Ch. 121..130

Chapter 121

"Shan’t go berserk!"

When Jack had finished his chant, his body remained tense. As the lightning and thunderclaps grabbed everyone’s attention, Jack finally relaxed, bu the was confused.

Somehow, the wind blade he was anticipating would destroy his body, had only stopped after breaking his skin. Unsure what had caused everything and happy to know that someone had found a way to save his life, Jack smiled and opened his eyes.

That smile instantly vanished, as if it had never existed.

"No... How... B-but why?" A few weak words escaped Jack’s sorrowful face.

"Jack, you’re okay," said Slivia with a smile.

She stood in front of Jack with the massive wind blade impaled through her chest and gut. As the wind blade quickly disappeared after dealing its damage, Slivia collapsed into Jack’s arms.

"B-but--"

"Jack, I’m glad you’re okay," Slivia smiled warmly. Tears were present in her eyes and a faded teleportation scroll was in her hands.

"Sliv, why did you--"

Slivia didn’t let him speak, not wanting to waste the little breath she had left. "You’re okay Jack... That’s all that matters. Keep fighting. Do it for me, okay?"

When those last words left her mouth, her hands went limp. Her smiling face didn’t match her now lifeless eyes. Though she had taken far more damage than any lv. 15 adventurer could endure, she passed with a smile on her face, happy to at least have Jack’s face be the last thing she saw.

"No... No..." Jack was in disbelief. She was wearing her femme feline armor, but he wasn’t even aware of it.

He hugged Slivia’s body tightly, trying to feel her warmth again. Blood covered him, falling from both his wound and Slivia’s, but he didn’t even notice. Jack was too busy trying to find some sign of life in her body, despite knowing the truth.

By no means was Jack in a mental state to defend himself, let alone fight.

By then, Zariff and the others finally noticed Jack’s misery. Maynard wanted to run to Jack’s side but Zariff shouted his orders, "Men, hurry up and kill those pestros! Tomas and Tridon, rush to the docks to help Leo! Rydel, protect Jack and all costs! Maynard, you’re with me!"

Without a word, everyone sprang into action. Tomas bolted towards the pier as if he was gliding across the water on the ground. Tridon wasn’t any slower, taking on the image of a beast and running through the streets on all fours.

Maynard took a deep breath and joined hands with Zariff to face the hooded man, now that he was lv. 38 and Zariff was lv. 41.

Rydel launched one volley of arrows after another, dashing toward Jack around the perimeter. He had some trouble since one of the four mystery men rushed him, but other adventurers helped contain him.

While Rydel was being held up, another syndicate member forced his way to Jack. All of the syndicate members had strange shadowy abilities, making it hard to hit and contain them.

As that syndicate member squeezed past the adventurers with the help of his comrades, an evil smile appeared on his face. "Die!"

Just then, a fireball appeared and hurled itself to the shadowy man.

Knowing that he couldn’t take such a spell head-on, the man turned into a shadow. The fireball destroyed the shadow, but the man reappeared five meters further back. He looked at the hooded woman and asked, "Who are you?"

She had appeared not even a meter away from Jack and instantly launched a peak-tier spell. The man wasn’t stupid and knew that the woman possessed special skills. Based on that alone, she shouldn’t be from the Reinolt Kingdom.

All the syndicate members were surprised to find out that the adventurers somehow got outside help so quickly, especially someone with such skills. With their information network, they should’ve known who she was, yet they were clueless.

The woman looked up with her cold eyes. Her bloodlust sent shivers down the syndicate member’s spine, it was even stronger than his.

"Die!" Flames danced around her until they became a vortex of fire at her control. It was then launched towards the shadowy man.

Though the man was lv. 36, he feared that flaming cyclone. He could feel it’s terrible energy and understood that he might lose his life to such a high-level spell. He couldn’t even ascertain if it was peak-tier or possibly higher.

Not wasting time with his thoughts, the man dashed back towards his fellow syndicate members in fear. Though the cyclone was more powerful than him and could threaten his life, the shadowy man’s speed was too much for the cyclone to catch him easily.

The hooded man was busy facing both Zariff and Maynard. Though it was two against one, neither side had the advantage. Daliea’s high-level spell caught everyone’s attention and shocked the hooded man.

According to his knowledge, no powerful mage should’ve been on the adventurers’ side. Not enough time had passed for the high-level adventurers to arrive and King Leodoro should’ve been the only one.

However, the man’s information was clearly wrong. Not only was Daliea a powerful mage, but she had peak-tier spells to boot, not to mention her powerful, mysterious shadow goblin bloodline.

But he wouldn’t know that. Not even Arnole had recognized the goblin queen as a shadow goblin, and he saw her personally. According to their knowledge, shadow goblins went extinct a long time ago. For one to show up in Reinolt on the edge of the continent was impossible for them to anticipate.

*****

On the north end of the city, the soldiers were doing battle with the cetuses. Lucky for the king, Jack had guessed that most cetuses were around lv. 25 and not lv. 30 like the first batch. Jack assumed that the lv. 30’s from before were some of the strongest of the cetuses, and he had guessed correctly.

Almost all of the cetuses attacking the city were between lv. 20 and lv. 25, and only a few were over lv. 30. After the first two waves, most of the pride’s strong cetuses were killed, including the pride lord’s mate, which Arnole was forced to kill to maintain his reputation.

Though most of the soldiers were able to participate in the fight this time, there was also one monstrously large cetus that had emerged from the stormy sea soon after the cetus army.

King Leodoro, Tomas, Tridon, and one of the king’s most trusted lv. 30’s were facing the behemoth cetus together. They had all drunken boost potions but were still only able to fight the creature equally. It was a shocking sight for all to see.

"Tridon, what do you think we should do?" asked King Leodoro as lightning launched from his fingertips onto the giant beast. He was clearly the most effective against the creature. Without his lightning, the beast would’ve killed them all rather quickly.

"It’s underbelly is the weakest part of its flesh. Open a hole under its right armpit and blast him with everything you’ve got. That’s the easiest way to try and attack the beast’s heart directly!" Tridon yelled for them all to hear.

With a nod, the four men took action. The high up soldier and King Leodoro took turns feinting attacks and creating openings while the Tomas and Tridon attacked brutally, trying to carve out the cetus’ flesh.

Realizing what its opponents were up to, the pride lord became more defensive.

It was a beast under the control of the hooded man. The man was a beast tamer and he had somehow tamed the cetus pride lord, even though the man was six levels weaker than the cetus. It may not have liked having a master, but having the master see what was happening through the cetus’ eyes also allowed the master to give telepathic aid to the cetus, helping it adapt far quicker than it usually would.

The battle continued to drag out. Neither side was able to overcome the other, but it was clear to everyone that the cetuses would win if it were a war of attrition.

Almost out of nowhere, an electrifying claw flew into the cetus’ underbelly as it let out a pained roar.

The high-leveled soldier and Tomas were spooked. Suddenly, a lv. 33 Thundercat had appeared and joined the fight, attacking the cetus without hesitation or fear.

"Don’t worry, it’s here to help us," stated King Leodoro. He wasn’t surprised in the least.

Tridon smiled. "Finally, they’re getting serious!"

*****

A bellowing roar filled the air around the association building.

Facing one of the syndicate members single-handedly was a tall, stout gorilla. With every roar, the earth would shake beneath the syndicate member’s feet. Each punch from the beast felt like a mountain crashing down on him.

"An Earthen Ape? How’d that get here?" The hooded man glanced at the creature that was suppressing his men. He wasn’t happy, in fact, he was furious. Destroying Reinolt City should’ve been easy, yet so many complications had changed everything.

The hooded man thought to himself as he questioned how so many things could’ve gone wrong. It felt like his enemy had guessed his every move and fully understood his strength, as well as the cetuses’ strength before the battle had even begun.

’How could they have known so much?’ thought the hooded man.

Then, he remembered Jack’s incantation. Such an incantation was an ancient spell used to reveal Skaryn’s spies during Ancient Kartonia. How could a young hero know such a ritual and perform it perfectly? He wondered if he should kidnap Jack instead of killing him.

 

Chapter 122

The city was in darkness, only lit up by the scattered lightning strikes. Two gruesome battles were taking place. Though the cetuses were powerful and numerous, so were the soldiers and those who had drunken the boost potions, keeping things at a stalemate.

Back at the association building, the sudden appearance of an Earthen Ape pushed to the tide of battle in favor of the adventurers. Thanks to it facing the strongest syndicate member single-handedly and Daliea doing the same with the second strongest, the remaining two were being overwhelmed. Even with their shadowy abilities, it was impossible to avoid that many people’s strikes forever.

The hooded man stared at Rydel and Zariff. "It’s that brat hero’s fault, isn’t it?" When he got no response, he chuckled. "Very well, I guess I’ll have to take him with me."

A forceful gust of wind washed over the area. A large figure descended from the clouds and went straight for Jack.

"A wyvern?!"

The strong adventurers instantly recognized the beast. Daliea showed worry in her eyes as she left her opponent to the surrounding adventurers and confronted the wyvern.

Uninterested in a fight with Daliea, the wyvern gave an ear-splitting cry and spit a fireball at the woman.

Bringing out her full power, she hurled the flame cyclone at the wyvern. The cyclone destroyed the fireball and became weaker, but it was strong enough to redirect the wyvern toward Daliea.

The two started to clash, proving that the wyvern was more fearsome than the syndicate members and that Daliea had been hiding her true strength.

However, not long after the battle between the two began, Daliea’s figure started to become illusory. Soon, everyone got a good look at her true self.

"A goblin?" grunted the hooded man, startled to see who she really was.

"Goblins!"

