《I created my own system》


 Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Mission failed successfully

    The whole empire was shaken upon the discovery of one of the empire''s legends, Akashic Records. From the weakest to the strongest personnel are all set up to find the whereabouts of the mystical collection of knowledge.


    It is said that the records rest in a separate dimension which holds all the information about the universe. The accumulated knowledge generated a power that transcends even space and now finding it was not a mere myth. Which turned the world upside down.


    "It''s all that man''s fault"


    A child-like voice echoed through the dark halls of a library. His lone shadow cast the big shelves of the library. Silently he walked around the secret library.


    Three weeks ago a group of scholars and wizards excavated the resting place of a famous alchemist and wizard. There in his journal speaks about how he was able to briefly access the Akashic records unfortunately he wasn''t able to take them with him. According to the ancient wizard, the records don''t have a permanent place they move from one space to another making it even harder to locate.


    He was only able to access it two times but it was enough to put his knowledge and power to another level. In his last message, he told how someone could access the records but even with this method it still depended on the person if he would be successful.


    "Well it was already good enough that I have this place for myself"


    "Them leaving is also an opportunity for me"


    Standing in the middle of the secret library the little boy took out hundreds of scrolls and using the mana stones he had he activated them one by one.


    "Why should I go and search for uncertainties when I can go for a more certain route"


    He continued his dialogue while taking out a beast core its size as big as a child''s head. Inside the sapphire core is the image of the beast who previously owned it, a dragon.


    "Now I shall make my own Akashic using all the knowledge in this library" he breath slowly then he said


    "Let''s start now"


    Using the power of the beast core all the magic circles inside the hundred laid scrolls glow brightly igniting the tranquil library. The boy without hesitation started chanting a spell he had devised himself. Slowly each and every book on every shelf inside the library glows, and letters from different languages emerge from it.


    Then as if it was being sucked by a strong force the texts, images and equations found within the library all flew towards a certain place, towards the boy''s forehead.


    On the boy''s forehead, a five-colored magic circle was embedded absorbing all the magical knowledge the library has.


    Inside the boy''s mind, a space was created to store all the knowledge that came from the library. This space looks just like an orb that constantly moves inside his head.


    "Hmmm..."


    The orb wasn''t stable enough so the boy decided to use the little mana he had. Like mending an unstable house his mana flow gently turning the shaking orb steady.


    "More" he spoke then he took out another beast core this time it came from a desert Arachne like the previous beast core the power within it was used.


    The process just continued until the boy took another scroll.


    Inside the vast amount of knowledge, the boy decided to put the finishing touches.


    "Just like any place of knowledge, someone had to oversee it"


    Before coming to this stage the boy had used a spell to analyze his way of thinking. How he solves problems and how he tackles his research. All of his skills in creating magical equations to building magical machinery were analyzed by the spell he had created. The result of this analysis was the being who will assist him in using his Akashic records.


    He had created an artificial intelligence using himself as the blueprint.


    Using the magical scroll in his hand the boy made sure to fully install this but then he was suddenly taken aback when a sudden force made him roll in pain.


    The ancient magical books and forbidden text began radiating trying to resist the pull from taking them.


    "This is not going to be easy"


    Wiping his sweat the boy took out hundreds of mana crystals trying to create a power to restrain the stubborn ancient artifacts.


    "BLING!"


    All the ancient grimoire to the magical totems all joined forces to fight. These ancient magical artifacts have existed for a long time thus the magic inside them is immense.


    "These things are what I needed"


    He then decided that it was time to take risks. He closed his eyes and from his body, an astral projection of himself came out. An image of a little boy appeared floating in the middle of the resisting relic and his body.


    Using the sheer weight of his consciousness the battle turns into two against one. The boy''s body and mind were split into two making it hard for the ancient magical artifacts to fight back.


    "Just obey me!"


    Using his will he put more pressure but these relics can''t be deemed powerful for nothing they start attacking which the boy had anticipated. The moment they attack his body also attack using the spell he had prepared in advance a binding spell was cast. These took them off guard and without warning the boy''s overpowering mind suppressed them.


    "Now come to me"


    Without any options, they finally surrendered the magic within them and were taken inside his body. Seeing this the boy immediately returned afraid that something would go wrong. After that small obstacle, everything just went well. After the last book was taken the boy finally heard what he wanted to hear.


    [Ding]


    [Congratulations creator you succeed!]


    [Jeremiah is grateful for the creator''s kindness]


    "Now then what is this I made?"


    He never really believed he could create Akashic but he believed that whatever the result of his experiment could lead to the result he wanted. And that is to grow stronger, stronger than anyone in his family.


    "Jeremiah give me a brief introduction of the things you can do"


    [Analysing....]


    [Jeremiah could access all the knowledge taken from the underground library and use it to the creator''s command]


    [Jeremiah could also synthesize, create new spells and access the skills that came from the creator]


    "Well I anticipated that"


    The boy thought long enough then a thought flashed in his mind.


    "Give me my statistics according to the study of Lenard Agustin"


    [Data gathering and analysis....]


    [Statistics complete]


    [Statistical report


    Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Excited


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Apprentice


    Level: 15


    Strength: 30


    Agility: 40


    Dexterity: 50


    Endurance: 40


    Stamina: 30


    Intelligence: 52


    Mana: 50


    Vitality: 100


    Skills/Abilities:


    Spell synthesis(Rank A) {Passive}


    Alchemic craft (Rank A) {Passive}


    Weapon creation (Rank A) {Passive}


    ADVANCED STATISTICS {LOCKED}]


    "Locked huh?.... Jeremiah unlocked the advanced statistics"


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: {Unawakened}


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution:{Unawakened}]


    "Unawakened that''s interesting..."


    Apollo was about to order Jeremiah when someone suddenly barged inside the secret library.

 Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Mission

    After collapsing inside the secret library he didn''t notice that his mother and the head of the wizard tower had finally returned from their journey.


    "Sir Nicholas where is my son" she immediately asked finding it odd how her adorable child didn''t welcome her.


    "High mage your son went off to the underground library and told us not to enter. It seems he was still upset that he wasn''t allowed to come with you"


    A senior mage said looking a bit worried about the child.


    "Alright I''ll be there I should probably talk to him"


    White luxurious hair and purple eyes a dazzling woman made her way towards the underground library of the tower. It was a place that used to be accessible only to the upper echelon of the tower but now her son, a mere researcher went back and forth on the secret library and no one had ever complained.


    Seeing the youngest high mage looking anxious made the head of the wizard tower smirk.


    "Nickolas do remember when the secret library was called the forbidden library because of the atrocious knowledge hidden in there?"


    "Yes sir well time flies and now a boy doesn''t even recognize the danger of the things he created using the knowledge down there"


    "Let''s make a bet my old friend that boy made something again"


    "That''s interesting alright I''m in"


    Unbeknownst to the woman her son is being subjected to a childish game. Nevertheless, she hurriedly passed all the security measures of the secret library and after so many switches and turns she finally arrived at a giant black door.


    "Open"


    She commanded and the door opened on its own.


    As soon as the door opens she immediately uses a spell to locate her son.


    "Apollo!"


    She said as she saw her child sitting in the middle of the library.


    "Mom!"


    The child''s attitude turns 360 as soon as he sees his mother immediately he goes towards her.


    "How is my cute Apollo"


    "Mom I''m already thirteen I don''t think cute is still a word applicable to me"


    His mother Isabella lovingly hugged her son in return Apollo did the same he hugged her the way he could show his love but then his mother began interrogating him.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "I was studying but I got tired and ended up sleeping here"


    "Well it''s already midnight way past your bedtime"


    She sternly said while slightly pitching her son''s cheeks.


    "Let''s go I''m sure you are curious about our journey"


    "Let me guess Mother you failed right?"


    Apollo jokingly said making Isabella pitch her son''s cheeks again.


    "Although we indeed failed shouldn''t I at least receive some comfort from my son?"


    "Well, should I sleep with Mom tonight as a form of comfort?"


    He added mischievously while they walked out of the secret library.


    Hand in hand the mother and son went up from the lowest point of the tower towards the great hall there the owner of the wizard tower and Nicholas were waiting for them.


    "Grandpa Alger!"


    Seeing the old wizard Apollo looked at his mother asking if he could go to him.


    "Go on just be quick"


    "Okay!"


    Running towards the old wizard Apollo hugged him.


    Get yourself killed.... almost killed...I mean..]


    "I don''t think the third one could work since I already experienced a near-death situation and no bloodline nor body constitution work"


    [Then we shall erase number 3


    The second option has these two


    1, Complete one of the spells of Salamander Ridman, a famous wizard studying the hidden bloodline and body constitution of wizards.


    2, Use the alchemic formula of Segundo Alfonso, which is known to awaken a wizard''s hidden bloodline and constitution.]


    "I think it''s good enough then what''s the last?"


    [The last is one of the most optimistic option creator]


    "Oh?...now I''m even more expectant"


    [It''s black magic...]


    "....."


    "Come again?"


    [It''s black magic creator...it''s a type of magic..]


    "Yeah I know I know but I have to look at it up before and using black magic to grow stronger would affect the mind of the user"


    [It still depends on what type of black magic, creator. Jeremiah had analyzed thousands of types of black magic spells and out of it Jeremiah had synthesized dozens and came up with this option]


    Apollo now was very silent for the first time he felt stupid. Obviously, there are thousands of spells under black magic and only 40% of those are considered harmful. He studied them thinking it could be helpful but realizing the consequences of using this method he gave up.


    "But Jeremiah is different if I failed it doesn''t mean he would too"


    A smirk escaped from his lips regaining his confidence.


    "Okay tell me how will it help me"


    Again a voice devoid of emotions rang across Apollo''s consciousness.


    [Jeremiah shall extract the essence from the dead its range is currently small due to the creator''s level. Each time a being dies in your proximity you will get the essence from them]


    "Do I have to be the one to kill them?"


    [It doesn''t need to be creator]


    "So the essence you were talking about was the one in Alexander Lorenz''s theories?"


    [Yes, but not exactly because according to the grimoire of shadows it is not exactly a soul that expels from a deceased body but the residual mana their body has. As the body decomposes the mana inside their body slowly leaves and blends in nature that residual mana is what we are going to take]


    "And since it is not a tainted energy but mana instead it won''t cause any negative effects on me"


    [Indeed creator but mana is not the only thing we could benefit from the dead. We could also use the core of magical beasts. According to a theory beast''s core is not just the materialization of a beast''s magical power but it also contains their soul. According to Jeremiah''s hypothesis if we could safely absorb a beast core. Creator could harness the skills of the killed beast]


    Apollo began contemplating something was missing yet he couldn''t tell what that was.


    "Oh... right I forgot Jeremiah I don''t think just mana could help me increase my statistics"


    [Mana is the energy that flows in every living being it is also the most flexible energy that could be used in any kind of way. After modifying one of the ancient spells ''Conversion'' Jeremiah would convert mana into another type of energy that shall enhance any of the categories inside the creator''s statistics]


    This time Apollo smiled feeling extremely satisfied he had expected the explanation but it still felt different hearing it being possible.


    "Alright let''s list down our objectives then"


    [ OBJECTIVES


    ?First I''ll be awakening my hidden bloodline and body constitution"


    ?Second I need to grow stronger and increase my statistics


    ? and that would lead to Third, with enough stats venturing any of the places on the map will be easy, I hope so]


    "When I grow strong enough I should go at least one of these places having a blessing or inheritance would definitely be helpful to me"


    Looking at the list in front of him he couldn''t help but be satisfied.


    "Alright let''s call this Mission: Grow stronger"

 Chapter 3: Chapter 3: How to kill

    Morning came and Apollo was happier than any morning he ever had.


    "You seem very happy all of a sudden"


    Isabella couldn''t help but say as she looked at her extra energetic son.


    "I had a good dream mom"


    Then Apollo energetically hums while preparing himself for breakfast.


    Inside the huge dining hall where usually wizards and witches of the tower took their meal, Isabella and Apollo happily ate their breakfast there.


    "I should start testing the third option"


    The boy thought while putting more slices of bacon in his mouth. Then as fast as he could he finished his breakfast and went towards the place where magical beasts often die. The magic examination and testing area.


    "Be careful son"


    "I will mom"


    Looking at Apollo''s back Isabella was happy looking at her son who looked more lively than before.


    "Have you told the boy?"


    Beside her eating was one of the senior mages in the tower Arthur Linais.


    "You know how he hates going home"


    "I don''t think that kid considers that place a home"


    She knows he was right the Lionheart duchy was never kind to her son. Her husband and two other children never consider Apollo as one of them either. Isabella can''t help but lower her head letting her white hair flow down like a waterfall.


    "Just say that Apollo is busy doing research stuff for the head of the tower"


    "I already used that last year"


    "How about him being hospitalized"


    "Already used as well"


    "He is being appointed as your substitute inside the tower"


    "I already used it as well"


    "Just tell them he is dead"


    "Arthur!"


    "Sorry I was just kidding "


    "Then it isn''t funny"


    While Isabella used every fiber of her brain to think of an excuse for her precious son not to be brought back into the main house. Apollo was happily running towards the bloodiest place in the wizard tower, the magic examination and testing area.


    Arriving in front of a tall tower, Apollo went straight towards the place where wizards put their experiments to the test. The testing zone was quite similar to a small arena with seats at the side and a wide open area in the middle. At the four corners of the testing zone are four station offices that shall examine the experiment in four different directions.


    Right on time the researcher in Blue Moon Tower is currently conducting their experiment.


    "Okay everyone clear and ready?"


    "Ready!"


    "This is Project Soldier, 78th test attempt of an artificial warrior, day 134"


    A robotic machine suddenly walked, each of its steps was slow and steady mainly due to its weight being way too heavy. Its body looks like an ancient samurai warrior equipped with his armour, sword and bow and arrow.


    The artificial warrior was made of steel with the combination of golem machinery and alchemy for it to move. Wizards of Blue Moon Tower believe that this project would be the solution to the current lack of manpower in the empire.


    "Jeremiah can you analyze that artificial warrior for me"


    [Affirmative creator but it may take a while for me to accomplish the task. Since currently Jeremiah still has a limited strength]


    Apollo nodded his head not really caring how long can it take since he would be staying for a while.


    In front of the artificial warrior is a beast Apollo has never seen before.


    "That''s a demon beast"


    He couldn''t help but muttered.


    Demon beasts are quite different from the typical magical beasts found in the forest since demon beasts came from the land of the Demon realm. The appearance as well are widely different. Demon beast has a blueish-black to red color while a magical beast''s size and colours have to be depended on their element.


    "Hmmm?.."


    Apollo was confused, will arrows work against such a fast enemy? Well, the answer is yes the artificial warrior may be slow but the way he handles his weapon is really different.


    "He is fast too fast"


    He mumbled as he saw a rain of arrows chasing a single shadow of the hellhound.


    "Will it hit?"


    And as if answering his question an arrow did hit the beast.


    "Now that''s strange"


    Instead of being wounded, it didn''t even scratch him and the hound grew even faster despite the rain or arrows. Then Apollo realized that he had forgotten something. The coat or pelt that surrounds the hellhound is very sturdy at the same time he remembered something more interesting about hellhounds.


    "They have a damage reduction skill"


    Though it could only work twice every fifteen minutes it is still a good life-saving skill.


    "It''s ending"


    The area is almost covered with arrows and although the beast tries to move closer towards the artificial warrior a spear would welcome him. The way the artificial warrior switches from one weapon to another made it hard for that hound to fight. The sound of arrows being released reverberated around the area. Apollo stared as he noticed that the arrows only hit one specific spot on the hound''s body.


    "I see it is ending"


    One more arrow was released and hit the back of the head of the beast. Apollo heard a cracking sound and saw how the arrow penetrated the head of the beast.


    "Is my range okay Jeremiah?"


    [Yes creator.... commencing absorption]


    As the experiment ended Apollo jumped down from the bleachers and went towards the fallen hound.


    "Wait Apollo it''s dangerous!"


    Coming out of the four-station office, are wizards from the Blue Moon tower.


    "Child approaching a beast recklessly is dangerous "


    A senior mage said as he arrived right in front of Apollo.


    "Sir Gavin your warrior is overheating"


    The boy just said which made the wizard named Gavin fly towards the machine.


    As soon as he arrived huge black smoke emerged from it making all the wizards that were supposed to go to Apollo switch and go towards the artificial warrior.


    The boy just chuckled seeing how panicky they were. This machinery is almost perfect the problem is it overheats they should have used a much slower beast than a fast beast like a hellhound.


    "And here I thought it could have worked"


    One of the wizards said looking worried at the charcoal body of the warrior.


    "They must have tested it to multiple types of beast and its only problem is its overheating every time it fights. One-time use weapons are not particularly good"


    [Ding essence absorption is now Completed]


    "How much did we get"


    [25, creator... newly killed beast is much easier to absorb, so I suggest that we find ways to harvest them]


    Now Apollo began to think he had never killed before though there are circumstances where he almost did but it never happened.


    "I wonder if I should ask my mother"


    He decided to look for his mother when Gavin called him.


    "Apollo, will it be alright if we ask for your help here?"


    Reluctantly he agreed.


    He thought that he could finish everything but it took them an entire day to review the artificial warrior.


    "So much for helping"


    He couldn''t help but sigh that his free time was only limited since their tower''s next project would start next week.


    "I will be busy again"


    While walking the boy tries to ease his tired mind though he doesn''t know if he can.

 Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Conversion

    He thought that he could finish everything but it took them an entire day to review the artificial warrior.


    "So much for helping"


    He couldn''t help but sigh that his free time was only limited since their tower''s next project would start next week.


    "I will be busy again"


    [Creator while we stayed inside The magic examination and testing area. I have gathered the essence of the dying beast there]


    "Good at least our trip wasn''t a waste so how much did we get?"


    [45]


    "I think that''s a good start so shall we start the conversion?"


    [I shall start although the process might take me at least up until tomorrow]


    "Go ahead I won''t mind"


    [Jeremiah won''t be able to speak to the creator for a while so if you may have any questions please wait for me tomorrow]


    "I will"


    [Then I shall start!]


    While walking towards the black tower Apollo stared at the setting sun. His smile disappeared and was replaced by a cold stoic face. He hated the colour of the sky whenever it was about to get dark. The colour of red and orange mixed together as darkness began to come, and he hated it. And he hated how he had the same colour in his hair.


    The color of the setting sun was a mark he wanted to erase after all members of the Lionheart family had this same blazing hair colour.


    "I wish I had my mom''s hair color instead"


    He suddenly felt his chest hurting but he decided to ignore it.


    "It''s no use feeling pain"


    He breathed slowly then his eyes grew even colder.


    "Once you have the power you can erase that pain"


    He walked with even more conviction until he arrived inside the black tower.


    "Hey Apollo"


    Greeted the man who was at the front desk he was the head of the administration office.


    "Evening Grandpa Jer"


    The old man just smiled before giving Apollo a poach.


    "Here I got you some beast core play with them"


    Receiving the heavy poach of beast core the previous cold expression of the boy turned into a child who just received a toy.


    "You like it?"


    Apollo just nodded enthusiastically seeing his reaction the Oldman urged him to head inside.


    "By the way your mother still has a meeting until this morning" he added before letting the child leave.


    "Got it Grandpa Jer"


    He used the tower''s teleporter to get to the residential floor of the tower. Arriving on his floor he ran excitedly towards his room.


    "Unfortunately, I couldn''t talk to Jeremiah right now but I should first check on this"


    Opening the poach he was amazed with the beautiful beast core he received.


    Out of all the topics Alger the head of the wizard tower started with this question.


    "Sir why suddenly?"


    Flustered due to the situation she can''t help but ask.


    "Well because if I ask you about your son surely there is an answer but if I ask about the Akashic no one could give me a proper answer"


    "Here''s my decision we will put the search for Akashic on hold. This doesn''t mean we are giving up but we shall focus on the things that we have control over"


    "We will focus on further developing our knowledge about magic. If Akashic wanted enlightenment we shall give it to him"


    With those final words from Alger, the meeting was finally ended.


    "Isabella" Called Alger.


    "Yes sir?"


    "Have you told the boy about the imperial banquet?"


    A sigh escaped from her lips making Nicholas worried as well.


    The imperial banquet is celebrated once every 5 years to celebrate the reign of the imperial family. Every aristocratic family under the empire is obligated to come. Since the Lionheart is a ducal family every member is required to come.


    "I''m going to prepare Apollo for this"


    "How about letting the boy stay here until the day of the banquet then we will escort him once we come to greet the emperor. After that, we will bring him back here not letting him meet any single member of your family"


    "Can I really do that?"


    "Of course Isabella I insist since every time he goes to that place his expression is often cold and murderous"


    "Thank you very much sir I would tell this to Apollo"


    "Alright you may leave"


    After leaving the conference room she went straight to her son''s room where she saw his peaceful and happy expression.


    "It seems my son decided to sleep early"


    Gazing at the sleeping boy she thought about how her son used to look at her indifferently.


    Isabella wasn''t the best mother but she tried her best despite being extremely busy due to her duties inside the tower. When Apollo was born she had taken care of him for two years before returning to the tower. Every once in a while she would return to visit her children. She gave the attention she could give and gave the love she had, thinking it was enough.


    At first, her boy was treated the same way as the others not until the duke decided to test Apollo''s attributes. That''s when he realized his son had an ordinary talent. The duke thought it was unacceptable thus from a loving father he switched to an abusive father who only knew how to hurt his son. Isabella didn''t know any of that not until she saw how broken of a boy Apollo had become.


    "My sweet little sun I hope you forgive Mommy for not being able to protect you"


    She whispered while gently caressing her son''s face.


    She still remembers how he used to treat her indifferently, how he never recognized her as his mother and how his eyes told her he was planning to kill her. The way those orange eyes looked at her, was never how a son should look at his mother. It was more like a killer towards his victim.


    "What on earth did your father do to you and you turn like that" She continues to say.


    Then she decided to sleep beside her son making sure no nightmares would follow the child.


    "Sweet dreams Apollo"


    In her hand is a magic spell that can make beautiful dreams, she hopes that by doing this it could stop the traumas that haunt in his dreams.


    As the hours pass stars slowly disappear and the sun begins to rise. Apollo woke up feeling refreshed as he tried to get up he felt a weight around his body. Confused he looked up and saw his mother sleeping peacefully.


    "Mom?"


    Looking at his mother who still wore her black robe Apollo realized she must have gone to him as soon as the meeting ended. He was thinking of letting his mom sleep more when a voice rang inside his mind.


    [Creator conversion is finished you have 22 stat points that can enhance all of the attributes in your statistics]

 Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Upgrade

    [Creator the conversion is finished you have 22 stat points that can enhance all of the attributes in your statistics]


    Hearing those sweet words almost made the boy jump on his bed but unfortunately, his mother was sleeping soundly on it so he decided to cheer in his mind.


    "Okay show me my statistics"


    Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Excited


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Apprentice


    Level: 15


    Strength: 30


    Agility: 40


    Dexterity: 50


    Endurance: 40


    Stamina: 30


    Intelligence: 52


    Mana: 50


    Vitality: 100]


    "Now this is what you call attribute imbalance.....well maybe not so imbalanced"


    Then he looks at the 22-start point he has, a smirk escaping from his lips.


    "Let''s make the imbalance, balance"


    Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Excited


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Apprentice


    Level: 15


    Strength: 30


    Agility: 40


    Dexterity: 50


    Endurance: 45


    Stamina: 45


    Intelligence: 52


    Mana: 52


    Vitality: 100


    "Well it seems like I still need more points to upgrade all of my attributes"


    "The attribute number for level 15 is 52 so if I want to balance them all I still need 50 stat points...that''s at least a hundred essences"


    [Creator we need to work hard]


    "Yes Jeremiah it seems so"


    Right now what he needs to do is to hunt more beasts and take their essence. However, that will be put on hold since he can''t move unless he wakes his mother.


    "Well let''s just continue to rest up"


    Giving up he decided to close his eyes and sleep again.


    A few minutes after that his mother finally woke up and they headed out to have their breakfast.


    "Good morning little sun"


    Some of the mages there greeted Apollo which he gladly reciprocated.


    "Mom I would like to visit the outer layer of the Afra forest"


    "When?"


    "It''s okay little sun just be safe "


    "I will!"


    "Take your lunch before hunting okay"


    "I will"


    Taking his stuff Apollo ran out of the magic examination and testing area then Jeremiah spoke.


    [Creator after staying there we had gathered 20 essences]


    "That''s good but there is a slight problem here"


    [And that is?]


    "Your speed, is there a way to hasten the conversion?"


    [Creator The main reason why the conversion is too slow is due to Jeremiah''s deficiency. Conversion requires energy and since my energy and storage are still low I need to take my time to do the conversion]


    "I see so I was the one at fault in that.... after all, I made you. So how should we hasten the process"


    [By upgrading me Creator if I can enlarge my storage my energy will also improve that way the conversion will be done quicker]


    "So do we have to use the essence as well to upgrade you?..or should I use some of my resources"


    [Resources?]


    While they were conversing Apollo already arrived at his room. Immediately he grabbed a bread and munched it after that he took out something from an iron chest box. It was one meter in length and two feet in height, its surface is adorned with magical symbols indicating it was enchanted. Lightly touching the keyhole made the enchantment of the chest unlocked.


    Slowly it opens and cold energy comes out. Familiar with this feeling Apollo took out something from the chestbox it was a luminous blueish crystal with a very smooth to tough surface.


    [Crystal mana]


    High concentrations of mana would often solidify turning into crystals. Wizards and witches of the tower have many types of equipment in order for the mana to be safely extracted from its crystal form.


    "I think this should be enough"


    He took out three high-density crystals and said, "Knowing you can absorb essence I don''t think you can''t extract mana from a Crystal right?"


    [Do not worry Creator I can handle this]


    Apollo just held the three crystals in his hand then suddenly he felt a magic circle appear on his forehead. It was the same magic circle he used to create Jeremiah. A cooling sensation soon covered the boy as he felt the steady absorption of the crystal mana. The absorption was done steadily though some excess mana would be taken by the boy enhancing his physique.


    Soon three high-density crystal mana were absorbed.


    "Now that was nice"


    The previous precious and beautiful crystal became dust since the mana it contained was completely absorbed.


    [Energy absorption has been completed..... recalibrating....data sequencing.... Calculating expansion..... recalibrating...]


    Apollo felt his consciousness flicker as he felt the turbulent waves of energy coming from a glowing orb, that orb was Jeremiah.


    "Let''s eat more before hunting"


    Taking another bread he quickly put it in his mouth before gulping it down with a glass of milk.


    "Right let''s head to the forest now!"


    Excited for his future development he equipped himself with his hunting attire. However, that attire was merely a full Nano armor with one chanting bracelet for each of his wrists.


    "Right we are good to go"


    His gray full armor made out of nano machines felt incredibly light and strong hopefully he wouldn''t encounter any strong beasts.


    "Since we are heading towards a forest a good companion who knows the should accompany me"


    Apollo activated a wolf head insignia on his neck using it as a way to summon his spirit.


    "BLING!"


    The insignia which serves as the connection between Apollo and his spirit wolf Bulan spread out from his neck before extending to the boy''s arm.


    "Summon!"


    Extending his hand the insignia transforms into a magic circle which is the gate towards the world of spirits.


    "AWOO!"


    Howl the spirit beast as he landed swiftly from the portal to Apollo.


    "Welcome Bulan we will go for a hunt today"


    "I shall aid master as much as I can"


    "Alright let''s go"


    Hopping on the wolf''s back Apollo urges the spirit wolf to head towards the Afra forest.

 Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Hunting

    "Master, Apollo already left the tower''s territory and has now entered the outer layer of the Afra forest "


    A deep enigmatic voice echoes through the quiet research office. Inside the office full of research materials and a stack of papers three figures can be seen talking, two spirits and one woman.


    "Ifrit follow my son to the forest, make sure nothing dangerous happens"


    The fire spirit nodded his head before disappearing right in front of his master. Isabella remained sitting on her chair staring at the pile of papers on her table.


    "Amihan go to the duchy and tell me everything that''s been going on in there"


    The wind spirit Amihan nodded, slowly she strides towards the window letting her sensual curves and unworldly beauty blend into the wind''s calm breeze.


    Seeing her white hair spirit finally left Isabella could only sigh feeling nervous whenever her son went on a trip to the forest.


    "Isabella calm down for sure nothing will happen" she said to herself.


    While Isabella continued to worry Apollo had started to venture the outer layer of the forest.


    "It''s as big as I remember"


    He smiled looking at the abundant life inside the forest.


    "Master we have to be careful here"


    "I know Bulan we will be careful"


    Soon Apollo unmounted his spirit wolf deciding to walk beside him. While walking they found many kinds of flora which made the boy excited soon he began collecting them.


    [Expansion is now completed will the Creator like to see the new features of Jeremiah?]


    A voice devoid of emotion rang in his head.


    "And here I thought I needed to wait for tomorrow"


    Apollo was about to ask Jeremiah when Bulan suddenly spoke.


    "Master a pack of Ivory wolves are on their way here"


    "That''s strange we shouldn''t encounter them here...unless.."


    He suddenly looked at the floras he had picked up and suddenly it dawned on him.


    "Shit!" He could only say.


    Ivory wolves are a type of magical beast that has the element of wind. They often hunt smaller magical beasts or human hunters that stumble upon their territory. One of the smaller beasts they hunt is called the purple haze rabbit.


    This small rabbit is poisonous however it wasn''t life-threatening for ivory wolves but it could still cause some pain so they would eat a certain plant to negate the effects. And unfortunately, Apollo had just plucked that specific plant.


    "They didn''t mark the plant right?"


    [They did, unfortunately]


    "That sucks"


    He had no choice since if he left the plant there it would leave his scent those wolves could still track him down.


    "Since my purpose of coming here is to hunt then I should just start"


    The boy started cracking his knuckles feeling motivated then he began setting up traps.


    "How many are coming here?"


    "7"


    [7]


    "Alright the number is fine"


    Typically a magical beast such as an ivory wolf would have at least a hundred pack members depending on the alpha''s rank.


    Magical wolves have this certain ability to track their pack members. If one were to kill them they would be marked and hunted by the alpha but it was only the case if a huge amount of wolf blood was shed.


    However the ivory wolves activated their skills, damage reduction and iron pelt making the effects of the earth spike useless. Apollo already anticipated such a thing based on how he saw the hellhound defend.


    The third spell activated as the wolves tried to dash towards Apollo.


    A freezing spell froze the legs of the three wolves then the fourth and last spell activated. It was a fire spell called birnen it could create a strong flame that could suddenly burst like a bomb. Due to the small explosion, the three wolves were blown away still alive but their legs were useless.


    "Done for the first phase"


    Apollo said then he felt the two remaining wolves were two feet away from him. One on the back and one in front the problem was the remaining two.


    "Impressive they use the smoke to mask themselves"


    The boy commented as he saw two beasts opening their mouths to attack he was about to cast a spell when Bulan and Jeremiah alerted him.


    "Master on your Left!"


    [Creator on your Left!]


    His body tensed up when he heard that then he saw a wind attack ravaging its way towards him. Since his front and back have two wolves already ready to kill while his left side has a wind spell already coming towards him naturally he should dodge to his right. However, he won''t do that because he doesn''t have to.


    "The fourth wolf should be on my right side" he said while looking at the teeth of the wolf ready to bite him down.


    "Your breath stinks" he only said before another trap triggered. The entire area was covered in a magic circle the trap was triggered due to the wolves using one of their skills.


    Another gravity spell struck down making the four wolves hit the ground then Apollo finally cast a spell.


    "Let me show you one of my favorite spells"


    His hand suddenly sparks and the heat intensifies. The four wolves used their skills iron pelt and damage reduction ready to tank the spell Apollo was preparing.


    "Thunderclap!"


    A thundering roar echoed throughout the forest as lightning struck from Apollo''s hand. Surrounding the boy is a burned ground with four wolves dead.


    "The smell of burnt flesh is really revolting"


    He said while covering his nose then he felt something come out of his shadow it was his spirit wolf Bulan.


    "Master what should we do with their bodies?"


    "Eat them if you want I don''t mind"


    "How about their cores master?"


    "Hmmm?.....well leave them to me if I don''t need them I''ll feed them to you"


    After careful consideration, he said that.


    After all, he needs to see how he could get a skill by extracting a magical beast core.


    "I should test it as soon as I return home"


    [Creator please don''t leave the area since I am not done yet]


    "It''s okay Jeremiah I am not really in a rush" he replied then he looked at his trembling hand.


    "It''s not perfect yet"


    Thunderclap is a higher-tier spell but Apollo changes the spell in a way it could suit him. He minimized the mana consumption but the process of casting the spell was prolonged. As soon as the fight started the boy was already casting the thunderclap spell fortunately everything went according to his plan.


    "I still can''t use the spell properly"


    The mana consumption was still high for him even though he had minimized it.


    "Never mind Jeremiah are you done?" He asked but before Jeremiah could answer a howl made the boy tremble.


    "Argh!"


    The strength alone of the howl made Apollo and Bulan kneel. Every lower-level beast inside the outer and inner layers of the forest felt the pressure of howling making them cower in fear.


    [Run Creator!]


    Jeremiah''s voice rang in Apollo''s head and immediately he ordered Bulan to take him out of the forest.

 Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Run

    "Never mind Jeremiah are you done?" He asked but before Jeremiah could answer a howl made the boy tremble.


    "Argh!"


    The strength alone of the howl made Apollo and Bulan kneel. The air tightened and Apollo gasped for air. The howl made his body shake his instincts telling him to run.


    Every lower-level beast inside the outer and inner layers of the forest felt the pressure of howl making them cower in fear.


    [Run Creator!]


    Jeremiah''s voice rang in Apollo''s head and immediately he ordered Bulan to take him out of the forest.


    From afar you can see birds and other magical beasts fleeing against something. Due to their size and number, the dust began to cover the surroundings blocking the view of the forest. Whereas some trees weren''t able to survive from being stepped on by dozens of beasts.


    A beast full of rage began running across the inner layer to the outside layer of the forest.


    "What the hell is going on...I only killed seven why is he here already!"


    Apollo grimaced while holding onto Bulan afraid that he might fall.


    "Jeremiah is there a way to remove my scent?"


    He frantically asked after he forgot to erase his scene when they took off.


    [Creator doesn''t need to worry as I already erased all of our traces]


    "That''s good to hear then"


    He was about to feel relief when he felt a presence following them.


    "Could it be!?"


    The boy was quite frightened if push came to shove he might need to summon his mother''s spirit which he didn''t want to do. And that is why he bravely looked back and saw a horde of magical beasts trying to flee like him.


    "Just what kind of trouble did I get myself into"


    He could only say while trying to take out a scroll.


    "Master please tighten your hold" Bulan reminded Apollo just nodded and tried to cast a spell instead.


    "Enchant!"


    Suddenly Bulan''s body became lighter as his master Apollo cast an enchantment so he could run much faster.


    "Just how far are we?"


    [Near the boundary of the outer and outmost layer of the forest Creator]


    Jeremiah answered then Apollo felt even more nervous as he saw how other magical beasts outrun them.


    "Jeremiah tell me how many points did you get?"


    [Currently, I am in the process of converting and thus can''t give you a proper answer]


    "Damn it!..then can you absorb this from me?"


    In his hand is a pouch filled with magic beast cores the ones he got from his grandpa Jer.


    [I can but the absorption would take a while since converting and absorbing at the same time can cause some energy... would Creator still proceed?"]


    "Yeah just do it!"


    "Master I will be increasing my speed please hold on tight!"


    "Alright!"


    The little boy holds on his wolf''s back wishing that he won''t make a mistake such as attracting the attention of the alpha.


    "GRRRR!!"


    Unfortunately, luck wasn''t on his side since they were outrun by some more faster beast the first thing the alpha ivory wolf saw was him.


    "Not good!"


    He suddenly wanted to call his mother''s spirit when he saw the level of the alpha.


    [Status


    Type: Ivory wolf


    Status: Berserk


    Rank: General


    Level: 15


    Strength: 130


    Agility: 120


    Dexterity: 100


    Endurance: 125


    Stamina: 127


    Defense: 130


    Intelligence: 120


    Mana: 130


    Mana regeneration: 2 per second


    Vitality: 200


    Skills/Abilities


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution:{Unawakened}]


    "Jeremiah put the remaining points to increase my skills now!"


    Apollo then waved his hand and a scroll came out of his hand becoming the only thing that separated between the boy and the alpha wolf.


    "ACTIVATE!"


    Ten magical scrolls glow and begin activating these scrolls contain a black magic called nigrum tentacula.


    Black thick tentacles emerge from the ten scrolls Apollo spread out all aiming at a single being the Ivory wolf alpha.


    This black magic aims to eat any life forms it sees specifically strong prey. The more powerful the prey the more they get attracted to it. And that is why Apollo specifically chose this spell to counter him then he heard Jeremiah''s voice.


    Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Anxious


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Apprentice


    Level: 16


    Strength: 55


    Agility: 55


    Dexterity: 55


    Endurance: 55


    Stamina: 55


    Intelligence: 55


    Mana: 55


    Mana regeneration: 5 per minute


    Vitality: 130]


    Skills/Abilities:


    Spell synthesis(Rank A) {Passive}


    Alchemic craft (Rank A) {Passive}


    Weapon creation (Rank A) {Passive}


    Machinery Engineer (Rank C) {Passive}


    Light of Aegis (Rank C) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked.


    Lightning Call (Rank C) {Passive} - Increases any lightning-based spells or attacks.


    Reflecto mirror (Rank C) {Active} - Return the attacks of opponents it may be a spell or physical attack.


    Tenfold (Rank C) {Active}- Return Ten to thirty percent of the received attack.


    Demonification (Rank ??) {Active}- Rank General is required to open this skill.


    ADVANCED STATISTICS


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: {Unawakened}


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution:{Unawakened}]


    Light began to appear in his hand as he summoned another lightning spell.


    "Thunderclap!"


    Lightning struck the General rank alpha however Apollo knew it wasn''t enough to injure him his damage reduction skill would block the attack he made.


    What he wanted was to momentarily paralyse him by pulling huge amounts of bolts hopefully it worked cause if not then his last resort would be relying on his mother''s spirit.


    "Bulan!"


    "On it master!"


    Apollo''s mana is down to ten which is a bit dangerous although his mana would only regenerate at 5 every minute.


    "We have to get out of here!"


    "Jeremiah where''s the alpha!"


    [Currently, he is still unable to move due to the tentacles binding him]


    "Good!"


    His eyes became a bit blurry but it was still okay although Bulan became much slower due to the fatigue.


    "Don''t worry Bulan we are about to get out of here"


    And just like what he said the two were able to leave the forest nice and safe.


    "Hoo...I wanna eat" he could only say as he looked at himself.

 Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Low sense of danger

    "Hoo...I wanna eat" he could only say as he looked at himself.


    His hair is dishevelled but surprisingly he didn''t receive any physical injury. He was only pale due to losing too much mana but other than that he was fine.


    "Hmm?"


    Then he remembered his nano armor no scratch could be seen on its smooth black surface.


    "I should have tested the effects of this"


    He muttered then he checked his chanting bracelets.


    Chanting bracelets are similar to wands and staff they exist to help witches and wizards chant spells and minimize their mana consumption.


    "It seems like it isn''t broken yet" he said feeling relieved then he spoke to Jeremiah.


    "How many scrolls do I have left?"


    [Currently, you have 20 remaining scrolls creator]


    "Hmm?..." He pondered then he spoke.


    "I wonder if I can go back and fight the General rank alpha"


    "Master I don''t recommend that the sheer power of his attack shattered the barrier you created for three months"


    "Oh right he did that"


    "Master seriously " Bulan exasperatedly said fearing that his master might return to the forest.


    "Jeremiah, is there a way for you to mask our scent?"


    [I can Creator but I could only do so for a couple of minutes]


    "That''s good enough"


    "Master I don''t like what you are about to do"


    "Trust me Bulan as long we prepared enough even a General rank beast will definitely fall"


    Bulan has no choice he has to obey his master even though he knows it''s a suicide decision.


    The boy merely snapped his fingers and twenty scrolls appeared from his space ring.


    "Let''s see how should utilize these twenty scrolls"


    "Jeremiah, where''s the alpha?"


    [He is back to his den inside the inner layer of the forest]


    "I see well I should set up the plan to kill him...hmm...if I am not mistaken his mana should be at 130 .. he is worth killing"


    Apollo pondered then he looked through the twenty scrolls floating in front of him.


    "Right I should use this instead" he grinned feeling excited.


    While this transpires a spirit quietly observes them, Ifrit the fire demon spirit.


    "Should I stop him or report this to Master?" The spirit began to think nevertheless he continued to watch over the boy.


    "Alright, Bulan since we have fully recovered let''s go back then!"


    The spirit wolf could only sigh he really couldn''t say no to his master.


    "Should I amend some parts of our contract to stop his suicidal action?" He thought while looking at Apollo''s excited face.


    Seeing that refreshing he could just think "Nah it''s rare to see that smile let''s just leave it as it is"


    Apollo like what he did before came inside the forest with Bulan.


    "Master we have been marked by the alpha as soon as we enter the outer layer he will feel sense us" warned Bulan but his master wasn''t the slightest bothered by it.


    "Don''t worry he won''t sense anything"


    The spirit wolf doesn''t know what his master is up to but he still goes along with it. Entering the forest they came across the corpse of other magical beasts that weren''t able to flee them.


    "Jeremiah could get their essence?"


    [Unfortunately, no Creator they had been dead for quite some time now their mana already returned to the world]


    "That''s unfortunate" Then he urged Bulan to travel more he had to pick a perfect place to execute his plan.


    Mana regeneration: 2 (-1) per second


    Vitality: 200(-50)


    Skills/Abilities


    Damage reduction (Active) (Rank B)- Can be used once every two minutes.


    Wind Howl(Active) (Rank B)- Creates a powerful wind attack whenever you howl


    Iron Pelt (Active) (Rank B) - Turns the hide or fur into iron for defense.


    Commander Pack (Active) (Rank B)- Can command a legion of wolves under his pack.


    Noise and scent tracking (Passive) (Rank B) - Can track anyone based on scent and sound]


    "It''s high his lowest stats are at least at 70 while mine is at 55"


    [You are still at a disadvantage Creator you might die]


    Jeremiah warns him however Apollo is dead serious about killing the alpha of the ivory wolf pack.


    "After I killed this beast the balance of power inside the forest will be shifted" he thought.


    "GRRR!"


    The alpha growls loudly before releasing another powerful wind attack.


    "Incoming!" Apollo playfully said as he took out his giant gun.


    "BOOM!"


    Dust kicked off and smoke filled the air as the two attacks smashed into each other creating a strong impact.


    "Are you all right master?" Asked Bulan using his body as a shield from the impact.


    "Yeah we''re good" the boy could only reply like that.


    "GRRR!"


    The smoke suddenly blew away revealing the alpha right in front of them however the boy in front of him just smugly said.


    "Down boy!"


    The ground lit again and a strong gravity magic made him slow down.


    "You are indeed an alpha"


    Typically if a normal wolf were hit by this spell they would directly hit the ground unable to move


    Bulan moved away as his master cast his spell. "Wind barrage!"


    Apollo can multicast he can cast two different spells at the same time. He cast a wind spell on his left hand while fire at the right.


    "Combination spell Firestorm!"


    As he put his hand together the two spells blend creating a huge Fire stormy field blasting the face of the beast.


    However, the beast activated his damage reduction and iron pelt skill causing no damage to him.


    "Alright Bulan assist me I''m going melee"


    "Yes, master!...wait melee you are a wiz.." Bulan wasn''t able to finish what he wanted to say because his master alrighty jumped in front of the enemy.


    "Master!" He could only shout while running towards him.


    "Since I am here to test the effects of this nano armor let''s go mano mano!"


    His fist started to spark indicating his lightning spell was about to finish.


    "Foolish human cub!"


    To Apollo''s surprise, the alpha''s speed suddenly increases making him unable to dodge when he dashes towards him.


    "Master!" Bulan shouted as he saw how the two-meter beast opened his mouth to bite Apollo''s shoulder.


    "No!" The spirit wolf went mad as he enforced himself with his wind however something halted his movements.


    "Hahahahahaha!" It was his master Apollo hysterically laughing.


    "I see this armor is good" The boy only smiled while looking at the beast in front of him.

 Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Scolded

    "Master!" Bulan shouted as he saw how the two-meter beast opened his mouth to bite Apollo''s shoulder.


    "No!" The spirit wolf went mad as he enforced himself with his wind however something halted his movements.


    "Hahahahahaha!" It was his master Apollo hysterically laughing.


    "I see this armor is good" The boy only smiled while looking at the beast in front of him.


    The alpha''s instincts kicked him telling him to let go however he couldn''t as soon as he tried to move he suddenly felt a massive pain, and this distracted him for a moment. That brief second was all the boy needed lightning spark from his hand as he stuck the front legs of the beast.


    "Argh!" Instead of the alpha, it was Apollo who winced in pain. He felt as if he punched a sturdy wall he wasn''t even sure if he heard something crack in his fist or maybe somewhere in his back.


    "I already packed an attribute increase for that punch yet it still hurts," he thought while stepping back to the side.


    The surge of electricity was enough to momentarily paralyse the beast and Bulan took it as his signal to attack. Mana reinforces the fur of the spirit wolf aiding strength with his defense with this he won''t feel pain once he strikes the beast, unlike Apollo who almost broke his hand.


    "Enchant!" Apollo added a buff on Bulan increasing both his speed and strength.


    Raising his long and reinforced sharp claws the spirit wolf aimed at the beast''s leg, it was the same leg Apollo had struck before.


    "PANG!" The sound resembles metals being hit together.


    As soon as the attack happened Apollo recalled Bulan he knew that after that one strike, the alpha would be about to move again.


    "BOOM!"


    The ground shook and Apollo was glad he recalled Bulan to his side if not he would be struck by that skill Wind Howl.


    [Warning Creator the alpha is about to activate his bloodline ability]


    "Wait he has one?"


    [Apologies Creator I was only able to sense it now when he was about to use it.]


    [Warning Creator you must retreat for now I am currently scanning a massive energy similar to a level 20 General rank]


    "Calm down....."


    He wasn''t able to finish what he was about to say when an energy struck him.


    "Hear it comes" he smiled feeling the massive energy from the Ivory wolf alpha.


    A yellow aura began to envelop the beast while his eyes glowed with amber light.


    "I am real unlucky"


    The boy could only say not looking nervous or scared.


    "Jeremiah give me his stats"


    [Status


    Type: Ivory wolf


    Status: Awakened


    Rank: General


    Level: 15


    Strength: 130


    Agility: 120 (+50)


    Dexterity: 100 (+50)


    Endurance: 125(+50)


    Stamina: 127(+50)


    Defense: 130(+50)


    Intelligence: 120 (+50)


    Mana: 130(+50)


    Mana regeneration: 2 (+1) per second


    Vitality: 200((50)


    "GRRR"


    The alpha growls trying to stand up but can''t his legs are wounded. The bite he did on Apollo came back to him ten times more now he can''t move.


    "Bulan don''t waste any more time....we need to leave"


    They have caused quite a ruckus and he was certain a more powerful beast might arrive.


    His wind spirit wolf Bulan obeyed, and he immediately reinforced his claws using them to dig into the flesh of the alpha.


    Huge screams echo throughout the forest making all nearby beasts escape. The body of the Ivory wolf alpha, tried to resist as his body began twitching however soon enough he drew his last breath.


    [Congratulations Creator you have killed a General rank beast]


    "Enough just absorb already" he had no time to joke as his body was covered with wounds.


    "Master we must leave immediately"


    "Right let''s bring the body first"


    Apollo approached the body and thought of something.


    "Bulan can you find where the beast core is?"


    "The core? I am sorry master I can''t sense whether or not this beast has one"


    Apollo was about to be disappointed, [Creator at the head]


    Happy the boy took a knife and eagerly tried to open the head of the wolf.


    "Bulan could you do it I just couldn''t muster any strength right now"


    Realizing he could not even hold the knife properly Apollo just asked Bulan exasperatedly the spirit wolf complied.


    "Master we really should leave I could sense danger is coming" After digging through the head of the beast Bulan finally suggested.


    "Okay let''s go!"


    Hopping at Bulan''s back the spirit wolf immediately took off.


    "Jeremiah our traces"


    [On it Creator]


    "Master, may I ask why did you have to make that kind of a risky move? You could have taken a much safer tactic to eliminate the enemy"


    "Bulan didn''t I tell you, we came back so I could test the limits of this armor"


    "However that was dangerous master you can''t just risk your life to test one of your curiosities"


    "Alright I won''t do that again"


    While lying at the back of the wolf Apollo stares blankly at the core.


    "It''s beautiful" he could only say.


    [ Creator please fix yourself we are about to get inside the wizard tower''s territory]


    "Right I forgot"


    With Jeremiah''s warning, Apollo took a spare hunting armor he had then he took a potion to lightly elevate his pale-looking face.


    "How do I look?"


    "It''s okay master"


    [It''s decent]


    "Right maybe Mom won''t really mind what I did"


    He said however as soon as he arrived at the tower''s gate he saw his mother Isabella.


    "Mom?"


    However, instead of being happy, the boy knew he should run because, in her mother''s hand, a long stick was already aiming for him.


    "Master it seems we have a more scarier enemy than a general rank beast"


    "Yeah I agree"

 Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Banquet

    "Right maybe Mom won''t really mind what I did"


    He said however as soon as he arrived at the tower''s gate he saw his mother Isabella.


    "Mom?"


    However, instead of being happy, the boy knew he should run because, in her mother''s hand, a long stick was already aiming for him.


    "Master it seems we have a more scarier enemy than a general rank beast"


    "Yeah, I agree" Apollo can''t help but agree as he saw his mother looking like an erupting volcano.


    For a moment the boy wants to tell Bulan to slow down however he knows he can''t, he won''t be able to seeing his mother Isabella pin her gaze on him.


    "Hey Mom I came back before dinner" He said as soon as he reached the gate.


    "Apollo"


    "Yes Mom" he couldn''t look at her he was afraid he might cry if he did so. Isabella rarely scolded him when she did it always ended with Apollo crying.


    "What did you do in the forest?"


    Under the setting sun, Isabella interrogated her son however the boy couldn''t even look up his head still down looking at the ground.


    "Get inside we will talk"


    The boy nodded then he told Bulan to travel back to the word of spirit which the spirit wolf complied.


    "I am doomed," he thought while asking Jeremiah to think of a solution to help him out.


    [Unfortunately Creator I couldn''t find any solution you may deal with this yourself]


    "What!?... Hey Jeremiah?... Buddy?..hey?"


    With no reaction to him, Apollo quietly sat on one of the chairs in her mother''s office. Strangely one of the documents stated an exploration of the endless ocean which made the boy frown.


    No one has ever gone beyond the continent not even the most powerful wizards and swordsmen dare to. The reason is the body of water that surrounds the continent contains many ferocious beasts. It''s not like they are weak however an underwater battle isn''t easy to do after all who could best a sea beast in a fight underwater?


    "Are they planning for an expedition?" He questioned then he heard the door creak.


    "Apollo"


    Isabella''s call made the boy stand up straight from his seat.


    "Ifrit already told me what you did....do you have any excuses, my dear son?"


    She said as she sat on one of the chairs in front of Apollo''s seat.


    "I told you no dangerous acts haven''t I?"


    The child just nodded with his head still sticking to the ground.


    "So tell me what is it you are trying to test this time?...the last time you did this you wanted to test an air cannon"


    "Ummm..."


    "I can''t hear you, Apollo"


    "Well I just wanted to test my new level you see Mom I advance" he said softly trying to appease his mother''s anger.


    "That''s not a good reason to disobey me, Apollo"


    "Ummm...sorry mom"


    "Do you want me to ban you from the forest?"


    "No"


    "Then make sure I won''t be able to receive any news of your suicide-like attempts...do you hear me, son?"


    "Yes Mom"


    Isabella could only sigh looking at her pale-looking child with him looking like this she couldn''t bring herself to punish him.


    "You are forbidden to leave the tower''s territory unless I told you so...understood?"


    "Yes Mom"


    "So have the delegates for the banquet been finalized?"


    "I don''t know but from what I heard we were told to wait for the memo"


    "When will this banquet happen?"


    "A month from now we should prepare since for sure we will have to exhibit some of our powers again"


    "Every damn time we were told to showcase our strength but I feel like we are being treated like clowns"


    "No choice after all it''s the emperor''s command "


    "Tsk!"


    [Will you go as well, Creator?]


    "Yes after all I am a member of that damn duchy"


    He said as he entered inside the teleporter.


    Inside the Blue Moon tower, Gavin was surprised as he saw the nano armor he worked hard for turn into a ragged piece of metal.


    "I''m sorry about the armor but I brought something you might like "


    He then handed a folder to the dumbfounded wizard, as he received it the boy waited for his reaction.


    "!?"


    He smirked seeing his surprised reaction.


    "You listed the specs of the armor and also their strength and weakness"


    "Yes I also recorded the capacity of the nano armor I hope it can help you"


    "Oh boy, it will thank you!"


    Gavin smiled and began ruffling Apollo''s hair making it messy.


    "Since you brought something for me let me give you something in return "


    The mage from the tower Blue Moon walked towards one of the shelves of his office.


    "This should do it" he said before taking out a long sealed item from a secret compartment.


    "Here take it"


    He said as he put two items on the table a long item wrapped tightly and a thick book.


    "This one is a prototype nano weapon while this one is a journal which compiles some of our achievements working on the artificial warrior and nanotech. You can have it Apollo just be sure no one will know okay"


    "Yes sir Gavin no one will"


    "Well I am sure you will, now run along dinner will be served an hour from now"


    The boy nodded before thanking him again.


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes]


    "Analyze this journal and see if this can help me raise my rank in machinery Engineer"


    [On it Creator]


    Gazing at the now dark sky he saw how stars began to appear slowly lightning the sky.


    "The banquet huh..."


    A smile escaped from his lips feeling excited


    "I still have one month...I wonder how my monster brother and sister are doing"


    Just remembering how he used to run after them trying to gain their approval until that longing turned into hatred.


    What kind of family would hurt their member just because of talent? Do you need to have value for you to be treated like a family? Or do you need to give something just so they can find worth in you?


    Without him knowing a shade of blue mana escaped from his body coating as if it became a shield.


    "Haaa..." He breathes again releasing all his frustration leaving only bloodlust.

 Chapter 11: Chapter 11:Weapon

    Returning to his room Apollo washed and changed his clothes.


    "A month from now I will see the emperor...I wonder if he knows that I was one of the people who made Doomsday"


    Suddenly Apollo remembered what happened two years ago. A massive breakout of demon beast happened on one of the coasts of Evaristo, the edge of the empire thus a huge amount of personnel were poured on it. Even the wizard tower was affected after all they needed to send assistance under the orders of the emperor. If the situation can''t be controlled the breakout will spread and kill more people.


    "Adhara message from the subjugation army arrived"


    Gavin said his face was full of sweat from all the running.


    Adhara was one of the senior mages of Blue Moon tower and at that time she was tasked to do research for any weapon that could kill the overflowing amount of demons.


    "What message is it?"


    Adhara asked but Gavin just handed her the letter.


    Somehow the young senior mages felt like crying. Her hand began to shake even though she hadn''t opened the letter. Looking at the black envelope with the seal of the subjugation army Adhara steeled her heart and opened the envelope.


    Immediately she read the usual greetings until her eyes read the next section of the letter.


    "No..." She weakly said as she lost strength in her hand which made the letter drop on the ground.


    "Big sis Hara I already compiled the related topics about the material called uranium"


    Unexpectedly Apollo arrived holding a pile of books and folders.


    "Hmm?..what''s this?" Confused the kid curiously put down what he was holding and took the letter on the ground.


    "Apollo it''s okay don''t read that"


    Adhara said while being comforted by the other senior mage. However, her words were too late Apollo already read the entire letter before her words could even be finished.


    "I see...." Just like Adhara the child''s voice became weak. While holding the letter the child''s body began to shake as if trying to suppress something within him.


    Seeing the tiny figure of the child turn sad Adhara embraced the young Apollo while slowly patting his head.


    "It''s okay let it out Apollo" she softly said trying to comfort him. Then from comforting Adhara all the mages at present switch to the kid who was with them.


    The content of the letter was a notice that Adhara''s older brother Astro died valiantly at the coast of Evaristo. He died fighting against a Marquis rank demon beast.


    "Waaah..." Has the pent-up emotions burst out the kid finally cries clutching the clothes of Adhara. The mages present felt even more broken as they saw their little sun cry.


    "It''s okay everything will be fine it''s okay" Adhara said however she didn''t know if those words were for Apollo or for her.


    Starting from that day more letters arrived from the subjugation army informing either the head of the tower about a mage''s death or to inform about the death of their loved one. In the end, everyone felt hatred and miserable about the ongoing breakout.


    "Just what on earth are they doing this battle has been going on for months when will it end once the mages of this tower die!"


    Alger roared as he spoke of one of the high-ranking officials of the subjugation army.


    "This is an order from the emperor, mage" the officer said sternly reminding Alger of his position.


    "Mage?..."


    "BOOM"


    The ground started to shake Alger released the pressure of his mana making the officer kneel.


    "May I remind you I am the owner of this god-damned tower!" His voice made the four giant towers shake.


    "Soldier asked your emperor to send some of his men if he does maybe I will as well"


    Gavin suddenly choked he was about to speak when Apollo said something about Astro.


    "Everyone who left hasn''t returned yet....they promised they would...."


    Gavin became silent not knowing what to say.


    "Big brother...." Apollo then looked at Gavin his eyes now filled with tears.


    "Will mom become like them?"


    "Promising to return but never coming back?"


    "Little sun your mom will return"


    "I have heard that countless times big brother....yet now no one from the people who left managed to return"


    The senior mage wanted to say something but he didn''t know what it was. He just stood right beside Apollo protecting him from the heavy fall of snow.


    The next morning Apollo appeared in the Blue Moon tower suggesting a weapon.


    "A missile?"


    "It''s a bomb to be specific but this time we will use a different one from the ones we have used so far"


    "Big sis Hara once studied the material called uranium"


    The little Apollo then revealed the thick books and files he once compiled for her.


    "Uranium is highly hazardous to handle little sun are you certain?"


    "Yes, I am...I had already talked about this to big sis Hara before she left with Mom. I think we have a chance with this"


    Then he took out old blueprints of bullets, guns, cannons and rockets.


    "We will use this to create the perfect weapon of mass destruction" the little Apollo said without a hint of hesitation.


    The bomb was made using enchantment magic and reinforced magic with also a little involvement of machinery.


    "Apollo is that!?"


    "Yes it is"


    In Apollo''s hand was a floating material known as uranium and plutonium. Surrounding these two materials are magical enchantments used to seal them both.


    "Alright we are nearing the final phase"


    The reinforced case was already prepared while the missile-like body was already finished using machinery.


    "Slow down if you drop that we are all dead"


    Gavin warns one of the researchers with them.


    After many ups and downs, they were able to create doomsday. Because they were in a rush only three doomsday were made however those missiles wiped out all the enemy demon beasts.


    After that one by one, the mages came back from the battle giving their friends and family the warmest hug. Amongst the crowd of new arrivals, Isabella''s white hair made it easy for Apollo to see her.


    "Mom!" He shouted happily running towards her.


    "Welcome back" he greeted with a bright smile on his face making Isabella happy as well.


    Embracing her youngest child she said "I am back"

 Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Avenge

    Night falls amidst the noise of crickets and the slow night breeze. As darkness consumes the forest a lone figure can be seen. Her breath was ragged as if she had run from a very far place while her head would go left and right as if trying to find something. Finally, this figure approaches a corpse whose body is damaged heavily.


    A fur with a mixture of white and brown was dredged in blood accompanied by marks from a tough battle. The head was squashed and dug up. Marks of claws and knives can be seen that went through the head and skull of the said corpse.


    "GRRR!" A growl escapes from her seeing the corpse, unrivalled fury escape from her.


    The wind suddenly became intense kicking the dust around while the trees began to sway as if dancing. The ground shook as mana began to surround her creating a yellow aura around her.


    "AWOO!"


    A painful howl was heard as the figure grieved.


    "SNIFF!"


    "!!!"


    She circles around the area not smelling any scent from the preparator. All she could identify were the corpse''s scent and some insignificant beast. This causes the figure to be in more pain nothing could make her feel better. She couldn''t protect him nor could she avenge him.


    However, she won''t give up easily in this vast forest there has to be something that could tell her what happened. And so this figure ran using all her might she went towards the innermost layer of the forest hoping for an answer to her questions.


    Inside one of the caves of Afra forest lies a den full of bats among these giant wing creatures was a Baron rank beast.


    The figure arrived there risking her own safety.


    "Hmm?...you are?" A voice echoes on the walls of the cave making the voice more mysterious.


    "It is I" the figure replies telepathically.


    "Hmmm?... It seems you are here for the hunter" The voice rang again.


    "A hunter!...so it''s a human.....I know you can hear everything that''s been going on inside the forest so I''m sure you have identified the hunter"


    "I did I heard everything.....and based on the sounds I have heard ...the hunter is a boy"


    "Impossible how can my.."


    "It is what I heard....you must be careful that Hunter has dozens of spirits guarding him. You won''t be able to approach him my suggestion is for you to give up. Start another pack one that can hunt every hunter"


    "GRRR!"


    The figure growls loudly scarring the lower-rank Ink bats this makes the voice hostile.


    "I answer your question yet you dare do this....wolf do you wish for a fight "


    The figure which is hooded by darkness slowly steps into the light from the moon. White fur with a shade of brown while scarlet red eyes that seem to reject everything. The female alpha of the ivory wolf pack revealed herself from the shadows not looking intimidating from a Baron rank Ink bat.


    "Revealed to me the voice of the hunter and I shall leave"


    Instead of answering a light thud can be heard then from the mouth of the cave a small pitch black bat flew out. This bat was strangely domineering and despite its size its mighty attitude can be seen.


    From the bat''s body, a light came out. This light began to morph transforming into a humanoid figure. Jet black hair with ruby-like eyes the king of the Ink bats assumes his human form.


    "Let me reveal to you what I heard" Black from head to toe the humanoid bat approaches the female alpha. Gently he raised his hand to touch her head, however.


    "Hmmm?... I can''t reach you" he could only say trying to reach the head of a 10-meter beast.


    With an exasperated expression the wolf had no choice but to assume her human form. A glowing light started to envelop the alpha.


    That light eventually disappeared revealing a slim figure of a woman. This woman has a pair of wolf-like ears light brown hair and scarlet red eyes.


    "Now I can reach you" he extended his hand again and touched her forehead.


    "My mate" she mumbled


    Her body trembles hearing everything. How he fought and how he struggled to survive, everything she heard including his last breath.


    "Argh!" His painful cry made her heart bleed. It was the last thing she could hear no more sound no more breaths. He died and she wasn''t able to do anything what angered her most was the state his body was left with.


    "That boy I will find him" she whispered while clenching her fist.


    "You better be careful, that boy has an army of spirits ready to protect him at any moment"


    "I''ll remember that... thank you"


    Soon she disappeared through the darkness, the silent breeze became her mask while the moon became her guide. Calmly she walked out of the forest setting her goal in sight.


    While the forest began to be engulfed with tension the territory of the wizards was still the same as before, calm before the storm.


    "Apollo there is something I need to tell you"


    Isabella said while she and Apollo walked towards her room.


    "Is it about the banquet"


    "So you know about it"


    "The other wizards and witches have been talking about it so it''s almost impossible for me not to learn it"


    "I see so it was like that"


    "Do I have to go back?"


    "No, you won''t I am the only one who will return to the duchy. You will stay here and be one of the wizards representing the tower"


    Apollo stopped for a bit and looked at her a bit confused.


    "I will?" He said while keeping his expression controlled.


    The truth is he doesn''t really mind going back however if he gets agitated he might accidentally create a bomb and blow up the mansion again. And that''s what his mother fears the most. She knows what kind of wound the Lionheart duchy let on him. The result of that wound created the current Apollo.


    "Yes, you will stay here until the banquet begins and don''t worry I won''t ask for you to come and mingle around. Just talk to the people you find comfortable with"


    Apollo couldn''t help but smile knowing how concerned his mother to him. He doesn''t mind meeting his family however it will be better if he doesn''t. After all, he wasn''t particularly sure if he could control himself if ever he saw them.


    "Before I leave I will give you something"


    His mother said entering her room.


    "Sit here Apollo"


    His mother''s room can be said big since other than a bedroom there is also a living room, dining room, kitchen and a small lab.


    Apollo sat down on the couch just like his mother said quietly he waited.


    "Maybe I should have taken the dessert Uncle Thomas wants to give me" Apollo lamented while remembering the dishes served inside the dining hall.


    While the boy thinks about what kind of dessert he should ask for breakfast a door suddenly clicks causing him to look towards his mother''s room.


    "I wanted to give this to you as a gift"


    She gave him a wooden box littered with beautiful inscriptions.


    "Hmmmm?" Apollo was confused but still took the box from his mother''s hand.

 Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Formula

    Morning came and Isabella bid farewell to Apollo although he felt sad he knew she would be back soon after the banquet.


    "Now then should I go back and hunt" he thought happily however a voice suddenly rang in his mind.


    "You better not hunt Apollo I know what you are thinking so I put a spell around the forest forbidding you from entering. I still remember what you did so until I said so you aren''t allowed to hunt"


    "And don''t think about looking for other places to hunt because I left one of my spirits to watch over you, that''s all I love you, son"


    Right after he heard that voice Apollo felt all his plans crash into pieces.


    "Mom seriously" he gasps his face while lamenting.


    "What should I do now?"


    In his confused state, a voice rang inside his head.


    [ OBJECTIVES


    ?First I''ll be awakening my hidden bloodline and body constitution"


    ?Second I need to grow stronger and increase my statistics


    ?Third venturing any of the places on the map]


    As the voice said this a rectangular screen suddenly appeared containing the words the voice just said.


    "Right I forgot about this I should go and do some research about this"


    [Creator Jeremiah already did some digging and brought out several related research about the spells of Salamander Ridman and the alchemic formula of Segundo Alfonso those are the following


    The study of Anton Platon about the anatomy of the body.


    Theory of development of the anatomical and physiological


    The theory of Alexis about the hidden bloodline and the history of the evolution of bloodlines]


    "I already heard of those topics however I haven''t dived deeper into them"


    [Jeremiah already took the important parts from each study I will be showing them now]


    The series of letters and images appeared inside Apollo''s head. All the information gathered by Jeremiah was very detailed and important making the Apollo happy.


    "These are all impressive Jeremiah thank you"


    [You are welcome Creator]


    While walking towards the Black Tower Apollo examine all information and find them easy to understand.


    "The formula is incomplete that''s all I could conclude from studying this alchemic formula"


    As he examined the alchemic formula of Segundo Alfonso he noticed one problem. There is a missing ingredient that creates the reaction needed so that awakening bloodlines can occur.


    "It seems like I need to understand first what reaction that is"


    Apollo headed towards the alchemic lab and tried doing the alchemic formula.


    "It looks good well let''s see it says it should be purplish color"


    Apollo said while trying to examine the alchemic potion he had made.


    "Jeremiah scan this"


    Immediately he heard a voice devoid of emotion.


    [Scanning]


    As he waited for an answer Apollo decided to try all sorts of herbal plants that might lead to the right reaction he needs.


    "No this not what I need"


    He felt like he was missing something, he needed to know what reaction was needed. Having a vague idea of what he needs won''t lead him to the correct answer. Then he returned to the footage of his cells slowly changing towards the potion.


    "Let''s go back again"


    Then he proceeds to look through the formula and remind himself of each of the ingredient''s capabilities. If he could connect the effects of each material to the one missing then he could pinpoint the plant he was looking for.


    "If you add these two together it could create this..."


    He continued to study until Jeremiah showed him all the herbal plants and materials related to dark elixir.


    Dark elixirs are a branch of alchemy that ventures the path of darkness it is not necessarily evil but if used in that way it will become one. Dark magic or black magic falls under the elements of darkness which are sometimes associated with experimentation of the human body. Born from the element of darkness are vampire mutation magic, ghoul creation magic and lich evolution magic.


    There are more atrocities found in black magic that will be soon used by Apollo but for now, dark elixir will be his focus.


    "There should be one here that tackles about the mutation of the bloodline...."


    As he took another flask Jeremiah finally spoke bringing the materials Apollo needed.


    "Let''s see all of these are about...wait Jeremiah why did you add the formula for aphrodisiac here?...wait even a love potion?"


    [Creator there is a certain part of each two formulas that may help you]


    "And what is that?.. controlling people?"


    [No, Creator but its capacity to manipulate the hormones inside the body to a certain extent, without doing too much damage to the user''s body may become important for your research]


    "Yes I know however prolonged use of the two can cause addiction I heard people were sent to an asylum due to it"


    While Apollo said this he didn''t stop scanning the formulas of each dark elixir. Each of the formulas has instructions and why each of the ingredients is important this makes Apollo''s work easier.


    "Let''s test it again using this ingredient"


    Apollo wrote down another version of Segundo Alfonso''s formula which him adding one ingredient.


    As he started calculating the proper amount of the ingredient he chose Apollo asked Jeremiah to recite to him the important parts of the theory of Alexis and the history of the evolution of bloodlines.


    He must know which part of history bloodline awakening began rampant and at the same time connect it to the different plants and herbals that were sought after at that specific time.


    "Alright we should test this first"


    After adding the finishing calculations Apollo began to conduct the creation of the alchemic formula.


    He first grinds and extracts the juices of each herb then uses the specific measurement he only needs. Heat, boil and distill he did all sorts of stuff in order to get the substances into their purest form. As he did so he didn''t notice how day already became night.


    "Psst!...hey Markoni do you know what our little sun is doing?" A senior mage said as he worriedly looked at Apollo.


    "I don''t know he never said anything and I was too worried to distract him so I never asked," another senior mage said while holding a pile of documents.


    "Should we leave or tell him to at least eat?"


    "Let''s ask Sir Arthur he might know what to do"


    The two senior mages left the laboratory and headed towards the tower''s dining hall.


    "I think I used the wrong ratio"


    Taking out the test tube Apollo did think he did right seeing the supposedly purplish color turn gold.


    "Jeremiah scan"


    [Initiating...


    Scanning.....]

 Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Test it used it

    "Jeremiah scan"


    [Initiating...


    Scanning.....]


    "Let''s see if this one failed then I would use this one..or maybe I''ll use this method instead"


    As he contemplated his option his peripheral vision caught something.


    "Wait is this?"


    Right beside the table he was using was a cart full of snacks and meals. From cookies and fruits to soups and grilled meat the cart was filled with foods he likes.


    With a baffled expression, he approached the cart and saw a sticky note.


    "It''s okay to work hard but do not forget your meal...good luck little sun


    - Tower mages"


    Apollo couldn''t help but laugh knowing how every mage inside the tower cherished him. Some mages inside the tower didn''t have a chance to have a family of their own. Their entire life was dedicated to magic and no space was included for a family however all of it changed the moment he appeared.


    A little boy who had a trauma from his family became the center of affection for every mage inside the tower. They knew his pain and thus they became the family he couldn''t have. The family, the real ones couldn''t give, the mages of the four towers filled that position.


    "I''ll probably eat first before continuing my research"


    Taking a chair he sat down and ate the still warm meal.


    "So they put magic on the cart to keep the food warm"


    The warmth brought by the meal couldn''t be compared to the warmth the boy is currently feeling.


    "It''s delicious" he could only say as he sipped more of the soup.


    [Creator scanning is finished]


    "So the percentage?"


    [Only 10% it seems the one you used isn''t the one we are looking for]


    "I see then we will use another one"


    Night fell into the wizard tower however a single figure stood still no matter how calming the night breeze was.


    "Good morning!" Greeted by Apollo when he saw five mages entering.


    "Hey Apollo it seems like you didn''t sleep"


    It was 3 in the morning some stars could still be seen in the sky however the mages of the tower were already awake and ready to start their day.


    "I didn''t realise the time sorry"


    "Nah it''s okay don''t apologize...here we brought breakfast since we knew you hadn''t eaten yet"


    It was the same cart he had seen last night the only difference was the food it contained.


    "Thanks"


    "Eat as much as you want you can just start what you are doing after you take your breakfast"


    Apollo nodded to their advice and ate quietly and quickly.


    Currently, Apollo made 200 attempts to create the right formula however he still failed. He tried replacing or adding more ingredients however it only lowered the success percentage.


    "23 is still the highest"


    He thought while munching a newly baked bread.


    "Hmm?... little sun isn''t this Segundo Alfonso''s alchemic formula?"


    "Yes sir Carlo"


    "Wait Carlo let me see what little sun is doing"


    Soon the five mages studied the formulas Apollo had created and an expression full of astonishment filled their faces.


    "Amazing you did this overnight"


    "I think you should lower the ratio of this one and increase the ratio for this"


    "I recommend adjusting the heat like this"


    He momentarily took a flask and put the contents of the test tube there.


    "I''ll test this later"


    He said as he ran towards the cart full of snacks and food.


    "Another note hahaha"


    He chuckled while reading another note from the mages of the tower.


    "I''ll eat all of this" he excitedly said gulping down the soup then he switched to munching the bread he always liked.


    [Creator it seems like the effects of the drug would fade the longer it stays]


    "Wait let me see"


    Apollo still holding his favourite bread approach his table and use an analyzing spell.


    "You are right...this is a good discovery nice one Jeremiah"


    [You are welcome Creator]


    Apollo became suddenly excited and ate as fast as he could when he finished his meal he proceeded to redo what he did.


    [Congratulations Creator you have a 98% success rate]


    "Nice then let''s test it"


    The test tube was still hot from all the process Apollo did however the boy didn''t mind and gulped it all down.


    [!?]


    [Initiating Total body scan....


    Preparing for nullification of toxin...]


    Just like what he felt before an unexplainable heat spread across his body however this time the intensity is way more intense.


    "Hooo..." He exhaled loudly fortunately Carlo and the rest of the senior mages were out to take their dinner so Apollo was left inside the laboratory.


    "Calm down keep calm" he exclaimed while seeing the live progress using Jeremiah''s analysis.


    "It''s still not enough!"


    He saw the process suddenly slow down which made the boy take the potion he did first.


    [An anomaly has been detected...


    Unknown energy has been detected...


    A foreign energy has been detected starting nullification...]


    Apollo stares wide open at the screen seeing a foreign mana interrupting his awakening.


    "So that anomaly was this"


    It turns out the thing Jeremiah was trying to prevent was an unknown mana residing inside his body. This energy slowly tries to eliminate the effects of the modification.


    "This won''t do!" He took the flask and although its percentage level decreased to 80% it''s better than nothing.


    "Argh!"


    He groaned in pain feeling the clash of foreign two energy inside his body.


    "Jeremiah start the nullification"


    [The process already started Creator rest assured]


    To Apollo''s surprise, he saw a magic circle embedded in his chest.


    "What the!?"


    This magic circle began to seal his mana making the boy suffocate.


    [Nullification in process]


    With Jeremiah''s voice, Apollo took out a scroll and activated it.


    "Jeremiah push through the nullification!"


    With blood dripping from his mouth, the boy sat down and endured the pain of being burned and stabbed.

 Chapter 15: Chapter 15: A seal

    The pain of being stabbed by hundreds of burning needles penetrated the boy''s body. The sensation akin to being burned alive began piercing through his skin which sends sharp, prickling waves throughout the boy''s body. Each wave of seconds feels like a tiny, burning relentless assault, creating an intense and almost overwhelming discomfort.


    The simultaneous stabs and burns create a pervasive and acute experience of pain, leaving a lasting impression of both despair and vulnerability however Apollo remains sitting cross-legged, not letting the pain defeat him.


    On the boy''s lap is a scroll containing a very powerful magic circle.


    "Seal breaker!"


    With his voice, the scroll activated revealing an intricate magic circle. This magic circle began to create a halo that shot up towards the seal on Apollo''s body.


    "Ugh!"


    The magic seal, lying unyielding and unbreakable on the boy''s chest begins to tear apart like threads coming undone. With the power of the scroll, an energy weakly seeps through the weakening barrier of the magic seal. Faint cracks appeared tracing an intricate pattern of decay, as the seal began to yield against the force of the magic circle.


    The air vibrates with the beats of each release of magic, signalling the imminent breach of the magical seal.


    The boy agonized with each passing second however he didn''t let it overwhelm him. Despite the pain he remained seated until he felt a bit lighter it seemed like the spell breaker was working. The more exposure the seal is to the seal breaker the weaker it becomes making Apollo slowly proceed to his first plan.


    "I''ll tackle this seal later" he groaned as he thought of this. The feeling of being stabbed was lessening however the sensation of being burned didn''t disappear but instead, it intensified.


    Without Apollo''s knowledge, his skin already went red while his clothes were soaked with his sweat but no one could ever break his concentration.


    [Bloodline awakening 50%]


    [70% breakage of the seal]


    Apollo almost became bewildered by what he heard, just what on earth happened to him to acquire such a seal.


    "I''ll deal with you later"


    He said putting his focus back on his bloodline awakening.


    [Bloodline awakening progress 60%]


    The scroll in his hand still shines brightly not letting the seal take a moment of rest.


    "It''s so hot"


    Apollo could only say as his body turned red and sweat-soaked his clothes.


    "I wanna strip"


    [That won''t help you feel better Creator]


    "Tsk!" Apollo clicked his tongue in annoyance.


    "Whoever put this thing on me will suffer a pain a thousand times much worse than what I am feeling right now," he thought while clenching his fist.


    He hated the heat the most and currently, he felt like someone was roasting him alive. It was uncomfortable and annoying however if he couldn''t endure it then he wouldn''t be able to awaken his bloodline.


    [Bloodline awakening progress 70%]


    [60% breakage of the seal]


    "Just a little bit more"


    Each passing second felt like an eternity for the boy however all his patience paid off when he heard a notification.


    [Bloodline awakening 100%


    Initiating recalibration.....


    Detecting any abnormalities...


    Scanning.....]


    "We should read the results first before I explain the magic seal"


    The other tower masters nodded while Carlo quietly took a chair to sit on.


    As they read the contents of the report the master of the Blue Moon Tower couldn''t help but ask.


    "It''s missing" she begins to say as she looks worriedly at Apollo.


    "Don''t tell me this seal was meant to.." her voice trailed off suppressing her fury.


    "Yes the seal was meant to seal a person''s talent, it also includes the sealing Apollo''s Ki and mana"


    "But Apollo was still able to use magic, tower master" Carlo was a bit confused.


    "It''s because his mana reserves were so massive that the seal was only able to seal a big portion of it. That is why he could still utilize his mana even though more than half of it was sealed"


    "Does it also include magical hereditary traits?" Carlo added another question which the Ocean Tower mages answered " Yes"


    "Now I understand why Apollo can''t use one of the Lionheart family''s hereditary traits. It''s because he can''t but he just couldn''t"


    They all look at Apollo''s tired expression as if the boy went on a hellish experience.


    However, amidst their worried expression, another senior mage barged in and it was Liam and Sam.


    "Apollo! He did it!"


    They both excitedly said handing the analysis report of the remaining contents of the flask and test tube.


    "Wait he was able to reach such a high success rate"


    The red tower master said as his expression turned joyous feeling proud of the boy''s discovery.


    "What a brilliant mind" he could only say handing it over to the two tower master


    "It''s not perfect however it was enough to achieve success" Blue Moon Tower master commented while feeling amazed at Apollo''s skills


    "So Apollo used the formula to awaken his bloodline however he unknowingly woke up a seal inside him"


    "At least he was able to get two great discoveries, Segundo Alfonso''s formula and this seal"


    "Red Sun Tower master that isn''t funny" Carlos couldn''t help but say seeing his nonchalant words.


    "So should we break it now or wait for the boy to wake up" Ocean Tower master asked seeing the seal trying to seal Apollo''s newly awakened bloodline.


    "I suggest we let him wake up first, knowing the boy he won''t like it if we make the decision" Blue Moon tower master suggested.


    "By the way how long do you plan to stand there"


    Maya said looking at the corner of the room.


    "I am waiting for the young master to wake up"


    On one of the corners of the room stands one of Isabella''s contractual spirits, Ifrit the fire demon spirit.


    "For a powerful being, you look like an abandoned child" Ocean Tower master said.


    Ifrit didn''t mind her words instead his gaze remained on the sleeping boy.


    Seeing the spirit''s silence the Ocean Tower master just sighs however their peaceful atmosphere suddenly shifts when an aura of death seeps within the room.


    "What''s that!" Red tower master pulled out his staff ready to engage in combat.


    Soon a thick amount of killing intent filled the room making Carlos and the rest of the senior mages pass out.


    "Wait I think I know this intent" Despite the intense atmosphere Maya the Ocean Tower master looked at the door and said "Head?

 Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Leave it to me

    All the mages inside the room look intensely at the door and sure enough, a familiar sound of footsteps soon enters their ears.


    "I see it is indeed the head" Victor the Red Sun tower master said retracting his staff.


    "Ocean Tower master can you please wake up these lads," Silvia the Blue Moon tower master said as she pointed to the four unconscious senior mages.


    "Right but if I wake them up they might collapse again, look at this thick amount of killing intent they won''t be able to handle this" Maya said as she examined Tim, Sam, Liam and Carlo.


    "Sigh...your right"


    Soon the sound of footsteps grew louder indicating that Alger was approaching fast however as he drew closer to them the thicker the killing intent became.


    Worried about Apollo and the unconscious senior mages Maya erected a barrier to protect them against the pressure brought by the intense killing intent.


    "Should I do something about this?" Victor began to ask seeing the killing intent materializing into red fog, that wasn''t a good sign.


    "Let me handle that for you," a voice said from one of the corners of the room, then a sudden force suddenly pulled the murderous pressure towards a single spot. That corner was the corner where Ifrit was standing. The fiery spirit opens its mouth and eats the intense amount of killing intent leaving nothing behind.


    "So demon spirits can do that," Victor said looking intrigued with Isabella''s spirit since all his spirits were normal ones with high levels.


    "With this, I suppose I can wake these four now"


    Maya then waved her hand a spell was created making the four unconscious senior mages wake up.


    "What just happened?" Liam asked holding his aching head.


    "All four of you collapsed a while ago" Maya answered letting the three slowly recover.


    "Why did we collapse tower masters" Carlo could finally ask as he was finally able to handle the sheer amount of pain.


    "You collapse because of him" Victor said as he pointed to the door to which all senior mages follow


    On the doorway was a figure of a man they all respected and feared. The most powerful mage inside the tower, Alger walks inside the room bringing with him an overwhelming pressure.


    "Head please control yourself this pressure might cost Apollo his life," Silvia said while Maya constructed a barrier to protect Apollo and the senior mages.


    With Silvia''s words, Alger''s gaze then switched to Apollo the young one was still unconscious but the pain he had experienced can be seen throughout his body. The scars made by countless whips can be traced on his arms and back while a series of untreated wounds left a mark on the boy''s chest and thighs.


    Then the head of the wizard tower couldn''t help but clench his teeth seeing an ancient magic seal embedded on the boy''s chest it was like another scar the boy had to bear. For six years they didn''t notice the existence of it, he felt like someone had slapped him, as a wizard he was proud of his skills and yet he and the rest of them couldn''t find out what was happening to Apollo.


    It was infuriating and at the same time challenging him.


    "Why haven''t you all removed the seal yet" he asked instead.


    "We want to leave the decision to the boy, knowing him, head, he doesn''t like people sticking their nose to his discovery"


    "Silvia is right head unless the boy lets us help him we shouldn''t interfere" Maya could only say as she knew Apollo as well.


    Alger hearing their opinions could only sigh, indeed it was true their little sun liked to do things on his own. He knew they could help him however, being in solitude was something Apollo had been accustomed to. He was always alone in the duchy before he was brought here in the tower. He still can''t pass his trauma and can only see himself alone.


    The old mage thought that six years was enough to erase his bad early childhood, or maybe he was wrong, perhaps staying inside the tower had increased his past trauma. This way of thinking made the head of the tower sigh again.


    "Yes indeed the boy is like that" he could only say as he looked at the boy sleeping on the bed.


    "Hmm?.." Now looking at the boy up close the head of the tower notices something. Upon his realization, his face who bore a painful expression turned exasperated.


    "Apollo, you are awake aren''t you?" He asked making the surrounding mages surprised.


    The Alger saw Apollo''s reaction and he could tell he already knew about the spell.


    "He is indeed a brilliant child" he had thought.


    "Looking at your face it seems like you have a rough idea whom you should look out for"


    Apollo nodded before handing a note to Alger eagerly the old mage took the piece of paper.


    "If possible Grandpa can you give me any information regarding all the mages on the list? Anything even their past activities and connection to the Lionheart family"


    With these words, the head of the wizard tower formed something in his mind.


    "I see I understand now" he only says looking at the list of people.


    "Should I kill them all?" He asked.


    "No grandpa we aren''t even sure if those people are the ones I am looking for, we need to be certain before making a move"


    "If that is what you want then I will respect that"


    As the two continue their conversation sound of footsteps draws closer to them.


    "Oh you are indeed awake I am glad" Nicholas appeared and entered the room.


    "Hi Grandpa Nick"


    "Yes, here I brought you something" On his arm is a basket full of a bunch of Apollo''s favorite fruit, drinks and bread.


    "Wow," the boy could only say looking at the big basket being handed to him.


    "So what do you plan to do little sun" he asked as he sat down beside Apollo''s bed.


    Apollo began pondering, the seal could definitely be handled easily. Breaking it was simple but after that what? He was left thinking of the benefit he would gain right after breaking the seal. As he analyze what benefits him the most he decided to ask them to break his seal, however as soon as he was about to speak one of the names on the list suddenly stop him from speaking.


    If his instincts was right then he could definitely use the seal for his advantage.


    Ancient spells are not only powerful, it is also dangerous to it''s caster. Granted that a black magic was planted on Apollo he could only imagine the consequences of the spell.


    "Jeremiah tell me, this spell is a double edge sword right?"


    [It is Creator, the seal is connected to it''s caster''s life. If you remove it, it will kill the wizard who had given you the seal]


    "Then what if I slowly remove it what will happen?"


    [Then it will cause unimaginable pain to it''s caster]


    "Ah, then that settles it! I was tormented in that house I think it is only natural to return the favor right?"


    As he solidified his resolve he finally gave his answer.


    "Leave it to me"


    Nicholas nodded as he listened on the other hand Alger just looked at the list wondering what to do with them.


    "I knew you would say that that is why I brought this" In Nicholas''s hand is a grimoire, it was a thick magical book which shows signs of ageing and how well it was used by its owner.


    "Use the contents and trace the caster" With a knowing gaze Nicholas let those words inspire Apollo.

 Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Tracing

    Apollo, upon losing consciousness saw Jeremiah''s big notification popping in front of his face.


    "Wait so I am inside my consciousness?" The boy was about taken aback however he soon looked at the rectangular screen in front of him, and a smile suddenly formed on his face.


    [Congratulations Creator you have awakened your hidden bloodline.


    Hidden bloodline: Blood of the Summoner


    Skills: Enables the mage to form contacts on spirits no matter the level or number. Grants the mage the capacity to make an infinite amount of contracted spirits.


    It''s the bloodline of your mother, Isabella, Creator congratulations]


    "Thank you, Jeremiah"


    [It''s my pleasure to help you, Creator, now we still have a problem at hand]


    Apollo sighs knowing what he is referring to.


    "That damn seal"


    [I already analyzed the seal and it was an ancient magic, a spell called Signare inimicum. It was a magical seal that could seal all opponents'' abilities and skills for a duration of 100 years]


    "So how long I have been sealed"


    [Analyzing.....]


    Apollo waited until he heard a ding sound.


    [It is approximately ten years ago Creator]


    "What so I got this seal when I was just three years old?"


    Anger suddenly crept in making Apollo''s galaxy-looking consciousness turn dim and dark.


    "So it was in Lionheart duchy" he finally calms down returning his mind to its previous state.


    "So it''s either a family enemy or.." he stopped for a moment thinking everyone inside the duchy.


    "Or one of my siblings"


    [It must have been them, they were pretty jealous of the attention to have when you were younger]


    "Yes and soon that attention turns into hatred when they saw my falling statistics" he chuckled a bit as he continued "It turns out the reason why it failed was because of this damn seal"


    For a moment he thought if no one put this seal on him would he be loved? Will he be accepted? However soon enough he erased such thoughts.


    "A love based on you being useful is not something I should think of"


    "Jeremiah since it is an ancient spell only a handful of mages could only use it"


    [That''s true]


    "If I am not mistaken the secret library has records of wizards who have mastery over ancient spells, look through it"


    [Affirmative Creator]


    [I have found fifteen names of mages who were all experts in ancient magic]


    Apollo looked at their names and saw a label saying expert in alchemy or expert in black magic. Apollo didn''t find it weird since mages known for black magic could also be good at sealing magic. They can''t rule out possible candidates based just on the things they were written as good at. Apollo needed more than that so he ordered again.


    "Look through the archives and see if they have authored any published book on any ancient sealing magic or anything related to it"


    [Searching through archive]


    [Search completed!]


    The rectangular screen in front of Apollo changes and switches to the book titles and their authors.


    "Well then I''ll leave these all to you and, Alger, we need to return to the Black Tower"


    "Wait we do?"


    "Yes the mountain of documents needs to be settled dear Head, now let''s go" Nicholas bid his farewell as he dragged the reluctant old wizard.


    "Man, they sure are funny" Apollo could only say as he looked at the two old mages arguing outside his room.


    "Now then Jeremiah have an analysis over the seal while I form a research about Grandpa Nick''s grimoire"


    As soon as Apollo sorted out his next move he looked at the one direction of the room, it was where Ifrit was standing.


    "Young master" the demon spirit said waiting for Apollo to speak.


    "Have you reported this to Mother?"


    "I haven''t Young master since I was waiting for you to recover"


    "Now I am better so bring a message to my mother "


    "Yes, I will and what message is it?"


    "My plan will never change, say that to her, that''s all you may go"


    The fire demon spirit bowed down before disappearing into sparks of flames.


    "Jeremiah give me the status of the seal"


    [Status:


    Spell name: Signare inimicum


    Type: Ancient Black Sealing magic


    Duration: 90 years


    Current stability: 50%


    Affected areas: 75% of the Creator''s mana


    Body Constitution in an unawakened state


    100% of the Creator''s Ki


    Total Statistics Debuff]


    Apollo couldn''t help but clench his fist.


    "I should have known, the fact that I don''t have ki is already a giveaway that something is off with my body"


    He was always being told that he was trash thus he thought that he was lacking or a disfigured individual that is why when he found out he didn''t have ki, he thought it was natural that he didn''t. The boy always thought that he was a defective child which is why if he finds something is wrong with him it will only be natural that he has one.


    He soon stood up from his bed then he approached the basket full of his favorites. He was all smiles until he saw a note.


    "Dear little Sun I know you are a workaholic kid that is why I put a sealing magic on the door blocking you from leaving. For now, you are also banned from the laboratory and aren''t allowed to sleep late. Just give yourself a week and rest don''t worry about the Black Tower''s projects, just take a break.


    Always reminding


    Grandpa Nick"


    Apollo suddenly felt baffled he was okay it was just a seal he could handle it.


    "A week of ban from the laboratory" he suddenly began to sulk, first he wasn''t allowed to hunt and now he wasn''t allowed to the laboratory.


    "If they found out I made Jeremiah inside the library will they ban me there as well?"


    Suddenly Apollo felt scared he began to vow that nobody would find out about Jeremiah.


    "I absolutely can''t tell anyone about this!" He could only say this in his mind as he hid using the blanket of his bed.

 Chapter 18: Chapter 18: One week

    {8:24:36}


    That''s the time floating right above the door.


    "I still need to wait 8 hours to get out of this room"


    "Then I need to wait for an entire week to be able to enter the lab" he continues to sulk as he rolls across his bed.


    "What should I do for one week?"


    [Study?]


    "Maybe however maybe I should also train"


    [Train?]


    "Mana is the cultivation of the mind while ki is the cultivation of the body. The more someone trains his mind the more mana it can sustain on the other hand Ki can be achieved by rigorous training of the body"


    [So you are thinking of training your body?]


    "Yes if I can achieve a breakthrough maybe I can chip away some percentage on the stability of the spell"


    So without further ado, Apollo ordered Jeremiah to look for any basic training manuals for him.


    "I should train a bit before awakening my constitution that way my body won''t receive a shock similar to what I experience with my bloodline awakening"


    [If that''s what you wish then I suppose I can only help]


    Apollo first did a warm-up then after a brief cool down he looked at the basic training manual and tried doing what it said.


    [Error has been made by the Creator, I suggest raising your arms a bit]


    Soon enough Jeremiah began correcting the mistakes Apollo made from his stance to the force of his punch.


    [Try again, put more strength!]


    Apollo controls his breathing before releasing another punch.


    "Haaa!"


    [Your arms are leaning towards the wrong side move them to this place]


    He shouted before pulling another punch.


    "Haa!... I am tired!"


    The boy could no longer handle the tiredness and could only sit on the floor.


    {1:20:35}


    "Just one more hour and I am good to go"


    [Creator you should rest and take some food you have consumed too much energy]


    "Did I?... I"


    Slowly Apollo''s vision began to blur "Oh I am indeed tired" He realized.


    Deep within his mind, a sigh could be heard from Jeremiah.


    Apollo then eats the rest of the food in the basket Nickolas brought.


    "Now for the important part"


    From his storage ring, a small bottle came out. This bottle contains a light greenish liquid with a slight yellow colour.


    Apollo gulps it down without hesitation.


    "Hoo..now that felt good"


    What Apollo drank was a special tonic he and the Ocean Tower mages made for the soldiers of the subjugation army. The tonic can nourish the body and improve the circulation of ki, It also helps to absorb all the food taken. This tonic as well were distributed during the breakout thus it was widely known to the soldiers how effective the tonic was.


    The tonic made by Apollo was especially for swordsmen and people who focused on improving their ki. So for now Apollo will try to train his body to reproduce his ki.


    As he analyzes the seal he finds out that he could take advantage of its unstable state to train his ki. Reproducing ki and mana should come naturally however the seal not only made Apollo unable to wield ki but also to also reproduce it.


    Moving on the boy began to do what the manual said to train as rigorously as possible.


    The current remaining time is {00:00:10}


    "Now everything seems good"


    Ten seconds before the magic Nickolas put on the door disappears, Apollo walks towards the door his clothes and stature are better than before.


    [10]


    Ki: 20


    Mana regeneration: 5 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 1 per minute


    Vitality: 130


    Skills/Abilities:


    Spell synthesis(Rank A) {Passive}


    Alchemic craft (Rank A) {Passive}


    Weapon creation (Rank A) {Passive}


    Machinery Engineer (Rank C) {Passive}


    Light of Aegis (Rank C) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked.


    Lightning Call (Rank C) {Passive} - Increases any lightning-based spells or attacks.


    Novice fighter (Rank A) {Passive} -Beginner skills in terms of hand-to-hand combat (next level Practitioner fighter Rank D)


    Master Weaponist (Rank D) {Passive} - a combination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah


    Mirror Tenfold (Rank B) {Active} - Return ten times the attacks of opponents it may be a spell or physical attack


    Demonification (Rank ??) {Active}- Rank General is required to open this skill.


    ADVANCED STATISTICS


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution:{Unawakened}


    Current stat point: 100]


    "It looks good, I think it looks decent"


    [Creator why haven''t you added up your current stat point?]


    "I am thinking of saving them up "


    [For what?]


    "For a surprise"


    He said as he prepared himself for the banquet, he first wore a white plain shirt then a white vest. From that, he wore his knee-length white robe which had a light blue lining at the hems. At the left chest area of the robe, the insignia of the wizard tower was attached, it was a single tower standing with a vermilion bird coiling around it.


    Apollo''s pants and shoes were all white after all it was one of the tower''s ceremonial robes, an all-white outfit.


    "Now for the final piece" From his cabinet, he took out a wooden box littered with a beautiful inscription. With a grin, he opened it and a beautiful sapphire brooch was quietly resting inside. Carefully he took it out of the box and happily pins it on the lapel of his robe.


    "I guess I am all set" he smiles seeing his reflection however the mirror he uses strangely blurry his face but the boy didn''t mind it at all.


    Feeling confident he finally heads down to join the rest of the tower''s representatives.


    "Sir Gavin!" He waves seeing the senior mages of the Blue Moon tower.


    "Hey, little sun are you ready?"


    "Of course sir"


    "Be sure to execute the proper greeting and only speak when questioned"


    "Yes I will sir Gavin"


    "Good! Now we should join the others" he urged taking the young boy''s hand towards the group of people.


    Apollo stood in line like the others in front of them were the three tower masters and Alger the head of the wizard tower, beside these four individuals was Nickolas who calmly waved at Apollo as soon as he saw him.


    "Alright everyone I only have a couple of words to say. If the emperor doesn''t say anything then don''t speak if you think the conversation isn''t for you leave, or if someone forces any of you to do something ignore it they are not worth our time. If the person speaking to you is not someone you want to associate with then don''t speak to them we value our mental health more than anyone else.


    We already have dozens of problems here we don''t want them to add more of it"


    "Now are we clear about what I said?"


    Like a choir, all of them simultaneously said "Yes Head!"

 Chapter 19: Chapter19: Banquet

    "Alright everyone I only have a couple of words to say. If the emperor doesn''t say anything then don''t speak, if you think the conversation isn''t for you leave, or if someone forces any of you to do something ignore it they are not worth our time. If the person speaking to you is not someone you want to associate with then don''t speak to them we value our mental health more than anyone else.


    We already have dozens of problems here we don''t want them to add more of it"


    His words are sharp as if going to the banquet is a battlefield rather than a party.


    "Now are clear about what I said?"


    Like a choir, all of them simultaneously said "Yes sir!"


    Alger was satisfied with their answer however his eyes glided on the group of mages in front of him. His eyes scan every individual until they stop towards a certain boy, Apollo.


    "He looks confident I wonder what he plans to do" the old mage thought as he looked at him.


    Apollo on the other felt his intense gaze so he decided to give the old man a cheerful wave. Alger seeing this nodded in acknowledgement.


    "Alright since everything is settled we will go straight to the palace" Victor the Red Sun tower master said as he waved his hand to summon a powerful magic circle.


    "Everyone brace yourself I don''t want anyone feeling sick after the travel, you all hear me!"


    "Yes Tower master!"


    A bright light envelopes the group before a slight flash of energy sends them off to the palace.


    .....


    Meanwhile...


    The Imperial banquet unfolded with great splendor magnifying the glory it has for years. The blend of soft candlelight and the shimmering glow of chandeliers add an elegant ambience. Guests exchanged polite pleasantries and engaged in hushed conversations, smiles and laughter but beneath forced smiles, subtle glances conveyed the weight of unresolved political agendas.


    The air despite the occasion bore a heavy and uncomfortable ambience, with unspoken disagreement filled with carefully chosen words and hidden motivations. The faces of each noble and elite wore masks of unrecognizable speech and expression making the imperial palace a battle of calculation.


    The atmosphere, though seemingly festive, bore the quiet strain of a banquet overshadowed by hidden political intrigue. However, amidst this heavy atmosphere names of the four ducal families pierce like a powerful blade breaking the tension. Schemes and lies won''t work on the four families as they only exist for one reason, to serve the great imperial family.


    Intentions were kept as they switched to a different type of mask, that hopefully won''t be ripped apart by the four ducal families.


    The four ducal families that correspond to the four cardinal directions are Arcanebane the Ducal house in the south, Lionheart at the east, Obsidianvale at the west and Silvercrest in the north. The four main duties of these families were to guard the four ginormous regions that inhibited dozens of Celestial-rank beasts.


    They are the walls that block magical and demon beasts to prevent any breakout from occurring.


    The first family to grace the ballroom of the imperial palace was the ducal family of Arcanebane, as they entered the room it began to be filled with their presence. A calm and confident demeanour that reflects the personality of the family.


    After the house of Arcanebane entered the next to arrive was the house of Obsidianvale. Clad in their all-black outfit the family walk with the air of command. It is as if they are born to rule over others.


    From the east bearing the color of the sunset in their hair, the ducal family of Lionheart made their way through the ballroom all eyes focused as the air of arrogance filled the air. The duke and duchess made their way wearing a couple of outfits while their two children walked behind them.


    "Actually there is one last guest who hasn''t arrived yet" the southern duke said making the three other dukes curious.


    However, before he could even give an answer a magic circle suddenly appeared on the ground. The sudden appearance of said magic created panic among the guests.


    "What the!"


    "Who dares to use magic inside the Imperial palace!"


    "How can they bypass the barrier surrounding the palace!"


    "Guards!"


    While some nobles became agitated the higher-rank nobles just stared at the situation finding it interesting.


    A single magic circle bearing fifteen rings crafted together. Each ring is adorned with beautifully arranged symbols and runes creating an intricate set of spells.


    "It''s a darkness element, void magic" Isabella said as her eyes widened when she saw ten figures emerging from the magic circle.


    "It was void magic mass teleportation" This realization made Isabella look at the figure of a boy, its body is strangely similar to a certain someone.


    "Apollo" she silently mumbled.


    Everyone was silent since nobody anticipated that the tower mages would enter like that.


    Ten figures all in white stood right in the middle of the ballroom their faces were hidden by the hood they wore. An air of mystery envelopes them however one thing is certain they are one of the major forces of the empire, the tower mages. Their insignia shines on their chest as they stride forward.


    Without any more greetings, they made their way towards an empty table and settled themselves there. It was then followed by silence nobody tried to speak since their arrival quite shocked them.


    "An entrance worth remembering," Helios said as he returned to his table where his wife and children were located.


    "Isabella, is that child there?" He whispered to her ears as soon as he got near her.


    "Yes see that boy over there" Isabella pointed to a figure of a little boy and Helios just nodded in acknowledgement.


    He just asks to make sure all of his children will greet the imperial family, with or without standing by his side.


    A few moments pass by until a sound of trumpets erupts immediately all of them fix their stature and focus on the elevated platform.


    Located at the highest position in the ballroom three chairs can seen. Each of these chairs is adorned with elaborate patterns of gold and gems signifying the power of the imperial family.


    From the three chairs above one step lower than them was five chairs quite similar to the first three however the five are decorated less than the three above. One step lower than those five chairs was another set of chairs but with a different type of decorations and sigils signifying the owner to be the archduke of the empire.


    In the middle of the great platform was a beautiful step running up and down.


    As the sound of trumpets sounded everywhere the ruler of the empire graced the massive ballroom.

 Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Greet

    As the sound of trumpets sounded everywhere the rulers of the empire graced the massive ballroom with their presence.


    "Salute!


    Hail the ruler of the continent!


    His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Augustus, and Her Gracious Highness, Empress Valeria are entering!


    Hail the ruler of the empire!"


    A voice pierces right through the glorious sound of trumpets leaving the sound of the serene tune of the violin. The low mellow sound created the ambience for the entrance of the imperial couple. No ambitious tune or a triumphant sound was given only a melodious and mellow sound paved the way for the two figures to sit on their throne.


    As soon as the emperor and empress settle on their throne a loud sound made up of applause fills the entire ballroom.


    A smirk suddenly painted on the emperor''s face as he felt the welcome of his subjects.


    However the powerful cheer stops when he raises his hand and immediately all the kings and aristocrats all across the continent bow down towards the ruler of the continent, the emperor.


    With the main character''s arrival, the banquet finally began.


    Unlike any other banquet hosted by the imperial family the emperor and empress didn''t bother giving any opening speech instead they went straight to the greeting and gifts of each kingdom''s leaders.


    The seats and tables of guests are decided based on their ranks and position inside the empire.


    The ducal families of the empire are located right in front so they immediately reached the front of the platform''s stairs.


    Behind the position of the ducal families is the table of the kings and aristocrats of other nations. Next to them are seats for powerful organizations such as the Mages Association and Tower Mages. Behind them are the elite families of the empire accompanied by marquis and below noble ranks. After the seats of the baron, elite soldiers and retired generals can be seen seated behind them.


    As the event started each representative gave their utmost respect and gifts to please the emperor. After some dukes, Princes and princesses of different Kingdoms, the nobles of the empire soon came giving their ruler their utmost respect and loyalty.


    "Hail the ruler of the continent, I salute you, your majesty, the emperor"


    Bending on one knee the leader of the mage association showed his respect while his subordinates did the same thing.


    "This young man beside me is Johan Aaren, my son"


    "Hmm?...your child has grown up, the last time I saw him was when he was seven years old" the emperor said looking at the child in front of him.


    "Hail the ruler of the continent I salute and pay respect to you" With a resolute voice the boy said as he paid his greeting to the emperor.


    "Thank you, young man, I will be expecting more from you especially since you are at the age of entering the academy right?"


    "Yes your majesty I shall do my best to bring honor to the empire"


    "With those words, I shall be expecting more then"


    The leader of the mage association Jonathan Aaren gave a one last bow before leaving.


    "It seems like your head still floats here and there Gil"


    Gilgamesh just remained kneeling not daring to look at Augustus,he embarrassed with his childish act however the emperor just sighed knowing full well what kind of a person Gilgamesh is.


    Then after Arcanebane, Obsidianvale duchy came for a greeting and unlike Gilgamesh, Duke Harald Obsidianvale did his greeting spendedly.


    "I suppose it is our turn now"


    Eros said as he stood in his seat however as soon as he did so something caught his attention. A hair similar to his but strikingly more prominent, there sitting amongst the lane of mages Apollo had his eyes closed as if he was sleeping.


    Eros stared at him, his eyes filled with unrecognizable glint however with his staring he soon gained the attention of the tower mages. All eyes set on Eros as if telling him to shut the fuck off.


    "What the hell is up with that glare" he could only think as he followed his father and mother.


    "Are checking on our foolish younger brother?"


    "Athena, were you able to see how their greeting went?"


    He asked instead of paying attention to her words.


    "No, I wasn''t able to since I was talking to Freya about our return to the academy"


    Eros pursed his lips thinking something was off however something was blocking him from pinpointing what he was thinking of.


    As the Lionheart duchy bends on one knee to show their respect the emperor looks at Helios as if he wants to ask something.


    "Hail the ruler of the empire I salute you" Helios calmly said his face was clear without any emotions.


    However, the emperor just nodded his head seemingly contemplating something.


    "Your boy why is he with the mages of the tower instead of joining you?" He questioned, immediately Helios answered.


    "Your majesty the boy was chosen from many candidates to be one of the representatives of the tower. This was a great achievement considering his frail body so we let him join them"


    With those words from Helios Isabella couldn''t help but twitch which the empress immediately noticed.


    "It seems like your son is doing well despite having a frail body, I believe he is ready to enter the academy" As she said this her eyes remained on the Lionheart family waiting for their reaction.


    "Since the new school year is starting I will be expecting a lot once he enrols"


    The words from the empress were like poison to Eros, he never liked when his brother was the center of attention. Be it good or bad he never like anyone paying attention to his younger brother.


    He gritted his teeth but tried to seal his lips after all he wasn''t allowed to speak unless the emperor or empress addressed him.


    "Your majesty about the boy''s schooling my wife and I will talk about it"


    "I see then I will be looking forward to it"


    Their turn soon ended making the Duke of Silvercrest and his family enter.

 Chapter 21: Chapter 21: motivation

    Apollo''s Pov.


    As the flash of light signals the activation of the mass teleportation Apollo reaches out on his hood and uses it to hide his face.


    He wants to hide his appearance because he doesn''t want to be seen as ''him''.


    "That''s right I am not him" he mumbled.


    However, as the magic enveloped them the mages of the tower saw Apollo hiding his face so they did the same thing. Before the mass teleportation magic fully activated all mages took their hoods and hid their faces. They did this because they knew Apollo might attract attention for being the only one keeping his appearance.


    However, if ten mages take their hoods on nobody will notice him and everyone will look at them as a whole instead of focusing on a single person.


    As the magic bends down the space the entire group bypass the powerful barrier of the palace and directly emerges into the humongous ballroom.


    From the simple breeze of wind of the tower grounds a sudden change of tune happens when they arrive inside the ballroom. Calm and mellow music filled the mages'' ears however the sudden gasp and voices of people ruined the ambience.


    Apollo and the rest of the mages waited for Alger''s next movement. And so when the old mage nonchalantly walked towards their table everyone followed.


    "Finally we are here," Apollo thought now he could execute his plan.


    Despite the attention they gain the young mage just closes his eyes and begins to chant the spell he work on.


    However, how can he do so when a powerful barrier suppresses and forbids anyone from using magic? The moment a drop of Mana is used the barrier will immediately detect it and it''s not like Apollo can do what Alger did. He doesn''t have enough power to bypass the barrier.


    A smirk emerges from his lips as he prepares to give his spell a go.


    He might not have the same amount of power as Alger but he has one thing that the head of the wizard tower doesn''t have.


    "Jeremiah cast the spell now"


    [On it Creator]


    Inside Apollo''s consciousness, a floating orb began releasing a subtle amount of energy. This energy swiftly weaves a complicated magic circle casting a spell only Apollo knows.


    He was confident in Jeremiah since he had tested it inside the tower and the barrier did not activate.


    "The barrier in the tower and the imperial palace shouldn''t be too different from each other" With that thought in mind he continued.


    Fully casting the spell it began to release a type of energy which slowly covered the entire ballroom.


    The tracing spell Apollo created can be compared to how echolocation works.


    By emitting a wave of energy it would bounce off in any object and people, then as it returns it would provide the information about the type of mana and their signature.


    If the one who cast the spell on Apollo is here he would immediately identify them through his tracing spell.


    His eyes remained closed even when the event started.


    Jeremiah''s task is only to cast the spell, analyzing the information has to be done by Apollo. At least thousands of people are here, so the two need to coordinate to fully identify everyone.


    However, Apollo''s focus soon seizes when someone lightly taps his shoulder.


    "It''s our turn now," said Gavin.


    The young mage couldn''t help but groan when he felt a sharp pain in his head, breaking his connection abruptly didn''t feel good.


    With a bit of dizziness, Apollo stood up and went with them.


    Just like the others they greet the emperor but a little mishap happens because they put their hoods on. Greeting the most powerful being in the continent with your face hidden might seem disrespectful and so since Apollo was the reason their entire group was hooded, he also became the reason why they removed it.


    Apollo reached out to his hood and immediately put it down and there he saw how the expression of the emperor and empress changed.


    They immediately knew he was one of the Lionheart and Apollo hated it.


    "I thought I had recovered" he clenched his teeth in frustration as he said, "But I still tremble at the sight of them"


    The pain, frustration and despair he felt would be erased by removing the very people who caused it. In the end, no matter how much Apollo said he would kill them, his body and mind still remember how much pain they inflicted.


    "I am still too far" he mumbled while looking at a screen with symbols he was very familiar with.


    [Name: Eros Lionheart


    Status: Intrigue


    Occupation: Magic swordsman


    Rank: Surpaser


    Level: 18


    Strength: 240


    Agility: 237


    Dexterity: 235


    Endurance: 240


    Stamina: 240


    Intelligence: 240


    Mana: 240


    Ki: 240


    Mana regeneration: 10 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 10 per minute


    Vitality: 200


    Skills/Abilities:


    God Seraphine''s war blade dance (Rank A) {Passive}


    Aura manipulation (Rank A) {Passive}


    Instant incantation (Rank A){Passive}


    Weapon master (Rank A) {Passive}


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner


    -Enables the mage to form contacts on spirits no matter the level or number. Grants the mage the capacity to make an infinite amount of contracted spirits.


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution: Battle God''s Physique


    - A Constitution that allows for both mana and ki to synchronize, a capacity to balance aspects of attributes]

 Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Academy

    [Name: Eros Lionheart


    Status: Intrigue


    Position: Magic swordsman


    Rank: Surpaser


    Level: 18


    Strength: 240


    Agility: 237


    Dexterity: 235


    Endurance: 240


    Stamina: 240


    Intelligence: 240


    Mana: 240


    Ki: 240


    Mana regeneration: 10 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 10 per minute


    Vitality: 200


    Skills/Abilities:


    God Seraphine''s war blade dance (Rank A) {Passive}


    Aura manipulation (Rank A) {Passive}


    Instant incantation (Rank A){Passive}


    Weapon master (Rank A) {Passive}


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner


    -Enables the mage to form contacts on spirits no matter the level or number. Grants the mage the capacity to make an infinite amount of contracted spirits.


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution: Battle God''s Physique


    - A Constitution that allows for both mana and ki to synchronize, a capacity to balance aspects of attributes]


    "Almost all his stats are max out for level 18....he will soon level up" he had thought.


    [Creator are you stable now?]


    "Yes I am let''s continue now"


    He dismissed any more disruptions and proceeded to what he was doing.


    "Hmm?"


    "Eros I saw your little brother a while and he looks exactly like your father" Samuel Sorel said as he joined in the conversation.


    "He might have my father''s looks but his skills.." Eros scoffs as he continues his words "He is nothing but a weakling"


    "Hmmm...you said that but why do I feel like you are insecure," Matilda the first daughter of Archduke Australia said.


    Eros scoffs as if he is hearing something funny.


    "I won''t feel anything against a weakling"


    "Really? Why don''t we approach him" Matilda began to challenge him to which Eros answered "Sure I don''t mind"


    "I think this will be exciting," Athena said as he licked her lips in anticipation.


    And that is why he and the rest of the successors and heiresses went towards the group of mages.


    "Excuse me," Eros said as he tried to pass the flock of mages surrounding Apollo.


    "Hmmm?..you are?" One of the old mages said feeling someone bumping into him.


    "I am the older brother of the boy over there" he pointed then he continued to say "Sir would it be possible to let us through?" the young Lionheart said as he slightly bowed to gesture his apology for bumping into him.


    "Sure come...hey Alger the boy''s older brother is here!"


    He said slightly raising his voice.


    "See I told you I am not.." Eros unconsciously stopped speaking when he heard a familiar sound of footsteps.


    Gently it made its way to them with a four senior makes with him.


    "A brother..right I suppose"


    The rest of the heirs feel the pressure brought by a small frame body, they are all taken aback by this.


    "Not again!" Eros screamed in his mind trying to break free from the pressure he was feeling. However, Eros wasn''t the only one feeling fearful Apollo was shaking deep inside. The moment he heard his elder brother''s voice he started relapsing again. Just the fact he was still standing was already a feat since he could still hear the lashes of whips and burn off each wound.


    No matter what he did he couldn''t erase his trauma with his brother.


    "Maybe once I kill you this memory will stop appearing again" With these thoughts his previous agitated state turns murderous.


    "Greetings to the successors of the empire''s lineage" Apollo put his right hand on his chest as he said this.


    "Greetings as well to the youngest of the Lionheart duchy" Matilda said as she gave Apollo a slight bow.


    "Little brother why don''t you join us, when we were little you used to follow us around" Athena butt in looking at Apollo smugly.


    "Sorry I am not really interested" he said deadpanned.


    The veins in Athena''s face seemed to pop when she saw how Apollo turned his back on her.


    "Little one isn''t that too rude we just want to see you"


    A frown appeared on Apollo''s face as he saw how Eros used such disgusting words.


    Matilda couldn''t help but laugh at the strained interaction between the three.


    "Why are you laughing" asked Lina a daughter of a marquis.


    "See I told you they are not perfect like what the public sees them" she silently said.


    "Brat it''s been a long time and you finally grew some balls?" Edgar also a son of a marquis walked towards Apollo who was walking away.


    "Hey, I said wait!" Edgar grabbed him with the intention of breaking his shoulder, however.


    "What!?"


    Eros and the others became dumbfounded as they saw Edgar thrown in the air.

 Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Beating

    Apollo didn''t mean to cause a scene however seeing and hearing them made his past trauma open especially meeting his sibling''s friends.


    ..


    "Argh!"


    The five-year-old Apollo rolls on the ground as Edgar kicks him.


    However instead of crying he gave the one who assaulted him a glare which made the latter flinch.


    "What are you looking at!" he tried to mask his fear with anger as he continued to kick Apollo.


    "Just what are you!" he screamed internally, deep inside he was scared of the little boy he was kicking. His gaze would often times paralyze him while his mere aura sent chills whenever he felt it. He doesn''t know why a weakling has the aura of a beast.


    "Edgar enough with that we will be late if you continue to do that" Eros shouted, reluctantly Edgar finally left the boy alone.


    "Seriously what a weakling" Amina said as she stepped on the coil-up body of Apollo.


    She could say those words however just like Edgar she would paralyzed the moment the little boy glares at them.


    ....


    "What!?"


    Eros and the others became dumbfounded as they saw Edgar thrown in the air.


    Unlike their surprised expression, the mages surrounding them just put a barrier to separate their group from the others. Whatever happens, no one will know not even the emperor. So if Apollo wants to, no one will know if he kills his siblings.


    "Damn it!" Edgar finally gained his senses and landed perfectly on the ground.


    "That brat!"


    "Edgar!" Eros was about to stop his friend when Matilda stopped him.


    "Come on you are ruining the fun" she said happily.


    "You are stupid this is the Imperial Palace!"


    "Chill the emperor is my cousin"


    Her words made Eros speechless but his attention shifted when he saw Edgar fly in the air again and then landed perfectly on the ground.


    Fist pierced through the air as Edgar began to fill the space with his fist. But Apollo''s eyes are not occupied by his attacks but his stats instead.


    [Name: Edgar Williams


    Status: Humiliated


    Position: Swordsman


    Rank: Practitioner


    Level: 20


    Strength: 150


    Agility: 145


    Dexterity: 140


    Endurance: 150


    Stamina: 145


    Intelligence: 100


    Mana: 30


    Ki: 150


    Mana regeneration: 5 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 10 per minute


    "Let''s not talk to your brother again Eros I am afraid of him" she added.


    However, Eros just clicked his tongue feeling annoyed.


    "Let''s go back!" he shouted leading his friends back to their table.


    Other guests on the other hand took their partners on the dance floor trying to take advantage of the sweet tune of the music. But no matter how sweet the ambience Eros and Athena felt bitter seeing how Apollo was able to beat one of their friends.


    "That little pest!" Athena clenched her fist as she said this. However no matter how much they whine they won''t be able to forget about what happened that night.


    ....


    The banquet ended and the guests lounged inside the palace because the hunting festival would start tomorrow. Apollo stared at the window looking at the quiet night.


    "Tomorrow is the hunting festival" he mumbles then he looks at his stats quietly calculating his next move.


    "Jeremiah show me my inventory"


    [Affirmative Creator]


    A screen appeared presenting the items he had stored. From elixirs and weapons to the spell book he finds interesting, all of it inside, accompanied by their quantity, quality and attributes. Each item is put together on a grid-based method for easy access to each item.


    "Let''s see"


    He sat down on the bed looking at the two items he found interesting to use.


    "Hmm....why not"


    Morning came and everyone was transported towards a spacious field near a forest.


    Every season different types of beasts would begin to increase, overpopulating the habitat they live in. To address this situation nobles from all across the empire would issue a hunting event to trim down their numbers. If by any chance they fail to decrease their numbers, a breakout will occur. Later on, this hunting event became a sport among the aristocracy and elite families.


    "Well, this kind of event tends to have one or two incidents" Apollo silently thought as he walked beside Alger.


    "Do you want to hunt little sun?" the old mage asked seeing the boy curiously looking around.


    "Yes Grandpa I want to hunt" he smiled cheerfully as he said this.


    The sound of ceremonial cannons was heard signalling the start of the hunting event and all swordsmen, mages and even fighters confidently entered the Olgami forest.


    Before entering the forest hunters are given a list of specific magical beasts they need to hunt.


    The said beasts are those who populate at a fast rate and their numbers could obstruct the balance of the habitat they live in.


    The beasts they need to hunt are the following:


    Silvanhowl


    Willowlynx


    Hazelgleam rabbit


    Red Moonlit Vixen


    Snout river hog


    Five species of beasts ranging from basic to baron rank but, if you are unlucky you might meet a duke-rank beast deep within the woods.


    "Eros we should hunt a snout river hog, from what I have heard the heart of that beast increases your affinity to water element" Edgar suggested as he slain a small hazelgleam rabbit.


    However, as they walk deeper into the forest a horde of beast rush in.


    "Axion be our Vanguard, Elena focus on assist, Athena blast a path for us while Edgar and I cover you" As soon as the threat appeared Eros immediately gave his command turning the frantic situation calm.


    As they tried to create a path to retreat they didn''t notice how the horde of beast began separating them.


    "Edgar back me up here!" Eros shouted as he tried to slay another Silvanhowl beast.


    "Ed?"


    Not receiving any response, dread trails down his back as he slowly turns back.


    "Damn it!"


    He could only say seeing he was all alone while being surrounded by a horde of beast.

 Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Gonna grab some popcorn

    The night before the hunt, Apollo quietly sat on his bed, taking two items from his inventory.


    It was a bullet and sniper rifle made specifically by the Blue Moon tower mages and him.


    "These pair were unreleased weapons during breakout... I and the rest of the Blue Moon mages couldn''t figure out the solution for this overheating rifle"


    He said holding the silver casting of the riffle.


    [What do you plan to do Creator?]


    "Enchantment weapons" he started off


    [You will be caught your mana signature will be traced through the bullet]


    "Maybe if they can see the bullet" Apollo chuckled as he said this.


    Jeremiah was a bit skeptical of whatever his Creator was doing but continued to observe.


    [Notification Alert


    Congratulations creator you gained a skill called Automatic Weaponry]


    "Finally it appeared" Apollo said putting down the bullet he was enchanting


    [What just happened?]


    Jeremiah questioned feeling something was off with Apollo''s reaction.


    "There is one more thing I need to make sure my plan is flawless"


    [And I suppose that would be me]


    "Correct, spells and skills made by you can strangely escape any sort of detection and clairvoyance spells"


    [So you pretended to make a weapon to acquire a skill?]


    "Yes and no I didn''t pretend to make a weapon, I was really in the process of making one" he defended himself as he raised the bullet in his hand seemingly asking for Jeremiah to look at it.


    Deep within Apollo''s consciousness, a sigh could be heard from Jeremiah.


    "Let me see the contents of the skill"


    [Gladly


    Automatic Weaponry (Rank D) {Active}


    - Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, recommended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon


    Flaw: Materials are needed for this skill: chances of failure 60%]


    "Jeremiah use half of my stat points to increase the rank of my skill"


    [On it Creator]


    [Automatic Weaponry (Rank S) {Active}


    - Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, recommended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon


    Flaw: Materials are needed for this skill]


    "Looks good now"


    He looks at the bullet in his hand a notification appears as he does so.


    [Material acquired proceed to creation?]


    "Yes"


    The bullet in his hand glows as the previous enchantment begins to be rewritten by a different type of spell.


    After the bullet he went for the rifle and with repeated scanning and analysis, he was finally satisfied.


    "Time for a live target"


    .....


    "Grandpa"


    "Yes I know I know"


    The old mage waved his hand and the spirit who was following them was sent flying.


    "Sorry Ifrit I''ll make it up to you later" the boy thought as he saw Ifrit''s figure turn into a shining dot.


    "I''ll wait for you here"


    Apollo pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the ground making the mana surrounding the party haywire.


    "What''s going on!" Amina panicked when she felt her connection broke.


    "Don''t summon Amina you''ll consume too much mana" Elena said as she continued to heal Axion.


    More beast began to arrive making Amina and Athena panicked.


    "Cast something!"


    "I am trying" Due to the pressure Athena''s spells were either misfired or too weak to do damage.


    "What is wrong with me!" She shouted.


    Apollo on the other hand just laughed as he loaded another bullet.


    This time he shot Eros who was about to unleash a powerful attack.


    "Argh!" He felt a slight pain in his back as if something hit him, this moment of distraction was enough for his attack to fail.


    The young man was baffled, this never happened to him, with all his hunts he never failed to deliver an attack but now he does.


    With panic enveloping them, unknowingly they began to be separated. They tried their best to slay as much of the beast as possible however they didn''t notice that the horde of beasts were being led by something or someone.


    And just like that Apollo achieved his plan.


    "Edgar back me up here!" Eros shouted as try to slay another Silvanhowl beast.


    "Ed?"


    Not receiving any response, dread trails down his back as he slowly turns back.


    "Damn it!"


    He could only say seeing he was all alone while being surrounded by a horde of beast.


    Eros controlled his breathing trying to lessen the burden he had been feeling. His arms felt heavy not knowing how many times he had swung it. He couldn''t use aura since his ki was almost depleted.


    "Damn it!"


    He clenched his fist as he finally summons his spirit.


    Apollo just watches not intending to take a shot. He was curious about what type of spirit his brother had. The more information he got the better.


    From his brother''s hand an insignia depicting a winged lion glow.


    "HUM!"


    Mana began to fluctuate indicating the high level of the spirit being summoned, Apollo watched with great anticipation. From the hand of Eros, the insignia spreads before turning into a magic circle.


    Apollo felt goosebumps when a giant golden-winged lion emerges from the magic circle.


    "Click!"


    He loaded another and tested a shot.


    "BOOM!"


    The air suddenly vibrates as the lion spirit uses his wings to block the invisible bullets.


    "Impressive" he could only say.


    "What''s going Kaze?"


    "I sense an attack master" the spirit spoke his voice almost made Apollo surprised because of how deep it sounded.


    "Wow cool" he could only say.


    "Hmph!" A grumpy groan sounded in his shoulders and Apollo knew who that was.


    "Don''t be jealous Gale of course you are cool as well" However it didn''t help when the tiny wing spirit continued to pout.


    "Never mind that lend me some of your wind," he said handing a powder to Gale.


    "It''s time to call our champion"


    As Gale uses her wind to spread whatever powder Apollo gave to her, the spirit of Eros begins to trim down the beast that blocks them.


    "Almost there buddy"


    Eros who was sitting on his spirit''s back almost believed he could finally escape however he felt the ground shook again. He felt dread, it was just like how the magical beast appeared.


    "Just what the hell is going on" he could only say as the shadow of a Duke rank beast graced the hunting festival.


    "Now let''s see how far your spirit can go," Apollo said as he took some popcorn and comfortably sat on a nearby rock.

 Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Prey to kill

    "Now let''s see how far your spirit can go," Apollo said as he took some popcorn and comfortably sat on a nearby rock.


    The intense amount of Mana began to clash as Kaze the wing lion spirit of Eros began to fight against a Duke rank Snout river hog.


    "Why the hell is that pig looking at me like that" Eros felt disgusted as he noticed how the Snout river hog looked at him.


    "He really likes you big brother" Apollo said as he continued to eat but as he took another bite a wave of mana made him stumble a bit.


    "That surprised me"


    He fixed his position and saw the clash between the two.


    The magical beast releases a water cannon from his mouth when the winged lion takes Eros into the air.


    A fast high-pressure water went through the air trying to hit a fast-moving silhouette. The Snout river hog runs to follow his target not letting it leave its sight and with another blast of his water cannon he is able to hit the left wing of the lion.


    "Something is falling down fast" Apollo said holding his binoculars.


    Then with a loud thud Kaze somehow safely landed on the ground however one of his wings broke.


    With great desperation, Eros took out an elixir inside his space ring, he has been saving it up since it was very hard to get but with this current situation, he has no other option.


    "A booster potion lets see, Jeremiah"


    [Booster current duration 5:00]


    "Should I interfere?" He wondered looking at the struggling spirit and master.


    "Total boost!" Eros chanted.


    With the spell cast by Eros the winged lion''s body glow, as the enchantment took effect.


    Eros cast a spell and assisted his spirit surprisingly they are holding up well however time is ticking and soon the booster Eros uses will wear off.


    Eros was merely a surpasser which is equivalent to a Baron in beast ranks, from the beginning he had no chance of winning from a Duke.


    "Armament!" His eldest brother shouted and the dense amount of ki inside his body turned into a powerful aura. From it, the aura transforms into armour protecting him and Kaze.


    "Buddy I''ll cast a flash bomb on this pig then make a run okay?"


    The winged lion nodded knowing they couldn''t escape easily.


    "I already sent a distress signal but they might take a while to get here so we need to fend off for a while"


    However, before he could even start a series of water cannons and ram attempts were given to them by their enemy. Despite this Eros tried his best to focus and cast the spell he had in mind.


    Eros has instant incantation the moment he thinks of a spell it automatically casts upon his will. This skill was something he worked hard to gain back when he was still a child, Apollo was one of the people of witnessed it.


    However, Apollo merely loaded a bullet and shot at the winged lion who was trying to dodge an attack from the magical beast.


    "Kaze!?"


    Eros felt something weird and before he knew it the snout river hog ram into them.


    "Argh!"


    The two were sent flying due to the force of impact, eagerly the magical beast approached Eros, its appearance displaying an urge to mate.


    "No!" Eros cried trying to escape however a water cannon blasted his path.


    "Damn it!"


    Looking at the saliva dripping from the beast''s mouth the young Lionheart wanted to kill himself instead of being humiliated.


    Apollo smiled as he saw his next move.


    "Go on use your mana to kill yourself" he said however something came in between Eros and the horny magical beast.


    "Kaze"


    Eros felt pain when he saw his spirit''s battered appearance even with its injuries it went as far as to crawl to reach him. And here he was trying to kill himself while his spirit was putting his life on the line to save him.


    "What a shameful act" he clenched his fist so badly it started bleeding.


    From the depths of the body of Eros, a massive build-up of Mana and Ki can be felt.


    "An enlightenment" with his binoculars still on the youngest son of the Lionheart family saw how his eldest brother slowly achieved enlightenment.


    From the burning determination, his mana and ki flared up forcing his body to undergo a breakthrough.


    Enlightenment is a state where a person reaches a newfound realization or knowledge. The benefits of enlightenment can either be seen spiritually or physically.


    Apollo just watched ready to load another bullet but something stopped him from shooting.


    From the sky, three figures came instantly killing the snout river hog.


    "Answer?... well as my mages began to investigate it seemed like the mating season arrived too early for some species of beast"


    Then he looked at Jonathan and said "You may check them if you want" he pointed to the pile of bodies behind and continued "You will see that all of them are preparing for mating"


    Jonathan looks at the pile of corpses and nods his head "I''ll make a study about this"


    Amidst this chaotic scenario, the culprit calmly sips his tea. He wasn''t a bit concerned if the leader of the mage association found anything inside the corpses.


    "It''ll be fine, the chemicals inside the powder have limited time and will disappear along the bloodstream so no one will find it off since hormones are already inside everyone''s body, be it a beast or humans," he thought while munching a bread.


    "Well although I wasn''t able to cripple my brother I did harvest a lot, isn''t that right Jeremiah?"


    [Yes creator]


    Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Satisfied


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Apprentice


    Level: 17


    Strength: 58


    Agility: 56


    Dexterity: 55


    Endurance: 58


    Stamina: 58


    Intelligence: 58


    Mana: 58


    Ki: 20


    Mana regeneration: 5 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 1 per minute


    Vitality: 130


    Skills/Abilities:


    Spell synthesis(Rank A) {Passive}


    Alchemic craft (Rank A) {Passive}


    Weapon creation (Rank A) {Passive}


    Machinery Engineer (Rank C) {Passive}


    Light of Aegis (Rank C) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked.


    Lightning Call (Rank C) {Passive} - Increases any lightning-based spells or attacks.


    Novice fighter (Rank A) {Passive} -Beginner skills in terms of hand-to-hand combat (next level Practitioner fighter Rank D)


    Master Weaponist (Rank D) {Passive} - a combination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah


    Mirror Tenfold (Rank B) {Active} - Return ten times the attacks of opponents it may be a spell or physical attack


    Automatic Weaponry (Rank S) {Active}


    Demonification (Rank ??) {Active}- Rank General is required to open this skill.


    ADVANCED STATISTICS


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution:{Unawakened}


    Current stat point: 1500

 Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Returning

    Due to the unexpected incident during the hunting festival, the emperor announced that the event would be stopped. Some felt dissatisfied while the other guests felt relieved since they could still vividly remember the crazy appearance of the magical beast they encountered.


    Inside one of the rooms of the palace, Apollo and the rest of the tower mages were taking their leisure time.


    "So what''s gonna happen now?" Apollo asked as he looked at Alger.


    "We will stay at the imperial palace until the investigation ends" Then the old mage looked at Apollo then said, "You made sure no evidence can be found right?"


    The boy just nodded reassuring Alger.


    "If you are certain there is nothing to worry about then we can just wait until this investigation ends"


    Three days passed and the only thing Apollo could hear were the praises for the heroic guests who protected their companions during the hunt. The other thing that is repeatedly being talked about is how Eros gains enlightenment while fighting a Duke rank magical beast.


    A series of praises and envious remarks were given to his brother.


    [Creator it seems like your attempt for his life caused him more good than bad]


    "Really? But I don''t really care"


    [Creator may I ask you something?]


    "I am listening"


    [Why did you even make me?]


    [And what am I to begin with]


    Apollo closed his eyes and put his focus on the glowing orb inside his consciousness.


    "The reason for making you" he stopped speaking and took a deep breath and said "I want to be happy"


    This time his voice oozed an amount of sadness that Jeremiah first time seeing.


    [Is making you happy mean killing your siblings?]


    "I don''t know" This time his voice is strained as if something is blocking his voice.


    "I thought maybe removing the people who hurt me would make me happy"


    The orb then slowly sway left and right seemingly showing him that he is attentively listening.


    "I also thought maybe if I saw them suffer would make me satisfied.....and guess what Jeremiah...."


    "It did" he now became mischievous as if his previous display of sadness didn''t happen.


    "However I am still wondering what it truly means to be happy"


    [I suppose all I could do is support you]


    Apollo chuckled a bit before speaking again.


    "As for the question of what you are, I think the only thing I can say is that you are a copy of me"


    [A copy?]


    "Yes, you are based on me, Jeremiah. You came from the analysis of how I think and react. How I solve problems and how I create my research. All of my skills in creating and formulating magical equations, to building magical machinery were all analyzed by the spell I had created. And the result of the entire analysis was you, Jeremiah"


    [Is that all I am?]


    "Nope, I think of you as a companion or a partner someone I can rely on and trust. You were an artificial intelligence however I could sense you are more than that, you are an evolving creature, Jeremiah"


    [Can I ask you another thing again?]


    "Go I will answer it"


    "Yes Mom if you think it will be helpful to me then I think I really should go"


    "Absolutely son you won''t regret it"


    Finally, the two arrived at Apollo''s room before leaving, Isabella gave her son something.


    "Here is the schedule for enrollment don''t be late okay"


    Apollo just nodded as his mother gave him a folder and a book wrapped in black leather.


    "Open this once you enter the academy you will love to use it there"


    Apollo just nodded finding it exciting since he received a gift from his mom.


    "I won''t bother you for long good night son"


    "Good night Mom"


    Happily, Isabella runs across the hall returning to her room.


    "You can finally appear now everyone"


    From the wall and ceiling nine mages covered in white robes appear.


    "It seems like little sun will be leaving for a bit" Gavin jokingly said as he looked at the two things Apollo received from his mother.


    "We should tag along once little Sun enrols" one of the senior mages said which made the rest of them agree.


    "If all of you go won''t the streets be flooded with mages?" Apollo thought however there is still something he doesn''t know right now.


    "What did I really make" However he decided to think about it in the morning and look forward to his academy life.


    "Let''s tackle this in the morning"


    [Sure Creator]


    Morning came and the result of the investigation came.


    "On behalf of the emperor I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience we have caused and thus to compensate for such a tragic incident the emperor will give gifts for everyone to use. We hope through this we may heal the heart of those who were extremely hurt during the hunting festival"


    One of the emperor''s aid said as he gave the message from the emperor.


    "Why is he speaking like there is a soldier who died in the war," Apollo said finding the words a bit cheesy.


    "We shall end the hunt for this year and wait for another year to come, one that won''t be disturbed by such unwanted incidents"


    "Please safe travels for all of you" he cut off his message there and left the elevated platform.


    "Well it seems like we all need to go home"


    "Let''s go!"


    One by one guests would leave the palace heading straight to their home.


    As everyone began to leave Apollo caught a certain someone''s silhouette.


    It was his family walking brilliantly among the crown of people.


    "Well maybe the academy won''t be so cruel to me after all"


    He then took his hood and went beside the other tower mages.


    "Let''s all head back mages!" Victor''s voice rang and everyone shouted


    "Yes Tower master!" the ground then glowed with bright light as the magic circle began to teleport them away.

 Chapter 27: Chapter 27: way to the Academy

    Today is the 23rd day of the fourth month of the year, aperio?.


    Inside the lively city of Sidus, the crowd began to fill the streets as the empire''s largest sanctuary for learning opened. Aster Academy opens its gates to welcome the future learners they will nourish.


    I Apollo Lionheart was about to enter the registration area for the upcoming entrance exam however a certain someone blocked my path.


    It was a tall handsome man(according to big sister Adhara) wearing a black uniform symbolizing the darkness of the night while its hem was covered in fine golden linings. A high collar jacket adorned with silver buttons and the crest of the imperial army. This cold-looking man stood like a tower in front of me. It made me wonder does he think I''ll be intimidated because of this?


    "Address what you want soldier," I said feeling annoyed since the line for registration was getting longer.


    "His majesty the emperor would like to speak with you"


    He finally speaks, just what the hell was he doing looking at me like that?


    [Creator that man was using a spell to scan you, he even went through your space ring]


    "I see I did notice it since his eyes would scan me from head to toe"


    [What should we do?]


    "Let''s just follow him"


    And so I nodded my head showing that I was obeying his command however he said something suspicious.


    "His majesty only asks for the boy as for all of you"


    He looked at the six dozen tower mages with me and said "You may all stay here and wait for our return"


    "Wait"


    Uncle Arthur said stepping forward and his aura immediately overwhelms the soldier.


    "How can you assure us that you are taking Apollo to the emperor"


    "Are you.."


    "I am not insulting you soldier nor the emperor, I just couldn''t trust a random guy suddenly appearing out of nowhere and taking our kid"


    Arthur''s voices were very sharp like blades that can cut you down however the soldier in front of him didn''t want to be defeated.


    "I need an oath" Arthur continues not letting the soldier speak.


    "If you can''t provide that then let us all go with you"


    I looked at the guy in front of me and his black uniform highlighted the emblem of the imperial army on his chest. I thought for a moment, will he agree or not? then all my thoughts stopped when he nodded.


    "Alright I don''t mind"


    And so the senior mage Arthur and the imperial soldier both went through the process of an oath before letting Apollo leave with him. Quietly the boy followed until they arrived at a small cafe. Neither of the two spoke only the sound of their footsteps can be heard as they stride across the city.


    Strangely as I move closer to the establishment it looks detached as if no one can see it other than them.


    "We are here"


    The imperial soldier spoke cutting off my thoughts slowly he went forward and opened the door for me.


    "The emperor is waiting inside"


    I nodded and as I entered a simple yet cozy atmosphere welcomed me along with the cafe''s wooden furniture. While a soft touch of light and a few potted plants on each table can be seen. The menu is written on a chalkboard offering a variety of brewed coffee and pastries for the customers to choose from. The fresh scent of brewed coffee becomes an enticing aroma as if telling you to take a cup.


    It was simple yet welcoming at the same time.


    "Well then run along and score higher than any upcoming student"


    "Will do your majesty"


    Protecting these students will be a good pass time before I ruin my sibling''s school life.


    First-year students are basically isolated from other upper-year students for the first three months of their time in the academy. This was set so the first-year students would get used to each other and the school''s environment before being introduced to older students.


    "Just for three months" I grin as I leave the cafe.


    After I went back to Sir Arthur and the rest of the tower mages. I was shocked to see a long line at the registration office.


    "What the" I couldn''t help but say.


    The sky was barely lit but the crowd was already there.


    I sighed but still went to the line as I left, I waved to the tower mages who immediately waved back to me.


    "Let''s get this over"


    The registration was the first filter the students needed to pass, there your background and status would be judged. Although the Aster Academy accepts different students from different backgrounds and statuses they would remain strict in their selection.


    For example, people who fake their age and background would immediately be sent back for interrogation. It is also a way to identify spies and potential geniuses that got mixed in the crowd.


    After a couple of hours of waiting, I finally finished going through the registration and was led to a separate room.


    It was a room filled with a pedestal containing a series of different floating orbs.


    "Please answer every question you encounter inside the orbs," one of the staff said, gladly I approached one of the orbs and put my hand on top of it.


    "As expected at the academy the questions are very decent"


    Quickly I answered every question and went to another separate room.


    As I walked I saw the hidden magic embedded on the door. The function of each spell was to strip any disguise or illusion and even hypnosis that could threaten the Academy.


    I passed through the door and saw a spacious room similar to an amphitheatre. Rising tiers of seats ranged around an elevated stage while curtains and lights were hung up above the ceiling.


    Through the lane of the seat, I pick one which not too close and not far from the stage. That way I would feel comfortable watching whatever the academy wants us to see.


    Another couple of minutes passed by and I waited patiently. And in a strange way, the room was filled with students.


    [Notification Alert!


    Time magic is being used inside the room!


    The creator is advised to be cautious


    Time inside the amphitheatre is much slower than the time outside!


    Be cautious!]


    "I see, so in order to accommodate the massive flow of enrollees they had someone cast a time spell here"


    I muttered and immediately studied the spell through Jeremiah.


    Without me knowing all the seats were filled. Then a man slowly appears on the stage.


    That man wore an ivory long-sleeve shirt with a black necktie fixed on his collar, on top of it was a black waistcoat with a black overcoat resting on his shoulder. His lower body is clothed with dark charcoal grey pants, and laced up on his feet are a pair of men''s shoes with low heels.


    As soon as he arrived in the middle of the stage he finally spoke.


    "Welcome to the Academy aspiring students"

 Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Duel to enter

    "Welcome to the Academy aspiring students" He started off.


    "My name is Adolfo Emberfall your test examiner"


    His husky baritone voice sounded very pleasant to the ears as he continued speaking.


    "The moment you all entered the first room means the entrance exam has already begun. I am certain that some of you have noticed that"


    He said while his thin round glasses reflected the light on the ceiling.


    "For this stage of the exam, you are all tasked to fight amongst yourselves and through each match we will decide the winner, the results shall be added to your score, which will be revealed at the end of the exam"


    Whispers began to fill the vast room however Apollo''s eyes and ears were glued to something.


    [Notification Alert!


    The space and time around the amphitheatre has shifted!


    A time acceleration spell has been cast


    Creator is advised to be cautious!]


    This made Apollo happy and immediately began studying the spell through Jeremiah.


    And so while he basked himself in the mysterious magic of time the stage began to be covered with a barrier to protect those who will watch.


    Spells from different elements were cast however the boy''s attention remained on the magic surrounding the amphitheater. Time magic was a complicated branch of void magic and Apollo hadn''t perfected his skills in terms of it.


    However, his euphoria ended when one of the names he read inside the files was called.


    "Next Niko Fernandez and Samuel Lucas" the examiner called and Apollo immediately regained his focus in front.


    [Stats


    Name:Niko Fernandez


    Status: Nervous


    Occupation: Paladin of the Goddes of time


    Rank: Apprentice


    Level: 10


    Strength: 36


    Agility: 30


    Dexterity: 37


    Endurance: 36


    Stamina: 37


    Intelligence: 37


    Mana: 37


    Ki: 30


    Mana regeneration: 5 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 3 per minute


    Vitality: 100


    Skill/ABILITIES


    Keeper''s warcraft blade(Rank A) {Passive} - A type of swordsmanship that showcases the power gifted by the time goddess.


    Time sword (Rank A){Active} - A gift bestowed by the time goddess to the protector of her chosen child.


    Ability to cut through someone''s time, resulting in a decrease in their life span.


    Keeper of the time saint (Rank A) {Active} - A shield that can accelerate or slow the time and space of any physical or spiritual attacks.]


    "Not bad however" he looked at his opponent who was at level 16 and couldn''t help but shake his head.


    "The gap between their attributes is too wide"


    ?Can hold a vast amount of mana


    ?Turn ki into mana


    ?A massive amount of mana sealed and only accessible once reach adulthood


    Mind of a Witch (Rank D) {Passive} - Knowledge about spells and magic.


    [Authority of the goddess of time (Rank??) {Active}] -Locked! Practitioner rank is required!-


    Time manipulator (Rank???) {Active} - Partially accessible due to the favorability of the goddess time. Ability to manipulate the time in a short period of time.]


    Apollo doesn''t know whether to laugh or cry with their stats. It was amazing at the same time disappointing, Apollo suddenly felt that he should help them cultivate their skills and abilities.


    [Is that a genuine feeling or do you just want to study them]


    Jeremiah said when he heard Apollo''s thoughts.


    "Both I guess....hoo...." He breathed, and for a moment all sorts of plans popped into his head, he even thought of giving them a doomsday as a means of protection.


    "Calm down those are the only two, you have to wait for the thirteen more students," he said to himself.


    Unknowingly he began to think of the things he should do to help his future classmate but a voice destroyed all his daydreaming.


    "Apollo Lionheart and Edmond Williams!"


    Apollo snapped out of his thoughts and went to the stage where he saw a boy who strangely resembled someone


    "Williams?... I see"


    Apollo smiled softly as he realized who the boy was.


    "It''s Edgar''s younger brother"


    "You two may start now"


    With Adolfo''s neutral voice announcing the start of the match. Edmond immediately lunges forward, Apollo frowns when he sees how his opponent''s sword changes direction executing a strike from below.


    It was very fast considering his stats, which means that his mastery of the technique was better than his brother''s.


    The wooden sword in his hand reaches Apollo''s stomach however it stops midway.


    "CLAP!"


    Apollo put his hand together and produced a sharp percussive noise, a crisp sound can be heard along with the sound of a falling body.


    "THUD!"


    Edmond''s body falls head first on the stage, the sound of it made everyone surprise.


    "What just happened?"


    "I don''t know I only saw someone fall"


    Different theories were laid out since they couldn''t believe someone could be defeated with just a mere clap.


    "Match ends victor Apollo!" The examiner announced, he then beckoned the boy to go through the door.


    "That was a superb spell young Lionheart" he added before letting him go.


    Apollo just nodded however as he walked passed the professor he caught a glimpse of blood dripping from his ears. It wasn''t really noticeable due to the examiner''s hair but since Apollo was close to him he was able to notice it.


    "It seems like I overdid it" the boy had thought as he walked through the door.


    At first, Apollo wanted to show off some of his prized lightning spells but as the match started he felt it was unnecessary.


    "What he received is enough I suppose"


    Passing through the door a place similar to a maze appeared before him.


    "Kill as many golems as you can, each rank of golem corresponds to the points allotted to them"


    Then the screen shows different types of golem however a type of golem attracted his attention.


    "A mechanical golem" Apollo smirked as he saw a familiar creation of the tower mages.


    A body made of metal while the structure was highly similar to a normal stone golem.


    "You may first sit here until the other examinees arrive"


    Gladly Apollo nodded his head and went into the waiting area

 Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Scoring high

    As the staff guided him to a spacious room. A cozy and warm atmosphere welcomes him.


    "Are they trying to calm the examinees?"


    [Perhaps Creator]


    A spacious room with small circular tables and sofas placed at the side, while in the middle of the room are long tables with a lane of chairs with it. Small potted plants were also placed on top of each table.


    While biding his time inside the waiting room, Apollo skimmed through the information about the golems. The information was inside a flat rectangular glass that Apollo liked to swipe up and down. From attributes to the number of points allocated to each golem, it was all well listed with images inside the transparent glass tablet.


    The golems are the following:


    Clayguard - 10pts


    Stonecolosus - 20pts


    Earthforged - 50pts


    steelWarden - 100pts


    Titanium Avatar- 200pts


    Magma Guardian - 300pts


    Mechanical golem - 500pts


    [Notification alert!


    Time magic has been detected!


    The time inside is slower than the time outside!]


    "Another time magic"


    He closed the tablet and decided to study time magic again.


    Within five minutes students filled the waiting room and prepared for the start of the next part of the exam.


    For a couple of minutes only a couple of whispers and breaths could be heard until the sound of trumpets echoed across the waiting room.


    "All examinees prepare for combat!"


    A feminine neutral voice suddenly sounded from all across the room. Causing confusion among some since they can''t find its source.


    "All students must gather as many points as possible. The points that will be gathered in this stage shall be added to your final score"


    Then the floor lit up and a different set of weapons emerged.


    "Take any weapons that you all most comfortable with and score as high as you can"


    Immediately each aspiring academy student took the weapon they felt most comfortable with and prepared for the next stage of the exam.


    "That is all, now to finally start the final exam"


    The ground suddenly vibrated surprising some of the students. Then the wall began to split in half before breaking away. With all the walls removed all that is left are the pieces of furniture of the waiting room.


    "You may all begin"


    With those words the ground shook again but for a different kind of reason.


    "Are those golems?"


    "Wait why are they so big and tall!"


    "Wait I didn''t sign up for this!"


    Some kids began to panic while some hurriedly dashed forward to gain as many points as possible.


    "Jeremiah scan the vicinity"


    [Affirmative!]


    [Scanning complete 1000 golems are found throughout the maze. 500 Clayguard, 200 Stonecolosus, 100 Earthforged, 50 steelWarden, Magmaguardian, Mechanical golem and titanium avatar]


    Apollo frowned a bit, the first three golems were fine since they were still manageable however the last three which were magmaguardian, mechanical golem and titanium avatar, seemed to be too hard for 13-year-old students.


    [Creator someone just defeated a Magma Guardian]


    "Oh what''s this seems like we have some monsters here"


    He said as he threw another golem into the air.


    "Alright Jeremiah show it to me"


    Immediately upon his command, Jeremiah shows the map of the maze.


    "I see now then let''s end this"


    Seeing all the marks Apollo closed his eyes as he made the space he was standing his territory.


    Mana rose up on the ground while Apollo began casting his newly created spell.


    Sparks of fire began to gather on his palms and soon compressed into tiny dots. Soon tiny, pulsating flashes of light, resembling tiny yellow or red dots appeared. Those dots turn blue before dancing freely in the air.


    It was one of Apollo''s newly created spells. It was a spell called.


    "Firefly"


    Soon these fireflies flew all across the maze surprising those who were initially busy gaining points.


    "What are these?"


    "Don''t touch them you lunatic can''t you see, it''s a spell!"


    "They kind of calming to see isn''t it?"


    "Yeah"


    All sorts of words were thrown towards the sea of dots.


    [All targets have been located you may proceed Creator]


    The sea of floating blue dots floated and attached themselves around the target golems, Apollo took a look at the vicinity of the golems.


    "It seems like the coast is clear," Apollo said then he snapped his fingers.


    BOOM!


    Hundreds of different explosions simultaneously happen shaking the entire maze. Dark clusters of smoke can be seen in different places and some aspiring students fainted due to the combined sound of the explosion.


    Not only the students but also the teachers who were watching the exam were surprised. They felt the abnormal intensity of the attack and couldn''t help but be amazed and worried.


    "What the hell is up with that spell" he shakingly said as he tried to drink water.


    "I could still feel the tremor brought by the simultaneous explosion" another teacher said massaging his head.


    "Another Lionheart," a female teacher said looking at Apollo with her cold eyes.


    [It seems like you overdid it, Creator]


    "Well did I?" Apollo confusingly said as he looked at the now dark sky and almost wrecked maze.


    Seeing the devastation the boy finally realized the severity of his action.


    "Well....at least nobody died right?"


    [You hope nobody did]


    Apollo couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Yeah it''s my fault" he said weakly then he suddenly noticed something glowing on his wrist.


    "What''s this?"


    He began to inspect it only to see a couple of numbers.


    "76,000"


    [ It seems like that''s the points you got from the golems]


    "Yeah I think so too"

 Chapter 30: Chapter 30: End of the exam

    The exam took longer than anticipated since some examinees took longer to recover from the shock, which was caused by the explosion. Those who were close to the site were brought down to the infirmary.


    "Should we hold that boy accountable for causing such a ruckus?" one of the older teachers said as he looked at the line of students currently placed on infirmary beds.


    "Then does that mean we should also punish the examinees who instead of attacking golems end up attacking other examinees?"


    Rudwick looks at Adolfo not liking his words however the person who receives his gaze remains nonchalant.


    "So whom should we punish the aspiring students who started attacking other students, or a boy who just did what the rules say" the female professor said who was apparently the examiner of this part of the exam.


    "Shane, are you just going to let that boy run havoc on the exam? I think Professor Rudwick is right we must punish him" A professor named Gabriel said.


    "If we are going to punish Apollo Lionheart we should not exclude those who excessively injured and attack others. If we are making a decision we should not make any exemptions"


    "But those two are different things!" Professor Rudwick kept insisting however some professors were skeptical about his reasons.


    "Professor are you sure you just want to punish an unruly child or is it because Edmond got knocked out twice by the same person on the same day" Adolfo said making the old professor look at him in disdain.


    "Whether we are punishing or rewarding an examinee" a cold feminine voice began to shut the mouths of the other professors.


    "That will all be mine to decide, after all, I am the examiner"


    She then looked at Rudwick and Gabriel as if telling them to shut their mouths.


    Amidst the fight among the professors Apollo and the rest of the aspiring students continue to venture the maze.


    "I suddenly recognize the pattern of the maze"


    Apollo said as he walked across the passage.


    There are 200 passages that will connect to the end of the maze, each passage will have golems waiting to attack. The first half of the maze has the first three golems in the list however as you draw near the end you will meet the remaining golems in the list. In short, the golems were put to the weakest to strongest.


    Also, the reason for the existence of strong golems was to force the other examinees to work together, gradually creating friendship and companionship among them.


    [You destroy that sequence Creator]


    "Shut up and how am I supposed to know that"


    He said trying to defend himself.


    However, due to Apollo, the plans put up by the professors were destroyed.


    "Let''s just get out of here"


    He walked through the moving passage and trap-bound corners.


    "This is getting boring" he groaned looking at the map of the huge maze.


    [What do you plan to do then?]


    "I''m going fast" Then he crouches down, with his one foot set forward while the other position back. His arms are extended forward and placed on the ground.


    Slowly his hair began to rise as lightning currents surged up to his entire body. Sparks of white light ignited.


    Soon his entire body was engulfed with white lightning.


    Back to Apollo who was suddenly hit by a dilemma.


    "Damn it! I forgot how to stop myself from this speed"


    [Haven''t I told you to revise the spell more]


    Apollo groaned as he heard Jeremiah''s scolding.


    However, to Apollo''s surprise, the end of the maze was already there, unfortunately, he didn''t know how to stop the spell not even slow it down.


    "Nah never mind"


    Instead of stopping he poured mana onto the spell and made his speed escalate.


    [I hope you don''t plan on killing someone with this]


    "Nah it should be fine"


    Apollo zoomed in and went straight to the exit causing a loud boom sound.


    .....


    On the other side of the exit, another room was located there. It was a huge hall filled with tables and chairs, the scene is similar to a school cafeteria with three more floors similar to the other. The only difference it has from a normal cafeteria is that it doesn''t have a roof. Each floor has an open space in the middle that starts from the ground to the fourth floor.


    That is why if you look up you will see the clear sky reflecting the time of the day.


    "It''s been three minutes no one other than us finished the maze immediately" a blonde-haired boy said as he continued to play the flower pot on top of the table.


    "That is to be expected your highness after all defeating a magma guardian must have been heavy for some of the students"


    "Indeed your highness and it''s not like anyone can single-handedly defeat those three types of golems"


    Three individuals with high standings within the empire have their harmonious conversation however a sudden change happens when a massive heat strikes them.


    From all the corners of the room, fighter mages came out and set up a barrier, putting up a defensive formation against the unknown entity.


    "BOOM!''


    Along the scorching heat was a gaping speed of an unknown being. They didn''t see what it was, all they could know was a silhouette of a white ghost-like being. Whatever it was, they found someone to look out for, that speed after all was frightening.


    "Your Highness are you alright?" asked one of the professors who was also a secret guard of the prince.


    "Yes thank you sir I am okay "


    However, their conversation halted when a huge storm hit the vast city of Sidus.


    "ZAP!"


    Lightning pierce the sky as dark clouds envelop the city.


    This phenomenon made three strong individuals grow more interested towards the culprit of this situation.


    "Apollo"


    An old man sitting on a wooden chair said as he looked at the sky filled with lightning.

 Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Apollo Lionheart

    The imperial 3rd prince Caesar Von Celestio gazes up, there he sees a figure of a boy covered in white light, striking the sky apart.


    "Incredible" he mumbled.


    Lighting spreads turning into cracks that seemingly break the sky. In the middle of it all Apollo floats releasing the might of his spell.


    [So this is your plan, to exhaust your mana to forcefully stop the spell]


    "I don''t have any choice right?..just prepare the backup energy bank we made"


    Apollo heard a deep sigh within his mind knowing it was Jeremiah who must have felt exasperated with his action.


    The lightning spell Apollo cast was named Thunder Aura, its function is to clad your body in lightning and use it to propel your speed. The problem is the spell is like raging water once cast it can''t be stopped unless Apollo were to fix it.


    The lighting state of the body will remain as long as his mana can sustain it and since he still didn''t have a turn-off switch for the spell he needs to empty his mana storage.


    Finally, after a few seconds of a storm, his mana is depleted.


    [Mana depletion has been detected!


    Proceed to emergency energy reserve!]


    "Hoo!"


    Apollo couldn''t help but breathe deeply as he felt strength return to him.


    "Now we have another problem"


    [You don''t know how to fly]


    "Yep"


    In a very fast motion, he started falling from the sky.


    [5 seconds before you die, Creator]


    "What a very warm warning"


    As he approached the ground fast Apollo felt his body slow down a bit before safely being guided by the wind.


    The wolf insignia on his neck and the fairy insignia on his waist began to glow, signifying that he was borrowing the power of his two wind spirits.


    As his body slows down and safely lands on top of a table, he notices two boys and one girl glaring at him.


    "What''s up with them"


    [Maybe because you suddenly zoom in out of nowhere and cause a storm in the sky]


    Apollo just frowns until his gaze locks on a boy who has strikingly familiar blonde hair and emerald eyes.


    "An imperial prince" he recognizes him.


    The four people were locked in a staring match neither of them was trying to break free.


    [Creator why not speak]


    "I am trying but I don''t know what to say!"


    [.....]


    [Is that why you are only looking at them?]


    Instead of answering Apollo just pouts.


    "Finally we''re out"


    The tension suddenly broke when fifteen new people came in. Their sudden appearance put an end to the staring battle.


    "Let''s get down now"


    He jumped down from the table and went towards an empty seat.


    [Won''t you greet the imperial prince?]


    "We are inside the academy, status is useless here, so it''s okay even if I don''t greet him" he reasoned however Jeremiah spoke again [It won''t hurt to at least say hi]


    "Give it a rest Jeremiah I still need to refill my energy reserves"


    [And whose fault was it that you exhaust it]


    "Me obviously" Then he slumped his back on the chair trying to refill his exhausted reserves.


    Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Focused


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Mage


    Level: 8


    Strength: 183


    Agility: 181


    "Yup, I know" he felt defeated against Jeremiah.


    ....


    "What the hell is that guy doing?" Odysseus Arcanebane said seeing Apollo just sitting down while his eyes are completely closed.


    "He must be sleeping Seus" Astrid Obsidianvale reasoned seeing Apollo dozing off.


    "Astrid, Seus I wanna befriend him" the imperial prince said as he stood up indicating he wanted to approach Apollo.


    "I am coming with you" Astrid also stood up while Odysseus followed.


    "Since the two of you are going I don''t have a choice I need to tag along"


    Those words from Odysseus caused Caesar and Astrid to laugh.


    However, before they could even get close a triumphant sound of trumpets echoed throughout the area.


    "Greetings my aspiring students"


    Suddenly someone appears out of nowhere surprising most of the examinees.


    "My name is Acke Williams the vice headmaster of this academy, and I am here to show you the results!"


    Then a loud booming sound happens showcasing a huge rectangular screen. Listed on that screen are the names and the rankings of the examinees.


    "Those who reach the accumulated score of 10,000 may deemed worthy of entering the Academy, while those who didn''t pass the marker score will have to leave in these portals"


    He then made a hand motion and hundreds of portals came out urging those who didn''t pass to leave.


    "For those fortunate ones, I congratulate you, while those who can''t make it, try your best to achieve greatness even if it means going to another school"


    Then as the Academy staff assisted those who failed the exams his eyes went straight towards a boy who had a hair similar to a setting sun.


    "The boy who beat my nephew twice today" he then smirked as he gazed at his nonchalant reaction.


    "Others are celebrating their success but this boy decided to sleep" he then looked at the screen and focused his gaze on the name that stood at the top of others.


    "Apollo Lionheart" then he suddenly chuckled as he said his name "It''s as if your name was naturally placed to stand above others"


    Then he gazes back to the boy and speaks again "I''ll be looking forward to the things you will do young lion"


    [Emergency energy reserves as been refilled]


    Apollo smiled finally he was done with fixing his energy bank.


    As he opens his eyes he sees the crowd cheering and crying over something.


    "What''s going on?" he was confused and looked up.


    "Oh I see no wonder"


    He saw the list and understood the situation, immediately he looked for the fifteen names who would be his future classmates. He felt relieved when he finally found their names.


    "It''s good that they all pass"


    As the names were listed so did their overall score.


    1. Apollo Lionheart - 537,893 points


    2. Caesar Von Celestio - 58,546 points


    3. Astrid Obsidianvale- 54,356 points


    4. Odysseus Arcanebane - 53,456 points


    .


    .


    "Hey, what with the big gap between one and two?"


    "Is this score even possible?"


    Some students were sceptical of the results but there were those who immediately accepted and one of them is Caesar.


    "It seems like I am too far from him"


    "Your Highness why don''t we approach him now?" Astrid suggested wondering what kind of person Apollo was.


    However, another sound of triumphant trumpets interrupted them.


    "What now?" Odysseus said as he halted his movements. They were about to walk towards Apollo but the sudden sound made them stop.


    "This announcement is for the top 5 rankers that we have"


    Everyone became interested, they were curious about what sort of announcement it was.


    "That announcement!"


    He stops trying to build up anticipation from his audience and to his relief they did. Then he purses his lips to speak.


    "That announcement shall be announced on the first day of the academy, that is all I have to say, good day"


    Then he disappeared leaving the students disappointed.


    "Just what the hell was that" Apollo couldn''t help but say.

 Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Hunting

    "When you build up a hype before trashing it down the drain"


    Apollo sighed thinking he could get a reward.


    [It might become the case Creator, you just need to wait until the start of the class]


    "The start of the class is on the tenth day of the sixth month, Iu?nius"


    [We still have a month to prepare]


    "Yes that is correct"


    After the announcement of those who passed the entrance exam Apollo immediately disappeared among the crowd.


    "We lost him" Odysseus said as he stood up on top of a table.


    "That''s unfortunate, your Highness should we visit the Lionheart duchy to meet him?"


    "No need for that Astrid, from what I''ve heard the youngest son of the Lionheart duchy currently resides at the mage tower"


    Odysseus sighed knowing that the place was located in the middle of four dangerous forests.


    "Let''s just talk to him once classes start. Since the top 20 students tend to be placed in the high class"


    "Seus is right Your Highness we don''t need to rush"


    Caesar nodded agreeing to their words however he couldn''t shake the feeling that once he let go of Apollo now, he wouldn''t be able to talk to him again.


    Outside the academy a huge crowd of people waited for their children to come out, however, the one that truly stands out among the crowd is 72 mages all lined up neatly as if a war is about to come. Some thought they were sent by the academy to secure the peace but the truth is they too were waiting for their kid, Apollo.


    "I wonder how little sun handles the exam," Gavin said as he continued to fiddle with his fingers.


    "What are you so nervous our boy can handle it"


    "Sam that''s not what I meant"


    "Then what is it then?"


    "It''s Apollo''s understanding of people that''s the problem!"


    "I still don''t get it, he understands us pretty well"


    "Yes and how old are we? We are crazy old wizards that have been secluded inside a tower for years! All we know is magic!"


    "Still don''t get it," Sam said as he took another pack of chips from his space ring. Gavin on the other hand just sighs.


    "I just worry that he won''t understand the difference between mages from the tower and mages that are the same age as him" he hopes what he feared won''t happen while looking at the large gates of the academy.


    "BOOM!"


    Suddenly the clouds turned dark while lightning began hitting the sky. White lightning evaporated the air causing a roaring sound among the dark clouds in the sky.


    All the tower mages stare and focus towards the source of the storm.


    "Is that?"


    "Apollo!"


    Gavin couldn''t help but face palm seeing the power Apollo was exuding.


    "Do you understand me now Sam?"


    Sam who was looking at the sky with an aghast expression finally spoke "Nope still don''t get it" Then his face turned nonchalant.


    "Sigh seriously"


    Another booming sound echoed before ending the lightning storm.


    "Where''s the little sun?"


    "He is falling down fast!"


    "Yes indeed all will be placed under Nirvana''s will" Suddenly an unfamiliar voice sounded making them alert.


    "Who''s there!" The boy exclaimed.


    "I am a bit hurt I am also an examinee yet you didn''t remember me" the voice sounded again.


    "It''s better to leave and pretend you didn''t see anything here or die because of your interference," one of the people wearing monastery clothes said.


    "Wow, that''s a very generous offer, however...." Suddenly the voice turned cold and sharp as if it was a blade that could cut.


    Then that voice spoke again "You see I prefer a third option"


    The boy named Dino chuckled as if hearing something ridiculous "There won''t be any other options for you"


    The unknown voice suddenly snickered and said "Oh? but there is"


    From the darkest part of the alley the owner of the voice finally appears.


    "Your deaths" he smiled as he said this.


    However opposite to his smiling greetings the seven people who gathered around him had a frantic reaction.


    "You are Apollo Lionheart!" Dino exclaimed finally recognizing him.


    "What!" Simultaneously all six individuals dash forward to attack. They don''t have time to underestimate him what they need is his head.


    "You guys like going straight to the point no?"


    Suddenly electric charge surges up to his body until it transforms into a bolt of white lightning.


    [Not this again]


    "No worries I can just use the energy bank again"


    Apollo heard a groan inside his mind however he didn''t have much time to speak to Jeremiah since six people were up for his head.


    [That boy is casting a buffing spell]


    "Deal with him"


    [Affirmative]


    As Apollo activated thunder aura the alley suddenly began to melt. This event made the six attacking individuals halt. They never anticipated such a spell from a 13-year-old boy. However, their sudden hesitation was all Apollo needed to attack.


    "Thunder aura, positive lightning" a huge discharge of lightning shaped like a spear began to dance in the air, making a series of beautiful light displays.


    It all happened in a snap they couldn''t even react, before they knew it their heads were all over the melted ground.


    "What"


    Dino suddenly pukes a mouthful of blood when his spell backfires.


    "Why did I fail!?" He said as his knees met the ground.


    "Jeremiah you didn''t finish him"


    [Master we need him for information]


    "Right, I forgot" he then approached the kneeling boy and placed his hand on his trembling body.


    "Let''s see Grandpa once gave me a spell for interrogation" he smiled making Dino cry in pain.


    "Please...I am begging you" he began to say.


    However, Apollo doesn''t focus on his words but on the spell he is casting.


    Dark smoke began to rise from the ground and slowly creep into the head of the boy.


    "Argh!" He shouted.


    However, despite his painful cry, Apollo continued casting his spell.


    "Darkness element Necromancy magic, Veritas"

 Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Monastery

    Apollo''s Pov


    So what is the monastery and what lunacy do they do, I''ll tell you.


    The monastery is a big cult that started 200 years ago, pretty old right?


    However, for people who harness a large quantity of mana and ki, living at least 200 years is possible.


    To start off, let me cut the difference between a religion and a cult. We had a rough discussion about this when I was in the tower so I would like to define the two first.


    A cult is a secretive group or organization which focuses its devotion towards a certain individual or figure. For those in the monastery that would be Nirvana. He was the figure of their devotion, their God and saviour.


    For religion, there are many definitions of it but we will focus on a simple one. A religion is a group or organization that has a belief and practices regarding spirituality, living and moral values. It is also a collection of faith and culture.


    So what''s the difference?


    Both are organizations, both are worshipping a certain figure or individual.


    It''s not really about the structure but the purpose and how they are being run. I remember having an argument with one of the mages of the tower when he told me a cult, like the monastery didn''t become a religion because it wasn''t famous enough to become one. I said the two were different so let me tell you some stuff about them.


    First, in a cult information is controlled, they would only feed you the things that will make it easier for them to control you. Oftentimes they would also isolate their members making them view society as an enemy, or people wouldn''t understand them.


    In religion, you know what you are getting into. There is a lot of information about them and they are known by the public. If mishaps happen the public eye would surely look into it.


    Cults is like a one-way trip, you can only enter but never return or leave. Members who enter are unable to leave at some point since they have no place to return to. Either everything they have has been sold or if they leave unavoidable consequences will happen.


    In religion you can stop whenever you want, heck you can even leave and get yourself converted. You have total freedom to choose which is the opposite of a cult.


    [Creator what''s the point of this?]


    Suddenly Apollo''s dialogue halted with Jeremiah''s interruption.


    "I was just explaining" he pouted as he said this.


    [It''s not needed, just explain who is Nirvana and what the monastery wants]


    Sigh okay, The monastery believes that the world should be united. It includes races such as devils, demons and humans. They believe that they should all unite under the same kingdom, his.


    The problem is the three races have been in conflict with each other for hundreds of years.


    [I don''t think they''re bad, Creator]


    I couldn''t help but chuckle with Jeremiah''s words.


    "Jeremiah if they can''t give such enticing belief no prey will take the bait"


    As I said this my focus returned to the boy who lay unconscious beside my foot.


    "I pity him"


    [Are you perhaps hesitating?]


    "I am"


    I took a peek at his memories and there I saw how he befriends a magical beast and how they need to depart because of how the people of his town felt towards her.


    I felt his emotion, it was too vivid and pure. He loved her even when he was just a small child, he recognized how important that beast was to him. Even when the world saw her as a monster he saw how kind she could be.


    "A magical beast that can transform into a human, it''s no wonder he felt something for her"


    So he joined the monastery believing that a world where everyone can be united can come true. That way they could be together again.


    "Sigh"


    Apollo raked his hair as he thought of possible things he could do but time wasn''t really on his side.


    "Apollo?"


    A map presented itself to me and all the marked individuals appeared with their current location.


    Ten red glowing dots can be seen on the map unfortunately four of them already left the city.


    "Should I chase them?"


    Looking at the 72 mages with me it''s possible however it will be a different story if more people from the monastery appeared.


    An unplanned attack often ends in bloody endings. I can''t attack without any information about my enemy.


    "I should wait until the class finally starts"


    Then I took two chanting bracelets from my space ring.


    "Sir Gavin can I ask for a favor"


    "What is it little sun"


    "I would like you to go to this certain place and guard the people inside it"


    I gave a parchment containing the addresses of my future classmates. Sir Gavin took the paper and nodded.


    "Leave this to me" Then his figure immediately disappeared along the increasing fall of the rain.


    Then I shifted my gaze towards the other mages, then I said "Would it be okay if someone were to cast clairvoyance magic here"


    "What are you trying to find little sun" they asked.


    "A rat" I answered.


    The mages look at each other confused.


    The school year hasn''t started yet I can already see how many headaches I need to deal with.


    There is no such thing as absolutel in this world. That is why anyone can find loopholes in objects and people as long as they look around.


    However, the academy''s barriers are as strong as the imperial palace, so who could break it up?


    "It''s either someone tampered with the Academy''s magical barrier or they have a master when it comes to magical barriers"


    But l could feel it, something was weird as if I was missing something. Then suddenly it hit me.


    I wasn''t able to see the method of how that boy was able to escape from the academy''s defence and detection mechanism.


    "Someone manipulated their memories or..they didn''t use anything to deceive the detection. They were eligible to enter and thus no alarm sounded"


    Meaning to say, some respectable households actually allied themselves with the monastery, because the academy wouldn''t just accept kids without a good background. Of course there all always exceptions to that rule.


    "A genius"


    That boy was really good, too good for his age then I began to think if it weren''t for a fact his up against me then he wouldn''t lose so easily.


    The monastery''s reach is very deep now.


    This is messed up no wonder I was given this task, other families can''t be trusted.


    The only families the imperial family can completely trust are the four ducal families, which makes me involved.


    And instead of letting those fifteen stay inside the imperial palace, the decision was to let them enter the academy where the emperor''s control is minimal.


    "That only means the imperial palace is no longer safe"


    The last option now is to send them to the second most protective place in the empire, the academy.


    The imperial family can''t directly involve themselves with the matters of the Academy due to the oath. That is why they need someone who can move freely inside of the academy, me.


    "Those kids might be in danger" I worriedly ran through the streets of the city, behind me were dozens of mages, all eager to see my next move.

 Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Connection

    Those fifteen students had one thing in common when I saw their backgrounds.


    Their characteristics were that of a key, so what exactly is a key, let me tell you.


    50 years ago Nirvana was sealed away, by certain five individuals, and in order to free him the monastery needed to find the key.


    Keys are no objects instead they are people, more specifically the descendants of the original five who made the seal. Since it was their power that created the seal, it was also their power that could remove it.


    "Now everything makes sense, from the massacre of Hexzon Village to the destruction of the Elysium kingdom"


    "They were hunting the descendants in order to free Nirvana"


    [It makes all the reason why they are so desperate to get those kids]


    "Yes because once they enter the academy it will be more difficult to get them"


    [Even with their spies]


    "Yes even with spies"


    "Jeremiah refill the energy bank, I am going fast"


    [On it]


    Suddenly my body began to be energized with blue lightning and with its strength I zoomed through the city surprising the mages behind me.


    "This spell is different from the one he used before" Tim said as he used a spell to increase his speed.


    "It''s no use our little sun is too fast we can''t keep up" Sam said realizing any type of acceleration spell wouldn''t be able to keep up with Apollo''s speed.


    "There is only one person who can keep up with Apollo"


    Then a speeding figure almost blew the 71 mages away.


    "Was that?!"


    "Yup it''s the strongest mage inside the tower, the head, Alger Thornvale"


    A dense amount of blue mana coats around Alger''s body as he tries to keep up with Apollo.


    "What a troublesome spell" the old wizard could only say.


    ....


    [30 seconds before the spell wore off]


    I nodded knowing the duration of the spell was connected to my mana. Once the spell stops means my mana is dropped to zero. However, I had no choice I don''t have any spells in my arsenal that can give this much boost in speed.


    Soon I arrive at a small manor west of the city. It was desolate with no other houses near it.


    As I drew closer I saw Sir Gavin fighting with twenty people, their outfits were the same as the ones I fought before.


    "Why didn''t he ask for help"


    [Creator a jamming spell was cast around the manor, so no telepathic transmission can be sent]


    "Tsk make sense"


    [There is a barrier up ahead we need to break it before we can enter]


    "Yeah I''m on it"


    I put my hands together creating a dense amount of lightning then compressed it into a single point.


    "Thunder aura, flash point"


    A tiny dot of compressed lightning flew towards the invisible barrier making it tremble.


    With the sudden tremor caused by the attack, all those inside the manor couldn''t help but look and see a flash of light that completely destroyed the barrier.


    "What''s going on?" Alicia said as she used her body as a shield to protect the rest of her classmates from their assailants.


    "Impossible!" Amitar one of the high priests of the monastery shouted as he saw how a barrier made by ten senior mages shattered like a fragile glass.


    "Lady Alicia please fall back we will protect you," a battered knight said while ten more knights stood with him.


    Behind their back was a room that the little girl tried to protect.


    "Alicia" a girl began to sob from the inside of the room but the little girl named Alicia kept the door shut.


    "Don''t worry I won''t die"


    As she said those words lightning struck causing a loud roaring sound.


    ...


    "Thunder aura, negative lightning"


    Several strokes of lightning flash and every strike made bodies fall on the ground.


    "It''s because of the rain!"


    While I shouted at the knight my eyes caught a glimpse of Grandpa he was standing in front of the manor while bodies lay beneath his feet.


    It turns out I wasn''t the only one who was hunting.


    "Hey, I need help!" the knight shouted again.


    My attention returned to him when I felt his grip on me began to loosen.


    "Not good" I could only say


    "If I fall I''ll drag you with me" I threatened the knight.


    By the way Jeremiah where''s the energy bank?


    Hey!


    Buddy?


    Why aren''t you speaking?


    "What''s going on Hamir!"


    A lady suddenly came out of the door despite the other knight''s warning.


    "Lady Alicia"


    "Enough!" she shouted at them before approaching me.


    "We kind of needed a hand" I tried to smile as I said this.


    "Yean I noticed"


    Then she grabbed my hand and pulled me up.


    "!?"


    [She''s strong]


    "Where were you, Jeremiah?"


    [I was fixing something I''ll show it to you later]


    I clicked my tongue in disapproval but I soon composed myself when I was taken inside the room.


    There, all eyes were on me.


    "Your Apollo Lionheart right?" a brown-haired boy asked me. Instead of an answer a massive headache hit me.


    "Ugh!" I groaned feeling the effects of mana depletion.


    "I think he is tired"


    A purple-haired girl spoke this time however, my vision was getting blurry so I wasn''t able to see her clearly.


    "I''m gonna sleep wake me later" I managed to say before succumbing to the tiredness I was feeling.


    ...


    Outside the city, the forest of Vain.


    The clouds light up due to the lighting while a roaring sound would come after it. The rain intensifies as if covering the bodies that cover the muddy ground of the forest.


    While the storm continues a single individual can be seen sitting on top of a mountain of bodies.


    He sits comfortably as if it were his throne however beside him, there is another person who was there. Wearing a black friar-like robe and hood his body floated motionless.


    "It seems like your temple has become too desperate, Oswald. To think you would attack Sidus"


    "Let''s see the monastery has 12 temples no?"


    "Since I captured you, the archbishop of the sixth temple that would at least cripple the monastery right?"


    That individual chucked as he gazed at the paralyzed man floating in front of him.


    "We...will...win"


    "Nirvana...will.....return...emperor"


    Lightning struck again and with its light, the individual''s features began to be seen. A glimpse of a pair of emerald eyes and soaked blonde hair.


    Augustus did not speak instead his eyes remained looking at his prey.


    "Send more people if want to"


    He made a hand motion and the man named Oswald drew closer to him.


    "Because no matter the number, I will kill them all"

 Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Tower

    "Send more people if you want to"


    He made a hand motion and the man named Oswald drew closer to him.


    "Because no matter the number, I will kill them all"


    Then he snapped his finger and with that action, an inhumane scream echoed in the dark rainy forest.


    Even the constant roar of thunder couldn''t hide the painful cry of Oswald.


    "Crack!"


    The snapping of bones can be heard as the monastery priest sees his arms bend disturbingly.


    "ARGH!!"


    He screamed even further however it wasn''t enough to stop the emperor from tormenting him. His leg began to bend back while ribs ruptured from the insides.


    Oswald agonized each time his limps were bent in a different direction however his screams were like a melody to the emperor''s ears. The more his enemy suffered the more he became satisfied.


    "JUST...KILL...ME!"


    He managed to say his bones began snapping again.


    "I know it''s painful after all I used a spell to amplify the pain you are suffering with"


    Emerald-green eyes calmly looked at him his expression was too hard to read due to his vacant expression.


    "I still remember the massacre of Hexzon village" This time his voice changes making Oswald finch.


    A red blood-like fog slowly emerges from the emperor, it''s as if he was a beast that was trying to control himself.


    "Even the kingdom of Elysium" he added


    Now almost the entire area is covered with red fog.


    That fog wasn''t a spell or natural phenomenon, it was actually massive killing intent that materialized into a form of fog.


    "Your Majesty please stop now, the forest might die if this continues" The man who spoke was the same soldier that came to pick up Apollo.


    Despite the suffocating killing intent he remains standing and waits for his emperor''s command.


    Augustus looks at his soldier before retracting his murderous intent. Slowly the red fog dispersed as if it never appeared from the beginning.


    "How''s the kids"


    "They were fine and just as you predicted your majesty the boy came, armed with 73 mages including the legendary mage Alger"


    "I see do we have casualties?"


    "None, however..."


    "However?"


    "It will be best if his majesty were to see it himself"


    "Alright," Then he looks at Oswald before smiling widely.


    "I''ll grant your wish now"


    Then Oswald felt something was wrong, he started to panic when he felt something from his insides begin to eat him.


    "Wait....I...argh!"


    He shouted again as maggots crept in from his skin.


    As his body began to break down due to maggots, it led to his skin turning pulpy and discolored. A greenish or brownish hue skin color. Then areas of the body began to develop a mottled or blotchy appearance as wiggling worms infested it.


    "Argh!" he shouted again.


    He felt the sheer pain of thousands of mouths devouring his skin. He tried to move, he tried to scream but with his body being bent in an irregular way all he could do was endure the pain.


    Maggots wiggle and move across Oswald''s body leaving behind irregular cavities as they consume the flesh of their victim. This resulted in an overall disintegration of the flesh, and every process of decomposition was all felt by Oswald.


    "Just...kill...me"


    However, his plea did reach the emperor''s ears.


    Rain continues to pour devouring the previously clear sky. Augustus flew on top of the city and up there he saw some parts of the streets with burns and melted roads.


    "Did a fight happen here?"


    The emperor was taken aback and never anticipated the reason to be that. Then he looked around and saw the knights that he had assigned to protect the kids.


    "Why are you all standing there?" he asked seeing all the knights standing on the corner.


    "We were letting the kids decide what to do with the boy"


    "Deciding or betting?"


    The knights suddenly jolted and immediately hid the small pouches of coins.


    "These knights seriously"


    He couldn''t help but shake his head when he heard another noise from the group.


    "Alicia why don''t you give him CPR" one of them jokingly said.


    "He doesn''t need CPR Niko"


    "Come on just try it" they began to tease however Alicia wasn''t really into the joke they were making.


    "Come on Ali what if he dies?"


    "He didn''t drown his unconscious due to mana depletion"


    "What if his body can''t produce mana will he die?" this time it''s Agnes who asked.


    "If you are really worried then we should feed him with this"


    Alicia then took out a powder from her pouch and gently put it in Apollo''s mouth.


    "This should help him out"


    Slowly upon the boy''s consumption of the said powder, his complexion soon recovered.


    "It seems like his doing okay" a red spiky-haired boy named Gelo said.


    "By the way kids"


    The emperor spoke gaining the attention of all people inside the room.


    "We will take you somewhere safer not this one that the marquis provided"


    "What kind of place is it, your majesty"


    Then Agnes asked however a different voice answered her "It''s my tower children"


    Alger appeared holding Apollo in his arms.


    His sudden appearance brought silence from the children the first to react was Niko.


    "Hey, how did he get him!?"


    Then fifteen heads simultaneously look at the place where they left Apollo then shifting their gaze back at Alger''s arms.


    "Children this man in front of you is the head of the Mage tower, he will be the one who will take charge of your protection before the class starts"


    "The head of the Mage tower" Alicia mumbled as she looked at Alger.


    "When do we plan to leave?"


    "Oh my child we will now"


    "!?"


    "Oh don''t be shocked outside this broken manor are 72 mages from the tower"


    As he said those words the room they are currently in suddenly breaks into pieces.


    "What''s going on!?"


    "Are we being attacked!"


    Some of the kids panic but Alicia immediately calms them down.


    Then as the room''s walls and ceiling disappeared a breathtaking view of the setting sun emerged from the sky.


    "Oh what you look at that we have one beautiful view"


    Alger exclaimed as 72 mages floated beside him.


    Most of them look at the red and orange hue that painted the sky but the girl named Alicia looks at the unconscious boy who bore the same color as the sky they were looking at.

 Chapter 36: Chapter 36: A month before that start

    The azure sky was filled with the vibrant colours of sunrise, and clusters of clouds floated while the warm hues of oranges painted the sky. The gentle light of sunlight would cast shadows across the land. Among the clouds, suspended in the air a humongous vessel that is usually found on water can be seen. A ship sailed among the clouds while the wind began to guide it to its destination.


    Inside the ship are 73 mages Alger included, 11 towering knights and 16 13-year-old kids.


    "Wow look at the sky!" one of the boys said as he closed his eyes to feel the refreshing touch of the morning breeze.


    "Braiden watch out you might fall"


    Alicia said while pointing at her friend Braiden


    However, instead of paying attention to her words, Braiden began to run across the ship''s deck. His brown hair began to bounce as the wind gently accompanied him as he ran.


    "That little"


    "Miss Alicia I think you should let him have some fun"


    Apollo said as came from the navigation room.


    "He might appear relaxed but look carefully" he said approaching Alicia and simply letting her observe Braiden.


    "Even though he is smiling you can see how he trembles, he is so tense that the only thing he could do to hide his nervousness is by acting all active"


    "Cut him some slack last night was something no 13-year-old can ever forget"


    After saying those words he approached Braiden and gave him a drink.


    "Last night was something no 13-year-old can ever forget....you said that but you didn''t even flinch when killing someone" Alicia then sips the drink Apollo gave to her.


    "Hmm? This tastes good"


    While Alicia savors her drink Apollo decides to talk to Braiden.


    "Where are the others?"


    "Oh, the boys are inside playing billiards while the girls are having their breakfast. I want to feel refreshed so I decided to go out"


    "Well, looking at the rising sun really is beautiful. The way the light pierces through the darkness and splits the land between night and day, it''s truly relaxing"


    Braiden chuckles after hearing what Apollo said, then he takes a sip of his drink before being surprised by its taste.


    "By the way what''s this it tastes so good"


    "Oh, that? it''s one of the unreleased rations we made during the breakout"


    "Pfft!?"


    To Apollo''s surprise, Braiden suddenly choked on his drink.


    "Hey, you okay?"


    "You mean this is supposed to be military rations"


    "Yup but it wasn''t able to make it since food rations were switched to the House of Atlan"


    "House of Atlan you mean the alchemic guild?"


    "Yes they were given license by his majesty to take charge of food and medicine ration, while the tower was tasked to deploy their mages"


    "But from what I heard the ones that were truly helpful during the breakout were the tonics made from the tower"


    "That is also true I still remember when some of the alchemists of Atlan came here to buy the formula"


    "Wait they did!?"


    "They sure did"


    Apollo looked at Braiden and saw dark circles beneath his tired-looking eyes. No matter how he tried to act he was okay, the person he was talking to could see he wasn''t.


    Braiden on the other hand could also see that although Apollo looks okay his body looks battered from excessive use of mana. However neither of them commented about it, they just enjoyed the view and their conversation. Whereas Alicia just stood where she was eating the pastries and beverage Apollo brought for her.


    "Now folks let''s go down!"


    At Sam''s command, the ship suddenly rushes down as if it''s falling.


    "This is!"


    Even Apollo was taken aback by this sudden action and couldn''t help but hold on to the edge of the ship.


    "What kind of shit is this!?"


    All he could hear was the sound of them falling fast, even their screams were muffled by it. Desperately they started holding on to each other, afraid that if they let go would be the cause of their death.


    Then as if by some miracle the ship stops abruptly causing them to become dizzy.


    "I can''t do this anymore I''m getting dizzy"


    Except for Alicia and Apollo the rest of the kids were either unconscious or trying hard not to puke.


    "This is a bit unfair..ugh!.." Niko who tries to stop himself from vomiting said, when he saw that the two were all alright.


    "Now I know the reason why you acted like that on the exams" Alicia managed to say as she held her head, it seemed she had a headache at the sudden fall and stop of the ship.


    "I am sorry about that" Apollo could only say as he tried to assist her.


    "Oh dear I am sorry about that, it seems like we have a little miscalculation there" Sam said as he landed with some of the other tower mages with him.


    The supposedly welcoming party halted a bit due to some mishaps however, eventually everyone became excited to participate.


    Apollo couldn''t help but smile as if he was seeing himself when he first arrived at the tower. The warm welcome and love he received here healed the wounds he got from his family. Now it seems like his classmates will experience the same thing too.


    "I really hope for that"


    That day all research was cancelled and every mage inside the tower set aside their unfinished work to welcome their guests. They took extra care of them to make them feel at home and to the happiness of the mages the kids accepted them immediately.


    And so as the party ends and days come by, the day they need to leave arrives.


    "Here bring this!"


    "You need to take this with you it''s a charm for ghosts!"


    "Use the gun I gave you okay?"


    Before they could even board the ship the mages began to nag them about the things they needed to bring to the academy.


    "Alright Mom I am okay now, I have brought everything"


    "You sure?"


    "Sure!"


    And so they boarded the ship, its destination was set to the city of Sidus.


    The aerial ship began to rise on the ground making the people below look tiny.


    "Come back during the holidays okay!"


    "Call us if something happens!"


    Even when the ship began to leave their voices filled with concern can still be heard. This made the hearts of the people who boarded the ship happy.


    "We will be back!" Agnes shouted back trying to stop her tears from falling. After the fall of her kingdom, this was the first time she felt genuine happiness and couldn''t help but yearn for more of them.


    The mages of the tower were satisfied and so they happily let the ship fly away.


    "Sir Arthur, what''s that?"


    One of the mages asked when he saw a suspicious cluster of clouds which began to approach the ship.


    "Not good Apollo!"


    Arthur flew up his body clad in yellow mana. As he shot through the sky hundreds of mages followed bearing the might of the Mage tower.

 Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Dungeon Summon

    Thunder erupted while clouds turned dark.


    "What''s going on?" the girl beside me spoke, her brown curly hair sways as she ran towards the knights and mages who were assigned to protect us.


    "Arabela, what is it?"


    "Sir Hansen the sky look!" she urgently said while holding onto Hansen, the captain of the imperial knights.


    "Apollo what''s going on"


    Alicia and the rest arrive, they all stare at the same dark sky as me. However, their thoughts and mine must be different.


    "It''s dungeon magic," I said and immediately the ship''s defensive barrier activated.


    Dungeon magic is the combination of earth and darkness elements. Earth is utilized to create the maze-like structure of the dungeon while darkness is added to create illusions and trap monsters inside.


    Those monsters are either magical beasts or demon beasts placed under the dungeon creator''s command.


    From the sky, the dark clouds turn into walls that seem to divide the entire region. I felt the mana howl like a raging monster until that mana transformed the wall of clouds into solid earth.


    From the beautiful sky they calmly sailed in, it turned into an underground stone wall structure. The floors and ceiling suddenly emerge while the dimly lit corridor contains traps and torches, which cast eerie shadows on the corners of the dungeon.


    The sounds of rusty iron bars and chains made the kids behind me scared. It was a very distinct sound and for a moment a certain memory of mine emerged.


    Starting from the four huge forests to the territory of the tower mages three dungeons were cast. Each task is to trap the beings within it. One is for the four forests, one for the mage tower and the remaining is for the ship we currently in


    "How do we break this dungeon" Braiden said, I answered.


    "For us to get out of here we need to defeat the final boss of the dungeon"


    "That boss should be located at the deepest part of the dungeon"


    "Are dungeon bosses strong?"


    Agnes asked while holding onto Niko''s sleeve.


    "Yeah but unfortunately we are stronger"


    "GARAGHHHH!" an inhumane voice suddenly roared and made the walls surrounding us shake.


    I felt nervous gazes behind my back but still, they remain strong.


    The ship remains suspended in the air near the dungeon''s ceiling, for a moment I have the urge to explore but knowing it was made to capture us I immediately stop myself.


    "Little sun what do think we should do?" Sir Sam asked however I can see that his question was a mere test for me.


    "Jeremiah scan the area"


    [Affirmative ]


    Then a map appeared before me containing the location of the boss and the dungeon creator''s room.


    "It''s located right behind the room of the boss"


    "So Apollo what do plan to do"


    "Sigh...seriously senior mage Sam why are testing me when we need to protect people here"


    I felt exasperated due to his words but what I needed to do was break this dungeon.


    "All targets have been acquired right?"


    [Yes creator]


    "Alright"


    My mana suddenly surges creating sparks that soon transform into tiny blue flames.


    "Wait this spell" Samael said as he recognized the spell Apollo was casting.


    "Firefly"


    A sea of blue glowing dots flew across the floors and corridors of the dungeon.


    "Oh shit I need to take cover!" Niko exclaimed as he ran towards the cabin with his friends in tow.


    "What''s up with those kids" Hansen questioned not knowing why they panic.


    Since the only ones who knew my spell were those who witnessed it during the entrance exam it''s no wonder they are unaware of it.


    "That was good!" Sir Sam told me as he used his arm to pull me into his arms.


    "You hanging out with the Blue Moon tower mages was worth it" he added making some mages from the Blue Moon tower laugh.


    I only shook my head however I noticed something.


    "Where are the knights?"


    Then all of us from the tower looked across the deck however we couldn''t see any of them.


    "Hey down here!"


    I heard Hansen''s voice and saw him and his knights dangling from the edge of the ship.


    "Why have you guys ended up there?"


    "Ask yourself kid!" he shouted at me.


    "Your spell blew us up!"


    "Eh?" confused I looked at the other mages around me and they all shook their heads.


    Unlike the tower mages who were prepared for the impact the knights weren''t, so after the spell was cast the overpowering impact sent them flying out of the ship. They tried to shout for help but the continuous explosions masked their voices.


    "Sorry" I said genuinely sorry for the situation.


    However, as we spoke the entire dungeon shook.


    "It seems like the others have arrived"


    And just like what I said the space around us tore apart like fragile glass, and from the torn space certain people came inside.


    "Apollo!"


    A familiar voice made my head look up in delight.


    "Mom! Over here!"


    There up in the air was a woman who made the knights shut up. She was a beauty through and through and adding the fact she looked like a flying goddess, made the people around me mesmerize.


    "Captain Hansen" I spoke making sure my voice woke them up from their daydreaming.


    "That''s my mom okay...she is Duchess Lionheart the wife of Duke Lionheart"


    "We are clear right?"


    Surprisingly they all nod their head while they still remain dangling at the edge of the ship.


    "Sir Sam please help them"


    Sam nodded and cast a spell to make the 11 knights float towards the deck of the ship.


    "Apollo"


    A worried voice made me look back and saw my mom already landed on the deck.


    "We are all fine" I said but as soon as she got close to me my mother pulled me into her arms and embraced me.


    I didn''t say anything and instead let her continue, her warmth was something that calmed me down whenever I felt murderous.


    "It''s done, Apollo"


    A voice sounded from above me and so I looked up.


    "Sir Arthur"


    He smiled at me as he landed on the deck.


    "We should get out of here since this dungeon will soon crumble"


    All 72 mages on board and 1000 mages from the tower cast a spell.


    "Darkness element void magic, mass teleportation"


    My vision was filled with bright light as we all teleported above the city of Sidus.


    "Everyone we have arrived!"


    Tim shouted enthusiastically.

 Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Entrada

    The tenth day of the sixth month, Iu?nius, marks the day when the academy opens its gate to its new students. "Look at that Eros we have new toys to play with" Edgar said while tucking the elbow of Eros.


