Ch. 341..350

Chapter 341

"Okay, let’s try it out."

That was the item that brought the entire raid to pass. Now, Jack only needed to test it out and see what exactly it could do. And since he also had to prove his identity to Dragov, why not kill two birds with one stone?

Jack walked back out of the vault, ignoring Argyle’s strange look and the beholder feasting on rations outside the vault door. He let Bowzer follow him though, as that was to be expected.

"Dragov!" Jack shouted, looking into the darkness looming over his head.

"Yes..." That ultra-low voice echoed off the walls as the Draconic Centipede descended into view. "Did you find the item that could prove yourself?"

"Yeah, but I’ll need you to touch it with me when I activate it. Otherwise, you won’t know about what happens next," replied Jack.

"Very well."

Though Dragov could touch it with his head, instead, he lowered another portion of his body to reveal dozens of centipede legs along that part of his body. He was so large that this portion of Dragov hung down like a "U", coming from the darkness above and then returning to it. And each of the long legs had a draconic claw at the end of it, jutting out of the exoskeleton.

One of those long claws extended slowly toward Jack’s hand. When both Jack and Dragov were touching it, Jack took a deep breath and poured some mana into the clear crystal.

But nothing was happening.

Glaring back at the crystal, Jack was furious. He did a double-take and noticed that everyone else was still moving and active. No one was frozen in place like the time before.

"Come on..." Jack muttered under his breath, flooding the crystal with more mana.

"Is something wrong?" asked the gigantic centipede.

"No, just give it some time," stated Jack, determined to make something happen.

"Jack..." Dragov watched the hero closely. He wanted nothing more than for his master to have returned and fight powerful foes alongside him. And though Jack didn’t have any physical evidence yet, Dragov felt that Jack wasn’t lying either.

"Give it time! Maybe it needs more mana..." Draining himself of everything he had left, Jack emptied his mana reserves into the tiny, spherical crystal in his hand. "This has to work!"

Sensing the overload of mana, Argyle and Vixus refocused on Jack’s desperate attempts to use the item he had pulled from the vault. Even Mooldrat, who was obsessed over his feast had gained an interest in what Jack was doing or at least attempting to do.

"Come on... Come on!" Shouting and feeling the last bit of magical energy leave his body, Jack shook.

When the last morsel of mana was extracted from his body, Jack collapsed, nearly dropping the crest in his hand.

’Jack!’ Bowzer caught Jack with his body, making it easier for Jack to remain on his feet.

"Jack!" Argyle rushed to the side of the exhausted hero. "What’s wrong?"

"Give me the high elixirs."

"But Jack--"

"I need the high elixirs!" Jack shouted, not acting patient by any means.

"That... okay." A single high potion appeared in Argle’s hand. "Here’s a potion."

Without hesitation, Jack’s shaking hand forcefully took the potion and put it to Jack’s lips. In almost a single gulp, Jack downed the potion without a care in the world.

Next, the hero stood back up as his shaking started to calm down. "More... Give me all of them."

"Jack--"

"Now! I need this, Argyle!" Jack looked back into Argyle’s eyes, looking away from the crystal for a single moment before returning his focus to the task at hand. But in that single moment, Argyle an unquenchable rage and hunger to make something happen.

Believing that Jack wouldn’t do anything suicidal, Argyle passed Jack the remaining nine high elixirs they had bought. "Here..."

A second was already going down Jack’s throat as he took the remaining high elixirs and stored them away.

Then, even more mana poured out of Jack and into that transparent crystal. Yet even though Jack was savagely forcing all of his mana into it, the small crystal showed no reaction. It only soaked up the mana like it was a drop of water hitting the ocean.

"More!"

Two more potions were consumed and Jack repeated the process. When nothing changed, Jack consumed his fifth and sixth high elixir, falling to his knees and barely keeping the crystal in his hands.

This scenario was very different from what Tralon experienced holding the rift open. Tralon had to maintain a steady flow of mana, sufficient for the corresponding size of the spatial rift. But Jack was simply forcing all of his mana into the crystal at the fastest rate possible, and then he would consume a couple of potions to instantly fill him back up again. The constant cycle of instant drain and immediate replenish was extremely taxing on Jack’s body.

But he didn’t care. All Jack cared about was getting this item to work like he had guessed it would. He knew that Daruun was too calculating to not have given Jack such an item for nothing.

"Jack, please st--"

"I’m not done yet!"

Two more potions made their way into Jack’s body, just as quickly as the mana was being forced back out of it.

Jack’s mind was pounding, not letting him hear or think about anything. His body was quivering, lacking the ability to stand or steadily hold Jack’s head up. The hero’s head tilted from side to side as he glared furiously at the little crystal.

"More..." Between his heavy breaths, Jack took out the ninth and tenth high elixirs, the final two.

"Jack, no!"

Unable to here Argyle’s warning, Jack guzzled down the remaining two elixirs before his father-in-law could stop him.

Jack coughed and groaned. His body struggled to accept two more elixirs and their rush of mana. His body was starting to shut down. Yet Jack kept his mouth shut and forced his gullet to accept the final elixirs, letting Jack flood the crystal with one last round of mana while Jack teetered on unconsciousness.

Vixus and Mooldrat were both beside Argyle, who was now on his knees supporting Jack’s head.

With Jack’s body lying down outside of his control, the only thing Jack kept supporting was his arm holding Daruun’s Crest. The hero refused to pass out, focusing only on that crystal in the palm of his hand.

Now, he noticed something. The crystal was glowing faintly, but only enough to light up the hero’s palm.

"But... I need... to bring... Dragov..."

A few words managed to fall out of Jack’s loose mouth as consciousness started fading from Jack’s mind.

Out of instinct, Bowzer placed his paw on the crystal and started to pour his bestial mana into it. When he felt that he was doing hardly anything, the fox looked up pleadingly to the giant Draconic Centipede.

"Jack..."

While Argyle was holding up Jack’s head and Vixus was on standby to offer his support, Dragov looked back to Jack. His giant half-insect, half-draconic gaze was actually, soft. It was difficult to tell, but Dragov was frowning sadly.

Watching Jack’s desperation to activate that crystal and overhearing Jack’s last few words, the Draconic Centipede felt his heart numb slightly.

While Jack spent the last of his energy holding up the crystal, no longer able to fight the exhaustion, that giant centipede claw reached out and touched the crystal once again. But this time, a storm of bestial mana poured into the crystal, allowing its brightness to grow and grow.

Vixus was in shock and had completely forgotten about the giant beast. Now being so close to it and getting a better estimate of its size by the hanging portion of Dragov’s body, he was scared witless.

Mooldrat recognized that this time Dragov had no ill will for the party and only wanted to help.

Argyle watched the creature’s massive leg reach out and touch the crystal oh so carefully. It was amazing to see how tenderly such a weapon of destruction could caress the crystal. That’s when he noticed the glow of the item become blinding.

A flash of brilliant light filled the room, even brighter than when Tralon would teleport. It was startling to everyone present.

 

Chapter 342

"Jack, you always have to go and prove that only the most reckless options are for you."

A voice pierced through the blinding light, startling everyone further.

"Don’t be afraid, this is what Jack wanted to happen, to an extent." As the light faded, a man was revealed beside Jack in a pure white robe. "His prediction was close enough, albeit that he’s still trying to rush things more than anyone else would expect him to."

"Who are you?" On guard, Argyle swallowed some saliva while leaning protectively over Jack.

"Who do you think?" chuckled the man, smiling back at Argyle’s threatening gaze. "You’ll never be able to see through me, but I know everything about you, Argyle Wittam. And you, Vixus Hurdlon. I even know about Mooldrat and Dragovich, and all of the things they endured or waited for inside this dungeon. So, who do you suspect I am?"

Sensing an aura that was completely foreign to him, Argyle cautiously looked back to the simply-dressed man. "I... I’m not sure."

"Who do you think that Jack would try so hard to summon?"

Thinking of that, Argyle’s serious face was wiped away by uneasiness. "You’re... Daruun... The God of Fate?"

The man smiled. "Correct."

"He’s..." stammering and stumbling over his thoughts, Vixus fell to his knees and bowed. "I-I’m sorry!"

"Sorry for what, Vixus? If you want to apologize for something, speak up and share your thoughts," stated Daruun, still smiling warmly.

"T-that... I..."

"Since you can’t speak, how about I speak instead?" Daruun then looked to Jack, sighing. "I knew you would do this, but part of me was hoping you try some other way. Your reliability puts me at ease, but your recklessness even has me worried."

Jack said nothing in return. He passed out after the bright flash signified that he had succeeded. Releasing that pressure and focus meant passing out and remaining unconscious while Daruun appeared.

"Dragov." Daruun looked to the Draconic Centipede with a smile of appreciation. "Thank you for lending Jack some of your mana. It’s thanks to you that he succeeded in summoning me this way."

"Daruun... I’ve only heard tales of you. More importantly, I know that my master worshipped and followed you. Does this mean that Jack is indeed my master?" Dragov questioned, trying to make sense of the situation.

