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Difference between revisions of "Lore Episode"
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| − | < | + | <blockquote><small> |
| − | Hah | + | Hah hah. Hey you there! Adventurer, how are you? |
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| − | I | + | My name is Linus. I run a small weapons shop and smithy here in Elvenguard. I am responsible for helping all these adventurers repair and care for their weapons. Of course, if you have some liquor on you, I'll be willing to give you some advice and words of encouragement too. Hah hah hah. Oh? Really, you're giving me this drink? Wow, kids these days are really nice. Now then, let Uncle Linus guide you. |
| − | You | + | |
| + | Ah, this is delicious. You know, I might not look it, but this stumbling old man you see before you was quite the famous swordsman back in the day. Looking back, I was pretty arrogant in my youth... But, that's all in the past. Nowadays, I no longer intend for my sword to be covered in blood; rather, I've been working on saving others. It gives me peace of mind, knowing that me staying here really helps adventurers like you in need. | ||
Oh... I already told you so much. | Oh... I already told you so much. | ||
| − | + | Hah hah... Hmm, I've seemed to have gotten a little carried away talking about my business, haven't I? Anyway, since this is the first time I've seen you here, I'll teach you a few things. | |
| − | + | First of all, welcome to Grand Flores. To some, it's also known as the "flowing forest". It is the oldest forest on the Arad Continent and the only place that has any living trace of the Elves. For many years, it's been said that Grand Flores houses many magical artifacts and treasures left by the elves, hidden within the depths its forests. As a result, many treasure hunters and adventurers, their minds swollen with dreams of wealth, came to explore the area. However, it was not that easy; for it was once the sanctum of the Elves which prohibited humans from entry. Anyone who underestimated the dangers that lie within the forest were met with unforeseen consequences. That being said, many adventurers often lost their lives by mistaking the Elf's paradise as their own... | |
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| − | + | Around the same time, the Principality of Bel Myre and the Empire warred over who could control Grand Flores. The Empire invaded Bel Myre, but failed due to the help of the Resistance. In a final act of suppression, the Empire set the whole forest ablaze. I'm not sure why the Empire does such horrible things... | |
| − | The | + | But that day, Grand Flores was engulfed in an unprecedented fire. The flames ripped through the sky, reddening almost the entire Arad Continent. Well, thanks to that, much of the forest was reduced to ash, the Elves disappeared, and the Elven pentacle protecting the forest lost its effects. Without fear of resistance from the Elves, adventurers were able to re-enter and explore the depths of the forest... |
| − | Well, thanks to that, the | ||
| − | By the way, | + | By the way, judging by your appearance, it doesn't seem you've been here for very long. How long have you been in the forest? Hah hah, don't be surprised. I've seen many adventurers during my time here; many of them rookies like you. At this point, I can recognize it at first glance. Hah hah hah! |
| − | Ah, only a few days? | + | Ah, only a few days? ..Hm, I see, you're still quite new to this. Hmm... I don't know if it'll help, but I'll tell you some information as a token of my thanks. Ah, the liquor's all gone... Now then, before you enter Grand Flores, from here, you should be able see from the back of the forest a giant white tower rising up from West Coast, right? |
| − | + | That's Sky Tower, legend says that it is the gateway to another world. It's just a rumor and no one has confirmed it, but wouldn't be great if the rumors are true? But so far, none of the adventurers who have ventured into Sky Tower have ever come back alive. So if you wanna to test your luck... please be very careful... | |
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| − | It's just a rumor and no one has confirmed it, but wouldn't be great if | ||
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| − | + | Rumor also has it is that the tower recently appeared right out of the blue, just like magic. Speaking of magic though, it seems as if the Elve's Great Pentacles are weakening as well... Perhaps, the two are related... | |
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| − | + | Oh? It's nothing. I was just thinking out loud. | |
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| + | What? You're going there now? ...Oh, wait! Wait, there's one more thing I need to tell you. To go to Sky Tower, you first need to pass through Grand Flores. But recently, I don't know when it started, the place has been overflowing with mutated monsters. There are many rumors, but nobody knows why it happened. Anyway, these monsters are evil in nature, and can be fierce and brutal. Several of them may be difficult to deal with... If you must go, please take care! | ||
| + | |||
| + | You still wanna to go? I didn't expect to scare you. Okay, okay, just remember to repair your weapons. Oh, and could you get me another bottle before you leave? Hah hah... | ||
| + | </small></blockquote> | ||
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| − | ==== Episode 3: Slayer | + | ==== Episode 3: Slayer Petrizan ==== |
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| − | |Title=Episode 3: Slayer | + | |Title=Episode 3: Slayer Petrizan |
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| − | ==== Episode 4: Dark Elf Merchant | + | ==== Episode 4: Dark Elf Merchant Sergemin ==== |
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| − | |Title=Episode 4: Dark Elf Merchant | + | |Title=Episode 4: Dark Elf Merchant Sergemin |
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Niu stared at Iris's hands closely, and did not dare to relax. At the same time, her body began to release a strong mental power to collect more Chasers... | Niu stared at Iris's hands closely, and did not dare to relax. At the same time, her body began to release a strong mental power to collect more Chasers... | ||
| − | This was the First Pandemonium Assembly, an event held by Iris for the purpose of mediating the conflict between the Magical factions. At this meeting, representatives from each Magical faction: Iris of the Terra Cottas, Ricardo of the Kashipa, | + | This was the First Pandemonium Assembly, an event held by Iris for the purpose of mediating the conflict between the Magical factions. At this meeting, representatives from each Magical faction: Iris of the Terra Cottas, Ricardo of the Kashipa, Ikki of the Ancient Library, Niu of the Guardians, and Rhum of the Circle Mages fought in a magical arts tournament over the information of the Water of Life; the ultimate winner gaining intellectual ownership of its location. Niu and Iris defeated them one after another, until only the two of them remained... |
As the flames in Iris's hands gradually disappeared, Niu felt an invisible pressure slowly creeping toward her and noticed her surroundings getting darker. Suddenly, upon feeling a blazing heat from above her head, Niu subconsciously looked upward to see a huge fireball that enveloped half the sky, falling toward her at a tremendous speed. Niu instinctively moved to avoid it, but felt a burning pain in her left arm from its flames. Before she could regain her composure, she felt the heat of another fireball above her. This time, she moved unconditionally without looking upward. | As the flames in Iris's hands gradually disappeared, Niu felt an invisible pressure slowly creeping toward her and noticed her surroundings getting darker. Suddenly, upon feeling a blazing heat from above her head, Niu subconsciously looked upward to see a huge fireball that enveloped half the sky, falling toward her at a tremendous speed. Niu instinctively moved to avoid it, but felt a burning pain in her left arm from its flames. Before she could regain her composure, she felt the heat of another fireball above her. This time, she moved unconditionally without looking upward. | ||
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Naturally, the representatives who participated in the Pandemonium Assembly were considered masters of their respective organizations. Therefore, from the beginning, Niu's opponents were by no means pushovers, but fortunately she found ways to suppress each of them. | Naturally, the representatives who participated in the Pandemonium Assembly were considered masters of their respective organizations. Therefore, from the beginning, Niu's opponents were by no means pushovers, but fortunately she found ways to suppress each of them. | ||
| − | (The device that Mage Librarian | + | (The device that Mage Librarian Ikki invented was great, but not perfect. Using its flaws, I had a chance to break through her defenses and use my Chasers. When fighting Summoner Rhum, my strategy was to suppress him before he could summon any powerful monsters. Even when fighting Ricardo with his dark magic, my Chaser was superior in attack power alone. However, the magic used by this woman... It seems so flawless that I can't see an opening... If there is opportunity to land a Dragon Strike, I should be able to use my Chasers.) |
It was for the first time, that while facing such a troublesome foe like Iris, Niu felt so frustrated. Iris's magic surely did not have any openings. Now, not only the properties of fire, but also water, light, and darkness; the four attributes emanated freely in her hands. Whether it was from near to far, from far to near, from narrow to wide, she manipulated her magic effortlessly; she clearly demonstrated that she was one of the best Elemental Masters. | It was for the first time, that while facing such a troublesome foe like Iris, Niu felt so frustrated. Iris's magic surely did not have any openings. Now, not only the properties of fire, but also water, light, and darkness; the four attributes emanated freely in her hands. Whether it was from near to far, from far to near, from narrow to wide, she manipulated her magic effortlessly; she clearly demonstrated that she was one of the best Elemental Masters. | ||
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"But, Cain... I lost only to him and was woefully defeated... Cain! He's a real monster! In the presence of his mighty strength and endless stamina, all of my proud fighting techniques and accumulated experiences thus far were reduced to shameless tricks. Before him, all of my skills proved useless, they had no effect!" | "But, Cain... I lost only to him and was woefully defeated... Cain! He's a real monster! In the presence of his mighty strength and endless stamina, all of my proud fighting techniques and accumulated experiences thus far were reduced to shameless tricks. Before him, all of my skills proved useless, they had no effect!" | ||
| − | "Even in legend, Cain | + | "Even in legend against Bakal, Cain was indeed described like this..." |
Regarding Cain, the first Apostle of Pandemonium, Pipi always thought that he was just an exaggerated legend, but seeing the fourth apostle, covered in blood, confirmed that all of it was true. | Regarding Cain, the first Apostle of Pandemonium, Pipi always thought that he was just an exaggerated legend, but seeing the fourth apostle, covered in blood, confirmed that all of it was true. | ||
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"Yes... Well, since all the cruel, bad people in the world from long ago are already dead and there are only good people like grandfathers and grandmothers left, do you know if their original good hearts will return again?" | "Yes... Well, since all the cruel, bad people in the world from long ago are already dead and there are only good people like grandfathers and grandmothers left, do you know if their original good hearts will return again?" | ||
"Hahahaha... You're such a benevolent child. So, you're suggesting that the world's creatures are at not at all evil from the beginning? My adorable granddaughter has a greater depth of enlightenment than the stubborn Priest elders! If I ever have the chance to meet Ozma directly someday, I'll see if I can talk to him." | "Hahahaha... You're such a benevolent child. So, you're suggesting that the world's creatures are at not at all evil from the beginning? My adorable granddaughter has a greater depth of enlightenment than the stubborn Priest elders! If I ever have the chance to meet Ozma directly someday, I'll see if I can talk to him." | ||
| − | "But, please be careful, Grandfather. | + | "But, please be careful, Grandfather. If he doesn't listen, you'll have to scold him." |
"Yes, yes. You are really smart and truly wise. It seems I don't need to worry about you for a lifetime." | "Yes, yes. You are really smart and truly wise. It seems I don't need to worry about you for a lifetime." | ||
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In short, because of this, whatever part of Delezie was left here in Noire Ferra resulted in this tragedy. | In short, because of this, whatever part of Delezie was left here in Noire Ferra resulted in this tragedy. | ||
It seems very reasonable to think so. | It seems very reasonable to think so. | ||
| − | While thinking of all this, a word suddenly emerged into my mind, " | + | While thinking of all this, a word suddenly emerged into my mind, "Metastasis!" |
| − | Currently, the human world is in a state of extreme chaos due to the " | + | Currently, the human world is in a state of extreme chaos due to the "metastasis" phenomenon. |
| − | According to Iris, the origins of the | + | According to Iris, the origins of the metastasis was due to the transference of the first Apostle that appeared in Arad, a being named Sirocco. |
It can't be... Are all of these things related? | It can't be... Are all of these things related? | ||
| − | The Curse of Blood, the purple mushroom disease, the Noire Ferra incident, and the " | + | The Curse of Blood, the purple mushroom disease, the Noire Ferra incident, and the "metastasis"... |
Are these all part of some enormous conspiracy manipulated by some mastermind behind the scenes...? | Are these all part of some enormous conspiracy manipulated by some mastermind behind the scenes...? | ||
If this is true, then this master plan must have been secretly in place for centuries! | If this is true, then this master plan must have been secretly in place for centuries! | ||
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But this was the result I expected, and I put on a cold smile. | But this was the result I expected, and I put on a cold smile. | ||
| − | After slowly recollecting the previous and current images in my mind and linking them together, I became more and more certain of Hilder's final goal. I see. So that was exactly what Hilder was trying to do. The "Reconstruction of Terra." In the ancient books of Pandemonium and from the legends I have collected, I have seen or heard the story of the "Destruction of the Terra Civilization" countless times. There was no doubt that these two were linked, and Hilder's plot to revive Terra's brilliance was almost completely exposed. To achieve this goal, it required the sacrifice of the Apostles and the destruction of | + | After slowly recollecting the previous and current images in my mind and linking them together, I became more and more certain of Hilder's final goal. I see. So that was exactly what Hilder was trying to do. The "Reconstruction of Terra." In the ancient books of Pandemonium and from the legends I have collected, I have seen or heard the story of the "Destruction of the Terra Civilization" countless times. There was no doubt that these two were linked, and Hilder's plot to revive Terra's brilliance was almost completely exposed. To achieve this goal, it required the sacrifice of the Apostles and the destruction of an entire world; because only through death, can it be reborn! |
In ancient times, Terra passed on a book called, "New Genesis," which I studied when I collected materials. It specifically describes the destruction of the planet Terra and the process of its reconstruction. Much of the book has been lost, but some chapters have been preserved: | In ancient times, Terra passed on a book called, "New Genesis," which I studied when I collected materials. It specifically describes the destruction of the planet Terra and the process of its reconstruction. Much of the book has been lost, but some chapters have been preserved: | ||
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"Yes, well I had no intention of opposing all the Apostles. Well, before I could try anything, how did you manage to persuade these Apostles to your side? If I had succeeded in getting the Water of Life, it would have a little more fun. It's a shame I couldn't do that... However, I am touched that you responded so quickly after I had done so little, Hilder." | "Yes, well I had no intention of opposing all the Apostles. Well, before I could try anything, how did you manage to persuade these Apostles to your side? If I had succeeded in getting the Water of Life, it would have a little more fun. It's a shame I couldn't do that... However, I am touched that you responded so quickly after I had done so little, Hilder." | ||
| − | "Let's not waste our strength fighting each other and just surrender, Bakal. If Pandemonium arrives to another planet in the future, I will release you there. If you like, you can also return to your | + | "Let's not waste our strength fighting each other and just surrender, Bakal. If Pandemonium arrives to another planet in the future, I will release you there. If you like, you can also return to your home planet. But until then, regrettably, you must be retrained, under custody at all times." |
"Haha, ridiculous! Do you think I'm going to believe your words? Hilder, don't lie to me! It's unthinkable for Pandemonium to leave this planet. You purposefully stayed here for decades without the thought of leaving, haven't you? Is this not the world that will accomplish your plan?" | "Haha, ridiculous! Do you think I'm going to believe your words? Hilder, don't lie to me! It's unthinkable for Pandemonium to leave this planet. You purposefully stayed here for decades without the thought of leaving, haven't you? Is this not the world that will accomplish your plan?" | ||
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As Kiri spoke, she looked down at Audrey beside her, and saw that the other person seemed to have no emotional response. Regardless of this, she was not at all frustrated. | As Kiri spoke, she looked down at Audrey beside her, and saw that the other person seemed to have no emotional response. Regardless of this, she was not at all frustrated. | ||
| − | "Anyway, I immediately | + | "Anyway, I immediately agreed, but they said there was a catch. That is, I had to stay in Arden Heights, and hold out until the end of this battle with the Kartel. I think even if I can't go, I'm sure they can find other excellent instructors!" |
"If you were an instructor, I'm sure you'd do well." | "If you were an instructor, I'm sure you'd do well." | ||
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| − | <small>< | + | <small><blockquote><i> |
"Colonel, you're a celebrity." | "Colonel, you're a celebrity." | ||
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Looking at the long-winded Lucas and the contemplative Woon, Tammy found a chance to intervene. | Looking at the long-winded Lucas and the contemplative Woon, Tammy found a chance to intervene. | ||
| − | "You should not speculate; the newspaper may be tired of news about the Imperial Army, and want to cover stories about the Colonel for a new change of taste. Maybe the president of the newspaper is a crazy fan of the Colonel, and one day might come to openly propose marriage to him... Oh, I think these guesses are far more realistic than what you said about 'Bakal's hidden underwater | + | "You should not speculate; the newspaper may be tired of news about the Imperial Army, and want to cover stories about the Colonel for a new change of taste. Maybe the president of the newspaper is a crazy fan of the Colonel, and one day might come to openly propose marriage to him... Oh, I think these guesses are far more realistic than what you said about 'Bakal's hidden underwater castle.'" |
Woon thought that Tammy's unreasonable imagination was more terrible than Lucas's fantasy. Lucas couldn't help but shout: | Woon thought that Tammy's unreasonable imagination was more terrible than Lucas's fantasy. Lucas couldn't help but shout: | ||
| − | "Bakal definitely has a hidden | + | "Bakal definitely has a hidden castle!" |
| − | "If you saw Anton, you would know. The Apostles building an underwater | + | "If you saw Anton, you would know. The Apostles building an underwater castle to defend against thieves? That's ridiculous. You always like to say such random words; no wonder your brother tells you to shut up. Anyway, you'd still better find the documents I gave you. It must have been a real mess this time. Do you know how the people in the Imperial Princess Garden laughed at us last time? I'm embarrassed for you..." |
Lucas lowered his head and dared not to utter a word. Tammy smiled proudly and couldn't help but laugh out loud. The conversation, triggered by a news report, ended in the victory of the only woman in the office. Woon did not continue to ask questions and put his attention back to his work. | Lucas lowered his head and dared not to utter a word. Tammy smiled proudly and couldn't help but laugh out loud. The conversation, triggered by a news report, ended in the victory of the only woman in the office. Woon did not continue to ask questions and put his attention back to his work. | ||