The crowd panicked when a few people in the crowd and on the battlefield also turned into goblins.

Rydel was fast to act and yelled, "The goblins are allies to the king! They’ve agreed to fight and protect the city!"

Many people still ran further away in fear, but no one attacked them. The adventurers were surprised but they all smiled. Seeing that the higher-ups had so many tricks up their sleeves made them happy. They were even more confident of their victory now.

"Die, filthy beast!" With Daliea dispelling the illusion, she fully focused on facing the wyvern. Their battle was neck and neck, neither was stronger than the other.

The hooded man groaned loudly in disgust. Not only was he unable to capture Jack, but his personal beast was being suppressed by a goblin.

He was only able to control the cetus pride lord with the help of a powerful item given to him by the syndicate. That wyvern, however, was a beast he had caught and raised for years. The wyvern was his pride and joy, yet while facing the people of Reinolt, of all places, he and his beast were being suppressed.

"Enough!" Wild energy surrounded the hooded man, making him appear draconic. His eyes became bestial, his teeth became fangs, and his hands became claws. A tail emerged from his robes and swung back and forth. "I’ve had enough!"

The man lunged at Maynard and Zariff, eager to finish things as quick as possible.

"Come!" Zariff also stepped forward, meeting the man’s claw with his fist, not his axe.

As the man smiled, he made contact with the fist and groaned. Shock spread across his face. "What the--"

A blade covered in lightning dashed through the air in a fraction of a second, trying to claim the man’s life.

"NO!" The hooded man used the punch’s strength to propel himself backward and swipe his other claw at the electrifying blade attack, canceling it out and leaving both hands feeling numb.

He glared intensely at his two opponents. In the darkness of the night and storm shy, the man failed to recognize the aura around Zariff as bestial, though it was the same color as it always had been.

Seeing static electricity wash over Rydel, however, was a clear sign to him that his opponents had also been holding their punches against him. But he was unable to understand how they could both produce bestial energy.

The hooded man was a beast tamer, so it made sense for him to use such energies. He had drunken wyvern blood on many occasions and used secret methods to enhance his body to better sync with his wyvern. But Zariff and Maynard were clearly in the brawler and samurai sub-classes. It should be impossible for them to use bestial energies!

"How..." asked the man.

"Ya will die soon, so no use telling ya," answered Maynard as he lunged forward with his lightning covered katanas.

The man dodged one attack and repelled the other with his tail, knocking Maynard away to create some distance. Then, he rushed Zariff with a full-power claw attack. His hand was light a glowing wyvern’s talon.

Just as the two were about to clash, a feeling of death came over the hooded man. He immediately pulled back and fled at top speed.

It was a quick dodge, but the man wasn’t able to fully evade Maynard’s lightning enhanced Bloody Cross attack.

Now that Maynard was able to use lightning, his speed had increased dramatically and his attacks explosive power did the same. Combining that with his Sudden Death and Bloody Cross skills was absolutely terrifying.

A small cross had appeared on the hooded man’s chest. It was only superficial and barely cut through his robes, but it chilled the man’s bones. He had almost lost his life and to a weak lv. 33 no less!

At the moment, Maynard was stronger but the man knew that they had used unnatural means to do so. That only added to the shame he was feeling after struggling to complete what he thought would be a simple mission. He even had a cetus army, his wyvern, and some shadow assassins, yet he continued to fail at completing his assignment.

"Why don’t you all just die!" The hooded man’s bestial aura exploded, growing leaps and bounds over Zariff’s and Maynard’s.

The battle grew chaotic as the hooded man used everything he had against the two. Their boosted strength helped, but they were facing a special talent from the Chaos Syndicate. How could the fight be easy?

Their fight continued as all three of them began to tire each other out, pushing toward a final confrontation.

The other adventurers were at a stalemate, including Daliea and the wyvern, who’s battle was especially brutal. Both had been seriously injured and one wrong move could mean the end of everything.

"I see. This explains everything."

A voice echoed through the air. It wasn’t loud, yet it reached across the entire city. Everyone instantly realized something. A stong combatant had arrived, and no one knew what side he was on.

"Sir, help us and you’ll receive benefits beyond belief!" yelled the hooded man. He didn’t dare to take the situation lightly.

"Oh? And why would I want to ally with the syndicate? I don’t want to hide my face and take orders from pompous fools," answered the voice.

The syndicate members frowned. They were instantly recognized and humiliated by the omnipresent voice.

Everyone else was smiling from ear-to-ear. Had a hero come to help? Who was strong enough to belittle the Chaos Syndicate like that.

Near the pier, a man started to laugh. With each passing second, his laughter would grow louder and louder until he could no longer control himself.

"My king, what’s wrong?" asked Tomas.

"Nothing’s wrong, nothing at all. It’s the complete opposite actually," stated Leodoro with a smile. "We’ve won."

Above the pier, a strange wind began to blow.

"Rooooaarr..."

A cry of pain and agony escaped the cetus pride lord’s mouth. Before it’s cry was over, the cetus’ head fell to the ground. It’s strong, muscular body stood still like a statue, but only for a moment till it collapsed, lifeless.

"What..." All the soldiers were in awe.

Then, lightning crackled and spread across a lot of the remaining cetuses. The king had already started attacking the other cetuses as if he expected the pride lord to be dead the moment the voice sounded out.

At the association building, the hooded man’s face sunk. He looked miserable. His link with the pride lord was shattered, proving that the mighty beast was slain.

"Who are you? You dare threaten the Chaos Syndicate?!" The hooded man felt like going crazy, trying to scare the man even if it seemed hopeless. It was all he could do to try and save himself.

The voice started laughing. "Why would I listen to someone who tries to use the syndicate’s reputation, despite only being a deputy?"

The hooded man started breathing heavily. Without any difficulty, the voice could instantly guess his position in the Chaos Syndicate. That could only mean that whoever owned that voice knew quite a bit about the syndicate and more than likely had fought members higher ranked than the hooded man.

"I’ve had enough of you’re people wasting my time." When the voice finished speaking, a strange wind blew over the battlefield, just like what happened at the pier.

"Aaahhh..."

"AAHH!"

Multiple cries of pain rang out. Each of the syndicate members was beheaded by that strange wind. Before he knew it, that hooded man’s head also fell to the ground and rolled to Zariff’s feet.

Zariff bowed deeply and shouted, "Thank you! I hope one day we can meet face-to-face so we can thank you properly!"

There was no response. In seconds, the clouds and the storm dispersed to reveal a beautiful night sky.

 

Chapter 123

With the threat taken care of and the mysterious voice no longer there, the world returned to normal. The people within the crowd and the city finally had a sense of calmness come over them.

King Leodoro had given the order to stand down to all soldiers, letting himself and the other three men with boosted stats work together to contain the remaining cetuses. Rather than kill them, Tridon and King Leodoro had a different idea.

While King Leodoro corraled them with strands of lightning, Tomas and the strong soldier forced any straggling cetuses into the lightning cage. Tridon went about knocking them all unconscious.

They wanted to take advantage of the situation and grow the forces of Reinolt. Also, Jack and the adventurers were only able to convince Tridon to give up a couple of his beasts by promising him all surviving cetuses. King Leodoro didn’t disagree, in fact, he wanted to help and offered Tridon a new title as the Reinolt Kingdom’s Beast Master.

After rendering them all unconscious, Tridon hurried to brand them all with a strange beast seal. It was one the would allow more than one person to be its master, so long as they also had the same seal and was only temporary. The few cetuses over lv. 30 received the same type of seal, yet it was different. That way he could be more careful with whoever controlled the four remaining lv. 32 and lv. 33 cetuses.

With seventeen cetuses over lv. 20, eight cetuses over lv. 25, and four cetuses over lv. 30, Tridon was over the moon.

The soldiers were dismissed after gathering all the corpses, with the beast and human corpses going to their separate piles. It was a grueling battle, but they were glad that the casualties this time were less than any of the other two cetus attacks.

King Leodoro noticed the pride in Tridon’s eyes and asked, "So, now what?"

"Why should I be so focused on the future right now? Can’t I enjoy my present achievement?" laughed Tridon.

"You know what I mean. With such a strong force in the Salendar family’s hands, many people will think you won’t respect the Royal Court."

"If it’s the same Royal Court we just crushed, then why would I respect it?" joked Tridon.

Leodoro smiled. "Well, Beast Master Tridon, I want to ask you a favor."

"No, I’m not joining your court."

"I don’t want you to. Actually, I want you to form your own power, not as a noble family but as its own entity. What if you had your own beast taming academy?"

Tridon looked away from his newly acquired beasts and saw the king’s genuine smile. He chuckled, "You know, once I make something like that, I’ll be just as powerful as Zariff and rival your little court with my beasts alone. If I can attract strong people too, I may overtake your court."

"Honestly, I’d like that. So long as we’re allies, I’d be happy to have such a power within the city. But help out when you can, alright? We have no clue if the syndicate will return, so we’ll need you and your cetus army if that happens." King Leodoro sighed, glad to see things start changing for the better in Reinolt.

"If you support the Salendar Beast Academy, then why not?"

Both men chuckled and embraced each other’s arms like brothers of war. No more words were spoken, only looks of respect were shared as they waited for the cetuses to wake up to their new master.

*****

Those at the association building gathered the corpses of the few soldiers and adventurers that were killed, as well as the syndicate members. Nobody dared loot a single corpse. They respected those that fell amongst the soldiers and adventurers while they knew their chief would be in charge of inspecting the syndicate corpses.

Though they won the battle with very minimal losses in terms of numbers, neither Zariff, Maynard, nor Rydel was happy with the end result.