"That’s correct. Jack is indeed your old master."

"Wait... If Jack’s is the master of the dungeon boss... isn’t he..."

"Yes, Vixus, he’s the man you’re picturing now. The creator of this dungeon and my greatest follower, though I wouldn’t call Jack a worshiper," Daruun chuckled. "Jack was the ancient hero Jack J., otherwise known as the Legend of Trodar."

"Then... he’s... Jack’s..."

"Calm down, Vixus," Argyle spoke loudly, trying to get Vixus to shut up. "Daruun, this isn’t the first time Jack had summoned you, right? What’s so different about him summoning you this way?"

"The other times wouldn’t be counted as summons, actually," explained Daruun. "Each time Jack conversed with me was only between us. It was more like he created a window of space where Jack could speak with an apparition of me. This is the first time he successfully summoned me, albeit he had a lot of help."

"Then how long are you summoned for?"

"That’s up to me. I can stay however long or however short I feel. This time, since it’s been so long since I’ve physically walked on this planet, I’ll stay for a while. I wouldn’t want to leave before I can congratulate Jack."

"Does that mean you’ll be staying with Jack till he wakes up?"

"A bit longer than that." Daruun nodded. "Now bring out Tralon. I’d like to speak with him as I’ll be staying with the Leisure Guild for some time."

While Argyle nodded and started to release the others from his bestial storage, Daruun looked to Bowzer, who was only looking at Jack and not focused on the god who had appeared. "Bowzer, he’ll be fine. Though he’s reckless, he’s always able to make things work out in the end. Why else would I choose him as my champion?"

Finally, Bowzer looked toward Daruun, who was now kneeling beside Jack and the fox. "Daruun, what happened to Jack’s avatar?"

"His what?"

"His avatar," repeated Bowzer. "Jack said his other self wasn’t his real body and he wanted to ask you that, right?"

Chuckling loudly, Daruun petted Bowzer’s head. "Don’t worry about that right now. Jack will get a chance to ask me later and I’ll eventually have to explain that. Unlike before, Jack has finally managed to summon my true self and not just an apparition. As a reward, I’ll make sure to answer plenty of his questions after he wakes up."

"Thank you." Bowing his head, the fox tilted his head, all but asking to be scratched behind the ears.

Doing as Bowzer wished, Daruun smiled and scratched Bowzer’s fur while Tralon approached Daruun.

"Daruun." The ancient mage bowed, respectfully and cordially addressing his superior.

"It has been some time, Tralon. Nearly one thousand years if I remember correctly."

"Right you are, Daruun," replied Tralon, lifting his head. "Please, allow me to again thank you for your help long ago and again for your appearance now."

"Long ago it was just an apparition that spoke with you and showed you where to find an elixir of youth. You’re the one who ventured to find it, willingly becoming cursed to do so." Daruun stood himself up and extended his hand to the aging mage. "I guess you learned a thing or two from Jack about being reckless."

Taking Daruun’s hand in his, Tralon smiled with some moisture in his eyes. "But it was you who told me that Jack would be back. How could I not search for a way to be with him again."

"Just be careful. Isn’t your time almost up?"

Tralon’s smile remained as he stated, "Even if it is, it was worth it."

"Thank you, Tralon. Without your actions and support, Jack would’ve been at a great set back. It’s thanks to you and a few others that Jack has been able to level up so quickly and protect himself," mentioned Daruun. "Whatever happens to you in the end, know that I’m eternally grateful for the help you’ve given me by proxy of Jack."

"I’m just glad to see that Jack wasn’t killed or hunted like the others..."

Overhearing this conversation, the other party members were floored.

Argyle was especially perplexed. Not only had Tralon met Daruun before, but that meeting is the reason why Tralon is both alive and cursed.

"What’s this about heroes being hunted, Tralon?" Argyle questioned, intent on getting an answer.

"Now’s not the time to talk," Daruun interrupted. "With Jack out cold, let’s save the serious discussion for later. Tralon, hurry up and take all of your guild items. I’m sure you and Jack will need them at some point.

"As for what to do after that, how about we get a bite to eat?" Daruun asked with a smile, stunning the crowd around him. "I haven’t eaten Trodan cuisine in a millennium. Do you still have the best spider stew in Kartonia?"

"Y-yeah... Trodar’s known for it, thanks to the Silk Woods south of Gilga." Not wanting to argue with a god with strength far beyond his comprehension, Argyle nodded and agreed.

"Perfect! Then once Tralon collects the remaining goods, we’ll get going," chuckled Daruun. "And don’t worry Vixus, Daruun will give you your ancestor’s old talisman when we get back, and Argyle, you’ll receive your crystal.

"And you, stop trying to hide behind Dragovich. Come out, Mooldrat."\

Once he was called out, the Dark Beholder poked his head and body out from behind the giant centipede. ’Y-you’re... Daruun, right?’

"That I am. And if you want your mind fixed, then you’d better get over here," stated the god, getting the behold to hurry over. "Do you swear to treat my champion as a friend, listening to his orders and not daring to eat him or anyone else without his permission?"

Dropping to the ground and bowing, Mooldrat replied, "Y-yes... Please... my people remember you... oh great... God of Fate..."

"Good, then here."

As Daruun waved his hand strange energy gathered around Mooldrat’s mind, forcibly entering and rearranging how his brain worked.

"This is much better!" the beholder shouted, again able to speak with his mouth as well as his mind.

"I’ve altered your mind slightly, making it impossible for you to betray Jack since you said so yourself. Should you do so, you’ll contemplate suicide before you think of turning against him," stated Daruun, getting both Argyle and Vixus to stiffen their spines in fear.

"Have no worries, as I’ll willingly serve him so long as he treats me accordingly. It’s thanks to being trapped here that I’m still alive and not eaten by a dragon, like most of my people," mentioned Mooldrat.

"Good. Now that Tralon’s done with his collecting..." Daruun smiled back to Tralon as he exited the now empty vault, "all that’s left is dealing with you, Dragov. I already know you want to leave with Jack. I can assure you that Jack will return to this place shortly after he wakes up to get you, so wait just a little longer."

"Thank you." Humbly, the massive beast bowed his head all the way to the floor.

"I’m excited to see Jack help you evolve, Dragov," added Daruun while waving his hand and filling the entire space with another flash of light.

Before Dragov could ask what Daruun meant, the god and the others had already disappeared from the eleventh floor.

 

Chapter 343

In a flash of light, the party was whisked away from the eleventh floor, reappearing in a much smaller place.

"I believe this place is better for chatting and is most suitable for Jack to rest. Would you disagree, Tralon?" asked Daruun, sitting himself down behind Jack’s old desk.

"Of course not. Bowzer, just lay Jack down at the side with this." Tralon retrieved a thick bedroll and laid it out for Jack. "So, Daruun, can I ask what you plan to do during your stay with the Leisure Guild? I must say, we’re honored to host you, though we may lack some of the appropriate accommodations."

"Don’t worry about me. Sleep is of no necessity to me and I would rather chat or speak with you and everyone else than waste time sleeping," replied Daruun. "As for my plans, I have my intentions but that mostly relies on Jack. I already know what he’ll be doing, so I also know what I’ll be doing by default, butI’ll allow him to explain himself.

"While you call in some lunch, how about I help you reactivate your teleportation hub?"

"Then allow me to order the finest spider soup in the Gilga. Money is of no worry to us now." Tralon smiled as he whipped out his contact crystal, whispering a few orders into it.

"Daruun, what happened at the end of Ancient Kartonia?" Argyle questioned, not easily abandoning his curiosity. "Why aren’t there ancient heroes anymore?"

Daruun grinned. "I’ll talk about that after Jack wakes up. Until then, let’s eat and talk about things that he wouldn’t mind missing out on."

Not waiting for Tralon to lead the way, Daruun opened the door to the office and waved for the others to follow. "Come. We’ll return here after we reactivate this circle. And since I’ll do it personally, then Tralon will have the energy to make your teleportation circle in Federal City, Argyle."

Tralon and Vixus followed without hesitation, leaving Argyle to trail behind. Bowzer decided to stay with Jack, also needing to rest himself and wanting to keep an eye on Mooldrat in the other corner.

There weren’t as many members of the Leisure Guild as there were members of the Fat Goose Guild, but it was the busiest time of day. For that reason, everyone was out and about, running errands across the different departments of the guild. So when the guild members saw an unfamiliar man leading their guild master, a councilman they didn’t yet know was a guild member, and the well-known owner of the Fat Goose, they were baffled.

No one dared to stop them or confront them since they were all such major public figures, but how could they not wonder who the mysterious man was to be leading them around?

After the four men reached the center of the guild’s property, they found an open courtyard. There were three wide gates to access it but they were quickly shut to keep common guild members from seeing what was about to take place.

Then, all of a sudden, an explosion of spatial energy burst toward the sky. All guild members felt the waves of powerful, raw mana wash over the guild grounds. And everyone knew it where it came from.

Before the guild members could open the gates, the rush of spatial energy had ended and the four men were already walking away.

