Kara Chapter 1-20

Kara is given a choice: die or become a god.

Summoned to a world ruled by a game-like system, Kara is offered a power that lies beyond it.

A power given by a dying dragon. A power that predates the system. A power wielded only by the gods.

To become the last wielder of a dragonsoul.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Dragonsoul

Today was supposed to be a great day for Kara, until she was attacked by a flock of gargoyles.

After graduating from college, moving out of her hometown, and getting herself a white-collar job in the city, it was finally time for her first day at the office. This was the start of a new page in her life, so she was both excited and nervous, waking up at the crack of dawn to prepare herself to face this harsh corporate world. But all her plans and preparations went awry that morning when she found herself in an entirely different world than she expected— faced down with a gargoyle and surrounded by ancient ruins high above a mountain range.

Now, Kara could have just stood there and let herself be torn to shreds as she wondered, What the fuck is going on?  But she didn’t need a degree in archeology to infer that this ancient ruin wasn’t anywhere on Earth, and she certainly didn’t need a degree in zoology to know that this gargoyle was probably going to kill her if she didn’t run for her damn life.

So she screamed and ran as the gargoyle snarled, giving chase. It was half her size, running on all fours like a dog, without any wings. Worse was that she wasn’t wearing any shoes, but she didn’t let that slow her for even a split-second. Unfortunately for her, the commotion drew attention from the rest of the ruins. A second gargoyle leapt down from a half-collapsed pillar made from a purple rock. Then a third emerged from beneath some rubble. A fourth looked up from a broken wall. And a fifth—

The realization began to settle in.

“I am going to di…” And Kara bit her tongue, a flash of memory of her mother’s voice echoing in her mind, forcing her to focus on her predicament.

Dozens of gargoyles converged on her from every direction as the sun descended from the sky. She continued to run, heading for the only standing structure in the ruins— a temple built into the mountains.

Kara sprinted up the broken steps, and the gargoyles trailed closely behind her. She reached the top before them, and desperately kicked at a small boulder wedged against some rubble. It quickly broke free and fell upon the gargoyles. Kara watched with bated breath as the small boulder rolled its way down.

And it crushed only a single gargoyle out of the flock that was after her.

The others reached the top a second later, pouring onto her as they snarled and hissed. She screamed once more as they pounced on her. Stumbling back to the ground, she kicked her legs and flailed her arms helplessly trying to fight back as they snapped their mouths at her. It was pointless. Her knuckles cracked against their hard skin, and her ankles twisted as she desperately struck back at the gargoyles.

They clambered over each other to get to her, pinning her to the ground with their stone-like bodies. She felt her bones breaking under their weight. Their teeth ripped apart her flesh, and their claws dug into her bones. Her body felt like it was bathed in molten rocks as she cried out in pain. Finally, as the burning sensation faded away, replaced with a stinging numbness, she snapped her eyes shut and waited for her inevitable demise. But it never came.

Instead, all she heard was a shriek. Then she heard the tumbling of a desperate scrambling, followed by numerous yelps. It sounded like the crying of dogs. She opened her eyes as she gasped for breath, and she watched as the flock of gargoyles… ran away.

They fled the scene, falling down the steps as Kara lay there, bloodied and bruised, completely defenseless. A long moment of silence passed as she tried to process this sight. Eventually, she sat up and stared as the gargoyles continued to flee.

“W-what… what just happened?” Kara mustered up the question and remained sitting there at the mouth of the temple, her blonde hair a mess, her suit covered in cuts, and her body bleeding all over from her injuries.

Her panting slowly subsided, and she felt her adrenaline fade away. But she still felt no pain. Her entire being was numb. Both emotionally and physically, she could hardly feel a thing. She simply stared blankly at the scene of the ancient ruins as the copper tint of twilight took hold of the sky.

It was truly nothing like anything on Earth. The mountains surrounding her were of impossible height— they rose up like a dense forest of towering trees layered in sleet. The scintillating stars hung overhead like smelter pots: they dotted the darkling heavens with their light, every single one of them brighter than any star she had ever seen.

The ruins lying before her might have been a city once. But only if its walls were made of amethyst, and its roads were paved from bone. Kara tried to imagine what it could have looked like. Unfortunately, no image came to mind. It was far too alien for her to even envision.

And the fact that she was currently in another world fully dawned on her as her shock wore off. How did she get here? When did she get here? The last thing she remembered was getting dressed for work— then she was just here.

She took in a deep breath as she tried to steel herself, but burst out into a hacking fit as the scent of ash and brimstone entered her lungs. Her vision blurred, and she lowered her head as she covered her mouth with her sleeves. She looked down at herself, seeing the blood on her clothing, before looking up at the ruins of the city once more.

And a weary voice asked, “It is quite the somber sight, is it not?”

That made Kara jerk up. She spun around in a panic, trying to get to her feet. But her legs failed her and she dropped back to ground, before she paused to stare at what she saw.

A massive beast lay there on top of a pile of treasure. Its body covered in scales, and a pair of majestic wings protruding from its back. It wore the face of a serpent, and its eyes were a glinting red.

It was a dragon.

“Y-y-you’re—” Kara squeaked where she knelt.

“Once, a great city of magic stood here,” the dragon said, practically ignoring her. “It was called Arcos, where relics that could part the seas were forged, and where the first spells were etched onto paper. But now, all that remains is a colossal wreck, boundless and bare from all but death. Oh, how cruel this world is to all things.”

“I… what?” Her head spun as she heard his words. She had hardly even processed the fact that a dragon was before her, and now it was talking? It was all so surreal. Nothing even seemed real anymore.

“I understand you must be confused, human from another world,” the dragon continued as it barely lifted its head to face her. “My name is Zarkoth Goldenscale, and you do not have to fear me. For I am the one who summoned you to this world.”

“Wait— you summoned me?” Kara dumbly repeated after him, her eyes growing wide.

“Indeed. Although… it appears that the coordinates I inscribed into the spell were off. You have my apologies for that.” Zarkoth bowed its…  his  head fractionally.

And the young woman stared at the dragon as her head continued to spin. “I… it’s fine— you saved my life…” She paused, trying to gather her thoughts. Then she shook her head. “I mean, why did you summon me? Why am I here?”

She spoke, still in a daze. The dragon closed his eyes in thought, and that was when she was finally able to fully take in the state he was in. He looked… tired. He was nothing like the glorious ideation of a dragon that Kara imagined.

His scales were not a sheening shade of gold, but were instead the color of a rusting metal. And his wings were torn and tattered, covered in dust. What Kara thought to be a mountain of treasure was instead a mound of dirt and debris.

He opened his eyes once again, and they were faded, the magical glow they emanated was like the faint embers of a dying fire. Even when he spoke, his voice seemed to tremble. Still, he forced himself to raise his neck and face her.

“There is much for me to explain, so please— do not overexert yourself. And tell me your name.”

Kara stared at the dragon, still in disbelief. But there was almost no point in trying to deny the reality before her. So as she lay there, she closed her eyes and whispered.

“Kara. My name is Kara.”

—--

It was said that during the Era of True Magic, dragons ruled the world. They were worshipped as gods for bestowing their heavenly powers to the worthy few of humankind. Zarkoth was born long after this era came to an end.

He knew not of the era where his kind ruled the skies— where dragons were plentiful, and where they were deified for their mastery over the world. He only knew of the modern age where dragons were sparse in numbers, hunted down and slain for glory or honor by the very same people that once worshipped them.

Zarkoth closed his eyes as he recalled the faces and voices of all the mortal men and women who had sought to slay him throughout the centuries. He exhaled in exhaustion. No matter what he did, they would never listen to him. Not a single one of them.

“But why?” a voice spoke up, breaking him out of his thoughts.

And the dragon cracked an eye open. He saw a young woman sitting there— a face redolent of those same invidious creatures who had so oft come to claim his life. But she did not bear that familiar visage of enmity he had seen in profusion. Instead, she wore an insipid yet quaint look on her face. There was an eclectic array of emotions there, ranging from trepidation to dubiety. Like a lost child met with a stranger.

However, it was a welcome sight for the dragon. For it was evinced from the way her lips were thinly pressed together as her eyes darted up and down that she was the first human he had ever met who didn’t face him with bloodlust or fury.

“What happened between then and now?” Kara asked. “Why do humans want you… dead?”

It was almost a foolish question. Even a child knew the answer to that question. But Kara was no child— at least, not of this world. So Zarkoth answered her questions patiently, explaining every single detail with utmost clarity.

“You must understand, Kara. Humans were never born with the capacity to cast magic. For magic is the manipulation of the very fabric of reality. Only what they called monsters, beings born from mana, were capable of reshaping the world. And it was only dragons who could gift this power to a human.”

Kara listened, sitting quietly as Zarkoth raised his head. His gaze swept past her. He stared forlornly into the night sky, eyeing the twin moons as they rose up above the undulating mountains. There were dark clouds gathering overhead. A storm was coming.

“So we protected humankind from the monsters of the world in exchange for their worship. We granted our powers to their priests, and we called them the Keepers of the Divine. But this gift of ours was what eventually brought an end to the Era of True Magic.”

“But how?” Kara asked, her confusion evident.

“For thousands of years, all was well. But then came a man who thought that it was unfair for only a select few to be given access to this power. That all of humankind should be gifted with magic. Perhaps if he were an ordinary man, he would have not posed a problem. However, he had been a priest— a magi who had risen up the ranks of the Keepers of the Divine, before betraying them all.”

Zarkoth paused as he remembered a name. One that was lauded throughout human history. But it was one that instilled fear to the dragon’s very soul.

“He Who Stole Magic From The Gods,” Zarkoth whispered.

Hearing that, the young woman from another world shifted uncomfortably where she sat. She scratched the back of her head, averting her gaze as she spoke up once more.

“That… doesn’t sound like a terrible idea? I mean, if I knew I was being gatekept from using magic, I’d be pretty upset.”

She shrank back as the dragon’s eyes flickered towards her. But he just huffed, letting out a puff of smoke from his nose.

“I agree,” Zarkoth said softly. “It was foolish of my ancestors to limit their gifts to humankind. However, they had grown complacent, perhaps indulgent in their ways of being praised. So they refused to listen to reason. For that, they paid the ultimate price. For that, all of dragonkind and their progeny were condemned to perdition.”

Kara blinked a few times. “But how did He Who, uh, has a really long name… even defeat the dragons in the first place? Didn’t he get his magic from them? Shouldn’t they have been able to easily stop him?”

Zarkoth shook his head as he turned to face the young woman. “Truthfully, I do not know the full details of his rebellion as I was not there. But as the story goes, with the magic he had stolen, he built a construct that gave access to magic to all of humankind— he created what is now called the System. It was a different kind of magic, but it was magic nonetheless. And it granted them victory against their former gods.”

He chuckled bitterly, before looking down at himself.

“Now, humans rule the world, while dragons have become but a stain in their history books.”

Once again, Zarkoth lost himself in his memories. But this time, he recalled a scene from not too long ago. An army of knights, led by a man clad in black armor.

The dragon traced a clawed finger over a scar on his face. “Reduced from gods… treated as mere monsters…”

The temple grew silent as Zarkoth finished his tale. Kara peered at him for a moment, studying the morose expression on his face. It looked like she was trying to find the right words to say. And finally, she found the courage to speak.

“I am truly sorry about what happened to your people,” she said apologetically, before placing a hand on her chest. “But that doesn’t explain why you summoned me. I am not anyone special. Why am I here?”

Zarkoth faced her. He took in her disheveled state, then looked down at himself. He saw his own weary body. And he sighed tiredly.

“I am dying, Kara.”

“What?” The young woman stirred when she heard that.

Zarkoth once again remembered the man clad in black armor. “A year ago, my lair was discovered by Arden the Dragonslayer, one of humankind’s greatest champions of this era. He had been hunting me down for over a decade, and he finally found me.”

“I tried to reason with him. I tried to convince him that he gained nothing from having me dead. But just like with every human that came before him, it was to no avail. However, unlike them, he emerged victorious, and I barely escaped with my life. Or so I thought.”

The dragon raised his body as Kara backed away nervously where she sat. But all Zarkoth did was place a claw on his chest.

“Arden had somehow damaged my very soul. So even if my physical injuries healed, my soul was forever wounded,” Zarkoth explained as an ethereal golden flame ignited into existence on the palm of his clawed hand. The flame looked like it had been cleaved in the middle, scarred even though it was impossible. And its embers flickered weakly, shrinking in size with each passing second.

“That’s… your soul?” Kara narrowed her eyes.

“It is merely a representation of it,” the dragon answered, before shaking his head. “And I knew the damage was irreparable. I knew I was going to die. I knew I didn’t have much time. That was why I prepared this ritual.”

Zarkoth looked down at the faded spell circle carved into the ground of the temple. He had worked fast to create a ritual that could tear a temporary hole into another world. After all, with his soul damaged, he could no longer recover his magic— his mana. And without mana, he couldn’t survive.

Kara rubbed her temples as she swayed in place. “I’m still confused. What does that have to do with me?”

Zarkoth stared at his fading soul, took in a deep breath, then whispered quietly. “When I was born, my mother told me that stars were our ancestors watching over us. When I was born, my father told me that the world was for me to inherit— so I can ascend to be a god like those who came before me.

“But when I looked, there were no other dragons to be found. No gods. No magic. No glory. An empty world, devoid of my own kin. What a thing? To be born into a world built on the death of my species.”

He wore a melancholic gaze as he clenched his claws into a fist. The golden flame was snuffed out. But it was only a magical projection of his soul. He still had some strength left.

“Zarkoth…” Kara stared at him, slowly understanding the implications of what he meant. “Are you saying…?”

“Indeed.” He nodded, smiling weakly.

“You’re the last dragon left,” she said in a soft voice.

“And that is why I summoned you, Kara.” The dragon placed both his clawed hands on the ground, forcing himself to his feet. The temple trembled as the young woman nearly fell off her seat. “For I wish to make amends for my ancestors. To carry out the duty they had undertaken, but without their greed. I wish to pass on my magic to humankind— to leave a final gift before I depart this world.”

His eyes glinted with the fire of his soul as he stared into Kara’s blue eyes. She met his gaze in a daze. He had given this offer to many humans in his lifetime, but none of those in this world would ever listen to what he had to say. Not that it mattered. Since he could not impart his gift to them. And that was why he summoned her.

“I wish to bestow upon you true magic. Not the artificial magic of the System. But the magic of dragons. The magic of gods.”

Zarkoth strained himself to remain standing. He heaved and panted to even take a step forward, and he came to a halt right before the young woman from another world. She looked down at herself, mind clearly reeling from the offer she was given.

And her lips quivered as she began to speak. “Thank you, for this offer. And thank you, for saving my life. But can’t you choose someone else? I do not belong here— in this world. Please, just send me back.”

“I apologize, Kara.” This time, it was the dragon who spoke apologetically. He bowed his head as he closed his eyes. “But I cannot send you back.”

Kara’s gaze snapped up to face him with round eyes. “Why not? You summoned me here— why can’t you return me to Earth?”

Zarkoth saw the desperation in her eyes— the desire to go back. And his heart ached for her, knowing what he had done out of his own selfishness. But even with this regret he felt, he couldn’t help her.

“You were mistaken to thank me for saving your life, Kara,” he said as he glanced towards the ruins of the city. The sky was overcast now, threatening to rain at any moment.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked apprehensively.

“For one, I did not intend to rescue you from the gargoyles. It was my presence alone that scared them off. And for another—” Zarkoth looked back down “Even if I had any intention to rescue you, I did not save you. I was too late.”

“What?” Kara stared at the dragon stupidly.

And Zarkoth sighed once more, “You are dying, Kara. You will not survive the end of the hour.”

—--

Today was supposed to be a great day for Kara, until she found out she was going to die.

Her head spun as her knees buckled. She would have slumped over where she sat, but she forced herself to remain upright. Even as her entire body trembled, growing weak.

“I am dying?” she repeated after the dragon as he nodded at her. “B-but I can walk! I can stand! I—”

Kara tried to force herself to her feet, then paused. Even though she felt no pain, she could hardly even move. Her eyes welled up as she collapsed back into her rocky seat.

“You may not realize it yet because of the surreality of your situation— from the shock of arriving in Xantos, a world so different from your own. But you are dying. Just like me. And with your wounds, you will perish even before I pass.”

“Can’t you heal my wounds?” Kara pleaded, looking up as she tried to calm her panicked breathing. “Can’t you use magic to save me?”

“Unfortunately, I do not have the mana left in me to both heal you and send you back to your world,” Zarkoth said regretfully. “You have to make a choice— either die back on Earth, or live here in Xantos.”

Kara gave a feeble protest, “That’s not fair…”

“I know. I understand. And I am sorry for forcing this decision onto you.” The dragon knelt before her as there was a crackle of thunder in the distance. “Scorn me if you wish. I will not blame you for that. But you must make a choice, lest you die in this world that is not your own.”

The soft pattering of raindrops began to fill the vast chamber of the temple as the first vestiges of a storm poured over the mountains. Kara glanced back at the ruins of the ancient city, seeing the gargoyles scouring the terrain. She saw this magical world. One that was filled with magic and monsters. One that waited for her with death and danger.

And she thought of what was left for her back in her world. They were, quite literally, world’s apart. Yet, while there were no true monsters back on Earth, there were still monsters disguised as humans. While there was no magic, there were still curses.

Kara’s eyes flickered as she saw the face of the woman who raised her. And she remembered the promise she made herself long ago. So she made her decision.

“I choose… to live,” Kara finally said.

Zarkoth watched her as she forced herself back to her feet. Her legs threatened to give out beneath her, but she still pushed herself forward. It didn’t hurt. It was just difficult to move. However, she didn’t care how much she struggled. She stood on her weak legs as she inhaled. Then she strode forward.

"Today was supposed to be a great day,” she said slowly. With each step she took, she wobbled and paused, each word matching her pace. “It was the start of a new chapter in my life. I had so much to look forward to. I didn’t expect any of… this.”

Kara clenched a fist and exhaled exasperatedly. Was she angry? Was she scared? Was she confused? The answer was yes— yes to everything.

“You kidnapped me— you stole me from my life. ” Lightning flashed in the distance, and a moment later came the booming of thunder. Kara glared at the dragon as her face was shadowed by the backdrop of light. “You are the reason why I’m dying.”

Zarkoth didn’t say a word. He only bowed his head in shame. Kara took another step forward, still on unsteady legs.

“I am not doing this for you. I am not doing this for your people. If I had any strength left in my body, I’d punch you in your ugly nose right now— nevermind the fact that you could incinerate me to ashes.”

She then placed a hand on her chest, recalling the last time she felt this maelstrom of emotions in her heart. The last time she saw her mother. The words that were spoken that day. That expression of pure hate and disdain. It was forever burned into the young woman’s mind, even until now.

“But even if this is not my world, it is still my life. And if this is going to be my life now, then I will live it. No matter what, I will live.” That was what she promised herself. Because—

And Kara came to a halt right before the dragon’s face. He just stared at her, waiting for what else she had to say. She raised a weak arm, struggling to even raise it. It was balled into a fist— it looked like she was about to punch her. But instead, she proffered a hand to him.

“So let me fulfill my promise, and I will help you fulfill yours.”

Zarkoth looked down at the young woman as she resolved herself. She was struggling to even stand, but she refused to fall to the ground. He closed his eyes as the rainfall grew heavier outside, turning into a deluge.

“It appears I have made the right choice in you, Kara,” he chuckled and lowered himself until the two were eye-level. “Very well, I shall now bestow unto you the gift of the gods.”

Kara didn’t flinch as he brought a claw out to her head. She met his gaze, and his body shone with a golden aura— like he was lit ablaze. He touched her forehead as he whispered.

“I shall bestow upon you the source of true magic— a dragonsoul.”

And Kara felt a scorching sensation blaze on her forehead. She wanted to recoil in pain, but she clenched her jaw as she stood steadfast. The golden aura wisping off Zarkoth’s body began to shift, before pulling itself into the young woman.

It was like her body was set on fire. Kara’s breathing quickened as she was engulfed with the golden aura. The wounds on her arms and legs began to seal shut, and the numbing sensation went away. She was slowly healing. But it was too much for her to handle. She dropped to one knee, letting out a silent scream. And then the pain vanished in an instant.

Zarkoth withdrew his claw from her forehead as she panted to herself.

“Was that it…?” she asked.

But all she heard in response was the thunderous thud of the dragon collapsing. She looked up at Zarkoth as he lay before her, his rusted scales turning black, the golden aura gone. His crimson eyes were no longer glinting. Their light was gone.

And he moved his jaw weakly. “Thank you, Kara of Earth… for fulfilling my final wish.”

Then his body began to turn to dust. Kara watched as the dragon faded away. Even though she had not known him for long, she felt her heart ache as she realized he was gone. The moment they shared with each other was gone forever, lasting only an instant. Like tears in the rain.

And now, she stood alone in the temple, hearing the muffled storm thunder overhead. She remained in silence as she lowered her head, paying her respects to the last dragon. But not every creature cared about the death of a god.

A gargoyle crept its way up the temple, sensing the disappearance of the dragon. When it got to the top of the steps, it spotted a lone young woman standing there, wreathed in a strange golden aura. It shrieked and charged at her, ready to tear her apart.

“Now, it’s my turn,” Kara said to herself.

And she spun around, sidestepping the attack. The gargoyle’s eyes widened as it crashed into the ground. It hissed and rose back to its feet. But it paused when it saw the young woman standing over it, fist clenched, eyes glowing red, and body ablaze with a golden flame.

She punched once, and the gargoyle shattered into a thousand pieces, collapsing dead at her feet. Kara looked up to face the rest of the ancient ruins— to take in this new world.

Awaiting her, impossibly tall mountains rose to touch the darkling heavens, their white peaks fusing with the dusk-tainted clouds. The expansive sable dome overhead shed its darkness where the twin moons limned, revealing a perennial dew of stars.

A curtain of colors collapsed from the clouds— a ceaseless stormwall that concealed creatures creeping through the vast landscape. Eagles of lightning stormed the skies. A behemoth made of stone walked alongside the tallest mountain. A horde of gargoyles continued to scavenge the remains of the magical city.

And Kara whispered breathlessly even amidst the chaos she saw.

“Now it’s my turn to live.”

With that, she descended the steps of the temple into the world of Xantos.

Chapter 2: Monster

“I did not ask to be born!” the little girl screamed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

She looked up at her mother, standing by the doorway. They looked identical to each other. Blonde hair, blue eyes. A splitting image. Only that one was older than the other. However, despite their similar appearances, they eyed each other with pure contempt.

True hatred.

“And I wish you were never born,” the mother replied softly.

But her words echoed in the bedroom, bouncing off the walls and whispering into the little girl’s ears like a susurration of voices.

The little girl’s vision blurred. She tried to open her mouth, however nothing came out. Her throat was parched, and her breathing quickened. Before she could even find the strength to speak again, her mother continued once more.

This time, the woman’s voice blared even louder than before.

“So why can’t you just die already—”

—--

And Kara jerked awake as she heard the booming clap of thunder in the distance. She sat up with a groan, pushing aside the rock and rubble covering her body like a blanket. Her hands moved to rub her eyes, but she paused when she felt something wet on her cheeks.

“This is…?” She narrowed her eyes as she stared down at herself.

Only to recoil as a drop of water fell onto her from above. Kara blinked, before looking up at the overcast sky. She saw a flash of purple light, followed by the rolling cacophony of thunder.

“It’s going to rain soon,” she muttered under her breath.

So she got to her feet and dusted herself off.

“I should find shelter.”

—--

It had only been a few weeks since Kara arrived in this world— Xantos, or whatever Zarkoth had called it. But it had been quite the busy few weeks for the young woman from Earth. When she was first given the dragonsoul, she had been able to use its powers with ease.

Nothing could stand in her way. She left behind a trail of utter devastation in the ancient ruins of Arcos. Every single one of the gargoyles that had tried to block her path from leaving was pulverized with only a single punch. An aura of golden flames coated her body, burning anything that even dared get close to her. And her senses were incredibly sharp— she was certain she could hear a pin drop even amidst the rain. Kara had felt, quite literally, like a god.

Then she went to sleep.

When she woke up, the aura of golden flames was gone. Her senses were dulled, and she felt much weaker. As in, she could no longer run hundreds of feet in only a second like before. She also had a massive headache, but she wasn’t sure if that was even related to her powers.

In any case, she no longer felt like a god. Now, she felt quite vulnerable, especially when she was lost high above a mountain range full of dangerous, vicious monsters.

“This world sucks,” Kara sighed as she emerged from a small crevice.

It was a small hole— barely a crack on the ground that could fit a human. But one wrong step led to a sharp drop that could break a few bones.

Kara didn’t accidentally trip and fall down this crevice. Sure, she nearly did. However, she actually climbed to the bottom on purpose and buried herself under some rocks to get some sleep. Normally, she’d find a small cave to get a good night’s rest, but she had been left with no other choice yesterday.

She had been chased by a three-headed bear all night, and this was the only way for her to escape since it couldn’t fit into the crevice. It had been clawing at the entrance all night, of course. But now—

Kara swept her gaze over her surroundings. She saw no monster standing there, waiting for her. All she saw was a desiccated tree standing at the edge of a cliff.

“It’s gone,” she murmured as she dusted herself off.

She looked up at the cloudy sky, then placed a hand on her stomach as she heard a rumbling noise. That wasn’t thunder. It wasn’t raining yet. Kara was just absolutely  famished.

Her stomach groaned and her eyes narrowed as she looked towards the lone tree up ahead. It bore a single fruit at the very top of its dead branches. And she nodded at herself as she walked up to it, feeling her stomach turning onto itself.

Now, she wasn’t totally defenseless just because she was no longer glowing with golden fire. Even though she felt weaker compared to her first day here in Xantos, she was still much stronger than she was back on Earth. For example, she could now climb a tree without much difficulty, when she shouldn’t even be able to do a pullup. But that was not all—

Kara paused as she placed a hand on the tree, then she felt the dirt beneath her feet shifting. Her gaze snapped down, before the ground exploded. A root shot up from the ground, shaped like a spear. It was aimed for her head, but she rolled out of the way just in time.

Her eyes narrowed as it pulled itself out of the ground, and a face appeared on its trunk. It stood on its roots and eyed her with a wicked smile. Kara gritted her teeth, before taking in a deep breath. She felt something burning within her. Something that wasn’t there before a few weeks ago.

And she tugged at it, pulling it into her hands. The tree took a step forward, before it whipped out with one of its branches. Kara’s eyes glinted as she exhaled. Her hands ignited, lit aflame. She caught the whipping tree branch as the palms of her hands were cut open.

Kara bit back the pain, then grinned. “Got you.”

The golden flames from her hands began to spread up the tree branch. It let out a shriek and tried to pull away, but she refused to let go.

The golden flames engulfed the tree as she pulled down and held it in place. It thrashed where it stood, then Kara finally released it, making it stumble back. She leapt back as it tried to strike her down with its burning branches. But the branches began to break apart, turning to ashes.

Kara backed away, watching as the tree screeched and burned. As she stood there silently, there was a flash of lightning overhead, then a drizzle started to fall from above. But despite the raindrops, the tree’s body slowly collapsed as the golden flames continued to burn it away.

The last of the tree was turned to ashes despite the rain. After all, that was a magical flame. It was far more potent than a normal flame, so even water struggled to extinguish it. Kara nodded to herself, then looked down at the cut on her hand. The bleeding had already stopped, cauterized by the flames she created.

That was right. Even though she could no longer fight like she did immediately after she received Zarkoth’s dragonsoul, she could still use magic. It took her some time to learn, and it still wasn’t easy for her to learn to control. All she could do with it right now was ignite certain parts of her body without burning herself.

But that was it. She could still burn her clothes— which she almost did by accident. And that was when she learned the hard way just how difficult it was to extinguish these magical flames. She cast away those inimical memories as she strode up to the remains of the tree.

The charred fruit was lying there on top of a forming puddle. Kara saw her own reflection on the water surface— her hair was a mess, and her face was covered in dirt. But that was not what stood out to her. Instead, her attention was drawn to the red glow of her left eye. She stared at it for a moment, then the light flickered, before fading away, and her left eye returned to its normal deep blue color.  

“I really need to get better at controlling this magic,” she said as her stomach growled.

And then Kara heard an actual growl coming from behind her. She spun around and spotted a familiar three-headed creature standing there, emerging from the shadows. It was the very same bear that had trapped her beneath the crevice for a whole night. It must have been drawn by the commotion of her fighting.

“This world really sucks,” Kara sighed, then made a break for it as the three-headed bear gave chase.

—--

“I think I lost it,” the young woman from Earth murmured to herself as she stepped into the dank cave.

She was soaking wet, her clothes caked in mud. A blast of thunder echoed from afar, and the muffled raindrops of the brewing storm filled the cavern. Kara sank to her knees as she leant against the rock wall.

The three-headed bear was nowhere to be found. Presumably, it decided that chasing a single girl through this deadly storm was a terrible idea, so it went to find shelter instead. And the fact that this storm was deadly wasn’t an over exaggeration.

Kara pursed her lips as she heard the howling winds grow louder in the distance. A curtain of rain and wind drew closer like an unceasing wave on land. Chunks of rock and dirt were mixed with this storm as its powerful gales were highlighted with a faint glow of a multitude of colors. Staring at this deluge of water and debris, it was clear this was no ordinary hurricane or cyclone or anything of the like.

It was a storm of magic and death.

A streak of green lightning shot down from the sky, striking a distant mountaintop. Kara winced as the rocky peak was obliterated— nothing left behind but a smoldering crater. She sensed the overwhelming power. The amount of magic she felt emanating from the lightning strike was almost numbing. It was the deadliest thing she had seen in this world so far. It was capable of even striking down myriads of giant monsters she saw lurking out at night. So she definitely didn’t want to get struck by that.

The young woman from Earth closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, taking in the soothing scent of the rain. But the humidity was not all she felt in the air. Her eyelids cracked open as she focused, and she began to see a flicker of light in the distance. It appeared to her— a storm of colorful sparks that joined this magical storm, like a swarm of iridescent locusts.

That was right. She could sense the magic that was proliferating the world. The dense ambient power that was absent on Earth, but so plentiful here, capable of defying the very laws of physics she knew. And she could see this magical phenomenon take shape when she narrowed her eyes and peered into the seams of this world.

“Mana,” Kara whispered as she looked down at herself. “That was what Zarkoth called it.”

It was just like a video game or a movie. Except, it was real. All of this was real.

She saw the wisping golden embers emanate from her own body. The very same mana that was so abundant in this world, came from her too. It grew denser and brighter as she looked down at her chest.

And there, she saw a swirling yellow mist. Like a cloud of hot gas. A bright nebula that painted her chest with a faint golden light. And in the very heart of this gathering of mana was an inert gray sphere.

Was this her dragonsoul? Was this the gift of the gods? Was this the true magic of dragons? It was… almost disappointing.

And Kara grew even more annoyed at Zarkoth, seeing this weak display of magic. Not only had he kidnapped her, nearly murdered her through his negligence, then forced his will onto her— he had also completely misled her about the power of dragons.

She sighed as she tugged at the golden mist with her mind, pulling it to her hand. A magical flame burst into existence there.

“If this is really all gods are capable of in this world… it’s no wonder they were defeated by humans.”

Kara felt the warmth of the flame dry her body as the storm continued to rage outside. The wall of rain had fully reached her mountain, and the strong winds blew into the cave, threatening to extinguish her magical fire. But she continued to pour more of her mana into it, keeping it burning as her gaze bore into its golden embers.

“No,” she told herself as she recalled her first day in Xantos. “I can do much more than this. I just need to figure out how.”

It was the very same magic of dragons— the gift of the gods. With it, she had been torn from her life on Earth and summoned into Xantos. And with it, if she grew strong enough, she was certain she could return back to her world too.

So slowly, Kara rose to her feet as she balled both her hands, letting the flames coat her fists. Even if she was upset about her current predicament— being trapped in another world full of monsters that wanted to rip her apart— there was no use moping around and wishing things were different.

All that mattered was taking action to make things better. That was a lesson she learned long ago. So she focused on improving her mastery over her magic as the storm continued to assail the mountainscape outside.

And besides… Kara thought as she closed her eyes for a brief moment. Monsters can wear the face of a human too.

—--

“What is this?” the blonde woman asked as she set the report card down onto the dining table.

The teenage girl paused by the front entrance of their apartment, looking up from their cat greeting her. She dropped her school bag onto the floor and walked forward.

“Those are my grades,” she said simply. She refused to meet the blonde woman’s gaze as she paused by her bedroom’s doorway. “Why do you ask?”

And the blonde woman threw a glass against the wall. The teenage girl flinched as the cat jerked back. Her mother rose to her feet, shouting angrily and slamming a hand on the table.

“Because you failed half your classes this semester! I work so hard all night to provide for the both of us, and this is how you repay me?”

The teenage girl gritted her teeth as her hands tightened around the doorknob. There were many things she could say in response. But she bit her tongue, holding them all back. Instead, she glanced back once as tears began to pour down her cheeks.

“Because I’m your daughter,” she replied in a trembling voice. “And you’re supposed to love me.”

With that, she slammed the door to her room. Outside, her mother shouted in a muffled voice, before another glass was smashed against the wall.

—--

“The storm is over.”

Kara stood at the entrance of the cave as she stared at the cloudy sky. The sun was slowly sliding its way down the horizon, painting the dome overhead orange. A loud rumbling echoed in the cavern, but it wasn’t from the crashing of lightning.

“I need to get some food,” the young woman muttered to herself as she placed a hand on her stomach. “Before night comes.”

She had made some progress in learning how to control her magic. But she still struggled to do anything beyond creating simple flames. It was enough to fend off most of the monsters she had encountered so far, however the same couldn’t be said for the monsters that lurked once the sun fully set. She had seen the kind of creatures that emerged in the dark. Those would rip her limb from limb before she could even react.

That was why she needed to hurry and find some food. So she made her way down, following a path that wrapped around the mountain until she reached a valley. Broken trees and bits of debris were scattered across the rocky landscape. Kara thought she would be able to find something to eat here.

She spotted some horned rabbits, but they fled into a hole before she could catch them. There were the carcasses of dead monsters strewn around, however giant vultures got to them first, snatching them into the sky. She scavenged for anything she could. Unfortunately, she found nothing to satiate her hunger.

Eventually, the sun began to dip down into the horizon, and Kara gave up. She hiked back up the mountain as her stomach growled at her.

“I haven’t had anything to eat for two days,” she sighed, reaching her cave. “One more day won’t hurt, will it?”

She asked herself the question as she peered into the darkness of the cavern. Barely a semblance of the sun remained in the sky. The orange glow of twilight would soon fade. When that happened, the creatures of the night would pour out into the world.

Kara took a step forward, shaking her head. “And I don’t have anywhere else to shelter either. Hopefully no monster finds me here—”

She started as she entered the cave, but then heard a growl. This time, it didn’t come from her stomach. Her gaze snapped up and she raised a hand, conjuring a ball of flames.

“What was that…?” she asked.

And her eyes snapped wide open at what she saw hiding inside the cavern. A three-headed bear stood there— the very same one that had chased her last night and this morning. It glared at her as it approached her.

Kara backed away warily, raising her hands in the air. “Hey, uh, sorry for intruding. I can leave if you—”

But the three-headed bear didn’t listen to her. Of course not. It snarled and charged her way as she cursed. Kara rolled to the side as it crashed into the rock wall. She grabbed a nearby pebble, then set it aflame.

“Take this!” She threw the flaming pebble at the monster.

And the three-headed bear picked itself up as the flaming pebble bounced off its back, barely singing its fur. It stared at her for a moment, and she sighed.

“This world really fucking sucks.”

In response, the monster roared and swiped one of its claws at her. She raised both her arms and coated them with her flames. That took on the brunt of the strike, but she was still sent flying back into the hard walls of the cavern.

The impact knocked the air out of her lungs as her entire body ached. Kara’s mind spun, and she tried to pick herself back up in a daze. Her ears rang as she stumbled back to her feet. She couldn’t even hear the three-headed bear’s roar as it charged at her once again.

She gasped as she raised her hands weakly. A ball of flames appeared in the palm of her right hand, and she aimed it at the rapidly approaching monster. She screamed, unleashing a streak of golden flames at it.

It recoiled for a moment as she focused all her magic into this single attack. The three-headed bear screeched, and Kara felt the magic spread throughout her body gather into the palm of her hand. But that wasn’t enough to bring the monster down. It waded through the flames, growling angrily.

Why was it doing this? Kara asked herself as she backed up against the wall. Why does it want to kill me so desperately? What does it have against me?

These questions raced through her mind as she felt the magic leaving her body. The three-headed bear drew closer, its figure practically towering over her. And she closed her eyes as she braced herself for her death.

As she did, all she could ask herself was—

Why?

—--

“Why?” the teenage girl asked quietly.

She saw her mother sitting there at the dining table, bent over and feeding their cat, not saying a single word. The teenage girl frowned and repeated her question.

“Why did you sell my laptop?”

“Because you don’t need it. All you ever do with it is talk to your internet friends and play your video games. I needed the money for a holiday anyway, so I sold it.”

“You can’t be serious…” the teenage girl whispered with wide eyes. Tears no longer streamed down her cheeks. All she could do was look at her mother in disbelief. “I need my laptop for my classes! My textbooks are on there! All my notes—”

“Why does that matter?” her mother asked simply. “You’re failing half your classes, and you’ll probably drop out soon.”

Her mother looked up as she stopped feeding their cat for a moment. A callous gaze was worn on her face.

“Don’t you think your poor mother deserves a break after all I’ve done for you?” she asked, tilting her head. “At least, this way, with however little it may be, you’re finally paying me back.”

—--

Why? Kara opened her eyes as she looked down at herself. Why is this happening to me?

It was a question she asked herself since she was young. It was a question she wished she knew the answer to. Because it always seemed like everyone was out to get her.

From her very own mother, to Zarkoth, and now this three-headed bear— they were always against her. Kara looked up and stared at the monster as it waded through the flames, drawing even closer. Its figure loomed over her.

A towering beast. Except… strangely thin. Kara felt the pang of pain from her stomach, then she saw the three-headed bear’s stature. And she realized it was just like her.

It was starving. It was ravenous. It needed something to eat. So that was why it came after her.

Kara was no different in that regard. With the way she chased the horned rabbits, she was like a monster to them. They were all monsters in some way. Because they were all trying to live their own lives.

Whether it was Kara hunting down the horned rabbits, or the three-headed bear attacking her. Zarkoth was the same too. He kidnapped her from her world to fulfill his promise to himself.

They were all so selfish. Even her. Kara’s eyes flickered as she thought of her mother.

“She was only trying to live her life, wasn’t she? But—”

—--

“What is this?” the blonde woman asked as her daughter set a piece of paper down on the table.

“It’s a full academic scholarship,” the teenage girl said in response. No— she was no longer a teenage girl. She was older now. A young adult. More experienced in life, having worked various part-time jobs to fund her studies. She took a step back and grabbed her suitcase. “I’ll be going now.”

Her mother frowned as their cat glanced between them. “You’re leaving? Just like that? After everything I’ve done for you?”

The young woman paused by the doorway, glancing back. “You’ve done nothing for me.”

“I gave birth to you.” The blonde woman rose to her feet, her breathing quickening. “I am your mother.”

“That is true,” her daughter whispered, closing her eyes. “You gave birth to me. But that’s all you’ve done for me. And even then, you didn’t want me. You just couldn’t afford to get rid of me.”

The blonde woman stumbled forward, reaching for a glass. “Without me, you wouldn’t even be alive.”

“And I am thankful for that,” Kara said, looking back one last time with a smile. “That is why I will live. Just— not for you.”

—--

“I want to live, too,” Kara said as she stared down at herself. “We all just want to live.”

Her flames began to sputter out, unable to keep the three-headed bear back. And she watched as the golden mist of mana receded back into her body, leaving her arm and gathering around her chest.

She narrowed her eyes for a moment as she stared the mana coursing through her being. The amount she held within her barely changed, despite putting in all her magic into that desperate attack. And then she saw the way the golden mist gathered around the strange sphere that was there.

It looked hollow. Almost empty. A strange gray object that was supposedly related to her magic, yet unmoving. It seemingly did nothing, other than drawing her mana towards it. No— not just her mana. But her entire being was drawn to it.

So she focused only onto it, exhaling and pouring her magic into its empty shell as her flames faded away. The three-headed bear stumbled forward as there was nothing holding it back anymore. The golden mist receded into the gray sphere as Kara looked up.

“You want to live,” she said as the monster roared. “However—”

It raised one of its claws, aiming for her head. The last of the golden mist vanished from her body, and a blazing sphere ignited in her chest. Then a golden glow overcame her body as she raised a hand.

“I’m not going to die for you!”

And the three-headed bear struck Kara with all its might. But then it paused, all three of its heads staring as it realized that she had blocked its attack. Its claws dug into her arms, drawing a sliver of blood, but unable to budge even another inch forward. And then she looked up as her left eye flashed with a red light.

Kara bared her teeth back at the monster, and this time, it was the one to take a step back. But before it could disengage she snarled and struck out with a fiery punch. The three-headed back stumbled back from the first strike, then she swept it off its feet.

It collapsed to the ground as she pointed and unleashed a cone of golden flames at it. This time, the magic didn’t pour like a weak sputter. It burst out like a deluge, engulfing the three-headed bear’s body. But it didn’t just lay there and accept its death.

The monster roared and exploded to its feet, tearing through the blast of flames. Its body was burnt, and much of its fur was gone. But it rushed forward at Kara in a final desperate attempt at taking her life. It raised its claws, and she brought her own hand up, the flames gathering on her fingertips, forming the vague shape of a claw.

She stepped forward as a voice echoed in her mind, ducking under the three-headed bear’s attack. And then her lips moved.

“God Strike.”

Kara swung out and the three fiery slashes struck the monster like a claw. The attack went straight through the back wall of the cavern, leaving behind a charred scar in the rocks.

In just a single motion, the three-headed bear was cleaved into three parts. And all at once, its remains collapsed before the young woman from Earth. Then there was a flicker of light, and blue glowing motes of magic were drawn towards her as she took a step back.

And then Kara sank to her knees in exhaustion. “I… I survived…”

She whispered to herself as the golden glow faded from her body. Looking down, she no longer saw her mana coursing across her body like a golden mist. Instead, a burning sphere hovered at her chest, wisping with the occasional ember of mana.

It looked similar to Zarkoth’s soul, but slightly different. And Kara realized—

“So this is the dragonsoul,” she said, eyeing it with round eyes.

She watched as the blue glowing motes of magic that came from the three-headed bear’s began to orbit her dragonsoul.

“What is this?” Kara asked herself, blinking a few times.

But before she could fully inspect this strange phenomenon, she heard a soft groan coming from further inside of the cavern. The young woman looked up and froze when she saw something shifting in the darkness.

She conjured a ball of flame and illuminated the rest of the cave. Then she pursed her lips at what she saw. It was a bear. A baby bear.

Kara stared at it for a long moment as it tossed and turned where it slept. And then she glanced back at the dead monster.

“...even if you were a monster to me, you weren’t a monster to everybody, huh?”

Kara whispered as she closed her eyes. And she remembered a scene from long ago.

—--

“What is that?” The little girl stared at her mother with wide eyes.

“It’s a cat,” her mother replied simply, settling the thin animal down onto the dining table. “A stray cat. I found it lying by the side of the road.”

“Is it dead?”

“It could be, if we don’t save it.”

The little girl just stood silently to the side as her mother grabbed a towel and a bowl of water, beginning to nurse the cat back to health. And as the little girl watched, she truly longed for her mother to treat her with that same kindness and love. But her thoughts were interrupted as her mother spoke simply, glancing back once.

“Now make yourself useful and fetch me some milk, Kara.”

“R-right.”

—--

Kara opened her eyes as the memory came to an end. And then she looked down at the sleeping baby bear, before sighing.

“Now, what do I do with you?” she asked herself.

And the baby bear snored in response.

Chapter 3: Mama

Kara’s eyes fluttered shut, and she inhaled slowly. A soft dripping echoed in the cavern as she sat with her back against the wall. The world around her grew muted until all she smelled was the intoxicating scent of sulfur that she was now all too familiar with. And although her eyes were shut tight, she saw a bright light.

In her mind, she saw a blazing fire. A golden flame that was wisping off a molten sphere. It was like staring at the sun from space. Except, it was burning within her heart.

It was her dragonsoul. The magic of dragons that Zarkoth had given her.

Kara opened her eyes as she looked down at the palm of her hand. A golden flame came into existence there, illuminating the cavern with a gentle light. This had been the extent of what she could do for the first few weeks she had found herself lost in this world. But now, she was capable of so much more.

She rose to her feet as she looked out of the cave entrance. The sun was rising over the horizon, casting its crimson glare over the mountainous terrain. Stepping out of the shallow cavern, she descended down the mountain in search of food.

While Kara couldn’t really explain what changed since her battle with the three-headed bear, she intuitively knew that this was the true form of a dragonsoul. Not the nebulous mess of mana that swelled around that inert core in her chest.

But that was only the change she felt within herself. Appearance-wise, there had been a minor change— one that was still jarring nonetheless. Kara stepped over a puddle of water and looked down. She met her gaze reflected there like a mirror.

And she saw her face there. Her cheeks were covered in dirt and mud, which was a normal sight to her by now. However, what stood out was her eyes. Or rather, only her left eye was off.

After all, it was now red.

It was a strange thing to see. Kara knew that having two different-colored eyes— heterochromia— was a thing that could happen naturally. But the fact that she only gained it now after what happened with her dragonsoul made it evident to her that this was a magical phenomenon of sorts.

What it was, in particular, she didn’t know. She just continued further down the mountain.

Eventually, she came to a halt as she reached the basin of the valley. There, she saw the stirring of many familiar creatures waking up for the day. Rabbits with horns. Giant vultures with bone-like wings. They wandered this valley for the same reason as the young woman from Earth— scavenging for food to survive.

Kara exhaled at this sight. And now, she felt the power of her dragonsoul coursing throughout her body, just like it had on her very first day in this world. It made her stronger. But more than that— it made her feel alive.

She locked eyes with a horned rabbit, before a smirk spread across her lips. The monster’s crimson eyes glinted for a moment, then it darted away, boosted forward by a gust of wind.

Kara took a step forward, and broke out into a sprint. She was right behind the horned rabbit in an instant. Even though it had to be moving as fast as a cheetah, she moved even faster. And a moment later, she caught it.

She swooped it off the group, holding the monster by the horn. It struggled to break free as she gave it an apologetic grin.

“Sorry, but I’m hungry for some rabbit stew today,” Kara said as the monster glared at her.

And with a flash of light, a sharp gust of wind shot at her head, coming from its horn. The wind slash was invisible, however Kara could see the pouring mana, and it almost looked like a blade. So she moved her head out of the way with ease.

She snapped the rabbit’s neck, and it went limp. “Nice try, you almost got me. You horned rabbits are more dangerous than you seem, huh?”

Kara wore a triumphant look, before tossing the dead rabbit to the ground. She looked up to see even more horned rabbits darting around the valley. Dozens of them.

“But at least you’re a steady source of food.” And with that remark, the young woman from Earth continued to hunt down the tiny monsters.

——

The sun had fully risen from the horizon by the time Kara was finished. It had taken about an hour, but she had finally gathered all the food she needed for the day. However, even as dawn came, the twin moons were still visible at the edge of the horizon, soon to descend.

Kara eyed the two moons as they remained inseparable. Always a pair, never one alone.

Even now, that was a strange sight for her to see. Such an alien thing. And that was even more proof that she was no longer back home on Earth. Kara knew that Mars had two moons, but they weren’t equal-sized spheres that orbited each other as they made their way around the martian sky, unlike the moons of Xantos.

She didn’t know whether that was scientifically possible, but she didn’t question it, instead focusing only on her goal of surviving.

“And that makes ten,” she said as she gathered up the dead horned rabbits. “That should be enough… hopefully.”

She began to make her way back up to the mountain, grateful for the power her dragonsoul gave her. Surviving up here in these mountains was so much easier now that she had unlocked its full power. Although… that wasn’t really the case.

After all, even though Kara certainly felt much stronger than before, she still felt weaker and slower than she had been on her first day in Xantos. The effects of the dragonsoul felt the same with how her mana was now naturally flowing throughout her body, but it was not nearly as abundant as it was that day. She wondered why that was, before concluding that she still had much room to grow.

“Maybe one day I’ll be able to literally create a portal through space-time,” Kara muttered under her breath as she reached the edge of the cavern. “For now, I have a more important job to do.”

Or at least, she considered it to be important. In the grand scheme of things, it was relatively unimportant. But she had decided to undertake this task of her own volition.

“Hey, are you awake?” she called out in a soft voice, before stepping into the darkness.

She walked past the scarred rock wall that looked like it had been dug into by a giant claw. Taking a knee, she set down most of the dead horned rabbits and peered into the depths of the cavern.

“I brought breakfast— and lunch. Or brunch, if you want to have it all at once.”

Kara smiled as she saw something moving in the darkness. A furry figure that was half her size. It whimpered where it lay, looking like it had just woken up. But when it caught a glimpse of her, it shrunk back, like it was trying to hide with the shadows.

“Here, you can have it.” Kara backed away from the cavern as she raised her hands placatingly.

A moment passed, and the furry figure didn’t move. But Kara didn’t budge either. And eventually, there came a soft groan from inside the cavern. It was the rumbling of a stomach. But it wasn’t Kara’s stomach. A small smile spread across her lips as she watched the furry figure crawl out into the light.

There it was. A little bear cub. Its face peeked out of the darkness first, revealing a coat of silver fur from its neck-up. But when it crawled the rest of its way out, it revealed its body covered in brown fur. A strange mix of colors— like heterochromia with fur.

Other than that, the bear cub looked like any ordinary bear cub the young woman would see back on Earth. However, she knew that this bear cub was special. Because its mother had been the three-headed bear that had tried to eat Kara just a week ago.

And now, I’m stuck here babysitting… the thought crossed Kara’s mind as she closed her eyes. She had babysat a few kids before as a part-time job, and she had some experience looking after her mom’s cat, but this was her first time dealing with a baby bear.

So she really didn’t know what to do in this situation.

The bear cub   was hesitantly looking over the pile of horned rabbits, before glancing up at the young woman. It— or he — was evidently afraid of her. And why shouldn’t he be afraid? Kara was a strange fleshy creature that had suddenly appeared in his life one day. Of course he would be afraid.

That was also ignoring the fact that she literally killed his mother. Which Kara wasn’t sure if he was aware of or not. She had tried to hide the evidence by burning the body— after getting a few bites in to stave off her hunger. So she assumed that the bear cub wouldn’t have known any better.

And by the looks of it, the bear cub didn’t know any better. Kara opened her eyes and watched as it snatched up one of the dead horned rabbits, before ripping into it ravenously. Even though he looked small and tiny, he was still a monster. His teeth ripped through even bone, and he was finished with his first horned rabbit in under a minute. He moved onto the next, devouring his meal quickly as the young woman smiled.

“I should start eating too,” Kara said as she looked down at her two horned rabbits.

Creating a small fire, she began cooking her own food. She only looked up when she heard a burp from the side. The bear cub was already finished with his food. When they locked gazes, he immediately recoiled and averted his gaze.

It was going to take a while for the bear cub to learn to trust her. But Kara decided to look after him anyways. Part of the reason for that was the guilt she felt of killing his mother. He couldn’t fend for himself— not in this dangerous world.

However, Kara couldn’t lie and say that her motivations weren’t selfish either since she also felt quite lonely. And she felt like having the bear cub around would ease some of her loneliness. Even if he couldn’t communicate with her, at least he was there.

“Plus, won’t it be really cool to have a massive three-headed bear as a companion?” she asked no one in particular as she stared at the crackling fire.

And the bear cub disappeared back into the darkness.

—--

His mama was gone.

The bear cub didn’t know what happened to his mama. But she was gone. And now a strange hairless creature had suddenly appeared, taking him captive. He would have fought back if it was any other creature. However, he couldn’t because it was a human.

They were some of the most dangerous creatures out there. His mama always warned him to stay away from them, especially when they were gathered in groups. Unfortunately, he didn’t listen to her, and that was how he got many of his kin killed.

The bear cub vividly remembered that day. He had been out with friends when he spotted a group of humans gathered by a creek. His curiosity got the better of him, and he snuck away to investigate. They noticed him quickly enough, but all they did was offer him food which he gratefully accepted. And because they seemed nice, he decided to show them back to his sleuth’s enclave. That was when the humans revealed their true colors as terrible monsters.

He had been forced to watch as they slaughtered most of the adults, while capturing his friends in cages. He would have been locked away too, if his papa hadn’t saved him. His mama grabbed him, and together, the two of them were the only ones to escape.

Now, his mama was gone too. And the bear cub knew it was once again his fault. He wanted to find her, but there was a human blocking his path.

“It’s getting cloudy,” the human said, looking out into the salmon-colored sky. “It’s probably going to storm again tonight.”

The bear cub didn’t understand the human’s words. But she brought him food, and she seemed quite nice. However, he knew better than to fall for these tricks again. He knew that she was holding him captive here until more humans would arrive.

Before that happened, he needed to escape. So far, it had proven to be quite difficult, because the human was always there from when he woke up to when he went to bed. He could have tried to escape when she was asleep. But that came with both the risk of waking her up and the threat of the monsters that lurked in the dark.

The bear cub wasn’t a fool. He knew there was a better time for him to make his escape. He realized that the human was always there with food, and she couldn’t have possibly conjured the food out of thin air. So there had to be a period of time when he was asleep where she went out hunting.

That was when the bear cub would run away and find his mama.

He resolved himself as the sun set over the horizon and night came. He stayed awake, even as the twin moons rose up the starry sky. Even as a terrible magical storm swept over the landscape. He kept one eye cracked open, biding his time and waiting for the right chance to make a break for it.

Eventually, as the storm settled, and dawn broke, the opportunity finally came.

—--

As Kara had expected, it had poured all night, which made scavenging for food much easier when the morning came. It took her only half an hour before she had already gathered enough food to feed both herself and the bear cub for the day.

So she trudged up the muddy path back to the cavern, carrying the drenched carcass of a wolf-like monster over her shoulder. She had found its corpse in the valley when she had gotten down there. All she needed to do after that was catch a handful of horned rabbits, then she could return. When she was done, she watched their magic pour into her as she left the valley.