They looted the syndicate members and didn’t find anything too precious or unusual beside gold and a powerful weapon or two. The hooded leader was the only one with an item they didn’t recognize.

Not wasting time, they stowed everything away and would wait for a better moment to mention the item to Jack.

The three men slowly walked toward the forlorn Jack. He was speechless. Staring at the lifeless Slivia in his arms, Jack was motionless and looked to be near lifeless himself. At his side was Daliea, who seemed touched by Jack’s sadness. She had finally gotten to see evidence that Jack had already given his heart to someone.

Zariff was in a unique position. He cared for both Jack and Slivia for different reasons. Slivia was someone he had helped protect and save in the past, representing a turning point in his life. Jack was someone who could save his own life and was an instant friend after joining the association. Both were important to him and he would never want to choose between the two in a life or death situation.

"Jack..." After a few minutes of silence, Zariff finally spoke but never received a response. "Jack, bring her inside. Let’s go upstairs."

Jack said nothing and showed no signs that he heard Zariff, but after a few seconds, the weak Jack managed to cradle Slivia’s body in his arms. He turned around and approached the association building.

The others opened the door for him and made sure Jack only had to walk. They wanted to offer to carry her since he was already weak with his own injury, but they knew he would never let them.

It took some time, but they finally got Jack upstairs. They watched him lay her across the conference table. Jack stood over her. He was still in shock from her sudden self-sacrifice.

Rydel left the room and quickly came back with Bowzer. The young fox hurried onto the table and immediately started cuddling up to Slivia’s corpse.

No one was able to understand Bowzer’s cries. While the others had no mental link to him, Jack wasn’t paying Bowzer’s cries any attention.

After it grew late into the night, more people entered the room. King Leodoro, Tridon, and Tomas had returned with the news of their battle with smiles on their faces, but they all frowned after reading the mood of the room.

Marisha was the next to enter, hugging and comforting her husband who rarely had such watery eyes.

The last to join the mourning was Maura. She had been locked and stowed away in a backroom by her mother. By no means was she allowed to come out, just like Jack had done with Bowzer.

The syndicate was too much of a threat. Jack feared that Bowzer may be captured if a beast tamer was somehow involved and Marisha feared that her headstrong daughter would cause more trouble then help if she was let out.

When Maura learned of their victory, she was overjoyed. But very quickly that joy was replaced with sorrow. Her only sister-like figure had been killed, sacrificing herself for Jack. No one understood how she did it, but Maura didn’t care. She hurried through the halls without hesitation, searching for the others.

Entering the somber room was a heavy blow to her heart. Her eyes first laid on Slivia. She couldn’t understand why Slivia was smiling during her final moments.

Then, Maura turned to look at Jack. A small part of her wanted to be at his side and just hug him, but she didn’t. She didn’t know if he would let her and she was too scared to try and be rejected in front of so many people.

The coldness of Jack’s eyes brought Maura even more tears. That happy-go-lucky Jack she had first met was nowhere to be found. There was only coldness. It was clear to her and everyone that he had no desire to talk with anyone.

When Marisha left to bring food for everyone, most ate it and some at least finished a portion. However, Jack never even acknowledged the plate’s existence.

As night turned to day, everyone beside Jack eventually left for their own beds in need of a good night’s sleep.

Alone with Slivia’s now cold body, Jack finally sat down in front of her. He struggled to remain conscious, but his weak self wasn’t able to last before the sun came up.

When Maura came back to the room with Jack and Bowzer’s breakfast, her heart ached. She saw his head resting on her shoulder and tear stains in his eyes. Bowzer was nuzzled up in her arm, trying to find the warmth that was no longer there.

She stared at them for quite a while, not realizing how much time had passed. When she finally set the food down, a voice startled her.

"Maura..."

Maura stood up straight and noticed Jack turn his head. His eyes were no longer cold, but broken and passionless.

"Maura... Why couldn’t it be me instead?"

 

Chapter 124

"Maura... Why couldn’t it be me instead?"

As Jack’s empty words reached her, Maura’s eyes started to water. What should she say? What could she say? She had no clue.

"J-Jack..."

Jack’s eyes finally met hers instead of staring off into space. She was the first person he acknowledged since Slivia’s death.

Maura took another moment to swallow some of her fear and sighed deeply. "Jack, I don’t know. I’m too weak to try and help you guys, let alone save her..."

"Too weak... I’m too weak..." Jack spoke to himself while his gaze stayed on Maura.

"Maybe it was fate, Jack. Everyone has their time and we can’t control that," continued Maura, trying her best to find some kind of reason to make them both feel better. "She cared about you and knew that you could do a lot more than any of us in the future. If she did this, I’m sure she knew what she was doing."

"What did you say?" Jack’s tone changed. It wasn’t sorrowful but slightly hopeful.

Maura was caught off guard, but she felt a little better since something she did had finally gotten through to Jack. "Maybe, this was her time. If she hadn’t done this, all the good you’ll do in the future would never happen. She must’ve really cared about you..."

"No, before that. What did you say?" Jack interjected, sounding anxious.

"Uh... That this might have been her fate. No one can predict what will happen in the future when someone will die. If that was so--"

"DARUUN!!"

Jack’s sudden angry shout sent caused Maura to shiver. She had no clue who or what Daruun was. Seeing Jack so angry about it after she talked about fate baffled her. "J-Jack, what’s wrong?"

"He knew! That pestro knew all along!" Jack kept shouting. He hurried to his feet, no longer paying Maura any attention and not noticing that he had woken up Bowzer. "He knew and he never told me or even bothered to warn me, his only patron. Some god he is!"

While Jack was rambling, Maura only became more confused. God?! Who was Jack talking about? And what was he talking about when he mentioned being a patron?

"I’ll have to see what he has to say." Jack was still wearing his bloodied clothes and still had never bothered healing his wound, yet he appeared to have his strength back as his anger grew. A stone talisman appeared in his hand and Maura didn’t have a chance to ask about it before Jack yelled, "Show me thy way, oh great diviner!"

The world froze in place; Not a soul was moving. Maura was motionless as her hand had reached out, seemingly to try and comfort the suddenly enraged Jack. Bowzer was floating in the air. The fox had leaped toward Jack but hadn’t managed to reach Jack’s shoulders before Jack activated the tutorial stone.

"Come out! You already know why I’m here!" Jack was screaming all around the room, waiting for Daruun to show himself.

"Let’s not talk here."

An emotionless voice appeared out of thin air before a flash of light filled Jack’s vision and he was transported elsewhere.

Now, Jack stood among clouds with a rising sun in the distance. Surprisingly, there was also a setting sun in the opposite direction, as well as a sun high above him like it were midday.

"Wh-where did you take me? Show yourself!" shouted Jack, only fazed momentarily by the change of his surroundings.

"Jack." The voice came from behind the hero. "Are you here to ask your final question?"

Jack looked back to see an emotionless Daruun with only a slight frown on the god’s visage. "You knew this would happen, right? You knew that she would die to save me, that I wasn’t strong enough and she would die because of it? You knew she would die because of me?!"

"You already know that I would’ve read such a future, so there’s no need to ask a useless question," replied Daruun.

"Shut up! You knew that all of this would happen. You knew that I, your only patron, would have my life saved by her and that she would die in my place. Yet, you didn’t bother to warn me at all, even though I’m important to your plan?!"

"That’s the very reason why I couldn’t," answered Daruun. "If I had warned you that she would use her teleportation scroll to replace you in the face of death, would you have dared to perform that ritual and reveal the truth to the masses?"

"Yeah, I’d only change--"

"Change what? What change would you have made? Let Bowzer join the fight? And what about the beast tamer, wouldn’t he have possible captured Bowzer? Even though Bowzer is a Hell-flame Fox, don’t underestimate the Chaos Syndicate," explained Daruun. "Maybe you wouldn’t have given her the teleportation scroll, leading to your death and the inevitable death to millions across Kartonia. Does that sound any better."

"B-but..." Jack stammered, struggling to answer despite seeking a release for his unruly anger.

"If you perished, that would also mean that Zariff and Maynard would no longer have access to their beasts’ skills since the achievement system would become null and void. Had that happened, do you think they would’ve lasted long against the beast tamer in his wyvern mutation ability?" continued Daruun.

"There are too many factors to count when looking at fate. You don’t have the slightest understanding. Death is a part of life, you’ll have to accept that as one of the chosen champions. If not, how will you ever take on the world when you and your loved ones are threatened by your foes?"

Jack kept silent. Anger was still bubbling inside of him, but now he was angry at himself. He had nothing to say to refute Daruun’s words, even though he wanted it more than anything at that moment.

"Jack, like I said before, who are you? Who do you want to be? This is the question you need to answer," stated Daruun. "If you can answer this question, not only with words but actions, then you’ll truly become the champion you and I know you can become."

As the world was frozen in time, Jack spent a long while in silence. He tried to control his emotions while thinking about Daruun’s words. Jack wasn’t sure how long he waited to finally speak up. "Daruun..."

"Yes, Jack?"

"I’m... I’m sorry."

"No need to apologize. I’m only acting according to the laws of fate. I refuse to act against those laws, no matter the circumstance," said Daruun. "If you’re mad at me, that’s up to you. I only hope that you will do everything in your power to become the champion the world needs."

More silence passed between the two of them.

"Daruun, why did you choose me?"

"I’ve already answered that question so there’s no need to repeat myself."

"No, really, why did you choose me? I’m too weak to do anything and I’m too scared in the face of danger to try and change the world. I couldn’t even save the woman I loved..."

"You loved her?" asked Daruun, startling Jack.

"Of course I did!"

"Why? What did you love about her?"