They never managed to see what had happened, but everyone found out what the men had accomplished.

"The teleportation hub..."

"The hub is working!"

"They fixed the hub!"

As the common members started to rejoice at the sight of the glowing runes and archaic writing across the giant teleportation circle, they jumped for joy. This was a major event for the Leisure Guild, giving them something that no one else had in all Kartonia.

"They excite easily, don’t they?" Daruun chuckled. "Things are very different than they were before..."

The men didn’t say much until they returned to the privacy of the office, where they found a grandiose pot of spider stew and a stack of bowls.

Serving himself, Daruun spoke up, "So, Vixus, what are your intentions for the Leisure Guild?"

"I-I... I’m excited to join such a prominent guild and am excited to help revive it under the guidance of the Legend, who was able to summon even a god."

"There’s no need to be so nervous, Vixus. Just make sure to treat the guild right, or Jack will have to take care of you personally. Got it?" While intimidating Vixus with a smile, Daruun put his bowl to his lips, slurping away at the delicate broth. "Ah... It’s like I remembered. I’m glad that at least this remained from ancient times."

Argyle tried to think of something to ask that wouldn’t be put off for later, but he struggled to find such a question.

’Daruun, can you tell me what happened to Jack’s avatar?’

"I already told you, I’ll fill you all in about that once Jack wakes up." The men were confused at what Daruun said until the god added, "Oh right, Jack hasn’t fully leveled up your telepathy skill yet... I guess it won’t make much a difference to do this."

The same strange, transparent energy that had altered Mooldrat’s mind gathered around Bowzer’s forehead. It was gone in the blink of an eye, but the next thing that happened shocked them all.

"I can speak! I can speak!" the fox shouted. "I can speak like everyone else!"

"Calm down, little fox. You can speak normally now, but that’s all. All I did was max out the telepathy skill that Jack has ignored all this time. It won’t have any effect on his fate, so consider my thank to you, Bowzer. Thanks for staying with Jack all this time." Daruun nodded his head to the fox, smiling warmly.

"Thank you, Daruun!" The bowed in turn, giddy to finally feel more included with the party.

"How about I answer your question, as Jack wasn’t going to ask it anyway?" Daruun pointed at the beholder who was quite cramped in the back corner of the office. "You want to know what happened to your race, correct?"

With a nervous smile, Mooldrat bowed. "Thank you for thinking of me, oh great God of Fate."

"Like many other races, yours was hunted by the gods. They were forced to either participate in the war or to be removed from existence," stated Daruun, startling everyone in the room apart from Mooldrat. "You beholders are proud, especially you Dark Beholders. Though the Scarlet Beholders and the Deep Beholders acquiesced and joined a side each, your people chose extinction, which is arguably my fault."

"Great God of Fate, don’t feel bad for me or my people. Unlike other races, our lifespans are enormous, which allows us to better remember things before the godly pantheons were formed. We were proud to fall so long as it proved to honor you, our--"

"That’s enough." Daruun held up a hand and used his energy to keep Mooldrat from moving his lips and tongue anymore. "That’s not something I’m willing to discuss right now, but I’m grateful to know that you and your people have remembered me after all these years."

Feeling the energy release his jaw, Mooldrat smiled and bowed, not uttering another word.

"As for what you just hear, don’t expect any explanations from me," stated Daruun, looking back to the startled men across from him. "That information is useless to you at the current moment, therefore, it’s useless to waste words on it. Let’s all eat and enjoy some soup while Jack recovers. In an hour or so, Kims should wake up and I’ll introduce myself to him as well."

While Daruun served himself seconds, Tralon sighed and served himself his first serving. Argyle was next and finally Vixus. Tralon also gave Bowzer a bowl and offered some to Mooldrat, who claimed to be full from his feast of rations.

 

Chapter 344

Far from Gilga and the Trodan border, a tall mountain peak pierced through the clouds. It reigned over the small border country of Warmount, a small nation that formed from the remnants of an ancient empire. This peak was the tallest in all Kartonia, easily eclipsing all other mountain tops.

The peak was inaccessible to humans and virtually impossible to climb. Yet a man was pacing inside a pavilion atop the peak, wondering what that strange energy was that he felt moments ago.

"Naparn..."

That man suddenly turned around, utterly shocked to hear that faint, familiar voice. Naparn hurried out of his pavilion and entered the vast, golden palace connected to it.

Worry filled the god’s mind as he wondered what could cause him to be summoned. It was the first time since the end of the Godly War that Naparn had been summoned. He was given control over the Holy Gods temporarily at that time, but what was so drastic for his sole superior to call upon him again?

"Naparn..."

"I’m here, Halmut, your excellency. What is it that you need of me?" Panting, Naparn rushed into the major god’s chamber as quickly as he could. Never had he been called twice before arriving.

"Naparn..." The room shook slightly as a gigantic golden moved for the first time in one thousand years. His neck craned over Naparn’s human form, revealing the crown of horns that decorated the dragon’s mighty head. The beast’s wings then swung open, generating hurricane-level winds as they stretched themselves. "Why are you in your human form, Naparn? You know better..."

"Oh, of course!" Scared straight, Naparn instant began his transformation. Hot energy coursed over him like magma as he took the shape of a long dragon with black scales and what seemed to be lava flowing between each scale. "Forgive my offense, Halmut."

"Very well... This time I’ll forgive you since it’s been so long," Halmut’s voice echoed inside the chamber and Naparn’s skull. "Naparn... It’s begun."

"What’s begun?" Confused, Naparn asked, "Halmut, your excellency, what’s begun?"

"He’s been summoned... Daruun’s champion has not only arrived, but he’s begun to make his move," stated Halmut, almost paling the Magma Dragon’s black-scaled face. "You failed at the one task I gave you, Naparn. What shall your punishment be?"

"Halmut, your excellency, please forgive my failed foresight. I can assure you, this was not my intention," The Magma Dragon dropped to his knees, prostrating himself before the much larger Golden Dragon. "I’ve been so busy trying to keep the rebel gods in line that I must have overlooked Daruun’s champion. But I’m sure that Lorwynn is far more prepared and able to hunt down--"

"Enough!"

Naparn almost bit off his tongue as Halmut exerted pressure over the Magama Dragon to shut him up.

"Never underestimate anything that man does... Since Daruun’s champion has already begun taking action, then he must have already laid down some precautions to keep us from immediately attacking him," Halmut reasoned. "Besides... We can’t send Lorwynn after Daruun’s champion just yet, not with Skaryn’s champion so near. I’m sure Lorwynn is preoccupied for some time. Once Skaryn’s champion falls and that threat is lessened, then we’ll make a move against Daruun’s champion."

"But Halmut, your excellency... We outnumber the Neutral Gods and out level them as well. Why must we always avoid conflict with them?" questioned Naparn, still prostrated.

"Just do as I say. In time, you’ll come to know just how difficult dealing with Daruun and his followers can be..." The gargantuan Golden Dragon sighed. "Now go. Keep an eye on Trodar, but don’t make a move without my permission. Do you understand, Naparn?"

"I understand, your excellency."

"Then leave me to rest." Returning his head and neck to a pillow fitted to match, Halmut repositioned himself a started to softly snore as he had for one thousand years.

*****

"Moranti! Moranti!"

Shouts filled the underground cavern as a small band of humans rushed through the passage. Soon, they reached an ordinary door and threw it open without warning.

"Moranti! Did you feel that? What was that?"

"I don’t know. Now leave since you all cam uninvited."

In the small, candlelit room behind the beat-up wooden door, sat a cloaked man with legs crossed, meditating.

"But Moranti, that felt like the time you opened up that massive spatial rift. Don’t you remember when--"

"I said get out!" Taking a deep breath and uncrossing his legs, Moranti opened his eyes. Staring back at the other Chaotic Gods who dared visit him uninvited, the white in Moranti’s eyes was taken over by abyssal darkness. "You’ve interrupted my meditation!"

"We’re sorry, Moranti!" The god in front fell to his hands and knees, followed by the other two. "We apologize for our offense. We only wanted to know what kind of power could cause such a disturbance, and you’re the only one we can ask."

"Don’t bow to him. He’s not Skaryn," stated another voice as a fourth human walked in. "Moranti, stop trying to scare them already. Now, tell us what that disturbance was."

The dark abyss disappeared from Moranti’s eyes just when spacial energy was replacing his irises. "I don’t know."

"Liar! You most definitely know what that was! There was an explosion of spatial energy coming from Trodar," stated the fourth man with his muscular stature. "Was is the Leisure Guild’s teleportation hub? Did they reactivate it somehow?"

Moranti lifted his eyes to meet his fellow god’s gaze. "Oh, that? Most likely you’re right. I’m not sure how it happened, but that’s the most likely cause. Is that all you wanted to ask me, Pestro? I’d rather not have your ugly mug distracting me from my meditation."

Snarling, Pestro turned around in anger. "Come one. This guy’s useless. We’ve got other things to worry about for now. Ready the syndicate members and make sure Hadurt is ready to go. Leave him to meditate in his shackles."