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Tammy cast a sneering look at Lucas, and Lucas, who failed the exam, dropped his head, afraid to utter a reply. On the newspaper that was left on the table, under the report about Woon, there was an editorial demanding for Jackter's resignation published in a striking headline. | Tammy cast a sneering look at Lucas, and Lucas, who failed the exam, dropped his head, afraid to utter a reply. On the newspaper that was left on the table, under the report about Woon, there was an editorial demanding for Jackter's resignation published in a striking headline. | ||
| − | </ | + | </i></blockquote></small> |
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| − | |Title=<small>Chapter 2: The Commander's | + | |Title=<small>Chapter 2: The Commander's Office</small> |
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| + | <small><blockquote><i> | ||
| + | The military system of Empyrean was more complicated that it seemed. | ||
| − | + | Empyrean was made up of several islands, each with its own headquarters. Not so long ago, each of these command centers were created to govern their respective island, with Ghent Command, which managed the entirety of the Imperial Army, in charge of all of them. | |
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| − | + | Although the military system had been reorganized under the era of former Archpriest Beldron, issues still remained. In addition to the series of regulations that were created by the various regional headquarters, there were also Special Forces such as the Imperial Princess Garden, the Ghent Royal Garrison, and the Coast Guard which followed separate rules. For the sake of convenience, they also borrowed the rank names of Brigadier General and Major, but they didn't correspond with the ranking system of the Command. The reason there were so many organizations was due to the fact Empyrean had long existed in a peaceful and isolated environment; there was no reason to bother with such unnecessary changes. | |
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| − | + | However, imperfect systems often lead to confusion. That being said, as time passed, it became more difficult to reorganize a system that had been grounded over a period of years. Moreover, the Special Forces have long since grown into independent organizations, and Ghent Command had no right to reorganize them. Only the Archpriest, the current Imperial Princess, had this authority. | |
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| − | + | However, this situation did not faze the majesty of the Commander-in-Chief of Ghent Command, Jackter the Eagle Eye. | |
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| − | + | Only the highest commanders of each command center were appointed as generals, and it being an honorary position, every command center had a multiple of them. However, there was only one general who was appointed by the Imperial Princess, and that was Jackter. Each of the Special Forces respected him and followed his advice. For that very reason, Jackter the Eagle Eye not only commanded the Imperial Army, but also was the Commander-in-Chief of the entire Empyrean Army. | |
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| − | + | The legendary Jackter the Eagle Eye, the man who came from the Lawless District and became the first Commander-in-Chief in the Empyrean Army. From his talents alone, he was invited to Ghent and made remarkable contributions, including the subjugation of Anton. He became a national hero that won the hearts of many and the trust of the Imperial Princess. It is said that when he adorns all the medals he had won on his chest, his clothes would glisten like a radiant armor... | |
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| − | + | With his silver hair combed back behind his ear, Jackter sat in the Commander's Office cutting his nails. But due to having carelessly cut into the flesh, he put his finger in his mouth to suck the blood. | |
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| − | + | "As you get older, slip ups like this become inevitable." | |
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| − | + | "I see." | |
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| − | + | Although he did not like abusing his authority to appear pretentious, there were some times when seen by his subordinates that would make him feel embarrassed. Jackter coughed a few times, and accepted the documents from his adjutant. Since it was often necessary to send the documents to the Nobility, most of the documents were handwritten. Despite Empyrean's level of science and technology that astonished the Arad people, the Nobility valued tradition, still preferring the documents be written by hand. Of course they did not hand write all the documents, but in the face of Jackter, there was always an extra emphasis on taste. | |
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| − | + | Satisfied upon looking at the handwriting that resembled a neat machine-like print, Jackter put down the document. | |
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| − | + | "Good work!" | |
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| − | + | "You haven't finished reading it." | |
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| − | + | "Shouldn't be a problem." | |
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| + | Woon tilted his head. | ||
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| + | "Do you need reading glasses?" | ||
| − | + | "Damn it. I wouldn't go that far... Anyway, I've read the draft already; the content inside shouldn't have changed that much." | |
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| − | + | "I added a few more private documents. Please check pages 82 to 84." | |
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| − | + | Jackter rummaged through the contents as he complained that his diligent subordinate put himself through too much trouble. At first, he just nodded casually, but as he turned to the last page, his gaze suddenly sharpened. | |
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| − | + | "...This content, have you verified it?" | |
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| − | + | Woon didn't answer, and handed over the documents to Jackter. Jacker's movements as he flipped through the material became a lot more cautious. Given the pile of information consisting of a stack of internal reports, photographs, and leaked confidential documents, it verified the authenticity of the content submitted by Woon. Jackter repeatedly pondered over every last word, and finally leaned back against his chair. | |
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| − | + | "Those dumb bastards. I don't know if they're our friends or our enemies..." | |
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| − | + | "..." | |
| − | + | "Is that why they stopped the military from building a hospital? Every day they complain that there's not enough money, and that they don't want to pay taxes. And now they secretly built a treatment center behind our backs to treat our patients for free? And that all the medical supplies were provided by the Empire? Those Northpiece idiots; all they do is bring us food that is completely burnt. Do you think the food brought by the Empire tasted any better? Because I distinctly remember last time the Empire brought a virus, and we were forced to slaughter 50,000 livestock." | |
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| − | + | "The Nobles said that it was a gift of tribute from the Empire, and that its poor quality should be accepted with leniency." | |
| − | + | "Bullshit! The Empire has always been desperately searching for our weaknesses. They are a notorious force in Arad. You see, they don't even provide their supplies free of charge. Just the price of shipping is astronomical, how could they possibly give us that large amount of supplies for free?! | |
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| − | + | "But the call for vigilance against the Empire is not a priority. Most people think the Empire's weapons are archaic, and that we could subdue them without breaking a sweat." | |
| − | + | Jackter sighed as he scratched his hair, and finally spat out a few curse words and threw the documents on the table. | |
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| − | + | "Do you remember Walshuted?" | |
| − | + | "You mean the head of the Imperial Knights, Vaughn Walshuted?" | |
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| − | + | "Those men were not mere barbarians who only used sticks as weapons. They knew how to use strange skills that I don't know whether it's magic or qigong. Even then, the Knight Master was desperately studying us, and we completely disregarded their skills, just viewing it as some sort of cheap trick. | |
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| − | + | "Are you saying that if war breaks out, we might not be able to beat them?" | |
| − | + | "We'll win, at least for now, but our opponent's military forces and materials are very abundant. We lost half our population, and have no experience in war or diplomacy. We've been isolated for so long that we didn't have the opportunity to prepare." | |
| − | + | "Did we not just experience a war?" | |
| − | + | Upon hearing such a low-pitched question, Jackter looked up at his adjutant. Although his adjutant always had the same straight face, Jackter could still see in it a sense of naiveté. At that moment, the adjutant's face was void of any emotion, but Jackter recollected to when they first met; the adjutant was beaten black and blue, and had a thinner appearance than that of his peers. | |
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| + | "That was not a war." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Oh." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "That so-called war... that's just the perspective of the other side. Even if the entire city of Northpiece got involved, it would have been the same. The Kartel only kept its power by killing the weak; that was nothing more than a massacre. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "But in the latter part, many civilians also got involved." | ||
| − | + | "Those individuals merely noticed a good situation, and took advantage of the opportunity. As Varracht said, by the time he left the organization, the Kartel had already devolved into a pure band of criminals. And what's more is that in Northpiece, the opposition against the Kartel is very high, isn't it? That includes you too..." | |
| − | + | Jackter glanced at an old pocket watch on the table. | |
| − | + | "... And remember, we cannot ensure victory by merely relying on our own strength. We cannot justify our behavior under the assumption that our defenses would have been impenetrable 'If Anton didn't show up'. Colonel, Empyrean is a country of many problems. We were able to experience many years of peace simply because we haven't encountered any enemies. I understood that a little upon seeing Anton and the Empire. We must be on our guard against them, and the world below. They settled an issue I've been worrying about a long time ago, and are advancing constantly through the means of mass communication. Do not underestimate the progress they've made through the passage of time. We are called Empyrean because of our elevation, not because we are gods." | |
| − | + | "Understood." | |
| − | + | "Anyway, it's too late for us to be focused on expanding the military. We are already at a numbers disadvantage when compared to the Imperial Army. At this point, enforcing an entry restriction upon them is just all bark and no bite. That damned 'military is useless' ideology is causing our soldiers to gradually become even estranged by their loved ones, and just become a means to vent frustration, but Jurgen doesn't even bat an eye. Although he may have expected this in the end, our soldiers..." | |
| − | + | The thought about the soldiers being discharged from the army with just a woefully small amount of retirement money caused even Jackter to really want to throw explosives into the houses of the Nobles. After much effort, he had just managed to get a meal subsidy for the soldiers, but what is food in comparison to the trauma inflicted to the body and mind? Jackter poured himself a mouthful of water in an attempt to extinguish the fire surging in his heart. | |
| − | + | "Colonel, do you know what happens when a person dedicates himself to his country only to be betrayed in the end? Anger, only anger remains. And this anger is bound to inevitably exceed that of those who hated the country from the beginning." | |
| − | + | Jackter put down his cup and let out a long sigh. He looked at his watch and found that time had flown by considerably. As the meeting time with the Nobility approached, a sense of frustration and helplessness began to wreak havoc in his heart. He was not a politician; he was a soldier who swore to defend his country; moreover, politics did not conform with his nature. And Jurgen, a man whom he originally believed he could count on, has yet to hand over his seal as regent. Jackter was very disappointed with his public pressure on the Imperial Princess. Although he has never completely trusted him as a person, he always believed that Jurgen would be the least likely to cause trouble if the country were in turmoil. But he never considered Jurgen to even have accepted a title from the Empire... His behavior completely subverted Jackter's expectations. Perhaps Jurgen as a politician, thought it was right to his advantage, but Jackter didn't want to understand his position. | |
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| − | + | Jackter slammed his fist on the table. | |
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| − | + | "I was going to kill Anton and retire! Take a leisure fishing trip and start enjoying life. But now I have to go to work tomorrow, and the day that! Even if nobody wants me to leave, even I want to take the initiative to take a load off! Those bastards, even they ran off one by one during the war..." | |
| − | + | Woon squatted down to pick up the pieces of paper that fell from the table, but upon hearing this remark, he turned his head. | |
| − | + | "Do you want to fill out a retirement application?" | |
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</i></blockquote></small> | </i></blockquote></small> | ||
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| − | |Title= | + | |Title=<small>Chapter 4: Two Dinners</small> |
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| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 5: Midnight, and Early Morning</small> | ||
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| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 6: Morning Disturbance</small> | ||
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| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 7: Downtown Ghent</small> | ||
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| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 8: Back to the Palace</small> | ||
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| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 9: Midnight Town Outskirts</small> | ||
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| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 10: Another Morning</small> | ||
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| + | </center> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| − | + | ==== Episode 27: A Girl in Central Park ==== | |
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Episode 27: A Girl in Central Park | ||
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| + | <center> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 1: A Young Mage's Day</small> | ||
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| + | }} | ||
| + | <blockquote><small> | ||
| + | One... Two... Three! | ||
| − | + | <i>Pai inwardly counted to three and then cast the spell. It wasn't one of her usual ice spells; it was new magic that employed the various elements that filled the forest. The small light that glowed green blinked, and then started changing its color. Red, blue, yellow, and...</i> | |
| − | + | "Ah...!" | |
| − | + | <i>The mana that formed the light started dissipating. Alarmed, Pai gritted her teeth and clutched onto her staff, her forehead covered with sweat. | |
| − | + | Pop! | |
| − | + | Despite her effort, the spell failed. With a small popping sound, the mana exploded, its particles blowing away in the wind. For a while, Pai just watched the light scatter, and then flopped to the ground with a sigh.</i> | |
| − | + | How many times have I failed? | |
| − | + | <i>It was difficult to create new magic that combines various elements. Especially for Pai, who was trained in one specific school of magic since she was young. She swept her matted hair away from her face as she leaned against the tree. The leaves rubbed together in the wind, comforting her with their rustling sound. | |
| − | + | It'd been a month since Niu left Central Park with some of the other Guardians. | |
| + | Niu usually traveled Pandemonium alone to locate strange phenomena and help people. Knowing that she was accompanied by others this time should have been reassuring to Pai, but she didn't feel that way.</i> | ||
| − | + | 'Am I worried?' | |
| − | + | 'Yes.' | |
| − | + | 'About Niu?' | |
| − | + | 'Yes and no.' | |
| − | + | <i>Pai hugged her staff tightly. | |
| − | + | Kate made this staff for her after Werry disappeared. He was a bigmouth and not entirely a likable character, but she thought they'd be together forever. After he left all of a sudden, she lost confidence in her ability to cast magic. Kate carved this staff out of an old elemental tree to encourage her. She was grateful for that, but she couldn't stop thinking about Werry.</i> | |
| − | + | 'He left because I was weak...' | |
| − | + | <i>She looked at her hands. Compared to Niu, who trained all the time, she was pathetically weak. There was little wonder no one counted on her. Can I help the others? Make them feel safe?</i> | |
| − | + | "Yes, you can." | |
| − | + | <i>Niu told her. She said Pai could do anything. She always said so. Pai had to believe that.</i> | |
| − | + | "Pai, where are you? You'd better come back before I eat all of the pie!" | |
| − | + | <i>The hopeful look on Pai's face turned sulky. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | Central Park was the miraculous forests that Kate the famous summoner created. She tended to it, even when Pandemonium was filled with nothing but darkness. Now she lived here with the mages who followed her in a small village that they built together. The young girls, Pai and Pipi, were like family to Kate, and they were already accomplished mages in their own right. | |
| + | But the sight of Pai, who was walking with puffed-up cheeks and a pouty mouth, followed by Pipi, who nervously stole glances at the other, was far from magic, the essence of nature's mysteries itself.</i> | ||
| − | + | "Did you girls fight again?" | |
| − | + | <i>The Red Witch, who was sitting on the best seat at the table, drinking tea, asked primly.</i> | |
| − | + | "Did you play rock-paper-scissors on who'd win more slices of pie? Pai, did you lose?" | |
| − | + | "No. I'm not angry. Don't worry about me." | |
| − | + | <i>But the look on her face said otherwise. The guilty party, Pipi, flailed her arms wildly at the Red Witch, silently asking not to pry into the situation. The Red grinned mischievously. </i> | |
| − | + | "Oh, really?" | |
| − | + | <i>The meek boy Joshua sensed the impending disaster and quickly picked up his cup and saucer.</i> | |
| − | + | "Wow, something smells delicious!" | |
| − | + | <i>With that, the table stayed upright, and everyone's face turned toward the familiar boy who came running, following the smell of freshly baked bread, which, by the way, distracted him so much that he forgot to even say hello. | |
| + | Kate, as she removed the last cookie out of the oven, greeted him.</i> | ||
| − | + | "Hello, Arthur. How's Isys-Prey?" | |
| + | </small></blockquote> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 2: A Wind from Afar</small> | ||
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| + | }} | ||
| + | <blockquote><small> | ||
| + | "...And that's how Prey saved one more poor Pandemonian!" | ||
| − | + | <i>Arthur shrugged, his face beaming with pride. He would've looked more like the faithful follower of the Apostle he was if his mouth was covered with bread crumbs from eating while talking.</i> | |
| − | + | "By the way, where did Isys-Prey come from?" | |
| − | + | <i>Pipi looked at him, and Arthur slightly blushed. He scratched his pinked cheek as he answered.</i> | |
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| − | + | "That... Prey wouldn't tell me. And I asked him several times. He said I don't need to know. He probably said that because I can't go there, even if I wanted to. He had this sad look in his eyes, so I could tell he misses his home world." | |
| − | + | "You call yourself his follower, and yet you know nothing about him." | |
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| − | + | <i>Arthur glared at the Red Witch, but said nothing. He knew better than try to argue with this woman, and he learned it the hard way. Knowing this, Kate smiled gently.</i> | |
| − | + | "Yes. I'm glad Prey is taking good care of Pandemonium. When he flies on his wings, patrolling, even the Kashipas and thieves go into hiding. By the way, Arthur, what brings you here today?" | |