    "Edgar" However to his surprise Eros looked at him with contempt.


    "People are no toys" he said while dosing his words with his aura, making his remark more powerful.


    His friend gulped as he felt the overwhelming aura of Eros, but since his ego was much higher than his height he tried to fight back.


    "People are no toys?" his voice became ragged as he tried to fight off the aura.


    "You said that...but didn''t you used to whip your brother? and treat him like a dog?" his tone was very sarcastic as if telling Eros that he was no better than him.


    His words made Eros retract his aura, he knew well what he did and he hated remembering it.


    "What? Go on speak!" with the aura''s disappearance it made Edgar more confident to speak however Eros just looked at him.


    This time his silent glare made Edgar shut.


    "This is a warning Edgar" he went closer to him, then as he extended his arm he grabbed Edgar''s collar before releasing his killing intent.


    "You may be my friend but I won''t tolerate anything that can taint my name"


    Eros then let go of Edgar''s collar, letting him fall to the ground. He then left leaving his friend sitting on the cold hard floor.


    "Damn it" Edgar could only say those words while trying to calm his trembling legs.


    More students entered the gates gaining the attention of the entire city or even the empire. Aster Academy is known for being the sanctuary for talents and that is why being eligible to enter was already a great honour.


    However, talents are not the only ones being honed inside the academy but also connections. Every child from the noble bloodline is tasked to enrol. This way the younger generation can form friendships among their peers. The more friends you have the better the connection.


    "Look is that Prince Caesar!"


    "Wait let me see....damn it''s a prince"


    "I can''t believe this! please someone check if I am dreaming" Then her friend proceeds to push her onto a nearby pond.


    "Argh!" She gasps when the cold water from the pond touches her skin.


    "Do you need me to check it again if you''re dreaming or not?" her friend said while remaining nonchalant.


    "This is not what I meant" she began to complain then a group of people approached her idol.


    "Who is that guy how dare he approach my prince!"


    "Violet calm down that guy is not some nobody, his the son of the leader of the mage association, Johan Aaren"


    "I don''t care," she said while putting down the frog that jumped on top of her head.


    "Greetings noble prince of the empire" Johan Aaren immediately said as soon as he saw Caeser enter.


    "Ugh!" one of the knights said while covering his mouth.


    "Knight I''ll give you a warning, if you throw up I''ll throw up as well. So you better know how to fly before doing the unthinkable" Sam warned while looking threatening towards the knight.


    "Everyone we have arrived!" while Sam continued giving his warning Tim happily announced their arrival.


    "Well that was a rough ride, I''ll just call the others" Apollo nonchalantly said before running towards the cabin.


    ....


    "Did it end? Are we allowed to go now?" Niko asked fearing that if they came out, Apollo would cast another terrifying spell.


    "The shaking stopped I think we should come out now?" Samael suggested but Arabella kept clinging to him.


    It seems what happened at the entrance exam still haunts her.


    "Come on guys I think by now we are already used to this type of drama. I mean it''s been a year since we started being chased. Danger is no longer foreign to us" Braiden said trying to cheer them up.


    "Everyone we are here!"


    "!?"


    Due to the tense atmosphere, Apollo''s sudden entrance made them jump in fright.


    "That scared me!" Agnes shouted while lightly hitting Apollo.


    "Sorry I didn''t mean it," he said pretending to be hurt.


    More than a month spent inside the Mage tower was enough for Apollo to get to know them. Their trauma and even the people they lost on the way here were all told to him. They didn''t hide anything and freely revealed everything. Somehow Apollo felt that they could sense that like them he too had a rough journey in life and because of that, them opening up was very easy.


    However, knowing their past made it even harder for Apollo to quench his thirst for blood. He knows what it felt like to be hurt repeatedly, and what it felt like walking through an endless pit. The sense of hopelessness and insatiable anger for feeling useless eats you up, he knows it very well.


    He had been there and no matter how many times he tried to tell himself he was okay,but he was aware he wasn''t.


    "How about we stay here for a while before going inside" Apollo suggested while his gaze subtly touched two staggering girls. One of them was Alya a girl with yellow-gold hair and orange eyes, and Vesta a little girl with dark brown hair and golden eyes.


    Apollo could see how these two tried to walk however their legs were trembling so hard that they could barely walk. Apollo could recognize their state, it was a relapse, because of the sudden attack of the monastery unpleasant memories started surfacing. Those memories brought past emotions and scars that they tried so hard to fight.


    But traumas are not easy to cure it takes a lot of time and courage to do so. That is why despite being repeatedly being reminded of their horrific experience, they remain strong and hopeful.


    Their perseverance made Apollo respect them, it made the boy even more eager to protect them.


    Now despite his initial thoughts of using them as a mere pastime, before dooming his sibling''s life, he began to change after meeting them.


    Now Apollo can never let them be, he knows that deep down those 15 students became important to him.


    "Let''s stay here for a little longer since there is still a huge crowd below"


    The others nodded feeling that they still needed time to recover.

 Chapter 39: Chapter 39: General Assembly

    In the end, we decided to leave tomorrow morning because it''ll be a little less crowded, since some students are already inside the Academy grounds.


    If we entered yesterday then one of the staff would led us to our dormitory and have a tour around the campus.


    But seeing everyone''s state I couldn''t bring it up. Though I tried to calm them down but it didn''t really work.


    But thankfully everything went well as we enjoyed our day yesterday.


    "Are you guys ready?"


    "Yes!"


    Then I jumped off the ship with the rest following me.


    [You don''t know how to fly Creator]


    "Yeah I am aware"


    Then two spirit insignia glows as I borrow the power of my spirits.


    A gentle hustle of wind slowly envelops us until it guides our landing.


    "Wow, that was fun!"


    "Let''s do that again!"


    "Yeah, but we better run it''s 7:45 already!"


    With Alicia''s words Niko and Casper who were still caught up with a short-term flight experience immediately ran.


    "You know we can definitely arrive faster if you let me use Thunder aura" I suggested however their response surprised me.


    "No!"


    "Harsh" I exclaimed


    "I actually improved the spell so it won''t cause much damage now, it''s more controlled and balanced than to my previous use of it"


    "Students are not allowed to do magic unless they are inside the authorized building. Do you want to take a trip to the disciplinary office on your first day of school?"


    "Maybe"


    The girls glared at me as if telling me to behave while the boys found my words funny.


    "Relax it''s not like Apollo will definitely do that," Niko said while trying his best to run even faster.


    "Just where the hell is the Assembly hall" exclaimed Samael.


    "Turn left on that corner!"


    I said while looking at the map Jeremiah got for me.


    "Almost there"


    With another turn, we finally saw the assembly hall.


    "Not good they are closing the door!"


    "Wait!"


    "If we end up not entering it''s all your fault Niko! You woke up late!"


    Agnes shouted while straining her legs to move even faster.


    "Don''t blame me how could I sleep when you kept clinging to me last night!"


    "Shut up!"


    The Academy has eight different classes that students are allowed to enrol in. Those eight are the High class, Middle class, Military class, Combat class, Sword class, Magic class, Auxiliary magic class and Low class.


    These classes are available for eligible students with exceptional talent to enter.


    The top 20 on the ranking list are expected to be the students for High class. The 21 below are expected to enrol or to be enrolled towards the other seven classes. Usually, students have the opportunity to enrol on the class they want to except of course in High classes, but there is another exception to that rule.


    The lower class which are the students who were listed at the bottom 15 are not given the chance to enroll on the class they want. The moment you place at the bottom 15 you are automatically set to enter there. You are not allowed to enter other classes once you become a student of lower class.


    "So we are getting discriminated"


    I left the staff and went back to my friends.


    "Looking at your face tells me we won''t be able to sit" Alicia said as soon as she saw my expression.


    "Then where should we sit?"


    "Maybe we could just stand I don''t really mind"


    I frown at Mckenzie and Blair''s suggestion.


    "Hey spiky red and straight blue, I don''t like standing for two or whatever hour since we are here we need something to sit on"


    "Seriously when did my name become spiky red," Mckenzie said while inspecting his red hair.


    "Straight blue when my hair is not even straight" Blair was a bit exasperated but still knew Apollo was in a foul mood.


    [Now what Creator?]


    "Open the inventory we need something to sit"


    [Affirmative ]


    Apollo pulled something and to everyone''s surprise, a lane of chairs suddenly appeared.


    "Let''s go guys we are going to rest here"


    "Here? You sure Apollo?" Casper was a bit perplexed about this sudden move.


    "Yeah just sit"


    Then as we settled on our seats the vice headmaster began to give his opening speech. I wasn''t really paying attention to his words since I was busy finding any suspicious people. Using the spell Echo, the one I used at the banquet, I could rule out some suspicious people. That way I could lessen my time looking for people to kill.


    When I fought with those priests from the monastery I noticed how abnormal their mana was. I don''t know why their mana is like that but it made everything easier.


    "Hmmm?....there are even teachers in league with the monastery, that was a bit surprising"


    [It seems like we can''t even trust teachers]


    "Yes it seems so"


    I continued to scan the area until a voice suddenly broke my concentration.


    "What now?" I groaned feeling annoyed.


    When I opened my eyes I saw some academy staff looking at me, their displeased expression made me frown. Somehow their faces remind me of how people look at me in the Lionheart duchy. Suddenly I felt my chest hurt I felt my palms sweating as anxiety washes me over.


    "May I ask what''s the matter?"


    "Student this area isn''t designated for putting these chairs. Please remove it immediately"


    His words suddenly erased the anxiety I was feeling instead it was replaced by an intense amount of discontent.


    "Apollo?" Alicia asked noticing the amount of attention we were gaining.


    I could only smirk then I spoke.


    "If they can''t give us a seat then no one will sit comfortably"


    Then a mysterious energy turned everyone''s chair into dust.

 Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Just a chair

    From the beginning what''s the matter with chairs?


    It''s just a simple request yet it turns into a dilemma.


    "Student we ask you to remove this since it might cause blockage once the flock of students flow towards the door" he insisted while keeping his glaring eyes at me.


    Blockage? How can we do that when we are practically beside the wall and the freaking place is huge!


    "I will remove this once you take us to our seats"


    "Student no seats were given to the lower class" he told deadpanned.


    "Oh dear someone is gonna get hurt" Niko whispered to Samael while the latter just felt nervous.


    "Why?" I asked but he didn''t answer me instead he pointed to the seat I made for my friends and said.


    "Remove it or I''ll destroy it with my own two hands"


    This guy tries to threaten me?


    "Does the Academy have insufficient funds that they can''t provide a proper welcoming for their students?"


    "Student it''s just a chair will you die if you can''t sit"


    "No, but I might kill someone if we don''t" I answer while trying to suppress my anger. It wasn''t really about the chair that I was angry about. It''s the fact that they treat us based on our worth measured by the Academy. That was unfair, these people behind me have received too much pain yet they try to fight and live. But in the end, we are still treated like this.


    "You all can just stand and keep quiet. This is just a simple matter yet you make it bigger"


    This guy''s voice is too loud.


    "You know sir sometimes the simplest things are the ones that truly matter. How can we trust you with bigger stuff when you can''t even handle the simplest ones? This chair arrangement was simple as you said yet the academy can''t even afford to accommodate all of their students"


    "If that was the case they should stop calling themselves a sanctum of power, if they can''t handle 200 new students then they should never open their gates"


    "Student I require you to stop, don''t try crossing the line"


    He looks at me with his eyes embedded with mana.


    You wanna attack me with magic?


    Unfortunately, I have other plans


    He and I stood right in front of each other not breaking eye contact. The tense atmosphere soon spread attracting the other student''s attention.


    "I''ll remove it"


    My answer made the academy staff smirked.


    Does this idiot feel he won or something?


    I shook my head trying to shake off their disgusting faces.


    "And here I thought that kid is gonna rebel," one of the staff said while the one I talked to just snickered and said "No matter what, lower class will remain low. I should have expected that none of them would fight back"


    They continue to talk shit but I wasn''t interested.


    I waved my hand and the sixteen chairs disappeared like bubbles.


    "That was sad it was very comfortable to sit on," Matilda said feeling a bit discontent.


    I could only smirk then I spoke.


    "If they can''t give us a seat then no one will sit comfortably"


    "Jeremiah"


    [Affirmative!]


    [initiating skill Disintegrate!]


    As the skill activated the seats of every student became dust. Every student was then forced to stand up.


    "What just happened!?"


    "They just turn into dust!"


    "Hey someone explain what''s going on!"


    "Damn it my butt"


    "You are sitting on me, buddy!"


    With these sudden events, the academy staff immediately went over to help out. Amongst their panic cries the headmaster began his speech.


    Whatever was going on I wasn''t paying attention.


    "Student!"


    "Apollo he came back!" Mckenzie said while urging Alicia to speak to me.


    "Apollo let us not do anything that will attract attention" Alicia said but it was too late the academy staff I spoke to before returned.


    Instant incantation (Rank SSS+) {Passive}-


    Keeper''s warcraft blade(Rank SSS+) {Passive} - A type of swordsmanship that showcases the power gifted by the time goddess.


    Time sword (Rank SSS+){Active} - A gift bestowed by the time goddess to the protector of her chosen child.


    Ability to cut through someone''s time, resulting in a decrease in their life span.


    Keeper of the time saint (Rank SSS+) {Active} - A shield that can accelerate or slow the time and space of any physical or spiritual attacks.


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: Blood of the time goddess


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution: Void physique]


    "A peak Emperor rank," I thought


    "Student?"


    "I am sorry I was just nervous"


    "It''s okay please receive this"


    He then extended his hand and a staff appeared. Apollo gasped as he realised its qualities.


    "This is!"


    "A mithril staff this is your reward as top ranker"


    One surprise to another this is a very unexpected reward for me. He then beckoned me to return to where I was standing before which I immediately complied.


    "Now I won''t hold this speech any longer, I''ll be letting all of you go. May you all enrol on the class you wanted"


    A clap immediately resounded as soon as he ended his speech. And the professors of different classes went towards the students to help them enrol.


    "Finally done" I turn my back and run towards my friends, we should all enrol and head to our dormitory and classroom.


    "Oh, he didn''t hear me" Unknowingly Apollo didn''t hear how the prince called him out.


    "That''s a bit disrespectful"


    "Maybe his mind is just occupied"


    "That''s okay your highness let''s just wait for him in our classroom"


    "You are right Seus"


    ...


    While walking dozens of professor approached me and asked me to enrol on their class however I rejected them all.


    "Please professor let''s just wait for our friend he will enrol in our class" I heard Alya''s voice despite the noise and crowd I was currently in.


    Did something happen?


    Are they being harassed?


    I ran and panicked for a moment thankfully I saw a familiar spiky red-haired boy.


    "Mckenzie!"


    I called and thank god he saw me.


    "Hey guys Apollo is here!"


    All eyes went to me as I got out of the densely pack people.


    "Hello professor I am Apollo Lionheart and I want to enrol in the lower class"


    "A top ranker entering the lower class that''s a first"


    "Huh?"


    Right in front of me is the same professor in the entrance exam.


    "Professor Adolfo?"


    "Yes I will be your class professor from now on"


    I sighed in relief since his stats were clear of suspicion.


    "I have one less worry now"


    "Since everyone is here let me show you, your dorms"


    I felt excited as I heard his words, it was my first time living in dorms and not living with the rest of the tower mages. I didn''t know that this foreign event would cause me excitement.

 Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Tour

    The tour started and we arrived at a simple-looking building.


    "Each dormitory has security barriers that prevent other people from entering. Only the students within this class can enter. However, there''s always an exception, other students from other dormitories can only be allowed inside, if one of the dormitory''s residents would allow them in"


    We walked closer and arrived at a huge steel gate.


    "This gate is also part of the security of the dormitory. Please touch the gate"


    We did as we were told to do and to my surprise, the gate began scanning. I felt a rush of foreign mana enters my body, strangely no negative reaction happened. My body accepted that foreign energy making me feel weird. However, after a second I understood what was going on.


    [The scan wasn''t meant for harm Creator rest assured] I nodded agreeing to his words.


    "So the security code was our mana signature"


    "Mana signature isn''t something you can change, that is why the defensive barrier was a program to recognize the mana signature of those who residence in this building" Professor Adolfo explained.


    "So those who weren''t recognized by the gate won''t be able to go inside"


    "Not just that Alicia but it could also detect ill intention, and once it did its defensive protocols will activate eliminating the threat"


    "Now then since all of you have been scanned let''s head inside"


    The building is shaped like a T, with long open corridors at the front and both sides. The lawn was perfectly maintained while flowers can be seen making the garden beautiful.


    The structure of the dormitory was made of sturdy stones and timbers. Looking much closer I could see the thick walls made with different kinds of stones.


    "It seems like they use eggs as an adhesive and supplementary cement"


    [It seems like this dormitory is quite old Creator"


    "It''s okay Jeremiah, it doesn''t really bother me"


    With Professor Adolfo''s guidance, we venture inside the dimly lit corridors.


    "The lamps here are powered by mana stones so every month the maintenance team will come and replace the used one"


    "Professor, can we use crystal mana instead of Mana stones?"


    Then at that moment all of them looked at me as if I said something wrong.


    "Sigh I forgot you came from the tower"


    Then Professor Adolfo shows a piece of Mana stone.


    "Tell me student what is the prize for a piece of Mana stone"


    I was silent since I never really knew about it. Mana stones and crystal mana are all available inside the tower. To be more specific the mage tower owns countless mines of them.


    "I really don''t know professor"


    He just nodded at my answer and began to explain.


    "Let''s see where do I start.. right first mana stones are objects which absorb an abundant amount of mana from nature. They can be normally found in bodies of water and mountains since those places have rich amounts of mana. Whereas crystal mana is the materialization of mana, it is mana itself in solid form.


    Unlike mana stones, crystal mana has a densely packed mana that is sometimes a hundred times better compared to mana stones"


    "With all of those aspects, what do you think is the price between those two?"


    I gulp not knowing what to say.


    "A little bit more and we will have a haunted building right here" Niko tried to joke while we walked inside our class building.


    "The rooms here are made to accommodate the needs of your lesson. For example, this room has a magical beast simulation for your hunter lesson"


    He then pointed to a very spacious room and beside it, I realized it was similar to a workshop.


    "You have a subject regarding runes and scroll making so we have this room for it"


    The professor''s words made everything clear to me.


    "I think I''ll be liking this room"


    After inspecting all the rooms on the ground floor we head to the second.


    "This is the lecture room before proceeding to actual activities you will first be oriented here"


    Then the professor gave us the subject we were about to take.


    "Hmmm I don''t really think this will be beneficial to you...oh well I''ll just adjust your training"


    I chuckled at the professor''s reaction to me, I was after all supposed to be in high class.


    A rectangular card was given to us to listen are the subjects we will encounter throughout the year.


    "Survival lesson 1" out of all the subjects this one made me interested in.


    "You can always do an advanced study if you want, the library is always open"


    He then pointed to the room right next to the lecture room.


    "Now let us head straight to the third floor"


    To my surprise, the entire floor was occupied by a single room.


    "This is the Duel room, at first it was supposed to be located on the ground floor but scroll-making and chemical subjects often caused explosions so we all decided to put them on the ground floor"


    For a moment I heard a series of nervous breaths it seemed like they became nervous with our professor''s unconcerned remark.


    "Apollo"


    I heard someone call and when I looked back I saw Alicia.


    "Do you know how to make scrolls?"


    "Yup why?"


    "Thank goodness we might need someone regarding that subject"


    "Rest assured I will help"


    Then my attention shifted when our professor clapped his hand to gain our attention.


    "That''s all for the tour for now you may all take your lunch"


    He snapped his finger and to my surprise, he teleported us right at the academy''s cafeteria.


    "Other than your dorm''s dinner hall you may also use this place to eat. It''s located in the middle of the first year''s section"


    He told us before disappearing.

 Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Trouble at the Cafeteria

    With our stomachs rumbling already we made our way to the cafeteria.


    Inside the spacious building is a place where students go to eat or hang out with their friends. Filled with long rows of tables, benches and chairs to accommodate the influx of students. The layout was organized to facilitate traffic flow, with designated areas for different food stations such as hot meals, salad bars, and beverage stations.


    My eyes also found different cuisines which originated from different Kingdoms in the empire. The serving counters are usually long and well-stocked with various food options, vegetables and fruits included. On the walls are some decorative designs that highlight the history of the academy.


    "It''s huge"


    "Wasn''t this the same place we ended up with when we finished the entrance exam?"


    "Yeah I think it''s the same"


    "But"


    All of us looked up and saw no sky but a ceiling instead.


    "What happened?"


    "Did they renovate it?"


    "Must be"


    While Niko, Blair and Jillian talk about the ceiling Alicia look at me as if I did something wrong.


    "Apollo"


    "Yes?"


    "Did you perhaps destroy something here before?"


    I jolted remembering how I broke the magic barrier covering the open ceiling of the cafeteria. It was supposed to protect the students inside from the heat and cold but because I accidentally melted it they had to renovate the entire place.


    "It seems like I broke a very important barrier"


    Considering it''s the academy they should be able to replace it immediately but seeing they didn''t it only means it''s a barrier that''s very hard to redo.


    [Creator you destroy a barrier made by a retired professor of this academy]


    "How did you know that?"


    [I spread my scanner a while ago and found out about it. It turns out the barrier was the final gift Professor Oscar gave before retiring]


    "Oh" suddenly felt disappointed in myself.


    [It was very important Creator]


    "I know"


    [You broke it]


    "I know"


    While Jeremiah continued agonizing my conscience, all of us stopped when we felt a sudden hostile gaze.


    I don''t know why but all eyes suddenly went towards us, It''s as if we weren''t welcome, an outcast.


    "These people aren''t even hiding their hostility"


    Casper said, feeling the ominous way people looked at us.


    "You are right we better shut those eyes"


    I said as I released a dose of my hatred and my desire to destroy everything. Soon that will turn into a black tainted matter that slowly occupied the entire area. The manifestation of my bloodlust began to suffocate the people around us.


    "For me, the word safe means feeling at home or peaceful towards a certain place or person, however right now I can''t say if we are Safe in this situation"


    "Even when I broke that guy there is still a hint of gaze that doesn''t go well with me. We are still being cast aside, I can feel it. However, it doesn''t really matter" (Because I''ll make them kneel)


    What they think doesn''t matter to me, it is what they will do that will cause me to take action.


    I look around and notice some still brave enough to give me a look, I don''t have an intimidating appearance but my previous act of showing my bloodlust had blown any chance of me having a new friend. Everyone present here has grown to fear me.


    "Apollo I know you want the best of us but we don''t really want attention we just want peace" Casper managed to say after a long deliberation.


    "That''s the problem Cas we don''t want attention but it''s attention that''s coming for us"


    "What?" he said a bit confused about what I said.


    But he will realize what I meant.


    Sounds of heavy footsteps soon entered the quiet cafeteria. The place which only has the sounds of utensils and tableware clicking, soon filled with laughter as newcomers entered.


    "Hey, what is this the lower class is here?" one of them brazenly said.


    Well, I forgot to tell you, each class as well have colour-coded uniforms. That''s the main reason this person was able to identify us. Our uniform is coloured black well to be more specific our uniform is similar to a military coat however ours has an orange part at the shoulders, while the black part starts from the sleeve length to the wrist.


    While golden buttons were perfectly sewn on my cuff and chest area.


    "Hey fellas how''s life going need some help?" he asked sarcastically.


    Then I felt his eyes linger on Alya and Matilda a sudden lust for blood washed over me. I know that look, the way he scans my friend from head to toe before licking his lips, I know damn well what type of guy is this.


    "A pervert"


    Alicia said boldly while her calm eyes a while ago became violet and vengeful.


    "This table is exclusive for the lower class only, so please you can leave"


    "Come on let''s just have fun the first day is free for every new student so come on"


    He then extended his arm to grab Alicia while I just stared watching the entire scenario.


    "3"


    "2"


    "1"


    "ARGH!"


    A loud scream made us wince in pain, it was my first time hearing a guy scream with such a pitch.


    "My hand!"


    The scent of something burning went straight to my face making me move a bit further.


    "My arm please!"


    I couldn''t help but shake my head "Well you mess with the wrong girl boy"


    The student that wanted to pull Alicia couldn''t get his arm back.


    Alicia had a firm grip on it however that''s not the scary part, the fact that her hand could generate this much heat without even casting meant that her affinity to fire element was high.


    "ARGH!"


    This guy shouted again with no other option I could only turn to Alicia and tell her to stop the roasting.


    "I think that''s enough, please Alicia we can''t roast a living pig here"

 Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Sleep

    "Argh!"


    An ear-piercing scream made my ears agonize in pain. His voice which has a higher pitch than normal girls makes me want to slice his head off.


    [That is murder]


    I groaned prompting Alicia to finally let go of his arm, reluctantly she did.


    "Ahh....my arm"


    I held his shoulder and a trace of mana healed him.


    "What?...wait....did...but you didn''t cast a spell!"


    He keeps stepping back before falling over to his friends.


    "Piss off," I said slightly pushing him back.


    "Ye-s!" He ran frantically along with his friends and disappeared before us, finally, we could have a decent time.


    "Finally"


    After that incident, no one dared to approach us again.


    The day passed and we realized a slight problem.


    "I don''t know if I can sleep alone" Agnes said holding onto Niko.


    "Same here," Casper said while looking at Matilda.


    "None of us can sleep by ourselves" Alya said feeling a bit down about the situation.


    "Should we get used to sleeping by ourselves?" Arabela worries however I have another plan for that.


    "Apollo, where are you going?"


    Alicia saw me leave and so everyone followed me.


    "Where is Apollo going?"


    "Don''t know"


    Blair and Mckenzie ask each other while walking alongside everyone.


    "Is this?"


    I confidently open a door and a spacious room enough for us appears.


    "Welcome to the tea room" I said happily.


    As I turned on the lights a room adorned with beautiful paintings and artworks made all of us gasped in amazement. At the center of the room, a grand fireplace made from a black mysterious stone rests as if waiting for us to start a light. Around the fireplace, plush armchairs and sofas are neatly arranged.


    From the walls of the room, tall bookshelves and beautiful cups are all set up inside a cabinet.


    "I never seen a tea room as big as this"


    Aaron said as he slowly enters the room.


    "We should remove the tables and chairs to create more space"


    "Why Apollo?"


    I smirked and said "Because we are going to sleep here"


    My words made them happy.


    "What are you all doing let''s arrange the place we have to sleep here"


    "Okay I''ll get some mattresses and pillows"


    "Let me help you with that Alicia"


    While the girls went up to their rooms us boys began lifting the chairs and sofas outside the room.


    "Where are we supposed to put these pieces of furniture?" Braiden asked me.


    "Just put it outside"


    "Okay"


    I realized we had to move now, I looked at the girl who silently slept on my arm and slowly woke her.


    "Alicia....Alicia"


    I gently tap her forehead trying to get her consciousness to surface.


    "Hey...Alicia" I continued to say until I heard a soft groan accompanied by a slight frown forming on her smooth face.


    I chuckle at her reaction so I continue to poke her. Observing her up close I saw how tiny strands of black hair would fall on her face making her frown even more. I tap her forehead making me feel her soft skin. Then my eyes went towards her long eyelashes moving every time I tried to wake her up. It''s as if she is fighting whether to sleep or to wake up.


    "Alicia...wake up" This time I touched her cheek, poking it more made her frown, it seems like she is annoyed with me.


    "Hey wake up"


    "Ye-s" she finally spoke making me laugh a bit.


    "Finally come on fix yourself" I slowly moved her head from my shoulder so that I could freely wake everyone.


    "Guys it''s close to 6:25 already our class starts at 8:30"


    I wake up each of them and every time I do so, a series of groans and yawns can be heard.


    "Wait....five more minutes please" A red spiky-haired boy grabbed me as he said this.


    "Gelo Mckenzie I don''t have time for this stand-up already"


    "No please I am close to being with the princess"


    "The what?"


    I was having a hard time waking them up when a delicious scent of food made us hungry.


    "Is that food!"


    To my surprise, Mckenzie suddenly stood up and immediately ran towards the dining hall.


    "That was unexpected"


    .....


    Inside the dining hall was a table full of delicious food. From a soft loaf of bread to warm soup and chocolate, everything was cooked to accompany our taste buds. Even though it was a light meal it seems it''ll be enough to fill us for an entire day.


    "Good morning dear students" a slightly aged woman welcomes us with two ladies and men with her.


    "Are you guys the cooking staff the professor told us about?"


    "Yes although cooking is not our only task, student Lionheart. To start my name is Martha and I am the one in charge of your meals and this dormitory"


    "Now please sit down and take your breakfast"


    We all nodded to her, and as we ate she began to speak about the rules that we have to follow.


    "This dormitory has a curfew until 9 pm....."


    She continues to speak even though my thoughts keep flying from here and there. The truth is I was scanning the four other staff. I want to make sure they have no connection to the people I was worried about.


    "All clear thank goodness" I felt relieved seeing nothing particularly suspicious with them.


    "And that is all for the rules please be mindful to follow them"


    We finished our meal before heading to the bathrooms.


    "About the tea room"


    "We will handle that student Lionheart please just hurry to class"


    I nodded liking her words so I immediately zoomed away inside our rooms to finally prepare. As soon as I entered I went straight to the bathroom and made a quick shower.


    When I came out that''s when I finally saw the overall view of my room.


    My room features a high ceiling, and large windows letting plenty of sunlight to enter. Besides from a bed and closet, there is also a study table with a small bookshelf for my books. The area was designed to have multiple areas of activity like studying and relaxing without occupying too much space. Overall my room is quite spacious for a single person only.


    I went to my closet and saw my clothes all neatly arranged.


    "Right let''s get it done"


    I put on my underwear then my pants next was a white long-sleeve shirt. After buttoning it up I grab my military-style jacket and proceed to wear it.


    "Now we are good to go"

 Chapter 44: Chapter 44: A little world building

    At exactly 8:00 am sixteen students arrived inside a classroom, all of them gasping for air because they ran all the way there.


    "Wait let me breathe...hoo" Blair drew air inside his lungs as he dragged his body towards his seat.


    The classroom they entered has tier rows of seats and tables similar to those found in auditoriums. Since the seats are elevated they provide a good visibility of the instructor and the board in front.


    "We still have 30 minutes before the class officially starts we should take this time to recover"


    While everyone looks exhausted from running from their dormitory to the class building, Apollo looks so fresh his classmates look at him strangely.


    "This is unfair how come you don''t look tired"


    "It''s because I am not"


    "But we did run from our dorm to here"


    "It doesn''t really exhaust me"


    "I have been meaning to ask this to you Apollo what is your rank?"


    Matilda said looking curious at her friend''s rank but Apollo just shook his head before approaching a seat at the back.


    They tried to nag him, but it didn''t work, he remained silent making his classmates give up.


    A few minutes passed and their professor arrived.


    "Good morning students my name is Gelda Mayors, and I will be your professor for History and Geography. I hope this year you''ll learn something about my subject"


    Everyone became quiet and Apollo too looked at her however for a different reason. He was scanning her to see if she had any connection with the monastery.


    "She''s clear," he thought while leaning back to his seat.


    "Since it is my first time meeting you all I would like to hear you introduce yourselves"


    Everyone nodded even though they already knew each other, they didn''t mind introducing themselves to their professor.


    "You start first" she pointed towards a spiky red-haired boy, gladly he stood up and looked at his classmates.


    "Good morning professor Gelda and good morning to you my classmates, my name is Gelo Mckenzie 13 years old. My favorite color is orange and one of my hobbies is eating that''s all, thank you" he then makes a slight bow before taking his seat again.


    After Mckenzie, the blue-haired boy beside him stood up and made an introduction.


    "My name is Blair Longfalls I am turning 13 next month I hope I get along with everyone"


    He did a bow like Mckenzie while his friends were chuckling at his previous words.


    Beside the two were a boy with green hair and the other boy with brown hair.


    The one with hair similar to a forest stood and said "My name is Keith Frostfang it''s my pleasure to meet you"


    "Samael Juanfonso 13 years old"


    Professor Gelda nodded her head whenever someone introduced themselves however deep down she was shocked.


    The names of the commoners are actually based on where they came from. So in any village or town, there is only one surname being used except for baron or higher noble title and household.


    And to the professor''s surprise the places she heard from their names no longer exist as of this day. She clenched the magic pen she was holding trying hard not to ask them out of curiosity.


    First was the city of Mckenzie which disappeared four years ago then the destruction Frostfang tribe of the north. Gelda felt weird as she heard more names from now-destroyed cities and villages.


    "My name is Jillian Frostfang 13 years old"


    "Arabella Juanfonso also 13 years old"


    After the two girls introduced themselves another student stood up, her violet hair made the professor surprised.


    "My name is Agnes von Elysium"


    This time Gelda almost had a heart attack when she heard the name Elysium.


    "Are perhaps a princess from the fallen kingdom of Elysium?"


    "I am Apollo Lionheart 13 years old my hobbies are magic research and weapon creation"


    "Wait weren''t you rank first?"


    "Yes professor"


    "Then why are you enrolled here?"


    "Well because I want to"


    Professor Gelda almost collapsed hearing his reason.


    "I don''t think I''ll be able to give a regular lecture here"


    She massaged her head trying to relax her tense nerves.


    "Alright let us start our lesson"


    Without knowing what to say she decided to start the lecture.


    Their first subject was History and Geography, some of the boys didn''t like the subject since they had never been interested in the lives of old and dead people.


    "I will first give all of you an overview of the topic we will tackle this entire school year.


    First the history of the Empire.


    The empire of Celestia was established roughly 2000 years ago by the greatest hero of that time, Julius von Celestio, 20 kingdoms set the throne and gave the crown to emperor Julius at that time. They believed he was the one that could continue to protect the entire continent"


    "Under our subject, we will also tackle the following:


    ? Age of extinction


    ? Age of heroes


    ?The treaty of Abyss


    ? The creation of the empire and the


    ? War of Faith"


    "Estimated three thousand years ago a massive breakout occurred devasting the entire continent of Brynar and the Black continent of Devilkind.


    Then the Age of Heroes emerged which was led by the greatest hero of that time Julius von Celestio.


    Then under the treaty of Abyss, we will learn how the devils on the black continent reach an agreement with the hero Julius"


    "And lastly the creation of the empire after the great war of extinction and how the war of faith started"


    Mckenzie clenches his head trying to understand the words coming out of their professor''s mouth however history was something he never liked to begin with.


    "Damn my head"


    After one long hour of lecture professor Gelda finally ended the lesson as the second professor was about to enter.


    "Good morning my name is Professor Timothy Aislestone and I will be your professor for beastmology"


    "For now I shall give you an overview of our subject"


    Without waiting for the students to adjust and absorb the previous lecture another professor came and started writing on the board.


    ? Magical beast


    ? Demon beast


    ? Metamorphosis


    ? Corruption


    Then he went and wrote to the next board.


    ? Devil kind


    "Now can anyone explain to me the difference between a magical beast, a demon beast and a Devil"

 Chapter 45: Chapter 45: My brain is not braining

    "Now can anyone explain to me the difference between a magical beast, a demon beast and a Devil"


    "Once you explain this to me, I need to hear the word Metamorphosis and corruption in your explanation"


    Professor Timothy started off.


    "No one?...alright I''ll call someone then"


    He took the class list and was about to call someone when both Alicia and Apollo stood up.


    "I can answer the question professor"


    "I''ll do it"


    "Oh?...well that surprised me"


    He slowly tapped his magic pen seemingly thinking about whom to choose.


    "You, the boy with red-orange hair stand up and answer my question"


    Apollo stood up like what the professor said then he spoke.


    "First I''ll differentiate a magical beast from a demon beast" he started off.


    "A magical beast is a type of beast that harnesses the mana from nature, they can''t handle ki like humans but their proficiency when it comes to magic is top-notch. They have innate abilities that are born from their species'' countless evolution. Through the life of a magic beast, they experience countless phases of ranking. Once a magical beast reaches the rank of baron metamorphosis occurs.


    Metamorphosis is when a magical beast begins to change their appearance and morph their body into a different structure. Sometimes they can achieve a human-like body or achieve a new appearance"


    "Then what happens when a magical beast fails to achieve their ranking?


    The answer is demonification or corruption.


    There are many theories about the cause of corruption but we can start off with the first theory and the most logical one. The theory of mana, it is said that the abuse or misuse of magic can lead to corruption. Magical beasts that fail to complete their ranking would be consumed by their mana, ultimately leading to an alteration of the body''s structure.


    Once corruption has devoured their body, the little amount of consciousness inside them will disappear turning them into a beast that knows nothing other than devouring and destroying.


    Then here comes devils, just like magical beasts, humans are also prone to corruption. However unlike magical beasts, corruption doesn''t cause humans to run wild, it only changes them biologically making them look and live differently from humans. Humans'' abuse of magic and usage of incomplete magic can lead to corruption making mana change their bodies into devils"


    Apollo then breathes trying to regulate his breath from speaking for long.


    "Good job student....." the professor said then he went through the class list and to his surprise he looked at Apollo strangely.


    "Why is rank one here?"


    "Because I want to professor" his simple answer made the professor chuckle before shaking his head a bit.


    "Alright that''s enough you may sit down"


    "The reason I asked someone to explain the difference was to make sure none of you mistakes the three together. Especially a devil and a demon beast, they are different from each other, understood?"


    ...


    The class continued until the clock struck at 11:30.


    "That''s the sound of the bell you may all take your lunch"


    "Yes professor"


    "Ugh!"


    Aaron suddenly jumped when he heard a zombie-like moaning. As he looked back he saw Mckenzie walking sluggish.


    "Hey you okay?" he asked worried about his friend''s state.


    "I am okay my brain is just not braining"


    "Huh?..your what?" he was confused so he looked at Blair.


    "Just leave him be he just lost 5 years of his life span while listening to Professor Gelda"


    "We are going to have a game called hide and seek if I catch any of you..." his voice became strange as the students failed to trace its source.


    However, as they tried to find their professor they felt a subtle sound of breathing behind them. As they looked back a man wearing his usual black waistcoat and shirt outfit came smiling at them.


    "You are dead" he completed his words making all fifteen students run across the maze.


    "Hmmm?... What happened to you student Apollo?"


    "Please wait...hooo"


    He tried to walk however his hunchback and slow phase of walking made it look like he was an old man trying to find his cane.


    "Pfft"


    "Please don''t laugh you made me walk like this"


    "Oh right I am sorry I''ll give you five minutes before I start the game"


    While walking slowly Apollo kept hearing the same messages over and over again.


    [Proceed to cancel the effects of the bracelets?]


    [Proceed to cancel the effects of the bracelets?]


    [Proceed to cancel the effects of the bracelets?]


    "Shut up and let me think"


    He pulled his feet again before planting it down on the ground.


    Apollo closed his eyes and immediately tried to activate his mana.


    "I can''t use it"


    But the boy didn''t stop there he closed his eyes again and noticed his ki being free for him to use.


    However, there is a slight problem Apollo''s use of ki is not even close to average since he had barely tried upgrading his skills in it. But still, the boy tried his best to his ki to elevate his current situation.


    "Good you are doing great Apollo, your use of mana is superb but when it comes to ki you are still a novice, this training may help you out a bit"


    Then he waved his pen again and a series of screams echoed when the lower class found themselves falling into traps.


    "This will be a good warm-up for them"


    For an entire one and half hour, all the students did was run and hide. When they got caught by their professor their sealers would activate its gravity spell making it hard for them to move.


    "I am tired...."


    Sixteen students lay on the ground exhausted even Apollo himself was surprised to be tired.


    "That is all for this lesson you may proceed to your next class" Professor Adolfo said before waving his own again to retrieve the sealers.


    "Damn, we still have another class... I am tired"


    Niko complained while massaging his sore legs.


    "Apollo you okay?"


    Alicia asked since it was her first time seeing him tire like this.


    "Yeah I am fine"


    He manages to say before taking out a potion from his space ring.


    "Let''s go back to the lecture room our professor might be waiting for us"


    As soon as the effects of the potion activated he immediately stood up and urged his classmates to come with him.


    "Man, I seriously want that potion as well" Samael thought while trying to move his body.


    Then for the following weeks, the class was tormented by Adolfo''s unique way of teaching

 Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Attack

    "Run!"


    Samael shouted while being chased by a horde of stone golems.


    "I swear I didn''t sign up for this!"


    "Just run Blair!"


    Behind these fifteen staggering students is a boy who has five sealers on his body, Apollo.


    "Damn it!" he clench his teeth as he tried to regulate his breathing.


    "What''s this Apollo? why so slow"


    Professor Adolfo sarcastically said while leisurely walking beside the struggling student.


    "Shut up"


    "You still have some energy no?"


    The professor raised his pen and made a waving motion then Apollo''s speed went even slower causing some golems to finally reach him.


    [Creator your endurance has been sealed current speed can''t be retained for too long]


    "Shut up!"


    He was a bit pissed but never forgot the thing that trying to reach his back. He briefly turned back and made a decision to remove one annoying fella.


    "First let me give you some of my loving care and patience" he planted his feet on the ground, weight-centred. Then he slightly bent his knees making his muscles tense. One of his hands was raised forming a guard while the other was moving in a fast straight motion. His target was the golem that was about to touch him.


    "Taste some of my stress!"


    His fist went through the body of the stone golem making Adolfo amazed at how high Apollo''s stats were.


    "His strength is currently sealed yet he could still pull off such a strike. It only means his base power is on a much higher level than a stone golem" he deducted while observing his student.


    After destroying one golem Apollo made a sharp turn transferring the weight of his body to make a run.


    "That''s a very swift transition, I am impressed"


    He then waved his pen again activating one of the sealer''s gravity spells.


    "Argh!"


    The sudden increase in weight made the young Lionheart stumble.


    [Does the Creator wish to use the skill Disintegrate on the professor?]


    "No" he ordered as he pulled himself together to stand.


    "And don''t tempt me I beg you"


    The ground continued to shake due to the sheer amount of hundreds of moving golems.


    Their subject Advancement and Physical training had an allocated time from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm. During this time the sun was scorching, burning their skin in the process.


    The reason was that instead of using one of the academy''s facilities they made the training on one of the secluded sides of the academy, which have a vast spacious field that can be useful for training.


    "I think this is enough for today"


    The professor said while his students lay flat on the ground.


    Some of them have footprints on their back and chests the reason was due to the golems stepping over them.


    On the other hand, Apollo and Alicia have wounded arms and fists from punching some of the golems that tried to reach them. Unfortunately, some of them weren''t able to defend for themselves and ended up being flung from the ground by the enemies.


    "I''ll be seeing you guys on Wednesday, well then use your remaining time to change your gears and fix yourselves"


    He then flicked his finger teleporting his students back to their class building.


    .....


    "You guys are scouters right?...someone must have sent you here to snoop around, are you perhaps trying to find ways to attack"


    He then began to approach them, his body despite being a child made five fully grown adults scared.


    "What is this?"


    "How can someone exhibit this aura"


    Coating around the boy''s body is a combination of his bloodlust and mana. The mixture of black and blue aura made an image of an approaching beast.


    "This kid knows how to utilize intent and mana pressure"


    "Not just use he is combining them!"


    One of the hooded figures said while stepping back.


    "This is not included in the report!"


    "Damn it! I won''t die here!"


    All five took out a vial and drank the contents of it. A pressure similar to a rank Viscount beast envelopes the five.


    Apollo let them be not because he doesn''t care but because he''s having a hard time containing himself.


    [Creator proceed to transform?]


    A voice devoid of any emotion began to speak causing the kid to shake his head.


    "Not now Jeremiah" he said while halting his movements.


    While they converse five nimble shadows begin to move trying to find a blind spot.


    "How come I can''t see any weakness!"


    Apollo stood where he was however his eyes would follow the blurry figures of his enemy.


    "Forget about a weakness let''s all attack!"


    "If we can''t find it we will just create the blind spot we are looking for"


    The five shadows change direction and aim at different vitals of the boy.


    "Accelerate" the boy suddenly spoke and suddenly the fall of rain began to speed up turning the raindrops into a thousand falling blades.


    "Argh!"


    "Is he using magic!"


    "Use a magic artifact now"


    The boy remained standing from where he was making the five scouters even more afraid.


    "What kind of monster is this!"


    Even with a defensive magical artifact protecting them, it was still hard to move. The sheer pressure of the falling blades can make anyone kneel.


    Scouters are known for their speed and stealth, tricks and plans to catch an enemy off guard are one of their strength however no matter the trick or planning it won''t work against an enemy who is unexpectedly stronger than you. No cheap tricks could work since he is an expected variable that appeared.


    "I am happy to hear that none of you has discovered me, it only means no one manages to survive to tell the tale about me"


    "And I''d like to keep it that way" he then began to approach them, causing panic to his enemies.


    "Tsk!"


    Despite the pressure, the five scouters tried to defend even as far as using a temporary anti-magic circle.


    "It won''t work I am not using magic"


    "What!?" Their faces bore an expression of disbelief.


    "An authority is not magic"

 Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Copy paste

    A few days upon their arrival inside the tower Apollo decided to give them some training. Since he could see their stats he knows which areas they should focus on and which should not.


    "You are doing many unnecessary moves Niko"


    Apollo said as he raised his wooden sword to counter Niko. By now he had seen his techniques countless times and he had memorized them.


    However, for some reason, a thought flashes in his mind while he performs his counter technique, and then he swiftly changes the direction of his wooden sword and mimics a specific stance from Niko''s technique.


    This sudden action took Niko by surprise making Apollo''s strike successful.


    "Ugh!"


    With his sword flying away and being knocked to the ground, he couldn''t help but look at his opponent who unexpectedly copied his technique.


    "That was good Apollo"


    However, the person he was talking to had his eyes on a certain floating screen in front of him.


    [Notification Alert!


    Congratulations!


    Due to the potential the Creator exhibits you have gained a skill called Copy&Paste]


    "A skill?...show me the contents of it"


    [Affirmative


    Copy&Paste


    - enables the Creator to copy any skill or technique once fully scanned or analyze


    Flaw: Any skill or technique has to be scanned or analyzed first before being copied]


    "Interesting"


    "Apollo?"


    Seeing Apollo just standing where he was Niko decided to approach him.


    "What''s wrong buddy?" he asked again.


    "Nothing something just came to my mind when I tried copying your moves"


    "You surprised me there Apollo I never knew you could pull that off"


    "It''s because I have memorized your technique from seeing it hundreds of times"


    "Still I am amazed, I have never seen anyone execute that sword technique other than a paladin"


    "Hmmm..."


    Suddenly Apollo thought of something, if he could use this skill well then their problem may be solved without endangering his friends.


    "Niko"


    "Yes?"


    "Call everyone here let''s all train together"


    Apollo smiled as he took one step closer towards his bold plan.


    Back at the present time, Apollo continues to look at his enemy, his cold stare devoid of any emotion creates an image of a merciless killer, making his enemy tremble.


    "Hmmm...let''s see when did I have this skill.."


    He suddenly began to think then he spoke finally remembering "Right it was when we were at the tower, a month before the start of the class"


    Then his eyes shifted towards the ground.


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes?]


    "Break the anti-magic circle"


    [Affirmative]


    Fine cracks began to spread across the five colored magic circles making its effects dim.


    "What''s going on!?"


    A wave of disbelief washes over them as they witness a spell that can hinder magic turn into fragile shards of glass.


    "Damn it!"


    Desperation took over and even with the constant pressure brought by Apollo''s previous attack they still dashed to attack.


    "It''s no use"


    "Will he be fine?" Agnes worriedly said to which Alicia confidently answered.


    "Yes so don''t worry"


    While they run through the rain a figure of a man suddenly emerges. Strangely his clothes were soaked with blood instead of the pouring rain. Then this man suddenly spoke making the students in front of him worried.


    "It''s good to see that you kids are doing well" his husky baritone voice somehow added mystery to his sudden appearance.


    ...


    "A teacher in league with the monastery"


    He gritted his teeth while travelling through the air.


    "I thought I had eliminated any spies inside the academy, to think I missed one"


    "However how? I scanned every teacher and eliminated those with a contaminated mana"


    [It''s either they did a good job hiding or they did not receive anything that could contaminate their mana]


    "Did they perhaps figure it out that they had been caught because of it"


    [Possible Creator]


    He stops speaking any more when he arrives inside the Professor''s dormitory.


    "Are sure he is inside?"


    [He is I have scanned the entire first-year section and was sure he is here]


    "Alright let us go"


    Apollo''s body suddenly loses its lightning form and turns into air.


    "Rearrange the barrier, Jeremiah"


    [On it Creator]


    The barrier known for its security was soon rearranged by Jeremiah.


    "It''s funny how this could be done in our dorms to"


    He couldn''t help but say as he entered the Professor''s dormitory.


    Unlike the old building, which they called the lower-class dormitory the place Apollo invaded looks amazing with its new architectural style.


    With Apollo''s air form, he flew like wind across the corridor until arriving inside an office.


    "Found ya"


    There inside an ordinary-looking office Apollo''s target remains sitting in his seat.


    He was about to finish his job when he heard the professor taking a call.


    "Hello?...yes I let your pets enter here why?"


    Suddenly he sprang from his seat then he exclaimed


    "What!"


    This stopped Apollo and decided to stay where he was.


    "What do you mean all your scouters are dead!....you told me they are skilled"


    He began to mumble as if hearing something horrifying.


    "Shut up! You told me none of them would be caught...I am telling you if one of them snitches on me!"


    "Ha!...are you still boasting on your oath again for security!"


    "You can''t count on the oath since I didn''t interrogate them"


    Suddenly a voice pierces through the professor''s hysterical words on the communicator making him look at the direction of his coach.


    There sitting without a care was Apollo his sunset-colored hair bounced as a small breeze of wind touched him.


    "Hi professor"


    Apollo smiled as he looked at the cold expression of the professor.


    The air suddenly tightened while the aura of the two clashed.


    "You are?" the professor asked while moving sneakily towards his staff.


    "Ah right I forgot this appearance isn''t very recognizable"


    The mask Apollo decided to wear before transforming turned into dust revealing his face in the process.


    "Hi, professor Apollo Lionheart is here!"


    He said while his smile almost scared the professor. It was a smile devoid of any emotion making you feel like it wasn''t a human smiling but instead a doll

 Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Boy Who Kills

    Martha and their POV


    Every year me and my team would be assigned to cook and manage the lower-class dormitory however this year of lower lower-class students were different from the rest.


    "Miss Martha, what do you think about the new students?" Gil asked while he and Jerome carried the supplies.


    "I hope they don''t lose hope like what happened to last year''s lower class"


    "You said it right Jenny I still remember how those students lost their hope to study" Jerome couldn''t but speak as he remembered the gloomy atmosphere of last year''s lower class.


    "The pressure and bullying must be too hard for them to endure" Nadia said while carrying the kitchen utensils.


    "Hmm?..what is that Miss Martha" Jenny asked when they noticed the shadows of certain things outside a certain room.


    "It''s too dark to see...wait aren''t those the furniture in the tea room?"


    Gil finally realizes this as they walk closer.


    Then the more they move closer the more they can hear voices coming from a certain room.


    They all looked at each other when they realized those voices and unconsciously they looked at the door.


    "It''s coming from the room"


    "Wait let me open it"


    With the small gap made by Jerome, they sneakily look inside.


    "Hold Apollo down!"


    "Wait why are you ganging up on me!"


    "This is my revenge for tricking me into eating a fart cookie in the tower Apollo!"


    "It''s all your fault Mckenzie because you are a glutton!"


    "Shut up! hold him tight now!"


    "Piss off!"


    Sixteen kids began pulling pillows and hitting each other with it.


    Laughter and continuous teasing can be heard making the five people outside look at each other.


    "It seems like we don''t need to worry"


    "Yes it really seems so Miss Martha"


    "Let''s head inside and prepare for tomorrow''s breakfast"


    "Yes Miss Martha" they said in unison.


    All of us thought that the new lower class would be more successful than the last however they were more unique than we initially thought.


    "Gil can you pick up the vegetables at the back door"


    "Yes Miss Martha"


    Gil with Martha''s orders immediately went to the back door however as soon as the sound of the door being closed a scream could be heard after.


    "What is it, Gil!"


    Martha ran to his side and saw three dead bodies lying flat on the ground.


    "These people are from the maintenance team!"


    Gil gasped as he realized this.


    "Hmm?... I thought none of you would come out at this time"


    A childish voice can be heard making Martha and Gil look for its source.


    "Apollo"


    Martha''s voice made the boy snap from his dark thoughts.


    "People don''t easily change especially those with firm will"


    "Little one no matter what happened"


    She calmly said while wiping the bread crumbs on the boy''s cheeks.


    "We will always remember the little kid we saw on the first day. The kid that freely enjoys his friend''s company and smiles like nothing needs to worry" she continues to say making Apollo look down.


    "Gulp!"


    A big spoonful of soup and a chunk of bread were immediately devoured by the kid as if he wanted to divert his attention to a different thing.


    "Thanks" he suddenly voices out while showing his clean bowl of soup.


    "Your words mean a lot to me"


    He then smiles happily at Gil and Martha.


    "I''ll be going then"


    Apollo left leaving the two still in a daze.


    "In the end what really is happening" Gil couldn''t help but say.


    "I should probably ask the headmaster"


    "Okay Miss Martha I''ll just clean this up"


    While Gil remained inside the kitchen he suddenly remembered something.


    "Why do I feel like I am forgetting something important?" he questioned however he quickly dismissed the idea.


    "It might be just me," he thought while cleaning the stack of vegetables.


    Unbeknownst to him a friend of his was stuck outside not knowing what to do.


    "Just what am I supposed to do with these bodies" Jerome grimaced as he thought of possible ways to eliminate the bodies.


    ...


    Teaching in the Academy was something I never dreamed of, but since the emperor gave me an order to change my duties and instead of being a soldier, I became an undercover professor. My task is to protect a couple of students and those students are these sixteen staggering students.


    "What''s this Apollo? why so slow"


    I spoke looking at the kid that I think I don''t need to protect.


    He was strong beyond his age and his usage of his skills may have been attributed to his life inside the tower. I was witnessing the growth of a monster and it made me both excited and scared.


    This past week more and more people disappeared within the academy. From the maintenance team to the newly hired and old professor, they began disappearing and appearing as dead bodies.


    Surprisingly their bodies have something similar. An irregular construction of Mana, it was different and blackened to the point of corruption but for some reason they didn''t.


    It made me wonder why we didn''t notice such a detail, I have killed hundreds of members of the monastery yet I didn''t notice such a thing. Somehow I felt like someone was aiding us.


    My gaze then landed on the boy who I suspected to be that person.


    "That''s a very swift transition, I am impressed"


    I waved my pen again activating one of the sealer''s gravity spells.


    "Argh!"


    I chuckled seeing his reaction and at that moment he became an ordinary-looking child in front of me.


    "I hope you kids remain this way"


    Despite the hellish experience the students are experiencing the professor remains happy seeing them struggle.

 Chapter 49: Chapter 49: The Boy Who Kills 2

    Apollo and the mysterious professor are locked in a strange staring competition, if one were to blink away or move even an inch it would be the signal of an all-out battle.


    "I believe this is the first time we met professor"


    Apollo''s voice pierces through the tense atmosphere, his tune makes it sound like he and the professor are good friends.


    "Why is a student like you doing here"


    "That''s a very harsh words I came here since I was supposed to be in your class"


    "You?... I don''t think so, you chose to be in the lower class it wasn''t my fault you are in such a situation right now"


    The professor said trying to hide his motives with their conversation.


    "Right if I wanted to be in your class I should have approached you the class professor of High class, Gideon Alaster"


    Then a magic circle envelops the office putting the two under its command.


    "An anti-magic circle"


    Gideon gasped as he realized the magic circle underneath them.


    "I picked up a useful artifact on my way here, so I thought about using it"


    "Forget about my staff I can handle you even without it!"


    He lunged forward brandishing his sword however Apollo also prepared like him.


    Normally if you are dealing with an armed opponent and you are not, it''s best to keep your distance and pay close attention towards your opponent''s attacks. However, in Apollo''s case, he can calculate Gideon''s movements. Using Jeremiah''s upgraded sensor even a tiny muscle contraction could be analyzed and calculated. This way he could predict his opponent''s upcoming attacks.


    [Creator the sword is aiming for your neck]


    "Yeah I can see it"


    Apollo moves side step away from his opponent''s lunge then he puts more ki in his fist.


    With ki boosting his stats his movements become even more fast which took his opponent by surprise.


    However, the professor is still a good fighter and he immediately composes himself before sending his blade towards Apollo.


    [Your head Creator]


    Apollo just nodded and with his ki-enforced arm, he redirected the strike away. Then with a swift transfer of weight, he used his other hand to counterattack.


    He first gathers his ki at the tip of his finger before compressing it into a tiny dot.


    "Energy bomb"


    The tiny dot flew fast in front of Gideon before exploding.


    "Argh!"


    Apollo wasn''t done yet as he put his hellish training with Adolfo into use.


    [Affirmative]


    With Jeremiah''s current upgrade, he could now store even living beings, because of that Apollo would store people he wanted to interrogate without worrying about being caught.


    [Creator]


    "Yes?"


    [There is something in his table]


    Moving closer Apollo found his communicator. A little blue orb that can fit perfectly in his palms.


    "I told you to disable the communicator''s signal right?"


    [I did Creator and no need to worry I did my job perfectly]


    "Then what do you want to do?"


    [If I can utilize some of Creator''s skills I think I''ll be able to trace the person Professor Gideon was talking to]


    "Interesting let''s test it later"


    Then he looked around thinking that he might find another thing inside the place.


    "Wait what''s this"


    Then he saw a file of students, and as soon as he did Apollo couldn''t help but realized something.


    "This bastard is recruiting students for the monastery!"


    He clenches the file seeing more than half of the targeted students have already been marked.


    "I''m gonna break that guy so badly he would wish he was dead"


    Then Apollo released his bloodlust making the newly fixed office destroy again.


    "I''ll let the other professors discover this"


    He said before turning into air again.


    A few seconds upon his departure dozens of professors dash towards the office.


    "Professor Gideon what is happening!"


    However, as soon as they arrived all they could see was a destroyed office.


    "What''s this?"


    Scattered on the ground were documents and even evidence of Gideon''s corrupt teaching.


    "That bastard find him!"


    The people who initially came to help became the people who began to hunt him but unfortunately, Apollo had the man they were looking for captured.

 Chapter 50: Chapter 50: The rain has ended

    "Professor?"


    Alicia asked seeing professor Adolfo in front of the dorm''s gate.


    "I am fine, you guys need to head inside, looking at the clouds the rain might become heavier"


    He opens the gate urging for them to enter.


    "Professor what''s really hape-..."


    "Not now Arabela just head inside please"


    With the professor''s urging they all obeyed, the wind raging on while the rain continued to pour.


    "You are one stubborn enemy you know"


    Behind his back a man wearing a black cloak emerges, his body is covered with wounds and his cloak is littered with holes.


    "I finally found the five" Instead of looking at Adolfo the scouter was looking at the fifteen running students.


    "You won''t be able to go inside"


    "Oh?..am I?"


    To Adolfo''s surprise, his body changed and morphed into a figure he was familiar with.


    "Is that me?"


    The scouter turns into Adolfo but the professor just stares at him as if he sees something indecent.


    "What kind of expression is that?... Forget about his expression I need to focus on my duty" the scouter thought while looking at Adolfo''s disgusted face.


    He approached the gate without looking at his opponent.


    "I wouldn''t do that if I were you"


    He didn''t mind Adolfo''s warning and without hesitation, he touched the gate''s handle.


    "Argh!"


    A power enough to paralyze someone surged from the gate making the scouter unable to move.


    "What...is t..this!?"


    "I told you not to touch it, how stupid"


    "Bu...argh!!...I copied even your....mana signature"


    "Ah..pfft!.. seriously if copying mana signatures is so easy to do, many people could have invaded the academy"


    The professor then calmly approaches the dying man in front of the lower-class dormitory gate.


    "Why?..I...." he tried to speak however the spell from the gate began taking effect.


    "I didn''t even need to lift a finger"


    Professor Adolfo said while looking at the eyes of the dead scouter.


    "What happened here?"


    The professor almost had a heart attack when he heard a voice coming from his back.


    "I didn''t even notice his presence," he thought as he turned back to see the source of the voice.


    "Apollo?" his initial cautious expression relaxes when he realizes who it is.


    "Hey, professor what''s with the ragged get-up?"


    His usual ivory long-sleeve shirt with a black necktie fixed on his collar has stains of blood and dirt, on top of his shirt is a black waistcoat while a black overcoat rests on his shoulder, but it is also littered with holes and burns.


    Then his lower body is clothed with dark charcoal grey pants which have little dirt and scratches on them. Laced up on his feet are a pair of men''s shoes with low heels but it was stained with blood as if he walked on them.


    "Oh this I just ran around the academy cleaning up some stuff"


    "I see"


    "Oh you should head inside the rain looks getting worse"


    "Okay professor"


    While Apollo entered he caught a glimpse of a body lying flat in front of the gate.


    "So I wasn''t the only one" he thought when he realized the familiar get up of the dead man.


    ...


    "Children I think I remember reminding all of you to bring an umbrella"


    Miss Martha began scolding them as soon as she saw them all soak from head to toe.


    "Now then let''s welcome our guest"


    A man suddenly emerged, his body was full of injuries.


    "You bastard!"


    Gideon braces the pain of his wounds and casts a spell.


    "Stop!"


    However, the time surrounding him suddenly halted deeming his spell useless.


    "Let me put this on first"


    An anti-magic handcuff was put on his hand while his neck got a slave collar.


    "Done"


    He claps his hand making the time flow again.


    "Ahhh!...huh?"


    He had thought he had a chance but his body suddenly couldn''t produce mana.


    "Why I was just fine a while ago?" he questioned feeling bitter.


    However Apollo was not in the mood for explanation, he immediately went on business.


    "Darkness element Necromancy magic, Veritas"


    Dark tainted smoke appeared on the ground before entering Gideon''s head.


    "No....NO!!!....ARGH!!!"


    He started to coil in pain rolling on the ground as if trying to endure it.


    "Hmmm?"


    All sorts of memories invaded Apollo''s mind fortunately he had Jeremiah to sort out the useless and useful information.


    "Did I just see a beast''s egg in his secret vault?"


    [You did Creator]


    "Interesting I also saw a book from the monastery, that''s our priority"


    [Are you going to transform now Creator?]


    "Why are you so excited to use that skill"


    [Because It''s a very unique skill Creator]


    "I will think about it but for now I will deal with this guy first"


    He then approaches Gideon who is still on the ground.


    "Darkness element Black magic, Vorax pestis"


    An acidic scent suddenly fills Gideon''s nose making him dizzy.


    Dark tainted smoke began to devour him, he tried to scream however the black smoke blocked his airway suffocating him in the process.


    "Let''s leave we don''t have time for this"


    [Agreed]


    As they turn their back on Gideon, his body begins to burn as if something is eating his skin away. He couldn''t scream all he could do was endure the pain.


    From a renowned professor he then into dust as the spell took over.


    "Jeremiah proceed to use the skill"


    [affirmative Creator]


    A barrier was created to protect him from the academy''s defence mechanism. He was after all going to use another spell.


    [Skill Demonification....proceed to activation Creator?]


    "Yes go on with it"


    Apollo suddenly felt his body being taken over by a certain force. He didn''t try to fight he let it be and so the corruption began eating the boy away. Slowly as he walked he could feel his skin peeling off however he didn''t feel any ounce of pain. A mysterious energy had an envelope his body.


    [Skill activation success!


    How do you feel Creator?]


    "Me? I feel weird"


    He was already out of the dormitory and already walked to the academy''s Park.


    "What the hell" he couldn''t help by exclaimed when he saw his reflection on a pond.

 Chapter 51: Chapter 51: The boy is no more

    "I look like an undead knight...wasn''t I supposed to be a demonized human?"


    [But you are, Creator]


    Apollo felt strange as he tried to move, his skin was no longer there, instead, an exoskeleton was covering his body serving as an armor of protection. Each gap of his armor-like body had a blue-hue color glow. On his back are two tattered wings, big and ancient-looking.


    "What the" he tried moving them and to his surprise it did.


    Seeing his reflection in the pond the boy couldn''t help but touch his face and he felt the smooth yet sturdy surface of the exoskeleton that covers his face.


    "I don''t have a mouth but I can speak"


    [You have a mouth Creator]


    "I can''t really call it a mouth since it''s just a small opening similar to a visored barbuta helmet, but it doesn''t flip like the real one"


    [At least you can talk]


    "I look weird...wait are these horns?"


    Looking deeper into his reflection Apollo realized that aside from his helmet-like head there were two protruding horns in it. Those horns weren''t too big nor too small but Apollo felt weird as he touched them.


    "At least I don''t have a tail right?"


    [Yes don''t have one]


    "Just what kind of demon beast used to own this beast core"


    He said while trying to test his reflexes.


    Now he regretted not asking about the source of the beast cores.


    "Oh, this feels nice...hmmm?"


    Then the boy realized something.


    "Why do I feel like my surroundings shrink?"


    [It didn''t Creator, you just grew taller]


    "I see no wonder"


    [We should head out now]


    "Right"


    The boy no longer looked like the one he used to be, as he stood like an undead knight ready to purge those who had wronged him.


    He moves his two wings trying to fly using them.


    [Will you be fine? It''s your first time flying]


    "It should be fine no? I think it''s similar to how I fly with my thunder aura"


    [I don''t really recommend this]


    "You should trace the signal from the communicator so we won''t waste any time while I practice"


    [Sure]


    While Jeremiah began to check the previously gathered data Apollo began to practice.


    "Let''s see first let''s gather enough lift force"


    He began flapping his wings like a young bird practicing how to fly.


    "Maybe I should go even faster"


    Apollo continued his practice while Jeremiah felt relieved about the data he had gathered.


    [It''s good I was able to scan the signal while that professor was having his call]


    Jeremiah thought while synthesizing a tracking spell. He needed one that could trace the source of the signal however the conversation was too short for him to have a clear data to trace.


    [This is why the communicator was essential]


    Then a slight tremor suddenly shook his thinking.


    [Hmm?]


    The vessel Jeremiah is currently in is inside Apollo''s consciousness, anything that can affect Apollo''s mind can affect Jeremiah too.


    [Creator did you fall?]


    "Yeah"


    Apollo was a bit embarrassed as he said this.


    [You fell on a pond]


    "Yeah"


    "Demon thunder aura"


    "BOOM!"


    The entire mansion turned into a rumble the moment Apollo took flight. The residual lightning went underground destroying everything it went, and the ground cracked and burned.


    "Where are those guards when you needed them the most!"


    Elijah exclaimed after blinking away.


    "!?"


    His question was soon answered when he saw the pile of bodies that lay flat on their headquarters.


    "How come I didn''t notice!"


    The severity of the situation soon made the bishop panic he immediately cast a teleportation spell while activating hundreds of magical scrolls.


    "I can''t die here!"


    He ran as he cast his spell but before he could even complete it a magic circle made his heart break.


    "Anti-magic circle!"


    Elijah no longer knew what to do he tried to run but he couldn''t all he could see was a bright light from the moon.


    Soon that light was swallowed by a cluster of dark clouds.


    Lightning soon struck landing right in front of him.


    Smokes and fire were created but it was the least of his concern.


    A tall knight wearing jet black armor which strangely glows with a blue hue, at his back a pair of wings while his head has a pair of horns.


    "Why is a devil roaming the lands of humans....it shouldn''t be possible for you to continue living here!"


    "Oh really?"


    Apollo began to approach making Elijah take a step back.


    "And here I thought you could give me a decent fight"


    [He is a mage and you used an anti-magic circle, what do you expect]


    "Right I forgot"


    "The air here is poison for devils how can you survive"


    While Elijah said those words Apollo can see him using his fingers to activate the magical scrolls he released.


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes?"]


    "Cancel the activation of those scrolls"


    [Affirmative]


    "Wait why?"


    "Enchanted objects are not under the effects of an anti-magic circle, since it could only affect living beings"


    Apollo''s monster-like voice made Elijah even more scared.


    "I am impressed you still try to fight"


    Blue lightning began dancing around his body and with his command, it transformed into a lance.


    Those lances went through the air before landing towards five spirits.


    "Jeremiah your jamming run out of power"


    [Apologies Creator but those spirits tore through space just to get here]


    "I am impressed, the moment they felt their master being endangered they immediately came here"


    Five spirits surround Apollo however he isn''t afraid.


    "Yes, I am safe!"


    Elijah looked happy but he didn''t remain idle, he took out a bottle from his pouch then without hesitation he drank it.


    [He drank a potion that temporarily increased his ki


    Potion duration: 5 minutes]


    "I am still waiting for a powerful attack"


    Apollo is not doing this for fun instead he is studying the fighting style of the Bishops from the monastery. He patiently waits for any technique he can scan and study that could somehow help him understand his enemy.


    "Will I finally see something?"


    Apollo asked himself while looking at Elijah who turned into a green man with huge muscles.

 Chapter 52: Chapter 52: An unexpected enemy

    [Is this the technique you are waiting for?]


    "No, absolutely not," Apollo said deadpanned while dodging the endless barrage of punches.


    Each time Elijah''s fist hit the empty space a huge shockwave would be produced. However no matter how powerful of an attack may be, if it can''t reach your opponent then it''s useless.


    "His moves are too predictable"


    [What do you expect from a mage Creator, he is doing way better than any mage whom you had put in the same situation as him]


    Suddenly memories of the people he had killed flooded his mind. From the maintenance team to the professors he had trapped and killed them.


    "For the past five weeks, I didn''t get any useful information, I just hoped this guy could give the answer I needed"


    While he continues to think his opponent already going crazy since he still can''t touch his opponent. Elijah then took some distance and used a stance that immediately made Apollo frown.


    An enormous amount of ki was gathered.


    [This doesn''t look good]


    "Yup his duke rank spirits are on their way here it seems like my thunder lance didn''t hold off like I initially thought"


    [I advise you to get serious that guy is about to use aura explosion]


    "I can see that"


    Ki is an energy any human can have like mana, its quality and quantity might be different from other people but it is still an essential construction of a human''s energy.


    In using ki an individual had to go through three stages.


    Hardening or physical reinforcement is the first stage, it is a way to prevent any external damage and strengthen the body.


    The second is quite advanced it''s called Release, it is the way an individual can discharge his ki outside his body and mold it into anything he wants.


    An example of this is when Apollo manipulated his ki and turned it into a sword.


    The final stage is called Aura, this is an above realm of controlling your ki, it could only be achieved if your senses and mastery of techniques are on a different dimension.


    Currently, Apollo could only do the second stage and aura was still far from his reach.


    "How can a mage do an aura bomb?"


    His usage of technique was similar to Niko''s so how can someone like him pull off a higher realm of technique? An aura is super advanced yet Elijah is pulling it off making Apollo surprised.


    [Incoming attacks]


    "I know"


    While Elijah''s aura began to form Apollo began to make his move, his speed was many folds faster than his opponent.


    How fast is a bolt of lightning?


    Some say it''s 1/3 of the speed of light however it doesn''t really matter. Apollo''s thunder aura might be slower than natural lightning but it is still fast, half a second is all Apollo needs to finish the fight.


    Lightning began to dance while the temperature soared so high it began to melt the ground. The melted ground bears the traces of the lightning path.


    Thunder roared as if swallowing the area and a creature clad in armor slowly made his way towards his enemy''s attacks.


    The blue streaks of light blinded the enemy and when they opened their eyes that''s when they realize their severed limbs. Their vision was filled with blood while their arms and legs were lying on the ground.


    "Argh!!!!"


    Scream of agony escaped from his lips while his spirits who were about to attack crashed to the ground, their bodies began to disappear due to the damage they received from Apollo''s attack.


    "That one spirit was troublesome"


    [The stag spirit was able to manipulate space, if it weren''t for the skill you copied from Aaron you would have a hard time decapitating them]


    "You are right, it seems like I can no longer prolong this fight"


    With no legs nor arms, Elijah tried one last attack that would surely damage his opponent.


    [He is self-destructing]


    "Yes he is"


    Elijah began to gather his remaining ki and focus them in his chest but before he could even get the proper amount of energy needed to self-destruct he felt his consciousness waver.


    "No!"


    He could only say before succumbing to the embrace of darkness.


    Ki regeneration: 50 per second


    Vitality: 800


    Skills/Abilities:


    Evil sorceress (Rank SS) {Passive} - Every spell or technique is in its corrupted or darkened form. Any dark spell is boosted by 50%


    Corrupted accompaniment (Rank SS) {Active} - a cursed energy that can kill anyone at a given range


    Shadow blast (Rank SS) {Active}- a compressed amount of corrupted mana and ki


    Shadow run (Rank SS) {Active} - can turn into a shadow as a means of transportation


    Damage reduction (Rank SS) {Active} - reduces any damage upon contact.


    Accessible every one minute


    Wings of night (Rank SS) {Active} - the wings would temporarily transform into blades


    Retriever (Rank SS) {Active} - can temporarily access the non-demon skills for a short period of time


    All of Apollo''s stats and skills change the moment he takes the form of a demon. His rank went up as well as his attributes.


    However, his previous skills can only be used by taking the skill Retriever other than that he had no way of using his other skills. The moment he used the skill Demonification the skills of the previous demon who owned the beast core became Apollo''s current skill set.


    "He is a complicated enemy"


    Name: Sergio Monte:


    Status: Curious


    Position: Fifth Bishop of the tenth Tempe of the monastery


    Rank: Warlord


    Level: 20


    Strength: 1000


    Agility: 1000


    Dexterity: 1000


    Endurance: 1000


    Stamina: 1000


    Intelligence: 1000


    Mana: 1000


    Ki: 1000


    Skills/Abilities


    INACCESSIBLE


    "Now just what the hell is going on"


    [I can''t pry on his skills, I felt like there is a blanket covering his stats]


    "Alright I''ll get serious this enemy might actually detect my speed"


    [Possible Creator seeing his skills and ability are hidden from us]


    "Are you done with your thoughts?"


    [!?]


    "!?"


    At that moment Apollo and Jeremiah became confused. No, they might have been surprised or even alerted by the situation.


    Sergio was clad in blue lightning and phased at the same speed as him.


    "Third gospel of the holy book. Don''t do to others what you don''t want to be done to you"


    Seeing him take out an old grimoire made Apollo remember the spells Alger was referring to.


    "Their spells are best on religious context from different beliefs"


    Lightning began to dance as Apollo and Sergio entered a battle of speed and power.

 Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Darkness

    Sparkles of light accompanied by an intense heat began to dance on the evening night. Two streaks of blue light began moving and destroying the area without holding back. It was a beautiful sight yet destructive at the same time.


    Apollo was calculating his and his opponent''s moves, making sure he was one step ahead of the flow of the battle.


    "I still haven''t landed a single hit" Sergio thought while copying one of Apollo''s earlier spells.


    A lance made up of lightning was formed however that move was within Apollo''s calculation.


    It was a bluish-white light, brilliant and jagged mass of electricity, extending from the sky to the ground.


    Apollo saw how the clouds generated a bolt of lightning and went towards the lance Sergio was making. A grin emerges on his face, thinking his lance has become more powerful than the one Apollo used before.


    An intense yet dazzling light sends tendrils of heat, spreading out from the main bolt, resembling a spear that pierces through the sky.


    Sergio was up in the air while holding a lance made of lightning.


    "Let''s see if you can dodge this"


    [In coming Creator]


    The lance hurls through the air, burning fast and effortlessly.


    A mass explosion of electricity burst as the lance hit something. A pile of rubble and dirt was pushed off the ground causing a smoke of dust to cover the area.


    Sergio thought he had his opponent however once the dust was kicked off he saw Apollo completely dodge the strike.


    He doesn''t understand how someone could be completely unharmed after all the attacks he did.


    He would never expect that the creature in front of him had read his every possible movement and had acted before he could even commit the act.


    The lance was something Apollo had read and thus he had already positioned himself in a place where the strike wouldn''t affect him.


    "It''s as if he knows every action I was planning to do" the monastery Bishop thought. A wave of anxiety slowly crept into his body.


    "No, I wouldn''t be defeated!"


    The old grimoire appeared once again floating ominously in front of the priest, its pages began to move as if finding a specific page.


    "Fourth gospel of the holy book, the empire of heavens is with you"


    Apollo just watches him as he summons a spell based on another religious text.


    "So they go around copying others then claiming it as their own"


    [Notification Alert!


    A powerful conquering spell is about to be cast


    The effects of the spell are a wide range of debuffing spells and a dome of protection for the enemy]


    [Proceed to break the spell?]


    "No, I want to test something"


    [Why do I suddenly feel worried about this]


    Apollo chuckled before being hit by an overbearing pressure.


    His body and instincts scream telling him to escape but Apollo remains standing not wanting to seem weak.


    Even with his heavy body and clouded mind he was still able to read the next attack on Sergio.


    "Lean right" his body moved according to his will, and with every passing second the heaviness he had been experiencing was becoming worse. The attack launched by Sergio still failed to hit its target.


    "Why!" he couldn''t help but shout in frustration.


    He had removed all of Apollo''s senses yet he was still able to move and dodge the strike he made.


    He can''t hear, feel and see, all that is left on him is an endless pit of darkness.


    With Sergio''s current state, the fourth gospel soon loses its effect finally freeing Apollo.


    "Finally I can see"


    He stretched his arms and neck since the fourth gospel made his body stiff.


    [Creator incoming attack]


    "Yes I can feel it"


    Apollo just waved his hand and a layer of lightning became his shield.


    "You look crazy priest" his screech-like voice made Sergio shake his head.


    The priest''s hair is messy while his clothes are damaged due to being continuously pulled. It seems like the priest utilised one important artifact to get out the effects of the third gospel.


    Apollo wasn''t really surprised, they have existed for hundreds of years so it''ll be no wonder if they have one to two important tools and artifacts.


    His sudden recovery of his senses unexpectedly shocked his body causing his senses to go haywire. His head was flooded with all sorts of light while his ears were busted with the crinkling sound of the night.


    "My head!"


    In his confused state Apollo decided to end the pointless fight. His wish to experience their ways of fighting and style of spells was already satiated, now he needed information.


    "Let me knock you out"


    Lightning danced as Apollo appeared right in front of Sergio.


    "Thunder aura, Lightning shock"


    His hand were already one inch away from his target when a notification emerged.


    [Notification Alert!"


    An army had been detected to approach the area]


    "Enemies?"


    [Based on my scanner it seems like they are the accomplices of the bishops in this area]


    "Who were they"


    [One of the famous families in this region, Stannis from the city of Ashcliff, northeast of the City of Sidus]


    "Hmm...if I am not mistaken one of the kids from the High class was a Stannis right?"


    [Yes, it''s the kid you''d been wanting to abduct but because he is in High class you couldn''t touch him]


    "Right with the people I killed this past week, the academy became too protective of its students. I need to cool down a bit before making a move again"


    [Creator they are approaching fast]


    "Yes I can feel their mana"


    Apollo shifts his gaze at Sergio before smashing to him the spell he had cast before.


    A discharge of electricity courses through the priest''s veins, putting his nerves in chaos resulting in him being paralyzed.


    "Done now Jeremiah store him away"


    [I will]


    "Let''s see I still have a couple of mana I should use it well"


    A gloomy, dim and overcast layer of dark clouds swallows the sky causing more darkness than the regular night. The light from the moon could no longer penetrate the might of the darkness. The clouds appeared heavy and thick, hinting at an impending storm that was about to come.

 Chapter 54: Chapter 54: A demon and an army

    "How many soldiers does this army have?"


    [300 Creator, 200 tactical assault soldiers consisting of brawlers, magical swordsmen and heavy knights, and 100 mages]


    Apollo sighed in relief, for a moment he thought he was up against an army of thousands of personnel.


    "And their ranks?"


    [It''s a bit complicated Creator but the one with the highest rank is at Duke rank while the lowest is at General level]


    "This is a bit problematic"


    Thunder began to roar among the clouds, while Apollo cancelled his thunder aura spell.


    Thunder aura consumes too much mana, prolonged use of it will deplete his mana storage. So Apollo will switch spells and use his skills in weapons.


    "Jeremiah showed me my stats"


    [Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: demonized


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Archduke


    Level: 20


    Strength: 1000


    Agility: 1000


    Dexterity: 1000


    Endurance: 1000


    Stamina: 1000


    Intelligence: 1000


    The energy bank has been activated


    Mana: 1000


    Ki: 1000


    Mana regeneration: 50 per second


    Ki regeneration: 50 per second


    Vitality: 800


    Skills/Abilities:


    Evil sorceress (Rank SS) {Passive} - Every spell or technique is in its corrupted or darkened form.


    Any dark spell is boosted by 50%


    Corrupted accompaniment (Rank SS) {Active} - a cursed energy that can kill anyone at a given range


    Shadow blast (Rank SS) {Active}- a compressed amount of corrupted mana and ki


    Shadow run (Rank SS) {Active} - can turn into a shadow as a means of transportation


    Damage reduction (Rank SS) {Active} - reduces any damage upon contact.


    Accessible every one minute


    Wings of the night (Rank SS) {Active} - the wings would temporarily transform into blades


    Retriever (Rank SS) {Active} - can temporarily access the non-demon skills for a short period of time]


    A smirk appeared on his face while glancing at his stats.


    "Wait how can I smirk when I don''t have a mouth" he suddenly realized but he quickly switched subjects.


    [Somehow I feel you are about to do something reckless]


    "Yes I am, Jeremiah activate the skill Retriever and get Automatic Weaponry for me"


    [What are you going to do?]


    Apollo looked at his body and said "I''m gonna do some upgrades"


    ...


    "My lord this is too reckless we might alert the city at this rate"


    Hawk one of Stannis strongest knights said.


    "Lord Stannis Hawk is right we need to retreat"


    "Enough Eagle I received an order from Bishop Sergio that they needed reinforcements and we shall do what he says"


    "Hurry cast buffing and debuffing spells!"


    It was as if the earth and the sky were at war with each other. Lightning continued to crash creating piles of bodies while the soldiers tried to disperse the cloud. Mages tried to contain the miasma while the combat soldiers waved their weapons to attack.


    With all this chaos the culprit of this event merely spread his wings however as he did so, his entire body began to change. His wings then turn into sharp blades while Apollo'' armor-like body becomes sharper and more fierce. With his new transformation, his dark silhouette soon disappeared.


    [What did you do? Your appearance change?]


    "I put some stuff at my armor-like skin and turn it into a real armor"


    He said while diving right into the enemy.


    "His coming!"


    "Point all forces to stop him"


    "Mages put some protection on us this monster is releasing another deadly miasma!"


    "Heavy knights help us the lightning keeps striking us!"


    With all the attacks coming from a single entity the army consists of 300 personnel find themselves overly occupied.


    The mysterious enemy was like a god of death killing those around him without mercy.


    "Argh!"


    "Help me!"


    "His wings are bla-..."


    Blood dyed the ground because Apollo''s bladed wings turned the soldiers into pigs for slaughter.


    "Why can''t you hit him!"


    "I just couldn''t!"


    "He is turning into a shadow!"


    Apollo would use his wings for offense while turning into a shadow for defence.


    "Use a different spell!"


    "You think I haven''t done that!"


    The answer is the liquid armor Apollo put on himself.


    [You did great with this armor, it''s actually absorbing all the spells impressive]


    "I''ll tell you about this armor later"


    He flaps his wings again causing another life to perish.


    [Creator look to the right]


    Apollo turned into a shadow travelling through the air and there he saw twenty mages all gather for a joint spell.


    [Magic swordsmen and heavy knights are on the way]


    "I can tell what they want to do but I won''t let them"


    A magic circle was crafted before turning into a ray of black beam.


    "Lord Stannis retreat!" Eagle tried to warn but it was too late.


    A bright light of darkness envelopes their sight turning the area into a sea of inferno.


    [Creator a couple of humans are still alive what should we do?]


    "It''s okay we don''t really need to deal with them"


    Jeremiah was a bit confused but soon his sensors detected something.


    [The soldiers from Sidus]


    "Correct and that''s our signal to go"


    Dark shadows then devoured his body turning him into a being of the night.


    .....


    "Where are you Apollo"


    Alicia wondered while sitting right on top of their dormitory''s roof.


    At first, she was going to patiently wait for him to return but with every passing second, she began to worry about him. In the end, she decided to sit on the roof for a better view of the academy.


    "I never anticipated that you like high places, Alicia"


    "!?"


    Apollo never expected to see her, especially on top of their roof however he was happy that someone was actually worried about him.


    Under the now clear sky Apollo saw the beauty of the girl in front of him. Unconsciously a smile forms on his lips.

 Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Time for information

    The sun rose from the east signalling the start of the day however a problem suddenly arose for the students of the lower class.


    "Run faster!"


    "I can''t believe none of us woke up early! Not even Miss Martha"


    Unfortunately due to Alicia and Apollo, the entire dormitory was enveloped by a sleeping spell.


    "Jeremiah why didn''t you wake me!"


    [Your body was tired from using too many skills that is why I didn''t bother waking you up]


    Alicia on the other hand was embarrassed at the fact she woke up late like the others.


    "You know guys I suddenly became thankful for Professor Adolfo''s training"


    "Don''t be I am currently dying from overwork because of him!"


    Sixteen students rush inside the building before going straight for the stairs. Finally, they arrive inside the classroom seeing no one but them.


    "Hooo....and here I thought we were late"


    "Good morning students"


    "Ah!!"


    "!?"


    All eyes went on the door and their Tuesday morning teacher arrived. Missis Agatha Sidus is a resident of this city.


    "Good morning professor"


    "Good morning it seems like the lower class did a little work out before coming here"


    "Ah yes we did, we wanted to feel more active for your lessons, professor," Blair said while catching his breath.


    "That''s good now all of you take your seats I will be giving a new lesson for today"


    Agatha Sidus is the lower class'' professor for Magic and Creation 1 subject. She mainly teaches spells and will later on teach about scroll making.


    "Alright let us have a short recap before we tackle our next lesson. Tell me what is the difference between element, magic and spell"


    She said while writing those words on the board.


    Three hands were raised and the professor pointed to a green-haired boy among the students.


    "Keith you may stand"


    The young man stood up and began to answer.


    "Elements are the fundamental foundations that consist our nature. Fire, lightning, water, air and earth and their sub-elements represent the world''s forces.


    There are two types of definitions of magic.


    One is Magic or mana and the other is magic or magic study.


    Magic or magic study is a mystical study of every branch of magic brought from the elements. For example, from the element of darkness, a study of magic in which the caster used the undead and curses can be classified as necromancy magic and black magic.


    Magic or mana, on the other hand, is the mystical force that exists within the world, allowing individuals to manipulate these elements and perform extraordinary feats


    Then spells are incantation, rituals or even formulas that are used to harness or channel mana to achieve desired results"


    "That is amazing Keith you may sit"


    The boy sat down and felt quite relieved he had answered well.


    Apollo looks at him satisfied with how his fighting his quiet side.


    "Let me simplify Keith''s answer, elements are the raw materials, magic is the power or the study of the power, and spells are the means by which that power is wielded"


    She then wrote on the board before writing another set of words.


    Levels of magic


    Levels of spells


    "This past week we have studied the levels of magic and spells. Those levels are the following"


    "Ah I will just change my clothes since I feel pretty uncomfortable with the one I am currently wearing"


    "Okay come down when you are done"


    "Yes I will"


    However, as soon as he arrived a soundproof barrier was created.


    "Right let us start extracting information"


    [Alright]


    First to be released was Elijah, his battered body was the first thing Apollo noticed before the lack of limbs.


    "Let''s get on with this" he raised his hand and activated the spell Veritas.


    A black smoke began to appear on the floor then it crawled towards Elijah.


    With the spell''s activation, Apollo saw how the body of his target began repulsing and moving unevenly.


    A flood of memories surged through Apollo''s mind but fortunately, Jeremiah was there to sort out and remove the unnecessary memories.


    "This is interesting"


    [Indeed]


    "So the 12 temples of the monastery are fighting amongst themselves"


    [It''s a blessing that they are not united as we thought]


    "That''s true imagine if all the 12 temples forces were to pour here"


    [That would be disastrous]


    "We have to keep them fighting among themselves"


    [How?]


    "Hmmm....I wonder"


    [The reason for their fight is their greed for more power and the honor of reviving Nirvana]


    "I wanted to praise them because instead of joining together they decided to make Nirvana''s return a race"


    [We need to keep them in that state before slowly eliminating them]


    "Right and I think we got someone who could help us"


    His hand made a waving gesture and a man clad in tattered priest clothing appeared.


    [Segio?]


    "Correct"


    Another magic circle appeared beneath Apollo''s feet shifting the mana inside the room.


    "If I''m gonna use someone, this guy could be a perfect pawn for this job"


    A wide grin was on the boy''s face as he cast one of the forbidden spells of Black magic.


    "Lost magic, Ad me obedire"


    Like a flowing river Apollo''s mana gushed out activating the spell he had in mind.


    The lost magic is a level of magic that belongs to Celestial Ascendancy. The reason for it to be called lost was due to it being destroyed or banned because of the chaotic things it could cause.


    Even though it used to belong to black magic its difficulty soared high as time passed. Ancient language became required to compose the spell while the technique of the mana control was too old to be remembered.


    However, Apollo''s case is different because he lived in a place where lost and forbidden magic can be found everywhere.


    While the spell activated Sergio slowly regains his consciousness.


    The black ominous magic slowly turned into a red miasma, it began to attach itself to the body of its target resulting in Sergio''s body moving in a horrifying way. But no scream escapes from his lips instead only a blank expression remains.


    Apollo saw his enemy''s eyes begin to have clarity signalling he was about to gain consciousness.


    "I think I need to show off a bit"


    He then walked closer and held Sergio''s neck, as the man opened his eyes, a person he never expected emerge in his view.

 Chapter 56: Chapter 56: I am

    With a bit of difficulty, Sergio opens his eyes and the sight of the being in front of him makes the priest scream in fear.


    "I can''t...you are!"


    "Indeed welcome my child"


    Sergio''s focus was on the man in front of him, thus he hadn''t noticed the hand that almost suffocated him.


    "My lord Nirvana!"


    The man slowly removes his hand from Sergio''s neck letting the man kneel in front of him.


    "I save you from a great danger my child, how are you?"


    Upon hearing those words the priest kneels even more showing his great devotion towards his god. Just like what the scriptures said Nirvana was a very tall man with iron like body. His skin was blue while his eyes were red, their god''s hair was a bit long but it only highlighted his masculinity.


    "This humble servant doesn''t deserve such kindness!"


    "Nonsense all of you who follow my will deserve my kindness"


    [This is a bit cringe]


    "Shut up can''t you see I am God!"


    [A God my foot]


    Jeremiah''s words were immediately blocked from Apollo''s mind, he needs to stay in character after all.


    "My lord what happened to that creature"


    "Him? I chased him away however with my limited strength because of the seal I could only appear in this form"


    "You don''t have to worry my lord your faithful servants will immediately free you! Just give us another time my lord!"


    Apollo felt amused with his reaction however his face remained gentle yet authoritative.


    "I shall be waiting for the one to free me"


    His voice began to bear the power of his mana making Sergio amazed at the same time fearful.


    "Only the one who will free shall receive my grace. It''s like a race my child and I hope it will be your temple that will accomplish it"


    Sergio''s eyes watered as if receiving the most precious gift he ever had.


    "We will! the tenth monastery shall accomplish this holy task!"


    A grin emerges from Apollo''s face making the priest grateful for his expression.


    "Then I shall be waiting for that time to come"


    Then he went closer to his ears, and a voice full of malice escaped in Apollo''s lips.


    "Tell everyone my message only the one who can free me shall receive my blessings"


    His voice made Sergio tremble however he didn''t let it show, he wanted to show his utmost strength towards the being he puts his faith to.


    "Rest assured my lord your will shall be followed!"


    He eagerly said making the man in front of him smile. However it wasn''t the priest''s words that made him smile, it was the red paint-like stains that spread around his body that made him smile.


    "Yes I know you will obey me"


    ....


    [That was a superb job Creator]


    "Thanks but I am more thankful for the info inside Elijah''s memories. To think there are records of Nirvana''s personality and appearance"


    [You are surely good, by the way Creator]


    "Yes?"


    [What to do with these two bodies]


    "Is that you Ziggy?" A hoarse voice sounded behind an aged tree.


    "I figured this would be the place you would go, how are you, Sergio"


    Finally, a man full of deep wounds and bloodied clothes came out from the trunk of the tree.


    "!?"


    "What happened to you!?"


    They rushed to approach however when they did so they became even more mad.


    "Elijah!"


    "Hey Dylan"


    The assassin named Dylan held a man who had lost his arms and legs.


    "What kind of!"


    His hand began to shake while holding his friend''s butchered body.


    "I am still alive Dylan"


    "Don''t smile like this damn it!"


    "Who did this Sergio" the third assassin spoke while taking out a potion to feed them.


    "I don''t know Lorenz we don''t know what creature it was, all I know is it looks like a demon but has a consciousness and mind to think"


    "He can even use spells which is impossible for demons" Elijah added even though he was having a hard time speaking.


    "Enough we should head back since we are not sure if no one was able to follow you"


    Dylan insisted as he helped the two to walk.


    "I''ll carry you, Elijah"


    "Thanks, Lorenz"


    Eventually, they managed to get away without alerting anybody.


    However, deep into the sky, a figure can be seen floating among the clouds.


    [It seems like no one was able to notice]


    "We will find that out once they arrive inside their base"


    Apollo said while he was in Demon form.


    "Let us head back we did what we had to today"


    [Affirmative Creator]


    For the coming days, Apollo planted a seed of competition and conflict among the hearts of the devotees of Nirvana. The very thing that keeps them together is also the very thing that causes them to be divided.


    ...


    Inside one of the most secure temples of the monastery.


    A archbishop stood tall in front of a stone statue of a mysterious man.


    "Hahaha"


    A loud laughter can be heard instead of a prayer and instead of a man clad in holiness, the priest looks obsessive and intoxicated.


    "I knew you would return...HAHAHA!"


    "That''s right 200 years ago you promised!"


    His body shakes in excitement as he says those words.


    "You wanted a race!... yes, I will give it to you and when you return I shall become the pope of your church!"


    His voice was ragged but full of craziness and excitement. Apollo didn''t know that the words he spoke not only caused conflict amongst the temples but also gave them a newfound motivation.

 Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Not that it matters

    Apollo sat quietly inside a library, it''s been a while since he got some time alone and he felt a bit freeing, like a kid that temporarily escaped from the gaze of his unruly friends.


    Oftentimes he is with his classmates serving as a shield from enemies. However, the emperor called them probably because of the incident he caused with one of the monastery''s bases. Hopefully, none of them will connect the culprit to him.


    From sitting Apollo decided to walk, observing the beauty of the sacred land for a bookworm like him.


    The academy library was known to have an abundance of knowledge and now Apollo knows it was real. The towering shelves that seemed to stretch endlessly, were filled with books that varied in size and shape. The light was gentle as if encouraging the readers to read. Then the soft glide of the breeze makes the corners of the library cozy inviting visitors to come to read.


    "Many things have already happened after this past month right?"


    [Yes, so much that you already forgot about one thing]


    "And that is?"


    [Me! You still don''t know what you made!]


    "Didn''t I already answer that you are a copy of me...an intelligence crafted from using me as a blueprint"


    [I know that I mean my vessel and this whole thing that you made?]


    "That is why we are here in the library we might find something here"


    [I doubt that you came here because you want to find out the cost between mana stones and crystal mana]


    "We can also check yours you know"


    Apollo could hear a deep sigh within his consciousness, though he knew it was Jeremiah.


    "Let me see their difference then will go to your problem"


    [Hpmh!]


    The boy couldn''t help but shake his head, ever since he upgraded Jeremiah by 3000 stat points he became more human-like.


    Speaking of which his last harvest was so good that he might reach emperor rank immediately. However, Apollo didn''t want to rush his advancement, since he planned to spend his stat points on upgrading Jeremiah and the skills he might gain in the future.


    "Skill upgrades and synthesis are quite expensive after all"


    Soon Apollo took some books and stacked them on a vacant table. He comfortably took a seat and began to read.


    "Let''s see it says mana stones and crystal mana have a..."


    [Have a what?]


    Apollo didn''t say anything and went on to close the book. Then he took a pen and paper from his space ring and began scribbling.


    Jeremiah wondered what it was but he couldn''t pry on Apollo''s thoughts unless he allowed it.


    "Oh dear" his creator mumbled making Jeremiah even more curious.


    [Can you share it with me?]


    "Yes, at first I was just curious about the differences between mana stone and crystals but when I saw their prices it got me wondering..." he stopped a bit as if thinking about his next choice of words.


    "I was wondering how much I spent to make you and the vessel you are currently in"


    [So what''s the total cost?]


    Jeremiah could see that his Creator was a bit smug about it.


    "Now let''s calculate everything.....back then I used high-quality mana stones...*sigh*...it cost 500 imperial dollars but since I used 1000 of them, that will be 500,000 imperial dollars. Then for the crystal mana, it cost 10,000 imperial dollars each but since I used high-quality ones it went up to 1 million each"


    [That is expensive!]


    "Yes the energy inside was immense that is why it went up that high. A single high-quality crystal mana can power up a city for a year, that is how huge the energy inside a crystal mana is"


    [How many did you use?]


    "Ten"


    In short, Apollo used a crystal that could supply energy to a city for ten years. He suddenly felt like he was spending resources like royalty.


    "10,500,000 imperial dollars now, then I should add the high-quality papyrus and two celestial beast cores. A papyrus is made with a special kind of wood, Trese, it''s a type of tree that can absorb an abundant amount of mana and thus was a prime material for papyrus. And since growing this tree is difficult the price for a papyrus is no different from crystal mana"


    "750,000 each for a small piece of papyrus and I use 500"


    [375,000,000 imperial dollars]


    "Yes and finally the two beast cores, celestial rank cores are rare and extremely difficult to get...the cause is 500 million each and it still depends on which beast it belongs to. Considering it was from a blue dragon and a dessert Arachne its price should escalate to 1.5 billion imperial dollars"


    [...]


    "Should I calculate everything?"


    [No Creator I am satisfied now]


    Apollo was a bit silent, the thing is he thought it wasn''t much of a value since the people of the tower would give it to him like candy, so naturally the young him thought it wasn''t expensive or important. It was just an ordinary tool in front of his eyes it turns out it wasn''t ordinary.


    "Now let go and see the final question the two of us need to find out"


    [Right finally]


    With their previous expensive conversation Apollo and Jeremiah decided to shift their conversation.


    With newfound motivation, the boy stood up from his seat and went towards the bookshelves.


    "I wonder what book should I go to"


    While walking through the big shelves of the library, he found something that might help him.


    "Mechanism and theory of modern machinery... I get this one as well"


    [Types of barrier defensive mechanism and theory of technology as a new type of magic?]


    "Yup and by the way go scan every book and grimoires here I want them in our archive"


    [Affirmative ]


    Apollo went back to his seat and began reading as he did so time seemed to slow down while he felt the words on every page. Mechanism and theory of modern machinery were a bit familiar to Apollo so he decided to read them first.


    "Hmm?"


    Later as he read a word caught his attention.


    "System?"


    Holding a thick book full of machinery blueprints and systematic equations, the young boy was confused all of a sudden.

 Chapter 58: Chapter 58: System

    Apollo read the first section of the book which made him immediately hooked. The meaning of mechanism and machinery was introduced including the notable people who contributed to its study. While flipping the pages early stages of machinery were listed then certain philosophers were added.


    As he read a word suddenly made him interested.


    ''A machine can be compared to a human body, each part has its own role and function to fulfil and for those parts to fully work a systematic order needs to be made.


    For complex machinery, a system is set to make, so that the output can be properly produced.


    A system is an interconnected and organized component or mechanism that is designed to fulfil a particular function. It might be to store, transport, analyze or control materials for a particular purpose''


    Both Jeremiah and Apollo were a bit silent and earnestly read that part once again.


    "I think we have our answer here"


    [Really a system?]


    "Yes, what else could it be? The vessel you are currently in is made out of different components set to achieve a specific function, and Jeremiah you are part of that system"


    [Hmmm...]


    "You are still skeptical no?"


    [Can we walk through those books first then we can decide later on]


    "Sure I don''t mind"


    He closed the book he was holding and switched to a different book, Types of Barrier Defensive Mechanism.


    However, as he read the word system appeared once again.


    ''System magic or systematic magic is a study of which multiple layers of magic circles are being put together, in order for a specific function to be achieved''


    "Oh it''s about the system again"


    [So since I and some parts were built in together we are what you call a system?]


    "I think it is more like a set of procedures built in according to a specific task or an organized framework, and method forming a unified object as a whole, I think that is what you call a system"


    [Creator you just use the definition you read in the book to construct the sentence you just said]


    "At least I am still correct"


    [No your words were disorganized]


    "No, it''s not"


    He argued inside his head but before Jeremiah could respond a sudden tap from Apollo''s shoulder surprised the two.


    "I didn''t even notice her presence"


    [Neither my sensor, I have been scanning the vicinity but I failed to notice her]


    Apollo looked at the person who tapped him and still wondered what she was.


    "The holder of the name Nyx," he thought while his face bore a sublime smile.


    "Alicia did the meeting go well?" he asked however he began to notice her strange expression.


    Something was definitely bothering her though Apollo had no way to know it.


    "If I analyze her will I understand what she is feeling right now?"


    [Better not Creator we must respect her]


    "Apollo, did I scare you?"


    Unexpectedly her voice sounded weak making Apollo wonder what was going on.


    "What''s going on what happened to your voice?"


    However instead of answering she just shook her head.


    "Nothing let us go everyone is waiting for us"


    Apollo nodded but as he did so a realization soon enveloped him.


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes]


    "Did we tell anyone we are going here?"


    [No Creator]


    "Then how did she find out we are here?"


    [That is beyond my capacity Creator since many factors may be attributed to it, for example, she must have known you well enough to figure out where you went]


    "Adalla of Silvon"


    "It seems this grimoire came from the time that commoners don''t have a surname"


    "Yes you are right"


    "Let us follow the map!" Mckenzie suggested.


    "We cannot do that Gelo it is too dangerous for us to leave" Alicia reminded them so Mckenzie looked at the next person who could allow them, Apollo.


    "Please e on it will be fine, we are just going for treasure hunting!"


    The rest of them looked at Apollo expectantly.


    [What a pressure Creator]


    With all expectations resting on his shoulder, the boy couldn''t help but sigh "Alright let''s go follow that map"


    "Yes!" Everyone exclaimed immediately then scramming away to grab the stuff they wanted to bring.


    "I''ll prepare the supplies!" Aaron said while dragging Vesta with him.


    "Bring some flashlights, Blair!" Mckenzie said while copying the map from the book.


    "On it!"


    "I''ll store these leftover snacks in case we get hungry" Keith said while eagerly putting the snacks inside his space ring.


    "Are you sure about this Apollo" Alicia spoke as if scolding Apollo.


    "It''ll be okay don''t worry," he said coaxing her.


    "I''ll protect them"


    But his words made Alicia''s expression worsen.


    "The monastery will launch an all-out attack right?"


    "!?"


    "Don''t be too surprised, your face gave it all away"


    "I never anticipated that my expression is too readable"


    "Hahaha"


    He merely laughs but the truth is he was the one who tipped them off.


    "Having your own eyes and ears among the priest of the monastery was really worth it"


    [It seems the attack will happen either this week or the next]


    "It might even happen now, Jeremiah"


    [Is that why you want them to get distracted]


    "You could think of that"


    .....


    "Alright, we are all set let us go!" Mckenzie excitedly said while holding the map.


    "By the way, children be careful on these treasure hunting of yours" Miss Martha said while giving them a basket full of treats.


    "We will miss Martha!"


    The rest of the staff wave goodbye to the sixteen students of the lower class.


    "I wonder what the map is all about it" Jerome said who is also curious about the treasure the map holds.


    "Hmmm, I wonder," Miss Martha hums while moving towards the kitchen.


    "I think Miss Martha knew about the map" Gil concluded.


    "Really?" Jenny asked.


    "That might be true since Miss Martha worked here longer than we are" Nadia reasoned.


    "What are you all standing there hurry and help me here"


    Martha''s voice sounded from the kitchen making the four crew run towards her.


    The sun was about to set but the academy was still lively, the lights were still on while the students came walking towards their dorm''s training facilities.


    Apollo who lively talks to his friends was actually looking at his stats.


    "Another hunting may begin," the boy thought while walking leisurely on the academy grounds.

 Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Treasure hunting

    The Aster Academy can be said to be as big as a city which is why it''s called a city inside a city. Everything that is essential for a student''s learning was already prepared inside.


    "The map said we should head straight towards the....wait this place is!"


    "What? What place McKenzie?" Blair asked while taking a peek at the map.


    "Wait it says Melandis steps"


    There was a silence among them, they were too excited a while ago but suddenly felt discouraged to continue.


    "So does this mean we will go back?" Alicia asked but immediately Mckenzie interrupted her "No we will continue!..right guys?"


    "Y-eah! Of course!"


    "Sure it''s just some old stairs"


    "We will be fine so it''s okay!"


    Apollo felt amused seeing their frightened reaction. The four excited fellows now began to stutter as they spoke.


    So what are the Melandis steps?


    It''s a long stairs found in a secluded forest inside the academy, the said steps lead towards an old shrine which is believed to be haunted.


    "What do you think about the place Jeremiah?"


    [I sense some spiritual entities here]


    "Ghost?"


    [Yes but they are harmless Creator]


    "I see that''s good to hear"


    They were harmless so the boy felt assured however when a floating white lady walked in front of them, a series of screams could be heard within the secluded part of the academy.


    "The temperatures dropping"


    [It''s because of the ghost Creator their presence causes the temperature to drop]


    "I see...hmm?"


    As he continued to walk he realized that it was only him and Alicia that continued walking, their classmates ended up getting stuck because the white lady kept floating in front of them.


    "Help" Arabela almost screamed as she said those words.


    "Apollo bro help us out"


    The boys shouted while trying to hide their shaking bodies.


    "They are hopeless" Alicia voiced out before using her aura to scare the ghost away.


    [She can use aura?]


    Apollo too was surprised but he maintained his expression.


    With Alicia''s devilish aura, the ghost flees in fright.


    "I never expected that I''d be able to witness how a ghost can get scared" Apollo spoke feeling that Alicia was doing something she usually doesn''t do.


    [She is revealing too much of her abilities which she usually hides]


    "What is she up to" he wondered but remained observing.


    "Are you all okay" he spoke not minding Alicia''s previous action.


    "Sorry, my body froze when that white lady suddenly stopped right in front of us" Aaron couldn''t help but say while the previously excited people Casper, Vesta, Alya and especially Mckenzie were silent due to shock.


    The way the place was built is highly similar to a temple. The way the pillars are designed and the architecture can still be seen despite the ruined state it has. Following a specific path they witness a lake with the clearest water they have ever seen. Even with some parts of the temple being submerged underneath, it didn''t degrade its beauty but instead highlighted it.


    There were trees and some exotic plants that they first time seeing.


    "Are those crystal mana?" Braiden asked when he traced the source of light in the place.


    "It is" Apollo replied


    "The mana here is quite potent than the mana outside"


    "It''s because of the crystal mana Alicia"


    They kept walking until they arrived at the only decent room. When they entered, a room full of books welcomed them. The place was like the Academy library but besides books, you could also see food and training equipment.


    "This is a very calming place" Vesta commended while sitting on one of the futons lying on the ground.


    "It seems we aren''t the first one to arrive here"


    Apollo removed some dust on an aged wall and noticed some letters being engraved there.


    "Welcome lower class students, this place was discovered and maintained for the sake of finding solace in this chaotic place"


    "We may be pressured and get swept by the strong force of this academy but this place is made to escape those judging eyes, so please keep this place as it is"


    Apollo read the passage feeling a bit sad about how the previous lower class were being treated.


    "On the noisy and unsafe ground may you find peace here" Apollo read the last sentence.


    They stood where they were looking through the things that the previous class brought. They found books, diaries and even grimoires written by previous students, who wanted to help the future lower-class students.


    "Lower class year 300-301 of the imperial calendar"


    Alicia read one of the engraved words on a bookshelf.


    "Look at these guys"


    Mackenzie called out gaining his classmates'' attention.


    On one of the dusty walls of the room lies the engravings of each year of the lower class. Every time they discovered this place and successfully passed the entire year they would leave their class year, letting the future generation see them.


    "Something is missing on this wall," Apollo noticed.


    "Really?" There were too many writings that they didn''t notice what was missing.


    "The last year''s lower class, their class year is not here"


    Mckenzie said as he realized what Apollo meant.


    "Does that mean they weren''t able to make it?" Alya asked feeling a wave of sadness.


    "I heard they gave up due to the pressure of the Higher class" Braiden said while looking at another wall which bore the messages of the last year''s lower class and the previous years.


    "We are sorry" that was one of the messages said.


    A gloomy atmosphere envelopes them as they read each word from their messages.


    "After we safely escape the Monastery"


    Suddenly Keith began to speak surprising his classmates. He is usually quiet often observing and writing the things he wants to say.


    "After all the problems we have right now disappeared, let''s make sure those who look down on our class will pay the price for it"


    His voice was resolute earning respect from his classmates.


    "We will do that but for now" Apollo took one of the perfectly arranged pillows and recklessly threw it to Alicia.


    "For now let us loosen up!" he happily said while raising another pillow.


    Just for now Apollo wanted to make them happy because he knew tomorrow might bring them the greatest grief they ever experienced.

 Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Sleep well

    The clock struck midnight and unexpectedly the crowd of children fooling around all fell asleep.


    "Where are you going?" despite the tranquillity? that permeated the room, a soft voice could be heard.


    "I should have known that my sleeping spell wouldn''t work on you" he coldly said as he looked at the person who just spoke.


    "Alicia"


    "I''ll ask you again where are you going"


    [She is commanding you, Creator]


    "You should sleep"


    "Wha-..." her voice got cut off as the claws of the spell began to spread. Her eyes began to feel heavy causing her head to feel drowsy.


    "How can I be...I" she seems in disbelief finding herself captive by Apollo''s spell.


    "Sleep" he said again but this time his voice mellowed down.


    "Apollo what are you up to?" her eyes began to flare causing some of her mana to leak out.


    [She is using her innate affinity to the element of fire to burn the effects of your spell]


    "I can see that"


    The spell intensifies causing Alicia to kneel.


    [Creator I suggest you stop]


    Apollo looked at the faces of his sleeping friends finally canceling his spell.


    "Stay here"


    "You are up to something"


    A smirked form on Apollo''s lips finding her mendling irritating.


    "Let me do my duty, and I let you do yours"


    He finally said however Alicia spoke once again.


    "I am just worried about you"


    Apollo halted his steps letting her finish her message.


    "I know you might find this situation irritating but please bear in mind that I am only concerned about your well-being"


    The boy couldn''t help but sigh "You know it was me right?"


    "Who else could it be, you are the only one I know who can use lightning spells like that"


    "I highly doubt that" he replies while feeling amused about their conversation.


    "I''ll stay here just like you wanted"


    As she spoke her feet began to move towards him, Apollo merely waited for the things she might say.


    "You are not explaining anything to me because you know I am hiding something as well"


    "You won''t break your walls unless I break mine first"


    [She got you, Creator]


    Apollo just chuckled, while waiting for her to continue.


    "You have no obligation to say anything to me but let me just remind you that being in this class made you extremely important to me"


    "So before you do something reckless remember to be careful"


    "I never expected you''d act like a nagging mother Alicia"


    "Get serious, please"


    "Alright I will"


    "They are coming right?"


    "Yes, but everyone is prepared"


    "I know the emperor already briefed us"


    "Since that is the case I am allowed to go now right?"


    "Yes just be careful"


    The boy could tell that this situation was stressing her out but there was no alternative. They need to fight even if it means bringing the battle inside the Academy.


    "Did they leave?"


    [We don''t know yet, Creator....wait!]


    Jeremiah''s voice made Apollo''s flight stop.


    "What?"


    [They really left Creator, I just found a teleportation pad at the end of the forest. They must have left the moment the demonic beast started to break out]


    "And they will return once the siege has begun"


    [Once the city is in chaos they could easily sneak inside the Academy]


    "Keep an eye on the pad and if you can, trace the other end of it"


    [Will do Creator]


    The entire city was enveloped by a powerful barrier while the people were transported to different cities.


    "Your majesty the entire space surrounding the city is under a restriction spell"


    Restriction spells are under conquering magic thus the level of magic is at Dominion invocation. It wasn''t that hard to dispel but it''s also not easy to do.


    "Bring the spell breaker mages here!"


    "Your majesty all spell breakers have a suspicious curse attached to their bodies. They can''t use a single ounce of their mana"


    "Your majesty, what should we do?"


    The emperor massages his forehead, he thinks they have prepared enough but it turns out their enemies prepared more.


    There is one way to explain their current situation, a spy had leaked their preparation.


    "I''ll find that spy later for now focus on evacuating the people"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    While the chaos slowly seeps through the corners of the city the targets of the attack remain asleep inside a hidden ruin temple.


    [Creator something strange is going on]


    "What is it?"


    [None of the city''s citizens nor students of the academy are being teleported away]


    Apollo who just arrived at his destination looked up and saw a wide-range spell enveloping the sky.


    "A restriction spell" he realized.


    [Should I break it?]


    "Yes you should"


    As he said those words cracks emerge of the clear sky while the spell finally reveals itself.


    "That was fast"


    [It wasn''t me Creator]


    "What? Then who did it?"


    [Don''t know probably one of the emperor''s soldiers]


    "Maybe" Apollo replied but strangely he felt a sense of deja vu as he looked up at the dimly lit sky.


    "That should assist them" Alicia said while retracting his hand which holds an ancient type of spell.


    The sky was free and the space was no longer restricted, the spell Alicia cast was something Apollo wasn''t aware of but in the current situation hunting is his top priority.


    [Incoming horde of demon beasts]


    "Jeremiah mark all the targets I''ll cast a spell"


    [Affirmative]


    Apollo had realized something when he cast spells in his demonized form. It was too uncomfortable and burdening as if a weight was pressuring his body.


    "It''s best to cast darkness-based spells"


    [And I suppose you are prepared for that]


    "Of course what do you think the tower I came from"


    A black ominous spell began to eat the ground while the beast kept running forward.


    "Let us start with an area-based spell"

 Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Bishop

    The Mage Tower sometimes called as Wizard Tower has four giant towers which correspond to the study they focus on.


    Blue Moon Tower studies mechanisms and weapons.


    Red Sun Tower studies offensive and defensive spells.


    Ocean Tower studies medicine and alchemy.


    Lastly, the Black Tower which studies black magic and researches other elemental spells.


    The three first towers are stations in a triangle position while the Black tower stands in the middle of the triangle.


    The black tower was the place where the head of the Mage tower Alger was residing. It is also the place where the secret library was being kept.


    However, Apollo did not just learn black magic there but also other types of Darkness element spells.


    Darkness elements are one of the elements with plenty of sub-elements and one of them is the spell he is about to use.


    A branch of magic he had studied for years.


    "Darkness element, Void and space magic"


    The space fluctuates while the element of darkness begins to corrupt the atmosphere.


    The combination of two magic is what you call fusion magic.


    The level of difficulty of this rivals that of heavenly magic, a Celestial Ascendance level.


    Ten rings emerge signifying the level of Apollo''s spell but against an endless amount of demon beast will it be enough?


    Mana began to pull crafting the spell even more and soon a black dot was born out of the spell.


    An intense gravitational pull began to disrupt the force that keeps everything in place. The space distorts while from a distance a dark, seemingly empty spot occupies the center of the horde.


    "Devour everything, Nigrum foramen"


    Chaos began to fall when the demon beast began to be pulled inside a dark circle dot.


    The more demon beast being devoured the bigger the hole becomes.


    [Creator we won''t be able to get their essence if they die inside your spell]


    "It''s fine we don''t really need them right now"


    "And besides, looking at my current situation I don''t think I''ll end up not having enough stat points"


    He said while looking at the advancing beast. The middle was being devoured by a black hole halting the movement of those on the back then here''s Apollo striking in the front.


    [You are still outnumbered Creator, you might exhaust yourself if you fight them head-on]


    "I know but I won''t really exhaust myself"


    Then Apollo accessed his inventory taking out the weapon he made this past month.


    "Five weeks of studying here did you think I wouldn''t be prepared"


    [Don''t tell me you are going to use Doomsday here!]


    "Nope that would be annihilating the entire city so I can''t do that"


    [Right it''s too destructive]


    "Yes that is why I won''t use it"


    Then from the inventory, a spear emerges, like Apollo''s current state his body strangely matches his weapon.


    A black iron shaft mark with blue intricate symbols, while the blade is shaped like a leaf with a blue glowing light at the edge.


    Apollo with his upgraded skills swings the spear with great proficiency.


    "Now then let us start"


    The symbols attached to the spear glow signifying its activation.


    "Strike!"


    "Where did that creature go?" a man asked while his body was being guarded by white armour.


    "Sir paladin we lost track of him went he flew up"


    "Damn it! Find that beast immediately we can''t report this to the archbishop!"


    "Yes sir paladin"


    A series of frantic steps reverberated on a temporary barracks.


    All priests and paladins hurried to amend the situation they thought they had full control.


    "What happened you told me no one can break your spell!"


    "And you also told me you have taken care of the spell breakers!"


    The pressure soon made their temper worse and blaming others became apparent.


    "You shouldn''t be blamed you did your job well"


    "He must have lied about his abilities to get the blessing from the lord Nirvana"


    "He is blaming you for his incompetence"


    "You must stop that person at all costs!"


    "Right! It''s not my fault but yours!"


    Soon the blaming intensified until it became physical, first was thrown while spells injured others.


    Soon the barracks became engulfed with violence as blood covered the ground.


    "What nonsense is this!"


    The brawl came to a halt when a presence empowered the intense hatred in their eyes.


    "What are you all doing? How can we achieve our holy task if none of you are capable of remaining calm in a situation like this?"


    "We are sorry bishop we didn''t think things through the situation"


    "We are sorry Bishop"


    "Good now back to your work we must make sure that the siege will be successful"


    "Yes bishop"


    The Bishop nodded feeling proud of how he handled the situation. Then when he saw everything running smoothly again he decided to leave.


    "Bishop Les, what happened?"


    "Nothing Bishop Sil I just handled some misunderstanding among the paladins and some younger priests"


    "That is good to hear after all everyone is an essential part of this plan"


    "I just worry about one thing"


    A third bishop said while observing the current situation of the breakout from an orb.


    "I just worry that someone from the other temple leaked the information about our attack"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Think about we have no spies but somehow the city was able to prepare for our attack. I am sure someone deliberately leaked information in order to screw us"


    "Well could it be the first temple they been adamant about attacking first"


    "Those bastards don''t they know how many resources we lose just to prepare for this moment"


    "If we fail I''ll definitely have a talk with the priest of that temple"


    "Right the seventh temple won''t let this despicable act continue"


    While their talk continues the third bishop excuses himself. As he leaves in a secluded area his body morphing into an unknown creature. Experience tales at m-vl-e-mpyr


    "We are done here Jeremiah" he said before disappearing.

 Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Leading to Destruction

    The monastery needs to fight amongst themselves so Apollo needs to plant even more distrust among the temple.


    "For that, we must make sure this attack fails"


    [Notification Alert!


    Another force has been detected east of the city!]


    "They are approaching the academy" he realized when he tracked the enemy''s movements who were heading straight to the school. He needs to hurry back and eliminate them.


    The teleportation pad glows revealing a dark figure, it is a tall demon covered in black armor.


    [I suppose you are going all out now]


    "Yes I am"


    Apollo wanted to use his thunder aura but decided not to.


    "Alicia might not be the only one who can link the current me to my normal self"


    [It still makes me wonder how did she know about you using your thunder aura. I made sure no evidence can be left behind]


    "That is actually the reason why they ask for a seer"


    [Aren''t seers supposed to look into the future?]


    "Seers can see both the past and future and because they couldn''t find anything at the base we destroyed they decided to use them. That is why Alicia and others were about to see how the attack transpire"


    [So next time I should leave at least a few clues in order to fool them?]


    Apollo tried to smile feeling Jeremiah was learning more and more however remembered that he didn''t have a mouth and this made him shake his head.


    "Let''s go and eliminate those rats"


    ....


    When the emperor once saw the image of that mysterious creature he labelled him as an enigma, a being hard to explain and understand. He was like a riddle that seemed to surpass their level of reasoning.


    The being that currently swept the battlefield was like a demon but not at the same time. Demons can''t cast spells they only have skills and abilities, they can''t use weapons since it surpass their level of intelligence. It is also impossible to become a devil since they don''t have an aura like his, that aura of destruction and total madness never belong to a devil.


    Then yet again as he observes his action inside the city, he couldn''t comprehend his existence.


    "Could he be one of the fallen children of Nirvana?" he wondered however the last of them died two hundred years ago and now became a spirit.


    "I''ll put this topic aside, first we need to evacuate everyone"


    "Your majesty!"


    While the emperor continues watching the situation through an orb, a soldier hurriedly runs to him.


    "What is it?"


    Despite his ragged breath the soldier still tried to speak.


    "The kids we can''t find them!"


    Augustus didn''t panic instead he looked at orb again.


    "Don''t look for them instead evacuate the students"


    The soldier was a bit surprised but still obeyed his command.


    "It seems Lady Alicia hid the kids," the nameless soldier said.


    "Yes it does seem so"


    "Sir the black knight suddenly disappeared"


    "Your majesty" the nameless soldier spoke inquiring about the emperor''s command.


    "We should take care of the rest"


    An army led by a magic swordsman named Kiel march through the forest in order to confront the horde of demonic beasts.


    Time froze and the three priests and three paladins stopped, only Apollo could move as he stopped the time around the six.


    A black-tainted spell gathers in his palm before being released it.


    "Black magic, Moris Cor"


    The frozen hearts of the four enemies are crushed as Apollo casts his spell. They remained standing but their heart was already in pieces.


    "Thank you for your good evaluation"


    "!?"


    "!?"


    They didn''t blink even though they spoke to each other their eyes remained focused however how did he manage to appear right in front of them?


    "By the way you two are the only ones left"


    "What!?"


    Legan looks at his comrades and just like what the demon told them they are already dead.


    "How can this be," the priest said feeling his legs weak.


    He wasn''t accustomed to fighting since his forte was tracking and magic circle, but with the arrival of their enemy, he might die with his lack of skills and strength.


    "Damn it what now?" he asked to himself while cautiously stepping back.


    "Now I need more..!?"


    Apollo''s voice got cut off when he felt something was flying towards his head so in response he merely moved his head to dodge it. His swift motion made the mysterious projectile hit a nearby tree. And right in Apollo''s eyes that tree turns to dust.


    "Whoa I could have been in big trouble if that his me, Jeremiah track whatever that is"


    [Affirmative Creator]


    However, when he returned his focus to the two remaining hoodlums all he could see were their aghast faces.


    "You just dodged a bullet!"


    One of them said while trying to maintain his posture.


    "Bullet? Ah that flying thing I didn''t notice"


    [Notification Alert!


    More bullets are coming this way, Creator]


    "I see let me take care of them"


    Arrows filled his eyes as the bullet''s trajectory was already calculated. All the boy did was move his body to dodge the fast-approaching projectiles.


    This small window of distraction was all the two priests needed to flee.


    "Jeremiah have you found the sniper I am getting annoyed now," he said while moving his body to dodge another round of bullets.


    [Creator I have tracked ten snipers that have been shooting you]


    "Ten? Then the number of bullets makes sense now"


    He then makes a sharp turn before waving his spear.


    From the tip of the spear''s blade, an energy began to form.


    "I''ll blast them out"


    The attack was released striking the far distance. From a single stream of energy, it split and became ten.


    Ten huge explosions happen shaking the ground while a cluster of smoke touches the sky.


    After handling some unnecessary stuff Apollo''s body disappeared chasing after his two targets.


    "I can''t let you two be," he said while utilizing his two huge bladed wings.

 Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The power of the five children of the heavens

    Apollo flew to chase two hooded figures, as he soared against the wind, the trees swayed to follow due to his insane speed.


    "Legan order Nox to teleport us back!"


    "Yes sir!"


    However, a massive pressure plants them in their position seizing their movement.


    "Gravity"


    Blood soon drips from their bodies since small to larger wounds begin to appear.


    "Attraction"


    From an intense gravitational pull, a force then pulled them towards a certain figure, a monster to be specific.


    "Legan cancel this spell!"


    "Sir this isn''t a spell!"


    "What!"


    The paladin knew something was off and so he activated the holy necklace the archbishop gave him.


    The force that keeps pulling him weakens and with this he is able to change his position, using the momentum he tried to strike instead.


    "Repulsion"


    When the priest Legan and the paladin brace themselves for the impact another force pushes them away.


    "What the hell!" Legan exclaimed while the paladin with him remained calm.


    "This creature uses one of the blessings of the five gods!"


    "That''s impossible!"


    "It''s possible"


    A deep ear-splitting voice interrupted scarring the two believers of Nirvana.


    "Inertia"


    From the pushing force a sudden stop made their bodies suffer a shock.


    "Argh!"


    "This damn monster!"


    Apollo lifted his fist to immobilize his captives however an energy blast came towards him.


    Instead of being surprised Apollo merely waved his hand and right in front of his two captives the energy blast went in another direction.


    "This is!" Legan finally realized that the words from his comrade were right.


    The black demon knight in front of them is really using one of the blessings from the five gods.


    By alternating the fundamental laws of physics Apollo was able to repel the hurling attack, redirecting it towards another direction.


    "Where did that come from"


    [An airship has been detected from a distance


    Be prepared multiple cannons are being directed here]


    "Annoying"


    He waved his spear sending an equal amount of force to counter their cannons.


    [I suggest you do what you must Creator, they are preparing to do an Ignition blast]


    "Can you cancel it then"


    [It is too far Creator I won''t be able to jam the firing system of it] Join us at m_v le mpyr


    An ignition blast is a cannon that comes from the power of lighting and fire elements.


    Apollo felt annoyed and decided to eliminate the ship first.


    "Locked" he commanded and the space surrounding their position got sealed, everything now is within his command.


    Legan and the paladin priest Josei looked at the monster in front of them convinced that he had used a blessing.


    The overall structure of the ship soon became devoured by flames before being fragmented and plummeting towards the ground.


    [There are still some people alive Creator]


    "Really? That is surprising"


    The spell was supposed to burn everything however somehow they still survived. This made Apollo curious and so he flew towards the site where the airship crashed.


    He landed perfectly at the crash site and despite the raging heat and burning flames, he calmly walked across it to see if anyone really survived.


    "Let''s see....!?"


    His instinct went haywire when a sharp object suddenly popped out of nowhere.


    It was fast way too fast as if the attack teleported right in front of his face fortunately he was able to dodge.


    [It was a poison dagger Creator] Jeremiah reported.


    "Where did that dagger come from, Jeremiah traced the mana signature of the spell just now"


    [It wasn''t a spell Creator]


    "It wasn''t?"


    Apollo felt his blood tense up feeling a little excited. His past fights never gave him much trouble he doesn''t know why but every time he faces an enemy their minds seem to be clouded with something.


    [It''s actually your skill Creator]


    However, Apollo wasn''t able to hear it because his focus was occupied with something.


    All possible routes were drawn inside his mind serving as a map to each dagger that appeared in front of him. As he got used to the patterns he became more efficient in blocking and dodging them.


    While he occupies himself defending a notification made him look at his back.


    [Behind you Creator]


    As soon as he turned a blade was already placed on his chest while ten more daggers were placed in his vitals.


    "Locked"


    The space became under his command but that did not mean the blades placed on his body would disappear but he had plans for that.


    Black flames soon took over his jet-black armor becoming a protection he needed.


    "Fire and darkness, Inferno"


    The blades melted but the demon was not done yet, utilizing his spear he used it to amplify his spell. The space is within his command and thus no more blades appeared out of nowhere.


    "Finally I found the rats"


    The black flames became focused at the tip of the spear Apollo clad in the power of space teleported right in front of the enemy.


    Five injured people all of which seemingly have a high position inside their temple.


    "Should I turn to become my spy?"


    However, those thoughts were immediately removed when he saw a fire spell blasting its way towards him.


    Apollo commanded the space and instead of being hit, the spell went to one of the five remaining enemies.


    "I''ll end this"


    He waved his spear and released the spell Inferno causing a huge hole on the ground.


    [Creator none of them survive]


    "That is good to hear now"


    His body became a blur and reappeared again in the place where he left his two captives.


    "They are gone"


    [No need to worry Creator your spell works, as soon as the corruption ended they were able to leave]


    "That is good to hear, any more signs of attack?"


    [None to this moment however the breakout hasn''t ended]


    "With that quantity, I highly doubt it could end easily"


    So he took off and as he moved the flames from the burning ship followed him.

 Chapter 64: Chapter 64: The trouble is done

    [Creator An enormous amount of deaths has been detected


    The system''s capacity for storing essence has been full]


    "Hmmm...should I upgrade you or just directly convert it"


    [Even if we upgrade me and the system it won''t be enough for the fast influx of essence]


    "What if I upgrade all my stats?"


    [That will make you either reach King rank or even emperor rank]


    "Right I forgot"


    Apollo ponders before having a reckless idea.


    "Jeremiah can you gather those essences and transfer them to my spear"


    [For what?]


    "Essence is still mana, it''s pure and flexible so as long as I can utilize it in the way I want it won''t be wasted"


    Sharp and metallic, Apollo moves his wings and the wind vibrates with his strength.


    With all the chaos that''s been happening, no one was able to notice a black-winged figure in the sky.


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes, Creator]


    Join us at m v le mpyr now


    Jeremiah knew what to do so he prepared what needed to be done.


    Through the use of the system, Apollo was able to handle the huge influx of energy.


    "Hoo.. let us do this"


    Guiding the energy he moved it towards his spear using it as a medium for the spell he was about to cast.


    He needs a spell that will remove all enemies in one swoop but shouldn''t kill anyone from the army.


    "Open the archive"


    [Archive open....


    Initiating data search...


    Waiting for the Creator''s command]


    "Initiate spell search and spell synthesis"


    There is a spell he had in mind but he needs tons of other spells to use as data.


    [Memory link established...


    Initiating search...


    Search complete!]


    Apollo thinks fast and removes the spells he doesn''t need and takes the ones he finds essential.


    Apollo just heard such words and couldn''t help but agree, the last spell Death made his mind heavy.


    "Yes I''ll rest but take me back now"


    [Will do Creator]


    The silhouette that caused such a feat soon disappeared from everyone''s view.


    ...


    Back at the ruined temple, Alicia felt someone''s presence, immediately she spread her mana to check the intruder''s identity.


    "!?"


    The man was very familiar to her and without knowing she began to run towards the entrance of the secret temple.


    There lying unconscious on the ground is the boy she was very familiar with.


    "Apollo!?" she rushed towards him, once she arrived at his side she immediately cast a spell to find whatever was wrong with his body.


    "Oh....he is just tired" she couldn''t help but say when she saw the results of the spell.


    "What a relief" she added while stroking the messy hair of the boy.


    "In the end just what are you"


    If she wanted to she could have found the answer but she wanted to respect the boy who risked his life to protect others.


    "I''ll wait until you tell me the truth, for now, rest"


    Her hand made a motion making Apollo''s body float.


    "Let me take you with the others"


    Two hours before the sun rose the battle ended without much life being spent.


    Morning came and fortunately, it was Saturday so the kids slept more than they usually do.


    "So what should we eat?" Mckenzie asked immediately as soon as he saw his friends wake up.


    "Seriously not even a good morning?"


    Samael retorted while fixing his hair.


    "I still have some bread and milk here I should warm it up for breakfast" Keith suggested which made the girls assist him.


    "Wait where is Apollo?" Casper asked since he was the one sleeping beside him.


    "Alicia is not here either," Jillian said while removing the quilt.


    "Where are those two?" they asked each other.


    "Hey guys I found them" Vesta said pointing to the corner of their makeshift giant bed.


    In the corner piles of pillows and quilts are piled up, but two people are being swallowed by these bed sheets, and these two just quietly and comfortably snuggle in together.


    Nobody spoke and instead just looked at them.


    "Um...we should probably let them be"


    Jillian suggested which they all agreed to.

 Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Mapping

    "So what should we do?" asked Agnes as she made a quick glance over her two classmates.


    "If I am not mistaken Apollo slept beside me last night"


    "Same, I remember Alicia sleeping next to me too," Agnes said to Casper.


    "Come on guys let those two be, they seem tired," Mckenzie said while looking concerned at Apollo''s complexion.


    "Apollo looks a bit pale" he thought then he asked his friends to tune down their voices.


    "Hussh down everyone okay"


    "Here is breakfast everyone"


    Alya said while holding a basket full of warm bread.


    "And here! We also brought drinks" Arabella and Keith said while the rest of the girls were behind them holding more baskets of all sorts of breads.


    "Alright, we should eat first" Niko suggested as he put the soft loaf of bread in his mouth.


    "This hot chocolate is good" Samael commented which everyone agreed on.


    Despite their peaceful morning, the entire city was in chaos. Some students had nightmares while others found themselves sleeping in weird places. The confused citizen who woke up in their houses like usual but felt something was strange. The night the attack happened the emperor''s mages cast a sleeping spell on everyone before teleporting them outside the city.


    As for the devastated forest, the emperor single-handedly restored it. And so when the sun rose from the east no one outside the emperor''s army knew of what happened. However, some people found their situation suspicious but no matter how hard they tried to think they couldn''t pinpoint what it was.


    "Your majesty we sent someone to check on the lower class dormitory and the kids weren''t there" a soldier reported but the emperor remained calm as if he had already anticipated it.


    "It is fine no need to make a fuss"


    "But Your Majesty.."


    "I already said it was fine..." his eyes turn cold as he gazes towards his soldier.


    "Soldier don''t make me repeat myself," he said making the kneeling soldier flee.


    "It seems like one of us is overly concerned," the nameless soldier said as he remained standing at the emperor''s side.


    "You find it suspicious right, your majesty" he added.


    "Just shut up"


    The nameless soldier just chuckled and gladly followed the emperor as he walked.


    .....


    Back at the ruined temple after some time Apollo and Alicia finally woke up.


    "It is still too slow" he impatiently thought resulting in a frown on his face.


    "Just what kind of thought are you having that your face is frowning like that" Alicia commented seeing Apollo''s face.


    "I am just getting impatient"


    "Calm down you won''t gain anything being rushed"


    "Sigh.... you are right "


    "Just what in god''s presence are you two mumbling about?" Samael said seeing Alicia and Apollo talking secretly.


    "Nothing"


    "It''s nothing"


    "Yeah sure it''s nothing" Samael sarcastically answered to Apollo and Alicia''s words.


    "Jeremiah, is it possible to modify a spell when you already cast it?"


    [I don''t think that''s possible but maybe Creator should recast the modified spell]


    "But my targets are the priest that I corrupted, they are too far already"


    [Maybe we could, if we synthesize your skills properly]


    "Should I make my own skill and then upgrade it?"


    [We could Creator]


    "Right we should"


    Your next adventure is on m_v_l_e_mpyr


    While Apollo was still drowned in his thoughts Alicia shoved a bread in his mouth.


    "We are eating so just eat don''t do anything else"


    With his mouth full all he could do was nod his head.


    .....


    After a few hours, they all moved back to their dormitory and Apollo went straight to his room surprising his classmates.


    "What is he up to" Niko asked but since they somehow knew Apollo they didn''t inquire any further. He is not the type of person to make a mess he can''t solve.


    "Alright I should be able to do what I had in mind"


    With a little uncertainty, Apollo pulled out a paper and pen and began researching spells.

 Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Success

    So what is exactly the thing I wanted to do?


    Simple you remember the people I marked right?


    You see I want those people that I mark to spread the marker I put on them.


    Since according to Sergio''s memories there is an annual meeting, that all archbishops of each temple have to attend.


    It''s the perfect opportunity to spread the marker and discover the other eight locations of the remaining temple.


    The only problem is I have no idea how to make the current marker spread since an already cast spell can''t be modified unless I recast the modified one to my target.


    "I think I can use the connection I have with the spell to somehow alter it"


    [The problem is you are too far and the only thing you can do is monitor the signal being sent by the marker]


    "That is also right"


    [As for the corruption spell not only you can manipulate the decision of your target you can also hear and know their thoughts]


    Both of those spells are very useful and suddenly I thought of something.


    "Should I synthesize those two spells?"


    [We could but I suggest adding other spells to achieve the result you wanted]


    "And here I thought we need to make a skill to make it happen"


    [Maybe we really do not need to]


    "I just need to utilize the connection I have with my spells"


    Hoping for the better Apollo ordered Jeremiah to bring every spell that has a similarity with Apollo''s corruption spell and marker spell.


    A few hours went by and Apollo could somehow say he was successful.


    "I am stressed"


    [Because you are too impatient this is very unlike you]


    Usually in every study, he made, he wasn''t the type to rush, no matter how long it took as long as he achieved his goal the time didn''t really matter. However this time the boy seemed to be impatient as if the time was pressing on him.


    [Is it because you wanted to finish this issue before the three-month isolation ends?]


    "No that isn''t the reason" Read more on m_vl_em_p_yr


    I gasped my head feeling a bit pressured, and as the sweep of anxiety crept into my heart, I could finally say the words that were shearing within my mind.


    "I am just afraid" my voice cracked signifying my troubled mind but I immediately composed myself no longer letting my emotions get the better of me.


    "After the three-month isolation of the first year from the seniors the quarterly examination will begin. Examination tend to have accidents and if by any chance those bastards from the monastery crawl their way inside the Academy like they usually do.." I stop for a bit just thinking of that fact hurts me.


    "Also the start of the second quarter is mainly done outside the Academy so it will be the perfect opportunity for those rats to strike"


    [So you put the three months as a deadline to finish this mission]


    "Yes and to do that I need all the locations of the 12 temples"


    [For that one plan you have in mind you need all twelve of them]


    "I already know the location of the sixth, it was destroyed by the emperor of course while the remaining eleven remain hidden. That is why I was a bit happy finding down three"


    While all the boys sat down on the benchers they couldn''t help but vent out their frustration.


    "We have been practicing since the moment we are being hunted but I still can''t see us beating up any of the priests of the monastery"


    "Same"


    They don''t want to die but they also don''t want to keep relying on others for protection. They want to fight and defend for themselves and avenge those who died protecting them.


    However fate was not kind to them, they had the potential to be strong as long as they trained they should be able to become powerful, but their enemy would never wait for them to be ready they would strike at their weakest before completely devouring them.


    All the boys look at the dark sky feeling how the sky looks so different from how it used to be.


    ...


    Dinner arrived and everyone went to the dining hall despite the things they were busy doing.


    "So Apollo care to share about the thing you have been doing?" Mckenzie initiated.


    I was a bit surprised I didn''t expect such words, usually, Mckezie would talk about nonsensical things during dinner but now he is asking me intensely.


    Alicia looked at me beckoning me to tell them my plan. I gulp feeling a bit nervous since I used to do things alone I am not used to other people''s assistance aside from the people of the tower, I haven''t had the chance to receive other assistance.


    "Well, you see I plan to...um" My confidence suddenly hit the bottom while the hesitation in my heart soared.


    But the first thing I did was put a sound barrier around us.


    "On one of these days, I was thinking of sneaking inside the monastery temple"


    Finally, I said the thing I was planning to do however an intense silence came after my words. I hurriedly look at Alicia asking her what is happening but her eyes tell me to wait for everyone to digest everything I said.


    And so I properly look at my friends their faces covered with despair and fear.


    "Hey..." I tried to say something however the first thing I noticed was Matilda''s hand holding onto my sleeve.


    "Don''t go please...." her hands shook and so did her body as if she was remembering a certain memory.


    "We can just stay here you know and forget about those lunatic bastards" Samael sounded carefree like Mckenzie however he failed to do so.


    "Why do you even want to do something so dangerous?" Niko inquired with his face full of worry.


    "I had a plan and to achieve it I need to go inside the temple of the monastery"


    "Can we go with you?"


    "No" Alicia and I simultaneously said with Keith''s suggestion.


    "Apollo do expect us to let you leave after hearing you say such a suicidal action" Agnes finally spoke her voice sounding cold as if scolding me.


    "Agnes is right Apollo you should just let the Emperor''s men do that"


    "I can''t at this moment Arabella"


    "Why? What is it that makes you hesitant to report this to his majesty?"


    "The emperor''s side is filled with spies from the monastery that is why his majesty gave me full authority to take any action without reporting to him"


    Their reaction tells me that they are already aware of such a situation which makes me even sadder.


    "This mission will be done by me alone because Alicia needs to remain here in case something happens"


    "So if Alicia doesn''t worry about our safety she can go with you?" Jillian asked I could feel she had a bold plan.

 Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Plan to sneak in

    "So if Alicia doesn''t worry about our safety she can go with you?" Jillian asked I could feel she had a bold plan.


    "Jillian that''s.." Alicia was about to say something but Alya began to speak.


    "We will be fine here so go with Apollo"


    "You can''t be sure of that"


    "We will be fine" This time Keith spoke resolutely as if no more words were needed.


    "The gang and I will stay at the hidden temple I am certain no one can find us there" Braiden suggested.


    "I''ll agree with him since only a member of the lower class can see the map on the book" Casper agreed while Vesta looked at me with her eyes filled with mixed emotions. There was fear, anxiety, anger and even sadness. All those emotions made her expression complicated but despite her situation, she still spoke.


    "We will be fine" She looked at me her eyes reflecting the dozens of deaths she had witnessed.


    Her fear that it will happen again creates this circle of emotion that influences everyone. Somehow all of us fear losing each other but that fear doesn''t prevent us from doing the things we need to do.


    "Alright," I could only say feeling defeated.


    "I''ll take Alicia with me"


    Everyone felt relieved though Alicia and I felt sceptical.


    "So in the end just what do you want to find inside the monastery" Aaron could finally ask the question that is been bugging him.


    "Oh yeah we forgot the most important one, what do you want to see there" Mckenzie was the one who spoke this time.


    "I have three things I want to know once I am there though I don''t know if I can accomplish them"


    "And those are?"


    "Temple locations, treasures and spells information"


    They all looked at me exasperatedly as if questioning my decisions.


    Why? Who wouldn''t want treasures?


    Three days went by and the preparation was done. Alicia and I plan to enter the place secretly and gather enough information while the meeting starts.


    According to Sergio, the meeting will be held at the first temple so while the big shots are out we will enter the tenth temple and then proceed to the other two temples.


    After we finished our meal we immediately cleaned the dishes and laid a few pieces of paper and pen. One of the things we need is a map and so with the help of everyone we began drawing the map I got from the memories of the priests I corrupted.


    "I still can''t believe how you extract a map from a priest''s memories" Alicia said while she frowned.


    "Why Alicia is it hard to do that?" Vesta asked while sorting out the maps made from Apollo''s instruction.


    "Memory search spells are very dangerous because the caster can''t control the flow of memories that flood their mind. Worst scenario after a mage cast such a spell they would swept by the flood of memories causing a rift in their sanity. The ending is either they die or survive and go mad"


    Vesta looked worried went she heard such words but Alicia immediately assured her.


    "No worries Apollo came from the tower I am certain their memory search spell is different from the ones I knew"


    I heard their conversation which made me think about my spell Veritas.


    The spell I used was only slightly different from the regular ones used by the empire mages. My spell Veritas which is under necromancy, absorbed all memories a soul contains that way no mind-strengthening barriers or spells could distort the flow of memories.


    Braiden asked it seems my silence caused them to worry.


    "Nothing about Blair''s question the truth is.." Stay updated on m v l e mpyr


    I beckon them to lean closer before whispering my answer.


    "What!"


    "That dangerous!"


    "Apollo won''t that cause more catastrophic events than the monastery itself!"


    Braiden, Blair and Mckenzie exclaimed causing everyone to look at us.


    "Apollo, isn''t your method too extreme?" Keith spoke hesitantly.


    "I understand that your method is the safest and the fastest but it is still too dangerous" Casper who was silent the whole time finally spoke.


    "Then what should I do?"


    It was my time to ask and all of them went silent.


    "I still don''t agree with you there must be something else right?"


    "How about poison or curses?"


    "I think the priests of the monastery are almost immune to that didn''t we already see first-hand how they merely tank those spells"


    Blair said denying Mckenzie''s suggestion.


    Blair, Mckenzie, Braiden even Keith and Casper wore serious expressions on their faces as if they were thinking about the biggest decision of their lives.


    "Boys, what''s happening did something happen?"


    Matilda and Arabella who was busy in the kitchen finally arrived holding baskets of muffins.


    "About that..." Casper approached her and whispered something in her ears.


    "Doomsday?" she mumbles not understanding anything.


    .....


    Sergio was a devoted priest of his lord Nirvana however ever since his failure and destruction of his base in Sidus. He became a little impatient and angry at the other temples. It was supposed to be them that will inherit the will of Nirvana unfortunately he wasn''t the only one who thinks that way.


    Apollo''s cursed words became the spark that ignited the heated battle among the temples. None of them was able to notice the cracks that began to spread among them.


    No, perhaps some of them have noticed but decided not to interfere due to their extreme will to become the chosen pope of the monastery of Nirvana.


    The little boy who knew the absence of such a figure took advantage of it, to make sure none of them would take leadership and step up and fix the current situation.


    As the meeting began the previous and somewhat harmonious relationship among the temples began to strain. And just as Apollo wanted none of them wish to lose the race of freeing Nirvana.


    Everyone wanted power, glory and acknowledgement and to achieve those they would do anything even killing their own comrades. Their faith became greed which became the catalyst for a curse that they can''t ever remove.


    "Sigh...it seems it already started"


    With a body clad in armor, a wicked laugh echoes in a room full of books. In his hand was a black orb containing a black mist, that stirred the hearts of those has been marked and corrupted. This mist spreads and attaches itself to its target making the map in the demon''s hands light.

 Chapter 68: Chapter 68: A demon and a devil

    Right at the place where students fear being chased by hundreds of ghosts, sixteen students made a makeshift barracks there. And so the ruined temple was once again lively.


    "Okay, so you two should take on a disguise in case you guys got busted" Aaron suggested while holding a checklist of the stuff Alicia and Apollo needed to bring.


    "No worries I think we got that covered" Alicia assured her worried friend.


    "Should commence now?"


    "Wait hold on I am nervous" Arabella held on to Aaron''s sleeve stopping him from moving.


    "Why are you the one who is nervous You''re not the one who is leaving you know"


    "Shut up what if you make a mistake"


    "I won''t so let go of me"


    Arabella and Aaron began to argue while they began pulling each other.


    "Come on Ara that''s enough" Samael said as he pulled Arabella from Aaron.


    "Have faith, you know about Aaron''s blessings so it should be fine, and besides he is also the reason why we always escape our pursuers" Samael calmly coaxed her since her anxiety had been going haywire since the start of the preparation.


    "Alright everyone is set right?" Blair asked while Mckenzie nervously sat beside him.


    "We are ready" Apollo calmly said making his friends feel more assured.


    "Let us start with your disguise, we want to see what you two will look like," Casper said while Blair stood beside him holding a checklist.


    Apollo looks closely at himself though his eyes actually look at a certain floating screen in front of him.


    [Proceed to use the skill Demonize?]


    The skill Demonize was something Apollo and Jeremiah made by overhauling the skill Demonification and combining them into some of Apollo''s current skills. Jeremiah''s latest upgrade enables him to copy a skill and manipulate it in the way they wanted. So they first made a copy of Demonification and started changing it into another skill called Demonize.


    Apollo thought of this method to cause confusion among the people of the monastery. They already identify his demon knight form as an enemy so he decides to create another identity that could steer fear among his enemies. It could also cause another effect however he wants to show his enemies that they have another terrifying enemy.


    "Alright activate it"


    [Command received...


    Initiating skill activation...]


    A black aura covers Apollo before turning into black armor however its design is a bit different. The tainted aura turns into a padded defensive jacket, on top of it is a chest plate that rests on his torso providing protection for his vital organs. Then sturdy shoulder guards rest on his shoulders ensuring protection during battle.


    The black aura intensifies transforming into a black iron overcoat that adds protection on his arms, then gauntlets for his hands, greaves and combat boots for his legs and feet. Then two horns emerge from each side of his head before being protected by a helmet.


    Unlike his exoskeleton body which looks like full armor this time his skin is being protected by lightweight armor. Also, there were more clothes than armor in this transformation.


    Apollo got this design to balance his demonic presence with his human side. In short, his newly demonized form is a half-demon and a half-human form.


    Though, unlike his previous form, this one doesn''t have a distinctive inhumane voice.


    "So how was it?" he asked truthfully wanting to hear their opinions.


    "I win" Niko immediately as soon as he saw Apollo making the latter confused.


    The map inside the orb was actually being manipulated by Jeremiah. Through him, they could all see whatever happens to Apollo and Alicia.


    ....


    "So tell me where should we head now?"


    Alicia asked when they got teleported towards an unknown forest.


    "Aaron! You punk they landed in the wrong area!" Casper shouted in panic when they all realized the situation.


    "Sorry....it might be because I still haven''t perfected my use of blessings"


    Aaron felt down since he had thought their training at the tower and the one they did in the academy, made his skills stronger however it seems like he still needs some time to completely master it.


    {It is okay Aaron no need to feel down since we landed pretty near the temple so we could just travel}


    Apollo''s voice came out of the orb trying to cheer Aaron.


    "Thanks, Apollo just be careful"


    "We will"


    The distance wasn''t really a problem with them since Apollo and Alicia both turned into shadows and ran across the forest.


    "Wow," the viewers could only say when they realized the real powers of the two.


    Then as they crossed, a temple hidden by a powerful barrier entered their view. Alicia and Apollo immediately went inside disregarding any defensive mechanism that tried to harm them.


    "You guys are at the prayer room right now, head straight to the right then go up to the highest and biggest room. That is the location of the archbishop''s room"


    "Noted," the two said in unison.


    Although Apollo has Jeremiah to tell him that he felt satisfied hearing Mckenzie.


    "There is a powerful barrier covering the room if we aren''t careful we might accidentally trigger it" Alicia made a warning though Apollo already noticed.


    "Jeremiah"


    [On it Creator]


    The layers of protective enchantment began to reconstruct themselves before opening on their own.


    "You overhaul the barrier''s defensive system"


    "Yes now let''s head inside"


    "Right"


    The place was pretty normal like those found in regular houses. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until Apollo noticed something when he approached the desk of the archbishop.


    On top of the desk was a broken sword that the boy had once seen when he was a kid.


    "Is this the broken Excalibur" he questioned making his partner Alicia confused as well.


    "Is this the real Excalibur?"


    "I don''t know Alicia but if I am not mistaken Excalibur was the sword that was once used by the first emperor Julius von Celestio"

 Chapter 69 The sword of the first

    Apollo''s Pov


    As we walked towards the archbishop''s office I ordered Jeremiah to change the structure of the barrier.


    And so the layers of protective enchantment began to reconstruct themselves before opening on their own.


    "You overhaul the barrier''s defensive system"


    "Yes now let''s head inside"


    "Right"


    The place was pretty normal like those found in regular houses. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I noticed something on top of a desk, I approached it and realized it was the archbishop''s desk.


    On top of the desk was a broken sword that I had once seen when he was a kid. Though it was only a picture it was truly something breathtaking to see.


    It was supposed to have a long black sharp blade covered with white beautiful patterns, while its hilt was white and silvery and had a sapphire stone embedded in it. The legendary sword that once devastated the battlefield during the worst breakout in history.


    "Is this the broken Excalibur" I questioned making my partner Alicia confused as well.


    "How? This wasn''t supposed to be here"


    I agree with her since this weapon was a relic of the past and was a part of the rich history of the empire.


    The Excalibur was a weapon which was made from a very unique material. Though this material was unknown, the sword was recorded to be the most powerful weapon especially since it was the weapon of the first emperor. The first emperor Julius von Celestio the man who wiped out the demons during the Age of Extinction, and was the one who could only wield such a weapon.


    Then here is the question.


    So what should we do?


    I was confused as to why the tenth temple had such an artifact that was treasured by the imperial family. For an unknown reason, anger ignited inside me. It was confusing but there is something influencing my emotion to the degree I can no longer control.


    "Thief" My voice was ragged with rage making Alicia alerted.


    "Hey what''s happening with Apollo," Keith noticed.


    "Why? What''s wrong? Everyone asked however they couldn''t seem to notice the sudden change in my behaviour.


    "Apollo you okay?" they asked through the orb but I couldn''t answer


    [Warning an external force has been detected!]


    [A force known as Eternal oath had taken effect]


    [Your emotions are being influence by the oath]


    "Nullified it, Jeremiah"


    [Initiating nullification.... ]


    [Nullification FAILED!...


    The system''s current level is too low to nullify the oath]


    "What?" I felt dumbfounded while trying to calm my raging heart.


    [Skill Unbreakable had been activated]


    Slowly my heart turned calm while my head became clearer.


    "Are you okay now?" Alicia asked, without me knowing her arms were already wrapped around me.


    "Did I do something for you to hold me like this?" I asked, however, it wasn''t her who answered.


    "Apollo, you almost smash the table if it weren''t for Alicia stopping you" Blair said making me feel disappointed in myself.


    "Sorry"


    "It''s okay what happened by the way?"


    "I don''t know I just felt something was taking over me"


    Feeling a bit nauseous I remove my helmet.


    "Oh" I heard some reaction making me question them.


    "What is it?"


    Continue the excitement on m_vl-em,py-r


    "Yes!"


    Mckenzie and the others move their faces closer trying to read the contents of the file.


    "Wait aren''t this?" they couldn''t help but say, though I don''t blame them even though I was surprised as well.


    The file contains the names of every family that is affiliated towards the monastery. And right among the names, there was one they never expected to see.


    "Celestio?"


    They felt weak when they read the last name of the person they saw on the list.


    I also felt confused and frustrated when I read the name but that''s not the only thing we found. All throughout the empire, we found the location of their bases and the people handling them.


    Although it wasn''t complete since it was only a fraction of the force that only belonged to the tenth temple it was still enough.


    "We should move out"


    I concluded and so we moved out heading to the archive.


    As we walked across the quiet corridor we saw some passing priests however none of them noticed our presence, even though we were walking right beside them.


    We walked like any normal people inside the temple until we arrived inside another office, though this place holds different records about the tenth temple and the monastery itself.


    "We finally arrive"


    I smirked, finally, we arrived at the place I wanted to get to.


    "Jeremiah analyze every single file here"


    [Affirmative Creator]


    Alicia and I began rummaging through the place looking for any information regarding the location of the other temples.


    However, there is another thing that I wanted to find.


    Yes, other than the location of the remaining temple there is a certain place that could solve the problem we have.


    "It should be here"


    I searched throughout the place until I found an old book.


    "Scan this Jeremiah"


    [I will Creator]


    However, when I was about to read it a notification startled me and the rest of my classmates.


    The orb was filled with words from Jeremiah while I and Alicia heard and saw a floating screen right in front of us.


    [An unknown energy is about to arrive requesting for the mission to be aborted]


    [Notification alert!


    The priests from the meeting are returning!


    Proceed to retreat, Creator]


    "This is not good" I couldn''t help but say.


    "Apollo, Alicia head back now!" Casper shouted and immediately me and Alicia fixed the entire office and made sure to remove any traces of us.


    "Jeremiah please fix the area for us"


    [Affirmative Creator]


    While we ran outside I suddenly felt a power compared to Grandpa Alger.


    "What is this" I could only say before running outside the temple.


    "Aaron hurry up!"


    "Yeah, I know stop shouting!"


    Golden markings appeared on his arm before two individuals appeared.


    "Hey guys we are back"


    I greeted while Alicia warmly waved at them.

 Chapter 70 Troubles after troubles

    My pov again


    Experience tales at m-vl-e-mpyr


    So I can say I did well but I felt more frustrated than before.


    First the name Celestio on the list and...second the broken Excalibur.


    "Could that guy sneaked the sword and brought it to the monastery as a symbol of loyalty?"


    [My Creator the War of Faith happened 200 years ago, and this man is only similar in age to the current emperor]


    "Could it be someone else inside the palace? since we can''t connect them just because he is part of the imperial family"


    [Possibly]


    "So the main reason they could invade the palace was due to someone from the inside helping them out"


    But this person should have existed since the time of the War of Faith.


    [It''s becoming more troublesome Creator, you can''t touch anyone from the imperial family. It is against the creed of the Lionheart family]


    My heart began to beat recklessly wrapping my head with thoughts that seemed unnecessary right now.


    "Should I convey this to him?"


    [The duke?]


    "Yes I can''t say this to Mother she might asked the emperor to cancel my mission"


    [And you can''t let her do that since you became attached ]


    I sigh it seems I am still too young for missions like this. I could easily get attached resulting in my emotions invading my decision.


    "My head hurts a bit"


    [It''s because your thoughts aren''t aligned with your emotions]


    All I could do was sigh


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes Creator]


    "Use your sensor and find any information about him"


    [I will]


    "I''ll call that man"


    I think the issue became much bigger since a member of the imperial family was involved. I don''t know if I can report this to his majesty but someone has to know about it.


    I took out my communication bracelet and dial the communication code of that man.


    As the device glows a static sound comes after, and from a jamming of unknown sounds it turns into a clear deep voice of a man.


    {Boy is that you?}


    "Yes it''s me, old man"


    The person whose main contribution to my life is creating me and marrying my mother. The Duke of Lionheart Duchy, Helios Lionheart.


    {Are you sure about what you discover}


    "Yes I''ll send you the files I have a copy"


    {Anything else? Are there any more things I need to know?}


    His question got me thinking, should I tell him about Excalibur?


    A series of thoughts jam my head but in the end, I should still tell him. After all, he might have a piece of information I have no knowledge of.


    "Old man listen carefully there is another thing that I discovered from the tenth temple"


    {I am listening}


    "Excalibur, I found a broken Excalibur in the archbishop''s office"


    There was silence and I could not hear a single word from him.


    {Alright}


    I could feel the anger in his voice it seemed that the oath was taking effect, now I know it wasn''t only me.


    "I am tired"


    [Is there anything you wish to do?]


    "If possible I want to find the oath and analyze it"


    [I shall do my best though it might be very difficult to do so]


    "It''s okay just do what you can"


    [Affirmative]


    Maybe I should update the system first that way analyzing the oath could be done easier.


    [Are you sure you want to put all the remaining stat points in the system upgrade?]


    "Yes, that way you will be able to analyze the oath properly. Also, I think analytical skills and spell hypothesis could help us out in copying their techniques"


    [Then I shall commence with the upgrade]


    After such words, Jeremiah focuses on upgrades.


    "Now then I should also upgrade myself"


    I stood up from my bed and walked my way to the backyard of the dormitory.


    The night made the sky dark, I breathed slowly feeling the fresh chilly breeze with the sound of crickets touching my ears.


    "I should train harder"


    At this rate not just elite families but a king had allied towards the monastery. For how long did this alliance start?


    As I swung the wooden sword in my hand my entire body suddenly became heavier.


    "What brought you here, professor"


    "I was patrolling the area when I noticed you, you are working hard despite being strong already"


    "Me strong? I believe that word is still too far for me"


    "Really? I don''t think so"


    Then without me knowing a wooden sword began to dance right in front of me.


    "Move your weapon I''ll teach you since I have free time"


    His attack went in, it was fast and each move continued to numb me. The gears in my head began to move, calculating every possible step he was about to take.


    With the fast pace of attacks, I found myself bleeding but my mind remained focused until I could finally keep up with my professor''s attack.


    "Good you are reading me well but..."


    He crouches low, and his wooden sword dives in below before swiftly rising, angling it upwards aiming for my chin. It was a strike I didn''t notice, however as I put on my guard the supposedly slash turned into a stab. Professor Adolfo changed the movement of his sword and aimed it at my abdomen. With his sudden change of attack, I didn''t perceive it well so it went completely to my stomach.


    "Impressive" the professor commented seeing how I manipulated my ki to protect myself.


    "At this rate, I might actually teach you a sword technique"


    "Whatever you say"


    I move a bit to put some distance which he immediately crosses, his movements move so fast as if he is teleporting.


    [However, he doesn''t teleport]


    "Yes," All I could do was agree with him as arrows began to flood my eyes.


    "Hmmm?"


    My sudden improvement made my professor increase his speed causing me to step back. Although I seem to be losing I was able to deflect all his attacks.


    I moved my weapon initiating an attack when I felt my body sluggish.


    "That''s off"


    [It''s the sword technique of professor Adolfo Creator. Each strike takes out energy from his opponent]


    "I see no wonder I feel heavy"


    "I am really impressed, student Apollo did you know how many strikes it took to make you tired like that?"


    I frown because I never really counted each attack I received, so all I can do is shake my head.


    "It is ten thousand....little boy it took me ten thousand strikes to make kneel like that"

 Chapter 71 A Sword Technique

    It''s my POV again get used to it


    With my body being pressured my movements began to falter.


    Each trike can extract some of my energy so the thing I should do is avoid direct contact. However, it was hard, even with my fast analytical skills it wasn''t enough to keep up with my professor''s insane speed.


    "What''s this are you tired already?" Professor Adolfo sarcastically said.


    I breathe trying to calm my raging heart however my opponent wouldn''t let me do so.


    With the evening breeze touching our bodies, our wooded weapons danced across the air. Then as I moved back to create some distance I saw the professor preparing to strike.


    His wooden sword aimed at my chest so I tried to dodge it by sidestepping but as soon as I did the sword moved and changed its direction, darting fast towards me.


    Unprepared I hastily bend down to dodge causing my lower body to ache. I move again changing my stance since I can''t afford to come in contact with him. I need to strike, a clean shot that could stop my opponent''s movements.


    However how?


    I attentively looked at my professor''s swordplay and I was confident enough to analyze it but somehow even with current stats, it was still hard.


    "Can you see it now?" he started to ask me.


    But I couldn''t figure out what he was saying, so all I could do was shake my head.


    "You are strong, your speed, strength and brains are above those of your peers, however..."


    Suddenly I felt a sudden chill and unknowingly I moved back.


    "HUM!"


    A compressed air pressure is generated from a simple wave of a wooden sword. I looked back and saw the leaves of all the nearby trees at my back gone. I gasped feeling the intense amount of intent put on a simple wave of weapon.


    "No matter how high your speed, strength and mana if you can''t use proper skills to utilize it, all of those will only be useless. No matter how much water a lake has, if you are scooping the water using your hands it will still leak out"


    Then he showed me a bit of his strength. To my surprise, his mana and ki didn''t even drop while he fought me. My stats were almost the same as his but strangely I got tired easily, while his energy didn''t change much.


    I know it might be attributed to his technique since it extracts some of my ki and mana but still with our close stats the fight shouldn''t be this one-sided.


    "A proper control and precision can harness great results without consuming too much energy" he confidently told me then he made another slash.


    This time it was different, it has the same strength as the last one, however, I could see from his stats that it consumes quite a lot of ki.


    "I know you can feel the difference between the two attacks. I just show it to you to set an example of what I was saying before"


    "Not because you are better in almost all aspects doesn''t mean you can win a fight. There is a limitation of what brute strength and power can do against someone skilled and experienced"


    "The saying absolute strength is invicible and no trickery will work doesn''t always happen, it depends whose and what kind of tricks are you facing"


    "Sometimes even the most mighty gods can fall for a trap"


    I stood where I was, looking at my stats and my professor''s, it was almost the same yet a small sparring didn''t even give me any room to fight back. Attributes don''t always decide a fight, I learned that now.


    It was different when I fought with spells.


    "We were thinking of having a surprise party since she is such a good person to us" Arabella said while finishing the handkerchief she was making.


    "What should I do then?"


    "We have thought of dividing the work, Mckenzie, Blair, Casper and Aaron for the decoration. Keith, Vesta, Alya and Jillian for the drinks and snacks while me, Arabella, Matilda and Samael are for the meals. Then Niko and Agness are thinking of playing instruments for entertainment.


    "So I am the only one who doesn''t have a designated work yet"


    "It''s fine you might want to join brother Jerome and Gin since they are the ones gathering the supplies for us"


    "So they are in this too?"


    "Yes even sisters Jenny and Nadia are on it as well"


    "So Apollo which place do you want to be assigned?" Alicia asked making me think of something.


    "I think I already have an idea" I grin as I think about the thing I want to do.


    I soon joined them in trying to make a handmade gift for the woman who took care of us.


    ...


    "So what do you think Gil?" Helios asked while looking at his friend.


    The Duke of Arcanebane thoroughly looks at the files arranged by Apollo and his expression isn''t good.


    "We need to eliminate Nero"


    "Can we?" the Duke Lionheart was a bit confused however his thoughts were similar to his friend''s.


    An enemy must be eliminated before it causes any more damage, but there is a problem.


    A member of an imperial family can''t be touched unless his majesty gives his order. Even though the four families can make decisions before reporting it to the emperor, this time it''s different since it involves the members of the imperial family.


    They need to report it first but Helios doesn''t want to.


    "Your son is involved here that is why you are hesitating"


    "If his majesty finds out how capable that boy is, he might give more missions to him"


    "Are you worried?"


    "No, I am not worried since I know he is capable of protecting himself, but it is not the life I want him to have. I want him to have a life where he doesn''t need to run like something is chasing him. One that is peaceful and no more pain haunting him"


    "Helios" Gilgamesh looks at his friend before continuing his words.


    "What we want doesn''t always happen, you know better than anyone else that the pain the boy has already haunts him. You should know since you are part of that pain, you are one of the people who contributed to it. The reason why he runs like that was because you let the past chase after your son"


    Helios clenched his fist knowing full well what he meant.


    "I will pay for that sin"


    His face became determined as if it was the last thing he could do.


    "So for now let me protect that boy"

 Chapter 72 Ill train

    My pov again


    I decided to stop upgrading my skills and stats.


    Instead, I like to train my proficiency in them. I believe what that professor told me was right. And in my current situation, it is the best I could do.


    Soon my opponent will be more experienced and have higher stats than me. I might have won against my previous opponent due to being superior in overall stats. However, if I encounter someone with a higher or the same stats as me, the battle might end up the same as the one I have with professor Adolfo.


    "We should work hard"


    [Yes We will Creator]


    I am back in the backyard again training before the sun sets.


    I stretched my body and I could feel the bruises I received from my favorite professor''s hell deluxe training.


    [Swimming with weights pulling you weren''t really that bad]


    It wasn''t that bad?


    I had sealers that sealed all my stats I can''t even use ki or mana because it was sealed as well.


    [Aren''t you at least happy you survived?


    Typical humans would have died from something like that]


    "Should I really be glad because of that?"


    [Not all people can survive with their abilities and skills taken away. The Creator was impressive since he was able to utilize the little things he had at that time]


    "Are you telling me that I am impressive for floating away instead of naturally swimming "


    [Yes, since floating while wearing weights, depends on the buoyancy of the weights and the swimmer''s body composition. The added weight may affect buoyancy, making it more challenging to stay afloat compared to swimming without weights. However, with the Creator''s proper breathing techniques and body positioning, you were able to maintain buoyancy while floating with weights on]


    "Thanks I suddenly felt happy that someone was complimenting my actions"


    [I will always appreciate whatever you do Creator]


    "Thanks"


    I suddenly felt happy, I never anticipated that an artificial intelligence made from me could be this sentimental.


    Wait since he is based on me does this mean I am talking to myself?


    I shake my head putting those thoughts away.


    My swordplay and martial arts should be properly trained.


    "Alright Jeremiah run the shadow opponent now"


    I said finally forming my stance.


    [Initiating Shadow opponent...


    Prepare for contact...]


    In my eyes, a black entity forms in the shape of a man holding a sword. However this shadow is only visible to me, others can only see me moving as if I was really fighting someone.


    "Okay stay calm"


    I lunged forward using my speed to my advantage but to my surprise, an equivalent speed intercepted my attack. I put more precision into my attacks. Maximize my strikes without consuming much energy.


    However...


    The skill Master weaponist only enables me to handle multiple weapons. It doesn''t include the complicated structure of ki and mana manipulation like the one used by experts.


    Since I was a mage I only added this skill to strengthen my body. It was just a mere exercise but now, maybe I should take this skill seriously.


    "Jeremiah let''s overhaul Master Weaponist and add the necessary format for it to be considered a weapon art"


    [Affirmative Creator]


    And so I began testing weapon by weapon, trying to come up with the style that suited me.


    [Congratulations Creator the overhaul is completed!


    Proceed to skill test drive?]


    "Yes"


    I closed my eyes and remained focused. My ears are filled with the drifting air and rustling leaves. Then as the sound of their fall reaches my ears I finally move.


    My ki accelerated going full course through my veins. From my heart to my limps it began to travel.


    "DRIP!"


    I visualize my ki being a drop of water. Read further adventures at m vl_em|p_yr


    Then I made the strike, dust was kicked away while the wind followed the path of my blade.


    "Change weapon"


    [Affirmative]


    My inventory is open and a spear replaces my sword. From a sword that strikes like a lion, it delivers powerful, agile and precise blows, then to a spear that seems like a raging eagle. A spear that is known for its ability to strike from a distance with accuracy and speed, mimicking the way an eagle dives down to catch its prey. A fast thrust through defenses with force and great momentum.


    I move trying to handle the weapon with mastery. A spear is designed to penetrate an opponent''s defenses. So each thrust I made, made the air break.


    "Change weapon"


    Again my weapon disappeared and my hand began to hold a bow. A different kind of flow of energy made its way through my body. My eyes became clearer while my fingers tensed.


    The ki was drawn on my fingers drawing the bowstring and the hand that holds the bow. As I pulled the arrow I quickly shifted the weight of my body as well as the ki that I used. The arrow was released, and the energy stored in the drawn bowstring propels the arrow forward.


    At this moment, the weight on my fingers decreases rapidly, transferring to the arrow itself as it accelerates.


    "Bullseye," I said when I saw my arrow hit my target.


    [Are we going for a change of weapon again?]


    "No, for now, let''s rest"


    As soon as I release that arrow the tension in my body accelerates making me more tired than usual.


    [This technique forces too much pressure on your body]


    Hearing that made me tempted to increase my stats but I immediately pulled those thoughts away.


    "My body should quickly adapt if I constantly trained"


    [We should also study or revise how your ki travels, that way the transition of how your ki moves in using a sword and spear could run smoothly. That way your body won''t receive too much stress]


    "Right we should do that"


    [For now, we could say that the test drive was successful]


    "Yes I can conclude it was successful"

 Chapter 73 Down to the last temple

    Inside a temple which none of the eleven archbishops are allowed to occupy. The temple of Galahan is the meeting place of all archbishops. However, instead of a peaceful meeting they usually have, a rough tension could be felt.


    "So what should we first tackle?"


    The archbishop of the first temple said.


    "May I speak about an alarming issue right now?" the second Archbishop volunteered while raising his hand.


    "Go on we will hear you out"


    "I believe it is time we put our differences aside and join forces to reach the goal we all wanted to achieve. Our holy objective is to free our lord Nirvana from the treacherous seal made by the five blessed children"


    "Doing that means disobeying the order our lord has previously given to us, Dos"


    The third archbishop commended but the fourth had a different opinion.


    "How can we be sure that the vision was real? What if it is just a pigmentation of some wild imagination that priests have"


    "BAM!"


    Someone suddenly slams the long table they are currently on.


    "Those words are an insult to us!" the archbishop of the tenth temple said, not liking how the fourth archbishop doubted their words.


    "I just find it suspicious, out of all the priests from each temple, why is it your temple that receives the oracle"


    "I see where this is going, you aren''t just doubting us, you are even jealous! You didn''t like that our humble temple was chosen to be guided by our great lord!"


    "Nonsense! I don''t feel anything like that! I just wanted to tell you that we should be more observant!"


    "Cuatro, if I am not mistaken you sneakily sent your people while my demonic beast army was attacking the city!"


    The seven archbishop accused the fourth, creating a more chaotic scene.


    "Enough!" a cold and emotionless voice pierces through the shouting people.


    "I believe we aren''t making any sense here" The first began to speak making all of those present focused on him.


    "It doesn''t matter which temple received the oracle, what matters is we achieve what we need to do. The holy task was already received and we servants only need to follow"


    His calm yet cold voice made the atmosphere smooth, removing the agitating words that made the conversation cold.


    "Let us compete in this race without accusing others. I am sure the great Nirvana will be pleased if we do that"


    All the remaining archbishops look at the first. They all tried to contemplate his words until they came to an agreement.


    "Alright I suppose that was correct"


    "I agree let us leave all these conspiracy theories and focus on the matter at hand"


    "Yes I want to apologize for my words"


    "So? What now?"


    "That is simple Otso, we plan who will attack next"


    The ninth archbishop said sounding carefree.


    "To make sure the attacks don''t overlap with each other, let us decide through a lottery the order on who will attack"


    "Agreed"


    "Let''s do that"


    The meeting ended after some stumbles and an agreement was established, although it was something Apollo didn''t anticipate.


    .....


    Apollo''s Pov


    In the forest where the ninth temple was located, a little spider ran nimbly. Behind the creature was a giant lizard that made the tiny spider its prey, though Apollo had no idea of what was happening.


    "Soon enough he will arrive inside the temple"


    [It is good that the Ninth temple was one of the six locations listed on the file, that you have stolen inside the tenth archbishop''s office]


    "I guess we are pretty lucky"


    I''ll wait for the spider to return the information it gathered.


    "I am tired I''ll be resting a bit"


    ....


    It was already afternoon and their class had long ended.


    His classmates have gathered in the backyard to do some extra training. They wanted to ask Apollo to join them but they knew that something was keeping him occupied.


    The sun began to set turning the sky colorful and serene. The violet hue color with the combination of blue and black painted the upper part of the sky. While close to the sun, three colors dance and blend together. Red, orange and yellow combine making the farewell of the day grand.


    Apollo closed his eyes to rest, letting his dreams guide him to rest.


    Another week passed and it was the last week of the eighth month of the year.


    Apollo quietly sat down with the rest of his classmates. While some students kept looking at them, some maliciously while others were those who looked, out of curiosity.


    The lower class were currently eating at the cafeteria, since all they did was train and study from the start of the classes, they all decided to eat and breathe some different types of air.


    "Finally some fresh air"


    Mckenzie said while resting his head on top of the long table.


    "Hey Apollo we gotta eat but I am too hurt to move"


    Niko said while struggling to get up from his seat.


    "I''ll get it no worries"


    Apollo said while Alicia went along with him.


    "It hurts" Blair cried as he tried to move but with his aching but he decided to remain seated.


    "What''s this? What''s the lower class doing here?" a sarcastic voice made its way towards the lower class ears making it twitch.


    "Hey, whatcha doing lower class" Another guy came trying to start trouble, however...


    With their aching bodies and stressed mind, they don''t have the capacity to be understanding. Since people are asking for trouble why not give it to them?


    "Samael" Arabella spoke though her voice could barely be heard.


    "On it"


    Samael looked at the now group of people that began to surround them.


    "It''s becoming troublesome" he added as his breath began to heat up.


    "Wait why do I feel like I am on fire?"


    "I am burning!"


    "No calm down you aren''t!"


    "But it hurts! It burns!"


    "Calm down you aren''t on fire"


    With their noise increasing Aaron used his blessing to seal the space around them. With the space locked on no sound was able to penetrate it.


    "Finally at peace"


    Agnes mumbles while letting her head rest on Niko''s shoulder.

 Chapter 74 Should I attack

    Apollo''s pov


    I was wondering, what I should do?


    I wondered if I should go to my first plan, using doomsday on the eleven temples once I found the thing I was looking for.


    That way I can eliminate them all easily and without risking any lives. However, my friends are a bit worried about this plan. They believe that using eleven doomsday would cause disparity over the climate and the environment. The monastery might be eliminated but the destruction I brought might be permanent.


    "What if I contain the blast inside a fortified barrier"


    [You still insist on using a fission bomb despite your friends'' warning]


    "I don''t know any weapon that could easily break through their defensive barrier besides a fission bomb"


    [Your friends are right about the effects it will have, we should think of a way to deal with them. Remember the effects of the three bombs are still being mended by the imperial family. Imagine what will happen if eleven of such bombs strike the empire]


    "That is why I am thinking of using a barrier to contain the blast. That way the damage will remain in a single area"


    [You are not backing down no?]


    "It''s the only way I could think of, you see they are immune to curses and poison, if I use magic it would work since their defensive barrier keeps them safe. And I can''t attack them directly since thousands of mages and paladins filled each temple"


    [But you already did a massacre before]


    "Do you mean the fight happened on the day of the entrance exam?"


    [Yes]


    "I was only able to do that because I took them on while they least expected it. They never knew that more mages would come"


    [So you are not confident that you can solo them all]


    Solo?


    That got me thinking.


    "Why not"


    [Hmm? Did I perhaps make you think something reckless]


    "Nah, you just made me inspired"


    [You being inspired means trouble]


    "Jeremiah show me all the darkness spell on our arsenal"


    [Affirmative]


    "After this, I''ll increase my skills, upgrade them then my stats, after that I''ll train them up so that I can use them proficiently"


    [What do plan to do?]


    "I''ll tell you once I am done, for now we should increase stat points"


    [I still have some stocks of essence from the last fight I''ll convert them so Creator can upgrade his attributes]


    "Okay for now I''ll do some research"


    Moments came by until I felt a presence on my door.


    "You guys can come in"


    As soon as I said those words collective hush voice could be heard. It seems like they are pushing each other on who will open the door.


    "That''s it I am opening it!"


    I chuckle knowing the owner of the voice.


    "I am entering Apollo"


    Mckenzie finally opens my door while the other boys remain standing at his back.


    "Hey buddy what are doing?" he immediately asked as soon as he saw me.


    "I was researching a spell that could help me minimize the damages once I attack the monastery"


    "Ah....you see Apollo, me and the others want to ask for a request"


    "I think this army you are thinking of is a good thing" Matilda commented making me happy.


    "By the way where did you get the idea of mechanized soldiers?" Vesta asked me.


    "It is actually from the tower, the Blue Moon tower was experimenting with an artificial warrior that could solve the escalating causality during demon subjugation. I just modified it a little"


    "Now it makes sense that the plan is almost complete"


    "Yeah that''s right Blair"


    "But Apollo what is this other thing?"


    Arabella asks taking out another pile of papers.


    "That is the other thing I am researching on"


    "It is a necromancy magic?"


    "Actually I am planning to combine Necromancy and Black magic"


    "You are developing a different type of spell based on an old one, it''s like a rendition"


    "Well you can put it like that Casper since it is just a little modification"


    "But still look at this complicated stuff you put in"


    Aaron began to say while comparing the rough blueprint for the mecha soldier and the one I made for the new spell.


    "Apollo I presume you already completed the map since you are already planning this" Alicia asked making everyone look at me.


    "Wait for real? How!?"


    "It''s only been a few days and you already found all the temples?"


    "You are not planning on using doomsday right?"


    I was rained with questions which made me baffled.


    The thing is my spider spy was successful in gathering information so I sent more to locate the remaining missing temples. After a couple of days, I was able to finish the map.


    "Wait hold on people, first yes, I am already found all the temple, second I am still considering using doomsday"


    "WHAT!" they all exclaimed making me surprised.


    "It''s just a consideration"


    "Completely erase that please, Apollo"


    Agnes requested but I still thought it was the best option.


    "Why not I was planning on using a fortified barrier to confine the damage! It will work I am sure!"


    "If you use that what is the use of us coming with you!"


    I could only sigh not knowing what to argue.


    "Okay! I''ll scram the idea of using fission bombs, we will go with the army assault attack"


    I said feeling defeated.


    "So when will try to attack?" Alya asked while holding a platter of cookies.


    "My plan was next month right after the Ninth temple mobilized their assault force"


    "Wait..." A sudden realization hit the lower-class students.


    "THE NINTH TEMPLE IS GONNA ATTACK!"


    They all shouted making my ears hurt.


    "Why? Did I forget to mention that?"


    "YOU DID!"


    "Okay, sorry"


    And so with me not having much option I decided to craft the spell I needed for our assault plan to work.


    "The spell Clone doppelganger"

 Chapter 75 The attack

    My Pov again


    The tenth day of the eighth month, Augustus, exactly two months after the start of the academy. Me and my friends set off to kill some insects.


    "Alright let us do some briefing!"


    "Here are all the locations of all the temples, and I already assigned your locations based on what you guys wanted. So the list goes like this:


    Twelve - only the army here


    Eleven Temple - Blair and Mckenzie (with the prepared Army)


    Tenth temple - Alya, Braiden, Vesta and Aaron (with the prepared Army)


    Ninth temple - Arabella, Samael, Casper and Matilda (with the prepared Army)


    Eight Temple - Niko and Agnes (with the prepared Army)


    Seventh temple - only the prepared army will attack


    The sixth temple - already abandoned but will be investigated


    Fifth temple - only the prepared army will attack


    Fourth temple - only the prepared army will attack


    The third temple - only the prepared army will attack


    Second temple - Jillian and Keith (with the prepared Army)


    First temple - Alicia and Apollo (with the prepared Army)


    That''s all, do you guys want to change the set-up?"


    "No," they said in unison.


    "Okay, since everything is settled we should head out now"


    I said which everyone answered with a nod.


    It was saturday so no classes, with clear nice weather we began to walk.


    "Man, what a perfect day to kill someone"


    .....


    "We are heading out now!"


    Mckenzie happily waves at the dormitory staff, telling them we are going for a night camp.


    "Stay safe okay"


    "Yes Miss Martha"


    We went towards the old shrine and from there I prepared the teleportation circle.


    So, are you all wondering how I will bring an army?


    Simple I''ll teleport them.


    "Ready?" I asked.


    "Ready!" they all simultaneously said making my heart skip a beat.


    "Commence teleportation!"


    Our figures disappear as we get transported towards our assigned destination.


    Before we get to the good part shall I explain how we could teleport there?


    For a couple of days, I have sent a massive amount of insect spies. Though I call it massive it is still within its natural amount, that can be found in the forest in which the temple is located.


    Using those insects, I was able to create a two-way teleportation circle which I learned from scroll-making.


    So in summary I made the monastery temples a massive magical scroll. I didn''t just put one spell, I put many.


    Then as soon as we arrived at our own respective location, the hunt was set to start.


    "Let us start"


    I move my hand and from the sky, an army of black metallic knights emerge.


    The first temple was immediately turned upside down.


    "Let''s keep going" I pour my mana into a spell and my will soon manifested.


    "Clonis"


    My body suddenly began to blur until my shadow multiplied.


    "No matter how much I see this spell, it is still scary"


    Alicia said while observing me.


    From a single boy, it turned into an army, but I wasn''t done yet.


    While the air became the conductor of heat it caused a loud booming sound increasing the nervousness of his enemy.


    "Fifth gospel"


    A clear and passionate voice soon entered the boy''s ear making the other fifty Apollo cast a spell. They began to chant.


    "Third gospel of the holy book. Don''t do to others what you don''t want to be done to you"


    The world felt like crushing down when they heard such a spell.


    "How can that thing a cast such spell"


    "Could he be one of us?"


    However, despite their panic expression they soon calm down.


    "That was commendable," another Apollo said while lifting his staff.


    "Now then let me use more spells"


    ...


    Inside the Eleventh Temple, a group of paladins were quietly sleeping together.


    However, their rest halted when a massive blood lust got them.


    "Ah, you noticed me immediately, I knew you were competent"


    The paladins look at me vigilant while drawing their swords.


    "Well sorry the fight isn''t really between you and me"


    A loud massive sound of marching erupted then the boy continued to speak.


    "Well you see these guys are the ones who will fight"


    Right behind Mckenzie was an army of mechanized soldiers while one hundred demonized knights were already behind him.


    Gelo''s Pov


    I keep on thinking where did this tragedy start?


    To begin with, I wasn''t meant to be included in this bloodshed.


    However fate was cruel, they add me to this mess without asking for my damn opinion.


    Three years ago on the third month of the year, I found a group of people in the woods. All with injuries that seem capable of taking their lives.


    I was an orphaned boy taken by the young baron of a little city located at the west of the Neron Kingdom, a place which is under the empire.


    "Master look!"


    The young me didn''t know, I just pointed my finger towards a group of injured people.


    Maybe that horrible event wouldn''t have happened if I hadn''t let them in. If I turned a blind eye and pretended I didn''t see their weakened body and ran away from seeing them. Would everything change?


    Will my family return?


    The answer that kept popping into my head was.


    No


    In the end, we will get swept in the mighty struggle for power. The five seals hold a monster, that is what my master told me, so if they gather all the five it''s the end game.


    "Master, I saw people in the woods!"


    "Gelo stop running like that I keep telling you not to get close to the forest"


    "But master look!"


    Grego Delvin the young baron of Devin district looks at the little boy in front of him. The city of Mckenzie was one of the small cities his territory had.


    The Delvin district has two cities and three small villages under its territory, and the young man Grego manages this fief.


    "Come master you gotta see this!"


    "Gelo if we keep doing this the scheduled days for patrolling the territories might delayed"


    "Come on master!"


    As we arrived we saw five people all covered with life-threatening wounds.


    "This is!?"


    Stay tuned with m,v le,mpyr


    The me back then thought the reason why you looked so worried when you saw these people was because they were hurt. It turns out you saw the insignia pin on the boy''s chests making your expression panic.


    That day was the starting point of a long journey for me.


    "Hey! My name is Gelo Mckenzie a resident of this city! What''s your name? Where are you from? Why are you injured? Did you get attacked by some monster?"


    However, instead of answering the boy in front of me looked ragged and scared.


    "Please just hand me over" he cried to me desperately.

 Chapter 76 Why he is with them

    Gelo''s pov


    "Please just hand me over! Everyone will die if you don''t, just surrender me!"


    Desperation was evident in his voice while his trembling arms held my shoulders.


    "Please I am begging you, just leave me with them.... I am too tired of this, please! They all die because I am the reason!"


    His voice became ragged while his breathing became desperate. I tried to calm him down but he wouldn''t listen to me.


    "You mustn''t tell anyone we are here! No one not even the emperor!"


    He continues to say making my heart skip a bit.


    "Why?" I asked to which he answered.


    "They have many eyes and ears, they spread it everywhere!"


    His grip on me tightened as he continued to warn me.


    "Go and tell them not to tell anyone about us"


    His voice finally calmed down and I immediately ran outside.


    "Master!"


    I shouted running outside the room.


    "Master!"


    I entered an office and there I saw Master Grego by his side are his aid.


    "Master the boy woke up he told-.."


    "It''s okay Gelo I already know he is awake"


    "But he told me something!"


    This time his expression was more serious than before.


    "Don''t worry we already asked for help"


    "What?"


    My heart started to beat fast while I felt suffocated as if someone was taking a grip on my breath.


    "To whom did the master ask for help?"


    "To his majesty the emperor"


    I felt a sudden chill as if a blade was pointed at my neck.


    "Gelo?"


    My expression wasn''t good and soon everyone noticed it.


    "He told me to stop master from reporting it to the emperor"


    "What?"


    The young baron ran towards the little boy and calmly asked.


    "Why?"


    "Because they will come"


    "What?"


    Grego Delvin immediately realized what the boy meant and urgently he began to give orders.


    "Evacuate everyone now!"


    His aids move as soon as they receive the order leaving the baron with Gelo.


    "Return to that boy and help him pack up, we need to get them out of here"


    I nodded and ran to return to the infirmary but as I did so a feeling of danger crept into my chest. I ran even harder and went straight to the boy.


    "We need to leave now!"


    "Yes, I figured that would be the case"


    I was a bit surprised that he was calmer compared to when he first woke up.


    "I am all dressed up now!" he said while flexing his clothes that the master picked up for him.


    "Good then let us call those two guys who were with you"


    I reach the other side of the infirmary which is being divided by a thin wall. These two had a different level of wounds which is why they were separated.


    "Excuse me, are you guys awake now?"


    I softly said while gently walking towards them.


    "We are awake" a voice similar to master''s echoes across the room.


    "I see let''s go now!"


    I then heard a soft chuckle, I saw the other guy move, his chest and arms were all wrapped with white bandages.


    "Keep running!"


    Yes, I run even when tears run to my eyes I keep on running.


    "Gelo!"


    "Master!"


    Amidst the chaotic city, I saw the young baron, wearing armor while a group of mages and swordsmen stood by his side.


    "Protect the boy!"


    He commanded making his soldiers march forward.


    "I knew this is the second place you''ll take them in case the back gate is blocked"


    I chuckled a bit happy that we were safe.


    "Let''s go I''ll escort all of you outside the city"


    And so we ran towards the alley where a passage was lying in secret.


    "Master, why are the people still here?"


    "The space is locked we can''t use teleportation, so you must take them there personally"


    I nodded tightening my grip towards the boy''s hand.


    "What the"


    "Keep running!"


    I saw bodies along the alleys most were fleeing citizens and defending soldiers. All of them were dead. I felt even more scared as I witnessed their state.


    Finally, after some turns, we arrived at a tavern where the owner immediately took us inside the cellar.


    "Master" I spoke feeling that this moment would be the last time I''d see him.


    "It''s okay," he said while locking me into his embrace.


    "Here take this ring with you, be very careful okay?"


    "Yes"


    "Now go never turn back!"


    "I will!"


    We went inside the huge barrel which was actually a path connecting to the forest of the Delvin district.


    "We are almost there!"


    I can see the light and as soon we are out I see the grim fate of my city.


    From afar I could see the city being burned down while the people were escaping from all the paths they could take.


    "We must hurry boy"


    I heard the uncle''s voice causing my grief to halt down.


    "I''ll take you there"


    With my body still trembling I led them towards the path where the space locked is useless.


    ...


    Back at the present time, I looked at the bodies lying on the ground but I couldn''t feel anything. I thought killing those who killed my city would cause my heart to feel something. However, I couldn''t sense anything, only a deep void.


    "McKenzie?"


    I heard Apollo''s voice when I looked back I saw one hundred him making me shocked.


    "I will never get used to this"


    I could only say.


    "Mckenzie"


    I heard another voice making me shift my sight.


    "I saw him"


    The person in front of me was strangely similar to the boy whom I ran away with, though his features were much older.


    "Blair which place did you see him?"


    I asked and suddenly a wave of rage seeped through my body.


    "There, at the largest building, I saw him run there"


    "Ah, looks like it''s heavily guarded"


    "Don''t worry I can break it"


    Apollo confidently said before fifty of him dashed forward.


    "Mckenzie"


    "Yes?"


    "Let''s not make an enemy out of him"

 Chapter 77 The Anger Inside

    Back at the present time, I looked at the bodies lying on the ground but I couldn''t feel anything. I thought killing those who destroyed my city would cause my heart to feel something. However, I couldn''t sense anything, only a deep void.


    "McKenzie?"


    I heard Apollo''s voice when I looked back, I saw one hundred him making me shocked.


    "I will never get used to this"


    I could only say.


    "Mckenzie"


    I heard a voice making me shift my vision.


    "I saw him"


    The person in front of me was strangely similar to the boy whom I ran away with though his features are much older.


    "Blair which place did you see him?"


    I asked and suddenly a wave of rage seeped through my body.


    "There at the largest building, I saw him run there"


    "Ah, looks like it''s heavily guarded"


    "Don''t worry I can break it"


    Apollo confidently said before fifty of him dashed forward.


    "Mackenzie"


    "Yes?"


    "Let''s not make an enemy out of him"


    Blair could only nod his head clearly understanding what his friend meant.


    The eleventh temple was heavily guarded with shields, and the mighty strength of paladins and the gospels of priests.


    However, fifty Apollos rush forward turning into human lightning.


    "Thunder aura"


    The temperature began to soar high while the ground melted. White pure light dances while a series of thunder echoes.


    And from the vast amount of electricity a dragon was formed.


    Crafted from the bolts of lightning, the dragon''s body crackles with energy. Its form creates a crazy yet fluid figure, with arcs of electricity pulsating along its wings and razor-sharp talons. As it moves the people behind the barrier become scarred.


    "Lightning Dragon"


    The colorful barrier meets the might of a dragon and to the horror of those priests, the shield begins to melt away.


    And that''s when the real fight began.


    [Notification Alert!


    A unison of gospel is about to be cast


    Proceed to cancel it?]


    Jeremiah''s capacity had long gone increased due to Apollo insisting on a system upgrade. And now he can do more other than spell jamming.


    By analyzing an incoming spell you can send an equivalent amount of mana to cancel the casting process. It might sound easy but analyzing a spell you just saw is too hard to do. From memorizing data to interfering with the process of casting will need talent and strength. For Jeremiah that is all under his capabilities.


    "Hear my command!"


    The priest began to visualize the spell while using their mana and faith to strengthen the spell.


    "Hoy book bless us the gospel of light!


    One that shall wash the evil away!"


    One hundred priests began to be bathed with light as the spell began to take effect.


    "A different type of chant"


    The boy just thought before ordering "Break it"


    The gospel that is about to be cast broke down, and the holy book shattered like dust while a hundred priests fell on the ground. Jeremiah overloaded their mana causing the spell to backfire, this immediately killed them. Some priest have weak bodies thus such a backfire caused their life.


    [Notification Alert!


    One hundred men are recorded dead!


    Total kill tally: 500


    Remaining enemies: 2400]


    While the army of 1999 mechanized soldiers fought the outer lower echelon, despite being low in strength their numbers were immense.


    The one hundred Apollo on the other hand was with Blair and Mckenzie taking on the upper echelons.


    "Argh!"


    "Hold them on!"


    The fifty Apollo took care of the one thousand high priests and high-ranking paladins while the other fifty took care of the archbishop and the remaining bishops.


    "What kind of monster is this!"


    The command Ablaze made the enemies feel like they were being burned alive. This sensation soon turned to reality when they began to burst into flames.


    "Argh!"


    "Put it out!"


    "I can''t water doesn''t work on it!"


    Blair and Mckenzie looked at each other, there was only a single thought on them.


    "Holy flames?"


    Golden sacred flames burst forth burning everyone it touches.


    "Holy book of light appear before me!"


    Yet another gospel was being cast.


    "Jeremiah"


    [This one is too complicated to be analyzed I won''t be able to cancel it]


    The boy understood it was a gospel from a Celestial, however, how come he still couldn''t feel the pressure of facing one?


    "Being way too quiet is making me wary" he thought before casting another spell.


    Then the clash of the gospel of Nirvana and Apollo''s spell happened.


    His two friends were immediately clad in a barrier because five Apollos fell back to protect them.


    A white lightning rose while a white sword appeared and those two entities clashed forward.


