADER IS DEAD! SURRENDER OR DIE!!!"

    Initially, the Firebirds had an upper hand to the battle. However, when the remaining Firebirds that were fighting outside heard my declaration, they could not believe their ears. Some tried to dispute my words by examining the head and prove that it wasn't the Patriarch's. But, when they realize that it was in fact the Patriarch's head, they froze in shock. Many began to pick up on their reactions and they too realize that...their leader was dead. Panic rose in their hearts as their morale decreased significantly. Many dropped to their knees and began crying. Soon, every Firebird began to wail. The wails resounded in the air and echoed throughout the mountains.

    The echoes of wails booming throughout the mountains had shook even the North Volcano. Every monster within the vicinity raised their heads up, curious at what the sounds were. Somewhere deep in the heart of the North Volcano, a sleeping figure stirred slightly. Its eyes slowly opened and it tilted its head in order to listen to the wails more clearly. Suddenly, as if the figure had thought of something, its eyes opened wide and flashed with a glint of anger. With a deep roar, the figure flew out of the North Volcano and sped through the mountains towards the source of the wails.

    "Stop crying!" Krosgund roared with displeasure at the sight of the mourning Firebirds. He even reached forward and killed a few Firebirds but the others did not pay attention to his actions and continued to mourn.

    The Firebirds, having lost their will to fight, could only surrender. They hung their heads low with sorrow and defeat. As I surveyed the defeated enemy, I nodded with satisfaction before speaking out once more.

    "Krosgund! The Firebirds have surrendered. Although some of the younger generations have escaped, but this should be enough right? Anyways, treat those who have surrendered as prisoners of war. Do what you want with them."

    "WHO DARES!?" A voice boomed out suddenly.

    I looked up and saw burning red figure shoot towards our direction like a meteor. The figure cratered the ground at the center of the battlefield causing smoke to arise and spread from the crash site. An eminent aura burst forth causing many Wyverns and Firebirds to cower with fright. Two golden glows flashed in the smoke as it moved around. When the smoke cleared away, a magnificent bird-like creature came to view. This creature had reddish gold flames enveloping his entire body. Could this be...the legendary Phoenix, the Firebirds' ancestor? There was a vast difference in appearance between Firebirds and Phoenixes. The Phoenixes were bird-like mythical creatures with flames constantly enveloping their entire bodies while the Firebirds were bird-like creatures of flame colors. Anyways, the Phoenix stood up and scanned the area. As if sensing something, he swiveled around and glanced towards me. When he recognized the head in my hand, his eyes squinted and killing intent spewed out from him.

    Ignoring the pressure, I glared back at him coldly. "You must be the ancestor of this Firebird clan."

    "Who are you?" The Phoenix growled, ignoring my statement.

    Such an imposing arrogant manner. I glanced towards Blackie standing next to me and sent him a mental transmission. Any confidence?

    Yes. Blackie nodded in confirmation.

    In that case...I stared at the Phoenix and sneered, "I am Khaos the Mask Maker. Remember who it is that kills you."

    "Impudent!" The Phoenix roared as he kicked off the ground and...disappeared?

    No, this was a movement technique! I quickly channeled some Life Essence and Dragon's Essence in order to increase my defenses as I raised my hands up to guard. BOOM! I spat out some blood as the Phoenix tackled me, sending me high into the air. My arms were numb from the impact and there was little to no strength in them. I grimaced at the strength of this Phoenix. Though he was just a "trash" from a branch family, his strength was still a ways above my own. However, with Blackie...maybe I'll manage. The Phoenix flew up into the air and sharply descended, his leg pointed towards me with talons out ready to pierce. This! Wasn't this Talons of Reigning Supreme? Hmph!

    Immediately, I calmed my nerves using Dragon Breath. Then, I activated Scales of Dragons to increase my defense. Bending my legs, I positioned myself below the diving Phoenix and jumped using Dragon Leap. In the air, I too positioned myself so that my leg aimed towards the Phoenix. This was another of my intermediate moves - Flying Dragon Kick. Let's see whose kick was stronger!

    The power of my Dragon Leap tripled the effects of Flying Dragon Kick. As soon as we collided, a large explosion of force leaked out to the surroundings. The Phoenix rebounded back and landed on the ground after a few flips. He took a few steps back before coming to a halt, shock emanating from his eyes. I, on the other hand, crashed into the ground, my leg numb and my ankle twisted. I gently rubbed the sore area and checked that nothing was broken. I tried to stand but my leg was still sore and thus I couldn't stabilize myself as I fell to my knees. Seeing my injury, the Phoenix dashed forward fired a plethora of fireballs towards me.

    Unable to move, I could only improvise. I smashed my hand onto the ground, using Dragon Palm, and pushed myself up. Though I dodged the majority of the fireballs, there were two that collided with my lower body. The attack flipped me around a few times before I tumbled to the ground once more. I rolled around a few times to extinguish the flames on my legs. I cannot waste any more time. I need to end this quickly or my stamina and energy will give out before I do. Struggling to stand, I barely held myself up. The Phoenix sneered at my stubbornness and charged once more. My eyes flashed once as I thought of a plan. Gritting my teeth, I stomped the lesser of my injured feet on the ground towards the Phoenix. This was one of the beginner moves - Dragon Stomp. The ground shook from my stomp, causing the Phoenix to stumble momentarily. Then, I manipulated the Dragon's Essence in my hands in a series of movements to form a Dragon avatar. I glared at the Phoenix as I completed the secret technique - Dragon Summon. I thrust my hands forward and the Dragon avatar roared towards the Phoenix. The Phoenix, realizing that he had no time to dodge, raised his wings up to guard. The Dragon avatar exploded into the Phoenix, causing him to spurt out a few mouthfuls of blood. He took a few steps back and collapsed on one knee.

    The Phoenix sneered at me and wiped his beak. "You are dead! Die!"

    The Phoenix flared up his flames until they became blood red and shot towards me like a shooting star. Blackie rushed in front of me and fired a few Fireballs towards the Phoenix. The Fireballs smashed into the Phoenix but did little to no damage. In fact, they did not even slow the enemy down. Blackie squinted his eyes in contemplation before taking a deep breath. With a sharp wail, he used Cry of the Nightingale. The sound attack collided with the charging opponent, poisoning his mind but the Phoenix was unstoppable. Blackie did not want the Phoenix's attack to smash into me and so he decided to sacrifice himself and rushed towards the Phoenix to meet his charge. Naturally, I tried to order him to step down but he ignored my words. If only my legs could move.... Sighing bitterly, I could do nothing but complement him. With a series of hand movements, I summoned Dragon's Tornado and sent the wind-based attack towards the Phoenix in hopes of slowing him down. The tornado collided with the Phoenix and he seemed to pause for a moment. However, the Phoenix burned his flames more brightly and pierced through the tornado. Blackie and the Phoenix crashed into each other and it seemed for a few seconds that Blackie was able to halt the Phoenix's movements. However, Blackie let out a sharp cry all of a sudden before he was sent flying back. The Phoenix had lost a lot of momentum and his speed decreased significantly.

    I quickly checked on Blackie and was happy to know that he was still alive though severely injured. I glared at the Phoenix who had completely stopped in his tracks. He was bent over panting as the attack had used a lot of his energy and Fire Essence. Not giving him time to recover, I gathered the Dragon's Essence to my mouth and unleashed the Dragon Roar. With his defenses down, the Phoenix was susceptible to the sound attack and his mind suffered from mental damage. In the Phoenix's confusion, I withdrew some acupuncture needles and threw them at the him, paralyzing him. Then, using Storming of Dragons, I rammed into him and knocked him back. I grabbed his throat with one hand and his left wing with another. With a sickening wrench, I used what remained of my upper strength and tore his wing off. The Phoenix screeched with pain and kicked me away. I tumbled back a couple of times before stabilizing myself in a kneeling position. With out a moment of respite, I raised my skinning knife and jumped into the air. I brought the knife down onto the collapsed Phoenix and pierced his heart. The Phoenix struggled horrendously for a few moments as I clung onto the knife for dear life. I almost let go a couple of times, but I held the knife firmly in place. Finally, the Phoenix's eyes began to fade and slowly...he perished. When the Firebirds saw that their ancestor was killed, they fled for their lives. The Wyverns gave chase and started slaughtering more of the Firebirds.