| − | + | "Oh right, I almost forgot. He asked me to get updates on the Kashipas' movement. Is Niu not here?" | |
| − | + | "Niu went to check around Harlem. She also might drop by Elting Memorial on her way back." | |
| − | + | <i>Arthur scowled. | |
| − | + | Elting Memorial. Every day, accidents happened there because of the dangerous experiments that the witches who lived there conducted. But most of all, Arthur didn't like that place because, even though they were supported by Hilder, they insisted on a neutral stand on the war against the Kashipas. | |
| − | + | In fact, Elting Memorial was already under Kashipa's control. Not only it was conveniently located right next to its base, Harlem, but its resident witches were cooperating with the organization's research requests. But even Kashipa's leader, Black-eyed Sarpoza, had announced that he respected their neutral stand. It was probably because he didn't want to make an enemy of Hilder. Elting Memorial was filled with nothing but eccentric witches and old, dusty books. It wasn't worth fighting for. | |
| − | + | And that made Arthur more upset. The witches of Elting Memorial should know this. They shouldn't be so content with their current situation. They should fight the Kashipas. They even had a powerful ally, Hilder, for the gods' sake! Or they could always join forces with the mages of Central Park against the Kashipas. That could change the situation of Pandemonium nicely. It was a well-known fact that those witches didn't think like everyone else, but they were also Pandemonians. They must learn from Isys-Prey's righteous mindset and put their skills to good use, instead of wasting them on some terrible experiments while hiding from everyone else.</i> | |
| − | + | "The Kashipas called people from outside Harlem outsiders. I wonder if that's how they think of the people of Elting Memorial." | |
| − | + | "Probably. Those witches are as wary of strangers as they are. Perhaps the Kashipas have learned from them, having visited them many times." | |
| − | + | "I don't like that the Pandemonians are split in factions. I hope peace will return soon. Pandemonium would be a better place if there were only good people who get along well with one another." | |
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| − | + | <i>Pipi spoke, her face gloomy, probably from thinking of someone. Arthur kept stealing glances at her until Pai pinched him the back of his hand. "Cut it out." Flushed, Arthur was thinking hard to come up with some excuse when... | |
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| − | + | A wind blew. | |
| − | + | It wasn't one of those ordinary winds from the Wind Canyon. It was a ground tremor caused by powerful waves of mana. Those who were deeply related to mana knew how serious this movement was. Kate was watching the children talk, and suddenly the look in her eyes changed. The Red Witch pursed her lips. Pipi clenched her hands. Joshua turned his head toward Harlem. Pai's shoulders shrank in spite of herself.</i> | |
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| − | + | "Prey is angry." | |
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| − | + | <i>Arthur mumbled, and got startled by his own words.</i> | |
| − | + | "Prey is angry... Did something happen to him!?" | |
| − | |||
| − | + | <i>He suddenly rose from his chair, knocking it backward with a loud noise.</i> | |
| − | + | "I'd better go!" | |
| − | + | "Arthur! Wait!" | |
| − | + | ||
| + | <i>Arthur ignored Kate and started running. When he ran with the wind wrapped around him, he was unstoppable. His attention was solely focused on Isys-Prey, whom he worshiped like a god—no, he was a god in all things that mattered to Arthur.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "What's going on?" | ||
| − | + | <i>The party was over. The Red Witch fretted and grumbled and left for the forest without saying goodbye. Kate and Pipi also headed out to the forest. Joshua bid Pai farewell and headed out to the hill in the Wasteland to watch over Harlem. | |
| − | + | Pai, sitting alone at the big table, hugged her doll tightly to her chest.</i> | |
| − | </i></ | + | </small></blockquote> |
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| − | < | + | <blockquote><small> |
| − | ' | + | The next day, Kate told Pipi and Pai that she didn't think what happened yesterday was serious and they shouldn't worry about it. |
| + | Pipi smiled brightly and let out a sigh of relief. "It can't be, right? Even if it is, Prey can take care of it." | ||
| + | But Pai couldn't understand it. Arthur wouldn't have left in such a hurry if it wasn't serious. Pai said so to Kate. Kate said he could've been mistaken, and that even if something happened, it had to have been finished by now, seeing how quiet things were at this moment. Don't worry, Kate said as she patted Pai on the head. Pai didn't say anything. | ||
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| + | 'If I was Niu...' | ||
| + | |||
| + | If I was as strong and reliable as her... | ||
| + | If she was, Kate's words might have been different. She might have told her the truth and wanted to discuss some solutions with her. Right now, Niu was away, Pipi was too young, and she was... | ||
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| + | "I'm going to go take a walk." | ||
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| + | Without waiting for Kate's response, Pai headed out to the forest. Her small body quickly disappeared among the tall, lush trees. After a while, Pai looked back. She couldn't see the village anymore. | ||
| + | The forests of Central Park were large. They became larger than the first time the Adventurer arrived. When they left for the Castle of the Dead where Apostle Luke was, Kate tried to hide the sad look on her face and told everyone that everything would be okay. And then, she spent most of her time tending to the trees and plants as if she needed the distraction. Pai tried to help, and Kate told her not to worry and go relax. She knew Kate was being nice, but that hurt her a little bit. | ||
| + | I can help you. | ||
| + | When she was deemed too weak to become a mage, and when she had to leave her family to live with Niu, everyone was worried about her. She was worried about herself too, but she wanted others to have more faith in her. Why is everyone trying so hard to protect me? | ||
| − | + | "I'm a mage, too." | |
| − | + | Pai sat on a rock. Mages walked alongside Death. Even the simplest mistake could cause the greatest of all mages to die in excruciating pain, his mana running amok in his blood. Worse, he could go mad. Becoming a mage was not an easy decision to make, even for those born with a great talent for magic. But Pai was grateful for her magical talent. Since she decided never to run away from it, she'd never regretted becoming a mage. But still that wasn't enough, was it? | |
| − | + | "What can I do?" | |
| − | + | What do I do to become as strong as my sisters? | |
| + | She couldn't fight the Kashipas like Niu. She wasn't as famous as Kate, either. She wanted to help others, but she was too shy to pay visits to unfamiliar villages. She didn't want to make others worry by leaving without telling them where she was going, either. | ||
| + | So instead, she headed out to the forest on the edge of Central Park. | ||
| + | It was where visitors of Central Park often came through. Sometimes, they were found lying there, barely breathing, so she made it a habit to check this forest on a regular basis. | ||
| + | But she rarely visited it alone. That was why she became slightly nervous when she heard a rustling noise. She clutched her staff. She couldn't see clearly through the tree leaves and underbrush. She couldn't even detect their mana because of the magic that Kate had cast around the forests a while ago. Pai hid behind a big tree and looked around, and... | ||
| − | + | "Boo." | |
| − | + | "Kyaaaaaahh!" | |
| − | + | Thwack! Pai swung her staff with all her strength and hit something. It was Joshua who came out of the underbrush. For acting out of character and pulling a childish prank, he got smacked by Pai's staff. It missed his head, but hit him squarely on the back. While Joshua coughed and groaned in pain, Pai composed herself. | |
| − | + | "Why did you do that?" | |
| − | ".. | + | "You looked upset. I just wanted to cheer you up. Where are you going?" |
| − | " | + | Pai mumbled, "The forest at the border." |
| − | + | "Why? I just came from the Wasteland. Nothing's happening out there right now." | |
| − | + | She didn't know how to answer to that. How disappointing? That's good? Pai settled for a sullen nod. Joshua scratched his nose. | |
| − | + | "I'll go with you, then." | |
| + | "You will?" | ||
| + | "If you're going there to get some fresh air, you could use a companion, right? If there's an animal that needs rescue, two's better than one, too." | ||
| − | + | Pai thinks about it for a while, and then nods her head. | |
| − | </blockquote | + | </small></blockquote> |
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| − | |Title=<small>Chapter | + | |Title=<small>Chapter 4: The Visitor</small> |
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| − | < | + | <blockquote><small> |
| − | + | The bordering forest of Central Park, adjacent to the Wasteland connected to Harlem. On the other side of that vast chunk of wasteland stood the Corrupt Forest and Kashipa's base, Harlem. The Corrupt Forest grew big, just like the other forests with Kate's magic, but unlike the others it was dark and evil. Pai thought that forest might never change, for its name's sake, if nothing else. The same might go for Kashipa, the group of corrupt mages... | |
| − | + | "No, maybe not." | |
| − | " | + | "Huh? What?" |
| − | + | "Ah, nothing." | |
| − | + | Joshua, who turned to look at her, grinned and resumed walking. | |
| + | Looking at his back, Pai recalled the first time she met this boy who was originally a member of Kashipa. Anyone who knew Joshua now wouldn't believe what she saw back then. Who would believe that such a cheerful person was once filled with sadness and anger? If Kate and Kasijas didn't persuade him, he still could've been the same tormented person he was back then, and that would've been tragic. | ||
| − | + | "Joshua, when you came to Central Park... what did Kasijas say to you?" | |
| − | + | Pai had always wanted to know what that scary-looking, brusque Kasijas told Joshua. | |
| − | + | "He said I should live however I wanted, following my heart. And that thinking wouldn't help. In the end, my heart would always win, so I'd better get out of there the first chance I got." | |
| − | " | + | "Really? Did Kasijas really say that?" |
| − | + | "Yes, or at least that was what he meant, according to Kate." | |
| − | + | "According to Kate?" | |
| − | + | The boy and girl giggled at the same time. Pai felt slightly better. She mindlessly swung her staff that she was holding in one hand. | |
| + | "Hey, Joshua. Do you have a lot of experience when it comes to fighting?" | ||
| + | "I had to fight to survive where I came from, so yes. Why, Miss Pai, do you want to fight?" | ||
| − | + | "No... But I have to... to be helpful." | |
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| − | + | "You think so?" | |
| − | + | Joshua responded nonchalantly. Suddenly Pai wondered if she was being stubborn and unreasonable. Should I really insist on fighting? What if I only get in the way of others? Pai stabbed her staff at the ground for no reason, sending dirt flying everywhere. Any other times, she would never do this because it left scratches on her staff, but right now she needed the distraction to keep herself from wallowing in depressing thoughts. Careful not to hit Joshua in front of her, Pai swung her staff a few more times. Suddenly Joshua grabbed her by the shoulder. He placed one finger in front of his mouth and pulled her behind a tree. | |
| − | I | + | "Someone else is here. I didn't see him when I passed here the last time. He must have crossed the Wasteland just now." |
| − | + | They watched the stranger who was resting with his back against a rock. | |
| + | He didn't radiate enough mana to indicate he was a mage, but the daggers he had belted around his waist and the injury on his face were enough to make them feel wary of them. Could he be an adventurer or traveler? No. Joshua shook his head. | ||
| + | Having watched the stranger for a while, Joshua shot an icicle. It hit a tree in the distance with a shattering noise. The stranger quickly raised himself and crouched into a fighting stance with naturalness from having it done many times. He sniffed at the air and then came to where the two youngsters were instead of the shaken tree. | ||
| − | + | "Are you the Witch of the Forest? Please show yourself. I have no intention of hurting you." | |
| − | + | He sounded as rugged as he looked. Pai clutched onto her staff with both hands. Joshua tapped her on the head. She looked up and found him smiling. | |
| + | Joshua gestured to her to stay still, and then moved away from the tree. | ||
| − | + | "Hello. May I ask who you are?" | |
| − | + | "I'm a merchant. On the run. Are you alone?" | |
| − | + | "Are you on your way to Central Park?" | |
| − | + | "I told you, I'm on the run. I couldn't think of anywhere else to go. I almost died crossing the Wasteland." | |
| − | + | The self-styled merchant wiped the blood from the injury on his face. Pai peeked from behind the tree. Seen from the front, his head was missing half of one ear. It was an old, healed injury, but Pai still flinched in spite of herself. | |
| + | "You're hurt. Where are you going?" | ||
| − | + | "Well, here and there, maybe. But why don't you let your friend come out? I'd feel much more relieved if they did." | |
| + | Hesitantly, Pai showed her face. The merchant guffawed. | ||
| + | "You don't have to be scared of me. I'm not gonna bite ya. Let's see... I've got only this dagger to give you in return. Wanna try it? Oh right—name's Shawfield." | ||
| − | + | Shawfield raised a rusty dagger and guffawed again. Pai didn't like his big, yellowed fangs. | |
| − | </blockquote | + | </small></blockquote> |
{{HiddenTextEnd}} | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
{{HiddenTextStart| | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| − | |Title=<small>Chapter | + | |Title=<small>Chapter 5: Each with Their Own Problems</small> |
|Width=500 | |Width=500 | ||
|Show=none | |Show=none | ||
}} | }} | ||
| + | <blockquote><small> | ||
| + | Shawfield said he came from Harlem where Kashipa ruled. He got dumped by his girlfriend, and he went to the casino to distract himself from the heartache. The next thing he knew, he was selling stuff. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "So, you did business in Harlem." | ||
| − | + | "Sure, I did. I may not know how to use magic, but I'm a born businessman. At first I didn't know what I was doing, but it didn't take long for me to get the hang of it. I saved money and sold everything I could buy with the money... I spent money as fast as I made it, though. Still, it was a good life." | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | "Then why did you run?" | |
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| − | + | Shawfield shook the dirt on his matted tail. | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | "Well, that... because of a love quarrel, if you will. The casino's boss loves women. I was having a thing about this pretty dealer, who turned out to be one of the boss's love interests. I skipped town as soon as I caught wind of that. Someone as powerful like him can easily get rid of a helpless outsider like me without a trace, you know. And then, I got caught by some hunters on my way out." | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | "Heh..." | |
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| − | + | "I don't think they'd follow me all the way across the Wasteland, but right now I'm too weak to go any farther. I wish I could have some food..." | |
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| − | + | "I see. If you promise you'll stay here quietly, then I'll get you some food." | |
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| − | + | Joshua was friendly toward Shawfield and didn't look at all like he was scared of him. On the other hand, Pai stayed close to Joshua and watched the stranger from the corner of her eye. Once she made eye contact with him and got startled. She quickly averted her eyes, but it was too late. He knew what she was doing. Shawfield sighed and dropped all his old daggers onto the ground. | |
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| − | + | "There. Are we good now? I understand you're being careful, but I swear I'm just a hungry fugitive. I know I look scarier than most Roccas, but if you're going to glance at someone, do it without letting them know. You'll never win gambles that way." | |
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| − | + | Pai's face reddened. "Sorry..." | |
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| − | + | They'd been walking together for some time now. They reached the central forest of Central Park, and Shawfield suddenly screamed and collapsed to the ground. His leg got caught in a trap spell set up to stop intruders. Shawfield's slim, strong leg was being held in place by a pale blue light. Shawfield screamed in pain. Joshua scratched his head. | |
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| − | + | "We're sorry, but only the Witch can disarm that spell. If we messed with it, we could end up blowing up all the hidden trap spells in this area..." | |
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| − | + | "What? Come on! It's tightening around my leg! Do something!" | |
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| − | + | "I'll go find the Witch. Miss Pai, would you stay with him? I'll be right back!" | |
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| − | + | Without waiting for Pai's response, Joshua sprinted away into the forest. | |
| + | Pai didn't feel comfortable being left alone with a stranger. But Shawfield was lying on the ground, screaming for help. She had to do something before he attracted the violent spirits and animals that lived in the forest. Pai knelt beside his trapped leg. | ||
| − | + | "Hang in there. Let me try to weaken the trap." | |
| − | + | "Ouch, ouch, ouch! Are you sure you know what you're doing? Arrgggh!" | |
| − | + | Shawfield's screaming voice became louder, but the trap wouldn't budge. Pai tightened her lips and concentrated her mind on understanding the spell. | |
| − | + | 'I could've done this more quickly if Joshua was here to help me.' | |
| + | 'I can't focus when he keeps screaming into my ears like this...' | ||
| + | 'What kind of spell is this? It's nothing like anything I've seen...' | ||
| − | + | Pai looked at Shawfield. His body was covered in big and small scars. He was tough enough to survive them, but even he couldn't withstand the pain from this trap, and there was nothing she could do to help. She hated her inadequacy. Pai turned her head in the direction to which Joshua left. What's taking him so long? Is the Red Witch so far away? Impatient, Pai tried to stand up and was stopped by Shawfield's clutching hand. | |
| − | + | "*Sigh* I know you're just a kid, but this is ridiculous." | |
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| − | + | "Erm..." | |
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| − | + | "What are you doing? Help me up!" | |
| − | + | Her shoulders shrunken at his barking voice, Pai carefully helped him sit up. Spewing a geyser of expletives, he produced a sharp dagger from his back pocket. "Ah...!" Alarmed, Pai quickly stepped backward. Shawfield ignored her and swung the dagger at the magical trap around his leg. Clang! Blue sparks of mana flew everywhere. | |
| − | + | "Err? What the...?!" | |
| − | + | Mana, when the spell that bound it was disarmed, usually became dispersed and merged with the environmental mana. That didn't happen in this case. The mana looked as if it disappeared, but then it emitted a blue light again and started freezing the moisture in the air. Soon ice formed around Shawfield's trapped leg as well as around his dagger hand. With an ominous cracking noise, the ice quickly traveled up to his knee and elbow. Shawfield tried to break the ice with his dagger, and it caused him so much pain that he had to stop. He lay back down on the ground and started screaming again. Pai covered her mouth with both hands. | |
| − | + | "I knew he was a Kashipa." | |
| − | + | It was Joshua. His sudden appearance startled Pai more than his words did. He walked toward her with a cold look on his face. When he noticed the surprise in her eyes, he shrugged. | |
| − | + | "It wasn't me who ran off; it was a magic snowflake I created. I hid my magic power and watched him from nearby." | |
| − | + | "Then... did you create this trap?" | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | + | Joshua nodded demurely. Pai stared at him. He was the same kind boy with whom she laughed and chatted until yesterday, but somehow looked unfamiliar now. The ex-Kashipa boy averted his eyes, as if to run away from her gaze. | |
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| − | + | "He was being suspicious. He didn't look like someone who had hunters snapping at his heels, and the mana I felt from him was familiar. It may not be of the Abyss, but it's definitely of the popular magic used among the Kashipas. Ah, don't be hard on yourself because you couldn't disarm this spell. It's used by the Kashipas. Of course, it's unfamiliar to you. Besides you're too shaken up by his injury to be able to focus your mind on it." | |