Snickering and enjoying the chance to pick on Moranti, the other three gods laughed and followed Pestro out.

Once the door was closed, Moranti smile but he didn’t return to his meditative stance.

Shaking the chains that kept Moranti from leaving that small room, the God of Space searched his tattered clothes to find a contact crystal, the only item that he had successfully smuggled into his captivity long ago.

Moranti swiped his finger across the air, locking the door and wrapping some chains around it. With another wave of his finger, Moranti cast silence.

He took a few deep breaths, relieved to know that his opportunity to be free would soon arrive.

But before Moranti activated his contact crystal, he quickly hid it away again and returned the room to normal. Moranti assumed his meditative position just before the door swung open yet again.

Sighing, Moranti opened his eyes. "What’s so important that you came personally? Did you want to revel in what you’ve done to me all these years? Go ahead, I’ll let you just this once."

"Shut up, Moranti," spat the new visitor. "Did you feel that, yes or no?"

"Feel what?"

That furious god charged Moranti and punched his stomach. As the God of Space coughed in pain, the visitor then punched Moranti’s side and then groped him by the throat. "Did you feel that, yes or no?"

"Feel what?" completely unperturbed and unaffected by the violence, Moranti replied nonchalantly as blood dribbled down his lip.

"... You’d better not have. If I catch you trying something again, you’ll end up much worse than this." Again, the furious visitor spat on the pitiful God of Space.

But as the visitor was leaving, Moranti chuckled loudly, "Or what? You’ll kill me? Two of you died trying to do this to me last time. Imagine what I’ll do if you actually try to kill me. Maybe even Skaryn would show you more mercy--"

"Shut it! That’s enough!" barked the visitor. "Enjoy your isolation."

As the door was slammed shut, Moranti heard the various locks on the outside get set, proving that he had sufficiently provoked his former comrade.

Moranti then swiped his finger a few times and readied more chains on his side of the door, then casting silence. Now able to speak without the chance of someone interrupting, Moranti took one last deep breath before activating his contact crystal.

 

Chapter 345

"Ahh..."

"Jack! You’re finally waking up!"

As Jack groaned and started to open his eyes, a warm tongue began to lick all over the hero’s face. "Bowzer! Calm down!"

The fox retracted his tongue but kept his happy eyes glued to Jack. "You’ve been sleeping for a while, but you woke up exactly when Daruun said you would!"

"I’m... When who said what?!" Jack tried to jolt himself into sitting up but failed to lift even his head. Groaning from his aching body, Jack asked, "What... What happened exactly? And are you talking?!"

"Yeah! Daruun let me talk now!" Bowzer’s tail wagged happily. "Also, everyone else says that their beasts can speak telepathically now. I guess it’s because Daruun changed one of your skills or something."

"He what..." Immediately opening his menu, Jack checked his skill list with his eyes wide open.

[Companion Telepathy - lv. 10]

[Your beast companion can speak telepathically and verbally with anyone who speaks the same language as the user. Lv. 10, MAXED OUT.]

Gradually recalling what happened before he blacked out, Jack remembered the crest but he couldn’t find it in his hand or his storage.

"Looking for this?"

Jack and Bowzer looked to the door of the office room to watch five men walk through the door. Kims and Vixus were behind Argyle and Tralon. Leading them was the mysterious God of Fate, Daruun.

"Daruun... Daruun?! What are you still doing here?!"

"Steady, Jack. Stay calm and let me explain," stated Daruun with a soft smile. "Everyone else has been waiting for you to wake up so I could answer their questions."

"But... How can they see you? I thought only I could--"

"What you did in the storehouse wasn’t anything like what you’ve done before, Jack. Before, you used some old trinkets to summon an apparition of me into a sealed time and space. That’s what only you could speak with me at those times."

"But what about our conversation with Choron and Sterfen? Explain that, then!" shouted Jack.

Daruun nodded. "Each of my sons and daughters carries an item similar to those old trinkets, but they don’t break and can be used once every few days to ask me questions. It’s also how I contact them on rare occasions.

"What you did, Jack, was summon my physical form, or in other words, you managed to bring my true body here."

"I... But what about your--"

"Don’t worry about that, Jack," Daruun interjected, not letting Jack mention Daruun’s interplanetary duties. "I long knew that this would happen and was prepared to stay here for a time. If not, then how could I congratulate my champion personally after he passed out from summoning me?"

"I..." Jack started to laugh, feeling a bit more at ease. "So... I summoned you... a major god?"

"Yup. Why else did it take all of your mana multiple times over?" joked Daruun. "Anyway, now I can answer a few questions that Argyle and the others have been hounding me about for some time."

"Finally!" Argyle sat himself down in one of the chairs lining the side of the room, as did the other three men.

Taking the main chair behind the desk, Daruun smiled. "This is a good chair... Anyway, which question shall we--"

"What happened to the ancient heroes?"

"Argyle, no need to be so impatient." Daruun lifted his hand to calm the lv. 71 swordsman. "Fine, I’ll answer that first, is that okay with you, Jack?"

"I... sure... so long as my other questions will still get answered and we won’t be wasting a question," stated Jack, getting Daruu to laugh.

"Don’t worry about that, Jack. I’ll be here for another day or two, depending on what you do next," replied Daruun. "But since we’ve taken so long to speak, you’ll get busy with another conversation, I’m sure."

"How could I--"

"Jack! What on earth did you do?!"

Before Jack could argue with Daruun, he heard Sterfen’s voice blaring in his head. Taking out his contact crystal, Jack replied, "Dad, I’m not sure what you’re--"

"Did you summon Daruun? Did you seriously summon him?" Sterfen doggedly asked. "Jack, how did you do it, you must tell me?!"

"Calm down, Dad. I’ll explain it later," stated Jack. "Right now--"

"Right now, I was about to answer some of his questions as congratulations for successfully summoning me," speaking normally, Daruun acted as if he had heard it all and was part of the conversation.

Jack was startled at first, but when Sterfen replied to Daruun through the crystal, Jack was both amazed and slightly puzzled.

"Daruun... You’re really here... Does that mean--"

"No, Sterfen, I’m not here to stay and I’ll be leaving soon. But I will come and visit all of my children before I take off. Also, congratulations on finally having your child, Sterfen."

Unable to say much else at the moment, Sterfen sighed, "I... Thank you, Father."

"Good, then I’ll be seeing you and Lunara later." Finishing that conversation before it started, Daruun smiled to everyone else in the room who was out of the loop. "Now that Jack won’t be interrupted for a while, let’s talk.

"As for what happened to the ancient heroes... You can only blame me for letting things get out of hand. I let my emotions cloud my judgment long ago, leading to the Godly War that consumed the continent for nearly half a century."

Daruun continued, "In terms that Jack can understand, the Godly War was the final event before the close of the servers. In terms that the rest of you can understand, the Godly War was almost the apocalypse of Kartonia. Gods were hunting down the heroes, either recruiting them or killing them on the spot. And for those heroes who were too weak, they were either killed by the gods or by the many beasts that went wild without the control of the gods.

"It was at that time that a pact between Halmut, Skaryn, and I was broken. Both Halmut and Skaryn ignored the pact, thus bringing an end to ancient heroes rising again after death and stopping new heroes from rising."

Taking Daruun’s words to heart, everyone listening was baffled to hear that the other two main gods were both to blame.

"They decided to break the pact instead of summoning me to rewrite it. They were both after a single thing, growing stronger and trying to reach the absolute pinnacle of the world," stated Daruun.

"What do you mean by that?" Jack asked, still lying down at the side.

Daruun sighed. "Both Halmut and Skaryn want to reach lv. 100, something that no one in Kartonia has ever done. And they decided to abandon their old strategy, instead mutually agreeing that the other’s pantheon would become a sacrifice for them to rise up. Hence, they ignored me and started the Godly War. That’s also why I had my sons and daughters retreat from the public eye. I didn’t want them getting dragged into this.

"By sons and daughters, do you mean--"

"Yes, Argyle, I mean the other Neutral Gods," answered Daruun. "When a god helps a mortal become a god, they become that person’s parent. I currently have seven children and two grandchildren."

"Grandchildren?" Vixus muttered, much more comfortable around Daruun thanks to the god’s three-day stay. "What do you mean grandchildren?"

"A god can claim a mortal as their child and offer them the chance to become a god. I have two grandchildren because two mortals have become demigods, hopefuls to become the next generation of gods," explained Daruun. "In fact, one of them is in this room, lying down in pain as he listens to his grandfather."

Turning to Jack, Kims and Vixus were in awe. That gave them a new outlook and respect for Jack.

"Also, that means we’re now related, Argyle. It seems that your daughter is now my granddaughter."

Hearing that was too much for Argyle to take. His mind started to wander as he realized that the forced marriage of Jack and Eliza was way more impactful then he had ever imagined.

 

Chapter 346

"Anyway, what’s the next question you have for me?" Daruun kept a calm smile and waited for someone to speak up.