It was a strange sight. Each time she slew a monster, she saw tiny motes of mana flit up to her chest, before gathering around her dragonsoul.

And now, when she closed her eyes and peered into her dragonsoul, she could see a small pool of mana begin to form there. It was similar to how her dragonsoul had looked before with an inert core surrounded by a swirling yellow mist. But when she focused, trying to replicate what she did a week ago by pouring the pooling mana into her dragonsoul, her dragonsoul almost seemed to reject the mana.

It was odd. Kara didn’t know how else to describe the sensation, but she felt like there was a dissonance between the mana within her dragonsoul and the mana surrounding her dragonsoul. And while she wasn’t sure how to resolve this problem, she intuitively understood that she would grow even stronger if a harmony between the two types of mana within her was achieved.

“And if I become stronger, maybe I’ll be able to survive the night without having to hide in some cave,” Kara said as she opened her eyes. She looked up at the overcast sky. “Or maybe I’ll even be able to survive a magical storm without having to seek shelter…”

She spotted a handful of those monstrous vultures circling the valley, flying high in the cloudy sky. Strangely enough, there were only about four or five of them gathered here today. Normally, after such a deadly storm, they would be swarming the valley by the dozens, feasting on the many carcasses of dead monsters that would be left lying there overnight.

But for whatever reason, that wasn’t the case today. And that puzzled Kara. If she had to guess what happened to them— it was either they were carried away by the strong winds of the storm, or they had found a much more abundant feast of corpses elsewhere nearby.

Whatever the case was, Kara was glad she didn’t have to deal with them today. Because they were incredibly annoying to fight off.

“I’m back,” the young woman called out casually as she returned to the cavern. “And today, I have a special treat for you.”

She grinned and set down the corpse of the wolf-like monster. Taking a step back, she waited for the bear cub to apprehensively emerge from the darkness as usual. A minute passed. Then five. And that was when Kara realized something was wrong.

“Are you there?” Her brows snapped together as she created a ball of flame.

Kara’s magic illuminated the rest of the cave, scaring the shadows away. But she saw no bear cub inside. Her eyes widened, and she spun around in a panic, searching for the little furry figure.

And that was when she saw the muddy tracks leading away from the mouth of the cave, going further up the mountain. She dropped the horned rabbits as her breath caught in her throat.

“Oh no.”

—--

The bear cub was right. The human left right before morning came, and that was when he took his opportunity to escape. He made sure she was completely gone before he bolted out of the cave, going in the opposite direction she did. And since she went down the mountain, he went further up.

In truth, he didn’t think too much about his destination. He just wanted to get as far away from the human as possible. So he ran for as long as he could, until he collapsed from exhaustion. He lay there for a while as he caught his breath, before he heard a distant shriek. Blinking, he sat up and looked to the overcast sky, seeing the silhouette of a bird circling right above him, right beneath the clouds.

He stared at the shadow for a moment, and a second bird joined it. They simply flew around each other as they remained high above the clouds, cawing and shrieking every so often. The bear cub couldn’t make out the exact features of those birds, but he felt like he had seen them before. He just didn’t know where.

Breaking his gaze away from them, he finally sat up and swept his gaze over his surroundings. He didn’t recognize where he was— which was a good sign. It looked like he was at the base of a steep mountain which plateaued at the top. And right before him was the entrance of a large cave.

The bear cub got to his feet and curiously peeked inside, hoping to find shelter. A soft light shone from within and drew his gaze. He saw a blue glow painting the rock walls of the cavern that illuminated a path. He wrinkled his nose, sniffing once as he picked up an unusual smell, and when he sniffed again, he jerked back.

A strange scent seemed to sting his nostrils. Strange, but all too familiar to him. He backed away warily as his round brown eyes peered into the cave. His breathing quickened, and his instincts told him to flee. Because…

It was the smell of death—

And a shriek resounded from right above him, interrupting his thoughts. The bear cub looked up in time to see the bird that had been flying in the sky was now diving straight at him. And he could make out enough of its features to see that it wasn’t any ordinary bird, but a monster that was almost three times his size.

It was a ghoul vulture.

It swooped down at the bear cub as it spread its skeletal wings wide to slow its descent. Its talons were aimed for his head. He barely leapt back in time to dodge the diving monster.

He stumbled back as he barely avoided the first ghoul vulture’s attack. But a second ghoul vulture came crashing down a moment later. Spinning around, the bear cub made a break for it into the cavern, hoping it would provide him shelter from these flying monsters.

But they gave chase. Their shrieks echoed in the cave, following closely behind him as he followed the light. He scrambled around a few sharp corners, somehow still avoiding the two ghoul vultures. However, the tunnel eventually came to an end, opening up to a vast open air chamber.

The bear cub slowed at the exit as he covered his eyes, taking a moment to adjust to the sun’s light once again. And then he tripped on something. It caused him to stumble and fall. He gritted his teeth as he tried to pick himself up. Then he paused when he saw what had tripped him.

A desiccated corpse lay before him. He couldn’t even tell what kind of creature it had once been, just that it was no longer living. He whimpered at the sight, trying to back away. But he froze when he felt a burnt thing  press against his back.

He craned his neck to see another corpse was lying behind him. This time, it was the charred remains of a different creature. Again, he couldn’t tell what it was, just that it was very much dead. The bear cub raised his head and looked over his surroundings.

All around him, corpses littered this vast open air chamber. They were strewn about over the smoldering remains of rubble and debris. Death. This was what the bear cub had smelled earlier. But that was not what he was focused on. Instead, what drew his attention were the scavengers that had come here, feasting on the bodies that remained.

Ghoul vultures.

Dozens of them. Maybe even over a hundred. They were everywhere, and their gazes were fixed on him.

The bear cub stared back at them for a moment, and then he heard a shriek. He looked back into the tunnel, watching as the first two ghoul vultures emerged from the darkness. They landed right before the ruins, tilting their heads as they caught sight of their kin. And then they looked back down towards the little furry figure.

He whimpered, and a cacophony of shrieks broke out. All at once, the ghoul vultures rushed at him. Some flew his way, while others simply ran after him. He scrambled for the only shelter he could find— desperately burying himself inside a small mountain of rubble.

But the ghoul vultures began trying to dig him out. He watched from within the debris as their talons tore through chunks of rock. Their beaks shattered the stone, and they continued to shriek as they tried to get to him.

The bear cub curled up into a ball as he felt the edges of their talons and beaks cut into his back. He was bleeding now, and he was in so much pain. He tightly snapped his eyes shut as he could only whine for his mama.

He cried out for her. He wished she was here. But she was gone. Just like the rest of his kin. And now he was alone, surrounded only by death.

Tears streamed down his eyes as he lay there, feeling the bits of broken rock rain down on his back and hearing the shrieks of the ghoul vultures trying to rip him apart. He waited for them to reach him. He waited for their talons to dig into his flesh. He waited for death to come for him too.

But it never came.

The bear cub looked up as he saw the poking talons and beaks of the ghoul vultures disappear from the rubble. He saw their shadows moving back as a commotion broke out amongst them. And amidst their panicked shrieking, he heard a voice shout.

“God Strike.”

The bear cub blinked as he saw the flash of a golden light, followed by the screeching of a dozen ghoul vultures. He hesitated as he saw through the gaps of the rubble the charred body of one of the flying monsters crash from the sky. However, the sounds of fighting continued to echo around him, and he mustered up the courage to poke his head out of the debris.

There, he saw a sight he couldn’t believe. It was a lone figure standing before the swarm of ghoul vultures. It was a familiar figure that seemed both so kind and so terrifying at the same time. It was…  

The human.

And his eyes went wide as he realized she was fighting to save him.

—--

Kara wasted no time when she realized the bear cub had run away. Thanks to last night’s storm, she was able to follow his muddy tracks until she found a large cavern. And when she heard the muffled shrieks of those monstrous vultures coming from within, she broke out into a full sprint.

Now, she was standing in the middle of a caldera of sorts, surrounded by the ruins of what had until recently been a settlement or a sanctuary. There were many questions racing through the young woman’s mind as she saw this scene, but there was no time for her to ask any of them right now. Because she was surrounded by monsters.

Dozens of giant vultures circled around her as she stood there, wreathed in flames. There had been more of them gathered here moments earlier, but they fled when she unleashed a God Strike and killed ten of them at once. Those that remained wanted to fight, and she wasn’t going to back down either. Because—

Her eyes flickered to a collapsed house, and she saw a furry face poke through the rubble, staring at her with big brown eyes.

Kara took in a deep breath as she turned back to face the flying monsters. She created a small ball of fire and hurled it into the air, shouting.

“If you’re that hungry, I’ve got something cooking for you right here! Come at me!”

The fireball struck one of the circling vultures and exploded. The fiery blast took out two more of them, but the rest saw this as an opportunity to strike. Five of them dove straight down at her, slashing out with their sharp talons.

Kara dodged the first vulture, before grabbing the second out of the air. She set the monster ablaze and swung it around like a weapon, knocking the others back even as it screeched in agony. But the first one leapt onto her back from the ground, taking her by surprise.

Its talons raked across her back as she stumbled forward from the attack. However, it recoiled in pain as well, burnt by the golden flames coating her body. It tried to disengage, but Kara pointed at it, and a cone of fire shot out, incinerating the monster.

She refused to back down, even as she was cut and hurt. Vulture after vulture fell out of the air, either beaten to death with their brethren or burnt to a crisp from afar. But it looked like they weren’t going to give up. Until, eventually, she poured as much of her mana as she could into her right hand and swiped up at the sky with a shout.

“God Strike.”

It was the first time Kara had ever used the attack twice in such close succession to each other. She didn’t know what to expect. All she knew was that using it even once was incredibly draining. But she made a gambit, having observed the behavior of these vultures for over a week now.

Three golden streaks of fire cut through the air as she shouted. Everything in its path was completely incinerated, and another eleven of the monsters disappeared from the air. The rest of the vultures stared at this show of might, then looked back down at the young woman.

Already, dozens of their kin lay dead at her feet, and she had just taken out a large number of them in a single attack. The remaining vultures exchanged a glance— and they fled.

They took off to the sky, screeching in fear. After all, there was no point in them throwing away their lives for a single meal, when they could very easily find a random corpse to feast on elsewhere.

Kara panted as she dropped to one knee, watching them go. The flames coating her faded away, and she looked down at the charred corpses of the monsters.

She mustered up a grin. “I was never good at cooking, even back on Earth…”

But as soon as the words left her mouth, she heard a shifting come from behind her. She turned around and watched as an injured vulture crawled out from beneath some debris. It hissed at her, and she blinked.

“There’s still one of you left…?”

It charged at her as she cursed. She raised her hand in a panic, and traces of flames began to wisp off her fingertips. But before the monster could get close, a ferocious roar cut her off.

She paused when a furry figure crashed into the injured vulture. She stared with wide eyes at the two figures tumbling over the rubble. It was the bear cub. He had leapt out of his hiding spot to help Kara.

He growled and clung onto the injured vulture’s back, tearing into its wings as it thrashed on the ground. He didn’t let up. He continued to claw and chomp at the monster until it stopped moving. And even then, he still snarled and refused to let go.

Kara watched this scene for a moment longer, before she got back to her feet. She strode up to the bear cub as she raised her hands placatingly.

“Calm down,” she said in a soft voice. “It’s already dead.”

And the bear cub finally released the dead vulture. He sat there, panting for a moment, before he looked up at the young woman. She smiled as she knelt before him.

“Are you hurt—” Kara started.

But the bear cub suddenly jerked back, and her brows snapped together. She expected him to run away again. However, instead, he pounced on her, knocking her off her feet.

She blinked where she lay as he clung onto her shoulders. “You’re… hugging me?”

Kara looked down at him, and he raised his head. He met her gaze with round eyes. His nose sniffled, looking like he was about to cry. But then he started licking her face, and she chuckled.

“That’s enough now,” she said as she got to her feet.

She set him to the ground, before taking in their surroundings. And she saw the smoldering ruins— the foul odor that wafted from the recently-charred bodies. This was a ruined city, but it was unlike anything she had seen before.

“We should get going. We definitely don’t want to stay here.”

The bear cub nodded eagerly back at her as she pursed her lips. While Kara didn’t know what happened here, all she knew was that it wasn’t safe.  

Certainly, she had been in plenty of ruins before, like the ruins of Arcos. But those were very much ancient ruins from over a millennia ago. Meanwhile, judging by the permeating stench and the ash carpeting the ground, this place had to have been a bustling city no more than a week ago. A sanctuary that was built into the caldera of a mountain. And now, it was reduced to nothing but rubble.

Because of something.

And while Kara didn’t know what it was—

“Come on,” she urged the bear cub forward. “We’ll find shelter somewhere else.”

—she definitely didn’t want to stay here to find out what happened here the hard way either.

—--

The bear cub followed the human back through the tunnel, feeling safe. But why? Humans couldn’t be trusted. So he shouldn’t have trusted her. And yet, he did trust her. He felt at ease around her. Because she wasn’t just a human. She was—

“Kara,” she said, and he opened his eyes. She pointed at herself and smiled. “That’s my name.”

He tilted his head back at her as she placed a hand on her chin.

“You need a name.”

The bear cub didn’t quite understand her words. However, he listened to her anyway. Because he could feel the emotions she felt with each word she conveyed.

“What about Angel?” she suggested. “I wanted to name my cat Angel. But my mom rejected it, saying that it’s a girl’s name. And she named him Max instead.”

He looked back down at himself, thinking for a moment.

“But I think Angel is a good name. What do you think?”

And he raised his head, nodding back at Kara.

“Grah!” Angel growled softly in response.

—-

And as both Kara and Angel emerged from the tunnel, a cloaked figure stood atop a distant mountaintop, eyes glinting red.

“Target found.”

Chapter 4: Relentless

The ground shook.

Kara’s fingers trembled. Her breathing slowed, even as her heart hammered in her chest. She shrank back and clung tightly onto Angel, neither of them making a sound, forced to silently watch as a cloud of dust approached them, and the earth beneath their feet began to violently vibrate.

It was a herd of monsters. They looked like moose of sorts, except their skin was gray like rocks, and they were massive, standing at a dozen feet each. Their horns were sharp and jagged at the end, pointing forward like pitchforks. There were about twenty of them in total. Not that many, but more than enough to crush both the human and the bear cub.

That was why the two of them hid in the shadow of the nearby hill, making themselves as small as possible as the herd of giant moose passed. Neither of them moved until they were certain the monsters were gone. And Kara made certain of that fact by staying put until the light tremoring stopped.

Now, while she knew that the moose back on Earth were generally herbivores, the same couldn’t be said about Xantos. After all, while these monsters might have looked similar to a moose, that didn’t mean they followed the same diet. These monsters might have exclusively feasted on humans for all she knew. Or they might not even want to eat her. They could simply be aggressive creatures that decided they didn’t like how she looked if they saw her.

And while Kara was certainly stronger now compared to before, she still remembered the monsters she had seen lurking in the night when she first arrived in Xantos. She had seen earthworms the size of buildings exploding out of the ground, and she had even hid from a massive golem made out of both rock and trees.

Those giant moose might have been weaker than these other monsters she had seen back then, considering it wasn’t night and it wasn’t raining, but she wasn’t going to take any unnecessary risks. Especially when she was up against a herd of monsters that were three times her size with skin that looked like it was made out of stone. She had to pick her battles wisely, that was how she survived out here in these mountains thus far.

“Come on, Angel,” she said as she stepped out into the valley. Kneeling down, she urged the bear cub out of the shadows. “It’s safe now. There’s no need to be afraid now.”

Her soft words drew out her little furry companion. Well, he wasn’t that little, standing at just over four feet tall. But he seemed to trust her, glancing forward just once, in the direction where the monsters went, before he hurried to her side.

He nearly bounded straight into her, and she backed up, giggling at him. “Hey, careful! You’re going to get one of us hurt!”

She steadied herself as she looked down at him, before patting his head. He had grown quite a bit, gaining a few inches since they met, even though it hadn’t been that long since then. It had been nearly a month since Angel started traveling together with Kara. Even after saving his life, the bear cub had still shown some apprehension around the human at first.

But now, they had both grown quite close to each other, sticking together no matter what. He nuzzled up against her hand, and she nodded at him.

“Come on, let’s get going now. We still have quite a ways to go.”

Kara smiled as she spoke, leading the bear cub down the valley. But even as they continued on, there was a harsh truth about their journey that was left unsaid. And it was the fact that they were both aimlessly wandering the mountain range.

They were both completely lost.

Neither of them knew where they were going. And how would they know where to go? Kara was from another world, and Angel was a literal child. Other than heading for the nebulous idea of safety, they had no real destination in mind.

But it seemed like finding a settlement or a city to seek refuge atop these mountains was going to be quite difficult. After all—

“Again…” Kara whispered as she came to a halt before the smoldering ruins of a city. Her hands tightened around the bear cub’s paws, and she gritted her teeth. “Another city, destroyed. Just what is going on?”

Before her lay nothing but the sprawling remains of buildings that had been burnt to ash. Desiccated corpses were scattered across the smoking debris, and the scent of rotting flesh permeated the air. It was a horrible sight. But it was a sight that Kara was getting used to seeing.

She had encountered a dozen of such ruined settlements at this point. This time, the destroyed city had been built into the side of the mountain. But the city before that had lain inside of a large cavern. And the one before that had been hidden beneath the massive overhang of a cliffside. Each city had been unique, coming in different sizes, with some of them encompassing no more than a few dozen houses, while others looked like they were large enough to house thousands of people within.

The only common theme amongst them was that they had all recently been razed to the ground with no survivors left.

Angel whined softly as he hid behind Kara. She held him close, her lips drawing into a thin line as she swept her gaze over the remains of what had once been a city. Looking up, she saw a distant flock of winged figures beginning to gather, and she heard their far-off shrieks.

“It’s dangerous here,” she said as she turned around. “And we need to find shelter soon, before the sun sets.”

But before the pair could even take two steps, they paused when they spotted a silhouette approaching from down the valley. It was hard to make out any significant features of this figure at first, with the swelling sun beginning to dip over the horizon.

Then it drew closer, and Kara could hear the heavy clunking of metallic boots. She saw long hooded robes— a simple gray mask that wore no expression. It looked like the grim reaper was coming for her, but instead of a scythe, he carried a black staff with a crimson crystalline tip.

Was it a he? Was he even a person? Or was he some kind of monster, just in the shape of a human?

He could have been a hallucination. Maybe even a magical illusion. Kara didn’t know. She opened her mouth hesitantly as he drew closer.

“Who—“

But she caught herself. Would he even understand her? If he was a monster or an illusion, he wouldn’t be able to speak. And if he could speak, he most definitely didn’t speak English.

Although… didn’t Zarkoth speak English? Either that, or he must’ve used some kind of translation magic, which was very much a possibility.

That was all beside the point for now. The hooded stranger continued striding forward with thumping footsteps, and Kara’s brows snapped together. Angel growled and took a step forward, confirming that at the very least he wasn’t imagined up in her head. So she moved in front of the bear cub and raised her fists.

“Who are you?” she asked less-than-kindly. Her fists clenched into balls, and she reached for the magic within her dragonsoul. “Are you the one who did this?” She glanced back at the destroyed city behind her.

It was a simple question. Whether or not he could understand her didn’t matter. Her nervous body language conveyed enough. The hooded figure came to a halt before her as he slammed his staff to the ground.

“Kara of Earth C65,” he said in a tinny voice.

His faceless gaze bore into her, and she jolted back. Her eyes snapped wide open as she lowered her hands. She tried to work her jaw, processing what he had just said.

“Of Earth… what?” Kara said, utterly befuddled. Then she caught herself and shook her head. “How do you know my name? And how do you even know where I’m from?”

For a tense moment, he didn’t say a single word. Angel blinked, glancing between the hooded figure and the young woman. He looked confused. And so was Kara. She didn’t understand what was going on. But still, she waited for the tinny voice to come again.

And eventually, it did. “The Soulmaster seeks your presence.”

Kara narrowed her eyes. “The… who?”  

But once again, the hooded figure refused to answer her question. Instead, he raised his staff and pointed at her as his eyes flashed with a red glow.

“Do not resist,” he said as the tip of the staff crackled with electricity. Kara saw the attack coming, and she grabbed Angel as she rolled out of the way. “Hand yourself over peacefully, or you shall be forcefully detained.”

As Kara moved, a beam of red light shot out from the staff. It swung out at her, cutting the ground open. She felt its intense heat brushing against her skin, even as she dodged the attack in time. It struck a pile of rubble and debris behind her, before erupting into a powerful blast that nearly knocked her off her feet.

“You’re already fucking attacking me, you asshole!” she screamed as she raised her head, already panting.

Angel looked up as well, staring back at the blast in horror. The hooded figure was dangerous. Very much so. That explosion was powerful enough to destroy a large house. And his faceless gray mask reflected the fiery orange of the flames as he started walking forward once again.

“Hand yourself over peacefully—” he started.

And Kara gritted her teeth. “I was going to hand myself over, but now all you’re going to be getting is cooked!”

Her body was engulfed by a coat of golden flames as Angel backed up. She pointed at the hooded figure, creating a ball of fire, even as he moved faster and faster. He began to break out into a sprint as she unleashed a cone of her strongest flames his way.

But he ran straight through the fire, completely unphased. She watched with round eyes as he got closer, tearing through the golden flames, then reached her. He swung his staff at her, and she ducked under the attack. I’m faster than him, she realized quickly enough.

Kara landed a quick jab and uppercut, before wincing as she heard the clanking metal resound with each strike. Backing up, she narrowly avoided his swinging staff once again, then struck him with a kick. He didn’t even budge.

But I can’t hurt him, the second realization settled in. Her jaw clenched at that, but she steeled herself. No, there has to be something I can do.

And the hooded figure reached to grab her by the face. Kara leapt out of the way as he barely grabbed a fistful of hair. She flipped through the air as she gathered the blazing mana in her dragonsoul, before the golden flames coating her body were concentrated into her right hand.

She took in a deep breath as he craned his neck to face her. And with a shout, she clawed her hands out in the hooded figure’s direction.

“God Strike!”

The attack shot out as she landed a dozen feet away, and the three slashes struck their target, even digging into the earth behind him. There was a sudden jolt on the ground beneath Kara’s feet upon impact as smoke and ash was kicked up into the air from her God Strike.

Kara caught her breath as the dust settled. She looked up hopefully at the hooded figure, seeing the way he was arched backwards. His dark cloak was partially shredded at his chest, revealing a suit of heavy metal underneath. Like plate armor. But he otherwise stood there, completely unscathed.

“You can’t be serious, right…?” she asked as she realized her strongest attack did absolutely nothing.

The hooded figure eyed her golden locks in his hand, then looked back to face her. She stood there, still in a daze as his gaze bore into her, until she heard a growling coming from the side. Angel scrambled over to join her, and she quickly called out to him to stop.

“Don’t!” she shouted as the bear cub paused. “It’s me he's after— you’ll get hurt if you come close.”

Hesitating, Angel stared at her for a moment, and the hooded figure moved. The bear cub watched as the staff was lifted off the ground, then nodded understandingly. He backed away slowly as the hooded figure’s eyes flashed once again.

The staff crackled with electricity.

“Angel, I want you to run when I—” Kara said.

And a crimson beam shot out at her once again. She cursed as she dove out of the way. The blast struck the small mountain right behind her, sending a tremor washing over it.

She scrambled back to her feet as she looked up towards the staring bear cub, then shouted, “Go! I’ll catch up to you!”

Angel closed his eyes, before nodding. He began scurrying away as Kara looked back towards the hooded figure. She began to conjure up a ball of flames as the hooded figure ran towards her once again.

She hurled the fireball his way, and it engulfed him in a fiery explosion. But that didn’t stop him. He barreled his way towards her as she backed away towards the base of the hill. When he reached her, she didn’t even bother trying to land a punch. All she did was roll away as he tried to catch her.

Kara ran around the hooded figure at the base of the small mountain, avoiding his swings and his grabs as she brought her hands together, creating an even larger fireball than before. But she didn’t throw it his way. She waited patiently until—

His eyes flashed, and his staff crackled.

Now! she thought as she leapt into the air, flipping over him, even as she continued to pour her magic into the flaming sphere she held close to her chest.

He raised his staff and aimed for her as she soared directly over his head. The same crimson beams he fired earlier shot out again, missing her as she landed, before striking the top of the small mountain.

The ground began to rumble as the blast resounded. But even as the explosion dissipated, the tremor didn’t vanish. Kara grinned, and the hooded paused, realizing what she was doing. But it was too late. She spun around and hurled her own fireball up the small mountain, engulfing its top with another explosion.

The hooded figure charged at her, reaching out with an arm. But she ducked under him, deftly avoiding him once again as a section of the small mountain began to collapse. Large chunks of rocks and boulders poured down at him as he raised his head, while Kara made a break for it down the valley.

A boulder nearly rolled onto him, and he swung up with his staff, smashing it into pieces. But the landslide of rocks continued to fall onto the hooded figure as Kara ran away from the scene as fast as she could. Glancing back once, she watched as he fought to keep the tumbling rocks from crushing him, swinging his staff and unleashing the crimson beam into the air.

“Good luck dealing with that!” she laughed, waving back at him.

And with that, she continued on in the direction Angel had gone.

—--

It didn’t take long for Kara to find Angel. He had waited for her, just down the valley, trusting her even though he couldn’t understand her words. She scooped him up as soon as she found him, and she continued running until the sun set over the horizon.

When it was dark, they found a small cave to shelter in to hide from the monsters that emerged during the night.

“We should be safe here,” Kara said as she collapsed next to the bear cub. He pressed his face up to her, looking worried. Smiling, she scratched the side of his furry cheeks softly. “Don’t worry, neither that man nor any monster can get us here.”

Angel stared at her apprehensively. While he could sense the comfort in her words, he didn’t feel reassured in the slightest. She thought the chase was over. But she didn't know just how relentless humans could be.

He had experienced it himself. And while he wasn’t sure if that thing chasing them was a human or not, it reminded him of a human. So he refused to let his guard down.

Kara wasn’t hurt from the fight, but she was tired. So she dozed off soon after they settled into the cavern. And while Angel wanted to sleep too, he decided to stay awake. He had done as much before, which was how he knew he could live even with losing a single night’s rest.

After all, there was not much else Angel could do for Kara. He wanted to help her even more, but he hadn’t even achieved his Awakening. His monstersoul was still dormant, and it would continue to remain dormant for a while.

His mama and papa had told him that they had only ever achieved their Awakening after they had been alive for a thousand moons. Meanwhile, Angel was currently only about half their age back then. While they had told him that age wasn’t really a factor, he didn’t know how else he was going to suddenly unlock his magic.

So this was all he could for now. That was why he remained alert as the night went on. The twin moons made their way across the night sky, and large swathes of clouds began to gather overhead. The ground occasionally shook as giant beasts passed, while the distant roars of terrible monsters resounded from time to time.

Angel was used to all this, having grown up here in this deadly terrain. But what he wasn’t used to was hearing clunking of heavy metal boots. It was approaching sunrise soon when he heard this. His ears perked up as he first thought he was imagining it.

However, the thumping drew closer, and he hurriedly moved to wake up his human companion. He shook her and whined as she blearily blinked her eyes open.

“What is it, Angel?”  Kara asked groggily, before letting out a yawn.

He ground his teeth together and pointed at the exit of the cave. She frowned, still not understanding what was going on for another moment. And Angel turned around as a looming shadow reached the cavern.

The hooded figure had arrived.

Kara’s eyes snapped wide open, staring up in disbelief. “How did he find us so quickly…?”

He aimed his staff down at her as his eyes flashed red. There were no words exchanged. Both Kara and Angel knew what came next. There was a crackle of electricity, and the two of them moved.

They both ran forward, barely dodging the crimson beam as it struck the inside of the cavern. The ceiling collapsed as a powerful explosion rocked the room. A shockwave sent the bear cub flying out of the cave entrance as Kara staggered forward.

The hooded figure reached for her as she was momentarily knocked off balance. But she caught herself and slid under him, knocking him off his feet. Golden flames began to pour into her hand as she spun around and faced her falling assailant.

“God Strike!” she whispered.

And her attack struck the hooded figure as he was still off his feet. The sheer force of the magical slashes sent him crashing back into the collapsing cavern.

Kara skidded to a halt next to Angel who already knew what to do.

“Angel—” She reached for him, and he leapt into her arms.

She blinked a few times, not expecting him to be so prepared or move so quickly. He grinned back up at her, then she nodded. And the two of them fled from the scene as the sun began to rise over the horizon.

—---

It was noon by the time the two of them had stopped running. They wanted to continue, but they needed to rest to catch their breaths. Kara heaved as she leant against the side of a mountain.

“I don’t understand— how does that asshole keep finding us?” she asked no one in particular.

There were a multitude of other questions racing through her mind— like who the fuck was the Soulmaster? How did he know she was not from this world? And how did he even know her name? But none of these questions were relevant to her current predicament.

The young woman from Earth sighed as she looked down at her feet. They were covered in dirt and scratches. Running over rocky terrain barefoot was painful, even when empowered by magic.

Certainly, Kara did have some kind of superhuman healing ability thanks to her dragonsoul. But it was not anywhere close to any kind of instant regeneration. Small cuts and bruises would take under a day to go away, while deeper gashes would take only a few days. Still, it was both annoying and uncomfortable. And by the looks of it, Kara was going to have to continue running for a while.

She pursed her lips as she raised her head. The sky was overcast and gray— a magical storm was forming soon, so she knew she needed to find shelter. But she couldn’t do that. Not when she knew she was being pursued by that hooded figure.

“And that means I’ll have to run from both that asshole and a bunch of monsters…” Kara muttered under her breath.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she pondered over what to do. But then she felt something soft press up against her legs. Looking down, she saw Angel placing a paw on her hand. He wore a look of determination on his face. And that made her smile back at him.

“You did a good job waking me up this morning,” she said as she picked the bear cub up. “I’d be dead without your help, so thank you.”

Kara pulled him in for a hug, but he winced. He recoiled slightly as she paused and furrowed her brows. She inspected him only to see burn marks and scratches marking his back.

“You’re hurt… but how?” Kara stared at him, eyes growing wide. “Was it from the explosion?”

Angel nodded meekly as she set him back down onto the ground. He curled up into a ball by her legs, and she chewed her lips, not knowing what to do.

“We can’t keep running,” she whispered to herself. “We’re going to get ourselves killed if we continue to run.”

But what other options did they have? They couldn’t fight. The hooded figure was too strong. Any of his attacks would either kill or badly injure Kara if they landed. And that was not to mention how seemingly invincible his metallic armor was.

Even her God Strike failed to pierce the metal. It could cut through rock— it could scar walls made out of stone. But somehow, that metallic armor was nigh unbreakable.

“What can I even do against that?” Kara asked herself as she looked back up at the eddying clouds.

Her only advantage over the hooded figure was her speed. But even then, all he had to do was catch her once, and it was over. There was nothing she could do to fight back—

And her thoughts were interrupted by the distant flash of lighting, followed by a rolling thunder. Kara jerked back, then paused as she felt the patter of raindrops begin to fall from the sky. She swept her gaze over her surroundings as a drizzle overcame this narrow valley.

She saw movement starting to fill the terrain. Tiny little critters began to burrow themselves underground in hiding, while larger creatures emerged from their caves. A plan began to form in Kara’s mind as she realized that while there was nothing she herself could do to hurt the hooded figure...

“I don’t need to be the one to fight him, do I?”

—-

The light drizzle started to turn into the full force of a magical storm by the time the hooded figure found Kara. She waited at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the valley below, where he made his approach. He walked at his usual glacial pace. His heavy metal armor made his movements sluggish, each step looking like it took a great deal of effort.

Angel wasn’t here. He had wanted to fight by Kara’s side, but she forced him to hide in a nearby cavern until this battle was over. And it was not going to last very long.

The young woman from Earth firmly planted her feet into the ground as the strong colorful winds assailed her from behind. Each gust wisped with magic, brimming with mana. Some of them would have left a trail of frost on her skin, while others would have burned her clothes. But none of them did anything to her.

Because she hadn’t been waiting idly by. Her body blazed with her golden flames as they protected her from the magical storm. Thanks to her first day in Xantos, she knew that she could withstand the violent nature of these multi-colored winds with her magic.

She looked down at the hooded figure as she placed her hands on her hips. “So you made it. And here I thought you got lost in the storm.”

He raised his head, eyeing her with his lifeless mask. A streak of magical lightning crashed a hundred feet away from her, briefly painting the world white.

And the hooded figure raised his staff.

“Kara of Earth C65,” he said as his voice echoed with the billowing wind. “Do not resist. Hand yourself over peacefully, or you shall be forcefully detained.”

“You really aren’t going to say anything else, huh?” Kara sighed, lowering her head. “You’re like a damn machine. But whatever, I’m not going with you, and if you really want me, then come and get me.”

She spread her arms wide as the flames covering her body almost seemed to blast out. They quadrupled in size around her, burning from gold to red at the edges. She looked like a peacock who was unfurling his feathers. The gradient in the flames shined brightly, even amidst the raging storm.

Kara wondered what crossed through the hooded figure’s mind when he saw this. Did he think this was a show of force? Some kind of special attack? Whatever he thought, he didn’t vocalize, as he began to walk forward.

And even if he made a guess, he would have likely been wrong. After all, this wasn’t even something she was directing at him.

It was a lure.

The hooded figure took another forward, then paused as the ground beneath his feet began to tremble. He turned to the side as the shaking became a rumbling. And then he saw the cloud of dust being kicked up into the air.

A smirk slipped onto the young woman’s face as she knew what was coming. In the distance, a herd of giant moose stampeded their way down the valley, heading straight for the hooded figure. He turned to face them as he raised his staff, but the foremost giant moose heaved, and its horns shone with a green light.

A small tornado suddenly appeared right next to the hooded figure as he took a step back. The rest of the giant moose followed suit, conjuring their own tornadoes of varying sizes around him. He steadied himself as he was threatened to be thrown into the air, only for the first giant moose to crash into his side, sending him flying into the cliff wall.

Kara nodded to herself when she saw this. She had always wondered why monsters were drawn out during magical storms. Especially when most of them seemed to be nocturnal, only coming out at night. She had then formed a hypothesis, and now, she was testing it out.

That monsters were drawn by an abundance of mana.

That was why she poured her flames out around her, letting her mana permeate the world around her. And her dragonsoul had plenty of mana to give. Even amidst the mana storm around her, she stood there like a shining beacon of magic.

And fortunately for her, she proved to be right.

The hooded figure pulled himself out from the cliffside, only to be rammed by another giant moose. He was flung to the air as the herd circled around him, huffing and sending gusts of wind at him. When he fell back to the ground, one of the giant moose tried to charge at him before he landed, but he caught it by the horns, before flinging it to the side. Another one charged at him from behind, but he spun around and swung down with his staff, crushing its head against the rock ground, leaving a small crater behind.

These giant moose weren’t strong enough to defeat him on their own. That much was clear. But they weren’t all that appeared, drawn by Kara’s outpouring mana.

She watched as a pair of massive salamanders began to crawl out of the ground, their tails burning with an orange flame. They snarled and snapped their jaws at the hooded figure as he tried to kick them back. But they unleashed a cone of flames his way as he was sent flying into the air by a flanking giant moose.

A loud shriek— like the cry of a monstrous falcon— came from the skies, and Kara raised her head. She saw a winged figure the size of a bus come swooping down at her, but she flipped in the air over it. It was a bird made out of ice.

And it barely missed the young woman. She landed back on the ground, continuing to expel her mana into the world as the ice bird swept low. It struck the hooded figure as he was still carried in the air, sending him crashing into the ground.

He picked himself up as he mechanically looked over his surroundings. And Kara was certain she could finally see some fear in his gaze. There was a small dent on his metal armor, and he was being swarmed by a dozen giant moose, two flaming salamanders, and an ice bird.

It was too much for him to handle. Or at least, that was what Kara thought as her golden flames began to flicker, exhaustion settling in.

“There’s no way he can take them all on,” she panted.

For a moment, she wondered why all these monsters were focused solely on attacking him. While she had planned to draw them towards her, she had expected there to be more chaos with such a large gathering. Instead, they all seemed to concentrate their ire on only the hooded figure. It was perplexing, even if it proved to be advantageous, since they were pooling together their efforts to take him down. But even so, he… refused to flee.

His eyes flashed with a red glow, and Kara knew what came next. She backed away from the edge of the cliff as he looked towards the charging herd of giant moose. He pointed at them, and his staff cracked.

Then all at once, a crimson beam shot out, slicing through half their numbers. A powerful explosion resounded a moment later, and six of the giant moose collapsed, cut cleanly from their bottom halves.

Kara’s eyes went wide at the destruction she saw.

The flaming salamanders blasted him with their fire from the side, but he ignored it as he slammed his staff down and killed another giant moose. The ice bird shrieked and swooped back around at him, this time opening its beak.

A cone of frost shot down his way, and he actually recoiled. He raised his staff in the air like he was blocking the attack as his metal armor was coated in ice. The flaming salamanders surrounded him, blasting him with fire from his back, and he broke himself free from the ice in a single motion.

He swung up with his staff, sending the first flaming salamander flying back. And he grabbed the second, lifting it into the air, before hurling it into a pair of giant moose. The ice bird came dove down for him again, unleashing its frost attack.

But his eyes flashed, and he blasted up with the crimson beam, tearing straight through the cone of frost. He swiped up with his attack, aiming for the ice bird. However, he narrowly missed as it swerved out of the way.

The first flaming salamander leapt at him from behind, thinking his back was open. But he spun around and caught it, before crushing its skull.

Kara looked on in awe of the hooded figure’s overwhelming power. The flames she continued to expel flickered even more, and she felt her dragonsoul rapidly draining. She was going to run out of mana soon, and the monsters that came to save her were being utterly destroyed.

Perhaps she could have hoped for even more powerful monsters to be drawn by her blazing fire before she collapsed out of exhaustion. But that was when she felt the prickling sensation wash over her body.

Her hair began to stand on end as she looked down at herself, and she heard a low buzzing. She closed her eyes as her head spun, then she exhaled slowly.

The outpouring flames faded away, immediately snuffing out as she dropped to one knee. She panted tiredly as the hooded figure caught the ice bird and ripped off its right wing. The second flaming salamander fled back into the ground, while the rest of the giant moose were already running into the distance.

The ice bird desperately pecked at the hooded figure’s head, denting his armor even more. But he aimed his staff right at its head, before blasting it with the crimson beam. An explosion engulfed the both of them, and chunks of broken ice flew past Kara’s head.

And she watched as only the hooded figure emerged from the blast. There were even more chinks in his armor, and most of his cloak was gone. He looked hurt, walking forward with a slight limp. But otherwise, he was still alive.

Kara’s lips trembled, barely able to form into a smirk as he leapt high into the air and landed right before her at the edge of the cliff.

“Y-you’re quite the tank, aren’t you?” she mustered out, trying to force herself to her feet.

“Kara… of Earth C65,” the hooded figure repeated himself once again. But his voice came out slower. Like he could barely speak.

She looked down at the scattered corpses down in the valley, before looking back up at him. The magical storm continued to rage around them, and she shook her head as the prickling feeling became stronger.

“I’m surprised I was right about the attraction monsters have to mana. It was honestly just a random hypothesis I had, you know?”

“The Soulmaster—” There was a long pause. Was he hurt? But no— he continued a moment later.  “Seeks your presence.”

“But I wasn’t going to hinge my survival on a hypothesis,” Kara said, ignoring his words.

“Do n-n-not… resist.”

She stood tall as she met the lifeless gaze of his mask one last time. “I’m going to bet on what I know is true.”

The buzzing in her ears grew louder, and her golden locks began to rise even higher. She had been waiting for this moment. Now, it finally came.

“An undeniable fact that I know back from my world,” Kara continued as she took in a deep breath.

“H-hand yourself over… p-peacefully.” The hooded figure was stuttering even more now. But he didn’t seem to sense anything was amiss

He didn’t sense the static discharge coursing through the air. But she did, and that was how she knew it was time to act.

“Or you shall be forcefully—” he started.

And she finished, “That metal is a pretty damn good conductor of electricity.”

With that said, the young woman from Earth threw herself far to the side. Above her, the sky flashed with a purple light, and a blast of lightning shot down from the darkling clouds. But it was not any ordinary bolt of lightning. It was the lightning of a magical storm. The most powerful show of pure power she had seen thus far in Xantos.

That which had shredded even mountaintops.

And at first, it looked like it was heading straight for her. But then, it suddenly changed targets.

The hooded figure raised his head. His metallic armor was fully exposed now. And all he could do was stare at the oncoming lightning blast as it arced towards him at the very last second.

Kara closed her eyes as she heard the booming of thunder resound, before she heard nothing else a moment later. The blast blinded and deafened her as she lay prone on the ground, covering her ears.

A full minute had to have passed before Kara could even begin to regain her bearings. Her eyes fluttered open, and the howling of wind returned to fill her ears. She breathed quickly, trying to steel herself, before she felt an outpouring of mana pour into her.

And that was when she knew the outcome of this battle.

Without even raising a single finger, Kara had won.

She lay there, calming herself as the mana continued to circle her dragonsoul. Until the blazing fire in her chest was completely covered by a pool of mana. And even then, a trickle of even more mana came from her dead assailant, but was rejected by her body.

Her breathing slowed as she tried to process what was happening. That her pool of mana was now full, and it felt like she was bloated. But before she could fully comprehend the implications of this, she heard the hooded figure’s tinny voice.

That made her jolt to her feet. She spun around as she raised her arms in alarm, before she paused at what she saw. A smoldering crater lay before her. And lying beneath was—

Broken chunks of metal. Loose strands of wires and cables. A crackling of electricity.

“You can’t be serious… right?” she asked as her mind went numb.

She looked down at the mask that was cracked open. But underneath it was not a face of any creature she could recognize. In fact, it was not a face at all. It was nothing but an assortment of assembled parts, with a speaker where the mouth should be.

“He really was a machine,”  Kara said, letting the realization settle in.

And the lights in his eyes faded away as he finished, “D-d-d-d-d-d-de— tained.”

Chapter 5: Hatchling

“D-d-d-d-d-d-de— tained.”

The tiny voice was lost with the howling wind, and the crimson light in those glowing eyes faded away. Kara stared at the pile of scraps lying before her. Her pursuer— that unstoppable man in metal armor that had hunted her for a day— had turned out to be not a man, but a machine.

This sight stunned the young woman from Earth, even as a deadly magical storm unfurled around her. She stood there, her head spinning, and her thoughts racing wildly in her mind. There were many questions she could ask at this moment, but the most glaring one was… why in the fuck are there terminators in this world?!

Or at the very least, she didn’t expect this world to have machines or anything of the like. She had expected Xantos to be less technologically advanced than Earth, just based on her initial impressions so far. But she had no basis for that assumption, considering she hadn’t even been to a city just yet.

Her eyes flickered as she recalled all the destroyed settlements she had come across over the last few weeks.

I haven’t come across a city that is still standing, she rectified that thought real quick. And while there was not much to glean from the smoldering rubble she’d seen thus far, it wasn’t really indicative of a technologically advanced civilization either.

So she was certain that machines and robots probably weren’t the norm in Xantos, unless for whatever reason the cities in these mountains were simply far more primitive than the rest of the world. But she highly doubted that that was the case. Which made her wonder—

“Just who is the Soulmaster, and why is he after me?” she asked no one in particular as she stared at the smoking remains of the machine.

In response, Kara felt a growing buildup of discharge course through the air around her, and her  brows snapped together. She looked up as she realized another bolt of magical lightning was going to crash down into the area. So she cursed and got moving before that could happen.

She sprinted past the crater where the machine lay, and paused as she saw the machine’s staff poking out of the ground— the very same one that had conjured up the powerful red beam that had slain all those monsters with ease. After a moment’s hesitation, she grabbed it, before leaping off the side of the cliff.

Behind her, a bolt of crimson lightning shot down from the sky and struck the machine’s remains with a powerful explosion. She slid down the bottom of the cliff, before rolling to a halt. When she looked back up, she saw the deluge of rain growing even thicker, with more kinds of monsters being drawn out by the mana in the air. In the distance, she spotted a lumbering figure made of rocks slowly make its way through a canyon, each step it took sending a shockwave through the earth.

It was the same kind of monster she had seen on her first night in Xantos. It was a thousand feet tall— a behemoth that seemed to thrive in this terrain. And right now, it was making its way towards her.

Seeing that, Kara made a break for it, sprinting through the magical storm as fled from the emerging monsters.

—--

Eventually, Kara found the cave where she had left Angel to hide. At first, she couldn’t find him, searching the shadows with narrowed eyes. But when her voice echoed in the cavern as she called out his name— when she said, “Angel?”— he immediately leapt onto her back with a whimper.

She stumbled forward and fell over as he clung tightly onto her. He licked her cheeks, and she chuckled as she clawed him off her. Staring into his big brown eyes, a smile spread across her lips, even as the magical storm raged on beyond the cavern.

“I told you the plan would work,” Kara said, before hugging the bear cub.

In response, he nodded and gave her another lick. She giggled and placed him back on the ground. Looking up, she saw the iridescent winds sweep over the mountainous terrain like a curtain of vibrant colors.

There were two basic facts she knew back from Earth that emboldened her to set this trap for her pursuer. The first was knowing that lightning tended to strike the highest point, and the second was knowing that metal was a good conductor of electricity. Having seen the destructive power outputted by the magical lightning of this world over the last few weeks, she had been certain that it was more than enough to stop her pursuer for good. And that was why she had found the highest point she could and waited for him to arrive.

In the meantime, she had decided to test out a hypothesis by drawing the nearby monsters in the area towards her by wildly unleashing her magic into the air, which would have been a useful distraction if true. It had produced more than favorable results for her, not only attracting the monsters in the area as she had anticipated, but they had for whatever reason concentrated their efforts into bringing down her pursuer.

While they ended up failing to defeat him, they managed to distract him for long enough for her plan to work out. She was grateful for their help, although she was also puzzled as to why they had instinctively decided to target him. But that was the least important of the many questions that were lingering in her mind.

For now, she slumped against the cave wall as she sighed softly. “I survived…”

Angel sat down before her, and she looked down at herself. Her eyes fluttered shut as she whispered.

“I won, and now I—”

And she saw it.

She peered into her dragonsoul— a sight that only she could see— and it was brimming with light. The golden flame was smaller than ever: about the size of a candle. It was a reflection of her exhaustion from the battle. But that was not what she focused on, nor was it what shone with such blinding intensity to her inner eye.

Instead, she saw the pool of mana gathered around the golden flame. That which was drawn towards her dragonsoul with every monster she slew. Tiny motes of mana would wisp off their corpses and be pulled into her.

Last she saw, it had been akin to a lake of water orbiting around her dragonsoul. But now, it was like an ocean was gathered there, almost threatening to snuff out the golden flame. It was so abundant, she was certain she even saw a trickle of mana leak out, while no more mana could be accepted in.

It was something she noticed after she had defeated her pursuer. After the machine was destroyed by the magical lightning. This phenomenon puzzled her. But the feeling that was conveyed to her was clear.

It was like she was bloated with mana.

“It’s just like how I was back then,” Kara whispered as she remembered when she had yet learned to ignite her dragonsoul.

It was a strange sensation. Almost unsettling. It didn’t appear to be harmful to her. But still, she thought that something needed to be done.

No— she knew that something needed to be done. And she thought she knew what needed to be done. Like how she had done something back then.

She reached for the mana, just like when her dragonsoul had been an inert rock and surrounded by swathes of drifting yellow fire. Unlike that time, where the yellow fire was like an extension of herself she could control, it wasn’t easy to get a grip of the pool of mana.

It was as difficult as trying to cling onto water. A foreign substance that wasn’t part of her body or her mind. It refused to listen to her. She couldn’t even use it to cast magic. But she didn’t necessarily have to hold onto it or do any of that.

All she needed was to move it.

So as she focused on her dragonsoul, she began to push the pool of mana into the gray sphere hidden by the golden flames.

For a split-second, Kara grimaced. She heard a yelp in her mind as the image of a baby dragon flickered. And a vision played as she was forced to watch.

—--

A baby dragon ignored the cries of his parents as he sprinted straight for a cliff’s edge. They told him to stop. They called him to come back. But he ignored them, instead letting out a triumphant roar.

His wings flapped behind his back as he leapt into the air. But when his feet left the ground, his wings failed to carry the weight of his body.

And the baby dragon tumbled out of the sky—

—--

Kara caught herself as her breathing quickened. She didn’t know what she just saw, but it was like she was caught in a dream ever so briefly.

She wasn’t sure if what she was doing was what was needed to be done. Especially since the last few times she attempted this, the pool of mana had been rejected by her dragonsoul. But she was emboldened by that vision. It made her feel like she was doing something right. So she moved intuitively, just like she did when she had finally fully unlocked the full breadth of her magic power.

The mana began to pour into her dragonsoul as its golden flames began to grow. Kara gritted her teeth tightly, and she shifted where she sat. She heard Angel making a surprised noise, however she ignored him.

And that was when she saw another flash of memories. This time, she saw the same baby dragon standing defiantly before a group of giant centipedes.

—--

The terrible monsters had backed him to a corner, and he growled back at them. Even though they were twice his size— even though his parents were nowhere to be found— he was not afraid of them. After all, he had already attained his Awakening. So he had no reason to be afraid of these mere insects.

They charged his way, and he slashed out with a claw. A streak of golden flames shot out like a giant claw and struck down one of the giant centipedes as he bellowed.

“Bow before me, for I am—”

And the remaining giant centipedes reached him in an instant. They chomped on his wings, and they ripped out his scales. He screamed in pain as they were all over him in a moment. But he couldn’t even struggle to break free. He could only lie there as they circled him…

—--

And the memory came to an end.

Kara was certain she could feel the pain the baby dragon had felt. Even though she had no wings, it was like she had a phantom limb protruding from her back that was bleeding. Nevertheless, she bit through this uncomfortable feeling as she forced this pool of mana into her dragonsoul— to fuse them together all at once.

Why were these memories coming to her now? Who did these memories belong to? These were questions she asked herself as she continued to do what needed to be done.

And she was certain she knew the answer to these questions. She was certain she recognized the golden scales of that baby dragon. The familiar voice that was not as deep and tired as when she last heard it.

With a final exhale, Kara forced the mana to be accepted by her dragonsoul.

Only for her head to jerk forward as she screamed in pain. It was like her body was lit aflame, thrown into a furnace that had been burning for days.

A light flashed in her mind as her dragonsoul drained the pool of mana in her chest. It began to blaze brighter than ever, filling her mind with memories. Her eyes snapped wide open as she inhaled sharply. And she saw—

—--

Zarkoth limped over the rocky terrain, leaving behind a trail of blood. His scales had been torn open, and his wings were tattered, riddled with holes. He could hardly walk, let alone talk.

But when he saw the winged shadow fly over him, he found the strength to speak. His jaw moved as he whispered.

“…why?”

He didn’t look up, even as he felt the gust of wind sweep over him, threatening to knock him into the air. The ground shook as a massive figure landed before him.

And he caught a glimpse of the crimson scales. The glint of the brown eyes. The familiar face of his father.

Zarkoth still refused to look up, even as his father spoke.

“Your mother told me what happened, Zarkoth. That you snuck out to fight some monsters, and she had to save you once again.”

It was a simple statement. One which Zarkoth ignored. Instead, he clenched his teeth and looked up as his eyes blazed with anger.

“Why?” he repeated himself. “Why did you lie to me?”

In response, his father tilted his head. “We have never once uttered a lie to you, Zarkoth.”

“Then explain this!” Zarkoth exclaimed, gesturing at himself. “You told me that we are gods! That we are meant to rule this world! But look at me!”

The baby dragon cast his gaze down, before his vision blurred. He didn’t even need to look at himself to see the sorry state he was in. He could feel the pain covering his body.

And he sobbed, “I can’t even squash a handful of bugs , father. They would have killed me if mother hadn’t intervened. Is this supposed to be the power of a god?”

It was a rhetorical question. Zarkoth felt like he had been cheated since his birth. He had been told of these glorious tales about his people— but they were all just stories now. It all almost felt like one big lie.

Even his supposed supremacy over magic and reality as a dragon seemed to be a lie. So he wept where he lay as his father stood over him in silence.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity had passed, his father spoke up once again.

“I apologize if you feel like we have misled you. But come, there is something I must show you.”

Zarkoth blinked, only to be picked up off the ground. He tried to protest, but his father was already carrying him across the skies.

“Where are we going?” he asked as he watched the ground disappear beneath him.

However, his father ignored the question, continuing flying carelessly as he spoke clearly.

“We are not born as gods, Zarkoth, even if that is the potential we have to reach. There are seven stages of ascension for a dragonsoul— seven stages for a dragon to undergo before reaching apotheosis.”

“Seven stages… of ascension?” Zarkoth repeated dumbly after his father. He shook his head and protested, “What are you talking about? I have already reached my Awakening!”

“And because of that, you have reached the First Stage,” his father said, glancing back fractionally. “You have become what you are now— a Hatchling.”

Zarkoth’s eyes widened. “…what?”

His father continued to soar through the sky, flying high above the clouds as he explained.

“A dragon who has reached the Second Stage is a Young, while those who have progressed beyond that into the Third Stage is a Juvenile.”

Zarkoth’s father spotted something in the distance, before he began to descend from the sky. Meanwhile, the baby dragon’s head just spun as he listened in shock.

“The Fourth Stage is an Adult, the Fifth Stage is an Elder, and the Sixth Stage is an Ancient,” his father said, then paused. Zarkoth watched as his father shut his brown eyes tightly, before continuing in a whisper. “And the Seventh Stage is when you become a God.”

“…is that what you are?” Zarkoth asked apprehensively. “At the Seventh Stage of ascendance?”

His father opened his eyes and replied, “Unfortunately, mother and I are not Gods. We are merely at the Fourth Stage— we are merely Adults.”

“Oh.” Zarkoth felt a pang of disappointment.

And his father chuckled, noticing that. “But it is nothing to be ashamed of. For you see—”

The two of them landed on the ground, right before a small cavern. Zarkoth narrowed his eyes as he saw something moving amidst the shadows. He nearly recoiled when he realized what it was.

“‘More giant centipedes?” There were dozens of them. He wanted to run and scream.