| − | + | While saying that, Joshua removed Shawfield's dagger. Shawfield was now covered in ice up to his thigh and shoulder. Shawfield forced himself to speak, his teeth chattering from the cold and pain. | |
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| − | + | "N-no. I-I'm not a Kashipa... I won that dagger... in a bet..." | |
| + | "You're lying. This spell can be easily disarmed if you have a proper magic tool, but you still have to be capable of magic to be able to use that tool. If you're not a Kashipa, how do you know their magic?" | ||
| − | + | The look in Joshua's eyes changed as he turned them from Pai and focused them on Shawfield. Not knowing how to answer that, Shawfield started groaning and twisting his body instead. Watching the two interact, Pai clutched onto her staff. She then hit Joshua, accurately on the back of his head this time. | |
| + | "Ouch! Aww, Miss Pai! What did you do that for?!" | ||
| − | " | + | "Stop torturing him. He's in pain. You didn't even give him a chance to explain himself. Even if he's a Kashipa, this is not what you really want to do to him, is it?" |
| − | + | "But what else can I do? This is the only thing I know. I can't talk to people like Kate can..." | |
| + | |||
| + | Joshua answered sullenly. Pai's heart sank in her chest. Joshua has problems of his own, too. If I were as strong as Niu, would he have confided in me earlier? If I was more reliable, Joshua wouldn't have had to torture Shawfield... Pai's arms drooped. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "...No." | ||
| + | |||
| + | She shook her head. She was being selfish. Joshua finally confided in her, and she was being rude to him and to herself, whom Joshua trusted enough to speak his mind to. Pai held Joshua's arm. It was pretty cold from the freezing spell, but she didn't care. | ||
| − | + | "We can do it. We just need more time." | |
| + | </small></blockquote> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 6: A Conversation with Kate</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <blockquote><small> | ||
| + | Shawfield, rubbing his arm and leg to get the blood circulating in them again, admitted that he was a Kashipa. However, he insisted that he really ran away. He lost one of the slaves that he managed, and the Kashipas were going to auction him off as a slave to make up for the loss. The word, slaves, made Pai scowl. It didn't faze Joshua. | ||
| − | + | "He sounds honest enough, even though there's no way to confirm what he says." | |
| − | + | "Just believe me. Have you been lied to all your life?" | |
| − | " | + | "I have." |
| − | + | That shut Shawfield up. Joshua examined the dagger he seized from him. | |
| − | + | "This dagger itself is nothing special. Who cast the magic on it?" | |
| − | " | + | "I stole a book for Elting Memorial and got that in return. There were more, but I broke the rest on my way here. Bah, that's the last weapon I have left!" |
| − | + | Shawfield grumbled, but answered his question nonetheless. It was because the smile that Joshua showed him was different from the one he showed Pai. | |
| + | Kate, having received a message from the two, was sitting alone outside the village. She was singing a song for the spirits around her. When the children came into sight, she stood up with a bright smile on her face. Pai felt as if she was caught doing some mischief. Her shoulders sunk, she peeked at Joshua through the lock of hair that fell over her face. He looked just as guilty. | ||
| − | + | "You're our guest from Harlem. Welcome to Central Park. I'm Kate." | |
| − | + | Shawfield was a Kashipa, but Kate treated him just like her other guests, but with enough dignity and authority that he couldn't look down upon her. She wasn't trying to intimidate him. She was opening her arms to him without making herself look weak. Shawfield stopped huffing and puffing and scratched his round nose, with his tail between his legs. | |
| − | " | + | "I'm Shawfield... I ran away. I couldn't stay with the Kashipas... I have no intention of causing trouble here." |
| − | "Is | + | "I see. You're welcome here. Is there any way we can help you?" |
| − | + | Shawfield's eyes grew big. For his not so short life, he'd never heard such kind words before. Who in her sane mind would offer help before the other party asked first? Old habits die hard. He automatically became suspicious of her intention, but that quickly faded away. For some reason, he had a feeling that he could trust this woman, Kate. | |
| + | Having forgotten that the two children were still watching him, Shawfield opened his mouth, his eyes filled with unshed tears. | ||
| − | " | + | "I didn't want to live like this, either, you know..." |
| − | + | After Shawfield left Central Park with a bag full of traveling supplies that Kate packed for him, she brewed magic potions with Pai's help. Pai asked in a small, hesitant voice. | |
| − | " | + | "Kate, I've got a question... What should I do to become like you?" |
| − | + | "What do you mean, Pai?" | |
| − | " | + | "You have this ability to make everyone feel comfortable enough to tell you everything. How do you do that? Everyone relies on you... wants help from you." |
| + | Pipi left to look for the Red Witch, and Joshua was outside, wiping the table. Knowing that there was no one else to hear their conversation gave Pai the strength to speak her mind. Kate stopped her hand that was reaching for a thick book and came to Pai. She soothingly ran her fingers through Pai's pink hair. | ||
| − | + | "You want to become like me? But Pai, do you really want to be the kind of person who listens to everyone else's problems and helps them?" | |
| − | |||
| − | + | "Huh?" | |
| − | + | "Shawfield was a Kashipa. He may have chosen the wrong path by mistake, but he might have killed people while he was on it. Or he could hurt our friends in the future." | |
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| − | + | "...But you helped him." | |
| − | + | "I made that choice. I've decided to help others because Pandemonium isn't a place you can survive alone. But even I can't know everyone I'm helping. What if one of the people I helped becomes an obstacle for everyone else in Pandemonium? Did I do the right thing by helping them?" | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | "You can't know what others might do in the future." | |
| − | + | ||
| − | + | "No, I can't. Still, I help strangers because I want to believe there's good in everyone. Because I hope at least a few out of a hundred people I help will change for the better." | |
| − | + | ||
| + | Pai thought about asking her more questions, but decided against it. | ||
| + | Joshua was so wary of the Kashipa that he used such a drastic method to test him, and then attacked him when he knew he was a Kashipa. Kate, on the other hand, even though she knew Shawfield was a Kashipa, believed him when he said he ran away, and helped him as best as she could. Maybe Joshua was wrong, and Kate was right. Or the other way around. Either way, Joshua was still a good, kind boy, and Kate could be stern when she needed to. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Okay... I'll think about that for a little longer." | ||
| + | </small></blockquote> | ||
{{HiddenTextEnd}} | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
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{{HiddenTextStart| | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| − | |Title= | + | |Title=<small>Chapter 7: One Step Forward</small> |
| − | |Width= | + | |Width=500 |
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}} | }} | ||
| − | < | + | <blockquote><small> |
| − | + | The next day, Pai was alone in the forest. Holding her staff with both hands, she was trying hard to catch the shadow of the new spell that came to her mind. | |
| + | A little closer... | ||
| + | If she could stretch her hand a little farther out, she might catch it. Sweat dripped from her chin, hitting the leaves underneath, their sound amplified by the quiet around her. Pai bit her lower lip. She was seeing the natural elements that only mages could see. They were dancing in the air like butterflies. She watched them dance and found the concentration point of their mana. Flash! Something sparkled. | ||
| − | + | "One... Two... Three!" | |
| − | + | Pai swung her staff. | |
| + | The small orb that glowed pale green in front of her staff suddenly expanded and changed to different colors, rising in the air. Pai gingerly opened her eyes and watched it. The radiant orb continued to grow until it reached the top of a big tree. Pai waved her hand, and it shattered into shards of ice that sparkled in rainbow colors. One of them fell and melted onto her small hand holding the staff. If she had an injury on that hand, it would've healed. These icicles didn't have great healing power, but still they could come in handy in an emergency. | ||
| + | Clap, clap, clap. | ||
| + | Startled by the loud clapping noise, Pai turned and found Joshua standing there. | ||
| − | + | "That was an amazing spell. I've never seen anyone combining so many elements together. Did you create it?" | |
| − | + | "Yes. When did you get here?" | |
| − | + | "Not too long ago. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to break your concentration. Sorry." | |
| − | + | Pai waved at Joshua to come closer. They sat under the great canopy of leaves, facing each other. | |
| − | + | "I came to apologize in case I shocked you yesterday. I... Even though I had my eyes on you, I left you alone with a stranger, too..." | |
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| − | + | "It's all right. You did it to protect Central Park." | |
| − | + | "Yes, but still... I hate that I had to lie to you. I don't want to lie to you or my other friends. I'm sorry." | |
| − | + | "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, either. I accept your apology. But under one condition: could you stop calling me Miss?" | |
| − | + | "Huh? Sure, but can I ask you why?" | |
| − | + | "Well... I want to change." Pai hugged her staff like a toy. "At first, I just wanted to be strong, but now I know better. There are many ways of being strong, and I don't know which way I want. So... I've been thinking all night..." She tried to translate her swirling thoughts into words. Joshua waited patiently, and one by one the words she needed came to her mind. | |
| − | + | "So... I've decided to change myself a little bit at a time. If I keep looking carefully, one day I might find the path that I want to stay on. Of course, I'll keep practicing my magic skills in the meantime. I need them to navigate my way." | |
| + | |||
| + | Slightly blushing, Pai looked into Joshua's eyes. | ||
| − | + | "I wanted to become like Niu or Kate. I still do. But... I'm not them. I want to become strong in my own way. So... Joshua, maybe you should put behind your past as a Kashipa and find your path, too. You don't have to rush... I'll help you." | |
| − | + | Does he understand what I mean? She wanted to tell him more. That she was relieved when she realized Joshua was in the same predicament as she was. She thought he was always peaceful and had no problems at all, and knowing that he was just as troubled as she was helped her change her mind. That if he didn't confide in her, she still would've been wallowing in sad thoughts. That because he taught her a valuable lesson, she didn't want him to call him Miss. | |
| − | + | But she was too embarrassed to say them. She was barely keeping herself from running away embarrassed. What if he thinks I'm being patronizing? Fortunately, Joshua showed her his usual kind smile. | |
| − | + | "Thank you, Pai. Yes, let's try it together." | |
| − | + | Finally, the tension left her and her mouth slowly stretched into a sheepish smile. She was happy that they understood each other. Kate's ability to commune with others must be from experiences like this. She still felt shy and embarrassed, but she wanted to cherish this moment that she was having with her friend who'd be on the same path as she... | |
| − | + | "Y-yes... Let's do just that... Poof!" | |
| − | + | Suddenly, a third voice was heard, making Pai jump like a cat that had a bucket of water poured on it all of a sudden. The Red Witch! Pai couldn't see her, but her high-pitched cackling voice was unmistakable. Pai's face was completely flushed. Joshua's cheeks were pink. | |
| − | + | "Oh, I'm sorry. I wanted to apologize you so badly that... erm, I asked the Red Witch where you were...! I just didn't have a chance—" | |
| − | + | Joshua couldn't finish his sentence, too busy avoiding Pai's staff that she was swinging with misty eyes. | |
| − | + | "Pai, why are you so sulky?" | |
| − | + | "Don't ask." | |
| − | + | She snapped at Pipi. That didn't help her forget about the embarrassing moment that she never wanted to think about ever again. | |
| − | + | "Look, I've made this while I practiced my elemental skills." | |
| − | + | Without explanation, Pai demonstrated the spell that she completed earlier that day. Pipi watched, holding her hands together, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. When it was done, she held Pai's hands, jumping and yelling how pretty that spell was. Usually, Pipi's overly animated personality bothered Pai, but at this moment it helped distract her from the embarrassment that she found impossible to forget. | |
| − | + | "Pai, you're studying magic so hard. I'd better do the same. I feel as if I've been falling behind." | |
| − | + | Is Pipi having the same problem as I am? Pai wondered, half-listening to Pipi's rambling that would go on for a while, as usual. Pipi's young, but not much younger than I am. Come to think of it, I've always had many problems. Could Niu have the same problem as I did? The Niu she'd known since she was young was strong, kind, and reliable. Pai always thought she was different from her, but now that she thought of it, there was no way Niu hadn't had problems of her own. Not just serious problems like Kashipa or the future of Pandemonium, but also small—in a way, silly—problems like Pai and Pipi were having right now. | |
| − | + | Niu once complained how she didn't look good in skirts... | |
| − | + | I didn't think she looked too bad in that skirt. | |
| + | She felt relieved. | ||
| + | Nothing had changed. She was still weak, didn't know about many things, and hadn't decided which path she wanted to choose. Maybe these problems wouldn't leave her for the rest of her life. But somehow, she felt as if she'd taken one step forward solving them. So far, she only tried to hide from them, but now she wanted to face and solve them on her own. So that one day, her family in Central Park could rely on her. So that her mother in her hometown would be proud. Hoping that day would come soon, Pai finished making the rose corsage that the Red Witch demanded in exchange for her discretion. | ||
| − | + | "Girls, Niu is on her way back home. Could you help me bake some bread?" | |
| − | + | "Sure thing!" | |
| − | < | + | Pai ran to Kate with Pipi. |
| + | </small></blockquote> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | </center> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| − | < | + | == Other Lore Stories == |
| + | ====Pandemonium Prequel: Chronicles of Luke ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Chronicles of Luke | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><b>Chapter 1: Black Nightmare</b></small><br> | ||
| + | {{#ev:youtube|_PJj6jeo2co|600}} | ||
<hr> | <hr> | ||
| − | <b> | + | <small><b>Chapter 2: Red Witch</b></small><br> |
| + | {{#ev:youtube|75hGRlOegPY|600}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| − | < | + | <small><b>Chapter 3: Hailey</b></small><br> |
| + | {{#ev:youtube|z3SSBaixSAU|600}} | ||
<hr> | <hr> | ||
| − | <b> | + | <small><b>Chapter 4: Deception</b></small><br> |
| + | {{#ev:youtube|jDKaFY44hOE|600}} | ||
| − | |||
<hr> | <hr> | ||
| − | <b> | + | <small><b>Chapter 5: From Encounter to Confrontation</b></small> |
| + | {{#ev:youtube|0verur8D5mI|600}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Luke Raid - He Who Silently Touches the Soil ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=He Who Silently Touches the Soil | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote><i> | ||
| + | In a dark workroom, someone draws schematics by the light of a single candle. | ||
| + | He is a small old man with many arms, known as Luke the Constructor among the people of Pandemonium. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Luke didn't remember when or how he arrived in Pandemonium. He knew he was someone Hilder knows, and that he arrived in Pandemonium through space and time, just like the other Apostles. | ||
| + | |||
| + | But he wasn't as strong as them. | ||
| + | In fact, he was weaker than the most ordinary beings in Pandemonium. If he was supposed to be so powerful, why was he so weak now? It was a simple question, but it never crossed his mind. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The thoughts in his mind were always so chaotic that he could barely string a coherent sentence together. It was constantly bombarded by images and noises that were foreign to him. Shards of vague memories from his past tormented and suffocated him, but even the loudest clamor in his mind couldn't stop him from building and creating things. Sometimes when he returned to his workroom for a break, he would remember the images that had flashed in his mind earlier and draw schematics based on what he could recall. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Doing that gave him some kind of emotion, maybe peace or hope. For some reason, he believed it would help him remember his past if he simply continued to work. | ||
| + | |||
| + | His buildings, which he once created without putting much thought into, started to show a pattern. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Years passed. Decades passed. Centuries passed. Luke no longer remembered why he decided to do what he was doing. He just kept digging the ground, erecting columns, piling bricks into buildings, and repairing ones from ancient times. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Then one day, he revived Metro Center, which had been dead for a long time. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Light poured into Pandemonium for the first time in centuries, clearing Luke's head at once. Suddenly a power surged through his hands clutching his hammer and saw. All his lost memories flooded back to his mind at once, telling him where he came from, who he was, and what his purpose was. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I am Luke!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | He shouted. His voice couldn't be heard—the engines of Metro Center were too loud—but it made the air ripple with energy. Soon the rays of light disappeared, as if they were absorbed into Luke's body, so did his power and voice. | ||
| − | + | But Luke clearly realized who he really was and what he must do. | |
| − | </blockquote></small> | + | </i></blockquote></small> |
{{HiddenTextEnd}} | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Castle of the Dead - Call of Pandemonium: Destiny Hangs Upside Down ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Call of Pandemonium: Destiny Hangs Upside Down | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote><i> | ||
| + | It is a place covered in thick dark clouds, where no light shines upon even during the day. It is constantly battered by chilling gale force winds and the vile stench of the dead fills the air. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ever since the day that Bakal ascended from Pandemonium, the Castle of the Dead has been a hotbed of all kinds of ghastly stories. It is after all the only gateway that connects Pandemonium and Empyrean. | ||
| + | |||