    I had killed a Phoenix! Quickly, I severed the head and placed the severed neck of the head to my mouth, letting the fresh blood drip into my mouth and down my throat. I had heard that by drinking the blood of a Firebird, my healing prowess would increase significantly. Then, if I drank the blood of a Phoenix, wouldn't my wounds heal instantly? After downing a few gulps of the blood, I brought the rest of the blood to Blackie for him to drink as well. It was a miracle! Our wounds completely healed as if we were reborn and I could even feel my stats increase by a good portion.

    I gestured for my army to follow the Wyverns and wipe out any surviving Firebirds. They had not chosen to surrender so they can only die. As my army left with the majority of my subordinates, I got up and began to collect the fresh materials on the ground. Firebird corpses everywhere...such treasure! I couldn't collect the Wyvern corpses though...since I was allied with the Wyverns. If I were to do so, it would be disrespectful. Anyways, as I gathered the corpses into my storage ring, Blackie helped out by showing me the treasure vault that the fortress held. All was good until suddenly...a sharp pain erupted in my body. I collapsed in writhing pain as I clutched my stomach. To my right, Blackie also collapsed in pain. What happened?

    The pain started to spread until it reached every part of my body. The throbbing sensation persisted for a while until the pain began to move once more. The pain started to converge towards my head. Soon, all the throbbing, numbing pain presided in my head. I grabbed my head as it felt like my head would explode any moment. Suddenly, images began forming rapidly in my mind. I screamed in pain with the overload of images. As soon as it happened, it stopped. The pain...the images...all gone. As my mind calmed down, I began to sort through my mind. These images turned out to be memories of the Phoenix. Oh? What's this? Is this a technique?

    Burning Meteor Strike - this was one of the many innate techniques of the Phoenix Family. The Burning Meteor Strike was the attack that I had experienced earlier when the Phoenix flared up his flames and charged towards me like a shooting star. Now that the technique's methods and mastery is in my hands, I naturally will make good use of it in battle. As for the other images...apparently, they were the memories of the Phoenix that was killed. The Phoenix came from a main family that had originated from a higher realm. In that realm, their world was dying from diminishing resources and overpopulation. In order to look for solutions, the Phoenix Family sent out members of the branch families to different lower realms in order to scout for potential resources and migration. The group that the Phoenix I killed was in had descended to this world and scattered across the world. Though the Phoenix that was killed was just a "trash" from the branch family, he was still extremely powerful in this world's standards. Judging from his strength, he could easily be a SS ranked monster. But since he died in my and Blackie's hands, this SS rank could be a low level rank. Nevertheless, this meant that other than the Phoenix I killed, there were still a few other more powerful Phoenixes roaming in this world.

    Anyways, with the Phoenix that I killed, after he created a few descendants like the Firebirds and the lesser Phoenixes - Fire Birds - he started to hibernate in the North Volcano for ten thousand years. Because of his pure Fire Essence that had permeated into the volcano over the years, different monsters in the vicinity were mutated and lived in or near the volcano. Now, without the continuous charging of Fire Essence from the Phoenix, the North Volcano would deplete its pure Fire Essence in a number of years before becoming a regular volcano. At this point, there won't be any more fire-type monsters produced and those fire-type monsters that were attracted to the pure Fire Essence would leave as well. As for the portal that the Phoenixes used to travel between realms, apparently it was located somewhere in the far northwest and it seemed that the portal was still fully functional. Though, it required a huge amount of Fire Essence to power the portal and I mean a gigantic amount.

    After sorting through most of the clear memories, I've become somewhat curious about the Phoenix Family. I've decided that later on, I'll make a trip to their world and visit them. As for the more vague memories...well, there's nothing I can do about it. May as well wait for some stimulus to trigger the vague memories. Once that was done, I glanced over to Blackie and noticed that his aura and prowess had improved significantly. It looked like he was on the verge of evolution. I stood up went to check on Blackie. He seemed to be sleeping right now. Not wanting to disturb him, I let him sleep a bit longer as I walked up to the Phoenix corpse. With a wave of my hand, I stored the corpse into my storage ring. I will be going to make a flesh pellet out of the corpse for Blackie's evolution breakthrough sometime in the future. Then, I continued collecting corpses and treasures. An hour later, I had completely cleaned out the entirety of the fortress of any valuable items. Suddenly, my ears picked up some flapping sounds. I looked up and saw Krosgund and his army, along with my army, approaching the fortress. Once Krosgund landed in front of me, I waved my hand and asked about the situation.

    "What about the Firebirds? Did you kill them all?"

    "Unfortunately no. About a hundred of them escaped. What about the people from your side?" Krosgund shook his head.

    "We've managed to kill off the upper echelons of the clan including their ancestor. But some of the younger generations have escaped."

    "Should we give chase?"

    "No need. Without the support of their strong generations, these young ones will never rise back to power."

    "I see. Well, this cause for a celebration! Come, join us." Krosgund beamed happily.

    "Alright."

    And so, we left the battlefield and headed back to the Wyvern's Nest. Along the way, I made a check on how many warriors are left in my army. All of my direct subordinates were naturally still alive. However, for the rest of my army, I can say I have lost a great deal. Of the 763 resurrected warriors, only 143 warriors were left. Amazingly, the young Desert Worm was still alive. As for the others, there were 32 Wyverns, 47 Firebirds, 21 Earth Guardian Dragons, 13 Poison Guardian Dragons, 7 Plant Guardian Dragons, and 22 Rocs. Although I lost many warriors, I can still make more given the plethora of Firebird corpses I had collected from the battlefield. Soon, we arrived at the nest where we partied throughout the night.

    When morning arrived, I bid farewell to Krosgund and the Wyverns. Then, we headed back to the guild. Upon arriving, I posted the results of the siege as well as what had happened to the scattered Firebirds as well as the memories I acquired from the Phoenix.

     
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  4. NiQuinn

    NiQuinn 『Optimistic Pragmatist』

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    After I submitted my quest report, I headed for the Tavern and placed a public ad for a quest party. Hopefully I get the minimum number of people for it. With that problem out of the way, I looked for an inn and booked a room. Since there was nothing important for me to do at the moment, I decided to stay in and practice that new skill I discovered back in Delta Town.

    It was a cloaking skill. One that was heavy on ignis cost. Practicing it indoors didn’t pose as a problem so if there was any danger of burning out from experimenting, everything would be alright.

    The room I managed to book was big enough for a single person. One bed against the left corner, small window above the headboard, and a tiny writing desk situated on the right corner opposite the bed. Unbuckling my traveling pouch that was strapped securely on my right hip and thigh, I glanced out the window to see that everything was peaceful. Cloak already deposited away, I then removed my light armor, unfastened my scabbard gear with my secured daggers, and also slipped my sturdy boots off. I’m left with my skin-tight body suit.

    With my items all organized and safely set aside in a corner, I then proceeded to sit on the middle of the bed with my legs crossed. I relaxed my posture and closed my eyes. Waiting a beat to make sure my mind was focused, I called forth my ignis.

    The flow of ignis in my body felt warm and it crawled along underneath my skin waiting for wherever my whim would take it. I breathed in deeply remembering to keep track of what I needed to do. Afterwards, as I slowly exhaled, I released a thin layer of ignis to surround my body. It was at that moment that I centered my thoughts on calling for shadow spirits.

    If someone asked me how I went about differentiating between spirits, I wouldn’t know how to begin explaining myself. I suppose the only way to describe it was that there was a feeling of strong rejection when one tried accessing a spirit one wasn’t affiliated to. Being that I was half-Haltijan and that the Haltijan half of me was a kalman väki (väki of death), my affinity centered on those dealing with death.

    Psychopomps, hellhounds, and even the dullahan were some examples of the supernatural that the kalman väki could tap into. However, with those being such high-level beings, I doubted if there would ever come a time where I could work with their kind. As for the shadow spirits I just summoned, they were technically of the neutral variety. However, they were a kind I was very familiar with since one of their favorite places to reside in was in graveyards. For this little experiment in making a skill, I thought they'd be perfect for the job.

    Not knowing how much ignis I needed to use for this technique, I kept on releasing a steady amount until I finally managed to envelope myself with the shadow spirits. I was so excited by this that I didn't realize my error until I looked down at my body and saw that I was still visible. What's worse was, I kept on feeding these spirits with my ignis with the continuous, steady discharge state I kept it in. I cut it off immediately.