But his father held him back, staring at the pile of centipedes with a dismissive grin.

“It’s a nest of them. So it’s not just the Juveniles you fought earlier. There are Lessers and Infants amongst them.”

“Lessers and Infants?” Zarkoth frowned, then he looked up at his father in shock. “Wait, Juveniles?”

“That’s right,” his father laughed as he eyed the giant centipedes. “Every monster species has a soul full of magic, just like you and I. They have to undergo their Awakening as we do. And they have seven stages to go through as well.”

Zarkoth gaped as he eyed the different-colored and different-sized centipedes at the nest. “Wait, so they’re just like us?”

“Well, their Lessers are our Young, while their Infants are our Hatchlings. But yes, we are quite similar in that regard.”

“So we’re just monsters?” Zarkoth said, looking back at his father.

His father tapped a clawed finger on his chin. “In a sense, yes. But there is quite a stark difference between us and them. Look—”

Zarkoth watched as his father pointed at a group of larger blue centipedes guarding the nest. They looked similar to the ones the baby dragon had fought earlier.

“You killed those, did you not?” his father asked.

And Zarkoth nodded. “I did. And those are—”

“Juveniles. They’re Juveniles.”

“Oh.”

For a moment, the two dragons stood there in silence, watching the nest of centipedes squirm in fear from their gazes. Then, Zarkoth’s father turned and placed a hand on the baby dragon’s back.

“That is the difference between us and them. Even as a Hatchling, you were able to kill their Juveniles. We are born to be superior to them. We are born to rule this world. Which is why, unlike them, when we reach our final ascent, we become gods.”

Zarkoth heard those words. What his father had said to cheer him up. But then he looked down at himself. He saw the state he was in again. He saw the injuries he sustained from his battle. And… he couldn’t carry himself with pride.

He felt ashamed  of himself.

“Even though I’m supposed to become a god… even though I’m above these monsters… I still lost to them,” he croaked as his lips trembled. He couldn’t bear to even meet his father’s gaze. “I’m supposed to be the last hope of dragonkind… and yet, before I have even become an Adult, I nearly got myself killed. I am such a fool—”

Zarkoth opened his mouth, but his father cut him off.

“No.”

And the baby dragon paused, looking up. He stared at his father in confusion.

“We are not disappointed in your actions today, Zarkoth.”

“You… aren’t?” Zarkoth didn’t believe what he was hearing.

But still, his father spoke reassuringly. “Neither your mother nor I believe you made a mistake with what you did. When she came to tell me about what happened, she did not speak of your actions in anger or shame. Instead, she spoke about what you did with pride.”

“But I nearly got myself killed,” the baby dragon tried to argue. “I nearly brought about the end of all dragonkind before I even had a chance to become a god!”

“And yet, we are proud of you,” his father said as he stepped behind him. “We are proud of your bravery. We are proud of your courage. For you showed the tenacity of a dragon today.”

“What are you talking about?” Zarkoth asked in a daze.

And his father turned his head to face the nest of centipedes.

“Perhaps you did not realize it because of your injuries, but I can see it in your soul. I can see the mana teeming inside of you, waiting to help you grow.”

Zarkoth heard his father’s words, and he grew even more confused. But his father placed a finger on his mouth, continuing softly.

“Just like with your Awakening, let the mana flow into your dragonsoul. It may be difficult at first. And it may be uncomfortable— to allow a foreign source of mana into your soul. But breathe slowly, it will only make you stronger.”

Nodding, Zarkoth did as he was told. He focused on the golden flame burning in his mind, pushing the pool of mana into his dragonsoul.

His father spoke into his ear, then brought a clawed finger up, carrying a single ball of flame pointed in the direction of the nest of centipedes.

“And now, let me pass onto you the true heritage of all dragons,” Zarkoth’s father said as the baby dragon stood taller.

Zarkoth’s wings grew wider, and he felt like the horns on his head grew longer. Magic surged through his body as his gaze focused on the squirming monsters ahead of him. He looked down at the small flame his father held out for him. And he heard his father’s words.

“Show me the power of a Young Dragon.”

Zarkoth inhaled softly.

“Show me your—”

And all at once, he exhaled, blowing into his father’s flame, before unleashing a terrible inferno that burned everything in its path, melting even stone, before pouring into the nest and incinerating everything within.

“Dragon’s Breath.”

—--

Angel had been worried about Kara all day. First, they had both been chased down by an unstoppable man of metal. Then she had decided to face their pursuer alone.

The bear cub had been against this decision, but she had been insistent her plan would work. So she had left him alone to anxiously stress over whether she would survive. After what felt like an eternity of trepidatious anticipation, she finally returned victorious.

He thought that would have been the last of his worries. However, Kara started acting weirdly, before passing out. Now, he stood guard as she lay there, slumped against the rock wall of the shallow cavern.

“Ngh…” he whined as he glanced between the unconscious woman and the storm wall outside.

He had already tried prodding at Kara’s side earlier, and she refused to wake up. So he waited patiently for her to wake up. That was— if she would even wake up.

There was always the possibility that she would never open her eyes ever again. That thought alone left Angel stricken with fear. He didn’t want to be alone once more. He didn’t want… to lose someone else important to him again.

And that was when he heard the soft growling. His head snapped up as he thought a monster had found their cave. But when he looked, he saw nothing standing out there in the curtain of rain. His eyes narrowed, before he caught a glimpse of the glint of golden light.

Turning around, Angel stared at Kara as her unconscious body was wreathed in her flames. He backed away warily, but the flames continued to wisp off her. He watched as the flames grew in intensity, burning brighter and larger. Until the ground beneath her began to melt.

The rocky earth morphed into a molten orange liquid, and the bear cub yelped as he felt the sizzling heat burn the tips of his fur. He sprinted out of the cavern as Kara’s golden flames expanded wildly, before erupting into a small explosion.

Angel hid in the rain and watched as the mouth of the cavern trembled and burned. He waited with bated breath, wondering what just happened. He heard a set of heavy footfalls approach him, before a blindingly bright figure stepped forward.

And the bear cub saw her.

Standing there, right at the mouth of the cave, stood Kara. But she looked different. The golden flames coating her body looked different. Like it was less amorphous, but taking a more solid form. It followed the outline of her figure rather than blazing in all directions, while also seemingly taking on the vague shape of another creature.

One that wore claws, and was covered in glistening scales. The flames roared with the might of this invisible beast as the bear cub thought he could see its maws closing around the human woman for a moment. He almost recoiled in terror at the sight.

But that image almost seemed to vanish when Kara stepped out into the magical storm. Angel gaped as she strode forward, the flames melding with her body once again. It protected her like armor, and the falling rain evaporated before touching her skin. She came to a halt right before the bear cub and looked down at herself.

“So this is the Second Stage of a dragonsoul,” she said as she inspected her flaming claws. Her eyes flickered as she heard Zarkoth’s voice echo in her mind, telling her of her brand new powers, then she grinned as a streak of smoke left her mouth, followed by a faint trail of embers. “This is… fucking awesome!”

Dragon’s Scales.

Dragon’s Claws.

And— Dragon’s Breath.

Chapter 6: Second Stage

Kara had reached the Second Stage of her dragonsoul. Having ascended from a Hatchling, she was now what was called a Young. And while she didn’t exactly fully understand all these different terminologies— considering she had only learned of them just now through the fragments of Zarkoth’s memories— she knew one thing was for certain:

She is far stronger now.

A coat of golden fire cloaked her body as she stood out in the magical storm with a grin spread across her face. Zarkoth’s distant voice whispered in her mind, telling her of her new abilities as she inspected herself. There wasn’t much noticeable difference in her own physical appearance, but her flames were clearly far stronger than before. The falling rain evaporated before they touched her skin, and the ground almost threatened to melt at her feet. A cloud of steam simmered around her as she took in her newfound power.

Kara felt invincible. Even compared to what she felt on the first day she had been given her dragonsoul— when she had been running around the ancient ruins of Arcos and crushing gargoyles left and right— she felt even stronger now. She couldn’t help but feel giddy, just wondering what she was capable of now.

“This is… fucking awesome!” the words left her mouth without her even realizing it.

She thought of the machine that had hunted her down. She thought of the Soulmaster, whoever he was. She thought of all the dangerous monsters wandering through this mountain range, from the elemental birds to the giant golems. And perhaps it was in the heat of the moment, but she felt like she could face them all.

But a small noise drew her out of her thoughts. Looking up, she saw a little furry figure cowering from her behind a curtain of rain, whimpering in fear. She frowned, and then she realized who it was.

“Angel,” she said, approaching the bear cub. He curled up into a ball and trembled as she came to a halt before him. “Don’t be scared— it’s me, Kara.”

He raised his head, and he looked at her with his big brown eyes. Some of his fear faded away. But there was evidently some apprehension there. He eyed her flames hesitantly, and she paused.

The young woman looked down at herself, seeing the way her flames burned everything it touched. Glancing back, she saw the trail of scorched footsteps she left behind. And she blinked.

“Oh.”

And with a thought, the golden fire protecting her was extinguished. Angel perked up at that. He slowly got back to his feet, before wrinkling his nose. He sniffed her, then leapt into her arms. Kara laughed and hugged him back.

“You worry too much,” she said as she set him to the ground. “Nothing bad happened to me. So don’t be afraid.”

He met her gaze and nodded. She took a step back, flexing an arm.

“I’m actually stronger now. Which means I can protect you better.” A smile spread across her face.

Angel looked her up and down, before tilting his head. He looked confused about what was going on. And to an extent, Kara was too.

She had expected something to happen to her when she filled her dragonsoul with that pool of absorbed mana. However, she didn’t expect this much of a boost in strength, let alone experiencing those visions she saw.

“Come on,” she said as she drew back, still having the lucidity to consider her surroundings. “Even if I’m stronger now, it’s still dangerous out here.”

She urged the bear cub back into the cave, away from the rain. But right as they reached the entrance, the ground behind them burst open. A wave of flames shot out of the ground as Kara’s head snapped back.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw a creature crawl out of the earth. The orange flames dissipated, and the monster took a step towards her. It was about the size of a large alligator. But while it looked like a lizard, it had claws and its tail was lit aflame.

“That’s…?” Kara’s eyes went wide.

She recognized it at once. It was one of the two flaming salamanders that had attacked the machine a few hours earlier. The one that had survived the encounter. And it was not alone.

A pair of smaller flaming salamanders dug out of the ground, their tails burning with a soft yellow fire. They joined the first flaming salamander’s side as Kara stood protectively over Angel.

Why are they here? the question raced through her mind. Did they track me down to avenge their friend?

If they did, there was no point in trying to reason with them. They were monsters. They couldn’t understand her. And they were clearly after her head. With a cacophony of low ticking noises, they drew closer.

Angel growled at them, but Kara glanced back at him.

“Get behind me, I’ll deal with them,” she said as she took on a defensive stance.

He looked up at her, before nodding hesitantly and receding obediently back into the cave. Kara faced down the trio of flaming salamanders as they surrounded her. She closed her eyes for a second, taking in a deep breath.

“You know, you caught me at a bad time.” Her gaze hardened as she strode forward. “Normally, I don’t like fighting. But today?”

Her eyes flickered open. The large salamander made a popping sound. Its two minions rushed at the lone human. And she gave them a savage grin.

“I am in just the right mood to kick some salamander ass.”

Kara dashed forward as the first of the lesser salamanders leapt her way. She slid under it, then opened her two hands. Zarkoth’s voice echoed in her head as her fingers were ignited by her magic.

Dragon’s Claws.

Her hands were coated by fiery golden dagger-like protrusions. Each one was like a sharp blade, but also burning with an incredible intensity. She swiped up with her right hand, striking the lesser salamander’s underbelly.

Its hard leathery flesh tore open like butter, but no blood was spilled. The wound was instantly cauterized by the flames as the first lesser salamander crashed into the rock wall behind Kara.

She skidded to a halt, then looked up just in time as the second lesser salamander reached her. Sidestepping its first swing, she then parried its second attack with her own Dragon’s Claws. It reeled back in pain as its arm came clean off from her strike.

Kara blinked, not expecting that. She had just meant to block the attack, but she had torn straight through its claws then shoulders. She quickly broke out of her stupor and jammed her right hand into the monster’s neck. It hissed, before collapsing as the yellow flames on its tail were snuffed out.

Taking a step back, Kara stared down at her Dragon’s Claws . While it was not as destructive as God Strike, it was more effective in how it wasn’t a single-use attack. It was also far more efficient, wasting very little mana with each swing. Instead, it slowly drained her mana over time as long as it was active.

“This is way better than punching monsters in the face.” Kara grinned.

She glanced back at the first lesser salamander. It struggled to get back to its feet, before pointing its tail towards her. A blast of yellow flames shot towards her as she brought her hands up to block herself.

Once again, Zarkoth’s voice reverberated in her mind as she reached for her dragonsoul.

Dragon’s Scales.

And her body burst into flames. But the fire covering her didn’t burn wildly like they did beforehand. Instead, they coated her like armor, blocking the blast of yellow flames.

Kara watched as the flames washed over her Dragon Scales , failing to burn her. The yellow flames dissipated, and she lowered her hands. The lesser salamander stared at her for a moment, standing on shaky feet. Then it toppled over as the flames on its tails grew smaller, before fading away.

“That’s two down,” she said as she spun around. “Now for the third—”

But as she started, she saw a shadow blur towards her. The large flaming salamander flanked her while she wasn’t looking, swinging its tail towards her. She braced herself, but the attack bounced off her Dragon’s Scales.  

The large flaming salamander yelped as its skin was singed by her protective flames. Unlike the coat of fire she conjured when she was still in the First Stage of her dragonsoul, she was actually protected by her Dragon’s Scales from any oncoming attacks, while still burning anything that got closer to her.

“Nice try, but my flames burn hotter than yours.” She smirked as she raised a hand.

A ball of golden flames came into existence in the palm of her hand as the large flaming salamander leapt back. It pointed its tail towards her as its orange flames flared up, then it unleashed a powerful fireball her way.

The fiery attack ripped apart the ground as it shot its way towards her like a speeding truck. Kara stared at this approaching massive orange sphere— a show of force from the large flaming salamander far more destructive than its fallen lesser brethren. She saw this. And she accepted this challenge.

She raised a tiny ball of golden flames to her mouth, remembering the vision she had seen. The memories of Zarkoth as he ascended into Young Dragon. As he learned the true heritage of all dragonkind.

And she breathed out, “Dragon’s Breath.”

All at once, the tiny sphere of golden flames expanded. It shot forward right as the large flaming salamander’s fiery attack reached her. And her Dragon’s Breath dug straight through the massive orange sphere, completely overwhelming it with ease.

The large flaming salamander’s eyes widened as a golden inferno shot its way. It tried to jump back, but it was not fast enough. The blast reached it, overwhelming its body as it shrieked in pain. A blinding explosion erupted where it stood as Kara covered her eyes.

When the smoke cleared, all that was left behind was a burning crater where the remains of the monster lay. Kara stared at this sight, even as the rain washed away her golden flames carpeting the earth. Stepping back, her Dragon’s Scales and Dragon’s Claws vanished, and the magical storm continued to fall around her.

“So that’s all of my new abilities, huh?” she remarked as she glanced between the three dead salamanders, before tilting her head back. “And my dragonsoul still has five more stages of ascension to undergo.”

Kara nodded to herself as she returned to the cave.

“...maybe I’m actually going to escape these mountains one day, after all.”

—--

Unfortunately, another month passed, and Kara remained lost atop the mountain range. She fared better against the dangers of this deadly terrain. The magical storms were less of a threat to her because of her ascension, so she dared to venture out of the little crevices and caves she normally sought refuge in to face the monsters that lurked that blanket of death.

And while her three new abilities proved to be incredibly useful in battle, that was not all she needed to rely on to survive this treacherous place.

“God Strike!” she shouted before a cavern,

Her attack tore through the giant spider that guarded the cave entrance, before incinerating the webs within. In general, Kara was much stronger than prior to her ascension. Every single thing she was capable of doing had been enhanced. From her fire conjuration to her physical capabilities. She could run faster, punch through a rock wall, and create a ball of fire that was as large as a boulder now.

And there was more of a pool of mana within her dragonsoul to draw from, which meant that she could cast God Strike more frequently. While she couldn’t just run around, swing her arms around, and use the attack every single time, she didn’t need to use it so sparingly anymore either.

Kara was stronger now, but unlike how she felt when she first ascended, she wasn’t invincible just yet. She glanced back into the horizon as she saw the sun disappear behind the undulating mountains. There, she saw a stream of smoke pouring up into the sky. And even though night had fallen, an artificial orange glow redolent of twilight flickered at the base of a valley.

She saw the distant shape of a raging fire. She made out the vague shape of collapsing buildings. And she remembered all the destroyed cities she had seen.

Angel walked up next to her to stare at this scene, but she took him by the arm. “We should stay far away from that.”

He blinked at her, and she shook her head, before ushering him into the safety of the cave.

—--

Angel had been traveling with Kara for many moons now. More than he could keep count. And throughout their entire journey together, she had always protected him.

He was grateful for that. While he had been dubious of her intentions at first— considering that she was a human— he now knew that she had the best intentions in mind for him. So he stuck with her. Regardless of the circumstance, he followed her lead. No matter what she told him to do, he would do it if she was certain it was the right choice. Because he knew it was for his own safety.

But while he definitely did trust her, he wasn’t content. He looked towards Kara, and he watched as she studied a metallic staff.

“How do I even get you to work?”  she asked, tapping the red crystal poking out of the staff.

It was the very same staff that the hooded figure had been carrying when he had been hunting both Kara and Angel. It had been capable of sending a beam of powerful energy at a target— an attack that was one of the most destructive things the bear cub had ever seen.

When Kara had first brought it back that day, she had been excited to try it out. But she never learned how to use it in a combat situation. And after trying to tinker with it every single day to no avail, she finally resigned herself to failure.

“I give up,” she sighed as she set it down on the ground. “I’m never going to get it to work unless I get someone else to take a look at it. I’m going to sleep.”

The sun had set long ago, and the twin moons hung high in the night sky. Today had been another long day of travel. Because of that, Kara closed her eyes and immediately went to sleep.

Angel stared at her. His eyes were fixed on her slumbering figure. Seeing her exhaustion, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. There was a reason why he wasn’t content about the status quo. And it was explicitly because he wasn’t able to do anything at all to help Kara.

Every single day the bear cub woke up, he found himself trailing behind her, offering nothing but his presence. Many times, he wasn’t even allowed to be there. All he could do was run and hide because he was so weak.

He tried to help. He really did. But he wasn’t able to offer much in the way of actual assistance, only morale support. And even though he really tried his best to be useful— by doing whatever he could to grow stronger— he was still… weak.

He was still a mere cub who hadn’t undergone his Awakening.

Yes, Angel had grown since he first met Kara. He was bigger now. If he stood upright, he was nearly up to the human’s shoulders. He felt stronger too. However, most of the monsters in this mountain range were many times his size while being much more physically imposing than him.

So his progress felt like it was all for naught. Whenever he lay down at night, lost in his thoughts, his fears crept up to his mind like crawling ants. He shivered as his eyes fluttered shut.

But he steeled himself. He opened his eyes, and his breathing calmed. He stared at Kara as she slept soundly in the night. Next to her, a metallic staff leant against the rock wall. He clambered to his feet and approached the inert weapon.

He wanted to help Kara. If he couldn’t attain his Awakening yet, then there had to be some way for him to be useful. That was why he had been doing this every single night for a while now.

He picked up the inert weapon, and his gaze focused into it. He saw his reflection on the dull red surface of the crystal jutting out of the tip, before he placed a paw on it. It reminded him of his monstersoul. Something that held the potential of power.

But currently, it was just… there.

Doing nothing.

Angel tried to focus on it. He tried to peer into it like he was told he could peer into his monstersoul. However, he saw neither a change in the surface of the crystal nor the magic that was hidden within himself.

Just like every single time he had tried to comprehend the magical crystal, he failed to make heads or tails of it. Even as the stars in the night sky turned overhead, and the twin moons began to make their way back down, Angel accomplished nothing again.

It made him feel even more worthless than before. It made him even more upset than before. He wasn’t able to be useful again. He wasn’t able to do anything again. Despite his best efforts— his best intentions— he was just there.

Just like his monstersoul. Just like this staff. None of them did anything.

They were just there.

Angel’s frustration almost made him throw the staff at the rock wall, but he caught himself. That wasn’t going to do any good. So he lowered the inert weapon to the ground as he weakly gripped onto it.

He lay there, defeated. Overcome by an inanimate object. And he knew, if he couldn’t even do anything here, that it was going to happen again.

Just like before, he was going to lose everything again.

Angel’s mind flashed with his past memories as he held his eyes tightly shut. His breathing grew unsteady, and he recalled that horrible night so long ago, when his kin were all dragged away from him as he could only watch. It terrorized him. Even until now. He never wanted it to ever happen again.

Unbeknownst to him, the crimson crystal began to shimmer. It reached for his frustration as his thoughts were further thrown into turmoil, and the darkest of the night began to come to an end.

Angel knew if he continued to be so weak, it was going to happen again. He was going to be forced to watch as Kara was taken from him like his papa. Or he would go to sleep one night, only to wake up with her gone, just like his mama. Maybe he would even be forced to watch as she was killed like his friends and family.

It couldn’t happen again. He couldn’t let it happen ever again.

He wanted to let out a ferocious roar. He wanted to smack his head against the ground. He wanted to do anything that felt like it gave him meaning. But he knew it was all pointless.

So he did his best to control his tumultuous emotions. He calmed himself as his grip over the staff tightened.

And the crystal continued to glow brighter, while the chaos he felt within started to simmer. The golden glow of dawn emerged from the line where the sky and the earth met. And then, there was a flash of light.

It didn’t come from the rising sun. It didn’t even come from the crystal, which instead lost its light. Instead, it came from within the bear cub.

Angel didn’t know what it was. All he knew was that it felt like, for a very brief moment, that his soul had left his body, only to return entirely renewed, brimming with light. He saw the inside of his soul for an instant. A giant statue of his mama towered over him in a world of looming mountains. Her eyes were filled with a red light which grew brighter until it engulfed everything he could see.

Then the surface of the crystal flickered. It cracked, and so did something within the bear cub.

The sun rose over the horizon.

—--

Kara woke up as she felt the trembling of the ground. Her eyes blearily blinked open in a daze, and then she heard a crack. That made her jolt to her feet.

Thanks to her heightened senses and having lived in these mountains for months now, she was very easily startled awake by anything that resembled the sound of an approaching monster. She immediately activated her Dragon’s Scales and burst into flames. Spinning around, she swept her gaze over the cave as she readied herself for a fight.

“Angel, come here!” she called out instinctively. “There’s something dangerous nearby—“

Kara caught herself as she saw a figure standing further inside the cavern. At first, she didn’t recognize him. Perhaps it was because he stood slightly taller. Maybe it was because he was standing on two feet. Or it might have even been because he was holding her metallic staff in the air, making strange waving motions.

But then she saw the color of his fur. She caught a glimpse of his face. And she immediately knew who he was.

“Angel?” She narrowed her eyes. “What are you doing?”

As she asked the question, Angel raised the staff, and she heard the walls of the cave cracking. She looked to the side and watched as chunks of stone broke off and floated towards the bear cub.

Her brows snapped together as he brought the staff down. “That’s…”

The floating rocks came together to build a statue right before Angel. A feat of magic that he had never demonstrated before. Kara stared at the figure that was built from stone— at the small monument the bear cub created.

“That’s amazing!” she exclaimed, realizing what he was capable of now. She turned towards the statue as she walked up to his side. “And this is—”

She froze when she saw what it was. A myriad of expressions passed through her face as she stared at the statue. First, a look of grief. Then a strong showing of regret. Finally, she wore a soft gaze, before bowing her head. Because…

It was a statue of Angel’s mother.

The very same three-headed bear that Kara had killed. It had been self-defense, sure. But still, the young woman couldn’t help but feel guilty.

She turned towards Angel, not knowing what to say. However, the bear cub didn’t need to hear anything. All he did was place a paw on the statue as he closed his eyes.

His lips seemed to move. But no words left his mouth. He growled gently, and Kara looked up at the monster that had come closest to ending her life.

Finally, she knew what to say. She placed a hand next to Angel’s paw as she faced him with a kind smile. He looked towards her, and she spoke in a soft voice..

“Your mother was very brave.”

Perhaps Angel didn’t understand the full implications of what Kara meant. Or maybe he did. But all he did in response was give a nod.

He drew back away from his mother’s monument, before returning to standing on all-fours. He slowly walked towards the exit of the cave as Kara watched. He turned back towards her and gave her an expectant look.

She stared at him, before giving one last glance to the statue. Closing her eyes, she whispered for no one to hear.

“I promise you, I will protect your son with my life.”

And with that, she hurried after the bear cub. Both Angel and Kara made their way out of the cave and into the new day. They strode through the salmon-colored landscape, side-by-side, just the two of them, as they chatted.

Even if neither of them could truly speak the same language, they understood how each other felt.

“How did you do that?” Kara asked as Angel glanced back at her. “Wait, does this mean you’ve had your… uh, Awakening? Or how does that work?”

She scratched her chin, uncertain. The bear cub simply beamed at her as he held onto the metallic staff with his mouth. Her eyes fixed onto the broken crystal as she blinked.

“And what happened there? Did you do that? Why is the crystal cracked?”

She inundated Angel with all these questions. But little did she know, he didn’t quite understand what happened either. All he knew now was that he could finally fight for his loved ones just as they fought for him.

—--

Many more weeks— maybe even a handful of months— passed as Kara and Angel traversed the treacherous terrain of the tall mountains. All they encountered were monsters, magical storms, and ruins. Until, one day, as the sun was hanging high in the sky, as oppressive as ever…

“Wait, what is that?” Kara squinted as she saw something strange protruding from the base of a mountain.

It didn’t look like a natural formation in the slightest. While it was made out of rocks, they appeared to be chiseled, building up into a defensive fortification of sorts. Akin to the walls of a medieval fortress, or…

“Is that… a city?” the young woman asked, furrowing her brows.

Angel spotted it too, but he saw something else which excited him. He pointed towards a shadowed stream cutting across the landscape and heading towards the city.

Kara looked down at what he saw. And her eyes grew wide. She made out the crowd of figures. She discerned the weary faces.

And she exclaimed, “Those are people!”

After so long, she had finally found civilization .

Chapter 7: Alyona

“Another day, another stream of refugees…” Soraan sighed as he swept his gaze over the crowd of faces gathering in droves before him.

He stood on guard outside of the gates of the city. Its dull-black walls covered the mouth of a massive cavern behind him, hiding a vast populace within, and standing at such a steep incline that he could barely see the crenellations above when he raised his head.

Leaning against the shaft of his spear, Soraan dreaded the tedious day of work that was ahead of him. Especially when he considered the makeup of today’s crowd. While most of the refugees were people like him— dark elves, with their ashen-gray skin, and their pointed ears— he still caught a glimpse of a few larger figures thrown into the mix.

There had to be hundreds of orcs, a few dozen trolls, and even some stray minotaurs joining the refugees entering the city. Their presence alone already opened up a pit in Soraan’s stomach. He could already foresee the troubles and problems that were going to appear throughout the day because of them.

Particularly, from the orcs and the trolls.

Minotaurs… they didn’t often cause trouble, and that was why Soraan wasn’t worried about them. They were quiet creatures— oftentimes living in solitude.

But in contrast to that, orcs were loud and boisterous, typically sticking together with their own kind, which made them difficult to deal with in general. Because if one of them tried to start an argument for any reason, the others would join in, and that always instigated a brawl. Putting them next to trolls who were extremely abrasive only exacerbated things even more.

And Soraan, as one of the gate guards of the city, was going to have to break up these fights when they broke out.

He shook his head, before glancing back at the monolithic walls hiding the city within. Storms above, if only Alyona wasn’t a Sanctuary City, we wouldn’t have to deal with all these cursed refugees.”

Of course, Soraan wouldn’t mind letting in the thousand or more dark elves lining up before the city gates. Not even because they were his people, but because it would be significantly less trouble for him. He would also let the minotaurs in for that reason alone.

But he was a mere city guard. He didn’t get to make any of the executive decisions around here. As a Sanctuary City, Alyona welcomed all. Only Koros, the current Dark Lord, was capable of overriding that law by declaring a total lockdown of the city so no one could enter or leave.

Honestly, Soraan was surprised a total lockdown hadn’t been decreed yet, considering the news he had been hearing of what was happening throughout the Xor-In Mountains. While this region was considered to be quite dangerous in general, monsters of mysterious origins had been sighted more and more frequently, appearing in hordes and destroying entire cities in their wake.

To an ordinary citizen of Alyona, it was concerning to hear about. And to Soraan who was a guard, it was even more concerning to hear about, since he was the first line of defense for the city in the case of a monster attack.

But Dark Lord Koros refused to call for a total lockdown of the city, despite the desperate pleas of his aides. His reasoning was that as a Sanctuary City, they needed to shelter the swathes of refugees coming from the nearby settlements and cities that had already been razed to ash.

Soraan wasn’t sure if he agreed with that logic. They already had many of their own problems to deal with. Now, to add to the problem, they had to deal with thousands of refugees entering Alyona every day.

“I’d rather be forced to patrol the lower tunnels than deal with this for another week.” Soraan tilted his head back and rubbed his temples.

“You complain too much,” a voice said, accompanied by a nudging elbow. He looked towards the guard standing next to him. A fellow dark elf whose name he forgot. “Don’t forget, there’s that human still hiding somewhere down there… Hora and her squad went down, but never came back. Better to live with some problems than to not live at all, eh?”

Soraan rolled his eyes at that. There were plenty of things he could say in response, but he bit back a retort. All he wanted was to get this day over and done with. So he looked away— only to pause.

“What’s that?” he asked with a frown.

His brows snapped together as he spotted something in the distance. It was an approaching figure that stood as tall as any ordinary dark elf, descending down the hill. And while the figure was not alone, accompanied by another figure, Soraan’s gaze was fixed on the foremost figure. Because he saw the blonde hair, and he saw the pale skin.

These were features that he had never seen before, but heard plenty about in passing. These were the features of a—

“Is that a human…?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

And the guard standing next to him screamed, “It’s a human! A human is attacking the city! Sound the alarm!”

All at once, the bells of the city tolled, and guards poured out of the crenellations, weapons at the ready for the approaching human.

The very confused human.

—--

Kara hesitantly continued her approach to the city when she realized that the line of figures leading to the gates were not humans. The queue was mostly comprised of these strange beady-eyed creatures with white hair and gray skin, although there were a few different kinds of giant creatures interspersed amongst them. She didn’t get a good look at any of their faces when she saw them, instead choosing to turn around and walk away.

But Angel had stopped her. He had insisted they make their way to the city, almost like he recognized it. And considering that this was the first sign of living civilization Kara had seen since she arrived in this world, she decided that she was going to at least peek around to see what was going on.

Unfortunately for her, the moment she got close, the city gates were thrown open as alarm bells were rung. The line of people waiting outside the city were let in in a hurry, and hundreds of armed guards lined the walls with bows and arrows, aiming in her direction. It happened so quickly, she barely processed what was going on.

“You can’t be serious, right?” Kara asked as she looked up in confusion. She saw the shadows of the projectiles falling closer, and her body was lit ablaze in an instant. “Why the fuck are they attacking me? I haven’t even done anything!”

Her Dragon’s Scales covered her body as a volley of arrows rained down at her. Most of them completely missed her, while those that got close were completely incinerated before they even could touch her skin. She stepped forward as Angel backed away, and she waved her hands in the air.

“I’m not here to cause you any trouble! I’m just here to seek shelter!” she shouted, but her voice was drowned out by their screaming.

“It repelled our arrows with magic!” they shouted, pointing at her. “It must be a powerful wizard!”

“No— it has to be an adventurer! No wizard would come here alone!” another said.

And a voice shouted louder than the rest, “Send out the drakenriders!”

Kara blinked as she heard their voices.  Are they speaking English? No— that didn’t matter. What mattered was that she understood what they were saying, which meant that they must have understood her too.

She opened her mouth to defuse the situation once more, but a smaller gate swung open, before a dozen giant lizards poured out. Riding on their backs were even more of those ashen-skinned creatures, but unlike those on the walls, these ones were wearing a kind of ornate armor. They aimed decorated spears at her as they drew closer.

“If I kill any of them, I’m definitely not going to be let into the city,” she realized with pursed lips. She turned around, beckoning her companion. “Angel, it’s your turn.”

The bear cub nodded and stepped forward as he raised his staff. The first drakenrider slowed for a moment, before laughing out loud.

“Do not worry! It’s only an utlas bear cub. It’s not even reached its third evolution—” he started.

Only for Angel to slam his staff onto the ground, sending large chunks of rocks shooting forward from the earth. The drakenriders looked on in confusion as one by one the rocks knocked them off their  mounts. They didn’t have any time to dodge. They barely even had time to comprehend what just happened.

And the giant lizards ran past Kara and Angel a moment later, all their riders having been knocked off.

“That’s… geomancy?” the first drakenrider asked as he picked himself up to his feet. He looked towards Angel with round eyes. “But utlas bears aren’t supposed to be able to cast spells. Just how is it doing that?”

Kara strode forward and crossed her arms. “I can answer your questions if you just listen to me for one second…”

A volley of arrows rained down on her, but she didn’t even look up. Like earlier, the wooden projectiles couldn’t pierce through her Dragon’s Scales . She continued speaking as the first drakenrider faced her, hatred and loathing in his beady eyes.

“I told you, I’m not here to fight you. I’m here to enter your city.”

“And why should we believe you?” he asked defiantly. “You humans are evil! All you bring is death and destruction to our people!”

“Well, I’m not like other humans—”

And a glinting arrow shot towards her, cutting her off. Her eyes flickered as she saw it coming fast. It reached the edge of the aura of golden flames coating her, and it refused to burn. She ducked out of the way right in time for it to whizz by her head.

The magical projectile continued on to the nearby hill, before erupting into a pillar of ice. Kara frowned as she glanced back at that.

“Are you guys seriously not listening to a single fucking word coming out of my mouth?” she asked, looking back towards the first drakenrider.

And she immediately backed up as he thrust his spear at her neck. The weapon sparked out when it came into contact with her Dragon’s Scales , but they refused to burn. She gritted her teeth as he swung at her again. This time, she conjured up her Dragon’s Claws and parried the attack.

“If you keep this up, I’m going to be forced to kill you!” Kara shouted as she blocked another flurry of swings, before kicking the first drakenrider back.

Perhaps it was because she had become desensitized to death from surviving alone for so long, or perhaps it was because these creatures didn’t look like humans, but she didn’t feel any sort of apprehension about taking their lives. And it was not like she hadn’t killed people before.

She had been partially responsible for Zarkoth’s death, and she had killed Angel’s mother. She had also thought that the machine sent by the Soulmaster was a human before she destroyed it. She had no qualms with the role she played in any of their deaths, so she wasn’t going to have any qualms with killing these creatures right now.

The only problem was alienating herself from the city. But it seemed like that had somehow already happened, before she had even done anything.

The other drakenriders flanked her as their leader picked himself up. They attacked her from all sides, but she blocked all their strikes with ease, keeping them back. They were slow. Or maybe she was fast.

But none of them could keep up with her except for the first drakenrider. He charged at her as his figure blurred, and she backed away warily.

“Eighteenth Core: Storm of—”

However, the ground beneath his feet shifted, and he tripped, crashing into the ground. Kara looked to the side at Angel.

“Good job,” she said with a nod.

The bear cub grinned back at her. The drakenriders backed up hesitantly as their leader groaned, lying face-first on the dirt. Kara wondered if they were finally going to be willing to hear her out.

But then she saw the glint once again. The glow coming from the magical arrow. And this time, it wasn’t aimed at her. Instead, it was flying straight for Angel.

Her eyes widened at the realization, and her body moved purely on instinct. She appeared right in front of the bear cub before the magical arrow could reach him, swinging up with a God Strike . The two magical attacks clashed for a moment.

And Kara’s golden flames completely blew away the exploding ice pillar, sending a plume of mist into the air. Her gaze snapped up towards the archer. She didn’t even take a second to take in the fact that he was different from the other guards, with pale skin and golden hair like her.

Instead, she brought a small ball of fire to her mouth as she was moved by rage. “How dare you attack Angel! Dra— ”

“That’s enough,” a voice cut her off.

A gauntleted hand caught the small ball of fire and snuffed it out before she could blow her magic into it. Kara blinked a few times, before looking up at a figure clad in black armor standing before her. He wore a helmet with spikes jutting out of its top like a crown, and he carried a massive black blade on his back.

He peered at her through his visors, his eyes shining red.

“Who are you?” she asked, taking a step back. And when did you even get here? She left the second question in her mind unsaid.

“I am Koros,” he said as he held her gaze. “And I am the Dark Lord of Alyona.”

His voice seemed to boom out, and the drakenriders immediately bowed to him. But he didn’t attack the young woman from Earth. Instead, he crossed his arms across his chest as he questioned her.

“Now tell me: who are you and why are you attacking my city?”

Kara exchanged a glance with Angel, before the both of them sighed. And she explained.

“Well…”

—--

It took an hour of questioning— between talking to Kara, the city guards, and the other bystanders who watched everything unfurl— before Koros seemed to get a good understanding of what happened.

For a moment, Kara wasn’t sure what to expect from the Dark Lord. He might have believed her side of the story, or he might have chosen to listen to his guards. But all the witnesses that had seen the scene play out must have recounted a similar story to what she had told him, because when he was finished, he dismissed the guards, before bringing her and Angel to the wall’s largest tower.

The drakenriders were forced to watch as she was let in through the city’s gates and led up to the battlements, and she bit back any witty platitudes she could have made. Koros brought her to an office at the very top of the tower. A pair of double doors magically slammed shut behind both the girl and the bear cub. They blinked as they saw a flash of light there, the sign of some kind of spell being put in place.

And Koros sat down behind a desk, his voice booming, shaking the room. “So I understand you pose no threat to my city—”

Kara jolted back at his words. Angel ran behind her, hiding from the Dark Lord’s piercing gaze. Even though the situation was now resolved, Koros refused to lower his guard.

“But still, I must ask, why are you here?”  he continued, and the room practically vibrated.

“O-oh, uh, that’s…” Kara sputtered as she took a step back. “I-I am here because, uh—”

“Sorry,” Koros cut her off, making her recoil with his thundering voice. “Was I too loud? Let me get rid of this cursed helmet…”

“…what?” She blinked as he fumbled with his helmet.

It came off after a second, and the Dark Lord set it down onto the desk. He flicked his long hair back as he sank into his chair. His voice came out softer now when he spoke.

“That’s much better,” he sighed, speaking in a normal voice. He stretched his neck as he glanced apologetically at Kara. “My helmet has a sound amplification enchantment woven into it, which is a massive pain in the ass to deal with indoors.”

He chuckled as he spoke. While Koros looked no different than the other ashen-skinned people of the city— apart from standing slightly taller and having silver-gray hair— he didn’t eye her with the same animosity they did.

Instead, he wore a carefree smile as he faced her. “Please, sit.”

Kara broke out of her stupor and eyed the empty seat. She relaxed a bit, seeing the Dark Lord’s shift in demeanor. He no longer seemed to be hostile, which let her steel herself properly.

“R-right—” She sat down, and Angel took a seat next to her too.

Koros almost looked amused at the bear cub sitting there, before focusing on the young woman. “So, let me repeat my question: why are you here?”

She cleared her throat as she gestured at the bear cub next to her. “My name is Kara, and this is Angel. We’re here to seek refuge in your city.”

She spoke almost mechanically, having rehearsed what she would tell the Dark Lord while she had been waiting for everything to blow over earlier.

“We’ve been lost in these mountains for months. Or maybe even longer— I’ve literally lost count. And we’re just looking for a safe place to shelter where we don’t have to worry about monsters creeping on us in our sleep. We’re not here to cause you any trouble.”

“Right, right. I understand that. The Xor-In Mountains is quite dangerous, after all.” Koros nodded almost understandingly, however it also seemed rather condescending. Then he leaned forward, resting his chin on his knuckles. “But you’re a human.”

It was a simple statement. Kara wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“Uh, yeah, I’m a human?” she agreed apprehensively.

“So why would you seek refuge in Alyona?” He tilted his head. “This is not one of your human cities.”

Kara chewed her lower lip. “…because I’m lost?”

He didn’t seem satisfied with her response. His gaze bore into her expectantly, and she hesitated.

She glanced back at Angel. He almost seemed to lower his head shamefully. She shrugged and gestured at him.

“He also insisted we come here. I wasn’t sure if we should, considering you guys are… no offense, not humans.”

“None taken whatsoever,” Koros chuckled, before looking towards the bear cub. “It’s no surprise that even an utlas bear knows they can find safety in a Sanctuary City. They are quite intelligent for monsters. Although, it is unusual for a cub to be this knowledgeable.”

The Dark Lord rubbed a hand on his chin, and Angel looked up curiously. Kara raised a brow at that.

“However, it is even more unusual for an utlas bear to be capable of casting spells , so I’ll save these questions for the future. For now, I’d still like to know more about you, Ms Kara.”

Koros looked back up towards the disheveled human. She blinked a few times, then shifted back uncomfortably.

“Look, if me being a human is really that much of a problem for you guys, I can leave,” she said as she crossed her arms. “Just point me in the direction of the nearest human city, and we’ll be on our way.”

Angel looked up in alarm at that. But before he could fully react, Koros waved a hand off casually.

“Oh, it’s no problem to me that you’re a human.” The Dark Lord gave her a reassuring look. “Alyona is a Sanctuary City. We accept all folks, as long as they bear no ill will towards our people. We’d even accept a drake if they weren’t so opposed to us living.”

“…right.”

Kara wrinkled her brows dubiously. She wasn’t sure if she believed that, considering the aggressive welcome party that was thrown for her as soon as she arrived.

Koros shook his head as he continued. “And I believe you’d benefit from staying in our city for at least a few days to recover. After all, the nearest human city is quite a ways away. Thousands of miles away, to be exact.”

“Oh.” Kara deflated. But for whatever reason, Angel relaxed when he heard that.

The Dark Lord laughed when he saw the blonde girl’s reaction. It was not a cruel laugh. But a casual chuckle as he made himself comfortable in his seat.

“I don’t blame you for wanting to be amongst your people. Especially after what happened today. I must apologize for that. But there’s been a lot of… stress  recently placed on our city guards, considering everything that’s been going on. Firstly, we’ve had a little bit of a problem with a dangerous human we let into the city…”

Kara exchanged a glance with Angel. So that’s why the city guards refused to listen to me.

“Then there’s also been the problem of dealing with all the unruly refugees. And lastly, there’s also what’s been going on throughout the Xor-In Mountains that’s making everyone antsy.”

Kara’s brows furrowed, having an inkling of an idea of what he was talking about. “You mean with all the destroyed cities, right?”

“Oh? So you know?” Koros looked impressed. “I’m surprised a human knows about our problems. But considering that you said you’ve been wandering the Xor-In Mountains, I guess it makes sense.”

“I’ve run into the ruins of dozens of cities,” Kara explained. “I don’t know much about what’s going on beyond that.”

Koros tapped a finger on his chin. “Well, as far as most folks are aware, there’s a strange new type of monster that’s been going around and burning down cities. But there’s a lot more to it than that…”

She leaned forward as she asked, “What do you mean by that?”

The Dark Lord continued tapping his chin for a moment, before suddenly pausing. He sat up in his chair as he peered into the human.

“While I’d love to answer that question for you, you still have yet to properly answer mine.”

Kara frowned. “What are you talking about? I told you, I’m here because I’m lost—”

“Come on now,” Koros said with a grin. “I’m no fool, and neither are you. We both know that what you’ve told me so far is not the full reason why you’re here.”

And that made the young woman from Earth pause. Her lips were drawn into a thin line, but she still tried to put on a straight face.

“I… am not sure what you’re talking about.”

Koros rolled his eyes as he rose to his feet. He slowly strode around the room with a smirk plastered onto his face. “You’re lost, sure. I believe that. But why are you lost? And better yet— why are you even in the Xor-In Mountains in the first place?”

Kara opened her mouth, then caught herself. She wasn’t sure how to answer that question. And the Dark Lord realized that. That was why he continued as he looked out the window into his city.

“And these are the first of many questions that naturally come up when anyone with a brain thinks about your story for more than a moment. I could ask you questions about the utlas bear, and I could ask you questions about how you survived the magical storms. But that would still be skirting around the main issue.”

“The main issue that is…?” the human asked, unsure of what else there was to say.

The Dark Lord of Alyona sighed, before turning around. He held her gaze, and his mouth moved. Kara heard his question. She processed it slowly.

And her eyes grew wide.

“How exactly did a human like you acquire a dragonsoul?”

Chapter 8: Dreamers

“How exactly did a human like you acquire a dragonsoul?”

It was a simple question. But it wasn’t one Kara had expected to hear. Not from Koros. Not at this moment. She blinked a few times as the Dark Lord’s gaze bore into her as he settled back into his seat. Her head spun, and she considered her possible responses.

Angel peered at her curiously, his concern evident. And finally, Kara sighed, lowering her head.

“It’s a bit complicated. And I’ll explain it all to you in a moment. But first— how did you figure it out?”

There was no point in denying the source of her power. Perhaps if the Dark Lord’s line of questioning was more vague, she could have given some kind of deflection. But the specificity of his question showed how certain he was about Kara possessing a dragonsoul.

Furthermore, Kara thought she could potentially get some answers and maybe even help if she came clean to Koros. So she chose to be truly transparent here, hoping that he would reciprocate. After all, there were many questions she had to ask, and a plethora more things she didn’t know…

Koros smirked, placing a hand on his helmet that was resting on his desk. “My helmet possesses a special enchantment that allows me to peer into the depths of a person’s soul when they speak. That way, I can judge if an individual bears any malintent towards Alyona or my people.”

“And when you looked at me, you saw my dragonsoul?” Kara asked as she placed a hand on her chin understandingly.

“Indeed,” he said with a nod. “And considering what you possess, that can only mean Zarkoth is dead.”

Now that made Kara pause again. She stared at the Dark Lord with wide eyes, even as Angel looked on in confusion behind her.

“You know Zarkoth?”

“I have… encountered him once before,” Koros said as his eyes flickered. “But I cannot say that I am well-acquainted with him either. All I know is that if he is dead, that means the age of dragons has truly come to an end.”

He grew silent for a moment as he stated that simple fact. It looked like he was paying his respects. So Kara lowered her head, unsure of what to add. But eventually, Koros shook his head and faced her once again.

“So why did Zarkoth choose to pass on his dragonsoul to you, of all people?”

Now Kara shifted where she sat as the Dark Lord interrogated her even further. But she had already resolved herself earlier. There was no point in telling lies here if she wanted answers too. So she cleared her throat and met his gaze.

“I… am not from this world,” Kara finally admitted. And as the words left her mouth, she closed her eyes. She wondered how Koros would react to this fact.

Would he even believe her? Would he accuse her of being a liar and lock her up in a dungeon? No— that was an improbable outcome. Kara knew her nerves were getting to her. So she steeled herself and waited for Koros to react to what she said.

A shadow was cast over his face, masking his initial reaction to her revelation. But then he craned his head back, which revealed an amused expression on his face.

“Oh?” Koros asked as he raised his brows. His curiosity was clearly piqued. Leaning forward, he rubbed his chin with a grin. “Now that  is interesting— of all the things you could’ve told me, I didn’t expect that.”

“Wait, you believe me?” Kara stared at him, taken aback.

He shrugged. “I see no reason why you would lie about something so outlandish. When most people lie, they would say something far more believable. And that would explain quite a lot about your mysterious origin. Now, tell me more.”

Kara didn’t expect him to be this fascinated with her background. Certainly, she anticipated some disbelief and shock, but not this.

She scratched the back of her head as his expectant gaze was locked onto her, his attention ready to cling onto every word she said. So she explained.

“Well, uh, you see, it started when I was getting ready for my first day at work…”

—--

There were a lot of questions to be asked. Kara wasn’t prepared to answer them all. But still, she tried her best. Even though she struggled to explain some of the most basic concepts that differed between Earth and Xantos.

“And you’re telling me there’s no such thing as magic in your world?” Koros asked with round eyes. He almost looked like a child, listening to his parents tell a ridiculous tale.

But he was no child, and this was no ridiculous tale. It was the truth— a fact from a different world. And what was normal there was considered to be outlandish here.  

“No magic at all. At least, no magic outside of stories.” Kara nodded as she raised a finger. “But we’ve been to the moon.”

“Cursed souls,” he breathed. “That’s amazing. Which one?”

“Oh, uh, we actually only have one moon,” she corrected him hesitantly.

“Only one moon? That seems like it would be quite the odd sight. How does your lone moon illuminate the night sky?” the Dark Lord asked disbelievingly.

Angel made a sound and nodded in agreement. Somehow, both of them found this tiny detail to be the strangest part of Kara’s story.

She shrugged. “We just have one moon. That’s all.”

“And the people of your world have stepped foot on its surface. How is this possible without magic?”

“It’s possible because of our technology,” Kara said simply.

“You mean your technology that can let you communicate with others across the world using these radio waves that nobody can see?”

“That’s one example of technology, yeah.”

Koros rubbed his chin. “…is that not essentially magic?”

“I mean, not really?” Kara scratched the back of her head. She wasn’t an engineer, let alone a rocket scientist. So she wasn’t able to give the Dark Lord an in-depth explanation about much from Earth.

However, Koros didn’t seem to mind her poor attempts at explaining concepts from her world. He had too many questions for her. Some which she found difficult to answer for other reasons.

“So have only humans conquered the moon of your world, or have us dark elves followed suit?”

Kara twiddled her thumbs. “Well, about that… we kinda only have humans in our world…”

Both Angel and Koros gaped at her.

“What?!”

—--

Kara continued her explanation about her world, answering any questions the Dark Lord could have asked, until the topic returned to her predicament and how she arrived at Alyona.

“—and there was that one time we fought a giant spider. Well— when I say we, I mean I fought the giant spider as Angel watched. Not that Angel can’t fight. You’ve seen his magic, right? He’s pretty dang strong. But that was before Angel learned how to do all that, which I still don’t know how he did…”

Kara caught herself when she realized she was losing her audience. Koros no longer wore an interested look on his face. Instead, he was very much bored. It almost looked like he was going to drift off to sleep at any moment: his shoulders were sagged, and he was resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

Pursing her lips, Kara coughed lightly into her hand. “Uh, are you still with me?”

Koros blinked, then straightened. “Yes, I am— you were talking about the Soulmaster, right?”

“No, that was… like, five minutes ago,” she said quickly, before shaking her head. “Do you know anything about him, by the way?”

“Unfortunately, I have never heard of anyone who goes by that title before.” Koros gave her an apologetic look.

“Right.” She nodded slowly, then her shoulders sagged. “Sorry about going off-track. I just haven’t really had a proper conversation with anyone in so long. And I’ve been through… a lot over these last few months.”

The Dark Lord stared at her. He saw the look on her face— he saw the way she shivered as she recalled everything she had been through. And he bowed his head.

“I should be the one apologizing for my lack of tact. It must have been hard, going from a life with little danger to a life where one wrong move could spell your end.”

“Well, I am used to it now.” Kara raised her head. She felt a furry thing poking at her from the side, and she looked down to see Angel rubbing his face against her arm. She smiled as she rubbed his cheeks. “Anyways, does that answer all your questions?”

She turned to Koros who was nodding his head in thought.

“It has certainly answered some of them. And I find your world of humans with its technology and lack of magic to be quite fascinating. But I still have more questions. Although you have done enough to satisfy my curiosity for now.”

“What do you mean?” Kara asked with a frown. “I told you everything I knew.”

Koros waved a hand dismissively. “Do not be offended by that statement. While I understand you have answered my questions to the best of your abilities, what you said does not answer everything. From what little I know about the history of dragonkind, I can understand wanting to pass on a dragonsoul to a successor. But that still does not answer the question I initially asked— why did Zarkoth choose you?”

“That’s…” And the young woman hesitated.  

“Exactly.” The Dark Lord’s eyes glinted. “There is still much we do not know about Zarkoth’s intentions. Why did he have to summon a human girl from another world as his successor? Why did he not choose to seek refuge in one of the four Sanctuary Cities of the Xor-In Mountains? Alyona would have given him all the aid he required to help him recover, and I know so would Vera and Tatania.”

“What about the fourth?” Kara pointed out. “You said there were four Sanctuary Cities, but you only mentioned three of them.”

Koros strummed his fingers on his desk. “Considering what I know about the Dark Lady of Yulia, it’s a toss-up on whether she would actually offer aid to Zarkoth, or capitalize on his near-death state and turn him into an infinite power source for her city.”

Kara shrank back when she heard that. “...that doesn’t sound like a place I want to visit.”

“I’d highly advise against it,” Koros chuckled.

“So much for being a Sanctuary City,” Kara sighed. She was starting to think that title was a little bit misleading, considering what she experienced in Alyona so far, and what she knew of Yulia now.

The Dark Lord rose to his feet as he crossed his arms behind his back in parade rest. “It truly is unfortunate to hear of Zarkoth’s passing. But I cannot lie and say I am not relieved to hear that it was only humans who got to him. If it had been the Dreamers instead… I fear for what they could have accomplished with his corpse.”

“The Dreamers?” Kara narrowed her eyes, and Angel perked up next to her.

“That’s right, the Dreamers.” Koros nodded as he looked out a window towards the undulating hills in the distance. “You are somewhat familiar with them, even if not by name. After all, you’ve seen the destruction they have wreaked across the Xor-In Mountains.”

Kara folded her arms across her chest. “Wait, I thought you said that was all caused by monsters?”

“That is true. But what I had neglected to say is that those monsters were brought forth by the Dreamers. In particular, by a man by the name of Adam.”

“And am I expected to know who this Adam is supposed to be?”

Koros folded his arms with a scoff. “Of course not. Even ignoring your origins from another world, most humans do not know of him, for they do not privy themselves to the matters of us dark elves.”

“So he’s a dark elf like you?” Kara said simply.

“And he was a Dark Lord like me, too.”

That made Angel cock his head. But Kara just gave Koros a flat stare, waiting for him to continue.