| + | As Anton’s last breath disrupted the dimensional boundary, the people of Empyrean were able to clearly view the Castle of the Dead for the first time. Each and everyone who saw it felt their heart sink in fear, their eyes fixated at the horrifying sight. Not even the most experienced officer could keep their composure. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Well this is going to be fun” said Jakter. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Woon dropped his shoulders as he heard Jakter make fun of their situation. There were many things he could have said but his emotions got the best of him. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Fun...? Have you gone senile old man?” asked Woon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “You’ve always been foul mouthed and overly serious, Woon. You've got to learn to take these kinds of situation in strides” said Jakter. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Woon scratched the back of his head, trying to find the right words to say but gave up on the idea and moved on to a different topic. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Well... according to Ria Richter, we should be able to contact a lady named Niu through the Interdimensional Rift that has been opened” said Woon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “That would mean getting close to Pandemonium and catching the attention of another Apostle would be disastrous for us right now” replied Jakter. “We simply do not have enough men to muster any kind of resistance.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | “But with the boundary breached, shouldn’t we take this opportunity to explore the Castle?” asked Woon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jakter looked at his adjutant intensely and turned towards the Castle of the Dead and said “From Bakal to Anton, I’m sick and tired of these Apostles.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Lieutenant Lyonir!” he shouted “Get a scouting party ready. I want to know what’s in that Castle.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Woon smiled as he expected nothing else from the man they call Eagle Eye. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Yes sir!” replied Woon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The boastful exchange between the Commander and his adjutant spread like wildfire throughout the ranks. The fear and panic that the soldiers felt after seeing the Castle has turned into excitement and determination as they form a scouting party. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Naen who had been below deck all this time, entered the bridge and walked up to the Jakter and Woon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “I have contacted Meryl... I told her about the Castle of the Dead and she said she’ll most certainly be there... she asked us to wait for her at the headquarters...” she said. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Woon frowned and scowled at Naen, as Naen nodded to reaffirm what she said was true. He quickly turned his head towards Jakter, who was trying not to laugh as best as he could but he couldn’t stop his mustache from twitching. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Permission to retreat sir!” said Woon in a very serious tone. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Now, now Lieutenant, we may not see eye to eye with Meryl but she still is a very important and influential person in the Empire” explained Jakter “Besides I can’t have my adjutant going AWOL on me, what would this senile old man to do?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Ugh... you couldn’t let that go after all...” said Woon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “You wouldn’t like jail food anyway,” replied Jakter “The soldiers complaining about the rations is bad enough as it is.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jakter cleared his throat and stretched, as he looked at the enormous fallen body of Anton which did not completely submerge under the deep Sea of Twilight. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Sir, the scouting party is ready to leave and rendezvous with Meryl and her team. Everyone else is ready to return to base,” said Woon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Very well Lieutenant,” replied Jakter as he observed the faces around him. Too many have died, he thought. Friends that have stood with them since the beginning are no longer with her but he knew this is not the time for mourning. There are still a lot of things that needs to be done. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Alright, let us sail home before the old lady gets here,” said Jakter as he joked about Meryl. “I want a quiet and long vacation at the beach with a lot of drinks, without the need to suffer her warts and wrath. Hahaha!” | ||
| + | |||
| + | The soldiers laughed cheerfully at their commander’s jokes. They will finally get a much needed respite. They have won the battle against impossible odds. Now they get a chance to go home. | ||
| + | |||
| + | However, as the soldiers celebrated their victory, they did not realize the sky was darkening above them. | ||
| + | </i></blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Anton Suppression - Giant Shadow in the Empyrean Sea ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Giant Shadow in the Empyrean Sea | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote><i> | ||
| + | The soldiers stood there in shock as heavy rain poured down on them. It was a moment of disbelief as the land and mountains trembled. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Boom! The loud sound that came from afar, felt like it could shatter all the bones in a human body. Then they realized it was the sound of Anton’s blood moving through his veins. Hopelessness fell before the soldiers who witnessed Anton’s massive form rising from the ground. Of course, this was not the first time they saw Anton move. However, they have merely seen a twitching of a finger or a turning of the head to breathe out fire, until now. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Boom! The deafening sound could easily have popped out an ear drum and make a brave man go insane. Those who say that there is nothing to fear but fear itself clearly have not seen Anton. The weapons the soldiers carried felt insignificant compared to the size of Anton and just seeing it stretch can bring chills down a man’s spine. How can anyone possibly fight against this behemoth? No amount of courage and determination seemed enough. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Boom! All the surrounding area was filled with sound but everything seemed silent at the same time. It was like the silence at the end of a sword or an overfilled balloon that is about to explode. Yet, in that near climactic moment, a man spit and cursed out loud. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Trying to lift your heavy ass? Hah! Stop trying so hard!!!” | ||
| + | |||
| + | He definitely wasn’t faking it. He sounded more irritated than anything else. Like a person frustrated at his loud and noisy neighbor. This was enough to lift the tense atmosphere around the soldiers. It wasn’t something that anyone could just do. This was only possible because he was Jakter the Eagle Eye, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army and standing silently beside him is his loyal and trusted young adjutant, Lieutenant Woon Lyonir. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “It looks like Anton has started moving. Thank the heavens! If he didn’t, I would have died of boredom” he said. | ||
| + | |||
| + | A man with long silver hair walked up to Jakter and giggled. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Ah Hiram what have you got there?” asked Jakter. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Hiram is an Empyrean Coast Guard Captain who volunteered to be part of this mission. He flicked his hair back and spread the blueprint he was carrying in front of Jakter. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “This is just in, it’s not perfect but it may just work” replied Hiram. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Then I will leave it to you Captain. Please discuss it over with Naen on when to use it and let me know immediately after you have decided” said Jakter. “Oh! I just received a report that the upgrade work on the ship has been finished. Please go check it right away” | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Yes, sir!” replied Hiram. | ||
| + | |||
| + | After giving out his orders, Jakter took a walk not minding the rain that is becoming heavier and heavier. His thoughts were filled with what has already happened and what was about to transpire. His adjutant followed closely. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Woon had wanted to give an umbrella to the Commander but knowing his temper, the young Lieutenant stayed silent and thought “Damn it old man, are you just going to get yourself drenched in all this rain?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | As Jakter kept walking, a middle age man with a brown umbrella stepped in front of him. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Oh sir Jurgen, why haven’t you left yet?” asked Jakter. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Although I may not be of much help, I’m still a member of a Noble family. I cannot simply runaway when the enemy is right before us” replied Jurgen. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “You’ve already shown your loyalty by allowing us to use your ship in this mission. So please head back and let the army handle the rest” said Jakter. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Actually, I have a request” replied Jurgen “I would like to come along with you, when you head out to sea to pursue Anton” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jakter frowned and said “This is not a game” | ||
| + | |||
| + | “I know this task is of the highest importance. This is why I’m asking you to take me along. I simply cannot allow the ship I gave you to breakdown while pursuing Anton. I would feel terrible, I can’t let such a thing happen. So please let me come with you, I know that ship like the back of my hand” pleaded Jurgen. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jakter knew this was not an ordinary request. The ship was never formally taken under the Army’s authority but rather it was lent to them and since Jurgen is a nobleman of the Empire, he keeps full authority over it. Besides, Jurgen’s presence in the ship should not affect the overall mission objective. So he thought he didn’t have any reason to stop him. Jakter stared intensely at Jurgen and shrugged his shoulders. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “I’m not sure army meals would fit a nobleman’s tastes but do as you wish” said Jakter. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Thank you. I will head back and prepare for the voyage. I will see you on the ship” replied Jurgen, as he bowed politely and left. | ||
| + | |||
| + | As Jakter watched Jurgen get further and further away. He turned to his adjutant and angrily shouted. “Why you little… Why do you always keep your mouth shut at a time like this? You always voice your opinions but when a nobleman pressures your commanding officer, you stay quiet. You could have said something… like ‘Please stop with your absurd request’ and then I could have replied with something like ‘Ha ha, sorry about his rudeness but the young man is right, the battlefield is no place for a civilian” | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Since I do not have any experience when it comes to politics, I thought watching a seasoned officer do his thing would prove to be a learning experience” replied Woon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jakter sighed as he looked at his cool and composed adjutant. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “What can I say… my orders can get people killed, that goes for soldiers and civilians alike” said Jakter “Come on, let’s get going.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Where are you headed sir? Your tent has probably been taken down by now” asked Woon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “So you just want to stay here and continue to get soaked in this rain?” replied Jakter “Come on already, let’s get dried up” | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Alright sir, then let me prepare the ship for you” said Woon, as he moved through a group of soldiers and towards the ship. | ||
| + | |||
| + | As Jakter watched his adjutant disappears into the crowd. He looked towards the direction of Anton and thought “It’s been a long ride” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jakter touched his wrinkled forehead as he remembered the moment that Anton, the Great Destroyer appeared near Power Station. | ||
| + | |||
| + | When he heard the news, the Empire was in the middle of a fierce conflict with the Kartel. Jakter believed that Anton was a bigger threat and wanted to gather the Imperial Army to fight it but the nobles did not share the same view. They wanted the Kartel eradicated, post-haste. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Without the support of the nobles, Jakter knew he could not use the Imperial Army against Anton. So he did the unthinkable, he abandoned his post. Knowing that his action amounted to treason; Jakter only accepted volunteers into his ranks. He was able to gather a small army and headed towards Etten to face Anton. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Furious, the nobles of the Empire called for his arrest and execution but the Royal Princess intervened and calmed their anger. She believed that Jakter has a good reason for his actions. | ||
| + | |||
| + | This made the events that transpired even more painful. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Without Jakter to lead them the Imperial Army’s command structure was in chaos and disarray. The Kartel taking full advantage of the situation was able to infiltrate the capital Ghent and kidnap the Princess. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Hearing the dreaded news, Jakter could do nothing but beat his chest in agony. He could not go back since Anton has already absorbed the energy of Power Station and is making its way to Ghent. | ||
| + | |||
| + | A lot of people believe that Anton is just a force of nature, a natural disaster without a purpose but Jakter thought otherwise. His instinct tells him that Anton is an intelligent being that is doing everything on its own free will. Jakter knew the only way to stop Anton from reaching Gent was to keep him at Power Station. It was a tall order but he was prepared to risk everything in order to achieve victory. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The time has come. Jakter and his volunteer army are finally ready to attack. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Sir, the preparations are complete, we are ready to depart” shouted Woon near the entrance of the ship. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jakter moved towards the ship. He stopped in front of his adjutant and asked | ||
| + | “How old are you, Lieutenant Lyonir?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | “I’m 24, sir” replied Woon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “A fun age to be, I think my daughter is around your age but I could be wrong… I can’t remember the last time I went home to see her” said Jakter somberly | ||
| + | “She probably hates her old man.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Woon didn’t respond. He knew it wasn’t a question but rather a sad realization of the sacrifices this man has made for his country, even at the cost of his own happiness. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “What is with that serious face?” asked Jakter “You are not feeling sad for this old man, are you? | ||
| + | |||
| + | “No sir, I…” but before Woon could finish, Jakter gave out a big and hardy laugh. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Seriously kid, you need to loosen up” said Jakter “You don’t want to end up alone like me, do you?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Woon sigh on how silly his hot headed commander could be sometimes. Woon looked up to Jakter and asked “…Do we have a chance?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jakter did not respond to such a somber question. He shook his military cap rather roughly and slowly put it back on. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Do you believe in me?” he asked. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Yes, sir!” said Woon without a hint of hesitation. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Then let our hunt begin!” said Jakter in boastful voice “No matter how big our prey maybe, we will show how sharp our Eagle claws can be” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Jakter smiled confidently as he looked at Lyonir and all the soldiers who gathered around him and nodded. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Follow me! We have an Empire to save!” | ||
| + | </i></blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Kashipa's Hidden Records ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Kashipa's Hidden Records | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <center> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 1: The Chase</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote><i> | ||
| + | "The leader of the Fiends has disappeared," said Doghead in a calm voice. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff Kei lifted his eyes from the pile of documents in front of him and stared at the woman who had barged into his office. The leader of Dog Leash, even though he already had received the report, feigned surprise. He hadn't survived in Kashipa this long without learning a trick or two. Sometimes, feigning ignorance was safer than admitting what you knew. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "You mean, Ricardo?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | Secretly hoping for some new information, he waited for a response from Doghead, Kashipa's second-in-command. Without a word, she produced a smoking pipe from her jacket and lit it. The smoke escaped her mouth with a gentle sigh and formed the shape of a dog before it dissipated. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Because of the ruckus at the Casino, isn't it? That place is so thoroughly destroyed that it'll take an army of men to find any usable traces." | ||
| + | |||
| + | Without a response, Doghead continued to stare at Sniff. Those eyes of hers. Deep as the abyss and just as impossible to read anything in it, they were the reason the other executives were wary of Doghead. After a quick glance into her scrutinizing eyes, Sniff Kei turned his head in spite of himself. His fisted hands felt clammy with sweat. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Dark City." | ||
| + | |||
| + | Finally, she spoke and Sniff's eyes lit up. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "There are traces of the Apostle's egg left in the place connected to the secret passageway. Find Ricardo, and collect the egg." | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Apostle's egg! Yom, the owner of the Royal Casino that once took up at least half of Pandemonium's wealth, risked everything to get ahold of that thing. Here, where the survival of the fittest ruled, just the fact that it contained so much mana made everyone greedy for it. Sniff felt his heart racing with excitement for the first time after so long. But unlike Yom, Sniff wasn't stupid enough to want something that could get him killed. He was only excited for the prospect of going after something that everyone wanted. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "But Niu the Chaser and her outsider friends are there," said Sniff, his face slightly red from his barely contained excitement. "Things will get complicated if they decide to interfere with us." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "The Royal Messenger is already on it." Doghead's smoking pipe let out another plume of smoke. "He's dispatched three combat and looting units." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Three units? That's kind of overkill." | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff's voice went slightly higher. The infamous powers of Kashipa that the Pandemonians were afraid of mostly came from its executives with Abyss implants. However, the actual driving force of this giant organization was the lower-ranking members, such as in the combat and looting units. The Royal Messenger sent out half of the forces remaining after the ruckus at the Royal Casino. Instead of clarifying his question, Doghead exhaled a long puff of smoke for one last time, and then put her smoking pipe back into her jacket. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "We don't have time. The other organizations have smelled it, too. We'd better move before it attracts more flies." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Got it. I'll mobilize Dog Leash." | ||
| + | |||
| + | Doghead slightly nodded her head as she turned her body. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "What if Ricardo doesn't cooperate?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Then, follow the rules of Dog Leash," answered Doghead after a short silence. | ||
| + | |||
| + | After she left, the thick wooden door of his office closed on its own. Left alone in the dark, the leader of Dog Leash smiled. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff was touching the ground, looking thoughtful. He looked as if he was searching for something, but touching the ground was his habit when things didn't go as he wanted. | ||
| + | Sniff believed that patience was the greatest virtue of a tracker. He'd been a successful tracker who never missed his target, but this time, he couldn't help but feel impatient, just like the first time he went on a chase. It'd been three days since he received Doghead's order. He'd mobilized everyone he could to track down Ricardo day and night. Doghead wasn't lying when she said other organizations were watching him. Several times, Sniff felt eyes watching him from the distance as he followed the traces of mana that were fading away. | ||
| + | I bet they belonged to the stuffy Terra Cotta, or the Ancient Library, whose members could even dig up corpses to satisfy their curiosity. Doghead said Walkman was on the Guardians or the Circle Mages that always interfered with them, but he couldn't be everywhere at once. At any other times, he would've followed them to the ends of Harlem, but not this time. Ricardo was his priority. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Damn..." | ||
| + | |||
| + | The traces found in Dark City had led them to the tall, bleak-looking spires of Skyscraper. Sniff's men, who marched into the mist of Nighttime Skyscraper in groups, hadn't returned. They were the pick of the litter, trained assassins of Dog Leash. They were only second to their combatant comrades where killing was concerned. | ||