As one of the few who weren’t distracted by the last thing Daruun mentioned, Tralon asked, "Given my condition, is there anything that I can do about it?"

"That’s complicated... Yes and no," replied Daruun, catching Jack’s and Argyle’s attention. "You could always take another elixir of youth, but that likely would have no effect on you now. As for your curse... you need either Skaryn or three Chaotic Gods to jointly remove the curse."

"Okay... are either of those two things possible?"

"Hold on, what are you two talking about?" Jack chimed in. "Tralon, do you know Daruun from before? Is he why you’re still alive after all this time?"

Nodding with a smile, Tralon replied, "Yes, Jack. There’s no use in hiding it any longer... I managed to contact Daruun not long after you disappeared. That’s when I officially pledged to him and he told me where to find an elixir of youth, with the warning that I would be cursed should I steal it."

"Then why would you--"

"Because the first question he answered gave me hope, Jack," stated Tralon. "He told me that you would be back, but not in my lifetime. Then he told me that my only chance of working alongside you was if I drank an elixir of youth, which gave me another thousand years of mortal life. And finally, he told me where to find one with a warning that I would fall into an irrevocable curse should I be successful in my theft."

Jack was speechless. It made sense but it was hard for him to take it all in.

Daruun squinted momentarily and shook his head slightly as Tralon was speaking.

"That’s why I’m still alive and received Skaryn’s Vengence, as it was from him that I stole the elixir of youth," mentioned Tralon.

"... How long do you have left?" Jack managed to finally ask.

Tralon sighed, "Maybe a year, at most two. I can’t remember very well."

"Eleven months and twenty-six days." Daruun’s statement stole the attention of the room. "That’s how long you have, Tralon."

"What?!" Shocked and infuriated, Jack forced his head to raise despite the pain. "Tralon, you didn’t tell me that?!"

"You didn’t need to know. And there’s nothing you can do about it, Jack. The deed was done long ago and there’s taking it back now," stated Tralon, defending his decision.

Jack looked at his long time companion. "Tralon, at least tell me sooner. That way I can find something to help at least. Daruun, what can I do to prolong Tralon’s life?"

"That... I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do about that."

Dumbstruck, Jack kept looking between Tralon and Daruun, not wanting to accept such a situation.

"Then are there no ways to prolong his life? What about other legendary items? Or... What if he becomes a demigod and rises to immortality?"

"Impossible." Daruun instantly shot down Jack’s ideas. "The elixir of youth isn’t almighty and without its consequences, Jack. Do you think someone could forcibly extend their life an extra thousand years and not receive any side effects? By taking an elixir of youth, a mortal is no longer able to become immortal."

"That... You’re kidding me, right? What kind of potion is that?! Who would seek out such a potion that wasn’t trying to live forever?!" argued Jack.

Daruun remained calm and shrugged. "Take that up with Skaryn, not me. He was the one who created such a thing."

"What..."

"Jack, the only reason those elixirs can prolong a mortal is because it will use your immortal potential as a fuel for your increased vitality," explained Daruun. "But once a mortal runs out of that dormant, inactive energy, they perish."

"Then why would Skaryn make it?! There’s no benefit for him to--"

"There’s a lot of benefits, Jack. How do you think the Chaotic Syndicate has become so powerful despite remaining in the shadows and being extremely selective with its members?"

Opening his mouth but failing to reply, Jack was stunned, along with everyone else in the room. They all started to imagine the true potential such an elixir had in the hands of the Dark God. It proved to them why the syndicate managed to survive for so long. Also, it made them wonder how many high-level people had been hiding in the shadows for ages under the syndicate. There’s no telling how tempting an elixir of youth would be to powerful experts who want to live longer and continue their training.

"Jack, aren’t you curious as to why there aren’t as many high-level beasts in Modern Kartonia compared to Ancient Kartonia?" Daruun continued to keep the men inside the office enraptured and always asking for more.

"Many bestial species did go extinct or become endangered and hideaway, but there were also many placed in similar circumstances compared to your storehouse dungeon," Daruun stated. "You weren’t the only guild that had their own dungeon, right? And what about the ancient, high-level dungeons that Modern Kartonia doesn’t know about?"

"That..." Jack struggled to speak as his mind was running wild. "Is that why they were trying to recruit and kill ancient warriors?"

Daruun smiled again. "That’s exactly why. The gods or better put Halmut and Skaryn, wanted access to those dungeons that were able to be sealed. From those dungeons, they learned how to seal and enclose other dungeons for their personal use."

"Are you saying that the Chaos Syndicate has had access to ancient leveling dungeons all this time? And they’ve been gathering high-level warriors and mages for centuries to allow them to grow?" Jack questioned, starting to piece it all together.

"You’re half right. The Chaos Syndicate does have all that, but so does the Adventurers Association," added Daruun. "It may not be as potent as Skaryn’s elixir of youth, but they also have the means to burn the latent energy of mortals to increase their lifespans. How do you think Lorwynn has lived for so long?"

"And that’s why neither side has made a move yet... Because once they do, both sides will be revealed to the world and induce panic. Even if it’s the association, having that much power is too threatening for normal people and organizations to ignore," reasoned Jack.

"That..." Argyle spoke up, trying to gather his thoughts. "Daruun, when will both sides clash?"

"Don’t worry about that. If I were you, I would immediately become public allies with the Leisure Guild and hurry to open your Gilga branch, Argyle," stated Daruun. "After this, take Tralon to Federal City and make your teleportation circle."

"Okay..." Wanting to know more, Argyle tried his best to bottle his worries.

"For the time being, you all should focus on rebuilding the Leisure Guild and growing as quickly as possible," mentioned Daruun. "Soon, Jack will visit Eedaj, who will then relocate to Gilga and become a public figure of Trodar, like in ancient times. But this time he’ll be supporting the Leisure Guild directly, as he’ll want to make sure to support his nephew."

"Nephew? ... Me?!" Jack pointed at himself, a bit surprised.

"Right! Don’t forget that we’re all a family, Jack. Unlike Skaryn and Halmut, I only chose those who truly embodied the role of being my son or daughter. Having made that mistake in the past, I made sure to be picky," Daruun explained with a chuckle. "That’s why there are fewer Neutral Gods, because I only choose the best.

"Just be ready to meet Eedaj’s demands, Jack. I’m sure you won’t disappoint me or the Leisure Guild."

"Right!" Jack nodded, happy to have Daruun’s support in all this.

"Once Eedaj joins Trodar, the other gods will definitely take notice," Daruun continued. "The Chaotic and Holy Gods will be wary of Trodar and of Jack while the Neutral Gods may start to move on their own. After the election, Jack will entice Rikko to join our cause. Then... that’s where things will get very complicated no matter which path Jack chooses."

 

Chapter 347

Thinking back to the plan he, Choron, and Sterfen discussed with Daruun, Jack sighed.

Daruun continued, "As for how you all can grow stronger as a guild, you’ve already gained one way, thanks to the storehouse. With the addition of the beasts from the storehouse, you’ve got quite a sizable and fearsome force. With so many different beasts with seventh level bloodlines, they’ll be more easily enticed to join the cause and face the rival pantheons."

"But how can we convince them of that?" Vixus asked. "That’s a tall order that we can’t handle at the moment. We’re not strong enough to entice them or force them to cooperate. They could even overpower us the moment we let them out of the storehouse."

"True, but that won’t be difficult in time. Once the gods start moving, where do you think they’ll want to stay after entering Trodar?" questioned Daruun, leading everyone’s train of thought.

"That... Oh... Then the gods would like to rule a floor of the dungeon?" reasoned Vixus.

"Correct, Vixus," Daruun replied. "But you’ll have to alter all of the circles so that they can go to any of the floors for guild members."

"Oh, so that’s how you want to entice people to join the guild? An excellent strategy," added Tralon.

"As people come to see if the gods are truly gods and seek pledges like ancient times, they’ll be forced to join the guild to do so," Kims reasoned, catching Vixus off guard. "Will we be allowed to pledge to gods as well?"

"Of course, you should!" Jack answered. "Everyone needs to if we’re up against such powerful hidden forces!"

Still caught up in the stress of facing such powerful foes, Jack’s mind was running laps through his memories, trying to imagine how he and his companions could grow stronger faster. Initially, Jack felt great about becoming lv. 49, but now he felt smaller than a peanut compared to what Jack discovered he was truly up against.

"Calm your mind, Jack. It’s not quite so bad at the moment." Daruun walked over to Jack and placed his hand on Jack’s chest. "Cheer up, will you?"

As Daruun chuckled, strange energy left his hand and filled Jack with vitality. The aching internal organs were calmed and the strained muscles became relaxed. A rush of energy left Jack smiling and sitting up with no pain.

"All I did was heal your exhaustion, Jack, nothing else. I can’t wait for you to heal naturally as I have other matters to handle in a few days," laughed Daruun. "As for your worries about the association and the syndicate, calm them for now. Remember, this war goes three ways. Who said that you had to face both sides head-on?"