    A burst of energy wiped out the entire area making Apollo realise why the archbishop was staying quiet. His power was too destructive. The entire temple was destroyed with its inhabitants included. In short, he killed his own allies.


    While they clash happened spirits begin to defend Apollo.


    It was the spirits of all mages inside the tower, their appearance made the boy surprised.


    It was then Apollo saw in his stats that his bloodline was activating, the blood of the summoner.


    The blood of the summoner is just a term used by scholars, to address the mysterious bloodline that made a certain family famous, the Lancaster family.


    They were the first to create a new branch of study that crafted the possibility of contracting spirits, by combining all the elements in a single magic, summoning was then realized.


    Lennon Lancaster was the mage who made the magic of summoning along with his wife Leticia Lancaster.


    And to everyone''s horror and marvel the Lancaster family was capable of forming an infinite amount of contracts. No limitations regardless of the rank of spirits and the level of a mage''s mana. As long as they get the spirit''s recognition a contract can be achieved.


    "What is this?"


    The voice spoke a hint of sarcasm can be heard from his voice.


    "A child of Lennon is here"


    "Who?"


    "Nothing, I am Eleven the archbishop of this temple"


    This time a pressure had enclosed the area making Blair and Mckenzie suffocate.


    [Creator there are still a couple of enemies hiding underneath the temple]


    "A secret passage?"


    [Perhaps]


    "Blair, Mckenzie they are still enemies left, do you want to run after them?"


    The two looked at each other before nodding.


    "Yeah we will"


    Apollo felt satisfied with their answer and with a wave of his hand, his two friends disappeared along with five of him.


    Join us at m-v le mpy_r


    "There, no more distraction, shall we"


    He said while summoning a spear.

 Chapter 78 Celestial

    There are ninety-five Apollos currently ready to pounce on a single enemy.


    But despite their numbers, the archbishop remained quiet until he finally broke the ice.


    "This is interesting, I can see it is a cloning spell but I strangely can''t see the original, wait.... no....."


    His eyes lingered on each enemy as if he were scanning them.


    "I can see that every singe one of you is the real, and no one is a mere copy or clone..... interesting" he concluded but his calmness made the situation even more intense.


    Apollo looks at his opponent, and an underlying sense of dread covers him.


    "This is the first time I''ve felt something like this"


    He could only say while bracing himself for a fight.


    Mana and ki began to radiate in his body before they emerged out of his skin. A subtle thin coating covers his armored body. His demonized form gave a contrast to his blue mana.


    This level of mastery may not be in the level of Aura users but it was enough, because this state signifies the growth he achieved after all the training he received and the training he did by himself.


    The archbishop Eleven looked at him apathetically.


    "A perfect synergy of ki and mana, you are a different breed of demon, because demons don''t have ki, they can only harness mana. This only means you are a half demon and half human....pfft...HAHAHAHAHA"


    Apollo was taken aback when his opponent suddenly made such a burst of laughter.


    "I am fighting a mentally challenged individual"


    [Better be careful we don''t know what this guy can do]


    "I agree-..!?"


    It was only a split second but this man came so close to him that he never anticipated his next action. Apollo stood face to face with his opponent still confused about his motive.


    "Calm down demon I am only curious about your heritage"


    "My heritage?"


    "Demons are known to be creatures of destruction and madness, they don''t have any sense of reasoning only the will to devour makes them keep moving forward. However, you are different, not only you can communicate but your scent is a mix of a human, and you are maybe a hybrid between a human and a demon. One that shouldn''t exist in this world"


    "This guy thinks I am the real deal"


    [Essentially demons can''t reproduce with humans since they have a tainted mana and they are biologically different from humans. Devils on the other hand are different since they are humans to begin with, they just undergo metamorphosis]


    "I do know that"


    While me and Jeremiah converse Eleven spoke again.


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    "Tell me, creature, what do you think will happen if a demon that is known for its destruction, suddenly gains sanity? What if they begin to think? What power do you think such a being may gain?"


    Apollo was getting confused on which direction their conversation is heading. However he still answered him in a way that might excite him.


    "If such a being exists he might become the strongest"


    This answer wasn''t something he didn''t think through, the thing is a similar problem arose in the tower once before.


    The possibility of high-ranking demons gaining intelligence became a source of debate. It was dangerous because the higher the rank of a demon beast, the more powerful skills it has. Imagine such a being having the capacity to think and plan for every attack it would do.


    That possibility created chaos among the scholars of the empire and even Apollo felt that such a thing could pose a threat to everyone.


    Eleven smirked as he heard the answer from Apollo. It was a proud smile as if he won a fight.


    "What''s the point of this question?"


    However, instead of an answer crazy laughter escapes from the deranged priest.


    "Many believe Celestial was the threshold of power but..."


    The air began to vibrate when Eleven finally summoned a fraction of his mana.


    "But our lord Nirvana reach beyond such a level and gain Enlightenment!"


    "So what is the connection with demonic beast talk earlier?" the boy just thought while letting his opponent spill out his absurd thoughts.


    "Break it, Jere-..."


    However Eleven''s spell overpowered Apollo''s thoughts.


    "I will not be afraid, for my lord shall be with me"


    The gospel was fully cast and from the sky a giant light came down. One hundred huge towering lights turn into one.


    "Behold demon, the avatar of light! This gospel is the highest tier out of all the gospels of the book, because it summons a fragment of our lord Nirvana!"


    [The skill Unbreakable has been activated!


    The effects of the gospel have been nullified!]


    The huge burden that had been pressuring him was finally lifted. This made him see the entity that his enemy summoned.


    A ginormous being with a body being protected by a pristine white exoskeleton. Its head was similar to an ant with two giant antennas attached to each side of its head. Clear transparent wings similar to a dragonfly were attached to its back while two legs and arms completed his limps.


    This being was too big that it occupied half of the forest.


    [It''s huge!]


    "Scan it!"


    The boy with his demon-like appearance spread his black wings and flew to dodge the fast-coming attacks of the avatar.


    "HAHAHAHAH!!...do you now see demon! This is just a fragment of our lord Nirvana!"


    "Don''t worry I can handle this fragment"


    A crack suddenly appeared on the avatar''s face surprising the priest.


    "How? One hundred celestials had cast this gospel how come it''s breaking apart!"


    "Ah about that, it''s because you didn''t fully copy my spell, Eleven"


    "What?"


    "I already learned my lesson from fighting Sergio so I took some protective measures so my spells won''t be copied easily"


    "CRACK!"


    The sound of breaking reaches Eleven''s ears making him look at the army of himself.


    The other him began to crumble scarring the remaining ones.


    "What is going on?"


    Dread coursed through his body when he felt a sudden cold aura seeping through him.


    "No!"


    Fissures began to spread making him look at the monster right in front of him.


    "What have you done!"


    "Ah, I just put a curse on the spell"


    Eleven made a painful expression causing Apollo to further explain the concept of his spell.


    "A curse will latch out on anyone who used my spell without my permission. And since you used my spell without my consent, a curse immediately activated"


    "No damn it!"


    He summoned the holy book trying to access the gospel that could help him but then time suddenly hit slowly.


    The book moves in slow motion while his body begins to disappear at a frightening speed.


    "How!?"


    It was all the thoughts of the remaining Eleven because all of them were experiencing the same thing.


    They all look at the source of it. A demon with pitch black armor, his wings were as back as him.


    Apollo feeling their gaze only spoke two words.


    "Time Dilation"

 Chapter 79 It is you

    [For a celestial this battle is too underwhelming]


    "Really?"


    Apollo looked at his surroundings and saw that the enormous forest that served as their arena no longer existed. The ground was scorched and broken resulting for all the trees to turn to dust.


    While the sky has a huge hole as if someone stabs on it.


    "This is underwhelming?"


    They only exchanged a few spells but this was already the result.


    "I am lucky he is stupid if he isn''t I might be dead right now"


    [Not really you haven''t used any of your trump cards]


    "Ah, those? I am planning to use it against a bigger threat"


    [I haven''t detected his presence yet]


    "Of course, you won''t he was sealed, after all, now I only wonder when will Mckenzie end his opponent"


    [We should let him since they caused such trauma to Blair and Mckenzie]


    Apollo just nodded while he looked at Mckenzie who is currently covered with blood.


    ...


    Gelo''s Pov


    "Hurry! ..."


    My voice was hoarse due to my throat hurting, if I knew I would end up like this I wouldn''t have cried while we fled.


    However, as we strode through the forest the earth began to shake ruining our balance.


    "Damn it, they are doing this again!"


    "Brother what should we do?" the boy with me asked.


    I was confused and scared at the current situation but immediately gained the strength to stand up. My master gave me his orders and I must follow them completely.


    But it turns out my thoughts are too optimistic.


    A flock of birds scatter in the sky beckoning the disaster that is about to come.


    A series of heavy footsteps came after urging us to run.


    "Can you walk?"


    I asked looking at the boy''s uncle whose wounds had reopened.


    "No little boy....it seems like this will be my final stop"


    I felt like someone punched me in my chest, it was heavy and painful. Then my aching throat felt even more painful, as if something was stuck on it.


    "Damn it! They are doing this again! .....they also did the same thing in our village!"


    "Brother calm down!"


    Time wasn''t on our side we could feel the horde of monsters due to the heavy vibrations on the ground. We must run as soon as possible but how?


    "I can no longer move, go on without me"


    "Uncle!"


    "Enough Blair uncle is right!"


    "But brother we can''t leave uncle alone"


    "Yes, we won''t that is why I am staying behind as well"


    "What!" we both exclaimed.


    "We need someone who will hold back those demon beasts so that the two of you can have enough time to flee"


    "But brother..."


    "We don''t have enough time, here boy take this ring"


    I took it with my shaking hand then he proceeded to explain.


    "That ring contains supplies like clothing, food and medicine, take it and run away with my brother"


    His voice was calm contrast to the situation we are currently in.


    "It''s time, take my brother and go"


    His hands were resolute while his hands were firm making my nervous heart warm.


    "Go"


    I nodded and brought my hand to Blair''s hand forcing the crying boy to run with me.


    "No! I won''t go!"


    He begged while clinging to his uncle''s clothes.


    "I already lose everyone! Please!"


    He cried even more insisting to stay behind.


    e quick!"


    "Are we inside a carriage?"


    "Yes we are heading towards the kingdom of Temar"


    "Sir, what happened to Master?"


    He suddenly became quiet as if thinking whether to answer me or not.


    "Sir the more you delay your answer the more I worry"


    "I am sorry Gelo, about my cousin he...."


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    I felt sick while waiting for his answer, my hands and feet were all shaking.


    "He is gone, Gelo"


    And the answer I fear came to me. I suddenly felt guilty because I survived yet he couldn''t. I was the one who found those people if I...


    "Gelo"


    His voice was deep and commanding, and my attention directly went to him.


    "Yes?"


    "My cousin contacted me as soon as the city was attacked, so he told me to wait at that place. That''s when I found you there with your young friend"


    "Sir he is.."


    "I know my cousin told me everything"


    The man in front of me is Justus Clayborn a knight of the empire.


    "Wait how did you get here"


    "I used the teleportation pad here in Temar, and we will do the same thing for you two. I will send you guys to the imperial palace"


    "!?"


    I was shocked and at the same time relieved because the empire hadn''t abandoned us. At first, I hated them because I thought they were the ones that caused the attack.


    "They have many spies" that thought made me hesitant to trust including my master''s cousin.


    But I also realized how stupid that idea is.


    "Is there something wrong?"


    "Nothing is wrong sir its just..."


    My thoughts went haywire when a horde of demon-beasts came behind us.


    "What! How did they get here!"


    I questioned then the words Blair told me when we first met surfaces.


    {"They have many eyes and ears, they spread it everywhere!"}


    "Oh dear" Fear suddenly crept into my heart shaking my entire body.


    Sir Justus took out his sword and put me right beside him.


    "We must find Blair!"


    "Yes we will boy"


    Then he stormed out of the carriage making my face gape.


    The carriage was hit by a spell sending it to pieces.


    "What the!?"


    We landed perfectly on the ground while a group of imperial soldiers stood right in front of us ready to attack.


    "Loris"


    "Yes, captain!"


    I was surprised when a man appeared behind us.


    "Wait is that!"


    My eyes went wild when I saw Blair being held by Sir Loris like a sack of rice.


    "Is that the right way to hold a child?"


    "Don''t know I just lifted him"


    Then the traitors spoke.


    "I am sorry captain but please hand that kid to us"


    "Tsk that won''t happen!"


    My eyes look straight at the traitors instilling their faces in my mind.


    ....


    "It is you.....finally we found you"


    I looked at the man in front of me and knew he was the same man that led that ambush.

 Chapter 80 Blood

    "It is you.....finally we found you"


    I looked at the man in front of me and knew he was the same man who led that ambush.


    "I am really thankful for Apollo, if it weren''t for the fact he has a list of every believer on each temple, I won''t be able to find you"


    Inside the underground passage, I saw a group of people that strangely resembled the one who led the attack that day.


    "Since we are here, how about we try to reminisce that day"


    Blair suddenly came forward, his sword already drawn.


    "Let me at least kill the other guys"


    "Sure Blair just leave that guy to me"


    Ten paladins and five priests stood at the other side of the path. They were trapped since two Apollos blocked the path they were supposed to take while Blair and Mckenzie with the remaining Apollo stood at the opposite end. It was a one-way tunnel so there was no other path to take.


    "Apollo, give us a bit of leverage"


    "Sure Mckenzie"


    The ground was touched by a light when a conquering spell was cast.


    "Debuff"


    With the power of the spell, a wide range area was covered in a debuffing effect while Apollo and his two friends were protected by a dome of protection.


    "I brought their level close to yours so feel free to fight"


    "Thanks, Apollo"


    McKenzie and Blair came forward before making a fast lunge.


    They have fifteen enemies while it was only the two of them. Apollo won''t interfere unless they ask so the fight will be decided by Blair and Mckenzie.


    The battle starts and Mckenzie takes the strongest paladin, the one that leads a group of traitors against his master''s cousin.


    "Hello Theon" the boy greeted while his blade was blocked by his opponent.


    "Don''t get ahead of yourself brat!"


    "Really? I wonder? what about the scar on your face, it says a lot "


    The boy retorted referring to the paladin''s right cheek.


    "You!"


    Anger by his words he recklessly put more strength on his grip, then he pushed Mckenzie''s blade trying to create a chance to put another attack. However, the boy used Theon''s pushing force to provide an ample distance between the two of them.


    "What? Is that it?"


    "You brat!"


    An enemy who loses his cool during a match will lose his capacity to hide his intention and think carefully about his next move.


    Sparks ignited when two blades collided with each other. Splendidly Mckenzie was able to redirect the attacks while keeping his stance steady. He did this in order to conserve energy since blocking requires a significant amount of energy to execute.


    The boy continues his tactic trying to control the flow of the fight but soon after Theon notices this pattern and immediately changes his approach.


    A sword bathed with light made its appearance. It was a green dense light that coated the paladin''s body and weapon.


    Apollo frowned and became worried for a moment.


    "An aura," he thought while forcing himself to calm down.


    "Finally bringing in the big guns no?"


    He was still confident, though Apollo debuffs their stats, their use of Aura won''t be affected since this technique requires the wielder''s mastery and experience not just attributes.


    A violet color light escapes from Mckenzie''s body surprising even Apollo.


    "He is a violet?"


    He moves his sword and swiftly stabs the paladin''s heart.


    "May you rest in peace" he added letting the man fall to the ground.


    "Now I wonder if those three have calmed down, I can''t really interfere with their thoughts if they are getting this crazy"


    The boy thought while looking at the two priests who were trying to calm their ally.


    "Are all of you okay?"


    Blair asked, his voice sounding excessively concerned resulting in the two priests glaring at him.


    "You bastard!"


    "I''ll skin you alive!"


    They both position themselves to cast a gospel but a voice halted their movements.


    "Don''t cast"


    Then he pointed his temple before continuing "Point your attacks here"


    And just like what he said the two priests cast their gospel and attacked their own brains killing themselves in the process.


    "Then I am done"


    "I am really impressed how those paladins and priests struggle to keep their minds intact"


    [Creator it seems like his proficiency over the blessing is quite better now]


    "Yes but it still puts too much burden on his mind"


    Blair''s blessing came from the God of Mystics which has the power of interfering with the thoughts and actions of someone. This blessing relies heavily on mental powers which is why Blair''s mind should remain calm during a fight.


    Since Blair''s fight ended Apollo looked at Mckenzie and saw how he deflected all his opponent''s attacks.


    Theon will try to feign attacks but Mckenzie doesn''t follow how his opponent tried to lead the fight. He would rather retreat than head-on fight an enemy with much higher experience.


    "Brat is that all you got!"


    Theon tried to provoke Mckenzie but instead of an answer, an aggressive energy hit him.


    "What is going on"


    "Sorry you see my mana doesn''t like you, so instead of talking you should focus on surviving"


    He waved his blade and Theon''s aura-coated sword intercepted it.


    "Argh!"


    With Mckenzie''s attack, Theon felt his arms go numb from the force.


    "How is this possible" he questioned while controlling more ki to his arms, he aimed to push his opponent''s sword but unfortunately it wouldn''t move.


    "Damn debuff!" he cursed if it weren''t for that then he could pull off a better technique.


    However, he has to endure it to survive.


    "I can''t believe it, so the main reason Professor Adolfo taught us that technique was to prepare us in case we were to fight someone who can use Aura"


    [He must have predicted that one day you and your classmates will meet an opponent like him, an aura user]


    "Yes he knows the path we are taking is dangerous, that must be the reason for all those training"


    [Must be]


    Jeremiah and Apollo talked amongst themselves until Mckenzie landed a solid hit to Theon.


    "Argh!" Blood spurted from his shoulder because Mckenzie just cut it.


    "That is for sir Justus!"


    His voice draws more unpleasant feelings before pinning down his opponent.


    "Because of you, he won''t be able to hold a sword again!

 Chapter 81 : 81: Ill kill you!

    Continuing Gelo''s POV with a bit of Apollo''s


    My eyes flared with anger, images of a broken smile and bloodied face almost clouded my judgment, until his voice returned to me.


    "Listen Gelo one of the things you shouldn''t lose during a fight is your composure, always remain calm so that you can always assess the situation"


    "Yes!" I eagerly answered while holding a wooden sword.


    I opened my eyes again and glared at my opponent.


    Aura is very flexible and can be used in close and long-range fights, though it all depends on what the wielder can do. Fortunately, his opponent can only make regular use of aura.


    Shielding, is the use of aura as a shield and coating that could boost offence and defensive manoeuvre. It is also one of the basic uses of aura.


    "It''s still good, I just need to finish this fight fast!"


    He accelerated his attacks which Theon blocked efficiently.


    Feigns couldn''t be executed because Mckenzie wouldn''t let it happen.


    "What the!?"


    A continuous barrage of strikes left Theon no choice but to defend.


    "This wasn''t supposed to happen!"


    He had thought that using his Aura would turn the table to his side, but far from his expectations Mckenzie switched sides from defensive form to offensive.


    Apollo watched carefully realizing what his friend was doing.


    "That reckless idiot"


    [He was able to perform the technique professor Adolfo was trying to teach your class]


    "Yeah he seriously did"


    Apollo observed keenly and saw how the movement of his ki rapidly supplies every part of his movement. It was the martial arts exercise made by the professor for them.


    "A rapid supply of energy without the risk of exhaustion, it was supposed to be a boxing technique but he implemented it to his sword style"


    Due to the fast motion of Mckenzie''s blade, a crisp sound could be heard due to the air pressure his sword produced.


    Steadly Theon notices how he is being pushed back. This made him even more angry resulting in him aggressively blocking each of the strikes.


    "It seems like he will exhaust himself before Mckenzie"


    [Won''t your friend get tired first since he is moving like that?]


    "Not really, there is a trick in this technique that the professor put great emphasis on. Remember how I would use a tiny bit of my ki and make them burst to have a sudden explosion speed? This technique is similar to it. Using a small amount of ki, a rapid circulation will happen. This circulation would cause an increase in speed and agility"


    [So where''s the part similar to your footstep technique?]


    Apollo merely chuckled before continuing.


    "Because Mckenzie would make such a move whenever his speed wasn''t enough to surprise Theon. He would use it on his foot like what I do, but sometimes he would do it on his wrist or even in his arms"


    [That is indeed reckless]


    "Yes because one mistake on your control and your body may receive irreversible consequences"


    [I would agree since exploding any kind of energy inside your body is dangerous]


    His words earn another laugh from Apollo.


    "Well the words explode and burst are just words I figuratively said, they don''t really explode like bombs but the reaction was quite similar"


    [I understand, Creator]


    In answer to those words Apollo merely nodded.


    The fight continues with the two engaging in close combat. Mckenzie still didn''t let Theon have a chance to breathe and rapidly rain him with strikes.


    An unconventional strike from below was about to hit Theon and the paladin who was already used to the speed and pattern of Mckenzie confidently raised his sword to counterattack.


    However, the blade that was supposed to hit his face changed direction and went on his midsection, so he put up a guard on it but yet again the strike changed direction.


    In Theon''s perspective, his opponent smoothly transitions the motion mid-strike, redirecting the trajectory towards his midsection. Then he attempts to block the strike with his sword or Aura, but then his opponent utilizes the momentum to pivot and redirect the strike further, aiming towards his back. This takes him off guard.


    "Yes, I''ll make sure you two are safe so-.."


    His words were interrupted when he disappeared and reappeared in front of us.


    It happened so fast that all we could hear was the sound of something falling.


    Curious by the sound me and Blair froze when we realized the sound we heard was the sound of a falling body.


    "It seems I need to keep a close eye on you two"


    He looked at us straight up, before switching his gaze to the remaining eight enemies which were currently being entangled with sir Loris and Justus.


    They should be able to win I thought but then I saw sir Nate come forward and move his hand in a blurring motion.


    My eyes weren''t able to keep up but I knew that hundreds of arrow pieces were currently falling on the ground.


    Someone from afar is aiming at us.


    The winds rustled and more arrows were sent making it hard for sir Nate to fend it off.


    "Damn it"


    I could hear him say that making me more nervous.


    "Should we move?" I suggested this since we are becoming a live target.


    "Good suggestion let''s move"


    A blue Aura condensed into a shield blocking all incoming arrows.


    "Let''s go!"


    He lifted us both before making a speedy run.


    "Hey after him!"


    That bastard Theon ordered noticing our quick escape.


    Three traitorous soldiers came after us causing our loyal knight to increase his speed. My eyes felt watery due to the wind while my mouth felt weird due to our speed.


    "Hang on tight kids we are close to Temar kingdom"


    I just nodded but a sound made my spine shiver. It was the sound of arrows, the wind would make a familiar sound whenever those arrows arrived. Hearing it again made me look at Sir Nate worriedly.


    "Don''t give me that look I know"


    He moves swiftly, dodging every arrow that aims to strike his knee.


    But then the intensity increases making it hard for him to protect himself and us.


    "Those arrows have Aura infused on them, I can''t let it touch me"


    He thought to himself while his body was boosted by Aura.


    "Stop right there!"


    "Come back here!"


    "It''s time to surrender"


    From afar we heard voices from our pursuers making it even harder for us to escape.


    However, the ground began to shake and three streaks of light emerged from the sky striking the enemies.


    "Hey, you guys okay?"


    Sir Justus appeared with Sir Loris making me and Blair excited.


    "What happened to the traitors?"


    "They run off"


    But then more arrows came luckily they block it all. I thought everything was running smoothly but then.


    "Argh!"


    An arrow hit Sir Justus and Sir Loris.

 Chapter 82 : 82: Ill cut you

    Gelo''s Pov


    An arrow hit Sir Justus and Sir Loris.


    It was an arrow that hurled at a blind spot and shot on Sir Justus'' and Loris''s shoulder.


    "No!"


    I shouted seeing all the blood flow from their shoulders.


    "Keep running Nate!"


    "Yes, captain!"


    What? But they are injured we need to do something!


    My thoughts were getting wild while my body tried to break away but Sir Nate''s grip wasn''t something a ten-year-old like me can break.


    So all I could do was watch while he repelled the arrows but then a blade sneakily slashed.


    My heart beat fast while my body felt cold as if a bucket of cold water was splashing on me.


    "Sir!"


    A clanging sound came after and to my relief despite his wounded shoulder he was able to block it.


    "And here I thought you run away, Theon"


    "I am sorry captain but I adhered to one of your teachings that a soldier must always accomplish his mission no matter the circumstances"


    A laugh of mockery escaped from the captain''s lip making Theon frown.


    "You are a disgrace, Theon"


    Aura burst forth transforming into a green protective barrier.


    Shielding is one of the regular uses of Aura, as for the advanced type we have.


    "Armament!"


    The sword in Justus'' hand turns into pure green energy while the remaining green aura molds into armor.


    "Let''s start"


    He waves his sword and the incoming arrows turn to pieces.


    "CLANG!"


    Theon tried to attack as soon as he saw Justus destroy the arrows however his sword was blocked by an invisible force.


    "Aura armament, invisible shield"


    Theon looked pale when the numbness spread across his body. What he felt was like punching an unbreakable wall. He put so much power into that strike but when he attacked and the invisible wall emerged, the force of impact caused pressure on his skin and tissues beneath it. The force isn''t strong enough to break the wall, the energy then transfers into his body, stimulating pain and numbness.


    "Argh!"


    He jolted back causing an opening on his guard, this split-second opening was well taken by Sir Justus.


    His blade crashes into Theon''s Aura causing the latter''s to break down. He was about to finish the fight, when a whistling sound came to Justus'' ears beckoning the arrival of more arrows.


    I didn''t know how but invisible walls would block all the arrows causing my raging heart to calm down.


    "You know we are still in danger so stop spectating like that"


    Sir Nate expresses his disbelief seeing me and Blair watching the fight as if we are at a theater.


    "This is not some game kids" he added before making a quick dodge to the right.


    "We still have our arrow guy"


    "It only means we have more than one Archer"


    "That''s problematic"


    Sir Loris and Sir Nate continue to talk while dodging arrows.


    Things were heading for the better until the arrows became different.


    "Not good"


    "What is going on?" I ask feeling nervous.


    However, the air began to move differently.


    My mouth was wide open as I saw how the explosion engulfed the entire horde of beasts.


    Then from the sky, something suddenly dropped near us.


    "Heyya kids"


    Sir Justus was safe and not even a scratch injured him, well beside the arrow.


    "I think we are far enough from the range of the arrow guy"


    The captain said while retracting his Aura.


    "Were you scared?" he asked me, all I could do at that time was nod my head.


    No more arrows arrived so we thought we were safe until Blair shouted "Watch out!"


    All of us looked back but it was too late. Theon was there about to hit Sir Nate with his sword.


    Reacting fast to this attack was not other than the captain he moved to intercept the attack but as he did so he noticed something.


    "You drugged yourself? Your lifespan will shorten"


    "It is a small price to pay to reach your level"


    Then Aura was activated on the blade of Theon causing Sir Justus''s sword to break.


    It happened too fast we don''t have time to react.


    An arm fell then blood and screams echo through the forest.


    Sir Loris went and assisted Sir Justus while Theon grabbed the opportunity to snatch Blair.


    "Not a fucking chance"


    Sir Nate positioned Blair farther from his reach while drawing me closer.


    I''m pretty sure he wouldn''t expect the next scene. An enchanted dagger danced across his face forming a line of blood.


    "Argh!"


    It was his turn to scream while holding his bleeding face.


    "And that is our signal to run, Loris!"


    "Yeah on it!"


    Sir Loris lifted Sir Justus and to my relief, the bleeding stopped it seemed like they used something to heal it.


    "You won''t get away!" Theon shouted trying to chase us.


    "Sorry little guy you won''t win this time"


    As soon as we enter the border of the kingdom of Temar a teleportation circle welcome us.


    "Bye bye"


    Sir Loris mockingly said as his body disappeared and reappeared at the Imperial palace.


    I breathe and look at Theon again, this time his back is bleeding heavily instead of his face.


    "An arm and eye"


    I said while aiming with my sword.


    "Leave the eye to me" Blair requested which I answered with a nod.


    "Go ahead"


    He came forward surveying his opponent''s body.


    "Take your left eye"


    "Argh!" he began to resist but because of his current state he soon succumbed to Blair''s blessing.


    His hand shook but still, he raised it and did what he was commanded.


    An ear-piercing cry made my ear hurt, then it became quiet and only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard.


    "Now then since you are done"


    I walked forward and saw fear in his eyes, those eyes were the same as mine when everything was taken from me. My city, my teacher and almost the new family I made.


    "Let me cut you Theon"

 Chapter 83 Free

    "Let me cut you Theon"


    I walked slowly and every step I took made my victim crawl to escape from me. Though I don''t have any plans to let him leave.


    A trail of blood was made, his back wounded to the point of seeing his bones while his eye was taken out by his own hands.


    He dragged his dying body away from me, which got me thinking if he was unwilling to die or if he was just unwilling to die by my hands.


    "This is futile"


    I raised my sword which was still coated with my ki. One swing from it and my ki was released. A violet color slash made its way towards my target. It causes marks on the ground as it hits my traitorous target.


    "Argh!"


    He made a controlled scream, I think he was trying to look strong until the very end.


    "If you have such a mentality then you shouldn''t have let Blair control you"


    I raised my blade again and made another slash. Another scream came out of his mouth but I was still not done yet. You took something important to me, other than my loved ones there is something within me that is lost. The day it all began, the monastery attacked the city, and I lost my teacher and also my childhood, my innocence when it comes to life, it all died along with them.


    I can no longer see things the same way as I do. The world is not as bright as I remember. My ways of thinking have changed along with my decision. My experience opened my eyes but also blinded me beyond recovery, so I decided.


    Someone has to pay for it, after all, all fruits have trees, unfortunately mines need to be cut. It''s a tree that aside from being ugly also contains poison. It won''t do anything good so it has to be destroyed before more life is lost.


    I moved closer to my prey and I made sure my steps would be heard by him. So he would crawl to save himself or maybe it is his pride, not his life. I will trample it all and let him bear this burden I have inside me.


    The first is pain then fear, afterwards anxiety....


    My steps halted when the crawling worm finally stopped and rolled his body over to look at me. Finally, I saw the last thing I wanted, acceptance.


    Someone has to take responsibility for what I have become. Sir Theon please be that person, I could no longer be the same old me but removing you meant cutting the shackles that bind me for three years. I could finally be free, so please die.


    An aggressive mana coated my body as well as my sword.


    "Die"


    Theon closed his eyes and his face no longer had any struggles as my sword cut through his heart.


    Finally, the boy can smile again though his hand and soul become tainted with blood that can''t be washed again.


    "Hey!" Mckenzie shouted towards a kid who was sitting in a dark room alone.


    "I said hey!"


    Only a cry could be heard along with low guilty whispers.


    "It''s all my fault!"


    His childish voice cracked while he used his fist to hit himself.


    "Hey, I said hey! "


    McKenzie looked at the boy a gentle smile escaped from his face.


    "Let''s go" he extended his hand urging for the boy to take it.


    "Where are we going?"


    The boy asked instead of taking the hand.


    "Out here, you know it''s pretty dark in this place"


    "It is"


    "I know right so why not come with me?"


    The boy looked hesitant so Mckenzie spoke again.


    "You know it wasn''t really your fault"


    "Really?"


    With his gentle words, the boy immediately looked up so Mckenzie continued.


    "A family"


    I repeated those words filling me with a different kind of desire.


    "I see I get it thank you"


    "That''s good you are smiling, then let me help you with the first part"


    He finally puts me down before continuing.


    "First let''s get stronger"


    I nodded determined to get the happiness I deserved.


    And so I looked down at my enemies even though it was all Apollo who made it possible, I still felt I finally achieved something.


    "With this, the first part is finished"


    I proudly claimed while wiping the blood on my face. It seems some of them got on me.


    ...


    Tenth temple - Alya, Braiden, Vesta and Aaron (with the prepared Army)


    Aaron''s pov


    So I realised something while we were assigning the temples we would attack. The lower the number of the temple the further it gets. So since Apollo and Alicia assigned themselves to the first temple their location was the farthest, they were almost near the border of the northern wall.


    "I hope they don''t freeze to death there"


    "They will be fine, Apollo told us that the temple is well protected by a powerful barrier. No snow or cold weather can enter there"


    Braiden said trying to die down Aaron''s worry.


    "It''s rare for you to be this worried Aaron what''s gotten to you"


    "Shut up Vesta can''t you see I am nervous"


    "Aaron if you are worried why don''t you ask him personally"


    Alya teasingly said pointing towards a man who wore jet black armor, Apollo.


    "I am not cold Aaron so don''t worry"


    He just said while walking ahead of us.


    I couldn''t help but release a sigh.


    This classmate of ours Apollo Lionheart was no ordinary person. Not only is he a member of the noble household he is also a mage from the tower.


    The way he treated us was also better than we expected. He treated us like family which made us more comfortable with him.


    It was all happy happy at first until we realized how dangerous Apollo''s duty was. We all thought it wasn''t real but it turns out it was really true. The boy who was the same age as me was assigned to protect us, and it was an order from the emperor himself.


    As we know more of him we all realized why the emperor gave such an order.


    "He is incredibly strong"


    The ground shook as one hundred Apollo spread their wings to attack.


    "What an overkill"


    I don''t really think he needs to go this far to destroy the temple. I think he can handle this fight alone but his overly protective side came up making him make this choice. Since we are coming he decided to create an army of himself to make sure we are safe. It turns out he only trusts himself and some machines for our safety.


    The thing about spies made him extra careful with people and so he decided to put all the burden to his shoulder.


    The air vibrated while the ground began to break apart this marks the signal that the fight is about to start.


    "Well it''s finally our turn"


    I said while my arms began to be encased by a golden light.

 Chapter 84 Change Pov.

    Aaron summons the power that was given to him by his ancestor, the God of space and passage.


    His family gained the blessings that came from him. Although he simply adores his human descendants, that is why he gave them a fragment of his power. The authority of space and passage. Though to use such authority they must be within their capabilities and favouritism of God.


    Fortunately, all the five Gods favor their descendants and that is why when they saw such a slaughter, they wanted to make their own move despite the rules that hindered them. It was still their children, their kin to the human they fell in love with. Seeing them dying one by one almost made the Gods berserk.


    They watched them from when they were born, until they became adults, and had a family and grandchildren. That is why they can''t explain the rage they felt.


    If it weren''t for the rules that bound them not to interfere with the world and the other Gods'' warning, they would have manifested inside the mortal realm and ravaged the monastery. However rules are rules, they must adhere to them and keep the balance together.


    But they wouldn''t sit still they must do something in order to ensure their revenge. And so all the Gods gathered to address such a situation. If they wouldn''t help then they should prepare to stop the five Gods whose madness has escalated throughout the years.


    The heavens agree to help and so a chosen one must be decided. That person will bear the will of the Gods and protect their descendants however as they look for possible candidates the Gods meet a wall.


    They have too many candidates that they can''t come to terms with whom they will choose, and they couldn''t choose all of them either.


    And so the Gods got stuck inside the meeting for three years, until...


    A presence made its way to them.


    All twelve Gods look down on Bunag wondering what is going on.


    The world spins slowly while mana becomes focused in a certain place.


    They look at the source of it but strangely they can''t.


    This filled them with unparalleled curiosity.


    "He is back"


    They all concluded.


    However his return won''t change their current situation, it''s not like He will come to aid them. That being is an outsider, an outworlder, one whose origin came from another universe.


    They can''t rely on such a being, and so the meeting continues with the Gods fighting over the candidate they wanted.


    It was a mess and the ones whose disappointment is scaling high are the five Gods whose children are dying at the moment.


    They wanted to end the damn meeting but they couldn''t come up with a proper ending.


    Bunag made another weird movement and for the second time, they all focused on the tiny blue planet.


    "An authority"


    They noticed, and it wasn''t one but five. Five authorities of five different Gods.


    "Those were yours"


    "Indeed," the five said in unison.


    Their thoughts moved and the world obeyed.


    The clouds parted and an unknown creature revealed itself.


    Its body is being protected by a black exoskeleton, sharp blades wings at the back and horns at its head.


    "Demon"


    The Gods concluded.


    "A demon who can think....no..."


    They could see that its soul was a human but its body was that of a demon.


    "Interesting"


    A sudden power was summoned making the Gods even more interested.


    "She won''t be able to reach you now," I said trying to comfort myself.


    .....


    Alya''s Pov.


    According to Apollo, there should be a tunnel beneath each temple so we should look for it. However, I don''t know how he got such information since he adamantly told us all he knew.


    "Well except the thing he was looking for"


    I shook my head and decided to just focus on the task he gave to us.


    With high-powered soldiers with us, it should be fine.


    Outside of the temple me and Braiden began searching for it.


    "I think we finally found it"


    My senses told me it should be here so it should really be here. I have a good radar when it comes to looking for things so Apollo gave me this task.


    "Are you sure this is it?"


    "Of course"


    I moved a stone from the ground and the ordinary-looking tree moved and revealed a path.


    Braiden looked at me, dumbfounded at the current situation.


    "You should have gotten used to this by now"


    I said feeling a bit grumpy it''s not like it''s the first time I demonstrated this skill of mine.


    "Sorry my fault"


    After saying those words Brai brought a communicator bracelet and spoke.


    "Apollo we found the tunnel"


    {Good I''ll be there in a bit}


    A few seconds went by and three Apollos came down.


    "Let''s head inside"


    He told us and gladly we entered the dark room without hesitation.


    Contrary to the disturbing battle at the surface the tunnel was strangely quiet.


    "It seems they had put something to protect this tunnel"


    "Because they wanted this place to remain hidden and protected"


    "I actually found its existence when I was helping Blair and Mckenzie at the other temple. However, this temple was built differently making it hard for me to locate it"


    "So that''s why you asked me to scout the area"


    "Yes you have been good in using your instinct when it comes to finding things, so I let you find this place"


    "Since we are here I guess Alya needs to find another thing right Apollo"


    I kept on listening wanting to know what I needed to do next.


    "I want Alya to find certain people for me"


    "As long as they are here I think I could"


    "Good then we should continue walking"

 Chapter 85 Anguish

    "Hurry! We just need to leave this place"


    Ten hooded figures began to speed up in a tight space, brick-walled tunnel. Their steps haunt the ground while the surface vibrates furiously.


    Breathing became short and their heart kept pounding up and down. Anxiety washes them over while their abilities are almost down to zero. It is all due to a massive conquering spell that Apollo castes beforehand. Because of that their desire to flee increases with each passing second.


    They needed to get away from the temple''s impending destruction and this tunnel was only their only way out.


    More hidden paths and tunnels used to be accessible inside the tenth temple, however right now when they badly needed them they couldn''t use any.


    Someone invaded them and managed to find all the life-saving paths they made, only the one their taking was left.


    "Hurry!" A female priest urged.


    "What''s with the rush?"


    A deep enigmatic voice suddenly crept into their ears making them look back.


    "Hey"


    He simply said while slowly making his way towards them.


    "Damn it! Go I''ll hold him off"


    "That is very admirable I never expected to hear such words from people like you"


    Another voice was heard but this time it came from the other end of the tunnel.


    "No," the person hidden well by her dark cloak said.


    Their only path was blocked by the people who were hunting them, a dead end, a literal end.


    "I''ll call dibs on that guy"


    Braiden bravely came forward and pointed to one of the hooded people.


    "That guy killed my mother" he added while taking out a saber from his storage ring.


    Alya just watched while but her eyes lingered towards the person who was standing in the middle of the enemy group.


    "Alya?"


    Apollo asked seeing her expression worsening.


    "Can you handle this?"


    Worried about her situation Apollo thought that facing their past trauma must have woken some unpleasant memories.


    Traumatic experiences are very hard to overcome especially if the scar it made is too hard to erase. It keeps coming back no matter how hard you hide it. And it keeps reminding you leaving you no choice but to endure.


    Sometimes physiological battles are harder to defeat than physical ones because oftentimes your enemy is yourself and not someone else. And fighting your inner demons means facing your greatest and darkest past.


    "It''s okay" Apollo tried to comfort her though it seemed she wasn''t the only one who was relapsing.


    "Aaron?"


    Vesta could only shake her head while her friend stood where he was, tears dripping from his eyes.


    Apollo panicked at this moment and began comforting the two, however for a person who only thinks about killing his brother and creating destructive spells, it wasn''t really helping. He tried to sound calm and gentle but with his current appearance, it looked like he was threatening them.


    [This is not gonna work]


    Jeremiah bluntly said while scanning the two.


    [Their heart rate is rapidly increasing while their blood is focusing on their brain and muscles, preparing for a fast physical response. Their entire body is on high alert and seems to be preparing for an attack or to flee] Explore hidden tales at m,v l''-NovelFire


    [Diagnostic report: an anxiety attack, Creator]


    Sweat falls over his demonized face not knowing how to mend the situation.


    "Apollo"


    Braiden and Vesta called making Apollo look at them.


    "CLANG!"


    Despite the perfect opportunity they made it wasn''t enough to easily beat an experienced paladin. They have fought countless battles and slayed many lives, their body had gained an instinct to move when dangers arrived.


    "And here I wanted to trim down the numbers"


    "You are too arrogant boy"


    "Thanks at least that is what you call me now"


    "What?"


    Braiden loosened his engagement with his enemy''s blade and retreated as he did so five shots of anti-magic bullets went flying at them.


    Shields was once again pulled up though the bullets punctured it.


    This caused them a great deal of nightmare since no one had ever destroyed a shield or any weapons made by the Monastery.


    "What kind of weapon is that!?"


    Although the bullets poke a hole on their shields it wasn''t enough to kill them. Their physical enhancement prevented them from being injured....for now.


    Vesta on the other hand engages in close combat with the priest though their fight seems to be in stalemate.


    "If only I could use all of my power!"


    A voice which resembles a woman irritatingly said while moving her staff to dodge.


    The little girl Vesta utilizes the assistance of the mechanized soldiers to disrupt any attacks made by the other priest, that way she can switch and focus on any opponent she likes.


    "BANG!"


    Another bullet was shot directly hitting the chest of one of the priests.


    "Argh!"


    The barrier that protects the priest broke off before sending him flying due to the impact.


    "So magical barriers can explode like that" Vesta concluded before dodging again.


    Although the priest wasn''t dead leaving him in such a dire spot would be fatal to him.


    A loud cry echoes as Braiden finally takes one life.


    The priest who was shot a while ago was dead as soon as his body hit the ground. Paralysed by the bullet Braiden took that chance to kill him.


    This was the method Braiden and Vesta used to slowly trim down the lane of enemies until only two people were remaining.


    "It really hurts that none of you was able to able to recognize us" the boy said while retreating.


    Braiden and Vesta finally stop attacking and let the remaining enemies catch their breath.


    "What?"


    "How could we possibly...!?.."


    "It seems like you are finally recalling us" Vesta then transformed her sword into a flute. This time she is preparing for another hypnotic spell.


    "Now then let me take you back to that time" she said while placing her lips near the instrument.


    The fine marking on the instrument glows releasing a very pleasant sound.


    Braiden stood where he was taking the opportunity to gaze at his enemies.


    As the sound influences the mind of its target series of images appear inside their head.


    The female priest couldn''t help but kneel when the spell fully knocked her defences.


    "It''s no use defending when you are basically being stomped down"


    Braiden looked cold as he said those words.


    He no longer cares what happens for his innocence had been long taken.

 Chapter 86 Anguish part II

    The fine marking on the instrument glows releasing a very pleasant sound.


    Braiden stood where he was taking the opportunity to gaze at his enemies.


    As the sound influences the mind of its target series of images appear inside their head.


    The female priest couldn''t help but kneel when the spell fully knocked her defences.


    "It''s no use defending when you are basically being stomped down"


    Braiden looked cold as he said those words.


    He no longer cares what happens for his innocence had been long taken.


    As the sound of the flute takes over, memories begin pouring over. The woman whose appearance is hidden by a veil slowly succumbs to the hypnotic spell.


    "Argh!"


    The remaining paladin tried to fight back but a shot from Braiden''s handgun finally put the nail in.


    His body falls to the ground as the paralytic bullet numbs his senses. While his body was weakened their mind was slowly being devoured by Vesta''s spell.


    Shouts reverberated in their minds while images of wooden cages emerged. Their senses are filled with noises and images until a revolting scent suffocates them. From giant wooden cages, their vision changed to burning houses and plundered villages.


    The scent of blood and burning flesh drills into their nose as if the illusion were reality. What they were experiencing was too real to be a mere fragment of a spell. As time passes, the spell slowly dilutes their minds and alters their perception of reality, though that doesn''t really matter.


    The visions continue showcasing moving silhouettes inside the ongoing massacre.


    Among the scorching corpse, a group of children could be seen struggling to survive the dire situation.


    Their home was destroyed while the people they love all died horribly. So with great desperation, they run as far as they can, however dark shadowy hands begin pulling them, trying to devour the little life they have left.


    Before the children knew it their life began to revolve around the four corners of the prison. Their breakfast are curses from the guards while their lunch is beatings by the passing priests. Finally, at night they became the dinner for a hungry group of hyenas. Their eyes flare with greed while their mouths salivate in desire.


    The fragile bodies of the pure ones soon became tainted and broken, no longer shining the same way they used to be.


    However, the dark days didn''t last long, on the day that new visitors came to the lonely prison, the once pure and innocent disappeared along with their entire existence.


    The prison was turned upside down due to their disappearance, the dark gloomy room never saw the pure ones again.


    .....


    "We don''t have much time Alya, we have to get out of here!"


    A little boy urges while dragging a skinny girl with him.


    "But I heard the priest say that the one being prison here can become the monastery''s destruction. We should still take a look and see what is inside"


    "And what if we got attacked? May I remind you, we are only children we won''t win no matter what"


    "Don''t worry trust my instinct"


    The little girl despite being warned continues to walk towards a heavily locked door.


    "Ara"


    She said confidently while the person named Ara came forward.


    Ara was the best lock picker in the group and so the responsibility of opening the door became hers.


    A few clicks began to be heard as Ara continued to pick on the locks. Finally, the last lock was picked and the door opened.


    "Wow"


    The kids exclaimed when the door finally opened.


    "Is that?"


    "Yeah"


    Right in the middle of the room, a little boy with dark color hair quietly sat there.


    "You okay?"


    Alya asked while surveying the kid.


    The group of kids look at the boy in front of them. His body is as skinny as them though his clothes are almost nonexistent. His exposed skin has bruises and red marks that came from the abuse he experienced.


    "Hey?"


    Braiden asked feeling that the boy was no longer breathing.


    "That''s bullshit!"


    Sol who was the second oldest retorted the soldier''s words.


    "Our village was plundered and our families were killed right in front of us! So spare me your comforting words because we don''t need it!"


    The soldiers became dumbfounded while the vice-captain who wanted to speak became muted.


    With Sol''s words, the group continue their walk.


    However, someone blocked their path.


    "Captain" the imperial soldiers felt delighted to see their captain, thinking they could stop the kids from leaving.


    "You"


    The captain pointed to the boy who was leading the group, looking at him he could see his eyes filled with hatred.


    "Are you leading them?"


    "So what if I am"


    The captain smirks causing the boy to be cautious.


    "I am not here to comfort any of you"


    He started to say before continuing.


    "But I am here to give you the hard truth"


    Rowan looks at him before deciding to stop.


    "Spill what you want to say"


    "You and your friends won''t last another day at this state, especially her"


    Rowan followed his finger and saw the little girl in Sol''s embrace.


    "Vesta," the boy thought while clenching his fist. Explore stories on m,v l''-NovelFire


    "You can''t trust us but it is a better gamble than staying in this dangerous forest, especially since the monastery is hunting all of you"


    His words create a fierce staring contest with Rowan but soon the boy finally yields.


    "You are right"


    His shoulder began to relax while his hand abandoned his weapon.


    "How can we be assured that we will be safe"


    The captain felt really interested in the boy''s reaction and so he gave the trump card he had to gain his trust.


    "We can have an oath"


    ....


    The vision ended with Vesta stopping her flute and Braiden lifting his saber again.


    "Since you are all aware now"


    A cold voice devoid of any emotion escaped from the boy''s lips. This made the two remaining enemies afraid.


    "The archbishop won''t let you get away from this!"


    "Really" Braiden looked at Apollo and saw his relaxed expression.


    "Well it seems everything is still good on our part"


    He then waved his saber while his eyes remained on the bleeding paladin.


    "I''ll kill you slowly as you did to my mother and I will make sure even in hell you will remember the pain I will inflict on you"


    Vesta just stood where she was though her eyes remained unrecognizable. There was pain, sadness and hatred mixed in an unknown void in her.


    Then her eyes move and went towards the boy who finally calms down.


    "Aaron" she slowly called.


    She wants to hear him and know if his heart is no longer bound the same way as before. The dark past has to be cut down now or it will keep haunting them in the future.


    "Come here"

 Chapter 87 Sometimes forgiving is not the answer

    "Aaron" she slowly called


    She wants to hear him and know if his heart is no longer bound the same way as before. The dark past has to be cut down now or it will keep haunting them in the future.


    "Come here"


    Vesta urged though Aaron hesitated.


    "Is this right?"


    Apollo question, trauma should be treated slowly and patiently not something like this.


    "You throwing him like that causes more damage than healing, I know you only wanted him to move on but is this the only way? Pushing a person with trauma into situations that trigger them under the guise of helping them cope, it''s not only ineffective but potentially harmful"


    Apollo clenched his fist before saying "I am really worried"


    He wants to help but curing traumas isn''t his speciality. He can''t even cure himself with his own traumas so he is uncertain what to do.


    "It''s now or never Aaron" Braiden added before approaching Alya.


    "Are you calm now?"


    The girl nodded though her arms still trembled.


    "Hold on to me"


    Apollo looked at them and finally realized something.


    "They are the same as me"


    For them removing the source of their pain will free them from all the wounds they receive. The boy realized that he had the same perception. That is why he wants to kill his brother. He also believes that eliminating them could mean healing the scars he receives.


    Their regret and anguish will fill the pain they once felt. After all a debt has to be paid.


    However, was that the correct answer?


    Will killing them really help them heal?


    Apollo shakes his head and looks at the current situation.


    It doesn''t really matter if it was right or wrong, what really matters is to get what they wanted. After all those people who hurt them didn''t think twice to inflict pain on others so why would they hesitate?


    It doesn''t matter if they become the same as the one who hurt them. What truly matters is that they made them realize that they made a monster through their action. A monster that will come to hunt them down.


    A truly fitting end for these people is to experience the things they have done.


    Aaron walked forward his steps were slow as if he was thinking about his next actions.


    "It''s okay"


    Apollo finally said his thoughts causing Aaron to look at him.


    "Do what you think will make you feel comfortable"


    His words serve as encouragement for his friend and so the unsure boy steps forward towards the being who once filled his head with nightmares.


    "Hello, do you remember me?"


    Aaron asked as soon as he arrived.


    The hooded woman looked at the person who was speaking to her though her eyes were still hazy from the spell.


    "I don''t really hate you"


    "!?"


    "What?"


    "Hmm?"


    The three were quite surprised while Alya was a bit more calm.


    [Notification Alert!


    One thousand men are recorded dead!


    Total kill tally: 3000


    Remaining enemies: 10,000]


    Currently, the main forces force of the temple is divided in two. One on the outer temple, fighting one hundred mechanical soldiers and Apollo while the remaining was inside the inner temple. The outer temple planned to buy time for the inner to temple finish casting their spells. However, their opponent was capable of disrupting it while trying to destroy their barrier.


    "There are more people here than the one in the eleventh temple"


    [The eleventh lost quite a lot of people from their last attack on the city]


    "When did they attack?"


    [The day of the entrance exam it was actually a joint attack between the sixth and eleventh however due to your intervention, the tower''s and especially the emperor''s, their numbers were trimmed down more than half, while the sixth was completely obliterated]


    "I see thank you"


    He then summons his spear and flies up like the rest of him.


    "The barrier is still strong"


    [It''s a spell cast by the Archbishop and the rest of the remaining bishops of the temple]


    "Hmmm...Those priests are also trying to break the lock I put on the space. Though I don''t know if there is a spell that can cancel a God''s authority"


    [It''s good we upgraded them before the fight]


    "I am glad as well"


    While they converse the remaining Apollos continuously rain the barrier with a spell though it doesn''t seem effective, until...


    A crack finally emerged though it didn''t give any satisfaction because of how tiny it was.


    Apollo felt the mana freeze signifying a mana domain had been established.


    "Should I clash mine with theirs?"


    [You may since the enemies'' joint release their Mana domain which created a resonance and now became one]


    "A resonance of Mana domain however you can just break it, I don''t even need to release mine"


    [I can though will that satisfy you? You have been thinking of finding an opponent who can test the limitations of your new level]


    "It''s okay I''ll probably do that later, since we still have plenty of opponents to fight, I can have more choices on how to fight them"


    Jeremiah made a mental nod trying to show that he agreed with his Creator.


    But then the barrier changes making Apollo frown.


    "This is the sixth time the barrier changed"


    [Because you already broke the barrier six times as well]


    "Hmm, this barrier seems different"


    [I shall scan it]


    "Okay"


    Then Apollo ordered a mechanical soldier to stop killing the priest it was fighting and switch towards the barrier.


    "Attack it" he ordered and obediently the soldier obeyed.


    A cannon transforms from the mechanical soldier''s arms, and this cannon releases a powerful blast going fast at the barrier.


    A loud noise reverberated and to Apollo''s surprise, it was his soldier that received the damage.


    "Interesting"


    He could only say while playfully playing with his spear.

 Chapter 88 I dont need this

    "That force"


    Right after the mechanical soldier attacked, the barrier returned an equivalent force to counter it.


    [The barrier is creating stunning, damaging, or shattering feedback, that is why the harder you hit it the harder it hits back]


    "Anything else you get while scanning the barrier?"


    [The barrier also focuses its energy at the point of attack, moves faster than the barrier''s capacity and Creator might achieve a breakthrough]


    "On it"


    Blue lightning dances across the sky as Apollo transforms into a blue lightning meteor.


    Twenty blue lights fell on top of a colourful dome before a series of sparks lit up the barren land.


    The forest is no more and all the magical beasts with it. Apollo no longer holds back and doesn''t mind the damage he might cause.


    Apollo moved much faster than before and began attacking the barrier.


    "This is actually painful"


    [It''s fortunate you have the skill Light of Aegis or else you would receive the full brunt of the feedback]


    Lightning was fast too fast for the barrier to keep up and soon a crack was produced.


    "Damn that monster"


    The archbishop said while wiping the blood on his lips.


    "If it weren''t for this damn conquering spell I wouldn''t be this weak"


    He clench his fist not knowing what to do. He was a celestial mage though only in level 1, it was still a rank highest above the others. Yet a conquering spell will be the cause of his demise.


    "A spell that even I can''t break"


    Then he looks up and feels the presence of the being who will cause the destruction of the tenth temple.


    He must have planned everything for a long time, seeing how the magic was cast seconds after those mechanical soldiers arrived. The priest doesn''t know how and why he didn''t notice such a spell was embedded on the very floor they walk every day. He was a celestial mage yet he didn''t understand why a trap like that was blocked from his senses.


    "Greetings archbishop" his thoughts halted when the mysterious being began to speak.


    "A creature from the dark continent, why are here destroying this holy land"


    His voice is resolute despite the current situation.


    "I am no creature of the dark continent" Apollo replies while slowly descending.


    "A being whose consciousness inhabits thousands of bodies, where else should I classify you"


    Apollo only stared at him while feeling a bit interested. Out of all the people inside the monastery that Apollo met, this man was the first decent one. Discover more stories at m,v l''e-NovelFire


    "I think this guy isn''t as crazy as the ones we met before"


    [I wouldn''t be so sure of that if I were you]


    Jeremiah''s scepticism made Apollo frown causing his look to become even more menacing. His expression although hidden by his helmet can still be felt as a maddening knight.


    "This is my first time meeting a hive mind. A collective consciousness, a single being controlling multiple bodies. I am interested why are you attacking us"


    Apollo who initially wanted to kill the archbishop as soon as he located him felt that it shouldn''t be rushed.


    "This is really rare" he had thought.


    "Are you perhaps been kidnapped?"


    "Pardon?"


    "Nothing forget what I said"


    He finally landed on the ground and stood a few feet away from the priest.


    "So should we fight?"


    "Truth be told I don''t want to because it won''t change anything"


    "Oh so you are surrendering"


    "It is more like accepting than surrendering. I know fighting is futile against someone who already planned everything"


    The sweep of mana finally halted when another presence arrived.


    Sergio arrive leading fifteen bishops circling Apollo, though the demonized boy just looks at them.


    "Alright this will be fun"


    A spell was cast while gospels were prayed, a demon against a group of priests began to clash as the night neared its end.


    On one of the hundreds of tunnels, Apollo walks while stepping over the bodies of the fleeing priest.


    Among the pile of corpses, a fully guarded paladin bravely protected a black and gold ornament bag.


    "Finally I found you," he said while taking out the broken pieces of the fake Excalibur he once made.


    Inside the bag was also a ledger one that he was unable to copy when he once sneaked inside the temple.


    Then he took out his communication bracelet and dialled the communication code of his father.


    "Old man I got the ledger"


    "{How? Did you sneak inside again?}


    "No, I raid the temple"


    {What!}


    "Relax I got all covered, besides I brought some mechanical soldiers with me. Back to what I was saying before I''ll be sending this to you. How about that Nero guy did you think he would send help to the monastery once he found out about its destruction"


    {I highly doubt that this bastard only approached the people he could use. Once they are unable to do what he asks for he abandons them without hesitation}


    "Then it''s all good"


    He then cut the call and resumed his venture on the dark passage.


    Another Apollo who was also venturing the tunnels found a treasury filled with insane treasures.


    "To think a 200-year-old organization can amass this type of wealth"


    [I am also surprised Creator this one looks like one of the vaults of the tower]


    "Yes, Jeremiah open the inventory we can''t leave all of these alone"


    [Affirmative]


    Aside from treasures Apollo was able to find an underground prison which contains dozens of experimental studies and equipment.


    "What''s this?"


    A thick folder which is labelled as Gemini project attracts Apollo''s attention so he picks up the folder and immediately regrets it.


    "...."


    He solemnly closed the folder before burning all the other files with it.


    "I don''t need this"


    He wanted to get some useful spells though what he saw just horrified him.


    Flames spread while Apollo continues to walk deeper into the prison.


    He painfully looked at the mangled corpses, which are chained and mutilated on the tables and the corners of a room.


    "I''ll take you all with you me"


    He lifted them one by one until all the abandoned bodies disappeared from the dark gloomy prison.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    A bit of an explanation about the spell clonis.


    Clonis can be said a type of hive mind of collective consciousness because the consciousness is unified across all the bodies, sharing thoughts, perceptions, and experiences. So even though there''s only one consciousness, it manifests itself collectively through multiple bodies. The bodies also have 100 percent of the power Apollo has before he cast the spell.


    It is all him from the power and other aspects.

 Chapter 89 One on one

    Apollo''s Pov.


    ~Among the scorching corpse, a group of children could be seen struggling to survive the dire situation.


    Their home was destroyed while the people they loved all died horribly. So with great desperation, they run as far as they can, however dark shadowy hands begin pulling them, trying to devour the little life they have left.


    Before the children knew it their life began to revolve around the four corners of the prison. Their breakfast are curses from the guards while their lunch is beatings by the passing priest. Finally, at night they became dinner for a hungry group of hyenas. Their eyes flare with greed while their mouths salivate in desire.


    The fragile bodies of the pure ones soon became tainted and broken, no longer shining the same way they used to be~.


    ~However, the dark days didn''t last long, on the day that new visitors came to the lonely prison, the once pure and innocent disappeared along with their entire existence.


    The prison was turned upside down due to their disappearance, the dark gloomy room never saw the pure ones again~


    This was a story on one of the books Alya once wrote for us. I never thought I''d see the day that a similar place written in the book would be found here.


    Wait could it be?


    My foot suddenly halted and a horrifying realization suddenly dawned on me.


    "The place where the story happened is here?"


    Then the characters in the story were...


    I stopped my thoughts and decided to wander the depths of the underground tunnels and maze underneath the temple and found all surprising things. There was a treasury, gemstones and some maps of mana stones and crystal mines. Of course, I took them all, it''s a waste to ignore such treasure.


    I felt really entertained even though the surface didn''t look that good. (Since I am currently destroying it)


    Aside from treasures I was able to find an underground prison which contains dozens of experimental studies and equipment.


    I suddenly felt nervous while I walked inside the empty room.


    It was an office which contained all sorts of stuff.


    "What''s this?"


    A thick folder which is labelled as Gemini project attracted my attention so I picked it up and immediately regretted my action.


    "...."


    A wave of disgust and anguish fills my heart.


    To think such a study was inflicted on others.


    I solemnly closed the folder before burning all the other files with it.


    What am I even pondering with, I am no better than them since I also execute human experimentation punishment of the empire.


    With the flames devouring all the materials and results of the study a wave of sadness washes me over.


    "I don''t need this"


    I wanted to get some useful spells though what I saw just horrified me.


    The Gemini projects were meant to make a copy of the abilities of Gods and spread the blessings towards other people. Aaron was locked up and experimented with the desire to exploit his blessings. That is also the reason why Alya and the others who escape have unique abilities which are rare to find. They were the failed experiments from the Gemini project.


    Flames spread while Apollo continues to walk deeper into the prison.


    I needed to see more, so I decided to walk deeper towards the dark gloomy place.


    My emotions escalated once I saw all the mangled corpses which were chained and mutilated on the tables and the corners of the room.


    Their bodies were too small indicating their tender age. I clench my teeth while I slowly approach them.


    "I''ll take you all with me"


    This place is not where all of you belong.


    I lifted them one by one until all the abandoned bodies disappeared from the dark gloomy prison.


    As I walk a new spark of motivation blazes in me to destroy this accursed place.


    "I will make sure none of the people in this damn monastery lives"


    Mana fluctuated while bloodlust erupted.


    ...


    [Notification Alert!


    The twelfth, eleventh and tenth temples have been destroyed!


    "A level 1 Celestial mage"


    [Most of the archbishops we met are all level 1 Celestial mage rank]


    "Yes and all of them have a skill called equalizer"


    [A skill that balances the stats of all attributes]


    "I don''t know if having that skill is beneficial or not"


    [Perhaps it is]


    This priest wears a black cassock, a full-length garment with button closure, has long sleeves and fits the body closely.


    [That clothing is made from mythril and I also scan several protective enchantments]


    "So this is his armor, Jeremiah put the spell Devorator on my spear"


    [You plan to use that black spell to eat away the enchantment]


    "Yes this way I can cut through his armor"


    I walked in front of my army waiting for my opponent to speak.


    "I supposed you are the leader"


    "Yes I am"


    A unison of voices was heard resulting in a creepier atmosphere.


    "What was that!"


    "Look up!"


    The paladins and priests bore witness to one hundred demon-like beings, one standing among an army of armoured soldiers while the ninety-nine floated above.


    "You are a hive mind" the archbishop realized.


    "You could say that"


    An answer from one hundred beings was heard, their united voices created an eerie moment that the enemies felt uncomfortable.


    They felt scared and more afraid to fight back.


    "I have a proposal for you"


    A proposal?


    Is it a trap?


    A smirk unintentionally came out of my mouth then I answered.


    "Go ahead and say it"


    "I would like to propose a fight between us and the defeated shall obey whatever the victor decides"


    [Perhaps he really plans to trap you]


    "I don''t know if he cares for his people or he just plans to fight me"


    [If you fight him you might find out]


    "Indeed"


    My feet move closer to the archbishop causing the army behind him to be alerted.


    "At ease my men"


    "But your excellency"


    "I said calm down"


    "I''ll agree with you, we shall fight and if I win..."


    A black-tainted substance spreads out causing everyone to feel suffocated.


    "What an intense bloodlust"


    Then as the suffocating feeling envelops everyone a bone-chilling voice whispers to their ears.


    "...I shall kill every living being in this place"

 Chapter 90 One on one part II

    Apollo''s Pov.


    It was a duel at the expense of our comrades'' lives.


    However, I don''t see any sort of defiance nor any negative reaction from the army of paladins and priests.


    "What a faith"


    [We should be more cautious then, their expression means they are confident with their leader''s abilities]


    "Right"


    Although I am almost immortal right now, being cautious won''t really hurt.


    So I cast three defensive spells, an earth, water and wind spells.


    A resonance happens once the three spells are cast creating an array-like defensive formation.


    After casting those defensive spells I enhance the armor I have before casting another round of spells. A buffing spell to be exact.


    Increase Speed


    Increase agility


    Increase control


    Increase foresight


    Increase weapon sharpness


    Increase stunning effect


    Increase confuse effect


    Increase stealth


    Increase....


    [Creator you are packing too much buff]


    "Didn''t you tell me to be cautious?"


    [Yes I did]


    "So let me add more then"


    I lifted my spear and saw my opponent taking out a book.


    A gospel will surely be cast.


    I raise my spear and a defensive spell emerges from the tip of it.


    "Come to me kingdom of God raise your gates and show your might!"


    Mana began to freeze meaning that a mana domain was made.


    I couldn''t breathe properly, my body felt restricted.


    "So this is the power of a Celestial Mana domain"


    It was a different type of pressure from the ones I felt before.


    "How exciting"


    The chanting continues making the pressure intensify. I could have broken through the pressure using brute force but that would be ruining the fun.


    [I thought you want to be cautious]


    "Don''t worry I am"


    And the gospel continues.


    "Purgatory!"


    The archbishop''s mana poured out turning into something that made Apollo amazed.


    It was a dreadful spell for the enemies while a protection for its allies.


    A halo of white light came for the templar army while a gate of hell for Apollo.


    "Cast a dome Jeremiah"


    Apollo''s blue mana emerges from his body before transforming into a dome of red light.


    The fire element, light magic Dome of Protection was cast.


    "Well let us face this spell"


    A black iron gate towers above the clouds, its door is decorated with ancient symbols.


    "Magical runic symbols"


    The forest was reduced to mere dirt due to the force made by the appearance of the gate, while Apollo remained standing still.


    "Open!"


    With the command of the archbishop the mighty gate truly opened.


    "Could he be a powerful swordsman that can cut through the gospels like butter"


    "If he is then he would have used an aura to efficiently cut the spell, this guy merely used brute force to cut everything. There was no technique or tactic just pure force"


    One of the high-ranking paladins said.


    The situation doesn''t seem good for my enemies however the fight isn''t over yet.


    He should have more gospels prepared to clash with me.


    "Hmmm?"


    The demeanor of the archbishop changed and so did his mana.


    "Oh so this is it"


    The tainted mana I always felt and saw was actually the fragmented mana of their lord, Nirvana.


    That fragmented mana would boost their overall stats and abilities.


    "Then that skill equalizer must be from Nirvana"


    [Possible]


    "!?"


    [!?]


    It happened so fast that the moment I blinked I found myself buried deep in the ground while my barrier was being pierced.


    [The skill Light of Aegis is activated]


    My thoughts went haywire while my spear moved according to my command.


    "Come down from heaven Fafnir!"


    Another gospel landed and the heavens once again opened.


    I looked up and saw the magic circle that activated the spell and for a moment I was mesmerized.


    It was a type of magic circle I had seen before.


    It was a magic circle meant to borrow a power from someone.


    So they are borrowing their power from Nirvana.


    This realization caused a smirk to emerge from my face.


    "I see no wonder you are worshipped"


    This type of borrowed power is something a minor god can''t achieve, it is simply too powerful.


    Perhaps a mid-rank?


    No maybe lower than mid-rank but higher than lower-rank.


    "Face the judgment of the holy dragon!"


    The dragon manifested from the spell caught onto my spear and furiously pinned it on the ground.


    "What kind of barrier is this!"


    The archbishop said while trying to stab me with his sword.


    Sparks begin to generate due to the friction between my barrier and his weapon.


    "That sword..."


    I began to speak while still being pinned on the ground.


    "Oh, what of it? Do you recognize this blade?"


    His voice was mocking as if he was trying to anger me.


    Well lucky for him I am angry.


    [Notification Alert!


    The Eternal oath is activated!


    Your emotion shall be influenced by the oath and shall be fueled by its power]


    "No, I am really angry"


    [Be alert the Oath is affecting your emotions and thoughts!!


    Creator is advised to...]


    I wasn''t about to hear Jeremiah because my eyes became focused on one person.


    "How dare you hold Excalibur!"


    My voice became ragged while my eyes flared with darkness.


    The oath has taken over and now all I can hear is these two words.


    {Destroy him}


    Jeremiah''s words could no longer reach me as the voice of the oath reigned supreme within my mind

 Chapter 91 The Power of the Oath

    My body felt warm, no, I actually felt it was burning.


    A loud thud came after and the holy army felt aghast when they saw their archbishop flying into the air.


    "ROAR!"


    The dragon Fafnir finally abandons my spear and flies straight to his master.


    "I won''t let you get away!" I said growling like a beast.


    The light on my spear intensifies due to its continuous absorption of the essence, then as soon as Fafnir catches the archbishop I release one of my spear''s abilities.


    The spear is endowed with various enchantments that I put and one of them is an ancient spell used for making spell books. It was meant to store spells and use them to let beginner mages cast spells. However, I made my spear into a storage kit for my spells.


    The spell activation brought my weapon is similar to instant incantation and scrolls.


    It was an instant spell embedded in my weapon, one swing from me and that spell was released.


    The blue light that is generated from the spear turns into a spark until it transforms into lighting.


    Three hundred million volts paralyze the two while fifty thousand decrease Fahrenheit heat burn them.


    Their barrier wasn''t able to protect them because Jeremiah''s spell jamming broke their protective shield.


    With that attack Fafnir completely disintegrate. The beast generated from a gospel took the full blunt of my attack and died down.


    [They are falling fast]


    "I know and I am not done yet"


    I can still see their heart pulsating through Jeremiah''s scanner.


    For a moment I saw it stop but it immediately resumed its beating.


    I didn''t like it so I moved and let my wings guide me to my target.


    "Hey"


    I said as I appeared before him however he seemed to be prepared because a magic circle spread out and produced a spell right before my face.


    It was another gospel.


    It was chantless


    I didn''t hear any sound of incantation so either it was an instant spell or a delayed spell.


    Instant spells are spells produced by instant incantation, this skill skips the process of casting spells and proceeds to activation.


    Delayed spells or lag spells on the other hand are spells that have delayed activation. Some delayed spells activated ten minutes after being cast while the longest is an hour.


    Well back to my situation the spell already blasted in front of me.


    "Annoying!"


    Then my eyes saw how the mana on the surroundings became solid and turned into a shield.


    The exchange was done fast since I could predict that my opponent''s next move is another powerful gospel.


    I swung my spear and used its force to break the incoming gospel like I previously did.


    "!?"


    However, to my surprise my attack didn''t work and the spell directly went to my face.


    "That''s strange"


    It was a very different gospel from the first and the most notable part is.


    "His spell is eating my barrier"


    My skill Light of Aegis is being nullified by eating the solidify mana and now the spell will directly hit me.


    Though it was alarming my eyes caught the archbishop gathering another round of attack.


    "Stop"


    My voice commanded the time and it obeyed gladly.


    The time surrounding the spell stopped while my opponent felt horrified, he had never anticipated that a blessing would be used by a demon.


    "Just what are you!" he shouted so I gave him an appropriate answer.


    "A monster"


    A united voice spoke simultaneously.


    "Your grace!"


    "Archbishop!"


    "Let us help you!"


    Their desperate cries break through the will of the strongest priest and so with his heart full of doubt, he gave his command.


    "Give me your prayers!"


    I release my spell no longer holding back.


    The energy of the deceased amplified my spell as the flames of hell gathered.


    It was one of the spells I learned from staying inside The Red Sun tower.


    The spell formula formulated inside my head, then it transformed my thoughts into imaging. A spell that was derived from the abyss. My mind calculated the distance and speed of which the spell would take and so the spell took its physical form and came out from a magic circle.


    Combustion took place while my mana became the fuel that kept the flames burning. By manipulating my mana''s quantity I could control my spells size and speed.


    This casting only lasted a second before being blasted towards my opponent.


    Black obsidian flames turn into a dragon flying straight towards my enemy.


    [The spell''s overall power has been strengthen due to the power of the Oath]


    "So that damn thing had such a thing"


    The Eternal Oath that popped out of nowhere inside me.


    As far as I remember I made no such Oath to anyone.


    So why do I have it?


    And why does my father seem to have it as well?


    Such thoughts were running inside my head until a voice stopped my thoughts.


    {Apollo don''t kill them yet}


    Samael''s voice made me confused however my spell was already on its way to the remaining group of priests.


    "Now this is confusing"


    Typical spells can''t be controlled once the caster fires it however my spells are different, I can control and manipulate it at will.


    My hand made a motion trying to divert my spell''s direction, however...


    "Damn it!''


    I can''t move my body as if chains are bounding me.


    {Apollo?}


    "Yeah I am fine"


    [Notification Alert!


    The Oath is interfering with the Creator''s will


    You won''t be able to stop the spell without the Oath''s permission]


    "Non-...sense!"


    I gathered my will and tried to break free.


    What a load of crap, I will break this shit


    I raised my hand and with all my strength, I was able to move the spell for a few inches, not completely on the target but it still hit.


    A huge explosion happened and to my surprise, it seemed my interference wasn''t needed.


    "They survived"


    Even though I moved the spell to save them it wasn''t enough to fully remove the impact of my attack.


    "But for some reason, they are all fine"


    My eyes scanned the dome and saw a being calmly flying above the group of priests.


    It was a being with white pure wings and a hazy halo at its head. His body is clad in golden full armour while his hand holds a flaming sword.


    My eyes flared with anger when I recognised it was Excalibur.


    "How dare they"

 Chapter 92 The angel and the demon

    The demon scanned the dome and saw a being calmly flying above the group of priests.


    It was a being with white pure wings and a hazy halo at its head. His body is clad in golden full armour while his hand holds a flaming sword.


    Red flaring eyes could be seen in the gaps in the demon''s helmet signifying his anger. He definitely recognised it was Excalibur, although it was a fake one.


    "How dare they" he spoke sending shivers in the remaining priest and paladins.


    "I can''t understand why on earth can they duplicate a sword like Excalibur. It was to the degree that made me think if it was really the original that I had taken out.


    It made me doubtful.


    It looks and works like the real one although they can''t fully harness its power because they are not from the imperial family.


    This situation was truly questionable"


    He said to himself while clenching his teeth, his eyes looking straight at the being who triggered his wrath.


    A figure clad in white flew confidently in the wind, while a being born from the darkens waited patiently for him.


    "Sparing us will be the death of you"


    The archbishop''s voice was filled with confidence however a bone-chilling voice answered him.


    "It wasn''t me who spared you"


    A voice made by hundreds of voices spoke causing the enemies to feel discouraged.


    "I am the will of the Ninth temple and I shall punish you for all the deaths you have caused to my people!"


    The demon did not speak and only one of his dozens of bodies came to fight.


    "I only need one to kill all of you"


    His arrogant statement made the archbishop scared and doubtful.


    "I know," he said while lifting his sword.


    "Tell me, why do you hold Excalibur, I know it is not the real one but why does it hold such power as the original"


    The archbishop looked at the demon and shook his head before answering.


    "If you come to such a conclusion then you haven''t seen the real Excalibur"


    The demon looked confused however his expression remained hidden by his helmet.


    "The real sword wields a power greater than anyone could imagine"


    Then flames began to gather around the sword making Apollo conflicted.


    "Then shall we start again demon"


    "Yes"


    The demon looked determined while his spear floated beside him.


    Apollo no longer needs to use his mana to attack, all he needs is to use his skills and use the essence of the deceased as fuel, it is also the same with his spells and techniques. As long as someone died he could use them as a source of energy.


    .....


    Apollo''s Pov


    The area was oozing with death and thus it was easier to increase the strength of my spell.


    My head went on and visualize the formula and a spark of electricity came to hand. The imaging continues until I gain the required essence for my casting.


    My original weapon spun in my hand while absorbing the spell I was casting. My spear shines brighter than ever transforming into pure energy.


    Then the manifestation of my spell came.


    Lightning and flame gathered up until it became one with my spear.


    [Is it pride?]


    "Pride? Maybe, it''s because I already broke one rule of our deal by killing his men so this is the least I could do"


    [His gospel is about to come] Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-novelhall.net


    "I know"


    I focused my will on the tip of my spear using the power it had to boost the command I was about to make.


    "Repulsion"


    And the command was given, an unexplained force suddenly pulled the angel away sending it back to the one who cast it.


    "What!" the archbishop exclaimed seeing his attack flying back at him.


    "Repulsion and attraction"


    One of the blessings I copied from my friends.


    "The fundamental forces of nature"


    Although I haven''t fully mastered all the forces yet it''s still better than nothing.


    So let''s go back to my opponent who was taken aback by the sudden turn of the situation but still fast enough to put up a guard to defend. He was too surprised to realise his own spell won''t really hurt him.


    {Samael I''ll give you fifteen minutes to find that man because I can no longer contain myself}


    {Is it because of that mysterious oath}


    {Yes}


    {Okay I''ll bring some of your soldiers it will be done in fifteen}


    {Thanks}


    I took a breath and finally felt more relieved, I might look like I was fine but the Oath constantly interfered with my movements.


    "I should finish this"


    My body then disappeared and reappeared behind my opponent.


    The archbishop who was busy casting his defensive barrier didn''t even notice me, well he was in a state of panic.


    [It''s because your skill Oppressor is active]


    "Really? Now it makes sense"


    Sparks ignited my spear which finally gained his attention.


    "Let''s go fast"


    As my spear turned into energy my body became engulfed with electricity, until it turned into lighting.


    "Thunder aura, positive lightning"


    White sparks of lightning made a huge line across the sky. The temperature increases while an unpleasant odor can be smelled. The archbishop who was yet again surprised with the sudden attack made a quick gospel to defend himself.


    It''s not like it was his first time getting hit by my spell so by now he should have known how to at least handle a couple of thousand volts and heat.


    Smoke was produced from the collision although it wasn''t enough to hinder my vision. And just like I predicted he was able to block my strike.


    "More"


    My speed drew a line while my opponent made a globe-shaped shield to cover all angles. Since he can''t keep up with my speed he decided to set a defence that protects him from all directions. However, I have a plan for that.


    I charge myself with more electricity causing some of the volts to lay waste on the ground and air.


    The scent of burning permeated through the air while the humidity increased.


    While I cast the archbishop wasn''t staying idle either, I could see he was casting something inside his defensive dome.


    Without wasting any more seconds I released my spell and went head-to-head with his.

 Chapter 93 The Church of Juanfonso

    While the battle continues four little figures struggle to keep themselves intact.


    "What the hell is Apollo doing!"


    Casper shouted while hiding behind dozens of mechanized soldiers.


    "We must move he told us we only have fifteen minutes to finish this"


    "How can we move when the place is like this!"


    Matilda felt aghast while Arabela kept holding the arms of the soldiers, afraid she might blown away due to the storm-like situation in the area.


    The wind is howling as if a monster was guiding it and the ground is scorching hot, each step feels like being burned alive. The impact of the fight between Apollo and the archbishop made the area inhabitable, the air wasn''t even safe for breathing.


    "Let''s go we have this barrier so we should be fine"


    However, even with a barrier strong shocks could still be felt causing the four to cling for their dear life.


    The three felt tired but still followed Samael''s lead.


    A few more moments went by and they barely made distance.


    "Samael!"


    "Just keep moving!"


    Despite Casper''s complaint Samael continued to move forward dragging his friends with him.


    Thinking back then they were always like this, dragging each other in places the others felt reluctant to go to.


    However, despite their complaint, their ending would always end up the same.


    "Wait for us!"


    They would always follow and support the one who takes the lead.


    "The barrier is up ahead"


    "Yeah I can see it"


    Two mechanical soldiers then went ahead of them making sure their barrier kept them hidden and safe.


    "Are you all ready?"


    Samael asked while the two soldiers created a hole in the barrier.


    "Honestly I am not ready to meet that man" Arabela said while her body trembled slightly.


    "The betrayal he caused was something none of us will ever be prepared for"


    Matilda said while gently stroking Arabela''s back.


    "We must continue moving forward" she added.


    For the sake of the future, they must cut down the past.


    While they mentally prepare themselves a distinct sound could be heard from the soldiers that effortlessly cut the barrier.


    "I wonder what Apollo put on these soldiers that they can cut through things like this"


    Casper can''t help but inquire.


    "I heard he used a different type of metal to make them strong and durable"


    "It thought he used micro machines?"


    "A micro what?"


    "Wait we can have this debate later since the hole is near finishing"


    Casper, Arabella and Matilda''s heated discussion soon came to a halt due to Samael''s voice. After their momentary silence, the sound of something breaking caught their attention.


    "Finally let us go in!"


    "Maybe because we are still too young, I haven''t even awakened my blessings as well"


    "You and I are different"


    She said while trying to keep her voice calm. She might try to act like she is fine but her insecurities and doubts are slowly creeping into her heart.


    "I know you already awakened yours" she muttered softly making Samael lean closer to her.


    "I didn''t hear you"


    "No...I mean we are different because you have God''s favor while I have nothing"


    "God is fair Ara"


    "Not for someone like me, I am an illegitimate child"


    "You are the last of vassals so your origin doesn''t matter"


    "But-.."


    "No more nonsense we should be happy since it''s foundation festival!"


    Samael took the hand of the little girl and dragged her towards the lively and festive land.


    The church was named after the first descendant of the God of Flames, Juanfonso. Since he is the one who established this place yearly they celebrate to honor him.


    "Hurry let''s go!"


    While the two run hand in hand, the church''s plaza was already filled with people and merchants.


    "It seems like the foundation festival this year is more lively than the previous"


    "Yeah it seems so"


    With the atmosphere being so happy the previous gloomy girl finally felt revitalized.


    "Should we buy something?"


    "Sure!"


    While the two enjoyed their time they suddenly felt a presence behind them.


    Curiously the two looked behind them and saw two familiar faces.


    "It''s Casper and Matilda!"


    "Hi!" Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -novelhall.net


    "It''s been a while!"


    The four children happily embrace each other before heading straight to the heart of the plaza.


    "How is the fort?" Samael initiated the talk as they walked.


    "It''s the same just people coming back and forth to defend against some demon beasts"


    "I suddenly wonder why the islands surrounding this place are all dangerous"


    Arabella wondered.


    "I heard that the mana here is unusual that''s why the magical beast ends up turning into demons"


    "That''s scary Matilda"


    "What I am worried about is the coast of Evaristo, my father told me that the fort currently struggles to handle the breakout there"


    "Cas, wasn''t Evaristo near here?"


    "Yes Samael it is near but no worries my father can handle it" he sounds confident though his eyes aren''t.


    While the four have worried expressions on their faces a sudden earthquake halted their conversation.


    A sky filled with darkness came while the waters were dyed with blood. The church''s bells rang wild causing the people to run away.


    The dreaded situation arrives driving the festival to a halt.

 Chapter 94 It is you

    "Evacuate everyone!"


    "Knights get the shield!"


    "Samael where are you!"


    The festival turns into chaos as the breakout begins.


    "Call the bishop we need someone who can teleport everyone!"


    "Sir we are unable to activate any teleportation spells or even a short-distance travel"


    "The place is sealed contact the others and tell them we need spell breakers"


    "Yes sir!"


    The young priest ran towards the church under the holy knight''s order.


    "Now where is that kid"


    The knight said to himself as he spread his senses to locate the boy.


    "Found him"


    Upon his discovery, his body was immediately clad in a green aura before transforming into a bolt of light.


    .....


    "Samael here!" Casper said dragging his friend towards a secluded corner.


    With the people running in panic, a stampede soon happened. The forces of the church arrived early but it wasn''t enough to mend the situation.


    "We should stay here until we can finally move back to the cathedral"


    "I want to agree with you Mael but what if those beasts came? We need to move now"


    "How exactly Matilda look at the ground we will be crushed if we try to go there"


    "It''s okay you two, no need to argue the barrier surrounding the island is powerful so no need to worry"


    "Wait Samael look at that"


    Arabella pointed making the three follow her hand from above they saw a huge crack while a horde of beasts were already behind it, ready to pounce inside the moment the barrier broke.


    "This is not good Mael"


    The children began to panic as well not knowing what to do. They had only two options, stay and be killed by those demonic beasts and run and be crushed by the wave of fleeing people.


    Two choices are given all have one ending, their death.


    "Perhaps I should use my father''s gun"


    "No don''t, we can''t waste bullets here"


    Matilda immediately stops Casper''s suggestion, firmly holding his sleeve.


    "We should look for alternatives we might find something if we look hard enough" She added finally letting go.


    "We should head towards the old fountain"


    Samael suggested.


    "Why?"


    "Because there is a secret path behind that fountain we should head there"


    "How Ara look at them"


    Casper can''t help but say, seeing how the people flow like a flood.


    "We will be crushed if we try to get in there"


    "So what should we do?"


    Matilda asked not liking the situation.


    While they contemplate their situation the sound of something cracking can be heard.


    "It''s breaking faster than before"


    "Should we just run along with the flow of people, our survival might be higher than staying here"


    Casper said while still feeling impatient, each passing second made his nerves nervous causing his body to tremble.


    "Okay we should hold each other so we won''t be separated"


    "Okay!"


    So the four children held each other''s hand and bravely stood up.


    "Alright on the count of three..." Casper started to say.


    "One!..."


    Their hand tremble as the counting continues but they make sure their grip is secure.


    "...two....thr-.."


    "Found you"


    "He is staying above fight the beast, to make sure you are all safe!"


    He said but the person beside him spoke words which immediately stopped their movements.


    "Your grace someone is following us!"


    An inferno knight said while taking out his sword.


    With no other option, the cardinal spoke.


    "Go on ahead"


    "But cardinal!"


    "No more questions hurry!"


    While the cardinal continues to urge the four to continue a voice grabs their attention


    "Cardinal Morales it is me"


    "Jacob?"


    "Yes your grace"


    Hiding behind the darkness a man wearing a red priest robe appeared.


    "I was sent here by the pope to check if you had successfully evacuated the kids"


    "Goodness thank God it''s you"


    Cardinal Morales looked relieved as soon as the young priest revealed himself.


    "How is the situation above Jacob?"


    "It is not good Marvin that is why we need to hurry"


    The cardinal and knight both nodded before lifting the kids. Then they both bolted in the direction of the hidden passage however as they did so a man was already there standing.


    "Cain?"


    Jacob recognized the man and immediately came forward, his body acting as a shield between the man and them.


    "Your grace I was sent here to make sure all of you are safe"


    He started to say however the priest named Jacob didn''t buy his words.


    "The only ones who are supposed to know this place besides the cardinal and the pope, are the vice-captain of the inferno knights which is the man who currently holds his sword there, and me the pope''s camerlengo"


    As he said those words he suddenly began to be filled with mana showing his intention to fight if needed.


    However, before he could even move a muscle a sword pierced through his chest.


    "What!?"


    "Damn it!" the mysterious man shouted before bolting towards them.


    "Marvin?"


    "I am sorry my friend but this is the end"


    "Damn you traitor!"


    His friend stabs him in the back with no remorse or hesitation.


    And so with his last remaining strength, Jacob snatches the boy who is strangely asleep in Marvin''s arms.


    "No, you don''t"


    Knowing his intention he tried to move though a man appeared behind him, it was the cardinal.


    He didn''t talk instead he went straight for the kill.


    His hand took Casper while Jacob successfully retrieved Samael.


    "Argh!"


    Marvin who was forced to abandon his target was sent flying on the wall.


    "That man!"


    "Soldier forget about him!"


    The cardinal voiced his command making the man stop.


    "I know it was the emperor who sent you, here take the kids with you"


    "But..cardinal!"


    The dying priest tried to protest but the old priest looked at him and said.


    "Take this idiot with you as well"


    "Argh!"


    The camerlengo winced in pain but fortunately, Arabela and Matilda gently held onto his bleeding body.


    "Hurry we don''t have much time"


    The imperial soldier just nodded his head while dragging Jacob with him.

 Chapter 95 It Is You Part II

    "Take this idiot with you"


    The cardinal then pointed the bleeding man to the ground.


    "Argh!"


    The camerlengo winced in pain but fortunately, Arabela and Matilda gently held onto his bleeding body. Becoming the support that prevents him from hitting the ground.


    "Hurry we don''t have much time"


    The imperial soldier just nodded his head while dragging Jacob.


    "Cardinal"


    Arabela felt like crying while Matilda wanted to scream but couldn''t, all they could do was look at the old man in front of them.


    "Don''t worry everything will be fine"


    He smiles gently before placing Casper and Samael in the soldier''s vehicle.


    "Aren''t you coming?"


    "No soldier a priest like me should remain where his faith began, and besides... "


    His voice trailed off signifying the arrival of some mysterious people.


    "I need to take care of some pest no need to worry about me"


    The soldier didn''t speak any longer and proceeded to leave.


    Seeing the armored power car the cardinal can''t help but sigh.


    "Why aren''t you not dead yet.."


    He turned back and saw the man he slammed on the wall back on his feet again.


    "Marvin"


    The deranged man smiled hysterically while a few more figures behind him appeared.


    "Shall we play more cardinal?"


    He smiled while tilting his head to the side.


    "What a hassle" the old priest just said before pulling an amber rosary from his sleeve.


    BEEP! BEEP!


    A sound consists of short, sharp pulses or tones repeated at regular intervals. It was concise and in pitch and intensity prompting someone to look at it, like a notification or alarm urging someone''s attention.


    The sound itself draws attention without being overly intrusive, not too painful to hear but attracts your ears.


    "That sound"


    Four heads followed the sound and saw the screen on the mechanical soldier''s chest. Their minds which were clouded with memories woke up because of the sound.


    "It found him"


    Samael realized as he saw a glowing red dot on the flat surface of the screen.


    "He is in the middle of the enemy line, what should we do Mael?"


    Casper asked since they couldn''t reveal themselves.


    "Should we ask Apollo''s help?"


    "Apollo currently confronts the archbishop so we can''t ask him right now, besides this is our business"


    "It''s dangerous Mael, and Apollo has more than one body so it''s fine"


    However Samael look conflicted,


    "Mael, what truly stops you from consulting him?"


    Matilda''s words made the boy halt.


    "What if he kills that man before we can get a definite answer?"


    The three then looked at him stupidly.


    "I never anticipated you look at Apollo in such a shallow way"


    "That person has a functional brain so he won''t do that"


    "I know Apollo does unusual things but he is a reasonable person"


    Calmly the boy puts his arm around the priest''s shoulder making him tremble.


    "Don''t be nervous we won''t kill you...yet"


    It will be much better for the four to cause more pain to their enemy. By doing so his mind would grow weaker causing the questioning to be easy. However, they are already satisfied with this.


    Just him being terrified of his well-being is enough to put a smile on the kid''s faces.


    "Now tell me what happened that night, why did you betray us? Where are the cardinal and the pope....the others what happened to them?"


    Samael asks bullets of question but Marvin doesn''t want to speak. It is not because he doesn''t know the answer or he is reluctant to, it''s just he is afraid that the answer might cost his life.


    "Speak he is asking you!"


    Casper tightened his grip on Marvin''s shoulder but his lips were tight shut.


    "This won''t do we should have used a memory search spell on him"


    "Matilda I heard from Vesta that memory search spells are dangerous so we should stick to the right way of interrogating"


    "I said speak!"


    Samael pulled his collar and despite the height difference, his dominance didn''t waver.


    "It seems like your tongue is caught with something, did worshipping that blue guy turn you into mute?"


    Casper began to mock Nirvana causing the terrified priest to finally speak. It seems insulting his lord is his weak spot.


    "My faith.... "


    Marvin started to say while his body was undoubtedly shaking.


    "My loyalty and faith are always with my lord, you have no right to insult him!"


    The kid smiles seeing him react that way so he continues.


    "I bet he is weak if not he wouldn''t be sealed and none of you will ever experience this situation. My friend will kill him just like the archbishop of this temple"


    Marvin gritted his teeth looking beastly.


    "Our lord Nirvana is powerful and the monastery has been strong enough to survive two hundred years against the empire! Every single one of our enemies had fallen no one survived!"


    "Really? No one?"


    Casper retained his mocking tone wanting to hear the answer they have been dreading to hear.


    "Yes, no one....not even your father!.."


    Then he looked at Samael and Arabella his face looked crazy, and he continued to speak "...not even the church... " Finally he looked at Matilda "And your brother"


    A heavy atmosphere enveloped the four until a voice came to wake them up.


    {Fifteen minutes is done, did you get the answer that you want?} Stay connected through m-v l|e''-novelhall.net


    Apollo''s voice pulled them out of their current dark thoughts, and then Samael spoke.


    "We are done here"


    {You guys are too close with the enemies I''ll pull you guys out of there}


    "Okay," they all said before leaving Marvin alone.


    "Goodbye"


    Samael''s voice echoes as the darkness expands swallowing the lone figure inside it.


    ...


    Apollo''s Pov.


    "It seems like the answer they wanted is more painful than they thought"


    [What should we do then?]


    "Inflict the most painful thing we can"


    A magic circle appeared above the sky while the demon lifted his spear.


    "Jeremiah use the joint essence gathered from the other temples, I want to give them a punishment they won''t forget"


    [Affirmative Creator]


    Since Apollo no longer needs to use his mana to attack, all he needs is to let Jeremiah use the essence of the deceased as fuel, and so lightning and flame gather causing the clouds to darken. A spell is about to be cast while the light meets the darkness.


    The gathered prayers from the remaining priests and paladins created a symphony of magic, Apollo felt his heart pounding hard as more prayers came to aid the archbishop.

 Chapter 96 Last three

    The archbishop''s spell created a dazzling light that can be seen even from afar.


    It attracted attention from the nearest human villages causing panic to spread.


    Opposite to the light is the endless stormy cloud that spreads across the other end of the sky.


    Thunder roared while lightning made a distinctive line seemingly breaking the sky.


    A prayer was sung, a gospel was given, and a magic circle filled with fifteen rings was created.


    The spell came to life and a sphere filled with different types of wings emerged.


    "Be prepared demon this gospel is the manifestation of our will, it won''t break easily"


    The demon just raised his hand and summoned a big storm.


    "If that thing is the manifestation of your faith and will, then this.."


    The lighting crackles and the clouds become thicker leading it to swallow the light emitted from the archbishop''s gospel.


    Feeling his attack can''t maintain its power before it could even clash with Apollo''s spell, the archbishop asked for more prayers.


    "Everyone I need more prayers!"


    As his words went through their ears they began to chant even more causing another influx of power. This power then fuels the archbishop''s spell. The light grows strong but the thunderclouds remain still.


    Apollo''s spell wasn''t even finished and barely manifested however it was enough to push the enemy''s gospel away.


    This situation shows that he is about to cast a high-level spell. According to the mages in Brynar the higher the level of the spell the longer it takes to cast it. From the formula of the spell to the complexity of the imaging, it takes longer than it usually does.


    However not because it has a prolonged time of casting doesn''t mean someone can actually interrupt its process or even attack the mage while he occupied, the spell creates a huge field of pressure pressing down spells lower than its level. If you want to interrupt its process or even attack you must use a much more powerful and higher-tier spell. Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-novelhall.net


    So those who will face such power, could either flee or put out a defensive barrier to block it. However, the archbishop will have to clash with his gospel against Apollo''s spell. He never anticipated his enemy could cast the highest level a spell could reach.


    "This is the manifestation of all the people that die today.."


    A voice devoid of any emotion spoke, and then the clouds produced a bolt of lightning and thunder.


    A blue lightning struck the spear of the demon turning it into a lightning rod.


    "I want to show you the spell brother Astro taught me"


    The spear becomes one with the spell and without hesitation, the demon throws it at the archbishop.


    As the spell finally released a different kind of pressure hits the ground and air.


    "I won''t lose!"


    The priest from the monastery moves his hand and pushes his gospel forward fighting the lightning lance of his enemy.


    "Go, Zeus"


    The spell Zeus was the same spell Astro used when he fought against a Marquis rank demon beast. Unfortunately, the senior mage from the tower was too exhausted after fighting for three months without proper rest and medication, he later died due to mana depletion after the fight.


    From the handle of the lightning lance, a hand emerge from it. The storm intensifies until it turns into a humanoid shape.


    As soon as the man emerged flames burst forth on its eyes before spreading across its cloud-like body. A scent of burning permeated across the area as the lightning lance became covered with fire, a blue fire.


    The appearance of such a spell made the archbishop worried and he asked once again "I need more!"


    More prayers were given but soon the embodiment of the god of the sky in myths pierced through the spherical wings. The wings tried to defend but no defensive barriers can stop Zeus from stabbing the heart of the gospel completely shattering it.


    "No!"


    The archbishop exclaimed as he saw his mighty gospel turn into dust.


    However the fight is still going, he shouldn''t be distracted. The gospel was destroyed and the lightning lance didn''t stop from pushing forward with its speed it went straight towards the archbishop.


    Fourth temple - only the prepared army will attack{DESTROYED}


    The third temple - only the prepared army will attack{DESTROYED}


    Second temple - Jillian and Keith (with the prepared Army)


    First temple - Alicia and Apollo (with the prepared Army)]


    "Not bad, by the way, how much money and treasures did we get from them"


    [According to my rough estimation it should be around ten billion imperial dollars, I still haven''t evaluated the gemstones and the scale of the mines we confiscated]


    A smile escaped from Apollo''s lips hearing the words that came from Jeremiah.


    "We should steal more"


    [Creator are you really a mage or just a random bandit?]


    "I suppose both? How do think the Mage tower acquired such wealth"


    [You don''t mean]


    However, Apollo didn''t answer instead he hummed and happily skipped around.


    Inside his consciousness, Jeremiah can''t help but sigh.


    ....


    Changed Pov.


    The wielders of the five blessings are those who inherited the power of the five gods.


    There were many stories about them, some said they were the past lovers of gods that reincarnated so many times. There are also tales saying they were descendants of the said gods. In the end, no one knows the truth other than the chosen holder of the blessing.


    Up in the heavens, celestial beings who were supposed to protect the universe sat down in a circle. At the centre of their position, a pond can seen which shows the current events.


    "Hahaha! That''s it you should butcher them alive my kin!"


    A God exclaimed while raising his hands in the air.


    "What is wrong with my child why did he forgive her?"


    "He is too kind unlike you"


    "Shut up!"


    While the other Gods remained asleep five mischievous Gods woke up to watch the fall of the Monastery.


    While they argue a graceful presence fills the room. The rowdy Gods became silent and gave way to her.


    "My child seems to be in a lot of pain"


    She only said causing the rest of the Gods to be silent.


    "They will be fine"


    A warm presence then envelops the room as if trying to comfort the cold truth.


    "I hope so"


    The Goddess of Time sat down her eyes remaining glued to her child, Agnes.


    ....


    The Pov. Of Agnes


    I wonder when did things go wrong. Our kingdom wasn''t as wealthy as the other kingdoms but our citizens were very satisfied. They can have 3 meals a day and have stable jobs for each able person in their household.


    No one is starving and illiterate, because education is free for everyone. We filled their bodies with food while knowledge for their minds. However, everything changed because of that night.

 Chapter 97 Their POV

    The wielders of the five blessings are those who inherited the authority of the five gods. Authorities are the power or influence the Gods have over the mortal realm.


    Each God have their respective authority which has something to do with their existence and connection over the universe. No power can go beyond the authority of Gods since they are the supreme beings that made the entire universe.


    Many stories about the blessings spread far and wide during the Age of Heroes, some said they were the past lovers of gods that reincarnated so many times. There are also tales saying they were descendants of the said gods. In the end, no one knows the truth other than the chosen holder of the blessing.


    The POV of Agnes


    I wonder when did things go wrong. Our kingdom wasn''t as wealthy as the other kingdoms but our citizens were very satisfied. They can have 3 meals a day and have stable jobs for each able person in their household.


    No one is starving and illiterate, because education is free for everyone. We filled their bodies with food while knowledge for their minds. However, everything changed because of that night.


    The sky turns dark while the ground becomes red due to blood. For some reason a breakout occurs, something that''s impossible to happen. Weekly our soldiers would inspect every forest to make sure no magical beast would turn into demons.


    But still they came and everything turned upside down. My home my people, my family and everything turned to ashes.


    "Agnes! Please darling listen to Daddy...this is not the time to be stubborn okay!"


    "I can fight too, please I can fight as well" With tears falling from my eyes, I tried to plea I wanted to be at least useful, I didn''t want to just stand and watch everyone die.


    "You can''t please you have to be safe...your daddy can''t risk losing you" My father''s voice became gentle as if coaxing me to agree.


    "BANG!"


    The door flung open then a figure drenched in blood appeared.


    A pungent scent hits my nose, a combination of the metallic odor with the smell of sweat and dirt.


    Then a knight bathed in blood came in, on its hand was a sword covered with blood while its back had a black ragged cape also dyed with blood.


    This knight approached me and my father, each step made a rustic armor sound while also leaving a trail of blood.


    "CLANG!"


    The helmet was recklessly removed revealing a scarlet long hair. Then a pair of purple eyes laid towards me.


    "Agnes!"


    "Mom!"


    The bloody knight was my mother, Larisa Hernandez Santos Von Elysium, a knight and queen who serves our kingdom.


    "You must go you can''t stay here!"


    "No, I won''t!"


    I was stubborn I know but it was the only thing I could do to remain where my parents were. I could feel that if I go I won''t be able to see them again.


    I struggled to argue but before I could utter a single word my head went dark and I collapsed from where I was.


    .....


    Niko''s Pov


    "Niko!"


    "My queen I apologize but it''s the only thing I could do"


    I held the princess''s head afraid that her fall might cause her injuries.


    "How did you come here?"


    {If we were to do that then we must take all the blessings from the other descendants and chosen ones, including yours}


    "It doesn''t matter, my power and empire will remain strong even without the power you granted me"


    There was yet another silence after he said those words. The emperor felt nervous thinking he had offended the creator of this world.


    {My hero I apologize but the other wielder does not agree with you, they can''t hand their power away}


    "Damn it!"


    {But we know what you are worried about, be at ease because we shall help you. The blessings will disappear to the other descendants and chosen ones and will only manifest on their youngest members. This will continue until the threat of the Monastery ends}


    A bit of hope washes over the emperor causing him to bow even more deeply.


    "Thank you, thank you so much!"


    {Now run along your friend is currently in danger}


    Happiness filled the heart of the ruler as he ran out of the temple.


    "What is this!"


    However, as he did so the sky which filled with light when he entered turned dark when he came out.


    "No this is.. "


    In his estimation, he only stayed inside for six hours, but as he looked up he could tell the time due to the stars.


    "It is passed midnight"


    He came early in the morning but returned at midnight.


    "Not good"


    He covered himself with Aura and immediately dashed towards a location.


    "Damn it! Did you know this? You bastard why didn''t you tell me the time inside the temple is different from the outside!"


    As he dashed he began to lash out his frustrated mind.


    "Now I won''t be able to make it!"


    He went on and eventually flew towards the direction of Elysium kingdom, but as he came closer all he saw was burning houses and dead bodies covering the streets.


    "NOOO!!"


    The kingdom of Elysium was the last God descendant''s residence that was destroyed, the others were already burned down, and its people ran away and went to hiding.


    With still a bit of hope he ran again and went to the castle however what he saw was no better from the outside.


    "No..."


    He weakly said while walking towards his friend''s dead body.


    "You idiot! I could have protected all of you if let me stay here!"


    As he grieved he suddenly remembered their last conversation.


    "That''s right the location"


    Just what''s in there that his friend explicitly said that must go no matter what.

 Chapter 98 I am in pain

    "You idiot! I could have protected all of you if let me stay here!"


    As he grieved he suddenly remembered their last conversation.


    "That''s right the location"


    With his still grieving heart, he once again covered himself with Aura before shooting towards the sky. He flew fast breaking the sound barrier, and as he did so a booming sound could be heard.


    "Why did he tell me to go there if he plans to kill himself from the beginning?"


    His question didn''t take long to be answered.


    "I see"


    In an old chapel, three kingdoms away from Elysium two small figures can be seen sleeping soundly on the cold hard floor.


    It was Niko and Agnes, alive and well.


    "Ha...hahaha.."


    He was relieved but still in pain, he thought about laughing to push his dark thoughts but all he gets are drops of tears from his eyes.


    "I''m seriously glad" he said barely whispering.


    That night he took the two away and brought them to the imperial palace.


    They were the first to arrive in the palace even though their kingdom was the last to be attacked.


    Agnes'' Pov


    "Agnes?"


    Niko asked me, he must have noticed how quiet I had become.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I don''t know"


    I really don''t know at first I thought maybe gaining revenge would make me feel better but now I don''t feel anything, nothing.


    Even when their blood painted the ground and their screams filled the air, it wasn''t enough to make me feel satisfied.


    "I just don''t know what to do"


    Niko looks at me worriedly, I know why he does but I couldn''t think of any reason to make him feel better. So all I could do was look at him.


    Find your next read on m_v l|e-novelhall.net


    "Are you confused?"


    An unfamiliar spoke however I know who it belong to.


    "Apollo"


    "It''s okay to be confused maybe revenge isn''t the one you truly wanted"


    His words struck a cord inside me perhaps he was right.


    Then in the end what do I want?


    I closed my eyes and kept thinking


    What did I want?


    As my thoughts drifted my mind brought me towards a certain memory, my family.


    It was the time when the foundation of the kingdom was being celebrated. Everyone was laughing and enjoying the festival while my friends and family danced with me at the evening bonfire.


    "I miss them"


    My eyes remain down while tears begin to fall. Apollo didn''t speak to me and instead continued his slaughter. It seems my tears became the fuel for his desire to kill.


    "Niko"


    "Yes, Apollo?"


    "Take Agnes away from here it seems this place isn''t the one meant for her"


    "Where should I take her? Should we return to the shrine?"


    "No"


    A magic circle then suddenly appears before me, its brilliance is blinding, burying my previous gloomy thoughts.


    "Go take her inside the teleportation circle"


    "Okay"


    Niko then urged me to stand so I did what he asked, but as I walked my eyes caught a glimpse of a person I used to know.


    "You?"


    "Agnes?"


    Apollo and Niko followed my gaze and saw a woman among the crowd of enemies.


    "Princess"


    "!?"


    "!?"


    Suddenly amidst our confused state, another familiar voice can be heard.


    "It''s me!?"


    Niko exclaimed seeing a boy wearing a knight training suit.


    "Why is the princess here in the middle of the night?"


    Instead of answering the young Agnes turned her back to Niko and started walking away.


    "Princess where are going!? You can''t walk like this, you are too far from the palace"


    Even though his voice was soft and very coaxing the stubborn princess continued to walk. I was dumbfounded watching myself act like a brat and also embarrassed by how Niko patiently persuaded me to come with him.


    "Um....pardon me but did something like this happen before?"


    "I...I don''t know I can''t remember either"


    I stutter a bit but knowing his attention is occupied it should be fine.


    "Princess.....please"


    The young Niko spoke again and his soft and patient voice was getting me worked up.


    I don''t remember this happening just what''s going on here.


    With me and Niko both in deep thought a deep baritone voice caught our attention.


    "What is my cute little daughter doing here"


    "What the!?"


    "That''s...father"


    My father the king of our kingdom was standing right in front of me again. He was alive and well, his face was just the same as I remembered.


    "Father!"


    The young me ran while the young Niko kneeled to show his respect.


    "I greet the ruler of the kingdom"


    "Greetings to you my knight, it seems like you are getting occupied"


    "Not at all Your Majesty it''s just that I was worried about the princess"


    "Thank you for worrying"


    "It''s my duty sir"


    My father chuckled before messing with Niko''s hair.


    "Agnes do what Niko said and go back to the palace"


    "Yes Father"


    My heart who was unrest suddenly felt funny seeing this exchange.


    "Now I really wanted to remember this"


    Niko said which made me laugh "Me too"


    "Apollo you can take us out now, I don''t know how you did this but putting an illusion like this isn''t funny"


    "Niko''s right Apollo"


    We spoke in the air hoping he would take us out but instead of hearing the same unfamiliar voice, we heard Him instead.


    "And who is this Apollo I am hearing? Do you have a boyfriend already, my daughter?"


    That voice made me and Niko look at each other before turning our backs towards someone.


    "I am glad to see you can use the Goddess'' powers to this extent. Although it is not a perfect time travel yet, since no one except those with the power of time can see you, still it''s better than nothing"


    Father then circled us as if assessing our appearance, I felt nervous but then he spoke again.


    "And seeing you in this unstable form meant you can''t touch anything. You two are only ghosts brought from the future"


    "So tell me my dear daughter what brought you here?"


    His face was closed making my heart rise, my father was right in front of me.


    I haven''t seen you for a while now.


    "It''s been three years Father"


    I can''t help it, tears begin to fall and my emotions leak out to the surface.


    "I missed you!"

 Chapter 99 I am in pain part II

    Continuation of Agnes'' POV


    "I missed you"


    My voice cracked while my body trembled, I was nervous but still, I wanted to tell him how much I miss him. I hope my mom is here as well. I also want to see her again.


    "Did something happen in the future?"


    I wanted to tell him everything but instead, I shook my head.


    "I...I don''t know what I should say"


    While I cried my father looked at Niko trying to know what was going on. His expression didn''t look good as he shifted his gaze at me and then back at Niko.


    "What happened?"


    "Your majesty....they want him to return"


    It was only those words but somehow Father figured out what he meant.


    "Seeing your expression like this means I didn''t make it"


    I cried, even more trying my best to stay calm but failed to.


    "It''s okay don''t cry"


    I felt his embrace which I haven''t been able to feel since the day he died.


    "Where''s mom?"


    He chuckled after hearing my question but still, he answered "She is on her way here, no need to worry"


    Then he slowly patted my back, trying to calm my heart.


    I didn''t know what happened nor how long we stayed in this position but soon I heard her voice.


    "What''s going on?"


    I unconsciously break away from my father''s arms and look eagerly at the person who owns that voice.


    "Mom!"


    I was about to rush to her when someone stopped me.


    "No need to rush, let me help her see you first"


    Right only those with the power of time can see me and Niko, mom won''t be able to see us unless father does something.


    "Dear, what is going on?"


    "Don''t be confused come here"


    Then as soon as father held mom''s hand a different kind of magic suddenly hit me.


    {This is not magic dear..}


    "Who!?"


    {Its authority}


    A warm embrace suddenly enveloped me while my eyes caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman. Her smile makes all my worries disappear as if the pain I previously felt didn''t happen.


    {Smile}


    I cried, her words were so relieving that my emotions suddenly flooded out like a broken dam.


    "Agnes?"


    I cried even harder her touch was something I longed to feel.


    "Mom!"


    I ran and went to her, I wanted to feel her warmth, her breath, her life.


    If this is a dream I don''t want it to end.


    But then again every time happiness comes it has its ending, then I heard his voice, and this time it is really him.


    [I''m sorry to interrupt you but time is running out, you must return now]


    It was Apollo, I don''t know what he did but all I can say is..."Thank you"


    [Thank me later, have a proper goodbye to your parents first]


    "Yes I will"


    I looked at my parents and spread my arms for another hug.


    "I love you, father, mom"


    "I don''t really like you saying these words in that tone, it feels like I won''t be able to see you again" Continue reading at m|v-l''e -novelhall.net


    I chuckled but restrained the tears that threatened to fall.


    "I love you my beloved daughter"


    "Right"


    But then something suddenly popped inside my head a question that I missed.


    How exactly did the Monastery manage to subjugate all the children with blessings? Obviously, the wielders are more than one and skilled personnel so how come they lost?


    [Isn''t it because of the demon beast breakout?]


    "Is that really the reason?"


    [You are worried about something]


    "I just neglected that aspect but I should have been prepared in case there is someone or something that can cancel a God''s authority"


    [That is impossible Creator no being can be above the beings who created this universe]


    "And yet their descendants were slaughtered, I need to be prepared"


    And so with those thoughts, I began to gather my mana to attack.


    "Let''s save the essence for bigger enemies"


    Fifteen rings emerged from the sky summoning a great deal of heat. Then it falls and washes out the entire area.


    It was a purple magic circle, embedded in it where fifteen magical rings.


    Celestial level spell, Lightning element, Heaven''s Gate


    The clouds parted creating a huge hole in the sky, and then bolts of lightning rained down as if ending the world.


    The enemies put the best defensive spells they can but it wasn''t enough. The heat and speed of my lightning spell were capable of melting any defense.


    [Creator there is still one remaining living enemy]


    "It seems the archbishop here is also strong"


    [No, Creator that man was already dead this one is different]


    I looked at where that man was and could only see him calmly standing in the middle of the broken inner temple.


    "Can you get his stats?"


    [Negative Creator


    Something is blocking my sensor


    I can''t evaluate this man''s powers]


    "Interesting"


    My spear then hums absorbing an abundant amount of essence.


    "I should greet him no?"


    From the shattered lightning strikes it suddenly became focus, to be exact I directed all the lightning at one point.


    Heaven''s Gate, Fash point


    The white lightning sparks and generates a mass of volts and heat.


    The ground was dented like the area was a meteor crash site. With all the flames and burns in the ground, my spell did not stop. It gathered more strength and was about to release another blast when.....something struck it instead.


    A white light shot towards the sky before exploding. The thunderclouds disappear and the gate of lightning disperses.


    [Why did you not stop it? You saw it coming]


    "I was just wondering what will happen"


    [And here I thought you would be cautious]


    "Unfortunately I''m already acting cautious, you just didn''t notice it"


    While we talked I saw how that man positioned himself to attack again.


    "Shoot"


    A rain of bullets flew and my soldiers positioned themselves in a way they could immediately attack the enemy.


    "He has a very strong physique and mastery over his body"


    I saw clearly how he utilized his staff to either block or dodge the bullets.


    A superb reaction and speed capable of dodging a bullet and a stable technique to block it, a good combination.


    But what is more interesting is his weapon.


    "I want to examine it"


    Never in my entire life have I seen a weapon that is living and made out of flesh.


    My spear landed on my hand, while my gaze remained on my enemy''s staff.


    Now then let''s see, should I test how sturdy that flesh weapon is?


    I form my stance and wielded my spear, lightning sparks while flames ignite the gaps and symbols surrounding my weapon.


    "Alright let''s do some greeting again"

 Chapter 100 The One Who Was Promised

    Continuation of Apollo''s POV


    And so with all my might, I threw my spear, and just like what happened with my previous strikes the ground was broken yet again until my weapon landed on my target.


    I saw it all how his mana and ki blended together and transformed the staff into a more grotesque form. The flesh kept on pulsating as if it were alive. Then it expanded transforming into a different kind of weapon.


    The flesh which is covered with thick blackish blood suddenly opens and gives out a set of different bones. It wriggles in a disgusting way to adjust to its new form.


    A sinew, bone, and muscle, formed into a jagged blade. Its handle was made from sinew wrapped around a bone, it pulsates slightly as if alive. The blade itself, hardened muscle fibres interwoven with sharpened bone fragments, exudes a faint warmth and faintly throbs with a slow, rhythmic pulse, almost like a heartbeat.


    It''s a grotesque yet strangely functional weapon, unnervingly frightening, especially watching it in fast motion.


    [It''s beating but doesn''t have a heart]


    "Not everything that beats needs a heart, Jeremiah"


    Then I felt a sudden wave of energy come head to head with my spear.


    "The power is good, then let''s increase the challenge"


    My spear then began to spin, its high rotation speed and focus of application force put significant pressure on my mysterious opponent. The concentrated and drilling force combined with its lightning and fire properties made it hard for my opponent to deflect the attack.


    My eyes were expecting something from him and sure enough, I wasn''t wrong. The speed at which his mana and ki blended to make a response was impressive. It was fast and efficient and able to give an adequate force to continue blocking my strike.


    Then after strengthening his arms and weapon, he redirected my spear aiming it at the side. My spear went on and flew past him but since it was being controlled by me it immediately changed its direction and aimed at his head.


    That''s when I heard a chant, a prayer.


    "A gospel"


    Magic emerges surrounding his eerie weapon. As it baths with the gospel''s power my spear was already in its way. Lightning was fast but he went faster, almost at the speed of light.


    [We should get involved, he is too dangerous]


    Indeed he is, so I move my spear manoeuvring it faster.


    [He is keeping up]


    "I know"


    I want to save my spells so I thought about using authorities.


    "Gravity 10x"


    The pressure surrounding the mysterious man grew heavy however instead of getting slower he went even faster even knocking away my weapon.


    [Creator!]


    "I know"


    I saw it all, through the upgraded sensors of the system I could see how the flow of energies worked for both my opponent and his weapon.


    Just now that man''s weapon did something I never anticipated.


    "It ate the authority"


    It''s like a massive black hole opens up from the thick layer of flesh and swallows the authority I release.


    The command I gave for gravity to obey me turned to nothing as soon as the mangled pile of flesh swallowed and took the authority away.


    A wave of energy blasted the ground, and right in front of me, the jagged bone weapon appeared right in front of my face. It was fast, however... I am faster.


    The scent of something burning hit my opponent''s nose along with my fist.


    "Thunder aura, Positive lightning"


    The clouds then darkened as lightning strikes.


    Experience tales at m v|l e''-novelhall.net


    [He blocked it]


    "Yes I can see it"


    He was sent flying because of the lightning''s impact but he just fixed his stance and charged another gospel, as the light flowed in his entire body he engaged in close combat with me.


    Every movement he made began to be calculated by me which is why despite his speed I was able to keep up.


    "Hey don''t worry I''ll let join the cycle once I get all the information I need"


    And at that time a mournful cry escaped from the soul''s core.


    ...


    "Very interesting"


    "What is it this time?"


    Keith asked me while we walked across the cold and snowy temple.


    The second temple of the Monastery is located in the northern region at the boundary of Brynar and the continent Nerteros.


    "I found this while fighting on one of the temples"


    From my inventory, a staff made of grotesque flesh came out. Each strand of muscle pulsates in a rhythmic tune.


    "What is that!?"


    "A weapon forged from the flesh and bones of someone, have you by any chance seen this before?"


    "No, we haven''t"


    "Are you sure Keith?"


    "I am sure Apollo if I have seen something like that I will never forget it"


    "Keith is right this type of weapon is hard to erase from your mind"


    Looking at their facial expression I knew they weren''t lying.


    [If they didn''t encounter it then it''s either they were immediately transported away from the village during the attack or this weapon wasn''t used against them]


    "That must be the case"


    We continued to walk until a high frozen temple appeared in our view.


    "No one has noticed our presence" Jillian whispered then I spoke.


    "They won''t be able to sense us since I sealed their senses"


    [Please thank me for that, I made the seal after all]


    "Yes thank you"


    The second temple is different from the rest, from the location and weather to the size of the temple everything is almost unique.


    The place was huge and also had more powerful people. The weakest is at rank Marquis while the strongest are at Celestial. That is why our approach here will be different from the others.


    [You are using the ranking scale of a beast to measure them]


    "Because they are monsters, they deserve to be treated as a beast"


    We walked around the empty temple, placing the gifts I made for them.


    [Notifcation Alert!


    My sensors have scanned life in the underground tunnels]


    "No worries we will go there later"


    [The life I have scanned is weak, Creator, like a dying candle


    I suggest we head there now]


    "Okay"


    I then looked at my two classmates and told them we would change location.


    "Where?"


    "At the underground tunnels"


    "But we haven''t covered the entire place yet"


    "It''s okay Jillian my soldiers will take care of it"

 Chapter 101 The One Who Was Promised Part. II

    The underground tunnel appears dimly lit passage carved through rock or earth. It has rough, uneven walls and a low ceiling. Also supported by beams or pillars to prevent collapse. The atmosphere was damp, with moisture seeping through cracks, and the air was cool and musty.


    The Light is scarce almost non-existent at some part of the tunnel. The walls that are lit by unsteady light from the torches can barely be seen. The tunnel''s length and curvature combined with the limited light create an eerie sense of isolation.


    "Jeremiah, how long do we need to walk?"


    [You are already close just pass the iron gate and you will see it]


    And just like what he said we saw a black rustic iron gate filled with lock defensive magic.


    "It''s protected by magic Apollo"


    "Yes I can see it"


    I approached the gate and just ordered Jeremiah to break it for me.


    [Creator I have noticed something at the end of this tunnel]


    "And that is?"


    [A library]


    This piqued my interest, after all, it''s rare for people to put a library in a tunnel.


    "It''s open we should head inside"


    "Just what do want to see here?"


    "Treasures, we might find something here if we look around"


    Keith and Jillian both sigh probably not understanding why I am quite obsessed with gold and mine.


    Why? Would you pass on the opportunity of getting rich? Surely you won''t right?


    Our steps echo as we walk across a dungeon-like place.


    The temperature was cold while the space was narrow and oppressive, with low ceilings.


    The walls were lined with torch sconces that cast flickering, dim light. Same as the walls we previously saw but as we walked more we began to realize its difference. Iron chains rattle occasionally, hanging from hooks embedded into the stone, remnants of its past captives. Thick iron bars divide the cells, their surfaces corroded with age and neglect. This cast ominous shadows across the damp floors.


    The sound of dripping water echoes throughout, adding to the eerie ambience. Each cell door is reinforced with heavy bolts and padlocks. And from its surfaces, we could see scratches from the captive''s futile escape attempts. Just seeing the marks of desperation exudes a sense of despair and confinement on us. These marks are a chilling reminder of its purpose as a place of captivity and punishment.


    "This place looks terrible"


    "Apollo, are you certain there is treasure here?"


    "Of course I am"


    "It''s creepy"


    "Yeah, Apollo-.."


    Keith''s voice halted when one of the cells showed signs of someone being imprisoned there.


    [Thats him]


    I wonder why Jeremiah asked me to look into this prisoner.


    "Let''s approach that cell"


    I told them, Keith followed while I heard something from behind me.


    "Sigh"


    Jillian looked conflicted but still followed me and Keith.


    [She is scared, Creator]


    "For someone who experienced being hunted, I never expected she would be afraid of something like this"


    [Perhaps it''s not because she is afraid but maybe this place is reminding her of something]


    My steps halted due to his words and unintentionally I looked at Jillian. She looked uncomfortable but I could still see she was doing well.


    [Should I scan her?]


    "No, I think that''s disrespectful"


    "Do-..." his voice was barely a whisper but with the quiet corridors of the dungeon we could still hear him.


    "Don''t... waste....energy..."


    His voice was strained probably due to dehydration so Keith with his trembling hand tried to give him water.


    "Here father! Please drink!"


    A small bottle appeared from Keith''s ring, then he gently helped his father drink through a straw.


    I wanted to say something but seeing their desperate attempts to save his life made me hesitant.


    [You must speak Creator]


    Can I really do it?


    I drew my attention back to them and heard that man''s voice again, however, this time his voice was more solid and alive.


    I heard a soft laughter from him making my heart hurt. He is laughing despite the situation, it hurts me to see a person like this.


    "Father"


    Keith''s voice cracked who wouldn''t be right?


    If I saw anyone from the tower like this I might not just cry....I might run berserk.


    "It''s okay...I am just happy..." there were gaps in his words because he kept catching his breath, and this caused us to be worried.


    "No....please no more speaking"


    The man chuckled again like finding something amusing, but as he did so our hearts were put to the edge. Each breath, each gasp and choke made us worried that it might be his last.


    "I...I am happy....son....seeing you are safe....made those three years worth it...my last remaining life is well spent.... "


    "Your brothers and I....we took as many as we can to ensure you can be safe...."


    "....when the attack happened.....'' they'' appeared..... A legion of sword men, wielding weapons with questionable appearance....it looked alive...and threatening.... "


    He began to narrate his story when the attack happened, this drew my attention to listen.


    ".... we''re desperate...they were many and blessings were useless...." then he moved his head and looked straight at his son''s eyes.


    "....I thought the Gods had abandoned us...that we are no longer loved.....because no matter how hard I call no one answers..."


    Then as he continued to speak his eyes softened.


    "...then I heard his voice...he answered me....he told me....that you will be safe...out of all the deaths that will happen that day....you are the one who was promised to live...."


    My hand trembled as I realized one thing, they sacrificed themselves to make sure Keith would live. Because of the words of the Gods, it spark fuel for them to make sure Keith will be saved.


    "...me and your brothers are already old...everyone in the village is....except you two.....so we took as many as we can so that you two can live....."


    Tears flowed down from Keith and Jillian''s face but their focus remained still.


    ".....I want you two to remember....that all of us want to...say these...we love you...live...and be happy..."


    As soon as he said those words his heart began to beat slowly, his vitals were shutting down while his eyes began to close.


    "No!"


    Even with Jillian using her gift of healing it wasn''t enough to save his life. His body was almost dead but his mind remained focused on his goal, to meet his son again.


    As his life began to vanish, Jillian kept pushing herself, using her gift to save the little life in the man''s body.


    "Apollo! Please!"


    Keith began to beg me and I don''t know what to do. I already analyzed his body and knew it was time for him to go.


    "PLEASEEEEE SAAAVEEE MYY FAATTHHERR!!"


    His voice echoed, and then an idea popped inside my head.


    "Okay move Jillian!"


    [I suddenly have a bad feeling about this]


    "Won''t worry you are not the only one"

 Chapter 102 I am Breaking Laws

    Humans, beasts and other life forms have their own endings. And once their time has come to an end, their soul must flow with the cycle.


    However what if someone actually breaks that rule? A man who is already close to his death is brought back to life.


    ...


    "PLEASEEEEE SAAAVEEE MYY FAATTHHERR!!"


    His voice echoed, and then an idea popped inside my head.


    "Okay move Jillian!"


    [I suddenly have a bad feeling about this]


    "Don''t worry you are not the only one"


    I only have one thing that could help us but there are consequences if I do so.


    Discover hidden stories at m,v l''e-novelhall.net


    "Whatever, what I truly need now is time!"


    I am doing this again


    ''Forbidden magic, Darkness element, Time magic''


    ''Clock Tower''s Hand''


    "Blessing of the Goddess of time heed my call...Rewind!"


    My usage of authority is barely average so this move is the only thing I can do right now.


    Using the spell Clock Tower''s Hand I could amplify the power of the command I gave.


    "REWIND!"


    That''s right, I will use the time surrounding Keith''s father to turn his body three years from the past. However, doing so will erase the interaction that happened a while ago. That''s why I need the Clock Tower''s Hand, to fully manipulate the time the way I wanted it. However this spell takes away the time of the caster. So the more I prolonged this casting the more I subjected myself to death.


    Well, it''s not like my other body didn''t disappear a while ago.


    However, although I sound like it wasn''t a big deal the truth is...the feeling that every fiber of my body was being destroyed and disappeared still vividly remains inside my head.


    And now it will repeat through this spell.


    "I SAID REWIND!"


    My command was given and so did my spell, the hand of the clock was given to me and the time was modified according to my will.


    Light envelopes the entire cell, the brighter the light the more cracks emerge from my body.


    It hurts....a pain I never felt before break into my skin almost driving me insane but still the process is not done yet, I must continue.


    More!


    "CRACK!"


    My cheeks are falling over while my vision is disappearing.


    Seriously I really need to change this spell. I might not die but the pain could drive anyone crazy.


    [But you are already one]


    "Shut up!"


    Just a tiny distraction can cause my command and spell to berserk. When that happens you can imagine a place where time is irregularly placed. Past, present and future meet, creating a distorting space. I mustn''t let that happen.


    With all my will I bend the time to do what I wanted.


    "REWIND!"


    The space fluctuate and I know time is not enough to do what I wanted.


    [Your current body won''t be able to use two types of authorities at the same time, have you forgotten Creator the copied blessings can only be used one at a time? Like switching shoes that could fit the battle you need]


    "Sorry....haha, but I think I need to break that rule"


    "I COMMAND YOU OBEY TO ME!"


    Space and time began to mix adjusting to the command I gave, however, as they did so my fissures began to spread out.


    At this moment my consciousness started to fade.


    [Notification Alert!


    Consciousness disconnection has been detected!


    The Hive Mind is destabilizing....]


    Jeremiah''s voice began to fade away, my mind seemed to be being swallowed by something.


    {What''s this? Are you actually dying right now?}


    "!?"


    As soon as I heard that voice the authority of Mystics spread out inside my mind.


    "You won''t die"


    Then I teleported back to the dungeon and ventured into the dark passage. And as I walked deeper the scarcer the light became.


    [We are here]


    "That''s strange"


    [Why?]


    "It''s a dead end"


    [I know.....just break the walls aren''t secret passages normal in a place like this]


    "Well that makes sense"


    So just like what he said I punched a hole in the wall and then punched again until I made a tunnel.


    [I take back what I said it seems they have no idea about this place]


    "Yeah and now I am turning into a mole"


    [You can do it, it''s just a little dirt]


    From punching I began to do some digging then I reinforced the tunnel I made with Earth element spells.


    "Jeremiah turn on night vision"


    [Gear confirm


    Gear has been equipped]


    My eyes got clearer making my digging faster.


    "How long do I have to do this digging"


    [Just continue until you hit something]


    "That''s one clear instruction you have there"


    And so for about a minute, I think I turn into a mole.


    "This is giving me a headache"


    I formed my stance once again and punched a hole in the cold soil but then I suddenly found something.


    "Hun?"


    [We find it!]


    It was a wall?


    [Yes you found the wall of the library]


    "The wall...so I have to find the door or window to get inside"


    [Yes]


    I sigh, this is turning into a drag as time goes by, however, I soon find the door.


    "It''s enchanted"


    [I''ll take care of that]


    "Before we enter let me take some measure"


    Whatever was inside has been stuck there for years, so I shouldn''t expect good air quality, though I doubt air could be here.


    I chanted a spell and put a barrier around me and once I was inside a place full of darkness surrounded me.


    "Let''s make a quick lighting"


    Then I took something from my inventory, a small globe we usually made inside the tower.


    "Activate"


    The globes are voice-activated so once they hear a voice it will light up.


    "There now.....WOW!"


    Once the light spread I saw big no giant shelves with books filling them.


    "Jeremiah scan everything"


    [Glady Creator]


    I don''t know which era these books came from but based on their cover I can tell I hit the jackpot.


    While still marveling at my discovery my attention began to be pulled by something.


    "My communication bracelet"


    I turned it on and saw the code was from Keith.


    {Apollo, father is fine we should proceed to plan....by the way did you find the treasure you were looking for?}


    I couldn''t help by smirk due to his question and happily I answered him


    "Yes!"

 Chapter 103 A core

    Looking at the library I noticed how some books can be dated back in the early ages.


    "The languages are too old after all"


    I know some of the oldest languages used before the empire but the ones used in the early ages are too hard for me to understand.


    [I can do the translating]


    "Thank you"


    I really wanted to stroll around this huge library but I don''t really have the time right now.


    "Jeremiah gave me the current status of the soldiers"


    [Calcuting....Analyzing.....


    Analyze complete!


    80% of the current mark areas have been planted with our token gifts]


    "Good we should regroup with the others, but first we should take care of this..."


    I excitedly glanced at the place again after I was satisfied I ordered.


    "Put them inside the inventory"


    [Affirmative my Creator]


    A notification pops in front of me showing the inventory storage.


    [Done Creator]


    Due to the absence of the library, a deep hole in the ground was made, fortunately, it didn''t fall on me due to Jeremiah''s Earth spell.


    "Jeremiah teleport me to Keith''s location"


    [On it]


    A magic circle appeared on the ground then as I walked its light completely devoured me, taking me to the place I wanted to.


    "Hey"


    "Oh you are done"


    "Yes"


    I smile at two then my eyes switch to the person beside them.


    "Good day sir"


    "Yes, good day to you too...."


    He then stood up and to my surprise he was as tall as my demonized form.


    But looking at us he might look more intimidating with all the muscles and scars he has. My current appearance was the same as when I did the mission with Alicia. A black helmet encased my face and two horns, and then on my body was a black coat on top of my black armor.


    "You are a peculiar being"


    "I get that a lot"


    "I apologize for the late introduction but my name is Lothar, chief of the Frostfang tribe"


    "Apollo, one of your son''s friends"


    "Yes I did notice that"


    "Apollo, should we continue?"


    "Yeah we should start now"


    Then I took out a small remote that controls the so-called gifts I made for this temple.


    "Your grace please continue the gospel!"


    A paladin declared while holding his broken shield.


    "Your head it''s!?"


    "It''s okay please proceed-...BANG!"


    Blood splattered while his head blew up due to a bullet. The archbishop was flabbergasted and horrified, the brave paladin who saved him was dead right in front of him.


    "How brutal!....this....this is inhumane!"


    "Inhumane? Do you even deserve to be treated like a human?"


    A unison of voices was heard from being born from darkness. Then suddenly the voices stopped speaking and a man in black emerged from the dark shadows cast by the cluster of thunderclouds.


    "A demon?....or a devil?... No, it doesn''t matter, I don''t think a being like you have the right to talk about humanity"


    The demon couldn''t help but snicker then more ''him'' suddenly emerged at the fallen pillar and debris of the temple.


    "You know when it comes to talks about being a human I don''t the two of us had the right to speak....after all.."


    The ground began to shake while a spear was summoned.


    "Monsters have no right to speak humanly"


    Thunder hit the ground causing fire to set the remaining houses.


    "Oh Lord of Beasts heed my call let the...."


    The archbishop began to chant and for some reason, he was way slower than the ones I fought before.


    "Let''s go fast!"


    My body began to be clad with lightning and zoom across the temple going straight at my opponent''s neck. I was confident that my speed would be difficult to block but then...


    "FEAR ME NOT!" an unknown voice said and gospel was sent out of nowhere but fortunately I dodged it.


    "THE LORD HAS COME!"


    Due to some unknown gospel attacking me the archbishop was able to finish his chanting. A shot of black and white light transforming into a legion of wing beasts came to me. My spear spun and with its body clad in the mass amount of electricity, its accumulated speed was insane.


    Thunder roars while blue streaks of light zoom across the ruined temple. It only took a second and all those wing beasts fell on the ground before turning into nothing.


    "What!"


    He was surprised but by now their reaction to are getting repetitive and it''s getting boring as well.


    Another gospel was shot out of one of my blind spots but I didn''t bother to block it. The surrounding mana began to solidify and the attack was completely blocked.


    I know they must be so surprised by now but I don''t have really time for this. The effects of the bullets were also in full effect. I could see its effects although it seems none of them had noticed it.


    [Notification Alert!


    The skill Oppressor has been long inactive!


    Enemies in a 1 km radius would be subjected to its effects


    Discover more stories at m,v l''e-novelhall.net


    The enemies shall be influenced causing their thinking to be limited and judgement to be clouded]


    A grin formed on my lips while my hand pulsated with lighting.


    "Thunder Aura, Negative lightning!"


    My spear became one of my spells and it turned into streaks of light attacking the priest who''s been sniping me and the archbishop.


    [He dodges it]


    Now that is interesting, so I commanded my spell and the branches of lighting turn one. My spear which became one with my spell regained its physical form and chased after the speedy enemy.

 Chapter 104 A Core Part II

    [He dodges it]


    Now that is interesting, so I commanded my spell and the branches of lightning became one. My spear which became one with my spell regained its physical form and chased after the speedy enemy.


    A sound of thunder and a scent of burning permeated the air while my spear impaled the priest.


    "Huh?"


    It seems my target is full of trickery, the man I just impaled slowly disappears leaving a chunk of wood on the cold floor of the temple.


    I summoned my spear to return to me while I returned my attention to the archbishop.


    "He is gone"


    [I think the priest took him away]


    "This is really interesting to think I can''t even sense him"


    [Neither do I Creator, so what should we do?]


    "About that....well let''s just use a spell to track them down"


    I began to envision my spell then as I solidified its foundation a light began to draw something on the ground, a black magic circle.


    Darkness element, Necromancy magic, Chasing souls.


    Dark shadowy hands crawl out of the magic circle. Its eerie movements crept into the ground before chasing the soul of a certain man.


    "It''s good that you mark him"


    [I felt suspicious so I marked their soul it''s good I was right in doing so]


    The hands travelled the entire temple in a matter of seconds, that''s when the caster felt taken aback when he saw where they went.


    "Is that a coffin?"


    [It seems they are so excited to die that they want to be buried immediately]


    "I don''t really think that''s the answer"


    A coffin with ancient engravings, I never knew they had something like this.


    "Translate it, Jeremiah"


    [Translating.....


    Translation acquired!


    The one from the night


    The one from sunrise


    However, sleeps at dawn


    Won''t be able to return at dusk


    Power of night, power of light


    The day shall end and the night will come]


    "Is this a riddle or something?"


    [Dont know]


    I shook my head I don''t really have time with riddle so I just decided to teleport there. Teleporting was already an easy thing for me since I have been studying space and void before, that is why I was surprised when my teleportation was cancelled.


    "Argh!"


    Something blocked my spell and forced me to bump into the door, an iron door.


    "Wow, if it weren''t for my skill Light of Aegis my face would have been bruised because of this door"


    [A powerful ancient spell is protecting this place we can''t enter recklessly]


    "Whatever"


    I don''t have time for this


    [The one from the night then one from sunrise


    Does this mean something is opposing the power of the power?]


    "I don''t really care, I''ll break this first"


    I lifted my spear and put an adequate amount of essence to amplify my strike.


    As I put all my strength into my attack a magic circle appeared before the coffin serving as protection but I didn''t care and proceeded to break in.


    A loud sound of impact along with waves of electricity washes over the place breaking everything and leaving only a black casket.


    "That hurt!"


    I felt like my arms would fall apart while my entire body felt jelly.


    Since my attack didn''t break the coffin the force I released ended up returning to me numbing my entire body in the process. If the coffin breaks then some of the force would dissipate through the breaking material. However it didn''t, I was only able to break the protective magic around it but not the actual coffin.


    [To think that a coffin has a strong resistant force]


    "I felt numb"


    "[You should think of ways to destroy the casket because according to my scanner something is brewing inside it]


    "I know"


    I stood up weakly since my body went flying when my spear came in contact with the coffin.


    "It hurts damn it"


    My vision was hazy but immediately went to normal though my balance was still a bit off.


    This is annoying I thought while dusting my clothes.


    [It''s coming Creator]


    "Yeah I can also see it"


    The gears on my head are turning as the coffin lid opens a spell out of nowhere is cast.


    "Lumina"


    It was a fusion of magic darkness and fire element, Lumina.


    Light and darkness became one blasting the shadow that flew out of the coffin.


    "Argh!"


    I heard a scream along with the scent of something burning.


    Oh, I was right though I never anticipated it''ll work like that.


    [What did you do Creator]


    This vampire is a daylight walker fire element spells won''t work on him.


    [But how did you know that fusion magic of darkness and fire can damage him]


    I don''t really know but I had a bunch through the riddle, it didn''t say that the day can kill the night or how the night would win against the darkness, it''s just saying how the light and darkness would switch as the day ends and night comes. It never states they will class but just a cycle that goes on in nature.


    The light and darkness are both his strengths and also his weakness. Light can''t harm a daylight walker and darkness too. So you must combine them that is their weakness. The harmony of the balance they fought to claim also came back to bite them down.


    "Why!...argh it burns!"


    [I still don''t understand the logic you didn''t explain it well enough]


    I could only chuckle sometimes I forgot that my AI is only a few months old. .net


    "It''s okay I don''t get it either"


    "I won''t die!"


    While me and Jeremiah talk the vampire priest casts a gospel to finally attack.


    I raised my hand a magic circle was drawn.


    Fusion magic, Fire and Darkness element, Eclipse

 Chapter 105 Vampire Hunter

    "I won''t die!"


    While me and Jeremiah talk the vampire priest casts a gospel to finally attack. A black-tainted light draws a magic circle while a pool of blood comes into my view.


    My mind went focused and time seemed to slow down as my spell formed inside my head.


    I raised my hand a magic circle was drawn.


    Fusion magic, Fire and Darkness element, Eclipse.


    Light is a magic which stems from fire. It creates heat from its electromagnetic radiation and is visually appealing to the eyes. Darkness is the absence of light, its alter ego and counterpart.


    My spell eclipse absorbed the light on the surroundings leaving darkness in its wake. Mana was also pulled adding power to the spell. I felt the air changes when both light and darkness bypass each other. Then a tiny black sun was made.


    Combining the two created the harmony I needed to destroy the gospel.


    "Argh!" I heard a person''s painful cry but I didn''t stop and continued manipulating my spell.


    The spell was then compressed into a tiny dot before flying straight to the archbishop.


    The surrounding mana was parted due to my spell while my enemy proceeded to protect himself. My ears heard the sound of a prayer and my mana suddenly froze.


    "I can''t breathe"


    [The temperature is getting low as well]


    That was unexpected, never knew a gospel that was yet to be fully cast could affect me like this. Which could only mean that the spell he is about to cast is one on the highest level.


    [The temperature is dropping...


    Activate the heating system...


    The heating system failed...


    Recaliberating....]


    I tried to regulate my breathing but it was no use I could feel the temperature drop. This made me realize that my spell wouldn''t be able to win against whatever my opponent was casting.


    So using the spell Eclipse as a base I began to modify the spell before it hit the target.


    The temperature continues to drop even causing my spell to slow down. I took this chance to quickly change whatever the things I wanted to modify in my spell. However, I could feel my mind getting cloudy due to the freezing temperature.


    .net


    I tried to breathe but the frozen air was drying my throat and constricting my airway at this rate I would lose more of my body heat.


    [Warning temperature has now dropped to a dangerous level!


    It is advisable to leave the area immediately!..


    The current temperature is being regulated...


    Adjustment is being done!...]


    "Don''t worry I can definitely feel that the temperature is not good for me"


    "You are slow"


    I can see all your movements even the ones you will do in the future.


    A reddish-black magic circle suddenly appeared below me but it didn''t even fully manifest because it was immediately cancelled.


    "I am not done yet"


    He shouted while being chased by my spear.


    I could only smirk while still putting up a huge barrier since my spell Black Sun was still clashing with the archbishop''s gospel.


    "It burns"


    [The heat is already being blocked by the system the one you are feeling right now is the residual heat]


    "Residual heat?"


    This?


    I set my eyes around the prevous funeral-like room and could only recognize a small remaining pillar. The rest turned to ashes due to the heat while the clouds created a mushroom-like structure. The clash created a huge explosion that wiped out the entire area.


    [Incoming]


    Jeremiah warned and my eyes saw a blood magic being widely cast on the ground.


    "To think he can still cast a spell despite being occupied with my spear"


    I couldn''t help but smirk, he is indeed the strongest priest inside this temple.


    [Another one is coming]


    A sea of blood surrounds me, it is spontaneous and no casting is needed in its process.


    "It''s one of a vampire''s skills, blood magic"


    The sea of red fluid flowed and turned into spikes that began to fly towards me. I could only smile seeing how their speed was something I shouldn''t take lightly.


    But when I was about to move my attention was snatched by two icicles that grazed my cheek.


    That was close fortunately I dodged, if I didn''t and was late even a second my head would be impaled right now. Instant death would be my situation. The wind howl and my eyes saw more icicles flying while the bloody spikes were on their way here as well.


    I didn''t panic but instead summoned something.


    A burst of black flames came to me causing the icicles and blood to burn. Well if you think this spell would disappear easily well think again.


    "Fusion magic, Black sun threefold"


    This is a new type of upgrade I got from the system. I now can increased the level or even the stats of the spells I cast. Right now I can increase the strength of the spell three times without wasting any mana. All I need to do is order the system to do it for me. But one of it''s requirements is that my spell needs to be already been fire or cast before being upgraded.


    The flames that were almost destroyed due to the archbishop''s gospel came to life due to my interference. Normal mages can''t change or modify spells upon being cast but due to the system, I could do such a thing.


    Rings of black fire intensified while the blood and ice began to mix together. Their speed and power suddenly tripled so I increased my spell''s power.


    "Fusion magic, Black sun tenfold"


    The air began to heat up while the ground was scorched badly. Melted rocks are tuned into a lava-like state while the entire area turns into a volcano''s mouth due to its current state. Iced blood spikes then came raining at me but the defensive power of the flames prevailed.

 Chapter 106 Ring of Fire

    My spell burns brighter and turns the bloody ice spikes into gas. More spikes came down but everything was burned by my spell.


    "Not good"


    A cloud of smoke caused by the blood being evaporated blocked my vision.


    [Right]


    My mana flared and my vision penetrated the cloud of smoke. And there I saw the vampire archbishop still being chased by my spear, however, it seemed he still had time to release another attack. Blood covered the entire area making my breathing restricted. Then a silent prayer turns into a ray of darkness. A gospel manifested turning into a swarm of random insects.


    Then from the red field, blood spikes came forward flying at a blinding speed towards me. A swarm of black insects and bloody spikes surround me in all directions. Leaving me no room for retreat.


    [You are cornered]


    "It doesn''t really matter"


    The flame bursts even more, the more adversaries it faces the more heat it produces. The ring of fire became my shield.


    "Spin"


    Upon my command, the flames that calmly encircled me began to move and soon it created a rotational motion.


    "Expand"


    I manipulated my spell yet again and put another layer of modification on top of the current one.


    The previous ring of fire ascended and turned into a tornado, then it expanded blowing up the entire area.


    As the flames extinguished after burning everything my eyes landed on the only standing individual, the Archbishop.


    [Creator that spells ends up killing most of the remaining survivors]


    "How about the others?"


    [They are currently being chased by the mechanized soldiers]


    "That''s good to hear well the underground is being raided by me so it''s okay"


    [Having dozens of body sure made your work convenient]


    "Yeah"


    While we talked I summoned my spear while the archbishop calmly landed a few meters away from me.


    "You look distressed oh holy priest"


    "Shut your trap demon"


    He looked pale like a sick person but my eyes could scan how his mana didn''t even drop.


    "Perks of being a vampire"


    Vampires feed on the blood of other creatures and currently, this battlefield is filled with blood, he could easily gather them just like how easily I could gather essence. However how long exactly will it take for him to exhaust himself? Should I test it?


    Never mind I should finish this, currently, I am fighting multiple people and some of them are extremely powerful like this guy. I can''t fool around.


    My spear landed in my hand while my mind began formulating a spell.


    "Demon"


    I was in the middle of casting when this vampire priest spoke.


    "What is it?"


    "What are you?"


    I couldn''t help but sigh


    Ever since this attack started I keep hearing that from the people I killed.


    I guess I can kill him now?


    I was about to move when he continued speaking Continue your journey on m|v-l''e -novelhall.net


    He is not done yet?


    "So tell me, are you one of the three children of Nirvana that rebel against their own father, their maker? And their creator!"


    My steps suddenly halted hearing his words, rebel? Wait I think I am missing something.


    "Children of Nirvana....demons....hmmm"


    "Speak! Are you one of them? That instead of helping your father you choose to help those bastards!"


    While I contemplate his last words, he suddenly concludes some delusional speculation and randomly attacks me.


    A sea of blood suddenly flooded in forcing me to fly into the air.


    "You won''t get away!"


    He shouted as he commanded the pool of blood to attack me. Spikes were formed and flew in my direction.


    [Stay alert Creator he is chanting something]


    "Okay"


    The spear in my hand waved and the spell that''s been inside it activated. A magic circle emerged at the tip of the spear''s blade and a monster born from darkness came out.


    Its body was black, and like a human, it could stand on its two feet. Two long black arms while sharps claws on its hand. Horns like a devil and a mouth full of sharp teeth like a beast. This spell was made in the tower to mimic a demon.


    I remember all four towers decided to do research regarding the genetic build-up and composition of a demon. They wanted to find a way to manipulate demons so that the casualties in breakouts would decrease. Unfortunately, the research wasn''t successful but it wasn''t fruitless since they created this spell.


    "Darkness element, Hunter"


    The spell hunter was the result of the tower''s understanding of demons. It was a waste to destroy the research they had made so they put all their materials to create a new type of spell.


    However, there is a slight difference between the demon from the spell and the actual demons in breakouts.


    "RAGGHHHH!!"


    A scream came out of the Hunter''s mouth, resulting in a small wave of energy leaking out of its body.


    The blood spikes are only an inch apart from his body and mine however their momentum halted.


    "Here it comes"


    I couldn''t help but say as my eyes witnessed the blood spikes moving backwards.


    "RAGHH!"


    I heard another scream and the Hunter opened its mouth to eat the sea of scarlet projectiles.


    "What is this!"


    I couldn''t help but smirked with his reaction.


    Yes, this is the difference, the demon in the spell Hunter eats blood to strengthen itself. The more blood it takes the more powerful it becomes.


    "Go and make yourself comfortable"


    Hunter looked at me, its red eyes and vertical pupils gave a sense of danger to anyone who saw it, however to me it was just ordinary.


    More blood came and Hunter shifted his attention to the meal in front of him.


    While my spell took care of the blood my eyes shifted towards the archbishop whose gospel was ready to fire.


    [Be prepared Creator it''s about to come!]


    With Jeremiah''s warning, I began putting my guard up.

 Chapter 107 The First Temple

    Continuation of Apollo''s POV


    A flash of light blinded my eyes while my skill Light of Aegis began activating. The surrounding mana began to solidify while the essence began to amplify the length and strength of the skill.


    My spear flew out of my hand and revealed one of the spells it contained. As the symbols came to life it began to construct a magic circle. This spell was made by one of the previous Head of the Tower, he likes hunting so vampires became his main target.


    According to grandpa Alger, the previous Head described vampires as smart, cunning and very tricky to kill, so the previous Head enjoyed hunting them. Later on, he was called the vampire hunter and his spells were well known to be useful against vampires, high-rank or even daylight walkers.


    "Let''s do this"


    Upon the magic circle''s creation, the spell came to life. The gospel meets my spell, the ground shook while the air was blown away.


    "Hoo.." I breath as my spear danced across the air and stabbed the vampire who had his claws a few inches behind my back.


    "How cunning throwing a flashy spell like that in order to sneak behind me"


    "Ugh!"


    "Does it hurt?"


    I asked while blood began to spring from his chest. He tried to move and struggled to remove the spear but he failed to.


    "Jeremiah activate the skill Disintegrate"


    [Affirmative]


    Upon the skill''s activation my spear glow paralyzing the vampire priest, and upon my command the skill spread into the surrounding area, making everything turn into a state of decay. The vampire archbishop was also the same he turned into dust along with his chilling cry.


    "Well mission accomplish here"


    I said then my attention shifted when a sudden cry attracted my attention. Its source wasn''t here but instead located on the other side of the north, it was the place where the first temple resided.


    ...


    "Apollo, what are you doing?"


    My thoughts ran wild as my eyes landed on Alicia''s devil form. It was the same form she used when we sneaked inside the temple before.


    "What is it?"


    She asked me although my answer was just a mere shake of my head.


    "It''s nothing" I added.


    "Some of the priests have been killed but I haven''t caught a glimpse of that one person, he is still missing"


    "Right, the archbishop"


    "I''ve been using a spell to scan the area however I can''t find his location"


    "He is hiding well"


    "I suppose he knows he can''t run and can only survive by hiding inside the temple''s main building"


    I can''t help but agree with Alicia''s words though I have scanned the entire building and I still can''t find any man that has the same length of strength as an archbishop.


    Where did he go?


    A man can''t just disappear without traces he must have left something, anything that I can use to find him.


    "We may find something if we set foot on the inner temple"


    "You are right"


    Alicia spoke then I felt her body ascent, it turns out her wings were spread out as if preparing to attack.


    "I should break the barrier first and kill the remaining priests and paladins, maybe then we can find the archbishop"


    I can''t help but chuckle at her words, seriously just what kind of 13-year-old kid would say that, wait come to think of it, none of the lower-class students can be said normal. Maybe we all used to but it''s different now, our experiences molds us to become monsters.


    Now I wonder if everyone is aware of that fact or just me.


    Alicia asked so I used the system''s lens to survey the area.


    "Nothing? No visual signs that can lead to him"


    Not getting the information I want I use another gear, the system''s scanner should able to pick something with a Celestial rank being.


    "This is hard"


    "You can''t find him"


    "Yes, I need to look into the inner temple thoroughly. Maybe I am missing something that is why I can''t find him"


    "Okay then we should clean this up first"


    "That is fine by me"


    We look around us and the remaining priest and paladins have their weapons pointed at us.


    "This is too annoying why they can''t just die"


    I can''t help but laugh at her words then a thought came to me.


    "Let me handle this"


    In my half-demon form, I can access both my demon skills and human skills.


    Under the skill Demonize, I could use one of the skills under its original skill Demonification.


    "Jeremiah activate Corrupted accompaniment"


    [Will do my Creator]


    [Initiating Skill activation...


    Skill is fully activated!]


    "Let us do something more, add the essence to boost the skill"


    A cursed energy that can kill anyone in a large area began to spread. A barrier was put however I have Jeremiah to jam it. They were too weak to create a strong and impenetrable barrier and so Jeremiah was able to cancel it.


    "What the!"


    They gave different reactions however the death energy soon spread until only cold bodies remained on the ground.


    "Apollo"


    Inside my barrier, Alicia pointed to a man who desperately stood up among his dead comrades.


    "We won''t fall!"


    He shouted and took a horn, with his life coming to an end he blew it and a howling sound echoes.


    "Hmm?"


    "What was that?" right after blowing up the horn the man died leaving a weapon with him.


    "Apollo"


    "Yes?"


    "I sense a mass amount of life coming near the border of the temple"


    "Ah, was this what he wanted to achieve"


    "I''ll take care of this"


    Alicia took off flying straight towards our enemy.


    I remained standing where I was and saw the weapon he was holding. It was a weapon crafted from flesh although it looked broken.


    "Now that I remember according to one of the priest''s memories these weapons are called Devourers"

 Chapter 108 Her Pov

    Alicia''s Pov


    When I first met that boy I felt like I saw a monster in the making. At first, I saw him as a threat, though perhaps I became so sensitive to my duty as guardian of those kids that I didn''t see his heroism.


    I realized my thoughts were wrong and I pushed myself to get to know him better. Thankfully that opportunity came when we arrived at the tower.


    There I realized how he became the way he is. I came to understand why he was such a reckless user of magic despite living inside the most prestigious place for mages.


    I can''t really blame him.


    The average people inside the tower can cast and formulate spells quickly, that is the so-called weakest among them. The environment he was used to, made his standard of magic high which is why he anticipated that the children at the entrance exam could handle his spells.


    That boy thought that since he was able to do it at such a young age, it would be the same with the others or perhaps he thought they would be better than him.


    "Just what kind of person put that in his mind"


    I wonder who it was, who instil in his brain that he is weak and garbage because if it weren''t for that thinking, the kids at the entrance exam wouldn''t be traumatized.


    "Thankfully he took responsibility for those students though I doubt counselling would be the solution"


    A sigh escaped from my lips as I remembered how hard we tried to make him think a bit normally. He thinks he is normal but he is not, he is at least the worst out of all the traumatic children inside the lower class, wait no maybe he is the second worst.


    My thoughts continued until they stopped at the time we all spent inside the tower. That boy had literally no concept of having fun or playing. We asked what he does when he is free he told us he read books about magic, then we asked how he define the words having fun and he answered by researching about magic. For a moment I want a moment to talk to every single one of the mages there.


    Just what the hell did you do to this kid? Wait do they even treat him like one? My head hurt so much, but at that time I remember most people inside the tower were single and old fossils who only wanted magic in their lives. What do they know about raising kids?


    At that time McKenzie even joked about how he wanted to kidnap Apollo and let him experience being a child.


    That''s when Jillian asked if he did anything when he was a kid but his answer horrified us.


    He doesn''t even know any bedtime stories or famous rhymes kids sing during their early childhood. He had no knowledge of them, but if you ask any famous wizards and witches in history he will give you a detailed report of it. He was smart, smart enough to rob him of his childhood, no maybe someone forcefully took them.


    We all felt bad but tried not to show it, so instead we showed him how ''we'' have fun.


    In a field where the wind was strong, we took some kites and made them fly in the sky.


    "Come on run with us!"


    I saw Mckenzie and Blair pull his hand and he ran with them.


    "What is the purpose of this? Are we training?"


    I could hear his innocent question from afar and the small chuckle from the two boys who were with him.


    "Silly having fun doesn''t need to have a purpose"


    "Hey I brought these cockies and drinks"


    Keith added while he and the other girls brought some baskets.


    "By the way where is Casper and Samael?"


    Arabella asked not seeing the two.


    "Come to think of it Aaron and Braiden aren''t here either"


    Vesta also noticed.


    "Wonder where they went"


    I was only silent, watching them have their own world of stories and then we heard voices.


    "We are here!"


    The four boys who are missing came bringing fish.


    "Where did you get those?"


    I asked although I already knew the answer.


    "We saw a lake and did some fishing so how about we add this to the menu"


    "That is a good idea hand them over to me I''ll cook them"


    Keith said and gladly Casper, Samael, Aaron and Braiden gave the catch they made.


    "Can I request a grill?"


    McKenzie chipped in while holding some branches he seemed prepared to start a fire.


    "Sure just help me"


    "Gladly!"


    While they continue to talk Alya approaches holding the kite.


    "Let''s play first before we eat"


    "Sure"


    Gladly I accepted her offer.

 Chapter 109 : 109: I said one

    Continuation of Alicia''s POV.


    That day we stayed in the field until midnight, and we even caught some fireflies, then the mages from the tower joined us before going to bed and waking up late.


    {Alicia? Are you done there?}


    Suddenly Appolo''s voice came into my head.


    "Yes I am done here I killed everyone just as you told me"


    {Huh? I didn''t say everyone I said one}


    "One?"


    {Yeah I said kill the strongest one so the barbarians would retreat, the strongest after all is the leader}


    "Sorry, I didn''t hear you clearly I thought you said, everyone"


    {Sigh forget it how many did you kill?}


    "Well I think around a thousand"


    {....}


    {Okay return here I found the archbishop}


    "Okay"


    My mind was flying out of nowhere I didn''t quite understand Apollo. But it''s okay at least we have no more problems.


    I should go back now so I summoned one of the few things that I like to do.


    Wings appeared at my back before I shot towards the sky.


    ....


    Apollo''s Pov.


    She is truly scary, I was right about her.


    [Isn''t strange she is distracted? Lady Alicia wasn''t really like this]


    "You are right she wasn''t the type to not pay attention, perhaps something is bugging her"


    [You should ask once she is here]


    "Yeah"


    "BANG!"


    The win harshly hit the ground including me, so I looked up to see what caused such a harsh gust of wind.


    "Did I perhaps hurt you"


    [That was fast!]


    "You mean overly fast"


    "Where is the archbishop?"


    She asked immediately as soon as she arrived.


    "There at the hidden passage under the statue"


    "For what reason do you wish to find the sacred land?"


    "That is none of your business archbishop, now come over here and let me take your memories"


    I said but this man seems to have another plan. My eyes keenly observed him until he went closer to the altar.


    At the idol''s hand is a scythe, which was made with an unknown material while symbols are embedded at its handle and blade.


    "What an arrogant demon"


    He places his hand on the weapon and in that moment I felt a sudden chill.


    "That weapon..."


    I could never be mistaken, the aura that weapon gave out was the same as the one with the flesh weapons.


    "Based on your body''s reaction I can tell you have encountered this weapon. This holy weapon was forged from the blood and skin of our lord. It was blessed by his power and strengthened by his flesh"


    "I see now I know why it looked disgusting"


    Then I heard him chuckle it seemed my words didn''t irritate him.


    "You just don''t understand, sure to you it seems disgusting but for us, it is the most divine weapon"


    Then he swung the scythe and a pure black energy shot from it.


    "CLANG!"


    I stood where I was while Alicia came forward taking the brunt of the attack.


    "How strong Alicia?"


    "It''s decent for a half-hearted attack"


    Then I heard another laugh from the archbishop.


    "Just now did you use your friend to measure my attack?"


    "Why not? My friend is tough even if I use her as a shield she won''t die that easily"


    My words earn more laughter from my enemy.


    "Sigh...I''ll just take your words as a compliment"


    "A devil and a demon how fascinating"


    The archbishop''s voice was filled with amusement as if he was having fun.


    "If only you were not an enemy I would have befriended you two"


    He smiled and I could tell it was genuine.


    "I state what I said a while ago, you shall not step on our sacred ground"


    "No worries I don''t really need your permission"


    Then a pair and ragged wings emerge at my back, using them I propel myself in the air and make a strike.


    My fist meets the blade of his scythe creating sparks in the air.


    "Thunder Aura, Sky fall"


    The sky turns dark and from it, a violent rage of lightning falls down as it strikes the depths of the secret altar.

 Chapter 110 : 110: Autopilot

    Continuation of Apollo''s POV


    I thought I got one strike in but suddenly the symbols on the scythe glows and a burst of blood and flesh comes out. I felt nauseous from the stinking stench of blood but then a different scent came in, it was the scent of something burning.


    I felt like everything was moving slowly, and my eyes could see everything clearly. How the dirt from the ceiling above falls on us and how his blade and my fist tried to push each other, I can see it all.


    More dirt fell off from above and the lightning blasted the ground and fell right on top of the pile of flesh. Then hundreds of mouths formed under the blackish blood and mangled flesh and absorbed the power of the lightning.


    That move was similar to how the authorities got devoured however something is different. I can see how the energy didn''t dissipate like what happened at the authorities and instead the energy from the lightning accumulated in a single place.


    [Something is coming!]


    Yes, I can see it so I move, I need to get some distance so I timed my retreat when he moved his scythe to retrieve the flesh. The energy gathered inside it became one with the weapon. A blue light was then generated, a light of blue lightning.


    I heard the roar of thunder along the sparks of lightning, it brightly shone from the symbols embedded on the scythe. Then a chant from the archbishop echoes along it.


    "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!"


    His gospel invokes more power and is combined with the absorbed power of his weapon.


    It was a combination of light and lightning.


    "Beautiful"


    I could only say while the nimble scythe came right next to my neck.


    It was really fast, however...


    "Hahaha" I laugh as my eyes follow a shadow.


    ...she was faster...


    "BANG!"


    I saw the archbishop flying straight to the ceiling no it didn''t end there, the strike was so strong he burst to the surface.


    [Creator]


    "Yes?"


    [We should not piss her off]


    The ring of lightning created a sparking lightning tornado. And as the spell gained momentum I saw the scythe glow and a pile of flesh began to spread out.


    I already know what it wants to do. The archbishop plans to use the flesh as a shield and devour my spell. The pile of blood and bones would turn into a globe protecting the one inside it. However, before this could even happen a magic circle appeared on the walls of the lightning tornado and a shadow came out of it.


    "PANG!"


    A crisp sound hits the archbishop''s ears as Alicia draws her fist. The mountain-like flesh was immediately blown away and knocked to bits. A smirk was written on my face while Alicia teleported back to me. The punch was good and as soon as the flesh was gone my spell came forward speeding up to attack my enemy.


    From the expression on the archbishop''s face, I can tell he was surprised by Alicia''s sudden appearance however he soon composed himself and waved his scythe to cut down my spell. I could see him casting a gospel on his weapon as he brought down the blade towards the rotating lightning.


    I expected it would be hard to break through my spell however I was wrong.


    A strong gust of wind hit us due to the waves of energy brought by my spell being cut down.


    [It''s coming]


    "Yes I know"


    My eyes were suddenly blinded by a sudden light though it wasn''t just normal blindness, it''s the type that makes your eyes feel like burning while your senses disappear. Somehow I think it was a similar gospel I encountered while fighting Sergio. It''s the one that steals your senses while clouding your mind and body.


    The only difference between the two is that the one the archbishop uses is much more powerful and painful than the one from Sergio.


    The gears in my head move however before my mind can process what should I do my body moves on its own. I still don''t know what''s happening however I know that somehow my body moves strangely and irregularly.


    I wanted to cast a spell but without sensing anything I wouldn''t be able to know which direction my spell should go. For me to cast a spell I need proper imaging and information about my surroundings without it my spell wouldn''t function properly.


    [I can provide the information]


    My eyes were stolen but it''s not the only way for me to fight back. My mind was then filled with images and I could see that Alicia and my body were fighting closely against the archbishop.


    "How can my body move like that?"


    I wondered after witnessing how me and Alicia attacked the archbishop. It wasn''t just fighting our techniques and support to each other are well timed. It''s as if we have been fighting together for years.


    [To answer your question I put the Creator''s body in autopilot mode and as for Lady Alicia, I have scanned her and it turns out she used a spell to create this perfectly balanced combat compatibility with you]


    I see so it was a spell, to think she had her own sets of spells but then my mind caught something on Jeremiah''s words.


    "Autopilot?"


    I was confused for a moment when I heard an unfamiliar word.

 Chapter 111 Securing the Scared Land

    "Autopilot?"


    I was confused for a moment when I heard an unfamiliar word.


    [Yes, currently the system has taken over your body and uses a handful of Creator''s skills and spells to defeat the enemy]


    "So it was the system who replaced me"


    [Yes while the system handles the fight outside I''ll be here with you assisting with any of your commands]


    "Then break the gospel he put in me"


    [Will do my Creator, should I cancel autopilot mode?]


    "Yes"


    [Command is received!


    Initiating spell breaker...


    Cancelling autopilot mode...


    Success!


    The spell is broken!


    Autopilot cancelled!]


    My vision then slowly returns and as soon as my eyes stabilize a blade is already on its way to my neck. Adrenaline suddenly pumped in due to the situation and my spear was suddenly summoned. Using my spear''s shaft I blocked the scythe''s blade however it wasn''t the end. The symbols on the archbishop''s weapon glow again and a wave of blood came crashing at me.


    [Light of Aegis is fully activated]


    The mana of the surroundings suddenly became solid turning into a shield that protects me.


    That bloody attack was fully taken advantage of when my enemy released a gospel out of nowhere.


    But then a shot of arrow suddenly flew in and struck the archbishop, taken aback by the sudden appearance of an arrow the archbishop had no choice but to block it.


    Suddenly the temperature rises, and the arrow begins to burn turning into a black phoenix that dominates the sky.


    A Phoenix is a legendary bird that symbolizes immortality and power however mages have their own symbolism for the said creature.


    Victory, once the flaming shows its presence only means that victory is assured.


    ...


    It was a very beautiful sight to see, the way a Phoenix against a human.


    Then the ground shook while the air was being pressed by something, it felt like a powerful pressure was breaking into the air and ground.


    But the archbishop won''t just stand and let himself be hit so cast a gospel and the flesh devour it.


    As light glows and the symbols come to life the priest begins to spin in a wide arc creating a barrier between him and the Phoenix.


    "I am impressed it didn''t try to devour Alicia''s flames"


    [They must have felt something on Lady Alicia''s spell


    I already felt a faint enchantment on her Phoenix I can''t just fully comprehend it]


    I should be able to stay alive as long as I heal but a sudden wave of energy made me put my guard again.


    "Not good"


    Here comes the two creatures of darkness, a demon and a devil. Based on their strength these two should be on the rank of Archduke, so why just why!? Just do they have such power to fight against me? A Celestial mage!


    {A lower Celestial Mage}


    "What!"


    Just now whose voice was it?


    I don''t know what just happened but I can tell it was that demon who invaded my head. His invasion meant my current status was dire, I was too weak that he was able to peek inside my head.


    "This doesn''t look good"


    I clench my teeth forcing my broken mana to obey my will. It was painful but I didn''t have any choice.


    I don''t have time for a gospel so I could only rely on attacking them physically. With an attack boost by mana, I swing the weapon in my hand to intercept my two enemies however it seems they are prepared to fight me.


    The demon lunged forward and using his sword he redirected the force that came from my scythe, guiding it in a position which disadvantaged me. It wasn''t good since the she devil was right behind him.


    I gotta move so I used the momentum of the demon as he guided my weapon to the side, I let my bad eve guide me before making a quick turn.


    As I seized the opportunity created by the redirection, I adjusted my weapon''s shaft. In a fluid motion, I pivot on my lead foot, using the redirected force to spin around on my axis, turning their initial attack into a rapid follow-up maneuver.


    "CLANG!"


    I managed to block the follow-up strike from the devil but immediately the demon readjusted his stance and was about to attack again. So I momentarily put all my mana in my weapon and made a sudden push to force away the devil. As soon as I did so I swiftly hooked the curved tip of their scythe around the blade of the opponent''s sword.


    With a deft twist of my wrists and a surge of strength, the scythe in my hand hooked the blade to redirect the swordsman''s momentum.


    I manage to pull his blade away but now the devil returns and I have no choice but to flee to the back. I need distance, these two are both close combatants I better keep an ample meters away from them.


    However just as I gain distance from them the weapon on the demon''s hands suddenly glows before rearranging itself to turn into a difference weapon. A rifle appeared on the demon''s hand.


    "Not good"


    A bullet was loaded at my current state I won''t be able to block bullets nor tank them using my body. I am simply to weak for that. Desprate an pop inside my head.


    "A potion would do the trick"


    My ring activated and bottle appeared in front of me.


    "BANG!"


    A shot was release directly hitting the bottle, it''s contains spill while I took that opportunity to drink it.


    "Nice!"


    My body felt energize though it will only last for a brief minutes.


    "I need to stay alive!" Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-novelhall.net


    For the sake of the sacred land I must not fall on the enemy''s hand.


    {I admire that courage}


    "Get out of head!"

 Chapter 112 Memories Secured

    "Not good"


    A bullet was loaded and in my current state, I won''t be able to block bullets or tank them using my body. I am simply too weak for that. Desperate an idea pops inside my head.


    "A potion should help me"


    My ring activated and a bottle appeared in front of me.


    "BANG!"


    A shot was released directly hitting the bottle, and its contents spilt while I took that opportunity to drink it.


    "Nice!"


    My body felt energized though it would only last for a brief minute.


    "I need to stay alive!"


    For the sake of the sacred land, I must not fall on the enemy''s hand.


    {I admire that courage}


    "Get out of head!" I shouted and lifted my weapon to attack.


    The power of the scythe blows up the sky along with my two enemies however it wasn''t what I needed to end the fight. I need something even more powerful.


    So teleported right in front of them, in a fluid motion, I brought the blade of my scythe crashing it down on their exposed flank.


    "Damn it!"


    But as soon as I brought down my weapon something caused a resistance, a drag that made my attack slow, until it completely halted, an invisible shield was there neutralizing my attack.


    .....


    Apollo''s Pov.


    [Light of Aegis is currently active]


    Just like what happened to one of the skills Disintegrate, I also boosted the power of Light of Aegis using the essence.


    The attack was blocked and now it''s my time to attack.


    It happened the moment his scythe met my invisible shield, my blade was drawn and powered by my ki and with all my strength and speed it drilled through his flesh. He tried to fight back but Alicia released a black energy that kept him in place.


    With his remaining life, he tried to erase every memory he had of the sacred land however it was too late. My spell Veritas runs through his flesh, breaking his will and devouring his soul.


    "I see this is good"


    His memories flood in however Jeremiah was there sorting out the valuable information I needed.


    After all the search a map appeared, a temple found in the sky, completely secluded in the dark halls of clouds.


    "He should be there"


    A wide smile escaped from me


    "Finally I could end this mission"


    I already got what I wanted so the archbishop''s life is useless.


    [Skill activation Distintergrate]


    As my skill took action the body of the great priest disappeared along with his mournful cry of grief.


    Continuation of Apollo''s POV


    Finally, I got the memories of someone who knew about that place.


    "Alicia"


    "Yes?"


    "We have one last destination, will you come with me?"


    [Current height: Estimated to be 50-60 kilometers above the surface


    Current Location: Northern section of the empire]


    "Good just a little bit more"


    I flew even higher and from 50 kilometres it reached 80. The oxygen was almost nonexistent while the temperature dropped to negative.


    "Hoo"


    Finally, my eyes landed towards the sole structure you will find in the middle of the atmosphere.


    "Now I understand why no one was able to find this place, to think they put it in here"


    "A temple above the clouds"


    "Yes"


    The height of 80 kilometers above the surface made a beautiful view of Bunag, though the only thing that I could see was the land belonging to the empire, it was still breathtaking. The human structures that were built a hundred years ago can still be seen despite the height I am currently in.


    Among the Noctilucent clouds, a platform was floating amidst the beautiful northern lights. It was a temple made of gold and gemstones, it glitters and shines just like the stars and planets in the sky.


    We didn''t rush in because we could see the hundred layers of the protective barrier surrounding the building.


    "I''ll leave those barriers to you"


    "Yeah let me remove it"


    My eyes scanned the entire temple and analyzed each barrier that protected the place.


    "This is easy, Jeremiah deal with it"


    [And here I thought you would do it instead of me]


    "Just do it"


    Somehow I could feel he was exasperated but still obeyed my orders.


    With Jeremiah''s spell breaking the barriers I could see dozens of lights breaking into pieces.


    [There are also shields I will be breaking them as well]


    "Good"


    I only remained where I was and saw every defensive measure of the temple turn to dust.


    "Let''s go it''s all done"


    With all the hindrance gone, we landed on the temple grounds and could finally appreciate the beauty of its architecture. From afar I could see two things, the decorative gateways and the roof. The roof was sloped, with overhanging eaves and decorative cornices while the gateway was carved with gems embedded in it.


    Then after walking further what first welcomed us was the temple''s facade, it was the grand entrance that seemed to serve as the main portal into the temple. The entrance was framed by columns and pilasters and topped with a lintel, a horizontal beam decorated with relief sculptures and inscriptions. Looking even closer to the pillars my eyes caught the decorative columns that help the temple stand.


    The columns are not the only thing decorated and carved, there were also reliefs and sculptures all depicting tales of the person residing inside the temple.


    We walked even further inside and each step we took creates echoes that reverberate inside the desolate temple. There were traps but Jeremiah had taken care of it.


    "Just a little further"


    I said while following the map which came from the archbishop''s memories.


    "Just what do you want to get here"


    Alicia finally asked it seemed she already had an idea of what I wanted to do. After all the temple is covered with clues I''d be worried if she doesn''t notice anything. Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -novelhall.net


    "Without the five there is no way you can do this"


    She added then her eyes began to pierce me as if telling me to hide nothing.


    "Tell me Apollo how will you open a door without its keys"


    However instead of answering I laugh,


    "My dear Alicia, who says I don''t have a key?"

 Chapter 113 Final Battle

    We walked even further inside and each step we took creates echoes that reverberate inside the desolate temple. There were traps but Jeremiah had taken care of it.


    "Just a little further"


    I said while following the map which came from the archbishop''s memories.


    "Just what do want to get here"


    Alicia finally asked it seemed she already had an idea of what I wanted to do. After all the temple is covered with clues I''d be worried if she didn''t notice anything.


    "Without the five there is no way you can do this"


    She added then her eyes began to pierce me as if telling me to hide nothing.


    "Tell me Apollo how will you open a door without its keys"


    However instead of answering I laugh


    "My dear Alicia, who says I don''t have a key?"


    I saw how her expression changed it seemed she was bewildered by my words however what she thinks doesn''t really matter. What I need is her strength that''s all that matters.


    "We are here" I said without even explaining the meaning of my previous words.


    But it seems Alicia was already satisfied from what I said earlier that she didn''t say anything, instead, her eyes showed expectations and curiosity. Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-novelhall.net


    I don''t know what''s happening inside her head but at least she trusts me.


    [Creator I have removed all traps you can proceed now]


    "Thanks"


    Right in front of me was a steel door covered with inscriptions and I didn''t waste any more time and decoded its password. A faint glowing light suddenly comes and ignites the door. All the symbols, all the magical runes all come to life once I crack the puzzle that protected the door, and then a creaking sound enters my ears. The door finally opens and...!?


    What''s this?


    How should I explain this?


    The place looks like an altar with all the candles lit, I can tell it was enchanted since there is no way a candle can last like this. In the middle of the room is an iron box covered in runes, behind the said box is a sculpture of the man I was familiar with.


    [It will be strange if you didn''t, after all, you once disguised yourself as him]


    Yes, that''s right it was the human sculpture of Nirvana standing high and mighty with his hands holding a scepter.


    "He is being depicted dramatically"


    Alicia voiced out the same thing that makes this room weird.


    "Yeah I agree"


    I said feeling even more weirded when I saw the tapestry at the walls of the room.


    "Apollo"


    "Yes?"


    "Let''s do what we came for, the longer I stay here the faster my patience will run out"


    I couldn''t help but laugh, yes I definitely understand her.


    "Then shall we start?"


    I asked and her expression changed.


    I know she is preparing.


    "You may proceed"


    With those words from her, I walked slowly into the middle of the room and approached the iron box.


    At the lid of the box are five stars that are carved like constellations in the sky. I put my hand on top of it and ordered.


    "Jeremiah activate all the copied blessings now"


    [I will give you a warning Creator, activating all the blessings will take a toll on your body, and even if you increase your stats it can''t help you elevate its effects.


    A God''s blessing is different from any other skill so I am reminding you, my Creator]


    "It''s okay I will be fine so go ahead and do what I command"


    Then the five stars in the box glow and begin connecting. I felt my body boil until a blinding light devoured me.


    It''s here finally the final battle is here.


    "Jeremiah boost me with essence"


    [Afirmative]


    I felt my body being energized causing a grin to form on my lips. I pulled my rifle again reloaded it and immediately pulled the trigger. A shot was released and invisible bullets flew straight to their target.


    "Argh!"


    I heard a cry and was sure my target was hit.


    That was the second bullet that hit him but it was enough to gain a few seconds of distraction.


    [STATS


    NAME: NIRVANA


    STATUS: WEAKENED


    Rank: CELESTIAL


    Level: 20


    Strength: 20000 (-5000)


    Agility: 20000 (-5000)


    Dexterity: 20000 (-5000)


    Endurance: 20000(-5000)


    Stamina: 20000(-5000)


    Intelligence: 20000(-5000)


    Mana: 20000(-5000)


    Mana regeneration: 1000 per minute (-5000)


    Vitality: 20000(-5000)


    Skills/Abilities:


    Instinct (Passive)(Rank Z) - Senses any danger up to one kilometer


    Equalizer (Passive) (Rank Z) - Balance any attributes and skills


    Devourer (Active)(Rank Z) - Allows the holder to devour anything and use the devour energy to attack


    Damage reduction (Active) (Rank Z)- Reduce 100% of any damages every second


    Call of the king (Active) (Rank Z) - Summons an army of demonic beast


    Impeccable (Active) (Rank Z) - A body that heals every damage


    Blood sharing (Active) (Rank Z) - Allows the holder to share his power through the use of his blood


    Sacred power (Active) (Rank Z) - An energy that is harvested from the sacred ritual


    ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: Demonic Blood of Blue Bullet Ant


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution: Celestial Shield Constitution]


    "Should I be thankful for the weakened effect of the seal?"


    [Yeah you should!]


    My body began to be clad in lightning, since his body nullifies any damage per second I need to be faster than a second.


    [Please don''t forget the skill Devourer]


    "Yes I know"


    A different type of lighting suddenly pulsates in my hand. Instead of the usual blue and white colors, a different color of lightning dwells within my palms.


    "Thunder Aura, Black Lightning"

 Chapter 114 Final Battle Part. II

    "Thunder Aura, Black Lightning"


    My body sped up and appeared right beside Alicia.


    Our bodies were in sync and the moment Alicia retracted her fist, my attack came in. In just a second dozens of lightning struck him.


    [He blocked some of your strikes]


    "Damn it!"


    My attack didn''t really work since his skill damage reduction took effect while my other attacks were blocked.


    "That was a very funny attack"


    Nirvana suddenly spoke and raised his hand to grab me.


    "Thunder Aura, Darkness"


    Another ray of black lightning came however the being in front of me just waved his hand to slap my strike.


    "I am not doing any damage"


    [I suggest you deal with his skills first if you can''t then you will lose stamina before you can even inflict real damage]


    "What about the weakening effect of the seal, how long is the duration of it?"


    [You still have 10 minutes Creator


    It seems the previous wielder of the blessings had considered the fact that someone would free him and thus put this weakening effect. However, Nirvana is negating this effect which is why you need to finish this fight before he completely removes it]


    "Got it!"


    Our conversation would seem long however only a second passed in real time.


    "I''ll be faster!"


    My body became clad in lightning and struck Nirvana.


    "Pang!"


    A crisp sound reverberated across the sky as my fist landed on his torso.


    "You are fast I''ll give you that..."


    Damn it, he caught my fist


    "However no matter how fast you are, if you punch like a girl how do you expect to bring down someone..."


    Nirvana''s arrogant statement wasn''t able to finish when Alicia''s fist went to his face and sent him flying deeper into the atmosphere.


    [A little bit more and he will be out of the space]


    "What, you mean that punch..."


    [Yeah]


    I felt cold and realized how much of a monster Alicia was.


    "Hurry"


    "!?"


    [!?]


    "You are planning something right?"


    "Yeah I am"


    A black bolt of lightning landed on my hand before transforming into a spear. .net


    "Can you play with him for a bit I just need to do something"


    "Sure"


    "BANG!"


    The air vibrated when Alicia flew up leaving me behind inside this decapitated temple.


    "Now off you go"


    Lightning surged while the spear in my hand became transparent. Layers of spells began to formulate inside my head, modifying the spell that I already cast.


    A roar echoed and shook the clouds, the sound of his cry travelled so far that the thin amount of clouds parted.


    "I suppose this is also a part of your plan"


    I honestly don''t know what to say to her since this is a very dangerous act but I just want to see if my theory was right.


    "So what''s next? What do you plan to do, when they are coming"


    "Right sorry about this situation"


    My spear then appeared, its appearance was still the same until the influx of essence poured into it.


    "Jeremiah focus on the essence we have gathered and put them in the spear"


    [Should I put all of it? After all the incoming horde of demonic beasts is on a different scale]


    "Yes pour everything"


    My spear glows and blue light envelopes the weapon.


    "The essence of 500,000 thousand people let''s see what can it do"


    The sky vibrates while the mana hums seemingly excited by the current situation.


    However as the battle progressed at such speed, the empire below felt the tremor of the clash.


    "Emperor, what should we do?"


    One of the Imperial soldiers asked while the sky was covered with flying demonic beasts.


    "Send a letter to Duke Silvercrest telling him to evaluate the area and send the subjugation army"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    As the guard leaves to do his duty an orb emerges in the emperor''s hands.


    "It''s me go there now"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    Four different voices answered making the emperor nod his head.


    .....


    While the empire began to be alerted at the current influx of demonic beasts, the heavens opened feeling delightful at the current situation.


    "Should we help?"


    "No, it''s okay I think that demon got it all covered"


    With God''s approval, the essence increases making Apollo confused.


    "Did I kill so much I could physically see the essence?"


    [Probably 500,000 lives is no small amount]


    "You are right"


    The spear in my hand grows in size until a pillar of light burns in the sky.


    "Active the skill disintegrate"


    [Command received


    Skill Disintegrate activated!]


    With my command being obeyed the glowing spear in my hand disappeared and turned into countless fragmented light. It is as if my spell firefly took another form however this skill is different from my spell.


    A rain of light falls down and each time it lands on a magic beast its body turns to dust. The shower of blue lights continues until only one being remains, Nirvana himself.


    "How!"


    He shouted however the shower of lights soon fell on him.


    "I won''t back down!"


    His voice created waves of energy, I could tell despite his situation he was still strong.


    [Creator Nirvana is forcefully cancelling your skill]


    "He is indeed a monster"

 Chapter 115 Final Battle Part III

    I used to be the same as others, crawling like insects on the ground, a beast with no thoughts and only knowing how to hunt for food and mate during seasons. Like any other, I was a fool but then it happened, I gained a mind to think. For mere Sapphire Bullet Ant, it was a big deal. Because at that time I can now leave my own colony and start my own.


    Magical beasts gain intelligence as they grow stronger however it isn''t the same when they turn into demon beasts. The corruption caused by mana would morph their brain in a way that they can no longer think properly. Demons have only an endless desire to devour, to destroy and to kill. They don''t have any thoughts about life or even pain. They simply don''t feel any of it.


    When I failed to ascent to rank Archduke my mana fireback at me until it turned me into a demonic beast. So I became the same beast I once feared when I was a magical beast. A monster that only knows how to eat and destroy.


    However, my days of being a mindless creature ended when that incident happened.


    "What''s this? What happened to me?"


    I woke up holding the corpse of someone, a human, somehow his flesh made my mind clear. Despite becoming a demon I could still think and process my own thoughts.


    "Ha..hahaha!"


    At that moment I know, I am special.


    ...


    "This cannot be! I can''t die! I am a god!"


    His voice created a force that left the floating platform dented.


    "He is indeed a monster"


    [His will is forcing the skill Disintegrate to weaken]


    Apollo observes his opponent and knows if he leaves him breathing for long it might cost him his life.


    "We should end this"


    The lights that continue to fall suddenly stop and fly towards it''s owner. As the light joined together it transformed into a spear. Light began to trace the symbols embedded in the weapon, and as the essence flowed into Apollo''s demonized body it began to morph.


    The traces of blue light from the spear expanded and spread across the demonic body of Apollo. The jet-black coat that encased the armor of the demon was soon swallowed by light. The ragged wings were replaced with black feathers like those typically seen in ravens, however unlike the normal ravens Apollo''s wings have white patterns on them.


    His clothing which is mixed with enchanted clothes and armor soon turns white with patterns of black.


    "Jeremiah put everything in maximum"


    Lightning sparked and energized his body however this magic became one with him. So no ounce of lightning came out or leaked out.


    "Thunder Aura, Holy Lance"


    It happens in just a blink of an eye the body of the almighty God of the Monastery was cut into thousands of pieces, and due to the temperature of Apollo''s body and lance the remaining pieces of Nirvana melted and turned to nothing.


    As Nirvana disappeared a spark of light flew into Apollo''s body, however, neither Apollo nor Jeremiah noticed it.


    "It''s done"


    "Yes finally our mission is finished"


    [With this I suppose you truly free your friends, no one will ever harm them]


    "Yeah I suppose you are right"


    The stars were alive, shining brilliantly among the other heavenly bodies. As Apollo looks at the beautiful sky his footing suddenly destabilizes.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Apollo I think this place can no longer sustain itself"


    [Creator this place is gonna crash down!]


    An earthquake-like force shook the floating platform and with its uneven state, and wrecked corners it could no longer remain floating at such a high altitude.


    "It''s going down Apollo"


    "Yes I know"


    The demonized boy used his wings to fly escaping the fall of the one''s great temple. The platform speeds up its descent causing its body to ignite. Like a meteor, it came crashing to the ground.


    "It may be incredible to you but the being who caused this may become a threat in the future, we must hunt down this mysterious attacker"


    Archduke Astralia said while appearing annoyed at the situation.


    "Gulp"


    The five imperial generals and some of the high-rank soldiers all felt like they should flee. The presence of the four cardinal dukes and the archduke was too overwhelming for them to handle.


    However, this oppressive atmosphere soon collapses due to a strange noise.


    "What''s that?"


    Soon they realized what it was, the sound of heels hitting the floor of the palace.


    "Now who could this guest be"


    Helios said while taking a seat at the nearby chair.


    The door of the throne room flung open revealing the figure of a little girl.


    "Lady Alicia?"


    Augustus suddenly stood from his seat surprising the present soldiers.


    "All of you, leave at once"


    The imperial soldiers looked confused but still obeyed the emperor''s orders.


    Once they left Alicia moved from where she was.


    "I hope I didn''t ruin something important"


    "Not at all my lady"


    The four dukes including the archduke move away from the throne and stand in line in front of the emperor.


    "You kids don''t really need to do this, a military greeting is not something you should do" Stay tuned for updates on m-v l|-novelhall.net


    The five strongest assets of the empire just laughed while the emperor guided Alicia to his own throne, letting her sit there.


    "May I ask what brings you here?"


    The emperor asked as soon as Alicia settled on the throne.


    "Actually it was me"


    "Pardon?"


    The six men had their eyes locked on the little girl in front of them.


    "Don''t tell me"


    The archduke muttered while trying to maintain his expression.


    "My lady you mean you were the one who.."


    "Yes the attacks at the temples were my doing, however, I didn''t come here for that reason. What I want you to do is deal with the remnant disciples and priests who are still hiding. I know you are aware of the spies the Monastery have so the entirety of the empire should start a clean up"


    "I understand however may I ask how did you find all the temples'' locations? If it''s okay may I know how?"


    Alicia contemplates what answer she should give, what Apollo told her was to make sure that his name won''t be dragged into the situation.


    "I am sorry, Your Majesty but I can''t disclose that"


    She then stood up from the throne before her body disappeared.


    As she vanished her voice left a message.


    "I''ll be staying with those kids I hope you don''t mind that"

 Chapter 116 A New Hurdle

    "I''ll be staying with those kids I hope you don''t mind that"


    The girl said leaving nothing behind the throne room.


    As she left the six men remained standing, silence was evident because they didn''t know what to say.


    "Your Majesty"


    "Yes"


    "How strong is Lady Alicia?"


    The archduke could finally ask to which the emperor answered "That my friend is my question too"


    After Alicia disappeared from the throne room, she reappeared at the ruined temple.


    "Ali!"


    Alya immediately grabbed her as soon as she came back.


    "Hey Alicia how did it go?"


    Keith asked while guiding her inside.


    "Wait we are not suspected right?"


    Arabella was a bit worried so she asked that question.


    "No worries I already settled everything"


    "Yes!"


    Her words made everyone rejoice causing the atmosphere to be warm. A bonfire was ignited and a feast was made by a couple of children.


    "Where is Apollo?"


    Despite the happy celebration, Alicia notices his absence.


    "Apollo is inside the library and he seems to be tired so we leave him be"


    Mckenzie said while handing her a tray of food.


    "If you want to see him give him this, he might wake up if you spoke to him"


    "I see I''ll go then"


    Holding the tray Alicia walked through the ruined temple and went inside the library. Amongst the shelves and books, there on one of the small corners of the room, you can see a boy covered in bed sheets and pillows. Apollo was there sleeping comfortably while embracing a pillow. So Alicia doesn''t know whether to wake him up or just let him sleep.


    "Well might as well leave this here"


    She settles the tray beside him, she then puts a preservation spell on it to make the meal warm the same way when she brought it. After putting a spell she got a lid to protect it from any falling objects.


    "Many things happened I hope you rest well"


    After saying those words she finally left and let the boy take a rest.


    "So how did it go?" Mckenzie asked as soon as he saw Alicia return.


    "Still asleep"


    "Leave the guy be he must be tired from all the ruckus we did"


    Blair said while handing a barbecue to Alicia then Casper suddenly suggested something.


    "By the way I was wondering if we could start preparing for the first Quarterly exam"


    "Oh right, that will happen next week!"


    "Was the date already announced?"


    "No, I think they will tell us on Monday"


    "We still have an entire day to rest so we should spend it nicely"


    Niko, Alya, Agnes and Samael talk while circling around the fire. Then as they settled on the topic Braiden began to speak as well.


    "We have all the materials we need since the previous lower class left their diaries here"


    "I am really thankful they also left letters of encouragement" Vesta spoke feeling the letters were to lighten up the gloomy first-year lower class.


    "Speaking of letters I even saw a one-hundred-year-old letter telling us to never give up" Aaron began to share while holding his half-eaten barbeque.


    "Wow that''s old"


    Nino exclaimed while stealing some grilled corn from Blair.


    "Wait that''s strange I just put my corn here" the latter said before taking another corn to grill.


    "We should study and put the materials left behind by our predecessor into good use"


    Jillian encourage feeling excited about their upcoming exam.


    "Okay"


    As she went inside the library she found Apollo sitting in the corner she had last seen last night, though she found it weird that he intensively staring at the air.


    "Apollo?"


    "!?"


    "Sorry did I surprise you?" Your journey continues with m v|l--novelhall.net


    "Oh, since when did you arrive?"


    "Just now why?"


    "Ah nothing, I just woke up so I won''t be able to eat this"


    He pointed to the meal she left last night, Alicia only nodded then she spoke.


    "Breakfast is ready, everyone is waiting so we should join them"


    "Okay I was about to go there as well"


    "By the way Apollo?"


    "Yes?"


    "What were doing a while ago?"


    "Ah, that? I was checking the items we got from the assault we did at the temples"


    "So? How much did we get?"


    "It''s massive just looking at it in my ring makes me feel overwhelmed"


    It surprised the girl a bit since Apollo was used to the wealth of the tower, so if he felt overwhelmed like he said then she could imagine how much they got from the attack.


    "We should tell everyone about that"


    "Yeah"


    When they arrived a long table was already prepared with sixteen chairs waiting for them to sit on.


    "Morning Apollo"


    "Morning"


    "Since our main character is here let''s eat!"


    Apollo couldn''t help but shake his head at Mckenzie''s words. Then the boy''s eyes shifted and saw baskets full of freshly baked breath and a warm pot of soup.


    "Come on dig in!"


    Blair urged and then guided Apollo to sit with them.


    "Let''s eat!"


    The breakfast went smoothly, and after that they hurriedly cleaned up before returning to their dorm.


    "We are back!"


    Mckenzie announced as soon as he entered the main door. However, his energetic attitude soon dampened when his eyes landed on a certain someone.


    "Professor Adolfo?"


    "Yes, what nice weather isn''t it student Mckenzie?"


    A wide brilliant smile appeared on the professor''s face however his students felt hellish since they somehow felt a bad thing would happen to them.


    Then Adolfo''s smile grew wider when he saw Apollo walking beside his classmates.


    "What''s this? Why is he here?"


    Apollo wondered but the professor''s appearance made the entire class nervous. Then finally the professor spoke.


    "The Quarterly Exam will happen on the 16th day of this month, so these coming days will be filled with reviews of your previous lessons, and also..." he looked at each of his students before continuing.


    "This Quarterly exam will be held for three days"


    "What?"


    "Three days?"


    "What do they expect to do have a written exam for an entire day?"


    "Shut up Mckenzie"


    The kids began discussing though they began to zip their mouths when Adolfo gestured them to quiet down.


    "The reason for the exam being held for three days is because a tournament will be held there"


    All the students stare at their professor not understanding why they need to put up a tournament on an exam day.

 Chapter 117 Preparation for exams

    Apollo''s Pov


    How should I say this, I thought destroying the Monastery would give me some free time to plan about my brother''s and sister''s wonderful school journey. However right after the problems with the monastery ended our attention got snatched away by the exams, and it''s not even that hard.


    I am not being arrogant or whatsoever but it''s the truth. My classmates'' stats might be weaker at first but they have improved a lot since their time in the tower.


    Those who are afraid to take up a sword soon try to learn the power of the blade, while those who are afraid of violence, entered the world of new possibilities. The reason why they are the way they were when I met them, was because fear and trauma were still engraved on their hearts.


    They might appear fine but I know when I first met them, they were afraid of the things that could remind them of the past. Fortunately, we all did our best to improve, we became close to each other until we let go of our worries and became who we are right now.