The Dark Lord closed his eyes, speaking in a morose voice. “There was once a fifth Sanctuary City by the name of Catherine. And it was ruled by Adam the Dark Lord. Because of his might and his intellect, it was known as the safest and greatest of the Sanctuary Cities. But it no longer exists.”

“And I’m assuming it’s because of him?” the young woman asked apprehensively.

“In a sense, yes,” Koros whispered, before looking up again. “But what happened back then matters not. What matters is that he will not stop, even if it means burning down all of the Xor-In Mountains, to fulfill his twisted ambitions.”

Kara was starting to feel like a broken record, constantly asking the Dark Lord questions. But even though she knew little about this world and its people, she still shuddered as she learned more about this Adam.  

“What… what are his ambitions?” She swallowed as she asked the question.

Koros stared at her for a long moment, before looking down at himself. He peered into the palm of his hand, before giving a mirthless laugh.

“He wishes to become a god.”

And Kara grew cold when she heard what the Dark Lord said.

—--

“Wait, wait, wait!” Kara protested as Koros escorted her and Angel out of the office. “You can’t just drop that bomb on me and ask me to leave!”

“On the contrary, that’s what I’m doing right now.” The Dark Lord smirked back at her, undoing the enchantment on the doorway.

“If what you’re saying is true, then doesn’t that mean Alyona is in danger too? That guy is a megalomaniac! And he’s extremely strong, right? What happens if he attacks this city?” She paused by the doorway, staring at Koros with wide eyes.

He sighed, shaking his head. “Adam is indeed incredibly powerful. And he is accompanied by monsters that have never been seen before— creatures that have been described as nightmares . Their abilities and their weaknesses are undocumented. No one knows just what kind of threat they could pose. All we know is that they are capable of leveling small cities in only a few hours.”

“But Alyona is a Sanctuary City— and you’re a Dark Lord like Adam! So that means you’re as strong as him, right? I…” Kara drew her lips into a thin line. She met Koros’s gaze, before taking in a deep breath. “If he attacks us, would you win?”

The Dark Lord of Alyona smiled when he heard her question. He stood up straighter as he hefted his helmet over his head. His eyes glinted as he nodded at her.

“No, I’d lose.”

And Kara blinked, before he ushered her out of the room.

“At least he’s honest,” she said as she followed after him.

—--

“Dark Lord, have you made your decision?”  

Kara and Koros both came to a halt in the middle of the hallway as a dark elf clad in ornate armor stopped them. Angel bumped into the back of her legs, then peeked out to see who it was. The bear cub immediately shrank back when he saw the man standing there.

“Uh-oh.” Kara recognized him too— of course, she did. They had traded blows just a few hours prior. He had been the first of the drakenriders who had charged at her, then ignored her words just because she was a human. He confronted the Dark Lord as she stood almost protectively over Angel.

“Thank you for lending me your office once again, Captain Hayder.” Koros nodded cordially, seemingly ignoring the tone at which the other dark elf spoke. He gestured at Kara casually. “And I have made my decision— I will be allowing both Kara and Angel into my city.”

Hayder’s lips twisted into a scowl. He wasn’t even trying to mask the fact that he was unhappy with this outcome.

“Dark Lord, with all due respect, we allowed a human into our city no more than a year ago, and he has caused us nothing but trouble ever since he arrived.”

Kara narrowed her eyes when she heard that. She had assumed Hayder’s hatred towards her stemmed from a general distrust and dislike of humans. But it seemed that that wasn’t entirely the case.

“You know as well as I do that that was a vastly different circumstance than this time around. He was dying, and we chose to save a life. Because of that, I could not investigate whether he posed a threat to our city before he ran free.”

Koros spoke simply, meeting Hayder’s gaze.

“Meanwhile, I have spoken with Kara, and I know she wishes no harm upon our people. I am certain of it.”

“And how do you know she isn’t using some kind of spell to mask her intentions?” Hayder asked, no longer hiding his disdain for this decision.

For a moment, the Dark Lord and the Captain of the First Company remained in a tense stand-off as Kara and Angel stood awkwardly to the side. The latter two evidently tried to stay away from opining in this argument.

But Koros’s eyes darted towards her, and he grinned. “If my words aren’t assurance enough, then let her actions speak for itself. After all—”

Hayder furrowed his brows, watching the Dark Lord walk up to the young woman. She stared at him quizzically as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Kara here has told me that she will help us deal with our little human troublemaker to prove herself to us.”

“Wait, I will?” Her eyes widened as Koros finished. She had tried to stay out of this discussion because she didn’t want to exacerbate Hayder’s hostility, but she was forcefully dragged in by the Dark Lord.

Hayder’s brows snapped together at that. He opened his mouth to speak, but Koros nodded.

“You will help us deal with that other human, won’t you?” the Dark Lord said with a small smile.

Kara gaped for a moment longer, then looked towards Hayder. She saw the way he hesitated as he eyed her. She realized this was the only way to defuse the situation. So she quickly agreed.

“Uh, of course! I’ll bring this asshole to justice— because he gives us humans a bad name!” Kara flexed an arm, and Koros gave her a flat stare. She realized she overdid it as her shoulders sagged.

Koros sighed as he faced Hayder.

“I do wish I could deal with that rogue human myself, but I have other responsibilities to attend to. However, I hope this is enough for you, Captain?”

Hayder gritted his teeth. He glanced between Kara and Koros a few times. And he finally unclenched his jaw.

“Yes, Dark Lord. I have no qualms with this arrangement.” He relented, his eyes fluttering shut.

“Very good.” Koros nodded as he ushered Kara down the hallway. “Now if you will excuse us—”

They started past the Captain of the First Company, then his eyes snapped open. He spoke up, glaring at Kara. “But know this, human: if you do anything as much as start a fight with anyone in the city, I will have you arrested and locked up. Is that understood?”

Kara blinked at his words. “Uh, sure?”

And with that, Hayder marched back to his office and slammed the double doors behind him.

When he was gone, Kara turned to Koros and asked, “...what was his problem?”

“It’s a long story, and I’m sure you can already infer some of the details,” the Dark Lord said as he made his way down the walls of the city. Both Angel and Kara followed suit.

“You guys let a human into the city, and he’s causing you guys trouble. I got that much.”

“The situation is a lot more complex than that,” Koros explained. “You see, he isn’t actually causing us any trouble any longer. If we left him alone, he wouldn’t be a problem for us. But we can’t exactly let him go.”

“Why not?” Kara asked as they reached the bottom of the stairwell.

“Because he stole a few powerful artifacts that belong to our city. Artifacts that are kept in our vault for times of need. So we need them back. That is why we have been hunting him down for the last year, but he has proven to be quite elusive, hiding himself away in the lower tunnels of Alyona.”

“And the lower tunnels is…?”

Koros came to a halt before the exitway. Kara and Angel stopped just behind him, and he continued, “The lower tunnels is a network of caves that lie underneath our city. They do not lead anywhere, but they are full of dangerous monsters. We have lost many good soldiers and guards trying to hunt him down in that maze of death.”

“So you want me to go down there and find this guy?” Kara said, chewing on her lower lip.

But to her surprise, the Dark Lord shook his head. “You don’t have to force yourself to do anything. I was only telling Hayder what he wanted to hear. If you wish to help us out, it is up to you.”

“Oh.” Kara exchanged a glance with Angel. Then she looked Koros up and down, and slowly, a smile spread across her face. “You— I would’ve thought that someone with the title of Dark Lord would be evil. But you’ve only been kind to me. So… thank you. For letting me into your city. And for sticking up for me.”

Koros laughed as he raised his helmet back to his head. “While I appreciate your flattery, I would not treat any other guest of our city differently from how I’ve treated you.”

“Still, I appreciate it a lot.” Kara placed a hand on her chest as she spoke gratefully. Angel nodded beside her. “Even though you said I don’t have to do anything about that other human, I’ll still see what I can do, I guess.”

She couldn’t lie and say that she wasn’t intrigued by the prospect of meeting another human. There was the fact that she was, in fact, a human too. Even if she didn’t feel like one after everything she had been through. But she thought that speaking to one would ground her back to reality, even if he was… a lying thief.

And there was also the possibility that humans in this world might not have been carbon copies of humans back on Earth. So she might not have shared a kinship with whoever this guy was. However, she was still intrigued. Especially with what Zarkoth had told her about humans— how they quite literally stole magic from the dragons.

She was curious how it worked. If greatly it differed to her dragonsoul, or if it was similar at all. With the way Zarkoth had characterized it, it seemed to be more likely to be the former. But she didn’t know for sure. And while she could ask questions while in the city, the only way she could truly learn this fact was by speaking to another human.

So she made her decision.

“If you insist, I will not stop you. But until then—” Koros yanked a chain, pulling up a portcullis to allow entry into the city.

Kara looked forward, and she saw a vast expanse of densely packed stone buildings spread out into a massive cavern that was many miles wide. Stretching further into the cavern, a uniform network of intersecting streets were limned by magical lanterns, casting indistinct shadows over the amorphous rabble of folks living in the city.

A giant statue was erected at the very center of a large courtyard, reaching up to barely touch the long stalactites hanging from the ceiling. There were thin towers— minarets of sorts— interspersed throughout the city, and they glowed with a faint light.

It was unlike any city the young woman had ever seen back on Earth. Far more cluttered and clustered in its space. She gaped at this scene as Koros lowered his helmet onto his head.

And his voice echoed around the room as he spread his arms wide. “Welcome to the Sanctuary City of Alyona.”

—--

And deep beneath the Sanctuary City of Alyona, a lone figure strode past a pile of dark elf corpses, covered by a barrier of white light. His daggers were stained with fresh blood as he twirled them between his fingers. One of the fallen bodies moved— still alive.

But he reacted in an instant, throwing his dagger into the guard’s neck. There was a gargled sound. The guard dropped dead for real this time. And the weapon reappeared in his hand with a flash as he saw a blue screen pop up before his eyes.

*Ding!* You have leveled up!

[Treasure Thief - Level 39] has become [Treasure Thief - Level 40]!

You have reached a capstone level! You can now evolve your Class!

The man— formerly the only human who was present within a hundred miles of Alyona, but now, unknowingly, one of two humans there— smiled savagely. He picked up a golden cross sticking out of the ground as the barrier surrounding him dissipated. He looked over the notification he received from the System once again.

And he sat down, cross-legged by the pile of corpses.  

“Fucking finally,” he spat as he closed his eyes. “It’s time to escape this damned shithole.”

Chapter 9: Food For Thought

Before parting ways with Koros for good, Kara learned a little bit more about the Sanctuary City of Alyona. Most of the population was generally composed of dark elves, although there were plenty of orcs, trolls, and minotaurs thrown into the mix. There were other species’ living amongst them too, but they were far and few in between.

So the general makeup of the populace was quite eclectic. And yet, Kara still found herself standing out like a sore thumb. Wherever she went, she drew stares from most passersby. Even though she was accompanied by a literal bear cub, they were all looking at her instead.

Because she was a human.

Of course, not all of the looks she received were that of hate or fear. Some of them were curious, while others were shocked. No one expected to see a human here this deep in the Xor-In Mountains.

“All this staring is making me insecure about myself,” Kara sighed, looking down at herself. “Especially with how I’m dressed…”

While she knew they couldn’t care less about the clothes she wore, she didn’t enjoy standing out, since she had always been more of an introvert. And she saw the garbs others wore. Most of the dark elves seemed to wear simple garbs. Cloth tunics and leather pants. The men and the women didn’t seem to dress too differently. The same applied to the trolls, who often seemed to wear long robes that covered most of their bodies.

Now that Kara was finally back in civilization, after having wandered the wilderness for so long, she wanted to take a warm bath and wear some proper clothes. Although, she wasn’t sure about dark elven fashion. If anything, she’d commission her own clothing, but that would be for after she had some cash.

There were a lot of things she could do. Maybe she could make some friends too, if that was even possible. And she still needed to track that human thief down as well. But more than anything, right now, Kara wanted—

Her stomach rumbled as a delicious aroma of food wafted by her nostrils. Angel looked up at her, and she puffed her cheeks, turning away from him in embarrassment.

“Using magic makes me hungry, alright? And I haven’t had a proper seasoned meal in months…”

The bear cub giggled as she clutched her stomach. Her mouth was practically watering at this point. She wiped the drool off her cheeks and made her way towards the smell of food. Eventually, Kara found herself before a food stand in the middle of a busy street. For some reason, it was empty. Even though it was right by the city gates, where crowds of refugees were entering.

The young woman inhaled deeply, taking in the delectable smell drifting out from the pot, before taking a step forward. And then she heard a voice shouting.

“Lizard soup! Get your lizard soup here!”  

That made Kara pause. She blinked a few times as she turned to the vendor manning the stand. It was a troll— and Kara couldn’t quite tell if it was male or female because of the robes they wore.

The food vendor raised a stick with white meatballs on them. It almost looked like a fishball of sorts. Or at least, that was what Kara thought it was, until she heard what it was supposed to be.

“Roasted giant centipede eyes! Dipped in a secret sauce from the Zuri Tribe!”

Kara narrowed her eyes as she saw the food vendor waving the stick of eyeballs at a passing dark elf couple. They recoiled in disgust, before hurrying away. The food vendor harrumphed and looked at the staring young woman.

“Hmph, the people of this city truly have no sense of taste. Cursed souls, back in my tribe, these dishes are considered a delicacy.” As a troll, the food vendor towered over Kara. With metallic black skin, and a pair of tiny horns, he… she… it looked like it could crush the young woman’s skull with a single hand. “And what about you, human? Or you, bear? Do you want to try some authentic troll cuisine? The first skewer is free!”

The troll wore a winning grin as Kara and Angel both stared. It was like a street salesman trying to convince them to try out a scent of perfume. But when the young woman didn’t react, the food vendor drew back.

“Hmph, it’s fine! I didn’t expect a human like you to appreciate my cuisine anyway! Your taste buds have a very limited palate unlike us trolls—”

“Actually,” Kara piped up. She smiled as she raised her head. “I’d love to try some.”

And now that made the troll pause. “...are you being for real?”

Next to Kara, Angel nodded eagerly. “Sorry, mister… uh, miss…”

“It’s miss,” the troll said as she took a pair of skewers of centipede eyes and handed it over to Kara. “And you can just call me Issa.”

“Thank you, Issa,” Kara said gratefully, accepting the food. “I didn’t know what to say because I didn’t expect you to offer me your food for free. I, uh, don’t have any money.”

The young woman glanced towards the sign hanging above the food stand. It had caught her eye earlier, and that was why she froze in place.

Giant Centipede Eyes - 3 Copper Coins

Insect Stew - 4 Copper Coins

Lizard Soup - 5 Copper Coins

Kara had been so far removed from civilization, she completely forgot that money was a thing. So she hadn’t known how she was going to afford anything on the menu, until it was offered to her for free.

She bit into the giant centipede eyes as Issa eyed her.

“How is it?” the food vendor asked.

Kara’s eyes grew wide as she licked her lips. “This is delicious! Come on, Angel, you have to try some!”

She handed over a skewer to the bear cub who hungrily scarfed down the centipede eyes too. Issa looked between the two of them, an amused look on her face.  

“Now, how about that?” she chuckled as she leant against her food stand. “I didn’t expect a human of all the people in this city to be the one to appreciate my cuisine. I was under the impression that your kind mostly stuck to eating pigs and chickens.”

“Well, it doesn’t sound particularly appetizing, but the smell doesn’t lie,” Kara said, tapping her nose. “Also, I’ve had the eyes of a giant spider before, and they’re quite crunchy. So I expected a giant centipede’s eye to be pretty much the same thing.”

Issa’s brows snapped together. Although she had no eyebrows— and no hair in general, like most trolls.

“A giant spider? Wait, are you talking about a tarrantus?” The troll gaped at the young woman from Earth. “Roach shells, you’ve eaten the eyes of a tarrantus before? But they’re inedible— they excrete a paralyzing poison if you bite into them!”

“Yeah, and Angel had to learn that the hard way.” Kara gave the bear cub a sidelong glance. He lowered his head, ashamed. “But once you pour out the poison, it’s actually edible. Although it does taste like rubber… and it also makes my skin itch…”

She trailed off as Issa wobbled in place.

“But… why? Why force yourself to eat a poisoned meal when you can eat anything else?” the troll asked with round eyes.

Kara shrugged. “Because I had no other choice. I had to eat what I could, sometimes going days without food.”

“Days without food?” Issa blinked. “Where did you come from?”

“I have no idea. I was lost somewhere in the Xor-In Mountains. Well, we’re still in the Xor-In Mountains, right? But I had to have been somewhere deep within the mountain range, according to Koros.” Kara shook her head. “And also, those spider eyes are not even the worst thing I’ve had to eat in the last month. I mean, you’d think that flaming salamanders would be edible, only to find out their skin is literally made of stone.”

Issa’s jaw dropped. “Cursed souls, you’ve eaten a igna salamander too…? And wait, did you mention Dark Lord Koros?”

“Yeah, that’s him. He’s the one who let me into the city, although I did get into a bit of a scuffle with the guards before that just because I’m a human.” Nodding, Kara finished the last of her skewer. She chewed on the centipede eyes as she tilted her head curiously. “Have you ever tried to eat the bark of those walking trees, by the way?”

And that made something in Issa snap. “You poor thing…”

She spun around as Kara perked up. But the troll didn’t run away. Instead, she snatched all of her roasting skewers of centipede eyes— it had to have been about a dozen— and forced them into the palm of Kara’s hand.

“Here, have it all!” Issa exclaimed. “I can’t believe you’ve had to endure all that for so long— that’s too terrible!”

“Wait— I don’t have any money!” Kara protested.

But the troll wagged a finger as she drew back. “You can pay me back the next time you’re here! Now, go and enjoy your food and the city!”

Kara tried to return the skewers, however Issa marched back into the inside of her food stand, sniffling and wiping away some tears.

“And here I thought my life in Alyona was rough just because I can’t get any customers. I need to be more grateful for what I have…”

Kara looked towards Angel quizzically, but he ignored her look. Instead, he outstretched a paw, staring at the stick of centipede eyes expectantly. She rolled her eyes.

“Here, but don’t have too much, or you’re going to get fat.”

The bear cub scoffed in response.

—--

Kara continued to explore Alyona for a while longer before she decided to rest. It was a bustling city with all the activity of a colony of ants. Which was fitting, considering the city was hidden away in a cave, eluding the orange glow of sunlight.

It had been a while since the human had been amongst civilization. It was almost exhausting, being surrounded by the mechanisms of society— like the rushing crowds and the shouting street sellers— that was eternally in motion.

While the size of the city was to be expected, since it was one of only four Sanctuary Cities in existence. It wasn’t as massive as, say, the likes of a major population center back on Earth with over a million people living inside its walls. But with its size and how clustered together everything was, she was certain there had to have been hundreds of thousands of people living here in this packed space.

Most of the buildings rose up to only three or four storeys, and many of the roads were narrow with barely any space for a group of people to walk. Although there were a few main roads that were quite large. But they were always busy, pouring with refugees coming into the Sanctuary City. So Kara stayed mostly away from those.

Now, she sat with Angel at the base of the giant statue in the center of the city. A vast courtyard spread out around them, the only section of Alyona that was devoid of buildings. There was a marble block laid out there, etched with golden letters, and it read:

Here slumbers Azad.

The Guardian of Alyona.

Only to awaken when the city is threatened.

Pray that his eyes never need be opened.

Kara squinted as her gaze lingered on the statue’s face. “Doesn’t it kind of look like those massive golems that come out during a magical storm?”

She asked the question offhandedly as she turned to Angel, and he stuffed his face with another skewer of centipede eyeballs in response.

“You should’ve saved some for me.” Kara snorted at the bear cub, then rested her chin on her right hand. She eyed the sea of faces passing through the courtyard.

Just as she’d been told, most of the people of the city were dark elves. They made up about four in every five faces she saw. And the fifth face was always either a minotaur or a troll. Surprisingly, she scarcely saw any orcs around, even though they were supposed to be the second largest group in Alyona.

There was probably a reason for their absence. After all, she had seen plenty of them entering the city earlier.

She stretched her neck as she rose to her feet. “Now then, how am I going to find a place to stay?”

Kara wondered aloud, striding away from the statue. Angel hurried after her as he tossed aside the finished skewers. The two of them made their way down a side street. It was starting to grow less crowded than before. The number of passersby had reduced at least sevenfold compared to earlier.

Since most of the city was built into the mountain, Kara couldn’t quite tell what time it was. But based on everything that had unfolded today, she thought it was safe to assume that it was now nighttime, which was why the streets were emptying. Everyone was going to bed.

And she was starting to feel a little bit drowsy too.

“For that, I’ll need money, right?” Kara asked, placing a hand on her chin. “But how do I make money?”

As she turned the corner, she heard a sharp voice cut its way down the street, followed by an echoing clap.

“You dumb whore!”

A dark elf woman was struck across the face and fell to the floor. A group of orcs surrounded her. They were tall— not as tall as a troll. But each and every one of them stood at around seven feet in height. They weren’t uniformly green in color, coming in different shades. But they all had pointed ears and crimson eyes.

And their presence immediately scared away all the other nearby dark elves. Kara frowned, watching this scene unfold.

“Give me back my coin, or else we’ll take them from you.” The lead orc cracked his knuckles, looming over the lone dark elf woman.

She was already barely dressed in any proper clothing, but he grabbed her by the collar, ripping her shirt even more.

“Are you listening to me?” He balled his right hand into a fist as his fellow orcs snickered behind him. “I said, give me back my coins!”

The dark elf woman mustered up the strength to crane her neck up, and then opened her mouth weakly. “B-but I didn’t take your money…”

The lead orc frowned. He glanced back, seeing mostly other orcs gathered in the street. Not all of them were part of his group, and some of the passersby gave disapproving looks. But no one moved to stop him.

He yelled and swung down at the girl. “Did you not hear me, you deaf w—”

“That’s enough,” Kara said, catching his fist.

The dark elf woman flinched, and the orc froze. He stared at the human suddenly standing before him. “How did you…?”

He tried to yank his hand back, but Kara refused to let go. The orc growled at her as he released the dark elf woman with his other hand.

“You—” he started.

And Kara finally loosened her grip. He stumbled back as she caught the falling dark elf woman.

“Are you alright?” Kara asked, steadying the dark elf woman.

“I-I…” the dark elf woman barely squeaked out a response.

And the orc shouted, taking a step forward. “Who the fuck do you think you are, trying to defend that thief?”

“Thief?” Kara raised a brow.

“That’s right, thief!” another orc yelled in agreement.

The group of them gathered around Kara threateningly, and she dismissively glanced at the weapons hanging from their belts or slung around their back. The lead orc harrumphed. “I paid that cursed prostitute for her services, but she took my money and refused to give me what I asked for!”

His words caused the dark elf woman to wince. Kara narrowed her eyes as she glanced back down.

“Is this true?” she asked the dark elf woman softly.

“...n-no,” the dark elf woman whispered.

“She’s a liar!” the lead orc shouted as he pointed accusingly. “Check her pockets! She took twenty copper coins from me! That’s proof she’s a thief!”

“B-but I didn’t take anything—” she protested weakly. “I-I did what you told me to, and you p-paid me… but then you…”

“Liar!” one of the orcs called out.

“She’s a thief!” another added.

“A thieving, lying prostitute,” the lead orc said as he sneered down at her.

Kara glanced between the group of orcs and the trembling dark elf woman. Her eyes fluttered shut as she remembered a scene from another world. She heard the distant echoes of screaming voices. She recalled peeking through the crack in the doorway. And in that memory, she saw the shadows of her mother fighting with a stranger.

A scene very much reminiscent of what Kara was witnessing in the present.

“Even in a different world, some people really are scum, huh?” Kara whispered to herself.

And the lead orc raised a brow. “What did you say?”

She sighed as she stepped forward, leaving the dark elf woman behind. “Angel, look after her.”

The bear cub immediately rushed to her side, and the orcs stared in confusion.

“Is that an utlas bear…?”

“What is it doing with a human?”

“W-what…?” Even the dark elf woman reacted in shock as she stared at Angel standing by her side.

But the lead orc didn’t pay it any mind. He just ground his teeth together and reached for a cudgel at his belt. He flexed his fingers, speaking threateningly.

“Do not think that you scare me just because you are a human…” he said with an uneasy smile on his face. “My people have clashed with you humans before. So we are not afraid of you.”

Raising her hands placatingly, Kara lowered her head. “Look, I don’t want to cause any trouble. Because if I do, I’m going to get kicked out of this city… or worse. So I’m only going to ask this once—”

The orcs blinked in unison, and she glared at them as her left eye burned with a golden flame.

“Leave us the fuck alone, or I’ll make you regret it.”

And that made the group of orcs back up nervously. The street had cleared out at this point, now it was only Kara, Angel, the prostitute, and the orcs. But for whatever reason, the lead orc refused to cower.

He drew his cudgel as he snarled. “You—”

Kara tensed. But the weapon was never drawn. Instead, a blurred projectile shot down the street and struck the lead orc in the palm of his hand. He screamed in pain as he dropped the cudgel to the ground.

“Uh, what?” Kara’s gaze snapped to the side.

And she saw a figure that hadn’t been there moments ago now standing there. He was a full head shorter than her, with flowing golden locks that matched hers, completed by a porcelain-pale skin. By his looks, he couldn’t have been older than a mere teen. But still, he lowered a bow as he drew another arrow from his quiver slung around his shoulder.

Kara stared at him with wide eyes. “You’re… a human? No, wait—”

“I must apologize for interrupting,” he said as he stepped forward. “While I really wanted to see you kick their asses, I do not wish to see you be ejected from Alyona either. So I have decided to intervene.”

She saw the way his ears twitched. Just as long as the orcs. Maybe even longer. And she breathed, “You’re an elf.”

“Indeed, I am. And my name is Caius. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms Kara.” The elf smiled at her.

“You know me?” Kara blinked, breaking out of her stupor.

“I do, and while I wish to exchange more pleasantries with you—” Caius started, before he was interrupted by a furious scream.

The lead orc was clutching onto his bleeding hand as he pointed at the elf. “Kill him!”

And his posse charged forward, drawing their weapons. There were about a dozen of them, each one of them carrying a sword or a club or an axe. Kara immediately moved to intercept them. But Caius continued speaking as he laughed.

“Unfortunately, for now, I do have to take out the trash. So let’s chat more later. You can just watch from the side.”

Kara looked on as he loosed arrow after arrow at the charging orcs. Already, half of them had been dropped, having been shot through the knees. They curled up into balls and groaned in pain. But the first of the orcs reached Caius.

He was tiny compared to them. But he showed not a hint of fear. Three orcs surrounded him and swung their weapons for his head, and he deftly danced around their attacks.

He flipped over them as he nocked three arrows onto his bow. “Watch your steps!”

And he loosed the arrows, striking them all in their ankles. They stumbled forward and slammed their heads into each other. In an instant, they knocked each other out. Now there were only three orcs remaining standing. The rest of them had been quickly disarmed.

And he did it with non-lethal attacks, Kara observed, eyeing the fallen orcs.

Two of the remaining three orcs exchanged a glance, before dropping their weapons. They turned around and fled as now only the lead orc remained.

He cursed, watching them run. “Those idiots…”

He picked up his cudgel with uninjured hand and stepped forward. Caius raised a brow in response.

“Oh? You haven’t had enough? Good gods, are you really that stupid to want to continue?”

“Are you sure you want to do this, elf?” the lead orc said simply as he continued to stride towards Caius. “I heard your kind is getting close to extinction. Do you really want to contribute to—”

And Kara blinked as an arrow shot forward faster than any previous arrow. It struck the lead orc in the head, making recoil. But he didn’t fall to the ground. Instead, he craned his neck up as he bared his teeth.

“Struck a nerve, huh?” He laughed as his skin rippled with a gray sheen. He flexed, taking a heavy step forward. “Seventh Core: Iron Skin. Your weak arrows aren’t going to hurt me, now.”

Caius didn’t respond. The expression on his face had completely changed. No longer did he wear a casual smirk. Instead, he wore an apathetic gaze as he faced the orc. And yet, Kara could sense the murderous intent there.

But the orc couldn’t care less. He began to move faster as he cackled wildly. “Do not worry, I will let you meet your people soon enough! Tenth Core—”

He leapt into the air, and Caius raised his bow. There was no arrow there, but still, the weapon flashed with a yellow light.

“Thirteenth Core: A Hunter’s Catch.”

And a net made of magic shot out, wrapping around the orc mid-air. He shouted in anger as he was bound by it, before it crackled with electricity. His angry shouts quickly turned to screams of pain as he dropped to the ground like a rock. But his bindings continued to zap him where he lay.

“And it’s over— that took longer than I thought. Sorry about that.” Caius shook his head apologetically as he turned to Kara. His carefree demeanor returned.

She stared at the prone orc with round eyes, seeing the crackling electricity. “Is he going to be…?”

“Do not worry, that won’t kill him,” Caius said as he walked up next to her. He waved a hand off dismissively as the orc continued to scream. “It’ll hurt a bit, but it’s not enough to kill anyone. And it’s not like I can kill him even if I wanted to. Because I’ll get in trouble if I do that.”

“Oh—” She winced as the orc’s cries of pain became an uncontrollable sobbing. While she didn’t feel sorry for him, she couldn’t help but wonder what he was going through right now. “Well, I’m glad this has all been resolved for now.”

Kara looked back towards Angel. He gave her a nod as he helped the dark elf woman to her feet. But even though she was safe now, she was still in shock about what was going on.

“We should probably get out of here,” Kara said as she turned towards the elf.

“Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for the city guards to arrive so we can explain what happened.” He slung his bow behind his back and met her gaze. “We’ll be in even bigger trouble if we run away from the scene of a crime.”

Kara pursed her lips. “Oh, I see.”

“Don’t worry, you didn’t do anything at all. You were just a bystander, so you can recount what happened. Even if Hayder doesn’t believe you, he’ll believe me.” Caius gave her a reassuring smile.

And she eyed him suspiciously. “Right, I get that… but how do you know all this? About Hayder? About me?”

“Oh, how could I not know about you?” the elf chuckled as he looked her once over. “You’re famous— you’re the one who gave Koros a scare, and humbled Hayder in battle. But more than that…”

He drew closer to Kara as she furrowed her brows. He leaned forward, staring into her red and blue eyes with his emerald-green eyes.

“You’re also the one who’s going to hunt down and stop Levi, aren’t you?”

And that made Kara pause. She reeled, hearing his words. Then she blinked. “Uh, who?”

Caius stared at her, seeing the confusion in her face. He scratched the back of his head as he explained, “...the human thief who has been causing Alyona trouble for the past year?”

Kara blinked. “Oh, him.”

Chapter 10: Restful Sleep

After some questioning, Kara revealed the truth about her promise to stop Levi— the human thief who stole from Alyona’s vaults.

“So Koros lied to get Hayder off your ass?” Caius asked with wide eyes.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Kara said apologetically. “I don’t actually have to do anything about Levi if I don’t feel like it. And while I do want to stop him, I want to chill for today, at least.”

She thought that the elf would get upset. After all, he had gone out of his way to search for her already, so this was probably a pressing issue for him. But instead, he doubled over in laughter, much to her surprise.

“That’s hilarious— and I should have expected that from Koros. He’s such a shrewd man. Seriously, he pulled a similar stunt when I first came to Alyona. Not with Hayder, but with the other captains…”

“Wait, why would they be against letting you into the city?” Kara frowned.

“Because I’m an elf,” Caius said as he waved a hand off casually, turning away from her. “Same reason why they were against letting you into the city.”

“That really doesn’t explain anything,” she objected.

But he refused to elaborate. “And here I was, actually excited about going to catch Levi today. I thought I finally found a co-conspirator who was going to help me bring him in for good. Alas, I fell for one of Koros’s tricks.”

“What do you mean by that?” Kara eyed him curiously. “I was under the impression that the city guards are actively trying to hunt that guy down.”

“They are trying .” Caius nodded, before pausing. “Well, not as much as before. They used to be more active in their search efforts because Hayder was the one leading them. But even after delving into the lower tunnels a hundred times and never seeing Levi once, they’ve decided to spend their time and resources elsewhere.”

“So they’ve given up their search?”

“No, they’re still sending some patrols down into the lower tunnels. And Hayder wants to bring that ‘cursed thieving human’ — his words, not mine— to justice. However, even he can recognize that the whole threat of a possible monster attack is far more pressing than some thief.” The elf waved a hand dismissively. “Which is very much fair. It’s not like Levi stole the Keys of Azad, anyway. Now that would be quite problematic.”

Kara might not have understood the full context of everything he said, but she got the gist of it. She crossed her arms across her chest. “So that’s why you want to be the one to find Levi. Because nobody else will?”

“Exactly— you’re smart, Kara. I like that about you.” Caius gave her an approving look. “But unfortunately for me, they won’t let me join the patrols going down to the lower tunnels to find Levi.”

“Why not?” She tilted her head at him.

“Because to them, I’m a kid… even though I’m like fifty years older than most of them,” he said with a shrug.

“Wait, you’re fifty years old?” Kara gaped at him.

But he shook his head. “No— I’m fifty years older than most of them. I am actually eighty-six years old.”

Kara rubbed her temples as she sighed, “I should’ve expected that. You’re an elf, after all…”

While her world didn’t have elves beyond in fantasy books, they generally were known to live long lives. The fact that Caius looked like he was maybe fifteen or sixteen, but was somehow four times her age, shouldn’t have taken her aback.

She did wonder how old elves in Xantos could live if they were still practically teenagers at eighty-six years of age. If she had to guess, maybe they could live up to five hundred years old. Perhaps even a thousand. Or they might not have even died from old age. She didn’t know for sure, and it wasn’t the appropriate time to ask that question for now. It was something she could figure out later.

Caius crossed his arms as he continued, “Anyway, I’m not stupid enough to go down to the lower tunnels alone, so I’ve been looking for someone who is strong enough to accompany me.”

“And you were hoping that would be me,” Kara said knowingly.

“That’s right.” The elf smiled as he proffered her a hand. “You’re quite strong— you’re even stronger than Hayder. So what do you say?”

She placed a hand on her chin, muttering to herself, “Well, I did tell Koros that I was willing to look into that whole Levi situation. And also…”

I do want to speak with another human, the thought crossed her mind. Just to learn more about what humans in this world are like.

However, she kept that thought to herself. Instead, she shook her head as she faced the elf. “As I said, I haven’t even been here for more than a few hours, so I need some time to relax and settle down. Besides—”

Her eyes narrowed as she studied his face, then she looked back towards Angel. The bear cub was snuggling up to the dark elf woman as she averted her gaze from the bleeding orcs scattered across the street.

Kara faced Caius studiously. “Aren’t you the one who shot that magical arrow towards Angel when I first arrived?”

The elf froze. His entire body stiffened as a bead of sweat slid down the back of his neck. He looked away from the young woman.

“O-oh, that? T-that could’ve been anyone!”

Kara gave him a flat stare. “I saw your face. You were the only elf standing at the battlements.”

“Are you sure you saw me? Maybe that could’ve been your imagination…?” Caius said, not even convincing himself.

Her gaze bore into him, and he laughed nervously. Finally, she sighed as she crossed her arms.

“It’s fine, I guess. Even though you almost hurt Angel, you didn’t. And you helped me out here too. So no harm, no foul, right?”

Caius nodded eagerly. “I’ve never heard of that phrase before, but I agree with it.”

Kara rolled her eyes as she took a step back. She swept her gaze over the street of injured orcs. “So what do we do about these guys?”

And as she asked the question, a voice bellowed down the road.

“What is going on?” A group of drakenriders appeared from down the corner as Caius scoffed.

“Looks like the city guards have arrived. Just in time to be late… as usual.”

—--

Apparently, Caius was a known vigilante troublemaker here in Alyona, so much so that the city guards immediately understood what happened. He explained what happened to them casually, and they would have believed him. But then they saw Kara standing there to the side.

And a few minutes later, Hayder showed up.

Kara thought she was going to get into trouble there and then. But Caius intervened, placating the guard captain with ease.

“Are you absolutely certain that human did nothing?” Hayder asked insistently.

“She was just a bystander. I am being honest. You can even ask that lady over there.” Caius gestured at the dark elf woman— the prostitute who was being harassed by the orcs.

“T-that’s right,” she squeaked. “It was only Mr Caius who was involved with the altercation.”

Hayder narrowed his eyes. “I see.”

He didn’t look too convinced, but with no one willing to testify against Kara, he eventually took his leave, bringing the injured orcs in tow. Kara sighed in relief once he began to leave. But she didn’t expect to see Caius going with them too.

“Wait, why do you have to go?” she asked, watching him turn around to leave. “Weren’t you going to tell me more about that whole Levi-thing?”

“Sorry, but I have to explain what happened here to Koros.” The elf glanced back at her as he scratched the back of his head. “I’m under his direct supervision, you see. Which is why I occasionally get away with these things. But this time around, it’s going to be a bit of a mess, since it involves both dark elves and orcs.”

She gave him a quizzical look. “Wait, why does that matter?”

“Because tensions are at an all time high between them. Less than ten percent of our population used to be orcs. Now, it’s over twenty percent because of all the refugees coming in. The dark elves are unhappy with this change, and the influx of orcs are refugees, so they’re struggling to fit in. It’s a huge problem that Koros is struggling to deal with. And I was told to stay out of this whole mess so I don’t cause more problems.”

“But you got involved.”

“Yeah… I’ll have to apologize to Koros,” Caius said, waving at her and making his way down the street. “Anyway, we’ll talk more later, alright?”

“Right, but not today please,” Kara called out. “I still want to spend some time enjoying the city and finding a place to sleep! What about tomorrow afternoon?”

Unfortunately for her, he already disappeared down the corner. Now she was expecting him to show up the moment she found some downtime to relax. Or even worse— when she was about to fall asleep.

She was really looking forward to finding a place to sleep. It would be the first time she’d feel safe as she drifted into her dreams in a long time. After everything she had been through, she was almost excited for something as simple as a normal night’s rest.

“Well, he was nice… even if he did almost hurt Angel.” Kara placed her hands on her hips, before turning around. “Angel, how’s the—”

“Thank you.”

Kara recoiled as she saw the dark elf woman suddenly standing behind her. “Fuck, you scared me.”

“I do not know how I could possibly repay you,” the dark elf woman continued, her head bowed. “I should’ve known better than to offer my services to those orcs. But I had no other choice… and you stood up for me… how did you do that?”

She raised her head, looking up at Kara with round eyes.

“I, uh…” Kara looked towards Angel for help, but he didn’t offer her any. She didn’t know what to say. So she sighed and nodded at the dark elf woman. “First thing’s first, what’s your name? I’m Kara, and this is Angel.”

The dark elf woman blinked a few times, before shrinking back. “I am just a lowly prostitute. My name is unimportant—”

Kara scoffed, “It’s important to me. I’d prefer to call you by your name, rather than thinking of you as ‘that prostitute over there’, you know?”

“I—” The dark elf woman hesitated, before nodding. “My name is Arjin, and I am forever in your debt, Ms Kara.”

“Well, Arjin, it is nice to meet you too,” Kara said as she took Arjin’s hand and shook it, much to the shock of the prostitute. “And you don’t have to forever be in my debt. You can repay me by helping me find a place to stay for the night. Also, please don’t call me ‘miss’ when we’re like the same age. It’s too formal and it makes me feel old.”

“A place to stay? Is that really all you need from me in return for what you did?” Arjin stared in disbelief.

Kara looked herself up and down. “I would also like to find a shop to get some new clothes, but…”

She looked up and eyed the prostitute’s clothing— what was barely considered a shirt, along with some rags that resembled a miniskirt. Her lips drew into a thin line, before she shook her head.

“I think I can figure that out myself.”

“Are you certain?” Arjin asked as she placed her hands on her chest. “I can help you find some shops—”

“No, I insist,” Kara cut off the prostitute. “For now, I just need a place to sleep tonight, alright?”

And Arjin nodded. “Perhaps I could convince my innkeeper to offer you a room for a few nights…”

—--

Kara learned more about Arjin as they made their way to the inn. And it was an inn, the prostitute stayed at. She didn’t have a home here in Alyona. She was one of the many refugees who found herself in the Sanctuary City because of what was going on across the Xor-In Mountains.

However, her home wasn’t destroyed, much to Kara’s surprise.

“You mean you’ve never seen a nightmare  before?”

“A nightmare?” Arjin gave a confused look. “If you’re asking if I have had bad dreams before…”

“Sorry,” Kara quickly corrected herself. “I’m talking about those mysterious monsters that have been going around and destroying cities.”

The prostitute lowered her head. “Most of us left our home when we learned of what was going on around us. We thought it was a seasonal uptick in monster activity, so we believed it would be safer for us to seek refuge in a Sanctuary City until it passes. Unfortunately, it has been half a year, and judging by the number of refugees coming in every day, things are only getting worse.”

“I see…”

Angel trailed after the two of them too, of course. But he didn’t seem too keen to participate in the conversation… especially because he couldn’t speak.

They made their way through Alyona until they reached the very end of the cavern. There, a large tunnel burrowed its way further into the mountainside, and shabbily built houses began to pop up.

“These are the upper tunnels of Alyona,” Arjin explained as she lowered her head. She almost seemed ashamed about living here. “It’s not exactly… the nicest part of the city, but it’s where most refugees like me live.”

Kara swept her gaze over her brand new surroundings. Unlike the rest of Alyona, which was composed of buildings made of brick and stone, the houses here were made out of rock and mud. A foul odor perfumed the area, and the defecation of animals and pests smeared the walls of every building. There were very few structures here that seemed even somewhat stable, most of them rather cramped, only having a single floor.

There was evidently no clear architectural planning for this section of the Sanctuary City. The buildings were shoddily designed, many of which seeming to have been erected over the last year. If Kara had to guess, this region, the upper tunnels, were the slums of Alyona, and it was far more densely packed here than in the main city.

Which was surprising, considering how Kara had already thought that the main city was quite crowded. There were also a lot more orcs gathered here in the upper tunnels. They were clustered together in their groups, hanging around small fires. While there were fewer dark elves in this section of the city, there was still a substantial population of them here, too.  Although… she wondered where they all lived, if they even had housing at all.

She wrinkled her nose as she eyed a small hut made entirely of dirt, smelling terribly of defecation.

“Don’t tell me you live in one of those.” Kara didn’t mind the scent or sight, so much as she had hoped her sleeping conditions now that she was in a city would be nicer than before. Even Angel looked disappointed by the very idea of staying in one of these ugly hovels.

But Arjin shook her head, much to their relief. “My inn is that way—”

She pointed towards a building that was built into the walls of the tunnel. Kara let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding, before following after the prostitute. They stepped into the cave-like inn as a rough voice piped up.

“Yer finally back, aren’t ye, Arjin?”

Kara saw a stout figure there, moving behind a stone counter. She couldn’t see his face, and he couldn’t see theirs either, but he must have caught a glimpse of them somehow as he called out to them, hobbling around to greet them.

“And I see ye have other guests, don’t ye?” It was a dwarf. Kara didn’t need to be told that the innkeeper was a dwarf as soon as she saw him. He was barely four feet tall, and he had a massive brown beard that was knotted together down the middle. He was also quite rotund, like he had an oversized beer belly. And for whatever reason, he was carrying a tray full of iron ingots with him. “Ye shoulda told me ye were bringin’ more customers— wait, what in the flaming forges happened ta yer face?!”

Arjin shrank back as he rushed over to her side, dropping his tray of iron ingots. They clattered to the ground with a clamor of clangs. The prostitute tried to cover her bruised cheek, before waving a hand dismissively. “O-oh, this? I’ve always had it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, will ye? Come here, I’ve got some healing ointments lyin’ around.”

“Wait, Mr Dammir—” She grabbed him by the arm, but he tried to shrug her off.

“Yer too damn stubborn always, aren’t ye? Well, ye can’t stop me from helpin’ ye recover faster. How are ye goin’ to continue doin’ yer job if ye have got a face like that?”

“That’s not it, Mr Dammir,” Arjin protested as she spun him around, and he wobbled where he stood. “I need your help for my friend.”

“For yer… friend?” Dammir furrowed his bushy brows. And then he paused when he finally saw the two other figures in the room.

Kara cleared her throat. Angel stood up on two legs next to her. They waved at the dwarf in unison.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kara—” the young woman started.

But Dammir exclaimed, practically shouting over her. “I know ye!”

Arjin recoiled and covered her ears as the dwarf barreled forward, nearly knocking over a stone chair. That was right— he nearly broke a chair made out of literal stone.

He pointed at Kara as he looked at her, goggle-eyed. “Aren’t ye that human who caused a big ruckus outside of the city? Everyone’s talkin’ bout how ye fought off the First Company by yourself! How’d ye do it?”

“Me?” Kara blinked. “I mean, I didn’t mean to do it? They just attacked me, so I defended myself…”

“It was all in self-defense, eh?” Dammir guffawed as he took a nearby seat. He glanced back towards Arjin with a grin. “Ye didn’t tell me yer guest was the human herself! And her bear too!”

He eyed Angel, who just blinked back curiously at the dwarf. Kara glanced between them as they locked gazes for a long moment. And then Dammir exclaimed.

“By Kozli’s beard, is that an utlas bear?!”  

Kara watched as the dwarf gushed all over Angel. She scratched the back of her head, before turning to face Arjin.

“Your innkeeper is quite… excitable, isn’t he?” she remarked offhandedly.

But the prostitute didn’t respond. Instead, she shifted where she stood as her face was shadowed over. Kara narrowed her eyes at Arjin.

“Uh, Arjin? Are you alright?”

Arjin was practically trembling at this point. Her breathing quickened, and Kara thought that the dark elf woman was going to have a stroke. But then, Arjin looked up and squeaked hesitantly.

“I didn’t realize you were a famous individual, Ms K-Kara…” She bowed her head as Kara stared in confusion. “I-I apologize if I disrespected you in any way!”

And Kara sighed, “I’m not famous. Also, why are you calling me ‘miss’ again? Didn’t I already tell you to stop that?”

It took a while to calm down both Arjin and Dammir. The former needed reassurances from Kara, while the latter managed to steel himself on his own. When he was finished gushing over Angel, he grinned and pointed a thumb at himself.

“I am Dammir, and I am tha smithkeeper of this place.”

“Smithkeeper?” Kara asked quizzically.

“Get it? It’s a mix between a blacksmith and innkeeper,” Dammir laughed even though it wasn’t a funny joke. “Because I incorporated my smithy into an inn.”

Kara looked up across the stone room. She saw weapons and armor hanging from the wall— that which she had thought was decoration when she first arrived. “This place was a forge?”

“Nay, it is a forge,” the smithkeeper corrected her. “It’s just also an inn now too.”

“I… see.”

Kara peered further behind the counter, and she could see an anvil, some tools, and the forge itself all built into the kitchen. Or maybe the kitchen was built into the forge. The design wasn’t exactly intuitive. It looked like an ugly clash between a tavern and a smithy, where there was no seamless transition from one to another.

It was a wonder how this inn even had any customers. It looked like it was barely livable, in its current state. And that fact made itself more apparent as Kara felt the humid warmth permeating the room— the heat from the forge.

At least there’s no need to pay for heating, right? Kara thought as she looked back towards the dwarf.

“So how exactly did ye befriend this lassie over here?” Dammir asked, practically smacking Arjin on the shoulder.

“Oh, we just ran into each other—” Kara started.

But the dark elf woman spoke over her, “Kara saved me!”

“Oho?” The dwarf eyed her curiously.

Kara just bit her lower lip. She didn’t want to be incriminated into having been a part of that earlier fight with the orcs in any way. But Arjin spoke freely without a care in the world.

“I was being harassed by these orcs who tried to steal from me, and Kara jumped in to stop them—”

“And then an elf by the name of Caius stepped in to help us both out,” Kara cut off the dark elf woman, emphatically gesturing at herself. “I did nothing but stand to the side and watch as he dealt with those orcs.”

“But you were still amazing in the way you stood up to them!” Arjin insisted as she faced the young woman from Earth.

“Right, but I didn’t cause trouble. I just sided with you. That’s all.” Kara felt like she was in court, choosing every single one of her words carefully.

Not that Dammir was paying any attention to what she was saying at all. His fist was clenched as a vein popped onto his neck. “Those damn orcs… they’re at it again, aren’t they? I knew that they must’ve been responsible for what happened to ye!”

“C-calm down, Mr Dammir,” Arjin said as she held out an outstretched hand.

He hissed, turning to her. “How can I stay calm when these damn orcs keep hurtin’ ye? I told ye, ye should quit that job already!”

“B-but how else can I afford to pay for my room? I can’t work any other job…” She lowered her head.

Kara tilted her head at that. But she didn’t say a word as Dammir harrumphed.

“And I told ye, ye wouldn’t need ta pay for anything until you can afford it!”

“But I can’t just exploit your kindness…”

“It would be a heck of a lot better than seeing ye get hurt—”

Angel glanced between the two of them as they continued to argue. His confusion was evident. Kara didn’t think he had ever seen an argument between two people who weren’t enemies before. So after a minute passed, she finally decided to step in.

“By the way, Dammir—” she spoke up, drawing his attention.

“Hm? What is it?” The dwarf asked almost snappishly.

“I was wondering, why exactly did you turn your blacksmith into an inn?”

And that question instantly caused a shift in Dammir’s demeanor. His scowl was gone, replaced with his beaming cheeks. “Because I am a businessman, ye see? I realized that there was goin’ ta be less space in tha city as more refugees arrived, so why not empty out some rooms and rent them out for some spare coin?”

“I see. And how much exactly do you charge per night for a room?” Kara asked as she tapped a finger on her chin.

Arjin was the one to reply. “He doesn’t actually charge much for a room either.” But then she scratched her cheek apprehensively. “Although… I guess that doesn’t make a difference to you, huh?”

Kara nodded as she pursed her lips. “Right.”

“What are ye two on about?” Dammir asked, glancing between them.

“You see, I am… in a bit of a predicament here,” Kara said as she scratched the back of her head. “I don’t actually have any coins on me to pay for a room.”

The dwarf frowned at her. “None at all?”

“Absolutely nothing.” She patted her pockets apologetically. “I, uh, lost all my belongings before I arrived in this city.”

And that wasn’t a complete lie. Kara did, in fact, lose every single one of her worldly possessions except for the clothes on her back before she found Alyona. But that was because she was ripped away from her life on Earth by force because of Zarkoth.

Dammir ran his hand through his scruffy beard in thought as Kara tried to come up with alternatives.

“Is there a way for me to pay you for my room tomorrow instead of right now? I promise you, I’ll find a way to pay you back by noon—” she started.

But the dwarf huffed and waved a hand dismissively. “Bah, don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t… worry about it?” Kara repeated after him, puzzled by what he meant.

He nodded. “I mean, ye don’t have to worry about paying me back for tha room anytime soon.”

“Are you serious?” She stared at the dwarf in shock.

“‘Course I am,” he said as he hopped off his chair. “Yer tha lass who saved Arjin from those orcs. I owe ye that much at the very least.”

Kara blinked, before looking towards Angel. He looked like he was just as lost as she was. “I guess we’re getting a free room… after getting a free meal?”

“Also, yer the human who single handedly defeated the First Company. I don’t want ta get on yer bad side,” Dammir added.

And Arjin paused. “W-wait, should I be worried about that too?”

The dwarf just chuckled as he led the way up to the rooms of his inn. “Let me show ye where ye will be staying…”

And both the blonde girl and the bear cub followed him to their room.

—--

That night, for the first time since arriving in Xantos, Kara found herself lying on a bed. It wasn’t nearly the softest bed she had ever lain on. In fact, compared to the mattresses of Earth, it was built like a rock. However, compared to sleeping on a cavern floor or sleeping at the bottom of a ravine, this was heavenly to her.

There was no looming threat. There was no raging storm. There were no nearby monsters. It was a peaceful, quiet slumber for the young woman from Earth. So her eyes fluttered shut, and she drifted off to sleep.

However, when she dreamt, she didn’t dream of her life back on Earth. That was all but a memory to her. Instead she dreamt of the new life that she would live— of all the things she could now experience and learn in this world of Xantos.

The foreign scent of ash and brimstone filled her lungs, and the warmth of the forge coddled her body. The deep cyanic blue skies of the world above played in her mind as the twin ringed moons painted their way across that vibrant canvas. All around her, in her dreams, the mountains that breached for the clouds and touched the heavens shriveled up into paltry pebbles at her feet. Finally, she was at ease, surrounded by a city.

Even if it was all completely alien to her, even if she was still adjusting to it, she was no longer alone or afraid. She understood that she was safe here.

So Kara’s dreams were nightmare-free.

Chapter 11: Shopping!

So Kara slept peacefully, having finally found civilization after months of wandering the Xor-In Mountains. She was finally at ease. There were very few worries left in her mind now that she had found a place that was safe.

But while she found herself dozing off to deep sleep, a furry figure lying next to her found himself tossing and turning as the night went on…

—--

Angel couldn’t sleep. Even though he was exhausted after such an incredibly long and tiresome day, he couldn’t bring himself to sleep. Perhaps it was because he was not lying on the usual hard surface of rock which he was acclimated to, but instead was lying cozily on the soft surface of a mattress. Or maybe he was concerned about Kara.

He had known a little bit about her past from their travels together. Whenever they had time to relax, which wasn’t too often, she would speak wistfully about her mother. Sometimes, she’d talk about her lack of friends. More often than not, she would curse out the dragon that had nearly killed her, but then thanked him for giving her his dragonsoul.

So the bear cub knew enough. However, he didn’t know her full story. And when he heard it, he couldn’t help but feel bad for what she had to go through. Even if he couldn’t fully comprehend all the concepts that she spoke about with Koros. Angel could still feel worried about her wellbeing.

But the most likely reason he couldn’t sleep was because of the thoughts that were plaguing his mind.

A heavy sense of guilt dug into his chest like the venomous fangs of a tarrantus. He felt terrible about what happened today. Kara hadn’t wanted to go to the Sanctuary City, but he had insisted that it was safe. And she trusted him. So she went along with his suggestion.

Because of that, they had been attacked by the guards of the city, and Kara was almost hurt. Fortunately, both of them escaped the fighting mostly unscathed. Nevertheless, Angel was acutely aware of the fact that things could have ended differently.

He squirmed where he lay as he recalled his kin being slaughtered because of him.