Feeling at ease physically and mentally, Jack finally grinned. "You have a point there... Since you’re so calm, does that mean you’ve got a way for me to get stronger faster? And for the guild members to do the same?"

"Let’s just say that I wouldn’t have my sole champion face something he didn’t have a chance to defeat. Make sense?"

"So long as there’s a chance, I guess I feel better," sighed Jack.

"Also, hurry up and check your notifications," Daruun mentioned. "You’ll discover something on your own without needing my help."

Following Daruun’s advice, Jack crossed his legs on the bedroll and opened his notifications tab. Immediately, Jack’s jaw almost hit the floor.

[It’s all In the eye of the beholder: completed]

[Persuade a beholder, one of the most intelligent beasts, to party with you for a dungeon run. Hidden reward: 500 skill points.]

"Daruun... what’s the meaning of this?" Jack asked the god beside him.

Daruun patted Jack on the shoulder. "What do you think it means, Jack?"

"That..."

Jack kept the rest of his thoughts to himself, as this pertained to "A Hero’s Tale" and would be very difficult to explain to the others. But in the depths of his own mind, Jack dove headfirst into the rabbit hole that Daruun had presented him.

The most jarring thing about that achievement wasn’t how many skill points that Jack had earned, nor was it the fact that it was labeled as hidden. What stunned Jack the most was how that was one of the peskiest achievements Jack had ever completed in "A Hero’s Tale". To complete that achievement, Jack spent more than an entire day feeding beholders until one finally started to follow him around. Then, Jack immediately led it into a low-level dungeon and had the beholder chase him all the way through.

But the fact that Jack had just achieved the same crazy in-game achievement in real life was a lot to take in.

"Jack, I can’t tell you what achievements are hidden within the system, but know that all hidden achievements are from there as well," added Daruun, bring Jack’s attention back to the room. "Also, you forgot to look at the new event."

"What?" After a quick glance at a new achievement he unlocked, Jack looked back to Daruun. "Are you serious?"

"Completely."

Looking back to the new event achievement, Jack took a deep breath.

[Rise of the Leisure Guild: in progress]

[Return the Leisure Guild to its former fame and infamy, then surpass that. As the former Legend of Trodar, let all the world and even the gods understand it’s power and influence. Reward: determined upon completion. Event reward: 5000 skill points.]

"That reminds me," Daruun interrupted Jack’s thoughts, "you’ve got to make a public statement about your campaign for the election, Jack."

"Yeah... What about it?"

"I’m going to help you."

Everyone in the room froze and eyed Daruun’s simple smile. Then they looked to Jack’s face riddled with bewilderment.

"I’m going to help you, Jack," replied Daruun. "You’ve got three days to bring Eedaj here or my assistance will become inaccessible."

"What?! Three days!" shouted Jack. "But I’m not even with my party at the moment. How could I--"

"Your party cleared Sunset Valley yesterday. All you have to do is show up and talk with Jin. After that, bring them here and leave with Daliea for Korten. You should have just enough time with help from Phoro."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about him!"

"Don’t worry, Jack. Phoro, along with the cranes, has been staying in one of the concealed courtyards," Tralon chimed in. "Also, we’ve readied a courtyard for the beholders and have constructed a new courtyard for Dragov, now that he’ll be staying within guild grounds."

"Oh... It seems that I’ve missed more than I can remember," chuckled Jack, getting Daruun to laugh with the hero.

"Jack, I’ll take you to the eleventh floor now to help you bring Dragov into his new home," added Daruun. And before Jack had a chance to say anything else, a flash filled the office as Jack and Daruun vanished.

A similar flash filled the vast chamber of the eleventh floor. The god and the hero were now in the depths of the storehouse, one still standing while the other sat crosslegged.

"Daruun... You’ve already brought us here, haven’t you?" Jack sighed as he stood himself up. "Daruun, what happened to my former self?"

"Oh, you mean what Bowzer referred to as your avatar? Forget that for now. You’re not ready to know about that or you’ll just get distracted by a side quest and get yourself killed," Daruun replied nonchalantly.

"That... understandable."

As the two men chatted, Dragov lowered his head form the darkness overhead. "Jack, you’ve come back. And so have you, Daruun."

"Dragov, I’m sorry for leaving you down here for so long. I didn’t expect all this to happen..." Jack stated, trying his best to seek forgiveness from the giant beast he had practically imprisoned.

The Draconic Centipede’s giant head started to shake side to side. "Jack, there’s no need to ask forgiveness if there was never an offense committed. Because of my stay here, I’ve grown stronger. And if Daruun was correct, I’ll be able to help you fight the gods. Also... What did you mean by evolve?"

"Oh, that?" Daruun replied, catching Jack by surprise. "I meant exactly what I said. I’m genuinely excited to see Jack help you evolve."

"Daruun, what are you talking about?" asked Jack.

Daruun sighed. "I guess I’ll explain it now since it won’t change anything. Do you remember how Bowzer evolved earlier, Jack? That was Bowzer’s bloodline inheriting more of its dormant strength. Bowzer will evolve two more times, once at lv. 60 and again at lv. 90. As for Dragov, he’s evolved twice already. So, what do you think I’m implying?"

It took Jack and Dragov a moment to catch on, but Jack’s eyes shot wide open the moment the thought struck him.

"You want me to make Dragov a god?!"

"What..." Never had such a thought occurred as possible to Dragov, but the giant centipede had definitely entertained such thoughts. What monstrous beast hadn’t?

"Now you’re starting to think for yourself, sort of." Daruun laughed, "I just hope you won’t be this slow after I leave in a few days."

 

Chapter 348

While Daruun laughed to himself, Jack was coming to terms with all of the new things he was now planning to do. Sure, he could act cool and collected, but that didn’t mean that Jack was so confident in himself. It helped that he had years of gameplay to help him play the role of a legendary hero, despite his mortal nerves.

"Dragov," Daruun continued, "the Leisure Guild has prepared a massive courtyard for you, one I’ve made sure fit your size and allowed for the freedom to move as you wish."

"Finally!" a shout of excitement shook the chamber. "I’ll be able to stretch my body and rest comfortably!"

"Oh... So he’s grown that much?" Surprised, Jack returned to the moment and looked up at the darkness, remembering exactly how large he made that space. "You’ve grown A LOT, Dragov."

"Then, let’s get going, shall we?"

Again, a flash of light filled the chamber. This time, all three of them were transported to a new area unfamiliar to Jack. Also, the new space was entirely closed off yet well-lit, giving Jack a full view of Dragov’s overwhelming size.

Dragov was overjoyed. The giant centipede was already moving and making sure to explore the giant space he was given.

While Jack was in awe of the sheer size of Dragov, he began to wonder how they fit such a space within the Leisure Guild property without razing half of it to the ground. That’s when Jack heard a few voices behind him.

Looking back, Jack found Tralon leading Vixus, Kims, Argyle, and Bowzer down a large flight of stairs.

"Oh... He made it underground." Jack figured out Tralon’s clever design which was hidden by the slight slant in the ceiling. "What took you guys so long?"

The others were glad to see the new chamber but were startled by what some might call a wild beast of godly proportions. They couldn’t help but be startled by how large the Draconic Centipede really was and how fast the massive beast was as it skirted around the open area.

"I’m glad that Dragov is pleased with his new home," Tralon chuckled as he finally reached Jack. "This place is at the edge of the property, that way Dragov can simply break through the ground at the rear and he’ll be just outside the city walls."

"Did you hear that, Dragov!" Jack shouted, getting the centipede to calm down and crawl closer. "If something happens and you’re needed to take action, you’ll break through the back wall. That way you’ll appear just outside of the city and won’t destroy it in the process."

"I’m grateful to know that, Master Jack." Dragov bowed his head to the human.

"I don’t want to hear that, Dragov. You can call me Jack and I’ll call you Dragov, got it?"

"Got it, Jack."

The hero smiled back at the gigantic centipede, contemplating whether he should form a mutual seal with Dragov or not.

"Go for it, Jack." Daruun’s voice encouraged Jack’s thoughts and brought everyone’s attention to Jack. "Aren’t you curious what will happen should you use your bloodline skill with Dragov? Or with Phoro? Or with all three of your companions together?"

Overloaded with such exciting thoughts, Jack stepped forward with quill and ink in hand.

"Dragov, we’re going to form a mutual seal and be forever linked both physically and mentally," Jack explained to the massive beast. "This will allow me to grow stronger and share some of your abilities while also linking us telepathically, as well as splitting all of our EXP from this point on."

"Then go ahead. What must I do?" asked Dragov.

"Just bring your head down here. When I ask, I’ll need a drop of your blood to finish the seal."

Jack had already started writing the seal the moment Dragov’s head was in reach. When Jack asked for Dragov’s blood, the centipede pricked his giant tongue on one of his many teeth. Taking a drop of that small stream of blood, Jack finished the seal and found himself partnered with three beasts of exceptional bloodlines.

"Mind if I watch you test your new bloodline skills?" Daruun asked, sharing the same question that immediately came up in the others’ minds as well.