| + | Sniff glared up at the sky illuminated by the ominous light from the unfamiliar golden star. It looked bigger than the last time he saw it. If it weren't for the monsters that came over from that planet and had occupied Nighttime Skyscraper, his efforts over the last three days would've come to fruition already. All Ricardo's traces that he'd found led into Nighttime Skyscraper. None of them led back out. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "What should we do?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff turned his head to the side. His short-haired adjutant was looking at him. His anxiety was clearly visible in his expression in his grim face. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "What do you think? We didn't come this far for nothing," | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff nervously combed his hair. He could feel the dozens of eyes that were silently urging him from behind. If he ran away now, he'd lose the leash on his power and be bitten to death, just like the former leader of Dog Leash, whom he sent to join the environmental mana after his successful Abyss implant. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Pair up. We'll scatter and converge." | ||
| + | |||
| + | The closer they got to the center, the thicker the mist. It was not long after they entered the mist that they realized something was wrong. Sniff heard a familiar voice screaming not far away from him. He couldn't see where it was coming from, but it was his adjutant's voice. As if on cue, something jumped out of the mist that seemed harmless a second ago. Sniff instinctively rolled forward, away from the attacker. He felt sharp claws tearing chunks of flesh off his shoulder. Ignoring the pain, he swung his enchanted staff. A painful howl echoed in the air as something hit the ground like a kite after its string snapped. He looked at his attacker, a monstrous combination of a quadruped and a bird. It was bleeding from the stomach where his staff struck, its two sets of legs and a set of wings flapping feebly in vain effort to fly away. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Sir Sniff!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | One of his men behind him yelled. This fool! Sniff instantly pulled him toward him, and instead of covering his mouth, he chose to throw him where he suspected danger lurked. Confusion flashed across the man's face before he disappeared into the mist, and soon a blood-curdling scream followed. Sniff quickly moved away, taking cover in the shadows of Nighttime Skyscraper, and looked back to where he was a moment ago. Monsters were coming out of the mist in droves. Now, painful screams rang out from everywhere, sometimes even near him. Leaving his dying men behind, Sniff hurried to the center of Nighttime Skyscraper. He had to move before these bloodthirsty monsters discovered him. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff constantly wiped away his sweat and breathed deeply. It seemed every breath he took made his lungs feel hotter. He could tell the mana that he'd detected was moving toward the center of Nighttime Skyscraper. Several times, he encountered monsters, but he managed to avoid them by suppressing his mana and moving as quietly as possible. The closer he got to the center of the place, the stronger the mana and the heat became. It burned his skin through the thin mana barrier he cast to protect himself. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff's feet that had silently glided across the ground finally stopped. Leaning against the shadows cast over the collapsed wall, Sniff barely stopped himself from gasping. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Finally, the Apostle's egg was right before his eyes. It was shining brightly through the thick shadows in Nighttime Skyscraper. And it wasn't alone. | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[File:KashipaHiddenRecords Image1.png|425px]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | A gigantic monster resembling a dragon was nearby, protecting the egg as a dragon would its treasures. Its red feathers simmer with heat, and even its breath was as hot as a flaming furnace. It was apparent that this monster was the cause of the unbearable heat. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Where's Ricardo?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff had found the egg, but Ricardo was nowhere in sight. There were, however, fine mists of someone's blood on the ground and walls. | ||
| + | |||
| + | What do I do now? Sniff was perturbed. The monster guarding the egg was radiating an alarming amount of mana. | ||
| + | I wish I had at least one man left, to distract it. I could've run away with the egg in the meantime. Sniff was so absorbed in his thoughts that he momentarily forgot about his enemy. | ||
| + | He lifted his head, having noticed the overwhelming heat on his skin. Instantly, his sight was filled with red as he felt his body being violently thrown onto the ground. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <br> | ||
| + | [https://www.dfoneople.com/pg/kashipa-hidden-records/the-chase Source] | ||
| + | </i></blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 2: Another Hatchling</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote><i> | ||
| + | "...Damn it..." | ||
| + | |||
| + | Icy cold raindrops hit his cheeks with vicious determination. He startled awake, swearing before breathing in the fresh air. Slowly, he raised himself from the debris of a destroyed building in the center of Nighttime Skyscraper. His hands wouldn't stop shaking as they habitually tucked his hair behind his ears and straightened his clothes. He looked up at the sky that was so gray that even the light from the golden star couldn't pierce through it. For a while, he just stood there, breathing and letting the rain wash away the blood and dirt on his face. His mouth tasted bitter. This feeling couldn't be washed away by rain. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Apostles. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He was aware of the weight that the names carried. They were the otherworldly beings of power who landed on this planet a long time ago. They were the chosen superior beings who could recognize the special power in each other. But their names also had become a subject of mockery. Many of them had fallen off the grid all of a sudden, and news got around that some of them were murdered in cold blood by some random enemies. The people of Harlem were more terrified of Kashipa than the Apostles. Even those who were powerful in their own way kept a low profile when they were in Kashipa's territory. Even so... | ||
| + | |||
| + | Apostle Isys-Prey. | ||
| + | |||
| + | It was arrogant of him to underestimate this Apostle. The monsters from Tayberrs were overwhelmingly powerful. The Adventurer who jumped into the midst of these monsters without hesitation was more impressive. But even he was incomparable to this highest being, who stood over everything else. The king of skies. He who had absorbed the darkness that everyone coveted, putting an end to the series of events that shook Harlem. It was humiliating, but Sniff had to admit it. The Apostles are strong. He was the leader of Dog Leash, but he was also on a leash like everyone else in his group. It was his master's order that sent him all the way here. Sniff was just Kashipa's pawn, who couldn't handle the monsters that followed the Apostle, let alone the Apostle himself. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Haaah... I hate getting wet." | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff picked up his staff covered in mud. His shoulder that had lost chunks of flesh to the deadly claws throbbed with pain. It was time he went back and report his failure. It was possible he'd die before he could finish his report. His masters weren't generous enough to leave failed men alive, no matter how valuable the information they brought to them. Suddenly, the faces of his enemies that he killed with his staff flashed before his eyes, the extras who disappeared from the stage as soon as they entered. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He was about to scoff at his own weakness when... | ||
| + | |||
| + | "...Ricardo?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff turned around and started walking the other way. Soon, his walk turned into a run. It was Ricardo's mana. It had shown up again as suddenly as it disappeared, right before his eyes. But when? Why? Numerous questions filled his mind, but the only thing that moved him right now was his determination. | ||
| + | |||
| + | I must find Ricardo. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Even as he hastened, he made sure he made no noise as he moved. He was going back to the nest of the red monster that knocked him senseless. He had to. If he couldn't bring the head of the monster that cost him so many men, then he had to bring Ricardo's, or at least chunks of his flesh, to save himself. The closer he got to his mana, the more nervous he felt in the stomach. Whether it was fear or expectation, he didn't know. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ‘He's here.’ | ||
| + | |||
| + | He stopped to gather his breath and look around. He didn't see the monster that breathed fire or the Apostle's egg that illuminated the darkness of Nighttime Skyscraper. The only thing he could hear was the raindrops hitting the ground. Slowly exhaling, Sniff blinked his eyes. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ah, there! The Apostle's egg was still here. It hadn't disappeared; it'd only lost its light. Sitting in the midst of the building debris, it didn't radiate the overwhelming amount of mana or heat like it used to. Did the shell break during the mayhem? I don't think bringing it with me would do me any good. | ||
| + | It's completely empty inside— | ||
| + | |||
| + | Wait. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ricardo's mana hadn't disappeared. Sniff's instincts never betrayed him. Once again, he glared into the darkness. He didn't have to check to feel it. Something was in the broken shell, crouching. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sniff was laughing. He knew that most members of Kashipa were stupid, but he didn't know the leader of the Fiends was one of them. But thanks to him, Sniff was saved. He got banged up a little bit, but it was a good thing. Perhaps he could take a break from his busy work when he went back. He sauntered through the rain to the broken eggshell. Standing in front of it, Sniff wondered if he should show some mercy to this fool. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Ricardo." | ||
| + | |||
| + | No response. Well, it figured. Rubbing the snake-headed tip of his staff, Sniff remembered his motto: patience was the greatest virtue of a tracker. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Why are you so sloppy? I can't even pretend not to see you—kkhhkk!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[File:KashipaHiddenRecords Image2.png|425px]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | Something shot out of the eggshell, tightening around Sniff's throat like a vice. Writhing frantically, Sniff grabbed the thing around his neck. It was a hand. Slowly, it lifted Sniff off the ground with its incredible strength. Sniff couldn't breathe, and yet his lungs felt as if they were being filled up with something. He felt as if his heart was being squeezed by his own innards, and yet he couldn't close his eyes. His bulging eyes looked down at the dark inside of the eggshell. He was in there. When? Why? How? His mind shouted questions even as he lost his consciousness, but its silent screams were buried under the sound of heavy rain. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Icy cold raindrops hit his neck with vicious determination. Suddenly, his eyes opened and his mouth stretched into a wide grin. Sniff slowly raised his body that was lying on the ground like a rag doll before the broken Apostle's egg in the middle of Nighttime Skyscraper. He wiped the rain off his face and tapped his temples, getting rid of the water in his ears. He grabbed the bothersome choker around his neck, tearing it off, shrugged his shoulders, and then placed a dry hand on the broken shell. The eggshell responded to the mana that he released without even using his staff, lifting itself. Then, he looked back. | ||
| + | |||
| + | It was time he went back. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <br> | ||
| + | [https://www.dfoneople.com/pg/kashipa-hidden-records/another-hatching Source] | ||
| + | </i></blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | </center> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Mirror Arad - Dimensional Rupture ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Dimensional Rupture | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote><i> | ||
| + | Lord Knight Annis sat up straight as she relaxed her mind under the giant walnut tree. However, still feeling anxious, she did not release her sword and shield but rather held her grip tighter. The sudden sound of a Moon Night Owl broke her concentration. The Moon Night Owl is a nocturnal creature that hides its existence in darkness. A cry from a Moon Night Owl is definitely not a good sign. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Having lost her focus, Lord Knight Annis figured that further training would be meaningless. Given the circumstances, she simply thought that swinging her sword and the shield for endurance would be more efficient. She pressed her sword on the ground to stand up. | ||
| + | |||
| + | As Annis stood up, she was startled at what she saw. In front of her, was a girl illuminated in light and a giant lion covered in gold. How could she not have noticed their presence approaching her? | ||
| + | Confused, she immediately took a defensive stance, her years of training and discipline taking over. The power she felt from them was overwhelming. However, she sensed no hostility from her uninvited guests either. Finally, Memet the golden lion spoke. “This child... will she always react this way..?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Nemyr, the girl illuminated in light answered. “She loses her memories every time she crosses the great rupture. Even as my reincarnation, passing through the great rupture is not a simple matter." | ||
| + | Recognizing the voice, Annis quickly withdrew her sword. “Nemyr, what happened? I almost completely forgot about you” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Nemyr nodded and said in a soothing voice, sounding warmer than before. “There is nothing to worry about. It is normal for someone to lose their memory while spending a lot of time in the great rupture. You just need to remember your mission.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Mission? Annis tried to remember but her mind was clouded as if a black curtain was covering her thoughts. She could not remember anything about this mission but felt a heavy burden in her heart. | ||
| + | As Annis was looking troubled, Memet once again spoke in a piercing voice. “It looks like this child is trying to run away from the terrible memories. Why don’t we show it to her again?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | As soon as Memet’s speech ended, Annis felt her body becoming heavier and heavier. She was suddenly swallowed into the Otherverse. When she opened her eyes, the universe was coming to an end. One by one, she saw stars losing their lights and faded into nothingness. As this horrible sight unfolded around her, Annis memories completely returned. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Since Annis was 10, Memet and Nemyr would appear before her whenever she heard the cry of a Moon Night Owl. They travelled with Annis through various dimensions in search of the ‘Final Time Zone.’ They can no longer count the number of dimensions they have visited. In every ‘Final Time Zone’ they found, universe came to an end and each time, they would witness powerful heroes, adventurers and gods struggling to save their universe but to no avail. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Annis felt hopeless and said in a weak voice. “We cannot do anything... The end is all but certain.” | ||
| + | Nemyr responded in a composed manner. “No, we still have hope. This is why you must complete your mission. Find the Great Will, only it can stop this tragedy. Only with the power of the Great Will can all of this be averted” | ||
| + | |||
| + | Before Nemyr could continue, the last star disappeared. Nemyr knew their time in this dimension has come to an end. She wanted to remind Annis of her mission but Annis consciousness has already started to wane and could no longer hear Nemyr’s voice. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Annis awoken, she found herself alone. Nemyr and Memet were no longer there. However, this time she clearly knew what she needed to do. Unlike before, she remembers her mission. | ||
| + | </i></blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Main Story - Screaming Cavern Incident Prelude ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Main Story - Screaming Cavern Incident Prelude | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <center> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 1: The Metastasis - Daylight Robbery</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote> | ||
| + | (How long does he intend on following me?...) | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Someone's been following me for a week now. | ||
| + | Judging by his physique, which was dressed to the teeth with an old, faded garb, it was far too well-balanced to be considered human. Particularly, what drew my attention were his unusually long glove that came up to his left elbow, his sharp, gleaming eyes and his dark-toned, long, pointed ears. | ||
| + | I see. So it was this mysterious Dark Elf who's been trailing me for the past week. | ||
| + | |||
| + | It's strange though; Dark Elves normally aren't this approachable. Moreover, finding one wielding a sword instead of a bow is even more rare. But, even while facing a Dark Elf, one must never let down his guard. As soon as a person gains a hint of curiosity or caves to chivalry and gives them an upper hand, he may never live to hold a sword ever again. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <Can you see it? That hidden, yet fatal beauty!> | ||
| + | |||
| + | That Aradian adage is not just some empty words. Most of the Dark Elves Arad swordsmen encounter are said to be violent and ferocious assassins of the Underworld; it is not unreasonable to be wary of them like this. They always examine their unwitting opponents first, searching for an opening on their backs or their weaknesses, before going in for the kill. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He, no I should say 'she'. That is, I'm supposing she would. After all, my first encounter with her was not very pleasant...</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | ||
| + | |||
| + | "D-drop over your wallet!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Those were the first words she threw at me when she appeared in front of me walking down a street in broad daylight. I was quite surprised. This robber had destroyed my expectations. It's one thing to appear in front of your opponent. But this was in the middle of the village. Even more so, a robbery during the middle of the day...</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "..." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "..." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>At that moment, a strong stream of water sprung up from a nearby fountain. I took this as an opportunity to closely examine her. But upon viewing her appearance, I couldn't believe my eyes. She was unconsciously walking backward and stammering on her words...</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "*Snort* ...Pfft." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>The only thing I could do was let out a small laugh as I hurried on my way, but as soon as I laughed and attempted to turn around, a fierce sword strike approached me from behind. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | To be continued...</i> | ||
| + | </blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 2: The Metastasis - Crimson Eyes</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote> | ||
| + | (Clang!) | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>My hand firmly clasped my sword as it clashed with my opponent's blade. I was enraged that my opponent decided to attack me without reason. Around us, people fled in terror, but there were still those unable to escape, trembling with fear.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "There are too many people here, follow me." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>In order to avoid injuring anyone else, we relocated to a clearing in the woods. There, we continued to exchange blows with each other. She was good with a blade, but I could see that the end of her sword was shaking; as if it seemed she had lost her composure. I had no desire to draw blood, so I adjusted my tactics accordingly and focused on disarming my opponent. Not long after, my opponent's lost sword flew into the air and sank deep into the ground.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Using your skills for such a thing like robbery?... Pathetic. You call yourself a Dark Elf?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Had it not been for my words, I wouldn't have realized that her eyes had changed. Her hands on the ground were trembling. It was quite clear that my remarks had damaged her pride. But considering the gap in our skills, it would have been rather difficult to not admit defeat. | ||
| + | |||