    I am certain we will be fine after all, before the incident with the Monastery, my classmates were heirs of their own clan or were trained for a certain purpose. Examples are Samael in the Church of Juanfonso, Keith in the Frostfang Tribe, Aaron at Hexzon village, and Casper at the Santiago Fort. Matilda was also the same as her brother since he was a high-ranking soldier.


    Niko is a member of a knight family while Agnes is a literal princess. Mckenzie is a student of a baron while Blair is a child from Longfalls, one that is known for their good use of magic. Also, the others have gained abilities through different means. Although those means are a bit traumatic.


    "I can''t handle this!"


    "Calm down Mckenzie"


    My monologue stopped when I heard Mckenzie''s complaint.


    "I can''t handle this! Why do we have to learn history!"


    Maybe I should take back what I said earlier. Maybe it isn''t as easy as I thought. It might be harder than I initially expected.


    Most of my classmates have subjects they excel in and also have those they need more improvements to make, take Mckenzie for example.


    "I can''t even remember a single capital from the nearby kingdoms, and now we have to mark them on a map?"


    He continues to complain while holding a review book made by our subject professor.


    "Well, it seems like we are going to be busy" I could only say while lifting my cup of tea.


    It was Sunday and Professor Adolfo dropping such a bomb on us made us all eager to pass the exam.


    "However why do they need a tournament"


    Arabella voiced her question which was something that''s been bugging us. Usually, tournaments are held during the foundation day of the academy, so why do they suddenly have this?


    "I wanted to know that as well"


    Alya weakly said while dropping the book in her hand.


    "And yet our angelic professor didn''t give us any clue and just stormed off after saying about the tournament thingy"


    If Alya felt weak Matilda on the other hand felt annoyed.


    "Well at least he gave us all the review books our subject professors wanted to give us"


    Jillian spoke trying to calm her annoyed friend.


    "Hey Keith help me out I can''t understand this question"


    Braiden then approaches Keith''s table holding a worksheet given by one of their professors.


    "Okay let me see.....its inscriptions, I see you are writing it wrong, this character needs to be written like this"


    Keith then proceeded to rewrite what Braden did which made the latter follow him.


    Currently, our subjects only let us practice the basics and not the actual stuff. I kept on wondering if that would really help us. For example one of our subjects Magic and Creation 1, aside from spell casting, it simply taught us to memorize and perfectly write the rune characters that would later be used in scroll-making.


    We barely touched the topic and the same goes with our subject beastmology, they only taught us the background of each beast but never let us use the simulators.


    [It seems you haven''t fully recovered yet]


    "Yeah it seems so"


    It was Monday and we slowly dragged our bodies into the lecture room only to see our professor calmly writing something on the board.


    "Good morning miss Gelda"


    "Morning"


    "Professor you are early today"


    Niko commented while giving a thumbs up to the professor. Agnes on the other hand just drags him in the corner making sure he will become quiet.


    "Everyone settle down because I will give you all the procedures and mechanics of the exam"


    "Mechanics?"


    With just one word I felt like our so-called written exam won''t be that simple.


    "To tell you all the truth I am a bit confused as to why we are doing this type of exam but I hope it helps everyone"


    Our professor''s words made me confirm my thoughts.


    "Now I wonder what gimmick is this" I couldn''t help but grin as our professor began her explanation.


    "Usually my subject is one of those that are evaluated through written exams but now it will be different, they made a change to make sure the students would truly understand their lessons"


    Then she wrote something on the broad, a title of something I didn''t understand. Is this a book or something? Do we need to review using this as a reference? I wondered, and then the professor began to explain.


    The word Empire Fights was written


    "This my students is the name of your exam"


    "Huh?"


    "Exams have names?"


    "I thought we only need to know the type of exams?"


    I could hear McKenzie''s bewildered reaction along with some of the boy''s comments.


    "I don''t know who made this name but let''s skip that part"


    Then her next words made me suddenly excited


    "Nice, it seems this new type is exam is entertaining"


    However opposite to my enthusiastic reaction Meckenzie looked pale but at the same time excited. No, it seems he doesn''t know what reaction he should do.


    After that announcement, the class ended with our professor giving us a detailed review of our previous lessons, she even highlighted some parts for us. Time went on and the class ended.


    "Ahhhhh!"


    I heard a shout from Mckenzie since he was frustrated and wanted to vent his frustration.


    "Don''t worry buddy we got you"


    "Thanks"


    Currently, we are inside the ruined temple and hopefully, our reviewing will help us pass.

 Chapter 118 Exam

    Friday, the 16th day of the month of Augustus. The Aster Academy opens its gate towards the family and guardians of each student. Unfortunately for me, my family will come. I will be happy if they don''t come, like what''s the point of coming? But then my communication bracelet suddenly pulled my attention.


    "A call?"


    I checked the caller and it turns out it was Grandpa Alger. Happily, I excitedly answered his call.


    "Hello? Grandpa?"


    {Little sun how are you?}


    His voice entered my ears and my eyes landed on his holographic image.


    "I am doing great"


    I genuinely replied but then his reply made me frown. It was a laugh he usually does when he finds something interesting.


    {I heard what happened little sun}


    I suddenly felt chilly and somehow I don''t know what to say.


    "What do you mean grandpa?" I said pretending to know nothing about the thing he was trying to imply.


    With that answer, I heard him chuckle again which made my assumption correct.


    This is not really good


    Should I lie?


    But he knows me way too well that lying will only cement his thoughts.


    {I saw it, you see the emperor asked the tower to investigate, so while we searched under those rubbles and dirt we found something}


    Oh shit, I thought while knowing his next words.


    {Do you really think the tower won''t recognize something that is created there? Though honestly, I didn''t think you would fix the problem with the mechanized soldier. You even improve its sheath apparatus}


    "..."


    {Why aren''t you speaking?}


    "Well I am sorry for taking them without saying anything and please tell Brother Gavin I did some stuff inside the soldiers"


    {Hahahaha....no need to worry and about the traces you amateurishly tried to erase we already took care of it. No one will know you are there with your friends"


    OPPS, just how much did they get?


    Did they also find out about my spell Clonis? Hopefully not since it''s the thing I like to keep a secret.


    "I hope I didn''t cause too much trouble"


    {Dont worry you didn''t my child}


    "By the way the way we will start our exam today"


    {Yes I did hear so me and some selected mages will go there to watch you}


    "Really!"


    {Yes so be sure to do your best}


    "I will!"


    "{Alright I''ll drop this call...}


    Find more chapters on m_v l|e-novelhall.net


    Then a sudden bang masked Grandpa''s voice making me worried.


    "Wait was that an explosion?"


    {Ah that? We are just having a small competition on who will be allowed to go there with me. I''ll call you once we are nearby}


    "Okay take care"


    {I will}


    My call ended but I still felt happy


    "Gotta make sure I pass"


    "Apollo!"


    "Alright the official start of this exam is 8:00 to 11:00, we will have our lunch after that then return here for our next exam, 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Then the last two will be taken tomorrow with the same time slot"


    Alicia explained looking quite serious.


    "Currently it''s 7:30 we are allowed to start the exam early if we want to and it will still end at 11:00 am, so what do you guys think? Should we go inside or wait until 8:00 am?"


    With Alicia''s words, they began to think while I remained silent since it didn''t really matter to me what time we started.


    After five minutes they conclude.


    "Let''s do this!"


    Mackenzie was strangely active making me relieved, he must have gained some confidence.


    "Okay we still have 20 or more so let''s go in"


    Alicia finally smiled as she said those words.


    We all came forward and calmly opened the door, and nervously entered. A white blinding light began to bind us until a dry and burning air welcomed us, or more correctly me.


    I smirked as I felt the intensity of the situation.


    "Here it is"


    I said and my eyes looked straight at the words floating above.


    "To escape this room you must complete the sequence of events that happened in the Age of Extinction. What you do will conclude its ending which is needed to be the same as the one in the history books, so choose wisely"


    [It''s finally starting]


    "Yes"


    Back in our class professor Gelda, revealed to us that our examination in her subject would be a simulation of the things we have discussed in her lesson. That includes all the overviews she once discussed at the beginning of the school year.


    "The first lesson was the age of extinction"


    A warm air penetrated my skin while a couple of roars and screams came from a distance.


    "I need to know first where and who I am"


    According to the professor we will take on one of the historical figures in history, and our decision will decide the outcome of this scenario. If we choose the correct answers and the ending I make is the same as the one on the books then I will proceed to the next part of the exam.


    I looked around at my body and found out I was wearing a military uniform.


    "This style don''t tell me..."


    [You are Yuan from the Qin kingdom!]


    "Yes, Yuan the soldier who will die after bombing the black bridge"


    [He did but after he did that he was able to save thousands of people!]


    So the figure I possess is Yuan, but then why is he here?


    Did I perhaps miss something while reviewing last night?


    [Creator! Run!]


    "What?"


    My body suddenly tensed up as my eyes saw a huge demon salt iron crocodile.


    It was a swarm of them


    [Run!]


    Yes I will definitely run


    I move my legs and strangely I am way slower than before.


    "What the hell!"


    I ran like there was a ton of stuff at my back.


    Wait was there something like this in history? I searched my mind and an answer came to me.


    "That''s right he was the one who first discovered the demonic breakout at the northern river marsh.


    [Creator runs faster!]


    "I am trying to!"


    Frustrated I ended up shouting at him.

 Chapter 119 Yuan

    Qin kingdom is located in the eastern portion of the continent, unfortunately, they were one of the few kingdoms that were first destroyed during the breakout.


    Now I am the soldier who first discovered the extreme abundance of demons at the northern river marsh.


    This marsh had many species of magical beast and for an unknown reason, all of them became a demonic beast. It was a mysterious phenomenon that left the current researcher puzzled. Just what happened in the eastern part of the continent that turns all the magical beasts into demons. That up until now remains a mystery.


    [Run!]


    "I am already running!"


    Why am I so slow?


    [Could it be that you also possess the skills of the historical figure Yuan not just his appearance?]


    "That''s possible"


    While I said that I made a sudden jump dodging a crocodile''s bite.


    "I need to get used to this body"


    I made a side step and yet again dodged another bite.


    [You are doing great despite not being used to this body]


    "Thanks"


    I kept running towards the place where the soldier Yuan ran when he first made his discovery.


    "There is it! The watch tower!"


    Qin kingdom had walls that served as the shield against demonic and magical beasts and at the corner of those walls were the watch towers.


    Seeing those towers I immediately ran towards them while dodging and kicking the demonic crocodiles that relentlessly chased me.


    [Creator Yuan has superb endurance and stamina!]


    "Yeah, but he is so damn slow!"


    I made another jump while three crocodiles bit the air as I lifted off.


    ...


    "Hey is that your brother?"


    A soldier asks seeing a familiar figure in his spyglass.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yeah here look through it"


    The other soldier took the spyglass and immediately recognized the person who desperately ran for his life.


    "It''s Yuan.."


    Then the spyglass moves and zooms into the group of demonic beasts chasing his brother.


    "Those are!"


    He panicked and moved his body towards the edge of the observation deck.


    "Jun what are gonna do?"


    His friend asked not liking his position.


    "Wei you call reinforcement it seems we need to defend the wall again" After saying those words he jumped causing his friend to almost have a heart attack.


    Opposite to Wei''s reaction Jun fearlessly glided to the air before landing perfectly on the ground.


    "Yuan!"


    He shouted gaining his brother''s response. However, as he gazed at him he could tell that somehow he was different.


    "Did my eyes play with me"


    He said a bit confused about the situation but despite his confusion, he rushed to aid his brother.


    ....


    Apollo''s Pov.


    "Who is that?"


    [He seems to know you, Creator]


    "Yuan!"


    [See he knows you!]


    I couldn''t help but shake my head but since I didn''t have any other option I ran towards him.


    "Help me!" I even added.


    A man clad in the same outfit as me rushes to my side before lifting me.


    [!?]


    "What?"


    [It seems she won''t believe you, Creator]


    "Well that would make my situation complicated"


    I hope she believes me though the history books didn''t say that he was first doubted.


    "Where?"


    She suddenly spoke making me look straight into her eyes.


    "Right in the bottom of the marsh, I saw all the magical beasts turning into demons"


    "Was the corruption fast?"


    "It was different in other species some were slower while the others were faster"


    "Then I suppose those saltwater iron crocodiles are corrupted fast"


    All I could do was nod, why? I already said some lines from the books I don''t know what else should I say. And I can''t just give more since I would look suspicious.


    "Jun"


    "Yes mam"


    "Go and inform the king we must report this"


    "Yes, mam!"


    "And you come with me and show me where exactly you saw the corruption"


    I couldn''t help but gulp does she want me to return there?


    I hope not since my stats are not good enough to survive there.


    Fortunately, she showed me a map instead.


    "Where and how big was the radius of the corruption"


    I did whatever she asked until the planning for evacuation started and finished. Some soldiers were meant to remain to buy time while the others joined the people providing protection along the way.


    "Yuan!"


    I heard Jun''s calling so I reluctantly went to him.


    "Don''t go too far where I can''t see you, stay where I can immediately find you okay?"


    "Yes"


    "Are you alright?"


    "Yes I am"


    I could see him looking frustrated probably with my behaviour change but there is no way I can act around with him. I don''t even know how to show sibling love.


    "Held on to me"


    He said while pulling my arm to hold onto his sleeve.


    Seriously both of us are members of the military but I am being treated like a kid. And why the hell do they keep looking at me as if this is a normal occurrence?


    [He is treating you way kinder than I expected, how should I say this? He is very gentle. Like a calm breeze]


    "Yes you are right, a calm and gentle breeze"


    We walked for a couple of days until the demons caught up to us. That is when the tragedy started, one by one the soldiers and people started dying and sacrificing each other, and that includes him as well.


    "Argh!"


    "Jun!"


    "That should be big brother you know!"


    My body suddenly trembles while trying to med his lacerated arm. It was roughly removed when he saved me from an iron crocodile''s death roll.


    "Argh!"


    "Hurry Yuan! We can''t stay here!"


    I heard Wei''s voice forcing me to lift my brother on the back before running to join the others.


    "This is funny"


    "Don''t speak you are wounded"


    "You know I used to give piggyback rides on you when we were little, but now look at you, our position has been reversed"


    I could feel his breath getting weaker making my legs move a lot faster.


    "Help!" I started to shout, I started to beg because I could feel his life was about to end.


    "Hey, can somebody please help me!" I beg even more lifting my legs to move even faster.


    At that moment I forgot about the exam and only focused on saving the little spark of life he had left.

 Chapter 120 A Brothers Love

    This is just an exam so why? Why am I in such pain? I am hurt when they die yet I know those people are all illusions, including him.


    "Help!"


    I shouted again yet my body was so slow to respond to my will. I wanted to run fast but couldn''t.


    However, I am thankful for my unique endurance and stamina, despite running for quite some time now I can still go on for a while longer.


    As I ran I saw a silhouette of someone. I halted trying to see if this person was an ally or foe.


    As my eyes slowly scanned him, he began to approach me.


    "Yuan?"


    "Wei?"


    Finally, someone is here!


    I desperately ran towards him however as I did a shadow was already looming behind his back. It was a beast with a towering build, its size was humongous and black scales became its shield from arrows and blows. Its eyes glisten in hunger as if it hasn''t eaten for days although its mouth and body are covered with blood.


    "Watch out!"


    However, before my voice could reach him the demonic beast moved bearing its fang on its victim.


    Time seemed to move slowly and the beast that was a few centimeters away from Wei suddenly cut down to pieces.


    "Who did that?"


    Blood spattered while the beast''s severed body painted the ground red.


    "You better move Yuan"


    "Captain!"


    It was the same black woman who grabbed my collar a few days ago.


    What was her name again?


    [Apologies I wasn''t able to hear it as well]


    "Yuan!"


    "Yes!"


    "Move now!"


    "Yes ma''am!"


    I run while Jun still rests on my back.


    "His arm is severed"


    She commended while holding onto her long spear.


    "Do we have a healer?"


    "Yes but currently occupied with the abundance of patients"


    I couldn''t help but bite my lip as I heard those words.


    [You are greatly affected even though you shouldn''t be my Creator]


    Jeremiah''s words made my expression even more complicated.


    "You don''t have to worry the army has a separate healer so your brother should receive treatment"


    The captain said as if trying to make me feel assured.


    "Follow me, we have found a place where demons can''t enter easily. Everyone is there resting so we should regroup with the others"


    I only nodded knowing that I won''t be able to rest.


    "Why aren''t you curious as well?"


    [I am]


    Suddenly I felt my hearing became even better, it began cancelling unnecessary noise and focusing on one point. Jun and the captain''s conversation.


    "So you are telling me I need to stay here like the rest of the injured soldiers and make sure to kill demons as much as I can"


    "Yes, I tried to cancel this order believe me, but the council believed that you and the rest of the injured soldiers and civilians are liabilities that will only slow us down. So instead of being a burden they wanted to use you all to buy us enough time to flee"


    "I see, truth be told I see this coming. I know the King, he will never compromise for the sake of those who have low chances of survival. He will always make a choice for those who have a higher chance of living than for us who are weak and injured"


    "Jun.."


    "Captain I won''t go against the king''s orders, I know my body, I know I won''t last for long. So please make sure my brother is safe. He is the only person I have left, so please protect him"


    It was a faint calm voice however I could feel his determination.


    "Ha..."


    I couldn''t help but breathe like that.


    "How stupid seriously, why? Why do I suddenly miss my brother?"


    It was confusing at the same time alerting. My mind already settled on killing that person and somehow it began to waver.


    For the first time after that incident, I suddenly longed to have a brother.


    .....


    A few hours after that conversation I saw the injured soldiers walking towards the edge of the forest.


    "Yuan" he called me so I looked towards him and asked.


    "Where are you going?"


    "Ah, this? The King gave us orders that we should take another route to make sure we would be safer. Don''t worry the healers are with us, they will take care of our injuries so you should hurry and go with the others. We will meet after we pass this hurdle, so keep yourself safe okay?"


    Seriously, if you are going to lie make sure it''s not obvious you know. I can definitely tell you are lying.


    Experience more tales on mvl


    [What are we gonna do Creator, this fact wasn''t included in the books. They never said that the king wanted to sacrifice his injured citizens and soldiers in order to have enough time to flee]


    "You are right"


    They never taught us that history can be different and alarmingly cruel.


    [Perhaps it''s because the book you have read vaguely explains this part of history. After all the history of the empire is quite long and they have to summarize it in order for your classmates to learn it in two months]


    Was that really the reason? It seems history can be deceiving if you read it from another person''s perspective. This past may be part of someone else''s pov that we never read about.


    "Yuan? You okay? You don''t look good, is there something that is bothering you?"


    Ah, my expression is too oblivious it seems I am still not good at hiding them.


    "Sorry I am just worried"


    "Don''t be, we can still meet after this"


    I nodded with his lies although I am not really the brother he is trying to protect.


    [What do you plan to do? I see no bridge here even though the record says Yuan died destroying the Black bridge that connects the Qin kingdom and this forest]


    "We don''t have a choice but to make sure we can still do the outcome that was recorded in history"


    [Yuan''s death]


    "Yes"


    Although I am a bit sceptical if Yuan was truly the man that died.

 Chapter 121 History Lesson hits different

    Although I am a bit sceptical if Yuan was truly the man that died. What if it wasn''t really what happened? However I need to stick to my task, the one who will die today is me, Yuan.


    "Let''s go we need to move now"


    Burying my distracting thoughts I stealthily made my way towards the other edge of the forest. It was the one where the flaming bird was fighting the horde of demons.


    "Amazing he actually created a wall of fire to prevent the entry of other demon beasts"


    The walls of golden flames burst and my skin could feel its scorching heat. Then my eyes switch towards the maker of this scenery. A bird with a flaming body and an eagle-like appearance clawed into the crowd of enemies. Its cry echoes making the demonic beasts retreat.


    [What do you plan to do Creator?]


    "Nothing I just thought I needed to make friends with him"


    [Are you serious?]


    "Yeah, I just thought, maybe this was the only option Yuan had at that time"


    I walked and soon gained the attention of the high-rank beast. Our eyes met and somehow I felt a connection, he was looking at me and I was the same.


    He made a war-like cry before gliding through the air towards me.


    {Human}


    His voice spoke to my mind making my heart pound in anticipation.


    {I can see your heart, you are mourning}


    "And I can see yours as well, you are longing"


    We both looked at each other and despite the chaos we found peace.


    "I know what you want and you know what I want"


    {I see, however, both of our desires have a price}


    "Does it even matter?"


    I heard a faint laughter inside my head then the flaming bird slowly approached. Strangely his flames didn''t hurt me, it doesn''t feel burned or painful, instead, I felt warm like someone was embracing me.


    No more words were exchanged instead we let our will guide our actions.


    ....


    As per the order of the king all injured militants and civilians were tasked to make a path for those who were not injured, and stayed behind in order to buy enough time.


    However, when they were about to do the task the sky turned red while the temperature rose. A wave of uncertainty splashed into their minds until they heard the cry of the Guardian. All worries disappear as the spirit creates a wave of flames that burn a path for them.


    Their eyes were surprised by the sudden turn of events until the demonic beast rushed through like a raging tsunami. It wasn''t enough, the power of the Guardian couldn''t keep up with the intense amount of enemies. However, the flames didn''t falter instead they burst even more and started to spread outside the forest.


    The current barren land became scorch, while the pile of bodies of other demonic beasts was forged to become a bridge. A black bridge composed of a demon carcass.


    It was eerie at first sight however a voice suddenly came that made everyone even more surprised.


    {Go}


    A voice that seemed to be the unison of two entities spoke.


    "Wait that voice"


    Opposite to the surprise reaction of others, three people immediately recognize the voice.


    "Yuan"


    Jun recognizes while looking at the sky his eyes full of worry.


    {Hurry}


    They thought that their journey would be endless until they saw it. The end of the bridge that connects another forest. A forest filled with the power of spirits. A ray of hope shines on the people and makes them run eagerly. However, as the light shone upon them so did the darkness, it continued to move not letting anyone survive.


    "Run!"


    Someone shouted and the reason for that was the demon beast that began to climb on the bridge.


    "Hurry!"


    They could feel the bridge shook signifying the amount of beast that managed to climb on.


    "Go inside the forest now!"


    Desperation kicks in as the people see hundreds of mouths preparing to eat them.


    Then the forest glowed and the spirits that protected it began attacking the advancing enemies but still it wasn''t enough.


    "More are coming!"


    Somebody warned and everyone kept running forward.


    "Watch out!"


    Another scream was heard and right after that, something rammed on the bridge.


    Time seems to stop when a being with a height as big as a tower comes. Its build was humongous, as it raised its claws the people could see black scales that covered its body. It suddenly breathed and a warm repulsive air came to them.


    "What now!"


    "Kept running!"


    They didn''t have time for panic they needed to keep moving but then the beast was fast despite its size and was about to grab onto the crowd of people.


    "RAGHH!"


    A roar of pain was heard instead. Some were curious to know the situation and looked up while others remained running.


    Right in front of the behemoth, a flaming object can be seen floating. However, it wasn''t really an object but a person. Having the body of fire Yuan''s wings dance across the sky as he fights the demon beast.


    He is buying enough time for the people until the last person enters the forest of spirits.


    After some time his objective was finally achieved and now the price has to be paid.


    Yuan merged with the fire spirit and ended up becoming one with him. However, it doesn''t end there, his life as a human ends since his remaining life force was used to protect the citizens of the kingdom. He is slowly losing himself and will soon be devoured by the spirit.


    Yuan on the other doesn''t have much regret he did his part and now it''s up to them whether they will survive or not.


    "Hooo..."


    He began to breathe and the flames surrounding his body ignited even more.


    "RAGHH!!"


    The demonic behemoth went wild after his arms were severed by Yuan but the spirit and the man no longer cared about the beast. Instead, they landed on the bridge which are now brimming with monsters.


    Now the history shall be fulfilled, the ground shook and the beasts that tried to invade the spirit forest died under the bridge. Flames burst even more and the black bridge was destroyed.


    "Yuan!"


    Jun shouted trying to get a glimpse of his brother however no matter how hard he tried all he could see was an endless sea of flames and blood.


    Another wave of flames cascaded and forged another structure using the pile of demon carcasses. From a bridge, a wall was erected, and now the forest is safe.


    {Human it''s time}


    "Yes, thank you"


    Yuan''s body disappeared and the flaming bird replaced him. Now the two of them became one turning into a more powerful being.

 Chapter 122 : History Lesson hits different parts. II

    Apollo''s Pov


    The moment Yuan''s consciousness disappeared my task to die was achieved. A white light came to me before taking me to a room. As I stood there alone my thoughts after the exam flooded in. I came to realize that he was regarded as dead when the last remaining part of his self disappeared and became one with the spirit. In that time he was no longer a human but became a spirit.


    I have mixed feelings about this exam one of them being too difficult for a first year''s, especially since this is their first major examination after the entrance exam. Regular kids would be traumatized by this type of examination. The deaths are too real and the demon beasts are so scary that even I felt fear.


    [Demons from 2000 years ago are too unique in their own ways]


    "Uniquely scary you mean"


    (Lesson 1 Clear!


    You have a five-minute break before Part II of the exam starts)


    Those words appeared in the air then a five-minute timer replaced them once I was done reading.


    "I should probably rest"


    I looked around and found myself in a small room with only a small table, a chair and a restroom.


    [There is also a refrigerator under the table]


    "It seems this will be my resting place until I finish this test"


    [You better conserve your mental energy Creator, I believe the next ones will be more difficult than the previous]


    I couldn''t help but sigh truly I wonder if the kids from the other class can handle this.


    When our professor first announced this, I thought it would be fun to see the actual heroes who fought valiantly during the massive breakout ever recorded in history. However, I never expected that history could have so much pain. To think that heroes are not the same as I believe them to be. They are just humans, they can be cruel, mighty and the weakest.


    They are not the ones you read in fairy tales where happy ever after exists. Heroes are humans forced to step up during the situation, and now I wonder how Julius became the greatest hero of the continent. Did he also experience traumatic events? Or perhaps he had lost a loved one as well, just like Yuan and Jun.


    Soon I will find out what truly happened.


    As time flow in five minutes ended and the next part of the exam started.


    (The second part of the exam is starting!


    Lesson 2: The Age of Heroes


    Good luck student Apollo)


    A light came to me until I heard voices, it was like there were people who were arguing. Slowly my vision stabilized until I found myself standing inside a busy street.


    "It is strangely peaceful?"


    [Does it make you worried?]


    "Yes since it means we will have to witness this place get destroyed"


    While Jeremiah and I converse I began to hear the screams and shouts, it seemed they were approaching. It was a group of kids being chased by a man.


    "Stop there you thief!"


    The man shouted using his fat legs to run after the kids.


    "Thief? We work for you for weeks but you never pay us! We are only taking this bread as compensation! So shut up!"


    Despite the situation, the boy leading the group retorted to the man''s scream.


    "Wait that boy"


    Suddenly I felt a sense of familiarity towards the boy and upon closer inspection, I figured out why. A striking blonde hair and eyes shining like emeralds. It was the feature of one of the founding pillars of the empire, Julius Von Celestio.


    In the midst of the old man and lady''s continuous ranting, I heard someone call me. A woman in religious clothing.


    "A nun?"


    "Sister Clarissa we are just educating your brother he shouldn''t go around helping bad people!"


    "The church is always welcome for good, but especially those who have lost their path. The objective of the church is to set those who have sinned on the right path not just gather the righteous. Faith is specifically built for the lost lamps, not for those who are already on the path"


    The woman named sister Clarissa said while urging me to approach her.


    "Thank you for taking care of my brother but we need to leave now"


    As we walked away from the judging eyes of the city my so-called sister spoke.


    "Why did you not help the kids when you saw them being chased?"


    She asked me so I composed myself to answer.


    "I wasn''t about to react fast because they already left before I could even realize it was them"


    "Is that so" I could see her sigh then her expression suddenly changed and look expectantly.


    With her sudden change, I couldn''t help but look at him confusingly. Feeling my gaze she looked at me and began explaining her reaction.


    "Ah, sorry did I surprise you? Actually, Father Mariano just approved my proposal about taking the kids inside the orphanage!"


    "Really no wonder you are happy"


    "Yeah we just need to find where they live and we could probably take them"


    We talked even more and just like what happened in the first part of the exam, days went by and the day the five founding pillars entered the orphanage happened.


    ...


    "Hello"


    Father Mariano welcomed the five although the kids were too defensive and didn''t talk much. It seems their guard is still up.


    "Welcome to Saint Miguel Cathedral I hope you will like it here" added the priest.


    "Thank you for taking us"


    "No please don''t thank me" father Mariano calmly said urging the kids to go inside the beautiful church.


    As the kids went inside Father Mariano looked at the little girl among the group of boys.


    "She is as beautiful as her," the priest thought while stroking the kid''s hair.


    "The same hair and eyes as my sister" he added inside his head.


    "Tell me if there is anything you need okay?"


    Artemis nodded at his words then she excitedly ventured the halls of the church.


    Father Mariano lost his sister due to a pandemic and thus Artemis'' appearance made the old man protective. What he couldn''t protect in the past will surely be accomplished in the present, even at the expense of his own life.


    "Hey look at this it''s cool!"


    "Look at this we have giant bells"


    As father Mariano looked at the energetic kids his heart was filled with calmness, he felt at peace.


    However opposite to him was Apollo who felt something would happen to destroy this place.

 Chapter 123 Their story

    Despite the peaceful atmosphere, the boy possessing the body of a young man felt that it wouldn''t last for long.


    Apollo felt that the time the breakout at the east would soon spread here and he wasn''t mistaken.


    The events fast forward and the day of the disaster arrives.


    Demonic beasts came crashing into the city devouring anything in their wake. Esteban, Apollo''s posses character doesn''t know what to do. Since part of this story wasn''t included in any books in history he doesn''t know what he should do since he might do something that changes the intended outcome.


    The church became a mess and the debris came flying everywhere.


    "Sister!"


    Esteban shouted while holding onto the kids. No matter what the future holds he needs to keep them safe. However somehow he couldn''t let her go, just like what happened to Jun, Apollo felt the same towards her. A feeling he couldn''t give and receive from the person that should have given it to him. A love, a family and a sister he longed to have.


    "Esteban take the kids to safety!"


    "Yes, father!"


    Apollo doesn''t know whether he could use some of his skills or not but he still runs, even when he doesn''t know how the future will unfold he keeps his body moving.


    "Let go!" he shouted but then as he ran someone was recklessly moving.


    "Thor don''t move, I won''t be able to run if you move like that"


    Apollo told him since he was carrying five kids, it was hard though his body was huge and was enough to accommodate the kids.


    "Then drop me!" Thor tried to argue not liking living sister Clarissa and Father Mariano.


    "Shut it, Thor!"


    Cedar said while trying his best not to cry, he too wished to help but there was nothing they could do.


    Isaac and Artemis, on the other hand, kept holding onto Esteban''s back.


    As they run a beast arrives and opens its mouth.


    "Damn it"


    Apollo can''t help but curse he doesn''t even know whether Esteban survives or not so all he can do is run.


    "I am not liking this"


    He ran dodging countless beasts until he could no longer take a step.


    "What now!?"


    Julius worriedly asked when they found themselves cornered. Now they began to curse the church''s big structure, all the running couldn''t even let them leave the church''s gate.


    "Now what"


    Apollo thought while still thinking about his next moves.


    "I can leave I think I can"


    He thought as he breathed a huge amount of air to relax his nerves.


    "Hold on to me kids, I''ll increase my speed"


    "Okay!"


    A smile suddenly emerges on the young man''s face happy that the kids no longer disprove of his decision.


    "RAGHH!"


    The beast roared and Apollo timed his move to dodge it.


    "On the left!"


    Immediately upon his question, Apollo pointed in the direction of the passage. Five children were there all holding onto each other.


    "Father how about the other kids did they manage to run?" instead of worrying about herself, sister Clarissa thought of other''s well-being first.


    "That I''m afraid I can''t answer we all got separated when a high-ranking demon beast came. Let''s end this talk we need to leave now!"


    And so the old priest dragged the siblings towards the passage.


    "RAGHH!"


    Another roar came in again then the ground shook creating cracks and fissures. "Kids head inside the passage!"


    Despite the ground collapsing the priest still ordered the children to head inside the secret passage, he wasn''t the least worried about the passage collapsing along the ground. Somehow he knew that no matter what happened in the church the path would remain.


    "Go!" he repeated however his voice didn''t reach them due to a roar that came from the ground.


    Apollo obvious to the creature underneath the cathedral urges the children to move without them but no matter what they say it won''t reach them.


    "What''s going on they should be able to hear me" he questioned while still holding the injured Clarissa.


    Soon the beast underneath the dirt completely broke the floor and revealed its colossal body. A black fur with a cylindrical body with very short, powerful limbs and large, shovel-like front paws adapted for digging tunnels. It also has small eyes and ears that are concealed by fur and its nose is pointed and sensitive seemingly detecting any movements of its prey.


    "Not good"


    Apollo can''t help but say, by now he is really considering using his real power. Because at this rate the five founding pillars may die and that would change the future recorded in history.


    Still considering his option the demonic beast finally made its move as soon as it sensed the presence of a living. Its targets are the five children who were the nearest to him.


    "No!"


    Father Mariano was the first to react and immediately used a spell to boost his speed.


    "Damn it!" Apollo came behind the priest still holding sister Clarissa. His mind began to be in shambles because he didn''t know what to do.


    "Kids behind me"


    Father Mariano arrived first and immediately used his body as a shield.


    "No!"


    The kids shouted but the old priest gladly didn''t listen his objective was to protect the children.


    "No please!"


    They began to beg not wanting the priest to die for them.


    "Hush now little ones, just close your eyes and nothing bad will happen" he smiled happily, however, it only added sadness to the children''s eyes.


    .....


    Apollo''s Pov.


    "No!"


    I shouted seeing Father Mariano''s action. My eyes could see a small orb surrounding the children which serves as a shield.


    "Stop it! You should run!"


    I felt my body boil as if something was burning inside me, my body moved hastily and without thinking I rushed towards them.


    However, as the beast''s sharp claws aim at us suddenly I felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. It was a powerful energy that was neither mana nor power from a spirit. Golden lights began to ascend from the broken church and the beast who was about to attack halted its movements.


    [Notification Alert!


    An unidentified energy has been detected!


    No negative intention has been detected!


    Proceed to countermeasure!]

 Chapter 124 The Five Pillars

    "Damn it"


    Apollo can''t help but curse he doesn''t even know whether Esteban survives or not so all he can do is run.


    "I am not liking this"


    He ran dodging countless beasts until he could no longer take a step.


    "What now!?"


    Julius worriedly asked when they found themselves cornered. Now they began to curse the church''s big structure all the running couldn''t even let them leave the church''s gate.


    "Now what"


    Apollo thought while still thinking about his next moves.


    "I can leave I think I can"


    He thought as he breathed a huge amount of air to relax his nerves.


    "Hold on to me kids, I''ll increase my speed"


    "Okay!"


    A smile suddenly emerges on the young man''s face happy that the kids no longer disprove of his decision.


    "RAGHH!"


    The beast roared and Apollo timed his move to dodge it.


    "On the left!"


    Isaac shouted as he saw another demon beast.


    "On it"


    With great reflex Apollo who currently possesses Esteban changes positions to dodge the charging demonic beast. The kids felt amazed by his moves but the disaster was not yet over as more beasts lunged forward.


    "I am getting dizzy!"


    Artemis said while covering her mouth.


    "Same here"


    "Brother slow down!"


    "He can''t, we will be eaten if he does!"


    The kids have their own dialogue while Apollo feels his energy decreasing.


    [Creator a high-ranking demon beast is on its way, should we proceed to use your real strength?]


    Jeremiah asks knowing that his Creator is reaching his limit. However, if he does so it might change the real future that made the current story in the history books.


    Apollo looked and saw that the demonic beast was up to kill, as the bloody fangs began to descend towards their direction a light sent the beast away.


    "Esteban ran in that direction" sister Clarissa said while pointing towards the wall of paintings.


    "Does she want me to run into those paintings"


    [There is a hidden path to their Creator]


    "Ah thank you"


    The boy with the kids hanging on his body drags his tired body towards the wall full of paintings.


    "Wait how about sister Clarissa!"


    Thor couldn''t help but say seeing her lone figure defending them.


    The kids shouted but the old priest gladly didn''t listen his objective was to protect the children.


    "No please!"


    They began to beg not wanting the priest to die for them.


    "Hush now little ones, just close your eyes and nothing bad will happen" he smiled happily, however, it only added sadness to the children''s eyes.


    .....


    Apollo''s Pov.


    "No!"


    I shouted seeing Father Mariano''s action.


    "Stop it!"


    I felt my body boil as if something was burning inside me, my body moved hastily and without thinking I rushed towards them.


    However, as the beast''s sharp claws aim at us suddenly I felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. It was a powerful energy that was neither man nor power from a spirit. Golden lights began to ascend from the broken church and the beast who was about to attack halted its moves.


    [Notification Alert!


    An unidentified energy has been detected!


    No negative intention has been detected!


    Proceed to prepare countermeasures!]


    I was so taken aback by the sudden turn of events that I didn''t notice the sudden increase in nature mana.


    "Wait something is strange"


    The mana is....singing?


    It felt like they were being energized by something and that is the reason it creates a humming sound in my ears.


    "What''s going on?"


    The demonic beast who also sensed the situation felt hungry at the sudden influx of mana. It began to greedily sniff trying to absorb the energy however he couldn''t. This made the beast angry and grumpily drag its feet to destroy anything in its surroundings.


    Nature mana is available for everyone, you can inhale it like air but you can''t absorb it completely nor can you manipulate it at will.


    As the demonic beast went berserk the mysterious energy intensified while the mana began to physically manifest.


    "Now this is dangerous"


    Too much mana can cause poisoning and the kids are very prone to it. Their bodies are still weak and thus wouldn''t be able to handle the sudden intensity of mana.


    I was about to move when I felt a sudden pressure, it was strong and it made me kneel.


    "Esteban!"


    I heard my sister''s voice and so I immediately shielded her from the pressure. I don''t know if it works but it''s the only thing I could do.


    "Father Mariano!"


    I shouted trying to probe his situation however instead of getting an answer, my eyes were blinded by a sudden light. I kept my position trying to serve as a shield.


    [An intense energy has been detected!


    Applying Gears and lenses!


    Creator, you may proceed to look!]


    Despite the situation, I heard Jeremiah''s words.


    "Just what the hell is going on!"


    My eyes went through the blinding light and saw five strange objects. I focused my vision but couldn''t get a better image of it until the light soon began to be pulled by those five objects. As the light decreases my eyes can finally see what''s going on.

 Chapter 125 Five Pillars

    The other lower class student''s situation while Apollo takes his exam.


    "Run!"


    Axel and Blair shouted while being chased by a horde of demonic beasts.


    "You two are too slow!"


    A mischievous voice said however the two boys just said "Shut up!"


    The owner of the voice just laughed while comfortably sitting on her magical beast mount.


    "Princess, how about letting the twins get on the mount they might die?"


    "Don''t worry general they will be fine, after all the twin blades of our kingdom won''t fall easily"


    Said the girl whose hair is similar to the flower that blooms during spring. Her eyes looked calm despite the roaming danger and her face was as beautiful as her name.


    "Princess Sakura please we will die at this rate!"


    Mckenzie shouted while dodging some attacks from the beast behind him.


    "Oh my Riku it seems you are getting a bit out of character today"


    "That''s because I am not Riku!"


    Mckenzie thought upon hearing the princess''s words, he wanted to scream at her but he just couldn''t do it.


    "Never mind forget what I said"


    "That''s right my dear soldiers please keep running until we arrive at the fortress"


    While Mckenzie and the princess bicker Blair remains silent since he is trying to remain focused while running.


    Upon entering the examination building Mckenzie and Blair found themselves inside a strange kingdom called the Fallen Sun. The people they possess are the so-called twin blades of the kingdom, Yuki and Riku. At first, the two were glad to find out it was an extremely well-known character since they put great emphasis on the twins when tackling their integral part during the war.


    However, they never knew that the beautiful and charismatic princess who fought alongside them was a sadistic woman.


    "If you two don''t run fast you will be eaten alive"


    "Can''t you a shut up!"


    "I can''t believe the only part of the book that got correct is the general, other than that nothing is getting right, especially that bitchy princess is getting on my nerves!"


    Mckenzie thought again while grabbing his blade to slash another enemy.


    Overall they experience no hardship as the fortress of the Fallen Sun kingdom can move and fly around the sky.


    (Congratulations for completing one of the topics of Lesson One: Age of Extinction)


    It was really fortunate that they tackled a very specific part of history, if not they wouldn''t have been able to travel and successfully find the central part of the continent.


    The first lesson they had in history was the Age of Extinction, at this part a strange phenomenon happened that made all the magical beasts in the eastern part of the continent corrupted. After that corruption, all the kingdoms in that part of the continent fled until the entire continent was infested with demons.


    That was how the Age of Extinction started and ended, and the moment Riku and Yuki met the five pillars that is already the middle part of the Age of Heroes.


    .....


    Continue reading at mvl


    Casper and Samael looked at their two friends wondering what was going on.


    "Are we at a wedding?"


    "Yeah and is it just me or am I seeing Matilda and Arabella getting married"


    "No I don''t think you are hallucinating Casper I do see them in front of the altar!"


    While the two confusingly looked at their surroundings Arabella and Matilda were no different, both were excessively confused since the last thing they remembered was taking their exam. Now they stood in front of many people and were about to get married.


    "What''s going on?"


    "I don''t know I just got here"


    "Based on the architecture and the name the man just said we should be in the Dark Continent"


    "So it means"


    "Yeah we are at the Raven Castle where the five pillars and the other heroes came to organize a treaty between the devils"


    This part of History was when the demons were finally eradicated and humans were trying to reestablish their cities and kingdoms. Julius at that time was supposed to be the king of the kingdom of Celestio and not an empire. So for the peace of both sides, they decided to send their leaders and settle an agreement for the future. So that no war or disagreement can ever appear in both races.


    "Good evening heroes"


    Another man suddenly spoke and began guiding Mckenzie and Blair inside the halls of the castle.


    "I wonder who else is here?"


    "Probably the other heroes?"


    The two began to talk before a shadow made them halt.


    "Wait is that!"


    The two exclaimed and saw their four friends Matilda, Arabella, Casper and Samael. All four of them wearing their kingdom''s respective armor.


    "Wait it''s you guys!"


    Samael and Casper hurriedly approached Mckenzie and Blair while Matilda and Arabella stood where they were.


    "It''s good to see you guys!"


    "How did your test go? Was it hard?"


    "Hey guess what Ara and Matilda almost got married"


    "Wait seriously?"


    "That''s hilarious"


    At first, the two ladies don''t want to get involved in their useless chatter but hearing their names the two are forced to seriously speak with them.


    "Were the human heroes always act this way?"


    The two guides thought while seeing the six argue.


    "The halls are really noisy today"


    The six stopped their useless chatter when a familiar voice made them stop.


    "Niko, Agnes!"


    Mckenzie calls out only to be smacked by Matilda.


    "Why?"


    "Remember we are not really ourselves, so you should refrain from calling our real names" she told him.


    "It''s okay calm down"


    Niko said then made a bowing posture and added. "This humble warrior from the Kingdom of Farmosa greets the heroes"


    "Wait so you are General Ming-Hao?" Blair realized then he switched to Agnes and said "And I suppose you are Lieutenant Li-Hua?"


    "Yes you hit the mark"


    "So you two are together on the first and second part of the exam?"


    Arabella asked while holding Mckenzie on the collar.


    "No actually... "


    Agnes''s words were cut off when four more people came.


    Wearing iron helmets and armors which are made from magical beast leather fabric and reinforced metal plates. Then resting on their back and waist are bows, swords and crossbows.


    Alya, Braiden, Vesta and Aaron revealed themselves looking good on their armor.

 Chapter 126 Third part of the Exam part. II

    Alya, Braiden, Vesta and Aaron revealed themselves looking good in their armor.


    "If all of you are here then it means you guys are.."


    "Yup you got it right"


    Agnes interrupted.


    "We are the soldiers of the eastern battle ridge" she announced proudly.


    The battle of the Eastern Ridge was known in history as one of the most epic stories in the Age of Extinction. One of the reasons was the six soldiers who easily killed thousands of demonic beasts using their knowledge of their kingdom''s topography. They did this without getting any casualties and only relying on their knowledge of their kingdom''s resources.


    "Well it''s good we are here and I suspect we will meet the others at the meeting" she added.


    "Then we should go"


    "Yes let''s go!"


    And so they went inside the great hall where a massive table was laid out. There are seats where each figure can sit so they gladly took them.


    "Oh, dear Blair that sadistic princess is there" Mckenzie immediately noticed the pink-haired girl sitting beside two empty chairs.


    "We should sit somewhere"


    "Yeah"


    However, to the two''s dismay, they were guided to sit right beside her.


    "It seems you two weren''t able to leave" she said making the two silent. Somehow they don''t want to spare any ounce of their energy on her. They remain nonchalant about any words coming out of her mouth.


    "Tsk, your two are getting better now" she just said not minding their actions.


    Soon more people came and they immediately knew it was Jillian and Keith, they wore leathers made from rattan and bamboo, its brown and dark brown hues were quite pretty to see, while a sword rested at their waist and shield on their hand.


    Keith and Jillian saw them as well and they immediately smiled.


    "Are those two from the eastern islands of the continent?"


    "Yeah I think so"


    "Well eastern islands were the names they used to be called, but now the eastern group of islands are called the Kingdom of Fjords"


    "One of the islands there is where Keith and Jillain''s historical figure came from"


    "The Balangay"


    "Yup an island made of tribes"


    They began to talk while still waiting for the last two classmates. Since they began to see each other they thought they would see their other classmates as well.


    In the second part of the exam, they mainly met each one of the five pillars but now according to the history, they might actually meet all of them.


    "I wonder where are Apollo and Alicia" Read new adventures at mvl


    "I am also wondering about that"


    Samael and Casper asked each other seeing they were still missing.


    Suddenly they heard a couple of footsteps approaching the room.


    A presence suddenly envelopes the entire castle as if something is about to come.


    The door flung open and the man with blonde hair and emerald eyes made his way towards the table, behind the said man were the other members of the pillars they had met before. Cedar, Thor, Isaac and Artemis. They all then sat down while two people stood behind them.


    "I feel the same"


    The atmosphere around the pillar''s seat wasn''t particularly good and soon everyone inside the room felt it.


    "Alicia"


    Apollo whispered fortunately she heard it.


    "Yes?"


    "You looked unwell"


    "Really? Although it seems we are the same"


    "Perhaps so, but I think my problem is easy to solve however yours is different, it seems an old problem is resurfacing"


    With those words, Alicia looked at him, her eyes showed no emotion however since he knew her he could tell that something was truly bothering her.


    "Care to share it?"


    "Maybe I will after this"


    "I will wait then"


    After that conversation sounds of footsteps signal the arrival of someone.


    Two devils first came in, their appearance was similar to the guard with a few distinctive features. After those two was a woman who made the lower-class students surprise. She had a very beautiful figure and unlike normal demons, she had fair skin similar to humans, but had a pair of horns and a tail.


    "Wait you gotta be kidding me"


    Braiden mumbled while Keith couldn''t understand what was going on.


    "She doesn''t have a face?" his question made Jillian cover his mouth.


    "The empress of the devils has no records of what she looks like, that''s why she is like this, a blank face"


    Jillian''s explanation made Keith remember one of the passages of the book.


    ~And there the most powerful devil graced the room, her presence was so powerful that a veil of fog obscured her appearance. No one can tell what she looks like, except the most powerful human, Julius~


    "I thought because of the excessive diversion of some events from the books we could finally see her real appearance" Keith said while slumping his back on the chair. The empress was one of the most mysterious people in their lessons for the fact that no one knew what she looked like and the personality she had.


    "This is so weird"


    McKenzie said looking at the blank face of the empress.


    "Lower your voice, Mckenzie"


    The entire class was taken aback by the empress'' appearance except for two people, Apollo and Alicia. The reason for that is that they don''t really care what she looks like and just continue their conversation.


    [Shouldn''t you be worrying about this part?]


    "We already know the ending of this meeting and according to the detailed story of Sakura princess of Fallen Sun no arguments or disagreement happened"


    [You are strangely calm this time]


    "Really why? I thought I was always calm"


    [You aren''t this time, you are excessively emotional that it''s affecting your mentality]


    Apollo sighed feeling defeated then he spoke.


    "I just realized that despite wanting and saying countless times that I want to end my siblings, deep down I still want them to accept me, that I still want to have a happy family. Realizing that made me feel miserable because no matter how much I crave for their love they will never give it to me. They will never accept me, and the family I want will never come true"

 Chapter 127 The crown

    "I want to apologize for being late before coming here me and the other lords and kings made a last-minute council meeting"


    The heroes'' side didn''t speak and motioned for her to continue.


    "And we all decided that the previous deal between me and Julius will be final"


    Her words might sound normal however Apollo can tell that she is somewhat reluctant, and it wasn''t just him but his classmates as well and everyone inside the room can tell.


    "It seems she doesn''t like what Julius suggested"


    Sakura whispered to Mckenzie making the latter nod his head.


    "As per the agreement I will marry Julius and our children will be the heirs of our throne. If ever we have only one heir he or she will rule both kingdoms. If two then they will take each. If it''s three or more we will test them who is worthy of having the throne"


    She explained however someone''s attention wasn''t on her. Apollo, Alicia and Julius were looking at someone else as she spoke.


    "Artemis"


    Apollo spoke approaching her seat, as he arrived beside her, he slightly leaned his head towards her.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, though she nodded answering his question but Apollo could see the tears that were about to fall on her eyes.


    "She is hurt" he concluded.


    [Her stress hormone is increasing like cortisol which currently leads her heart rate to increase]


    "You scanned her?"


    [Yes]


    "She is an illusion"


    [An illusion that can affect reality, my Creator]


    Apollo wanted to facepalm but couldn''t his eyes remained solely on Artemis.


    "Are you sure you are alright?" he asked again.


    "Yes, thank you, Uncle Esteban"


    In her words, Apollo just nodded.


    "Heroes please tell me if there is anything you want to discuss or anything you want to add to this treaty"


    The empress said then Sakura spoke wanting to end the meeting since it was beginning to bore her.


    "I want an oath to make sure the devils won''t raise a war against humanity" Continue your journey on mvl


    With those words, one of the generals spoke as well.


    "We also want peace but we need more than just a random oath"


    "How about a contract? We put the terms and make sure no unfairness will occur"


    Issac suggested causing everyone to agree.


    "We should put all the things we wanted then discuss what needs to be changed or removed"


    "Okay we should do that"


    That is the start of the nightmare of the lower class, since the people they possess are significant figures they need to do what they contributed in this meeting, and as accurately as possible. Fortunately, Blair was there and through his blessing, they were able to great a group telepathy. In this way, if they forget their next line either Apollo or Keith will give the answer.


    "I just hope we don''t get caught"


    As my thoughts ran wild I realized one person who seemed too concerned over her emotions.


    "His attention was on her the entire meeting"


    [Julius]


    "Yes"


    [You think she is heartbroken because he will marry the empress?]


    "Maybe"


    So in order to gain peace and remove all possible conflict between humanity and devils, Julius compromises his own happiness.


    Then my mind went back to the empress her voice that wanting someone to object to her words about marriage to Julius


    ...


    The trumpets roar attracting the attention of the crowd.


    The gate of the imperial castle opens revealing five heroic figures. It was Julius with the four remaining kings and queens of the continent. They will be the ones to crown Julius as emperor.


    The king of the Kingdom of Qin motions the people to silence, and as he does so Julius kneels down while the four remaining leaders surround him.


    As the crowd became quiet the current leader of the eastern islands came forth. His hand holding the crown that shall rest on the ruler''s head.


    "Hero, with this crown, we entrust you to lead with wisdom and justice"


    She then placed the crown on his head.


    After that, the daughter of the previous king of the Kingdom of Yi came forward holding Excalibur in her hand.


    "With this sword, we entrust that you will lead with strength and become the blade that will protect us all"


    Excalibur''s blade shines bright blinding the crowd, gently the soon-to-be queen gives the sword to Julius.


    "May your rule be blessed by the heavens and respected by all." After giving both the crown and the sword the four rulers all said in unison.


    The crowd felt excited however they kept their voices and action in control.


    On the other hand, the main focus of the event tightly held the sword in his two hands, while his head felt how heavy the crown could be. There are many emotions that run down to his heart, one last time he looks at her. He can''t be hers while she can''t be his either. All they can do is watch each other be married to someone else.


    The empire must be built with people''s connection, and arranging the marriage of each member of the pillars to the significant members of the war became essential.


    There is no turning back, they can never turn back, and so he spoke.


    "I Julius Mariano Von Celestio, humbly accept the burden of this crown and the responsibility it signifies. May my reign bring prosperity and peace to our empire."


    The crown wanted to cheer but before they could a voice pierced through the people.


    "People of the continent I present to you all the strongest hero of mankind and now your ruler!"


    Sakura who was crowned as queen proudly announced though her eyes lingered on the crowd until it landed on two people. Yuki and Riku who successfully escape the wave of people and stand right beside Apollo. A smile escapes her lips before addressing the people again.


    "Please give your blessings, fill the air with your magic and give it to your ruler, Emperor Julius!"


    The crowd went wild and screamed as much as they wanted, some began to chant giving blessings not only to the emperor but to every hero that mankind recognize.


    With everyone''s acknowledgement, Julius finally stood up, bearing the burden of the remaining humans of the continent.


    While the crowd cheered the lower-class students stood on the sideline, all of them having the same line of thoughts.


    "He isn''t happy" they all concluded.

 Chapter 128 The last part

    Sakura who was crowned as queen proudly announced though her eyes lingered on the crowd until it landed on two people. Yuki and Riku who successfully escape the wave of people and stand right beside Apollo. A smile escapes her lips before addressing the people again.


    "Please give your blessings, fill the air with your magic and give it to your ruler, Emperor Julius!"


    The crowd went wild and screamed as much as they wanted, some began to chant giving blessings not only to the emperor but to every hero that mankind recognize.


    With everyone''s acknowledgement, Julius finally stood up, bearing the burden of the remaining humans of the continent.


    "He isn''t happy" the students all concluded.


    The emperor may smile and wave as much as he wants but it somehow can''t hide his lonely eyes.


    "It seems only the people are ignorant of the true situation," Keith said while observing everyone on the platform. Their eyes say they knew exactly what was going on.


    "Well according to the records right after the treaty of the Abyss the remaining four kingdoms decided to form the empire, and urge the four remaining pillars to have contractual marriages as well"


    Vesta said while dusting herself.


    "If they wanted to feel secure why didn''t they form a singular kingdom"


    "Would you actually hand over your royal privileges to someone else? No right?"


    "Julius became the greatest hero that most of the people wanted to stay in the kingdom he will build, isn''t that the reason the remaining rulers suggested an empire? Uniting the kingdoms as one was just an excuse, they would still let the previous rulers rule.


    There won''t be any changes to how they handle their affairs though it''s no longer the same since there is another higher figure for them to serve"


    While Niko, Agnes and the others spoke Apollo and Alicia remained silent. They wanted to read the room and remained observant instead.


    Then Julius spoke finally addressing his people.


    "As your ruler, I am responsible for protecting everyone on this continent however doing such labor requires a lot of work, so let me introduce to you all the lines of nobility that shall assist my rule"


    "I think that''s our cue"


    Apollo finally spoke urging Alicia to come with him. Along them were a couple of soldiers who survived the battle and the remaining four pillars.


    All the selected soldiers who were selected based on their loyalty and contribution stood tall in front of the emperor and the other kings and queens. Then they kneel down and let the emperor bless them.


    "With this sword, I bless all of you to protect and serve the empire and the imperial family, do you all accept?"


    "We accept the burden and honor your majesty!"


    "Then it is my honor and joy to bless all of you as the nobles of my empire, all rise!"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    They all stood up and made a respective bow towards their ruler.


    The selected nobles ranging from baron to marquis bask in the cheerful shouts of the people. They never felt like that before, they never expected that people''s enthusiasm would be that strong. After that, the crowd settled and the emperor spoke again.


    "The center of the empire will be named Asteria! The city of stars! And governing the four largest regions surrounding it are my four trusted friends"


    The four pillars came forward making the crowd cheer even more loudly.


    "Isaac Silvercrest will lead and protect the region that borders the north, and that region shall be named Silverfrost. Guarding the south will be Cedar Arcanebane, which is home to many ancient magical beasts, that once helped during the war. That glorious place shall be named Epico. Then the west will be led and protected by Thor Obsidianvale and that region shall be named Obsian.


    Lastly....the bravest among us.."


    Julius'' eyes went to the only lady among the five of them.


    "Artemis Lionheart...for being the bravest among the pillars...your region which is the east, shall be named as Lioness, in honour of your courage"


    He said again and for the first time, he saw her eyes change. It wasn''t as cold as before instead it was filled with guilt and sadness. This made the boy confused and as he gazed at her he thought "Why? Why are you looking like that? Why do you seem in pain?"


    He was confused while Alicia began walking towards Artemis and in that moment he seemed to understand what she wanted to do.


    "Alicia" he calmly said pulling her away.


    "There is nothing you can do"


    He tried to speak as gently as he could, though he didn''t understand anything, he wanted to help out.


    "This is just an illusion" he continued.


    "This is not real, no matter what you do, it won''t change anything"


    She remains on looking at both Julius and Artemis.


    "Why do you want to change something that has already been decided" the boy thought holding her hand gently.


    [Do you want me to scan her?]


    "No just let it be"


    Apollo can feel it, Alicia is feeling regret and guilt.


    "Could the character she possesses affect her own emotion?"


    It wasn''t that far-fetched since it''s already happening. Others might not notice but Apollo can tell. Somehow each character can make anyone feel that they are the character they possess without eating their real selves.


    "Now this isn''t good"


    This situation might affect Alicia''s individuality and identity.


    "We need to finish this exam fast"


    The boy realized the fatal effect the exam could have and so he said to everyone. Stay tuned for updates on mvl


    {Finish the task immediately!}


    {Yes!}


    ....


    "Your majesty?"


    They asked making Julius divert his attention from Artemis.


    "Yes, I will"


    So with his reluctant heart, he walked towards the stage again.


    "My people"


    Everyone''s attention suddenly returns to the front, excited about what announcement he will give.


    "I will gladly announce this fateful news, the unification of the two races, a marriage between me and the most powerful devil, the empress"


    This time mixed emotions envelop the people though they didn''t seem to take the announcement negatively.


    "The wedding shall happen two months from now, at this very same time and same place, I will see you all again"


    After saying those words he immediately left leaving his people with different reactions.

 Chapter 129 War of Faith

    "The wedding shall happen two months from now, at this very same time and same place, I will see you all again"


    After saying those words he immediately left leaving his people with different reactions.


    The coronation ended and slowly the people began to celebrate and eat happily.


    "Alicia"


    Apollo called again holding her tightly.


    "Uncle?"


    Artemis called out seeing her best friend being held tightly by her uncle.


    "Is there something wrong?"


    She asked worriedly.


    "It''s okay she just felt dizzy it seems the crowd made he feel overwhelmed"


    "I see"


    She then extended her hand urging Alicia to take it.


    "Let''s go" Despite her eyes being saddened by the situation she remained smiling putting Apollo in pain too.


    "Dangerous too dangerous" he concluded, realizing it was Esteban''s emotions.


    {Should we continue patrolling?}


    Despite his roller coaster emotion, a voice made him snap out of it.


    {Do you see any other enemies?} he asked which they immediately answered.


    {None as of this moment}


    {Keep an eye on any suspicious personnel and keep me updated}


    {Okay!}


    {On it!}


    {Sure!}


    Different responses to the same words made Apollo''s head filled with their voices.


    "Hey are you really that unwell"


    Back to the current situation Artemis began to ask her friend though Alicia remained silent. It seems she is trying to reign over her artificial emotions.


    "I am, I''m sorry I just felt a bit sick"


    She finally answered making Artemis smile.


    "Let''s go"


    "Yes"


    "Uncle we will go ahead of you"


    "Sure stay safe"


    "We will"


    Experience new tales on §Þ??


    And so the two left and as soon as they did, words began to appear in the air.


    (Congratulations students you have cleared the fourth part of the exam!)


    Now instead of being transported to separate rooms, they found themselves inside a huge hall.


    (You have all twenty minutes before the last part of the exam starts)


    As soon as they realized the situation they couldn''t help but lay on the floor.


    "I am tired!" They all exclaimed.


    It wasn''t just physically taxing but mentally too. The fact that some parts of the events weren''t recorded made it even more hard for them to decide the action they should take.


    "Don''t interrupt us please"


    Apollo took his sword and slashed forward however as he did so a spell came flying at him.


    "Block!"


    Alicia chanted and a barrier was formed to block the spell.


    "Thank you"


    "Don''t be too reckless, everyone stay alert!"


    "Yeah!"


    After seeing their sudden shift in reaction the young lady from the duchy of Silvercrest can''t help but smile.


    "It seems like I wasn''t needed at all"


    And so she left to assist the front lines.


    The War of Faith started three hundred years ago when different churches around the continent appeared and began opposing each other. No one knows how it started though only one thing was certain at that time. The entire continent was put in total disarray.


    Each house at that time had its own God that they put their faith into. The imperial family and the four ducal houses are no different. So the war became more complicated for them.


    The ground was scorched and broken while the sky was burning as if a widespread fire was burning above.


    The lower-class students felt like dying in this situation. They finally realized that reading is different from experiencing the events that were recorded in the past. The few words that they put to describe their hardship aren''t enough to justify the thing that they are feeling right now. They were hungry they were thirty yet they couldn''t eat or drink because at any minute they could die.


    It wasn''t an exam, for the sixteen thirteen-year-old kids, it was torture. A torture they can''t comprehend why they need to experience this situation again. It was like replying a painful trauma. The fallen bodies the broken cities and the screams, everything was like what happened to them three years ago. When everything was taken from them and when they were chased out of their homes.


    Then out of nowhere, they heard something they thought they would never hear again.


    A chant is not just a normal chant but a prayer, a gospel. In that moment the students of the lower class felt blood drain from them.


    "What''s going on?" even Apollo was confused there was a hundred-year gap between the creation of the monastery and the war so how could he hear it? A prayer that was used to cast a gospel, only the monastery is using them.


    [Could it be one of the few religious things the monastery copied from other religious groups?]


    Jeremiah said trying to calm Apollo''s raging heart.


    "Oh holy lord grant your lambs protection so on this depressing night no cold or heat can ever hurt them, may his spirit come down to judge those who have denied his will!"


    It was really similar even the delusional way of their chanting was the same. They all concluded, then as they thought it was the most surprising thing a flood of blood came out of the caster''s holy book.


    "What the hell is going on!"


    Some of the soldiers exclaimed not knowing what was going on.


    "Jeremiah scan"


    [On it!]


    [Scan complete!


    The holy book the priest is holding is actually made from Nirvana''s flesh and blood. It seems in this phase the spell book isn''t perfect yet hence its hideous appearance]


    The blood then transforms into the spell that the caster wants to manifest.


    "One of Nirvana''s skills is sharing his power by using his blood and flesh. This scenario seems like the holy book is one of his experiments to share his power" Apollo thought while observing the mysterious priest.


    As the gospel manifested a pack of insects came flying towards the empire''s soldiers.


    "Just what is the monastery doing here"


    Matilda exclaimed while aiming her crossbow towards another enemy''s shoulder.


    "I have no idea either!"


    "I thought the War of Faith is the battle that talks about the fight between the man-focused churches and God''s focus ones"


    Niko said while using his shield to block an axe for Agnes.


    "According to our professor and the book he gave us the war started when the people worshipping magical beasts and other objects clashed against those who worshipped the Gods in the early ages!"


    Keith was a bit frustrated at this part since his mind had already felt cleansed when the monastery disappeared, however, it hadn''t been a month yet he already seen a man using a gospel, and this made the boy disoriented.


    "This is more like a trauma remembering session than a history exam"


    Mckenzie said while slamming his fist towards his enemy. It seems Riku''s battle sense didn''t leave him yet.

 Chapter 130 What happened?

    "According to our professor and the book he gave us the war started when the people worshipping magical beasts and other objects clashed against those who worshipped the Gods in the early ages!"


    Keith said still felt a bit frustrated at this part since his mind had already felt cleansed when the monastery disappeared, however, it hadn''t been a month yet he already saw a man using a gospel, and this made the boy disoriented.


    "This is more like a trauma remembering session than a history exam"


    Experience tales at §Þ??


    Mckenzie said while slamming his fist towards his enemy. It seems Riku''s battle sense didn''t leave him yet.


    With all the confusion and questions that run through their mind, they recklessly slash any enemy they see, using them to vent the frustration they have.


    Apollo was no different either his been thinking of any possible scenarios while tanking the rain of insects.


    [Should we proceed to use some of your abilities?]


    "Nah I am good"


    Somehow unknowingly each of them began using the skills and martial arts of their previously possessed character.


    Esteban''s sturdy body and explosion strength also remained inside Apollo. They say once a body experiences a sudden change or phenomenon it remembers that feeling. Perhaps even though it was an illusion, their bodies were able to gasp the power and momentarily copy it. It might not be the same but it could manifest the same feeling it has when they first use it.


    "Apollo more are coming!"


    Alicia warned while using her staff to cast as many spells as she could.


    Apollo clenched his teeth finally feeling the pressure of the fight. If he moves then the spell will blast off toward his classmate who was still fending off the approaching enemy soldiers.


    "What are the skills of this person?"


    He began to ask, but due to the situation none of them was able to identify the person they possessed and that is why they don''t know what skills it has.


    [No need to worry about that, my Creator because based on the appearance of the person you are possessing he should be the warrior Lenon, the one from the northern region]


    "You mean the guy who has a high-level spirit?"


    [Yes my Creator it is that Lenon]


    "Thanks"


    Apollo ran his mana across his newly acquired body and immediately he found the place of his spirit''s insignia. And just like what he usually does when summoning his spirit he began forming his connection using the insignia. His body was filled with mana while the mark of the spirit glowed.


    Then the mark spreads out until it goes to his foot, and the extended mark weaves a magical circle until a cold and powerful mana escapes from it. The temperature suddenly drops along with a freezing cold wind that forces the army of insects to stop and die.


    "Hoo..."


    Apollo could finally breathe since the pressure on his shield had lessened. Though the air was cold it didn''t give him any discomfort instead he felt comfortable with the cold temperature.


    {Master you had called me}


    The spirit spoke its crystalline body and icy wings made the entire area frozen.


    "Assist me!"


    {Will do my master}


    Alicia felt delighted seeing a spirit though as soon as she gazed at the spirit she realized something


    "A body made from a fine crystal and white wings that were seemingly crafted from ice, the face of an angel while a strength that surpasses a demon. A being that was recorded in history as one highest-ranking spirits, Winter"


    The spirit glided through the wind and its mere presence made the battle turn on their side.


    [Creator it''s chanting again]


    A prayer was heard along with the distinct scent of blood. It was revolting when you smell it however with the battle being intense it doesn''t really give much of an effect.


    "Winter blast that man"


    "Though I really like her staff"


    Those words made Apollo shake his head while his shield and axe were ready to engage in combat.


    [You are outnumbered]


    "We don''t really have an option"


    [It''s okay I think it''ll be alright]


    "Huh? What do you mean by that?"


    Apollo questioned however soon it was answered, a silver arrow landed on the ten wielders of flesh weapons before exploding.


    Dirt was thrown while the ground shook.


    "It seems you two need some help"


    The same girl from a while ago appeared, holding a silver bow she walked confidently into the ruined city.


    "Duchess"


    With all the confusion gone Apollo and Alicia can recognize her. The successor of the sacred bow, descendants of Isaac Silvercrest, Duchess Esther Silvercrest.


    "Now it all makes sense why Lenon is here"


    Lenon was a warrior from the north who was trained to use his shield to block magical beasts. Glenda on the other hand is one of the soldiers of the Western Duke.


    "It means that two ducal households are here"


    Alicia concluded while looking at the ten enemies who could barely stand up.


    "The arrows are very explosive and that flesh is incapable of absorbing it"


    "I can see that"


    Esther then moves beside the two landing like a calm butterfly on the ground.


    "Shall we?"


    She asked while fixing her position.


    "I am ready" she added


    Apollo nodded at her words before signalling Winter to assist him.


    The wind howls like a beast while the temperature drops significantly. A warrior whose shield blister with ki immediately closes the distance between him and his ten enemies.


    "Argh!!"


    One of the least injured raised his sword and roared like a maniac. Apollo uses his shield to fend off the strike however it seems his enemy has lost his sanity and began recklessly beating his shield.


    "CRACK!"


    With all the blows his enemy released a cracking sound was heard making Apollo confused. His shield was reinforced with ki and he didn''t feel any breakage so where is the sound coming from?


    Between the frenzy barrage of attack, Apollo took a glimpse of his enemy and saw his arm being broken.


    "What the hell"


    He felt even more creep out when the flesh sword began spreading out and eating its wielder''s body. A revolting scent kicks in making Apollo dizzy.


    "This is crazy"


    Despite the distraction caused by the scent the boy continues deflecting the sword strikes.


    "WHOOSH!"


    An arrow was released hitting the sword flesh wielder on the head, however, instead of dying the weapon in the man''s hand began eating him away.

 Chapter 131 Why are they here

    Apollo''s Pov


    It was creepy seeing those pulsating muscles spread out and eat the man away.


    "How disgusting"


    I raise my axe and slash the man in pieces turning him into a pile of blood.


    [Watch out]


    As soon as the man in front of me died a spear replaced his position diving right in front of my face.


    "WHOOSH!"


    Two arrows flew past me, one from a bow and one from a crossbow. I smirked once I saw it I knew that two archers were ready to save me.


    The spear halted and using that chance I raised my shield to redirect the position of the weapon, once I do so my axe went on to chop him to bits.


    "CLANG!"


    A crisp sound of metal clashing came to my ears while my eyes saw how my axe was blocked by two blades. A saber and a rapier.


    It seems they are recovering fast from Esther''s arrow bomb though that didn''t really matter.


    The ground turns into ice freezing the three enemies in front of me.


    "Let me some of your power!"


    {Yes master!}


    Ice went through my veins empowering my shield and with all my might I used my axe to bang its surface. The accumulated cold energy inside spread out turning into a piercing aura that penetrated their body. As it enters, their organs begin freezing until their bodies become brittle due to the cold.


    Discover hidden tales at §Þ??


    Their iced bodies crumble revealing a huge meat shield that absorbs my icy attack.


    "It seems he is still conscious enough to use his weapon properly" I concluded before urging Winter to assist me through his ice power.


    "To much use of ice may lead to them absorbing it, I should stick to close combat"


    Six arrows then fly past me targeting the remaining enemies. As they try to hit their targets the meat shield suddenly splits in half and reveals a mouth, it opens up and a tongue comes out. This red and slimy object moves fast and catches the speeding arrows.


    "It''s eating the arrows"


    [It sure is]


    "Duchess that one seems complicated to kill"


    Alicia said while reloading her crossbow.


    "I know and I can''t use all of my strength since I was informed this battle is gonna last until next week"


    "Next week?"


    "Yes I was just informed that more people are joining the new church, and now they are eliminating the other churches believing they are a threat"


    "The new church?"


    Alicia was a bit confused since the name new church wasn''t included in the ones they learned.


    But then my attention went to the remaining enemies which are currently being occupied by Esther.


    "When did she come there"


    [When you were busy hacking your enemies]


    "Oh I see"


    I was so occupied with cutting those moving flesh that I didn''t notice my remaining enemies. It''s good she had taken care of them though her energy needs to be conserved since this fight doesn''t give any signs of stopping.


    "I should help out"


    I rush forward taking my axe towards the man with a meat shield. My movements were swift however my opponent was still able to perceive my attack.


    [It''s coming!]


    Jeremiah warned and I immediately smelled the rotten flesh along with its disgusting appearance. A tongue came from it blocking the axe that was about to land over the shield.


    "This is truly a horrifying sight"


    My ki turns into a blue like flames aura that envelops my body and axe.


    "Cut through it"


    I said putting more strength over however the skin of the tongue was too strong for me to pierce through. While I struggled to move I heard someone snickering and as I looked for its source I saw the owner of the shield, smiling at me.


    Seeing his grotesque appearance made me feel irritated, his dishevelled hair and yellow teeth that seemed to haven''t been brushed for weeks, deranged eyes that filled with contempt everything about him made me feel irritated.


    As my anger escalated a black deadly aura began to emerge from my body. Soon it became a fog-like veil that spread across the area. It was a thick amount of blood lust that made my enemy scared.


    "What!?"


    Soon the murderous intent choked him and made him unable to breathe for a minute. That was my chance and my axe cut through the tongue until it dived through the shield.


    [You won''t be able to cut through it]


    "I know"


    It doesn''t really matter, after all, I am only a mere distraction.


    Esther''s figure came in while the shield guy was occupied with me, her bow became a blade and immediately decapitated the man.


    After his head flew into the air my axe hacked the shield guy to pieces. After confirming he was dead I looked back to see the archer but I only saw him being killed by a poison arrow. I smiled knowing where that arrow came from.


    "Where do these things come from"


    I asked Esther as soon as I was able to catch my breath.


    "They are the followers of the new church"


    "A new what?"


    I saw her make a complicated expression as if she didn''t understand the situation as well.


    "I really don''t know either they just appear claiming to be the new revolutionary church where anyone can join and worship anything they want. Since the empire allowed a diversity of religion the emperor let this church be however as time went on they began being violent towards the other churches, especially those churches who worship the Gods from the early ages"


    "And that violence had resulted in this war?"


    "Yes, I know you are confused but I am the same since I just received information about this"

 Chapter 132 Church

    Continuation of Apollo''s POV.


    "We were only informed to suppress rebels but it turns out they are the followers of the new church"


    So the new church was the old name of the Monastery. They didn''t exist two hundred years ago but three hundred instead. However, it seems this Revolutionary church was just Nirvana testing his creation. It was a mere test to see how he could share his power through his blood.


    "I am starting to even more hate that guy"


    [But he is dead already you already killed him]


    "Yet his children are still running around the empire"


    [It is not yet confirmed that they survived the battle two hundred years ago]


    "Does it even matter, dead or alive all I need is to be strong and be prepared enough"


    "I need to be sure and be prepared for any possible scenarios"


    I thought to myself while Alicia signalled me to assist our classmates who were still engaged in combat.


    "Let''s go duchess....!?...duchess?"


    Her eyes were dilated as if witnessing a horrifying scene so I followed her eyes, and there among the broken pillars I saw someone, an observer, someone who merely watched us from a distance.


    I could tell based on its build that it wasn''t a human, just looking at its shadow it was absolutely not a person. A height which to be estimated at 10 feet, huge muscles and a pair of horns.


    "Definitely not a human"


    "Lenon"


    Duchess Esther spoke though her eyes remained looking at the mysterious figure.


    "Glenda! Call Duke Odin Onsidianvale, we need his help"


    Alicia who was about to run towards Alya''s side halted as she heard Esther''s orders.


    "I will Duchess!"


    I don''t know how Alicia will look for the duke but currently, the unknown enemy is our problem.


    "What the hell is that"


    I asked probing for any information about our observer.


    "It might be one of them?"


    "One of what?"


    "No, no this isn''t happening" I began to panic and immediately looked for any wounds, however as soon as I saw a spike impaled from her back to her chest, my body felt as if a cold bucket of water had splashed on me. I won''t be able to heal her with that kind of injury. As my thoughts run wild my body felt a sudden chill.


    A presence was right behind me, creeping closer as if it was entertaining to see us like this.


    "Winter!"


    {Yes master!}


    [Your spirit won''t last for long, he is up against a level 15 rank emperor magical beast]


    "I know!"


    I lifted the duchess''s body and bow trying to escape the current situation.


    "Run!"


    I roared wanting to save everyone but it wasn''t enough, it didn''t even last a minute and that chilly presence was back. I could tell it was toying with me.


    "Damn it!"


    [You can always use your real strength, I can break the illusion without alerting the person who cast it]


    "No it''s okay, I might change something if I rely on you"


    [But Lenon can''t save himself and the duchess, but Apollo can. He defeated Nirvana and can fight even if his opponent had higher stats than him]


    "Yes but the one who is fighting is Lenon, not Apollo"


    I answered back although it might seem a long time had passed but in reality, it only lasted a second.


    [Incoming your stats is too low to dodge this strike prepare for impact]


    Another notification pops and so I immediately use my shield to cover my body and Esther.


    "Winter are you still there!"


    [Your spirit receives some fatal injuries and needs to recuperate, you won''t be able to summon him for a while]


    "No choice then"


    As I put my body and mind into receiving an attack it didn''t really come.


    "Wait something is wrong" I realized so I moved my shield and there I saw four figures blocking the enemy''s attack.


    "You okay"


    Alicia came out of nowhere behind her was someone I thought I would only see in books. Hair that resembles the sky during dusk while eyes that sparkle like a burning sun. Hades Lionheart made his appearance, a legendary figure who played a significant role in this war.

 Chapter 133 Message

    Hades Lionheart made his appearance, a legendary figure who played a significant role in this war.


    "So he is one of the reasons this war is ending"


    "Apollo is that the Duchess?"


    "Ah"


    With her words it made me realize the body I am desperately embracing. And unknowingly tears suddenly pour out of my eyes.


    "Save her please"


    It seems the illusion was too strong that I was being affected like this. However, her blood and vacant expression were already embedded in my mind. Seeing someone use their own body to shield someone deserves to be saved.


    "I''ll take care of her"


    "Thank you"


    Hades took her and immediately began to use his staff to cast strong healing magic.


    "This might take a while" he commended while putting a barrier around him.


    "Go and evacuate the area you mustn''t stay here"


    After saying those words he disappeared teleporting somewhere safe.


    "Let''s go," Alicia said urging me to come with her, without much of an option I answered.


    "Yeah"


    ....


    We all moved to a higher ground away from the center of the battle although at our distance we can still somehow see what is going to happen.


    "So does anyone know why the Monastery exist at this time? Weren''t they supposed to appear a hundred years from now?" Mackenzie immediately asked as soon as we settled down.


    "Well, according to Esther it was..."


    "BOOM!...BANG!"


    I think he didn''t hear me, no I think none of us can hear anything other than an explosion.


    "My ears!"


    "What?"


    "I said MY EARS!"


    "I CAN''T HEAR ANYTHING!"


    "So am I"


    "What?"


    Despite being far from the epicenter of the fight we still can''t escape the impact it carries.


    A violent gust of wind started hitting us until we began rolling on the ground.


    Slowly my ears adjusted and the things I wanted to hear became clear to me.


    ~Look at you oh great God you are too dirty for a holy being~


    I don''t know who is this person but he kind of looks familiar.


    [He looks like Samael]


    "Yeah, that''s right!"


    Wait?


    Could it be?


    I took a better look at them and sure I found more similarities with my classmates Aaron, Keith and Samael.


    "So the three people with the duke were the wielders of God''s blessings!"


    ~For the blasphemy you all have caused, the Gods had sent their champions and descendants to kill every single member of your church~


    The woman who looks like Aaron said, she really looks vengeful, unlike her great-grandson. I can tell from her voice and eyes that she is not liking the current situation.


    ~We will rise...once....the...they went to...sleep...we will be back!~


    ~Ah, this insect is still speaking, so what if the Gods went to sleep do you think they will rest forever? Once we called their names they will be back to aid us!~


    The monster chuckled mocking the guy who looks like Keith.


    ~I really wanted to see the day that you all be abandoned by your God~


    ~You little!~


    ~Enough! We need answers you all know very well that someone is pulling the strings. I don''t who or what is it that uses human faith and idiocy to cause chaos. We need to know the leader of the church!~


    With the dukes words the magical beast began to laugh.


    ~Too late!~


    ~He had spread his wings far and wide, even if you kill us it won''t stop! The new generation of Gods will soon arrive!~


    The three wielders of God''s blessing felt insulted with his words however the duke didn''t let them take action.


    ~It seems you won''t really speak~


    With the beast''s loyalty to the church, the duke gave him towards the three who gladly took his life.


    "So it is not over yet?"


    I thought while gasping my head.


    "So the entire point of this exam was to show us this? Seriously you went through a lot of trouble for a message you could have said... isn''t that right.."


    I then looked at my side and there a person quietly stands.


    "Headmaster"

 Chapter 134 Headmaster

    "Care to explain it to me"


    I said looking at the man standing at the border of the fallen city.


    "I am in awe of being caught, truly you are an extraordinary student" he said finally revealing his appearance.


    "What''s the point of all of this? You could have said it instead"


    "Was my method too extreme?"


    "You dump sixteen 13-year-old students into a powerful illusion that can influence their mind and body, and put them in a place where war and conflict exist. If it wasn''t extreme then I don''t really know what to label it"


    The headmaster just silently listened not feeling offended by how my voice began to rise.


    "My classmates barely had time to heal and yet you put us in this situation and influenced our emotions"


    "For what? To tell me that killing Nirvana won''t be enough to be safe? That the effort we made to survive is not enough"


    [Creator]


    "Yes"


    [Your hormones are getting haywire making some of your stress hormones to increase]


    "Jeremiah don''t scan me right now"


    My emotions that have been going up and down sunk to the bottom of my mind due to Jeremiah''s statement.


    "I want to apologize for that"


    He sincerely said while looking at the hairpin on his hand.


    "Seeing all of you laughing and talking loudly I thought you all might have forgotten the past. I was wrong, I didn''t know behind those smiles are pains that I can never imagine. You all have my respect despite being young you all try to overcome the pain that you have experienced. I am sorry for rushing things"


    I remained quiet at his words although I really wanna smack him right now for playing with the emotions and traumas of sixteen children, he at least deserves a beating.


    "You got half right but there is another reason why I made the exam this way, although I can''t say it right now but you will understand it in the future"


    "Alright so what is the half I got right"


    I said sarcastically still feeling bitter at the fact I felt about my brother and sister.


    "It''s the fact about the new church, it is the trial or prototype version of the Monastery. Its power stems from a lot of powerful magical beasts. They had allied themselves with Nirvana and proclaimed themselves as the new generation of Gods"


    "Shut it please!"


    "Come on cut him some slack Matilda he lost his hearing a while ago"


    "And? We all lose our hearing not just him..."


    Instead of letting Matilda speak Casper just covered his mouth.


    "I just got back my hearing doesn''t speak"


    After recovering their hearing became sensitive and hearing noises at a close distance was quite painful for them, so Casper covered Matilda''s mouth.


    Aside from Mckenzie''s scream which he regretted doing none of them tried to speak. Five minutes went by, then thirty until an entire hour. Finally, when they got used to the sound of their surroundings they all decided to leave the examination building.


    "What time is it?" Niko asked while dragging his tired body.


    "It''s 10:40 am" Arabella answered while looking at her watch though he was as tired as Niko.


    "I am hungry let''s eat" If the two were tired Mckenzie was hungry which made Keith say.


    "I''ll cook how''s that?"


    "Let me help" Agnes suggested.


    "I will too!" Alya raised her hand as she said that.


    "Can I make a request for my food?" Samael requested while holding his grumbling stomach.


    "Sure me and Keith will do it!" Vesta said while thinking of the food they could cook.


    Their enthusiasm made me happy though my thoughts still float about the words the headmaster said.


    "Magical beast" I can''t help but mutter while walking right behind my classmates.


    While walking amongst the other exam buildings I notice something.


    "It seems they holding a different exam"


    We passed a few more and my hypothesis was proven correct. It seems all classes have a different subject that is allocated to them. Probably to fit their needs, however as I think deeply about it, it was already obvious since some classes provide lessons that are only exclusive to them.


    "History and geography probably not included in their subject rooster"


    Well, it''s not my problem to think of such a thing so we all move to take our lunch.

 Chapter 135 Bumping to someone

    Someone''s Pov


    Enrolling on a prestigious academy was a dream for everybody. The resources and the connection to everything that is rare to some can be achieved there.


    Aster Academy was a dream of many, myself included and as soon as the gates were open I didn''t hesitate to enter. However I felt like it was a mistake, the entrance exam was horrifying, a white ghost with flaming powers melted one-foot thick walls like butter, like a goddamn butter! I stayed for two weeks inside a psychiatric ward because I couldn''t get that image out of my head.


    However, I wasn''t mad at him since he would often pay a visit to us while paying for our medical bills. I realized at that time, he was kind!


    Though he is still scary I suddenly remember how he blew up the sky and made a literal lightning display in broad daylight. Scored the highest out of all the records of the entrance exam and disappeared without saying anything.


    It wasn''t even enough he even went as far as to enrol in the lower class, to the god-forsaken LOWER CLASS!


    Why? He is the monster of our batch but he is staying with the lowest class in terms of power and connection.


    As I grimaced about this fact I saw them once when I was eating in the cafeteria. They all look tired as if it''s the end of the world.


    "Look it''s the lower class"


    My friend said while scooping down his warm soup.


    Then as we observed them a student from our class approached their table.


    "Looks like something interesting is going to happen" I said expecting a show to entertain us.


    "I wonder what will the top ranker do? Will he send these guys flying or will he fry them"


    As my thoughts ran wild my classmate began to speak.


    "What''s this? What''s the lower class doing here?"


    He spoke with a sarcastic voice, making those who hear it irritated as well. It was really because of his words but because of his voice, it was really irritating to the ears to the point I wanted to silence him forever.


    "Hey, whatcha doing lower class" Another guy came trying to start trouble, though it seems this one came from another class.


    Instead of being mad or being exasperated the students of lower class just stare at the two as if they are the dirtiest bug in the world.


    I can''t help but snicker when I saw my classmate''s reaction. However, my smile disappeared when I saw more people coming.


    Should I help? I thought while leaving my spoon suspended in the air. It''s not just me but other students who are merely eating became nervous at the brewing trouble.


    "Samael" one of them spoke though her voice could barely be heard.


    "On it" then someone answered.


    I don''t know who that person is but he doesn''t look intimidated despite their table being surrounded.


    "It''s becoming troublesome," he said until something bizarre occurred.


    "What''s with the unconscious people?"


    The black hair girl with Apollo said while kicking some of the unconscious students.


    "Hey Aaron open it up!" she added and with those words the the sleeping beauties finally woke up.


    She handed them their meal while Apollo merely looked at the girl.


    "May I ask what are you doing?"


    "Your classmate uses magic against other students that is against the academy''s rules" she confidently said then Apollo answered back.


    "Seeing you are confident with the academy''s rules you should also know that there is a massive barrier that surrounds each establishment, those barriers are highly sensitive to magic and if by any chance my classmate did indeed use one, an alarm would sound alerting the professors and proper action can be held"


    "Now I''ll ask you again, did you hear any alarm?"


    "No...but you.."


    "Young lady may I remind you the Academy had every resources to build a very powerful barrier, I warned you not to make an insult towards the high-ranking mages who made them"


    After saying those words he went back towards their table eating happily while his classmates groaned.


    Ever since that incident, some students have become afraid of bumping into their class. They don''t know whom they are afraid of, Apollo the top ranker, the entire lower class, or probably both.


    ....


    "Hurry the exams are starting!"


    "Wait!"


    "Shh!"


    "What?"


    "Look!"


    "It''s them hey move out of the way!"


    "Why?"


    "They are here!"


    "Who!"


    "It''s Apollo and the rest of his classmates!"


    "Hurry don''t block the way!"


    Unknowingly Apollo and the rest of his classmates became the most notorious group in their year.

 Chapter 136 Exam day 2

    Apollo''s Pov.


    The day ended with us being exhausted, however, I could tell we would pass the exams we had taken today.


    "Sigh"


    I closed my eyes, and sleeping by my side were Mckenzie and Blair both who fell asleep as soon as their back landed on the mattress.


    Fire crackles on the fireplace while the luxurious tea room turns into sleeping quarters for sixteen students. Despite my eyes being closed I can still hear what''s happening in my surroundings.


    Crickets would sing, soothing our tired minds while the night breeze gently touched us giving us assurance of the coming days.


    My thoughts started to drift as the lullaby of the crickets cradled my dreams.


    The night goes on and the moon begins to light the star-filled sky. And as the hour went by, from the cricket''s noises and the night breeze it was replaced by birds chirping and a warm morning breeze.


    "Hey, it''s morning already..."


    "Ah! I didn''t review a single damn thing last night!"


    "Calm down Braiden didn''t we already study last week"


    "Vesta I am here the one you are talking to is Mckenzie"


    "Ha? Who?"


    Alya wanted to laugh at her friend''s confused state but decided to approach her.


    "Let''s go Vesta"


    She said guiding her friend towards the bathroom.


    "Come on get up people!"


    While the two girls went to the bathroom to wash up Arabella went to wake up the others.


    "Mael get up already"


    "No....wait...five more minutes please...."


    "Hey, I said get up!"


    While a series of voices began to create a noise it woke up Alicia and Apollo.


    "It''s morning already"


    "I wanna sleep more"


    Still sleepy and groggy Alicia decided to crawl towards the bathroom with her hair going all over her face.


    "Ahhh!"


    Jerome''s voice echoes through the hallway making everyone wake up.


    "What was that?"


    We all asked each other, so curiously we peeked outside.


    If your answer is Lemon emerald grass cast Water wall


    If your answer is Sapphire tangerine cast Earth spike


    This was one of the questions we tried to answer while we dodged and killed some magical beast that relentlessly tried to catch us. Then the more difficult the question the harder the spells we need to cast.


    Even I was exhausted when Professor Adolfo put a limiter on me.


    I still remember how he smiled at me like he was some kind of angel while putting the limiter on my wrist.


    "He is so damn cruel"


    [Well aren''t at least happy you felt the challenge of the exam?]


    "I don''t feel a single ounce of happiness, Jeremiah"


    [How unfortunate my Creator]


    After fixing ourselves we eat our breakfast and head straight to the exam building.


    "Morning students"


    "Good morning Professor Timothy"


    "Okay students let me give you all the instructions you need to follow"


    "Once you enter the building there will be a holographic model of each beast we tackle, however like your exam yesterday this one has its twist too"


    Then he took out a rectangular plate with the number one hundred on it.


    "Each of you will have 100 hundred points before the exam starts. If by any chance you fail to identify the magical beast on the hologram that beast will charge and attack you"


    "It would what?"


    "Don''t worry you won''t die but your score will decrease, remember each mistake takes 10 points off your total score so you all better be careful"


    He said emphasizing each word that will be helpful to us.


    "Now then good luck and don''t get scared once you are inside, okay"


    "Yes professor"


    "Alright now run along"


    "Be careful okay!"


    "Yes professor!"


    With our professor''s warm and enthusiastic words, we entered the building and saw something we didn''t expect.


    "A forest?"


    I can hear Agnes''s bewildered question though I can somehow understand why our surroundings are like this.


    "This forest is real and not an illusion" Alicia said while holding the leaves of a plant.


    It''s amazing how the academy put such a thing inside a building.


    "This is a rainforest, which means the beast we need to identify are the magical beasts that inhabit this place"

 Chapter 137 Beasty

    Continuation of Apollo''s POV


    We all remained silent and slowly walked across the terrain. We don''t know what kind of beast we need to identify but it''s better to be careful, after all the rainforest has its own set of dangerous predators.


    "Hey by any chance have you seen any signs of....!?..."


    I looked around me only to realize I was the only one standing in that area.


    "When did I get separated" I questioned since I didn''t feel anything as I walked.


    [Creator the exam is already starting]


    Jeremiah begins to say however my mind was looking for my friends.


    [Please think carefully about the thing you need to do here]


    "What?"


    With those cryptic words, I suddenly felt a sudden chill.


    "Right magical beast"


    I said as I looked around the leaves and trees that surrounded me.


    "Everything here is real...so why.."


    I said while scanning the area.


    "Why am I surrounded with illusions?"


    .....


    "Hey! Everyone where did you all go!"


    Braiden shouted while finding himself separated.


    "Hoo...calm down it''s okay!....hoo...."


    His heart began to beat fast while past traumas began to hit him. The leaves the trees and the fact he is all alone made it even worse for him.


    "They are already gone...they won''t get you again...you are no longer there" he repeatedly said while gasping his head.


    "No more chains you already broke it...hoo... They won''t chain you again....hoo"


    He continued to say until a sound reached his ears.


    He stopped mumbling and all his senses began to pinpoint the location of the sound.


    All of a sudden he remembered their professor''s words.


    "Be careful"


    It didn''t mean to stop them from making a mistake but instead...


    "GRRR"


    A chill ran down his spine as he realized something.


    "It''s right behind me"


    ...


    "Did I just get separated?"


    Alya felt confused because ever since that incident she never got lost and would always find the right path that she needs.


    "It''s impossible for me to get lost, so it only means someone purposely separated us"


    She concluded while calmly analyzing the situation.


    "Being in this place reminds me of when the Monastery captured us"


    She can''t help but say while staying low on the ground.


    "I hope you guys are feeling better Braiden, Vesta and you Aaron"


    "It''s behind me"


    Braiden nearly had a heart attack when he heard the loud growl of the beast.


    "What is this.....could it be a..no..no I need to be careful"


    With his mind being in shambles he can''t help but panic but then he remembers something.


    It''s one of the lessons they have in Survival Lesson 1.


    ~Never let panic eat you, especially in a foreign environment that you have no knowledge of..it''s hard to stay calm it''s only natural to feel stress however never let it rule you, set your senses open and widely analyze the situation~


    Professor Alejo said from their survival lesson 1 so with all his might he pushed down his demons and just remembered their lesson.


    "Rain forest, growling beast and illusion, what kind of beast is that, it''s definitely not a rain forest spider I am not in a cave, pythons are no no as well"


    He began to think while the beast behind him began to approach.


    .....


    "A beast using illusion," she thought.


    Then Alya felt the urge to walk so she did, this was the ability she gained after getting experimented.


    A pathfinder is one who always sees the right way.


    Behind the pile of green leaves, she sees a figure hiding meticulously.


    "Ah... I think I know the answer to this"


    She said while walking towards it.


    .....


    Niko who felt horrified at the fact that he had lost Agnes began running frantically around the area until...something stopped him from moving.


    "What the!"


    He saw a shadow walking towards him each step was heavy and its eyes began to penetrate the boy.


    ~Each of you will have 100 hundred points before the exam starts. If by any chance you fail to identify the magical beast on the hologram that beast will charge and attack you~


    He remembered their professor''s words making him look at his chest and there resting was a rectangular plate having the number 100 on it.


    "Right I am in the middle of an exam"


    He finally snaps out of it and stares at the shadow.


    "It''s big....but black ah no it''s just a shadow hologram....."


    He stuttered a bit but began analyzing.


    ....


    Keith on the other hand stared face to face at the shadow and smiled mischievously.


    "I will give my answer now"


    He said then a rectangular screen with a set of alphabets on it appeared right in front of him, which made the boy interested.


    "An illusion nice"


    Then he carefully typed his answer.


    ....


    Like Keith Blair too was able to type his answer and as soon as he did the shadow in front of him dissolved.


    "Oh"


    He said as the black shadowy projection revealed a person. From a huge monster, it slowly transforms into someone he is familiar with.


    "Mckenzie?"


    He can''t help but say seeing his friend appeared right in front of him.

 Chapter 138 Beasty Part II

    A shattering sound came to Blair''s ears and soon the black shadow figure in front of him turned out to be his friend.


    "Mckenzie?"


    He questions, quite confused about the situation. So in order to clarify what''s going on he approaches his friend.


    "Mck-"


    "Ahhh!...don''t approach me yet I still don''t know the answer!"


    "The what?"


    Blair felt confused and so he took another step only to make his friend take a step back.


    "Ah I see, the beast''s illusion powers hadn''t been lifted, since Mckenzie hasn''t identified it"


    He realized and since he had free time he decided to record Mckenzie''s scream as he frantically typed his answer towards the floating screen.


    "Hey, why are you chasing me!"


    He can''t help but say while Blair who was the beast''s shadow began chasing after him, in his hand is a magical recorder.


    ...


    "I should be able to do this"


    Niko said to himself as he began to type, and as he pushed the words submit the rectangular screen disappeared and the shadow began to dissolve.


    "What the!"


    Right in front of him was Agnes who slowly appeared as the darkness disappeared.


    "Princess!"


    "Niko? You are the beast?"


    Slowly each of the lower-class students began to solve the first beast that they encountered, however, the problem was that they became surprised when the illusion was off.


    "Wait so you are that monster?"


    Mckenzie asked while pointing his finger towards Blair.


    "Yeah kind of, you see the beast uses illusion to confuse his enemies, and since he identifies us as one he tries to make us fight each other by using his illusion to turn us into monsters" Blair explains while hiding his recorder.


    "So it only means you are the one who was chasing me!"


    "Yeah kind of"


    Mckenzie wanted to scold him for scaring him like that but decided to just stay quiet while pouting on the side.


    "Hmph!"


    Those people were Gelda, their professor in History and Geography, Agatha in Magic and Creation 1, Professor Timothy in Beastmology, Professor Adolfo in Advancement and Physical training, Professor Alejo in Survival lesson 1 and lastly the headmaster.


    "They are doing good"


    "I really thought they would fail that one"


    "Me too since discerning its skills is extremely hard because it often uses illusion to disguise itself as a predator"


    Gelda, Agatha and Alejo said then Timothy suddenly asked.


    "Which one of you put an ivory stag inside the forest?"


    All three professors who first spoke looked at him confused.


    "Weren''t you the one who put that?"


    "No Professor Agatha why would I put a stag right at the start of the exam"


    "If isn''t you then who did?"


    Then they all look towards the only culprit they had in mind.


    "Professor Adolfo" Timothy spoke trying to see if he truly was the one who did it.


    Feeling his colleagues'' stares the professor finally reacted.


    "Hmmm? Me? Ah that, yeah why?"


    "He looks unbothered for what he did" they all thought.


    "Sigh, never mind I just hope that is the last thing you put in there"


    "Well actually..."


    "Wait what else did you do?"


    Timothy felt worried since it was his exam anything that happened there is his responsibility.


    "Will it hurt the students?"


    Professor Gelda said feeling worried towards her students.


    "Well just a couple of stuff no worries they can handle it"


    After hearing those words the four professors all look at the headmaster as if asking him to do something.


    "It''s okay I allowed him to do that"


    With those words, the remaining professors can''t help but pray for their students.

 Chapter 139 Run!

    Back at the students who cluelessly walk across the huge rainforest a looming shadow can be seen following them. Then as it follows it mistakenly falls on a bush which is near the children.


    "Oh it finally fell"


    Arabella said while waiting for the beast to come out.


    "WHOOSH"


    A nimble shadow passed by them and all they saw was its fleeting figure.


    "Well it''s been following us, what do you think of it"


    "It''s fast and swings around trees"


    Unlike the stag, this one was quite easy for them.


    "A leaf capuchin monkey"


    They said and the shadow soon transformed into its real appearance.


    Besides its leaf colour fur which signifies its affinity to wind element, these magical beasts are recognizable for their expressive faces with round, dark eyes, and a prominent, often pink or flesh-coloured face with a cap of dark green fur on top resembling a hood or cap, which gives them their name.


    These magical beast monkeys also have long, prehensile tails that are used for balance and gripping branches as they move through the trees. The limbs that it used to climb and swing around are quite muscular, and typically beasts with speed and agility-type powers have lean bodies but this beast has a strong and big build.


    "We got that one right"


    Samael said feeling delighted that everything is running smoothly for them.


    "So how many have we identified now?" he added while walking alongside his friends.


    "If we include that monkey it would be twenty" Arabella said while putting the name of the leaf Capuchin monkey on her list.


    "That many? And we are still not done yet"


    "Mckenzie we studied dozens of magical beasts so don''t complain if we encountered at least a hundred of them" Matilda reminded him.


    "Right... I forgot about that"


    "It''s because you are too nervous Mckenzie lighten up you are shaking"


    "Sorry I just felt we are being watched so I can''t stay calm"


    "Now that you mention I have been feeling it too"


    "Could it be a magical beast?" Aaron said while looking around worried.


    "Apollo, can you feel something?"


    "A stalker jaguar"


    "A magical beast that hunts in groups and once it finds its prey, it won''t stop until they feast on it"


    "Be on guard!"


    McKenzie said with all his silliness gone he became serious and prioritized their safety.


    "Apollo"


    He said in a very cold yet calm tone.


    "Can you at least give us a hand here, at least give us a clue"


    He added.


    Somehow he realized why Alicia and Apollo kept quiet about the situation, and if it weren''t for the fact it was him that was targeted then they would never know what was coming.


    "Alright"


    Apollo said knowing they had realized what he was doing.


    "Tell me what does a stalker beast usually do?"


    He said while looking at the calm beast that he just identified.


    "Remember your lessons because those are the only things you need right now" he added then he stood at the side letting his classmates make their own decisions.


    "It''ll be best to be fast, they are coming"


    Alicia added though she remained standing right beside Vesta and Alya.


    So in the end how can they find a beast who was a master of disguise right in its own territory?


    Knowing is different from doing, and although they know what it looks like and the skills it has, it''s different when you encounter them face to face.


    So what exactly are the lessons Apollo was referring to?


    They felt confused but still kept themselves in proper stance in case they needed to make an escape. However, they knew that wouldn''t be achieved easily.


    "Blair?"


    Mckenzie said while all of them began to form a 360-degree Defense formation. The concept of this is forming a circle or perimeter, as they adopt a circular defensive formation, each member faces outward to cover all directions. This way they can see and react to any attack.


    "I can sense it, they are coming"


    Blair just said while trying to track their enemies.

 Chapter 140 Finding the beast

    In this situation you might think it will be easy to identify them since Apollo already found the beast however it won''t be truly easy. They can''t just randomly say the beast''s name and it will be counted as an answer.


    To trigger the screen where you need to put the answer, you need to see or locate the beast you need to identify. Without doing so even if you felt that there was something following you if you can''t see it or even locate it then you won''t be able to answer.


    "Remember your lessons"


    And like a broken recorder, they repeat the words Apollo said to him.


    They tried to remember the lessons they had from beastmology and survival lessons. Yet they can''t think of anything at the moment. Panic and anxiety are taking over.


    "I am a bit worried about them"


    Alicia said while he sat next to Apollo.


    "They will need this in the future" he just answered while fixing his posture.


    "Is it because of the alleged branches of the Monastery?"


    "I don''t really think we should call it alleged since one of the memories of the archbishop did somehow mention it. However, I didn''t think much of it since it was vague and seemed unimportant, it turned out that the priest destroyed a part of his soul to limit the memories I could extract. It was also the case with the other archbishop I encountered"


    "Alicia they need to get used to this, since our next enemy will be a magical beast"


    "I know but I worry that this will tire their minds, it hasn''t been long since they confront their past perpetrators"


    "And they won against them"


    "That is because their anger, hate and desire for justice were putting their head towards one goal, to eliminate their enemy. And the fact that you are there to assure them that nothing will ever happen makes them do whatever they please. However now is different, you clearly stated you will not help them"


    She said while her eyes remained looking at the fourteenth students who closely cling to each other.


    Each pulse seems to resonate through the canopy, intensifying the sense of isolation and deepening the enigmatic essence of our secluded surroundings.


    I felt clouded as if a blanket had covered my ears and only the beating of my heart could be heard.


    I have my friends with me however the feeling of solitude persists not until the sound of my raging heart is replaced by the rustling of leaves. As if something is walking or maybe crawling somewhere. Though I can tell that something is walking close to the ground.


    They are everywhere I realized while continuing to discern the sound.


    "Hoo..."


    I breathed and filled my lungs with air trying to calm myself from the turbulent emotions that slowly eat me. My eyes were closed while I relied on my other senses to locate the location of my well-concealed enemy.


    Find it!


    Find that thing!


    As my mind says those words, an image suddenly forms inside my head.


    A robust and muscular build, typically larger and more stocky than magical leopards from the books. They have a compact, powerful build suited for climbing and hunting in dense forest environments.


    Aside from its build looking at it closely its heads are robust with strong jaws, ideal for delivering a powerful bite to subdue prey. I can definitely tell it was a jaguar.


    As I found one I soon discovered more, typical magical beast jaguars are solitary hunters however stalker jaguars are different they hunt in groups.


    "I have an answer" I said and a screen floated in front of me.


    Shakily I typed my answer and entered submit.


    From the sound of rustling leaves and the patient and slow breathing of a predator, it turns into a shattering sound as if something broke. I smirked, and finally, I found it.

 Chapter 141 A smile

    Apollo''s Pov.


    I smirked seeing Niko control his senses it seems his early training as a knight can now be seen. It wasn''t all for nothing, he hadn''t forgotten them.


    However, he wasn''t the only one who had accomplished something. Alya was able to find the stalker jaguar as soon as she threw her anxiety away. It seems her ability as a pathfinder is helping her find things like a stalking magical beast.


    "They are improving fast"


    Alicia smiled as she saw the shadow models of the stalker jaguars return to their real appearance.


    However, despite their improvement, I can still see some who are struggling.


    In the end, their emotions are their main enemy. If they can''t control it and let it manipulate them instead, then it will be difficult for them to assess the situation and take action for it.


    More of them are giving their answer until a single figure remains standing confused.


    I couldn''t help but feel worried.


    It''s already behind you, what are you doing?


    I almost shouted wanting to warm him but he must pass this by himself. They all need to do this in order to increase their survival in case they were to encounter an enemy.


    Not all times I can be there, so they need to stand on their own.


    "Aaron what are you doing delaying this" Alicia couldn''t help but say.


    I felt confused too, it should be easy for Aaron since his blessing can definitely detect the space occupied by the beast.


    [I think he is refraining from getting too reliant on their blessing]


    "Why? It''s their power, they are supposed to use it and make it grow"


    [Perhaps because of the incident with the monastery they saw God''s blessings as a power that didn''t belong to them. Similar to how they see you, they consider their blessings as something that won''t be permanent to them]


    [That someday like all the others it will leave them as well, so before they become too reliant and too attached to it, it is best to grow accustomed to its absence]


    I felt conflicted, was it really like that?


    "Why did the reason become so dramatic" I silently thought.


    Though some part of what Jeremiah said may be right.


    "They don''t want to get too reliant towards God''s power, perhaps they want to grow stronger by exploring more aspects of themselves"


    It''s not a bad idea, though it''s best to get used to every power you have.


    "Aaron"


    I can hear Alicia panic it seems she really cares for everyone.


    I wonder if she ever makes that face if it''s me who is struggling.


    I can''t help but scoff, just the thought of it is impossible to happen.


    These rosettes as well are larger and more complex than those of magical beast leopards, often enclosing smaller spots within them. Some stalker jaguars have melanistic (black) coats instead of purple, where the spots are still visible but more difficult to discern against the dark background.


    Their eyes are typically blue hinting at their affinity to water, however, they also provide excellent vision for hunting in low light conditions common in the rainforest.


    A beast known for its hunting powers and patience, a stalker jaguar.


    "Nicely done everyone"


    I said clapping my hands.


    "Now I think you can find the others"


    "Others?"


    Jillian said as her smile disappeared when comprehended my words.


    "There are more?"


    Arabella asked and suddenly had a hunch about what magical we will encounter next.


    "I thought that was the last boss"


    Matilda exclaimed while still feeling the emotions that filled her a while ago.


    "Nope definitely not it''s just the opening act"


    Alicia said while smiling mischievously.


    "It''s not stalkers but a different type of magical beast"


    "Wait don''t tell me we have to encounter anacondas here"


    Me and Aicia remained silent at Niko''s words making our classmates pale.


    "Wait you mean the ones that are really good in camouflage?"


    Casper asked as well finally feeling that they might finally lose a point.


    Anacondas have a very big almost monstrous size and strength. However, despite their appearance, it is not easy to find them because they can mimic their surroundings and fool the eyes of other predators and their own prey.


    "What is there to be scared of you found a stag a while ago"


    "But it was because magic is involved"


    "Those giant snakes don''t use magic to hide their bodies exclude this chemical stuff to change their appearance according to their surrounding"


    They began giving excuses until a hissing sound entered our ears.


    I smirked as I heard it.


    "It seems it''s here"


    I only said and my friends didn''t liked it.

 Chapter 142 Exam is finish

    Continuation of Apollo''s POV.


    Our exam ended with my friends having quite a few mistakes although their overall score was still able to pass. It was still good and our class still received an excellent grade.


    Our good performance extended when we took Professor Alejo''s exam in Survival Lesson 1.


    The experiences we had in the previous subjects aided us in tackling the survival challenges in that exam, especially the ones we learned from identifying the beast from Professor Timothy''s Beastmology.


    The covered lesson in Survival Lesson 1 for the first quarter was surviving in the wilderness.


    Surviving in the wild does not just involve stable food sources and shelter, it also involves surviving against predators and dangerous magical plants. Our earlier exam made us exceptionally aware of our surroundings making us all survive during a beast encounter.


    After taking those two we all hurled towards our rooms and rest.


    "I am tired"


    They began to mumble while we all decided not to sleep together since we were too tired to make our beds inside the tea room.


    "See you guys tomorrow"


    "Yeah"


    With our bellies full we let our tiredness take us towards our dreams. Chapter Your:


    Even I was tired, continuously thinking took a toll on my mind and now all I want is rest"


    "Maybe Jeremiah is right, I am really thinking too much"


    While my thoughts drift away my mind slowly calms until all my problems are swallowed by my sleep.


    The sun began to set while the stars lined up in the vast sky. Crickets began to sing while the cold breeze began to touch us. The night came without us even witnessing it.


    ...


    On the third day of the exam, Sunday morning a supposed day of rest was filled with whispers, as we tried to think of our exam for Advancement and physical training.


    "I wonder what Professor Adolfo had in store for us"


    Blair absentmindedly said while putting the bacon in his mouth.


    "I felt worried thinking we might fail his"


    "Don''t say that Casper we never got low grades in his assessment so it should be fine, we can definitely do whatever exam he threw"


    Matilda said trying to convince her friend that it would be alright.


    "That reminds me of our first assignment to him, I never expected to receive something like that"


    Blair said while handing a glass of water to Vesta who was sitting right beside him.


    "It''s because it''ll be easier for us to make a move when nobody cares for us. The more we were treated as nothing the less attention we received. The less attention the more peaceful"


    I began to think, well her words were right and maybe I should apply it to myself.


    [Really? Low key? You?]


    "Why?"


    [First, you literally blow up multiple golems on the entrance exam and use your strongest spell, Thunder Aura, and not only did you melt the labyrinth made by the professors but you also traumatized multiple students who only wanted to study here]


    "...."


    I have no idea what to say now, I don''t know if I have a right to refute that sentence.


    [Creator what''s with the sudden silence]


    "I was thinking if it''s too late to lay low and cause less attention"


    [That is too late Creator since that thought didn''t exist in your head when you first enrolled here, and you even made such a ruckus on your very first day]


    I can''t help but sigh, since my previous self was so keen on taking rank 1, I didn''t think about the possible consequences accompanying it. Well, there is nothing I can do now the damage has been done.


    Back to us who were leisurely taking our walk towards the assembly hall, we noticed how some students would stare at us, though somehow it felt different. Their look was different from before.


    How should I say this?


    They look afraid? Scared or even perhaps angry?


    I can tell, that in those eyes have a mix of emotions that I don''t really want to care about. They are after all useless, it''s not like my current problems will disappear if I care about them. So I pay no attention to them and hopefully, my classmates will too.


    After some stares and gossip we encounter, we finally arrive inside the assembly hall, and just like what happened in the general assembly we have no chairs to sit on.


    Seriously again?


    Somehow I don''t have the strength to be angry anymore. So I just flicked my finger and made some chairs for us.


    "Let''s just sit"


    "Apollo what if the staff come here again?" Alicia asked feeling bothered since they are a bit annoying.


    "I don''t really think they will cause a scene here since I heard we have quite a few guests from the eastern kingdoms"


    "From the east?"


    "Yes"


    For some sort of reason, I felt a sudden attachment towards that place.


    "Did the illusion really affect me this much?" I thought while fixing my posture as we sat.

 Chapter 143 The other half

    As my thoughts began to doubt myself because of the illusion I experienced at the exam.


    More students filled the seats until some lights turned off while the others focused on the stage.


    "It seems the event is starting"


    And it wasn''t just me who had that thought, all the students as well was the same as me and so a deafening silence enveloped the hall.


    Then a man appeared behind the giant curtains of the stage which made all the students focus on him. That man was none other than the headmaster. He stood in front of everyone wearing a three-piece suit.


    "Good morning my students, I am sure all of you have questions on why we made some changes in the format of our exam, but rest assured we all made it to increase your level of competency and growth for development"


    "But for this day, we will have a very special event"


    Then behind him, a group of people appeared.


    "Now who are these people" I question however I can''t explain why I felt a sudden familiarity with them. It''s like I met them before.


    "I am feeling a bit weird" I can''t help but say.


    "I actually I''m feeling it too"


    "Same"


    "Me too"


    My friends second my words making me more curious about this feeling I have.


    "Students, these people behind me are professors of the Eastern Academy. They have come here to propose an exchange mock battle between the first-year students of our academy and theirs. This battle is a way to see the improvement of each student and to study more ways to develop an innovative way of teaching that will facilitate a student''s learning"


    "And so I will happily announce the start of the tournament!"


    His voice is excited indicating his willingness in this competition. However, what I am more curious about are the things Eastern Academy teaches its students.


    A tournament?


    Really?


    A mock battle against the Eastern Academy of the Eastern kingdoms. Sounds interesting however I don''t really see the benefit it has for me.


    [I think it will be a good challenge for your classmates, to see how much they have improved]


    "Can''t my friends just rest for a while, they need it from all the ruckus they experience"


    [I never knew you could be this worried towards people]


    "Really?"


    "Why? Are you doubting me?"


    [No, just reminding you not to underestimate your brother]


    While Jeremiah and I have our conversation the announcement continues though I don''t really like to participate.


    ...


    "This mock battle will happen at one of our duel arenas, so all students please proceed to the duel facility"


    The headmaster said urging us to leave and so we did.


    ...


    "So are we going to watch?"


    Mckenzie initiates the conversation since none of us speaks.


    "I think we need to"


    Alya suddenly said making me look at her.


    "Wait we need to?" I can''t help but ask, I initially wanted to tell them to relax and enjoy a tea at the dormitory but hearing what Alya said, it seems we need to postpone it. If it''s her then it means something is about to happen at this mock fight, and we need to see it.


    "Alright let''s watch" I decided while my eyes linger at my friends.


    "How about you guys?" I asked wanting to see their decision.


    "Sure"


    "Let''s go"


    "Might as well do it"


    I smile hearing their response since we don''t really want someone being left behind. We are always a group and never leave each other. If one of us is in one place you better expect that the rest of us is waiting at the corner.


    .


    .


    .


    The duel facilities of the academy have multiple types, one for student duels or even group fights, and the other is for professor and student duels. It could be one-on-one or even one professor against a group of students. Some outsiders can also access the area as long as permission is granted.


    Typically duels will be held in different spaces depending on the level of the fight and numbers. Since this is a mock battle between two academies, an open arena was selected to accommodate the fight and the amount of spectators that are going to watch.


    We entered the entrance and entered the passage that led to the spectator''s seats. As we arrived we found empty seat for us, we sat down while my eyes began to scan the area.

 Chapter 144 Other Half Part. II

    The open arena features a vast, unobstructed space with no overhead cover. Rows of seating encircle the arena, offering clear views from all sides. Then at the center is a vast open space. This space is flat while an elevated platform was there serving as the stage for the mock battle.


    The stage doesn''t occupy the entire space but below it, is a ground with a neatly maintained, covered in grass, and surrounded by low fencing marking its edges.


    Those edges of the arena are marked clearly signifying the boundaries that duelers and spectators need to obey while the fight commences.


    From my seat, I have a panoramic view of this sprawling arena The atmosphere is open and inviting, bathed in natural sunlight that enhances the vibrant energy of the surroundings. Though I just hope nothing absurd happens.


    Then screams began to envelop this grand structure turning our class''s attention towards the people on the stage.


    A group of well-dressed students entered while some of them gave off this sense of familiarity I previously felt. This is a bit weird and makes me wonder why, to add to that it wasn''t just me but all of us.


    "This must be one of the reasons why Alya told me to watch"


    [Should I scan those students?]


    "No, not yet"


    As we talked someone suddenly spoke.


    "Good morning first years, it is I your vice headmaster Acke Williams speaking, I am here to give you the rules of this mock battle"


    "To start this event, the Aster Academy will first send one student as their representative, then the Eastern Academy will do the same. Right after that if the victor has been decided the Eastern Academy will send another representative, and this time they will be the ones who will choose their next opponent. This will also be the case once it is our turn to choose our academy''s next representative.


    This will continue until all the representatives of Eastern Academy have fought"


    "After this simple mock battle, we have a feast at the assembly hall and hope that everyone can exchange words with each other"


    The vice headmaster said though I highly doubt it.


    "The first year is 200 in total, I highly doubt all of them can actively socialize with a few selective students from the Eastern Academy"


    [Don''t be like that we are not really sure if that is really the case]


    I am not really interested in the mechanics and rules of this mock battle since I won''t really participate, all I wanted is to observe and see what is the thing that made Alya come here.


    "And now for our very first representative, is none other than our rank 1 Apollo Lionheart!"


    "What!"


    I almost fell in my seat when I heard my name.


    "Apollo Lionheart please grace the arena as our rank one!"


    "Ah, it''s because I don''t see the need to test them now"


    [You really change now Creator]


    "I just don''t want to do something reckless that I would regret later"


    [Does that mean that you are putting your future opponent in high regard, since you are being this cautious]


    "Jeremiah every opponent I face I put them in high regard, even though at the end I end up getting disappointed"


    "I don''t want any risk when I don''t have enough data against my enemy"


    [So if we have, we can run the test drive?]


    "Maybe"


    [Yes!]


    Our talk ended when my foot landed right on top of the smooth surface of the fighting platform.


    "Good morning dear guest"


    "My name is Apollo Lionheart"


    I greeted though their eyes reflected nothing but hostility.


    "Jeremiah, do your sensors scan anything about the source of their hostility, did I perhaps miss a story about the two academies being hostile with each other?" Chapter Continue:


    [I am not sure but I will see if I can get anything from the professor, they should be having a conversation right now]


    "Good, be sure not to be caught"


    [I will be my Creator]


    I stood where I was while the students'' screams echoed across the open space. Looking closer I could see how different our uniform was to them. I wore a combination of orange and black military-style uniforms while these students wore coats, cute skirts and trousers.


    The style of their outfit or their uniform could feature a crisp, white blouse for girls and a shirt for boys, it exudes cleanliness and professionalism, although they all looked serious or to be exact hostile towards me. I continue to observe them.


    Above their shirts or blouses are black or brown vests, and then a white pristine coat envelopes their upper body, its lapel collar is black while the crest of the Eastern academy rests at their chest. Paired with tailored trousers or a knee-length skirt, the ensemble maintains a sophisticated and polished appearance.


    Their appearance had a sharp contrast from mine. My uniform which represents the lower class, is a black double-breasted coat structured fit and features a high collar. The fabric on my shoulders is colored with orange until it reaches before my elbows and after it, is black until it reaches the wrist. Then the cuffs were adorned with gold as well as the buttons.


    Black trousers encased my legs while a pair of black leather shoes on my foot.


    Overall, I think they look more like a student than me.

 Chapter 145 Mock battle

    Other Pov.


    "And now for our very first representative, it is none other than our rank 1 Apollo Lionheart!"


    The vice headmaster said while my eyes looked for the person whom he was referring to. However, two hundred students were hurled through the seats of this place and I don''t know who was the so-called rank 1.


    Then I remembered the accursed ranking of this school. Right, they put some students at the bottom of their so-called rank and let the upper rank students bully them. Just so they can give a punching bag for the stressed-filled students.


    I could never accept such a system. Though it''s true that they produce the strongest people every end of their school year. Is it worth it? while some reach the peak of their potential, there are those who are left behind to suffer and fall apart. I can never accept that.


    I closed my eyes until I heard a loud scream, curious I looked around and saw a rectangular object floating above me. There I found the person whose name was called.


    "So this person was Apollo Lionheart"


    I registered his appearance to my mind but then I felt something was weird.


    The status of rank 1 not only gives fame but also lots of privileges, so anyone should be proud of it, however, that boy who was named as the strongest first year looked like someone had robbed him.


    Like he never wanted to be called, it''s like saying his name is the greatest nuisance to him.


    And like a child being forced to perform by his mother in a school program, he stood up and exasperatedly looked at the students beside him.


    As he walked down all the students'' attention was on him, like he was the only thing they should focus on.


    Everyone was looking at the boy who appeared to be in deep thought, while the people beside him looked worried.


    Are those his classmates? Or are they his friends?


    Aren''t the high class located over there?


    I looked to the other side of the seats and saw a lane of nineteen students, wearing a different style uniform. The rank 1 wears a fitted high collar uniform, quite similar to those used by military soldiers, while students in the high class wear a uniform similar to us, though the only difference is the color, ours is white theirs is black.


    "TAP! TAP!"


    I heard footsteps coming near and I finally noticed how he finally reached the arena.


    "He is fast"


    I can''t help but say, though my thoughts are still questioning, why his uniform is different from the High class which is the place he should belong to. Then my thoughts halted when his steps stops then I heard a voice.


    "Good morning dear guest"


    "So Ren are you ready?


    "Yes sir!"


    "Alright but before we start this match, I''d like to remind you all that this is only a mock battle, I do not wish to see anything unpleasant, understand"


    "Yes, vice headmaster!"


    The students spoke in unison.


    I felt a bit reluctant since I really wanted to compete with a person like him. An aura that felt like he had experienced countless battles and the fact his eyes were so deadly that I felt like something was choking me.


    I can tell just by looking at his eyes that if we fought I won''t be able to win easily.


    I am certain our fight will be long and won''t have any dull moments. However, it is unfortunate that his opponents wasn''t me..


    "Okay, now Apollo, Ren please shake each other hand first, that''s it, now go back on the other side of the arena. For those who will not participate please return to the sideline along with your professors, thank you"


    ...


    Another student''s POV.


    I am afraid


    Because he is here, yet again his presence is so overwhelming that it made my mind dizzy. Ever since that horrific event, my mind would go blank whenever he came near. Although he had repented for what he did, it still filled me with fear.


    The incident at the entrance exam made me unable to bear anything loud or too much brightness. That includes fireworks displays which I always love. It was unfortunate though I remember one of his words when he first spoke to me.


    ~I am sorry and I never knew my actions would end up like that, I hope you forgive me~


    His voice was soft and sincere while his gifts were very comforting.


    ~I believe you will see fireworks again but for now, here is a galaxy orb, it''s beautiful and doesn''t have any loud noises or too much light. I hope it helps you~


    He was somewhat kind but I can still remember how deadly his skills can be.


    So be careful Apollo''s opponent you''ll be lucky to be alive after this.


    Strangely as the match began, it wasn''t only this student who was thinking of this but many of them.

 Chapter 146 Mock battle part II

    Apollo''s Pov.


    And so the match began, I looked at my opponent whose figure began to blur as he put his ki to use. My eyes equipped with the system''s lenses could see how his ki flowed across his body.


    "We got a fighter here"


    I can''t help but say, though I haven''t fought one before, I knew he was a fighter just analyzing the way he uses his energy.


    I took a step back to adjust my position and saw a fist that was about to hit my face. A straight punch that is quickly executed, a jab.


    "He is testing the waters now"


    His jabs were speedy and steady, driving through the air creating a crisp sound. While my foot goes along the rhythm to dodge it.


    [He is gauging your reaction and how you form your fighting stance]


    "Yeah I can tell"


    I sway my body according to his moves and with every punch I dodge it with precision. His feints and ambush attacks didn''t work on me either.


    The gap was just too big


    Not just the stats but also the difference between our abilities. I can read him far too well and that is why so many attacks couldn''t get a hit on me.


    "Damn it!"


    I heard him say while his expression could be understood as bewildered.


    Then he suddenly stopped attacking, and we both stopped and stood where we were. Despite his prompting attacks serving him no leverage, I can see he is planning something.


    [Something is coming be prepared!]


    Jeremiah warned while my eyes scanned Ren from head to toe. Then a realization struck me as the energy inside him changed.


    I can''t help but smirk, "I should answer that form, a fitting one for this event" Then I also form my own stance.


    [Finally doing something other than dodging?]


    "Yeah"


    I breathe gathering air in my lungs while my eyes expand to perceive any attacks he will throw.


    "Jeremiah give his stats"


    [Affirmative]


    Name: Ren Yu


    Status: Focused


    Rank: Apprentice


    Mana Type: Yellow


    Level: 11


    Strength: 41


    Agility: 40


    Dexterity: 39


    Endurance: 40


    Stamina: 41


    Intelligence: 37


    Mana: 40


    Ki: 32


    Mana regeneration: 3 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 1 per minute


    Vitality: 130


    His fist created a crisp sound making my eyes scan it. There I noticed his ki was packed in his fist and upon contact, it created a huge explosive power. Unfortunately his fist only hits an empty air.


    "Argh!"


    I heard a scream, it wasn''t mine but Ren''s.


    "Did I perhaps overdid it?"


    [No you did not]


    I timed my spell activation on Ren''s attack and when his fist was about to hit my temple, a magic circle emerged bearing the power of my spell. It was a basic spell flare, it was a blaze of light that was used to illuminate to attract attention. What I did was fire the spell flare right on his face.


    He should be fine right?


    It was a basic spell and since his stats are good he should be able to endure it.


    "My eye!"


    Oh dear, I aim too well.


    However a match is a match, I took the chance when he was vulnerable and drove my fist right at his stomach.


    "Argh!"


    I controlled my strength and made sure it was enough to knock him unconscious, and he did.


    He fell on the battle ground signalling that I was the victor of this match.


    "Yes!"


    "See that! That is our rank 1!"


    "Apollo!"


    "Apollo!"


    "Way to go! He didn''t destroy the arena!"


    "Yeah!"


    All sorts of voices hit my ears but at that moment I felt something different. I felt warm and excited like something filled me with unparalleled happiness.


    "Ha, this is interesting"


    I was being recognized


    I was being praised


    I never expected to receive a whole crowd of applause.


    Their cheers made me feel excited and suddenly I wanted more.


    Who would have thought that being seen like this would make me feel so special?


    "Nice rank 1!"


    "Bring in the next match!"


    "We don''t need to send anyone let the top ranker handle it!"


    "And that is the end of our first match!"


    Despite the roaring crowd the vice headmaster announced making the noise die down.


    "Well now, let us-..."


    "Wait-.."


    "The...match is...not...done yet"


    Ren said with great difficulty as he stood up.


    "I can still fight" he added making my lips form a smile.


    "Interesting"


    I could only say that while my eyes see a power in him that didn''t exist a while ago.

 Chapter 147 So this is the other half?

    "I can still fight, please let us continue"


    He said while he stabilized his posture.


    The crowd gave different reactions some disagreed while some were okay with it, however, the decision wasn''t on them but on the vice headmaster''s decision.


    "Apollo what do you think, do you still want to continue?"


    He looked at me and asked instead of making an immediate decision.


    "I don''t really mind vice headmaster"


    I also wanted to see what was the power I am seeing right now.


    "It is strange that I can''t scan it and even you Jeremiah"


    [It also confuses me, I already went through multiple upgrades and was supposed to be more capable but right now I can''t even scan an unknown energy inside a boy]


    "Calm down we will find out what power he is hiding"


    With my answer, the vice headmaster looked at Ren and said "With Apollo''s consent this match will continue"


    My opponent looked at me and I could see how glad he was that I agreed.


    "I wonder what''s running inside his head"


    [Should I scan it?]


    "Nah it''s okay"


    While the crowd cheers and my head goes wild with theories about Ren''s mysterious power my ears suddenly hear one of the screams of Eastern students.


    "Show him some flames!"


    "Go Ren! Bring in the power of your kingdom!"


    Flames, Kingdom of Qin and a fighter, somehow I could only think of one thing.


    "Ah, was this the other half I didn''t get right? So the student representatives of Eastern Academy are related to the people we possess in the exam. You arranged all that to distract me, or was it something else?"


    I thought, while I took the chance to attack right after the spinning hook kick was launched, I lifted my foot made a front kick and hit Ren''s midsection. However, I kind of regretted it afterwards. As soon as my foot landed on my opponent''s body a scorching heat touched me.


    "Jeremiah I thought you had put a reinforced barrier around me"


    [I did but it seems the flames are increasing their temperature every second]


    "Now I think I need to get serious"


    I took my foot back while I dodged another strike from Ren. As he was about to draw his fist to create an opening my mana suddenly burst making him switch from offence to defence.


    Mana coated my body though I am not an expert when it comes to using it and my ki for combat, especially in close range, but I think I can still handle this.


    "Are you finally taking me seriously"


    Witnessing a blue ocean-like energy covering me Ren began to ask. Though his words made me chuckle, "Student Ren, believe me, you wouldn''t want to see me get serious"


    "Is that a challenge?"


    "No, but a warning"


    I then stepped forward which created a huge dent on the smooth surface of the fighting arena.


    My speed was far too fast for Ren to follow.


    I could see his expression he was surprised so with no other option he used his ki to boost the power of his flames, using it to sense which direction I was heading.


    "Hey up here"


    I said making Ren look up, "That was a joke I am actually right in front of you"


    With my words deceiving him he immediately looked at me while his fist was about to make a counter, however, I was faster. My fist powered by my mana landed on my opponent''s face who just adjusted his head from looking up. With the accumulated power I released Ren was sent flying out of the fighting arena.


    "I hope he doesn''t get up"


    [If you want him not to get up,why didn''t you just cast a sleeping spell on him, he won''t be able to wake up even after a day has passed]


    "Because Jeremiah that would ruin the fun"

 Chapter 148 Flames

    Continuation of Apollo''s POV.


    That punch was strong however my guard didn''t fall down as my eyes saw how his stats changed.


    "His status says Spirit assimilation"


    What is Spirit Assimilation?


    Besides that, his total stats and a sudden added skill made it even more confusing. Previously he only had a single skill, a passive one. It was the martial art he is currently using other than that he doesn''t have other skills or abilities.


    [Name: Ren Yu


    Status: Spirit assimilation (5%)


    Rank: Apprentice


    Mana Type: Yellow


    Level: 11 + 30


    Strength: 41 + 30


    Agility: 40 + 30


    Dexterity: 39 + 30


    Endurance: 40 + 30


    Stamina: 41 + 30


    Intelligence: 37 + 30


    Mana: 40 + 30


    Ki: 32 + 30


    Mana regeneration: 3 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 1 per minute


    Vitality: 130


    Skills/Abilities


    Lightning Ox Combat (Rank C) {Passive} - A martial art derived from the speed of lightning. And each strike was made to mimic the strength of the Ox.


    Blessings from the Fire spirit (Rank A) {Active} - Due to the incident in his past life he gained the affection of the Fire spirit Guardian. The total amount of buff can be depended on the wielder''s emotion.


    ADVANCED STATISTICS


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Your next journey awaits at M-V-L


    Bloodline: {None}


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution: Iron Born - A body constitution that allows its wielder to have an iron-like skin for protection]


    Flames are bursting through while a bird-like being begins to form around Ren''s


    "Yuan?"


    My eyes went wide while my heart began to beat fast as if I saw someone I longed to see.


    [It seems the illusion made you highly fond of Yuan]


    I don''t think so


    It wasn''t an illusion


    I wasn''t fond of Yuan either


    This feeling originated from the love I saw between Yuan and his brother, it was something I longed to have.


    [The heat is escalating fast, if this continues that boy might get swallowed. The power of the spirit is far too strong for him to wield]


    "Then I suppose I have no choice but to intervene"


    "It''s better to put down that blade you might hurt yourself"


    I heard another person speak, I knew exactly who it was without needing to see the golden pieces of light that surrounded us.


    No wonder they came here fast.


    He used his blessings.


    "And who the hell are you people"


    "Us? We are the students of the lower class"


    Matilda''s voice oozed sarcasm as she held a dagger at a girl''s neck, because that girl had one of her ice spikes pointed at me.


    [The Eastern students are strangely murderous, never anticipated that a bunch of five thirteen-year-old kids would point a blade at your neck]


    "I suppose their training made them this way"


    I can only reply while the tension escalates. To be honest I have no idea why those Eastern students suddenly pointed their weapons at me.


    [It must be because you suddenly released a threatening amount of energy, they just thought you planned to kill Ren]


    "And why the seven hells would I even do that?"


    [That I don''t know]


    Back to the current situation, five students all had their weapons at me while all my friends were there, not letting them get their way.


    However none of the professors dared to intervene, I wonder what are they planning.


    [Probably to see which side will yield first or if someone will try to mend the situation]


    What an outrageous idea


    "Everyone put your weapons down!"


    I heard a feminine commanding voice, with her words the five students whose spells and weapons were pointed at me wavered.


    "I said put it down!"


    She shouted firmly establishing her stance, finally, those five put their weapons down while my friends put down theirs as well.


    "We are sorry for my friend''s sudden action"


    I heard her speak so I finally looked back, I moved my eyes away from the unconscious Ren and looked at the person who stopped the situation from escalating.


    A lavender colour hair along with sapphire eyes, a girl stood in front of me while her classmates went behind her.


    "It''s okay"


    I began to say "It must have been my fault that they reacted that way, my previous action might have given them the wrong notion. So maybe we can just let go of each other''s actions"


    I told her that though my friends definitely didn''t like how our supposed honor guest suddenly attacked me.


    "Yes but I will apologize again because what my friends just did was uncalled for"q


    I merely nodded while beckoning everyone to return to our seats.


    "Vice headmaster, if you may"


    I looked at the man who currently holds the highest status at this academy, and the way I see it he seems disappointed that nothing happened a while ago.


    Seriously this man, he still has these complex ideas about me. This started ever since the start of the school year, I can feel he often put eyes on me, though I always evade all of it. However, because of that action, I became someone he puts great interest in. Especially when I caused multiple missing cases and mysterious appearances of corpses.


    I just hope he doesn''t suspect me


    [I highly doubt it]


    The vice headmaster who was among the professors walked out of the sideline benches and walked slowly towards the stage. When he finally arrived he began to address the students.


    "I believe that was a very intense match and shows the great strength and power of both academies. See how fast and efficient friends can be when they see their friend being mobbed"


    Seriously you are not helping, the vice headmaster however continues to speak.


    "Well then since the first match ended with our Apollo winning, may I ask the Eastern Academy students to choose their new representative and the student they will fight"


    Since the next match is starting I urge Aaron to teleport us back.


    "We don''t have any business here, we should head back"


    They nodded with my words, however when Aaron was about to take us to our seats a voice suddenly prevented us from leaving.


    "Him! I want him to fight me!"

 Chapter 149 Here comes the lower class

    Spectator''s Pov.


    The battle started while our hearts were beating nervously, not because of how intense the fight was, but because we were afraid he might go wild and then turn into a white ghost. What we all experienced in the entrance exam left a deep mark on our minds. The explosion, the burns and the blinding lights keep coming back to us.


    It wasn''t easy to forget all those things since such events can make anyone traumatized.


    Then the sudden rumours of his extreme personality made it even worse, however out of all the news and hearsay we hear, there is one truth we all believe in.


    Never let Apollo Lionheart get serious in a fight, or you will face terrible consequences. He was the strongest among us and we believe that even the seniors won''t be able to act around him.


    The match continued and by the end of it, most of us felt our hearts coming out of our bodies. It was because of a sudden surge of flames that soon turned into a huge pillar, it was right at the boundary that separates the sideline benches and the middle field.


    The situation escalated more when the said flames changed and somehow turned into a bird.


    Our eyes felt uncomfortable while a sudden prickling feeling itched our skin. We felt the heat despite the glaring distance between our seats and the middle ground. However, the fire that seems to be an unstoppable force wasn''t the thing that made us feel dread. It was the back of a boy not older than any of us, but could exclude an aura that could make anyone suffocate.


    I was afraid but my eyes remained glued on that figure.


    The way I can''t remove my eyes even though my body tells me to run. He is dangerous yet his presence is something anyone can feel in awe of.


    And then it happened a raging energy escaped sending the entire arena into a cold silence.


    The flames burst even more until a mellow voice softly landed on our ears. We didn''t hear whose voice was it but after hearing that the flames died down though the killing aura didn''t completely disappear. It remained around us keeping a suffocating feeling.


    We were amazed by the sudden turn of events until five students arrived and pointed their weapons at Apollo.


    "When did they get there!"


    I can''t help but ask.


    "After Apollo released that threatening energy those students rushed to aid their friend, they must have thought that our top ranker would hurt him"


    My friend told me while there was a frown on his face.


    I was worried that something disastrous might happen until a sudden light emerged from the back of those five. A golden light that suddenly splits into fifteen pieces until it shapes as a human.


    "Those people are!"


    The lower-class students arrived out of nowhere, they were fast and the fact that they too have weapons in their hands made the situation even more scary.


    Seriously they won''t hurt each other right?


    I began to think while clenching the edge of my uniform.


    ...


    "Him! I want him to fight me!"


    One of the guest students from the Eastern Academy shouted while pointing at one of the least expected students to be chosen.


    "Why is he choosing him!"


    Johan Aaren said as he stood up from his seat.


    "Aaren sit down"


    Caesar commanded, however he also felt that their representative should be chosen among the students of the High class to ensure their continuous victory. Other students might be good but not as good as them.


    "What are they thinking"


    He couldn''t help but say while urging Johan to sit down.


    Back on the stage, the attention of many was focused on a certain boy''s silhouette.


    "Um.....me?"


    He confusingly said while pointing at himself.


    "And we are students from the Lower class"


    The crowd felt a bit complex knowing that these students came from the lowest-ranking classroom, however, no one dared to actively oppose since Apollo didn''t seem to hate the idea. None of them wanted to gain his ire. And so the voice of the vice headmaster echoes as he announces the start of the second match.


    ...


    Right on the sideline was the line that separates the middle ground and the benches. There groups of students observed the situation while a powerful barrier protected them from any shockwave that the fight might cause.


    "My lady, their top ranker is strangely too strong, which seems a bit absurd based on his age"


    "I agree my lady, I believe something fishy is going on here"


    Another student said while trying her best to lower down her voice.


    "Could this academy doing something on their student? What do you think?"


    "Francis, Christy I believe your words are a bit over the top"


    "Claude, don''t you feel suspicious that he is that strong?"


    "Francis, not because someone is too strong and was able to overwhelm you means that person is doing some underhanded things. Some people are just inherently strong, and may I remind you that he is a Lionheart. Being one of the most powerful is already given"


    "I don''t think that is a good explanation, haven''t you heard that the third child of the Lionheart family is weak and fragile!"


    "And did you see anything that can be said fragile on him Francis? No right? Just why are you basing your facts on a mere rumour? You saw what he can do, that power he released was domineering he made your knees tremble"


    "Shut up!"


    "Please don''t fight"


    "Don''t butt in Christy, this guy is just blinded since he is a fan of Artemis"


    "At least I idolize someone who is decent unlike you!"


    While the two boys argue the person they are trying to speak to remains silent, her blue eyes look intense as she looks at one person in the crowd.


    "Apollo Lionheart"


    She merely whispered while burying herself in her thoughts.


    "Penelope"


    Seeing her silence one of the guys who pointed a sword at Apollo spoke.


    "What is it Coby?"


    Unlike the first people who spoke to her this time she finally reacted.


    "What do you think of him?"


    "Lionheart?"


    "Yes"


    "He is dangerous a monster..." then her voice trail off as if something bothered her.


    "And?"


    "And might be able to help us"


    She merely said while holding the emerald leaf pendant on her neck.


    "If what you said is true then we better ask our professor"


    He merely said without any hint of anger or annoyance. Unlike his classmate who hates Apollo for making them look weak he only focused on the task he was given. However it seems the rift between the students of Aster Academy and Eastern Academy was more than what he initially thought.


    While this talk transpires the match between thelower-classclass students and Eastern students began.

 Chapter 150 The Image of the Twin Blades

    Apollo''s Pov.


    "So they need my help, did they say what kind of help they need?"


    [Unfortunately, Creator the girl named Penelope didn''t elaborate on what assistance they wanted from you]


    "Now that will be a bit complicated since I am currently focused on withering the remaining spies of the Monastery. I still don''t know if I killed all of them from my last killing spree"


    [We will only know what they want once they start talking to us]


    "You are right, and by the way have you figured it out what''s the reason why the two academies have this tense atmosphere around them?"


    [Yes my Creator apparently it started roughly two thousand years ago]


    "What? Isn''t that the time of the Age of Extinction?"


    [Not at that period of time Creator, but it was after the Creation of the Empire. Estimated five decades after its establishment, one of the students of the five pillars decided to create the Aster Academy. One of its first batch of graduates is the founder of the Eastern Academy]


    [According to what I heard from the students'' and Professors'' conversation it seems the founder of the Eastern Academy never liked the system being established at his alma mater. Especially how the students from the Lower class were being treated. The lower class was made so that other students would be motivated to study.


    It was designed to show how the strong are meant to rise while the weak will only fail. They were the supposed weaklings and failures that motivated the other students not to be labelled like them. The pot of dirt that can be looked down on and be the source of laughter and entertainment for others.


    I also heard that sometimes lower class students became the ways of some students to vent their frustration and stress due to studies.


    He never liked that way and never believed it was effective so made his own academy, to show that this place was wrong in making such a system.


    That''s why he instilled in his students that Aster Academy created such a rotten way of teaching in order to create strong students with bad personalities]


    "That''s one deep-rooted hatred that his will can still be felt up until now"


    [His teaching lives on to every student of his and they continue sharing his beliefs to the next generation. That is why up until now, the Eastern Academy students carried a prejudice against students who came from here]


    "Although it somehow makes sense I don''t really know how will they feel fighting against the very class they try to protect"


    [Protect?]


    "Yes, I think their founder wanted the lower class to be abolished and just be treated like any other class. He wants to protect the future students who will be placed in our situation. By beating the students here he wants to show that you don''t need to create such a harsh way of teaching just to produce successful students"


    [But it seems he failed since up until now the lower class still exists]


    "Yes it seems he did fail"


    A crisp sound hit my ears and my head was enveloped with a sudden ringing. The spiky red-haired guy had his feet at my head. I was able to block it but the sheer force was still capable of penetrating my defense. I felt dizzy but I immediately recovered, and the moment he retracted his legs I moved and began to swing my blade.


    "Bang!"


    The sound of something hitting on the ground could be heard and I saw how the guy that supposedly fighting my sister pulled his friend away from the trajectory of my blade. Then an arrow flew in but this time the spiky-haired kid leaned back while pulling the blue-haired one with him, dodging the arrow in the process.


    I took this chance to attack while my twin changed her bow to a sword and ran alongside me.


    We both aimed to end this match but suddenly our opponents disappeared and appeared right in front of us.


    The spiky hair one moves his blade and so I raise my blade to block it but then something happens. The trajectory on which the blade will land changes and suddenly aims at a different direction. I panicked and was unable to properly react fortunately my sister was there to pull away from his blade.


    I became nervous however my peripheral vision saw the blue-haired one aiming at my sister''s blind spot, so I moved and blocked it while my sister dealt with the spiky-haired boy.


    Slowly as we exchanged blows I realized something, their synergy was somehow similar to ours. No, to be specific it''s similar to the sword style that was taught to us since we were little. However, the difference between the styles we use is that ours is much refined while theirs is crude and raw, too direct to be exact.


    Their style was quite similar to the Double snake technique that was created by the Twin Blades of our kingdom. It was bewildering how they made us feel like fighting the legends from the old books. It might seem impossible but that''s what we are feeling right now.


    I shook my head and just focused my thoughts to defend myself. However, a sinuous movement made a sudden strike evading my sister''s defence, and like a stealthy snake, it struck her stomach knocking her to the ground. That single moment made me distracted and a wooden sword struck me knocking me unconscious.


    .....


    Apollo''s Pov


    "Did those two just adapt Riku and Yuki''s sword art"


    [It seems so my Creator]


    I felt a bit surprised but despite some small flaws, I can tell those two completely remembered how each move they made back at the exams.


    [Mckenzie and Blair actually stayed at the first part of the history exam for three months, so it''s no wonder they can use moves like this]


    "Three months it seems it''s not just me who had a hard time in the first part"


    [Yes everyone was thrust into a situation where they were forced to recall and experience things they don''t want to experience again. However, the academy seems to think that letting you all remember that will make you a better person]


    "Sigh, I just hope you are right"


    I said while witnessing my two friends knocked down their opponents. I was happy though the crowd was silent and seemed bewildered with the result of the match. Despite that, we still cheered and our voices made their way towards Blair and Mckenzie making those two smile.


    With all the harsh situations they have experienced they at least deserve to be acknowledged. All the effort and hard work, it doesn''t matter if it is only us but soon I know people will acknowledge this group of kids that I have grown to love.

 Chapter 151 The aim of the mock battle

    After that one match against two students from the Lower class, the next to choose their representative and the person they will fight is the Aster academy. So one of the professors prompted Caesar to take on the stage. Gladly the boy agreed gaining cheers not only from his classmate but also from the entire crowd of students.


    In truth Caesar had one of the best stats and skills out of all the first-year students, just exclude Apollo since he can be said out of the ordinary by his peers.


    While this transpired Apollo asked Jeremiah what is the real reason for this event. And when will they meet their family since they were first informed that they will see them.


    "We were told they would come, and yet we are still doing this"


    [Don''t be like that, look the match is starting we might as well see how much that prince has improved]


    However, the boy''s eyes landed on his friends who walked confidently towards him.


    [Name: Gelo Mckenzie


    Status: Proud


    Mana type: Violet


    Rank: Apprentice


    Level: 13


    Strength: 46


    Agility: 45


    Dexterity: 44


    Endurance: 46


    Stamina: 45


    Intelligence: 45


    Mana: 44


    Ki: 31


    Mana regeneration: 3 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 1 per minute


    Vitality: 130


    Skills/Abilities


    Executioner''s war blade (Rank C) {Passive} - Baron Delvin''s precious sword art that was passed to Gelo when he was eight years old.


    Art of the Twin Blades (Rank C) {Passive} - A sword art derived from the twin blades from the exams and the one they learned from the imperial palace.


    Executioner''s Art of the Twin Blades (Rank D) {Passive} - The combined form of Executioner''s war blade and Art of the Twin Blades. One that Mckenzie made with the help of Apollo.


    Adapter (Rank C) {Passive} - An ability to quickly adapt in any circumstances it may be a person''s fighting style or life situation.


    ADVANCED STATISTICS


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: {None}


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution: Steel Bones - A constitution that indicates strong bones or resilience to impact, however it will take some maturity and for the wielder to age before it truly manifests]


    [Name: Blair Longfalls


    Status: Confident


    Occupation: Child of the God of Mystics


    Mana type: Orange


    Rank: Apprentice


    Level: 13


    Strength: 46


    Agility: 45


    Dexterity: 44


    Endurance: 46


    Stamina: 47


    Intelligence: 47


    Mana: 46


    Ki: 41


    Mana regeneration: 10 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 10 per minute


    Vitality: 150


    Blessings: Grace of the Celestial God - Julius Mariano Von Celestio was once chosen to become the hero by the Goddess that dominates the space and the heavenly bodies. The power and blessings he gave him extended even to his descendants.


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution: Heavenly Physique - A Constitution that is gifted by the Celestial Goddess to Julius when he was chosen by her]


    [Name: Lucas Chua


    Status: Intrigue


    Occupational: Inheritor of the will of the Emperor of the Black Veil


    Mana type: Orange


    Rank: Apprentice


    Level: 16


    Strength: 55


    Agility: 53


    Dexterity: 54


    Endurance: 56


    Stamina: 57


    Intelligence: 57


    Mana: 57


    Ki: 51


    Mana regeneration: 20 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 20 per minute


    Vitality: 150


    Skills/Abilities


    Cruel dance of the black demon (Rank B) {Passive} - A part of the inheritance of the deceased Heavy knight Emperor, who created his sword art using the demon he first killed when he was young.


    Unbroken Protection (Rank C) {Passive} - A shield art that was created from the defence of a magical beast turtle.


    Shield of the Emperor (Rank C) {Active} - A skill that stems from the shield made by the deceased knight. It is capable of blocking any strikes and is manifested through the will of the user.


    ADVANCED STATISTICS


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: {None}


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance: Inheritance of the deceased Heavy Knight Emperor - A warrior who mastered both his sword art and shield art and was later called a Heavy Knight. He was a swordsman and a mighty tanker who became famous, although he doesn''t categorize himself as a heavy knight.


    Body Constitution: Trollskin - Implies tough and resilient skin, similar to that of trolls known for their durability]


    Apollo remained quiet though was impressed by the prince''s opponent.


    "An orange type mana makes the mana pool and ki storage in the body bigger, due to that they have the greatest stamina and the best option for tankers and heavy knight duties. A good defence and offence that makes it harder for a prince to break through it"


    Then as he observes the fight he sees the calluses on the hands of Lucas.


    "It seems he had worked hard"


    The prince with the sun''s boost was able to gain a bit of leverage, however, with his opponent being on a much higher stats and stamina his movements began to falter.


    "It''s nearing the end"


    And so Apollo''s judgment was right, Prince Caesar soon exhausted himself and fell on the ground with that the Eastern academy gained its first win.


    The crowd was silent while the students of the High class couldn''t help but feel disappointed even the professors couldn''t help but shake their heads. Despite this the students and professors of the opposite side didn''t rejoice or celebrate, they only congratulated their friend and went to see who would be their next representative.


    Their calm and collected attitude made Apollo curious, and then Jeremiah suddenly speaks


    [I already found the reason my Creator]


    "Then go ahead and say it"


    [According to some professors from the Eastern Academy, Aster Academy wasn''t the first school they visited. They had this exchange mock battle in different institutes and training halls. All for the sake of finding the one who will be most compatible for the World Tree]


    "Compatible?"


    [Yes, school by school, training hall to another training hall, year by year they would come let their students compete with other students. This way they can see whose abilities are most suitable to be chosen]


    Apollo remained listening while the next match already commenced with the Eastern students challenging the students in Sword class.


    [And Creator, by compatible means the student that will be most suitable will be selected as a sacrifice for the World tree]


    "Wait hold on a sacrifice?"


    [Yes and by listening to their conversation they already choose who will be their sacrifice]


    "Wait don''t tell me"


    [Yes Creator, the sacrifice they choose is you]

 Chapter 152 Compatible sacrifice

    Apollo''s Pov


    "And Creator by compatible means the student that will be most suitable as a sacrifice for the World tree]


    "Wait hold on a sacrifice?"


    Hearing that word made me uncomfortable, the mages of the Black Tower once showed me some horrific rituals that used sacrifice. That is why it gave me a very bad experience. But then Jeremiah continues speaking while I try to connect the World tree and a sacrifice.


    [Yes and by listening to their conversation they already choose who will be their sacrifice]


    "Wait don''t tell me" Suddenly I felt a cold chill run down my spine.


    [Yes Creator, the sacrifice they choose is you]


    I knew that was the road we were going to take.


    I can''t help but sigh while massaging my forehead.


    First a cult and now a bloody sacrifice what is next an interstellar creature?


    What kind of problems I am facing and yet I am still not done with my brother.


    [How about just sending someone to kill your brother, it is very easy considering how the tower mages won''t hesitate to obey you]


    "I don''t want to drag them with me, and killing someone from the four ducal families is one of the highest degrees of crime someone can commit in the empire. As much as possible I want his death to be painful yet look like an accident. That way no one can point the blame on me"


    [What you want might take a long process]


    "It''s okay we should not rush things, so for now I should deal with this problem"


    Just how do I deal with a tree that exist right on the other side of the continent?


    Currently, inside the continent of Brynar, there are five World trees that contain a vast amount of life and spirits. World trees are one of the places spirits gather due to their high density of mana. They lived there until a suitable person came to form a contract with them.


    These sacred trees also have branches that exist on ponds and lakes that serve as extensions of itself. Those extensions were something many sought in order to create a contract.


    The World was also the symbol of power and peace that most mages believe. That includes the mages of the tower. We believe that the sacred tree can also be called the Tree of Life since the souls of the deceased gather there before joining the cycle. Souls who refused to be reincarnated turned into spirits which later on became the companions of mages.


    And that is why when we say, may the blessing of the World tree be with you, it means we want peace and power to accompany you.


    Such a powerful and sacred tree yet now needs a sacrifice.


    "How confusing"


    Perhaps I am missing something, there must be a misunderstanding here. The World tree can''t be evil since its existence is an integral part of this world''s balance.


    "Jeremiah, did you know how the sacrifice will be done?"


    I asked however Jeremiah''s answer made me disappointed.


    [No my Creator]


    So what exactly the sacrifice they need from me?


    My life?


    My power? Nope not that one, I am certain because currently there should be more people who are more powerful than me. I don''t think it''s money either, just what could it be?


    While I was deep in thought I felt someone nudging me. So I looked beside me only to see Alicia looking at me as if wondering what was I thinking about.


    "It''s nothing"


    I immediately said however my words made her even more suspicious of me.


    "Say it now" she began to say making me evade her gaze.


    "Don''t worry it''s not about the Monastery"


    "I know, it''s about that girl, right? "


    [She got you]


    I can''t help but sigh while massaging my head.


    "I actually send a spy insect towards those students from the other academy, and I found out they need a sacrifice for the world tree"


    [You actually called me an insect]


    "Just go along with me"


    Then my eyes flash with familiar symbols.


    [Name: Alicia Veronica Von Nyx


    Status: {UNKNOWN}


    Occupational: {UNKNOWN}


    Mana type: {UNKNOWN}


    Rank: {UNKNOWN}


    Level: {UNKNOWN}


    Strength: {UNKNOWN}


    Agility: {UNKNOWN}


    Dexterity: {UNKNOWN}


    Endurance: {UNKNOWN}


    Stamina: {UNKNOWN}


    Intelligence: {UNKNOWN}


    Mana: {UNKNOWN}


    Ki: {UNKNOWN}


    Mana regeneration: {UNKNOWN}


    Ki regeneration: {UNKNOWN}


    Vitality: {UNKNOWN}


    Skills/Abilities


    {UNKNOWN}


    ADVANCED STATISTICS


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{UNKNOWN}


    Bloodline: {UNKNOWN}


    Blessings:{UNKNOWN}


    Inheritance: {UNKNOWN}


    Body Constitution: {UNKNOWN}]


    It''s still the same, this is what I saw when I first met her when we were moving to the tower. A stats full of unknowns, gave me a headache since it was the first time Jeremiah failed to show me someone''s stats. Perhaps I am not the only peculiar being in this world and Alicia is someone I won''t be able to comprehend unless she let me too.


    The event finally ends splitting the crowd into two. Some wanted to meet the ten guest students while others wanted to see their families. Of course, we were part of the group that wanted to see our loved ones.


    "Grandpa!"


    I rush forward embracing the mage who taught me many things.


    "Hey, my little sun who has grown a bit since the last time I saw you" I only smiled at his words while a group of mages emerged greeting us all.


    "Hey, kiddos!"


    Gavin said while bringing a huge box of treats. I saw some candies, chocolates and even gummies.


    "This is good we can have snacks once we go to the shrine!"


    Matilda happily exclaimed while tasting some of it.


    "Shrine? What shrine?"


    The wizard asks curious about what she just said.


    "Oh that, it''s an old shrine here that we always go to when we have free time"


    Mackenzie replies while taking the box that''s currently floating with Sir Gavin''s magic.

 Chapter 153 The Dying Tree

    "This is good we can have snacks once we go to the shrine!"


    Matilda happily exclaimed while tasting some of it.


    "Shrine? What shrine?"


    The wizard asks curious about what she just said.


    "Oh that, it''s an old shrine here that we always go to when we have free time"


    Mackenzie replies while taking the box that''s currently floating with Sir Gavin''s magic.


    "A shrine?"


    "We often do some barbeque there"


    "And bonfires!"


    "Chats until dawn arrives!"


    "Let''s camp there tonight!"


    "Yeah, come to think of it they gave us a three day off to spend it with our family, so how about we spend it there?"


    "Yeah, we should!"


    The kids happily plan while dragging the tower mages with them. Gladly those people who only knew magic to love became attached towards the lively children.


    While they get dragged towards the lower-class dormitory Apollo stays beside Alger.


    "Seeing that expression, something is bothering you am I right?"


    The boy nodded and began to speak his concern.


    "The world tree of the east is dying"


    "I know"


    The old mage replied while urging the boy to walk with him.


    "I won''t pry on how you gain that information, but the emperor had informed the tower three years ago"


    "Three years ago?"


    [It was the same time when the Monastery began moving to get the descendants of the five gods]


    "Was there a connection between them?"


    "Little sun I know what''s on your mind but I think the Monastery had no connection to this"


    "Really?"


    "Yes because it is a different force that is currently looming in the east, something sinister"


    Apollo decided to listen and let the old mage speak.


    "Three years ago the kingdoms of the east especially the ones who live close to the tree reported numerous abnormal happening inside their kingdom. Wells, lakes and ponds drying up. The magical beast suddenly dying, the forest slowly withering and the mana excessively decreasing"


    "It was an alarming report which resulted in them consulting the emperor and asking for his help. And that help was us. I sent some mages and they gave us a report that made even the Mage association afraid"


    "The world tree is dying," the boy says while looking worried.


    "I don''t think we can all fit inside the tea room let''s sleep outside"


    Niko suggested to Apollo as the two boys looked at the room while the rest enjoys chatting and eating in the kitchen. The entire day was filled with fun times with the tower mages teaching random tricks to the children. They didn''t even notice how the sky began to darken.


    "It''s still early so we should probably tell them we will set up a bonfire outside"


    "How about star gazing the sky seems clear"


    "I think that''s brilliant"


    And the two boys went towards the kitchen where everyone was seated.


    "Hey how about star gazing everyone"


    "We will set up a bonfire outside while we sleep in our tent"


    "Sounds nice" Mckenzie said feeling giddy at the thought. Although they have done sleeping outside countless times it always feels different whenever they did it. They also have countless topics to discuss despite being together for the entire day. Being with his friends he realized there wasn''t a dull moment and every single moment was worth remembering.


    "Can we help?"


    One of the tower mages asks while looking excited.


    "Sure let''s set up the tents first"


    Braiden told him while beckoning Jerome to prepare the tents.


    "We can just use our scroll tents that will make the work easier" a young mage suggested however Blair has other ideas. "It''s okay sister Crystal and besides setting up your own tent is fun we should all work together to build one"


    Crystal who was first reluctant can''t help but agree.


    And while they all plan to sleep outside Jenny arrives with a message.


    "Um..kids your professor is here" she timidly said making everyone confused.


    "Why do I have a premonition about who that is"


    Matilda sarcastically said while Alicia urged everyone to see who it was.


    "We will be right back!"


    McKenzie said while waving at the mages.


    "I think I know who this is," Arabella said while running with her friends.


    "Same"


    "Wait why are we even running!"


    Then after some tumbles, they arrive in front of the dormitory''s staircase where their professor is waiting for them.


    "Well I knew it"


    "Hey professor"


    "Hey trouble makers I have news"


    There standing proudly is their professor wearing his favourite black shirt and trousers. Adolfo smiled as he saw his students'' expressions.


    "I hope it''s good news"


    "Well here you go, judge the announcement whether its good or bad"


    The professor then gave a folder to Alicia letting her read it.

 Chapter 154 Journey to the East

    As Alicia held onto the folder, her friends at the back couldn''t help but look at it. They too were curious about what announcement it contained.


    With their expectant gaze, the girl reluctantly opens the folder taking out the paper with it.


    "Good day, students, the two great academies of the empire joined hands to expand the learning of its students. In a seven-day tour, Aster Academy will send its first-year students to experience the wonders of the East. While the Eastern Academy shall provide services and lectures to the guest students.


    We hope that by doing this we can enhance the student''s learning and relationship with other people"


    Alicia said as he read the first part of the announcement though it was enough to make the entire class crazy.


    "Wait we are actually having a field trip!"


    "We should start packing!''


    "Wait let Alicia finish reading the announcement!"


    "It has been a while since we travelled, maybe we should take this time to clear our heads from all the stress" Alya happily suggested while already thinking of things they should do.


    "Actually this was announced at the event a while ago however your class was the only one who wasn''t present so they sent me to give that to you"


    Amongst their cheerful planning, Professor Adolfo told them.


    "The date of your departure will be after the three-day break the Academy gave. So use your free time with your family and friends, because after this tour you will be plunged into the second quarter of your lessons. So enjoy while you still can"


    He finally left however there was one thing the lower class wanted to ask.


    Their test for his subject Advancement and Physical training never occurred and now they are unsure of what will happen.


    "We will pass his subject right?"


    Arabella worriedly asked while their professor''s figure slowly disappeared. His lone silhouette cast a shadow through the setting sun making his back a bit melancholy.


    "I wonder why he looks a bit kinder than usual"


    "Is he dying or something?"


    "Don''t say that Braiden that is a bad omen!"


    "He must be sick"


    While they have all sorts of ideas the rest who were silent were focused on the paper on Alicia''s hand. Listed on the said paper are the activities and lessons they will have to take once they arrive at the Eastern Academy.


    "We should make a plan before our departure but for now let''s fix the camp" Agnes said while taking Niko and the rest back to the kitchen.


    Some of the boys decide to head towards the stock room instead of the kitchen, while Alicia and Apollo remain where they are still looking at the piece of paper in her hand.


    "It''s included in here" the black hair girl began to say which made the boy beside her speak.


    "Yes, that place is in the perimeter of the World Tree"


    "They are deliberately trying to get us closer to it"


    "Yeah"


    Apollo felt weakened for a moment when he saw the glorious sacred tree weakened and had barely any leaves.


    "This is not good" he can only say.


    The state of the tree decides the fate of the empire''s mages and the life of all the magical beasts. They are after all relying on mana to strengthen themselves. Of course, people can produce them but the ones that come from nature not only provide strength but also nutrition to the body. Which even plants and other life forms relied on to continue living.


    Just the thought of mana decreasing already puts the supply of food and environment in danger. The balance will be broken and the ecosystem will experience a massive shift.


    "The World tree handles and filters the mana of every living and dead being, without it the cycle will be disrupted and the souls of the deceased will also be affected. Spirits will disappear and the uncontrolled energy will run havoc with no place to flow in"


    The boy said while clenching the photo. Seeing his state Alicia spoke again.


    "Do you have any idea what method they thought in order to save the tree?"


    "No" he only said suddenly becoming expectant but before she could even speak a familiar sound of footsteps came in.


    "It seems your conversation is getting a bit longer"


    Alger said as he came out of a pillar.


    "We still have three days, let''s not think of problems when your friends are still out there trying to relieve their trauma. Come now young ones we don''t want this night to be wasted by some problems"


    Apollo wanted to say something knowing the importance of the said tree however seeing his grandfather''s expression he decided not to.


    "Kids are meant to play and not worry about adult problems"


    The old mages stated while walking beside the two. Then as they arrived at the open field at the back of the dormitory, the three were welcomed with twenty grown adults lying flat on the ground.


    "What''s going on?" Apollo can''t help but ask.


    "They look tired?"


    Alicia noticed so they decided to walk closer.


    "Hey stand up we still need to set up two more tents"


    Marisa a senior mage groaned while pulling herself up.


    "Are you guys tired already?"


    Blair asked while Keith went to fetch some water.


    "Sorry but physical stuff is not our forte" Gavin said while taking the drink from Keith.


    "But you guys barely made a tent stand?"


    "Forget about it boy, Let''s just get some bedding from your rooms and we will set up an anti-insect spell here to remove the mosquitoes" Arthur suggested.


    Seeing their tired expression they all agreed and took their camping beds.


    Apollo can''t help but shake his head, mages are after all weak in terms of physical activity. They might lack in that aspect but make them do some absurd calculations and they can do it for an entire day.


    "I am only good at hand-to-hand combat because of my system without it I might be in a similar situation as them"

 Chapter 155 I want to see someone

    When you are having fun time tends to go by fast, and you won''t be able to notice how the sun changes its position in the sky, as you put your focus on the things that make you happy. We began to absorb and engage in fun activities as if time was turned fast forward. Eventually, the three days off were coming to an end and the day of their departure was coming near.


    "Things are coming way too soon" Vesta muttered while sitting on the smooth surface of the ruined temple. Currently, all the mages of the tower and the students of the lower class, were resting inside the ruined temple which is being hidden by the haunted old shrine.


    Despite the kids'' disappointment with the current situation, the mages remain happy at their company.


    Alya and the rest of the girls ask for advice about their spells, while the boys begin showing their skills asking for any advice they could give them.


    As spells and swords fly into the air a person slowly looms across the shadows.


    "Apollo, why are you hovering like that?"


    Alicia asked looking confused at her friend''s actions.


    "I wanted to see if my stealth skills are good for sneaking around"


    Hearing his concern Alicia can''t help but sigh.


    "Apollo if your stealth abilities are not good then you won''t be able to walk around the Monastery temple when we go there"


    "Perhaps you are right but I still want to double-check it"


    "Just what are planning to do?"


    Her question made Apollo stop gliding through the corners of the ruined temple and instead focus on her.


    "Ah, I actually want to see someone"


    "Do you want me to help?"


    "Nah it''s good I''ll be okay by myself"


    "Well, whoever you want to visit you need to hurry since the tower mages are nearing to return to the tower. And I know you are not really comfortable leaving the kids with only me guarding them"


    Her words made Apollo smile a bit, it seemed their time together made his actions a bit too readable for her.


    "Well then I should be off them"


    He warmly said as he slowly disappeared through the fallen pillars of the temple.


    ....


    Apollo''s Pov.


    I walked across the buzzing crowd outside the old and haunted shrine. There I saw the smiles and laughter of different people. Students walked with their parents and different close relatives while I walked alone seeing how a family should be.


    Freshmen students were first isolated for three months from their seniors. The academy believes that it will make the first-year''s students accustomed to each other. This way they won''t feel overwhelmed when introduced to the higher level students. In this city-like academy, there is a divider that separates the freshmen and seniors.


    As I walked I finally saw it, the one that divides the freshmen section and the other senior years is this gate. The arches and columns were built from a stone that came from a huge volcano, this way it could be easily crafted with fire-type barrier shields. The actual gate that seals the two places together is made from a special metal that allows a mage to create a barrier system inside it.


    It''s a way to prevent other students from trespassing.


    The entire academy was covered with different shields and barriers but it won''t really hinder me. Since Jeremiah is there to rearrange the barrier for me. And like butter all hindrances disappeared and I freely walked as if nothing could stop me.


    As my foot took me out of the first year section I was welcomed by a different type of view. More towering buildings all over the place and a serene calm atmosphere that makes you forget the predatory pressure that penetrated this place. I walked even more and reached the class dormitory of the high class.


    The dormitory here is different from the first years because all students of each class regardless of year and seniority share the same building. So if I wanted to see them all I need is to enter the most expensive-looking building.


    "So it''s working"


    I can''t help but say, that the ancient black sealing spell Signare inimicum has a very unique feature that is significantly beneficial to me. That unique part is that the caster and the spell are connected. So the more I tried to lower the stability of the seal the more pain the caster felt. If I fully removed the seal then that would kill the caster immediately.


    This is the reason why I don''t want to immediately remove the spell and tried to find the culprit first. I was sure it would be one of Eros'' loyal people. If they are going to die they need to do it right in front of my brother.


    "Now then let''s see first if the data from the books are true"


    [Status:


    Spell name: Signare inimicum


    Type: Ancient Black Sealing magic


    Duration: 90 years


    Current stability: 10%


    Affected areas: 7% of the Creator''s mana Body Constitution in an unawakened state


    10% of Creator''s Ki


    Total Statistics Debuff]


    A rectangular screen emerged in front of me then I gladly tapped a certain number.


    [Current stability: 10%---- 7%]


    With the system''s upgraded form I can now manipulate the seal whenever I want it. So when I lowered down the stability of the seal a heart-wrenching scream entered my ears.


    "ARGHHH!"


    The old mage weakly fell to the ground clenching his chest.


    "I wonder if he feels the same way when I accidentally discover my seal. It was really painful, I felt like hundreds of needles were stabbing me repeatedly"


    [Creator I already found the person who gave your sister a flower]


    "Oh? Who was it?"


    [It was a fourth-year student, like your sister, she belongs to the Middle class and currently has a younger sister in the first year, who is currently enrolled on the Middle class as well]


    "That''s nice update me about her information so that I can get close to her. That way I could meet her older sister once the three-month isolation ended"


    [I will Creator]


    "Now then back to our beloved teacher who currently loses his consciousness due to pain"


    [Current stability: 7% -- 10%]


    There rest well because the next time we meet my brother will be there to see you suffer.


    "I already saw what I wanted let''s go back, Jeremiah"


    [Affirmative]


    Just wait for a couple of days I should be able to start since my problem with the Monastery is slowly disappearing. Once it''s done you all will have my undivided attention.

 Chapter 156 Going to East

    Continuation of Apollo''s POV.


    I left the High-class dormitory with many expectations, I just hoped I could wipe out all the remaining remnants of the Monastery.


    [The Monastery will be easy since the empire already had its workforce focused on them, and with Nirvana''s death and the temple''s downfall the remnants will have nowhere to go]


    "I know but there are still problems I need to fix"


    [The new Gods?]


    "Yes, that bastard Nirvana created them three hundred years ago with some powerful magical beast. What is even more concerning is that I have no idea if all the recorded deaths inside the files I got from the Emperor are accurate"


    [You are overthinking again]


    "I felt like the information was not right. It was missing something especially how the Excalibur went missing and the fact it got replicas all over the Monastery"


    [Whoever made it is the one we should look out for. Perhaps we should study the replicas we got from them. Maybe we can trace them somehow, there should be a faint energy connecting towards its creator]


    "You are right, It''s good that I have restored the replica from the Ninth temple. I should probably use this for scanning"


    [I think getting files from the emperor about all the renowned blacksmiths might do the trick]


    "I will, then I will probably ask that man for more information about underworld blacksmiths. I should look through them as well"


    Jeremiah remained listening while analyzing the files we plundered on the Monastery temples and as he did so he found something interesting.


    [Creator check this out]


    I halted my thoughts with his words and a series of words flashed before my eyes.


    "Oh? What''s this?"


    A diary of a paladin giving a detailed report on how the archbishop visited a certain someone. Although it didn''t say who this person is the paladin specifically said it was a sworn brother of their lord.


    "A brother? Interesting"


    I continued to read the information and saw similar accounts of different people writing about their encounters with their archbishop''s secret meet-up with their lord''s sworn brother.


    "Wait it''s not just a brother.."


    Looking through it, some of the paladins and high-ranking priests who would accompany their archbishop knew, that the being their leader is going to meet can''t be immediately differentiated between a male or female. Since this said being has the characteristics of both genders.


    "It''s good that we also have multiple places to investigate"


    [I guess we have our very first lead]


    "Yeah it seems so"


    My mood was elevated finding I was not blindingly walking towards a path I was taking. Though I still have a problem with Nero, since the possibility of him being friends with those new Gods is high. If he was able to have some connection with the Monastery then colluding with some self-proclaimed gods is not truly far fetch.


    That old man should have some information about that man''s movements.


    [We should contact him soon]


    "We will"


    My figure remained hidden and no one except me knew where I was heading. As the sun began to set my lone silhouette began to disappear returning to the place I belonged to.


    "So you are finally here"


    As soon as I return a familiar figure welcomes me.


    "Grandpa," I said as I approached him.


    "Thank you for telling me that Edmund Tower is going to visit my brother. I was able to confirm my theory thanks to it"


    We woke up early and rechecked the things we decided to bring. Alicia brought a list and told us one by one the things we were told to bring.


    "Your uniforms and other necessities all pack up right?"


    "Yup!"


    "Alright let''s head inside the aerial ship our professor should be waiting for us"


    With those words, we finally left our dormitory bidding our farewell to Miss Martha and the other staff.


    "Where we are heading exactly?"


    Mckenzie asked when he finally realized we were walking in an unfamiliar direction.


    "It seems you didn''t read the school manual" I could hear Matilda say that, while our spiky hair friend couldn''t help but scratch the back of his head.


    "Sorry"


    "That''s okay actually we are heading towards the academy''s air base where the ship is located"


    I told him though his eyes looked a bit shocked.


    "This place has an air base?"


    He exclaimed which gained him an answer "YES" from us.


    "Not just an air base Mckenzie but also a seaport which is only ac?ces?si?ble for the academy''s ships and cargos"


    "Whoah that''s amazing"


    "The academy is being funded by the empire so it has a huge amount of resources"


    "Apollo don''t forget to include all the donations from different families and organizations, from what I heard they gave a huge amount of money since this place is their alma mater" Keith added but then Alya suddenly decided to talk.


    "I think this place also became a legacy or even a tradition of many different families since they have been sending their heirs and children here to study"


    "Come to think of it, the Aster academy became extremely famous that it ended up being replicated by other kingdoms"


    "Was Eastern Academy like that?"


    "Nope," I immediately said after hearing Vesta''s words.


    "I wonder what''s the big difference between the two academies?"


    Braiden suddenly asks making all of us think.


    "Maybe they don''t have this system where people were divided by their strength, and the higher you place the more you are privileged to look down on others"


    Blair softly said, this guy must be reading the diaries of our predecessors. Unlike us who are always together and have strong guarding people like me and Alicia, the previous didn''t. They all face the hardships head-on though only a couple of them managed to survive.


    We can be said a bit fortunate not to be affected by the bullying due to our past experiences. After all a bunch of kids can''t be compared to an organization that can summon a legion of demons.


    "I have an idea" Casper suddenly said.


    Because of the sudden topic about the academy''s system, we became silent making his voice the only thing you can hear.


    "And what brilliant plan you have in mind" Matilda said looking suspicious of her childhood friend.


    "What if we challenge them" he suggested surprising me and the others.


    A challenge? Us?


    I don''t want to brag but I can wipe out a small size kingdom at my current state so I am finding this a bit unnecessary.


    [Your friends might need it not you]


    I began to think and a smirk suddenly emerged on my face.


    "I think it''s a good idea" I voiced out, since I will be visiting the World Tree this might actually occupy them.

 Chapter 157 Checking something

    The air freshly hit my face as we enjoyed the ride of the aerial ship. The clouds were clear and we can see how the sun rose from the east. Its gentle warmth gives off a calming energy putting my tired mind at ease. Although the view was fine and welcoming some of my friends were quite dissatisfied with something.


    "I can''t imagine we got this for ourselves!" Niko said fully appreciating the warm morning light.


    "You mean a barely maintained flying ship? What if this thing suddenly crashes!"


    "Don''t be like that Matilda our professors are here we should keep our mouths controlled" Agnes told her seeing her voice being too high.


    "I don''t really know Agnes but look at the place, it''s all rusty and some of the floor has holes! I don''t think Matilda''s words are exaggerated" Arabella said while evading a hole in the floor she was supposed to step.


    Although the sky was insanely beautiful I can''t help but agree with them.


    The fabric on the sail is almost torn, the engine at the side of the ship is shaking and the floor is covered with holes. Though it''s still flying somehow and our room is a bit decent not as old as the outside.


    [Creator I believe this ship is almost identical to the haunted ones we saw in the books]


    "You mean the flying shipwreck?"


    [Yes I think this legend is real!]


    "Really?"


    [Yes I have been analyzing information about it and it seems there is a pattern and connection towards its recorded sightings]


    "Well, we will check that later once we have some free time"


    [Sure!]


    I continue to have my thoughts until I remember something.


    "Jeremiah show me my stats"


    [I will my Creator]


    [Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Focused


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Archmage


    Level: 16


    Strength: 1835


    Agility: 1840


    Dexterity: 1842


    Endurance: 1835


    Stamina: 1830


    Intelligence: 1840


    Mana: 1711


    Ki: 1656


    Mana regeneration: 100 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 80 per minute


    Vitality: 250


    Skills/Abilities:


    Spell synthesis(Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Alchemic craft (Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Weapon creation (Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Machinery Engineer (Rank SS) {Passive}


    Light of Aegis (Rank SS) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Can be manipulated by the wielder''s will and the size can reach 7 meters.


    Lightning Call (Rank SS) {Passive} - 70% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks.


    Skilled fighter (Rank S) {Passive} -An increased in proficiency in hand-to-hand combat (next level Pro fighter Rank D)


    Master Weaponist [Overhaul] (Rank S) {Passive} - a combination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah


    Mirror Tenfold (Rank S) {Active} - Return twelve times the damage of the opponent''s attack, it may be a spell or physical attack.


    "Of course, I can"


    I walked forward and was glad they thought of such a thing.


    "Jeremiah open the inventory "


    [Affirmative waiting for the Creator''s command]


    "Give me all the available blueprints about aerial ships and also records of our available materials"


    [I will!


    Initiating deep search...


    Classifying available drafts.....


    Analyzing inventory items...


    Search complete!


    Here are the compiled records of the Creator''s inquiry]


    I closed my eyes and saw all the blueprints Jeremiah had planned for me.


    "Let''s see....alright let''s do this"


    My thoughts began to weave a pattern to which the blueprints obey. With the plan in mind, the ground beneath me began to glow.


    "Jeremiah activate the skill Automatic Machinery"


    As long as I identify something as a weapon my skill will obey my call.


    [Affirmative!


    Initiating skill activation]


    The inventory is open and the blueprint is ready, the skilled automatic machinery took over and the ship was bathed in light.


    While my focus remained towards the thing I was doing my friends began to feel excited seeing how the entire deck changed.


    "What''s going on?"


    Professor Alejo said as soon as a sudden light covered the chair he was sitting on.


    "What it this!" Professor Timothy exclaimed while his blade was in his hand.


    .


    .


    .


    Inside the air base on the Eastern Academy, a group of students and professors stood waiting for the arrival of the ships from the Aster Academy. As they did so they bore quite a lot of ideas from the arriving students, especially towards the high aristocrats that enrolled there.


    "I wonder how haughty those students from the capital"


    "Arrix the Aster academy is comprised of students from different people from the continent not just the capital"


    "Ah, was it? I thought they only came from the capital just like how our academy only allows students in the eastern kingdoms"


    "Alright you two shut it, I can already see something flying towards us"


    A senior student said making the two other students with him quiet.


    "It should be the students of the High class, right? I was told they left first"


    "Could be"


    However, as the ship gets closer the more confused they get.


    "Isn''t the ship a bit fast?"


    "Yeah it should be slowing down now"


    Like what they notice instead of slowing down the ship storm towards the main campus.


    "That didn''t go as we expected"


    The youngest among them said though the professors panicked as they witnessed what happened.


    They all flew and chased the aerial ship making the rest of the students surprised.


    "Now I wonder what''s going on right now"


    The president of the student council said as she saw how the ship moved in circles while their professors followed.

 Chapter 158 Fly away

    Up above the sky, a lone figure can be seen glowing as the sun touches it. The clouds were also moving slowly as if patiently waiting for something.


    At the same time, sixteen children smiled happily as they saw how the light disappeared slowly revealing the work Apollo created.


    "What''s going on here kids!"


    "Is everyone okay!"


    "Are we being attacked!"


    While the students were ecstatic about the situation the professors weren''t, they had their weapons raised while their mana and ki were up to attack.


    "Calm down it''s just Apollo doing some modification at this ship" Professor Adolfo calmly said to his colleagues.


    "Apollo is doing what?"


    "Just watch"


    The light moves and the ship''s new form can finally be seen.


    "Is this allowed?" professor Gelda asked seeing the newly formed ship.


    "I don''t really know" Professor Alejo said finally putting down his sword.


    The wooden framework of the ship was replaced by a body crafted from a lightweight, yet durable metal alloy, designed to minimize weight while maintaining structural integrity. The hull is streamlined and aerodynamically shaped, resembling the sleek lines of a modern racing yacht but adapted for the skies. Apollo got the idea when he saw a blueprint of a racing yacht so he adapted it.


    As for the previous torn sails, they are now made from a special fabric that is both lightweight and resilient, able to catch even the slightest breeze or wind currents high in the atmosphere. The sails are expansive, stretching out to capture as much wind as possible. These are built so that in case the ship''s engine breaks the wind can still be used for flying.


    However, it is not the only thing that is keeping the ship elevated. Aside from the two circular engines that are attached at the sides, there are also small side thrusters found at the front and back, adding a more fluid movement for the ship. Lastly, a propeller is attached at the very end of the ship adding a boost for its speed.


    This combination of advanced materials and traditional seafaring design elements gives the ship both grace and functionality as it sails through the sky.


    Though it was indeed beautiful the crew inside panicked when they realized the navigation system had changed.


    "Captain!"


    "It''s okay lads it''s just a few added buttons no need to be alarmed"


    "What''s this? JET BOOSTER?"


    "It''s probably best not to touch big and shiny red buttons mate"


    While the entire crew is having their discussion Apollo suddenly appears surprising everyone.


    "Young Lionheart what brought you here?" the captain asked finding his appearance too sudden.


    "It''s because I caused a commotion captain" the boy just said hinting at the changes that happened on the ship.


    "Ah, was this your work?"


    The boy just nodded confirming the captain''s words.


    "If you would allow it I would like to teach you and the crew about the few modifications I added"


    "A few hahaha"


    The old sailor said while looking at the unfamiliar place he was in, finding it too foreign to him despite years of flying this ship.


    "Alright brave one show me what you did"


    He just said letting the lad enter the control room.


    "Can we also enter?" behind Apollo was the entire lower class in the company of their subject professors.


    "Hello sirs" they greeted making all the crew members smile.


    So while everyone became engrossed with the new functions of the ship the crew at the kitchen remained dumbfounded as they saw the newly made kitchen.


    "Um...did we end up teleportating somewhere?"


    "I don''t really know"


    .


    .


    .


    With the completely new style of engine, the crew and the class didn''t notice how fast they were travelling. Soon enough they caught a glimpse of a group of ships being surrounded.


    The boy just said while his body suddenly pulsates with electricity.


    "Will everything be fine?" Alya asked feeling worried.


    "It should be fine since we know how strong Apollo is" Alicia spoke reassuring her friend.


    .


    .


    Back at the two who currently went to the deck for a better view of the scene.


    "They are already attacking"


    "They should be able to hold off since the academy''s ships are made with dozens of defence systems. You should know that since you literally recreated this"


    "Yeah I know, that''s why I can tell that these people are prepared, they basically knew where to strike to weaken the barrier"


    "Does that mean we have a mole?"


    "Nope probably the ones from the East ratted it out"


    As they spoke their bodies began to be engulfed with energy that made the people of the enemy ship react.


    "What is that power?"


    "Can you see it?"


    "No, it''s too far to get a view"


    "Get me my scope I need to see who these people are!"


    However, before he could even get his spyglass a powerful wind struck them. It was so strong it shook all the twenty pirate ships that surrounded the academy ships. This causes them to be even more alert, halting their advance towards the school vessel.


    "What the hell was that!" someone exclaimed panicking since he could feel a thick amount of bloodlust.


    The atmosphere is tense because a sudden silence envelops them.


    "Thunder Aura..."


    An icy cold voice began to chant as the clouds turned dark and the temperatures rose.


    "Negative lightning"


    Thunder roared while multiple strokes of lightning struck and hit ten pirate ships.


    "Raise the barrier!"


    "It''s already on!"


    "Then why the hell did he end up here!"


    "We don''t know"


    Jeremiah disrupted the enemy''s defensive system thus Apollo and Adolfo were able to enter their vessel.


    "Let''s dance fellas" said a person whose appearance is covered with black.


    "Attack him!" someone ordered and fifty or so men came forward brandishing their weapons.


    "Death man''s call" he said as if chanting a spell.


    "Dance of the Grim Reaper"


    Black slashes painted the aerial vessel while bodies began to fly across the air. It was an invisible strike that left his enemy guessing how they got hit.


    Their bodies hit the deck while blood starts springing from their bodies. Though their comrades died none of the pirates looked scared, instead they bore caution towards their opponent.


    They slowly approached him some began circling until they felt something weird.


    Adolfo''s sword art was capable of sapping any opponent''s strength making their attacks weakened.


    "Why do I feel heavy!"


    "Because you are"


    He then raises his blade and it sparks with a black vibrating energy.

 Chapter 159 White ghost

    A student''s POV


    Our class is the strongest in the first year and so we were given the most priority when it comes to safety and resources. However, I don''t understand how the situation escalated this way. We were enjoying our moment sailing among the clouds while the other class remained chasing our backs, and then suddenly a barrier blocked our way.


    The professors of the academy and from the east all went out to see what was going on.


    Thirty pirate ships all bearing the flag of the Barbaros surrounded us.


    Are they not afraid of the empire''s retaliation? They must have a strong backer if they are this confident.


    As chaos erupted due to their appearance a sound began to be heard coming from the enemy ship.


    {Hello dear students we won''t make it hard for all of you, so we will go straight to our business. Give the boy Apollo Lionheart and we will let all of you go}


    The voice stated making all of us confused.


    "Apollo? That''s a bit suicidal"


    "Maybe you can if you can catch him"


    "Haha"


    Their nervousness soon disappeared upon hearing that one name. Because for them the catastrophe that happens in the entrance exam is much scarier. They clearly remember the wrath of the heat and the hundreds of combined explosions that made their ears bleed, some end up unconscious.


    "Apollo Lionheart isn''t here!" A student from the other ships shouted making the mysterious voice speak again.


    {It no use hiding him from us because we know that he is among you}


    "Oh this guy has lost it"


    One of my classmates exclaimed while laughing a bit.


    But then a strong wave of energy struck us making us stumble and fall on the floor.


    "Pfft...hahaha"


    "God was that guy showing off?"


    "Maybe? I think he is trying to intimidate us"


    "That dude should try taking lessons from Professor Alfred, after all, he is the king of show-offs"


    "Hahaha god that was a good one!"


    It seems we really can''t take them seriously although we can see that they are on their way towards our ship.


    "President what should we do?" leaving the jokes to the side I began to ask the prince which he immediately responded with "Wait for the professors'' command, but for now keep calm and observe the barrier, it must remain intact"


    I just nodded my head at his words, however way before the professors could even act a line of white light zoomed past our ship.


    "Wait that is!"


    "Here it comes!"


    The crowd was filled with excitement as we felt the familiar feeling of oppression. The light, the heat and the dreadful atmosphere. Everything was just the same when we took the exams. A white phantom-like being that can''t be traced by the naked eye. He was a ghost that can be felt but can''t be seen.


    "It looks like the one they have been looking for is here"


    Lady Astrid said while her worry was replaced by a proud smile. We might hate the class he chooses but there''s a thing that we can''t deny, Apollo Lionheart is the strongest and him being defeated is close to impossible.


    "Thunder Aura Negative lightning!"


    "Enough I won''t be swayed by this"


    I could hear someone say until a powerful energy made me alert.


    "That''s one dangerous energy"


    I can feel the tremendous amount of ki and aura that is being gathered until it becomes focused at one point.


    It was going to be released right in my direction so my thoughts moved and so did my spell.


    The staff in my hand glow even more brighter gathering the surrounding mana to replenish the ones I have lost.


    "Thunder Aura Shock Burn"


    The previous spell that wreaks havoc on this falling ship changes again and turns into a bolt of exploding lightning.


    A flash of light envelops the sky and the falling pirate ship is swallowed by a gaping explosion causing everyone on board to die.


    Every fibre that composed the flying vessel turned to dust as the heat from the exploding lightning and flame was too much for the vessel to bear.


    However, the pirates at other falling ships are still alive.


    "Should I kill them?"


    [Your choice Creator I''ll just obey]


    The clouds began to charge a huge amount of pulses signifying the fall of a new wrath of voltage. I locked on my targets finding some of them had already died. Due to the extreme pressure caused by their falling ship.


    "Thunder Aura Flash Point"


    As my spell took effect the thunder clouds released a cluster of bolts that gathered within my palms.


    I put my hands together creating a dense amount of lightning then compressed it into a single point. A tiny dot of compressed lightning flew towards the falling ships before exploding immediately. A burst of lightning bolts flew everywhere while a cloud of smoke devoured the lower part of the sky.


    [They would soon fall on the ground]


    "Will someone die below?"


    [None, though some damages may occur]


    "That is still good than human lives"


    I said before flying towards the other remaining pirate ships.


    "Oh"


    I couldn''t help but exclaim when I saw Professor Adolfo dicing a spell that almost hit him.


    "Did he just cut through a spell?"


    [Yeah]


    It didn''t even end there he lifted his blackened blade and coated it with an insane amount of energy.


    "Did he just combine ki, mana and aura together?"


    [Yes he did and he is using the vibration technique he had taught to all of you]


    I felt a sudden chill when he formed his stance and waved his sword. For a moment I felt the sky split apart along the five pirate ships that he just cut.


    "Damn that was scary"


    I told myself while wiping the sweat that unknowingly drips to my face.

 Chapter 160 The power of the sword

    Apollo''s Pov


    I never knew swords could do that, slicing a spell and rendering it useless.


    Just what technique is he even using?


    I never expected that a single wave of it could turn a mighty floating ship into pieces.


    [I think you can do it as well as long as the Creator can explore the skill of Master Weaponist]


    "My body seems to be incompatible with the skill"


    [It must be because Creator''s body is built to be a mage, although your physical stats are high it isn''t enough to be compared to those people who held weapons since they were young. Their bodies are equipped and adapt to holding a weapon while you are more adept at controlling your mana]


    "Probably"


    I said, this short exchange lasted just a second in real time thus it hasn''t been long since I arrived.


    "It seems the security of the academy is here"


    I said seeing more pirate ships begin to fall.


    "Why do I feel like there are no real threats here"


    [Because yours and the combined force of the academy security can easily suppress the powerful ones from the Barbaros pirates]


    "So they aren''t really a big deal"


    [They are Creator it is just the academy has the strongest security second only to the Imperial family]


    "Right I actually forgot that"


    [Incoming!]


    "I know"


    I merely waved my hand and a bolt of lightning came to hit the spear, making its momentum slowed.


    [It seems the power in the spear is so tremendous that your lightning couldn''t shake it off completely]


    "Yes it seems so"


    I was about to use a spell when I felt the spear suddenly change. It began to speed up while its power began to rise.


    It was fast however I was still faster. Being able to use the speed of lightning was an advantage my enemies didn''t take into account. So the raging spear although insanely fast was still slow to me and I was able to dodge it cleanly. However, as the weapon blew past me I was able to feel the massive killing intent it has. That was really dangerous if that thing hit me I''d die immediately.


    Intents are usually manifestations of the user''s will, the more powerful it becomes the more deadly it is as a weapon. Killing intent is the intense desire to kill someone, the extreme manifestation of it can cause life to be drained. Bloodlust on the other hand is the desire of someone for destruction and bloodshed.


    The extreme manifestation of it can cause the surroundings to feel deteriorated and destroyed. The more powerful it becomes the more destructive this intent is. This intent was something I often use for distraction since it doesn''t consume much energy.


    Sword intent is the manifestation of the swordsman''s mastery of the sword, it could also be the same with the other weapon mastery.


    Martial intent also known as Aura is the manifestation of the martialist''s mastery over his art. This intent doesn''t consume energy upon activation though it might exhaust someone''s will and mentality.


    Back to the battle the spear bath with killing intent suddenly curves through the air returning to strike me again.


    "Jeremiah where is the wielder of that spear"


    [I can''t detect him, Creator, it seems a part of his spear art included stealth on it]


    "I see then let''s maximize the system''s gears and focus them on locating the wielder of this spear"


    "It''s okay its numbers ain''t really matter"


    I said confident at the power of my spear though there is another thing I did to make it extra stronger.


    The mithril staff which was made from the strongest known material mithril is not only great for casting spells by also for combat. So what I did was use the staff as the base of my spell and let it fly as I threw it in the air.


    "I highly doubt he can break my attack"


    [How about the hundreds of other spears aiming at you]


    "Well I''ll be impressed if they bypass my lightning lance"


    [You are confident]


    "Of course I am"


    And just like I predicted my spell burst through my enemy''s attack diving straight to him.


    "Damn it!"


    The space began to bend signifying his intention to flee however he failed.


    "Why isn''t working!" he began to panic summoning a great deal of his power. However, he continues to fail. With his escape compromise his only option is to defend. And so he gave everything to block my spell. However, the moment my lance got closer it melted the defence he put so much effort into. He burns right there leaving nothing of his body.


    "It''s good he doesn''t know how to use aura or else that spell won''t be enough to fry him"


    [The space is collapsing you can''t stay here any longer]


    "You are right thank you"


    It seems I need to upgrade the authorities too, having them with me will definitely be a helpful trump card.


    [It''s a good idea however upgrading them consumes a lot of stats points. Last time you spent three thousand just to raise one rank]


    "Don''t say that remembering that makes me cry"


    My stat points although it was was easy to acquire them it was also easy to lose them.


    "I just blinked for a second and now I am down to the last 1000"


    [One thousand is still plenty Creator]


    "Yes but with the skills and attributes I need to upgrade it won''t be enough"


    [Then I suggest we kill more to gain stat points]


    "Perhaps so, how many have I got so far?"


    [500,000 essences if we convert them it will be 250,000 stats points]


    "Sounds nice and how many enemies do we have left?"


    [Currently, there are at least 500 remaining enemies]


    A smirk unknowingly formed on my face as I appeared on the battlefield. The sky was still covered with thunder clouds due to my spell while everything was still the same when I left off.


    "I should kill every enemy before this ends"


    I said to myself while a spell began forming inside my head. However, before I could even finish it I heard my communication bracelet ring. Curious I opened it only to see a message from my professor.


    {Student Lionheart return now}

 Chapter 161 He is making a move

    {Student Lionheart return to the class ship now}


    A glaring message from Professor Adolfo welcomed me as soon as I returned from the space rift. Curious why, I dial his communication code to call him.


    {.....Yes?}


    "It''s me where are you?"


    {Below, I am on one of the falling pirate ships}


    "What! How did you end up there!"


    {I accidentally sliced the ship''s engine causing it to fall}


    "Then why are you still there?!"


    {I can''t fly like you}


    "Then why are you telling me to go back when you actually needed help!"


    {It is okay my body can handle the impact and getting you to safety should be the top priority}


    "If that was the case then you shouldn''t have dragged me here in the first place!" I almost said however I immediately composed myself and instead said "I''ll go there now, wait for me"


    {No returned to the ship}


    "That''s too late to say now"


    Lightning course through my body boosting my speed to its maximum.


    "Jeremiah where is he"


    [Turn left and look for a gray ship that is falling with only half of it remains, he should be there]


    "Okay"


    I zoomed in leaving a trail of white light and arriving right beside my professor.


    "You are one naughty student" he said while his eyes didn''t leave a certain someone.