Not answering verbally, Jack activated his bloodline skill. Now, he found himself in a new mental space. As if all three of the beasts were surrounding him, Jack saw the essence of their bloodlines in three different directions, imitating the beasts they came from.

Reaching out for the wind essence, Jack felt himself become lighter and more agile. His body suddenly felt more flexible. Also, Jack felt the instinctive need to flap his arms as if they were wings.

Since Jack was entranced by the mental space he had discovered, he had closed his eyes and didn’t know that feathers and wings had suddenly grown were Jack’s arms had been. He still had hands, but they had three fingers and rested at the end of his newly grown wings. Jack didn’t grow a beak, but his eyes became those of the Minokawa’s granting him sight beyond that of eagles.

Only after Jack had tested his new sight did he realize that he was no lingerie inside that mental space.

"W-What?!"

"Congratulations, Jack. You’ve successfully bonded with the Minokawa bloodline." Daruun began to clap, but he was the only one not frozen in shock. "Test your new speed. With your body feeling so flexible, you should be able to turn corners while keeping your ridiculous flight speed."

Testing just that, Jack rocketed through the air according to the instincts of the bloodline. He didn’t manage to fly as smoothly as Phoro or as quickly, but Jack was delighted to have such abilities.

"Don’t forget about Dragov, Jack. Try his bloodline out too."

As Jack stopped looping around the giant centipede’s body and landed on Dragov’s back, the Draconic Centipede watched in angst. Dragov hoped to see Jack using his bloodline power, wanting to help Jack in a way he had never considered before.

Jack took a few deep breaths as he reentered that mental space and separated himself from the essence of Phoro’s bloodline.

Then, Jack smiled with eyes closed, not knowing what would come next.

Before everyone’s eyes, Jack started to shake his jaw open. Three rows of jagged teeth replaced his usual grin. Next, plates of armor started to cover Jack’s body, yet they folded into one another to keep Jack mobile and flexible. Also, bone spikes jutted out of Jack’s back through the exoskeleton he had grown. And finally, Jack’s fingers had merged together to morph Jack’s hand’s into a single long claw, mimicking one of Dragov’s many legs.

Since Jack already knew that the change had occurred in reality as well as in that mental space, he admired his new form.

"Try a skill!" Daruun shouted, waving his hand to bring a sturdy, stone dummy into existence.

Hearing Daruun’s shout, Jack showed his new threatening smile as he looked to the dummy. Jack’s right claw began to glow blood-red. Bursting forward at full speed, Jack activated Sudden Death to reach the dummy in an instant.

Thrusting his large draconic claw forward, Jack easily carved through the stone dummy, leaving a clean, gaping hole.

"So I can use certain skills with these as well?"

Jack started to simulate the different things that he could try. That’s when he remembered his bestial skills from Cerdot, the one’s that required Jack to have wings.

"You’ll have plenty of time to try your new flight skills later," Daruun mentioned, grabbing Jack’s attention. "I’ll be nice and tell you shouldn’t make a mutual seal and an inheritor’s pact on the same creature. If you do that, then the pact will claim precedence in the system and you won’t be able to access that companion’s skills."

"What about Lina? How come I can’t learn her skills?" Jack asked as he reverted to his human form.

Daruun answered, "Because she’s an anomaly. She’s the first-ever child of two gods, making her far more than just a beast or a human. Also, I’d recommend that you only make a maximum of four mutual seals. Otherwise, you’ll overload yourself when you’re trying to merge bloodlines using your skill."

"Merge bloodlines... You mean activating more than one bloodline at a time, right? Does that mean I can..."

"I don’t know..." Darguun shrugged, teasing Jack. "There’s only one way to find out, right?"

With another passionate smile, Jack closed his eyes and reentered that mental space. In the face of the three separate bloodline essences, Jack called all three of them to him.

 

Chapter 349

Inside that mental space, Jack felt a surge of power unlike anything he had ever experienced. Though he was focusing on the mental space, the changes occurring to his body were so overwhelming that he was forced to open his eyes.

That exoskeleton armor remained across Jack’s back and torso, but feathers began to sprout as Jack’s arms grew longer to form wings while maintaining those insectoid claws jutting from the ends of Jack’s wings. His deathly jaws didn’t change, but his eyes became draconic and mimicked the Minokawas. As Jack’s body was finishing taking shape, red-hot flames started to gather around his new form.

Witnessing Jack’s transformations back to back was awe-inspiring to the men at the entrance.

Bowzer was in awe of the power that Jack was putting off and could feel his bloodline reacting to Jack’s new form. The fox felt comfortable with the new form, yet there was a small part of him that felt slightly threatened by the raw bloodline energy that Jack was releasing. It was hard for Bowzer to comprehend.

Dragov was smiling with his mouth open wide. Such a sight was great news for him since he was a key component of that transformation. And being so high leveled, the threat he felt was more minimal.

"Careful, Jack," Daruun spoke up. "I wouldn’t go straight to combining all three if I were you."

"Why’s..."

Jack flapped his wings and leaped off Dragov to resume his flight. But he only fell. A blood clot spewed from Jack’s mouth as he lost control and plummeted to the ground.

The others started to take action and hurried to Jack’s side as the hero’s bloodline powers faded away.

"As I said,’ Daruun sighed, "I wouldn’t try using three bloodlines at once. You’re lucky that the three bloodline abilities aren’t counterintuitive. While searching for that companion, don’t try to merge bloodlines until you’re stronger. Or it might be due to the low level of your bloodline skill."

"Well... Which is it..." Jack stammered while wiping the blood from his mouth.

"Probably both." Daruun chuckled, slapping a frown on Jack’s face.

Sighing and struggling to sit up, Jack looked back to the god. "Then... What level should my skill be to merge the three bloodlines?"

"To merge three? You haven’t even tried to merge two yet, which would still fail by the way. Increasing your level will increase the strength of your body, allowing you to hold the transformations longer and better use them. But that will only prolong the pain of the transformations if you don’t increase your bloodline skill," Daruun explained as Argyle helped Jack up to his feet.

"To successfully merge two bloodlines you’ll need your bloodline skill at lv. 5. For three bloodlines, lv. 7 is needed. And don’t dare to attempt four bloodlines until you’ve reached lv. 9."

"Then what happens at lv. 10?" questioned Jack, giving Daruun a curious look.

"That... I’m not going to tell you yet," replied Daruun. "Too many distractions will lead to your downfall, remember that."

"Right... But why can’t you tell me now? It’s not like it’ll change anything in the immediate future," reasoned Jack.

"Why wouldn’t it? You would just spend all your time trying stupid achievements to unlock more abilities. You’ll need to do that, but there are other things that need to be attended to first," stated Daruun. "Just be lucky that you didn’t fight the transformation and ended it. If you forced yourself to maintain that form, you could kill yourself."

"Then how should I spend them now?" Jack asked.

Daruun smiled. "Upgrade your bloodline skill to at least lv. 5, or maybe even lv. 6 if you’re excited to use the three bloodlines sooner. And no, I’m not giving you a freebie as I did for your telepathy skill."

While the others were a bit confused, Jack quickly opened his skill list and poured his newly gained skill points into his bloodline skill.

Five hundred and sixty skill points later, Jack left his remaining twenty skill points inside the system and looked back to Daruun. "So, now I should be able to mere two bloodlines?"

"For a short time. It would’ve been for a minute, but you extended that to three minutes by making it lv. 6." Daruun chuckled, "I’m glad my grandson is listening to his grandpa."

"Sure, but does that mean I can call you old-timer as my grandpa?" Jack joked.

"Maybe later, but don’t you need to get going, Jack?"

Looking back to Daruun’s amiable smile, Jack remembered his three-day time limit to recruit a god. The hero turned to Tralon and asked, "Can you send me to Sunset Valley?"

"I’d love to, but I only have enough mana to send you there. After creating such a grand space for Dragov, I’ve already used most of my mana," stated Tralon.

"Then could you send me and Phoro there? It will cut my travel time in half."

"That’s more than doable. A great idea, Jack." Tralon smiled. "Phoro and the cranes are in the courtyard east of here. Also, keep in mind that the courtyard to the west is filled with the remaining Dark Beholders from below. Since they still worshipped Daruun, he altered all their minds to relieve them of their insanity at the cost of becoming obedient to you."

"Oh... that’ll be useful." Jack scratched his head for a moment. "Keep them a secret and don’t let them leave that courtyard. I’d rather keep them as a secret line of defense now that they’re no longer insane. They’ll make terrifying security guards for suspecting attackers. How many are there and what’s the range of their levels?"

"There are only a dozen left if you include Mooldrat. The three youngest beholders that avoided being eaten are over lv. 40 while most are around lv. 65. There are, however, three others besides Mooldrat over lv. 70," explained Tralon, glad to report such a boost in strength for the guild.

"And how many days do you have left again?"

"That... I’ve got eleven months and twenty-six days left, according to Daruun," Tralon replied while looking at the ground.

Jack nodded and scratched his head again. "Then I’ll make sure to figure something out within eleven months and twenty-five days, just to be safe."