And he sat up, brushing aside those thoughts. He looked out the window and into the dimly lit cavern that was the upper tunnels of Alyona. Even though it was likely late at night, the narrow streets and alleys were completely devoid of life. There was still some movement out there.

So Angel stood up and grabbed his staff with his mouth. He glanced back at Kara’s sleeping figure, before he nodded. He wanted to make things up for her— he was going to make things up for her.

After all, he knew what her foremost problem was right now. So he was going to solve it for her tonight.

—-

Grok growled as he stomped his way through the upper tunnels, feeling a tingle of electricity run through his body.

“That bloody elf!” he practically shouted. “I will kill him the next time I see him!”

Behind him, the two orcs accompanying him winced. They exchanged a glance, and one of them, Piggu, piped nervously.

“Uh, Grok, Sir, I don’t think we should be too loud. You’ll wake up the neighborhood—”

Grok glanced back and glared daggers at his two companions. They recoiled at that. He raised his cudgel with his left hand.

“And you two— you cowards should be ashamed of yourselves! Cursed souls, how dare you run away when I ordered you to fight?”

The second of the duo of idiots, Daka, scratched the back of his head uneasily. “Sorry, Grok, Sir. We know you’re Elder Golag’s son, but we also know when to run.”

“And you know we were up against Caius. Everyone knows he’s practically best friends with Dark Lord Koros,” Piggu added.

Grok frowned at that. The other two orcs blinked at him.

“...you knew that, didn’t you?” Piggu asked apprehensively.

And Grok growled. “I do not care about that. Do you think Dark Lord Koros can do anything about me? If he dares lay a hand on me, my clan will revolt. And the rest of the clans will join us if that happens.”

Piggu and Daka didn’t look so certain about that. But they were cowards. Grok always knew they were cowards. They were the ones who tried to convince him against robbing that stupid prostitute. So he didn’t care about what they said.

His clan— the Ironhide Clan— was one of the largest orc clans in the city. The fact that he alone had been let out of his cell no more than an hour after he had been brought in was proof of their power over the city.

But certainly, going against Dark Lord Koros might not be the smartest decision. Even still, more so than the fact that Grok had been injured, Grok’s ego had been bruised. He wanted to get revenge on someone. Even if he couldn’t get revenge on the elf, he wanted to get back at…

“That human,” he whispered as something caught his eye.

Grok saw an unusual but familiar figure stalking through the empty streets of the upper tunnels. A furry creature that should not have been within the walls of the city. A monster, but an intelligent one at that. It was walking down an alleyway, alone, with a metallic pole in its mouth.

“That utlas bear,” Grok said as his two companions paused. They saw it too. “It was with that human, was it not?”

They nodded hesitantly, realizing what was going through their leader’s mind. But neither of them could stop him as he stepped forward.

“Come on, let’s have a word with our furry friend, shall we?”

And they followed him apprehensively as he approached the utlas bear. Together, they followed the lone monster for a while. It seemed to be scouring the ground for something, but they couldn’t quite tell what it was looking for. Grok wanted to make a move already, however there were the occasional passersby which he didn’t want to deal with.

He had to wait for the opportune moment when the utlas bear was alone to surround it. But he was impatient. So much to his two companions’ chagrin, he strode forward and called out to the utlas bear.

“Hey, you,” Grok said as the monster perked up.

It turned around and faced the orc with a curious look. He gave it the best smile he could, which was tough considering his massive underbite, but he doubted that the monster could read facial expressions that well anyway.

“Are you lost? Are you looking for a human?” he asked kindly.

Or he tried. Again, he knew his acting skills were not the greatest, but it should have been enough for a bear cub. It tilted its head in response, and he ushered it down an empty alleyway.

“I think I saw a human head down this way,” Grok said as he turned towards his two companions. “Isn’t that right?”

He eyed them expectantly, and they hurriedly nodded.

“R-right,” Piggu unconvincingly agreed.

“A human with blonde hair? Definitely went down there!” Daka tried harder, but did a terrible job as well.

Grok snorted, then faced the utlas bear. “Here, I’ll lead you to her. Just follow me.”

And he started down the alleyway as his two companions followed. But the utlas bear hesitated for a moment. Grok rolled his eyes as he pointed deeper down the alley.

“Look, I see her there right now!”

The utlas bear blinked, then finally trailed after him. He snickered as he led the foolish monster away from the main streets of the upper tunnel, and further into a lonely alley. Piggu and Daka still seemed uncertain about this plan.

But Grok didn’t care. He just hardened his gaze as he turned a corner as the utlas bear followed. You’re going to be meeting with that human, alright… when you’re both dead at my feet.

He came to a halt as they reached a dead end, and the utlas bear blinked. It looked around quizzically. But Grok drew his cudgel. His hand had been healed with the help of a healing potion. He nodded at Piggu and Daka. The two orcs moved to block the only exit as Grok spun around.

“I heard utlas bears are supposed to be intelligent monsters,” he said as he hefted his cudgel over his shoulder.

In response, the utlas bear simply cocked its head. Grok laughed when he saw that.

“Oh? You still don’t understand what’s going on, do you? Too bad. I’m not going to spell it out for you.” He took a step forward threateningly, towering over the bear cub. “I’m just going to beat you to death—”

But before Grok could finish, there was a flash of light. He blinked as he heard a loud crack, followed by another. And then he heard two heavy thuds. He watched as both Piggu and Daka collapsed to the ground behind the utlas bear.

“What…?” Grok stared in confusion for a moment, before he blinked at the monster. “What did you—”

He started, but couldn’t finish. A giant slab of stone struck him in the back of his head, and he collapsed onto the ground, groaning as he bled down his neck. His vision blurred as he looked up. He could barely see, but he was pretty sure he was watching the utlas bear dig into the pockets of his two companions.

Grok tried to force himself back to his feet. But the utlas bear stepped up next to him. It raised its staff as he opened his mouth. And darkness engulfed his vision as the metallic rod came swinging down at his face.

—--

Angel left the three unconscious orcs behind as he carried a small bag of colorful metals, a smile plastered on his face. They were called coins, and from what Kara had told him, she needed these coins to survive in Alyona. So to help her, he had been going around and searching for spare coins lying on the ground to give her as a surprise when she woke up.

But that proved to be tough, since he had been searching for a while, but only found three brown coins. However, much to his surprise, three of the orcs who had attacked Arjin suddenly came up to him. And he saw the pouches they carried— he heard the jingling of coins within.

So he decided to follow them, trying to devise a plan to take their coins from them. Fortunately for him, he didn’t need to come up with anything, because they decided to threaten him. He would have killed them there and then if he hadn’t been worried about how that could affect Kara. Instead, he left them unconscious and took their pouches.

When he looked inside the pouches they carried, he saw hundreds of brown coins and dozens of silver coins. There were even a handful of golden coins, too.

So Angel beamed as he returned to the inn, before crawling up next to Kara as he felt accomplished. And finally, the bear cub could fall asleep.

—--

“Oh my god!” Kara exclaimed the next morning as she stared at the pouch of coins lying on the bedside table. Angel stood there, grinning up at her. She started to count the coins, but there were too many, so she paused to steel herself. “You got this all for me?!”

Her head spun, and the bear cub nodded eagerly. She tried to work her jaw for a moment, before she picked him up and hugged him.

“You’re amazing, Angel! Thank you so much!”

He laughed and licked her as she clung onto him. Eventually, they let go of each other as she sat back into her bed. There was a small part of her that wondered how she obtained those coins— if they had been through legal means. But she trusted Angel.

She knew he wouldn’t do anything that would get her in trouble to help her.

So she took a handful of coins and hid the rest inside of the room, before descending down to the common room of the inn. It was mostly empty. As expected, an innsmith wasn’t going to attract a lot of customers, even if it was relatively cheap.

Arjin was heading out as Kara descended from the stairway.

“Good m-morning, Ms Kara,” the prostitute said as she bowed her head.

“Going to work already?” Kara asked with a raised brow. “Also, please stop calling me ‘miss’, thanks.”

Conveniently, Arjin ignored the second statement as she responded, “I’m taking the day off today at Mr Dammir’s insistence. I also have to buy some new clothes after… what happened yesterday. Do you want to join me?”

Kara looked at the prostitute’s revealing outfit, before shaking her head. “I’ll pass. I can go shopping on my own later. For now, I’ll have a bite to eat.”

“Just let me know if you need anything, Ms Kara,” Arjin said, before leaving the inn.

“I swear she’s doing it on purpose,” Kara muttered under her breath as Angel walked past her.

He poked his nose around the stone counter, sniffing hungrily. But then he drew back and whined. Kara strode up to him as he clutched his stomach.

“Is there nothing to eat?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

The scent of food didn’t permeate the room like she expected it would. She had thought that Dammir would serve them breakfast since this was an inn, but he seemed rather preoccupied.

“Sorry, no breakfast today for anyone!” he called out from the back of the kitchen.

Kara’s stomach rumbled at that, and Angel deflated. They peeked over the stone counter to see the dwarf working a blacksmith’s bellow as his forge shone with a dim orange light.

“Uh, what are you doing?” Kara asked as she stepped up next to him.

“I’m trynna get this damn thing workin’,” he replied snappishly, pumping air into the forge. Burning ash and flakes of embers wisped off the bed of burnt coal, but no flame was ignited.

He took a step back as he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. Kara eyed him with narrowed eyes.

“I take it you haven’t used the smithy in a while?”

“Ye think?” he snorted.

And Kara rolled her eyes. “So what makes you want to get back into smithing now?”

“Because I need ta craft a silver dagger for that daft lassie,” Dammir folded his burly arms across his chest. “She needs ta learn how ta protect herself.”

He didn’t even need to say Arjin’s name to make it clear he was talking about her. The expression on his face softened as a deep crease formed on his forehead.

“She’s always getting herself into trouble… someone needs ta look after her. And if that has ta be me, then so be it.”

Kara looked the dwarf up and down with a frown. “You’re quite close with Arjin, aren’t you? But why do you care about her so much?”

Dammir shifted where he stood. He averted his gaze. “It’s none of yer business.”

“Do you like her?” Kara asked, pressing the question.

And that made the dwarf back away from her and sputter, “What? Nay! Absolutely not!”

She grinned back at him. “I don’t know. That sounds like something someone who’s interested in a girl would say.”

“I’m over a hundred years old, and Arjin’s barely even in her twenties.” Dammir scowled. “Cursed souls, I’d never be interested in a girl that young.”

“You’re a hundred years old?” Kara whistled. She would’ve been more surprised, if she hadn’t just met an eighty-six years old teenage elf yesterday.

“I said: over a hundred years old,” the dwarf corrected her.

Kara shrugged, still wearing her grin. “I mean, I’ve seen some massive age gaps back where I’m from. So I’m not going to judge you or anything.” Especially with how old some people in this world can live up to, she added in her head. As long as it’s between two consenting adults, I’m sure even a relationship between a two hundred year old elf and a forty year old dark elf would be fine.

Although, she didn’t exactly know how old a hundred year old dwarf was relative to his species. But she felt like it would be rude to ask right now.

Dammir closed his eyes as he listened to Kara’s continued teasing. Finally, he lowered his head, before sighing, “I would never be interested in Arjin in that way… because she reminds me of my daughter.”

“Oh?” That surprised Kara. Even Angel seemed piqued by that. “And how exactly is a dark elf prostitute anything like your dwarven daughter?”

“It’s hard ta explain,” Dammir said as he took a seat. “They both just… always need yer help. It’s like they have this aura that makes ye want ta protect them, ye know?”

“...so you’re saying Arjin can’t do anything on her own,” Kara said flatly.

“That’s not what I’m saying at all!” the dwarf snapped.

And Kara chuckled as she backed away jokingly. “Sorry, sorry. So where’s your daughter now?”

Dammir’s shoulders sagged as he murmured, “She left Alyona ta go to Yulia nearly fifty years ago. She said that was tha only way she could learn how to be independent. I have only seen her once ever since…”

Isn’t Yulia the Sanctuary City with a fucked up Dark Lady? Kara thought to herself as she placed a hand on her chin. I wonder if Dammir’s daughter is fine there…

“Anyway,” Dammir said as he rose to his feet, “I need ta get this damn forge workin’ before lunchtime. I’ll have ta cook up somethin’ for my other guests when they get back.”

“You have other guests?” Kara asked, genuinely surprised.

The dwarf glared at her. “Did ye come here for any reason other than ta annoy me?”

Kara chuckled as she took a step forward. She brought a hand to her chest, before a ball of golden flames was drawn out to her palms. Dammir blinked as she placed her fire onto the forge.

“Here,” she whispered.

And her golden flames burned brilliantly within the heart. Dammir looked on in awe. She drew back as she smiled at him.

“It should keep burning for a few days. And it should be just enough to keep the inn warm, but not intensely hot.”

“Are ye serious?” Dammir asked with round eyes. “I’ve never seen flames like that before. What kind of school of magic is that?”

“I have no idea,” Kara answered truthfully. “But this is my thanks for letting me stay the night for free.”

“Stay tha night for free?” the dwarf exclaimed. “Ye can stay over for free as long as ye would like if ye keep my forge burning— do ye know how much ye are gonna save me with that?”

Kara scratched the back of her head. She had intended to pay him for the room now that she had coins, but she wasn’t going to turn down a free room. “I mean, sure. But I won’t always be around, just so you know.”

“Bah even a month’s worth of fire is worth a lot. If I don’t hafta buy any coal anymore, I’d be cutting my smithing costs by more than half!” Dammir shook his head as he explained to her.

“Well, I’m glad I could help.”

She smiled back at him then started back towards the exit as Angel followed. Dammir began getting ready to smith his silver dagger, but Kara suddenly paused. She looked down at herself, before calling back to the dwarf.

“By the way, do you know if there’s anywhere around here I can buy some good clothes?”

“Nope, sorry,” he called back to her. “The upper tunnels is a shithole. So yer gonna hafta take a look around the main city and ask for someone’s help there.”

“What about the lower tunnels?” Kara asked, her thoughts drifting back to the human thief.

Her question elicited a guffaw from the dwarf. “Good one.”

“I’m being serious,” she said flatly.

“If yer being serious—” Dammir rubbed his temples. “No one but tha city guards are allowed inta the lower tunnels. Ye will have better luck trynna dig straight down to get there.”

So I can’t just just waltz in and find Levi, huh?  That meant she would have to find Caius to help her out. But she didn’t know where the elf had gone. She mulled over her options, before deciding to worry about it for later.

“For now, I have to figure out where to get some new clothes,” she murmured. “Is there anyone I know that I can ask for help from in the main city?”

In response, Angel’s stomach growled. He looked down at himself, then he brightened as though he had an idea. Kara turned to him as he gave her a wide smile.

—--

Kara and Angel found themselves before an empty food stand right at the edge of a busy street. They were back here again— at  Issa’s Stall For Authentic Troll Cuisine.

This time, there was actually a customer present here. A young-looking troll who was shyly ordering off the menu. Well, Kara thought he looked younger than Issa, at the very least.

“C-can I have one order of the lizard soup—”

“Only one order? Rat’s tails, a fine young man like you needs at least two orders of lizard soup if you want to grow into a fine adult!”

“Oh, of course… and can I have two orders of the centipede eyes…?”

“Make it four! And I’ll even give you one on the house!”

“R-right…”

Each time the young troll spoke up, Issa interrupted him and doubled his order. Until, eventually, he left with his hands full and his pockets empty. Kara strode up to the food stand after he was gone.

“Welcome back,” the food vendor greeted her with a smile. “Hmph, I see you couldn’t resist returning here for a second serving.”

“And this time, I can actually pay you, thanks to Angel,” Kara said as she patted the bear cub on the back.

Issa gave an approving nod. “As expected. Utlas bears are very intelligent. My tribe used to live near a sleuth, and our children would play with their young.”

Angel narrowed his eyes at that, and Kara handed over a few dozen copper coins with a smile.

“So that’s why you didn’t react when you saw Angel.”

“I have experienced a great many things in my life,” Issa snorted. “My tribe has even traded with humans before. I care more about an individual’s story than the shape of their body or their species.”

“You didn’t seem to think that way when we first met,” Kara said with a teasing grin.

Issa huffed. “Hmph, I was frustrated after a long day of getting no customers. My philosophy and outlook on life changes depending on my mood.”

“Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”

“Everybody is a hypocrite for nobody’s beliefs are static. And anyone can have a bad day and shout in anger even if they believe that is irrational and solves no problem.”

“True,” Kara agreed, before she looked down at herself. “Speaking of problems, I’m looking for a place that sells high quality clothes. Preferably something similar to what I’m wearing right now.”

She had seen the clothes dark elves wore. It wasn’t… fashionable, to say the least. To call them rags was far more appropriate. Meanwhile, most orcs seemed to wear what looked like leather armor. Trolls were the most well-dressed, wearing robes that almost resembled what monks wore back on Earth.

Issa eyed Kara’s clothing, before giving an apologetic look. “I think you’ll have a hard time finding clothes like yours anywhere around Alyona. You would be better-off speaking to a seamster or a seamstress to design you some custom clothing. Especially ones that can be enchanted with protection magic, considering the life you have to live.”

“Do you know where I can find someone like that?” Kara asked inquisitively.

“Indeed,” Issa said as she produced a rough map of the city. She pointed at a corner of the Sentinel Square of Alyona. “You will find a shop here called the Weaver Of Magic And Fabrics. But I must warn you, the price of such clothing will not be cheap.”

“I have some money now, so maybe I can afford it. Thank you, Issa.” Nodding gratefully, Kara began to draw back, when she saw Angel waiting behind her. “Also—”

Kara pursed her lips, turning back to the food stand. She gestured at the bear cub as Issa blinked.

“He’ll take six skewers of centipede eyes, please. And I’d like to try your insect stew, too.”

Issa smirked. “Coming right up!”

—--

Kara had been to Sentinel Square before. It was the only part of the city without any buildings for over a mile in every direction with a massive statue in the center. But the buildings that lined the edges tended to be popular restaurants or busy shops that were all crowded with customers. And even still, it took her quite a while to find the shop she was looking for.

Not because she was lost, and not because she couldn’t wade her way through the sea of people. It was because Angel kept trying to drag them both to every restaurant they saw.

“We’ll get lunch later!” Kara said as she pulled him away from a place that served dwarvish cuisine. There was evidently not a single dwarf working there, so she wondered how authentic the food there was going to be. “Right now, I need to buy some new clothes!”

Now that the two of them had money, they no longer just had to wander around like lost puppies, staring sadly at all the shops and restaurants from a distance away because they wouldn't be let in. But that didn’t mean they had to enter every building they walked past either.

Finally, the two of them arrived at their destination. But when Kara saw the shop, she hesitated. It was nothing like what she had imagined. Judging by its name, she had expected a shop with stained glass windows, velvet curtains made of silk, and a red carpet rolled out to the front for every customer. Well— that was a bit hyperbolic. But she had thought it would be a relatively fancy shop.

Instead, what she saw was a tent standing before her. It was not even a building. It was like a large yurt, about the size of a small house, woven from a gray cloth.

“...are you sure we’re at the right place?” Kara asked, glancing back at Angel.

He shook his head at her, before pointing at a nearby restaurant. She snorted at that.

“You’re not fooling me. I know that’s not the shop we’re looking for.” She started forward as she read the sign hanging from the large doorway that indicated this was the right place. “Well, at the very least, we know whoever owns this place is probably good at sewing.”

Angel followed her inside. And much to her surprise, the interior was rather well-decorated. It wasn’t gilded in gold or etched with rare gemstones, but the walls and the ceiling were woven from various vibrant fabrics with unique patterns that painted every corner of the room with its unique flair. There were also vast tapestries hanging from the walls, colorful and bright like a beautiful painting, depicting various different scenes.

Some of them were scenes from battlefields, while others were scenes of times of peace. And they were all distinct. Not just in size or shape, but in the things they showed. One tapestry illustrated a group of dark elves at war with orcs, while another showed a tribe of trolls gathered around a large fire.

A hole opened up the ceiling, allowing a soft beam of light from the Sanctuary City to pour in. Sitting at the center, surrounded by various discarded pieces of clothing was a hulking figure. Even while sitting down, he was taller than Kara.

His upper body was sculpted with muscles, and his lower body was covered by a black fur. His skin was a shade of light blue, but that was not the most jarring thing about him. It was the fact that he had a bull’s head.

He was a minotaur. A massive one at that.

Kara hadn’t seen very many minotaurs since she arrived in Alyona. But they were usually as tall as trolls, just more bulky in body. However, this minotaur had to have been two heads taller than Issa. He sat there in silence as he gently threaded a needle through a piece of cloth.

“Uh, hello?” Kara called out as she stopped right behind him. And Angel nearly bumped into her back, having been distracted by the smell of food.

The minotaur paused what he was doing as he heard her voice. He slowly lowered the piece of cloth he was working on, before rising to his feet. Kara scratched the back of her head as he slowly turned to face her.

“I’m sorry for intruding, but I was told this was the place for me to go to if I wanted to— why the fuck are you naked?!”

She screamed as she backed away from the minotaur. He blinked and looked down at himself. Then he bowed his head and spoke in a deep voice.

“This one apologizes for offending you with his unsightly appearance. This one has yet to acclimate to living in a city.”

“Don’t just apologize—” Kara said, covering her eyes. “Put on some clothes already!”

Angel stared at her, confused as to why she was shouting. But the minotaur complied, walking up to a crimson pole placed between two wooden desks. He grabbed a large robe that was hanging there, before putting it on— the wrong way.

Kara didn’t correct him, simply sighing in relief as she looked up. The minotaur knelt down before her as he met her gaze.

“This one hopes he has appropriately accommodated to the sensibilities of this society. This one apologizes once again for his mistake.”

“It’s fine…” Kara said as she peeled herself from the textile walls. “I’m, uh, Kara. And I was hoping to buy some clothes from this shop. Do you work here?”

The minotaur placed a hand on his burly chest. “This one’s name is Zlo’tan, and he is the owner of this establishment. But this one must warn you that he charges a high price for his goods.”

“So I’ve been told. But how much would a custom-made piece of clothing like what I’m wearing— except not ripped and coated in dried mud— cost?” The young woman from Earth gestured at her suit. It was a wonder that it was still in one piece.

Zlo’tan strummed his fingers against his lap in thought, before replying, “This one believes it would cost ten gold coins for such a service.”

“Ten gold… coins?” Kara almost went crossed-eyed. “That’s way too expensive! Is it made of gold or covered in diamonds or something?”

Even though she was clearly upset about the price of his services, he did not seem perturbed in the slightest. He remained soft-spoken, despite his natural baritone voice.

“This one only uses the finest of fabrics— that is hard to tear and which can be imbued with magic. This one does not work with lesser fabrics that must be replaced within ten years. And this one has refined his craft for years. That is why this one charges such a high price for his goods and services.”

His calm response made Kara bite her lower lip. She realized she might have overreacted a bit, mostly because she was partially still in shock over what she saw earlier. And while she wasn’t familiar with this world’s economy in the slightest, she could tell that the price he listed was quite steep.

“Right, that makes sense, I guess. Sorry for, uh, shouting.” Kara lowered her head in embarrassment, before turning to Angel. “...maybe we could afford it? How many gold coins did we have back at the inn again?”

The bear cub removed his staff from his mouth and made a whining noise. She drew her lips into a thin line, realizing what that meant. They probably didn’t have enough gold coins. Zlo’tan looked between them, before narrowing his eyes.

Kara crossed her arms as she turned back to him. “We’ll have to go back and check if we even have enough to afford it. And then we’ll have to discuss if it’s worth it—”

“Wait,” the minotaur cut her off abruptly.

His gaze was still fixed on Angel. Kara furrowed her brows when she saw that. She wondered what was wrong, until she realized what Zlo’tan was really staring at.

“This one has seen such a thing before,” he said as he got to his feet. He approached the bear cub who backed up warily. “This one wishes no harm to you. This one simply wishes to inspect that crystal.”

And Angel blinked, looking down at the tip of his staff. He turned to Kara who gave him a nod.

“Let Zlo’tan see it,” she urged the bear cub.

He acquiesced begrudgingly and handed over his staff to the minotaur. Both Kara and Angel watched as Zlo’tan studied the broken crimson crystal at the tip of the staff.

“You’ve seen it before?” Kara asked as she squinted at the minotaur. She tried to make out what his reactions meant. But his stone-cold expression never changed.

“This one has indeed seen such a crystal before,” Zlo’tan replied simply, before lowering the staff. “It was a long time ago— back when this one encountered the Soulmaster.”

And both Kara and Angel froze when they heard that.

Chapter 12: Explanation and Elaboration

“You encountered the Soulmaster?” Kara immediately piped up when she heard what the minotaur said. Angel nodded eagerly next to her, piqued by this.

The two of them remembered their encounter with the hooded figure that had been the Soulmaster’s drone like it was yesterday. It had chased them down for a full day like an unstoppable force of nature. Eventually, Kara defeated it by taking advantage of the magical storm that plagued the Xor-In Mountains.

However, because of that harrowing experience, the Soulmaster’s name was forever burned into both their minds. Kara stared at the minotaur expectantly.

And he lowered the staff. “This one has indeed encountered the Soulmaster.”

“What happened? What was he like? Was he a machine too?” Kara inundated Zlo’tan with a deluge of questions.

The minotaur tilted his head quizzically at her. “Machine?”

“Forget about that last part,” she corrected herself. “How did you meet the Soulmaster?”

Zlo’tan knelt back onto the ground, closing his eyes. “This one was only a child, so this one does not remember much of the events that transpired. All this one remembers is one thing.”

“And what is it?” Kara asked, leaning closer.

The minotaur replied simply, “The Soulmaster was amazing.”

Now that stunned Kara where she stood. She had expected Zlo’tan to say a lot of things. She had braced herself for who the Soulmaster could be. But to praise him? She hadn’t expected that in the slightest.

“The Soulmaster saved this one when he was starving,” the minotaur continued, not noticing his audience’s shocked reaction. “Even back then, this one wondered why a human such as him would rescue a demimonster.”

Kara broke out of her stupor as she narrowed her eyes. “What’s a demimonster?”

“A demimonster is what humans classify creatures such as this one,” Zlo’tan replied as he placed a hand on his chest.

“You mean minotaurs? And what about dark elves? Or trolls?” Kara listed out various different species to him.

And he nodded in response. “All non-human creatures who have a manacore are considered to be demimonsters.”

Kara frowned at that. She recalled all the interactions she had here in Alyona so far. Even though everyone she had spoken to looked nothing like her, they behaved no differently than she did either.

“Why is anyone with a manacore considered a ‘demimonster’?” she asked, before furrowing her brows. “And wait… what’s a manacore?”

“A manacore is how demihumans learn to use magic,” Zlo’tan explained simply. “Monsters draw their magic from their monstersoul, and humans are magically empowered by the System. But minotaurs, dark elves, trolls, dwarves— they all instead use their manacore.”

“I see...”

Kara could infer that a monstersoul was similar to a dragonsoul in a way, especially with what she had seen from Zarkoth’s memories. He had also mentioned something about the System, so she knew that was how humans were given magic from He Who Had Too Long Of A Name.

But she didn’t remember any mention of a manacore. Although… she did briefly recall hearing Caius shout something about a core. Could that be related to having a manacore?

Zlo’tan continued as she was lost in thought, “And the term ‘demimonsters’ is only often used by humans. Most dark elves, trolls, and even other minotaurs do not appreciate it when this one refers to them as such.”

“Right.” Kara nodded as she heard that.

It sounded like such an incredibly dehumanizing term. In fact, it was quite literally meant to dehumanize. For humans to call any non-human that was intelligent enough to speak a demimonster—

Kara gritted her teeth as she tried to calm herself. She thought of everyone in the city she had met so far. And she couldn’t see them as anything but people.

Is this the reason why Levi is going around and causing trouble for the city? Because he doesn’t see them as people? She needed to know the answer to that. But she focused, trying to get her mind back on track.

“And the Soulmaster saved you, even though you’re a demimonster, which is why you think he is amazing?” she asked as she looked back up.

“This one is grateful to the Soulmaster. But that is not the full reason for this one’s feelings.” The minotaur looked at himself  as Kara and Angel exchanged a glance.

“And what does that mean?”

“The Soulmaster was truly amazing for another reason,” Zlo’tan said, shaking his head. “Because he was a human who did not wield the power of the System.”

And Kara’s brows snapped together. Angel turned towards her with wide eyes. But again, the minotaur didn’t notice the way the two of them looked knowingly at each other.

“This one has never understood the source of the Soulmaster’s power… even though the Soulmaster tried to pass his knowledge to this one,” Zlo’tan continued, and for the first time since they started speaking, there was a shift in his voice.

He almost sounded… regretful.

“The Soulmaster tried to train you?” Kara asked, her surprise evident on her face.

“Briefly,” Zlo’tan said as he closed his eyes. “But this one failed to learn the Soulmaster’s teachings. So the Soulmaster left, but as he departed, he gave a precious gem to this one.”

Kara squinted at that. “You mean a crystal that’s like on the staff?”

Zlo’tan nodded, raising the staff and eyeing the broken tip. “This one believes it is called a soulrock. This one lost his soulrock long ago, and as such, hasn’t been able to study its properties as extensively as he wished.”

“Well, I don’t know if you can glean much from our soulrock because it’s broken,” Kara said as she glanced towards Angel. “I don’t really know what happened, but suddenly, he has magic powers now.”

Angel crossed his arms and beamed proudly. Zlo’tan placed a hand on his chin.

“This one finds that interesting. An utlas bear is not supposed to be capable of casting spells. And yet, thanks to the soulrock, he has attained what no other beings in his species has ever been able to achieve.”

The minotaur stood up and began to inspect the bear cub. Angel wasn’t tiny by any means. But next to Zlo’tan, even Kara was like a baby.

“So, uh, do you know where the Soulmaster is now?” the young woman asked hopefully. “Or maybe do you know what he wants?”

Zlo’tan lowered Angel back to the ground, shaking his head apologetically. “This one knows nothing else about the Soulmaster. Sometimes, this one wonders if he dreamed it. But now, this one knows it was reality.”

“And you’re certain he was a human?” Kara eyed the minotaur dubiously.

“This one is certain,” Zlo’tan said reassuringly.

Kara wracked her mind for any other questions she could have for him. But even as she continued to interrogate him, she learned nothing.

“Are you sure the Soulmaster wasn’t called Arden?”

“This one is aware of Arden the Dragonslayer’s reputation. He is not the Soulmaster.”

“And you’re sure the Soulmaster didn’t have anyone with him who wore a full-body metal armor?”

“This one was saved by only the Soulmaster.”

“What did the Soulmaster look like?”

“This one does not remember…”

When Kara was out of questions, she drew back and folded her arms across her chest. So the only thing Zlo’tan knows about the Soulmaster is that he is amazing and uses magic outside of the System?

No— that was not all. The Soulmaster was also looking for someone to pass on his powers too. That reminded Kara of what Zarkoth was doing.

Could the Soulmaster… be in possession of a dragonsoul of his own? If that was the case, it made sense why he was after her. But that still didn’t explain how he knew she was from another world.

Kara raised her head as she dismissed her thoughts for now. There was no way she was going to figure anything out with the information she had so far. So she looked up— only to see Angel holding his staff tightly as Zlo’tan remained transfixed on the crystal tip.

“You’re that interested in the soulrock, huh?” Kara asked as she walked up to them.

The minotaur blinked, then coughed as he drew back from the bear cub. “This one believes that there is much to learn from the soulrock, despite its current condition.”

Kara rubbed her chin. “Well, I have an idea that could satisfy the both of us.”

Angel and Zlo’tan both narrowed their eyes. They both could tell where Kara was going with this.

“So you want the soulrock, and I want some proper clothes,” she said as she walked up to the minotaur. “What about if we make a deal here— I give you the soulrock and you make me my clothes?”

Zlo’tan immediately agreed, “This one believes this is an amenable trade—”

But Angel quickly disagreed. “Ngah!”

Kara blinked as she heard the bear cub whine. He clung onto his staff protectively, and she tried to placate him.

“Angel… I know you like to play with the staff when you cast a spell, but you don’t actually need it, do you?” she said, smiling kindly at him. “And look, you can keep the staff, we just have to give Zlo’tan here the broken crystal.”

“Ngh!” Angel spoke insistently, refusing to hand over the staff.

And Kara pursed her lips. At the end of the day, the bear cub was still… a bear cub. He was a young kid, and he liked his belongings, even if they practically were worth nothing.

However, Kara wasn’t going to forcefully take what was his from him. He had done so much to help her already. And more than that…

Her eyes flickered as she remembered being a child and crying as her mother took her toys from her forcefully. It was a distant memory. But the screaming and the shouting remained with her nevertheless.

“Well, if I can’t change your mind, what about a compromise?” Kara asked Angel nicely. “What if we lend the staff to Zlo’tan for an hour twice a week for him to study?”

The bear cub hesitated, but he slowly loosened his grip on his staff. He looked like he was willing to agree to this.

And the minotaur nodded slowly. “For five gold coins, this one is willing to agree to this compromise.”

“What about one gold coin, and three times a week?” Kara countered.

“Three gold coins,” Zlo’tan said, holding up three fingers. “For three times a week until this one learns from the soulrock what he needs.”

Kara considered it for a moment, before turning to Angel. “What do you think?”

The bear cub glanced between his staff and the minotaur a few times, before looking at Kara. He stared at her, then he proffered his paw slowly.

Kara grinned. “Looks like we have a deal.”

—--

“This one shall begin work on your custom clothes,” Zlo’tan said as Kara and Angel stepped out of the exit. They glanced back at him, and he bowed his head. “This one shall have them prepared by the end of the week. You can return to make your payment to this one tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” Kara said as she waved back at him. “And also an extra thanks for the information you told us too! You can also take a look at the staff tomorrow while we’re there!”

An idle thought crossed her mind as she came to a halt a few feet away from the shop. Angel looked at her, flummoxed by what she was doing.

“By the way,” she piped up, spinning back around to face the minotaur before he could return inside. “I have one final question for you.”

Zlo’tan paused, then replied simply, “This one will try to answer your question to the best of his abilities.”

“You told me about the difference between a human, a demimonster, and a monster. But what’s the difference between a dragon and all three of them?” Kara asked, tilting her head curiously.

The minotaur tapped his chin in thought. “As far as this one knows, dragons are the only beings capable of producing their own mana. They need not rely on being surrounded by an external source of mana to cast magic. Meanwhile, those who require the System, a manacore, and a monstersoul need to restore mana from their surroundings to cast magic, rather than creating it themselves.”

“I see,” Kara said gratefully. “That’s good to know.”

—--

And a week passed quickly. Most of it had been uneventful, which was a nice change of pace for both Kara and Angel. The most notable thing to have happened was the day right after they met Zlo’tan. They were on the way out of the upper tunnels to meet with him when they witnessed a fight break out between a group of orcs and a pair of dark elves.

It started off as an argument, but it quickly devolved.

“I know it was you who killed him!” one of the orcs shouted. “I saw you stalking us last night! I knew you were up to no good!”

“The only reason I followed him is because I know he’s the one who broke into my house!” the first dark elf protested.

The second dark elf added, “We didn’t kill him, but he deserved to die anyway— serves you cursed orcs right for coming in and ruining our city!”

“How dare you—” the orcs yelled.

And from there, it was just a fistfight that ended with the guards arriving. This time around, Kara stayed out of it. Mostly because she couldn’t tell who was in the wrong, but also because she didn’t want to take any more risks, since Hayder was probably keeping an eye on her. She continued to Sentinel Square, minding her own business.

After making the payment of three gold coins to Zlo’tan, Kara still had four gold coins remaining. So she was glad she ended up negotiating this deal with him. Even if she converted all her copper coins and her silver coins to gold, she still wouldn’t have enough to pay for her clothes.

The deal also ended up for the better too. While Angel had been apprehensive about spending time with the minotaur at first, the two had warmed up to each other. Zlo’tan even spent time teaching things to the bear cub that he didn’t know about himself.

The rest of the week passed. Nothing else much had happened, although Kara had tried to look a little bit into the whole situation with Levi. Unfortunately, none of the city guards would answer her questions, and she wasn’t allowed to go anywhere near the lower tunnels.

Now, it was finally time for Kara to return to the shop to collect her brand new special clothes. She was excited about that. And Angel was excited to speak with Zlo’tan again today. But as the two of them stepped out of their inn, they paused.

A figure was waiting for them right outside. A familiar figure that they hadn’t seen since the first day they arrived in Alyona. He smiled as he strode forward, speaking as smoothly as he usually did.

“Hello, Ms Kara,” a teenage elf greeted her as his pale skin somehow almost seemed to shine even in the upper tunnels. “I take it you’ve been doing well?”

“Caius?” Kara blinked when she saw him. “It’s been a while— did you resolve everything with Koros?”

“Oh, I talked things over with him on the day it happened. I’ve just been busy with other things.” Caius smiled, striding forward.

Angel made a whining noise, and Kara turned to him. He gestured towards the direction of Zlo’tan’s shop impatiently, clearly wanting no part of this conversation.

“You can go first, Angel,” Kara said as she patted him on the head. There was much she wanted to discuss with the elf now that she had already spent some time enjoying the city. “I’ll meet up with you there.”

Caius laughed, watching the bear cub sprint through the narrow streets of the upper tunnels. He shook his head as he came to a halt before the young woman.

“So I see the two of you have made some friends in Alyona,” the elf observed with a grin. “Are you enjoying it here in our Sanctuary City?”

“Well, the first few days were quite hectic, but things have calmed down since then,” Kara said as she shook her head. Then her eyes glinted as she crossed her arms at Caius. “But I take it you’re not here for small talk, are you?”

She couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t interested in hearing what he had to say. The only reason she hadn’t sought him out sooner was because she didn’t know where to find him. Now, he had found her. And it was time for them to discuss what she had been looking forward to for a while.

He smirked back at her. “You’re more astute than you look.”

“Rude,” she snorted. “But I mean, it’s quite obvious— the last time you sought me out was to talk about finding that guy who stole from your city. And now that you’re here again, you’re probably here to talk to me about helping you find him again.”

“He’s not just any guy,” Caius corrected her, raising a finger. “He’s a human thief. And his name is Levi.”

Kara rolled her eyes in response. “Yes, I remember that. So what, do you have a new lead or something on him?”

“To call it a new lead is quite… misleading. But there have been a string of murders lately that the city guards have been looking into. And they have mainly been happening throughout the upper tunnels.” Caius swept his gaze over the slums of the city as he spoke.

“And let me guess, the perpetrator behind it is Levi?” Kara said, raising a brow.

“Personally, that is what I am suspecting.” The elf nodded, before sighing. “But you see, the situation is more complicated than that. You’ve heard about the rising tensions between the orc refugees and the dark elves of the city, right?”

“Uh, I mean, I’m vaguely aware of that?” Certainly, Kara could remember witnessing more than a few instances when a group of orcs got into a brawl with a group of dark elves. But she didn’t realize how bad things were, politically-speaking.

“Well, tensions are getting worse because of these killings,” Caius said as he waved a hand dismissively. “After all, it seems that whoever is going around and committing these murders is targeting only the orcs.”

“Oh.” Kara’s brows creased understandingly. “So what you’re saying is these could be targeted attacks from a few different angry dark elves?”

“At a first glance, yes. And that’s what everyone seems to think. There’s almost no method or reasoning to these murders. They look like they can simply be random revenge killings. But I have reason to believe that they were intentionally committed to appear that way. By Levi himself.”

Caius gave Kara a knowing look. She eyed him suspiciously.

“And what makes you so certain these killings were done by Levi?” she asked after a second passed.

“Firstly, because of how methodically they’ve been killed. It barely looks like there’s ever a struggle. And secondly, is the timing of it— it has happened so quickly, dozens of orcs suddenly murdered during the last week, and he hasn’t been spotted in the lower tunnels since these killings began.”

“But you can argue that that’s only circumstantial evidence,” Kara countered. “And it could all be a coincidence.”

“That is what Hayder keeps saying. And I agree, that could all be true. If not for my third and final reason.” Caius winked at her.

And she waited. “That is?”

“The fact that the mana in the air where these killings occur is noticeably thinner,” the elf explained.

Kara just blinked in confusion at him. “Uh, I don’t get it.”

“You see,” he continued, “Levi managed to steal two artifacts when he broke into Alyona’s vault. The first is a pair of daggers with a teleportation enchantment called the Blink Blades. They are capable of teleporting back into his hands with a thought, and he is capable of teleporting to them just as easily as well.”

“Right…”

Caius wagged a finger. “But the second artifact is an Antimagic Domain.”

Kara tilted her head, intrigued by that.

“That’s how he has been able to so easily evade or kill our guards patrolling the lower tunnels. He activates his Antimagic Domain to deal with them, so they cannot fight back. And while he hasn’t used it here in the upper tunnels, there are still some residual effects from bringing it around with him.”

“And I’m guessing this effect is thinning the mana in the air around it?” Kara said, placing a hand on her chin.

“Correct.” Caius nodded at her. “I always said you were smart.”

“Just get on with it,” she scoffed.

And the elf continued, “The effects are so subtle, almost no one else is able to notice it. But I am an elf who is twice as old as even Dark Lord Koros. So my understanding of magic is beyond him, even if I am weaker than he is. And I have visited every single scene of the killing thus far. I am certain of it.”

“I see.” Kara pursed her lips. “So if you’re that confident in yourself, why not go to Koros and tell him about this? Why are you approaching me about it?”

“Because Koros is a busy man, and I want to be the one to take credit for bringing down Levi. With your help, of course. After all, we both stand to gain the most from doing this.”

That confused Kara. And her confusion must have been shown on her face as Caius explained.

“I told you, I’m an elf. They treated me the same way as they treated you when I first arrived.” The smile vanished from his face for a brief moment, before he shrugged. “And I guess I still want to earn their validation and trust, for whatever reason.”

Kara peered at him, and she could no longer read the look on his face. His usual smile returned as he proffered a hand to her.

“So what do you say?” he asked her with an expectant look. “Let’s team up to catch this human bastard for good.”

She glared at him, and he rectified his statement.

“Let’s team up to catch this thieving bastard for good?”

For a moment, Kara didn’t respond. She closed her eyes as she wondered what she would ask Levi when she met him. She wondered how she would feel, seeing a human again after so long. And she wondered if she could even bring herself to face him in battle.

But she shrugged off these thoughts as she raised her head. She smiled and gave her response, “Sure. But I do have one final question…”

“What is it?” Caius asked, spreading his arms wide. “I can answer as many questions as you want to ask.”

Kara shook her head. “What does Levi have to gain by doing this? Why go through all this trouble of trying to turn the orcs and the dark elves against each other if he just wants to leave?”

“Well…” And the elf explained as she listened.

—--

Grok was in a terrible mood. After what happened last week, where he was humiliated, beaten, and then robbed, he was for whatever reason reprimanded by his father. Even though he was supposed to be the heir of the Ironhide Clan, he was treated like he was a child. Nothing could possibly get worse for him.

Now, he was walking down the empty streets of the upper tunnels alone, no longer accompanied by any of his usual posse. His father had forbidden them from spending time with him until he reflected on what he had done. He was also disallowed from visiting a brothel for the next week, and he could not sleep with dark elf whores ever again.

“That human…” Grok gritted his teeth, remembering the blonde girl. “When I get my hands on her—”

And he paused when he spotted a figure walking alone down an alley. He recognized her in an instant. It was the dark elf prostitute that had caused all this.

“That’s right, it was all your fault,” Grok whispered as he followed her down the narrow street.

She glanced over her shoulder, having heard his footsteps. But he didn’t care. He sprinted straight at her as she opened her mouth.

“You’re—” she gasped.

And he grabbed her by the neck before she could even speak. She struggled in his grip as he held her up against a rock wall, weakly flailing and kicking, trying to get him off her.

“I’m going to make you pay for everything you’ve done to me!” Grok growled.

The prostitute eyed him in horror. She tried to reach for something at her waist, but he saw the glint. She drew a silver dagger, and he snatched it from her grip. He cackled as he tightened his hand around her neck.

“Did you just try to kill me? Do you not know who I am? I am the only son of the Elder of the Ironhide Clan! If a lowly prostitute like you dares lay even a hand on me, my father will have both of your arms cut off!”

He shouted as she squirmed in terror. Her eyes welled up, and she tried to kick him weakly. Grok snarled as he leaned closer.

“Because of you, my father punished me. So I will ensure you pay with your life—”

But he was quickly interrupted as something struck him from behind. He yelped in pain, stumbling back and dropping the prostitute. She collapsed to her knees before him, breaking out into a coughing fit. He tried to remain standing as a sharp pain burned on his neck. He opened his mouth, clutching at where his throat should be.

But he found nothing there except for blood. His eyes widened at what he saw— his innards spilling out into the ground. He dropped the silver dagger he had taken. Its clean surface was now stained red. Looking up, he met the prostitute’s confused and terrified gaze.

“H-help… me—” he wheezed out. “P-please…”

And Grok dropped to the ground. His vision grew dark as the last thing he saw was the face of a woman he just tried to kill. Before there was nothing.

Arjin stared at the lifeless body as her breathing quickened. She saw the pooling blood staining the silver dagger, and she saw Grok’s lifeless eyes. Her lips trembled.

And in the upper tunnels of Alyona, her blood-curdling scream echoed throughout.

Chapter 13: Human Thief

Levi sat atop the roof of an abandoned hut at the edge of the upper tunnels as he twirled a glinting dagger in his hands. He raised his head, and his hood revealed a small fraction of his scarred face, reflected on the stainless steel.

His lightly-tanned skin alone made him stand out to the people of this city, so it was not easy to blend in. He had been worried about being caught for the last week and a half, ever since he left the lower tunnels. But he didn’t mind if anyone saw him at this point. Not anymore. After all—

“It’s all going according to plan,” he laughed as he heard the commotion in the distance.

Even though it was all the way at the other side of the upper tunnels, he could hear the shouts from where he sat. He could feel the tension in the air. That which had been brewing for months now, but was tipped over thanks to his intervention.

And he hopped off the abandoned hut as he sheathed his dagger at his waist.

“Now then, it’s time for me to play my part too.”

—--

“Elder Golag, I understand that he was your son, but you must please calm down!”

“Calm down? You expect me to calm down? My son is dead because of a dark elf whore, and I am supposed to relax? When are you damn guards going to do anything for our people?”

Soraan recoiled where he stood as he heard the cacophony of voices coming from the gathered orcs. They stood behind their leader— Elder Golag of the Ironhide Clan, who stood as tall as a troll, and fatter than even an ogre— raising their fists and shouting in agreement with him.

“That’s right!”

“Grok was my best friend!”

“He would never even harm a fly, and you people killed him!”

Only a thin wall of guardsmen stood before what had to have been at least a thousand angry orcs. And Soraan just so had to have been one of the few guards who was sent here to placate them.

His partner— whose name still eluded him— stepped forward to face this mass of green. “Now, now,” the idiot foolishly said. “There is nothing that violence can solve that words cannot solve—”

And Golag smacked Soraan’s partner across the face. His helmet went flying as Soraan himself winced. The gathered guards blinked as the Elder of the Ironhide Clan grabbed a large rock and shouted.

“I have had enough of the mistreatment of my people! We will not let our pride be tarnished because of your failure to act!”

He hurled the rock towards a crowd of passing dark elves. They screamed and scattered as a handful of guards rushed to restrain Golag. But a group of orcs roared and charged to meet them. They clashed with each other as voices shouted.

But it was too late. Now, the guards and the orcs were locked in battle. Golag himself led his clan as he barreled through a dozen dark elf guardsmen. He was only stopped by a nearby troll who shoved him back. However, that only drew the ire of a group of watching orcs who jumped into the fray.

Soraan could only watch helplessly as chaos continued to unfold around him, before he was finally forced to act. And even more and more orcs came to join the wave of green that was washing over the Sanctuary City.

—--

“Come on, Angel—” Kara started, then paused when she heard the rumbling reverberate throughout the city. Her eyes narrowed when she saw a group of drakenriders rush past her, heading further to the upper tunnels.

Even from the very edge of Sentinel Square, she could see the fighting in the distance. And it was starting to spread out of the upper tunnels and into the main city. She pursed her lips, and Issa poked her head out of the food stand.

“What is going on?” the troll asked with wide eyes.

“Angel,” Kara called out, turning to the bear cub. He blinked back at her as she nodded at him. “Go find Zlo’tan.”

And he immediately listened to her command, running off into the distance.

—--

Hayder stood in parade rest behind Dark Lord Koros as the two of them inspected the design that was laid out on the large table.

“As you can see,” one of the architect mages said, gesturing at the drawing, “there is not much else that is needed to be done except for—”

But before he could finish, a figure burst into the meeting room. Hayder recognized her to be a lieutenant in the First Company under him, although she shouldn’t have been here. He frowned at her as he barked at her.

“Storms above, what is the meaning of this interruption?”

“Dark Lord Koros!” she panted out, tiredly pointing towards the upper tunnels. “It’s the orcs… there are thousands of them… and they’re rioting through the city!”

The Dark Lord of Alyona’s brows snapped together when he heard that. He grabbed his helmet as he strode forward. Placing it on his head, his voice boomed as he spoke.

“Captain Hayder. With me.”

—--

Caius stood atop the walls of the city as he saw the fighting spread in the distance. He wore an unconcerned look on his face, simply humming to himself even as the city guards rushed to quell the riots. And then he glanced back to look out— beyond the massive cavern that held the Sanctuary City.

He saw dark clouds gathering high above. He could hear the distant rolling thunder. These walls were built to withstand even the magical storms of the Xor-In Mountains. But even still…

He hoped it would all be over before the magical storm arrived.

—--

And Levi made his way through the upper tunnels with a grin plastered across his face. He heard the fighting in the distance. He saw the orcs clashing with the dark elves. There were even some trolls joining the mix.

To him, it was all a beautiful sight— to witness demimonsters going for each other's throats. Their screams of terror, and their cries of pain… it was all music to his ears. Especially after what they had forced him to suffer. It had been over a year since he last saw another human being. He thought he would have lost his mind if he had to remain alone down in the lower tunnels for much longer.

But now, he was going to escape. Not just that, he was going to watch as these demimonsters slaughtered each other— as the city was brought to its knees because of it. He would have laughed and pranced all the way towards the walls of the city if he could.

But he knew better than to draw attention to himself. So he continued quietly, sneaking through the alleyways and joining the panicked crowds. No one paid attention to him during the chaos. Not until he finally reached the gates of Alyona.

There, a guard called out to him as he made his approach.

“Stop right there! No one is allowed to leave the city until the riots have been— urk!”

Levi didn’t even bother to listen. He threw his Blink Blade before the guard could react. The sheening weapon shot through the air faster than even an arrow from a crossbow and dug itself into the guard’s neck. And then it reappeared in the thief’s hand.

He snickered as he strode past the dead guard, before leaping up onto the battlements of the Alyona’s walls. Glancing back once, he saw the fighting breaking into the edge of the main city. He reveled in seeing these inferior creatures fight amongst each other.

And then he looked out beyond the so-called Sanctuary City. The walls were built around the edge of a vast cavern, so standing atop it allowed him to finally see the light of day again. He could see the outside world in all its undulating hills and towering mountains spread out into the horizon.

He breathed in the fresh air of freedom for the first time in nearly a year, and he could smell the earthy hint of rain. But he also noticed something odd. The mana in the air was thicker than it should have been. Having prepared himself for the Xor-In Mountains before he departed for this journey, he knew that was a sign a magical storm was brewing.

The timing couldn’t be any more perfect for him. If he left now, no one in Alyona barring maybe a group of elite drakenriders or even Dark Lord Koros could pursue him through the deadly weather. But he had to act fast, or else he himself would fall victim to the magical storm’s wrath.

And yet, even as he stood there, hearing the shouts of the few guards that were guarding the city’s walls rushing his way, he didn’t take his leap of faith. Instead, he lowered his head and glanced dismissively to the side.

“Annoying vermin,” he spat as his figure blurred.

He appeared behind the charging guards, and they collapsed to the ground, their limbs being torn from their bodies. There had only been about a dozen of them here, still at this section of the wall. Most of the guards had been called to quell the riot he had instigated. Just as he planned.

Levi scoffed dismissively as he walked towards the main tower at the very center of the city’s walls. He didn’t flee even though he had the chance. He continued walking towards the massive double doors that led into the stone structure. Because he had an ulterior motive. His goals still had yet to be achieved. After all, the reason why he had been lying in wait for so long was—

“So I was right,” a figure said, stepping out of the double doors.

Levi’s brows snapped together, and he threw his dagger before he could even get a good look at who it was. But the figure casually craned his neck and dodged the attack. With a flash of light, the Blink Blade teleported back into the thief’s hand.

He frowned and eyed the figure blocking his way. It was an elf. A young one at that, at least by their standards.

“I have been expecting you,” the elf continued as he curtsied. “And be careful where you throw that thing— you could’ve hurt me.”

“That’s the point,” Levi snarled and lashed out. He dashed forward, his figure moving like a blur.

But the elf reacted just as quickly and drew a bow. In an instant, he fired a glinting arrow that struck the ground right before Levi’s feet, and it exploded into a pillar of ice. Levi leapt back as he narrowly avoided being frozen by the attack.

“Aren’t you curious about how I knew you were going to come here?” the elf laughed as he nocked another arrow onto his bow. “Or are you that desperate to die already?”

Levi scowled, before eyeing the shining arrow aimed his way. He twirled both his Blink Blades as he straightened. “Fine, I’ll bite. Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

The elf blinked, then smirked. “Oh, you even asked for my name. How polite.”

“Just answer the damn question,” Levi said as he took a step to the side, angling his body to hide his left hand behind his back.

“My name is Caius, and I’ve been hunting you down for the past year. Not directly, of course. Because Koros wouldn’t let me delve down into the lower tunnels. He says there are too many dangerous monsters down there. Honestly, he worries too much, sometimes.”

Levi let go of the Blink Blade on his left hand and spoke up as it fell onto the ground by his feet. “Get on with it already.”

“Fine, fine. Sheesh, you don’t have to be so rude.” Caius shook his head, before smiling. “Because of Koros, I haven’t been able to do anything but wait for you to emerge from the lower tunnels. So I waited, and I waited, and I waited. However, you never made a move. And then I started to wonder: why haven’t you tried to leave yet?”

His words made Levi’s eyes flicker. The human thief looked towards the large tower just ahead, before reaching for a small cross the size of a dagger at his belt.