    With a gasp, I watched as the shadow spirits dissipated from its ink-in-water, humanoid form into nothing. I felt a drop of sweat sliding down my temple and grew annoyed at myself. That was reckless. I had forgotten to get my intent across. Without it, the spirits would just linger there and feed off my ignis.

    Tsk. Again.

    So, the process went on. It took me four more tries until the spirits understood what I wanted but even then, I couldn't sustain the casting for more than a second. To be able to cloak myself in invisibility, the amount of shadow spirits I needed to do the job was more than I thought. I was exhausted by this point and the dizziness was coming. The continuous use of my ignis was draining me dry. It also didn't help that I was still calculating how much I needed to use for a successful cast of the technique. Most often than not, I overshot my estimate causing wasted energy.

    My shoulders drooped low due to fatigue. During my short visit to the Tavern earlier, I had ordered some snacks to go. I took them out from my travelling pouch and started eating. It helped a litte but not much. Half an hour passed before I started trying the new skill again.

    I needed to make sure how much ignis I was using and how many spirits I was actually calling out. Over and over I kept on repeating the technique. It was the same concept as muscle memory. Practice something enough times and your body remembered what to do. I wanted the casting time of this skill to be quick so I had no choice but to do it over and over again.

    When my ignis was nearing empty, I stopped, rested a bit, and continued with practice. This went on for the rest of the afternoon. In some aspects, physical techniques were easier to master. The repetitive movements did lead to soreness of muscles and exhaustion but casting magic and the like drained mental energy and sometimes it would even lead to fatigue so heavy you'd feel bone-dry.

    Also, overuse of ignis or mana can even caue a person's body to burnout. Abuse of magic can drain whatever fuel your body can offer and that included one's health. Which was why it wasn't odd to see gaunt looking mages or sorcerers. Hence, the snacks at my disposal.

    Even as the day turned to night, I was nowhere near mastering my new skill which I later called, Tuoni's Shroud. As hard as I tried, it never lasted for more than a second. I still believed it was something useful especially when coupled with stealth. A second was still long enough for a killing blow.

    Deciding to stop for now, I stood up and gave a lengthy stretch and felt my muscles rejoice. Grabbing a set of clothes, I left to go the inn's public baths for a much needed shower. I'll leave practice for another day.
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2017
  5. Glint

    Glint 『Waifu』

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    Gilri Anet Log

    Day Eleven
    Um, it's only been an hour?

    Many of our people have been wracked with grief over having to leave our swamp home.
    No they're not.
    We are now searching for a new home.

    Day Twenty-four
    What are you a kid? It's been only two hours!
    We encountered desert wyverns. We escaped but at a great cost.
    It was just a desert wolf! ONE!

    Day Thirty-seven
    .....you're doing this on purpose aren't you?!
    There's been news of a potential home. The Elder has sent out scouts.
    Surprisingly accurate.....

    Day Forty-two
    Four hours and counting....
    The scouts returned, greatly injured. They spoke of an abandoned port infested with evil creatures.
    What? No! They weren't injured at all! Just tired! And it's not 'evil' creatures! Just normal desert beasts and creatures.

    Day Fifty-five
    Five! Hours!
    A decision has been made. We will claim this abandoned port as our new home and cleanse it of all evil!
    'Cleanse it of all evil' is too much! We're just going to drive them away idiot!

    Day Sixty-nine
    YOU WROTE THAT ON PURPOSE!
    This is it! The day we will fight! TO BATTLE!
    Why do you make it sound like a lot of people are going to die?!

    Day Seventy-seven
    It's only been seven hours since we left the swamps!
    We have done it! We have cleansed the port of all evil and now claim it as our new home!
    BIG BROTHER YOU IDIOT!

    End Gilri Anet Log
     
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  6. NiQuinn

    NiQuinn 『Optimistic Pragmatist』

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    [OOC]: Dear Guild members, I'm about to write another side story and was wondering if it was okay to add a practice hall in Aeternus. I think I need to ask permission regarding it. I was thinking it was built as a place where Adventurers can practice their fighting. Normally free but if you want privacy, you have to pay a fee. Does that make sense?
     
  7. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    (( There is none of that on Aeternus, usually speaking, you would just go to the Great Plains if you wanted to practice things, since there is a lot of space in there. ))
     
  8. Bielt

    Bielt 『Planets Eater』『The Sin of Animosity』

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    (( tho There should exist an arena right?))
     
  9. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    (( There is!?

    ... Uhn... I thought we hadn't made one... So... Dunno? ))
     
  10. Bielt

    Bielt 『Planets Eater』『The Sin of Animosity』

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    (( We should confirm with shad.... If there is one or there will be one? XD

    Well anyway~
    Training ground don't exist ^^ ))
     
  11. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    (( Well, if we do make the arena later, then we can just say it was under construction! *giggles* ))
     
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  12. NiQuinn

    NiQuinn 『Optimistic Pragmatist』

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    It was time to be scrupulous. I had left Aeternus early today and was currently strolling along the North-Eastern part of the Great Plains. Frontier Village was still quite close and I had no intention of straying too far. For today's agenda, I had two, hefty 2-feet sticks that I managed to find and were now held one on each hand. They were a little bit shorter than my long daggers but that was fine.


    Upon waking up today, I immediately tried Tuoni's Shroud and was pleased at the success of doing it on the first try. The invocation, however, was dismal. It needed to be quicker. With the skill only lasting a measly 1 second, activation should at least be instantaneous. The reality was, getting to that point needed more practice.

    Hence, my visit to the Great Plains. No hunting today. Just practicing the timing of the new skill. Plus, the sticks weren't for hitting some poor unsuspecting animals. They were merely a much needed necessity for today's on-site rehearsal, as I've called it.

    After yesterday's success in cloaking my body, it was now time to have a go for a fully-geared up trial-run. Having more to cover up meant more tweaking of the skill. Why the sticks? Simple. My dagger set, Fangs of Surma, was a sealed weapon. My father had given it to me with dramatic ceremony. They may look like daggers but they weighed like longswords where weight was greater at the tips.

    The sticks were for acclimating myself with the idea of having weapons at the ready during invocation of skill. Why not just start with the daggers immediately then? Wouldn't using substitutes defeat the purpose of said battle rehearsal? For practical reasons. I needed to practice my fighting stance and didn't need the extra weights of my cumbersome daggers to distract me today. Footwork, control, and coordination were no joke. If I had started with the daggers, I would have wasted more time getting used to everything.

    But why would all that matter if it was only for a putiful second? As much as that second was enough for me to sneak a kill on my target, it meant that it was also long enough for one momentary lapse to end my life. I needed to make this skill work to my advantage. Else, what was the point?

    One did not improve without hard work. A huge aspect of my life centered in discipline. Being that I grew up in a temple that specialized in the hunting of oni, it was to be expected that we knew how to fight. The beasts in the forests that surrounded us had been of little consequence and were mostly avoided not because they were dangerous, though they indeed were, but because they insured the temple's isolation.

    On the rare that we encountered a beast in the forest, it was a given that even a twelve year old could handle it themselves. As much as possible, however, we tended to avoid the scenario. Training was rigorous as a child. Hunting parties were always in threes. One to seal, another to chain them down, and the last to kill. One's training regime was heavily reliant on their innate talent in regards to which of those three tasks fit them.

    Sealing involved intricate mantras as well as having high agility and perception. These people were technically the front-line against the oni. In my homeland, oni's were not only physically powerful, but they were also highly intelligent and wily as well. They knew how to trick and gain the upper-hand by use of their own set of gifts. To obstruct them from accessing said gifts, was the main objective of the Sealers.

    Then, the second of the triad were aptly called Jailers. These centered on a more direct confrontation against the oni so they needed to have high stamina, reflexes, and strength. Also, they needed to be deeply versed with Onmyōdō teachings. Jailers also needed to have high adaptability since it was their job to maintain their cool when an oni tried its every trick to get out of their confinement.

    Finally, the last of the three, the Executioners. Adaptive, intelligent, agile, strong, and deep mana pools. A normal blade was never enough to injure an oni. Every slash, every attack needed to be infused with high-level spells of the Onmyōdo variety. It was tough work. Especially since a Jailer's task of 'chaining an oni down' was a metaphorical description of the actual practice of entrapping an oni into a confined area where their actions were restricted. Note, restricted and not completely secured. Suffice it to say, an Executioner was also kept inside said confinement area to finish the job.