    "Let''s go" I only said however I could tell that the battle he had for this man hadn''t ended yet.


    [Something is off with him]


    "Yeah I can tell as well"


    I felt a sudden discomfort coming here as if something was squeezing my neck, clenching it tightly, taking my breath away. A pressure that even I felt it threatening, this man in front of us was no laughing matter.


    "This is why I told you to return"


    My professor told me though his eyes remain still, focused on this unknown enemy.


    "So who the hell is this guy?"


    "One of Barbaros'' seven wings, Aragos"


    "Seven wings?"


    "I''ll tell you about them later, for now, you need to teleport back to the ship"


    Despite the falling debris of the falling flying vessel, the stare-down between my professor and this pirate didn''t end, and the pressure was still there pinning me in my position.


    "Go" I heard Professor Adolfo say however I couldn''t move my body due to a certain mysterious force.


    [According to the system''s data and my analysis this thing you feel, this pressure is what you call a saber intent]


    "Jeremiah equipped me with the system''s gears"


    [Affirmative!]


    My eyes grew clearer and every fiber that composed our enemy''s body became clear to me.


    "Apollo what are you waiting for!"


    "Professor"


    "Yes"


    "I can''t move"


    "Yeah because we are about to crash!"


    I dive deep into the falling ship and immediately take my lunatic professor.


    "Apollo?"


    "Yes sir?"


    "Haven''t I told you to return"


    "I wanted to see you fight so I stayed for a bit"


    "That''s nonsense"


    "So tell me why send me away?"


    "Because it''s dangerous"


    "If that is your reason then why did you bring me in the first place"


    This time he didn''t answer so I spoke instead.


    "Be honest why are you sending me away a while ago, did you discover something?"


    He kept silent while we glided through the air. As I went higher into the sky I realised the battle had ended with all the remaining pirates caught or killed by the security.


    "And here I thought I could squeeze more start points from them"


    [It''s not good to be greedy Creator]


    "I am not"


    "Apollo"


    "Yes professor"


    "About what you are asking me I''ll tell you once we at back on our ship"


    "Ah, sure"


    So I zoom in creating a path of light, making my teacher shocked at how fast I can get.


    "You okay professor?"


    "Yes," he only said while I flew excitedly towards our class ship.


    As we got closer I saw my classmate already on the deck.


    "Heya people!"


    I said gently putting down Professor Adolfo.


    "How did it go?" Alicia immediately asked as my spell thunder aura disappeared.


    "It went well, the security took care of everything"


    While I was talking about how the fight went with my friends I suddenly heard Professor Adolfo''s words. It seems he is no longer dizzy.


    "Apollo"


    "Yes prof"


    "Come here"


    I obediently complied and went towards him, curious about what reason he would give.


    "What is it, prof"


    I smiled trying to act mischievous however the moment I saw his face I became nervous. He was serious without any trace of his devilish smile.


    "Listen he is making his move" he told me in a very low tone of voice.


    "Who professor?"


    "Your brother.."


    "What?"


    "Your brother Eros Lionheart, he is making a move against you"

 Chapter 162 The three people he loved

    "Your brother Eros Lionheart is making a move against you"


    "Is he now?"


    "Don''t take it lightly, he has his own connections and people especially since the Duke recognizes him as his heir"


    "I am well aware of them, ALL of them" I emphasized making my professor frown.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Sure my brother has his own connection but that is the same with me, and by using them I was able to find all of my brother''s precious people"


    "Okay, so who are these connections do you have, can those people be trusted?" He kept inquiring, I could feel he wanted to hear something that could make him less worried, so I answered.


    "All the mages of the tower are my connection" I replied and a smile I usually see appeared in front of me.


    It was his usual smile that made us shiver since it was always the one he wore when giving us his torture training.


    "Good" he coldly said despite looking excited about something.


    "I will give you the information I got from those pirates and the ones I will get with the security"


    He said before getting a small jet plane fit for one person.


    "I''ll be back once I am done talking with the head of security"


    "Oh, okay" I can only say before he flew away, it seems he is excited.


    "Did he perhaps think I would make a move against my brother too?"


    [Considering your personality yes, you might actually burn your brother alive]


    "That''s actually a bit accurate although I prefer a slow burn for my brother"


    [And how will you achieve that Creator?]


    "That is actually easy, my brother is not materialistic, he values people over any greater riches. So my aim is to take those people away from him, one by one"


    [Do we have a lot on our list?]


    "Nope, not really although I said that he values people he doesn''t really let anyone get too close to him. In the end, we are down to the three people he loved and valued the most. His teacher, Edmund Tower, his aid and right hand, Liam Tenor, and finally.."


    Unknowingly a smirk began to form on my lips as I said Eros Lionheart''s most beloved and most desired person.


    "His fiance, Emilia Catarina Von Aileas, the beloved princess of the kingdom of Aileen"


    I''ll be taking her as well and I''ll make sure he is there to see it, though that might take a long time since I haven''t taken a move yet.


    [But I wonder why did he suddenly make such a move. If I am not mistaken he never taken interest in you]


    "Ah, that? Probably because of what I did to his teacher. He must have known from him that I was already breaking the seal. After all every time I tore the seal''s stability a nerve-wreaking pain strikes his beloved teacher. A pain that is akin to thousands of burning needles breaking into your skin"


    "What''s on your mind, Apollo?"


    Alicia inquired when she noticed me looking at the sky where Professor Adolfo went.


    "I was informed that my brother is trying to harm me"


    "What do you plan to do? This might reach the emperor''s ears, he will definitely stop this from escalating"


    "You are right, so can you make sure the emperor remains innocent about this"


    However, the old sailor didn''t say anything and instead held onto the ship''s steering wheel. The engine started screaming while the floor shook for a different reason.


    "Hold on tight"


    I said as the power of the button took over, that button the crew pushed was actually the jet booster I added.


    [Just why did you even put it in the first place]


    "I put it in case we got surrounded and we need a boost to break through"


    [Yeah and now we might crash into the ships in front of us]


    "Hang on tight!"


    I heard the captain say while holding onto the steering wheel. And to my surprise, he was able to control the ship despite the speed it had.


    "That''s one amazing drifting" I can''t help but say while my feet remain stuck on the floor while my friends desperately search for something to hold onto.


    Our aerial ship pierced through the clouds while leaving a trail of white clouds.


    "Just what the hell are those kids doing?"


    Adolfo said as he saw the ship flow past the one he was in.


    "Hey is that the flying vessel the lower class is using?"


    Asked a random student which made his classmate laugh.


    "Why?"


    "Nothing I just felt that our stay here might become entertaining"


    .


    .


    .


    "Isn''t the ship a bit fast?"


    "Yeah it should be slowing down now"


    Like what they notice instead of slowing down the ship storm and races towards the main campus.


    "That didn''t go as we expected"


    The youngest among them said though the professors panicked as they witnessed what happened.


    Professors and security personnel of the academy stormed in to stop the ship before it could even crash. However, before they could even get closer its momentum slowed down until its speed became normal.


    {Good day this is Captain Oswald Michiels of Black Sky, I apologize for the trouble we caused. Our crew just faced a minor engine difficulties. Rest assured that we already fixed that problem}


    The captain spoke as the ship stirred back and went towards the runway.


    {I repeat this is Captain Oswald Michiels of Black Sky, my passengers are the students of Aster Academy may we proceed to land?} he asked and to his delight, the runway opened and the flying ship finally landed with its passengers passed out due to shock.


    "Everyone is alright right?" he asked turning back from the steering wheel and looking at his crew and passengers.


    "I''m okay"


    "Me too"


    Said the two childish voices of a boy and a girl. One is with the hair as black as night while the other is that of a setting sun.

 Chapter 163 Veritas

    A little fast forward to what happened to us, so we ended up getting scolded for god knows how many times by the professors and staff of the two academies, and since in our class Alicia was our elected President, she was the one who received the most scolding.


    "Sorry Ali"


    McKenzie apologized while I remained surrounded by other academy staff, they aimed to inquire about how I modified the ship and also to scold me.


    [It turns out touching an academy''s priorities is a huge offence]


    "I never expected modifying a barely working ship is included in that clause"


    [Well you have no choice but to bear with their words]


    "Yeah, I just hope they won''t hold me for long"


    And so the entire lower class was sent to the disciplinary office right on their first day at the Eastern Academy.


    .


    .


    .


    Meanwhile, in one of the deepest parts of the academy, a man covered with chains raised his head, trying to see the people who held him captive. Black iron bars became the boundary between him and the two people in front of him. Barriers were put and enhancements were cast to make sure the prisoner wouldn''t be able to escape. His senses were also taken making him unable to smell, hear, see and feel.


    "He is still not speaking"


    Joran said a man who is one of her upper-ranking security at Aster Academy.


    "It''s either he is very loyal to the Barbaros pirates or he is afraid of speaking"


    "Do you think we have a mole on our side?"


    "I highly doubt that since they are all buried on the ground now, remember we have lots of missing and murder cases"


    "But are we certain? Perhaps it''s not one of the professors or staff"


    "Joran, are you telling me it''s one of the students?"


    "It''s not too far fetch Mino, remember the students that went missing as well? They were later found with their mana and ki cripple with no memories as well"


    "And to think all of them are geniuses that we expecting to rise to fame, however later on we found out their families have ties with the Monastery"


    "That causes their downfall right"


    "But then again what if there are still some of them inside our academy"


    "And what if it''s not on us but on the Eastern Academy''s side, Joran"


    While the two security spoke to each other a soundless footsteps attracted their attention.


    "If we didn''t know who you were we would have attacked on the spot" Mino said while his sword rested on his fingers.


    "I apologize for that, force of habits"


    "Well habits do die hard" Joran spoke while making his way to the newcomer.


    "He is still not speaking?"


    "Yes sir, honestly we want to torture him more but that might kill him"


    "And what about the other pirates we held captive?"


    "Some committed suicide while the others were immobilized before they could even attempt to do the same, they are currently unconscious"


    "I see, you two can go for now I''ll stay here"


    "But sir"


    "Just do I say and make sure no one can enter here"


    "Alright we will do as you said but we want our pay to be ten times the initial offer"


    "Will do Captain, now then farewell"


    The man in armor disappeared along with the army he brought leaving the pirates no choice but to obey his offer.


    "What now?"


    "We do what he said, gather up I want only those who are prepared to die, while the rest will help me evacuate the area"


    He said while his body heavily leaned on his chair.


    "I hope we can all stay alive after this" he mutters while looking at the burning fire in the fire place~


    .


    .


    The memory faded away and Apollo felt even more confused.


    "Who the hell are those people"


    [It seems we need more information]


    The man on the communication orb also just appeared out of nowhere, and even if we go to their island I highly doubt we can find anything there.


    "What is it, Apollo? Did you see something?"


    "I did professor but it only gives me more questions"


    "So it''s not enough"


    "Yes, they were just pawns put to abduct me, they never knew it was my brother"


    "Is that so but I was certain I heard someone say it didn''t go as the young duke''s plan"


    I was suddenly surprised by that word.


    "It seems my brother''s people already snuck inside the Barbaros pirates"


    "You need to be a more careful student your brother even went as far as to hire pirates"


    "I will although there is something that bugs me"


    That knight with a huge build wasn''t a member of my brother''s men, so where did he get them? And an army?


    "Something is not right, I am missing something"


    "Apollo we need to go"


    Professor Adolfo said urging me to go with him.


    "Yes professor" Reluctantly I obeyed although there was still something that was making me confused.


    The day ended just like that while my thoughts continued to occupy me.


    "Right Edmund Tower!"


    I blurted out in the middle of the night.


    "I only know his connections and the people under him but never this old man''s!"


    That''s what I was missing, I was focusing too much on him I forgot to dig deeper into the people who are surrounding him.


    "And he has his princess fiancee too"


    All with power and connection to do these things.


    "I really thought I was prepared but it turns out I am still lacking"

 Chapter 164 Scared? Dont be

    The night came inside the Eastern Academy and inside its dormitory were the students of Aster Academy. Although it was already night and most of the students were asleep.


    Amongst the rooms, a specific one can be seen as ordinary like the rest. It was quiet and dark though the person inside was awake and speaking with someone.


    {Report to me what happened}


    "Just like I said senior the pirates failed to get Apollo, they couldn''t even catch him. He was way too fast that even a jet plane wouldn''t be able to keep up with him"


    {Tsk, what about the pirates aren''t they strong?}


    "Apollo is also strong and like I said he was fast, once he started moving not a single attack could land"


    {How about the threat? What did the other students do once the pirates started threatening them? Didn''t they protest to hand Apollo over?}


    "Ah, about that"


    {Go on what happened?}


    "They laugh"


    {They what?}


    "The other class just laughed when the pirates began threatening, I think none of the students took the pirates seriously, they even made fun of them"


    {How is that even possible!?}


    "It''s because they are more afraid of Apollo than a bunch of pirates that they suddenly saw, they have seen how ferocious can that person be. The academy security was also a reason, the students knew the enemies would be suppressed the moment they stepped in"


    {Damn pirates I thought they would have sent their strongest. What about the Seven Wings did they appear?}


    "I don''t really know senior, the professor hasn''t disclosed any information to us"


    {I see it makes sense since this incident could affect the reputation of the academy, they are very careful in handling the information. Well then report to me anything, especially his location}


    "I will do my best senior"


    {If there is nothing more to report, goodbye}


    The communication orb shut down and the person who is speaking there disappeared.


    "Sigh...that was really scary"


    "What''s scary?"


    "!?"


    "Who is there!"


    "Ah, did that scare you? Don''t be I was just passing by when I heard you speaking with someone, now then shall we talk about the person you were speaking to?"


    .


    .


    .


    Thirty minutes before this encounter


    "Right Edmund Tower!"


    I blurted out in the middle of the night.


    "I only know his connections and the people under him but never this old man''s!"


    That''s what I was missing I was focusing too much on him I forgot to dig deeper into the people who are surrounding him.


    "And he has his princess fiancee too!"


    All with power and connection to do these things.


    "I really thought I was prepared but it turns out I am still lacking"


    I suddenly felt excited then a notification suddenly appeared.


    [A communication signal has been detected on multiple sections of the dormitory and staff offices]


    Vitality: 300


    Skills/Abilities


    Wind serenity (Active) (Rank A +) - A wind ability that enables the user to summon the wind.


    Sharpened Blade (Active) (Rank A +) - Claws and Fangs can be reinforced and sharpened like swords.


    Damage reduction (Active) (Rank A +)- Can be used once every two minutes.


    Wind Howl(Active) (Rank A +)- Creates a powerful wind attack whenever you howl


    Iron Pelt (Active) (Rank A +) - Turns the hide or fur into iron for defense.


    Commander Pack (Active) (Rank A +)- Can command a legion of spirit wolves under his pack.


    Thunder Call (Active) (Rank A +) - An ability that spurted from Apollo''s skill Lightning Call. Added affinity to lightning and increased attacks related to it.


    Noise and scent tracking (Passive)(Rank A +) - Can track anyone based on scent and sound


    Natural instinct (Passive) (Rank A +) - An innate ability to sense danger]


    "Feeding that beast core was also worth it, he was able to copy their abilities"


    [ All thanks to you]


    Looking more at his stats you can see a plus sign on it, those were the symbols indicating an addition to his stats. And of course, to increase them I have to use my stat points. Typically spirit beasts can grow stronger by going to a multitude of battles and living longer. The older the spirit the stronger they get.


    In my spirits'' case, they are barely a decade years old, much too young to be powerful. So I shared my system with them through the mechanism called party bonus. Using that I was able to share some of the benefits of the system and increase their stats using my stat points.


    [I wonder if they will be affected as well if you use demonized, will they turn into demonic beasts as well?]


    "I am not sure though it is interesting to see it"


    "Master"


    A deep and heavy voice spoke while those emerald eyes gazed at me as if telling me to order anything and he shall comply.


    "Let''s go for a ride shall we?"


    "Yes my master"


    I smiled at his words and immediately hopped on his back.


    "Let''s go towards that place"


    "Yes master"


    And so I went towards the school grounds in the middle of the night.


    "This place is clear, no suspicious conversation detected, how about there Bulan can you move there?"


    "Yes Master"


    "Thank you"


    The staff building is clear and also the conversation of security guards. How about the dormitories? Let''s find out what conversation the people have inside them.


    As Bulan glided through the air, I began seeing notifications on how each conversation was being led. There are some with their families while I found some with their own spouses.


    "Aren''t they too young for that?"


    [Perhaps you are just old fashion]


    "I am not"


    As we continued suddenly a conversation stood among the rest. Seeing the person who it belongs to a smile crept into my face.


    "Got you"


    And so I went towards his room blending well into the surrounding darkness. Bulan was already recalled and rested inside the insignia, ready to come out if needed.


    "What''s scary?" I said and a horrified expression painted the boy''s face. He became hysterical as he uttered the words "Who is there!"


    With those words, I spoke again trying to increase his tense nerves.


    "Ah, did that scare you? Don''t be, I was just passing by when I heard you speaking with someone, now then shall we talk about the person you were speaking to?"

 Chapter 165 So in the end who was it?

    "Who are you!"


    He shouted at me then I suddenly realized that the mask was still there, obstructing my appearance.


    "Jeremiah remove the veil"


    [Yes Creator]


    However, that move increases the horrified expression of the boy. It must been scary seeing the face of the person in front of you melt and morph into a different one.


    It was like melting wax, the disguise disappeared revealing a red orange hair and yellow-golden eyes.


    "Apollo!"


    "Yes the one and only"


    I walk closer to him making the latter stumble on the floor.


    "Why so scared?"


    "H-..ow!.."


    He is so scared that he is stuttering over a single word.


    "Hmm..." I hum amused at his reaction.


    [Creator I detect more conversation regarding the incident this may become one of our clues]


    "I see then I suppose I need to finish this immediately"


    "Stay back! Don''t come any closer!"


    "And what are you gonna do, hit me? Go on do it and you might end up just like your father"


    "Don''t include my family here!"


    "What do you mean don''t include, didn''t you and your precious family collude with the Monastery? Then your father faced death to an unknown being"


    I snicker finding his struggle useless, though I admire how he still tries to fight back despite knowing he can''t win. Legs tremble while the wand in his hand shakes tremendously.


    "I thought kids in High class don''t need wands and staff for casting"


    [Wands and staff are also good for fast recovery of mana, Creator]


    "Right I know, though I expected more, they look down on my class so much but they still rely on wands for casting"


    [But you also use a staff when you fight those pirates]


    "That''s because I want them to see me being ordinary for once"


    [But they already saw you blowing up things without needing a wand of staff]


    "Ugh...you are right about that"


    How can I forget about that, though I also used that staff for fast mana recovery and mithril weapon durability.


    Now let''s go back to our frightened opponent who still has his wand up in the air.


    If you are going to cast just cast why have a stare-down battle with me?


    "Aren''t you going to attack?"


    "That!.. My father, how did you know about him? As far as I remember the academy hid every information about them!"


    Ah, was it like that? So this is how the Aster Academy protect its students, even hiding such information from the general public so that it won''t affect their students.


    "Well let''s just say I am the one who killed him"


    "Damn it what should I do, the imperial family confiscated our properties and I am only left with things that can sustain me until I finish my studies here. I don''t even know if I can get a job inside any organization I was aiming for since they could detect my tainted mana"


    Now he doesn''t know whether to regret agreeing to his father''s command, becoming part of the cult or blame the person who killed his family.


    In the end, he decides to blame another individual he had no knowledge of.


    "Arghh! Damn it! Why did they have to discover tainted manas? They even created a scanner and test evaluation to see anyone who could turn positive. Even if I graduated here with significant honors I won''t be able to pass the evaluation test since I would turn positive. And my end would only be in jail or labs"


    "Just what should I do"


    The boy keeps walking around his room while his hand frantically digs into his hair almost pulling every strand of it.


    "What should I do"


    It''s been a while since his father Theon Stannis died along with his army, near the site of the Monastery headquarters. Some say that they were there to vanquish the evil while others suspected that they were colluding with the enemies. In the end, the truth remains hidden from the public. However, among the elite houses and aristocrats, there is a talk of what truly transpires that night.


    Among the tales is a knight with pitch-black armor, it was said that he single-handedly slaughtered the army of the house of Stannis. He has bladed wings as sharp as a sword while his speed can''t be touched like a shadow.


    "Father what should I do"


    Said the boy who already didn''t know what to do, but then in his darkest hour he heard a message. His communicator glows indicating a call from someone.


    "Could it be a help?"


    He immediately runs towards an orb and gently cradles it in his hand.


    "Hello?" he spoke still confused about who could call him.


    {Hello}


    A person spoke and just hearing his voice he knew it belonged to a young man not so far from his age.


    "Hello, who might you be?"


    {My name is &@-¡ê&¡ê--&¡ê+, I am your senior I know what''s happening to you so I plan to give you a hand. However it won''t be free, this is an offer you might say}


    "Anything senior! I will do anything!"


    The voice then chuckled liking his reaction.


    {All you have to do is observe someone for me, that''s all and you don''t need to worry about your future}


    "I will senior I will! Just tell me who that person is and I will keep an eye on him!"


    {Good, well then I want you to observe Apollo Lionheart for me. From what I heard he is the rank 1 in your batch so he must be in the High class as well. Tell me anything he has been doing and you will be rewarded}


    "Ah...Apollo...you see that might become hard senior"


    The boy''s previous enthusiastic approach disappears once he hears his name making the voice speak again.


    {Are you giving up now? Well that''s okay I can just offer this to somebody else}


    "Wait no! I will do it senior I will accomplish this!"


    {That''s what I wanted to hear now then farewell, I shall call when I need to speak with you again}


    The call ended and the boy was left alone in the room.


    .


    .


    .


    That person who just spoke isn''t my brother.


    I know his voice and although I suspect he might be using something to mask his voice. His usual way of speaking isn''t something that can be hidden easily. I should still be able to identify it. However, the person he just spoke to was different from my brother.


    "So in the end who was it?"

 Chapter 166 Young duke

    "What the hell"


    That person who just spoke isn''t my brother


    I know his voice and although I suspect he might be using something to mask it, his usual way of speaking isn''t something that can be hidden easily. I should still be able to identify it. However, the person he just spoke to was different from my brother.


    Also, his name was erased from Terion''s memory making it hard for me to find it using a fake voice, though I am not sure if it truly is a fake voice.


    "So in the end who was it?"


    I said, confused about the entire situation. I am starting to overthink that it''s not even a student but someone who is posing as one.


    Wait let''s take the information we have gathered first and see if we made a mistake. Let''s calm down and analyze everything.


    First Professor Adolfo''s words about my brother are...wait how did he know it was my brother again?


    [It was because a pirate said these lines "It didn''t go as the young duke''s plan" ]


    Oh dear now I know where I made a mistake.


    [What is it, Creator]


    The word young duke doesn''t just apply to my brother there are dozens of young dukes around the entire continent, it''s just he was the main suspect you would think of the moment you hear that line.


    "After all my brother is the first young duke you would think of that can lay a hand on me, however, what if it''s not him? What if we have a very courageous one here?"


    I became so excited that my brother was making his move that I didn''t see the hole in my professor''s hypothesis


    [If we were to base the words, young duke, that would make the list longer Creator, the entire continent has 127 kingdoms with each having four to two dukes with their respective heirs]


    "The list doesn''t need to be long Jeremiah, we only need to know all the students in the academy who meant to inherit their parent''s duke title, then sort out the most suspicious one though we need to investigate their background as well. After all the information inside the academy won''t just be leaked unless you are working or studying there"


    And seeing how he was able to contact Terion that only meant that the caller was right inside the Academy grounds. That''s one of the points that solidifies my theory but I need more evidence.


    "We just need to access the Aster Academy''s database"


    [But Creator we are too far from Sidus we are on the other side of the continent]


    I can''t help but shake my head, should I just leave it be and let them reveal themselves? I am getting a bit edgy here I might actually fly back to the academy and steal some files there.


    "Let''s put that aside, I remember you mentioned you noticed some note-worthy conversation"


    [Ah, yes Creator it''s located at the Eastern students'' dormitory]


    "Alright"


    "Bulan fix this place"


    "Yes, master!"


    The wind began to rise and the messy room soon turned to how it was before we arrived.


    "Now then I should also erase the final evidence"


    I said as I walked towards the unconscious Terion.


    .


    .


    .


    After erasing some person''s memories I took off with Bulan and went towards the Eastern student''s dormitory.


    "Give me the one you were referring to Jeremiah"


    [Affirmative]


    .


    .


    The clock struck 2 in the morning some security guards could be seen walking and patrolling the academy grounds. However, despite the tight security, some shadows were able to bypass it. Three students can be seen in the archive.


    "Are you certain his files could be in here?"


    "If it isn''t here then where else could it be then?"


    "Just look for the files of first-year students, they should be in the same cluster as those of High-class students"


    "Here I saw it!"


    Inside the administration office, an archive secured with different measures can be found there. Inside it are small locked compartments that contain information about different students. Once they saw the one they were looking for they immediately tried to open the said compartment.


    "Argh!!" cried one of the sneaking students, his hand was burned while a curse began penetrating his veins. With the drilling pain coursing through his body he couldn''t help but roll on the ground.


    "What kind of stupidity did I just witness" said a voice which ended up surprising the three students.


    "!?"


    "Who''s there!"


    "Damn it it hurts!.."


    "I am actually up here," I said feeling even more stupid, they were even more terrified when they saw Bulan and Gale floating right beside me.


    "This place is the second most secured facility in the continent, and you all think you can steal information here?"


    "Don''t even think about casting a spell the system here can detect even an ounce of mana leakage"


    I warned seeing they were about to take their wands.


    "Don''t make a fool out of us, if that is the case then how can your spirits roam free? You won''t be able to fool us"


    "Please don''t compare me with you people, I am simply building differently. So go on cast a spell and let''s see what happens"


    [Creator I can sense the same signal I detected with Terion''s caller]


    "I see so you can trace it?"


    [Yes]


    "Good let me just finish this"


    My mind stirred and a skill was immediately activated.


    "Stop"


    I commanded and the time surrounding the three halted.


    "Veritas" I whispered and the spell took over despite the frozen time the spell still triggered.


    "Oh? I see Jeremiah I think we just received an intel that connected with yours"


    [Yeah it suddenly ruined the fun]


    "Well it is still good to do some double-checking, so let''s see how many so-called seniors snuck inside the academy"


    Typically if you hear the passage from the Oracle you will only think of one thing.


    "The Lionhearts, have this unique hereditary hair and eye color that is only known to them. Technically the first person you would think of is either my father or brother. They are after all the most powerful of the Lionhearts at that time"


    [So the first person they will target first is your brother since he is much easier to approach than your father]


    "Correct and at that time I was still the frail child of the household so definitely I got crossed out. So to trim down the numbers we should start with the students who transfer here from the Easter kingdoms, then check their identities from the database and compare them with the info we got from the recorded conversation"

 Chapter 167 Three days to wait

    "Correct and at that time I was still the frail child of the household so definitely I got crossed out. So to trim down the numbers we should start with the students who transfer here from the Easter kingdoms, then check their identities from the database and compare them with the info we got from the recorded conversation"


    "All the transferees especially those who are in the same year as my brother, those who had taken classes with him will also be suspects"


    While I said those words the compartment was already open since Jeremiah had already bypassed its protective barrier.


    [Creator I never expected to see these types of locks, this is as old as the history of the empire]


    "Old but gold you might say, no one can definitely open this other than us"


    [It''s all thanks to the information from the secret library]


    "Well the tower had the oldest and most detailed records of all magical and blacksmith knowledge here in the empire"


    .


    .


    .


    A few more files came out until something caught my eye.


    "Twenty individuals"


    Twenty noteworthy transfer students from different schools in the Eastern kingdoms. Though all their schools have one thing in common.


    "An extreme hate and prejudice towards mages"


    So was this their plan?


    Technically the power of mages is connected with the world tree, so if they completely destroy it that would mean crippling the power of all mages.


    "However they didn''t think about its possible consequences...no, perhaps they knew about it, but their unknown hatred towards mages is preventing their minds from seeing it"


    "Let''s go Jeremiah let''s see the senior Terion was talking to"


    An arrow flashes in my eyes while a map forms in the upper right portion of my vision.


    [Creator]


    "Yes?"


    [Are we just gonna leave them there, frozen in time?]


    "Who?"


    Another arrow appeared, and as I followed the thing it was pointing it turned out the three idiots I froze.


    "Right I forgot, sorry"


    I waved my hand and the command that stopped the time was revoked.


    Three students fell to the ground, unconscious.


    "You will all forget what transpires between us"


    I spoke and the Blessings of the God of Mystics took over, commanding their mind to obey me despite sleeping soundly.


    "That should do it, let''s continue" I rode Bulan while Gale happily flew by our side.


    My sweet little wind fairy how come you are still so tiny despite being a baron-rank spirit?


    [There Creator to the High-class gym stock room]


    "Alright"


    I steered Bulan and made him hop across the towering buildings until my eyes laid across the biggest structure.


    For now, let''s just wait for the Crusaders to make their move.


    A three long day wait for an ambush.


    .


    .


    .


    Let''s do some fast forward, we did some lectures around the campus of the academy and there I found out the difference between the two academies. First, they don''t have the three-month isolation where the first students are separated from the rest of the students for three whole months. Second, ranks are not based on your entrance exam scores but on how you handle the challenges set by the academy.


    Discrimination is not allowed and flaunting your status is extremely prohibited, though this status part is quite similar to Aster but I believe it''s not fully implemented.


    Also for ranks to rise a series of challenges are arranged by the academy, there is no year requirement to take one. One example of this challenge is the so-called rainbow steps. Honestly, it''s just a colorful step built on a hill. There are seven colours in the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, which can be observed with the step''s colour.


    The thing about this challenge is each step has a strong gravitational force that pulls down anyone who tries to climb it. The darker the color of the step the stronger the pull can be.


    "Let''s go Apollo Professor Adolfo is calling for us"


    Mckenzie told me while pointing at a certain man.


    Oh by the way I already told him what I found out, it seems he finally realized how wrong his judgement is.


    As we approach Professor Adolfo his usual black long-sleeved shirt and pants welcome us. However, that wasn''t the thing we immediately noticed about him. His smile, his look, damn I know them very well.


    "Hehehehe"


    A lunatic laughter escapes from his lips making us nervous.


    "What is it this time?"


    "Class you have been asking me about your quarter exam right? Question answered! Here is your exam!"


    "What!"


    We exclaimed aren''t we supposed to observe and take this as our rest? I am still preparing for the Crusaders'' upcoming attack. I just need time to have fun with my friends


    [You are strangely becoming even more childish than before]


    "Really? Sorry I never experienced being a child or having friends, so I am trying to take anything I can experience, because I know sooner our time to play will end"


    I solemnly said.


    Perhaps after this, I need to focus on becoming the heir to the tower or maybe go on with missions issued by the emperor.


    [No worries Creator I am still here!]


    "Ah yes of course you are"


    As I conversed with him I saw the professors looking at us happily.


    "This is not good"


    I can only conclude then he took out a set of limiters.


    "Your points will be determined by how many steps you take, the higher you go up the more points you will all receive, is that clear students?"


    "Yes, professor!"


    "Good now for starters Apollo wear these limiters"


    "Yeeesss"


    I answered while dragging my body towards him.


    "I really hate limiters"

 Chapter 168 The rainbow steps

    "I really hate limiters" I muttered while my goody professor put on the bracelets for me.


    "Apollo"


    "Yes professor"


    "I want you to apply the technique I have been teaching you all"


    "Do you mean control and force application professor?"


    "Yes I want you all to do that but also the endurance and stamina technique, I remember making you all walk on a burning plate before, and only using your ki or mana as a means of protection. Use everything that I taught your class to climb the steps"


    "Alright prof got you"


    "Good! Now go up there and show them what it means to be part of my class"


    I looked at my friends and on their wrists you can see identical bracelets like mine. Unlike me who only wore limiters now, them on the other hand have been wearing it for weeks.


    [I think you had influenced your friends to do some crazy stuff]


    "Nah they are already insane as I am," I said confidently as I walked towards the now crowded steps.


    "Let''s go, class, we have to reach the top of these freaking stairs"


    I honestly thought it would be easy but I underestimated the might of the limiters, which the professor personally made by for me.


    .


    .


    .


    "And here students are one of the challenges that are accessible by all years, the rainbow steps"


    Said the professor who looked proud while presenting this place.


    "Each step contains a gravitational pull that can test your strength and endurance. Remember students the darker the colour of the step the more force it has. Now then go on give it a try"


    She encouraged them while guiding the student in the front to try.


    "It seems fun let''s try it" Caesars said while urging his friends to go with him.


    "Might as well see how far I can go"


    Johan thought while confidently walking with Astrid and Odysseus. Behind those two are their student escort Leona Blackvel and Logan Blackstone.


    "I wonder how far will the prince go?"


    "Don''t know, let''s check the record board instead, it seems the highest score is from a seventh-year student?"


    "Wait isn''t that a bit overstay?"


    "Nope I think it still depends on the study he took, how many steps did that person do"


    "Well it says 210"


    Hearing that number made the other students impressed.


    "How about the one from a first year how far did he get?"


    "first year wait the list is too long...oh! Found it! It''s only thirty steps"


    "Is that the highest?"


    "Yes apparently it is"


    Seeing only thirty steps from first-year students like them, some students felt discouraged to give it a try.


    Not until they saw a group of people coming from the back.


    "Hey move it!"


    "Calm down buddy we aren''t allowed to kill here" Mckenzie jokingly said while taking another step.


    They walked even more until they arrived at the twenty-fifth step, there they saw the back of six people. It was the prince, Caesar and his friends, Johan, Astrid, Odysseus and their escorts.


    "Damn it how can they be so fast"


    Johan gritted his teeth as he said this, he never liked Apollo especially his team of abnormal classmates.


    "Calm down Aaren and focus the gravity here is getting even more fierce" the prince reminded him.


    "We should rest once we arrive at the yellow step since the pull there is much lighter"


    "Astrid is right my prince let us head there"


    "Okay Seus lets go everyone"


    The prince regulated his breathing and made sure all parts of his body received the energy it needed.


    "Hoo" he breathes while the sun''s light basked into his skin.


    They really tried to move forward however the twenty-seven steps made their entire body shake.


    "Argh! I can''t take it anymore!" cried one of the student escorts, while Astrid and Odysseus tried to endure the powerful pressure.


    "No, I can''t!" Johan Aaren clenches his teeth not backing down.


    Apollo, I wanted to surpass him because he represents that place. The tower, the only place that continues to clash with my father''s and my family''s beloved name. The Mage Association was the strongest guild and organization of mages yet we continued to be overshadowed by the image of the tower.


    Just once I wanted to beat them so I could give something to my father, maybe that way he would finally look at me.


    "Be at ease" he suddenly heard a voice and as he looked up the very person he wanted to beat appeared in front of him.


    "Your body is slowly snapping due to the pressure, try to continue and you might actually break your bones" After saying those words he walked away like nothing happened.


    "Oh god look they reaching the thirtieth step"


    "Can they do it the indigo step seems to be putting a lot of pressure on them"


    "Clang!"


    They heard a crisp sound of falling and they began to notice the unique bracelets that the class had been wearing the entire time.


    "Wait if I am not mistaken they have been wearing that since the incident with the cafeteria right?"


    "What incident?"


    "I think the proper question is which one of those incidents"


    "Never mind that look they are speeding up again after removing those bracelets!"


    Just like what they say the class continued to walk forward until the entire Eastern Academy felt surprised by the result.


    "Sixty-five! That''s the step some fourth years and third years are struggling to and yet they handle it!"


    "Wait someone is still walking!"


    All the watching students and professors took out their spy glasses to see the lone student who continued walking forward.


    "Is that?"


    "It''s Apollo!"


    "Our top ranker is not topping the leading board of this challenge"


    He was kidding when he said that however in the next moment, Apollo''s name came on top with his achievement written in bold and flaming letters.


    "Apollo Lionheart challenge completed!"


    "Is that mean?"


    "He reaches the top!"

 Chapter 169 All it takes is a technique

    Apollo''s Pov.


    Climbing those steps wasn''t easy since the professor limited my stats to the same caliber as my classmates. So the only way I can go up is by relying on the techniques taught by Professor Adolfo.


    Let''s see, my current stats are like this


    Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Focused


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: (Archmage) Temporary Apprentice rank


    Mana type: Blue


    Level: (16)


    Strength: (1835) 57


    Agility: (1840) 57


    Dexterity: (1842) 57


    Endurance: (1835) 57


    Stamina: (1830) 57


    Intelligence: (1840) 57


    Mana: (1711) 57


    Ki: (1656) 57


    Mana regeneration: 10 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 8 per minute


    Vitality: 250


    Skills/Abilities:


    Spell synthesis(Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Alchemic craft (Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Weapon creation (Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Machinery Engineer (Rank SS) {Passive}


    Light of Aegis (Rank SS) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Can be manipulated by the wielder''s will and the size can reach 7 meters.


    Lightning Call (Rank SS) {Passive} - 70% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks.


    Skilled fighter (Rank S) {Passive} -A little bit higher skills from beginner level in terms of hand-to-hand combat (next level Pro fighter Rank D)


    Master Weaponist [Overhaul] (Rank S) {Passive} - a combination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah


    Mirror Tenfold (Rank S) {Active} - Return twelve times the damage of the opponent''s attack, it may be a spell or physical attack.


    Automatic Weaponry (Rank SS) {Active} -Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, recommended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon


    Flaw: Materials are needed for this skill


    Strength: 50% more powerful than regular weapons of the same grade.


    Energy bank (Rank SS) {Active} - A space that stores mana and ki, only accessible when energy reaches 0


    Disintegrate (Rank SS) {Active} - A skill Apollo gained while experimenting with a certain potion inside the Black tower.


    However I think I can still go on, I didn''t dare to look back and keep moving forward. Step by step then I felt I no longer had any ounce of ki.


    [You need to wait for one minute for it to regenerate to eight]


    "It''s okay I still have my mana"


    I said while still maintaining my breathing though my vision was already blurry. My sense of pain no longer works since I became too numb to feel anything. All that''s running inside my head is to keep moving forward.


    An ocean-blue mana began to coat my body making my breath even more easier.


    "Hoo..." I exhale while still putting my body on rhythm. Timing the circulation of my mana on every step I took and before I knew it I was already up there right on the top of the steps.


    "Ahhh!"


    I shouted while my back lay flat on the ground.


    I could feel the sunlight burning, making my bruises ache. After that, a sudden trembling occurs. It seems my body began to release all the pent-up pressure that accumulated inside it.


    "It hurts damn it" I added while my face is covered with sweat.


    "I wanna sleep"


    "No, you can''t" a devilish voice said while a shadow covered the sun that directly hit my face.


    When I looked up I saw Professor Adolfo smiling happily.


    "Since you did something amazing you should show them what a victor should show"


    "I don''t really care about that"


    "Come on, stand up"


    "Nah I am good"


    Seeing I am not bulging on my position my professor had no choice but to adjust.


    "Click"


    I heard a sound and all the limiters he put on me fell on the ground. With all my stats back to normal all my wounds, bruises and even the fatigue I am feeling disappear.


    "Satisfied?" Professor Adolfo said, with a hint of sarcasm.


    "Yeah, I am" I smirked as I answered.


    "Your classmates have been escorted by the staff they should be getting a check-up in the infirmary"


    "We should head there," I said while dusting off my uniform.


    "Alright let''s go"


    We then both jump into the air surprising the onlooking students.


    On that day and for the next two days the lower class became the top on the record boards, surprising both the lower-year students and the upper years. Because of those achievements, the lower class was put in a much better regard than the rest of the first years. This made more dissatisfied aristocrats and envious glances from the other class.


    "We are receiving hate," McKenzie said while boarding their class ship.


    "Let them be it''s not like they can do anything" Matilda quoted not feeling bothered by their stares.


    "Where are we headed again?" Arabella asked while heading towards Samael who hold a navigation compass.


    "It''s the Lumen kingdom where the Moon Lake can be seen" he excitedly answers while zooming the map to see their next destination.


    Lumen kingdom I began to say inside my head. It''s one of the few kingdoms where the Holy Crusaders will attacked.


    "Sigh, finally they are starting to make a move. I was suddenly getting bored eliminating those spy students"


    [You are not worried?]


    "I am not and besides I am not alone, those crusaders will face not only my wrath but also the hatred of the two most powerful mage institutions in the empire"


    "It''s time for the Mage Association and the Mage Tower to make a move"

 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Lumen Kingdom

    The Lumen Kingdom was established roughly a thousand years ago by an abandoned prince of the Kingdom of Fjords. He established this small kingdom with some of his followers and their families. Later on, they gain the empire''s recognition and declare themselves as the Lumen kingdom, the kingdom of light.


    At first, it was a flourishing country with all sorts of agricultural resources, however, that all changed when a new king sat on the throne.


    "King Neos the current king of Lumen"


    [According to what I have gathered it seems he practically rose to the throne out of nowhere, with a power not commonly seen]


    "Something is suspicious here, I think there is a deeper story on why the Holy Crusaders hated mages"


    [Should I do something then?]


    "No, we will do as we plan, eradicate every enemy we encounter"


    I put my mind on my mission while the ship finally set sail in the clear sky.


    As my thoughts drowned me my communication bracelet suddenly vibrated.


    [You have a message Creator]


    I nodded and merely swiped the tiny screen of the bracelet.


    {We have confirmed the information you have given to us, be very careful my dear boy. This organization might be more powerful than we initially thought however that is not our main problem. Your Grandfather Alger was so mad you were being targeted that he wanted to wipe out the entire eastern region. The Mage association wasn''t helping either since they are on the same page as your grandfather.


    James Aaren, Johan''s grandfather wanted to join forces with us to literary obliterate the entire eastern kingdoms. The emperor currently trying to calm the two old men, I hope you remain safe until he finally convinces them.


    Your loving grandpa


    - Nicholas}


    "It seems someone is in a tight situation"


    I said while chuckling about the current dilemma of the emperor.


    "It seems you are in a good mood instead of being wary"


    A voice said, and as I looked at my side I saw Alicia coming towards me with a lemonade on her hands.


    "Here," she said as he handed me the one in her right hand.


    "So you knew what is happening to me right now"


    "The Emperor inform me, he wants to separate the other kids from you"


    "That''s good I don''t want them to be dragged into this"


    "Will you be fine?"


    "Of course, I can even handle thousands of people"


    Hearing my arrogant boosting Alicia just laughs at me before looking at me seriously.


    "The Holy Crusaders are quite different from the Monastery, they are more of a weapon wielders and fighters than mages. You have to be wary since they use a different style of fighting"


    I suddenly felt silent at her words so I decided to ask her.


    "Is there anything I should be concerned about?"


    "Three things" she answers while her other hand muster three fingers in front of me.


    "One, it''s speed, don''t think no one can touch with thunder aura only. There are dozens of well-known fighters who have affinities with lightning. The speed and power they have resemble the spells you make with thunder aura. So be cautious, and see if your opponent has any strong affinities with any elements, especially those who have prime elements.


    Next is a technique, I know Apollo you have the means to spy on people''s strength and capabilities, I have felt it before when we first met"


    "Really?" I tried to feint ignorance taken aback by how sharp she was.


    "Thunder aura, Positive lightning"


    My spell trails down the forging symbols I embedded on the bullet''s body. As a result, my spell charged up the small metallic projectile.


    "Shot"


    I said and I released the white thundering bullet on my hand.


    The clouds parted while the wind howled so badly it started to shake the ship.


    "Jeremiah status"


    [The bullet has locked on the target, no civilians spotted in the area]


    "Good I am happy to hear that"


    With those words, I smiled happily, content with what I did, until a huge explosion created a black mushroom-like smoke. Everyone stops in their tracks before pinning their gaze on my frail body. Experience new stories on empire


    "I didn''t mean to overboard," I said while putting both my hands in the air, my eyes looked innocent while my face looked apologetic.


    [You won''t be off the hook even if you try to look like that]


    "Shut up"


    Below the floating ship in the sky, a secluded area can be seen burned and barren. However, the noticeable part is that a huge flaming crater can be seen there. It was like a black patch if you look down from above. In the middle of it, a single figure can be seen struggling to survive.


    "What kind of child is that?"


    Said a man whose appearance is scorched like a charcoal. He can still breathe even though his entire is burned. One arm was eaten and torn by a violent surge of electricity, while the other was left with few fingers to be able to hold a spoon. Though it wasn''t the thing he was worried about.


    "Les what happened to you!" cried a person whose appearance wasn''t any better.


    "Well, as you can see I got burned"


    "You look like a charcoal!"


    "That boy what is he?"


    He asked instead and despite his current body condition he still tried to sit down.


    "Careful!"


    "Mor that boy not only tracked my location but also used the same bullet I used to kill him. He shot it back at me and even charged a spell inside!"


    "Stop blabbering and let me save you"


    He took out a potion and without hesitation poured it over the blackened body of his friend.


    Despite the horrible pain, the medicine brought he didn''t scream or complain, his expression though remained hurt, while a towel was situated between his jaws.


    He wanted to speak but the pain began to cloud his judgement. The tormenting pain of the liquid medicine coming in contact with his skin almost made him scream, while the intense feeling of itching came after. Since healing burns often cause intense itching as new skin forms and nerves regenerate.


    In the end, he fell into a deep slumber causing his friend to panic.


    .


    .


    .


    In the kingdom of Lumen, looming shadows can be felt while an eerie atmosphere continues to suffocate the people. No one dared to speak afraid they might attract the shadow''s ire.


    Amongst this sickening calmness, a group of rowdy children began to fill the streets with their voices.


    "Man, what a good day to start a fight," a voice said while his red-orange hair could be seen in a dark alley.

 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 A silent chaos

    Scintilla is the capital of Lumen, it was once a very festive place where people are welcome to speak their minds. However, now a perpetual silence envelops the land. There''s a pervasive quiet, punctuated only by distant sounds, heightening the feeling that every sound is being monitored and every movement is being observed.


    The alleys are draped in long, creeping shadows as if every corner harbours hidden observers, with surveillance magic mounted on streetlights and buildings, their eyes unblinking and ever-watchful.


    The life of the city was drained however the people tried to live as normally as they could, that way a mask would fall on the kingdom, hiding the hidden shadows that lurked on its beautiful streets.


    "What a heavy atmosphere" a boy said not feeling any sort of nervousness at the state of the place he is in. He walked confidently on the crowded road while the people frantically ran back and forth.


    On the boy''s right hand, a dagger can be seen, though that dagger wasn''t a simple one. It was actually a throwing dagger, embedded on its blade are symbols made to keep its presence hidden. Smoothly the boy continues to walk until a sudden drop of rain falls on his hand. Experience more on empire


    "It''s finally starting"


    A wild smirk grazes his face while his eyes have a cold glint in them.


    "Jeremiah activated the system''s gears" the boy spoke his voice devoid of any emotion.


    "Now the hunt is starting" he added before disappearing in the middle of the road.


    It was a very unusual day because the people felt it was longer than the previous days they had experienced, however when night passed by and the morning came, the previous heavy atmosphere was gone.


    .


    .


    .


    "Jeremiah status"


    [Curently creator they are at least 500 people detected to be far more powerful than the average people here, and according to the data given by the emperor none of them are members of the kingdom''s knights]


    Lumen''s soldiers should be waiting to either assist their fellow crusader comrades or fabricate any evidence related to them.


    "Alright I suppose we have our targets"


    As I said those words a sudden drop of water made me look up.


    "It''s finally starting" I smirked as I said those words. This falling rain is not simple, it''s actually a conquering spell cast under the influence of the rain. I am certain none of those Crusaders would immediately notice it, though it will be exciting if they do.


    "Now the hunt is starting"


    I envision the targets in my head and as I open my eyes, a map is generated at the upper right side of my vision.


    {Apollo}


    "Yes, sir Arthur?"


    {The mages of the tower and the association are on standby, some are stationed here while the others are at the site of the World tree}


    "Should we start the requiem?"


    {Hmmm.... let''s see, it seems our enemies are currently looking for you}


    "They had no idea I was already here"


    {That is right, I suppose they had no idea where you and your classmates are}


    "They will soon find us"


    I said while my body began to disappear.


    "Let''s start the song that will make even the dead cry"


    {Alright let us start the hunt}


    The rain became a silent rhythm, a song that unknowingly dwells in everyone''s ears. Under the sound of falling rain, a little girl can be seen holding a flute. She continues to play the instrument despite the fallen drops of water. However, as she played so well her music began to seep through the rhythm of the storm.


    And as the tunes combine together a bone-chilling song begins to be heard, a deadly melody, a chant that soon drowns the listener''s ears.


    I can''t help but smirk as I listen to the deadly hymn, though my tiny silhouette slowly morphs through the darkness.


    .


    They felt confused however I wasn''t done yet as soon as they kneeled my weapon took a turn to immediately decapitate them.


    "No you won''t!" one of my enemies stated while clenching his teeth to fight back the command.


    Martial artists and weapon users have one thing in common, they have strong physiques and sound minds. That is what allowed them to keep training despite its harsh procedure. So the interference I made was meant to be temporary.


    "Attraction!" A voice gave a command and it was immediately obeyed.


    All the weapons that were supposed to attack me suddenly turned heavy and crashed on the ground. That too lasted only for a moment.


    A moment I didn''t miss


    Using the power of the skill Master Weaponist my slash was way more solid and founded by my ki. Accompanied by the professor''s technique the length of my attack can be measured at least 7 meters long and 12 inches wide. It was massive however with the vibrating ki as it added strength no defense was able to block it.


    Nine heads fell on the ground, blood was sprayed and a deep mark was left on the smooth stone road. The alley was suddenly covered with death as ten lives were taken.


    "Alright that went well fast"


    Keith said while wiping the sweat on his forehead.


    "I thought my attack wouldn''t work" Aaron stated while his body fell on the ground due to exhaustion. That can''t be helped since he covered the entire alley with his authority.


    "We should head straight I can feel something there"


    Alya stated while holding her staff. Upon her spell, the area which we fought turned to how it was before we arrived.


    "What can you feel?" I asked her since even Jeremiah didn''t seem to sense anything.


    "I can sense something, a very dangerous and sinister power"


    Her words made me a bit confused and alert.


    "I think it''s better if I go first"


    "Alright just tell me if I need to teleport you away"


    Aaron told me while giving me a nod.


    "Stay alert" I said instead and immediately Alya gave me a reassuring smile.


    The rain was still there while Vesta''s hypnotic spell blended with the tower mages'' large-scale debuffing spell.


    "Well, I can call this a conquering spell as well," I thought as my figure turned into a fog and blended well with my surroundings.


    "According to her, it should be here"


    [I don''t sense anything here]


    "Neither I but knowing her, there should really be something here....wait what is that?"


    On one of the drains of the city, a black orb can be seen stuck there.


    Don''t tell me this is the sinister thing she was talking about.


    I suddenly felt funny not knowing what to say.


    "A tiny orb come here," I said sarcastically as I picked it up on the drain.


    "Ugh!"


    As soon as my fingers grazed the smooth surface of the orb a sudden pain attacked my veins.


    [Notification Alert!


    A sinister entity has been detected!


    The system''s gears have been going full function!


    All contaminants have been eliminated!]


    "Damn I should have listened to Alya"

 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Stone of the Death

    The fall of rain is often described as a gentle, rhythmic cascade, with each drop descending from the sky and wind adding a delicate dance.


    As the raindrops hit various surfaces, they create a soothing, continuous patter or drumming sound. On a rooftop, this sound can be a soft, persistent tapping, while on a windowpane, it might produce a calming, irregular rhythm. The sound of rain can evoke a sense of tranquillity and cosiness, often amplified by the surrounding quiet or the occasional rumble of distant thunder.


    All of this can be said to be calming however the conquering spell added to the storm made the enemy''s senses clouded. And each sound made by the rain created a noise that almost left them unconscious. The water that continuously touched them was like an acid that burned deep within their skin.


    Potions were used and pills were swallowed however that didn''t work, and nothing worked. They could still feel the itch and the agonizing pain that left them almost insane.


    In the dance of the deathly rhythm, groups of shadows can be seen lurking around and despite the heavy fall of rain, their black robes remain lively.


    The chant for the dead continues and the melody from the flute remains plastered on the rhythm, creating waves of images on the listener''s mind.


    Mages in black robes run through the storm, while on their chest are the symbols of a tower and eagle, the insignia of the Mage tower and Mage Association.


    "Head Hunter''s Funny Parade"


    Chant one of the mages and a black creepy ragged man emerged, scythe in hand.


    "Guard!"


    "Damn it I can use my aura!"


    "I can''t see!"


    The massive conquering spell clouded their minds, and even when they tried to break the spell they failed to do so since multiple people cast it.


    This entire scenario started because they made a single mistake.


    They underestimated the mages of the empire and the people who gathered information for them.


    [Notification Alert!


    A massive amount of death has been detected!


    Calculating essences extraction!]


    [Creator should I use one of the system''s gears to elevate the pain you are feeling]


    "No, I am okay"


    I said while holding my arm, the numbness was still there while the pain spread until it reached my head.


    "I told you it''s sinister" I heard Alya say making me groan in pain.


    "You never put specifics"


    "Still you should have listened to me"


    I could only sigh at her words while we continued to move under the veil of our hood. What we are wearing right now are robes commissioned by the Mage Tower.


    We are now moving as a member of the tower, not just random children aiming to kill someone. The crest on our chest solidifies that fact.


    {Apollo there are 3 strong ones running in your direction immediately neutralize them}


    "Got it" I replied though I already sensed them, so I looked at my side and was about to speak when someone spoke first.


    "Something is coming!" Alya shouted while pointing towards our side.


    "How many?" asked Aaron to which she replied with "Three"


    [She is really impressive despite her age, I mean even you won''t be able to find them either if it weren''t for the fact I am here]


    "Yes perhaps you are right" I answered while my staff was already raised to attack. And as my vision finally took a glimpse of the three fleeing enemies I gave a command.


    "Arron"


    "On it!"


    Golden sparks of light slowly dance on the rainy alley, until it turns into cracks in space.


    "Pico stop!"


    Teleportation complete!


    Awaiting the Creator''s next command!]


    My eyes crept into a smile while I hurriedly sent a message to Sir Arthur.


    "Are you guys going in or what?"


    {We are going in, are you joining the hunt?}


    "Of course I am"


    And so the real hunt finally starts.


    .


    .


    .


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes?]


    "What kind of old artifact did they use?"


    [Based on the magic wavelength I analyzed a while ago, it should be a dagger that has a stealth ability for assassination. As for the mini earthquake, it was the impact caused by a sudden blunt attack from below. I believe a war hammer was used]


    "How many people are we up against?"


    [The artifact is currently blocking my sensors so I can''t tell, and it also seems spells won''t work either]


    "So we are blind right now?"


    [Not exactly, remember the bead before?]


    "Yes my arm still felt numb due to it"


    [It might become helpful, since it is not a bead but a stone instead. A death stone, you can use it to track down anyone who has killed someone. After all, to counter an old artifact from lost dungeons, you had to use one as well]


    "You mean this thing is an old artifact as well?"


    [Yes and I have no idea how did it get here]


    Lost dungeons are labyrinths that are either man-made or created by a chaotic turbulence of magic. In each dungeon lies many artifacts that are very unfamiliar to many, since the material where it was made is unknown and its usage often goes bizarre.


    "So this thing is from a lost dungeon, no wonder I couldn''t understand it"


    [Take it out Creator I already mend it, it won''t attack you again]


    "Okay"


    I did as he told me and as my hand touched the smooth surface of the stone I felt a sudden surge of awareness. The complete darkness that I am currently in slowly felt insignificant since I could see everything.


    [The stone becomes even more powerful the more people are killed by its user. And considering it''s you, the power of that artifact should be at its highest point]


    "Yeah I can actually feel it, wait what if I do this!"


    I said as my body became clad in corrupted energy.


    [I shall put a barrier to make sure no one can sense you]


    I closed my eyes and let the skill demonize take over.


    My mana turns black ominous, while my body begins to morph similar to a devil yet my aura is that of a demon.


    Holding the stone in my hand I slowly removed the debris that fell on top of me.


    "Let''s go and find our targets"


    My vision was clear despite the darkens created by the dagger artifact, I should be able to finish everything before the sun went down.

 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Their Pov

    The enemy''s pov


    We made a grave mistake, we didn''t know that they would find out that we would be here.


    No, that is not all, we also didn''t anticipate that they would find out about our existence. The mages shouldn''t have known and the council are still tight-lipped about the situation. So I am sure it wasn''t them, they couldn''t have ratted us out when most of our members are part of them.


    So how? How did they know? It shouldn''t be possible!


    Did we have a spy on our side? No that is impossible none of us would ever collude with mages. After that incident, I am certain it is not one of us.


    "Owal" called a deep masculine voice sending my body into disarray.


    The person who just spoke had his eyes focused on the window.


    "Yes sir" I replied half aware and still occupied with my previous thoughts.


    "Cast away your doubts and trouble we can''t have them right now," he told me while his eye lay on his city, which had been drowned by a surge of a powerful spell.


    "What should we do?" I asked not wanting to let our comrades die like animals raised for slaughter. We must do something, we must save them. However no matter the feelings I have, I can''t just jump right in there, because despite the pride we have as warriors and as knights, we can''t deny the fact that we will die if we leave the shelter that protects us from the rain.


    The roofs of our houses are the only thing that separates us from the scythe of death.


    We must stay and live


    Destroying those clouds is also useless since it was a joint spell by multiple mages. It can''t be broken just by a mere aura bomb or direct attack. Certainly, we can execute a bigger and stronger attack but they won''t be done without destroying the city. That''s how vile mages are, to make sure we won''t be able to destroy their spell they use the people of Lumen.


    They created a spell that is too strong for normal aura techniques but weak for ultimate skills, which are too destructive and could immediately eliminate this city.


    I can''t help but clench my fist in anger, are they playing with thousands of lives here? How can they do something so sinister?


    "Owal" the voice spoke again since my expression didn''t improve, my lord can read me far too well.


    "Let''s go" he just said guiding me towards a hidden path.


    "We have a plan" he added giving me a sudden reassurance.


    "We can do this," I thought so while we headed towards the deepest part of the city.


    .


    .


    .


    "This is it!"


    I said finding the situation in favor of us.


    That''s right this place doesn''t let much rain enter! We can definitely win against them!


    I almost squealed while excitedly preparing my blade to be drenched in blood.


    "This should be goo-.."


    "BANG!"


    My ears began to bleed as I realized my eardrums exploded due to the impact.


    "What just happened" I thought then my eyes saw my lord his blade just blocked a dark matter.


    My blade clashed with my enemy''s creating sparks while my arms began to heat up due to the increased ki output.


    A downward cut was executed which I dodged before blocking an aura bomb sent by him.


    [Behind you]


    My legs suddenly heated up and executed one of an archer''s skills in hunting, high agility. My body suddenly shifted and dodged the strike from behind. Then praised my hand to cast a basic spell.


    "Fireball"


    A fire suddenly emerged while I amplified it with a high supply of mana resulting in its added size.


    The flames shot towards the frozen boy making his lord save him by using an aura bomb. However that wasn''t the one that was impressive, his eyes didn''t waver and remained pinned on my tiny silhouette. Even when he tried to save his student he didn''t let me disappear from his vision.


    I just smirked before dodging again since his blade just appeared to slice me in half.


    [He is fast!]


    Indeed he is, with his superb ki and mana control his speed would go triple to even ten times. And this speed doesn''t affect his force control and agility. If I was fast due to implementing an archer''s speed and agility in my footwork, this guy is purely relying on his control and experience.


    "CLANG!"


    Another unconventional strike that came from below almost hit me.


    "You have good reflexes"


    "Thank you"


    I appeared to be in good shape but inside it was quite painful, doing the ki circulation of two weapon arts was really taxing. The only thing that is keeping me together is the system, without it, I might have collapsed from exhaustion.


    An archer''s speed and reflexes mix with a swordsman''s precision and strong strikes. That is the current set I am using.


    Sword clashes continued while I would insert some easy-to-cast spells as a distraction however it wasn''t enough. I can''t go through and it was the same for him.


    "BANG!"


    An aura-induced slash wrecks the place while my figure remains still, sword strongly on hand.


    "That was good" he finally spoke again then a wide grin spread all over his face.


    "It was a really good warm-up" he suddenly said while stretching his arms and neck.


    "I should also stop this nonsense" he added while approaching his student.


    "It was my mistake taking him here"


    Then he aggressively tapped his shoulders and a burst of energy came out of his body.


    "BOOM!"


    [That was acupuncture, he opened one of the gate valves inside that boy''s ki circuit making all his ki gush out]


    "He is trying to use brute force to remove the command I gave, well might as well let it happen"


    Then my thoughts moved and the command was removed.


    "Owal move and tell everyone to never underestimate those mages"


    "Argh.....yes I... Will!"


    He said half shouted, then he raced towards the other side of the sewer drain, running as fast as he could.

 Chapter 174 Skill wise

    "Owal move and tell everyone to never underestimate those mages"


    "Argh.....yes I... Will!" Continue your adventure with empire


    He said half shouted, then he raced towards the other side of the sewer drain, running as fast as he could.


    "Let''s cast a tracking spell on him just to be sure," I said seeing him leave.


    "PANG!"


    I suddenly felt a sudden pain when I felt that the spell I cast got disconnected as soon as I released it.


    "Apologies but I can''t let you do that" my enemy said his eyes still pinning on me.


    [What the!]


    My eyes suddenly constricted deeply focused on the blade that he just used to cut off my spell. The moment my spell is about to latch on his dear student he waves his sword and easily cuts through it. I felt amazed at the same time curious about how he was capable of that.


    However, I can''t let my desire for answers get the better of me. I need to set aside my thoughts and just focus.


    "What a troublesome enemy" I can''t help but say while my mana and ki began to combine. This is one of the unique features of the overhauled version of Master Weaponist. It unlocks the skill to combine the two energies inside the body, this skill or technique is called Primera or prime energy.


    Executing this move created an intense dance of chaotic shock wave though my opponent was unfazed about the situation. Instead, his body is clad in an intense beat of aura. Its color was strangely dark red.


    [His aura is induced with killing intent, be careful]


    "Killing intent, right"


    A huge explosion transpires when the color of my energy turns black.


    "Bloodlust" he just said before disappearing.


    [Left]


    "No, it''s right"


    His energy displays a different movement making it deceiving.


    "This guy, he figured it out how I was reading him" By reading the flow of his ki I can somehow predict my opponent''s next move, but this guy figured it out. So he used it to confuse me and create a fake attack, fortunately, I was able to perceive it.


    My sword met his, creating a huge shockwave that tore off the surrounding walls and pipes.


    I remained focused and began calculating his next steps, this time no more spells, I couldn''t cast them now because I couldn''t focus with my enemy becoming as fast as my mind. I don''t have any time to conjure a spell, even if I do he can just cut it off.


    "BANG!"


    As my sword dived into the unguarded chest my ki vibrated creating a ringing sound.


    "BANG!"


    An explosive sound burst revealing a smooth transparent surface.


    "Damn it," I said while my eyes narrowed at the current situation of my blade.


    I thought I got one hit in however when my blade was about to penetrate his protective aura, the blending of energy changed. The light that coats his body like a blanket morphs into a different color, it begins to solidify until it turns into a hand that holds my blade.


    [It''s armament!]


    Aura burst forth transforming into a green protective barrier.


    Shielding is one of the regular uses of Aura and Armament for the advanced type. Armament is meant to mold or coat any weapon the wielder desires, however, I never saw anyone build a literal warrior out of their aura armament.


    I remain calm and with my blade stuck in the warrior''s hand and my opponent about to attack, I have no choice but to abandon my sword.


    "Change weapon"


    I commanded and instead of a sword, a dagger replaced the space in my hand. That dagger was long, thick-spined, and wickedly pointed. Mainly optimized for penetrating or thrusting attack. Its hilt is made with unknown black material and a round or disc-like guard and pommel. This dagger is mainly good for parrying other weapons. Then the circulation of my energy changes to match the weapon I am using.


    He attacked again but I used my weapon to continue deflecting his attacks.


    I then lunge close, too close for the sword to reach me. My opponent then reacted quickly and bent his elbow to knock me over. However, I dodged that and my weapon changed again as soon as the warrior directed its attention towards me.


    "What the" I heard him say when the dagger in my hand turns into a cannon.


    "I''ll blast that warrior," I said while my ki circulated inside my body and my mana powered my cannon. A series of lights glow at the surface of the weapon until a white light covers the area.


    He can''t dodge since I am in such close proximity with him, that left his warrior no choice but to put on a guard.


    "BOOM!"


    I blasted him out the same way he did on me but unlike him, I won''t leave him be.


    "Change weapon"


    My hand glowed and a rifle graced my fingers, I locked on my target and fired a bullet.


    "BANG!"


    A gunshot was heard along with the sound of someone groaning. My bullet is capable of disrupting the energy inside the body so right now he is suffering from a great disorientation.


    I took this chance and teleported in front of him, and immediately changed my weapon into a war hammer. With my opponent''s state still in disarray, I aim for an overhead strike to destroy his remaining aura shield.


    The energy started from my legs and hips, transferring through my core and shoulders into my arms, with the hammer''s head coming down with gravity and force I added my prime energy to increase its power. In the nick of time, my opponent recovered but with the hammer already above him, he was left with a small amount of aura as his shield.

 Chapter 175 Using his skills

    I lifted the war hammer in my hand and strongly smashed it towards my opponent. However, it is as if his words were really true, will is the driving force of a warrior. Even with his ki and mana still in chaos, he was able to use his will to increase the power of his aura.


    A collision happens again creating a banging sound that yet again shook the sewer drain.


    I shouldn''t worry about the people above since that mage is with us.


    So I should pin my focus on him.


    I felt my hands and arms numb since my previous attack was nullified but either way, it wasn''t that bad since I could finally see some cracks. If I can get through his defense then that will end the fight.


    A red burst of killing intent attacked me while the impact of my bullet finally disappeared from my opponent''s body.


    "Alright let''s fall back"


    As I observed the brewing storm I decided to take some distance from him. Then the war hammer in my hand disappeared and was replaced by a sword.


    [The killing intent is too intense Creator it''s turning the entire area into a red zone, and your senses will be affected]


    "Then make sure I won''t"


    [I will]


    My eyes flared up since the system had been helping me with the calculation I needed for predicting my opponent''s movements, at the same time reading his energy flow.


    As soon as I get the reading I move my body in sync with his. I immediately dodged to my right leaving him to attack an empty space, then I took the chance to attack his blind spot however his aura responded well transforming into a warrior.


    [We need something stronger, something that can penetrate an aura]


    "But I can''t do auras and vibrating ki is not working anymore"


    Aura can only be destroyed by an aura or something even more powerful but it is more efficient to use auras instead.


    Wait come to think of it I haven''t done that, perhaps I can penetrate his defence using that.


    The circulation of my ki suddenly changes as I make a quick distance between the two of us. As I did so I subtle ambience began to swallow me making my enemy confused.


    .


    .


    "What is it this time" Seeing his opponent changing into another style of fighting, the seasoned warrior felt confused as he said those words. Every time he thought he already knew the pattern of his enemy''s fighting style it would change into something different. This somewhat tires him out until he completely relies on his instincts in fighting.


    Deep inside his body has been feeling worn out since he has been swinging his sword for how many times now. To add up his arms have been shaking since each of Apollo''s strikes has a force of impact that reverberated through his arms. It left him numb at some point and only his will is keeping him from collapsing.


    He must finish the fight so he moved again despite the ache he felt when the bullet shot him.


    He held his blade tightly and charged it with overwhelming energy, his will had been unbreaking and his massive killing intent fueled his sword.


    "Since you are keeping your distance let my blade reach you" he then advances with a powerful, overhead swing aimed at Apollo''s head. The sword slash expanded into a wave of bright light aiming fast at the silhouette of the little boy. However, as soon as it touches its target the figure of the boy transforms into a mist disappearing in the dimly lit drain.


    "This boy exhausts me first to the point that my arms are already numb before taking out his trump card" he thought.


    The boy powered himself with lightning as he deflected an equal blow from his enemy. Then the staff is now a sword.


    Apollo executes a deft parry, bringing their sword up at a precise angle to meet his blade. The impact is sharp, and the force of the enemy strike is redirected to the side.


    Then the boy uses the momentum of the deflection to his advantage. As the enemy sword is pushed off course, the boy steps inside the range of his enemy''s extended arm. The blade is deflected with a controlled movement, creating an opening.


    Capitalizing on the opening created by the deflection. With the enemy sword now off balance and Apollo in close proximity, the boy lunges forward with a swift, controlled thrust and penetrates his enemy''s defences.


    "Argh!"


    A painful cry can be heard as Apollo''s thrust is directed at his opponent''s torso, aiming for a gap in the armour. The blade moves in a straight line, powered by the strength of the boy''s legs and core. Lightning was poured in and the prime energy supplied every part of his body finally stabbing his opponent.


    The seasoned warrior hunched his body in pain while the boy suddenly let the massive electricity in his body penetrate his enemy. From his limbs to the tips of his already penetrated blade, the mass of electricity travels.


    The ground shook with his force until a figure fell on the floor.


    "Haaa...." a slow phase of breathing can be heard as the boy sits on the floor, his hand bleeding from tightly gripping his sword.


    "I won"


    He added while looking at his hand.


    [I will heal you now]


    "Okay"


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes]


    "Did I do great?"


    [Of course, you did great, you did excessively great for fighting an opponent who had more experience and skills than you. You didn''t even use any of your stat points even though you could have overpowered him using it. You rely on your analytical skills and the abilities you already have to win this fight]


    Hearing those words made the boy smile, he felt like all his cuts and bruises disappeared.


    "After this, we should look for more of them"


    [Let''s use the power of the Death stone! We haven''t tested it!]


    "Alright prepare it for me"


    [I will]


    As the boy rested his weak body, he never realized that he had never even known who was his opponent and even the fact he never let his appearance be known. He immediately engaged in a fight that he had forgotten to introduce himself.


    "Do I even need to know every person I need to kill?" the boy thought as he finally realized his hood remained covered in his face.

 Chapter 176 Succumbing to Darkness

    The sewer drain at first didn''t really bring many disadvantages towards the mages, however as they continued venturing the place a heavy looming pressure began to surround them.


    "An artifact"


    One of the mages from the association said while taking out his staff. As he continued to move with great caution a sudden rumbling sound caused him to halt his movement.


    From the faint rumbling sound, a sudden shaking followed up until a figure burst through the wall and went to the next one.


    "What the hell was that?" he exclaimed then another scary thing happened when a raging energy began to follow that figure like a bloodthirsty bull.


    "I should go to the opposite passage," he thought so as he ran away from the site of the fight.


    .


    .


    .


    Apollo''s Pov


    "Haaaa....."


    I breathe feeling all my wounds healing.


    "I really thought my pain tolerance was high but the pain that fights brought on me was immense"


    Since my body is that of a mage moving and executing ki circulation from one weapon art to the other put great pressure on my body. A normal mage would have died but since I have the system I was able to survive and even won a fight.


    [Your body has received too much strain after that fight, I recommend that you switch to casting spells instead]


    Find your next read at empire


    "Yeah perhaps so but now I should use the Death stone"


    [Please wait a bit more since I am fixing some parts of your tissues]


    "Alright"


    When my opponent and I fought, each time our swords clashed the shockwaves of our blades would do some small to large cuts on me.


    "Mirror Tenfold can''t mirror shockwaves since it wasn''t a direct attack on me, same goes when he sent me flying"


    For that skill to activate the spell or physical attack must directly hit me first, and since the skill Light of Aegis is here no attacks can easily reach me.


    Still feeling tired I lay down right beside the person I just slayed.


    The scent of blood suddenly entered my nose making me scan the person I just fought and killed.


    "Now who could you be?" I said while my eyes glanced at his dead face.


    [He is the king''s little brother]


    "He is?"


    [Yes Creator, while you were fighting I was scanning the city for any information and I found all the information of our enemies]


    "I see give it to me"


    A flash of multiple screens emerged in front of me, and along with the names of each individual, their stats were attached to them as well as their background.


    "This is some normal background," I said while swiping the screen to see the next ones.


    People with humble origins later gain fame and fortune due to their skills. Why do people like them gamble with their lives into this mess? Just what exactly drives them to join the Crusaders and try to even kill the World Tree?


    [Creator, I thought you said the truth doesn''t matter]


    Everything feels like I am floating and soon I glided through the darkness that envelops me.


    .


    .


    .


    "Hmmm?...."


    "What is it, sir Arthur?"


    "Sonya stay here I a bit" he stated while striding towards a certain section of the corner.


    "Hmm.." he felt a sudden amusement when his instinct was right. Three bodies were lying on the floor dead by a bullet and throwing daggers.


    "Sir, is there something I should worry about?"


    "No, it''s okay..." Arthur suddenly halted his words making her subordinate Sonya worried.


    "Is there something behind me sir?"


    Arthur didn''t answer instead he did a sudden blink, a short-distance teleportation to transport himself behind Sonya. Witnessing that sudden move the young senior mage hurriedly began casting.


    "Came out" Arthur firmly said while an unexpected grin painted his face. Sonya who also saw that smile suddenly had a hunch what was going on.


    "Could it be?" she began to think but his eyes remain looking at the place where Arthur''s back is facing.


    "Apollo I said come out, I know it''s you" he added confirming Sonya''s hypothesis.


    "Come out now or I''ll rip that dark thingy you are wearing"


    His voice became firm and strict though Sonya felt like he was just teasing the boy. Then a sudden movement transpires along the dark shadows of the drain.


    "Alright alright here I am" said a childish voice coming out of the corner.


    "What did I tell you" the senior mage began to scold the boy whose appearance was being cloth by a cloak of darkness.


    "Stay where you are and contact us if you encounter any enemy"


    "Don''t use that tone on me"


    "Sir Arthur can''t you see me I won''t be sliced off because of the artifact I am using"


    "Ah, because of that thing, Alya found you are becoming arrogant no?"


    "It''s not that but the weapons in my arsenal are the ones that I am confident in"


    Then a rifle suddenly appears in his hand and smugly shows it to his father figure.


    "Look it''s good isn''t it?"


    "Did Gavin make this for you?"


    "Kind off I just made some modifications, oh Miss Sonya!"


    "Hi little sun it seems you have hunted more than you should"


    "Well that''s because I detected that reinforcements have arrived"


    "Reinforcements? How?"


    "There is a waypoint in this kingdom that is connected to their allied headquarters"


    Waypoints are natural-born transition portals that are created through the connection of massive mana pools and the massive spreading of ancient tree lines. Some trees or ponds are connected through their massive mana, this was the case because they are born from the same origin.

 Chapter 177 The Emperors Verdict

    Waypoints are natural-born transition portals that are created through the connection of massive mana pools and the massive spreading of ancient tree lines. Some trees or ponds are connected through their massive mana, this was the case because they are born from the same origin or parent.


    Examples of these are suckering types of trees, they propagate by producing new shoots or sprouts from their root system, which can eventually develop into new trees. These groves of trees are connected by their root systems. Which serves as their connection for the waypoint, ancient parent trees expand into thousands of kilometres and produce dozens of new shoots that are accessible for travelling.


    The eastern kingdoms have a considerable amount of them, and the Crusaders must have acquired a parent tree to use for travelling.


    Back to Apollo who currently shares the information he got to Arthur. It seems he is bragging about his new creations.


    "So how did you get these mechanical soldiers you have?"


    "Sir Gavin gave me the scrap ones they no longer use so I made some modifications and tada!"


    A heavy sound of metal hitting the floor echoes on the dark drain, though the ground becomes dented due to the soldier''s weight. Sonya on the other hand can''t help but gasp when five hundred giant silhouettes emerge from Apollo''s inventory.


    "Just how much space did your space ring have? Did the head give you a space ring the same size as a field?"


    "No, actually he gave me the size of a city" Since Apollo can''t reveal the truth about the inventory, he just lets them assume it was the space ring on his finger.


    However, hearing Apollo''s words made Arthur and Sonya surprise.


    "That old man sure spoils you a lot" Sonya voices her opinion seemingly amused at the situation.


    "So how exactly are you going to use these things?"


    Arthur began to ask as he scanned the towering mechanical knights.


    "About that I have this with me" A mischievous grin escapes from the boy''s face as he takes out something from his inventory.


    It was an object with a sleek, rectangular design with a flat, touchscreen display that covered most of its surface. The said screen occupies the front panel, with minimal bezels around it. The back on the other hand was made of metal with a transparent glass covering. It also has a thin profile, making it lightweight and portable.


    "Now what do we have here" the senior witch said while looking curious since it was her first time seeing an object like what Apollo was holding.


    "This is the controller that I made with sir Gavin before, I already installed the map so it should make the navigation easier"


    "The Blue Moon tower sure has unique things inside, so how would this thing help us?"


    "Sir Arthur like I said it''s a controller, it controls the soldiers while the map will help us navigate and efficiently allocate the forces we have"


    "Then what about these blinking lights? Why are they different from each other?"


    The emperor remained looking at them while his blonde golden hair swayed as the wind began to touch it, despite his calm appearance the tension was already rising with each passing second.


    "Your majesty, the council was made as a counterpart for the Mage Tower and Mage Association, however the difference between the two sides is that the council is made of martial artists and weapon masters, while the Tower and Association is made of mages. We built this organization specifically for the benefit of the empire"


    The King said as he tried his best to convince the emperor.


    "Counterpart? The benefit of the empire? How can you call it benefit when you are all benefitting on your own terms? And the fact that this organization haven''t been approved by me means that I could consider this an act of rebellion"


    In reality, the imperial family has long known the existence of the council, they just don''t interfere with their business since they have been operating cleanly. However, it seems their new members are not adhering towards the organisation''s beliefs.


    Inside the continent, there are four powers that support the empire aside from the four dual families. The Aster Academy at the west, the Wizard Tower at the south and the Mage Association in the north. As for the East, they have the elusive Council, which only operates secretly.


    "Your majesty I can assure you that the council was made for the best interest of the people, it''s just that, right now we are facing a massive problem"


    "Let me guess the Holy Crusaders? perhaps that is what keeps your little group from even reporting to me"


    The King and the rest of the royal family went silent with his words. It''s as if something had cut off their tongue.


    "Speak although I already know everything about these crusaders, I still want to know why none of the council tried to stop it from happening. And now the World tree is in danger"


    Each word the emperor said sent a nerve-wracking chill to those who heard it. He may look calm but he is simply a silent beast that rages deep inside, a very calm storm.


    "Your majesty if you have known the truth, then please understand us, we simply can''t kill our own kin"


    The King spoke again though his eyes felt like a bottomless pit of sadness, but in great contrast, the emperor remained devoid of any expression. His face was cold and remained neutral.


    Explore hidden tales at empire


    "Neos" Augustus began to speak the king''s name as he became even more terrorizing.


    "I, once killed my brother to save a kingdom, how come none of you can commit the same act? Why, did all of you hesitate when you all know the consequences of what they are doing?"


    None try to speak, for they knew what happened towards the youngest brother of the emperor.


    "You said the council is for the people but when you are all needed to make a move you hesitate to take it, to do it, to stop something that should have never happened"


    "From today onwards the council is abolished, any meeting and gathering under its name will be considered as a rebellion against my reign"


    After giving his decision the emperor stood up from the throne of King Neos and walked past the kneeling guards and royal family members.

 Chapter 178 Hunting the Crusaders

    Apollo''s Pov


    The operation at the kingdom of Lumen ended well, and fortunately, despite the ruckus I made while I fought the king''s brother, nothing happened to the city and its people. We are fortunate that an archmage like Linda was there, she and the rest of the mages made sure that no innocent people would be harmed.


    Even when the very road the people were walking to was already gone, they made sure they wouldn''t be able to notice it. For the ordinary folks, it was just another ordinary day but for us, it was nerve-wracking how we needed to make sure no one would notice the slaughter that was happening.


    One of the Emperor''s commands at that time was no harm shall fall on the people of Lumen, so we made such a move. However, I was a bit confused as to why they had to resort to such use of magic. The conquering spell that was used on Scintilla was something that could be destroyed but at the expense of the city. They could have put a more secure spell but they chose to execute that.


    There is only one thing that I realized, they were simply testing the Crusaders, if they were pure evil then would never care about the people''s lives and hurriedly destroy the spell despite the result being the city''s destruction. However, if they weren''t that bad then they would never do such a thing and the result is how we saw it.


    The mages of the tower were simply curious and so they made such a move.


    It seems he was right a mage''s driving point will always be their curiosity. However, I felt that curiosity was misplaced there.


    Putting those things aside we still need to accomplish another task from the emperor. Eliminating the Crusaders and finding the cure for the World Tree.


    I am currently wearing my protective gear which is technically a nano armor hidden by the mage robe I am wearing. Sir Gavin and the rest of the Blue Moon tower mages have finally created some significant advancements with their research. That is why this nano armour is more efficient than before.


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    "It feels even lighter!"


    I exclaim while moving my body to examine the armour.


    "Can''t we join you guys on the hunt?" Mckenzie asked while embracing his sword. It seems he wants to go.


    "Child the previous hunt was set up with a powerful conquering spell, so the tide of the battle was leaning on us, but now it''s different. We will attack their headquarters so it will be more dangerous. And who knows if those people had set up an anti-magic circle, so stay"


    Jonaf a mage from the Red Sun tower said while Sonya convinced the other children not to come.


    "Apollo do you think you can fix these mechanical knights that we lost?" asked Sir Arthur while I could only shake my head in answer.


    "The core that enables self-healing and power of the soldiers was sliced off, and with its parts cut to pieces it''s impossible for me to so fix it"


    "I see then how many soldiers do you have left"


    "Around a thousand, I think it should be enough"


    "I am a bit worried perhaps we can notify the Blue Moon tower for more soldiers"


    "I don''t think they can produce more since I already took most of the able ones and scraps they have"


    "Still we should notify them, perhaps they can give us some back up"


    "Okay I will send a message"


    I then tapped my communication bracelet and a projection of a keyboard appeared. Immediately I tap the message I want to send.


    A few hours went by, and inside the training hall, the members of the Crusaders started packing and erasing any traces that could be linked to their ominous plan. However, while they continued to burn the files and some documents, the flames started moving aggressively.


    "Mages!"


    "An attack!"


    "Quickly destroy everything"


    They exclaimed while panic began to consume them. It was an unnatural panic since they have an unbreakable will and calm mind, which are assets they are proud of. It was something that every martial artist and weapon user is proud of.


    [Notification Alert!


    The skilled Oppressor has been active!


    The entire city is under its effects decreasing 70% of the enemy''s willpower!


    Alert!


    Enemy morale has been decreased!


    Debuff has been added!]


    No matter how strong a will is, under the might of the system''s created skill, it would crumble immediately.


    Amongst the panic, multiple figures began to take action.


    Silently from the shadows, a person began to emerge, his black armour and cloak were blending well into the darkness. He surveys the area and spots multiple people fleeing the scene.


    Then that figure finally strikes using capsular grenades aiming for his first target. The projectile glints in the dimly lit room, but despite the panic those crusaders were quick to react, deflecting it with their metal gauntlets and swords.


    Explosion transpire but the darkness remains. Soon spells storm in snapping the panic out of the fleeing people.


    With their sanity restored, their senses were able to pick up dozens of multiple opponents, and with their worry gone they rushed forward to attack. They charge forward with their sword drawn, engaging in close-quarters combat. Their movements are aggressive and precise, showcasing their expert swordsmanship and enhanced physical strength.


    Their opponents on the other hand are metallic knights created through the use of technology and magic. Among those inhumane machines, a child-like figure can be seen standing.


    That figure soon joins the battle, countering his enemy''s blade with his own sword. He parried and dodged with graceful, fluid motions. The clash of blades rings out as he uses his agility to stay out of his enemy''s powerful strikes. The unique trait of an archer can be seen being utilized.


    However, the mysterious figure remains hidden by his dark cloak resulting in his opponent feeling dreadful. With his mind being influenced a voice began to speak.


    "KNEEL"


    Commanded by the voice and immediately the warrior fell and kneeled.


    "What?" he questioned, baffled by the situation however before he could even recover, a blade was already aiming at his neck.


    "Damn it!" he exclaimed coating his body with aura.

 Chapter 179 Hunting the Crusaders part II

    "KNEEL"


    Commanded by the voice immediately the warrior fell and kneeled.


    "What?" he questioned, baffled by the situation however before he could even recover, a blade was already aiming at his neck.


    "Damn it!" he exclaimed coating his body with an aura.


    A sound of steel clashing reverberated as the swordsman''s aura managed to block his attacker''s strike.


    "Gravity one hundred times" said the voice and the force that pulls everything in its place strengthened in a specific place.


    A crushing sound came after and the swordsman''s body hit the floor. Auras are connected through the minds of their wielder, if they get distracted or waiver their aura will disappear. As soon as the swordsman''s body heavily hit the floor his mind became unstable.


    This moment was immediately seized and the black figure planted his sword on his opponent''s body.


    While he had taken one crusader more explosions transpired with mages bombing the place. Wind and heat mix together and hit the little silhouette who is standing among the mechanical knights.


    The rustle of scorching wind blew his hood and a hair of sunset rose among the burning place.


    [Creator I have been noticing this fact ever since we fought some non-magic users]


    "What fact is it?"


    [Creator, despite them using swords I still haven''t seen anyone manifesting sword intent, all I can see are auras, wasn''t aura a martial intent? Shouldn''t it be exclusive to martial artist only?]


    "Not exactly Jeremiah, weapon users are also masters of hand-to-hand combat, that is in case their weapon were to be broken mid-battle they could easily switch to bare hands. For your question about why we only encounter aura users, it''s because sword intent and other weapon intent are extremely difficult to achieve. Only a selected few can manifest it"


    [I see so that''s it, I wonder what will happen if we encounter someone with an aura and sword intent]


    "That, would be a disaster" the boy thought so while using the stone of death as his veil, however as he covered himself with darkness something suddenly pulled his attention behind his back.


    [Dodge!]


    His mana suddenly spikes up and his mind immediately conjures any spells that can be cast easily.


    "PANG!"


    A spell called Wind Hum was compressed and fired on the attacker''s face, giving Apollo time to cast another spell.


    The chanting bracelets on his wrist glow signifying its effect on assisting the mage who wears it. And with its assistance, the young mage was able to control his spell freely.


    "Gust" Apollo suddenly said casting another basic spell, a wind spell which the boy compressed in his hand, and fire through the field hitting a person whose appearance was hidden by the surroundings. With two spells hitting their target the momentum of the attacker has died down.


    [That is a very useful stealth ability]


    "Jeremiah copy that"


    [Roger that]


    A smirk emerges on the boy''s face seeing how the darkness from the stone of death masked the arrows'' presence.


    "Hoo.." the boy draws his breath as he combines his spell on the tips of the arrows.


    "Go" he commanded and the wind spell inside the weapon blew up as soon as he released the string. Then as it flew, it began to multiply shooting the three people who were about to attack. With those three dead, he immediately changed his weapon and paid heed to Jeremiah''s words.


    [Someone is coming be prepared]


    He held his sword and steadily blocked the invisible sword that came towards him. However, his new opponent is relentless. He uses his superior combat skills and tactical knowledge to adapt to the boy''s fighting style, countering with a series of powerful blows that test the boy''s patience.


    As the fight intensifies, Apollo deploys a series of spells, creating a thick cloud that obscures their vision. He uses the cover to reposition himself and launch a surprise attack from above. This made his opponent momentarily disoriented by the smoke but quickly recovered. He uses his advanced senses to track the boy''s movements, launching a barrage of sword slashes to flush him out.


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    But as the smoke subsides he discovers an empty place with no one standing there. Only the floor full of sword slashes can be seen, no cloaked enemy, instinct then kicks in telling him to run. However it was too late, a gunshot rang and before he knew it blood was already flowing out of his body.


    "Damn it" he could only say as he finally succumbed to the darkness.


    "Are they more?"


    [Yes, but we should probably keep some alive since we need them for information]


    "Alright, by the way, can you scan the place and see if we can find anything here"


    [I was about to suggest going around the training hall since I have scanned something, it''s good you have thought of it]


    "So what did you scan?"


    [I found a faint fluctuating energy underneath the training hall, here is the map]


    "I see I''ll go there"


    Then the boy pulled his cloak and immediately disappeared. The mages of the tower on the underhand just look at each other before summoning their spirits to track down the boy. Among them was Arthur and Gavin who immediately looked at the marker they put on Apollo.


    "He is going down?" Gavin said feeling a bit confused but continued to move his fingers to manipulate the mechanical knights.


    .


    .


    .


    "It''s so dark" Apollo can''t help but voice out while taking a hidden passage he discovers through Jeremiah.


    [Just continue walking Creator!]


    He voiced out making the boy curious as to what energy Jeremiah sensed. Then at the end of the narrow tunnel, a room welcomes him.


    "What the hell is this" the young mage couldn''t help but exclaim as he saw what the room contained.

 Chapter 180 His wrath

    Before arriving inside the room Apollo first saw wall-mounted sconces with candlelight that provided a soft glow that illuminated the path until he arrived at the door. Opening it he first saw parchment scrolls and maps of every Word tree extension that can be found in the empire, they all hung on the walls.


    Then right beside the walls is a chalkboard and large sheets of parchment display with complex alchemical symbols and equations.


    At the center of the lab is a large piece of wooden workbench cluttered with various alchemical apparatus. There were ornate glass alembics, retorts, crucibles, and distillation apparatuses. These tools are often intricately designed, with elaborate metalwork and delicate glasswork. Cauldrons which bubbles with mysterious liquids over open flames and small hearths, casting a warm, flickering light.


    Though the scent it expels was the least pleasing but boy decided to ignore them. Then there are also cobblestone and crystal vials.


    This dimly lit room built by wooden beams and stone walls that Apollo found also contains, shelves that lined up with leather-bound tomes, glass jars filled with strange ingredients, and antiquated tools. However, it wasn''t the part that made the boy livid.


    At the very center of the lab right behind the wooden workbench, is a large glass tube with a mysterious glowing liquid inside it, the liquid was greenish but then if you focus enough you can see something floating inside the glass tube.


    "What the hell is this" the young mage couldn''t help but exclaim as he saw what the room contained.


    "Are they conducting some kind of experimentation here" he added while a frown reigns over his face.


    "That one thing on the tube" he began to say as he approached right in front of it.


    "Why?..." the boy''s thoughts began to be in shambles as he confusingly thought "Why do I feel you are familiar to me?!"


    He then gently touched the glass tube and felt the existence of the tiny shard of wood, or perhaps a root.


    "Familiar feeling and a wrath that came out of nowhere"


    "Where exactly are these feelings coming from!"


    [Creator calm down!]


    The boy stared at the shard still shaking with anger until he soon calmed down.


    "Let''s search the place first, give me all the information you can gather"


    [I will Creator]


    Apollo then looks at the piece of root inside the tube and slowly his eyes soften. As he closed his eyes he began tracing the feeling and where exactly he felt it before.


    [Creator I have found a piece of disturbing news, I suggest consulting the other mages about it]


    "Okay," he answered though his eyes still closed.


    "World tree" he mutters, then he finally opens his eyes.


    "They took a part of her" he added looking like a calm raging storm.


    Jeremiah remain silent as if agreeing to what his Creator said.


    The boy might remain calm, but deep inside he wants to break everything inside the room.


    "This is a piece of the world tree right?"


    [Yes it is my Creator]


    Apollo clenches his teeth angry but also confused at his own feelings. He doesn''t know why he has emotions that he knows he shouldn''t have. They keep appearing making him feel he is missing something. It''s as if he is longing for something very important, yet he doesn''t know anything about it.


    Five magical circles came up signifying five spells simultaneously being cast.


    "Combination spell, Five elements"


    Earth, wind, fire, water and darkness, five elements became one and turned into a singular spell. It was a type of fusion magic that left his opponent staggering, though it wasn''t enough to kill them.


    [They have a heavy knight]


    The boy just nodded seeing a singular shield that shines to block his powerful spell. Apollo just stares at them before summoning a weapon.


    "Let''s see how strong your shield is"


    A weapon that was shaped like a drill and a handle like a spear landed on the boy''s hand. Despite its size, it didn''t seem to bother its wielder. And as soon as the spell finishes blasting its targets, the boy lunges forward targeting the shield that blocked most of the power of his spell.


    Ki began to circulate across his body boosting his muscles with strength.


    The sound of steel hitting echoes until another sound takes over. It was the sound of something drilling. Sparks then flew away as the spear began drilling the shield.


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    The high rotational speed and focused application of force, became a combination that allowed the weapon to exert significant pressure on the shield, until cracks finally emerged.


    The boy on the other hand had his left hand cast a spell while the right hand held the drilling spear.


    "I said no one will cast anything" Apollo voiced out seeing the five mages trying to cast a spell despite slowly dying due to the spell Manus maledicta.


    Air suddenly disappeared leaving ten people suffocated, then as their breath almost seized, warm energy began to be focused on a single point.


    The ten people felt their demise was coming and they hurriedly tried to flee, however with their path being too narrow they weren''t able to move. Especially the guy who holds a shield since a drill was right in front of him. Soon fissures spread out and broke the golden shield leaving the knight injured and defenceless.


    Apollo remained serious without any reaction to what just happened, then finally he spoke his spell.


    "Blast out inferno"


    A red magic circle began to be drawn in the air, taking advantage of the shield''s destruction it blew up the entire passage.


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes]


    "Make sure this place won''t break"


    [I will]


    After eliminating his unnecessary guest he began to chant again.


    "Darkness element Necromancy magic, Veritas"


    A dark tainted smoke appeared on the ground before grabbing the souls of the people he just killed. They scream in an eerie manner but the boy remains devoid of any emotion.


    "Now then tell me what you did to her"


    His voice was cold and oozing with bloodlust and even though those souls have no physical body, they began to tremble. Afraid of the little boy in front of them.

 Chapter 181 He wants to see the tree

    Gavin''s Pov


    He is mad, really really mad. Did something piss him off to look like this?


    The last time he had this look was when we first met. His expression was devoid of any emotion while his eyes had this cold glint as if aiming to kill someone. It was the kid who had no love for anything until Astro intervened. However, why is he reverting to his previous self? That Apollo that didn''t seem interested in anything and only followed the head wherever he went.


    Why does he look like that?


    "Sir Gavin"


    "Yes?"


    I was suddenly taken aback when he suddenly spoke, especially with those cold-looking eyes staring at me. I felt like I was being scanned.


    "I will be keeping that" he voiced his demands pointing at the piece of the world tree.


    "Kid I think we can''t give that to you"


    "!?"


    I was suddenly alarmed and concerned when a mage from the association spoke.


    "Don''t worry I am not asking for permission I am only informing you guys" Little Sun replied while his eyes reflected nothing but a silent beast.


    "Boy we know you play a role in finding this place, but we can''t just hand over important evidence and piece of information"


    "I already gave you the information you all need, did you not read what I showed you? Are you blind or are you illiterate?"


    I was suddenly taken aback when his voice suddenly rose so high like that. Fortunately, the two mages he was arguing with didn''t speak, it seems they felt the sudden change in the boy''s behaviour.


    "Kid you alright? If I remember correctly you weren''t like those before" he asked seemingly worried about our little sun.


    Despite the rivalry between the tower and the association, we can still put our differences aside when it comes to serious situations.


    "Oh my, are you going through puberty right now? Are you in that stage of your life where you are turning rebellious?"


    "Is that what''s going on?"


    "No I am not in that or anything" Apollo tried to explain and switch his tone to speak to the two mages from the association.


    "Kid we will give the shard but let us make a report first and ask some superiors, no worries we can just say we need to do some research after showing it to them, and then we will give it to you"


    They tried to explain fortunately Little Sun finally agreed though he seemed a bit disappointed. Witnessing this the two mages couldn''t help but change the subject.


    "Gavin" Arthur spoke suddenly making me surprised for a second.


    "What is it?" I answered as I shifted my gaze from Apollo to him.


    "Did something happen at the operation a while ago? Apollo looks a bit, angry?"


    "I think it''s because of the World tree, you know that any mage can go mad if they knew about this"


    "I am mad as well but I think Apollo wouldn''t be this out of control just because of that"


    "I know but let''s just observe the boy for now"


    Then as we continued our conversation a presence suddenly appeared behind me though I didn''t bother knowing who it was, but then a voice suddenly spoke surprising me and Arthur.


    "Sir Gavin" we both jolted and looked at the source of it only to see Apollo.


    "I want to see the World Tree"


    "Mage Alger, we have detected some intruders I think we should capture them before letting the boy approach the world tree"


    A knight from the imperial army said though Apollo just shakes his head.


    "I will be fine so let me in"


    The knight looks worried and instead looks at Alger, letting him decide.


    "It''s okay let the boy in"


    With those words from the head, the knight obeyed.


    "We will stand guard instead, so please be safe" After saying those words the knight bows before leading the way towards the barrier that protects the tree.


    "Mage Alger I suggest we do this quickly, I am too worried to make the boy stay here any longer"


    "It''s okay sir I can defend myself"


    The soldier just laughed at the boy''s words before nodding.


    "Alright if you say so"


    In the eyes of many the word tree is still the same but for Apollo and some mages, it was merely a blurry spell put up to deceive the eyes of others.


    They walked around the spell until they arrived at the rift inside the barrier. This was made specifically for passage however only specific people are permitted to enter.


    "Here it is be careful" The knight was truly worried as he repeatedly said those words.


    "I will be fine sir thank you" the boy told him trying to assure the worried knight.


    With Alger by his side Apollo went towards the rift and entered.


    The air suddenly changed and the boy could only look up and observe the old majestic tree.


    "This" he mutters while a sudden pain washes over him. He couldn''t help but clench his fist while his eyes flared with anger.


    "I know what you feel, I also had the same reaction when is saw this the first time, but it doesn''t mean I will let you sacrifice yourself. I love the world tree and respect its significant role in this world. However, your life is far more important to me. I don''t care what happens, I will choose you even if it means ruining this world"


    Alger said those words as he locked his gaze at the tree, it was still determined and didn''t waver a single bit.


    "Grandpa"


    "Yes my dear sun"


    "I will go"


    The old mage couldn''t help but close his eyes seemingly expecting those words.


    "You will be back right?" he questioned shifting his gaze from the tree to Apollo.


    "I will"


    Apollo smiled warmly as he said those words.


    He might be the strongest mage of his age but in front of this old man, he was still the same little boy he caught blowing up his own house.


    "Alright go inside" he finally lets him go wishing that he will return just like he said.


    The wind blew solemnly as if mourning the loss of someone important. Then this quiet place turns stormy while the old mage still stands from where he was.


    "You are too late Isabella"

 Chapter 182 The flickering light

    Apollo''s Pov.


    When I first saw the world tree it was only in a piece of picture that brother Astro provided for me. It was beautiful, ginormous and magnificent but now it slowly dying. I still remember how brother Astro told me that the world tree is as big as a small city. Looking at it now he wasn''t really lying. It was really big making me and grandpa look like an ant.


    However, its state made me feel depressed.


    It once had a mighty trunk but now it''s gnarled and cracked. The bark, once rough and rugged, is peeling away in large, irregular patches, revealing the pale, worn wood underneath. The branches, once thick and lush, stretch out like skeletal fingers, some devoid of leaves altogether. The remaining foliage is thin and wilted, shaded with hues of brown and gray.


    Its roots, which once dug deep into the earth with strength, are now exposed and tangled, struggling to anchor the tree as it weakens. Despite its state, the tree stands as a silent testament to its long, storied life, bearing the weight of its rule as the filter of this world.


    I can''t help but clench my teeth while the feeling of torment reigns in my heart.


    "I need to get closer," I thought and so I tried to speak.


    "This...."


    I wish to say something but grandpa voices his concerns first as if knowing the things I want to say.


    "I know what you feel, I also had the same reaction when is saw this the first time, but it doesn''t mean I will let you sacrifice yourself. I love the world tree and respect its significant role in this world. However, your life is far more important to me. I don''t care what happens, I will choose you even if it means ruining this world"


    His words made me happy, but I know losing one tree will be the death of the others, because they are connected to each other.


    "Grandpa" I spoke feeling that I must really do something.


    "Yes my dear sun"


    "I will go"


    I said letting my feelings reach him, although I couldn''t see his face because he was looking at the tree I knew he was conflicted.


    "You will be back right?" he questioned shifting his gaze from the tree to me, so I answered wanting to reassure my precious grandfather.


    "I will"


    I smiled warmly as I said those words, I hoped in that way I could calm his mind.


    "Alright go inside"


    He finally gave his consent making me ecstatic, and so I warmly hug him before running towards the world tree.


    "I will be back grandpa!"


    "Yes, this old man shall wait!" he shouted while I dashed towards the largest trunk I had ever seen.


    [Creator! I found a path underneath those large roots. It seems that is the place the crusaders use to extract the life of the tree]


    I can''t help but grit my teeth angry at what they did to her.


    Wait who is her?


    I became confused and didn''t know what thoughts I was having.


    [Creator now go inside that path and follow the arrow I am showing to you]


    "Okay"


    I decided to bury those thoughts and only focus on the things I needed to do.


    .


    .


    .


    Inside the World tree, at first, the boy thought it would be dark and murky however his worry is the direct opposite of what he is seeing.


    The interior of the tree is a vast, hollow field with walls formed by intricately twisted wood, lined up with luminescent fungi and bioluminescent moss that bathe the space in a soft, ethereal glow. The roots and branches weave through the space like natural pillars and arches, creating a network of pathways and nooks. Apollo felt a sudden emotion as if it wasn''t the first time he had gone there.


    "Is this what they call deja vu?"


    [Are you certain it''s your first time here? I can feel your soul has a lingering attachment towards this place]


    "I don''t know either but I believe I will find the answer here"


    And so they walked even more only to see a dazzling set of lights.


    "Whoah" he can''t help but exclaims while his small silhouette gets swallowed by a legion of dancing light.


    Thousands of glowing lights similar to fireflies emerge, their lights dancing among the tree''s wooden silhouette. The golden, flickering illumination contrasts beautifully with the cool, silver light of the bioluminescent moss, casting an enchanting, rhythmic display on the walls. Despite the place being inside a tree trunk, the air is filled with a gentle hum as the lights move in harmony.


    With the lights dancing around, the boy finds himself enchanted.


    "Those are..!"


    [Spirits] Jeremiah continued Apollo''s words knowing how mesmerised his Creator is.


    "All the spirits living in this World tree, came here to prolong its life"


    For three years they didn''t obey their master''s summons and instead remained here. Using the last bit of their power to heal the world tree.


    "If they have the power to prolong the life of the world tree. How come none of them try to defend it from the culprit who did this" he mutters as he makes his way amongst the ocean of lights. However, as he did so a sudden chill ran down his spine.


    "I can feel them" he mumbles when he realizes that some of the weakened spirits began following him. It seems his leaking mana became the beacon for them to gather around the boy.


    "They can feel me....so it seems they can sense me through my mana, now I wonder...." he spoke cryptically while the atmosphere surrounding him changed.


    "I wonder why none of the spirits can sense you," he said as he approached a group of shadows, they stealthily made their way towards this place.


    "I am asking you!" black-tainted energy emerges from his body as his bloodlust sparks up his power.


    However, this change made the flickering power of the spirits go down even more.


    [Creator the spirits!]


    "Jeremiah used the copied authority of the God of space and trapped us all inside it!"


    He commanded and immediately golden lights danced across the hollow space.


    Apollo was worried not just for the spirits but also for the tree. If they were to fight then it would seriously weaken the already dying tree.


    He couldn''t let it happen so he made the order of trapping him along with five strong crusader members.


    "Jeremiah boost my stats but leave some because I will be needing it later"


    [I got it, Creator]


    Then as soon as he gave that command his body was bathed with light. With his wrath, he summons his mithril staff and spear.


    "Automatic Machinery, weapon fusion"

 Chapter 183 The fight under the tree

    As the authority of God of Space took over. The entire sealed area became Apollo''s territory. Without wasting another second he made another command.


    "Automatic Machinery, weapon fusion"


    Two weapons emerge from his palms, one is a silvery white staff with a touch of color blue on its surface, while the other is a black spear with blue markings on it.


    As soon as those two weapons appeared one of the five looming shadows lunged forward, finally revealing his bladed weapon. The swordmaster charges fast appearing right in front of the boy. As his sword gleams, he swings his arms to give a powerful horizontal cut aimed at the boy''s midsection.


    However just like any fight he had encountered the boy already calculated his move, making him anticipate the attack. To answer the horizontal cut the young mage quickly conjures a barrier to block the strike. Apollo then held the newly created weapon as he welcomed the spearman who stealthily charged along with the swordsman.


    These two plan to use the swordmaster''s precise strikes to disrupt the mage''s focus, while the spearman would use his weapon to keep the mage from moving freely. The spear''s thrusts would force the mage to stay on the defensive. Unbeknownst to the two advancing masters their opponent had already predicted that move.


    And so Apollo circulated his ki across the circuits of his body, while his mind conjured a spell and made his mana spike up deep within his mana pool.


    The skill master weaponist was also activated giving the boy a boost. The spear arrived as soon as the sword met the barrier. The young mage then made a counter by casting a spell, mudflow. This spell disrupts the landscape causing the two weapon masters to fall back.


    [Enemy Aura has been activated, my Creator]


    The distraction was short-lived because their powerful auras and ki control made the spell useless, though that didn''t bother Apollo. The short amount of time the spell gave made it possible for him to cast a more high-level spell.


    A magister-level spell immediately fires up as soon as they try to attack. The spell Storm activated but it wasn''t the only one that blasted the face of the intruders. Inside the newly formed weapon between the spear and staff, a spell came out combined with the spell, storm.


    A combination spell Firestorm was created, a type of fusion magic that left the ground burning.


    As soon as the spell was successfully fired Apollo tried to reposition himself, however, before he could even move the flames made by his spell were sliced through. The attack that turned the flames into nothing didn''t stop but instead continued forward until it reached the boy''s position.


    The little mage remained calm and shifted the weight of his body smoothly dodging the strike.


    [Arrows, incoming!]


    Warn by Jeremiah and so Apollo activated one of the spells stored inside his weapon. As he did so his vision saw three weapon masters already coming towards him.


    "Manus maledicta"


    From the holy ground of the World Tree, burned charcoal hands suddenly spawn on the soil of the hollow space, grabbing the bodies of his five opponents.


    Apollo just smirked when he saw how the hands grabbed the dozens of arrows that almost penetrated his barrier.


    [3 seconds before your opponents break your spell]


    The boy just nodded and changed the rhythm of his magic.


    Sparks suddenly rise from his body as he casts one of his most powerful spells.


    "Thunder Aura" he chanted then his ears picked the sound of his spell breaking. He immediately moves while arrows follow his body.


    [To the left]


    Despite his speed his five opponents were still able to track his movement and before Apollo knew it he was already surrounded.


    [Should I activate it now?]


    "No, it''s too destructive"


    However, the young mage wasn''t the only one preparing to attack. Due to the grace of the shield artifact, all wounds of the five weapon masters disappear while an added boost penetrates their skin. And just like that, all the injuries they received a while ago healed.


    [...]


    "..."


    "Why do I feel that shield is too good to be true"


    [The stone of death was a useful tool as well, just a little different from that shield]


    Apollo could only nod his head as he raised his weapon, five spells then activated, and immediately it fired at the newly healed enemies. As the spell fires the boy can predict how the artifact will negate his spell. So he made a command immediately.


    "Jeremiah makes sure that shield won''t be able to shine again"


    [Got it]


    With Jeremiah''s assistance, the shield was jammed and wasn''t able to protect the five from the blast of five combined lightning spells, however.


    [They managed to block your spell with Armament]


    Apollo felt conflicted, he wanted to use a more powerful spell but he was worried about creating more damage despite the sealed space.


    [Dont worry Creator, anything that happens here won''t affect the outside world]


    "That''s good to hear"


    The marking of the spear suddenly glows while five silhouettes begin to charge forward.


    "Hoo..." he started to breathe as the lightning charged his entire body.


    "Thunder Aura, Negative lightning"


    Five strokes of mass electricity hit five targets however with Aura armaments it didn''t do much damage.


    [You must break their defence]


    "Yes I know"


    Since normal spells couldn''t penetrate the armament. Apollo then summons his spear. All the symbols and markings began to glow.


    [Creator they are coming]


    "Tsk, I can''t cast properly"


    With his mind being occupied with dodging and parrying attacks, the young mage can''t concentrate enough to be able to formulate a spell.


    Because of that ki and mana began to combine and vibrate, making his strikes as strong as the five weapon masters.


    However, with five against one Apollo finds himself getting cornered. Then as he was about to get injured Jeremiah cast a spell firestorm to halt their enemies'' advance.


    Despite that spell, the spearman tries to close the gap, thrusting his spear through the swirling flames. The young mage, aware of the spearman''s advance, uses his weapon to manipulate the spear trajectory, forcing the spearman to stagger and regain control.


    With the spear user disrupted, Jeremiah creates a swirling whirlwind that forces the weapon users to adjust their positions, disrupting their coordination.


    After that exchange, the dagger wielder attempts to close in using the shield''s remaining boost to breakthrough the spell. As he dart in and out of the young mage''s peripheral vision. Apollo was able to sense the approach and teleported to a new position, narrowly avoiding a flurry of dagger strikes.

 Chapter 184 Their story

    Apollo felt like this battle was going in circles, after they tried to approach him he would cast a spell and then repeat. The sequence was making him feel doubtful.


    He must do something to change the tide.


    So he charged his body with more mana making his speed go even faster.


    "I don''t know if this fight is going like this because they want me to run out of stamina"


    However, those men were truly incredible they were still able to track Apollo''s added speed. Arrows persistently follow while a spear strikes out of nowhere.


    The young mage didn''t really care instead his body began to emit a black tainted veil. The stone of death is now active and with its power, his presence began to disappear.


    With their target gone the five weapon masters spread their senses to locate him, but they couldn''t find any trace about the boy''s whereabouts. Not until they heard a voice.


    "Gravity 1000 times"


    It said and a force began to pull them immediately.


    Their mind screamed asking for the shield to protect them but with Jeremiah jamming the artifact, their voices couldn''t reach the shield.


    It''s as if a flying aircraft is falling at maximum speed right on top of their shoulders, its strength is too strong for them to move. Though Apollo knows their bodies can immediately adapt to each damage it takes. That''s why he can''t repeat the attack he already did before.


    "Even if they are being pushed by a strong gravity it seems their armament is still there" It only means their will and mind are still in a stable state because their aura is still on.


    At this rate, Apollo''s spells won''t be able to penetrate if those armaments don''t break, though the boy has a different plan.


    A dreadful force began to invade the space and a being corrupted to the core emerged.


    It was a demon-shaped human, while dark armour encased his body.


    "Damn it"


    They could only scream in their minds when a humanoid demon clutched the mithril handle of a bluish-black spear.


    "Explode," said the being and the ground began to glow revealing something dangerous.


    Written on the ragged surface of the soil, are symbols most mages are familiar with. All of a sudden there is a three-layered magic circle drawn on the ground.


    "I wasn''t mindlessly running around, since I can''t cast properly I decided to draw it instead," said the vicious voice.


    A powerful conquering spell went down towards the five bodies, knocking their only way of defence. The armament is gone with their abilities drop to the bottom. Try as they might they couldn''t gather their thoughts as if something was blocking it. With their will and minds in shambles, their aura can''t be used.


    This chance was well taken by Apollo, as he held the spear in his hand symbols began to glow. Then the blue symbols started to part until the weapon turned into pure energy. Darkness then combines with it until it becomes tainted.


    "What can this change I already killed them" he could only say as he witnessed how those mages broke the kid''s innocence. He can''t help but clench his teeth as the experiment starts. Flesh was cut, limps were mutilated and blood was spilled. The children that were abducted were all used and discarded if proved useless.


    Apollo remained watching until the season began to change.


    "How come no one came for them" he muttered almost like a whisper, as he continued to listen to their grieving cries.


    He never knew mages could be this cruel. It was a side he never knew existed. He never knew they could discard lives like this as if they were merely tools for their curiosity.


    "Curiosity is what drives mages to grow stronger.....hah, so was this what you mean?"


    He spoke while looking at the young teenager amongst the prison children.


    It was Lumen''s king and his younger brother, to think they too were abducted, but unlike the other kids, they look determined to get out.


    Apollo continues to observe until another mage arrives and notices the eyes of the two little boys.


    "What''s this? Wanna fight? Hah! Go ahead and try. I highly doubt you can even hurt me" he smugly said while giving those two boys a shock through his magic device.


    "Ah! I almost forgot your older brother shall be crowned as king! How nice isn''t it? ...well it wouldn''t be surprising considering how much he earns from selling you two. Our very promising test subject...HAHAHAHA!"


    His maniac laugh almost drives Apollo to travel back in time to kill him. He is very irritating to the extent the boy wishes he could forget all the consequences of time travelling so that he can cut that guy to pieces.


    If it weren''t for the fact he might change more than he intended he would have travelled back in time and prevented this event from happening.


    As he began to think that way the scene changed again and it was the day they were saved by the imperial soldiers.


    Apollo felt a sudden happiness as he watched them get rescued however that happiness was short-lived as he saw the victims suffer even after being rescued from those cells. Although they are free now their memories are still trapped inside that place. They weren''t able to move on and instead suffered from those memories.


    They especially reacted whenever they saw mages, their bodies would react in such a way that violence would become the answer. Their emotion wasn''t stable and they became highly sensitive to anyone who used magic.


    Some tried to heal but repeatedly failed, years of torment were too long for the scars it left to be removed. Their desperation and journey, all of this was witnessed by Apollo and slowly the scene changes again.


    They became members of the council while steadily trying to live normally until someone approached them. Their offer was too tempting and their words pulled the strings they tried to cut down.


    "Don''t you want to live happily without having those nightmares? Without the fear of being a prisoner again?"


    "Come allied with us"


    They knew it was wrong however their words made them crave for a normal life. A life without remembering the beings that created their endless nightmares.


    And just like that, the memory ended without showing how to save the World tree from dying.


    On the other hand, Apollo finally opened his eyes though what''s hidden behind them is something he will only know.

 Chapter 185 He knows what to do

    [Creator, your decision]


    Instead of an answer he instead gave a reluctant sigh.


    "I understand their reason however it''s not an excuse for the things they did to the World tree. Just imagine the consequences if they succeeded, this world will slowly die following the tree''s demise"


    "It was already too late since they already made their move. Their ending had already been decided the moment they accepted that offer" the boy thought as he cancelled the authority of the God of Space. As he did so Gale and Bulan ran towards their master.


    "You guys are here"


    "Master we felt your emotions are getting out of control so we came out" Gale stated while flying around Apollo.


    "I am sorry for that and thank you" his voice began to soften while his gaze changed. Then he shifted his gaze and looked at the seven silhouettes that floated among the other spirits.


    "By the way when did you guys arrive"


    "A while ago young master" Ifrit answered as he welcomed Apollo with a hug, though that action surprised the other spirits.


    "Alright, enough with this" Derus said an earth spirit which has the most powerful defence amongst the seven spirits. He then pulled Ifrit from hugging Apollo letting the other spirits speak to the little boy.


    However, their happy reunion didn''t last long since they could feel the sudden weakness of the tree.


    All of the spirits halted their movement even Apollo stopped and observed how the tree slowly dried out.


    "It''s dangerous here young master we must leave" Amihan suggested urging her little master to accompany them out.


    "No, I''ll stay"


    "!?"


    "Young master!"


    "Trust me with this" Before they could even more protest Apollo had spoken first.


    Then he commanded "Take me to the heart of the World tree"


    All seven spirits of her mother and his gladly obeyed his command.


    And so with their power, Apollo found himself right in front of a glowing golden crystal. This place can be said similar to the open space he has been to before.


    It was a vast hollow space with walls formed by twisted wood, lined up on its surface are shining fungi and moss. The roots are also beating with a strange light although it was only faint. The branches were also weaved the same way as natural pillars, supporting a huge vine that holds a crystalline golden stone. As the boy stares at it, a faint pulsating glow can be seen.


    "It''s the heart"


    The boy can''t help but say while the emotion of familiarity grew much more. His heart also began to beat so fast as if it was about to burst. Unfortunately, he doesn''t know if it was excitement or it was just him being nervous.


    "Are you okay master?" asked Buwan as he felt the changes in his emotion.


    "I am okay"


    He stated trying to reassure the spirit wolf and himself.


    "I can''t control my heart! It''s beating so fast I think it will burst from my body"


    [Should I interfere?]


    "No, but be sure to prepare the one I told you about"


    [Okay my Creator]


    While they have this conversation Apollo starts to approach the golden crystal while the spirits remain watching. Each step he took felt like something was pounding in his chest, while something deep within himself was responding to the weak power coming from the stone.


    Jeremiah also felt it and for the first time in his existence, he began to feel something. It wasn''t the normal thing he scanned and sensed. It was a real emotion, raw and pure. This made the tiny wisp swirl around the boy''s consciousness.


    [Why do I feel like something hot is approaching me?


    "Don''t take it seriously"


    [Excuse me, I am a companion and the greatest assistant this world has ever seen!]


    {I see nice meeting you great assistant} Then she bowed and wasn''t able to see the surprised reaction that came out from Apollo.


    [!?]


    "What just happened?"


    [She can hear me!]


    {Ah, it''s because Apollo''s consciousness is slowly linking to mine so I accidentally heard you speak. I am sorry I didn''t want to eavesdrop on your conversation}


    "Since when have you been listening?"


    {Just now, when that wisp said he is the greatest assistant this world has ever seen}


    "Pfft! I see hahaha"


    {You finally laugh! Yey I haven''t seen that in a long while}


    "So we really did meet before"


    {Of course, I have been waiting for you since the day you were returning to the duchy}


    "I still don''t understand but it does seem I know you" he replied though his eyes began to frown when he noticed how the golden field started to dry and turn brown to black instead.


    "No" he mutters while the girl in front of him can only smile to hide her approaching death.


    {I was waiting for you because I wanted to see you before I died. You were one of the reasons I was able to hold on in those three years I was slowly being killed}


    "I am sorry"


    {Dont apologize it was also my fault for not noticing how someone was slowly poisoning me}


    "Wait so it wasn''t just your life being taken but you were also being poisoned?"


    {My dear sun I have an infinite life energy since I am connected to this world. As long as there is life I will continue to exist}


    "Then how can I help you?"


    The beautiful girl just smiled before saying {Nothing}


    "What?"


    {It''s far too late now, the poison has reached my heart, however, I still have a duty to make sure all the spirits in my care survive. They must transfer to the other World tree while I severed my roots that connect me with the others. That way they won''t be affected by my death}


    "Is there nothing I can do?"


    Unknowingly his voice began to soften as he spoke to her.


    {Currently, I don''t think there is something that can save me}


    "Jeremiah scan her"


    [Already did and I have the results here]


    Then a set of rectangular screens emerged in his view making him smile.


    "I think this doesn''t have to be a goodbye"


    {What do you mean?}


    "I know what to do" Experience tales with empire

 Chapter 186He knows what to do Part. II

    "Is there nothing I can do?"


    Unknowingly his voice began to soften as he spoke to her.


    {Currently, I don''t think there is something that can save me}


    "Jeremiah scan her"


    [Already did and I have the results here]


    Then a set of rectangular screens emerged in his view making him smile.


    "I think this doesn''t have to be a goodbye"


    {What do you mean?} her demeanour began to change while her reaction suddenly filled with curiosity.


    Apollo smiled wanting to reassure her then he finally said "I know what to do"


    {Really!}


    "Of course just trust me"


    The little girl just smiled while dancing across the golden field. Witnessing her regain vigor Apollo can''t help but smile.


    "Now give me your hand Elaria"


    {See you remember my name!} A soft giggle escapes from her lips making Apollo laugh as well.


    "It seems I remember you deep inside me"


    "So come here my dear celestial"


    Elaria smiled even more when she heard those words.


    {You remember the nickname you gave to me, I never knew you would call me Celestial again}


    Apollo remains smiling although he doesn''t know where all the names are coming from.


    [It wasn''t me]


    *Sigh* "I know, we should start"


    [Okay!]


    "Show me my stats"


    [Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Focused


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Celestial mage


    Mana type: Blue


    Level: 4


    Strength: 12300


    Agility: 12356


    Dexterity: 12456


    Endurance: 14677


    Stamina: 14566


    Intelligence: 12499


    Mana: 11624


    Ki: 11160


    Mana regeneration: 1000 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 500 per minute


    Vitality: 500


    Skills/Abilities:


    "Why does she act like a cute puppy" he can''t help but think as the golden lady gave the best smile she could give to him.


    "Now close your eyes"


    {I will!}


    Knowing how much trust he was given, Apollo didn''t want to make mistakes so he finally gave his command.


    "Jeremiah activate Disintegrate"


    [As you command]


    Inside his consciousness, the entire structure of the World tree has been laid out including the parts where the poison has been.


    "I must do it slow and steady" the boy thought as he used the skill Disintegrate to remove the poison that seeped deep within the cells of the tree. Carefully he had marked the targets through Jeremiah, and bit by bit they removed the deadly stain that plucked the World tree to near demise.


    From the tiniest spot to the biggest ones, from the roots to the tips of the branches. He removed every drop of poison that affected that area. Then he went to the insides of the tree, where he cleaned the vines and roots that supported the area.


    "Hoo....this might become a bit difficult"


    The last to be cleaned is the heart, the very place they are currently staying in.


    [It coming]


    "Yes I know I can strangely feel them"


    Apollo unknowingly pulls Elaria closer to him, as the claws of the poison finally arrive at their position.


    "DISINTERGRATE" He commanded and immediately the gnawing danger suddenly turned into dust.


    "There, the first step has been accomplished"


    He exclaimed while finally letting go of Elaria.


    {You really remove the poison!}


    "Yes but it is not enough, you might not know since you have weakened but some bad people did something to you in order to take your life and take your ability to connect to the world''s energy"


    Elaria went silent and it seemed she didn''t know how it happened.


    [We can only thank Sonya for this info, I never expected they were able to analyze the shards they got from the raids this fast]


    "Yes it was indeed good we got her message before entering here"


    {I never knew my situation was this bad}


    "Don''t worry I will handle that, but I need to return to my body first"


    {I see...}


    However, Elaria didn''t seem to desire to let go of Apollo''s hand.


    "I will return just as I have always been," he said then he smiled, with those Elaria finally released his hands.


    {Come back okay, don''t keep me waiting}


    "I will"


    .


    .


    .


    Apollo returned to where he was before he touched the stone. Behind him were the nine spirits whom he had a close relationship with.


    "Let''s do this Jeremiah"


    [I will do as you command my Creator]


    "Yes I know you will"


    The ground suddenly glowed while the sky outside began to react.


    "My first plan was to use this to save the World tree, although some unexpected things happened it is good that I can still use this"


    Right above the sky, is a magic circle only visible to Apollo. It was built by Jeremiah to make sure any death that will occur will make their essence flow towards Apollo. They have thought of this knowing bloodshed will happen. So feeling that those essences will be wasted Apollo made a task to Jeremiah to put the entire Eastern kingdoms under a spell.


    To be specific this magic circle is capable of expanding Jeremiah''s absorption area making all deaths beneficial to him.


    "Now use all our accumulated essence and start point to heal the tree"

 Chapter 187 Done Saving

    "Now use all our accumulated essence and stat points to heal the tree"


    Before this Apollo''s stat points were 563,947, this number was already less since he still went on to use some for upgrading his attributes.


    Even with the accumulated essence from the entire eastern kingdoms, the young mage didn''t want to take chances so he re-converted his stat points back to being an essence, and only left 3000 in case he needed it.


    The surrounding mana inside and outside of the World tree suddenly hums as if someone is calling them. However it wasn''t a normal mana but instead the residual mana of the deceased, in short, essence. They flew all across the borders of the kingdoms of the east, in order to aid the command of a certain boy.


    As the essence gathers a spell buried deep within the system''s archive suddenly revives. The young mage then began to chant, it was a language that didn''t seem to exist in Bunag. An old speech that no one speaks and only a couple of mages knew its use.


    "RELIFE"


    The boy chanted and the sky finally revealed a massive magical sphere that enveloped the eastern part of the continent.


    While the abundance of essence swarm towards the boy the entire kingdom of Valoria felt the exponential growth of mana in the surrounding.


    "What it could have happened?"


    The King asked as his body trembled due to the sudden tremendous amount of mana.


    The people felt it as well and soon the dense amount of mana manifested physically. A veil of fog escalated and travelled towards the holy ground of the World Tree.


    "Da quod ablatum est et sana quod vulneratum est, cum hoc sacrificio quod sumpsi, ut restituas quod furtum est."


    Apollo continued chanting and each beat of essences gave color to the slowly dying tree. The gnarled and cracked trunk slowly heals no longer looking dried. The bark that is peeling away in large, irregular patches, became rough and rugged again. The branches stretched out like skeletal fingers devoid of any leaves now slowly becoming thick and lush.


    The remaining foliage sparse and wilted slowly regain a different color. And the roots exposed and tangled, struggling to anchor the tree in the ground had now become muscular and slowly held off the land.


    "Nomen mihi est Apollo imperium meum ausculta" Apollo lastly said, and the magical sphere that floats on top of dozens of kingdoms in the east began to cascade downward. It first shrunk and landed on top of the boy''s head while powerful energy gathered in his hand.


    "Amend the mistake" he said inside his head and finally the spell was fully cast.


    The Life that was lost due to the Crusaders was returned however Apollo wasn''t done yet.


    The heart was damaged to some degree so he decided to use the remaining essence to heal it.


    "Slowly and gently" he told himself, then the mana inside his palms began to condense and floated towards the golden heart of the World tree.


    {Apollo?}


    As the heart regains its strength a presence begins to speak. Fondly Apollo answered that voice.


    "Yes Elaria"


    A calm gentle wind glides from the heart to Apollo, and that wind suddenly turns into a person. With golden flocks of hair and galaxy-like eyes, a girl with fair skin and a shining aura suddenly arrives.


    Upon her arrival the spirits rejoice and while the nine spirits that came for Apollo all look surprised when they witness the scene.


    "Did our young master just hug Goddess Elaria"


    "I think he did Ifrit"


    While they remain dumbfounded Apollo couldn''t help but gasp at the sight of the newly rejunized World Tree. Everything was glowing while the spirits would fly and light the entire hollow space.


    Suddenly a vision struck Apollo, as if he had seen this scene a very long time ago.


    "I really been here before" he realized though he still couldn''t remember everything completely.


    The scene was quite unbelievable however everything was settled, Apollo was able to heal the world tree and remove the blockade that prevented Elaria from healing herself.


    As soon as she confirms it is her son she immediately locks him in her arms.


    "I am happy you are safe"


    "Mom since when did you arrive here"


    "Just a few minutes after you went inside, I tried to get here as soon as I heard the news you were coming here"


    "I''m sorry for worrying you"


    "I told you worrying is part of being a mother" Then she gently kissed his forehead then finally letting him go.


    "You are tired my son I can tell, you can visit this place again tomorrow but for now rest"


    The young mage just nodded and immediately followed everyone to rest.


    .


    .


    Inside the barracks provided by the imperial army Apollo peacefully sleeps while Isabella stands beside his bed.


    "Young one you have been using a diagnostic spell on your son for quite some time now. I told you he is fine"


    Alger convinced her but the worried mother wanted to make sure no injuries could affect her son.


    "I didn''t know he was a part of this mission"


    "Well obviously I hid it from you"


    Isabella wanted to argue but knowing Alger she decided to be quiet.


    "I really thought I lost him there" Her voice felt weak as she said those words.


    "I told you to trust him"


    "You are saying that but I know you are worried as well. I am sure at some point you tried to stop him"


    Alger just chuckles at her statement she hits the target well.


    "I did think that way, but knowing Apollo I know he can definitely handle it"


    The young senior mage could only look at his son''s sleeping before finally deciding to rest as well.


    "Are you going to tell him what happened?" before Isabella could even leave Alger gave such a question making her halt.


    "I don''t really need to say it to him since he is here"


    The head of the mage tower can''t help but shake his head.


    "I never even notice him"


    "It''s because he didn''t want to cause trouble, though his main purpose here is killing some rats that snuck inside the World tree a while ago"


    "Ah, now that I remember Apollo and I did hear that news from one of the soldiers. To think it was him who dealt them"


    "Head lets go we need to let my son rest"


    "Alright alright I''ll leave"

 Chapter 188 Comfuse but it is time to move

    As dreams filled the boy''s mind something suddenly emerged in his memory. A scenery he hasn''t seen before yet feels so familiar.


    Apollo felt like he was standing somewhere, like in a very high place, might be a hill or valley. Below him were thousands of lights coming from houses and other structures while the wind blew gently on his skin.


    "Wait where am I?" confused, the boy looked around trying to find anything that could tell him where he was.


    "Jeremiah scan this place and tell me where we are"


    He commanded however instead of hearing Jeremiah''s voice a different people speak.


    "Who is Jeremiah?"


    For a moment Apollo felt his entire body tremble while something deep within his soul responded with that voice.


    "Apollo?" that voice called again shaking the very core of the boy''s emotion.


    "This isn''t Elaria" he could tell though for some reason his heart kept pounding hard. It''s as if this wasn''t a dream but reality instead.


    "Calm down," he told himself as he tried to ease his raging heart.


    "Apollo why aren''t you answering?" the voice suddenly approached, and each sound of footsteps was like the beats of drums inside the boy''s chest.


    "Look at me Apollo" it said while the boy felt a gentle touch on his back. It''s as if someone had placed their hand on it.


    "Come on don''t be upset anymore" a coaxing tone of voice followed finally resulting in Apollo turning around.


    "What?!" contrary to the boy''s expectation he saw an empty space behind his back, causing for tears to well up in his eyes.


    "What is going on?" he asked himself feeling the fall of his emotion, but what was even more confusing was the feeling of grief that started to eat him up.


    As his emotion caused more confusion a voice suddenly penetrated his clouded mind.


    [Creator wake up, this is merely a dream]


    Then as if he was sinking in a deep water Jeremiah''s voice propelled him back to the surface causing him to gasp.


    "Hah!" he almost shouted while his chest went up and down as his breath quickened.


    [You are finally awake, are you alright?]


    "No"


    [I didn''t mean to pry on your dream but your soul and emotions started to affect me that I have no choice but to interfere]


    "It''s okay, I am actually grateful you came to wake me. If you didn''t I might end up in trouble"


    [Your travel at the World tree made your mind shaken]


    "Yes it seems so"


    [The current time is 3:00 am, Tuesday of the 27th day of the month of Augustus]


    "Ah, right this is the sixth day of our stay in the eastern territory"


    [You should check your communicator, your friend has sent dozens of messages. They are worried about you]


    "Okay I will reply"


    [You can do that later it''s still early my Creator, you still need to rest. Although I healed your body from overusing skills, you still need to properly rest]


    "I never expected you would nag me this way"


    [I have no idea what nagging is but I am simply reminding you since it concerns your health]


    "Alright I will go back to sleep, but wake me up at seven"


    [Will do]


    "Alright"


    Apollo then closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep. As he continued to rest Elaria found herself surrounded by her sisters. Thanks to Apollo breaking the blockade that prevented Elaria from connecting to the world, she was able to see her older sisters again.


    "For power"


    With those words the emperor felt he needed to listen more so he beckoned Alger to continue.


    "According to what the association and my tower discovered, it seems the main purpose of this chaos is to find a way to connect with the world''s energy and endlessly use it"


    "What!?" react by the emperor.


    Alger then made an expression Apollo would often see when he talks about enemies, wrath, an expression of extreme anger that could wipe out an entire city.


    "So you mean they used the world tree to take the method on how it takes life from Bunag"


    "Exactly Your Majesty"


    "Then did they succeed?"


    This time the wizard didn''t speak and could only answer by nodding.


    "This is not good" Augustus can''t help but say while massaging his head.


    "A powerful enemy" he mutters before shaking his head.


    "In times like this, I must urgently find Excalibur, that could guarantee a victory on our side"


    "But your majesty that weapon hadn''t been seen since the War of Faith"


    "It''s okay Alger I already have information about where it could possibly located, although that might take some trouble to do"


    "Perhaps you might need my tower to help?"


    "It is not needed, I already have someone do that tasked for me, however, I do want your mages to focus on looking for Nirvana''s old friends"


    A sigh escaped from the old mage before speaking again "Alas, that Nirvana is already dead but the things he left behind are still causing trouble after trouble"


    The emperor couldn''t help but chuckle at his words and it seems he is sharing the same sentiment as the wizard.


    "We need to be on alert, it seems my reign will be as eventful as my forefathers"


    "That I can''t help but agree"


    .


    .


    .


    On the 27th day of the eighth month of Augustus right inside the royal palace of the kingdom of Lumen, a girl whose hair is as black as night and eyes similar to the rarest red rubies.


    Alicia, stood on top of the palace''s roof while observing the raising sun.


    "I have that dream again" she said while her expression remained cold.


    However her solitude didn''t last long because a presence began to approach her.


    "You don''t seem to look good"


    "Why are you here Demos"


    "His majesty the emperor wishes to ask for your help about a certain matter, lady Alicia"


    "Is that so, tell him I will help once I hear what sort of help I must give"


    "I will rely your message my lady"


    "Thank you Demos"


    Then that man disappeared as if he was never there to begin with.


    "That man''s arrival ruined the mood" then she returned her eyes at the east. As she saw the darkness be pierced by the light of the sun, her thoughts suddenly poured out.


    "Apollo I wonder if you are alright"

 Chapter 189 The end of the isolation

    Apollo''s Pov


    The incident with the world tree ended and I was tasked to make a brief report to the emperor. Fortunately, I already devised a somewhat believable story.


    "So you just remove the thing that is blocking the World tree''s regeneration?"


    "Yes your majesty however I think our little godly friends already figure out, how to copy the same way the holy tree takes life from the world"


    "Yes I am aware of that"


    I saw how the emperor''s expression changed, it was the first time I saw him react like that.


    "It only means this situation is really dire" I could only think so while maintaining my kneeling position.


    A being that could have an endless amount of power and life. Such an enemy will be difficult to defeat.


    [Should I do something then?]


    "Do you wish to scan the entire continent?"


    [I am not certain if it will work since artifacts are very difficult to bypass]


    "Should we do another upgrade for you, that way the scanning will be easier"


    [Then we should get at least a hundred thousand for my next upgrade]


    "Okay I will look for ways to acquire them"


    As we converse the emperor already commanded me to return, to which I immediately obeyed.


    [We should hunt Creator]


    "We will once I meet up with my friends. They must have been worried for me"


    [It seems they are still in Lumen we should just teleport there]


    "Nah, we won''t really need that"


    I smiled as I said that, and right outside the imperial palace was a ship carrying the sigil of the tower.


    "We can just ride and fly back to Lumen, after all, we still have free time to fool around"


    [But shouldn''t we be prepared?]


    "The adults are already worried so us children should just leave them be and not worry about their problem""


    [You are strangely not worried about this, how unlike you. Are you perhaps planning something?]


    "Actually we did get something from the roots that seep life from the world"


    [You mean the blockade?]


    "Yes, didn''t we find a faint mana signature there? With a massive upgrade, we should be able to enhance your scanner"


    [Are we going to scan each individual in the empire]


    "We might, so I am thinking of going to the empire''s archive and seeing some records of some interesting people. The imperial family are keeping records of all interesting people they should keep a close watch too. So our search might become easier if I can get a hold of that information"


    [Are we going there legally or are we gonna break in]


    "I am still thinking about it"


    We continued talking until the airship glided through the air.


    [I think we can use some spells to make our search easier]


    "Are you recommending some ancient spells?"


    [They could work and I realized ancient spells are way better than the new ones. I never expected that a single spell from you could revive the tree]


    "Ancient spells are very long to cast and don''t necessarily belong to a single element, and the difficulty of weaving the equation required to cast it is extremely hard that not many people know it"


    "You know I am also curious about why Apollo became suddenly friendly with other class students" Matilda questioned while her face was covered with suspicion.


    "Should we also tag along with the others?" Vesta suggested though Arabella began to speak.


    "Actually Alya and Agnes decided to join Apollo"


    "They did?" the two simultaneously said.


    "Yes and the others seem to be open to starting new friendships"


    Arabella''s words caused Matilda to snicker.


    "What?"


    "Ara, do you really think people like us can trust someone easily?"


    "But we trusted Apollo"


    "Apollo and the rest of the tower mages is a different case"


    Matilda argued while Vesta only nodded agreeing to her.


    "So what exactly do the others want?"


    "They are merely curious about Apollo''s sudden shift of action, it''s no more than that"


    Arabella wanted to say something but in the end, she could only say "If you say so then I have no choice but to agree with you"


    And so that day the entire lower class began befriending other students from different classes, except of course the High class.


    The tenth day of the ninth month, tuesday. Marks the end of the three-month solution. The first-year students all line up in front of a huge gate which divides the freshmen from the other senior year students.


    Many expectant voices can be heard, and some students who have older siblings on the other side are excited to reunite with them.


    High stone walls and strong iron gates remain locked and secure until a signal flare lights up the morning sky, and immediately spreads into a flaming fire.


    "What was that?" some students were surprised but the sound of creaking metals attracted their attention back to the gate.


    "It''s opening!"


    They exclaimed and all eyes lay upon the gate, expectant on what kind of journey would await them.


    As the black iron gate rustles open, all the freshmen students are suddenly welcomed by a wave of tsunami-like force coming from the senior-year students. They flooded inside and immediately grabbed the first students they could hold.


    "Wait what is going on!"


    "Haram don''t let me go!"


    "Wait where are you holding me!"


    "Put me down!"


    Some students were surprised while the others began to sprint and hide from their seniors, who looked like kidnappers rather than honourable students of a prestigious academy.


    "Whoa, what''s going on Apollo?"


    Mckenzie can''t help but ask as he watches the chaos from the building they are standing in. Unlike the other classes who excitedly waited for the gate to open, the students of the lower class merely stood in a nearby building and waited for the gate to open there.


    "That''s because today is also the day for club recruitment"


    "Club recruitment?" they all said and it seems even Alicia doesn''t know of such an event.


    "Inside the Aster Academy, there are organizations called clubs that are organized for people to come together regularly to participate in activities. Those people have common interests and goals that help them develop their skills"


    "I see then what''s with the riot?"


    This time it was Matilda who asked and Apollo gladly continued what he was trying to explain.


    "Because every year clubs have a heated recruitment competition against each other. Clubs with the highest recruitment will gain any amount they need for their club budget"


    "Well, that explains the catastrophe" Alicia spoke while a smile played on her face.

 Chapter 190 A tragic meet up

    A smile playfully laid on Alicia''s face making her classmates wonder what she was thinking.


    "I wonder what club we should join in" she added though her expression soon made Apollo suspicious.


    "What is she planning?" the boy thought so while moving a few inches away from her.


    "Well it doesn''t really matter since I don''t have any intention of interacting with some students who will only judge you based on how useful you are"


    "Oh come on you can''t just label people like that Mckenzie" Braiden told him while giving him a pat on the back.


    "I know we experience some terrible things but we should not forget the people who protected us, didn''t they use to say, try to trust others" Alya said to her friend trying to clear up his emotionally unstable mind.


    "We should still try to give ourselves a chance to have new friends"


    "I have friends Alya and they are here surrounding me now, and you might forget that you are including on it"


    Alya just chuckled at McKenzie''s words while messing with her friend''s hair.


    Your journey continues with empire


    "I don''t really like to join those clubs, however, I am glad we trust Apollo''s words on staying here. If we didn''t, I think all of us would be in the same situation as those kids" Samael concluded while happily swinging his legs on the building''s edge.


    However, his happiness soon disappeared when he felt a presence behind his back.


    "Oh no," he could only think as he felt a person''s hand touched his back.


    "Let''s see if you can still be happy after this" it whispered though he knew who was it.


    "Bye-bye!"


    "Caspeerrrr!" Samael shouted his voice soon faded as he fell from the building.


    "Cas that was dangerous!" Arabella can''t help but say while she bent down to see if Samael was fine.


    "If you are so worried about him why don''t you follow him"


    "What?" by then all she realized was that she too was pushed out of the building.


    "Damn youuu!"


    "Whoa I didn''t know she could speak like that"


    However, once he looked back all he could see were eyes preying on him.


    "Oh no you don''t" he immediately said before making an escape.


    "Catch that traitor!" Blair playfully said though in the corner Apollo can be seen trying to hide.


    "They won''t really try to throw me off since none of them have the strength to do so" the young mage thought while trying to be invisible in the corner.


    [If you are not worried then why are you hiding?]


    "Shut up Jeremiah"


    In life, there are things that won''t really follow what you had planned. So although you want peace some of your friends would choose violence instead.


    Then Apollo suddenly felt someone''s hands on his collar and recklessly shove him out.


    "Damn it" he could only think of as he forgets the only individual who can overpower him.


    "Aliciaaaaaa!" he shouted while the noise of the other students swallowed his voice.


    [She got you, Creator]


    "Yeah"


    "Really?" Casper jolted and immediately looked at Keith as if asking for him to continue.


    "Just think carefully, there is no benefit of befriending Lena, she has no connection or any wealth, yet Apollo approaches her, a few days before the isolation ends"


    "It''s as if he timed it when the freshmen can finally interact with the senior students"


    Alya told to herself though her friends were able to hear it as well.


    "The senior students is what he was aiming for? Why?" Aaron asked a bit confused about what was happening.


    "Why oh why indeed" Mckenzie made a dangerous smile as he spoke those words.


    "I think our little friend will have a sweet reunion with his lovely siblings"


    Matilda said while the expression bore a different meaning.


    "We should wait for Apollo''s signal before we move, we might spoil his hunt if we randomly interfere" Vesta suggested as she got out from the water.


    "She is right let''s just watch"


    As the entire class formed a decision, their two most powerful guards were currently heading towards the Middle-class senior dormitory.


    "I am so excited to introduce you to my sister, you know she told me to bring my friends to her once the isolation ends" Lena happily said while guiding a group of students with her.


    "You strangely knew where to go Lena" Alicia noticed while observing the beautiful architecture of the dormitory.


    "Oh, I''ve been here before when we visited my sister last year, when she was in third year" she answers while Apollo remains calm though his expression isn''t good.


    "Lena" he called as if something began to bother him.


    "I think we need to hurry and go see your sister now" his voice became dreadful until he spoke again "I had this feeling that something bad will happen"


    As he said those words Alicia suddenly ran inside the giant halls of the dormitory.


    "That room is my sister''s!" sensing her friends'' urgent words Lena began to instruct them where her sister was despite them not needing it.


    "Apollo you can sense it as well right?"


    Alicia asked while her hand banged on the door directly sending it flying.


    "Yes, I did sense it" Apollo answered as he rushed through the room''s bathroom.


    "I smell blood" he added before breaking the door.


    And there in the bathtub is Lena''s sister, her blood has dyed the water red and her wrist is cut open.


    Alicia and Apollo hurriedly moved and tried to heal her as soon as they found her, however...


    "Apollo, you can stop now" Alicia could only say as soon as she sensed the cold body of the lady.


    "Apollo!" however despite her words Apollo''s hand didn''t stop and still tried to cast healing magic.


    "Apollo it''s too late she is gone"


    "Wait there could still be a chance, all I need is a spark of life and she will be safe"


    "Apollo..." Alicia tries to convince him but his eyes look different, as if he is seeing a memory from a distant past.


    As soon as she realized that all she could do was sit beside him.


    "Sister!" soon Lena and the other students from the Middle class arrive, and as soon as they arrive they witness a bloody scene and Apollo''s desperate attempt to revive her.


    "Apollo" Lena began to approach him and slowly her hand landed on his shoulders, as she did so her voice began to speak.


    "Let her go now Apollo, my sister is truly gone"

 Chapter 191 A tragic end

    Apollo''s pov


    Lately, things aren''t working as I wanted it to be.


    [Creator, the spy insects we send to the places found on the diaries from the


    Monastery paladins, are nothing but ordinary people living their lives. We haven''t got any trace that can connect to the gods of the revolutionary church]


    "Well that is okay but we still continue our search"


    [I will Creator]


    I already expected that since the news of the Monastery''s destruction would have spread all over the empire. So I am certain those fools will cut off all their traces on the places they used to visit.


    "I should have investigated those places earlier"


    It can''t be helped since I have too much information and analyzing them all takes a bit of time.


    I thought maybe I was just unlucky and all I needed to do was maximize the search, though time went by and things didn''t go well. I still didn''t get any information about my enemies.


    Furthermore, they made no appearance during the World Tree incident.


    "It''s as if they never cared"


    Perhaps it''s because they already got what they wanted.


    "An infinite supply of life and mana, characteristics of a world tree"


    Such a thing will cause me a headache and one more thing I should add up to my concerns.


    That guy Nero, strangely both that man and the other dukes can''t find anything on him.


    "He is so clean that he is so suspicious"


    And so to change the phase of my mind I thought about the girl that gave my sister a rose. My sister Athena never made that face before. Oftentimes she would wear a deceitful mask that would please the people around her. So for the first time, I saw her genuine smile, one that didn''t have any hint of deception. I instantly knew whoever caused that must have been important to her.


    So I must acquire her, because unlike my brother she doesn''t have anyone important around her. She doesn''t have a fiancee to love, a position to keep or even a teacher that is too important to lose. I also know that somehow she doesn''t have much desire for things. That also made me wonder if I am not the only person in our family who is feeling miserable.


    However it doesn''t matter, my desire comes first before them.


    So why?


    How come it ends like this?


    Why?


    Just why I''m holding a person who''s already dead yet I''m still desperate to save her.


    Then I felt a touch, suddenly my nerves began to calm though I still couldn''t dare to stop.


    "Let her go now Apollo, my sister is truly gone"


    It was Lena, it seemed she was here already, her voice was mourning though I could hear a bit of acceptance in it.


    "Apollo"


    Accompany by that voice is a grip on my wrist.


    It was Alicia


    I already know what she wants to say so I slowly let go of the cold body in my arms, and let her little sister embrace her.


    [She was fifteen minutes dead, Creator it was ready too late when you arrived]


    McKenzie suggested to which I didn''t refuse.


    "Alright, I think I need some rest"


    [I will leave a fragment of myself here to investigate so take time to calm your mind]


    "Thanks"


    [You are very welcome, Creator]


    The day I thought I could finally start my plan turned into a day of mourning. A life was taken and according to the investigation, it was due to suicide.


    I am on my bed my thoughts are still going back and front until a certain memory relapses in me.


    It was a time when I was in the duchy, a hazy memory I always wanted to forget. However, no matter how many times I tried, I just couldn''t bury them.


    I was young yet it must been the real reason why such memories kept living inside my head.


    As far as my life inside the duchy goes, all that I remember is a dull and gray atmosphere that always follows me. I tried to run countless times but all I received our shackles. At that time I kept wondering how their world could be so full of colours while mine is filled with only one, a dull and silent grey.


    I wanted it as well, I wanted to smile like them however all I get are contempt, whips and chains.


    Every time they saw me they would put those things on me until my vision turned red.


    "Young master...hurry you must leave!"


    Who is that?


    Did someone speak?


    "Young master!"


    Before I knew someone recklessly lifted me and removed all the restraints that chained me.


    "Come now please"


    Her voice was quite strained as she said that.


    Is she?....crying?....why?


    I thought while my body felt being itchy


    That hurts just what is going on?


    I questioned however the weight of my body soon made me sleep for a couple of hours. When I woke up I found out the one who saved me was none other than my sister''s maid, Clarita Ashcliff.


    Ever since that day she would help me secretly and treat my wounds that soon turn into scars. I was happy and for the first time, I saw a different colour aside from gray and red. It was so beautiful and dazzling that it almost blinded my eyes.


    "By the way, sister Rita is that a bruise?"


    "Ah, this, young master I accidentally fell on the stairs so I ended up like this"


    "Then let me treat you this time"


    "Me?"


    "Yes! You always heal my wounds so I should do the same right?" I smiled even when some of my teeth were missing.


    I was trying to comfort her because I knew that somehow she was breaking faster than me.


    I didn''t sit still either I tried to stop and help her because I knew, some of the other servants of the duchy were becoming unkind to her because of me. There are times I told her to just ignore me but all she did was smile.


    A few days went by and the butler was the only person I could ask about her situation fortunately he would make a quick move against those servants who bully her.


    I really did my best, I tried, I really did everything I could do.

 Chapter 192 Edgar

    As far as my life inside the duchy goes, all that I remember is a dull and gray atmosphere that always follows me. I tried to run countless times but all I received our shackles. At that time I kept wondering how their world could be so full of colours while mine is filled with only one, a dull and silent grey.


    I wanted it as well, I wanted to smile like them however all I get are contempt, whips and chains.


    Every time they saw me they would put those things on me until my vision turned red.


    "Young master...hurry you must leave!"


    Who is that?


    Did someone speak?


    "Young master!"


    Before I knew someone recklessly lifted me and removed all the restraints that chained me.


    "Come now please"


    Her voice was quite strained as she said that.


    Is she?....crying?....why?


    I thought while my body felt being itchy


    That hurts just what is going on?


    I questioned however the weight of my body soon made me sleep for a couple of hours. When I woke up I found out the one who saved me was none other than my sister''s maid, Clarita Ashcliff.


    Ever since that day she would help me secretly and treat my wounds that soon turn into scars. I was happy and for the first time, I saw a different colour aside from gray and red. It was so beautiful and dazzling that it almost blinded my eyes.


    "By the way, sister Rita is that a bruise?"


    "Ah, this, young master I accidentally fell on the stairs so I ended up like this"


    "Then let me treat you this time"


    "Me?"


    "Yes! You always heal my wounds so I should do the same right?" I smiled even when some of my teeth were missing.


    I was trying to comfort her because I knew that somehow she was breaking faster than me.


    I didn''t sit still either I tried to stop and help her because I knew, some of the other servants of the duchy were becoming unkind to her because of me. There are times I told her to just ignore me but all she did was smile.


    A few days went by and the butler was the only person I could ask about her situation fortunately he would make a quick move against those servants who bully her.


    I really did my best, I tried, I really did everything I could do.


    However, one unpleasant morning while I was on my way to her room. On my arms is some bread I asked for her from the butler.


    I was all smiles because for some sort of reason I hadn''t received any whips from my brother or kicks from his friends. It''s as if they no longer targeting me.


    My feet took me to her door while cradling a basket of freshly baked bread.


    I knocked to announce my arrival however she didn''t open the door.


    Did she grow tired of me?


    But I was a good boy


    At that moment a memory surfaced and chains began to ring through my ears.


    "Which one of them?" my voice was filled with malice and in that moment I felt like I could just forget what I planned and just kill them.


    [It was Edgar, my Creator]


    "Ha!....him?.... hahaha hahaha" a mocking laughter came after, maybe this is an opportunity I shouldn''t miss.


    "I should start with him instead of my sister"


    Why don''t we take those who stand beside my dear brother?


    One by one until it''s only him, I should take my time since they are still in their fifth year here in the academy.


    "One school year filled with malice, it doesn''t sound bad"


    Now all I need is solid proof to pin him down.


    One of the few things that Edgar cherishes is the position and status he has.


    "He is also obsessed with his public image, so there should be a small number of people that knows his vile side"


    [I did get my information from his lackeys however it seems Edgar had them by the neck, so it might be hard for them to turn their backs on him]


    "It''s okay I can take care of that, Is there anything else I can use?"


    [There is a proof that can point out all of Edgar''s mischief]


    "And that is?"


    [Her diary, Olena Riverside Lena''s older sister and our victim, she has a diary that is making Edgar''s lackeys nervous. The diary contains detailed records of whatever was happening to her and the location of some footage of their actual assault on other students]


    "It seems it isn''t just Edgar who will be fucked if this gets out"


    [Yes]


    "And the diary where do you think it is hidden"


    [That is something I still need to find out so please take this day to rest. We will search tomorrow]


    "Alright I will thank you"


    [You are welcome and by the way, your sister and brother are out with their usual set of friends including Edgar. They won''t be back since they were dispatched for a mission]


    "I got it so thank you again"


    After hearing those words I finally let myself rest and hopefully, by tomorrow I could finally feel more calm. However there was a question I forgot to ask, what was her connection with my sister, are they friends? Perhaps I will find that out in the future.


    .


    .


    .


    Incident after incident, Aster Academy was yet condemned to another uproar.


    Explore more at empire


    First, was a pirate attacked and now suicide by one of its students. The prestigious academy was never involved in such an accident in its previous years however this school year was filled with different types of twists.

 Chapter 193 A little investigation

    Lena Riverside went back to her village to mourn for her sister''s death, the academy on the other hand put a mass to pray for her soul. Many attended though I could feel a different atmosphere while the mass began. It was an ambience that didn''t seem grief to the deceased but more of a tension that makes you feel suffocated.


    Someone is nervous I can tell, their actions and the tiniest change in their expression tells me that they are anxious about something. Something that I am eager to know. Enjoy new chapters from empire


    The mass was held in the academy chapel. It was called a chapel though its size can accommodate at least 500 or more people. Chairs line up filled with students while the grand altar shows the twelve Gods, it stood majestically with its massive size and carved images of the said Gods.


    In the middle of it are twelve priests that represent each church of the twelve Gods, they spoke benevolently putting their faith in power to bless the fallen soul of the deceased.


    As the mass continued I immediately observed my surroundings wanting to see the attendees'' reaction to the sermons of the priests.


    [Creator those three girls sitting at the very back are Olena''s former friends]


    "Former?"


    [Yes, from what I gathered they started avoiding her when our victim began being targeted by Edgar and his goodie lackeys]


    "From the conversation you have listened to, how long the bullying has been going on?"


    [According to those three girls it started last year when they were still third-year students]


    "My brother and sister, were they included in the bullying?"


    [No, actually it seems your siblings are the shackles that bind Edgar from overly using his status. However every time they leave for missions Edgar runs wild like he was the king of this Academy]


    "How about Prince Titus and the other children from noble families, don''t tell me they turn a blind eye to this"


    [Our culprit is good at hiding his tracks and silencing people. That is why he hasn''t been caught since he started attending this academy]


    "Hah!....this is stupid"


    I gasp my head with only one thought


    They knew about this, they should know it yet they didn''t try to stop, and now a life has been taken.


    I closed my eyes for a bit and sincerely I prayed, I want her soul to be at peace, to find the path to the cycle and have a new life different from the grief she suffered here. I prayed even more and wished that all the gods were to forgive her sin for killing herself.


    When I was already done with my prayers I went out not finishing the mass.


    "Are you done?"


    Mckenzie immediately said to me as soon as he saw me.


    "I am done, what did you guys get?"


    Right in front of me are the boys of my class Blair, Mckenzie, Braiden, Aaron, Samael, Casper and Niko. On that day unlike me who went to bed early, my friends remained at the scene and observed the people who came back and forth. Although Jeremiah was there to investigate it wouldn''t really hurt to ask for their help.


    "About that we found some suspicious reactions from some professors" Braiden started to report while we walked steadily towards our class building. The rest of us were waiting there.


    I couldn''t help but laugh at their words though what I was most interested in was the file about the professor''s recent activity.


    "Three professors were found moving back and forth on a secluded area a few days before the incident"


    "And also Edgar applied for a leave of absence on the next day after that suspicious night"


    Casper and Mckenzie said while a map of the said area unfolded on my hand.


    "Isn''t this the club room?" I realized.


    "Yup that club is under Edgar''s management, the Fireseed club"


    I suddenly felt something was off


    "I don''t know if we have a chance to gather information about this since everyone is too afraid to speak, so whatever happens at that time will be a mystery to us"


    Casper is right, I can''t help but sigh though it seems that night was the trigger for yesterday''s incident.


    "So Apollo can we ask you something"


    "What is it, Keith?"


    "How do plan to proceed with this, we know we can continue this kind of investigation however it will probably take some time. However, if it''s you we are sure there is a more convenient and faster way to find evidence"


    "I agree with Keith, following tracks and speaking to some people about the incident will only drag time. We don''t have that and we know you don''t want to prolong this"


    Blair commented until we finally arrived at our class building.


    "Oh, we forgot to mention this but the girls got their hands on something as well, we should hear it out" Blair added.


    And so all of us went inside and there in the lecture room the rest of my classmates gathered.


    "Wait you guys"


    I was a little dumbfounded when I realized it wasn''t just them but some of Lena''s close friends from the Middle class are here.


    "What''s happening?" I asked and immediately Alya explained.


    "They have something to say Apollo so sit with us"


    I was confused but still obeyed her words and so all of us newcomers sat alongside them.


    "So care to explain what is going on?"


    As soon as we settled on our seats, I asked Mica, Lena''s best friend.


    My words however make the girl''s expression livid.


    "Um...Apollo, you once told us that if we were to be in trouble you would help right?"

 Chapter 194 Finding Diary

    "Mica be clear with your words and state what is bothering you"


    I calmly told her seeing how her body was trembling excessively.


    "Sorry it''s just, I was just overwhelmed"


    I motioned her to calm herself first because I could see the tears that were forming in her eyes.


    "Olena was like a sister to me...*sniff*...she always takes care of the younger people of our village..."


    "And then just a while ago we received a message from Lena, that the priest who came to bless sister Olena''s body, noticed something on her"


    At that moment I felt a lump of pain block my airway. An unpleasant conclusion forms in my head, while the report handed to me a while ago echoes through my ears.


    "What happened that night" I began to say in my head while my friends especially the boys had the same reaction as me.


    "Hey...." I heard Samael speak seeing how Mica couldn''t bring herself to the next words we needed to hear.


    "Don''t tell she was...." he mutters though Mica heard his words quite clearly.


    The little girl with her eyes full of tears began to nod her head and say "Yeah!...someone..hurt her and....they..."


    Her body began to shake and couldn''t speak anymore. So I look at the other girl right beside her.


    "Becky" I calmly called her, fortunately, it seemed she was way calmer than her friend though she couldn''t seem to speak about the issue as well.


    "Here Apollo" she told me while her hand had an envelope with the sigil of the church of Purity on it. The black envelope with golden patterns seemingly branches of an olive tree. It was the symbol of purity and peace that the church advocated.


    I felt heavy and somehow knew what was the thing I was about to see.


    I took what she had given me and immediately sighed when I saw what was inside.


    "It was an autopsy report"


    My friends backed off as soon as they heard it. Maybe this is their way of showing their respect.


    Silently I read its contents until my eyes landed on that Final Diagnosis.


    Final Diagnosis:


    1. Cause of Death:Suicide by loss of blood due to self-inflicted lacerations on the wrists. The decedent bled out due to a significant loss of blood from the cuts.


    2. Contributing Factors: The decedent was a victim of sexual assault. Evidence of recent sexual trauma was observed, including contusions and abrasions consistent with the reported assault. Psychological stressors related to the assault, including trauma and emotional distress, likely contributed to the decision to end her life.


    Autopsy Findings:


    - External Examination:Multiple deep lacerations on both wrists, with evidence of significant blood loss. Bruises and abrasions on the torso and limbs are consistent with recent trauma.


    - Internal Examination: No significant internal injuries beyond those consistent with blood loss. Findings are consistent with blood loss due to self-inflicted wounds.


    -Toxicology: No significant findings of toxic substances.


    Conclusion:The primary cause of death is suicide by exsanguination due to self-inflicted wrist lacerations. Contributing factors include recent sexual assault and associated psychological trauma.


    These diagnostic findings were conducted under the parental consent of the victim.


    Any mistake and forgery written in this document shall be answered by the Church of Purity and Peace.


    Below those words were the written date of the examination, Olena''s parental consent their signature and the priest who made the autopsy.


    Then at the very bottom right was the stamp of the church.


    "This is very solid evidence" I can''t help but say.


    An evidence that she was raped, we can definitely use this to hold the academy accountable.


    [I think none of this place has what we are looking for]


    "Same, I felt like we should have analyzed her personality and...."


    Suddenly something hit me.


    "A rose" I spoke mindlessly causing my friends to look at me.


    "Rose?" they asked though the only thing I could do was smile, then I said.


    "I think I know where the diary is"


    I felt excited but immediately calmed down since I might be wrong.


    "Jeremiah analyzes the overall information we have then comes up with places we should visit"


    [Yes Creator]


    After that, I looked at my friends and told them "Can I ask for your assistance?"


    They smiled and gladly answered "Sure!"


    And so that night the students of the lower class stay up all night to do some treasure hunting.


    .


    .


    Cold chilly air glides through the trimmed grass of multiple lawns, while multiple silhouettes can be seen moving across the shadows.


    There among the number of moving figures, a boy with red-orange hair can be seen, though he wears a hood his distinctive hair color makes it noticeable.


    "Alright you got your targets right?" the boy with red-orange hair asked.


    "Yup!" they answer while their hand has a piece of paper that seems to be their map.


    "Also don''t forget the enchanted stone I gave you, if you lost it the defensive spells around the academy will detect you, so keep it safe"


    "We will"


    "Now then let''s see each other here in 3 hours, be careful everyone"


    Then the group began to move in pairs and went secretly to their respective targets.


    "We are here"


    "A garden?"


    "Yes Alicia, I heard Olena used to give roses to her friends and I think her garden is here"


    "Here? An abandoned and burned laboratory?"


    "Yeah, you know I think ever since her harassment began she started avoiding other people. So her choice of places to hang around would be her room or an abandoned place like this. However, even when she avoided everyone there is one person she didn''t avoid"


    The boy said thinking that there was another meaning to that rose that he didn''t know about.


    "How did you locate this place?"


    "I ran a search spell where her presence is more apparent. Besides her room and classroom, this place has more of her aura"


    "If we knew you have such a spell we wouldn''t bother going around the campus looking for her trace"


    "Ah, sorry"


    Then they went inside and there they saw a beautiful garden of roses. Both Alicia and Apollo felt like their breaths were taken as the scenery overwhelmed them.

 Chapter 195 Found Diary

    Apollo''s Pov


    A few meters away from Olena''s dorm, I found an abandoned laboratory that was left after an accident many years ago. Due to the spell I cast I was able to feel the degree of her presence in specific places. The more places she frequently visits the more intense her presence there. That''s why it could be said that she led me here.


    Upon our arrival what welcomed us was a desolate area. I remained observant of my surroundings and saw what remained of the abandoned laboratory. Due to the long time of neg?li?gence the lab''s exterior was weathered and covered with vines and roots, caused by the trees that had grown inside it. The facade was crumbling, with ivy and wild vines creeping up the cracked walls.


    As if telling me that nature itself sought to reclaim this place. The wind then suddenly hit us making the broken windows creak and stare out like hollow eyes, their glass long since shattered. The surrounding grounds were overgrown, with weeds and wildflowers mingling in a chaotic field with moss that grew everywhere.


    "Let''s go in," I told Alicia and in response, she nodded her head.


    Upon entering, the interior revealed a different story. Making me wonder what kind of explosion happened here. The lab had long been forsaken it had this unsettling quietness though I could hear the crickets singing. The dust settled over abandoned equipment and shattered glassware, faded stains marred the walls, and burned remnants of chemical reactions painted the destroyed pillars.


    Yet, in this forsaken and abandoned place, something unexpected had carved out in this desolate domain. A life blooms, it was an array of beautiful roses, untamed and wild, have been planted and cared for through the remnants of the laboratory. Their vibrant blooms clashed and strangely harmonised with the decay that surrounded them.


    They sprouted lively from cracks in the floor, and the fallen pillars became its fence serving as their boundary.


    "What the" we both exclaim as the wind carries the thick mingled scents of roses and the musty neglect of the laboratory. This scenario created a surreal contrast between abandonment and beauty. Petals, ranging from soft pink to deep red, lay scattered like forgotten memories among the debris. The roses brought peace within me becoming a reminder of beauty''s persistence, even amidst desolation.


    "These are Mysties"


    "A what?" I asked finding the name a bit confusing.


    "Mysties also known as enchanted roses are a type of rose that magnify its caretaker''s feelings. Whatever the emotion the one who plants them feels, their colors will change according to that emotion"


    "That''s a bit amazing" Then I observed the field of roses seeing everything dyed with red.


    "So since Olena decided to kill herself the rose then turned red"


    "Pfft!"


    "!?"


    I was suddenly confused by Alicia''s reaction.


    "Did I perhaps say something wrong?"


    "I am sorry but I just don''t know how you reached that conclusion"


    "Well, red is the color of blood right? And since she killed herself through exsanguination, it must have reflected on the colour of the rose"


    "Red I see"


    "Why are you laughing"


    "Sorry I''ll apologise again, but the meaning of the rose is different from what you thought"


    "Then how about enlightening me Alicia"


    "Alright, a red rose means passion, admiration... "


    She suddenly paused and then made a solemn look, however, that expression soon changed.


    "...admiration and love"


    "I agree with her, whatever lies inside that book doesn''t need to be known to many people" Arabella agreed while urging Samael to agree as well.


    "Truthfully I fear I won''t be able to sleep at night if I were to hear its contents" Mckenzie shared his thoughts sounding a bit ashamed of himself.


    "I know I might seem like a coward however I just felt fear of what that diary holds, so Apollo will it be alright if you..."


    "Take everything," I said seeing how he struggled to complete his sentence.


    "Yes I''m sorry, I think we can''t take if the diary has something that can remind us of the past" he added while his head still looked on the ground.


    "I understand, I know that everyone still hasn''t fixed their previous attachment to the past. And I don''t mind reading it since I have been curious about what''s inside this"


    "We are sorry"


    "It''s okay Alya, well since I need some moment I will sleep in my room instead, see you guys tomorrow, good night"


    "Good night Apollo"


    "Good night bro"


    "Night night"


    I only nodded and went upstairs, honestly, I kind of wanted to read this all by myself. I just didn''t expect them to speak about it. However I still understand their sentiment, it hasn''t been long since the incident of the Monastery ended yet all that is been happening made them recall more painful things.


    I on the other hand don''t mind remembering things, because the more I recall them the more my will strengthen.


    So Olena let me take your suffering, grief and regret. I will add them to the fire that has been burning deep within me.


    Without further ado let''s read it now


    On the fifth day of the Month of Martius


    Dear Diary


    First off I have never done diaries before but now I think I need to. I never thought I''d be writing these things, but here I am. Writing my thoughts because it seems no one will hear me after all. I keep thinking that maybe if I put my feelings down on paper, it will make sense, or at least make it hurt less.


    Perhaps I also wanted someone to see it and help me.


    It started a few months ago, whispers behind my back came with a group of people I don''t know. I ignored them, really I did! I tried, but it didn''t work. I could feel their troublesome aura pushing those people I call friends and now I am alone. However, I tried ignoring it but it seems to be a bad idea because they increased their appearances and it seems their leader was also among them now.


    I would regularly receive cold stares in the hallway making me freak out, but I thought it would work out somehow.


    Twentieth day of the month of Martius


    By now everything has gotten worse. They''re not just whispering anymore; now they''re shouting, and sometimes I feel like I''m being hunted. I try to ignore it, but the things they say stick with me. They''ve started pushing me around, too. I can''t even walk down the hallway without worrying if they''re going to shove me into the lockers, but it''s still good right?


    They haven''t done anything other than that. Honestly, I tried to fight but not only they are stronger power wisely but their status left me no opening to save myself.


    I am not sure but I just have to endure.


    Fifth day of the fourth month Aprillis


    I don''t know how much longer I can do this. The whispers have turned into threats, and I''m scared all the time. I feel like I''m disappearing. It''s like no one sees me anymore, and even when they do, they would ignore me as if I never existed. I wish someone could just lend me a hand, though I know it''s impossible to happen since no one would help me.


    The only thing that is keeping me together is the fact that the school year is ending soon. Our summer vacation is about to come. Just two more days and I will be back home again.

 Chapter 196 Her only light

    The first page talks about her experience of the sudden appearance of Edgar''s gang as well as her first time meeting him. Although it seems she doesn''t know it was Edgar. A noble who orchestrated her harassment.


    [I suspect he is using a veil to hide his identity, lower members of society won''t be able to notice that]


    "That is also the reason why he targets her" he can''t pick on someone stronger than him so he will choose someone weaker, what a coward.


    I can''t help but sigh, so according to her diary, from mere words, it escalated into physical harassment. Although pushing is just a simple offence the effect that it could cause to one''s mental health is immense.


    "It seems he enjoys tormenting his targets slowly"


    I can''t help but say while flipping another page.


    On the ninth day of the sixth month, Iu?nius


    My summer was filled with happiness and hope although I still miss my friends who I often invited here in our village. After what happened at the academy they never once talked or even looked at me, making me feel more alone.


    I don''t know what to think but for now, I should enjoy the peace and quiet my home gives. However, before I noticed it the day of our return came making me excessively nervous. I fear they might return and their verbal and simple harassment might escalate. I don''t know what to do especially now that my sister will be with me, adding more burden on my already troubled mind.


    Twenty-sixth day of the sixth month, Iu?nius


    Strangely nothing happened except that all of my classmates avoided me. I felt horrible being isolated but it''s better than being repeatedly harrassed. I am a bit relieved that there haven''t been any signs of those students who were troubling me, for now, I am safe.


    Twenty-eight day of the sixth month, Iu?nius


    Something was happening, for a few days I was safe but now they are here again. I can feel a soft creeping sound along with low controlled snikering. They are coming yet again however this time I will definitely fight back. I won''t just sit while they continue to push me around.


    On the thirtieth day of the sixth month, Iu?nius


    I gathered information on those strange students and as I observed how I couldn''t recognize their faces meant they wore disguises to distort their appearance. The only people who can afford such tools are those students who are part of the upper realm of society. I knew at that time that I should get the professors involved. Experience more tales on empire


    After all the academy forbids the usage of status to inflict authority on others. However, as soon as I did so I was rained with a series of irritating words that I better not write. Instead of feeling assured I felt like they were blaming me for the bullying I am experiencing, I am the victim here but they never treated me as one. I felt ashamed of myself and almost cried out of frustration.


    I recklessly said that and immediately she looked back and immediately her red-orange her turn white. I felt amazed by what I witnessed. Her hair changing color was just like how mysties change depending on my mood. At that moment I could only say wow. I had never seen someone as pretty as her. Those golden eyes and silver hair were really amazing to see.


    Ah, so this is the time she met my sister. I flipped another page and felt curious about their relationship.


    First day of the eighth month, Agustus


    After so many days that I was alone finally there was someone who tried to help me.


    Her name is Athena, the only daughter of the dual family of Lionheart. It seems our sudden meet-up brought a sudden closeness I never expected. For a brief time, I felt like someone cared. She promised to help me, and she even got Prince Titus involved. I felt a glimmer of hope in that moment. The prince welcomed me to his club providing protection I never expected to have.


    The club members also told me not to go too far and always go to the places they have marked. And gladly I agreed to them.


    Twenty-Six day of the eighth month, Agustus


    Prince Titus decided to make a move and wanted the imperial finally involved. I suddenly got scared but he told me it had to be done to change things.


    Then he told me to gather up the evidence we needed to set the academy upside down however he was suddenly called for a mission. I felt it was suspicious but Titus told me not to overthink and just prepare everything so we can continue once he returns.


    I did what he asked but the feeling of danger still persisted inside my heart. Suddenly I thought of her, so without hesitation, I went to her side. Fortunately, she was there in the garden where we first met. Ever since we became friends we would always meet here. We didn''t really know why but the calmness those roses gave was enough for us to be happy.


    At that moment I suddenly wish our time together would last more.


    First day of the ninth month, September


    I was excited to meet up with Athena only to find out she was about to be sent on a mission with her brother. Just my luck, right? And as soon as she was gone, I suddenly felt a void I could not understand. However, my days continue with the other members of the club acting as my guard. It was fun because I had friends again however the sense of danger was still there.


    Seventh day of the Ninth month, September


    All the remaining members of the club were suddenly ordered to do a mission and only I remain. My club members felt it was suspicious and advised me never to go to class until they returned. I immediately agreed and was then asked to return to my dorms. I rushed outside and ran as fast as I could.


    Only when I was inside my room could I be safe but then I saw shadows coming, it''s like they were waiting for the chance to hurt me even more.

 Chapter 197 Just a reader

    First day of the eighth month, Agustus


    After so many days that I was alone finally there was someone who tried to help me.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Her name is Athena, the only daughter of the dual family of Lionheart. It seems our sudden meet-up brought a sudden closeness I never expected. For a brief time, I felt like someone cared. She promised to help me, and she even got Prince Titus involved. I felt a glimmer of hope in that moment. The prince welcomed me to his club providing protection I never expected to have.


    The club members also told me not to go too far and always go to the places they have marked. And gladly I agreed to them.


    It turns out my sister helped her, why?


    Was she always this kind? Then why...why I have never....


    No stop, don''t think that way, you can''t be distracted. What you should think of is the location where she hid the footage, that''s the point of this.


    [Relax Creator, your emotion is shaking my entire existence]


    "I am sorry"


    [It''s okay, should I scan the diary instead so you don''t need to read it?]


    "No it''s okay, I want to know everything. Every pain and happiness of her. I want to read it all"


    So I calmed my heart and yet again I read the next entry she wrote.


    Twenty-Six day of the eighth month, Agustus


    Prince Titus decided to make a move and wanted the imperial finally involved. I suddenly got scared but he told me it had to be done to change things.


    Then he told me to gather up the evidence we needed to set the academy upside down however he was suddenly called for a mission. I felt it was suspicious but Titus told me not to overthink and just prepare everything so we can continue once he returns.


    I did what he asked but the feeling of danger persisted inside my heart. Suddenly I thought of her, so without hesitation, I went to her side. Fortunately, she was there in the garden where we first met. Ever since we became friends we would always meet here. We didn''t know why but the calmness those roses gave was enough for us to be happy.


    At that moment I suddenly wish our time together would last more.


    Hah? Titus? If they were really friends he would have been there when the mass happened. He and the rest of his members would be there to pray for her, however, I never even felt a single shred of energy from anyone from the Clover club, not a single one.


    I think the main reason Titus extended a helping hand was because of the benefit he could get from having the imperial family involved.


    One of the previous emperors once made an oath not to interfere too much in the academy''s affairs. That resulted in the empire''s grip on the academy lessening, and for years the following emperor has been trying to return the imperial family''s absolute control of the said place.


    If Titus can use the corruption that has been going on at Aster he can use one of the conditions of the oath to allow the empire''s forces to interfere.


    Tenth day of the Ninth month, September


    I am tired, so tired, you know I just realized maybe Titus just wants to use me. He probably saw my case as the shining opportunity that would make the imperial family grab the Academy just as they always wanted. The members of the club may also be the same. Why did I think we could be friends when they were the very same people who instigated my suffering?


    Was I so lonely that I sought their attention just to receive some form of comfort?


    I can''t believe it.


    The pain is constant and suffocating. I feel like I''m a burden to everyone around me, even though they don''t see it.


    I just want to sleep because I don''t want to feel this way again.


    My hand began to shake, I couldn''t believe I was empathizing with someone over a cluster of words, she was a person I never met and her story shouldn''t affect me.


    A deep sigh escapes from me while I flip another page. As I tried to regain my focus the very first thing I read was this passage.


    If anyone reads this, please know that I tried. I tried to stay strong, but I couldn''t. I''m sorry for all the times I felt like a disappointment, but I just couldn''t bear it anymore.


    Due to my already unstable emotional state, I couldn''t help but close the diary.


    "It''s strange how the death of someone I don''t know can hurt this much. I know it was just mere words, but the way her life and emotions were described made me feel her loss was was mine to"


    It''s painful to realize that I can''t do anything to change it or bring her back. The only option I have is to close the diary and move on.


    [This must be a reminder of how deeply stories can affect us and how powerful our connection to them can be, even when we''re powerless to alter their outcome.


    You know how her story will end yet you still wish for her to live well. That speaks volumes about how your character developed, Creator. At first, you only care about the people of the tower while being cold to others, but now you know how to feel sympathy and even understand people''s feelings. You have truly grown]


    "Hearing those words suddenly made me regret sharing my memories with you"


    [Didn''t you tell me you want to form a firm connection with me?]


    "Right, why don''t we test that connection what do you think I am feeling right now?"


    [Vengeful]


    An evil smile painted across my face while the diary disappeared and went inside my inventory.


    "Now then let''s find that fucking bastard"


    I said while lightning began to dance across my body.

 Chapter 198 Her smile

    Amidst the tranquil sound of the wind across the academy, a place created by the first students from the imperial family was suddenly filled with noises.


    The sounds were mixed with chains clacking, blood scattering and flesh being continuously hit, it was also accompanied by grieving voices.


    "Now then I suppose my welcome greeting was done splendidly" a cold voice devoid of any emotion suddenly spoke. His silhouette then bent down while grabbing the bloodied collar of someone.


    "I am asking you where the fuck is Edgar!" his voice pierced like a blade striking fear to those who heard it.


    "My patience is running low, if I don''t hear anything now I might ask your parents to entertain me instead" a threatening command was given making several chains clacking.


    "We...really... don''t know anything!"


    "Please your Highness we are begging you...please!"


    "We won''t do it again!"


    Several students cried and tried to plea however the source of their pain was never listening, instead, he grabbed another student and said.


    "It seems none of you is listening to my words"


    "Your imperial Highness, please we know nothing"


    However, instead of stopping, the silhouette didn''t stop and instead continued to torment them. Cries of pain and suffering echo through the secret passage and even the most powerful man inside the academy won''t be able to sense what is going on in there.


    "Brother I think you should stop," said a voice that was coming from the door.


    "Caesar, brother you are here" his voice was still oozing with killing intent however upon his brother''s arrival there was a sudden softness in it.


    "We won''t gain anything from this, it''s clear that no one knows where he went"


    The silhouette then dropped the body he was tormenting and then he asked.


    Discover hidden content at empire


    "Have you ever lost a friend?"


    Caesar did not speak instead his head was facing the ground.


    "I haven''t however I do know this isn''t right, what if their families found out about this, you might be forgetting brother by they are sons of marquises and earls"


    The younger tried to reason, to answer his words finally the elder turned his back to the people he was tormenting and faced his brother.


    "I am a prince, not just any prince but the prince of this empire. My name is Titus Alexander Von Celestio, and when I deem something fit no one can tell me it''s wrong"


    Titus looked at his little brother, his emerald was filled with hatred as if he would destroy the world.


    Caesar however did not yield instead he stood where he was and remained looking at his older brother''s eyes.


    "Brother this is madness"


    "So be it" he then walked pass him however Titus felt his little brother wouldn''t easily let go of this situation, so he decided to speak again.


    "I know what you fear and don''t worry it won''t happen"


    Then he went up and began speaking with the other members of his club.


    A hair strikingly similar to Eros though his, is more darker in comparison, yellow gold eyes similar to the sun at noon while a uniform signifying affiliation to the Lower class.


    Apollo Lionheart calmly stood while in his hand was an envelope containing Olena''s autopsy report.


    "Athena is that your brother?"


    "Yes however I don''t know the reason for his visit"


    "Actually Miss Athena''s brother, Apollo is a close friend of Lena, the victim''s younger sibling" Caesar explained before they arrived in front of the boy.


    Wearing the black military-like uniform in his hand Apollo didn''t say anything and instead gave the report to Titus. Confused the first imperial prince took the envelope and almost released his killing intent as he read the following words inside the document.


    "This is!" Prince Titus almost sounded like roaring as he said those two words while Caesar could only look away from the paper.


    "Can you let me see it your Highness" Athena weakly said while extending her arms to touch the document.


    "Are you sure?"


    "I am, please"


    Athena insisting the prince comply by handing the paper to her. As he did so, his eyes which were filled with anger and hatred suddenly softened and turned into concern when he saw the girl''s expression.


    Athena upon reading the contents can''t help but tremble while her eyes closed, not trying to read anymore.


    "That document was given by Lena, the victim''s little sister. According to her when the priest from the church of the Peace and Purity came they noticed something on her body, so they ran an autopsy under the parent''s consent"


    Apollo explained then he approached his sister, his eyes were calm too calm yet too deadly at the same time. It''s as if he was a beast that was offended by someone.


    Titus immediately noticed this which made him interested.


    "I want to speak with you later, come and visit her garden with me this evening" the boy just said then he switched to the first imperial prince.


    "You can have this too"


    He gave him a ring and inside it was the footage they badly needed.


    "What is this?"


    "Look inside Your Highness"


    After saying those words he left leaving those three people confused.


    "He is really different" Caesar can''t help but say.


    "Why didn''t you befriend him?" asked his brother making the younger prince shake his head.


    "He doesn''t like socializing although suddenly he and his classmates began befriending other students"


    While the two brothers began to speak to each other Athena absently gave the document back before going to her room.


    "Athena?"


    Titus called however Athena wasn''t in the mood to answer.


    "We should leave her be, it seems she is in so much pain"

 Chapter 199 Her smile Part. II

    Night fell yet again and the sky was filled with glittering stars. The moon was also there although it wasn''t at its fullest it was still captivating. The sounds of the crickets and other insects created a simple harmony putting your mind at ease. Yet despite the beauty and calmness the night gives the underlying tension inside the academy continues.


    Titus continued his purge and decreased the number of students and professors by half. No one was spared even if that person had a close connection to the government.


    Many people were put under trial not even Eros was spared, even he who was deemed heir to the seat of the duke received punishments he should be ashamed of. While he received an adequate punishment according to Titus, his younger siblings Athena and Apollo received praises for helping the case.


    Although Apollo just gave the report in the morning the future crown prince was able to use all his connections to convict everyone he wanted. That''s why before the night falls only Titus can sleep soundly on his bed, the rest might be in their cells.


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes]


    "I think I was wrong about the prince"


    The artificial intelligence did not speak as if it was his silence that signifies his answer as yes.


    "This situation could have been avoided if only she realized how much Prince Titus and my sister love her. No, it''s not only them she has an entire club dedicated for protecting her, yet doubt had clouded her judgment"


    [We can''t really say that since we don''t know the entire truth. What the diary holds is just a small fragment of events Miss Olena wishes to share. It is only her point of view and not of the others. Their reason and decision aren''t something we can know, all we can do is watch and try to understand them]


    A sigh escapes from Apollo as he holds the diary.


    "Just this one time, I will forget what she did to me, for her sake, and in respect for her death I will do this"


    Apollo steeled his will and waited for that person underneath the stars. He could feel the wind, it was cold yet it couldn''t be compared to the void inside his heart. He thought he had filled it yet it seems he was wrong.


    "Where could she be?" he questioned while standing amongst the flowers.


    "It seems that autumn is coming" he can''t help but add feeling the increasing flow of wind. Each wave of it created a symphony that made the leaves and branches of trees dance.


    As the boy indulged in the calm tune, the sound of familiar footsteps made him open his eyes.


    "You are here," he said first as he moved to see the person he was waiting for.


    "Sister"


    "Apollo"


    As soon as she arrived the flow of the wind changed, and roses began to sway left and right.


    "Why did you call me here"


    I am sorry I wasn''t able to win against myself, I let my demons swallow me and now I am no longer there to hold your hand. I wish I could be, but the truth is, I''ve taken myself away from you, way too soon.


    The thing is, I wanted to tell you something, though I don''t know how to say it. I find it a bit indecent however since I am already gone can''t I at least be honest? I want to tell you this, Athena Moon Lionheart, I like you not as friends but romantically. I know you might find me weird but it''s the truth.


    You know ever since my bullying I found the thought of having a relationship with men disgusting, however, with you I think living in a small house in a mountain won''t be so bad. I found peace with you and I hope you won''t feel too burdened because of my passing.


    I hope this letter reaches you with the warmth I always wanted to give you in person.


    There''s so much I wish I could say Athena, but the words never seem to be enough. I want you to know that I was happy you found this place because you found me here. You made the days brighter and the nights more comforting even when nightmares kept visiting me. Your smile was my solace, and your laughter was the melody that played in my heart.


    I am sorry that I won''t be there to share in your life''s moments, both big and small.


    Please forgive me for taking my own life. I had hoped for a lifetime with you even if you can''t accept me as a lover, I can''t settle for a friend or stalker, and it breaks my heart that I am the reason why it won''t happen anymore. I want you to know that I fought with everything I had to stay, but sometimes your emotions and thoughts can take your actions to extremes.


    I want you to live fully and find joy in the world, and don''t go around wearing that mask it''s annoying you know.


    Take care of yourself. I''ll be watching over you, and in those quiet moments when you feel alone, I hope you find comfort in knowing that I am still with you, and now I am at peace.


    Your little flower,


    Olena Riverside


    Athena then closed the diary and let her tears fall on the ground.


    Watching this Apollo can finally smile, and then he speaks.


    "Sister she has a gift for you" he added, then suddenly a gentle wind touched the flowers causing them to change color. The red roses that signify love and admiration slowly change their color. Under the touch of the moonlight and guide of the stars the dark shade of red turns white.


    Athena felt an immense mixture of emotion and slowly her crying face gave a melancholy smile.


    "Yes, I will live"


    She declared and with her smile, Apollo finally changed his expression.


    Experience more on empire


    "A red flower signifies an intense and pure love, while a white" The boy looks intensely at the garden before saying "A white rose means final farewell, this was Olena''s way of saying goodbye to her"


    With his mission done Apollo then decided to leave, since he could feel Athena needed some time alone.


    "You know Jeremiah, I somehow don''t regret writing that last page"


    He said before disappearing in the darkness.

 Chapter 200 Calling her

    Here is the complete letter of Olena to Athena:


    Dear Athena


    I honestly don''t know what to say and I didn''t know I would have the chance to ever write a message for you. If you''re reading this, then I''m no longer there. I just want to tell you this isn''t your fault. Don''t blame yourself this was my choice and although I regret it, this was the only thing I could do to escape.


    I am sorry I wasn''t able to win against myself, I let my demons swallow me and now I am no longer there to hold your hand. I wish I could be, but the truth is, I''ve taken myself away from you, way too soon.


    The thing is, I wanted to tell you something, though I don''t know how to say it. I find it a bit indecent however since I am already gone can''t I at least be honest? I want to tell you this, Athena Moon Lionheart, I like you not as friends but romantically. I know you might find me weird but it''s the truth.


    You know ever since my bullying I found the thought of having a relationship with men disgusting, however, with you I think living in a small house in a mountain won''t be so bad. I found peace with you and I hope you won''t feel too burdened because of my passing.


    I hope this letter reaches you with the warmth I always wanted to give you in person.


    There''s so much I wish I could say Athena, but the words never seem to be enough. I want you to know that I was happy you found this place because you found me here. You made the days brighter and the nights more comforting even when nightmares kept visiting me. Your smile was my solace, and your laughter was the melody that played in my heart.


    I am sorry that I won''t be there to share in your life''s moments, both big and small.


    Please forgive me for taking my own life. I had hoped for a lifetime with you even if you can''t accept me as a lover, I can''t settle for a friend or stalker, and it breaks my heart that I am the reason why it won''t happen anymore. I want you to know that I fought with everything I had to stay, but sometimes your emotions and thoughts can take your actions to extremes.


    I want you to live fully and find joy in the world, and don''t go around wearing that mask it''s annoying you know. Be honest with yourself and makeup with him already. I know you didn''t mean what happened. I know you two were both hurt but it will remain as it is if you won''t clear things up. Regrets can only make you think but if you act now it will change.


    Your what ifs will disappear and only possibilities will remain.


    Please remember me not with tears of sorrow but with the laughter and simple moments we shared. I know we only met for a short while but thank you. You were my greatest adventure, my little gardener and fiery lioness. I am grateful for every moment we had together and even in the afterlife I will take it with me.


    Take care of yourself. I''ll be watching over you, and in those quiet moments when you feel alone, I hope you find comfort in knowing that I am still with you, and now I am at peace.


    Your little flower,


    Olena Riverside


    Athena remains sitting on the soft grass in the garden not knowing her brother already left.


    "I will thank him tomorrow" she mumbled while cradling the diary in her arms.


    That night the wind blew strangely calm, many hearts were broken that day though there were some who already felt relieved. Like Apollo who happily walked away from the garden, as he did so he can''t help but speak to Jeremiah.


    "You know Jeremiah, I somehow don''t regret writing that last page"


    [I supposed so however are you alright?]


    "Of course, I am, why ask"


    [Because you used a very powerful forbidden spell]


    "I am alright since I use the spell Clonis, that is why this body didn''t receive any damage, my other body did. Well to be more precise it was the ''me'' who cast the spell that received the penalty"


    [Do you think Olena had joined the Cycle?]


    "We don''t know, however, we still have a task we haven''t done yet"


    [Edgar? Didn''t you already give his location to the prince?]


    "Yes, and from what I heard Prince Titus already mobilized an adequate amount of soldiers to capture him"


    [So it was already done why do we still need to do something to him?]


    [You better take some precautions]


    "Of course, I will"


    Then my body split into two, one who will cast the spell and the other who will only watch.


    A black tormenting magic circle emerge on my foot while my voice continues to chant.


    "Forbidden Magic, Darkness element, Visitare"


    The entire ground was suddenly filled with light, then my vision was suddenly plunged into a place I don''t know of.


    It was a place where thousands of lights moved like water on falls. Knowing what those lights were, I immediately look which one was Olena.


    "Damn it I only have a couple more minutes to find her soul"


    The darkness necromantic spell, Visitare allows its caster to visit the place where the flow of the cycle happens. This way I could talk or even summon the soul I wanted at the given time.


    "Where is she?"


    [How come there are so many people dead?]


    "Forget about them we gotta find the soul of Olena, her soul''s aura should be strangely similar to Lena"


    Jeremiah and I floated from left to right but still, we couldn''t find her. With the time reaching its end, we became anxious not until a presence made its way to us. It was a small flickering light. Unlike the other lights, this oddball would float very unstable while its lights began blinking like a dying flame.


    Immediately I held the little light and wrapped it with my mana.


    "Olena" I said and that is when I realized that I was back inside my room. In my hand was a small wisp that slowly transformed into a human shape. Then slowly her features began to emerge. Long brown hair and emerald eyes accompanied by a perfectly curved body that will make you realise what made Edgar crazy.


    She was beautiful though her face tells me she is disappointed.


    {I thought it was her}


    "My sister? Athena is still not here so don''t get your hopes up"


    {Wait sister, you are a Lionheart?}


    "Yes I am Apollo, her younger sibling"


    At that moment she did something unexpected, she lunged forward while wrapping her arms around me.


    {It must have been hard} she softly told me making my heart rise. I wasn''t able to pull her away immediately since her hand began brushing my hair. Her touch was strangely calming.


    I didn''t know being her younger brother would gain her affection, however we don''t have time for this.


    "Miss Olena I didn''t call you for this"


    {Oh right I am sorry I suddenly got excited after knowing you were her brother}


    "We should put that aside since we have limited time"


    Then I took her diary and showed it to her.


    "Can I ask you something, why do continue to hide yourself? I can tell while reading your entries that you still omitted words to hide your true self"


    At that moment Olena looked at me and could only make a sad expression.

 Chapter 201 A stranger

    "Miss Olena?"


    The soul of the deceased lady suddenly grows dim causing Apollo to sustain her using his mana.


    "Please calm down if you don''t want to answer I can send you back"


    However, the lady shook her head and instead gave a smile.


    "I''ll answer you"


    Apollo felt conflicted since his curiosity had caused this dilemma. If he didn''t impulsively summon her soul it won''t be this unstable. Her soul was already weak with her killing herself and receiving too much burden from her regrets.


    Apollo wanted to lessen her burden by somehow completing her diary but it seems remembering what happened before her death caused her more damage.


    "It seems it was my mistake I shall send you back Miss Olena"


    {It''s okay I will say everything and as for the diary..}


    She became silent while looking at the design on the notebook in the boy''s hand.


    {How I wish to hold it}


    She slowly mutters though the boy is able to hear it.


    "That''s okay you can use me you know"


    {What do you mean?}


    "Tell me anything you want to write, and I will no longer ask any questions instead you can tell me your request anything and as long as I am capable of that, I don''t mind doing it"


    With those words, a smile emerged on her lonely lips making Apollo glad he changed his approach.


    He set aside his thirst for answers and instead let Olena feel less burdened. It was the least he could do since he disrupted her journey towards the other side.


    {Thank you, I now know that you and your sister are very kind people}


    "Will you believe me if I say you are one of the few people who saw us that way"


    {I surely will}


    They both laugh and strangely Apollo felt comforted by her mere presence. He didn''t know why someone he just met could make him feel comforted and relaxed.


    "Shall we start?"


    {Sure!}


    Happily, Apollo took a pen from his inventory and copied Olena''s handwriting.


    {I think you made this letter a bit wrong I don''t write like that}


    "I am sorry I will write it again"


    And just like that, his evening was spent writing Olena''s last will and message to her family and friends.


    After finishing Olena went back to their previous topic.


    {Do you still want to know the reason why I didn''t fully write my thoughts despite committing an act of sin against God?}


    "Honestly I am curious but if you can''t then that is fine, your condition is what I am concerned off"


    {You are very thoughtful just like your sister}


    "I don''t really want to be compared to her"


    At that moment Apollo noticed a hint of sadness in her eyes though it immediately changed.


    {I''ll satisfy your curiosity if you can promise me something}


    "What is it then?"


    {Talk to your sister and beat someone for me}


    "Sure I will gladly do that as long as your soul will feel more free"


    Apollo felt happy he was able to help however that happiness was replaced by pain.


    "Here it comes!"


    [Bear with it Creator]


    The penalty for the spell is now being given, and slowly the spell Visitare began eating his body.


    "It hurts!"


    [I will start nullifying the pain!]


    Like what Jeremiah said the pain disappeared but Apollo''s dilemma was just starting. His organs began to shut down along with his heart. And just like that Apollo drew his last breath.


    "I never expected a day will come that I will dispose my own body"


    The other Apollo who was hiding in the corner can''t help but say as he stared at his own dead body.


    [Why? This wasn''t your first time seeing yourself die so why do you look like that?]


    "Last time I turned into dust so I didn''t need to care for my body but this time I need to"


    [Shall I decompose it?]


    Apollo went silent while finding it disturbing to see himself decompose.


    "No don''t do that let''s just put it inside the inventory"


    Jeremiah agreed to him while this other Apollo had something in his hand.


    [It seems you have found Edgar]


    "Yes while the other me talked to Olena I began scanning the tracker I put on Edgar. Thankfully I was still able to find him"


    [So should we go?]


    "Nope I have a better idea"


    .


    Explore hidden tales at empire


    .


    .


    End of flashback


    Apollo now is on his way to his dormitory until his eyes saw a figure.


    It was a man wearing a blue robe, the edge of it had golden patterns while its hood remained obscuring his face. However, despite his clothing that hides his face Apollo can see small strands of hair that can tell him his hair colour.


    "Who are you?"


    {Me? Isn''t that question for you?}


    "What?"