"She was always so nice to me! Whenever I needed someone to talk to, she would listen. When I was hurt, I was always the first person she would heal," answered Jack. "She--"

"Sounds like a good friend, not a lover," stated Daruun, not letting Jack continue his explanation.

"How do you know?!" Jack yelled at Daruun, glaring at him angrily.

"Really? You’re asking me, the god of fate, how I would know?"

"You..." Again, Jack struggled to find a suitable answer for the all-knowing deity in front of him.

"What has she done for you that others haven’t? Did she do anything for you that she wouldn’t do for someone else?" reasoned Daruun.

It took a moment for Jack to blurt out an answer. "She died for me! You can’t deny that!"

"True, I can’t. But you also can’t deny the fact that you had already saved her life twice, and risked your own life against a troll captain to do so. Don’t you think she would feel indebted to you for that? Especially emotionally?"

"S-she..."

Jack choked on his own words. No anger was left in his body, only sorrow and pity. He couldn’t bring himself to deny Daruun’s reasoning, but he struggled to accept it as well.

"Jack, there’s nothing wrong with your relationship with her. Also, I’m not saying that you two may have genuinely fallen in love given time, but you must realize the truth behind it all. To her, you were a knight in shining armor that was the best prospect for a relationship that she had ever met. She had gone through a lot and wouldn’t dare miss an opportunity to get closer to you. Given what you had done for her, that only strengthened her reasons to do so."

Daruun’s dry, emotionless explanation was the hardest pill to swallow. It was harsh and brutal for the young Jack, who had never been in a relationship with a girl other than Slivia, which was extremely short-lived.

Jack took his time to digest the information and eventually speak up. "So, you’re saying that we were in love yet?"

"That’s one way to put it, yes."

"Then there was a good chance that we would’ve fallen in love for real, given time?" asked Jack.

Daruun nodded. "Of course, the mortal heart is easily swayed. With time, almost anyone can start to fall in love."

"Then I know what my last question is. How can I bring her back to life?"

 

Chapter 125

"How can I bring her back?"

Daruun sighed, "Are you sure that’s your final question? You wouldn’t want to ask about Bowzer’s origins as a Hell-flame Fox or how you can strengthen your fox bloodline?"

When Jack remained unfazed, Daruun continued, "Maybe you’d want to know the current state of Trodar and how you can best help it return to glory? Or you’d like to know about the other two champions that Skaryn and Halmut had chosen?"

Jack was motionless. He fixed his gaze on Daruun, who was dodging the question.

"Are you sure this is your final question? Afterward, your tutorial stone will shatter and return to regular pebbles without any inscription or ability to contact me," reasoned Daruun.

"How can I bring her back?" Jack repeated his question, not wavering in the least.

"How stubborn..." sighed Daruun. "There are a total of five ways to bring her back to life. The first and most common way is one you already know of, by resurrection spell. You also know that after twenty-four hours pass, no resurrection spell will work, no matter the caster. Of course, there are other ways to bring her back through spells, but she would become some form of undead and unable to live a normal life. Neither you or Slivia would want that, right?"

Convinced by Daruun, Jack nodded and let the god continue his explanation. "Given that no mage powerful enough with high enough level holy magic is within reach of you in that twenty-four timeframe, you’ll have to use another way."

"The four other means of resurrection are through the use of items. Some would need to be crafted and others would need to be collected. Each of the four items has a time limit that they can work within. The first is within twenty-four hours of death, second within three days of death, third within seven days of death, and fourth within thirty days of death."

Daruun took a deep breath and a meaningful look at the anxious Jack before he continuing, "The first is impossible given its location, and the same goes for the second option. Only the third and fourth options have any chance of you succeeding."

"What are those two options?" asked Jack, happy to hear that there was a chance to bring her back.

"Both are magic items that would need to be found and brought back to her corpse. Each has its own way of use, be it by simple application or by ritual," stated Daruun. "In order to revive her within one week, you would have to find a spring of life. Allowing its water down her throat would rejuvenate her life energy, so long as a week hasn’t passed from her death. By then, it’s too late even for the life spring water."

Jack pondered the life spring water and asked, "Given that you said there was a chance to save her this way, there must be a life spring not too far away, right?"

"Correct, but that doesn’t mean it would be easy to acquire," answered Daruun. "As for the possible way to resurrect her, you would need to find a naturally blessed item."

"A naturally blessed item? What’s that?"

"An item that has been blessed by nature itself. They are extremely rare and come to exist once every thousand years," explained Daruun. "However, no one has been able to find one in the past two millennia. That doesn’t mean that there’s two of them available now, it just means that one’s blessing has grown stronger. For that reason, it can restore a body back to life after an entire month has passed and not just a week or two."

"So, I’d either have to retrieve a naturally blessed item or find a nearby life spring? Which is more likely to succeed?" asked Jack.

Daruun answered plainly, "That’s hard to say. In a week’s time, the Adventurers Association should be arriving to take you to the Polt Federation, right?"

Suddenly, Jack remembered the plans he had already set in motion. He had talked with the others before and after the first cetus attack and they all agreed that a visit to the Polt Federation would be a great help to them.

Also, there was a hidden shrine in the Polt Federation that may prove useful if he can convince someone to pledge to it.

"You mean I couldn’t leave for the Polt Federation if I chose to find the naturally blessed item?"

"You could try, but I can guarantee that your chances of success would be zero."

Jack grunted, "So if I try to find the life spring, my chances are best?"

"Given that you travel to the Polt Federation, yes, your chances of success with the life spring are higher. If you refuse to travel and force the Adventurers Association to change its plans that are well underway, then you’ll have higher chances with the naturally blessed item," explained Daruun, putting a frown on Jack’s face.

"You mean..." Jack groaned, unhappy that his hopes for Slivia’s resurrection weren’t in his favor.

This was only the second time Jack had spoken with Daruun, but he was already beginning to understand how Daruun acted. The god of fate never showed favor for one option or the other, but he would always force Jack to make a definite decision, which would render the unchosen option obsolete.

And now that it could affect his relationship with the Adventurers Association, the decision was much harder.

Effectively, Daruun was forcing Jack to choose between which relationship was more important to him. If he chose the association, there was still a chance that Slivia could be brought back to life. If Jack chose Slivia, it could begin to complicate his relationship with the Adventurers Association, but offer the best chance to save her.

"Take your time. I’ve got all the time in the world," stated Daruun, not impatient at all.

Again, it was another test for Jack’s heart.

Thinking about the week-long option, Jack scratched his head. Clearly, Jack would need to rush his trip to find a life spring and return to Reinolt City. Jack had no way that he could guarantee making it back in time or that they wouldn’t meet complications that would stall them.

Storing Slivia’s body in his storage wasn’t an option, because her body would decay with time. He didn’t need Daruun to explain that her body would need some sort of magical preservation while he went after these items.

He pondered the month-long option next. Zariff had made some calls to the association headquarters and made some outrageous requests on Jack’s behalf. If Jack decided to up and leave before the adventurers from headquarters came on his behalf, that could potentially ruin his standing in the association.

Currently, the reason he was confident enough to publically reveal Bowzer’s breed was because he had the association backing him. If he got on the association’s bad side and was unable to follow up on the promises he had begged for, why would they support him in the future? Why wouldn’t they find some special means to remove Bowzer’s seal while Bowzer was still young and weak? That way they could better control it without Jack as a variable. Even if they didn’t take Bowzer away but no longer supported him in the shadows, how could he guarantee his safety against the Chaos Syndicate?

After much mental deliberation, Jack came to a decision. "Daruun, where can I find the nearest life spring?"

Jack came to the conclusion that if he had gotten on the association’s bad side, it would only take a small window of opportunity for the Chaos Syndicate to plot an assassination. Without the association backing, wouldn’t he and Slivia just be waiting to die again?

Daruun nodded and waved his hand. "I’ve placed its location on your map. You must be careful though; it won’t be an easy trip to get in and out of the Zuran Empire within a week."

It felt like a ton of bricks had crashed onto Jack’s head, already forming a headache. "The Zuran Empire? How can I get there, find the life spring, and get back to Reinolt City in a week?!"

"As I said, it will be a difficult journey," continued Daruun, unfazed by Jack’s response. "Also, don’t hesitate and fall back to the other option. If you don’t have the will to follow through with your decisions, you’ll never amount to anything other than average."

Not daring to rebut Daruun, Jack swallowed his doubt and nodded. "Any tips for me while I’m on my journey?"

"Stay true to yourself, no matter what happens. If you let the distractions of the world influence you, you’ll be my greatest disappointment."

Daruun’s words fell heavily onto Jack’s heart.

"If you can stay true to yourself, no matter what happens to you or those around you, then you won’t live with any regrets. Do that, and you’ll surely become the champion this world needs."

With a small nod, Jack sighed. "Thanks, Daruun."

"Don’t mention it. I look forward to the next time, it’ll be best after you find my temple."

As Daruun spoke those last words, lights flared and Jack was brought back to the association building’s conference room.

 

Chapter 126

Bowzer landed on his shoulder and Maura touched his forearm, which was still extended with the tutorial stone in hand.

"Jack, what’s wrong?" asked Maura. To her, Jack had just angrily cursed a god she didn’t know existed and exploded in anger.

’Jack, what wrong?’ Bowzer was just as concerned, brushing his fur against Jack to try and calm the hero.

Suddenly, Jack’s angry face changed to a hopeful smile. Before either Maura or Bowzer could react to the sudden change of mood, the tutorial stone shattered and crumbled to the floor. Only dust was left of the once miraculous item.

Startling Maura, Jack put his hands on shoulders and said, "Thanks, Maura. You’ve been a big help. Come on Bowzer!"