    Among these three, I was considered a Jailer. My unorthodox usage of talismans worked to my benefit. There were those better than I was but I found loopholes that allowed for low mana output but high effectivity. My mother, a high Priestess, was very gratified about my placement as a Jailer. She had been one herself.

    Her case was different, however. My mother had the qualifications to be an Executioner and she would have been one if not for the fact that the temple considered her too important for the position. Executioners had a high mortality rate. The temple solidly drew the line.

    Once the three-member teams reached a certain age, they then graduated into further specialized professions. Incidentally, upon 'graduation,' I was pushed into finally exploring my Haltijan heritage. It was inconvenient that my father, the only Haltijan I knew, was a very negligent teacher.

    I've digressed from my original point. My presence here in the Great Plains was to further familiarize myself with Tuoni's Shroud. To do so, there needed to be hours of training. Also, some careful considerations as to when this skill could be used.

    First, I started using Tuoni's Shroud with sudden burts of movement such as sprints. That caused me to lose conentration fast and prematurely cancelling the skill. It took me 8 tries until I finally managed to sustain it. By that time, I was nearly drained of ignis.

    I rested for nearly an hour, ate some rations, and continued practicing afterwards. It was an exhausting cycle. By the end of the day, I was able to even use my other skill Rend while Tuoni's Shroud was activated. The sequence of invocation was awkward and messy though.

    Overall, it was an icredibly productive day. As I was headed back to Frontier Village where the portal to Aeternus was, I could now confidently say that Tuoni's Shroud was going to be very useful to me in the future. Next, Fangs of Surma needed its moment. Knowing the work involved coming my way, I groaned. I was not looking forward to that.
     
  13. Balthazzar

    Balthazzar 『Reformed Member of NuF Society』

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    My trip to the otherworld..... you old members with good memories that read my report would know about thishttp://forum.novelupdates.com/threads/balthazars-otherworldy-trip-ag.30591/
     
  14. Fairy-chan

    Fairy-chan 『Appreciates Cuteness』

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    After gathering the necessary materials on the last quest, I was quite ecstatic when thinking of new designs for a doll, she would be blond, using a dark-red dress... Perhaps a hood would be nice, and some black shoes, this will be fun!

    I didn't really want to be bothered while I made it, but at the same time, I did need some space to spread my things and prepare all the materials, so I didn't have much choice, but to work on them in the great plains, I had done it there before, but I really wanted a safer place.

    Causing too much of a mess in the inn room was a no though, so I went there anyway.

    The doll teleported through the gate to the frontier village, from there she walked for a while until a place with a small amount of animals and monsters in the surroundings were found point in which she sat down.

    After that, she took out the 4 pieces of lumber she got on her last quest and put on the ground, then she took out the planks she got as a reward and put them nearby to have as a reference.

    Hina moved her sword wielding dolls to start cutting the lumber into planks that should be easier to make into a proper doll, once they were all properly cut into different sizes and thickness, the sword dolls went back to her waist.

    Good, those are the most messy things, I'd better go back to the inn and work in peace and-

    Oh, not goblins again... Please make them not notice me.

    The doll quickly stored the scraps of lumber and the new wooden planks on her item box and leaned on a small hill while waiting for the surrounding goblins to pass, the noise of their steps was heard getting louder and louder, until they got really close.

    However, they passed by without noticing her, once the footsteps could no longer be heard, Hina got away from the plains and back to aeternus.

    Well, that was that, glad nothing troublesome came of it, I wonder if there is any way I can get a bigger space for me to work with later on, I couldn't simply bring out some huge tree logs out of my item box in the middle of the city after all, so I had to deal with it in the middle of the plains, which was quite bothersome.

    At least that's solved, so to the inn! I can make the whole rest of it there after all!

    Once she got into the inn, the doll took out all the planks and spread them across her room then, Hina took out a knife out of her item box and started working on the wood around one of the thick planks she had, slowly cutting it firstly on an oval shape, and then slowly changing the shape to resemble a head more, a hole was made on bottom to remove the excess wood, so as to make it hollow, and to make the space that would connect to the neck later on.

    Once enough cutting was made and head was in proper shape, a few other holes were made for the eyes, nose and mouth, the ears were already crafted directly, and the nose was basically done with this.

    The doll proceeded to take out some clay out of her item box, as well as three small bottles with ink she had with her, one white, one black and the other blue, the clay was made into 2 round shapes, painted white and left to rest atop of one of the wooden planks. Those were going to be eyes.

    While those were resting, she also made similar pieces of clay, this time closer to the shape of rectangle, and also painted them white, then left them on top of the same wooden plank. As for those, they would be the teeth.

    Next, Hina picked a reasonably thick, but quite small, piece of wood and cut it as a hollow cilinder, which would serve as the neck.

    Taking 2 identical sized, and quite big wooden planks, the doll started to cut them into, also hollow, semi circular shapes with 2 semi-circular holes on the sides and a big one on the bottom. Those would make the upper part of the body.

    Following this, she took another 2 identical ones, that were a bit smaller than the former and made them into hollow semi-circular shapes as well, these had a big hole on top and 2 small holes on the bottom. These parts were to make the waist.

    Then came 2 identical that were made as long, but thin, cylinders. for the upper part of the arms. And another 2 that were a bit thinner for the lower part of them.

    Similarly, 2 reasonably thick pairs were used for the upper parts of the legs, and another 2 thinner ones for the lower parts of the leg. And of course, all parts were hollow, like usual.

    By now, the clay for the eyes had already dried, so she took the blue ink and applied to make the irises of the eyes, and the black to the pupils.

    Moving on, Hina picked up two thin pairs of planks and started cutting them, it was a more delicate process, and at times she stopped moving and let Rika fly closer with a really small knife, that she took from the item box, to adjust the details, those were the hands, hollow as usual, and with a hole to enter the arm.

    After that came the feet, which also required a similar work on the parts of the fingers, they used a reasonably thick plank on them, and were also let hollow.

    Okay, that was that, better start working on the details now, I missed the feeling of working on a doll again, this feels good!

    Hina sat down and stopped moving, Rika then started flying around all the parts, working on fixing any small discrepancies between parts that should be equal and any other things that weren't like how she imagined the whole thing.

    Then she proceeded to make the small holes necessary for articulations and detailing facial features, body parts and the other detailed parts.

    For joining the big parts of the body, she just made plenty one a bit bigger than the other and then connected them both while applying a few layers of resin-based glue, which made the joint relatively stable, but not enough to stop the movement. On the inside of some of those parts, there was also a joint with a simple wooden cylinder passing through it to dictate how the mobility would work. (Similar to this:

    [​IMG]

    since the movement would be too easy to go beyond the acceptable and break otherwise. )

    Once most of it was done, Rika entered the head of the doll-in-construction through the mouth and put the eyes and teeth in it from the inside, also using the same glue as before to put them in place.

    After it, Rika flew towards the hands and started putting a bit of glass in it to make it a bit more translucent, cutting the glass into the proper shape was something extremely delicate, as if one were just a bit careless, would end up breaking the whole thing, those were made into the nails of the doll, the same procedure was using on the feet.

    This process took about 10 hours.

    Now starts the best part! Finally I'll be working with the threads!

    Hina took out the water spider silk threads from her item box and started to slowly weave it, there was no hurry involved as it was needed to be made with care, hours passed in a flash until it was night time. Rika ate a bit of nectar and slept, then woke up and got back to it.

    After 4 days like that without leaving the inn room, having depleted her nectar storage and sleeping about 4 hours per day, due to being too excited to sleep more, and eating once per day, Rika, by Hina's hands, finished making the hair and the clothes for her new doll.

    The dress was a Gothic style one that covered the whole body, barely leaving any part visible, it had a ribbon on the front and the back as well. There was also a hood to be put over the head and aside from those, there was also a small black shorts to go underneath the dress and some white underwear as well.. The hair was wavy and long enough to reach her waist, with the curves being a bit more noticeable near the edges.

    Once that was done, Hina got yellow ink out of her item box and applied it to the hair, as for the dress a deep crimson red was applied, with black ink to the ribbon and white to the very edges of the dress. The hood got the same red tone as the dress.

    While the ink dried, Hina worked on making the shoes, they mainly used some leather she still had left and used the water spider silk as well to craft it, once it was finished. Hina died with black ink and left it to dry as well.