| + | I sheathed my zanbato upon my shoulder and left her behind. I immediately set off on-foot again. There was still a long way to go. I decided to push onward in my journey. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Suddenly, the flow of the air changed, and I felt a great deal of force emanating from behind me. Sensing its murderous intent, I thought it may have been a group of wild beasts. But it was a different feeling from before; perhaps the rest of her group had finally decided to reveal themselves.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Now I see that pride is lost even to scum like you. Do you really think an ambush from behind would work!?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>But as I turned my head, I was speechless. There were no reinforcements. As she lifted up her body, her eyes glowed a bloody crimson red, resonating with pure anger. From her coarse breath, she exuded a violent shriek as if a monster were tearing its way through the depths of her heart.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | 'Those eyes!' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>At that very moment we made eye contact, she flew toward me like an arrow released from a bow. I was confident that I had just encountered the strongest enemy in the world; for this was the first time I was pushed into a state of helplessness. But from her glaring eyes, I could not even sense from her a strand of reason that remained; only seething bloodlust and relentless anger. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | To be continued...</i> | ||
| + | </blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 3: The Metastasis - The Kazan Syndrome</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote> | ||
| + | 'Kazan Syndrome! This Dark Elf has the Kazan Syndrome?' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>(Kazan Syndrome: A state of mental breakdown that began long ago after the appearance of Kazan, the God of Destruction. Symptoms include a change in color of the patient's pupils and a tremendous increase in physical ability. However, with this, anger also overwhelms the patient's reason, eventually turning him into a mindless monster. Until now, the Kazan Syndrome has been incurable, and avoiding emotional distress is the only way to slow down its deadly effects. Some patients experience mutation in one arm, which makes their condition apparent to the people around them, but this symptom does not occur in all patients.) | ||
| + | |||
| + | Her changed eyes, her trembling hands, these all came to mind. After having caught her blade, I knew how dangerous the situation was. | ||
| + | |||
| + | I couldn't be any more vigilant. I had no other option but to take the defensive. Her rapid attacks were as if she were in a frenzy, constantly aiming at my body without distinction. Each strike felt as if every cell of my body exploded, and it seemed to have no end in sight. | ||
| + | |||
| + | However, at that moment, as the sun rose, she jumped up high into the sky. She apparently intended to kill me with a single heavy strike. No matter how powerful I was, just the weight of this attack would be enough to kill me. It would be suicide to take the impact head on and attempt to parry it. So naturally, my body reacted. I raised my sword to block her strike, but at the same time I directed the tip of my blade and angled it slightly toward the ground. It was a body-movement technique I had learned from my travels across the continent. And like always, my opponent as well as his sword, will be directed along the edge of my blade, and thrown out of balance.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | 'An opening!' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>I struck her with all my strength. But while doing so, something white brushed past my cheek. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Our power struggle lasted for a long time. Her attacks were swift and powerful, but lacked precision and had many openings. And by the time our fight was over, my whole body was drenched in sweat; I barely had the energy left to take my opponent's life. I was able to regain my footing, but I decided against it. In retrospect, it might have been out of curiosity. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In the middle of our fight, it seems that her left glove had been stripped from her hand. Her arm looked disfigured like a shriveled tree trunk, as if all the moisture had been drained out of it. | ||
| + | |||
| + | At first, I thought it was just a mere deformity, but then I sensed a very evil aura emanating from her hand. Soon, my furrowed brows were met with a frown; I had no choice. I thought it would be better if I asked her when she woke up. | ||
| + | |||
| + | As the sun turned a bright red, our shadows became elongated. She slowly began to lift herself up. But I couldn't afford to wait any longer to check if her pupils were still red or if they returned to their previous state... | ||
| + | |||
| + | I threw out some money from my pocket and drifted off to an unknown direction. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | From then on, I heard the sounds of someone's footsteps behind me. For a week these noises continued, but there was no conversation to be had. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | To be continued...</i> | ||
| + | </blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 4: The Metastasis - Roxy</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote> | ||
| + | <i>After some time, my surroundings became very familiar to me. It was clear that I was lost. But, there's no way that this narrow, remote road would ever show up on a map... And, I think I'm starting to worry about her. I must have strayed from the path given to me by that traveling merchant. I'm pathetic...</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Where are you headed?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | "To Elvenguard, at the periphery of Grand Flores. I've been asked a favor to do something there." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>It was her. For some reason, I became embarrassed. Did my mouth falter after too much silence? I unknowingly told her the truth without a moment's hesitation.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I'm not sure exactly where that is, but I know it's close to the nation of the Dark Elves. Looks like you're lost... Do you need directions?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>It must have been because of the wind. Her voice trembled a little. It was hard for me to admit it because my pride was getting in the way. But perhaps I was taking too long to respond; the evening sky began to glow behind her. It seemed to match well with her complexion. Then, for a brief moment, there was silence. | ||
| + | |||
| + | I didn't want to refuse her offer. Although personally, I liked being alone. It was obvious that I was lost, but somehow I didn't want to deny it for some reason.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Do as you please..." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Let's see... If you keep going this way, you will get to Elvenguard through Hendon Myre. But if you want, there's another road that's less inhabited..." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "We'll go that way. The one that's less crowded." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>She nodded slightly and walked quietly toward me. At that moment, it seemed as if her steps slowed down a little, and didn't make any more noise.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "My name is Roxy. If you don't mind... Could you give me your name, traveler?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Am I mistaken, or was her voice just now much more lively than before? We were just about to set off to the correct path after walking in circles several times. And now, as if possessed by a ghost, she asked me for my name.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Aganzo." | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | <i>To be continued...</i> | ||
| + | </blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 5: The Road - The Two Thrones</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote> | ||
| + | "Do you believe that darkness is our destiny, my child?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Light and darkness are only what we perceive to be visible. Without darkness, light cannot exist. I do not believe that this is our destiny." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>The man on the throne could not be seen. All that was known was that only his voice came from that direction. It was like being in absolute darkness, and within it was a silence that would make one's skin crawl, capable of making an occasional drop of water sound like roaring thunder. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Even if the man stood within a blazing light, he could not seen. That is because only those who were permitted to see him were only a select few. And those chosen had to kneel on the cold floor with limited freedom; only to stare at the stone floor, unable to gaze upon anything else.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "You may raise your head." | ||
| + | |||
| + | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Are you sure about this?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Upon the carpet was a young man kneeling politely with a glaring look in his eyes. Judging by his appearance, he was young for his age; the skin on his face showed no sign of wrinkles, but his eyes were comparable to those who had long experienced battle. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Upon his waist dangled a sword of pure white. Not many people had the authority to come in, yet alone the audacity to carry their weapons in to such a place. Just who was this young soldier?</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "This will not be an easy task; are you willing to take the risk?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Your Majesty, you will not be disappointed; you have ever been so generous with your grace to prepare me for this moment, and I will execute it without hesitation. I dare to say that the path of the sword is not halted by rushing waters; it is possible for even the smallest of streams to make waves of their own, if their will demands it. I am forever indebted to you for sheltering me with your grace, and I beg of you to consider my firm resolve as your own." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Sitting on the huge golden throne upon numerous stairs was an unexpectedly healthy young man. Upon hearing the boy's rebuttal, the man looked at the boy with a curious smile on his mouth, as if unable to contain his excitement.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Haha, raise your head. Vaughn." | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | <i>To be continued...</i> | ||
| + | </blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 6: The Road - Two Voices</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 7: The Road - Movement of Shadow</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 8: The Road - A Strange Party</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 9: The Road - Take Off the Mask</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Chapter 10: The Metastasis - The Key</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | </center> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Guild War ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Guild War | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <center> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>The Little Girl Nana and Blue Guardian Vetala</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=<small>Marigold's Story</small> | ||
| + | |Width=500 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | </center> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Event: Zombie Crisis - The Outbreak ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Zombie Crisis - The Outbreak | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote><i> | ||
| + | Rumors about the "Zombie Virus" is spreading across Arad. It is said that an unknown swarm of monsters is attacking and biting any humans on sight. The scariest part of it is that those who get bitten are turned into terrifying monsters. People of Arad are in great fear and calling this phenomenon the "Zombie Virus." However, there are no witnesses to confirm the existence of these monsters yet... So, can it be true? Or is it just another rumor created by wild human imagination? Whichever turns out to be true, we'd better find out quickly because panic and fear will grow bigger the longer it takes for us to get the grasp of the situation. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Even the Priest Order, who considered this as nothing but a rumor, is starting to become wary of this situation. Although, they are officially calling this a rumor, internally they are taking this situation very seriously. This is because there are many similarities between the imposters that put the Arad continent under great fear a long time ago and these monster that appeared recently. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Hence, the Order began a secret investigation and sent out a message to the brothers (Priests) of the Order who are out in each reason. So where did this rumor begin?? | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Order was shocked as only a very few of the brothers responded. So what happened to the rest of them? The scope of the area where priests have gone missing is too large to determine where the rumor had begun... With only the Order investigating this, the investigation will take too long. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Order made their decision and made an official statement. Let the Priest Order and the adventurers of Arad unite in order to identify the "Zombie Virus" and eliminate it. Considering that the Priest Order is a very isolated group and do not usually cooperate with others, this is a very unusual case. I guess this shows just how seriously they are taking this situation? | ||
| + | |||
| + | Anyway, I heard that a messenger from the Order had arrived in Underfoot, so I went there to see who it was and what do you know, it was Andrea! I was so happy to see him and wanted to run up and say 'Hi' but I couldn't as he was surrounded by too many people. However, I was glad to see so many people had gathered to help the Order. | ||
| + | |||
| + | They will head out to the suspected region tomorrow. Can they safely return in one piece? Although they look bright and motivated, it worries me deeply as they are no exceptions to the dangers of the "Zombie Virus." Lord, please watch over them... | ||
| + | |||
| + | Hmm... maybe the search there will yield some clues about Nilvas. After much consideration, I decided to follow Andrea secretly. I'd better catch up before it's too late.</i> | ||
| + | </blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Dark Elf Temple ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Dark Elf Temple | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote><i> | ||
| + | In the Dark Elf Ruins, there were once altars for performing religious ceremonies. The priests that managed the altars would pray to bless the living and give thanks to their ancestors. Along with performing these ceremonies, they also studied alchemy and magic that helped the development and growth of the kingdom. | ||
| + | |||
| + | With such great progress, the King ordered the priests to create a dimensional gate that would connect the Kingdom, like a vast highway network for instant travel. However, the gate they opened was not the one they desired. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Instead of building portal gates to connect regions in the kingdom, the priests opened a gate into another dimension and rampaging monsters started emerging from it, killing everyone in their path. The Guardians of the Temple immediately took action and mounted a counter attack, killing the monsters that have entered through the gate before they cound inflict anymore harm. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The remaining priests started to close the gate but before they could, a huge monster suddenly appeared from it. The giant monster roared, it was so loud that it shook the entire foundation of the temple. With this roar, thousands of monsters started rushing out of the dimensional gate, besieging the temple once more. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The priests and guardians fought valiantly against the monsters but it wasn't enough. They were losing ground and soon the temples were destroyed. The King who has heard of the news quickly dispatched additional forces to combat the growing threat. The reinforcements arrived on time and they were able to push back the monsters and reach the area where the dimensional gate is located. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Victory was almost near. | ||
| + | |||
| + | However, the giant monster stood in their path, preventing them from reaching the gate. Try as they may, they could not overcome the strength of the giant monster and wave after wave of attackers fell helplessly against it. | ||
| + | |||
| + | With no other options available, the King and his council decided that the temple can no longer be recovered and only it's destruction can close the dimensional gate and preventing more monsters from coming through. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Thus, the Dark Elves destroyed the temple and all the area that leads to it, erasing it from the pages of history. | ||
| + | </i></blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Abyssal Arena ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Abyssal Arena | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Tower of Despair ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Tower of Despair | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote> | ||
| + | "There are all kinds of people gathered here, those who are exiled, unwilling to die, cursed, abandoned, and betrayed... They endure the struggle of loneliness and stay here, for one singular purpose - searching for some unforeseen legend. It is said atop this tower is a divine being; anyone who can defeat him will be able to unlock the pinnacle of their skill." | ||
| + | |||
| + | ~~Reaper Dreyfus. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | "This place... Time definitely flows a lot slower here." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>The one who spoke was a middle-aged swordsman, but unlike ordinary blade masters, he wore a variety of swords upon his body. There he stood nearby a window as his sharp pair of eyes darted directly at a visiting woman. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Outside the window, the sky had unwittingly been dyed red by the sunset, and soon after night fell. However, inside the tower, regardless of day or night, it was always dim and dark, as if in the depths of hell, void of any warmth. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Here, it was as if time was heavy shackled, causing it to slowly move forward. If not for the burden of loneliness, perhaps the people of the tower may have long forgotten the passage of time. The swordsman felt his instincts beginning to grow dull. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Despite being faced with the swordsman's sharp eyes, the woman remained very calm.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "It is like you said; and with this, you will have more time to train." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Indeed, the swordsman's body was covered with countless wounds, which were proof of his hard training for days and nights on end. The swordsman's eyes were determined and persistent, as if telling the person, he would not miss any opportunity. He glared at the person in front of him as if staring at prey. Any other person would have already looked away, but the woman still looked straight at her opposer with a calm expression. | ||
| + | |||
| + | After a moment of silence, the swordsman finally couldn't help but speak first:</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Initially, you told me to wait and train here until the day I'd be able to fight him, correct?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Yes." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>The woman replied, her voice void of emotion.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "If I trained for 2000 years... how much closer will I be to fighting him? Will my sword be able to meet his?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | "That will not be enough." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Is that so?..." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Despite being denied, the swordsman's heart grew more excited.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Now I am really looking forward to my battle with him, even if my sword cannot reach his... Even now, there are few who can match the sword of Soldoros... It's exciting to imagine! Although I may not be strong enough now, if I train in this tower for 2000 years, I will surely be able to reach that potential on my own!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>This was the decree of Soldoros, the world's most legendary strongest swordsman, even known to some as the "Sword God". But even to such a person, there was an opponent that even his sword could not reach. Who was he? Who was this person, the First Apostle, Cain?...</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Haha! Now my blood is really boiling. I have decided; I'll start by conquering this tower!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Soldoros said with a haughty smile. The haze shrouding his mind seemed to have dissipated.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Oh, it will not be as easy as you think. The people in this tower should not be underestimated. There's a reason why it's called the Tower of Despair. Anyway, I wish you luck." | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | <i>--Excerpt from a conversation between Soldoros and a mysterious woman</i> | ||