"W-wait! Jack, where are you going?" Maura didn’t know what to think. She couldn’t understand his mood swings. How could she know that Jack had spent more than a day in silence thinking over what Daruun had said? Something like that was impossible and far beyond her imagination.

"I’ve got to hurry and talk to your dad and the others. We’ve got to leave immediately!" Jack’s voice came from the bottom of the stairs. He was hurrying to find everyone else.

It didn’t take long for the entire association building to hear about Jack’s sudden change of mood. When Jack found the three men he was searching for in his room, he smiled. "Good, so you’re all ready!"

"Huh?" Rydel blinked, surprised to see Jack smiling. "What’s gotten into you?"

"I’ll explain it all on the way. Right now, all three of you should get ready to leave. We have to hurry if we want to get back within a week." Not looking at them, Jack walked to his bed and stored his pillow and blanket for later use.

When the others remained where they were, Jack looked back at them. "Come on, hurry and get ready. Or are you already good to go?"

"Jack, what’s going on?" asked Zariff. The large man blocked Jack from walking out of the room without giving a clear answer. "The last time we saw you, you wouldn’t say a word and were too sad to acknowledge our existence. Now, you’re all smiles and wanting to leave somewhere?"

"Yup." Jack nodded without hesitation. "Now pack up, we need to leave ASAP!"

"But--"

"Oh! We also need Slivia’s body to be preserved so it hasn’t started decaying when we get back." Jack looked up to Zariff. "Can you make sure that happens before we go?"

The three men gave Jack a weird look. They each started having a few ideas since Jack had asked for Slivia to be preserved.

Maynard sighed, "Jack, ya know she’s gone, right?"

"Yeah."

"And ya know that she can’t come back, right?"

"Yeah," Jack answered, letting them feel a bit better, at least until he finished his sentence. "The only chance of getting her back is finding the nearby life spring, so we need to hurry."

"Life spring?!" All of them were dumbstruck. Jack was mentioning a life spring like it was a common tourist attraction.

"Jack, it’s not that simple," said Rydel. "We don’t even know where to find those, how do you plan to do that before we leave for the federation? Just let her go, Jack, you’ll have to at some point."

"But I already know where it is."

Again they were stunned into silence. They couldn’t think of a way to reply. He had always surprised them before, so why not now?

"Ya really think we can find a life spring and get back before ya have to go?"

"Well yeah, otherwise I would’ve been forced to search for a naturally blessed item," stated Jack, confusing the others even more.

"A naturally blessed item? What’s that?" asked Zariff.

"That’s unimportant now, so hurry and make sure her body is preserved before we leave. We don’t have any time to waste!" Finishing with his quick orders, Jack skirted past Zariff and through the door. "I’m off to see Zarris. Meet me at Salendar Manor so we can choose a beast for Rydel."

"But Jack, where are we going?"

Zariff’s question went unanswered and he sighed, "Are you two sure we haven’t made a mistake following this brat?"

Rydel looked at Zariff and laughed while patting his shoulder. "You know, I think you’ll be amazed by what will happen. If it’s only a quick trip, you can still make it in your condition, right?"

"Yeah..." Zariff groaned.

"Look on the bright side, chief. Now ya have got a beast companion and can even use beast skills. Ya will be scary strong after we heal ya." Maynard left the room and called back to them. "Ya need to hurry and arrange her preservation. We’ll be waiting at Tridon’s place. Can’t waste time so we better get ya a beast real quick."

"You don’t have to tell me twice!" Rydel ran out the door, happy to no longer be the only one without a beast. Plus, after seeing the others use their beasts special skills, he wouldn’t let Jack and them do anything till he had his own beast anyway.

"Uhhh..." Zariff was left alone. He was hesitant but he quickly called the Royal Court to send a mage who could preserve Slivia’s body for the next week. After that, he ran to the Salendar Manor at full speed.

Jack wasted no time reaching Zarris’ little shop. He was ecstatic to see that he’d returned so quickly. "Yo, Zarris! Got anything good? I’m leaving for the Zuran Empire and I’ll be back in a week. After that, I’ll be off to the Polt Federation and I don’t know when I’ll be back."

"Sounds like you’ll be pretty busy for a while. Come in the back." Zarris smiled as he held up the flap to his tent, letting Jack step in before he cast silence. "By the way, thanks for filling me in about Reinolt’s troubles the other day. I would’ve never made it in time without you."

"Huh, what did you say?" In his excitement to hurry and leave for the life spring, Jack had already started opening a few crates and exploring Zarris’ new wares.

"Nothing, anyway, I think you’d like what’s in that chest over there," stated Zarris while pointing at a plain-looking crate in the back.

"If you say so." Jack ran to the crate and threw the lid open. "Where did you get this?"

"I’ve had it for a while and have been struggling to find a buyer. Consider it a gift for saving the city, how about it?"

"Zarris... You really mean that?"

The old merchant chuckled, "Sure do, why else would I say that? Now hurry and get going, by the way, you’re acting you’re probably trying to hurry."

"Thanks, Zarris! I’ll come see you before I leave for the Polt Federation!" Jack left the tent in a whirlwind, yelling back to Zarris as he disappeared.

Zarris smiled and shook his head. He wasn’t sure why, but he had a hunch that Jack may become the most powerful person he’d ever met. However, to Zarris that felt strange since he was close friends with people over lv. 60.

*****

When Jack reached the Salendar Manor, there was someone waiting for him outside. The servant guided him into the manor and led Jack to the stable area where most beasts were kept.

There was a small group of people gathered in the back of the stable area, standing in front of a large steel door. As they bickered back and forth, they noticed Jack and the servant approaching them.

A surprising face popped out of the group and welcomed the young hero. "Jack, I’m glad I made it time to chat with you. I heard you’re leaving somewhere. I’m just glad you’re feeling better after everything."

"No need to worry about me Leo, you have a kingdom to run and a son to discipline," said Jack.

"Actually, I don’t have to worry about the idiot anymore." The king smiled back at Jack. "During the chaos of yesterday’s battle, that fool was killed by a few angry guards. After Arnole was believed to be part of the Chaos Syndicate, no one trusted him and was killed with no one there to protect him."

"Oh, well--"

"Forget about him. That idiot of a son tried to have me killed and had been plotting against me for some time now. He got what he deserved, so I should be thanking you." King Leodoro bowed to Jack, startling Tridon and the adventurers. "I want to give you this on behalf of the Reinolt Kingdom."

Jack accepted the storage ring and inspected it. A glimmer appeared in Jack’s eyes as he bowed in return to the king. "Thank you, King Leodoro!"

"Just call me Leo, Jack," corrected the king. He nodded to the others and added, "I’d better get going. Good luck convincing him to part with his precious roc."

The king left the others to keep bickering, trying to convince Tridon to let them see his most prized beast. An adolescent roc!

 

Chapter 127

"Wait, you have a roc?!" Jack yelled, shocked to hear that Tridon had captured such a beast.

"Of course!" Tridon proudly stuck out his chest. "I’ve got the great collection of beasts this side of the continent! With a mythical beast, how could I dare make such a claim?"

"Yeah, but your roc isn’t as mythical as a pure ancient bloodline, like a Hell-flame Fox," Rydel chimed in, determined to get that roc as his beast companion. "It only has a descendent bloodline, so why make such a fuss about it?"

"It may only have a descendent bloodline, but it is still a king of the skies! Don’t dare look down on the roc’s abilities," argued Tridon.

"Fine, then prove it. Show us the mighty ruler of the skies."

Tridon groaned and clenched his fists, but Jack also spoke up. "Tridon, you know I’ll probably find even more beasts during my journies, and considering how many cetuses we gave you, why not agree? Having a roc would speed things up and make it much easier for us to travel. Please, I’ll make sure to bring you another descendent bloodline beast to replace it."

"Make it an ancient bloodline beast," quipped Tridon, eager to at least get something worth his loss of a roc.

"Fine, I’ll make sure it’s at least got an ancient bloodline, but I can’t promise a pure bloodline."

Tridon sighed and nodded as a pulled a key out of his pocket. He proceeded to open the steel door and rolled it aside. "Come in, but don’t touch anything other than the roc, got it?"

Once they all agreed to Tridon’s condition, the beastmaster led them into the most secured area of the large manor. Some of the cages were empty, but those that were contained beasts that would shock any adventurers.

"A Stone Bear... He has a Red-hot Tortoise..." Besides the many cetuses now occupying most of the stalls, the other two beasts were just as terrifying. Jack gained more respect for Trident after seeing those powerful beasts in his control.

"Yeah, but you’re all after that one." Tridon pointed to the largest cage at the end of the spacious room. It had a huge open area, like a giant birdcage with room for the large roc to fly around. "Good luck taming her. Without the chief’s help, it’ll be a fun show."

Rydel groaned when he noticed the roc. It was a magnificent beast, with regal, dark brown feathers. Though it was still an adolescent, the roc’s wingspan was almost five meters wide. It could comfortably carry to average-sized men on its back while it flew. The most disappointing part was that it still had a higher level than Rydel, despite not being fully grown.

"Don’t worry, I’ll help." Jack’s statement calmed Rydel slightly. Glancing at the cage’s lock, Jack asked, "Can you let me and Rydel in? We need to hurry up and get going."

Tridon laughed, sure that they would struggle to calm the lv. 36 roc enough to let him perform the beast seal ceremony. "Fine, I’ll get the pen ready. Don’t waste too much time!"

As the smallest entrance to the cage slowly creaked open, both Jack and Rydel entered without a second thought. Rydel pulled out his bow and ready an arrow, but Jack lowered the hunter’s arms, not letting him take aim. He looked at Jack strangely until he saw Bowzer hop-off Jack’s shoulder and saunter toward the roc.