    Following that one, she also made a leather headband, which was fairly simple compared to most other things she did, and also added black ink on it, then left it to dry.

    Almost finished now! This was a lot of fun for sure! I hope Hina gets happy with her new friend!

    Just need a few finishing touches now!

    Rika flew inside the doll while carrying some water spider silk with her and the 2 water crystals (made by merging ice and fire crystals) she had, she spread the silk on the inside of the body, in small quantities so as to not clutter the movement, that would work as a conductor of sorts, then, on the region inside the head, she tied up a water crystal with the water spider silk, and another on the chest's region, those 2 crystals were connected to the rest of the silk that she spread out through the body. After that confirming they were positioned in a stable way and that they were not obstructing any sort of movement, Rika left the doll's body.

    Right, this should give the doll an affinity with water and a mana supply of her own, as long as I don't overdo it with what kind of spells she uses, those crystals will probably replenish themselves and work as a source to use magic instead of my own meager amount.

    I still need to wait until the ink dries to finish this though, so I guess I'll go eat something at the tavern? Not like anybody would notice me anyway hehehe.

    Rika flew from her room in the inn towards the tavern in the altitude of the roofs to avoid being seen, then she dropped down on the flowers and started eating the nectar of them, she knew she wouldn't be seen as fairies naturally camouflage themselves with flowers, so she ate without worrying about being caught, once she ate enough, she went back to her inn room and waited for the ink to dry anxiously, at some point in the wait she fell asleep out of tiredness.

    "No... Not Hina... Leave her... She isn't... NO!"

    Wha-what was... A dream...?

    Rika looked around and noticed she was in her own inn room, near her was the doll that was basically complete, as well as Hina and the other smaller dolls she made before.

    Oh, she is almost done! Let's see, let's see... Yep, the ink already dried, let's put it in!

    Hina started moving and put the clothes, shoes and the headband on the new doll.

    She is looking good, but... Something is lacking... Perhaps... Flowers!

    Rika quickly knitted 2 small flowers with the silk of the water spiders, that was basically everything that was left of it, so there wasn't much room for error, she put some red ink on them and waited for it to dry, since they were small, the process was quite quick.

    In fact, Rika had run out of almost all materials she had when making this doll, since most of her storage was carried by Hina so far, and it was there when thinking of making new fist-sized dolls, not child-sized.

    Once the flowers finished drying, Rika picked them up and put on the doll's headband.


    Perfect! You're looking really pretty! The tone of the colors became a bit bluish because of the water spider silk, but this gives a special feeling as well, so all is good!

    Your name will be... Shinku! Please take care of Hina for me, okay?

    Shinku was a few centimeters taller than Hina, she gave a more mature feeling and could be seen as if she was Hina's older sister, even if she was done later.

    [​IMG]


    "Please enjoy your new friend Hina! I'm sure she likes you!"

    AN: This was an unusual experience, I know basically nothing of sewing, doll making or shoe making, so I had to do research for nearly everything.

    I did not get satisfied with some of it though, I did a fair amount of research for the doll making, but there is little to no information on wooden dolls, so I had to adapt plenty, the best one I could find was for a really simple model ( http://www.instructables.com/id/Wooden-Rag-Doll/ ) which wasn't nearly enough for me, but gave me some basis.

    After I was about finished with the doll I had tons of interruptions which burned me out quite a bit, which probably meant I should've stopped and left this for another day, but I didn't feel like it, so I moved on tiredly, which removed my ability to search much for the other parts.

    Finding how exactly the clay was used for teeth making was tough as nearly no information seems to be available for it, and while there was plenty about eyes, nothing about the method to make the specific type of clay they mentioned, so I had to improvise.

    Hair had a good amount of information, as well as clothes, but I was somewhat burned out already, so I didn't search much, which led to me skipping the whole manufacturing process of those, which didn't please me much.

    Shoes on the other hand, had some information for them, but I couldn't make any sense of what was said about how to make them, so I just gave up trying, perhaps I could've understood if I wasn't feeling like this, but that doesn't matter much.

    Feels like I did a half baked job in the end, which is not something that pleases me that much, even if I had to start from no information to start understanding the how it works. At least I got reasonably happy with the result.

    I suppose I should take this as a lesson to not continue writing something when you don't feel like doing it, even if I did enjoy some parts of it.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2017
    Carm likes this.
  15. nguuuquaaa

    nguuuquaaa 『Grade SSS Hentai Genius Supervert』

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    - Master, why did you cut your hair short? (Izuna)
    - That came out of nowhere. Why, huh. In truth, long ago I kept my hair long. (Takako)
    - Then why? (Izuna)
    - Do you really want to know? (Takako)
    - Suddenly I don't want to anymore... But I'm curious. (Izuna)
    - When I undress, for some reasons, my hair ALWAYS covers my n*pples and p*ssy and no one can see... (Takako)
    - Stop, okay, stop. I understand. And I don't understand too. (Izuna)
    - Then it's my turn, why don't you cut your hair? You complained before that it's annoying sometimes since its gets in your eye and ear, right? (Takako)
    - Master. (Izuna)
    - What is it my dear? (Takako)
    - Vera explained to you that the magic circle went out of control so my transformation has side effects. (Izuna)
    - Yeah, she did. (Takako)
    - My abnormal strength is one of them. The compensation is higher mana consumption rate. (Izuna)
    - Yeah, that's right. (Takako)
    - My feathers disappear. (Izuna)
    - ....ah. (Takako)
    - You got the rest. (Izuna)
    - I think I'm in love. (Agor)
    - Another delusion? (Elder)
    - No. You know her, the blonde girl who wreck our village while drunk. (Agor)
    - Her, huh. I admit that she is a good girl when sober. But I can't imagine the Agor infamous for being a dumb and delusional muscle-head can fall in love. (Elder)
    - Hey, that's rude. In the first place, isn't it your fault for bringing interesting stories from the outside world to this secluded village? (Agor)
    - Now it's my fault for your stupidity. (Elder)
    - Anyway, I think it was love at first sight when I saw her beautiful figure on top of me. (Agor)
    - Are you sure it's not simple lust? Boys your age are quite horny. (Elder)
    - No, my heart was beating quite fast, even when we have a chat together. (Agor)
    - Are you sure it's not thrill? She is the first outsider in years aside from me. (Elder)
    - That's not it. I found her every action attract me, even when her personality changed when she is drunk and beef-red. (Agor)
    - You worried about your precious wine being chunk, that's it. (Elder)
    - I feel paralyzed every time I touched her. (Agor)
    - Physically. She is a Thunderbird. (Elder)
    - I feel bliss when we trade blows together. (Agor)
    - Your battle mania was acting, no surprise. (Elder)
    - I worry about her safety more than mine. (Agor)
    - I would worry about the only person who can match myself when I'm the strongest in the village too. (Elder)
    - I want to stay with her for the rest of my life. (Agor)
    - With those benefits you've just listed, yeah, good luck. (Elder)
    - ...............Huh? (Agor)
    - ...............Huh? (Elder)
    - ...............Benefits? But I... I just want.... You say... My hearbeat is actually because of curiousity... I don't.... What? Do I see her that way unconsciously?... Do I really love her?.... Do I?.... (Agor)
    - Oi, are you okay? It's just a joke, a joke. I support you actually. (Elder)
    - My life is a lie... a lie... My feeling is a fake... a fake... a fake.... (Agor)
    - Oi, grip yourself together! Oi!!! Ooooooiiiiiiiiiii!!!!! (Elder)
    On a certain message board.

    Sky:
    I'm taking quite a lot of time for this but it's finally done :smug:
    Attached file(s):
    01.jpg
    02.jpg
    03.jpg
    04.jpg
    05.jpg
    06.jpg

    tkk527:
    (*^▽^*)(*^▽^*)(*^▽^*) Wow, your work is fantastic as ever sensei! (*^▽^*)(*^▽^*)(*^▽^*)

    Sky:
    Fast! I was literally posted that 5 seconds ago.

    tkk527:
    I'm your biggest fan, this much is natural (ง`・ω・´)ง

    Sky:
    Right, you comment in my every thread.

    tkk527:
    Guehuehue... it's because sensei manga remind me of my adventure.

    Sky:
    Oh really? I took inspiration from my junior's story tho.

    tkk527:
    Lolwut.... by any chance, we are acquantainces irl?