Caius continued casually, “I mean, I understand being afraid of being caught by Koros. But what were you going to do, hide in the lower tunnels for the rest of your life? That made no sense to me. You can’t do anything with our stolen treasures if you remain trapped below our city. You had to try something, but you did nothing. You simply ran from our patrols or killed those you could. So I realized that you must have been biding your time for a reason. But what could that reason be?”

Levi tightly gripped the cross.

And Caius smiled, facing the top of the tower. “Alyona’s vault.”

That made the human thief pause for a moment. He furrowed his brows as the elf spoke simply.

“I realized you must not have gotten everything you wanted from the vault just yet. That is why you haven’t tried to leave. Because you couldn’t. You had to come back. You failed your original goal—  to steal the Keys of Azad.”

Levi didn’t give an immediate response. However, the expression on his face had been replaced with a glare. His grip over the cross loosened. Meanwhile, the smirk never once left the elf’s lips.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Caius said as he eyed the human thief knowingly.

“And why couldn’t I have just stolen the Keys of Azad the first time around?” Levi finally replied, once again holding onto the cross as it shimmered.

“Because you didn’t know that it was enchanted so that only those who have a Tier 20 manacore can use it. And from what I know about you humans, that is around… Level 40?” The elf cocked his head back, feigning uncertainty.

Levi sneered. “Damn the divine, do you really think I am that weak?”

“I don’t think you are. I know you are,” Caius corrected him “After all, never once, when Hayder hunted for you, did you ever dare to confront him. You’ve attacked dozens of patrols and you’ve even fought powerful lieutenants. But not him. And that’s because he has a Tier 20 manacore. All captains do. So that they can wield the Keys of Azad should the need for it arises.”

As the elf spoke, Levi’s gaze darkened. He didn’t appreciate being insulted by a demimonster, let alone by one that wasn’t even an adult yet. Still, he endured it for just a moment longer. Because he was almost done waiting.

“And that’s what you’ve been doing in the lower tunnels— you’ve been biding your time and growing stronger. You have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to steal the Keys of Azad this time around, so that you can escape for good.”

Caius finished as he raised his bow once again. The arrow shone brighter, and Levi’s lips twisted… into a grin. The human thief raised his head as he met the elf’s gaze.

“You’re quite smart for a demimonster, aren’t you? Well, you were only wrong about one thing,” Levi said as the air rippled around him. He raised the cross and cackled. “I don’t want to just leave Alyona behind anymore. After all you’ve forced me through, I’m going to use the Keys of Azad to ensure the city is in ruins before I escape! Antimagic—”

He started as a white barrier began to form like a sphere around the two of them. But Caius moved faster. He released his arrow as he spoke simply.

“Thirteenth Core: A Hunter’s Catch.”

And Levi blinked as the glinting projectile reached him in an instant. A net made of electricity bound him, and he collapsed to the ground. He dropped the cross to the ground— it was the artifact in which the Antimagic Domain spell was woven into. Without it, he couldn’t create his Antimagic Domain.

He tried to reach for it, but the net crackled. A jolt of electricity shot through him as he recoiled. And he screamed in pain where he lay. Caius strode forward, callously looking down at the human thief struggling to break free.

“Don’t even bother,” the elf said, kneeling down and reaching for the cross. “The more you struggle, the more it will zap you.”

Caius paused as he tapped a finger on his chin.

“Or keep struggling. Good gods, I don’t mind seeing you suffer, too.”

“Y-you—” Levi opened his mouth, but another electric shock washed over him. He yelped in pain as the elf grinned. Steeling himself, the human thief looked up. “D-do you… really think this is enough to hold me?”

And Caius frowned. “What…?”

But before he could react, Levi’s body vanished. He reappeared next to the Blink Blade he had dropped, the look of pain on his face replaced with a savage smirk. Caius spun around, only to be cut on the arm.

The elf backed away as he dropped the cross. He gaped at the human thief in shock. “But how did you escape?”

Levi twirled his Blink Blades as he replied, “All I need to do is think, and I can use these weapons’ enchantments. I don’t even need to speak or look at them. As long as they are within a hundred feet of me, I can teleport to them, or I can teleport them to me. Now—”

He picked up the cross as it shone brightly once again. Caius shouted, the smile vanishing from his face as he raised his bow.

“No—”

But the elf was too slow. Levi whispered, and the world around them shifted. A white light flashed and collapsed on them. And all mana in the air… vanished.

“Antimagic Domain.”

—--

Koros arrived at the edge of the upper tunnels and saw the raging sea of green. He turned to a nearby guardsman who looked exhausted and hurt.

“You, what’s your name?” he asked with a frown.

“Soraan, Dark Lord,” the guard replied instantly.

“What happened here?” Koros swept his gaze over the bloodied street. There had to have been dozens of guards dead, and hundreds more of them injured.

Soraan shook his head as he leant against his spear. “The Ironhide Clan… their Elder’s son was murdered. Storms above, we tried to calm them. But then—”

“You!” a voice shouted, cutting through the fighting in the streets.

A massive orc shoved his way past a group of guards fighting with some orcs. Each step he took almost seemed to make the ground shake, sending broken bits of the stone tiles into the air.  

“Cursed souls, this is all your doing!” the orc continued.

“Elder Golag,” Koros said as he strode forward. “I can assure you, we did not wish for any harm to befall your son or your people.”

“And yet, they are dead!” Golag shouted back as he ripped off his robes. His body rippled with muscle, and he towered over the Dark Lord. “Is this not supposed to be a Sanctuary City? We came here to seek refuge, and you failed to protect my people— you failed to protect my son!”

“Elder Golag, I can assure you, I will give my life to protect you and your people from the outside world. But I cannot guarantee your safety from everything that happens within the city. That is your own responsibility.”

Koros tightened his hands into fists as he looked towards the corpses of a few dark elf civilians. He faced the Elder of the Ironhide Clan once more.

“Just like I cannot guarantee your safety from me if you endanger the rest of the city. Stand down, now.”

Golag did not stand down. The Dark Lord’s words only enraged the Elder of the Ironhide Clan even further. Taking a step forward, Golag roared much to the cheers of his people.

“I will make you pay for what you’ve done!” he screamed as his fist rippled with a crimson aura. His eyes shone, and he swung down at Koros with the power to destroy the entire street. “Twenty-Fifth Core: Savage Blow!”

There was a flash of light as the fighting in the street halted to see what was going on. The nearby buildings shook, and a thunderous clap echoed throughout the entirety of Alyona. The ground broke open from the impact of the strike as the nearby orcs whooped.

Soraan was thrown back by the shockwave of the blast. He looked up with trembling eyes to see the dust clear. He tried to work his jaw.

“D-Dark Lord…?”

And his eyes widened as he saw Koros standing there, not even budging an inch. The cheering orcs paused. Golag frowned, seeing his glowing fist make contact with the Dark Lord’s helmet. The attack hadn’t even left a dent in the armor.

“Elder Golag,” Koros said as his voice boomed. “I gave you your chance to end things peacefully. Now—”

The Dark Lord took a step forward and swung back at the massive orc. It was a simple punch. But it was powerful enough to send Golag flying back across the street. The rioting orcs stared in shock as their Elder was defeated in only a single attack.

“I have no choice but to resort to violence.”

—--

Caius saw the Antimagic Domain form around him. He tried to back away— to escape its boundaries. But he was too slow. He felt the strength leave his body as his movements grew sluggish. And by the time he reached the edge of the barrier, it had fully enclosed around him. His back pressed against the white wall as he gritted his teeth.

He couldn’t get out.

“This Antimagic Domain is honestly one of the best artifacts I have ever stolen,” Levi said as he inspected the cross. “Not only does it drain the mana from everything inside of its boundaries, it also works as a perfect tool to trap people. After all, anybody can step in, but nobody can step out.”

The human thief sneered, looking back up as he finished. Then he tossed the dagger straight at the elf.

“Of course, because I control the Antimagic Domain, I get to decide what to exclude from its effects— so I can fight freely unlike you!”

Caius threw himself to the side, barely moving fast enough to dodge the dagger. He felt his manacore tense as it did what it could to empower his movements. But compared to his normal nimble feet, he was far slower now.

So this is the power of the Antimagic Domain…  Its name was a little bit misleading, considering it didn’t negate all magic. In another sense, it made it a lot more difficult to cast any kind of spell or rely on any kind of magic.

After all, almost every single living being was capable of storing mana within their body. It was what allowed them to grow stronger almost unendingly. But even passive boosts in abilities— like his Fifteenth Core of Superior Physical Prowess — wasn’t able to avoid the draining effects of the Antimagic Domain. Because when it drained mana, it drained mana from everything.

With each step Caius took, he felt his manacore rapidly emptying. He stumbled away from the dagger as it bounced off the white barrier, and Levi appeared there. He aimed his bow at the human thief as he tried to conjure up what was left inside his manacore.

“Twenty-First Core—” Caius started as his arrow wisped with a green light.

But Levi vanished again. The elf blinked, quickly searching for where his enemy could have gone. And the human thief reappeared where he had been standing at the center of the Antimagic Domain. He must have dropped his second Blink Blade there before he teleported to grab the first.

The last of the mana inside of the elf’s manacore was drained, and the green light coating his arrow faded away. He dropped to a knee, panting tiredly.

“What’s wrong? Giving up already?” Levi asked as he picked up the dropped Blind Blade.

Caius narrowed his eyes, then he saw the flicker of golden light coming from the other side of the Antimagic Domain. He blinked a few times, before he rose to his feet.

“No, I’m actually quite relieved,” the elf said as his signature smirk returned. He stretched his shoulders and replied simply, “It seems my attempts at stalling you have succeeded.”

And Levi frowned. “Your attempts at… stalling me? What are you talking about?”

Caius snorted. “Come on, did you really think I was wasting my time trying to hold a conversation with you? I couldn’t care less about anything a dead man has to say.”

He pointed past the human thief, continuing simply.

“I was waiting for her.”

And Levi spun around as he saw a figure step into the Antimagic Domain. A young woman with blonde hair and coated in fading golden flames emerged from the white barrier. Her eyes glimmered with two different colors— her left eye a glinting crimson, and her right eye a deep blue. She wore her brand new outfit, no longer dressed in rags. But that wasn’t what stood out most about her.

“You’re—” Levi’s jaw dropped as he met her gaze. “A human…?”

But she ignored him as she adjusted the fingerless gloves on the palm of her hand. The last of her flames vanished, and she nodded at the elf at the other side of the Antimagic Domain. He smiled back at her as she spoke up.

“Sorry I’m late, Caius,” she said apologetically. “I was busy getting Issa to safety. But I’m here now.”

Chapter 14: Antimagic Domain

With Elder Golag subdued, it was not difficult to subdue the main part of the riots. There had been thousands of orcs gathered here on his behest. And to see him so easily defeated must have been a massive shock. So many of them surrendered to the guards.

They hadn’t witnessed Koros in battle before, so they didn’t expect such a massive show of force. Soraan himself had very rarely ever seen the Dark Lord in a fight too, but he knew that even someone with a Tier 30 manacore wouldn’t stand a chance of winning.

However, while many of the orcs who were a part of the Ironhide Clan handed themselves over in defeat, that didn’t mean the riots were over. The chaos had spread to other parts of the city, and there were brawls breaking out even in Sentinel Square. So it wasn’t over.

Soraan moved with the rest of the gathered guards to stop the fighting in the nearby streets. His partner followed him, rubbing the bruise on his face.

“O-ouch…”

Honestly, Soraan was impressed. Somehow, his partner survived getting struck in the face by Elder Golag. It was quite the feat— although it still wasn’t impressive enough for Soraan to force himself to remember his partner’s name. He turned his attention back to the fighting, before blinking as a figure nearly ran into him.

A panting guard dashed through the street, making his way to Koros and Hayder. The latter two had been overseeing the detainment of the present orcs. But they turned around as the guard came to a halt before them.

“Storms above, what is it now?” Koros asked as his voice boomed through his helmet.

“D-Dark Lord,” the guard started, dropping to a knee. “We received a report from the walls of the city— towards the main tower, an antimagic field has been detected.”

And Koros exchanged a glance with Hayder as they both realized what was going on.

—--

After both Kara and Caius agreed to work together, the two then began to discuss their plan of action. They didn’t know how much time they had before Levi would act. But they knew they had to prepare themselves for something to happen soon.

“So you’re saying Levi wishes to go after the vault?” Kara asked as she placed a hand on her chin. “To steal the… Keys of Azad?”

“That’s right.” Caius nodded. “And we will set an ambush for him there— when he finally acts.”

Kara looked towards the elf curiously. “And are we supposed to just camp at the vault all day until then?”

He gave her a reassuring nod. “Don’t worry, I’ll have it all planned out for you. You just have to come when the riots start.”

“Right…” She somehow didn’t seem convinced by his confidence.

“Our only real concern should be his Antimagic Domain,” Caius said, pursing his lips. “I am not sure how we’ll be able to deal with it…”

Kara saw the worry on his face, then looked down at herself. She closed her eyes and sighed, “I… think I can handle that.”

“You can?” Caius asked dubiously. “Are you certain?”

She raised her head and met his gaze. “I am.”

—--

Back in the present, Caius leaned against the white walls of the Antimagic Domain, watching as Kara stepped into its bounds. He watched as her golden flames flickered out of existence, and his lips drew into a thin line. Would it have been better if she remained outside of this deathtrap? Perhaps…

But she had told the elf that she had a plan. And he trusted her. Even though they barely knew each other, having only met twice before today, he still believed in her abilities. After all, if she was truly incompetent, she never would have been able to survive her trek through the Xor-In Mountains.

So he observed. Even as Kara drew forward, meeting the gaze of the other human. Her presence stunned Levi to silence. The two humans didn’t speak for a long moment.

Until, finally, Kara said, “Hello, Levi. I’ve been meaning to talk to you for a while now. Don’t be so alarmed. Can we speak?”

And that made both Levi and Caius blink. The two of them stared at Kara in disbelief as she slowly drew forward.

“Is this really what you had planned, Kara…?” Caius asked hesitantly. “To talk things through?”

And he was starting to wonder if he could really trust her plan.

—--

Levi stared at the blonde woman in shock. He barely processed her words. He was still taking in her face. Because she looked just like him.

Even though she was dressed in strange clothes— almost like the kind of outfits noblemen would wear in their fancy parties, but with a red piece of cloth running down her chest instead of a ribbon— and even though she had just been adjusting her fingerless gloves like she was prepared for a fight. She was still…

“You’re… a human?” he said, staring at her as she approached him. He snapped back to reality and leapt back away from her. He pocketed his cross and raised a dagger and aimed at her. “Get back!”

“My name is Kara, and I just want to talk,” she insisted as she came to a halt a dozen feet away from him. “Please?”

Levi gritted his teeth. He eyed her suspiciously, before looking back at the elf just waiting at the back. Was this an illusion? No— it couldn’t be. Any illusion that was cast would have already been dispelled inside the Antimagic Domain. Even if it had been cast from the outside, it wouldn’t have survived this long inside of here.

This was real. He slowly relaxed as he lowered his daggers. Then he smiled as he greeted her.

“It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to another human,” he said, giving a small bow. “I almost thought I was starting to go delusional. My apologies. But… I’m in a bit of a rush, so could you hurry up?”

Kara pursed her lips as she heard him speak. She shook her head and gestured at the white barrier encasing them. “I heard what you had to say before I entered this Antimagic Domain. You want to destroy the city with the Keys of Azad.”

“That’s right.” Levi sneered as he spread his arms wide. “I’m going to bring this ‘great’ Sanctuary City to ruin before I take my leave. I’m going to make sure these disgusting demimonsters suffer. Every single one of them.”

“But you don’t have to do this,” Kara replied, shaking her head.

And Levi scoffed back at her. “I don’t? Why shouldn’t I make these filthy creatures pay for what they’ve done to me? Because of them, I have been trapped in that fucking cavern for a year.”

“That’s because you tried to steal from them, Levi,” she said as she pointed at the artifacts he had on him. “Of course they’re going to hunt you down if you steal from their city!”

“And so what?” he snorted. “I am a [Treasure Thief]. Well… I was one. Now I am a [Shadowcrawler]. That’s the only good thing that has come from being trapped in this shitty city.”

“But why did you even want to steal from them in the first place?” Kara asked, taking a step forward. “These people have done nothing to you before that— they don’t deserve this.”

Levi tilted his head back. “Why not?”

He thought about it for a moment as her gaze bore into him. When he was finished, he shrugged and replied casually.

“For the same reason adventurers go into Dungeons to slay monsters— because I can.”

Kara’s gaze darkened when she heard what he had to say. “I see.”

“Is that enough of an answer for you?” he asked, raising his Blink Blades. “Or are you going to continue getting in my way?”

She sighed as she took another step forward, then looked up to meet his gaze. “You know, when Zarkoth told me that humans in this world were so unreasonable they tried to kill him every time they met him, I didn’t believe him. But now that I’ve met you…”

Golden flames began to flake off her body, and Levi’s eyes flickered.

“Damn the divine, so you’re going to side with these demimonsters against me? Fine—” he snarled and threw a dagger at her.

The weapon simply bounced off the golden flames coating her body. Levi’s brows snapped together.

“What…?”

Kara began to stride forward as her left eye gleamed. “I’m starting to understand what Zarkoth was talking about.”

“You—” Levi opened his mouth.

But she dashed forward, reaching him in an instant. He barely teleported to the Blink Blade he had thrown in time, only to see her landing next to him again. His eyes snapped wide open.

And she grabbed him by the face, slamming him onto the ground. He heard his nose crack as he screamed in pain. Blood coughed out of his mouth, and he moved his lips.

“[Dark Backlash].”

His shadow shifted, then shot up at Kara like a blade. She let go of his face and leapt back. The dark blade barely missed her as he steadied himself. He threw one of his Blink Blades at her again as she tried to dodge the attack.

But he flexed his wrist. “[Shadowstring Control].”

And the flying dagger curved mid-air, twisting with where he aimed. Kara sprinted around the edge of the white dome as it chased her. She then flipped into the air as it crashed into the walls of the Antimatic Domain, and Levi felt his magical control over the weapon’s flight vanish.

He looked up at Kara as she raised a hand.

“God Strike.”

His eyes widened as he saw the oncoming streaks of golden flames. He instantly teleported to the Blink Blade at the other side of the Antimagic Domain. As soon as he reappeared, he felt the intense heat from Kara’s attack wash over him, and he felt the ground beneath his feet shake.

He looked up as the attack ripped apart the floors of the city walls. The enchanted brickstones were shredded through, just like that. And he stared in horror as she landed right before the dissipating flames.

How was she doing this?  the question crossed his mind as he gaped at her power.

Even a [Warrior] would struggle to fight at his full strength inside of an Antimagic Domain. After all, mana was the lifeblood of all things. It gave [Mages] the capacity to cast magic, and it gave [Warriors] the strength to crush a mountain. To take it away from them would be to take away their power.

That was the reason why Levi had been able to kill all those city guards with ease. Even though not all of them specialized in casting spells, their enhanced strength and their special abilities were severely restricted by the Antimagic Domain.

And yet, here was Kara, fighting completely unperturbed by it. Even the elf looked shocked to see this.

Levi clenched his jaw as he stared at the blonde girl. She was wreathed in the golden flames. He couldn’t even see her face. All he could see was her glinting red left eye.

“Calm down,” he told himself as he raised his two Blink Blades. “Even that elf could still put up a fight for a minute after I activated my Antimagic Domain. I just have to tire her out…”

Kara charged at him again, and his body blurred. He managed to dodge her attack this time around with his [Rapid Step].

All Levi had to do was keep her back as she tired herself out. And that was easy as long as he had his Blink Daggers. Or so he thought.

She chased him around the Antimagic Domain as he teleported all around the dome-like barrier. He thought it would be over soon. But she was relentless. She created a pair of flaming claws and swung for his neck. There were a few near misses— attacks that burned his clothes but didn’t hit him.

And Levi started to realize that he was going to run out of mana before her.

“This is impossible—” he whispered.

Only to be struck by a kick to the stomach. He was sent flying into the white wall as his skin burned from the brief moment of contact. He coughed out more blood as he picked himself up.

He stared at his opponent in sheer disbelief. “This is an Antimagic Domain— it should nullify all magic in here. It’s supposed to drain all mana within its boundaries. So… how?”

Kara paused as she tilted her head back at him. He snarled and pointed at her with his Blink Blades.

“How are you doing this?” he shouted. “How are you still using magic in here?”

It made no sense to Levi. And even Kara seemed to ponder over that question. She craned her neck back in thought, before answering simply.

“Certainly, to an ordinary person, I’m sure this Antimagic Domain is enough to stop them.” She then started walking forward, her footsteps burning the ground as her flames wisped around her body violently. “But do you really think it would work against a dragon?”

“…w-what?” Levi heard her words, and he saw the way her flames twisted around her body. It covered her— it engulfed her entire being.

Perhaps it was because of her words, but he saw the flames taking the shape of a dragon. He saw it looking over him— threatening to incinerate him into nothing.

His knees grew weak. They threatened to buckle beneath him as the vague shape of the burning dragon drew closer. His breathing quickened, and he was stricken to the heart with fear.

It was a ridiculous notion. For him to run into a dragon of all things— because they were on the verge of extinction, and they were practically a myth. But even though he didn’t know what one looked like. Even though he had only heard about their descriptions from stories. He was certain about what he saw.

He stumbled back as he nearly dropped his Blink Blades. His back pressed against the white walls of the Antimagic Domain. And he opened his mouth, pointing at Kara.

“You’re… you’re not a human!” he screamed in terror, trying to back up further, even when he couldn’t any longer. “You’re a monster!”

“I am a human,” Kara replied as her flames continued to twist and grow. It towered over him like a dragon, ready to unleash its fire as she continued. “You’re the monster who wants to slaughter thousands of innocents to satiate your thirst for revenge.”

“I-I—“ Levi gritted his teeth and spun around. He dropped one Blink Blade and grabbed the cross from his waist. The Antimagic Domain shattered as he pointed at it. “Fuck this, I’m out of here!”

There was no point in stealing the Keys of Azad if he was going to die to some crazy girl. So he moved to flee. The white dome collapsed as the watching elf blinked. Caius scrambled for his bow, but he was too slow. Levi was already moving.

Kara watched as Levi threw his Blink Blade far from the walls of the city out into the open sky of the outside world. He knew that it didn’t have infinite range— that it could teleport him for only about a hundred feet. So when it reached the edge of his range, he teleported to it.

“Kara, stop him!” the elf shouted in the distance.

And Levi glanced back as he soared through the air. There’s no way they can catch me—

He froze when he saw Kara standing at the edge of the battlements. She had a hand raised to her mouth, a tiny golden sphere resting on her palm.

“Dragon’s Breath,” she whispered.

And the massive cone of golden flames poured into the air as Levi could only watch. He helplessly glided in the air as he felt the smoldering heat draw closer. His eyes slammed shut, even as the light grew brighter.

“No—” he started.

Then there was nothing of Levi that remained.

—--

“Cursed souls— what is that?”  Hayder exclaimed, seeing the golden light flash atop the battlements of the city.

Koros narrowed his eyes, seeing the plume of golden fire shoot out into the distant sky. Even from where he was, a few streets away from Alyona’s walls, he could feel the heat. He could sense the overwhelming magic.

And he smirked as he turned to the captain standing next to him.

“It appears Kara has kept to the promise she made you.”

“What?” Hayder frowned, uncomprehending.

“Let’s go,” Koros said simply and marched on.

—--

When Kara approached Levi for the first time, she didn’t know what to expect. All she knew was that she had heard a lot about humans, and because of that, she had wanted to speak to him. Not just because he was a human— although that did play a part— but because she wasn’t sure what to expect.

She had been told about how humans were in this world from Zarkoth, and then she saw the distrust held towards her from the people of the Sanctuary City. Very few of them ever had a favorable outlook on humankind. But she wondered how much of that was because of prejudice, rather than having any basis in reality.

After she spoke with Levi, she understood where they were all coming from. Perhaps he didn’t represent all humans, but simply speaking with him left a disgusting taste in her mouth. And she was certain that wasn’t the taste of smoke from her Dragon’s Breath.

She already had doubts on whether she would have been able to convince Levi to return the stolen artifacts, considering that he had already killed over a hundred guards from the city so far, and was going around murdering innocent orcs. But their conversation went worse than she thought it would go.

The best outcome she saw happening— which was unlikely in the first place— was him turning himself over for what he did. And while the worst outcome was her killing him… she hadn’t expected him to piss her off that much.

“If that’s what humans are like in this world… this world really does suck, huh?” Kara muttered under her breath as she watched a pair of daggers fall to the ground alongside a rain of ashes.

She looked down at herself, flexing the palm of her hand.

“He was the first person I’ve ever killed, but I don’t feel terrible about it. Maybe I really am a monster.”

It could’ve also been because she had already mentally killed someone, back when she fought the Soulmaster’s machine. Or maybe it was because Levi had been so alien in the way he acted and thought that it felt no different to killing a giant spider or walking tree. Like he was just any other monster.

Kara didn’t know why she felt so apathetic about killing him. All she knew was that she had gleaned what she wanted from her conversation with him. So she stood there silently. She only turned around when she heard a pair of footsteps approaching her.

“Well, you gave me quite the scare there,” Caius said as he rubbed his shoulder. He came to a halt right next to her. “I thought your big plan to stop Levi was to talk to him.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not an idiot. I knew if my words couldn’t get to him, I could very easily kill him. And I did.”

The elf smiled. “I always knew you were smart.”

And she didn’t give him the validation of a reaction.

The two of them remained silent as they stared at the distant horizon. A wall of rain and magic was slowly approaching Alyona from the distance. Its colorful gales and bright bolts of lightning still seemed threatening, even from afar.

“So a dragon, huh?” Caius said as he looked towards Kara.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“I didn’t expect dragons to look like humans. Unless… this is an illusion spell?”

“No, it’s not,” she replied flatly. “I am a human.”

“Oh.”

He scrunched up his brows, and she let him figure it out. A minute passed before he deciphered what she meant.

“A dragonsoul, then.”

“Correct.”

Caius nodded as he placed a hand on his chin. “I see.”

She gave him a sidelong glance. “...is that it?”

“What else do you want me to say?” He shrugged. “I think that’s pretty impressive. I never thought I’d ever meet a human with a dragonsoul. But here we are.”

“I expected you to be more surprised or shocked or something,” Kara said, shaking her head.

Caius averted his gaze. “It’s a bit less… impressive than my initial assumption of you being a literal dragon. No offense.”

“None taken.”

“Well, if you want a reaction…” He drew back and looked her up and down. “Remind me never to doubt you again.”

She chuckled as she waved a hand off. “I mean, maybe you can doubt me a little bit— I didn’t expect the Antimagic Domain to be that draining, after all.”

Based on everything Kara knew about her dragonsoul and magic in general, she was confident that the Antimagic Domain wouldn’t work on her. She had even asked Zlo’tan about this hypothetical scenario the day before, when she went to collect her new clothes, to confirm that her plan would work.

He had warned her that while dragonsouls did create mana, it would still be adversely affected by an antimagic field of any kind. While her magic and strength wouldn’t be impeded in the slightest, she would grow tired even faster.

And she felt it now as she wobbled where she stood.

“I’m going to take a long bath when I get back,” she said as she sniffed herself. “I reek of barbecue.” At the very least, she was glad her new clothes weren’t damaged from the battle. They truly were as durable and high quality as Zlo’tan promised.

“Well, I don’t know if you can leave just yet,” Caius piped up as he glanced back.

And Kara raised a brow. “What do you mean by that?”

He gestured past her, pointing down below the battlements. She narrowed her eyes as she followed his fingers. When she saw what he was talking about, she pursed her lips.

Dark Lord Koros and Captain Hayder both made their way towards the walls of the city. They were accompanied by a retinue of guards, and they brought with them a few dozen bound orcs in tow.

“I guess it’s time for us to explain what happened, huh?” Kara said as she chewed on her lower lip.

Caius tilted his head back at her. “What do you mean by us? It was your plan, remember?”

And she snorted. “Yeah, right. Come on, let’s go talk to them.”

—--

“Greetings, Captain Hayder… and hey, Koros,” Caius called out to the two figures leading the retinue of guards way to the city walls.

Kara stood sheepishly behind the elf, scratching the back of her head. She wasn’t sure how much trouble they were in. But judging by Hayder’s immediate reaction to march up to Caius, it was clear that there was going to be some explaining to do.

“What did you two do?” Hayder asked as he gave a death glare.

Caius backed up and raised his hands placatingly. “Oh, us? We didn’t do much— we just saved the city, that’s all.”

Hayder frowned. “Saved the city? And how exactly did you do that?”

“By catching Levi,” Kara said, deciding to speak up. She knew Caius would drag things out for the fun of it, so she explained simply, “Uh, sorry, I mean killing Levi. He was after the Keys of Azad in the vault, so we stopped him..”

It was a concise retelling of events. Or at least, Kara thought that it answered all questions. Unfortunately, that only seemed to confuse the captain even more.

“Levi? As in… the human thief? Storms above, that’s impossible. How did you—” Hayder started.

And Caius produced the twin Blink Blades that had been stolen. He had the forethought to pick them up before this meeting. “Here’s proof. Unfortunately, the cross that was bound with the Antimagic Domain spell was incinerated.”

Hayder stared for a moment. “You—”

He looked like he was trying to process what he was seeing. It took him a moment to work his jaws again.

“But why was the human thief at the—” Hayder paused, realizing what he was going to ask was already explained. He shook his head as he looked between Kara and Caius. “How did you know Levi was going for the vault?”

“Yeah Caius,” Kara said as she stepped to the side. “How did you know that Levi was going for the vault?”

The elf pouted and folded his arms across his chest like a child. “Bully.”

“It was your idea.”

“I know, I know…”

So Caius explained his hypothesis and his plan. Hayder listened. But it wasn’t just him. The nearby guards overheard what the elf regaled. And so did Koros. They all listened intently until it was over.

“So you’re saying you knew this riot would happen, but the only person you told was that human?” Hayder sputtered as he pointed at Kara.

“Well, if I told you, none of you would have believed me,” Caius said as he huffed. “And Kara is the only one who had a counter to the Antimagic Domain anyway.”

Hayder eyed Kara suspiciously. “She has a counter to it? But how?”

“That’s because I, uh, convinced him to lower his guard since we’re both humans?” she made up a quick lie.

“That’s right,” Caius agreed as if he hadn’t just almost revealed her secret to everyone.

Fortunately, the captain didn’t think this was suspicious. Instead, he focused on another aspect of their story.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone else about that human thief’s plan?” Hayder asked as he looked towards Caius. “We could’ve prevented these riots if we’d known about it— there are hundreds of guards dead because of you!””

The elf scratched the back of his head. “Ignoring the fact that you wouldn’t have believed me… what else could we have done? These riots would have still happened regardless of what we did. Unless you were going to somehow go back in time and prevent the murders of all those orcs?”

He cocked a brow at Hayder.

“You—” the captain started.

But Caius simply continued. “Also, what if I was wrong? Sure, I was confident in my hypothesis. But you would have wasted all your time and resources on hunting down Levi if I was wrong— instead of dealing with the riots. There would be many more guards dead, and even more civilians killed, if that were the case.”

His words made Hayder hesitate. Kara was impressed by how skillfully the elf navigated this discussion. It was very much proof of how often he found himself in trouble, since he seemed experienced in knowing how to talk his way out.

Of course, Hayder didn’t seem fully satisfied by the explanation, even now. However, the discussion could only be concluded when Koros spoke.

Throughout the length of the conversation, the Dark Lord remained silent. He stood at the back, and his helmet covered his face, hiding the expression he wore. He uttered not a single word. Until now.

He stepped forward, and everyone turned to face him. Even Kara looked his way.

“Caius,” Koros said as his voice boomed, enhanced by the enchantments of his helmet. “While I understand your logic and reasoning, you should have still communicated your plan to us. This was reckless.”

Hayder snickered when he heard that.

But the Dark Lord continued, “While this may have been the optimal solution, things may not turn out so well for you or for us in the future.”

The expression on the captain’s face dropped. Caius bowed his head apologetically.

“Sorry, I guess I got ahead of myself. I won’t do it again.”

“And Kara,” Koros said as he turned towards the girl.

She straightened when he faced her. For whatever reason, she felt like a nervous student in school, about to speak with her principal on whether she was in trouble or not.

“Yes?” she asked apprehensively.

Koros spoke softer, even with the magic of his helmet. “Good work.”

“Oh, thank you.” She blinked.

And the Dark Lord spun around as he faced the gathered guards. There was a crowd of civilians who had stopped to watch what was happening too. He faced them all as he grabbed both Kara and Caius by the hands. They blinked as he stepped forward.

Hayder just watched with round eyes as the Dark Lord bellowed for all to hear.

“As of today, for bringing justice to that human thief who has plagued our city for a year, Kara and Caius will be celebrated as heroes of Alyona!”

Chapter 15: Celebrations

“What makes a hero?”

The little girl asked as she stood at the edge of the valley before the burning city. It hadn’t been a large city by any means. Perhaps there had been about ten thousand souls living there before. But now they were all gone. And in their stead, nightmares ran amok.

She saw the twisted creatures that moved like shadows. They blended in with the darkness of night, and they swarmed the ruined buildings, their screeches echoing throughout the valley. The raging fire crackled, and a tower collapsed.

“Have I not explained this to you before, Eve?” a voice replied.

The little girl turned to face her companion. He wore dark rags that covered parts of his body, and his skin was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. Only his right eye was visible. And he spoke in a muffled voice.

“A hero is someone who shows bravery in the face of adversity. It is a term often used to praise individuals who have successfully demonstrated their abilities against a great enemy—”

“I understand that,” she replied, cutting him off. Her eyes darted towards the edge of the burning city, and she saw hundreds of corpses lying there in a haphazard pile. “But I do not understand what compels them to act. I do not understand the logic behind their actions.”

She tilted her head back and stared at the artificial glow of twilight that painted the sky. Her companion peered at her quizzically. And she spoke softly.

“There are innumerable tales that talk of great heroes who risk their lives to fell a terrible beast. Even when the odds aren’t in their favor, they throw themselves into danger to save those they love. They risk their lives— their everything— to protect those around them. Some even go as far as to sacrifice themselves to make the world a better place.”

Her eyes glinted as a name crossed her mind. A figure that was revered throughout history by all of Xantos.

Her companion vocalized that name for her. “He Who Stole Magic From The Gods.”

“Yes,” she said as she lowered her head. “Even His actions elude me. I cannot comprehend them. He gave His everything to create the System, all just to empower humankind. He was a god, but He chose to become nothing at all for those who can only remember him. He sacrificed Himself, and for what?”

Staring at the palm of her hand, her vision began to blur. She tried to understand the logic behind it. She tried to find the reason behind His actions. But she failed to comprehend it. Her hands trembled as she shook her head.

“He never got to see the results of His labor. He never even knew if He succeeded. He never got to see this world of humans He helped create. For all He knew, humankind could still have been destroyed, even with the System. But even knowing nothing, He still sacrificed Himself for them.”

She looked up to meet the gaze of her watchful companion. He did not utter a word. He remained standing in place, even as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her breathing quickened, and she barely managed to find her voice.

“Isn’t that… sad?”  she asked as her lips quivered.

Her companion didn’t respond. She gritted her teeth, and she looked up at him expectantly.

“So tell me, Adam: what is it that makes someone a hero?”

Eve waited. But her companion still refused to say a word. She saw the way he ignored her question. She saw the way his single eye remained shut. And finally, she snapped.

“Answer me!” she shouted.

Her voice resounded throughout the valley. The last of the standing buildings in the burning city collapsed. The nightmares flocking through the rubble fled. Her gaze pierced into her companion. And he looked up as his single eye opened.

“It is belief that makes a hero,” he answered.

And Eve blinked at his response. “What?”

He took a step forward as he raised his arms to his sides. She stared at him, and he drew out a pool of light from the corpses. It was a wispy aura that waded through the air like water. An amorphous shape at first. Until he began to mold it into something else.

“It is their innate belief in themselves that they can protect their friends. It is their belief that their friends will not fail them should they fall. And it is belief that is the core of a soul.”

Adam spoke as he continued to weave the vast amalgamation of light into a bloated figure. Dozens of shadowed tendrils carried its body. It was a creature so large that it could have crushed a small city with its size alone. But despite its bulbous shape, it was not disgusting or gross to see, for it wore the night sky on its skin.

“After all, belief can even make gods from mortals,” Adam said as he took a step back, admiring his creation. Then he turned to Eve as the shadows hiding in the city emerged once more. They swarmed around him as he nodded at the little girl. “But before we can believe, first we must dream. For without dreams, what are we to believe in?”

Adam strode forward as she stared at him with round eyes.

“That is why I want you to dream with me, Eve.”

He craned his neck back, facing her with the bandaged side of his face.

“And then we can become more than heroes.”

He proffered a hand for her to follow, and she closed her eyes. She looked down at herself for a long moment, before she nodded.

Adam finished, “We can become gods.”

And Eve accepted his hand, following after him as the two Dreamers continued into the night.

—---

It had been a few days since Kara and Caius worked together to defeat Levi in battle atop the battlements of Alyona. Because of their actions there, they had been declared as heroes. A celebration was even thrown in their names, much to their surprises.

Despite knowing Koros for nearly ten years now, Caius never knew what to expect from the Dark Lord. They were close— certainly, most people would consider them to be close enough to be friends. After all, if talking to someone for the better part of a decade didn’t constitute as a friendship, then what did?

But Caius was no ordinary person. For one, he was an elf. And he was a young one at that. So he was acutely aware of just how fleeting friendships could be at this stage of his life. To get too attached to others at his age would result in only pain and grief, for he would outlive most people ten times over.

It was his parents who hammered this idea in his mind from as far back as he could remember— to befriend only elves to avoid the sadness that came from losing friends of other species to old age.

However, perhaps this lesson wouldn’t have stuck to him as strongly as it did if he hadn’t experienced what he did twenty years ago. Back when he had lost everything the first time around. When everyone he knew and loved was killed. When his past life had been taken from him by force.

His eyes flickered as he walked through the streets of Alyona. He saw the bustling crowds. He heard the shouts of hawkers and street vendors. He could even smell the faint dank scent of the glow moss growing across the walls of the cavern holding the city. But where he looked, all he saw was another Sanctuary City.

Caius paused for a moment as his breathing quickened. He still remembered that day. The words of Dark Lord Adam reverberated in his mind. Through his very soul. Then he saw the ruins. He recalled the screams—

And he shook his head, breaking out of his stupor as a voice called out to him. He looked over at a group of dark elves gathered inside a tavern, waving at him. They invited him to join them as they raised drinks. But he gave them an apologetic look as he continued down the road.

The elf was in a rush, so he couldn’t join them for drinks or food right now. But he would often be invited out to lunch or dinner by people he passed by i nthe street because of the things he did for them. And especially now, after he helped bring Levi to justice, he was acknowledged more than ever.

Turning the corner, he spotted a commotion breaking out up ahead. He watched as a young minotaur— barely a teenager— was surrounded and harassed by a group of teenage dark elves.

“This one begs you to stop—” the young minotaur started.

But the dark elf teens ripped the bag of coins out of his hand.

“Storms above, now how did a minotaur like you get so much money, huh?” one of the dark elf teens asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” another one said. “He obviously stole it!”

“This one can assure you his parents acquired his coins through legal means,” the young minotaur argued meekly. “Please return the coins back to this one.”

“Why should we—” the lead teen dark elf laughed.

And Caius stepped forward, grabbing the coin pouch in one swift motion. “I’ll be taking this.”

“What…?” The group of dark elf teens stared in confusion.

Caius strode back and simply handed the bag of coins to the young minotaur.

“Here you go.”

“This one thanks you very much.” The young minotaur bowed his head.

“Now get out of here,” Caius said, waving a hand dismissively.

And the young minotaur listened. The group of dark elf teens glared angrily at the elf.

“You—” one of them started.

But Caius drew his bow from his back. “Is something the matter?” he asked, nocking an arrow dangerously onto his weapon.

The dark elf teens paled. Then they began to back away, before their leader scowled.

“You’re lucky you’re favored by the Dark Lord! Otherwise, we’d teach you a lesson!”

“I’m sure you will.” Caius scoffed as he watched them go.

Was there a reason why he did all this— why he always went out of his way to help others? Even though the elf had no reason to intervene— even though he  had somewhere to be— he chose to step in anyway.

Well, he couldn’t give a genuine answer. He always made up some sort of excuse that was different each time. Even though he tried his best not to care about the people of this city.

He still helped them. He just couldn’t help himself.

Caius dusted his hands off, continuing towards the tallest tower in the city. There were twenty-one of these thin towers scattered across the main section of Alyona. All except for one belonged to a captain of the army.

Although… most of them could scarcely ever be found in their towers, too preoccupied with their duties. For example, Hayder was typically manning the walls, while someone like Bushra guarded the outpost at the very back of the upper tunnels, keeping watch for monsters coming from beneath that could threaten the city.

The only one who could often be found at their tower was Dark Lord Koros himself. And that was who Caius was going to pay a visit.

“How are you doing, my most definitely not a friend, Dark Lord?” Caius asked.

And Koros looked up from his desk. The elf had snuck in through the window like he normally did, and now, he was sitting on the windowsill as he held up a stick of centipede eyes.

“Hungry?” he offered the skewer. “It’s a traditional troll dish, from what I hear.”

“No thanks.” Koros looked down and returned to work.

Caius shrugged. “More for me, I guess.”

The two of them said nothing more for a few minutes. Koros signed a handful of documents, while Caius finished his stick of centipede eyes. Until, finally, a rapping on the door came.

“Dark Lord,” a muffled voice called out from the outside of the room. “Architect Magus Uzbug is here to speak with you.”

And Koros rose to his feet. “Let her know I am on my way.”

“Yes, Dark Lord.”

Caius watched as Koros stood up and got ready. Neither of them exchanged a word, even as the Dark Lord grabbed his helmet, about to leave. It was only when he reached the doorway, did the elf pipe up.

“So… a dragonsoul, huh?”

Koros paused. He craned his neck back to face the elf sitting there with a grin.

“I do not know what you are talking about,” the Dark Lord eventually replied, looking back towards the doorway.

“Come on, she already told me the truth,” Caius said as he waved a hand off. “There’s no need to be secretive with me. Aren’t we friends?”

“You just said I wasn’t your friend,” Koros stated flatly.

Caius harrumphed jokingly. “And this is why we aren’t friends— you refuse to tell me anything!”

The Dark Lord rolled his eyes at that. He spun around and faced the sitting elf.

“Even if Kara hypothetically did have a dragonsoul, what difference does it make? I see no reason why I should divulge this information to you.”

“Well, it would have made coming up with a plan to defeat Levi a lot more easier,” Caius said simply.

Koros closed his eyes and sighed, “First of all, you were never supposed to interfere with that human thief. You could have died.”

“You keep treating me like a child even though I’m nearly twice your age.” The elf pouted over exaggeratedly, trying to mask the hint of truth in his words.

“Secondly, the outcome remains the same, whether or not I told you anything,” the Dark Lord continued. “Is that not what you told Captain Hayder just the other day?”

A small smile slipped onto his face as he glanced back fractionally. Caius blinked, then scowled at that.

“That’s not fair— you can’t use my own words against me,” the elf said as he crossed his arms. “And it’s under a completely different context. So it doesn’t apply at all.”

“But it’s true. You succeeded in taking down that human thief. And now the people of the city have finally accepted both you and Kara.” The Dark Lord pulled the door open, ready to leave.

Caius crossed his arms at that. “I’m going to be honest, I really don’t care about being accepted by the people of this city. I know I say that a lot. But you know me— that’s just an excuse. So I don’t get why you threw that celebration for us. I did all this so the other captains could get off my ass for always causing trouble.”

“I’m glad to hear that then,” Koros said, looking back one last time. He smirked as he started out the doorway. “Because I didn’t throw that celebration for you either. I needed an easy way to get word out there of Levi’s involvement in the deaths of those orcs, and everybody loves a good party. It keeps the people happy, especially after the riots.”

“Wait, what?” Caius blinked.

And the Dark Lord exited the room, closing the door behind him. The elf remained sitting there for a while, before he snorted.

“...I should’ve expected that. What a shrewd man.”

That was another reason why Caius found it hard to describe their relationship as ‘friendship’. While Koros had chosen to take the elf under his direct care, that wasn’t the full picture either. Like much of the Dark Lord’s actions, the reasoning behind it was multifaceted.

After all, having an elf in Alyona protected them from coming into conflict with the other Sanctuary Cities. While they might have all been safe havens in the Xor-In Mountains, that didn’t mean that there was always peace between them. But they all recognized the importance of ensuring the continued survival of elvenkind.

And that was why Caius didn’t believe Koros to be a true friend. They could have spoken casually and even bantered with each other, but the very basis behind their relationship was a pragmatic one. It stung the elf a little bit whenever he remembered that.

“Well, there’s no use being upset over a broken bow,” he muttered as he climbed down the tower and swept his gaze over the city. “I confirmed what I wanted to know anyway.”

He halted halfway down the tower as he caught sight of a blonde girl walking through Sentinel Square in the far-off distance. Even without her brightly-colored hair, she still stood out amongst the mass of faces, considering she was a human.

“So she wasn’t lying,” Caius whispered as his eyes remained fixed on her. “She does have a dragonsoul.”

While he had seen Kara’s power firsthand, he had to make sure it wasn’t a trick. There was no reason for him to believe her so easily. Just because she said she had a dragonsoul, didn’t mean it was the truth. They had barely met for the first time just two weeks ago.

But now that he confirmed she hadn’t been lying to him, Caius felt a niggling feeling grow inside of him. He might not have been the most familiar with how dragonsouls worked, however he knew one aspect of it that kindled a hope within him. He thought that maybe… just maybe…

“Maybe I can finally have a true friend,” the elf whispered.

And he descended from the rest of the tower.

—--

Kara felt the piercing gazes bore into her as she pursed her lips. She glanced back, and she saw a dark elf boy pointing at her. His parents quickly ushered him away as he mouthed something she couldn’t hear. But even though he was the most obvious one, he wasn’t the only one who was looking her way.

She could hear the hushed whispers coming from the nearby food vendors. She noticed the sidelong glances. She felt the attention on the street land on her, and she couldn’t help but want to crawl into a hole and hide. Her embarrassment was only exacerbated when a voice piped up teasingly.

“To think that the hero of Alyona herself would come to visit my stall! I’m so flattered...”

“Not you too, Issa,” Kara sighed as she looked back towards her front.

The troll stepped out from the back of the food stand and placed her burly hands on her hips. She looked the human up and down with a wide grin on her face.

“I take it you’re not faring too well with your newfound popularity?” Issa asked with a raised brow.

“You can say that…”

Kara had gotten a lot of stares even before she was pronounced a hero by the Dark Lord of Alyona himself. The fact that she was a human always made her stand out in this city full of mostly dark elves, and while she hadn’t liked it, they had been more like looks of suspicion or disdain. So she could tolerate it.

It was what she was used to. Even back on Earth.

Now, though? Well, things hadn’t exactly changed too drastically. There was still the lingering suspicion there, even after what she was said to have accomplished. But there was more curiosity too. People were actually asking questions about her, rather than dismissing her immediately. And there were some, particularly the children, who looked at her in adoration.

That was why she didn’t know how to react to her newfound fame. She was never one to receive too much praise, so it made her feel uncomfortable. That was not to mention that she was always more of an introvert, even before she was isolated from any proper interaction besides with Angel.

So she awkwardly shifted her feet as she ordered a dozen skewers of centipede eye from Issa’s stall.

“I take it these are for Angel?” the troll asked, handing over the order to Kara. “Where is he today?”

“He’s actually going to be spending the day with Zlo’tan. They were excited over something— some kind of breakthrough in their research on the soulrock? I honestly don’t really know…”

Kara shrugged as she accepted the handful of skewers and handed over the payment. She was starting to run low on her coins. Soon, she was going to have to look into making more money. But not just yet.

“And these are actually for my innkeeper, Dammir,” she continued as she drew back from the food stand. “He’s a dwarf, and he told me he loves troll cuisine, but there aren't many proper options for it in the upper tunnels. Since… you know, it’s mostly dominated by orcs back there.”

There were certainly trolls and dark elves and even minotaurs in the upper tunnels. But they remained near the edges, close to the main city. Meanwhile, the orc clans apparently dominated the furthest section of the upper tunnels.

Even after the resolution of the riots, with Dark Lord Koros explaining that it was Levi who was responsible for all the orc killings, the tension between orcs and dark elves remained at an all time high. Not as high as during the riots itself. But now the dark elves were mad at the orcs too.

Most of the conflict had been temporarily placated for a few days, though. The massive celebration Koros had thrown had been the perfect distraction. It hadn’t cooled things off, but it had prevented even more riots from occurring immediately after Elder Golag was set free.

He was the orc that was responsible for starting the riots. While most of the other orcs that were detained were still kept in prison, he was allowed to walk out, because that would have antagonized the other major orc clams into action, and that would have only made things worse.

At least, this was the Dark Lord’s reasoning, from what he told Kara the other day. But while she wasn’t too familiar with Alyona’s politics, she paid attention to her surroundings, and she could tell that this was a decision that evidently upset quite a few people in the Sanctuary City.

Kara passed by a tavern and overheard a loud conversation coming from within.

“It’s ridiculous that those orcs get to do whatever they want and get away with it,” a dark elf said as he slammed a mug of ale onto the stone table. “Why do we keep letting all these cursed refugees into the city?”

“If they’re going to abide by our laws, then I see no problem with allowing them into our borders. But if they’re not going to do that, I fully agree!”

“It’s not a matter of refugees. It’s a matter of those orcs— you don’t see any minotaurs or trolls causing trouble, do you?”

“Actually, a troll broke my best friend’s arm before…”

There wasn’t a clear consensus in general on what actions should be taken about the refugees. Some only held disdain against the orcs, while others weren’t so discriminatory. There were some who were firmly against all refugees, but they were evidently in the minority.

“We should kick all refugees out of our city and close our borders— why should we care about them when we should be more worried about those cursed monsters going around and destroying all those cities?”

“Oh, shut up!”

Kara didn’t care or know enough to want to involve herself in the city’s politics. Now that she had found some semblance of peace, she wanted to savor it and enjoy herself for a little longer, before she decided what she did next. After all, did she really want to stay forever in this Sanctuary City? Or would she want to venture out and eventually find a human city?

Her mind flashed as she recalled Levi. But if all humans are as despicable as him, I don’t know if I’d want to live amongst them either.

She hoped that he was an outlier, rather than the norm. However, it would take her a while to figure that out anyways, since according to Koros, the closest human city was over a thousand miles away.

“For now, relax,” Kara reminded herself as she reached the edge of the main city. “I can stress about what I want to do later.”

If there was a library in this city, she would be sitting down and reading a book to pass the time right now and calm her restless mind. But there was no such thing as a library in Alyona. She had asked around during her first week here, and the most she found out was that there was an archive of records kept about the city next to the vault. But while Koros had been quite helpful to her so far, he wasn’t going to give her access to it.

Kara turned a corner as she munched on one of the centipede eyes, before she came to a halt. A figure she recognized stood there, helping a dark elf old lady pick up her dropped basket of food.

“Oh thank you, young man,” the old lady croaked as she placed a hand on her back. “My hips aren’t as good as they used to be. I don’t think I would’ve been able to stand back up if I had to pick up that mess.”

“Don’t worry, young lady. I do what I can to help out.” He winked back at her.

“Young lady?” She flushed and shuffled her feet. “You flatter me too much…”

He bade his farewells to her, before he turned to Kara, his hands held behind his back, and his signature grin plastered over his face.

“Hello, Kara,” Caius greeted her casually. “What a coincidence. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

She blinked, then smiled back at him. “Caius? I haven’t seen you since the party— how have you been?”

“Oh, I’ve been fine, just stalking you, you know?” he replied simply. “I’ve been trying to find the opportune moment to pretend to bump into you for like half an hour now, and I think I finally found it.”

Kara narrowed her eyes as she backed away from him. “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”

“It’s a joke, it’s a joke,” Caius tried to reassure her. Then he tilted his head back. “Or is it?”

She sighed, before walking past him. “Well, let’s pretend you’ve been looking for me: is there something you need?”

He placed a hand on his chin. “Actually, now that you mention it, I’m in need of your help.”

“What is it?” Kara asked as she rolled her eyes.

“I’d like you to accompany me to the lower tunnels,” the elf said simply.

And she squinted at him. “I thought we weren’t allowed to go down there?”

“Most people aren’t. And I wasn’t either, because it was ‘too dangerous’ for me. But now that I’ve proven myself to Koros, he has given me permission to enter the lower tunnels… with one tiny caveat.”

“Is it that you can only go down there with me?” she asked knowingly.

Caius nodded as he gave her a thumbs-up. “Exactly!”

She snorted as she walked past him.

“Is that a yes?” he asked, following after her.

Kara looked down at herself and stared at her dragonsoul. After defeating Levi, she had felt a small increase in her manapool there, but it hadn’t been anywhere near enough to fill it to its maximum capacity. When that happened, she knew she could ascend her dragonsoul to the Third Stage.

But she had been too stagnant since she arrived here, that she wasn’t even close to her next ascension.

“Sure,” she said as she glanced back at the elf. “But why do we even need to visit the lower tunnels now that Levi is gone?”

“It’s the fact that he is gone why we’re needed,” Caius countered, wagging a finger like he was giving a lecture. “You see, the monsters in the lower tunnels have been constantly agitated for the past year because of Levi’s presence. But their agitation was always targeted to him, and they were mostly preoccupied trying to hunt him down.”

Kara nodded understandingly. “Now that he’s gone, they’re free to direct their agitation elsewhere. And that’s the upper tunnels?”

“That’s exactly it— this is why I want you as my partner, Kara. You’re too sharp.”

“If you keep patronizing me, I’m not going,” she said flatly.

And the elf laughed. “It was just a joke. Come on, have a sense of humor.”

“What kind of monsters are down there, anyways?” Kara asked as she reached a familiar street. Her inn was right up ahead. “Are they that dangerous?”

“If there’s enough of them? Definitely. But considering you survived the magical storms of the Xor-In Mountains, this will be a breeze to you.” Caius patted her on the shoulder.