The proud roc noticed the small fox and thought nothing of the weak lv. 20 fox. As a future king of the sky, why would it respect such a young, stupid fox? Strength was everything in the world of beasts!

Irritated to see a weakling near it so casually, the roc opened its wings and dove toward the young Bowzer. It was fully ready to tear the fox to pieces.

Suddenly, to the roc’s dismay, a horrible heatwave passed over the roc as Bowzer’s flame body grew bigger than the roc and his level outshined the mythical bird. With a single snarl, the roc was oppressed by Bowzer’s level and superior bloodline.

While Rydel was all smiles, Tridon looked smug. He at least wanted to enjoy watching Rydel struggle to tame the beast. He never would’ve thought that Bowzer’s bloodline was powerful enough to force the bird into submission without a fight. Bowzer had done the same with the Earthen Ape and the Thundercat, but they only had strong bloodlines, unlike the roc’s descendent bloodline.

Tridon kept to his word and drew up the seal. Lucky for Zariff, Maynard, and Rydel, Bowzer’s bloodline was so intimidating to other beasts that they had all agreed to a mutual seal. Normally, they would still face difficulties at the beginning of their new beast-master relationships, but Jack’s companion skills made things far easier than normal.

"Finally, we can leave!" yelled Jack.

"First, tell us where we’re headed," said Rydel.

Jack looked at them all and saw that they were eager to learn about the trip, even Tridon. "Fine, but I won’t repeat myself due to time. We’re off to the Zuran Empire, but not the capital. There’s a life spring hidden beyond the border."

"The Zuran Empire?!" Everyone yelled back at Jack with dazed looks on their faces.

"What’s wrong? I know it’s possible," reasoned Jack.

Rydel shook his head. "It’s not that it’s impossible, it’s that we can’t hope to get there and back so quickly with so many of us. And you can forget about the chief joining in, he’s well known in the Zuran Empire thanks to the many skirmishes and battles on the border."

"Really, it’s that bad?"

"Yeah, it is," added Zariff with a depressed sigh. "Unlike Reinolt, the Zuran Empire has no local association branch. Some of the more powerful nations don’t need any outside help so they’d rather not allow outside forces to grow inside their borders."

"Hmm... That complicates things." Jack scratched his head, determined to find a fast solution. "So, what if it was only Maynard, Rydel, and I?"

"That won’t work wither. Other than Zariff, who do you think caused the most carnage during the last major battles among association members?"

Jack frowned and looked to see a proud smile on Maynard’s face. "So, you’re saying that only me and Rydel have any chance of entering and exiting the Zuran Empire within our week-long timeframe?"

Zariff nodded and explained, "Jack, you’re lucky we got our hands on Tridon’s roc--"

"You mean my roc!" Rydel didn’t hesitate to remind everyone that he was the roc’s new owner and partner.

"Right," sighed Zariff. "Either way, you’re lucky Jack. It’s almost like fate is always on your side."

"Well, I hope it is." Jack looked toward the heavens as he commented.

"What part of the Zuran Empire are ya heading for? Ya think the both of ya can handle it?" asked Maynard.

Jack pulled out the rough map he had received a long time ago from Jezelle. He scanned it until he nodded and pointed at a specific point on the map. "There, that’s where we’ll find the life spring."

"Hmm, that’s just outside of Ponlinne so you’ll have to be careful," explained Zariff, making sure Jack realized that he may need to stay hidden near the town. "There shouldn’t be anyone much stronger than Rydel in that town, it’s about the size of Baltwood. Keep a sharp eye and focus on staying out of trouble. The less attention you draw the better. Just keep the roc away from the city."

"Thanks, Mom. Do you want a hug goodbye too?" laughed Tridon, replacing Zariff’s worry with anger.

"Thanks, I’ll remember that," said Jack.

"Also, ya have to be extra careful, Jack. No one there will know Rydel, but ya are famous so the word might have spread already," added Maynard.

Jack smiled wide. "Don’t worry about that, Zarris already helped me with that."

"Zarris? How’d he so that?" asked Zariff, always curious to learn more about the mysterious merchant.

"Check this out." Before Jack could finish speaking, he covered his face with his hand and his appearance suddenly changed. The young, proud demeanor he always had become a slouched, stern posture of a middle-aged man. "What do you think?"

"How..." They were all baffled by Jack’s disguise. Thanks to Jack already owning the Privacy Screen soul-piercing, Jack’s middle age appearance was unquestionable. He seemed like a mysterious traveler the wasn’t worth looking into.

As Jack lowered his hand, his appearance returned to normal and a mask was in his hand. "It’s an ancient item called a Joker’s Mask. Back then these were cheap, so it makes sense that they’re not impossible to find. With this, I should be fine so long as Bowzer stays inside my cloak."

"Well, it seems like you’ll be able to stay hidden. Be careful, alright. Even if you find the life spring and bring back some water for Slivia, what’s the use if you die on the way?"

"I’ll keep that in mind," joked Jack. "So, Rydel, are you ready?"

"Now that I’ve got Ayden, I’m ready." Rydel smiled while he gently stroked the roc’s feathers.

"Ayden? You’ve already named her?" Tridon shook his head, sad to see that the great bird would never really be his.

"Of course, hop on Jack! And open the gate!"

Rydel’s shout reached them just in time. The moment Jack landed on the adolescent Roc’s back, its wings flapped as it took off through the air. Tridon barely managed to open the cage in time, watching the bird vanish in seconds as it passed the steel door and flew into the clouds.

"Ya think they’ll make it in time?" asked Maynard, glancing at the branch chief.

Zariff shrugged his shoulders. "Without that roc, it would’ve been impossible. Now I don’t know, I’m guessing it’s a fifty-fifty chance."

"You know who’s stationed in Ponlinne, don’t you Zariff?" Tridon’s comment caught the adventurers’ attention. The beastmaster smiled and continued, "If they can weasel their way into the life spring under Commander Pire’s nose, I’ll laugh to death."

"Commander Pire..."

Both Maynard and Zariff sighed as they thought about the war veteran they had once faced. It really wasn’t going to be an easy trip after all.

 

Chapter 128

High in the sky, a massive bird soared above the clouds. Had anyone seen it, people would’ve stopped and stared, wondering if it were a good or a bad omen. However, that bird was uninterested in anything other than flying freely. What bird wouldn’t after being left in a cage since it had hatched?

’Jack, We’ve already passed Baltwood and we’ll be near the Zuran border by nightfall. We’ll probably have to stop them to let Ayden rest for the night,’ said Rydel telepathically. They were grateful for their telepathic link, otherwise communicating while flying at such high speeds would be impossible.

Jack nodded and agreed, ’That’s fine, just set up camp a couple of kilometers outside of the city. We don’t want wandering eyes. Plus, I want a map of the Zuran Empire.’

After another hour of traveling, Rydel had the roc descend into a thick part of the forest. Rydel began setting up his tent and Jack walked to town with his mask in place.

As a middle-aged man, Jack was able to avoid prying eyes and was mostly left alone. Other than the occasional street vendor trying to sell something, no one spared him a second glance. Only after finding a general goods shop did Jack stop.

He quickly entered and began looking around, appearing inconspicuous. When the clerk was finished talking with a customer, Jack approached him and asked, "Sir, do you have a map of the Zuran Empire by chance?"

"Hmm... Let me double-check," answered the clerk. The shop owner was an old man with a round belly. He was cheerful and pleasant to talk to, making him good at his job. After a few minutes of checking his backroom, the clerk returned with a piece of parchment in his hand. "Here you go, son. That’ll be three gold coins."

"Thank you kindly." Jack quickly placed three gold coins on the counter and reached for the rolled-up map.

Just as he was about to grab it, another hand quickly snatched it from the clerk’s grasp.

Jack frowned. "Hey, I bought the map fair and square. Hand it over!"

"I also need a map, so I’ll take this one and you can wait for the clerk to fetch another," stated the young man who now held the map.

"Then buy another one, that’s mine and I’ve already paid for it," replied Jack, stepping toward the young man.

"Young man, that’s the last map I have and this kind sir has already purchased it. I’m afraid that it’s already his," said the merchant, not daring to be unfair.

"Fine, since it’s your last one I’ll offer you five gold instead." Another five gold coins appeared on the counter as if Jack’s previous payment was null and void.

"I’m sorry, but it’s already his. I wouldn’t dare sell something that’s not mine." The clerk remained respectful and pushed the five gold toward the young man, refusing to budge.

"Well, if you won’t take it, then give it to him. I’m now buying off of him, and he’s gained a whole two gold profit. That must be a lot for someone like you," stated the young man, not caring how arrogant he was.

Jack’s face was ugly, he wasn’t happy to be taunted and belittled for such a measly map. However, Jack knew that he needed a new map for the Zuran Empire. Without one, their trip would only be more difficult and less likely to succeed.

"I don’t need gold, I need that map. It’s mine, so give it here!" Jack raised his voice and held out his hand in wait for what was rightfully his.

The young man grunted, "You don’t know a good deal when you see one. Here, take ten gold. That’s more than enough!" After dropping a small coin purse on the floor, the young man started walking toward the door.

Though he tried to leave, the young man was stopped again by Jack, who blocked his way. "You still haven’t given me what’s mine, boy. Do you want to cause a scene?"

"You, stop me? You don’t know who you’re dealing with!" In his anger, the young man retrieved a rapier from his storage ring. "Out of my way peasant, or you’ll taste the swordsmanship of the Treall family."

When the young man announced his background, the other shoppers and the clerk stepped back. Had they known that the young man was a member of the Treall family, he would have been gifted the map instead of having to argue over it with an unknown traveler.