    Sky:
    Huh?

    tkk527:
    Nah, no way ofc ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    Sky:
    Lol no way. Beside, I check up my junior's PC before but haven't found my works.

    ttk527:
    And my senior is a serious person, he for sure doesn't draw ****** with delicious ******** and amazing ****** *********, not to mention **** ******* ***** and ******************.

    ttk527:
    >lewd manga allowed
    >lewd words aren't
    wtf (ノ ゜Д゜)ノ ︵ ┻━━┻

    Megami01:
    I'm just a passerby. Carry on, don't mind me.

    I'm not a maid:
    I decided to browse the internet today, and found a certain disturbing thread. I'm logging out.

    Oppai is justice:
    how do i use this thing

    Oppai is justice:
    eh I accidentally wrote that. but seriously what am i doing and why there are texts appearing?

    ttk527:
    Wtf are these people even here for? ( ¬_¬)
     
    ExitedDeviljho likes this.
  16. ExitedDeviljho

    ExitedDeviljho ✮[Carm & Blanc's Lil'Bro] [ Siostar's]✮

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    “What must I do, What must I do ?”
    “Gyuuru ~ ”
    “What must I do, What must I do, What must I do ??”
    “Gyururu ~ ”
    “Today is white day and I still have no idea what to do ~”
    “Gyuu ?”
    “Yup white day,White days is the day where man expected to return the favor to the girl who give them chocolate, and there also a rule that the return should be 2 or 3 times. The chocolate Sio give is really tasty, I will never able to make chocolate 3 times tastier than that !!.
    “Gyau~?”
    “Hm ?......other thing than chocolate ?
    That’s is !! You’re genius lilia !!! okay let’s go we need to collect a lot of thing ~ ”
    “Gyuuuuu ”

    ***

    After some times collecting imformation here and there, I found out that some gift usually used on white day is Chocolate, marshmallow, Plushie, jewel, flower and white lingerie.

    If it’s chocolate, I think I can make it myself, there also some chocolate I received from guild. For marshmallow, plushie and jewel, i can find it in delta town market. Buying lingerie is too embarrassing and akward so I will skip that. >.>
    And for flower there is lilia, I also plant some flower in tavern before so it will be easy ~.

    I already have chocolate and flower, all I need to do is looking for Either jewel, Plushie or marsmallow oh I also need something to wrap and place the chocolate.
    As I browser around the market, a certain stand caught my eyes, it’s a simple and small stand with mat and a lot of goods placed here and there. The merchant who have the stall is a man around his fiftieth, he has a long unkempt hair with a bit strand of white hair. Driven by curiosity I decided to approach the stand.

    “Excuse me, how much is for this gemstone ?”
    “Gahahaha ! forget it kid, you would never be able afford it.”
    “E-eeeeeeeeh i-im not a kid ! ,here look at my guild card !”
    “hmmm…….17 year old ?...... kid why are you faking your age here…”
    “Im not faking it !! Uuuuu”
    “Gahahaha just kidding just kidding ~! When you get this old, everyone would looks like a kid to you ahahaha , well why do you want to buy a stone like this anyway ?”
    “…ah….well today is white day and I want to give it to someone special…..she already done so much for me, she makes happy, cheer me up when I sad, she even save me from death several times.”
    “Hmmm so that’s why…..i understand your feeling. But im sorry, I can’t sell you this stone, this is the only memento left by my wive afterall hahaha.”
    “Ah,I don’t know about that, im sorry…”
    “Gahahaha ~! It’s okay no need to be sorry, maybe I can’t sell the stone for you,but how about this ?”

    The old man handed out a little white bear plushie.

    “eh ?”
    “You can Take it for free, my daughter often making plushie on her free time, it was getting cramped in the house so I ask her and bring some to sell here hahaha.
    “Really !? thank you so much mister”
    “Gahaha make sure to make her happy okay !”


    After done saying my goodbye to the merchant, I Putting the plushie and other thing I buy in item box, the I immediately return to my inn and borrow the kitchen. Followed the recipe,I successfully made a chocolate cookies.

    After done making the cookies, I take some moonlight flower I have on my item box and variety flower from lilia then bind it together to make a nice flower bouquet.

    Finally I place the plushie together with the chocolate and give it a bit of decoration.
    Uhmm S-sio i want to give this for you,i-i hope you like it >.<
    *Give sio the cookies, Bear plushie and flower*
    @Siostar
     
  17. Siostar

    Siostar Well-Known Member

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    W..whoa....! I forgot it's was White Day today! >.<
    T...thank you so much, Sin.... It's first time I celebrate White Day with someone..... *blush*
    *gently take every gift, one at time*
    *hug them with a shy smile*
    Really thank you so much....*shyly steal a kiss from Sin*
    *giggle* I think I can't be any happier today
     
  18. Carm

    Carm Drip drop, when will time stop

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    Part 4 of Insanity Arc

    Table of Contents:

    Insanity Arc Part 1
    Insanity Arc Part 2
    Insanity Arc Part 3
    Insanity Arc Part 4
    Insanity Arc Part 5
    Part 4. Silence.

    Shut up.

    Shut up.

    Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

    Just shut up already!





    Who am I yelling at internally, who am I asking, begging to be quiet, who am I blaming?

    Blaming?

    What am I blaming for?

    I don’t know.

    I don’t know.

    I don’t know.

    Nor will I probably ever know.

    This ceaseless monologue, this endless tango of thoughts, my continuous internal ramblings will continue to be lost, stay lost, and make me lost.

    Lost?

    Lost in what?

    I don’t know.

    I don’t know.

    I don’t know.


    You know, when my disease takes the better of me and I become a harsher person, and thus take out my anger out on my mother, you know what she says? She says “Why are you treating me as if I am the enemy?!?”

    I would stay silent, not answering, not acknowledging her response, not bothering to give my own. Yet, in my head, I would constantly yell back at her, scream at her. Enrage at her.

    I would say “I know you’re not my enemy, but who am I supposed to take this anger, this rage, this sadness out on!” internally, this conflict would happen. “I know that it’s the disease that is making me miserable and not you, but still! Still! Who then can I take it out on! The disease? How? It’s an object I can’t direct a single shred of hatred, a single word of misery at. Myself? I’m miserable as is! Which is why! Which is why! I treat you as my enemy, as my bane, as my misfortune, otherwise, how else am I supposed to stay sane? How else can I direct my anger, my rage, at something! I need a scapegoat otherwise I will go insane!”

    Those words echo in my head every day. Constantly, always, forever.

    Yet, I have never said them aloud. I have never shared them. They will forever stay my thoughts, my secrets, my burden. These secrets that will never be leaked, that never will be heard, will stay silent. Stay hidden in the endless recess of my mind, where it cannot undergo any form of criticism, where it will stay my own, naïve way of looking at things. Untainted, pure, and innocent.

    I held my head in agony, in pain, while lying in my bed. Unaware of the outside, shutting myself into the deep dark place that is my mind, that is my uncertainness, that is my insanity.

    Whenever I have such thoughts, such illusions such as the ones I presented earlier, I always try to find the faults in it. So that I know, I would know, I could know that my thoughts were unjustified, that they were wrong, that they were incorrect. That way, I would be completely justified in not saying them, in not sharing my opinion, in staying silent when getting the beating of words from my peers.

    Beating, what a violent word, but what word is more apt to describe myself? Abuse? That’s too graphic, and in too many ways can offend someone. Saying abuse despite only being berated by words is too pitiful. Is too saddening. Is too true.

    Why the sudden self finding? Is that the word? Self enlightenment? I forget. I’m careless like that, no, I’m weird like that, always trying to find the harder words, the more sophisticated vocabulary to stun my audience, even when that audience is just myself. How egotistical of myself, right? How self-depreciating. Ah, that’s the word. Self depreciation. Such a humble and horrible word. Funny how those two words can go together to describe something, right?

    Regardless of my sophistry, my illogicalness, my self-contradiction. I’m only human. I’m only mortal. I’m only myself.

    My time, my destiny, my future, myself, are all things I will always be uncertain of. My actions dictated by my thoughts will always be erratic because my thoughts are erratic. This cycle, this nuance, this lie will continue. Will stay, will be there. Engraved in my heart, etched into my soul, and burned into my very being, it will follow me for all of eternity. As a constant reminder, as a constant show of my past, my misfortune, of my lies that I tell myself every day, that I believe in, that I choose to blindly think, despite knowing, despite seeing otherwise.