She scrunched up her brows. “I don’t understand why a city would be built above a tunnel full of monsters. Isn’t that dangerous?”

“We’re still in the Xor-In Mountains, even if we’re closer to the edges,” the elf explained. “Everything here is dangerous. Besides, it’s not like they knew about the lower tunnels when they first built this city. They only discovered it when they tried to expand even further downwards.”

“So why not close up the entrance to the lower tunnels?” Kara asked with a frown.

“Because—” Caius started.

But then he paused when they turned the corner. Kara narrowed her eyes too, immediately noticing the figures gathered up ahead. A small crowd stood before Dammir’s inn as a commotion was raised.

“Those are… orcs?” Kara’s brows snapped together, seeing the burly green creatures. “But why are they here?”

“I don’t know. But they’re here to cause trouble, that’s for sure.”

Caius glanced at her, then he eyed the glinting weapons the orcs carried. They shouted something as they threw rocks at the inn. Kara saw this as she drew her lips into a thin line.

“Not unless you act, of course,” the elf added.

And without a word, she started forward into the scene.

Chapter 16: Orc Clans

Arjin could hear the shouts coming from outside the inn. She hugged herself as she stood in the empty common room, before forcing herself to raise her head and look through the window. When she saw the angry green faces waiting for her, she almost recoiled.

Her fingers tightened around the sleeves of her shirt. She felt her knees threatening to give in beneath her weight. But it was not their angry glares that made her tremble. It was simply seeing their faces that terrified her to the bone. After all—

—--

The prostitute stared at the body before her as she processed what was going on. It happened so fast, she didn’t understand it at all. She had been walking back to the inn after a long day’s work when she was suddenly attacked by a familiar orc.

She hadn’t even been able to get a word out, let alone fight back. All she knew was that she was being strangled— that she couldn’t breathe. And then suddenly, she was lying on the ground, gasping for air. Then when she looked up…

Arjin saw a pair of lifeless eyes staring back at her.

The orc that had just been trying to murder her was dead, a hole puncturing his throat. His lifeless green face was still glaring at her even in death. A pool of blood formed beneath his corpse, staining her silver dagger a dark shade of red. She took in this sight. She processed this scene.

And then she screamed—

—--

Everything that happened after that was a blur. Arjin’s loud scream drew the attention of a passing minotaur who then called the guards. But that had only attracted more eyes to the scene. And then she was accused of being the one who committed the killing.

She was taken in for questioning, and for whatever reason, was cleared from being a suspect, before being let go. However, that wasn’t enough proof of her innocence for some.

The orc who died was apparently an important member of the Ironhide Clan. And some of their members were convinced of her guilt.

So they accused her of being a murderer. Even though the one truly responsible for it had apparently been found a day later, it didn’t matter. They continued to harass her every single day as she tried to return to her life, reminding her of what happened back then.

She was forced to relive that moment again and again every time she walked down a street. Because as soon as she stepped outside, she’d get spat on or shouted at, and all she could remember was the dead orc’s face.

And now, she couldn’t even face an orc without shaking. She would get sick whenever she looked at one passing her by on the street. So much so that she had refused to work today. To avoid all the angry orcs. But that had only brought them to her.  

She lowered her gaze, turning away from the crowd that was gathered outside. They continued to cause a ruckus— they were clamoring for her.

“Murderer,” they shouted. “We’ll make you pay for what you’ve done!”

Arjin flinched at that. She was certain they would have rushed into the inn and ripped her apart if she had been alone. But they stayed outside thanks to Dammir who had barricaded the front door.

“Oi, get off my damn property, ye slime-faced bastards!” the innkeeper shouted, raising a fist out the window.

In response, a large rock the size of his head came hurling in. He barely ducked under it as it crashed and smashed apart a stone chair.

The dwarf rose back to his feet as he yelled, “If ye do that one more time—”

He opened his mouth. But he was immediately met by another large rock being thrown at the inn. He dodged it once again as he cursed. The orcs laughed at his reaction.

He marched back to his smith and grabbed a large hammer. He started for the doorway, cursing under his breath.

“I’m going ta teach those bastards a lesson…”

“D-Dammir—” Arjin spoke up, and he paused. “You don’t have to do this for me. Please.”

“I’m not doin’ this for ye— I mean, I am. But these damn orcs are makin’ a mockery of me and my inn!” The dwarf harrumphed and hefted his hammer over his shoulder.

He looked through the window at the crowd of orcs gathered outside. There had to have been about twenty of them. But he scoffed at their numbers.

“Besides, I can take ‘em. Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I can’t handle a few of those meatheads.”

“But—” Arjin started.

And a voice interrupted her, coming from outside. “That’s enough!”

It drew the attention of Dammir as well as all the orcs. Everyone turned to face who it was. Standing down the street was…

“Kara?”

Arjin blinked.

—--

Kara approached the group of orcs without any hesitation. She didn’t even bother to ignite her Dragon’s Scales as she got close. But she was prepared for a fight. After all, she was now in the good graces of the city itself, so she could afford to cause a little bit of trouble, and Hayder couldn’t just lock her up for a tiny ordeal.

At least, that was what she told herself as she came to a halt before the orcs. There were twenty of them, and they all were built like they were warriors. This was unlike the group of orcs that had confronted Arjin on the first day Kara arrived in Alyona, before being taken out by Caius. Those orcs had been more pudgy than muscular.

The gathered orcs towered over Kara as she came to a halt before them. Their gazes bore into her, their anger was palpable. It almost looked like they were ready to attack her right this moment. Or at least, that was what she thought. Until they began to exchange confused glances with each other.

“A human?” one of them, the largest of them all, asked, clearly taken aback by her presence. “What is a human doing here?”

Another of the orcs took a step back and pointed. “Cursed souls, I know her— she’s Kara!”

“Who’s that?” The first orc narrowed his eyes.

And the other orcs explained to him.

Kara blinked as they caught the first orc up to speed. When she had moved to intervene, she had expected threats or even a fight. But instead of a tense confrontation with the orcs, she was met with a confused discussion.

“So this human is the one who killed Levi?” the first orc asked.

“That’s right, Sir,” another orc answered.

The first orc furrowed his brows. “And who is Levi?”

“He’s the human thief who stole from the city, Sir.”

“Wait, why would a human kill another human?”

“I don’t know.”

“That makes no sense—”

Kara scratched the back of her head, watching as they tried to get the story right. The fact that they were getting things mixed up didn’t surprise her. It was to be expected from a world that lacked easy access to information. For news to be disseminated would require word of mouth. And that was the most unreliable way to learn things.

That was why there was some confusion here. But was that going to be enough to resolve this standoff without a fight?

Kara hoped so.

“So what you’re saying is that this human is strong?” the first orc asked as he crossed his arms.

“That’s right,” one of the orcs piped up. “And she has a utlas bear that is really strong— we shouldn’t mess with her at all.”

“Oh, so she is strong.” The first orc smirked, his demeanor changing as he turned to face Kara. “If you’re strong, then show me what you’ve got! As the heir of the Swordtooth Clan, I’m always up for a good fight!”

She narrowed her eyes as he stepped forward. He flexed his muscles and put on a pair of spiked knuckles, facing her down. You can’t be serious, right? she thought as she stared at him.

But before she could speak up, another orc raised a hand.

“Kurg, Sir, aren’t you getting distracted?”

“Getting distracted… how?” Kurg asked as he glanced back quizzically.

“We’re here to make that prostitute pay for killing Grok,” the group of orcs replied all at once. “That’s what you brought us out here for, Sir.”

Kurg blinked, then his eyes went wide. “That’s right—”

Is he an idiot? Kara stared at him.

He turned away from her as he spoke apologetically. “I am sorry, but our duel will have to be postponed for a later date. I have to settle the score with a murderer.”

But at least I understand what’s going on now, she continued internally and stepped forward. “Sorry, but I can’t let you do that. That prostitute you’re after, Arjin? She’s my friend.”

Kurg’s brows snapped together as he halted. He crossed his burly arms across his chest, turning to face Kara. “That prostitute was responsible for killing Grok— he was like a brother to me, and now he’s dead because of her.”

“Except— that’s not true,” Kara said as she placed her hands on her hips. “Arjin didn’t kill anyone. She was framed for a murder she didn’t commit by Levi. And I’ve already dealt with him.”

That made Kurg blinked. “Is that true? Was Grok murdered by that human thief and not the prostitute?”

The group of orcs exchanged uneasy glances. And none of them gave a certain answer.

“That’s not what I heard…”

“Why would a human thief come after us?”

“Elder Golag of the Ironhide Clan told me that it was the prostitute who was responsible for it—”

But an orc that hadn’t spoken up the entire time finally stepped forward. He was the least muscular of the lot, and he almost seemed familiar.

“Actually,” he said as he raised a hand, “I believe I heard the same thing from some guards.”

“Wait, why didn’t you tell me this sooner, Daka?” Kurg stared in disbelief. “And are you absolutely certain of this?”

Kara took her opportunity to speak up at that moment. “Daka— or whatever his name is— is right. The one who was responsible for your friend’s death is dead. I can attest to that.”

Kurg placed a hand on his chin as he nodded slowly. “I… see.”

He stood there in thought, and a susurration swept over the gathered orcs. Some of his companions looked as confused as he was, while others exchanged uneasy glances. Kara took this opportunity to speak up.

“Arjin did nothing to Grok. I know you’re upset, but please, direct your anger elsewhere.”

Kurg seemed to consider this for a long moment. But when he was about to make a decision, an orc standing right next to him protested.

“You can’t be serious, Sir! Why should we trust those guards when they’ve done nothing for us?”

“Actually, according to the guards, it was said by Dark Lord Koros himself,” Daka added hesitantly.

“It makes no difference,” the other orc continued. “Why should we trust him? What has he ever done for our people?”

It was a rhetorical question. The orc obviously didn’t expect an answer. But he received one anyway.

“Koros let you into the city,” a voice said from behind Kara. She glanced back to see Caius striding forward casually, his hands in his pockets. “When you needed a place to stay, he gave you shelter. When you were hungry, he gave you something to eat. Is that not enough of a reason to trust his words?”

Kurg eyed the elf in recognition. “You’re… Caius?”

“Hey, Kurg. It’s been a while. How’s your little sister doing?” Caius waved back casually.

“She is doing better now. Your—” Kurg opened his mouth to say something, then paused. He looked the elf in the eyes seriously. “If you can assure me that this prostitute is innocent, then I will leave her alone.”

“She is innocent.”

“I see.”

Kurg closed his eyes, before nodding to himself. He drew back as he removed the spiked knuckles from his hands.

“Very well, then. Let us return.”

He started away from the inn as his companions looked at him in disbelief.

“What?”

“You can’t be serious, right?”

“But Kurg—”

Some of them protested, but they ultimately followed him, leaving the scene. Kara sighed in relief, glad that everything was resolved peacefully. While she was prepared to fight, she didn’t want to. Not because she couldn’t win. But because—

“Good on you, Kara,” Caius said, interrupting her thoughts. He gave her an approving look. “Kurg is Elder Klogg’s oldest son. If you had started a fight with him there, you’d have made things much worse for the city.”

“And who is Elder Klogg?” Kara asked as she glanced back at the elf.

He waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, just the leader of the Swordtooth clan, or the largest orc clan in the city. The Ironhide Clan has just under ten thousand members. Meanwhile, the Swordtooth Clan has over twenty thousand. So… not a big deal.”

Shaking her head, Kara drew away from the elf. “And how does Kurg know you? Why’d he listen to you of all people?”

“Because I saved his sister’s life,” Caius said simply.

“So you’re saying you could’ve intervened sooner.” Kara gave him a flat stare.

“Yes.” He grinned back at her. “But I wanted to see how you handled the situation.”

She rolled her eyes as she walked towards the inn. “The next time you ask me for help, I’m not going to help you for free. You’re going to have to pay me money.”

“Oh, don’t worry. We’re going to be paid for helping clear out the lower tunnels—”

—--

“Ye scared them away. I knew ye could do it. I mean, I coulda handled them myself, but I knew it would be better ta leave it ta ye.”

Dammir nodded approvingly as Kara entered the innsmith. She shrugged back at him.

“Well, I’m just glad that not all orcs are bad. Even if some of them are stupid. Let’s hope they don’t bother Arjin again.”

“I’m not sure if that’s gonna happen…” the dwarf said as his brows creased. “Orcs are very tribalistic. Yer gonna hafta convince their clan elders if you want ta get them ta leave Arjin alone.”

Now, Kara wasn’t sure how she was going to do that. She pursed her lips as she looked up towards the prostitute standing alone at the back of the common room.

“Are you alright, Arjin?” Kara asked as she approached her friend.

Or were they even friends? They’d only know each other for a few weeks at this point. So perhaps not. But they were close enough for Kara to be concerned for Arjin’s wellbeing.

The dark elf woman shifted where she stood. “I’m… fine.”

“Are you sure?” Kara asked, before proffering a skewer of centipede eyes. “I got you some food in case you’re hungry.”

“I— thank you. But I just need to… lie down for a bit.” Arjin shook her head and drew back. She started up the stairs slowly. “I’ll be in my room.”

“Right.” Kara watched the prostitute go. And then she turned around when she heard a voice pipe up.

Caius stood at the doorway as he waved back at her. “I’m going to head out too, Kara. Meet me at the city gates tomorrow. We’ll have to obtain a permit from Koros before we can delve into the lower tunnels.”

Kara nodded back at him. “See you then.”

And then it was her and the dwarf. Dammir huffed as he began to clean up the mess that was caused by the orcs.

“I’m gonna hafta replace these damn chairs…” he grumbled.

Kara turned to him with her lips drawn into a thin line. “Will Arjin be fine?”

He paused, in the middle of sweeping up the broken bits of rock. He tilted his head back in thought. “I am not so sure, myself. Arjin has always been able to handle the harassment that comes from her job. But this time, it’s almost different.”

“Doesn’t she have any family or friends to turn to?” Kara asked hopefully.

And the dwarf shook his head at her. “Nay.”

She frowned. “Why not? What happened to them?”

“Prostitution is not normal amongst dark elves, even in a Sanctuary City like Alyona. Even if it is allowed here, it is seen as immoral. Only orcs and minotaurs tend ta use their services. And to make matters worse, Arjin is from a small dark elf town. Her friends and family abandoned her when she started her job.”

“Why does Arjin do it, then?” Kara eyed the dwarf curiously. “Does she want to be a prostitute?”

“Of course not!” he harrumphed. “But she comes from a lineage of warriors. When they arrived in Alyona, they all joined the city guards except for her. Because she has never been much of a fighter in the first place. And because of their culture, they refused to help provide for her— they believed she had to stand on her own. That she had to provide for herself. So she turned to prostitution to survive.”

“I… see.”

Kara felt terrible. And it was for multiple reasons. Sure, she certainly felt bad for Arjin, having to be forced through this horrible situation.

In a way, Kara could relate, being unwanted by her own family.

But more than that, she felt guilty about not knowing all this. The fact that Arjin was going through all this, and Kara didn’t know about any of it.

I guess we really aren’t friends yet, huh? the thought crossed Kara’s mind.

She looked up the stairway— in the direction Arjin had disappeared to.

“Should I talk to her?”

Dammir spoke softly as he swept up the last of the broken chair on the ground. “Perhaps not today. I believe Arjin needs some time for herself for now.”

Kara hesitated. A part of her wanted to ignore the dwarf’s advice and march up to Arjin’s room right now. But she eventually acquiesced.

“Right. Hopefully Arjin feels better by then…”

—--

Arjin curled up into a ball as she hid under her blankets. Her chest trembled as she let out shallow breaths. She tried to close her eyes shut and fall asleep. But all she saw was the face of her parents. A look of disappointment in their eyes.

It was a memory from long ago. But it was a memory of her first failure. Her brother was standing there too, right next to her. A large knife in his hands. Their parents ushered him forward to the rabbit tied onto the tree.

And he swung once. She looked away, wincing. The animal fell, its head cleanly sliced from its body.

Her brother stepped back and handed the knife to her. She was ushered forward towards a second rabbit. And even now, she recalled seeing the terrified face of the bound animal.

“I can’t—” she remembered saying back then.

She had turned to her parents for help. But she froze when she saw the way they shook their heads at her. Their village chief was there too, and he patted them on the shoulder in sympathy.

“Your daughter truly is a disappointment, isn’t she?” the chief had said.

And his words remained ringing in Arjin’s mind even now. She curled up into a ball as she tried to forget it.

She tried to forget the rabbit’s look of terror. But when she tried to focus on something else, that image was replaced with an even more terrifying face.

Grok’s dead eyes stared at her—

And Arjin’s breath was caught in her throat. Tears streamed down her face as bands of fear tightened around her neck. She clutched herself, her nails digging into her own skin.

“I can’t—” she sobbed now. “I can’t do this anymore…”

That was all she whispered as she lay there, alone in bed. Without anyone by her side to comfort her. Just like how it always had been.

—--

Kurg stepped into the large rock hut as a small figure rushed to greet him. He hugged the little orc girl as she gave him a toothy grin.

“Brother, welcome back!”

“Hello, Mursha. Have you been doing well?” He smiled back at his sister.

She nodded and drew back. “I have— I’m fully recovered from my illness, see?”

“Good. Good. So the medicine Caius gave you works.” Kurg nodded as he placed a hand on her head. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Kurg wanted to tell her that he actually ran into the elf today. But he had to save that story for later. Instead, he turned to the muscular figure sitting on a throne of stone at the back of the room.

Three orc women— one of them, Kurg’s own mother— caressed and massaged the massive orc sitting there as he didn’t even look up. Kurg stepped forward and placed a fist on his chest.

“I have returned, father. And I have discovered something important.”

“What is it, my son?” Elder Klogg, the leader of the Swordtooth Clan, the largest clan of orcs in Alyona, raised his head.

“Our anger has been misplaced,” Kurg explained as he walked past his sister. She immediately shrank back and excused herself from the conversation. He continued, “Grok was not murdered by a dark elf prostitute. He was murdered by a human.”

Klogg’s eyes flickered as he heard that. He sat up and dismissed his three wives. They bowed their heads and walked past Kurg, before ushering Mursha out of the room with them.

Kurg tried to explain, “Not only that, but the human who did it has been—”

“Killed,” Klogg said, cutting off his son. “I know.”

That took Kurg by surprise. “You do?”

The Elder of the Swordtooth Clan nodded. “Yes. But it does not matter.”

“What do you mean by that?” Kurg asked with a frown.

“Nearly a thousand orcs of the Ironhide Clan remain in prison from the day of the riot, and hundreds more from the other clans have also been detained since then.” Klogg spoke simply as he met his son’s gaze. “Elder Golag is convinced his son was killed by that prostitute. And the other clans are unhappy. As the largest clan in Alyona, we have to stand with them in solidarity during this time.”

Kurg blinked. “But that dark elf prostitute is innocent!”

“I understand that. However, we have to do what we must, to maintain the peace between our clans. And if that means throwing a fuss, causing a ruckus, or killing a few dark elf whores, then we will do what is necessary.”

Klogg rose to his feet and eyed Kurg with a raised brow.

“Or do you have a problem with that, my son?”

Kurg shifted where he stood, before nodding. “No, father.”

“Good.” The Elder of the Swordtooth Clan smiled, before settling back into his seat. “I knew you would understand.”

—--

There were a lot of things Kara needed to do tomorrow. But for now, she had a simple job that mattered more than anything else in the world. She strode through the streets of Alyona, leaving the upper tunnel and entering the main city.

The streets were less crowded now that the day was coming to an end. The gates would be closed for the night, and no more refugees were allowed in until the day after. There were so many new refugees coming in each day that a small camp was set up right outside of the walls, composed of refugees that didn’t make it in that day, or those who arrived overnight.

It was a new development which Kara hadn’t seen yet. She was curious what it was like out there. However, she couldn’t pay it a visit yet, because she needed to pick up Angel.

The bear cub had been at Zlo’tan’s shop all day, studying their cracked soulrock, because they believed they were onto something important. Since Angel couldn’t speak, all Kara knew was that this was a good thing, based on his excited gesticulation this morning.

This was probably the longest the two of them had been separated from each other since they first met. So Kara was looking forward to seeing him again, even though it had only been a few hours since they parted ways.

“Maybe I can ask Zlo’tan to explain what they’re doing while I’m here,” she muttered under her breath as she arrived at the tent at the edge of Sentinel Square. “Angel, I’m here!”

Kara called out as she strode up to the entrance. She heard a rustling coming from inside, and she saw the bear’s shadow rushing towards her. Smiling, she opened her arms to embrace his hug.

And a giant furry creature exploded from the tent’s flaps, crashing into her. She blinked a few times as she stared at the bear that was crushing her. It had to have been at least ten feet in length, weighing at over a thousand pounds.

Two pairs of big brown eyes looked down at her, and she stared back in shock. Kara saw the two bear heads beaming her way, before she finally realized who it was.

“...Angel? Is that you? What happened while I was gone?”

In response, the bear licked both her cheeks with his two heads as she gaped at him.

Chapter 17: Family Trouble

“So, uh, what happened while I was gone?” Kara asked as she looked the bear cub once over.

Well, to call him a bear cub now was a stretch. He was massive— almost as large as his mother had been. If he stood on his hind legs, he’d stand as tall as any troll in the city. Not only that, he had two heads now too. Even if he still seemed cute, he had also become terrifying.

“It’s like Angel aged ten years in only a few hours.”

Shaking her head, Kara turned to face Zlo’tan who was standing to the side of the room. Angel had brought her back into the tent to have him explain what happened. But as usual, the minotaur had been naked. So it took him a minute to fumble for his clothes.

“This one understands that it must be quite jarring of a change. But this one can assure you that this is normal when monsters undergo an evolution.”

“So he evolved his monstersoul?” Kara stared at Angel in awe. He nodded back at her, and she took his paws. “That’s amazing! You’re so amazing, Angel! How did you do it?”

He settled back down, before gesturing at the minotaur kneeling down in the middle of the room. Zlo’tan lowered his head modestly.

“This one cannot take credit for the evolution. In fact, this one owes a debt of gratitude to Angel. For this one would not have been able to expand his understanding of the properties of the soulrock as much as he did without the utlas bear’s help.”

“I don’t get it,” Kara said as she furrowed her brows. “What happened? Was his evolution related to the soulrock?”

“That is correct,” the minotaur said as he picked up the staff. “It was only thanks to the soulrock that this evolution was possible.”

He ran his fingers over the crystal at the tip. It had already been cracked before, but it was transparent now, losing its crimson gleam. Kara frowned as she inspected it.

“That, uh, explains nothing.”

Zlo’tan shook his head. “This one will first have to explain what is a soulrock before this one can give a proper explanation of the events that occurred.”

“Right…” Kara pursed her lips at him. “So what is a soulrock?”

“As far as this one has come to understand, a soulrock is a stone that has been imbued with the properties of a person’s soul,” he started.

“And a soul is…?”

“That which is the essence of a person’s core.”

Kara scratched the back of her head, trying to understand what he meant. “You mean like a manacore? So is the soul just mana?”

“It is difficult to explain for this one as he is still a beginner in the ways of the soul, but it is not mana.” Zlo’tan rubbed a hand on his chin as she eyed him. “From what this one has been able to understand, a core is the embodiment of the soul’s power, and it exists within every living being in Xantos.”

“Every single living being?” She blinked.

The minotaur nodded and spoke in a lecturing tone. “Indeed. For demimonsters such as this one, they are attuned with nature, hence why they are capable of storing mana within their core. That is why it is called a ‘manacore’. Meanwhile, humans have no capacity to carry mana, so their cores are inert. But their core is still there, otherwise they would not be alive.”

“Right…” Kara hesitated, uncertain if she was fully following. “What about monsters?”

“As for monsters… this one believes there is no distinction between a core and a soul for monsters. After all, they are beings made entirely of mana. For them, cores and souls are one in the same. That is why monsters can undergo such drastic evolutions when their soul— or their core— evolves.”

Kara glanced at Angel. “And that’s why he has two heads now all of a sudden? Because of his evolution?”

“That is correct,” Zlo’tan said simply. Then he looked down at himself. “Whereas for demimonsters such as this one, advancing the manacore offers very little significant change to their physical appearances. And Humans have, thanks to He Who Stole Magic From The Gods, obtained a way to store and manipulate mana through the System’s guidance without a use of their core.”

His eyes flickered as he craned his neck back.

“All except for one.”

And while Kara herself certainly counted as someone who didn’t need the System’s power, she immediately knew who he was talking about. And it wasn’t her.

“The Soulmaster, right.”

“This one still does not understand how the Soulmaster’s magicks work,” the minotaur continued, huffing in disappointment. “However, upon inspecting the soulrock, this one postulated that it must have been imbued with a small piece of the Soulmaster’s soul. And that Angel must have attuned himself to that piece through some unknown means.”

“Wait, so you’re saying Angel absorbed a piece of the Soulmaster?” Kara asked, wide-eyed.

The minotaur corrected her. “Attunement is distinct from absorption. By attuning with it, Angel had originally altered the essence of his monstersoul so that it is more alike to a manacore, which led to his Awakening. That is why he is capable of deviating from the path of an ordinary utlas bear’s evolution— that is why he is capable of casting magic.”

“Woah…” She turned to Angel in amazement. “I knew you were amazing, but that’s even more amazing than I thought! You’re literally unique!”

The bear nodded proudly with both his heads. Zlo’tan cleared his throat, drawing Kara’s attention back to him.

“However, that is only in regards to Angel’s Awakening. His current evolution was achieved through different means.”

“Uh, what kind of means?” Kara blinked.

“Ordinarily, monsters evolve through absorbing the mana of another monster they kill. But manacores advance in tier through expanding its capacity— pushing oneself to their limit. This one, however, concluded that Angel had yet to finish his attunement to the soulrock, for his monstersoul did not demonstrate enough traits of a manacore. That is why this one worked with Angel to finish the attunement. Which resulted in the expansion of the capacity of his monstersoul’s ability to store mana.”

Zlo’tan smiled as he gestured at Angel. The bear nodded eagerly, and Kara glanced between the both of them. She looked down at the now inert soulrock, before tapping its transparent surface.

“And that’s why the soulrock is now… like this?”

“Indeed,” the minotaur said. “Now it is as useless as the core of a human.”

Kara took a step back, feigning offense. “Rude.”

“This one apologizes if he has offended you.” Zlo’tan bowed his head at her.

And she waved a hand off dismissively. “Well, I wasn’t actually upset. But still… I think I understand it now.”

As far as she could tell, Angel’s soul had essentially become more like that of a demimonster’s soul through the soulrock. However, since he was still a monster, he still underwent an evolution when his manacore… or pseudo-manacore was expanded.

“Well, even if you’re bigger now and your soul is different, you’re still my Angel,” Kara said as she turned to him. She gave him a hug, and he licked her back. “I’m glad to see your efforts over the last week have paid off.”

He made a noise of approval, before he drew back. She watched him as he stood up straight and looked like he was about to cast a spell.  

“Oh, you want to show me your new abilities?” She glanced over at the minotaur. “In here?”

Zlo’tan did not seem to mind. “This one is also interested in seeing how Angel’s magic has improved due to this special evolution.”

“Well, alright then. Show me what you’ve got, Angel!” Kara cheered the bear on.

He grinned confidently, seeing both of them offer him their support. He grabbed his staff as the stone ground beneath his feet began to tremble. The flaps of the tent shook. Both Kara and Zlo’tan leaned forward in anticipation for what was going to come next.

And then a loud rumbling echoed throughout the room. The two onlookers blinked. Angel froze. He looked down at himself, before clutching his stomach as it groaned. He sheepishly shrank back and lowered the staff.

“You’re too hungry to cast a spell, huh?” Kara chuckled as he averted his gaze.

The minotaur let out a snort and settled back down. “This one believes that Angel has been so focused on reaching his evolution that he has not had a meal all day.”

Kara smiled and took the bear by the paws. She led him towards the exit of the tent. “That’s so unlike you. But fine, I’ll get you something to eat, don’t worry. You’ve earned it after all your hard work.”

Angel brightened at that. He made a humming sound as he followed her. But she halted right before leaving. She glanced over her shoulder towards the minotaur who had knelt back down to the ground.

“Thanks for your help, Zlo’tan,” she said as she nodded at him.

He smiled back at her. “This one should be the one thanking you. After all, this one has found a breakthrough in his understanding of the soul with the help of the soulrock.”

“Oh, how so?” Kara asked, eyeing him curiously.

“This one now understands that the soul is adaptable,” he explained. “That it can be altered. But most importantly, that the Soulmaster’s secrets to magic comes from the advancements he made to his own soul. While this one may be old, perhaps this one would be able to one day learn to alter his own soul before he passes on.”

Kara furrowed her brows at that. She wondered if she could further her understanding of her own dragonsoul if she learned this soul magic that Zlo’tan was talking about. But that was a question for another time.

“Well, I wish you good luck with that!” She waved at him as she started out of the tent with Angel in tow, searching for a place to eat.

—--

As Kara had feared, Angel’s appetite had grown with him after his evolution. She brought him to three different restaurants— all of which they were kicked out, due to him emptying their kitchens. Usually, she wouldn’t have indulged him to such an extent. Because she was afraid he would get too fat.

But now, with his size, she was afraid that he was still undereating even after everything he had. Fortunately though, it appeared he was satiated after the third restaurant, so they returned back to the innsmith. He could barely even walk when they reached the front door. Not only was it probably past midnight so he was sleepy, he also looked like was going to pass out into a food coma due to overeating.

“Come now, you can fall asleep in the bed,” Kara said as she helped him through the doorway.

He made a satisfied sound, before smiling back at her with both his heads. She returned the look to him.

“You deserved it today. But let’s not get too used to it. We are running a little low on funds.”

Kara took one step into the room, then paused. She heard the subtle sound of shifting. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a figure trying to hide in the darkness of the inn. Angel wrinkled his nose. He noticed the intruder too. The two of them immediately tensed up.

Was it an orc trying to cause trouble for Arjin again? Kara didn’t know.

She simply moved in unison with Angel, separating as they got ready for battle. The bear aimed his staff, and she brought up a flaming hand. But before they could attack, there was a squeal. And they immediately paused as the golden fire lit up the room, revealing who it was.

“Arjin?” Kara blinked as she stared down at the dark elf woman. “What are you doing here?”

Angel tilted his head quizzically, before lowering his staff. Arjin backed up and knocked over a chair, before falling to the ground. She stared up at the two of them practically flanking her.

“I-I…” Arjin started.

And Dammir bounded out of the back of the innsmith. “What is this ruckus going on at this hour? Ye better have a good reason—”

He paused when he saw Kara and Angel standing there. The three of them exchanged a glance, before looking down at the dark elf woman. She had a small bag slung over her shoulder, holding all her belongings.

“Arjin…” Damir’s eyes went wide. “What were ye trynna…?”

And the dark elf woman lowered her head. “I-I’m leaving, Mr Dammir. I’m sorry.”

—--

“You can go to bed first, Angel,” Kara said as she patted the bear. “I have to deal with this.”

Angel yawned in response, before ascending up the stairs to their room. When he was gone, Kara looked over at the two figures standing in the middle of the common room. Arjin kept her gaze down as Dammir pointed accusingly at her.

“What did ye think ye were trynna do— leavin’ in the middle of the night without saying a word?”

“I-I’m sorry, Mr Dammir. But I have to go.” She fought back tears as she spoke almost resolutely.

“That makes no sense!” the dwarf practically snapped. “Why do ye keep sayin’ ye hafta leave?”

Kara approached the two of them from the side. She pursed her lips, overhearing their conversation.

“Because…” Arjin closed her eyes. “Because I’m going to keep causing you trouble. I overheard what happened earlier this evening— that your other guests aren’t going to be staying here anymore because they’re scared the orcs might come back for me.”

That surprised Kara. She hadn’t heard that. But she had been out all night, so she must have missed it. However, Dammir didn’t seem like he even cared about it.

Arjin shook her head as she continued, “I’ve done nothing but brought problems to you ever since I arrived. And I don’t want to do that anymore.”

Dammir stared at her in disbelief. He looked like he wanted to tear his beard out. But he steeled himself. “Then where do ye think ye will go? Not everyone is goin’ ta be as kind as me— most innkeepers will kick ye out if you miss even a single night’s payment!”

Arjin took in a deep breath, even as her lips continued to quiver.

“Back to my family,” she said, putting on a brave face.

“...what?” The dwarf couldn’t even bring himself to yell anymore. He tried to work his jaw. But he failed to even speak.

The dark elf woman raised her head as the facade of strength she held together broke, and tears began to stream down her cheeks. “I will tell them that I’ve quit my job as a prostitute. And I will beg them to take me back in— so I don’t have to burden you any more.”

Dammir crossed his burly arms across his chest. “By Kozli’s beard, are you daft? And what would you do if they don’t take ye in? ‘Cause they won’t. They already kicked ye out.”

“Then I will find some brothel to work at… do what I do best,” Arjin replied as her shoulders sagged weakly.

The dwarf stared at her. He ground his teeth together, before shaking his head. “Ye really are a worthless fool. Ye know what? Yer family was right. Ye truly are a disappointment—”

His lips moved, and Kara stopped him. She placed a hand on his shoulder as she met his gaze.

“Insulting Arjin won’t achieve anything, Dammir,” Kara said as she looked up. “Let me talk to her.”

The dwarf scoffed and spun around. He started back into the forge section of the innsmith. “Bah! As if yer gonna be able ta talk any sense inta her. I’ve tried my best, and still nothing…”

Kara watched him go as he grumbled and cursed under his breath. Arjin winced at that, before sitting down on a stone chair.

“T-this is the first time Mr Dammir… has ever insulted me before,” she whispered, hugging herself. “He always yells at me, but he has never called me worthless. He has never called me… a disappointment”

“I’m not going to defend him. But do you know why he did that, Arjin?” Kara said as she pulled up a chair next to the dark elf woman.

Arjin raised her head apprehensively. “Why?”

Kara shrugged as she sat down. “Because you hurt him. That’s why. And he doesn’t know how to feel about that. So he hurt you back.”

“W-what?” The dark elf woman wore a quizzical look on her face.

“To him, it’s almost like self-defense.” Kara tapped a finger on her chin. “Imagine how he feels? He took you in when your family cast you out. But now, you’re leaving him for them. After everything he has done for you. It’s almost like you betrayed him. At least, that’s probably how he perceives it.”

“But I was—” Arjin opened her mouth. “I only wanted to…”

She trailed off as her arms limply fell to her side. Closing her eyes, she took in a few sharp breaths. And she dug her nails into her lap.

“I really am pathetic, aren’t I? I was just trying to help him out, and I hurt him. I can’t do anything for anyone. And I can’t even fend for myself. What am I even good for?”

Kara stared at the other woman, and she didn’t say a thing. She remained silent as all she did for now was listen.

“I’m so… weak,” Arjin said exasperatedly. “I don’t understand it. Even though my family comes from a lineage of powerful warriors, I can’t do anything. All I can do is sell my body for coins. All I can do is sell myself. But I can’t even do that right!”

She raised her voice for the first time since Kara had met her. But her anger was directed at no one but herself. Tears dripped down onto her knuckles as she let out a few shallow breaths. Neither woman said anything for what felt like an eternity, until Arjin seemed to calm down a little bit.

Finally, Kara raised her head and spoke up once again.

“You say that, Arjin, but you know, the strongest woman I ever knew was a prostitute just like you.”

“What?” Arjin blinked and raised her head.

Kara’s eyes flickered as she recalled her mother’s shouts and screams. She still remembered the shattering of plates, and the throwing of glass cups.

“Well, she was also the nastiest woman I have ever known,” Kara quickly added.

But that anger— that hardheadedness— wasn’t always targeted to her either. After all, not all customers would always pay up at the end of the hour. And Kara remembered seeing the way her mother stood her ground defiantly. Even against men who were twice her weight.

“However, my point is, I wouldn’t call her weak by any means.”

“That’s—” Arjin stared at Kara with round eyes. For a moment, she almost looked awed by it. But then she gritted her teeth and looked down at herself. “That’s good for her. But I’m not like that woman, Ms Kara. I am…”

Arjin hesitated, biting her lower lip. And then she closed her eyes.

“I am me.”

Kara saw the defeated look on the dark elf woman’s face. And she agreed, “You’re right. You are you. You’re not a nasty person at all, Arjin.”

“That’s not what I meant, Ms Kara,” Arjin said, glancing up. “I was talking about how I can’t do anything.”

“And who says you can’t do anything?” Kara asked with a raised brow.

“Mr Dammir—”

“Doesn’t count. We already went over that, remember?”

Arjin pursed her lips. “R-right.”

She fidgeted in her seat, before she looked down at the palm of her hand.

“My mother. My father. Not my brother— he has never said anything bad about me, but he doesn’t talk to me either. And everyone else in my extended family. They all think of me as a disappointment. They are ashamed of me. Because I can’t swing a sword. Because I cannot fight like my brother. Because I am not the warrior they want me to be.”

“And you want to go back to them,” Kara said flatly. “Even though they despise you— even though they want nothing to do with you. You still want to be accepted by them.”

Arjin’s gaze darkened. “Because I have nothing else.”

And Kara refused to entertain that train of thought. “But you could have something else. The fact that you have nothing else is the problem, too. Look— I also have an estranged relationship with my family.”

That made Arjin raise her head. “You… do?”

“Maybe not to the extent of your estranged relationship with your family.” Kara waved a hand dismissively. “But my dad left my mom before I was born, and because of that, she always hated me. Because she thought I was the reason why he left her.”

And perhaps that might have held a hint of truth. After all, Kara’s conception had been an accident. She was never even planned by her parents.

It hurt a little bit, even until now. To know that she was never wanted. To know that she was never even given a chance before she was born. Especially by the people who should have loved her the most.

To her as a child, who had nothing else, it felt like the world itself was against her. That there was no other meaning to life. That she was worthless.

Kara looked down at herself, before turning to the dark elf woman. “And speaking from my own experience, you can’t return to your family right now. Not as you are. Not when you still have nothing else, like you said.”

“But… who else will take me back?” Arjin asked, wiping away the tears on her cheeks. “I made even Mr Dammir angry at me. I am worthless—”

And Kara spoke up, interrupting her. “Which proves your family right. However, you don’t want that, do you?”

The dark elf woman blinked. “I— what?”

It startled her. She didn’t expect Kara to say that. Even though it was kind of cruel, it was also true in a sense.

“So you also think I’m worthless, Ms Kara?” Arjin said as she lowered her head.

“No,” Kara said simply. “I’m not calling you worthless. But you think you are worthless. And that’s all that matters, sometimes.”

Arjin looked confused. “W-what do you mean by that?”

Kara shrugged in response. “If you don’t even have any sense of self-worth, how are you going to defend yourself when others try to tear you down?”

“But…” Arjin drew her lips into a thin line. “How am I supposed to do that?”

“It’s simple—” Kara wagged a finger in response. “Build a new life where you’re happy.”

The dark elf woman gaped at that. “...what?”

It was a look of disbelief that clearly conveyed, ‘You can’t be serious, right?’ even without saying it. Because what Kara said was so basic, everyone in any world would know to do that. The problem was the actual execution of that goal.

“Look, I know it is more difficult than it sounds, but that’s what you have to do. That’s the promise I made myself when I finally decided to leave my mom behind. It was a difficult decision. However, I knew I had to do it.”  

Arjin stared at the blonde woman uncertainly. Clearly unsure where the latter was going with this.

So Kara explained, “When I left my mom, I told myself I’d only return once I made a new life for myself. One where I wouldn’t ever need her again. Because I knew that if I came back before I accomplished anything I’d still be nothing without her. I would still be the same person as I was before I left.”

She rose to her feet as she placed a hand on her chest, and Arjin just listened.

“So I promised myself I would never come back. Not until I had a new life. Not until I had new friends. Not until I wasn’t alone any longer. Because then she wouldn’t be all that I have. After all, if I have something more, her words wouldn’t hurt me as much as they do, would they?”

“That’s… true,” Arjin whispered as she looked like she was wincing from a memory.

“But if my mom was all that I had, then every insult she spews is like a knife to the heart,” Kara continued. “That’s why I had to build a new life. That’s why you have to leave your family behind to do the same thing.”

The dark elf woman shifted where she sat when she heard that. It looked like she had questions. But she didn’t quite know how to phrase them. She opened her mouth, and Kara pointed at her.

“And no— you haven’t left your family behind. They’re the ones who cut you off, and you still want to return to them. You have to stop thinking about that.”

Arjin’s eyes widened at that. She looked down at herself and whispered, “I have to… be the one to leave them, huh?”

She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked back up at Kara.

“But… how do I do this, Ms Kara? How do I build a new life? How can I be happy?”

“How?” Kara placed a hand on her chin. “Do you enjoy being a prostitute, Arjin?”

Arjin blinked. She fidgeted uncomfortably. “S-sometimes?”

“Most of the time?”

She shook her head. “No, not most of the time.”

“Is this what you want to do?” Kara continued.

And Arjin replied again, “No.”

Kara nodded as she placed her hands on her hips. “Is there something you want to do? Something that you think will make you happy?”

There was a pause. Arjin slowly averted her gaze. And she said something in a small voice.

“I want to…”

“What is it, Arjin?” Kara prodded the dark elf woman.

And finally, Arjin mustered up the strength to speak up, even while not looking at the human. “I want to be like you, Ms Kara. I want to be strong, and I want to be able to protect myself. I want to be a warrior. Not like the ones in my family. But like you.”

Kara blinked when she heard that. She hadn’t expected Arjin to look up to her to that extent. However, that didn’t throw her off too much. She steeled herself and nodded.

“I see.” Kara straightened and adjusted her tie. “Then let’s do that.”

“W-what?” Arjin paused when she heard that. She stared at Kara who was taking a step back, and then she brought her hands up defensively. “But I can’t even bring myself to kill an animal. I can’t even look an orc in the eye anymore. How am I supposed to—”

“You can’t kill animals and you can’t kill people, I got that,” Kara cut off the other woman.

Arjin flinched as she remembered something. It was the hollow gaze she wore when she first returned to the inn after witnessing Grok’s death. So Kara knew what thoughts were crossing through the dark elf woman’s mind.

However, Kara had an idea. She thought of her plans tomorrow with Caius and Angel. And she clapped her hands together, meeting Arjin’s gaze.

“Well, what about disgusting, ugly monsters that are trying to kill you?”

And Arjin stared, at a loss for words. “...what?”

—--

Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea ever. But Kara knew how she felt towards killing even an animal back when she was an ordinary girl from Earth. However, over time, from killing gargoyles to killing those fake walking trees, she grew desensitized to it.

The problem Arjin might be experiencing in regards to fighting or killing might have been different. Kara didn’t know for sure. That was why they had to figure out the root of the problem and push Arjin to her limits.

So as morning rose the next day, Kara, Angel, and Arjin left the innsmith for the gates of the city. To meet with Caius. To descend into the lower tunnels together.

To face the monsters lurking beneath the Sanctuary City.

Chapter 18: Manacore

Kara, Angel, and Arjin left the innsmith as soon as dawn broke to meet up with Caius. Unfortunately, Dammir was likely still asleep as he hadn’t left his room yet, so Arjin hadn’t been able to apologize to him before they had to leave.

“You can talk to him when we’re back,” Kara said reassuringly. “I left a note, so he won’t worry too much.”

“Right…” Arjin wore an apprehensive look on her, but agreed nevertheless.

Well, to be perfectly honest, Kara’s note hadn’t explained much about what they were doing. All it essentially said was that they were heading out to do something together, and they might return late at night, but it did not describe exactly what they were going to be doing.

For good reason. Because Dammir would have likely objected to Arjin going down to the lower tunnels. And if he knew about it, he would have been stressed out of his mind. He might have quite literally ripped his hair out in worry.

So Kara kept her plans on the down low of giving Arjin exposure through experience for now. Whether or not it would work remained to be seen. But Kara would certainly keep Arjin safe, no matter what.

“We’re here,” Kara said as she came to a halt before the city gates. Angel and Arjin stopped right behind her, and she scanned the large crowd passing through the main street leading into the city. “Caius should be here somewhere…”

It was hard to find the elf, even though he looked nothing like most of the people in Alyona, because of all the refugees that were pouring in through the city gates. When Kara had first arrived here, she had thought there was already a long line of people hoping to enter. But now, there was practically a flood of people waiting to enter.

When she stood on her toes to look over the crowd and out of the gate, she could see hundreds of tents pitched outside of the Sanctuary City. It was a haphazardly built refugee camp, and it wasn’t even settled around a single spot. It looked like it was separated into two sections— one for the orcs, and another for the dark elves and the trolls.

Kara didn’t see too many minotaurs, now. However, she was pretty sure she spotted a handful of dwarves arriving at the dark elf section of the refugee camp. They looked like they were miners of sorts, many of them covered in bandages or scars.

“Things are starting to look really bad out there, huh?” someone said behind Kara.

And she spun around with a frown. Angel and Arjin turned around too, startled by the sudden voice. The three of them stared at the teenage elf standing behind them with his arms crossed.

“There you are, Caius.” Kara placed her hands on her hips. “We were looking for you.”

“Sorry I took so long to get here. I had a late night yesterday. Was busy reading up on the monsters of the lower tunnels to prepare for our little expedition.”

Caius scratched the back of his head, before pausing. He eyed Angel with a frown, then noticed Arjin standing there too.

“So, what happened to the utlas bear? And why’s the prostitute here?” the elf asked with a cocked brow.

“They have names, you know,” Kara said flatly. “Angel and Arjin.”

Angel nodded emphatically next to her with both his heads, and Caius brought a hand up apologetically.

“Sorry, my mistake.”

Kara explained, “Anyways, Angel underwent an evolution, and Arjin is going to be following us. She’ll only be a spectator, so don’t worry. She won’t get in our way.”

“I’m not worried about it with you around.” Caius grinned back at her, before drawing back. “Come on, let’s go find Koros.”

“Y-you mean the Dark Lord of Alyona?” Arjin squeaked.

The elf shook his head. “No, I mean another Koros. He lives down the street. Great guy.”

Kara gave him a half-glare. “Arjin is not stupid, Caius. Don’t be rude.”

“I was joking. Come on, I’m sure Arjin has a sense of humor, right?” Caius said as he looked towards the dark elf woman.

“I-I guess it was a little bit funny,” she said, lowering her head.

“See? Now let’s go find Koros. He should be this way—”

Caius led the way. Kara, Angel, and Arjin followed him up the city walls and into the main tower where the vault was located. The passing guards ignored the elf, although they paused when they saw the human, the bear, and the former prostitute trailing after him.

“M-maybe I should wait out here,” Arjin said as they reached the tower. She covered her ragged clothing that was far too liberal in what it revealed. “I’m not dressed appropriately enough to meet with Dark Lord Koros.”

“It’s fine. He’s a chill dude.” Kara waved a hand dismissively and ushered her into the main tower. Angel and Caius had already entered.

Inside, the four of them found themselves at a rather large training arena where a group of dark elf guards were gathered. They were watching something. Kara’s ears perked up as she heard the clashing of metal. The sounds of a battle.

“What’s going on?” she asked as Caius made his way to the front of the crowd.

“Just watch,” he said, squeezing past a group of cheering soldiers.

Unfortunately, Kara wasn’t as small as he was, and she wasn’t nearly as bold. So she wasn’t going to rudely shove her way past some strangers she had never met before. Instead, she climbed onto Angel’s shoulder, and he stood up so she could see what was happening.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw four figures moving in the middle of the arena. Well, it was actually five figures, but one of them was a draken. And it was being ridden by one of the four figures there.

She recognized two of them at once.

“That’s… Koros? And Hayder?”

Kara narrowed her eyes and looked towards the other two figures. One was a dark elf woman who looked to be around Hayder’s age, while the other was a troll that carried a massive club. Together with Hayder who sat on top of the draken, the three of them surrounded Koros in the center of the arena.

“Those are Captain Hayder, Captain Tashia, and Captain Bushra!” Arjin exclaimed as she barely managed to poke her head over the crowd. “They’re the captains of the First Company, the Second Company, and the Twentieth Company! What are they doing?”

“Looks like a three-on-one to me,” Kara replied simply.

Arjin blinked, then looked towards the human. “Do you think they stand a chance against the Dark Lord?”

Kara’s eyes flickered at that. And then she answered honestly, “Absolutely not.”

And the troll lunged forward, swinging his massive club at the Dark Lord. But Koros easily danced around the attack as he bellowed.

“Too slow, Bushra!”

Hayder moved next, charging forward with his draken as he swung his sword. Koros easily ducked under the attack, but the dark elf woman immediately appeared to his flank. She yelled as she stabbed forward with a blurring blade.

“Twentieth Core—”

And Koros tripped her as he sidestepped her attack. “That was a close one. But you hesitated, Tashia!”

Bushra let out an angry roar as he rushed the Dark Lord from behind again. However, Koros suddenly appeared behind him, lightly kicking him forward into Tashia.

“And you need to improve your teamwork, Bushra!”

The troll crashed into the dark elf woman as now only Hayder remained. He circled around Koros with his draken, before he yanked at his reins. The giant lizard-like monster unhinged its jaw and spat out a ball of flames.

Koros hopped to the side, dodging the attack. But as the blast struck the ground and sent chunks of rubble flying, Hayder threw himself off his draken to intercept the Dark Lord mid-air.

“Eighteenth Core: Storm Of Blades!” the Captain of the First Company screamed.

His body flashed with light, and his sword began to flicker like it was unleashing a dozen slashes around him at once. He nearly reached the Dark Lord with his ceaseless onslaught of attacks.

But Koros simply flickered in the air. He vanished as Hayder crashed into the ground, his attack tearing the brickstone apart. The captain steadied himself as he gritted his teeth.

And he spun around and shouted as he raised his shield. “Twenty-Second Core—”

“You did well, Hayder,” Koros said, poking a finger at the captain’s head. “But you’re too reckless.”

Hayder blinked, suddenly falling backwards. He collapsed to the ground from a single touch as his sword and shield went clattering on the arena floor. He lay there as the Dark Lord loomed over him.

“You gave up your biggest strength to try to land a hit on me. A risky ploy that opened you up to too many counterattacks if you failed.” Koros dusted his hands off as he drew back. “You need to reassess your risk-tolerance. Otherwise, you will get yourself killed one day.”

The audience of guards watching the fight paused for a moment. Then they stared at the three defeated captains lying on the ground. They exchanged apprehensive glances, before erupting into a cacophonous cheer.

Even Arjin was amazed by what she saw. Her gaze remained glued at the arena. “Dark Lord Koros is amazing… even with three captains attacking him all at once, he hasn’t broken a sweat!”

Kara pursed her lips. She remembered how the Dark Lord had appeared next to her before she even realized it. She recalled how he snuffed out her flames without even burning himself. And she nodded.

“He is quite something, alright.”

Koros calmed the crowd as Hayder picked himself up off the ground.

“I am too weak,” the Captain of the First Company said, clenching his fists. “I need to grow stronger.”

But the Dark Lord disagreed, “No, you are not weak. You have improved greatly since we last sparred.”

Hayder, Tashia, and Bushra all looked up at him. He smiled as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“Stand proud, the three of you,” Koros said approvingly. “You are strong.”

The crowd eventually dispersed as he continued to go over where the three captains went wrong. Kara, Angel, and Arjin found Caius standing right before the arena. For some reason, the elf wore a serious look on his face as he stared at the Dark Lord.

“You alright, Caius?” Kara called out to him as she approached him from behind.

He blinked, before looking back at her. “Me? I’m doing great!” He gestured at her to follow him and strode forward. “I was just wondering where you guys had gone. That’s all.”

Kara eyed him suspiciously at that. “Right.”

Caius came to a halt right before the Dark Lord and the three captains. Koros raised his head, before he cleared his throat.

“Apologies, I have to handle this.” He excused himself.

The three captains looked up at that. Hayder narrowed his eyes at Kara, but said nothing more. Instead, he turned to the dark elf woman.

“Let’s go, Captain Tashia.”

She blinked, but then shrugged and followed after him. Meanwhile, Bushra, the troll, remained with his arms folded across his chest. He was grumbling to himself as he lightly kicked his club that was lying at his feet.

Caius came to a halt before the Dark Lord. “Hey, Koros. I’ve managed Kara to tag along with me to the lower tunnels. So… can I get a permit to finally go down there now?”

“And how did Caius convince you to do this, Kara?” Koros asked, turning to the young woman from Earth.

She showed him her empty coin pouch. “I’m broke. And he said I can make some money from this.”

There was also an ulterior motive she didn’t state— that she had been reminded of the blood-rush of battle during her fight with Levi. While she didn’t think of herself as someone who enjoyed going around and killing monsters, she couldn’t help but feel that things had been a little bit mundane as of lately, at least compared to surviving in the Xor-In Mountains.

And while she far preferred staying in Alyona compared to being constantly hunted down and chased by monsters while in a near-starvation state, she had also gotten used to fighting. So she sought a little bit of excitement.

Not to mention how my dragonsoul has barely grown since I got here…

Kara forced herself out of her thoughts as she met the Dark Lord’s gaze. “There is  going to be payment for killing the monsters in the lower tunnels, right?”

“Of course,” Koros said reassuringly. But he continued to rub his chin in thought. “However, I am trying to figure out the logistics behind it. After all, you are not a soldier of Alyona. So we cannot be paying you an ordinary wage.”

“Why not pay me per monster killed?” Kara suggested off-handedly.

Koros tapped a finger on his chin. “It would be difficult to quantify the worth of each monster slain as we do not know what kind of a threat they pose to the city. In fact, your job is simply to eliminate any nests that have formed too close to the upper tunnels.”

“Oh, I see.” Kara thought that seemed simple enough. She had been under the impression that this was going to be more difficult than that.

“I would offer you a day’s worth of wage to a city guard patrolling down the lower tunnels,” Koros continued as he looked down at her. “But your contributions alone would be as valuable as a hundred men— maybe more.”

Kara’s eyes glinted at that. She clapped her hands together with a grin. “So how about paying me a hundred times what you pay a soldier patrolling the lower tunnels?”

She had expected him to bargain the payment down. But he immediately agreed.

“Deal,” he said as he nodded at her.

Kara blinked. She realized her mistake— that she could have started at a higher price before letting him haggle it down.

“Wait, didn’t you say that it was over a hundred men?” she quickly countered. “What about two hundred then?”

“Too late.” The Dark Lord smirked back at her.