"Young master, I’m so sorry we didn’t recognize you. Please, take the map as a gift. Don’t cause any harm to my clients. Kind sir, I’m sure you can understand," pled the shopkeeper, hoping the middle-age man understood how imposing the young man’s background was.

Jack showed a wry smile. "You’re only lv. 14 and you dare throw around your weight in front of me? Hand me the map before I have to knock you down a peg and teach you a lesson."

"Huh?!" everyone was aghast. They didn’t know what to think. Surely the middle-age man was stronger based on what he said, but how could the man stand against the Treall family as a whole?

"You!" No longer having any patience, the young man lunged forward with his rapier. Aiming for Jack’s chest with his fastest strike, it seemed like the middle-age man wouldn’t be able to avoid injury, even if he won the map in the end.

"Hmph!" As the blade neared him, Jack easily sidestepped and used the young man’s momentum to launch the young man over Jack’s shoulder and into the wooden floor.

"Crack!"

Dust and debris filled the air as the young man was lodged into the broken floor, groaning in pain.

"He... What did he do?" Most people were too low-leveled to clearly see what Jack had done, but the shop keeper did.

"I’ll only take what’s mine." Jack crouched down and took the map from the young man’s hand and promptly exited the shop.

"Young master, what happened?"

A few shouts rang out through the air as Jack passed through the door. There were two men in light armor, one of which was stepping toward the door.

Jack moved aside and didn’t bother with the guard, but he only made it a few steps before he was called out.

"That’s him! He attacked me by surprise and stole the map I just purchased!"

Jack turned around to see the young man pointing at him from behind the guard who had just entered.

"Sir, you’ll be coming with us," stated the guard who hadn’t entered the shop as he placed himself in front of Jack.

Squinting in anger, Jack looked at the guard and said, "Sir, there’s a misunderstanding. I purchased this map and he wrongfully took it from me and wouldn’t return it. He then pulled out a rapier and threatened to attack me. Should I have just let him kill me when he was clearly in the wrong?"

"Still, you’ll be coming with us. You’ve hurt the young master and that’s a crime of its own." By then, the other guard was behind Jack, effectively flanking him in case of an emergency.

A long sigh left Jack’s mouth. He glanced at the shopkeeper and the other customers, but none of them spoke up for him. Jack started to realize that the Treall family may not be a regular noble family, but a stuck-up clan who thought they could terrorize anyone weaker than them.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" asked the guard with his hand on his sword.

Jack shrugged his shoulders and smiled. He could easily read that both of the guards were lv. 20 and lv. 21, which was above average within the town.

"No I don’t have a problem, but it appears you have a problem with me. For that reason, I may have to teach you a lesson. Streng is king, not nobility!"

"Have it your way!" Both guards drew their swords and lunged at JAck between them.

With a shake of his head, two swords appeared in Jack’s hands as he parried both strikes. "Is that all you’ve got? This may be a short lesson."

The guards grunted and continued swinging their swords, trying to work in sync with each other. On the side, the young man had a cold smile as he watched Jack get double-teamed. "Just kill him! I’d like to know what else he has since the old man has such nice swords!"

"I guess you’ll have to learn the hard way. Remember, there will always be someone stronger than you, especially when you least expect it." Jack waved off the guards’ attacks and forced them back, creating some distance as he started muttering some archaic words.

Before the guards knew it, the temperature had risen and one of Jack’s swords had disappeared. Instead, that entire arm had caught fire, and it was growing!

"Flame Burst!"

 

Chapter 129

"Flame Burst!"

Jack yelled and sent a ball of fire toward the guards. It wasn’t like a common fireball, though, it felt like it would explode and disintegrate whatever it came in contact with.

Both guards jumped back, almost stumbling over each other. The cold face on the young man’s face paled, realizing that he had angered someone very powerful.

Not only did Jack show skills while dual-wielding swords, easily countering the guards, Jack also displayed a fire spell that none of them had seen before. With skills in both swords and magic, the middle-aged man was a terrifying person that most wouldn’t dare antagonize. And since his level was hidden, that only made things worse.

As the guards waited for their death by fire, the fierce firey orb plummeted to the ground and exploded in front of them. The force generated from the impact knocked them both over, as well as the young man and many people in the crowd.

Flames ravaged that spot for a couple of seconds before they finally dispersed. There in the ground was a two-meter wide charred crater from the explosion, proving to everyone how strong that attack was.

Everyone finally looked away from the now absent flames, looking for the man who caused them. But he was nowhere to be found.

While everyone was trembling at the sight of Jack’s spell, Jack fled the scene and removed his mask. After a minute or two, Jack returned to the same shop to finish his shopping with his hood up to hind his young face. He laughed when he noticed that people were still gathering around the charred crater he left behind.

It wasn’t much that Jack needed, just some food and rations for the trip. As Jack exited the shop, there was a new crowd around the charred crater and all of them were wearing the same light armor.

The Treall Family? What are they up to now? Jack couldn’t help but wonder about them.

"Father, you know I’m not lying! Look, he’s the one who caused this and stole my map!" That young man was there too, arguing with an aging soldier.

"Glen, shut up! That man’s already vanished and there’s no trace of him, so stop barking at me," stated the man. "You’re the heir to the Treall Family, you should act more responsibly."

"But Father, we need that map and it’s the last one in town!"

"A map is simple to acquire after we cross the border. For now, get home and get ready. Tomorrow, we leave for Ponlinne." The man had the air of a nobleman, staying true to his title as head of the Treall Family. He turned and led the many guards deeper into town toward the Treall Manor.

"They’re crossing the border? I wonder why?"

"Didn’t you hear, an ancient catacomb was found near Ponlinne!"

Jack overheard a conversation between a couple of locals on the street. He acted like the rest, in awe of the Treall Family as they left, that way he could continue listening to the interesting conversation.

"Well, yeah, but that’s always been there, hasn’t it?"

"True, but now the owners of the catacombs are opening it to a few select groups. Apparently, there might still be treasures hidden inside and the owners want help retrieving them."

"But why the Treall Family?"

"They may be from Reinolt, but they’re still closer than most others. Besides, haven’t you heard the rumors?"

"Really?! The Treall Family might join the Zuran Empire?"

"SHHH! Don’t shout, or the Treall Family might hear you! It’s not official, but if they do then it’s more then likely that the town joins the Zuran Empire to expand its borders."

"Wow..."

Everything the two locals said beyond that was unimportant, and Jack saw it fit to hurry back to Rydel with the surprising news.

It was already dark when Jack reached camp and found Rydel. "Hey, you’ll never guess what happened?"

"What? Did you change your mind?" joked Rydel. He was amused to see Jack so hyped up about something in the middle of nowhere.

"No! Of course not!" Jack scoffed and continued, "Do you know the Treall Family?"

Rydel squinted his eyes in thought before he asked, "Why, did they cause you trouble?"

From Rydel’s reaction, Jack already knew that the Treall Family was known for causing trouble. Shaking his head, Jack replied, "A little, but that’s not important. Their young master tried to steal my map and tried to kill me for it after I bought it. Apparently, the Treall Family needs it because they’re about to travel to Ponlinne, possibly to help explore a famous catacomb."

"Oh..." sighed Rydel. He didn’t bother asking how Jack had gotten out of trouble, it didn’t matter as long as he was fine now. However, the hunter felt uneasy after learning more about the situation. "Jack, this trip may be harder than we think."

"And why’s that?"

"Because if the Treall Family was invited, then other powerful families and groups will be there too, and those will be from the Zuran Empire. If I’m not mistaken..." Rydel stepped to Jack and snatched the map. He unfurled it and pointed to a small city. "Isn’t this where you said the life spring was?"

Jack nodded, but waited for Rydel to continue. "This is Ponlinne, the same city that the Treall Family is headed to. And if involves the Pon Family Catacombs just outside the city, it seems like this is the worst time to try and sneak in."

With a long face, Jack stared at the map. He wanted yell to the heavens. Thinking to himself, Jack wondered, ’Did Daruun do this on purpose? I thought fate was supposed to be on my side as his champion?’

"Jack, are you sure you want to do this? So many powerful people together will make the journey dangerous. I can’t guarantee your safety in such a situation." Both of them were very capable, but Rydel didn’t dare to underestimate the strength of noble families, at least not their leaders.

Nodding without hesitation, Jack looked toward the border. "First, we need to get to Ponlinne. Who knows? Maybe, if we’re lucky, the life spring isn’t in those catacombs. After learning more about Ponlinne and its surrounding areas, then we can reevaluate our plan."

Rydel smiled and held out his hand. "Did you get all the meat I asked for? Ayden needs all the strength she can get for tomorrow’s flight. If we hurry, we’ll cross the border before noon and can reach Ponlinne by sunset."

"Here’s everything and more! I got extras, just in case," said Jack, as a large sack appeared in his hands.

"Good! Ayden, eat up girl!" Rydel took the sack and placed it in front of his new roc companion. It was opened wide, making it very easy for the hungry roc to eat her fill.

Not patient in the least, the roc dove its head into the bag. Bits and pieces of meat were scattered as the huge bird gobbled up more and more meat.

"Wow, what an appetite," commented Jack.

"Who are you to talk?" Rydel laughed and pointed at Bowzer, who was near the roc and eating everything it dropped. The sly fox would even steal a large hunk every now and then, completely unafraid of the roc.

Jack laughed, "Yeah, I guess you’re right." That light tone quickly faded as Jack looked back toward the border yet again.

"Kid, I hope you realize that we might not succeed at this, especially if noble families are involved."

"Yeah... I know..."

"Come on, cheer up! You know this is what she wanted, right" Rydel sat beside the gloomy Jack and nudged the young hero with his elbow. "Right?"