    I will ask again, who am I asking to shut up?

    I think I now know.

    I just want myself to shut up, my pedantic, rambling, naïve, self. This self that won’t stop, that will continue to think, to continue to desire, to continue to be aware of all of the changes that occur around itself. That continues to ignore the pathetic self, while maintaining a steady head. Even that lie of me telling everything to shut up, is in the end, a lie. Not real, I had no such mental breakdown. Did I wish of myself to have one? Perhaps.

    Perhaps I just truly wished to be able to experience pain. True pain.

    Is that selfish?

    Is that greedy?

    Is that abnormal?

    The wish to experience suffering.

    The wish to experience despair.

    The wish to experience being broken.

    Is that weird?

    I don’t know, I’m just curious. Curious about how that would lead me there. How I would feel. What I would experience. What I would undergo. What would happen. But in the end. This accursed mind, this unbreakable fortitude will continue to stay strong, to continue to unwaver, to continue to contradict. The threads that make up my consciousness, will stay tangled, will stay tied up, will continue to wrap themselves into further contradictions.

    Does this make me a monster? Does this make me a bad person? To want to experience having my soul be crushed, to wish to have my entire world broken apart? The thing which almost everyone wishes to avoid? Is it? Does that make me inhuman?

    The despair, the constant regret, the wish for things to end.

    Are all of those in the end, a lie? Probably, most likely. They’re a lie I tell to myself. I say to myself. I believe.

    Ah, I suppose you’re wondering why the sudden self-criticism?

    Simple, it’s a coping mechanism. In the end, I make a useless monologue, to sate my boredom. In the end, this is just sophistry I orchestrated, a façade, a fake.

    To tie in the fake emotions I possess. I contemplate, I lie, and I believe those lies. My little white lie.

    These monologues are nothing more than something I create to sate my endless boredom, my self-finding is in the end, just more sophistry.

    A fake can be made easily, but reality is not so kind.

    It would be so easy, if I could pass this entire thing off as a dream. Or perhaps, a fantasy. A delusion. A figment of my imagination that my self has created subconsciously. But in the end, that is irresponsible. To try to pass it off as a dream.

    In the end, I just make up delusions, make up unreasonable answers, lie, and believe those lies as a way to cope. Cope with my boredom. Cope with myself. But, in the end, that’s just another lie.

    I don’t truly know why I do such things, I don’t truly know how my mind works, all I know is that what I’m doing, is what I do subconsciously. Perhaps it’s a self-defense system, perhaps it’s just me going insane, perhaps it’s just me making a mountain out of a molehill. Whatever it is, I will never really know. All I know, is that I will continue to lie. Lie to myself. Lie to my heart, until those lies become truths. Because, in the end, if no one not even the liar knows that what they’re spouting is a lie, what says it’s any difference from a truth? A lie is only a lie, when the people concerned know about it.

    So seriously, what am I doing with myself? I ask myself, I ponder by myself, I brood by myself. In the end, if all I say are lies, if all I think are lies, then what better are my words than silence? Though this is all just more sophistry in the end, thinking, colluding about such thoughts will not bring about an end to them, they’ll just become more prominent. In the end.

    In the end.

    In the end.

    What.

    What will happen in the end? I don’t know, no one knows. All I know is what is happening right now, and that is that I will continue my ignorant view on the world, on myself, on my life.

    These ties that bond me will stay like this, for all eternity. Haha, can you tell? I just said another lie.

    I continue my pondering while completely disregarding the scratching at my door. It seems that Lucky wants to comfort me, perhaps he saw what happened with Carmen? Or does he just want to come as per usual, I’m sorry Lucky, maybe another day. And so, I drowned out the insistent scratches to the tune of my own insanity.

    But in reality, can I really qualify as someone that’s insane? As someone that is broken? Isn’t it just normal to wish to keep your friends together? Isn’t it just normal to not experience love at such a young age? Isn’t it normal to have so many insecurities? In the end, like everything I say or do, these thoughts are just delusions I created for myself, lies I crafted to make myself feel. Special, to make myself feel, different. That’s all it is in the end. That’s all it will ever be. Lies spouted one after another creating a chain of mistruths, and that’s how it will remain. My ego, my personality, will remain like this, will remain a lie. Though in truth, that’s just another lie.

    Well, let’s divert myself from such depressing thoughts. What’s an interesting topic at hand. Homunculi? I was always curious about them, are you not? What exactly are homunculi? Most people would call them artificial lifeforms, created at the hands of alchemists. Now then, what is your stance on such thoughts about them? Such as, they are fakes so they don’t deserve rights? My stand? Does it really matter? In the end, aren’t we all just fakes? Imitations of a greater being? What could that greater being be? Who knows, I certainly don’t. In the end, if you can’t tell the difference between them and other beings, what is the difference? Well, then again, it’s precisely for that reason that most alchemists strive for perfection, so that their creations will not be discriminated against.

    Discrimination, for what reason do we discriminate? Fear. In my opinion. We fear those that are different. We are afraid of the unknown. So for that, we discriminate. As a way to confirm our superiority, we look down on others. To keep ourselves checked, to keep ourselves steady headed. In the end, there is always a scapegoat. A sacrifice. A tribute.

    Haaaa

    Thinking so hard makes me sleepy. I guess I’ll just wash my face and go to sleep. Back into that endless black, back into my endless dream, back into my endless peace.

    While cracking my joints as I was getting up, I walked to my door, grunting along the war. Cautiously I opened the door, making sure not leave any cracks open for Lucky to jump in as I was coming out. Despite this procedure that I had carried out numerous times already. I paused for a moment when I was looking down. I stopped. I was motionless.

    Huh?

    I quickly rubbed my eyes to make sure I was not hallucinating, from all of my contemplation earlier.

    Rubbbing for a couple of seconds I opened my eyes once more. Only to fall to my knees with my hands once again rubbing my eyes. This time, to wipe away my tears.

    “Hey Lucky……. Hey Lucky…. Answer me….. Hey Lucky……”

    I look down at my still cat. His eyes wide open, his mouth agape.

    “Hey Lucky….. not you too…. You better not leave me as well….”

    “We’re going to go play after I was finished with this sickness, right?”

    “Hey Lucky….. We’re going to play afterwards, right?”

    Tears traveled down my eyes, down my cheeks, until finally dropping to the floor. My hands were already wrapped around my cat, my solace that I payed no heed to such an embarrassing sight.

    Sniffling, I cuddle my cat. Rocked him. And slowly, I got up, with him in hand, to bring him downstairs, so that I could properly honor him. His last moments, shouldn’t be hogged by me alone. At the very least, my parents should be able to spend these last seconds with him as well.

    As I was walking down the stairs, ever so gently, I went to wipe the tears that adorned my face. Only to find, that there was nothing to wipe. Only to find, emptiness. Only to find, my lack of emotion. Only to find, silence.
    Drew in the end, is a bit weird. But in that case, he’s also extremely normal. By diverting such thoughts from his friend, he continues to look away, at the expense of his own sanity. In that case, Drew is just incredibly human. He’s flawed. He will continue to look away, never resolving anything, in an attempt to maintain the status quo.

    Well, depressing thoughts aside.

    Do you guys ever notice a quaint pattern I have in my writing? I like to use one phrase throughout the entire passage, and emulate it though different degrees. In this case, it’s the phrase “In the end.”

    There’s also another pattern to my writing style that I wonder if people picked up.

    Well, not that I will ever tell. I’ll leave it up to your imaginations.

    Also, the plot got even more convoluted!

    Yup!

    When in doubt, make it even weirder! So now that Lucky is dead, who is the Lucky that travels with Carm? Furthermore, who is Drew?

    Find out next time in Part 5 [Title to be determined] (So help me god.)
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2017
  19. Aqua Melodia

    Aqua Melodia Well-Known Member

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    Once upon a time, there live a single lonely and pitiful on the deepest part of the sea.

    “Oy who do you call pitiful huh !! im not pitif- ”

    The monster unlike other monster it has a strong curiosity about this world it want to go explore the world and discover a lot of thing and more important of all…...it want to befriend human. The monster would looks up at the surface everyday hoping to meet a single human, sometimes the monster help lost sailor, sometimes it help someone who drowned, and sometimes it Protect sailor from sea monster attack ……but it’s no use, the human is always immediately run away whatever the see the poor monster.