    {Tell me who are you?}


    Then Apollo''s vision began to blur until something brought him back to his senses.


    "What the, was that, a dream?" he can''t help but mutter as he realized he was in his room.


    [Creator are you alright?]


    "Yeah I think so"


    Confusion filled his mind while a question remained unanswered.


    "Who am I?"


    He repeated those words causing a splitting headache to strike him. Jeremiah then took action and removed the source of pain though Apollo felt his body weak.

 Chapter 202 Punishment

    A new morning arrived inside the Aster academy, however to some, it was a little empty because the halls and offices had been significantly reduced by its residents.


    Titus''s action brought forth new rules and laws that protect students against other students and students against their own professors.


    And due to the low percentages of students Aster plans to reopen its doors for new students, though it will only be those in the upper year that will be allowed to transfer.


    The Academy was scheduled to have its entrance exam in three days.


    However, Apollo and his friends weren''t really concerned by this news since their daily life had already continued. Their activities and assignments were the only thing that was keeping them occupied.


    "Hey, have you heard the news?"


    McKenzie initiated the topic making everyone look at him.


    "And what news is it?" Blair curiously asked.


    "Well they say Edgar was already caught, while his family''s status and wealth were confiscated by the imperial family, well to be specific it was Prince Titus who took them"


    "So where is he now? Where did the imperial soldiers put that Edgar" Agnes asked as well while fixing her sitting position.


    Gladly Mckenzie answers "According to what I heard he is right inside the dark cells of the imperial palace!"


    The class was bustling with stories they heard from the other classes, they hadn''t noticed that the negative intention they once harbor at the start of their friendship with the other class already disappeared. They now could fully talk and share their thoughts and even though trust wasn''t fully there their relationship with others is improving.


    "So what are you planning to do Apollo?"


    Alicia switches the question to a certain young boy who quietly rests on the floor full of well-trimmed grass. Their class currently rested because their professors Adolfo and Timothy made their practical activities and training difficult.


    "Don''t ask me that, because you already know the answer" the boy just answered while feeling the gentle touch of the wind.


    "Is your body still sore?"


    "Alicia try wearing five limiters and you might know the answer"


    The girl just laughs however Apollo can see that her energy is a bit unstable. Meaning she must have spent too much of it that she is unable to control the massive amount of power she was holding. It made the boy curious but for now, he will put it aside.


    "Let''s focus on our daily training, our subject Magic and Creation 2 will be hard now since we are going to practice using magic in different terrain"


    "Right and we also need to practice how to handle those potion recipes"


    "And the professors kept pestering us to join a club"


    With Apollo''s words, Casper and Braiden remember the trouble they have to do right after their break time.


    "No!"


    A painful exclaim came from Edgar as he realized he was in that place again.


    "I need to wake up! Wake up this is just a nightmare!"


    He thought so while slapping his face however no matter what he did he wasn''t able to escape the dream he was in.


    "Nooo" he weakly said but then heavy footsteps came shaking the very core of the young man''s will. He panicked and immediately tried to run away but soon he was caught by two female ogres. Their expression was grotesque while their eyes were filled with lust. This terrified Edgar.


    "Let go of me!"


    He tried to fight back but inside the dream, he couldn''t summon even an ounce of his true power. All he could do was scream as his clothes were torn.


    "Nooo please No! NO!" He kept screaming while the ogre''s tongue ran down his body. A nauseous smell filled his nose as the saliva of the monster-filled his body. He felt dirty and the desire for death began to grow inside his head. However, the licks finally stopped and the horror began to intensify.


    "NOOOOO!"


    That''s all he could say as his body was raked up and down from a place he could describe as disgusting.


    The nightmares felt real for Edgar each thrust felt like his body was breaking and each pull felt like he was being torn apart. At the end of it, all he could do was wake up in the morning with a massive headache. However, this time it was different as soon as he woke up his body felt heavy and painful, as if he was beaten black and blue.


    "What is this" he mutters while scanning his body. Then as he pulled his sleeve he felt weak all of a sudden. Planted on his arm is a huge bruise akin to a bite, an ogre''s bite to be exact. In that moment Edgar felt his entire being was torn to pieces. And a realization he was so afraid of suddenly formed.


    "It wasn''t a dream"


    So with all his might, he began to shout or more to say he began to plea.


    "Please can anyone hear me!"


    "Please call for my friend he is a Lionheart he will help me please!"


    But no matter how much begging he did no one answers. All he could receive was silence.


    "No....please!"


    He began to shake the iron bars of his cell while continuing his plea however nothing happened. He felt even more broken.


    "I am all alone" he could only say while curling up in the corner.


    Despite his suffering, the demon did not forgive him, no he had no right to forgive, all he could do was continue the punishment.


    Edgar has no escape now, even death can''t save him for every time he tries to kill himself a priest from the church would heal him instantly. This causes Edgar more misery because he knows Titus won''t let him off easily. He won''t kill him but he won''t let him live either. What a painful ending for a man like him. Even when he goes insane the prince will bring his sanity back.


    Then when night falls that nightmare will arrive to torture him. He could not escape it all he could do was endure.

 Chapter 203 The lone Lion

    Everything can be said back to normal, though there are some people who used to be the center of attention and envy now turned into a topic of disgusting discussion. The main attraction aside from Edgar was his goody old best friend, the Lion''s heir, Eros Star Lionheart.


    His circle of friends excluding his beloved sister, were involved in scandals and controversy that left them no choice but to end up in jail. Titus made sure of it, though their length of stay with the five-star dungeon can be said limited unlike Edgar''s, it was still enough to destroy the reputation they have.


    And even if they try to return they have nothing to call their own. They have no status or wealth that can protect them. All that is left is for them to safely finish their studies at the academy and beg for someone to hire them in the future. However, it might become difficult since their tarnished name will never be clean again.


    Back to our sunset lion who used to be popular and have many admirers, now with the prince pinning him in his place, no one dares to approach him. Even Athena her sister didn''t even visit him once.


    The ego of the young was crushed and his most cherished reputation no longer exists. And if it weren''t for the fact Athena doesn''t want to become the heir Eros wouldn''t be able to retain his position. This situation further hurt his ego resulting in him consulting his beloved teacher.


    "I really need advice when will you come here?"


    Asked the young man he suddenly turns into a man as docile as a doe.


    {Be patient my dear I already contacted your fiancee she said she will help too once she is done with her duties}


    "I know her duties as a princess are burdening, you shouldn''t have asked for her help"


    {It''s necessary she is after all your wife-to-be}


    "Forget about it teacher I will ask Myers to handle this, perhaps he can help me clean my reputation"


    {I suggest going for community service and volunteering for demon subjugation, that way people will see you in another light}


    "I will think of that"


    {You could also spread a rumor that you have no idea what your friends were doing since you are busy with missions}


    "I already did that but the prince was the first to extinguish that plan since he disclosed the fact that I am aware of what Edgar was doing. Turning a blind eye to the situation causes me to be in jail for three whole days"


    {To think the prince would go such lengths for a commoner girl}


    "Not just him but also my siblings! That Apollo and Athena how dare they!"


    {Calm down my heir as long as you are the one who will inherit the dukedom they can never touch you}


    "That''s true but because of this issue, my father already limited my influence not only to the family wealth but also to the manpower. Whatever I could no is already reduced to what it was previously"


    {Dont worry I will send some of my disciples to assist you}


    "Thank you, teacher"


    {You are welcome my prime student}


    Then the call ended Eros was a bit satisfied and could finally continue his day. One of his main objectives now is to slowly remove the blemish that ruins his smooth identity.


    Opposite to his improved demeanor his teacher Edmund Tower collapsed as soon as the call was cut off. His body was covered with sweat and his mouth had blood on it. With his weakened body the massive mana he has can no longer support him.


    "You are going to choke if you keep doing that Apollo"


    "Whaff do you mek... off!"


    "Here water, seriously"


    Immediately the boy uses the water to flush down the chunk of food on his throat, though the thing he did afterwards is to eat again.


    "Are you spending too much energy lately, that''s the only explanation I could think of seeing how much food you are taking"


    "Alicia, aren''t you the same? I can sense your power kept being repeatedly used. I wonder what are you doing?"


    "I received a command if you are curious ask for his permission and I will tell you"


    "Hold on you two are on a mission again?" Matilda asked while passing a glass of juice to each of them.


    "Yes"


    And just like before the two answered at the same time.


    "Is it the emperor''s command?" Blair inquired while putting another plate of food on Apollo''s lap.


    "It''s quite similar but a bit different since it is not a direct command" Apollo answers.


    "Right I forgot you are part of the four dual families, you guys have the right to make a move without making reports" Mckenzie commended then he looked at Alicia and asked.


    "How about you?"


    "In my case, it''s a direct command"


    "Can we help?" Arabela inquired to which the two answers.


    "No"


    A combined groan was heard it seemed they were disappointed to be left out.


    "I guess you all wanted to be part of the action" Apollo realized while receiving another plate of pancakes.


    "We do want to be useful that is why we all wanted to grow stronger"


    "But you are strong" Alicia stated while tapping Alya''s back.


    "Everyone has become strong" she added.


    The atmosphere began to run smoothly as the children felt the refreshing touch of the wind.


    Apollo knew he might miss this kind of chill atmosphere considering how his investigation was going.

 Chapter 204 Traces

    Apollo''s Pov.


    I have been searching for traces using my spy insects, and each of the places inside the dairy turns out to be useless. I found nothing so with no other option I began to use the spell Clonis. That way I could personally see those places and inspect the areas my spy insects can''t go.


    "I wonder where I should go?"


    In the coming days, I became a wanderer going to different places. From inns to taverns and even to the darkest places that can be found in many cities. I went there to investigate.


    And because I kept snooping around I ended up causing trouble and creating unnecessary attention. The worst part is, that I even touch a secret black market auction and end up destroying the entire place. Of course, I plundered everything they wanted to sell, way before the guards arrived.


    So with my pockets full I venture into more cities and gain more information though some of them are irrelevant to what I seek.


    "Still no traces even my spell can''t uncover anything"


    [Creator this is just a thought but since we can''t make good use of spells, should we lean towards Authority?]


    "The level of those skills is still low but perhaps we can upgrade them considering I got a lot of harvest from our last adventure"


    [I will do the upgrades]


    "Focus on the authority of time and Mystics, okay?"


    [I will]


    If I can use the authority of Mystics I could influence more people at once while the Authority of the Goddess of Time can help me peek into the past, although I might need an assistive spell like last time to fully manipulate it.


    "Hey, aren''t you the man who raided the Lunar Mask?"


    While I continue planning my next move a certain man said that to me.


    "Lunar what?"


    [It''s the auction you attacked Creator]


    "You mean the one with human trafficking?"


    [Yes]


    I see so up until now I am still getting dragged into that mess even though I already changed my appearance.


    [It''s your aura Creator it attracts too much attention, and we have a couple of witnesses who saw how you massacred the underground auction]


    "Then I better change my appearance and overall presence"


    "Where are you going, I just want to offer you a job"


    The man who spoke a while ago continued to convince me however I was already done and wanted to remain hidden.


    "There is a dungeon found in the forest of Gimpo, we need capable people like you who can venture into the land and conquer it"


    "Dungeon?"


    Suddenly the thought of profit made my will waver.


    [Creator aren''t we supposed to be investigating right now?]


    I kept on thinking that however my train of thought suddenly halted when the marquis finally arrived. Somehow the lack of evidence made me want to visit the kingdom of Nadezhda, the place where Nero ruled.


    However for now let''s look for any trace that can point those gods from the revolutionary church.


    [You said that but all you wanna do is plunder some treasures]


    "I am not doing this for that, I am actually trying to retrieve an artifact and study it. Besides dungeons are rare, I should study them in order to replicate the same energy it makes"


    [For what? To copy it and produce your old dungeon?]


    "No, what I want is to use its energy signature to locate more dungeons"


    [So you just want to plunder more]


    "Nah my main priority is to use it to locate the artifacts that are currently being used here in the continent. I still remember how it was able to jam our scanner and fool my spells. I think if we want to win against the revolutionary church, we need to be cautious against those artifacts "


    [Perhaps maybe we can use one of your skills Creator]


    "Like?"


    [Machinery Engineer]


    "Right, I will keep that in mind"


    I happily nodded with Jeremiah''s advice then I shifted my focus to the Marquis''s words when he explained that the dungeon was a rare natural dungeon. It was made by nature itself and thus has a more peculiar aspect than the man-made one.


    "This is becoming interesting, Jeremiah try to scan the entire territory of the marquis"


    [Creator I can''t sense anything however mana seems to be fluctuating in a strange way. Unfortunately, Creator, I can''t pinpoint the exact place since the energy is too unstable]


    "It''s okay what you said to me made my guess correct"


    [And that is?]


    "That the mana will be affected due to a dungeon''s creation"


    [So if you can detect those fluctuations you can determine if a dungeon will be created?]


    "Yeah but it could also mean a breakout will happen"


    In the end Jeremiah and I kept discussing different energy movements until we arrived inside the dungeon.


    In my opinion, I felt the site was a place ruined by a strong earthquake. The ground was broken and a huge fissure produced uneven layers of soil. At the middle of it, chunks of rocks form an entrance and a hole drilled through the fault became the entry point, though its atmosphere could make any man retreat.


    Like before I tried to scan the dungeon however, I failed making me more curious.


    The surrounding mana was still going everywhere making the environment a bit hostile, so we became extra careful.


    [This is dangerous Creator, I can feel several breaths that can be compared to a Celestial magical beast]


    "Yes I can tell"


    I replied while the marquis gave us the command to explore the area.


    As soon as we entered a paralyzing roar broke our formation.


    "Here it comes," I said while a colossal body made its way towards our group.

 Chapter 205 He is a wizard but a hint of banditTypically

    Typically speaking who doesn''t love money and treasures however in this world those two things come with one thing in common, danger.


    "BANG!"


    The ground was smashed open and the beast which doesn''t exist in any books emerged within my view. Its existence was something no one has ever recorded.


    This was the case because dungeon beasts are hybrid monsters that were born out of the unstable state of energy in Bunag. They are more unique and irregular than any kind of beast. This makes them complicated and hard to read. According to some text, each dungeon had its unique beast so previous records of encounters are useless to rely on. All you can do is survive and conquer.


    So while dodging the powerful swing of this colossal beast I began to chant.


    "Wind element, Twister"


    A green magic circle began to be drawn and air blasted off creating a strong rotation movement. With its focus application force becoming a drill towards the monster''s body the surrounding people took that chance to reorganize themselves. It seems the roar a while ago took them off guard.


    [Creator this beast has impenetrable scales, you need more force to break it]


    "It''s okay I don''t really need to do anything"


    I answered him and immediately three people began to surround the beast. One with a shield, the second one with a sword and the last had a saber.


    As soon as those weapon masters arrived, three streaks of light almost blinded me since their auras almost turned into a flame-like form. It was dense and dangerous capable of pulverizing debris.


    While the three became the vanguard the mages and archers at the back assist them. They mainly use mid-rank to high-level spells to disrupt the monster''s movement.


    The rhythm of the battle began to shake the entrance of the dungeon. However, the hybrid monster was able to block all the attacks due to its scales. Even when it was being cornered none of the current attacks could penetrate his shield.


    [His protective skin is as tough as a black dragon while his body is as flexible as a tempest cheetah. This thing can react and exploit its own defense without getting fatal injuries. Although its body structure looks like a gorilla the tail and wings make it look weird]


    Jeremiah stated while I dodged a fireball that came from the monster''s mouth.


    "He is weirdly dangerous"


    The mix of different magical beast''s characteristics made him excessively hard to read however the main problem still lies with its defence.


    [Creator, the commotion is causing more monsters to gather. You must finish this one]


    I can''t help by sigh, though this guy doesn''t have a strong offense on the other hand its defense is at least on rank Celestial. So it''s understandable that no one can do anything. However what if there is more of this beast? A shield strong enough to endure any physical attack while a body that is fast enough to dodge spells.


    If they are more of this beast, we won''t be able to handle them.


    "Damn it I thought this dungeon is only B grade what''s with this monster!"


    Someone shouted while waving his staff to halt the approaching horde.


    If what the marquis said was true however if he simply wished to test the strength of the dungeon then he must have lied.


    "Wind Element, Tespester"


    I chanted and the entire entrance and the passage in front were covered with a green magic circle. From it, a new type of wind was summoned. The surroundings began to be affected as the great wind began to rotate.


    "Fall back you will be sucked if you approach it!"


    "Fall back!"


    They stated while taking shelter behind my back. Calmly I raise my hand and manipulate the wind. The ground began to tremble, as well as the ceiling and walls of the entrance. Usually, this won''t happen since dungeons are made solely with Bunag''s best materials.


    These are unique items I better look into them later.


    I was satisfied with what I got so I left the other spoils to the people with me.


    "This dungeon is way higher than what the marquis stated"


    "Dungeons especially natural types tend to be hard to identify that is why we can''t blame the marquis, however right now we should probably retreat since we can''t risk going even deeper"


    Selso a knight of the marquis said while gathering everyone to camp outside the dungeon entrance. We can''t leave yet since there is a possibility of a hybrid beast going outside the entrance. So we must stay and wait for further inspection.


    [You know I was expecting that you would disobey the order and sneak inside the dungeon]


    "Nah, I am not rushing things and besides, I just found something"


    Jeremiah suddenly sighs making me feel bad since I have been giving orders nonstop.


    [You are brewing something dangerous]


    "Why not, a glorious opportunity had presented itself to me so why not use it?"


    [What if what you wanted to convey doesn''t reach their ears?]


    "That is the reason why the other me will create rumours, that way every corner of this continent will know the existence of this dungeon"


    [Just be careful]


    "I will" Discover stories with empire


    While I was fighting those beasts the other me just got an intel that some mysterious people are secretly buying artifacts. After snooping around and extracting information from the underground information guilds I found solid proof that this might become my lead to them. A group of people that is so secretive that even the most famous information guild can''t get an idea of them.


    Surely it must be them.


    "If they are suddenly gathering artifacts that only means they are preparing something, so why not establish a stage where I could capture them?"


    This move might attract not only the people I intend to see but also some unwanted organizations. However, I don''t really care all I need to do is make sure they won''t be able to join in.


    [How so?]


    "Well I have multiple bodies what do you think I should do?"


    [You are not planning on causing havoc right?]


    "Hmmm"


    [Right? Creator?]


    "Or course!"


    I will first gather information about the people who will come here and then make sure a problem will arise in their family or their territory that will leave them no choice not to come here.


    However, I should be careful not to cause suspicion.


    This is so complicated that I wish I could just use the authority of Mystics to influence everyone''s mind.


    Well either way I should be able to accomplish this, hopefully, those people will take the bait.

 Chapter 206 The mess he made

    The news of a Zenith grade dungeon spread across the continent causing a stir that attracted so much attention. Rumours circulated so fast that even the emperor had no choice but to make a move.


    Artifacts are not the only thing a dungeon can have, it also has a rare type of mana stones and crystals. Anyone who can mine them will accumulate excessive wealth. However, the emperor had no interest in fighting over the treasures inside. The reason he assembled his soldiers was to make sure no big fights would happen.


    Opposite to the ruler''s decision his child Titus plans to venture into the dungeon with his trusted people. Although the imperial family has plenty of powerful weapons it won''t be in his hands until he is crowned. So to gain more power and stabilize his firm hold towards the crown prince position, it is essential to strengthen his tools, an artifact could definitely assist him.


    Back to the current situation the kingdom of Murdo was flooded with people although its initial number would have been larger if it weren''t for a certain someone.


    In the midst of this situation, a decree was given by the emperor. First, there shouldn''t be any fights between the parties of dungeon raiders, and only a select few could access the dungeon. Everyone must obey this.


    One of the individuals who was selected was a man with white hair and grey eyes, and his body was covered with a black robe. On his hand was an old wooden staff that had an orb at its tip. This man looked ordinary causing some to question why he was selected.


    He was also very calm despite many threatening glances that came his way because that man knew all they could do was stare.


    It was all due to the emperor''s command, it was absolute and if they wished to disobey it, the soldiers of the imperial house would be their first opponent, which wouldn''t be easy.


    "Next!" ordered the soldier in front while handling a hammer towards the man who presented himself.


    "If you wish to enter the dungeon you must first prove your capacity to survive there. Hit the maker on that pillar if your score reaches 500, you will enter"


    While this transpired the white-haired man walked around the site and remained scanning each person that entered. As he did so a specific energy made him return his attention towards the soldier who was doing the test.


    "Hmmm," he became amused while the cloaked man took the hammer and smashed the marker on the said pillar. A score of 1000 emerged making everyone impressed with what he achieved. However, there is one who didn''t share the same sentiment as them.


    It was the man with the white pure hair, he merely stood where he was while his eyes glistered with murderous intent.


    "Finally found one" he only said before blending through the crowd.


    The selection took an entire day and finally, a group was assembled with each having the capacity to fight against ranked Celestial. And so with the army''s urging the raid has finally started. The crowd was divided into two, the smaller one was going inside the dungeon while the larger one remained outside.


    A thirty-member party was hastily created based on strength alone, and it was obvious that since they all barely met, trust and unity were nowhere to be seen. It was as if they were merely formed to fail, however, the soldiers knew that experience would guide them together though some lives might end up getting sacrificed.


    The party quietly went inside the dungeon and what welcomed them was a place with glittering mana stones and crystals on its ceiling and floor. It was a delightful sight however right in the middle of the ground is a hole with countless circular scars.


    Then another wave of energy was released though this time it turned into a ball of flame that flew towards the individual who caused this calamity.


    A banging sound was heard because a barrier had blocked the enormous ball of fire. So to answer that attack was another layer of magic circle.


    "Just when will this end!" shouted one of the wizards inside the party.


    "How about you help that mage then!" someone sarcastically replied shutting the wizard who just spoke.


    They knew that they wouldn''t be able to help out because the swarm of humanoid dragons was beyond their reach. And even though they are ranked as Celestial they only barely made it inside the rank.


    "Tempester, Increase"


    While the party argues about who needs to assist the wizard, the caster has made another modification to his spell. Continue your adventure at empire


    The rotational force of the twister began to increase and this stirred the dungeon to the extent that its walls and ceiling were reduced to debris.


    "At this rate, that wizard may poke a hole in the dungeon''s walls" someone commented though before his words even came true the spell suddenly stopped.


    For a few seconds, the party didn''t know if the spell was destroyed or the caster succeeded. So slowly they put down the barrier and cautiously waited until the cloud of smoke was cleared. And there among the bloody mess and scattered pieces of bodies a single silhouette was standing still. A man whose hair has been dyed red and his cloak chipped and holed due to the flying stones a while ago.


    Then with his grey dull eyes, the man spoke calmly.


    "Pick up anything worth it then let''s get going"


    His voice which was clear and had no signs of any emotion made everyone''s mind clear.


    And so with the caster''s command, everyone began searching for spoils.


    "You are good, my name is Sato if it''s okay may I ask for your name" The one who just spoke was the same man who got 1000. So in response to his questions, the white-haired man answered.


    "My name is Sun"


    Finally, the face devoid of any expression finally made a reaction. A smirk emerges from his lips while extending his hand.


    "I hope we get along Mr Sato"

 Chapter 207 The Beast inside the dungeon

    Sato looked at Sun''s extended hand and gladly took it.


    "If it''s okay I would like to offer myself as your friend, I don''t mean to be overly familiar I just wish to befriend you"


    Sato said while shaking Sun''s hand.


    "A friend? Aren''t you being way too quick in making friends?"


    "I don''t think so Mr. Sun, when it comes to befriending strong individuals you can never be too quick or slow" Sato smiled confidently as he said that.


    The man named Sun just smirked at his words before giving him a pat on his back.


    "If you can survive this dungeon I might think about it"


    Then he left Sato and proceeded to move forward.


    Despite the dangers, Sun didn''t seem to be afraid of the dark corners of the dungeon and proceeded to scout the area.


    "I think that man is even more dangerous than this dungeon," said one of the mages who was selected.


    "I can''t help but agree, the way he cast that spell without even alarming the surrounding mana is incredible. A mana domain will transpire the higher the spell is however not even a leak happened"


    The mages continued their discussion not until Sun spoke.


    "Something is coming, be prepared"


    His words became the warning signal that made the mages erect barriers for defence. They didn''t perceive the arrival of enemies due to the unstable state of mana, and due to this imbalance, they couldn''t get an accurate reading of their surroundings.


    It''s as if the mages were blinded because their means to scout were removed. However, their situation was no different with the weapon users. They mainly rely on their sense to scan the area but since the surroundings have energies going everywhere they are practically the same as the mages.


    That is why Sun''s simple words made them recognize him as a powerful mage.


    However, as soon as the defences were done and established not a single noise or shadow came to attack them. The party became confused but even when they began to question Sun they couldn''t do so. Because even though these individuals might have lost their ability to sense their surroundings their instincts were still there.


    So despite the silence that continued to envelop them, an ear-piercing tension slowly crept into their hearts. Whatever this monster is, it wants to shake them.


    "Hoo..." a swordsman put more grip on his sword while shaking his head to wash away the agitating emotions that were causing his hands to shake. Soon this feeling spread one by one until all began to feel fear. No matter how much they try to take reign of their emotions it kept going haywire.


    As things escalate they begin to realize how bizarre for this to happen. All of them have been fighting for so long and even survived the breakout of Evaristo, so why do they feel this way?


    Without anyone''s knowledge, a yellow miasma was slowly forming around them.


    Sun also move to reposition himself.


    "GARAGGGHHH!"


    An inhuman roar was released causing for a powerful and chaotic mana to attack everyone. However, even when the energy inside their bodies wreaked havoc the mages were still able to cast a union spell while the weapon users became their shields.


    The six mages chanted in unison though as soon as they started the monster''s attention shifted on them. Sun who is aware of what is happening immediately made a move to keep the enemy busy. But unlike any other beast, he was smart enough to realize how the spell could potentially harm its existence. It didn''t buy Sun''s provocation and remained focused on eliminating the six mages.


    So the monster moved so fast that before they knew it, the thing was already in front of them.


    It was aware of the consequences of the mages'' spell so it first aimed at the strongest one out of the six.


    A banging sound came after and the claws that were about to fall on the mage''s face were blocked.


    Ten weapon users blocked the attack then a series of flying arrows shot in the air causing the monster to retreat. Sun took that opportunity and cast a spell called Wind Scythe. In response to that move, the beast made the wings behind its back move making air turbulence.


    "Grrr...."


    More attacks flew in for the single enemy of a thirty-member party group. But every attack didn''t work, it was fast and had a very good defence. Its offense was also impressive and despite being a dungeon beast it was able to plan its attacks and exploit the opening it saw.


    Sun felt amazed though he wasn''t really nervous. Because even though he can''t break its defense there is something that can definitely help. The Conquering spell had now activated putting the monster in a layer of debuffing spell.


    "Nice"


    Sun exclaimed while trying to cast a finishing spell to end the monster. However, he wasn''t able to do so when the monster suddenly released a powerful growl.


    Its body began to turn into fiery lava, then it began to melt the conquering spell that was cast by the six mages. The party immediately responded to this action, which is why a protective spell and aura shields were erected.


    The beast continues to run berserk releasing chaotic clashes of energy. Then the roar was so powerful that it washes the dirt of the entire area. The ground was dented revealing the mana stones underneath. As the broken debris was cleared the only thing you could see was the protective spell of the mages and the aura shields of the weapon users.


    "Grrrrr..."


    The scaly and spiky appearance of the beast changes and it turns into a lava-like state. Then this monstrosity made its move. It beat the air with its wings before gliding towards the first humans nearest to him.


    The party reacted as soon as this happened and another joint spell was cast. A magic circle bearing the color of three elements was drawn on the ground. As soon as it activates black tainted chains ascend to bind the monster. The moment it completely immobilized the target the weapon users charged forward. Coated on their bodies are the boost cast by the mages.


    This added strength soon took the beast off guard. Since the bindings made him defenceless.


    With no other option, it raises its mouth to make another roar. So it opens its mouth and of the verge of releasing another berserking power.


    "GARG..." "BANG!" a loud noise rang when a sudden projectile hit the monster''s face.


    "Shut up you retard" said the archer who released the arrow and now aiming again at the beast''s mouth.

 Chapter 208 Ingaging in combat

    "Shut up you retard" said the archer who released the arrow and now aiming again at the beast''s mouth.


    His previous arrow went straight into the beast''s throat cutting him with its air supply and stopping its attack.


    Sun and the rest of the weapon users then felt the sudden change in the beast''s body, because no matter how much they hit it. The lava body of the beast would absorb everything. This made it hard to create the strike that would put an end to the beast''s life.


    So in order to counter this they began utilizing combo moves in order to strengthen their attack.


    "Fall back!"


    Sun suddenly commanded forcing the close-range combatants to fall back. Then from offense, they switch to defence, and they also reposition themselves in order to react quickly in case of attack.


    The chains were suddenly broken and the monster being confined inside has been free.


    A red phantom began to move but this time the party was ready to receive its action. An archer pulled the strings of his bow and made a rain of arrows. Although none of them was able to hit the target it was still enough since he was able to buy some time for the mages to cast.


    Another joint spell was cast however due to the target''s speed the mages couldn''t just release the spell since they knew it wouldn''t hit the target. Sun and the rest of the weapon users then made their move and began to corner their speedy opponent.


    Wind began to dance and with its power Sun''s speed went on par with the monster. He dashed in front of it and using his body he blocked the target''s path. Discover exclusive content at empire


    His action momentarily halted the beast''s advance and that moment was well taken as Sun attack. Using his hand he positioned it in a way similar to a gun, and then at the very tip of his finger a magic circle emerged.


    "Wind Element, Air Gun"


    A compressed air shot towards the beast sending it right on the wall. The pristine side of the dungeon that was filled with crystalline mines of mana stones and crystals was broken. Embedded on its broken surface was a red monster. The crater it made on the wall due to the impact soon turned into mud that stuck the beast in its position. Now the beast can''t move while on his side are the weapon users.


    All routes now were blocked and all the beast could see were weapons pointed towards its head.


    Sun''s move and the simultaneous response of the other close combatants left the single enemy cornered once again. The opportunity has been given and so all the mages present prepare a new spell.


    The incantation began which turned the already chaotic mana even more disastrous. It was because a mana domain had been established. And with the might of the spell it completely killed the problematic beast.


    As soon as the body of the monster disappeared none of the party members celebrated, instead they immediately divided themselves into different subgroups. Some tended to the injured, the most able ones guarded, those with lighter injuries took the spoils and the remaining went on to scout.


    Sun was the one with almost no existing injuries even though he was the one fighting in front. So he went to scout the area again just as he did before.


    And so their journey continues with more powerful monsters attacking them however somehow they all manage to survive. The raiders of the dungeon all felt glad since none of them had died. Typically dungeon raids would result in massive casualties but this time not a single one of them had hit the bucket. That is why everyone was ecstatic to continue.


    Although the party had been formed by complete strangers, their teamwork is improving a bit. Each of their encounters now are being dealt with faster than before and with fewer injuries. After another round of fighting the party decided to rest. A camp was built fulfilling the need of the party to recover.


    "Sun where are you going!"


    Asked by their tanker while dropping his shield to chase after him.


    "Duran pick your shield" Sun just said without looking back. And just like that the strongest man in the party left the barrier. His action caused a stir in his teammates though none of them followed him.


    "What is he planning to do?!" Joven asks while feeling nervous. However soon that nervousness was replaced by awe when the energy that was wreaking havoc disappeared.


    "Wait did he just suppress the chaos outside using his mana?"


    A mage exclaimed while still not believing the situation.


    "He uses a mana domain to take hold of the surrounding mana" added another mage.


    "Hey why all of you are staying there, the final fight is about to start"


    In the midst of their discussion, Sun''s voice made them remember what their objective was. So the party tore down their defence and as soon as they did so they realized the danger of the situation.


    Right in front of the KEY a being made them breathe in fear. It was like any other beast they encountered inside the dungeon though this one was far stronger than the rest.


    "GRRR"


    The beast walked slowly and as he did so Sun realized why the center of the dungeon was the biggest and most spacious out of all the places in there.


    "So the biggest monster is staying at the center, make sense"


    Sun commented while the object of their fear began to make its appearance. This beast has a blue scaly body similar to the other beasts they encounter, however, this one has more prominent features and does not look like an abstract art filled with all sorts of beast''s parts.


    It was a real dragon, a hybrid one to be exact. Its blueish body has a luminous effect while its back has a towering crystalline stone similar to crystal mana.


    "Defense now!"


    Sun urges and the party immediately responds with a barrier shield, a technique with the combination of magical barrier and aura shields.


    As soon as they put their defense a roar far stronger than the one they experienced hit them.


    Even with the combined strength of their defence, it was immediately destroyed once the power of the dragon''s roar struck it. Sun made his move and a sword appeared on his hand. Then the ground shook and the air vibrated as Sun broke the immense power of the roar using the wave of his sword.


    The beast stayed where it was and remained observant not until a shadow teleported right in front of it. Sparks of lightning then began to dance as the crystals on the dragon''s back charged electric current.

 Chapter 209 The key

    Inside the center of the dungeon lies the key. Though it was called that way it doesn''t bore the appearance of the real one. Instead, it looks like a giant crystal and has the same amount of mana as a crystal mana. Acquiring the key to the dungeon is essential since this item has the power to manipulate the hidden doors of the dungeon.


    The hidden doors contain priceless and unique treasures including artifacts. Though they can venture into these places on their own, it would be difficult since they need to leave the direct road which has the most stable amount of mana. If they choose a different path their chances of survival will be slim since they could be killed either by the clashes of energy or by the mutant beasts.


    The smaller passages are also prone to make people lost and no one has gotten outside who is sane enough to tell the tale of the events there.


    The key will be their way to safely secure the path and doors containing the artifacts. Though no one knows why such a thing exists in dungeons, keys will be their way to safely venture into the deeper parts of the dungeon.


    "ROAR!"


    However, to do that they must defeat this monster first.


    Sun teleported in front of the dungeon beast and immediately changed its weapon from sword to gun. A bullet was fired though it was blocked by the beast''s scales, however, the person who fired the bullet didn''t seem worried that his attack didn''t work.


    Lightning then dances across the air which is generated directly from the dragon''s crystalline back.


    "Get him out there!"


    Stay connected via empire


    Joven commanded and the mages cast a spell to teleport Sun back to them.


    The dragon that was supposed to attack after being shot became surprised when its target disappeared. A sense of displeasure washes over the beast which causes it to growl.


    "That thing''s scales have a similar durability as mithril, normal spells won''t work" Sun reported as soon as he was back.


    "Alright got it, in position everyone!"


    The party became divided, 5 heavily armoured tankers came in front accompanied by 10 agile fighters and weapon users. 5 archers and gunners ranged and prepared their positions while the remaining spellcasters and supporters remained at the back.


    The dragon moved seeing the charge, it roared and unleashed a combined legion of ice and fire. The party takes significant damage, with the fire causing burns and ice causing frostbite. Though all injuries healed due to the supporter''s healing spell.


    "Take the potion now!"


    With the command of the leader, the tanker crashed the bottle in their mouth and immediately drank it. With the boost and healing spell their stamina began to escalate.


    The tanks, using their shields and armor, draw the dragon''s attention. They position themselves to absorb as much damage as possible.


    And the already tired supports continue to provide crucial buffs, such as increased attack power and defense, and use healing potions to restore health. They work on removing any debilitating effects and poisons from the dragon''s claws.


    Both sides are severely injured, and the dragon becomes increasingly desperate and confused about how its attacks are not working how it was supposed to. The beast also notices how each of its attacks would miss the target while some that would hit were weaker than it intended.


    So the dragon launches a final attack, it combines fire, lightning and ice attack, creating a devastating area-of-effect blast. It also uses its fire breath in quick succession.


    This scenario made the tankers shine again. They continue to maintain their defensive positions, using their best abilities to shield the party from the dragon''s final assault.


    The melees push hard, attacking relentlessly to keep the dragon from attacking again. They avoid the area-of-effect blast and focus on damaging the dragon quickly.


    Sun and the ranged weapon users continue to target weak points, using their most powerful arrows, and bullets to deal maximum damage. More bullets were fired and each one would directly strike the dragon''s wound which was made from the party''s relentless attack.


    Then Sun fired another bullet that made the dragon off balance. It roared trying to gain mobility but with its energies going everywhere even breathing was hard.


    An opportunity presented itself and the mages unleashed their strongest spells, pushing the dragon to its limits. Healing also became critical as the party suffered from the dragon''s final attacks. The party members felt their breathing became short but seeing the monster almost collapsing on the ground they found a newfound strength to keep going.


    "KEEP GOING!"


    Sun''s voice rang again and a battle cry escaped from everyone''s mouth.


    The supporters then use their remaining resources to keep the party in fighting shape, casting critical buffs and healing spells. The battle came to reach its climax with everyone reaching their limits.


    As the dragon weakens, Sun steps forward, on his hand is a staff. Using that weapon the energy inside his body moves for a decisive strike. He prepared a powerful spell, and a multi-coloured magic circle was formed, it was a spell that was cast from the very beginning that only a few people noticed. This spell was meant to exploit the dragon''s element-changing nature.


    Sun controlled his breathing and activated the high-level spell, "Mirror"


    This spell absorbs every prominent element in its surroundings. And since the dragon''s elements are currently the strongest the spell absorbed it all.


    Sun''s spell combines lightning, fire and ice into a single devastating attack. Observing this scenario the party positions themselves to avoid Sun''s attack and the dragon''s final attacks.


    Sun releases the spell with a dramatic burst of energy. The combined elements create a massive explosion, targeting the dragon''s critical open wound. The mages took this opportunity to overwhelm the dragon''s defenses by assisting another round of attacks. This causes immense damage to the dragon disrupting its ability to fight back.


    "Let''s end this!"


    Wind began to howl and Sun floated into the air while looking down at the dying beast.


    "Wind element, Tempester, Focus point, hundredfold"

 Chapter 210 Sato

    "Let''s end this!"


    Wind began to howl and Sun floated into the air while looking down at the dying beast.


    "Wind element, Tempester, focus hundredfold"


    A magical circle blinded everyone causing their eyes to feel painful. With their eyes shut closed all they could feel was a big eruption that caused them to fly away.


    "Damn it!"


    With their already injured bodies, the party members could only rely on magical enchantment items to survive.


    They all close their eyes and pray to god because at that moment they thought none of them could survive the impact of Sun''s attack.


    The air vibrated so hard that it almost blew up their lungs, and the ground shook as well causing their sense of balance to be disrupted.


    "Please just kill that dragon already!"


    Joven shouted despite the pain and suddenly the shockwaves dispersed as if it never existed. Then as they stood up their injuries also healed without their knowledge.


    "What just happened?"


    They became confused not until they noticed a barrier that protected them, and then on the ground was a magic circle.


    "Look outside!"


    Sato exclaimed seeing a single silhouette who stood out among the broken walls and ceiling of the dungeon. Experience tales at empire


    It was Sun he was unscathed and merely floated in the air, though his expression showed no signs of relief. This made the party nervous.


    What if that beast was still alive?


    Was it a wise decision to acquire the key? Or venturing into the most dangerous parts of the dungeon better?


    None of the options seems better however there is one thing clear, Sun is the only one that can save them.


    "Support now!"


    Joven commanded and the mages who are proficient with healing and buffs collected themselves and began to cast. The tanker and melee fighters wanted to assist but fearing that they might turn into a hindrance than help is worrying them. So all they did was watch.


    Outside the barrier Sun looked down at the beast''s corpse however instead of being happy his eyes lay on the little thing it left behind. Right before it died it spit a cocoon. Sun tried to destroy it however the dragon was persistent, and before the last spark of life extinguished it protected the cocoon until it was able to hatch.


    So now Sun stared at the monstrosity in front of him.


    "What are you" he spoke seeing a figure that strangely resembles a human.


    "...."


    The humanoid beast didn''t answer instead its vertical pupils stared deep into the man who blatantly looked down on its existence.


    Sun frowned the beast''s appearance was way too similar to a human. From the face and the structure of the body, it really resembles a person, if it weren''t for the fact that scales envelop his body as armor that monster could definitely fool someone.


    "I can feel you can understand me" Sun spoke again however just like before the beast remained silent.


    "Where is Sun!"


    Joven asked while trying his best to search for him.


    "Wait Sato is also not here!"


    "What!"


    Their leader suddenly felt a headache however with the current situation not being good it is best to retreat.


    "Where are you two!" Joven continues to think so while trying to contact Sun using his communication device.


    {Sun!....}


    {A-r..are you...s-afe?}


    The voice was a bit static however its receiver immediately responded.


    "I am safe but please remain inside the barrier, the miasma is spreading in all directions, you might also need to contact the people outside the entrance since this thing is almost there"


    {Wh-at?... Okay I will tell them}


    After cutting down the call Sun looked at a certain man''s figure and said.


    "Get away from the key Sato"


    His voice made the man stop and then a voice filled with sarcasm filled the air.


    "Mr Sun, you are still alive?"


    "You seem disappointed"


    Amongst the blurry and zero visibility place a figure emerges from the cloud of deadly fog.


    "Sato, no was it even your name? After all the name Sato came from the East, however you don''t have any semblance that you came from there. Not in terms of appearance, speech and even your mana"


    A wicked smile emerges on Sato''s face before laughing hysterically.


    "I don''t really need to explain myself"


    He said while walking towards Sun though his targets suddenly disappeared and reappeared right beside the key.


    "Hmmm....do you want me to guess who you are" Sun suddenly came up with a topic though Sato wasn''t interested. Because every passing second his defense is slowly breaking away due to the miasma. He doesn''t have the time to entertain someone''s useless dialogue.


    "Let me guess your name should be...."


    Sun began to say though Sato already vanished and reappeared in front of him.


    "Alphonse Delmar"


    Hearing that name Sato''s fist halted and that became an opportunity for Sun to strike his face. The sheer force of that attack made Sato roll away and hit the wall with a loud thud.


    "How was it, does it hurt?"


    Sun asked while his voice was filled with sarcasm.

 Chapter 211 Alphonse

    Sato, no, Alphonse''s face became swollen due to the impact of Sun''s strike. Though the latter immediately recovered and covered himself with aura.


    Sun just observed and even when the miasma covered the entire area his vision could still see through everything.


    "He is proficient in mana control and Ki circulation, we have a fighter mage here"


    So Sun began to form his stance while a pair of bracelets adorned his left and right wrist. His eyes then scan his opponent''s stature fully engraving its every movement in his mind.


    "He is moving now!"


    Ki circulated inside his body like a rolling engine while mana sparked upon his command. A mixture of two energies created a powerful synergy that almost left Alphonse surprised.


    "I should have known you were hiding your trump card" he voiced out while an artifact envelope his body.


    "Trump card?" Sun scoffed at his opponent''s words before continuing to speak, "Unfortunately Sir Alphonse you are unworthy to witness it"


    After speaking such words the two fighter mages took a step forward and began their magic slugfest.


    The entire dungeon is now filled with magic miasma that already causes a zero visibility area. However, amidst the deathly field of smoke strong vibrations and clashes of energy shook the very ground of the underground labyrinth.


    Sun who continues neutralizing all attacks from Alphonse began to see the patterns and traits he has.


    "He seems to be a mage who specializes in lightning magic and is skilled in acrobatics and hand-to-hand combat" he could conclude since each of his strikes has the power of lightning while his flexible movements and strong punches only cement his conclusion. However Sun doesn''t dismiss the fact that this must be a feign move to deceive him.


    So to test his reaction again he pointed his hand towards his opponent and chanted "Wind Element, Air Gun"


    A compressed bullet of air punctured through the deadly fog until it made its way to Alphonse''s face.


    The receiver of the attack was taken aback since his vision was being hindered by the miasma. So to evade the fast-moving projective he had no choice but to charge himself with lightning.


    "Hmmm....he is not casting, is he perhaps using instant incantation?"


    That immediate magic response was way too quick especially since lightning spells are very long to cast. Normal mages would switch to wind elements to have a fast incantation process.


    "Interesting"


    Sun now turn the tables he is now on offence while Alphonse is on defense.


    "Let''s test him more," he thought as started by darting towards his opponent with incredible speed, using a combination of clinching and wind movement enhancement.


    "Argh!" groan of Alphonse feeling that the energy in his body went haywire due to Sun''s casual stomp.


    However, it is not the only thing he needs to take care of because the miasma is getting closer, it begins moving back towards them. So the first thing he did was leap high into the air, avoiding the wind ripples on the ground. Then he prepares to unleash a final, concentrated lightning strike from above.


    Mana seems to be manipulated at a single point and the poisonous air is blown away.


    "Lightning Element, Lightning Strike"


    Sun didn''t just stand and on his hand was also a spell he had cast.


    "Wind Element, Zephyr"


    Lightning and wind suddenly meet causing a clash of mass of electricity and air.


    Many things blew up including the miasma while the ground was going everywhere.


    "NO!"


    Alphonse shouted feeling his arms weak due to the weight of the clash. However opposite to his situation Sun was unscathed and no emotion can be seen on his face.


    "Damn it, what kind of monster are you!"


    Blood drips down from his eyes, mouth and ears however he can''t stop.


    "I should probably end this"


    While Alphonse desperately clung to his life a voice devoid of any emotion suddenly went towards his ears.


    Then from Sun''s body, a pulse of electricity danced across his body as he raised his other free hand.


    "Ah, I forgot to say..." he began to speak while a smirk slowly formed on his face.


    "I can multicast"


    That smug expression drove Alphonse to madness causing him to put even his life force to push through the clash.


    "Combination spell, Windstorm"


    Sparks of massive amounts of lightning flow through the gaps of wind and channel its power on it. As they became one the cluster of wind turned into a cluster of clouds. These clouds generate a bolt of even more powerful lightning.


    "Goodbye Sir Alphonse" Sun just said while witnessing how his opponent''s body disappears.

 Chapter 212 End of the raid

    As the body of Alphonse disappeared Sun cast another spell.


    "Darkness Element, Necromancy Magic, Veritas"


    Dark tainted smoke appeared on the ground before grabbing the soul of the deceased opponent of Sun.


    "ARGHH!" An eerie sound of begging echoes however the deathly miasma covers his plea, and not even the last remaining part of the enemy survives.


    "Sir Alphonse why betray the tower" Sun mumbles as he picks up an old emblem left behind by his deceased opponent. The emblem was actually an insignia depicting a tower, it was standing tall while a vermilion bird coils around it. Sun couldn''t help but frown seeing it had a powerful preservation magic. It was so powerful that even his spell wasn''t able to leave a dent in it.


    *Sighs*


    He can''t but sigh however he notices how the fatal haze began consuming and corrupting the nearby mana stones and crystals.


    Discover stories with empire


    "Not good, now I wonder how should I deal with this"


    Sun continued to ponder until an idea popped into his head.


    "Yup, why not"


    Then his body began to be filled with light until that light turned into a black mist that slowly morphed his body into a beast. A humanoid demonic beast, with a pair of wings and horns was then revealed.


    "Hooo..." he breathed while inhaling the violet and deathly haze.


    While this transpires the imperial soldiers outside the dungeon have evacuated everyone since the entrance was covered by a violet smog. The miasma had spread there and a quarantine was ordered. Although there haven''t been any casualties due to Joven''s warning the entire area was put under control under the orders of the emperor.


    The imperial soldiers and the royal guards from Murdor''s king were spread out suppressing the miasma however try as they might they couldn''t completely contain it. Besides the poisonous effect, the smog also contains a corrosive trait that destroys not only physical shields but also magically generated ones. Due to that all they could do was wait for the emperor''s most trusted people.


    The association and the tower.


    However, each passing second is making the affected area bigger. This dilemma caused them to lose hope not until a powerful suction pulled the deathly smog away.


    "What''s going on!"


    Exclaimed by a soldier who firmly uses his spear to stop himself from getting drawn into the mouth of the dungeon.


    "Hold on to something!"


    The strong drawing power was like the pull of a powerful tornado, although they were thankful that the miasma was disappearing it also made them scared since they felt that they would be flush inside the dungeon.


    Then as if their prayers were being granted the suction ended and all soldiers could finally sigh in relief.


    Back at the center of the dungeon a figure remains standing while the deadly haze furiously flows towards his mouth.


    "Sun do you realise your organs are being corroded with miasma!" Helen a mage who masters healing and supporting magic exclaimed while began scolding Sun. On the other hand, her patient only looks at her while his body is covered with bandages.


    "When are we leaving?" he switches to Joven not caring about Helen''s scolding.


    "Five hours from now so listen to Helen" he replied to his question as he stood up and lifted his heavy shield.


    "By the way aren''t you lifting something too heavy?" Sun said before the heavy knight could even walk away.


    "What?"


    "I am saying your weapon is way too heavy for you isn''t it?"


    Joven was a bit taken however his face soon returned to normal.


    "I''ll keep that in mind" he left after saying that.


    "To think a mage like him can pretend to be a heavy knight, seriously Your Majesty how did you turn your soldiers like this" Sun thought while observing Joven.


    Later that day they resumed their journey and with the help of the key they were able to find more doors and paths with hidden treasures.


    "Look at that!" exclaimed a mage who just witnessed the biggest composition of crystal mana in his entire life.


    "It''s as big as a tower!"


    Hanging from the ceiling is a rainbow color crystal, that even a piece of it can supply power for an entire kingdom for hundreds of years.


    "How can nature do this"


    Some party members began to cry due to the overwhelming feeling that washes them over. While the others remained dumbfounded at the current situation.


    "How did a gold mine appear here" a swordsman mumbled when they arrived at another door.


    After a few more twists and turns in the dungeon, they even found a room full of unique pearls and diamonds. While they continued venturing the path, the key became their protection from dangerous dungeon beasts, and thus no one was hurt. At the end of their journey, they were able to secure a massive amount of resources for themselves and left some for the Kingdom of Murdo and the imperial family.


    According to the imperial law, dungeon resources will be divided into three portions once conquered. The raiders will gain the biggest share followed by the imperial family and lastly, the kingdom or territory the dungeon came from.


    The end of the raid happened and the party members returned to their own affiliate organizations. The only one who didn''t belong to any group was Sun. Stealthily he disappears so not even the prince who was present is able to track him.


    While the entire continent is filled with buzz due to a Zenith rank dungeon being conquered, a certain cloaked man slowly walks along a quiet path though someone surprisingly appears in front of him.


    "Grandpa"


    "It seems you met him, Alphonse, my older brother"


    His words are gentle causing the deceptive facade of the cloaked man to disappear. His white hair began to change while being replaced by a red-orange colour. His height and build began to decrease resembling a child while his eye color began to turn gold. Sun had turned into Apollo.

 Chapter 213 His idol

    Three hundred years ago the War of Faith began, many brothers pointed their blades at each other and families became broken due to disputes. Plenty of those who are close friends broke their connection due to different views and beliefs.


    During this era not a single part of the continent experienced peace. Many changes happen and even the most powerful existence in Brynar had to intervene.


    The empire that tolerated and gave the people the freedom to choose religion began to suppress those who began raising their hands against them. The Imperial House had no choice since religion became a power that they could no longer contain. And for the first time since the creation of the empire chaos began to rise. It was chaos that decreased the human population in the continent by half.


    How ironic that the destruction of mankind won''t fall on the hands of the fearsome demonic beasts but instead on the hands of humans themselves.


    The source of this war was the believers of the Revolutionary church.


    It was just a single church that made this chaos and yet even the emperor himself felt his hand tied. He was torn between peace using bloodshed or peace by obeying the rules of the enemy. And so with no other options, he chose blood and war.


    The twelve churches that correspond to each of the Gods, even with their history dating back before the creation of the empire, too couldn''t escape the wheels of war. This caused their believers'' blood to dye the continent. Their grief and suffering made the sleeping Gods awake and summon their children who had borrowed their power.


    With both the imperial power and the church of the Twelve Gods being threatened, a sudden pact was made by the two. Something that even the Era of Extinction couldn''t do.


    Amongst the forces of the emperor that he deployed at that time, the Mage Tower was the fastest to respond. They immediately suppressed the residents who were wreaking havoc in the south, and then they advanced to the capital and aided the imperial knights.


    The imperial knights under the command of Lexus began slaughtering the enemies even though some of them were weak people who used to be normal citizens. Lexus never cared even though he murdered his own friend for his loyalty belong to the emperor.


    Due to his blatant massacre, he was nicknamed the Red Knight, for his obsidian armor became red due to the blood he had spilled. While the symbol of the imperial house on his sacred cape became the symbol of death.


    "Commander, seize your men, his majesty commands you not to harm his people anymore"


    A calm yet dominating voice spoke making the ongoing chaos stop.


    "And who might you be?" asked the commander while his blade pierced another person''s body.


    The person who just spoke put down the hood of his cloak. As soon as he did so Lexus was able to see that he was only a boy not even reaching his twenties.


    "A young mage" he mumbled while putting back his sword on his scabbard.


    "We came here with the command of the emperor to stop your massacre"


    "Stop? Why? How have you seen what these people have been doing? They are burning houses of those who don''t join their fucking church, they don''t even hesitate to hurt others!" the imperial general said while his aura began bursting with killing intent.


    "That is why we are here, we were told to cast a spell to put them to sleep and lock them in the dungeon cells"


    "What are you doing brother!"


    Alger exclaimed while his eyes began to shake.


    The young mage''s reaction was conflicted, he knows why this happened but he doesn''t know what to do.


    "Commander" he turned to the soldier hoping that he might reconsider his words of killing everyone here.


    "Alright, we will knock them out"


    The expression of the boy elevated though Lexus didn''t feel good about it.


    "Just to remind you when I say knocked out it means breaking a few pieces of their bones in the process"


    "I don''t care it''s good as long as they are alive"


    "Alright then we are good"


    Then his body disappeared and reappeared right in front of the new visitors.


    "Please brace for impact" his voice seems to be fading as the sound of something hitting echoes everywhere.


    Alphonse couldn''t react because all he saw was his comrades flying everywhere. Experience new tales on empire


    "You are next"


    "What!" it felt like the jaws of death were approaching in his panic he cast a spell that made him teleport right outside the city.


    "How did that guy bypass the barrier!"


    Lexus felt frustrated as he said those things Alger immediately ran after his brother with the rest of the tower mages with him.


    "We will be back," he said while the general signalled some of his soldiers to follow them.


    However that day not a single one of them was able to see him. And all Alger could do was wait for his return, and now after three hundred years the emblem he gave him as a gift was retrieved by his student from a corpse.


    "Of all things to protect why this" he mumbles while touching the fine marks of the emblem.

 Chapter 214 Artifacts

    Alger never saw his brother again, not even when he was killed, for his student never even left his corpse behind.


    "What happened?" he could only say while holding the emblem in his hand.


    "I was trying to find traces of the remnant forces of the Revolutionary church, while searching in the underworld society I found out a certain unknown organization has been sweeping the continent in finding any sort of artifact"


    "And with just that fact you figured it could be them?" Alger questioned while his eyes remained on the emblem.


    "Yes, the fact that not even a single trace could be used to track them out when I could easily trace the most notorious people of the underworld is already a point I should take into account. I have been searching for them, it was only the people of the Revolutionary church that could erase traces like this. I became familiar with their ways of hiding"


    "There was not even a single concrete testimony I got when I started asking around, and even when I used an element memory search spell I wasn''t able to see anything. Grandpa you once made me do a job for an investigation before and you know how well my performance is. Every time the emperor does a search order you would always include me.


    So you know my competence especially reading the patterns of how people work behind the scenes. I already studied and with the file given to me I could at least draw a simple conclusion that it was them"


    Apollo''s long explanation was something Alger had anticipated to hear however there was actually something he wanted to ask.


    "When did you know it was my brother?"


    "When I studied his mana, it was strangely similar to yours, so I know he was your elder brother Alphonse"


    Apollo doesn''t know how to answer now since he killed his grandpa''s brother without any remorse. This made him guilty, he felt shame for the fact he doesn''t feel anything while killing someone.


    "Why didn''t you call me?" the head of the tower spoke again his voice becoming solemn due to the pain he was feeling.


    "I wasn''t able to call you because I wasn''t sure if he was the same brother whom you often told me about" Now Apollo''s voice seemed to quiver as if a child caught doing something bad.


    "You told me he was a warm person, someone wise and resolute yet the man I met was like a venomous snake that would bite at any moment. He was different, not only in nature but also in appearance, grandpa he looks young despite being older than you. And the way he speaks reeks of magic speech manipulation. He wasn''t warm nor kind as you told me.


    I don''t want you to meet him and realize that he is no longer the person you used to know. It''s better for a stranger to eliminate him than his own brother" Apollo continues to explain though his eyes can''t meet Alger''s.


    "Have you tried speaking to him about me?" the old man asked seemingly losing his light.


    "I actually tried penetrating his mind while fighting however there was a wall, somehow I think it was a work of an artifact but he did respond when I called his name"


    Alger looked worried however he soon dismissed all his conflicting thoughts and changed to a different question.


    "So did you get the information you wanted to get?"


    "Yes, I did and I also still have him"


    Alger looked at the worried child knowing that whatever he had become was also due to him. His way of raising the boy made him cold-blooded to the point that killing someone became easy.


    "You are not to blame my child, so raise your head," he said while taking his small hand.


    "Thanks though I doubt we can see anyone from the church hovering around the dungeon since the imperial family had their hand on the key"


    [It was already a good harvest although we didn''t get any stat points but our inventory is full of treasures and artifacts]


    "It''s true that those essences are valuable, it''s just we can''t risk taking that residual mana from the dungeons since they are known for being contaminated and mixed"


    [So should we start studying artifacts?]


    "Yes though I check them one by one"


    Apollo then opened his inventory and ten objects appeared before him.


    "They look a bit weird"


    [But it was you who chose these artifacts]


    "Yeah you are right," the boy said while feeling that he might have chosen wrongly.


    "I should have asked you to appraise them first before taking them"


    [I told you so but you are insisting on using your gut feeling to identify strong artifacts]


    While Jeremiah scolded Apollo for being childish the young mage decided to test the artifacts first using the system''s scanner.


    "Wow"


    He began to exclaim as he saw a ring that fascinated him.


    [That is a very unique ring]


    "Yeah," he could only say as he saw the artifact''s description.


    [Item name: Ring of the Demon King


    Origin: A ring that was created from the corpses of hundreds of demons that dyed the land of Murdo. Its powers manifested due to the turbulence of mana and the dungeon''s creation


    Usage: Can be used to summon demons by corrupting the mana of several magical beasts. The number of affected beasts depends on the wielder''s power. Control over the summon demons and natural-made demons. The number of demons controlled depends on the wielder''s state of mind


    Warning this item may consume its wielder! Be wary!]


    "Interesting" Apollo commented before taking another artifact. It was a sword which somehow felt weird since it was only a hilt.


    "How am I supposed to use this?" Apollo said feeling confused.

 Chapter 215 his memories

    Apollo''s Pov.


    I expected things not to go according to my plan and I was also prepared that chaos would happen, however, who would have thought I would see Alphonse, grandpa''s older brother here.


    At first, I really thought he was an ordinary enemy I needed to gain information but I was wrong. The thought that he was familiar to me stems from the thought of his tainted mana, so at first I smiled in satisfaction however as I studied his mana even more I found out who he was.


    Grandpa''s older brother and a man who must be killed according to the imperial law.


    "Ugh!"


    I groaned as I felt the bindings of the oath, it squeezed my heart as if telling me to obey the order given by the previous emperor. I steeled my mind and tried to gain control until the system forced the oath''s bindings to weaken.


    At that moment I knew I must kill Alphonse to make the oath sleep, if not I fear I might go crazy.


    I felt conflicted but every time I did so the oath would suddenly spike up causing my breath to seize for a moment.


    Should I ask for help? But this was supposed to be a secret mission. I don''t want anyone to find me since I won''t be able to move freely.


    In the end, all I could do was let the oath extinguish Alphonse while my emotion was swallowed leaving me nothing but an empty feeling.


    [Creator! Creator, you have killed Alphonse!]


    "Yes I know"


    I said while feeling I was half awake and half asleep.


    I thought the system could handle the oath''s power but it seems I underestimated it. My senses just completely returned though the only thing I could see was a smoke of deadly air.


    I then waved my hand and Veritas was cast. While the dark smoke continued to bind the poor soul my eyes landed on the single object that wasn''t destroyed by the miasma.


    "Sir Alphonse why betray the tower"


    I sighed, "If he is important to you why leave him" I thought so while the deadly haze began to surround me.


    "Not good, now I wonder how should I deal with this"


    I pondered until I thought of my demon form, it has a skill similar to this. And since demons are immune to poisons this should be fine.


    "Yup, why not"


    I said while preparing to activate the skill, soon a black-like liquid flowed through my body while immediately rearranging the bones and cells of my body. As all my features turn monstrous I finally execute my plan. I opened my mouth widely and strongly draw my breath to suck the miasma.


    Fortunately, I was successful although it was a bit painful.


    [Notification Alert!


    The memories seem to be corrupted!


    The system is initiating a cleansing!


    Cleansing failed!


    The affected area is bigger than anticipated,


    and can only clean some notable parts of the soul]


    Jeremiah reported that the memories are incomplete and may seem mixed up. Although I was a bit confused about what was happening. The memories of Alphonse began to flood in, at first it was manageable until a sudden pain made me wince.


    "What is going on" I said to myself, a bit confused until I realised how the soul I am trying to memory search is being tainted.


    "Hold a sec I know this guy"


    I exclaimed as my mind searched the man''s face inside my memory.


    [He is an ambassador from a kingdom who often does business with Nero]


    "Didn''t the report include his background"


    [It did and there wasn''t anything suspicious about him]


    While Jeremiah and I felt confused another wave of pain hit me as the man spoke again.


    ~Hey how about becoming my friend~


    Alphonse didn''t dare to speak, that is when I heard his thoughts.


    {I must contact someone, this man is dangerous! He can control anyone just by speaking with them. I mustn''t say anything!}


    Hearing those thoughts made me stare in respect towards this man.


    Wait could it be that he was forced into joining?


    As my thoughts fly everywhere the scene continues to unfold.


    ~You are interesting~


    ~However you are too weak to be useful~


    Alphonse steeled his mind as he felt each word that was coming from him was a spell that could affect his will.


    However, every time he passes another hurdle of mind control the more it intensifies. I could see how brave he was and how his thoughts would go back and front towards grandpa and the tower.


    "What''s going to happen"


    I wondered until a spell landed on the enemies and blasted them out. Amidst the chaos, a silhouette can be seen dragging a body with him while three spirits take turns to ensure their escape.


    ~Brother you good?~


    ~Alger!~


    I can''t help but be surprised when I saw a young version of Grandpa.


    "What now?"


    I questioned while looking at the situation. It doesn''t seem like Alphonse will be tempted to join. However, I was wrong, as soon as the smoke returned my eyes were blinded for a second. The memories of Alphonse were filled with comparing and negativity. It was a time when grandpa and him were being compared endlessly.


    The people of the Delmar house were the most toxic of all, his mother Latina didn''t like her husband''s bastard getting more attention than her son. So he put heavy pressure on Alphonse driving the young mage into madness.


    "No" I spoke as I saw him kneel after failing to cast a spell that Alger was able to do.


    ~ It''s not working well~


    He said weakly as he let his body fall to the ground.


    I too felt his pain, he wanted to be more but people around him were whispering words that would only drive him into a pit.


    I continued to watch until his mother came with someone. It was a person with a different wave of mana, I immediately recorded this inside my memory.


    ~Son, mother brought someone who can definitely help you surpass that bastard~


    She said though my heart began to squeeze knowing things wouldn''t go better.

 Chapter 216 More memories

    ~ It''s not working well~


    He said weakly as he let his body fall to the ground.


    I too felt his pain, he wanted to be more but people around him were whispering words that would only drive him into a pit.


    I continued to watch until his mother came with someone. It was a person with a different wave of mana, I immediately recorded this inside my memory.


    ~Son, mother brought someone who can definitely help you surpass that bastard~


    She said though my heart began to squeeze knowing things wouldn''t go better.


    I felt conflicted about how his mother just accepted someone whom she didn''t even know. Her actions were the main reason her son was driven into a corner.


    ~Who is he, mother?~


    ~Someone who will help us~


    ~But mother~


    Alphonse tried to reject his mother''s insistence however his initial words faced shouts and screams from her.


    ~What are you even doing, can''t you see your mother has done everything she can do for your future? Why do you even need to question everything~


    Latina said while her voice became high-pitched due to her anger. The tired and confused young man could only nod his head to make her noisy mother happy.


    ~This person here is the one who will help us~


    Her voice was proud as if she found a bar of gold in a wasteland.


    "So this is how it started"


    I said as I realized how he ended up in the church. He was seeking power, for the people around him forced him to make such a choice.


    ~I did it!~


    Alphonse exclaimed as soon as he successfully cast a spell that made him struggle a few days ago. Under that man''s teaching his achievement escalated until something suddenly arose.


    ~What is going on Daneo, you told me if I drink this every day my mana would rise up but this past few days I can''t seem to control my mana~


    ~Worry not my friend, it''s because the effects of the potion are fading. You must take an even more powerful dosage~


    ~Then where it is? Did you bring some? I will buy everything~


    The young mage eagerly said as he remembered making a promise to Alger.


    {I should be able to get more missions with him if I continue like this} he thought so making me sad.


    You won''t be able to do that, because you will betray him soon.


    I curiously pushed the button as soon as I did, the energy stored inside the hilt began to intensify until a blade sprung out of it.


    "What the hell" I said feeling a bit surprised since a light forced out of the sword''s hilt.


    [Creator please read this before you hurt yourself]


    Jeremiah told me and I didn''t realise the artifact''s information was already in front of me. It seems I was too focused I did not realise it.


    [Item name: Light sword


    Origin: A weapon crafted from a disregarded hilt made by a famous smith. Through the dungeon''s creation, the weapon was transformed and became one with a powerful firestone. This causes a powerful light-cutting blade to be created.


    Usage: It is extremely sharp and can cut anything due to the high temperature caused by the firestone. Besides causing burns it could melt anything as well as cut enemies. The blade has to be used only ten hours a day since the energy would be fully used and needs five hours to be fully charged. The hilt overheats and must cool down before being used again.


    Warning this item may cut its wielder! Be wary!]


    "Oh"


    I almost felt weak since I didn''t know I almost killed myself when I put the emitter right in front of my face.


    "What could have happened if I accidentally pushed the button"


    [The barriers would activate saving your life in the process]


    I breathe a sigh of relief before continuing my inspection.


    "Hopefully I don''t accidentally hurt myself"


    [Just let me help you, Creator]


    "Okay, thank you"


    .


    .


    .


    At the same time, multiple Apollo are venturing the continent some searching for clues while some are accumulating stat points. One of them went to a place hidden and secretly built by a corrupt marquis in the south of the empire.


    This place was called the dark coliseum where finalists are subjected to fight to death. Since this place has numerous deaths every day, Apollo decides to visit the place and get as many stat points as possible.


    Then another Apollo joined a subjugation army and went on to suppress demons who were corrupting a forest at the east of the empire.


    The more deaths pile up the more strength he receives until it is enough to upgrade the system and the skills he has.


    "Now then this is one of the places in the diary and the memory of Alphonse"


    The boy said as he arrived at an island far from the mainland.


    "Since I got an upgrade I might as well use it"

 Chapter 217 Having many bodies is convenient

    In the south of the empire, the kingdom of Avarice which shelters a certain marquis that held excessive amounts of wealth due to his certain business.


    "Whoahhhh!"


    "Go kill them!"


    "What are you waiting for!"


    Roars of cheers echo through the hidden city, banners are hung on the streets and words of boosting can be heard mixed with the ongoing chaos, the source of the extravagant attraction was none other than the grand structure inside the city, the dark coliseum.


    Inside the said place was a vast area built to accommodate a huge crowd of people. It was magnificent in size though within its halls cast a shadow by the grim scene it hosts. The high stone walls are now eerie and stained, and the arena floor is slick with a dark, hardened layer of blood.


    The air is thick with the metallic scent of iron and blood, while each scratch on the walls echoes past violence. As if they are haunting the battleground that causes their life. The seats are filled with spectators, excited as the slaughter begins. Each match is etched with grotesque outcomes and blood splatters from countless spectators who continue to roar for bloodshed.


    The sun beats down harshly, casting a stark light on the gruesome remnants of battles fought in this ruthless arena. However before the finalist could even reach the floors of the arena, they were first selected through another death match called the dungeon death royale.


    All participants will be put in different cells inside a huge dungeon, and to advance to the next quarter of the event they must kill everyone who was imprisoned with them. The last remaining person in each cell will be the one to fight for the main event held inside the arena, and if they are lucky, win the overwhelming prize money and live luxuriously.


    Apollo who only came to gather essence and get some cash from the bets sat comfortably on his seat. His eyes landed on the girl who fiercely fought her opponent.


    "She might lose," he said while his hood hid his face.


    The young mage''s current appearance is way different from his original look. Now besides the difference in height, his hair is coloured golden blonde while his eyes had a shade of light blue to indigo.


    [Why do you look worried?]


    Apollo knows all the deaths that happened here weekly, so if he stays inside this city which legally supports killing the residual mana he uses to convert as stat points will increase.


    [Creator, that girl looks unique]


    "Yes, I can tell"


    The young Lionheart could feel a sudden familiarity with the girl yet he doesn''t know what that is.


    "Is it because of her mana? But it''s not tainted like the ones I saw from the monastery or from the church"


    [Corrupted but not at the same time, what is she? Her existence is confusing]


    "I only know a being who can be like this"


    He said while keeping his eye on the hooded girl.


    "She is a hybrid between a devil and a human"


    [Is that why despite her corrupted mana, she doesn''t get rejected?]


    "Yes and devils are humans as well just mutated into this new form"


    Apollo continued watching until this girl was able to win against her opponent.


    "I wonder if I should help," he thought so while reading the girl''s body language.


    The surroundings were enveloped in a gloomy and eerie atmosphere and above this city was a magical circle that covered the entire area.


    "You! Stop this!" stated a woman whose appearance is hidden by the hood of her cloak.


    "Hmmm?" the person she is trying to speak to looks amused and instead of answering her his eyes scan her body from head to toe. That man was the cause of chaos, the caster of the spell, Apollo whose appearance is still hidden by a veil of disguise.


    "To think someone will actually find me"


    "You, stop this!" she spoke again while blocking the path of the man in front of her.


    "Interesting... You might actually be useful"


    He said so while his eyes softened as he gazed at the woman''s face.


    "I thought you were a girl, but I was wrong you are a fearsome woman"


    He said playfully while dodging her flaming blade.


    [Creator she has a prime element!]


    "Jeremiah I think it will be more appropriate to say she is loved by the element of fire"


    He answers while dodging more strikes from the woman.


    "Jeremiah controls my body for a bit I need to continue the spell"


    [Affirmative!]


    A sudden change transpired in his body as the system and Jeremiah bound the skilled Master Weaponist and Master fighter to equip his movements with efficiency and sharpness.


    While the body is controlled and fighting on its own, Apollo continues casting the spell until the magic circle above the city begins descending. The pressure then escalates until a weak tremor shakes the entire hidden city.


    "What is happening!" the mysterious woman in front of Apollo said while the people surrounding them began dying, one after the other. This scenario causes panic among people who are not affected by the spell.


    "What kind of curse is this!"


    Someone exclaimed while weakly falling to their knees.


    The spell Apollo cast didn''t recklessly kill but instead, it only targeted the people who greedily use the coliseum. Those who were only working for survival won''t die instead they will receive blessings.


    "What is going on?"


    Apollo couldn''t help but smirk as he saw how her expression was too surprised to attack him again.


    "You need money right?"


    Apollo said while walking towards her, as he comes close he leaned to level himself to her height, then mischievously he began to speak right next to her ears


    "I would like to offer you a deal"


    His voice was no longer eerie and murderous instead it was sweet and persuasive.

 Chapter 218 Having many bodies is convenient Part. II

    Apollo''s offer stems from the knowledge that the church is currently in the process of recruiting new believers. Their usual targets are those in need of something, it might be power or wealth as long as the desires are strong they will use it to control their target.


    "If I can use her as a spy then I could gain even more information about their lair and perhaps even their connection towards Nero"


    He thought so however his suspicious action caused the woman to be cautious.


    "Why do I even need to hear you out"


    Her words weren''t exactly as the one Apollo thought of but it wasn''t enough to make the mage give up. After all, it was rare to see someone as capable as her at the same time manageable to offer a transaction. Apollo thought she would accept seeing how desperate she was fighting a while ago.


    "I want to offer you a dangerous job but the paycheck is enough for your entire lifetime"


    He first offers to use money while keenly observing her facial expression.


    "Hmmm... it seems money wasn''t what she needed" he could conclude seeing how his words made it seem like he was insulting her using his wealth.


    "I have no wish to be a slave of someone, and I never here because I need money"


    "I can tell because my spell didn''t kill you"


    "You!"


    Apollo''s remark made the already vigilant lady even more cautious of him.


    [You are really bad at this]


    "Can''t be helped I am better at physically tormenting others than hitting transactions"


    A sigh can be heard inside Apollo''s consciousness reflecting Jeremiah''s frustration.


    "It seems you are developing emotions"


    [And whose fault do you think it is? Every time a certain someone loses himself his unchecked emotions would go everywhere and end up attaching to me]


    His words were a bit sarcastic while Apollo could imagine a nagging boy who looked exactly like him.


    While this random exchange transpired only a couple of seconds went by in real time.


    "I apologize if my words are a bit rude but I am genuinely interested in hiring you, I can offer you anything as long as you are willing to take the job"


    Apollo tried to sound convincing but his offer sounded even more suspicious. Jeremiah decided to watch not wanting to help his Creator.


    "Why do you wish to hire me?"


    "You are strong and the fact you didn''t die from my spell speaks that your character is not rotten"


    "And why do I have to accept this? Surely there are plenty of people who can help you"


    "That is true but seeing how you moved a while ago and your character, you are the perfect person"


    "You aren''t fooling anyone with that kind of words"


    "Man you are too hard to convince...alright how about an oath?"


    He suggested giving his final trump card.


    "I don''t need such a thing" she refuses again while retreating vigilantly. The woman was determined to decline and sensing the person who offered her a deal did not emit any ill intentions or force things, she knew it was alright to leave things as it is.


    Apollo didn''t seem fazed and took out the sword of light in his inventory.


    "Now then let''s test this stick"


    He grips the obsidian color handle and smoothly clicks the button. A buzzing sound was heard along with a heat that turned into a fierce blade.


    Holding it Apollo''s eyes were filled with lines that seemed to tell him to follow it.


    "To think this weapon has this kind of skill, interesting"


    A single swing followed a line that quickly cracked not only the barrier but also the artifact that produced it.


    "Opps that was the wrong line" Apollo said feeling like he wasted a good defensive artifact. Nevertheless, if his blade could break it easily it might mean it was taken from a low-ranking dungeon.


    Alas, he was able to reach the core whose size is as big as a child''s head. A magical beast core that represents the element of wind with its green color. On its very center, a shadow could be seen representing the beast who once owned it.


    "Hmm.... I can''t identify this beast, what the hell is this?"


    [The archive can''t identify it either so it might be an extinct species that is not recorded or this beast came from outside the continent]


    Apollo felt even more curious so he ordered


    "Absorb this core"


    [Affirmative]


    A blinding light exploded from the core taking Apollo off guard.


    "What the!" he exclaims while his eyes are shielded by a thin barrier Jeremiah provided.


    After the light seized Apollo felt conflicted as he saw the result of the absorption.


    "Well that was unexpected" he said so though it seemed he ain''t able to test it yet sensing someone was waiting for him above.


    "I wonder if this will benefit," he said so as he made a gesture to suck all the remaining treasures inside the underground vault.


    "What brings you here, miss?"


    Apollo immediately said as soon as he arrived in front of his guest. That guest was the same woman he offered a job though this time something changed in her.


    "You said you will give anything right!"


    Apollo was suddenly taken aback as soon as she spoke like that so all he could do was nod.


    "I will do it just....just save my sister!"


    "Sister?" Apollo looked around her only to see a small child strapped by a ragged cloth on her back.


    "Show me you can save her and I will do anything!"


    She added, though her words made Apollo smirked as he saw her desperation.


    "This kind of eye will definitely lead me to them"


    He told himself while extending his right hand."I will gladly offer my services as long as the young lady accepts my offer"


    His voice was coercive while his simple gesture was enough to make the woman believe him.

 Chapter 219 Striking a deal

    "My name is Sun"


    "I don''t really need that since I know it''s fake"


    "I think your answer should be your name right? You don''t want to address each using hey or you, right?"


    "Fine, call me Avis"


    The woman''s brutal remarks left the Apollo speechless, even when he tried to act kindly she would immediately do something to rebuke him.


    "She is feisty and fierce"


    [It''s because she is already taking a high gamble talking to you so you have to understand her]


    Jeremiah reasoned though Apollo''s attention suddenly shifted to the accumulating crowd behind the woman.


    "That is one hell of a party" he mumbled though he noticed that their gazes were pinned on him.


    "That is not looking good" he could read their eyes and could tell because of his actions they view him as a hero.


    "Sir thank you"


    One of the seemingly looking slaves said while his body was weakly leaning on his brother''s shoulder.


    "Thank you for saving us"


    "We know what you did!"


    "Thank you not only did you kill the marquis you also broke every lock in his manor"


    Apollo never expected to hear gratitude from strangers he had safe, he thought that they would fear him instead of feeling thankful for what he did.


    "There is nothing for you to thank you, you may go back to your homes" Apollo said urging them to go on their way.


    His words made all the people look at each other.


    "Sir, if it wasn''t too much can you help us one last time"


    One of the older prisoners said though it seems he was a bit afraid to speak.


    "We are actually residents of distant villages here in Avarice, one day the people of the marquis came and started kidnapping everyone. He took everyone from the young to the elderly. Children, women and the old were sold into slavery, while those with good builds were put on a fight in the arena"


    "Sir, we don''t have a place to stay, we no longer have homes, and we can''t ask for the king''s help since he assists the marquis in expanding his business"


    "Yes...that''s true! We saw him before....he was walking through our cages as if we were some animals he likes to buy!"


    "Mister mage if it isn''t too much can we ask you to help us, at least we want to report this to the emperor"


    Apollo felt like there was more to it but didn''t dare to pry.


    "Alright let''s do this, let''s make a contract"


    A deal was forged while a plan was created in order to draw the people from the church. Apollo has a rough idea where the recruitment could take place so all he needs to do is take advantage of it.


    At the same time, the other Apollo had been fighting in the eastern part of the continent. He had joined the subjugation army in order to eliminate a horde of demonic beasts that already devoured a massive area of a forest. Many magical beasts were either corrupted or eaten by the demons and even the trees and land were drained of life.


    "Jeremiah tell me how much you need for the system and skill upgrade"


    [Creator we at least need stat points scaling up to 700,000]


    "Ugh, just how long do I have to kill"


    [Patience Creator we will get there]


    A sigh escaped from his lips while lifting his blade to kill. In the span of weeks, this event happened to seven more Apollo, they either searched the area for any trace or tried to be bait to become a new recruit.


    Finally, he was able to gather the needed points and upgrade the system and also his skills.


    So as he divided the workload among his multiple bodies, he then started using his authority to see the time when the meet-up between the bishops and members of the revolutionary church happened.


    "Alright let''s do this" Apollo declared as he prepared an ancient spell to assist him to control the authority.


    "Jeremiah make sure to lock the space using the authority of space, we can''t let anyone disturb or even spy on me"


    [On it Creator]


    This Apollo''s current location is a forest. Strangely the place was bathed in the soft light of the setting sun, the golden rays slowly touched the boy''s body as if comforting him. The leaves rustled gently in the breeze, and the air was filled with the scent of pine and earth. It seemed like this place was uniquely made for a gathering spot.


    Apollo drew his breath and within the quiet forest everything seemed to stand still, his eyes closed as he concentrated.


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes Creator!]


    A spell came to his mind then an incantation flowed out of his lips as the authority swallowed the area.


    As the magic and authority took hold, the forest around him began to waver and blur. The vibrant greens and earthy browns of the present day melted away, replaced by the grey tones of an earlier time. The scene solidified, revealing the forest as it had been months ago.


    Apollo remained calm and manipulated the authority to do his bidding.


    As the scene solidified his eyes stared at the scene before him. The once-empty forest was now bustling with activity. A small group of figures came, their clothing reflecting their identity not to be noticed. They were gathered around a stone altar at the center of the forest.


    Apollo never anticipated there was an altar there, though it seemed that this altar was used to hide their identity and anything that would transpire there. The scene continues to unfold and Apollo observes in silence.


    The details of the meeting became clearer as he focused. The figures, their serious face and intent, Apollo heard their voices rising and falling in excitement, their topic is how they will take the five children of Gods, Apollo''s friends. Their happy chattering made the boy angry but still, he continued to listen.


    The meeting lasted only a few hours before the figures began to disperse, leaving the altar surrounded by an aura of vigilance. It seems they want to keep things as hidden as possible. Apollo watched as the last of them departed, the scene gradually fading back to the present as the magic of his spell began to weaken.No?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 220 A flower among the snow

    As of now, Apollo has identified ten people who attended that secret meeting. Some however are hiding quite well since they use a puppet to attend the meeting.


    "They are really cautious, some didn''t even attend personally but instead use puppets and hypnotic spells to control people, and attend for them"


    Apollo felt amazed at their ways though it didn''t really matter. Since he turned back time he was able to acquire their mana signature and could use it to trace them.


    "The system''s upgrade will definitely help me"


    He said so until the power of the authority helped him get an accurate reading of the mana signature.


    "Right this should do it"


    He said while cancelling the power of the authority and his spell.


    "Hoo..." he breathes while his body releases the tension that accumulated from using both an authority and a forbidden spell"


    [You are improving, and with our upgrade now the authority of time can save you from dying from using that forbidden spell]


    "Yeah, I''m glad we gathered enough stat points for the upgrade"


    Apollo felt relieved though something still bothered him.


    "Jillian hasn''t contacted me, I wonder if she succeeded in finding what I asked her to find"


    Right after the trouble at the eastern kingdoms, Apollo asked her to check on something for him. So under the pretext of being sick Jillian with Keith''s father went on to do what Apollo asked.


    [Are you certain this is right? I reckon that we could have done the search]


    "We could but we aren''t the same as the people of the north, they basically know the ins and outs of the place, and that is something we can''t replicate no matter how much data we devoured. We can copy techniques and increase talent but we can''t do those things with experience. That thing takes time and not some knowledge we can take"


    Apollo told him as he exited the forest and proceeded to travel towards the second coldest place on the continent, the outer ice shelf, the place where Keith and Jillian used to live.


    .


    .


    .


    "Child, are you sure you can still go on?"


    Lothar, Keith''s father asked as they ventured to the white and icy field.


    "I am okay chief, however, what we need to do is report this to Apollo"


    "Indeed let''s go back to our cabin first, then we can write a report that we will send to him"


    Jillian nodded until their tracks stopped when a sudden gust of cold wind hit them. The girl felt confused then she began to look around only to see the usual thing she saw every day.


    It was a serene, snow-covered landscape, blanketed by white stretches of ice as far as the eye could see.


    Tall, frosted trees sway gently in the raging wind, their branches covered in snow. The air is cold and carries a sharp cutting chill, it penetrates through even the thickest layers of clothing.


    Jillian felt frustrated since she never felt cold ever since she was little. Then amidst this tranquil yet harsh environment, a solitary figure emerges from behind a cluster of trees.


    "So in the end was it all to cover the church?"


    Apollo now felt confused but decided to bury everything since it didn''t really matter to him.


    "In the end, I have to eliminate them" he concluded as he entered the warm cabin.


    .


    .


    .


    "So did you guys succeed?" after they settled inside the cabin and ate a bit Apollo began to inquire about his objective.


    Right after finding out the roots of the world tree and its relationship to the church Apollo remembers a specific plant that has the force to freeze everything including mana. He was able to discover this info when he plundered the ancient books found in the dungeon where he found Lothar.


    He was able to find this information in one of the oldest books which also contained the oldest language.


    Apollo thought that if he could get his hands on the said flower, then he might be able to recreate or replicate its effects to freeze mana, or if he could he might even freeze life.


    "About that" Jillian felt a bit worried but still presented the thing they had discovered.


    "We have found the flower you have mentioned, however..."


    She felt conflicted as she spoke while putting down a black cylindrical object right on top of the table. Then Jillian tapped a button making the thing on the table open.


    "Whoah" Apollo can''t help but exclaim as he was hit by a sudden freezing energy.


    [That is one chilly energy]


    Jeremiah gave his remarks before putting up some defenses to protect Apollo from the cold energy.


    "So as you can see the flower is way too weak to be considered to be the flower from the information you gave us" Jillian said while looking a bit disappointed.


    However, her words were something Apollo didn''t expect.


    "You mean this is weak?"


    He asked just to be clear and innocently his friend only answered "Yes it is weak"


    That statement made the boy even more chilly. The flower''s mere presence was enough for the system to put out its defences to protect him yet it was still deemed weak.


    "Wait" Apollo suddenly noticed something and he immediately looked at the three people with him.


    "None of you looked cold" he mumbled as he observed that despite the cold energy being released by the flower none of the three people with him seemed bothered.


    "Apollo? You okay?"


    Keith asked seeing his expression looked complicated.


    "No, I am okay" the young mage just replied while shaking his head. Truly it wasn''t a mistake to let these people handle this task.


    "Nevermind that Jillian explained to me why this is considered weird"

 Chapter 221 A flower

    Once upon a time Gods came to Bunag and unexpectedly fell in love with mortals. One such god fell in love with a mere lumberjack. She cherished the mortal despite its humble background however time wasn''t on their side. Mortals have a very limited time which the Gods felt pain for.


    The goddess known for her beauty and grace felt despair over the lumberjack''s death. She sired children from him however it wasn''t enough to stop her grief. As she fell in pain her heart turned cold until it covered the land with snow. The snowy lands that used to be found only in the north extend due to the grief of the Goddess.


    Knowing the chaos she had done and how the snow began to fill the world she decided to seal the cold energy she had spread.


    Using the flower she first received from the lumberjack, she began to seal the ice. The deep-rooted snow that swallowed the world was later devoured and sealed inside a flower. The world then returns to normal and the sun warms the land once again.


    The flower was later known as the Azure Frost Lotus. A flower that once warms the heart of the goddess however now it is filled with chilling ambience.


    Apollo looked at the flower as he recalled its said background.


    "So this is weak?" he thought as he scanned each feature it had.


    The petals boast a striking deep shade of blue. Each petal features an intricate set of patterns that resemble delicate frost crystals or the patterns of snowflakes. These patterns are etched with a subtle glister, creating a mesmerizing effect as the light touches it.


    If you look closely enough you will also realize how the designs shift gently, the patterns are moving making Apollo take a closer look at the flower. The combination of vibrant blue and moving patterns made the magical quality of the flower even more ethereal.


    "The flower is actually quite young Apollo" Jillian said quite amused at her friend''s reaction to the flower.


    "Young?"


    "Ah, yes it is young, I reckon when I was kid legends about the flower were rampant on our land" This time it was Lothar who spoke.


    "The information you gave us actually has a small missing information. It didn''t say anything about the flower''s maturity. The original flower which the goddess used gave birth to countless offspring, though it was weaker than the original, I believe it will still be good for your research.


    The flower is quite young since it hasn''t absorbed enough frost yet so its power is way weaker than it should be"


    Lothar''s explanation made Apollo understand everything so now here is the question.


    Will the young flower be able to satisfy Apollo''s research or must he look for an older one?


    "Have you looked into other areas?"


    "We did Apollo but the azure lotus are extremely rare so it is almost impossible to look for another one"


    "I see"


    Apollo began to contemplate since he could use the power of time to accelerate its growth but he didn''t know if such a thing could be good or bad for the plant.


    "Simply making it old will be enough to bring its power, it must absorb enough frost to ensure its stable growth" he thought so.


    "Perhaps if I venture the other side of the shelf, I might be able to spot another lotus"


    "What!"


    The three children were taken aback by Lothar''s words and the first to react was Keith.


    "Father that place is too dangerous!"


    "Son I am a child of God and my power stems from them. I will not be harmed believe me"


    "Father, not even our blessings were able to save us when the monastery attacked, how can you be sure you will be fine when the other side of the shelves might contain magical beasts beyond your capacity? What is even worse is that you might meet creatures on our enemy''s side" he reasoned while Apollo and Jillian agreed to him.


    "We can''t be certain what the other side holds so it is best we stay on the grounds we are used to" Apollo said to him.


    {Don''t worry my dear student, another opportunity will present itself please just calm down}


    A voice rang out from the other side of the communication device though his messages weren''t able to calm the worrying heart of Eros.


    "I am sorry for acting like this teacher, even when you had sent you other students I still failed to clean up my image. I think you are right another opportunity will definitely arise"


    Eros remains positive while holding the communication tool in his hand.


    "Teacher"


    {Yes?}


    "Thank you"


    {My dear child there is no need to thank me}


    A smile emerged on Eros''s face before sharing his new plan to recover his still dirtied reputation.


    Unbeknownst to him the culprit of his misfortune and the reason why he could recover no matter how many times he tries to get back, calmly sips tea given by his friends. Every time his brother came up with something that would view him in a better light, it would suddenly backfire on him.


    He was miserable but did not lose hope though he didn''t know that there was someone behind, his younger brother.


    "Apollo for some reason you look a bit happy"


    Arabella noticed while giving him another serving of cheesecake.


    "Don''t bother with him Ara lately has been looking like a lunatic, sometimes he looks stressed but give him a few hours and he will be all smiles"


    Mckenzie said while dumping a chunk of cake on his mouth.


    "Mckenzie I know you are like this since you are still being bothered by our professor"


    "Yeah! And why the hell do you look so unbothered by it!"


    He retorted while taking another serving of cake.


    "Well, truth be told even I felt a bit annoyed about how they repeatedly nag us about the clubs" Alicia unexpectedly said gaining Apollo''s attention.


    "What? You seem surprised Apollo"


    "I thought you of all people won''t mind their nagging"


    "I have my own limitation and currently reaching it"


    [Well they have been hearing the same thing again and again this past few days so of course they will feel annoyed]


    Jeremiah said to Apollo since he was the only one who didn''t seem to be affected.


    "Alright since we have a problem with clubs we should look for a solution"


    "Apollo I don''t wanna join clubs" Blair immediately said before his friend could even say which club they should be joining.


    "Blair when did I say we would join clubs"


    "What do you mean?"


    "What else we will make our own obviously"

 Chapter 222 Club

    "Apollo I don''t wanna join clubs" Blair immediately said before his friend could even say which club they should be joining.


    "Blair when did I say we would join clubs"


    "What do you mean?"


    "What else we will make our own obviously


    Unlike before the students of the lower class had now befriended the other classes except the Sword Class and High class. The lower class hated the stares from those classes, they could feel their hostile gazes so they decided not to get involved in them. The difference between these two classes from the rest doesn''t just step from origin but also to their beliefs.


    Their view of being above others made their actions aggressive every time students of the other class outshined them. At first, they never expect anything from the others and any news about them might be related to mischief. As time goes by that all changes since bit by bit they realize that they aren''t as special as they think.


    And so every time Apollo and his classmates would enjoy the bustling environment of the cafeteria, the dagger stares of the High class would penetrate them. However somehow despite their criticism and discrimination, there is one undisputed truth they can''t deny. The strongest among them choose the lowest-ranking class to learn.


    His mere name was enough to stop any fights that could arise, their fear of him


    "Elliot have you heard the Lower class plans to establish their own club!"


    James another student of the High class said making his classmates look at him.


    "Really? Why are they causing trouble again couldn''t they join any other clubs that have been needing new recruits?"


    "Yeah speaking of clubs some of them are on the brink of disbandment, they need more members to survive but we can''t really help it since we already join the crown prince''s club"


    They kept on talking though Caesar didn''t dwell on their topic since Astrid and Odysseus needed to assist him. It was a task to manage a project given by the emperor. That project merely consists of relief operations as well as a budget for territories affected by demon outbreaks.


    "Your highness I really envy them, they can talk about some nonsensical things yet here we are," Astrid said weakly while her eyes had small dark circles.


    "Come now we still need to submit this let''s go"


    Caesar ordered and five sluggish steps followed behind him.


    While they head towards the senior section Caesar begins to think about the issues that currently plunged the empire.


    "The dungeon, the outbreaks and..." he suddenly felt a headache knowing the last one made so many headlines that his brother Titus was forced to be deployed.


    "The Massacre of Avarice" he said remembering the photos of hundreds of corpses laid out in a hidden city. Not all that but almost half of the royals and aristocrats of the said kingdom faced the same fate as the one in the hidden city.


    Day of the said practical, students clung to the side of their class ship as it approached this uninhabited island. Their professor, Alejo looked stern, unlike his usual expression which caused his students to feel confused. Alejo continues standing at the rear of the boat, constantly casting glances at his watch.


    "Are we actually late?" Casper asked finding it confusing why their professor kept looking at his watch.


    The sun was only just beginning to set, which painted the water in shades of orange. With the ship nearing the rocky shore, the professor warned them it was time to disembark. Immediately the students comply. They jumped out of the ship, scurrying out onto the coarse sand, a little plunge at every step of their boots. They had a hard time walking though soon enough they got used to it.


    The island was rugged, dotted with dense trees and weird mushrooms. A cluster of tropical birds greeted them with loud, unfamiliar calls.


    "Your survival test," Alejo announced, cutting through the hum of excitement and fear.


    "You will have three days here to test your knowledge. Remember this is only a practice don''t be pressured and just make good use of the resources here"


    With that, he handed each student a small survival kit with the bare essentials: a knife, a flint, sleeping equipment, and a few other bits.


    "You''re going to need to create shelter, find food, and make fire. I''ll be back in forty-eight hours."


    The students nervously and at the same time were excited as they looked at each other.


    The instructor''s boat pulled away, leaving them stranded on this island, relying on their training and each other.


    At the same time, the other classes arrived and began to settle on the island.


    Samantha, the president and leader of the Combat class, took charge. "First, let''s see if we can pick out a decent place to build our shelter," she said.


    The group marched in the general direction of some trees, but their entry into the thick undergrowth muffled the sounds of their footsteps. They began clearing away an area, sharing their comments with an every-now-and-then thud of a falling branch or rustle of leaves.


    Darkness started falling when the sun went behind the trees. Marcus, being a less talkative student, began collecting dry twigs and leaves for the fire. He struck the flint to create the ignition, but the sparks fizzled out just before they caught fire. Being new to this his frustration surfaced, but still he continued.


    The young lad had a hard time controlling his strength causing the flint to almost break. However, as soon as he adjusted and figured out the right force he was able to start a fire.


    As he finished his task he told his classmates who were assigned to cook to start cooking. Marcus helps out as well while occasionally glancing over at the others, busy constructing their makeshift shelter. The woods and the branches they had gathered allowed them to build by dusk a fairly crude form of shelter.


    Some of them began complaining about hunger, their stomachs growling as they waited for the food to cook. It was fortunate that they were able to catch fish and locate fruits in the area. After a few moments, the students of the Combat class were able to eat and satisfy their stomachs.


    The island itself was in every way beautiful in its isolation, it now seemed vast and indifferent. The students huddled together trying to stop the cold air from penetrating their bodies. Lying beneath the starlit sky, they heard the sounds of the island: chirping insects, the distant crash of waves, the occasional rustle of unseen creatures.


    The only beginning was the real test of their survival skills.

 Chapter 223 Survival

    After the first quarter ended their subject professors introduced new branches of their study. And to test all the lessons they have learned they used one of the practical activities in Survival Lesson 2, as a trial for the students to practice.


    The island survival practice will be evaluated based on all the subject lessons, and so the students must execute what they learn during their four-month stay in the academy.


    The second day of the survival practice inside the island started with the sun rising from the east.


    The morning light filters through the leaves of the trees while its warmth creeps down into the misty forest floor. The students had woken up in the separate shelters they had made. As soon as they stretched their limbs and bath in the warm sunlight they couldn''t help but breathe into the cool air misted by their breath. The beauty of nature welcomes them despite the task they need to accomplish.


    "Morning!"


    Jillian greeted the boys who sluggishly crawled from their tent.


    "What is wrong with them?" Arabella wondered seeing how haggard they look like.


    "Don''t mind them, Ara, those boys went on and played card games until late at night" Matilda told her while setting up their food on their makeshift table.


    "Pick up yourselves and eat we will receive our first mission later from Professor Alejo" she added while all the boys could do was nod their heads.


    Apollo on the other hand was as fresh as before making the other boys a bit jealous.


    "Sometimes I would think that Apollo is blessed by a goddess since he always looks unbothered and beautiful"


    Blair mutters while munching the fruits that the girls have found.


    "Quit it Blair I am already jealous of how his skin looks glowing while we look like a pack of undead" Niko grumbles though Apollo doesn''t say anything to them and continues eating.


    The birds are singing to each other and from each branch of the trees they would fly and chase around the canopy. Their songs merged with the quiet sound of a stream that flows through the air. Then there is the rustle of leaves in the breeze making the morning even more peaceful despite the chaotic appearance of the boys.


    Alicia stretched and stepped out of her tent, taking a deep breath of fresh, earthy air. The scent it brought gave peace to her troubled mind. As she came out she noticed Apollo''s blank expression.


    "Something wrong?" she asked as she sat beside him.


    "It''s strange," he said, then he put down the cup in his hand as he looked at Alicia.


    "I can''t sense anything here"


    "What do you mean?" Mckenzie was the first to react attracting the attention of the entire class.


    "Alicia" Apollo''s voice was strangely serious while his stare was piercing.


    "Can you tell me what your senses have picked up"


    Alicia seeing her friend''s expression couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Nothing, I can''t sense anything here. Whenever I tried it was as if there was a huge fog that was blocking me"


    Her words made the entire class vigilant.


    "Does the academy know about this fact?" Keith asked while trying to control his worried mind.


    "I think they do" Alicia answered making Apollo look at her.


    Time went by and the class continued noting notable landmarks, measuring distances, and making use of their observation skills for their task.


    They advanced with such ease and speed that they looked quite relaxed despite all the discomfort they encountered. The deeper they go into the island, the more Apollo notices a group of low unnatural growls that surge through the trees. This made the already paranoid boy even more paranoid.


    "Did someone else hear that?" Niko asked, his voice barely above a whisper. The class halted, straining their ears to hear.


    "Growls appeared to come from the thick bush nearby," Alya said while the entire class was on high alert.


    Alicia signalled to the group to move cautiously while Apollo stealthily approached the bush.


    Slowly the boy closes the distance, he moves towards the bush, eyes scanning shadows, and in his hand is a weapon.


    Growls continued to increase, and a pair of yellow eyes shone forth in the underbrush, Apollo moved as soon as he identified it however the shadow was nimble enough to dodge him.


    Seeing the mysterious beast jumping out of the bush the other students shared worried glances and ultimately retreated.


    "Is it a high-ranking beast?" Agnes asked since she could barely see with Niko blocking her.


    Alicia was standing in front of the groups protecting them from possible dangers then Apollo came chasing a single black silhouette.


    The speed of the two was fast and almost made the onlookers dizzy however soon enough Apollo was able to corner the beast.


    "Is that a.." Alya began to say recognizing the magical beast''s features as it settled down on a huge old tree.


    It was a sleek magical beast, a predator made out of dark fur and muscles, its eyes shining menacingly in the dappled light. It would seem to be stalking them or simply protecting its territory.


    The class pulled out the handbook from their survival kit and flipped the pages, then compared the creature''s appearance to the illustrations.


    "It looks like a shadow wildcat," Vesta said.


    "It''s cute!" Jillian exclaimed while excitedly clinging to Keith''s clothes.


    "Should we kill it?" Aaron asked finding the magical beast threatening despite its appearance.


    "It''s probably just curious or feeling threatened"


    "So we leave it?"


    "Yeah shadow wild cats don''t really attack people"


    The class then slowly backed up, trying not to disturb the beast.


    However as they continued to move, they saw signs of a marked territory. They have scratched trees and scattered bones and signs of nesting.


    "Apollo I think we should not go any further than this"


    Alicia recommended and Apollo couldn''t help but agree seeing all the signs of a high-ranking beast marking the area as its territory.


    "We should move now"


    He ordered but before they could even move a sudden growl brought a chill to everyone''s spine.

 Chapter 224 Survival

    Apollo''s Pov


    Since my classmate survived the hunt at the Monastery and has been through countless life-and-death situations, I thought this survival practice would be a piece of cake. I really picture us enjoying the island and creating fun memories. I badly need that since all the stress of investigating the church made my mind a bit hazy.


    Or perhaps my spell Clonis had reached its limits after being active for weeks


    So I thought this would be a vacation of some sort but everything is far from the image I had imagined. This doesn''t give me any kind of peace, all it gives me is stress.


    As soon as I set foot on the sandy shore of the island. The system''s scanner was blocked while any kind of search or observation spell was being cancelled. The mere thought of not finding anything related to the place we are in draws me to worry. So right after entering the island, I was filled with anxiety that I kept burying inside my heart.


    Even at night, I tried to get any readings but there was nothing that I could see. When I tried to sneak out and map the island I was welcomed by the professors who were patrolling outside.


    "Apoolllooo" I heard Professor Adolfo''s voice forcing me to return back to the boy''s tent.


    "Take it easy boy, and just enjoy the island" the professor added though it didn''t make me feel better. I was still searching and thinking of ways to acquire information about this island. However, tries as I might it didn''t really work. Whatever type of weapon is being used on this island is way too powerful to be broken by the system.


    "Damn it this is so frustrating!"


    I screamed inside my mind, although it might seem a trivial matter but I have never been in any kind of situation where I don''t know anything. I was always the one stirring things the way I wanted it. The one in control and always one step ahead of everybody.


    [Havent I told you to remove this side of you]


    "Yeah I know I know"


    I answered however my head still couldn''t rest without getting anything from this island.


    I tried anything until Jeremiah intervened and forcefully shut down my consciousness.


    ...


    ...


    The mapping was going well for the students however as dusk fell over the treetops. A shadow emerges on the ground. The peaceful atmosphere suddenly shifted and the air was statically charged with a heavy presence. The lower-class students are familiar with this feeling. It was fear, caused by a being whose strength is bigger than them.


    Alicia and Apollo immediately reacted and went on to defend or attack at any given moment.


    "What the hell is this!" Apollo told to himself feeling suffocated at the mere presence of the beast. Even his sight was being clouded so he couldn''t properly identify the monster in front of him.


    "Apollo we need to retreat," Alicia said while all her classmates had equipped their protective gear with enchanted clothing. They were about to move when the beast in front of them disappeared and left no trace for them to track. Seconds went by and the feeling of being watched swallowed them. They could not move for fear of the beast attacking them.


    As she was about to take out her communication device an exhausted-looking Apollo spoke to her.


    "I already tried but there is something that is blocking him from contacting anyone"


    This made Alicia worried and was about to release her aura when Apollo stopped her.


    "Not here, someone is watching us," he said as he took a potion to heal his weakened state.


    "It seems the use of the spell Clonis got you now"


    "Nah, it''s not about that but I will tell you what is happening to me later...so for now..."


    His voice began to sound different as sparks of lightning began to dance across his body.


    "Let me take care of this" he added as a white ghostly silhouette zoomed across the area.


    Meanwhile, the other classes face the same dilemma as the lower class.


    "Duck!" Liam shouted, desperately casting a protecting magic spell over Sophia. His usually steady hands trembled, and his shield faltered uncertainly. The boy''s face was pale, his eyes were filled with terror, the reason was that the beast''s claws scraped close to his face sending shivers down his own legs.


    "What the hell is going on" he weakly said while dragging his trembling body to the side.


    The students were emotionally shaken by what was happening, the youngest in the group Emily was frozen. She had long been practising for moments like this, yet reality overwhelmed her. The growl of the beasts echoed within her head as she tried remembering all her spells but the mere gaze of the wolves left her motionless from fear and panic.


    She thought she was gonna die not until a spell punctured the head of the wolf that was about to attack her.


    "Move your ass!" Matilda''s voice woke try girl from her panic while Arabella dragged her to safety.


    "You okay?" she asked but all Emily could do was nod her head.


    Upon the arrival of the lower class, the tables suddenly turn for the better. Not until another pack arrive to join the storm.


    "Fall back!" Jillian shouted while Samael guarded her back.


    "Everything is so weird now" he said and Jillian couldn''t help but nod her head.


    The young warriors fought bravely, but more and more fear seeped into their minds as the pack changed their patterns of attack.


    Samantha''s attacks went haywire because she was losing her confidence. Marcus''s bolts of arrows went into trees instead of the wolves he was shooting. Liam''s shields flickered so precariously that they were endangering failure.


    "Stay together you jackass!" Matilda yelled though she could barely get the words out. She was annoyed they have to interfere but if they see the situation they can''t really leave them to die.

 Chapter 225 Fifty times

    "Stay together you jackass!" Matilda yelled, though she could barely get the words out. She was annoyed they had to interfere but since they saw the situation they couldn''t really leave them to die.


    Desperation swelled up and Emily finally wrested herself free of her thoughts and sent out a powerful, though unstable, wave of arrows. Her energy surged forward to catch several of the beasts off guard, hurling them to the ground.


    "Nice!" Niko commented while Agnes stayed by his side to cast more spells.


    Hearing such words Emily felt her heart pounded in her chest, but now a spark of determination began to cut through the tangle of fear.


    "I can do this!" she motivated herself and pulled the string of her bow.


    The tide of the battle was changing again and this time Apollo zoomed out of the dense forest and immediately cast a spell on the pack of enemies.


    The beasts, momentarily stunned due to the lightning spell, felt numb and afraid of their attacker. Knowing their death would be guaranteed they began retreating into the darkness.


    The students upon seeing their enemies leaving could finally breathe, they began panting and drenched in sweat. They remain in the aftermath, their emotions still in chaos but they are happy to survive. They had fought hard and had emotions left raw from the encounter.


    The circumstances of this fight only left them shaken to the core. It is due to fear of the wolves themselves and their own vulnerability as well as the uncertainty about their capabilities. They began to doubt what they learned and even realized their incompetence in some areas.


    As the dying roars of the beasts faded away, the students gathered there, mentally fighting with adrenaline and fear that still clinging to them. The forest breathed with them as the sun fully disappeared and a night full of unspoken anxieties and worries crept in.


    This day literally gave them the knowledge that being good in theory alone won''t be able to save them in real-life situations. Knowing base only in books won''t be enough to save you once the fangs of danger are bare.


    Even when they were camping peacefully their bodies were still extremely trembling from fear and pressure. None of them could speak about what happened and a resounding silence envelopes the camp.


    "Well it seems nothing will happen here" Mckenzie said so all his classmates prepared to leave however before they could go someone suddenly stopped them.


    "Wait please!"No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Samantha the president of the combat class said as soon as she saw Apollo and his friends moving to leave the camp.


    "Can you please stay, don''t leave us here, I think it would be safer if all of us were to stick together" she reasoned though McKenzie and Apollo didn''t seem to pay heed to her words. They only looked at her for a second before walking away. This causes Samantha to run after them followed by the entire Combat class behind her.


    "Please just stay!" she said, though Apollo and McKenzie continued walking.


    "Please stay, we need your support, please it''s too scary here, don''t leave us" her voice was close to crying, while her classmates behind her back were feeling sorry, they pleaded for Apollo and his classmates to stay.


    "Alicia" Apollo called her and so she answered.


    "Yes?"


    "Were there any rules that forbid us from camping with other class?" he asked to which Alicia answered by shaking her head.


    "I didn''t read anything about that, however, we mustn''t interfere too much with their task since it might affect their evaluation"


    "Someone killed me" he started to say causing Alicia to look at him in shock.


    "Based on your expression you do not believe me"


    "I know you are not the strongest yet but not just anyone can kill you, no one can even hurt you right now!" She exclaimed and even Apollo could agree with her.


    "I also felt it was impossible, you know I even think that perhaps it was because of exhaustion from letting the spell run active for weeks, that made me mentally exhausted. I thought because of that, however, I did not die just once," his voice began to tremble while his hand began to shake as well.


    "Alicia, I was killed fifty times today, with only minutes of the interval from each of my deaths"


    He stops drawing the magic circle while his other hand holds the one holding the engraving pen, that hand was shaking so Apollo tried to stop it. However, trying to stop his hand from shaking made it worse since he could not help it.


    Seeing this situation Alicia decided to calm him down, she began to hold him.


    "I never knew that death could be so painful, although I already experienced it before I could never get used to it," he said while being embraced by her.


    "Silly, no one can get used to death, especially the pain it brings. It will always be painful no matter how many times you experience it"


    "Why do you sound as if you died already"


    "Maybe I did" she playfully answered though her arms completely wrapped around Apollo''s body. His head was resting on her chest, while Alicia began patting his back.


    Initially, she wanted to ask how he died, but seeing how the question brought a very painful and traumatic expression on his face made her rethink her question. She knows how strong his mentality yet it is slowly shaken after dying fifty times in a single day. And yet Apollo manages to defend his friends while fighting his crumbling mind.


    But there is a problem now, someone out there can overwhelm Apollo this much. Not even Nirvana was able to put him in the corner yet fifty mysterious beings were able to kill him.


    She couldn''t help but sigh, so to ease her mind as well she continued Apollo''s barrier system while using a spell to make the engraving pen move. Since Apollo is in her arms she can''t draw and all she can do is move the pen using spells.


    "Um... Ali" Jilian called her so Alicia''s attention suddenly shifted, from the barrier she was making to her.


    "What is it?"


    "Well I was about to ask you and Apollo to join us but it seems, he can''t go in that state"


    Alicia knew what she was saying so she only asked for them to leave some food for the two of them.


    "Just tell us if you need anything alright"


    Jillian told her before returning to their makeshift kitchen.


    *Sigh*


    Alicia then notices Apollo''s breath becoming calmer. "Well it seems he only needs rest" she concluded while stroking his head.


    That night some student of the Combat class went over to the camp of the Lower class to ask for their help since they never tried eating wolf meat before. Gladly Mckenzie showed them how to skin and cook a wolf.

 Chapter 226 Pain of dying

    Under a sky that crackled with distant lightning, in the heart of a dense and humongous forest, a mage stood opposed to a very strong foe. He wore robes enchanted with magic, and every symbol across the garment blazed in intensity like some kind of raging storm. Magic pulsed in the air around him, while each beat of energy moved as if it were alive.


    The opposite of the mage is a man who wears simple but strong leather armour, he is calm yet his fist trembles slightly as if holding back his excitement. The opponent of the mage has nothing visibly special about him, no waves of magic and even weapons, and yet his demeanour is flawless. It''s as if he was an impenetrable wall that can''t be broken.


    With him just standing there anyone could tell he is a master in martial arts.


    The duel began, and the mage made a move first with a flick of his finger a rain of spells came down. His opponent responded to the mage''s attack, he sidestepped smoothly while making a quick transition of weight to attack. The mage anticipating such a move launched a series of fireballs that immediately turned the forest into a picture similar to hell.


    The combatant who was about to attack switched to defence, he positioned his body to safety and moved that almost seemed like a blur.


    Fireballs fly to circle him, they were controlled with great ability to corner the martial combatant.


    Even with the fast motion of spells, it didn''t matter because they weren''t able to hit their target. In a heartbeat, the spells might be closed but it would be dodged. Fireballs were then replaced by a strike of lightning before it could hit the target, a swift reinforced kick, disrupted the mage''s concentration and made his spells wash out.


    "What the!" the mage exclaimed while his head began to ring as if someone had strongly shaken him.


    He was momentarily stunned but tried to cast a shield. However, the second he showed weakness, it was perceived as an opening. His opponent seized the opportunity and moved to a speed that was hard to match.


    In that moment a sharp pain began to spread across the mage''s body. As he located its source he was suddenly taken aback when he realized it was his opponent. His approach remains undetected to the mage and if it weren''t for the pain he won''t notice that he is slowly dying.


    The mage tried to fight back but in a final decisive motion, the martial combatant disarmed the mage with a spinning kick, sending his staff sliding across the ground.


    The mage now found himself kneeling with his strength gone. His body was bruised while the enemy''s aura blocked his mana. Now he couldn''t cast any spells and was defenceless.


    "Damn it!" the mage shouted, although defeated he didn''t want to admit it. So he commanded the space ring, and upon his call, it began to glow activating an artifact he had kept. However, his opponent was very fast to act and immediately seize the opportunity. A thick mass of aura tainted with killing intent created a paralyzing effect and this almost killed the mage.


    Watching the mage gasp for air made his opponent stand in satisfaction. As he knows that the mage is slowly dying. However, he didn''t land the killing blow and just left him to die on his own.


    The proud mage, wounded and close to death, slowly recovered under the effects of his other artifact. His pride and ego were broken and now he couldn''t believe how he was defeated so easily. His damaged ego was even more important to him than his life.


    With a struggling breath and fractured limbs, slowly he followed his opponent closely, holding the urge to seek revenge. His spells kept him under the cover as he tracked his opponent through the forest. His eyes are that of a deranged man, a person whose rationality was swallowed by his desire to get back at the person who defeated him.


    The mage followed the trail to a secluded camp. There, the followers of his opponent came, there were several skilled warriors while the rest were mages.


    "What''s this I thought your spell could due something" he simply said while cracking his knuckles.


    The mage upon seeing his opponent unscathed felt conflicted.


    "How! I sealed your mana and ki how come you are still alive!" he shouted while casting another storm of spells.


    "How! How! HOW!"


    He continued firing however no matter what he did his spells cast no damage to his enemy.


    "I thought this would be fun but I guess I was a bit stupid to think of that" Every word he said made the wizard in front of him infuriated.


    With his curiosity gone he began to make a move, taking a quick step, he produced a powerful shockwave to disperse the rain of spells that came to him.


    The mage was flabbergasted when he saw his opponent knocking all his spells with just a wave of his hand. The battlefield became quiet, with only the sound of breathing prevailing.


    "Tch!" this time the mage changed his style and went hand in hand filling his body with buff.


    "A resounding stupid idea" his opponent said however the mage closed the gap between them. Calculating each of his steps, he created a movement like one perfected in an art of martial arts, he moved forward calmly. This calmness made his opponent smile.


    "And here I thought you won''t gain your sanity," he said as he welcomed the attack.


    The mage attempted to use whatever left-over magic he could to his advantage, but the opponent would not show mercy, his single strike would break the bones of the mage while the latter activated a spell to instantly heal him.


    "Come on is that all you got?" he taunted and this urged the mage to go faster.


    Finally, an uppercut disarmed the wizard one more time, his staff flying out of his clutch. Weaken and battered, the wizard ended up on his knees, his mana dwindling as his aggressor stood over him, a winner once again. His men now, seeing how their leader defeated the attacker felt confident even though it wasn''t them who beat the mage.


    "Come out" Instead of finishing the mage the leader spoke such words that men his subordinates confused.


    However, instead of an answer their leader attacked a tree and behind it, a person hid discretely.


    "Who is that!" someone among them exclaimed, he was one of the most sensitive senses among them and was one of the people who sensed the mage. But no matter how good they are only their leader senses the individual who stealthily watches them.

 Chapter 227 Pain of dying Part. II

    "Hey there dear guest" As he speaks unspeakable pressure pins into the newcomer.


    "May I ask how long have you known I was here?" despite the threatening atmosphere that currently pins into everyone''s body, the mysterious individual did not seem fazed and just asked. However, instead of answering, the leader began to laugh.


    "Ahhh, this is getting even more fun!"


    He said as he walked towards the new visitor, each step he took sent layers of shockwave that left the camp into dust.


    "My lord please!" cried one of his subordinates since even they had been getting hurt due to their leader''s sudden excitement. But it didn''t reach the ears of the man he was trying to talk to instead his focus was on the individual who steadily observed them.


    "I am impressed" he started to speak though his voice sounded as if he was restraining himself.


    "I already noticed you from the moment I first met that bug over there" he said pertaining to the mage who is half dead lying on the broken ground.


    "At first I don''t really know what you are, I thought you were his pet or something but you didn''t even help when he almost died instead you continue to watch. So to spice things up I didn''t kill that bug and let him follow me here and...TADA! You really came just like I predicted!"


    He excitedly explained while spreading his arm wide as if he were waiting for someone to praise him.


    "I don''t really know what is the reason for this, maybe you are someone who wanted to see our strength or maybe courting death is really your hobby...oh but well it doesn''t really matter"


    Then he made a sudden moment that made the surrounding mana blown away, the intruder having seen that power only made a move to completely dodge it.


    "Impressive!" the leader''s voice became even more sinister as he said this, while his eyes turned red and consumed with madness. He moved crazily while his red pupils glistened as he moved.


    "Right!" the one who will receive his attack reads his movements and immediately dodges evading the strike that carves a huge hole in the ground. Then the ground vibrated because the leader made a follow-up move and threw a straight punch. Despite the distance between the two the sheer force made by the punch caused the surrounding mana and dirt to be blown away.


    The focus point of the devastating energy drill into the defense of the leader''s opponent. However, the defense soon crumpled, prepared for the worst, a spell was fired to intervene, fully dispersing the punch that almost injured him.


    "So you are a mage, this is becoming interesting!" he smiled wickedly as he said those words.


    A series of explosions can be heard and felt since with those two fighting aggressively the battlefield was left in chaos. Flames kept bursting while the ground was left broken.


    "Hey mage my name is Rogue, how about giving yours?" between the rain of punching and kicks the leader introduces themselves as Rogue at the same time begins asking his opponent.


    "Sun!"


    The mage answer as he answered with a spell against his opponent''s kick.


    "Ha, it was a dream" he realizes not expecting to actually feel the exact same pain he endured while fighting Rogue.


    [I am sorry Creator I wasn''t able to help you at that time]


    Jeremiah told him though Apollo didn''t really blame him.


    "It''s okay I did tell you to focus on gathering data about him and the other people I was simultaneously fighting at that time" Apollo just said while massaging his forehead.


    While he tried to calm his mind the music of the night came to his ears. Crickets began to sing while the evening breeze touched the leaves of the trees and bushes creating a rustling sound, strangely these noises created a simple symphony that put Apollo''s mind at ease.


    [Do you feel fear or any kind of disappointment since we died back then?]


    Jeremiah asked as he noticed his Creator''s state of mind improving.


    "Honestly no" Apollo answers while a crazy smile curves up to his face.


    [You aren''t? Are you sure?] Jeremiah wanted to be sure since Apollo''s emotions also affected him.


    "Well, don''t you know how powerful the attack that killed me" he asked instead while his expression didn''t change.


    [Hmmm, according to my estimation the damage it causes is at least the same as ten to fifteen doomsday explosions. Considering the devastation you had caused in fifty different regions I think a fallout won''t be long to happen]


    "So it was ranging from ten to fifteen for each strike I received today, imagine since I received such a blow what will happen to those who attacked me if the damage I took was multiple to 100? I wonder if they can endure it"


    That question made Jeremiah stun so he asked [Did Creator purposely let himself be killed to inflict such damage?]


    "Hmm, they were strong too strong even for me. What''s even more confusing is that we belong to the same realm of strength yet I was falling behind. I thought since I can''t beat them I should just kill them"


    [What?!]


    "I don''t have the means to defeat them but killing them by sacrificing myself is possible and I am certain I did since you showed me fifty refreshing notifications" his smile grew even more confident as if he wasn''t the boy who was experiencing panic attacks a while ago.


    By receiving the killing blow of his enemy and returning them 100 times stronger than before made it possible for Apollo to kill fifty strong leaders of the Revolutionary Church.


    [You are reckless]


    "Can''t be helped, I will lose so all I could do is drag the person who killed me, though it was quite unfortunate I wasn''t able to collect their souls since they died after me"


    He said so not knowing the chaos he did in the empire.

 Chapter 228 What is happening

    A new morning came to the Lower class and Combat class though the two clusters of students have a bit of difference when they wake up.


    "Morning!"


    "Hey care to remove your feet on my face!"


    The boy''s tent sounded chaotic and everyone outside could see their silhouette while they played amongst themselves.


    "What the hell are they even doing" said Matilda while gripping the knife in her hand.


    "Maybe you should put down the knife first" Arabella told her afraid that the knife in her hand may fly somewhere.


    While the boys continued their bickering and the girls prepared their breakfast the combat class on the other hand wasn''t about to sleep even for a second. Their minds keep them awake as they replay the events that happened to them. Anxiety then crept into their hearts as their experience of almost dying made them doubtful about their capabilities.


    However, amidst their gloomy morning, the Lower class students were bustling with noise as if they came on this island for a simple camping vacation.


    "I envy those fools" Jarren grumpily said while breaking a branch to prepare the fire, that way they could finally prepare their breakfast.


    "Well you know what they say Jarren, ignorance a bliss, I am certain those fools would cry and even pee their pants once they encounter a pack of beasts" Jl laughed a bit as he said that.


    "You two are quite delusional aren''t you?" while the two boys talk Meldi their girl classmate suddenly interrupts their talk.


    "What are saying Mel?" asked Jarren confused as to why their classmate looked angry at them.


    "What am I saying? Seriously you two may I remind you that yesterday the so-called fools you are referring to saved our class! And they didn''t pee their pants....you did!" she said while her eyes locked on Jl.


    "I suggest you reflect on your actions yesterday before you speak about others" she added before setting the pile of branches on fire. The flames began to burst abruptly creating sparks that left the two almost burned.


    "What the!"


    "Hey!"


    Her sudden firing action made the two boys jolted since they didn''t expect her to make such a move. Not minding their reactions Meldi went to Samantha whose eyes stared at the chaotic yet joyous atmosphere of the other class.


    "Something wrong pres?" she asked worried since her expression wasn''t the usual one she always has. Sure at times she can be seen being confused or frustrated but it was never this bad. Samantha''s expression was blank the same as her eyes, there wasn''t any kind of emotion on her face though her body trembled a bit. As if she was under the constant pressure of something.


    So to calm her down she decides to help her out.


    In the next second Samantha could feel Meldi come closer to her and it was like she was comforting her as she wrapped her body around her. Without speaking a word, she pulled her arms around her gently as if hugging her tightly. The hug that Meldi gave to her counteracted the nausea that Samantha felt.


    As her warmth spread, a voice spoke though it was barely audible, "Take a breath" Meldi said gently to her.


    "You have done so much since yesterday, all you have to do is recall the lessons we learned and take everything step by step. It''s not about perfection, it''s about the teamwork and dedication we could give to accomplish the task"


    Samantha sighed, the rapid breaths she had been taking gradually becoming deeper and slower much like her tightening muscles beginning to relax. The noise in her head subsided at least for a fraction of an hour.


    "I''m scared," she confessed, then she buried her face into Mia''s shoulder. It seems being a leader wasn''t as easy as she thought. Facing a ferocious pack of magical wolves incites fear inside the head of the thirteen-year-old girl. However despite all her troubles, she could not show it due to her position as the class leader, she was after all the strongest among all her classmates.


    If she ever crumbled no one can shoulder the responsibility she has.


    "Being scared is okay," Meldi answered and gently turned Samantha towards her to look into her eyes. "It means you can still improve, you still have the potential to grow stronger! Trust yourself as I trust you"


    Her voice was unusually cold causing Apollo to realize how mad she was.


    "Just what did she discover?" he wondered so he didn''t voice any of his thoughts and continued listening.


    "Tell me how many brothers the previous emperor had and what was their names?" she asked instead making Apollo confused.


    "The previous emperor?"


    "Yes"


    Apollo thought hard and remembered all three brothers of the previous emperor. However, he remembered a particular brother that made him ask Alicia.


    "Are you trying to point this conversation towards the imperial prince Claudius?"


    Alicia nodded making Apollo feel a sudden chill.


    "You are not thinking that..." At that moment the boy''s heart rate rapidly raised making him feel nervous.


    "Your guess is correct, though it''s my hypothesis, I believe that the brother of Augustus which we all know as Nero, is none other than Claudius"


    "Alicia, do you have any evidence to support that?"


    "Currently all I have is the fact that the scent of Claudius is somehow similar to Nero"


    "Wasn''t it because all the members of the imperial house share the same scent?"


    Alicia gave a look to Apollo making the boy question his own words.


    "Did I say something wrong?" he thought so while tracing his words.


    "Apollo the scent I am referring to is not the one that the body gives off" Her voice became even colder so unknowingly Apollo gulped.


    "It''s not the body that produces the odour.....it was the soul, so tell me, Apollo, was there any reason for a soul to share a common trait with someone?"


    Though skeptical of her reasoning he can''t deny the fact that she has a point.


    "Question, how did you manage to pick up their scent when Nero no longer stayed inside the imperial palace while Claudius existed 300 years ago?"


    "Alicia?"


    Somehow that question was only answered with an ear-piercing silence.


    "I think I need to go on patrol," she said while evading Apollo''s question.


    "Hold on who told you to run away!"


    As he was about to catch her the two strongest individuals in the area felt a sudden gaze that left their body tense and ready to fight.


    "Everyone!" Apollo called the entire class causing their joyous atmosphere to be replaced by tension.


    "Now where are you" the boy just said as he lifted his blade ready to fight.

 Chapter 229 Shaken

    Apollo doesn''t know whether this is part of the test or something really is happening.


    They can''t contact the professors and Apollo is exhausted with the continuous use of magic and skills. He knows that using too much and relying for a prolonged time on the system can tire his mind and body. It wasn''t something that could be easily fixed by simply upgrading his stats. Apollo himself needs to fully master the system and accept all the burden it causes his mind and soul.


    However, there is another thing that currently weakens him, the existence of an unknown artifact that seems to surpass the artifact he had collected in a Zenith-rank dungeon.


    "Damn it!" Apollo exclaimed as his hand landed on the ground, embedded on its surface was a powerful magic circle he had cast, with it he wished to stop the monster from advancing.


    The mere presence transforms into a beast one that they can''t see clearly. It is as if a veil surrounded it hindering the others'' capacity to see it. They don''t know its appearance and its abilities are also too mysterious to help them identify it. They have nothing to help them at the same time Alicia and Apollo have accumulated fatigue from the missions the emperor gave them.


    They weren''t at their best state.


    "Jeremiah, how about giving me a bit of a boost?" Apollo asks as he and Alicia prepare to defend or attack.


    [What kind of boost?]


    "Use the system to amplify my stats and use the remaining points for system update so that we can locate the artifact"


    [I can do that but there is a major problem]


    "What is it!"


    Apollo asked while his body felt the tension of the situation, and slowly panic began to eat him.


    [Calm down Creator!]


    Jeremiah felt alarmed at the state of his Creator, however the artificial intelligence noticed how this panic began to spread like wildfire. From one person to another it became a virus that began to torment everyone. Detecting such anomaly Jeremiah manoeuvre the system to cancel the effect.


    [What''s this?]


    For the first time in its existence, it experienced a force that was about to negate the power of the system. It was something he never expected since in every situation, the system was able to assist using its unique gears but this time a certain unknown force slowed down its power. Though somehow Jeremiah could tell it was familiar.


    [With the system''s suppression I won''t be able to execute my power] Jeremiah grimaced, since he is part of the system if the suppression continues he will be affected as well. With no other options, he began to divide the task given by Apollo.


    Even at this moment the current Apollos travelling the continent needed his help because their state is no different from the Apollo on the island. After all their consciousness is connected to a single thought, and with the one on the island experiencing a mind-interfering power, the rest of the bodies get affected as well.


    The hive mind is being shaken and Jeremiah needs to stabilize everybody and get rid of the emotions that currently eat them.


    Apollo''s Pov


    I can sense something familiar however somehow I could not focus enough to determine it. The heavy footsteps would shake the ground we are standing putting all my thoughts away from thinking further.


    "Damn it!" I can''t help but say as the blurry figure approaches us with great speed. Though my body felt heavy I moved and on my back was Alicia. I couldn''t help but smile somehow I knew I wasn''t alone to handle this monster.


    A colourful magic circle glowed underneath the ground and the stunned students were immediately under its protection.


    Somehow it made me feel relieved they were safe.


    "Focus" Alicia told me knowing the two of us can''t be distracted.


    I dodged dozens of unknown attacks in less than a second. Ali on the other hand focused on using her body as a shield to make sure no one student would get injured.


    "Jeremiah can you help me and scan the body of this monster, I am also planning to lock him up using the authorities to make sure no one can get affected" I ordered and thankfully despite the situation Jeremiah answered.


    The system update has been completed


    All stats have been boosted!


    Spells have been prepared!


    Waiting for the Creator''s command to fire them!]


    A series of notifications pop in front of me giving me hope that we can get everyone to safety.


    "Jeremiah where is our enemy"


    [It''s on its way here!


    The estimated time of arrival is 1 and 56 seconds


    I advised you to be prepared]


    "Okay, Alicia!"


    "Yes!"


    "I will leave everyone to you!"


    I was expecting her to agree immediately but at that moment I saw her eyes waver. It has if she will cry at any moment. However I need her to stay here, I won''t be able to fight knowing my friends could be killed at any moment. Alicia, only you could let my heart at ease in this situation, so please agree with me. At this moment no one is strong enough to keep everyone alive other than you and me.


    So please don''t give me that look, I am begging you.


    [30 seconds]


    Time ticked and by now almost everyone was able to collect themselves and assess the situation.


    "Be safe" she just said, I can''t help but shake my head. How can your expression be so warm for a moment and then cold at the next second?


    "I will"


    I only answered then I turned to Jeremiah.


    "Send that monster back to the camp!"


    [Affirmative!]


    The space obeyed my will and cracks immediately swallowed the raging monster that already flattened the trees and broke the land of this island.


    Then my body became enveloped with wind.


    (Master)


    A voice came to me as two towering silhouettes came from behind.


    A wolf and a fairy landed beside me each bearing the power that the system had bestowed on them.


    "Let''s go"


    (Yes master)

 Chapter 230 Weirdly Scary

    The monster was sent right into the desolate and broken campsite along with Apollo and his two spirits. As it lands on the cold hard ground it immediately sends dozens of projectiles towards Apollo. In response to this attack, Apollo let out the combined power of the stored spells inside his spear. The clash created a huge wave of energy that caused the surrounding trees to be blown away.


    Apollo then switches weapons seeing his spells not strong enough to break through.


    Wind began to howl loudly while the clouds above began to obey the will of the wind. They became a cluster of dark clouds that soon turned into a thundercloud.


    "Strike!" the boy commanded as his body morphed into a hybrid demon. Thunder rumbles while the mass of electricity lands on the top of the monster. It was supposed to attack however as soon as the lightning struck it was momentarily stunned. Apollo then cast another layer of spells hoping it could stop the monster''s barrage of attacks.


    Although struggling Gale and Bulan assist him well in navigating the fight in his favour however the pressure is still there slowing him down. A few more exchanges happened until something popped in front of him.


    [Notification Alert!


    The merge has been completed!]


    [New system features have been unlocked!


    Recalibrating.....


    The new system features are fully operational!


    Waiting for the Creator''s command!]


    A smirk finally emerges on the boy''s face as he regains his confidence. Stealthly his hand moves to command the gravity to obey him. A hundredfold of gravity fell towards the beast forcing it to reveal its hidden abilities.


    (Incoming Creator!)


    Bulan warned while Gale prepared to fire seeing their enemy making its move.


    The hybrid demon this time was calmer as he held the shining sword in its wicked hand. He prepared to fight back while his other hand cast a spell.


    "The merge has been completed, Jeremiah I want the system to activate the skill that we got from the core in Avarice"


    [Affirmative!]


    A sublime strand of golden light escapes from Apollo''s body demonic body. Bulan and Gale immediately felt their master''s sudden increase in strength through the connection they had from the contract. They felt amazed at the same time admired the person they made a pact with.


    [Creator it''s moving!]


    Despite the pressure from gravity, the monster was still able to move with ease this only meant that Apollo''s gravity attack wasn''t enough.


    "Kneel" he commanded this time he wanted to see if this monster had any intelligence or not, and sure did Apollo see how his target began to fight off the command.


    "It can think"


    He concluded before commanded the gravity to increase its pull. The momentum it has immediately slowed down until it momentarily stopped, this opportunity was immediately seized. Apollo pulled the commands to increase and with its power, a loud noise echoed.


    "BANG!"


    Its towering body hit the ground as it cracked and shook from the force.


    Apollo then commanded the system to open a tab which contained the skills he got from the core he got in Avarice.


    The skill of the unknown beast core dwells into the skin of the demon as it obeys the boy''s command.


    The transformation lasted a second and the moment the monster was back again a combine attacked from Bulan and Gale pinned it back to the ground.


    A skill was evoked and the wind increased exponentially causing breathing to become hard.


    "Focus" Apollo said and the circulating air glides through the body of his sword.


    Apollo kept his focus and with his two spirits assisting in keeping the monster at bay he finally swung the blade and released the combined power of the artifact and the skill to penetrate through the monster''s body.


    "CRACKLE!" The thunderclouds also blow an abundance of lightning turning the sword strike into a lightning arc.


    [Command received!


    Converting the mana from the crystal and stones as stat points!


    Opening the new rank using the gathered points!]


    [Notification Alert!


    New statistics and status window shall emerge please wait for a moment]


    Apollo felt suddenly lighter knowing the system must have helped him.


    [Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Focused Explore stories on empire


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Celestial mage


    Mana type: Blue


    Level: 4


    Strength: 12300


    Agility: 12356


    Dexterity: 12456


    Endurance: 14677


    Stamina: 14566


    Intelligence: 12499


    Mana: 11624


    Ki: 11160


    Mana regeneration: 1000 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 500 per minute


    Vitality: 500


    Skills/Abilities:


    Spell synthesis(Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Alchemic craft (Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Weapon creation (Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Machinery Engineer (Rank SS) {Passive}


    Light of Aegis (Rank Z ) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Can be manipulated by the wielder''s will and the size can reach 7 meters.


    Lightning Call (Rank Z) {Passive} - 70% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks.....]


    [Changing And updating stats]


    [Update completed!]

 Chapter 231 New ranking

    I


    Apollo''s Pov


    [Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Focused


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Celestial mage


    Mana type: Blue


    Level: 4


    Strength: 12300


    Agility: 12356


    Dexterity: 12456


    Endurance: 14677


    Stamina: 14566


    Intelligence: 12499


    Mana: 11624


    Ki: 11160


    Mana regeneration: 1000 per minute


    Ki regeneration: 500 per minute


    Vitality: 500


    Skills/Abilities:


    Spell synthesis(Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Alchemic craft (Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Weapon creation (Rank SSS) {Passive}


    Machinery Engineer (Rank SS) {Passive}


    Light of Aegis (Rank Z ) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. Can be manipulated by the wielder''s will and the size can reach 7 meters.


    Lightning Call (Rank Z) {Passive} - 70% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks.....]


    [Changing And updating stats]


    [Update completed!]


    I breath of relief escapes from me seeing the notification. It took a couple of seconds for my body to fully adapt to the changes that occurred in the system but now I could finally test the benefits that came from the core from Avarice.


    "Show me the tab of skills from the core" I ordered immediately Jeremiah answered.


    [Affirmative]


    [Skill tab


    Beast origin: Guardian of the Wind Tespest, Zephyron


    Beast level: Demigod


    Element: Wind


    Skill rank: Exodus (X)


    Skills: Wrath of the Wind God


    Child of the clouds


    Wings of flight


    Wind dragon''s breath]


    [The skill has been fully implemented on the Creator''s body!


    The skills are fully operational!]


    The current activated skills suddenly increased in strength. Pinning the monster even more on the ground. However, I knew they would immediately adapt to it.


    Copied authority of the God of Force (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Keith it was able to be copied by the system.


    Copied authority of the God of Heat and fire (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Samael it was able to be copied by the system.


    Copied authority of the God of Space and Passage (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Aaron it was able to be copied by the system.


    ADVANCED STATISTICS


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner - A term used by scholars to address the mysterious bloodline of the family famous, the Lancaster family. This bloodline is capable of forming an infinite amount of contracts. No limitations regardless of the rank of spirits and the level of a mage''s mana. As long as they get the spirit''s recognition a contract can be achieved.


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution:{Unawakened}


    Current stat point: 2000


    Curse stability: 5%]


    The rank of the mysterious beast''s core far exceeds that of a celestial-rank beast. So with curiosity, I ordered Jeremiah to analyze the strength of the core and merge its power into the system. This merging resulted in a new power ranking. A new room for strengthening was open and I can now increase my strength above the current rank of Celestial.


    [Creator your two enemies are coming!]


    This time I was calm and no longer panicked, finally I could see how the energy inside the two monsters'' bodies moved. What''s even better is that this time I can recognize what kind of attack falls on me.


    "You two go back and check on my classmates, I think they will need you more than me," I said as I flipped the screen that appeared before me. On it, these words were written.


    [Scan complete!


    Here is the information regarding the topography of the island and all the magical beasts that reside within it]


    [Notification Alert!


    Detected a group of powerful individuals heading this way and to Alicia''s]


    "I think Gale and Bulan can assist Alicia since I know she couldn''t fully fight with people she needs to protect"


    As I said those words my body leaned back dodging a fireball from one of the enemy monsters.


    "Jeremiah keep an eye on what''s going there, tell me if anything happens"


    [I will Creature]


    After that, I spread my dark and ragged wings to fly and manoeuvre among the wind.


    "RUMBLE!"


    Thunder began to roar while the clouds bore the power of the brewing storm.


    [The clouds have been fully charged, should we launch it now?]


    "Go ahead I wanna see how much electricity can it take"


    With my command, the sky swallowed the sunlight and only the sparks of lightning could be seen.


    Pillars of dazzling mass of electricity grounded the land, it burned the surrounding area but the target of this devastation remained breathing. Their scales were tough fully escaping the jaws of death.


    I who was still flying to dodge all the attacks of the two monsters decided to stop as I saw how immune they were to lightning spells.


    The obsidian monster ran with its claws extended, while the monster was flying in a dive in preparation to breathe out fire. I did not waste any time and waved my sword to intercept the attack of the two.


    An arc was made and the sword of light sparks and generates a power to cut through the barrier of the two beasts.


    "It''s not enough" I could only say as I changed another element. This time it''s fire, a brilliant red fiery magical circle was drawn giving birth to an inferno that also dealt no damage. Then I switch to another element, water then earth.


    I felt even more confused seeing the results but didn''t stop my body from dodging attacks.


    My eyes were filled with arrows predicting my opponent''s movement using their muscles and energy movement as a basis.


    Then I could not help but squint my eyes as black-tainted energy began to swirl around the mouth of the grotesque beast. The composition of this energy was something I hadn''t seen before. It was chaotic as if someone had mixed different powers inside a single entity.


    "It''s going for my left and right side" I could conclude as I shifted the weight of my body in accordance with the enemies'' attack. The calculation was done and all I have to do is move according to it.


    "BANG!"


    I successfully evaded the attack while two devastating explosions shook the very ground of the island.


    "It''s immune to elements now then shall we start with physical attacks"


    I said those words while bloodlust began to rise from my body, this lust for bloodshed turned into a black-tainted energy that began to corrupt the land.

 Chapter 232 Holding back

    Apollo''s will for destruction and bloodshed increases and turns into a fog of darkness. This fog began to cover the ruined part of the island.


    [Notification Alert!


    The skill Oppressor is in effect!


    The entire island is under its influence!


    Enemies are suffering from 50% debuff


    Morale decreased by 70%!


    Mind is hindered by 80%]


    The notification was something Apollo wanted to see since that skill could definitely help his classmates.


    Then from the notification panel, his attention shifted towards the two monsters that had already flown towards him. His wings then beat the air and with his skill''s assistance, none of the attacks touched him not even getting close to him.


    His current stats have been multiplied to 10 due to the skill demonize, so in total Apollo''s stats reach 300,000 going above the demigod level.


    However even with such high stats his two unique enemies weren''t something he could just blast off. He has to be careful since his new powers are too foreign for him to fully control. So with patience, he began calculating and scanning their weaknesses hoping he could exploit them.


    "Here it comes" he said as he saw the energy inside their bodies accumulate in a single place. This action means they are about to attack again.


    The sky shook as three entities flew through the dark clouded sky.


    Curiously as if the powers inside his body were adapting he could now identify the composition of the attack that would chase him.


    "RUMBLES!" the clouds were charged with electricity and immediately they targeted the attacks that relentlessly chased after Apollo.


    The wind was howling while the shockwaves of each impact shook the ground below. Apollo continues to fly not daring to come close to his two stubborn opponents.


    "Just where are the professors" Apollo thought while flying, his intention with his sudden flight wasn''t just to dodge, it was also to see what was happening inside the island they were on.


    "No ships and now signs of other people.....just what''s happening" he wondered until sudden fluctuations of energy attracted his attention.


    "That wasn''t Alicias or even the students from the other classes, Jeremiah scan that area"


    [Affirmative!]


    "Give me the report once you finalize it, it might be the professors" he added as he changed the direction of his body. It seems his objective has been achieved and now his attention is back on the two monsters.


    Discover exclusive tales on empire


    The beast felt annoyed making its scales glow even brighter. This action made it easier for Apollo to distinguish the two. For their scales became different colors from each other.


    The first one was an obsidian creature, like a lizard it had scales that seemed to be made of the same shiny black stones. Its eyes were red, its breath was cloudy as if flames could explode at any moment. The second one was no different except for the colour, the scales were emerald, shining with a metallic glint. Though the body seems lighter than the black one.


    "Human mage" bellowed the obsidian creature then what Apollo felt as it spoke was like a low rumbling in the very ground he stood in.


    His eyes squinted and prepared to attack seeing how they change the pattern of their energy flow.


    There was a blast of sound and the obsidian creature was raging forward, an immense, terrifying wave of energy came and Apollo was prepared to fight back.


    Its mouth erupted with flames while the other beast had the wind to assist the flames that fanned towards their target. Apollo just snapped his finger and the clouds above struck the flaming breath cancelling it in the process.


    "The air surrounding us is under my command you can''t control it" he said seeing how the emerald beast tried to gain control of the surrounding wind.


    His words however were answered with a scoff, and then the aura of the two monsters changed again. Apollo on the other hand was busy fortifying the place so that no more shockwaves could destroy the island. Their clash had caused half of the island''s forestry. They had also made small islands due to their spells changing the topography of the area.


    Apollo now wanted to protect the remaining places outside and inside the island.


    [An attack has been detected please focus on Creator]


    Jeremiah advised seeing Apollo not paying attention towards his two titan-like opponents.


    The boy knew what he was trying to say so he didn''t try to argue, instead, he waved his weapon which was already changed into a sword. The blade of the sword of light created an arc that intercepted a wall of fire that emerged from the ground.


    It was so hot, the air became almost charred but Apollo merely changed his stands and took another path for his blade.


    A line was followed, and the power of the sword then pierced through the barrier of flames. The fire dissipated and the black creature immediately appeared behind the barrier as soon as it disappeared. It growled and spread its enormous wings, these wings then produced a layer of magical attacks that belonged to all five elements.


    The boy who took the form of a hybrid demon holds onto the weapon in his hand though he knows there is another opponent who is hiding from his sight.


    The green beast took to the sky again, with its great speed it evaded the electrical attacks of the thunderclouds and was also able to destroy some of them. However, as it glides a cluster of air slams itself onto the beast causing its flight to be disoriented. This opportunity was then taken when a spear suddenly appeared to attack the monster.


    "Enough!" it bellowed and fire cascaded down on its mouth trying to burn the spear away. The entire sky was covered with flames. It was enough to even burn the remaining trees on the fragile ground of the island. Now the clouds could no longer be seen since a red bursting fire had eaten it.


    Back to Apollo who was in combat with the obsidian beast his sword would dance and cut through the beast''s every attack.


    "ARGH!"


    The beast groaned and felt frustrated upon seeing how every attack was nothing in front of the human in front of him. Then it sent out another attack and like before a light penetrated it before dissipating.


    It gathered its power again however it realised that the human hybrid was nowhere to be found.


    "Down here"


    A voice said causing the beast to look down and see a person whose hands held a sword.

 Chapter 233 Calming dowm

    "Down here"


    A voice said causing the beast to look down and see a person whose hands held a sword. The beast felt baffled and for the first time since its birth, it felt fear, it felt panic. The fact that it wasn''t able to sense the boy''s presence left the beast frustrated.


    "Hoo.." Apollo breathes as he forms his stand, as he focuses a swarm of energy begins to emit from his body. It was a blue hazy light that seemed to resemble a flame.


    "Aura?" said the obsidian beast as soon as it recognized the power that surrounded Apollo.


    The hazy light combined with Apollo''s bloodlust created a harmony of death and strength. This blackish-blue halo then revolves across the boy''s blade, slowly corrupting the light that dwells on it.


    "What a trick," the beast thought so while an abundant amount of mana gathered in its body. It seems it plans to make a massive explosion using a spell that is under the five elements. Apollo knew that this attack could possibly break the remaining parts of the island. He couldn''t let it happen because it would endanger not only the creatures that live in the area but also his friends.


    "Hoo..." slowly Apollo breathes again dismissing any thoughts that could distract him. He struck while his opponent was still preparing to attack. The boy doesn''t care if the monster is caught off guard, he will kill his opponent regardless of reasons, it doesn''t matter whether they were prepared or not for his attack, what matters is the result.


    And so with a quick wave of his weapon, the obsidian beast was cut in half. The path of the cut made a two-meter wound on the ground and sky. It''s as if someone drew a line in it. No defences, no barriers were able to block and all you could hear was the sound of something passing over your ears. It''s as if it was only a quick touch of wind that reached you.


    The strike was fast too fast for the beast to even realise what happened to it. All it noticed was how its sight was strangely cut into two.


    "Wh-at?" it mumbles while the two piles of flesh slide down on the ground. The body of the unidentified beast lay lifeless though the person who had caused this bloodshed only looked above him. The young mage with his body transformed into a hybrid demon merely moving his finger as if controlling something.


    "RUMBLE!"


    Thunder began roaring like a dragon while the sky was filled with lightning and fire. These two would clash shaking the heaven and earth with its power.


    Amongst the fire and light, a silhouette of a metallic weapon can be seen. It glides through the air gathering the might of the wind and storm.


    "GARRGHHHH!"


    Roar the emerald beast in panic and frustration, try as it might the enemy kept chasing and breaking every attack and defence it had built.


    The surrounding wind moved again while a mass of electricity glided through the glowing body of the weapon. Its blue markings absorbed the power it had while the howling air guided its path.


    "I would never die in this humiliating way!" it shouted while a magic circle was created, this magical sphere summoned great chaos of all combinations of elements however wind and lightning began to grow even greater. It amasses energy and with the power of the metallic weapon as the medium, the elemental roar of the emerald beast was broken to bits.


    "NO!" shouted the beast as it held onto the barrier that prevented the attack from reaching its place.


    "Look at him struggle" Apollo mutters then he flicks his finger and the force that the beast feared begins accelerating, it spins with great might breaking the barrier that prevents it from wreaking havoc. The emerald beast gave one last stand to survive however facing the might of the combined force of wind and lightning only turned its body into bits.


    "ARGH!!" it cried as the power of the elements propelled the power of the weapon. It penetrated through its heart before creating hundreds of holes in the beast''s body.


    Then the wind and lightning did the final touch as it grinds and melts the remaining parts of the emerald beast.


    She was on the ground sitting while her back rested on an old tree.


    Her complexion wasn''t good though her situation was way better than others. At least she doesn''t hysterically attack or shout at people.


    "How do you feel?" Apollo asked wanting to help as well however the set of eyes that looked at him was different from how they used to be.


    "Apo-llo?" she mutters, her voice barely audible while in her arms is another girl, her classmate perhaps that clung onto her arms.


    "She....got...it worse..than me..." she manages to say so Apollo kneels and tries to check the girl in her arms.


    "No," a weak voice said, her body trembled excessively while her eyes were brimming with years and fear.


    Apollo could feel her emotions through the power of the authority of Mystics, not just her but every single person surrounding him. Every emotion and conflicting feeling was like a raging flood that almost drowned him. If it weren''t for his strong mentality and increased intelligence stat, he would have been swept by the intense emotions of the people here.


    "Apollo" Blair said, he suddenly came shifting Apollo''s attention towards him.


    "We need your help"


    "I know" he simply said knowing how frustrating and unsettling the current situation is.


    "Blair you can rest now, I''ll take it from here" he added, since he knew that the authority of Mystics was flooding Blair with everyone''s emotions.


    "I am fine it''s not as bad as you think" he just says although Apollo felt there were more things he refused to say.


    "Rest and leave everything to me" Apollo said so while tapping his friend''s shoulder. With his stubbornness, Blair had no option but to agree.


    "Alright just be careful" he just said


    "Thanks for worrying" Apollo replied before commanding Jeremiah to activate the authority of the God of Mystics.


    "Let''s cover the entire area"


    [Affirmative my Creator]


    As the power of the God of Mystics intensified Apollo''s sensitivity over the state of mind of others increased. Each person was shown to him like a set of data he needed to solve. So with the aid of the system and Jeremiah one by one he started healing every single patient.


    "Wow"


    Blair couldn''t help but say as he felt how Apollo''s power was able to stabilize everyone''s mind.


    The previous chaotic place slowly returns to normal finally putting everyone at peace.

 Chapter 234 Helping others

    As the chaos settled, Apollo stood amidst the healing crowd. He could feel their minds slowly recovering putting his mind at ease. However, his heart felt heavy with the remnants of the battle. He could have finished the fight much faster, however, he knew that recklessly attacking could suddenly unleash unnecessary power from him that could destroy the entire island.


    After all his newly acquired power was too powerful for him to handle immediately.


    Apollo wanted to avoid this worst so he put a barrier to prevent further damage, but those two beasts were too mystical to be fully confined. As the battle progresses Apollo notices that they can break his barrier even after his massive upgrade. And so he made them stay in one place and only focus on him. The fight ended and with their power scale damage is apparent to occur.


    The effect of the battle that Apollo had before still weighed in his head but slowly it was changing, Apollo thought that these feelings might have stemmed from everyone''s emotions that almost ate him a while ago.


    He looked back at his friends and Alicia, who paid attention to helping the exhausted students. Their efforts comforted him slightly, reminding him that everything would be better.


    The authority of the God of Mystics then seized activating indicating that all the surrounding people were healed. They will be fine as long as they eat and sleep. Though Apollo felt a bit dizzy it was all good helping out others. He felt tired but still wouldn''t stop even when he was also exhausted from overusing the system.


    He too needs some rest just like the others but unlike them, he could not get a proper rest right now. He still has to do something.


    "Apollo" he heard and voice so he turned to see Vesta on her hand was a flute.


    "Are you using your music to calm them?"


    She nodded though he felt pain seeing the scratches on her arms, it seemed some actually tried to harm her.


    "Don''t worry Aaron gave them a quick jab sending them to sleep" she said with a wink then her eyes changed when she realized Apollo''s tired eyes.


    "You need to rest, I know you are tired"


    Apollo just shakes his head in answer


    "I will be fine" he says to reassure her. Vesta didn''t buy his words and so she gave him a song that could relax his mind, and it did. The young mage felt calm as if all the burden that weighed his mind was slowly slipping away.


    [Creator the professors and the other student''s mana signature suddenly disappear from my radar]


    Jeremiah suddenly notifies making Apollo worried, so he beckons Vesta to stop making his friend confused.


    "Something wrong?" she asked but Apollo just gestured for her to rest, though worried she still complied with his words.


    "I need to find them," he thought, knowing this place was already safe. The other students only need adequate rest and they are good to go.


    "Alicia"


    "I know, you can go" she replies knowing what worries him. She too senses their professor''s sudden disappearance.


    "Some are also coming this way but I will handle them" she added while patting his shoulder.


    "Find them and be safe"


    "Of course, I will"


    [Analysis complete!


    The creature appears to have been killed by a powerful spell, likely from a high-ranking professor. Its magic signature indicates it was from Professor Adolfo]


    "So he is fighting" he thought as he ran forward tracing the sound of battle he could still hear.


    "I need to find the professors," he murmured, wanting to see his instructors alive and well.


    After a while, Apollo reached a clearing, where the sounds of battle were even more intense. The air crackled with residual energy, hinting at the aftermath of a fierce conflict. He rushed forward, hoping to find his teachers and other students amidst the chaos.


    "Professor!" Apollo called again, wishing someone could hear him.


    [Creator run a little more!]


    With Jeremiah''s urging he rush forward. After running a few more times he finally saw a person.


    "Professor look!" a student said as she pointed to a certain red-orange-haired individual.


    Lysander their professor looked at her and followed her finger and there behind a tree he saw the young mage who had arrived.


    "Apollo! I''m glad to see you unharmed" he exclaimed even though he knew that the boy didn''t know him.


    "Professor where are the others?" he asked realizing he wasn''t the one he was looking for.


    "If you are looking for your professors they are over there." he pointed.


    "Are they safe?" Apollo inquired, worry ringing in his voice.


    "For now they are," Lysander said evenly his heart pounding furiously.


    "But we have lost a lot. The rest of the professors are caring for the injured while the rest of us hold off such creatures, clearly a reference to me. They decided they needed to gather everyone together and make sure all the students had been found."


    "I can help," said Apollo and confidence filled the air inside him.


    "I sure know you could come now we need every hand we can get," Lysander signed and indicated for Apollo to come nearer. "Everybody will need all the strength they have within them to guard everybody."


    Furthermore, as they moved deeper into the battlefield, Apollo saw a giant corpse of the same beast he had fought.


    "This is" he felt shocked to see a huge hole puncture on its chest.


    "Who did this?" he asked, even though he was weakened due to fatigue when facing this creature it was still powerful. So how come it was killed in a single blow?


    "Ah, that, it''s because of him" Lysander just said as he pointed towards the man who did it.


    Apollo followed him and saw a familiar man holding a sword in his hand.


    "Professor Adolfo?" he said realizing how strong the professor they called lunatic is.

 Chapter 235 Bang!

    Apollo just stared in utter disbelief as he looked at Professor Adolfo, who was famously being called around the academy as a raving lunatic, though it was actually due to Mckenzie popularizing it to the other class. The man was a professional swordsman, he moved with a fluency and vigour one could only expect from a man who uses the weapon for a living.


    Apollo can tell he isn''t just a random teacher, he is a soldier.


    The evidence of this is the enormous body of the creature piled behind him. The huge hole depicted only the result of a single blow. What''s even more funny is that the other professor only looked at the situation as if it was a normal thing to happen.


    "Professor Adolfo..." The boy whispers, still unconsciously amazed. Behind professor Adolfo were professor Timothy and Alejo each holding their weapon. Moving his eyes further Apollo was able to see Professor Gelda and Agatha who aided the injured students and security personnel.


    Seeing each different battlefield with swords and healing the boy doesn''t know whether to help in combat or aid in injuries.


    "You are here student Apollo" Adolfo''s voice rang cutting off Apollo''s thoughts.


    "It''s nice to see you in good shape, how is the class? Is everyone doing okay?"


    "Everyone is doing good, the Combat class was also with us" the boy answered causing the five teachers to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "I know you will all be fine, but it''s still good to hear it from you," Timothy said as he smiled weakly, his thoughts were finally clear with doubts as he heard Apollo''s words.


    "Student give a hand to professors Agatha and Gelda first, I think we can handle these monsters for now" Alejo suggested and happily Apollo complied.


    As they wrapped the battle they were struck all of a sudden by a thunderous sound coming from the very ground beneath their feet. The clusters of leaves rustled violently, and within moments, dark figures emerged from the shadows, growls and roars then came after until the thing they were worried about happened, and the unidentified beasts arrived again.


    These were similar to the multicoloured wolf-beast but they appeared to be more dangerous than the earlier sight, with much bigger, sharper teeth and a raw chaotic aura around them.


    "Be on guard!" Lysander yelled as he pulled his axe and went ahead to meet the creatures. "Apollo regroup with the medic and stay with the other students, now!"


    However, despite his command, Adolfo had a different decision on the matter.


    "Drop the medicine kit Apollo, assist us"


    Other security guards and professors looked worried at his decision but knowing who Adolfo was they could not reject him.


    "I will assist using weapons if that is okay"


    "Sure do as you please as long as it could helps us"


    The boy nodded his head upon receiving his approval, and so using the data he had gathered from facing his previous enemies, he could create a weapon according to it and took advantage of the weakness he had witnessed.


    "Let''s readjust the bullet''s power" said the boy still keeping his cool despite the first bullet failing to meet his expectations.


    His eyes then scan the incoming beast and the analysis of their body structure is given by the system.


    "Eyes" he mutters as he activates the skill Automatic Weaponry to modify his rifle and bullets.


    "Let''s test it again"


    He said as soon as the modification ended.


    "BANG!"


    The roar of the gun momentarily scared the other students but Apollo didn''t really care. He merely watched as the bullet went through his target''s eyes.


    "Bullseye"


    It went straight to the head, however to Apollo''s disbelief despite the brain being damaged the beast was still able to move to attack. Although its movements were sluggish it was still moving despite half of the brain being penetrated by a bullet.


    "What the" he was suddenly confused because clearly the system showed that he was able to pierce through the brain from the eyes yet his target was still moving.


    From the confusion due to what he saw, Apollo dismissed his useless disbelief as he held the rifle again to send another storm of bullets.


    "Cover me!" Adolfo yelled and started moving around vigorously. He proceeded to stab in the middle of a beast and with a single swipe of his sword, another beast came crashing to the ground. The creature collapsed to the ground while flying arrows and bullets served as his cover from the attacking enemies.


    Back to Apollo from his defensive stance on the medic''s position, he followed the professors in a cover fire and thus moved in parallel. He again began to feel a sudden heaviness as if a huge burden was setting in, but he put on his best efforts to shoot knowing something other than fatigue was making him weaker.


    "This damn artifact"


    He could tell feeling the familiar trace of energy that belonged to the said weapons. So to ease the feeling he shakes his head while creating more bullets for reloading.


    "Keep pushing! We need to drive them back!" Lysander attacked, throwing numerous elemental spells using his axe as a medium. The spells were merely a power to assist his weapon in digging deeper into his enemies''s skin. It worked well since he was able to kill dozens of enemies.


    As soon as Apollo reloaded, he saw a shadow moving swiftly behind a large tree¡ªthis motion turned his spine cold, he could feel something dangerous in there. He looked even further and saw the reason behind his reaction. Further into the forest, it looked as if the creatures were massing, they were growing in quantity at an alarming rate.


    "They are coming from all sides!" he yelled hearing the growling of the beasts around, a shiver ran through him as more of them entered the clearing.


    "Concentrate fire! Aim for the larger ones first!" Adolfo commanded, his voice dominating every sound around them. "We will force them more together!"


    The chaos escalated even managing to make Apollo rethink about using another skill though Jeremiah was against it. Something inside the island was hindering the system, clearly, it was a powerful artifact so it is best not to rely too much on the system until they figure out where the artifact is.

 Chapter 236Isolated

    The chaos escalated even managing to make Apollo rethink about using another skill though Jeremiah was against it. Something inside the island was hindering the system, clearly, it was a powerful artifact so it is best not to rely too much on the system until they figure out where the artifact is.


    The remaining able students on the other hand cast a spell to create a shield that could momentarily protect their teachers. It wasn''t that strong to last but it was enough to buy time.


    While the fighting continued, Apollo aimed and fired the weapon in his hand. He could see how the professors were a team and each one of them could easily watch for the others'' blind spots. Their synergy amazes him, they were experienced fighters with the confidence to leave their back protected by their comrades.


    The connection they have must have been built by years of fighting alongside each other.


    Suddenly, the ground shook, and a massive creature burst forth from the underbrush, its grotesque form left the other beasts looking like little cups. It bore twisted features a grotesque parody of the wolf-beasts, with a huge frame and scaly skin which literally reflected hues similar to the moving colours of a kaleidoscope.


    "What the hell"


    Apollo yet again felt weird seeing a scary monster with shining colorful scales. It felt so misplaced like watching a horror movie with comedy music as its theme. Its overall aura decreases a lot making the boy think about the person who made these creatures.


    "That person seriously needs therapy" he concluded while reloading his rifle.


    "Everyone, fall back!" Lysander shouted as he was getting ready to cast a rather strong spell to propel his spiked flail and axe.


    As a last resort, Apollo modified his weapon again, but this time it was for the giant organism out there that just arrived. He poured all his thoughts into coming up with the design, and with all the attacks that the monster received, he could at least use it as data.


    Analytic reports fly in and out of Apollo''s head, and with all his thoughts going everywhere he is thankful that he is still sane enough to multi-task everything. The physical report of the monsters arrived and Apollo adjusted the newly modified weapon to accommodate his desired results.


    "BANG!"


    The shot was fired right through the beast''s chest and from the looks of it, it seemed not to have been affected by it.


    "Shit," the boy said to himself as he analyzed the energy level of the beast. It was increasing at an alarming rate.


    "Professor Adolfo! Can you hold it off?" The panic unexpectedly crawled into Apollo''s chest as he called his teacher.


    "What''s this, you actually need me, well leave it to me!" Adolfo shouted back and ran towards his opponent with great speed. Other professors grouped themselves around Adolfo and cast a circle of spells to restrain the huge beast while some cast spells for buffing effects.


    When the beast rose into anger, growling dangerously, Apollo responded by taking out a cannon, and a machine gun program to put down the smaller creatures, picking them off one by one while also trying to keep an eye on Adolfo and the others.


    The cannon was set while the machine began firing. As soon as he saw the opening he needed the cannon was fired. A loud banging sound shook the ground, and even Apollo who made the weapon was surprised by the power of the weapon he hastily made. His eardrums were almost busted while the smoke made by the weapon left him blinded.


    A booming sound lunges at everyone''s ears and even the surrounding monsters are stunned by the sound produced by the weapon.


    "Don''t worry if those monsters come, we will be ready," Adolfo said, and the ferocity returned respectively within him. "We won''t let them win" he added with a smile to encourage his students, though all Apollo remembered was his sadistic face whenever they torture train them.


    After that Apollo told his professors he would regroup with his class, although some were against it Adolfo gave his blessings so he left happily.


    As soon as he was gone all the academy staff started making their next plan since what Apollo saw worried them. The attack was very deliberate to eliminate them and if it weren''t for the fact they were from Aster, a place where only the strong can be allowed to stand in, they would have perished.


    So the first thing they need to do is to contact the outside. Something that is extremely hard given that a powerful artifact is blocking their communication device.


    "Now what should we do?" Lysander asked looking at the Lower class professors whom he knew all working for the emperor.


    .


    .


    .


    It was tense, after the beast attack, the professor and the security of the academy were inside the little headquarters formed on the other side of the battlefield, they left the clearing and instead went on to camp at the forestry.


    Apollo, having left the battle zone, returned to his classmates, wanting to know what happened to them.


    He ran through the forest, where the remnants of the earlier battle were still evident. The scent of burnt wood lingered in the air, and the sounds of the battle still rang in his head.


    Those things begin to bother Apollo, so he shakes his head trying to remove all the unnecessary thoughts he has while navigating through the forest.


    Every step he took made him feel a pressure that burdened his body, this was due to the artifact that resided inside the forest. Despite the pain, he endured it and continued walking through the dark trail of the woods.


    After a few moments, he arrived at the boundary of the space lock made by an authority.


    "So in the end they also found this place" he could conclude seeing all the carcass that lies on the forest floor. They found them however they could not enter. He could tell seeing some monsters dying in a different way than the others. Some beasts died with fist-sized holes littered on their bodies, the other however have golden shards of light that revolve around the corpses.


    Those lights signify that the power of the authority of space was used.


    However, there was something that made Apollo feel complicated. It was the brutal way the monsters died, some were actually ripped as if they were a mere sheet of paper, while some were punched to bits.


    The young mage felt that the perpetrator of this scene was under pressure seeing how recklessly she handled the bodies. It''s as if she was in a hurry, though Apollo could understand seeing the number of corpses on the floor.


    "Alicia must have done this"

 Chapter 237 Watcher

    "Alicia must have done this" he thought so as he entered the space lock, immediately he located his friends inside the canopy tents, made from the leaves and branches of trees. This simple tent was converted into a make-shift medical ward for the injured students, there he saw the entire Lower class aiding the students of Combat class.


    They continued helping those in need until a pair of ruby eyes landed on the boy.


    "Apollo" she blurted out and quickly moved towards him. Her eyes checked him for signs of injury even when she knew it was close to impossible to happen.


    "Are you alright?"


    "I''m fine, just a bit tired," he said though exhaustion was steadily setting in.


    "Is it about the artifact?"


    The boy nodded wanting to rest but with the current situation, it seems he won''t be able to do it.


    "You should rest" Her concern was evident in her voice but Apollo could tell that she was in no good position either.


    "It seems you are as tired as I am," he said instead of paying heed to her words.


    "I am but I will be fine"


    The tables were suddenly turned, Apollo now is the one worrying and telling the other to rest, while Alicia is the one being told to but doesn''t listen.


    "I know your situation" Apollo started to say his eyes locked on Alicia''s ruby eyes.


    "You have a very strong power however your body can''t handle it, so I can tell that somehow you are sealing it away. That is why expending too much of your strength strains your control. The more power you release the more your body failed to suppress it" his voice was very calm and Alicia remained listening to him.


    "Once you can''t control it anymore, you are afraid that it will burst out hurting others including yourself"


    "I never knew you would figure out so much about me"


    "It took some time but at least I was able to get a hang over your situation"


    Alicia couldn''t help but chuckle though her expression gradually returned to her usual cold demeanour.


    "Since you told me something important I will do the same"


    Apollo felt suddenly confused but still remained silent and listened to her.


    "I know about the existence of the artifact inside this island"


    Apollo was a bit surprised though he did think of it once when he saw how calm she was at the start of the evaluation.


    "The artifact inside this island was supposed to stop any cheating from the other students. No spells, no equipment or other artifacts only the skills for survival will be used. This information was only known to the imperial house since the artifact was requested by the academy from them.


    After the stressful day, they all decided to rest to subside their fatigue.


    The night was calm, no monsters came and strangely everyone who exhausted their mind and body received an ample amount of rest.


    And so the night went away and the morning came. The crickets that were singing slowly replaced by bird melodies while everyone began to wake up.


    The sun''s light was warm washing their heavy minds and aching bodies. The students who woke up realised that they felt so light like nothing happened yesterday. Opposite to the student''s reaction, the professors and security almost have a heart attack realizing none of them was able to stay up all night to watch.


    As the people waking up grew in size, breakfast was then prepared by the professors who felt embarrassed by their negligence of keeping watch last night.


    The aroma of the food attracted everyone''s attention and soon enough they all gathered to fill their stomach. With all gathered in one place, a voice began to speak


    "Students, I need you to listen closely," Adolfo said, addressing the group. "We''re facing a serious threat, and we need to establish communication with the higher-ups. With something blocking our signals, we have to find a workaround."


    The professor specifically excluded the information about the artifact, knowing it could cause panic among the children.


    As the professors planned their next move Apollo turned his eyes towards the forest, and the darkness lurking beneath the trees. Strangely he felt an inexplicable pull towards it. Curious he decided to go towards it wanting to know the reason behind the feeling he was having.


    "Apollo? Hey, where are you going?"


    Alya noticed him moving suspiciously so she called him however it seemed her voice didn''t reach him.


    As Apollo made his way towards the tree line, the atmosphere shifted. The air felt charged with energy, and the shadows seemed to watch him, waiting. The rustle of leaves and the distant growls of the remaining beasts made his heart race. Whether it was excitement or nervousness he will never know.


    "I am being watched" he realized watching the nimble shadow that kept following him.


    Apollo kept his senses alert knowing the artifact was still influencing him. The further he ventured, the more he felt the oppressive energy of the artifact. It was as if the air thickened, making it difficult to breathe.


    "You are really stupid"


    Said a voice causing Apollo to almost jump. He didn''t sense who it was so frantically looked back and saw a girl with black hair and ruby eyes.


    "Alicia?"


    "I told you not to go alone"


    "Right sorry"


    Apollo felt a bit embarrassed however, suddenly, they spotted a movement, which shifted their attention towards it.


    Seconds went by and there was silence between the two, neither spoke or even looked at each other. Their focus was directed at something, although they didn''t know what it was.


    There was a figure, clad in dark robes flitted between the trees. A chill ran down Apollo''s spine, as a realization dawned on him. He had seen them before, the mysterious figures that had caught his eye during the battle. They were watching him, acting like a pack of predators.

 Chapter 238 Found artefact

    There was something from afar, Apollo could tell there was something watching him and Alicia.


    "Ali can you feel it"


    "Yes, at least five are moving around us"


    "Five?" Apollo said a bit shocked though Alicia could tell he was because of his expression. He couldn''t locate their enemies since his senses were messed up due to the force that clouded his judgment.


    [The influence of the artifact is getting stronger Creator]


    Jeremiah suddenly warned, however Apollo was already aware of it. It was his body, after all, he is the one experiencing the pain and burden so he knows what is happening.


    "Are you alright?" Alicia asks seeing Apollo''s growing discomfort.


    "I am okay" he replies though Alicia could tell he is having a hard time.


    His expression was strained while the frown on his face didn''t change.


    "We should go back" she said wanting to remove Apollo from any more danger.


    Knowing her intention the young mage was about to reply when a sudden movement caught their attention.


    Alicia felt a sudden movement from her side so she moved to guard Apollo however her situation wasn''t any better from him, so from a blind spot a figure emerged attacking Apollo. Though in the last second, she was able to respond sensing the killing intent.


    "Dodge!" she manages but hundreds of invincible strings bind her making her reaction delayed.


    Her words reach Apollo however before he could react, a woman already grabbed him, her eyes blazing with fury.


    "It''s you, finally I have you!" she screamed, her voice laced with hatred.


    "And who are you?" he asked not concerned about the hand that grabbed his neck.


    "You deserve to die!"


    "And why? What did I do to you?" Apollo demanded, confusion flooding his mind as he prepared to defend himself.


    "You took everything from me!" she shouted, gripping Apollo''s neck while a dagger aimed at his heart.


    "I don''t even know you!" Apollo argued while a set of barriers emerged to protect him. Using the skill Light of Aegis a protective barrier deflected the daggers that attacked. Apollo then moves to escape the mysterious woman''s tight grip and form his stance to attack. As he did so a nimble shadow followed him.


    "You won''t get away!" the woman''s voice runs wild as she begins to chase after Apollo.


    She was crazy according to Apollo''s thoughts seeing how she relentlessly follows


    "Are those wind?" the boy noticed seeing a green light gathering around her opponent.


    "It''s not a mana colour so it''s the element of wind" More changes transpire as the woman''s hand transforms into a beastly appearance. Her nails turn into sharp claws while a fur-like coating emerges around her skin.


    "This woman is a magical beast" he thought so as he sidestepped her attack. Then the feeling of adrenaline surged as he activated his system''s gears. His eyes now were filled with arrows predicting his opponent''s movements.


    "Jeremiah, analyze her!"


    [Affirmative!


    "Jeremiah analysis"


    [Affirmative!]


    With caution, Alicia and Apollo carefully walk towards the altar. They were expecting traps but none came. Calmly Apollo reached out, while Alicia channelled her energy to counteract the artefact''s influence. She extended her power to shield Apollo as he disabled the protective barrier of the artefact.


    As he grasped it, he felt a jolt surge through him, and for a moment, the world around him spun.


    Alicia was immediately alarmed holding his body which collapsed due to the impact.


    "Apollo?" she called as she expanded the barrier.


    "Come on can you hear me?" she lifted him up ready to return however she heard Apollo''s sudden change in breathing.


    "You awake"


    "Sorry just felt a bit dizzy" he playfully smirked as he said those words. Then, clarity returned. He had it. He had found the source of their weakness.


    He also found something interesting. The pressure and burdening feeling weren''t because of the power of the artifact but because the artifacts themselves gave off an energy that made him weaker. He doesn''t understand yet how their energy works but he doesn''t mind researching.


    What is even more interesting is that the artifact under his command won''t radiate such influence different from the one on the island.


    "I''ll take the artifact" Alicia suggested seeing her friend''s situation. Any more of that and Apollo might completely collapse.


    "No I''m good, I already built resistance to the power so it won''t work again"


    He moved after saying that then he slowly got out of Alicia''s arms and went forward towards the altar.


    On the surface of the black stone structure, a stone was lying deep into it. Apollo knew it was the real artifact while the altar was used to amplify its effects throughout the island.


    Without any hesitation, he picks it out and the faint glow of the altar grows weaker.


    "See I told you I can handle it" he said proudly while Alicia couldn''t help but chuckle at his words.


    As he held the artifact, he activated a communication line to the academy. This communication tool was established by using one of their professors'' knowledge of technology. The only downside is that they can only use it inside the island.


    "Professors! I found the artefact!" he shouted into the link, breathless. "It''s in an old altar in the forest" he added.


    "We''re on our way, Apollo," Adolfo''s voice crackled through. "Hold your position"


    "Okay sir"


    Apollo then sends a flare signal that is only visible to the eyes of the professors. He did this to reveal their position.


    "I wonder if this is safe"


    Alicia wondered not liking how they needed to stay instead of returning.


    "Perhaps they want to study the altar as well since it is used to amplify the effects of the artifact"


    "We should be on guard"


    "I know Alicia"


    Apollo now sounded a bit more cheerful than before since the system had fully adapted from the power of the artifact. The pressure was still there but more manageable and easy to endure.

 Chapter 239 Was he right?

    Apollo and Alicia stood in the clearing, the once glowing stone altar dimmer now, thanks to the artifact in Apollo''s hand. He felt a hint of victory mixed with foreboding as he regarded the fragment of dark energy that had brought so much havoc. The throbbing sensation that had obscured his reasoning was now almost inaudible, allowing him to think clearly.


    The system was now adapting to the energy from the artifact, fully functional despite its suppressive power. It was bearable, no longer a burden as it had been before.


    "Alicia, I wonder if this artifact is safe now that I have taken it," he said, uncertainty still lingering in his voice.


    "Why don''t you study the artifact to find out? Aren''t you good at that?" she replied.


    "Unfortunately, this artifact is too high-level for me to analyze," Apollo sighed, though his eyes remained fixed on the screen in front of him.


    [Name: CURRENTLY INFORMATION UNAVAILABLE


    Rank: REVELATION


    Origin: CURRENTLY INFORMATION UNAVAILABLE


    Usage: CURRENTLY INFORMATION UNAVAILABLE]


    [This is just a rough analysis. All I could do was identify its rank from the newly acquired data ranking. The hierarchy begins with Zenith, followed by Genesis, Exodus, Revelation, and Apocalypse. Currently, the system can''t utilize too much power since it''s prioritizing deflecting and adapting to the energy from the artifact.]


    [Give me just a bit of time to analyze the artifact.]


    "Thank you," he replied to Jeremiah, knowing that the close contact made his senses weaker.


    "I wonder why both the system and I feel so much pain from this artifact. Is it simply due to its effects, or is there something else?" he pondered as seconds turned into minutes. As time passed, the two grew more suspicious of the growing silence in the forest.


    "We should be prepared," he said, feeling the artifact disappear from his hand. It immediately entered his inventory, securing it from any other threats.


    "Given our current situation, we must be ready for the worst. The energy here is still unstable, and we still can''t tell who benefits from this situation or what other latent forces are present," Alicia said, scanning the forest for any signs of movement.


    Apollo focused on calming his breathing, honing his senses to pinpoint the chilling sensation he had been feeling. He was already strong enough to produce an aura, so he should at least be able to locate any potential opponents. Slowly, he sent out a fragment of his mana. Upon contact with the nature mana in the plants, Apollo began to feel it, covering the entire area under his surveillance.


    As he built a mental picture of the surroundings, he sensed something unusual. However, there was always something that obscured his senses.


    "What''s this?" Apollo dismissed the vague feeling and chose to rely on his instincts. In times like this, they were all he could trust. Suddenly, they heard the sound of dry leaves rustling. Apollo instinctively summoned the Sword of Light, gripping the artifact tighter as his body warned him of impending danger. He was ready for an attack, but Alicia appeared troubled.


    "Did you hear that?"


    "Hear what?" she asked, astonished that she couldn''t perceive anything. She regulated her breathing, channeling her powers.


    A sudden wave of intense heat washed over him, prompting him to assemble a set of barriers. Alicia, beloved by the element of fire, could command flames with just a thought.


    "What are the professors doing?" Apollo cursed, realizing they were surrounded by unseen enemies. "I knew that order was foolish. Why did they tell us to hold our position when this island is so dangerous?"


    "Alicia, the artifact is too dangerous to be left in the camp. Besides, the professors know what we are capable of," he added, frustration boiling within him.


    Suddenly, Apollo noticed something amiss. Alicia wouldn''t normally act this way; she would have an idea of what to do and a perfect understanding of the situation. He wouldn''t typically feel this way either.


    Upon Apollo''s command, the sky cracked open, enveloping the entire island in a dome-like structure.


    [Notification Alert!


    One of the mysterious artifact''s abilities has been identified!


    It can amplify any spell''s power while adding a stealth effect to it.]


    [Notification Alert!


    Spell has been identified!


    A familiar pattern indicating it to be the gospel from the Holy Bible of Nirvana.]


    [Warning!


    The system has detected a group of people with the same mana pattern as those from the Monastery!


    Beware!


    The system has detected a group of people with the same mana pattern as those from the Revolutionary Church!


    Be prepared!]


    A series of notifications emerged, but Apollo didn''t feel threatened. Instead, he felt enlightened. A new clarity brightened his thoughts, lifting the burden from his mind.


    "A gospel amplified by an artifact; so, they can cause this much havoc," he said, his previously contorted face relaxing into a calm expression. Alicia noticed this change and smiled, but her relief was short-lived as she sensed another presence approaching.


    "They''re coming, Apollo."


    "I know."


    Apollo had many questions, but he pushed them aside for now.


    "Alicia, I believe what we heard on my communicator a while ago wasn''t our professors."


    "I agree. There''s no way they could teleport here when the space wasn''t even locked," she replied.


    Then the temperature suddenly rose, igniting a spark of flames as Alicia unleashed her powers. The area erupted into a blazing inferno.


    "I guess this will make our professors come here, right?" Alicia said, proud of the product of her action.


    Apollo could only nod in agreement, watching as the flames engulfed the surrounding trees.


    [Notification Alert!


    The system has detected a group entering this clearing, and they aren''t the professors!]

 Chapter 240 Gravity

    With the notification from the system, Apollo concluded that he was indeed right. Perhaps when his skill, Oppressor, activated during his intense battle against the two colossal monsters, the holder of the other artifact¡ªthe one which the system had been tirelessly trying to locate¡ªamplified the power of the Third Gospel.


    This unknown individual likely copied the current power influencing the battle. That power, as it turned out, was the skill Oppressor itself.


    "To think even skills can be copied by that spell," Apollo mused, paying close attention to the last notification that had flashed before him.


    [Notification Alert!


    The system has detected a group reaching this clearing, and they aren''t the professors!]


    "Now I can feel them as well," he thought, a surge of clarity washing over him. With the stone artifact hidden safely away inside his inventory, he was no longer burdened the same way as before. His senses expanded widely once again, just as Alicia''s did, feeling the approaching presence of the unknown group.


    "It seems that they are going to reveal themselves now," he noted, a mix of anticipation and caution coursing through him.


    "Finally! I was already getting bored burning nothing," Alicia replied, her tone deceptively casual. Yet, there was an underlying menace in her voice¡ªlike a hungry predator craving prey. Apollo noticed her cold expression shift, veering towards something more murderous.


    Removing the effects of Oppressor must have allowed Alicia to feel what was happening, and her irritation boiled over at being influenced by something that dulled one''s senses. All her anger was funneled into the torrent of raging flames surrounding her.


    The burning sensation intensified as her will infuse more power into the fire, and Apollo, watching everything unfold, silently prayed he wouldn''t end up angering her in the future.


    The flames encircling them danced according to Alicia''s will, erupting violently through the forest. Suddenly, ten silhouettes broke through the wall of heat, stepping into the clearing.


    However, before the silhouettes could make any significant moves, three figures emerged first, weapons drawn. With a loud bang, a rain of bullets flew through the air. Apollo recognized them instantly¡ªthese were the same cloaked figures they had encountered during the time he was sensing the pull from the depths of the forest.


    Apollo couldn''t comprehend why they suddenly opted for firearms when their bodies were built for a fighter. This seemed incredibly out of place for individuals who had shown such prowess before.


    [Creator, my scanners have picked up multiple damaged ki circuits. It seems Miss Alicia broke them during the earlier encounter.]


    Apollo went pale upon hearing Jeremiah''s report. "Alicia damaged a ki circuit?" He was left feeling baffled and terrified at the caliber of skill his classmates possessed.


    A ki circuit is the pathway ki takes while circulating through the body. Once damaged, it could cause immense pain, effectively crippling any fighter or weapon user. For one to damage or destroy someone''s ki circuit requires an extraordinary degree of precision and skill to locate the veins.


    Alicia''s ability made Apollo wonder if she could only damage a mage''s mana vein, or if she could reach even further.


    [Notification Alert! The system has detected that the bullets contain anti-magic properties and damage immunity. Miss Alicia''s flames won''t be able to stop them.]


    Breaking free from the shock, Apollo gathered himself and made his move. "Gravity!" he commanded, this time without specifying how many folds it would increase. He simply commanded gravity to pull all his enemies towards the ground.


    Alicia fell silent, her expression deep in thought. Noticing her intense focus, Apollo immediately asked, "Something wrong?"


    "I think we need to return to the camp now!" Her expression shifted abruptly from cold determination to one of panic, prompting Apollo to teleport with her instantly.


    "What''s going on? I didn''t even sense anything!" He screamed in his mind, then remembered Jeremiah''s existence. "Anything you''ve got in there?"


    [Creator, the wielder of the other artifact has gone missing. I''ve been attempting to locate that person ever since you started attacking. However, after you used gravity, I could no longer pinpoint their location.]


    "And you''re just telling me this now!" Apollo exclaimed, his frustration boiling over.


    [I''ve already marked all the lower-class students, and I can assure you they are safe since I attached the skill Light of Aegis to them. However, I''m not entirely certain about the other students, as I didn''t monitor them closely. I only followed your previous instruction to prioritize your friends above the others.]


    "Right, I did order that." Apollo suddenly felt foolish for not considering the implications of his own commands. He had instructed Jeremiah to prioritize his friends over the other students, so it made sense that he didn''t feel compelled to notify him while Apollo was engaged in battling their enemies.


    "Where did you last spot the wielder of the artifact?" he asked, forcing himself to focus.


    [That person was with the group of priests from the Monastery. I''ve recorded his mana signature, so if I sense him again, I can locate him.]


    "Alright. Let''s hurry!"


    Then they arrived at the camp, but everything appeared deceptively normal.


    "Alicia, nothing seems strange," he said, scanning the area for any signs of disturbance.


    "Some of the students is missing," she replied, rushing towards the professors, her urgency palpable.


    "Jeremiah?" he called out, hoping for answers.


    [Calculating... Creator, there are three missing students from the High class.]


    "What? Those high aristocratic bastards!" Apollo exclaimed, bewildered and infuriated by their reckless behavior.


    "They already knew our situation, and they dared to walk away from the camp!" he added, his voice rising in frustration.


    Apollo''s calm demeanor shattered, overwhelmed by the reckless behavior of the other students. They weren''t helping the situation; they were complicating matters even further, putting everyone at risk.


    "There''s no way I''m looking for them." He decided firmly, intent on leaving Alicia to head straight to his friends.

 Chapter 241 the three brave students

    A few moments before Apollo and Alicia discovered the ancient altar, three brave students from the High class decided to assist the academy''s security in searching for food and water.


    "We can help, sir!" Darius declared, eager to prove himself and be useful to the adults. His enthusiasm radiated through the group, bolstering their spirits.


    "No need, student Darius. Please head back; it''s too dangerous," the security officer responded, attempting to mask his concern with a reassuring smile. In truth, they were not genuinely seeking food or water; they were scouting for potential enemies lurking nearby.


    "Why can''t we help? Apollo and that black-haired girl from the Lower class were allowed to go, but we aren''t? Isn''t that unfair?" Rose, another student from the High class, protested, her voice tinged with frustration.


    "Yeah, sir! We want to be useful too!" Monny chimed in, determined to prove their skills in front of the first-year students.


    "Students, I understand how you feel; however, we can''t bring you along. It''s too dangerous, and you lack experience in fighting or dealing with opponents," the security officer said firmly. His words rang true, leaving the three students feeling defeated.


    "Now, now, don''t be like that. Let''s just head back, okay?" He tried to sound encouraging, but the disappointment was palpable in the air. Weakly, the three students nodded in response. However, as they began retracing their steps, they quickly realized they were walking in circles.


    "Sir," Rose called out, her voice quavering with fear as they sensed the danger closing in around them. They were certain the camp was just behind them, but when they turned around, all they saw were thick trees looming ominously.


    "We are under an illusion," the security officer deduced, his calm demeanor contrasting sharply with the rising tension in the air. He moved the students closer to him, wanting to ensure their safety.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Suddenly, amid the peaceful songs of birds, they heard the faint sound of footsteps. Panic surged through them, and although they wanted to run, their bodies felt rooted to the ground, overwhelmed by a suffocating sense of dread.


    "The steps... they are everywhere," Darius''s voice cracked as he spoke, trying to maintain his composure. Despite the unfolding nightmare, he resolved to be strong for his friends.


    "Here they are!" a voice called out suddenly, the tone laced with a sinister hiss. "Is this the boy we were told to get?"


    "Don''t know? Well, let''s just deliver him to that wolf. If we got the wrong one, we can always grab another kid."


    The figures shrieked in dismay as the light barriers pushed them back, momentarily disrupting their unity. "You think you can stop us with a mere light?" one of them spat, regaining composure and glaring at Darius.


    "Sir," Rose murmured, her voice trembling on the verge of tears. The security officer felt a renewed sense of determination to protect the children.


    "Hold on tight. I will finish this quickly," he assured them, trying to calm their fears.


    "We can help!" Monny insisted, unwilling to give up. He dropped something to the ground, creating a small cloud of dust that startled everyone.


    "What was that?" the three exclaimed in confusion.


    "It''s a grenade," Monny explained calmly, as if that was the most natural thing in the world.


    "What?!" the three exclaimed simultaneously, their shock palpable. In that unexpected moment, adrenaline surged through them, and the security officer vanished in a flash.


    "Wait, where did they go?" the hooded enemies muttered in confusion, only to be met with the painful cries of surprise when five grenades detonated, filling the air with a deafening roar.


    "Student, why did you have such weapons with you?" the security officer asked, catching his breath amid the chaos.


    "Oh, it was given to me by my father. He told me to use it in case of an emergency," Monny replied matter-of-factly, a mischievous grin on his face. The security officer paused, questioning his own sense of normalcy in a world where children carried grenades.


    With a burst of speed, he charged away at the enemies, determined to return to the camp. However, no matter how hard they tried, the path back remained elusive.


    "This only means one thing," the security officer said grimly as the weight of the situation began to dawn on them. "We need to defeat the creature that created the illusion."


    A wave of dread washed over the group, but they quickly composed themselves when they sensed their opponents closing in.

 Chapter 242 Returned to the camp

    "This only means one thing," the security officer said grimly as the weight of the situation began to dawn on them. "We need to defeat the creature that created the illusion."


    A wave of dread washed over the group, but they quickly composed themselves when they sensed their opponents closing in.


    "Sir, what are we going to do?" Rose asked, her eyes wide with fear.


    "No choice¡ªwe have to fight!" the security officer declared. The three students nodded, preparing the weapons they had on hand. Seeing the caliber of explosives and enchantments they carried made him question their parents'' choices in arming their children for danger.


    "Are parents like this?" the security question feeling like an entire armory was right inside the trio''s space ring.


    "You''re not getting away this time!" a voice rang out, shattering the tense atmosphere.


    The security officer pushed aside his wandering thoughts and refocused on the task at hand. Now was not the time for distractions as the trio of sinister-looking individuals stepped out from the trees, solidifying into physical forms.


    The children weren''t as shaken as they had been before, their earlier fear was replaced with determination, prompting the enemies to question if they were the same children as before.


    The four prepared to confront their opponents, and the man bearing the strongest power among them summoned his energy, ready to unleash their combined strength.


    A sudden tension filled the air, neither side was willing to make the first move until a voice broke the silence. "Roots of Restraint!"


    Veins burst from the ground, entwining the legs of the figures and throwing them off balance.


    "What the!" the three magical beasts exclaimed, realizing it was the same spell but amplified in strength.


    "We''re not done yet!" the security officer growled, unleashing a concentrated beam of sword slashes. The attack ravaged toward the three figures, striking true and sending them crashing to the ground.


    The enemies staggered back in disbelief, unable to comprehend that they were on the verge of defeat. Fear laced their voices as one of them yelled, "We have to pull back!"


    "Retreat!" cried the other, and just like that, the three figures vanished, leaving behind the three students and their lone security protector.


    "Hoo..." A breath of relief escaped their lips as their bodies fell to the ground, exhausted but triumphant.


    "We did it," Monny muttered


    "We sure did"


    "Sir the illusion is gone, right? We can go back no?"


    "Of course Rose, look around isn''t it more normal than before?"


    According to Jeremiah''s map, they should be nearby. Apollo moved forward and soon spotted four figures walking happily.


    "Look, Alicia! They seem safe to me," he said, observing them from afar.


    "Ah, I was worried for nothing"


    Apollo shook his head, finding it amusing how much she panicked. Despite her cold demeanor, she still displayed emotions that amazed him.


    "You don''t even know these people, yet you''re so worried about them," he remarked, his gaze fixed on her expression, curious to see how it would change again.


    Oblivious to his gaze, she responded absently, "I knew them before... in a very, very distant past." The last part was barely audible, but Apollo''s keen senses picked it up.


    "A very distant past?" he wondered what she meant but decided to put his questions on hold. It wasn''t the right time, he needed to report to Professor Adolfo about the artifact in his possession first.


    "Ali, let''s go back. We have something more important to do," he reminded her. She nodded in agreement, her expression shifting as they prepared to return.


    .


    .


    .


    Over the growing darkness of the orange and purple hued horizon, the security officer, Darius, Rose and Monny slowly arrive as the setting sun disappears in the sky. The children and their protector became the embodiment of tired yet victorious crew as they emerge from the forest. They laughed on, and their loud laughter was music to the nerves that had been tight earlier in the camp.


    "See Lady Alicia I told they won''t be in trouble" the professor told her while a smile plaster on his face. The person who received his words on the other hand only nodded happy they are safe.


    "Look, they''re back!" A student screamed her voice slicing through the murmurs of the gathering crowd. All the anxious students of High class immediately rush to their side wanting to make sure they truly safe. It was a gesture of relief and joy, Apollo turned, his heart felt light although he already knows they were safe, seeing them reuniting with their friends again makes him happy.


    A crowd was immediately formed, friends from other classes came wanting to know what transpired when they disappeared.


    "What happened? Are you all okay?" Samantha yelled and proceeded towards them.


    The security officer nodded, at the same time his shoulders slumped with the fatigue he had accrued. "We had a bit of an encounter, some people we don''t know about, but everyone is safe now."


    Darius moved forward excitedly, His face glowed with passion. "You won''t believe what we faced!" he excitedly started causing all attention to him.


    "Three cloaked creatures came at us, stating they sought a boy for some ''wolf.'' It was terrifying!"


    Monny mentioned further, "And I threw a grenade!" Can you believe it? It actually worked!"

 Chapter 243 What to do first

    "There were cloaked creatures coming at us, stating they sought a boy for some ''wolf.'' It was terrifying!"


    Monny mentioned further, "And I threw a grenade! Can you believe it? It actually worked!"


    Apollo immediately grew interested after hearing the word *wolf.* He turned to look at Alicia and then went back to look at Darius, both sensing the gravity behind Darius''s words. So, Apollo used the authority of the God of Mystics to urge Samantha to ask a question for him. Upon his will, the little girl obeyed.


    "A wolf? Her face betrayed interest, so she continued, ''What do you mean?''"


    "Yeah," Rose added at once, staring. "What the hell were they? Some sort of beastmen or something? They kept referring to delivering someone to a wolf. We were not sure who they were talking about until we had to fend them off."


    Apollo''s heart quickened, and a growing feeling of dread came over him. His memory of that strange woman was vivid though she had attacked him without any provocation, it was the look of hate on her face that filled his mind now. "Could there be any connection?"


    "Jeremiah," Apollo said, wanting to ask for his opinion. "What do you think?"


    [Analyzing information... Correlating data...]


    [I believe it is likely they are referring to you, you are the target, given the woman''s hostility. It aligns with the hatred she had during the previous encounter.] Jeremiah''s voice came out in Apollo, making the boy massage his head. He had too many problems and currently felt frustrated.


    "Why does she hate me?" Sadly, he felt too vague to connect anything about that woman. The only thing he could do was use the given information he had.


    [Creator, based on the appearance of that woman, she must be a wolf magical beast before gaining the ability to morph. According to the data I have, your only encounters with wolves are from your previous hunting before the banquet. You killed an Ivory Wolf Alpha, Creator. Based on the appearance of that woman, it''s possible she is his mate.]


    The realization dawned on him, and for a moment he could not speak. "I did not hear well; she blames me for the death of her mate?" Apollo said, his thoughts going in circles with all the information he had gathered up to now.


    There were many implications of this fight¡ªnot just the appearance of the vengeful wolf, but also the remnants of the Monastery joining the Revolutionary Church continued ringing in his head.


    [Creator, you murdered her mate. Mates are not just partners for the wolf kind they are their other half, a part of themselves. And you tore that part away after you killed the male alpha.]


    Apollo now didn''t know how to argue. Just then, a wave of weariness washed over him as he recalled the chaotic hunt he''d been a part of¡ªthe ivory wolf''s piercing eyes before it fell. The weight of his past decisions began to crush him as he understood the cycle of vengeance that might ensue.


    But before he could slip any deeper into the hum of his mind, the sounds of rustling leaves and twigs delivered a loud message into the clearing as Professor Adolfo and the rest of the professors walked in, their expressions radiant, indicating good news.


    "How is that even possible?" Monny asked; disbelief could be heard in his tone.


    Professor Alejo explained, "The artifact was set for times of great crisis¡ªto preserve life when all seems lost. We were fortunate to retrieve it. So, everyone, we hope to elevate your sadness with this outcome."


    The revived personnel looked dazed but alive, blinking against the evening light. Relief and joy erupted from the crowd as they rushed to greet their friends and mentors, enveloping them in warm embraces.


    "Sir, you are safe!"


    "Students, why are you all grabbing me like this?"


    "Professor, you are breathing!"


    "Kids, I think you shouldn''t hang around my waist like that!"