"Right..." Jack’s frown disappeared but a smile didn’t take its place. No emotion was shown by Jack as he put his brain to work. He understood that this trip got a lot more complicated now that some noble families weren’t involved. And he wasn’t stupid enough to reject the idea of the life spring being inside the same ancient catacomb that the noble families were after. If anything, it made sense and proved that something so valuable as a life spring really might be there.

After a quick rub on Jack’s back, Rydel stood up and went to his tent. "Don’t stay up too late! We’re leaving before sunrise."

Laying across the grass and looking up to the starry sky, Jack sighed and thought out loud in a low voice, "This is harder than I thought. No wonder Daruun said the other option would be easier... Well, I can either blame fate or I can fight it..."

Eventually, Jack was unable to fight his tiredness and he dozed off with the warm Bowzer sleeping on his chest.

Both adventurers woke up at the crack of dawn and were gone before the sun passed the treetops. Soon, they were beyond the Reinolt Kingdom and flying over the Zuran Empire, an empire that, though it had shrunken, had survived since Ancient Kartonia

 

Chapter 130

’Jack, we’re almost there. We’ll be landing in that over there to keep Ayden hidden.’ Rydel’s mental message reached Jack and they both nodded as the roc started to descend.

It was around six in the evening when they landed. After about an hour of walking, they would enter Ponlinne, a small city near the border between the Zuran Empire and the Reinolt Kingdom.

"What about your bird?"

"She’ll stay here in the valley but I can call her any moment to pick us up if something happens." Rydel brushed her feathers one last time before Ayden let loose a loud caw and took off for a cave at the end of the valley. "Well, time to go."

Both adventurers started their walk toward Ponlinne.

With his mask back on, Jack asked, "So, is there anything I should know about Ponlinne? Anything or anyone to watch out for?"

Itching his five o’clock shadow, Rydel sighed, "It’s about time I mention Commander Pire. He was a general who fought against Zariff personally during the last big skirmish on the border. He’s a lv. 37 swordsman, but he’s known for his powerful swordsmanship. The chief only survived because of his freakish defenses."

"And why do I need to know about him for this trip?"

"Because he’s the one in charge of Ponlinne," answered Rydel. "He doesn’t come from a strong family, but he’s one of the four commanders of the Zuran Empire’s forces. If there weren’t two other nations that had branched off from them, the Zuran Empire would have taken Reinolt a long time ago."

"That’s the strength of a kingdom from Ancient Kartonia. They probably have some people above lv. 40." Jack scratched his head, trying to think about how the Reinolt Kingdom could eventually defeat such an enemy.

"You’re not wrong. The strongest members of the Zuran Empire are the twelve lieutenant-commanders, four commanders, three generals, and the king and queen. All of the lieutenant-commanders are lv. 35 and the commanders are the strongest soldiers under lv. 40," explained Rydel. "It’s rumored that the generals are over lv. 40 and that the king and queen are at least lv. 45."

Jack was shocked by the power difference and had to ask, "How in Halmut’s beard has the Reinolt Kingdom survived so far?!"

"Do you remember that mysterious voice that ended our battle with the syndicate members?"

Jack scratched his head and chuckled, "Umm... not exactly."

With a loud sigh, Rydel continued, "In Reinolt, the king somehow got protection from someone over lv. 50. I have no clue how, but I know it’s true. That guy one-shotted the giant, lv. 48 cetus and was the sole reason why the Reinolt Kingdom isn’t attacked by anyone above lv. 40. If the Zuran Empire did that, they would be forcing the man to act. They tried it one, but that mysterious voice annihilated an entire army and a general in minutes. Make sense?"

"Seems like it pretty a complicated. So, the Zuran Empire is stronger but the Reinolt Kingdom has the most powerful expert? Sounds like a screwed up dynamic, considering the mysterious voice may just leave one day," reasoned Jack.

"Well, you’re not wrong. That’s why Reinolt needs to grow quickly, but Arnole did his job well at dividing the Reinolt Kingdom’s powerful groups," said Rydel. "Now that they’re all working together, they might stand a chance in the future, if they can keep holding off the Zuran armies that is."

"Okay." Jack nodded and refocused himself. He didn’t want to get too distracted since he came to Ponlinne with a goal in mind.

Jack took advantage of their walking time by going through his achievements and skills list. After everything that had happened with the cetuses and Arnole publically turning against Reinolt, Jack’s two event achievements were completed and claimed. A new event took their place, [Revive Slivia: in progress.]

Now, Jack had gained one hundred and seventy-five skill points from completing his two events with great results! Thanks to the capture of so many cetuses and the low casualty rate from fighting people and beasts higher level than them, he was highly rewarded by the system. This proved that events always gave more rewards than anything else. With a total of one hundred and eighty-eight skill points to spend, Jack examined his skill list carefully.

To his surprise, there was a new category button inside his skills list. It was labeled [Inheritor Skills] and caught Jack’s interest. He immediately selected it, assuming it must be part of the system upgrade from his pledge to Daruun.

’Are these what I think they are?’ A smile appeared on Jack’s face. He had always found it weird that he couldn’t learn any direct skills or techniques within his Achievement System, only general skills to enhance. ’With these, my problems are solved.’

There Jack found a list of each of inheritor’s different skills. Maynard, Rydel, and Zariff all had their own tab and their own skill list.

He found Maynard’s Bloody Cross, Rydel’s Eagle Eye, and Zariff’s Aura Armor skills and many more. Jack was over the moon. Looking closely, they all had different costs. By the looks of it, the more powerful skills had the highest costs while the weaker ones were cheaper.

Without thinking about it, Jack instantly selected Maynard’s Sudden Death skill.

[Sudden Death]

[A speed based skill that allows the user to travel instantaneously within short distances. The higher the user’s speed, the further the distance available for travel. Cost: 100 skill points.]

’One hundred skill points?! For one skill?!’ Jack was astounded. He guessed that some of his general skills would eventually cost him that much, but one hundred skill points was still a lot!

He continued browsing, seeing that most of the good skills were all fifty skill points, like Maynard’s Blood Thrust or Rydel’s Multi-shot. Three skills had higher costs: Rydel’s Eagle Eye for seventy-five skill points, Zariff’s Penetrating Fist for seventy-five skill points, and Maynard’s Sudden Death for one hundred skill points.

Jack agreed that those three were the most terrifying of the lot.

Eagle Eye was a rare ability that would allow Jack to more easily see through people and track things. Even though he’s still only lv. 20, he would be able to read anyone’s level, regardless of how much higher it is than his own. Even if they tried to hide it, Jack would still be able to see it most of the time.

Penetrating Fist was exactly what it sounded like. It was a special attack that could penetrate anyone’s defenses. Instead of harming someone outwardly, Penetrating Fist would transfer its force toward the target’s internal organs. Ignoring people’s defenses was a frightening thing. This attack would force opponents to dodge instead of block, giving the user more control of the fight.

Sudden Death was easily the most powerful skill available to Jack. It could straight up let him teleport within small distances, making his evasion skills sky-rocket and allowing him to reappear anywhere around his opponent for surprise attacks if done correctly. Maynard had killed many people stronger than him, and it was all thanks to this rare skill that he had found and mastered.

’It costs a lot, but it will definitely save my life in the future.’ Jack took a deep breath and purchased the Sudden Death skill. Immediately, it appeared as a lv. 10 skill which shocked Jack.

’Lv. 10?! Is that supposed to be the highest level they can go? Why is it already so strong?’ Jack tried to figure out what was happening.

Suddenly, Jack disappeared and reappeared on the other side of Rydel.

"Huh?" Rydel easily recognized that skill but was startled to see Jack use it. "Where did you..."

"I can only go this far, but why?" Jack ignored Rydel and was talking to himself.

Another quick glance at the skill list reminded Jack of the Sudden Death skill’s description. He found a speed skill in his skill list and it was labeled lv. 0. Seeing that, he quickly upgraded it to lv. 2 for fifteen skill points.

"Let’s try this again." Like before, Jack disappeared and reappeared in a blur. This time, however, Jack was able to reappear as far as twenty feet away. "Hmm, maybe it can only go ten feet per level of speed?"

Thinking that way made Jack shiver. There were many times where he saw Maynard use the same skill, and the samurai had traveled over seventy feet away easily without batting an eye.

"How fast is Maynard to be able to go so far? He must be crazy fast?" Jack was still thinking out loud.

"He is. Other than swordsmanship, speed is all that crazy samurai practices," Rydel laughed, catching Jack off guard. "So, you can use that samurai’s insane Sudden Death skill. Can you use any of mine too?"

Jack scratched his head and smiled shyly. "Well, it’s possible but I chose to learn this one first. I’ll be able to learn other skills too with time."

"With each of our skills at your fingertips, you won’t have to worry about too much. Then again, I feel the same way since my archery is stronger thanks to you." Rydel shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? Maybe you’ll learn all of our skills. With Maynard’s scary swords, the chief’s overwhelming fists, and my sharpshooting, you’d be unstoppable in the future."

"Yeah, that’s the goal." Jack clenched his fist, determined to grow as fast as possible.

Slivia had died because he was too weak, so Jack needed to level up faster than humanly possible. Lucky for him, his Achievement System had many ways to make him stronger.

Though now he had more achievements to choose from, some were on the more ridiculous side. There were a few that he wouldn’t want to try in Reinolt, but he was now in the Zuran Empire so why not give them a try. Besides, if he could accomplish a small one, he’d get at least five skill points. Then he’d have enough to buy either Eagle Eye or Penetrating Fist.

That’s what Jack was really after. If he couldn’t level up immediately, then some powerful skills could at least help bridge any level gaps.