"Okay, Jack. If there’s anyone who could figure something out, then it would be you."

As Jack nodded and left to get Phoro, Daruun kept a slight smile. "Jack, don’t forget to redo Tralon’s and Argyle’s pacts."

"I’ll do that before I leave with Phoro!"

Jack’s shout rang out just before he closed the door behind him. Looking back, Jack found a regular looking exterior to Dargov’s courtyard, hiding the giant space carved out below.

Then, Jack rushed into the courtyard just east of Dragov’s home. There Jack found the cranes enjoying comfy nests and spreads of delicious food. And like Jack expected, Phoro was given the largest and most plush nest of all, covered in cushions and surrounded in all sorts of food.

’Phoro! We’ve got to go!’ Jack’s voice shouted directly into the Minokawa’s head. ’We’re going somewhere, but to save you some energy I’m having Tralon teleport us there first.’

’Well, I guess I’ll come along since you’ve gone to such lengths,’ Phoro replied with a sigh.

The draconic bird lazily stretched before suddenly rocketing to Jack’s side. "You don’t have to scream at me, you know?"

"Right, you can speak normally now. I’ll remember that for later." Turning back to the door, Jack held it open. "Come on, we don’t have any time to waste."

"Why such a hurry?" asked Phoro, disappointed.

"Because I’ve got three days to get to Prachten and back, then travel to Korten and back. Without you, that would be impossible, Phoro."

"What about your friend, Tralon? Can’t he just teleport you back and forth?"

"His current energy levels won’t allow him after he built that space for Dragov."

"Dragov? Who’s that?" Phoro asked in front of the door leading to Dragov’s underground space.

"Right... You never met him on the eleventh floor. He was the dungeon boss, but now he’s the guardian of the guild. Open the door and see for yourself." Jack smiled, motioning toward the well-disguised space.

 

Chapter 350

"This isn’t any larger than our courtyard," Phoro complained as he opened the door. "How could he get so tired that he can’t... What is that?!"

The moment Phoro poked his head in, he was baffled to see so many steps leading downward that he could barely see the end. And with his excellent vision, he could make out the dots of people in the distance. However, his excellent vision was completely unnecessary to comprehend the visible size of the Draconic Centipede, which dwarfed the wyrm he road in the dungeon.

"Come on, Phoro. Dragov won’t eat you." Jack slapped Phoro on the back and closed the doors behind them. "Like you, Dragov shares a mutual seal with me, so stop worrying so much."

"But that thing... it’s monstrously huge! How did I not sense it?!"

"That thing is the new guardian of the guild and his name is Dragov. Dragov is a Draconic Centipede, a beast with the terrifying ability to be undetectable by magic and normal sensory means. So if we get attacked by something we can’t handle, Dragov will be the one to handle it. Don’t you feel better knowing that he’s guarding this place?" asked Jack.

"That... That would be great! Well done, Jack, doing all that to keep me safe!"

"Just hurry up and join me down the stairs. We need to hurry up and get going." Leading the way, Jack ran down the step with great haste.

Not letting himself lose such a simple challenge, Phoro opened his wings and glided down. Before Jack had reached halfway, the Minokawa was resting beside Tralon. "Come on, Jack! I thought we couldn’t waste any time?"

"Shut up!"

Daruun, Tralon, and Argyle started laughing. The strange duo was perfect for each other.

"Hey, Daruun, I’ve been thinking," Jack asked as he hurried down the final steps. "You said I should only have up to four beasts as mutual companions. But don’t I already have four beast companions?"

"If you’re referring to your condor, Appa, then yes you do. Since Phoro’s bloodline is far stronger yet is similar, the condor’s essence was drowned out, not letting you merge with it. But that can be fixed if you transfer the seal to someone else."

Daruun’s statement startled Jack and everyone else in the room. The god spoke so nonchalantly, yet what he said was something completely foreign and viewed as impossible to them.

"How does that work?" asked Jack.

"Simple, you’ll remove your blood from the seal and replace it with the blood of another," stated Daruun. "But the conditions of the mutual seal still apply. Appa will have to respect and agree to reform the mutual seal with that person. But that’s not an issue."

"Why not?"

Daruun sighed. "Jack, who do you think has been caring for Appa while he’s been gone?"

Thinking back, Jack had given Eliza that responsibility since Maura was busy with Lina. And imagining how caring Eliza could be, his doubts started to fade.

"If you say so, but how do I make that change?"

"I’ll teach you after your party arrives here. Now hurry up before you fail this side quest," chuckled Daruun.

Nodding, Jack then smiled at Tralon. "Thanks for this. Allow me."

Jack hastily but carefully rewrote his pact and removed the EXP sharing effect.

With that over with, Jack bid them all a quick goodbye and stored Bowzer in his bestial storage. Then, Jack dragged Phoro through the small rift that Tralonhad opened, not wanting to waste Tralon’s time and mana.

On the other side of the rift, Jack found himself and Phoro in a forest.

"So, where to now?" asked Phoro.

"I guess Tralon hasn’t been to Sunset Valley in a long time. Take us up." Jack hopped onto Phoro’s back, who easily lifted the two of them into the sky overseeing the forest. "There! That should be the town."

With the sun still high in the sky, Jack and Phoro flew through the air in record time compared to Appa or Ayden.

’Eliza, where are you guys? I’m already at the town.’

’Jack! You’re finally awake?’ The happiness in her voice was apparent and impossible to miss. ’We’re camping inside Sunset Valley, not too far from the entrance. You can’t miss us.’

’Camping? You didn’t want to stay at the inn?’ asked Jack.

’It’s easier this way, plus Lina wanted to sleep with Appa since his feathers are so soft,’ Eliza replied. ’By the way, don’t you ever groom him, Jack? How could you be so ignorant?’

’That... I’m sure he self grooms, Eliza. I don’t have time to--’

’You can always make time, Jack. It doesn’t take that long,’ Eliza cut her husband off. ’Now, his feathers are twice as soft and he’s much happier.’

Jack sighed. "Then you’ll like what I’ve got to tell you. By the way, turn around."

’Turn around?’ Not realizing that Jack’s last statement was made verbally, Eliza turned around to see Jack standing not even a meter away from her. Both startled and excited, Eliza froze for a moment. But that moment cost her.

While Eliza froze up momentarily, Little Lina was already in midair, preparing to tackle her brother to the ground. "Big Bro!"

Knocked to the floor, Jack laughed, "Hey, Lina. Long time no see. Have you gotten taller?"

"Really? I’m getting bigger already?!" The little girl in a teenager’s body started to pat herself down, hoping to sense that she had grown.

"Stop teasing her, Jack." Eliza quickly recovered gave Jack’s shoulder a light punch as the hero got back up. "Don’t leave me behind again, okay?"

"Eliza, that’s a hard thing for me to promise," replied Jack. "But I can promise that I’ll always come back. How about that?"

"And not wife another wife?"

Nervously laughing at Eliza’s half-joke, Jack held up his hands and looked to his other wife heading his way. "Maura, it’s been--"

Again, Jack was cut off but in a much more pleasant way this time. Maura’s lips shut up the hero, locking with his briefly. A few seconds later, she broke off the kiss. "Jack, I’m glad you’re back."

"Maura..." Surprised to see Maura act so affectionately in front of the party, Eliza turned Jack around and did the same. After ending their smooch, Eliza smiled. "We’re both glad you’re back, Jack."

"T-Thanks..." chuckled Jack.

"Ya finally came!"

Maynard led the men as they returned to camp with the corpse of a large, gnarly boar. It was being carried by Rydel and Dirk while Trax held up the boar’s rear and tail.

"Sorry to interrupt your mealtime, but we need to hurry up and get going," stated Jack. "Let’s hurry to find Jin, then we need to get back to Gilga."

"So soon? What’s up, Jack?" Rydel asked, sensing that Jack’s urgency wasn’t from danger.

"So long as we hurry up, you’ll all get to meet Daruun." While the entire party was rendered speechless, Jack continued, "I managed to summon him and he’s staying in the Leisure Guild for now. But I also need to hurry to Korten and visit Eedaj. There’s a lot to catch up on since we last met, so I’ll explain all I can while we travel to Jin’s shrine, okay? Now, where’s Appa?"

Hearing his name, Appa poked his head out of the women’s tent, which was far larger than that of the men thanks to Eliza.

Then, Appa startled Jack by speaking aloud, "Yes, Jack?"

"Oh, right... I forgot he can speak now too," Jack chuckled. "We need you to take us to the heart of the valley. Can you do that?"

"Sure." The massive bird wiggled out of the tent’s entrance, then eyed the single unfamiliar face it found. "Who’s this?"

Turning around, Jack released Bowzer from the storage and pointed to the Minokawa. "Everyone, you all know Bowzer but this is Phoro. He’s one of my new bestial companions. Which reminds me..." While the rest of the party examined the draconic traits of the three-meter tall bird, Jack looked to the Giant Condor. "Would you like to be companions with Eliza instead of me?"