    The students of all classes gathered and hugged the people they thought they had lost. However, there remained in Apollo''s mind a sense of an approaching disturbance. He stuffed his emotions down and shifted his attention towards Alicia¡ªhis face etched with concern.


    "Ali, we still need to be very careful. If this attack was made by the Revolutionary Church, another attack might transpire since this one was a failure. We might not be safe yet."


    "I think it''s you who is not safe. Perhaps this attack wasn''t meant for everyone but for you specifically. After all, we still haven''t known the true purpose of this chaos."


    "Then we should prepare," he replied, his voice firm. "That wolf, if she is coming for you, then we cannot afford to relax or lower our defenses. However, I doubt they can capture you." Alicia was confident as she said those words.


    Apollo could only nod his head thoughtfully, watching around, trying to discern something in the now fully operational camp. "We must stay vigilant. There''s too much at stake now."


    As they began to strategize, Apollo felt a renewed sense of purpose settle within him. The burden of his past was heavy and even even scarred him, but he would not let it dictate his future. Whatever came next, he would face it head-on alongside his friends. The lessons learned from each battle would only strengthen their resolve.


    "Let''s gather everyone and plan our next steps," Apollo said, determination igniting in his chest. "I won''t let this incident happen again."


    Alicia only nodded before returning to their friends'' side. As the stars began to twinkle above, Apollo felt the air shifting towards a more dangerous path. However, he had a question that urged him to find the answer whatever challenges lay ahead, he would find them. The shadows of the past were also a problem he longed to finish, but the current problems were too many for him to put his focus on.


    In the end, he must choose whether to focus on himself or the new people he holds dear now.

 Chapter 244 Unknown pressure

    As the students gathered back on the Academy''s grounds, relief mixed with confusion settled over them. The trip back had been an emotional whirlwind¡ªsurviving the attacks of unknown monsters, witnessing their teachers and protectors die only to see the fallen be revived by the artifact, and now, the slight anxiety hadn''t left them even when the entrance of the Academy is within their sight.


    Apollo and Alicia, were also included with the rest of the students that returned, their initial plan on going to investigate was halted when their friends told them to rest for a moment. Their class was very talkative along the way which makes you wonder if an incident really happened. However, their joyous chats ended when they noticed something strange.


    "Are those people?" Niko began to ask when their vehicle was close to the academy.


    The students were greeted by an unexpected sight, their parents were waiting anxiously at the entrance. They were taken aback, seeing their families, who had come for them, their expressions a mix of relief and fear. Apollo, though, felt strangely distant, his mind still focused on the aftermath of the battle, the wolf, and the remnant of the Monastery joining the church.


    Among the crowd, Rose was one of the first to run into her mother''s arms, tears of relief streaming down her face. The rest of the students followed suit, embracing their parents, some with joy and others with quiet tears. But amid this reunion, whispers began to circulate.


    "They''re here because of the survival evaluation, aren''t they?" Alya muttered to Apollo, her sharp eyes observing the tension in the air.


    "Yeah," Apollo nodded. "But it''s not just that."


    Soon, the Headmaster of the Academy, an imposing figure with a calm demeanor, addressed the students and their parents. "I know this incident has been troubling, but I must remind you all that such attacks are not uncommon during survival evaluations. This Academy has always prepared for such situations. This is not just an education¡ªit is a test of strength, wits, and endurance.


    This, too, is a necessary experience for future leaders."


    Whispers of shock rippled through the crowd. Parents had expected danger since they had experienced it in their time in the academy but not on this scale. Even though they knew how good the academy was they couldn''t help but worry. However, as the Headmaster continued, the anxious parent slowly felt happy.


    "We have arranged for all students to return home for three days with their families to recuperate from the recent events. Your well-being is our priority, and this leave will allow you all to reflect on the challenges you''ve faced."


    A sense of relief washed over most of the students, especially those who almost lost their minds in the forest and witnessed the brutal attack firsthand. They longed for the safety of their homes, and the idea of a break from the chaos of the Academy brought some comfort.


    However, unlike the others, Apollo and the rest of the Lower-class students weren''t really traumatized since they had witnessed something similar to this incident not long ago, although the difference is that they were the ones who attacked.


    The reunion of the children with their parents continues, but before anyone can react, a shadow suddenly falls on the entrance causing some to look up.


    "Wait isn''t that!"


    "He just said he would help us but he didn''t tell me how"


    "I see, then shall we go to Nero''s kingdom," Apollo said, determination settling in. "If he''s involved, we''ll find out the truth."


    The next day, while the rest of the Academy was preparing for their short leave, Apollo and Alicia set their sights on the country of Nero, the kingdom of Nadezhda. The movements of the high leveled magical beasts only mean the so-called gods of the Revolutionary church are making their moves. After all only the highest-ranking beast can order others to follow its command.


    .


    .


    .


    At the same time at the kingdom of Nadezhda, Nero had his hand across his head as he tried to recover from a very powerful attack.


    "That attack was definitely from an authority!..... Could the surviving descendants of the Gods have reached this level? How? They barely survive!" He exclaimed as he raked his golden hair in great agony. His emerald eyes shook as his face contorted in pain.


    Yesterday before the sun went down as he was planning on visiting the palace library, a strong pull suddenly squashed him on the ground putting his body under pressure. Fortunately, his necklace suddenly activated and swallowed the power that strongly pinned him on the ground.


    "Who could have done that?" he wondered as he felt the pain in his head subsiding. He never anticipated that the effects of the authority would shake his mind to this extent.


    "Why is this suddenly happening?" he kept asking while the necklace on his neck hummed quietly as if it never protected its wearer.


    In a weird course of action, Nero wasn''t the only one who experienced such a phenomenon. Eros who was peacefully training in his villa suddenly smashed onto the ground scaring the servants working there. His teacher who was about to help him but couldn''t do so as the same power that pinned his student began pressing him as well.


    The teacher and student were both on the ground unable to move and unfortunately for them, they had no means of removing that power. They continue to be buried in the soil until the pressure disappears.


    Eros who was already disheartened with how his academy life was going downhill became even more depressed after the humiliation he experienced. However, as he tries to recover from his ego being damaged he receives a call from someone.


    "Huh? Wait why are you suddenly calling?" he asked as soon as he picked up the communication orb.

 Chapter 245 Welcome to Nadezhda

    Apollo and Alicia stood at the Academy''s gate, their cloaks billowing slightly as they prepared to leave for Nero''s kingdom. Their minds were set on finding answers to the recent attack, yet just as they were about to take their first step, they heard familiar voices behind them.


    "Where do you think you''re going without us?" Niko called, followed by Agnes, Mckenzie, and a few other classmates.


    Apollo sighed, turning to face the group, "We''ve already been through this. Alicia and I are going alone."


    Apollo felt like it was a good decision that it was just the two of them, though he knew his friends were capable, but bringing them along would complicate things. They were already entering hostile territory, and the fewer people involved, the better.


    "We know in terms of raw strength we can''t help but there should be at least something we could do. We don''t have to go with you¡ªwe can assist from here, monitor and gather information. You might need backup we can contact them, anything will do, just let us help" Kieth insisted, determined to assist even just packing the supplies they''re going to take.


    Alicia frowned slightly, exchanging a glance with Apollo. The idea of having more eyes on the situation wasn''t bad, the authorities under their command will be essential as well "We know we may slow you two down if we come, and we know how this mission is extremely dangerous, but we already face danger before.


    You two know that better than anyone else, and you also know how we can be useful at times" Alya argued.


    "Come on guys," McKenzie interrupted. "We''re all part of this now. We''ve fought beside you, cried and killed together. Let us help, even if it''s just from the Academy."


    Jillian added, "We''re not asking to travel with you, but we can work as a support system. Researching, keeping an eye on things¡ªjust let us do that."


    Apollo felt a wave of exasperation but also appreciation. He and Alicia had their time of being alone in their battles so they have experienced going solo and even in pairs, they also wouldn''t mind help, and though he was hesitant, he knew they couldn''t completely isolate their friends. After a moment of silence, he gave a resigned nod. "Fine.


    You can help, but like you all said you can''t come with us, you stay here. You monitor and gather intel remotely. We don''t need more people in the field right now."


    The group looked at each other, then back at Apollo. "Deal," Niko agreed. "We''ll handle the monitoring and data review. But you better keep us in the loop."


    With that, the tension lifted slightly, and after a few more hours of delay they were finally good to go, Apollo and Alicia finally set off, leaving their classmates behind. As they crossed into the borders of Nero''s kingdom, they donned new appearances¡ªAlicia changed her hair color to deep auburn, while Apollo shifted his features slightly, masking their identities.


    {Cameras are running smoothly, and the audio is also good!}


    Jillian''s voice echoes in the two''s ears signifying that the connection was firmly established.


    Reluctantly, the two followed the servant through a series of hidden alleyways until they arrived at an unassuming building. Inside, they were led to a grand chamber where the Archduke, a tall man with velvety blond hair and light green eyes, awaited them.


    "Welcome," he said, his voice was deep carrying a weight of authority. "I know why you''re here, and I''ve been waiting for this moment."


    Apollo remained silent, watching the man closely. "You knew about the attack?"


    The Archduke nodded. "More than you realize. You see, while the four cardinal Dukes protect the Empire from external threats like beasts, monsters, and demonic creatures¡ªI stand guard against threats from within. Nobles, political factions, and those who seek to undermine the Imperial House."


    Alicia leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "So are you trying to say that the attack on the Academy was part of a larger scheme?"


    The Archduke''s expression darkened. "Precisely. The Revolutionary Church, the magical beasts, are only pieces of a much larger puzzle. And Nero''s involvement is crucial. But it''s not just the beasts or monsters you should be worried about¡ªit''s the people behind them."


    Apollo''s mind raced, connecting the dots. "So, Nero isn''t just using the beasts... he''s also trying to destabilize the Empire itself?"


    The Archduke nodded gravely. "That''s what we believe. And I''m here to ensure that he does not succeed. But I cannot do it alone, although I have the aid of the four ducal houses they have their own duty to do so I can''t bother them. I need people who can assist me, with of course the emperor''s approval"


    They had come to find answers, but they had uncovered a far deeper conspiracy.


    Alicia exchanged a glance with Apollo, understanding they were already part of this situation. They can''t turn back now.


    "We are already here, might as well help out," Apollo thought so while Jeremiah continued his scanning, although it was slow due to the capital''s powerful artifact.


    "We are here to help," Apollo said firmly. "But first, we need to know everything you do."


    The Archduke smiled, a gleam of approval in his eyes. "Very well. Let''s begin."


    While this transpires their classmates at the academy had their jaw drop surprised at the current turn of the situation.


    "It seems we got dragged into bigger trouble, people" Mckenzie mutters finally putting down the bowl of noodles in his hand.

 Chapter 246 The tourist

    Apollo and Alicia sat across from the Archduke, waiting for him to start speaking. The grand chamber felt smaller as he unrolled a series of documents, each one containing information on suspicious activities within Nero''s kingdom. It was different from the amount of files Apollo got from his father. The boy now could understand the difference between the two dukes in terms of information gathering.


    From the floating documents, the Archduke wasted no time and unfolded a large map of the kingdom on the table before them. He pointed to several key locations marked with symbols, but one, in particular, caught their attention¡ªan orphanage on the outskirts of the capital.


    "The king has been making frequent visits to an orphanage near the edge of the capital," the Archduke began, his voice low. "It may seem charitable, but we''ve discovered that one of the orphans is not who they appear to be."


    Alicia furrowed her brow. "Are implying that someone is hiding there?"


    The Archduke just smiled then he tapped the report.


    "There," he said pertaining to the marked location, "One of the orphans is actually one of the so-called gods of the Revolutionary Church, disguised as a child. The Church has been using the orphanage as a front, and the king''s frequent visits are not just out of goodwill.


    The gifts he brings to the orphanage contain information, coded reports from the Church''s movements¡ªdelivered by their members posing as ordinary citizens."


    Apollo furrowed his brow. "A god of the Revolutionary Church? That means they really survived back at the war, it was only a theory before, so they are the real reason why the church could continue its operations."


    "It''s not confirmed yet if all the recorded gods at that time survive, but we have documented at least five survived and another five newly added," the Archduke replied cautiously. "But Nero certainly played a great part in how they recovered their strength. No one would suspect him of working with the Church when he''s seen supporting orphanages and keeping a low profile in politics.


    But we have been keeping a close eye on him."


    Alicia crossed her arms, as she looked at the marked location. "Why haven''t you made a move, there should have been a way to get the orphanage in your hands since you had such information. If you have requested it the emperor could have given enough manpower to throw this kingdom to ruins"


    "Because the orphanages and this kingdom are not the only places that they could be used for hiding," the Archduke replied. "If we were to storm in, we''d risk exposing our hand too soon. We wanted to gather more intel so we could corner our enemy without giving them any chance to fight back. Also, the god disguised as a child is particularly sensitive to magic and deception.


    If you approach without caution, it will sense you. You need to tread carefully."


    The Archduke just nodded. "Good. But remember, the gods can be unpredictable. The moment they sense they''re being hunted, they''ll disappear, or worse¡ªstrike back."


    The next morning, Apollo and Alicia blended into the bustling streets of the capital, adopting the guise of tourists. Alicia wore her auburn hair loose, and Apollo took the appearance of a red-haired man to look less like a boy. He and Alicia wore matching outfits not usually found in Nadezhda, their aim was to look like a couple tourists that came for their first trip.


    After preparing their story and identity they check on an inn before starting their first destination.


    They moved through the marketplace, pretending to be curious travellers exploring the sights. All famous stores known to any brochures immediately became their target but they made sure their real target wasn''t forgotten.


    {Remember, your priority is gathering information. Don''t get too close to the orphanage, and avoid drawing attention.} Niko''s voice echoed in their ears through a secure communication device.


    {We know but keep us informed in case we end up getting near the place,} Alicia responded, her gaze wandering over the various stalls. They needed to act like typical tourists¡ªcurious, but harmless.


    The streets of Nadezhda''s capital were lively, with vendors selling trinkets, food stalls offering exotic delicacies, and musicians playing on every corner. Apollo and Alicia moved among the crowds, stopping occasionally to browse through local crafts or taste street food.


    Apollo bit into a pastry, glancing at Alicia. "If we''re going to blend in, we might as well enjoy some of the local culture, right?"


    Alicia chuckled, her eyes scanning their surroundings. "You''ve got a point. But stay sharp. We''re being watched." Her voice was calm, but her senses were on high alert. The city felt too calm, considering the level of danger they knew lurked beneath the surface.


    They made their way to a well-known tourist spot, a large fountain in the center of the square, where people gathered to make wishes and throw coins into the water. As they approached, Apollo noticed a group of men loitering nearby, their eyes fixed on the unsuspecting visitors.


    {Be careful. Those guys look like trouble,} Matilda''s voice crackled in their ears.


    {Matilda''s right I can feel their intention isn''t good} Blair second.


    {They are coming!} Braiden suddenly warned, since the group of men moved in, targeting a few tourists who were busy admiring the fountain. In a swift movement, they grabbed bags and valuables, shoving people aside as they made their escape. One of the robbers, however, darted towards Apollo, mistaking him for an easy target.

 Chapter 247 The seer

    One of the robbers, however, darted towards Apollo, mistaking him for an easy target.


    Just as Apollo prepared to react, a swift figure intervened. A tall man, dressed in casual attire, appeared out of nowhere, disarming the robber with a swift movement. The thief fell to the ground, clutching his arm in pain.


    "Not in my city," the man said firmly, his voice low. He turned to Apollo and Alicia, offering them a smile. "You two alright?"


    Alicia nodded, her hand still hovering near the dagger hidden beneath her cloak. "We''re fine. Thanks for the help."


    The man waved it off. "Just doing my part. You two should be careful, though. The city''s not as safe as it looks, especially for tourists. There''s been a lot of... strange activity lately."


    Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Strange? Like what?"


    The man shrugged casually, but there was a knowing gleam in his eye. "Just rumors. People disappearing, and odd happenings in certain districts. If I were you, I''d stick to the safer parts of the city."


    He gave them a friendly nod before disappearing into the crowd, leaving Apollo and Alicia to wonder who he really was.


    {That guy was skilled,} Jillian''s voice chimed in through their earpieces.


    {He took out that thief in one hit. Definitely not just some random citizen.}


    {I agree,} Arabella added. {His movements were too precise for an ordinary person. He might be someone we need to watch.}


    {That was... interesting,} Mckenzie commented. {Think he''s one of the Church''s agents?}


    "I don''t think so," Apollo murmured. "But something about him felt... off. Let''s keep an eye on things."


    As they continued their tour through the city, Apollo and Alicia knew they couldn''t trust anyone. The Revolutionary Church''s gods were lurking in plain sight, and the next step in their investigation would bring them even closer to the heart of the conspiracy.


    They just had to be careful not to get caught.


    Their so-called tour continued after that small incident however this time they visited smithing shops and apothecary stores. The aim is to look for any clue for their mysterious alchemist that tries to use the fragment of the world tree, and the blacksmith who was able to create copies of the sacred sword Excalibur.


    And so the two went to each of the famous blacksmith stores and shops that sell well-known medicines.


    {Apollo, I felt something different about this shop}


    Find that man among the people on the streets and you might find the answers you are looking for"


    The man''s words were the most comforting words for the two since they didn''t want to return empty-handed. They have a lead at last and could finally continue gathering information.


    "How can I meet this person?" Apollo asked again and immediately the answer to his question was answered.


    After a few rounds of question and answer, Alicia and Apollo finally left the shop after making sure no one knew what had transpired there. They felt glad they finally got something to start on, however, as they walked they felt something watching over them.


    Apollo glanced sideways at Alicia as they strolled through a crowded street lined with food stalls. "That man from earlier... I can''t shake the feeling he''s watching us."


    Alicia''s expression was as sharp as ever. "He''s skilled, no doubt about it. Could be a player in this game we didn''t see coming. But what bothers me more is how he was able to escape my senses when he appeared."


    "So he escapes on you as well? I thought it was only on me turns out he slipped on you too"


    "This damn artifact is to blame for this, I can''t do more since I might accidentally destroy it"


    Apollo nodded to Alicia''s words as he spoke as well. "I am also restricted due to the same reasons as you, and destroying that thing will only cause chaos. Something we don''t want to sire. As for that man, we''ll add him to the list of people to watch. For now, we will stick to the plan."


    They decided to visit more shops and ask more people about the mysterious man they needed to find, fortunately, they got more stories. Although some are just farfetched claims it was still helpful to construct the right information for the person they are looking for.


    When they both felt they had gathered enough, the two arrived at a quiet corner of the marketplace, where a small, unassuming shop sold trinkets made of glass and wood. It''s the one that the man from the smithy had told them. And to make things interesting the place was one of their marked locations, one of the suspicious places where a god was supposed to be hidden.


    This hideout disguised as an artisan shop is now their target.


    If they are lucky enough and play their cards right they could finally meet the person who had information on the gods living undercover.


    They stepped inside, the bells above the door jingling softly. A hunched, elderly woman stood behind the counter, carving intricate designs into a small wooden box. Her hands moved with an odd precision for someone her age.


    The two were already prepared and knew the steps to achieve their goal, and so Alicia approached first. "We''re looking for a special kind of art¡ªone that tells stories through hidden details."


    The woman''s hands stilled for a moment before she slowly looked up. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, belied her frail appearance. "Not all stories are meant to be told. Some should remain hidden, for the safety of those involved."


    Apollo stepped closer, lowering his voice. "And some stories need to be revealed before they bring more harm. We''re here to see the Artisan."


    The woman studied them both for a long moment before nodding toward a door at the back of the shop. "The Artisan is waiting. But be careful what you ask for. Some truths cannot be untold."

 Chapter 248 The Seer Part. II

    "The Artisan is waiting. But be careful what you ask for. Some truths cannot be untold."


    Alicia glanced at Apollo before they moved toward the door. A brief look passed between them, as if they came into a silent agreement to remain silent. The door opened and they continued walking into the dark, every step felt heavy, and there were doubts if they could really get something in this trip, but they buried those to continue.


    They stepped into a narrow, dimly lit hallway that seemed to stretch into the shadows, their footsteps barely making a sound. It led to a steep staircase descending into the basement of the old building, the air growing colder with each step.


    At the bottom, they entered a room filled with ancient maps, faded parchments, and magical artifacts, these objects serve as a testament to that man''s knowledge and interests.


    The room smelled of dust as if it hadn''t been clean for a long time, however, in a strange way it was also chaotically neat.


    In the center of the room, sitting at a worn wooden table, was a man whose face was mostly hidden beneath the shadow of a hooded cloak. He appeared middle-aged, but the deep lines etched into his face told a story of countless years of seeing the darker side of life.


    A person''s existence whom they only heard in a stranger''s tongue, the seer, the man they called the Artisan¡ªone of the kingdom''s most skilled informants. Some called him a Seeker, a title reserved for those who specialized in uncovering truths buried beneath layers of lies and deception.


    "So, you''re the ones the Archduke sent," the Artisan said, his voice smooth yet carrying an undeniable edge of suspicion. His fingers idly traced the edge of one of the many maps scattered before him, though his eyes remained hidden beneath the hood. "I''ve seen and heard a lot about you two."


    Apollo and Alicia exchanged a glance. The feeling of being watched, and being seen, was overwhelming. It seemed the stories of the Artisan''s legendary sight were true¡ªhis gaze could pierce through time itself, seeing either the past or the future. Perhaps both. They didn''t have time to dwell on the eerie sensation, though. There was a far more pressing matter at hand, they were being followed.


    That man by the fountain earlier, Apollo thought grimly, his face tightening. They couldn''t afford to stay here long. The Artisan might have the information they needed, but time was slipping away. Every moment they lingered here brought their pursuer closer.


    Alicia, her posture rigid, crossed her arms as if shielding herself from the Artisan''s probing gaze. "We''re here for information," she said, her voice firm. "Many people have mentioned you''ve been tracking the movements of the Church''s gods. You''ve known them, or more accurately, you''ve seen them."


    The Artisan slowly raised his head, just enough for the dim light of the room to catch the sharp angles of his face. His eyes, though barely visible, gleamed with a strange intensity. "I''ve been tracking more than that," he replied, his voice low but steady. "The gods are only a part of the Church''s plan. They''re sowing seeds of chaos throughout Nadezhda and beyond.


    If you think you can stop them by taking out a few gods, you''re sorely mistaken."


    Alicia studied the map, her brow furrowed. "We''ll check it out. But there''s something else I want to ask you."


    The Artisan chuckled softly, as if he''d been expecting this. He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "You want to know about the World Tree fragment and Excalibur, don''t you?"


    Apollo nodded, tension visible in his posture. "Yes. Have you seen where we can find a lead?"


    The Artisan hummed to himself, a low, amused sound that sent a wave of impatience through Alicia. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the Artisan answered. "I''ve seen it," he said, his words measured. "In one of my visions, I saw someone who will know where it is. But I don''t know who this person is, only that it will happen in the near future."


    Apollo and Alicia exchanged a confused glance. His answer, while seemingly helpful, raised more questions than it answered.


    "So... we don''t have any solid leads yet?" Alicia pressed, her frustration evident.


    The Artisan gave them a grim smile. "Not yet," he admitted, his tone devoid of the playfulness it had held moments before. "My advice is to focus on the immediate threat¡ªthe warehouse. Time is running out. You won''t have the luxury of backup, they won''t make it in time. Be cautious.


    I know you two are powerful, but inside this city, your abilities are restricted. Your enemies are more dangerous than anything you''ve faced before. If you''re going to stop them, you''ll need to be smart. Infiltrate, gather intel, and strike when they least expect it."


    Apollo nodded, taking in every word. There was no denying the weight of the situation. "We''ll do whatever it takes. Thank you for your help."


    The Artisan inclined his head slightly, as if he had expected those words. As Apollo and Alicia turned to leave, however, his voice stopped them in their tracks.


    "One last thing, child," he said, his voice suddenly grave. He stood, his movements slow and deliberate, and approached Apollo. Leaning in close, he whispered words that sent a shiver down Apollo''s spine. "Remember the man who asked you this question, Who are you?"


    Apollo froze, his heart pounding in his chest. "What?" he gasped, his mind reeling as those words triggered a flood of memories. A man¡ªno, a shadow¡ªhad asked him that very question in his dreams. The Artisan stepped back, giving Apollo a knowing look.


    "Go now, and do what you must," he said quietly, his voice returning to its usual tone.

 Chapter 249 How to Destroy in secret

    {We should inform the Archduke.}


    Arabella''s voice crackled through their communicator, bringing them back to the present.


    "We will," Apollo replied, still distracted by the Artisan''s final words. "But first, do you guys have any intel on the warehouse he mentioned?"


    The map Apollo and Alicia had in hand showed several suspicious warehouses that were located on the city''s outskirts, so they needed more information to narrow it down. One that could tell them the specific target of their mission.


    {I think I know the one he''s referring to,} McKenzie said. A map flashed on their communicator bracelets. {Start with this area. I''m pretty sure that''s the place.}


    "Thanks," Alicia said, glancing at Apollo, who seemed lost in thought.


    "We need to move fast," Apollo said quietly, shaking off the lingering confusion. "If they''ve already created one vessel, there''s no telling how soon they''ll make their move."


    Alicia nodded, her expression grim. "Let''s hope we can stop them before it''s too late."


    As the sun slowly descended below the horizon, it began to cast long shadows across the bustling city streets, Apollo and Alicia who were being followed decided to make another appearance and change the path they were taking.


    And so the two pretended to return to their inn and create doubles that would act as them. Then they create another identity that will help them blend in.


    {Let will teleport the two of you, it''s much that way since the city is being guarded by an artifact} Aarron suggested which the two did not decline.


    "Do it" they said, with their approval golden shards of light began to dance until the space surrounding them bent and took them right near their supposed destination.


    They arrived at the edge of the district, where old, some even decaying warehouses stood like they hadn''t been used for a long time. The place was eerily quiet, with only the occasional rustling of loose tin roof and wind hasase noise you can hear. The duo then found a spot hidden from view and crouched low, surveying the area.


    {Good luck!} Aaron said after the successful teleport, and after that Mckenzie took over the communicator.


    {You two ready?} he asked.


    "Yeah, which one was the one you referring to again" Apollo asked waiting for his friend to clarify the target. Jeremiah already scanned the area however due to the artifact the data was inaccurate.


    {That one you see among the warehouses the least noticeable, the most plain and ordinary looking}


    The two felt confused since all the warehouses were close to collapse. Then among the clutter of old storehouses, they noticed the least suspicious one, it wasn''t eye-catching and seemed invincible instead. It was not too broken or too fixed.


    "That one?" this time it was Alicia who asked.


    {Yeah that''s the one}


    "Good then we will go now"


    "Another door again" Apollo couldn''t help but groan since the warehouse felt like a labyrinth instead.


    "Let''s just head inside" Alicia argued dragging the shadow Apollo with her.


    Inside, a large room revealed a grim scene, a young boy, no older than Apollo, strapped to an altar, his body wrapped in glowing chains of energy. Around him, robed figures chanted, their voices rising and falling in a steady rhythm. At the center of the altar, ancient runes glow like subtly pulses of heartbeat, feeding power into the bound vessel.


    Alicia''s eyes narrowed. "That must be the vessel," she whispered. "We can''t just barge in and take them out. It''ll raise too many questions."


    Apollo''s mind raced. They needed to sabotage the operation without directly confronting the guards or leaving evidence of their presence.


    "Jeremiah scanned the altar and all the magic being used here, give me something I can use to make this look like an accident," Apollo whispered. "There''s a lot of unstable magic being used here. Can we overload the ritual, will it be capable of destroying everything without anyone suspecting foul play."


    Jeremiah began analyzing and testing if his Creator''s theory could actually work.


    [I have scanned the runes and also the ancient way of their chanting. Creator if we slowly alter one of the runes on the alter we can create the overload you wanted. We could also interfere with the incantation resulting in the flow of mana going everywhere.


    Should we proceed with that?]


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    Apollo then nodded and relayed that information to his partner.


    Alicia just nodded thoughtfully. "That was smart, If we break the right parts of the magic circle, the feedback could cause an explosion. It''ll look like they made a mistake. No one will ever suspect us."


    Apollo grinned while signalling Jeremiah to assist them. "Let''s do it."


    They moved closer to the ritual, staying hidden in their shadow form. Alicia focused her magic on the glowing runes that surrounded the vessel. She carefully probed the spell work according to Apollo''s instructions, identifying the key points where the energy flow could be disrupted.


    Her hands glowed faintly as she began to tamper with the delicate structure of the ritual, making subtle adjustments that wouldn''t be noticed by the robed figures.


    "It''s almost ready," Alicia whispered after a few minutes.


    "Once I destabilize the last rune, it''ll take a few minutes for the energy to overload. We need to be out of here before that happens."


    Apollo glanced around the room and approached one of the robe men. "Continue let me just ask this guy."


    With a nod, Alicia made the final adjustment to the ritual. The energy in the room shifted, a faint hum growing louder as the magic began to destabilize. The robed figures continued chanting, oblivious to the danger they were in.


    Apollo moved quickly, utilizing the power of Mystics and space to isolate his target. After the two authorities have been established, Apollo immediately transforms into a human.


    "Hey," he called out softly, his voice calm and non-threatening.

 Chapter 250 Vessels, North, Artifact

    "Hey," he called out softly, his voice calm and non-threatening.


    On the other hand, the person on the receiving end was immediately surprised at the sudden greeting, instinctively his hand reached for his weapon, but Apollo was faster. Before the man could react, Apollo''s eyes stared deadly at him, it locked onto the man''s gaze.


    "Calm down I am not an enemy, aren''t I one of your allies"


    His voice dropped to a soothing, rhythmic tone, the subtle power of his copied authority seeping into his words.


    "You don''t need to be afraid," Apollo said, stepping closer. "You''re safe. You''ve done your job, and now you can relax. All I need is for you to answer a few simple questions."


    The man''s tension melted away as the power of mystics worked like a hypnotic suggestion that took hold. His eyes glazed over slightly, his posture relaxing as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Yes... safe," he mumbled, his voice distant and eyes vacant.


    Apollo''s voice remained soft and steady, drawing the man deeper under his control. "You worked for the Revolutionary Church, didn''t you? Tell me about the experiments they were conducting here. What were they planning?"


    The man blinked, struggling to form the words as Apollo''s power held him in its grip. "They... they were making vessels... people who could channel the power of gods. They''ve been trying for months, but most of the experiments failed. Only one vessel survived."


    Apollo''s eyes narrowed. "The one we just saw?"


    The man nodded sluggishly. "Yes. He was the first success. But they''re not stopping... there are other labs, other places where they''re trying to make more."


    Apollo leaned in slightly, his voice growing more insistent. "Where are these other labs? How many more vessels are they trying to create?"


    Hearing that question the man hesitated, his mind fighting the fog of hypnosis for a moment. Apollo deepened his control, his eyes glowing brighter as he reinforced the order. "Tell me everything."


    Finally after strengthening the command the man finally gave in.


    "There''s... there''s a lab north of the empire, deep within the shelf," the guard finally said, his voice a monotone. "In the mountains. It''s hidden, heavily guarded. They''re closer to perfecting the process there. They''re planning to create an army of vessels, enough to challenge the empire.


    But they need something¡ªsome artifact to stabilize the magic."


    "I think we should wait for a bit and see if we could spot the people behind this," Apollo murmured, his gaze fixed on the site below. "It might give us an edge."


    Alicia glanced at him. "Wouldn''t it be dangerous if they spot us here, I think it''s more feasible to let the archduke''s men handle this."


    Apollo''s eyes narrowed as he spotted a lone guard staggering away from the wreckage. Unlike the others who had rushed into the warehouse before the explosion, this one had stayed back, watching from a distance. His uniform marked him as one of the higher-ranking mercenaries, likely privy to details that the foot soldiers wouldn''t know.


    "Wait for me here," Apollo said quietly.


    Before Alicia could ask what he meant, he leapt down from the rooftop, landing silently a short distance from the guard. Moving through the shadows he silently approaches his target, Apollo stands beside the man, who is clearly shaken by the sudden destruction of the warehouse.


    The guard''s attention was still fixed on the smoldering remains, making it easy for Apollo to close the distance without being seen.


    "Tell me who hired you to guard this place?" he asked in a very calm manner...


    Strangely the guard was enveloped with a power that left him no choice but to answer.


    "It was a...woman!....the princess of this kingdom! She told us it was a treasure from a dungeon, if we can secure it we will be paid handsomely"


    Apollo was suddenly taken aback hearing that it was this kingdom''s princess who would do such a thing.


    "The princess is she a member of the church...or perhaps an artificial god in disguise?"


    His thoughts were running wild until a notification called his attention.


    Discover stories with empire


    [Creator the guards are heading this way it''s better to leave]


    Apollo then nodded before ordering the man to forget everything about their conversation.


    Then he returned back to the rooftop and left an insect spy to act as his eyes as the two disappeared into the shadows, preparing to return to the archduke to give their report.

 Chapter 251 The Helper behind the scenes

    Flashback to before the warehouse was burned, in the grand halls of the Palace of the Kingdom of Nadezhda, King Nero sat upon his throne, the weight of his problems is evident in his expression. The king''s thoughts were deep, contemplating the plans he had laid out and the tensions he got after knowing his nemesis was back, or to be more precise he was born again.


    To add up to his troubles he also needs to control the strange rumors that had been swirling around his kingdom.


    As he continued thinking of ways to solve his problems one by one, he felt strangely unsettled. A subtle disturbance suddenly pulsed in the air, a ripple through the fabric of space as if a powerful authority had been exercised nearby.


    Nero was sharp, as his instincts immediately sensed it¡ªsomething was wrong.


    His eyes narrowed as he stood up and glanced out the massive windows, where the city capital stretched out beneath him. Indeed it was there he just sensed it.


    He gripped the frame of the window, his knuckles turning white. The sensation was faint but unmistakable, the kind of disturbance he felt can only mean an authority was used. He could detect it as he was one of the reasons why their kind was pushed to the brick of extinction.


    He was well aware of their weakness and strength, to actually appear here means they must have known about his connection towards the hunt that transpired three years ago.


    "I must find whoever uses that authority!"


    The foreign authority¡ªa power that didn''t belong to his land¡ªhad momentarily flared up, only to vanish just as quickly. This made the king agitated for he couldn''t trace the source of the power.


    "Captain!" Nero called to one of his guards stationed by the throne room''s entrance. "Gather the High Priest Council and the High Commander. There are foreign autho-... Something is happening within the city. I want you to call my daughter, let her lead the scouting team, and ensure the entire area will be covered."


    The captain nodded, but before he could act, the air in the room shifted subtly. Time itself seemed to slow for just a heartbeat. Nero''s vision blurred slightly, and his sharp instincts dulled for the briefest moment.


    The third figure, who stood slightly apart and watched the king with bloodthirsty eyes could only nod. "He will remember only what we wish him to. Nero''s mind is too sharp to be left unchecked, but he must remain ignorant of what happened today. His stupid interference isn''t what I wanted to see today."


    Back at the person who garnered the hatred of the true Gods, King Nero went back on his seat, rubbing his temple, the last trace of that strange feeling slipping from his mind. He stared at the captain, who had yet to move. "Never mind... the order I gave, it was nothing. Forget what I said."


    The captain blinked, confused by the sudden change but quickly nodded. "As you wish, Your Majesty."


    As Nero dismissed the captain and leaned back into his throne, his mind turned once more to his previous problems. The fleeting thoughts of disturbance, authority, or strange happenings faded completely from his awareness. It was buried deep by the influence of the Gods standing invisibly around him.


    In the realm of true celestials, the Gods exchanged quiet glances. They were glad that their avatars were able to do what they wanted.


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    "Our work here is done," the violet-haired goddess said softly. "Apollo can move freely for now."


    "But this will not last forever," the golden-eyed God warned. "Nero is perceptive, and one day, he will remember. We must tread carefully."


    "That is the risk we must take," the third God concluded. "For now, Apollo''s mission must remain undiscovered, and Nero must not learn of our involvement in this. When the time comes, if our children were to be put on the edge again, we will be the ones who will deal with that king."


    The three God avatars turned and vanished from the throne room, leaving no trace of their presence, their divine will bending reality to ensure that their chosen one, Apollo, could move against his enemies undetected¡ªfor now.


    King Nero, oblivious to the gods'' intervention, resumed his duties, unaware that he had come close to his own death.

 Chapter 252Back at the tower

    The dark wood doors of the Archduke''s private chambers creaked open, Apollo and Alicia stepped inside, bringing with them the news of their mission. The Archduke, seated behind an old mahogany desk, looked up as he shifted his gaze from the piles of reports to the two visitors who came after burning a warehouse.


    "You''re back," he said, his voice calm but expectant. His light emerald eyes flicked between them as if searching for any sign of success or failure. "When I received your message young Lionheart I immediately dispatched a few of my men to help out, in case the two of you were to need it.


    However as they try to approach the place where the warehouses are, they are obstructed with multiple eyes gazing at the paths headed there. And so they decided not to continue forward since it would definitely arouse suspicion. I really want to apologize for not being able to help in a very difficult mission. If my men were to continue at that time it would have added burden on your part.


    However putting those aside, I trust you two have very important news for me"


    Apollo and Alicia exchanged a glance before stepping forward. Apollo cleared his throat, his mind was thinking about how to compose the events at the warehouse, without involving their usage of authority. As much as possible he wants to limit the archduke from what he knew about their skills.


    "We''ve eliminated the vessel," Apollo began, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. "The lab was destroyed, and we made it look like an accident. The Church won''t suspect our involvement."


    The Archduke''s brow furrowed, and he leaned forward, his fingers interlaced. "Good. But I sense there''s more."


    "There is," Alicia said, stepping in. Her tone was serious, although it was emotionless like usual. "We''ve confirmed that the Revolutionary Church has succeeded in creating at least one vessel, but that''s just the beginning. They''re running experiments in other locations, and their goal is to challenge the empire"


    The Archduke gestured for them to continue, his expression unreadable.


    Apollo took a deep breath before speaking again. "The Church is trying to mass-produce these vessels¡ªliving weapons capable of channelling the power of gods. They''ve set up hidden labs in multiple locations. We''ve identified one in the mountains north of the empire"


    The Archduke''s eyes darkened. "And how far along are they in this plan?"


    "Far enough to be a serious threat," Alicia said. "The experiments we saw were unstable, but they''re getting closer to perfecting the process. The real danger comes from an artifact they''re searching for¡ªsomething that can stabilize the magic used to bind gods to human vessels. If they find it, they''ll be able to create an army."


    As soon as they ended their report an uncomfortable silence filled the room as the Archduke absorbed the information. His fingers drummed against the desk as he processed the situation. The thought of an army of vessels, each capable of wielding the power of a god, was not something to be taken lightly.


    Even though they weren''t real Gods, their power was said to be almost on par with them according to the old records three hundred years ago. They must destroy anything that can keep their power from growing.


    "Sir, what do you mean by that?" the boy feigns ignorance as he tries to slip through the situation, after all, he knows the information that is being revealed is not something anyone can hear. It was supposedly only him and Alicia.


    "Enough young Lionheart, how can you explain to me the fact that you two were able to bypass the people guarding the path to the warehouse? I am certain someone uses the authority of space, and knowing the background of your class, I am certain it is one of your friends that teleport the two of you right to the outskirts of the city"


    The entire students of the Lower class felt a sudden embarrassment from getting caught in their actions. So Alicia the president of the class decided to speak. "I would like to apologize, your Highness, I do know the contents of the information today were confidential yet it was easily revealed to other people"


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    "Ah, lady Alicia please do not apologize it did not upset me, instead it delights me knowing the power of the true and supreme Gods are helping in this mission. I was also relieved knowing the two of you weren''t alone in this mission, so it''s okay" the archduke reassures them putting their mind at ease.


    "For now returned to the Academy...Oh! Wait was it the tower instead? I finally remember the entire first-year students were given a three-day vacation"


    "Yes, we were given that" Apollo answers to confirm the archduke''s information.


    "Then I suppose your task ends today, don''t worry about your doubles I will take care of them, you can hurry and ask your friend to send you back to the tower"


    Apollo and Alicia just nodded so immediately Aaron, who was suddenly nervous after gaining the archduke''s attention, hurriedly got the two towards the tower''s airship.


    "That was intense," Mckenzie said as he sat down on the floor, tired of the suspense event that happened.


    Right after teleporting Alicia and Apollo the tower mages already began travelling to return to their headquarters. So while the two toured around the city their classmates were already inside the airship with the mages.


    Back at the dumbfounded kids, their faces hadn''t recovered from the shock of being discovered.


    "Um....let''s eat? I''m hungry" Apollo suggested wanting to change the mood of his friends.


    "Yeah, why not we actually brought some snacks from our trip at the marketplace let''s eat that" Alicia seconded trying to ease their mind with food.

 Chapter 253 Same old question

    Right before dawn, the entire class arrived at the tower, Apollo and the rest were still tired from all the ruckus they had made, so the mages didn''t pry on any further and told them to just rest.


    "Now what?" Apollo couldn''t help but mutter as he lay on his bed, they were already there, and he was certain he and Alicia could do more, but for some reason, the archduke was adamant about sending them back.


    "Was there another reason I am not aware of?" He continues to question but gradually stops since he couldn''t come up with answers.


    "I don''t know him too well to be able to predict his judgment, for now, I should be able to check the data we gather from the latest mission, Jeremiah. How was it?"


    Immediately right after his question a voice immediately spoke.


    [Creator although it was slow I was able to scan the entire city and found traces of strange energy signatures from a couple of people inside the city]


    "I already expected that, but which of the sensors works well? Was it the heat, the age, the mana, or the soul sensors?"


    Apollo gave a question right after the other, making Jeremiah''s answer a bit longer to be given.


    [Creator Just like you said, I used all the given sensors and scans to search the city, at first, there wasn''t anything strange until the souls of the people were the ones being analyzed next. A soul isn''t something that can be changed easily even tampering with it can cause death to the subject]


    Then a panel emerges with the map of the capital on it.


    [I labeled the souls based on their age and purity, we have records of tainted mana before, so I thought even souls could be affectedas well, If I see one then it means they have a connection either to the church or to the Monastery.


    I use colors to represent the age while the intensity of the color represents its purity, if you see any light that is almost faded out it means the soul is more or less close to corruption]


    Apollo nodded, understanding his explanation, as he analyzed the map and saw multiple colors of intense yellow, they indicated the people living there were at least 0-70 years old. Since the war happened three hundred years ago, the artificial gods should be at least 300 to 500 hundred years old, given that they are powerful magical beasts.


    "What''s this" the boy felt shocked as he saw at least hundreds of people colored in an intense violet and red. Violet represents 200 to 300 years while red is 301 to 500 years.


    "The hell," he couldn''t help but mutter, he wasn''t expecting that even the kids he saw begging for bread were living fossils existing even 500 years ago.


    "Jeremiah can you scan the entire continent, and see if you can get these kinds of results"


    [I could but the data might take a while since some cities gain artifacts to protect their territory]


    A sigh escapes from the boy, thinking about the amount of artifacts he saw at the dungeon he raided before.


    "If I had known artifacts could be used like this I would have taken everything back then"


    "Yeah, pretty much"


    Next, he reviewed the previous information he got from the time he went on and used the authority of time on one of the listed gathering places.


    "I was able to confirm ten people there, though some of them had already been marked by the archduke," he recalled while flipping through the documents he got from scanning the files inside the archduke''s place.


    "Hmmm....I already visited them before, but there wasn''t any useful information." With Apollo''s multiple bodies, while he was on the island, the ones that stayed alive went on and tracked the remaining people using their mana signature. However, like the previous, there wasn''t anything useful, and some of them were already dead before he could even find them.


    "I currently have one last option now," he said as he remembered the person he had made a contract not so long ago.


    "But I really doubt there is anything useful yet, it hasn''t been that long either since I planted her inside, so should I wait more before making contact?" he ponders while Jeremiah busied himself in scanning the entire continent for any signs of dungeons and people who have a 300 to 500 years soul age.


    [Creator I think I detected a message from Avis it seems there is a problem on their side]


    Jeremiah suddenly reported which made Apollo''s thoughts stop.


    "Alright please do show it to me"


    [Affirmative]


    [Already inside, many people died, failed mission, recruit more]


    "What?"


    [It''s a bit cryptic but I will analyze it for you Creator]


    [Already inside - means she got in and already accepted as a new member of the Church.


    Many people died- which means that plenty of the church''s members died in its recent encounter with you.


    Failed mission - I believe this is the island incident or perhaps the recruitment failed with you killing fifty church leaders.


    Recruit more- since you killed so many of them and even the high-ranking ones though you died at the same time, they need to recruit more to fill the numbers]


    "When you put it this way it finally makes sense I wonder how long I should wait to get any useful information on her"


    But then something suddenly took his attention away from reviewing his current info about the church.

 Chapter 254The snowy deal

    Deep within the cold mountains of the north two lone figures bravely walk through the cold blizzard.


    Their mission is to find one of the most legendary flowers that can only be found there, the azure lotus.


    "Sir Lothar, are we supposed to go this way even when the snowstorm is like this?"


    "No worries, this kind of storm will end in a matter of a few hours, just bear with the current cold," Lothar said as he challenged the strong cold that felt like sharp daggers as it penetrated their bodies.


    Apollo, in search of the flower that can neutralize mana, went on this chilling journey with Keith''s father. Their current location is the outer layer of the ice shelf.


    The freezing air struck like whips and Apollo suddenly missed the sunny days he always hated the most. Never in his life did he miss the sunny morning he often curses.


    "I would have wanted to stay on the island rather in this place" he added as he took a step into the 5 feet tall pile of snow.


    [Creator, I am already shielding you from the storm, yet you are still cold?]


    "Well who would have thought that I am weak in cold places"


    [You hated the sun because of its heat and now you are weak in cold places, it seems your body is not that good Creator]


    "If it was then you won''t exist from the very beginning"


    [You are too harsh Creator]


    "If I was then I am sorry]


    [Then Creator I will report to you that in five minutes if you continue walking the path you are currently taking, you will soon meet people you might take interest in]


    Jeremiah suddenly sounded mysterious causing Apollo to feel curious.


    "Since I am currently tired from thinking of which thing I should do first, you suddenly got me excited"


    "We are researchers under the Mage Association, we were tasked to conduct research about the current situation in this area. Are you perhaps residents here? We were looking for people who could help us navigate this place perhaps you can help us"


    Apollo and Lothar looked at each other before shaking their heads.


    "We are not from here...." Lothar then points toward a specific location referring to the mainland


    "That''s where we came from, my little brother and I are just here to search for any precious resources that we could sell at the market"


    "I see we did hear about people like you in the city, if it isn''t too much, may we please ask you to accompany us? We need people who know the place for our research"


    "So you want a guide?" This time it was Apollo who spoke, hurriedly the leader immediately answers him.


    "Yes, since we want to know from you two the current events here, I am also certain you know the shelf like the back of your hand"


    The man continued to say while Apollo remained silent wanting to know whether their words were true or not


    "Jeremiah, what is happening? Who are these people?" The boy began to wonder. He has a rough idea of their identity, but still, he wishes to hear the answer from him directly.


    "I can see what you are thinking but there are still some things I need to do to verify that theory"


    [Then please Creator use every means you need to figure out their identity]


    Apollo couldn''t help but shake his head as he agreed to the group''s offer.


    "As long as you pay us, we are willing to help in your research," he said while Lothar began striking a deal for their service.


    "Alright, we will pay, but all our questions must be answered," the leader demanded, Apollo and Lothar didn''t really mind it, so they agreed, and a contract was forged. They were hired for a week, and its coverage would be for them to take the team deep within the shelf. A place filled with strong, territorial, magical beasts.


    The blizzard continued to fall, and the raging cold wind struck them harshly.


    "This storm doesn''t seem to be ending soon, let''s go. We have a nice, cozy place that is safe from the cold," Lothar offered, and without hesitation, the so-called researchers followed them.


    "They are confident with their strength," Apollo commented as he walked right beside the group.

 Chapter 255 Veiled Allies in the Blizzard

    The blizzard was relentless, but Apollo and Lothar continued walking alongside the group of strangers, who trudged slowly through the snow. The leader, a tall man with a hair as white as the snow they walking on, introduced himself as Victor. He explained that their task is to conduct research in the area for the Mage Association. They need to gather data about the environmental shifts due to recent magical disturbances since it might cause a breakout if demons were to appear. But Apollo sensed there was more to their mission, and he kept his guard while his curiosity controlled, allowing his newly created persona to take the lead. Despite all his desire to ask, he decided to stay silent and remain observant.


    After many turns and walks across the seemingly endless white land, they finally arrive inside Lothar''s and Apollo''s makeshift hut, as soon as they enter, they finally feel protected from the freezing snow outside. The place was filled with simple tools used for snow hiking and digging. Most of the materials were built with brick to prevent the cold from entering. While a single fireplace creates a fire that eventually fills the room with heat.


    The two welcomed their guest, urging them to enter, and although it looked cramped outside, the guests were surprised to find it big enough for all twenty of them. Lothar beckoned them to sit while Apollo went on to light the fireplace. They didn''t speak the entire time and only pointed or signaled the group to sit or wait for them.


    "Once the storm ends, we will help you with your research," Lothar finally spoke while giving each member of the so-called research group a bowl of warm soup.


    "Please help yourself," Apollo said as he helped Lothar distribute the food.


    "If it isn''t too much can we ask you what this green stuff is?"


    One of the research members asked Apollo to explain what kind of herb was used in their food.


    "That my friend is called cold eaters, they exist deep within rare vegetation areas and water sources here in the snow mountains. As the name said these plants eat the cold air to convert them as energy. They mainly rely on water to sustain themselves, while their green color is due to the chemical inside them that helps them capture the little sunlight in this area. Although they could sustain themselves with the cold wind the warmth of the sun is still beneficial to them, they are also useful to fill your stomach"


    "So these plants are edible"


    "Not just edible but they could also reduce the temperature and regulate the coldness so more animals can survive this harsh place"


    They continued to chat and get to know each other until the raging storm outside finally subsided.


    Apollo then surveyed the area when he found it safe, their mission finally started.


    "Jeremiah, do you think this is not the only group that enters here?"


    [I already searched when we first came here and also when our guests arrived I did another search, I did find more people but their numbers aren''t the same as Victor''s, most from what I sense are one to two people moving around this region]


    "Any signs of some hidden enemies?"


    [Currently none]


    Then Apollo returned his attention to Victor and his men.


    "They appear genuine but are concealing something." Then he decided to pry on their communication tools. "I''m picking up coded communication signals among them, possibly a hidden line they use for covert reporting, now this is interesting"


    Apollo mused, a hint of a smile forming. "Let''s see, I wonder if my theory is right." He then waved his hand, and one of the system''s gears equipped his eyes to analyze the coded messages.


    "Hmmm... It''s more complex than I thought, oh well it seems I need to wait a bit"


    They continued through the snow, Victor and his group explaining that they''d come across recent tracks leading further north. They suggested that Apollo and Lothar could join them, given the dangers the group claimed lurked ahead. The thought of them running into real trouble was something Apollo welcomed¡ªespecially if it revealed their true purpose.


    An hour later, Apollo caught sight of a small, half-buried shelter tucked against an icy cliff. It was camouflaged well, but a trained eye could pick out the subtle signs of a temporary hideout. The snow around it had been disturbed recently, and an unusual scent hung in the air¡ªa faint trace of blood. Something happened here; his suspicions solidified; they weren''t here for research¡ªthey were hunting something or someone.


    "Now it''s getting even more interesting" He whispered until a report from the system came from analyzing the coded messages. As he saw it, a meaningful smile emerged on his face.


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    A little while later, when the group paused for a break, Apollo noticed Victor stepping away to speak with a few others in hushed tones. With a subtle gesture, he signaled to Lothar, and they both edged closer, keeping just within earshot of the conversation. The boy thought it was his chance to get the final piece of the puzzle to get his theory confirmed.


    "Have you detected any Church signals?" Victor asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want this area thoroughly checked. The Archduke suspects one of their labs might be operating nearby, hidden in the ice shelf."


    Apollo''s eyes narrowed. So that''s it, he thought, he was right! They''re Archduke''s people, sent to investigate the Church''s labs.


    "I knew it I was right"


    [You were actually doubting yourself a while ago]


    "I was simply making sure that I don''t jump to conclusions though their coded messages are interesting just checked it later"


    [I will Creator], then Jeremiah returns his attention towards scanning the region.


    "I should rely on what I discover to Lothar"


    However before he could share his thoughts with Lothar, one of the researchers turned suddenly, catching Apollo''s eyes with an unreadable expression. Realizing he''d been overheard, Victor approached them both, his gaze cautious but no longer pretending.

 Chapter 256 Beneath the sand

    Victor''s eyes changed while his body began slowly approaching Apollo; the latter, on the other hand, was calm and didn''t seem to be bothered.


    "Mr. Victor your expression tells me that you aren''t simple researchers"


    "Something also tells me you''re not just simple pickers either," he said quietly. "We might be here for the same reason."


    Apollo exchanged a glance with Lothar, then turned back to Victor. "We might be," he admitted. "However our aim is different from yours, we are simply here to find something very precious, a legend that seems to be buried in the snow"


    Victor''s tension visibly lessened, though he kept a wary look on his face. "Ah, so it was really like that and here I thought we needed to meet some enemies, turns out you two are genuine pickers"


    "Genuine? Why, Victor, were there any people posing as resource pickers here in the mountain?" Lothar asks despite having an idea what it is.


    "Well, as you know, pickers are known mountainers that travel through the shelf and beyond it to find any resources that could be sold in the market. Before we came here, we received a warning of fake pickers lurking on the inside and outside layer of the shelf; we worry that we might be endangered since they are known for robbing people like us," Victor explains while Apollo wonders if that was the reason why dozens of people were sent here.


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    "They are planning to capture the fake pickers since they might be from the church, but aren''t they afraid of failing since they send way too many people"


    While Apollo is deep in thought, he suddenly receives a report from Jeremiah that immediately changes his expression.


    .


    .


    .


    While the north was filled with coldness the other Apollos shattered across the continent and are experiencing things differently. One is currently in a vast desert, and his aim is to find any traces of an artifact that he once saw from Jeremiah''s data.


    The previous mission of finding and entering the church''s headquarters suddenly came to a halt. Instead, the other Apollos currently search the entire empire, hoping to get a hold of any dungeons and artifacts inside. From the most foreign dangerous lands to the most hidden underground organization. He began to lurk gathering any information he could gain about his target.


    [I hope our enemies won''t catch wind of what''s going on] Jeremiah was worried since their sudden inclination toward artifacts might cause some eyes to gaze at them. Their identity was merely artificially created for a short-term disguise; anyone could figure it out as long as they tried to dig deeper into his history. So he needs to be very careful not to stir too much attention. He needs to wrap up everything without causing too much suspicion like what they did at the warehouse.


    .


    .


    While Apollo continues his objective of staying inside the subjugation army, another one currently suffers from a sandstorm.


    "Damnt it, I got sand in my mouth," the boy said in a very annoyed tone while clusters of sand accompanied by a stormy wind hit him.


    [Then should I remove them, Creator?]


    "We might attract unwanted attention if we do that," he declined as he covered his mouth with a cloth.


    [Attention? However, Creator, we are the only ones here. I don''t sense any life force in this wasteland, only us]


    Even with the great strength of the storm, he continued walking. It didn''t really hurt, but it did cause his patience.


    Apollo was here since this sandy region was one of the lists Jeremiah had given to him the night he created him. It''s one of the areas with massive magical energy, and since that is one of the conditions for a dungeon to manifest, he decided to check them out.


    "This seems more like an abandoned tomb to me rather than a dungeon," the boy mutters as he arrives at one of his supposed destinations.


    Right below him, while a violent gust of sandy wind hits him, an underground treasures quietly rest underneath the sand.


    [Creator I detected a very potent amount of mana underneath, it must be coming from the core of the Temple of Elias]


    The Temple of Elias is a well-known place in the empire as the sanctuary of magic a thousand years ago before it was struck with a tragedy. The master of the temple, Elias, died defending the temple against a demonic corruption.


    The desert was filled with powerful magical beasts, and due to their great mana, failing to ascend to another rank caused the golden sand to be dyed with black and red. The mages at the temple put their all to stop the corruption from spreading. However, the great darkness continued to spread, killing every hope that was present; that is when a powerful spell was cast to cleanse the area, but that magic was so great it cost many lives. With such magic, the corrosion still continues until Elias uses the remaining spark of his life to seal the corroded mana inside the broken walls of the temple. The bustling city of magic disappeared in just one day leaving not even its shadow.


    Now the temple is just a myth, a story from the past that some people treated like a legend. However, for Apollo, this place is no myth or just a story. It is one of the places inside the tower'' RED list, a catalog that contains names of places that are labeled dangerous due to the secrets they hold. The empire usually put strict supervision to them though for Apollo he can definitely bypass it.


    "Well even if this place didn''t turn into a dungeon the magical equipment there could still be powerful artifacts"

 Chapter 257 Corruption

    Now the temple is just a myth, a story from the past that some people treated like a legend. However, for Apollo, this place is no myth or just a story. It is one of the places inside the tower'' RED list, a catalog that contains names of places that are labeled dangerous due to the secrets they hold. The empire usually put strict supervision to them though Apollo can definitely bypass it.


    "Well even if this place didn''t turn into a dungeon the magical equipment there could still be powerful artifacts"


    There are some instances when notable places turn into dungeons, sometimes even becoming natural labyrinths. Even with the corroded mana inside, it is still a type of energy that nature could change or just follow the flow.


    [Creator, aren''t you worried that the mana inside had corroded everything?]


    "Not really, since the mages who died there left a very powerful cleansing spell that last for even another thousand years,I am certain that the mana there is safe; our only problem is the demonic beast that is the source of the corrosion. The tower wasn''t sure what happened to that thing so they couldn''t enter the temple for fear of releasing the source of corrosion"


    [However Creator is different since he can use the authority of space to teleport inside]


    "Yeah that is the goal, now them shall we start?"


    [We should let me first make a proper draft of the temple since the layout we have was taken thousands of years ago]


    "Sure go ahead I''ll just stand here until you are done" Read exclusive chapters at empire


    The harsh beat of the sandstorm continued to rage,though Apollo wasn''t the least bothered; Instead,his body was glowing due to the barrier protecting him from the sand.


    ---------


    Back to the Apollo in the north, whose expression wasn''t particularly good due to the notification he just received.


    "This doesn''t look good," he mutters while his gaze is pinned on the crimson red screen in front of him, with the words [WARNING! DEMONIC CORRUPTION HAS BEEN DETECTED]


    Apollo''s eyes immediately show panic, which Victor notices.


    "Is there something wrong Sun?"


    The demofied Apollo bask himself into the dreadful energy; he felt powerful, and that sensation was very addicting to feel; however, before he got carried away by that feeling, he soon proceeded to what he was about to do.


    "Ha..." He started to breathe deeply as he began to suck the air along the mana that dwells in it. A strong suction pulls the surrounding mana while the other Apollo rushes to stop the corruption from spreading more.


    [Only one body absorbing the mana won''t be enough. You won''t be able to expel everything]


    "I got it, that thing can be mended easily"


    From the space above, fissures appeared, transforming into multiple human figures. Those figures were the Apollos that were disguised across the continent; Jeremiah was right. A single Apollo with not even half of the real strength won''t be able to remove the corrupted mana.


    "Let''s make this even more convenient"


    Apollo said as he manipulated the space to compress the corrupted mana in one place. He then absorbs them immediately, turning the tainted energy into his own.


    The problem with mana was steadily being dealt with; the only thing that had to be taken care of was the demons, which were the source of the corruption.


    [Warning Creator this demonic beast is way too different than the ones you have encountered before] Jeremiah warned as he approach a certain beast from afar.


    "Alright I will keep that in mind"


    Apollo, whose body was completely demonized, immediately activated his barrier to keep himself safe.


    However, as he went closer towards his opponent, he noticed how his defense slowly melted away.


    "That doesn''t look good," he thought so as he remembered a certain thing when he was still learning spells from the tower.


    "In every demon subjugation, you will never see a mage at the front line." At first, Apollo thought mages were just being underestimated, but now he finally understood why.


    And before he even knew it, he died and felt the pain a hundred times. It happened way too fast that he only noticed he was dead when the pain kicked in and was felt by all Apollos.


    --------

 Chapter 258 Fighting the Demon

    In the middle of a seemingly endless golden field, shards of light could be seen dancing on the raging storm of sand. A silhouette of a man stood still, unmoved by the continuous barrage of wind. He remained still as if waiting for something; surprisingly, the ground began to move; at first, it was just a faint rhythm, like a hum, until it became strong, like roaring thunder, like a giant boulder rolling from high ground. The sand then moves according to the force beneath it, shaking as the sandstorm waves violently.


    While a chaotic field of energy kept on smashing everywhere, the figure finally moved, he raised his hand, and the golden sparks of lights danced as it followed him, but then the shaking suddenly stopped, and in the next second, the man was gone. The rumbling noise disappeared while the violent storm was back to normal again. The shards of lights cannot be found either as if it never appeared a while ago.


    The space is bent according to the command, and the sandy storm they were in a while ago disappeared as it was replaced with something else. The sound of the raging sandstorm was turning into a silent rustle of leaves as if they were transported inside a greenhouse. The scorching heat of the sun was no longer there, and above them, a powerful magic circle was blocking the massive sand from completely burying the temple down.


    [Creator this is a very unexpected outcome] Jeremiah said while his Creator Apollo was very curious about the current situation. The famous temple of Elias predicted to be plunged of corroded mana, was unexpectedly peaceful and looked like a normal, abandoned place.


    "So the mages back then really did it, they cast a spell that lasted for over a thousand years. The spell they use to hold off the corrupting mana was able to cleanse this place even when many years had passed." Apollo''s curiosity was soon replaced with amazement as he realized how brilliant the mages belonging to the temple of Elias were.


    "I wonder if the tower can be capable of this feat" he added while walking around the ragged pavement of the floor. The temple of Elias was hailed to be the strongest magical organization a thousand years ago, and now a mage that represents the new generation has arrived.


    Every nook and cranny was very unfamiliar yet strangely familiar at the same time; this feeling made him even more curious since he had never felt that way before. A deja vu, some might word it that way as if he is reminiscing a memory he had long forgotten; he enjoyed that feeling as he surveyed the area. Besides the variety of plants that grew in the area, Apollo noticed the weathered stone walls adorned with faded carvings of magical equations and ancient rituals. The same for its floors, cracks, and wreck pillars had been overtaken by creeping vines and moss. This phenomenon made Apollo amazed since even with the temple''s situation, it could still sustain life. He continued walking around until he began to recognize the towering structure; though it had mostly collapsed, it still hinted at its former magnificence, with leaning columns and broken spires rising above piles of rubble. Nature has claimed the entire place, with giant tree roots snaking through the walls, vines cascading from above, and grass sprouting in every crack.


    [Creator, I detected an area where the temple''s structure is still intact. Do you want to head there?]


    "Sure, show me its location." Immediately as he spoke those words a map emerged from the corner of his eyes, prompting him to follow it. With a map as his guide, Apollo hurriedly walked across the dense, overgrown trees until his eyes saw a structure that was similar to his home.


    "A tower?" It still looked broken but compared to the others it is still better with more of its parts together


    [Yes Creator I detected no anomalies inside however I recommend being more cautious since this place is still unknown to us] Read new chapters at empire


    [Creator, those carvings are symbols used to make ancient mana circuits. They were likely used to regulate and amplify magical energy within the temple. However, parts of the inscriptions are missing. Without the complete patterns, I cannot determine their exact function.]


    Apollo nodded and thoughtlessly reached out, his fingers grazing the cool stone. The carvings lit up faintly under his touch, sending a pulse of energy through his arm. He recoiled instinctively, but the light dissipated just as quickly as it had appeared.


    "Strange..." he muttered, his brows furrowed. "It''s almost like they''re... alive."


    [Creator, the energy I detected earlier is heading towards your location. It''s faint but consistent]


    Apollo''s hand then moves as he is equipped with chanting bracelets. "Hmmn? It changes? It wasn''t a threat a while ago"


    [Indeed, at the time. However, its behavior suggests it may be reacting to your presence.]


    As if on cue, the faint hum of energy began to fill the air. Apollo turned towards the source, his gaze narrowing as a soft glow emerged from outside the tower.


    "I should take the fight outside, I can''t add more damage to this already half-broken place." he then jumps from a broken window, landing perfectly on the ground.


    With measured steps, he followed the energy, his curiosity outweighing his caution. The energy led him to an even larger broken area; though it was covered with vines, Apollo could tell that a battle transpired there. There were remnants of blast sites and collapsed structures, and a huge depression on the ground also attracted his attention.


    "Even with all the plants here, I could still imagine the battle, seeing how deep this crater is," Apollo commented until his attention was taken by a low and deep sound of growling. The direction of the wind suddenly shifted, and to Apollo''s amazement, this creature coming for him looked interesting, finally a demon beast that could invoke excitement in him.


    Feeling the impending danger, an immediate recognition or instinctual response came to the boy; his senses heightened¡ªheartbeat quickening, breath shallowing as the adrenaline started to pump. Every muscle tenses slightly as if subconsciously preparing for a fight.


    "It''s coming?" he said to himself as he heard the faint sound of rustling.

 Chapter 259 Temple of Elias

    There were remnants of blast sites and collapsed structures, and a huge depression on the ground also attracted his attention.


    "Even with all the plants here, I could still imagine the battle, seeing how deep this crater is," Apollo commented until his attention was taken by a low and deep sound of growling. The direction of the wind suddenly shifted, and to Apollo''s amazement, this creature coming for him looked interesting, finally a demon beast that could invoke excitement in him.


    Feeling the impending danger, an immediate recognition or instinctual response came to the boy; his senses heightened¡ªheartbeat quickening, breath shallowing as the adrenaline started to pump. Every muscle tenses slightly as if subconsciously preparing for a fight.


    The growling continues along the approaching rustle of leaves indicating the enemy is coming. Apollo patiently waited, and as the presence drew near, a lump of energy radiated near the boy. It was a dense pack of corroded mana that contagiously absorbed every life surrounding it. The path the demon took was marked with black and gray patches of plants as if every life died as it walked through it.


    The dark entity walked close, and every step it took created a pressure that pressed down onto the boy; the atmosphere shifted; it felt heavier, oppressive, to be exact, as if the air had thickened. The pressure continued to blast on Apollo; however, try as he might, he could not get a proper visual of the demon; it was due to the mana obstructing not only his but also Jeremiah''s senses.


    A smile broke from his lips, and his heartbeat ran fast while his senses went haywire. Your next chapter awaits on empire


    "Jeremiah boost my stats"


    [Affirmative]


    Warm energy ran across the boy''s veins as he felt his body go lighter while his senses heightened. Two glowing bracelets are hoisted on his wrist, indicating that the spell is ready to be fired.


    "Let''s prepare a couple of delayed spells first, then some scrolls that can easily explode." He began to plan for his attack until he felt a sudden chill that made his body move; something inside him screamed as if giving him a warning about danger. Jeremiah''s notification then rang along his instincts, giving more emphasis to the current danger. Apollo commanded the space and he was immediately teleported away. As soon as he lands, barriers automatically appear as they block a massive explosion that pulls the ground upside down.


    "Damn it, I can''t let this place be destroyed any further, Jeremiah I want the authority of space to protect the ruins"


    [Affirmative]


    the boy then made a sudden move and activated the spells he planted using scrolls.


    [It''s in front of you], warned by Jeremiah. In response, Apollo already had his body covered in aura while his hand had already cast a spell.


    "Wind element, Tempester, focus"


    After Apollo released those arrows he immediately teleported away and loaded another set of three arrows. This time, he didn''t shoot directly at the demonic beast; instead, he shot them on the ground, forming a triangular formation.


    "Jeremiah any news about its stats?"


    [Currently, all I can see is a thick fog, like veil hiding the beast''s appearance and stats]


    The boy, already predicting the answer, only nodded his head, then a strong gust of wind hit the surface of his barrier, it was an impact made by his arrows already hitting their target.


    The shockwave was so strong yet again that even the magical barrier that protected the temple like a dome trembled. After that, Apollo didn''t remain in his current position; instead, he teleported again. As soon as he landed at his new position, the place where he previously stood was replaced by a huge hole.


    "Jeremiah, you got the buildings protected, right?"


    [Yes, Creator, do you want me to put everything under my barrier?]


    "Yes please I am worried that I might break everything here"


    [Affirmative]


    Then, after that exchange, Apollo suddenly made a move, shifting his feet to the side as if dodging a strike.


    [!!!!] Jeremiah was suddenly surprised for he did not even detect that sudden attack.


    "Jeremiah analyzes the cleansing spell that surrounds this place; I want to use that spell as well," he said while his eyes stared down at the dark figure that ferociously tried to tear Apollo into two. If he was a second late in dodging his body would immediately turn into pieces.


    There were a couple of things that made this demon complicated; first, the mana that surrounded it like a blanket created a very unstable field that made it hard for Jeremiah and Apollo to prompt the demon''s power. Second, it has a very unpredictable pattern that all Apollo could do is take all possible moves into account so that he could be prepared for it. The third one is the type of attack it does; neither of the two understands the composition of the attack, although they understand that it is very lethal.


    "Hoo...." Apollo regulated his breathing while putting distance between him and the beast. Then suddenly, the air surrounding them felt heavy until it started to vibrate like something sinister was being unleashed. The gears inside the boy''s head stir while his instinct tells him that danger is coming. To respond to this warning, the boy summoned his ki and mana, combining them as one.


    "Alright, let''s put a bit of seriousness in this fight," he simply said while the bow in his hand melted and merged into the fabric of his clothes. The mithril weapon turns into armor, providing protection against the enemy.

 Chapter 260 The bane of magic

    Mana and ki began to blend like a whirlpool while the mithril spear turned into armor that magically merged with his clothes. Blue, glowing markings began to appear on Apollo''s skin and clothes, and the two chanting bracelets that adorned his wrist were replaced with blueish energy that morphed into gauntlets.


    Under the golden field of seemingly endless sand, a ruined temple held two strong beings that stood with two colliding energies against each other.


    The air yet again changes, and two shadows disappear, followed by a continuous barrage of explosions. The surrounding barriers shook in rhythm as if following the fierce tune of the battle. Apollo continues battling the demon, switching from close combat to mid-range spear weaponry. However, as he continued with an intense exchange of blows, Apollo began to see the flaw of his attack. Despite being good at martial arts and weapons, he was still lacking in terms of strong techniques that were powerful enough to be called a finishing blow. In the end, Apollo''s skill-related techniques in martial arts and weapons can only get him to a specific level. He needs to upgrade his arsenal and simply upgrading the skill may not be enough to fill the part of what he is lacking.


    "Guess this is what they call a wall," he thought so while dodging a whip-like compressed attack; it was fast and one of the first attacks that almost shattered Apollo''s barrier ever since his latest upgrade. He changes the rhythm of his fighting style and switches to boxing.


    "Since I can''t acquire any strong martial arts or weapon techniques right now, I will just use whatever I have," he thought so as he used the footwork in boxing to dodge the continuous rain of attacks; then he seized the split-second pause in between the attacks to fought back.


    Apollo immediately formed his stance and released his own attack. The dense amount of ki and mana was packed inside Apollo''s sword, and as soon as it came out, the pent-up pressure in it created the force that made the bladed energy savage the area once it was released.


    The wind waves violently to the extent it could cut through Apollo''s barrier; it seems the reaction from the boy''s attack and the defense put up by the demon created a chaotic form of impact.


    [I didn''t see how your attack got blocked]


    "I didn''t see it either. The only thing I noticed is how my barrier almost shattered from the impact," he answered while bending the space to redirect the impact from somewhere else; this was also his way of making sure that the rest of the shockwave wouldn''t reach him.


    "Slow down," he commanded, and time obeyed his will, turning the demon in front of him slower.


    "Good now then, let''s be extra serious now," with his enemy slowing down, the system equips the boy''s eyes with gears for better analysis, while Jeremiah finally finished analyzing the cleansing spell that permeated the entire temple. Immediately, Apollo combined it with his sword, and the mana that dwells in it glowed, powering the spell that Apollo had conjured.


    The clock of time moved according to a command, and now Apollo could put his focus on piercing the demon; all his distractions were now gone. Skills are not made out of mana and do not fall on normal rules of the world, so they won''t be devoured by corruption, it''s the same as the authorities. After all, nothing is above the power of God, and no one can cancel it unless, of course,, you have Nirvana''s skill.


    Back to the battle, Apollo was still struggling to kill the demon because even when he was unaffected by the mana, its firepower continuously blasted him, making it hard for him to move. So he decided to beat fire with fire. He released his own mana, but to make sure it wouldn''t be devoured, he synergized it with his ki; although he was a demon as well, he just wanted to make sure. And thus the battle between the two demons started. Two different types of demonic energy clash together, stirring the area.


    As the blade dug deeper into the demon''s body, signs of struggle finally appeared, and like a bomb, the clash would explode with every passing second. The demon finally tried to move, fighting over the gravity that pins it in place, but Apollo made the command even firmer, increasing the pull by a hundredfold.


    [Creator that demon is planning to do something]


    Jeremiah warned; Apollo nodded and began analyzing its possible moves while still pushing his sword forward. His synergies energy pumped in while flames began blazing in. The power of purification was called fort, and it began to burn the corroded mana, purifying it in the process. Four authorities had now been used, the one from Agnes, Kieth, Aaron, and Samael. The problem is he can''t fully use them since he got used to relying on spells to control them; now, he can''t cast any spells, so he is left with the basic use of authority.


    The sacred flames kept burning the corroded mana; however, it seemed the demon had an endless supply of energy because it didn''t show any signs of stopping. This made Apollo change the command and instead made the flames burn the demon instead. With this command, the battle immediately shifted; the flames skipped the corrupted mana and went straight toward the demon''s body.


    A howl unlike any other echo at the ruined temple; it was so loud it even shook the barrier that covered the ceiling, though the barrier made by the authority of space didn''t. The painful howling continues as if a colossal beast is dying. Apollo remains still; he continues pushing the blade until a cloud of lightning finally hits him.


    "So that is the attack it was planning?" He questions as he nimbly shifts his body to the side, causing the lightning attack to miss its target.


    The flames were relentless, but so was the demon''s regenerative ability; every second, a part of it would turn into ash and then immediately repaired like it never happened. Apollo then strengthens his command, speeding up the burning process, but in response to that command, the healing process of the demon also speeds up.


    To the boy''s frustration, he could not land the final blow; unexpectedly, despite using authorities, it wasn''t enough to finish the enemy. Black and blue then surge, turning into beautiful colors of power; Apollo''s demonic mana and aura combine, creating a barrier that stops all the strikes that relentlessly attack him. He was frustrated on how to properly end the fight but a sudden idea came to him.


    "Right, let''s give it a try," he thought so as he summons his power.

 Chapter 261 A fragmented projection

    Apollo''s demonic mana and aura combine, creating a barrier that stops all the strikes that relentlessly attack him. All the lightning attacks and mana molded weapons that could penetrate Apollo''s armor were immediately blocked by his aura shield. This gave him a chance to reform his stance and change his attack; he had never used this before, though he hoped he could control it. He doesn''t even know if this could work since he is against something corrupted. However, Apollo wanted to give it a try.


    "Right, let''s give it a try" he said so.


    Under the authority that governs the four fundamental forces of nature, Apollo finally gave his command.


    "Weak force," he whispered as he envisioned the action he wished to do. Immediately, the command took over, and the power to alter matter came and surrounded the demon.


    In the boy''s eyes, an image of his prey appears, no corrupting mana could hinder his view now, and every fiber of his enemy is under his mercy.


    The strong bonds holding the corrupted mana together began to weaken. Apollo used the weak force to destabilize the molecules inside mana, changing its structure and removing its corruptive state. Mana is an energy that is flexible to manipulate, so after manipulating its state, Apollo uses them to cast the cleansing spell, and the blasting dark energy changes into a purifying one. The once-impervious dark mana armor that provides protection now became the knife that began to stab the demon.


    After successfully penetrating his enemy''s shield he then quickly shifted his focus to the demon''s body. From the surrounding mana, he accelerated the effects within the demon''s cells, and the purifying spell seeped deep within the demon''s body system. The flesh that once radiated with dark energy began to crack and collapse in on itself.


    The purification was unexpectedly destructive; an explosion transpired. As molecules broke apart, energy surged outward in bursts, leaving the demon writhing in agony as its body was torn from within.


    After the successful elimination of his enemy, Apollo then retracted the authority fearing his novice control could not stop the weak force from attacking other objects.


    "Sigh, despite all the upgrades I have God''s authorities are still complicated for me. I still can''t use it like how I cast spells," he mutters as he cancels the other authorities that are still active.


    "Jeremiah you can now cancel the barrier from the authority of space" he commanded and so the barrier covering the entire ground of the temple disappeared


    After eliminating one little obstacle, Apollo continued his previous stroll around the temple until he found something interesting. Inside the tower, something is faintly glowing. Curiosity filled him, so with great caution and expectations, he moved toward the room that held the mysterious light.


    "Jeremiah," he called while he continued walking inside the room. Read new chapters at empire


    [Analyzing...] Jeremiah immediately answered, though his tone was cautious, appearing worried about whatever was on the other side of the room. [It appears to be a core artificially created based on a magical beast''s, but its composition is different from the data from the tower''s library, it''s a bit unfamiliar to me. Its energy is ancient yet incredibly potent despite the time after its creation. I advise extreme caution, my Creator]


    Apollo stepped closer, and as he did so, the air grew heavier with each step. Due to this feeling, he felt excited as he approached, then the core''s glow intensified, and the faint hum escalated into a repeated sound that almost sounded melodic resonance that seemed to be in sync with Apollo''s excited beat of heart. Finally, he arrived in front of the core; for a moment, he hesitated. Then, with a deep breath, he reached out towards the core.


    The moment his fingers brushed the surface, a surge of energy shot through him, and the world around him shifted once more. The decrepit chamber dissolved into a vivid memory¡ªa bustling temple filled with robed mages channeling mana into the very crystal now in his hand.


    He saw them clearly: their faces, their determination, their fear. He felt their desperation as they fought against the encroaching corruption, pouring their very life force into the spell that would save the temple. The strongest mage was struggling against the demon he had just fought. And then... darkness. Looking at them Apollo even felt like he was one of the mages that fought at that time. He felt their courage and their will to stop the calamity that is about to transpire.


    Apollo stumbled back, the vision leaving him breathless. The core now hovered above the pedestal, glowing brighter than ever.


    "How is the outside?" It asked to which Apollo immediately answered.


    "It''s chaotic, though very pleasing at the same time"


    A light chuckle was then heard as if the owner of the voice found the situation amusing, for Apollo it was a good sign since this thing he was talking to seemed to have lost its hostility, though he still needed to be cautious; things could change even if he no longer wishes to fight.


    "If it isn''t too much may I ask who and what are you?" The boy said politely as he kept his distance.


    "Hmm... I am a resident of this place," it spoke, though this time, the voice sounded a bit melancholy.


    Apollo wanted to ask more, though he wasn''t able to when the figure spoke again, "Why did someone from the outside come here? Who are you and what is your objective here?"


    "Oh, I actually came here to rob this place" he bluntly answers while his expression remain still, on the other hand his answer made the figure in front of him baffled.


    "I did expect that is the reason however I never anticipated you would honestly answer me"


    "Well, my intention was already obvious, so there is no hiding it.....ARHHH!!!" cried Apollo as he felt the shearing pain brought by his sudden deaths.


    "Lad, are you alright?"


    "No, I just died"


    "What?" The figure was suddenly confused, seeing how he was very much alive in front of him.


    "Did the outside world change that much that I can''t seem to comprehend his words?" The deceased wizard continued to wonder until the boy was able to explain himself.


    "I made clones of myself, so um...one of them dies and..."


    "Let me guess interconnected thoughts or hivemind type"


    "Wow... Yes, it is!"


    "Thought so, our master Elias is famous for using such spell before, by the way what is your name?"


    "Apollo," he said honestly, then he proceeded to dissolve his disguise and reveal his true appearance.


    "Hmm... A bit younger than I anticipated" the wizard projection just said after seeing Apollo''s appearance.

 Chapter 262 The run away

    The cold, harsh snow was increasingly harmful, along with the feeling that currently enveloped the area: death.


    Death is painful; some might say it could bring relief that could any kind of suffering but for Apollo, it means hell, a hell of pain.


    "ARGHH!"


    [I already told you to be cautious]


    "Which one of me?"


    [To all of you, and you never listen!]


    "Alright, I already died here"


    Even with the pain increasing with more of him dying Apollo steeled his mind with the authority of Mystics.


    [It was a bad move splitting yourself and not using Clonis. You end up losing strength and dying.


    Creator on your left!]


    Apollo paid heed to the warning, as he saw the cluster of chaotic mix of energy flying in his direction, but instead of evading, he flew straight at the attack, making a certain artificial intelligence exasperated.


    [Sometimes I wonder if you know the word listening]


    Apollo just laughed it off because he already nullified the attack, though just like what Jeremiah recorded in the data, it was a very strong one.


    "It stings a bit"


    He just said as he covered himself with authority. Purifying flames surge along the spell Jeremiah had analyzed from the temple of Elias. This is his way of slowly diminishing the amount of corrupted mana in the surroundings.


    "Hopefully this could somehow weaken our demonic friends"


    He weakly said though he felt numb for an unknown reason.


    "Why do I suddenly feel that demons are scary"


    His experience in the subjugation army is vastly different than the one he is experiencing right now. The magical beast inside the north and the desert creates a different breed of demons. The ones that can consume half of the empire and leave it broken.


    "Jeremiah, can you tell me the range of the affected area? I want to cast a spell outside of it," the artificial intelligence immediately answered, and based on the data, Apollo began to calculate the spell he had to cast. He already learns from his previous encounter with the demon in Elias, and he doesn''t want to be crippled by the weapon he was very good at, casting spells.


    The flames from the authority create a red light almost similar to the color of the sunlight, which strengthens due to the cleansing spell. The sky brightens, and the light turns into a massive magical spell purifying the corrosive mana; Apollo increases the power of the spell, which soon weakens the demons in the vicinity.


    "Gravity three hundred times," he ordered, and all the demons he had spotted on the map immediately succumbed to his command. Afterward, he followed it with fire-purifying spears conjured by the authority. He decided to attack from a distance since close combat would only get him killed; a wizard with no spells and powerful martial arts to defend himself is as good as dead. To avoid any more agony, it is better to take a safe distance away from his enemies.


    Soon, the perilous event is slowly dying down, and Apollo is close to finishing it, not until a notification suddenly appears.


    [Creator I have detected some unfriendly presence approaching us]


    "Yeah I noticed"


    [No one can defend from? Then creator I think you have a problem since according to my scanner some selected soldiers are equip with devourers. Which is the bane of the God''s authorities]


    The weapon called devourer, the name derived from Nirvana''s skill that can be used with the help of his flesh and blood. The skill that can eat anything, including God''s authority.


    "Now that is a very problematic piece of information, those weapons eat any kind of attacks that may harm its user"


    [I recommend that you don''t use magic if you ever do best to use them as boosters]


    Apollo just shook his head and summoned his mithril spear. He is not really sure whether the artifact on the enemy''s side can influence magic, so for now, he will cast something to verify things. The snowy ground was suddenly enveloped with light as the magic Apollo just cast consumed those under it. A conquering spell caught the church members off guard; its overbearing power created a wide range of debuffing effects.


    "Any signs of the artifact activating?"


    [Nope but I sense that the devourers are about to be used to eat your spell]


    "Got it"


    Apollo then manipulated the spell and focused it only on the members who didn''t have the weapon devourers. He then modified the spell and turned it into a curse. This made its effects seep right into the bodies of those who were cursed. The devourers can only work if the wielders can stab their comrades and take the magic from their flesh. Though Apollo will make sure they won''t be able to do that.


    "How many people do I need to look out for"


    [500, we have 500 wielders of the devouring weapons, can you handle them?]


    "Well I think I could"


    Apollo, who is still hidden, revealed something from his inventory, a weapon he had made in response to the power of the devourers.


    [Lasers?]


    Apollo''s location remains hidden, and the same goes for his lasers; while chaos begins to rise, he positions those lasers near his target.


    [Lasers can be absorbed as well as Creator]


    "Just watch please"


    The boy finally made his move, and the enemy who was about to flee was burned alive by the lasers that appeared out of nowhere. The church''s people were suddenly filled with fear for their unknown enemy. None of them was able to spot where it came from. All they knew was that they were dying without being able to fight back.


    The wielders of the devouring weapons began spreading their weapon''s power, and a putrid nauseating scent began to spread.


    "And that is our signal to appear"


    Apollo made another spell, one that was very far from the devourer''s range.


    "Let''s open the sky a bit"


    Just like he said, the space above tore open, and giant meteors came crashing onto the enemies.


    Apollo wasn''t done yet and he took his spear while his eyes trace each of his target.


    "Time to exterminate some pest" he said as he form his stance.

 chapter 263 From disappointment to anger

    The devourers can absorb almost any kind of attack, though that attack needs to be in a certain form to be absorbed. Apollo can take advantage of that.


    The symbols on the spear glow one by one until the tips of the blade glow like a blue flame.


    "Keep it inside," he whispered, and the energy faded down as the weapon completely absorbed its power.


    [The targets have been acquired you may proceed]


    The boy formed his stance and distributed all his energy to throw his spear at all his marked targets.


    Everything was in chaos with meteors falling down, and in the next second, 500 people were dead lying on the ground with their heads gone. Blood was everywhere but the most gruesome scene is how the devourers began eating their wielders.


    "This is seriously disgusting"


    He commented as the revolting scent suffocated the others; the flesh and blood were like moving creatures. It moves and ravages the flesh of their wielders, and it even escalates to eating the dead bodies of the other church members.


    The white snowy field was suddenly dyed with red blood as screams continuously rang. However, those horrifying pleas were soon devoured by the sound of the crashing meteors. The current scenario was something they had never anticipated.


    [Creator I recommend finishing those flesh weapons, they gather a dangerous amount of power as they eat more dead bodies]


    "No worries I do plan to make a move"


    Apollo''s hand was already holding onto his spear, and like before; he threw it and struck his targets.


    A blue phantom haunted the battlefield and struck not only once, but many times over, until not even a single strand of devouring weapons remains. After that, he commanded the spear to continue attacking and assist the laser weapons he had set up at the start of the battle. As for the meteors, he let them all while he moved towards the tank, one that is heavily protected by giant golems.


    "Now let''s see where they put the finished product"


    There are at least 100 glass tanks mounted on top of stone golems and at least protected by diamond warden golems.


    Apollo didn''t bother to destroy them and just went on and teleported without being noticed.


    "Have you scanned these tanks, Jeremiah?"


    [I couldn''t, I believe it because of an artifact again]


    "We really should investigate why we are so vulnerable against artifacts"


    [I agree perhaps after this fiasco we could]


    "Let''s do that"


    Apollo personally examined the glass tanks, and there he saw someone frozen inside it.


    "I think we need to find which of these tanks held the finished product, I think this one is one of the semi-finished"


    [We should check the next one]


    However, as they talk to each other, they immediately notice the disappearance of the sound of the continuous crashing of meteors on the ground. The sudden silence left the two curious.


    "Jeremiah it seems we don''t need to look, I think it found us instead"


    [It does seem so]


    The flesh contains something that can absorb any type of tissue, similar to how Nirvana''s skill devourer works, so don''t let yourself be caught!]


    Right after that warning, something poisonous exploded like a bomb; one of Apollo''s demonic skills was used, and a corroding miasma spread out, melting even the flesh of the nearby corpse. However, even with such an attack, it didn''t stop the flesh from advancing, and Apollo wasn''t a bit surprised, so without wasting a second, he moved his hand and activated another skill. A black beam composed of compressed ki, and mana blew the bloody lump of flesh, though Apollo wasn''t done yet. Using the skill disintegrate he wants to turn this pile of disaster into dust.


    [Creator, that skill will make it hard for you to gain information. You can''t interrogate dust, and since this is merely a vessel, the one controlling him maybe elsewhere. You mustn''t use a skill that will instantly kill your opponent]


    A sigh escaped from Apollo, knowing Jeremiah was right, so in a split second, he switched his attack and instead manipulated his spear to penetrate every flesh that was aiming at him. A loud noise followed after while a nimble shadow danced through the air. Dust was kicked off, and the air moved violently due to the speed of the spear.


    As Apollo was about to recall the spear, the skill Light of Aegis suddenly triggered, and multiple layers of barriers protected Apollo from an unknown attack.


    {That was impressive!}


    An amused voice can be heard, followed by a multitude of invisible attacks.


    "Return," he whispered, and the spear returned to his hand, followed by the laser bots he had used before.


    [I already use thermal scan, here is the heat signature captured by it]


    "Thanks"


    While the Light of Aegis did its thing, the laser bots flew in according to his command.


    {Ah those thing, I might sound like a buzz kill but heat doesn''t affect me}


    "Thank you, that was good information." he then flicked his finger, and the laser bots exploded with zero-degree ice power. This ice froze the entire area, turning it into the place it used to be before the start of the battle.


    After that icy explosion, Apollo activated his inventory and stored all the remaining tanks that were well protected by the diamond wardens.


    "How was it? I specifically changed it since you told me heat doesn''t affect you." Then he flicks his finger again, and the ice explodes and an inferno-like flames engulf the previous icy ground.


    "Sorry, I know ice doesn''t affect you and neither fire"


    {Hahaha!}


    A sadistic laughter echoes while the sound of burning erupts everywhere.


    {If you know it doesn''t affect me, why use it then?}


    Apollo''s nameless opponent asks while he emerges from the rumble.


    "I just wanna see if I could do something with you"


    {With me?}


    "I wanna see if extreme radiation can kill you or not, or could the flesh of Nirvana protect you from it"


    {What?....puarghhh!}


    Blood started pouring in making the human vessel kneel. The flames and ice were just a distraction; the real deal was the radiation hidden inside some nanocapsules. At the time of the two explosions, those tiny capsules latch onto the skin of the vessels and immediately spread their contents upon contact.


    "I really thought you guys were a threat, but looking at you right now, I think I overestimated all of you." The demon''s voice was cold, like a sharp blade that continued to penetrate the vessel''s body.


    {You...are... ARROGANT HALF DEMON!}


    "Yes and seeing your cells dying and regenerating at the same time, it seems you are not as hopeless as I think you are, come on show me something"

 Chapter 264 I am waiting

    {You...are... ARROGANT HALF DEMON!}


    "Yes and seeing your cells dying and regenerating at the same time it seems you are not as hopeless as I think you are, come on show me something"


    Then the boy made another move and increased the radiation inside his opponent''s body, somehow showcasing the power of the four fundamental forces without much help from spells, proving his improvement.


    "I have been moving so cautiously, thinking you all might cause serious chaos if not handled well, yet now, why do I feel mistaken? Hey, vessel, you should have at least a quarter of the original, right? Don''t disappoint me when you have a body from the ducal house Silvercrest"


    Apollo''s voice was oozing bloodlust due to his patience being tested. He thought it was stupid how he was for stalling for so long trying to be safe, yet the threat he was fearing was just this.


    "Jeremiah there should be something that connects the vessels to the one using it, trace it and report it to me"


    [Affirmative Creator]


    "I wanna see if the original is as disappointing as his vessel"


    A dark matter began to materialize as the demonic Apollo increased the bloodlust he currently feels. He felt pathetic for being afraid of an enemy that was lesser in strength than him.


    "Jeremiah spread your scanner throughout the empire; I want to absorb any essence and upgrade all my attributes. I have been saving so much of them for this fight, I don''t want any of my efforts to be wasted. I have been working hard, at the very least I hope the original can satisfy me"


    Thunder began to radiate in the sky while the human vessel continued to struggle against the magic-engineered radiation.


    A furious Apollo who felt stupid from his past restraint action, now wants to attack Nadezhda and track every single self-proclaimed gods


    "Hah, I took you guys seriously since you call yourselves gods but now I felt like I was just fooling myself"


    Every word he said carried his anger until the intensity of the mana of the vessel changed. It became strong and dense like a strong storm though it didn''t affect Apollo.


    "How disappointing for someone who proclaims himself as God; I much prefer those demons I fought a while ago. At least they could provide some challenge"


    Apollo had expected to be killed by a vessel, but now he doesn''t really understand why it''s too weak. It wasn''t supposed to be like that. According to the data he had gathered from the warehouse. The vessel should have at least 50-75 percent of the original. This was the first successful test subject so at least 25 percent power of the original is expected. Given that modification is still underway.


    [Creator, you were right. There is a faint pulse of power that seems to be responding to something from far away. Please give me some time to trace it since it is very hard to be detected]


    Read latest chapters at empire


    "Sure I don''t mind"


    Then the storm-like mana stops, leaving only two figures, one demon, and one human tool.


    {How dare you mock a god!}


    "You mean a self-proclaimed god?"


    {Blasphemy!}


    "Ah, you mean the truth"


    [Ten, seven for offense, three for defense]


    "Well let''s destroy them before they can even cause trouble"


    In Apollo''s mind, time seems to flow slowly, and his first action is to mark all the artifacts and use Disintegrate to destroy them.


    [Notification alert!!


    The skill failed to activate]


    "That was a bit surprising." he then switched and used an authority, though he was skeptical if it could work since it was merely a copy and might fail like the previous skill. However, unbeknownst to him, the gods who owned those authorities had long given it to him. That is also the reason why the mastery of those authorities is more on how he uses them and not just by upgrading them through the system.


    Apollo made his command, and the artifacts were put into a state of decay using one of the four fundamental forces. In less than a second the artifacts are no more


    "Good problem solved." Then his next move was to intercept the attack that was about to smash his face.


    [Creator this magical beast just stopped the mana from moving, I think it must have seen how you used it in your previous fight]


    "Yeah probably"


    This entire time, Apollo was calm, and despite the attack being a few inches away from his face, he didn''t react much; then his voice rang across the room.


    "Kneel"


    And just like he said the little girl he was fighting hit the floor and even broke it until she fell to the floor beneath it.


    "Let''s see, according to the data, my opponent is an overpowered magical beast.."


    His words are interrupted when he is teleported right outside the manor. Then, what happens next surprises the entire city: the manor blows up, and a dragon emerges from the explosion. Chaos erupted and Apollo just remembered something he had forgotten.


    "Where exactly am I again?" he only followed the coordinates for the teleportation and didn''t know the name of the place they were in right now.


    [It is the kingdom of Delvira, I think the one you just fought is the youngest daughter of the duchess here, Emily Del Philippa]


    "Ah Delvira, the kingdom that newly established its connection to Nero''s kingdom"


    Thinking about those kingdoms, Apollo thought he should pay a visit to them. While he tried to form a plan, the dragon in front of him roared, and it blew half of the city. Of course, the boy teleported away before it could even hit him.


    {Damn you!}


    "Stop!" he commanded, and like before, the dragon had no way of fighting over the power of the authority. The dragon''s stone-like body halted, and Apollo then cast the spell he thought appropriate for his opponent.


    "For someone immune to both ice and fire I think this spell will be a good one"


    A black-light painted the sky and created a black demonic magic circle.


    "Dual elements...Ten thousand black lightning barrage"


    The darkness and lightning elements combined together and brought forth the spell that swallowed the entire city.

 Chapter 265 Dead already?

    "Dual elements...Ten thousand black lightning barrage"


    The spell was cast and it landed right into the dragon. The remaining part of the city was covered with a barrier, so without hesitation, Apollo''s spell rained down upon the dragon. The mighty magical beast was defenseless under the combo attack of an authority and spell. And all it could do was wait for the spell to land.


    A loud explosion occurred, followed by a shockwave that broke through the forest that surrounds the city. This shockwave was already weakened due to the barrier that protected the city; however, even in its weakened form, it was able to wipe out the surroundings.


    "Ah, I knew the situation was too good to be true"


    As the smoke subsided, two figures emerged: one oversized dragon and one humanoid dragon.


    "Another one appears," he mutters as his gaze lands on the humanoid dragon, and he can tell it is more powerful than the oversized one.


    "Now how should I deal with this one?"


    .


    .


    .


    ------------


    {Gods used to rule the world, but when they disappeared, it was us who reigned supreme. The one who was created to wield the power of nature. Even humanity would cower upon our presence, but now, how come such a creature born from madness came here?}


    "That is really an interesting train of thought"


    {!?}


    "Shock? Don''t be, entering your mind is very easy"


    {Argh!}


    A strong mental barrier can easily defend against mind bewitching spells however Apollo didn''t use a spell, it was an authority.


    "Fine, I''ll get out; it''s good to go easy on the newcomer." Apollo got out of the mind of the humanoid creature, but he didn''t miss putting his spear right through him.


    "You guys are not Nirvana, so I don''t need to worry, none of you can absorb attacks, so I don''t have to worry about how I need to annihilate all of you"


    Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and even the she-dragon, currently frozen due to the command, couldn''t help but fear the demon in front of them.


    "My demonized form puts my stats and skill in a bonus buff, so right now, I am ten times more powerful than my original strength, but now, after the new upgrade, I think it increased by 2. So the current me is twelve times more powerful than the original"


    The two enemies are immobilized on the ground, and knowing neither of them can move, so now he wants to extract something.


    "I need information so please be patient this will be over soon"


    Apollo was about to cast Veritas when Jeremiah''s warning suddenly emerged.


    "Tch! Nero don''t worry I already send a message to my pack they will arrive shortly, we just need to hold him off"


    "Sigh Nepheline you are panicking way too much"


    Nero just said while in his hand an artifact appears.


    [That weapon is a bit problematic, Creator]


    "We can just use the authority to destroy it"


    [No we can''t, that artifact has Nirvana''s flesh it will eat the authority that will destroy the artifact]


    "Oh, you are right"


    The surrounding mana suddenly moved, and this alerted Apollo. An unknown attack latch out even though the sword artifact in Neros'' hand didn''t move.


    "Incoming"


    [Incoming!]


    Apollo and Jeremiah both exclaimed since both of their senses alarmed them of danger.


    "Damn it wrong timing I only have one Mithril spear and the other me is using it" Experience tales at empire


    [You gotta use some alternatives]


    Apollo left a sigh and took out the two sword artifacts in his inventory.


    "Here goes nothing" he exclaimed as he activated Automatic machinery. Apollo wasn''t sure if he could influence an artifact, but if he could blend the authority with it, then perhaps he could create a new weapon for himself. One that can duel Neros'' max-out artifact.


    A light glow for a second followed by a brilliant sword. The unknown attack broke through the skill light of Aegis and was blocked by the newly created sword. A metallic sound rang, followed by two shadows that planned to follow the previous attack on Apollo.


    "Down," the boy just said, and for a brief moment, Nepheline and Nero hit the ground, but right after that, Nirvana''s flesh activated and absorbed the authority. However, that split second they kneeled was all Apollo needed to attack Nero first, though, to be specific, it was the artifact he was aiming for.


    [I already healed the broken tissues in your arm when you blocked that strike; I also strengthened your armor. Buffs are also added, do you wish for me to cast a conquering spell, the same way we did before]


    "Yes please do so"


    Apollo then raises his sword and swiftly hits Nero''s body, not wanting his objective to be seen. Then he uses his skill, Disintegrate, to run into his body. Nirvana''s flesh only works when the attacks are either directed towards the user, or the user could use the weapon and spread it towards his target. However, what if the attack is inside your body? Will you be able to control the flesh and let it devour the attack instead of you?


    Apollo wants to see how far Nero''s mastery of the weapon is, so as soon as he delivers his blow, he switches to the princess, though she is fast enough to attack him. The barriers were no match against her as she assumed her true form. A black ferocious Mithril dire wolf, and just like her name. The fur she has is as hard as Mithril steel.


    "That is one tough body"


    Apollo commented as he dodged her attack and instead knocked her with a straight punch. From afar a giant wolf can be seen flying across the other side of the forest. The impact shook the ground, and then the sky darkened as black lightning struck. Apollo wasn''t done yet. He manipulated the forces of nature and made Nepheline fly towards him. As soon as she came near him he would strike her with a deadly beam.


    "Right," he exclaimed, remembering something. "Where is Nero?....hmmm?...wait, did I kill him already?" He said, confused if his main enemy would just die like that.

 chapter 266 Another battle starts

    "Did I really kill him?" That question repeated inside his head when all he could see was a pile of dust and an abandoned weapon on the ground.


    [Creator]


    "Yes?"


    [You didn''t kill him but you destroyed his body]


    "Explain" he commanded while the artifact Nero used was sealed inside the inventory.


    [Nero couldn''t handle your skill and immediately succumbed to it without even fighting back. It seems he doesn''t know what attacked him, which is why he wasn''t able to respond. However, when his body was consumed by the skill I didn''t detect his soul, it wasn''t in his body or even went to the cycle]


    "Were you able to trace where his soul went?"


    [I did]


    "Good, give it to me"


    Then he threw another attack and immediately pulverized the magical beast named Nepheline.


    "Hmmm?"


    The soul of the magical wolf disappears as if something actually swallowed it.


    "Jeremiah"


    [It went the same way as Nero''s soul]


    "Why are those insects so hard to kill?" the boy whines while holding the back of his head.


    [I think it''s best to destroy them now; I just received some more detailed reports from the spies we sent to the enemy''s side. The disturbance you made caused some bases to be abandoned while the members fled]


    "I see, well we should probably use that info to tip the archduke, I am certain he would make a move immediately"


    [I will prepare the materials and send it right away]


    "Now we should continue our little chase"


    He teleported yet again, but this time, he found himself right in the middle of hundreds of celestial-rank wolf beasts.


    [Her pack is here]


    However, in the midst of these, a familiar mana immediately attracted Apollo''s attention.


    "Hmm... The wolf from the island is also here"


    The ivory wolf, strangely to Apollo''s surprise that she-wolf was already at the celestial level. It was a speed that even Apollo took some time to achieve, and it was with the help of the system.


    "This is a very interesting anomaly," he said faintly as he summoned the very power that scared the wits out of the self-proclaimed gods.


    "Jeremiah use the authority of time, I want time to flow slowly"


    [I will Creator]


    Black, deadly smoke emerged from his body and quickly corrupted the surroundings; the weaker wolves began to die one by one until the upper-rank wolves remained.


    "Quite strong." he then flicked his finger, and the skill Disintegrate activated and killed every single wolf.


    "Sigh, in the end, I still have no idea what her grudge is against me," Apollo said as he walked past the ivory wolf''s decaying corpse.


    "Jeremiah, let the time flow normally again"


    [I will do as you say, Creator]


    Nero was suddenly taken aback as soon as a spell was cast without being canceled by one of his allies.


    However, he wasn''t particularly worried.


    "Azur do it"


    With his instructions, one of the people beside him took a mirror and reflected them; just like that, the numbers were down to 20 against one.


    "How creative, Jeremiah. You can cancel that skill, right?"


    [Yes I can]


    "Proceed to cancel the skill"


    In the blink of an eye, the reflective skill was neutralized, and the mirror broke into pieces. Apollo followed that with a spell that was immediately broken with Nero''s sword attack.


    "Damn it, that spell just now. Does this mean this thing is a master caster," Nero thinks so as he closes the distance to keep Apollo from casting any more spells. However, as he gets closer, a fortified spell clashes with his aura.


    "What this?" It was a spell he had never seen before, and before he knew it, his body had already crashed into the ground. He was a bit confused about why it happened.


    As soon as Nero hits the ground, the magical beast that calls themselves gods assumes their true form. The Grand Canyon was attacked by twenty ferocious energy. And this turns the beautiful canyons into a wasteland covered in raging flames and burning wind. Nero''s side is outnumbered; however, it doesn''t last long, with backup landing on their side.


    "They sure have plenty of members to join the party"


    [Indeed, you haven''t killed even half of them]


    "Well, how many powerful enemies do I have right now?"


    [If we add the ones you are fighting against in Delvira, in total that would be 1500]


    "And how many am I right now?"


    [500, with two not participating in the battle at the moment]


    "Yes, so please give me some time to eliminate them, okay?"


    [Yes Creator I will just wait for your orders]


    Back to the battle, nineteen magical beasts and a single human, Nero, formed a tight circle around Apollo. Their master, Nero wielded a sword and cloaked himself in a mantle of shifting chaotic energy. Despite his falling to the ground, he merely stood behind the beasts, acting as if he were the person in control.


    [That sword Creator has Nirvana''s flesh] warned by Jeremiah, though Apollo already noticed when he first used his spell against him.


    "Don''t worry my new arsenal can handle him.


    The beasts roared in unison, and the battle began.


    The first wave of magical beasts charged, their spells lighting up the battlefield. Fireballs, ice shards, and lightning bolts rained down on Apollo, forcing him to cast a spell.


    [Creator Nero''s sword can absorb spells, you must change your move]


    Apollo pays heed to his words and instead mimics a technique he got from a certain someone.


    It was a type of technique that creates a strong pressure similar to gravity. Apollo''s counter distorted the space, pulling all the incoming attacks to a certain point, where they collided in an explosive detonation.


    However, three beasts broke through unscathed. A massive lava hound snarled, its molten body immune to Apollo''s Gravity technique, as the intense heat disrupted the gravity. Beside it, a crystalline dragon stomped forward, its humongous body impervious to magic entirely. Finally, a shadow panther flickered in and out of visibility, dodging Apollo''s area-of-effect spells with ease.


    Apollo frowned, finally recalling Jeremiah''s warning about the immune beast.


    "Now how should I handle these pests"


    He ponders as he sends some bombs to prompt the immunity of the rest of them.


    "Let''s see, my new arsenal of spells has something for these beasts," he thought so as he began analyzing what spell was appropriate to use.

 chapter 267 The lost magic

    The lava hound lunged, its molten claws swiping at Apollo with terrifying speed. He evaded them by nimbly moving along the dozen attacks that flew in his direction. It was a very fast move that he left after images as he repositioned. Then, he summoned his sword and created an icy technique designed to bind the creature in place. The hound howled as the ice latched onto its legs, extinguishing its heat.


    "Fire is neutralized with ice," Apollo mused aloud but soon he saw how that ice melts. "Ah, don''t tell me he already forms a certain immunity with ice." he switched his gears and formed another more powerful strike.


    "Let me see how high is that immunity"


    Nero suddenly felt the temperature drop that even the air began to freeze.


    "What now?" he mutters while absorbing the attacks from Apollo''s surprise golem attack. He never really knew where they came from; he never sensed a spell, even a rift in space. They just pop out of nowhere as soon as the beast begins to attack Apollo. The icy feeling continued as the sky lit up while the clouds parted way as if welcoming something.


    "Fall down Neptune"


    A freezing cold pressure slams into the ground, covering the area with a blue halo of ice.


    The lava hound was left frozen along with the non-ice attributed beast. Even the other beast, which was supposed to feel nothing against such temperature, was surprised to feel they were feeling cold.


    "Nepheline hide behind me!" Nero ordered as he shielded her from the storm of cold air.


    "Damn it even Nirvana''s flesh was affected, what kind of spell is this"


    Meanwhile, the caster of the disaster only had one thought "Fuck, it''s cold!!!!"


    [That''s what you get for casting a spell you just learn]


    "A mage''s spell isn''t supposed to affect them!!"


    [Idiot this is a lost magic, weren''t you listening!]


    While they argue the crystalline dragon adapted immediately to the cold and charged next, swinging its massive claws. Apollo leaped back, summoning another technique from his new arsenal; it was a move that mimicked an earth-based spell he then infused into his sword. The ground beneath the dragon. Trembled as jagged spikes erupted, shattering its crystal legs. The dragon crumbled, unable to sustain itself without its foundation.


    "Those are no ordinary earth spikes; there is no way Quartz would die just like that," Nero commented while he helped the other beasts who were still stuck in the ice. So, while Apollo was busy, he wanted to save more of his allies, though more were still dying even when he was defending them.


    The shadow panther was the trickiest. It darted around Apollo, its movements erratic and unpredictable; even with the system''s gears, it was still difficult. Apollo closed his eyes briefly, focusing on the creature''s magical signature. With a sharp breath, he cast a spell, Bright star and a blinding light illuminated the battlefield. The panther screeched as it was forced into visibility, and Apollo finished it with a wave of his sword. A dark energy struck and shredded the panther''s body.


    The cloak covering the figure finally disappeared, and a welcoming presence came to Apollo.


    "This feeling, wait you are a spirit?" He exclaimed as he realized this; however, contrary to his reaction, Arevano was very calm in explaining things.


    "I am. Did that confuse you? What do you think I am to begin with?"


    "Well, at first, I thought you were just a soul fragment of the real Arevano; I never thought you were really him, sir. If it isn''t too much, may I ask how you became a spirit?"


    "As you know, all the mages here died sealing the strongest demon we ever encountered. However, when we die, we are given two choices. One, join the cycle and live another life through reincarnation, though we will forget any memory of this life. Two stay and turn yourself into a spirit"


    "The Tree of Life gathers the souls of the deceased; we all made our choices there before joining the cycle. I remain here while the rest choose to go through reincarnation. I.....don''t want to forget this place that is why I stayed. You see boy...this place is my home and I would like to stay even in death"


    Arevano''s painful words made Apollo hurt as well. It is as if he understands the spirit''s sentiment because he is feeling the same way, though he knows it isn''t just out of sympathy, he definitely feels that something within him is attached to this place the same way as Arevano''s.


    "Sir Arevano, I thought spirits could only live in places rich in mana, like the world tree and its extension, so how did you get here and still alive despite the lack of mana?"


    The spirit chuckled a bit with the boy''s question though he still went on to answer him.


    "That, my dear friend, is because of this." Arevano raised his arm, and a sigil began shining beneath his robe.


    "That looks like.."


    "The tree of life my dear friend, your thoughts are right. This was given to me by the world tree itself for me to sustain myself even though I am not under her care"


    Apollo was surprised that World Tree could do such a thing, "I wonder if it''s her?" He questions if the little world tree he saved before is the one who did it.


    "I''ll ask that later, but for now, I need something that might actually help me," he added in his head, then proceeded to ask Arevano about magic and Mahika''s greatest invention. The mage was very glad to answer all the boy''s inquiries until a discovery made Apollo amazed yet again about the place they call the sanctuary of magic.


    "You also train swordmasters here?"


    "Not really swordmaster but magic swordmaster. One of the things being conducted here is the integration of swordsmanship and magic. We produce the greatest mages and strongest swordmasters, which is why most of our spells and techniques are the integration of the two. I can teach you so don''t worry. So then Apollo let me introduce to you Mahika''s elemental sword style, a sword art base from the spell crafted here"


    Time seemingly flows slowly due to the Sage''s circle influence. All the knowledge and teaching were transferred to Apollo like flowing water from a river.


    "As for the other thing you are worried about the lost magic I told you will be the answer for it. You did say your enemy can absorb attacks I think I knew the principles behind that. Though I can''t go into detail about skills created by demons and magical beasts, I can tell you that skill has limitations. Besides not being able to absorb physical attacks, it also can''t absorb energy that doesn''t exist in this world. Any power that doesn''t come from Bunag can''t be influenced by any power created from it. To understand easily, any attacks that come outside of our world are rejected by being absorbed or altered; I''ll explain it further so you don''t recklessly use it. Alright, let''s learn the Heavenly magic, a magic that draws power from the heavenly bodies in space, ready?"

 chapter 268 Dodge

    Apollo was strangely quiet the whole time Arevano spoke and would only speak when he was confused about something. He was intrigued by such a spell that he would certainly use it upon learning it.


    "Alright, let''s learn the Heavenly magic, a magic that draws power from the heavenly bodies in the space, ready?" Apollo just smiled, excited at his new arsenal of spells.


    --------


    The sky was clear, and for an unknown reason, the stars were shining so brightly. Constellation line up drawing wonders at those who are watching them. Contrary to the stars the ground beneath it was sullied with death. Demons flew in and continued to slay the army of hundreds of powerful magical beasts. Their bodies had already piled on the icy ground. However, the bloody battle had just begun.


    After the first wave of magical beasts died another wasted no time to attack. A chimera with crackling electric fur lunged forward, its maw glowing with the light of an incoming lightning bolt. Simultaneously, a typhoon Gryffin in the back spread its wings, unleashing a Wind Cutter Barrage, razor-sharp gusts slicing toward Apollo. Another serpent-like beast hissed, summoning a massive Ice Wall to trap Apollo in place.


    Apollo reacts instantly upon reading their attacks. He raised his hand, and his sword created a technique similar to a gravity spell. It was the same move he used before, but the difference was that it was more powerful. The area was subjected to powerful pressure, pulling the incoming lightning, wind, and ice toward a certain point just like the previous, though the very beasts who cast those attacks were pulled as well. The conflicting elements and beasts collided, creating a thunderous explosion that sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. It was a powerful collision, though it wasn''t enough to end those enemies, so Apollo brewed another attack.


    [More enemies are coming]


    "Handle them I''m not finished here yet"


    [Got it]


    With the problem with other enemies solved, Apollo collected his focus and drew an arc with his sword. A humming sound can be heard as the sword''s energy gathers and absorbs more energy from the stars. An explosion transpires as the attack hits the beast that barely collected themselves from the previous explosion.


    "Done, now let me handle them," he said, referring to the beast Jeremiah tasked to handle.


    As he prepared to land the final blow, the beasts shifted their formation, their mana flaring as they combined their attacks. A trio of beasts stood side by side, Fire, ice, and lightning swirled together into a single colossal sphere of energy.


    Apollo''s eyes widened briefly. "That was fast"


    He then repositioned his body for better mobility; when he had already formed his stance, he released an attack to counter; radiant golden energy enveloped the attack before completely devouring it. Then, that golden light was followed by a dark, ominous energy that struck the enemies down.


    "Alright for the final touch"


    The ground was filled with death, as Apollo''s spell filled a limited area beyond Nero''s reach.


    "Manus maledicta," a dark charcoal hand raised from the tainted ground, dragging the enemies into their deadly embrace.


    The beasts caught by the spell would immediately be absorbed so Apollo put his focus on another batch of enemies.


    Nero, however, remained unaffected. With a flick of his blade, he dispelled the spikes aimed at him and charged forward.


    "Enough," the former king said, swinging his blade to break his enemy''s defenses. Each strike was imbued with magic, and Apollo could feel the sheer weight behind every attack.


    The boy in a demon''s body nimbly sidestepped, his movements enhanced by Jeremiah''s stat boost; however, it wasn''t enough; Nero was able to predict him. And with a sudden thrust caught Apollo off guard, nicking his arm and drawing blood.


    "Wait how did that attack not return to him a hundred times?"


    [His sword absorbs it]


    "Damn artifact," he mutters as he controls his steps and dodges the rain of attacks that came falling in. After dodging, he decided to multi-cast attacks.


    He raised his hand, summoning the spell Clock Tower''s Hand, accompanied by the authority of the time. Massive gears materialized in the air, their rotation slowing time for all his enemies. The beasts froze mid-motion, their attacks grinding to a halt. Apollo knew that Nero was capable of absorbing that, so he prepared a separate spell for him, one that he couldn''t cancel.


    The sky suddenly became bright due to the stars, and from it, seven bright lights felt much closer than before.


    "Heavenly magic, seven-star judgment grand chariot," he cast, and seven bright stars gave their power and struck Nero down.


    With all his enemies immobilized, he capitalized on the moment. He unleashed Manus Maledicta, charred hands erupting from the ground and seizing the beasts. One by one, they were dragged into the cursed ground, eating them as their roars faded into silence.


    [You still have a number of breathing enemies]


    "Yes it seems so"


    Nero broke free from the time spell with a roar, his blade glowing with a dangerous red light. "I''m not done yet!" he shouted, unleashing a devastating combination of sword strikes and magic waves.


    Apollo braced himself, but then he noticed how the skill Light of Aegis works again. The shield held firm, but the Nero''s relentless assault cracked its surface.


    [Creator I can sense something is wrong with Nero it is best to keep your distance]


    Apollo just nodded and immediately teleported away; however, before he could completely disappear, an attack from Nero almost obliterated him; if it weren''t for the fact that he teleported away, he would have died.


    "What the hell was that attack"


    He questions as his vision begins to be filled with red glaring warnings.

 Chapter 269 The sacred weapon

    The battlefield had fallen silent, the bodies of the magical beasts lying lifeless on the scorched ground. Smoke and ash filled the air, mixing with the residual energy of the fierce spells that had just torn through the terrain. Apollo stood at the center, his breath steady, but his eyes continued to watch over his remaining enemies.


    The atmosphere of the battle suddenly changes when pressure comes, warning Apollo through Jeremiah. The red glaring warning came, the remaining Apollos were watching the main battle even when they were still dealing with their own opponents.


    "What was that?"


    Apollo was confused, but his senses were telling him something was amiss.


    "This feeling is strangely familiar... Wait, don''t tell me!" a dreadful foreboding filled Apollo''s senses as he put his spells to their maximum and authorities to protect him.


    "Oh? You are very perceptive; do you perhaps know this?" Nero asked, but Apollo was more focused on the weapon in his hands. The previous weapon in his hand was replaced by a different weapon. It was old and rusty, though the boy could see several cracks that showed a different appearance than the old one.


    "Jeremiah, tell me I was wrong, right?"


    [Creator, I''m afraid you are not mistaken]


    A burst of golden light erupted from Nero''s weapon, and its mere presence was all Apollo needed to confirm his assumption. The ordinary blade dissolved into a cascade of luminous particles, reforming into a legendary weapon of myth. The one that aids the first emperor in saving the continent two thousand years ago.


    "Excalibur," Apollo mumbles, knowing that this is no longer a replica like the ones he had seen before. The aura and power are vastly different, turning his senses into chaos.


    "This is the true Excalibur, a blade of legends, forged to vanquish gods and demons alike; now, what do I do? This sword is made to kill demons, and I am currently a half-demon!"


    However, the boy''s surprised expression soon turns confused. "At times like this, I would usually feel crazy, like mad crazy; what''s going on?" Shouldn''t the eternal something would come by now?" He thought, feeling confused, but his senses were still on the entire time.


    Then the air felt heavy once again; the legendary golden sword was swung, creating an energy that blew the canyons.


    [Do not get hit! The power of the energy that came from the sword can tear all your defense apart]


    "Then, anything I can do to defend?"


    [Perhaps the techniques from Mahika can help. However, you can barely complete the techniques. Can you draw out its full power Creator?]


    Apollo could just shake his head knowing he can barely utilize the techniques with half the actual power.


    "He has good precision and dexterity," the boy mutters as he changes his weapon from the previous sword to his chanting bracelets.


    "Now, how should I create an opening," he thought so as he gathered more power from the stars; this was his way of gathering energy to match the destructive power of Excalibur, "Not enough," he concluded. Find more to read at empire


    Apollo now realized the meaning behind the words the archbishop said to him when he fought him before.


    "I really thought those replicas were the real ones; how stupid," he silently mocked himself as he thought about his past actions regarding the sword.


    The sword wasn''t just its raw destructive capability¡ªit was its ability to nullify and dominate any magic or energy it came into contact with. The sword''s runes acted as a filter, disassembling his spells at their very core.


    "Jeremiah, tell me, can you scan the sword? Can you tell me the difference in the composition between the replica and the real one"


    [I can]


    "Then please send it to me"


    [Affirmative, let me complete the data]


    For the first time in a long while, he felt like his running out of options. Yet, as his opponent pressed forward, his focus sharpened.


    Apollo''s mind moved faster than before dodging every strike that came towards him. Excalibur glows brightly as it cuts through Apollo''s defenses. However, the boy''s mind remains working at a pace that will keep him ten steps ahead of his enemy.


    Each swing, step, and breath of his opponent became data in his mind. He observed the subtle shifts in Nero''s weight, the angle of his strikes, and even the micro-expressions that conveyed his next move.


    "He''s left-handed," Apollo noted, dodging a slash by mere inches. "He would pretend to be right-handed to confuse me, though if you keep a close eye on him, you will notice it. And this guy had removed all his habits in attacking; the ones I first saw were feigns meant to confuse me. Now, what to do? Dodging won''t bring me victory"


    As the battle progressed, Apollo began predicting attacks more naturally. It was as if he were reading Nero''s thoughts. He evaded strikes before they were fully executed, sidestepping Excalibur''s devastating arcs with a precision that made his opponent question if he could use authorities even with his artifact active.


    "You''re calculating," the swordmaster growled, his eyes narrowing. "But let''s see how far how you calculated everything"


    The power of Excalibur began to increase, drawing pressure on Apollo''s shoulder. He could not move as the power of the sword prevented him from moving. However, despite the overwhelming aura of the sacred sword, Apollo glad himself with aura and barriers. The authorities were with him as well, giving protection even with the constant feeling of its disappearance.


    "Hooo..." Apollo regulated his breathing to control his energy in order not to waste them.


    "Come on, you got this," he said to himself as the energy from Excalibur intensified.

 Chapter 270 Obey me

    "You''re calculating," the swordmaster growled, his eyes narrowing. "But let''s see how far how you calculated everything"


    "Hooo..." Apollo controlled his breath trying to reign free from the mighty wave of energy brought by the enemy''s weapon. The authorities were with him as well, giving protection even with the constant feeling of its power slipping away from his grasp.


    "Come on, you got this," he said to himself as the energy from Excalibur increased.


    Excalibur''s glow intensified almost as if it would swallow the entire canyons. The energy surged outward, creating a shockwave that disrupted Apollo''s footing. Seizing the opportunity, Nero closed the distance, launching a flurry of attacks designed to overwhelm his enemy.


    Apollo activated the authority of the time, slowing the flow of time around him, but it was immediately absorbed by Nirvana''s flesh inside Nero''s artifact, though the small window it gave was all Apollo needed to teleport away. However, the battle intensified, and each swing carved through the air with devastating force, leaving Apollo no room to retaliate.


    With every clash, Apollo''s hold of the authorities cracked further as if the sword was stripping him of his power.


    "Are you still there Jeremiah?"


    [I am Creator]


    "Is it ready?"


    [It is]


    "Good we should wait for the right opportunity then"


    The two were still calm despite the situation, and deep within their conversation, a plan lay ahead to lead them to victory.


    While this fight consumes not only stamina and mental strength, the Apollo that remains learning inside the ruined walls of Mahika has taken the bold step to start the plan.


    . Your journey continues at empire


    .


    .


    "Excalibur!" Arevano exclaimed shaking Apollo as if trying to shake off the words he just heard.


    "P-please..let me speak.." the boy pleaded. Fortunately, the wizard was able to hear him; he then put the boy down, showering him with apologies.


    "So is there anything I can use to defend against that?"


    Apollo''s question putting the wizard in deep thought; he began to think while the Sage''s circle remained hovering in the air.


    "Let''s see all I knew it can only be countered by another sacred weapon, boy aren''t you a Lionheart? Can''t you summon the staff?"


    "Only the heir can summon that, besides the current me who is fighting right now can''t summon a holy weapon; I am a demon, remember!"


    Arevano''s words came to him but he had no such weapon.


    "Damn weapons," he cursed, wishing that the sacred staff of the Lionheart could come to him.


    Under the current circumstances, brute force wouldn''t work, not with an enemy who has a super weapon; Apollo focused entirely on reading his opponent. His mind raced, calculating probabilities and outcomes.


    "When he steps forward, his left knee buckles slightly. That''s where I''ll counter."


    As Nero lunged forward, Apollo sidestepped, narrowly avoiding Excalibur''s edge. He retaliated with Void Lock a spell that borrowed the power of black holes. This disrupts the flow of energy around his opponent and slightly weakens Excalibur''s runes.


    Nero frowned urging the weapon to draw more power, with one swing of Excalibur he was able to dispel the void, but Apollo was already moving, exploiting the delay to land a direct hit with Planetary Maelstrom, a chaotic vortex of fire, lightning, earth, water and wind borrowed from the planets'' characteristics close to Bunag.


    The attack forced Nero back, creating a momentary gap.


    "Did it hit?"


    [It did but the sword healed him]


    "Aizz," he could only react; despite his calculated moves, it wasn''t enough, and now Apollo''s energy was waning. His breathing grew labored, and the gathered energy from the stars flickered weakly. For the first time, he felt the weight of exhaustion.


    "I can''t keep this up," he thought. "Not against a weapon like that."


    Yet, even as his body screamed for rest, his mind refused to yield, not until more of him were free to join the battle.


    Nero sensed Apollo''s fatigue as the demon in front of him began to react more slowly than before. It was an opportunity so he pressed his advantage, Excalibur carving through the air with terrifying speed. Apollo dodged each strike by fractions of an inch, his calculations keeping him alive. Even when he tried to keep his distance, Nero would close it immediately with the aid of the sword''s boost. This keeps Apollo on edge for the upcoming attack, but then, the enemy changes his approach. He began feinting, testing Apollo''s limits. One feint nearly caught Apollo off-guard, Excalibur grazing his shoulder and sending a jolt of pain through his body.


    [I am handling that wound and energy berserk] Jeremiah showed up again, erasing any pain that might affect Apollo from thinking.


    "I''m running out of time," Apollo thought.


    [Don''t worry, observe you gave yourself an opportunity]


    The boy felt confused but still looked, and just like what Jeremiah said, an opening emerged. One of Apollo''s skills activated and returned the attack a thousand times the accumulated damage.


    [I manipulate the skill since at the start the Excalibur would just tank the return damage from the skill, so instead of returning the damage every time you get hit, I stored all the damages you receive and released them all now with a thousand times its original power]


    Even with Excalibur, it was too much to handle the amount of damage it received since the skill mainly targets the wielders. The amount of damage the sword can absorb is limited since Nero wasn''t the original wielder; he couldn''t draw its full power. The pain ran through Nero''s body, and even the sacred sword''s power wasn''t enough to subside the pain he was feeling. This was the opportunity Apollo was waiting for, so with all his might, he aimed the power of the authority at the heart of his enemy. He made sure the artifact of Nero wouldn''t interfere and swallow it. With a heavy breath, Apollo gave his command to the five authorities of the Gods.


    "Please obey me," he said as his vision slowly blurred due to exhaustion, his consciousness slowly disconnecting from the body.


    .


    .


    .

 Chapter 271 How unfair

    Exhaustion is already devouring the boy as he reaches his limit.


    "Please obey me," he weakly said; however, as the command was about to be established, something hit Apollo, sending him into the nearby forest.


    "Nero...argh!" Nepheline, who was hiding, attacked and immediately received the damaged return; however, she didn''t die due to the replica of Excalibur absorbing the damage.


    "It... Broke?" Nepheline mutters, seeing how the replica of the legendary sword is in pieces due to a single skill from the enemy. It might just be a replica, but it''s not a copy of some sword; it was a replica of Excalibur, the greatest weapon out of all the sacred weapons.


    "Argh!" Even with the power of the sword, she still receives some damage and is now at the door of death.


    "That wasn''t fair; you knocked my body down," a deep, inhuman voice speaks, putting the dire wolf in fear.


    "I am sorry did I scare you? You must have forgotten how there is more than one me in this battlefield"


    As he said those words, several shadows landed, drawing attention to the massacre that transpired. All the powerful beasts on their side were dead, their cores were taken and stored away.


    Nepheline remained strong, or try to remain strong her body glows as she expand her skill to aid Nero.


    "It seems your majesty is not a friend of pain" he said as he activated the power of gravity to pin them down. After that Apollo was about to use the four fundamental forces of nature to turn Nepheline into a radiation bomb. However just then a power smash into the air and disrupted his command. A sigh escapes from Apollo accompany by dozens of him.


    "Whats the matter your majesty you look tired" a sarcastic remark made Nero growled like a lion, and as he felt anger the more power he gets from the sword.


    "Are you being arrogant just because you have the numbers?"


    "Me? Oh don''t be like that, if you want I can fight you one on one, if that is what you wish for. The rest of me will just watch"


    That remark caused the former king to explode, his power and the swords synchronized drawing almost all the potential of the weapon.


    "Angry aren''t we, but are you sure you want to hit me? If you attack with all your might, will you be able to handle the consequences of it" he added and in that statement hesitation was evident of Nero''s face. The table has been turn and now Apollo got the upper hand of the battle however it could still change depending on how each of them will handle the situation.


    "Pffft HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" an unexpected answer came to Apollo as Nero laugh hysterically instead.


    "Did he went crazy?" He asked Jeremiah who reported that their opponents mind is nowhere gone into madness.


    [Creator I suggest you remain focus, our enemy seems to have a hidden trump card]


    "Dont waste your breathe with foolish words I know exactly what you guys are. Your sister company called the Monastery did have their fair share of delusions but what I am most concerned of is how you guys have access to Nirvana''s flesh despite the guy being sealed then killed. And how many more of his parts are shattered around the continent...Oh well I don''t really need to ask..." He said so as he began to approach this time Nero raise Excalibur and use its power as a shield.


    "Don''t worry this will only be painful but it wont kill you immediately" he said as he raise his hand and tried to cast the spell Veritas. Just then as if by command something suddenly hit him.


    [Warning the power of the oath is taking over!]


    "Damn oath" he mutters momentarily halting his advance.


    "Jeremiah cant you do something with that?"


    [I am trying but somehow Nero''s presence made this oath more complicated.]


    "Damn it!" he could just exclaimed" however unbeknownst to him it wasn''t just him who is feeling that sensation. From a far a selective individuals have their bodies bothered by the oath, especially of those from the four houses.


    While Apollo continue to struggle Nero was still in his defensive position but seeing his opponent suddenly stopping made him smirk for an unknown reason.


    "You know I will be more than happy if the four ducal houses were to come here instead of the archduke" he said causing Apollo to look at him.


    "You don''t understand the bond between the imperial family and the four ducal houses, do you? You might be powerful, but you can''t undo centuries of loyalty. An oath binds us¡ªone forged on the day the empire was built. No matter what you do, that oath ensures my survival. So as long as one of them answers my call before the imperial family arrives then you are done for"


    "Oh? And what makes you so sure that one will arrive here" Apollo said trying to mask his disbelief at the new information.


    "That is because as a member of the imperial family I can feel the presence of one of the oath takers, and I know they are all near this place. One of the four ducal houses is nearby and with their help I could definitely get rid of you!"


    "Wait don''t tell me...he is referring to me? I am after all the only member of the four ducal houses who is close by" Apollo wanted to slap him but just like Nero said an oath is binding those who loyal to the imperial house and unfortunately he is one of them.


    As the boy cursed his ancestor for having such an oath he notice that Nero is about to teleport away.


    "Ah so that was the plan ah"


    Apollo commanded the space and the teleportation is cancel, "Now shall we test the limits of these oath"


    Apollo became murderous as he began to bind Nero on the ground he was merciless, and when the oath strikes in manipulating his will, he became even more crazy in attacking making Nero believe that his enemy had gone crazy.


    "Just where are those dukes they should be able to hear my call" Nero thoughts so as the demon in front of him went mad in attacking.


    ---

 Chapter 272 Blade dance

    At first, Apollo froze at the revelation, Nero''s words echoing in his mind. His thoughts raced, connecting dots that had always eluded him. He recalled the strange, inexplicable moments when he felt his actions or thoughts were subtly influenced, especially when dealing with matters involving the imperial family. The best example was the replica of Excalibur found in one of the temples of the Monastery. He went crazy and almost lost control of himself at that time.


    "An oath..." Apollo muttered to himself. His hands clenched into fists. "That''s why."


    He finally understood. As a member of one of the four ducal families, he was bound by this ancient oath, a pact that transcended generations. It wasn''t loyalty¡ªit was a compulsion, a force embedded in his very existence. An oath that goes stronger as time passes; as long as the bloodline of the four houses and the imperial family continues, so does the pledge of loyalty. A vow that can go on for an eternity.


    "So that is why it was called the eternal oath, it''s something that can last forever as long as the bloodline continues. Now I wonder what are the conditions of this pact. I am sure my ancestor is not stupid enough to form an oath that put absolute power into the imperial family, there has to be something that I can use"


    He was always rebellious when someone tried to control him, so his first thought was about the limits and boundaries of the oath. Can he take advantage of it, or what condition he needs to do for the oath to allow him to kill Nero? When he first approaches and his bloodlust leaks, it must be perceived as an act of threat to the life of one member of the imperial house. So now what if he doesn''t have any intention of harming Nero''s life, only capturing him? Or perhaps he should erase his intention of harming the former king and only thing of disciplining him, in the form of violence of course. Can he fool the oath, or can Nero just control it? He wanted to test those thoughts, so he would come up with a spell to only restrict his target.


    "Somehow this reminds me how my brother''s teacher found that little loophole in his oath and place a fucking seal on me, he can''t kill me so he just seals me away so that people can just abuse me"


    After those thoughts, Apollo then moved swiftly, summoning the power-up versions of the techniques he got from Mahika, chains made from the fiery power of the planet Venus manifested and restrained Nero. The chains glowed with a red light, reinforced with layers of star energy. Nero''s smug expression faltered as the chains coiled around him, constricting his movements.


    "Just be a good boy, dear king," Apollo said coldly. "Surrender now," he added strengthening the restraint even more.


    But Excalibur flared with power, a golden light surge clashing with the chains. Apollo frowned as the sword nullified his binding spell. Though Excalibur couldn''t directly harm Apollo at the moment, it created a stalemate¡ªApollo couldn''t harm Nero either.


    Nero smirked again. "See? You can''t completely harm me, the power of the sword nullifies any attacks that may harm me. So you can''t kill me, demon. So just turn your back before the four ducal families arrive"


    Apollo didn''t pay heed to his words and just focused on how to knock the chatterbox unconscious. He needed to incapacitate Nero without alarming Excalibur''s protective shield.


    "How about the authorities"


    [The sword senses it, it will react and might disconnect Nero from the influence of the authority]


    The boy felt that frustration was slowly creeping its way towards his mind.


    Creator the thing you have been brewing is finished


    Do you wish to take it out now]


    "Yes I would like to"


    The system momentarily caused the surroundings to fluctuate. Even Nero felt the sudden change. Excalibur also hums loudly as if welcoming the new challenge.


    "What is this, this level of power.....Why does it feel familiar?" He questions while the sword in his hand clad him with a powerful light of protection.


    The humming sound continues to be heard as Apollo''s inventory releases a weapon in comparison to the sacred weapons. The weapon manifested, and as soon as it landed on Apollo''s hand, Excalibur welcomed it with an attack.


    A surge of energy crashes into the Apollos like a tsunami, wiping everything it reaches. A golden light filled the area to the brim, making Nero nervous that the feedback of the damage would be folded many times over like before. However, much to his surprise, something sinister intercepts Excalibur''s welcome gift. A weapon born from the color of the sun and brimming with the energy of all the nearby celestial bodies in the sky came forth and blessed the ground with its calming energy. It was the opposite of the power Excalibur excluded, an oppressive and overwhelming energy.


    A blade similar to the appearance of burning magma at the mouth of a volcano, symbols were also embedded at the fiery blade, while the hilt blends with the color black and orange. Then, at the center of the guard, a gem created from the power of all the heavenly bodies rested. The weapon crafted from the knowledge inside the Sage''s circle was finally completed.


    "Now let''s do some testing," Apollo said as he closed the distance between him and Nero. The man reacted fast, seeing the incoming attack. Two different arcs drawn from swords light up the broken canyons while the ground and air bear the impact of each swing.


    In the middle of all the chaos, two figures continue to clash, trying to break through each other''s defenses.


    "This is getting exciting!" Apollo said to himself as he felt free from all the restraints that chained him at the very start of the fight. With all his might he began executing the sword techniques he got from Mahika. The ground was momentarily under the influence of the stars as the sword''s power-assisted the move Apollo was about to make. Flames began to ignite around the sword as it bore the same effects of a fire spell.


    "Fire elemental sword art, Fiery blade dance"


    The technique was done with a fast and continuous wave of the sword, making it hard to defend from. However, Nero was able to keep up with the dance even when the strike came from an unconventional angle. Apollo just observed how his opponent was able to block him, so he changed his attack.


    "Hooo..." He regulated his breathing then he swiftly shifted his technique "Lightning elemental sword art, Swift light"


    The temperature suddenly increased by many folds, and Nero faced an even more powerful strike that happened faster than the speed of sound.

 Chapter 273 Apollo

    A sound of thunder erupted, followed by a shockwave that blew the surroundings; the ground was torn up, creating a cloud of smoke that obscured visibility.


    "I guess you aren''t just relying on your weapon to fight," Apollo commented, seeing how Nero was able to block his last attack without being pushed back.


    From above, a giant crater can be seen, and at the center of it are two individuals dueling at the torn ground beneath them, which began to be covered in flames.


    Apollo has been executing the swordsmanship he learns from Mahika, not letting his opponent form his attack. He plans to completely overwhelm him before disarming Nero away from his weapon. However, despite his initial advantage at the start, the sword''s might is still too hard to challenge, especially with Nero slowly adapting to Apollo''s fighting style.


    A radiant golden light arc with Nero advancing; midway to his attack, he began casting spells; these spells were rampant at the very start of the fight, but Jeremiah kept canceling them. Now, though, something was aiding the former king that made the artificial intelligence confused. What he cast was a different type of spell that didn''t have a direct effect on his creator. That is why he couldn''t cancel them like before.


    Nero successfully cast his spell, creating illusory doubles to obscure his true position. As the images surrounded Apollo, Nero unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, each one faster and more precise than the last.


    The receiver of the attack just smirked, his eyes narrowing as the skill Light of Aegis puts its maximum power to protect him, a dome of white light deflected the illusions and revealed the real position of Nero. Then, as if reading his opponent''s mind, Apollo sidestepped a downward slash and retaliated with a spell-infused thrust of his blade.


    "Fusion technique, Spell art!" magic and swordsmanship combine in a single strike.


    The tip of Apollo''s sword erupted with brilliant light, forcing Nero to fall back and shield his body. The power of the five elements was guided by the power of the sword, and the compressed attack brought great impact with it. And even distance wasn''t able to reduce the power it has.


    The tide of the battle keeps changing, and now Nero is being pushed back by a sword that barely existed than the one in his hand. However, despite the situation, he didn''t falter. He immediately began casting another spell, one that could amplify his physical abilities and infused his strikes with bursts of explosive energy. Excalibur glowed brighter as he launched a series of calculated attacks, each blow perfectly timed to exploit potential openings.


    Apollo reacted well and combined his foresight with his movements, so even with the fast rain of attack, Apollo was still able to parry and dodge, even landing a strike from unexpected angles.


    The biggest obstacle he has right now is Excalibur''s overpowering light. No matter what he does, it would block anything. It was the greatest defense he had encountered. He could not penetrate it.


    As soon as Apollo was gone, a group of men arrived. These people wore the insignia of the imperial house.


    "Well, it seems my dear brother got himself beaten," Augustus said; he was the one who led the army to investigate the riot that was currently happening.


    "Brother..." Nero began to speak, "You wouldn''t believe what just happened"


    The emperor just shook his head as his eyes fell on a certain object, "Well it seems you are right, I might not believe how this happened"


    Planted on the ground where Apollo was previously standing was a sword that made the battlefield broken as it is.


    "Your imperial majesty!" The nameless soldier who was always by the emperor''s side shouted in disbelief as the sword from the legend came to life.


    "Excalibur" Augustus just said as he summoned the sword to his hand. The weapon glowed, feeling the command, and without struggling, it flew and obeyed the order of the emperor.


    Nero defeatingly closed his eyes, knowing his brother had finally formed his connection to the weapon just like he did.


    "Ha.... Really, I wonder where my plan started to fail." he thought so until a certain someone came to his mind, "I wonder why you didn''t even see me, teacher." his mind trails off, thinking of a certain place that had long been forgotten by time.


    "That demon.....I am certain he has some connection with that place. His attacks were too familiar to me almost as if he was a mage there like me...." Bit by bit, the consciousness of Nero is fading away; even Nepheline''s cry wasn''t able to keep him from falling asleep. Deep within his dreams, a certain person was waving at him, a man he thought he had forgotten.


    "Teacher... Apollo"


    Sounds of explosion came to his ears along with eyes that bore pain and hate.

 chapter 274 Sleeping Beauty

    After all the things that happened it was time for the mess to be cleaned. That job fell on the emperor''s shoulders and his loyal subordinates.


    "So you are telling me there is no evidence regarding the thing that Nero fought?"


    "Yes Your Majesty even the seers weren''t able to see the past, something powerful is blocking their power"


    "How about Althea, my brother''s daughter? How is she? Did you get anything from her?"


    The soldier who was reporting that shook his head, "She doesn''t react to anything we say, I think something traumatized her that put her in a state where she can''t even construct her own words"


    "Are you sure that is the case and not away for her to remain silent"


    "Then Your Majesty we will conduct a test to see whether she is faking it or not"


    "Do so I will wait for your report"


    The soldiers finally leave the office, putting the emperor in distress; then his eyes land on the pile of death reports of not just one but hundreds of nobles from the surrounding kingdoms of his brother.


    "Haa....just what the hell is going on?" he began massaging his temple as he said those words, and then he remembered the territory of Duke Philippa in the kingdom of Delvira. The place was almost in ruins, but the thing that made him concerned was the fact that none of the residents were killed and remembered anything about what happened that night.


    "No one died and no one remembered anything, just what happened. I can''t even ask Nero because he is still in a coma"


    Augustus lamented his ignorance about the matter. He didn''t even know how he should address the ongoing unrest among the people. It was, after all, alarming how hundreds of nobles died in just one night.


    "All the nobles that died are members of the church..." He mutters, and then he hears the door creak open.


    "Oh, it''s you." It was the nameless soldier, in his hand was a file that hopefully would solve everything.


    "Please tell me.....we have answers aren''t we?"


    The emperor felt expectant not until the soldier shook his head.


    "Just how am I supposed to deal with this mess" he could only say while messing every strand of his hair. He knows that every reign faces problems, but he never expected that his time would be chaotic like this. He could only pray that the disaster could end with this.


    While he continued raking his hair, a shiny object attracted his attention; it was Excalibur.


    "Hayss...to think my brother kept you away to use against me"


    "It seems I was right on time," he excitedly exclaimed, causing everyone to laugh.


    The next day, it was announced that those nobles were part of a rebellion led by the emperor''s older brother, Nero Von Celestio.


    "Man, yesterday everyone was mourning, and now they are announced as rebels; what''s the use of hailing them like fallen heroes at first then announcing they are sinners by the next day?" Alya sarcastically said while heading to the classroom, followed by her drowsy friends who sleep late at night playing cards.


    The continuous sound of yawning can be heard, followed by groans due to sleepiness.


    "Damn, why are the two of you still okay" Matilda questioned seeing Apollo and Alicia fine, unlike them.


    "Ah, my head," Aaron could only say while holding his head due to a headache.


    "I should have said no when you suggested to play a game" Jillian weakly said as she melted like ice on her seat.


    "Sorry for suggesting a game." Blair, the one who started it all, said while his head on the desk, sleepy like all his friends. However, like magic, all the drowsiness they felt disappeared as they heard the familiar sound of footsteps.


    "Wait, is that who I think it is?" McKenzie exclaimed, jolting from his seat.


    "He is on his way here," Apollo answered his guess, and immediately, the students of the lower class fixed their disheveled appearance and prepared for their not-so-favorite teacher.


    The familiar sound of footsteps grew near until a silhouette cast over the door of the classroom.


    "What is this, you all look very attentive. Did something happen?" His deep baritone voice echoes across the quiet classroom as if he was the only person inside it. A playful smile emerges from the professor''s lips, causing the entire class to have a bad feeling.


    "Students, I have good news!" Professor Adolfo first said, however, none of the class truly expected good from him. Despite that perception, the man whom his student often cursed continued smiling.


    "Class, I am announcing that the upcoming third quarter school festival is approaching, and so all of you will be preparing something for the talent showcasing and booth presentation. Here is the other list of things you all need to participate in"


    Vesta stood up and took that list, then she turned and gave it to Alicia, their class president.


    "Well that is all, I hope all of you will be prepared to present and participate" Stay tuned for updates on empire


    He then left before any of the students could ask him something.


    And just like that, the lower class was thrown into the chaos of choosing the event in which they would be participating. Alicia was the one who was most busy since all the things that needed to be completed were given to her.


    "Seriously, why do we need to prepare when the third quarter is still a month away?" some complain, but they don''t have a choice and can only obey.


    The entire day was filled with complaints for some, but for some students, it was draining with all the things they needed to pass. And just like that, the second quarter of the school year is about to end, with quarterly exams coming in before the incoming third quarter festival.

 Chapter 275 Festival?

    The incoming third quarter school festival was an annual year celebration meant to put more interaction between the first years and upperclassmen. At this time, parents and guardians are free to enter to watch their children participate in games and events. This festival was also meant to release the stress for the upperclassmen since the second quarter was the hardest part of their year, so the festival was for them to loosen up.


    This year''s festival was also the academy''s way of fixing the current rift between the seniors and the first-year students.


    "Jeremiah how is the hunt on the church remnants"


    [According to what I got from the archduke library, it seems they had gotten most of them, our spies were also on the move so we should just wait]


    "And the missing part of the tree?"


    [Still missing]


    "And Nero is still in a coma. Did I hit him too hard?"


    After Apollo had his rest, he recast Clonis and continued his search over the word tree''s missing research results.


    "I should just do what I told you before"


    [You plan to massacre people again?]


    "Well, I don''t really plan to kill them, only marking their location; *sigh* speaking to the location, I wonder where they put Nero. I should probably pay a visit and just search his memory"


    [I''m already looking to it, Creator]


    "Keep me updated" Experience exclusive tales on empire


    [I will]


    The exams had started, but Apollo''s thoughts were still flying here and there. But even so, his name came on top, although it wasn''t a surprise for the first-year students; the upper-year students wondered why the rankings hadn''t changed yet, especially with Apollo being in the lower class. Some thought he wouldn''t be able to keep up with the other High-class students. However, contrary to their expectations, Apollo secured his rank one position, and all his classmates were able to secure a spot in the top 50. It was a very good position considering their rank on the previous exam. While some accepted the rank, others were skeptical about it. They were expecting Apollo to be ranked first, but they never knew his lower classmates could actually climb into the rankings. Somehow, some selected people grew hateful and jealous of the growing strength of the class.


    "What''s this? Why the hell is a lower class seated at the top of the rankings?" A voice filled with amusement was heard, and this made some first-years frown. However, they couldn''t voice their opinion since their professors told them to respect their seniors. More seniors came and saw the ranking board and most of them were aghast to find out that the top 50 were filled with lower class students.


    "Midas will not like this," mumbled one of the second years while the third years were confused about why a Lionheart was placed in the lower class.


    "Apollo, Eros'' little brother?"


    "I think so"


    "This is a bit complicated"


    Some rushed back to their dorms to discuss it with their friends, but some remained to watch the situation. They felt interested in the current situation, not until their presence made them all look back. A group of fifteen students leads by a beautiful black-haired girl with ruby-like eyes. Her aura was overwhelming definitely not an ordinary person.


    "Who is that girl?"


    "Don''t know it seems she is from a noble family"


    They began speculating until their eyes landed on the boy walking right at the very back of the group. Red orange hair and eyes that will remind you of the sun, aloof and cold to some but warm to his friends, Apollo Lionheart made his appearance shutting those who speak ill about him.


    "What''s with the noise?" he mutters, about the buzz-like noise of a murmuring crowd.


    "Sorry"


    "Don''t be I know whatever you did, you did it with good intentions. But next time don''t take the burden all to yourself, you know you can always share it with me and with your friends"


    She reminded him because aside from her, there is still the tower and classmates who are ready to help out.


    "Oh, wait, I almost forgot you already received a different mission from the emperor, right?" She suddenly asked while only a nod was Apollo''s answer.


    "He told me to keep an eye on the upper-year students here"


    "And here I thought Edgar was the main person that was causing the havoc"


    "Nope it seems there is something else that is hidden deep within the walls of this academy, he wants me to investigate it"


    "That should keep you occupied right?"


    "Actually I was planning on continuing a long overdue plan, but you know the emperor''s orders are my top priority"


    Alicia suddenly has a complicated look on her face upon hearing those words. "Obeying the emperor is something you can''t deny, after all," she weakly said, making her friend speculate if she had any idea about the oath.


    Apollo wanted to ask, but before he could, a notification from Jeremiah attracted his attention.


    [I have news, Creator]


    "Have you found it?"


    [I did, I have been spreading my senses across the empire, particularly to the archduke''s side, and it turns out it was them who found the research results; that is why we can''t find it. The weapon is already given to the emperor and sealed away but unfortunately, I could not find its location]


    "That''s okay how about Nero?"


    [According to what I heard from Archduke Nero should be locked inside the inferno palace underneath the capital]


    "Alright then we should pay a visit but keep an eye on any information you can gain from the archduke"


    [I will]


    "Thank you"


    A sigh of relief escapes from him, knowing that the part of the word tree that can be used to infinitely supply mana has been seized by the emperor.


    "If it''s him, then I don''t have to worry, right?" he asked himself before suddenly hitting himself.


    "Damn it is this my real thoughts or just the influence of the oath!" He thought hard, but Alicia, who was still with him, was worried when he suddenly hurt himself.


    "Hey, what''s with you? What''s with the sudden hitting?" Worry is evident in her voice as she says that.


    "It''s nothing I just got certain thoughts in my mind"


    Alicia could only shake her head as she saw the bruise Apollo inflicted upon himself.


    "Don''t do this again"No?v(el)B\\jnn

 chapter 276 A deep slumber

    "look at this, what a sleeping beauty," a sarcastic remark came from apollo as he arrived at nero''s cell. there, sleeping in a stone bed with chains and magic apparatus to keep him alive, was nahezda''s former king, nero.


    "jeremiah, what''s keeping him from waking up?"


    [currently creator it seems nero puts his mind in a deep slumber before the emperor caught him. this i believe is not typical magic we can just cancel, if we made a mistake we might accidentally kill him]


    "that is not really threatening i don''t mind killing him, but i wonder if veritas might be afraid in this state"


    [how about the authority of mystics, wont it be safer to use?]


    "right i should have thought of that"


    apollo was about to approach not until a presence made him look back. "apollo i think i already warned you about this moving alone plan of yours"


    alicia appeared and immediately lock her gaze at her friend.


    "i just need answers" he reason but alicia just shook her head as if denying apollo''s words.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    "you can''t touch nero apollo, augustus use the power of excalibur to protect him, touch him with any power and the blessings from the sword will react"


    "ugh" apollo suddenly groan remembering how he almost die fighting against a base excalibur.


    [i didn''t sense that creator i apologize]


    "there is an artifact here that is why you didn''t sense the power of the sword" alicia said answering the question that was apollo about to ask.


    "damn it waste my time here" he just said before teleporting back to the academy.


    alicia followed but before she does she made sure no one will know that the two of them was there.


    "seriously apollo if it weren''t for alya i wont be able to find you"


    the sun was raising from the east and the stars began to disappear as the day began to start. alicia and apollo arrive at their dorms however as soon as they went down the stairs a group of people began to attract their attention.


    "we have visitors?" apollo wonder knowing it was rare for someone to visit them especially at such early hour.


    "it seems they are from the upper years"


    "did you base it from their mana level?"


    "nope i just read the amount of time their soul has even living here, and base from that i can get their age"


    "so how old are they?"


    "you know we did made a promise to know what happened to them, after we end everything, after our lives are no longer in peril. we want to know why they gave up, you did read thier notes. something must have happened"


    mckenzie''s explanation brought forth a memory when they are inside the hidden shrine. how they admire the courage of their predecessors and how they felt pain of those who gave up. a single batch that only left notes of encouragement so that the next who will follows them don''t fall on their fate.


    at that time they couldn''t spare a thought of investigating the matter due to their own issues but now it seems the opportunity has finally arrived.


    "so are we gonna join or what?" arabella asked knowing the date of the party will arrive shortly.


    "i honestly don''t like going into crowded places" matilda said knowing every time she saw a huge crowd of people she only remembers when the monastery attacked their island. it seems even when their enemies gone, the scars they inflicted still haunts the victims.


    "same i don''t like loud places either, i heard they will hire some famous dj to make the party more entertaining" samael added matilda''s words because he have the same reason as her. sometimes when they hear a specific noise it would trigger a certain reaction from them that usually doesn''t end well. so to make it sure it doesn''t happen it probably best for them not to join the party.


    "i am in, i think i can join!" alya remark since she has a feeling something will happen at the acquaintance party.


    "well that is one who else wants to join?"


    apollo continue to ask then blair and mckenzie raise their hand showing their intention to attend.


    "any more hands?"


    "we actually had plans so we won''t be able to join the senior''s acquaintance party"


    "what do you mean by other plans vesta?"


    "actually apollo their are still some first years who are wary of the seniors so instead of joining the party they wanted to have a sleep over at the nearby forest. well some of them call this a nearby camping sleep but that is the gist of the thing we will do"


    apollo understand that since they had become quite close to the other class even before the suicide incident.


    "i don''t see any wrong with that but who else will be there with you?"


    "that would be agnes, jillian, me , niko, aaron, keith and braiden, while casper will remain with matilda and samael"


    "i see how about you arabella what do you plan to do?"


    "i actually wanna stay here, i hate crowded places"


    "i see that is understandable so the only people who will joined the party is mem alicia and alya while you guys will go on your plans"


    "yes that is how it is" your next chapter awaits on empire


    then as apollo clear out the ones who will join him alicia came with the list of participants on each event for the festival.


    "sigh, why does this academy have so much event to hold" she mutters while handing out the event schedule and mechanics to her classmates.


    the main reason for the academy''s abundant event and suspension is for the students to relaxed. the aster academy have lots of records of suicidal students that although it was never revealed to public the school tried its best to lessen the pressure on the students. that is why they created events where they can relax and vent their frustration. they also tried to lessen their school work in order for them to have more time for themselves and friends. for years this kind of system works until the recent incident happened, were it isn''t pressure or stress from school work that drove the student to such unfortunate decision but instead their own classmates. bullying both physically and verbally, it was to the degree that the life of someone was consider as meaningless. even with their efforts the academy failed to see that it wasn''t just the work that drove students to the edge¡ªit was the people around them. it was the way classmates whispered insults, turned backs, and turned pain into a game. the way that making fun of others became a prank that can be brush off by saying shallow words. if the academy coutjust see that deep within the lessons from the books, painful whispers and insults became a deadly battle that some could fight off alone.

 Chapter 277 Neros memories

    deep within the darkest and most heavily guarded cell, a man lies down, sleeping on top of a stone bed. his body, although in deep slumber, was releasing a faint shade of golden light, a sign that the sacred sword was still protecting him.


    nobody can hurt him, and neither can they wake him up; all they can do is wait and see when he will open his eyes.


    deep within his dreams, a certain person was waving at him, a man he thought he had forgotten.


    "teacher... apollo"


    he called until a fragment of a long-lost memory came to him.


    "what are you doing? you are creating madness, dominos!"


    a voice full of rage filled my ears, along with glass shattering and objects clattering on the ground. i looked at the owner of the voice, and i saw a man who would always send shivers down my spine.


    "teacher.... listen, i can explain..."


    "enough erase everything now!"


    he didn''t even try to listen to me...


    teacher.... listen.....i just want you to be proud...


    in the next moment, my eyes were filled with flames, shouts, and screams.


    what is going on?


    teacher?


    "dominos!" my head turned, and immediately, my heart was filled with relief when that familiar voice came to me.


    "teacher!"


    i ran towards him, but as soon as i reached him, i felt a sudden pain touch my cheek, causing my body to sway unevenly.


    "teacher?" i asked, hurt and confused, as i looked at him, closed eyes bearing darkness on me. for the first time in my life, i felt scared that those eyes would never turn on me like that. even when he is extremely mad, it was never to this extent. it was never with an ill intention that could almost be seen as killing intent.


    "teacher i...i swore i never had such intention..."


    "i told you, demons are not to be experimented! look what have done everything has been destroyed! everyone is dying and this catastrophe could spread across the entire continent! do you want another era of extinction to happen? i have warned you!"


    each word he said was like a sword that kept stabbing me...i know what i did was wrong; however, isn''t that what it takes to create another innovation? another advancement in technology. why teacher....how come you can''t understand me. i was doing something good, for everyone.


    "what have you done!" my teacher repeated, and that is when my knees felt weak as the power of corruption invaded my body. i felt weak, and i couldn''t breathe; however, instead of running, my eyes kept looking at my teacher. he was angry a second ago but now, he is holding me in his arms.


    "don''t breathe it... the air!... use your mana!" his voice reached me too late....far too late.


    "dominos! look at me!"


    i can''t breathe.... something is blocking my airway and my mana has long been tainted by the corruption.


    "t-teacher..... i would p-pro-ve...you wrong..."


    despite my desperate breathing, i still wish to say something....he has to hear me.


    "dominos, you little idiot, even in death, you are still obsessed." my teacher was filled with pain and hate. i have no idea why. but i still wish he had seen how i created that demon using his blood. will he feel surprised that blood from the sacred guarding families can actually create such a monstrosity? will he believe me if i say that the demon can actually sense him since they share the same blood?


    "o-oh....how interesting"


    i really want to see who will win when a demon that has the same ability as you emerge


    "teacher, good luck..."


    darkness soon came, and for some unknown reason,, i felt like i was floating like a boat floating at a moving wave of water.


    "okay, okay i know you don''t have to explain like that"


    "come on don''t laugh"


    "yes yes i won''t i promise"


    continue your adventure at empire


    "you are still smirking"


    "but i wasn''t?"


    "you are!"


    while the two bicker, the rest of their classmates are currently admiring the beautiful lake hidden deep within the old shrine; however, soon, they, too, join them.


    "hey, which one of you put my name on the cross-dressing event" apollo immediately asked as soon as he saw his friends.


    all of a sudden, all heads turn towards mckenzie, making him smile mischievously.


    "seriously why that event?" apollo asked feeling exasperated at his friend.


    "well, no one wants to take it, and considering your skills, we are sure you are the perfect one. besides, you are not alone, matilda''s gonna join the female one while you will go for the male. you two will represent our class for the cross-dressing event"


    mckenzie explained but apollo still felt funny about the situation.


    "well, it''s not like i have a choice," he mutters, accepting the event he was signing in.


    .


    .


    .


    night falls while the festival will happen tomorrow, the wind blows coldly as the month of november brought forth the signs of coming winter.


    "tell me did apollo accept our invitation?"


    a voice asks; his silhouette can barely be seen in the deep, shady room. however, despite that, his presence was so suffocating that it filled the room with heavy foreboding pressure.


    "senior he accepted, he and two of his classmates will come here at the end of the festival"


    "hmmm....how amusing.." he replied as he paced back and forth in his room.


    "i can''t see it, his fate and his lower classmates. how come i can''t read into their future,e," he added while the darkness surrounding him began to increase.


    "watson"


    "yes senior"


    "tell everyone that they should win more events than the other class, we must gauge how strong our new first years, especially those from the lower class department"


    the voice was very commanding, but even so, none of the present students tried to disobey him.


    "we will do as you command, senior," replied the student as he left along with his classmates.


    "apollo lionheart, how come i can''t see you in any of your future. are you an existence capable of destroying fate like me"


    he whispered to himself as he was left alone in the room.


    .


    .


    .

 chapter 278 Festive event

    the end of november brought a flurry of excitement to the academy, as preparations for the annual school festival were in full swing. students raced through hallways, arms laden with decorations, props, and supplies. the chill of december loomed in the air, prompting everyone to prepare warm, festive themes for their booths and events. the center part of the academy was in chaos, with people not yet done with their preparation.


    the night before the festival was hectic, with all classes urged to participate in many booths and events. apollo''s class was also included in this chaos and saw, like a raging battlefield, shouts and screams can be heard from afar as the students rush to finish making their booth.


    apollo, however, stood in the middle of the chaos, looking utterly lost. his classmates had been shouting instructions at him even when morning already arrived, but his thoughts flew here and there, and wasn''t able to remember what booth he and his class had submitted the entire month they had a meeting about it, its because whenever they do his thoughts would go to nero, so with confusion, he ends up being caught up to a series of orders he needs to obey.


    "apollo!" one of his classmates, alya, snapped, waving a clipboard in his face. "did you even hear what i said? we need those paints, garlands, and the mannequin from the art room!"


    "oh! right sorry let me put these boxes down first"


    the festival hadn''t started yet, and he was already tired from walking back and forth.


    "apollo!"


    "right! paints, garlands, mannequins... got it!" apollo said with a sheepish grin, though he had been questioning why they needed a mannequin.


    as the morning went on and replaced the night, apollo found himself running back and forth, carrying boxes of supplies, fetching tools, and even holding up decorations while his classmates worked. he still had no idea what their booth was supposed to be even with the running he had done.


    when the setup was finally complete, apollo stepped back and stared in awe. their booth was a cozy winter wonderland, adorned with sparkling lights, frosty garlands, and snowflake motifs. a small stall offered warm drinks, while a central display featured a life-sized snow globe with a magical, swirling winter scene. there are also some cold chilling drinks accompanied by pastries that were set to accommodate different tastes.


    "so...this is what we''ve been working on?" apollo muttered, scratching his head.


    alya rolled her eyes a bit amused at his reaction. "yes, genius. it''s called winter harmony. it''s supposed to evoke the warmth of winter and the joy of the holidays."


    "it looks amazing," apollo admitted.


    "well, it''s better, considering how much we yelled at you," matilda quipped before returning to her tasks.


    then, more of their classmates had just woken up from their sleep; the thing was to finish the booth. those who don''t have any events scheduled in the morning will not sleep and finish the booth through the night.


    once morning arrives, a rotation will happen, and the ones who don''t get any sleep will sleep. the one who has the afternoon event schedule will be stationed at the booth until their scheduled event comes.


    the setup goes like this


    morning - students who have a schedule


    apollo felt an unexplained excitement run down his spine as the cloaked figure''s eyes seemed to linger on him for a moment.


    "ah, just now did he just stare at me"


    [you are not planning on targeting them, right?]


    "i was ordered to investigate them so why not"


    [you were ordered to investigate the upper-year student,, not the student council]


    "it''s just the same"


    a sigh can be heard deep within apollo''s consciousness and the boy knew it was jeremiah feeling defeated from his reasoning.


    "jeremiah, we must look into them. after all, who else can tell us what is happening at this place besides them. they could probably give us a bit of information"


    jeremiah couldn''t help but agree; indeed, since he never cared about the affairs going on inside the academy, he didn''t know what he should look into. instead of starting from scratch, he might as well start talking with the people who knew about the academy more.


    once the speeches ended, the festival truly began. students rotated between running booths and participating in events. apollo''s classmates were enthusiastic, splitting their time to ensure everything ran smoothly.


    matilda and alya headed back to the dorms with apollo since they planned to rest for their event in the evening.


    the ones who will man the booth are mceknzie, blair, vesta, and braiden.


    while the others were manning their booth, a group of mages from the tower arrived. they were their guardians assigned to protect them back when the monastery was still aiming at their class, as none of apollo''s classmates had remaining families to rely on.


    the tower mages excitedly ordered drinks in the booth; in a matter of seconds, the booth that barely had people was suddenly filled to the brim.


    as the day progressed, whispers about the previous first-year class began to surface. the sun had already set, and the night slowly crept in as alicia shared what she''d heard with apollo and a few others.


    "they say the seniors who were in our position were forced to leave because of pressure from the other classes," alicia said. "apparently, there was some kind of incident that made their class a target."


    apollo frowned as soon as he arrived and said. "what kind of incident?"


    "no one knows for sure, but some say it had to do with a bet," alicia replied, her voice heavy with unease.


    apollo felt complicated and knew his classmates were now on the move to find out what happened during the last school year. however, he wasn''t sure if what they will know will help them in the future

 Chapter 279 Dresses, Songs, and Secrets

    the tower mages excitedly ordered drinks in the booth; in a matter of seconds, the booth that barely had people was suddenly filled to the brim.


    "how are you holding up, kiddos?" adhara asked gently.


    "we are doing fine," mckenzie replied, though he could feel a sudden pressure with the sudden amount of customers pouring into their booth.


    "you''re doing well do you want us to help out?" adhara said, placing a hand on his shoulder.


    "no big sis we are good but please advertise our booth to your fellow mages, the ones with the highest income have an award after all"


    "alright, i will; where is apollo, by the way?"


    "resting, he will be here in the afternoon"


    "i see"


    mckenzie and the others became busy; however, soon, one by one, their classmates began to return after they completed the event they joined in. until the four left for their respective event.


    the afternoon event came by, and apollo returned with alya and matilda; they will now man the booth. then, when night falls, the three are still occupied with their task since more people are flooding in.


    as the day ended, whispers about the previous first-year class began to surface. the sun had already set, and the night slowly crept in as alicia shared what she''d heard with apollo and a few others.


    "they say the seniors who were in our position were forced to leave because of pressure from the other classes," alicia said. "apparently, there was some kind of incident that made their class a target."


    apollo frowned as soon as he arrived and said. "what kind of incident?"


    "no one knows for sure, but some say it had to do with a bet," alicia replied, her voice heavy with unease.


    "i wonder what kind of bet is that?" apollo ponders while pouring tea for their customers.


    "i don''t think you have the time to think of that"


    alicia''s tone of voice suddenly changed, and this confused apollo.


    "my dear apollo, aren''t you forgetting something?"


    "me?...ah!"


    "that is right, matilda is already being taken care of by the senior witches of the tower so all that is left is you"


    "damn, who will help me again?"


    "you can choose me, our classmates, or the tower mages"


    the boy then weighed his options, and with great deliberation, he said.


    "i think you will tease me less than the others"


    "right, okay, i will help you," she sounded as if she had expected it, but apollo was glad she agreed, "at least she won''t tease me," he thought.


    among the events apollo had signed up for was a cross-dressing contest. he didn''t think much of it at first, but now, as he looked at himself in the mirror in front of him, wearing a flowing dress and a long wig, he was starting to regret it.


    "this is ridiculous," he muttered.


    "you look great," alicia teased, barely able to contain her laughter. after finishing her makeup on apollo, the little beauty now wants to praise her friend a bit.


    "shut up," apollo grumbled, his legs shaking while his feet were screaming due to the heels.


    "just why it has to be me?" he muttered under his breath, glaring at alicia, who was adjusting his wig.


    "because," alicia said with an evil grin, the pretty black-haired girl could no longer contain her laughter again, "you didn''t listen to the meetings. and because you look fabulous in this dress."


    the "dress" in question was an overly elaborate gown that glittered with every movement. coupled with a long, wavy wig and a touch of makeup applied by his enthusiastic classmate, apollo looked uncomfortably convincing.


    "i feel like a clown," he grumbled while looking at the mirror.


    "you look good," alicia corrected. "now, remember, smile and wave when you walk out. oh, and don''t trip on the hem and do well with the voice okay!"


    before apollo could protest, the announcer called his name.


    the first part of the event started and as apollo stepped onto the stage, a deafening cheer erupted from the crowd. his classmates screamed in support¡ªor to tease him, he couldn''t tell.


    he tried to follow alicia''s advice, smiling and waving as he walked. unfortunately, his long dress snagged on the stage, and he stumbled forward, nearly face-planting. the crowd gasped, then burst into laughter when he managed to catch himself in the most ungraceful way possible. he reacted fast, but his reaction was a bit delayed due to the dress he was wearing.


    "smooth," alicia whispered from the sidelines, barely holding back her laughter though for a moment she was nervous.


    "i hate you," apollo mouthed back at her, causing alicia''s ruby-like eyes to form like crescent moons in the night sky. she was enjoying it herself, opposite apollo, who wanted to run away.


    despite his awkward start, apollo managed to reach the center of the stage, where he introduced himself.


    as he opened his mouth the crowd suddenly went silent. they were expecting an awkward boyish voice like the previous contestant, but to their surprise, a feminine voice matching his looks was heard.


    "wow" mckenzie couldn''t help but exclaimed when he saw how apollo gracefully introduced himself. even the other contestant was surprised and wondered if he was really a guy,


    right after that more segments entered the event until a talent portion was suddenly announced. it was really sudden, but for apollo, it turns out he didn''t even study the event he was going to earning a facepalm from alicia.


    "i told him to prepare," she mutters as she looks at him, eyes with expectation and concern.


    whereas apollo''s heart pounded as he stood before the microphone. he had no idea what he was going to do.; well, to be exact, he can do many things, but he doesn''t know whether it is appropriate to be used in an event like this. the other contestants had showcased impressive talents¡ªdancing, simple magic tricks, even sword dance.


    "what''s your talent?" the announcer asked, smiling expectantly.


    apollo wondered. then, from the depths of his mind, a single, horrifying thought emerged.


    "i''ll... sing," he blurted out wanting to try something new.


    the audience erupted in cheers, oblivious to the fact that apollo''s singing voice was less than stellar.


    taking a deep breath, apollo opened his mouth and began to sing. suddenly, the crowd went silent while his classmates remained, staying among the crowd supporting him.

 chapter 280 How to be pretty

    a night before the festival, the tower was bustling with noise; the reason was they were having a competition on who would come and attend the kid''s school festival.


    isabella already secured her spot, so she was very calm and began packing the things she wanted to give to her son and his friends. while she excitedly packed her stuff, a call suddenly interrupted; at first, she was confused about who would call at such an hour.


    the communication orb lying on her table softly glows, indicating someone is calling her with her thoughts about her son. interrupted. she reached for the orb and was surprised to see the caller.


    "apollo" she exclaimed, seeing the familiar set of communication codes that belonged to only one person.


    "did something happen?" she wondered.


    afraid that it was important, she immediately answered it, "hello, my dear, did something happen?"


    she was a bit nervous as she spoke, thinking that a problem could have been the reason for the call.


    "mother just a question i just need you to give me some advice about this"


    those words mean many implications for a moment the young senior mage assumed his son might have his first crush, full of expectation the mother spoke coaxingly to him, "speak my little sun i will hear you out"


    her reply came smoothly; however, apollo didn''t, "is he contemplating about something?" she thought so but didn''t make any statement to urge her son to speak; instead, she waited.


    "mother"


    "yes?"


    "....do you know.."


    "know?"


    ".. d-do you know how to be pretty"


    "...."


    ".....mother are you still there?"


    "ah?.....ye-yes my dear that is a very complicated question"


    all sorts of thoughts run across her head, but she still keeps her word on listening to what apollo is trying to say. that night, isabella almost had a heart attack, though fortunately, her son was able to explain why.


    .


    .


    .


    on the night of the first day of the festival, everyone gathered up around, and isabella was filled with worry since she was ambushed with workload directly from the imperial palace. try as she might to come early but due to the amount of papers that had to be handled by her, she was still late. the night already arrived, and she barely found herself inside the academy.


    "i wonder where my son is"


    isabella began to worry since she had promised to come, "i hope he isn''t mad"


    hurriedly, she rushed to the academy event grounds and immediately spotted a certain figure standing nervously on the stage.


    right after that more segments entered the event until a talent portion was suddenly announced. it was really sudden, but for apollo, it turns out he didn''t even study the event he was going to, earning a facepalm from alicia.


    "i told him to prepare," she mutters as she looks at him, eyes with expectation and concern.


    whereas apollo''s heart pounded as he stood before the microphone. he had no idea what he was going to do; well,l to be exact, he can do many things, but he doesn''t know whether it is appropriate to be used in an event like this. the other contestants had showcased impressive talents¡ªdancing, simple magic tricks, even sword dance.


    "what''s your talent?" the announcer asked, smiling expectantly.


    apollo stood alone on the stage, the light still pointed at him; his eyes were closed, however, as he opened them. a pair of golden eyes landed on a certain figure on the ground.


    ~mother, i love you~ he lastly sang as the light turned off for a second and returned back to normal.


    for a few seconds, there was silence, and this made the boy worry if he sang way too feminine or too masculine. as he began to think a resounding clap and cheers filled his ears.


    however, even with the loud applause, the boy''s eyes linger on a certain person.


    alicia followed his eyes, and as she saw the recipient of such an affectionate gaze, a smile formed on her lips.


    "so you finally arrived," she just said, crossing her arms as she led on the wall.


    soon, apollo exited the stage, and the host took over to announce that the winner would be announced shortly after a short break.


    "not bad," alicia admitted, though her smirk betrayed her amusement.


    apollo bowed awkwardly, his cheeks burning. "never again," he muttered to himself, but alicia could see the smile on his lips after seeing a certain someone in the crowd.


    "alright let me first make some retouch on your outfit and makeup"


    apollo, who was happy about his mother''s arrival, was suddenly taken aback, so he said, "wait, isn''t the one a while ago enough?"


    "nope we had to fix something on your face"


    "nope, my face is already perfect," apollo just argued, using alicia''s tone of voice as she spoke to him.


    "don''t copy me, now be a good boy and let me fix you"


    for a moment, apollo pouted, now liking it, but soon gave up under alicia''s urging.


    "next time, i''ll be the one to do your makeup," he randomly declared, earning a laugh from her.


    "okay okay you will" a playful reply came from her and made apollo laugh as well


    the short break gave some of the lower class students in the crowd to visit apollo at his hiding place or, more to say, dressing room.


    apollo''s friends were in various states of barely contained hysteria while the tower mages didn''t say anything but their silence only made apollo suspicious of them.


    "please tell me you didn''t record that," he helplessly asked, but none of the mages answered.


    "come on," he added, feeling exasperated.


    but soon, his attention shifted to his trouble-making classmates.


    "did you see his face when he tripped?" one of them whispered, tears of laughter streaming down their cheeks.


    "almost trip, braiden" he corrected.


    "i''m never letting him live this down," mckenzie said, grinning ear to ear.


    "but to tell you the truth we almost thought you were a girl with how you acted and spoke"


    "and the singing apollo you were quite good!" vesta added blair''s remark. they began talking happily until familiar footsteps made apollo stop and shift his attention to the door. then it opened, revealing a beautiful white-haired woman.


    "mother!"


    apollo smiled as he saw his mom; however, that smile soon fell when he saw the item in his mother''s hand.


    "an image capturer?"


    now he wishes he never invited anyone from the tower.

 chapter 281 Lullaby Princess

    among the cheering crowd, someone was watching from the sidelines.


    his eyes were golden. some say it was even sparkling, while his hair was the color of the setting sun, red-orange but beautifully decorated his head. eros watched closely at his younger brother, and the moment he saw his mom in full support of whatever apollo was doing, it filled his heart with rage.


    "why.. why is it always him?" he repeated those words inside his head until someone lightly tapped his shoulder.


    "young master"


    immediately, eros recognized him as a mage under the care of his teacher.


    "dylan, what''s up?"


    "young master your teacher has come, he is looking for you"


    eros nodded his head; however, before leaving, he glanced at his mother again before following dylan.


    "apollo, why couldn''t you just die?" he thought as his figure slowly disappeared from the dark.


    "hmm...?"


    "what is it, blair?" mckenzie noticed his sudden change and immediately asked what happened.


    "sorry i just thought someone was thinking bad about us"


    "you sense it?"


    "yes"


    "we will tell apollo about this later but for now we should enjoy this night"


    blair just nodded and soon moved to see apollo.


    .


    .


    .


    "an image capturer?"


    now he wishes he never invited anyone from the tower.


    "how much did they take?"


    [well sir arthur took a video when you almost tripped while the others took dozens of videos on their magic image capturer]


    "seriously"


    while embarrassment and frustration well up in the boy''s mind, isabella slowly approaches him and then clicks!


    "mom!"


    he shouted while covering his face.


    "come on, it''s too late to be embarrassed. everyone already has your photo except me. so let mom have at least ten shots, okay?" she was enthusiastic and left apollo in a chokehold. he could not reject such eyes looking at him excitedly. he felt helpless, and there was no one who could help him.


    with no other option, he could only say, "alright take as much as you want"


    isabella smiled and nervously held her camera to capture every moment.


    "smile more.."


    "how about moving around"


    "oookay.."


    apollo walk the same way he did when he first came up on the stage, and every step he took was welcomed by a series of camera flashes. the boy could not know whether to laugh or cry at his situation, but seeing his family and friends being happy, he had no choice but to surrender.


    "well, it''s rare for everyone to be this happy. i should just let them be," he thought, and although he felt embarrassed, he just went with the flow and enjoyed the moment.


    soon enough, they were called back on the stage, and despite not liking his situation, he strangely felt nervous. his hand felt sweaty, and for some reason, his throat became dry. whoever wins should not bother him, but for some reason, he felt restless.


    "damn it" he shouted in his head while his legs became shaky due to the heels.


    "jeremiah"


    [yes?]


    "i suddenly felt a sense of respect towards those girls who were in these heels every day"


    [is it really hard]


    "welcome then i will remove the corset"


    "yeah please do"


    in the next couple of seconds, sounds of rustling fabric can be heard, along with apollo''s painful groans.


    "have you removed it?''


    "no, i think it stuck"


    "stuck!"


    the boy felt lamented for a second, but then he thought of using disintegrate to finish his misery.


    "ali, can i destroy this corset?"


    "no, i can remove it just a sec.."


    "ugh! that hurts you are making it even tighter"


    "wait .....sigh, okay, you win. do whatever you want.."


    "thanks." then, within a second, the corset disappeared, and now the boy was standing with only a boxer shorts.


    a broad shoulder and back filled with scars came into alicia''s view. for a moment, she couldn''t help but look at them, although it wasn''t the first time she had seen them. the impact it had on her was always the same: a mix of emotions that even she could not comprehend.


    "alicia..." he finally spoke, knowing the meaning of that gaze; although he couldn''t see her face, he knew what she was thinking.


    "you plan to make it even right?" she just said earning a nod from apollo.


    "but i plan to give a different set of scars. i will be sure of it"


    his words had no hint of anger but instead sounded reassuring. she didn''t really understand but decided to pat his back as if saying good luck.


    "get dressed." she then gave him his uniform.


    apollo just smiled and took it; however, when he was about to wear his uniform, the door suddenly swung open, and the tower mages with his friends poured in to see him.


    "oh!" vesta exclaimed as she witnessed apollo''s bare body filled with scars.


    "that is a very nice boxer, apollo." mckenzie even whistled as he said that.


    "care to give me a little privacy?" a glare then landed on the newcomers, causing them to fall back but not immediately leave.


    "click!"


    a camera shuttle causes alicia to laugh, making apollo''s glare shift on her.


    "okay, okay, we will leave," the black-haired beauty chuckled as she said that then she dragged everyone out of the room.


    in the next second, apollo was left alone, and a sudden silence enveloped his dressing room.


    "sigh .... finally some quiet time"


    after a few minutes, he finally left the dressing and saw his mother.


    "mom...."


    "your friends are already outside since it is matilda''s turn"


    "oh i see, let''s head there then"


    after leaving backstage and finally landing at the audience stand a resounding clap echoes making apollo surprised. as he looked up at the stage, a silhouette of an imposing figure swallowed everyone with her presence.


    "is that matilda?"


    apollo was actually dumbfounded. he had never anticipated such an appearance.


    "good evening i''m matilda santiago from lower class!"


    a husky voice went through the mic, and with a face similar to a prince, the girls at the back cheered so loud it made everyone surprised.


    "what an impact"


    with just a few words, matilda caught the attention of many people, and just like that, the crowd increased surprising even the other classes.


    the girl standing in the spotlight walks confidently with a sword at her waist and a military outfit that evenly matches her charisma; the gallant soldier from the lower class makes many hearts skip.


    "just wow," mckenzie could only say until the figure on the stage disappeared and was replaced by the host.


    even when her figure was gone, her overwhelming presence caused everyone to yearn for her appearance again.


    "now i wonder what you will do at the talent portion, matilda," apollo said, feeling excited at the competition.

 chapter 282 Brewing trouble

    "good evening i''m matilda santiago from lower class!"


    for some reason, a voice not belonging to a lady echoes across the event ground; however, that is not the only reason why everyone is surprised.


    "did she just say, matilda?"


    "yeah that''s impossible right because the archduke''s daughter also has that name"


    "it''s against the imperial law to have the same name as those who have a noble bloodline especially those with the highest rank in the empire"


    "then just how did she have that name?"


    "wait, didn''t you hear her last name?"


    "what? what name?"


    "come on, we learned it in history. there is an exception to that rule, remember!"


    the crowd was stirred with debate until an old rule from the past surfaced.


    "under the imperial law, no commoner shall take the same name of those from the noble bloodline, low ranking aristocrats can''t also take names that have already been used by those who are above them.."


    "..but there is one family who wasn''t included in such rule...the ruling family who resides at the edge of the empire. protecting hundreds of islands and coasts in evaristo. the holder of the black fort the santiagos"


    it only means even if they use the names of previous emperors no one can hold them accountable.


    silently, the group of upper-year students gulped as they realized a member of such a family still existed.


    "i thought that family went extinct when the breakout happened on one of the coasts?"


    "well we now know that it is not true"


    the islands surrounding the edge of the empire had always produced the most ferocious demonic breakout; however, despite all the issues, the black fort still stood. their courage was well admired by the emperor, and they were rewarded with different kinds of immunities from the imperial law; one of them was a law about names. as long as the name santiago is placed right after your name, an invisible protection from the imperial rules comes after.


    however, though it might seem having such a name is great, it also brings heavy responsibility, just like what happened to matilda''s and casper''s loved ones. the name santiago bears the responsibility of being a shield to ward off the magical beast that turns into demons. they need to destroy them before a breakout can even occur. you also have to earn it and have the skill to back it up, and that is why strength is associated with the santiago.


    "just how the hell did such a person enter the lower class?"


    "did some kind of mismatch happen?"


    the seniors now became interested at the lower class while some have another heated debate.


    "see i told you it wasn''t an error in the ranking board, see there is really someone named matilda"


    "yeah yeah you don''t have to say that"


    "if i am not mistaken the last names of the lower class were really strange have you not noticed it"


    "she''s really owning it," apollo muttered, impressed, while his hand continued clapping.


    alicia, seated beside him, smirked. "what did you expect? matilda practiced so hard for this performance. unlike someone i know who almost tripped in heels."


    "hey, i didn''t fall," apollo retorted, though the memory still made his ears burn.


    the atmosphere was light and carefree, a rare reprieve from the tense situation that often ran through their lives. for once, apollo allowed himself to relax. watching matilda and the others perform, he felt a strange sense of freedom and joy, something he hadn''t experienced in a long time


    at the end of the event, matilda was hailed as the winner and once again the crown fell into the lower class.


    "let''s go back to the booth!" apollo declared excitedly, and under the light of the lamps, multiple silhouettes danced across the night.


    "enjoying yourself, apollo?" alya asked as she approached; her event was long ended, so she was with matilda the whole time in the dressing room.


    "for once, yes," he admitted, a smile plaster across his face.


    .


    .


    .


    "hey, they are back!" aaron immediately noticed and immediately prepared drinks for everyone.


    "so was it fun?" vesta immediately asked while on her hand plates and cakes were served.


    the tower mages immediately sat down. isabella was no exception; she, too, began to like the warm atmosphere of the class.


    "it was amazing, but i almost tripped while walking on the stage," apollo admitted, then immediately took a sip of the hot chocolate she handed him. the sweet, rich taste melted away the lingering tension and embarrassment from earlier.


    "we should do this more often," matilda quipped, leaning against the counter. "what i mean is the relax. smile. maybe even have a fun moment." she clarifies since the boys are looking at her suspiciously.


    apollo chuckled. "maybe i will. just for the festival."


    the night of the first day ended with a blast for everyone. soon enough, it was time to clean up and return to the dorm.


    "come on, guys we prepared a cozy place to sleep in!" mckenzie excitedly said while the others just quietly followed. the tower mages were also having fun; for a while, they put aside their research and tasks at the tower just to come, but they didn''t regret anything since everything looked fun.


    "hey wanna hear a story!" braiden was about to brag about how apollo almost dived while walking but alicia told him they still needed to prepare for tomorrow and that they had a new set of schedules. reluctantly, although they still had a lot of energy, they decided to sleep. the entire living room was replaced with futons and quilts. the mages from the tower and the students from the lower class peacefully sleep there until dawn finally arrives.


    the second day of the festival dawned bright and chilly, the excitement from the previous day still lingering in the air. unlike the first day, where events were separated by year level, today''s activities were a mix of all classes. duo and group events took center stage, designed to make everything more fun and collaborative.


    or so it was intended.


    apollo noticed it during the first event of the day: a team relay race that pitted groups from different years against one another. the older students, particularly the seniors, were intensely competitive. their focus was not on enjoying the festival but on crushing their opponents, even if it meant pushing the younger students to their limits.


    "this doesn''t look right." they are causing trouble, and the entirety of the first years didn''t like what they were trying to brew.

 chapter 283 Returning the favor

    on the second day of the festival, the events are made of duo to group participation. unlike the first day with a separate event per year, the second had it mixed. the fever from yesterday was well-maintained until the morning. everyone was excited, and each student already had plans for the day. however, as the morning progresses, apollo and the rest of the students of the other class in the upper year seem to have forgotten the true meaning of the festival. they were too competitive. even when some first years wanted to have fun during their events, they were forced to the edge due to the tension.


    apollo noticed it during the first event of the day: a team relay race that pitted groups from different years against one another. the older students, particularly the seniors, were intensely competitive. their focus was not on enjoying the festival but on crushing their opponents, even if it meant pushing the younger students to their limits. the parents began to feel the heat and wanted to interfere, but the adults on the seniors'' side were keen on defending their children.


    this made all eight classes among the first year to have one thought: revenge.


    "you are late"


    apollo greeted someone with those words, causing the latter to just shake his head.


    "why am i not surprised with your attitude?" caesar just mutters, feeling helpless at apollo''s way of speaking to him. behind the imperial prince is his escort student johan, then the children of the two other ducal houses, astrid and odysseus, also tag along with their student escort.


    "heard the seniors are causing trouble?" odysseus said while assisting astrid to sit.


    "don''t tell me the reason most of the highest-ranking students are out was because they purposely did it to cause trouble" stay tuned for updates on empire


    "well, you know what they say? if the cat is gone, the mouse goes out. since my brother and the rest of the key figures of the empire are gone, the ones in control of everything are.."


    "the student council," caesar finishes astrid''s words while apollo only nods his head, agreeing.


    "so you guys are late due to the council as well?"


    "yes apollo we were suddenly invited to some party, if it weren''t for the fact you had contacted we wouldn''t know what''s happening right now"


    "well, forget about that. let''s get to the point. those students brought the shits to us....so we just have to return the favor" a pair of golden eyes glint in a mysterious light, and for some reason, the other students with him felt a sudden chill.


    in one event, a pair of first-year students, wide-eyed and eager, were left flustered when their upper-year opponents treated the lighthearted scavenger hunt as if it were a high-stakes mission. the tension was palpable, and the fun was quickly drained from the activity. alicia, who participated in the game with alya, immediately made a move, and the already chaotic event turned even worse as alicia accidentally hit the upper years. it wasn''t intentional since that is what she claims to be. at the end of the game, alicia and alya won while the seniors were filled with coin-sized bruises since even the tiniest pebble can become a deadly weapon in alicia''s hand.


    after that event ended, another transpired; apollo stood with alicia and a few others, watching a dodgeball match that had devolved into what looked like a battlefield. a group of third-years dominated the game, their expressions fierce as they relentlessly targeted the first-years. the younger students struggled to keep up, their enthusiasm dimmed by the overwhelming pressure.


    "this is ridiculous," odysseus muttered, his jaw tightening. "this isn''t what the festival''s supposed to be about."


    alicia nodded, her arms crossed. "they''ve forgotten the point. the festival''s supposed to bring us together, not tear us apart."


    around them, their classmates murmured in agreement. despite the tension between the eight first-year classes, an unspoken understanding began to form.


    "they think they can push us around just because we''re younger," matilda said, her tone sharp. "well, i''m not about to let that happen."


    "neither am i," apollo said, his golden eyes glinting with determination.


    the plan was simply to make the seniors regret everything while they still maintained their minds to have fun; they deserved that, after all.


    the festival continued despite the hurdle, but it was okay with everything he did. the students and parents alike enjoyed the colorful booths, energetic events, and an air of friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) competition. of course, for apollo''s class, chaos seemed to follow them wherever they went.


    ---


    the three-legged disaster


    "listen, niko," casper huffed as they stood at the starting line of the three-legged race. their legs were bound together with a thick rope that seemed entirely too tight. "we need to coordinate. left, then right. got it?"


    "got it," niko replied confidently, a mischievous grin on his face.


    the whistle blew, and they took off.


    "left!" casper yelled.


    "right!" niko shouted at the same time.


    they immediately toppled over, landing in a heap on the ground. the crowd burst into laughter.


    "stop moving!" blair laughed as mckenzie retaliated by smearing pudding onto blair''s cheek.


    by the time they finished, both of them were covered in pudding but laughing uncontrollably.


    ---


    agnes and arabella''s cooking show


    agnes and arabella had entered the cooking competition, hoping for a peaceful experience. unfortunately, they were paired with upper-year seniors who seemed more interested in sabotaging than cooking.


    "do you even know how to chop an onion?" a senior sneered at arabella.


    arabella bristled. "do you even know how to cook without burning water?"


    agnes, ever the patient one, tried to mediate. "let''s just focus on our dish¡ª"


    but the seniors continued to bicker, even going so far as to mess with their ingredients.


    finally, agnes had enough. she raised her hand, the faint glow of the authority of time shimmering around her.


    "oops," she said sweetly as the seniors'' movements slowed to a crawl. "looks like you''re running out of time."


    arabella burst out laughing as she expertly plated their dish, leaving the seniors flailing helplessly in slow motion.


    ---


    braiden and samael''s rock climbing showdown


    braiden and samael were doing their best at the rock climbing competition when some seniors decided to shake the ropes, trying to throw them off balance.


    "are they serious?" braiden muttered, gripping the wall tightly.


    samael sighed. "guess it''s time to turn up the heat."


    with a flick of his wrist, samael activated the authority of purity, causing the sacred flame to heat the seniors'' bodies.


    "hot! hot!" one of them yelled, letting go of the rope and sliding down in a panic.


    braiden smirked. "that''ll teach them."


    the two easily reached the top, earning applause from the crowd.


    ---


    jillian and keith''s library debacle


    jillian and keith had hoped to escape the madness by retreating to the library, but even there, they weren''t safe.


    a group of seniors followed them, making noise and knocking over books.


    "do they ever stop?" jillian muttered, trying to focus on her reading.


    keith finally snapped. he waved his hand, activating the authority of forces, increasing the gravity in the room.


    the seniors were instantly pinned to the ground, groaning as they struggled to move.


    jillian smirked. "now that''s quiet."


    more screams from the seniors can be heard, and the main cause of them is the first year who acted all wild and ready to pounce on them.

 Chapter 284 She was my shield

    as the day drew to a close, the tension between the first-years and upper-years had only escalated. but for apollo and his classmates, the festival had taken on a new meaning. they never anticipated that ruining the seniors would bring them so much joy; their expression every time their plan failed was so hilarious that other classes were able to capture it with their cameras.


    it wasn''t just about competing or winning; it was about proving their selves, supporting one another, and proving to the seniors that they messed with the wrong enemy.


    as apollo stood with his friends, watching the festival lights twinkle against the night sky, he felt a warmth that had nothing to do with the hot drink in his hands. for the first time in a long time, he truly enjoyed something aside from magic. he laughed so much during the day he almost cried; he couldn''t even remember when he last laughed like that. the tower mages were also jumping along them and he never anticipated they could play games like they did today. these two days, he was able to see new sides of everything that made him even more happy than before.


    "to think the academy had succeeded in this aspect," he said softly, now realizing the effects the academy aims to achieve through this festival.


    watching the light changes, apollo remembers a certain someone he barely saw today.


    "i wonder where mom is"


    experience exclusive tales on empire


    "your mom? i sense her on the other side of the event grounds," alicia answered apollo''s random question, apollo was then confused.


    "you marked her?"


    "well i know you will ask about her so i was keeping my senses sharp enough to sense her"


    her words made apollo laugh a bit, but soon went on and looked for her mother.


    "oh by the way apollo your mother is not alone"


    alicia reminded him, though he couldn''t understand what she meant.


    "with this crowd, no one is gonna be alone," he mutters; however, soon he realizes why as he makes his way through the bustling crowd. his eyes narrowed when he spotted two familiar figures near one of the performance stages. a girl with pure white hair and a young man standing beside her, eyes as gold as the sun his white hair similar to the sunset.


    eros and athena.


    his older siblings stood by the refreshments booth, deep in conversation with isabella, their mother.


    "right i am not the only child she has"


    among the moving crowd, apollo stood alone, looking at the seemingly perfect family, of which he is not included.


    the whiplash again, but even when the pain almost drives me insane, i never cream nor beg for him.


    "brother.....please...."


    or maybe sometimes i did.


    the chains kept ringing while the whip continued lashing at a little boy bound in a prison cell.


    i think it all started when i was around six; i would tremble under my brother''s gaze, though at times i would glare back at him. since no matter what i did, he would still beat me up, so what''s wrong with a little glare? even once i fought back, though, i was beaten worse than before. what can i do? there are three of them while i am only a tiny kid with nothing to defend myself.


    eros is a hard-working person i have admired in the past. that side of him, he had tried so hard to be a proper lionheart. despite his lack of innate talent for casting complete magic, to even inherit the staff, he''d poured hours into learning instant incantation and swordsmanship.


    that side of my brother drove me to work harder hoping it would be enough to earn the family''s approval. but no matter what i did, it was never enough for eros.


    ah... i think it was because i was working so hard that he ended up getting annoyed and started whipping me to vent his anger. i just did not understand what part of me is so hard to love. i even made a scroll just to show him that even without proper talent, i could do something, but his face at that time was neither looking at me with disdain nor disgust. instead, i think it was fear.


    after that scroll incident, he began to have a weird hobby of putting me in prison or even whipping me until i passed out.


    the whip lashed across my back, the pain searing and relentless but that is when i learned that some people would never learn to love or accept you.


    the continued assault made me try to escape that torment, so every time i felt, my brother''s presence or any of the servants, i would hide anywhere just so they wouldn''t be able to catch me. then, there was a time when i hid inside the manor''s massive library. it was there, nestled among towering shelves of dusty ancient books, that i found peace.


    one day, while cowering behind a stack of books, i heard footsteps. i would pray not to get caught. the sound of steps drew close at that time i was already expecting to see eros or one of the servants. instead, it was athena.


    that shocked me since she is often away staying inside a private school only for talented young witches like her.


    athena actually had mother''s hair silver hair, yet she had father''s eyes. as she moved gracefully through the aisles, her expression unreadable. she didn''t spare me a glance, her attention fixed on a book in her hands.


    for a moment, i felt invisible, as if i didn''t exist. i was thankful for that. even now, every time i remember it, i felt somewhat warm. as the days passed, that is when i realized something: as long as i stayed near athena, no one could hurt me.


    eros, for all his cruelty, would never dare cross athena. the servants, too, seemed to shrink in her presence. i don''t know. she looked nice to me at that time, but for some reason, everyone would dodge her like the plague. it still puzzles me even to this day.