    “I still haven’t done talking oooooy ~! And my body is not terrible !!”


    Feeling sad at the monster fruitless effort, a certain graceful and beautiful goddess give the monster a miracle-

    “Pffft Graceful and beautiful”

    The graceful and beautiful goddess give the monster ability to become a human and blend with them but with one condition, the gender when she become a human will randomly change…..


    “Stops stops !! This narration is already gone far too long !!”

    “Ah Mouuu, and just when i about to tell the good part (; ̄Д ̄)”
    “No……why are you calling me pitiful while you call yourself Graceful and beautiful ….? “
    “Because it’s the truth (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧ “
    “No…..stops with that smug looks”
    “huh this looks ? (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧ “
    “YES….STOP IT.”
    “Bu buuuu ~ you’re not fun at all~”
    “And why the gender must always randomly change !”
    “Because it will be amus-
    It will make you easier to socializing with human ( ´ ▽ ` )ノ “

    “wait you’re about to say amusing aren’t you ? “
    “Now now,don’t mind the small detail, for now how about you try to change into human first ?”
    “ Okay…”

    A bright light began to surround the monster, and after some times passed the light started to fades and a girl started to appeared.


    “Ooooooh nice body *thumbs up* and that light blue hair suit you really well Aqua ~”

    “Really ?......so this is how a human body feel like. “
    “How is it ? do you like it ??
    By the way im adding some bonus so you can still posses your monstrous power when you on human form, Well it’s only 20% of your original power thought ~
    If you want, maybe I can make you more powerful ”

    “Nope, this is okay, im already really happy like this, more power would be asking to much…….thank you so much, to you so much for fulfill my dream Lea. “
    “Your welcome, please take care of yourself Aqua….”

    The goddess hug Aqua and give her a gentle smile.

    “Before you go, please take this when you have trouble, or when you are lonely, just open this box, hopefully it can help you.”


    The goddess once again hug Aqua and give her a parting gift.

    “Thank you so much Lea, I will tell you a lot of interesting story there every now and then. See you later Lea ~ “


    “I will be waiting then ~ …..See you later Aqua.”


    Aqua shows a cheerful smile and began to swim to surface.

    °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸,ø¤°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸

    After a while, I arrived at a beach that full of human. There is so much thing I never I see before, I also smell a lot tasty scent here some of the is smell so good that my stomach started to grumble. It’s looks like human doesn’t fear me anymore ?
    I still haven’t hear any scream or weapon being readied like usual. But I still can’t let my guard down, Let’s try greeting someone first.


    “Ha-haloo g-good morning….”


    Aaaaaaaah !!! it’s not use, I was too nervous I can’t speak to speak cleary !!!!


    “Good morning…..eh…..Onee-san why are you nake- “


    Feeling surge of happiness, I imadiately hug the small human. He is not screaming nor runaway when he see me….i'm really happy hehee ~


    “GUARD GUARD HELP !!! THERE A PERVERT HUGGING MY CHILD !!!”


    Soon after that women screaming, A group of human wearing an amour and weapon walk toward me.


    You're under arrest for public indecency and attempted kidnapping !!”

    “Eh under arrest …. ? i'm not pervert im Aqu-”

    The guard started to cover my body with a single piece of sheet and drag me somewhere…

    And that’s how Aqua Spent her first week on prison… fortunately they only give her a light setence because lack of evidence. One week later after released from prison, Aqua began her/his new life as an adventurer.
    Done with my backstory XD
    There is maybe an error here and there, so im really sorry ~
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2017
  20. Quaesitor

    Quaesitor [Scholar]

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    Nightmare?​

    I scraped my knee and am crying. I want mommy and daddy to help me. Very soon, daddy hears me and rushes over. "Tina, what's wrong? Did you fall down? There, there, no need to cry." He casts a small healing spell, and the scrape fades within seconds. Thankful, I hug daddy. I am happy that I am not alone. After a tasty dinner I go to sleep, ending another happy day.

    That was when I was four. These "happy" days continued for almost fourteen years. During this time, I never noticed that I was more prone to accidents, and generally seemed to attract bad luck. This caused me to slowly get isolated from the others my age, but I didn't notice. Backstabbing ********. Never should have cared about them one bit.

    It was my eighteenth birthday. That day was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. The clear sky, the pleasant wind, the scent of wheat it carried, everything seemed perfect. With a big smile, I left the house that day, expecting a surprise when I would return home. After doing the hard but rewarding work of a farmer within the golden fields that covered the landscape, I took a short rest at noon. Going to the well, I meet my neighbours. I greet them with a big smile, they return the greeting, although timidly. After the refreshing break, I resume my work, a big smile plastered on my face. That was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

    But there is no such thing like real happiness. Only self-deception and pain. If we like something, we don't notice or care. When we lose it, we feel pain. But I feel no pain, no way I would. Pain is unnecessary. So of course I didn't feel pain at what happened after that. Why should I?

    ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    With heavy breaths, I wake up. I haven't had this nightmare since ages. Perhaps being called Tina reminded me, but it matters not. Actually, didn't I completely forget about this? How come I remember it now...

    An explosion shook the earth, blasing apart houses and uprooting tons of wheat. Small stones and wooden fragments tore open my skin, but I wasn't seriously wounded. The explosion came from the village, while I was on the fields. The weather still hadn't changed one bit while I hurried towards my house, my parents. At the edge of the village, I saw a gruesome corpse. I threw up, having never seen something as terrible like this before.

    A lie. That isn't terrible. I didn't throw up. I wasn't worried. Am I still dreaming? I grasp Vein and Pain tighter.

    Still unsettled, I now madly run towards my house, trying to blend out all the destruction around me, all the corpses, the ruins. Strangely, there were no signs of fire or a normal explosion anywhere. Suddenly, I stumbled over an object and fell down. Looking back, I see the corpse of one of the neighbours I smiled at a few hours ago. A face filled with terror and pain,unbelievingly staring at nothing, impaled on a broken wooden pillar. It terrified me.

    I wasn't terrified! And I wasn't unsettled! I didn't care about the destruction, and most definitely not about the corpses! Corpses looking like that is normal! Destruction like that is normal! I wasn't worried!

    Now I was just crawling onwards. Slowly, hurting my arms and legs with the debris that was lying around. The closer I got to my house, the less destruction I saw. Perhaps my parents were still alright? They had to be! I slowly lifted my head, and saw the merciless truth. A man wearing strange black robes and a strange black head stood before the mutilated corpses of my parents. The only destroyed thing in this area. Why?! There is no way I wouldn't cry, wouldn't feel pain that moment. I rushed at he man, disregarding everything else. He was startled, not expecting there to be survivors after he brutally slaughtered everyone. A perfect opportunity.

    I saw this as a chance to grow-
    I wanted revenge-

    -and butchered him like an animal.

    I was sad-
    I felt satisfied. As the winner, I took all of his belongings and changed my clothes into his. His Grimoire contained knowledge about curses, and I recognized some of them in what happened to me over the years. I was contamined with negative energy. I could use that to use curses effectively.

    -I kept the bones of my parents' skulls, one of the only parts that stayed complete.

    -I left everything else behind, as my past isn't important. From that day on, I was Sentina, the mage. Someone completely unrelated to the past me. Without pain, without sadness.

    I couldn't bear to part with my past and kept my original name as a part of my new name. It hurt.

    Unbothered, I then entered my new life, my true life. Researching magic. Stealing notes from other mages. With Vein and Pain, no unprepared mage could stop me. The perfect tool for me.

    I created Vein and Pain as reminders of my past, out of my parents' skulls. A memento, not to be used in battle.

    I won many battles with them, and finally reached who I am today. This is the true me. The true me. Me. Completely seperated from my past, no connection at all.

    Ashamed, I started lying to myself in-

    I am shameless. I am proud of who I am today. I am powerful, in many senses.

    I'm weak and-

    I don't need weaknesses like pain and sadness. Someone with power can't have those.

    Wiping away my tears- tears?! Ridiculous. Has to be because of onions or something. Why would I cry? Why am I awake at this time anyway? Did something happen? Somehow, I doubt it. No way something happened. "Nothing happened this night. Of course nothing happened." Mumbling that to myself, I fall asleep. Calm.

    Because of the lyrics.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2017
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