| + | </blockquote></small> | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Delezie, the Black Plague ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Delezie, the Black Plague | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Mt. Kulun: The Giant Dragon Natram==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Mt. Kulun: The Giant Dragon Natram | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ====Event: Eyes of the Sphinx - Papyrus==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Eyes of the Sphinx - Papyrus | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote> | ||
| + | <b>The Golden Legends</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Once there was a dark sea of chaos. On one faithful day a hill rose from the sea, and on this hill there was a god of creation, and thus became the first god. The day the first god was born, he created light that shines above the river and sea. Thus Ra the sun god was born. Ra gave birth to the goddess of law, justice, harmony, and wisdom. Hence, the god of creation, sun god, and goddess of wisdom became a trinity and transpire the prelude of this legend.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>The Great Pyramids</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>The great ones were believers of the afterlife. When a Pharaoh dies, he receives complete divinity and is directly delivered to the Death and Resurrection god, and the god of the sun. Funerary shrines devote many offerings to the godly beings. When the Pharaoh journeys to the postmortem world, he gets the role of connecting the divine world with the mortal world. Hence special measures have been taken to ensure that his soul can reach the world of the gods safely, and he's given loads of treasures for use in the afterlife.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>The Cry of Ra</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Open your door for me!<br> | ||
| + | Open up your door to me.<br> | ||
| + | Shine for me my creation.<br> | ||
| + | Command me, for I am your subject.<br> | ||
| + | Truly, I command you to be my flesh.<br> | ||
| + | I have created you to demonstrate my power.<br> | ||
| + | I have come to welcome myself.<br> | ||
| + | My creations were made to breath upon rising.<br> | ||
| + | I will destroy those who are against him.<br> | ||
| + | Open your doors to me.<br></i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Opposing Existence</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>As the sovereign rule of the underworld descended, the sun god was establishing his own position as the god of creation, and the god of life and death. The sun god, with its varied characteristics, was called by a different name each time its appearance changed. On earth he was transformed into three figures and in the afterlife he was transformed into 75 different forms. The sun god traveled across the sky for twelve hours during the day, and twelve hours in the ship led by the subordinates gods. While passing through the underworld, the sun god encountered many devils, but they could not threaten him. the sun god undergoing the unification and resurrection during the night time arrived at the east horizon on the twelfth hour of the night, and began a new cycle of observing the sun again.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Goddess</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>She is a goddess with a cat's head and a maternal instinct. She is the daughter of the sun god, defending the dead against a beast hunting for untended graves. Those who enter her lair will have to face her trials, and those who wisely overcome her trials will experience the wonderful rewards she offers.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Massive Building</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>When building this structure, it must have taken an enormous amount of manpower, and tools... It seems that the stones would have been cut out and moved to the construction site using a track made out of rounded wood, and it seems to have been carried to great heights. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Why did you do this hard work? Some structures coincide exactly to the east, west, north, and south sides of each of the four sides, and their surfaces fit accurately so that even a piece of paper cannot enter. Moreover, dividing the total length of the pyramid by twice the height would be a number that roughly corresponds to the circumference. If the circumference is expressed in inches, it corresponds to a thousand times the number of days in the solar year. It is a very interesting structure. It is worth checking.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Mysterious Statue</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>This mysterious sculpture seems to have been symbolized as an image of absolute power such as a king or a god. It is widely found at the entrance of temples, palaces and mausoleums. The appearance of a lion depicting the shape of a king's face and the hood turned over is indeed the incarnation of the king. The mystery seems to be very dangerous, but it is a natural mission for great archaeologists. Let's hold on once again in front of this mysterious sculpture.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Heliopolis</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Heliopolis is a beautiful city surrounded by deserts and rivers. It is a land of exploration where artifacts and heritage sites are discovered every day. During the period when the sandstorms of the desert remained silent, an unidentified pyramid was found. This pyramid's top part seemed to be covered by an unknown fog, and everyone proceeded to investigate it. However, they could not find special artifacts or treasures in it except for some simple devices. Many people who have lost interest here have moved to other places, and this pyramid will eventually become forgotten. But Alpha, Epsilon, and I will continue to explore it. Obviously there will be something interesting there we can look forward to.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>My Name is Iota</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Uncle Alpha is like an explorer's compass. He is the light of our expedition. If there is light, of course there is salt! The salt on our expedition is our father Epsilon. There is nothing that my father does not know. Epsilon helps you to take care of a lot of things and is able to solve different problems easily. I'm Iota, the cutie of our expedition! I am dreaming to be a great explorer like Uncle Alpha. I want to finish this expedition nicely and move on quickly to the next expedition.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Exploration Journal</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>It's been a while since we've been here. However, we are still lost. Obviously there is something we need to look for. If we can escape from the mystery of the labyrinth, we will find the light of truth. We have never failed our exploration and we will continue to succeed. However, for future explorations to be successful, we need to overcome these trials in front of our very eyes first.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Unity</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>What truths do you seek? In order to bring harmony to this chaotic world, we need a unifying light. The hot light that burns, and the cold light that freezes. if you cannot make one, this chaos will never end... and your trials will continue.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Divine Favor</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>There is a light of hope from these endless trials. Think of it as your lifeline. Follow it closely, do not be impatient or idle. The light will be your guide. It will lead you to the truth.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Time of the Inscription</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Every cloud has a silver lining. The gods have laden your path with great trials. Still, go ahead, do not fear. Your heart may be bound with thorns and your back will be burdened by heavy rocks but you must endure. The pain of the moment will lead you to eternal happiness. Remember, only the patient can reach the door of truth.</i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Truth is Always One</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Do you have the eyes of truth? The eyes that can break through deceit and open the path to righteousness? Only those who have these eyes can grace my presence; if you wish to reach me, you need to open your eyes. Forget the illusions of man and come to me truthfully.</i> | ||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>End of Suffering</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i>Overcome your challenges and step forward. Those who can reach me will be able to open the door of truth. You may never reach it, but if you can overcome these trials, you will be greatly rewarded.</i> | ||
| + | </blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==== Tower of Dazzlement ==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Tower of Dazzlement | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote><i> | ||
| + | The Tower of Dazzlement is known to grant invaluable treasure to those who have passed the ordeal. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | This mesmerizing tale quickly spread throughout the lands of Arad, and countless adventurers have travelled to the Valley of the Fallen Souls to conquer the Tower of Dazzlement in search of fame, honor, and treasure. | ||
| + | |||
| + | However, once the adventurers enter the tower, the doors become tightly sealed. The tower does not allow the unskilled to return without paying a hefty price. Only a few skilled adventurers have been able to pass the ordeal of the tower and return to their homes, but even among them, not many were able to return with their limbs or minds intact. | ||
| + | Even the adventures who were able to came back weren't able to fully escape the clutches of the tower… | ||
| + | |||
| + | The ones who have been able to conquer the tower are always forced to take only a fraction of the treasure they encounter in the tower, and the treasure which they left inside the tower always draws them back. Hence, it is called the Tower of Dazzlement. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Every day, the heavy doors of the tower open with a horrifying sound, | ||
| + | to seize the greed of those who were invited to the tower... | ||
| + | </i></blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ====Event: Yggdrasil Chronicles - Heroine's Record==== | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextStart| | ||
| + | |Title=Yggdrasil Chronicles - Heroine's Record | ||
| + | |Width=600 | ||
| + | |Show=none | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | <small><blockquote> | ||
| + | <b>Light</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i><p>As the battle raged on and the Heroine still would not fall, Blinde, enthralled with evil energy, unleashed his malicious power uncontrollably in every direction.</br> | ||
| + | Sensing danger, the Heroine deftly avoided the tendrils of doom, then leapt forward while summoning spirits of her own.</br> | ||
| + | The spirits of Fire, Ice, Iron, Earth, and Wind all orbited the Heroine, shielding her from harm while singing a song of the elements.</br> | ||
| + | As soon as the pure, lifting melody reached Blinde's tarred body, he howled and writhed in pain, feeling as though he was being flayed alive.</br> | ||
| + | Every clear note that rang out brought agony to Blinde, yet instilled strength and courage in the Adventurer and Heroine. | ||
| + | The Adventurer, newly bolstered, charged forth with great speed towards Blinde.</br> | ||
| + | Blinde crumpled under the Adventurer's final strike.</br> | ||
| + | As the life faded from its host's body, the parasitic [Black Substance] wriggled free from Blinde.</br> | ||
| + | Once the [Black Substance] escaped, clarity returned to Blinde's eyes. Blinde, struggling against eyelids that were growing too heavy, gazed at the Heroine before him.</br></i> | ||
| + | "......"</br> | ||
| + | <i>Blinde's lips parted, yet were too weak to impart words that could reach the Adventurer and Heroine's ears. Unheard words dissipated meaninglessly into the wind, and Blinde's life soon followed suit.</br> | ||
| + | Blinde's lingering gaze upon the Heroine as his death approached kept coming to the Adventurer's mind. The gaze had been one of longing, of sadness. | ||
| + | </p></i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Dark</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i><p>As the battle dragged on, an enraged Blinde roared at the Heroine.</br></i> | ||
| + | "Pathetic whelps! How dare you seal me away! The sheer nerve of you all... You shall all come to kneel before me!"</br> | ||
| + | <i>Blinde raised his warhammer high above his head, then brought it crashing to the ground with a thunderous strike.</br> | ||
| + | The Heroine and Adventurer could do little more than to hunker down and hold on for dear life as the earth shook and the walls heaved.</br></i> | ||
| + | "Foolish girl, you know nothing! Are you certain you can be so trusting of your own memories? And yet, still you come here in the hopes of slaying me?"</br> | ||
| + | <i>Blinde's fearsome laughter rang out through the air. The Heroine, who still had memories she could not recollect, seemed to waver for a moment at these words, but soon regained her poise and proceeded to speak to the Adventurer under her breath.</br></i> | ||
| + | "Adventurer, we can't let this go on for much longer. If you can manage to distract Blinde for even just a moment, I am prepared to deliver the final blow."</br> | ||
| + | <i>The Adventurer nodded curtly, then proceeded to promptly charge at Blinde.</br> | ||
| + | As the Adventurer's efforts caught Blinde's attention, the Heroine wasted no time in striking Blinde with all the strength she could muster.</br> | ||
| + | Blinde, distracted for a hair's breadth of a second, could not escape the blade blessed by the spirits that soon plunged deep into his heart.</br> | ||
| + | With the last of his fading strength, Blinde tightly grasped the Heroine's wrist and whispered into her ear.</br></i> | ||
| + | "Foolish warrior, your blade may have found its mark, but I know your eyes still waver with doubt whenever they behold me. I shall bequeath agony unto you from the grave, on the day your memories return and your doubt fades."</br> | ||
| + | <i>Blinde's last words died along with his life, and thus his listless hand dropped to his side. | ||
| + | </p></i> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <hr> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <b>Chaos</b> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <i><p>As the battle dragged on, the Heroine spoke to the Adventurer under her breath.</br></i> | ||
| + | "The [Black Substance] that's showing on his skin seems to be controlling Blinde. I will have to try and seal it away by absorbing it with the power of the spirits."</br> | ||
| + | <i>The Adventurer, surprised by this revelation, gazed at the Heroine, seemingly forgetting the heat of battle.</br> | ||
| + | Determination to banish the evil could be seen clearly in the Heroine's eyes.</br> | ||
| + | The Adventurer turned back towards Blinde, and gave a curt nod. The Heroine, seeing the Adventurer's response, stepped forward and gave a great stab with her sword, both hands gripping the hilt tightly.</br> | ||
| + | An incandescent rainbow of mysterious colors burst forth, pulsing and racing around the Heroine, presumably from the power of the spirits that she wielded.</br> | ||
| + | The [Black Substance] that was feeding off of Blinde's body was soon sucked into the aurora of billowing energy.</br> | ||
| + | The moment the [Black Substance] escaped his body, Blinde's body disintegrated as if time that had come to a halt suddenly started passing at blinding speeds.</br> | ||
| + | The Heroine reached out towards the [Black Substance] that had escaped from Blinde before the spirits left her body.</br> | ||
| + | The [Black Substance] immediately attached itself to its new host that was brimming with life, and the Heroine shielded her her body and soul from turning black with evil through the power of the spirits.</br> | ||
| + | The two polar forces clashed within her body and fought for dominance, all while she completed the sealing spell through gritted teeth.</br> | ||
| + | The energies that pulsated around her were soon absorbed by her heart.</br></i> | ||
| + | "I have... succeeded."</br> | ||
| + | <i>The Heroine slowly looked down at her feet, and the Adventurer followed her gaze.</br> | ||
| + | What met their eyes were the Heroine's slowly petrifying legs, and soon, only one of them could see the statue that remained, as still and silent as the surrounding air.</i></p> | ||
| + | |||
| + | </blockquote></small> | ||
| + | {{HiddenTextEnd}} | ||
| + | |||
[[Category:Lore]] | [[Category:Lore]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:42, 4 February 2021
|
Seria says: "Nothing should be as mysterious as I am!"
Some info is missing, please help to provide it if you can. |
Contents
- 1 Episodes
- 1.1 Episode 1: The Way of Peace - Linus's Monologue
- 1.2 Episode 2: Sewer Princess Faris
- 1.3 Episode 3: Slayer Petrizan
- 1.4 Episode 4: Dark Elf Merchant Sergemin
- 1.5 Episode 5: Hunter Dolph
- 1.6 Episode 6: The First Pandemonium Assembly
- 1.7 Episode 7: Precursor of War
- 1.8 Episode 8: Apostle Kasijas
- 1.9 Episode 9: Crying Eyes Hilder
- 1.10 Episode 10: Journal of Arbitrator Marcellus
- 1.11 Episode 11: Ozma of Chaos
- 1.12 Episode 12: God, Heed My Prayers...
- 1.13 Episode 13: Poison
- 1.14 Episode 14: Stained with Autumn Leaves
- 1.15 Episode 15: Rossi's Song
- 1.16 Episode 16: Morgan's Journal
- 1.17 Episode 17: Genesis (Chapter 1)
- 1.18 Episode 18: The Festival of Warriors
- 1.19 Episode 19: Wolf
- 1.20 Episode 20: Bakal, the King of Dragons
- 1.21 Episode 21: Luminous Anodron
- 1.22 Episode 22: Machine Gun Audrey
- 1.23 Episode 23: Contact
- 1.24 Episode 24: Great Will
- 1.25 Episode 25: Citadel
- 1.26 Episode 26: A Certain Autumn, Ghent
- 1.27 Episode 27: A Girl in Central Park
- 2 Other Lore Stories
- 2.1 Pandemonium Prequel: Chronicles of Luke
- 2.2 Luke Raid - He Who Silently Touches the Soil
- 2.3 Castle of the Dead - Call of Pandemonium: Destiny Hangs Upside Down
- 2.4 Anton Suppression - Giant Shadow in the Empyrean Sea
- 2.5 Kashipa's Hidden Records
- 2.6 Mirror Arad - Dimensional Rupture
- 2.7 Main Story - Screaming Cavern Incident Prelude
- 2.8 Guild War
- 2.9 Event: Zombie Crisis - The Outbreak
- 2.10 Dark Elf Temple
- 2.11 Abyssal Arena
- 2.12 Tower of Despair
- 2.13 Delezie, the Black Plague
- 2.14 Mt. Kulun: The Giant Dragon Natram
- 2.15 Event: Eyes of the Sphinx - Papyrus
- 2.16 Tower of Dazzlement
- 2.17 Event: Yggdrasil Chronicles - Heroine's Record
Episodes
Episode 1: The Way of Peace - Linus's Monologue
Episode 1: The Way of Peace - Linus's Monologue
Episode 2: Sewer Princess Faris
Episode 2: Sewer Princess Faris
Episode 3: Slayer Petrizan
Episode 3: Slayer Petrizan
Episode 4: Dark Elf Merchant Sergemin
Episode 4: Dark Elf Merchant Sergemin
Episode 5: Hunter Dolph
Episode 5: Hunter Dolph
Episode 6: The First Pandemonium Assembly
Episode 6: The First Pandemonium Assembly
Episode 7: Precursor of War
Episode 7: Precursor of War
Episode 8: Apostle Kasijas
Episode 8: Apostle Kasijas
Episode 9: Crying Eyes Hilder
Episode 9: Crying Eyes Hilder
Episode 10: Journal of Arbitrator Marcellus
Episode 10: Journal of Arbitrator Marcellus
Episode 11: Ozma of Chaos
Episode 11: Ozma of Chaos
Episode 12: God, Heed My Prayers...
Episode 12: God, Heed My Prayers...
Episode 13: Poison
Episode 13: Poison
Episode 14: Stained with Autumn Leaves
Episode 14: Stained with Autumn Leaves
Episode 15: Rossi's Song
Episode 15: Rossi's Song
Episode 16: Morgan's Journal
Episode 16: Morgan's Journal
Episode 17: Genesis (Chapter 1)
Episode 17: Genesis (Chapter 1)
Episode 18: The Festival of Warriors
Episode 18: The Festival of Warriors
Episode 19: Wolf
Episode 19: Wolf
Episode 20: Bakal, the King of Dragons
Episode 20: Bakal, the King of Dragons
Episode 21: Luminous Anodron
Episode 21: Luminous Anodron
Episode 22: Machine Gun Audrey
Episode 22: Machine Gun Audrey
Episode 23: Contact
Episode 23: Contact
Episode 24: Great Will
Episode 24: Great Will
Episode 25: Citadel
Episode 25: Citadel
Episode 26: A Certain Autumn, Ghent
Episode 26: A Certain Autumn, Ghent
Episode 27: A Girl in Central Park
Episode 27: A Girl in Central Park
Other Lore Stories
Pandemonium Prequel: Chronicles of Luke
Chronicles of Luke
Luke Raid - He Who Silently Touches the Soil
He Who Silently Touches the Soil
Castle of the Dead - Call of Pandemonium: Destiny Hangs Upside Down
Call of Pandemonium: Destiny Hangs Upside Down
Anton Suppression - Giant Shadow in the Empyrean Sea
Giant Shadow in the Empyrean Sea
Kashipa's Hidden Records
Kashipa's Hidden Records
Mirror Arad - Dimensional Rupture
Dimensional Rupture
Main Story - Screaming Cavern Incident Prelude
Main Story - Screaming Cavern Incident Prelude
Guild War
Guild War
Event: Zombie Crisis - The Outbreak
Zombie Crisis - The Outbreak
Dark Elf Temple
Dark Elf Temple
Abyssal Arena
Abyssal Arena
Tower of Despair
Tower of Despair
Delezie, the Black Plague
Delezie, the Black Plague
Mt. Kulun: The Giant Dragon Natram
Mt. Kulun: The Giant Dragon Natram
Event: Eyes of the Sphinx - Papyrus
Eyes of the Sphinx - Papyrus
Tower of Dazzlement
Tower of Dazzlement
Event: Yggdrasil Chronicles - Heroine's Record
Yggdrasil Chronicles - Heroine's Record