    "she''s my shield," i had thought back then. "even if she doesn''t care about me, at least she doesn''t hurt me."


    but why, i wonder ...what happened and she did that to me.

 chapter 285 Dont say I didnt warn you

    I don''t know why, but she was okay.... though she never talked and never looked at me. She was just there. Staying in that quiet library with only the sound of rustling paper and wind, it was the most calming part of my stay in that minor. With her, I could not hear anything; her eyes were never with disdain, though it was cold with no emotion in them.


    Suddenly, my senses were drowned by something cold, something deep, something that made me feel like sinking. I don''t really know, but my memory somehow was blurry; that day was the final trigger that turned me into who I am today.


    Back to the present day, my focus suddenly returned, and I was at the academy again.


    "I am sorry," I heard that made me confused. Who was apologizing?


    Then, as my eyes finally lost all the things I had been seeing, a figure of a girl I knew surfaced.


    "Alicia?" I said a bit surprised.


    Since when was she here?


    "I could guess you saw them, I should have told you more clearly that your mother is spending time with them"


    "It''s fine I am okay now"


    "You are? Are you sure?" Read new chapters at empire


    "Yes, shall we return together?"


    Alicia looked at me. Her expression bore a mix of emotions that seemed to only worry about me. I couldn''t help but laugh. At least someone was willing to worry about my situation.


    "Come on we should return everyone might be looking for us"


    .


    .


    .


    The night of the second day passed by, and a new day came again. The sun bathed the festival grounds in golden light as the third day commenced. This was the last day, and after this, my mission had to be prioritized.


    Despite what happened last night, I still decided to enjoy it as much as I could. After all, opportunities to relax might not come like this.


    So for the last, we decided to close the booth since we had gathered a considerable amount of income and tour the dozens of booths that covered the event plaza of the academy.


    Then, as I walked alongside my friends, we tried to see all the awkward photos being plastered on the academy bulletin board by the High-class students, though the mastermind behind it was Caesar and his loyal friends.


    "Pffftttt.... What kind of face is this?" Matilda exclaimed, seeing a shot from a senior when it does one of the station games. It was the one when you needed to blow out a candle while your face had stockings. What''s even funny is since the shockings were tied to a high pole, whenever they tried to reach the candle they needed to blow, their faces contorted in the weirdest way possible.


    Everyone laughed, though some people began to notice how it was only the upper-year level who had pictures, yet none was seen for the freshmen. It wasn''t really our problem but what can I say? The High class has a very talented photographer. We looked through the bulletin more, and besides the epic photos of the seniors, the winners of each event also had shots when they were announced as winners.


    "We have a nice picture here," Alya said, attracting all our attention.


    "Wow," we all said as a picture of our entire class laughing with the tower mages was taken.


    "Who took this?" I wondered; it was well taken, and the image conveyed what we truly feel.


    "In this arena, any student can call out another for a duel. It''s a chance to showcase your skills, resolve grudges, or simply test your limits. Let the best win!"


    Alicia frowned beside him. "An open arena? This wasn''t part of the previous festivals before. Why would they add this last minute?"


    Matilda shrugged, but her expression mirrored Alicia''s concern. "Maybe they''re trying to spice things up? Either way, it feels unnecessary."


    "I think this is the senior''s payback to us. I am certain they will call freshmen," Arabella concluded, knowing the fight between them was increasing.


    Apollo agreed. But he wasn''t really concerned about any of them. Glancing at the tower mages, who were standing nearby, he motioned for his group to leave.


    "Let''s head out," he said, his voice low. "There''s no reason to stick around for this."


    The group began to move, and an arena suddenly emerged from the middle of the plaza. The giant fountain cracked open, and underneath it, a wide platform emerged.


    "Alright, we should really go," Apollo urged his friends. Fortunately, all complied with him, but just as they reached the edge of the arena, a voice rang out, loud and clear.


    "I challenge the rank one of the first years¡ªApollo Lionheart!"


    The crowd fell silent.


    Every first-year student turned to stare at the speaker, disbelief etched on their faces. The challenger was an upper-year, tall, muscular boy with a cocky grin and a gleam of confidence in his eyes.


    "Is he crazy?" one first-year whispered.


    "Does he even know who Apollo is?" another muttered.


    "Hey let''s bet? One minute"


    "Mine...hmmmm...I think thirty seconds will do"


    While the first years put up their own bet, the upper years, on the other hand, exchanged smirks, clearly relishing the drama.


    Alicia grabbed Apollo''s arm, her eyes wide with concern. "Apollo, don''t be too harsh on the guy"


    At that moment Apollo laughed not expecting sarcasm, "Alright I will be kind"


    The two smile at each other, clearly knowing each other''s intention, and then Apollo finally steps forward, his golden eyes locking onto the challenger.


    The crowd parted as he walked toward the arena, his calm demeanor sending a ripple of unease through the upper years. The first years cheered, their voices rising in support.


    "Go, please finish in ten seconds so that I can win!''


    "Don''t listen to him make it one minute!"


    As he entered the arena, the challenger''s grin faltered slightly under Apollo''s steady gaze. For a moment, his breathing became heavy as if an invisible hand had been choking him.


    "You want to fight me?" Apollo asked, his voice even sounding amused. "Do you understand what you''re asking for?"


    The boy squared his shoulders, trying to appear unfazed. "I want to prove myself. Everyone says you''re the strongest first-year, but I think it''s just talk."


    Apollo tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Very well. But don''t say I didn''t warn you."

 Chapter 286 : Show me some magic

    "You want to fight me?" Apollo asked, his voice even sounding amused. "Do you understand what you''re asking for?"


    The boy squared his shoulders, trying to appear unfazed. "I want to prove myself. Everyone says you''re the strongest first-year, but I think it''s just talk."


    Apollo tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Very well. But don''t say I didn''t warn you." Stay tuned with empire


    "Alright my name is Nelo Fernandez I am a third-year student and shall oversee this match"


    Apollo and his supposed enemy both nodded as the so-called overseer or referee began explaining the rules of the match.


    "None of you are allowed to use scrolls or any enchanted weapons or even potions. The only thing you can rely on is your own skills and no external help shall be allowed. The match will end once either of you is knocked unconscious or by surrendering"


    He explained, and then he gestured to the two to get ready.


    "My name is Apollo first year I hope we have a good match"


    "Yunwo a third year"


    "Both duelists, please be ready...."


    Then, after giving the final signal, both fighters disappear, and a loud bang reverberates right after. The platform serving as the arena was suddenly attacked by a violent force, causing it to be dented. Dust was kicked off creating a cloud of smoke while a wave of shockwave hit the audience. Not far away from the open arena, a giant tree can be seen smoking as if something hit it with great seed; however, if you go even closer, then you will realize that, indeed, there was someone there. Embedded on the tree''s giant trunk is a boy not much older than Apollo; that young man was none other than Apollo''s opponent, Nelo.


    The first years weren''t really surprised, while the seniors had their mouths wide open.


    "That''s our rank one!"


    "I lost who would have thought it would only last for a second"


    "Come on didn''t I tell you not to put a bet"


    There was a small argument among the freshmen while the seniors were too stunned to speak, they all wanted to say something, but for some reason, their voices were restrained with something powerful.


    The arena continued to erupt in cheers and whispers as Apollo emerged victorious, his opponent lying unconscious on the ground. The duel had been swift, too swift to be exact; however, his performance only made his dominance undeniable.


    Apollo stood, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeves as he turned to the crowd. According to the rules, the victor was now allowed to call someone else to fight.


    "I don''t wanna fight anymore. It is useless, I felt like I was merely toying with them," he thought, so he was about to leave the stage and return to his friends when the referee spoke and urged Apollo to call out a name.


    "Nah, I am good. One match is enough." he then turns to leave, his steps light as he prepares to rejoin his friends. But just as he reached the edge, a familiar sound stopped him in his tracks. It was the unmistakable rhythm of footsteps that belonged to someone who knows very well.


    On the other hand, the tower mages and the Lower class were worried since one mistake, and a new heir to the Lionheart duchy could be announced. However, they also wanted to see how Apollo would handle the situation. Will he let his emotions take control of his decision and end up beating his brother, or will he be a rational person and just beat him in moderation.


    Eros snarled, his pride wounded, but he still tried to remain calm. After all, many people were watching, and he didn''t want to lose his composure. "Don''t use such pathetic words, Apollo!" He charged forward, his blade igniting with flames as he swung it with deadly intent.


    Apollo met the attack head-on, summoning a round of mana and ki around his sword to create a barrier that absorbed the blow. The force of the clash sent a shockwave rippling through the arena, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers.


    "Still relying on brute strength, I see," Apollo said, his tone almost bored. "Come on show me some magic, brother."


    Eros growled but kept it within him; his frustration was accelerating fast just by exchanging a few words with his brother. "Just shut up and fight!" He unleashed a torrent of fire, the heat intense enough to make the spectators shield their faces.


    But Apollo was unfazed. With a flick of his sword, he summoned a whirlwind of energy that extinguished the flames effortlessly.


    "I am getting bored. Can we finish this phase already?" Apollo said, his voice turning cold. "You''ve spent your whole life looking down on me, but look where we are now. We are facing each other but not as equals, but you know I am sure I am not the one who is on the weaker side."


    "Alright..... let''s end this .." Eros announced, lifting his sword high as if ready to summon something.


    While the two brothers fight inside the arena, Isabella and Athena are inside the High-class dorm''s greenhouse.


    "Mom see this flower was given to me by my friend" Athena happily said holding a single red rose.


    Isabella happily took the flower and saw that the rose in her hand is not was ordinary.


    "This flower..." She mutters trying to remember what it was and where she had seen it.


    While the two continued their mother-and-daughter bonding, a sudden noise caught their attention.


    Hurried steps rushed to the greenhouse, which immediately attracted the attention of the two.


    "Oh, it''s you, Alvin. What are you doing, and why do you look like that," Athena asked, recognizing the person as one of her classmates.


    "Aty quick you and your mother had to go and check the plaza..."


    "Why?....wait breathe a little your gasping for air now"


    Athena worriedly said, seeing her friend tired and taking so many breaths it becoming alarming.


    "Just where did you come from the end you end up getting tired like this"


    "Aty... listen your two brothers are fighting right now!" He manages to say, causing Athena and Isabella to get nervous.

 Chapter 287 He went crazy

    The air surrounding the arena suddenly shifted; there was a heavy foreboding feeling, a heavy tension that took the audience in a chokehold.


    "You know, I already anticipated that Apollo was strong beyond his peers, but I didn''t expect that....."


    The wave of wind suddenly sounded as if it was howling like a beast announcing its arrival.


    Amidst this clash of monstrous energy, a voice suddenly pierced through.


    "Alright..... let''s end this... I am done with the warm-up after all"


    Hearing those words, the first years were suddenly surprised, seeing they could barely exchange, yet it was all just a warm-up.


    "Incredible.....yet what is even more incredible is how Apollo is keeping up with his brother"


    "He looks pretty calm too"


    "I don''t think he is tired he looks way too relaxed"


    More opinions are heard along with a sudden wave of shockwave that forces the tower mages to set up a barrier to protect those who are watching. Mana and ki surge up, creating deep shades of blue; this makes the already chipping arena tremble.


    "Alicia," Keith called his tone sounding a bit curious.


    "Yes?"


    "I just noticed Apollo seems to be holding back.....wait...I was wrong. He seems to be matching his brother''s level," he realizes as he looks more closely at the current fight.


    On the other hand, Alicia only nodded, giving the answer that solidified Keith''s observation.


    "He is not just holding back he is also copying his brother''s technique, to the degree that even Eros is beginning to notice it"


    Alicia reply.


    Then, with two blurring figures dancing at the broken arena, a sudden cluster of electricity rises. The first years are all too familiar with that spell. Whenever they see such a powerful lightning spell they would immediately thought of Apollo.


    Eros looks at his brother, knowing full well of such a spell. He had gathered some information about Apollo, so he already knew about the spell that made the pirates of the east scared to their wit''s end.


    "I won''t lose," he said to himself, and a spell activated as soon as he thought of it.


    Instant incantation is now in full active, and immediately, three powerful spells combine into one and make their way to Apollo.


    "Hooo..."" Apollo regulated his breathing, seeing three spells perfectly combine to compensate for each other''s weakness.


    Those three high-level spells are Flame Shot (sounds a bit simple but it actually draws enough power to blow up a castle), Shield (an earth spell that adds durability to anything but is very difficult to cast) and Wind Dance (a wind elemental spell that mainly focuses on enhances one''s speed, an added strength of this spell is that it draws more power the more spacious the place is)


    These three spells created a projectile that had enough power to destroy, durability to endure attacks, and speed to catch the opponent off guard.


    It was a good spell that complemented each other to achieve the desired goal of its caster, but unfortunately, the one who will receive is someone like Apollo.


    A single bolt of lightning came crashing, and then it spread out like countless vines. The might of the lightning extinguished the rain of arrows; however, the attack didn''t stop. Eros was keen on continuously attacking, thinking he could create an opening if he flooded more arrows.


    "Battle using attributes that won''t work on Apollo," Arabella said comfortingly, sitting on her chair that the tower mages made.


    "I think it''s ending soon... Apollo seems to be getting bored," Aaron notices, since he can clearly see Apollo''s expression despite the cloud of smoke covering the arena.


    "It will end if Eros doesn''t show anything worth seeing"


    "Wait look!" Alya exclaimed, pointing to the arena.


    Slowly, the dust settled,, and the entire went silent.


    "It went through..." Vesta mutters, seeing three arrows stabbing at the surface of Apollo''s lightning-like body.


    The power of luck went through Apollo''s first layer of defense and hit him.


    "Damn, if it weren''t for the defense created by Thunder Aura, Apollo''s body could have been punctured," Braiden imagined while McKenzie and Niko remained watching.


    Then there was a sudden silence. No one dared to speak as Apollo pulled the arrows sticking to his body like toothpicks.


    "Look, that nut job is smiling crazily." Casper broke the ice, and then a surge of heat struck, followed by a loud thunder.


    A heavy pressure crashed into each other, and the audience looked around at what happened, only to be filled with shock when Eros was seen covered with a concentrated aura; his body was smoking, and his arms were huge shields that blackened like charcoal.


    Apollo, on the other hand, has his body pierced with so many arrows; however, a crazy smile is tugging his lips.


    "Brother, that luck spell you have is extremely interesting," he said as he removed them.


    "I know that look," Eros said as he threw the broken shield he used to block the lightning strike, "The look you have is how mages look whenever they are crazy with something"


    With those words, Apollo smiled, even more electricity dancing across his body.


    "Alright....." He said sounding defeated, "After this, I will give you the formula"


    "!?" Apollo was suddenly weirded by his sudden kindness, not used to how he spoke.


    "Don''t make that face treat it as a reward for making our family name more prosperous. Your reputation for being strong is enough to make me forget how you were back then"


    "What?" For a moment, Apollo felt murderous but immediately held it. He needed to be more controlled.


    White lightning turned into a spear, Apollo held it firmly in his hand while a blue aura clad Eros'' body, preparing to intercept his speedy opponent.


    "Show me more brother"


    "Just come at me, Apollo"


    Both figures disappeared followed by an impact that shocked the barrier surrounding the arena

 chapter 288 Forgotten Memory

    "Let''s see if your calculative skills can pierce through luck," Eros softly said as the power of aura molded into a powerful sword armament. The blue light shines brighter and almost seems to be flaming while Apollo''s lightning transforms into a spear. Both brothers looked at each other; the look in their eyes didn''t bore any kind of resentment or disgust. They just enjoy the fight that initially started to humiliate each other, but unexpectedly, along with the punches and sword clash, those negative thoughts fade away.


    "Brother, don''t you know luck is a flicker thing? You don''t even know if it''s on your side"


    Eros just laughed at Apollo''s retort half agreeing with him, "Right, so we should end this fight to see who has more luck, you or me"


    Both sides prepared for the final clash by drawing power they think will be appropriate to use.


    A gust of strong wind clashed through the barrier, followed by a roaring wave of energy that created a huge explosion.


    The tower mages gasped in surprise when they realized how the fight had ended.


    Apollo''s spear dissipated along his thunder aura form; on the other hand, the aura that had been coating Eros'' body lost its strength and disappeared while his sword was broken along the armament. The two were standing at the opposite end of the arena. Their arms were grazed with injuries, though there wasn''t a hint of pain on their faces.


    "Wait don''t tell me.....it''s a draw?"


    "They are equal to each other!!"


    "Wait, does that mean we lose the bet?"


    "Why does it feel so lackluster?"


    "Yeah, I was expecting more...."


    "More?"


    "More brutality I think?"


    "Why aren''t they brothers why think that way?"


    "Yeah, but haven''t you noticed it? None of the Lionheart siblings seem to care for each other. All of them seem to have a very strained relationship"


    All sorts of opinions were thrown; however, amidst their murmurs, Apollo and Eros had their gaze locked on each other; for a moment, their eyes were filled with an emotion they both had forgotten.


    Was anger?


    Was disgust?


    Was it resentment?


    Or perhaps jealousy?


    A subtle sound of breathing replaced the previous explosion. It was the only thing that came between the two brothers.


    "This feels familiar...." Apollo began to say earning his brother laughter.


    "Yes I do wonder when something like this happened"


    A feeling of a forgotten memory came between the two. It was a sensation that seemed to be always with the two of them, but for some reason, they had forgotten it. At that moment, a smile escaped their lips, something that they knew they would do to each other.


    His eyes scanned the room, taking in the clusters of well-dressed students, the polite but veiled conversations, and the undercurrent of tension that seemed to buzz beneath the surface.


    "Wow," Blair said, his gaze flitting from one elegantly dressed senior to another. "These people really go all out, huh?"


    McKenzie smirked. "Typical high-class antics. Bet they''re all secretly at each other''s throats."


    Alya adjusted her gown and glanced at Apollo. "Everyone ready? This could be our chance to learn more, but we''ll need to tread carefully."


    Apollo nodded. "I''ll handle the investigation. You three focus on mingling and see if you can find out anything about what happened last year with the lower class. Stay alert."


    They nodded while Alicia planned to only observe the situation.


    The party began, and so did the hunt. Blair wasted no time jumping into the fray. Spotting a group of laughing seniors near the refreshment table, he sidled up with a mischievous grin, and with the silent whisper of the authority of Mystics, nothing could be hidden from him.


    "So," he began, grabbing a glass of punch. "What''s the deal with all these rumors about last year? I heard it was... eventful for the lower classes."


    The seniors exchanged wary glances before one of them, a tall boy with silver hair, chuckled nervously. "Eventful is one way to put it. Let''s just say the first years didn''t know their place."


    Blair raised an eyebrow. "Didn''t know their place? Sounds like the upper years didn''t, either."


    The silver-haired senior''s smile faltered, but before he could respond, McKenzie joined the group.


    "Blair, don''t scare them," he said with a smirk, though his tone was sharp enough to cut. "We''re just curious. It''s not every day you hear about a whole year of students being... put in their place, as you put it."


    The group quickly excused themselves, muttering something about finding their friends.


    "Stay," Blair said looking as kindly as he could, "We are not done yet"


    An unknown force puts the seniors frozen, though none of them panic due to a gaze that puns them.


    Blair sighed. "Come now talk."


    "Patience," McKenzie replied. "We''ll get something out of them eventually."


    Meanwhile, Apollo navigated through the ballroom with practiced ease, his posture exuding the confidence expected of a Lionheart. He caught snippets of conversation, carefully piecing together the dynamics among the seniors.


    He finally spotted a group of third-year students gathered in a quiet corner, speaking in hushed tones. Among them was a familiar face¡ªone of Eros'' newly found friends, a senior Apollo had seen after letting his brother recover from his last fall.


    "Mind if I join you?" Apollo asked, his tone polite but firm.


    The seniors looked at him, surprised.


    "You''re the first-year everyone''s been talking about," one of them said, raising an eyebrow. "Apollo Lionheart."


    "That''s me," Apollo replied smoothly. "I thought this party was meant for mingling"


    His firm gaze landed hard on the seniors, causing their bodies to jerk and open a space for him.


    "Now then, seniors, how about we talk?" he smiled as he said that, but the aura he released was so strong that his legs began to tremble.

 Chapter 289 He is the enemy

    "We''ve heard rumors," Apollo said casually. "About how things were handled last year. I''m curious¡ªwhat happened that was so disruptive?"


    The seniors exchanged uneasy glances.


    "It''s not something we talk about openly," one of them said. "But let''s just say the lower classes overstepped their bounds. The hierarchy exists for a reason."


    Another senior, a girl with cold green eyes, added, "There''s a reason the student council keeps such a tight grip on things now. Some students don''t understand their place."


    Apollo''s gaze darkened. He leaned back, a polite smile masking his thoughts. "Interesting. Thanks for the insight."


    After that, Apollo merely ordered Jeremiah to record everything that was being talked about inside the ballroom and, at the same time, gather any info records or documents that made the emperor order him to investigate.


    "No matter how careful they are, I should be able to find something; the second years are here, right?"


    [Yes Creator they are here however they are very careful not to get too close to us, they are specifically avoiding Blair and Mckenzie]


    "Strange they shouldn''t be able to know their ability"


    [Perhaps not how exactly it is but they could be aware that they can''t lie to him that is why they are trying to evade them as much as possible]


    Apollo took note of those second years until he saw himself on the clear glass windows. Wearing a white suit and accessories that matched his eyes and hair, Apollo looked stunning, yet somehow he could not see his face, as something was blurring his face.


    Despite this, the boy didn''t seem bothered not being able to recognize himself. He just went on and fixed his clothes before walking away.


    As the night wore on, Alicia found herself speaking with a group of seniors about the party''s atmosphere. McKenzie and Blair continued to probe for information, though most of the seniors would run away at the sight of them.


    Apollo, however, couldn''t shake the feeling that someone was watching him. It was something he couldn''t pinpoint.


    "Jeremiah"


    [I am sensing a power similar to a god Creator]


    "Could it be Blair''s power instead?"


    [I don''t think so...it feels weaker but a bit different in some way]


    Those words created a thread of hypothesis that immediately made Apollo realize why he was the one who was sent here.


    "I think the emperor intended to use my classmate''s authority through me....wait let''s not jump into that we are not sure yet if I am up to meet those people"


    The teacher approached, his voice low and firm. "Apollo is a threat, Eros. A dangerous one. You saw how he fought you. Do you really think he''s content being in your shadow? That boy is the reason your position as heir was nearly taken from you. Do you think he''s forgotten that?"


    Eros stiffened. "Teacher, it was Edgar who caused me to almost lose my seat,, not Apollo. And also he''s no threat to me."


    "And yet, he nearly defeated you." The teacher leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. "Don''t be naive, Eros. Apollo has been biding his time, perfecting his craft, and earning allies. If you let your guard down, he''ll take everything from you. Your position, your pride, your legacy."


    Eros clenched his fists, the teacher''s words stoking the embers of doubt in his mind.


    "You''re wrong," Eros growled. "Apollo doesn''t have the ambition for that, he has the seat of the tower already"


    The teacher chuckled darkly. "Perhaps. But can you afford to take that risk? He''s already gained the attention of powerful figures. Even your own mother favors him. Do you think she worries about you the way she does about him?"


    At this, Eros flinched, his jaw tightening.


    Suddenly, Isabella''s warm smile while watching Apollo crossed his mind. He hadn''t seen that kind of smile for him, but for Apollo, it seemed unlimited.


    The teacher''s voice softened, almost coaxing. "If you truly want to secure your place, you must see Apollo for what he is: a rival. Not a brother. And rivals don''t deserve mercy."


    Eros stared at the floor, the fire of anger and insecurity blazing in his chest. After a moment, he nodded.


    The warmth he had regained for his brother shattered at Edmund''s words causing Eros to return to how he was.


    Returning to the acquaintance party it reaches its peak with the parents and guardians joining in with their children. Strangely, it didn''t damper the atmosphere, but it made the party even better. However, at this time, Apollo and his friends had already left, they had already lost interest, and as for their aim, they already got it. So they already left after achieving what they want.


    Apollo walked through the festival grounds with Isabella by his side, the soft glow of lanterns casting long shadows across the cobblestone paths. Despite the cheerful atmosphere, there was a heaviness in his mother''s expression.


    "I heard about your duel with Eros," Isabella said quietly, her voice tinged with worry.


    Apollo sighed. "It wasn''t much of a fight, really."


    "That''s not the point." She stopped walking, turning to face him. "Have the two of you reach the concession of fighting this way?"


    Apollo looked at her mother before his gaze shifted to the ground. "You know how it''s always been, Mother. I am certain you are aware of what transpired in that manner and the reason I stopped trying to change his mind a long time ago. Mother, I am no longer the boy who follows him around nor the boy who can be swayed easily"


    His eyes then change as he gazes back at her. It suddenly loses its warmth, and for some reason, Isabella feels she has seen that look before.


    "Tell me Mother what were you thinking having the headmaster change the first periodic exam just so you could change my mind"


    Apollo finally asks the long-forgotten question he should have asked before.

 chapter 290 What happened

    "Tell me Mother what were you thinking having the headmaster change the first periodic exam just so you could change my mind"


    Isabella was suddenly taken aback by Apollo''s words, so her son took the liberty to elaborate.


    "Back at the first periodic exam, I noticed something strange: you asked the headmaster to put all sorts of things to make me change my mind. You tried to influence me by showing me the love Yuan and Jun have for each other. You have me act as him so that I can feel the love he has for his older brother. Mother you tried to manipulate me"


    There was silence between them, and now Isabella couldn''t even reply.


    "I know I did something wrong but that is because I don''t want to see my children killing each other"


    "So that''s it? Everything they did to me I need to just forget it as if it never happened?"


    "No... I am sure your brother I willing to reconcile with you"


    "Yet it''s been six years, and even once no one from that damn household came and apologized to me...my, how can not see that Jun and Yuan love each other. That is why they are willing to make a sacrifice, but mom.....my brother does not love me, he hates me!"


    "But he does!"


    "Then how come I never felt it!"


    Apollo''s voice suddenly raised; however, as soon as he noticed it, he hurriedly apologized, "Mom I...."


    "I know no need to apologize...but you see what I said is not based on my desire for the two of you to make up... it''s because I once saw it"


    "Saw what?"


    "Saw how he used his life to protect you when you were just an infant"


    "What?"


    Shock filled Apollo while his thoughts were in chaos.


    "That''s ...."


    "Impossible? No, he did. That is why I know he doesn''t hate, however..." Isabella''s expression suddenly went complicated, like something heavy was burdening her.


    "I just don''t know how it all came to this," she weakly said, looking defeated.


    At that moment, Apollo felt so much pain and confusion; the things he used to believe began to shake, and for once, he began to doubt, but soon he remembered the things he had to endure, and in the end, nothing seemed to change. That man''s word is still valid in this situation, he thought, but then again, he can''t just say more words that will make his mother suffer even more.


    And so before the clock struck 10:30, every student was already inside their rooms sleeping or was about to sleep.


    Apollo lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The events of the festival played through his mind, each moment filled with different sets of revelations that his emotions stirred in such a crazy way.


    But his thoughts kept circling back to three things.


    "The student council, especially the vice president, my brother, and his bastard teacher," he murmured to himself.


    If he wanted to uncover the truth and get the things he needed, he would need their support¡ªor at least their cooperation.


    With a determined glint in his eyes, Apollo made his decision. Tomorrow, he would begin his next move.


    But before he could close his eyes he remembered how his mom looked at him when he said that his brother would lay his own life for him.


    "Ah...so the point of the exam at that time was for me to remember the time my brother tried to risk his life for me." he then felt a sudden heaviness as soon as he tried to recall when Eros ever tried to protect him. Soon, Apollo fell asleep, leaving his problems behind him.


    The morning after the festival, Apollo stood at the front of the classroom, his classmates chatting amongst themselves. He clapped his hands together to get their attention.


    "Alright, everyone, listen up," Apollo began, his tone firm but not unkind. "I need your help." Enjoy new adventures from empire


    This was the decision Apollo came up with since he didn''t want them to worry for him, so he just let them be involved with his mission, so at least now they are aware of what''s happening. And usually, they want to help out so although he can do it alone he still asks for the


    His classmates exchanged curious glances, the sudden request catching them off guard. Blair was the first to speak up.


    "Help with what? Don''t tell me you want to attend another party with us," he teased, leaning back in her chair.


    Apollo shook his head. "Similar. But this time. I need information¡ªabout the student council."


    The room went silent for a moment before Agnes frowned. "The student council? Does it have to do with our investigation of last year''s lower class or is this about something else"


    "Your words are both accurate; one is for our predecessor, while the other is for my mission. That''s exactly why I need help," Apollo said, his eyes narrowing.


    McKenzie crossed her arms. "So we just how to do what we did last night? But they are very cautious with us how are we supposed to approach them?"


    Apollo smiled faintly. "All of you have friends in other classes, right? Different years, different groups. Talk to them. See what they know about the student council¡ªwho they are, how they work, and if they''ve done anything... unusual."


    The room erupted into murmurs, some nodding, others looking unsure.


    "I get that you have a duty, Apollo," said Jillian, adjusting her glasses which Apollo doesn''t know where he gets it, "But are you gonna get involved into something extremely dangerous again?"


    "I don''t think so since I was only ordered to investigate" Apollo replied. "the student council is my priority right now. If they''re going to be this involved in how the school runs, I need to know who I''m dealing with. And if they''re a problem... well, we''ll deal with that when we get there."

 chapter 291 Celestine

    "I don''t think so since I was only ordered to investigate" Apollo replied. "the student council is my priority right now. If they''re going to be this involved in how the school runs, I need to know who I''m dealing with. And if they''re a problem... well, we''ll deal with that when we get there."


    After a moment of silence, Samael nodded. "Alright. We will assist the first we are close to have relatives at the other years they should be able to help."


    Blair grinned. "Count me in. I already proved myself last night I will definitely gather more intel now"


    One by one, his classmates agreed; their curiosity and desire to help Apollo drove them to take action.


    While his classmates spread out to gather information, Apollo decided to make his own investigation as well just, his friends will take the surface while he goes more beneath.


    "Let''s see, last night we did get something, but it was more on the strife between students and nothing suspicious; how about yours, Jeremiah? How much did you get?"


    [Nothing noteworthy most of them are talking about how to avoid you or keep their mouth shut]


    "They had anticipated that we would ask around the party?"


    [Well you and your friends weren''t being discrete either when you went around and asked about what happened last year]


    "If they still don''t talk should I ask her"


    [Who?]


    "Athena perhaps has knowledge of what happened"


    [Are you willing to speak to her]


    "I guess I could somehow I think I can thank the oath for this"


    [What do you mean]


    "It''s just that I can feel the oath removing any kind of emotions that may affect me in completing this mission. Whenever I think about the time it was given to me all I can think about is how I can use anything to accomplish this mission"


    [Should I help you remove it?]


    "We heard what Neros said before the imperial family feels the power of the oath. If by any chance I remove it once the emperor sees me he will realize that I am no longer under his power"


    [Will the emperor make a move against you if you truly remove the oath]No?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Not sure but it is best not to make an enemy as big as the emperor"


    [I don''t know if you are being cautious or just being influenced by the oath]


    Apollo chuckled at those words but then he suddenly remembered how most of the people they saw in the party had no specific idea about what happened.


    "I noticed you don''t have much support from the lower years," he said. "Have you thought about building connections with them?"


    Celestine tilted her head. "Are you offering to help with that?"


    Apollo grinned. "Maybe. I''m good with people, and I''ve got plenty of friends in the lower years. If you ever need a liaison, I''m your guy."


    Celestine chuckled softly. "You''re an interesting one, Lionheart. I''ll keep that in mind."


    Apollo smiled happily. Though he only had friends in his class other than them, he never considered those people from the other classes.


    Later that evening, Apollo regrouped with his classmates in their dormitory. They shared what they had learned, most of which confirmed Apollo''s suspicions: the student council wielded significant power, often blurring the lines between leadership and control. However, that changed after the imperial prince arrived along with the newly seated president.


    "You''re onto something," Blair said. "The upper years all respect Celestine, but there''s tension brewing under the surface. Not everyone agrees with how the council handles things and there seems to be a faction divided between the vice president and the president. But the ones siding with the vice had been significantly reduced because most of them are related to Edgar. Currently, both sides are gathering forces though it seems the vice is getting the lead in all of this"


    Apollo nodded, processing the information. "Good work, everyone. Keep your ears open. This isn''t over yet."


    As his classmates dispersed wanting to do their assignments, Apollo leaned back in his chair, his mind racing.


    "Celestine Halstead and the vice president," he muttered to himself. "You two are not what I expected. But I''m not done with you guys yet."


    Then, as he was absorbed in his thoughts, Jeremiah suddenly popped out of nowhere.


    [Creator I have noticed something]


    "What is it?"


    [How come we don''t know what the vice president''s name is?]


    "What?"


    [His name none even spoke or mentioned what his name is. All people referred to him as the vice president]


    Suddenly, it hit Apollo. Even he never bothers trying to search for his name; if it weren''t for Jeremiah''s remark, he would never bother knowing what the guy''s name is.


    "Now that is strange what is normal for me not to be interested in someone''s name?"


    [If we are talking about your personality yes but considering this is a mission given by the emperor typically you would know everything about this guy since you take your task seriously]


    "Right that is true yet now I didn''t even bother knowing that guy''s name"


    [Also the only time you never ask for names is when you already set that you will kill. So since that person will die anyway, you never bother asking for their names, but Creator, you don''t plan on killing, right? Your mission is investigating after all]


    "Of course why would I kill here"


    He said with confidence; however, somehow Jeremiah was skeptical.

 Chapter 292 Opportunity or trap?

    The day passed at an agonizingly slow pace. Apollo spent most of it deep in thought, carefully considering his next move. By the time classes ended, he turned to his friends and said, "Let''s pause the investigation for now."


    Blair frowned. "What? Why? We''re making progress." he had thought that they did a good in the party before but now they are suddenly stopping.


    "Not really," Apollo countered. "Whoever''s covering up last year''s events knows we''re looking. They''ve been sending people who don''t know anything just a vague idea, and the seniors are actively avoiding us. If we keep pressing, we might just scare them into tightening their guard."


    McKenzie crossed her arms. "So we just stop?"


    "For now." Apollo''s eyes gleamed a hint of mischievous in his face. "Once they think we''ve lost interest, they''ll relax. That''s when we strike again. But in the meantime... I''ll handle things myself."


    His friends wanted to do more, but they trusted him enough to back off.


    Like the previous day, Apollo made his way to the student council office at nearly the same time, catching Celestine Halstead alone.


    She looked up from her paperwork as he entered, raising an eyebrow. "Lionheart. You''re persistent."


    Apollo flashed a polite smile. "That''s a nice way of saying ''annoying.''"


    Celestine chuckled. "Perhaps. But since you''re here, I assume you want to continue our discussion from yesterday?"


    "If you''re not too busy."


    She waved a hand. "I can make time."


    And so, their conversation continued. Unlike the first time, where Apollo simply asked questions, he began to offer insights and suggestions. He pointed out inefficiencies in the academy''s management, proposed solutions for minor student disputes, and even helped draft ideas for upcoming events.


    At first, Celestine listened out of courtesy. But as the days passed, she found herself genuinely impressed by his observations.


    "You have a sharp mind, Lionheart," she admitted one evening after one of their discussions.


    Apollo leaned back in his chair, smirking. "I like understanding how things work."


    "More like you like figuring out how to control them," she countered, watching him carefully.


    Apollo only smiled in response.


    "She is very sharp" he could only said in his head knowing that the young woman in front of him can see through lies. That is why Apollo will speak the truth that will lead to him to what he wants. Of course he is aware that somehow the president can sense that he has other agenda, "She must have thought about what I want, and perhaps she had already link it to my recent inquiry about the events last year. And since she hadn''t push me away means either she wants to keep an eye on me or she just doesn''t care what I found since it doesn''t concerned her"


    Apollo continue approaching her and after several days of these meetings, Celestine finally did something unexpected.


    "You''ve been helpful," she admitted. "You have a knack for leadership, and you clearly understand how to navigate school politics."


    Apollo simply waited, sensing something more.


    Celestine then leaned forward, her expression unreadable. "How about officially joining the student council?"


    Apollo blinked. For a moment, he thought he had misheard her.


    "I''m serious," she continued. "You''re already acting like a council member, giving input and helping solve problems. Why not make it official?"


    It was an offer he hadn''t anticipated, he had thought that the president was being cautious of him, but unexpectedly she gave an opportunity.


    Gaining Celestine''s trust, and the possibility that she might even disclose some secrets no one else knows.


    And if things went well, he might find out who was pulling the strings behind the seniors'' behavior.


    Scenario 2: The Disadvantages


    But then there was the downside.


    If I join, I''ll be watched more closely.


    The student council wasn''t just a group of students with power; it was also a web of politics. Some members would see him as an ally, while others might view him as a threat.


    If the seniors suspected his true intentions, they could use his position against him.


    There was also the risk that Celestine herself was hiding something. If she caught on to his investigation, he could be walking straight into a trap.


    Joining the council would open doors, but it would also put him on a stage where every move would be scrutinized. Was he ready for that?


    A Third Option


    A thought crossed his mind.


    What if I accept... but stay on the sidelines?


    Instead of actively involving himself in the council''s work, he could play the role of an uninterested member¡ªone who only joined for the benefits but wasn''t ambitious enough to make waves. That way, he could observe without drawing too much attention]


    Apollo smirked, leaning back on the bench.


    "Well not bad. That might work but I should also try to be a bit useful after all the president might kick me out if I slack off"


    Still if he choose the third option he would have a reason to be around the council without making himself a target. And when the time came, he would strike.


    With his decision made, Apollo stood up, stretching his arms. The night was still young, but tomorrow, he had a new strategy to try on.


    "Let''s see how far I can take this game."


    Then he chuckled a bit suddenly realizing something, "Man I just realized I am a bit kinder than I expected"


    [You are?]


    "Yeah cause if I wasn''t the the first thing I did is abuse the power of the Gods and just brainwashed everyone to do my bidding"


    [Well perhaps you still have your own morals and standard so you never thought of that]


    "Nah... perhaps I just miss the opportunity of using it, however its best to using my own skills after all if I used the authorityies it will be hard for me to report to the emperor how I received all the information I have. So its also good I refrain from using them"


    [Well if you really need to use the authorities then you can use your classmates as a scapegoat]


    "Maybe but for now lets stick to what we can do"


    Apollo walk through the night and strangely the chilly wave of the wind made his mind even clearer. However despite the dark path he is taking he didn''t mind it at long. He continue to hum a melody and calmly reach their dorm.

 chapter 293 Surprise

    The dim glow of a lamp powered by Mana stones illuminated a dark, shady room; it cast long shadows over the polished wooden floor. Even when it was still daytime, the lack of proper lighting inside the room made the lamp the only light you could see. The sole person staying in that room calmly looked at the stack of papers on his table. The vice president, whose appearance is greatly obscure by the darkness, sat with an amused smirk as he listened to the latest report.


    "So, the first years stopped their little investigation?" he mused, tapping his fingers on the desk rhythmically.


    The student in front of him nodded. "Yes, sir. After failing to get any substantial information, they seem to have lost interest. They''ve gone back to their normal routine¡ªattending classes, socializing... even that Blair guy hasn''t tried probing into anyone''s mind recently."


    Alexander chuckled, shaking his head. "That''s boring. I expected more from them. Apollo Lionheart and his little group were supposed to be interesting."


    He leaned back in his chair, tilting his head in thought. For a moment, he considered pushing things further¡ªperhaps placing some obstacles in their way just to see how they reacted. But before he could dwell on that idea, a soft knock interrupted his thoughts.


    Another student entered, bowing slightly before speaking. "Vice President, the president has summoned all council members to a meeting."


    That caught his attention.


    "Celestine? Calling for a meeting so suddenly?" he muttered, his amusement shifting into curiosity.


    She had been relatively quiet ever since their last debate, or, more to say, argument, where they clashed over policies regarding the lower classes. He knew her well enough to know she wasn''t the type to let things go easily. Was she planning something again?


    A slow, playful smile crept onto his lips. "Interesting."


    He wants to be entertained, and everything that brings uncertainty or unexpectedness makes him more alive; that is the only thing he currently desires.


    So, with great expectation, he stood up, adjusting his uniform before making his way to the office, his mind racing with possibilities.


    "Did she perhaps think of anything that can be used against me?" He wonders as he tries to suppress the smile coming from his lips.


    "Ah, I can''t contain myself"


    ---


    The student council office was already filled with members when the vice president finally arrived. Some were whispering among themselves, their confusion evident. Clearly, this wasn''t just a routine meeting. Typically, at this time, they would be left off to handle their club activities as well as their school work. So now this abrupt meeting brought them a bit of confusion and the same nervousness as a possible emergency.


    With an emotion mixed with confusion and worry among the members who disappeared as the person who called them finally arrived, Celestine spoke. Her voice had the authority to almost make them obey her every whim.


    "I''d like to introduce our newest council member."


    Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire


    For a moment, silence filled the room, it was a bit unexpected. The council didn''t exactly have the best reputation among the student body ever since the incident with Edgar; some of their previous members were involved in the bullying incident. So now, aside from fear, most saw them as manipulative elites who only looked out for their own. No one voluntarily joined them now unless they had a strong reason or a special background


    A new recruit?@@@@


    They thought, followed by a series of expectations and assumptions.


    The vice president''s curiosity deepened as he shifted his gaze toward the door, watching as the new member stepped in. The moment he saw the person, his smirk froze.


    The senior who challenges Apollo seems to be in thought, then his face immediately changes as if he had thought of something.


    "Let''s just make it simple, show us the elements you are affiliated with and cast a very simple spell"


    He said, but Apollo knew that the simple he was referring to should be something that could leave them in awe, not too arrogant nor too shabby. A spectacle that will make them acknowledge his strength.


    Apollo wasn''t really nervous; instead, he felt entertained; he wondered how much power he should use that wouldn''t break the council office.


    "Well let''s first summon my affiliated element"


    As soon as Apollo put his focus on his body, it began to glow, a faint light of green showcasing the element it belonged to.


    "Wind?" The senior mutters until the wave of air suddenly changes; tiny clouds begin to form around the accumulating air. Then, in an instant, sparks of light began to dance until they turned into energy that sent heat across the room.


    "This is... lightning element..." The senior mutters though he could never guess how the wind element gathered the power of lightning.


    More electricity gathers, and it slowly gathers up to his palm; then as it gathers, he abruptly crushes, causing the accumulated energy to run havoc. Although the gather power wasn''t that strong it was enough to blow some stuff while the members of the council shield themselves from the small embers of electricity.


    "This is amazing," someone mutters while their shield shakes a bit due to the wave of power from the crushed lightning orb.


    "Whoah!" One even exclaimed surprised by the mere exhibition.


    "Well, so the duel wasn''t just a farce between the two brothers," some even whisper, but Apollo never cares anyway.


    Soon, the wave of power dissipated, and the room was left with a few items that either flowed out of the window or fell over; in the end, everyone was satisfied.


    The senior who made the challenge stood up from his seat and said, "My actions a while ago are embarrassing let me apologize, my name is Rago Manuel welcome to the council"


    "Jana Deleon welcome"


    "Indigo Andres welcome"


    One by one, the student council members began to approach and introduce themselves, and Celestine, with her confident look, just stared at her members as if already knowing the outcome.


    "It seems you expected that scenario, Celestine," the vice president just said as he calmly studied her reaction.


    "Don''t give me that look," she snarls, not liking how the man beside her looks at her as if she is some kind of guinea pig.


    "I apologize I just want to know what you are thinking"


    "Ah..that what if I told you I just want to smack you right now"


    "How harsh my dear president...harsh"


    Celestine just rolled her eyes, not wanting to get involved with him any longer.

 chapter 294 Alternative

    "Wind?" The senior mutters until the wave of air suddenly changes; tiny clouds begin to form around the accumulating air. Then, in an instant, sparks of light began to dance until they turned into energy that sent heat across the room.


    "This is... lightning element..." The senior mutters though he could never guess how the wind element gathered the power of lightning.


    More electricity gathers, and it slowly gathers up to his palm; then as it gathers, he abruptly crushes, causing the accumulated energy to run havoc. Although the gather power wasn''t that strong it was enough to blow some stuff while the members of the council shield themselves from the small embers of electricity.


    "This is amazing," someone mutters while their shield shakes a bit due to the wave of power from the crushed lightning orb.


    "Whoah!" One even exclaimed surprised by the mere exhibition.


    "Well, so the duel wasn''t just a farce between the two brothers," some even whisper, but Apollo never cares anyway.


    Soon, the wave of power dissipated, and the room was left with a few items that either flowed out of the window or fell over; in the end, everyone was satisfied.


    The senior who made the challenge stood up from his seat and said, "My actions a while ago are embarrassing let me apologize, my name is Rago Manuel welcome to the council"


    "Jana Deleon welcome"


    "Indigo Andres welcome"


    One by one, the student council members began to approach and introduce themselves, and Celestine, with her confident look, just stared at her members as if already knowing the outcome.


    "It seems you expected that scenario, Celestine," the vice president just said as he calmly studied her reaction.


    "Don''t give that look," she snarls, not liking how the man beside her looks at her as if she is some kind of guinea pig.


    "I apologize I just want to know what you are thinking"


    "Ah..that what if I told you I just want to smack you right now"


    "How harsh my dear president...harsh"


    Celestine just rolled her eyes, not wanting to get involved with him any longer.


    In the end, the day ended with Apollo being warmly welcomed by the council. He was able to know them personally and not just some letters or numbers in the data. For an entire day, he followed them around under the gist of learning and found that they really had a wide connection among the upper year. Even the newly transferred students were actively conversing with them. This level of authority is one of the things someone needs if they are up to something. Connection, influence, and authority: If Apollo sticks around more, he might be able to find out the reason why the emperor wants him to investigate the seniors.


    .


    Rago Manuel (Disciplinary Officer): A brute force fighter with "Iron Judgment," enhancing his body''s durability and strength exponentially. He enforces the academy''s rules through sheer dominance. He lacks the ability to think sometimes, is reckless, and easily enters a fight.


    He showed that list, and Alicia couldn''t help but laugh as she saw his personal opinion on each member, but then Apollo wasn''t done. He began talking, and his friend just obediently listened. By the time Apollo finished discussing their abilities, the sky outside had darkened completely. The last of the sunset had vanished, replaced by the cool glow of moonlight streaming through the windows.


    Alicia sighed, rubbing her temples. "This isn''t going to be easy. All of them don''t seem to have good abilities to lead people, and most of all, they''re also incredibly cautious. If they''re hiding something, it''s buried deep but I also thought that it might not be them either"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Just think about it what if the council is just a decoy and the real thing that you need to find is just circling around escaping your detection"


    Apollo drained the last of his tea, setting the cup down gently. "I will increase my surveillance around the people around them, I will get their abilities checked as well, and at the same time, I will get even more involved in the council. If they won''t slip up on their own, I''ll make them."


    Alicia smirked. "You really do love playing dangerous games but it seems even long ones are good to you as well, right?"


    Apollo stood, stretching his arms. "Of course. What''s the fun in taking the easy route but don''t worry I am not neglecting the orders of the emperor"


    Alicia just shook her head, thinking how funny Apollo handled the situation.


    "You should hasten what you are doing I fear it is urgent and that is why the emperor urges you"


    "I know, but I see no traces I could use. At the same time, they provided no details to me, just the order to investigate the seniors. I don''t even know what I should look into that is why I am looking at multiple possibilities"


    "Hmmm....do you want me to help?"


    "In what way?"


    "I am not particularly certain but I know someone from the faculty I could probably ask for a favor or two"


    "That is also good but be careful not to gain suspicion"


    "Don''t worry I could just use investigating the last year''s event as a disguise to hide what I truly wanted to know"


    "Alright do what you want"


    As their classmates finally returned from training, the two decided to rest for the night. But Apollo''s mind was already turning.


    Tomorrow, he would take the next step.

 Chapter 295 Locating the lower class

    The investigation went on and Apollo kept close watch over the people surrounding the council and the council themselves. By now, he had formed a bit of a clue about the thing the emperor wanted him to see, the reason why he needed to investigate.


    Already made some progress he decided to make a report and wait for the emperor''s next command. So now, while he is on standby, he decided to focus on the task his friends have been busy with.


    The spell Clonis was cast, and one by one, Apollo began tracking the last school year''s lower class. While the search began, Apollo and his classmates ventured to a place they only saw on a map. Under the veil of darkness, they plan to make a move.


    The night was thick with humidity, the dense jungle canopy above swallowing most of the moonlight. Every step they took crunched against fallen leaves and snapped twigs, but they moved with trained silence. The seniors had grown used to Apollo''s classmates no longer snooping around, making them lower their guard.


    But that was precisely what Apollo had planned or, more to say, expected. Although this move they were about to make wasn''t the one he planned to do before due to the recent improvement in his investigation, he didn''t really need to be wary of getting the senior''s attention, though it was still good since no eyes followed their every move.


    Now, their little shadows had slipped into the restricted senior compound unnoticed, moving deeper into the academy''s most hidden areas.


    The place they are heading to has a huge sign that says keep out the territory of the wicked is up ahead. Although Apollo and his friends are confused with such a signboard since the map, they have shown no warning about a restricted area. But still, they continue to move forward toward their destination.


    While moving, despite the air being breezy and the night breeze being cold, it wasn''t able to remove the tiredness that slowly crept its way toward the children.


    Niko wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing at McKenzie, who was holding the map. "Is it here?" he whispered breathlessly from their continued move.


    McKenzie hesitated, looking at the rough, hand-drawn markings given to them by Professor Adolfo. "Yeah... According to the map, it should be here... right?"


    Braiden raised an eyebrow, amused. "Why do you sound unsure all of a sudden?"


    "Hold on, don''t tell me we got lost," Aaron quipped, about to use his blessings to order the space.


    McKenzie frowned. "No, we are not lost; it''s just¡ªwho would have thought people actually live here? We''re in the middle of a densely packed jungle."


    "I think the proper question is why this place isn''t managed enough," Braiden mutters while using the machete in his hand to cut the overgrown Ines in their paths.


    Apollo could not help but laugh at their argument, although he remained silent since he wanted them to do what they pleased. He could have told them about the map since Jeremiah had generated one, but if he had done that, it would have been boring, so he let them argue.


    Aaron calmed down, then he decided to scan their surroundings, and then he realized something. "Yeah, I don''t get it. The air is thick, the trees are overgrown, and I can hear at least three different types of animals that could kill us if they wanted to."


    Blair, arms crossed, clicked his tongue. "Alright, we respect your concerns, but we need to move. Look the girls are already way ahead of trail."


    They turned their heads only to see Alya, Agnes, Arabella, Alicia, Jillian, and Vesta already halfway across the clearing, nearly disappearing into the darkness.


    "What the¡ª! They sure are fast," Casper muttered, shaking his head.


    Keith stretched his legs before taking off. "Let''s go! We need to catch up."


    "Enough chatting around, move!" Samael added, already dashing after him.


    You might be wondering¡ªwhy were they in the middle of nowhere? Walking through the thick overgrown vines and grass in the middle of the night without a care if someone would catch them.


    "I don''t see anything here, I thought there should be at least a doorbell or anything that can announce that there is someone here"


    "Don''t worry Keith I have an idea how to announce our presence"


    Mckenzie said with confidence making Apollo expectant of what he was about to do.


    The self-proclaimed pretty boy of the lower class stepped forward; his classmate''s eyes all looked at him with curiosity about what he was about to do.


    On the other hand, the receiver of the attention came forward and inhaled deeply, filling his stomach with air.


    "Wait, what is he about to do?" Apollo thought so, but Alicia just chuckled as she already knew what was about to come.


    Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire


    Back to Mckenzie, his stomach became bloated with air, and with all his might, he opened his mouth and shouted, "OPEN THE GOD DAMN GATE!"


    It was loud louder than what Apollo had anticipated.


    "Just what kind of skill is this" he mutters as the air moves due to the strong frequency of the shout.


    "AHHH!!!" Mckenzie added a scream after as if he was a screaming gorilla.


    In the end, he lost all his breath, causing him to gasp more air; with the air filled with his desperate struggle to breathe, Braiden unexpectedly began clapping his hand, surprising everyone.


    "You know, I really thought you had a serious plan, but all you did was scream!" He retorted having his expectations broken"


    "Shut it do you have a better plan!"


    "Of course I have!"


    "Oh yeah, then what is it then!"


    "It''s simple I will scream louder than you!"


    Apollo and Alicia didn''t stop them and just enjoyed the normal banter between their class; however, soon, they felt a presence. Alya and Aaron were the first to react, alarming the rest, while Alicia and Apollo, although already aware, didn''t do anything; they just observed.


    "Well it seems Mckenzie''s scream was heard by someone," Aaron said while Alya seconded him, "It''s coming towards us"


    All eyes landed beyond the gate; although the dorm was far away from them, they tried their best to see the figure who was slowly approaching.


    "It''s a man?" Agnes said, her face contorted to a frown as she tried her best to see who was coming.


    "It''s not a man Agnes" Niko who was beside her said then he followed, "It''s a woman and a very tall one"


    The entire class fell into silence none of them tried to talk, they just waited until the person approaching them finally reached them"

 Chapter 296 meeting the forgotten class

    The silence that envelopes the class continues as the heavy presence fills the air. The energy of oppression that the senior gave no room for even the most chatty person in the class to speak. The young lady in front of them was a strikingly tall woman, her long dark hair cascading down her back, her black uniform blending seamlessly into the night. Blue eyes look down on them causing more silence to prevail. With the atmosphere not being good Alicia step and made a greeting.


    "Good evening senior we would like to apologize for the late intrusion"


    The senior then looked at the sky when Alicia mentioned the word late.


    "Yes indeed it seems you did"


    "Umm..." Seeing her expression was still neutral, Alicia was about to speak when the senior went on first.


    "My name is Livy Riverland as you can see I am a fifth-year student"


    With the talk smoothly progressing Apollo had intended to introduce himself and explain that they were fellow students in the same class ¡ªalbeit first-years¡ªbut before he could utter a word, Livy glanced at their uniforms and smirked.


    "There''s no need to explain," she said, her voice smooth yet commanding. "Your uniforms already gave it away."


    Apollo blinked, momentarily taken aback before remembering that the academy''s classes had distinct uniform styles.


    The Swordsman Class wore uniforms resembling knight training outfits.


    The Magic and Auxiliary Magic Classes were clad in robes, though the colors are a bit different from one another.


    The Combat Class had diverse uniforms inspired by various martial combat outfits.


    The Military Class wore camouflage-colored green uniforms. The Middle Class had dark blue coats and shirts, a variation of the High-Class uniform, which was instead white and gold. And then there was them¡ªthe Lower Class.


    Apollo and his classmates wore black double-breasted coats with high collars. The shoulders were adorned with orange fabric until just before the elbows, where the black resumed down to the wrists, decorated with gold cuffs and buttons. However, the senior Lower Class students'' uniforms had lost the orange altogether, turning completely black.


    Since their origin does not need to be explained, he decided to be a bit direct.


    "If it isn''t too much we wish to enter. We have something important to discuss."


    Livy simply nodded, as if she had expected this. With a flick of her finger, the massive gate creaked open.


    The group exchanged glances before following her inside.


    Even the boldest among them remained silent under Livy''s powerful presence. The air was thick with tension until Apollo and Alicia finally decided to break the ice.


    "I am Apollo Lionheart."


    "Alicia von Nyx."


    Introduce themselves and expect their friends to do the same


    One by one, the others followed suit.


    "Alya Timberfalls, nice meeting you, senior." The little girl''s golden hair and orange eyes made Livy how cute her junior was. Then, after her, the next person decided to speak as well.


    "Braiden Timberfalls," he only managed to say, earning a laugh from Alya.


    "Vesta Hexzon"


    "Aaron Hexzon"


    "It''s our pleasure to meet you," they both said then they both bowed despite closely following Livy''s pace.


    "My name is Keith Frostfang senior"


    Seeing their wonder made Livy chuckle. "Come inside."


    With excitement, they followed.


    Inside the dormitory, they finally met the seniors who had left the hidden notes and letters at the old shrine.


    As soon as they saw them, a wave of emotions hit the first-years.


    The notes¡ªtheir words of encouragement, their messages of appreciation¡ªhad meant so much to them.


    For a moment, none of them could speak. They remembered the time when they were suffering from many bad memories due to the monastery The short message and diary entries they read gave them hope to survive. The previous first years had no idea what kind of impact they had made. With all those memorable times, their emotion began to stir, and no matter what they could do, they couldn''t control it.


    The seniors, originally planning to tease their juniors, stopped when they saw their expressions.


    Instead, they offered comforting smiles. "No need to look so sentimental. We''re still here."


    Slowly, the tension eased, and after another round of introductions, Apollo finally got to the point.


    "Senior, do you know what happened last year?"


    The atmosphere grew heavier, and under the fire from the chimney, the flames of curiosity began to ignite.


    One of the seniors crossed their arms. "Are you referring to last year''s Lower Class?"


    Apollo and his classmates nodded.


    But to their shock, the seniors shook their heads.


    "We don''t know."


    Apollo frowned. "What do you mean?"


    Livy sighed, leaning against the stone wall. "Dear juniors, the incident happened during the three-month isolation¡ªa time when first-years are completely cut off from the rest of the academy.


    So whatever happened that year... only the first years of that time can answer your question."


    Silence.


    The revelation shook the entire class.


    For quite some time now, they had searched for clues, believing the seniors held the answers.


    But now, they realized¡ª


    The truth was locked away with those who were no longer here.


    "Now, this is complicated," Apollo can''t help but say.


    "Let me guess you don''t know how many second years are still around since most of them have been expelled due to being linked to Edgar"


    The senior named Ericson said, causing some students to be surprised.


    "What? You really thought just because we are living here, we don''t know anything? Of course not; we are up to date with the academy''s latest news. We make sure we know what is going on you know"


    "Having said that, we are sorry we can''t provide what you really need, but of course, we can give you the things we know based only on what we heard," Ericson added, though he seemed hesitant.


    "Remember, what we know is no different from a rumor we heard. We are not truly sure what happened because we weren''t there to witness what happened," Livy cleared, trying to make the kids understand them.


    "Now then shall we start the story," Ericson said, taking a notebook out of thin air.

 chapter 297 Bet

    The night was strangely very cold but the flickering flame from the fireplace was keeping the cold air away from reaching them. As the fire danced in the beat of the wind, Apollo sat quietly across the table where Ericson was sitting.


    "Now then shall we start the story," Ericson said, taking a notebook out of thin air.


    The kids were taken aback, seeing it was actually a notebook filled with all sorts of notes and articles; it seemed that it wasn''t only them who was searching for the truth.


    "This is what we just heard let''s start with the time we wanted to welcome our juniors. At that time even when the other classes wanted us to stay in our juggle dorm we didn''t listen instead we waited like the others, hoping to see what kind of people they were"


    "Yes, thinking back then, it indeed started when we tried to welcome our juniors." one of the senior students named Aida agreed, but you could also see the sorrowful eyes in them.


    Ericson''s voice carried a bitter edge.


    "After the three-month isolation ended, we expected to meet our seniors, just like you did. But when we went to welcome them..."


    His fingers curled into a fist remember that moment. They were waiting, yet no one came. The gate opened wide with any students, but none wore the same uniform as them.


    "They were gone."


    Apollo and his classmates stiffened. Though they had a vague idea of what happened, it was still painful hearing it now.


    "Not a single first-year from the lower class remained. The entire class was... dissolved."


    A chilling silence settled over the room.


    "At first, we thought there was a mistake. Maybe they were relocated. Maybe they merged with another class. But no¡ªthere was nothing left of them."


    Braiden scowled. "So they just erased an entire class?"


    Ericson nodded.


    "We asked around. We searched every dormitory, every hall. We even resorted to... less friendly means to get answers."


    By "less friendly means," Apollo knew exactly what he meant. Threats. Intimidation. Maybe even violence.


    "Eventually, we found someone who told us what happened."


    Ericson''s tone darkened as he continued.


    "The first years of that time¡ªyour supposed seniors¡ªwere ambushed."


    Alicia''s eyes narrowed. "Ambushed? By who?" Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    "By everyone."


    The air turned suffocating.


    "The high-class students, the middle-class students, even some of the combat and auxiliary classes joined in. They all gathered to gang up on the lower class."


    Casper clenched his jaw. "Cowards."


    Ericson scoffed. "You''d think they''d win easily, right?"


    His lips curled into something between amusement and regret.


    "But they didn''t."


    Apollo''s eyes sharpened.


    "What do you mean?"


    Ericson leaned back. "Despite being outnumbered, the lower class held their ground. No matter how many people attacked them, they kept fighting back."


    Braiden let out a low whistle. "Damn. So they were strong."


    Ericson nodded. "Very. They weren''t just resisting¡ªthey were winning."@@@@


    A heavy silence settled over the room.


    The reality of their situation finally sank in.


    The entire first year of the lower class was gone.


    Apollo''s mind raced. This explained the entire rumor they heard, but if the entire situation happened during the first years, then why....


    Why would the seniors act so defensively about the topic? They weren''t even there...


    "Why do I feel like someone is making a fool out of me"


    Then suddenly, at the back of Apollo''s mind, a single person emerges.


    "That damn vice president"


    He has no knowledge of what happened last year but pretends to because he wants to drive Apollo and his classmates around.


    "Could that guy be the reason why there was such a sign at the entrance of the forest"


    But then he won''t know unless he personally asks them.


    After a moment, Ericson spoke again.


    "Now you know why we never came looking for you."


    Apollo and his classmates turned to him, puzzled.


    "We didn''t want to experience waiting for juniors who... never made it."


    Apollo just chuckled and thought, "If we fail to eradicate the Monestry back then, perhaps your worry might have happened"


    "For all we knew, you''d be gone too."


    Their hearts sank, and Apollo''s attitude shifted, having understood their feelings. In his mind, they must have stood in the crowd filled with people who didn''t want them, but nothing came. The people they were looking for at the other side of the gate were already gone.


    Arabella''s voice was barely a whisper. "But we''re here."


    Ericson let out a dry chuckle.


    "Yeah. You are."


    His eyes darkened.


    "But for how long?"


    The weight of his words settled over them like a storm cloud.


    For the first time since their arrival, Apollo felt it.


    A feeling more terrifying than any battle.


    Uncertainty.


    Just to be clear, he isn''t afraid that some of the classes would do the same thing to them. Apparently, even if the entire academy gangs up on them, it won''t really matter since he is powerful enough to fight back. This confidence doesn''t come from the power he achieves through the system but also from the fact that the Mage tower is always by his side. But still, the future is always abstract, uncontrolled, and goes in a direction that no one can control for a moment. Apollo thought of many things that could transpire and remove the peace they already had.


    Ericson''s words became a reminder to Apollo that he can''t control everything.


    "So this is it?"


    A voice oozing with sarcasm broke the silence that enveloped them.


    "If you are afraid of experiencing what happened last year shouldn''t you all prevent it from happening?"


    The owner of such words was none other than Matilda, "You were afraid but did nothing to change it. You know, before coming here, we were very excited to meet the very people who left those encouraging words for us....even when we couldn''t see you guys, we began to respect you. You might not know this but the words you left behind became one of the things that keep us living. They gave us hope and inspiration not to give up, to continue moving forward, that even the worst will pass, and as long as we keep on moving, good things will happen, but now, seeing all this, why do I feel disappointed? Why do I feel like the exact words you left for us didn''t reach you? Why are you giving up instead of fighting back?"


    Her voice became painful, and Apollo knew why; in the first month in the academy with nothing to rely on but themselves, the letters at the shrine became the hope that made them feel the warmth. They felt motivated and wanted to become strong to protect themselves and others. However, for some reason, all they can see are defeated people who seem to have given up. That causes them to feel pain as if it was also them who gave up.

 Chapter 298 Plan after the discovery

    The atmosphere turned cold once again after her outburst, but none of her classmates stopped her. Even Alicia, who was sitting next to her, didn''t intervene as Matilda poured her frustration.


    "There was a time we all thought we are as good as dead, that we can''t change that, that even how many times we tried to dismiss such idea it will be the inevitable fate that will await us"


    "You gave us hope, a light that guides us to where we are.....so please.....don''t give us such a dejected look"


    She lastly said, looking different from her usual strong demeanor, this time, her appearance looked vulnerable.@@@@


    The seniors were left speechless and missed the time to respond. They weren''t expecting that they would become such figures in their journey; however, they weren''t that unfamiliar with the feeling since they, too, used to be in their shoes. Treated like a trach and always being ousted by others. They, too, once held on to those letters and decided to strive better just like their predecessor. If the situation was reversed and it was they who saw their situation, they would have been disappointed as well.


    "We are sorry we didn''t mean to ....." Aida tried to explain, but not being good with words, she just couldn''t express what she wanted to say; instead, she cast a spell that may convey her current emotion, the feeling she could not express.


    A warm sensation slowly crept into their skin, and for some reason, they began to feel safe, and then the warmth became different. It felt as if there was an underlying pain. The kids felt confused about how they came to such a conclusion, but knowing it was a spell, they simply tried to understand the emotion Aida was trying to convey.


    Apollo, on the other hand, couldn''t get anything since the system was geared up to automatically block any spell that could influence the mind and emotions. So now he doesn''t get why everyone looks like they are about to cry. He also wants to understand it but to do that; he needs to change the setting he put on the system.


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes I would remove it]


    However, right after the system settings were changed, the spell was already gone, leaving Apollo with an atmosphere he did not understand.


    "Ummm....he..." He felt awkward since some of his classmates even looked like they were about to cry. He switches to Alicia, hoping the little cold and emotionless girl couldn''t be involved in such an atmosphere.


    "Hey Ali...hey you okay!"


    Apollo whispered, shouting as he saw Alicia''s eyes flickering as if she was about to cry, but the weird thing was that her expression was still neutral.


    "Just what kind of face is that?" Apollo thought it was weird, so unexpectedly, he began to laugh, not minding the current course of the atmosphere.


    "Why are you laughing at me?"


    "I wasn''t laughing that hard you know so please don''t pinch me"


    Apollo made a defensive form on his seat since he needed to be fully on guard against Alicia''s powerful pinching power.


    Their banter, however, changed the air, and since Alicia and Apollo began arguing, everyone''s attention shifted to them.


    "Hey hey, can''t you see we are having a moment here?" McKenzie teased while slightly pushing Apollo. However, that slight push caused Apollo to jerk forward to Alicia''s accelerating fist.


    "Ooff!" He exclaimed facing the entire brunt of the punch.


    "Hey, why didn''t you dodge?!" Alicia was taken aback since she was sure such a punch could be easily evaded by Apollo.


    The serene and melancholy atmosphere dissolved into a cute moment full of banter and laughter as the kids began teasing each other.


    "Come on, can''t you see we are about to cry here?" Braiden commented while wiping the snout off her face.


    "Man I think all the tears I have went back into my eyes because of you"


    The discussion ended there, and soon, with the urge of Livy and the other upper year, they all retired into the rooms that should belong to the supposed second years.


    "Can we really use this?"


    "Yes, yes, you guys can now. It''s already late, and the sun will soon rise. It''s better to get some rest, okay?"


    Aida then kicks them off to the floor, which should hold the second-year dorm rooms.


    "So..."


    They were silent at first as they stared at the quiet corridors of the rooms.


    "So....umm, you girls should go here, right?" Apollo said, pointing to the other corridor, which is protected by an enchantment. This enchantment not only provides security but also a barrier that blocks the male students from entering; of course, this enchantment also applies to the boys.


    "Alright, let''s all rest good night!" Aaron said, waving to Vesta, to which the latter just nodded in response.


    "Night night, everyone," McKenzie and Blair said as they waved at the girls.


    "Night," Apollo said to them, seeing as they slowly approached the corridor.


    "Good as well, boys," Alicia lastly said before heading towards a room.


    The boys just stood where they are looking as the girls entered their rooms. When they are finally gone that is when they moved and entered theirs.


    Apollo who quietly wait for sleep to take him had a slightly terrible idea towards the vice president.


    "That guy I am sure he planned to make us thought he had some knowledge of what happened last year but in reality he doesn''t have anything"


    [What was his objective then?]


    "That I know is simple, he just wants something to play with. I saw this type of behavior when I was observing like the other council member. He feels thrill with things he cant understand, I am certain he was unsure why we are looking for information about last year but because we are serious he decided to mess with us"


    [Really?]


    "Yeah that guy.. because of him I need thinking of all sorts of things I really thought he was the mastermind! Due to his interference we end up coming here late"


    [I think delaying you and your friends was one of the thing he finds entertaining]


    "That guy has some lose screw in his head but I also kind of hate him"


    [Why?]


    "You know why, after all he was one of them"


    [Ah right he is, by the way your not gonna tell the others about this?]


    "I will tell them about it but for now lets focus at the task at hand. Lets tackle everything one by one"


    [We will Creator]

 Chapter 299 A announcement

    Since it was Saturday, the kids didn''t really need to worry about going to school, which is why even when the sun was already up, they were still sound asleep.


    Apollo, who was usually the one who woke up first, stood up from his bed and couldn''t help but wonder why the rooms on the second floor were still in good shape despite being empty.


    "Perhaps they weren''t giving up, they were just afraid"


    [What do you think about the plan Keith wanted]


    "It was okay for me as long as don''t cross any line"


    [Do you have any plan to gather the second years as well as the ones that were expelled]


    "That I haven''t thought about it but perhaps we can think about that once we meet the previous first years, our supposed seniors"


    [I keep on wondering why we need to interfere with the past. After all, the people who were involved may have long been forgotten and moved on from what happened. We might be just reopening wounds that don''t need to be touched again]


    "We can''t really be sure of that. So for now we should look for them and see what truly happened"


    While Jeremiah continued their conversation, a sudden message from the emperor made them stop talking.


    "I wonder what is going on?"


    Apollo wonders if the emperor already has decided what to do with the information he has about the seniors. So, with anticipation, he opened his communicator and immediately answered the call of the emperor.


    "Your majesty?"


    {Apollo I have reviewed your report for now keep a close watch on them and see how will they act these past few days}


    "May I ask if there is something special that is about to happen?"


    {There is...I am about to uproot the remnants of the Church including the spies he had planted everywhere. So to do that I will set up a bait to make them come out of their hiding space}


    "What bait is that your majesty"


    {It''s none other than my brother...I will issue a trial to which my brother Nero will be sentenced to death. I am certain his remaining henchmen will come to rescue him. So Apollo be sure to be on the lookout and to help I will issue a command to the rest of the guardian family that currently resides inside the academy}


    "I understand Your Majesty I will do as you command"


    The call then ended, and Apollo''s screen was replaced by a notification about the emperor''s messages. Curious about the content, he looks through it only to see information about the trial and the possible people being on Nero''s side.


    "Jeremiah it seems we need to prepare for the upcoming battle"


    [I already marked the students we needed to look out for, I already put them on surveillance so we should just see how will they react once the news of the trial began]


    "Alright then." Apollo walked towards the door and stretched his muscles a bit.


    "We should wake up the others" he decided to since he plans to ask them to help him.


    "I don''t want to worry them so it is best to have them know what is about to happen"


    As he exited his room, he caught a glimpse of pitch-black hair, something that only belonged to a specific individual in Apollo''s life.


    "Alicia," he called, knowing such pure and dark hair could only belong to her.


    "Oh.... You are awake." From the opposite corridor, Alicia came out holding something in her hand.


    "Of course but we need a solid plan, it should align with what the emperor has in mind"


    "You are always the perfectionists when it comes to this," Blair teases him, knowing when it comes to safety, Apollo is extremely thorough.


    "So when are going to move?"


    "We move once the emperor made the announcement"


    "What sort of announcement is that?"


    Before Apollo could even answer Niko''s question their attention was caught by the frantic commotion of the seniors.


    "What going on?"


    They wonder since they all group around the common room.


    "Seniors, what is going on?"


    They asked, but they didn''t answer. Instead, they pointed something, and to their surprise, it was an imperial intercom, a device that announced news directly from the imperial palace. Every single household inside the continent has this device for them to learn the significant news that is happening.


    The wide screen of the intercom buzzed in static, but soon, the live feed of the imperial courtroom was shown.


    "What the hell is going on?"


    "Shhhh," the seniors gestured to Mckenzie, causing the lad to hold his mouth.


    Apollo was as confused as his friends were. He was really expecting a warmer ambiance accompanied by a delicious scent of food, but instead, all the upper-year students had their attention on the imperial intercom.


    "You kids must be the first years, no?"


    Amidst the current dilemma, a gentle voice called the kids'' attention; it was an old lady looking like she was in her early sixties. She wore a simple dress drape with an apron. Behind her were equally old people, one of who looked like a butler.


    "We prepared your breakfast for your older brothers and sisters let them be since the intercom brought such unexpected news.


    "What news?" Apollo asked feeling that its something to do with the emperor''s command.


    "Oh the imperial secretary Maquis Berk just explains the recent incident of hundreds of noble individuals dying overnight"


    Instantly fifteen heads look at a single individual, it was none other than Apollo. That action however cause the maid and the butler to look at each other.


    "Please pay no mind at their action" Apollo simply said finding their stare suspicious.


    "Apologize but if it isn''t to concerning maywe know you name dear student" the butler ask Apollo to which he immediately answered.


    "My name is Apollo Lionheart"


    As he said his name the two servants made an ''Oh'' reaction.


    "Please don''t think of anything else" he remarked.


    Before they could even leave the common room, the voice that is speaking change. Instead it was a voice Apollo just heard this morning.


    {As the emperor do my duty to protect the empire like my forefathers did, so as for today you are no longer a member of the imperial family, and to answer for your crimes. You Nero is hereby sentenced to death}


    Apollo who was listening couldn''t help but smirk then he looked at Niko and said "Here is the announcement you are asking for"

 chapter 300 A little introduction before the disaster

    "We prepared your breakfast for your older brothers and sisters let them be since the intercom brought such unexpected news.


    "What news?" Apollo asked, feeling that it had something to do with the emperor''s command.


    "Oh the imperial secretary Maquis Berk just explains the recent incident of hundreds of noble individuals dying overnight"


    Instantly, fifteen heads looked at a single individual; it was none other than Apollo. That action, however, causes the maid and the butler to look at each other.


    "Please pay no mind to their action," Apollo simply said, finding their stare suspicious.


    "I apologize, but if it isn''t too concerning, may I know your name, dear student," the butler asked Apollo, to which he immediately answered.


    "My name is Apollo Lionheart"@@@@


    As he said his name the two servants made an ''Oh'' reaction.


    "Please don''t think of anything else"


    "It''s alright student we do know it might be a family business so we won''t pursue the topic, shall we head to the dining hall"


    Apollo wanted to say more but decided to concede. After all, it was really farfetched if they ever thought of their family as an imperial hunting dog.


    "If it wasn''t out of the ordinary because if I was ordered to kill someone by the emperor, I know that I wouldn''t hesitate to obey him," he just thought, but then, before they could even leave the common room, the voice that was speaking change. Instead, it was a voice Apollo just heard this morning.


    {As for this morning I Augustus first of my name your ruler and protector shall pass on the judgment upon my brother Nero Von Celestio}


    The screen then panned the emperor''s expression. He was stern and determined, looking like a ruler who would do anything for justice.


    [As the emperor do my duty to protect the empire like my forefathers did, so as for today, you are no longer a member of the imperial family and to answer for your crimes. You Nero hereby sentenced to death}


    Apollo who was listening couldn''t help but smirk then he looked at Niko and said "Here is the announcement you are asking for"


    The entire class knew what he meant, so all they could do was laugh a little.


    "We should prepare for the main event"


    Matilda mutters as she stretches her arms, appearing to be warming up.


    "Shhh....hold your tongue, please," Keith advised while secretly pointing toward the maid and the butler.


    "No worries, I got it covered. Talk freely as you can," Aaron gestures while shards of golden light begin to dance around them, demonstrating the power of space.


    Agnes, on the other hand, had her eyes closed and seemed to be contemplating something.


    "Something matter?"


    "You okay?"


    Niko and Apollo ask, seeing her become more silent than usual.


    "Now it really feels like we are some royalty," Arabella can''t help but say, remembering how the imperial palace has a similar style, though it is much lighter in color than the lower-class dormitory.


    "Come now, we have prepared everything to welcome you," the butler-looking old man said as he made a gesture. Suddenly, from the door at the side, five people came out bringing food on each of their trays.


    At that moment, a delicious scent of food came forth, demanding attention from the people at the table. His servants, on the other hand, were very happy with their reactions.


    "These are way too many for us," Vesta realized as soon as the table was full.


    "Don''t worry my lady if you can''t finish the food we had prepared you can just bring it with you once you return back to your dorm"


    Mckenzie, the certified glutton of the class, immediately devoured the food in front of him; this action, however, made the servants excited to serve him even more.


    "Wait, come to think of it, we don''t even know your names," Alya said as she realized they had been prioritizing their needs and not even bothering to introduce themselves.


    "Ah right I guess we did forget that since we became quite excited with your arrival, well then allow me to introduce the humble workers of this dormitory"


    Then, as if in the military, the five servants who were eagerly giving food to McKenzie lined up beside the butler-looking guy.


    "These five here are the people keeping the dormitory clean... Go on introduce yourselves"


    With his urging, the five not-so-old and young men nodded and then immediately spoke one by one.


    "My name is Chester I am responsible for cleaning the third floor"


    "Hi I am the one in charge of the library and training room, my name is Duri"


    "Good morning my name is Cid, I mainly clean the ground floor but I also help here in the kitchen''''


    "I am mainly in charge of the fourth floor my name is Gideon"


    "I''m Doner my cleaning jurisdictions is on the fifth floor"


    "We are all happy to serve your breakfast, students," they all said simultaneously as they bowed to show respect.


    "Then I think it''s my turn." This time, it was the old lady who had called them earlier.


    "This old servant here is your head maid, I merely assign the task of the maids and cleaners around the dormitory"


    Then after her, the second old-looking person came to speak; unlike the butler-looking old man, this maid hadn''t said a word since they saw them.


    "I am sorry for the late introduction this servant here handles the cleaning of the second floor and although I am old as you experience my cleaning is still superb"


    Then, from the side door, another round of people came. More introductions happened, leaving a single individual.


    "As you can see I am the butler of this place my name is Brutus Von Celestio"


    Apollo, who was calmly sipping his tea, couldn''t help but spit his drink as soon as he heard his words.


    "What did you just say?" He mutters in shock.

 chapter 301 The start

    "Ah right I guess we did forget that since we became quite excited with your arrival, well then allow me to introduce the humble workers of this dormitory"


    Then as if in military the five servants who was eagerly giving food to Mckenzie line up beside the butler looking guy.


    "These five here are the people keeping the dormitory clean... Go on introduce yourselves"


    With his urging the five not so old and young men nodded then immediately spoke one by one.


    "My name is Chester I am responsible in cleaning the third floor"


    "Hi I am the one in charge of the library and training room, my name is Duri"


    "Good morning my name is Cid, I mainly clean the ground floor but I also help here at the kitchen''''


    "I am mainly in charge of the fourth floor my name is Gideon"


    "I''m Doner my cleaning jurisdictions is the fifth floor"


    "We all happy to serve your breakfast students" they all said simulatainously as they bow to show respect.


    "Then I think its my turn" this time it was the old lady that called them earlier.


    "This old servant here is your head maid, I merely assign the task of the maids and cleaners around the dormitory"


    Then after her the second old looking person came to speak, unlike the butler looking old man this maid hasn''t said a word since they saw them.


    "I am sorry for the late introduction this servant here handles the cleaning of the second floor and although I am old as you experience my cleaning is still surperb"


    Her smug experience was very cute for the kids so they made a thumbs up signaling she indeed gave a good job foing her duties. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Then from the side door another round of people came.


    "Hi kids my name is Luke I am in charge of the garden"


    "I am Sergei I am the assistant gardener"


    "My name is Lisa I am merely a kitchen maid"


    "Rosal I am a kitchen maid as well"


    "Pauline I do the laundry"


    "Same here I also in charge of the laundry, Linag


    "Molina also in the laundry"


    "Melinda a maid"


    "I am a maid as well, Cory"


    "M-me too, I am a maid, my name is Liwayway"


    "Well I don''t have a permanent place here but I am merely take the maintenance of the this place, Domcar is my name"


    "Same here I also do maintenance and some lifting my name is Lime"


    .


    .


    .


    Three days after the announcement was given there was a bit problem.


    "They aren''t making a move yet"


    Apollo mused as he watch the surveillance footage.


    While he continues to monitor them Keith arrive and sat beside him.


    "Say Apollo how exactly did you find out what was happening in the seniors. If I am not mistaken you weren''t able to find anything on them"


    Apollo look at him for moment before returning her gaze at the screen.


    "At first I was confused cause I couldn''t get anything. Nothing at all, all the things they did are all normal. They study, eat sleep and train k just like any student. But then in the middle of their normal looking schedule I began to see gaps. Emagine how can people have the same pattern of their sleep and the very minute they wake up. The irregularities began to raise and I began to have a list of suspicious looking students"


    "Wait so your telling me because are waking up and sleeping at the same time you suspected something is going on?"


    Kieth said trying to clarify things before their talk could go even further.


    "I don''t think I was making the wrong assumption cause as I scan each and every person in my list...." This time he made a playful smirk.


    "I soon found a very unique ability"


    "An ability?"


    "Yes t was an ability that lets someone crosses over to other people''s dream. And surprisingly the user can also gather other people''s consciousness inside a person''s dream"


    "Wait you mean!...."


    "Yes the main reason why I couldn''t see anything in their everyday routine was because their meeting were conducted through dreams!"


    "That is also the reason they would wake up and sleep at the same time. The ability after all controls those aspects. You have no idea how I find so clever that instead of in person meeting that are very prone to discovery they would use dreams instead"


    Apollo sounded impressed since he could never guess that their enemies would use such method.


    "Dreams...isnt that a power similar to a succubus?" Keith ask and so Apollo nodded his head to answer him.


    "Perhaps they were related somehow but that is not what we need to do. We need to be prepared for the upcoming chaos"


    Keith cant help but agree however as the two both look at the screen in front of them. Mckenzie suddenly rush forward. His apperance look frantic as if his running like his life depends on it.


    "What happened?"


    "Ha!....Hooo..wait let me breath..... Nero!....he was disappeared from his cell!"


    Keith and Apollo both looked at each other before giving a wary smile.


    "Well it seems its starting" Keith mutters while Apollo look at the screen and immediately he saw a change in his targets'' movement.


    "Indeed it seems it really is starting"

 chapter 302 Wanting to make a move

    The news of Nero''s disappearance wasn''t revealed to the public and only a selected few were able to know this piece of information.


    A Sudden Disappearance


    The news came swiftly for those who needed to be mobilized.


    Nero had vanished from his cell.


    To any ordinary person, this would have been alarming¡ªa high-profile prisoner, missing under the empire''s watch? The mere thought could send the entire nation into chaos. That is why it was kept under the control of the empire


    But Apollo? He wasn''t surprised.


    He just kept his eyes on the screen while his classmates began to discuss the possible place Nero may enter to hide.


    The emperor had already warned them that something like this might happen.


    So, instead of panicking, Apollo and his classmates gathered in a secluded part of their dormitory, forming a tight circle as they analyzed and speculated about the situation.


    "Wait I heard the Mage association and the Mage tower are on the move to find Nero"


    "The imperial knights are also on the move. We should ask the emperor about some details." They continue to talk, but amongst their active discussion, the entire continent is flipped upside down by Nero''s disappearance.


    Apollo leaned forward, his expression remaining vacant while the flames from the fireplace created the right amount of heat for warmth. Then, he finally broke his silence; he presented a question that he thought he needed them to answer.


    "If you were one of Nero''s people, where would you hide him?"


    His question hung in the air for a moment before his classmates began voicing their thoughts.


    "Somewhere the imperial forces have the least control."


    "A place that isn''t easily accessible¡ªmaybe a dangerous forest."


    "It should be well protected, but danger alone isn''t enough. If I were them, I''d pick a place the emperor wouldn''t expect."


    "A location far from imperial influence, isolated, and well-guarded."


    As they continued brainstorming, a realization began to take shape.


    A single place formed in their minds.


    A place so unlikely, so absurd... yet perfect.


    "...Wait. Don''t tell me¡ª"


    "...It''s not what I think it is, right?"


    A heavy silence filled the room, and only the crackling sound from the fireplace could be heard.


    The deafening silence lasted for a few seconds


    Apollo didn''t respond immediately.


    His gaze slowly drifted across the room, locking onto a specific group of seniors, showed inside the monitor.


    They were subtle¡ªtoo subtle. Their expressions remained neutral, but their body language betrayed them. There is this underlying panic in them. A flicker of tension in their fingers. A sharp inhale as if being inpatient, but quickly suppressed the moment it leaked. A momentary glance exchanged between strangers yet too meaningful to be nothing.


    In a few brief moments, the cracks in their disguise were starting to show.


    A smirk played on Apollo''s lips.


    "Now... I wonder how the student president will handle this."


    His fingers tapped rhythmically against the table as he observed the senior students moving towards the academy''s shadowed corners.


    Something was shifting.


    Something big.


    Although everything was going as they were informed, it was still interesting how things were heading.


    Apollo''s screen flickered, casting a dim glow across his face.


    His mind raced through possibilities and analyzed the scenario that would surely benefit them.


    "Should I interfere now? Or should I report this first?"


    If he acted too soon, he might interfere with what the emperor wants; his wishes are the priority, and Apollo needs to comply.


    If he waited too long, Nero''s people could gain a foothold.


    A delicate balance.


    Then, after a moment...


    Nero chuckled.


    "Interesting."


    He turned to his people.


    "Prepare yourselves. We''re going to the academy."


    Nero is playing a very dangerous game with all his possible moves narrowed to a few places. Even so, he still has a hidden card that even his closest confidant doesn''t know about.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    December arrived in the blink of an eye, and the news about Nero''s escape never crossed the eyes and ears of the public. But even when a month went by not even the shadow of the former king was seen.


    "So now news again?"


    Mckenzie asked feeling bored.


    "Not yet the emperor told us to remain on standby"


    As Apollo answered that way, a continued groan of dissatisfaction came to his ears.


    "For how long do we need to wait? If we don''t move soon, won''t Nero escape again?"


    Matilda asked while fiddling with the pen in her hand.


    "You know instead of thinking of that you should probably do something about your homework"


    "Ugh...wait, hold up. You know I can''t keep up with magical equations," she retorted while trying to do another magic circle.


    Apollo just laughs, but even he wonders why the emperor is trying to hold off on capturing Nero again. When he reported that Nero had arrived, he had thought he would immediately order to capture the target, but instead, the emperor just ordered him to remain on standby and observe the situation.


    "Your majesty, just what are you waiting for," he thought deeply, not understanding the will of his ruler.


    .


    .


    .


    A few days went by, and December already arrived.


    In the days of peace, something was changing.


    It was subtle. So subtle that no student or teacher had noticed it yet.


    But Apollo did.


    The air felt different.


    Even when there wasn''t any kind of tension, Apollo could tell something was happening.


    The patterns of movement around the academy shifted.


    Some hallways seemed... emptier than usual, but somehow, the students didn''t find it weird.


    Something was coming.


    And then¡ª


    A thunderous explosion rocked the academy, shaking the very foundations of the building.


    A giant cloud of smoke rises to the sky while screams and shouts are heard.


    The impact sent students into a panic, professors rushing out of their offices, and alarms blaring through the halls.


    But amidst the chaos, Apollo simply smiled.


    "It''s time, fellas." He stood up, his golden eyes glowing with excitement.


    His classmates turned to him, anticipation filling up their faces.


    "We are ordered to attack."


    With that, Apollo cracked his knuckles, his mischievous grin widening.

 chapter 303 Welcoming gift

    Chapter: The Emperor''s Game


    One of the few things that is very tiring to do is nothing.


    For a guy who seem to be always running from sometimes, doing nothing was very exhausting. To elevate his feelings somehow, he diverts his attention to something else in order not to think of Nero.


    Apollo sat silently in the student council room, fingers lightly tapping against the table. His gaze, cold and observing, swept across the council members as they went about their daily tasks.


    He wasn''t allowed to act. Not yet, not until he finally gave his command.


    The emperor''s orders were clear¡ªstand by, observe, and wait.


    Even though his instincts screamed at him to move, to pry deeper into the enemy''s side, Apollo restrained himself. The emperor must have had a reason for holding them back. Even without the power of the oath, Apollo knows that the emperor is a wise man.


    So, he waited.


    He watched his surroundings carefully, noting every little shift within the academy. He paid attention to the council members¡ªwho weren''t acting differently, those who seemed more aware, and most importantly, who were completely clueless about what was happening under their noses. He closely looked at them, and occasionally, he would assist the president with her task, proving himself useful. Celestine was very happy with his assistance since her work went faster than before. However, Apollo was merely helping her out to ease his boredom. If there are things that need to be delivered to the other dorms, Apollo would suggest taking them. And if there is a need for sudden repairs in classrooms that the maintenance team can''t work on immediately,, then he would step up.


    On the other hand, his classmates are busy training themselves or just keeping someone company. This person is so important that it took the time of the entire lower class students. Only the church and the emperor were able to do that. However, it wasn''t really an evil organization like the one Nero is involved with but a person whom the entire lower class wanted to land a hit on the face for making a fool out of them.


    As the days passed, murmurs began to spread throughout the student council.


    "Has anyone seen the vice president?"


    "It''s been days... he hasn''t shown up for meetings either."


    Some were genuinely concerned, while others, like Apollo, simply didn''t care.


    He already knew the answer.


    The vice president''s little game¡ªpretending to have information about last year''s incident¡ªhad only delayed the investigation. But when Apollo discovered that it was merely out of boredom and curiosity, he knew exactly how to deal with him. After making a fool out of him Apollo will never let him go.


    A little flashback played in his mind.


    The vice president, a sharp-witted and playful individual, feeling bored with his life had always treated life in the academy like a game with all the students as his chess pieces. He was amused by Apollo''s class, intrigued by their tenacity, but never took them seriously.


    Until they decided to play back at his own game. For the first time, a mere chess piece in his eyes began to play like a player, though the problem is those pawns never even revealed themselves as the chess board flipped.


    Before the vice president knew it he was already under the palms of his own plaything.


    It started subtly¡ªso subtly that at first, he didn''t even notice.


    His belongings began to move.


    Papers he distinctly remembered leaving on his desk vanished overnight, only to reappear in completely different locations. His chair tilted slightly backward just enough to make him uncomfortable when he sat.


    "How odd," he mused, a smirk tugging at his lips.


    But he dismissed it as one of the council members playing a harmless prank.


    Then, his schedule mysteriously changed.


    Meetings were suddenly relocated without his knowledge. Reports he needed to review were filled with nonsensical sentences and cryptic riddles, and his window, which was just fixed, was broken again the next morning.


    Still, he remained amused.


    "I wonder who''s trying to tease me?" he muttered, lazily flipping through a rewritten report.


    But by the fourth day, the amusement faded.


    The real mind games began.@@@@


    When he sat down in the council office, his fingers tapped nervously against the table.


    Apollo, who had been silently observing the entire ordeal, finally made his move.


    He walked over, leaned slightly toward the vice president, and whispered:


    "You seem tense, Senior."


    The vice president froze.


    Apollo''s golden eyes gleamed mischievously as he continued, his voice barely above a murmur.


    "Did you enjoy playing games with us? We certainly enjoyed playing with you."


    For the first time since their battle of wits began, the vice president had no retort.


    Instead, he simply stood up, grabbed his coat, and left the room without a word.


    Back to the Present


    Apollo couldn''t help but smirk at the memory.


    His classmates had been waiting for the chance to mess with the vice president for weeks, and he had finally given them permission. Now, the man had disappeared, most likely hiding away to recover from the psychological torment.


    But as much as Apollo enjoyed that little game, his focus quickly shifted back to something else.


    Something was changing.


    It was subtle. So subtle that no student or teacher had noticed it yet.


    But Apollo did.


    The air felt different.


    Even when there wasn''t any kind of tension, Apollo could tell something was happening.


    The patterns of movement around the academy shifted.


    Some hallways seemed... emptier than usual, but somehow, the students didn''t find it weird.


    Something was coming.


    And then¡ª


    A thunderous explosion rocked the academy, shaking the very foundations of the building.


    A giant cloud of smoke rises to the sky while screams and shouts are heard.


    The impact sent students into a panic, professors rushing out of their offices, and alarms blaring through the halls.


    But amidst the chaos, Apollo simply smiled.


    "It''s time, fellas." He stood up, his golden eyes glowing with excitement.


    His classmates turned to him, anticipation filling up their faces.


    "We are ordered to attack."


    With that, Apollo cracked his knuckles, his mischievous grin widening.


    Finally, they can give the welcoming gift they should have given a month ago.

 Chapter 304 The Battle at the academy part. 1

    In every situation with massive explosion and debris flying away there one thing that will all follow, chaos.


    The academy was in chaos. Smoke raised to the sky painting it black, and fire began devouring the ground creating wave of flames that burns everything. As debris rained down from crumbling buildings. Students and teachers all move to fight to protect the school, the academy''s security clash against Nero''s forces, who moved with depression to get their leader out of the academy.


    Apollo on the other hand stood atop the academy walls, surveying the battlefield. His golden eyes glowed with the power of the system. Everything now his under his gaze, as he assessed the situation. The enemy forces were moving in formation, pressing forward relentlessly.


    Yet... something felt off.


    Apollo look eve more and felt the same feeling when he saw the changes in the academy before.


    Then he saw it¡ªthe students fighting alongside them weren''t real.


    They moved too perfectly, to efficient, they are reacting without hesitation, never showing any fear. It was something that cant be seen to students especially those who were in second year. And then when one of them fell¡ªtheir bodies flickered, dissolving into light.


    "Clones." Apollo realized as he saw that phenomenon. Even him was able to notice it, their body composition was same as the original, their abilities was also the same even the personality. This type of clones was so well done it couldn''t be done easily.


    And just like that, it all made sense.


    The emperor had been replacing the real students bit by bit for over a month, ensuring that only the most capable fighters remained. Apollo apparently forgotten the possible casualties that might happen once the attack began.


    The battle wasn''t a desperate defense¡ªit was a carefully orchestrated trap, meant to prolong the fight until the enemies'' are exhausted.


    His smirk returned.


    "Brilliant." he could only say as he understood the reason for the delay, it was all to prepare.


    Then from the ongoing battle his attention shifted.


    "Can everyone hear"


    {Yes we all do}


    A reply came from Apollo''s head, those voices however aren''t Jeremiah''s but instead his classmates. When the battle began Alicia immediately established a telepathic chanel so she and the rest of the class can communicate.


    "I already confirmed the situation proceed as plan"


    He said and immediately the sky began to darken, then as the sun disappear drops of rain began pouring down.


    Then amidst the sound of the raging storm a rhythmic sound of music began blending into rain. It subtle and almost cant be heard unless you are familiar with it.


    The battle began with a very enchanting sound of flute, this spell envelope the senses of the enemies filling it with confusion, voices of people began to be heard Ike commands that can tbe denied. The ground beneath felt even harder to walk as if something strong is pulling them. Then golden shards of light dance across the sky sealing it from any influence. The power of the lower class hadn''t started yet as Agnes, and Samael joint their hands to use their authority with an assistant of a spell.


    Time slowed to the others while some individual felt their body warm despite the raging rain.


    On the eastern side of the academy, flames raged.


    "Hah! Is this all you''ve got?" Joseph Silvercrest said, his white hair whipping in the wind, he swung his enormous greatsword in a devastating arc. The sheer force of the swing split the ground, sending enemies flying backward.


    he laughed manically, his battle spirit burning bright.


    Beside him was his cousin, Maria Silvercrest, who moved with great precision against the enemies. Unlike Joseph''s overwhelming might, her attacks were deadly and refined. With each swing of her frost-laced rapier, enemies found themselves freezing mid-attack, their bodies encased in ice. Then while they were trapped Joseph would land the killing bow killing them instantly.


    While they took care of the small enemies the stronger ones began to appear, their apperance were akin to those undead but their power were something no undead can have.


    "I think this is something we need to help you guys out" a voiced said so surprising the two.


    "Hey students care to assist us?" Said the two security guards of the academy with them are two professors ready to back them up.


    .


    .


    .


    At the same time Mckenzie, Casper and Blair group up for a hunt.


    "Mckenzie, control your swings," he said calmly, sidestepping an enemy before piercing their heart with accuracy.


    "Tch, cant you see I am handling three enemies" he grinned, but still adjusted her strikes to avoid unnecessary destruction.


    Blair on the other hand had use a bow since he doesn''t want to have a head fight instead he will stay at the back while using his blessing.


    Just then a group of Nero''s elite student allies charged toward them¡ªfaster and stronger than the others. Blair missed the opportunity to influence their minds as he saw how they actually busted their ears to avoid any distraction. So now he decided to pull the string of his bow just like how Apollo taught him.


    Despite the situation Mckenzie cracked his neck, then he said. "Finally, some fun."


    Casper exhaled, the air around him dropping in temperature. "Let''s finish this quickly."


    And then¡ªthey attacked.


    Mckenzie rushed forward like a panther, his blade cutting through steel and flesh alike, while Casper moved like a phantom, freezing, slicing, and countering every move made against him.


    Blair remain at the back and created opportunities for the to take advantage.


    Then as if by command a beast born from the power of the enemy came forward summoning the strongest power houses of the school security and faculty.


    "Now this could really mean a proper fight" Adolfo said his gaze fixated at the monster.


    "Careful now we can''t go insane here" Timothy only said while his body began glowing with ki and mana.

 chapter 305 The Battle at the academy part. 2

    At the same time Mckenzie, Casper and Blair group up for a hunt.


    "Finally, some fun."


    Casper exhaled, the air around him dropping in temperature. "Let''s finish this quickly."


    And then¡ªthey attacked.


    Mckenzie rushed forward like a panther, his blade cutting through steel and flesh alike, while Casper moved like a phantom, freezing, slicing, and countering every move made against him.


    Blair remained at the back and created opportunities for them to take advantage.


    Then, as if by command, a beast born from the power of the enemy came forward, summoning the strongest powerhouses of the school security and faculty.


    "Now, this could really mean a proper fight," Adolfo said, his gaze fixated on the monster.


    "Careful now, we can''t go insane here," Timothy only said while his body began glowing with ki and mana.


    It was a battle among monsters, to be described in honesty; the students who remained at the academy were dumbfounded as they saw how the professors and security team of the academy tackled a very powerful monster.


    They weren''t expecting such a brutal fight, but soon, their attention suddenly shifted towards a peculiar sight; it was a group of first years.


    "Are those from the Lower class?" They wondered as they recognized the style of the uniform.


    "Just what are they doing!" Someone panicked as he said this; her classmate, on the other hand, had already contacted security, wanting to make sure that their juniors wouldn''t be caught in the battle.


    However, the worry that some have was replaced by something else, awe and surprise.


    The student they were watching was none other than Alicia and Matilda, both of combat type, while Jillian was behind them, providing assistance from afar.


    "How can someone move like that!"


    "Wait, look, that healer is about to get stabbed!"


    There was yet again another panic, not until a giant shadow loomed over Jillian''s show. A cold chilling air grazed the academy grounds. Then something heavy landed on the ground.


    "Is that a magical beast?"


    "Yeah, and what''s more, it seems to sit almost at a baron rank!"


    While the onlookers glamor at the magical beast beside Jillian, the receiver of the attack was left with no choice but to be pinned on the ground.


    "Grrrr...."


    Deep and angry growl laced upon the enemy, he could not even open his eyes as cold air from the breath of the beast landed on his cheeks.


    "Sarah finished him"


    The beast complied and happily opened his mouth to land the killing blow. Cold air solidified, and soon the man''s body was turned into ice. The magical beast roared, and with a swift move of his tail, the enemy was reduced to bits.


    "Well done Sarah"


    Jillian praised her magical beast making it happy.


    "I see a tamer is here," the enemy said while looking at the white winter saber with Jillian.


    "Don''t really need to concern yourself with her; your opponent is here," Alicia said as she used her body to block her friends.


    .


    .


    .


    At the academy courtyard, Matilda, not the Matilda from the lower class but Matilda of the archduchy, stood face to face with one of Nero''s most dangerous men¡ªVaugrin, the Phantom Blade. He was the self-proclaimed wielder of the shadow, though the young lady of the archduchy had no idea what he meant.


    Apollo sighed.


    "You guys really think you had a chance?"


    One soldier broke free, lunging at him.


    Apollo tilted his head, his fingers flicking lazily.


    A sudden gust of lightning energy shot out, piercing through the man''s chest and sending him flying. He was still alive, but that attack left him stunned.


    Apollo''s smirk deepened.


    Then¡ªhis eyes locked onto the distant figure of Nero.


    Their gazes met.


    The battlefield around them blurred into insignificance. Their eyes were only locked on each other.


    "Apollo"


    A voice said though it was barely a whisper that it could not be heard other than the person who said it.


    "Boy you have a pretty good spell"


    ''CRACK!''


    Fissures appeared at the chains and soon dissolved into pieces.


    "However, that won''t be enough to handle all of us," it said while using its body as a shield to block Nero from Apollo''s field of vision.


    "Me alone who said so?" His voice was unnaturally confident, and from his back, two figures emerged.


    One whose hair is silvery while the other bore the color of sunset. Athena and Eros graced the battlefield as they emerged right behind their brother.


    "Young cubs, against us? How laughable"


    Indeed I standard a dozen amount of undead with celestial rank strength would be problematic.


    "And who said it will only be us?" Eros replied to the enemy''s remark. Then another round of people came from their back.


    "The academy''s security...I see they are indeed strong"


    Sixteen enemies all wielding the power similar to a celestial rank beast. Whereas they are up against the three powerful students and fifteen strong guards of the academy.


    Both sides are confident of winning, but it won''t be easy.


    "Nepheline...."


    "Yes, Nero? What is it?"


    "That boy, is he really named Apollo Lionheart?"


    "Joso...you are studying here to answer Nero''s question?"


    From the shadow, a fifth-year student came out and said, "Yes, lady Althea, he is indeed Apollo Lionheart, and behind him are his two siblings, Eros and Athena.


    Nero locked his gaze at the lad confusing both Nepheline and Joso, their student ally.


    "Alright let''s end this staring contest and let''s just start this battle"


    Apollo said and went on and cast a powerful lightning spell.


    The raging storm strengthened its power along Apollo''s spell that landed sixteen strong individuals.


    They were arrogant, not knowing the power of that spell was capable of knocking them down hundreds of meters away.

 chapter 306 Neros mysterious obsession

    The power of the oath is said to become more powerful as time goes by, and as long as a command from the emperor is given, any strong emotion that may cause hindrance to the mission is immediately eliminated. That is why, even with all the emotions the three had for each other, they naturally did not even notice it, and instead, their mind was pinned on their mission.


    The battlefield roared, signaling its start, with chaos. Apollo buzzed in action as his body became blurry. Eros and Athena were able to keep up with his phase with their own techniques; their presence was equally frightening as Apollo''s. Behind them matching fast like a bullet, fifteen elite academy guards gripped their weapons, their bodies tense as they faced sixteen magical beasts in their human form. Their worry even escalated as they felt more presence was destroying the academy.@@@@


    "We must finish this quickly"


    "Human that is very arrogant"


    Then a giant scally hand landed right at their heads, but the guards were very alert in just one powerful swing, he was able to deflect it.


    The magical beasts all move in formation as if they become a fortress that will protect anything for their master.


    Among those beasts stood Nero.


    His dark robes billowed in the wind, his emerald eyes gleaming with an emotional Apollo could not even guess. But despite this, his aura didn''t change; it was sharp, heavy, and ready for the kill. His presence, despite the rugged appearance, was enough to cause a suffocating feeling, like an invisible weight pressing down on the battlefield.


    "I was wondering when you''d show up," Nero said, his smirk barely concealing his excitement. "I''ve been dying to test my new power. It was all for the sake of showing it to you." his voice sounded excited to the point of obsession as if he had found his most precious item.


    Apollo cracked his neck, his golden irises flickering with energy. "I don''t know what you meant, but I never met you before, so I am not sure what you need to show me," he replied since he knew he had never met Nero as Apollo.


    "Could it be he recognized me"


    He was a bit worried, but that thought was replaced with his desire to capture Nero again.


    And then¡ªthey moved.


    Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire


    Two shadows disappear, one having a cloak that is as dark as the stormy cloud while the other is like a brilliant light.


    The first direct clash between the two forces finally begins, and it all starts with a powerful enchantment that enhances everyone''s overall starts. Athena started first with a total buff for everyone. Then, as if taking advantage of the situation, the rain grew stronger, and with it, the conquering spell that was blended into the rain increased.


    "The battle is becoming more intense," Vesta said as she placed her flute near her face again.


    "It only means we need to move more" Arabella suggested. And so the power of the flute increased while Arabella restarted her prayer, making the rain even stronger.


    The ground shattered beneath their feet as the sixteen beasts charged. Each of them was towering, muscular, and brimming with raw magic. Their eyes gleamed with intelligence and thirst for blood, their movements were unnaturally controlled. It''s as if they are preparing something.


    The academy guards split into formations, raising their weapons as the first wave of beasts slammed into them.


    The battlefield erupted into pure mayhem.


    Eros vanished, attacking right beside Athena; protecting became his priority. Apollo, on the other hand, formed his stance, and the concentrated lightning in his hand flickered as he weaved between the beasts, his lightning spear flashing like a silver streak. He moved fast to slice off at least a limp or two from Nero. However, as he tries to approach, more obstacles are ganging at him. There were even students from the academy who attacked him, but like before, a deliberate attack came in to deflect those strikes. The tip of his spear pierces through joints and weak points within a matter of seconds.


    Then¡ªhis grip tightened. Pulse of electricity increase.


    Apollo calculated in his mind that this much of struggle is believable. Behind him, Athena assists him by giving him a buff. Apollo smirks even further and immediately moves to finish what he plans to do.


    CRACK.


    The beast''s arm snapped like a twig.


    It barely had time to register the pain before Apollo''s hand slammed into its chest.


    BOOM!


    The monster was sent flying, crashing through several other creatures like a meteor before skidding to a halt, unmoving.


    Apollo lowered his hand, his smirk turning sharper.


    "Next."


    The rainwater is currently a mix of blood and flesh, and the hounds are being torn by each second, surging more panic among the enemy lines. They had no idea how they could get out of the current situation.


    "Push forward!" Nepheline shouted breaking the hundreds of whispers at the same time.


    Her voice gave a moment of clarity urging more power to be unleashed.


    "Push!"


    The celestial hound roar summons more of its skills. Heavy gusts of wind and flames came down, burning everything in its path.


    The academy guards weren''t just bystanders¡ªthey moved to the front line, acting as shields for the three students.


    As the magical beasts tried to overwhelm the battlefield, the guards fought with teamwork and all the power they had.


    One beast lunged toward a guard¡ªonly for two others to intercept it, locking its movements with enchanted spears. A third guard sliced through its neck, ending it instantly.


    Another guard, wielding a tower shield, absorbed the force of a beast''s charge before counterattacking with an explosive strike.


    Even though the magical beasts suddenly grew stronger, the guards fought valiantly¡ª cutting them down one by one. Even when dozens of skills and spells rain down upon them.


    But just as they began to push back¡ª


    Nero stepped forward.


    Apollo, who anticipated his interference, only prepared his hand to strike.


    The air shuddered as Nero raised his hand.

 chapter 307 Apollos confusion

    The air shuddered as Nero raised his hand.


    A pulse of dark energy erupted from his body, sending a shockwave rippling across the battlefield.


    Every guard within a twenty-meter radius was blasted backward, their armor shattering under the sheer force.


    Apollo''s eyes narrowed. Something was definitely off.


    Nero smirked. "Now then, shall we begin?"


    And with that, he vanished.


    Apollo pretended to have barely had time to react, feigning ignorance of Nero''s path, then just like what he calculated, Nero reappeared behind him.


    His fist already moving.


    Apollo reacted fast, but to his surprise, Athena was able to perceive the attack. A buffing spell circulates around his body, causing the mass of electricity to surge up. At that moment, he felt energized. He spun, barely dodging as Nero''s punch grazed his cheek.


    Apollo was satisfied at how he reacted but didn''t let his guard down, he braced himself as the consequences of Nero''s punch came to him immediately.


    BOOM!@@@@


    The impact alone split the ground where Apollo had been standing.


    Eros and Athena moved to intercept.


    But Nero flicked his fingers, sending a shockwave hurling them backward. The guards wanted to come to their rescue, but the magical beast didn''t give them such luxury.


    Apollo exhaled his golden aura flaring. Despite his higher level than most of the guards, he was a little unsure if his human form could handle Nero. Even his demonic form had a hard time-fighting Nero; now, without it, he still needs to be cautious even when his enemy doesn''t have its greatest weapon, Excalibur.


    "I really need to take this fight seriously," he admitted. He shouldn''t let his arrogance get the better of him, and not because he has defeated Nero once means he will always win whenever they win.


    Nero''s smirk widened. "Tell me is your name truly Apollo?"


    That made the boy confused not knowing what his enemy meant by asking his name. So, to answer his question, he just nodded his head. As soon as he did so, Nero''s gaze went crazy, or more to say, he looked happy, happily crazy, to the point his pupils dilated.


    Then their gazes locked¡ª


    And then¡ª


    They clashed.


    As their attacks intercept Eros and Athena both move to assist their brother.


    A dark contaminating energy burst along with the power of lightning.


    [Notification Alert!


    The matter surrounding Nero is identified to be similar to the miasma produced by corruption.


    Warning!


    Prolonged contact can cause abnormalities in the body, it could even cause the people in contact to turn into a devil.


    "Cover us!"


    Athena telepathically said, and immediately, the guards changed their formation, giving more room for them to adjust and react to any attacks.


    Athena began casting her spell, Apollo by her side. Meanwhile, Eros tried to hold up Nero, but he just didn''t have enough power to push him back.


    [Creator he is coming!]


    "Okay"


    He said that but Athena''s spell wasn''t done yet; it won''t be good to be interrupted. So to save himself some time to corner Nero, Apollo simply uses one of his powers.


    "Gravity a hundred times"


    A sudden increase of gravity made Nero''s advance fail. Giving Nero no opportunity to attack.


    "Jeremiah make sure to assist my brother with authorities"


    [Affirmative Creator]


    Then Apollo uses another authority to accelerate the speed of Athena''s casting.


    "Hmmm?"


    For a moment, Athena was confused since she knew her own capacity, yet somehow, she was casting faster than before.


    "Is it due to adrenaline?" She thought, but her thoughts were soon attracted by the sudden pulse of heat.


    "!?"


    She was shocked as she saw the effects of Apollo''s spell.


    "This is!"


    All the guards were brimming with the power of lightning, and soon, a rain of lights washed through the academy. The heat increased, and the ground was further burned to the extent of creating a molted crater.


    However, as soon as the mayhem ended, Apollo saw that Nero covered all his comrades with the same black matter.


    [Creator they are very weak now, I suggest you get serious before your enemy uses something to turn the tides on their side]


    "Don''t worry Jeremiah, after all, who says I wasn''t serious"


    Then he lightly taps the ground, and to everyone''s surprise, a large-scale magic circle activated.


    [Creator this is!]


    "Yup, the entire time, I was drawing that magic circle on the ground. I want to defeat Nero but at the same time I don''t want to reveal my entire power"


    Soon the light from the magic circle envelopes the entire academy. As its powers devoured everything, Apollo''s gaze remained on Nero.


    Yet again, the two were only looking at each other despite the chaos around them. From that tension, Nero slowly smiled, one that seemed familiar to Apollo, something that made him confused.


    "It is nice to see you again... teacher," he said until his entire body was swallowed, leaving Apollo confused at his words.

 chapter 308 Nero and Apollo

    The power of lightning that was released by the academy guards roast the living daylights of the enemies. Though Nero was able to salvage them but not completely out of harm. Their bodies were charred and smoking from the dozens of folds of lightning.@@@@


    The former king stood amidst the scorched battlefield, his breath heavy, his body trembling from the immense strain. It seems the power from the black matter comes with a price. His subordinates lay around him, battered, weakened, and barely clinging to life.


    And yet, Apollo wasn''t done yet, he still has one trick he hasn''t used.


    A multi magic circle beneath them pulsed, its radiance leeching away what little power Nero''s forces had left. While the light from the circle intensifies Apollo''s gaze kept on his target.


    "It is nice to see you again... teacher" he said until his entire body was swallowed leaving Apollo confused at his words.


    "What? Jeremiah did i perhaps hear it wrong?"


    [Creator you didn''t, do you want me to reply it?]


    "No that is unnecessary"


    The boy then decided to observe the matter first since he has little information about what Nero was talking about.


    On the other hand the magic circle Apollo drawn has done its purpose draning every power that the enemy may use.


    Lucien gritted his teeth, his arms shaking as he pushed himself up¡ªonly to collapse again, his strength completely devoured by the enemy''s trick. "Damn it...!"


    Polin, one of the loyal servants, clenched her fists. "Your Majesty..." her voice quivered, knowing they had failed. They were supposed to transport Nero to thier newly created base but on their way to the agreed spot they were ambush.


    "This is all are fault" she added feeling she had failed the only thing she could do. The month they stayed on the campus made them feel that they have truly escape he eyes of the empire. However it didn''t mean they will stay there for long even, it is supposedly for a couple of days but it took a while since the base they newly established took a while to build.


    The frustrated look of all Nero''s servant be it the one in front of him or thr the ones currently scattered are all the same.


    Helpless


    Defeated


    Ashame


    And some even have fury in them.


    Apollo saw all of it but he couldn''t say that he had won, because the man that started it all is standing few meters away from him.


    "He is still standing" he could only say as he took out the orb from before.


    "The next one should really finish the job"


    The powwer of lightning took charge of thr orb turning it into a ball of heat.


    This should be the end


    Or at least, he thought so.


    Then¡ªNero smirked.


    "It seems you don''t remember me .....my teacher."


    His words made Apollo pause. His teacher? Again with that term. That made his body chilled for an unknown reason. Just what was he talking about?


    Before Apollo could react, darkness surged around Nero.


    "Jeremiah!"


    [On it!]


    "Wait for my signal"


    [I will]


    The authorities stirred up all ready to be commanded. But then a sudden realization dawn on Apollo.


    "This matter it feels like...."


    He finally knows what it is but then his split second surprise was well taken by his enemy, as if he knows Apollo would react that way.


    It was sudden¡ªlike a devouring void.


    A power from the outside seep through Bunag creating a twisted portal manifested beneath him. This portal swallowed his entire body in an instant.


    The next thing Apollo saw¡ªNero was gone.


    "Jeremiah"


    [Yes]


    Then immediately his eyes glided towards the people Nero left behind.


    "Headaches" he immediately recognized their motive and made a move to minimize the effects of their self destruction.


    However similar to what happened to Nero a voice made him stop.


    {Apollo pull back now!}


    "!?"


    That voice belong to the nameless soldier with the emperor. The boy''s head immediately look up and there above he saw a figure.


    He couldn''t help but smirk, then he switch to his student persona and immediately pretended to retreat.


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    But then as he watched his enemies blow themselves up.


    He simply let the explosion carry him away.


    It was he was supposed to do.


    His role was clear.


    Not to end the game.


    But to keep playing it.


    The explosion took place however as soon as the light sound disappeared the students finally realized that a barrier was placed. The suicide bombers were kept in cage. Not letting their final wish to be granted.


    None of the students died but the third year and fourth year who decided to stay were all injured.


    On the other hand some second who werent replace before the fight end up nedding counselling. As for the first year they were secretly take by Caesar, only the lower class werent included.


    As soon as the battle was over the clean up came next. The injuries were recorded while the destroyed infrastructure were fix using the hidden magic circle inside the academy. The only problem is the inside is basically empty so they need to buy the new materials and furnitures before the classes could continue again. Fortunately the emperial family was already prepared to transport the needed items.


    Days passed.


    The battlefield had settled, leaving behind ruins where grand structures once stood.


    The academy worked tirelessly to recover. Professors, students, and imperial workers collaborated to restore what had been lost. Though the magica surrounding the academy mostly did the job.


    The damaged halls were rebuilt.


    The injured were treated.


    Even as life returned to normal, an unease lingered in the air.


    Nero had escaped, on purpose. This made Apollo puzzled.


    Was there something he didn''t know?


    What could be the reason? why would the emperor let him go?


    Nd Nero where could he hide?


    Was there any remaining people that will assist.


    His forces had sacrificed themselves for him. Arent they the last of his servants.


    Those questions ran into his mind but more than that there was more matter that is occupying his head.


    He could not ignore the nagging suspicion that keep replaying in his head.


    His words before disappearing...


    "It''s nice to see you again... teacher."


    What did he mean?


    As Apollo gazed upon the newly restored academy, his fists clenched.


    More than the words he could not understand his own emotion. How could he feel a sudden nostalgia in the way Nero called him.


    He must find answers


    He wouldn''t let Nero get away.


    Hopefully the emperor would issue another command.

 chapter 309 The run away

    The destruction of the academy brought problems not only in terms of infrastructure but also the problem with students due to the emperor having to do something since it was he who orchestrated the entire situation.


    Inside the headmaster''s office, three figures sat in deep discussion.


    Emperor Augustus rested his chin on his hand, his expression unreadable. Across from him sat the Headmaster of the Academy and Vice Headmaster. Both have disturbed expressions on their faces as they see the number of deceased students who sided with Nero. It was an amount they couldn''t ignore.


    The room was silent, save for the crackling embers in the fireplace. The cold air was approaching fast as snow slowly fell from the sky.


    Then, the Emperor exhaled deeply. Knowing that the academy can''t operate completely if the number of students is below the required operational number.


    "This plan was far more taxing than I anticipated."


    The headmaster nodded. "That much was obvious."


    Replacing hundreds of students without arousing suspicion had required some of the strongest mages in the empire. The Mage Tower had to dedicate an entire division just to create duplicates that are genetically identical to the original, and relocate real students in secret.


    The vice Headmaster sighed. "Not to mention the resources¡ªmana crystals, teleportation spells, memory preservation enchantments... The cost was astronomical."


    The Emperor''s fingers tapped against the armrest of his chair."It was necessary."


    Those words made the vice headmaster''s brows furrowed. "Necessary to this degree? You even let Nero escape."


    At that, the Emperor''s emerald eyes narrowed."Are you questioning my decision, Vice Headmaster?"


    A tense silence followed.


    Acke took a slow breath before shaking his head. "No, Your Majesty. But we do wish to understand."


    Emilio folded his hands together. "The Imperial House may not have absolute power within the academy, but this institution still serves to protect the empire. We will always support your decisions, whether or not we understand them."


    The Emperor studied them both for a long moment.


    Then, he leaned back, his gaze softening just slightly.


    "There are things even you do not need to know."


    Neither headmaster pressed further.


    Instead, Emilio changed the topic.


    "Regardless, Your Majesty, we require assistance."


    Acke nodded. "The academy has lost a significant number of students. Many were involved with Nero and can no longer remain enrolled, while the others are now dead.


    The Emperor''s eyes darkened. "I will handle it."


    But then he suddenly thought of something.


    "Actually, headmaster, may I give a humble suggestion?"


    Both the headmaster Emilio and the vice headmaster Acke look at each other wondering what that suggestion could be.


    .


    .


    Apollo wandered through the academy halls, deep in thought.


    [Other people? I thought it was your training for torturing your brother]


    Apollo couldn''t help but sigh at his words, "I really can''t lie to you"


    [Well Creator did share his memories with me]


    Apollo sighed again before shifting his thoughts back to the party.


    This would be their moment. A celebration to forge new beginnings and start a new one.


    Just then, as Apollo thought of ways to approach the seniors, an idea suddenly came to him.


    "Why not?"


    This could work.


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    It was time to give back what had been taken from them.


    As Apollo finalized his plans, a thought crept into his mind.


    ''How will I convince them to come?''


    More importantly¡ª


    ''Will they actually believe me?''


    ''Should I go to the''


    The questions lingered as he finally arrived at the end of the densely pack forest. There, under the bright light of the sun, the dormitory of the seniors looks as majestic as ever.


    "This place looks completely back but I still like it"


    He made his way to the common room. His classmates were already there talking about their plans once they returned to their dormitory.


    The senior dorm, once a forgotten place and mystery, now served as their ew place to hang out.


    After more talks and stories about the recent attack Apollo and his friends decided to return back to their own dorm


    "Sigh....I don''t really mind the distance, but why can''t we build a teleporter here?"


    "Enough the chit-chat chat, just move, Brai," Arabella said as she kicked her friend on the back to get moving. Braiden, on the other hand, fell right into the teleportation portal set by Aaron.


    A low thud came after meaning the lad fell into something.


    Right after that, they take turns going inside until Aaron turns off the power of the blessing.


    As they settled in for the night, Apollo stared at the ceiling.


    He had already scheduled what he planned to do.


    "Let''s first talk with the headmaster I am sure he would agree....!?...wait now that I remember the president of each class before I wonder if they are still here"


    He wonders wanting to pay a visit and know their current situation.


    "I guess it won''t be rude to visit my seniors, right?"


    A mischievous smile painted his face as he finally closed his eyes to sleep.

 Chapter 310 - chapter 310: A plan to bring them back

    The party they had in mind from the first years to the fifth years was supposed to start once he contacted all the previous first years. However, all he manages to do is stalk them and locate their address.


    "Ah, seriously, now I totally feel like a criminal," he said as he walked even further into the forest.


    [Creator after all the people you killed you are feeling that just now]


    "Sorry but in my head their deaths are punishment just like how I used to help Grandpa in performing ''A res'', but let me make it clear I never enjoy torturing people"


    [The verdict that strips a person''s identity as a human, ''A res''. That punishment must have dulled your sense of humanity]


    "Please don''t label it like that. However, I really can''t deny that. Since one of the reasons I joined their team was to make sure I won''t feel mercy towards other people"


    [Other people? I thought it was your training for torturing your brother]


    Apollo couldn''t help but sigh at his words, "I really can''t lie to you"


    [Well Creator did share his memories with me]


    Apollo sighed again before shifting his thoughts back to the party.


    This would be their moment. A celebration to forge new beginnings and start a new one.


    Just then, as Apollo thought of ways to approach the seniors, a thought suddenly came to him.


    "Why not?"


    This could work.


    It was time to give back what had been taken from them.


    As Apollo finalized his plans, a thought crept into his mind.


    ''How will I convince them to come?''


    More importantly¡ª


    ''Will they actually believe me?''


    ''Should I go to the''


    The questions lingered as he finally arrived at the end of the densely pack forest. There, under the bright light of the sun, the dormitory of the seniors looks as majestic as ever.


    "This place looks completely back but I still like it"


    He made his way to the common room. His classmates were already there talking about their plans once they returned to their dormitory.


    The senior dorm, once a forgotten place and mystery, now served as their ew place to hang out.


    After more talks and stories about the recent attack Apollo and his friends decided to return back to their own dorm


    "Sigh....I don''t really mind the distance, but why can''t we build a teleporter here?"


    "Enough the chit-chat chat, just move, Brai," Arabella said as she kicked her friend on the back to get moving. Braiden, on the other hand, fell right into the teleportation portal set by Aaron.


    A low thud came after meaning the lad fell into something.


    Right after that, they take turns going inside until Aaron turns off the power of the blessing.


    As they settled in for the night, Apollo stared at the ceiling.


    He had already scheduled what he planned to do.


    "Let''s first talk with the headmaster I am sure he would agree....!?...wait now that I remember the president of each class before I wonder if they are still here"


    He wonders wanting to pay a visit and know their current situation.


    "I guess it won''t be rude to visit my seniors,s, right?"


    A mischievous smile painted his face as he finally closed his eyes to sleep.


    A new day arrived, and as soon as class ended, Apollo headed to the headmaster; he wanted to consult with him about the plan he had in mind.


    Apollo stood before Headmaster Emilio''s grand oak desk, hands resting casually in his pockets. This office seems to change whenever he visits; the last time he was here was when he reported students who were sneaking around the administration office. The atmosphere of the room back then was a bit different from now. A couple of floating objects were lined up, accompanied by ancient tomes and crystal lamps.


    "I wonder what is up with these things"


    A few minutes went by, and then the headmaster finally arrived; at his side were hundreds of floating logbooks and report scrolls.


    "Oh dear it seems I am bothering someone extremely busy"


    "Don''t bother with polite words student Apollo it doesn''t suit you, just go straight to the point"


    "Ah...well the truth is I would like to make a suggestion though it might sound like a request"


    "That doesn''t matter just speak"


    Emilio, with his usual calm yet unreadable gaze, folded his hands together as he listened to Apollo''s request.


    "You wish to reinstate the former lower-class students?" the headmaster repeated, his voice unreadable.


    Apollo nodded. "Yes. They were unfairly cast out. It''s only right they are allowed back. And with the current lack of students, they are suitable to be called back"


    Emilio sighed, leaning back in his chair. Then, a thought of teasing Apollo came to him, so he began to speak. "Apollo, I understand your sentiment, but this academy is still recovering from recent events. Reintroducing them could stir unwanted tension."


    Apollo''s golden eyes narrowed slightly, not expecting such words from the headmaster, so he fought back. "With all due respect, Headmaster, you''ve already removed students involved with Nero. What harm is there in bringing back the ones who never broke any rules?"


    Emilio remained silent, thinking about whether to continue teasing the boy.


    As his eyes remained unchanged the student in front of him


    took this as his cue, so Apollo pressed on.


    "Think of what they represent. They endured discrimination and isolation and were ultimately forced out. And yet, despite everything, they remain loyal to this academy."


    The headmaster exhaled, wanting to commend how he sounded so convincing, but he didn''t stop since he was already bored with so much paperwork; he spoke words that may sound challenging. "And what makes you so sure of their loyalty?"


    Apollo smirked. "Because they had every reason to turn against us¡ªand yet, they didn''t. They were shunned and mocked but even so, they never sold any information about the academy"


    The room fell into silence.


    That statement was something the headmaster wasn''t expecting. The conversation that started to pass the time became interesting.


    But still, he wasn''t done fooling around yet, so he didn''t reply immediately; he deliberately wasted time to make it seem like he wasn''t going to agree with him.


    Then, after what felt like an eternity, Emilio chuckled.


    "You are as persuasive as ever, Apollo." He nodded. "Very well. I see no reason to deny your request. They will be given the opportunity to return."


    Apollo grinned, victory secured.


    But before he could turn to leave, Emilio continued. "However, their arrival won''t be able to address our shrinking student population. So more students are about to come"


    A round of students will enroll thus creating new possibilities.


    "The imperial academy has been in talks with other academies," the headmaster revealed. "We are arranging an exchange student program."


    Apollo raised a brow. "Exchange students?"


    Emilio nodded. "It is a necessary measure. Instead of issuing a new round of re-enrollment¡ªwhich could bring more enemies into our ranks¡ªthis program will allow us to introduce new talent while keeping our enemies in check."


    Apollo considered it for a moment, then nodded. "That''s actually... a good idea."


    The old man just gave a small smile. "I thought you''d say that."


    Apollo was satisfied. Not only had he secured a reason to approach the former lower class, but the exchange students could also bring an interesting dynamic to the academy.


    But just as he turned to leave¡ª


    "One more thing, Apollo."


    Apollo paused. "...Yes?"


    This time the headmaster''s expression turned serious. "The rankings will take place again soon."


    Apollo blinked. "Oh? Another exam?"


    The headmaster shook his head.


    "No. This time, it will be decided through combat."


    A small silence passed.


    Then¡ªApollo smirked.


    "I see. Then I''ll prepare accordingly."


    He wasn''t really concerned about that; they weren''t threats after all.


    The next day, a wave of curiosity spread through the academy.


    The bulletin board in the main hall was flooded with students reading the latest announcements.


    Among the biggest topics of discussion:


    The return of the lower class students.


    The arrival of the exchange students.


    The upcoming combat rankings.


    However, amidst all the serious discussions, one voice rose above the crowd¡ª


    "YES! WINTER BREAK IS COMING!"


    McKenzie practically jumped in the air, his excitement contagious.


    Some students groaned at the idea of rankings happening right before a break. Others, however, felt the thrill of competition brewing.


    Apollo, standing at the edge of the crowd, simply smiled to himself.


    This academy was about to change once again.


    "Now I should get going as well"


    He said so while numerous of him were already on the move.


    "The plan should succeed regardless of the situation but more importantly it seems though Nero finally stopped moving"


    The boy said as he looked at the screen in front of him.

 Chapter 311: The anti social mage

    While Nero was still on the run Apollo was aware of his every move but still could not understand why the emperor would let him escape. So, for now, he remains observing.


    To make sure he won''t do anything he might regret he decided to give his mind something to be occupied with. That is the repeatedly mentioned party that he is still having problems making. However, even with his lack of communication skills, he still wants to do it since he already made a promise.


    So now Apollo sat in Professor Adolfo''s dimly lit office; he was quiet, thinking how their demonic professor actually has a taste similar to old people. Lingering in the room is the scent of aged parchment and ink filling the air. Across from him, Professor Adolfo had his attention on a book, looking like an aged yet sharp-eyed scholar, an image that was directly opposite to how Apollo knew him.


    The burning incense along the stacks of books in the background created this calm-looking professor that Apollo had no idea how to approach. The boy remains silent not knowing how to initiate the conversation with his professor.


    "So, let me get this straight..." Adolfo broke the ice and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "You want me to draft official reinstatement documents under my name... while you¡ªdisguised as a professor¡ªpersonally invite the former lower-class students back?"


    Apollo nodded, his golden eyes glinting mischievously. "That''s right. If I go as myself, they might not trust me." In reality, he just wants to save himself from the trouble of speaking awkwardly, disguising himself as a professor gives him a number of words he can say. If he were to go as a student, he might become too nervous to think of any topic that could entertain the seniors. Somehow hiding behind the identity of someone made him less conscious of himself.


    On the other hand, Adolfo looked keenly at his student, knowing it wasn''t really the case. However, he isn''t sure what reason he has to use a disguise.


    Just then, Professor Timothy came in and, standing beside Adolfo, crossed his arms and said. "You''ve put a lot of thought into this."


    Apollo smirked. "I always do."


    Adolfo chuckled. "And why, pray tell, should I agree to this risky venture? Especially letting go of a student that is akin to misfortune"


    Timothy, hearing those words, couldn''t help but choke on the drink he was gulping in.


    "Misfortune? Seriously"


    While Timothy wiped the mess he made Apollo leaned forward, his voice calm but firm. "Because it''s the right thing to do. They were wrongfully cast out. They deserve a chance to come back."


    Timothy sighed. "You have a way with words, I just hope you can be that convincing once you meet them because I am certain those kids had their guard up"


    "True, just imagine suffering before leaving the academy, starting a new life after all the struggle but then a year later someone will appear asking you to return to the place that once tormented you, even I would hesitate"


    "I don''t really worry about that whatever they decide I would respect, whether they wish to return or not I will take it"


    It was then that the door creaked open, and several more professors stepped inside.


    The three people who were inside were surprised since they knew they should be the only people there.


    "Were you expecting visitors to Adof?"


    "Nope since Alejo informed me he still has some things to do so he won''t come"


    "Then professor who are these people"


    The three were very confused, but seeing the appearance of the people that came in, it should be the professors teaching the lower class.


    "Good morning my name is Callista...um... The truth is I and the other professors used to teach them"


    "By them you mean.."


    "Yes the banished class was once our students....the headmaster had informed us and we would like to extend our hand to help"


    The Professor, named Callista, looked at her thirties with brown eyes that seemed to see many things. This woman had once overseen the former lower class. Her composed expression was clouded with emotions showing how she cared about her former class.


    "We heard what you were planning," she said softly. "And we want to help."


    Apollo raised a brow. "Oh?"


    Callista smiled, though sadness lingered in her eyes. "We never abandoned them, student Apollo. Even after they were expelled, we continued to guide them from the shadows¡ªsending advice, helping them adjust to their new lives."


    "And we also know where we can find them" added another professor, "Since we used to visit them to continue our teaching"


    Timothy sighed. "We owe them more than just that right? If we can give them a real choice... we should do more."


    Adolfo exhaled through his nose. Then, finally, he picked up a quill. "Fine. Let''s get to work."


    For the next few hours, the professors and Apollo worked tirelessly, drafting personalized letters for each student.


    Some letters offered apologies for not being able to protect them.


    Others contained encouragement, assuring them they were always meant to be part of the academy.


    Some even had handwritten notes from the seniors who wished for their return.


    When they were finished, Apollo gathered the stack of letters and official documents.


    "Time for the next step," he muttered.


    But before he could leave, he still thought about Nero; his eyes kept looking at the monitor and saw that the base where he was hiding seemed harder to find than the others.


    "Should I make a report now?" he hesitated, but in the end, he refrained from making a move.


    "I should be patient" he decided.


    While Apollo and the entire students in the lower class were busy, a certain someone was experiencing a tormenting pain that made him wish he was dead.


    And that person was none other than Edmund Tower, Eros'' beloved teacher.


    "Argh!!" He screamed, feeling the wrenching pain; these past few days, the attacks were becoming frequent and more painful. It was to the degree that even after losing consciousness, he could still feel the pain.


    "Damn it.....I... Cant...be-bear it...a-anymore"


    His nails dug deep into his flesh drawing blood continuously. His head, which he used to hit the floor, was also covered in blood.


    Edmund was in so much pain that snout and tears were already mixing together. But due to the little pride he had left, he didn''t even cry for help; instead, he remained crouching on the floor, wincing in pain.


    "I must do something to ease this pain," he began to think; however, he had limited choices due to the spell he had used. The ancient spell that devours a person''s talent is a double-edged sword that also eats the life of the caster.


    "I should have used a different spell at that time"


    Edmund thought so as his mind began to feel clouded due to the pain.


    He only has three choices: kill himself to stop the pain from turning him crazy. Second is to kill Apollo to end the seal from affecting him; and lastly, the one he least wants to do.


    "Revoke the spell and suffer the drawback"


    Unknowingly, his body jerked even more as he imagined Apollo gaining the power to surpass Eros.


    "N-no....I rather die than see that boy gain the power that belongs to my student"


    Between the deep-rooted anger he has on Apollo, Edmund wants his student to inherit the seat of the dukedom. It was a dream he had longed to have a student who would hold power comparable to the emperor.


    "I c-can''t....n-not s-stop now!.....there must be a way!"


    However, killing Apollo can''t be done since the oath placed by Helios prevented even the thought of it. This oath was also the reason why Edmund ended up using an ancient spell to seal Apollo''s talent.


    Because other spells would be immediately detected by the oath.


    In the end, he won''t be able to escape his fate and either be killed by Apollo or remove the seal to quench the pain he is feeling.


    Suddenly, as Edmund had a mental debate with himself, the door of his study creaked and opened.


    "Master, I came here to report about our latest research...master?....!?...MASTER!!"


    One of Edmund''s trusted students came in a rush to aid the old mage as soon as he saw his state.


    "Master ...are you cursed or something...should I call Shan to aid us?"


    The concern that he had shown softened the old man''s heart, and he immediately forgot the pain he was experiencing.


    "Nel thank you for caring for this old man..."


    "Master ....just tell me what is going on... please... I beg you"


    Nel was five when Edmund took him in and taught him many things about magic. Now, even when he is already a mage under the association, he would still spend time doing things for his teacher.


    Edmund was already satisfied that at least his students would care for him; even for just a moment, he felt extremely happy that the pain he was feeling had subsided.


    "My only problem is that brat," he thought so while clenching his teeth in pain

 Chapter 312: So what should we do?

    Then a day went by and Edmund was welcomed by a sudden call.


    "This is a very unexpected princess. May I ask why did you suddenly call?"


    {I have heard news about the situation there, especially the events that happened at the academy}


    "That, my princess, is all a plan, a trap, so if you are worrying about your fiance?e, he is fine. You know Eros, he has an ability that is very powerful. Powerful enough to protect him!"


    Edmund was very convincing as he explained how powerful Eros had become. Even when he is in pain, he is very happy to share the little moments that make Eros shine throughout the battle. This kind of moment is what Edmund wants the most: a time to flaunt his student''s achievements no matter how small it is. For a teacher like him, every progress is essential to boost a student''s strength.


    {Teacher you know I will never doubt Eros what I am more concerned about is the news I heard about Apollo, the power he had shown was clearly different from the expected power he should have based on the test results he had before}


    Those words make Edmund silent since he is aware of what she is referring to.


    "Are you perhaps worried about Apollo taking Eros'' seat as the heir? Rest assured because that lad will never have a chance"


    {How about the personality he has...do you think he would aim for the seat?}


    "His personality?.... hmm...that lad is raised by the mages of the tower; if you are unaware, the people in there are more focused on magic than people. Since the lad has been staying there for six years, I could say he must have already become similar to them. A mage who only seeks satisfaction with magic"


    {Hmmm..I...don''t think I can trust that... We are not sure that his attitude would stay away from the power of the duck title. Keep an eye on him and report to me if he does anything against Eros}


    "You don''t really need to say that to me because I will do everything to make sure my student gets anything he desires"


    The voice from the other end of the communication orb seemed to be contemplating something, and then, after seconds of silence, it spoke again.


    {Are you in any kind of pain?}


    That question came out of nowhere and Edmund was taken aback.


    "No, my child, how did you come up with such a conclusion? This old man is just tired. That is why my voice appears to be exhausted," he tried to reason but in his mind, he felt nervous about being read by such a girl.


    "Princess I will be hanging since there is a matter that requires my attention"


    {Oh, I am sorry for holding you for so long I shall call again next time}


    "Yes yes.. please do call next time"


    The call then ended while Edmund''s body was covered with sweat, though he wasn''t sure if it was because he was nervous or just because the pain was becoming unbearable.


    "Hoooo.... endure... endure"


    He kept repeating that as if praying to a mighty god, like a mantra that would grant the wish he wanted to have. However, like some prayers, no matter how devoted his words may sound, they never come true. The pain did not cease. Instead, it remained firm like a sturdy wall unbothered by any kind of storm.


    Helpless, the old wizard soon succumbed to the pain and lost consciousness like he usually does.


    .


    .


    .


    While Edmund curses his luck on gaining an enemy like Apollo, the boy in question is currently facing the group of students, which he only knew through the diary entries they left from the abandoned shrine.


    [They are right at the other side of the door]


    Jeremiah reported after confirming that the professors had already taken the liberty to gather them for him.


    "It seems they weren''t lying when they said they were still close to their students despite the class being disbanded"


    [Indeed, but Creator shouldn''t you hurry inside?]


    "I suppose so...wait let me check my dialogue"


    Like a nervous student checking his notes before the final exam, the boy with an adult appearance hurriedly reviews the words he will be saying later on.


    [Dont panic Creator]


    "I am not panicking"


    He replied while shakingly reading the cue cards in his hands.


    However, his frantic action soon seizes as soon as Professor Calista sends him a message to finally enter the hut.


    "Okay, I am tasked to go in now..."


    [Dont be nervous]


    "I am not"


    Soon, Apollo entered the hut; once he did, a spacious living room welcomed him. Unlike the outside, the space inside of the hut can accommodate at least a hundred people; thus, the entire class, including their previous professors, were gathered there.


    "Good morning. I am the assistant professor that was sent directly by the headmaster." Apollo started off with a cold and domineering statement, drawing all the attention to him.


    Dressed in a long academic robe and a pair of round spectacles, Apollo stepped and slowly walked in front of his earlier greeting, still lingering in the air. Seated on the couch were the students that supposed to be Apollo''s seniors. As his golden eyes lay upon them, he realized how no one even turned their eyes away. They were all looking at him despite his demeanor being a bit overwhelming. Unknowingly Apollo''s lip curved a smile as if he was proud of them. These students were the batch that made the rest of the other classes united just to fight them. They were a threat, and so were removed.


    Seeing them up close, Apollo now understood why none of the other classes could take them head-on.


    "I know the academy wasn''t the most accommodating but if you have concerns you can surrender them to me, once I have delivered the reason for all of you to be here"


    He looked at each one of them knowing that some must have an idea what kind of announcement he was about to say.


    Taking a deep breath, he stepped and began to speak.


    .


    .


    .


    The Students'' Perspective


    A few hours before Apollo''s arrival


    "Is it true we are being called Andrew?"


    "Yes and why are asking me like that we received the same message"


    Andrew and Melissa talk discretely while more of their friends arrive. The reason for their arrival was the same topic that Melissa and Andrew had been talking about.


    The room they are currently in is filled with the sound of machinery and quiet conversations. Several young men and women sat at tables, working with tools, writing calculations, or repairing old equipment.


    This place is called the Gear''s Worksop. It was established by the blacksmith named Gear in hopes of teaching his craft to the future generation. Now, however, it is being handled by his descendants. The workshop is free for everyone to enroll in; however, to get in, you need skills as a backup. Currently, the banished students of the academy take their learning to this place.


    "Professor Calista called me last night asking us if we have time this afternoon since the headmaster is reaching out to us"


    "I did hear the same thing from Professor Nicolo"


    "But the headmaster.....I am not too sure if we should go, you do know what happened to those students we beat up before"


    "Hey Kid have you forgotten the pride of the High class, there is no way they would reveal how they got severely beaten by us"


    "Indigo I am not worried about all the things we did during our stay at the academy and Cassie is right there is no way the other classes would reveal their defeat to us, though they did win once"


    "Yes they only won once, and that took everything from us"


    "Hey stop that Gil it''s not like we literally lost everything, from what I heard some of those fools no longer attend the academy, they were kicked out due to bullying"


    "Oh I did hear that"


    Their discussion continued until they noticed something.


    "Hey look over there"


    Their classmate named Elara noticed someone coming, a person walking towards them first thought. She frowned. "A professor?"


    The room grew silent as everyone turned to look at him.


    It was one of the newly hired assistant professors under Professor Gelda; in his first task as an assistant professor, he greeted them with a nod, and then he spoke. "I am here to deliver a message."


    He placed a sealed black envelope on top of the table.


    "You are all being invited to the Old Town''s hut; you may decline this invitation; however, your presence is greatly required. For more information, however, this letter will tell you more. Oh and you may ask Professor Calista if you are still feeling confused about this"


    After saying those words, he bowed down and immediately left, leaving the students confused.


    "And he left just like that"


    "Yeah"


    He didn''t introduce himself and went straight to speaking, then right after saying what he wanted to say, he just went on and left.


    "So what should we do?"


    Daniel asked while fiddling with the letter in his hand. All his classmates, however, just look at each other.


    .


    .


    .


    .

 Chapter 313: To my seniors

    With confusion lurking in their hearts, they decided to address this emotion. They all agreed to gather in Old Town''s hut and face something they all left behind from the past.


    "We are here"


    "Oh you are here Klint"


    "Yes it has been a while, Professor Calista"


    Calista looked at the young man and knew all the burden of what happened that day was on him.


    "Klint Soman"


    "Yes, professor!"


    Unconsciously out of habit, Klint straightens his back while imitating a military salute.


    "Student Klint Soman of the Lower class is here as their representative!"


    Calista could only chuckle while the lad did the same; somehow, the student and teacher missed their time in the academy.


    These were the students who once belonged to the lower class.


    "You should head inside your classmates are waiting"


    "Yes professor"


    Klint went in, and soon, his figure disappeared, replaced by more silhouettes approaching from the distance.


    This time it was Elara, she arrived with other members of the class.


    "Good afternoon professor"


    "Good afternoon student Elara, please head inside"


    The young lady just nodded and went inside along with her friends.


    Inside the hut, a layer of seats welcomes the guests.


    "This feels like..."


    "Like we are back at the class"


    "Yeah"


    Elara replied to Indigo; while their group stood still, mesmerized at the nostalgic place, Klint, who noticed them, immediately beckoned them to come over.


    "Here, come over here!"


    Elara unconsciously smiled so many things made her reminisce and made her let down her guard. Ever since their class disbandment, she could not help but be on alert for fear of their enemies in the academy coming for them. She became on edge especially when the topic of returning was open. Though it wasn''t confirmed, it still made her feel guarded.


    After they settled down and made themselves comfortable, a foreign sound of footsteps entered their ears. Someone was entering, and they could all sense that someone powerful was about to greet them. So, without their knowledge, sweat slowly drips while they gulp down to calm their trembling body. As the presence drew closer, they felt something like a force hit them, but courageously, they faced it.


    The room grew silent as everyone turned to look at him. They greeted the pressure with unwavering perseverance. However, their painful experience soon came to a stop when the man, surrounded with fearsome energy, finally began to speak.


    Apollo, in his disguised voice, greeted them with a nod. "Good morning i am the assistant professor that was sent directly by the headmaster"


    Strangely, as the mysterious professor moves, a heavy pressure dawns on their body, but instead of looking away. They were drawn by the power that made them surrender at the moment.


    While they are thrown into a state of alertness the mysterious professor spoke yet again.


    "I know the academy wasn''t the most accommodating but if you have concerns you can surrender them to me, once I have delivered the reason for all of you to be here"


    There was a moment of silence as he was savoring the moment then a news they somehow anticipated entered their ears.


    "All students present are hereby granted reinstatement of their class by the order of the Aster academy''s headmaster, Emilio Von Elysium.


    He then placed the stack of letters on the table. Prompting the others to look at it.


    "These are from your former professors. And these..." He pulled out the official reinstatement documents. "Are your invitations to return."


    Although they had anticipated the announcement, the students felt confused and could only exchange uncertain glances.


    "Return?" One of them scoffed. "After what happened? After everything we endured?"


    Klint looked at the source of such a discontent voice, and when he realized it was Joshua, he immediately understood why. Out of all the students in the class, Joshua had a hard time adjusting and finding his new path in life. Their class disbanmeturn their lives upside down, but Joshua had it rough for being the hope of his family, yet he ended up returning home two and a half months after enrolling. He faces not just disappointment but also criticism. And thus it took a while for him to step forward again. He worked so hard to re-enroll and start a new school life, yet now a sudden news came to him.


    Klint didn''t speak but just let his friends vent their frustration.


    "We know that what happened to us is the result of the bet we accepted, but even so, we wouldn''t have to agree if it weren''t for that constant threatening of our families and harassment we experienced. The academy didn''t even stop such an act even when the professors were aware of it. And now you are asking us to return to that place?" Gemini spoke, hating the memory of their time in the academy.


    Joshua''s fingers curled into a fist. "We suffered. And now we have built new lives. And now the academy wants us back? What a joke"


    Apollo remained calm. "I understand your anger. But have you read what they wrote?"


    Slowly, the students hesitantly picked up the letters.


    The room fell into silence as they read. Some eyes widened in surprise. Others trembled as old emotions resurfaced.


    One student, Marcus, let out a shaky breath. "They never abandoned us..."


    Elara swallowed hard. "...They were still watching over us."


    Another student, Daniel, gritted his teeth. "Even so... if we go back, won''t we just be used again? All those bullying and being looked down on will return just like before"


    "Things have changed and I know you all are aware of it. From the students who participated in your bullying to the professors who allowed it. All of them had already reviewed their punishment. The academy is moving into a new place different from the ones you have experienced"


    "So are you telling us to just forget what happened before and leave the things we have built for a year?"


    Apollo''s eyes glinted behind his glasses. "That''s up to you. But let me ask¡ªhow long will you run?"


    The students looked at him.


    "You fought so hard," Apollo continued. "Not for revenge, not for status¡ªbut for a place to belong. And you earned it. Are you really willing to throw that all away? You know the place I am referring to. You all have earned your place there; I know deep down you also felt at home when you were at the academy. Despite what you had experienced, despite the struggle. The feeling of relaxing at the bonfire reading letters from the seniors. That gave you hope, didn''t it? They gave me the courage to desire more than what others think. You strived because of that hope, because of their words. Even when you never met them in person, and you only see them in pages and words from their diaries, they have already left a big mark that can''t be taken. And that is why even when you already left the academy, your hearts were still there. Hoping better things would happen. I hope to meet the people behind the letters, the books, and the drawings. The warmth you all felt in that place I know it still lingering in your minds"


    Silence.


    Then, finally¡ª


    Elara exhaled sharply. "...You''re good at this, professor."


    Apollo smirked behind his disguise. "So? What will you do?"


    After a long pause, Elara finally spoke.


    "We''ll think about it."


    Klint also nodded liking what she said


    And for now¡ªthat was enough.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    After that Apollo and the rest of the other professors left to let the kids form their decision.


    The former lower-class students sat in stunned silence, their fingers trembling over the letters their old professors had written. Some were hesitant to open them, while others read their messages in silence, their eyes reflecting the weight of emotions they had long buried.


    On the other hand, Klint remained composed as he observed his friends''s reactions. He could see the flickering uncertainty in their gazes, the war between resentment and longing.


    "It wasn''t easy for us either," he said, his voice calm yet firm. "But you should know something¡ªyou were never forgotten."


    The students looked up at Joshua as he read the letter in his hand.


    "Damn it why have handwritten letters had such an effect"


    Then Klint pulled out another set of letters, this time bound in a leather folder. He placed them gently on the table.


    Taking out those letters, he remembered what Professor Callista said.


    {These are the letters written by the first-year students, they are very attached to you all so these letters are very important for them}


    "These were written by my classmates. My friends."


    The room tensed as Klint read the note on top of the leather folder.


    "They spoke of you. Of the impact you left behind. The lessons you taught them, the strength you showed. Even when you were gone, your words remained."**


    Slowly, he picked up one of the letters and began to read aloud.


    Words That Echo Through Their minds as if a haunting memory


    "To my seniors,"


    .....

 Chapter 314: To my Seniors

    "To my seniors,"


    I remember reading how you stand up against injustice or, more to say, the discrimination you felt; even when you knew you would lose, you all still stood tall, growing stronger at every fall. I felt a great respect towards you all just by reading that. I was just a first-year who happened to bear a lot of trauma, weakened by mistake and naivety. I blame myself for something that happened in the past, but your strength inspired me. You made me believe that even at your lowest you can reach the top if you keep going."


    "After knowing you were all gone, we left the academy for a reason we don''t know. Strangely, even with all the problems we have, we still desire to know the reason why you all disappeared. The other seniors tried to erase you, try not to talk, and even deceive us with false information, but we never forgot; instead, we continued to believe. Your struggles, your defiance... it became our will to fight back."


    "Now, we''re finally strong enough to welcome you back. If you still have the strength to return, we''ll be waiting."


    As Klint finished reading, the room remained eerily silent.


    Then, Elara clenched the letter in her hands. Her shoulders trembled as she whispered, "...somehow I am rendered speeches"


    Marcus, another former student, looked away. "All this time, I thought we were abandoned."


    Daniel, who was still as skeptical before, now frowned. "...do you guys think if we return, it won''t be the same as before?"


    Klint just smirked slightly. "Just like what the professor said to us. That''s up to you. But I''ll tell you one thing, I think unknowingly we contributed something we never knew would develop into something, not just as students, but as individuals who shaped what the lower class as it is now."


    He took a step forward, placing his hands on the table.


    "I''m not asking we make an immediate answer now, but. Instead, let''s have this."


    The students perked up, and then they realized that the very back of the letters contained a note and a bundle of tickets. Klint took those and showed them to his friends along with the words that the note contained.


    "A party. A gathering exclusively for the lower-class students."


    They blinked at him as he continued to read


    "First-years, second-years, even the fifth-years. All of you¡ªtogether again, if only for one night. No obligations, no pressure. Just you, your old classmates, and your former teachers."


    "If, after the party, you still don''t want to return, we won''t push you. But at least, come and see for yourselves what''s waiting for you."


    The Burden of Choice and the hope of return, we will wait for your answer


    Elara exchanged looks with the others. The air was thick with hesitation, but Klint knew well; he could see the yearning in their eyes.


    "So, everyone, your answer?" he asked as he held the tickets.


    His eyes were like hammers that forced the others to make decisions as soon as possible.


    Finally, Elara let out a slow breath.


    "...Alright. We''ll attend."


    The other students murmured in agreement.


    Their former president smiled, though they couldn''t see it due to their attention being elsewhere.


    "Good. Then let''s see each other at the academy again."


    .


    .


    .


    A night of lights enveloped the dark forest as the entire lower class from the first to the tenth year stopped whatever they were doing and came to decorate the great ballroom of the senior''s dormitory.


    It was indeed fitting for its name since the hall could house thousands of people with more space to spare.


    "Let''s put all of those over there and Braiden can lift this and put it outside"


    The one who goes and orders everyone is none other than the head butler of the dormitory Brutus Von Celestio.


    "Student Apollo, are you certain that they come?"


    The head maid asks, feigning ignorance to her reigning excitement. Since it will be her first welcoming their supposed second-year students.


    "I should recheck the rooms, oh! Perhaps I could also add more snacks in case you all might need them"


    As the old lady''s vigor spread across the room, those around her can''t help but smile as well. It was a very warm atmosphere that made everyone excited.


    "Hey, tell me something is going on, isn''t it?"


    Alicia asked since she could somehow feel Apollo''s anxiety.


    "Is it perhaps about Nero''s escape don''t worry I will ask Augustus about it, he will surely give me an answer"


    "No is not that"


    He replied while slowly massaging the bridge of his nose.


    "If it isn''t about that then what is bothering you?"


    At first, Apollo felt conflicted but soon surrendered with a sigh.


    "I''m just nervous," he mutters while stealthily hiding his flushed face.


    "Wait, don''t tell me what the cause of your anxiety is." Alicia covered her mouth, trying to tone down her amusement, but it was too late. Apollo could definitely see her expression.


    "I am not good at communicating you know, that is why I don''t know if my note had reached their hearts to come here"


    Alicia couldn''t help but chuckle at him; this side was different from how she usually saw him; thus, somehow, it added a cute atmosphere around them.


    "To think a guy like you who isn''t even afraid of fighting against the strongest sword in the world actually nervous because he couldn''t convey his feelings to other people"


    "Don''t put it that way Alicia, my interactions are only limited to the mages of the tower and people I share trauma with"


    "Oh, I supposed we are in the group of shared trauma," a voice suddenly interrupted, making the two look at the source of the voice.


    "McKenzie"


    "Hey, you two, I know we have lots of problems, but we need you two to concentrate and have fun, let''s deal with the problems after all this is done. Okay?"


    "Okay" answer simultaneously by the two.


    While the senior dormitory is bustling with excitement, the same can be said for the junior or first-year dormitory.


    Martha and the others were also happy to finally see the kids they used to take care of. They prepared their favorite snacks and the materials they used to read when they were still studying there.


    "I should prepare some tea, the ones they usually enjoyed," Jenny happily said, remembering the days when the entire class would surround the fireplace tea at hand while slowly singing songs from their hometown. For the staff who were included in such a moment, it was the most relaxing part of serving them. The atmosphere was warm, and the music was very pleasing, even when the singer was a bit off-key. Back then, the staff didn''t know that those moments would never happen again because two months after their enrolment, their class would be disbanded.


    "I should also wear their gifts, what do you think?" Miss Martha said as she remembered the class gifting her something


    The sound of footsteps continues to be heard, as well as joyous chatter that continues to reminisce the past. They were very expectant until the sounds of hurried steps began to attract their attention. For a moment they thought something went wrong.


    "Everyone!"


    Gil suddenly arrives while holding a box of chocolates. With his ragged and gasping expression, he begins to speak.


    "They are here!"


    He managed to say as he put the box down on the floor.


    "Jerome currently entertains them. Let''s be quick. They will be here in a minute.


    Nadia then came out from the corner and happily said, "The tea room is all set we should take them here first before taking them to the senior''s dormitory"


    "Okay I will call Apollo now"


    Gil replied but then Jenny interrupted him.


    "It''s okay I already called Alicia she should be able to tell everyone about it"


    Then a few minutes went by, and a group of people went in. Fifteen teenagers with vivid memories inside this very dorm.


    "Welcome back, my kids," Miss Martha tearfully said as she embraced Klint.


    "We miss you too, Miss Martha," he replied, returning the hug he just received.


    "Hey, wait, this isn''t fair. I want a hug, too," Daniel came from behind and immediately wanted to come between the two.


    "Alright, alright, you get a hug too." Klint let go of mis Martha, and Daniel immediately took the chance to hug their mother figure.


    "Please to meet you again, my students." Nadia came forward with her eyes teary caused by her mixed feelings.


    "Oh, come on, don''t be like that, big sis. We haven''t seen each other for a while now.....please... don''t cry..."


    One of the girls named Roxanne, sniffled as she saw familiar faces she hadn''t seen for a year; unlike the rest, who remained connected with their profs and to the staff, she couldn''t due to her being sent to a monastery run by one of the recognized church of the empire.


    "Come now, we shouldn''t cry like this. We should celebrate," Jerome tried to say, seeing how the atmosphere was turning into a tearful reunion, something he never anticipated. He just thought they would have fun like they usually do, but now things were turning into a situation where his tears were also about to fall.


    Unknowingly though, outside, sixteen silhouettes hunch on the ground as they awkwardly whisper to each other.


    "When are we supposed to appear now?"


    Prev

 Chapter 315: Thank you

    Apollo and his classmates actually teleported to get back to their dorm early; however, as soon as they arrived, they saw the tearful reunion of the dormitory staff and the previous students of the lower class. They look so happy and nostalgic, and the kids find themselves confused about what to do next.


    "When are we supposed to appear now?"


    Apollo, who was the most nervous, could only shake his head since it seemed everyone was having their moment. He didn''t know when to act.


    "Let''s not ruin the moment we should find an opportunity to appear just how we plan"


    They all agreed to him, nodding as they walked across the bushes, not to be seen.


    While Apollo and the rest of his friends tried their best to hide.


    Nadia and Jenny took the second years to the tea room, the place they usually gather to play.


    The room was then filled with talks of their journey and struggles to adapt to their new environment outside the academy. The first years hiding outside the window listen carefully trying not to make a sound as they bury themselves underneath the bush.


    "I can''t hear anything"


    "Probably because you have dirt in both of your ears"


    "What?"


    "Just check your damn ear!" He whispered shouted right next to Mckenzie''s ear, making the latter hear him.


    "Oh, check my ear?" he did what Braiden told him, and just like he said, there was indeed dirt stuck in his ears and hair.


    "Where did I get this?" He questioned, not understanding how he got so dirty.


    "Shhh...why are you guys so loud"


    Matilda told the two not liking how loud they are.


    "It okay to be loud I already took care of it"


    Aaron said as he manipulated the space to make sure their noise wouldn''t reach the ears of others.


    "Wait if you manipulate the space enough won''t you be invinsible in their eyes?" Arabella asked since she was curious.


    "Sorry Ara but my skills can''t do that yet, I can only manipulate a small space"


    "But you can teleport us quite easily",this time it was Blair who asked the, question to which he answered.


    "I specifically train my skills in teleportation but subtly alternating the space is quite hard for me than simply connecting it"


    "I thought teleporting and space manipulation had the same principle" Jillian said as she join the conversation.


    "Actually I could simply ask the space to bend and ripples around my enemy and they will immediately die, I could also avoid using any kind of principle and just straight up order the space to obey me and it will. However in doing so my body especially my mind would receive the backlash of the command"


    "Why would your mind be affected by it?"


    "It''s a God''s Niko and we are only mortals, even we are using a fragment of God''s authority its enough to break us apart" this time Agnes who answer his question.


    "The only thing that could lessen the burden it so master and understand the authority" Blair continue the discussion explaining their blessings works.


    "Sometimes using theories and those so called principle you just said helps us have better control as well. Once we understand more the lesser the weight we felt" Samael continue where Blair left off since he also want it explain their blessings to their friends.


    However as soon a they ended their conversation Apollo and Alicia who was also listening felt multiple presence approaching. Somehow the two instinctly look up, as they did so thier friends followed the direction of where they are looking. When they look up everyone inside the tea room are looking at them.


    "Children what are you all doing there?"


    Miss Martha who immediately recognize them asked since they were supposed to take the second year to the senior''s dormitory once they had finished catching up. At this point they were supposed to appear once miss Martha finished catching and began introducing them to their seniors.


    "Oh hi miss Martha" awkwardly they said while waving at the other staff and their supposed seniors.


    Klint and the rest of his friends all look baffled at the kids Infront of them, for some reason thier emotion was mix with nervousness and excitement.


    "Um....hi kiddos" Joshua awkwardly said though he was the person who mostly oppose their return but now facing thier juniors something inisde him suddenly made him happy and excited.


    "Hi....im Joshua your senior"


    "Senior?" The rest of his friends thought while they look at him.


    "Senior? I thought you had no intention of returning here?" Daniel teased Joshua making the latter elbow him .


    "What are you saying cant you see they are looking at us! We need to be presentable" he added not looking at his friend that he just attack with his elbow. The lad doesn''t have any expectations with the academy however as soon as he saw the little kids hiding around the bushes he couldn''t help but see himself within them. They way he looked at them was like a mirror reflecting thier past, he was like them before and in thst moment he felt like he needed to be good example for them. Without knowing the reason he felt responsible them, in a way that he forgotten all the bad memories he experienced in the past due to their class being disbanded.


    "Hi...hehehe sorry for interrupting, we didnt mean to appear here...its just we are...um....hey Apollo help me here" Mckenzie nudge him but socially introverted wizard just sat where he was overthinking like usual. With Apollo disable like a broken machine Alicia can only sigh and mend the situation.


    "Good evening seniors i apologize if me and my classmates end up appearing like this" she started to say but the people she was trying to talk to was more focused to the senior word she just said.


    "How about you come inside lets all talk, we wanted to talk to you guys ever since we read your letters" Elara became excited but her words made the rest of Apollo''s classs embarassed and nervous. The contents of their letter came crashing at thier minds making them embarrassed.


    "Oh no" Alya wanted to run but he knows that she wont be able to it.


    "If only i hold back with the things i wrote" Agnes told to herself feeling her cheeks burning being in the same presence of their seniors.


    In the eyes of Joshua and the others they might be a responsibility they fond favorily but for the case of Apollo''s and his friends they were the people they silently idolized and took inspiration. Suddenly seeing them know left them speechless.


    "Guys we need to move" Jillian said urging Kieth to move but the latter was stuck at the ground looking at the Daniel.


    "Jil that guy over there, do you think he was the one at the diary entries" Keith whisper while hiding his excitement but Jillian only shook her head not knowing which of the seniors did make their entries, or perhaps all of them did make their entries.


    This meeting was akin to meeting your idol, both the feeling of excitement and nervousness devouring them before they knew it they are already out of the bushes but for some reason none of them went inside the dorm.


    "Come now lets head inside"


    A long silence followed Elara''s invitation.


    Apollo and his classmates stood like statues, their feet rooted to the grass while thier clothes and hair were covered with branches and leaves. They looked like confused children, as the moonlight landed catching their anxious faces. Their expression was something Martha and the other staff didnt expect to see. Their usual cheerful expression and confidence had faded, replaced by trembling breaths and darting glances. This appearance somehow made them look thier age making the old lady realize that despite their maturity they are stll children deep inside. Though they had trained, fought, and stood against monsters... standing before their idols the previous lower class left them vulnerable, bare, excited yet confused by nervousness.


    "Come on, we don''t bite," Klint said with a soft smile as he stepped forward, arms wide open. "You guys wrote letters like we are some kind of heroes. Now that you''re here, let us return the favor."


    That simple line shattered the wall between them. Apollo looked at them his heart beating fast while the words inside the diaries and letters echo inside his mind.


    {Please survive}


    As he repeatedly hear it before it filled them the courage to survive to continue despite the continues threat now hearing it again made him grateful that he ends up enrolling here.


    "Thank you" he said, his words were filled with sincerity.


    The moon along its gentle light landed again in thier faces but the previous anxious faces were replaced by smiles that made the seniors surprise. All of the first years were looking at their seniors, as if they can see their very core, as if they knew them very well.


    "Your words became our hope thank you seniors" Keith smiled his face devoid of any worry. Then simultaneously Apollo and his friends bow towards their idols, thier seniors, thier unknown hero that help them continue to hope. Despite not knowing who they are, they felt connected, with just mere pieces of words as their bridge.

 Chapter 316: Thank you

    "Thank you," he said; his words were filled with sincerity.


    The moon, along with its gentle light, landed again in their faces, but the previous anxious faces were replaced by smiles that surprised the seniors. All of the first years were looking at their seniors as if they could see their very core as if they knew them very well.


    "Your words became our hope. Thank you, seniors" Keith smiled, his face devoid of any worry. Then simultaneously, Apollo and his friends bow towards their idols, their seniors, and their unknown heroes that help them continue to hope. Despite not knowing who they were, they felt connected; with just mere pieces of words as their bridge, they built more than just trust but also faith.


    Klint was speechless. Suddenly, within his heart, he felt a sensation that left him to tears; maybe he was happy, satisfied, perhaps even grateful, but then again, he could not understand what he was feeling. All he was sure of was that he badly wanted to hug them.


    Without another word, the second years gently led the first years inside the tea room, where the warm scent of brewed tea and the flickering candles softened their minds. Mismatched mugs were placed on the table, most of them chipped, some hand-painted with names¡ªremnants of memories from its previous owners, the dorm once more full of laughter and tears.


    They settled around the fireplace like a mismatched family finally reunited. The seniors took their seats with more attention to their juniors, while Apollo and his friends were no longer awkward.


    A few more moments and the conversation finally flowed naturally. The boys from Apollo''s class were very active in joking around while the girls would just followed through with their jokes, wanting to support them even when the jokes were lame.


    Klint was happy, though he never anticipated that their first meeting would make them attached to their juniors.


    Later, with teacups empty and the warmth of the fire making their nerves melt, the second years guided the first years around the dormitory. They pretended that it was Apollo''s class''s first time on the campus, and they were touring them around. It was a bit funny, but everyone enjoyed the little entertainment they were doing.


    They walked them through halls lined with old photographs, paper stars still dangling from last year''s festival, and even chalk markings on the walls ¡ª inside jokes no one dared erase.


    "It''s still here"


    Indigo mumbled as he saw all the paper cranes he had hung across the boy''s hallway.


    "Oh, we didn''t remove them, and since none of your juniors seem to mind, we let it. Everything you made where you put them," Miss Martha said, knowing the second years were shocked to see that even their drawings on the walls were all their remaining still as if waiting for them.


    "Wow," This time, it was Gemini who felt amazed since the library they used to go to study was still the same as before.


    "It didn''t change"


    It is familiar like it never changed and remained still from the moment they left.


    The wave of nostalgia washed through the class. Seeing their reaction, Apolo and his friends decided to halt their mini-tour and let their seniors reminisce. Once they are done, the stroll continues.


    "That''s where Nadia broke a broom over Gil''s back," Joshua laughed, pointing to a dent in the wall.


    "Hey, I told you not to tell anyone that!" Gil groaned, but the memory had them all laughing.


    "I remember that, Nadia was scared because a cockroach was flying around"


    "Yeah she was so afraid she began using a broomstick to kill it but instead of hitting that insects she hit me instead "


    Nadia was embarrassed to remember it, while Jenny silently laughed at her co-worker''s situation.


    "Wait how did the wall dented if it was Gil was the one who got hit?" McKenzie asked, curious, but Apollo knew he just wanted to tease Gil.


    "I actually knew why," Elara butt in, causing Gil to shout, wanting to stop the cheeky students from digging more.


    Then, from the dormitory, the second year decided to go to that place.


    "Hmmm... I guess this is our stop," Miss Martha jokingly said as she halted with the other staff as if she were already at the place where the others were heading.


    "We will be back"


    Klint said with a smile causing the old maid to sniff.


    "Yes, please do return," she replied.


    As soon as they turned their back on her and went past the gate, their fleeting back suddenly overlapped with their back a year ago. The time they left with their backs hunched and weakened. Though this time of the year, their disappearing silhouettes weren''t as lonely as before.


    .....


    In the place where students rarely come, a foggy forest surrounded by stories of ghosts and haunting legends. The Melandis step into the haunted forest of Aster Academy. To outsiders, it was just an old, moss-covered step surrounded by overgrown trees and quiet winds. But to the Lower Class, underneath this scary forest is a sacred, secret place, their hiding place, and refugee, where every surviving first year carved their names into a wall. It was their silent declaration of perseverance. For them, it was proof they endured. The haunted forest is covered with mysteries and stories that pull people away; however, contrary to the rumors and hearsay, a group of students can be seen walking along the hazy place. Though instead of screaming, you can hear laughter until they suddenly run in a hurry due to a certain headless ghost. They immediately disappeared, and even their voices were devoured by the evening breeze.


    Underneath the Melandis step, a beautiful shrine resides, abandoned but filled with life.


    "Ah, I miss this," Klint couldn''t help but say.


    Like before, they walk along the path, reminiscing and guiding Apollo''s class with their stories. Then, from the seemingly endless path, a single building can be seen waiting for them. They knew immediately what the place was.


    Klint unconsciously runs, followed by his classmates; Apollo and his classmates just look at them silently, letting them do whatever eases their feelings.


    As soon as he entered, Klint looked through the walls and the shelves; running his fingers on its surface, he felt the carvings he and his classmates left behind. For some reason, he felt emotional. It wasn''t just nostalgia but an emotion he could not describe well up to his chest, causing a burning feeling. He gasped, trying to reign over it, but soon, like a dam, it gushed out, and tears started flowing. Even with tears on his face, he continued looking through their favorite library. Then, among the books lies their diary, the one they use to communicate to the next lower class, hoping their words will reach them.


    "It really reaches them," he mutters as he puts the bundle of letters written by Apollo''s class with their written diary. The book and the letter were tied together hoping the next lower class were able to read it and help them pass.


    Back in the path, in a certain area, there was usually the spot where a bonfire was being lit, and like a tradition, Apollo''s class did the same and followed that method as well. The fire was crackling while the mood became heavier but somehow felt more free, more heartfelt. The juniors sat on the floor, some hugging pillows, others leaning on one another, while the seniors stayed seated near the fire as if they were trying to embrace the warmth.


    Alicia finally broke the silence. "Can I ask something?"


    The seniors nodded.


    "Why did you write those letters...?"


    Elara exchanged looks with her friends. It was Joshua who finally answered.


    "At first, it was because we were scared we''d be forgotten and that all our efforts wouldn''t be recognized just like what happened to us, but more importantly, we don''t want the next first years to experience a hasher situation than what happened to us. Somehow those letters and diaries were prayers we never got to say and wishes that never came true"


    His words dropped like stones in a quiet pond.


    "When our class disbanded, it was like losing everything, our friends, our purpose. Writing those notes helped us remember who we were."


    "They saved us," Andrew added softly. "And we didn''t know if anyone would ever read them... but we hoped."


    Agnes looked down. "You wrote... ''Even if they break us, they can''t unwrite what we''ve done.'' I memorized that line."


    "Whenever I wanted to give up... I read that sentence over and over again. It reminded me why I had to keep going."


    Aaron, normally composed, lowered his head. "I think we all did the same... those letters weren''t just messages. They became our hope."


    Apollo silently looked at everyone then he couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Then shall we go there?"


    "There?" For a moment, his friends thought he meant to go to the dormitory of the seniors.


    "Let''s see the wall"


    The others were confused since they had just gone into the library where that wall could be found.


    But then Apollo''s gaze remained still at his senior as if pleading.

 Chapter 317: Carve names

    "Let''s see the wall"


    Back then, Apollo observed Klint and the others, and he noticed how they evaded the wall where the engravings were located. It''s as if they deliberately avoided going there. Apollo knew why, so he wanted to take them there again.


    Once more, they walked back to the library; the cold night air nipped gently at their cheeks as they followed the winding path toward the remaining decent building inside the shrine, the small lanterns on the side slowly lit along the company of the pale glow of the crystal above them. Walking silently, Apollo could sense the growing tension among the seniors; however, he also wanted them to get the closure they needed and end the wha-ifs they always had.


    As they entered, the first years fell silent, but they walked ahead as if leading the second years toward the wall. Then they stood at the sideline, letting their seniors come through.


    Klint and his friends felt a rush of nervousness. Their eyes traced the wall, remembering to write the messages they had left behind. Then when their eyes darted towards the lone wall with tiny engravings. They knew immediately it was the wall they couldn''t write on. The giant stone wall was always filled with hand-engraved academy years and generations of the Lower Class etched into its surface. Some were crooked, others neat. Many were accompanied by small drawings, emblems, or even short inscriptions. Some even have a full story of how their last day as first year was spent. It was the very wall that Klint wished to write on, just like how the previous class representatives did so. Unfortunately, he could no longer do so.


    "Class 593 - We walked through fire, and we''re still here."


    "Class 697 - No one believed we''d survive. We did anyway."


    "Class 799 ¨C Forgotten, but not broken."


    "Class 800 - Screw the academy I''m gonna graduate"


    Joshua, Klint, Elara, and the rest of the former first years of Class 2798 stood quietly, their eyes fixed on the empty corner of the wall ¡ª the place where their class year should have been but never was.


    "We never made it here," Elara murmured.


    "Yeah too bad we almost did it," Daniel added softly. "If only I didn''t get sick at that time."


    Remembering the bet Joshua couldn''t help but clasp his head, the guilt returning as well as the pain of losing.


    The silence turned heavy. Grief wasn''t a loud thing; it was still, aching, like a memory that wouldn''t leave. Like a scar that can''t fully heal even when time has already passed.


    Apollo stepped forward, his voice was soft but clear.


    "Then return, come with us."


    The others turned to him.


    "Come to the party. Talk to the rest of the seniors. Be with us not as guests or ghosts of the past, but as people who deserved to be here all along. And if after that you still choose to leave, we''ll respect it."


    His gaze didn''t waver. "But at least give yourselves the ending you were denied"


    The old Lower Class looked at one another.


    "I always thought that accepting that bet at that time was the only choice we had and leaving was the acceptance we could only do, but now," Klint finally said.


    "But now you have another choice," Alicia added gently.


    Klint chuckled a bit as he helplessly said, "I already know what will I decide the moment I take that ticket"


    Then he looked at his friends and added, "So? What about you people?"


    Joshua kept looking at the wall, silent Ashe knew deep inside what he wanted. Gathering his breath he turned his gaze towards his friends and with a smile he said, "I''m in"


    There were no cheers, no grand proclamations. Only solemn nods... and a shared, silent agreement.


    The moon shines brightly to provide light, and then, from the steps of the abandoned shrine, it continues to guide them to the dark forest. And at the heart of that dark and shady place, the dorm awaits


    When they arrived, they were greeted by the soft sound of music, the scent of warm bread and fire-roasted vegetables, and the distance they saw the dorm staff all line up to welcome them.


    "Welcome dear guest"


    The butler said as he bowed down along with other servants, showing both respect and gratitude for coming.


    "Let me guide you inside"


    Brutus said as he leaned forward to show them the entrance to the great hall of the dormitory. Two giant doors then swung open, revealing a hint of what''s inside. Having a glimpse of what was waiting for them, the former first years felt a rush of nervousness; though they had come prepared, they still couldn''t completely calm down.


    "Let''s go, everyone!" McKenzie was excited as he pulled Elara towards the door while Apollo gently pushed Klint to help him take it forward.


    "There is no turning back now," he smiles mischievously, earning a chuckle from Klint.


    ...


    They had arrived at the senior''s Dormitory, which houses the third years and beyond. However, despite their seniority, they, too, couldn''t hide their panic and excitement as they saw multiple silhouettes entering.


    "Here they come" Livy whispered as she tightly held the party pop and floating glitter bomb. Then one of the tenth-year students named Danny looked up, and in his hand held one sphere that held magic inside it. It was supposed to show a mini fireworks display that would light up the currently black ceiling.


    Then, at the signal of Ericson, all kinds of explosions happened; fireworks erupted, rising towards the ceiling and devouring the darkness in hand. The beautiful and bright fiery sparks then turn into crystal-like material that turns into a chandelier that cascades like flowing jewelry.


    "Welcome home!" a voice cried out.


    A giant banner then flows in while confetti and glitter sparks into the air. In Apollo''s opinion, it was chaotic. Arms outstretched. Food shoved into hands. And cheers echoed into all corners while all kinds of food was served.


    Elara was swept up in a hug by a fourth-year who remembered her previous feat in beating up a student from a High class before; Joshua, on the other hand, was overwhelmed when a giant-like fifth-year student dragged him to eat with them.


    While the previous first-year students were enjoying their time, Apollo and his friends weren''t spared and were included in the party.


    Agnes was handed a hot drink by someone who used to sneak treats into the lower-class dorms.


    Arabella, on the other hand, was confused as she saw her name, her actual name, handwritten on a welcome banner.


    "Why am I included in there?" She continues to wonder, blankly staring at it.


    The dorm was glowing basking into the night with all sorts of music played and by their request. The pillars were lit with colorful lanterns, paper butterflies fluttering across the windows, and old banners of previous years hanging proudly from the rafters. It was truly a wonderful welcome for the class that took a long to return to their place inside the academy.


    ---


    The celebration continued until daybreak. Though it wasn''t grand in Apollo''s opinion, it was one of the best parties he had ever attended. There here was laughter, music, and a sense of belonging; no one was left out, and no one was left behind.


    They shared stories. First years shared stories on how Alicia always burned someone in the cafeteria while Samael shared a similar experience. From the embarrassing stories of their training, the story switches from the juniors to the seniors. A new story was told, and everyone laughed, cried, and clapped in disbelief and awe as the story unfolded.


    "Wait why do I feel this story is familiar?" Gemini muttered while Braiden, who was sitting right next to him, could only nod his head.


    "It''s familiar to me too," he added as he tried to remember.


    "It''s familiar because it''s one of the stories left by the seniors inside the shrine," Klint explained. Then another senior stood up to narrate his story.


    As he sang and even danced while storytelling, the others fell into disbelief with another familiar story. That senior, on the other hand, couldn''t believe that his random scribbles weren''t forgotten but instead lived on to be read by Apollo''s generation.


    "I didn''t know anyone read that note in that dairy," one senior said, wiping his eyesof tears from laughing to much.


    "I memorized it," Mckenzie replied proudly.


    "What?"


    "Why?"


    "Those aren''t supposed to be remembered!!"


    Joshua laughed as he heard the exchange between McKenzie and a tenth-year student. It seems whatever the content of the note can make even a 23-year-old embarrassed.


    While the sun began to rise but the party was still on, Apollo decided to stand beside the wall, finally feeling drained from all the interactions he had for the entire night.


    "They still having a blast" he just chuckled as he saw the happiness they all had"


    Then, from the hall, his eyes darted towards the sky, scanning it as the stars began to fade away as the light broke through the night. Beside him, Klint stared at the empty space, his back lay flat on the ground exhausted but happy.


    "Hey," he suddenly called, and despite the ongoing chaotic noise, someone answered him.


    "Yes?" Even without saying each other''s names, they seem to know whom the words are meant to.


    "Think we can still carve our names?"

 Chapter 318 - chapter 318: Power scale

    "Hey," he suddenly called, and despite the ongoing chaotic noise, someone answered him.


    "Yes?" Even without saying each other''s names, they seem to know whom the words are meant to.


    "Think we can still carve our names?"


    Apollo nodded. "We have a chisel, don''t we?"


    "You are prepared?"


    "The moment you guys came here with us, I already knew I should have this." He chuckled, revealing a wrapped bundle.


    "If you still have the strength lets go and write it down now"


    "Pfft...hahaha...okay, okay" Klint stood up, and without many words, he took it, his hands trembling. And one by one, the rest of the second years gathered around, forming a circle. It seems upon seeing what''s happening, all their energy returns to them. The other seniors also began to notice and knew what they were about to do. Suddenly, the music stops, and laughter turns into silence. All eyes rest on a single person, Klint. Then, as if guided by fate, he slowly walked towards the place they all knew. While the stars began to fade and the fog cleared away, a group of students walked in line, hand in hand, and reached a shrine. Their safe haven and safe place, in its depts a giant was located filled with promises and hope. A chisel struck its stone surface, and for the first time, Class 2898 was written among the stars. Stars that continue to light until another new one rises.


    .


    .


    .


    The morning moved like a breeze, and noon came in; the sun was fully rising while the entire students of the lower class were sound asleep inside the shrine they treated as a second home.


    "Hmmm...."


    "You up"


    "Oh, it''s you, Alicia"


    Apollo and Alicia, unlike the rest who were sleeping awake and talking, were there looking at the wall calmly, deep in thought about each other''s feelings.


    "What''s with that reaction did something happen"


    "Nero is making his move"


    "I figured since he is the only one who can make you look like that"


    "Was it that obvious"


    "A little, so what did he do this time"


    "I think he ends up getting more powerful as we speak"


    "Will you report this to Augustus?"


    "I don''t need to, I believe he is already aware of this"


    "Then should we investigate just why the emperor let him go?"


    "Maybe but not now everyone is still enjoying themselves, let''s not ruin it"


    Apollo was about to go where the others were when he felt a tug on his sleeve.


    "If it''s bothering you that much it means is worth checking"


    Then that simple tug became a slight pull, "Let''s go I will help you, we should ease your mind from worrying"


    Apollo still looked confused, then Alicia added, "You know helping people is okay, but don''t forget to help yourself. If it''s worrying then it only means it needs to be addressed"


    The boy''s expression loosen up a bit and finally surrendered to Alicia''s suggestions.


    "Hmmm..."


    "What is it? Why are you making that face Alicia?"


    "I just thought it''s unlike you to postpone something threatening. Are perhaps being too complacent"


    Those words made Apollo think of his own decisions and he immediately shook his head.


    "I am not being complacent nor underestimating Nero. I just felt like we shouldn''t ruin the happy atmosphere just because of a problem that could be solved later. And from the beginning, it wasn''t exactly my duty to worry about it"


    "Do you perhaps want to continue living like this? Simple yet fun, no complications of your responsibility, and just completely ordinary"


    "Was it wrong to wish for that"


    "No, actually I''m really glad you have such thoughts. It means you value this school life that we have. Something that you find insignificant before. You were a person who had his eyes on something, and us appearing in your life was like a tiny obstacle, like a stopover that you will get over with. But now I see you put us in a different way and I am very glad you did"


    A smile curved through her cold face, replacing her indifferent demeanor with something warm and welcoming.


    "I am sorry if I ever made you feel that way"


    "Don''t worry what matters is that you change"


    Then, as they exit the shrine and back to the Melandis steps, the space turns into a portal that immediately swallows the two.


    .


    .


    .


    The ground slowly vibrates as two silhouettes suddenly materialize from a swirling fragment of space. Those two figures were surrounded with darkness while two horns were protruding on their heads. The two intruders were welcomed by luscious plants and flowers that were put together like a garden found only in the most beautiful parts of the empire; in the middle of this beautifully arranged place was a small castle. It stood indifferently from the rest of the colorful things that surrounded it. Alicia did not expect that their enemy''s last hidden base was a botanical-looking garden.


    "Is this the place?"


    "Yeah, this is where the tracker led me"


    "Are you sure? Where did you actually put the tracker?"


    "Oh, that? I just put it in his soul"


    "Soul?!"


    Her voice was a bit taken aback, but Apollo was too busy looking at the map to notice her expression.


    "Multiple people are guarding this place"


    "Yes, I can feel them as well, so what do you plan to do, Apollo?"


    "Let''s just scout the area and see if we can find some clues"


    "Okay but the way I don''t know if you felt it but here is this thing that I have been feeling"


    "A dark, ominous energy that seems to envelop the area?"


    "Yes"


    "It was the thing I had been feeling before when I met Nero at the academy, beside the unpleasant sensation, the feeling of something foreign kept getting me on edge and now that feeling is even stronger than before"


    "If it''s unpleasant and foreign it only means that whatever Nero has doesn''t come from Bunag"


    Alicia concluded while Apollo nodded in agreement.


    "A black ominous energy. I wonder what that is, what kind of foreign energy is taking Nero?" Apollo kept thinking, but soon his thoughts ended as soon as he saw how many guards Nero had left.


    "A hundred" he noted.


    "One hundred above celestial beings," Alicia said out loud, earning Apollo''s attention.


    "It seems you are aware that there is a rank above the celestial"


    Alicia suddenly became silent this silence made Apollo look at her, but then the answer that she gave was a nod.


    "Hmmm.... Did I say something wrong"


    [I think it is more accurate to say that she simply wanted to limit what information she was about to say about herself]


    "Again with her mystery origin"


    While Apollo was talking to Jeremiah, Alicia finally spoke.


    "Do you have any idea how others address these levels?"


    Apollo just shook his head not knowing the answer, "I don''t know"


    "There are no definite titles for it and there are also no exact amount of levels but I label it like this"


    Alicia''s fingers touched Apollo''s, and a surge of memory came to him. Letters from an old book came to him while a voice he had no knowledge of whispered words he could not completely understand.


    {Celestial, Demigod, Titan, God and primordial}


    Those letters echo in his mind along the vague words that slowly turn vivid.


    {What do you think? This is a good way to differentiate the power scale?}


    [System detected Creator''s distress, initiating immediate response]


    As the system reacted Apollo was brought back to his senses though only a second pass it was enough to make him confused about the owner of the voice.


    "It was very familiar," he thought so, but then his attention shifted as he noticed Alicia looking at him without blinking.


    "Let''s go," he only said, earning a nod from her.


    They continue walking as they did, so the heavy feeling continues that even in his demon form, Apollo finds it discomforting to move.


    "Jeremiah can you adapt the power scale like the one inside the memory Alicia gave me"


    [I can, but why?]


    "I just felt like I should give me the updated version of my stats along with the remaining points I have left"


    [Affirmative, Creator]


    [Processing new information...


    Recalibrating.....


    Information has been stored and implemented]


    "Thank you, now please show me the data"


    [Command received data retrieving]


    [Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Focused


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Demigod


    Mana type: Blue


    Level: 20


    Strength: 123575


    Agility: 124578


    Dexterity: 124768


    Endurance: 123978


    Stamina: 123457


    Intelligence: 124569


    Mana: 124500


    Ki: 117890


    Mana regeneration: 5000 per second


    Ki regeneration: 5000 per second


    Vitality: 100000


    Skills/Abilities:


    Spell synthesis(REVELATION) {Passive}


    Alchemic craft (REVELATION) {Passive}


    Weapon creation (REVELATION) {Passive}


    Machinery Engineer (REVELATION) {Passive}


    Light of Aegis (REVELATION ) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. It can be manipulated by the wielder''s will, and the size can reach 10 kilometers.


    Lightning Call (REVELATION) {Passive} - 1000 times increases of any lightning-based spells or attacks.


    Demigod fighter (REVELATION) {Passive} - A level of combat that stems from newly generated power.


    Master Weaponist [Overhaul] (REVELATION) {Passive} - a combination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah


    .


    .


    .

 Chapter 319 - chapter 319: Killing me?

    Name: Apollo Lionheart


    Status: Focused


    Position: Senior researcher mage


    Rank: Demigod


    Mana type: Blue


    Level: 20


    Strength: 123575


    Agility: 124578


    Dexterity: 124768


    Endurance: 123978


    Stamina: 123457


    Intelligence: 124569


    Mana: 124500


    Ki: 117890


    Mana regeneration: 5000 per second


    Ki regeneration: 5000 per second


    Vitality: 100000


    Skills/Abilities:


    Spell synthesis(REVELATION) {Passive}


    Alchemic craft (REVELATION) {Passive}


    Weapon creation (REVELATION) {Passive}


    Machinery Engineer (REVELATION) {Passive}


    Light of Aegis (REVELATION ) {Passive}- Solidifies the surrounding mana every time the bearer gets attacked. It can be manipulated by the wielder''s will, and the size can reach 1 kilometer.


    Lightning Call (REVELATION) {Passive} - 700% increases any lightning-based spells or attacks.


    Demigod fighter (REVELATION) {Passive} - A level of combat that stems from newly generated power.


    Master Weaponist [Overhaul] (REVELATION) {Passive} - a combination of weapon arts crafted by Jeremiah and the synthesis of magic swordsmanship in the Sage sphere.


    Mirror Thousandfold (REVELATION) {Active} - Return one thousand times the damage and pain of the opponent''s attack; it may be a spell, physical, spiritual, or mental attack.


    Automatic Weaponry (REVELATION) {Active} -Automatically creates any weapon the creator had in mind, recommended to have a blueprint to fully create the desired weapon


    Strength: No Materials are needed for this skill


    500% more powerful than regular weapons of the same grade.


    Energy bank (REVELATION) {Active} - A space that stores twenty times the amount of mana and ki of the bearer, only accessible when energy reaches 0


    Disintegrate (REVELATION) {Active} - A skill Apollo gained while experimenting with a certain potion inside the Black tower. It can turn anything into a state of decay or nothingness.


    Demonification (REVELATION) {Active}- Demonification is a state where the body turns into a demon beast. Upon transformation, all stats go up to 10 times.


    Demonize (REVELATIONs) {Active} - A copy of the skill Demonification, allowing Apollo to use his non-demon skills. This half-demon transforms the body so that the bearer can utilize the human and demon skills.


    Oppressor (REVELATION) {Active}- This skill allows the Creator to put pressure upon his enemies without doing anything. This pressure may cause confusion and errors in judgments causing them low battle awareness. Momentarily stops thoughts and could cause chaos inside someone''s mind and body.


    The skill may activate without the Creator''s authorization depending on the situation. (Range Increase)


    Copy&Paste (REVELATION) {Active} - enables the Creator to copy any skill once he sees or feels the attack.


    Strength: As long as the skill or technique has been seen or felt, even a gift or Blessings can be copied. The copied skill will be 200% more powerful than the original.


    Copied authority of the God of Mystics (Rank X) {Active}


    - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Blair it was able to be copied by the system.


    Copied authority of the goddess of time (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Agnes it was able to be copied by the system.


    Copied authority of the God of Force (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Keith it was able to be copied by the system.


    Copied authority of the God of Heat and fire (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Samael it was able to be copied by the system.


    Copied authority of the God of Space and Passage (Rank X) {Active} - Through Jeremiah and Apollo''s relentless analyzing of the given blessing of Aaron it was able to be copied by the system.


    ADVANCED STATISTICS


    [ ADVANCED STATISTICS


    Prime Element:{None}


    Bloodline: Blood of the Summoner - A term used by scholars to address the mysterious bloodline of the family famous, the Lancaster family. This bloodline is capable of forming an infinite amount of contracts. No limitations regardless of the rank of spirits and the level of a mage''s mana. As long as they get the spirit''s recognition a contract can be achieved.


    Blessings:{None}


    Inheritance:{None}


    Body Constitution:{Unawakened}


    Current stat point: 2000


    Curse stability: 5%]


    "Hmmmm....not bad, but the point system is different now than it was before"


    [Yes Creator, now we needed 1000 stat points just to increase one of your attributes]


    "How much stat do I have right now"


    [Calculating ....]


    [664,575]


    "That''s not too bad either but I can''t increase my stats right now since I need to master my current power right now"


    [I agree but creator how will you deal with all this]


    Apollo sighed, knowing what he meant; surrounding them were black smoke-like things that emitted a revolting stench.


    "Apollo I think we need to retreat"


    Alicia''s voice became suddenly shaken alerting Apollo.


    "What it is?"


    He asked; however, soon he felt a surge of power that became dangerous.


    "Nero," he realized, immediately grabbing Alicia to teleport, but before they could, the eerie foreign matter moved unexpectedly, and Apollo had no choice but to form his guard to block it.


    "Calm down," Alicia told him as she clad the two of them with an energy that Apollo had never felt before.


    "Another outside of Bunag," he thought to himself as he let her take the lead in the fight; however, contrary to his expectations, the dark matter did not attack, but instead, it returned to normal.


    "What just happened?"


    "Shhhh...he is coming Apollo"


    With those words, he hastily spread his senses and immediately noticed the approaching presence of a person. Yet despite not seeing its appearance he already knows who it was.


    "Nero"


    Unconsciously, he felt tense, and by instinct, his body prepared to attack and defend if needed.


    "Be calm Apollo"


    Alicia warned; for a moment, he was confused until he felt another presence walking towards them.


    "Let''s observe since that''s what we came for"


    Apollo could only nod his head as he was dragged by Alicia. The two stood on one of the giant branches of an unknown, and there they saw multiple figures slowly approaching each other.


    "These mana why is he here!"


    "Already said this before but I will say it again, be calmApollo and just observe"


    .


    .


    .


    "What''s this, you are not the gueast I was expecting"


    A sarcastic yet calm voice said while the owner of the voice finally came into view.


    "Nero as expected you sense us"


    "How could I not sense the presence of the four ducal lords that guard the cardinal direction, it would be such disrespectful to do that"


    The four dukes all look disturbed as if someone is choking them; their faces are pale, beads of sweat are dripping, and aside from their murderous look, they would pass as sick people.


    "Don''t tell me were they affected by the oath as well?"


    Each step forward of the four dukes was like a loud beat of drums that seemed to strike his heart. He was overthinking and wishing that his thoughts were wrong. He was so frustrated with what he was supposed to do that he unconsciously squeezed Alicia''s hand.


    "Calm down and watch," she just said, but Apollo could not make Alicia squeeze his hand back to get his attention. Unfortunately, the boy was too focused to even notice how their hands were tightly held together.


    "You know I wasn''t expecting it was you four, truth be told I am waiting for another visitor, someone who is much noble and pure, a lion than any lion there has been"


    Upon his words, Helios felt confused at the same time, a bit furious that somehow his words were like directing to his family. After all, the lion is the symbol that represents their family. So now he felt like Nero was aiming at him.


    "Did he meet with one of my relatives...wait, don''t tell me?" Helios suddenly remembered how his children met Nero in the academy; the thought of them being influenced by the enemy infuriated him.


    "This bastard is up to something," he realized, thinking that Nero was only taunting him.


    "Oh, don''t give me that look, I simply wish for us to meet again that''s all"


    He said, showing his hands together as if convincing them that he was harmless.


    "Back to the main topic, I wonder why you guys are here. I was alarmed by a sudden intruder but it turns out it was you people"


    "We came here to get you back to your cell; after all, you have a scheduled execution." A cold answer was heard. The Duke of the North wasn''t really happy with Nero''s attitude.


    "You and your people caused trouble to the north and you have to take responsibility for all your experiments"


    He added as the temperature began to drop.


    "If you are angry about that certain experiment on your relatives don''t blame me it wasn''t my idea"


    He was still speaking in sarcasm earning a huge fluctuations of killing intent from the duke.


    "I am going to kill you"


    His voice was resolute, dissolving any of Apollo''s previous worries, but then Nero''s response cut through the chaos and cleared the surroundings.


    "Killing me? I sure you will your grace"