“Darn,” she cursed, before chuckling. “Well, I’m sure it’s good pay anyways. We’re in.”

“I shall draft up the permit needed for you to enter the lower tunnels. And then Captain Bushra shall lead you to the main entrance leading down.” Koros drew back and gestured at the troll.

But before he left, he spotted Arjin standing there too.

“Who is this woman?” he asked curiously.

And Arjin shrank back at once. “H-hello— I mean, it is a pleasure to meet you, Dark Lord.” She quickly bowed her head.

“This is Arjin,” Kara said, patting the former prostitute on the shoulder. “And she’ll be accompanying us to the lower tunnels too.”

“I see.” Koros eyed her with a frown.

For a moment, Kara thought that he was going to object to Arjin’s presence. But the Dark Lord simply nodded and started down a nearby hallway.

“Then I shall have four permits prepared.”

And he was gone.

—--

Koros didn’t return, but a guard eventually came with four permits— one for Kara, Angel, Arjin, and Caius. After that, Bushra finally stopped sulking and gestured at them to follow him.

He led them back into the upper tunnels as Caius strode by his side.

“You’ve grown stronger since I last saw you, Bushra,” the elf said as he picked his hands. “What tier is your manacore at now?”

“Hmph, you flatter me too much. But if you really must know, I have advanced to a Tier 24 manacore recently.” Bushra placed a hand on his chest proudly.

Caius looked impressed. “Tier 24? That’s amazing— especially for your age.”

“While I may be young compared to an elf, I am a full-fledged adult for my species,” the troll huffed.

“And how old are you again?” the elf asked curiously.

“I am fifteen years old...”

Kara blinked as she overheard the conversation. She turned to Arjin with a frown.

“Wait, how long is a troll’s lifespan?”

The former prostitute tilted her head back at that. “I believe it’s about fifty years? Although they fully mature at around twelve years old.”

“Seriously?” Kara narrowed her eyes as she had a thought. “I wonder how old is Issa? She seems like she’s older than even Bushra…”

Although, Kara knew better than to ask another woman their age. Maybe she could eventually slip in the question when talking about birthdays.

“But do people in this world even celebrate birthdays?” she murmured under her breath.

“Did you say something?” Arjin asked, peering at her.

Kara immediately caught herself. “Oh, yes— can you, uh, explain how manacores work?”

Arjin looked taken aback. “You don’t know how manacores work, Ms Kara?”

“Please just call me Kara.”

“I guess that makes sense since Ms Kara is a human who uses the System,” Arjin continued, ignoring the human pleading.

And while Kara most definitely didn’t use this System, she wasn’t going to say anything outright. She had revealed her dragonsoul only to two individuals. Considering that someone— the Soulmaster— was already after her, she wanted to keep her dragonsoul as discreet as possible.

So she brushed past the subject as quickly as possible. “I know the basics of how manacores have to advance in tiers by expanding their capacity. But the full extent of how it works eludes me. Like what happens when you advance in a tier?”

“I am also not the most knowledgeable on the subject either,” Arjin said as she scratched her cheek sheepishly. “But essentially, each time you advance in a tier, you’re able to enhance either your mastery of magic or your physical abilities. Not only that, you will receive a Manacore Ability .”

“A Manacore Ability?” Kara raised a brow at that. “You mean like those— ‘Thirteenth Core!’ — things people will shout in battle?”

“Yes, but not all Manacore Abilities are like that,” Arjin explained as she placed a hand on her chest. “For example, I have a Tier 2 manacore, and both my Manacore Abilities are useless in a fight.”

Kara tried to give the dark elf woman a reassuring nod. “I’m sure they aren’t that bad. What are they?”

“They’re…” Arjin hesitated, before saying it. “The First Core of Soothing Voice and Second Core of Lithe Frame. So I can speak louder and I can’t really get fat.”

“Oh. Nevermind.” Kara immediately ate her words. She still tried to be uplifting regardless. “Well, we’ll get you better Manacore Abilities while we’re down in the lower tunnels… if we ever arrive. Seriously, how much further until we get there?”

Kara looked towards Caius and Bushra. They were deep into the upper tunnels now— where she had never been before. While normally, the walls of the upper tunnels were incredibly spacious, at over a mile wide near the main city, it was much narrower here.

The area was also more sparsely populated. Kara spotted a handful of trolls and minotaurs— some dark elves and even a dwarven couple. But it was nowhere near as densely packed as the sections of the upper tunnel she had visited thus far.

Her eyes narrowed when she spotted a section that was cordoned off up ahead by a stone barrier. There were guards standing watch there, and further beyond, it looked like there was an entrance to a pair of tunnels that split off and led even deeper into the mountain.

“Is that it?” Kara called out.

But Bushra and Caius continued walking on. The elf only glanced back briefly at her as he pointed down another path.

“It’s further this way.”

Kara narrowed her eyes as she pointed at the tunnels she saw. “Wait, then what’s that whole thing?”

Caius waved a hand off at her. “That’s Koros’s secret project. He won’t tell me what it is either.”

That made her pause. She looked at Angel as if he would have any idea what it was, and he shrugged back in response.

The group continued until they reached a section of the upper tunnels that was completely barren. There was no one living here now. Not even a single shack. However, there was evidence of houses that once stood here. Scattered all around were debris and rubble that lay collapsed and covered in moss or dust.

“What happened here…?” Arjin asked as she eyed a fallen structure. And she almost fell into a small pit.

Kara’s eyes flickered. “Watch out!”

She grabbed the dark elf woman and yanked her out of the way. Arjin gaped at the dark hole that was hidden behind some rubble.

“Oh, right,” Caius said, scratching the back of his head apologetically. “You need to watch out for those.”

“Why didn’t you say that sooner?” Kara raised a fist at him.

Angel peered his two heads curiously through one of the pits, and Kara pursed her lips. She swept her gaze over the ruins all around them, before she looked towards Caius.

“What is this place?” she asked.

The elf craned his neck back and explained, “I told you, didn’t I? A long time ago, when Alyona had only just become a Sanctuary City, their leader at the time, Dark Lord Zor, tried to expand the city further downwards. But… things didn’t go so well. This is a result of that.”

“What about these pits?” Kara furrowed her brows.

“The monsters in the lower tunnels are capable of digging through even stone. In fact, they’re the reason the lower tunnels even exist. That intricate network of caverns that make up the lower tunnels? Those monsters carved it all out themselves. And they simply dug their way here too.”

“Why don’t these monsters just dig up into the main city?”

It was a question Kara had directed at the elf. But it was Bushra who answered.

“Hmph. Because it’s not easy to dig through stone,” the troll said simply, still leading the way forward. “Even if these monsters can do it, they’d rather go through an already-existing tunnel. Which is why the city has never sealed this section of the lower tunnels.”

Kara nodded understandingly. “So you can create a chokepoint for them, I see.”

She paused and peeked through one of the holes in the side walls of the cavern.

“And that’s how Levi escaped from the lower tunnels— by climbing out of these pits.”

Bushra harrumphed. “Ordinarily, we’d have patrols scouring this section of the upper tunnels every ten minutes so that no monster can pass through. However, we were forced to lend some of our troops to help with the refugees at the city gates, so we were undermanned that day.”

He spoke defensively— like someone had blamed him for what happened with Levi and the riots. Kara scratched the back of her head as she followed him. And they approached a large chamber at the end of the tunnel.

A massive pit opened up at the center, surrounded by a small fort full of guards. They saluted at the troll as he passed them. Kara was surprised to see not just dark elves in armor, but a handful of orcs and minotaurs too. That was a rare sight.

Bushra came to a halt right before the massive pit and stood at parade rest. He looked down into the void of black that descended straight below. “This is the main entrance to the lower tunnels.”

Caius added on the side, “And this is also where Dark Lord Zor faced down the mother giant centipede and felled her in battle. But at the cost of his own life.”

“I see.” Kara eyed a piece of shimmering rope that was tied to a rock. “And I take it that’s our way down?”

“Don’t worry,” Caius said as he grabbed it, before tossing it down the pit. “It’s enchanted. So it can even hold the weight of a thousand men.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “I’m not really worried about that. I’m more concerned about the fact that we’d be vulnerable while climbing down.”

“Hmph, if you prefer, you can climb down the side of the pit.” Bushra crossed his arms across his chest. “But that is far more dangerous than taking the rope down.”

“Right…” Kara glanced back at Angel who didn’t seem to mind, before looking towards Arjin.

The former prostitute was backing up nervously. Her apprehension was evident on her face. In fact, she looked like she was about to make an excuse to back out.

But Kara proffered a hand. “Come on, Arjin. Let’s face your fears, shall we?”

“I-I…” Arjin stammered.

And Kara pressed her even more, “Do you want to do this, Arjin? Or do you want to prove your family right?”

Now that broke Arjin out of her stupor. Her eyes widened, and she looked down at herself. She clutched the silver dagger at her waist— the weapon that had been given to her by Dammir. And finally, she nodded.

“Right. Let’s do this,” she said, accepting Kara’s hand.

And with that, the group of four prepared to descend down the massive pit. Bushra handed them each a torch as he nodded their way.

“Good luck down there,” he said as he bade them farewell.

“Don’t worry,” Kara responded with a grin, handing him back his torch. And her body burst into flames. “We’re not going to need luck.”

With that, they finally entered the lower tunnels.

Chapter 19: Lower Tunnels

Arjin steeled her resolve as she followed after Kara, Angel, and Caius into the lower tunnels. And then she immediately regretted her decision. This was too much, all at once. She couldn’t handle it. Even her village of warriors hadn’t been this extreme in their training.

“But I guess this isn’t training, right?” Arjin whispered as she saw the bottom of the pit approaching.

Caius leapt off the ropes and landed on the rock ground from over fifty feet in the air without much trouble. Kara scoffed as she climbed down the rest of the way normally.

“Show-off,” she muttered.

“I’m just being efficient,” the elf replied with a shrug.

Arjin wasn’t here to do anything but watch. She was supposed to be a spectator— to observe how they fought, and to desensitize herself to the sight of seeing monsters die.

That very idea alone still made her stomach twist. Her breathing quickened as she recalled the little rabbit that was tied to a tree. She remembered the orc’s dead gaze piercing into her.

And she swallowed nervously as she reached the bottom of the rope.

“Are you alright?” Kara asked, placing a hand on the dark elf woman’s shoulder.

While the human’s body was lit ablaze, the flames shifted away from her hands when she touched Arjin. Although, there was still an intense heat emanating from her.

“I-I’m fine,” Arjin said as she swept her gaze over the dark surroundings. “Just nervous, that’s all.”

There was no light down here, apart from the torches the group carried, and the coat of golden flames protecting Kara. Even at the deepest depths of the upper tunnels, there had still been patches of glow moss or other types of luminescent fungi sprouting from the walls, illuminating the area.

But down here, there was no natural light source. Some of the monsters that lurked the lower tunnels were said to eat the glow moss, while others simply hated seeing light. So it was difficult to see anything.

However, there were clearly two main paths that could be taken, with a few smaller tunnels that split off in other directions. Arjin was almost certain she could see shadowed figures moving around those smaller tunnels. But it must have been her imagination as no one else seemed to notice them.

“So where are we going first?” Kara asked as she stepped up next to Caius.

“We’re supposed to do a sweep of the area near the entrance,” the elf said, placing a hand on the wall. His eyes shimmered softly, and there was a flash of light. “All we have to do is follow this route that the guard patrols normally take, and we’ll be done in about five or six hours from now.”

Faintly glowing markings began to appear on the walls of the cavern. They led straight down one of the main paths, before disappearing up ahead. Kara placed her hands on her hips and watched as the same markings made its way down the other main path back to this chamber.

“See? It wraps around back here.” Caius gestured vaguely around them.

And Kara nodded as she placed a hand on her chin. “I see, that’s pretty convenient.”

Arjin saw this too, and she felt some of the tension ease off her shoulders. At least they knew where they were going. So they weren’t completely lost in the darkness. She sighed in relief, only to recoil as something soft and wet touched her on the back.

“Wha—” She spun around and nearly screamed.

But she paused when she saw Angel nuzzling his two heads behind her. He was standing on all fours and gestured at his back with one of his heads. She eyed him curiously at that, and Kara spoke up.

“Just stick with Angel, Arjin. And then you will be fine.”

“R-right.” Arjin gulped nervously.

She heard the utlas bear whine. He lifted a paw and pointed her then at his back insistently. Her brows creased.

“You want me to… ride you?”

Angel nodded with a smile. Arjin pressed her lips thinly together, before she clambered onto his back.

“T-thank you, Mr Angel.”

She nearly fell off his back as he started forward. But she clung tightly onto one of his necks. He moved slowly to accommodate her, starting forward after Kara and Caius.

The group made their way down the large tunnel as Arjin felt the hammering in her chest start to calm. Even though she didn’t exactly feel comfortable in her current position, she felt safer. After all, she would be protected by a massive utlas bear if anything happened.

They continued on as Arjin glanced over her shoulder every once in a while. She hadn’t known what to expect when Kara invited her on this expedition. But she had expected it to be incredibly dangerous— she thought that they were going to have to be acutely aware of their surroundings. That she was going to have to help them keep an eye out for any ambushed by monsters.

But for whatever reason, Kara and Caius… didn’t seem to care about the threats lurking around the lower tunnels at all.

“So, Kara…” the elf piped up as looked back over his shoulder.

Kara raised a brow at that. “What’s up?”

“Do you have any hobbies?”

“Do I have hobbies? Uh… I’m not sure. I’ll have to think about that.”

“What about food? What’s your favorite food?”

“That’s—”

Arjin stared at them with round eyes as she overheard their conversation. S-shouldn’t we be quieter? the thought crossed her mind.

She also didn’t think that this was the place to have a casual chat at all. Not just because it would attract the nearby monsters, but also because it wasn’t appropriate. How were they going to be prepared for an attack if they were too preoccupied with their talk?

But neither the human nor the elf seemed to share this concern. They continued their discussion like they weren’t alone in the lower tunnels and potentially surrounded by monsters.

“Uh, I like burgers, I guess,” Kara said as she scratched her cheek. “But mostly because it’s cheap.”

Caius eyed her curiously. “Is that some kind of human dish?”

“You can say that…”

“I always see you eating troll cuisine. Do you like it that much?”

“What are you, a stalker?” She rolled her eyes back at him. “It’s not bad— it’s certainly way better than some of the things I had to eat when I was wandering the Xor-In Mountains with Angel.”

“Dark elf cuisine is pretty good too,” Caius said simply. “But I rarely ever see you eating it. I always see you at that food stand eating skewers of centipede eyes or lizard soup.”

Kara gave a half-hearted shrug. “I like Issa, and she gives me free food sometimes.”

“You mean that troll lady who you’re always talking to?”

“That’s her.”

“Interesting…”

There was a moment of silence as the conversation seemed to have died down. Arjin was glad that it was over. She felt like she could relax again. However, Kara and Caius spoke up again, at the exact same time.

“What makes you like—”

“Why are you asking me—”

They paused. The two of them looked at each other, waiting for the other to continue. Caius gestured at the human to go ahead first.

“No, no. I want to hear what you want to say,” he insisted.

“I mean, I was just asking why are you asking me all these questions anyways?” Kara asked as she scratched the back of her head.

Caius came to a halt as he tapped a finger on his chin. He seemed to think about it for a moment, before he opened his mouth.

“That’s because—”

And right as he started, the ground before him exploded. Arjin reeled back, nearly falling off Angel. But she managed to catch herself as a plume of dust and debris shot into the air. A giant worm that was dozens of feet long and at least five foot wide shot up into the ceiling.

Kara tensed, looking prepared for a battle. But Caius cleared his throat and continued speaking casually.

“That’s because I want to get to know more about you,” he said as he wagged a finger at the human.

She narrowed her eyes and watched as the giant worm vanished into the ceiling. “What was that?” she asked, completely ignoring his question.

Caius tilted his head back. “That was a goler. They’re not dangerous monsters at all, don’t worry. They’re good at digging tunnels due to their earth magic, but they tend to only feast on moss and fungi, so they wouldn’t attack us unless they feel threatened.”

“I see.” Kara nodded as she placed her hands on her hips.

Meanwhile, Arjin was still shaking at what she had seen. She barely caught a glimpse of the monster— all she saw was mostly a blurred figure, moving so fast she couldn’t even register it. But her fingers still remained trembling as she tightly clutched onto Angel to not fall off.

“But while we shouldn’t be worried about golers,” Caius continued as he walked around the hole on the floor. “We should be worried about why any golers are even at this section of the lower tunnels.”

“What does that mean?” Kara asked, trailing after him.

He shook his head. “Golers tend to keep to the deepest parts of the lower tunnels because they’re scared of people. If they’re here, that means they must have been pushed back by other monsters.”

“Which means that we should keep an eye out for these other monsters. Got it.”

“Exactly.” He snapped his fingers approvingly.

The group pressed on. No one said anything for a few minutes. Or maybe it had been more than a few minutes. It might have even been an hour. Arjin didn’t know. But eventually, Kara spoke up again.

“I like reading.”

Caius blinked at her, and she lowered her head.

“To answer your first question— about my hobbies— I used to really like going out to the nearby park to read books back home.” A small smile spread across her lips.

“You do?” The elf crossed his arms. “Honestly, I’m not surprised. I heard that human cities have entire buildings dedicated to books.”

“They’re called libraries. And yes, we do. Although…” Kara trailed off.

“Although?” Caius peered at her.

And she shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

The two of them remained silent for another long moment. Arjin thought it was because the conversation ended. But apparently, that wasn’t the case.

Kara and Caius came to a sudden halt as Angel removed his staff from his mouth. The three of them looked straight into the darkness up ahead, seeing something which Arjin couldn’t. She leaned forward, before she heard the soft clicking  of footsteps.

“What is that?” she asked apprehensively.

“Giant centipedes,” Kara replied as her hands were wreathed in flames the shape of claws. “Infants… and some of them look like Lessers, too. Angel, stay back and support with your magic.”

The utlas bear nodded as he backed away. Arjin blinked, confused about what they were talking about. She couldn’t see anything—

Until she did. Her eyes widened as she saw dark brown creatures skittering rapidly towards the group from the ceiling. There were dozens of giant centipedes, most of them half the size of a person, but some were even as large as even Angel.

Infants and Lessers. The same giant centipede, but in different stages of evolution.

They hissed as they dropped down from above, landing around Kara and Caius. But even before they could fully fall onto the ground, the elf shot them down mid-air with his arrows. His attacks smashed through their thick carapaces and pinned their corpses against the walls.

Those that made it down barely had time to pick themselves up before the ground beneath their feet shot up. Angel pointed, and pillars of earth smashed the giant centipedes against the ceiling, crushing them to bits.

And Kara took care of the rest, rushing forward as she cut down giant centipede after giant centipede with her flaming claws.

Arjin had tried to cover her eyes when the monsters first appeared. But she had peeked an eye out, before slowly lowering her hands. She stared at this scene in terror as the monsters were methodically wiped out.

“This is…” she started.

But she was interrupted by Caius who spoke idyllically even as he continued to fire arrow after arrow into approaching monsters.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to visit a library.”

“You have?” Kara asked as she felled one of the Lessers with a single slash. She leapt back from the collapsing monster. “I didn’t take you to be the reading type.

“Of course,” the elf scoffed, nocking a glinting arrow onto his bow. He fired it, and it exploded into a dozen needles of light that rained down on the rushing Infants. “My parents owned a few history books back home. I used to read through them again and again, even until I was twenty years old.”

Are they seriously continuing their conversation now?! Arjin gaped at the two of them as they continued to easily cull down the number of monsters.

Kara stepped on an Infant giant centipede, easily crushing it under her boots. “What about this— if you help me get to the nearest human city in the future, I’ll show you what a library is like.”

Caius chuckled as he continued to loose arrow after arrow at the monsters. “You do realize that humans don’t take kindly to my kind, right? They are more likely to let a dwarf or a dark elf into their city than someone like me.”

“It’ll be fine,” Kara said, waving a hand dismissively. She stared at the ceaseless swarm of monsters, before shaking her head. “You can just wear a hood or something to cover up your ears. No one will suspect a thing.”

“...I don’t really find that too reassuring,” the elf said flatly.

And Kara stepped forward as she brought a small sphere of flames to her mouth. “I suggest getting back, by the way.”

Caius blinked, then he immediately leapt away from her, landing next to Angel. The utlas bear slammed his staff to the ground and created a large wall to shield them from what was to come. Arjin opened her mouth to ask what was going on.

But she saw the flash of golden light coming from the other side. She heard the gust of air, followed by the cacophony of screeches from the monsters. An intense heat washed over her that evaporated the sweat on her skin as she stared at the radiant glow coming from the other side of the wall.

“W-what…?” Arjin looked on with wide eyes as the heat slowly dissipated.

Angel lowered the stone wall, and Caius rolled his eyes. Kara emerged from the other side as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Alright, that’s all the giant centipedes taken care of… for now,” she said simply.

Caius frowned at her. “Wasn’t that a bit unnecessary? We could’ve taken out all those giant centipedes on our own.”

“But this way, it was faster.” Kara smiled and started down the tunnel. “Come on, let’s keep going.”

The elf snorted, and Angel trailed after her. The group continued deeper into the tunnel as Arjin scanned their surroundings once again. But that was when she realized that the remains of the giant centipedes were gone.  

That there was nothing but ash left behind.

—--

The group resumed their exploration of the lower tunnels for another half an hour before they encountered even more giant centipedes.

“Those are only Infants,” Kara said with narrowed eyes. She glanced back at Angel and gave a nod. “Do you want to have some fun too?”

The utlas bear perked up, before nodding eagerly with both his heads. Arjin immediately froze up as he stepped forward.

“W-wait, what about me?” she asked, looking around pleadingly.

Kara stepped back and helped Arjin off Angel’s back. “Just sit back and watch for now.”

The dark elf woman tried to steady herself next to the human. Caius folded his arms across his chest and watched with great interest as Angel bounded forward at the swarm of Infant giant centipedes. He growled ferociously as his staff flashed.

Chunks of rock and stone broke off from the walls and flew to his body, covering him in a makeshift armor right before he crashed into the group of Infant giant centipedes. They screeched as he ripped them apart with his claws. He tore through their soft carapace with his teeth, before he swung around with his staff.

It looked like he was just whacking them around at first. But then Arjin saw the way more and more bits of rock broke off from the surroundings, before she watched as they formed a giant boulder above him. He swung forward like he was throwing the boulder. And it fell upon the last of the Infant giant centipedes, wiping them out.

There were only about two dozen of them, so they were easily defeated by the utlas bear alone. He let out a triumphant roar as he stood over the shredded remains of their corpses.

Caius whistled at that. “That’s impressive— isn’t Angel only in his second stage of his evolution? And isn’t he quite young too?”

“That’s right,” Kara said almost like a proud mother. “But his evolution is special. So that’s why he’s so strong even while so young.”

But she didn’t elaborate more.

Arjin chewed on her lower lip as Angel returned, shaking away the blood that was staining his fur. He came to a halt right before the dark elf woman, and she shrank back. She hadn’t expected him to be so wild. She waved at him hesitantly.

“...good job?” she said.

And the utlas bear beamed back at her. He lowered himself for her to hop onto his back as she sighed in relief. He was still the same Angel as before. She clambered on as the group proceeded further down the main tunnel.

But after that encounter, there were no more monsters to be found. At least, for the next few hours. So Kara and Caius continued their casual conversation once again, talking about their various interests and their personal history.

Some of what they chattered about was nothing too important or serious.

“Wait, you’ve seriously eaten a tarrantus before?” Caius asked, taken aback.

“No, I’ve eaten their eyes before,” Kara corrected him. “It gave me a stomachache, but it wasn’t that bad.”

“You’ve had it quite rough, huh? No wonder you’re fine with eating anything…”

“I mean, I won’t just eat anything. I’d eat it as long as it tastes like something, you know?”

But some of their conversations turned more serious. Arjin felt awkward overhearing it from the side, because it didn’t feel like it was meant for her ears.

“You’re from Catherine?” Kara exclaimed in shock. “As in— the fifth Sanctuary City that was destroyed?”

Caius rubbed his ears in response. “There’s no need to shout. And yes, that’s where I was born.”

Kara fidgeted hesitantly, looking like she was deliberating on whether she should ask a question. “So… have you, uh…”

“Yes,” the elf sighed. “I have met Dark Lord Adam before.”

“And you know that he’s… you know?”

“I know that he’s the one responsible for destroying all those cities, yes.”

“Oh, I see.”

Arjin furrowed her brows as she eavesdropped on what they were talking about. This was the first she had ever heard of this. As far as she was aware, even before she was evacuated from her home, it was a horde of mysterious new monsters called nightmares that were going around the Xor-In Mountains and destroying the cities.

But now, according to Kara and Caius, Dark Lord Adam was supposed to be involved?

“Isn’t he supposed to be—” Arjin started.

“Dead?” Caius said, finishing her train of thought for her. His neck was craned back to face her.

She paused, then immediately sputtered as she backed up. “I-I wasn’t eavesdropping at all!”

“Of course you weren’t,” the elf chuckled.

“Wait, what is going on Caius?” Kara asked as she crossed her arms. “How can Adam be dead if he is the one who’s destroying all these cities?”

Caius waved a hand dismissively. “Because Adam is not dead. What Arjin here heard was the official version of events that was disseminated to the public. Meanwhile, what Koros told you is a quick summary of the actual version of what happened.”

Arjin looked between the two of them, utterly befuddled. “W-wait, I don’t understand. Why would they lie about what happened at Catherine? If Dark Lord Adam was the one responsible… shouldn’t we deserve the right to know?”

“Well, what happened was that all the Dark Lords and Dark Ladies at the time gathered together when they discovered what truly unfolded in Catherine, before deciding that if the truth was revealed, the public would lose trust in them. So they lied. Plain and simple,” Caius spoke matter-of-factly.

Kara’s brows snapped together. “And Koros agreed to this?”

“He wasn’t the Dark Lord at the time, so he wasn’t responsible for that decision. But he has chosen not to go against the will of his predecessor by keeping it a secret even until now.” The elf’s eyes flickered towards Kara. “Although… he is pretty loose-lipped, as you already know by now.”

“Because he’s a good person,” she said simply.

“True, I definitely think Koros is great. But we should still do him a favor and keep it a secret.” Caius turned back towards Arjin and gave her a dangerous grin. “You’re not going to tell anyone what you learned here, are you? Because if you do…”

Arjin immediately shrank back and nodded.

Kara rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to threaten Arjin with violence, Caius. She’s a good person.”

“Perhaps she is,” Caius said as he drew back. “But I still don’t understand why you decided to bring her with us down here anyway. She hasn’t done anything at all.”

That made Arjin wince. But Kara was adamant.

“Arjin is only here to watch. That’s it.”

“I know, I know. You told me that already. But I still don’t really get what doing this achieves.” Caius strode forward further down the tunnel, following the marked path.

And while Arjin didn’t say a word, she almost felt like she agreed with him. Even though she had been down here in the lower tunnels for a few hours now, she hadn’t contributed anything. She hadn’t been useful in any way.

She fidgeted where she sat as Kara slowed down to Angel’s side.

“Are you alright?” the human asked, looking at her kindly. “How are you holding up?”

“I… don’t know,” Arjin answered honestly.

Kara raised a brow. “What do you mean you don’t know?

And Arjin sighed. “I just— I just wish I was able to help. But all I can do is wait and watch as you guys do the fighting. I’m… hopeless.” She closed her eyes as she balled her fists over Angel’s furry back.

He craned one of his necks back to face her. He exchanged a glance with Kara who gave him a nod.

“That means you’re doing better already, see?” the human said, poking a finger on Arjin’s cheek.

Arjin blinked eyes back open. “I… what?”

“Look at you,” Kara continued with a smile. “You’re here talking about helping us. You’re not telling me about how scared you are of the monsters, and you’re not even screaming at the sight of blood.”

“I’m… not?” Arjin repeated after her.

And Kara nodded. “So exposure-therapy is working. Good job, Arjin.”

“That’s—” The former prostitute wanted to protest. But then she looked down at herself. She saw the blood staining Angel’s fur, and then she looked down at the palm of her hand. She wasn’t shaking anymore.

She wasn’t trembling in fear. While her heart was still racing in her chest, she didn’t feel the sense of terror she felt previously. Her nerves were more at ease than before. There was no longer a choking feeling tightening around her throat.

“You’re not going to become a full-fledged warrior in a day, but you’ll get there eventually,” Kara said, before walking ahead once again.

And Arjin looked at herself, practically in awe.

—--

The group continued for another hour, until they ran into another small group of giant centipedes. This time around, there were Lessers amongst them too. But Caius wanted to face them alone.

So Kara, Angel, and Arjin waited back as he ran into their numbers. They watched him tear through the monsters, but they were ready to intervene at any moment, in case he needed their help. And there were a few close calls.

A Lesser giant centipede managed to sneak up on him from behind. Kara clicked her tongue and called out.

“Caius—”  she started.

But the elf easily flipped over the attack, unleashing a glinting arrow into the monster’s back and killing it all at once. She blinked, then watched as he finished off the rest of them. When the last of the giant centipedes were all dead, he casually strode back to them as he laughed.

“You don’t need to worry about me that much. If there were Juveniles amongst them, maybe they’d pose some trouble. But I was fine the entire time.”

“That was still dangerous,” Kara said as she eyed the corpse of the Lesser giant centipede that had snuck up on him. “What would you do if enough of them had gotten close?”

“Firstly, that was never going to happen. But secondly—” He drew a pair of glinting daggers from his side. “I have a contingency plan too.”

Kara’s eyes went wide. “Wait, that’s—”

“The Blink Blades,” Caius said simply.

“How did you get those?” Kara asked as she pointed at his weapons in shock. “Did you steal them from the vault?”

He smiled and sheathed the Blink Blades. “Of course not. Koros said I could use them for this little trip to the lower tunnels— in case I was ever in danger. So I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”

He continued further down the tunnel.

Kara scowled as she trailed after him. “Why didn’t I get anything to help protect me?”

“Because you can protect yourself. And also, Koros thinks I’m a child, even though—”

“Even though you’re a grandpa. Yeah, yeah. I got that…”

The group pressed on. They had been following the markings for a while now, so it seemed they were soon going to be completed with their patrol of the area, until Caius came to a sudden halt. He frowned as he studied a pathway that broke off further to the side.

“This tunnel shouldn’t be here,” he said, rubbing his chin. “It’s not in any map of the lower tunnels I’ve seen before.”

Kara walked up next to him as she inspected the side of the tunnel. “So it’s brand new. Could it have been carved out by one of those giant worms?”

He averted his gaze as he stepped back. He looked uncharacteristically nervous. The usual grin he wore was gone. “Golers? No— they don’t dig through the earth like this. They use earth magic, so their tunneling is a lot more clean. This looks like it was dug out by force.”

“Like by those giant centipedes?” Kara surmised simply.

Caius nodded. “But that’s not the problem. Because judging by the size of this tunnel, it could only have been carved out by…"

He hesitated. Arjin and Angel exchanged a confused glance. And Kara narrowed her eyes at that.

“By what, Caius?” she asked, crossing her arms.

Caius took in a deep breath as his eyes fluttered shut. For a moment, he remained silent, then he turned to face her with a serious look, before exhaling slowly.

“An Adult giant centipede.”

Chapter 20: Like A Monster

So far, things had been going swimmingly. Kara hadn’t expected venturing into the lower tunnels to be such a breeze. She had been given a short overview on the kind of threats that could lurk down here by Caius when they had still been waiting for the permit from Koros. And while it hadn’t been an in-depth explanation of every species of monster that lived in these caverns, it had been about the kind of threats that could be found, which had been enough for her.

Most of the time, the monsters that lurked in this section of the lower tunnels was enough for ordinary soldiers to handle. Infant giant centipedes were weak. They were the lowest evolution stage of a giant centipede, which made them pretty much nothing more than pests. Supposedly, even someone with a Tier 5 manacore could deal with most Infant giant centipedes.

Of course, it ultimately was contingent on both the person and the giant centipede itself.

However, there were the occasional Lessers that roamed this area of the lower tunnels too. And sometimes, there would even be Juveniles. When those were spotted, Captain Bushra had to be called down to exterminate them, because of how dangerous they were.

And while Kara hadn’t spotted a Juvenile giant centipede here yet, she had seen them in action before— when she had peered into Zarkoth’s memories during her ascension to the Second Stage of her dragonsoul. So she knew exactly how much of a threat they could be, having almost killed a baby Zarkoth.

But an Adult was an entire stage of evolution above even a Juvenile. It was not something Kara had ever seen before, however the danger it posed was clear.

“We’ll have to inform Koros about this Adult,” Caius said as he drew away from the newly-carved tunnel. “We won’t be able to deal with it ourselves.”

Kara narrowed her eyes at that. “Why not? With three of us here, I’m sure we could probably take it down together. I don’t see why we should get Koros involved too.”

The elf was against it. “Perhaps we can take it down if we fight when it’s alone. But it won’t be alone.”

“What do you mean?” Kara asked, crossing her arms at him.

“An Adult giant centipede is dangerous, yes. But what’s even more worrying is what it entails.” He turned and held her gaze. “If there is an Adult, there is always a nest. Which means there will be even more Infants, more Lessers, and maybe even Juveniles too. I don’t doubt you can handle all those on your own, but good gods, even I have my limits.”

Caius looked towards both Angel and Arjin off to the side.

“That is not to mention them.”

“Hey, Angel can hold his own!” Kara said, shaking a fist at the elf.

“But he’s still only in his Second Stage of evolution. Even if he knows magic, he’s still vulnerable. Maybe he can fend off a Juvenile or two. But what if there’s a dozen of them there? And what about if there’s a hundred Infants and a few dozen Lessers too?”

Caius eyed her with a raised brow. She bit her lower lip, before he continued.

“That’s not even considering the fact that Arjin is here. This is too dangerous for us. Even if we defeat the Adult, one of us might die. All of us might even die, but I’m trying to be optimistic here, for your sake.” He turned away and looked towards the magical markings on the walls leading back to where they came from. “This is simply too risky for us to handle. It’s better to leave it up to Koros when he finds the time for it.”

Angel tilted his head when he heard that, and he almost seemed like he agreed. Arjin was already shaken from when she heard there was an Adult down here, so she evidently wanted to leave. Even Kara could see where Caius was coming from.

“...that’s a fair point,” she admitted as she closed her eyes.

But then she felt the mana pooling around her dragonsoul. Even after everything she had done today, there had barely been any change. Killing a few dozen Lessers and a hundred or so Infants had barely provided any mana. They had been far too weak.  

She needed a strong opponent if she truly wanted to grow stronger.

Caius nodded, glad to hear her response. He continued down the tunnel. “Exactly. As I keep saying, I always knew you were smart, Kara. So come on, let’s get out of here.”

Angel took a step forward, about to follow after him. But then the utlas bear realized that Kara hadn’t budged. He blinked and eyed her curiously.

Caius only noticed that he was alone after taking five more steps. He glanced back with furrowed brows.

“Kara? What are you doing?”

“Sorry, Caius,” Kara finally said as she opened her eyes. She placed a hand on her chest. “While I understand your concerns, I’d still like to face the Adult giant centipede.”

The elf stared at her, utterly taken aback. “But why? That doesn’t make any sense— it’s dangerous for all of us.”

“You’re. It’s too dangerous for you guys.” Kara’s eyes flickered as she raised her head. A smirk spread across her lips. “That’s why you don’t need to face it. I can take it down myself.”

“...you can’t be serious, right?” Caius blinked a few times.

But she shrugged in response, “I mean, both you and Angel had your chance to show off on your own, right? Now it’s my turn.”

The elf’s jaw dropped. He looked at her in sheer disbelief. Even Angel looked a little bit worried. Arjin just glanced between them apprehensively.

“How are you going to take down an Adult and an entire nest?” Caius asked, shaking his head. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“Well, I’ve got a plan,” Kara said as she stepped forward. She thought back to Zarkoth’s memories— when he had first learned his Dragon’s Breath . And then her eyes darted to the daggers dangling from the elf’s waist. “I do need a little bit of your help, of course.”

Caius frowned, and she grinned at him.

“Just a tiny bit of your help. You told me you weren’t going to doubt me ever again.”

“And you told me to doubt you a little bit,” he retorted. “I—”

He opened his mouth, then he saw the pleading look in her eyes. Caius deliberated over what to do for a full minute. Until, finally, he sighed.

“Fine. What do I have to do?”

—--

Caius almost regretted agreeing to Kara’s plan. But he had already said yes, and he wasn’t going to go back against his word. He took in a deep breath as he dropped a Blink Blade, before walking down the newly-carved tunnel. He raised his torch as he waded through the darkness until he spotted an opening at the other side revealing a small cave chamber.

Even before he got close, he could hear the clicking footsteps of the giant centipedes. He saw their shadowed figures lining the walls, many of them even sticking to the ceiling. But that was not where the majority of them lay. A mass of monsters were congregated at the center of the room. Infants, Lessers, and Juveniles alike gathered there, protectively circling a pile of faintly luminescent eggs.

“Is this what friends do for each other?” the elf asked himself as he stepped out to the entrance of the room.

But was he even friends with Kara yet? They certainly had managed to get to know each other over the course of this little trip to the lower tunnels, but it didn’t feel like there was a real connection there yet.

Not like Caius knew what that even meant. There had been some people he knew back in Catherine who he would consider his friends. However, if those counted as true friendships, then he should have been able to call Koros a friend too.

But he didn’t think of the Dark Lord as anything other than a close acquaintance. So what even were friends supposed to be?

The elf asked himself these questions as the giant centipedes took notice of him. Those that clung onto the walls and the ceiling immediately fled to the back of the room, and he raised his bow. A glinting arrow was already nocked as he aimed at the nest.

But a massive undulating figure shifted there. And he loosed the arrow as he took a step back.

“Twentieth-First Core: Acid Blast,” Caius whispered.

He watched as the arrow shot straight forward, before exploding into a spray of acid. It rained over the nest as he heard the shrieks of a handful of nearby giant centipedes, followed by a loud sizzling. But that was all. He looked back up at the clearing smoke as the massive undulating figure from before shielded the majority of the nest.

It was the Adult giant centipede. It had to have been nearly a hundred feet in length, and over ten feet wide. Its red-brown carapace was partially melted where it was struck by the blast, but it otherwise survived the attack unscathed.

Caius closed his eyes for a moment. He was certainly close with his parents. But he knew that friendships weren’t supposed to be the same as familial bonds.

“Or maybe I’m wrong. What do you think?”

He opened his eyes to see the Adult giant centipede looming over him. It let out a terrible shriek, before charging at him.

“Yeah… I have no idea either,” he said as he leapt back. “Sorry for killing some of your children though!”

He made it a dozen feet before the monster caught up to him. It closed its mandibles around his figure, before his entire body blurred. The world around him spun and he found himself standing right next to the Blink Blade he had left behind. Picking it up, he glanced back to hear the Adult giant centipede crashing into the rock wall and screeching.

It looked down the tunnel and hissed. It charged him again as he grinned, hurling a Bink Blade down one tunnel, before tossing the other in the other direction.

“Come and get me!” Caius shouted.

And the Adult giant centipede rushed forward, moving far faster than him. But every single time it got close, he teleported away with the help of the Blink Blades. It continued to chase after him as he spotted Kara in the far distance moving into the tunnel that led to the nest.

“Now let’s hope this plan of yours works.”

If not, the elf was going to be running for his life for a long time.

—--

Kara watched the Adult giant centipede pass through the main tunnel, before emerging from the little alcove Angel had dug out. She nodded at him and Arjin as she started down the side path towards the nest.

“Follow me, but stay back.”

They listened, keeping a few feet behind her. She made her way through the small tunnel until she reached an opening. There, the nest of the giant centipedes waited for her, no longer under the protection of their Adult.

Caius had been a pivotal part of her plan because of this— to draw the Adult giant centipede away from the nest. So that Kara could do what she needed to do next.

The gathered giant centipedes spotted her and started squirming. The Infants and Lessers retreated as the Juveniles moved to attack the intruder. A small grin appeared on her lips as she stepped forward, creating a ball of flame within the palms of her hand.

Kara had seen Zarkoth do this before. When she had peered into his memories during her prior ascension. Perhaps if she hadn’t witnessed it, she would have thought her power wasn’t enough to accomplish this. But right now, even as the Juvenile giant centipedes charged at her, she knew—

She raised the sphere of golden flames to her mouth and exhaled softly, Dragon’s Breath.

All at once, she unleashed an inferno into the nest of giant centipedes. Just as the Young Zarkoth had done in the memories she had seen. It wiped out everything in the room. The golden fire washed away everything as the monsters screamed.

Angel and Arjin backed away as the flames in the room melted even stone. They gaped at the destruction she wrought into the nest of giant centipedes.

Kara felt her dragonsoul shrinking as she unleashed her attack. But she felt the pool of mana gathered around it grow as the monsters died en masse. When she was finished, she was left panting, but also smiling.

“That should’ve taken care of all of them—”

But her eyes flickered. She frowned as she scanned the partially molten room. There were still a handful of giant centipedes that were wriggling on the ground, somehow still alive. They were mostly Juveniles, although there were a few Lessers that survived too. No more than a dozen in total. And while their carapaces were partially melted and their body covered in burn marks, they were still alive.

“How…?” she asked the question with wide eyes.

Did she overestimate her power? No— she had seen what Zarkoth had been capable of as a Young. She should have been able to do the same. Unless… she was somehow weaker than him, even with his dragonsoul?

A nearby Juvenile giant centipede picked itself back up and leapt at her. But she didn’t even bother to react. It didn’t matter if her Dragon’s Breath hadn’t been strong enough to wipe out the entire nest, because—

“I’m not alone.”

And a pillar of stone shot out of the ground, intercepting the monster. The attack crushed it against the ceiling as Angel stepped forward and created a spear made of stone. It shot forward, cutting through multiple of the injured Juveniles in a single swoop. The remaining Lessers squirmed where they lay, barely able to move because of their injures.

“Arjin, you too,” Kara said with a nod to the dark elf.

The former prostitute hesitated, clutching onto the silver dagger Dammir had given her. She looked down at its blood-stained surface. An orc’s blood. And she resolved herself.

She stepped forward and swung down at a Lesser giant centipede. But even though it was already hurt, her attack barely cut through its skin. Arjin squeaked as she nearly fell back when the monster continued wriggling.

Kara crossed her arms and spoke simply. “Good job, Arjin. But do it again, and put more strength into it.”

Arjin tightened her fist around her silver dagger and swung down again. And again. And again. She repeated this motion a dozen times until she was left panting. But the Lesser giant centipede was no longer moving either. It was dead.

She drew back and nearly sprawled on the ground.

“You did it.” Kara smiled, offering a hand.

Arjin looked up at the human for a moment, before she accepted the proffered hand.

“I… I did.”

“Now,” Kara said as she spun around to the entrance to the chamber. “We wait for the Adult to return.”

—--

Caius was nearly out of mana by the time he returned to the nest. While the Blink Blades were powerful artifacts, he couldn’t use them infinitely. Each time he teleported with them, he used a small amount of mana. It was surprising how little mana it wasted. He would have expected it to be much more. But whoever crafted these weapons must have been a master at creating mana-efficient enchantments.

Unfortunately, using the artifact dozens upon dozens of times still took its toll. Furthermore, the elf was also slightly tired from all the fighting he did earlier, in addition to using one of his most powerful Manacore Abilities.

So he hoped Kara was finished dealing with the nest at this point. Otherwise, the plan would have been completely compromised. He dropped a Blink Dagger right outside of the tunnel before he dashed into the room.

The Adult giant centipede was right behind him, snapping its massive mandibles for his neck. But his figure vanished, and it crashed into the room with an angry screech. It picked itself up, before pausing.

It saw the thin layer of smoke blanketing its surroundings, and it smelled the charred bodies. It looked down at where its nest had been. Then it paused. It saw the burnt corpses all around it. It saw its dead kin. It saw the ashes that had once been its eggs.

And it let out a screech of rage as a figure approached it from behind.

The Adult giant centipede turned to face who it was. She stood there, coated in golden flames and carrying golden claws in her hands. A wild smile was plastered across her face as she took on a wide stance.

“Sorry for doing this to your children,” Kara said apologetically. “But… you guys did attack us first. So I’m not that sorry, either.”

And the monster charged at her as she dashed forward. The two of them clashed in the room, golden sparks flying and illuminating the dark chamber. Caius, Angel, and Arjin stood by the edge of the tunnel, watching the fighting as it began.

“W-who do you think will win?” Arjin asked hesitantly.

Caius glanced at her, then looked towards Kara with narrowed eyes. “We’ll see.”

That was all he said as Kara exchanged blows with the Adult giant centipede.

—--

Kara was sent flying back as the monster crashed into her. Her Dragon’s Scales flickered and absorbed the brunt of the damage, burning the Adult giant centipede in return. It hissed as it reeled back, and she flipped in the air, landing lithely before it.

She raised her hands. Her Dragon’s Claws blazed brightly as she dashed forward once again. The Adult giant centipede swung its tail at her, and she slid under the attack, swiping up with all her strength. Her attack tore through the monster’s carapace as it circled away from her.

But she didn’t let up. She charged straight at it as it ran across the ceiling of the room. Her attack missed as she struck the wall of the room, breaking off chunks of rock. The monster flanked her quickly and smashed into her.

Kara reeled as she was dragged through stone by the Adult giant centipede, her Dragon’s Scales flickering, barely holding up against the attack. But as she regained her bearings, she tightly grabbed onto the monster’s carapace.

God Strike.

She swung out once, and the Adult giant centipede went flying with a shriek of pain. Looking up, Kara kicked herself off the wall and landed onto the monster’s back. She continued to tear into its broken carapace as she grinned savagely.

“I thought I was finally going to have a strong opponent. But—”

The monster whipped its body, sending her flying back. She was thrown back into the wall at incredibly high speeds, only to twist and land lithely with a smile still on her face. She held a ball of golden flames to her mouth. Enough time had passed since she destroyed the nest. So she unleashed her Dragon’s Breath as she screamed.

“You’re so weak!”

The Adult giant centipede was engulfed in the golden flames as it practically screamed in pain. Kara had thought that this battle would be more difficult. She remembered her encounter with the Soulmaster’s machine. She recalled her fight with Angel’s mother. She thought of all the times she had to wade through the storms of the Xor-In Mountains, narrowly avoiding the magical blasts of lightning.

The memories of everything she had been through since she arrived in Xantos to before she reached Alyona flashed in her mind. From running from the gargoyles to hiding from the stone golems that stood taller than any skyscraper she had ever seen. Kara’s heart raced in her chest as she recalled all this.

She could feel her blood rushing through her veins as the Adult giant centipede grabbed her with her mandibles and threw her at the ceiling. Even though her Dragon’s Scales were partially broken, and she was bleeding underneath, compared to everything she had been through before—

“This is nothing!” Kara yelled as she swung down at the approaching monster.

God Strike!

Her attack knocked the monster back again, shredding apart the last of its carapace. The rest had melted into its skin from her Dragon’s Breath . Kara could feel her dragonsoul flickering. She was running out of steam. But still, she pushed herself forward.

She leapt off the ceiling and crashed straight into the Adult giant centipede’s face. Her Dragon’s Scales faded away as she dug into it with her Dragon’s Claws , ripping apart its tough skin. It tried to throw her off, but she clung on tightly. And when that didn’t work, it began to smash her against the stone walls of the room.

Kara could feel some of her bones breaking with each hard impact, but she didn’t let up. She continued to tear into the monster’s head as it desperately tried to get rid of her. It was a battle of attrition at this point— to see who could whittle the other down into giving up first.

And after everything Kara had been through, she wasn’t going to lose.

The Adult giant centipede let out a whimper as her Dragon’s Claws faded away, and she punched through its flesh with her fist. It swayed back as its blood spurted out, before it began to fall. Kara threw herself off it as she felt the pool of mana surrounding her dragonsoul increase.

She grinned victoriously as the Adult giant centipede crashed into the ground, sending a pillar of dust into the air. And over at the entrance to the room, Caius, Angel, and Arjin watched the battle come to a finish.

“A-amazing…” Arjin whispered.

And Caius simply nodded approvingly.

Kara swayed where she stood, and Angel bounded forward. He caught her before she fell. She smiled back up at him.

“Thanks,” she said tiredly. “You always have my back.”

In response, he licked her with both his heads.

—--

And with that battle concluded, the group finally made their way out of the lower tunnels. Kara was too tired to walk, so Angel had to carry her on his back, forcing Arjin to walk. But the dark elf woman didn’t mind it.

After what Kara managed to do, Arjin was happy to let the human rest. It wasn’t like the former prostitute had done much during this entire trip anyway. The most she did was kill a single Lesser giant centipede. But it had been badly injured by Kara, so that wasn’t even much of a contribution.

And yet, Arjin had still been rewarded for it. For pushing herself to her limit. Her manacore had expanded. She could sense the changes. It wasn’t a small change either. She had advanced from a Tier 2 manacore all the way to a Tier 5 manacore all at once.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she continued climbing up the rope to exit the lower tunnels. Looking inwards, she saw her manacore there. It was barely cultivated in its power. But now, she could choose to reinforce the core with either a layer of glass or metal.

She knew that metal would enhance her physical abilities, while glass would enhance her magical abilities. And she wasn’t sure what to choose.

But then she thought of what she had just witnessed. The battle between Kara and the Adult giant centipede. It had been a brutal battle where both combatants were pushed to their limits. The way they both had fought had been completely animalistic.

It had been nothing like the elegant dances and artistic duels she had seen back in her home. This had simply been a brutal battle to the death. And Arjin thought…

It was amazing.

For the first time ever, Arjin hadn’t been reviled by the sight of battle and blood. She didn’t know if it was because she was starting to grow desensitized to it, or because of something else. But the way Kara had fought had completely disregarded everything Arjin had learned.

There were no attempts to strike at any weak spot or anything of the like. No focus on causing as much harm or damage to an enemy in as callous a manner as possible. Kara had simply brute forced her way through the monster’s chitin until she won.

And seeing that, Arjin made her decision on what she wanted to do.

That she wanted to become just like Kara.

So she layered her manacore with metal three times over as her brand new Manacore Abilities instinctively echoed in her mind.

—--

Caius didn’t know whether he should have been impressed or terrified of Kara. He had seen her in battle before, and he knew just how strong she was, but he hadn’t expected her to be able to defeat an Adult giant centipede.

He calmed his confused thoughts as he reached the top of the pit and saw natural light again coming from the glow moss growing around the deepest parts of the upper tunnels. Looking down, he stared at Kara who was clinging onto Angel’s back.

Are you even a human? the elf asked himself. Or are you a monster?

It wasn’t a question that was meant to condemn her. Rather, he found himself growing even more intrigued by her. He wanted to know more about her. While she had answered many of the questions he had asked her today, he had even more questions racing through his mind.

For example,how did she obtain her dragonsoul in the first place? How did she end up in the Xor-In Mountains? And what was a burger?

But most importantly, he wondered where exactly did she come from? She was nothing like the humans he had read about in the history books.

Caius wanted to know more about her. He wanted to spend more time with her. He wanted to understand her even more.

And he wondered if this was supposed to be normal with how people felt about their friends.

—--

After leaving the lower tunnels, the group immediately reported back what they discovered to Captain Bushra of the Twentieth Company. He was worried when they told him that there was a giant centipede nest located so close to the upper tunnels. He would have immediately sent a messenger out to request for reinforcements. But Caius stopped him, explaining what had happened— that Kara had cleared it out all on her own.

Well, mostly on her own.

Bushra hadn’t believed them at first, but after much reassurances, and even sending a patrol to check the nest, he was finally convinced of what happened when his patrol returned. So he apologized for his doubts and thanked them for their help, before he told them he would report this information to the Dark Lord.

For now, he told them all to rest.

Kara couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t exhausted and a little bit hurt after her fight with the Adult giant centipede. So she greatly accepted Bushra’s suggestion. But not before he gave her what he called a ‘healing potion’.

She took a few sips from it, and most of her superficial wounds faded away. Although the deeper gashes still remained. That surprised her. She had never experienced such a thing before. Even in this world of magic and monsters, she still found herself being surprised from time to time.

“Hmph, it is expensive and difficult to make,” Bushra said as he gave her the entire bottle. “Preserve it as best you can. There are very few alchemists and shamans in this city, and they will generally prioritize orders from the Dark Lord himself, so you would be hard-pressed to find a healing potion anywhere else.”

“Oh, thanks.” Kara gratefully accepted the rest of the bottle and pocketed it, saving the rest for a potential future use.

While Kara had certainly absorbed a considerable amount of mana from killing the Adult giant centipede, it wasn’t nearly enough to push her to the next stage of her dragonsoul. But she could tell her ascension was getting close. So she was going to try and delve into the lower tunnels again soon. Maybe alone. She hadn’t decided yet.

The group then made their way back towards the city section of the upper tunnels. No one really said a thing, all of them were too tired from the long trip to the lower tunnels. Even though it had only been about six hours since then— maybe seven— they were all exhausted.

But a few hours was a long time. Even if it didn’t seem like much, a lot could happen in that period, as Kara would soon learn. Because when she arrived at the city section of the upper tunnels, the entire place was in an uproar.

There weren’t riots or protests being thrown, but a susurration swept over the city. There were large crowds gathered, talking to themselves in hushed whispers. Even when they reached the edge of the upper tunnels and approached the main section of Alyona, the ambience in the air didn’t change. It was like there was a sense of dread hanging over the entire populace.

Kara glanced around quizzically as she hopped off Angel’s back. “What is going on?”

“I don’t know…” Caius narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Let’s ask around.”

He stopped a passing group of dark elves as they seemed to huddle together and speak in worried voices.

“You haven’t heard?” one of the dark elves said with round eyes.

“No.” Kara shook her head. “Please, can you tell us what is happening?”

The group of dark elves exchanged nervous glances. They nodded at each other, and one of them stepped forward, before speaking up.

“Storms above, we still can’t believe it. We just received news of this an hour ago, so we don’t know if it’s true for sure. But—”

Caius’s eyes widened as the dark elf continued. Arjin’s jaw dropped, and Angel blinked a few times. And while Kara didn’t understand the full gravity of the situation, she still knew that the consequences were going to be enormous.

“The Sanctuary City of Vera was destroyed, and Dark Lady Orvana has been killed.”